CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Binay warns Cebu cops
not to force out Garcia
Solons: RH signing
starts healing process
Ban on crackers, penalty
on revelers under review
Farewell
to year of
boon, bane
The Quezon City
Memorial Circle is
one of the count-
down sites where,
starting at 5 p.m.
on New Years Eve,
the clock starts
counting the
hours, minutes
and seconds to
New Years Day.
MANNY PALMERO
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Martyrdom remembered. President Benigno Aquino III and chairman Serena Diokno of the National Historical Commis-
sion lead the observance of the 116th anniversary of Jose Rizals martyrdom at the Rizal Park, where he laid a wreath and people
reenacted the transfer of the urn containing Rizals remains to the heros monument in Luneta from Binondo. DANNY PATA
Malacaang on Thursday described 2012
as one of the best for the country after it
posted the highest third-quarter growth in
Southeast Asia and the Aquino administra-
tion signed a historic framework agreement
with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
The Aquino administrations ousting of
Chief Justice Renato Corona and placement
of former President Gloria Macapagal-Ar-
royo under hospital arrest also contributed
to this years success, presidential spokes-
man Edwin Lacierda said.
This year we saw the full effect of po-
litical will used correctly and for the right
purposes, knowing that power is merely lent
by the people to their leaders to ultimately
serve the countrys best interests, presiden-
tial spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.
While these past two-and-a-half years
have been a period of continued renewal for
the country, 2012 in particular has been a
year of rebuilding and restoration.
The Philippines posted a 7.1-percent growth
in its gross domestic product in the third quarter,
and the government expects its fourth-quarter
growth to be as robust.
By Joyce Pangco-
Paares, Rey Requejo
and Maricel Cruz
THE Ofce of the Vice President
on Sunday warned police of-
cials in Cebu against using force
to carry out threats to remove sus-
pended Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia,
who has lived in her ofce in the
past two weeks in deance of a
suspension order imposed by
Malacaang for alleged abuse of
authority.
Ira Pozon, head of the Vice
Presidents Ofce for Special
Concerns, said Police Central
Visayas Regional Director Mar-
celo Garbo should abandon plans
to physically take out Garcia
from the Capitol because it was
an un-Christian and provocative
act that could heighten the ten-
sion in the province.
Can Garbo guarantee that
there will be no injuries or casu-
alties if he pushed through with
the forcible removal of Garcia?
Pozon asked.
Garcia, who spent Christmas
with her family in her ofce, has
asked the Court of Appeals to
stop the six-month suspension
that covered the last remaining
months of her term. Malacaang
has designated Vice Governor
Agnes Magpale as Acting Gov-
ernor, and she claimed last week
that the provincial treasury was
almost bankrupt.
The suspension has rattled
political alliances and mem-
bers of the ruling coalition
led by President Aquinos
Liberal Party. In the House
of Representatives several
members threatened to bolt
the coalition.
By Joel Palacios
YULETIDE carols ll the air but
one song captures our best inten-
tions as we mark the exact point
in time when the old year gives
way to the newwe look misty-
eyed at the past and see a future
bristling with possibilities.
There is no better way to com-
municate our thoughts, feelings
and lifes purpose on New Years
eve than to express it in a song that
has stood the test of time and has
gained specail meaning to millions
of people around the world.
The song, which has been
translated into various languages,
asks questions. But we all know
the answer.
By Joyce Pangco Paares and Macon Ramos-Araneta
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has ordered a study on proposals to ban all
types of recrackers as well as to penalize revelers who damage public property
with their reworks.
Mr. Aquino called for an inter-agency meeting at the Palace Sunday to ensure
that the number of casualties and damage to properties caused by recrackers
are minimized in the coming New Year celebrations.
The President asked representatives from the Philippine National Police
if recrackers with more than 0.2 grams of incendiary powder can damage
roads.
When told that roads sometimes get cracked by such high-power
recrackers, Mr. Aquino said the government will look into the pos-
sibility of proposing a new law or ordinances that would penalize
persons for these damages.
By Christine F. Herrera
PRESIDENT Benigno
Aquino III signed the re-
productive health bill with-
out much fanfare because
he wanted the healing
process to start after a pro-
longed and divisive debate,
administration lawmakers
said Sunday.
The President told us
to start the healing process
without a ceremonial sign-
ing, House Deputy Major-
ity Leader Janette Garin, one
of the principal authors of
the bill, said.
The President, Garin said,
was conscious about not di-
viding the country more.
Garin said it was also the
President that asked that
the implementing rules and
regulations of the RH Law
be done after the holidays so
the country could observe a
truce after an intense clash
with the Catholic bishops.
Unlike the rage
and controversy which at-
tended the congressional
debates and approval of the
measure, the bill was signed
as Republic Act No. 10354
in the privacy of the Presi-
dents study room without
the anticipated ceremony
in order not to exacerbate
the conict with some
Catholic bishops and start
the reconciliation process
to ensure widespread sup-
port in the implementation
of the RH law, said Albay
Rep. Edcel Lagman, also
a principal author.
Asian parliamentar-
ians hailed the sign-
ing of the new law,
which provides a
national policy
on responsible
parenthood
and repro-
duc t i ve
health.
TODAY
Standard
Vol. XXVI
No. 269
16 Pages,
3 Sections
P18.00
Monday, December 31, 2012
Standard
www.manilastandardtoday.com mst@mstandardtoday.com
AULD LANG SYNE
Old song stands test of time
By Francisco S. Tatad
DENIED an organized opposition from
the start of his term, President Beni-
gno Aquino III has nally found what
he never soughterce anti-Aquino
sentiment in the vote-rich province
of Cebu, the rst bastion of Filipino
resistance to early and now resurgent
foreign colonialism and to present-day
despotism.
From there, it could spread to the
other regions and beyond, even to the
diaspora of 12 million Filipinos over-
seas. The new anti-Aquino forces seem
determined to see to it.
This inchoate opposition portends to
raise at least three major national issues,
and mobilize dormant national senti-
ment behind them. These are: territorial
integrity and national sovereignty, reli-
gious liberty, and political freedom.
First, they want to protest Aquinos
inability to protect the countrys ter-
ritorial integrity from foreign intrud-
ers (notably China), and his collusion
with alien powers, notably the US, the
UK and certain UN agencies, to im-
pose population control upon Filipino
families.
Second, they want to protest the
crushing of religious liberty of Filipi-
nos who reject contraception and steril-
ization as a matter of religious belief or
moral conscience.
Third, they want to protest Aquinos
attempt to control the three coequal
and coordinate branches of govern-
ment, which began when he ordered his
henchmen in Congress to impeach and
remove the Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court who had preceded him in ofce.
There could be any number of ancil-
lary issues.
Why this phenomenon should begin
in Cebu rather than in Manila, the usu-
ally more active capital city, is not hard
to understand. Continued on page A5
The word now is Imperial Malacaang
ANALYSIS
C
O
U
N
T
D
O
W
N
By Joyce Pangco Paares
MALACAANG has described the year about to end as
the best year for the Philippines for a long time, but for
the people devastated by Typhoon Pablo in Mindanao, it
should be the worst in living memory as a result of the
number of people it killed, affected and sent missing and
the damage it inicted.
Next page
Next page
Next page
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Next page
News
ManilaStandardToday mst.daydesk@gmail.com DECEMBER 31, 2012 MONDAY
A2
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Spoiled for choice. A buyer checks out the merchandise at a fruit stall in Manila. SONNY ESPIRITU
Binay...
Pozon, sustaining the political
assault on LP that Binay started
last week, said Garbo should be
transparent and declare where
his orders came from if he will
insist in removing Garcia de-
spite her pending petition in
court.
Does this mean that you have
received orders from higher ups,
particulary the Secretary of De-
partment of Interior and Local
Government and the Director
General of the National Police,
or are you acting on your own?
Pozon asked.
Due process and the rule
of law, not to mention judicial
courtesy, require that you hold
in abeyance your decision to
remove the governor from the
provincial capitol, he said.
He said resorting to vio-
lence to remove Garcia was
un-Christain considering that
we are still observing the the
most joyous season for Catho-
lics and Garbo should work
to maintain peace and order in
the province and not to spark
unrest.
We hope that you will be
discerning and responsible
enough to realize that physi-
cally removing the governor
from her office while the pro-
cess of appeal is not yet com-
plete invites charges of abuse
of authority and violation of
due process, Pozon said.
Garcia, who has served two
terms as governor and has
announced plans to run for
congressman in Cebus third
district, lashed back at Mag-
pale for misleading the public
about the financial health of
the province.
It is utterly ironic that only
six days before declaring the
province bankrupt, Vice Gov-
ernor Magpale boasted of giv-
ing bonuses in the amounts of
P30,000 each to over 1,300 cap-
itol employees, P10,000 more
than the previous year. This
is surely not the actuation of a
bankrupt government institu-
tion, she said.
She said the province has
P90.4 million in the general
fund, over P200 million held in
trust, and receives P133 million
monthly as its Internal Revenue
Allotment.
In the Court of Appeals, offi-
cials said Garcia was not likely
to get judicial relief until Janu-
ary 2 when the justices returned
from the long holidays.
The appealate court did not
act on her petition for temporary
restraining order on her sus-
penion because two members
--- Associate Justices Vicente
Veloso and Aurora Jane Lantion
--- went on leave to write deci-
sions on pending cases.
Another member, Associate
Justice Eduardo Peralta, was
also on leave and was replaced
by Associate Justice Rodil Zal-
ameda, who could not act on the
peitition because of the absence
of the two members, a senior of-
ficial said.
In the House of Representa-
tives, a senior official of the
opposition United Nationalist
Alliance (UNA) said several
of their members have entered
into secret pacts with LP to
ensure their re-election and in
exchange support senatorial LP
candidates.
Majority of the members
of the LP coalition have be-
come our secret allies. There
was a gentlemans agreement.
It was an unwritten rule that
was also approved by the UNA
top brass, said UNA Secretary
General and Navotas Rep. To-
bias Tiangco.
But the continued persecu-
tion of some political lead-
ers in Cebu and Pangasinan,
where charges of accepting
P1 billion bribe was filed
against the governor, have
cause rifts in the coalition,
Tiangco said.
NUP President and Nueva
Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino
has threatened to bolt the LP
coalition as a result of alleged
persecution by Malacanang of
the governors of Cebu and Pan-
gasinan.
How can the NUP possi-
bly support the LP coalitions
12-member slate in Cebu when
a family member of the sup-
posed leaders that would cam-
paign for them is being politi-
cally persecuted and harassed,
Antonino said.
Old...
Auld Lang Syne, which
people sing at the conclusion of
New Year gatherings around the
world, begins with rhetorical
questions:
Should auld acquaintance be
forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be
forgot,
and days of auld lang syne?
The song usually involves only
the first verse and the chorus that
answer the questions, and the
chorus goes:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
well take a cup of kidndness
yet,
for auld lang syne.
Auld Lang Syne is a Scots
poem written by Robert Burns in
1788, according to Wikipedia. It
is set to the tune of a traditional
folk song, which is well known
in many countries, especially the
English-speaking world.
Auld Lang Syne is the tra-
ditional song used to celebrate
the start of the New Year at the
stroke of midnight, and it is com-
mon practice that people join
hands to form a great circle.
At the beginning of the last
verse, everyone crosses their
arms across the breast, the right
hand reaching out to the person
on the left and vice versa. When
the tune ends, everyone rushes to
the middle while still holdidng
hands.
The Scots title Auld Lang
Syne can be translated into Eng-
lish as old long since, or more
idiomatically, long long ago,
days gone by, old times, or
loosely translated as it appears in
the first line of the chorus, for
old times.
Other than to usher in the New
Year, Auld Lang Syne has been
used to symbolize other endings
and new beginnings, including
farewells, funerals, graduations,
end of a party, election of a new
government, and even the clos-
ing of a retail store.
In October 2000, Auld Lang
Syne was played as the body of
former Canadian Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau left Parliament
Hill in Ottawa for the last time
and brought to Montreal for the
state funeral.
On the sinking of the Japanese
ship Montevideo Maru in World
War II, carrying 1,053 Australians
(mostly prisoners of war), the Aus-
tralians in the water sang Auld
Lang Syne for their trapped mates
as the ship went down.
In Pakistan, the tune was
played at the formal resignation
of President Pervez Musharraf
as the countrys Chief of Army
Staff, and on November 2009,
students and staff at the Univer-
sity of Glasgow sang the song in
41 different languages simulta-
neously.
The song provide answers, but
people repond in many ways to
the question why we should not
forget auld lang syne. One pop-
ular answer said: When you ask
the question youre really saying
I love you.
Farewell...
The Philippine Stock Ex-
change index also soared above
expectations and breached the
5,800 mark, while the peso ap-
preciated by as much as 6 percent
against the dollar this year.
These positive indicators are
underpinned by an administra-
tion that has maintained fiscal
discipline, initiated reforms to
ramp up quality public spending,
and invested heavily in both so-
cial and physical infrastructure,
Lacierda said.
He said 2012 was also a time
for celebration and pride for
the reclaimed standing of our
country as we stand shoulder-
to-shoulder with other rising na-
tions of the world.
In 2012 we turned the corner,
fixed the damage wrought by the
crooked ways of the past, and es-
tablished further that the straight
path is the only way forward,
Lacierda said.
He cited Coronas ouster and
Arroyos imprisonment as some
of the judicial-reform accom-
plishments of the administration.
The message is clear: If a
Chief Justice can be impeached
and a former President put under
hospital arrest for alleged plun-
der and electoral sabotagethen
so can anyone; a crime is a crime,
regardless of wealth or status in
society, Lacierda said.
He also cited the important leg-
islative measures signed into law
by President Benigno Aquino III,
including the Anti-Enforced
or Involuntary Disappearance
Act and the Sin Tax Reform
Act, and the passage of the
controversial Responsible Par-
enthood bill.
As the administration em-
barks on 2013, there is all the
more reason for Filipinos to trav-
el on the straight path under the
leadership of President Aquino
and the adherents to his noble
cause, Lacierda said.
But the year 2012 has turned
out to be the worst for the victims
of Typhoon Bopha that struck
Mindanao on Dec. 4, and so far
there is nothing to look forward
to in the coming year.
My parents and my one-year-
old baby died when our house
collapsed on them and they were
buried under the debris, a Unit-
ed Nations report quoted Richee
Antulan as saying outside the re-
mains of her home in Baganga,
a municipality now viewed by
many as ground zero.
Antulan is among the 6.2 mil-
lion people affected by Pablo, the
most powerful to hit the country
in 2012. On Dec. 7 President
Aquino declared a state of na-
tional calamity.
According to the National Di-
saster Risk Reduction and Man-
agement Counci, 1,050 people
were killed, over 2,000 were
injured, and more than 800 are
missing.
Of the 168,227 homes dam-
aged, over 65,500 were totally
destroyed, and he estimated
value of the property damage is
$839 million.
Close to 12,000 people are still
in 43 evacuation centers.
The devastation was total,
Disaster Council head Benito
Ramos said.
Many public buildings that
were designated areas for evacu-
ation centres were severely dam-
aged, mostly with roofs blown
away.
We urgently need tents and
tarpaulins, Ramos said earlier.
We have gone as far as gath-
ering tarpaulins from old ad-
vertising billboards in Manila
to bring down to the affected
areas. We want the survivors to
have some kind of shelter before
Christmas.
In Baganga, where the storm
first made landfall, not a single
public building is usable.
We have no evacuation cen-
ters, said Rowena Abayon a
second lieutenant in the Philip-
pine Army who was manning a
command post in Baganga.
In Baganga all 31 schools
were damaged. All the churches,
too. We estimate that 95 percent
of the 18 villages [in this mu-
nicipality] have been totally de-
stroyed.
The most immediate need
now is shelter. The people need
tarpaulins to at least give them
shade or protect them from the
rain, said Wilson Mondal, a
field delegate from the Inter-
national Committee of the Red
Cross.
[Without temporary shelter]
the food distributions they re-
ceive will get wet. Tarps will also
keep their kids from getting wet
and getting sick.
The ICRC has started distrib-
uting two tarpaulins measuring 4
by 6 feet and food and non-food
items to each family in the three
most affected municipalities of
Baganga, Cateel and Boston.
An estimated 90 percent of the
affected people in the area are
in need of additional assistance,
Mondal says.
The people here are resilient
but will require support for quite
some time to get back on their
feet, David Carden, head of the
UN Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs, said
from the affected area.
On Dec. 10 the government and
the UN Humanitarian Country Team
launched the six-month Bopha [Pab-
lo] Action Plan for Response and
Recovery, requesting $65 million to
assist nearly 500,000 of the most af-
fected people.
Emergency shelter support is
a priority, as is water and hygiene
kits along with debris removal,
Ban...
The Bureau of Fire Protection
also proposed a total ban on all
firecrackers, even those that are
regulated and cleared for sale in
the local market.
BFP-National Capital Region
chief inspector Renato Marcial
said firecrackers are not only
dangerous to revelers, but can
also damage property.
Cabinet Secretary Rene Al-
mendras said the BFP proposal
will be discussed after the final
report on casualties and damages
caused by firecrackers comes in
by Jan. 5.
Almendras said on Jan. 3, he
will also ask Customs chief Rufino
Biazon to explain why smuggled
Piccolosmall firecracker sticks
that have been identified as the
leading cause of injuries to chil-
drenhave entered the country.
The Department of Health said
at least 173 cases of fireworks-
related injuries were reported as
of Sunday.
Health Undersecretary Te-
odoro Herbosa said the figure
was still lower than the number
of casualties in 2011, which was
at 197.
Of the total number of injured,
63 percent were active users of
firecrackers.
At least 73 percent of the cases
were caused by illegal fireworks
while 42 percent of those injured
were in the age bracket of 6-10
years old.
In Metro Manila, Herbosa
said, Manila has overtaken Que-
zon City in terms of the number
of firecracker injuries reported.
He said this might be attrib-
uted to Quezon Citys ordinance
banning the sale of firecrackers
on sidewalks.
Health Department reports
said most of the injuries so far
86 cases were in Metro Manila.
These were followed by Western
Visayas, 16 cases; the Zambo-
anga Peninsula and Calabarzon,
with nine cases each.
Of the 173 cases, 171 were
blast injuries, one was a stray
bullet and one was from fire-
cracker ingestion.
Eight five percent of the 173
cases were male between 6 and
10 years old. Twenty firecracker
victims were hit in the eyes while
five had to be amputated.
Piccolo, an illegal firecracker,
still topped the list of firecrack-
ers causing injuries. There were
103 injured due to Piccolo. Other
firecrackers that caused injuries
were kwitis, 14; 5-star, 11; and
triangulo, 7.
A one-year-old boy from San
Jose del Monte, Bulacan, swal-
lowed Piccolo, which he got
from his 8-year-old brother.
The Armed Forces on Sunday
placed its forces on nationwide
alert to ensure the peaceful cel-
ebrations of the New Year.
Col. Arnulfo Burgos, Jr.,
Armed Forces spokesman, said
all military units will remain on
guard despite the temporary sus-
pension of military offensives
across the country.
He also assured the public that
soldiers would not discharge
their firearms as part of the cel-
ebrations.
The soldiers are disciplined
and are under strict orders to use
their firearms only for the dis-
charge of their official duties and
functions, Burgos said.
Prison officials, meanwhile,
said no jail officers would be al-
lowed to take a vacation during
the New Year to prevent jail-
breaks during the holiday period.
The chief of the Bureau of
Jail Management and Penology,
Diony Mamaril, said no person-
nel would be allowed to go on
leave from Dec. 28, 2012 to Jan.
2, 2013.
Also on Sunday, a Health offi-
cial said households should clean
up the remnants of firewrks im-
mediately to avoid injuries.
Metro Manila chief for the
Health Department, Eduardo C.
Janairo also reminded the public
against stepping on and picking
up discharged fireworks as they
may still explode.
Use a rake or a broomstick
with long handle in sweeping
fireworks remains, said Janairo.
Be sure to soak fireworks
rejects and leftovers with water.
Dont burn them as they may still
explode and could still cause se-
rious injuries, he added. With
Ferdinand Fabella and Jona-
than Fernandez
Solons...
It is with great pride that we
at the Asian Forum of Parliamen-
tarians on Population and Devel-
opment share with you the newly
enacted Reproductive Health
Law in the Philippines, said
Mon Pascual, executive director
of the group.
The parliamentarians lauded the
Philippine Legislators Commit-
tee on Population Development,
chaired by Lagman, and which
counts Garin, Senators Pia Cayeta-
no and Miriam Defensor Santiago
and other co-authors as members.
On behalf of the regional
network of national committees
on population and development,
AFPPD warmly commends
PLCPD for this milestone, Pas-
cual said.
The AFPPD also recognized
the invaluable contribution of
the United Nations Population
Fund.
The enactment of the RH Law
is a huge leap of the Philippines
towards achieving its commit-
ment to the International Confer-
ence on Population and Develop-
ment Program of Action. Many
families, women and children in
the country will now have a bet-
ter quality of life, the AFPPD
said in a statement.
But House Minority Leader
Danilo Suarez, who opposed the
bill, said he was surprised by the
secrecy surrounding its sign-
ing.
I was surprised about it, be-
cause I was expecting an elabo-
rate and noisy coverage because
this measure had become contro-
versial, Suarez said.
Senate President Juan Ponce
Enrile, who also opposed the bill,
said its signing into law would
not bring about the healing that
the Palace said it sought.
I expect the debates to rage on
should the newly signed law be
questioned before the Supreme
Court, he said.
The Palace only issued an offi-
cial press statement to announce
that the bill had been signed into
law that will take effect 15 days
after its publication in at least
two newspapers of general circu-
lation.
The Malacaang statement
said the new law has closed a
highly divisive chapter in the
countrys history.
This is the mark of true de-
mocracy: one in which debate
that spans all levels of society is
spurred by deeply-held beliefs
and values, enriching and elevat-
ing public discourse, as we all
work together to find ways to
improve the lives of our fellow
citizens, the Palace said.
Under the new law, the gov-
ernment is mandated to provide
the public full access to choose
on how to plan their families
whether through the natural way
or through the use of contracep-
tives.
The government is also man-
dated to provide better mater-
nal health care, and educate the
youth ages 10 to 19 on reproduc-
tive health issues and responsible
behavior. Resources will also be
made available to parents in ac-
cordance with their personal and
religious convictions.
Mr. Aquino reportedly signed
the RH bill on Dec. 21, two days
after Congress ratified it and
before going up to Baguio City
for his first Christmas break in
the countrys summer capital as
president.
Lagman said the new law also
carried the signatures of House
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr.,
Enrile and the secretary general
of both the House and the Senate.
With the Presidents impri-
matur on the enrolled copy of the
RH bill, the arduous crusade for
the enactment of a comprehen-
sive and nationwide reproductive
health law is over, Lagman said.
After a 13-year gestation,
the RH bill is finally delivered,
signed and sealed.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, a sup-
porter of the bill, said its effects
would not be immediately felt
and said the government should
focus on providing Filipinos.
With Macon Ramos-Araneta
News
ManilaStandardToday
mst.daydesk@gmail.com DECEMBER 31, 2012 MONDAY
A3
Quinta
leaves 20
dead in
Visayas
Cash transfers shutdown sought
Disarmament
hinges on MILF
7 wounded in Saturday blast in Mindanao
Happy New Year!!!
Greetings from:
Ozone Pure Water Station
2257 Arellano St., Malate, Manila
Tel. No. 340-2187
Celphone No. 0919-249-1880
Beijing allots $5m
to ease WPS tension
Tent City. Richard Gordon leads Red Cross ofcials in an inspection tour of tents donated by the Red Cross and foreign donors for the survivors
of typhoon Pablo in a barangay in New Bataan, Compostel Valley. DANNY PATA
By Joyce Panares
THE Aquino administration said
the normalization process with
the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front will also result in the dis-
armament of other private armed
groups in Mindanao.
You dont just talk about the
arms of the MILF, but also of ev-
eryone else. That is part of nor-
malization, presidential peace
adviser Teresita Deles said.
How can you ask the MILF
to completely disarm if other
groups or some families are
armed? We are looking for a real
partnership among the govern-
ment, the MILF, and other gov-
ernance constituencies to look at
this matter on how to make a life
more secure, to trust in the state
forces to make them secure, and
be engaged in other productive
activities, she said.
Both parties would also work
in partnership on the reduction
and control of rearms in Min-
danao, she said.
As put in the framework
agreement, decommissioning is
phased and calibrated and will
start once political commitments
are delivered. We agreed that
substantial decommissioning
happens when the basic law is
delivered, she said.
The MILF shall undertake a
graduated program for decommis-
sioning of its forces so that they
are put beyond use, Deles added,
citing the framework pact.
A joint normalization com-
mittee will also be formed for the
coordination between the parties
towards full decommissioning,
which will be overseen by a
third-party monitor composed of
domestic and international part-
ners of the peace process.
The government and the
MILF failed to meet the target
set under the framework agree-
ment of nishing all the annexes
before the end of the year.
Deles said the signing of the
four annexes, instead of three as
originally planned, will be pushed
back to January at the latest.
Deles said the annexes on
power-sharing, wealth-sharing,
normalization and transitional
arrangements are all moving
forward.
According to the MILF, the
work on power-sharing is 95
percent settled; 60 percent on
wealth-sharing; 99 percent on
transitional arrangement; and 30
percent on normalization.
President Benigno Aquino III
earlier said he wanted a new law
creating the Bangsamoro to be
enacted by 2015.
Mr. Aquino said an interim
authority should already be in
place by 2015, or a year before
the next national elections.
We need the organic act en-
acted into law by 2015. This will
be passed through Congress and
approved in a plebiscite and we
hope to install the new govern-
ment with a mandate after 2016
elections. There will be an interim
authority from 2015 to 2016, Mr.
Aquino said.
The President acknowledged
that spoilers of the peace pro-
cess between the government
and the MILF will remain, but
he expressed optimism that they
be a spent force by the time the
Bangsamoro is put in place.
There will be some groups
that will still want to maintain
that nefarious habits but they
will be more and more margin-
alized. They will no longer have
their support bases, he added.
Safe, satisfying. Members of Ecowaste Coalition express their demand for safe revelry on New Years
eve. SONNY ESPIRITU
AT LEAST 20 people died in
the aftermath of typhoon Quin-
ta, which also destroyed P224
million worth of property, the
National Disaster Risk Reduc-
tion and Management Council
said on Sunday.
The tgropical storm, which
came on the heels of super ty-
phoon Pablo, displaced as many
as 241, 693 people in Western
Visayas.
Executive Director Benito
Ramos said that eight people
were added to the death toll.
Three other people were in-
jured while the number of miss-
ing rose to four.
Quinta affected at least
50,291 families or 241,693
people in 557 villages in 60
towns and eight cities in nine
provinces, Ramos said.
Of these, 4,290 families or
23,337 people are staying in 60
evacuation centers, he said.
Damage from Quinta was es-
timated at P224.9 million, includ-
ing P78 million in infrastructure
and P146 million in agriculture.
Some 2000 bags of fod
packs were sent to the residents
in Visayas and another batch of
relief items was to be distrib-
uted to evacuation centers.
Francisco Tuyay
By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan
BEIJING planned to allocate 30-million yuan or $4.8-million to en-
hance its international cooperation with developing economies in
the South China Sea, its State Oceanic chief said on Friday.
Chinas First Institute of Oceanography under the State of Oce-
anic Administration director Ma Deyi said that the allocation of the
fund was aimed at defusing tensions on the overlapping territorial
claims in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
Through cooperation with South China Sea countries, we can
deepen understanding and acknowledgement with each other and
eliminate doubts and worries, Ma said in report posted in China
Daily, a state-owned news agency.
He added that deeper cooperation with other claimant coun-
tries will help in preventing contentious disputes over the West
Philippine Sea.
The allocated fund was on top of the $1.6-billion budget which
Hanan City will use to build airports, pier and other infrastructure in
the newly established Sansha City, which was established in June to
administer the Paracel, Maccleseld and Spratlys, the three major
islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
The Administrations international cooperation department di-
rector Zhang Zhanhai, meanwhile, said that it was better to set
aside territorial disputes and instead focus on joint development
in the West Philippine Sea.
He added that the strengthening of international cooperation
would create a win-win situation, economically and politically.
According to Chinas Oceanic Administration, Beijing has
carried out more than 30 cooperation projects covering marine
environment protection, regional oceanographic research and
prevention and mitigation of coastal disasters in the West Philip-
pine Sea in 2012.
It said that China said, has long been devoted to strengthening
international cooperation with South China Sea countries based on
its framework from 2011 to 2015.
Zhang, meanwhile, said that China also planned to institute tsu-
nami risk reports to reduce the impact of such disasters.
Aside from the 30-million yuan, Zhang said, China also planned
to allocate another 2-million yuan as nancial assistance to more
than 20 international students from South China Sea countries for
marine-related studies in China.
By Christine Herrera
TWO years after President Benigno
Aquino III allotted to the conditional
cash transfer program billions of pesos
in funding, some 562,262 malnourished
pupils remained severely wasted
prompting a lawmaker and student
activist group to demand the programs
shutdown.
Rep. Teddy Casino of Bayan
Muna party-list cited the nutri-
tional status report as of August
31 this year by the Department
of Education that showed some
562,262 pupils in kindergarten
and elementary levels Grades 1
to 6 were considered severely
wasted.
We demand that the govern-
ment abandon the CCT program
because it failed to improve the
nutritional status of the mal-
nourished children despite the
massive funding for the past two
years, Casino said.
Since assuming ofce, the
Aquino government has drasti-
cally expanded the CCT program
from P9 billion to P44.25 billion
in 2013, Casino said.
We have no way of knowing
how parents spend the money
when the monthly P1,500 per
family should be used to address
malnutrition among children,
he said.
The CCT shutdown must be
done now to at least lessen the
danger of the funds being used as a
campaign warchest for the coming
elections amounting to billions of
pesos, Casino pointed out.
Anakbayan, for its part, said
the Aquino administration was
trying to create a mental image
of lessening poverty by mention-
ing the CCT and the supposed 7.1
percent growth of the countrys
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
for the third quarter of 2012.
Anakbayan labeled as noth-
ing but hot air and cruel Christ-
mas prank President Aquinos
achievement report.
But the President has dishon-
estly painted an incomplete pic-
ture: nowhere does he mention the
actual number of people consid-
ered poor, and whether that num-
ber has increased, or decreased,
Anakbayan said in a statement.
The Palaces gure, Anak-
bayan said, was contrary to what
national surveys show.
Our unemployment rate rose
from 26.6% to 29.4% in the third
quarter of 2013. The percentage of
all families experiencing involun-
tary hunger also rose from 18.4 to
21.1 per cent, the group said.
President Aquinos supposed
achievement report for 2012 can
be compared to a cruel Christmas
prank where one is supposedly
given a gift, wrapped in so many
layers of wrapping, only to nd
out that there is actually nothing
inside but hot air. In the same
way, Aquinos report contains
no real achievements from the
point of view of Filipino youths,
workers, farmers, and other mar-
ginalized sectors. The elaborate
presentation of zero achieve-
ments is possibly the only actual
achievement in Noynoys mes-
sage, Anakbayan said.
A BOMB exploded in a passen-
ger bus and wounded at least
seven people in Mindanao in
an attack by suspected extor-
tion gangs, police said Sunday.
The homemade bomb ex-
ploded in the rear portion of
the bus as it traveled late Sat-
urday in Isulan town in Sultan
Kudarat province, damaging
the vehicle and sparking a brief
fire but causing no injuries
among the vehicles passengers
and crew, police Chief Super-
intendent Rolen Balquin said.
The blast shattered the wind-
shield of another passenger bus
nearby, wounding its driver
and two passengers. Four by-
standers along a roadside were
wounded by shrapnel from the
blast, Balquin said.
The bombing occurred despite
a security alert over possible at-
tacks by armed extortion gangs,
which have targeted passenger
buses in the south in the past.
Balquin said his men cap-
tured a member of the notori-
ous Al Khobar extortion gang
who detonated a roadside bomb
last month in Sultan Kudarats
Tacurong town and later told
investigators the attack was
part of an attempt to extort
money from a bus company.
The bombing prompted the
provincial police to go on full alert
with intensied patrols of public
areas and road checkpoints.
Intelligence agencies also
went on alert Sunday, the an-
niversary of five near-simulta-
neous bombings by al-Qaida-
linked Filipino extremists that
killed 22 people and wounded
about 100 in Manila on Dec.
30, 2000.
FR. RANHILIO
CALLANGAN AQUINO
PENSES
Opinion Adelle Chua, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
mst.lettertotheeditor@gmail.com DECEMBER 31, 2012 MONDAY
A4
TRUST Social Welfare Secretary
Corazon Soliman to come up with
a novel idea.
In the wake of the massive damage
left by recent typhoons, the Social
Welfare secretary said her depart-
ment had set aside millions of pesos
for a cash-for-work program that
would benet thousands of evacuees
by paying them a daily wage to help
clear storm-damaged areas.
The initial fund for the program
in the Davao region is P42.7 million,
which will enable the government to
hire some 28,000 typhoon victims to
do rehabilitation work, including the
construction of bunkhouses.
The concept is not a bad one
but publicly funded make-work
programs are hardly new.
In fact, those of us who work
for a living realize that this is the
normal state of affairs outside the
government: You work, you get
paid. The reverse is also true in
the real world: If you dont work,
you dont get paid. From this
perspective, even the term cash-
for-work seems self-evident and
even redundant, and would only be
misconstrued as novel when juxta-
posed against this administrations
P39-billion cash-for-no-work
program, usually called by its of-
cial name, the Conditional Cash
Transfer or CCT program.
The Aquino administrations
centerpiece for ghting poverty, the
program gives monthly cash doles
of P500 to P1,500 to some 3 million
poor families, depending on the
number of their school-aged chil-
dren. To qualify for these monthly
doles, beneciaries must be among
the poorest of the poor and agree
to send their children to school.
Under the P2-trillion national
budget for 2013 signed this month,
the program will get a P5-billion
increase in funding next year to
P44 billion.
Ironically, because beneficiar-
ies must be poor to qualify for the
monthly doles, the program actu-
ally discourages any kind of regular
employment. In effect, taxpayers
who do have jobs must shoulder the
P44-billion burden of paying people
not to work, in a program that offers
the economy no quantiable gains
no roads, bridges, classrooms or
irrigation systems are built.
Such a program is even more prob-
lematic during an election year, when
the monthly doles can easily be used
for campaign purposes. Already there
are scattered reports of administra-
tion candidates being present when
the doles are handed out.
But the biggest irony of all is
that this is the same ill-considered
program pushed by the Arroyo ad-
ministration as a stop-gap measure
against the nancial crisis. This
fact alone should have been the
kiss of death for the CCT program
in the Aquino administration,
which abhors anything remotely
related to its predecessor.
But to our great misfortune, the
Social Welfare secretarywho
held the same post in the Arroyo
administrationhas managed to
peddle the same cash-for-no-
work nonsense twice, and has
secured even more funding for it
under the Aquino administration.
This would certainly qualify as
a joke on all of us during Inno-
cents Day, which Filipinos often
mark with harmless pranks during
this time of the year. But the CCT
program is by no means harmless,
and those who understand why it is
wrong will not be laughing.
Cash for work
The gift of family
IT IS Holy Family Sunday as I write
this piece, although it will be Monday
when it sees print. Still I would like to
write on the family, not really the Naza-
reth Family of Joseph, Mary and the
child Jesus but of the family of which
I have had the most intimate experience
all these years of my life. I can only
hope that it will continue to draw inspi-
ration from the Holy Family, because
that wish can never be passe.
To be sure, our family was not com-
plete this Christmas: my sister-in-law
and my niece could not leave work in the
US for a Christmas vacation. They had,
it seems, used up all their leave credits.
But we somehow managed to get in
touch with them and that alone shows
how todays technology can somehow
keep families together, the geographical
divide imposed by
employment necessi-
ty notwithstanding. I
watched Cruise Ship
Diaries on National
Geographic a few
days ago and was
both touched and
thrilled to observe
a young Filipino
couple monitoring
the state of their sick
child through Skype
while on board ship.
Like the primitive
stone axe that allowed pre-historic man
to hunt prey and prepare his meals, but
also to poise his hand in murder over his
neighbor, thus is technology: a double-
edged sword, but evidence nonetheless
of the human striving for meaning and
for a more human existence that in-
cludes staying in touch. It occurred
to me rather strongly this Christmas that
unless we stay in touch, we are really
adrift in a runaway world!
No cruise, no get-away to some fa-
bled resort, no vacationing to some far-
off, heretofore unvisited corner of the
archipelago; just members of our family
coming home to good, old Tuguegarao
with its insanely unpredictable shifts
from chilling rains to blazing heat and
the equally irksome cancellation of
ights by AirPhil at around noontime
due to the perennial excuse they put up
-- poor visibility -- only to have the sun
in its full glory thirty minutes after they
cancel the ight. This leaves one won-
dering whether the thought of passen-
gers welfare every occurs to the compa-
ny, because if it did a slight adjustment
of schedule would have made so many
people a little happier this Christmas by
allowing them to be together. True, we
can always get together anytime of year,
but getting together at Christmastime is
different. Otherwise, Christmas would
not be Chirstmas. But I digress -- nec-
essarily, I think, in order to be able to
take AirPhil to task!
Our noontime gatherings at my
house were sheer joy even if, at times,
our strong personalities rubbed against
each other the wrong way. But we have
grown in Gods grace enough, I think,
to be able to steer clear of pushing
each other to the point of exasperation
to allow all to enjoy family. Each had
stories to tell and we had many a good
laugh from anecdotes plucked from the
experiences of the past year and, in the
case of Daddy, spun impromptu but
given all appearance of veridicality. We
were summarizing the months and the
days we had lived apart, gone through
the daily grind as individuals and allow-
ing each member of the family into each
others daily routine. We got to know
each other better, because members of
family are never so familiar that there
is nothing more to learn from one an-
other. Being excited about and keeping
oneself interested in what all others in
the family are doing is what family is all
about, as is giving each other the space
as well as respecting the autonomy by
which separate stories and narratives
can be woven.
Bonding also meant going on a pil-
grimage together to Piat, an annual
family act of veneration to the Blessed
Mother to whom we have entrusted
each others welfare. It was what the
Ilocanos call a kari -- a pledge, that
started it all. As a child I fell from a
chair I was stupidly climbing without
considering the principles of weight
and balance, lost consciousness and ap-
peared so dead that no calesa that my
parents tried to hail in a Tuguegarao
that was decades simpler than it is today
would stop to rush me to the hospital.
No rig-driver wants a corpse deling his
calesa. But my grandmother promised
Our Lady of Piat
that if I survived, the
family would make
an annual pilgrim-
age to Piat -- no easy
thing in those days.
I survived and we
have kept our prom-
ise since.
And then there
were the meals: try-
ing out the treats that
establishments both
new and old in Tu-
guegarao City had to
offer. It was about the food, most assur-
edly, but it was also about what one or the
other wanted about the food, or the place,
or the people one saw in the same place.
And we took turns treating the family to
one favored spot or the other. At meals
we were often joined by friends, my
friends or friends of other members of
the family who also became friends of
the family. And that is part of family, as
it is of Chirstmas joy, for a family that
keeps only to itself and looks in only at
itself soon nitpicks on faults and failings.
Then, nothing is heard but bickering and
complaint. But the introduction of a new
friend into the family circle always en-
riches and enlivens.
When the mystery of Santa Claus
and his disturbing list of the naughty
and the nice, and wonder of twinkling
lights and towering, dazzlingly decorat-
ed Christmas trees and the prospect of
gifts aplenty no longer excite as much
as they used to when our hearts were
younger, family always will, and with-
out it, Christmas is not Christmas.
My parents sat for a picture that my
sister took through her mobile device.
When she nally posted in on Face-
book, I compared it to the pictures of
past years, and it was clear that while
their faces were still aglow and that
their joy was obviously in the fam-
ily that had gathered around them, it
pained me too to see how age had taken
its toll on them, but I was; also thank-
ful without end that we still had them to
go home to. Each of us has a house, a
bundle of concerns and occupations as
well as an individual life to live. But
coming home means gathering around
our parents. One then realizes that the
greatest gift one will ever have is never
wrapped, nor does it surprise. It is as
common-place, ordinary, everyday but
inimitable and irreplaceable as ones
parents -- because of whom coming
home at Christmastime makes glorious
and most satisfying sense.
rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph
rannie_aquino@yahoo.com
rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph
EDITORIAL
Customs P70-billion shortfall
SOMEBODY should tell Customs
Commissioner Ruffy Biazon that he
looks pathetic with all those photos and
stories that had been coming out in me-
dia about his success in stopping the
smuggling of Peking duck, onion, gar-
lic, ukay-ukay and other petty imported
items.
One could tell that Biazon is already
scraping the bottom of the barrel with
his latest photo release showing him
holding the complaint document he per-
sonally led at the Department of Jus-
tice against alleged smugglers of carrots
and potatoes worth P12.5 million.
If the intention of the urry of sto-
ries and photos about the success of
Biazons anti-smuggling campaign is to
try to do a snow job to cover up his fail-
ure to meet his collection targets, then
he obviously is not succeeding at all.
The other day, Biazon nally admit-
ted that he is way short of the revenue
target of P347 billion and that as of
mid-December, Customs collection has
reached only P278 billion.
Biazon is now 15 out of 15. With his
failure to meet his target for the month
of December he now registers a perfect
record in his 15 months with the Bureau
of Customs of not meeting his target for
even a single month.
Biazon of course has a myriad of ex-
cuses on why he has failed to meet the
revenue target of his agency. He cites as
factors the negative international trade
situation, the uctuation of the peso,
and leakages from smuggling and cor-
ruption.
The biggest factor as far as Biazon
is concerned is his claim that his collec-
tion target is too high. Based on the be-
lief that his target is too high, he boasts
that he is satised that the bureaus col-
lection this year surpassed last years
level.
Biazon obviously has not realized
that surpassing last years performance
is not an achievement at all.
In fact, he has even failed on the
year-on-year comparison. His Novem-
ber collection is smaller compared to
the November revenue last year. Prob-
ably this is the same story for the Cus-
toms December revenue.
The administrations nance people
probably detest Biazons talk about
bloated revenue targets for the Bureau
of Customs. These revenue targets for
the Bureau of Customs as well as for
other revenue-raising agencies like the
Bureau of Internal Revenue were the
basis of Malacanang to justify and get
the approval of Congress for the P2-
trillion national budget for 2013.
We now hear Biazon saying that the
revenue target set for his agency is un-
achievable and unrealistic. We wonder
what Malacaang has to say about these
statements of Biazon.
There are some people who say the
revenue targets for the Bureau of Customs
are reasonable and achievableif only
Biazon is doing his job competently.
Senator Francis Escudero, for ex-
ample, has been consistent in opposing
new tax measures even when he was
still a congressman because he said
no new tax measures are needed if we
just maximize out collection. Escudero
voted no to the sin tax bill because he
believes that the problem is to have a
more efcient tax and duties collection
by concerned agencies.
In a recent interview we had with Es-
cudero in our radio program Karambola
sa dwIZ he cited the case of petroleum
products. He said that based on gures
from the Department of Energy, Philip-
pine consumption of diesel, gasoline,
kerosene and other petroleum products
is about 14 billion liters. And yet, ac-
cording to Escudero, government g-
ures show taxes are collected on only 12
billion liters.
He said even if you just estimate the
tax leakage from this at only P5 per liter,
these two billion liters of untaxed petro-
leum products represent a P10 billion
of potential collection for the Bureau of
Customs.
Escuderos estimate is in fact on the
low side. Shell vice president for corpo-
rate affairs Roberto Kanapi says that oil
smuggling deprives the government of
as much as P30 billion in potential rev-
enues annually.
Petron Chairman Ramon Ang cites
studies which report that 30 percent
to 35 percent of oil products are being
smuggled.
Its indeed surprising that Biazon is
concentrating on Peking duck, onion,
garlic etc. when he should be concen-
trating on maximizing his collection
from petroleum products for one.
He can already wipe half of his de-
cits if he can stop oil smuggling. Why
he is not doing this is a multi-billion
question that perhaps President Beni-
gno Aquino III should ask Biazon to
explain.
Its about time that President Aquino
considered appointing a new Customs
Commissioner, one who would be able
to meet revenue targets which is the
main job of whoever sits there.
Biazon has had 15 months to show
his capability but he has apparently
shown that he is another exemplica-
tion of the Peter Principle.
ROLANDO G. ESTABILLO Publisher
RAMONCHITO L. TOMELDAN Managing Editor
CHIN WONG/ RAY S. EANO Associate Editors
JOEL P. PALACIOS News Editor
ROGELIO C. SALAZAR President & CEO
MEMBER
Philippine Press Institute
The National Association
of Philippine Newspapers PPI
can be accessed at:
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ALVIN
CAPINO
COUNTER-POINT
Coming
home at
Christmastime is
most glorious and
satisfying.
DECEMBER 31, 2012 MONDAY
A5 Opinion Adelle Chua, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
mst.lettertotheeditor@gmail.com
AS 2012 draws to a close, it is tempting
to look back. Was it a year of success
and joy; or of trials and heart aches?
Did we learn lessons at all which
would help us navigate another year
better? One thing is certain: whatever
we had or experienced in 2012 and
the years before it were products
and consequences of our own acts or
omissions.
If, for instance, one knew how to
give back and
share, or be
sincerely grateful
for the blessings
one received,
one can honestly
say he has found
real happiness.
Blessings and
good fortune,
after all, are in
many ways, like
water. Collect
water with your
arms, tightly to
yourself, and
it will ow out and leave you. The
universe has enough blessings going
around for every one. Whoever keeps
them to himself will stop the ow and
will end up with little, if any. If only
this one lesson is learned by every
person in his lifetime, the world will
be a much happier place to live in.
***
In July 2012, the Foster Care Act
(R.A. 10165) was passed into law
with the objective of giving children
who were abandoned; sexually or
physically abused and therefore had
to be taken away from the abusive
environment; neglected; surrendered
or orphaned; a chance to be placed in
a nurturing family. It can either be on
short or long term while the child waits
to be adopted or brought back into his
own biological family. A campaign was
launched by the Department of Social
Welfare and Development for families
to volunteer to take foster children
into their homes, especially during
the Christmas holidays. But because
the law is still in its infancy, not too
many volunteered. Yet, those who did
say that it was both a rewarding and a
challenging experience.
The custody of a foster child may be
given to licensed parents who may be
total strangers but, if there are relatives
who wish to take the child in, they will
be given preference. Experience in
other countries has shown that children
get better attention and nurturing
in foster homes than in institutions
which house many children waiting,
or hoping, to be adopted. This is why
the Philippine legislature has put into
law a system of fostering abandoned,
neglected or abused children.
The concept of foster homes is
not alien to Filipinos. In fact, it is not
uncommon to nd in Filipino homes a
child who is not legally adopted yet,
cared for and even educated like all
the other children in a home. Thus, we
have such Filipino terms as alaga (a
child one looks after) or palaki (a
child one raises) to refer to children
who are raised, fed, nurtured and
even sent to school by another person,
without formal adoption. Very often,
such a child is that of a relative.
Why is it better to get an authority
to be foster parents rather than just
informally taking care of a child who
is not ones own? It is to insulate the
foster parents from liability in case of
illness by the child or any injury he
may suffer as long as it was not caused
by the gross negligence of the foster
family. A foster child shall be covered
by the Philippine Health Insurance and
shall have a modest subsidy from the
government unless the foster parent
waives it.
How does one become a licensed
foster parent? He need not be rich but
must earn enough to meet his own
familys needs.
He must be
legally married,
between 25 and
60 years of age,
and physically
and emotionally
healthy. The
other members
of the family
must agree to be
a foster family to
ensure that the
foster child will
be placed in a
happy and stress-
free environment. One other important
requirement is that the foster parent or
family should prepare a child to either
go back to his biological family or be
adopted when the eventuality arises.
What are the lengths of placement
of a foster child in a home? While there
are no hard and fast rules, it can be as
short as one week to six months; or as
long as six months to seven or more
years, or until a child reaches the age
of majority.
While it may be true that fostering
entails serious responsibilities
of parenting, the rewards are
enormous. A foster parent is given
the opportunity to help and to love a
young human being who desperately
needs loving and caring. For those
who go into long term fostering
such as seven years or more, they
will have the chance to see a child
develop and grow intellectually,
emotionally and physically. In seeing
how they have shaped a childs future
and preparedness to face life, they,
too, create reasons to be happy about
themselves. Yet, they need not go
through the tedious and fairly costly
process of legal adoption. Too, they
can avoid the dirty task of dealing
with the issue of inheritancea
matter which will naturally arise in
legal adoption.
Fostering may cause pain when
a child one has grown to love, but
is not prepared to adopt, has to be
separated from one. It will however
be a pain coupled with rewards and
a sense of joy. For those wishing to
find an outlet for their capacity for
love and nurturing, whether they
are Filipinos or resident foreigners
in the country, they should seriously
consider becoming foster parents.
There are tens of thousands of
children waiting to be invited into
a family or a home.
A happy and fulfilling new year to
all!
Email: ritalindaj@gmail.com Visit:
www.jimenolaw.com.ph
Finding
happiness
ANALYSIS
The concept
of foster homes
is not alien to
Filipinos.
AS WE go to print, many Filipinos have
already ticked off their list of things that
they would do and abandon in 2013.
Some of it would be cleverly rehashed
while the rest would be in original rendition
to reect the list-makers changing priorities
and outlook.
Those who still feel poor would vow to
work harder. Those who missed Cupids
arrows would seek another shot at romance.
The sick would vow a healthier year.
Enemies would want closure. Sinners
would haggle for forgiveness.
Every list-maker would sound
resolute and committed.
In real world, however, a great bulk of
this New Years resolutions goes to waste
and forgottenonly to be revived in the
next round of list-making.
***
In the US, the 10 most common New
Years resolutions, ironically, are also the
commonly broken ones.
These are:
1. Spend More Time with Family &
Friends;
2. Fit in Fitness;
3. Tame the Bulge;
4. Quit Smoking;
5. Enjoy Life More;
6. Quit Drinking;
7. Get Out of Debt & Save;
8. Learn Something New;
9. Help Others; and,
10. Get Organized.
***
It was not the Americans, however, who
invented resolution-making but the
Romans who started it in 153 B.C. in
honor of two-faced Janus, a mythical king
of early Rome.
Internet accounts said with two faces,
Janus could look back on past events and
forward to the future.
Janus, thus, became the ancient symbol
for resolutions. Janus could also be the
symbol of mans indelity towards his
promises, one face keeps his while the
other breaks it.
Resolution-writing became a modern
global tradition when Jonathan Edwards
of New England, an American theologian,
compiled a list of promises that he vowed
to do.
After two years, he came up with a list
of 70 must-dos, with three as the most
memorable ones:
1. Resolved, in narrations never to speak
anything but the pure and simple verity;
2. Resolved, never to speak evil of any,
except I have some particular good call for
it; and,
3. Resolved, always to do what I
can towards making, maintaining and
establishing peace, when it can be without
over-balancing detriment in other respects.
It was not clear if Mr. Edwards actually
accomplished all the 70 promises, much
less the initial three.
***
For a people always buffeted with crisis
after crisis, Filipinos have developed the
uncanny ability of paring down expectations
on consummating their resolutions.
The wiser among us, in fact, forego
making New Years resolutions for the
simple fact that they dont have the strength
and time to make it happen.
They just go with the ow.
The rabid ones dont do resolutions,
they resort to agellations.
Nevertheless, our common
resolution as a people is summarized by
this: Magpakatino or to be good.
We, therefore, endeavor to become a
good person in every unfolding yeara
good father, good husband, good son, and
a good friend.
We care, until the caring hurts and we
dont expect anything in return.
If our national New Years resolution
is, Be always resilient, we are denitely
succeeding.
We manage to come back after every
disaster and tragedy that swat us.
We always pick up the pieces and like a
giant puzzle, we strive hard to be whole again.
Our basic wish is to come out stronger
every year.
Since every year is a crisis year, we cant
promise to learn something new but only
to enjoy life more.
We are not alien to helping others even
to the point of not getting out of debt.
With calamities visiting us with rapid
frequency, we are actually spending more
time with our families and friends.
***
Drinkers and smokers would have this
New Years pledging session cut out for them.
As prices of sin products skyrocket
on the rst day of January, they would
eventuallyif the authors are correct
have to cut down on their vices.
Staying t in 2013 should not be
really a problem as more Filipinos become
conscious of their well-being as indicated
by the growing army of joggers and runners
on the streets.
Staying t for ofce, however, could
remain a challenge.
Staying organized should be a walk in
the park.
Each time a disaster strikes, major
TV and print media immediately rush to
organize fund-raising drives to help the
victims. This disaster-prone land knows no
compassion fatigue.
When we feel slighted as a people,
we tap social media to organize bashing
campaign against the object of our wrath.
We are organized in chaos and in grief.
***
Election will greet us in the rst quarter
of 2013, and we better elect the right people
whose rightness is not measured by their
deep pockets but by their good virtues.
Public servants should renew their
covenant with the people by practicing
probity and old-fashioned public service.
If there would be dramatic arrests, let
it be the kind of arrest that stops greed,
violence and poverty.
If there would be an impeachment, let
apathy and misery be the rst ones to be
impeached.
We are, indeed, a unique breed. We
smile even if the odds are stacked against us.
With a national spirit that does not easily
break, it would be a big let-down if we
dont do better in 2013.
A Blessed New Year to All!
Welcoming the New Year
Continued from page 1
In 1986, God-fearing and prayerful nuns
of Cebu City sheltered Cory Aquino from
any possible harm from the civilian-backed
military revolt in Manila that eventually put
her in power, after she had lost the February
7, 1986 snap presidential elections to the
incumbent strongman.
Twenty-four years later, her only son
would take power as the countrys rst
machine-elected president and proclaim
her not simply as the rst beneciary of the
EDSA revolt, but rather as its inspiration
and icon.
The Cebuanos went along with all
this view of history until Aquino stamped
his totalitarian foot on the face of the
Catholic opponents of the foreign-directed
Reproductive Health bill. Then the once
pro-Aquino province quickly took a U-turn,
and withdrew the most visible support for
the middle-aged bachelor president who
is in the middle of his six-year term, but
whom not too many observers would dare
accuse of governing the nation.
Gone is the affectionate regard that
greeted Aquino in Cebu in 2010. The
estrangement is complete; it is a self-
inicted irony of the rst order.
Cebus political and cultural resentment
against imperial Manila is well known. In
Corys time, Governor Emilio Mario Lito
Osmea and the Cebuano elite encouraged
their fellow Cebuanos to render the national
anthem in Cebuano rather than in its
Filipino (Tagalog-based) original. They also
advocated federalism as a way of expressing
their feelings about Manila and their intense
desire to cut off the clutches of Malacaang.
That advocacy continues. A revision
of the Constitution is needed to transform
the countrys unitary system into a federal
system, but the advocacy persists and has
become a major political plank of the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front, among others,
which recently signed a framework
agreement with Aquinos personally
handpicked negotiators on the setting up
of a Moro political entity, with the active
participation of some foreign powers,
to replace the Moro National Liberation
Front-led Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao.
Political passions may have waned
somewhat in the intervening years. But
Aquinos neo-pagan imperialist stance in
railroading the RH bill, which the political
and Church leaders of Cebu have opposed
as one, and his order suspending Cebus
three-term Governor Gwendolyn Fiel
Garcia for the next six months, on highly
questionable grounds, appear to have
given Cebuanos reason to believe that the
biggest danger to the nation now comes
from Emperor PNoy and imperial
Malacaang.
They rage against Aquinos duplicity
in his dealings with the Catholic Church
and the rest of the nation on the most
serious moral questions. They cite his
last Cebu visit to prove their point. This
refers to Aquinos coming to Cebu City
on November 30 to join the more than
one million Catholic pilgrims in solemn
thanksgiving for the canonization of their
rst Cebuano martyr-saint, San Pedro
Calungsod, a 17
th
century lay catechist
who died for his faith in Guam.
Aquino had earlier sent Vice President
Jejomar C. Binay to represent him at the
canonization rites in Rome on October 21,
2012. In Cebu, he delivered what some
observers called a presidential homily
to the delight of his ofcial entourage.
Although it amused some churchmen, the
homily appeared, at least for the moment,
to connect the usually indifferent politician
to the Church ofcials led by Cebus
archbishop and president of the Catholic
Bishops Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) Jose Palma and Ricardo Cardinal
Vidal, the archbishop emeritus.
However, following the reelection
of US President Barack Obama, whose
support for abortion activities worldwide
had earlier caused Aquino to publicly
embrace population control, and the
holding of a Family Planning Summit in
Manila by the British government, the UN
Fund for Population Activities, and the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation, which had
earlier raised $4.6 billion at the rst such
summit in London to fund RH activities
for some 220 million women in at least
six countries, Aquino cracked the whip
and rolled out the pork barrel in Congress
to railroad the widely opposed and highly
divisive RH bill.
That was particularly offensive to
Filipino Catholics who were celebrating
not only the canonization of their second
martyr-saint but also the proclamation of
the Year of Faith by Pope Benedict XVI, the
elevation of their youthful Archbishop of
Manila Luis Antonio Tagle to the College of
Cardinals, and the start of their traditionally
longest Christmas season in the world. To
the Cebuanos who considered themselves
province-mates and even kinsmen of St.
Calungsod, it seemed a direct personal and
sacrilegious offense.
Despite this rank display of presidential
power, the pro-life and pro-family forces
saw in the RH vote a chink in Aquinos
political armor. Although Aquino succeeded
in getting the bill passed, mainly by coercing
and corrupting Congress, the numbers were
far fewer than he and everyone else had
expected. After rolling out the pork and
going out of his way to call congressmen
to make sure they delivered their votes,
only 133 congressmen voted for it on
nal reading, while 79 courageously voted
against it, and 74 chose to absent themselves.
For all the vote-buying and political
bullying that had gone into it, Aquino got
no more than a minority vote11 votes
less than the quorum required of the 286
total House membership (not 287 as earlier
reported), and 20 votes less than those who
actively and passively opposed it.
No wonder on December 21, Aquino
signed the RH bill into law, calling it
Republic Act 10354, in the secrecy of
his ofcial chamber, without the fanfare
and hoopla that the vast army of foreign-
funded NGOs and the conscript media
had prepared for, to proclaim their victory
and the second colonization of the
Philippines.
According to its text, the new Republic
Act should take effect 15 days after its
publication in at least two newspapers of
general circulation. At this writing no such
publication has appeared. The only story
that has appeared about it so far has been
a leak rather than an ofcial release,
which the usually voluble deputy palace
spokesperson refused to either conrm or
deny. Thus the biggest pro-Aquino and
RH mouthpieces have been deprived not
only of substantial advertising revenue but
also of the psychic pleasure of running one
more pro-Aquino, pro-RH banner headline
The secrecy, usually associated with
conspiracies, was apparently intended to
avoid any massive protests on the ground.
Enough that Aquinos foreign patrons had
been advised that the unjust anti-Catholic
law had been signed, and that whatever
payoff had been agreed upon should be
delivered now. Assuming, of course, it has
not been delivered yet.
Assuming this was a valid law, it does
not take effect until it is duly promulgated,
15 days after ofcial publication. But to the
vast numbers of its opponents it remains an
unjust law, and no amount of promulgation
could make it valid and binding on any true
and well-formed conscience. Its ofcial
publication in two newspapers of general
circulation is certain to unleash the much
awaited constitutional challenge to it before
the Supreme Court, for which the prolife
and pro-family forces have been preparing.
Under the circumstances, Aquino had
nothing to gain in creating more problems
for himself and the nation. But he allowed
himself to be led further down the garden
path by his erstwhile vice presidential
candidate and now-DILG secretary and LP
president on leave Mar Roxas. Obviously
inebriated by the LPs questionable
success in forcing its partymen to toe
the line on the RH bill, the LP decided to
unleash its imagined political juggernaut
on Gwen Garcia, the governor-daughter of
Deputy Speaker Pablo Garcia who, together
with Congressman Rufus Rodriguez and
other distinguished congressmen, led the
oor action against the RH bill in the House
of Representatives.
As governor, Garcia was in no position
to create any trouble for Malacaang. She
had not intended to do so. Barred by the
Constitution from running for a fourth
term, the 60 year-old governor is no longer
running for reelection, but running for a
congressional seat instead. Nonetheless she
was not required to vacate her ofce until
June 30, 2013, when her term expires and
she begins a new term as congresswoman,
if she is successful in her bid.
That was unacceptable to Aquinos
Liberal Party henchmen who would like
to capture the Cebu governorship next
year, for strategic purposes in the 2016
presidential elections, without any hitches.
So Aquino suspended Garcia for the next
six monthsher last months in ofce
without any allegation or proof of criminal
wrongdoing, just to get her out of the way
while Mar Roxas and company run her
ofce during the campaign period.
Unhappily, Malacaang miscalculated.
Instead of submitting meekly to the
unjust order, as some weak-kneed ofcial
elsewhere might have done, Garcia decided
to stand her ground. Malacaang had to
show its raw power by deploying hundreds
of heavily-armed policemen on the ground,
setting up street barricades, dispersing the
peaceful assembly of Garcia supporters,
closing down some media outlets, and
shutting down the water supply at the
provincial capitol.
All this puts in a much clearer perspective
a point raised earlier by Archbishop Palma to
the members of Congress before they voted
on the RH bill. On the feast-day of Our Lady
of Guadalupe, Dec. 12, the CBCP president,
quoting Pope Benedict XVI and making
the Pontiffs words his own, reminded the
lawmakers that the strength of the law should
prevail over the law of the strongest, that
it should always be used as an expression
of justice rather than as the product of
despotism, of an arrogance that is clothed
in the garments of a law by those who have
the power to do so. The law should never
be suspect, he told the lawmakers, otherwise
it could not bind anyone in conscience but
would rather tend to invite disobedience, if
not popular resistance.
Aquino would be well advised to ponder
the Popes and Palmas words. How could
he expect his Republic Act to be obeyed if
the plainest of his fellow citizens see that
its real purpose is to carry out a war on
Filipinos by foreign population controllers,
and trash the constitutional right of
individuals and families to live their lives as
creatures of God rather than as automatons
of a totalitarian-inclined government? Can
anything be more absurd than members
of the power clique calling for national
healing after they had driven their
poisoned spear through the nations heart?
In Governor Garcias case, can anything
be more absurd than Malacaang calling
upon her to accept what is clearly an unjust
and preposterous order, and claiming with
utter folly that majority of Cebuanos favor
her suspension, according to a survey or
surveys conducted by Malacaangs paid
propaganda pollsters? Has the nation been so
politically idiotized that matters of right and
wrong, just or unjust, legal or illegal, good or
bad are now decided by means of unveried
and unveriable, very often manufactured,
fudged, and crooked propaganda surveys,
to which even supposedly intelligent people
are now expected to submit?
This is just part of the problem Aquino
has created for himself and everyone else.
To this the nation, not just the Cebuanos,
must now respond with clarity, coherence,
conviction and courage.
fstatad@gmail.com
The word now is imperial Malacaang
RITA LINDA
V. JIMENO
OUT OF THE BOX
PASTOR APOLLO
QUIBOLOY
PLUMBLINE
News
ManilaStandardToday
mst.daydesk@gmail.com DECEMBER 31, 2012 MONDAY
A6
Babies used as drug mules

IN BRIEF
Firearms
drive boosts
Abras peace
campaign
Comelec revamps region 2 ofce
More time to settle tax dues
Poisonous snake threatened
Two res gut
Army unit, rm
TWO separate res hit Taguig City on
Sunday, injuring an Army soldier.
The Bureau of Fire Protection said
the blaze took place at the Army head-
quarters in Fort Bonifacio at around
12:24 a.m. Damaged was the Armys
Supply and Support Command ofce.
Records, ofce equipment and sup-
plies went up in smoke before re ght-
ers declared re out at around 1:08 a.m.
A soldier on duty was slightly wounded
while trying to contain the re.
Arson investigators estimated dam-
age to property at P1 million.
In Barangay Bagumbayan, security
guards reported an explosion before a
re broke out in an industrial section.
Reports said the blaze started at the
laboratory of DIC Inc., spreading its tis-
sue factory in the compound.
The re was put under control at 2
p.m. after reaching Task Force Charlie.
Ferdinand Fabella
Film fest aids
Pablo victims
THE Metro Manila Film Festival will
help rehabilitate schools damaged by
typhoon Pablo, the Metropolitan Manila
Development Authority on Sunday said.
Chairman Francis Tolentino, MMFF
chairman, said the festivals executive
committee has decided to donate part of
the proceeds to New Bataan in Compos-
tela Valley and Cateel in Davao Oriental.
Children are the most affected by
this calamity. They not only lost their
homes, many their loved ones, and now
their education and future are at risk be-
cause their schools were either damaged
or totally destroyed, he said.
Film producers and casts of the eight
entries to the 38th MMFF are more than
willing to reach out to the thousands of
residents displaced by Pablo, Tolentino
said, citing reports of the National Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Council
that placed damage at around P36 billion.
The typhoon left at least 1,067 dead,
2,666 injured and 834 missing.
Rio N. Araja
Cops ordered
on high alert
POLICE will be on high alert in the
northern part of Metro Manila as
revelers gather in churches, parks, and
nightspots to welcome the New Year.
Local chief executives in the Caloocan-
Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela (Cama-
nava) sector issued directives to enable
residents to usher in 2013 injury-free.
Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiang-
co said a zero tolerance policy will be
enforced against drunken driving.
Malabon Mayor Antolin Oreta III
urged cityfolk to be careful with re-
works while ordering police to patrol
crime-prone sections as a deterrent.
Mayors Enrico Echiverri and Sher-
win Gatchalian, of Caloocan and Valen-
zuela, respectively, directed their police
stations to curb theft and robberies.
Gigi Muoz David
Director Arturo Cacdac, of the
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agen-
cy, said the drug violators were
becoming desperate as authorities
tighten up the noose on syndicates.
Drug traffickers and pushers
never cease to figure out ways to
get away with their illicit drug ac-
tivities, he said. They never run
out of creativity in deflecting suspi-
cion, even using children to direct
attention.
By Ronald O. Reyes and Jonathan Fernandez
DANGEROUS drug deals are gaining more
vicious as trafckers have begun using babies
and toddlers in the illegal trade.
Cacdac said this unsettling
trend came about following the
recent arrest of one female visitor
who was trying to sneak in a sachet
of methamphetamine hydrochlo-
ride, or shabu, inside the Makati
City Jail.
The woman hid the drugs in the
sandals of her one-year-old daugh-
ter to evade detection.
The agency said sting operations
have found the increasing presence
of children in tow with the contra-
band concealed in their clothes.
This is very disturbing, Cacdac
said. How can someone exploit his
or her own child to serve ones evil
purpose? This is one form of child
abuse where parents put their chil-
drens lives on imminent risk of se-
rious harm.
PDEA information officer Liza
Fabi Baoy in Eastern Visayas said
the agency has proposed the desig-
nation and creation of a Women and
Childrens Desk officer to handle
the job when children are used as
drug mules.
By Brenda Gaudia
TUGUEGARAO CITYLawyer Mari-
no Salas, Pangasinan provincial election
supervisor, said Commissioner and for-
mer governor Grace Padaca was super-
vising the shake up in Northern Luzon in
preparation for the polls next year.
I would like to (tackle) vote buying
as I see this as the Philippines biggest
problem during elections even though
counting and canvassing is computerized
through the PCOs machines, he quoted
her as saying.
Salas said Isabela provincial supervi-
sor, lawyer Ramon Castillo, will be as-
signed to Cagayan replacing lawyer Ban-
gui Allas who will take his place.
During his recent visit to his home-
town in San Isidro, Commissioner Ar-
mando Velasco commended Padaca for
holding a command conference in Camp
Adduro joined by police ofcials and
poll executives, underscoring the need to
preserve the sanctity of the ballot.
She is hardworking, reading Comelec
memos, study cases personally, he said.
She is exemplary even though she is not
a lawyer.
Former Justice secretary and solicitor
general Silverstre Bello III a reshufe is
meant for the better.
If the reason for the revamp is to
improve the election process in Isabela,
well its good, he said.
But Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao observed
that Padacas younger brother was run-
ning for governor of Isabela.
I like to believe the move was be-
yond politics, he said. I would grant
she has acted in good faith, more so
since she still has to hurdle conrmation
hearings.
Nationalist Peoples Coalition chair-
man former Isabela governor Faustino
Dy II found the revamp offbeat.
Its not good; she shouldnt meddle
in the reshufe, he said.
Padaca won in 2004 as governor. Her
brother Mario Angelo Marlo Padaca is
running against Gov. Faustino Dy III.
By Rio N. Araja
THE Quezon City government on Sunday
called on taxpayers, especially those renewing
their business permits and licenses, to take ad-
vantage of the extra working days and hours
next month.
Mayor Herbert Bautista ordered a new
schedule starting Jan. 2 from 8 a.m. and to
5 p.m. With extension on weekdays and on
Saturdays and Sundays.
He said employees must stay at their posts
for as long as there are taxpayers to be served
so they enable taxpayers to settle their tax
obligations on time and avoid paying penal-
ties for late payments.
The deadline for tax payments without
penalty under the Local Government Code
is set on Jan. 20.
Bautista said the citys revenue genera-
tion cluster conducted a walk-through of the
different steps to be taken by a taxpayer dur-
ing the processing of business applications
and renewal, and even tax collection and
payments.
He said the simplied procedure cut down
at least four steps in renewing business per-
mits among other transaction.
Bautista also said long queues would be
over in getting community tax certicates
where paymenty is incorporated in the ling
of the business tax but the manual process-
ing will still be followed for individual and
walk-in taxpayers.
Sari-sari stores and business establishments
with gross sale below P500,000 except for
partnership and corporation may pay their tax-
es at the various treasury department branches
outside of the city hall located in Novaliches,
La Loma, Cubao, Talipapa and Galas.
By Dexter A. See
CAMP DANGWA, Ben-
guetChief Supt. Benjamin
Magalong, Cordillera police
head, said at least 40 unli-
censed rearms have been
seized and dozens of suspects
have been rounded up in the
continuing campaign against
private armed groups.
For the past three weeks,
our law enforcers were able
to conscate an average of
two unlicensed rearms daily
in the different parts of the
province where mobile and
xed checkpoints are estab-
lished, he told the Manila
Standard, noting that 21 mo-
bile checkpoints augmented
xed locations.
Senior Supt. Roberto Quin-
to Soriano, deputy regional
director for administration
and ofcer-in-charge of the
Abra police, said he has been
tasked to account for at least
800 declared loose rearms
and around 1,800 rearms
with unrenewed licenses in
preparation of next years
elections.
More than 35 percent of
the individuals who were al-
ready visited by our police-
men and barangay ofcials
already complied by renew-
ing the licenses of their re-
arms while the rest are yet to
follow, he said.
He said the peacekeeping
campaign is meant to keep
Abra from being declared a
hotspot to fall under the con-
trol of the Commission on
Elections wherein 14 other
critical places have been list-
ed by the Department of Inte-
rior and Local Government.
By Macon Ramos Araneta
FORMER Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri on Sunday
said the Philippine cobra and 12 other reptiles have
joined the ofcial list of threatened species.
In a statement, he said the snake was earlier
identied near threatened but its declining popu-
lation required its change in category.
A highly venomous burly snake averaging a
meter in length, Naja philippinensis thrives in
low-lying plains, from thick jungles and forest-
ed areas to open elds and grasslands. It preys
mostly on small rodents and frogs and occasion-
ally, other snakes, lizards and birds.
Predators of the Philippine cobra include
humans, birds of prey, the king cobra, and the
mongoose.
Zuniry, former chairman of the Senate environ-
ment and natural resources committee, said the
other threatened species are the Loggerhead turtle,
Southeast Asian box turtle, Spiny terrapin, South-
east Philippine spitting cobra, Equatorial spitting
cobra, King cobra, Southeast Asian softshell turtle,
Batanes pit viper, Panay monitor lizard and three
subspecies of the Malay monitor lizard.
Of the 13 newly threatened reptiles, Zubiri, Pilipi-
nas EcoWarriors convenor, said the Panay monitor
lizard was labeled critically endangered. The rest
were tagged either vulnerable or endangered.
He said Philippine species are tagged threat-
ened once their habitats have suffered extreme
depletion and their populations have shrunk to a
level below which the species or subspecies will
be totally extinct.
The threatened species are further sub-clas-
sied either as vulnerable, endangered, or criti-
cally endangered.
Zubiri who is running for senator under the
Liberal Party ticket attributed the rapid decline
of the Philippine cobra and other reptiles to the
devastation of their habitats due to indiscriminate
land conversion.
Tribute. Dr. Jose Rizals advocacy-- freedom and progress through education--ontinues to be relevant, said
the message of presidential cousin Paolo Benigno Bam Aquino IV during the commemoration of the 116th
death anniversary of the national hero in simple ceremonies held at Quezon City Hall . Bam Aquino, as guest of
honor, was represented by Assistant Secretary Gerard Salapantan (extreme left) of the chief of staff, Ofce of the
President. At the rites were chief of staff Aldrin Cuna of the ofce of Mayor Herbert Bautista, Councilor Eufemio
Lagumbay, department of public order and safety head Elmo San Diego, public affairs and information services of-
ce chief Gregorio Baacia, barangay operations center chief Jorge Felipe, Payatas Operations Group head Jameel
Jaymalin and other city, schools, police and barangay ofcials.
Humanitarian partnership. PMFTC Inc. President Chris Nelson (center) hands over to Tan Yan Kee
Foundation Inc. Chairman and President Dr. Lucio Tan a check worth P41 million to support various devel-
opment programs. Joining them are TYK Board of Trustees (from left) Cesar E. A. Virata, Gabriel C. Singson,
Tan Hui Bin, Juanita Tan Lee, Mrs. Carmen K. Tan, Philippine Daily Inquirer Chairman Marixi R. Prieto, Shirley
T. Chua, Tan Eng Chan, and Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas S.J.. Named after Lucio Tans father, TYK Foundation initia-
tives include a scholarship program, health and social welfare projects, and manpower development.
Recognition. Local chief executives led by Paraaque Mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr. recently received plaques of appreciation from
the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority for their contributions to the development of the National Capital Region as a
whole. At the presentation are (from left) Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian, Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr., Navotas
Mayor John Rey Tiangco, Pasay Mayor Antonino Calixto, Paraaque Mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr., MMDA Chairman lawyer Francis To-
lentino, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, Las Pias Mayor Vergel Aguillar, Marikina Mayor Del De Guzman, Caloocan Mayor Enrico Echiverri
and Pateros Mayor Jaime Medina.
DECEMBER 31, 2012 MONDAY
A7 Sports Riera U. Mallari, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
AL S. MENDOZA
ALL THE WAY
Still a beautiful world

WE went zero in the 2012 Lon-
don Olympics. No gold. Not
even bronze.
Same as in the Olympiads of
2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens and
2008 Beijing: Nothing. Four
straight Olympic Games. Nada.
We came, we saw, we were
conquered.
Did we fret?
Nah! After the shutout in
2008 Beijing, we reelected Jose
Peping Cojuangco Jr. to another
four-year term that same year as
president of the Philippine Olym-
pic Committee.
We are a resilient race, you
know.
Following the 2012 London de-
bacle, did we fret?
Nah! We gave Peping another
four-year term as POC boss, his
tenure ending after the 2016 Rio
de Janeiro Olympics.
We are a patient race, you
know.
Did we not allow the Spaniards
to rule over us for 400 years?
Did we not allow the Ameri-
cans to rule over us for nearly a
century?
And, yes, did we not allow
Marcos to impose his one-man
rule over us for 14 years?
We are a patient race, you
know.
Perhaps, after four successive
Olympic setbacks, we would -
nally end the winless drought in
Rio 2016? Another bronze, may-
be? Or goldnally?
And next see Peping doing a gi-
ant jig in triumphant vindication?
We are a patient race, you
know.
Twenty-six years after Marcos
had ed to Hawaii following the
victory of the People Power Re-
volt at Edsa in 1986, we remain
in the doldrumsthe so-called
Asias whipping boy in terms of
growth in the region.
That only overemphasizes the
truism that a nations poor, trou-
bled sports is the result of that na-
tions poor, troubled economy.
Sports power grows out of the
barrel of a smoking economic
gun.
But today being the last day of
2012, please let me say that de-
spite all the troubles, failures and
bitter memories of the graduating
year, it was still a very good year.
Yes, we were shocked by the
sixth-round knockout loss of
Manny Pacquiao to Juan Manuel
Marquez, but joy to the land
had come as quick after Nonito
Donaire Jr. stopped Jorge Arce in
three rounds a week later.
Yes, Pacquiao, had lost twice
in succession in a bizarre turn
of events for the boxing icon
in 2012, but all that was erased
somewhat by Donaires four
straight wins in 2012. Donaire
capped that feat with two
knockout wins in-a-row over the
legendary Toshiaki Nishioka of
Japan (9th round) preceding the
knockout triumph over Arce in
the third.
And, yes, how about Brian
Vilorias equally signicant victo-
ries in the year just about to end?
You win some, you lose some.
There will always be gladness
and sadness. The thing to do is
move on, no matter what. The
universe will always unfoldas
it should.
Listen to Desiderata: With all
its sham, drudgery and broken
dreams, this world is still a beau-
tiful world.
Happy New Year!
* * *
ALL IN. Thank you, again,
to all those who made me both
happy and sad in 2012. While
I value more the deeds of those
who made me happy, it would be
unfair if I yell at those who made
me sad this, To hell with you!
Joy and agonythey make living
Warriors
clobber
Celtics,
101 to 83
Djokovic
retains
net crown
Barbers Surigao team bags 3 Fil-Am golf titles
Australia, Spain win Hopman opener
Bucks too much for Heat
Brandon Jennings scored 25
points and Mike Dunleavy had
13 of his 18 in the fourth quarter
as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the
Heat 104-85 on Saturday night.
Wade was back after serving a
one-game suspension for ailing
his leg and making contact with
guard Ramon Sessions groin
during the Heats 105-92 victory
over Charlotte on Wednesday.
Wade sat out Miamis 109-99 loss
to Detroit on Friday night, which
snapped the Heats six-game win-
ning streak.
Obviously, the last 48 hours
has not gone the way we wanted
it to, Miami coach Erik Spoel-
stra said. We dont want to make
any excuses about it. Milwaukee
kicked our butt. They were the
better team tonight. We will gath-
er ourselves, get to Orlando and
start to work on it.
Wade had 24 points on 10-of-
19 shooting, four assists, six re-
bounds and three turnovers. Le-
Bron James scored 26 as Miami
failed to reach 100 points for just
the third time in 28 games.
Its going to take time, Wade
said. We go through this every
ABU DHABI, United Arab
EmiratesNovak Djokovic re-
tained his title at the World Tennis
Championship exhibition tourna-
ment in Abu Dhabi on Saturday
by rallying past Nicolas Almagro
of Spain 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-4.
The top-ranked Serb swept
past David Ferrer in straight sets
to reach the nal, but he got a
tough test from the 11th-ranked
Almagro.
Almagro, a late replacement at
the tournament for Rafael Nadal,
rallied from 3-1 down in the tie-
breaker to take the rst set.
It is amazing, him com-
ing here only a few days ago
and having a late entrance to
the tournament and performing
this well yesterday and today,
Djokovic said.
Djokovic broke to lead 3-1
in the second set on his way to
evening the match. The third
set was much tighter, with both
players holding serve after eight
games until Djokovic went up
5-4 and then broke Almagro to
clinch the victory.
Both players had 12 aces, but
Almagro was able to convert
only one of six break points. He
won just 34 percent of points on
returns.
In Brisbane, Australia, Serena
Williams will face fellow Ameri-
can Varvara Lepchenko in the rst
round of the Brisbane International
and could play local hope Saman-
tha Stosur in the quarternals. AP
OAKLAND, California
What a December to remember
for the Golden State Warriors.
Stephen Curry had 22 points
and nine assists, David Lee
scored 20 points and the War-
riors whipped the short-handed
Boston Celtics 101-83 on Satur-
day night to close out a memo-
rable month.
Golden State (21-10) nished
December with a 12-4 record
and has at least 20 wins before
New Years Day for the rst
time since 1980.
What more is there to say?
Lee said. Happy New Year.
First-round pick Harrison
Barnes added 15 points and
eight rebounds to help Golden
State build a 20-point lead in the
second quarter and cruise most
of the way. The Warriors tied the
1961-62 team - when the fran-
chise was still in Philadelphia -
with 12 wins in December.
The bottom line is its been
a great year for us, Warri-
ors coach Mark Jackson said.
2012 has been real good to
us. We will put it behind us and
now look forward to doing great
things in 2013.
The Celtics, meanwhile, are
hardly ringing in the new year
in style.
Courtney Lee had 18 points
and ve rebounds starting in place
of Rajon Rondo, who was a late
scratch for Boston because of a
bruised right thigh and hip. Celt-
ics coach Doc Rivers said Rondo
will be a game-time decision at
the Sacramento Kings on Sunday
night, but he was far more con-
cerned about the teams horren-
dous shooting and offensive ow.
Paul Pierce nished with 13
points on 4-for-20 shooting, Ja-
son Terry scored 13 points on
6-for-19 shooting and both were
taken out with 4:19 remaining
and the game well out of reach.
The Celtics (14-15) have lost
six of eight to fall below .500
for the rst time in almost two
months. Combined with Thurs-
day nights 106-77 loss at the
Los Angeles Clippers, Boston
has been outscored by 47 points
the last two games.
We got to gure out who we
want to be, Pierce said. Do we
want to be a defense-rst team? If
were not going to be a defensive
team, we got to be a better offensive
team. Its got to be something. We
still got to nd our way.AP
VETERAN international box-
ing judge Rey Danseco was
named Boxing Judge of the
Year by the World Boxing
Council.
It was Dansecos biggest
award in his eight-year career.
He was also named Judge of
the Year in 2010 and 2011 in the
Philippines during the Annual
Gabriel Flash Elorde Memo-
rial Boxing Awards & Banquet
of Champions.
The 39-year-old pride of
Calauag, Quezon received
the award before a thousand
delegates from 163 countries,
which included legendary
American promoter Don King
and the worlds most respected
boxing judges and referees,
during the historic 50th Con-
vention of the WBC at the
Grand Oasis Hotel in Cancun,
Mexico recently.
Donaire, 30, was named
Fighter of the Year by ESPN
and Boxingscene after he won
all of his four title ghts this
year. He won his last two ghts
by knockout.
A news item carried by
USA Today, CBS, Sports Il-
lustrated and Yahoo! reported
that Danseco is considered
among the best in the world.
Danseco worked as one of the
judges in the huge WBC mid-
dleweight title June 16 at Sun
Bowl in El Paso, Texas where
Mexicos Julio Cesar Chavez
Jr. knocked out Irish Andy Lee
in round 7.
PERTH, AustraliaAustralia
beat Germany 3-0 in the Hopman
Cup mixed team competition Sat-
urday after Andrea Petkovic had
to retire from her singles match
with a right knee injury.
Bernard Tomic had given Aus-
tralia a 1-0 lead with by beating
Tommy Haas 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-5, but
Petkovic looked likely to force the
series into a decisive mixed dou-
bles when she won the rst set 6-4
against 16-year old Ashleigh Bar-
ty. However, she called for treat-
ment and was in tears as her right
knee was bandaged.
Spain clinched a 2-1 victory
over South Africa after winning
the mixed doubles 6-4, 6-7 (3),
10-8.
Kevin Anderson had given
South Africa the lead by beating
Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (5), 6-4,
before Annabel Medina Gar-
rigues evened the contest with
a 6-4, 6-2 win over Chanelle
Scheepers. The Spanish duo then
outlasted the South Africans in
the Champions tiebreaker of the
doubles match.
Earlier, Tomic hit 14 aces to
overcome his more experienced
opponent. Haas led the rst set
tiebreaker 6-1 before Tomic
swept the next seven points. A
forehand error at 4-3 gave Haas
the only break of the second set,
and the German broke again ear-
ly in the third. But Tomic leveled
at 5-5 and broke again before
clinching the win on his third
match point.
It was a very tough rst set and
my rst to play for a few months,
Tomic said after claiming his
rst victory since September. It
was difcult to play Tommy. He
played really well at the beginning
of the tiebreak and I dont know
how I got out of that.
South Africas Anderson held
two set points at 5-4 in his the rst
set of his singles match but made
errors on both before winning the
tiebreaker. The South African then
broke at 4-4 in the second before
serving out the match.
Scheepers maintained the
pressure in the second set as Me-
dina Garrigues faced eight break
points. However, the Spaniard
broke for 3-1, fought off ve
break points to hold for 5-2 and
broke serve again when she con-
verted her second match point.
I was a little bit lucky, Me-
dina Garrigues said. The dou-
bles was also tough, one and a
half hours, but Fernando was
playing good and now we have
to recover (to face France) to-
morrow. AP
TEAM Surigao of former Con-
gressman Ace Barbers captured
a record three division champion-
ships, including the Fil-A and the
Am-A titles in the recently con-
cluded 63rd Fil-Am Invitational
Tournament held in Baguio City.
The Team Surigao I, composed
of Ramon Capistrano, John Bertis,
Roy Abalos, Ed Lopez and Carlo
Packing, collected a total of 434
points in the four-day event held
at the Camp John Hay Golf Club
in the rst two rounds and in the
Baguio Golf and Country Club in
the nal two rounds.
The team bested seven other
squads in the Fil-A, beating the
Philippine Navy Golf Club (429),
the Haciendas de Naga (418), Rural
Bankers II (403), Villa Cacho (400),
Subic Gas (390), Baguio Golf Club
(389) and Macquarie Links (374).
In the Am-A championship, the
Team Surigao I had a dramatic
nish as it bagged the title by a
single point, as Barbers, Efren
Alvez, Bing Alcantara, Benny
Hurtado and Cesar Lacuna totaled
389 points to beat Forest Hills
Country Club (388).
The former legislator Barbers
and his teammates were actually
six points behind heading to the
last round after collecting a three-
day total of 277 points (85-94-98),
while Forest Hills had a total of
283 points (82-92-109) through
three rounds.
However, Team Surigao I had a
nal round of 112 points, while For-
est Hills nished with 105 points,
enough for the Barbers-led team to
bag the title for the rst time.
The other golf teams Surigao
defeated in the Am-A were Mi-
zuno Superstars (382), Benlife
I (368), Fil-Am Chicago (328),
Baguio Ventures II (327), Fil-Am
League of Golfers-Chicago (325)
and the Darwin Golf Club Aus-
tralia (263).
Danseco is
WBC Judge
of the Year
Golf queens. ICTSI team spearhead Princess Superal (left) and teammate
Daniella Uy show their trophy after battling from seven shots down to beat
Mia Legaspi and Felicia Medalla for the ladiescrown in the Meralco Nation-
al Doubles Amateur Golf Championship at Wack Wacks West Course over
the weekend. With them is National Golf Association of the Phils. president
Tommy Manotoc.
MILWAUKEEDwyane Wades return to
the lineup wasnt nearly enough for Miami.
year. Its a part of the journey.
You have to have these moments
throughout the season. To win lat-
er in the year, you have something
to pull from.
The Bucks improved to 16-
12, their best 28-game start since
opening the 2005-06 season 17-
11. Miami (20-8) fell to 6-6 on the
road.
Wade said the Heat would love
to be undefeated on the road, but
that isnt going to happen.
In the bigger picture, you
have to go through these tough
moments and have to gure it out
as a team, he said. Thats what
were doing right now.
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
scored 19 points for the Bucks,
and Larry Sanders had 16 points,
11 rebounds and four blocks.
Monta Ellis added 14 points as
Milwaukee avenged a 113-106
overtime loss to the Heat in Mi-
ami on Nov. 21.
Dunleavy also had nine re-
bounds, six assists and three steals
for the Bucks, who outscored Mi-
ami 35-14 in the fourth.
After Jennings hit a 3-pointer,
Miami called a timeout and re-
moved Wade, James and Chris
Bosh with the Bucks ahead 100-
79 with 3:13 to play. That was
Milwaukees biggest lead and it
didnt slip below 17 the rest of the
way.
Bosh had 12 points and 16 re-
bounds for the Heat, who came
in averaging 103.4 points a game
while the Bucks were at 95.6.
It got chippy late in the game
with Milwaukee pulling away.
After Wade turned the ball over,
Jennings picked it up and raced
down the court. Mario Chalmers,
trailing the play, caught up with
Jennings and then slowed him
down by wrapping his right arm
around Jennings neck. As mo-
mentum carried Chalmers toward
the baseline, Jennings followed
after him, glaring all the way.
Chalmers was called for a a-
grant foul. Jennings made both
free throws and Milwaukee re-
tained the ball. Moments later,
Mbah a Moute scored and the
Bucks led 92-76. AP
Serbias Novak
Djokovic returns
the ball to Spains
Nicolas Almagro
during the nal day
of the Mubadala
Tennis Champion-
ship in Abu Dhabi,
United Arab Emir-
ates, Saturday. AP
sports@manilastandardtoday.com sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
Sports
Manila Standard TODAY
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
MONDAY
A8
Riera U. Mallari, Editor
LOTTO RESULTS
6/49 000000
3 DIGITS 000
2 EZ2 00
P11.7M+
NBA HOME TEAM IN CAPS
New Orleans 98 CHARLOTTE 95
ATLANTA 109 Indiana 100
Toronto 123 ORLANDO 88
BROOKLYN 103 Cleveland 100
CHICAGO 87 Washington 77
MEMPHIS 81 Denver 72
Oklahoma City 124 HOUSTON 94
MINNESOTA 111 Phoenix 107
MILWAUKEE 104 Miami 85
PORTLAND 89 Philadelphia 85
GOLDEN STATE 101 Boston 83
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Talk N Texts Larry Fonacier loses the ball to the double-teaming defense of Alaskas Calvin Abueva and
Dondon Hontiveros in Game 5 of their teams PBA Philippine Cup seminals at the Mall of Asia Arena in
Pasay City. EY ACASIO
Texters foil Alaska, 99-95
New jungolf talents emerge
Petron, Ginebra get ex-NBA cagers as imports
Chua to coach Kings
PHILIPPINE junior golf is on the upswing
with a dearth of talents culled from a busy
tournament program that has kept them
competitive all year long.
There is now a renewed interest on jun-
golf play in all corners of the country after
the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philip-
pines intensied its efforts to organize as
many tournaments as possible in collabo-
ration with public and private golf clubs
and a steady stream of sponsors led by the
International Container Terminal Services,
Inc..
There is no better highlight to another
productive year than a nationwide compe-
tition that featured no less than 300 play-
ers, who proudly represented their respec-
tive schools in an exciting development
that JGFP ofcials hope would inuence
more academic institutions to lend a hand
to talent search.
As a result, local kids have also kept a
high level of condence in the internation-
al scene, which is evidenced by the victo-
ries of Jed Dy and Bernice Olivarez-Ilas
that capped one of the strongest perform-
ances in the annual Junior World champi-
onships in San Diego, California last July.
Miya Legaspi spent the year collecting
trophies here and abroad as well, teaming
up with Felicia Medalla in winning the
team event of the Singha Thailand Junior
World, Princess Superal claimed the Ma-
laysian Junior Open, Sunshine Burberry
Zhang Champion in Kids Golf World Ma-
laysia and Abby Arevalo delivered a vic-
tory late in the season by topping the US
Kids Holiday Classic in Palm Beach Gar-
dens, Florida.
Were looking at a possible talent
boom in the next couple of years, its just a
matter of keeping them competitive, said
JGFP president Luigi Tabuena.
Names that have cropped up are the
likes of Miggy Yee,
Rupert Zaragosa, LJ Go,
Felicia Medalla, Ray-
mart Tolentino, Missy
Legaspi, Daniella Uy,
Chanelle Avaricio, JP del
Claro, Marvi Monsalve,
Sam Martirez, Kristoffer
Arevalo, Sophia Chabon,
Aidric Chan, Jelbert
Gamolo, Rainstar Roque,
Harmie Constantino,
Miguel Ilas, Javi Lazatin,
Sunshine Zhang, Anya
Cedo and Ken Shibata.
Gamolo, Chabon and
Roque are talents be-
ing supported by the
foundation of the emi-
nent Frankie Minoza as
a way of giving back to
the game that has made
him one of the countrys most successful
athletes of all time. Lazatin and Zhang,
meanwhile, are standouts of the The Jun-
ior Golfers League handled by Chona dela
Paz which is also contributing a lot to the
promotion of junior golf.
In recent years, the JGFP program has
opened the doors of opportunity to a US
education for local standouts like Jenni-
fer Rosales and Cyna Rodriguez (Univer-
sity of Souther California), Javyie Agojo
(Pepperdine U), Beverly Mendoza (Texas
Tech), Maan Legaspi (University of Vir-
ginia), Bambee Dela Paz (University of
Cincinnati) sisters Debbie (Texas Tech),
Angela (Gonzaga U) and Linnel de Villa
(California State-San Marcos), Jobim
Carlos (University of San Francisco),
Nico Evangelista (Johnson and Wales
University), Gio Gandionco (Sta Clara
University), Andie Unson is joining Pep-
perdine next year.
DECEMBER 31, 2012
Nets edge
Cavs, go
2-0 under
Carlesimo
PSC to
upgrade
facilities
NEW YORKTwo victories
and now two huge tests coming
up for the Brooklyn Nets.
They sure look more ready
under P.J. Carlesimo than in their
nal days under Avery Johnson.
Brook Lopez scored a season-
high 35 points and grabbed 11
rebounds, and the Nets improved
to 2-0 under their interim coach
by beating the Cleveland Cava-
liers 103-100 on Saturday night.
(More NBA stories on A7)
Deron Williams and Joe John-
son each scored 15 points for
the Nets, who red Johnson on
Thursday during a 3-10 skid and
followed with two victories over
losing teams. Now, they head off
for major challenges at San Anto-
nio and Oklahoma City.
This can start something,
so for us to get these two wins,
weve got a little condence go-
ing on the road, and well ride
this condence into San An-
tonio and try to get us another
win, Johnson said.
Lopez followed his 26-point,
11-rebound performance in a
victory Friday over Charlotte by
shooting 13 of 20 from the eld,
making a number of timely bas-
kets in the fourth quarter that the
Nets ultimately needed to hold on.
CJ Miles scored a season-
high 33 points and made eight
3-pointers for the Cavs, but
Kyrie Irving capped a miserable
shooting night when his tying
3-point attempt went in and out.
He nished with 13 points on
5-of-16 shooting.
Tristan Thompson added 17
points and 15 rebounds for the
Cavaliers, who played without
center Anderson Varejao be-
cause of a knee injury. He had a
career-high 35 points and 18 re-
bounds in the previous meeting
in Brooklyn and perhaps could
have slowed Lopez, who fouled
out rookie Tyler Zeller.
Carlesimo is trying to prove
that if the Nets cant lure top pri-
ority Phil Jackson out of retire-
ment, they should keep him. It
would help if the Nets can win
in San Antonio, where he was
an assistant to Gregg Popovich,
or Oklahoma City, where he
held his last head coaching job.
I always liked both places,
to be honest with you, Carlesi-
mo joked about the difculty of
the trip.
The Nets, blown out in their
nal two games under Johnson,
clearly take a better mindset
onto the road. AP
By Jeric Lopez
DISAPPOINTED with their
showing in the 2013 Philippine
Basketball Association Philip-
pine Cup, Barangay Ginebra
and Petron Blaze are already
setting their sights on the next
conference.
This early, the Gin Kings
and the Boosters have already
tapped their imports for the
Commissioners Cup, which
allows reinforcements without
a height limit.
Ginebra chose Herbert Hill, a
former draftee of the Utah Jazz
in the National Basketball As-
sociation, while Petron will pa-
rade energy guy Renaldo Balk-
man, who was part of the New
York Knicks rotation several
years ago.
San Miguel Corporation
sports director Noli Eala con-
rmed the news regarding their
two ballclubs through his Twit-
ter account.
Happy to welcome ex-NBA
veterans Renaldo Balkman
to Petron and Herbert Hill to
Ginebra this second confer-
ence, said Eala. Im con-
dent theyll make a huge im-
pact for us.
The 68 Balkman became a
crowd-pleaser during his stint
with the Knicks from 2006
to 2008 due to his hustle and
daredevil type of play on the
defensive end of the oor.
Balkman is a solid worker
and a hard-nosed defender,
said Eala.
Hill played sparingly for
the Jazz in 2007. He recently
played for the Incheon El-
ephants in the Korean Basket-
ball League.
Hill has played well around
Asia. His strengths are re-
bounding and his inside pres-
ence, said Eala.
Both Ginebra and Petron
bowed out of the All-Filipino
tournament in the quarter-
nals despite talent-rich line-
ups.
The Commissioners Cup
kicks off Feb. 8, 2013.
By Peter Atencio
THE Philippine Center for
Sports Medicine will soon have
its own separate building.
Ofces and clinics which the
sports center had occupied since
1991 will soon be reserved as a
gym facility for national athletes
training for international com-
petitions.
Philippine Sports Commis-
sion chairman Ricardo Richie
Garcia said this as the govern-
ment sports agency gets ready to
upgrade existing facilities at the
Rizal Memorial Sports Com-
plex in Manila, the Philsports
Complex in Pasig and in Baguio
City.
There is a request to improve
the gym. So, we are buying
equipment for them to do their
exercises, explained Garcia.
Garcia said the new gym fa-
cilities will be used initially by
track and eld athletes and box-
ers.
Plans are being made to mod-
ernize facilities available for na-
tional athletes.
At the Philsports Complex in
Pasig, Garcia said the track oval
will be resurfaced while lights
will be installed as well.
The dormitories are now be-
ing converted to be a hotel-type
facility, a mess hall will be add-
ed, and a new gym will also be
set up.
In addition, plans are being
readied for an area for throwing
and jumping events.
An articial pitch at the Rizal
Memorial Sports Complex in
Vito Cruz, he added, is almost
ready, while lights are also go-
ing to be installed at the ball-
park.
Jared Dillinger brought them a
game closer when he forced Calvin
Abueva to commit crucial turnover
in the last eight seconds. Dillingers
rugged one-on-one defense on the
Alaska rookie allowed the Tropang
Texters to escape with a 99-95 vic-
tory over the Alaska Aces.
The Tropang Texters took a 3-2
lead in their best-of-seven seminal
series against the Aces. They can claim
a championship slot if they post anoth-
er win against the Aces on Jan. 4, 2013
at the Cuneta Astrodome.
If they hurdle the Aces, they will
become the rst team since 1994
to make the All-Filipino Finals for
three consecutive years. San Miguel
Beer and Coney Island were the last
teams to achieve the feat.
The Tropang Texters were ahead
by nine in the last 2:31 off Kelly
Williams drive, 97-88. The Aces
came charging back on a 7-0 run
behind Abuevas two charities and
Dondon Hontiveros trey.
After Williams split his free
throws in the last 42.2 seconds, the
Aces moved closer and came with-
in three points off Gabby Espinas
putback, 95-98.
It was a a very competitive
game. The guys bounced back.
Both teams concentrated on bas-
ketball not worried about refs that
much. The goal and the task now
is come back in Game 6 and play
good defense again, said Tropang
Texters coach Norman Black.
Ryan Reyes and Ranidel de Ocam-
po showed the way for the Tropang
Texters with 13 and 12 points.
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
GINEBRA San Miguel consult-
ant Al Francis Chua is likely to be
elevated to head coach, replacing
Siot Tanquingcen.
The Manila Standard learned
that the appointment of Chua
would be announced at the begin-
ning of the new year.
Chua, who once played in the
amateur leagues for coach Joe
Lipa, regarded as one of his men-
tors, is bound to bring a much-
needed aggressive style to the
PBAs crowd favorites, who were
a major disappointment in the
on-going Philippine Cup, having
been eliminated in the quarter-
nals by Rain or Shine.
The charismatic, pony-tailed
Chua is noted for his intensity
and is expected to re-assess
the Ginebra line-up and seek to
strengthen it for the succeeding
conferences in the 2012-2013
PBA season.
To the chagrin of many Ginebra
fans, Tangquincen traded such
talented players as point guard
Mike Cortez and high-yers Ro-
nald Tubid and JC Intal and sent
power forward Erik Menk to the
Asean Basketball League despite
the absence of solid big men in
the Ginebra line-up.
Trophy winners of the a recent Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines tournament are shown here.
By Peter Atencio
THE Talk N Text Tropang Texters stood their
ground in the nal minute and moved a win away
from earning a nals berth in the 2012-2013 Phil-
ippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup last
night at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
DECEMBER 31, 2012 MONDAY
B1
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Business
Manila Standard TODAY
Ray S. Eano, Editor business@mst.ph
Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor; extrastory2000@gmail.com
IN BRIEF
NTC approves deal
to sell Destiny Cable
2013 banana output
seen declining by 33%
Shell set to expand
outsourcing facility
US fiscal cliff problem
poses threat to growth
Transparent Meralco refund sought
VOLUME 687.950M VOLUME 677.300M
PSE COMPOSITE INDEX
Closing December 28, 2012
OIL
PRICES
TODAY
P584-P695
LPG/11-kg tank
P47.15-P53.07
Unleaded Gasoline
P38.40-P41.05
Diesel
P40.30-P52.20
Kerosene
P27.20-P31.00
Auto LPG
FOREI GN EXCHANGE RATE
Currency Unit US Dollar Peso
United States Dollar 1.000000 41.1920
Japan Yen 0.011621 0.4787
UK Pound 1.610100 66.3232
Hong Kong Dollar 0.129016 5.3144
Switzerland Franc 1.095170 45.1122
Canada Dollar 1.004924 41.3948
Singapore Dollar 0.818197 33.7032
Australia Dollar 1.035947 42.6727
Bahrain Dinar 2.652661 109.2684
Saudi Arabia Rial 0.266667 10.9845
Brunei Dollar 0.814863 33.5658
Indonesia Rupiah 0.000104 0.0043
Thailand Baht 0.032637 1.3444
UAE Dirham 0.272279 11.2157
Euro Euro 1.323800 54.5300
Korea Won 0.000933 0.0384
China Yuan 0.160359 6.6055
India Rupee 0.018203 0.7498
Malaysia Ringgit 0.326904 13.4658
NewZealand Dollar 0.817127 33.6591
Taiwan Dollar 0.034448 1.4190
Source: PDS Bridge
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Friday, December 28, 2012
PESO-DOLLAR RATE
40
42
44
46
48
Closing DECEMBER 28, 2012
5,812.73
17.84
HIGH P41.050 LOW P41.110 AVERAGE P41.078
5200
4460
3720
2980
2240
1500
1200
P41.050
CLOSE
SMIC tops market
SM INVESTMENTS Corp.
supplanted Philippine Long
Distance Telephone Co. as the
nations biggest stock with the
fastest economic growth in two
years, tilting consumer spending
in favor of homes and leisure over
mobile phone use.
SM Investments, the holding
company of the countrys richest
man Henry Sy, rose 0.2 percent at
the close on Dec. 28, boosting its
market capitalization to P549.5
billion ($13.4 billion), compared
with a value of P546.6 billion for
PLDT.
Shares of SM Investments
rallied 51 percent in 2012 as
the fastest economic expansion
since 2010 boosted prots at the
companys retail, property and
banking ventures. PLDT, the
nations largest phone company,
trailed with a 1.3-percent gain
as rising competition and a shift
from calls and text messages to
social media offered by Facebook
Inc. and Twitter Inc. squeezed
earnings.
SM Investments owns the
nations biggest grocery and
department store operators. It
also owns BDO Unibank Inc.,
the largest bank by assets, and
SM Prime Holdings Inc., which
operates 46 shopping centers in the
Philippines and ve in China.
Bloomberg
STI declares dividends
STI Education Systems Holdings
declared about P99 million in cash
dividends payable to all qualied
stockholders by the yearend.
STI corporate secretary Arsenio
Cabrera Jr. said in a disclosure to
the stock exchange the dividend
was declared during companys
board meeting on Dec. 5.
He said dividend, pegged at
P0.01 per share, would come from
the unrestricted retained earnings
of STI ESH as of Nov. 30.
The cash dividends are
payable to stockholders on record
as of Dec. 19 and shall be payable
on or before Dec. 28, Cabrera
said.
STI completed a follow-on
offering on Nov. 7, raising P2.36
billion in proceeds. The offering
was over two times oversubscribed,
owing to the strong demand from
local and foreign investors.
STI offered 2.627 billion
primary shares, including 105.2
million secondary shares owned
by Korea Merchant Banking Corp.
STI set aside another 273 million
optional common shares to cover
overallotments.
STI chairman Eusebio Tanco
said proceeds from the share
sale was meant to expand nine
STI schools in Caloocan, Cubao,
Quezon City, Ortigas in Cainta,
Rizal, Calamba, Laguna, Lucena
City, Cebu and Davao into full-
blown campuses.
By Lailany P. Gomez
THE National Telecommunica-
tions Commission approved the
acquisition of all the assets and
liabilities of Destiny Cable Inc.
by rival Sky Cable Corp.
NTC Commissioner
Gamaliel Cordoba, in an
order dated Dec. 18, 2012,
cleared the deed of sale
and agreement petitioned
by Destiny Cable Inc. on
May 11 this year in favor of
Lopez-controlled SkyCable
following the completion of
the requirements set by the
regulator.
The sale, assignment and
transfer of assets, permits
and licenses of existing cable
television systems have been
turned over from Destiny Cable
to SkyCable for the purchase
price of P1.22 billion.
The applicant has met all
the requirements imposed
by the Commission in so
far as the approval of the
deed of sale, assignment and
transfer of assets, permits
and licenses and permits of
an existing cable television
systems and that petitioner
vendee is financially capable
of assuming the vable
televisions being sought for,
the NTC said.
SkyCable has total
liabilities of P3.231 billion,
stockholders equity of
P5.046 billion and a debt to
equity ratio of 39:61.
SkyCables authorized
capital stock as of March 18,
2011 stood at P900 million.
The capital is divided into 900
million shares with a par value
of P1 each.
Of the capital stock, 25 percent
has been subscribed and at least
25 percent of that subscription
has been paid.
SkyCable had said it expected
to earn an operating income
of P350 million a year from
its acquisition of the assets,
including subscribers of Destiny,
Uni-Cable and Solid Broadband
Corp.
SkyCable has set aside P1
billion for next years capital
expenditure, with P400 million
allotted for digitization and
the rest for maintenance and
broadband services.
PH wild raspberry. Brilliantly-colored, ripe and newly-picked sapinit fruits are well-liked by
consumers in Laguna and Quezon provinces, both as fresh fruit and processed into juice or jam.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala urged consumers to give preference to fruits produced by the nations
farmers and orchard operators in ushering the new year. Alcala said Philippine fruits give consumers more
value for their money, in addition to providing farmers and orchard owners more income.
By Othel V. Campos
A GROUP of banana growers and
exporters on Sunday warned that
production may fall 33 percent in 2013,
following the onslaught of typhoon Pablo
in Mindanao.
The Pilipino Banana
Growers and Exporters
Association said banana
exports might decline to
100 million boxes from 150
million boxes, if measures
to rehabilitate the industry
would not be in place by the
start of the year.
If what the Department
of Agriculture said is true,
then output, indeed, is bound
to decline by at most half,
PBGEA president Steve
Antig said in an interview
Sunday.
Banana growers and
exporters earlier expected
that production value would
hit $1.1 billion in 2012, with
40 percent of exports going to
China.
Banana production reached
200 million boxes with a
value of $760 million in
2011.
Government data showed
about 26,000 hectares of
banana plantations were
damaged by typhoon Pablo.
PBGEA said the typhoon
destroyed 14,000 hectares
of farms operated by its
members alone.
The group met Friday to
recast its budget for 2013,
focusing on the required
rehabilitation of farms.
We are asking the
Department of Agriculture
to broker for us lower rates
on loans available in the
market. As it is, LandBank
is not offering lower rates
as previously reported. They
maintained the 8-percent
interest. Despite us being
commercially big and all, we
have no means to pay for that
given our circumstances,
Antig said.
The banana growers look
forward to a loan package
that will be offered by the
Development Bank of the
Philippines.
Antig said the members
of the group were not yet
informed of the package.
He said the group sought
lower loan rates, if
possible, within our self-
determined threshold of 4
to 5 percent.
The group also expressed
concern over increased
incidence of pole-vaulting,
an emerging market trend
by which growers sell
their produce to buyers
not covered by marketing
contracts.
Antig said this illicit
practice might affect trading
relations with long-time and
trusted buyers.
We are not worried
about defaulting on our
commitments. We have
always honored our
obligations to our partners.
We may not serve the new
markets but we definitely
strive to deliver to our
traditional markets. And our
members will never resort
to pole-vaulting, the group
said.
By Alena Mae S. Flores
ROYAL Dutch Shell Plc plans to expand its business process
outsourcing business in the country, a top company executive said
over the weekend.
Shell country chairman Edgar Chua said the companys investment
plan would entail not only the expansion of the Malampaya natural
gas project, but also BPO operations.
All those are in the cards, expanding our operations and
presence in all areas. Not only upstream Malampaya, but also
downstream and even our BPO. We have a BPO here with close
to 3,000 employees. It is the biggest BPO of Shell in the world,
Chua said.
The companys BPO unit called Shell shared service center
performs outsourcing work exclusively for Shell clients in the
United States, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland, the United
Kingdom and the Netherlands.
The facility offers services, including back ofce accounting
and nance work, data maintenance, contracting and procurement,
human resource service desk and customer service.
Chua said the Shell Group was very bullish about the operations
of the facility, saying Shell has faith in this administration.
We have close to 3,000 employees and there are plans to increase
it further, Chua said.
The Makati-based Shell shared service center was established
as the companys fourth center worldwide in 2004 and is now the
biggest in terms of manpower.
By Anna Leah Estrada
BANGKO Sentral Governor
Amando Tetangco Jr. warned
over the weekend an unresolved
scal cliff problem in the
United States may affect most
economies, including the
Philippines.
Tetangco said failure by the
US Congress to pass crucial
measures to resolve the fiscal
cliff will be very negative
for their economy and their
constituents in the US as well
as for the rest of the world.
Personally, however, I
think they will come up with
an agreement, something
that can be accepted. If
you look at the market
volatility, significant part
of the market volatility is
due to these discussions,
Tetangco said.
The fiscal cliff refers
to the effects of tax
increases in the United
States, as well as spending
cuts and reduction in the
budget deficit in 2013, if
existing laws will remain
unchanged.
Tetangco said while the
Philippines showed a strong
third-quarter growth of 7.1
percent, the country still faced
a lot of challenges, stemming
from the continued weak global
economy.
Even as there appears to
be some improvement in the
global operating environment,
signicant challenges remain,
the Bangko Sentral said in a
recent report.
THE National Association
of Electricity Consumers for
Reforms asked the Energy
Regulatory Commission to
ensure transparency in Manila
Electric Co.s refund of the bill
deposit interest.
Nasecore president Pete Ilagan
sent a letter to the ERC dated
Dec. 27 urging the commission to
direct Meralco to submit annual
reports on the total collection
of the customer bill and meter
deposits from August 1996 to
August 2012, including accrued
yearly interests.
The bill deposit is an amount
required from customers by
all distribution utilities as a
guarantee for payment of electric
bills.
If Meralco failed to do its
yearly reportorial submission
to ERC and similarly failed to
secure the commissions approval
based on its submission of its
collection of the bill deposits and
its yearly interest, then this will
show that Meralco did not have
the authority from the [ERC]...,
Ilagan said.
He added Meralcos payment
of the interests on the customer
bill deposits is arbitrary and does
not reect its true liability.
Meralco spokesman Joe
Zaldarriaga said the utility
submits information on bill
deposits to the ERC through
the annual report, a requirement
under the distribution services
and open access rules.
Meralco earlier announced that
about 1.5 million of its customers
would receive interest on their
bill deposit in December.
A particular group of custom-
ers, whose contract anniversary
with the utility falls from Janu-
ary to December (except Oc-
tober because this was already
paid out), was supposed to re-
ceive their interest next year but
the company decided to advance
it in time for the holidays. The
refund will cost over P1 billion.
Ilagan said Meralco as a
public utility was imbued with
public interest and that its
failure to make submissions to
the ERC could be considered a
regulatory failure where the
important function of ERC on
consumer protection is already
being sacriced.
He said ERC must determine
and establish the running bill
deposits of Meralco customers
on an annual basis from August
1996 when it started to earn an
annual interest of 10 percent
so that consumers may know
Meralcos exact liability to its
customers.
Alena Mae S. Flores
Business
ManilaStandardToday
business@mst.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com
DECEMBER 31, 2012 MONDAY
B2
M
S
T
WEEKLY STOCKS REVIEW
DECEMBER 26-28, 2012 DECEMBER 17-21, 2012
STOCKS CLOSE VOLUME VALUE CLOSE VOLUME VALUE
FINANCIAL
Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 72.80 14,458,310 1,052,028,067.00 72.20 32,725,220 2,325,629,047.50
Bank of PI 95.00 2,486,390 237,359,671.40 95.45 6,999,450 656,204,751.00
Bankard, Inc. 0.70 550,000 384,500.00 0.69 461,000 319,200.00
China Bank 54.60 519,860 28,523,405.00 55.00 346,150 19,035,545.50
BDO Leasing & Fin. Inc. 2.00 1,839,000 3,723,210.00
Citystate Savings 28.00 500 14,000.00 28.00 2,200 53,600.00
COL Financial 19.48 661,500 12,741,236.00 19.38 299,500 5,755,632.00
Eastwest Bank 29 1,180,800 34,244,385.00 29 5,118,000 148,541,585.00
Filipino Fund Inc. 11.20 10,700 110,076 10.24 15,900 173,808
First Abacus 0.81 776,000 625,800.00 0.75 2,000 1,500.00
I-Remit Inc. 2.79 382,000 1,042,080.00 2.66 64,000 171,100.00
Manulife Fin. Corp. 505.00 840 428,250.00 510.00 2,180 1,096,770.00
Maybank ATR KE 24.6 204,000 4,870,845.00 22 31,600 680,960.00
Metrobank 102.00 6,901,320 707,638,575.00 101.70 25,976,730 2,157,834,343.00
Natl Reinsurance Corp. 1.7 1,912,000 3,299,450.00 1.78 910,000 1,582,960.00
Phil Bank of Comm 72.00 2,000 144,000.00 72.00 3,170 228,372.00
Phil. National Bank 91.00 1,786,830 162,955,894.50 89.00 6,205,920 544,767,391.00
Phil. Savings Bank 100.00 254,190 25,083,782.50 96.00 376,050 33,675,825.50
Philippine Trust Co. 65.00 2,000 130,000.00 64.00 12,000 759,000.00
PSE Inc. 416 40,030 16,721,544.00 410 60,150 24,402,668.00
RCBC `A 60 999,860.00 58,417,416.00 57 935,770.00 54,139,411.00
Security Bank 156 1,793,950 283,413,965.00 160.5 1,909,930 308,690,509.00
Sun Life Financial 995.00 380 379,410.00 1010.00 1,190 1,195,350.00
Union Bank 112.70 208,570 23,585,085.00 114.00 636,480 72,483,544.00
Vantage Equities 2.42 2,596,000 6,263,930.00 2.37 874,000 2,051,270.00
INDUSTRIAL
Aboitiz Power Corp. 36.95 9,148,600 338,380,075.00 36.9 17,813,000 650,293,815.00
Agrinurture Inc. 8.4 2,409,200 18,496,528.00 7 112,700 776,072.00
Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 1.97 3,592,000 7,098,430.00 1.99 7,305,000 14,555,360.00
Alphaland Corp. 19.5 34,200 763,815.00 27.4 19,500 488,505.00
Alsons Cons. 1.29 6,277,000 8,046,490.00 1.26 7,739,000 9,815,550.00
Asiabest Group 19.4 105,800 1,984,788.00 18.88 28,300 503,930.00
Bogo Medellin 53.00 890 49,336.50 520.00 43,728 765,547.00
Calapan Venture 4.39 10,000 41,210.00 4.05 18,000 146,800.00
Conc. Aggr. `A 64.00 1,000 64,000.00 64.00 830 53,630.00
Chemrez Technologies Inc. 2.96 811,000 2,367,950.00 2.95 1,035,000 3,062,220.00
Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 25.8 174,500 4,174,010.00 21.6 479,900 9,620,020.00
DNL Industries Inc. 4.4 13,625,000 59,863,530.00 4.4 32,296,000 143,217,742.00
Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 6.75 35,674,900 239,820,812.00 6.75 112,594,400 758,981,669.00
EEI 10.10 2,077,100 20,813,291.00 9.98 6,388,200 63,230,570.00
Euro-Med Lab. 1.80 8,000 14,460.00 1.80 19,000 35,110.00
First Gen Corp. 22.3 7,670,600 172,807,535.00 22.5 16,548,800 374,622,835.00
First Holdings A 90 1,729,930 155,086,415.50 88.4 2,592,400 231,081,710.00
Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 17.80 218,000 3,755,030.00 17.50 8,000 138,380.00
Greenergy 0.0220 177,300,000 3,793,800.00 0.0220 1,382,000,000 30,215,200.00
Holcim Philippines Inc. 14.00 753,500 10,304,628.00 13.70 25,000 342,486.00
Integ. Micro-Electronics 3.98 118,000 472,510.00 4.21 1,036,000 4,279,500.00
Ionics Inc 0.630 145,000 91,350.00 0.640 602,000 375,820.00
Jollibee Foods Corp. 102.00 2,804,910 291,662,963.00 107.00 2,950,540 313,530,406.00
Lafarge Rep 11.7 7,202,300 80,116,010.00 10.9 4,300,600 46,054,410.00
LMG Chemicals 1.83 761,000 1,414,290.00 1.85 2,349,000 4,442,830.00
LT Group 13.38 19,393,300 261,475,508.00 12.74 11,302,200 142,462,424.00
Mabuhay Vinyl Corp. 1.61 29,000 46,990.00 1.6 4,000 6,400.00
Manchester Intl. A 12.12 1,541,200 17,674,446.00 12.8 1,157,300 15,972,668.00
Manchester Intl. B 12 1,329,500 15,292,978.00 13 577,000 8,037,812.00
Manila Water Co. Inc. 32 8,874,300 283,655,495.00 31.95 14,543,000 465,054,625.00
Mariwasa MFG. Inc. 5.85 2,259,500 14,050,245.00 5.04 8,001,000 45,291,432.00
Megawide 18.400 1,097,700 19,997,762.00 17.700 1,630,200 27,982,470.00
Mla. Elect. Co `A 260.60 806,680 210,995,194.00 262.00 1,943,540 504,035,392.00
Pancake House Inc. 7.78 3,000 23,310.00 7.80 31,100 242,428.00
Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 6.52 18,305,300 114,587,181.00 6.15 32,792,900 192,170,795.00
Petron Corporation 10.46 6,832,800 71,019,324.00 10.34 11,876,800 123,560,040.00
Phinma Corporation 11.70 141,900 1,474,734.00 10.90 97,100 1,103,390.00
Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 9.03 198,200 1,784,830.00 9.00 1,329,600 11,903,178.00
RFM Corporation 5.00 12,446,000 61,229,480.00 4.90 54,199,000 250,722,850.00
Roxas and Co. 2.25 175,000 377,800.00 3.1 54,000 167,190.00
Roxas Holdings 2.95 42,000 127,200.00 3.1 1,140,000 3,946,110.00
Salcon Power Corp. 4.5 139,000 634,380.00 4.7 2,579,500 12,460,330.00
San Miguel Brewery Inc. 29.30 130,600 3,634,145.00 30.00 148,300 4,695,915.00
San Miguel Corp `A 105.40 1,027,980 107,183,863.00 102.80 3,720,560 382,354,133.00
San MiguelPure Foods `B 244 27,620 6,734,328.00 242.8 128,040 30,986,696.00
Seacem 2.40 8,939,000 25,326,920.00 2.25 1,642,000 3,159,430.00
Splash Corporation 1.7 402,000 689,840.00 1.79 203,000 357,540.00
Swift Foods, Inc. 0.141 5,380,000 766,990.00 0.145 4,820,000 709,100.00
TKC Steel Corp. 1.75 52,000 88,260.00 1.69 162,000 275,440.00
Trans-Asia Oil 1.16 19,898,000 22,867,140.00 1.15 18,811,000 21,212,130.00
Universal Robina 83.85 2,753,160 229,049,147.00 81.50 5,651,720 450,191,937.50
Victorias Milling 1.39 23,173,000 31,874,680.00 1.3 16,033,000 20,514,210.00
Vitarich Corp. 0.94 2,827,000 2,682,380.00 0.95 32,387,000 33,301,360.00
Vivant Corp. 9.01 64,900 594,940.00 11.18 70,316,100 493,650,176.00
Vulcan Indl. 1.40 2,290,000 3,258,590.00 1.45 2,875,000 4,218,370.00
HOLDING FIRMS
Abacus Cons. `A 0.67 6,409,000 4,411,540.00 0.68 21,924,000 14,588,160.00
Aboitiz Equity 52.95 3,671,330 193,242,306.50 51.50 12,427,200 647,602,229.00
Alcorn Gold Res. 0.1450 779,720,000 112,538,840.00 0.1410 1,275,800,000 177,686,510.00
Alliance Global Inc. 16.76 21,197,800 351,988,510.00 16.50 53,013,100 864,208,024.00
Anglo Holdings A 2.16 1,396,000 2,931,830.00 2.12 685,000 1,447,530.00
Anscor `A 5.17 131,600 680,690.00 5.16 1,428,300 7,678,950.00
Asia Amalgamated A 4.80 386,000 1,914,250.00 4.90 1,316,000 6,600,722.00
ATN Holdings A 0.99 7,341,000 6,845,520.00 0.99 262,000 249,640.00
ATN Holdings B 0.97 601,000 578,620.00 0.98 798,000 736,410.00
Ayala Corp `A 517 1,033,360 536,855,645.00 527 3,427,470 1,742,779,551.00
DMCI Holdings 53.95 2,756,530 150,248,068.00 56.10 4,741,000 258,708,382.00
F&J Prince A 2.99 47,000 136,360.00 2.8 132,000 372,600.00
F&J Prince B 3.88 38,000 123,700.00 2.95 10,000 29,500.00
Filinvest Dev. Corp. 4.94 12,649,000 59,532,630.00 4.60 10,563,800 65,996,580.00
Forum Pacic 0.200 500,000 106,150.00 0.230 50,000 11,500.00
GT Capital 620 207,220 132,534,595.00 645 412,560 272,462,420.00
House of Inv. 6.29 4,488,600 28,042,457.00 6.30 329,900 2,111,212.00
JG Summit Holdings 39.50 2,764,000 107,397,210.00 39.20 6,606,500 254,262,460.00
Jolliville Holdings 5.7 5,000 28,500.00 6.2 10,400 67,200.00
Keppel Holdings `B 5 13,000 64,000.00 4.7 25,000 115,500.00
Lopez Holdings Corp. 6.28 8,613,300 54,545,636.00 6.32 10,384,600 65,595,739.00
Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.96 2,291,000 2,209,560.00 0.96 3,474,000 3,357,440.00
Mabuhay Holdings `A 0.350 40,000 14,000.00 0.400 50,000 19,400.00
Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 1.85 650,000 1,173,690.00 1.79 285,000 509,530.00
Metro Pacic Inv. Corp. 4.45 38,931,000 173,444,200.00 4.39 129,825,000 575,836,550.00
Minerales Industrias Corp. 5.97 656,700 3,871,907.00 6 884,400 5,336,075.00
MJCI Investments Inc. 5.74 9,500 55,214.00 6 50,100 184,070.00
Pacica `A 0.0500 2,390,000 117,700.00 0.0500 22,740,000 1,142,410.00
Prime Media Hldg 1.280 2,000 2,560.00 1.280 10,000 12,820.00
Prime Orion 0.550 112,000 61,600.00 0.570 509,000 284,340.00
Seafront `A 1.74 460,000 845,550.00 1.85 322,000 520,730.00
Sinophil Corp. 0.315 610,000 193,150.00 0.315 26,290,000 8,635,850.00
SM Investments Inc. 882.00 751,620 665,597,675.00 889.50 2,886,730 2,445,999,125.00
Solid Group Inc. 1.98 793,000 1,594,860.00 2.03 6,146,000 12,699,680.00
South China Res. Inc. 1.04 300,000 312,000.00 1.04 1,016,000 1,056,860.00
Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.2750 1,070,000 293,750.00 0.2700 1,690,000 426,600.00
Wellex Industries 0.3000 880,000 258,000.00 0.2950 21,530,000 6,576,300.00
Zeus Holdings 0.340 90,000 30,600.00 0.340 15,170,000 5,540,650.00
P R O P E R T Y
Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 17.00 71,000 1,207,112.00 17.00 141,200 2,400,440.00
A. Brown Co., Inc. 3.01 3,663,000 10,780,140.00 3.00 1,052,000 3,099,780.00
Araneta Prop `A 0.810 2,854,000 2,170,310.00 0.820 9,190,000 7,195,990.00
Arthaland Corp. 0.178 700,000 124,600.00 0.178 2,220,000 394,190.00
Ayala Land `B 26.45 17,837,300 472,386,065.00 26.80 51,087,400 1,332,665,750.00
Belle Corp. `A 4.86 8,492,000 41,474,880.00 4.88 1,074,791,000 5,077,114,550.00
Cebu Holdings 4 504,000 2,021,770.00 4 1,029,000 4,139,060.00
Centennial City 1.48 19,036,000 28,029,130.00 1.42 19,763,000 27,987,020.00
City & Land Dev. 2.36 108,000 252,080.00 2.40 43,000 101,020.00
Cityland Dev. `A 1.16 2,441,000 2,736,480.00 1.12 2,812,000 3,150,320.00
Crown Equities Inc. 0.069 4,510,000 301,870.00 0.065 500,000 31,640.00
Cyber Bay Corp. 0.81 818,000 650,940.00 0.81 2,867,000 2,499,290.00
Empire East Land 0.990 171,219,000 169,082,370.00 1.000 98,596,000 101,863,710.00
Ever Gotesco 0.400 77,570,000 32,273,100.00 0.385 119,870,000 46,689,250.00
Global-Estate 1.96 8,167,000 15,586,720.00 1.90 9,006,000 17,397,140.00
Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.49 24,001,000 36,110,030.00 1.49 56,428,000 84,788,590.00
Interport `A 1.24 432,000 532,150.00 1.25 1,787,000 2,064,430.00
Megaworld Corp. 2.77 85,858,000 238,558,680.00 2.76 289,369,000 796,839,680.00
MRC Allied Ind. 0.1520 20,600,000 3,193,660.00 0.1550 18,440,000 2,876,900.00
Phil. Estates Corp. 0.6500 15,592,000 10,239,400.00 0.6500 103,271,000 76,434,510.00
Phil. Realty `A 0.440 10,000 4,400.00 0.450 1,620,000 728,550.00
Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 17.02 600 10,212.00
Robinsons Land `B 20.75 7,287,700 153,635,450.00 21.00 15,201,100 316,788,365.00
Rockwell 2.43 3,447,000 8,339,310.00 2.51 7,332,000 18,237,360.00
Shang Properties Inc. 3.04 17,000 51,470.00 3.05 1,580,000 4,741,800.00
SM Development `A 5.89 632,000 3,743,382.00 5.90 11,949,500 70,509,170.00
SM Prime Holdings 16.50 33,181,400 556,372,416.00 16.52 79,832,400 1,274,850,002.00
Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.66 14,000 9,320.00 0.68 5,938,000 3,975,900.00
Starmalls 3.98 296,000 1,173,420.00 3.96 117,000 461,670.00
Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 0.540 416,000 225,060.00 0.540 2,138,000 1,181,270.00
Vista Land & Lifescapes 4.860 48,023,000 231,076,520.00 4.750 71,761,800 349,293,381.00
S E R V I C E S
2GO Group 1.62 927,000 1,576,030.00 1.88 397,000 741,080.00
ABS-CBN 33.85 292,300 9,851,990.00 33.55 535,900 17,636,975.00
Acesite Hotel 1.2 378,000 450,240.00 1.24 293,000 356,570.00
APC Group, Inc. 0.820 15,614,000 12,788,700.00 0.820 270,402,000 225,408,980.00
Asian Terminals Inc. 9.65 609,100 5,878,270.00 9.7 54,400 523,330.00
Berjaya Phils. Inc. 28 6,200 170,100.00
Bloomberry 13.20 11,884,300 157,206,636.00 12.98 38,273,000 493,705,928.00
Boulevard Holdings 0.1320 230,260,000 30,945,920.00 0.1350 180,690,000 25,082,290.00
Calata Corp. 3.98 3,828,000 14,984,960.00 3.9 15,640,000 64,211,710.00
Cebu Air Inc. (5J) 61.85 273,310 16,922,214.00 62.00 1,646,160 100,029,737.00
Centro Esc. Univ. 11.92 1,700 19,976.00 11.92 4,800 52,430.00
DFNN Inc. 4.52 2,596,000 11,321,260.00 4.30 450,000 1,863,570.00
Easy Call Common 2.60 24,000 61,170.00 2.94 185,000 513,940.00
FEUI 1080 250 258,295.00 1080 2,400 2,537,900.00
Globe Telecom 1092.00 169,595 186,621,515.00 1078.00 668,785 732,671,015.00
GMA Network Inc. 9.18 1,968,900 17,908,869.00 9.00 3,899,800 34,951,549.00
I.C.T.S.I. 74 2,821,090 209,006,748.50 74.05 7,170,000 511,695,138.50
Imperial Res. `A 7.60 200 1,520 7.50 15,700 99,736
IPeople Inc. `A 9.3 10,000 93,000.00 9.3 389,500 3,541,269.00
IP Converge 3.34 400,000 1,308,160.00 3.15 1,493,000 4,531,940.00
IP E-Game Ventures Inc. 0.025 155,500,000 3,950,100.00 0.025 792,400,000 20,817,100.00
IPVG Corp. 0.59 8,625,000 4,780,980.00 0.54 14,299,000 8,068,910.00
Island Info 0.0480 3,570,000 171,270.00 0.0480 18,920,000 983,760.00
ISM Communications 2.5900 1,144,000 2,921,200.00 2.3000 363,000 796,340.00
Leisure & Resorts 8.30 4,200,800 34,553,156.00 8.00 3,195,400 24,803,075.00
Liberty Telecom 2.40 6,000 14,380.00 2.40 80,000 185,980.00
Lorenzo Shipping 1.45 27,000 39,150.00 1.32 11,529,000 15,227,200.00
Macroasia Corp. 2.69 13,000 33,990.00 2.50 24,000 59,510.00
Manila Bulletin 0.73 21,000 14,970.00 0.73 219,000 158,020.00
Manila Jockey 2.74 1,625,000 4,417,810.00 2.66 1,409,000 3,596,120.00
Pacic Online Sys. Corp. 14.08 186,600 2,625,248.00 13.9 441,900 6,115,216.00
PAL Holdings Inc. 4.90 854,000 4,132,890 4.70 850,000 4,089,640
Paxys Inc. 2.96 1,404,000 4,195,270.00 2.98 12,091,000 36,469,490.00
Phil. Racing Club 9.5 1,028,000 9,767,350.00 9.5 1,010,000 9,593,100.00
Phil. Seven Corp. 92.00 11,870 1,039,314.00 78.00 9,260 752,790.00
Philweb.Com Inc. 12.56 5,887,800 73,013,888.00 12.26 10,852,600 133,822,736.00
PLDT Common 2530.00 314,780 803,963,770.00 2570.00 905,885 2,320,548,640.00
PremiereHorizon 0.330 550,000 181,500.00 0.335 4,640,000 1,532,550.00
Puregold 33.00 5,103,100 165,651,450.00 32.30 6,725,500 222,896,545.00
STI Holdings 1.02 31,525,000 32,706,160.00 1.07 46,473,000 49,259,430.00
Touch Solutions 7.51 638,500 4,808,139.00 7.54 23,338,100 232,921,745.00
Transpacic Broadcast 2.26 13,000 27,800.00 2.1 60,000 120,560.00
Waterfront Phils. 0.410 1,100,000 444,800.00 0.420 1,780,000 729,050.00
Yehey 1.250 352,000 454,150.00 1.400 1,500,000 1,989,230.00
MINING & OIL
Abra Mining 0.0055 328,000,000 1,809,700.00 0.0056 1,025,000,000 5,831,100.00
Apex `A 4.45 189,000 850,310.00 4.60 1,066,000 5,049,990.00
Apex `B 4.60 2,000 9,200.00 4.60 22,000 102,600.00
Atlas Cons. `A 18.70 2,600,900 48,771,744.00 18.80 6,183,100 115,035,022.00
Atok-Big Wedge `A 19.90 47,700 963,846.00 22.00 150,158,400 2,508,103,889.00
Basic Energy Corp. 0.270 1,390,000 375,300.00 0.270 11,470,000 3,041,150.00
Benguet Corp `A 19 29,800 595,200.00 18.6 261,200 4,776,100.00
Benguet Corp `B 20 1,000 20,000.00 18 30,000 540,000.00
Century Peak Metals Hldgs 0.84 585,000 495,550.00 0.86 4,121,000 3,576,360.00
Coal Asia 1.02 12,241,000 12,647,060.00 1.03 11,556,000 11,934,390.00
Dizon 15.10 46,600 701,594.00 15.28 55,500 826,740.00
Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.5 2,406,000 1,217,870.00 0.5 3,824,000 1,928,110.00
Lepanto `A 1.000 54,358,000 53,812,740.00 1.000 132,133,000 132,842,130.00
Lepanto `B 1.100 22,697,000 24,935,550.00 1.090 23,534,000 25,259,350.00
Manila Mining `A 0.0600 1,042,370,000 61,865,870.00 0.0580 523,260,000 30,261,020.00
Manila Mining `B 0.0620 984,720,000 60,320,960.00 0.0580 237,260,000 13,776,320.00
Nickelasia 16.1 1,879,800 30,248,020.00 16.06 4,986,200 80,209,944.00
Nihao Mineral Resources 4.99 257,700 1,298,645.00 4.9 541,600 2,693,127.00
Omico 0.5700 901,000 513,570.00 0.5800 1,424,000 796,870.00
Oriental Peninsula Res. 3.100 4,154,000 13,434,160.00 3.480 2,593,000 8,980,270.00
Oriental Pet. `A 0.0190 15,800,000 302,300.00 0.0200 142,600,000 2,711,400.00
Oriental Pet. `B 0.0200 6,900,000 138,100.00 0.0200 25,100,000 507,000.00
Petroenergy Res. Corp. 6.10 37,100 224,530.00 5.90 160,800 956,294.00
Philex `A 14.98 4,420,800 65,899,654.00 14.96 13,616,200 205,180,732.00
PhilexPetroleum 29.95 555,300 16,433,360.00 29.3 687,200 19,835,500.00
Philodrill Corp. `A 0.039 509,500,000 19,889,900.00 0.038 1,567,000,000 62,518,400.00
Semirara Corp. 233.40 731,080 169,544,492.00 230.00 1,315,090 299,172,624.00
United Paragon 0.0170 10,800,000 189,500.00 0.0170 431,600,000 7,337,500.00
PREFERRED
ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. 34 4,247,600 143,393,130.00 33.55 4,918,900 160,425,050.00
Ayala Corp. Pref `A 520 600 312,400.00 522 1,180 616,260.00
First Gen G 101.5 135,870 13,756,585.00 105 191,800 20,134,900.00
First Phil. Hldgs.-Pref. 103.5 23,600 2,438,920.00 103.5 42,200 4,322,825.00
GMA Holdings Inc. 9.32 2,791,900 25,961,514.00 9.3 19,287,300 176,808,699.00
PCOR-Preferred 108 7,370 797,169.00 107.7 18,640 2,011,401.00
SMC Preferred A 75 744,320 55,808,529.50 74.95 647,910 48,515,384.00
SMC Preferred B 75 20,860 1,548,631.50 74.2 53,320 3,946,836.50
SMC Preferred C 74.5 48,100 3,587,128.50 74.5 658,030 34,482,930.00
SMPFC Preferred 1018 6,430 6,538,655.00 1016 9,280 9,388,980.00
WARRANTS & BONDS
Megaworld Corp. Warrants 1.71 126,000 216,540.00 1.8 4,544,000 7,890,070.00
Megaworld Corp. Warrants2 1.75 35,000 61,250.00 1.66 297,000 501,400.00
S M E
Makati Fin. Corp. 2.3 58,000 141,810.00
Ripple E-Business Intl 8.5 38,200 306,860.00 10.5 1,067,800 9,668,140.00
Market index seen
rising 10% in 2013
DR. EMILIANO T.
HUDTOHAN
GREEN LIGHT
WEEKLY MOST TRADED
STOCKS VOLUME
Manila Mining `A 1,042,370,000
Manila Mining `B 984,720,000
Alcorn Gold Res. 779,720,000
Philodrill Corp. `A 509,500,000
Abra Mining 328,000,000
Boulevard Holdings 230,260,000
Greenergy 177,300,000
Empire East Land 171,219,000
IP E-Game Ventures Inc. 155,500,000
Megaworld Corp. 85,858,000
STOCKS VALUE
Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 1,052,028,067.00
PLDT Common 803,963,770.00
Metrobank 707,638,575.00
SM Investments Inc. 665,597,675.00
SM Prime Holdings 556,372,416.00
Ayala Corp `A 536,855,645.00
Ayala Land `B 472,386,065.00
Alliance Global Inc. 351,988,510.00
Aboitiz Power Corp. 338,380,075.00
Jollibee Foods Corp. 291,662,963.00
From here to sustainability
MY social engagements for the past two months
gave me an inkling that the best is yet to come. In
communion with varied audiences, I found myself
drawn into a vortex of giant ideas that call for
sustainable action. In that vortex is a journey from
here to sustainability.
Year 2050 and Rio+20
The conference of the Ateneo Graduate School
of Business on greening the blue had nothing to do
with UAAP. It addressed the nature of business green
innovations and competitive advantage, focusing
on: 1. Why go green and the role of business in
sustainable development, 2. Operationalizing the
green agenda, 3. Green Innovations, and 4. Green
market and green branding: How green is green? On
the last day of the conference, my three DLSU DBA
CSR students were present. Prof. Anatacio Panahon
presented a paper on Greening the Corporation
with DAR Assistant Secretary Perry Villanueva and
I were the discussants, while Kaye Felomino joined
with the audience.
Panahon made an urgent call to stop the uncontrolled
extraction of the Earths natural resource. He echoed
the alarm sounded by Sylvie Emmet at Rio +20 who
said that: sixty percent of the ecosystem is already
damaged; there will be 140 billion tons of global
extraction of natural resources if current consumption
stays at current rate; there will be 1 billion to 3
billion additional middle class consumers by 2030
and the earths temperature will rise 3 or more due
to the doubling of GHG emissions by 2050, if we
do business as usual. Panahons bottom line: local
corporations and consumers must act now to prolong
the life of the Earth.
Year 2030 and ASEAN social development
At the Philippine Womens University, I joined
former PWU president Amelou Reyes, vice president
for external affairs Alfredo Reyes, vice president for
academic affairs Kristina Benitez, and social work
Dean Nenita Cura in an exchange of ideas with
University of Labor and Social Affairs acting rector
Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuan and former Minister of Labor
and Vietnam vocational training association chair
Nguyen Thi Hang.
The visit further strengthened the ULSA-PWU joint
venture in training of some 600 Vietnamese social
workers. Dr. Ngyen Thi Thuan would like to use this
model for the ASEAN educational engagements.
In my PWU social development class, Ernie
Jarabejo reported that by 2022, the Philippine
Department of Social Work and Development will
be the hub for best practice in knowledge exchange
and growth programs in Asia-Pacic. And by 2030,
the DSWD aims to become the worlds standard
for delivery of social protection by creating an
environment in which people experience and wisdom
on social protection and welfare are valued and
internal processes are structured to support policy
makers, service providers in creating, sharing and
using knowledge.
In another forum, President Sandra Camesa of
National Council for Social Development invited
me to speak at their 63rd NCSD general assembly.
There, I joined Nicanor Perlas, president of
Center for Alternative Development Initiatives
and co-founder of the Movement of Imaginal for
Sustainable Society Institutions, Organizations and
Networking, on the role of NGOs in civil society.
I mentioned technology as a means of creating a
network of networks for NGO communication and
advocacy, the need for a three-way partnering among
the NGOs, business and government agencies, and
the urgent call for sustainable consumption and
production. In response to the negative perception
of social workers and NGO constituents, I made a
case for corporate social initiative described by Dr.
Raymund Habaradas of De La Salle University as a
new corporate direction toward social development
and social enterprise.
Among others, Nic Perlas presented a notion that
NGOs and non-prot and non-stock organizations
must stop using such nomenclatures. He proposed
the use of civil society organization as separate
and distinct vis--vis government and business. He
also noted that the CSOs are the gatekeepers and
developers of culture, and that civil society must
organize itself to be able to deal with business and
politics.
Year 2030 and the PNP
I am a volunteer panelist of the National
Police Commissions Police Executive Service
Eligibility validation interview. In November, I
met Commissioner Luisito Palmera; Dir. Joseph D.
Gonzalo, acting deputy executive ofcer; and Dir.
Josephmar Gil, acting staff service chief who jointly
briefed the panelists in assessing the professional
competencies of the candidate ofcers. The interview
covered strategic questions regarding the community,
process excellence, learning and growth, resource
management, and stakeholders support in achieving
the transformation goals of the Philippine National
Police.
The PNP transformation roadmap holds a vision of
a highly capable, effective and credible police service
working in partnership with a responsive community
towards the attainment of a safer place to live, work
and do business. Their mission is to Enforce the
law, prevent and control crimes, maintain peace and
order and ensure public safety and internal security
with the active support of the community. The
roadmap on the PNP commission and the joint study
conducted by the government of the Philippines and
the United Nations Development Programme that
resulted to strategic PNP transformation plan. There
is a call for our community [business, civil society
and politicians] to work and collaborate with our
national police, our civilian peace keeping force, to
achieve their 2030 goals.
At the 6
th
PESE conferment rites, 174 policemen
formally received their executive service eligibility.
Commissioner Constancia de Guzman reminded them
that they are Pulis ng mamamayan, pulis ng bayan,
at pulis ng Diyos. In behalf of DILG Secretary and
Napolcom chair Mar Roxas, Napolcom vice chair
and executive ofcer Eduardo Escueta delivered the
inspirational message.
Responsibility and sustainability
Peace and prosperity of the Philippines, in the
ASEAN region, of the world is attainable, if we do
not give up striving for sustainable development now
and forever. I ask: Do we see a link between eternity
with earthly sustainability? In 1953, the movie, From
Here to Eternity, starring Burt Lancaster, Montgomery
Cliff and Frank Sinatra captured the human emotions
of the men in uniform in Hawaii before the Dec. 8,
1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, which spelled death
among nations at war. Seventy-one years later, we
nd ourselves at a brink of self-destruction and
Earth-destruction. The New Year 2013 is the right
time for a new consciousness. We are urgently called
singly and collectively to act responsibly from here
to sustainability.
Dr. Emiliano T. Hudtohan teaches at the
Management and Organization Department.
Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business of De La
Salle University. He lectures at the Graduate School
of De La Salle Araneta University, Malabon; Far
Eastern University-Makati; Philippine Womens
University, Manila; and San Beda University.
His e-mail: dr.eth2008@gmail.com and Web site:
emilianohudtohan.com.
The views expressed above are the authors and do
not necessarily reect the ofcial position of De La
Salle University, its faculty, and administrators.
By Jenniffer B. Austria
STOCKS are expected to move sideways
in the rst trading week of 2013, before
sustaining the markets stellar performance
in 2012.
Analysts said most investors
would be still on vacation mode
this week because of the brief
three-day trading.
AB Capital Securities said
investors would also watch the
developments in the United
States, especially on the issue of
scal cliff.
We believe that the Obama
administration will not allow the
US to plunge into recession and
will do whatever it can to push
the House of Representatives to
nd a solution AB Capital said.
AB Capital said 2012 was a
banner year for the stock market
and the positive trend was likely
to be sustained in 2013, amid the
favorable economic outlook.
Having achieved so much
in 2012, some might see
the next year as a challenge
on whether this years feat
can be repeated. However,
economic backdrop remains
resilient and 2013 is expected
to be another strong year,
AB Capital said.
With the inux of foreign
funds into the market, we can
be assured of the condence and
optimism in both our economy
and the market. The government
has also set the foundation of a
strong economy. We expect this
years accomplishments to be the
stepping stones towards becoming
an economic powerhouse in the
Southeast Asia come 2013, it
added.
AB Capital sees the benchmark
PSEi rising by 10 percent to 6,390
in 2013, although slower than the
33-percent gain in 2012.
Among the stock picks for
2013 are companies engaged in
tourism, consumer and utilities
sectors.
The stock market gained 33 percent
to close 2012 at 5,812.73 on Dec. 28,
amid the strength of the domestic
economy and positive corporate
earnings. Corporate developments,
including acquisitions, initial public
offering and backdoor listing also
contributed to the markets sustained
growth.
The index, however, slipped
11 points on a week-on-week
basis due to uncertainties in the
outcome of the US scal cliff
meeting.
Business
ManilaStandardToday business@mst.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com DECEMBER 31, 2012 MONDAY
B3
Infra key to competitiveness
Last-minute cliff talks under way
US firms added
150,000 jobs in
Decemberpoll
Toppled. National Grid Corporation of the Philippines restores transmission lines damaged by typhoon Pablo
in Mindanao. The typhoon toppled 550 poles in Mindanao when it slammed the island on Dec. 3. NGCP has
mobilized 200 linemen to help in the restoration. The company said it restored 90 percent of the damaged poles as
of Dec. 26.
EMPLOYERS probably added jobs in
December at about the same pace as the prior
month, showing the US labor market held up
as lawmakers struggled to resolve the scal
impasse, economists said before a report this
week.
Payrolls rose by 150,000 workers after a
146,000 gain in November, according to the
median forecast of 54 economists surveyed
by Bloomberg ahead of Labor Department
gures due Jan. 4. The unemployment rate
may have held at 7.7 percent, the lowest since
December 2008.
Job growth around 150,000 is a decent
way to end the year, said Ryan Sweet, a
senior economist at Moodys Analytics Inc.
in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Businesses
are worried but not panicked. Well see much
stronger employment gains in the second half
of 2013.
The path to faster hiring was made difcult
by the possibility of more than $600 billion
in tax increases and government spending
cuts in 2013. Other reports this week that are
projected to show stability in manufacturing
and expansion in the services industry
underscore a resilient economy.
Stocks fell last week amid concern talks
between President Barack Obama and
congressional Republicans would fail to
yield a budget deal. The Standard & Poors
500 Index decreased 1.9 percent last week.
AP
WASHINGTONSenate leaders sought a last-minute compromise Saturday to avoid middle-class tax increases
and possibly prevent deep spending cuts at the dawn of the new year as President Barack Obama warned that failure
could threaten the nations economic recovery.
The US faces the so-called scal cliff in January because tax rate cuts dating back to President George W. Bushs
tenure expire on Dec. 31. The pending across-the-board reductions in government spending, which will slice money out of
everything from social programs to the military,
were put in place last year as an incentive to
both parties to nd ways to cut spending. That
solution grew out of the two parties inability in
2011 to agree to a grand bargain that would have
taken a big bite out of the decit.
Unless Obama and Congress act to stop
them, about $536 billion in tax increases,
touching nearly all Americans, will begin to
take effect in January. That will be coupled
with about $110 billion in spending cuts,
about 8 percent of the annual budgets for most
federal departments. Economists predict that
if allowed to unfold over 2013 this double
whammy would result in a big jump in
unemployment, nancial market turmoil and
a slide back into recession.
Obama chastised lawmakers on Saturday
in his weekly radio and Internet address for
waiting until the last minute to try and avoid a
scal cliff, yet said there was still time for an
agreement. We cannot let Washington politics
get in the way of Americas progress, he said as
the hurry-up negotiations unfolded. AP
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Manila
Standard
TODAY
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Republic of the Philippines
Department of Public Works and Highways
TARLAC 1
st
DISTRICT ENGINEERING OFFICE
Parsolingan, Gerona, Tarlac
I NVI TATI ON TO BI D
(MST-Dec. 31, 2012)
The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), of the Department of Public Works
and Highways, TarIac District Engineering Ofce, ParsoIingan, Gerona,
Tarlac, invites contractors to bid for the aforementioned projects:
1. a. Contract I.D. : 12CJ0196
b. Contract Name : REPAIR/REHAB OF DAMAGED PAVED ALONG
TARLAC - STA ROSA ROAD
c. Contract Location : Tarlac City
d. Scope of Work : Asphalt Overlay
e. Approved Budget for the Contract: PHP 5,443,001.03
f. Source of Funds : Savings
g. Duration : 37 CD
2. a. Contract I.D. : 12CJ0197
b. Contract Name : REPAIR/REHAB OF DAMAGED PAVED ALONG
ROMULO HIGHWAY
c. Contract Location : Sta Ignacia, Tarlac
d. Scope of Work : Asphalt Overlay
e. Approved Budget for the Contract: PHP 7,064,680.34
f. Source of Funds : Savings
g. Duration : 42 CD
The BAC will conduct the procurement process in accordance with the Revised
IRR of RA 9184. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically
reject at the opening of bid.
To bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI),
purchase the bid documents and must meet the following major criteria: (a) prior
registration with DPWH, (b) Filipino citizen or 75% Filipino-owned partnership,
corporation, cooperative, or joint venture, (c) with PCAB License applicable to
the type and cost of this contract, (d) completion of a similar contract costing at
least 50% of ABC within a period of 10 years, and (e) Net Financial Contracting
Capacity at least equal to ABC, or credit line commitment at least 10% of ABC.
The BAC will use non-discretionary pass/fail criteria in the eligibility check and
preliminary examination of bids.
Unregistered contractors, however, shall submit their applications for
registration to the DPWH-POCW Central Offce before the deadline set below
for the receipt of LO. the DPWH-POCW Central Offce will only process the
contractors' applciations for registration, with complete requirements, and
issue the Contractors Certifcate of Registration Forms may be downloaded at
the DPWH Website www.dpwh.gov.ph.
The signifcant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown be
below.
1. Issuance of Bidding Documents Until 9:00 A.M.. January 15, 2013
2. Pre Bid Conference January 2, 2013 @ 3:00 PM
3. Receipt of Bids Until 10:00 A.M. January 15, 2013
4. Opening of Bids 2:00 P.M. January 15, 2013
The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents (BDs) at DPWH,
Tarlac District Engineering Offce, Parsolingan, Gerona, Tarlac upon payment
of a non-refundable fee for bid Documents of P10,000.00 each to the Cashier,
this offce, Prospective bidders may also download the BDs from the DPWH
Website. If available. Prospective bidders that will download the BDs from the
DPWH Website shall pay the said fees on or before the submission of their bid
Documents. The Pre-Bid Conference shall be open only to interested parties
who have purchased the BD's. Bids must be accompanied by a bid security, in
the amount and acceptable form, as stated in Section 27.2 of the Revised. IRR.
Prospective bidders shall submit their duly accomplished forms as
specifed in the BD's in two (2) separate sealed bid envelopes to the BAC
Chairman. The frst envelope shall contain the technical component of the
bid which shall include a copy of the CRC. the second envelope shall contain
the fnancial component of the bid. Contract will be awarded to the Lowest
Calculated Responsive Bid as determined in the bid evaluation and the post-
qualifcation.
The Tarlac District Engineering Offce reserves the right to accept or reject
any bid, to annul the bidding process anytime prior to the contract award,
without thereby incurring anyliability to the affected bidder/s.
Approved by:

(Sgd.) HERMON G. INES
BAC Chairman
Noted:
(Sgd.) BENJAMIN G. LOPEZ
District Engineer
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON NATURALIZATION
IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF
_________________________________

SCN CASE NO. _________
to be naturalized as Filipino citizen pursuant
to Republic Act No. 9139.
x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x
PETITION
Pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No. 9139,
petitioner hereby submits a petition for naturalization to
become a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines and
respectfully declares:
1. My full name is TEJPAL S. GILL but I have also
been known since childhood as _____Tej _____ , or I
have been judicially authorized to use the alias name(s)
______N/A______.
2. My present place of residence is 1901 Luzon Avenue,
Sampaloc, City/Municipality of Manila, Province of ______,
and all my former places of residence are (please indicate
periods of residence):
1951 Honradez Ext., Samp. Mla. (Jan. 24, 1979 to Jan. 1980)
410 B. 3rd St., Honradez St., Samp. Mla. (Jan. 1980 to May 1981)
599 Altura St., Sta. Mesa, Mla._(May 1981 to Oct. 1984)
3. I was born on Jan. 24, 1979, in Manila, I have been
a resident of the Philippines since birth. At present, I am a
citizen or subject of India.
4. My father's name is Sukhdip Singh and he was born
on Sept. 18, 1954 in Manila. He is a citizen or subject of
Philippines. My mother's name is Kuljit Kaur and she was
born on March 29, 1958, in Punjab, India. She is a citizen
or subject of India.
5. My trade, business, profession or lawful occupation is
_N/A_ and from which I derive an average annual income
of N/A, inclusive of bonuses, commissions and allowances.
My wife's/husband's trade, business, profession or lawful
occupation is N/A and from which she derives an average
annual income of P _N/A_.
Petitioner's signature and right thumbmark
(Where the above does not apply): I am exempt from
the requirement of lucrative trade or occupation and from
submitting income tax returns for the past three (3) years
because I am a college degree holder [please state (1)
degree obtained: _Doct or of Medi ci ne_, (2) name of
school:_University of Perpetual Help Las Pias City_ and
(3) year graduated:_2006 who cannot practice my profession
(the practice of which requires a government licensure
examination) by reason of my citizenship.
6. My civil status is Single. I was married on N/A in N/A.
My wife's/husband's name is N/A and she/he was born on
N/A in N/A. She/he is a citizen or subject of N/A and presently
resides N/A.
7. I am legally separated from my spouse; my marriage
was annulled, per decree of legal separation/annulment
dated N/A granted by N/A. (please indicate the particular
court which granted the same). I am a widower/widow and
my spouse died on N/A in N/A.
8. I have N/A child/children, whose names, dates and
places of birth and residences are as follows:
Name Date of Birth Place of Birth Residence
9. I received my primary and secondary education from
the following public schools or private educational institutions
duly recognized by the Department of Education, Culture
and Sports (DECS), where Philippine history, government
and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school
curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race
or nationality:
Name of School Place of
School
Dates of
Study
Highest Grade
Completed
UST ELEMENTARY Manila 1985-1991 Graduate
UST HIGH SCHOOL Manila 1991-1995 Graduate
UST COLLEGE OF SCIENCE Manila 1995-1999 B.S. BIOLOGY
10. I am able to read, write and speak Filipino and/or any
of the following dialects of the Philippines: Tagalog.
11. I have enrolled my minor children of school age in the
following public schools or private educational institutions
duly recognized by the Department of Education, Culture
and Sports (DECS), where Philipine History, government
and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school
curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race
or nationality:
Petitioner's signature and right thumbmark
Name of Child Name and Place of
School
Date of
Enrollment
12. I shall never be a public charge. I am of good
moral character. I believe in the principles underlying
the Philippine Constitution. I have conducted myself in a
proper and irreproachable manner during the entire period
of my residence in the Philippines in my relations with the
constituted government as well as with the community in
which I am living. I mingled socially with Filipinos and have
evinced a sincere desire to learn and embrace the customs,
traditions and ideals of the Filipino people. I have all the
qualifcations and none of the disqualifcations under Republic
Act No. 9139.
am not opposed to organized government or affliated
with any association or group of persons who uphold and
teach doctrines opposing all organized governments. I
am not defending or teaching the necessity or propriety of
violence, personal assault or assassination for the success
and predominance of one's ideas. I am not a polygamist
nor a believer in the practice of polygamy. I have not
been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude.
I am not suffering from mental alienation or from any
incurable contagious disease. The country of which I am
a citizen or subject is not at war with the Philippines and
grants to Filipinos the right to be naturalized citizens or
subjects thereof.
13. It is my true and honest intention to become a citizen
of the Philippines and to renounce absolutely and forever
all allegiance and fdelity to any foreign prince, potentate,
state or sovereignty, and, particularly, to India of which at
this time I am a citizen or subject. I will reside continuously
in the Philippines from the date of the fling of this petition
up to the time of my admission to Philippine citizenship.
14. My character witnesses are Dr. Leoncio D. Caringal
and Atty. Andres C. Mendoza both Filipino citizens, of
legal age, and residing at 414 T. Anzures St., Sampaloc,
Ml a and No. 439 3rd St., Honradez Ext. Sampal oc
Manila respectively, who have executed sworn statements
attached hereto in support of my instant petition, together
with: (a) brief biographical data about themselves; (b)
detailed statements on the dates they frst came to know
me, the circumstances of our initial acquaintance and the
reasons and extent of our continuing familiarity; and (c) the
number of times they have acted as character witnesses
in other petitions for naturalization.
15. Attached hereto as annexes and made part of
this petition are the dupIicate originaIs or certied
photocopies of the following documents (please check
the appropriate box):
[ ] a. Petitioner's birth certifcate
[ ] b. Petitioner's alien certifcate of registration (ACR)
[ ] c. Petitioner's native-born certifcate of residence
(NBCR)
[ ] d. Petitioner's marriage certifcate, if married
[ ] e. Death certifcate of his/her spouse, if widowed
Petitioner's signature and right thumbmark
[ ] f. Court decree annulling his/her marriage or
granting legal separation, if such was the fact
[ ] g. Birth certifcates of petitioner's minor children
[ ] h. ACRs of petitioner's minor children
[ ] i. NBCRs of petitioner's minor children
[ ] j. Affdavits of fnancial capacity by the petitioner,
dul y support ed by bank cert i f i cat i ons,
passbooks, stock certificates, or proof of
ownership of other properties
[ ] k. Affdavits of at least two (2) credible witnesses
who must be Filipino citizens of good reputation
in petitioner's place of residence
[ ] l. Medical certifcate from a government hospital
stating that petitioner is not suffering from
mental alienation or a user of prohibited drugs
or otherwise a drug dependent and that he/she
is not afficted with acquired immune defciency
syndrome (AIDS), or any incurable contagious
disease.
[ ] m. School diploma and transcript of records of the
petitioner from the school/s he or she attended
in the Philippines
[ ] n. Certifications stating that petitioner's minor
children are enrolled in public schools or private
educational institutions duly recognized by the
DECS, where Philippine history, government
and civics are taught and prescribed as part of
the school curriculum and where enrollment is
not limited to any race or nationality
[ ] o. Petitioner's income tax returns for the past three
years
[ ] p. Petitioner's receipts of payment of income tax
for the past three years
16. Other documents submitted by the petitioner in
support of his/her petition:
Request Letter: Clearances NBI, BARANGAY, POLICE
& COURT CLEARANCE
My Father's Certicate of NaturaIization
Income Tax Ret urns f or t he Past (3) years, Bank
Certicates & Property papers of my parents.
PRAYER
WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed that petitioner be
conferred Philippine citizenship pursuant to the provisions
of Republic Act No, 9139.
Dated at Makati City, Metro Manila, this _____ day of
________, 20 _____.
TEJPAL S. GILL
Name and Signature of Petitioner
Address: 1901 Luzon Avenue,
Sampaloc, Manila
Telephone Number: _______________
Petitioner's signature and right thumbmark
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES)
CITY/MUNICIPAL OF MANILA ) S.S.
I, TEJPAL S. GILL of legal age and a resident of 1901
Luzon Ave., Sampaloc Manila, after being duly sworn,
depose and say that I am the petitioner herein, that I have
read the foregoing petition and know the foregoing petition
and known the contents thereof, and that the same is true
of my own knowledge.
TEJPAL S. GILL
Name and Signature of Petitioner
SUBCRIBED AND SWORN to before me at Manila this
24
th
day of Nov., 2012.
Doc. No.
Page No.
Book No.
Series of
SCN FORM NO. 1
(R.A. NO. 9139)
(MST-Dec. 17, 24 & 31, 2012)
NOTI CE
TO: ALL Creditors of approved
Rehabilitation plan of St. Patrick's
Health Care System, Inc.
(SPCARE)
Amount due for the year December 2012
is now ready for payment.
For inquiries or further details, please call
Tel. No. 533-9740 or visit SPCAR offce.
(MST-Dec. 30 &31, 2012)
For fast ad
results,
please call
659-48-30
local 303
or 659-48-03
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Manila
Standard
TODAY
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Republic of the Philippines
Department of Public Works and Highways
TARLAC 1
st
DISTRICT ENGINEERING OFFICE
Parsolingan, Gerona, Tarlac
I NVI TATI ON TO BI D
(MST-Dec. 31, 2012)
The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), of the Department of Public Works
and Highways, TarIac District Engineering Ofce, ParsoIingan, Gerona,
Tarlac, invites contractors to bid for the aforementioned projects:
1. a. Contract I.D. : 12CJ0196
b. Contract Name : REPAIR/REHAB OF DAMAGED PAVED ALONG
TARLAC - STA ROSA ROAD
c. Contract Location : Tarlac City
d. Scope of Work : Asphalt Overlay
e. Approved Budget for the Contract: PHP 5,443,001.03
f. Source of Funds : Savings
g. Duration : 37 CD
2. a. Contract I.D. : 12CJ0197
b. Contract Name : REPAIR/REHAB OF DAMAGED PAVED ALONG
ROMULO HIGHWAY
c. Contract Location : Sta Ignacia, Tarlac
d. Scope of Work : Asphalt Overlay
e. Approved Budget for the Contract: PHP 7,064,680.34
f. Source of Funds : Savings
g. Duration : 42 CD
The BAC will conduct the procurement process in accordance with the Revised
IRR of RA 9184. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically
reject at the opening of bid.
To bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI),
purchase the bid documents and must meet the following major criteria: (a) prior
registration with DPWH, (b) Filipino citizen or 75% Filipino-owned partnership,
corporation, cooperative, or joint venture, (c) with PCAB License applicable to
the type and cost of this contract, (d) completion of a similar contract costing at
least 50% of ABC within a period of 10 years, and (e) Net Financial Contracting
Capacity at least equal to ABC, or credit line commitment at least 10% of ABC.
The BAC will use non-discretionary pass/fail criteria in the eligibility check and
preliminary examination of bids.
Unregistered contractors, however, shall submit their applications for
registration to the DPWH-POCW Central Offce before the deadline set below
for the receipt of LO. the DPWH-POCW Central Offce will only process the
contractors' applciations for registration, with complete requirements, and
issue the Contractors Certifcate of Registration Forms may be downloaded at
the DPWH Website www.dpwh.gov.ph.
The signifcant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown be
below.
1. Issuance of Bidding Documents Until 9:00 A.M.. January 15, 2013
2. Pre Bid Conference January 2, 2013 @ 3:00 PM
3. Receipt of Bids Until 10:00 A.M. January 15, 2013
4. Opening of Bids 2:00 P.M. January 15, 2013
The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents (BDs) at DPWH,
Tarlac District Engineering Offce, Parsolingan, Gerona, Tarlac upon payment
of a non-refundable fee for bid Documents of P10,000.00 each to the Cashier,
this offce, Prospective bidders may also download the BDs from the DPWH
Website. If available. Prospective bidders that will download the BDs from the
DPWH Website shall pay the said fees on or before the submission of their bid
Documents. The Pre-Bid Conference shall be open only to interested parties
who have purchased the BD's. Bids must be accompanied by a bid security, in
the amount and acceptable form, as stated in Section 27.2 of the Revised. IRR.
Prospective bidders shall submit their duly accomplished forms as
specifed in the BD's in two (2) separate sealed bid envelopes to the BAC
Chairman. The frst envelope shall contain the technical component of the
bid which shall include a copy of the CRC. the second envelope shall contain
the fnancial component of the bid. Contract will be awarded to the Lowest
Calculated Responsive Bid as determined in the bid evaluation and the post-
qualifcation.
The Tarlac District Engineering Offce reserves the right to accept or reject
any bid, to annul the bidding process anytime prior to the contract award,
without thereby incurring anyliability to the affected bidder/s.
Approved by:

(Sgd.) HERMON G. INES
BAC Chairman
Noted:
(Sgd.) BENJAMIN G. LOPEZ
District Engineer
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON NATURALIZATION
IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF
_________________________________

SCN CASE NO. _________
to be naturalized as Filipino citizen pursuant
to Republic Act No. 9139.
x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x
PETITION
Pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No. 9139,
petitioner hereby submits a petition for naturalization to
become a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines and
respectfully declares:
1. My full name is TEJPAL S. GILL but I have also
been known since childhood as _____Tej_____ , or I
have been judicially authorized to use the alias name(s)
______N/A______.
2. My present place of residence is 1901 Luzon Avenue,
Sampaloc, City/Municipality of Manila, Province of ______,
and all my former places of residence are (please indicate
periods of residence):
1951 Honradez Ext., Samp. Mla. (Jan. 24, 1979 to Jan. 1980)
410 B. 3rd St., Honradez St., Samp. Mla. (Jan. 1980 to May 1981)
599 Altura St., Sta. Mesa, Mla._(May 1981 to Oct. 1984)
3. I was born on Jan. 24, 1979, in Manila, I have been
a resident of the Philippines since birth. At present, I am a
citizen or subject of India.
4. My father's name is Sukhdip Singh and he was born
on Sept. 18, 1954 in Manila. He is a citizen or subject of
Philippines. My mother's name is Kuljit Kaur and she was
born on March 29, 1958, in Punjab, India. She is a citizen
or subject of India.
5. My trade, business, profession or lawful occupation is
_N/A_ and from which I derive an average annual income
of N/A, inclusive of bonuses, commissions and allowances.
My wife's/husband's trade, business, profession or lawful
occupation is N/A and from which she derives an average
annual income of P _N/A_.
Petitioner's signature and right thumbmark
(Where the above does not apply): I am exempt from
the requirement of lucrative trade or occupation and from
submitting income tax returns for the past three (3) years
because I am a college degree holder [please state (1)
degree obtained: _Doctor of Medicine_, (2) name of
school:_University of Perpetual Help Las Pias City_ and
(3) year graduated:_2006 who cannot practice my profession
(the practice of which requires a government licensure
examination) by reason of my citizenship.
6. My civil status is Single. I was married on N/A in N/A.
My wife's/husband's name is N/A and she/he was born on
N/A in N/A. She/he is a citizen or subject of N/A and presently
resides N/A.
7. I am legally separated from my spouse; my marriage
was annulled, per decree of legal separation/annulment
dated N/A granted by N/A. (please indicate the particular
court which granted the same). I am a widower/widow and
my spouse died on N/A in N/A.
8. I have N/A child/children, whose names, dates and
places of birth and residences are as follows:
Name Date of Birth Place of Birth Residence
9. I received my primary and secondary education from
the following public schools or private educational institutions
duly recognized by the Department of Education, Culture
and Sports (DECS), where Philippine history, government
and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school
curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race
or nationality:
Name of School Place of
School
Dates of
Study
Highest Grade
Completed
UST ELEMENTARY Manila 1985-1991 Graduate
UST HIGH SCHOOL Manila 1991-1995 Graduate
UST COLLEGE OF SCIENCE Manila 1995-1999 B.S. BIOLOGY
10. I am able to read, write and speak Filipino and/or any
of the following dialects of the Philippines: Tagalog.
11. I have enrolled my minor children of school age in the
following public schools or private educational institutions
duly recognized by the Department of Education, Culture
and Sports (DECS), where Philipine History, government
and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school
curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race
or nationality:
Petitioner's signature and right thumbmark
Name of Child Name and Place of
School
Date of
Enrollment
12. I shall never be a public charge. I am of good
moral character. I believe in the principles underlying
the Philippine Constitution. I have conducted myself in a
proper and irreproachable manner during the entire period
of my residence in the Philippines in my relations with the
constituted government as well as with the community in
which I am living. I mingled socially with Filipinos and have
evinced a sincere desire to learn and embrace the customs,
traditions and ideals of the Filipino people. I have all the
qualifcations and none of the disqualifcations under Republic
Act No. 9139.
am not opposed to organized government or affliated
with any association or group of persons who uphold and
teach doctrines opposing all organized governments. I
am not defending or teaching the necessity or propriety of
violence, personal assault or assassination for the success
and predominance of one's ideas. I am not a polygamist
nor a believer in the practice of polygamy. I have not
been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude.
I am not suffering from mental alienation or from any
incurable contagious disease. The country of which I am
a citizen or subject is not at war with the Philippines and
grants to Filipinos the right to be naturalized citizens or
subjects thereof.
13. It is my true and honest intention to become a citizen
of the Philippines and to renounce absolutely and forever
all allegiance and fdelity to any foreign prince, potentate,
state or sovereignty, and, particularly, to India of which at
this time I am a citizen or subject. I will reside continuously
in the Philippines from the date of the fling of this petition
up to the time of my admission to Philippine citizenship.
14. My character witnesses are Dr. Leoncio D. Caringal
and Atty. Andres C. Mendoza both Filipino citizens, of
legal age, and residing at 414 T. Anzures St., Sampaloc,
Mla and No. 439 3rd St., Honradez Ext. Sampaloc
Manila respectively, who have executed sworn statements
attached hereto in support of my instant petition, together
with: (a) brief biographical data about themselves; (b)
detailed statements on the dates they frst came to know
me, the circumstances of our initial acquaintance and the
reasons and extent of our continuing familiarity; and (c) the
number of times they have acted as character witnesses
in other petitions for naturalization.
15. Attached hereto as annexes and made part of
this petition are the dupIicate originaIs or certied
photocopies of the following documents (please check
the appropriate box):
[ ] a. Petitioner's birth certifcate
[ ] b. Petitioner's alien certifcate of registration (ACR)
[ ] c. Petitioner's native-born certifcate of residence
(NBCR)
[ ] d. Petitioner's marriage certifcate, if married
[ ] e. Death certifcate of his/her spouse, if widowed
Petitioner's signature and right thumbmark
[ ] f. Court decree annulling his/her marriage or
granting legal separation, if such was the fact
[ ] g. Birth certifcates of petitioner's minor children
[ ] h. ACRs of petitioner's minor children
[ ] i. NBCRs of petitioner's minor children
[ ] j. Affdavits of fnancial capacity by the petitioner,
dul y support ed by bank cert i f i cat i ons,
passbooks, stock certificates, or proof of
ownership of other properties
[ ] k. Affdavits of at least two (2) credible witnesses
who must be Filipino citizens of good reputation
in petitioner's place of residence
[ ] l. Medical certifcate from a government hospital
stating that petitioner is not suffering from
mental alienation or a user of prohibited drugs
or otherwise a drug dependent and that he/she
is not afficted with acquired immune defciency
syndrome (AIDS), or any incurable contagious
disease.
[ ] m. School diploma and transcript of records of the
petitioner from the school/s he or she attended
in the Philippines
[ ] n. Certifications stating that petitioner's minor
children are enrolled in public schools or private
educational institutions duly recognized by the
DECS, where Philippine history, government
and civics are taught and prescribed as part of
the school curriculum and where enrollment is
not limited to any race or nationality
[ ] o. Petitioner's income tax returns for the past three
years
[ ] p. Petitioner's receipts of payment of income tax
for the past three years
16. Other documents submitted by the petitioner in
support of his/her petition:
Request Letter: Clearances NBI, BARANGAY, POLICE
& COURT CLEARANCE
My Father's Certicate of NaturaIization
Income Tax Returns for the Past (3) years, Bank
Certicates & Property papers of my parents.
PRAYER
WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed that petitioner be
conferred Philippine citizenship pursuant to the provisions
of Republic Act No, 9139.
Dated at Makati City, Metro Manila, this _____ day of
________, 20 _____.
TEJPAL S. GILL
Name and Signature of Petitioner
Address: 1901 Luzon Avenue,
Sampaloc, Manila
Telephone Number: _______________
Petitioner's signature and right thumbmark
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES)
CITY/MUNICIPAL OF MANILA ) S.S.
I, TEJPAL S. GILL of legal age and a resident of 1901
Luzon Ave., Sampaloc Manila, after being duly sworn,
depose and say that I am the petitioner herein, that I have
read the foregoing petition and know the foregoing petition
and known the contents thereof, and that the same is true
of my own knowledge.
TEJPAL S. GILL
Name and Signature of Petitioner
SUBCRIBED AND SWORN to before me at Manila this
24
th
day of Nov., 2012.
Doc. No.
Page No.
Book No.
Series of
SCN FORM NO. 1
(R.A. NO. 9139)
(MST-Dec. 17, 24 & 31, 2012)
NOTI CE
TO: ALL Creditors of approved
Rehabilitation plan of St. Patrick's
Health Care System, Inc.
(SPCARE)
Amount due for the year December 2012
is now ready for payment.
For inquiries or further details, please call
Tel. No. 533-9740 or visit SPCAR offce.
(MST-Dec. 30 & 31, 2012)
For fast ad
results,
please call
659-48-30
local 303
or 659-48-03
By Julito G. Rada
THE Philippine Exporters Confederation said the faster completion of
infrastructure projects under the so-called public-private partnership
scheme will cut costs and facilitate trade in the country.
A lot of roads, a lot of ports and even communications
will lower the cost of doing business. It will improve
the general plight of exporters, group president Sergio
Ortiz-Luis Jr. said over the weekend.
Ortiz-Luis said the need for better
infrastructure facilities was among the
exporters wish list for the coming year.
The government rolled out eight
infrastructure projects in 2012. It plans
16 more projects next year, including
transportation facilities.
The National Economic and Development
Authority added the implementation of the PPP
projects would ease the volatility of the peso.
The pressure on the peso to appreciate
should ease even more as much greater
demand for dollars will match the inow of
remittances and export earnings, Arsenio
Balisacan, Neda director-general said in a
statement earlier.
Aside from hoping for faster implementation
of PPP projects, Ortiz-Luis said exporters
were batting for a lower exchange rate to
keep exports competitive.
A lot of exporters would be comfortable at
the level of P42.50, he said.
Ortiz-Luis also said the country should
repay loans in dollars and borrow locally
to prevent the further appreciation of the
peso.
Earlier, exporters projected an 11-percent
growth next year, hoping that the rebound
registered in the third quarter this year would
be sustained in 2013.
Data from the National Statistics Ofce
showed exports in the rst 10 months hit
$44.475 billion, up 7.1 percent year-on-year.
Ortiz-Luis said the double-digit growth
projection would be led by the expected
recovery of electronics and increasing
contribution of the services exports in the
countrys total shipments.
Ortiz-Luis expressed optimism eletronics
shipments would recover in the early part of
2013.
He said shipments of furniture and xtures,
metal products and agriculture products could
boost next years exports growth.
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
DECEMBER 31, 2012 MONDAY
B4
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
IN BRIEF
Manila Standard TODAY
WORLD
Beijing opens four subways
Israel school has prophet motive
Bolivia expropriates Spanish energy subsidiaries
Syrian
forces
retake
town
India rape victims body
cremated in New Delhi
Palestine sets
UN petition
on statehood
BEIJING put four subway lines and
extensions into operation today as part of
the Chinese capitals efforts to expand its
public urban transport network and ease
trafc congestion.
Todays openings bring the
number of lines in the Chinese
capital to 16 with a total length of 442
kilometers, according to a statement
on the website of government-
owned Beijing Subway Operation
Co. which runs the system.
Chinas economy has
quadrupled in size over the past
decade, boosting car ownership
thats led to clogged roads and
forced some cities to impose
trafc restrictions. The nation,
home to 16 of the worlds 20
most polluted cities, according
to the World Bank, has this year
accelerated approvals for the
construction of local transport
networks across the country.
As many as 300 million of the
nations 1.4 billion people will move
from the countryside by 2030 to join
the 600 million already living in
cities, according to estimates from
the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development. Li
Keqiang, who became No. 2 in the
ruling Communist Party hierarchy
last month in a once-a-decade power
transfer, is championing urbanization
as a new growth engine.
The National Development
and Reform Commission this
month approved plans to build
456 kilometers of subway in
Changsha, the capital of Hunan
province, involving initial
investment of 63.7 billion yuan
($10 billion) and has allowed
similar projects in cities
including Fuzhou and Urumqi.
Xian and Lanzhou are among
regional capitals in northwestern
China building or planning metro
systems.
Wuhan, capital of central Hubei
province, this month opened a
subway line under the Yangtze
River to link the citys two biggest
urban areas. Hangzhou, capital of
the eastern province of Zhejiang,
last month opened its rst subway
line and plans to build another nine
by 2020, according to a Nov. 24
Xinhua report.
Beijings four new subway
lines cost about 83 billion yuan,
according to a report on the
governments website. The network
will extend to 664 kilometers in
2016, connecting all seven newly
established districts around the
citys main urban area, it said.
With a population of 20 million,
Beijing already caps the number
of new auto registrations and
limits the use of private vehicles
on designated days based on
their license plate numbers. The
government is planning to build
a system for imposing road-
congestion charges on motorists,
the citys transport commission
said in August. Bloomberg
SYRIAN forces loyal to Presi-
dent Bashar al-Assad recap-
tured a town in western Syria
after days of heavy ghting, Al
Jazeera television reported.
Government troops yes-
terday took control of Deir
Balbah near Homs, the news
channel reported. The forces
executed some 220 residents,
who were among at least 392
people killed across the coun-
try, according to the Local Co-
ordination Committees, an op-
position coalition. The gures
are unconrmed.
The ghting came the same
day that Russian Foreign Min-
ister Sergei Lavrov said Assad
had told a top United Nations
envoy that he wont quit before
his term ends in 2014.
Its impossible to change
his position, Lavrov said
at a joint press conference
after talks in Moscow yes-
terday with the UN and
Arab League special envoy
to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi,
who met Assad in Damascus
on Dec. 24.
Russia, Syrias main inter-
national backer, on Dec. 28
called on Assad to make ef-
forts toward a political settle-
ment by holding talks with
the opposition on all options.
The US and Russia, which
have clashed over efforts by
President Barack Obamas
administration to oust As-
sad, are working together in
a bid to negotiate a peaceful
outcome to the uprising that
started in March 2011. AP
TEL AVIV Instead of long beards and
robes, they wear track suits and T-shirts.
Their tablets are electronic, not hewn of
stone, and they hold smartphones, not
staffs. They may not look the part, but
this ragtag group of Israelis is training to
become the next generation of prophets.
For just 200 shekels, about $53, and
in only 40 short classes, the Cain and
Abel School for Prophets says it will
certify anyone as a modern-day Jewish
soothsayer.
The school, which launched classes
this month, has bafed critics, many of
whom have dismissed it as a blasphemy
or a fraud.
On a religious level, Jewish tradition
recognizes a few dozen prophets from the
biblical era from the monumental gures
of Abraham, Moses and Elijah to lesser
known foretellers of doom and tormented
questioners like Micah the Morashtite and
Habakkuk. Tradition says no one can be a
prophet ever since the Romans destroyed
the second temple in Jerusalem in the year
70 and the era of prophecy can only be
revived with the arrival of the Messiah and
the temples rebuilding. As one Talmudic
phrase puts it, the only prophets now are
children and fools.
But also, on a philosophical level, how
do you learn divine inspiration in school?
And can anyone learn?
There is no way to teach prophecy,
said Rachel Elior, a professor of
Jewish thought at Jerusalems Hebrew
University. Its like opening a school
for becoming Einstein or Mozart.
That hasnt deterred the schools
founder and sole teacher Shmuel
Hapartzy, a follower of Chabad, a
worldwide Orthodox Jewish outreach
and worship movement that has come
under re because part of its membership
crowned its late leader the Messiah. The
Chabad movement in Israel has distanced
itself from the school.
Anyone looking in the curriculum
for Parting the Sea 101 or How to
Predict the Future or even Principles
of Proclaiming A Jeremiad will be
disappointed. Instead, students learn
about the meaning of dreams, the
classication of angels, the mysteries of
the holy spirit. They learn how to discern
a persons inner feelings from his or her
external behavior and appearance. AP
NEW DELHIThe body of a
woman who died after being
gang-raped and beaten on a bus
in Indias capital was cremated
Sunday amid an outpouring of
anger and grief by millions across
the country demanding greater
protection for women from sexual
violence.
The young womans body was
cremated in a private ceremony
soon after its arrival on a special
Air India ight from Singapore,
where she died at a hospital
Saturday after being sent for
medical treatment.
Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh and Sonia Gandhi, head of
the ruling Congress party, were
at the airport to receive the body
and meet family members of the
victim who had also arrived on
the ight early Sunday.
Hours after the victim died
Saturday, Indian police charged
six men who had been arrested in
connection with the attack with
murder, adding to accusations
that they beat and gang-raped the
woman on a New Delhi bus on
Dec. 16.
The victim, who has not been
identied, was taken Thursday
to Singapores Mount Elizabeth
hospital, which specializes
in multi-organ transplants, in
extremely critical condition,
and her condition took a turn for
the worse, with her vital signs
deteriorating. AP
RAMALLAH, West Bank Arab League
chief Nabil Elaraby said Saturday that two
decades of talks with Israel have been a
waste of time and that Palestinians will
soon take a new statehood bid to the United
Nations.
The UN General Assembly last month
endorsed a de facto Palestinian state in
the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza,
areas Israel won in a 1967 war. But outright
recognition of statehood status for Palestine
fell short last year before the more powerful
UN Security Council.
We will return to the UN Security
Council, he said in Ramallah Saturday
after meeting Palestinian ofcials.
Palestine will be cooperating with Arab
and EU countries to change the equation
(in the peace process) that prevailed over
the past 20 years, which was a waste of
time.
By mentioning other states and the
European Union, some may interpret
Elarabys remarks as implying that the
international community should intervene
and impose a solution to the conict
between Israel and the Palestinians.
Talks collapsed in 2008 after Palestinians
demanded Israel stop building in areas
they want for a future state. Israel insists
settlements and other core issues should be
resolved in talks themselves. AP
LA PAZPresident Evo Morales
nationalized the Bolivian electricity
distribution subsidiaries of the Spanish
energy company Iberdrola in a public
ceremony Saturday.
Morales issued a decree allowing
the takeover of shares in Empresa de
Electricidad de La Paz (Electropaz)
and Empresa de Luz y Fuerza de Oruro
(Elfeo), which supply energy in this
Andean nation.
Soldiers guarded the installations
of the electricity distribution
companies, marked with signs reading:
Nationalized.
In the ceremony at Bolivias
government palace, Morales also
announced the expropriation of an
investment management company and
a service provider belonging to the
Spanish energy giant.
Morales said he had been forced to
take this step to ensure that electric
service rates remain equitable in the
regions of La Paz and Oruro.
The Spanish government said in a
statement that it regretted Bolivias
decision to nationalize companies
that included Spanish, Argentine
and American companies among its
shareholders.
Spain said it hoped the process of
assessing the value of the nationalized
company is done with high standards of
objectivity that would establish the just
compensation to which shareholders
are entitled.
Telephone calls and emails seeking
comment from Iberdrola in Spain were
not immediately answered.
The decree read by Morales calls for
Iberdrola to receive indemnication
after an independent rm is hired
within 180 days to determine the value
of the nationalized shares.
Morales in May also nationalized
Transportadora de Electricidad
belonging to Spanish company Red
Electrica, which controlled 74 percent
of energy transmission in Bolivia.
In his rst year in ofce in 2006,
the Bolivian president nationalized the
oil industry through a renegotiation of
contracts with a dozen oil companies,
including Repsol, Petrobras, BG and
Total. AP
US drone kills al-Qaida men
SANAA Three al-Qaida militants were
killed in a suspected US drone strike in south-
ern Yemen, Yemeni security ofcials said, the
fourth such attack this week and a sign attacks
from unmanned aircraft are on the upswing in
the country.
The ofcials said the three men were hit
as they were riding in a Land Cruiser in el-
Manaseh village on the outskirts of Radda in
Bayda province. Dozens of local al-Qaida-
linked ghters protested the drone strikes after
traditional Islamic Friday prayers.
Earlier this week another suspected US
drone strike killed two militants in Radda itself,
Yemeni security ofcials say, and seven were
killed in two other strikes in the southeastern
province of Hadramawt. Four suspected drone
strikes a week is uncommon in Yemen.
According to statistics gathered by the
Long War Journal before Saturdays attacks,
the United States is known to have carried
out 41 airstrikes this year against al-Qai-
da in the Arabian Peninsula, as the groups
branch in Yemen is known. That makes for
an average of around three to four strikes per
month.
The Journal, a product of the Foundation
for Defense of Democracies that was founded
by former U.S. ofcials, says that since De-
cember 2009, the CIA and the US militarys
Joint Special Operations Command are known
to have conducted at least 54 air and missile
strikes inside Yemen, excluding Saturdays
suspected attack. AP
Animal cruelty
has prison terms
MEXICO CITY Mexico City lawmakers
have approved prison terms for animal cruelty,
previously considered a civil offense sanc-
tioned with nes and detentions.
The capitals legislative assembly unani-
mously agreed that people who intentionally
abuse and cause animals harm will face up to
two years in prison and pay up to $500. If the
animal is killed, they can face up to four years
in prison and a $2,000 ne.
Antonio Padierna, president of the assemblys
law enforcement and justice committee, said
late Friday that if animals are killed for food, the
death must be quick and not cause pain.
The lawmakers agreed current administra-
tive laws werent doing enough to end animal
cruelty. In Mexico City, animals are sometimes
killed by being burned, beaten or shot. AP
Underground trains across the capital help decongest commuter trafc. Chinahighlight.com
Outrage spreads in the subcontinent to protest violation of womens rights. AP
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
#lovemy
Manila Standard TODAY
fashion beauty health wellness DECEMBER 31, 2012 MONDAY
C1
W
H
A
T

S
I
N
S
I
D
E
2012 BEAUTY TRENDS
As we once again say
goodbye to another year, lets
recollect the beauty trends
that have been in the mouths
and on the faces of people in
2012.
Gianna Maniego, Editor
Dinna Chan Vasquez, Assistant Editor
HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!
May 2013 bring countless blessings
to you and your loved ones!
Every time a New Year rolls in, I
always have this anxiety, bordering
on fear, thinking what the incom-
ing year would bring me, my loved
ones and my country. The moment
I feel Im in that rut, I immediately
say a prayer, in fact, many prayers,
to be sure that the next 365 days
would always give me reasons to
smile and be happy about. This
spiritual habit works all the time.
So, when the reworks and other
tools for celebration reach their
peak late in the evening, expect
me to be deep in prayer, as I prop
myself up and look forward to the
blessings of the next 12 months.
Theres so much to anticipate
especially because the metropo-
lis never runs out of new things to
offer, like these items which were
launched recently.
Luxury tea
The nest tea brand in the world
originating from Singapore is now
WHAT do Fur ne One, Oliver Tolentino, Lesley Mobo
and Michael Cinco have in common? Theyre all Filipino
fashion designers who have made a name for themselves
outside the country. Creativity and vision are just a part
of the reason for their success. These proudly Pinoy style
savants did what few other Filipinos have donetap the
international market. And they achieved this because of
hard work, exposure and a healthy dose of business savvy.
The Asia Fashion Exchange (AFX) gives aspiring designers the
opportunity to acquire those critical ingredients for success (except hard
work, which is up to the individual). Through its four pillar activities,
namely the Audi Star Creation, Blueprint, the Audi Fashion Festival
and the Asia Fashion Summit, the week-long Singapore-based event is
the Asian designers gateway to international success.
Creativity and visionThe Audi Fashion Festival of AFX 2012
showcased collections by reputable designers from all over the world,
including bigwigs such as Zac Posen, Mugler and Swarovski. It was a
collision of different perspectives that reected the current state of world
fashion, a source of inspiration for aspiring designers and a treat for
fashion fans.
Business savvy The Asia Fashion Summit, a conference on the
business side of fashion, is designed to generate thought leadership
content and insights on fashion-related topics, covering retail, marketing,
fashion buying and other aspects of the trade. The 2012 convention was
attended by over 500 fashion industry professionals from 16 countries.
Exposure Blueprint brings together hundreds of independent and
established fashion brands under one roof for an eclectic mix of trends
and styles. Project director Tr acy Phillips says that its the edgiest pillar
of AFX...that represents the dynamism of the fashion scene and its artistic
inuences. The trade show features young talents from Singapore and
beyond in a specially curated setting. In 2012, 140 brands participated, as
well as numerous local and foreign buyers.
All of the above The nal component of AFX is the Audi Star
Creation, a regional fashion design competition to spot up-and-coming
talents across Asia. Unlike other fashion contests that judge solely based
on creativity and originality, the Audi Star Creation takes commercial
viability into account. Filipino designer Mike Yapching, a nalist in
the 2011 edition, shares that the competition is a real opportunity for
people to take in your designs, and learn what you stand for and believe
in...this experience has taught me to be more condent in my work and
to be exposed to different design techniques and the marketing side of
fashion.
For the 2013 eventits fourth yearAFX aims to be bigger and better.
Blueprint will be specializing in pre-spring collections and anticipating
greater participation from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Korea,
India, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and, of
course, the Philippines.
Blueprint 2013 and the fringe activities we are planning in support
of emerging designers [will be] multidimensional and a good opportunity
to tap into the creative pulse of the city. To say that now is the best time
to participate in Blueprint is denitely an understatement, enthuses
Phillips.
Audi Star Creation is further cementing itself as an important fashion
design competition in the region. The 2012 installment saw a record
255 entries from 13 countries across Asia, signicantly more than the
144 entries received in 2011. Six entries came from Filipino designers,
including Yapching, while Thailand and Indonesia submitted at least 20
entries each.
Audi Star Creation is looking for designers who have a clear point of
view or design DNA, and who can infuse that with global trends, resulting
in a commercially viable and globally appealing collection. It goes so much
further than many other competitions. You dont just get a cash prize
you get a chance to break into the industry under the guidance of some of
Singapores best, and acquire an understanding of the industry that betters
your chance of really becoming a fashion star, states Textile and Fashion
Federation Singapore vice president and competition judge David Wang.
With the theme InspirASIAN and S$10,000 cash prize as well
as a one-year internship with fashion retailer FJ Benjamin, Audi Star
Creation is expecting more entries for the new cycle. The competition
is open to aspiring Asian designers between 16 and 35 with less than
two years of experience in the fashion industry. Each entry shall include
six original and previously unreleased designs based on the theme and
should reect and/or be inspired by elements unique to Asia or Asian
culture. Submission of entries is until January 31, 2013.
Singapores drive in transforming itself as a regional hub for Asia
fashion has been gaining momentum in the past three years. AFX
has garnered signicant support and positive responses from noted
international media, designers and fashion trade. Were hoping that this
successful run continues in the years to come and that more talented
Asian designers can be recognized in the global fashion arena with the
help of the AFX and visitors continue to have an enriching experience of
Singapores vibrant fashion scene, says Singapore Tourism Board area
director for the Philippines and Brunei Sher ina Chan.
The Asia Fashion Exchange is on the web at www.
asiafashionexchange.com.sg. For more information about Blueprint,
go to www.blueprint.sg. For details on how to enter the Audi Star
Creation, visit www.starcreation.sg.
ASIAN FASHION
spotlight in Singapore
By Ed Biado
New things for the New Year
in Manila. TWG Tea Salon &
Boutique opened its doors to local
tea lovers, offering brightly color-
ed, packaged teas in elegant tea
tins. The 128-square-meter salon
and boutique at Greenbelt 5 also
has a myriad hand-blown glass,
porcelain, stoneware and cast
iron teapots, ne bone china tea-
cups, saucers, creamers and sugar
bowls, as well as tea lters and tea
scoops of all varieties.
The TWG Tea Boutiques most
health.com or through
887-6385.
----------O----------
YOUR WEEKEND
CHUCKLE:
Why do they put pic-
tures of criminals up in
the Post Ofce? What
are we supposed to do,
write to them? Why
dont they just put their
pictures on the postage
stamps so the mailmen
can look for them while
they deliver the mail?
----------O----------
For feedback, Im at
bobzozobrado@gmail.
com
impressive feature, aside from its
handcrafted glass walls, bronze
ttings, Italian marble oors,
crystal lamps and antique mir-
rors, is the TWG Tea wall and
rows of signature yellow artisan
tea tins lled with more than 450
of the most celebrated ne har-
vest teas and exclusive tea blends
in the world.
The launch was hosted by
Specialtea Blends, Inc., a sub-
sidiary of the Rustans Group of
Companies, and was headlined
by its Group Chairman Emeri-
tus Ambassador Bienvenido R.
Tantoco, Sr., Specialtea Blends
executive vice-president Anton
Huang, TWG Tea president Taha
Bouqdib, TWG Tea director for
business development & com-
munications Maranda Barnes,
TWG Tea managing director Rith
Aum-Stievenard, Kit Zobel and
Soa Zobel-Elizalde.
Collezione C2 collection
To celebrate its 40 years in the
retail industry, Collezione C2 un-
veiled their 82-piece collection
characterized by a play of colors
and unique prints, with multi-tal-
ented actor, Jericho Rosales as its
newest endorser, captivating the
audience with his natural charm
and the brands latest pieces.
But the real stars of the event
were Collezione C2 president
Joey Qua, creative director for
Menswear Noel Crisostomo, and
creative director for Womens
Wear Stef Sarmiento-Valdez.
This latest collection celebrates
the best about being Filipino
from our unique cultural practices,
to our innate ingenuity and crea-
tivity as artists, all of which are re-
ected in the exceptional designs.
Forever young with ZO
Dr. Zein Obagi introduced
his latest innovation, ZO, which
could change the way Filipinos
live and keep themselves looking
great. Attended by an enthusiastic
crowd of inuential personalities,
Dr. Obagis latest discovery was
launched, bannering an extensive
line of products that keeps skin
looking young and blemish-free.
The Divine Diva, Zsa Zsa Pa-
dilla, now the face of ZO, graced
the occasion to show how the
product has changed her and has
given her a more positive outlook
in life by having great-looking
skin. She was joined by Zo Phil-
ippines operations manager Hay-
den Kho and ambassadors stylist
Joanne Zapanta-Andrada, run-
ner and cross-tter doctor There-
sa Pascual, businessman Atti-
cus King, Belo Medical Group
managing director Cristalle Belo
Henares, TV personality Grace
Lee, model and pre-school teach-
er Michelle Quizon-Balinghasay
and columnist Frannie Jacinto.
More information on Zo may
be obtained from www.zoskin-
Stores Specialists Inc. EVP Anton
Huang, Jaime Augusto Zobel de
Ayala, Tessa Prieto-Valdes, and
Luke Marquet
Zelda Kienle, Lizzie Zobel and
Stephanie Kienle-Gonzalez
Stores Specialists Inc.,
Marketing & Communications
Manager Malu Francisco, Pam
Lopez, and Catherine Huang
TWG Tea Director of Business Development & Communications
Maranda Barnes, Soa Zobel-Elizalde, TWG Tea Managing Director
Rith Aum-Stievenard, Ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco, Sr., Kit Zobel,
TWG Tea President Taha Bouqdib, and Stores Specialists Inc. EVP
Anton Huang
Daniel Hesse and Michelline Syjuco
Nix Alanon and Charina Sarte
Collezione C2s newest
endorser Jericho Rosales
Collezione C2 Creative Director for
Menswear Noel Crisostomo, Collezione
C2 Creative Director for Womenswear
Stef Sarmiento-Valez and Collezione C2s
President Joey Qua
ZO Philippines brand ambassadors leading a toast: (From left)
television host/personality Grace Lee, stylist Joanne Zapanta Andrada,
model and pre-school teacher Michelle Quizon-Balinghasay, the
Divine Diva and ZO endorser Zsa Zsa padilla, businessman Atticus
King, Belo Medical Group managing director Cristalle Belo Henares,
doctor Theresa Pascual and the elegant Frannie Jacinto
Belo Medical
Group celebrity
doctor Vicki Belo
with Katrina
Holigores
(Standing) ZO
Philippines
operations manager
Hayden Kho, Jr.,
Jayelles Media
Relations director
Suzette Morelos,
(seated) Manila
Standards Gianna
Maniego and Roel
Manipon
Tracy Phillips
MONDAY C2
DECEMBER 31, 2012
Gianna Maniego, Editor
Dinna Chan Vasquez, Assistant Editor
ManilaStandardToday
#lovemy
fashion beauty health wellness
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standardlifestyle@gmail.com
Whether its for a token of
friendship or a proof of love, De-
benhams makes it easy for you
to pick the perfect present for the
people in your life.
Be cute with adorable trinkets.
Show your charming, childish
side with cutesy gift ideas like
the Disco Washing Up Brush,
silly Moustache straws, Ladybird
Knitted Handwarmer, and Doggy
Duster Schnauzer.
Fuel the passion of dog lovers
and wanderers alike with Ben
de Lisi presents. Dog Bookends,
Black & White Newspaper Print-
ed Dog Lamp and Eiffel Tower
Shaped Table Lamp are a surere
way to make their hearts melt.
For clean and bubbly thought-
fulness, Debenhams offers Su-
persoft six pieces Towel Bales
and selections from Buttery
Home by Matthew Williamson.
His irresistibly charming White
Toile Soap Dispenser and Toi-
letry Bag & Shower Cap make a
great addition to any bath.
Or, gift a part of yourself in
your presents and be always re-
membered at your recipients
home with the likes of Reindeer
Cushion, Debenhams High-Ball
Glasses and Designers at Deben-
hams Crackers.
Tried and tested gifts also dont
GUCCI has introduced a collection of color-
ful leather ID tags, each with its own golden
embossed symbol. Perfect for pairing with
the labels handbags, every tag is designed to
carry its owners initials the ultimate touch
to personalize an accessory.
Available in the stores on November,
these unique collectibles are ideal for
gifting. The light-hearted symbols in-
clude Gucci icons and universal em-
blems for luck, love, and strength.
The ID tags comprise:
Bamboo Bag: Known for its
timeless Italian craftsmanship
and classic design, the Bamboo
Bag is a dose of style that will el-
evate any occasion.
Heart Shaped Interlocking G:
Inimitable and unmistakable, our
Heart-Shaped Interlocking G gives
you a little touch of Gucci wherever
you are.
Chinese Blessing: This ancient Chi-
nese Blessing brings peace and good
fortune to whoever carries it. Keep it
close for clear skies and easy paths.
Chinese Double Happiness: These dual Chi-
nese characters for Happiness will bring joy and
perfection to your life. Carry them with you to
ensure prosperity in any new union.
Horseshoe: A Horseshoe brings you luck
and prosperity. Carry this with you for good
fortune wherever you go.
Four-Leaf Clover: You might have to
look through a whole meadow to nd
a lucky Four-Leaf Clover. Carry our
tag so you always have one along.
Ladybug: The friendly Ladybug ew
through the air to bring you love, luck
and protection.
Turtle: This little Turtle is a
steadfast companion. He walked all
the way here to bring you long life,
patience and protection.
Bee: The busy Bee always ies to
the most fragrant ower. Carry him
with you for immortality, diligence and
indefatigability.
Heart: Bring your loved ones along
wherever life may take you with our Heart
tag.
Horse: This noble Horse galloped
across the elds to bring you his power,
grace and beauty. Carry him
with you for strength on the go.
Falcon: The proud Falcon
ew through the sky to bring
you his power, courage, and de-
termination. Carry him to show
your superiority to anything
that might stand in your
way.
In the Philippines, Gucci
is exclusively distributed by
Stores Specialists, Inc. (SSI)
and is located at Greenbelt 4,
Ayala Center and Rustans Tower
Shangri-La Plaza Mall.
By Ed Biado
FOR many, New Years reso-
lutions concerning health and
tness are never accomplished
because theyre unrealistic.
We all want to live healthy,
but the rules are too damn
strict. Guess what? Theyre
actually not. A lot of these so-
called rules are outdated and
have no hard evidence to back
them uptheyre simply put
out there and passed on from
generation to generation, doc-
tor to patient, friend to friend
like urban legends. Just like
the ones below:
Br u s h
three times
a day.
Did you
know that
b r u s h i n g
i mme d i -
ately after
eating makes
your teeth weaker and less
white? The recommended fre-
quency by the American Den-
tal Association is twice a day,
not after every meal. After
consuming acidic foods over
dinner, wait at least 30 min-
utes before brushing to pre-
vent the acid from penetrating
your teeth.
Dr ink eight glasses of wa-
ter a day.
The more accurate rule is,
drink eight glasses of uid in
one day, not just plain water.
You can also eat your H2O
by consuming water-rich
fruits and vegetables.
Dr ink diet soda instead
of r egular.
Ideally, dont drink soda at
all. But for those who have
to have a soda x, switching
to diet can actually do more
harm than good. First of all,
articial sweeteners arent ex-
actly the healthiest things in
the world. Second, drinking
diet can make you think it
cancels out the other fatty and
sugary foods you eat, which it
does not.
Eat your guilty pleasur e
in moder ation.
A recent study reveals that
people who practice portion
control of their sinful indul-
gences actually are more prone
to desire to consume more of
similar unhealthy foods. The
act triggers the pleasure
senses and wont let up until
the craving is satised. Allow
yourself to have a cheat day
once a month instead.
Dont eat car bs and fat.
The reality is, complex
carbohydrates are rich in
nutrients and keep you
full longer. Its the refined
carbswhite bread, for ex-
ampleyou should stay
away from. But do consume
whole grains regularly. Fat
derived from fish and olive
oils and nuts are likewise
good for the body, unlike an-
imal and processed fat.
Wor k out an hour a day.
Most of us dont have the
time to spend a full hour at
the gym. Instead of 60 min-
utes, do 30. And remember
that every physical activity
counts towards that, includ-
ing walking (instead of com-
muting) to work and walking
up the stairs (instead of tak-
ing the elevator).
Health
rules to
break this
New Year
BB stands for Blemish Balm.
It claims to combine moisturizer,
pimple cream, sunscreen, foun-
dation and sunscreen in one nifty
tube. It is said to be the beauty
secret of Korean actresses, who
are known for their beautiful com-
plexions. In reality, Korean-made
BB Creams are only suited for
women with very fair, yellow-
toned complexions. Anyone else
will look grey. Thus, BB creams
going mainstream is good news for
women because more shades are
now available.
BB creams are so popular that
even men, not necessarily gay
ones, wear them.
This was also the year that
women started paying more
attention to their brows. They
didn't mind paying P500 to
P700 to have their brows done
professionally. Proof of this is
that Benet's brow bars, espe-
cially the one in Greenbelt 5,
is doing brisk business. Shazzy
of the Greenbelt 5 Benet bou-
tique is sought after for her in-
credible brow shaping prowess.
Women also ocked to brow-
haus, an import from Singapore.
If Benet waxes brows, brow-
haus uses the threading method.
More and more women also
went the organic/natural route
in terms of skin care and they
ocked to stores like Healthy Op-
tions for their beauty health x.
But some women opted for more
traditional remedies like serums
and creams from the more well
known brands. Theres nothing
like chemicals to make your skin
softer, says one of my beauty con-
scious aunts.
Clarins new Double Serum
combines two powerful age-defy-
ing serums into one optimum bal-
ance to help ght all aspects of vis-
ible ageing. The serum has 20 plant
extracts that revitalize the skin's
ve vital functions.
Women also started to become
BB creams,
eyebrows
and matte lipstick
GROOMED
By Dinna Chan Vasquez
THIS was the year that BB creams went mainstream. Once a prized
import from Korea, where our favorite actresses supposedly use it,
the BB cream is now offered by practically every beauty brand, from
Fanny Serrano and Maybelline to MAC and Bobbi Brown.
more aware of inner beauty and
many of us started taking suppl-
ments that would make our hair
and skin softer and smoother and
give us that inner glow as well.
Conzace is one multi-vitamin that
promises to clear skin.
In terms of color cosmet-
ics, women all over the world
ocked to their trusted brands
like Bobbi Brown, NARS, Lau-
ra Mercier and Chanel for their
makeup needs. Filipino brands
like Ever Bilena and Fanny Ser-
rano did very well because their
products and prices were very
competitive.
The Body Shop had a re-
branding and launched an ad-
vocacy called Beauty with
Heart, which is aimed at pro-
moting both their skin care and
beauty ranges along with their
campaigns. The company in-
troduced a brand ambassador,
British model Lily Cole, and
some new products, including
beauty oils and body mists with
scents complementing their
iconic Body Butters.
Matte lipstick returned with
a vengeance after years of lip
gloss rule. Reds and bright pinks
adorned the lips of many women
(and even men).
So whats in store for us in
terms of beauty in 2013?
According to experts, trends
will include bold and bright lips,
pink hair and smoky eyes. Fresh
faced beauty will also be very
popular.
Gucci launches ID tags collection
Get the perfect present at Debenhams
go unnoticed. Make any man or
woman shout for joy with a Man-
taray Mini Travel Tin, Rocha.
John Rocha dark turquoise oral
devore tunic dress, Diamond by
Julien Macdonald alluring cre-
ations, and Red Herrings wide
range of apparel and accessories
--- from ties to watches to bags to
sexy pumps.
Dont forget the kids! Deben-
hams also has fashionable and
cute selections for the little ones.
Bluezoo makes it a more color-
ful Christmas with its standout
apparel. Pick amongst Christ-
mas themed jumpers and tops,
erce leopard printed pajama
sets and checked zip through
hoodies. Or, make little girls
look glamorous these holidays
with a J by Jasper Conran Gold
Jacquard Party Dress.
Debenhams doesnt only make
it easy to pick the perfect present,
as it introduces a new way to shop
for the holidays sans the stress
and holiday rush. Debenhams
Extra makes shopping simpler
and convenient. The self-service
kiosk allows customers to shop
for items that are, at the moment,
not available at your choice of
Debenhams store. Store size may
limit which brands and selec-
tions are available but with De-
benhams Extra, every selection
Debenhams has to offer is within
the reach of your ngertips.
HOLLYWOOD actress Julianne Hough is
certied skin savvy.
Everyone wants to be beautiful,
and that essentially starts with having
perfectly clear skin. Still, many of us
have no clue how to take care of it.
Skin care is fundamental to looking
good, feeling good and saying Life is
good! No matter how old you are and
what your skin tone is, its important
to know how to tackle and solve skin
problems.
The reality still holds, though. There
are no shortcuts to attaining long-lasting
beautiful skin. A routine has to be reli-
giously followed. Fortunately for us, the
regimen is as simple and easy as the skin-
care tips mentioned above.
Proactiv Solution is readily available
even without a prescription. This acne ter-
minator has become increasingly accessi-
ble through Watsons and SM Department
Stores nationwide.
You can choose from the Classic Proac-
tiv and the New Proactiv kit. Each comes
with a Renewing Cleanser, Revitalizing
Toner, Repairing Treatment, and free Re-
ning Mask.
We all want to look goodanytime,
anywhereand Proactiv offers the most
beautiful skin care solutions ever.
How skin
savvy are you?
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
1. Blackhole Exploit
Kit spam runs. Blackhole
Exploit Kit (BHEK)
changed everything
we knew about spam
phishing as the traditional
ways of protection no
longer work. In fact, we
even uncovered some
email samples that only
need a victim to click a
malicious link to trigger
the infection chain.
BHEK spam runs are also
known to convincingly
spoof companies like
Facebook, American
Airlines, and Verizon in
order to convince users to
open the messages.
2. Android malware.
By end Q3 this year, we
already saw 175,000
malicious and high-risk
apps targeting Android
users. Most of these pose as legitimate apps but have
hidden routines like sending messages to premium
numbers or collecting sensitive information. By 2013,
we expect the number of such apps rise to 1 million.
3. Ransomware/Scareware. Ransomware
has long been a consumer concern. This year,
however, saw not only high-prole incidents but
also some developments to coax users into paying
cybercriminals. An example is the increase in
Police Trojan, which locks an infected system and
threatens users to pay by posing as the victims
local law enforcement agency.
4. DORKBOT. New DORKBOT variants were
found spreading via Skype and used legitimate
le storage websites to store the malware copy. It
also used different languages as part of its social
engineering technique.
5. Threats Leveraging London 2012 Olympics.
Global events have always been a favorite of
cybercriminals. This year was no different, as we
saw several attacks that took advantage of the
London 2012 Olympics. Some of these schemes
include fake ticketing sites and scams that sprouted
before, during, and after the event.
The threats that we saw this year prove that
cybercriminals and other bad guys on the Internet
are becoming more aggressive. This coming new
year, we also predict new challenges arising from
users engaging on multiple devices and platforms
(Android, Windows, iOs etc.). And with mobile
malware on the rise and conventional threats
getting pumped up, users will nd it difcult to
secure their devices and may just forgo security
altogether, the company said.
DECEMBER 31, 2012 MONDAY
C3
email: tech@mst.ph
Tech
ManilaStandardToday
MARLON C. MAGTIRA, Section Editor
CHRISTIAN CARDIENTE, Asst. Editor
INTERNET security rm Trend Micro has compiled the biggest
threats of 2012 as a way of looking back and learning from the les-
sons they left for netizens who were caught off-guard by their clever-
ness.
Yearender:
Top 5 consumer
threats for 2012
AWARE of the countrys
booming smartphone adoption,
Chinese phonemaker ZTE
recently picked the Philippines
as the rst country outside
of China to roll out its latest
agship smarphone the
Grand Era.
The local launch, held at the
Dusit Hotel in Makati City, was
attended by top ZTE ofcials
and executives from local
distributor MSI-ECS.
Quoting ZTE ofcials,
tech site ZDNet.com said
the China-based tech
manufacturer said it chose the
Philippines as a launching pad
for the new smartphone due
to its large population, wide
acceptance of ZTE products
and good market prospects.
Touted as the worlds
slimmest quad-core
smartphone, the Grand Era
contains a PC-class Nvidia
Tegra 3 quad-core CPU
and operates on Android
4.0 platform upgradeable to
Android OS Jelly Bean.
It also has 3D acceleration
capacity, an 8M-pixel BSI AF
HD camera and a 4.5-inch HD
retina screen at a resolution of
1280720.
With an average thickness
of 8.6mm and a thickness of
7.9mm at its slimmest section,
it is said to be currently the
worlds thinnest available
quad-core handset.
The Grand Era, which retails
for P14,999, also adheres to
an expert-class hardware and
software safety protection
standard called Palm Manager,
which was independently
developed by ZTE.
The Grand Era has opened
the door to the quad-core era
for ZTE smartphones, said
ZTE Philippines president
James Chen Yi. We believe
these products will produce
a buttery effect across the
industry and market.
The addition of Grand Era
to the current line-up of ZTE
smartphones is expected to
strengthen ZTEs position as
a serious player in the local
mobility business.
Early this quarter, MSI-ECS
also announced the Grand
Series line-up with the Kis
V970, Blade III V889M, and
Grand X V970M.
The Grand Series has
many distinguishable features
that set it apart from other
smartphones in the Philippine.
The handsets satisfy the
demand for high-quality and
affordable smartphones across
the country, said Chen.
ZTE also provides Dual-
SIM card smartphones
covering every price and
feature level.
With the use of dual SIM
card slots in one handset,
mobile users with ZTE Dual
SIM smartphones can combine
their work and personal
communication without the
complication and high cost of
having two devices, added
ZTE Philippines Device
Department Director Ken
Feng.
PH is rst to debut ZTE agship
phone outside of China
ZTE Philippines President James Chen Yi (left) introduces the Grand Era as a model (right) holds a unit of
the smartphone. MELVIN CALIMAG
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Manila
Standard
TODAY
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Republic of the Philippines
Department of Public Works and Highways
REGION IV-B MIMAROPA
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ENGINEER
Southern Mindoro District Engineering Offce
Roxas, Oriental Mindoro
I NVI TATI ON TO BI D
(MST-Dec. 31, 2012)
The DPWH Southern Mindoro District Engineering Offce, through RA - Fund 101
intends to apply the respective amounts being the Approved Budget for the Contract
(ABC) to payments under the contract for hereunder projects. Bids received in
excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.
The DPWH Southern Mindoro District Engineering Offce now invites bids for the
following projects to wit:
1. Contract D : 13EI0023
Contract Name : Cluster VII Construction of Various School
Buildings,
Contract Location : Roxas, Oriental Mindoro
Scope of Work : Construction of two storey 4 CL Shool Building
(9.50m x 22.50m) and two storey 2 CL School
Building (9.50m x 18.0m).
Approved Budget
for the Contract (ABC) : P 6,842,382.94
Bid Document Amount : 10,000.00
Contract Duration : 120 Calendar Days
2. Contract D : 13EI0024
Contract Name : Construction of 2 - Storey 6 - CL School Building,
Bulalacao NHS Maujao Annex,
Contract Location : Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro
Scope of Work : Construction of two (2) storey 6 CL Shool Buildings
(9.50m x 31.50m).
Approved Budget
for the Contract (ABC) : P 6,602,035.29
Bid Document Amount : 10,000.00
Contract Duration : 120 Calendar Days
Prospective bidders must have an experience of having completed at least one
(1) contract that is similar to the contract to be bid, and whose value, adjusted to
current prices using the NSO consumer price indices, must be at least ffty percent
(50%) of the ABC to be bid as stated in the Revised Section 23.5.2.5 under GPPB
Resolution No. 11 2012 of the RR of R.A. 9184. The description of an eligible
bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II, Instruction
to Bidders.
Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non
discretionary pass/fail criterion as specifed in the Revised mplementing Rules
and Regulations of R.A. 9184, otherwise known as the "Government Procurement
Reform Act.
Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or
organizations with at least seventy fve (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock
belonging to citizens of the Philippines.
Interested bidders may obtain further information from DPWH Southern Mindoro
District Engineering Offce and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given
below from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders
from the address below or any DPWH feld offces and upon payment of a non
refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount specifed thereof.
It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippines
Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the
Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents
not later than the submission of their bids.
The DPWH Southern Mindoro District Engineering Offce will hold a Pre Bid
Conference on January 3, 2013 @ 10:00 A.M. at the Conference Room, DPWH
Southern Mindoro District Engineering Offce which shall be open to all interested
parties.
Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before January 15, 2013 until
10:00 A.M. at the DPWH Southern Mindoro District Engineering Offce. All bids
must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the
amount stated in the Bid Data Sheet (BDS).
Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders representatives who choose to
attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.
The DPWH, Southern Mindoro District Engineering Offce reserves the right to
accept or reject any bid to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any
time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected
bidder or bidders.
For further information, please refer to:
ANNIELYN E. PADULLO
DPWH, Southern Mindoro District Engineering Offce
Dangay, Roxas, Oriental Mindoro
Telefax No. (043) 289 - 2565
Approved :

(Sgd.) ANNIELYN E. PADULLO
(BAC Chairperson)
Republic of the Philippines
Department of Public Works and Highways
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ENGINEER
Surigao del Sur 1
st
Engineering District
Tandag City, Surigao del Sur
I NVI TATI ON TO BI D
(MST-Dec. 31, 2012)
The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the DPWH Surigao del Sur 1st
Engineering District Ofce, Tandag City through the SARO No. _________ &
SARO No. _________, invites ontractors to bid for the aforementioned projects:
Contract ID : 12NH 0076
Contact Name : Package 3 - Construction of School Buildings
Construction of 1 Storey-2CL Matho SS, Cortes
Construction of 1 Storey-1CL Uba ES, Cortes
Construction of 1 Storey-2CL Lubcon ES, Cortes
Construction of 1 Storey-2CL Hitaob PS, Tandag City
Construction of 1 Storey-2CL Mahanon ES, Tandag City
Construction of 1 Storey-2CL Tandag CES, Tandag City
Construction of 1 Storey-2CL Bioto ES, Tandag City
Contract Location : Cortes & Tandag, Surigao deI Sur
Scope of Work : earthworks, concrete works, reinforcing steel bars, trusses,
roofng, masonry works & other provisions
Approved Budget
for the Contract
(ABC) : Php 8,026,576.34
Contract Duration : 60 C.D.
Cost of Bidding
Documents : Php 10,000.00
Contract ID : 12NH 0077
Contact Name : Package 4 - Construction of School Buildings
Construction of 1 Storey-3CL Bangsud SS, Tago
Construction of 1 Storey-3CL Gamut NHS Annex, Tago
Construction of 1 Storey-2CL Jubang ES, Tago
Construction of 1 Storey-1CL Sumo-sumo NHS Annex,
Tago
Contract Location : Tago, Surigao deI Sur
Scope of Work : earthworks, concrete works, reinforcing steel bars, trusses,
roofng, masonry works & other provisions
Approved Budget
for the Contract
(ABC) : Php 5,424,749.79
Contract Duration : 60 C.D.
Cost of Bidding
Documents : Php 10,000.00
The BAC will conduct the procurement process in accordance with the Revised IRR
of R.A. 9184. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at
the opening of bid.
To bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI), purchase
bidding documents and must meet the following major criteria: (a) prior registration
with DPWH, (b) Filipino citizen or 75% Filipino-owned partnership, corporation,
cooperative, or joint venture, (c) with PCAB license applicable to the type and cost
of this contract, (d) completion of similar contract costing at least 50% of ABC within
period of 10 years, and (e) Net Financial Contracting Capacity at least equal to ABC,
or credit line commitment for at least 10% of ABC. The BAC will use non-discretionary
pass/fail criteria in the eligibility check and preliminary examination of bids.
Unregistered contractors, however, shall submit their applications for registration
to the DPWH-POCW Central Offce before the deadline for the receipt of LO.
The DPWH-POCW Central Offce will only process contractor's applications for
registration with complete requirements and issue the Contractor's Certifcate of
Registration (CRC). Registration Forms may be downloaded at DPWH website
www.dpwh.gov.ph.
The signifcant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown below:
Activities Schedule
1. ssuance of Bidding Documents December 28January 16, 2013
2. Pre-Bid Conference January 04, 2013@ 9:00 a.m.
3. Deadline of Receipt of LO from
Prospective Bidders
January 15, 2013@ 10:00 a.m.
4. Receipt of Bids Deadline: January 16, 2013@ 8:45 a.m.
5. Opening of Bids January 16, 2013 @ 9:00 a.m.
The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents (BDs) at DPWH Surigao
del Sur 1
st
Engineering District Ofce. Prospective bidders may also download the
BDs from the DPWH website, if available. Prospective bidders that will download the
BDs from the DPWH website shall pay the said fees on or before the submission of
their Bid Documents. The Pre-Bid Conference shall be open only to interested parties
who have purchased the BDs. Bids must be accompanied by a bid security, in the
amount and acceptable form, as stated in Section 27.2 of the Revised RR.
Prospective bidders shall submit their duly accomplished forms as specifed in
the BDs in two (2) separate sealed bid envelopes to the BAC Chairman. The frst
envelope shall contain the technical component of the bid, which shall include a copy
of the CRC. The second envelope shall contain the fnancial component of the bid.
Contract will be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid as determined in
the bid evaluation and the post-qualifcation.
The DPWH Surigao del Sur 1
st
Engineering District Ofce reserves the right to
accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process at any time prior to award of
contract, without thereby incurring any liability to affected bidder/s.
Approved by:
(Sgd.) AGUSTIN R. ESTAL, MPA
Engineer III
(BAC-Chairman)
Republic of the Philippines
Department of PubIic Works and Highways
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ENGINEER
Daet, Camarines Norte
I NVI TATI ON TO BI D
(MST-Dec. 31, 2012)
The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Department of Public Works and
Highways, Camarines Norte Engineering District, invites contractors to bid for the
aforementioned projects:
Contract ID : 12FC0320
Contract Name : COMPLETION OF ON-GOING BRIDGES ALONG
NATIONAL ROADS
(including approaches) ANAMEAM BRIDGE
Contract Location : Brgy. Anameam, Labo Camarines Norte
Scope of Work : 30.00 l.m. Bridge, Approaches, River Revetment
Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) : Php 9,999,526.00
Contract Duration : 120 C.D.
Source of Fund :
Tender Documents : Php 10,000.00
Contract ID : 12FC0321
Contract Name : COMPLETION OF ON-GOING BRIDGES ALONG
NATIONAL ROADS
(including approaches) GUISICAN BRIDGE
Contract Location : Brgy. Guisican, Labo Camarines Norte
Scope of Work : 30.00 l.m. Bridge, Approaches, River Revetment
Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) : Php 9,999,191.00
Contract Duration : 120 C.D.
Source of Fund :
Tender Documents : Php 10,000.00
The BAC will conduct the procurement process in accordance with the Revised
RR of R.A. 9184. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected
at the opening of bid.
To bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI),
purchase bid documents and must meet the following major criteria: (a) prior
registration with DPWH, (b) Filipino citizen or 75% Filipino-owned partnership,
corporation, cooperative, or joint venture, (c) with PCAB license applicable to the
type and cost of this contract, (d) completion of a similar contract costing at least
50% of ABC within a period of 10 years, (e) Net Financial Contracting Capacity at
least equal to ABC, or credit line commitment at least equal to 10% of ABC, and (f)
Prospective Bidders must submit complete List of Equipment to be used for above
Projects. The said List of Equipment must be owned/leased by the bidder itself (g) all
interested Bidder/s who wish to participate in this competitive bidding are required to
have an Actual Site Inspection (ASI) on the above mention projects.
Unregistered contractors, however, shall submit their applications for
registration to the DPWH-POCW Central Offce before the deadline for the receipt
of LO. The DPWH-POCW Central Offce will only process contractors' applications
for registration with complete requirements and issue the Contractor's Certifcate of
Registration (CRC). Registration Forms may be downloaded at the DPWH website
www.dpwh.gov.ph.
The signifcant times and deadlines of procurements activities are shown below:
1. Issuance of Bidding Documents From DECEMBER 28, 2012 to JANUARY 24, 2013
2. Pre-Bid Conference JANUARY 4, 2013 @ 2:00 P.M.
3. Deadline of Receipt of LOI from
Prospective Bidders
JANUARY 4, 2013 until 10:00 A.M.
4. Receipt of Bids JANUARY 24, 2013 until 10:00 A.M.
5. Opening of Bids JANUARY 24, 2013 @ 2:00 P.M.
The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents (BDs) at the Ofhce of
the BAC, DPWH, Daet, Camarines Norte, upon payment of a non-refundable fee
of (see cost of tender documents above). Prospective bidders may also download
the BDs from the DPWH website, if available. Prospective bidders that will download
the BDs from the DPWH website shall pay the said fees on or before the submission
of their bids Documents. The Pre-Bid Conference shall be open only to interested
parties who have purchased the BDs. Bids must accompanied by a bid security,
in the amount and acceptable form, as stated in Section 27.2 of the Revised RR.
Prospective bidders shall submit their duly accomplished forms as specifed
in the BD's in two (2) separate sealed bid envelopes to the BAC Chairman. The
frst envelope shall contain the technical component of the bid, which shall include
a copy of the CRC. The second envelope shall contain the fnancial component
of the bid. Contract will be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid as
determined in the bid evaluation and post-qualifcation.
The Department of Public Works and Highways, Camarines Norte Engineering
District reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process at
any time prior contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected
bidders.
(Sgd.) RICARDO L. PACARDO
OIC-Asst. District Engineer
BAC Chairman
Noted:
(Sgd.) SIMON N. ARIAS
OIC-District Engineer
Ever growing threats. Trend Micro saw 2012 with cybercriminals becoming
more aggressive. In 2013, the security rm predict new challenges arising from
mobile users engaging on multiple devices and platforms. Trendmicro.com
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
DECEMBER 31, 2012 MONDAY
C4
Isah V. Red, Editor standard.showbiz@gmail.com
showbitz
Manila Standard TODAY
ISAH V.
RED
SIMPLY RED
Reel Time program manager Nowell Cuanang,
videographer Eugene Naing, production
administrator Jhoalyn Nieva and executive
producer and director Eleazar del Rosario
The lm Ang Nawawala, where Dominic Roco
plays the lead role, was chosen for international pre-
miere at the 19
th
Slamdance Film Festival on Janu-
ary in Utah, USA. It is one of only 12 movies picked
from 5,000 lms, emphasizing the strong appeal it
has gained as one of this years most talked-about
indie production. The said festival is a yearly occa-
sion reserved for laudable indie icks.
Dominic, twin brother of Felix Roco and son of
Bembol Roco, plays Gibson Bonifacio in the lm
directed by Marie Jamora. Bonifacio is a balik-
bayan who has relationship issues with his family
and friends. He has also problems with his romantic
relationship. These are all played out against a back-
drop of a healthy Manila music scene.
Ang Nawawala, which also stars his twin brother
Felix, won the Audience Choice award (for New
Breed Full-Feature Category) at the Cinemalaya
Philippine Independent Film Festival 2012. It also
took home the Best Music citation. Interestingly,
the Slamdance-bound movie is loaded with actor-
musicians like Boboy Garrovillo (ex-APO Hiking
Society member), Marc Abaya (of Kjwan) and
Kelvin Yu (of Itchyworms).
Dominic also plays an intriguing acting part in
another recent indie movie entitled Madaling Araw,
Mahabang Gabi which stars Angelica Panganiban.
In the movie he plays a gay man, which he said he
accepted as gratitude for the lms director Dante
Nico Garcia who is a close friend of his and who
did much for his growth as an actor.
In November, he was seen opposite Glaiza De
Castro in the TV comeback of the legal drama
Kapag Nasa Katuwiran, Ipaglaban Mo! hosted by
Atty. Jose and Jopet Sison. The pilot episode he
acted in is called Hari Ng Tahanan.
Now that Dominic is gaining the recognition
he had been itching to get, he doesnt feel less
talented than his twin brother Felix who of recent
times has been very active in the indie circuit.
Dominic has remained tied down to GMA Artist
Center, while Felix is doing freelance work under
an independent management team. But, Dominic
is grateful that the Kapuso network is now giving
him projects unlike in the previous months when it
seemed the network has left him out in the cold.
In January, his fans will see him in In-
dio, the new GMA series starring Ra-
mon Bong Revilla, Jr.
Globes iPhone
5 subs enjoying
networks upgrade
On Dec. 14, the iP-
hone 5 was ofcially re-
leased in the Philippines
through the top two big-
gest mobile networks in
the countryGlobe and
Smart. There was so much
fuzz and expectation on
iPhone 5 coming here in
the Philippines that the two
networks launched on the
same date on different ven-
ues with glitz and glamour to
welcome the much-awaited
phone of the year. Undoubt-
edly, the demand for this latest
Apple product is enormous that
both networks have no advantage
over the other in terms of exclu-
sivity. As far as sales of the iPhone 5
are concerned, sky is the limit for both
networks. I even heard from a very reli-
able source that the number one network
in postpaid subscribers has already reser-
vations for the iPhone 5 close to a hundred
thousand. The competition between these
two networks now lies on their network
service that will complement such top of
the line mobile phone.
Smarts network upgrade has already
been in place as early as July of this year.
Globe, on the other hand, is undergoing
its 100 percent equipment transformation
and an entire infrastructure change-out
that will create a brand new network,
which is targeted to be complete by
the rst quarter of 2013. In compari-
son, Smarts upgrade is a mere add-on
to their existing network system while Globe is
changing the whole infrastructure for the entire
archipelago that is ready for the next generation
of communication technology.
With Globes modernization project underway
and is currently at 75 percent completion, a good
number of subscribers of Globe are now enjoying
the benets of a brand new network. As far as the
provinces of Davao, Zamboanga, Misamis and its
nearby provinces, and in the Visayas region, spear-
headed by the queen city of the south, Cebu, and
the world-famous beach island resort of Boracay,
these areas are now reaping the benets of Globes
network transformation. In most areas where the
modernization project is on full implementation,
subscribers are experiencing better mobile cover-
age that will result to a crystal clear voice call and
on-time delivery of text message, increased data
speeds and better network reliability for super fast
surng on the Internet. My friends from Davao are
now harping that they get speeds of up to 5mbps
on their Internet connection from Globe on a con-
stant basis.
Not too far from the completion of the mod-
ernization project of
Globe is the pre-
mier nan-
cial dis-
trict of
Makati,
whi ch
n o w
has a
wi de-
spread
3G and
4 G -
H S PA
cover -
age and
is ready
for the fu-
ture in net-
work com-
mu n i c a t i o n
technology of
Long Term
E v o -
lution or LTE which can re data speeds up to
42mbps. With this development in the Makati
area, we are now at par with the best and world-
class network coverage enjoyed by our neighbor-
ing countries in Asia.
For us to enjoy the functionality and savvy of
iPhone 5 one has to have a network system that
can truly support the ingenuity of this mobile de-
vice. With the positive outlook on Globes mod-
ernization project, we have a clear choice on the
network that would give us satisfaction on the use
of iPhone 5 and other mobile devices of the same
caliber. No wonder, even the tweet peeps made
the launch of the iPhone 5 for Globe a global
trending on that day. Truly, a world-class phone
deserves a world-class network.

Batang Halau Best TV Show
GMA News TVs Reel Time took home the 2012
Migration Advocacy and Media Award for Best TV
Show for its episode on stateless children, Batang
Halau.
Batang Halau documents the halau children
of Sabah, Malaysia. Halau, which means driven
away in Malay, are persons without any docu-
ments to prove their identity or nationality.
Majority of them are Filipinos who left the
southern islands of the Philippines to escape armed
conict and poverty. They recount the hardships
they face as stateless persons in a foreign
country, and their dreams of having a
formal education and recognition of
their identity.
It is estimated that there are
more or less 50,000 halau people
in Sabah, Malaysia. Since they
are considered illegal immi-
grants, the Malaysian govern-
ment does not provide them
with shelter, medical assis-
tance or education.
We were aware of the
illegal migration going on
in the southernmost parts
of Mindanao to Sabah.
Reel Time decided to
chronicle the stories of
the children who have
been deprived of their
basic rights, most im-
portantly education,
said Eleazar del Ro-
sario, the director and
executive producer of
the documentary.
It is truly a great
honor for GMA News
TVs Reel Time to be
recognized as MAMs Best TV
Show, said Nowell Cuanang, Senior
Program Manager. We are inspired to pursue
more quality documentaries in the coming
years.
Twelve media entries from the United States,
Australia, Kuwait and the Philippines received
the Migration Advocacy and Media (MAM)
Award this year. The MAM awards were
conceived by the Commission on Filipino
Overseas (CFO) to recognize the signicant
contribution of media in raising public
awareness on issues and challenges re-
lated to migration and development.
NICKELODEON, the premier entertainment
channel for kids, gave two of its lucky fans the
best gift ever this Christmasa jaw-dropping
P50,000-shopping spree each at Toy Kingdom.
Nine year-old Bea Cruz and eight year-old
Jaime Calilung were the winners of the annual
Nickelodeon Toy Run, taking home P50,000
worth of toys each and an additional P50,000
worth donated to SM Foundation, Inc.
A once-in-a-lifetime treat, Bea and Jaime
dashed back and forth in the aisles of the Toy
Kingdom store at SM Mall of Asia to collect
all of the toys they want in only three minutes.
Armed with several shopping carts and a posi-
tive attitude, both kids made the most out of
their exciting run.
Both winners expressed a little nervous-
ness and denitely much enthusiasm taking
on the daunting yet thrilling task. I was feel-
ing butteries in my stomach at the start, but
I knew exactly what I wanted to get because I
already took a look at the Toy Kingdom cata-
logue, says Bea. I made sure to get some-
thing for all ve of my siblings and of course,
the kids well be meeting today, adds Jaime.
I got robots, LEGOs and stuffed toys for my
brothers and dolls, bags and notebooks for
my sisters. That same day, Bea and Jaime
personally handed over their selected toys to
200 children from SM Foundation, and spent
the day with them playing games, enjoying
snacks and just having a blast. It makes me
feel happy and proud knowing that Im giving
other kids another reason to smile this Christ-
mas, shares Bea.
In collaboration with Toy Kingdom, the
Toy Run is Nickelodeons gift-giving activity
held especially for the holiday season to ben-
et children supported by the SM Foundation,
Inc. Were very honored to be chosen as the
beneciary and we hope this partnership with
Nickelodeon and Toy Kingdom continues every
year, says Eleanor Lansang, SM Foundation,
Inc. Project Ofcer.
Watch out for Nickelodeons upcoming
events to experience the best of what Nick has
in store for its loyal fans. For more info, log on
to nick-asia.com.
A Good
Day To Die
Hard
YOUVE seen the trailer.
Bruce Willis as John Mc-
Clane is being warned not to
make a mess in Moscow where
he sets foot the rst time. But
Willis is back like hell in the 5
th
installment of the blockbuster
franchise Die Hard lmsA
Good Day To Die Hard co-star-
ring Jai Courtney as his son,
John McClane Jr.
20
th
Century Fox reveals the
badass poster of A Good Day To
Die Hard with father and son
ready to shoot in the midst of a
burning Masjid structure in the
heart of Moscow.
Iconoclastic, take-no-pris-
oners cop John McClane, for
the rst time, nds himself on
foreign soil after traveling to
Moscow to help his wayward
son Jackunaware that Jack
is really a highly-trained CIA
operative out to stop a nuclear
weapons heist. With the Rus-
sian underworld in pursuit, and
battling a countdown to war,
the two McClanes discover that
their opposing methods make
them unstoppable heroes.
Feb. 13, 2013 is A Good
Day To Die Hard in Philippine
cinemas (nationwide) from 20
th
Century Fox and distributed by
Warner Bros.
PRFUGOS (The Fugitives), a
brand new original series pro-
duced by HBO Latin America,
will premiere in Asia on Fri-
day, Jan. 4 at 10 p.m. on Cin-
emax. The 13-episode season,
lmed entirely in Chile, centers
around a failed drug trafcking
operation that sparks a frantic
pursuit of four men who nd
themselves forced to nd ref-
uge throughout Chilean terri-
tory, as they ee from both the
maa and the law.
The four PrfugosVicente
Ferragut (Nestor Cantillana),
Alvaro Tegui Parraguez
(Benjamin Vicua), Oscar Sal-
amanca (Francisco Reyes) and
Mario Moreno (Luis Gnecco)
are contracted by Kika Fer-
ragut (Claudia Di Girolamo) to
transport a liquid cocaine ship-
ment from the border of Bolivia
to the Chilean port of Iquique.
Nevertheless, in the midst of
the nal delivery, a shot rings
out from a nearby terrace, un-
leashing a violent ambush.
The cast of Prfugos also
includes: Blanca Lewin, Aline
Kuppenheim, Luis Dubo,
Marcelo Alonso, Amparo
Noguera, Angelica Castro,
Hector Morales and Camila
Hirane, among others.
A complex web of ambi-
tions, interests and corruption
move the threads of this story,
where no one is who they ap-
pear to be, everyone hides a
past and sheer desperation
unites an unlikely foursome
before the critical need to es-
cape. The four Prfugos ee
without knowing exactly who
pursues them.
Prfugos was lmed over a
six-month period in High De-
nition format; featured locations
include a variety of majestic
landscapes in Iquique, Valpara-
so, Santiago, Farellones, Puerto
Montt and other Chilean cities
and desert regions that share
border with Bolivia.
Lucky kids at Nickelodeons Christmas Toy Run
New series
on Cinemax
DOMINIC ROCO
goes international
HE must be very optimistic
about his career in the coming
year, especially that the
cult indie movie he stars in
is bound for international
exposure after it was short
listed by a prestigious festival
abroad for its latest edition.
Dominic Roco slides away from the shadow of his
father and twin brother Felix