BusinessMirror June 8, 2015

B L S. M

APULIT ISLAND, Palawan—The tollways arm of Metro Pa-cific Investments Corp.(MPIC)

is looking at participating in two more road-construction projects un-der the government’s flagship infra-structure program, a senior executive said over the weekend. 

In a media briefing here, Ma-nila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC) President Rodrigo E. Franco said his company will be vying for the Central Luzon Expressway (CLEX) and the Plaridel Bypass Tollroad once these public-private partner-ship (PPP) deals have been placed on the auction block.  “Since both are in the north, MNTC will be keen to participate in these projects,” he said over

dinner on Saturday.  Specifically, the company is in-terested in vying for the second phase of the CLEX, as the first phase of the toll-road development project will be implemented under a loan from Japan.  Phase One will involve the con-struction of a thoroughfare that will interconnect Tarlac and Caba-natuan in Nueva Ecija. The state has

BANGKOK—Thailand is eager to show its newfound tough-ness on human trafficking,

taking reporters on patrols and tours of former camps; cooperat-ing with neighboring countries and the US; and arresting dozens of of-ficials—including a high-ranking officer in the military that now controls the country. The junta even had a “National Anti-Human Trafficking Day.”

The Southeast Asian country is trying to dissuade Western gov-ernments from leveling economic sanctions, but it has a daunting enemy: history. “Thailand remains a major center for human trafficking.” Those words were emblazoned on a huge headline in a Thai daily

newspaper printed nearly three years ago. The country’s answer was largely to ignore the problem, until recent events made that impossible.

The discovery of 36 bodies at abandoned traffickers’ camps near Thailand’s southern border with Malaysia has intensified interna-tional pressure on Thailand to crack down on smugglers. So has a subse-quent crisis involving thousands of migrants who were stranded at sea by their traffickers—and whose boats were pushed back by Thai officials. Those migrants, mainly Bangladeshis and ethnic Rohingya migrants from Myanmar, are just part of a human-trafficking problem that also includes Thai fishing boats that have used slave labor.

www.businessmirror.com.ph �Saturday 18, 2014 Vol. 10 No. 40 P. | | 7 DAYS A WEEK�Monday, June 8, 2015 Vol. 10 No. 242

A broader look at today’s businessBusinessMirrorBusinessMirrorTHREETIME

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PESO EXCHANGE RATES US 44.8080 JAPAN 0.3603 UK 68.8699 HK 5.7803 CHINA 7.2259 SINGAPORE 33.2625 AUSTRALIA 34.3725 EU 50.3866 SAUDI ARABIA 11.9488 Source: BSP (5 June 2015)

MNTC keen on bidding for CLEXTOLLWAYS ARM OF METRO PACIFIC INVESTMENTS CORP. SETS SIGHTS ON ROAD PROJECTS IN C. LUZON

Thailand scrambles to boost image on human trafficking

WANTED: FRESH IDEAS FOR EL NIÑO MITIGATION

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INSIDE

Life Life Life D1

Life BusinessMirror

Life Life ALL ACCESS:THE FUTURE

IS BRIGHT FOR LIZA SOBERANO»D2 Life SILENT UNITY PRAYER, YETTA CRUZ AND LOUIE M. LACSON

Word&Life Publications • [email protected] Life Life Constant unfailing care

DEAR God, in any unforeseen situation, we be rest assured that

You are always with us. There is no place where You are not there. No place where You cannot keep us safe and secure. No place where we can hide away from You. No time that You can ever forsake us. Your loving protection is mightier than any circumstance. We know, we are blessed by Your constant unfailing care. Amen.

Monday, June 8, 2015• [email protected]

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Life Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

TOP Florsheim Regional Executive Eric Leung returned to Manila recently to further highlight the signi�cance of the

Philippine market for its growing global presence.“�e Philippines is the third biggest market

in Asia-Paci�c region. We see the relevance of our brand here and commit to continuously address the fashion requirements of every Filipino, male and female,” Leung said.

Florsheim Philippines (tinyurl.com/p6bkphm) grows with an additional store in Ayala Fairview Terraces in Quezon City, its 10th in the country which Leung visited.

In an intimate gathering with select members of the media and bloggers, Leung talked about the brand’s 22-year partnership with Retail Specialist Inc. (RSI), the exclusive distributor of Florsheim around these parts, current and exciting future fashion trends, and the Florsheim edge.

“We have been partners with RSI for over 22 years now. �rough them, Florsheim is made available to the Philippine market—competitively priced and expertly showcased in strategically located stores in prominent malls in Manila, Cebu and Davao.”

Leung also shared his impressions on the discerning taste of Filipinos when it comes to footwear. For classic brands like Florsheim, which was established in 1982, loyal customers are maintained by making sure that the classic styles remain relevant and updated. New customers are gained with the development of new styles that come in a variety of colors. Florsheim enjoys consumer preference particularly because it supplies the need of consumers for the basic and the new—produced with premium-quality raw materials and meticulous product development.

“We have a rich heritage incomparable

to others. Our focus remains on designing sophisticated, elegant and contemporary shoes that cater to all walks of life. We make our shoes using leading-edge technology and superior workmanship that results in exceptional quality, comfort and styling that people around the world have grown to love for the past more than 120 years.”

As for trends, Leung sees men going for a more directional, rounder toe shape with neutral tones like cognac and taupe. Women, on the other hand, will continue to see the man shoe and ankle bootie increasingly become popular, with the gradual introduction of �ats coming back in to fashion.

Consumers will also continue to look for comfort, �exibility and durability when buying quality classic and fashionable shoes, he said, adding that the Asian market will direct its sights on fashion, especially for young executives.

❶ PINK horse hair-draped gown ❷ BLACK and white checkered kaftan modeled by Marina Benipayo❸ GOLD checkered kaftan modeled by Patty Betita❹ POLKA dots kaftan modeled by Aya Abesamis, daughter of Ben Farrales

muse Desiree Abesamis ❺ ONESHOULDER fully beaded black gown ❻ YELLOW-GOLD Muslim-inspired dress modeled by Patty Betita❼ BLUE draped dress modeled by Aya Abesamis❽ THE Dean of Philippine Fashion Ben Farrales with SM Megamall Mall Manager Egbert Lim, SM SVP for Marketing Millie Dizon and Filipino Heritage President Armita Rufino at the recent Ben Farrales Tribute Fashion Show at SM

Megamall’s Mega Fashion Hall.

IT’S not often that people get to see the masterful artistry of design legend Ben Farrales outside the usual avenues of posh social gatherings and exclusive fashion shows. �at said, mallgoers could only

have regarded as a privilege the rare opportunity to see the couture collections of Ben Farrales, the Dean of Philippine Fashion, in a fashion show and exhibit held recently at SM Megamall’s Mega Fashion Hall.

A joint project of the Filipino Heritage Festival Inc. and SM, with support from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the show was held in time for the Heritage Month celebrations. Fashion, after all, is an integral part of our culture, and the presentation gave a whole new generation of stylish women a glimpse of Mang Ben’s Mang Ben’s Mangcreative genius.

�ese included timeless pieces that celebrate his work: vibrant Muslim-themed dresses (as inspired by Cotabato women), printed kaftans, draped horse-hair gowns, and fully beaded blouses and skirts that artfully display a woman’s shape and beauty. �e audience was also spellbound with the allure of elegant Maria Claras and traditional ternos as only Mang Ben could do Filipiniana.Mang Ben could do Filipiniana.Mang

A reprise of an earlier tribute fashion show, the clothes were worn by Mang Ben’s Mang Ben’s Mangmuses: Annette Coronel, Celine Magat-Lopez, Suyen Chi-Sia, Izza Gonzalez-Agana, Marina Benipayo, Patty Betita and Desiree Abesamis, along with upcoming models Aya Abesamis, Justine Gabionza and Emerald Villahermosa.

Among Filipino designers, Ben Farrales is most famous for his Muslim-inspired look where tribal elements and indigenous materials are woven together, his Filipiniana works of art, and color-rich designs. His creations are unmistakably Filipino and without question world-class, and the event honored his artistry and love for his craft.

�e event paid tribute not only to Mang Ben’s artistry, but also his advocacies Mang Ben’s artistry, but also his advocacies Mangthat made him a recipient of the 2005 10 Outstanding Filipinos.

A tribute to ‘Mang Ben’ the greatto ‘Mang Ben’ the great❶

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Florsheim regional exec visits Manila

FLORSHEIM Regional Executive Eric Leung

www.businessmirror.com.ph Monday, June 8, 2015BusinessMirror E 1

© 2013 Harvard Business School Publishing Corp. (Distributed by �e New York Times Syndicate)

B D B

YOUR boss told you to “think OUR boss told you to “think OURoutside the box.” You found a great idea, prepared an amazing

pitch—and still got shot down.

GET BUY-IN FOR YOUR CRAZY IDEA

We like to think that great ideas are recognized from the start, but that’s rare. We’re not always so

good at recognizing the value of innovative thinking. In fact, in an experiment by Jennifer Mueller,

managers were more likely to re-ject the very ideas that excited customers. The most creative ideas also are likelier to look im-possible to execute, even if they are entirely feasible.

How can we persuade others that our ideas are worth investing in? Everett Rodgers, a sociology professor at Ohio State Univer-sity, published the now-famous “Diffusion of Innovation” study in 1962 and coined the term “early adopter.” Rodgers gathered data from more than 500 studies on

why ideas catch on. He identified five essential influencers:

Relative advantage is the degree to which an idea or product is per-ceived as better than the existing standard. If your idea can be framed as an advantage over existing prod-ucts, it stands a far better chance of being tried.

Compatibility refers to whether the idea is a logical extension of the status quo. The less compatible your new idea is with existing systems, the harder the adoption.

Complexity concerns how readily

people can grasp the new idea or use the new product. If you have to spend significant time explaining how your idea will work, it’s never going to win people over.

Trialability is the degree of effort involved in implementing the inno-vation. If an idea requires signifi-cant investment before returning any advantage, it’s less likely to be deemed worth trying. If it can’t be tried on a small scale, it’s less likely to be adopted on a large scale.

Observability refers to how dis-cernible the results are to people

trying the idea. Those first testers have to experience clear results to share with others. Regardless of how enthusiastic you are about your idea, you must assess it against these five factors. If most are lack-ing, perhaps it’s time to rethink your idea or refine your pitch.

David Burkus is the author of The Myths of Creativity: The Truth About How In-novative Companies and People Generate Great Ideas. He is also founder of LDRLB and assistant professor of management at Oral Roberts University.

B J W

THIS might sound obvious, but if you want to build a more engaged work force

you need to engage. Whether you are a CEO or a frontline manager, you must work hard to connect face-to-face with your people. But most leaders can’t sit down with every per-son in the company, in every office around the world. So what should you do instead?

In my experience as CEO of Red Hat, I’ve learned that being accessible and approachable is critical to effective leadership. I try to connect with associates

whenever I can, either in person or via electronic correspondence. And nothing builds engagement more than being accountable to the people in your organization. You have to have the confidence to own your mistakes and admit when you’re wrong.

Think about it: Who would you trust—the person who denies anything is amiss or the person who admits his error and fol-lows up with a plan to correct it? I’ve found that leaders who show their vulnerability foster greater engagement among their associ-ates. Early in my tenure as CEO, we acquired a company whose

underlying technology wasn’t en-tirely open source. But rewriting the code would mean months of work. After much debate, I made the call to go to market with the product as is. Big mistake. Both our associates and our customers disliked the product. There was only one thing to do at that point: rewrite the code. Now we would be off schedule by more than a year.

The delay caused quite a bit of anger and frustration among Red Hatters. But I admitted I was wrong to the staff and my board of direc-tors, and I told them we were doing our best to address the mistake. That earned my staff’s trust.

When you don’t make time to explain why you’ve made a decision, people may assume the worst: that you’re detached, dumb or don’t care. When I explained my original ratio-nale, people understood. Explain-ing why decisions were made builds engagement which also makes you a stronger leader.

Being accessible, admitting mis-takes and saying you’re sorry aren’t liabilities. They are tools you can use to build your credibility and author-ity to lead.

Jim Whitehurst is the president and CEO of Red Hat and the author of the book The Open Organization.

B S A, D D P M.A. S

WHAT should leaders do to boost their organi-zation’s ability to inno-

vate? The list of options is seem-ingly endless. Set up a new-growth group. Change the reward system. Form a venture investment fund. Build an open innovation plat-form. Hire seasoned innovators. Too frequently, however, compa-nies decide what they’re going to do before determining whythey’re doing it. First you need to answer a fundamental question: What problem does innovation solve?

A clear problem innovation can solve is creating new growthPERHAPS competitive intensity has increased or a new development has emerged, or a company’s core busi-ness has slowed. Meeting growth and profit objectives now requires a company to boost its ability to create new businesses that wouldn’t naturally result from day-to-day operations. In this case, efforts are best isolated from the core busi-ness to minimize distraction. Start by building what we have called a minimum viable innovation sys-tem, a focused set of interventions designed to kick-start new growth.

A different problem is how to compete more effectively in existing marketsTHROUGH innovation, perhaps frontline salespeople can find,

attract and retain customers; or internal support functions can deliver more with less.

In this case, innovation mind-sets and behaviors need to be in-fused into the day-to-day activi-ties of a broader population.

High-leverage interventions might include investing in em-ployee training or dedicating a team to help others with common innovation activities, like design-ing and executing experiments.

Or you may want to tackle both problems simultaneouslyTHAT is, reap new growth from existing operations while also pursuing business beyond its current boundaries. Here, efforts should focus on institutional-izinginnovation by working on under lying systems that govern resource allocation and decision-making. Such efforts, because of their scale and scope, require senior leadership commitment.

Innovation is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Taking the time to determine which strategy is ap-propriate will focus your attention and accelerate the impact of your innovation efforts.

Scott Anthony is the managing part-ner of Innosight. His new book is The First Mile: A Launch Manual for Get-ting Great Ideas into the Market. Da-vid Duncan is a senior partner with In-nosight. Pontus M.A. Siren is a partner in Innosight’s Singapore office.

B N K

LATIN America is a modern marketer’s dream. By 2020 nearly one out of every 10

dollars in the world economy will come from Latin America. The re-gion will soon represent 9 percent of global gross domestic product, with 640 million customers. It also has the fourth-largest mobile mar-ket in the world, with social-media adoption surpassing that of the US. Positioned at the forefront of digital and mobile adoption, Latin America provides insight into how new marketing trends are taking hold on a global scale.

At HubSpot, we surveyed 2,700 marketers in Latin America about inbound marketing, which involves capturing customers’ attention with content through social media and organic search—a more efficient approach to generating sales in the Internet era than traditional “push”

marketing efforts. Our research re-veals that inbound methods are a particularly good fit for small- and medium-sized businesses. A few highlights show how marketing, and especially inbound marketing, are evolving in Latin America:

Inbound marketing is commonplaceTHE vast majority (86 percent) of Latin American marketers sur-veyed were familiar with inbound marketing, and 60percent said they practice it today.

The cost of acquiring leads is lowerCOMPANIES using inbound tech-niques spend 63 percent less to ac-quire new leads than those that do not. That’s likely because inbound marketing focuses a marketer’s efforts on reaching buyers when they are already interested.Out-bound techniques are far more ex-pensive, and often involve flood-ing the market, including those

who are not necessarily interested, with messages to lure buyers.

Marketing automation softwareis not prevalent yetMORE than one in every three companies in North America pur-chases some type of marketing automation software, which au-tomates processes such as send-ing e-mail campaigns to segments of a database, guiding them to marketing offers and collecting their data. By comparison, very few companies in Latin America use marketing software today, and only 3 percent of respon-dents listed automation as their top priority for software features. Instead, these marketers are more focused on content creation and search engine optimization. Why? Generally, leads from inbound techniques, in which someone is already searching for a solution, tend to close more rapidly than

leads from outbound methods.

Visual and video content are more important in latin americaSEVENTEEN percent of market-ers in Latin America reported prioritizing visual and video con-tent, compared to 11 percent of their North American counter-parts. With higher adoption of mobile and social in this region, it makes sense that this type of content would be prioritized.

In today’s increasingly online world, small- and medium-sized businesses with less capital are more empowered than ever to gain market share from larger rivals by expanding their reach faster and inexpensively. Global busi-nesses are not only embracing the inbound marketing trend, they’re driving it forward.

Nataly Kelly is the vice president of marketing at HubSpot.

How marketing is evolving in Latin America

Be a leader who can admit mistakes

Innovation isn’t the answer to all your problems

BusinessMirrorPerspective

Monday, June 8, 2015E4

U.S. RATCHETS UP PRESSURE ON CHINATHE US military has begun active-ly—and more publicly—challeng-ing China’s sovereignty claims over half a dozen arti� cial islands Bei-jing has been rapidly constructing through massive land reclamation. On May 22 a US Navy P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft—a militarized version of the Boeing 737—� ew from Clark Air Base in the Philippines over Mischief Reef and Fiery Cross Reef, previously submerged coral features that Chi-na occupied in the mid-1990s and late 1980s, and is now expanding into a landmass several times their original size. Recent satellite images show the construction of an airstrip, port facilities, cement factories and barracks, among other installations. US defense o� cials also revealed that China had put two large artil-lery vehicles on one island. In a video captured by CNN, which had a crew on the P-8 � ight, China’s navy dispatcher warned the plane eight times to leave the area, and each time the US pilots responded by saying: “I am a Unit-ed States military aircraft conduct-ing lawful military activities act-ing outside national airspace. I am with due regard in accordance with international law.” � e US refuses to recognize China’s sovereignty over disputed islands. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the US will continue to enforce freedom of navigation in what it considers international wa-ters. US o� cials are concerned that

China could use the islands to for-tify its claims and gain the upper hand by force and intimidation. Washington is considering more military � ights and naval patrols, possibly within 12 nautical miles of the islands—a parameter China con-siders its territorial waters. � e littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth, among the Navy’s most modern vessels, in May completed its patrol of the South China Sea. It encountered a Chinese navy ship, but they contacted each other to avoid any mishap, according to US military o� cials. Capt. Fred Kacher, commodore of the destroyer squadron, said routine operations like this in the South China Sea “will be the new normal” as four more littoral war-ships are expected to be deployed in the region.

CHINA STANDS BY ISLAND-BUILDING, TELLS MILITARY TO PROTECT SEASCHINA says it is “extremely con-cerned” with the possibility that the US could start patrolling close to the islands. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying says freedom of navigation does not mean that for-eign military ships and aircraft can enter another country’s territorial waters or airspace at will. Hua said that China has always safeguarded the freedom and safety of naviga-tion and over� ight in the South China Sea. Defense Ministry Spokesman Yang Yujun compared the island-

building to ordinary construc-tion, such as road-building going on elsewhere in the country. He says such activities are designed to satisfy both military and civil-ian purposes. Yang says the issue has been brought to the fore by an increase in surveillance activities and an e� ort to “deliberately play up the issue in order to smear China’s military and raise tensions in the region.” “I don’t rule out that certain countries are looking for excuses to take certain actions,” Yang said. Communist Party newspaper Global Times warned that Wash-ington should not test Beijing’s restraint or China would have “no choice but to engage.” In the newly updated report on its military strategy, China has add-ed “open seas protection” to its tradi-tional “o� shore waters defense.”

COLD WAR REDUX?THE US and China may not agree on the South China Sea, but the world powers are unlikely to start a con� ict over it. Instead, the South China Sea could become a new theater of Cold War-style confrontations involv-ing close-in military � ights and naval run-ins, the US arming old allies (the Philippines) and seeking new ones (Vietnam). US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed Washington’s deep concern with China’s island-building when he visited Beijing in May. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Ji politely but pointedly dis-

missed it. Both stressed the impor-tance of dialogue. Wang said that the di� erences between China and the US could be managed “as long as we can avoid misunderstanding and, even more importantly, avoid miscalculation.” “� ere aren’t any silver bul-lets to resolving this,” said As-sistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Paci� c Security A� airs David Shear. “It’s going to take time, and it’s going to take some

determined diplomacy by us and with our partners.” Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, asked for supplying lethal weapons to Vietnam and disinviting China from a major Paci� c military ex-ercise next year. However, Adm. Harry Harris, who just took over the US Paci� c Command, says Chi-na’s invitation stays and the two countries must engage if they are to build a better relationship.

LAST WORD“TURNING an underwater rock into an air� eld simply does not a� ord the rights of sovereignty or permit restrictions on international air or maritime transit.”—US Defense Sec-retary Ash Carter, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue security confer-ence in Singapore.

The Associated Press writers Hrvoje Hranjski in Bangkok and Jim Gomez in Manila

contributed to this report

SOUTH CHINA SEA WATCHUS ups pressure with overfl ightsTHE dispute over the strategic waterways of the South

China Sea has intensifi ed, pitting a rising China against its smaller and militarily weaker neighbors

who all lay claim to a string of isles, coral reefs and lagoons known as the Spratly and the Paracel islands. Only about 45 of them are occupied. � e area is one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, rich in fi sh and potentially gas and oil reserves, but it has now emerged as a possible fl ashpoint involving world powers and regional claimants. A look at some of the most recent key developments:

THE alleged ongoing reclamation of Subi Reef by China is seen from Pag-asa Island in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, western Palawan, on May 11. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, the Philippines’s military chief, has � own to the Filipino-occupied island of Pag-asa amid territorial disputes in the area with China, vowing to defend the islet and help the mayor develop tourism and marine resources there. RITCHIE B. TONGO/POOL PHOTO VIA AP

IN this May 24, 2015, � le photo, an antisurface gunnery is � red from China’s Navy missile frigate Yulin during the “Exercise Maritime Cooperation 2015” by Singapore and Chinese navies in the South China Sea. BAO XUELIN/XINUA VIA AP

IN this June 28, 2014, � le photo, US Navy personnel raise their national � ag during the bilateral maritime exercise between the Philippine Navy and US Navy, dubbed Cooperation A� oat Readiness and Training, aboard the USS John S. McCain in the South China Sea near waters claimed by Beijing. NOEL CELIS/POOL PHOTO VIA AP

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter shakes hands with his Vietnamese counterpart Gen. Phung Quang Thanh after the two signed a joint vision statement between the two defense ministries in Hanoi, Vietnam, last Monday. Carter is on a three-day visit to Vietnam to deepen military cooperation between the two former foes. AP/TRAN VAN MINH

PERSPECTIVE E4

‘MANG BEN’ THE GREAT

CRAZY IDEAS

U.S. UPS PRESSURE

LIFE D1

MONDAY MORNING E1

SPECIAL REPORT

IN this February 25, 2010, file photo, a pond is dried up due to an El Niño-induced drought in Jones, Isabela province. NANA BUXANI/BLOOMBERG

B A S. D | Correspondent M G P

First of three parts

IN Spanish El Niño means “the little child.” But there is nothing “little” in the weather phenomenon that bears the Spanish name. In a May 27 article by Bloomberg, forecasters said changes in the weather caused by El Niño may have a global impact from the rice lands of the Phil-ippines to the food markets of Mexico. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmo-spheric Administration (NOAA), El Niño is charac-terized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific. The NOAA said the weather phenomenon can cause increased rainfall in the US and in Peru, and drought in the West Pacific. A study conducted by government statisti-cians, led by former National Statistical Coor-

dination Board (NSCB) chief Romulo A. Virola, noted that the Philippines has experienced a total of 19 El Niño events, seven of which are consid-ered strong, four moderate and eight weak, from 1950 to 2010. “According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geo-physical and Astronomical Services Administration [Pagasa], some of the El Niño years that hit the Phil-ippines were 1965-1966, 1968-1969, 1972-1973, 1976-1977, 1982-1983, 1990-1994, 1997-1998, 2002-2003 and 2009-2010,” the report read. While the primary impact of El Niño on the Philippines is drought, it has “second- and third-order” impacts, according to Pagasa. Citing the state weather bureau, the study noted that El Niño caused unemployment, food shortages and “significant” reduction in productivity. Using data from 1970 to 2009, the study found

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that palay production during strong El Niño years is on the average lower by 26.6 percent compared to nonstrong El Niño years. Corn production during strong El Niño years is on the average lower by 18.5 percent compared to non-strong El Niño years. Currently, the Philippines is ex-periencing a “weak” El Niño. Paga-sa said this would prolong the dry season. In March the state weather bureau said the weak El Niño would not persist, and its impact may not be “significant.” While the current El Niño epi-sode may be weak, the weather phenomenon has already caused damages amounting to nearly P2.2 billion, according to the latest data from the Department of Agricul-ture (DA). Rice crops suffered the brunt of the dry spell. As of May 21, 72,109 metric tons (MT) of palay, valued at P1.21 billion, had already been damaged.  El Niño had also destroyed 73,622 MT of corn, valued at P958.43 mil-lion; and 1,023 MT of high-value crops, costing P19.45 million. Rice and corn are two of the country’s major cash crops.  The DA data indicated that the dry spell affected a total of 25,086 rice farmers from nine regions. The biggest damage was recorded in Re-gion 12, where 7,632 rice farmers lost a total of P532 million. Rice

farmers in Regions 1, 2, 4B, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 also lost a significant amount of money. The dry spell caused by El Niño also affected a total of 21,633 corn farmers mostly from Mindanao. Among the four corn-growing regions that experienced below-normal rainfall, Region 12 recorded the biggest loss at P470.94 million. Nearly 11,000 farmers tilling 12,585 hectares of farm lands took a hit. Losses were also reported by corn farmers in Regions 5, 10 and 11. More than 10,000 farmers in Region 10 in-dicated that they lost 35,468 MT of corn, valued at P463.42 million. Despite this, Agriculture Secre-tary Proceso J. Alcala said the damage is “minimal” compared to the annual rice and corn output of the Philip-pines. Alcala also assured that the government has already put in place the necessary measures to ensure that farmers would be able to cope with the ill-effects of El Niño and produce enough food for all Filipinos. For one, the DA said it has reacti-vated its National El Niño Task Force, which is composed of regional offices and various attached agencies and bureaus. The department came up with an El Niño Mitigation and Ad-aptation Plan, which requires P1.8 billion to implement. The DA said it has “intensified” its monitoring and reporting activi-ties on the status of drought and dry -spell incidence to provide appropri-

ate interventions in affected areas. For irrigated agricultural lands, the DA said it has been coordinating with the National Irrigation Admin-istration for better management of agricultural waters. Information, education and communication ac-tivities have also been conducted among farmers to employ water-saving techniques, such as synchro-nous planting, which make irriga-tion more efficient. For rainfed agricultural lands, the DA has fast-tracked the implemen-

tation of small-scale irrigation proj-ects and construction of rainwater harvesting and drainage facilities. Before the onslaught of the El Niño phenomenon, the department said it has distributed drought-resistant palay seeds, and assisted farmers in the adjustment of their cropping season. The DA has already issued notices to release corn seeds from the buffer stocking program of the Agri-Pinoy Corn Program. To effectively manage “drought” pests, the DA has trained and encour-

aged farmers to practice crop rota-tion to break the continuous food supply to the pests, hence breaking their life cycle. Farmers have, like-wise, been encouraged to minimize the use of synthetic pesticides, and instead massively introduce bio-control agents to preserve the life of helpful organisms. For this, the DA has requested the support of RCPC Trichogramma Laboratory to augment the need of Trichogramma for the control of stem borer in infested areas. Tricho-

gramma is a parasitic species of wasp that kills eggs of stem borers. Alcala and other government of-ficials are crossing their fingers that the adverse impact of El Niño will be minimal, and would not cause a huge shortfall in the country’s food output. But the latest forecast from Pagasa could dampen hopes that the weather phenomenon would cause little destruction. Pagasa said the current El Niño ep-isode could persist until the first half of 2016. The state weather bureau said this could upset planting schedules in many parts of the country, including top rice and corn producers. Earlier this year, some scientists had said there is little chance of El Niño happening this year. Unfortu-nately, this forecast is inaccurate, and has again highlighted the unpredict-ability of the weather. Economists and experts said this makes it more imperative for the government and even the private sector to revisit poli-cies, particularly in the water sector. Dr. Roehlano Briones, senior fellow of government think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies, said there is a need for concerned agencies to “rethink the overall gover-nance framework for the water sector.” As it is, whenever El Niño strikes the Philippines, economists said farmers usually give way to other consumers who use water for drink-ing and cleaning their households.

To be continued

Continued from A1

[email protected] BusinessMirrorMonday, June 8, 2015A2

Wanted: Fresh ideas for El Niño mitigation

BMReports

IN this March 27, 2010, file photo, an elderly woman pushes a cart with water containers in Manila. With the semidrought being experienced in some parts of the country, water authorities lowered the water pressure in some areas of the city, forcing people to fetch water elsewhere. AP/PAt Roque

[email protected] Editor: Dionisio L. Pelayo • Monday, June 8, 2015 A3BusinessMirrorThe Nation

Puno has recommended a con-stitutional convention (Con-con) to amend the 1987 Constitution to avert expected legal challenges against perceived infirmities in the BBL. The law, if enacted, would create a new entity for Muslims in Mindanao.

Asked if the Palace is backing the Puno plan, Secretary Herminio B. Co-loma Jr. said on Sunday that Malaca-ñang prefers to pass the BBL as is.

Coloma, head of the Presiden-tial Communications Operations Office, said the BBL had gone through thorough deliberations, even before it was transmitted by the Executive to Congress for pas-sage into law.

“We would like to see the enact-ment of the BBL in Congress, as it has already gone through the process and is now entering the concluding phase of plenary deliberations be-fore voting,” Coloma added. He said that, throughout the process, the Office of the President had always seen to it that the BBL is compliant with existing laws.

“From the time the Frame-

work Agreement and the annexes were drawn up leading to the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement, and throughout the preparation of the draft BBL that was submitted by the President to Congress, there has always been one primary consideration: that it should conform with the 1987 Constitution,” Coloma told the BusinessMirror.

The official also pointed out that former members of the august body that crafted the 1987 Constitution, ratified and adopted during the in-cumbency of Mr. Aquino’s mother and former President Corazon Aquino, had, likewise, supported the BBL, but suggested changes in some of its provisions. These include the so-called opt-in provi-sion, where “contiguous barangays” in the new entity may choose to join the BBL five to 10 years after its enactment.

“ T h a t t h e p r o p o s e d B B L abides by the Constitution has also been affirmed by the sur-viving members of the consti-tutional commission that au-

thored the Constitution,” Co-loma added.

Citing controversial provisions that require Charter changes, in-cluding its parliamentary character under an existing presidential set-up, Puno called for revision of the Constitution as the alternative to the proposed BBL. The Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in the Philip-pines reiterated that the Mindanao problem cannot be solved by a mere law that will establish a Bangsam-oro government.

The system we are creating so we can have peace in Mindanao is erro-neous, Puno said in Filipino.

“Bumuo tayo ng panukalang ba-tas, ’yang BBL at ’yung Framework Agreement. Dito sa BBL, binibig-yan natin ang Bangsamoro ng ibang structure of government, ng iba’t-ibang kapangyarihan na higit pa sa ipinagkaloob ng ArMM [Autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao], [We crafted a bill: the BBL and the Framework Agree-ment. In the BBL, we are giving the Bangsamoro a different structure of government and various pow-ers more than what was given to the Autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao],” Puno said in a forum in Manila over the weekend.

“Wala pong masama dito kung ito ang pangangailangan nila, kung ito ang tunay na magdudulot ng kapay-apaan sa Mindanao. Ngunit ang tanong po ay maibibigay ba natin ito, magagawa ba natin ito ng hindi natin nilalabag ang ating 1987 Con-

stitution [There’s nothing wrong if this is what they really need, if this is what would bring peace in Mindanao. The question is if we can provide peace without violat-ing the 1987 Constitution],” Puno surmised aloud.

Puno pointed out that Congress cannot give the powers demanded in the BBL “without destroying the unitary character of our government, without violating our 1987 Constitu-tion,” even as he warned of a crisis regardless of the fate of BBL.

“Kaya po sinasabi natin na nasa crisis tayo, dahil ang sitwasyon natin ay isang no-win situation. Kapag hindi pinagtibay ang BBL, may gulo sa Mindanao. Kapag pinagtibay ng walang pagbabago, ito ay labag sa Saligang Batas at ibabasura ng Korte Suprema, at gulo sa Mindan-ao. Kapag pinagtibay ng maraming amyenda, gulo pa din dahil it will not satisfy anybody [That’s why I’m saying we’re in a crisis and we are in a no-win situation. If we don’t en-act the BBL, there would be conflict in Mindanao. If the BBL is enacted sans changes, it would go against the Constitution and rejected by the Supreme Court; and there would be conflict in Mindanao. If the BBL is enacted with many amendments, there would still be conflict because it will not satisfy anybody],” he add-ed. According to the former Chief Justice, the solution is to bring the Mindanao issue before a Con-con so that the proper framework for the distribution of power can be put in a new Constitution.

Palace rejects ex-Chief Justice Puno’s BBL pitch

By Rene Acosta

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) asked the public to be more

vigilant against carjacking, especially during night time as cases continued to be recorded in Metro Manila.

The warning was issued on Sunday by PNP Spokesman Senior Supt. Bartolome Tobias following the release by the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) of the statistics on carjacking under the Oplan (Operational Plan) Lambat-Sibat.

The anticrime campaign Lambat-Sibat was behind the reported decline of criminality in areas where it has so far been initiated, following its implementation in Metro Manila, according to Tobias.

The PNP DIDM recorded 295 carjacking incidents from January 5 up to May 24, 2015. Of this number, 53 percent, or 159 incidents, occurred in the streets either while the vehicle is parked or was forcibly taken from the driver.

On the other hand, the DIDM also noted that carjacking incidents occur during midnight until morning from 12:01 to 8 a.m. Of the 295 incidents, 62 percent, or 183 cases, were recorded during this period.

Tobias said that from an average of 39 incidents per week in December 2013 to June 2014, carjacking incidents in Metro Manila significantly decreased to 14 incidents per week last month, or May 2015.

Tobias said the PNP will intensify its anticrime campaign in cooperation with village officials.

“The PNP will continue to intensify its crime prevention operations through police presence by conducting more foot and mobile patrols at night in coordination with the barangay peacekeeping teams, barangay tanod [village watchmen] and other force multipliers to prevent or address carnapping incidents during the above period,” he said.

By Butch Fernandez

PRESIDENT Aquino rejected the proposal of former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno to solidify the

legal basis of the Palace-endorsed Bangsamoro basic law (BBL).

Police warn public of carjackingas thefts continue to be recorded

BusinessMirror [email protected] A4

Economy

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

The bicameral conference committee was forced to conduct another meeting for the proposed Philippine Fair Competition Act as the two

chambers have yet to reconcile their different ver-sions of the measure. house Committee on Trade and Industry Vice Chairman and Liberal Party Rep. Anthony del Rosa-rio of Davao del Norte said the third bicameral com-mittee is set to meet on Monday to further discuss the key measure. Del Rosario said the two pending issues are on the role of the Department of Justice’s Office of Competi-tion, following the creation of Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and on the penalties. “We [members of the bicam committee] still need to iron out the differences on penalty provision on Monday,” del Rosario said, admitting the two cham-bers both want to retain their respective proposals under penalty provision. “Our next meeting will be on Monday at 2 p.m. hopefully, that will be the last bicameral conference meeting,” added del Rosario, a member of the bicam-eral committee for the lower chamber. Until last Thursday, both houses of Congress are still trying to reconcile their conflicting provisions of the proposed Philippine Fair Competition Act. Under the house version of the bill, any person who fails or neglects to comply with any term or con-dition of a binding ruling, a cease and desist order or an order for readjustment issued by the commission,

shall pay a fine of not less than P50,000 and not more than P2 million for each violation. The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) may also impose upon entities fines of up to P1 million where, intentionally or negligently, they supply incorrect or misleading information in any document, application or other paper filed with or submitted to the commission, the house version said. The bill also provides that an entity that enters into any anti-competitive agreement or conduct as defined under this Act shall, for each and every violation, be penalized by imprisonment from five to 10 years, or a fine up to 10 percent of the annual turnover, based on the audited financial statements of the violator during the previous fiscal year or up to 10 percent of the value of the assets of the vio-lator, whichever is higher, or both imprisonment and fine. But the Senate version provides that, without preju-dice to the violation will of other laws, any entity found to have violated the proposed measure, for each and every violation, will be punished by a fine of not less than P10 million and not exceeding P50 million if a natural entity; by a fine of not less than P250 million but not exceeding P750 million if a juridical entity at the discretion of the commission. The Senate bill also said the commission may, likewise, impose upon any entity fines of not less than P10 million where, intentionally or negligently, they supply incorrect or misleading information in any document.

BUSINeSSMeN, including corporate chief executive officers (CeOs), chief financial officers (CFOs) and general managers (GMs) across the country need

to help develop their respective companies side by side with the expanding Philippine economy to keep the de-sired balance between both internal and external fiscal demands of their business organizations. Under a rapid economic growth regime, the gov-ernment must work hand in hand with the private sector to keep the economy on even keel and fore-stall risks and shocks that can derail its otherwise smooth sailing momentum. This requires internal corporate efficiencies, especially in management of finances for continued growth. “In a company, no matter how big or small, the CeO, CFO and the GM do most of the major financial deci-sions and undertakings. With all the complexities of a single company, these key officers must be knowledge-able and skilled, and must be strongly competitive to be able to perform what the company needs relative to monetary concerns,” Franchise Asia Philippines 2015 overall Chairman Robert F. Trota, president and CeO of Max’s Group Inc., emphasized. Toward this end, Franchise Asia Philippines 2015 has included a special session in its International Franchise Conference, billed as “The CFO Forum: Managing Growth.” The session aims to help further enhance the competencies of the country’s CeOs, CFOs and GMs on how to nurture and develop enterprises to their full potential. Up for discussion in the session are key tactics and strategies CeOs, CFOs and GMs should deploy during a growth curve, when franchise executives must manage

competing internal demands based on a company’s lim-ited resources, while not sacrificing innovation. Two highly esteemed speakers will share their experiences and insights on finance management that can help CeOs, CFOs and GMs. One is Gregorio S. Navarro, managing partner and CeO of Deloitte Philippines/Navarro Amper and Co., and president of Deloitte Philippines Outreach Inc. he has over 39 years of experience in accounting, auditing, manage-ment consulting and corporate finance. The other finance expert is emmanuel P. Bonoan, vice chairman, head of tax department, and COO of R.G. Manabat & Co., the Philippine member-firm of KPMG International. At present, he advises large mul-tinational companies and trade organizations on tax strategies and represents clients before revenue agen-cies, especially on high-level issues. Organized by PFA and supported by the World Fran-chise Council and the Asia Pacific Franchise Confed-eration, Franchise Asia Philippines 2015 is the biggest franchise show in Asia.

The multimillion-peso rail-track improvement project for the Philippine National Railways (PNR) will be completed by the third quarter

of 2016, a statement from the transport depart-ment showed. According to the media release, the P144.38-mil-lion project will add a second track to run parallel to the single track currently connecting the Sucat and Alabang stations, by adding 3.97 kilometers of rails, which will allow simultaneous two-way traf-fic to run in that section. “The award and start of construction of the project are targeted by the third quarter of 2015, and the winning bidder will have 200 calendar days to complete the construction of the double rail tracks,” the statement read. Currently, PNR’s rails are double-tracked from Tutuban to Sucat only. The project is currently being auctioned off by the DOTC. It has set a Tuesday deadline for the submis-sion and opening of bids. The oldest at grade railway system in the Phil-ippines stopped its operations last month, after one of its coaches derailed near Nichols Station in Pasay in April, resulting in the injury of more than 50 passengers. earlier, Diosdado N. Silva, the train line’s assistant general manager, explained that the service was halted so that the government can conduct an exhaustive in-spection of its train tracks to ensure the safety of its passengers and trains. A team from Cologne-based technical and safety provider TÜV Rheinland Group is now conducting the review of the railway line’s state. The investigation is expected to yield a precise in-ventory of missing or needed parts, such as rail joints, angle bars and rail clips—which will then be procured

and installed in order to allow the PNR to resume its operations as soon as possible. Prior to the incident, the railway system had been servicing the Tutuban-Calamba route daily. The operations of the dilapidated railway line are expected to resume this sometime month to abate the worsening traffic in Metro Manila. At present, the PNR commuter line operates from Tutuban to Santa Rosa, Laguna, covering 23 stations over a stretch of 50 kilometers, and from Naga to Sipocot, with route length of 35 kilometers. The government has ensured that the railway sys-tem will soon see improvements, as it plans to develop the dilapidated line through the P287-billion North-South Railway Project. The first phase of the facility will involve the construction of a 36.7-kilometer narrow gauge el-evated commuter railway from Malolos, Bulacan, to Tutuban in Manila. It is seen to be completed by the third quarter of 2020. The second phase, which will extend the commuter rail up to Matnog, Sorsogon, will be completed by the forth quarter of 2019. The two-phase deal will be implemented under the official development assistance and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Program. The PNR is also expecting the arrival of two second-hand donated trains from Japan in the coming weeks. Aside from replacing missing parts and constructing double-track rails, the line has other rehabilitation projects for near-term implementation, such as roof-ing extension, to shield passengers from heat and rain, installation of turnstiles in major stations, and rail and comfort-room rehabilitation. These immediate improvements are targeted for completion by the end of 2015, or early next year. Lorenz S. Marasigan

The Neda, in its DevPulse publication, said the Bangsam-oro region can become the epicenter of the Mindanao region and the Philippines’s halal industry and certification. The Neda pointed out that Mindanao has the “strongest motivation” to expand the industry, as it is culturally linked to halal-based economies of Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam and other Islamic countries. “Given these potential trade linkages among regions and other countries, trade routes through sea and air would need to be opened, while current ports require improvements and increased capacities,” the Neda said. The Neda expects that the halal industry is going to support the projected 3-percent to 4-percent growth of the Bangsamoro’s agriculture sector by the end of 2016. Further, the halal industry can be linked to Islamic banking and finance. This is anticipated to be piloted in the Bangsamoro, where its development is seen to fuel financial growth in the region, as well as in Mindanao. The Neda explained that Islamic banking prohibits in-terest charging, as this equates with usury (riba); forbids speculative transactions involving risks (gharar); and avoids transactions on sinful things (haram), such as pork, alcohol and gambling. Under these tenets, the Neda said Islamic banks observe profit and loss sharing, encourage entrepreneurship and promote social-development activities. “The development and institutionalization of the Is-lam-based financial system will be a magnet for financial

investors from the Arab region and other Muslim coun-tries. The Bangsamoro could easily become the Islamic world’s investment center in Philippines,” the Neda said. earlier, economic Planning Secretary and Neda Di-rector General Arsenio M. Balisacan and Asian Devel-opment Bank (ADB) Philippines Country Director Ri-chard Bolt said growth and investment in Mindanao are bound to increase because of the Bangsamoro basic law (BBL). Balisacan said Mindanao could maximize its potential as a major economic-growth driver for the Philippines. he even said Mindanao can easily grow faster than Metro Manila if this potential is reached. ADB Philippine Country Specialist Joven Balbosa also explained that, currently, Mindanao contributes about 17 percent to the country’s gross domestic product. however, this is bound to increase if areas in Southern Mindanao will increase their contribution. Balbosa explained that Northern Mindanao areas, such as Davao and General Santos, already contribute signifi-cantly to economic growth due to the tuna, banana and pineapple industries. however, with the peace agreement, this will ensure that Southern Mindanao will also open up and unleash increased food and mineral resources. It will also open the gates for the Philippines to take full advantage of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines east Asean Growth Area.

Monday, June 8, 2015 • Editors: Vittorio V. Vitug and Max V. de Leon

PNR improvement project to start in Q3‘Halal industry to boost Bangsamoro economy’

By Cai U. Ordinario

The local halal industry is expected to be among the cornerstones of the Bangsamoro economy, according to the National economic and Development Authority (Neda).

House panel to discuss contentious issues in fair competition measure

Franchise Asia Phils 2015 conference has special session for CEOs, CFOs, GMs

bonoan navarro

[email protected] Monday, June 8, 2015 A5BusinessMirrorEconomy

AN official of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the Philippines can fully benefit from the economic in-

tegration of the Asean this year with proper in-frastructure to accommodate regional airlines and the country’s exporters to take advantage of free-trade flows.

Trade Assistant Secretary Ceferino S. Ro-dolfo said the Philippines has complied up to 95 percent of commitments to the Asean Eco-nomic Integration (AEC), but will not benefit fully if there are not enough infrastructure for trade expansion, such as air transportation.

He said the Philippines has signed 15 mea-sures that can be implemented at the national levels, two of them on air transportation that open up Philippine air zones to airlines from Asean countries.

“The problem of the Philippines is not on implementing AEC policy commitments at

the national level but in [establishing] enough infrastructure to prepare for the Asean inte-gration,” Rodoldo told the fourth Strategic Management Convention at the De La Salle University last Saturday.

He said the country’s international airport can only accommodate a limited number of airplanes and is now facing runway conges-tion. “These issues should be solved at the national level.”

“We are faced with an issue of domestic competitiveness rather than regional commit-ments [in the AEC integration],” Rodolfo said.

He said Philippine exporters should also take advantage of the European Union (EU) General-ized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), which gives Philippine exporters zero tariffs on more than 6,000 product lines. The Philippines is only one of 13 countries with access to this export privilege to the rich EU market. Estrella Torres

Interviewed by the BusinessMirror, Jasareno said mining companies should “walk the talk,” and prove that they are truly for responsible mining.

“Iyan ang walking the talk,” he said, add-ing that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) order gives mining companies ample time to comply.

“Iyong Semirara got the ISO certification in eight months,” he said, referring to the Semirara Mining Corp.

Jasareno said there are four mining com-panies that already have the ISO 14001 cer-tification. Aside from Semirara, Philex Min-ing Corp. (Philex), OceanaGold Philippines and SR Metals Inc. have already secured the said ISO certification.

There are currently 48 operating mines in the country. He said he expects the mining companies to secure the ISO certification within the prescribed period, adding that the MGB will be implementing the order as mandated by law.

“We wil l implement what is pro-

vided by law and the rules and regu-lation,” Jasareno said.

Mining’s big players under the Cham-ber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) have expressed concern about DENR Administrative Order 2005-07, which orders all mining companies with exist-ing Minerals Agreement and Financial or Technical Assistance Agreements (FTAA) to secure within one year. COMP is seeking an audience with the DENR chief to express the concern aired by its members.

Nelia Halcon, executive vice president of COMP, said the order has serious im-plications, particularly to new operations that are starting to implement their en-vironmental-management system. The COMP official also said the order was issued without the benefit of public con-sultations, even as members of the group have expressed willingness to comply with the new regulation.

The MGB chief, the country’s primary

mining-regulatory body, says mining com-panies have to secure ISO 14001 certifica-tion and maintain them as mandated by the order.

Several mining companies have already secured IS0 14001 certification ahead of the DENR order.

DAO 2005-07 institutionalizes an environmental-management system that ensures the adherence of local mining operations to international standards, particularly the ISO 14001 certification, as a measure of responsible mining in the country.

With its compliance, the DENR hopes to ensure that appropriate measures are put in place to achieve minimal negative impacts of mining on the environment.

Failure to secure or maintain the ISO 14001 certification may be a ground for suspension of the company’s Environmen-tal Compliance Certificate (ECC) and non-issuance of Ore Transport and/or Mineral Export Permit.

Under the same order, the DENR will conduct a periodic review of the mining operations of “all MA or FTAA holders in the operating period to ensure compliance with environmental standards, laws and regulations, including conditionalities of their ECCs and Environmental Protection and Enhancement Program.”

An assessment team composed of tech-nical experts from the DENR and other government agencies will be created to undertake said review and give pertinent recommendations to the DENR.

MGB: Mining companies should ‘walk the talk,’ secure ISO 14001 certification

DTI exec: PHL exporters can benefit from AEC and EU GSP+

By Manuel T. Cayon | Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAO CITY—Mansaka tribal families who lost their homes to Typhoon Pablo (international code name Bopha) in

2012 would finally get their shelter assistance from the Tagum City government but would have to agree that the houses would be built at the relocation site.

The datus and woman leaders of the tribe have identified the 28 beneficiaries who live in the four flood-prone Tagum City barangays of Pagsaban-gan, Mankilam, San Miguel and Canocotan.

Tagum City is 53 kilometers north of here.The city’s Social Welfare and Development

Office said the beneficiaries sustained either

partial or total damage during the onslaught of Pablo in 2012.

The city government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Tagum City government jointly undertook the project at P2.6 million, with Tagum City vowing to shell out P400,000 as its counterpart.

Each tribal family-beneficiary of the program is expected to complete the shelter unit within 10 days after the implementation of the project and it would be paid P22,600 in exchange for their services during the construction work, the city government information office said.

Each unit is worth P70,000, and construction would be expected to be finished in 10 days on an eight-hour work per day.

OPERATING mining companies are required to seek ISO 14001 certification in compliance of a

department order issued by Environment Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje last month, Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Director Leo L. Jasareno said.

Mansaka tribe gets P2.6-M shelter aid for Pablo damage

Monday, June 8, 2015 • Editor: Carla Mortel-BaricauaA6

Tourism& EntertainmentS B H D. T

‘FROM islands to highlands”—that’s the promise of the Davao region, which is composed of

the provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley and Davao Occidental.

BusinessMirror

“Our  brand promise speaks of the region’s topography,” ex-plains Arturo Boncato Jr., assistant secretary of the Department of Tour-

ism.  “It suggests a treasure trove of sites, attractions and activities visitors can experience in the gulf, mountainside and urban centers.”

From extreme adventures of mountain climbing and  deep-sea diving to just walking over white-sand beaches or having fun at night, Davao has it.  Visitors and guests will have a grand time during their stay in any place in the region. Here are some of those areas they should not miss:

 Mount ApoAT 9,692 feet in elevation, this moun-

tain, which towers over Davao del Sur and North Cotabato, possesses a for-midable array of landscapes—from craggy rockscapes to virgin forests, from mossy swamps to volcanic structures. It provides an experi-ence for mountaineers that lives up to their expectations from the coun-try’s highest peak. 

“Treks drew only the most reso-lute climbers to take on the chal-lenge of conquering its perilous

summit,” wrote Fr. Miguel Bernad, a Jesuit priest and ardent moun-taineer, in his essay, “� e Snows on Mount Apo,” on how di� cult the mountain was to scale in the 1800s.

 Mount HamiguitanWITHIN 225 hectares, a total of 1,380 species of � ora and fauna thrives in this lush sanctuary in Davao Oriental.  Due to its high number of unique, endemic and

globally threatened species, it is now included in the World Heri-tage Site list. What is unique about this place is its century-old mossy-pygmy forest, whose wild trees grow to an average of only 4 to 5 feet.

Sloping agricultural land technologyIF Banaue has its famous rice ter-races, Bansalan in Davao del Sur has sloping agricultural land technology.  Instead of using rock walls, the sys-tem uses di� erent nitrogen-� xing trees and shrubs as alleys. � e birth-place is now one of the top ecotour-ism destinations in the province.

Dahican BeachPLANNING of going to Boracay?  Why spend so much money when you can go to this 7-kilometer-long beach in Mati City.  Walking bare-foot on its white sand is a pleasure.  However, its serene and tranquil shores make it a great escape from strenuous busy life. Added attrac-tions are the endangered dugongs, dolphins and marine turtles that live in its waters.  A bonus: meet-ing some of the Amihan Boys, a

FROM ISLANDS TO HIGHLANDS

THE Risen Christ and the giant rosary in Tagum City

SKIMBOARDING in Mati’s Dahican Beach

PHILIPPINE Eagle up close

Tourism& [email protected] • Monday, June 8, 2015 A7BusinessMirror

FROM ISLANDS TO HIGHLANDSEIGHT � lms have now been se-

lected to vie in the Filipino New Cinema section of the World

Premieres Film Festival Philippines (WPFF) 2015. The festival itself will take place from June 24 to July 7, and will screen at SM Cinemas.

Gala premieres for the Filipino New Cinema entries are scheduled from June 25 to 27 at the SM North Edsa cinemas. The � lms Sino nga ba si Pangkoy Ong? and An Kubo sa Kawayanan will be shown on June 25, while Masakara, Piring and I Love You. Thank you will be shown on June 26. Then June 27 will have Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa, Filemon Mamon and Of Sinners and Saints. Directors and stars will introduce their � lms and take part in a short Q&A after the screening. Gala pre-mieres are strictly invitational.

The section will feature new Filipino � lms from contemporary � lmmakers who are looking to pre-miere their latest works before an international audience in the Philip-pines. The section further highlights the high caliber of � lms produced and made by the country. 

Festival Awards for this section include � lm grants of varying amounts, as well as awards for Best Picture (� rst and second place), Best Screenplay, Best Cinematog-raphy, Best Editing, Best Musical Score, Best Sound Engineering, Best Production Design, and Best Performance by an Actor, Best Per-formance by an Actress, Best Sup-porting Actor and Best Supporting

Actress. The awards shall be given by an international jury comprised of experts in cinema.

The eight � lms selected into the Fil-ipino New Cinema section of the WPFF are An Kubo sa Kawayanan, directed by Alvin B. Yapan; Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa, directed by Nestor Abroge-na; Filemon Mamon, directed by Will Fredo, I Love you. Thank you, directed by Charliebebs Gohetia; Maskara, di-rected by Genesis Nolasco; Of Sinners and Saints, directed by Ruben Maria Soriquez; Piring, directed by Carlos Morales; and Sino nga ba si Pangkoy Ong, directed by Jonah Lim.

The WPFF, the international � lm festival on the rise in Southeast Asia, derives from the simple con-cept of bringing together a number of countries for a distinct � lm festival that ampli� es diversity in cinema. Featured � lms will vie for top awards and have red-carpet gala premiere screenings at the country’s stylish cinemas, with � lm luminaries and celebrities in attendance.

Besides the “Filipino New Cin-ema” section, the WPFF also has its Main Competition, Cine Verde section and Parallel sections (Eu-roview, Asean Skies, Ibero-America and Eurasian Cinescape). Overall, the festival will screen 60 to 70 � lms taken from around the world.

Running in tandem with the WPFF is the International Film Expo-sition, one of the premier Film Expo-sitions and Film Markets in Southeast Asia, which will be held from June 26 to 28 at the SMX Convention Center.

8 NEW FILMS SELECTED FOR ‘FILIPINO NEW CINEMA’

group of young homegrown skim-boarders and surfers.

Creamsand LongbeachFRONTING the great Paci� c Ocean, the 9-kilometer-long beach (whose coastline begins from Barangay San Antonio up to Barangay Baybay) has waves perfect for sur� ng and skim-boarding. 

Kopiat IslandOFF the Davao coast in the munici-pality of Mabini, Compostela Valley, Kopiat Island boasts of clear and calm waters and wide sections of shoreline blanketed with � ne white sand. Its old-fashioned way of beach lounging made it become more re-laxing and comforting. No parties, no crowds—just simple beach life.

Aliwagwag FallsLOCATED in the middle of the forest in Cateel, Davao Oriental, it is touted to be one of the most beautiful wa-terfalls in the country.  It has a series of 84 cascading falls appearing like a stairway to the sky.

Monfort Bat Cave

IN the Island Garden City of Samal, you can � nd the Monfort Bat Cave. � e 1,000-foot-long cave in Ba-rangay Tambo, Babak District, is home to about 2.4 million bats. It made the Guinness Book of World Records in 2010 as the largest col-ony of Geo� roy’s Rousettes in the world.

Christ the King CathedralWHEN going to Tagum City, visit this biggest basilica in Mindanao.  Located at Magugpo South, it has

an impressive architecture that in-corporates modern and traditional designs.  At the back of the ca-thedral, you can � nd the biggest wooden rosary in the world (about 100 meters), whose bead of the ro-sary each weighs approximately 35 kilograms.

Pearl Farm Beach ResortONE of the world-class resorts in Mindanao, it has been featured in two international beauty pageants: Miss Universe and Miss Earth.  � e

resort is set among inviting sway-ing coconut palms and fringed by a glittering white-sand beach. But what’s so striking about the resort are its cottages on stilts perched above the sea. 

Philippine EagleTHE Philippine Eagle Research and Nature Center in Malagos, Calinan in Davao City is home of the world’s second-largest eagle, which happens to be the country’s national bird. � e center is also home to various species of animals, birds and plants. 

Davao Crocodile FarmLOCATED in Maa, it provides home to locally bred crocodiles, including the country’s biggest crocodile, named Pangil (fangs), measuring over 18 feet in length. Visitors can take pleasure from viewing, horseback-riding around the park, or feeding the young � erce reptiles.

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“The experiences of the comfort women [are] part of our national history and shared story of our na-tion. This is one tragic incident. We, in the Philippines, should take care of our own,” he told members of the Philippine media delegation at the Imperial Hotel here.

Mr. Aquino made the statement when asked about his thoughts amid reports there are elderly women, who are still seeking jus-tice over the atrocities that Japa-nese soldiers had inflicted on them during World War II.

Sought for a statement on whether he considered it a matter worth bringing up with Japanese authorities at this point, given strong diplomatic ties between Manila and Tokyo, the President said he is aware that Japan has already apologized.

“The records that are avail-able to me, and I understand, Japan has apologized for such incidents in the past—specifi-cally, the Kono Statement of 1993; Murayama Statement of 1995; 2002 letter of then-Prime Minis-ter Junichiro Koizumi to Filipino

comfort women,” he said.President Aquino said he was told

by former Foreign Affairs Secretary Domingo Siazon that apologies and statements of remorse to Filipino comfort women had already been covered in previous negotiations for reparations and agreements between Japan and the Philippines, prior to his administration.

“The first time I heard about this [was] when I was still a congress-man. Siazon was telling me that this has already been explained to them many times. The agreements that were entered into, way before I entered public service, are supposed to have settled this matter between our countries,” he said.

He said that on his return to the country, he will seek updates on the efforts made by the government to address the concerns of comfort women to try and help them recover from their traumatic experiences.

Mr. Aquino is here for a four-day state visit aimed at enhancing the strategic partnership between Japan and the Philippines, which have become steadfast allies 59 years after the end of the war.

P-Noy acknowledges Filipino comfort women’s cry for justiceTOKYO, Japan—President Aquino

on Thursday acknowledged the relevance of the grievances that

Filipino comfort women constantly air every time the world marks the end of the second global war.

ElderlyBusinessMirror

TheMonday, June 8, 2015 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

Bill to give seniors protection against elder abuseBy Carol Matlack

Bloomberg

BRITISH tabloids were abuzz after a dramatic recent heist in London’s Hatton Garden

diamond district, as thieves made off with more than £10 million ($15.5 mil-lion) in cash and gems from a heavily secured vault. According to one theo-ry, the gang used a contortionist who slithered into the vault. Others held that a thirtysomething criminal genius known as the “King of Diamonds” had masterminded the caper.

But when police arrested nine sus-pects, the most striking thing about the crew wasn’t physical dexterity or villainous brilliance. It was age. The youngest suspect in the case is 42, and most are much older, including two men in their mid-seventies. At a preliminary hearing on May 21, a 74-year-old suspect said he couldn’t understand a clerk’s questions be-cause he was hard of hearing. A sec-ond suspect, 59, walked with a pro-nounced limp.

Young men still commit a dispro-portionate share of crimes in most countries. But crime rates among the elderly are rising in Britain and other European and Asian nations, adding a worrisome new dimension to the problem of aging populations.

South Korea reported this month that crimes committed by people 65 and over rose 12.2 percent from 2011 to 2013—including an eye-popping 40-percent increase in vio-lent crime—outstripping a 9.6-per-cent rise in the country’s elderly population during the period. In Japan, crime by people over 65 more than doubled from 2003 to 2013, with elderly people accounting for more shoplifting than teenagers. In the Netherlands, a 2010 study found a sharp rise in arrests and incarceration of elderly people. And in London, police say that arrests of people 65 and over rose 10 percent from March 2009 to March 2014, even as arrests of under-65s fell 24 percent. The number of elderly Brit-ish prison inmates has been rising at a rate more than three times that

of the overall prison population for most of the past decade.

The US seems to have escaped the trend: According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the rate of el-derly crime among people aged 55 to 65 has decreased since the 1980s. While the population of elderly pris-on inmates has grown, that mainly reflects longer sentences, especially for drug-related crimes.

Elderly people in developed countries tend to be “more asser-tive, less submissive, and more focused on individual social and economic needs” than earlier gen-erations were, says Bas van Alphen, a psychology professor at the Free University of Brussels who has studied criminal behavior among the elderly. “When they see in their peer group that someone has much more money than they do, they are eager to get that,” he said. Older people may also commit crimes be-cause they feel isolated. “I had one patient who stole candies to handle the hours of loneliness every day,” says van Alphen, who describes such behavior as “novelty-seeking.”

Rising poverty rates among the elderly are being blamed in some countries. That’s the case in South Korea, where 45 percent of people over 65 live below the poverty line, the highest rate among the 30 devel-oped countries belonging to the Or-ganization for Economic Cooperation and Development. "The government should make an all-out effort to ex-pand the social safety net and provide jobs and dwellings for the elderly,” the Korea Times newspaper editorialized this month, warning that by 2026 more than 20 percent of the country’s population will be over 65.

The “Opa Bande” (“Grandpa Gang”), three German men in their 60s and 70s who were convicted in 2005 of robbing more than €1 million ($1.09 million) from 12 banks, testified at their trial that they were trying to top up their pension benefits. One defendant, Wilfried Ackermann, said he used his share to buy a farm where he could live because he was afraid of being put in a retirement home.

Instead of playing golf, the world’s elderly are staging heists and robbing banks

The President also said no less than His Majesty Emperor Akihito issued the latest apology during his remarks at the state banquet he hosted on Wednesday evening at the Imperial Palace.

“During World War II, however, fierce battles between Japan and the United States took place on Philip-

pine soil, resulting in the loss of many Filipino lives. This is something we Japanese must long remember with a profound sense of remorse,” Emperor Akihito’s statement went.

“In particular, in this year of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, I offer my deepest condolences to all those who lost

their lives then,” the Emperor added.Mr. Aquino noted that every

Japanese ambassador assigned to the Philippines had never failed to issue public apologies during the commemoration of the country’s “Day of Valor,” held on April 9 ev-ery year in Mount Samat in Bataan.

“It is a constant practice for

them to express remorse and apolo-gies for what transpired during the war and that is a yearly event. And, honestly, especially for those who were not even born—there are am-bassadors who were not even born in that period—I try to put myself also in their position of having to continuously apologize for or ex-press remorse for the things that happened at a point in time when they weren’t even there but are tak-ing cognizance and responsibility for it,” he said.

President Aquino noted that nonetheless, it is important for the country to remember the past if it is to chart its course toward the future, as reminded by Spanish writer George Santayana in one of his famous aphorisms, “those who forget the mistakes of the past are condemned to repeat it.”

“When we remember and com-memorate these tragedies that happened to all of us, wherein all countries who were involved—and, of course, practically every country was involved; it was a world war—it does remind us of the real cost of war. It tells us why it should be avoided with utmost dedication and determination.… Keeping it in our consciousness helps us prevent the reoccurrence of such a tragedy,” the President said.

World War II took place from 1939 to 1945, and back then, the Philippines was caught in the cross-fire of battles between Allied and Axis forces, where the US and Ja-pan participated on opposite sides of the fence. PNA

A LAWMAKER has filed a bill that aims to provide protection to the elderly

against abuse.Rep. Sherwin T. Gatchalian

(First District, Valenzuela City) said House Bill 5732 seeks to pro-vide special protection for senior citizens through the prevention and deterrence of acts inimical to their safety and security.

“Any person who commits acts of abuse, neglect and exploitation of the elderly shall be punished with the penalty under the Revised Penal Code, in the maximum pe-riod and the status of the offended party being a senior citizen shall be considered an aggravating cir-cumstance of the offense,” Gatch-alian explained.

These include acts to inflict or threaten to inflict any physical harm or injury upon an elderly; to physically restrain an elderly under inhumane conditions with the in-tention of permanently restrict-ing the elderly’s movements and interaction with other members of the community, as well as to cause mental or emotional distress upon an elderly through verbal abuse, intimidation, harassment, public humiliation and ridicule.

The bill further penalizes any person who, having the legal re-sponsibility or contractual obliga-tion to care for an elderly, willfully neglects to provide food, medi-cines, shelter, clothing or services necessary for the physical and men-tal health of an elderly.

Likewise, control over the money, assets or property of the elderly through undue influence or deceitful machinations with the intention of depriving the elderly of its ownership, use and benefit constitutes elderly abuse under the measure.

Gatchalian said each year, more and more senior citizens are abused, exploited and neglected.

“The usual victims are seniors who are older, frail, vulnerable and unable to help themselves and de-pend on others to meet their most basic needs,” Gatchalian said.

He said abusers of senior citizens might be men and women, family members, friends or caregivers.

Gatchalian said studies have shown that elderly people who suf-fer abuse choose to keep it to them-selves and prefer to suffer in silence.

“The occurrence of elderly abuse often goes unpublicized in our so-ciety, especially when the perpetra-tors belong to their family,” he said.

Gatchalian cited the study pre-sented by the University of the Philippines-National College of Pubic Administration and Gover-nance, which noted that children of the elders rank highest in num-ber in terms of perpetrating the

abuse, followed by spouses and then grandchildren.

He further said although Fili-pino society cherishes, respects and cares for their elders compared to western societies, it cannot be denied that a number of senior citizens have become victims of physical, emotional and economic abuse at the hands of people who are entrusted with their care.

“Their advanced age and fragile condition are taken advantage of by persons in charge of them and even by members of their immedi-ate family,” Gatchalian lamented.

The bill states that the aggrieved elderly or any concerned citizen

shall make a report in writing to the barangay of any act of elderly abuse.

The barangay shall conduct an investigation to determine the ve-racity of the allegations and finding reasonable ground, the barangay of which the elderly is a resident or currently located shall thereupon order the immediate temporary necessary relief to safeguard the victim from further harm as man-dated under the measure.

To provide the necessary relief, the bill mandates the barangay to grant, after ex-parte determina-tion, applications for a Barangay Protection Order, which shall be effective for 15 days. PNA

CHAT TIME Elders in Baguio City spend their free time at the stage of the People’s Park in Baguio City while telling stories for each other. MAU VICTA

COCONUT DOLLS A 74-year-old stall owner in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, who identified himself as Mr. Briones, shows visitors his collection of coconut dolls which he sells for P2,500 each in his antique shop. MAU VICTA

Monday, June 8, 2015

OpinionBusinessMirrorA10

COA must audit OP, Congress

editorial

BEFORE all this escapes from the national memory, it was in September 2013 when Sen. Jinggoy Es-trada, accused of the crime of plunder, delivered on the floor of the Senate a privilege speech and

revealed that Sen. Franklin M. Drilon, then chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, had written a private and confidential letter of memorandum to senators about the allocation of P50 million for each senator who voted to convict Chief Justice Renato C. Corona.

It was subsequently pointed out that, prior to the vote, Malacañang had tried to ascertain the senators’ stand on the matter. In other words, as asserted, bribery had taken place in the Senate, possibly on the initiative of Malacañang.

Now the Philippine Constitution (Article XI, Section 2) stipulates that the President may be removed from office on impeachment for and conviction of culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption.

We are resigned to the turtle’s pace of justice in our country but not to its consignment to the dustbin of history. Anybody suspected of wrongdoing, in-cluding the powerful, must be made to account for his or her actions.

That is why we are energized by the recent suggestion of a columnist of an-other newspaper that the Commission on Audit (COA) revive its audit of the Office of the President (OP) and Congress. We agree that COA officials and auditors may be underpaid but this should not deter them from carrying out their responsibility of reporting government expenses to the people.

We have no ax to grind against the President and the senators but we are deeply concerned about their moral integrity because, after all, as the highest officials of our government, they are capable of bringing honor or dishonor to our country. Right now, we suspect that they have brought shame upon 100 million Filipinos.

In one of his public utterances, the late Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore was quoted as saying that Philippine progress was held back by a weakness in our culture: The readiness to forgive our leaders’ misbehavior. As a result, our leaders have no compunction in committing antipeople activities because they know they will not be held responsible anyway.

Let it not be said that Lee Kuan Yew was right. We expect lawyers and other civic-minded citizens to initiate the appropri-

ate legal action and the justice system to render fitting judgment when time is ripe. We are ready to wait until after Mr. Aquino has completed his term to ensure that he cannot use state power to frustrate the ends of justice.

In the meantime, we join the call on the COA to audit the OP and Congress, so that we will have a sense of what “really” transpired at the place and time described by Senator Estrada, and is assured that the ends of justice will be served. We are determined not to forgive, so that we can move forward in the improvement of our individual and collective lives.

THE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) continues rolling out ambulances to local government units (LGUs) and institutions this year, with the Presidential Security

Group (PSG) as the latest recipient.

PCSO donates ambulances to military, municipalities

On June 1 at the PCSO’s head office in Mandaluyong City, I and PCSO directors Bem Noel and law-yers Mabel V. Mamba and Fran-cisco G. Joaquin III turned over two brand-new units to PSG Cmdr. Raul Ubando and Chief of Hospital Col. Rolando Cruz.

Under the PCSO’s Ambulance Donation Program, the agency distributes ambulances under a 60-40 cost-sharing scheme for first- to third-class municipali-ties and under a 100-percent donation to fourth- to sixth-class municipalities.

To receive their units this week and next are the Aviation Security Group (one unit), the Philippine National Police (three units), three municipalities in Ilocos Norte, three municipalities in Cebu and eight hospitals in Bulacan.

On June 22, on our visit to Ozamiz City to open a PCSO branch office there, we will turn over 12 units to the provinces of Bukidnon, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental.

n n n

THANKS to strong public support of the PCSO’s Lotto and other popular number games, the agency’s total sales in 2014 reached P32.32 million, a 2.2-percent increase from the pre-vious year’s figure of P31.62 percent

The agency has 10 regular games, including variants of Lotto and digit games, Lotto Express (keno), tradi-tional Sweepstakes and other num-ber games in the provinces, with the tickets sold through 9,072 retailers and outlets.

Under the PCSO charter, 55 percent of sales to the Prize Fund for winnings, prizes’ taxes, sellers’ prizes and Sweepstakes sellers’ com-missions or shares, which, in 2014, reached P13.56 billion. Fifteen per-cent is set aside for agency opera-tions; as a government-owned and -controlled corporation, the PCSO does not receive any fund from the National Treasury.

Thirty percent of sales go to the Charity Fund, which, in 2014, was P9.83 billion. That amount went to

documentary-stamp taxes, manda-tory contributions to other agencies, shares of LGUs from Lotto and other PCSO games, and to the medical-assistance program that accounted for P5.17 billion.

The PCSO now has 44 branch of-fices nationwide, with the ultimate goal being to open a branch in every province. The 45th branch will be opened in Ozamiz City on June 22, with four more to be opened by the end of the year.

n n n

IT truly is more fun in the Philip-pines! Last weekend we visited the island of Batanes, and discovered that it is a natural paradise with warm and friendly people, a combi-nation that makes for an unforget-table experience.

There are many interesting tour-ist experiences to be had there, with one such being Mandy Navasero’s Batanes photo safari, which takes participants around the island to visit heritage spots and structures rich in tradition and history.

Among the places that pho-tographers will enjoy visiting are churches. Drop by Basco Basilica, Tukon church, San Vicente Ferrer Cathedral, Saint Thomas chapel and Saint Joseph the Worker church in Ivana, built in 1860.

Architecture and interior-design buffs will want to see the towns of Chavayan and Savidug on Sabtang Island, which have cobblestone roads and old stonehouses that look frozen in time. The area has been recommended to the United

Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a pre-served and protected area.

Also on Sabtang is the old settle-ment of Savidug, where a local wine is made from sugarcane. Tinyan and Morong Beach possess fabu-lous views.

In Basco the House of Dakay stonehouse, built in 1875, is a must-see. Its roof is renewed every 30 years. Its walls are so well-built that it has survived a strong earthquake and countless typhoons. Also in the area is a stonehouse restored by Na-vasero’s 2006 batch of photography tourists and the Honesty Store, which is untended and relies on the honesty of people for payment.

On Batan Island take photos from the Chawa View Deck and Dawn Zu-lueta Hills. Visit Mahatao Church, the ivy-covered Cariaso stonehouse and the Batanes Museum that was formerly the Lawrence Station. An area of rolling topography is called “Marlboro Country,” after the idyllic landscape in the cigarette company’s iconic vintage advertisements; it of-fers a panoramic view and tame farm animals, and is a popular spot for “jumpology” pictures.

There are other places in the area to see and visit, and restaurants where one can sample flavorful cuisine. Put Batanes on your bucket list—it offers an experience like no other.

Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II is vice chairman and general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

RISING SUNAtty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II

Beseeching the patron saint of Barbie shoeBy Gina Barreca | The Hartford Courant/TNS

RAISED in an old-time Roman Catholic household, as a kid I never left the dead alone. I bothered them constantly, asking for preference, wheedling for favors and begging

for extra credit.

Bernadette asking for grace and guidance; I looked like a diminu-tive Roseanne Barr looking for a “People’s Choice” award. And basi-cally, that’s what I was doing.

Seeking the divine intervention of the saints, I became an annoy-ance. “Please-oh-please” became one word, said with eyes closed and hands clasped together.

If I were trying to send the mes-sage special delivery, I’d get down on my knees and cross myself.

“Please-oh-please let me get an A” was a big one (so much for am-bition putting one’s soul in peril) but so was the less realistic and yet still passionately requested “Please-oh-please let my hair turn blonde overnight” (and if vanity really is a serious sin, I’m not the only one who’s in big trouble).

Yes, I actually believed that if I prayed hard enough—and to the right saint—I’d wake up with beau-tifully straight, butter-colored hair.

Miracles work in mysterious ways. I discovered “Sun In” when I was 11. I learned, to my consterna-tion, that Saint Peroxide is not a friend to brunettes. (I had to wear a bandanna until my natural color

grew back in; it felt like penance).The major saint was, of course,

Saint Anthony. He was the patron saint for lost objects. On any given day there were, just on our block, probably 200 people calling on this one beleaguered soul for help in finding car keys, wallets, one ear-ring and, in my case, Barbie shoes.

I couldn’t keep two shoes to-gether for my Barbie doll for more than three minutes and it drove my mother up the wall. When she’d had enough, we’d tie two chairs together and pray for Saint Anthony’s help.

(I thought everybody did the chair-tying thing but even other Italian friends find the ritual puz-zling. Maybe my family made it up to keep me quiet. It wouldn’t have been the only time they employed such a ruse.)

I don’t speak as often to the dead anymore. I try not to haunt them as much as I once did, knowing more of them personally now. I wouldn’t want to leave anybody out.

But at times, I still call on Saint Anthony, hoping he’ll come through to help me find what I’ve lost—even if that includes what some might call my faith.

I was taught to call upon my long-dead grandparents for sweet dreams and for nice weather because they handled everyday matters.

Without question, I accepted that folks who died two genera-tions before I was born were watch-ing over me. It was like taking for granted my own personal guard-ian angel and the fact that it was imperative for the women to go to Mass on Sunday, even though the men got to stay home, read the pa-per or wash the car.

Clearly, God was on the mater-nal side of the family; we’d send greetings to him on behalf of the boys, and everybody seemed to be fine with that.

But I was encouraged to seek the assistance of high-ranking saints when there was more at stake; these most holy of the dead could provide mercy and help to those who prayed most fervently or who

were most deserving.Even at my most desperate, I

knew I’d never be first tier in the “most deserving” category. I wasn’t orphaned, I wasn’t hungry, and we lived indoors.

The closest I came to desperate is when I had my tonsils out. As a 5-year-old, I found it completely overwhelming to be asked to count backward as they covered my mouth with the anesthetic mask.

I’d only just learned to count for-ward. I wasn’t afraid of death, I was afraid of being bad at math.

Being not desperate meant I had to work at being fervent. Had you seen me in the throes of an earnest request, during which I would prove my sincerity by a loud and public recitation of the rosary, you would have said, “Now there’s a fervent child. What is she doing, for heaven’s sake? Can anybody make her stop?”

I didn’t look like a noble Saint

06082015

Monday, June 8, 2015

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Want to be content? Stayaway from social media

By Dick Meyer | Scripps Washington Bureau/TNS

I have been moonlighting, running a clinical experiment on the effects of peer-group information networks on psychological well-being.

The control group I am work-ing with is admittedly small. It’s actually only one person, so far—me. and the time frame is sub-optimal—about a month.

My team and I cut me off from what is technically called “online news industry gossip.” Then we closely monitored my state of mind and contentment metrics. I am happy to report that the preliminary findings, published here for the first time, support all of my preconceived notions: Too much “social” in one’s media con-sumption, and too much media in general, lowers contentment and heightens irritation.

In the past year, I have encoun-tered more and more people who have sworn off of social media, especially Facebook. They say it makes them feel bad about themselves, more competitive, less accomplished, less perfect than others in their virtual com-munities.

I don’t use social media for socializing, so I couldn’t abstain for the sake of science.

What I did do was swear off looking at the sites that “cover” the “media” business. I couldn’t eliminate Twitter because I use it for my day job, but I tried not to peak at news business gossip and banter.

Before Web 2.0, the supply of published industry news—and gossip—was limited, as it was in all professions. a handful of columnists and writers at big publications covered the news business, mostly television news.

These reporters, whose stuff ap-peared in general interest newspa-pers and magazines, mostly wrote about the biggest names and the top executives. Their editors didn’t want stories about lowly producers and beat reporters. Besides, paper and ink cost money.

That changed, of course, with the explosion of Web sites and so-cial media. Routine promotions and job shuff ling were covered like real news and gossip was treated like investigative report-ing. The machinations of junior producers, social-media editors, mid-level managers and indus-trious self-promoters were all reported with the same breath-less, boosterish silliness. Twitter provided a 24/7 echo chamber.

We journalists were captured by the tricks we use on others—the flattery of seeing your name in print.

We began to believe that we were kind of famous—and impor-tant, like the people we covered. We became more insiders than outsiders. We are supposed to expose the self-promoters, not

master the art.But it was all fun. Until it

wasn’t.W hen I h ad m a n a gement

jobs, I thought it was important to follow all the industry news and gossip. But when I shed my shackles and returned to a writ-ing job last year, I still kept up. and I noticed this incessant stream of bold-faced news was irritating me. I got cranky when I read about an undeserving ex-colleague’s promotion.

I got mad when the Twitteri-sta’s declared some tiny shred of news to be a Scoop or mocked some rube that wasn’t as savvy as the rest of the in-crowd. I didn’t need to know so much about my so-called peer-group.

So I went cold turkey. and I feel much better, thank you.

all this news was just noise. Information clutter. The chroni-cles of my profession were social, yes, but impersonal, communal but not intimate. I found it alien-ating. I haven’t missed it. I am in recovery and I’m sharing.

Now, journalists are notori-ously well-balanced people. We have chips on both our shoulders.

We are famously thin-skinned, v o y e u r i s t i c , s u s c e p t i b l e t o schadenfreude, petty and in-clined to envy the success of others. I am certainly all of the above. Social media and the mod-ern Web are not healthy places for my ilk.

But I suspect my growing dis-comfort with this social part of media is common.

among adults, some people who were once enthusiastic, even addicted users of Facebook, Twit-ter and online communities for work or play aren’t so enthusias-tic anymore. They’ve overdosed. Distortions caused by virtual community—the lack of eye con-tact, intonation and the way you can groom your online self—be-came less tolerable.

But I have watched this longer and more carefully for children, starting when mine were little.

For years I have monitored and col lected research about the effects of social media, vid-eo games, screen time, mobile phones and hyper-connectivity on child and adolescent develop-ment: attention span, informa-tion retention, social skills, anxi-ety and mental health. I could make a strong, empirical case that we should be worried. But I also know that I have cherry-picked the evidence.

But at least I can report that my little experiment had very positive results. and they’re easy to replicate.

It’s time for laboratories to get out of the monkey business By Alka Chandna

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals | TNS

IN 2013 the National Institutes of health (NIh) made the historic decision to retire the majority of federally owned chimpanzees from use in experiments. While this was a

monumental victory for chimpanzees, there are still 110,000 monkeys and other primates imprisoned in US laboratories. a new Peta eyewitness investigation at a company in Florida that sells monkeys to laboratories is shining a spotlight on the need for urgent action for these animals, as well.

For eight months, a witness worked at Florida-based Primate Products Inc. (PPI), a notorious primate dealer that imports hun-dreds of monkeys each year and warehouses and then sells them to laboratories. The company has been awarded federal contracts worth more than $13 million—including by NIh, the army and the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion. PPI also sends monkeys to universities and contract-testing

conglomerates across the country. The witness documented that

some monkeys with painful in-juries, including exposed bones, were left to suffer without ad-equate veterinary care for days. One monkey was denied adequate medical treatment for an exposed vertebra in her tail for at least a week, despite the fact that the wit-ness had notified a supervisor, a PPI manager and another worker repeatedly about the injury. Many

monkeys were confined to virtu-ally barren concrete pens littered with feces and old food with other stressed and apparently incom-patible monkeys, sometimes for months at a time.

While monkeys, like humans, are highly social animals, the severe psychological stress of being impr isoned in a smal l space with strangers and given virtually nothing to do probably contributed to fights among the animals. With no escape, subor-dinate monkeys lived in constant fear of attack by aggressive mon-keys, as well as by their human captors. One monkey, named Loretta by the witness, was left penned with the very monkeys who had injured and apparently terrified her for more than 22 weeks, despite at least 23 written and verbal reports to PPI staff that she was being attacked and

appeared to be afraid of the other monkeys. Loretta’s face was fre-quently lacerated, and she had extensive hair loss.

another monkey, whom the witness named Sweet P, was forced to live for more than two weeks with monkeys who had attacked her. She was finally moved but was then kept isolated in a barren met-al cage for 20 days—during which time PPI’s behaviorist admitted to having forgotten about her.

Monkeys were also terrorized by PPI workers who chased them and grabbed them by their sensi-tive tails.

Workers aggressively swung nets at them, yanked them off the fences that they desperately clung to and even hurled them into nets. Other monkeys were confined all alone to tiny, bleak metal cages. Locked in isolation and denied suitable companion-

ship, which is crucial to their mental and physical health—just as it is to ours—some of these psy-chologically distressed monkeys rocked back and forth and paced in circles, likely signs of intense boredom and distress.

T h o u g h t e m p e r a t u r e s dipped to as low as 35 degrees Fahrenheit, most monkeys kept outside were denied heat through-out the winter, leading to frostbite and apparently even the death of at least one monkey in an outdoor enclosure.

In 2014 alone, PPI imported 1,000 monkeys from asia and africa—63 percent of whom, ac-cording to US Fish and Wildlife Service documents, were taken from their families and homes in the wild. These animals are eventually trucked to govern-ment agencies, universities and contract—testing laboratories,

including facilities that blast monkeys with radiation, dril l into their skulls, test sexual lu-bricants on their rectums and intentionally infect them with an hIv-like virus that causes crip-pling aIDS-like symptoms, even though every single hIv vaccine developed using monkeys has failed in humans.

Recognizing this chain of abuse, nearly every major airline in the world now refuses to trans-port monkeys to PPI or any other laboratory or dealer.

Peta is working toward a day when every cage in every labora-tory is empty.

Readers can make a differ-ence by urging their members of Congress to push the NIh to fund more modern and superior nonani-mal research instead of cruel and ineffective experiments on mon-keys and other animals.

Unless otherwise my foot

I have been a staunch defender of the 1987 Philippine Constitution and believe in the justness and reasonableness of its provisions. I believe in its primacy, I believe in its power,

I believe in its ideals, I believe in its grace. I believe all those things because, unlike the constitution that preceded it, the 1987 Philippine Constitution is an unquestionable embodiment of the will of the Filipino People.

Borne from the sweeping emo-tions of independence and strife, of struggle and new beginnings, of faith and hope and patriotism, spawned by no less than the “People Power” of the 1986 edsa Revolu-tion, the 1987 Constitution was drafted by a multicultural and multisectoral aggrupation of na-tionalistic and patriotic Filipinos, who breathed the sweet rarefied air that only the truly free know and understand.

and the people, for whom and by whose initiative the 1987 Constitu-tion was created, not only ratified the fundamental law by an over-whelming majority, but, I think,

they viewed the Constitution just as I did and still do—with rever-ence. While I understand that it is a living and breathing document, I am more in awe of its Molave-like strength, firmness and resilience, to use Rafael Zulueta da Costa’s famous words.

The Constitution is designed to be rigid to safeguard its integrity, so that it may stay true to its character inside, despite the changes outside. Thus, the Constitution should only be changed under the most abso-lutely compelling circumstances.

Right now, there is a pending bill, which already passed the sec-ond reading in the house of Rep-

resentatives that seeks to amend the 1987 Philippine Constitution, particularly the provisions on ar-ticle XII on National economy and Patrimony. amending the article on National economy and Patri-mony is tantamount to opening the floodgates of opportunities to foreigners to own our lands, as well as operate and manage national-ized or restricted trade and indus-tries reserved only to Filipinos. The question to ponder is whether it is about time to overhaul the article.

at first glance the proposed amendment appears simple in as much as the Congress proposed to amend the constitutional provi-sions in article XII by adding the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law.” But is it really as harmless as it seems?

To someone not familiar with legalese, the addition seems innoc-uous enough to merit much thought from the public. In reality, though, this “minor” addition will be a ma-jor blow to the foundation of the Constitution. Should the same be adopted as an amendment, it will give unfettered license to the Con-gress to decide, when to fulfill, and when to deny, the promises made by the Constitution to limit own-ership of land and the operation and management of some trade or

industries to Filipinos only.Truth be told, “unless otherwise

provided by law” is one of the most common phrases that you would find in the legal lexicon and in most statutes. Most often than not it is a benign provision, which creates an elbowroom with which to ad-just to a more pertinent law. But, when you use the same to amend the Constitution, it becomes more of a virus that must be killed on sight. It has the effect of shaking the foundation of the Constitution to uncertainty and reduces it to a mere plaything that the Congress can toy around and abuse.

Lest I be misconstrued, I am not opposed to amending the Constitu-tion. amendment is a tool specifi-cally provided by the framers of the Constitution itself to adjust it to changing times. however, I do not believe in short cuts. “Unless oth-erwise provided by law” is just too convenient for comfort. It is a short cut. It has a huge potential for abuse.

amendment must be carefully crafted and worded, such that it would clarify and not obfuscate, to make matters certain and not complicate, to shed light and not to darken the basic principles and assurances enshrined in the Constitution for the benefit of the Filipinos.

China’s move toward a more open society–it’s not happeningBy Timothy Cheek and Jeffrey Wasserstrom

Los Angeles Times/TNS

WhaTeveR happened to the Chinese revolution?Not the dynasty-toppling 1911 revolution. Not the

Communist-led 1949 uprising. Not the 1989 struggle, sometimes called an abortive revolution, which was crushed by a massacre on June 4.

No, the revolution we have in mind is a very recent one, which the journalist Ian Johnson, in his 2005 book Wild Grass, memorably called a “slow-motion revolution.” at the turn of the millennium, it looked as though China was moving gradu-ally, sometimes glacially, toward becoming a more open—as opposed to just more prosperous and power-ful—country. China’s rise continues. But that slow-motion revolution has been stopped in its tracks.

Johnson’s claim was not that of a starry-eyed fantasist convinced that China was predestined to become americanized. he simply envisioned a China where, from year to year, there would be fewer limits on what one could talk about, and more ways to expose official malfeasance and gain redress for basic grievances. he documented the small-scale but sub-stantive gains being made by brave rights lawyers, moderate civil society activists and envelope-pushing jour-nalists who strove not to overturn the Communist Party but to get it to do a better job of living up to its professed goals.

as recently as 2009 this slow-mo-tion revolution still seemed alive. The party did tighten control in 2008 as

it strove to ensure that the Olympic Games went well. and the party al-ways dealt ruthlessly with organized challengers. But the watchword was, as a bartender summed it up to one of us: Meiyou yundong, shenme dou keyi—if it isn’t a movement, anything goes.

Writing in 2009 to mark the June 4 anniversary, Lijia Zhang, who marched in 1989, described the situ-ation well. Twenty years before, she said, people like her had felt trapped “in a cage” and longed to be free. Since 1989 the bars of the cage had moved farther away. They knew that the cage still existed, but it was easier to imagine that it didn’t.

Today, however, the bars are clos-ing in again. Many rights lawyers and moderate civil-society activists have been jailed. In March five feminists were summarily detained in Beijing with no legal process, solely for plan-ning events publicizing the need for greater equality. Censorship of the Internet has increased. Chinese aca-demics have been warned to watch what they say in class. They should not promote “Western values” or “threaten social stability” by talk-ing about social inequities and his-torical mistakes made by the party. These warnings, new to the current

generation, have appalled and sur-prised some young intellectuals. Their elders, though, feel a depress-ing sense of déjà vu. Some say to us, in effect, “We’re back to the 1980s, but without the hope we had then.”

What explains this shift?Party leader Xi Jinping seems to

believe he must stamp out all hints of dissent in order to save China from the instability that has beset various post-communist societies in eurasia and post-authoritarian ones in the Middle east.

above all, Xi is determined not to end up being China’s counterpart to Mikhail Gorbachev, a figure Chinese leaders disdain for allowing the Sovi-et Union to implode under his watch. Xi allegedly derided Gorbachev, in a speech given behind closed doors, for failing to be “manly” enough to take tough action when necessary a quarter-century ago—a contrast, presumably, to what the tougher Deng Xiaoping had done when order-ing tanks to roll into Beijing in 1989.

as the journalist Wil l iam Dobson argued in The Dictator’s Learning Curve, modern authoritar-ian rulers are intensely aware of the challenges their counterparts are facing, and they’re stealing from one another’s playbooks.

In the 1970s Singapore’s leaders began appealing to traditional Con-fucian values, while defending one-party rule and pushing for rapid de-velopment. Later, Deng’s successors Jiang Zemin and hu Jintao echoed that strategy in China.

More recently, Xi and Russian

President vladimir Putin, who share a disparaging view of Gorbachev, have been drawing closer. It’s entirely possible that the former has tried to curtail Chinese feminist activities because he wants to nip in the bud the kind of problem the latter faced with Pussy Riot.

Xi’s efforts are popular in some Chinese circles. That’s in part be-cause he’s not only moving against threats to the party (real and imag-ined) but also the party itself. Xi has pledged to remove notoriously corrupt officials, clean up messy bureaucracies and reinvigorate the party rank and file, all in the name of realizing the so-called Chinese dream of national resurgence.

But there’s another reason some in China accept Xi’s methods. a quarter-century ago, there was a widespread belief that Western ways had proved superior to Soviet ones in generating wealth and delivering social justice. The years since then have not been kind to this notion.

Beijing does not have to make up tall tales to cast the West in a negative light. It can just point to the disastrous invasions of Iraq and afghanistan, the 2008 finan-cial crisis, euro-zone economic anxieties, american legislative paralysis, the edward Snowden NSa revelations and the latest po-lice shootings. It is not just party pronouncements against Western values that inhibit Chinese activ-ists from holding up the West as a model; our own faults and foibles are clear to see.

legally speakingatty. lorna patajo-kapunan

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

The house of Representatives has approved on final reading a measure simplifying the mode of

acquiring right-of-way (Row) for various government infrastructure projects.

A12

2ndFront PageBusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.phMonday, June 8, 2015

By Bianca Cuaresma 

The country’s industrial sector likely expanded in April to only around 5.8 percent as consequence of the manu-

facturing sector having been affected by the volatility in oil prices. In its latest review of economic data in Asia Pacific, Moody’s Analytics, the research arm of the international credit watcher Moody’s Investors Service, said Philippine industrial production likely slowed in April from an expansion averaging 13.6 percent reported in March. “Low oil prices continue to drag on chemi-

cal and petroleum production,” analysts at Moody’s Analytics said.  In the months ahead, the analysts said the likelihood for continued growth in the manufacturing sector remains upbeat due to robust consumer demand. “Buoyant do-mestic demand is boosting manufacturing and food production,” the research arm of the international credit watcher said. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported last month that the volume of pro-duction index surged in March this year. In particular, Volume of Production Index (VoPI) gained further as it posted a two-digit increase of 13.6 percent in March

2015. The VoPI tracks changes attributable to shifts in prices or whether such other fac-tors as quantity or quality of the services and goods were involved. Significant increases in VoPI were noted in eight of the 14 major sectors that registered growth, namely, petro-leum products  at 95.9 percent; basic metals,  73.9 percent; tobacco products, 72.4 percent; chemical products, 63.5 percent; textiles, 30.1 percent; printing, 17.5 percent; beverages,  12.4 percent; and leather products,  11.3 percent. The PSA is expected to release the March produc-tion index data on June 10.

House approves bill simplifying govt acquisition of right-of-way

PHL manufacturing growth likely eased to 5.8% in April–Moody’s

Subsidies extended to GOCCs reached P3.69 billion in Q1

earmarked P14.94 billion for this venture.  It will be funded by a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Authority. The contract for the additional 30 kilometers of road, which will be auctioned off by the end of the year, is expected to be completed by 2018.  The second phase of the thorough-fare, meanwhile, involves the construction of another thoroughfare that will intercon-nect Cabanatuan to San Jose City. It carries a P14.20-billion price tag.  Phase Two also involves the opera-tions and maintenance contract for the expressway. It will be auctioned off under the PPP Program of the Aquino adminis-tration. The 35.70-km road is still being studied for feasibility.  The Plaridel Bypass Tollroad, on the

other hand, is an arterial road of 24.61 km that will link the Nlex in Balagtas, Bula-can, with the Philippine-Japan Friendship highway, also called Maharlika highway, in San Rafael, Bulacan.  It will bypass the town proper of Plaridel and urban areas of Pulilan and Baliuag along the existing Maharlika highway, thus al-leviate the perennial traffic congestion at the core urban areas along Philippine-Japan Friendship highway road section from Pla-ridel to San Rafael, Bulacan.  The bypass road will traverse the vast agricultural lands of five municipalities in Bulacan, namely, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Plaridel, Bustos and San Rafael.  These projects, according to Franco, are the native expansion initiatives for

his company’s current tollways port- folio. It currently holds the concession for the Nlex and Subic-Clark-Tarlac expressways (SCTex).  “Both are naturally expansion of Nlex and SCTex, that is why we are interested,” he said.  The public works department has under its helm a number of key infrastruc-ture deals that aim to improve the road network around the Philippines. The public works department has so far awarded two PPP projects, namely, P2.2-billion Daang hari-South Luzon express-way project, bagged by Ayala Corp. in 2011; and the P15.68-billion Ninoy Aquino Inter-national Airport expressway, given to San Miguel Corp. unit Vertex Tollways Develop-ment Inc. in 2013.

house Bill 5588, or The Right-of-Way Act, principally authored by house Com-mittee on Public Works and highways Chairman and Liberal Party Rep. Ron-ald M. Cosalan of Benguet, amends Re-public Act (RA) 8974, otherwise known as “An Act to Facilitate the Acquisition of Right-of-Way, Site or Location for National Government Infrastructure Projects and for Other Purposes.” Under the measure, the term “na-tional government projects” shall refer to all national government infrastruc-ture projects and its public service fa-cilities, engineering works and service contracts, including project undertaken by government-owned and -controlled corporations, all projects covered by

RA 6957, as amended by RA 7718, otherwise known as the build-oper-ate-transfer law, and other related and necessary activities, such as site acqui-sition, supply or installation of equip-ment and materials, implementation, construction, completion, operation, maintenance, improvement, repair and rehabilitation, regardless of the source of funding. Under the same measure, the gov-ernment may acquire real property needed as ROW site or location for any national government infrastructure project through donation, negotiated sale, expropriation, or any other mode of acquisition as provided by law. The bill ensures that the imple-

menting agency may offer to ac-quire, through negotiated sale, the ROW site or location for a national government infrastructure project; the sum of the current market value of the land; the replacement cost of the structures and improvements therein; and the current   market value of crops and trees therein. The measure mandates the imple-menting agency to take into account the ecological and environmental impact of the project it will undertake. Before any national government project could be undertaken, the implementing agency shall consider environmental laws, land-use ordinances and all pertinent provisions of RA 7160, or the Local Government Code. The housing and Urban Develop-ment Coordinating Council   and the National housing Authority, in coor-dination with local government units, shall establish resettlement sites for informal settlers, including the pro-vision of adequate basic services and community facilities, the bill said. Other key provisions of the measure include the prohibition of the issuance of temporary restraining orders on infra-structure projects, flexible/open rate on

return of investment, automatic grant of administrative delegated franchises and tax exemption on local taxes. According to Cosalan, the various national government infrastructure- buildup programs are crucial for public welfare and the country’s overall de-velopment because, these are invest-ments benefiting the economy and the nation’s future. “The delivery of basic services, the mobility of our communities and the day-to-day operations of business on all levels depend on the existence of reliable infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, classrooms and public markets, among others,” Cosalan added. Partylist-Rep. Jesulito A. Manalo of Angkla, coauthor of the measure, said the acquisition of property need-ed for the projects, however, often en-tails a long and tedious process that taxes both the private land owners and the government itself. “To bal-ance the interests of the State and of private land owners and ensure that the nation’s infrastructure projects are completed efficiently, equitably, and with due consideration for public rights, there is an urgent need to amend RA 8974,” Manalo said.

SUBSIDIeS extended to government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) amounted only to P3.69 billion in the first three months this year.

Data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) indicated that the government subsidies in the first three months, while expected to ramp up later in the year, amounted to only P3.69 billion. Treasury officials said such subsidies in prior years tended to rise as the budget year progresses. For 2014 the government subsidies amounted to P80.44 bil-lion, representing a 21-percent increase from subsidies extended to GOCCs in 2013, which amounted to only P66.33 billion. In 2012 the government subsidies amounted to only P42.64 billion. For the first quarter this year, subsidies extended to govern-ment financial institutions (GFIs) amounted only to P250 million; those to major nonfinancial government corporations amounted to P1.56 billion; while those to other government corporations amounted to P1.88 billion. The biggest recipients of the subsidies were the National electrification Administration, P731 million; Philippine Children’s Medical Center, P607 million; National Irri-gation Administration, P406 million; Philippine Postal Corp.,P301 million; and National home Mortgage Finance Corp., P250 million. To help stabilize utlities prices, subsidy funds were, likewise, extended to National Power Corp., P164 million; Philippine heart Center, P159 million; Local Water Utilities Administration, P151 million; Tourism Promotions Board, P125 million; Philip-pine Rice Research Institute, P121 million; Philippine National Railway, P106 million; and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, P103 million.

David Cagahastian

Last June Thailand and Malaysia were put on a blacklist in a US State Department assessment on human trafficking, a downgrade that can jeopardize its lucrative seafood and shrimp industries. The European Union also threatened Thailand with a ban on seafood import by the end of the year unless it drastically changes its policies on illegal and unregulated fishing. A new State Department assessment is due this month, and Thailand is pushing for an upgrade with efforts that included its first-ever Anti-Human Trafficking Day on Friday. The opening ceremony at the prime minister’s Government House was followed by discussion about the problem and an awards ceremony for a journalist, police and officials who have helped expose human- trafficking problems. “Today, we have to admit that this has been a problem in Thailand for a long time,” Prime Minister

Prayuth Chan-ocha said as he opened the event with an hour-long speech. “The government is focusing on preventing and suppressing human trafficking and is determined to get rid of men who sell men, so that they no longer have a place to stand on our soil—no matter how influential they are or if they are government officials,” said Prayuth, who took power from a civilian government in a May 2014 coup. Yet even Friday’s event raised questions about Thailand’s seriousness. The journalist who was honored reported on trafficking from the country’s inland north, not the south and the sea, where the crisis has been most immediate. Weeks earlier, when a Bangkok television reporter drew broad attention to the issue by getting on a migrant boat to shoot video, Prayuth obliquely referred to her as a troublemaker.

Human-rights activists and others have long accused Thai authorities of collusion in the trafficking industry—claims that police, military and government officials have long denied. But as the migrant camps, graves and boats drew global attention, pressure grew on the government to respond. In a widening human-trafficking investigation, more than 50 people have been arrested in a month, including local politicians, government officials, police, and, in the past week, a senior-ranking army officer. About 50 police officers in the southern provinces were also removed from their posts and investigated for possible involvement in trafficking syndicates. The junta-appointed legislature passed a new anti-human-trafficking law that mandates harsher penalties, and human trafficking-related court cases will get a shortcut in the judicial system to prosecute suspects more quickly. AP

MNTC keen on bidding for CLEX. . . Continued from A1

Thailand. . . Continued from A1