Manila Standard Today - Wednesday (December 26, 2012) Issue

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Standard TODAY
Manila
Vol. XXVI No. 266 18 Pages, 3 Sections P18.00 Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Quinta hits land, batters south on Christmas Day

By Jonathan Fernandez
TROPICAL storm Quinta international name Wukong battered at least 15 places in the Visayas and Mindanao on the morning of Christmas Day, when the weather bureau issued storm signals number 1 and 2 over the areas threatened by it. Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Dinagat and Siargao bore the brunt of the storm as the weather bureau had placed those areas under storm signal number
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Political fireworks on
Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco, Secretary General of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), said the Liberal Party of President Aquino use the word legal for convenience and only when it served their purpose. He said the Liberals were rabid defenders of the past Administration when it was accused of abuse of power, but the same accusation is now hurled at them and they claim their actions are legal. I doubt their denition of what is legal, Tiangco said. Tiangco was reacting to the statement of LP spokesman and Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone who claimed the visit of top UNA leaders to Cebu to declare support to Garcia was stoking the re instead of making the law and legal processes prevail. The vice governor should be
Cebu front turning out to be first battleground

By Joyce Pangco Paares and Christine Herrera
THE two major parties in mid-term elections next year clashed on the issue of legality of the suspension of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, who said on Tuesday clinging to the seat of power surrounded by family and friends, while supporters brought food was her most unique Christmas Day.
allowed to serve as acting governor until the courts have decided on her case. We maintain that there is nothing political about the suspension. Let us not make a mountain out of a molehill, Evardone said. Garcia, who deed Malacanangs suspension order last December 19 and barricaded herself in her ofce, has asked the Court of Appeals to stop the order, which she claimed was politically motivated and illegal. UNAs top leaders ew to Cebu last weekend to declare support to Garcia. Malacanang has designated Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, who is the sister of Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras, as Acting Governor. She holds ofce at the nearby Palace of Justice and has started to isolate Garcia by ordering
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China earmarks $1b to develop Sansha

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan
Papal message. Pope Benedict XVI addresses the crowds at Saint Peters Square during his Urbi et Orbi address on Christmas Day at the Vatican
on Monday. AP
Respect religion, Benedict XVI asks China

VATICAN CITYPope Benedict XVI has wished Christmas peace to the world and prayed that Chinas new leaders respect religion, a reference to persecution Chinese Roman Catholics have at times endured under communism, and decried the slaughter of the defenseless in Syria. I appeal for an end to the bloodshed, easier access for the relief of refugees and the displaced, he said. May peace spring up for the people of Syria, deeply wounded and divided by a conict which does not spare even the defenceless and reaps innocent victims, the Pope said, also praying for concord in Nigeria, lamenting what savage acts of terrorism that frequently target Christians. Delivering the Vaticans traditional Christmas day message, known among Catholics as the Urbi et Orbi address, from the central balcony of St. Peters Basilica, a weary-looking and hoarse-sounding Benedict also encouraged Arab spring nations, especially Egypt, to build just and respectful societies. The Pope earlier urged the faithful to make space for God during his traditional Christmas
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BEIJING had started reinforcing its claim on the disputed islands in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) after approving $1 billion for the construction of an airport, piers and other infrastructure in Sansha City, which the Chinese built in June to administer the three major islands in the area. On Monday, Bloomberg, quoting the 21st Century Business Herald, reported that Jiang Dingzhi, the governor of Hainan Province that has jurisdiction over
Sansha, had said the construction of new infrastructure was needed to implement a platform for Sanshas development. Sanshas immediate work is for airports, ports, piers and other important infrastructure, as well as law enforcement vessels, supply ships and other projects to be established, Jiang said. In the long term, we need to implement a platform for Sanshas development. The Foreign Affairs Department, however, said that it would rst conrm the news from the Philippine Embassy in China before making an ofcial Next page statement.
Govt forms new panel to handle rights cases

By Rey E. Requejo
THE government will form a new body to handle unexplained killings and human rights violations following the enactment of the landmark Desaparecidos law that criminalizes enforced disappearance. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the rst meeting of the Inter-Agency on Extra-Legal Killings, Enforced Disappearances, Torture and Other Grave Violations of the Right to Life, Liberty and Security of Persons will be held on Jan. 8 at the executive lounge of the Justice Department. De Lima said the inter-agency committee will rst conduct an inventory of cases of unexplained killings, enforced disappearances, torture and other grave human rights violations perpetrated by both the government and those outside the government. There is a recognized challenge of reconciling different data, De Lima said. We are in the process of integrating in our working list, cases coming
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Six die in QC fire, two in San Juan on Xmas

EIGHT people were killed, 13 others were injured, and at least 2,000 families were rendered homeless on Christmas Day after two res hit 200 shanties in San Juan and two apartments in Quezon City on Christmas Day. Fire marshal Chief Insp. Gilbert Dolot said another person in San Juan was killed but his death was not related to the re because he had been killed by people who thought he had started it. A report said an unattended candle caused the re, which started at 2:25 a.m. and was put out at 7:09 a.m. Two remen were injured as they fought the blaze that destroyed property worth P5 million. San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor Estrada appealed to people to help the re victims in any way they could. He said the re spread quickly because most of the people had slept deeply after celebrating Christmas Eve. Most of the people had been drinking, so most didnt realize that a re had already started, he said. Police said the re in Quezon City started at 3 a.m. in an eight-door apartment on Rest Haven Street, and in a unit where the electricity had been cut off. Next page The re then spread into another eight-door apartment before it was put out at 6:58 a.m. Police said the re could have been put out earlier but most of the retrucks had been sent to San Juan. They said all six fatalities belonged to one family. Gigi Muoz-David
Better safeguard of bank deposits noted in 2012

By Christine F. Herrera
FEWER depositors were hit by bank closures this year but the combined worth of their deposits rose to P19.5 billion from P15 billion last year, a lawmaker said Tuesday. LPG-MA Rep. Arnel Ty said only 120,000 depositors were affected by bank closures this year, down from 500,000 last year, but said stronger precautions must be taken against unsound and fraudulent banking practices. No effort should be spared in running after bank ofcers who committed fraud or other violations of (banking) laws, said Ty, a member of the House committee on banks and nancial intermediaries. Ty said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas shut down 24 banks this year with some P19.5 billion in combined deposits and more than 120,000 account holders. The failed Export and Industry Bank accounted for the bulk
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Sad face of Christmas. A family grieves as they hear the news of relatives that were trapped during a re in an apartment in Quezon City. At right, remen bring down the body from the second oor of the apartment. AARON FAVILA, AP
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WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26, 2012
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officials and employees to report to her directly. Tiangco said Evardone, who jumped ship and joined the LP a few weeks before the 2010 elections, should not speak about letting the legal process prevail because, as a loyal defender of former president Gloria Arroyo, he insisted that the former president was on the side of the law. Now that they are in power they resort to power grab and political harassment to persecute perceived enemies. They assert that everything they do is legal, Tiangco said. Garcia, who is a candidate of UNA for congressman in Cebus third district, said spending Christmas in her office to defy the suspension order, was an emotionally roller coaster ride. My heart would break when supporters weep as they give me food. But I also felt joy from all their love and support, she said. She ticked off a list of too many lechons, puto (rice cake), suman (sticky rice) and other delicacies that supporters brought to her office. It was so touching. There was so much food that they brought to the capitol. We didnt even know where to place all the lechons and homemade puto, she told the Manila Standard Today in a telephone interview. Other than members of the Garcia family, those who kept her company were friends, nuns, and barangay health workers, the governor said. Asked if she would consider suggestions to be humble and to step down, Garcia said: Its not about the humility to step down. It is all about the courage to stand firm for what is right. I love Cebu too much to turn my back on the mandate the Cebuanos have given me, she said.
Quinta...
two as Quinta continued to intensify while moving toward Eastern Visayas. Public storm signal number 1, on the other hand, was raised over Northern Samar, Western Samar, Biliran, Bohol, Cebu, Camotes Island, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, the Agusan provinces, Misamis Oriental and Camiguin Island. Some of the areas hit by Quinta were those devastated by Typhoon Pablo, which made landfall on Dec. 3 and swamped Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental the next day, killing 1,067 people, affecting 6.24 million others, destroying 178,000 homes and causing damage worth P34 billion. The weather bureaus bulletin at 4 p.m. Tuesday said Quinta, with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kilometers per hour, was 90 kilometers southeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, while moving towards Eastern Visayas at 19 kilometers per hour. The storm is expected to be within the vicinity of Leyte Wednesday morning, near Coron, Palawan, by Thursday morning, and 450 kilometers west of Coron by Friday morning. Weather forecaster Fernando Cada said Quinta could make landfall over Dinagat Island Wednesday morning before exiting the Philippines on Thursday or Friday. Ofcials in Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Island on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of people in the danger areas, while the Coast Guard placed on alert all its units in the areas expected to be hit hard by the storm. Ofcials on Tuesday also issued ood and landslide warnings over the areas threatened by the storm. Cada said it will be rainy in Bicol and some places in the Visayas and Mindanao, while Cagayan Valley, Aurora and Quezon will experience light rain. Metro Manila and other areas will continue to have good weather but may experience brief rain showers especially in the evening.
Good Samaritan. A passerby gifts a blind beggar with noodles at an overpass in Manila on Christmas Day. SONNY ESPIRITU
Respect...
Eve with Mass in St. Peters Basilica and a pressing question: Will people find room in their hectic, technology-driven lives for children, the poor and God? The pontiff also prayed that Israelis and Palestinians live in peace and freedom, and asked the faithful to pray for strifetorn Syria as well as Lebanon and Iraq. The ceremony began at 10 p.m. local time Monday with the blare of trumpets, meant to symbolize Christian joy over the news of Christs birth in Bethlehem. As midnight neared, chuch bells tolled throughout Rome, while inside the basilica, the sweet voices of the Vaticans boys choir resounded joyously. Christmas Eve Mass at the Vatican traditionally began at
midnight, but the start time was moved up years ago so as to give the 85-year-old pontiff more time to rest before his Christmas Day speech. That address is to be delivered at midday Tuesday from the basilicas central balcony. A smiling Benedict, dressed in gold-colored vestments, waved to photo-snapping pilgrims and applauding church-goers as he glided up the center aisle toward the ornate main altar of the cavernous basilica on a wheeled platform guided by white-gloved aides. The platform saves him energy. In his homily, Benedict cited the Gospel account of Mary and Joseph nding no room at an inn and ending up in a stable which sheltered the baby Jesus. He urged people to reect upon what they nd time for in their busy, technology-driven lives. The great moral question of our attitude toward the home-
less, toward refugees and migrants takes on a deeper dimension: Do we really have room for God when he seeks to enter under our roof? Do we have time and space for him? the pope said. The faster we can move, the more efcient our time-saving appliances become, the less time we have. And God? The question of God never seems urgent, Benedict lamented. The pope worried that we are so full of ourselves that there is no room left for God. He added, that means there is no room for others either for children, for the poor, for the stranger. With his voice a bit hoarse, and looking somewhat tired as the two-hour ceremony neared its end, Benedict decried that history has suffered through misuse of religion, when belief in one God became a pretext for intolerance and violence.
Still, he insisted that where God is forgotten or even denied, there is no peace either. Let us pray that Israelis and Palestinians be able to live their lives in the peace of the one God and in freedom, the pope said. Benedict also mentioned his hope for progress in Syria, which is mired in civil war, as well as Lebanon and Iraq. Reecting the Vaticans concern about the exodus of many fearful Christians from the Muslim-dominated Middle East, Benedict expressed hope that Christians in those lands where our faith was born maybe be able to continue living there and that Christians and Muslims build up their countries side by side in Gods peace. Hours before the basilica Mass, Benedict lit a Christmas peace candle on the windowsill of his studio window overlooking St. Peters Square.
Govt...
from non-government organizations and international organizations. De Lima said that from the list, the committee would set priorities for investigation, reinvestigation, monitoring and prosecution of cases. She added that President Benigno Aquino III had given her specic instructions to give priority to violations that occurred during his term. De Lima, who investigated prominent cases of unexplained killings when she was chairman of the Commission on Human Rights during the Arroyo administration, will head the committee. Members of the committee include Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, peace process adviser Teresita Deles, political affairs
adviser Rolando Llamas, Armed Forces chief Jessie Dellosa, Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima, human rights committee Undersecretary Several Catura and National Bureau of Investigation director Nonnatus Rojas. The committee has also invited Human Rights Commissioner Etta Rosales and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales to be resource persons. In the House, Assistant Majority Leader Karlo Alexei Nograles said summary executions have become a serious concern, with not a single conviction. Nograles urged the House committee on justice to speed up action on his bill against summary executions, which imposes stiff penalties and provides compensation and protection to the victims families and witnesses. With Maricel V. Cruz
Better...
of deposits lost and account holders hit, at P15.98 billion and 50,092, respectively, Ty said. In 2011, Ty said the central bank closed 29 banks, including two large thrift banks LBC Development Bank and Banco Filipino Savings and Mortgage Bank. More than 500,000 account holders with over P15 billion in combined deposits were hit, he said. The BSP shuttered 32 mostly rural banks in 2010, Ty said. Under the law, Ty said, unsafe banking activities include the excessive reliance on large, high-cost or volatile deposits or borrowing, including the offering of interest rates on said funds that are 50 percent higher than current industry rates. The undue dependence on solicitation and acceptance of brokered deposits and spending large sums on commissions and referral fees to generate deposits may also constitute unsound banking practices, Ty said. Ty credited the state-run Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. for efciently repaying insured deposits. The feedback we received is that PDIC has been fairly swift in making repayments, with respect to small depositors whose papers are in order, he said. We have to build up public condence in our banks, so as to aggressively promote savings and support responsible credit, and also to help keep the public away from rip-offs like the Aman Futures Group investment scam, Ty said in a statement. The lawmaker also urged depositors to shun banks offering to pay unusually high interest rates on deposits. In some cases, excessive interest rates on deposits might be a red ag. It may be a signal that the lender is facing potential liquidity issues, said Ty, author of House Resolution 1749, seeking an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the banking industrys condition. The BSP last reported that 2.96 percent per year was the weighted average interest rate offered by all commercial banks on peso time deposits, he said.
Christmas at the zoo. Children and adults ogle an ostrich at the Manila Zoo on Christmas Day.
SONNY ESPIRITU
China...
I will have to ask post to validate before commenting, Del said Foreign Affairs Department Secretary Albert del Rosario, in a text message. Del Rosario was referring to the countrys embassy in Beijing which is still being headed in an acting capacity by Charge D Affaires Alex Chua. Chua is holding the fort in Beijing, until the arrival of DFA Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio, who was appointed as the countrys top envoy in China last month. She replaced Sonia Brady, who suffered a heart attack in August at the height of the countrys territorial dispute with China. Del Rosario said that Basilio, who took her oath two weeks ago, has yet to assume her new post since China still has to facilitate the process of agrement in accepting the new envoy. The ambassador will need to await her agrement, Del Rosario said.
The Philippines and Vietnam had protested the creation of Sansha City in June. Del Rosario had said that the creation of Sansha was reinforcing chinas nine-dash-line an excessive claim in violation of the international law. The creation of an administrative unit covering Paracel, Spratly, and Maccleseld Bank is clearly reinforcing Chinas nine-dash an excessive claim in violation of international law, Del Rosario said. China set up Sansha to oversee the Paracel and Spratly islands, parts of which are also occupied or claimed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. Tensions between China and its neighbors in the South China Sea have spurred concern that competing territorial claims will disrupt economic relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the groups largest trading partner. The funds for Sansha, according to the 21st Century Herald, would also be spent on marine law enforcement and ocean sheries. Construction of some facilities
has already started, the newspaper reported, without giving more detail. Sansha is located on Yongxing, the largest island in the Paracels, with an area of 2.1 square kilometers (0.8 square miles). China established Sansha City to administer more than 200 islets, sandbanks and reefs in Paracel (Xisha), Maccleseld Bank (Zhongsha), and Spratly (Nansha) islands and the two million square kilometers of surrounding waters. Following the establishment of Sansha City, China also deployed soldiers from the Peoples Liberation Armys for its military garrison, elected a legislative body and built minor infrastructures such as sewage disposal and waste collection facilities. The Chinese government had said that Sansha City would be Chinas hub for shing, oil and gas industries. On November this year, Chen Jiyang, a member of Sansha municipal standing committee and director of the Sansha municipal administration ofce, said that they were redoubling efforts to con-
struct harbors, airports and docks as well as other infrastructure for the city. Chen said that the residents living condition in Sansha City, had greatly improved since November as hospitals and public houses have already been developed on the island. Aside from the airports and piers, Chen said that the Sansha government planned to build a 500-kilowatt solar power plant to ensure water and electric self-sufciency. Chen added that Sansha government was also designing a 5,000-ton trafc supply ship called Sansha No. 1, which would be completed by the end of the year. It will be put into use by the end of the next year, he said. Two shery administration ships and coast guard vessels have been built and are currently recruiting crew members, Chen said. He added that also in the works are plans to organize themed activities to publicize its sovereignty over the disputed waters.
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Telecom, radio rm acquire new franchises

By Joyce Paares
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has signed into law two measures extending the franchises of a telecommunications company and a radio station for another 25 years. Republic Act No. 10343 renewed the franchise granted to the Philippine Global Communications Inc. (Philcom), formerly known as the RCA Communications Inc. The measure covers the construction, installation, establishment, operation and maintenance, for commercial purposes and in the public interest, throughout the Philippines and between the Philippines and other countries and territories, wire and/or wireless telecommunications systems. This includes mobile, cellular, paging, fiber optics, multi-channel multipoint distribution system, and satellite transmit and receive systems among others. Philcom was the first company to open a direct radio telegraph circuit between Manila and the United States in 1927. It was also the first to provide international Telex services, international fax services, international video-conferencing services, prepaid Internet cards, and internet access via DSL or digital subscriber line in the country. Republic Act No. 10342, on the other hand, renewed the franchise of Quest Broadcasting Inc., which operates the FM radio station Magic 89.9 in Manila and the Killerbee radio network in the provinces. The measure covers radio and television broadcasting across the country where frequencies and/or channels are still available.
Customs take: P278b and still short of goal

Ruffy Biazon
By Joel Zurbano
CUSTOMS Commissioner Ruffy Biazon has given up on meeting his agencys revenue target of P347 billion this year.
Biazon, however, expressed satisfaction that the bureaus collection this year surpassed last yearsd level. As of mid-December, the agencys collection only reached P278 billion, and according to Biazon, time has run out on collectors and the shipments have peaked out. The Department of Finance is giving the agency some leeway in the collection of the target and has assigned an internal target, which is usually lower than what is approved by the inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee. No one has ever breached P300 billion (yearly collection). Next year I hope to breach it, Biazon said. Records showed that as of November, both Manila International Container Port (MICP) and Port of Manila (POM) topped the list of poor performers as MICP posted a shortfall of P18.71 billion for January to November, while POM had a P16.08 billion decit. Batangas is the third worst performing port in terms of reaching its goal with a shortfall of P7.83 billion, while Ninoy Aquino International Airport is at fourth with P4.2 billion decit. Limay port, on the other hand, had a P133 million decit as a result of its poor collection in November. Biazon said the BOCs collection target of P347.073 billion for 2012 is 31% higher than the BOCs actual collection for the year 2011. In comparison that of the Internal Revenue Bureaus collection target for the year 2012 is 15.8 percent higher than the actual collection for the year 2011. Earlier, Customs district collectors are supportive of Biazon in his appeal to lower the bureaus revenue target of P397 billion next year. We hope our target will be lowered to make it doable, said Edward dela Cuesta, Clark district collector. MICP district collector Ricardo Belmonte seconded Dela Cuesta, saying one reason for the shortfall is the high percentage of increase of our 2012 target compared with the 2011 target. The collectors said the Development Budget Coordination Committee should consider setting monthly revenue targets that are attainable by every collection district. Biazon said several factors account for target shortfall, among these are the international trade, peso uctuation, and leakages from smuggling and corruption. The poor performance could also be attributed to the implementation of zero duties on oil products and zero duties on motor vehicles imported from Japan.
Thrill-seekers. These youngsters, their world turned upside down, seem to enjoy the ride in an amusement center in Pasay City where many
families spent Christmas day. DANNY PATA
Overseas voters ranks close to a million

By Sara D. Fabunan
THERE are now close to a million overseas absentee voters, surpassing record but not the target registration, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. The DFA said that the gures, exactly 988, 384, marked a milestone for Philippine overseas absentee voters for Filipinos who are working or living abroad. Of the total number, there are 398,554 OAV new registrants. Although missing the target by a hairline, the 2013 OAV registration gures broke all past OAV registration records, the DFA stated. The new gures surpass the total number of registrants in 2004, where it only listed 364,187 OAV; followed by 2007 with only 143,236; and in 2010 with 235,950. The DFA said that the success in almost reaching the one million mark is due to the concerted global effort for OAV with several news agencies, print advertisements and television. The concerted global effort for OAV is evident as it did not only make history but it also solidied global political participation by overseas Filipinos, generating a sense of awareness, proving that OAV is truly an important political exercise, the DFA said. The Commission on Elections targets one-million registered overseas voters for the 2013 elections, or ve months away from now. The OAV registration ofcially opened last November 2, 2011 and ended on October 31, 2012. The Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003 allows qualied Filipino citizens residing abroad to vote for president, vice president, senators and party-list representatives. All Filipino citizens abroad who are at least 18 years old on 14 May 2013, and who are not otherwise disqualied by law, are allowed to register. Filipinos with dual citizenship or those who have reacquired or retained their Philippine citizenship under RA 9225 may also vote.
The Philippines Ports Authority has lined up 20 more ports under state support to cash in on the growing regional trade.
Ports expansion gets under way; 50 more in the pipeline

By Joyce Pangco Paares
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has placed 20 more ports under the jurisdiction of the government to ensure support for the growing regional trade. In a series of Executive Orders, Mr. Aquino said placing the facilities under the Philippine Ports Authority will pave the way for their proper development and utilization. He said this will also support the demands of shipping trade in the regions across the country. The new orders cover the ports of Currimao in Ilocos Norte; Capinpin in Bataan; Cawayan in Masbate; Danao in Escalante, Negros Occidental; Ubay in Bohol; Calubian in Leyte; Benoni in Camiguin; Kolambugan and Tubod in Lanao del Norte; Aras-asan and Cantilan in Surigao del Sur; Dapitan and Sindangan in Zamboanga del Sur; Maco in Compostella Valley; General Santos City; Cotabato City; Kalamansig in Sultan Kudarat; Tubigon in Bohol; Guinsiliban in Camiguin; and Dapa in Siargao Island. PPA General Manager Juan Sta. Ana said depending on the trafc, some of the ports will have to be developed further. The PPA head said the Palace will issue more EOs to cover 50 other ports across the country. We will handle the repair, maintenance and operation of these ports. Sometimes, local governments do not have enough funds to expand the operations of the ports they are handling so they ask that these be transferred under the PPA, he said. For those ports with low volume of trafc, we will also market these ports, Sta. Ana said.
Philhealth expands primary care program, makes use of electronic reports

THE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation is expanding its Primary Care Benet from the current sponsored-program members, organized groups, and overseas workers to include all other types of members, according to Eduardo Banzon, PhilHealth president and chief executive ofer. So far, 5.2 million families under the National Household Targeting Survey are enrolled in the more than 1600 PCB providers around the country. One of the innovations in the PCB is the requirement for electronic reporting. For 2012, PhilHealth partnered with the University of the Philippines ITDevelopment Center and University of Oslo to implement the District Health Information System (DHIS2) to serve as the receiving system for reports coming from the PCB providers. PhilHealth allocated more than P3 billion for the PCB in 2012 with PCB providers expected to eventually submit electronic reports. Commencing 2013, PhilHealth will release specication for a personally-controlled health record that will allow the sponsored members to manage their own health information. This shift in health data management is expected to create a refocus on the patient as the center of care and likewise stimulate a whole new business sector on health data stewardship. A personally-controlled health record is owned by the patients and is co-managed with their health providers. The PCHR will empower patients to take care of their own health data and use it for decision making. The PCHR will also be designed as a secure repository for health information for individuals and their families -- an important compliance requirement of the recently passed Data Privacy Act of 2012. Disease prevention and health promotionespecially of our sponsored membersareimportant to us at PhilHealth. The national government through the Department of Health has invested on the premium of more than 5 million families nationwide.We wish to empower our members to take charge of their familys health and make informed decisions through proper data management, says Banzon. Challenged with resources and a requirement to implement in three months,PhilHealth partnered with the academe to quickly implementa free and open source reporting system tha treceivesreports from the PCB providers. We selected DHIS2 because of its long history of successin Africa and for easyaccess to its core developers in Oslo, India, and Vietnam. The University of the Philippines provides local technical support and ready expertise in systems administration. With DHIS2, PCB providers can submit their data by logging on to the PhilHealths DHIS2 server from their Internet-connected computers including mobile phones, added Dr Alvin Marcelo, Chief Information Ofcer. Next year, PhilHealth will shift to personally-controlled health records in order to simplify case management and to equip individuals and their families to be more responsible for their health.
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ManilaStandardToday Adelle Chua, Editor
Opinion
over their differences. That this same issue had caused negotiations to bog down for the last two years indicates that it will not go away, and it is only a matter of time before the communists press their case again. If these rebel demands persist, and if the government is consistent with its refusal to grant them, as it should be, the hopes for an early peace might be dashed yet again. Earlier this year, the administration made much of its framework agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a deal that was supposed to end in a peace accord with the Muslim rebels by the end of the year a target we now know as being unrealistic. A more level-headed examination of the framework agreement would have revealed that it was long on promises but woefully short on clarity. Again, this seemed to be a matter of kicking the can down the street so that both sides could keep walking. The stakes, in the case of the communist insurgency, are high. According to a recent paper from
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EDITORIAL
Getting realistic about peace

negotiator, Alexander Padilla, said both sides agreed to start talks on forging a common declaration of national unity and just peace, the signing of which would trigger an immediate, indenite truce. The two panels will meet again early next year to exchange comments on their respective drafts of the common declaration, but the most prickly of issues the communists insistence that their detained comrades be freed was not discussed during the latest meetings, indicating there was some amount of papering a member of the government peace panel, Jugette Honculada, from 1978 to 2010, fatalities from the insurgency reached 29,553. Of those, 13,412 were rebels, 8,264 were soldiers and policemen, and 7,877 were civilians. This translates to two to three deaths daily for the period. Nobody wishes to see this situation continue, yet there is something to be said for making sure that a workable peace is at hand before making any pronouncement, even if it is just for a Christmas message.
PERHAPS it is the spirit of the season at work when the Aquino administration says it is optimistic that an indenite ceasere will soon be forged with communist rebels. In a Christmas message, presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles said there were reasons to be thankful, citing the 27-day ceasere, the longest holiday truce between the government and the rebels, which began on Dec. 20. She said discussions might lead to an extended, indenite truce. Earlier, the governments chief
Repeating history in Cebu

LOWDOWN
HISTORY is always a good gauge of what could happen in the future. And the players in the current crisis in Cebu should be reminded of this, if they havent been already. I can believe reports that Vice President Jejomar Binay advised embattled Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia not to step down despite the issuance of that odious six-month suspension order on her by Malacaang through its surrogate, the Department of Interior and Local Government. Binay certainly knows from experience that the only way to respond to political persecution by Malacaang on a local ofcial that it doesnt likes is to resist. Binay was the object of Malacaangs wrath just a few years ago. And when Binay marshaled his forces as mayor of Makati to repulse the soldiers and cops sent by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to remove him from city hall, he dug in; Arroyo, who also maintained that her administration was just implementing a legal order, was forced to abandon her plan to suspend an anti-administration mayor. As for those who agree with Aquino and his minions that Garcia should just step down, I ask them to consider more recent history. And to remember Grace Padaca. The former governor of Isabela was not only suspended but ordered arrested in October last year for corruption by the Sandiganbayan. Not only did the authorities not serve the warrant for Padacas arrest when it was issued in May; when Padaca was appointed to the Commission on Elections in October, the President himself posted her bail bond through the same guy now going after Garcia in Cebu: Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas. The parallels between the cases of Garcia and Padaca (and between Binay and Garcia) are simply unmistakable. The Cebu governor is identied with the previous administration, like Binay was during the Arroyo years, while Padaca is an obvious favorite of the current one. Binay successfully fought a clear instance of political persecution, just as Garcia is now ghting a similar move. Padaca, with all the protection of the presidency, can basically do whatever she wants and get away with it, even avoiding arrest on charges of graft and corruption. And Garcia can and should continue ghting, as Binay reportedly advised, if only because she must not allow herself to be the rst domino to fall in a series of local ofcials who do not pay tribute to Aquino and who have been apparently marked for execution by Roxas. And the current
JOJO A. ROBLES
Cebus successful resistance to invaders goes all the way back to Lapu-Lapu.
occupant of the palace apparently doesnt have the good sense that Arroyo displayed when she tried to remove Binay. But thats bad news for Aquino, not for Garcia. If Aquino knows his history, that is. *** It doesnt look like Aquino will back away from his bid to remove Garcia. Aquino and Roxas, it is becoming clear, have obviously decided that Garcia should be Exhibit A in its latest campaign to make local ofcials kowtow to the Palace, just like they engineered the removal of Chief Justice Renato Corona by impeachment and conviction in Congress; thats history, as well. Aquino obviously needs to punish a high-prole local ofcial who is not beholden to him so that all governors and mayors would quake in fear in the same manner that the removal of Corona caused the entire Judiciary to realize that you cant ght Malacaang even with just a valid term. But Aquino, Roxas and their henchmen are mistaken if they think Garcia would bow meekly to their bullying. Or, for that matter, any local ofcial worth his or her salt. Local ofcials have popular support, unlike members of the Judiciary who only have the law to protect them. And, as Arroyo discovered when she tried to suspend Binay, people tend not to look kindly on such attempts at presidential bullying and can even react violently to them. By the way, former President Joseph Estrada, who accompanied Binay when the latter visited Garcia (and who revealed what Binay advised the governor), knows this well. In his rst administrative order as President, Estrada directed the removal of then Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Chairman Richard Gordon, whom Erap hated with a passion. Gordon was, on paper, only protected by an appointment paper from Estradas predecessor but Erap didnt count on the residents of Subic and Olongapo City rallying behind the beloved Gordon, and violence marked Gordons eviction. Erap was also the victim of similar bullying when Aquinos mother Cory sent General Alfredo Lim of the Northern Police District to pry Estrada out of the San Juan municipal hall after Cory assumed the presidency. Erap gave up the ght only when Lim said that Eraps supporters would die in a bloodbath. Will history repeat itself and shall we see the current Aquino succeed in doing the same thing that his mother did to Erap, this time to Gwen Garcia? The Cebuano supporters of Garcia dont seem to think so and as for history, Cebus successful resistance to invaders goes all the way back to Lapu-Lapu.
Looking beyond 2013

POLITICAL pundits are saying that next years midterm senatorial election is a prelude to the 2016 presidential polls. At this early stage, there are already congurations who will team up for president and vice president. So far, a Jejomar Binay and Jinggoy Estrada tandem looks like it is in the ofng. Binay has already declared as early as last year he would be seeking the highest post of the land while Jinggoy has come out with a statement recently that he would be running for vice president. Who else would Jinggoy run with but with Binay who is allied with his father, former President Joseph Estrada in the United Nationalist Alliance? His political mentor, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, is also a leading UNA gure. Erap is running for mayor of Manila and if he wins and beats incumbent Mayor Alfredo Lim, it would be unlikely for him to try another run for the presidency. He would most probably groom Jinggoy for vice president until hes ready to recapture the presidency for the Estradas. If he loses, then hes damaged goods. Dont rule out Fred Lims re-election; hes the incumbent and ward politics still prevails in Manila. Still guring in the 2016 presidential derby even if he has not declared yet, is Mar Roxas. From a short-lived stint as Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications, Mar stepped into the Department of Interior and Local Government post left vacant by the death
BACK CHANNEL
ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO
of Secretary Jesse Robredo. The DILG portfolio is a key post in connecting with local ofcials. The support of governors, mayors down to the kagawads at the barangay level is essential to winning nationwide elections. As DILG boss, Mar has the built-in advantage of campaigning without ofcially campaigning during times of calamities doing relief work. While Mar has disavowed exploiting the DILG post to advance his presidential bid in 2016, interacting with local ofcials and accommodating their needs come with the job. This is a double-edged sword, though, because Mar wont be able to please everybody. He would also be making enemies as he has already on the matter of jueteng or the illegal numbers game. Many of the local ofcials are beneciaries of the jueteng lords largesse. The third tandem, albeit unspoken and only talked about within the inner circle of family and friends, is a Bongbong Marcos-Chiz Escudero or an Escudero-Marcos billing. In his mid-50s, the young Marcos election as a senator in a nationwide vote attests to the political stock and resonance of the Marcos name. His mother, the former First Lady Imelda R.Marcos, is congresswoman of Ilocos Norte while his sister Imee is governor of Ilocos Norte. For the Marcoses, its no longer about wealth and power. Its all about vindication and redemption of the Marcos name and their place in history. But what if Escudero tops the senatorial elections in 2013? He probably will too, as the latest Social Weather Stations survey indicates. Making a run for the presidency in 2016 would require an enormous campaign chest. Chiz does not have the wherewithal to mount such a campaign. Running for senator alone
entails expenditure of nearly P500 million. Escuderos former political patron, businessman Danding Cojuango, will no doubt cast his lot with the son of his close ally, the late President Ferdinand Marcos, rather than the senator from Bicol. Chiz knows the reality of running a presidential campaign. . Hes better off settling for the No.2 post; hes still young, after all. His father, the late Rep. Salvador Escudero , was a former Agriculture Secretary under Marcos in the seventies. Chiz is from Bicol while Bongbong is from Ilocos Norte. The combined Bicol and Solid North blocs would make a formidable force. Escuderos leadership in Bicol , however, is challenged by the disparate political dynasties of the Villafuertes, Fuentebellas and Espinosas. There is no clear leader to unify the Bicolanos A case in point is the irreconcilable family feud between Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte and his son, Governor Luis Raymond LRay Villafuerte. A legislative measure to carve out a third province, Nueva Camarines , is a microcosm of the internecine politics in Bicol. Filipinos have elected Presidents from Ilocos Northern Luzon (Quirino, Magsaysay, Marcos ), Central Luzon (Macapagal and Arroyo ,the Aquinos), and the Visayas (Osmea and Garcia), Metro-Manila-Southern Tagalog (Estrada). The Bicol region has yet to send a President to Malacaang. The surveys at this stage have Escudero, Loren Legarda, Alan Peter Cayetano, Jack Enrile, Jayvee Ejercito Gregorio Honasan, Koko Pimentel, Cynthia Villar, Nancy Binay, and Migz Zubiri (not necessarily in that order) in the winners circle. Jun Magsaysay , Sonny Angara and Richard Gordon are ghting for the last two slots.
ROLANDO G. ESTABILLO RAMONCHITO L. TOMELDAN CHIN WONG/ RAY S. EANO JOEL P. PALACIOS MARLON C. MAGTIRA
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ManilaStandardToday Adelle Chua, Editor
Opinion
FIRST THINGS FIRST
IN THE course of listening to some distinguished statesmen in the last couple of years, I have heard repeated expressions of condence and hope in the Philippines, mainly though not exclusively because of its robust and dynamic population. These statesmen are not agents of population control. They see us for what we are, and they like what they see, and they wish us to become the best of what we could become. We are a country with a young and talented English-speaking labor force not easily replicated elsewhere, not even in Africa, whose political leaders believe they will own the future because by 2050, when majority of the worlds population will have aged to 65 years and beyond, they will have the biggest number of young people of all the continents. You may not have a booming export trade, said one European statesman, but you have a strong domestic market that will power and sustain your economic growth. That is your greatest strength. At the same time, I have heard them and a few others express anxiety over the decline of their own populations due to ageing and lack of new births, coupled by longer life spans brought about by advances in medical science, nutrition and health care. You hear such anxiety all the way from Singapore to Japan to Korea to almost every country in Europe up to the Caucasus and beyond. Even China, with 1.6 billion people, is troubled by the quick ageing of its population. Even the United States, which posted the biggest population growth rate from 1900 to 2000 among the G-8 (more than sixty times that of Russia), has begun to experience a decline.
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UNA and Malacaang

TO THE POINT
ITS the day after Christmas Day. We should not forget that God shared His son to become man to die on the cross to save mankind. In the same way, our Christian faith tells us that we should also share our blessings with our fellowmen not only this Christmas season but all throughout the year. *** The Three Kings of the United Nationalist Alliance --Vice President Jejomar Binay, former President Joseph Estrada and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile -- accompanied by UNA senatorial bets Nancy Binay, Tingting Cojuanco and Ernie Maceda, have thrown their all-out support for beleagured Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia against the minions of Malacaang. Now it is very clear that theres a dividing line between President Aquinos administration coalition of the Liberal Party, Nacionalista Party and Nationalist Peoples Coalition and UNA as the opposition party. Despite claims of the UNA that its simply presenting to the people an alternative, the very fact that UNA has chosen to side with the Cebu governor simply means that it shares the sentiments as Garcia that theres a power grab and shes the victim of political harassment and persecution. Clearly, the suspension order against Garcia is illegal. The Local Government Code provides that when a case is brought up against a local ofcial, a decision must be made within 30 days after an investigation. This is also provided in Administrative Order 23. And, Santa Banana, guess what, President Aquino, through Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, came out with the decision after 474 days. The motive is very clear. Malacaang wants to render Gwen Garcia useless during the poll period. Cebu is a vote-rich province. This move also came soon after two whistleblowers accused Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino, who is running against a Liberal party bet next year, of getting almost P1 billion from jueteng. Doesnt it all sound suspicious? With Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas being behind the designation of Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale as acting governor of Cebu, we get what the administration is trying to do. This is why people are now thinking that there is a creeping authoritarian rule at the rate President Aquino going against those who are not his friends. The UNA Three Kings may not say it yet, but they are now the opposition. *** When Magpale closed down Sugbo TV and Sugbo News because they were airing and publishing the side of Gov. Garcia, it became clear that the acting governor got instructions from Malacaang. Magpale,
Show Aquinos mistake

FRANCISCO S. TATAD
A report by the Pew Research Center, as quoted in the Dec. 15, 2012 issue of The Economist, notes the birth rate falling especially sharply for immigrant women, to 88 per 1,000 women of reproductive age in 2010 from the recent peak of 102, though it remains well above that of American-born women. Net immigration in 2011 was only 700,000, down 28% from 2006 and the lowest for at least a decade. Total fertility rate is down to 1.9, which is below the replacement rate of 2.1, says the article. Behind all this are the failed state policies that tried to stunt the growth of families through contraception, sterilization, abortion, divorce, samesex unions. In many countries, governments, trying to undo their follies, are trying to arrest and reverse the decline by introducing policies that would revive support for higher fertility rates and bigger nuclear families. Despite the natural resistance of those who regard childbearing as either a dreadful menace or a dreaded disease, these governments are doing everything they can to correct their mistakes. Various economic incentives and social initiatives are being put forward to bring back children into families that have been long rendered childless by womens choice. In Russia, for instance, where I participated in the Demographic Summit that produced the Moscow Declaration on the worlds demographic situation in 2011, the Russians launched their National Parents Association early this December in a determined effort to turn back their dreaded demographic winter. I had the privilege of keynoting the launch of that association in Moscow, and was quite impressed with the support shown by the government for the private sectors effort to consolidate all the pro-life and pro-family forces throughout the Federation. We have not seen this kind of public-private sector collaboration to promote family life anywhere. Unlike Russias, or any of the countries directly threatened by the demographic winter, our population profile remains the envy of others. But do we recognize the value of what we have, and if we do, do we have the intellect and the will to develop, nourish and take advantage of it in order to build the future that is best for our people and the rest of mankind? This was the question those foreign statesmen did not have the courage to ask in such blunt manner. Nevertheless, it is the question we should be asking ourselves and our leaders. Demography is destiny, as one website puts it. Our leaders should be the rst ones to recognize that our population is the rst among our known strengths. Our policies and programs therefore should be based on a genuine understanding of that strength and how to develop it to serve the common good and our best interests. Unhappily, our leaders seem determined to do the opposite. In ramming through Congress the Reproductive Health bill despite its patent infirmity and the division it has inflicted upon the nation, President Aquino has shown that his real commitment is to the foreign population controllers who want to destroy our demographic advantage rather than to anybody else. He does not seem to mind trashing the Constitution, even on something as inviolate as the sanctity of the family and marriage, and the right of the majority to practice what they believe. He seems convinced that so long as he does his masters bidding, he could remain in power even after he shall have lost the moral authority to stay in office. He must be shown he has committed a grave mistake. fstatad@gmail.com
EMIL P. JURADO
Truth always has a way of coming out.
after all, is the sister of Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras. Why deprive the people of Cebu the news of whats going on? And why should an acting governor shut down the two media outlets simply because they were publishing and airing the side of Garcia? Its for this reason the National Press Club and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines are alarmed. While its true that Sugbo TV includes news and public affairs in favor of Garcia, it also features Cebus tourism destinations, heritage sites and trends. My gulay, Magpale is now acting high and mighty simply because Malacaang is behind her. From where I sit, Magpales arbitrary closure of the two media outlets of Cebu, coming as it did at this time of the year, is truly unFilipino and un-Christian. *** And now for the good news. The Makati City Council approved recently the grant of P100,000 cash incentive to BLU Card holders, who turned 100 years old in 2012, with an initial appropriation of P2 billion. Makati Mayor Jun-Jun Binay makes this one-time cash benet for residentcentenarians as a tribute to their contributions and role in the history and development of Makati through the years. Binay has even extended the cash benet to those who turned 100 this year but died afterwards. Their qualied heirs will get the benets. I have been a Makati resident for over three decades now and I never regretted a single moment of it. As senior citizens, my wife and I continue to be given our benets from P3,000 to P4,000 a year, aside from the birthday cakes sent to our homes every year. When I mention how Makati has become senior-citizen friendly to my friends living outside of the city, I see envy in their eyes. My gulay, I can watch my favorite movies free at will! Other benets given to the Makati elderly on top of those prescribed by law include mobility aids. (e.g. walking sticks, canes, wheelchairs) exemption from color coding, free haircuts and salon treatments, and would you believe even free massage! We also enjoy free tours through Lakbay Saya. Dont you wish all cities nationwide would be as senior-citizen friendly as Makati? Thats why I continue to support the Binays. *** If there is anything that Filipinos can always look forward to as the new year approaches, its hope for the best. We, Filipinos, are always hopeful that the coming year will be better than the year behind us. The country may have gone through a lot of devastating disasters but the Filipino remains hopeful. Survey had shown that at least we, Filipinos, consider this Christmas a good as the last, but remain hopeful that the new year would be better. Our distinct advantage over other Asian nations is that the Philippines is the only Christian, predominantly Catholic, country in this part of the world. Thats why we are among the 10 happiest people. Indeed we are a cut above the rest.
A happy and hopeful people

ery night, gobbling up beer and liquor till their big tummies could take it no more, and spending money on very young women known as guest relations officers. They say inflation rate is high, and yet the malls are always full. Filipinos never seem to tire of shopping. While Americans tend to do their shopping on weekends or during holidays, Filipinos do theirs any time of the day, any day of the week, sale or no sale. They say many Filipinos are forever trapped in minimum wage, and yet you will hardly see Filipinos who are not dressed in the latest fashion, from the high-priced Nike shoes, to fancy Guess watches, and Tommy Hilfiger or Polo by Ralph Lauren shirts. Of course, again, you cant figure out which ones are genuine, and which are imitation ones. They say many Filipinos eat mostly tuyo and daing, and yet look at the fast food chains and plush restaurants -- from McDonalds to Mang Donalds, from Pinausukan Restaurant to pinausukan (mobile eateries exposed to jeepneys exhaust, usually at jeep terminals), from Bughaw Restaurant to bughaw eateries (bughaw nang bughaw ng langaw) -- they are always full to capacity. They say Filipinos are so poor, and yet all the entertainment joints are full -- the cinemas, the disco joints, the beer houses, the massage parlors, the restaurants, the dancing halls (for ballroom dancing), the hotel lobbies, the motels, the casinos, the billiard halls, the inuman sa tindahan sa kanto, the cockpits, the race tracks, the basketball arenas, the concerts, the karaoke bars, etc. They say Filipinos can hardly afford the basic necessities, and yet look at the number of Mercedes Benzes, BMWs, Hondas, Toyotas, Mitsubishis, Jeeps, Explorers, Pajeros, and other new cars that compete for little road space with run-down jeepneys and 20-year-old or even 30-year-old cars. They say life is so difcult in the Philippines, and yet the golf courses and tennis courts are full even on weekdays. And Filipino golfers have the latest in golf equipment, and wear the most expensive golf clothing and footwear. And where else can you nd a golfer whose bag is carried by a caddy and whose head is protected by sexy umbrella girls as he trots around the golf course? How can the Philippines be so poor, and the Filipinos so extravagant? Or is it because the Filipinos are so extravagant, thats why the Philippines is so poor? The answer, I presume, goes back to the influence of the Spaniards, who reigned supreme over the Philippines for more than 400 years. Look at the Mexicans and other Latinos, they also tend to be fashionable, love to party, and love to have fun, although they can hardly afford it. And did you notice that among the top 10 happiest people in the world according to Gallup, eight are from Latin America. Was it President Manuel L. Quezon who called this ability of the Filipinos to adjust to lifes difficulties as the resiliency of Filipinos? Resilient as a bamboo, he said, meaning Filipinos have the ability to bend with the wind, just like the bamboo, and not be uprooted by it. Mahirap na nga ang buhay, magmumukmok pa tayo? a Filipino would justify his tendency to have fun despite the hard times. Bakit ipapahalata pa nating mahirap tayo? another would say. Filipinos generally love to show off. Many Filipinos would wear the latest in fashion when he goes out, but once inside the house, wears old puruntong shorts and dirty shirts that have seen better days. He would spend a big chunk of his paycheck to pay monthly installments on a Honda Civic, but lives in a cramped, old apartment with worndown furniture, while he feeds his family with tuyo, salmon or sardinas. Is this trait good or bad? If you look at it from the economic perspective, its not good. Because of the Filipinos too much love for fun, they become unproductive. Instead of working devotedly during office hours, many employees spend two to three hours outside of the office ostensibly for lunch. Many executives play golf or play footsie with their queridas, instead of overseeing the operations of their businesses. Because they spend too much time in the evenings in beerhouses and other entertainment joints, they tend to be sloppy in their work the next day. Because of their uncontrolled spending, inflation rate continues to soar. And because of the lopsided spending on entertainment, there is hardly anything left for savings or investments, such as retirement funds and college education, or for home purchases. From the social perspective, its not really that bad. Because of their ability to have fun despite the difficulties, Filipinos are able to smile genuine smiles, and laugh genuine laughs even during the most critical and most difficult periods in their lives. Uprisings and revolutions will never succeed in the Philippines because Filipinos are able to ease their tensions, and laugh away their troubles. It is not accidental that Filipinos make fun out of even the most tragic episodes in their lives. So, Filipinos all over the world, dont worry too much about our kababayans back home, because they will be the first to tell you: Dont worry, be happy!
By Val Abelgas
IT shouldnt surprise us anymore that every year, Filipinos are ranked among the happiest people in the world and are ever hopeful that the coming year would be better than the previous one. Despite the poverty around them, and the endless disasters and tragedies that wreak havoc in their lives year in and year out, the Filipinos remain among the happiest and most optimistic people in the world. Just recently, a Gallup poll released a worldwide survey that showed the Filipinos again in the top 10 happiest people on earth, while surveys by both Pulse Asia and the Social Weather Station consistently show that more than 90 percent of Filipinos are optimistic that the coming year would be better than the previous one. Gallup Inc. asked about 1,000 people in each of 148 countries last year if they were well-rested, had been treated with respect, smiled or laughed a lot, learned or did something interesting and felt feelings of enjoyment the previous day. In Panama and Paraguay, 85 percent of those polled said yes to all five, putting those countries at the top of the list. They were followed closely by El Salvador, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Thailand, Guatemala, the Philippines, Ecuador and Costa Rica. The pollsters noted that people from prosperous nations can be deeply unhappy ones, and poverty-stricken ones are often awash in positivity, or at least a close approximation of it. I had often wondered why despite the economic difficulties being experienced by the Philippines, Filipinos still seem to be a happy lotalways laughing and smiling, never running out of jokes, and always partying. Everyone knows that a big majority of Filipinos are below the poverty level, and yet every Tomas, Ricardo and Pedro owns a cell phone. Try walking through Metro Manila and, most probably, every other Filipino you come across has a cell phone glued to his earthe businessman, the junior executive, the clerical employee, the jeepney driver, the security guard, the student, and yes, even the meat vendor in your favorite market. They say Filipinos could hardly make both ends meet, and yet every other Filipino male seems to be in the beerhouse and night clubs almost ev-
Praise the lard

By Robert Harland
YES, Im out of the closet and have to confess. I cook with lard. For years lard has been considered a silent killer, but today its really bad public image is being questioned. In the last few decades weve been taught to fear lard so much that you could be forgiven for thinking that eating it was the leading cause of death. But many scientic minds are now re-thinking lard. Some believe the advice weve been getting for so long has been wrong. Were told to eat as little fat as possible, but American science journalist Gary Taubes quotes US government gures showing that nearly half the fat in lard is monounsaturated and this lowers our bad cholesterol and raises our good cholesterol. If you replace the carbohydrates in your diet with an equal quantity of lard, it will actually reduce your risk of having a heart attack, claims Taubes. This is good news because food cooked in lard is a lot tastier than food cooked in vegetable fats or oils. My British ancestors had no trouble recognizing its virtues. So central was it to our diet that the room where we stored our food, the larder, was named after it. Our grannies, who mostly cooked with lard, knew that its great strength was that it coaxed out the avors of foods. With its high smoking point and unobtrusive taste, Lard was the ideal fat for roasting, so our grannies roasted potatoes in it. Today, many cooks are starting to use goose and duck fat. This is sold in fancy jars at great expense. But many of the same cooks will not consider lard. Perhaps because the packaging is not sophisticated enough. Robert Harland is a British national And then theres the name. Lard is resident in Bacolod City. hardly romantic. So, what about re-branding it? Pig butter might be a good start. In Britain, consumption of lard has dropped from 55 grams a week to a mere ve, but its on the increase. Although lard is readily available in UK supermarkets, its highly processed, often hydrogenated and treated with bleaching and deodorizing agents. Its not sold in Philippine supermarkets and, in any case the best lard is home-made. Ive been making my own for several years by rendering pig fat. This is an easy process. Buy a load of pig fat from a butcher. Cut it into one inch squares, put a quarter of an inch of water in a heavy pan this stops burning place the fat in the water and put the pan in a hot oven. After two hours you can pour pure pig fat into a bowl. You can freeze it and itll keep for a long time. Some eminent chefs such as Scotsman Jeremy Lee of Londons Quo Vadis restaurant are great fans of lard especially for roasting potatoes and in pastry. Lard is up there with goose and duck fat its a very sophisticated ingredient, Lee says. Lard was once the fat of choice in many countries. Sadly, its use went into steep decline when it was branded as a health hazard by nutritionists and doctors. The jury is still out, but it seems lard is enjoying something of a revival. On a personal note, my very active mother, who was brought up on lardcooked food and who still occasionally uses it, will celebrate her 92nd birthday in February. And to mark the occasion, perhaps shell be celebrating with a tasty full English breakfast cooked in lard.
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WEDNESDAY
DECEMBER 26, 2012
ManilaStandardToday
News
Cacdac to make recruiters observe the household service workers reform package as provided by the various POEA Governing Board resolutions issued in 2006. He said the reforms included minimum deployable age increased from 18 to 23; minimum entry salary increased from US$200 to US$400 per month; prohibition on collection of placement fee from the household staff workers; higher competency standards for prequalication of workers; and higher prequalication standards for foreign placement agencies and its foreign employer. He added that deployment of underage workers and collection of placement fees from domestic helpers were serious offenses that carried the penalty of cancellation of license. Some of the offenses committed by recruiters include contract substitution or alteratiuon; falsication or alteration of travel documents; deployment of workers whose employment and travel documents were not processed by the POEA; deployment of workers to employers or principals not accredited by the POEA; failing to provide pre-departure orientation seminars; and withholding of salaries or remittances without justiable reasons.
Saudi hired 1.3m Pinoys

ALMOST nine out of 10 Filipinos who left the country for jobs overseas went to Saudi Arabia this year, according to data released by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.
POEA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said deployment to Saudi Arabia reached around 1.3 million, getting the bulk of the 1,460,097 Filipinos sent for work overseas from January to November this year. Middle East remains to be the predominant destination for Overseas Filipino Workers [OFWs] and this will continue in the next three years, said Cacdac, He noted that other top destination for Filipino workers were the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Hong Kong, Qatar, Kuwait, Taiwan, Italy, Bahrain and Malaysia. Cacdac said land-based workers comprised 75 percent of the total deployment for the period, with the remaining accounted for by sea-based workers. Cacdac also said the government signed this year 17 labor agreements with other governments over the rights and benets of Filipino workers, including Kuwait, Jordan and Lebanon and British Columbia in Canada. Meanwhile, Cacdac said his agency has also intensied its campaign against erring recruitment agencies following reports of deploying under-aged domestic workers, collection of placement fess, contract substitution, misrepresentation and fake certications from the Technical Education and Skills Development Agency. The POEA warned recruitment agencies against violating government rules on the recruitment and deployment of Filipino household service workers, saying their licenses will be suspended or revoked. Citing the increasing number of Filipino maids who have led cases against their recruiters and employers, Cacdac reminded recruitment agencies that they would be held accountable for recruitment violations, incidents of abuse, exploitation, or breaches of contract committed by household employers against Filipino domestic workers. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has instructed
IN BRIEF
Top Red leader nabbed
SECURITY forces arrested on Tuesday Filemon Mendrez, the leader of the communist New Peoples Army in Negros Oriental and the countrys 6th most wanted criminal. Elements of the Armys 302nd Infantry Brigade and the Philippine National Police arrested Mendrez at Barangay Tubod in Manjuyod, Negros Oriental around 10 a.m. by virtue of an warrant of arrest for the crime of robbery in band under Criminal Case Numbers 2116, 898, and 00-662 for rebellion with no bail recommended. Mendrez in included in the controversial order of battle being implemented by the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Department of National Defense with a bounty of P5.25 million on his head. Mendrez, alias Tatay and Edon, was the former head of Front Committee 2 in Central Visayas and later became the Deputy head of the Central Visayas Revolutionary Party Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines. He currently heads the armed group of the NPA in Negros. Law enforcement operations shall continue even as we observe a Suspension of Offensive Military Operations and ceasere. This is part of your security forces of protecting communities, government and private establishments, 3rd Infantry Division Maj Gen. Jose Mabanta, Jr. said. The 3rd Infantry Division is the mother unit of the 302nd Infantry Brigade. PNA
QC hosts New Year countdown

By Rio N. Araja and Francisco Tuyay
QUEZON City will host for the rst time a countdown to the New Year on Dec. 31 starting at 5 p.m. at the Liwasang Aurora inside the Quezon Memorial Circle on Elliptical Road. Mayor Herbert Bautista said he hopes to attract about 10,000 people and discourage residents to use recrackers during the traditional revelry that usually tallies hundreds of injuries and dozens of deaths each year. The countdown will be highlighted by a free concert and a 25-minute reworks at the stroke of midnight of New Years Eve. Three giant projectors will be put up at the area to enable the people to seel all the activities. Artists who are expected to attend the countdown are rap artist Gloc 9, Shamrock, the Divas Club, Anti-Gravity band, Kissy Babes, B-Boys, and Runway: Earth, Wind and Fire. Meanwhile, the Metro Manila police deployed policemen in all key areas in the metropolis, including public parks and recreational facilitiesm for the safety of New Years revelers. National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima had been making rounds in all police districts and adjoining provinces to inspect establishments, particularly stalls selling illegal re crackers.
QC hospital upgraded
PRESIDENT Aquino has signed into law Republic Act No. 10345 expanding the capacity of the Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City from 350 to 500 beds. Over the years, QCMC garnered several awards including the Gawad Kalasag Award on the Local and National Level given by the National Disaster Coordinating Council in 2010, Best Medical Institution Advocating Disaster Risk Management and the Red Orchid Award given by the health department for implementing a 100 percent smoke free environment. Joyce P. Paares
Magistrate laid to rest
Filipina princess. Miss Universe runner-up Janine Marie Tugonon is presented on a princess carriage by cast members of the
Disney on Ice musical show that began to run at the Araneta Coliseum last night until January 3. MANNY PALMERO
FORMER Supreme Court Associate Justice Efren I. Plana was laid to rest on Sunday at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City after he passed away on Dec. 19 at the age of 84. He served in the SC from Nov. 20, 1981 to April 16, 1986 after he served in various government positions, such as acting minister of nance, undersecretary of national defense and of justice, chairman of the Deportation and Anti-Dummy Boards, chairman of the Land Bank of the Philippines, Monetary Board, and the Light Rail Transit Authority; and Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. PNA
Court afrms junking of raps vs graft ofcial

By Rey E. Requejo
THE Court of Appeals has afrmed the decision of the Ofce of the President last year to clear over-all deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro of charges of misconduct arising from the delay in the resolution of a 15-yearold case on ghost deliveries of assorted supplies and materials to the Philippine Air Force amounting to P89 million. The CAs First Division, through Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda, dismissed the petition for review led by Ombudsman assistant special prosecutors Jennifer AgustinSe and Rohermia Jamsani-Rodriguez. The CA said the complainants failed to prove that the delay in the case of retired air force ofcers Lt. Gen. Leopoldo Acot, Brig. Gen. Ildefonso Dulinayan and several other low-key ofcers was orchestrated by Casimiro and another respondent, deputy special prosecutor John I.C. Turalba. Charges based on mere suspicion and speculation likewise cannot be given credence. Hence, when the complainant relies on mere conjectures and suppositions, and fails to substantiate his allegations, the administrative complaint must be dismissed for lack of merit, the CA stressed. In 1996, Ombudsmans investigators Rainier Almazan and Rudiger Falcis recommended the ling of the criminal case against Acot and Dulinayan corruption and malversation of public funds, but the the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan dismissed the case against Acot and Dulinayan in 2010. In their complaint, Se and Rodriguez, who were assigned to prosecute the case, alleged that Casimiro should be held liable for deliberately delaying the disposition of the preliminary investigation of the charges against Acot and Dulinayan. Instead of ordering the ling of appropriate charges against the two air force ofcers based on the April 12, 1996 resolution approved by then Ombudsman Aniano Desierto, the complainants claimed that Casimiro ordered the review of the case in 2005 despite the transmittal of the records to the Ombudsman for Military and Other Law Enforcement ofces. The CA said the complaint led by Se and Rodriguez were general averments that Casimiro committed and conspired to commit gross misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service.
Bicolanos target zero casualties

LEGAZPI CITY Albay has embarked anew on a vigorous campaign for zero casualties and minimal carbon emissions through its a campaign, known as Iwas Paputok, that encourages the use of safe and environment friendly materials in lieu of dangerous, pollutant recrackers and plastics during the holiday revelry. The campaign was initiated by Albay Gov. Joey Salceda three years ago when he launched the month-long Karangahan sa Pasko: Albay Green Christmas celebration. It invokes public awareness and commitment. Spearheaded by the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Ofce, Iwas Paputok was relaunched recently at the Penaranda Park here during an assembly of Albay capitol employees, local government leaders, barangay ofcials and partner government agencies. Salcedas executive order on the subject was read during the assembly at the start of the Karangahan Festival last month that was attended by heads of the Iwas Paputok program coordinating ofces of the Albay Provincial Health Ofce, the Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Fire Protection.
On the job. A police ofcer observes passengers, including a security guard and several other policemen, at a coach of the Light Rail Transit Line 2 on Tuesday. The unidentied policemen was one of several cops who were assigned to board and guard Metro Manila trains during the Christmas holidays. SONNY ESPIRITU
House okays measure on early voting for media

By Maricel V. Cruz
HOUSE leaders on Tuesday welcomed the approval of the bicameral conference committee of a proposed law that will allow over 200,000 members of the media in the country to cast their votes early in the upcoming 2013 elections. The decision is very laudable as this would allow our friends in the media to do their coverage unhampered without being disenfranchised during elections, said House Assistant Minority Leader and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Romualdez said the measure will allow more than 200,000 members of the print, radio and television outts to exercise their right to suffrage. The measure, a consolidation of House Bill 4241 and Senate Bill 1198, amends Republic Act 7166, or the absentee voting law, to allow members of the press to vote ahead of an election because of the ir nature of their profession. Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares, one of the co-authors of House Bill 4241 and who is part of the bicameral panel who reconciled HB 4241 and Senate Bill 1198, said the passage will help journalists perform their job without being getting disenfranchised. The bill was approved by the bicameral last Wednesday (last week), Colmenares said, adding that the proposed law would be an important contribution to electoral access. The Commission on Elections had earlier supported the proposal institutionalizing early media voting. Voting 5-1, the poll body granted a petition led by media practitioners to accord them the same voting privileges enjoyed by soldiers, policemen and other government ofcers and employees performing election duties under the local absentee voting. RA7166 provides for the local absentee voting of police and military members, government ofcials and employees who perform election duties. Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. earlier said the Comelec may have to designate an area, probably the Comelec headquarters in Intramuros, Manila, where media practitioners can cast vote ahead of election day.
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Republic of the Philippines Department of Trade and Industry
BUREAU OF PRODUCT STANDARDS

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL STANDARD PNS 1478:2010 ICS 97.140 6.4 Stability of chairs and stools shall be tested in accordance with PNS BS EN 1022. 7 Marking NOTE The shape is not defined in detail but will be available from national testing authorities. B.4 Smaller seat loading pad Rigid circular object 200 mm in diameter the face of which has a convex spherical curvature of 300 mm radius with a 12 mm front edge radius (see figure D.2). B.5 Back loading pad Rigid rectangular object 200 mm high and 250 mm wide the face of which is curved across the width of the pad with a convex cylindrical curvature of 450 mm radius and with a 12 mm radius on all front edges (see figure D.3). B.6 Local loading pad (i.e. for arm and leg loading test) Rigid cylindrical object 100 mm in diameter, with a flat face and a 12 mm radius on the front edge. NOTE All loading pads should be capable of pivoting in relation to the direction of the applied force. B.7 Foam for facing loading pad 25 mm thick layer of polyether foam with a hardness index when measured according to ISO 2439, method A, of 135/660 N and a density of 27 kg/m3 to 30 kg/m3. Alternatively a layer of this foam may be positioned between the loading pad and the test structure. B.8 Seat impacter (see figure D.4). B.8.1 Circular body Approximately 200 mm in diameter separated from the striking surface by helical compression springs and free to move relative to it on a line perpendicular to the plane of the central area of the striking surface. The body and associated parts minus the springs shall have a mass of 17 kg 0.1 kg and the whole apparatus, including mass, springs and striking surface, shall have a mass of 25 kg 0.1 kg. B.8.2 Springs Which shall be such that the combined spring system has a nominal spring rate of 0.69 kg/mm 0.1kg/mm and the total friction resistance of the moving parts is between 0.025 kg and 0.045 kg. The spring system shall be compressed to an initial load of 104 kg 0.5 kg (measured statically) and the amount of spring compression movement available from the initial compression point to the point where the springs become fully closed shall be not less than 60 mm. B.8.3 Striking surface Approximately flat leather pad containing fine dry sand. B.9 Impact hammer Cylindrical object having a mass 6.5 kg, supported from a pivot by a steel tube of 38 mm in diameter and with a wall thickness of 1.6 mm. The distance between the pivot and the center of gravity of the striker is 1 m the pendulum arm is pivoted by a low friction bearing. (See figure D.5). B.10 Chair loading position template, as described in annex E. Annex C 450 Test Procedures C.1 Seat static load test Place the testing specimen above glass platform. 200 Position the seat loading pad (B.3) to conform to the seat plane, firstly at the seat loading position determined by the chair loading position template (figures E.1 to E.3), and subsequently at 100 mm back from the front edge of the seat. Apply the appropriate downward force (see figure C.1) specified in table 1, 10 times. During each application, maintain the force for at least 10 s. With 5 cm cylinder, push downward. Assess defects according to annex D. When it is not clear which of several positions of the loading pad is likely to cause failure, for example when testing pedestal and cantilever chairs, subject each of the positions to 10 applications of the force specified above. In the case of stools, apply the load along the force and aft center line of the seat at the seat loading position for stools determined by the chair loading position template, if necessary using the smaller seat loading pad (B.4). If required, repeat the test on footrails or footrests at the appropriate test level.
Furniture Monobloc chairs and stools Specification Foreword This Philippine National Standard Specification for Monobloc chairs and stools was prepared by the Bureau of Product Standards Technical Committee on Furniture (BPS/TC 41). This standard cancels and replaces the one issued in 1998. The Committee deemed the necessity of deleting the plastic table in the standard since the monobloc furniture is made from one mould injected as one whole piece. This standard includes also the requirements for the stability of the furniture to ensure the safety of the consumers. 1 Scope
Monobloc chairs and stools shall be marked with the following information: 7.1 Name and address of manufacturer, distributor or importer; 7.2 Registered tradename or brandname; 7.3 Capacity in kg; 7.4 Usage indoor or outdoor; 7.5 Additional marking on proper handling and usage; and 7.6 The words Made in the Philippines or Country of origin if imported. Table 1 Requirements Test 1. Seat static load 2. Back static load Balancing load 3. Arm sideways static load Wing sideways static load 4. Arm downwards static load 5. Seat fatigue test } } can be 6. Back fatigue test } combined Balancing load } 7. Leg forward static load Balancing seat load 8. Leg sideways static load Balancing seat load 9. Diagonal base load 10. Seat impact test 11. Back impact test 12. Arm impact test 13. Drop test - Stackable or special drop height, mm designed chairs and 10 times at 10 stools with legs or pedestals longer than 200 mm - Non-stacking chairs with drop height, mm castors or 10 times at 10 swivelling glides with legs or pedestals longer than 200 mm - Chairs and stools with drop height, mm legs or pedestals 10 times at 10 shorter than 200 mm Annex A General test requirements A.1 Preliminary preparation See annex D for preliminary noting of existing defects. If a standardized atmosphere is to be used for conditioning, it shall have a temperature of 23 C 2 C and a relative humidity of 50 % 5 % according to ISO 554. A.2 Application of forces The forces in strength test shall be applied sufficiently slowly to ensure that negligible dynamic load is applied. The forces in durability test shall be applied sufficiently slowly to ensure that kinetic heating does not occur. It is recommended that the test are carried out at a maximum rate of six cycles per minute. A.3 Loading The severity of loading is specified in table 1. A.4 Test conditions The tests may be applied by any suitable device because results are dependent only upon correctly applied loads and not upon the apparatus, except in the case of impact tests where the apparatus described in B.8 and B.9 shall be used. The seat loading apparatus should be such as not to restrain the chair from tilting over nor hinder horizontal movement of the chair when the back load is applied. For tolerances, unless otherwise stated all forces shall have an accuracy of 5 %, all masses an accuracy of 0.5 % and all dimensions an accuracy of 0.5 mm. A.5 Sequence of testing All applicable tests shall be carried out on the same chair or stool in the order listed in table 1. Annex B Test environment and apparatus B.1 Floor surface Horizontal, flat. For the drop test (C.13) use a rubber mat 2 mm thick with hardness of 97 IRHD according to PNS ISO 48 on a concrete floor or other matting materials with the same hardness. B.2 Stops To prevent the article from sliding but not tilting, no higher than 12 mm except in cases where the design of the item necessitates the use of higher stops, in which case the lowest that will prevent the item from moving shall be used. B.3 Seat loading pad Naturalistically shaped rigid indent (see figure D.1) with a hard, smooth surface. Loading force, N 10 times force, N force, N 10 times force, N force, N 10 times force, N 10 times Cycles seat load 950 N cycles back load 330 N seat load 950 N force, N 10 times force, N 10 times force, N 10 times drop height, mm 10 times height, mm angle, degrees 10 times Minimum requirement 1 300 560 1 300 400 300 800 50 000 50 000
1.1 This standard specifies the requirements for plastic furniture for monobloc chairs and stools. 1.2 This standard also describes the test methods for determining the strength, durability and stability of monobloc chairs and stools. 1.3 Assessment of ageing and degradation is not included.
1.4 The tests are designed to be applied to an article of furniture that is fully assembled and ready for use. 1.5 Forces and dimensions in the tests are applicable to chairs and stools intended for adult persons. 1.6 The tests consist of the application, to various parts of the item, of loads or forces simulating normal functional use, as well as misuse that might reasonably be expected to occur. 1.7 In case of designs not catered for in the test procedures, the test shall be carried out as far as possible as described, and deviations from the test procedure recorded in the test report. 1.8 Tests carried out on monobloc chairs and stools are intended to demonstrate the ability of the item to give satisfactory service in its intended environment. It should be understood that such tests do not ensure that structural failure will not eventually occur as a result of habitual misuse or after an excessively long period of service, or more than occasional use by persons weighing more than 100 kg. 2 References
500 1 000 390 1 000 375 180 210 38
The titles of the standards publications referred to in this standard are listed on the inside back cover. 3 Definitions
For the purpose of this standard the following definitions apply: 3.1 durability test - test simulating the repeated movement of components occuring during long-term use and assessing the strength of the article under such conditions. (See annex C5 and C6) 3.2 fatigue loading - the often-repeated, but also steadily and gradually applied subjection of the article to the reiterated application of that level of loading which is likely to occur most frequently 3.3 impact test - test to assess the strength of the article under the rapid rates of loading that occasionally occur 3.4 monobloc furniture - furniture made from one mould injected as one whole piece of furniture 3.5 stability - ability to withstand forces that tend to cause the article to overturn 3.6 static test - test consisting of heavy loads being applied a few times to ensure that the furniture has sufficient strength to perform its function under the highest levels of loading that might reasonably be expected to occur 4 Requirements
100
4.1 Construction Monobloc chairs and stools shall be of rigid construction. When tested in accordance with the relevant test methods, no part of any unit shall develop any fracture or any deformation that will affect the functionality or appearance (or both) of the unit. Stackable units shall remain functional after the relevant test have been completed. The design shall minimize damage by abrasion between the units as a result of stacking. 4.2 Finish All furniture shall be solidly constructed and shall have a neat appearance. Surfaces shall have a smooth, even and uniform finish. There shall be no cracks and chips, that may affect the appearance or serviceability of the furniture. Acceptable and well-proven moulding techniques shall be applied in order to eliminate possible defects and stresses. There shall be no sharp edges. 4.3 Strength, durability and stability of chairs and stools Monobloc chairs and stools shall be designed and constructed such that each article tested shall conform to the requirements for each test specified in annex A and shall not show any deformation that will affect the serviceability of the chairs and stools and shall meet the test requirements in table 1. 5 Sampling
a) Chair
b) Stool
Figure C.1 Seat static load test C.2 Back static load test Position the center of the back loading pad (B.5) either at the back loading position as specified by the chair loading position template (see figure E.3) or at 100 mm below the top of the back, whichever is lower. Prevent the chair from moving rearwards by placing stops behind the rear feet or castors. Apply the test load of the appropriate magnitude specified in table 1, perpendicular to the back when under load. Conduct the test by the application of the load 10 times, with the balancing seat load specified in table 1 applied at the seat loading position (see annex E). During each application, maintain the load for at least 10 s. The back static force shall be at least 410 N. If the chair tends to overbalance at this force, the force applied to the seat shall be increased until this tendency ceases. NOTE 1 If it is not possible to apply the back load at the back loading position due to the construction of the chair, e.g. if the back is constructed of cross-members positioned above and/or below the back loading position, a suitable panel may be used to spread the load over the back cross-members so long as this surface does not overlap the side upright members.
Monobloc chairs and stools shall be sampled in accordance with PNS ISO 2859-1 and shall be representative of the production model. 6 Test method
6.1 General test requirements General test requirements shall be in accordance with annex A. 6.2 Test environment and apparatus Test environment and apparatus shall be in accordance with annex B. 6.3 Strength and durability of monobloc chairs and stools shall be tested in accordance with annexes C and E. All applicable tests shall be carried out on the chairs and stools in the order listed in table 1.
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NOTE 2 If the chair is fitted with a tilting mechanism, this shall be adjusted so that the back of the chair is tilted at 15 5 back from the vertical. On the first and the tenth application of the back static load, measure the relative deflection of the back and calculate d/h, as illustrated in figure C.2, h being the distance from the seat surface to the top of the back and d being the deflection of the top of the back. When this test is applied to a stool without a backrest, or with a very low back, apply the backward force horizontally to the front edge of the seat. Regardless of the shape of the seat for stools with rectangular underframes, apply the force perpendicular to each of two adjacent sides in turn, half the number of applications of the force being applied to each side. For stools with triangular underframes, apply the force along each of any two median lines in turn. NOTE Since one position of the seat loading pad in the seat static load test is the same as that specified for the back static load test, it is normally convenient to perform these two tests together as a combined seat and back static load test. In this case, the seat load shall be applied first and then maintained while the back load is applied. When this test is applied to a stool without a backrest, or with a very low back, apply the backward force horizontally to the front edge of the seat. Test tools with four legs on which the seat surface is not symmetrical both with the seat major dimensions sideways, and with the major dimensions fore and aft for half the number of applications of the force in each of the two directions. Test stools with three legs along two of the principle axes of the three feet. NOTE Because the number of cycles and the seal load are common to both of the seat and back fatigue tests it is normally convenient to perform these two tests together as a combined seat and back fatigue test. In this case, the seat load should be applied first and then maintained while the back load is applied.
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a) Chair
b) Stool
Figure C.9 Seat impact test C.11 Back impact test Carry out the test with the impact hammer (B.9). Place the chair or stool with its front feet prevented by stops or clamps from moving forward. Strike the outside of the chairback top at its center, or, when there is no back, the center of the seat rear edge horizontally with the impact hammer falling from a height or angle as specified in table 1. Repeat the procedure 10 times. If a stool has no easily determined rear edge, apply the test in the direction most likely to cause the stool to tip over.
a) Chair
b) Stool
Figure C.6 Back fatigue test C.7 Leg forward static load test Restrain the4 front feet of the chair or stool from movement while applying a horizontal force centrally to the rear of the chair at seat level in a forward direction, by means of the local loading pad (B.6). For stools with only three legs, one foot on the fore and aft center line and one other foot should be restrained. The maximum force shall be the appropriate force specified in table 1. Apply the appropriate seat load specified in table 1 at the seat loading position specified by the chair loading position template (see figure E.3). If the chair or stool tends to overbalance, reduce the load to a magnitude that just prevents forward overbalancing, and record the actual force use. (see figure C.7a). Apply the forward leg load 10 times, and during each application, maintain the load for at least 10 s.
If the chair has wings, rearrange the position of the chair and repeat the test with the striker hitting the outside top of one wing at right angles to the surface and in the position most likely to cause failure. Restrain the legs of the opposite side.
a) Chair
b) Stool
Figure C.2 Back static load test C.3 Arm and wing sideways static load test Apply a pair of outward forces of the appropriate magnitude specified in table 1 between the arms of the chair at the point along the arms most likely to cause failure (see figure C.3). Apply the forces 10 times, using the local loading pad (B.6). During each application, maintain the load for at least 10 s. If the chair has wings, i.e. two side pieces at the top of an armchair against which the head may be rested, repeat the test on both wings with the appropriate force specified in table 1.
a) Chair
b) Stool
Figure C.10 Back impact test C.12 Arm impact test Carry out the test in the same manner as the back impact test (C.10) except that the impact should be applied in an inward direction to the outside face of one arm at the position most likely to cause a failure. (see figure C.11). a) Leg forward b) Leg sideways
Figure C.3 Arm and wing sideways static load test C.4 Arm downwards static load test Apply a vertical force of the appropriate magnitude specified in table 1, 10 times at the point along the arms most likely to cause failure. (see figure C.4). Apply the load through the smaller seat loading pad (B.4) and during each application maintain the load for at least 10 s. If the chair overbalances, apply a balancing load large enough to prevent the chair from overbalancing when the full force is applied, on the side of the seat opposite to that on which the full force is applied. NOTE The arm sideways static load test can be combined with the arm downwards static load test by combining the horizontal and vertical loads into a diagonal load, this being the resultant of the two loads.
Figure C7 Leg static load test C.8 Leg sideways static load test Carry out this test in the same manner as the leg forward static loading test except restrain a pair of front and rear feet from movement while applying a horizontal force centrally to the side of the article at seat level, in a sideways direction towards the restraining feet. Apply the appropriate vertical seat load specified in table 1 at a suitable position across the seat but not more than 150 mm from the unloaded edge of the seat. Apply the horizontal force 10 times, and during each application maintain the load for at least 10 s. The maximum force shall be that as specified in table 1. (See figure C.7b). If the article tends to overbalance with the vertical seat load and its farthest position from the unloaded edge, reduce the horizontal seat loading force to a magnitude that just prevents sideways overbalancing, and record the actual force used. NOTE Leg tests are applicable to chairs and stools with legs or pedestals. There are no rearward leg loading tests because proof of durability when subjected to them will have been demonstrated in the back static loading test (C.2). Similarly, the leg tests need not be applied to stools because proof of the performance of the stool when subjected to them will have been demonstrated in the back static loading test (C.2).
Figure C.11 Arm impact test C.13 Drop test Support the chair so that, at impact on one foot, the line joining that foot to the foot diagonally opposite is inclined at 10 to the horizontal, while the line joining the remaining feet is horizontal. In the case of three-legged stools, support the stool so that the line joining two feet shall be horizontal and the line from the third foot, i.e. the one receiving impact, to the mid-point of the line is inclined at 10 to the horizontal. (See figure C.12). Lift up the article to the appropriate height specified in table 1 for the type of leg or pedestal fitted to the article. Drop the article 10 times onto a front leg, and 10 times onto a rear leg or in the case of three-legged articles, onto two legs in turn, onto the standard floor (B.1). NOTE 1 This test may be carried out by lifting the article by three cords that are adjusted in length with the article standing in the correct orientation on a plane inclined at 10 to the horizontal. NOTE 2 Stacking chairs and stools are more likely to be dropped than other types of seating. Chairs should be subjected to drop tests at whichever height is appropriate.
Figure C.4 Arm downwards static load test C.5 Seat fatigue test Apply the force of 950 N by means of the seat loading pad (B.3) with the center of the loading pad positioned at the seat loading position determined as in annex E. Apply the force for the appropriate number of times specified in table 1 at a rate not exceeding 40 cycles per minute. Measure the lowest position of the pad during the first and the last cycle of the test. Record the difference of the two values obtained as the deflection of the seat during the test. If required, repeat the test on footrails or footrest.
For stools with backrests and those with shaped seats so that the front and rear of the stool are obvious, the leg tests should be applied as for chairs. Where such a stool has only three legs, one foot on the fore and aft center line of the stool and one other foot should be provided with stops in the sideways loading test. Chairs without legs or pedestals should be subjected to the diagonal base load test (see C.9). C.9 Diagonal base load test The diagonal base load test shall be applied to chairs or stools without pedestals or legs. Chairs with pedestals or legs shall be subjected to the leg static load test (See C.7 a) and b). Apply simultaneously two opposing forces of the magnitudes specified in table 1 to one pair of diagonally opposite corners of the article. Apply these forces as near as possible to the lowest point, in an inward direction 10 times and during each application maintain the load for at least 10 s. (See figure C.8).
Figure C.12 Drop test Figure C.5 Seat fatigue test C.6 Back fatigue test Position the center of the back loading pad (B.5) either at the back loading position determined as in annex E, or at 100 mm below the top of the back, whichever is the lower. Prevent the chair from moving rearwards by placing stops behind the rear feet or castors. Conduct the test by the repeated application or a force of 330 N or if the chair over balances, of such lesser force as to prevent rearwards overbalancing. Carry out the test at a rate not exceeding 40 cycles per minute for the appropriate number of applications specified in table 1. During each cycle apply a force of 950 N to the seat (see figure C.6). Figure C.8 Diagonal base load test - Directions of forces C.10 Seat Impact test Place a piece of foam (B.7) on the seat. Allow the seat impacter (See B.8 and figure D.4) to fall freely from the appropriate height specified in table 1 onto the seat loading position as specified by the chair loading position template (see annex E and figure C.9). Repeat this test 10 times. Repeat at any other position considered likely to cause failure. Annex D Assessment of results D.1 Immediately before commencement of testing, inspect each chair or stool thoroughly. Note any defects in the members, joints or attachments so that they are not attributed to the effect of the tests when the test have been completed. Carry out a dimensional check of the article in any case where it can be expected to suffer deformation as a result of testing. D.2 Immediately after completion of the tests, reinspect the chair or stool thoroughly. Note any apparent defects and determine any changes that have taken place since the initial inspection including:
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a) the fracture or cracking of any member, component or joint, including seat suspensions, castors, and structural shells; b) the loosening shown to be permanent by hand pressure applied to suitable members, or points intended to be rigid. c) the loosening of the underframe or base inserts moulded into a structural shell relative to the shell surface, shown to be permanent by means of hand pressure applied to the underframe or base. d) the free movement in the back, arms, legs or other components of the article greater than that noted in the initial inspection; e) the deformation of any part of the article or any cracks which will adversely affect its appearance; f) the impairment of the operation of any mechanical part (including any significant change in the seat height during any phase of the seat height adjustment tests); and
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012 | A9
g) clearly audible noise developed during testing. D.3 Pass and fail criteria are to be established in requirement specifications.
NOTE Pendulum head is drawn turned 90o from working postion. Figure D.5 Details of pendulum impact hammer
Figure E.3 Position of chair loading position template on chairs and stools References
Annex E Determination of seat and back loading positions E.1 Introduction This method determines the seat and back loading positions that are specified in this standard as distances measured from the seat and back intersection point. The determination of alternative loading points measured from the front edge of the seat or the top of the back is carried out in the normal manner. E.2 Apparatus A chair loading position template (see figures E.1 and E.2) consisting of two-shaped members fastened together by a pivot at one end. The contours of the shaped surfaces are so devised as to sink into the upholstery for a representative distance and at moderate loads. For this purpose the seat loading arm shall have a total mass of 20 kg, applied through the seat loading point. a) Plan b) Side elevation The apparatus is marked as shown in figure E.1 so that the template can be positioned easily with the two members at 90 to each other. Loading points A and B correspond to those points on a chair being 175 mm forward of the seat and back intersection point on the seat and 300 mm upward from the seat and back intersection on the back. Loading point C corresponds to the point on a stool as 175 mm from one edge. NOTE In some cases it may not be possible to determine the loading points by means of the template. In such cases, the report should include information as to the choice of loading points. E.3 Method E.3.1 Chair Position the template with each load applied at the seat loading point on the centerline of the chair as far towards the rear as possible. Adjust its position by pushing the backloading portion into the back, so levering the seat portion forwards until the shape of the template correlates to that of the chair (see figure E.3). Mark the required loading positions from the template. E.3.2 Stool Figure D.2 Details of the smaller seat loading pad Set up the apparatus at 90 with the aid of the mark as shown in figure E.1. Place on the stool as shown in figure E.3. Mark the required loading position from the template. Technical Committee 41 Furniture ISO 2439:2008 - International Standard - Polymeric materials, cellular flexible - Determination of hardness (indentation technique) PNS 2859:2004 (ISO published 1999) Philippine National Standard Sampling procedure for inspection by attributes Part 1: Sampling plans indexed by acceptable quality level (AQL) for lot-by-lot inspection PNS ISO 48:2007 (ISO published 1994) Rubber, vulcanized thermoplastic Determination of hardness (hardness between 10 IRHD and 100 IRHD) PNS BS EN 1022:2009 Domestic furniture Seating Determination of stability Abbreviations: PNS ISO - Philippine National Standard - International Organization for Standardization The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies. PNS 540:1997/ISO 554:1976 - International Standard Standard atmospheres for conditioning and/or testing Specification
Figure D.1 Details of the naturalistically shaped standard seat loading pad
BS EN - British Standard
BUREAU OF PRODUCT STANDARDS Department of Trade and Industry
Chairman 1 Raul R. Leviste Ward Trading Members Government Agencies: 3. Flerida G. Arias Procurement Service/DBM
Vice-Chairman 2. Enrique Diaz URATEX
Manufacturers: 7 Jacqueline T. Tang Rodenstock Manufacturing Corp.
4. Rowe Requejo 8. Rodrigo Navarro Product Development and Design NAVs Center of the Phils./DTI Testing Institution:
Figure D.3 Details of back loading pad
5. Romualdo Nuguit Technical Education and Skills Center of the Phils./DTI 6. Rosalie B. Raymundo Department of Education Project Manager 11 Ledilla G. Papa Bureau of Product Standards
9. Victor R. Revilleza Forest Product Research and Development Institute/DOST Invitee: 10. Teresita C. Belgica Allied Moulding
Figure E.1 Chair loading position template
your partner in product quality and safety
BUREAU OF PRODUCT STANDARDS 3F Trade and Industry Building 361 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Makati City 1200, Metro Manila, Philippines T/ (632) 751.3125 / 751.3123 / 751.4731 E-mail : bps@dti.gov.ph www.dti.gov.ph
(MST-Dec. 19 & 26, 2012)
Figure D.4 Details of seat impacter
Figure E.2 Loading surface curves for chair seat and back loading template assembly
COUSINS REINSTATED
SACRAMENTO, Calif.The Sacramento Kings have reinstated center DeMarcus Cousins after a one-game suspension for unprofessional behavior and conduct detrimental to the team. Cousins practiced with the Kings on Monday. Cousins and Kings coach Keith Smart exchanged words in the locker room during halftime of Sacramentos loss at the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. AP
Sports
Riera U. Mallari, Editor TO make national athletes more competitive in international competitions, the Philippine Sports Commission must be ready to send them abroad for training. Commissioner Jose Luis Jolly Gomez said this after he took note that neighboring Southeast Asia countries are already doing this every year. When we did our research, this is what most of our Southeast Asian counterparts are doing. Indonesian athletes are in Europe na with Thailand, Vietnam athletes are training in China, while Singapore athletes are in the United Kingdom and Australia, noted Gomez. For one, the Jakarta Post reported that several national sports associations in Indonesia have begun their training camps last September. Their athletes, who are preparing for the SEA Games, are joining the Islamic Solidarity Games in Pekanbaru, Riau province.
NO LOTTO DRAW
Manila Standard TODAY sports@manilastandardtoday.com sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
A10
Changes in Stags coaching staff loom

MORE changes in the coaching staff of the San Sebastian Stags are expected to take place in the rst week of January. Frank Gusi, San Sebastian Colleges board representative in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, bared this as he hinted that interim coach Allan Trinidad will not be around to handle the Stags in the coming 89th mens basketball season. Wala muna kaming coach. Depende na ito sa decision ng nakakataas, said Gusi. The departure of Trinidad from Stags came after the schools top ofcials reportedly ended a ve-year working relationship with their top patron Dennis Pineda. Trinidad took over as coach in an interim capacity a few days before the Final Four, when Topex Robinson suddenly quit. Pineda, former mayor of Lubao town and son of Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda, was the Stags biggest supporter since 2007. If Trinidad does not come back, he will be the fth coach to leave his varsity squad in the NCAA after Ronnie Magsanoc of San Beda, Louie Alas of Letran, Chito Victolero of Mapua and Richard del Rosario of the College of St. Benilde recently left their school teams. Under Trinidads brief stint, the Stags were able to reach the Final Four, but lost the second nals slot to the Letran Knights. Peter Atencio
PSC: Athletes must train abroad to be competitive

The training, according Indonesian ofcials, is held with a view of gauging Indonesias medal prospects at the Asian Games and Olympics. Gomez believes that this is becoming the trend, and that the Philippines, which is one of the few countries training their athletes at home, needs to make an investment in such an undertaking. If you want investment, you train an athlete overseas, added Gomez. Gomez said the agency is now studying plans to bring athletes to China, Iran, India and other nations where it is affordable for the Philippines to do so next year. Chairman Ricardo Garcia said a budget of P400 million has been allocated for the countrys preparation this year. But, P500 million is needed for the whole year. And they will have to get the additional P100 million through other means, most likely from private sources. Peter Atencio
Intriguing battles on Christmas Day

THE NBAs hottest team will be playing at home in Los Angeles, and its the Clippers, not the Lakers. Theres a nals rematch in Miami, a holiday matinee in Brooklyn, Kobe vs. the Knicks and the 20th anniversary of one of Michael Jordans most memorable games in Chicago.
Conference-leading 20 wins so far - venture out to play Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, who reworked their roster over the summer and reworked their coaching staff after a slow early start, ring Mike Brown and bringing in DAntoni. Its the 48th time playing on Christmas for the Knicks, but only the eighth time on the road. When we were younger, watching the Christmas Day games was always special, Knicks forward Steve Novak said in a video posted to the teams website. We know we cant play basketball forever, so for this time in our life, to be away from our families and be able to play on TV on Christmas Day is really special. Finish that game, clear the court, and basketball fans in Los Angeles then get a second present - the NBAs best team of late. The Clippers, winners of a franchise-record 13 straight, close the ve-pack of games against the Denver Nuggets. For the Clippers, it will be only the fourth Christmas home game in franchise history. For comparisons sake, Bryant will be playing on the holiday for the 15th time, and this will be his 12th time doing so at home. It will be a good challenge for us, Denver forward Danilo Gallinari told reporters when asked about facing the Clippers. And well be ready for them. So after Boston-Brooklyn, Knicks-Lakers and Thunder-Heat comes the fourth game of the day when Houston goes to Chicago, exactly 20 years after Jordan put up a Christmas show of his own with a 42-point, eight-rebound effort to lift the Bulls over New York 89-77.
Jarencio quits as UST coach

THERE might be a new coach handling the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers next season. Seven-year coach Pido Jarencio quit his post after steering the Tigers to a runner-up nish in the recent 75th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines mens basketball tournament. Jarencio reportedly tendered his courtesy resignation two weeks ago and has formally informed school ofcials of his decision. The Growling Tigers won one title and placed runner-up once in the seven seasons he handled the team. Jarencio is carefully considering his options. He is being eyed as the next coach of Barako Bull to take over from interim coach Bong Ramos. If he accepts, assistant coaches Estong Ballesteros or Senen Duenas could be tapped to handle the Growling Tigers. Peter Atencio
National doubles at Wack Wack

PRINCESS Superal hopes to cap a banner season with another victory, this time in team play, as she links up with Daniella Uy in the Meralco National Doubles Amateur (Closed) Championship unfolding today (Dec. 26) at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong. Superal, the 16-year-old mainstay of the ICTSI-The Country Club squad who had posted nine victories in the season, including three in Malaysia, and Uy set out as the early favorites in the ladies side of the three-day event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Phils. and serving as the nal leg of the Globe Business Amateur Circuit. But out to foil their bid are Andie Unson, a former Optimist International and China Amateur champion, and partner Lorna Tabuena; Anli Wu and Violeta Pegels; Sam Martinez and Marvi Monsalve; Bianca Pagdanganan and Dana Gonzales; and Mia Legaspi, a vetime US Kids World champion, and Felicia Medalla. Focus will also be on the mens side with national team mainstay Jobim Carlos going for back-to-back crown with a new partner in Jonar Austria against a eld that includes former teammate Raymond Gonzales, also a member of the national team, who will play alongside top jungolfer Gabriel Manotoc in the premier Group I category of the event sponsored by Pancake House, Titleist by Empire Golf, Pacsports and Golf Depot.
Welcome to Christmas, NBA style. A ve-game slate makes up the NBAs Christmas schedule, which this year comes with the additional bonus of not being the rst day back after a lockout forced the cancellation of the opening portion of last season. Schedule-makers set the matchups long ago, and the league always tries to get some marquee meetings. This year, they pretty much struck gold. The Clippers are riding a franchise-record 13-game winning streak. The New York Knicks will face their former coach, Mike DAntoni, when they play the Lakers. Miami and Oklahoma City will be bringing the best records in their respective conferences into their rst matchup since the Heat won the title. And Brooklyn and Boston face off, a few weeks after the teams started shoving one another and ring off some insults afterward. I dont know how much bad blood is still there, Nets guard Deron Williams told reporters Monday. We beat them twice this year. I know theyre aware of that Los Angeles Clippers Blake Grifn slams down a basket against the Phoenix Suns during the rst half of their and theyll come in ready to play. teams NBA basketball game in Phoenix. The Clippers are currently the leagues no. 1 team. AP On Christmas, thats the case with everybody. Theres nothing like playing on Christmas, Knicks star Carmelo Anthony said. PHOENIXMasters champion of the Bubba & Friends Drive drivers sold. Los Angeles will be the center The Bubba Watson and Ping Bubba Watson and golf equip- to a Million effort in partnerof the leagues Christmas bash, ment maker Ping presented ship with Pings Bubba Long Golf Gait Lab will serve pediwith two games at Staples Center $250,000 to the Phoenix Chil- in Pink. Driven by Ping cam- atric patients with neuromuson the same day, including an opener that features two teams drens Hospital on Thursday for paign. To help raise funds for cular diseases and disabilities. which got off to surprising starts Watson will play in the Phoeuse in the construction of Arizo- Phoenix-area charities, Ping in very different ways. has donated $50 for each of nix Open on Jan. 31-Feb. 3 at nas rst pediatric gait lab. The Knicks - with an Eastern The money was raised as part the 5,000 limited-edition, pink TPC Scottsdale. AP
Bubba, Ping donate $.25m to hospital
Sports scribes win NPC title

PAKITANG Gilas, composed of sports scribes covering different beats, ruled the National Press Club basketball tournament over the weekend, ending more than two decades of frustration in this elite annual event. The Titan-backed Sports Scribes ran roughshod over the Customs squad, 70-54, in their winner-take-all nals held at the Congress gym over the weekend. Led by Cedelf Tupas of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Sports Scribes bucked a slow start in the second half to turn a close encounter into a rout. Tupas knocked in 15 of his squads 25 second-quarter points as Pakitang Gilas was able to take the tempo of the game. Tupas nished with 23 points to share the scoring honors with Eric Uy. With Tupas catching re, the Sports Scribes got half of the job done and completed the task with their suffocating man-to-man defense that completely took away Customs out of its comfort zone. Chiqui Reyes of AKTV added 11 points for the Rey Joble-mentored Pakitang Gilas, which is also supported by San Miguel Corporation and Gatorade. Despite missing the services of other players due to conict of schedule, the Sports Scribes also got timely contributions from their support cast of Aldo Avinante and Christian Jacinto of philstar.com, AJ Bolando of Abante, Diego dela Paz of AKTV, Josef Ramos of Manila Times, Jeric Lopez of Manila Standard and Karlo Members of the Titan-Pakitang Gilas Sports Scribes celebrate after winning the NPC Sacamos of spin.ph. basketball tournament.
Business
Manila Standard TODAY
Ray S. Eano, Editor business@mst.ph Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor extrastory2000@gmail.com purchase agreements between state-owned National Power Corp. and Energy Development Corp. of the Lopez Group. These contracts will expire in 2025 and 2026. We havent nalized the structure, so I think its safe to say the UL bidding date will be around May or June next year. Casecnan maybe a month or two after that, subject to slight delays, or slight changes, Ledesma said. The bidding for the Unied Leyte and Casecnan contracts was postponed in 2010 in line with the governments decision to review the privatization process. PSALM is mandated under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act to manage the assets and liabilities of state-owned National Power Corp. The previous draft bidding rules stated the Unied Leyte capacity would be divided 6040, which means the capacities would be bidded out at 384 MW and 255 MW, respectively, to address the concern of investors on the market cap in the Visayas.
B1
Sale of Casecnan, Leyte plants OKd

By Alena Mae S. Flores
POWER Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. approved the privatization of the contracted capacities of the 640-megawatt Unied Leyte geothermal plant and the 150MW Casecnan hydropower station in Nueva Ecija next year. PSALM president Emmanuel Ledesma told reporters the body in charge of privatizing power assets was trying to nalize the [bidding] structure for the Unied Leyte and Casecnan contracts. We already have board approval to privatize them. We have to nalize the structure we have to make sure all the comments, all the issues are properly addressed, Ledesma said. He said the Unied Leyte geothermal contracts were being scheduled for privatization by May or June and those of Casecnan hydro shortly after. The administrator of the Unied Leyte power plants will manage the contracted annual output covered by the power
BSP issuing measures this week to curb flows

THE Bangko Sentral is set to announce
measures this week to help deal with increasing foreign funds that are invested in the local nancial market, according to monetary ofcials.
closer to an investment grade. Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said earlier the bank was reviewing the risk premium on forwards as one of its tools and was in discussions with banks. Forwards are agreements to buy or sell assets at a set price and date. Non-deliverable contracts are settled in dollars and are favored by many investors because funds dont have to be deposited and registered locally. The peso climbed to the strongest level in more than four years on Nov. 29, a day after the government reported a 7.1percent increase in third-quarter Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla said the bank would disclose the measures to manage capital inows. Monetary ofcials are looking at measures such as new limits on currency forwards, amid the fastest economic growth in two years. The recent revision of the countrys debt rating outlook by Standard & Poors Rating Services further enhanced the countrys appeal to foreign fund managers. S&P revised to positive from stable its outlook for the countrys sovereign debt, bringing the actual rating a step gross domestic product. Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said on Nov. 28 the pesos rise was a worry and would hurt exporters and overseas remittances. The Bangko Sentral ordered banks to set aside more funds to cover risks on currency forwards this year. In July, it banned foreign funds from its special-deposit accounts that pay more than government Treasury bills. It cut the overnight borrowing rate four times in 2012 to a record 3.5 percent to help reduce the appeal of the nations higheryielding assets. The central bank next meets on Dec. 13. The BSP is going ahead of the curve to prepare and set up other prudential tools in anticipation of further inows, said Ricky Cebrero, executive vice president and head of the Treasury Group at Philippine National Bank in
Manila. The tools it had used have been effective in quelling the rapid appreciation of the peso. A one-way bet that the currency will strengthen against the dollar, carried out through the NDF market, may be destabilizing should conditions reverse, the central bank said on Oct. 28, 2011, when it ordered the higher capital charge effective at the start of 2012. The general idea is to allow those who wish to operate in this market to do so but with risk guidelines that manage the overall exposure in NDFs and the attendant systemic risk, Tetangco said. The other tools we have put in place have so far been effective in maintaining relative stability in the exchange markets and keeping the asset markets from stretched valuations, he added. Bloomberg
Alcorn readies second offering

By Jenniffer B. Austria
ALCORN Gold Resources Corp. plans to hold a follow-on offering in the rst quarter of 2013. Informed sources said the company was in talks with potential underwriters, including UBS to help the company for the equity-raising activity. Investment bank UBS AG and Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corp. were the lead underwriters during the initial public offering of Puregold Price Club Inc., the supermarket chain owned by retail tycoon Lucio of Co. The secondary offering will enable the company to raise funds for acquisition of Lucio Co-owned companies as well as widen its public oat. Co is transforming Alcorn from a company focused on oil exploration and minerals into a diversied holding rm by injecting P74 billion worth of corporate assets. Alcorns market capitalization is expected to increase to P94 billion from the current P18 billion. Among the corporate assets that will be acquired by Alcorn are Ellimac Prime Holdings Inc., Fertuna Holdings Corp., Patagonia Holdings Corp., Pure Petroleum Corp., Meritus Prime Distributions Inc., Montosco Inc., Premier Wine and Spirits Inc., SVF Corp., Nation Realty Inc., Go Fay & Co. Inc., 118 Holdings Inc. and Puregold Price Club Inc. These companies are engaged in several businesses, including liquor, mining retail, trading and real estate. The infusion of the assets will strengthen the companys nancial position as they will signicantly boost Alcorns revenues and net income. Co, in exchange of the assets, will subscribe to 4.9 billion Alcorn shares at P15 per share.
IN BRIEF
Electronics to rebound
NEW investments will lead the electronics industry to grow 5 percent to 6 percent in 2013, the Semiconductors and Electronics Industry of the Philippines Inc. said Tuesday. The reason why we remain bullish that it [industry] will grow is we expect the impact of these new investments in 2013, Seipi president Ernie Santiago said in a phone interview. These new investments in the electronics industry came from Japan, China and Thailand. A lot of them came this year, Santiago said. He said the industry was likely to have a at growth in 2012 because of the lingering effects of a slowdown in global demand. But we are optimistic that a rebound is going to happen next year, he said. Electronics will still comprise about half of the countrys total exports next year. The Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. earlier said the recovery of electronics shipments coupled with the robust services exports would fuel an 11-percent growth in total exports in 2013. Philexport president Sergio Ortiz-Luis said electronics shipments would recover in the early part of 2013. Julito G. Rada
Maynilad donation. Maynilad Water Services Inc., the concessionaire that operates the western zone of Metro Manila, donated P2 million to the TV5 Alagang Kapatid Foundation for the benet of the victims of typhoon Pablo. Maynilad president and chief executive Ricky Vargas (second from left) hands over the P2-million donation to foundation executive director Menchie Silvestre. With them (from left) are Maynilad human resources head Levi Diestro, Maynilad rank-and-le union president Luth Magno and Maynilad supervisors union president Rey Fumar. Maynilad also sent 2,160 gallons of potable water and deployed a mobile water treatment plant to the affected areas in Mindanao.
WB supports Mindanao
THE World Bank approved an additional grant of $5.25 billion for the Mindanao Trust Fund to help improve social and economic recovery in the south. The additional budget is expected to provide 65 villages in 21 conict-affected towns of Mindanao access to funds for livelihood and small-scale infrastructure. Presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Quintos Deles said the additional nancing for the MTF would help the countrys efforts to heal, rehabilitate and develop conict-affected areas. It will also strengthen the constituency for peace and citizens participation on the ground, she said. The World Bank and other international development partners established the MTF in 2006 as a mechanism for pooling funds and coordinating support for conict-affected areas in Mindanao. The MTF already completed 240 reconstruction and development projects, including classrooms, health stations, access roads, water supply systems, core shelters and community centers in 154 conict-affected communities in 75 municipalities across Mindanao. Anna Leah Estrada
SN Aboitiz plans five small hydro stations

SN ABOITIZ Power Corp., a joint venture of SN Power of Norway and Aboitiz Power Corp., plans to develop ve smaller hydropower plants with a combined capacity of 50 megawatts, a company ofcial said over the weekend. SN Aboitiz president Emmanuel Rubio told reporters the company would develop greeneld projects to gain additional hydro expertise. Were looking now at projects that are much smaller than our initial target capacities. Our board views that there are opportunities out there, especially cascading opportunities, that when you combine, you can come up with something substantial, Rubio said. SN Aboitiz earlier focused on developing hydro projects with a capacity of 70 MW and above. We have opportunities as low as 10 MW [for cascading hydro plants). For FIT [feed-in tariff] approval, the criteria for hydro should not be impounding and there is a capacity limit, and I think 10 MW is well within limit, Rubio said. He said some of these projects are located at SN Aboitizs existing hydro facilities, such as Agno, Binga and Magat. We believe that it will be a good experience for us to understand the development process starting with this smaller capaciities. Our current application [with the Energy Department]) today is around 50 MW, Rubio said. SN Aboitiz owns the Ambuklao and Binga hydro plants in Benguet province after acquiring it from the government for $325 million. SN Aboitiz owns the 104-MW Ambuklao hydro plant in Bokod and the 100-MW Binga plant in Itogon. Alena Mae S. Flores
Globe Telecom to convert facilities into green infrastructure

By Othel V. Campos
GLOBE Telecom Inc. said it will transform its facilities across the Philippines into green infrastructure as it pushes nationwide modernization. We envision the new facility layer of the Globe network as less demanding on power and fuel by introducing cost-effective, environment-friendly and practically designed measures to maximize operational benets of new technologies, Globe chief technical advisor Robert Tan said last week. Globe will review sites without
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, December 21, 2012
Indonesia Thailand UAE Euro Korea China India Malaysia New Zealand Taiwan Rupiah Baht Dirham Euro Won Yuan Rupee Ringgit Dollar Dollar 0.000104 0.032669 0.272257 1.324700 0.000931 0.160508 0.018255 0.327439 0.832709 0.034471 0.0043 1.3413 11.1783 54.3895 0.0382 6.5901 0.7495 13.4440 34.1894 1.4153
Source: PDS Bridge
permanent power grids for solar power potential and assess the type of terrain to minimize cost in hauling equipment. Essential equipment such as base transceiver stations, or BTS, which enable wireless communications between the network and subscribers, will be converted into
outdoor setups with enough space to lessen power costs. Metropolitan areas or commercial business districts will achieve power protection through agreement with building owners by allowing Globe to tap into the buildings emergency power systems. This type of arrangement
E ATE PSE COMPOSITE INDEX F OREIGNUnitXCHANGE RPeso Currency US Dollar

Closing December 21, 2012
United States Japan UK Hong Kong Switzerland Canada Singapore Australia Bahrain Saudi Arabia Brunei Dollar Yen Pound Dollar Franc Dollar Dollar Dollar Dinar Rial Dollar 1.000000 0.011850 1.628200 0.129039 1.097213 1.012761 0.820883 1.046901 2.65240 0.266660 0.817528 41.0580 0.4865 66.8506 5.2981 45.0494 41.5819 33.7038 42.9837 108.9043 10.9485 33.5661 5200 4460 3720 2980 2240 1500 1200
P584-P695 LPG/11-kg tank

P47.15-P53.07 Unleaded Gasoline
OIL PRICES
TODAY
PESO-DOLLAR RATE
Closing DECEMBER 21, 2012
40 42 44 46 48
P38.40-P41.05 Diesel P40.30-P52.20 Kerosene P27.20-P31.00 Auto LPG
P41.070
CLOSE
26.20
5,823.940
HIGH P41.060 LOW P41.160 AVERAGE P41.133 VOLUME 687.950M 867.800M
saves huge capital expenditures in constructing generator set facilities, Tan said. Meanwhile, those located in areas where commercial power is unreliable will be provided with deep-cycle batteries coupled with efcient gensets to provide rapid battery charging rates and address regular commercial power outages, Tan said. Globe is also deploying solar power solutions for off-grid sites, where commercial supply is not available to reduce carbon footprint. With solar and genset hybrid solutions, the run time of generators are dramatically reduced by 80 percent, resulting in about 70 percent in savings. Deep cycle battery for bad grid sites will drive down fuel consumption by 50 percent and maintenance costs by 40 percent.
B2 WEDNESDAY
DECEMBER 26, 2012
ManilaStandardToday
Business
By Cotten Timberlake
HOLIDAY shoppers descended on US malls this weekend in a last-minute dash to buy gifts amid concerns about the nations economy and the impasse in Washington over taxes and spending. Shopping Monday for clothes and Lego toys for her 2- and 4-year-old children at a mall in Burlington, Massachusetts, Marjorie Decker, 40, said her family is spending less compared with last year. Its an unpredictable economy, said Decker, who will be sworn in next month as a member of the state legislature. Were more mindful of what they do and dont need. Americans have become warier as Washington approaches the end of the year without an agreement to forestall higher taxes and automatic spending cuts--the socalled scal cliff. Last month, retailers from Macys Inc. to Target Corp. posted same- store sales that trailed analysts estimates. Consumer condence fell in December to a ve-month
business@mst.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com
Economy weighs on shoppers in final holiday dash to mall

low, according to a Dec. 21 report. The Thomson Reuters/ University of Michigan consumer sentiment index slid to 72.9, the weakest since July, from 82.7 in November. In another sign that consumers are pulling back, US online sales increased 8.4 percent this holiday season, compared with last years almost 16 percent gain, MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse said. Sales grew to $48 billion from Oct. 28 through Dec. 22, the Purchase, New York-based research rm said yesterday. The gures come from the 60,000 Web retailers it tracks. Sandy impact Besides the scal concerns, widespread power outages from Sandy, the hurricane that devastated the East Coast in October, also hurt holiday shopping on the Internet, said Michael McNamara, a vice president at SpendingPulse. When you look at the scalcliff media coverage as well as the decline in consumer condence and the slowdown in e-commerce, all those basically happened at the same time, McNamara said in a telephone interview. In a separate report, Comscore said that e-commerce sales jumped 16 percent to $38.7 billion between Nov. 1 and Dec. 21. The Reston, Virginia-based digital research rm reported a 15 percent gain last year. It excludes auctions and large corporate purchases. The Standard & Poors 500 Retailing Index rose 0.1 percent to 654.07 at the close of trading in New York, compared with a 0.2 percent decline for the broader S&P 500. The 33-company retail index has jumped 25 percent this year. Over the weekend, brickand-mortar retailers may have beneted as promotions, extended hours and dwindling delivery times for late Web sales drew lastminute shoppers to stores. Super Saturday, the industrys term for the last Saturday before Christmas, may have rivaled the day after Thanksgiving, called Black Friday in the US, for the busiest shopping day of the year, McNamara said. Black Friday recorded total sales of $18.9 billion, he said. Bloomberg
A woman rides the escalator past a giant holiday ornament at the CambridgeSide Galleria mall in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Monday. Although fresh data on the holiday shopping season is expected in coming days, early gures point to a ho-hum season for retailers despite last-ditch efforts to lure shoppers over the nal weekend before Christmas. AP
Vietnams growth slows to 5%

Treasures from the courts of the wise
THOSE wondering where Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares got the inspiration to issue Revenue Regulations No. 14-2012, relating to the proper tax treatment of interest from nancial documents on November 7, need to read four cases decided by the Court of Tax Appeals from early February 2002 to September of the same year. The four cases make a distinction between the interest earned from long-term instruments and the gains derived from the sale thereof. The leading case is Nippon Life Insurance Company of the Philippines v. the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, C.T.A. Case No. 6142 promulgated on February 4, 2002. The petitioner (Nippon Life) is, like the petitioners in the other cases, an insurance company. Under the law governing their operation in the Philippines, it was (and still is) required, for the soundness and safety of its portfolio of assets available to answer claims arising from the insurance contracts that it issues as part of its core business, to invest a good portion of its funds in government securities. These investments consist of bonds or other evidences of debt of the Philippine government, its political subdivisions or instrumentalities, or of government-owned or controlled corporations and entities. Most of these nancial instruments are purchased from the secondary market, i.e. not directly from the issuers themselves. Thus, on December 1, 1997, Nippon Life purchased from Citibank, N.A., a 10-year xed rate bond with a face value of P20-million. Interest was to be paid semi-annually at the rate of 22.875 percent per annum, on May 27 and November 27, every year for 10 years. The total purchase price paid by Nippon Life to Citibank consisted of two components: the rst was the amount of the face value and the other was the amount of the interest that had been earned, which in nance lexicon, was referred to as accrued interest. Nippon Life held on to the bond from December 1, 1997 to June 15, 1999. During this time, Nippon Life had been receiving interest due on the bond. That interest was subjected by the Bureau of Treasury to the 20-percent withholding tax on the theory that it was a deposit substitute and, consequently, liable for tax on the interest at that rate, pursuant to the National Internal Revenue Code. But on October 25, 1999, the BIR, under a predecessor of Henares, issued BIR Ruling No. 166-99. The ruling considered the interest income, yield or gain derived from bonds, debentures or certicates of indebtedness as deposit substitutes, which are ordinarily subject to 20-percent nal tax under Section 27 (D)(1) of the NIRC, should exclude the interest income, yield or gain from the gross income if the bonds, debentures or the certicate of indebtedness have maturities of more than ve years. This principle was reiterated on January 7, 2000 with the BIR issuing its Ruling No. 01600. That issuance reafrmed the bureaus stand (as stated in Ruling 166-99) that if the maturity period of the bonds issued through the Bureau of Treasury will be more than ve years, the gains that may be derived there from by the bondholders shall accordingly be exempt from the 20-percent nal withholding tax. The reason of the BIR was that since Section 32 (B)(7)(g) excluded from gross income of all gains derived from long-term investments, it follows, specically from the word gains, that included among those to be not considered part of gross income, are income, yield or interest, which are all synonymous with gains, whether discounted or at premium. Thus, the exemption applies to interest/coupon or prot from the
VIETNAMS economy expanded at
the slowest pace in 13 years in 2012 as a slump in bank lending damped domestic demand, adding pressure on the government to revamp the nancial system and attract more foreign investment.
government said it averted risks to the safety of the lenders. Banks have reported bad debt to be about 4.5 percent of outstanding loans, while the central banks estimate is about 8.75 percent, the IMF has said. Credit growth this year was 6.45 percent, the planning ministry said Tuesday. That compares with 14 percent last year and 32 percent in 2010, according to the IMF. The real-estate market stays stagnant and shows no sign of recovery, while the number of insolvent businesses continues to rise, the government said on Dec. 10. About 58,000 companies, or about 71 percent, in Hanoi posted losses in 2012, Cong An Nhan Dan newspaper said, citing the Hanoi Peoples committee. Vietnams monetary authority this month cut benchmark interest rates for a sixth time even as the World Bank warned against easing too soon, to help
principal of such long-term regular or SDT bonds complying with the statutory period. These rulings were naturally invoked by Nippon Life when it went to the Court of Tax Appeals, in due course, for a refund of the taxes that were withheld on the interest of its bondholding that is subject of this discussion. The Court of Appeals did not buy Nippon Lifes line of argument. Said the court: In this case, we conclude that the aforementioned BIR rulings are erroneous. Such rulings were based on the mistaken belief that the term gains as used in Section 32(B)(7)(g) of the Tax Code include interest. Explaining, the court proceeded to say, It is a well-settled rule of statutory construction that tax exemptions are strictly construed against the taxpayer. Consequently, where Section 32(B)(7) (g) of the Tax Code, which grants tax exemption, is susceptible of a restrictive interpretation, such interpretation must be adopted. Delivering the knock-out punch, the decision ruled: We take the view that gains as the term is used therein in Section 32(B)(7)(g) of the Tax Code cannot include interest since it clearly refers to gains from the sale of bonds, debentures and other certicates of indebtedness. After citing verbatim the Sections 24, 25, 27 and 28 of the Tax Code, in relation to Sections 31 and 32 of the Tax Code, the court observed that there is no sweeping exemption from income tax of interest from bonds, debentures or other certicates of indebtedness with a maturity of more than ve years. On the other hand, it saw that there is a clear distinction between interest from bonds and gain from the sale of bonds. It is only the gains realized from the sale or exchange or retirement of bonds, debentures or other certicate of indebtedness with a maturity of more than ve years that is excluded from gross income and, thus, exempt from income tax under Section 32(B)(7)(g) of the Tax Code. Such gains from sale or exchange or retirement of bonds, debentures or other certicate of indebtedness fall within the general category of Gains derived from dealings in property, as distinguished from interest from bonds, debentures or other certicate of indebtedness, which fall within the general category of Interests under Section 32(A) of the Tax Code. Putting the onus to where it belonged, the court maintained that we believe that if Congress intended to exempt interest from bonds, debentures and other certicates of indebtedness under Section 32(B)(7)(g) of the Tax Code, it would have done so in clear and specic terms. The fact that it used the term gains from sale in the aforementioned section, knowing full well of the reference to interest under Sections 24, 25, 27 and 28 of the Tax Code shows that it did not intend to exempt such interest under the aforementioned Section 32(B)(7)(g) of the Tax Code. With such judicial ratio as shield, it shouldnt be surprising to see, in this season of angelic apparitions, the avenging angel of Philippine internal revenue taxes, swing her collection sword to reap from the elds of the mighty what is needed to ll the tables of the lowly. I trust, like me, you had a Merry Christmas. (For comments, e-mail me at thetrustguru@icloud.com.)
THE TRUST GURU
GERRY GERONIMO
Gross domestic product rose 5.03 percent this year, down from 5.89 percent in 2011 and the least since 4.77 percent in 1999, the General Statistics Ofce said in Hanoi Monday. GDP increased 5.44 percent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, up from a revised 5.05 percent in July-toSeptember. Foreign investment pledges fell 14 percent this year and Vietnams credit rating was cut by Moodys Investors Service as mounting bad debt and weakened state-owned enterprises limited room for policy makers to boost growth. The government has said it may form an asset manager to clean up lenders, and the World Bank and International Monetary Fund are preparing their rst review of the banking system as a blueprint for the sector. It was only explosive credit growth that allowed for the level of economic growth that Vietnam
this year from $14.7 billion in 2011, while disbursed FDI slipped 4.9 percent, according to the ministry of planning and investment. Still, stronger exports helped prevent an even sharper slowdown, as the country posted its rst annual trade surplus in two decades. Overseas shipments of goods including electronics increased from companies such as Intel Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. and Jabil Circuit Inc. Stronger exports The trade surplus for the year was $284 million, based on preliminary gures from the statistics ofce. The last time Vietnam recorded a positive balance was 1992, data on its Web site show. Exports gained 18.3 percent to $114.6 billion in 2012, while imports advanced 7.1 percent to $114.3 billion. Exports made up for what was probably sluggish domestic demand, said Jonathan Pincus, a Ho Chi Minh City-based economist with the Harvard Kennedy Schools Vietnam program. Its not a bad outcome considering all the deleveraging thats going on, though in the long run this is not the type of growth that Vietnam would hope to attain.
Shoppers in this le photo buy peach blossom trees and branches in Hanoi, Vietnam. Vietnams economy expanded at the slowest pace in 13 years in 2012 as a slump in bank lending damped domestic demand. Bloomberg
had previously been achieving, said Edwin Gutierrez, a portfolio manager at Aberdeen Asset Management in London, which manages about $11 billion in emerging-market debt, including Vietnamese bonds. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said on Dec. 10 growth may reach 5.2 percent this year, down from earlier targets of as much as 6.5 percent. The country averaged an expansion of 6.5 percent in the ve years to 2011 and 7.8 percent in the ve years before that. The pace has slowed due to falling productivity linked to inefciencies in state-owned companies, banks and public investments, the World Bank said last week. Bad debt Moodys cut Vietnams credit rating in September, citing more pronounced weaknesses in the banking system and costs related to recapitalizing banks. Concerns about the sector are increasing, the World Bank said this month, even as the
companies cope with difculties in production and business. Structural issues We are not going to go back to 6 percent, 7 percent growth, until we x some of the structural issues, banking being perhaps the most important of them, Deepak Mishra, the Hanoi-based lead economist for the World Bank, said on Dec. 10. The point is whether the banks are ready to cut, even if policy rates are coming down. Industry and construction, which made up 40.7 percent of the economy, grew 4.52 percent in 2012, while the sub-category consisting of construction alone expanded 2.09 percent, the statistics ofce said. Services, which accounted for 37.7 percent of GDP, grew 6.42 percent this year, while agriculture, forestry and sheries, which made up 21.7 percent of the economy, expanded 2.72 percent, the data showed. Pledged foreign direct investment fell to $12.7 billion
The surplus helped the dong advance almost 1 percent versus the dollar this year. The benchmark VN Index of stocks has risen nearly 14 percent, poised for its rst annual gain since 2009. Stocks advance Asian stocks advanced, with the MSCI Asia Pacic Index gaining 0.3 percent as of 1:42 p.m. in Tokyo, snapping three days of losses. Most bourses in the region are closed today for Christmas, with Japan and China the only major markets open. China will keep home-purchase restrictions and strictly curb speculative housing demand in 2013, the ofcial Xinhua News Agency reported, citing the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. The economy will continue to recover in December, and may grow 7.7 percent this year and 7.8 percent in 2013, Shenyin & Wanguo Securities said in a report. Bloomberg
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higher taxes unless they know the House also would pass it. Theres still a chance for them to get a deal, said Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist who formerly served as a spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott. It grows more unlikely by the day, and theres not a lot of days left. Bonjean put the probability theres no deal at 75 percent. Still, he said theres a chance because the president and Republican leaders want to avoid the socalled scal cliff. Tax cuts signed into law by President George W. Bush and extended by Obama
B3
US nears crucial budget deadline

THE deal that seems possible to x the US budget is getting smaller and smaller.
Five days before a deadline that would trigger more than $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts that could cause a US recession, Congress will return Dec. 27 amid calls for action in the Senate. The politics of progress there are easier than in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which balked last week at Speaker John Boehners plan for tax increases on income above $1 million. Still, the House would have to sign off next. Boehner and President Barack Obama have been unable to agree on the tax-rate increase on top earners Obama wants or the cuts to entitlement programs that Boehner sought, complicating the chances of getting a package done. At this point, all theyre looking for is a g leaf, said Stan Collender, a former staff member of the House ways and means committee and the House and Senate budget committees whos now at Qorvis Communications in Washington. Theres no grand bargain. There never was. The Senate is run by Democrats, and some Republican members including Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas have said they would favor a small deal on parts of what the president has sought to avoid raising taxes on the middle class. The trouble is, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, need to come up with something that also can get through the House, which has balked at any tax increases. Senate Republicans dont want to be on the record supporting are scheduled to expire Jan. 1, and automatic spending cuts are scheduled to start next month, creating the so-called cliff. Before leaving to spend the Christmas holiday with his family in Hawaii, Obama urged leaders of both parties to put together an interim bill to keep taxes from rising on middle-income Americans as they work on a more comprehensive package. Senate Democratic leaders have said they wont take action on a fallback plan unless they have assurances from Boehner that he will bring it up in the House and let it pass with a combination of Democratic and Republican votes, and from McConnell that Senate Republicans wont libuster it. A comprehensive solution to the looming scal cliff will need to be a bipartisan solution, Reid said on the chambers oor Dec. 21. No comprehensive agreement can pass either chamber without both Democrats and Republican votes. Senator Charles Schumer of New York, the chambers third- ranking Democrat, told reporters Dec. 21 that the key to this is the House. McConnell wouldnt want to have his members put their necks on the line for a deal that may not pass the House, he said. Bloomberg
Japans incoming party agrees on 2% inflation

JAPANS incoming Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed with his coalition ally Natsuo Yamaguchi of the New Komeito Party on a policy package that includes bold monetary easing to reach an ination target of 2 percent. While Abes Liberal Democratic Party won a landslide victory in this months election, it lacks a majority in parliaments upper house. Backing from New Komeito on specic proposals increases the chance that they will become law. New Komeito had warned during the election campaign that forcing the Bank of Japan to reach a 2-percent ination target risked undermining its independence. The LDPs Abe had also pledged to raise defense spending, while Yamaguchi said in an interview on Dec. 6 that any drastic rise was undesirable. The agreement with New Komeito also calls for a large extra budget for the current scal year to March 2013 and deregulation of the energy, environment and health care sectors. The parties agreed to seek nominal gross domestic product growth of 3 percent, without giving a timeframe for the goal. The LDP and New Komeito said they would work to strengthen Japans alliance with the US and to secure sufcient funds for the armed forces and coast guard to ensure the defense of Japans territory, according to the statement. Abe had vowed during the election campaign to raise defense spending, saying that Japan might lose control of disputed islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Incursions by Chinese vessels and an airplane near the uninhabited islands in the East China Sea have raised tensions in recent months. Abe said on Fuji Television on Dec. 23 that he will consider revising the law governing the Bank of Japan if it fails to set an ination target of 2 percent at its January meeting. The LDP chief is poised to become prime minister in a special session of the lower house of parliament tomorrow after his partys coalition secured a majority in this months elections, sweeping the Democratic Party of Japan from power. Exporters gained after the yen declined against all 16 of its major counterparts on Monday, touching 84.96 per dollar, the weakest since April 11, 2011. Honda Motor Co., which counts North America as its biggest market for sales, gained 1 percent to 3,0430 yen. Canon Inc., the worlds biggest camera maker, increased 2 percent to 3,370 yen. Bloomberg
A man walks in front of the electronic stock board of a securities rm showing Japans Nikkei 225 index rose 126.55 points to 10066.61 in Tokyo on Dec. 25. Japans benchmark stock index jumped Tuesday as a softening yen helped boost the countrys powerhouse export sector. AP
Japan, China stocks climb on Christmas day

BANGKOKJapans benchmark stock index jumped Tuesday as a softening yen helped boost the countrys powerhouse export sector. The Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo rallied 1.2 percent to 10,055.35, with export shares leading the way. The dollar traded at a 20-month high of 84.95 yen overnight in New York after incoming Prime Minister Shinzo Abe turned up the pressure on the Bank of Japan to adopt a 2 percent ination target. On Monday in Asia, the dollar stood at 84.80 yen. Abe, during a televised program Sunday, said he will consider revising the Bank of Japan Act if the central bank refuses to act at next months policy meeting, Kyodo News Agency said. Thats designed to ght deation, or continually dropping prices, which deadens economic activity. The Japanese economy has been stuck in deation for two decades. Mazda Motor Corp. gained 2 percent, while Nikon Corp. advanced 2.9 percent. Nomura Holdings jumped 5.3 percent. Stocks in mainland China posted strong gains after a lower open. The Shanghai Composite Index jumped 2 percent to 2,203.19. The smaller Shenzhen Composite Index surged 2 percent to 852.05. Markets in Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand were among those closed for Christmas. On Wall Street on Monday, the last day of trading before Christmas, stocks fell on concern that time is running out for lawmakers to reach a budget deal to avoid the US going over the scal cliff. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 0.4 percent to close at 13,139.08. The Standard & Poors 500 index fell 0.2 percent to 1,426.66. The Nasdaq composite index fell 0.2 percent to 3,012.60. For weeks, discussions between the White House and Congress over a budget deal have been the main driver in markets. If a deal isnt reached by the start of 2013, automatic spending cuts and tax increases worth hundreds of billions of dollars will be imposed which many economists think could push the U.S. economy back into recession. AP
Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

Bonifacio Drive, Port Area Manila
Russia, India finalize $2.9-b weapons deals

NEW DELHIRussia and India signed weapons deals worth billions of dollars Monday as President Vladimir Putin sought to further boost ties with an old ally. Putin and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed cooperation between their countries as ofcials signed a $1.6 billion deal for 42 Sukhoi Su-30 ghter jets that will be license-built in India from Russian components and a $1.3 billion contract for the delivery of 71 Mil Mi-17 military helicopters. We agreed to further strengthen the traditions of close cooperation in the military and technical areas, Putin said after the signing. Singh said the talks included discussions on the security situation in the region, including Afghanistan. India and Russia share the objective of a stable, united, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan, free from extremism, Singh told reporters after the talks. Russia and India have shared close ties since the Cold War, when Moscow was a key ally and the principal arms supplier to New Delhi. The ties slackened after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but grew stronger again after Putin came to power in 2000, seeking to revive Moscows global clout and restore ties with old allies. While the volume of RussianIndian trade has risen sixfold since 2000 and is expected to reach $10 billion this year, the growth has slowed in recent years. And even though India remains the No. 1 customer for Russias arms industries, Moscow has recently lost several multibillion-dollar contracts to Western weapons makers. Russia has maintained its strong positions in the Indian market with $30 billion worth of arms contracts with India signed in 2000-2010 that envisaged supplies of hundreds of ghter jets, missiles, tanks and other weapons, a large part of which were license-produced in India. The countries have cooperated on building an advanced ghter plane and a new transport aircraft, and have jointly developed a supersonic cruise missile for the Indian Navy. But the military cooperation has hit snags in recent years, as New Delhi shops increasingly for Western weapons. The Indians also havent been always happy with the quality of Russian weapons and their rising prices. In one notable example, in 2004 Russia signed a $1 billion contract to refurbish a Sovietbuilt aircraft carrier for the Indian Navy. While the deal called for the ship to be commissioned in 2008, it is still in a Russian shipyard and the contract price has reportedly soared to $2.3 billion. The target date for the carriers completion was moved back again this year after it suffered major engine problems in sea trials. Russian ofcials now promise to hand it over to India in the end of 2013. India has also demanded that Russia pay nes for failing to meet terms under a 2006 contract for building three frigates for its navy, the third of which is yet to be commissioned. Russia recently has suffered major defeats in competition with Western rivals in the Indian arms market. Last year, Russia lost a tender to supply the Indian Air Force with 126 new ghter jets worth nearly $11 billion to Frances Dassault Rafale. And last month, Boeing won Indias order for a batch of heavy-lift helicopters worth $1.4 billion. AP
INVITATION TO BID For the Supply and Delivery of thirteen (13) units Amphibious Excavator and Pontoon Barge with 2-units x 2m3 Dumping Bin
The Department of Public Works & Highways thru its Bids and Awards Committee for Goods, through GAA 2012, intends to apply the sum of One Hundred Thirty Million Pesos only (Php130,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. The Department of Public Works & Highways now invites bids for the supply and delivery of thirteen (13) units Amphibious Excavator and Pontoon Barge with 2-units x 2m3 Dumping Bin. Delivery of the goods is required as specified in the Schedule of Requirement. Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project whose value must be at least 50% of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II, Instruction To Bidders. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (R-IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnership, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138. Interested bidders may obtain information from the BAC for Goods Secretariat and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during Monday to Friday at 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on December 26, 2012 until before 10:00 a.m. of January 30, 2013 from the Secretariat, BAC for Goods, Ground Floor, DPWH Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Fifty Thousand Pesos (Php50,000.00). It may also be downloaded from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Department of Public Works & Highways. However, the Bidders shall pay the non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of bids. The Department of Public Works & Highways will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on January 16, 2013, 10:00 a.m. at Central Procurement Office (CPO) Function Room, 5th Floor, DPWH Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila, which shall be open to all interested parties. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before 10:00 a.m. of January 30, 2012. All Bids must be accompanied by a Bid Security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. Central Procurement Office (CPO) Function Room 5th Floor, DPWH Bldg. Bonifacio Drive, Port Area Manila Bid Opening shall be on January 30, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. at CPO Function Room, 5th Floor, DPWH Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted. The Department of Public Works and Highways reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.
Spains king appeals for unity to beat crisis

MADRIDKing Juan Carlos of Spain has used his annual Christmas Eve message to appeal for national unity to overcome the economic crisis engulng his country. The message was broadcast on television and for the rst time through YouTube. The head of state called on politicians to work together to avoid unnecessary confrontations, a reference which most will interpret as being aimed at political parties seeking a referendum on whether Catalonia should split from Spain. The 74-year-old king said it was time to do everything possible to close the open wounds which had led to separatist desires. Juan Carlos didnt mention the troubles that plagued him this year, including an elephant hunt in Africa during which he fractured his hip, and a fraud investigation into sonin-law Inaki Urdangarins business affairs. AP
Spains King Juan Carlos makes his annual Christmas speech given from the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid on Dec. 24. King Juan Carlos appealed for national unity to overcome the grave economic crisis engulng his country in his annual Christmas Eve message broadcast to the nation on television and for the rst time through YouTube. AP
(Sgd.) EUGENIO R. PIPO, JR. Assistant Secretary for Technical Services
(MST-Dec. 26, 2012)
WORLD
B4
BANGALOREFor years, Karnatakas land records were a quagmire of disputed, forged documents maintained by thousands of tyrannical bureaucrats who demanded bribes to do their jobs. In 2002, hopes emerged that this was about to change. The southern state, home to Indias technology hub in Bangalore, unveiled Bhoomi, a program that digitized Karnatakas 20 million handwritten land records. At the time, it was hailed as a landmark use of computers to cut through bureaucracy and corruption. But a decade later, Karnataka remains plagued by land disputes that merely migrated from paper to the database, and even the programs creator says it could take 30 more years to sort it all out. As the Indian government puts increasing faith in technology to
Indian program sets land titles
Tablet teaches Ethiopian kids ABCs

WENCHIThe kids in this volcano-rim village wear lthy, ragged clothes. They sleep beside cows and sheep in huts made of sticks and mud. They dont go to school. Yet they all can chant the English alphabet, and some can spell words. The key to their success: 20 tablet computers dropped off in their Ethiopian village in February by a group called One Laptop Per Child. The goal is to nd out whether children using todays new technology can teach themselves to read in places where no schools or teachers exist. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers analyzing the project data say theyre already startled. What I think has already happened is that the kids have already learned more than they would have in one year of kindergarten, said Matt Keller, who runs the Ethiopia program. The fastest learner is 8-year-old Kelbesa Negusse, the rst to turn on one of the Motorola Xoom tablets last February. Its camera was disabled to save memory, yet within weeks Kelbesa had gured out the tablets workings and made the camera work. He proclaimed himself a lion, a marker of accomplishment in Ethiopia. On a recent sunny weekday, nine months into the project, the kids sat in a dark hut with a hay oor. At 3,380 meters above sea level, the air at night here is chilly, and the youngsters coughed and wiped runny noses. Many were barefoot. But they all eagerly tapped and swiped away on their tablets. The apps encouraged them to click on colors green, red, yellow. Awesome, one app said aloud. Kelbesa rearranged the letters HSROE into one of the many English animal names he knows. Then he spelled words on his own, tracing the English letters into his tablet in a thick red line. AP
help solve the nations thorniest problems including a complete tech-based overhaul of its welfare system Bhoomi presents a cautionary tale: that technology, even at its most successful, can only be a part of the solution. (Ofcials) kind of look at technology to be a panacea for everything, which cannot be. The political will is the most important thing, said Rajeev Chawla, the government administrator who created Bhoomi. For Yashoda Puttappa, Bhoomi merely marked another setback in her familys six-decade struggle to recover a plot of 1.6 hectares she said was illegally taken from her grandfather in the 1940s as supposed repayment of a loan from a wealthy upper-caste neighbor. She feels that Bhoomi cemented the competing claim. AP
IN BRIEF
Trade in: Firearms for cash and toys
MEXICO CITYAuthorities are sponsoring a program offering cash, toys and computer equipment in exchange for guns in a rough neighborhood where a 10-year-old boy was killed by a stray bullet as he sat inside a movie theater. The program in the borough of Iztapalapa is dubbed For Your Family: Voluntary Disarmament. Borough president Jesus Valencia wrote in his Twitter account Monday that residents had turned in 27 ries and 65 pistols. The borough has been plagued by violent crime and people ring guns into the air during concerts and celebrations. In November, 10-year-old Hendrik Cuacuas was hit in the head by a 9-mm bullet during the Disney lm Wreck-It Ralph. Prosecutors said the round was red from outside the theater, and spent bullets were found on the roof. AP
Seoul to buy $1.2b worth of US drones

The Pentagons Defense Security Cooperation Agency said yesterday that it notied Congress of the proposed sale, which includes infrared and electro-optical sensors, imagery analysis systems and moving target indicators on board the Global Hawk Block-30 unmanned aircraft. The proposed sale would be the rst order in the Asia- Pacic region for the high-altitude surveillance drones that have been used by the US Air Force in Afghanistan and Iraq. Australia, which has expressed an interest in buying the aircraft since 2008, has yet to place an order. Wes Bush, chairman and chief executive ofcer of Falls Church, Virginia-based Northrop Grumman, has been advocating easing US export restrictions to enable foreign sales of the drones. Earlier this year, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization agreed to buy ve Global Hawk drones. The Pentagon has proposed canceling the Block-30 version of the Global Hawk drone. Its scal 2013 budget proposal called for truncating purchases of the drone and putting those it had already bought into stor-
THE US Defense Department proposed selling South Korea four Global Hawk surveillance drones made by Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) in an order valued at $1.2 billion.
age to save $2.5 billion over ve years. The Pentagon sought to continue buying the more advanced Block-40 model instead. Congress disagreed with that plan, and the nal version of this years defense authorization bill, approved this month, would block the Air Force from retiring the Block-30 drones at least until the end of 2014. In January, General Norton Schwartz, who was at the time the Air Force chief of staff, said the Block-30 version wasnt as capable as Lockheed Martin Corp.s older, manned U-2 spy plane. Separately, the Pentagon yesterday proposed selling 117 of Raytheon Co. s AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles to Turkey valued at about $140 million; $125 million of satellite ground stations made by L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. and 3Di Technologies, to Iraq; and $406 million of artillery rockets made by Lockheed Martin to Qatar. The notications are the rst step in the potential purchases. The requests become rm orders if they arent challenged by Congress and the countries sign contracts with the Pentago BLOOMBERG
A United States Air Force Global Hawk drone, manufactured by Northrop Grumman Corp., during a media preview of the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition 2011 in Seongnam, South Korea. BLOOMBERG
Russia, India sign weapons deals

NEW DELHIRussia and India signed weapons deals worth billions of dollars Monday as President Vladimir Putin sought to further boost ties with an old ally. Putin and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed cooperation between their countries as ofcials signed a $1.6 billion deal for 42 Sukhoi Su-30 ghter jets that will be license-built in India from Russian components and a $1.3 billion contract for the delivery of 71 Mil Mi-17 military helicopters. We agreed to further strengthen the traditions of close cooperation in the military and technical areas, Putin said after the signing. Singh said the talks included discussions on the security situation in the region, including Afghanistan. India and Russia share the objective of a stable, united, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan, free from extremism, Singh told reporters after the talks. Russia and India have shared close ties since the Cold War, when Moscow was a key ally and the principal arms supplier to New Delhi. The ties slackened after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but grew stronger again after Putin came to power in 2000, seeking to revive Moscows global clout and restore ties with old allies. While the volume of RussianIndian trade has risen sixfold since 2000 and is expected to reach $10 billion this year, the growth has slowed in recent years. And even though India remains the No. 1 customer for Russias arms industries, Moscow has recently lost several multibillion-dollar contracts to Western weapons makers. AP
China nabs 355 child abductors

BEIJINGA national operation in China has busted nine child abduction gangs, arresting 355 suspects and rescuing 89 children. Chinas Ministry of Public Security said Monday that it conducted the nine-province operation in December after receiving reports of child abductions from southern Chinas Fujian and Yunnan provinces. The ministry said the child trafcking activities spanned several provinces and that the suspects bought abducted children in provinces including Yunnan and Sichuan and transported them to other provinces, where they were sold for huge prots. The ofcial Xinhua News Agency said that in one case, a 1-month-old baby boy from Yunnan province was sold for 62,800 yuan ($10,000) to a family in Fujian province. A baby boy could fetch as much as 90,000 yuan ($14,250), Xinhua said. Despite severe legal punishments that include the death penalty, child trafcking is a big problem in China. The commerce is highly protable for the trafckers, and the demand is strong, driven partly by the traditional preference for male heirs, a strict one-child policy and ignorance of the law. Child buyers in China are not subject to criminal prosecution if they do not obstruct rescue efforts or mistreat the children, and legal experts are pushing for a law revision to make it a crime to buy abducted children, Xinhua reported. AP
Chilean street dogs are protesters best friend

SANTIAGOThey dont have demands, but theyre loyal to the cause and are always on the front lines of the ght. They run with protesters, lap up shots from water cannons, bark at police in riot gear and sometimes even bite ofcers. Stray dogs are truly Mans Best Friend for thousands of students and workers who demonstrate and clash with police nearly every day to press demands for education improvements, redistribution of Chiles wealth and environmental protections. As the protests become xtures in this modernizing capital, normally unnoticed street dogs have become stars in their own right, with the Facebook fan pages and fawning media coverage to prove it. Blacky, a mutt adopted by young protesters, has become the most visible mascot, with rival fan pages totaling more than 7,000 subscribers or likes. Blackys admirers constantly upload pictures of him, many showing the mutt with a checkered kafyeh around his neck symbolizing the Palestinian resistance movement, dodging tear gas or growling at baton-wielding ofcers. Dogs are super loyal. They stand with the people and I think they support the students, said Catalina Echenique, 17, who is planning to study psychiatry. Students have been hitting the streets for more than a year and a half demanding overhauls to a school system thats been privatized since the 1973-90 dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet. Protesters say families must struggle with underperforming public schools, expensive private universities and education loans at impossible interest rates. Free-roaming dogs number in
Task list awaits Obama

WASHINGTONPresident Barack Obama approaches his second term confronting tough and shifting challenges that will play big roles in shaping the rest of his presidency and his eventual place in US history. In the coming months, Obama will have to decide where to be ambitious, where to be cautious, and where to buy time. He draws political strength from his surprisingly easy re-election in a bad economy. Its partly offset, however, by Republicans continued control of the House, plus their delaying tactics powers in the Senate. Some of the big issues awaiting the presidents decisions are familiar, long-simmering problems. They include immigration and the need for a tenable balance between taxes, spending and borrowing. Another issue, gun control, jumped to the national agendas top tier this month following the massacre of small children and teachers in a Connecticut school. And the issue of climate change remains unresolved. Veteran politicians and presidential historians say it is almost impossible for Obama to go big on all these issues. Indeed, it might prove difcult to go big on even one. While some counsel caution, others urge the president to be as bold and ambitious as possible. AP
A dog runs in the spray as riot police use water cannons during a protest against the premiere of a documentary about the late Gen. Augusto Pinochet. AP
the millions in Chile in a situation the nations Humane Society has called alarming. Dog owners rarely spay or neuter their pets,
and commonly leave them outside when they go to work in the morning. Many roam the streets all day. AP
Odd Couple actor Jack Klugman dies in US, 90

LOS ANGELESJack Klugman, the prolic, craggy-faced character actor and regular guy who was loved by millions as the messy one in TVs The Odd Couple and the crime-ghting coroner in Quincy, M.E., died Monday, a son said. He was 90. Klugman, who lost his voice to throat cancer in the 1980s and trained himself to speak again, died with his wife at his side. He had a great life and he enjoyed every moment of it and he would encourage others to do the same, son Adam Klugman said. Jack Klugman apparently died suddenly, and family members were not sure of the exact cause. Never anyones idea of a matinee idol, Klugman remained a popular star for decades simply by playing a gruff but down-toearth guy, his tie stained and a little loose, a cigar in hand during the days when smoking was permitted. His was a city actor ideal for The Odd Couple, which ran from 1970 to 1975 and was based on Neil Simons play about mismatched roommates, divorced New Yorkers who end up living together. The show teamed Klugmanthe sloppy sports writer Oscar Madison and Tony Randall the fussy photographer Felix Unger in the roles played by Walter Matthau and Art Carney on Broadway and Matthau and Jack Lemmon in the 1968 lm. Klugman had already had a taste of the show when he replaced Matthau on Broadway, and he learned to roll with the quickthinking Randall. AP

Continued from last week
sha.re/
home work relationship

Gianna Maniego, Editor Dinna Chan Vasquez, Assistant Editor
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26, 2012 standardlifestyle@gmail.com
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TASTING Notes Our casual interview continued into our wine tasting, and Pio Boffa, 5th generation owner of Pio Cesare, personally tasted each wine with me and fellow wine scribe and oenophile Chef Gene Gonzales.
In order of tasting: Pio Cesare Gavi 2011 DOCG (*Denominazione de Origine Controllata e Garantita highest Italian wine classication) - `Gavi is Piedmontes most recognized dry white wine and made from local indigenous varietal Cortese; this is a wine that has a more subtle nose, fresh, white petal, very round juicy acid, clean and crisp on the nish; this was our only white wine of the evening Pio Cesare Dolcetto dAlba 2011 DOC (*Denominazione de Origine Controllata)`Dolcetto is one of my all time favorite quaffable reds to drink, and this Dolcetto is as good as any Dolcetto I have ever had; lovely ripe red fruit nose, plum, strawberry, well structured body more than other Dolcettos in my recollection, very fragrant all the way to a lipsmacking nish Pio Cesare Barbera dAlba 2010 DOC`this is one of Pio Cesares top commercial wines, and Pio Boffa liken Barbera to a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon or Barossa Shiraz for its powerful fruit forward qualities; luscious nose of persimmon, cherries, warm crusty pie, peppercorn, with very soft tannins and very ripe fruit nish Pio Cesare Fides Barbera 2010 DOC`this is a single vineyard Barbera located in a Pio Cesare prime Barolo area, that could have otherwise been planted with Nebbiolo to make Barolo wines; only 7,000 bottles made for this vintage; meatier nose than the classic Barbera dAlba, cinnamon, some earthiness, complex, overripe berries, supple tannins on the palate, very rich with good acid backbone, and a succulent plumy nish Pio Cesare Nebbiolo 2009 Langhe DOC`this was the rst of the ve 100 percent Nebbiolo wines we were tasting; Pio Boffa explained that Nebbiolo is quite similar to Burgundy Pinot Noirs in the sense that both these varietals are tough and ckle to grow, does not have the same color structure of the heartier Cabernet Sauvignons and other red varietals, and can be a bit tough to drink on its youth; this Nebbiolo DOC has 15 percent of its content coming from Barolo and Barbaresco regions; animal nose on the rst whiff, then opens up to black currant, some leaness, noticeable tannins on palate, long and dense, with a
Pio Boffa as he was explaining his wines
PIEDMONT WINES 101 with PIO BOFFA part 2

duo of Barolo and Barbaresco were extremely versatile to take with almost all the food I had from carpaccio, to risotto, to the juicy steak. Both Barolos in fact continued to evolve long after its pouring. Piedmont wines and the seemingly mysterious Nebbiolo grapes were never this clear to me, and I only have Pio Boffa and his wines to thank for. This is Piedmont 101 at its nest with no less than its best preacher in Mr. Pio Boffa. Very soon, we will have Pio Cesare wines back in the Philippines as Golden Wines Inc. will be importing these wines to arrive rst quarter of 2013. Piedmont wines will therefore have another pillar brand to help reinforce the excellent wines of this beautiful wine region from Northern Italy in our country. Mr. Pio Boffa also promised to return to Manila to be at the launch of the Pio Cesare wines early next year. That alone is an event worth waiting for. By the way, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! It is the time of the year to splurge on some really good, and most likely, expensive wines. After all, we only have one liver, and that has to be saved for only the best wines, especially on this festive period. For comments, inquiries, wine event coverage, wine consultancy and other wine related concerns, please e-mail me at protegeinc@yahoo.com . I am a proud member of the Federation Internationale des Journalists et Ecrivains du Vin et des Spiritueux or FIJEV since 2010. You can also follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/sherwinlao.
PH indigenous art for display in Paris

THE rst major exhibit in France dedicated to the Philippines and its wide variety of art forms would be held at the prestigious Musee du Quai Branly in Paris from April 9 to July 14, 2013. Among the items for display include the Bagobo warrior armor and shield, Manunggul secondary burial jar, Tausug ritual textile, Oton funerary mask and part of the extensive gold collection of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Sen. Loren Legarda, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and Committee on Cultural Communities, expressed elation over the exhibit as it will introduce Philippine indigenous art and culture to a global audience. She personally welcomed Stphane Martin and Constance de Monbrison, president and curator, respectively, of the Muse du Quai Branly, who are currently in the Philippines to discuss the project with concerned agencies, ofcials and personalities. The exhibit, dubbed Philippines: Archipelago of Exchange, brings together a selection of works chosen from public and private collections in the Philippines, the Americas and Europe, including ornaments, jewelry, baskets, weapons as well as magical and ritual objects. Legarda explained that the exhibit, a joint project of France and the Philippines, is another opportunity to create awareness about the Philippines rich heritage to the international community. The Quai Branly Museum features indigenous art, culture and civilizations from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Its list of collections covers archaeology, sculpture, painting, textiles, drawings and tools, among others, from the Neolithic and Paleolithic periods to the 1st Century up to the 21st Century.
Top Pio Cesare wines (from left): `Ornato Barolo, Classic Barolo, `Il Bricco Barbaresco, Classic Barbaresco
bit of mineral and toasty nish Pio Cesare Barbaresco 2008 DOCG`Pio said that 70 percent of this wine comes from his Il Bricco single vineyard; deep nose with ripe berries, peppery, minty, bold and viscous on the palate, and taste of cassis at the nish Pio Cesare Il Bricco Barbaresco 2008 DOCG`this is a single vineyard wine from Il Bricco vineyard, with only 5,000 bottles produced for their 2008 vintage; exuberant nose, cinnamon bark, vanilla, prune, acid
backbone still prominent in the palate, full bodied, and a long racy nish Pio Cesare Barolo 2008 DOCG`just like with the classic Barbaresco, 60 percent of this Barolo wine comes from Pio Cesares Ornato single vineyard; very complex nose, saddle, leather, herbaceous, black currant, full bodied, with tannins still noticeable on the palate, and a long lingering blackberry nish Pio Cesare Ornato Barolo 2008 DOCG`this is a single
vineyard wine from Ornato vineyard, with only 9,000 bottles produced for this vintage; spicy nose, pencil shaving, trufe, lots of power from both fruit and oak, rm with chewy tannins, long lingering licorice nish The wines were tasted on its own, and eventually with the excellent food which we ordered ala carte at the Italian ne dining restaurant Tosca in Dusit Thani Hotel. And true enough from my evenings dining and wining experience, the Nebbiolo powerhouse
DINE IN STYLE
with Rossetti
THIS Christmas, all the food and feasting will be especially meaningful as family and friends gather together to celebrate the seasonand if food is the way to mans (and a womans, too) heart, then the dining experience will be even more heart-warming when food presentation is made in an appetizing style and an elegant setting. Rossetti offers a wide range of food service products to meet the challenge of giving that heart warming dining experience. Rossetti is especially recognized for the quality and elegance of its chang dishes. Wherever the place - whether at home, in a restaurant, or a catering function - Rossetti prides itself in being able to provide various serving and presentation needs.
The chang dishes are a special point of pride for Rossetti: they come in single or double burner vessels and are perfect for keeping food warm for any event whether indoor or outdoor. Electrical chang dishes are also available for convenient use during indoor events. Rossetti chang dishes can perk up any conventional meal serving to a simply exquisite
presentation. They come in different shapes - rectangle, oval, round or square and various sizes to suit any need be it a ve star hotel function or a very private dinner party at a local bistro. In every special meal, all the details matter. As they say, we all start eating even before we take our rst bite. We enjoy the visual presentation of the various
heightens the total enjoyment of our dining experience. Rossetti chang dishes add a classy touch to the table. But this catering ware brand not only boasts of elegant looks. Made with high grade stainless steel material, Rossetti ensures top quality craftsmanship to withstand the heavy demands of the catering environment. Rossetti is not just about chang dishes. Rossetti also provides products for other catering services: dispensers for cereals and juices; urns for coffee and soups; cutlery; and even kitchen tools, utensils, and cookware to aid with the food preparation. For inquiries about Rossetti products, call Kitchen Beauty Marketing Corporation at 242 1731 to 35 or visit Unit 1203, State Centre Building, Juan Luna St., Binondo, Manila. Rossetti is also available at all leading department stores nationwide.
SWEET AIR IN THE SOUTH

If you are looking for a place where cosmopolitan living meets the refreshing air of nature, then you may consider heading to the south of the metro.
SANTAS VILLAGE
Walk through the gigantic representation of the 12 gifts in the famous Christmas song Twelve Days of Christmas with your family and friends at Santas Village.
S AT WH
IDE INS
ManilaStandardToday Gianna Maniego, Editor Dinna Chan Vasquez, Assistant Editor
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home work relationships

standardlifestyle@gmail.com
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Sweet air in the
Five Days of Yearend Review: The year in condo advertising

By Ed Biado
MIXED-USE, full-service and luxury amenities are just some of the keywords used to describe property developments. The year 2012 has been a great one for real estate developers, and theyre condent that demand for apartment units will continue to be strong in the coming years. (Recent numbers indicate that demand rose by 130 percent while supply only increased by 50 percent in the high-end sector.) But with new condominium buildings, premium, midscale and low-end alike, being erected all over the metropolis and other major cities nationwide, these developers have to constantly think of ways to keep their products competitive and attractive to their target markets. One of the solutions? Celebrity endorsements. A 2011 study says that Filipinos are among the most brandconscious consumers in the world and are very likely to invest in celebrity-branded property. Three out of four said that they would be more willing to purchase items associated with a recognizable face. This is probably why Century Properties Trump Tower was conceived. The Trump mark is an instant boost in prestige. Add to that the Trump sons visit to the country for the projects groundbreaking and Donald and Ivankas pictures plastered all over advertising materials and youve got a selfsustaining publicity machine. Last year, Century also welcomed Paris Hilton into the fold, who supposedly designed the man-made beach club at the Azure development. For other industry players, its a game dominated by local celebrities. This year, Solenn Heusaff and Kris Aquino signed deals to represent developments by Robinsons Land and Filinvest Land respectively. Anne Curtis, on the other hand, has been with SM Residences since 2010. Empire East seems to prefer beauty queens, with the recruitment of Shamcey Supsup in early 2012. They got Venus Raj in 2011. But for those without celebrity brand ambassadors, the problem is recall. Marketing and sales agents have to literally shove yers in your face everywhere you go to get noticed. And theres more of them this year. Youll nd them at every hallway and aisle of every mall and at the entrance of supermarkets, peddling condo units like shballs. Because theres just so many new developments right now, its hard to keep track and distinguish one from the other, especially those targeted at lower-income markets. The names are even starting to sound alike (think of any western-sounding place and add Place or Residences to it and its probably the name of a building being constructed right now). Information overload: thats 2012 in condo advertising. (Tomorrow: The year in new gadgets)
South
By Bernadette Lunas
The new Filinvest City ripe for celebrating milestones
THE major urban center located in the south of metropolis fuses cosmopolitan lifestyle and laid-back culture where everyone can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Once the empty spaces of Alabang, Filinvest City has been transformed into a growing Central Business District with developed surrounding areas and a wonderful community which administers a gateway to the progressive Calabarzon. Business and pleasure have been achieved with great dining locales; thriving wellness spots and entertainment scene make room for those who wish to nd active and creative outlets for their interests and passions, while great shopping nds will surely satisfy those needing some serious retail therapy. But above all this, Filinvest ensures that the abundant living brought by clean air, big shady trees, lush landscape, open parks, and tree-lined pathways are never compromised and are incorporated in the master plan; thus assuring locators, visitors, and residents, to enjoy work and play with the serenity of nature as a refreshing backdrop At Filinvest, our aim is to provide everyone the best live + work + play experience,
Refreshing greens make this urban center stand out
Perfect for outdoor fun
says Filinvest Alabang, Inc.s executive vice president Catherine A. Ilagan. With a thrust of a breathing and living city highlighted by the warm southern hospitality, Filinvests main goal is to make it an ideal place to set up shop for business and at the same time lay down roots for the family. Well-planned and expansive spaces make urban development of corporate ofces, residences,
condominiums, entertainment and retail establishments a veritable cosmopolitan village where everything is within easy reach. As part of the prime citys development, Festival Mall is set to be renovated to bring in more green areas and outdoor promenades. Al fresco dining by the living creek in The River Park will set the stage for a romantic evening or an enjoyable gathering under the stars with friends. While an ampitheater at the Water Garden will be a perfect venue for a concert or play for an artful night out. Further, high-tech security systems have been put into place including a ber optic telecom technology that allows data
transfer in a speed of light, reliable data connection with zero down time and CCTV cameras installed along major roads and side streets. Filinvest City has already transformed life in the South, it perpetually undergoes changes to meet, and even exceed, the demands of the times, Ilagan emphasizes. So if youre looking for a community where modern meets mellow, and numerous establishments offering countless opportunities are paired with the nurturing goodness of nature, Filinvest City can be reached in 15 minutes from Makati and has access points via SLEx, Skyway, C5, Old National Highway, and Alabang-Zapote Road.
The biggest Christmas celebration of the year

GLOBE Telecom recently held one of the countrys biggest Christmas concert parties as it welcomed two important milestones in its rich history: the celebration of a faster and stronger Globe network in Makati and the midnight countdown to the best Christmas gift ever, the much-anticipated iPhone 5. The New Glorietta in Palm Drive was lled with over 3,000 spectators, eagerly waiting to be part of the nights festivities. Dubbed as Pamasko ng Globe, the event was indeed the biggest Christmas present of Globe to its subscribers, which comprised of performances from the brightest artists, games, and rafe activities. Makati Mayor Junjun Binay led the list of guests who graced the affair to celebrate the modernized Globe network in Makati. Makati City can now look forward to crystal-clear calls, prompt SMS exchanges as well as super-fast data delivery on their phones and gadgets, even at peak times and critical business hours, said Ernest Cu, Globe president and chief executive officer.
Hosts Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez with Peter Bithos
Celebrate Christmas at Santas Village

THE holiday season is a time for going to carnivals and bazaars as well as watching moving mannequin and musical shows in malls. There are also rare holiday spectacles worth experiencing to make the holidays memorable. Such opportunity comes at Eton City from Nov. 30 to Jan. 6, when the Santas Village opens to the public at the township project of Eton Properties Philippines. Inc. (EPPI) in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Children and parents alike will surely enjoy the Santas Village, which will have giant displays according to the theme 12 days of Christmas. Visitors can walk through and see the gigantic representation of the 12 gifts in the famous Christmas song. They will also enjoy the lights and sounds that come with the display and a giant Christmas tree at the center of the Santas Village. The song Twelve Days of Christmas refers to the time that Christmas is traditionally celebrated, which is from Dec. 26, the rst day after the birth of Jesus, until Jan. 6, when the Three Kings visited him. However, Eton Citys giant display version of the Christmas carol at the Santas Village will be open for more than a month. The fun starts at 3 p.m. lasting until 8 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday. It is open one hour longer on the other remaining days so families can extend their time together. With the holidays fast approaching, now is the perfect time to buy good nds at the bazaar which will be open within the activity eld. Shop for gift items like food products, decors, toys, clothes, accessories and many more. To know more about the event, call 542-2858 to 59 or log on to www.etoncity.com. ph. With Eton Citys open eld, visitors to Santas Village and 12 Days of Christmas can also play games and y kites. Other activities can be done in the nearby South Lake Village, Eton Citys centerpiece community featuring 16 distinct island lots on a 35-hectare man-made lake. The lake will be open to visitors for kayaking, boating and shing from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. During weekends, visitors can also watch the remote-controlled planes and boats exhibition at South Lake Village. Previously showed at the Eton Citys ActiveFunZone is a giant display of the storybook The Fourth Little Pig, which was one of EPPIs ways of promoting reading habits among children while providing residents from the south and Eton City homebuyers a place to have leisure and family bonding time. The activity eld is just beside the Sales Pavilion of the sprawling Eton City. There are ample parking space and restrooms for visitors. Eton City can be reached via the Eton City Exit of the South Luzon Expressway. The Eton City Exit is also an alternate route to Tagaytay.
Marc Nelson, together with Globe senior advisor for consumer business Peter Bithos unveiled the iPhone 5, complete with reworks display and the best visual and aural treat for the audience to enjoy. Lawyer Atty. Leo Dominguez became the rst Globe subscriber to experience the iPhone 5 from Globe under its innovative roster of genius offers. Carrying the iPhone for the past ve years, Globe sets itself apart from competition with its most affordable and fully-customizable plans with easy payment terms and a reset option for existing subscribers, a comprehensive mobile phone protection program, exclusive privileges such as free subscription to the GCASH American Express Virtual Card, 50 percent discount on iPhone 5 accessories, and free download of Globe Mobile Apps, all supported by a faster and stronger network nationwide.
iPhone 5 accessories up for grabs
Adding glitz and glamour to the event are some of the countrys premier artists who entertained the crowd with their enthralling performances. Child stars Xyriel Manabat and Zaijan Jaranilla, bands 6CycleMind, Bamboo and Parokya ni Edgar, premier vocal group The Company, teenstars Barbie Forteza and Joshua Dionisio, balladeers Jed Madela and Christian Bautista, heartthrobs Dingdong Dantes, Paulo Avelino and Robi Domingo, hosts Cesca Litton, Nikki Gil, Billy Crawford, Rovilson Fernandez and Marc Nelson, mother and daughter tandem Zsa Zsa Padilla and Zia Quizon, actor and TM endorser Cesar Montano, and the Queen of All Media and newest Globe ambassador Kris Aquino all took part in the star-studded celebration in the countrys premier business district. Further drawing excitement from the audience were the long list of rafe items given away such as gift certicates, overnight accommodations, out-of-town trips, home appliances, and gadgets. At the strike of midnight, sports icons Rovilson Fernandez and
Globe customers patiently waiting for their turn

email: tech@mst.ph
MARLON C. MAGTIRA, Section Editor CHRISTIAN CARDIENTE, Asst. Editor
ManilaStandardToday
Tech
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IBM forecasts innovations

WILL CHANGE THE WAY PEOPLE WORK, INTERACT
By Marlon C. Magtira
GLOBAL tech company IBM

recently unveiled its seventh annual IBM 5 in 5 a list of innovations that have the potential to change the way people work, live, and interact during the next ve years.
The IBM 5 in 5 is based on market and societal trends as well as emerging technologies from IBMs R&D labs around the world that can make these transformations possible. This years IBM 5 in 5 explores innovations that will be the underpinnings of the next era of computing, which IBM describes as the era of cognitive systems. This new generation of machines will learn, adapt, sense, and begin to experience the world as it really is. This years predictions focus on one element of the new era, the ability of computers to mimic the human senses in their own way, to see, smell, touch, taste, and hear. IBM scientists around the world are collaborating on advances that will help computers make sense of the world around them, said Lope Doromal, chief technologist of IBM Philippines. Every year IBM makes predictions about ve technology innovations that stand to change the way we live within the next ve years. This year were focusing on the ability of machines to in their own special way emulate humans ve senses. Just as the human brain relies on interacting with the world using multiple senses, by bringing combinations of these breakthroughs together, cognitive systems will bring even greater value and insights, helping us solve some of the most complicated challenges. IBMs ve predictions that will dene the future: Touch: You will be able to touch through your phone. Imagine using your smartphone to shop for your wedding dress and being able to feel the satin or silk of the gown, or the lace on the veil, all from the surface of the screen? Or to feel the beading and weave of a blanket made by a local artisan half way around the world? In ve years, industries such as retail will be transformed by the ability to touch a product through your mobile device. IBM scientists are developing applications for the retail, healthcare and other sectors using haptic, infrared and pressure sensitive technologies to simulate touch, such as the texture and weave of a fabric as a shopper brushes her nger over the image of the item on a device screen. Utilizing the vibration capabilities of the phone, every object will have a unique set of vibration patterns that represents the touch experience: short fast patterns, or longer and stronger strings of vibrations. The vibration pattern will differentiate silk from linen or cotton, helping simulate the physical sensation of actually touching the material. Current uses of haptic and graphic technology in the gaming industry take the end user into a simulated environment. The opportunity and challenge here is to make the technology so ubiquitous and inter-woven into everyday experiences that it brings greater context to our lives by weaving technology in front and around us. This technology will become ubiquitous in our everyday lives, turning mobile phones into tools for natural and intuitive interaction with the world around us. Sight: A pixel will be worth a thousand words Computers today only understand pictures by the text we use to tag or title them; the majority of the information the actual content of the image
is a mystery. In the next ve years, systems will not only be able to look at and recognize the contents of images and visual data, they will turn the pixels into meaning, beginning to make sense out of it similar to the way a human views and interprets a photograph. In the future, brain-like capabilities will let computers analyze features such as color, texture patterns or edge information and extract insights from visual media. This will have a profound impact for industries such as healthcare, retail and agriculture. Within ve years, these capabilities will be put to work in healthcare by making sense out of massive volumes of medical information such as MRIs, CT scans, X-Rays and ultrasound images to capture information tailored to particular anatomy or pathologies. What is critical in these images can be subtle or invisible to the human eye and requires careful measurement. By being trained to discriminate what to look for in images such as differentiating healthy from diseased tissue and correlating that with patient records and scientic literature, systems that can see will help doctors detect medical problems with far greater speed and accuracy. Hearing: Computers will hear what matters Ever wish you could make sense of the sounds all around you and be able to understand whats not being said? Within ve years, a distributed system of clever sensors will detect elements of sound such as
sound pressure, vibrations and sound waves at different frequencies. It will interpret these inputs to predict when trees will fall in a forest or when a landslide is imminent. Such a system will listen to our surroundings and measure movements, or the stress in a material, to warn us if danger lies ahead. Raw sounds will be detected by sensors, much like the human brain. A system that receives this data will take into account other modalities, such as visual or tactile information, and classify and interpret the sounds based on what it has learned. When new sounds are detected, the system will form conclusions based on previous knowledge and the ability to recognize patterns. For example, baby talk will be understood as a language, telling parents or doctors what infants are trying to communicate. Sounds can be a trigger for interpreting a babys behavior or needs. By being taught what baby sounds mean whether fussing indicates a baby is hungry, hot, tired or in pain a sophisticated speech recognition system would correlate sounds and babbles with other sensory or physiological information such as heart rate, pulse and temperature. In the next ve years, by learning about emotion and being able to sense mood, systems will pinpoint aspects of a conversation and analyze pitch, tone and hesitancy to help us have more productive dialogues that could improve customer call center interactions, or allow us to seamlessly interact with different cultures. Today, IBM scientists are beginning to capture underwater noise levels in Galway Bay, Ireland
to understand the sounds and vibrations of wave energy conversion machines, and the impact on sea life, by using underwater sensors that capture sound waves and transmit them to a receiving system to be analyzed. Taste: Digital taste buds will help you to eat smarter What if we could make healthy foods taste delicious using a different kind of computing system that is built for creativity? IBM researchers are developing a computing system that actually experiences avor, to be used with chefs to create the most tasty and novel recipes. It will break down ingredients to their molecular level and blend the chemistry of food compounds with the psychology behind what avors and smells humans prefer. By comparing this with millions of recipes, the system will be able to create new avor combinations that pair, for example, roasted chestnuts with other foods such as cooked beetroot, fresh caviar, and dry-cured ham. A system like this can also be used to help us eat healthier, creating novel avor combinations that will make us crave a vegetable casserole instead of potato chips. The computer will be able to use algorithms to determine the precise chemical structure of food and why people like certain tastes. These algorithms will examine how chemicals interact with each other, the molecular complexity of avor compounds and their bonding structure, and use that information, together with models of perception to predict the taste appeal of avors. Not only will it make healthy foods more palatable it will also surprise us with unusual pairings of foods actually designed to maximize our experience of taste and avor. In the case of people with special dietary needs such as individuals with diabetes, it would develop avors and recipes keep their blood sugar regulated, but satisfy their sweet tooth. Smell: Computers will have a sense of smell During the next ve years, tiny sensors embedded in your computer or cell phone will detect if youre coming down with a cold or other illness. By analyzing odors, biomarkers and thousands of molecules in someones breath, doctors will have help diagnosing and monitoring the onset of ailments such as liver and kidney disorders, asthma, diabetes and epilepsy by detecting which odors are normal and which are not. Today IBM scientists are already sensing environmental conditions and gases to preserve works of art. This innovation is beginning to be applied to tackle clinical hygiene, one of the biggest challenges in healthcare today. For example, antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as Methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which in 2005 was associated with almost 19,000 hospital stay-related deaths in the United States, is commonly found on the skin and can be easily transmitted wherever people are in close contact. One way of ghting MRSA exposure in healthcare institutions is by ensuring medical staff follow clinical hygiene guidelines. In the next ve years, IBM technology will smell surfaces for disinfectants to determine whether rooms have been sanitized. Using novel wireless mesh networks, data on various chemicals will be gathered and measured by sensors, and continuously learn and adapt to new smells over time. Due to advances in sensor and communication technologies in combination with deep learning systems, sensors can measure data in places never thought possible. For example, computer systems can be used in agriculture to smell or analyze the soil condition of crops. In urban environments, this technology will be used to monitor issues with refuge, sanitation and pollution helping city agencies spot potential problems before they get out of hand.
LG brings in new Google TVs

LG Electronics, the secondlargest Korean electronics maker, is unveiling two new television models based on Googles software. The Seoulbased company will introduce the televisions at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month, the company said in a statement. The new models will feature a redesigned remote control and improved voice recognitionbased search. Google, operator of the worlds most popular search engine, is trying to get more electronics makers to adopt its TV software, which debuted to lackluster sales for initial hardware partners Sony and Logitech in 2010. The software brings Googles search and online services, such as YouTube, to television screens with Internet connectivity. LG said it will use Googles software in some models alongside its own smart TV technology. Wherever it makes sense, well continue to look at it, James Fishler, vice president of marketing and sales, said in an interview. There are some unique features within the Google technology that helps pair your smartphone more seamlessly to your television. Google introduced a redesigned version of the service in October. Google TV 2.0s interface was intended to better showcase YouTube, and it opens up the platform for developers of its Android operating system to build applications for TV. Bloomberg
C4

Isah V. Red, Editor standard.showbiz@gmail.com
showbitz
Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Belos friends and loved ones also arrived to support and congratulate her. Present were some of the countrys most gorgeous celebrities and TV personalities including Cristalle Henares, celebrity couple Rich-
PLDT myDSL wins Quill Awards

THE most prestigious awards show for business communication in the Philippines recognizes once more PLDT myDSLs excellence in communication campaigns. Following Awesome Hunts entry as a nalist in 2011, the Anna Banana campaign gets a merit under this years Communication category for Social Media. The awarding ceremony was held last Nov. 12 at the Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila, where a total of 368 entries vied for victory. With the broadband market becoming congested in a pricing and speed game, PLDT myDSL proved itself to be the market leader by creating a campaign that stood out and won the hearts of the Filipinosthe Anna Banana. The campaign tells the story of an awkward yet charming teen called Derek, who performs his original song Anna Banana on YouTube, the kind which only a mom could dearly love. Watching day in and day out, the mom brought Dereks video to 100 hits, a sweet success that matters a lot to any child and an endearing proof that a mom can show unconditional love even in this digital age. The charm of the Anna Banana Campaign was so well received, it became a viral sensation on YouTube, nearing 5 million hits. With the Internet being mostly individualistic, PLDT myDSL changed the scenery by dramatizing how better connections at home can lead to rich shared experiences that bonds the family even more. Apart from its high achievement in the Philippine Quill Awards, PLDT myDSL became a brand that engaged and charmed its market. To know more about PLDT myDSL, log on to www. pldthome.com
Shatterproof Kapusos
GMA Networks Afternoon Prime block continues to dominate television ratings. The networks drama programs continues to be the Cradle of GMA Stars where most of the networks homegrown talents are molded and honed into becoming Philippine dramas next big stars.
ISAH V. RED
afternoon shows
SIMPLY RED
The post-lunch programming block is unbeatable and continues to captivate Filipino viewers since its strong performance in TV ratings in 2007, not only in viewer rich Urban Luzon but also in Mega Manila, according to data from the industrys widely trusted ratings service provider Nielsen TV Audience Measurement. After conquering Mega Manila and Urban Luzon, in 2011, GMA Afternoon Prime ruled NUTAM with 39.6 percent household audience share compared to ABS-CBNs 26.6 percent and TV5s 15.7 percent. And 2012 is an exceptionally successful year for GMA Afternoon Prime with its programsIkaw Lang ang Mamahalin, The Good Daughter, Broken Vow, Hiram na Puso, Kasalanan Bang Ibigin Ka, Faithfully, Hindi Ka Na Mag-iisa, Yesterdays Bride, Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga, and Magdalenabecoming the most watched afternoon drama programs nationwide. Based on NUTAM TV Households Data from January to partial December 2012 (available data up to Dec 7, Dec 2-7 based on overnight readings), GMAs Afternoon Prime block posted a dominating 42.2 percent household audience share against ABS-CBNs 25.3 percent and TV5s 14 percent.
Holidays Kardashianstyle on E!
PEEK into the jet-setting lifestyle of the Kardashians this holiday season by catching episodes one to eight of Keeping Up with the Kardashians on E! In season 7, rumors once again surround the Kardashian family. This time its about Khloes parentage to Robert Kardashian. In order to quell the rumors, matriarch Kris tries to convince Khloe to take a DNA test. See how Khloe reacts during a DNA intervention, which her own mother organizes. Bruce on the other hand tries to get Kris onboard the idea to sign his son, Brandon, to her upcoming music management company. Kris dislikes the idea of mixing family and business. Find out the zany tactics that Bruce tries to do during Kris business meeting with her partner and who ends up managing Brandons musical career. Drama never seems to leave Kardashians while planning their vacation. Kourtneys pregnancy hormones kick in while deciding where to go and they eventually agree to vacay in the Dominican Republic. While on vacation, Bruce meets the man who broke Kris rst marriage and starts to feel uncomfortable. Theres more to this two-part story arc than meets the eye for the Kardashian clan. The holiday marathon of the Kardashians, visiting London, New York and the Dominican Republic is on E!, SkyCable channel 57.
Lovi Poe
Andrea Torres and Mikael Daez
Join multi-awarded broadcast journalist Mel Tiangco together with Mariz Umali, Cesar Apolinario, Tina Panganiban-Perez and John Consulta as they feature the history behind some of the countrys treasures and how these help dene our identity as a race. Be amazed at the historical artifacts from the Ancestors of Gold exhibit at the Ayala Museum. These inspired Amaya, a local television series, to have several of its golden costumes pattered from these majestic nds originally discovered by a farmer. Moving down south, know the real story behind the golden earring found in an excavation site in Boljoon Cebu, believed to be owned by Philippine hero Lapu-Lapu. Find out what the experts have to say when they visited the area to verify the earringss authenticity. On to Mindanao, a number of the most sought-after Maitum Burial Jars of Sarangani were found in a hidden cave in 1991. Because of the discovery, sale of anthropomorphic or human-form jars became popular in the black market resulting to these being priced at hundreds of thousands of pesos! Sadly, little do this generations residents know the value these jars possess. Finally, be smitten by the HinduMalayan Goddess Tara, a ve-inchtall golden statue found in Agusan province in 1917. Considered by some experts as one of the most spectacular artifacts of the Philippines, it is now under the safekeeping of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, USA. Will it ever nd its way back to the soil where it was rst uncovered? Rediscover how Philippine Treasures sparked the ame of nationalism among Filipinos and how its documentary became a Philippine trending topic on Twitter and Yahoo! for two consecutive days. Relive the nations history through riched unexplored. Uncover the secrets of the country revealed by the tales of these magnicent treasures. Manufactured by GMA Records and GMA Marketing and Productions, Inc., Philippine Treasureswith English subtitles and bonus featuresis available at all Odyssey, SM Music and Video, Astrovision, and Astroplus branches nationwide.
For the same period in Urban Luzon, GMAs Afternoon Prime block scored 46.2 percent against ABS-CBNs 21.4 percent and TV5s 13 percent. Meanwhile, in Mega Manila, GMA Afternoon Prime block posted 46.8 percent compared to ABS-CBNs 19.9 and TV5s 13.7 percent. Yesterdays Bride, with Lovi Poe with Rocco Nacino and Luis Alandy, clearly edged out competition and gained ratings stronghold in its timeslot since it launched on Oct. 29. Based on nationwide household ratings data for the period Oct. 29 to Dec.7 (Dec 2-7 data based on overnight ratings), the program registered 15.3 percent versus ABS-CBNs Angelito: Ang Bagong Yugto with 8.7 percent and TV5s Sine 5 and White Lie with 8.5 percent and 4.1 percent, respectively. Sana ay Ikaw Na Nga, a remake of one of the networks most remarkable series in 2001, which now stars promising Kapuso stars Mikael Daez, Andrea Torres, and Gabby Eigenmann revolves around the unrelenting love story of Carlos Miguel Altamonte (Mikael) and Cecilia Fulgencio (Andrea). Based on NUTAM data for the period Sept. 3 to Dec. 7 (Dec 2-7 data based on overnight ratings), Sana ay Ikaw na Nga scored 15.8 percent versus ABSCBNs Kung Akoy Iiwan Mo with 10.1 percent and Precious Hearts Romance: Paraiso with 9.6 percent. TV5s Love You a Thousand Times and Pink Lipstick, on the other hand, registered 4.3 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively. Magdalena, headlined by Bela Padilla together with Pauleen Luna, Dion Ignacio, Pancho Magno and Ryan
Eigenmann, offers a compelling drama about family, love and trust. The programs intriguing and bold storyline keep viewers on the edge of their seats. For the period Oct. 8 to Dec. 7 (Dec 2-7 data based on overnight ratings), Magdalena posted a 13.7 percent nationwide compared to ABS-CBNs Secret Love (9.3 percent), Precious Hearts Romance: Paraiso (9.6 percent) and A Gentlemans Dignity (8.8 percent). TV5s Pink Lipstick and Sharon, Kasama Mo Kapatid registered 4.8 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively. Undoubtedly, this is GMA Afternoon Prime at its nest. Dont miss the tears and thrills from GMAs top-rating Afternoon Prime programsairing weekdays from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on GMA 7.
Over the years, doctor to the stars Vicki Belo has earned the trust not only of celebrities, but also of many Filipinos who want to be empowered through beauty. In fact, she has already received several awards and recognitions for her innovative, effective, and world-class medical aesthetic procedures. Just recently, the celebrity doctor and Belo Medical Group, the Philippines leading cosmetic surgery and dermatology services clinic, were once again recognized by Allergan Healthcare Philippines. A global multi-specialty health care company, Allergan has been Belo Medical Groups partner for a decade now and is the company behind BOTOX (Botulinum Toxin Type A), which also celebrated its 10th global anniversary recently. And to celebrate this milestone, Allergan gave a platinum award to Belo Medical Group for its extensive experience with BOTOX treatment for 10 years now. During the celebration held at the
Belo celebrates success with showbiz friends
Every girl has a Disney Princess inside of her. And every girl dreams of donning a ball gown and sparkly crown, making those princess dreams a reality. This December, Disney Channel makes that dream come alive with its Disney Princess Saturday Specials. On two Saturdays this month, relive the timeless love stories of two of the most loved Disney Princesses. Belle softens the heart of Beast in Beauty and the Beast on Dec. 29 at 10 a.m. Philippine Treasures The Disney Princess special this December as well as a New Years Eve now on DVD In the midst of technological inno- special on Dec. 31, Monday from 8 vations where Filipinos consider the a.m. to 12:30 a.m. latest gadgets and tools as precious Moldex new endorser nds, a documentary traced the roots of and latest resident what is essentially valuable way before Creating happy memories for the modernization took overPhilippine familyparticularly the childrenwas Treasures. Take part in this one-of-a-kind trea- what Gladys Reyes had in mind when sure hunting experience with some of she accepted the endorsement offer from the countrys nest broadcast journal- Moldex Realty. Im looking forward to ists as GMA Network releases Philip- having weekend getaways here with my family, she said. I think Moldex Resipine Treasures on DVD. dences Valenzuela is the perfect place to get away from the chaos and hustle of work and just spend time bonding with my husband and kids. Reyes, who spent several years of her childhood in Valenzuela, also cited security and accessibility of the location as the most compelling reasons for choosing to endorse a condominium development for the rst time. I was pleasantly surprised to see all the amenities and facilities in place, she said. I also love the fact that I can see the Grand Clubhouse from our unit, which means that I can keep an eye on the kids while theyre at the playground or in the swimming pool. Reyes believes that her family is bound to create happy memories in their new found home at Moldex ResiDr. Vicki Belo dences Valenzuela.
ard and Lucy Torres-Gomez, Zsa Zsa Padilla and daughter Zia Quizon, Phoemela Baranda, Edward Mendez, Jason Sabio, Hayden Kho, Atom Henares, and Dyan Castillejo. For Belo, the support she gets from her family and friends and her commitment to inspire and boost the condence of Filipinos are what keeps her going. Nevertheless, recognitions and acknowledgements, just like what she recently received, are denitely a welcome bonus.
Saturdays with Disney Princesses

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CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Quinta hits land, batters south on Christmas Day

Cebu front turning out to be first battleground

China earmarks $1b to develop Sansha

Respect religion, Benedict XVI asks China

Govt forms new panel to handle rights cases

Six die in QC fire, two in San Juan on Xmas

Better safeguard of bank deposits noted in 2012

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WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26, 2012

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WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26, 2012

Telecom, radio rm acquire new franchises

Customs take: P278b and still short of goal

Overseas voters ranks close to a million

Ports expansion gets under way; 50 more in the pipeline

Philhealth expands primary care program, makes use of electronic reports

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26, 2012

ManilaStandardToday Adelle Chua, Editor

Getting realistic about peace

Repeating history in Cebu

Looking beyond 2013

ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO

CLIMACO E. CALIWARA Controller ANITA F. GREFAL Treasury Manager

MA. EDITHA D. ANGELES Advertising Manager EDGAR M. VALMORIDA Circulation Manager

ManilaStandardToday Adelle Chua, Editor

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26, 2012

UNA and Malacaang

Show Aquinos mistake

Truth always has a way of coming out.

A happy and hopeful people

Praise the lard

DECEMBER 26, 2012

Saudi hired 1.3m Pinoys

QC hosts New Year countdown

Magistrate laid to rest

Court afrms junking of raps vs graft ofcial

Bicolanos target zero casualties

House okays measure on early voting for media

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012 | A7

Republic of the Philippines Department of Trade and Industry

BUREAU OF PRODUCT STANDARDS

500 1 000 390 1 000 375 180 210 38

A8 | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2012 | A9

BUREAU OF PRODUCT STANDARDS Department of Trade and Industry

Vice-Chairman 2. Enrique Diaz URATEX

Manufacturers: 7 Jacqueline T. Tang Rodenstock Manufacturing Corp.

Figure E.1 Chair loading position template

your partner in product quality and safety

Figure D.4 Details of seat impacter

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Manila Standard TODAY sports@manilastandardtoday.com sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26, 2012

Changes in Stags coaching staff loom

PSC: Athletes must train abroad to be competitive

Intriguing battles on Christmas Day

Jarencio quits as UST coach

National doubles at Wack Wack

Bubba, Ping donate $.25m to hospital

Sports scribes win NPC title

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