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17 localized holidays declared

PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte has signed 17 more Republic Acts (RA) declaring local special non-working holidays in various towns, cities and provinces around the country. Signed on Oct. 30 and Nov. 8, copies of the following laws with the corresponding place (in alphabetical order), date, and celebration were released by Malacañang on Nov. 15:

Barbecue stick town

VISITORS and residents of Taysan in Batangas hold a barbecue street party on Nov. 11 to cap off the week-long celebration of the 1st Tinindag Festival and the town’s 100th founding anniversary. Hundreds of families in the second-class municipality of over 98,000 residents are engaged in the home-based manufacture of barbecue sticks using the abundant local bamboo supply. “Stick-making is done in all Taysan’s 20 barangays, but bulk of production comes from Barangay Pinagbayanan, Barangay Guinhawa and Barangay Piña,” Leah Caguitla, 35, mother of six, who continued her parents’ stick-making business, said a in a statement released by the Department of Tourism (DoT). The town also produces nipa huts, furniture, baskets, and other bamboo handicrafts.

Malolos court denies Palparan appeal

THE APPEAL of retired military general Jovito S. Palparan, Jr. over his conviction for kidnapping and serious legal detention of two student activists in 2006 has been denied by a Malolos City court.
In an order dated Nov. 15, Judge Alexander P. Tamayo of Malolos City regional trial court (RTC) Branch 15 said there were no new issues raised in the appeal.
The judge wrote that Mr. Palparan “emphatically relied” on the alleged inconsistencies of the witnesses and the “purported questionable actuations” displayed by witnesses in reference to the kidnapping of the students.
“Thus, these asseverations which they posited in their Memorandum filed in the instant cases are rehash of their previous stand which had been passed upon and resolved extensively in the assailed decision,” the order read. The “voluntary surrender” alleged by Mr. Palparan in his Supplemental Motion also lacked merit, Mr. Tamayo ruled.
“(F)inding no additional and/or new points raised to outweigh the settled position of the court, the Motion for Reconsideration, as well as the Supplemental Motion, is denied for lack of merit.”
Based on the Revised Penal Code, the punishment for kidnapping with serious illegal detention is “reclusion perpetua to death,” which is an indivisible penalty.
Mr. Tamayo ruled that even if a mitigating circumstance is considered, “the lesser penalty to be imposed is reclusion perpetua.”
Mr. Palparan, tagged as “The Butcher,” along with Lt. Col. Felipe G. Anotado, Jr. and S/Sgt. Edgardo Osorio, were convicted last Sept. 17 for the abduction and serious illegal detention of University of the Philippines students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan.
They have been sentenced to reclusion perpetua or 20-40 years of imprisonment.
The retired army general was transferred to the New Bilibid Prison on Oct. 4.
A warrant of arrest was issued against Mr. Palparan in 2011 but was only caught in 2014 after he went into hiding.
The two students were conducting research on the situation of farmers in Bulacan in 2006 when they were kidnapped. They have yet to be found. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Laid-off quarry, cement workers seek Naga gov’t help; judge inhibits in P4.5-B landslide case

ABOUT 200 employees of APO Cement Corp., a subsidiary of Cemex Holdings Philippines, Inc., held a rally Wednesday in front of the Naga City hall to seek government assistance following the company’s announcement of layoffs. Engr. Jenevy Patalinghug, 46, an employee representative of Cemex Holdings, said they want to know about the government’s supposed hazard reduction plan considering that more than 100 regular employees and more than 600 casual workers are subject to layoffs due to the quarrying ban imposed after landslides that killed more than 70 and displaced thousands. The quarry ban has affected Apo Land & Quarry Corporation (ALQC), the main raw material supplier of APO Cement. Naga Mayor Kristine Vanessa T. Chiong, for her part, said she has already sought help from different agencies to address the workers’ situation.
JUDGE
Meanwhile, the presiding judge of Branch 76 of the Regional Trial Court in Naga City has inhibited from the P4.5 billion class suit filed against ALQC, and government officials and agencies. Judge Dennis C. Larrobis said he decided to inhibit from the case to avoid the slightest suspicion of bias and prejudice. In a court order, Mr. Larrobis said, “…the undersigned opts to receive in sitting this case. This is in view of the innuendos of manifest partiality and allegations that the undersigned could not be able to decide the instant case fairly and impartiality because of the close association with Atty. [Benjamin] Cabrido.” Mr. Cabrido is one of the lawyers of the 39 Naga residents and two others who filed charges. Mr. Cabrido admitted that he and Mr. Larrobis belong to the same fraternity, but denied that they have close relations. — The Freeman

2nd Indonesian goods expo, business-matching set Nov. 23

THE INDONESIAN Consulate in Davao City is holding the 2nd Indonesia Manufactured Products Expo (IMPE) on Nov. 23 to 25 at Abreeza Mall as part of continuing efforts to boost trade relations.
Indonesian Consul for Information and Socio Cultural Affairs Endah R. Yuliarti Farry said more than 20 Indonesian companies will exhibit their products that are seen as suitable for the Philippine market, particularly Mindanao.
These include construction and building materials, houseware, batik and fashion products, food, beverages, health care, beauty products, and agricultural machinery.
The consulate is also organizing a one-on-one business matching with companies based in Davao City and other parts of Mindanao, as well as arts and cultural performances, tourism promotions, and an Indonesia “food corner.”
Ms. Farry also confirmed the participation of Mitsubishi Motors, which will showcase its Expander, a seven-seater multi-purpose vehicle designed and manufactured in Indonesia.
“This is the first time that an automotive company joins the IMPE. We will include and display the car in the expo,” Ms. Farry said during Wednesday’s Habi at Kape forum.
Attaché Ely Syafitri Handayani said they will collaborate with the Mitsubishi distributor in Davao City for the promotion of the Expander brand.
Ms. Farry noted that trade relations between the two countries has been growing, with total value at US$7 billion in 2017 from US$4 billion in 2015.
“Indonesia is looking forward to (further) increase trade and investment that benefit both countries,” she said, “We are brothers that weaved together with common goals to prosperity.” — Maya M. Padillo

Nograles brother seen to take over Davao district seat

REPRESENTATIVE Jericho B. Nograles of the PBA Party-list is being eyed to take over the Davao City District 1 seat vacated by his brother, Karlo B. Nograles, who has recently been appointed as by President Rodrigo R. Duterte as Cabinet secretary. “(It is just) a matter of formality,” Jericho Nograles told BusinessWorld yesterday when asked if House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has already designated him as the district’s caretaker. He added, however, that he will unlikely take his brother’s previous position as chair of the House committee on appropriations. Karlo Nograles, in a separate interview Wednesday at the sidelines of the 17th Career Executive Service Conference, said, “Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will assume as caretaker of District 1 to avoid lack of representation for the district, but I am hoping the speaker will appoint somebody from Davao City.” He said the name of his brother Jericho came up as his possible replacement since he also comes from the same district. — Carmencita A. Carillo

Nov. 20 a holiday in ARMM, other Mindanao areas for Prophet Mohammad’s birthday

NOVEMBER 20, Tuesday, will be a holiday in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and several provinces and cities for the celebration of the birth of Prophet Mohammad, or the Maulid un-Nabi. Based on Article 170 of Presidential Decree 1083, the other areas covered are: the provinces of Lanao del Norte, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur; and the cities of Cotabato, Iligan, Pagadian, and Zamboanga. The law also provides that all Muslim government officials and employees in places other than those specified under Article 170 are excused from work on that day.
NOV. 19
Meanwhile, it will be a long weekend in the ARMM with the 19th also declared a holiday for the region’s 29th founding anniversary. The regional government, in a statement, said it is assuming that this would be the last ARMM anniversary celebration with the expected approval of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in the Jan. 2019 plebiscite. Under the BOL, a new Bangsamoro territory and government will replace the ARMM.

Peso extends climb vs dollar

THE PESO rose ahead of the central bank’s policy decision. — PHILSTAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

THE PESO strengthened further against the dollar on Thursday as market players awaited the policy decision of the local central bank.
The local unit ended Thursday’s session at P52.805 versus the greenback, 28.5 centavos stronger than the P53.09-per-dollar finish the previous day.
The peso traded stronger the whole day, opening the session at P52.98 per dollar. Its intraday high stood at P52.80, while its worst showing for the day was at P53 against the US currency.
Dollars traded rose to $799.3 million from the $731.5 million that exchanged hands on Wednesday.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas raised its benchmark rates by 25 basis points (bp) yesterday as inflation expectations remain elevated.
Inflation was at 6.7% in October, the same pace as the previous month but surging from 3.1% a year ago.
Another trader added that the stronger peso yesterday “was in anticipation for the BSP rate hike.”
However, Michael L. Ricafort, economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said the market was divided on the policy rate decision.
“The [25-bp] rate hike came as a surprise for some, thereby turned out positive for the peso,” Mr. Ricafort said in a text message.
Aside from this, he added that the peso strengthened as global oil prices lingered at near one-year lows.
For Friday, Mr. Ricafort expects the peso to move between P52.50 and P52.80 against the dollar, while the first trader gave a P52.60-P52.80 range.
“Moving forward, we will continue to see [stronger] range as the BSP raised rates by 25 bps,” the second trader noted, giving a P52-P52.70 range for today.
Meanwhile, Asian currencies firmed on Thursday on news that China has delivered a written response to US trade demands, raising hopes the two sides will begin negotiations to bring an end to their trade war.
The Korean won led gainers after Reuters reported China had responded to US demands for wide-ranging trade reforms, citing three US government sources.
The positive sentiment was also aided by a softer greenback, as the dollar index reacted to rallies in the euro and sterling, which together constitute around 70% of the weight in the index. — K.A.N. Vidal with Reuters

Nation at a Glance — (11/16/18)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Bets of dovish BSP rate move push up local stocks

INVESTORS betting on dovish monetary policy from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) pushed up the main index on Thursday, a few minutes before the central bank announced a 25-basis-point rate hike.
The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose 0.42% or 29.51 points to close at 6,952.59 yesterday. The broader all-shares index also climbed 0.29% or 12.63 points to 4,254.87.
“Philippine shares climbed higher with bets being made ahead of the BSP’s policy meeting, as there has been no clear consensus with regard to the outcome,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Managing Director Luis A. Limlingan said in a mobile message ahead of Thursday’s policy statement.
Timson Securities, Inc. trader Jervin S. de Celis also cited gains in blue-chip banks such as BDO Unibank, Inc. (up 2.97% to P118 apiece), Bank of the Philippine Islands (up 2.30% to P84.50), and Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (up 4.18% to P69.80) as market participants priced in the central bank’s decision.
Mr. De Celis added that the PSEi may have also tracked the performance of some emerging markets that rebounded following news that Chinese officials have threshed out a series of possible concessions with the Trump administration.
“Now, this lessens the worry among investors about the rout of global growth especially when [Federal Reserve Chair] Jerome Powell added that they have an upbeat outlook for the US economy. So, I think that buoyed market sentiment in the emerging markets and the BSP’s move to raise rates amid weaker peso and slower growth may have given investors the assurance that the Monetary Board is closely watching and is willing to take measures to manage whatever is needed to be addressed to keep our economic figures within their target,” Mr. De Celis added.
A few minutes after the market’s close yesterday, the BSP announced that its policy-setting Monetary Board has hiked interest rates by 25 basis points amid lingering upside risks to inflation.
Most counters finished in the red. Holding firms slid 0.37% or 25.88 points to 6,809.60; mining and oil declined 0.31% or 28.76 points to 8,985.55; services fell 0.27% or 3.79 points to 1,372.88; and property dropped less than a percent or 2.29 points to 3,365.98,
Meanwhile, financials jumped 2.52% or 39.56 points to 1,609.19 and industrials edged up 0.63% or 66.17 points to 10,569.72.
Advancers outnumbered decliners by a slim margin, 90 to 89, while 48 names remained unchanged.
Value turnover totaled P6.51 billion as 779.12 million shares switched hands, lower than Wednesday’s P7.05 billion worth.
Foreigners continued to dump shares on Thursday as net selling totaled P21.50 million, albeit going down from the previous day’s P831.56-million net outflow.
Meanwhile, the MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan climbed 0.2% on Thursday. — J.C. Lim

MPBL: Manila outshines Quezon City; Gen San wins

THE BATTLE between the nation’s past and present capital ended the way it was expected, the Manila Stars stood out with plenty to spare.
Chris Bitoon and Riel Cervantes had a career game apiece to power the Robust Energy Capsule-backed Stars to a come from behind 76-71 win over the Black Mamba Energy Drink-supported Capitals in the MPBL Datu Cup late Wednesday night at the JCSGO Gym.
Bitoon, the spitfire guard, was practically unstoppable on the offensive end as he came away with a double-double performance of 26 points and 11 rebounds to go along with seven assists. He had 10 points in the pivotal fourth, including the go-ahead lay up with 1:04 left that gave the Stars a 73-71 lead.
After Quezon City’s Joko Tayongtong missed a jumper off an isolation play, the Stars went to Cervantes down low and made a bucket to put his team on safer ground, only 27 seconds remaining in the game, that practically ensured Manila’s 12th win in 14 games to solidify its hold of solo second spot in the tough northern division.
The Capitals absorbed their eighth loss in 11 games. They led by as many as 16 points twice (49-33) and (51-35), but allowed the Stars to mount a comeback.
Like Bitoon, Cervantes also came away with a career-high 25 markers, as the duo proved to be the scourge for Quezon City’s side.
Earlier, General Santos City held off Rizal’s last minute rally before preserving a 65-58 victory in the first game.
Leomar Losentes came up with his most productive game in his MPBL career, scoring 26 points to lead the way for the Golden State College-backed Warriors. He had 11 of his total output in the first period alone, allowing his team to dictate the tempo early.
The win allowed the Warriors to improve their record to 6-7 and keep the eighth spot in the southern division. — Rey Joble

Solar Entertainment through BTV, NBA Premium to bring NBA Action all season long

THE long wait is over as Filipino basketball fans can catch another new season of the NBA. After the Golden State Warriors won back-to-back titles thru a series sweep versus the Cleveland Cavaliers last June.
The excitement and anticipation for the next season happened a few weeks after as talented rookies were drafted, players switched teams thru trades & marquee players signed with teams via free agency. As new storylines surround the NBA heading to the new season, Solar Entertainment channels BTV & NBA Premium TV will make sure you’ll never miss the play by play action – 24 hours a day and 7 days a week from October to June.
As the long time TV partner of the NBA in the Philippines, Solar thru its channels Basketball TV (BTV) & NBA Premium TV again guarantees the most comprehensive coverage by broadcasting the most number of games combined with daily magazine shows & other NBA specials that are exclusive on both channels. Starting last October, BTV & NBA Premium TV airs live games every morning and for those who missed the morning broadcast primetime replays of the games are also available daily. From Regular season to the Finals, around 600 games will be aired combined on both channels.
Basketball TV viewers will enjoy at least one LIVE game every day, with primetime replay at 8 p.m. Games aired on BTV will be complemented by NBA magazine shows — NBA Action, NBA Inside Stuff, NBA Gametime, The Starters, Inside the NBA and NBA Open Court. Thru these programs, NBA fans will be updated with every news and updates surrounding the association. Aside from the NBA programming, BTV also specializes in locally produced on air and digital segments that are updated weekly consisting of events, highlights, insights, and program updates.
NBA Premium TV is the 1st ever HD sports channel in the Philippines that is custom-made for the true NBA fan. NBA Premium offers at least 2 LIVE games every day and can go to a maximum of 4 games. With NBA Premium TV, NBA Fans will get an overdose of NBA Action in Full High Definition everyday.

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