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Sri Lanka leader on state visit to PHL

MALACAÑANG on Monday said the President Maithripala Sirisena of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is scheduled to arrive in Manila today, Jan. 15, for a five-day state visit to the country.
“On the invitation of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, H.E. Maithripala Sirisena, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, will undertake a State Visit to the Philippines from 15 to 19 January 2019,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said in a press briefing.
He added: “President Sirisena will meet with President Duterte on 16 January 2019 in Malacañang Palace. Their bilateral discussions will focus on areas of mutual interest, including political, economic, agriculture, cultural and people-to-people engagement.”
Mr. Panelo also said Mr. Sirisena is expected to visit the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños.
“He is also expected to meet the Sri Lankan community in Manila,” the spokesman said further.
Mr. Panelo described Mr. Sirisena’s visit to Manila as “of historic significance.”
“Prior to that, Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike was the only other Sri Lankan leader to visit, in 1976, since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1961,” Mr. Panelo said.
The Philippines and Sri Lanka celebrated 57 years of diplomatic relations last year. According to the official website of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Manila, the two countries “have always enjoyed excellent relations based on mutual respect and shared values.” — Arjay L. Balinbin

Pulse survey: Filipinos trust US the most, China the least

By Camille A. Aguinaldo, Reporter
MAJORITY OF Filipinos still trust the United States the most, according to a Pulse Asia Research, Inc. survey that also showed China and Russia earning low trust ratings.
The polling firm’s Trustworthiness of Selected Countries and Regional Organizations, conducted from Dec. 14 to 21, 2018, showed that 84% of Filipinos believed that “a great deal/fair amount of trust” should be given to the US.
The survey also indicated that majority of Filipinos trust Japan (75%), Australia (72%), and United Kingdom (57%).
Russia and China earned lower trust ratings with 45% and 39%, respectively.
The survey asked 1,800 Filipino adults on the level of trust that the Philippines should extend to a certain country or organization. The options included “a great deal of trust,” “a fair amount of trust,” “not too much trust,” and “no trust at all.”
China gained the highest distrust rating with more than half of Filipinos or 60% saying the Philippines should give “not too much trust” or “no trust at all” to the country.
This is followed by Russia at 54%, United Kingdom at 40%, Australia at 27%, Japan at 25%, and the US at 16%.
As for regional organizations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) enjoyed high trust ratings among Filipinos, earning scores of 82% and 80%, respectively.
By region, the survey showed that the US earned the highest trust rating in Visayas at 94%, followed by the National Capital Region (NCR) at 89%, Balance Luzon at 83%, and Mindanao at 74%.
Meanwhile, the NCR had the highest trust rating towards China at 50%, followed by Mindanao at 49%, Visayas at 40%, and Balance Luzon at 30%.
Around the time the survey was conducted, the three Balangiga Bells, which were taken by American soldiers in 1901 as war trophies, were finally returned to their original town. It was also three weeks after the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in Manila when the survey was conducted.
Sought for comment, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo noted that Filipinos are still familiar with the US as the country’s strongest ally.
He added that it may also take some time to acknowledge China’s sincerity.
“It’s understandable for Filipinos to feel that way. We have been used to the States being our ally, so we are used to America. But maybe as we go along, when we see the sincerity of China with respect to agreements between the two countries, maybe their views will change,” he said in a press briefing at the Palace.
The Pulse Asia survey used face-to-face interviews with 1,800 adults nationwide with error margins of ±2.3% at the 95% confidence level for national percentages.

25 gun ban violators arrested on first day of election period

TWENTY-FIVE civilians were arrested for illegal possession of firearms during the first day of the gun period in line with the midterm elections on May, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported on Monday. In a press briefing, PNP chief Director General Oscar D. Albayalde said the police conducted 4,447 checkpoint operations nationwide on Sunday. “As of 12:00 midnight last night, we have conducted an accumulated 4,447 checkpoint operations resulting in the arrest of 25 persons and the confiscation of 27 Firearms, 168 rounds of ammunition, seven bladed weapons, 22 gun replica, 70 sachets of suspected ‘shabu,’ and 2 glass pipe with suspected ‘marijuana,’” said Mr. Albayalde to reporters. The gun ban period, which will end until June 12, also covers the upcoming plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law on Jan. 21 and Feb. 6.
HOTSPOTS
Meanwhile, the PNP also identified 19 election hotspots. These are: Sudipen and Balaoan in La Union; Jones, Isabela; Lemery and Roxas in Batangas; Balud and Dimasalang in Masbate; Daraga, Albay; Pagadian and Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental; Hajji Muhammad Ajul, Lantaoan and Tipo-Tipo in Basilan; Marawi City and Sultan Dumalondong in Lanao del Sur; Mamasapano, Sharrif Aguak, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, and Dati Unsai in Maguindanao. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

World prices push local fuel rates up for 2nd week

OIL COMPANIES will be raising the prices of petroleum products this week, extending last week’s increase after weeks of price cuts for most of the fourth quarter of last year. Diesel prices will rise by a hefty P2.30 per liter (/L), more than three times last week’s P0.70-per-liter increase. Gasoline prices will be up by P1.40 a liter. Kerosene will cost higher by P2.00/L. “Price adjustment only factors the increase in world oil prices and not the second tranche of the TRAIN (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion) Law,” said Eastern Petroleum Corp. in a statement on Monday. Eastern Petroleum will be among the first to implement this week’s price hike at 12.01 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 15. Most of the companies will be raising pump prices at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Last week, the per liter prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene rose by P0.80, P0.70 and P0.40, respectively. Before that, only the price of gasoline rose for just one week during the last 12 weeks of 2018. — Victor V. Saulon

Mactan Channel ferry provides alternative transport between Cebu and Lapu-Lapu

THE COMMERCIAL ferry line Topline Express, providing transport between the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu, was formally opened last week alongside the launching of the multi-use Top Card ticket. Topline Express Vice President for Operations Brigette L. Mueller said their daily operations are from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. between Mactan Wharf and Pier 3 in Cebu City. Two vessels, each with a capacity of 200 passengers, cross the Mactan Channel every hour. Land Transportation Office-Central Visayas Regional Director Victor Emmanuel C. Caindec said the Topline Express service has helped relieve traffic congestion between the two major cities. The regular rate per ride is P25, and discounts are given to students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities. Ms. Mueller said the Top Card, which will be operational by Feb. 1, would cost P999 for 30 days, P599 for 15 days, P299 for seven days, and P49 for 1 day. Each card is valid for unlimited rides within the corresponding period. — The Freeman

Police says students of UP, PUP ‘immerse’ in communist camps

SOME STUDENTS of the University of the Philippines (UP) and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) were reported to be visiting encampments of communist rebels in Laguna. Chief Supt. Edward E. Carranza, police regional director of CALABARZON (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon), told reporters on Monday that there are students of the two state universities who are “immersing” with members of the Dumagat tribe who have been recruited by the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed unit of the Communist Party of the Philippines. “‘Yung word na nandito (The word here) is ‘immersing’ so whether they will stay there or what pero (but) it’s not within (or) part ng (of the) curriculum,” Mr. Carranza said. He cited reports from members of the Dumagat indigenous group, who used to be part of the NPA and surrendered to authorities over the weekend. Among them was a certain Ka Ruben, who said in the same press conference that NPA rebels threatened young people, especially students to join them. Mr. Carranza also noted that the intelligence unit of the communist rebels go to the houses of students to recruit them. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

DENR says rehabilitation plan for other tourism sites on track alongside Manila Bay repair

El Nido
El Nido is one of the popular tourist destinations currently undergoing rehabilitation work. — PHILSTAR

ILOILO CITY — While the spotlight has recently been trained on the rehabilitation of Manila Bay, work on improving other popular tourism sites after Boracay is continuing, according to a Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) official.
“This is the best time to build on what we have done in Boracay. Right now, we are working with different tourism sites like El Nido (Palawan), Panglao (Bohol), Siargao (Surigao del Norte), Puerto Gallera (Mindoro),” DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Juan Miguel T. Cuna said last week here during the turnover ceremony for the new Western Visayas regional executive director.
Boracay is part of the Western Visayas.
Mr. Cuna said work on the Manila Bay will require significant resources, but rehabilitation plans could be achieved with strong national government support.
“The rehabilitation of Manila Bay will forsake a lot of time and effort (but) if the national government is fully behind like what we saw here in Boracay, nothing is impossible,” he said.
The presentation of the proposed Manila Bay rehabilitation plan is scheduled on Jan. 15.
Meanwhile, newly-installed DENR-Western Visayas Regional Executive Director Francisco E. Milla, Jr. called on the department’s local workers to continue the momentum from Boracay’s transformation.
“The image and moral ascendancy of our department has never been better than today. I appeal and ask for more than 100% cooperation and support as I begin my responsibility as the head of this department,” Mr. Milla told the employees in his speech. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

Comelec anticipates at least 75% voter turnout in Bangsamoro plebiscite

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) is expecting a high voter turnout during the plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). “We expect that there will be high turnout. Historically speaking, elections in those regions have been enjoying high turnout rates, so upwards of 75%,” Comelec Spokesperson James B. Jimenez said in a press briefing on Monday. “We have… 2,839,659 registered voters distributed over 18,439 established precincts, which on election day translates to 9,377 polling places,” he added. The plebiscite is set on two dates: Jan. 21 for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the cities of Isabela and Cotabato; and Feb. 6 for the areas in the provinces of Cotabato and Lanao del Norte. Canvassing for the Jan. 21 votes will be convened the next day at the Comelec headquarters in Intramuros, Manila. The Comelec En Banc will sit as the National Plebiscite Board of Canvassers, which will oversee the canvassing. Meanwhile, Comelec Vice-Chairperson for the Printing Committee Maria Victoria S. Dulcero said the printing of ballots for Jan. 21 has been completed while the remaining 600,000 ballots for Feb. 6 are expected to be finished within this week. — Gillian M. Cortez

Nation at a Glance — (01/15/19)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.
Nation at a Glance — (01/15/19)

PSEi rises as banking stocks recover from sell-off

By Janina C. Lim, Reporter
THE MAIN INDEX opened the week on a positive note amid a recovery in banking stocks and news that the new real estate investment trusts (REIT) rules will be out in the first half of the year.
The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose 1.51% or 120.05 points to 8,024.14. The broader all-shares index also climbed 1.19% or 56.45 points to 4,786.60.
“I think the recovery of the banks from Friday’s sell-off somehow helped the index to go from negative in the morning session to positive in the afternoon session but the news about SEC’s issuance of the revised guidelines on REIT within this semester could be the bigger reason that urged investors especially the foreigners to do a last-minute buying spree of property stocks that propelled our index above 8,000 level today,” said Jervin S. de Celis, Timson Securities, Inc. trader, in a mobile phone message on Monday.
A top official from the Securities and Exchange Commission expressed confidence of releasing within the semester the revised guidelines for REITs, which are listed firms that own and operate income-generating real estate assets.
As for the banks that reported loan exposures to Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines’ declaration of bankruptcy last week, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. saw the highest rebound, closing Monday with a 2.84% rise to P27.15 apiece.
Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. went up 2.63% to P80 each; Bank of the Philippine Islands gained 2.11% to P91.90 each; and BDO Unibank, Inc. edged up 0.3% to P131.60 apiece.
For Regina Capital Development Corp. Managing Director Luis A Limlingan, developments at the United States central bank and in the US-China trade talks also pushed the PSEi upward.
“Part of this stemmed from a dovish message from the chairman of the Federal Reserve and amid renewed hopes that trade talks between the US and China will deliver a near-term deal,” Mr. Limlingan said in a mobile message yesterday.
All subindices climbed on Monday. Industrials led the charge, climbing 2.14% or 245.99 points to 11,732.67; holding firms went up 1.62% or 127.90 points to 8,011.47; financials rose 1.39% or 24.74 points to 1,797.06; property expanded 1.28% or 50.65 points to 3,994.77; services edged up 0.16% or 2.48 points to 1,544.63; mining and oil advanced 0.11% or 10.03 points to 8,752.21.
Advancers outnumbered decliners, 125 to 80, as 42 issues were unchanged.
Turnover on Monday amounted to P6.80 billion as 1.13 billion switched hands, lower than the P8.50 billion worth traded on Friday.
Foreigners continued to purchase shares, with net buying yesterday totaling P985.89 million, surging from the previous session’s net inflow worth P228.90 million.

Peso drops on US data

peso dollar
THE PESO went down on profit taking and following US inflation data. — BW FILE PHOTO

THE PESO declined against the dollar on Monday as investors pocketed profits following the US inflation data that came out before the weekend.
The local currency ended yesterday’s session at P52.26 versus the greenback, 12 centavos weaker than the P52.14-per-dollar finish last Friday, which was an eight-month high.
The peso opened the session weaker at P52.17 against the dollar, sliding to as low as P52.275 intraday. On the other hand, its best showing for the day stood at P52.11 versus the US currency.
Trading volume thinned to $693.89 million from the $831 million that switched hands the previous session.
A foreign exchange trader said the peso weakened yesterday in line with other currencies as the dollar recovered from the previous low.
“This move is just short-dollar profit taking… There’s nothing significant abroad,” the trader said in a phone interview. “We only had a data last Friday, the US CPI (consumer price index), which came in line with expectations.”
The US Labor Department reported that consumer prices declined 0.1% in December, its first drop in nine months, on the back of steep decline in gasoline prices amid pressures from steady increases in rental housing and healthcare costs.
“We don’t really have any near-term catalyst in the moment. The market will tend to just lock in profit and re-establish once there’s a new data coming,” the trader mentioned.
Another trader said in an e-mail that the peso weakened as “investors took advantage of the fresh eight-month high of the local currency to pile up towards the greenback.”
In the coming days, the first trader added that the momentum for the peso to strengthen is “still intact.”
ING Bank N.V.-Manila said in a report on Monday that the peso should “continue to enjoy an appreciation bias” as long as the US Federal Reserve remains dovish and investors chase yields.
Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell said on Thursday that the monetary authority can afford to “be patient” on its path towards higher interest rates, adding that policy makers are not looking at a “preset path” for key rates for this year.
“[However], we expect PHP to still slightly trail the regional gainers on corporate demand,” ING added.
For today, the first trader expects the peso to trade between P52.10 and P52.30, while the other gave a P52.15-P52.35 range.
“The peso might appreciate following the dovish hints from both Fed Chair Powell and Fed Vice-Chair Clarida, alongside with expectations of weaker US producer prices inflation,” the second trader noted. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

Grateful MVP

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
ON Sunday San Miguel Beermen star June Mar Fajardo made history by becoming the Philippine Basketball Association’s first-ever five-time most valuable player. It is an achievement that he said he is very grateful for and proud of as it is a product of a wonderful journey he got to share with so many people.
Beating out Northport Batang Pier’s Stanley Pringle in a tight two-way race for the top individual award, Cebu native Fajardo moved past PBA legends Ramon Fernandez and Alvin Patrimonio in a tie for most league MVPs at four.
After receiving his fifth consecutive MVP award, Mr. Fajardo could not help but look back at the journey he has had to PBA greatness in awe.
He shared he has certainly come far from his formative days in basketball of playing pickup games in Cebu to trying his luck in collegiate hoops in the province to now in the PBA.
Mr. Fajardo underscored that he would not be where he is right now if not for the people that helped him along the way, including his parents and brother who have supported him right from the very start and with whom he was happy to share the achievement.
“Who would have thought that I would be able to break the record for MVPs in the PBA? I, myself, did not expect this. I could not believe I was able to achieve this record for most MVPs in the league,” Mr. Fajardo shared in Filipino in meeting members of media after the annual PBA Leo Awards on Sunday at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.
“This was made all the more special because my parents are here with me. Unfortunately my brother is not here because of work. I share this with them, my parents, because they are my inspiration for all the hard work they did for us. I want to make them happy with all my achievements because I believe that is the best feeling there is. To make your parents proud,” he added.
Twenty-nine-year-old Fajardo went on to say that his fifth PBA MVP award would only serve to push him more to improve his game just as he downplayed the idea of him being the greatest of all time in the local professional league.
“I do not want to be content with this latest achievement. I’m proud of this, of course, but there are still things I need to improve on and want more to achieve,” Mr. Fajardo said.
“I’m just happy to be in the conversation of the greatest of all time but I am not claiming that title. I believe that the MVP is not the basis for being the greatest ever but more of what one has contributed to the league. There are many who came before me and have done a lot. They are all legends and greats. I still have a long way to go. I’m only on my seventh year in the PBA,” he added.
In winning the MVP award for Season 43 of the PBA, Mr. Fajardo rode on season averages of 20.6 ppg, 12.4 rpg, and 1.2 bpg in 47 outings last year that also saw him help the Beermen to two finals appearances and one title.
Mr. Fajardo and the Beermen are set to make their 2019 Philippine Cup debut on Jan. 18 against the Columbian Dyip.

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