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SWS: Q4 joblessness drops to 7.2M adults

ADULT JOBLESSNESS in the fourth quarter of 2017 dropped 3.2 points to 15.7% or an estimated 7.2 million adults, compared with 18.9% or an estimated 8.7 million adults in September last year, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) found in its Fourth Quarter 2017 Social Weather Survey.

SWS: Q4 joblessness drops to 7.2M adults

SWS said this is the lowest recorded joblessness rate since the 9.8% in March 2004.

The joblessness rate among adults, categorized by SWS as being at least 18 years old, consisted of those who voluntarily left their old jobs at 8.3% (est. 3.8 million adults), those who involuntarily lost their jobs at 5.9% (est. 2.7 million adults), and first-time job seekers, at 1.5% (est. 691,000 adults).

These categories constituted the survey’s profile of the jobless, as opposed to the official Labor Force Survey which pegs the employed at 15 years old and above, among other conceptual differences with the definitions of employment by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

SWS said the proportion of those who resigned or left their old jobs voluntarily fell by 2.1 points, from 10.4% in September to 8.3% in December 2017.

Those who were retrenched declined by 0.7 points, from 6.6% in September to 5.9% in December. The 5.9% who were retrenched consisted of 4% whose previous contracts were not renewed, 0.8% who were laid off, and 1.1% whose employers closed operations, SWS noted.

The proportion of first-time job seekers decreased by 0.4 points, from 1.9% in September to 1.5% in December.

JOBLESSNESS FALLS AMONG MEN
Adult joblessness among men decreased by 5.9 points from 13.5% in September to 7.6% in December 2017. SWS noted that this is lowest figure among men since the 8.8% in March 2004.

Among women, adult joblessness slightly rose by 0.2 points from 26.5% in September to 26.7% in December.

Among the 18-24 year olds, adult joblessness fell by 5.2 points from 50.2% in September to 45% in December 2017. However, it rose by 2.6 points among the 25-34 year olds, from 21.3% in September to 23.9% in December.

Joblessness decreased by 2.1 points among the 35-44 year olds, from 12.8% in September to 10.7 in December. It fell by 5.3 points among those 45 years old and above, from 13.8% in September to 8.5% in December.

Optimism that there will be more jobs increased by 8 points from 45% in September 2017 to 53% in December 2017, and pessimism that there will be fewer jobs declined by 6 points from 18% in September to 12% in December. The proportion of those who say there will be no change in job availability fell by 3 points from 27% in September to 24% in December.

This upgrades the Net Optimism on Job Availability score (% more jobs minus % fewer jobs) by 13 points from a high +28 in September to a new record-high excellent +41 in December 2017. This surpassed the previous record of high +37 in December 2016.

(The SWS terminology for Net Optimism on job availability: +40 and above, “Excellent”; +30 to +39, “Very High”; +20 to +29, “High”, +10 to +19, “Fair”; +1 to +9 “Mediocre”; –9 to 0 “Low”; –10 and below, “Very Low.”)

The survey was conducted from Dec. 8-16, 2017, using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide: 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao (sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao).

Cirtek Holdings expects MultiPay to contribute P500M in revenues

CIRTEK HOLDINGS Philippines Corp. expects MultiPay to contribute P500 million to revenues in 2018, after its acquisition of a 49% stake in the payment solutions provider last year that marked its first major investment in software development.

“I think close to P500 million (in revenues). We’re very optimistic as we see more products go into the market, then we should see a very significant contribution. We expect a very quick growth for MultiPay,” Cirtek Chief Financial Officer Anthony S. Buyawe told reporters at the sidelines of Cirtek’s press briefing in Makati City on Wednesday.

The listed firm, known for delivering hardware components for electronic products, announced its acquisition of MultiPay in December 2017, paying P100 million for the transaction.

Cirtek noted this is only the initial investment in the company, as it will be pouring in more funds in the future to support hardware development and other projects.

MultiPay provides back-end, front-end system platforms, end-to-end payment solutions, and e-commerce system integrations to over 30,000 payment channels worldwide. The company is the exclusive technological partner of payment systems like BayadCenter with over 12,000 outlets nationwide, EasyPay with around 10,000, and DragonPay.

“We integrate all of them into one single gateway so we can easily plug and play our system, and they can be easily used by our clients,” MultiPay Chief Executive Officer and Chairman David L. Almirol, Jr. told reporters during the same event.

“Since most of the other end users, they’re having a hard time integrating a system to all of them, they need to create not only integrations but connections, including the structure for deposits and remittances… We made it easy for them to integrate their technology,” he added.

Asked how MultiPay will achieve synergies with Cirtek’s operations, Cirtek President Roberto Juancho T. Dispo said hardware systems would be improved to facilitate faster connectivity in payment centers.

“It’s the vertical integration where our hardware technology, which consists of producing POS (point of sales). We manufacture credit swipers, we manufacture radios that can read barcodes, and we have wireless radio that can improve the connectivity of different payment outlets in the country,” Mr. Dispo explained.

This acquisition would also enable the company to take a slice of the booming e-commerce industry in the Philippines, specifically with bill payments and online money transfers which are expected to grow to $10.6 billion by 2020, from just $4.1 billion in 2016.

“The entry of Cirtek will provide MultiPay with the financial wherewithal to take advantage of the still many low-hanging fruits in the Philippines electronic commerce space as well as replicated our success in the local market in other countries in Southeast Asia,” Mr. Almirol said.

The company recorded a 25% increase in revenues during the first nine months of 2017 to $67.9 million. Net income attributable to the parent rose 154% to $2.95 million during the January to September period.

Shares in Cirtek rose 50 centavos or 0.9% to close at P56 each at the stock exchange on Wednesday. — Arra B. Francia

Senate report seeks disbarment of law dean, others for Castillo hazing

By Camille A. Aguinaldo

A SENATE report released Wednesday, Jan. 24, recommends the disbarment of University of Sto. Tomas (UST) Civil Law Dean Nilo T. Divina along with 18 other members of the Aegis Juris fraternity in connection with the death of hazing victim Horacio T. Castillo III in September last year.

In Committee Report No. 232 released Wednesday, the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs as well as the committee on justice and human rights pointed out that Mr. Divina had shown bias for the fraternity. The report also asked Mr. Divina to resign because his position in the university “posed a threat towards having a thorough investigation of the matter.”

“If the Dean had the courtesy to take a leave of absence from the fraternity so as not to lead under a cloud of bias in favor of his fraternity brothers as he claims to be, with more reason for him to humbly step down as Dean and let the investigation takes its course,” the report stated.

The committees also rejected Mr. Divina’s assertion that there was no oversight on his part when he handled Mr. Castillo’s case. It also pointed out that the university dean had passed the blame on others.

Sought for comment, Mr. Divina maintained that his conscience was clear, saying that he did all he could have done to prevent incidents of hazing during his watch.

“It is clear that the Senate recommendation to file a disbarment case against the lawyers involved was hinged on the condition that said lawyers had knowledge of the incident and failed to report to the authorities. Without such knowledge and having consistently cooperated with the authorities, I completely trust that I will not be unfairly dragged into any such case,” he said in a statement also on Wednesday.

Addressing the committee’s concern over his bias toward the fraternity, Mr Divina said: “I understand that as a Dean who happens to also be a member of the Fraternity, all my actions, despite conscious efforts on my part to be totally impartial, will naturally be subjected to extraordinary scrutiny.”

“I will never allow the wrongdoings of some and the unfair accusations of a few to get in the way of my fulfilling my job as Dean. I regret with all my heart what had happened to Atio but a wrong can not be rectified by another injustice,” he added.

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson, who chairs the committee on public order and dangerous drugs, took to the plenary to call the Supreme Court’s attention to the committee report as reference in the disbarment proceedings against the members of the fraternity.

“It is undeniable that these lawyers have lost their moral fabric and became undeserving to be part of this noble and dignified profession,” Mr. Lacson said in his sponsorship speech on the committee report during Wednesday’s session.

Mr. Lacson also raised UST’s failure to exercise due diligence in its implementation of Republic Act 8049 or the Anti-Hazing law.

The Senate committees also asked the university to look into possible violations of its officials and employees and impose sanctions.

The report concluded that Mr. Castillo died due to hazing and that several fraternity members tried to cover up his death.

The series of legislative inquiries on Mr. Castillo’s case also led to proposed amendments to the Anti-Hazing Law enumerated in the committee report, which included harsher penalties, an expanded definition of hazing, and a broadened scope of hazing prohibition.

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading a bill imposing a total ban on hazing, reported interaksyon.com. The bill seeks to replace the current law to put in place a tougher measure.

The Senate also recommended the Department of Justice (DoJ) to “conduct a thorough verification of facts” regarding fraternity member Marc Anthony Ventura, who sought the department’s Witness Protection Program last year. Further investigation on the attempted cover-up of fraternity members was also sought.

It also urged the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to modify its memorandum on hazing and impose stricter penalties.

Duterte wants China to patrol southern Philippine waters

By Arjay L. Balinbin

CHINA MAY be invited to help patrol waters bounded by the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia to get rid of pirates and terrorists in the area, President Rodrigo R. Duterte said on Wednesday, Jan. 24.

“If we are not capable, we’ll just have to call China in and blow them off just like (what it did in) Somalia, that Aden Strait there. Were it not for the presence of the Chinese, the piracy there wouldn’t stop,” Mr. Duterte said in his speech at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) prior to his departure for the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit and India’s Republic Day Celebration.

The President noted that what is mostly being discussed at the ASEAN meeting is “all trade and commerce,” and there is not any “platform for terrorism and other problems of law and order.”

“So what’s the use of meeting just once a year? And probably the ministerial level, once every three months,” Mr. Duterte said, adding that there are pressing security issues with regards to “Celebes, Sulu Sea, and Moluccas.”

“They cannot accomplish anything because ’yung waters natin (our waters are) contiguous to the archipelago of the Philippines is getting to be dangerous. And yet it is only Indonesia who’s active there,” he added.

Mr. Duterte said he wants “extreme measures” to combat pirates and terrorists in the area. “Blow them up in the high seas. Destroy them. Use cannons. Otherwise, if we do not do the extreme measures, we’d always be at the mercy of criminals.”

He thanked India for inviting the Philippines to the summit, and noted the opportunity “that we can do something about the other allied problems of each other’s governance.”

Mr. Duterte also talked about an upcoming meeting in Australia. “It’s all about security again. Pagusapan na natin dito. (Let’s talk about this.) Let us talk what would be the platform that we will represent. Otherwise, ako pa naman nagsabi na (I once said that) I do not want to go to Australia.”

Sought for comment, Renato C. de Castro, an international studies professor at De La Salle University, said Mr. Duterte should exercise “prudence” in dealing with China.

Mr. De Castro also said the President’s pronouncements could have something to do with the “economic interests” that his administration has been pushing, specifically the “Build, Build, Build” program as it involves China.

“If it wasn’t for the report of Magdalo Representative Gary C. Alejano, we wouldn’t know that China is conducting research on Benham Rise,” Mr. De Castro noted.

For his part, National Security Adviser Roilo A. Golez said calling China to patrol the area should be a “collective effort” among the countries involved, especially where “international waters” are concerned.

Senators grill PCSO executives over erring small-town lottery operators

SENATOR PANFILO M. Lacson yesterday called on officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to conduct a review of all small-town lottery (STL) operators, also known as authorized agent corporations (AACs), following reports from lawmakers of erring gaming firms.

PCSO logo

“I would suggest a general review of all these AACs and to find out in consultation with the police the violation, especially the glaring violations,” Mr. Lacson, chair of the committee on games and amusement, and a former police general, said during the Senate probe on controversies hounding the PCSO.

At the hearing, Camarines Sur Representative Luis Raymund F. Villafuerte, Jr. accused the state-run agency for not acting on the reported illegal activities of an STL operator in his province.

Senator Emmanuel D. Pacquiao also cited gaming firms in his hometown General Santos City that are operating without a mayor’s permit, while Mr. Lacson, also reported of one accredited STL operator owned by a mayor in Laguna.

Newly installed PCSO Chairman Anselmo Simeon P. Pinili and general manager Alexander F. Balutan committed to look into the reported erring STL operators when they convene as a board on Jan. 31.

“We are not tolerating that and we’re going after them with the help of stakeholders in the area,” Mr. Balutan said during the inquiry.

Mr. Lacson told reporters that another hearing will be conducted on the matter, focusing on the apparent violations of STL operators and the inaction of the PCSO to discipline them.

He said legitimate STL operators are losing out to competitors owned by gambling lords who are monopolizing certain areas.

“We want to hear what the PCSO will put in place in their new system to correct the violations,” Mr. Lacson said in Filipino.

Meanwhile, Wednesday’s hearing also revealed the conflict within the PCSO leadership with Board Member Sandra M. Cam accusing Mr. Balutan of corruption in connection with the agency’s Christmas party last year. — Camille A. Aguinaldo

Lech Walesa in town, meets Duterte

By Arjay L. Balinbin

NOBEL Prize laureate and Poland’s former president Lech Walesa said he advised President Rodrigo R. Duterte during their meeting at the Palace on Tuesday, Jan. 23, “to talk and listen to the people.”

“I told him to talk to the people, to listen to them, and to tell them what he does,” Mr. Walesa said at a forum at the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) on Wednesday, Jan. 24.

The Palace said in a press release that, during his meeting with Mr. Walesa, Mr. Duterte “recognized Walesa’s role as a labor leader in his country and eventually as Poland’s president.”

At the forum, Mr. Walesa encouraged the youth to bring corrections to the mistakes of current world leaders.

“Young generation has to bring corrections to what we have today. Look at what is happening in the US….Trump’s election,” he said.

He also said that currently there is no need for a revolution to happen, saying “it is the time for intellectual dialogues, globalization, and a period of great chances.”

Mr. Walesa highlighted “freedom” as an essential foundation in “building a great country.”

“There must be freedom to organize, free trade and not much government control,” he said, adding: “Ten percent of the world (have) the goods and the money of the whole world, let them have it even the 10%. We have to do something with it. If those who have it do not understand it, we have a danger of revolution. But if we use this money to produce jobs, then everybody will be satisfied.”

Mr. Walesa, who served as Poland’s president from 1990 to 1995, founded the Solidarnosc (Solidarity) free trade union, which helped end communist rule in Poland. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 for his campaign for freedom of organization in his country.

The forum was organized by the UA&P and the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations (PCFR).

According to Malacañang, the Philippines and Poland celebrate 45 years of their diplomatic relations.

Poland opened its chancery in Manila in 1993 but closed it in 1994, and it once again opened its Embassy in the Philippines last Jan. 4 after deploying its charge d’affaires.

“It will officially announce the Embassy’s opening once a location is selected and an ambassador is designated,” the Palace said.

Among those who attended Wednesday’s forum were former speaker of the House of Representatives Jose C. de Venecia Jr., former national security adviser Roilo A. Golez, former interior secretary Rafael M. Alunan III who now serves as president of the First Philippine Infrastructure Development Corp., Antonio Kalaw, Jr. of the Development Academy of the Philippines, and retired police director Vidal Querol.

World powers step up pressure on Syria, Russia over chemical attacks

PARIS — Two dozen countries agreed Tuesday to push for sanctions against perpetrators of chemical attacks in Syria, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying Russia “ultimately bears responsibility” for such strikes.

Twenty-four nations approved a new “partnership against impunity” for the use of chemical weapons, just a day after reports they were used in an attack that sickened 21 people in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, which Tillerson said was suspected to involve chlorine.

“Whoever conducted the attacks, Russia ultimately bears responsibility for the victims in East Ghouta and countless other Syrians targeted with chemical weapons since Russia became involved in Syria,” Tillerson said after the international meeting in Paris, and ahead of further talks with ministers from several countries on ending the conflict.

“There is simply no denying that Russia, by shielding its Syrian ally, has breached its commitments to the US as a framework guarantor” overseeing the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles, as agreed in September 2013, he added.

Despite its pledge to destroy such weapons, the Syrian regime has been repeatedly accused of staging chemical attacks, with the United Nations (UN) among those blaming it for an April 2017 sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun which left scores dead.

There have been at least 130 separate chemical weapons attacks in Syria since 2012, according to French estimates, with the Islamic State group also accused of using mustard gas in Syria and Iraq.

‘BARE MINIMUM’
Russia twice used its UN veto in November to block an extension of an international expert inquiry into chemical attacks in Syria, to the consternation of Western powers.

Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia Tuesday rejected Tillerson’s accusations and instead called for a “truly impartial” international investigation of the chemical attacks.

Moscow, backed by Iran and Turkey, has organized talks in the Russian city of Sochi next week aimed at finding a resolution to the brutal and multifaceted civil war.

Those efforts are running parallel to talks overseen by the UN, with the latest round due in Vienna on Thursday and Friday.

The talks have so far failed to make progress in ending a war that has left more than 340,000 people dead.

Tillerson said that “Russia’s failure to resolve the chemical weapons issue in Syria calls into question its relevance to the resolution of the overall crisis.”

“At a bare minimum, Russia must stop vetoing, or at the very least abstain, from future Security Council votes on this issue,” he said.

At Tuesday’s meeting, 24 out of 29 countries attending committed to sharing information and compiling a list of individuals implicated in the use of chemical weapons in Syria and beyond.

These could then be hit with sanctions such as asset freezes and entry bans as well as criminal proceedings at the national level.

Ahead of the meeting France announced asset freezes against 25 Syrian companies and executives, as well as French, Lebanese and Chinese businesses accused of aiding regime use of chemical weapons.

“The criminals who take the responsibility for using and developing these barbaric weapons must know that they will not go unpunished,” said French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who chaired Tuesday’s meeting.

“The current situation cannot continue.”

‘WORST HUMANITARIAN CRISES’
Tillerson, Le Drian and Britain’s Boris Johnson afterwards held a closed-door meeting on Syria with the Saudi and Jordanian foreign ministers.

They discussed how best to “provide backing and some concrete reinforcement for UN efforts to advance the political process in Geneva, constitutional reform and the preparation for the holding of elections,” ahead of a series of meetings on Syria, a senior US State Department official said, warning that “it’s going to take time.”

Johnson later hosted his US, Saudi Arabian and UAE counterparts at the British Embassy to discuss the Yemen conflict in a whirlwind of Middle Eastern diplomacy.

“The conflicts in Syria and Yemen have created two of the worst humanitarian crises of our time,” Johnson said ahead of the meeting.

“There can be no military solution to either conflict, only peaceful and carefully negotiated political solutions will truly end the suffering.”

The Syrian war has grown even more complex in recent days with Turkey launching a new ground operation against Kurdish militia who it considers an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party.

Tillerson met with Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Paris on Tuesday, though he did not hold a press conference to discuss their talks.

Last week, Tillerson had warned that the US would remain in Syria until the situation was stable enough to remove President Bashar al-Assad from office. — AFP

Sol-Gen cites public safety in defending martial law to SC

THE government’s top lawyer on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to deny the petitions assailing the extension of martial law in the whole of Mindanao, citing public safety as the basis for martial rule’s new extension of one year, as of December last year.

“Public safety requires the extension for one year,” Solicitor-General Jose C. Calida said in a statement, as he argued that “rebels are committing atrocities and causing civilian casualties.”

“The effect of martial law is obviously more than psychological as the perception of public safety heightened with increased military presence, unabated checkpoints, and undeterred offensives against rebels or terrorists,” he also said. “The actions of the military have, in effect, addressed the widespread fear and panic among peace-loving Filipinos in Mindanao.”

Mr. Calida argued further that there is no need to show the magnitude of the rebellion, and that placing the requirement of public safety on a scale, or even continuum, will not only prevent the application of the laws but undermine the Constitution.

He noted that since the high court already declared that there is rebellion in Mindanao, the onus lies on the petitioners to show that the rebellion has been completely quelled. “Since petitioners have not shown facts to the contrary, they cannot ask the Court to set aside the extension of the proclamation and suspension,” Mr. Calida said.

“It is not the place of the petitioners to dictate on the President which of the three Commander-in-Chief powers is most appropriate in dealing with the ongoing rebellion,” he added.

MH370 search leaders hopeful of find in a month

SYDNEY — After years of futile efforts, a fresh hunt for MH370 has set off for the remote Indian Ocean — and the top Australian scientist who helped pinpoint the new search zone is hopeful the missing jet can be found within weeks.

Armed with oceanographic analyses and a high-tech search vessel, the latest search for the Boeing 777, which vanished in March 2014 carrying 239 people, kicked off on Monday run by private exploration firm Ocean Infinity, in the hope of solving one of aviation’s most enduring mysteries.

An earlier Australia-led search — the largest-ever in aviation history — scoured 120,000 square kilometers far off the island continent’s west coast for 28 months but found no trace of the aircraft, and the hunt was suspended last January.

“We’re hopeful that they (Ocean Infinity) could find the aircraft within the first month of the search,” oceanographer David Griffin of CSIRO, Australia’s leading national agency for scientific research, told AFP. “Malaysia has given them three months to complete the search. So we’re into the first week now. We could hear something from them in the next couple of weeks,” said Griffin, who met with the Ocean Infinity team in London last month.

Ocean Infinity has a huge incentive to find the plane. As part of the deal, the private team will only be paid if they find the jet or its black boxes, with up to $70 million on offer if they are successful.

The search relies on a multitude of evidence and analysis that has allowed scientists over the past four years to zero in on likely crash sites.

The new findings also allowed Griffin and his team of experts to identify a specific starting point for the search ship Seabed Constructor some 2,000 kilometers west-southwest of Perth in Western Australia. The remote site is just north of the former search zone and near the “seventh arc,” a long stretch of water where the plane was calculated to have emitted a final satellite “handshake.”

A 25,000-square-kilometer zone north of the previous probe area was first identified by experts in late 2016, and the team worked to reduce it further. They used drift modeling to analyze where three confirmed MH370 fragments found on western Indian Ocean shores between 2015-16 may have originated.

But the light-bulb moment came when they realized the absence of debris washing up in Western Australia was also a key clue, Griffin said. Only a Malaysia Airlines towelette was found on Australia’s west coast in July 2014, but authorities said then it could not be conclusively linked to MH370. “It’s fairly specific advice about where the plane crashed (as) there aren’t many places along that arc which are consistent with the absence of debris on the Australian coast,” Griffin told AFP.

Ruling out areas north and south along or near the seventh arc that were already searched, they analyzed the middle band of latitudes and found only 35 degrees south had a current flow that was to the west towards Africa. The refined search zone also fitted in with four French satellite images taken two weeks after the crash that showed at least 70 identifiable objects floating close by. Although analyses of the satellite imagery did not conclusively identify the objects as coming from MH370, Griffin said it showed an unusually high number of large pieces of floating debris.

The satellite analysis fueled calls from grieving relatives for a new search, with the Malaysian government eventually commissioning Ocean Infinity.

Hopes that the new mission might finally find the wreckage have also been raised by the high-tech tools being used. Seabed Constructor carries eight autonomous drones equipped with sonar and cameras that can operate in depths of up to 6,000 meters.

But Griffin warned that even if the new search area contains the final resting place of MH370, the most visible parts of the wreckage such as the engines could be in areas that are difficult to see or embedded deep in the ocean floor — AFP

‘Third player’ candidates ask for extra time to prepare

By Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo,
Reporter

THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) may move the timeline for selecting the telecommunications industry’s “third player” to May, as potential entrants have asked for more time to prepare.

“Two months probably, from end of March,” DICT Officer-in-Charge and Undersecretary Eliseo M. Rio, Jr. told reporters yesterday during the public consultation on the selection of the third player.

He said interested parties have noted the lack of time to prepare for the selection process.

A move to May means the new telecom entrant will not be active within the initial deadline set by the DICT, which said it hoped to bring in a new entrant by the first quarter, on instructions from President Rodrigo R. Duterte to enhance competition in the industry.

Sundance Apolinario, chief information officer of satellite broadband firm G Telecoms, Inc., said during the consultation yesterday, “We are in the process of talking with our foreign partners. The timeline is too short. I understand that the President wants to deliver, but we’re talking about P300 billion.”

Former National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Commissioner Ronald O. Solis also said the deadline is “too tight” and expressed concern on whether the DICT can evaluate bids and commitments in the time available. “Do you guys realistically believe that you can do the evaluation process by March?”

NOW Corp. head of business development Kristian Noel A. Pura told reporters after the consultation that “what the other stakeholders said was right.”

The terms of reference are scheduled to be released on Feb. 19, and bids are to be accepted in March. The third player is expected to be announced on April 2.

Mr. Rio said that DICT can ask the Office of the President for an extension of a few months only, not one year.

Basic requirements for the third telco are a congressional franchise for fixed-line and mobile  service, a commitment of P60 billion annually for five years, or P300 billion, and no affiliation with PLDT, Inc. or Globe Telecom, Inc.

The third player will be awarded a block of frequencies not currently committed.

The third player will likely have to pay P3 billion for the 3G frequencies which PLDT, Inc. surrendered as a condition of government approval of a merger with Digitel Telecommunications Philippines, Inc.

Mr. Rio said that there are about three consortia seeking to be named the third player. One is headed by Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (PT&T), one by NOW Corp., and one by Converge ICT Solutions, Inc.

Mr. Pura confirmed that his company is in talks with other parties to form a consortium, but said they will participate in the selection process even without forming one. The company is also in talks for a foreign partner.

“Several companies have approached us to form a consortium, so we will be stronger,” he told reporters.

Asked for his group’s plans, PT&T Chief Operating Officer Miguel Marco O. Bitanga said in a text message, “We are not in talks with other local players for a consortium at this point.”

Converge ICT has not responded as of deadline time.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.

Ceres-Negros upset of Brisbane Roar hailed

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

LOCAL side Ceres-Negros FC fashioned out a big upset in its AFC Champions League bid on Tuesday night as it defeated Brisbane Roar, 3-2, in their second preliminary round qualifier match in Australia.

The win pushed Ceres to a meeting with Chinese club Tianjin Quanjian FC next week where a victory earns it a spot in the Champions League, an achievement which is being hailed by various stakeholders.

The “Busmen” fell behind early to Brisbane when Massino Maccarone punched through in the 35th minute of the match played at the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre.

But Bienvenido Maranon would pull Ceres even two minutes before the halftime break as he took advantage of a scramble in the goalmouth and scored.

Ceres built on the momentum it got in the windup of the first half with Mr. Maranon striking anew in the 65th minute to make it 2-1.

Omar Nazari then made it a two-point cushion for Ceres when he struck inside the box in the 75th minute.

Brisbane tried to rally back and salvage its campaign thereafter and pulled within one with an Eric Bautheac goal in the 86th minute but that was the closest they could get as Ceres went for the closeout and secured the big victory.

Seeing the significance of what Ceres had done, that made it the first Philippine football club to make it to the playoff stage of the AFC Champions League, many local stakeholders greeted it with much celebration and hope, including the Philippines Football League (PFL), where Ceres plays and is the inaugural champion.

“Congratulations to Ceres-Negros FC for a monumental win in the AFC Champions League second preliminary round over an Australian side,” said PFL Chief Executive Officer Lazarus J. Xavier in a statement.

MILESTONE
For local football writer and observer Lorenzo Del Carmen, what Ceres had achieved in the AFC Champions League is a “milestone” feat and a welcome development.

“It’s a milestone. No doubt about it. Before the game, no Filipino football fan imagined that a local club can nail a win in the AFC Champions League,” said Mr. Del Carmen, who writes for local site Tiebreaker Times, when asked for his thoughts by BusinessWorld.

“Last year Global [FC] was trashed, 0-6, by Brisbane Roar. Everyone expected Brisbane to eliminate Ceres because of that result, but the latter had other plans,” he added.

Mr. Del Carmen also expressed hope that Ceres’ victory would inspire many to support football in the country.

“Ceres going past Brisbane brings good news to the local club football scene after Meralco and Ilocos announced they won’t compete in the upcoming PFL season. Let’s hope local businessmen will take note of Ceres’ progress as qualifying and competing in continental competitions will add a certain prestige to not just the club itself but also the brand and city,” he said.

Mr. Del Carmen went on to say that against Tianjin, Ceres faces another uphill climb but noted anything is possible and that any achievement by the club from hereon in the AFC Champions League is already a “bonus.”

“Does Ceres have a chance against Chinese club Tianjin Quanjian? Well, no pressure on the Busmen. The salary of Tianjin’s star players would be enough to run a PFL club or maybe even a PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) team. In fact, Ceres’ duel with Tianjin is an achievement for the club itself,” he said.

Ceres versus Tianjin is set for Jan. 30 at the Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium. The winner of the match earns a spot in Group E of the Group Stage of the AFC Champions League.

‘Laughing stock of Asia’: Brisbane Roar slammed after shock AFC exit

SYDNEY — A-League side Brisbane Roar was slammed as the “laughing stock of Asia” and “truly embarrassing” Wednesday after a shock loss to Philippine minnows Ceres-Negros in an AFC Champions League qualifier.

Roar, the fancied side, suffered further embarrassment when some players’ shirt numbers peeled off during the game in Brisbane late Tuesday. The club lost the game 3-2, watched by just over 1,000 fans.

Brisbane are currently midway through the A-League season, and languishing in eighth place out of 10 teams, while Ceres-Negros are undergoing pre-season training.

Under pressure Roar coach John Aloisi, a former Socceroos striker, refused to resign after the match and blamed his players for their attitudes.

“I won’t walk away — I don’t give up,” Brisbane’s Courier Mail quoted Aloisi as saying.

“Obviously they (the Roar players) underestimated them — I know I didn’t. Even when we went 1-0 up the players must have thought they were going to cruise through that game.”

The game turned farcical in the second half when Roar were reduced to 10 men after French sub Eric Bautheac had to wait on the sidelines for several minutes after his number, 22, peeled off the back of his shirt.

Bautheac eventually returned to the field with a no. 77 shirt with tape to make it look like a no. 22.

In a furious rant on Fox Sports, former Socceroos and Manchester United goalkeeper Mark Bosnich ripped into the team and accused them of not respecting the competition or their opponents.

“The only thing I can say is to anyone that was watching this is to say on behalf of Australian football I’d like to apologize because that was truly embarrassing,” he said.

“I really am speechless other than to say… just pull out of the competition because I’ve never seen that before in my footballing life.

“Something’s gotta give after that… it just shows how much it means to us and how much it means to them to have that thing go on right there in the Asian premier competition.”

Another ex-Socceroo Robbie Slater tweeted: “Laughing stock of Asia tonight! @FOXFOOTBALL absolutely incredible! In a bad way! A really bad way!”

Brisbane issued a statement acknowledging that the result was “disappointing and the performance was unacceptable.”

“We have always worn our orange jersey with pride,” the statement said.

“(Brisbane Roar FC) would like to assure its members, supporters, partners and the local football community that we are fully committed to improving both on and off the field.” — AFP