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Shakey’s acquires Project Pie assets

SHAKEY’S Pizza Asia Ventures, Inc. (SPAVI) on Monday said it is acquiring the assets of artisanal pizza brand Project Pie.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange, the listed full-service restaurant operator said it inked a memorandum of agreement to buy the various assets and intellectual property of Project Pie for a nominal amount.

Project Pie was majority owned by SPAVI parent Century Pacific Group and Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC.

The US-based pizza chain introduced the do-it-yourself pizza concept to the Philippines in 2013.

In 2017, Project Pie closed all of its branches in the Philippines, except for the branch located at Block 28, Commerce Avenue in Alabang, Muntinlupa.

Meanwhile, SPAVI said on Monday it has completed the purchase of Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, expanding its portfolio of restaurant brands.

“Following an Asset Purchase Agreement signed last April 2019, (SPAVI) acquired the assets and intellectual property relating to the Peri business, including its brand, trade name, and the various proprietary recipes used by the chain to make its trademark peri-peri chicken,” the company said.

With the completion of the deal, SPAVI now owns and operates all company-owned Peri stores. It also serves as brand-owner and franchisor of those stores being operated by franchisees.

There are currently 23 Peri stores in the Philippines.

As of end-March, SPAVI had 229 stores in the Philippines and three overseas.

The company is planning to open seven more stores in the second quarter, as part of plans to have 20 new stores for a total of 248 outlets nationwide by end-2019.

For the first quarter of 2019, SPAVI reported its net income rose 2.5% to P188 million, driven by a 4% increase in revenues to P1.84 billion.

K-drama star charms Filipino fans

By Cecille Santillan-Visto

WHEN Korean actor and singer Seo Kang Joon first appeared on the reality TV show Roomate five years ago, his quiet charm immediately caught the viewers’ attention, and early on pundits were confident that he had the makings of a full-fledged K-drama star.

After Roommate — where he appeared alongside superstars like actor Lee Dong Wook, 2NE1’s Park Bom, EXO’s Park Chanyeol, emcee and model Lee So Ra and Jackson Wang of Got7 — the 25-year-old Seo went on the star in the college drama, Cheese in the Trap, the Korean adaptation of Entourage, and the romantic piece, The Third Charm.

But his biggest break was Are You Human?, a fantasy rom-com which now airs weeknights over the GMA Network. Mr. Seo plays a robot who impersonates a corporate heir who was embroiled in an intra-corporate dispute before falling into a coma.

He held his first fan meeting — The Last Charm: Seo Kang Joon Live in Manila — at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City two days before the May 27 launch of his TV series, which ran for 36 episodes in Seoul. He even sang “You are My Love,” which is part of the Are You Human? official soundtrack, to open the show. The Fantagio Entertainment talent could carry a tune very well, as he is heavily trained in acting and singing along with his fellow members of 5urprise, a Korean group.

When he dished out Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” and his version of “Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the audience was sold. Singing live and with respectable English diction, Mr. Seo’s rendition is by far the best among Korea actors who have had fan meetings in Manila.

When asked how he feels about his status as an up-and-coming international actor during a press conference on May 24 at GMA Studios, he said he still has a long way to go.

“I don’t think of myself as an international star yet but I just want to thank everyone (who consider me such). The title humbles me but it motivates me to do my best in all projects,” he said.

He is also grateful for his widening fan base, with whom he connects “through social media and fan meetings like this.” He added that he found his Filipino fans “beautiful and friendly.”

Aside from singing three songs, Mr. Seo also played several games with his fans where winning fans won prizes such as a 10-second hug and even the right to stare at him for the same period. The fan who clinched the right to look him eye-to-eye later said she was mesmerized by his brown eyes.

The program also gave the Korean star the chance to eat some Filipino delicacies including lechon (roast pig), leche flan (flan) and empanada (a fried filled pastry), all of which he thoroughly enjoyed save for the vinegar dip used for the Ilocos pastry. He also gamely made his own sago’t gulaman (a beverage made with gelatin and tapioca pearls), which he shared on stage with two fans.

The fan meeting was well organized by CDM Entertainment, and while a “no videography and photography” rule was initially enforced, the producers later allowed fans to video snippets of the event for posterity.

If there was anything that Seo Kang Joon proved during his first fan meeting in Manila, it was his appeal and his sincere effort to reach out to his growing supporters in the Philippines. As his K-drama continues to air locally, more followers will likely fall for his charm .

Avida targets ‘upgraders’ for Imus subdivision

AVIDA LAND Corp. is beefing up its residential portfolio in Cavite with the launch of a subdivision inside parent Ayala Land Inc.’s mixed-use estate Vermosa in Imus.

Avida Verra Settings Vermosa offers 370 units on a 10-hectare property that is easily accessible via South Luzon Expressway through the Muntinlupa Cavite Expressway (MCX) Exit.

“(The project) is within the 700-hectare masterplanned estate Vermosa. Vermosa boasts of accessibility from MCX… Travel time is 55 minutes from Makati, from NAIA, it’s 38 minutes, and from Alabang, it’s 23 minutes… We’re anticipating the completion of the Cavite leg of CALAX (Cavite Laguna Expressway) by 2020, with this the travel time will be cut to 30 minutes from Manila. It will be easily accessible from Kawit, Dasmariñas and Sta. Rosa,” Avida Land South Luzon Project Strategic Management Group Head Anne B. Jara said during a recent press briefing.

Cavite is an important market for Avida, having introduced projects since 2002. Avida Verra Settings Vermosa is the company’s first and only Cavite subdivision within an Ayala Land estate.

For Avida Verra Settings, the target market is AB, such as professionals, senior executives, entrepreneurs with a monthly household income of P150,000.

“These are families from Cavite and nearby areas who want to upgrade and live in a secure and complete community. Unlike our core Avida market, this one targets more of the ‘upgraders.’ They have an existing house but want to move to an estate development. We are also looking at attracting Metro Manila residents who are willing to relocate to suburbs,” Ms. Jara said.

Buyers can opt for lots-only, house-and-lots, or a house-and-lot with an adjacent empty lot.

“This option allows buyers to expand and customize their living or outdoor spaces as they see fit. For example, they can choose to redesign the house with an extension or design the outdoor space with a water feature or garden patio,” Ms. Jara said.

The house-and-lot with the adjacent lot option can bring the lot size to a minimum of 250 square meters (sq.m.). There are only 64 such units in pre-selected areas of Avida Verra Settings.

Avida Land offers two bi-level, modern contemporary house designs — Macy and Trista. Both have three bedrooms, and two toilet and baths. The roof uses weather-resistant stone chips, while the facade features stone cladding.

Macy has a standard floor plan of 67 sq.m. with a minimum lot size of 125 sq.m., while Trista has a floor size of 85 sq.m. with a minimum lot size of 138 sq.m.

The Macy model with adjacent lot option is priced at P12.5 million, while the Trista model with adjacent lot option is pegged at P14 million.

The price of a house and lot starts at P7.6 million, while the lot alone is priced at P5.7 million.

Amenities include an adult pool, kiddie pool, basketball court, children’s park and playground, clubhouse, and landscaped parks.

Land development for Avida Verra Settings is expected to completed by May 2021, with the target turnover for units by second half of 2021.

By the time units are turned over, Ms. Jara said Vermosa is expected to be a thriving community with a shopping mall, school, sports hub and commercial areas.

The mixed-use estate will have two central business districts — Vermosa Midtown and University Town. De La Salle Santiago Zobel-Vermosa has already started operations.

Ayala Malls Vermosa, with 65,000 sq.m. in gross leasable area, is on track to open by the fourth quarter of 2020. The church is expected to be completed by 2021.

Avida Verra Settings Vermosa is the company’s eighth residential project in Cavite. It also has five subdivisions Avida Residences Santa Catalina, Avida Settings Cavite, Avida Village Santa Cecilia, Avida Residences Dasmariñas, and Southgrove Estates, and two residential condominiums Serin East and Serin West in Tagaytay. — Cathy Rose A. Garcia

PSE makes it easier for small investors to subscribe to an IPO

SMALL investors may now subscribe to initial public offerings (IPO) online, following the Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc.’s (PSE) launch of a web-based platform that looks to boost their participation in maiden offerings in the future.

The PSE said in a statement Monday that it introduced the PSE Electronic Allocation System (PSE EASy), which will allow local small investors (LSI) to subscribe to shares online every time there is an IPO.

LSIs are given a 10% allocation for every IPO, where they can subscribe to shares worth not more than P100,000.

“We noticed that the take-up of IPO shares by LSIs has never ever reached 2% in the past…We then designed an online LSI platform that will make subscribing to IPOs more accessible (even to investors in the provinces), efficient and convenient,” PSE President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Monzon said in a statement.

Mr. Monzon explained that retail investors had to go through a “very cumbersome process” prior to the launch of PSE EASy. Investors had to go to designated IPO kiosks in select Metro Manila malls to secure a subscription form, which must be brought to their broker’s offices for acknowledgement.

The form must then be brought back to the mall kiosk for payment and processing.

With PSE EASy, retail investors can now sign up for an account online which must be confirmed by their respective stockbrokerage firms. Once approved, the investors can participate in the LSI option for IPOs.

In addition, the PSE will also be launching a PSE EASy mobile application by the third quarter of 2019. While investors will still have to use the website for account registration, the app may be used for all other functions such as submission of LSI subscription forms, updating of registration forms, and notifications for an upcoming or ongoing IPO, as well as other updates.

“We noted that most of our investors now trade online and they are very savvy when it comes to using mobile apps. We want to continue leveraging on technology to make investing in offerings particularly in an IPO readily available to them,” Mr. Monzon said.

In its 2018 Stock Market Investor Profile report, the PSE said that online trading accounts surged 60.9% to 625,763, from just 388,864 in the previous year. This allowed the bourse to record more than one million stock market accounts by the end of the year. The same report showed that 21.5% of account holders were aged 18 to 29 years old. — Arra B. Francia

A short solo stint

KOREAN boy band Wanna One had 11 members and since its disbandment in January, two of its members already held fan meetings in Manila — first was Park Ji Hoon and followed shortly by Bae Jin Young.

While the 19-year-old Park boldly took over the Araneta Coliseum for his first solo fan meeting, his contemporary, Mr. Bae, opted to have a more personal event by choosing a smaller venue, namely the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City, for his I’m Young: Bae Jin Young 1st Asia Fanmeeting Tour in Manila. A bit reserved yet entertaining, the Produce 101 Season 2 10th placer appeared to still be warming up to a solo career when he faced his Filipino followers last month. However, since it was subsequently announced on May 20 that he is now part of C9 Entertainment’s new five-member group CIX (short for Complete in X), his “alone time” was short-lived.

Though brief, the 20-year-old singer said it was fun to be able to show a different side of him to his Philippine fans as a solo artist. No longer a teenager, he shared that he has more leeway to present a “more mature” side and try a diverse genre.

“Nothing much really changed (now that I am 20). Whereas I was ‘cute’ before, I am more confident to show a sexier and ‘manlier’ side,” he said, to the delight of the fans.

When he covered “Move,” a cut from the album of Taemin, a member of the popular K-group, SHINee, the audience caught a glimpse of the sensual Jin Young. However, he immediately reverted to his cute persona when he also danced to Justin Bieber’s “Baby.” His repertoire also included The Weeknd’s “The Hills.”

Mr. Bae used to be part of Wanna One, a phenomenal boy group put together by Korean entertainment company CJ E&M, made up of the top performers from season 2 of the Korean talent competition, Produce 101. The temporary team was launched in August 2017 and had its final concert last January. It was a huge global success and the group performed a sold-out concert tour and dozens of fans meetings worldwide in the 18 months that they were together.

The I’m Young fan meet opened as a two-day show in Seoul and it was eventually brought to various Asia countries including Manila.

It has all the standard features of a K-pop fan meeting including a question-and-answer portion, a mini-concert, games, and close interaction with fans. The event was hosted by video jock Sunny of MYX.

While the number of attendees of the Manila leg was decent considering that Mr. Bae has spent only a few years in the entertainment industry, it was evident that the newbie has to continue sharpening his skills to draw fans other than those garnered from his Wanna One days. The stage was visibly hollow with only 1/11 of the former group entertaining the crowd.

As he is still young and his looks are definitely within K-pop stardom standards, Mr. Bae has a long way ahead of him. But youth and beauty alone will not cut it — pure talent will catapult someone to fame.

Non-outsourcing companies driving demand for office spaces — Colliers report

TRADITIONAL and non-outsourcing firms is fueling demand for office spaces anew, according to Colliers International Philippines.

“We see the sustained macroeconomic growth boosting the office space demand of the non-outsourcing occupants, particularly construction, insurance, and flexible workspace operators over the next three years,” Colliers said in a statement.

The real estate consultancy services firm said that non-outsourcing locators, which include engineering and construction firms, multinational corporations, government agencies, and flexible workspace operators have been expanding their presence in the country over the past 24 months. This is in addition to the continued expansion of business process outsourcing (BPO) companies, knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) companies, and the offshore gaming firms from China.

“Developers should closely observe this non-outsourcing segment given the growing leasing opportunities. In Q1 (first quarter) 2019, the segment covered 35% of transactions or 116,800 square meters (sq.m.) (1.3 million square feet),” Colliers said.

While outsourcing companies prefer office spaces accredited with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), Colliers noted the non-sourcing firms are indifferent to the availability of PEZA-proclaimed spaces, with their expansion dependent on the country’s economic growth.

For engineering and construction firms that are taking part in public infrastructure projects, Colliers recorded that these firms took up 14,000 sq.m. in the first quarter of 2019 in Makati, Quezon City, and Fort Bonifacio.

“The government intends to double its infrastructure spending to about 6% of annual GDP or P1 trillion ($19 billion) per year from 2019 to 2022,” Colliers said, further noting that this is likely to support the expansion activities of the construction and engineering firms, which would push them to occupy more office spaces in Metro Manila.

Also, insurance companies and flexible workspace operators have been taking up office spaces in Makati, Fort Bonifacio and Ortigas Center.

“Even local flexible workspace operators have been aggressive in scouting for available space in new Grade A buildings across Metro Manila,” the firm noted.

RESIDENTIAL DEMAND
Meanwhile, Colliers said that demand for residential units, especially for house and lots in provinces, will be driven by sustained remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in the next three years.

Citing data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, OFW remittances have reached P281 billion in the first two months of 2019, up by 2.3% from the same period last year.

“The sustained growth in remittances along with decelerating inflation and the central bank’s decision to cut interest rates by 25 basis points, should result in a cheaper cost of borrowing money,” Colliers said.

The property consultant recommended that developers consider areas like Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Bacolod, Iloilo, and Davao for residential expansion.

As for industrial space and warehouses, demand will be driven by the growth of the manufacturing sector over the next three years. The sector grew by an annual 6.8% over the past three years.

“The development of the first Sino-Philippine industrial park by Ayala Land north of Metro Manila shows growing interest from industrial locators and developers to expand outside of the Cavite-Laguna-Batangas corridor, the country’s primary industrial hub,” the firm noted.

“Filinvest Land Inc. also announced that it is likely to start the construction of its industrial park in New Clark City in Tarlac (about 120 km from Manila) in 2019. This should further raise industrial investments north of Manila,” it added. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang

DMCI Mining more than doubles nickel ore shipments

DMCI Mining Corp. recorded a 118% increase in nickel ore shipments in the first quarter of 2019.

In a disclosure on Monday, DMCI Holdings said its mining unit more than doubled its nickel ore shipments to 338,000 wet metric tons (WMT) in the January to March period, from 156,000 WMT shipped a year ago.

“We had a good first quarter but we do not see this holding up for the rest of the year due to a number of factors, such as weak market prices, peso appreciation versus the US dollar and our dwindling nickel reserves in Berong’s active mine sites,” Cesar F. Simbulan, Jr., president of DMCI Mining, said in a statement.

DMCI Mining said the shipments came from Berong Nickel Corp. (BNC), which has a nickel mining site in Barangay Berong, Palawan. Another unit Zambales Diversified Metals Corp. (ZDMC) is still suspended by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The company noted average nickel grade fell to 1.59% in the first quarter, from 1.70% during the same period last year, as BNC’s shipments included middle-grade ore (1.50%). It said that nickel prices also continue to drop, bringing the average selling price 25% lower to $29.

DMCI Mining said that it expects a “tough” year ahead as its inventory will soon run out given the current situation of its Zambales plant.

BNC has an estimated nickel reserve of around 710,000 tons in its active mining sites. In December 2018, it was the only company that passed DENR’s two-year review.

“We hope that with BNC’s track record as a responsible miner, it will be allowed to operate in other areas so we can continue providing livelihood and employment opportunities in our host communities,” he said.

Shares in DMCI Holdings inched up 0.38% to P10.62 each on Monday. — V.M.P.Galang

DreamPlay marks 4th year with kiddie dance off

THE 4th anniversary celebration of City of Dreams Manila’s DreamPlay, the only DreamWorks-inspired interactive play space in the world, is in full swing with the staging of the annual King Julien Dance Off competition.

Now on its fourth year, the competition is opening its doors to dance groups composed of children ages seven to 14 years old. Following a preliminary screening, the top eight groups will vie for the King Julien Dance Off Champion title on the Grand Final stage on June 29, 2 p.m., at City of Dreams Manila’s Grand Ballroom.

The preliminary round will be held on June 15, wherein contestants are required to perform a dance routine to any English song that should not exceed four minutes. Eight finalists will be chosen to compete at the Grand Finals, showcasing their creative routines with any English song or a mash up of songs from DreamWorks Animation movies, such as Trolls, How To Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Puss in Boots, and Madagascar.

The grand champion will receive P120,000 cash and a DreamPlay trophy. The first runner up will get P30,000 cash and a DreamPlay Plaque; while the second runner up will be given P20,000 cash and a DreamPlay Plaque. Each of the finalists will be given P5,000 and a certificate.

Interested parties may visit DreamPlay or send an e-mail request to dreamplay@cod-manila.com for a copy of the entry form. The deadline for accomplished entries, which must include a group photo, is June 14, 10 p.m.

Since it was launched in 2016, DreamPlay’s King Julien Dance Off has served as a platform in discovering talented children from around the country, and as a springboard for them to perform in local and international stages.

Past grand winners include: Junior FMD Extreme (2016 Grand Champion), an all-boys group of former street children; Higher Level Kids (2017 Grand Champion), an all-boys group from Cavite; and GFAM (2018 Grand Champion), which went on to win in other dance competitions including First Place in the World Supremacy Battle Ground (Young Guns Division) in 2018, and a back-to-back championship title in the Inter School Dance Sports Competition (National Capital Region 2017 to 2018).

DreamPlay by DreamWorks at City of Dreams Manila is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday to Sunday, and on holidays

Loc&Stor 24/7 opens SLEx branch

SELF-STORAGE facility Loc&Stor opened its fourth facility along the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), catering to residents and business owners in Alabang, Parañaque, Magallanes, Las Piñas, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and nearby areas.

Loc&Stor 24/7 offers world-class storage service that are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round. Seven sizes of storage units are available to meet the different needs of customers. The smallest unit can accommodate up to eight balikbayan boxes, while the jumbo-size unit can fit up to 180 balikbayan boxes.

Since Loc&Stor 24/7 SLEx is a one-level facility, there are no weight limits are imposed on all units.

“Only you and your authorized representatives can access your stored possessions, using unique PIN codes that arms and disarms your unit’s alarm. And because all access to your unit is electronically logged, the system will notify you through e-mail if your unit has been opened,” the company said.

Loc&Stor 24/7 SLEx is located in “a guarded, gated, and flood-free compound manned round-the-clock by personnel from a leading professional agency.” It is also equipped with high-definition CCTV cameras with night vision, smoke detectors and fire alarms, and sprinkler systems.

Aside from SLEx, Loc&Stor 24/7 has facilities in Pasig City and in Makati City (J.P. Rizal and Urban Avenue).

Gov’t makes full award of T-bills with offer thrice oversubscribed

THE GOVERNMENT raised P15 billion as planned at its auction of Treasury bills (T-bill) yesterday, with rates sliding across all tenors as investors parked their additional funds following the first cut in banks’ reserve requirement ratios (RRR) last week.

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) made a full award of T-bills at its auction on Monday as tenders from investors reached P49.6 billion, more than thrice the amount it wanted to raise.

Broken down, the Treasury accepted P4 billion as planned for the 92-day papers out of P9.22 billion in offers by banks and other financial institutions. The average rate declined by 15.8 basis points (bp) to 4.992% — its lowest level since October — from the 5.15% quoted in the previous auction.

The government also made a full award of the 183-day debt notes it placed on the auction block, borrowing P5 billion as planned versus total offers amounting to P15.545 billion. The average yield slipped 19 bps to 5.4% from last week’s 5.59%.

The BTr likewise fully awarded the 365-day T-bills, accepting P6 billion out of bids totalling P24.82 billion. Its average yield also slid 18.5 bps to 5.498% from the 5.683% tallied in the previous auction.

Meanwhile, at the secondary market on Monday, yields on the three-month, six-month and one-year papers closed at 5.257%, 5.528%, and 5.655%, respectively.

Following the auction, Deputy Treasurer Erwin D. Sta. Ana said the T-bills auction yesterday was a “success.”

“We came in at a much lower rate than what the market predicted through our initial pre-auction survey. It’s definitely a successful auction,” he told reporters.

“Last Friday was the initial tranche of the RRR cut. There’s obviously liquidity that flows into the system. The main investment outlet would be government securities. Hence, we see demand here,” Mr. Sta. Ana added.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) slashed the reserve ratios of lenders by a percentage point last May 31 to 17% for universal and commercial banks, 7% for thrift banks, and 4% for rural and cooperative banks.

The Treasury added that remarks from BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno last week alluding to more room for policy easing also drove debt yields lower. In an interview with Bloomberg TV in Tokyo, Mr. Diokno said the central bank has “more room for monetary easing” and vowed more cuts, with the timing depending on upcoming economic developments.

Sought for comment, a bond trader said the result of the T-bills auction was lower than market expectations due to strong appetite in the short end of the curve.

“Aside from the RRR cut, market players also tracked the movement of the US Treasuries,” the trader said in a phone interview.

The Treasury plans to borrow P315 billion from the domestic market this quarter, broken down into P195 billion in T-bills and P120 billion in Treasury bonds.

The government is looking to raise P1.189 trillion this year from local and foreign sources to fund its budget deficit, which is expected to widen to as much as 3.2% of the country’s gross domestic product. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

Philippine Airlines, PALEA sign collective bargaining agreement

PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) and its labor group PAL Employees Association (PALEA) inked a five-year collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that provides for “enhanced employment terms” for the latter’s members.

“The timely conclusion of the CBA negotiations reflected a spirit of mutual collaboration and trust-building between management and labor that focused on finding ways to enhance the welfare of PAL ground rank and file employees in an era of great economic challenges,” the flag carrier said in a statement.

The agreement was signed by PAL Chief Administrative Officer Vivienne K. Tan and PALEA President Edgardo Oredina. PALEA is an organization of about 750 members or around 11% of the company’s 6,829 employees.

“I believe that an open and constructive dialogue with PALEA and other unions must always be done in a spirit of good faith which is key to establishing a strong foundation of partnership,” Ms. Tan was quoted as saying.

For his part, Mr. Oredina said: “We thank PAL Management for its pro-active approach in the negotiations which led to the resolution of key items on the negotiating table. Rest assured, we offer our hand of cooperation and collaboration. Together, we will work as a united PAL family, committed to ensuring industrial peace for the greater good.”

The listed operator of PAL, PAL Holdings, Inc., posted slimmer losses in the first quarter at P838.17 million, driven by the lower flying expenses it recorded due to a reduction in jet fuel prices worldwide. — Denise A. Valdez

Elton slams Russian cuts to Rocketman gay scenes

LOS ANGELES — Elton John on Friday criticized Russia’s reported censorship of gay sex scenes in the new movie musical based on his life, Rocketman, calling the decision “cruelly unaccepting of the love between two people.”

John and the makers of Rocketman, which depicts the warts-and-all rise to fame of the gay British musician, issued a statement after Russian media reported that scenes involving gay sex and drug taking had been cut from a screening in Russia.

“We reject in the strongest possible terms the decision to pander to local laws and censor Rocketman for the Russian market,” John and the filmmakers said.

“That the local distributor has edited out certain scenes, denying the audience the opportunity to see the film as it was intended, is a sad reflection of the divided world we still live in and how it can still be so cruelly unaccepting of the love between two people,” their statement added.

The English-language Moscow Times on Friday quoted a Russian film critic who had seen the film at its May 16 world premiere in Cannes as saying that several scenes, totaling about five minutes, had disappeared from the Russian version.

They include a male sex scene featuring actor Taron Egerton, who plays John, and a photograph during the closing credits in which the “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” singer is pictured with his real-life husband David Furnish, who was a producer on the film, film critic Yegor Moskvitin was quoted as saying.

The movie, which has won warm reviews, began its worldwide rollout last week.

John, 72, a prominent gay rights campaigner, has previously spoken out against a 2013 law banning the dissemination of “gay propaganda” among young Russians.

In 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would be willing to meet with John. Although the singer played a concert in Moscow in May 2016, no meeting with Putin took place. — Reuters

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