The Daily News WE TELL IT LIKE IT IS Phil

Vol. 14 No. 30 February 12, 2013 WEATHER FORECAST

METRO MANILA 21°C to 32°C The Nation Moderate Northeast Manila Bay: Moderate ¾ Bangsamoro Transition Commission members known this week Currency in Currency in 1 Peso in COUNTRY ¾ NBN-ZTE whistleblower Lozada surrenders Peso US$1 Currency

US (dollar) 40.68600 1.00000 0.02458 ¾ AMLC chief steps down Japan (yen) 0.4389 0.01079 2.27842 ¾ PH authorities have access to Aman head UK (pound) 64.28790 1.58010 0.015555

Amalilio Hong Kong (dollar) 5.24660 0.12895 0.19060

¾ Sen. Santiago wants probe on Sen. Enrile China (yuan) 6.52840 0.16046 0.15318 over memoir Canada (dollar) 40.56430 0.9970 0.02465 Australia (dollar) 41.96160 1.03135 0.02383

New Zealand (dollar) 33.97580 0.83507 0.029433 The Economy and Business EMU (euro) 54.38090 1.33660 0.01839

¾ Net FDI inflow hits $102Mn in Nov. PESO–DOLLAR RATE

¾ Index eases after hitting 6,500 level 30 trading days to February 11, 2013 Open: P 40.690

¾ Slower growth expected for PH Close: P 40.695

¾ BSP rediscounting loans up 39.00 High: P 40.675 39.50 ¾ Exploration contracts granted to 11 firms 40.00 Low: P 40.695

40.50 W.A.: P 40.685 Corporate Briefs 41.00 41.50 Vol: 378.20 M

¾ GT Capital Holdings Inc. to raise P10Bn 42.00 through bonds this month

¾ Phil. Business Bank saw robust demand for PSE COMPOSITE INDEX its P3.2Bn IPO 30 trading days to February 11, 2013 Open: 6,458.34 ¾ IPM Group of Companies closes in on a

backdoor listing of its shares in the stock High: 6,500.08 6200 market 6100 Low: 6,458.01 6000 ¾ Phil. National Bank trims its public float as Close: 6,458.01 a result of its merger with Allied Banking 5900 Corp. 5800 Index: 6,458.01 5700 Vol: 1.810 B 5600

5500 Val: 5.881 B

Disclaimer : The articles in this Daily News have been culled from various media sources. We cannot, therefore, vouch for the accuracy of what is reported. For more information on the WBF, you can call 810-96-06 to 09, or visit our website at www.dataphil.com.

The Nation

Bangsamoro Transition Commission members known this week President Benigno Simeon Aquino III hinted yesterday that the 7 government nominees to the 15-man Transition Commission and their 8 Moro National Liberation Front (MILF) counterparts will be appointed anytime this week. “Hopefully I can do it within the week. The list was submitted to me late last week,” President Aquino said. He said he already has a list of the “personalities nominated by all the stakeholders,” which contained all the needed details in their curriculum vitae that make them qualified to hold such a position. “So we would want to give justice by reading all of the resumés submitted and the CVs to come up with the best group of people that will come up with the organic law,” he added. The 15-man Transition Commission will be tasked to draft the basic law that will pave the way for the establishment of a Bangsamoro region in Mindanao, as provided for in the framework agreement that the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed last October. Palace insiders hinted that the members of the Transition Commission – as per Executive Order 120 – will be named before the March 29 appointment ban takes effect, in compliance with Commission on Elections Resolution 9385.

NBN-ZTE whistleblower Lozada surrenders Graft whistle-blower Rodolfo Lozada Jr. and his brother Jose Orlando went to the Sandiganbayan yesterday and posted bail several hours after they surrendered to the police. Lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno and several nuns from the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP) accompanied Mr. Lozada to the anti-graft court’s Fourth Division to post bail. They also submitted photographs and gave fingerprint samples. Mr. Lozada and his brother surrendered yesterday morning to the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in connection with their warrants of arrest on graft charges. The Lozada brothers are facing graft charges filed by the Office of the Ombudsman for an allegedly anomalous transaction in 2007 when the NBN project anomaly witness was then president of the government-run Philippine Forest Corp. (Philforest). The Sandiganbayan issued arrest warrants against the 2 late last month and set the arraignment on March 6.

AMLC chief steps down The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) faces leadership changes ahead of critical meetings with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) next week. Atty. Vicente Aquino has stepped down as AMLC executive director following the completion of his term, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) officials said. "Mr. Aquino recently completed his five-year term as AMLC executive director. Subsequently, he was appointed as assistant governor in charge of the BSP Security Plant Complex," central bank Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla, Jr. said. AMLC deputy director Julia Bacay-Abad will act as officer-in-charge for the time being. "The AMLC will appoint [a replacement] soon," said central bank Governor Amando Tetangco, Jr. who chairs the council. He did not say whether the appointment would be made in time for this month’s FATF meetings. The AMLC is set to represent the Philippines in the FATF meetings in Paris, France, from Feb. 20 to 22. It will be an important appearance for the country as it will be assessed on its progress in strengthening the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA). The international watchdog nearly demoted the Philippines to its blacklist last October after legislators failed to pass AMLA amendments. Blacklisting carries sanctions that would delay remittances and levy higher costs for financial transactions.

PH authorities have access to Aman head Amalilio Investors duped by Manuel Amalilio will no longer have to wait for his return to the country from a 2-year incarceration in Malaysia for their quest for justice to prosper. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima confirmed yesterday that the Malaysian government has agreed to allow Philippine authorities access to Mr. Amalilio, now in a Kota Kinabalu jail for possession of a fake passport. “There are discussions on how our prosecutors can access Mr. Amalilio while in jail. Since we cannot physically bring him back yet, at least we can have access with him for purposes of the ongoing court proceedings here,” she said. Ms. De Lima explained that Mr. Amalilio’s answer would be necessary in the multiple complaints of syndicated estafa filed against him and officers of Aman Futures Group Phils. Inc. by disgruntled investors from the Visayas and Mindanao. She said access to the Aman head would especially be helpful in the pending preliminary investigation in the Department of Justice (DOJ) of dozens of complaints. Only 2 initial sets of cases have been filed so far by the DOJ against Mr. Amalilio and his officers, who reportedly all want to become state witnesses.

Sen. Santiago wants probe on Sen. Enrile over memoir Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago has accused Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile of making false claims in his memoir, including his reported ambush in 1972 that led to the declaration of martial law. When Congress begins session this July, Ms. Santiago will file a resolution for the Senate to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation to determine the veracity of Mr. Enrile’s book. In a statement, Ms. Santiago said Mr. Enrile may have committed any of several crimes punishable under the Revised Penal Code: unlawful use of means of publication, falsification by public officer of a document, or falsification by private individual. Ms. Santiago said 2 the scandal will be finally settled when retired Philippine National Police chief Ramon Montaño appears in a Senate hearing.

Economy & Business

Net FDI inflow hits $102Mn in Nov. Net foreign direct investments (FDI) hit a 4-month high in November, but the year-to-date tally remained far below 2012 official forecast, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported yesterday. FDI registered a net inflow of $102 million in November, preliminary data showed. This was the highest since July’s $108 million, but down 72.1% from $366 million a year ago. A net inflow indicates more investments entered the country than left. The latest figure brought the 11-month total to $1.233 billion, up 1.1% year-on-year. With just 1 record month left, the aggregate tally just accounts for 82% of BSP’s official outlook of $1.5 billion. The central bank, in a statement, did not provide reason for the month’s drop, but attributed the slight increase in year-to-date FDI to the “encouraging macroeconomic environment” that had attracted foreign investors.

Index eases after hitting 6,500 level The main index closed in the red for the second consecutive trading day, retreating after posting a new intraday high past the 6,500 mark. The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) ended flat, slipping 0.01% or 0.66 point to 6,458.01 while the broader all shares index added 0.1% or 4.07 points to 4,068.48. Previously uncharted, the 6,500 territory was breached briefly during the morning trading, allowing the main index to post a new intraday high at 6,500.08. However, profit taking kicked in following the new intraday high up to the end of the trading day. Asian markets like those in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea were closed due to the Lunar New Year holiday. In the local market, most subindices were in the green, paced by mining and oil that climbed 0.54% or 120.91 points to 22,675.54. But the service sector dragged the benchmark index as it lost 0.39% or 7.43 points to 1,914.10.

Slower growth expected for PH The Philippine economy is expected to grow at a slower pace this year -- but still within the government’s target -- given risks from a weak global environment and "bureaucratic bottlenecks," a New York-based consultancy yesterday said. "From a high of 6.6% in 2012, we expect the pace of growth to slow a bit to 6.1% in 2013 as weak external growth and a strong local currency weigh down exports," GlobalSource Partners said in a quarterly economic report. The government is targeting 6-7% growth this year. Economists Romeo Bernardo and Marie-Christine Tang, GlobalSource’s local partners, said advanced markets, primarily the U.S. and Europe, would likely post slower growth or stay in recession. "The worst case would involve a sharper fiscal contraction in the US and deeper recession in Europe with China unable to pick up the slack due to internal excesses built up over the years. Tensions in the Middle East may again flare up reversing the forecast downtrend in oil prices," they said.

BSP rediscounting loans up Loans extended by the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to local banks continued to grow in January as banks with healthy deposit base need additional resources to fund their daily operations. Peso loans extended by the BSP to commercial, thrift and rural banks reached P4.320 billion in January, up 54.7% from P2.792 billion a year ago, the BSP reported yesterday. BSP’s rediscount facility allows banks to meet their short-term liquidity requirements by using their clients’ promissory notes as collateral. In turn, it also allows the central bank to control money supply in the financial system to prevent inflation from rising or provide a boost to the economy when needed. In 2012, rediscounting loans reached P46.504 billion, an increase of 70% from P27.372 billion in 2011. BSP Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said banks continued to borrow from the central bank for its lending activities since deposits, which totaled P4.1 trillion as of October last year, are being segregated for various activities.

Exploration contracts granted to 11 firms The Aquino administration has given 11 mining and energy companies the go-signal to explore and develop coal blocks in the Philippines, including 2 in the disputed West Philippine Sea. Energy Undersecretary Ramon Allan Oca said the Energy Department has already approved 11 coal contracts, which would have a combined investment of more than P1 billion to fund exploration costs for a 2-year period. The companies that won coal contracts are Altura Mining, a global mining firm with operations in Australia and Indonesia (Area 3), Consunji- led Semirara Mining Corp. (Area 9 and 25b), Empire Asia Mining (Area 18b), SKI Mining (Area 19a), Philippine National Oil Co.-Exploration Corp. (Areas 19b, 29 and 30a), South Davao Development Co. Inc. (Area 8), Blackstone Mineral Resources (Area 27) and Mega Philippines Inc. (Area 23). The government earlier offered 30 areas for coal and 15 areas for oil and gas exploration and development under the Philippine Energy Contracting Round 4. These coal blocks are in Quezon, Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, Zamboanga Sibugay, Davao Oriental, Bohol and Cebu, among others. 3

Corporate Briefs

GT Capital Holdings Inc., the flagship investment firm of banking tycoon George Ty, will raise P10 billion through bonds this month…the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the registration of GT Capital’s fixed rate bonds…the offer period shall commence on Feb. 15 and end on Feb. 20…GT Capital expects P9.903 billion in net proceeds from the sale of 7- and 10-year bonds that will carry an interest rate of 4.92- 5.27% and 5.25-5.6%, respectively…Philippine Business Bank (PBB) of the Zest-O Group experienced robust demand for its P3.2-billion initial public offering (IPO), with its shares already 4 times oversubscribed..fresh capital from the IPO will allow the bank to strengthen its foothoold in the SME sector…PBB plans to put up 22 additional branches to reach 100 branches at the end of the year…IPM Group of Companies, a major player in the construction industry and the operator of the Payatas landfill, is closing in on a backdoor listing of its shares in the stock market…this as listed but dormant miner Minerales Industrias Corp. (MIC) said its stockholders approved several measures that will make the IPM Group a majority shareholder and fold in an integrated waste solutions provider…MIC said its shareholders allowed IPM Group to purchase 500 million new shares worth P500 million…Philippine National Bank (PNB) trimmed down its public float to 18.99% from 31.15% as a result of its merger with Allied Banking Corp., a bank report to the Philippine Stock Exchange said…still, PNB’s public float remains well within the 10%-minimum requirement set by the PSE…PNB president and CEO Byron Omar Mier said the drop in the public ownership of the bank is just an offshoot of the merger.

Word‐for‐Word

BusinessMirror columnist Ernesto Hilario wrote:

The Philippines needs to generate between 3 million and 4 million new jobs yearly if it is to eradicate poverty by 2016, according to Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan. But creating 4 million jobs a year would also entail a huge cost, which is $3 billion in new investments every year.

At last Saturday’s Kapihan sa Annabel’s, Secretary Joel Rocamora of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) was the main resource person. I cited Balisacan’s projections as perhaps being too ambitious, considering that we only got an estimated $1 billion in foreign direct investments last year, as compared, say, to Indonesia, which got much, much more.

The Napc secretary pointed out that his office receives only a little more than P100 million in budget every year as compared to a big department like the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which has a huge outlay because it oversees the Conditional Cash-Transfer Program, officially known as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps. Thus, Napc only draws up anti-poverty programs, and monitors implementation by other government agencies and, therefore, in the whole scheme of things, plays a purely coordinative function.

The National Economy and Development Authority says the labor force is growing by more than a million a year, on top of the existing 10 million unemployed and underemployed. Thus, the government should increase its employment-generating capacity so that it grows faster than the labor force. And to be able to generate the huge number of jobs, the government must focus on the sectors that generate employment, such as tourism, agriculture, manufacturing and construction.

It is true that the country must be able to overcome certain constraints, especially poor infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, railways, air and sea transport. And the development of infrastructure should go beyond Metro Manila and other urban areas to the countryside where they are urgently needed.

Creating more jobs, insofar as the World Bank is concerned, is the main challenge for the Aquino administration if it wants to bring people out of poverty. I fully agree.