AFTER finding them clear of any political affiliations, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Sunday eight mall chains might qualify as venues for the planned mall-based voting in the May 2016 polls.
 
The eight malls are SM Supermalls; Ayala Malls; Robinsons Malls; Gaisano Grand Malls; Megaworld Lifestyle Malls; Pacific Malls/Metro Gaisano; WalterMart Community Malls; and Fisher Mall.
 
“We checked the Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCEs) in 2010 and 2013 and we did not find any names like Henry Sy or Ayala. We didn’t find any of their names,” Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said.
 
Automatically disqualified are malls owned by politicians such as Gateway Mall, which is owned by the family of Liberal Party presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II and Star Malls of the family of Senator Cynthia Villar.
 
“We did not involve them because it is provided for by the Omnibus Election Code, that the mall owner should not be a candidate,” Bautista said.
 
Section 42 of the Omnibus Election Code provides that in case there is no public school or other public building that can be used as polling places, other appropriate private buildings may be designated.
 
However, the law states that such private buildings must not be “owned or occupied or possessed by any incumbent elective public official or candidate, or his relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity.”
 
Under the proposal, the Comelec will transfer polling centers that are adjacent to malls.
 
Meanwhile, the poll body chief said that members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) as well security guards of the malls will not be allowed near the polling centers.
 
“It was made clear that within that space that will be provided to Comelec, it will be the Comelec that will have direct control and supervision over that space,” said Bautista, referring to Section 192 of the Omnibus Election Code.
 
The law, however, allows the Comelec personnel to tap the assistance of mall security guards as well as the authorities to provide protection to them or the election documents and paraphernalia. (FP/Sunnex)
 
Business Mirror: Deutsche Bank partners with SM Prime, SM Foundation to build new Valenzuela school building
September 21, 2015
 
WAWANGPULO, Valenzuela, Bulacan- The partnership of SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMFI) Deutsche Bank Ag Manila and SM Foundation Inc. has resulted anew in a new two story, four-classroom building complete with student chairs, tables, wall fans, computers and a toilet per classroom in this barangay.
 
Painted on the classroom walls are murals depicting moral values painstakingly done by volunteer employees of the bank during weekends. This is the 12th school building with a total of 48 classrooms built by the partners: One in Quezon City, two school buildings in Taytay; two in Bogo, Cebu; Caloocan; two in Cavite, one in both Pateros and San Jose del Monte. More school buildings are jointly being built in Tacloban and Cebu expected to be finished within the year.
 
Deutsche Bank has built 79 classrooms nationwide as part of its social commitment to promote educational wellbeing in the country.
 
“Forty-eight of these classrooms  were built in joint partnership with SM Prime Holdings through the SM Foundation,” said Rhoniel S. Fajardo, country chief operating officer of Deutsche Bank. “The rest were built in partnership with the Philippine Business for Social Progress,”
 
School Principal Arcenoel Zapatos said, there are 868 students enrolled in K to 12 with an average of 40 to 60 students per section from Grade 1 to Grade 10.
 
The new school building will host one section of Grade 6, Grade 3, Kindergarten and a special class, The school occupies 10,000 square meters with a total of two school buildings plus the third new school building. “We expect another school building to be built by ‘the Department of Education next school year that will greatly help reduce the number of students per section and hopefully, the request for additional teachers will be approved,” Zapatos said.
 
The inauguration and blessing of the school building was attended by local government officials led by Councilor Cora Cortez, representing Mayor Rex Gatchalian, and Barangay Captain Rodolfo Soriano. Also attending were Debbie Sy, executive director of SMFI; Linda Atayde, Executive Director for Education of SMFI; Berna Velasco, mall manager of SM Marilao representing SM Prime Holdings Inc.; Deutsche Bank’s Fajardo and Jojo Reyes,VP and head of Implementation of Deutsche
Bank’s CSR Programs.