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Nationwide round-up

DBM releases P82.5M for swine fever measures

Department of Budget and Management (DBM) facade

THE DEPARTMENT of Budget and Management (DBM) released P82.5 million to the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday to fund measures relating to the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak.

In a statement, DBM said out of the total fund released to the DA-Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI), P31.8 million is for the detection of meat products at international airports, P27.7 million for testing of meat samples, P17.6 million for surveillance and monitoring, and P5.4 million for an awareness campaign.

DA confirmed on Monday the first outbreak of ASF in the country after the Polymerase chain reaction test showed 14 out of the 20 samples submitted came out positive. A total of 7,416 hogs have been culled since Aug. 18 from Bulacan and Rizal provinces to prevent the disease from spreading further.

DA Secretary William D. Dar said they suspect that the outbreak was mainly from the use of swill or leftovers, especially from hotels. The government, according to DBM, has been implementing preventive measures since the ASF threat started in China, including banning of pork imports, avoiding swill feeding, blocking the entry of hand-carried meat, educating the people and monitoring through the submission of laboratory samples.

To minimize the country’s exposure to the disease, Bienvenido Datuin of Bureau of Customs (BoC) Public Information and Assistance Division said the agency has been releasing memorandums in controlling the entry of food scraps and pork products from ASF affected countries. These countries include Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, China, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Moldova, South Africa, Zambia, Belgium, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Laos, Mongolia and North Korea. — Beatrice M. Laforga

SC denies Ampatuan bail petition

THE SUPREME Court (SC) has denied the petition of 2009 Maguindanao massacre suspect Zaldy U. Ampatuan to be granted bail. In a July 22 resolution released only on Wednesday, the court’s first division denied for lack of merit the appeal of Mr. Ampatuan seeking the reversal of the decisions of a trial court and the Court of Appeals (CA), which denied him bail as he is “probably guilty” of the charges against him.

Mr. Ampatuan said the lower court failed to comply with the parameters on the exercise of deciding his bail and maintained that the evidence against him is “at best weak,” that he is innocent and not a flight risk. “After a perusal of the records of the case, this Court resolves to deny the petition for failure of the petitioner to sufficiently show any reversible error in the assailed Decision and Resolution of the CA,” the high court’s decision read.

The court also said that it will be prematurely deciding the case “beyond the parameters of judicial review” if it decided on the bail application on the basis of the factual issues raised by Mr. Ampatuan. A former governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Mr. Ampatuan is among the principal suspects in the Nov. 23, 2009 massacre of 58 persons, including 32 media practitiones, in the town of Ampatuan in Maguindanao province. Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra last month said the trial for the case was completed on July 17, 2019 and was submitted for resolution on August 15. The department expects the decision to be released before the 10th anniversary of the massacre. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Duterte not certifying SOGIE bill as urgent, wants a general anti-discrimination law

MALACAÑANG ON Wednesday said President Rodrigo R. Duterte is not going to certify as urgent the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) bill, noting that the President wants a general anti-discrimination measure.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo issued this statement to clarify news reports that the President had said during a news conference at the Palace late Tuesday that he would certify the SOGIE Bill as urgent.

“He was referring to an anti-discrimination bill, not SOGIE Bill, much like the anti-discrimination ordinance existing in Davao City, which was passed when he was still the mayor there,” Mr. Panelo said in a phone message to BusinessWorld. Mr. Duterte said during the conference, “Mayroon ako, anti- discrimination. Bakla, iyang mga disabled. Nauna ako sa totoo lang (I have an anti-discrimination (in Davao). Gay, the disabled. I was first on that, in fact).”

He recalled that there were developers in his hometown who did not want to sell housing units to Muslims. “Sabi ko (I said), if you do not allow everybody na magtira diyan… Pilipino rin ito (to live there… They are also Filipinos). Humans — you might not like them but they are Filipinos,” he said.

SOTTO
Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III, meanwhile, said Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea and Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go have also clarified that Mr. Duterte was “misquoted” regarding his support for the SOGIE bill.

“I am told by ES Medialdea and Senator Bong Go that the President was misquoted. He is supporting an Anti-Discrimination bill pretty much like the ordinance in Davao, which is encompassing,” Mr. Sotto told reporters on Wednesday.

Mr. Sotto also explained a certification of urgency by the President does not guarantee passage of a measure as it only allows the chamber to do away with the three-day rule in between second and third reading approval of a bill. He also reiterated his support for an all-encompassing Anti-Discrimination bill instead of legislating a measure centered on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender group, which he deems unconstitutional.

Senator Risa N. Hontiveros-Baraquel, a proponent of the SOGIE bill, said this “shows the policy confusion regarding how to address discrimination against the LGBT community.” — Arjay L. Balinbin and Charmaine A. Tadalan

Honasan breezes through confirmation

THE COMMITTEE on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday swiftly confirmed former senator Gregorio B. Honasan II as head of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

President Rodrigo R. Duterte nominated Mr. Honasan to the post in Nov. 22 last year, succeeding acting secretary Eliseo M. Rio, Jr.,. Mr. Honasan assumed as DICT secretary only last July 1, after his nomination lapsed in Dec. 2018 for failure to submit documentary requirements.

The House contingent of the CA panel, led by San Juan City Rep. Ronaldo B. Zamora, moved to confirm Mr. Honasan’s appointment, to which the Senate concurred. “There is no question that we are dealing with a singular individual, who is extremely qualified to take this position and the House contingent after deliberating the qualification and fitness of the respective appointee, we have concluded that we have no need for further questions,” Mr. Zamora said. This was concurred with by Senator Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva, who led the Senate contingent.

The panel deliberation concluded in under ten minutes. Mr. Honasan, for his part, said he plans to usher the Philippines towards the digital age through electronic classrooms and workplaces among others. “To allow the Philippines, since we have the potential, to leap frog into the digital age. We’re thinking about e-classrooms, e-workplaces, an e-work force, bukod sa tipid at transparency mare-reduce ang corruption, which is the battle-cry of this administration, mapapabilis talaga,” Mr. Honasan told reporters in a chance interview on Wednesday. He also said he targets improving internet speed to 15-20 mbps by the first quarter of 2020 from the current 3.5 mbps. “Well tayo ang pinakamabagal (We are the slowest). We need improvement. Tayo (We have) 3.5 (mbps), Singapore is 65. Pumalo lang tayo ng (We are targeting) 15, 20, by the first quarter of next year,” he said. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Bill banning single-use plastics re-filed

A LAWMAKER has re-filed a bill seeking to ban the production, importation, sale, provision, and use of single-use plastics.

Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Q. Velasco has filed House Bill 2396 or the “Ban on Single-Use Plastics Act,” which aims to gradually phase out single-use plastics with an interim period of three years. During the interim period, establishments shall charge P20 for every single-use plastic bag; P10 for food and non-food packaging containers, soda, and water bottles; and P5 for utensils such as straws, coffee stirrers, spoon, and fork.

The measure mandates local government units to take primary responsibility in implementation while the Department of Environment and Natural Resources will be the lead agency for enforcement. Establishments that will fail to comply with the ban will be fined P100,000 to P750,000, and face revocation of business permits for the third offense. The fines collected should be allocated as follows: 80% to the barangay where the establishment is located, for its waste management capability; and 20% to the national government. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

DILG, BJMP express support for heinous crime jail

THE DEPARTMENT of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) said they would support the creation of a high-risk prison facility for heinous crime convicts.

The Heinous Crimes Penitentiary is planned to be set up in Palawan, near the West Philippine Sea. High-risk criminals currently detained at the New Bilibid prison in Muntinlupa will be among those who will be moved there. Face-to-face visitation, even for family members of the convicts, will be prohibited.

“Mabuti po iyon para mas mabantayan natin iyong mga (That is good so we can keep watch on) illegal drug lords, CPP-NPA (communist insurgents and) terrorist groups,” DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año said during the presentation of the proposed DILG budget for 2020 before the Senate committee on Finance. The DILG will also propose the integration of provincial jails to the BJMP to “professionalize and standardize the management of jails at the local level.”

Republic Act No. 6975, or the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990, mandates the BJMP to take operational and administrative control over all city, district and municipal jails. Under the Local Government Code, however, provincial and sub-provincial jails are under the management and control of the provincial governments. — Marc Wyxzel C. Dela Paz

Comelec to set up registration sites for IP communities

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) will put up satellite voter registration centers next week for indigenous people (IP) communities in far flung areas. In a statement on Wednesday, Comelec said they will have at least one registration site in every province identified to have an IP population from Sept. 16-20. “The project aims to intensify voter registration efforts within the different IP communities all over the country; to highlight the importance of IP voters as members of the electorate; and to increase awareness on the electoral issues and concerns of IP communities,” the Comelec said. The Comelec is still finalizing the list of areas where the registration sites will be set up. — Gillian M. Cortez

Nation at a Glance — (09/12/19)

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 — (09/12/19)

Eagles edge Tigers, 71-70

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE DEFENDING champions Ateneo Blue Eagles stayed undefeated in University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 82 after taming the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, 71-70, in their battle of unbeaten teams on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Made to work by UST for much of the contest, Ateneo (3-0) came through when it needed it most to survive and keep its clean slate intact while sending the Tigers to their first defeat of the season.

The Eagles had early control on the strength of steady outside sniping, taking a 23-16 lead at the end of the opening quarter.

But the Tigers turned the tables on their foes in the second frame as Soulamane Chabi Yo made his presence felt.

UST was on top, 37-33, at the halfway point.

At the start of the third quarter Ateneo came out swinging on the lead of Thirdy Ravena.

It would outscore the Tigers, 10-4, in the first three minutes to go on top, 43-41.

The two teams slugged it out after, fighting to a 48-47 count with four minutes remaining in the period and UST on top.

The Tigers continued to hold off the Eagles for the rest of the frame, holding a 56-53 advantage entering the final 10 minutes.

Rookie Rhenz Abando jump-started things for UST in the fourth canto, helping his team to a 60-55 lead in the early goings.

Angelo Kouame and Ateneo found their footing and managed to tie the score at 62-all with 5:20 left.

The Eagles held a one-point lead, 68-67, entering the last two minutes.

The teams had their chances to advance their scores but could not consummate them, including two free throws from Ateneo’s Gian Mamuyac with 14 seconds remaining off an unsportsmanlike foul from UST captain CJ Cansino.

Ball stayed with the Eagles after.

The Tigers fouled Ravena with 11 ticks remaining and the Ateneo veteran delivered to increase their lead, 70-67.

UST sued for time to set up a play.

Cansino had the ball in his hands and made a three-point attempt which failed to hit the mark, forcing UST to foul once again, this time Matt Nieto, with three seconds left.

Nieto split his charities to make it 71-67.

Renzo Subido drained a triple as time expired for the final score.

Ravena led Ateneo with 17 points and 10 rebounds with Kouame adding 11 and Mamuyac 10 points.

For UST it was Chabi Yo who showed the way with 25 points with Abando and Mark Nonoy adding nine points each.

“It was really a tough game and we are fortunate to come away with a win. It could have gone either way,” said Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin after when asked for his thoughts on the game.

“But there is no resting for us. We play again this weekend,” he added.

Ateneo next plays on Sept. 14 against Far Eastern University while UST returns on Sept. 15 versus National University.

NCAA: San Sebastian, CSB try to fortify top four push

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

JOINT fourth place as they begin their National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 95 second-round bid, the San Sebastian Stags and College of Saint Benilde Blazers go for the tie-breaker and fortify their place in the top four when they collide today at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

Both sporting identical 6-3 cards, the Stags and Blazers look to keep in step with the league leaders — San Beda Red Lions (10-0), Lyceum Pirates (7-3) and Letran Knights (7-3) — in their scheduled 2 p.m. game.

After hitting a rough patch midway into the first round of NCAA Season 95, the Stags finished in a flurry, winning four straight to make their way to the top half of the pack in the race.

Forward Allyn Bulanadi has been stepping up for San Sebastian, especially in their ongoing ascent. He has been solid for 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Veteran playmaker RK Ilagan has been good for 14.9 points and 4.7 assists while Alvin Capobres is adding 12.3 points and 5.7 rebounds.

The Stags lost to the Blazers in their first encounter this season, 77-72, on July 30, something they hope to make up for in their reengagement.

“Everybody has been doing their part and hopefully we get to sustain that moving forward,” said San Sebastian coach Egay Macaraya after wrapping up their first-round assignment last week.

CSB, for its part, had it rough at the tailend of the opening round after going on a solid start to the season with five straight victories.

In their win over the Stags the first time around, Yankee Haruna gave the Blazers a much-needed boost off an injury (broken jaw), finishing with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Guard Unique Naboa also came up big with 15 points, four of which coming in the dying seconds of the match which were a huge boost to his team.

Chris Flores had 14 points and five rebounds while Clement Leutche had a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers.

Playing in the second game at 4 p.m., meanwhile, are Lyceum and the Perpetual Help Altas (3-6).

OFTANA LEADS MVP RACE
Meanwhile, early results of the most valuable player race in NCAA 95 were released early this week with San Beda forward Calvin Oftana in front with a player’s average value of 51.22.

Oftana has been averaged 15.5 points in nine games in the first round to go along with 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks.

Evan Nelle also of the Lions is second with 44.11 PAV, followed by Bulanadi (43.78), Donald Tankoua and James Canlas of San Beda with 43.44 and 41.56 PAV, respectively.

Rounding out the top 10 are CSB’s Justin Gutang (40.75), Lyceum’s Jaycee Marcelino (39.75) and Mike Nzeusseu (38.67), Letran’s Larry Muyang (37.89) and Perpetual Help’s Ben Adamos (37.44).

From sensors to digital services

Make Water 4.0 a reality with Netilion, the new IIoT ecosystem from Endress+Hauser

Digitization is one of the biggest buzzwords in the process industries. Some call it IIoT, some even Industry 4.0, meaning a fourth industrial revolution. And the wastewater industry is no exception. But what does it actually mean? Endress+Hauser has developed a new and easy to handle IIoT ecosystem named Netillion. It allows intelligent and networked applications to be realized around the Industrial Internet of Things. It currently has three Netilion Services available with Analytics, Health and Library.

Netilion Analytics provides you with an inventory of your production facility within a few minutes and thus gives you complete transparency. Based on the inventory, current optimization suggestions for your production plant are calculated for you at any time.
Netilion Health lets the assets in your production plant speak for themselves, so that you know immediately, at any time and from anywhere how your production facility is doing. If the assets aren’t doing so well, you’ll know the reason and what remedies there are.
Netilion Library makes the collective knowledge of your production facility available to all your employees immediately, at any time and from anywhere. You save valuable search time and archiving work.

With Endress+Hauser’s current Netilion offering, it has not stopped developing. It continuously strives to ease your business life. However, you may have specific requirements and needs which are not completely covered by its existing offering. Contact Endress+Hauser and its projects team will be delighted to support you in your success.

Data security is an important requirement in a world where networking is rapidly spreading into all areas of life. On one hand data exchange between companies is on the increase, but on the other protecting intellectual property remains an important goal. In order to ensure maximum data security, Endress+Hauser uses the most modern safety mechanisms.

• Use of state-of-the art encryption methods (HTTPS / TLS with SHA-256)
• Co-operation with certified data centers (e.g. ISO 27001) according to European law
• European server locations and a privacy policy according best practice guarantee a high level of data privacy
• Certification of the Endress+Hauser platform by the independent certification authority, licensed by “EuroCloud”

The main benefits of Water 4.0 are water safety and overall efficiency. As wastewater plants need to make sure, that their effluent is not polluting the environment, the use of live and digitally transmitted data gives them enough time to intervene if a problem occurs. Plus, in a wastewater plant not all critical measuring points are close by. By using digital communication of the measuring values, companies can save valuable time compared to having their employees controlling them manually.

Want to know more? Then visit www.netilion.endress.com.

Yeng Guiao steps down as Gilas Pilipinas coach

FOLLOWING their rough campaign in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup where they failed to win a single game en route to finishing dead last in the 32-team field, Gilas Pilipinas coach Yeng Guiao stepped down from his post.

In a statement released on Wednesday, a day after arriving from China for the World Cup, Mr. Guiao said that like the entire nation, he, too, was disappointed with their performance in the global basketball spectacle just as he thanked all that had been part of their journey in the past year.

“As regards the past performance of the Gilas Pilipinas Men’s Basketball Team in the recent World Cup, I am as disappointed as the rest of the country,” Mr. Guiao’s statement opened.

The NLEX Road Warriors coach, who replaced Chot Reyes as Gilas coach midway into the World Cup qualifiers last year, said he is grateful for the opportunity that was given to him to coach as such a high level.

He said that he had no regrets in taking on the job despite the fact that he knew right from the start that it would not be an easy task albeit he wished that they could have performed better in China.

“I have no regrets in having taken the path I have taken in the past year; the only regret is that I would have wanted the team to have performed better on the world stage,” Mr. Guiao said.

Adding, “I take full responsibility.”

He went on to show his appreciation for all the people who helped the team as they battled their way to making the final cut for the World Cup.

“I truly and fully appreciate the efforts and sacrifices of all the players; not just those of the recent FIBA World Cup Team, but of all those who have contributed to the program since my appointment as head coach for the 2018 Asian Games. I would also like to extend my personal thanks to the coaching staff, trainers, utilities and the management of the Gilas Team for their hard work, support, and cooperation,” said Mr. Guiao.

He also thanked the officials of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, led by chairman emeritus Manuel V. Pangilinan and president Al Panlilio, the Philippine Basketball Association team owners and officials, and the fans “who wished us well, supported us, and offered their prayers.”

Mr. Guiao’s decision to step down was arrived at after he talked to SBP officials upon their arrival to the country on Tuesday.

At the World Cup, the Philippines wound up with the worst point differential in the 32-team tournament at minus-147 and lost all their five games by an average margin of 29.8 points. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Ronaldo hits 4 for Portugal in 5-1 rout of Lithuania

VILNIUS — Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo took his international tally to 93 goals when he scored four times to give the European champions a 5-1 win away to Lithuania in their Euro 2020 qualifier on Tuesday.

Playing in his 161st international, the 34-year-old notched his eighth hat-trick for his country and the 54th of his remarkable career to help Portugal through what had threatened to turn into a frustrating evening.

Unheralded midfielder William Carvalho completed the rout in stoppage time as Portugal stayed second in Group B with eight points, five behind leaders Ukraine with one game in hand.

Serbia are a further point behind in third after a 3-1 win in Luxemburg.

“I scored one goal against Serbia and four today and what I want most is to continue like this,” said Ronaldo, who converted an early penalty and then added three second-half goals.

Portugal coach Fernando Santos said: “Ronaldo is the best player in the world, this is clear and unmistakable proof.”

Lithuania, bottom with one point, missed an early chance when Vykintas Slivka fired over from close range and they quickly paid the price when Markus Palionis handled a Joao Felix cross and Ronaldo put away the spot kick in the fifth minute.

Lithuania goalkeeper Ernestas Setkus made an excellent save to prevent Edvinas Girdvainis turning the ball into his own net but Vytautas Andriuskevicius then grabbed a surprise equalizer, rising above his marker to head home from a corner in the 28th.

GOOD CHANCES
Ronaldo set up good chances for Felix and Bernardo Silva, which were wasted, after the break before taking matters into his own hands.

Just as Portugal were beginning to show signs of frustration, Ronaldo produced a low shot which bobbled twice in front of Setkus in the 62nd minute. The Lithuania goalkeeper got his hand to it, but it hit his head and bounced into the net.

Three minutes later, Ronaldo was left free in the area to sweep home Bernardo Silva’s cross and Silva also provided the pass for Ronaldo to sidefoot his fourth 11 minutes later.

Carvalho’s goal, his fourth in 60 games, was a fitting reward for a player who keeps the Portugal midfield ticking over without getting much attention.

“I’m convinced that these players are capable of finishing top of this group,” said Santos.

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored twice to keep Serbia’s hopes alive with a win in Luxemburg. He headed Serbia in front after 36 minutes and Nemanja Radonjic curled in the second 10 minutes after the restart.

Substitute David Turpel pulled one back and Serbia were on the ropes until Sergej Milinkovic-Savic produced a delightful reverse pass for Mitrovic to fire in the third. — Reuters

Petro Gazz Angels take further flight as they compete in Taiwan volleyball tourney

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

FORMED just less than two years ago, the Petro Gazz Angels are steadily carving a name for themselves in the local volleyball scene. And they are set to take further flight next week as they represent the country in the 2019 Taichung Bank International Women’s Invitational Volleyball Tournament in Taiwan.

Happening from Sept. 15 to 19, the Angels will pit their skills against some of the top club teams in Asia — including those from China, Japan and Thailand — with the end view of not only performing well but also gaining valuable collective experience which they could use in their campaign in the Premier Volleyball League.

In a press conference on Tuesday at Brothers Burger at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan, the team shared that it is looking forward to competing at the Taichung Bank tournament and representing the Petro Gazz brand and the country.

“The Taipei tournament is a big opportunity for our team. There we will be competing against club teams in China, Japan and Thailand. The competition will be high,” said Petro Gazz coach Arnold Laniog.

“The experience we will get there will be a big help for us, particularly in the ongoing PVL Open Conference,” he added.

For team captain Chie Saet, the Taiwan tournament should provide a gauge of where they are as a team.

“This is a gauge of where we are as a team. We are happy that we were selected to represent the country and we feel blessed to be given much support. We will try our best to have a favorable result in the tournament,” said Ms. Saet.

Petro Gazz, whose campaign has the backing of the Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc., will parade an All-Filipino team.

The team will have Ms. Saet (setter), Stephanie Mercado (outside hitter), Cherry Rose Nunag (middle blocker), Djanel Welch Cheng (setter), Jessy De Leon (MB), Maricar Baloaloa (opposite hitter), Rica Jane Enclona (libero), Alyssa Layug (OH/MB), Jonah Sabete (OH), Cienne Cruz (libero), Jeannette Panaga (MB) and Jovieyn Prado (OH).

The Year 2019 has been a banner one for Petro Gazz, highlighted so far by winning the PVL Season 3 Reinforced Conference.

In the ongoing Open Conference, the Angels are currently tied for second place with a 5-2 record and have won four straight matches.

Petro Gazz officials said that the Taichung Bank invitational tournament is further testament to how far the team has gone in just short a time, which they attribute to the conscious effort to bring in the right personnel to make up the team.

Najdorf Poisoned Pawn

7th Altibox Norway Chess
Stavanger, Norway
June 3–14, 2019

Final Standings

1. Magnus Carlsen NOR 2875, 13.5/18

2–3. Yu Yangyi CHN 2730, Levon Aronian ARM 2752, 10.5/18

4–5. Fabiano Caruana USA 2819, Wesley So USA 2754, 10.0/18

6. Ding Liren CHN 2805, 8.5/18

7–8. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave FRA 2779, Viswanathan Anand IND 2767, 8.0/18

9–10. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov AZE 2774, Alexander Grischuk RUS 2775, 5.0/18

You remember back in June there was this Altibox Norway Chess tournament where all games must be decisive? It went this way:

Players receive two hours for each classical game, with a 10-second increment only after move 40. No draw offers are allowed until move 30. Classical games are worth two points for a win, but in case of a draw players get half a point and play an Armageddon game for the remaining point.

In the Armageddon game White has 10 minutes to Black’s 7, with a 3-second increment from move 61. In case of a draw the player with Black gets the full point.

Magnus Carlsen won this tournament with 13.5/10, three points ahead of the two players tied for second place, Yu Yangyi and Levon Aronian.

There was an exciting game played in the Najdorf Poisoned Pawn which I forgot to show to our readers. I am sure that BW readers who like me were brought up during the Bobby Fischer days would just love to see how the theory has evolved and so, albeit a bit late, I am presenting it now to you.

Caruana, Fabiano (2819) — Vachier Lagrave, Maxime (2779) [B97]
Norway Chess 7th Stavanger (2), 05.06.2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6

Pulses start pounding and excitement rises in anticipation of a cutthroat battle, we have a Najdorf Poisoned Pawn Variation on the board! The two protagonists have had great experience in the line — Maxime Vachier-Lagrave with Black (MVL is known to play the Sicilian Najdorf every chance he gets) and Caruana with White, and they have faced off against each other in this very line several times.

8.Qd2

There are some killjoys who play 8.a3 here with the trap 8…Qxb2? 9.Na4 in mind, winning the black queen. In response, Black can either play 8…Nc6 or 8…Nbd7, both of which should be studied in case you want to play the Poisoned Pawn.

Caruana has also played 8.Qd3 There is a case for calling this the “Azerbaijan Variation” as it was popularized by the late Vugar Gashimov and other young player from that country. Although it blocks her own bishop the queen controls the 3rd rank and in some cases is better placed to support the e5 push. Nowadays the main line seems to be 8…Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.f5 Be7 11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Be2 Qa5 13.Bd2 Qc7 14.g4 h6 with chances for both sides. This is Caruana versus Nakamura from the 2017 Norway Chess tournament in Stavanger which the Italian-American won in 59 moves. This is also Gashimov, V. (2759)-Grischuk, A. (2736) Bursa TUR 2010 0–1 41. The reason I bring up this second game is because Grischuk considers it his best game ever and one of these days I will show it to you in full.

8…Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.f5

Back when the Poisoned Pawn Variation began to appear in tournament practice (this is more than 60 years ago) White’s main idea was the central break 10.e5, blasting open the position to utilize his lead in development. However soon Black found several antidotes, and to every new White attack a counter was found, so much so that in the 1970s White started playing 10.f5. There was a resurgence in interest in 10.e4–e5 in the period 2005–2007 but nowadays the f-pawn push has returned as the main line.

10…Be7

MVL’s surprise. The main line is 10…Nc6 11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 and now either 13.e5 or 13.Be2, with tons of theory in either case.

11.fxe6 Bxe6

Much better than 11…fxe6, which just gives White a target after 12.Bc4. Now Black is forced to give back the sacrificed pawn as 12…d5 does not work: 13.exd5 Qc5 (13…exd5 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.Bxd5 Bxg5 16.Qxg5 Qe7+ 17.Qxe7+ Kxe7 18.Bxb7 White is clearly better) 14.Bb3 exd5 15.Na4 Ne4 16.Nxc5 Nxd2 17.Kxd2 Bxg5+ 18.Kd3 Black is temporarily a pawn up but hopelessly behind in development.

12.Nxe6 fxe6 13.Bc4 Nbd7 14.Bxe6 Nc5 15.Bc4!?

Even in this rare line Caruana has a novelty. Instead of defending his e4 pawn he instantly put his bishop on c4. By way of background, this exact same position after Black’s 14th move came up in Wei Yi versus Nepomniachtchi in the Moscow Grand Prix 2019. There Wei Yi played the obvious 15.Bf5 g6 16.Bh3 Ncxe4 17.Nxe4 Nxe4 18.Qd4 Qc3+ 19.Qxc3 Nxc3 20.Bxe7 Kxe7 (20…Nxb1 21.Bf6 Rf8 22.Bb2 the knight is caught) 21.Rb3 Ne4 22.Rxb7+ Kf6 23.0–0+ Kg5 24.g3 Rab8 25.Ra7 Rb2 26.Bg2 Black is under pressure but he should be able to hold. Wei Yi (2736)-Nepomniachtchi, I. (2773) Moscow Grand Prix 2019 1/2 70.

15…Ncxe4?!

MVL of course realized that he was facing some preparation by Caruana and took 12 minutes before capturing the central pawn. A better move though is 15…Rc8! putting pressure on the pieces along the c-file. If now White plays 16.0–0 Ncd7! 17.Rf5! (17.Bb3? Qc5+ wins a piece) 17…Ne5 (17…Rxc4 18.Rb3 the black queen is unexpectedly trapped) 18.Rxb7 Qc5+ 19.Kh1 Qxc4 Black is at least equal.

16.Nxe4 Nxe4 <D>

POSITION AFTER 16…NXE4

17.Bf7+!

Would you believe this is the idea behind his 15th move?

17…Kxf7 18.Qd5+ Ke8 19.Qxe4 Qa5+ 20.Kd1!

Caruana has studied the position well. He gets his king out of the e-file so that Black cannot exchange queens after 20.Bd2 Qe5 21.Qxe5 dxe5 22.Rxb7 Rf8 the pressure has already been relieved and Black is ok now.

20…Qxg5

Did Caruana overlook this?

21.Rxb7

No! By the way, an important nuance of the position is that Black cannot castle because the King has already moved to f7 and back.

21…Rf8

[21…Qe5? 22.Re1! Kd8 23.Qc6 Black’s checks will run out: 23…Qd4+ 24.Ke2 Qg4+ 25.Kf1 (25.Kd3 is another way but it looks so risky) 25…Qf5+ 26.Kg1 Qc5+ 27.Qxc5 dxc5 28.Rexe7 the two rooks on the 7th rank ensure the win]

22.Re1

[22.Rxe7+? Qxe7 23.Qxa8+ Kd7 24.Qb7+ Kd8 25.Qxa6 Qe5 throws away the win]

22…Rf7 23.Rxe7+ Rxe7 24.Qxa8+ Kf7 25.Rf1+ Kg6 26.Qxa6 Qe5! 27.Qd3+ Kh6 28.c3?!

Fabiano gives up a pawn for no reason. There was nothing wrong with 28.g3.

28…Qxh2! 29.Qd2+ Kg6 30.Rf4 Re6 31.Qc2+ Kh6 32.Qf2 Qh5+! 33.Kd2

Not 33.Kc1? Re2 and it is Black who has the upper hand.

33…Qd5+ 34.Kc1 g6 35.a4 Qe5 36.Kc2 g5?!

With his pieces centralized MVL decides to play for a win. He could have had the draw with 36…Qe2+ would be quite an easy draw: 37.Qxe2 Rxe2+ 38.Kb3 Rxg2 39.a5 Re2 40.a6 Re8 41.Rd4 Kh5 42.Rxd6 g5 the two connected kingside passed pawns for Black should counterbalance White’s a6–pawn.

37.Rd4 Kg6 38.Qf3 h5 39.Rd5 Qe2+ 40.Qxe2 Rxe2+ 41.Rd2 Re6?

This very logical move, defending his d6–pawn, is actually a big mistake as Caruana will demonstrate. Correct was 41…Re5! 42.Rxd6+ Kf5 43.Kb3 h4 44.Rd2 g4 This is a draw. Let’s play through it a few more moves: 45.Kb4 Kf4 46.a5 h3 47.Rd4+ Kg3 48.gxh3 gxh3 49.a6 Kg2 50.Rh4 h2 51.a7 Re8 52.Rxh2+ Kxh2 53.c4 Kg3 54.c5 Kf4 55.c6 Ke5 56.Kc5 Ke6 57.Kb6 Kd6 58.Kb7 Re7+ 59.c7 Rxc7+ 60.Kb8 draw.

42.a5!

I think White is already winning here.

42…h4 43.Kb3 g4 44.Kb4 Re1 45.Ra2!

Preventing the black rook from getting behind his passed pawn.

45…Rb1+ 46.Kc4 h3 47.gxh3 gxh3 48.a6 Rb8 49.Kd5 Ra8 50.Kxd6

The difference between this and the previous line is the position of the kings.

50…h2 51.Rxh2 Rxa6+ 52.Kd5 Kf7 53.Re2!

Cutting off the black king, a standard maneuver in rook and pawn endings.

53…Ra8 54.c4 Rd8+ 55.Kc6 Rc8+ 56.Kb5 Rb8+ 57.Ka6 Rc8 58.Re4 Kf6 59.Kb7 Kf5 60.Rd4 1–0

[60.Rd4 Rc5 61.Rd5+! Rxd5 62.cxd5 Ke5 63.Kc6 there are no more unanswered questions]

An epic battle in the opening, middle game, and endgame!

 

Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.

bobby@cpamd.net

KD’s fresh start

Yesterday’s news on the National Basketball Association was dominated by Kevin Durant’s revelations to The Wall Street Journal. Not that what he told J.R. Moehringer were shockers; for a long, long while now, avid hoops fans have known him to be, well, conflicted. Successful and yet unfulfilled. Wanted and yet unsettled. Talented and yet unsure. It’s why his divorce from the Thunder in 2016 was met with derision, and why his decision to move on from the Warriors over the summer, in contrast, felt preordained. Ironically, he had given assurances he would stay with the former, and no indications of his intentions in regard to the latter.

Indeed, Durant’s pronouncements simply validated sentiments of those from the outside looking in. He’s a proud man, hence his insistence that his joining the Warriors wasn’t aimed at completing his career with a championship. “What are you going to teach me? How can you alter anything in my basketball life? I got an MVP already. I got scoring titles,” he argued. At the same time, he acknowledged that winning it all in 2017 “was a defining moment in my life — not just my basketball life.” It clearly didn’t last, though. They retained the Larry O’Brien Trophy the next year, and could very well have gone three of three last June had he not suffered from a calf injury in the second round of the playoffs. All evident brushes with greatness. And still he left.

Significantly, Durant noted that his move to the Nets was dictated by fit. He didn’t even need to be wooed, as much an indication as any that his mind was made up long before his 2018–19 campaign ended (and perhaps before it began). His discussion with agent Rich Kleiman on his options as a free agent, he recounted, lasted all of a lunch meeting — after which he simply said “All right. Well. I’m going with Brooklyn.” It’s where he can share the court with Kyrie Irving, his “best friend in the league. It’s where he felt respected as an opponent, and where he believes he will be welcomed, continually, without reservations.”

Durant has long been big on acceptance, and it’s fair to wonder if his latest stop will be his last. True, he’s 31 and in the midst of a long period of convalescence from an Achilles tear. True, he has a contract with the Nets that runs until 2023. Then again, if there’s anything recent events have proven, it’s that players can force change even when change doesn’t seem possible. And, in his case, change is just about the only constant. Still, the hope is that he finally finds cause to settle down. He truly has nothing left to prove, and he deserves the peace that comes with believing it himself.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Tala raises $210 Million Series D

Loaning app Tala’s new investment opens more financial opportunities for Filipinos

Three billion adults do not have access to basic financial services, including the ability to borrow, save, or grow their money.

Tala, the leading digital lender in the Philippines, is on a mission to build a financial system that works for everyone, beginning with the world’s most accessible consumer credit product.

Tala announcedits $210M Series D investment to accelerate financial inclusion around the world. The latest funding round is comprised of $110M in equity, led by RPS Ventures, and $100M in debt financing.

The new round will fuel continued growth in the Philippines and support the launch of new products in the Tala ecosystem that promote financial health and create value for its loyal customer base in the Philippines, Mexico, Kenya, and India.

“As the second largest market in Southeast Asia, the Philippines presents a massive opportunity. With a population of over 100 million, we have 70 million unbanked Filipinos with a widely unmet need for credit in a growing economy. In the two short years since we launched in the Philippines, Tala has emerged as the top digital lender in the market,” said Angelo Madrid, Tala’s Country Manager in the Philippines.

In 2014, Tala became the first in the world to offer unsecured loans via smartphone, instantly underwriting customers and disbursing credit entirely through an Android app.

The company has since loaned more than $1 billion to 4 million customers on 3 continents, with a 90% repayment rate that proves the potential of these previously overlooked consumers. Tala’s growth is fueled by a deep commitment to its customers, whose loyalty has helped make Tala a top digital lending app across its current markets.

“We attribute our rapid success to our lean 200-person team in Manila that works with Tala’s global team to deliver best-in-class localized experiences, and our amazing customers, who are the most engaged and loyal that we have seen in any market. With this round of funding, we look forward to continuing on the path to universal financial inclusion,” Madrid adds.

In the near term, Tala will leverage its proprietary technologies and customer trust to deliver additional products that accelerate financial health for the underserved in the Philippines and around the world.

The new round was led by RPS Ventures with participation from GGV Capital and previous investors including IVP, Revolution Growth, Lowercase Capital, Data Collective VC, ThomVest Ventures and PayPal Ventures. Kabir Misra, Founding General Partner at RPS Ventures, has joined Tala’s board of directors.

Tala has more than 500 employees across offices in Manila, Mexico City, Nairobi, Santa Monica, and Bangalore.

Progress and concerns in wastewater management

After water is used for laundry, bathing, dishwashing, using the toilet, and many more, it becomes wastewater. In order for this wastewater to be discharged back to the environment and be reused, it must be treated first. This means that wastewater should undergo a process wherein the water passes through several stages including filtering out of contaminants and cleansing before being sent back to the environment.

Wastewater treatment or management is a vital means of conserving the world’s most important natural resource. With water pollution becoming more challenging to be mitigated, wastewater treatment is essential. In fact, the United Nations stated in 2017 that 80% of the world’s wastewater, and over 95% in some least developed countries, is released to the environment without treatment.

Concerning wastewater management in the Philippines, much has been started and yet much more needs to be done. Notably, it started in 1995, when the Public Private Partnership center urged the government to transfer the burden of handling water supply and sanitation infrastructure to the private sector. Also, according to Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Systems, Inc., there was less than 8% sewer coverage and minimal septage treatment at those times.

To address these concerns, concession agreements that created Manila Water Company, Inc. (MWCI) and Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (MWSI) were signed for a 25-year period in 1997, and have since been extended for an additional 15 years. The agreements entail ensuring 100% wastewater collection and treatment for Metro Manila.

Furthermore, the treatment of wastewaters is also upheld in the Clean Water Act of 2004. It directs the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to implement a wastewater charge system “in all management areas including the Laguna Lake Region and Regional Industrial Centers through the collection of wastewater charges/fees.” It also enforces a discharge permitting system which requires owners or operators of facilities that discharge regulated effluents to secure a wastewater discharge permit.

“Implementation of the polluter pays approach rather than issuing fines has been a key driver in incentivizing industries and residential compounds to install onsite/decentralised treatment systems,” stated the Wastewater Report 2018 by the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), an institution of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

In terms of treatment facilities, OFID’s report noted that “more than 58 decentralized treatment plants were constructed (in addition to the existing centralized plants), seeking low operation costs and the most potential for energy production while ensuring effluent standards were met.”

It also stated that in Metro Manila, “15% of the population is connected to sewer networks and 85% have access to onsite sanitation (septic tanks), of which 44% of the fecal sludge and effluent is safely managed.”

Amid these measures and developments, however, there is still ongoing concern about the lack of wastewater management.

Christian Walder, an urban development specialist (water supply and sanitation) at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), wrote in an article published in ADB’s web site last year that megacities like Metro Manila still do not have adequate sanitation and wastewater treatment regardless of important appearances of progress. “It is estimated that more than 11 million of Metro Manila’s population is using on-site sanitation facilities and that there are more than two million septic tanks installed in the Philippines’ capital region,” he added.

The World Bank, meanwhile, stated that Metro Manila generates about two million cubic meters of wastewater every day. “Without adequate sewerage facilities, only around 17% of this volume gets treated before being discharged into water channels in and around the metropolis, which end up mostly in Manila Bay,” the institution added.

To address such inadequacy, in 2012, the World Bank approved a $275M project that aims to improve wastewater collection and treatment practices in several catchment areas of Metro Manila. Named the Metro Manila Wastewater Management Project (MWMP), the project supports the investments of MWCI and MWSI to improve collection and treatment of wastewater from households and other establishments in the metropolis.

BusinessWorld reported last December 2018 that at the end of November last year, the MWMP was 73% complete and it absorbed 65.42% of the loan facility offered by the World Bank.

In addition, Mr. Walder of ADB emphasized that innovative solutions for wastewater treatment cities and communities can leapfrog wastewater management challenges. He cited a treatment plant in Biñan City, Laguna as an example.

“The facility is located in a densely populated area and has applied a nature-based technology — comprised of plants, microorganisms, biofilms, and engineered media — to break down the wastewater in a biological process that requires less energy and produces less sludge compared to a conventional centralized treatment plant,” he explained. — Adrian Paul B. Conoza

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