Nation at a Glance — (11/23/18)
News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.
Eriksson bullish of Azkals’ chances after a Thai draw
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE PHILIPPINE men’s national football team plays its final game in group play in the ongoing AFF Suzuki Cup on Sunday against Indonesia with its coach high on their chances after seeing his wards perform well against tournament favorite and defending champion Thailand last time around.
An all-important match, the Philippine Azkals need to have a favorable result on Nov. 25 against host Indonesia to give its push to make it to the next round of the regional tournament a huge boost.
Currently, the Philippines is at joint first place in Group B with Thailand with seven points after three matches, just one point up on third-running Singapore.
Thailand is to face Singapore in a key match as well on Sunday.
In the Suzuki Cup, the top two teams from each group at the end of the classification round advance to the crossover semifinals.
Against Thailand on Wednesday at the Panaad Park and Football Stadium in Bacolod City, the Azkals did their Suzuki Cup cause a favor by digging deep to hack out a 1-1 draw and share the spoils with Thailand and stay at the top of the heap.
Substitute Jovin Bedic was the game hero for the Philippines as he scored the equalizer in the 81st minute, three minutes after coming in for Stephan Palla, completing their fight back after going a goal down in the 56th minute.
The Azkals’ resilience and spirit in their play against the War Elephants did not go unnoticed with coach Sven-Goran Eriksson lauding his players and highlighting the potential of the team moving forward.
“I like what I saw today. Thailand, I understand, is the favorite to win this group. If you play like that against the favorites you have to feel good about yourself and be proud, “Mr. Eriksson said in the post-match press conference .
“It was a good match. Both sides wanted to play football out there. Good chances for them but we created more chances than them. I think Thailand is more happy with the draw than us but 1-1 is okay. And the most important for me as a coach is that I saw that we can play very good football, defending and attacking. And we did it today for 90 minutes than the last two games. I’m happy for our players,” he added.
The World Cup coach went on to say that he likes where the Azkals are at in the standings and hopes they get to complete the task of going deeper.
“We’re not yet in the semifinals but we have one foot or half a foot in there,” he said.
The Philippines-Indonesia match will be shown live over ESPN5 and tv5.com.ph at 8 p.m.
UAAP: Fighting Maroons and Soaring Falcons open Final 4
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE FINAL Four of University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 81 gets under way this weekend with the Adamson Soaring Falcons and University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons first to be featured at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Set for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, the second-seeded Falcons, carrying a twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals, look to eliminate the third-seeds Maroons, making their first Final Four appearance in 21 years, at the first instance.
Adamson comes into the matchup as the second-best defensive team in the league, allowing just 70.6 points to opponents, and fifth on offense with an average of 73.5 points.
The Falcons were steady in the two-round elimination phase, finishing each round with a 5-2 record to propel themselves to a top-two placing.
Jerrick Ahanmisi leads Adamson with averages of 18 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
Forward Sean Manganti has been good for 14.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 2.4 apg while big man Papi Sarr has been steady for a double-double of 10.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per.
In two games to date, the Falcons have had the number of the Maroons, beating the latter, 69-68, off a Manganti game-winner in the first round, and, 80-72, in the second round.
“It’s probably going to be a classic game as we all know it’s difficult to go up against a team that is very excited and pumped up following a big win,” said Adamson coach Franz Pumaren of their Final Four opponent UP, which is coming off a big win over the De La Salle Green Archers on Nov. 14 that ended for it a 21-year UAAP semifinal drought.
Mr. Pumaren also underscored that having a twice-to-beat advantage does not automatically guarantee a spot in the finals, viewing it as more of an incentive, thus, the need for them to go out there and finish things.
“A twice-to-beat advantage does not guarantee one of making it to the finals. It is just an incentive to aspire for. You still have to get the win needed to advance,” the Adamson coach said.
‘IN THIS TO WIN THIS’
For the Final Four-returning Maroons, the goal now is to go deeper after their initial mission of making it to the semifinals is now out of the way.
“While we will enjoy this there is still a game to be played in the Final Four and we will prepare for that. We’re in this to win this. [Adamson] is one of the best in the league. But we’re here and we might as well enjoy it and fight for it,” UP coach Bo Perasol said following their victory over La Salle.
The Maroons boast of the best offense in the league with an 80.3-point average, complementing it with a sixth-best defense of 77.5 points allowed.
Set-to-be-named UAAP most valuable player Bright Akhuetie is pacing UP with averages of 18.9 points, 14.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
Juan Gomez De Liano is backstopping him with all-around numbers of 16.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists while graduating Paul Desiderio is adding 13.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
While they have not had much success against the Falcons so far in Season 81, Mr. Perasol is undeterred, believing the Final Four is a totally different ball game and that his players are ready to go to battle.
“What I am confident about is I know my team will fight for it. We still need to figure out things against Adamson. But this is basketball and we have a chance against them. And we’re not going to offer it to them on a silver platter. And knowing my players, they will know how to figure it out,” he said.
The winner between Adamson and UP will take on the victor of the other semifinal pairing of the Ateneo Blue Eagles and Far Eastern University Tamaraws, which play on Sunday.
Durant’s cursing costs him $25K
LOS ANGELES — The war of words continues for Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant. And this time it cost him.
After last week’s heated argument with teammate Draymond Green just left Durant agitated, he was fined $25,000 on Tuesday for “directing inappropriate language toward a fan,” it was announced by Kiki VanDeWeghe, the NBA’s executive vice president of basketball operations.
The incident occurred with 1:01 remaining in the first quarter of the Warriors’ 112-109 road loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
Through league sources, Yahoo Sports reported that Durant told a heckler in the crowd at American Airlines Center to “watch the (bleeping) game and shut the (bleep) up.”
The struggling Miami Heat are hoping there is a carryover effect when Dwyane Wade makes his return from paternity leave on Tuesday night as the Heat host the Brooklyn Nets.
Miami is just 2-5 since Wade departed the club for the Nov. 7 birth of his daughter. The 6-10 overall mark is the team’s second-worst through 16 games in the past dozen seasons.
“There’s a human element to this business and to the game, and it is the most important thing,” coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters following shootaround. “The connection, your spirit, your emotions, everybody getting on the same page and just seeing Dwyane back here with the guys, there was a tangible boost in energy in the shootaround.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly parting ways with JR Smith, just hours after the publication of a story in which Smith accused the team of tanking and said he wants out of Cleveland.
According to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, Smith “will no longer be actively with the Cavs” and is working with the team on a potential trade. He will work on his own, Vardon continued, calling the split “amicable.”
After a loss Monday sent Cleveland to the bottom of the NBA standings at 2-13, Smith told The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd, “I don’t think the goal is to win. The goal isn’t to go out there and try to get as many wins as you can. I think the goal is to develop and lose to get lottery picks. I think that was always the plan.” — Reuters
Cleveland fans welcome LeBron James as he leads Los Angeles Lakers to win
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James scored 32 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out seven assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a come-from-behind 109-105 win on Wednesday in his return to Cleveland.
The Lakers, sparked by James, went on a 16-3 run late in the fourth quarter to erase a 99-91 Cavaliers lead.
Former Laker Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points and ignited a 13-4 fourth-quarter run in which the Cavs turned an 87-86 deficit into a 99-91 lead with 5:41 to go.
But Kyle Kuzma’s 24-foot 3-pointer cut the Cavaliers’ lead to 99-94, and then No. 23 took over — an all-too-familiar sight for Cleveland fans. Only this time, it spelled another defeat for the home crowd.
James made two free throws, connected on a 3-point jumper and made three more foul shots to put the Lakers up 102-99.
From there it was a matter of the Lakers making free throws to ice the game, and while James struggled on the night from the charity stripe, going eight-for-12, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope calmly made four straight to seal the win for the Lakers.
All five Los Angeles starters scored in double figures, and Caldwell-Pope added 13 off the bench.
Cedi Osman led Cleveland with 21 points.
James’ former teammate and good friend Tristan Thompson scored 14 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as the Cavaliers did not play like a team that entered the game at 2-13, the league’s worst record.
The sellout crowd at the Quicken Loans Arena gave James a rousing standing ovation during the team’s introduction, thanking him for bringing Cleveland its first championship — a memorable title over Golden State in 2016, ending a 52-year drought.
James received warm hugs and handshakes from his former teammates, but when it was time to play, the Cavaliers came out inspired.
After the game, James said, “To come back and get the reception that I got tonight, it means a lot to not only myself, but for my family and friends that were here tonight, and my family that’s back home in LA as well.”
James scored the first points of the game and JaVale McGee’s dunk gave the Lakers a 4-0 lead. From there, it was a see-saw affair with Cleveland holding the upper hand most of the way. In the first quarter, there would be 10 lead changes and five ties.
About four minutes into the game, the Cleveland organization honored James with an emotional video tribute thanking the native of Akron, Ohio, (about 30 minutes south of Cleveland) for all the work on the court as well as for his humanitarian work in northeastern Ohio.
Once again, it was back to work for both teams, with the Cavs being very workmanlike.
The Cavs maintained some offensive consistency in the second period as they attacked and were aggressive. Cleveland opened up an 11-point lead on a pair of free throws by Andrew Harrison. — Reuters
ONE: Vera and Folayang in ‘proving self’ fights today
LONG considered as key players in the growth of mixed martial arts in the Philippines, Brandon “The Truth” Vera and Eduard “Landslide” Folayang are in for what one local fight analyst said are “proving self” fights today at ONE Championship’s “Conquest of Champions” event.
Co-headlining the much-anticipated event at the Mall of Asia Arena, reigning ONE world heavyweight champion Vera (15-7) is returning to action after a near two-year break and is battling Italian challenger Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli in a title clash while Mr. Folayang (20-6) is out to reclaim the lightweight gold against Singaporean Amir Khan.
Considering their pillar-like status in Philippine MMA and where they are coming from at this stage of their respective careers, Conquest of Champions has a lot of significance for Messrs. Vera and Folayang, and an exciting night of fighting should be in store, said local fight analyst Nissi Icasiano.
“The billing of being the biggest ONE Championship fight card in the Philippines so far is just fitting. When the modern MMA craze started in the mid-2000s in the country it was led by, of course, Brandon Vera when he rose to prominence in 2006 with a victory over Frank Mir in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The craze started there. So the face of Philippine MMA then was Vera who was revered by many. On the other hand, you have Eduard Folayang who is now the face of Philippine MMA. He started in the local ranks and made his way to the international level. You have two faces that sparked the MMA revolution here. Two pillars in one card,” said Mr. Icasiano in an interview with BusinessWorld, speaking of the magnitude of ONE’s latest offering in the Philippines.
Mr. Icasiano went on to say that making the event all the more interesting are the underlying stories for it, in particular how the two revered fighters are angling to show they still have it in them to fight competitively and the circumstances they are in heading into their respective fights.
Mr. Vera is coming off a long layoff, having last fought in December 2016 and is planning to add the ONE world light heavyweight title in his resume after his upcoming fight.
Mr. Folayang, meanwhile, is on the comeback trail after losing his title in November last year to erstwhile two-division champion Martin Nguyen.
“For Brandon Vera, Mauro is going to be the toughest opponent he has faced so far. He’s (Cerilli) no joke. He’s a finisher in his own right. Vera is facing a fighter that came from the promotion that produced Conor McGregor. Vera is coming off a two-year layoff. Mauro fought last March and he stopped his opponent in 12 seconds. If Vera wants to fight for the light heavyweight title in Japan next year he needs to win this,” Mr. Icasiano said.
“Eduard, on the other hand, had a lot of doubters after he lost the lightweight belt to Martin Nguyen last year. Some said it was time for him to call it a day but amazingly in just a year he is back in the mix and is now vying for the belt again. He did his part to adapt to the changes in MMA. He trained in the States to work with the best of the best at Jackson Wink MMA and defeating two outstanding Russians this years is quite a statement to how dedicated he is in getting back the title,” he added.
Messrs. Vera and Folayang are in good positions to emerge on top but Mr. Icasiano noted that in MMA nothing is really etched in stone and every fighter should work and make things happen.
“I’m expecting a different Folayang in this fight. I’m gonna be honest, in his last two fights he showed some signs of age. I’m excited though to see what adjustments he made under Mike Winkeljohn and Greg Jackson. I’m not doubting Khan and his growing legacy but Eduard has the experience,” the analyst said.
“For Vera, speed will be a factor. He should be aware of Cerilli’s power though,” Mr. Icasiano added.
Other Filipinos seeing action in ONE: Conquest of Champions are Honorio Banario, Jeremy Miado and Rockie Bactol.
Conquest of Champions is broadcast live over ABS-CBN S+A, beginning at 8:30 p.m. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Kaya FC to compete in Group H at 2019 AFC Cup
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
INAUGURAL Copa Paulino Alcantara champion Kaya FC-Iloilo is bracketed in Group H when in plays in the AFC Cup next year.
In the official tournament draw held at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday, Kaya found itself in the same grouping as Home United of Singapore, Lao Toyota FC of Laos and a still-to-be-named team from Indonesia.
The spot in the 2019 AFC Cup is part of the incentives for Kaya after winning the Copa Paulino Alcantara, the Philippines’ football cup tournament.
Kaya defeated Davao Aguilas FC in the finals in October, 1-0, in an exciting match that went to extra time.
“It’s an exciting group. It’s definitely going to be a challenge, but a challenge that the club and the players are excited for,” said Kaya General Manager Paul Tolentino following the draw.
“For supporters of Kaya FC and supporters of football in general, this is an exciting opportunity for them to see clubs from different countries, to see their level of football and to see how the Filipinos are really able to cope at this level, with what you could say are more experienced and seasoned opponents. The club is striving to bring matches home to Iloilo. Obviously there’s a lot of work to be done to get approval from AFC to be able to play in front of the Iloilo home crowd, but we’re doing our best,” he added.
Kaya is set to first play on Feb. 27 away against Lao Toyota FC and plays at home against Home United on March 13.
The rest of the schedule goes as: April 2 vs Indonesian club (away), April 17 vs Indonesian Club (home), April 30 vs Lao Toyota FC (home) and May 14 vs Home United (away).
Also competing in the tournament from the Philippines is Ceres-Negros FC, the reigning Philippines Football League champion. It plays in Group G.
During the official draw, the AFC expressed its excitement and said its looking forward to the tournament proper in 2019.
“The Cup exemplifies the continent’s love for football, a passion for the game that shows no signs of slowing down, especially when you look at the record attendances set in Indonesia this year. The AFC’s vision and mission is clear. We want to raise the standard of our competitions and we want to confirm football as the number one sport in the continent,” said AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John.
MPBL: San Juan edges Manila in overtime thriller
THE family rivalry between San Juan and Manila has provided the drama more than expected in a soap opera and on Wednesday night, the two teams needed an extra five-minute stretch to settle the outcome.
In the end, San Juan, the host team, outlasted its cross city rival Manila, 84-80, to solidify its chances of staying in the upper half of the standings heading to the playoff of the MPBL Datu Cup at the Filoil Flying V Arena.
Ex-pro Larry Rodriguez completed a three-point play while Mike Ayonayon came away with a breakaway lay up in two crucial plays in the waning seconds of the extra period, allowing the Knights, supported by Go-For-Gold, to notch their 13th win in 16 meetings.
The Knights had moved up to solo second following their latest win over the Robust Energy Capsule-supported Manila Stars, who absorbed their third loss in 15 games and dropped to third spot in the tough northern conference of this tournament. With his team trailing, 80-79, Rodriguez powered his way inside and cashed in on a short stab off a foul from Chris Bitoon. He completed the three-point play with 1.05 seconds remaining in the overtime period.
The Stars had a chance of knotting the game anew after Riel Cervantes was fouled by Rodriguez with 42 seconds left. Unfortunately, the usually deadly forward missed both charities, but Manila got a new lease in life when Marcy Arellano stole the ball from Larry Muyang after the rebound scramble.
Manila got two more chances in its next offensive thrust, but failed to take advantage of it. Cervantes missed a jumper, but Aris Dionisio picked up the offensive rebound and decided to pass it out for Bitoon, who also missed a long heap. That allowed the Knights to score off a transition play as Mike Ayonayon went coast to coast for a breakaway lay up — and the insurance basket. — Rey Joble
Mendoza, Reyes rule Philcycling-Go For Gold road race trials
LIAN, BATANGAS — Marcryan Mendoza beat Efren Reyes Jr. by half a wheel in the junior category while Aljim Martin survived an early crash to rule the youth division of the Philcycling-Go For Gold National Junior and Youth Trials on Thursday.
The 17-year-old Mendoza, a second-generation rider, nosed out Reyes after zooming ahead in the final 10 meters of the 78-kilometer race that began and ended in Barangay Binubusan here.
Martin, meanwhile, picked up his bike after a spill some five kilometers into the 40-km race and broke free from the peloton to arrive solo at the finish line, more than two minutes ahead of his closest pursuer.
A cousin of veteran rider Ronald Oranza, Martin arrived two minutes and 18.59 seconds ahead of Josue Albert Decuzar and John Paul Laureta and more than three minutes faster than fourth-placer Marc Van Louie Baluyut.
Mendoza, whose father Ryan was a professional rider in his prime, actually exacted revenge on Reyes, whose maneuverings denied him the Tour de Matabungay title last month in his rivalry with Go For Gold ace Rex Krog.
Go For Gold’s Ean Cajucom placed third in the juniors, 1:51 slower than Mendoza and Reyes, while Rench Michael Bondoc and Dave Clarence Cortez checked in fourth and fifth, more than four minutes behind the winner.
Day 2 of the tryouts designed to discover new talents for the national cycling team will feature the top 24 riders in the youth and the 25 surviving cyclists in the juniors in an individual time trial race.
James feasted in Q
Yesterday proved to be a successful homecoming for LeBron James. Returning to the Q for the first time since losing in Game Four of the 2018 Finals last June, he responded to the warm reception with a solid 32, 14, and seven line in 36 minutes of play. Most importantly, he led the Lakers to victory, an outcome that remained in doubt until the final buzzer. Had they lost to the Cavaliers, who sported the worst record in the National Basketball Association heading into the match, he would have rightly deemed his visit far from a success.
To be sure, James’ performance was not tied to the multiple ovations he was treated to throughout the contest. True, fans saw fit to reward him with cheers from the moment he set foot on the court to his formal introduction as a starter to the video tribute aired during the first time out to the multiple highlights he provided. Then again, he was greeted with bitterness and vitriol when he donned colors other than the Cavaliers’ in 2010, and he still managed to come up with transcendent numbers.
Nonetheless, there can be no downplaying the significance of the geniality, even fondness, with which James was feasted yesterday. Clearly, he generated more than enough goodwill in marching the Cavaliers to the championship against all odds in 2016 to overcome the acrimony that accompanied his first departure and, yes, the disappointment that came with his second. And, if nothing else, he was thankful for the development. As the video tribute noted, “we all know it’s bigger than basketball.”
If James could change one thing yesterday, it may have been the spotty play of the Lakers, who shot well but turned the ball over too many times for comfort. And they were also often unfocused, allowing the bottom-barrel Cavaliers to post a double-digit advantage and nearly ruin the night for him. Then again, perhaps not. He knew what he was getting into when he decided to don the purple and gold last July, and he understands that there will be plenty other moments of doubt.
Bottom line, the Lakers are three games above .500 for the first time in five years. And while there are myriad factors coming into play, James’ presence is the most crucial one — just as his absence is for the Cavaliers. Needless to say, he and the wine and gold have parted in more ways than one.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
RMB 6-B multi-tranche ‘panda’ sale eyed
THE PHILIPPINES is looking to sell about 6 billion renminbi worth of bonds in several tranches over the next two years, after it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China providing for its return to the “panda” debt market, the Department of Finance (DoF) said in a statement on Wednesday.
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III and Bank of China (BoC) chairman Chen Siqing signed the MoU on “panda” bond issuance on Monday, as part of the 29 agreements signed during the first day of China President Xi Jinping’s two-day state visit to Manila on Tuesday.
The DoF said the panda bond MoU provided a “general framework to facilitate cooperation between the DoF and the Chinese bank (BoC) on future issuances by the Philippines of renminbi-denominated ‘panda’ bonds in the Chinese debt capital market.”
“The MoU covers the Philippines’ plan to return to the China Interbank Bond market in 2019, with a possible application for a multi-tranche RMB 6-billion bond issuance,” the DoF said.
National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon told reporters after Wednesday’s Treasury bond auction that the framework covers the Philippines’ registration with Chinese authorities that allows the former to sell offshore debt papers over the next two years.
She said that the government is looking at offering tenors in “three and five” years.
“Either we avail everything or staggered, depends on market appetite We’ll see kasi depending on the rates at that time and our requirements, so we just provided for RMB 6 billion for the next two years…,” said Ms. De Leon.
“But if market conditions are not really favorable to us, we have the option to issue in 2020.”
The Philippines’ conducted its maiden renminbi bond sale in March where it raised RMB 1.46 billion, or about $230 million, in three-year debt papers. The BoC served as one of the lead underwriters for that exercise.
The issuance was successful as bids reached more than six times the government offer, bringing the coupon to the low end of the 5.00-5.60% price guidance — signaling strong investor confidence towards the Philippines.
The BoC was also among 13 other banks that led the establishment of the Philippine renminbi trading community, which put in place a direct currency conversion platform for the Philippine peso and the Chinese renminbi which is aimed at reducing costs and easing volatility in the peso-dollar exchange market.
The side from being the lead underwriter for ‘panda’ bonds, BoC also acts as the Philippines’ joint global coordinator for its upcoming global dollar bond transaction, according to the DoF.
The Philippines is also looking at returning to the yen-denominated “samurai” bond market and the euro debt market next year, as it is seeking to diversify its funding sources.
The government has programmed a 65-35 ratio in its borrowing plan for this year in favor of domestic sources, and 75-25 for 2019-2022 with local lenders still taking the larger share. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan
Spending on infrastructure, other capital outlays rising
STATE SPENDING on infrastructure and other capital outlays continued to surge in September, enabling the government to exceed its disbursement program for 2018’s first nine months, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.
The DBM’s latest disbursement assessment report, infrastructure spending and other capital outlays stood at P65.2 billion in September, 21.6% more than the P53.6 billion spent in the same month last year.
In September, the government spent for construction of access roads to airports, seaports and tourist destinations; construction of bypass roads; road improvements; rehabilitation of damaged national roads; preventive maintenance; flood control and drainage improvement works, construction of storm surge and slope protection.
The government also disbursed funds for housing, water and electricity supply under the Bangsamoro Regional Inclusive Development for Growth and Empowerment program of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno in a media briefing at the DBM headquarters yesterday cited “swifter implementation of infrastructure projects” by the Department of Public Works and Highways and other agencies.
“This is proof that the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program is firing on all cylinders,” he said.
At the same time, he said that such disbursements dropped 4.7% from August’s P68.4 billion, as spending has begun to slow after the government front-loaded last semester most of its infrastructure requirements for 2018.
“This just reflects seasonality. The best time to spend for infra[structure] is during the first six months of the year, those dry months. That means since we have overspent in the first three quarters, then the fourth quarter will kind of slowdown. We have already released what we’re supposed to release,” said Mr. Diokno.
In the January-September period, infrastructure disbursements and other capital outlays stood at P570.8 billion, 45.9% more than the P391.2 billion in the same nine months in 2017, exceeding the P532.6-billion target for that period by 7.2%.
Infrastructure and other capital outlays represented 22.93% of the overall P2.49-trillion expenditures in the first nine months of the year.
“We are glad to report the strong momentum of government spending in the first nine months of the year. Underspending, a weakness of the bureaucracy for as long as I can remember, has virtually been eradicated. Reforms like careful budget preparation, timely implementation of line agencies, and the gradual shift to an annual cash-based budget system have made this possible,” said Mr. Diokno.
He noted that undisbursed funds settled at 2.6% of total allocations in January-September, versus 5.8% and 3.1% in the same periods in 2017 and 2016, respectively, as well as 14.5% and 15.8% in the same period in 2015 and 2014, respectively.
In the past, agencies could enter into contracts or “obligate funds” until the end of the following fiscal year without requiring actual delivery and payment of goods and services within the same year.
Since 2017, the DBM has adopted the same budgeting system, but shortened the validity of allotments to just one year.
For 2019, the government will fully shift to a cash-based budget that requires release of funds, awarding of contract, implementation and disbursements are done in the same fiscal year.
“The reforms on the fiscal sector are gradually taking hold,” said Mr. Diokno. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan