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Americans Stephens, Gauff crash out in Washington

WASHINGTON — Top seed and former champion Sloane Stephens crashed out of the Citi Open in Washington as she suffered a stunning 6-2 7-5 first-round loss to Swede Rebecca Peterson on Tuesday while teenager Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff also fell in straight sets.

Stephens, whose best result this year was a run to the Madrid semifinals in May, was misfiring from the start and never managed to settle into much of a groove in her first meeting with the Swedish world number 70.

Peterson enjoyed a dream start as she raced out to a 5-2 lead and ultimately took the opening set in 29 minutes when Stephens sent a routine backhand from the baseline into the net.

Stephens, who triumphed here in 2015, started to settle down in the second and led 5-4 but Peterson broke back to get back on serve and never looked back.

Up next for Peterson will be the winner of a Tuesday clash between American Sachia Vickery and Italian Camila Giorgi.

Gauff, the 15-year-old sensation who made a stunning run to the fourth round at Wimbledon and came through qualifiers to reach the main draw in Washington, fell 6-4 6-2 in the afternoon to Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan.

The turning point came at the end of the first set as Diyas converted her fourth set point of the game when Gauff sent a forehand into the net.

That brought an end to a game that had lasted more than 10 minutes and left the youngster visibly frustrated.

Diyas held at love to start the second set and never looked back en route to the win before packed stands on a hot and humid day in the US capital.

Gauff did herself no favours, smacking her 33rd unforced error on match point having also given Diyas 16 break points, five of which she was able to convert.

Next up for Diyas is a second-round clash with fifth seeded Lesia Tsurenko.

Olympic champion Monica Puig also advanced with a 6-4 6-2 victory over American Allie Kiick and will face Russian Anna Kalinskaya in the second round. — Reuters

Wesley’s queen

Riga FIDE Grand Prix 2019
Riga, Latvia
July 12-25, 2019
(all participants are GMs)

ROUND 1

Anish Giri versus Sergey Karjakin 4.0-5.0

Pentala Harikrishna versus Wesley So 1.5-2.5

Jan-Krzysztof Duda versus Peter Svidler 2.5-1.5

Daniil Dubov versus Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 0.5-1.5

Alexander Grischuk versus Nikita Vitiugov 3.0-1.0

Yu Yangyi vs. Levon Aronian 4.5-4.5*

Veselin Topalov versus Hikaru Nakamura 2.5-1.5

David Navara versus Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 0.5-1.5

*Match reached Armageddon game which was drawn, and Yu Yangyi advanced to the next round because he was Black (see explanation of tie-break rules below).

ROUND 2

Sergey Karjakin vs. Wesley So 3.5-4.5

Jan-Krzysztof Duda vs. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 1.5-2.5

Alexander Grischuk vs. Yu Yangyi 2.5-1.5

Veselin Topalov versus Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 0.5-1.5

ROUND 3

Wesley So versus Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 0.5-1.5

Alexander Grischuk vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 0.5-1.5

ROUND 4

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 5.0=4.0

In the just-concluded Riga Grand Prix tournament Wesley So eliminated Pentala Harikrishna in the first round 2.5-1.5. They had two draws in the classical games but Wesley won the rapid tiebreaks with one win and one draw.

What is noteworthy about the match which lasted 4 games was that the Bacoor native gave up his queen twice — he gave it up for a rook and two minor pieces to get a winning position in game 1 (classical) but could not coordinate his pieces and allowed Harikrishna to escape. In game three (rapid 25 mins. + 10 sec. increment) he once again exchanged his queen for a rook and two minor pieces but this time got them working together and did not allow any counterplay to win.

His Quarter-Final opponent was the “Minister of Defense,” the former Vice-Champion of the World Sergey Karjakin. Both Wesley So (USA) and Sergey Karjakin (RUS) are the “I will play 40 good moves and if you play 40 good moves then we draw. Otherwise, I will go for the win” kind of player. They also know each other’s opening systems very well and that is why it is not easy for either player to get an advantage.

For the first two games (classical chess) and the rapid chess tie-breaks (two games of 25+10) followed by the fast tie-breaks (two games of 10+10), that’s a total of six games, there was not much action — the games ended in 17, 19, 31, 27, 17 and 18 move draws. However, once blitz chess tiebreaks (5 minutes + 3 second increment after every move) were reached their games exploded into action. As you know in blitz chess activity is more important than the mere counting of pawns — the mistakes will come anyway so you would have a better chance of winning if your pieces have scope for action. Once Wesley saw that material losses were inevitable he … but you should go over the game for yourself!

So, Wesley (2763) — Karjakin, Sergey (2748) [A29]
Riga Grand Prix (3.5), 17.07.2019

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4 5.Bg2 0–0 6.Nd5 Bc5

Hardly anyone ever plays 6…Nxd5 because of 7.cxd5 Nd4 8.Nxd4 (8.Nxe5? Re8 9.Nxf7 is a sacrifice which only works if Black accepts it. 9…Qf6! (9…Kxf7? 10.e3 Nf5 11.Qg4 attacking both Black’s knight and bishop) 10.e3 Qxf7 11.0–0 Nf5 Black is much better) 8…exd4 9.0–0 White has a small edge.

7.0–0 d6 8.e3 Re8

The stem game for this line is Tony Miles versus Vassily Smyslov from the 1984 Interpolis Tournament. I will show you later how it sent.

9.d4 Bg4!

Part of Karjakin’s opening preparation, and it is a strong move. [Smyslov played 9…Bb6 10.b3 Nxd5 11.cxd5 Nb4 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.e4 Bg4 14.Bb2 Qf6 15.a3 Na6 16.b4 White has a small advantage because his pieces are better coordinated. Miles, A. (2245)-Smyslov, V. (2600) Tilburg 1984 1–0 71.

10.dxc5 e4 11.Nc3?

This move was labeled as a novelty by some quarters. While it is true 11.Nc3 has never been played before that is because it is a mistake! Correct is 11.h3 exf3 12.hxg4 fxg2 13.Kxg2 dxc5 14.f3 Ne5 15.e4 Nxc4 Nepomniachtchi, I. (2768)-Vitiugov, N. (2730) RUS-ch Satka 2018 1/2 41.

11…Ne5! <D>

POSITION AFTER 11…NE5

GM Wesley now realizes that 12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13.h3 Nxf3+ 14.Bxf3 Bxh3 15.Re1 Qf6 16.Qe2 dxc5 Black is a pawn up with good attacking prospects. Remember what I said about needing to stay active in fast time control games? This is precisely the type of position you should avoid. So what is he to do now?

12.Nxe5!?

Completely unexpected. White gives up his queen for two pieces just to remain active.

12…Bxd1 13.Nxf7 Qe7

Karjakin avoids 13…Kxf7 14.Rxd1 Qe7 15.cxd6 cxd6 16.Rd4 Rad8 17.b3 White has some pressure on the d6 and e4 pawns.

14.Nxd6 cxd6 15.cxd6 Qxd6 16.Rxd1

It turned out that the bishop pair and two pawns are a decent match for the black queen, since White has no real weaknesses. Sergey said White’s position was “playable in blitz,” and it’s arguably even easier to play as White.

16…Qe5

White has two bishops and two pawns for Black’s queen. This is of course not enough, but Wesley plays the second phase very well and he manages to bring out the latent power of the two bishops.

17.Bd2 Rad8 18.Be1 b6 19.b3 Rd3 20.Rxd3 exd3 21.Rd1 Rd8 22.Bf1 Qf5

[22…d2 is a nice trick, hoping for 23.Bxd2? Rxd2 24.Rxd2 Qxc3 Black has a decisive advantage. However, after the correct reply 22…d2 23.Rxd2! Rxd2 (23…Qxc3? 24.Rxd8+ Kf7 25.Bxc3) 24.Bxd2 White now has two bishops and three pawns for the queen and his position is solid.

23.Nd5! Nxd5 24.Rxd3

It turns out that Black cannot move his knight because of the pin along the d-file.

24…Kf8

Karjakin takes his King out of the a2–g8 diagonal so that after 25.cxd5 Rxd5 26.Rxd5 Qxd5 27.Bc4 is not possible.

25.cxd5

Wesley is really a very tricky guy, even with only seconds on his clock. It turns out that Black still cannot play 25…Rxd5 because of 26.Bb4+ Ke8 27.e4! Qxe4 28.Re3.

25…a5! 26.Rd4

With the idea of Rf4.

26…Qb1 27.Bc3 Qxa2 28.Bc4 Qc2 29.Rf4+ Ke7 30.Bxg7

Now the threat is Bf4+

30…Rd6?

If Karjakin had more time he would probably have seen 30…Rxd5! 31.Bxd5 Qd1+ 32.Kg2 Qxd5+ with a probable draw.

31.Bf8+

Not only winning the exchange but also the queen.

31…Kd7 32.Bb5+ Kc7 33.Rc4+ 1–0

After 33.Rc4+ Qxc4 34.Bxd6+ Kxd6 35.bxc4 even I can win this position against Karjakin.

I am afraid this story does not have a happy ending. After showing very creative play Wesley was eliminated by Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in the Semifinals. He was surprised by an opening novelty and could not hold it together.

Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar (2765) — So, Wesley (2763) [E05]
Grand Prix Riga 2019 Riga (3.1), 18.07.2019

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Ne5 Nc6 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.Na3 Bxa3 10.bxa3 Ba6 11.Qd2 Rb8 12.Qa5 Rb6 13.a4! Qd6 14.a3!

A nice novelty. White usually continues 14.e4 and Black would equalize after 14…Qb4. The prophylactic 14.a3 robs Black of that possibility.

14…Rfb8 15.e4 c3?

After the game Mamedyarov reveals that the correct way to proceed is 15…Nxe4! 16.Bxe4 Qxd4 17.Be3 Qxe4 18.Bxb6 Rxb6 19.Rfe1 Qg6 and Black can probably hold (Take note that the obvious 19…Qd5 is a mistake, for now White can play 20.Rad1).

16.e5 Qd8

Black had originally intended 16…Qxd4 17.exf6 Bxf1 18.Bxf1 Qxf6 with chances to hold, but now realized that 16…Qxd4 is refuted by 17.Be3.

17.exf6 Bxf1 18.Bxf1 c2 19.Ra2 Qd5 20.Qxd5 cxd5 21.Rxc2

The two bishops is more than a match for the Black rook.

21…gxf6 22.Rxc7 R8b7 23.Rc5 Kg7 24.Kg2 Rb1 25.Bb5 Ra1 26.Rc3 Rb6 27.Bf4 Rb7 28.Kf3 Rd1 29.Be3 Rb1 30.Kg4 Rh1 31.h4 Kg6 32.Bd3+ f5+ 33.Kf3 Rd1 34.g4 1–0

But what can we say? Mamedyarov was a better player on this day. We just have to move on.

 

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

Daddy James

LeBron James just can’t get any slack. Even his mere attendance at a basketball game of his son’s team has been placed under scrutiny. Admittedly, he calls attention to himself in manners other parents can’t and those from the outside looking in may deem overenthusiastic at best. Joining players’ pickup lines to throw down dunks and celebrating to the point where he becomes the focus of attention instead of the action on the court isn’t normal by any means. Which is why he has been pilloried by armchair pundits and on social media.

On the other hand, James isn’t just any proud father; he’s LeBron Freaking James, among the best of the best at the sport he’s watching and by far the most recognizable athlete in North America, if not the world, precisely because of the polarizing figure he cuts. He gets called out any which way, from every conceivable angle, and for the most ridiculous of reasons. And because nobody has been living under a rock all this time, all eyes invariably become glued to him no matter what he does. And, make no mistake, he would have courted criticism even if he stayed passive throughout the North Coast Blue Chips’ 14U Invite championship match.

Knowing this to be the truth, James simply resolves to do what he does. He doesn’t care about the opinions of quarters he can’t ever please, anyway. What he’s truly impassioned about are clear: Basketball, his son, and his son’s teammates. It’s why he doesn’t think twice about indulging in high-flying slams; he sees himself as part of their team. And about cheering for outstanding plays. In reacting to one memorable give-and-go sequence during the title match, for example, he basked to such an extreme that he invaded the court, lost his right shoe while kicking the air, and gave a chest bump. The clincher? LeBron Junior wasn’t even suited up.

Little wonder, then, that the Blue Chips love James. Sure, they get special perks like support from Nike and coaching from him. And, sure, they benefit from their association with Bronnie. Then again, he gives his time freely, and his praise unreservedly. And, in response, they return the affection. In particular, AAU Star Dior Johnson took to Twitter to defend him, arguing that “This is Crazy to see … you guys take what this man does off the court for granted … sounds like hate … My Dad has never been to ONE of my basketball Games … In fact I haven’t even seen my father in 4 Years lol.”

Needless to say, the sight of 15-year-old kids providing measured perspectives serves only to underscore the myopic lens with which James is viewed by supposedly learned shapers of opinion who can’t even get their facts straight. The latter don’t matter to him, though. The former do; as far as he’s concerned, he’s doing right by them, and, in their progress, they by him. Enough said.

 

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.

Peso ends flat vs dollar ahead of Fed decision

THE PESO was steady against the dollar on Wednesday as market participants stayed on the sidelines ahead of the conclusion of US Federal Reserve meeting.

The local unit closed yesterday’s session at P50.89 versus the greenback, flat from its Tuesday finish.

The peso opened the session at P50.82 against the dollar, climbing to as high as P50.81 intraday. Meanwhile, its worst showing stood at P50.92 versus the greenback.

Trading volume thinned to $885.57 million from the $1.124 billion that switched hands the previous day.

Traders interviewed yesterday said the peso moved sideways as market players stayed on the sidelines ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting’s conclusion.

“Actually, the dollar-peso just consolidated. It closed at the same level. There was not much meaningful flow to try to go for a stronger dollar-peso. Still the same, we’re waiting for the Fed’s decision,” a trader said in a phone interview.

The Fed was widely expected to trim rates by at least 25 basis points (bp) during the meeting of its policy-setting FOMC on July 30-31.

“I think the perception is for a 25-bp cut. Anything that is different from a 25-bp cut will entail a reaction from the market,” the trader said.

Another trader added that the peso moved within a tight range yesterday as players also anticipated signals for more policy easing from the Fed this year.

“I think the market was pricing a cut tonight and two more cuts for the year. The big question now is will they cut more before the year ends,” the second trader said.

For today, the first trader expects the peso to move between P50.80 and P51.20 versus the dollar, while the other gave a P50.80-P51 range. — KANV

PSEi returns to 8,000 on US-China trade concerns

By Arra B. Francia, Senior Reporter

THE MAIN INDEX retreated to the 8,000 level on Wednesday following another round of warnings from the United States against China on their trade deal, alongside expectations of the US Federal Reserve’s policy decision.

The 30-member Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) plunged 1.28% or 104.66 points to close at 8,045.80 yesterday, while the broader all-shares index likewise dropped 0.93% or 46.02 points to 4,890.06.

“With most regional markets downed after Trump’s negative comments on the US-China trade negotiations, this cascaded to the local market with the start of Ghost month tomorrow wherein liquidity will further subside as most investors remain on the sidelines,” Diversified Securities, Inc. Equity Trader Aniceto K. Pangan said in a text message on Wednesday.

In a series of tweets, US President Donald Trump said China has yet to start purchasing agricultural products from the US. He also said that should he get reelected next year and no deal with China has been signed, the terms of their trade agreement will be much tougher than what is currently being discussed.

The Chinese ghost month is also set to start on Aug. 1, where the public typically holds off on making investments.

Papa Securities Corp. Sales Associate Gabriel Jose F. Perez also noted in an e-mail that investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee’s policy decision.

“All eyes on the Fed meeting tonight however, as market movement for the next couple of days would likely be based on that,” Mr. Perez said on Wednesday.

The PSEi tracked negative sentiment across the world, which saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average slip 0.09% or 23.33 points to 27,198.02. The S&P 500 index dipped 0.26% or 7.79 points to 3,013.18, while the Nasdaq Composite index fell 0.24% or 19.72 points to 8,273.61.

Back home, mining and oil was the lone counter in the green, adding 0.03% or 2.48 points to 7,885.78.

The rest went down, led by property which plummeted 2.31% or 100.46 points to 4,234.33. Index heavyweights SM Prime Holdings, Inc. and Ayala Land, Inc. pulled down the market as they were two of the most actively traded stocks yesterday, dropping 2.67% and 2.54%, respectively.

Industrials slumped 1.29% or 147.10 points to 11,252.52; holding firms tumbled 1.19% or 94.64 points to 7,844.36; financials lost 0.62% or 11.62 points to 1,842.49; while services went down 0.02% or 0.47 point to 1,644.35.

Some 2.07 billion issues valued at P7.45 billion changed hands, improving from the previous session’s P6.87 billion.

Decliners were double that of advancers, 137 to 68, while 45 names were unchanged.

Foreign investors turned net sellers at P465.49 million, against the previous session’s P631.12 million worth of net purchases.

Lotto operations back; PCSO loses P250 million

LOTTO operations resumed on Wednesday after the state-owned charity lost at least P250 million from a four-day suspension by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) said yesterday.

Mr. Duterte had lifted the suspension “because investigators found no anomalies in the conduct of its operations,” presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo said in a statement late Tuesday. “Its sanctity remained untainted and the regulatory rules have been followed.”

All the other gaming operations with franchises, licenses and permits given by PCSO, such as small-town lottery, Keno and Peryahan ng Bayan remained suspended pending investigation, he said.

These were being probed for illegal activities including corruption and Mr. Duterte wants to first evaluate the results of the investigation, Mr. Panelo said.

The losses covered only lotto, PCSO General Manager Royina M. Garma said at a televised briefing yesterday.

Nelson Santos, chairman of the Philippine Online Lottery Agents Association, Inc. (POLAI) said not all lotto outlets have resumed operations due to some technical problems.

He traced the president’s decision to keep the ban other gaming operations such as Keno because of an alleged P4 billion net loss, citing the initial probe of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“They were wondering why operations continued despite the loss,” Mr. Santos said by telephone.

NBI Spokesman Ferdinand Lavin didn’t immediately reply to a text message seeking comment.

VERY TRANSPARENT
Ms. Garma said they had reviewed all lotto processes and found that there were safety nets to prevent corruption. The agency in the next two weeks will study how they can explain to the president that the small-town lottery is “very transparent and free from corruption.”

PCSO will let police and government agents probe individuals at the agency who may have been involved in corruption, Ms. Garma said.

Once small-town lotto operations are back, PCSO will be very strict to ensure it is corruption-free. “We mean business,” she said, adding state gaming operations should be free from graft.

PCSO might move small-time lotto draws from provinces to regions to make it more transparent, she said.

Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra on Monday ordered NBI on Monday to prioritize it probe of “massive corruption” in state gambling operations.

HOUSE PROBE
Meanwhile, House Minority leader and Manila Rep. Bienvenido M. Abante Jr. has filed a resolution to investigate alleged corruption at PCSO. “The innocent should not be made to suffer because of the guilty,” he told a briefing yesterday.

Also yesterday, senators weighed in on the issue by supporting the lifting of the ban.

“I’m told Lotto operations are clean,” Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III told reporters via a teleconference. “I concur with the president’s move.”

Senator Juan Edgardo M. Angara said the resumption of lotto operations means funding for universal health care provided by law won’t be jeopardized.

“We are confident the President will deliver on his vow to crack down on corruption within the PCSO in order to plug the leakages,” he said.

Under the law, 40% of PCSO’s charity fund goes to the enforcement of universal health care programs.

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian reiterated that PCSO gaming operations should be privatized.

“Because lotto is primarily computerized and automated, the leakage in revenue is very negligible, if at all,” he said. — Arjay L. Balinbin, Charmaine A. Tadalan and Beatrice M. Laforga and Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

House seeks PhilHealth probe

MINORITY congressmen have sought an investigation of alleged corruption at the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

The House of Representatives should scrutinize the national budget for health, the biggest chunk of which goes to PhilHealth, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos T. Zarate, the deputy minority leader, told reporters yesterday.

Private service provider WellMed Dialysis & Laboratory Center Corp. allegedly had fraudulent medical claims from PhilHealth for deceased patients as well as patients who did not receive their full weekly treatments.

A former WellMed employee said the company had managed to exploit the claims because PhilHealth had relied on the service provider’s reports.

Meanwhile, Marikina Rep. Stella A. Quimbo said Congress should consider “giving competition” to PhilHealth by choosing another health insurance provider.

The representative said that Congress should consider allowing other insurance providers to compete for the service.

Congress should choose a health insurance provider that can do PhilHealth’s job “if within one year, reforms are not implemented and performance does not improve,” she said.

Ms. Quimbo said PhilHealth’s blunder would hinder the goals of universal health care. The implementing rules for universal health care should address issues of fraud, she added.

Meanwhile, Magsasaka Partylist Rep. Argel Cabatbat claimed some investigators of the alleged fraud at PhilHealth were being harassed.

The Senate has expressed an interest to probe Health Secretary Francisco H. Duque III for alleged conflict of interest involving a family company. Mr. Duque is also an ex-officio officer of PhilHealth.

In a complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman last June, the complainants alleged that PhilHealth’s had rented a private office in Dagupan City for half-a-million pesos a month.

The complaint-affidavit claimed the Health secretary was a stockholder of the company. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

Chinese ships should keep transponders on, says Carpio

FOREIGN ships passing through Philippine territory should keep their transponders on so authorities can identify them, a Supreme Court magistrate said after reports that Chinese vessels have sneaked into Philippine seas.

“They should not be passing secretly because if you turn off your automatic identification system (AIS), that means you don’t want to be seen,” Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio told reporters yesterday. “I think it’s very stealthy if you do that.”

The AIS is a tracking system that uses transponders on ships and is used by vessel traffic services.

The magistrate said he agrees with Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana, who said ships that pass through the country’s territorial seas should not turn off their transponders.

“So if you turn it off, you are not acting innocently,” Mr. Carpio said.

While transponders are not required, the country should notify foreigners and announce a policy requiring the same, he added.

Mr. Lorenzana on Tuesday said he told Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua not to turn off their AIS following reports last month of a Chinese aircraft carrier passing through Sibutu Strait without notifying authorities.

China has been building artificial islands in the disputed Spratlys and setting up installations that include runways. It claims sovereignty over more than 80 percent of the South China Sea based on its so-called nine-dash line drawn on a 1940s map.

Mr. Duterte has sought closer investment and trade ties with Beijing, including over resources in the disputed sea, since he assumed office in 2016.

His predecessor, Benigno S. Aquino III, sued China before an international arbitration tribunal over its territorial claims, and won. He also strengthened Philippine alliance with the US to try to check China’s expansion in the main waterway.

Aside from China and the Philippines, other claimants to the main waterway are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. — VMMV

Itbayat infrastructure damage at P293M — DPWH; DoTr lines up port improvements

INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE cost from the July 27 earthquakes in Itbayat, Batanes is so far estimated at P292.85 million, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

This assessment covers 978 houses, public building, roads, and slope protection structures.

The Department of Transportation (DoTr), meanwhile, has vowed to fast-track the repair, expansion, and development of both air and sea ports in Batanes.

Following an inspection last Monday, Transport Secretary Arthur P. Tugade assured local officials that port repairs will commence immediately.

In the meantime, the Philippine Coast Guard has been directed to deploy rubber boats to Itbayat, Basco, and Sabang islands.

“We immediately conducted steps to secure ease of movement of goods and people so that the recovery of the province will also come in swiftly,” Mr. Tugade said in a statement.

DoTr said among the work identified is the ongoing runway extension project at the Itbayat Airport will be reconsidered for up to 1,500 meters to improve viability for commercial, security and disaster relief operations.

The Basco Airport will also be studied for runway extension.

For sea transport, a new location will be surveyed for the Port of Mauyen, which has been made more difficult to access due to landslides triggered by the earthquakes.

The Valanga Port, the only seaport that links Basco and Itbayat, will be expanded to include a back-up area, berthing facility, and a passenger shed.

Meanwhile, China has donated P10 million to the earthquake victims.

“The Chinese government expresses its deepest sympathy and condolences to those affected families and decided to donate 10 million pesos to aid the victims and support the Philippine government in its efforts to rebuild Batanes and help local residents return to normal life,” the Chinese Embassy to the Philippines said in a statement on Wednesday.

The tremors left nine dead and 64 others injured. It has also displaced some 805 out of 911 families, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) reported as of July 31. — with Charmaine A. Tadalan

Dagupan forms flood commission with private-public sector members

DAGUPAN CITY has formed the Flood Mitigation Commission, tapping private sector engineers, architects, and environmental planners who will work with local and national government counterparts in drawing up immediate and long-term solutions to the flooding problem. Mayor Brian C. Lim, in a press briefing on July 30, announced the commission’s private sector members, namely: Engineers Joseph Lo of the business sector, and Liberato Aficial and Arnold Palmero of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers; and Architects Maximo Tan and Zosimo Ganaden of the United Architects of the Philippines. The city government will be represented by Nancy Nazareno of the City Engineer’s Office, James Louell Fernandez and Jose Jesus Torio of the City Planning and Development Office, City Legal Officer Terence Marata, and lawyer Michael Camilo Datario, city government consultant. Mr. Lim will chair the commission while Mr. Lo will be vice-chair. “The commission is primarily tasked to create a master plan for the City of Dagupan in coordination with the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) and other government agencies on how to resolve our flooding both in the short and the long term,” Mr. Lim said in a statement from the City Information Office. In the executive order creating the commission, Mr. Lim cited that flooding in most parts of the city — which were caused by irregular land conversions, extreme weather events, and piecemeal infrastructure projects and urban planning — has been a “great threat” to the city’s development. He also said that in a flood mapping survey conducted by the University of the Philippines in 2017, three fourths of the city’s 48-square-kilometer land area experienced flood levels of at least 40 centimeters, with other areas twice to thrice as much. “The same study shows that aggravating the flooding, which the city is currently experiencing, will persist if no immediate and comprehensive interventions are undertaken,” Mr. Lim said.

Former military general appointed to MWSS board

PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte has appointed Emmanuel B. Salamat, a former commander of the Northern Luzon Command (NolCom), as member of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) board of trustees, Malacañang announced on Wednesday. The Palace said Mr. Duterte signed the appointment paper of Mr. Salamat on July 29. In its official website, the Armed Forces of the Philippines describes Mr. Salamat as “one of the finest among contemporary generals of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC).” A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Sandiwa Class of 1985, Mr. Salamat “reached the pinnacle of his career in the PMC when he was installed as the Commandant of the Corps — a position most coveted by every Marine Officer.” — Arjay L. Balinbin

Transport groups oppose P2P buses between airport and Megaworld transport hub

SEVERAL TRANSPORT groups have questioned the operations of premium point-to-point (P2P) buses in Iloilo, particularly those plying the route between the Megaworld Transport Hub in Iloilo City to the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan town. The New Iloilo Airport Transport Association and Association (NIATA) and the Association of Taxi Operators in Panay (ATOP) submitted a position letter to the Sangguniang Panlungsod last July 17 expressing opposition to the provisional authority granted by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to Southwest Travel and Tours. “Our associations are strongly opposing the grant of the provisional authority to Southwest Transport as it violates several existing ordinances,” the position letter said. The transport associations also lamented that they were never notified nor informed about the provisional authority. The Western Visayas Transport Coalition also submitted an opposition letter to Mayor Jerry P. Treñas on July 31. Iloilo City Councilor Rommel D. Duron, chairman of the committee on transportation, said they will review the ordinance granted to Megaworld’s transport hub and review if there is a need to regulate the P2P’s scheduled trips.—Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

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