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End of contract, end to misery?

Even before he got elected, President Rodrigo Duterte committed to abolish the existing practice of “End of Contract” or Endo which characterizes all the familiar contractual arrangements which bind temporary, projects-based, or intermittent workers.

Citing blatant acts of avoiding the cost implications of regularization, owners of businesses were warned that their illegal and exploitative activities shall be stopped. Endo for workers, Endo for capitalists.

Consistent with his call, the Department of Labor and Employment issued DO 174-17, a regulation that tightened elements of permissible contracting or subcontracting, registration of contractors, consequences of non-compliance, provided wider visitorial inspection powers to its personnel and reiterated the solidary liability of “direct” and “indirect” employers. DO 174-17, in addition to the Labor Code provisions prohibiting “labor only” contracting plus various Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) orders, really drove the message that the government is serious about protecting our laborers’ right to security of tenure.

The effects were tremendously felt and many big companies, especially in the retail sector, telecoms, and food chains, were compelled to regularize their staff who were performing non-core jobs, presumably under the test of “not necessary or desirable” to the business of these employers. Millions of pesos were spent to comply with the law. It was painful and their financial results demonstrated such agony. Even the local stock market reacted.

But it did not end there. In 2018, our President certified the anti-endo bill as urgent. Expectations were high on the part of the working class, but as far as management was concerned, it was another threat of a cost escalation that could impact their bottom line.

The recent veto by Malacañang of the Endo bill is not a signal that the President has forgotten his commitment. I believe that there is a realization on the part of the administration to more carefully formulate an effective balance that would protect our laborers while at the same time keep the economy and businesses as vibrant as possible for the long term.

Business interests must be given a premium too in order to create that right balance between labor and capital. The central argument of the business sector is that temporary, seasonal, flexible working arrangements where people are fairly compensated for tasks, treated humanely and equitably during such periods, coupled with a complement of regular staff doing the core jobs, stimulates the employment market. In other words, the success of business enterprises translates to a bigger labor force with presumably, sustainable benefits for everyone.

It is a fact that many Filipinos, especially the young graduates and millennials, desire more non-structured work options that give them more choices. Tying them down to a regular contract limits their flexibility and affects quality of life decisions. The opportunities created by encouraging independent contractors and entrepreneurs revitalizes the market, it moves them to improve their craft/competence/technical or manual skills. Bigger participation in the labor market is enhanced. The net effect is to lower labor costs and makes our companies more competitive and profitable in the long run.

Different jurisdictions outside of the Philippines have encouraged short-term hiring through limited deregulation and the effects on direct foreign investments have been good. Competitiveness is central to economic development.

But let’s do a quick objective review of the facts and the history of this issue. Are we indeed adding further to the misery of our toiling masses by not passing this law or are we just not realizing that even without this law, there is a sufficient legal anchor for our workers to hold on to?

A check on the various issuances regarding the matter will reveal that there is a plethora of legal measures that seek to curb the evils of labor-only contracting and agreements that seek to frustrate workers’ rights to security of tenure. Consider our Labor Code, its implementing rules, various DOLE orders and advisories (Nos. 3, 10, 18-02, 18-A, 174-17, Circular No. 01 and EO No. 51.) and add to this a bulk of jurisprudential pronouncements from our Supreme Court.

We have a lot in the realm of law to protect our workers from the evils of labor-only contracting. What we need are sensible changes in enforcement, authentic and stronger tripartite relationships of labor, management, and government, and an end to flip-flopping court decisions.

More law does not mean more improvements in the lives of our citizens. Let’s begin with really building up the economy and arming it with a true social conscience. Balance is essential.

 

Ariel F. Nepomuceno is a management consultant on strategy and investment.

Either learn mere marches now or prepare to hold a gun later

It was John Adams who said that “I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.”

Now, as noted in a previous column I wrote (“Defend your country, not just your thesis;” April 2017), “the average age of a World War II soldier is 26 years old, in Vietnam 22, the first Gulf War 27, in Afghanistan and Iraq, 30.

“By taking account of our demographics, we see that Filipinos from the 20-35 year old group constitute 26 million of our total population (around 25% of the present 105 million). If statistics are to be believed, more than 95% of that demographic is literate.

No distinction is being made here between male and female (roughly a ratio of 1.04 male/female), as academics and intellectuals have been telling us that there is really no difference between the two and that sex is a mere social construct.

“Even if only 10% of that can be transformed into combat efficiency, 2.6 million added to the roughly 100,000 professional soldiers we currently have.”

An additional 2.6 million certainly helps.

Of course, numbers are not everything. Quality and preparedness also matter. Regarding youths, the following facts are important:

“Divorce ‘is catastrophic for children.’ And it ‘is destructive to both boys and girls, but each sex suffers differently. Girls who grow up deprived of their father are more likely to become depressed, more likely to self-harm, and more likely to be promiscuous. But they still have their mothers, with whom they clearly identify. Boys do not have a comparable identification and thus suffer more from father absence. They also tend to act out in a manner that’s harmful to others.” (Suzanne Venker, “Missing fathers and America’s broken boys,” February 2018)

The US today is notorious for school shootings. But what mainstream media (mostly liberal) refuse to report is that most, if not all of the shooters were bereft of fathers, “whether due to divorce, death, or imprisonment” as Susan Goldberg points out (“When Will We Have the Guts to Link Fatherlessness to School Shootings?” February 2018).

Then there’s this: “72% of adolescent murderers grew up without fathers; the same for 60% of all rapists.” The “number of single-parent households is a good predictor of violent crime in a community, while poverty rate is not.” (Terry Brennan, cofounder, Leading Women for Shared Parenting).

The point here is that a secure country ready to defend itself rests substantially on healthy families where the biological father and mother are together to care for the children. A bit ironic but there’s no going around that fact.

The other factor is preparedness for combat itself.

Other countries require military service for their youth: France, Thailand, Sweden, and South Korea. Israel, China, Norway require it for women. The US doesn’t require compulsory military service but all males between 18-25 of age are registered for Selective Service in case a draft is needed.

Military service has certain secondary benefits. It has been found to “reduce criminal activity for youth offenders who enter service at ages 19-22. For this group property crime is reduced for up to five years from the beginning of service.” (“Does Peacetime Military Service Affect Crime?”; Albaek, et al., Institute for the Study of Labor, Discussion Paper No. 7528, July 2013)

Furthermore, military service programs are proven to impart leadership skills, resilience, organization. (“3 Ways Your Team Can Benefit from Military-Style Leadership Training,” Stephen Potter; July 2015).

And, of course, discipline, respect for authority, and patriotism.

There are proposals to provide opt-outs or alternatives to the ROTC. That is flat-out wrong.

The argument proffered is that other civic programs can also inculcate patriotism. But patriotism in relation to military service is a secondary benefit as stated above. Our entire educational system already does that. The real reason, the main vital purpose of compulsory military service, is to ready the youth to defend the country.

If they’re not made to do that or have the choice to opt-out (to do instead what, gardening or dressmaking?), then who else will fight for the country?

It’s compulsory because it’s highly unjust that only some (mostly the poor) will be expected to do their duty and sacrifice while others are entitled not to (e.g., the rich kids).

There’s a reason why Apolinario Mabini (in his “True Decalogue”) encouraged Filipinos to be ready to “combat the common enemy.”

The same reason why all our constitutions, from Malolos to the present, mandated the call for citizens to be ready for military service.

Because, learning their Publius and Plato, our founding fathers were wise enough to know something which today’s intellectuals forget: weakness invites oppression. Thus, “si vis pacem, para bellum.”

“If you want peace, prepare for war.”

 

Jemy Gatdula is a Senior Fellow of the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations and a Philippine Judicial Academy law lecturer for constitutional philosophy and jurisprudence.

https://www.facebook.com/jigatdula/

Twitter @jemygatdula

Nation at a Glance — (08/09/19)

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 — (08/09/19)

Hong Kong protesters strike market nerves at last

By Katrina Hamlin

HONG KONG — Blockades and walkouts roiled Hong Kong this week. Unlike similar unrest in 2014, investors are getting anxious. Trade tensions and economic weakness in China have helped to erase the Hang Seng Index’s gains this year, but local indicators like real estate and retail are cooling too. Beijing may not mind that protests squeeze business, if the rising cost of resistance divides the movement. That means there could be more disruption to price in.

A rare general strike on Monday halted traffic and shuttered shops across the territory, which has endured both peaceful marches and violent clashes for two months now. Police have retaliated with tear gas and rubber bullets, while pro-Beijing and anti-Beijing factions have assaulted each other on streets and in subway stations. Protesters want a controversial bill allowing extradition to China to be withdrawn, but have other demands too, including universal suffrage.

Despite the drama, the stock market was open. Hong Kong shareholders rarely flinch at political crises: they held steady when protesters occupied the financial hub’s central business district in 2014. But this time could be different.

Markets are frazzled. A depreciating yuan, a trade war, and slowing Chinese demand all hurt Hong Kong’s open economy. While the S&P 500 is up by double digits year-to-date, the Hang Seng Index is flat. Local firms that earn most of their revenue in the special administrative region are particularly hard hit. Property group Sino Land is down more than 10% for the period, and cosmetics seller Sa Sa has lost a third of its market capitalization. Retailers from luxury group Richemont to high-street pharmacy Watsons reported flagging sales. Tourism numbers are growing more slowly than last year, and the volume of home purchases fell in June, according to Midland Property. Across the board, companies in the city’s benchmark are priced at around 13 times future earnings — peers in the S&P 500 are valued closer to 20 times.

So far staid bond and credit default swap markets have shown little reaction to the rapid decay of the city’s status quo. That might not last. Neither the territory’s nominal leader Carrie Lam nor her backers in the central government appear open to compromise. Escalation would further spook markets: unfortunately that seems more and more likely.

 

REUTERS BREAKINGVIEWS

Mail-order DNA tests can be fun, but they aren’t medical advice

By Faye Flam

THEODORA ROSS, a cancer geneticist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, says that to Silicon Valley types, she is like a taxi driver competing against the more convenient, Uber-like direct-to-consumer companies such as 23andMe. “They think we don’t need to exist,” she said. The techy approach invites consumers to swab a cheek and mail in the sample, and promises to reveal a broad swath of genetic information.

But unbeknownst to many seekers, direct-to-consumer services don’t deliver what a cancer geneticist like Ross does. Some people, after submitting DNA to such companies, end up in her office, panicked over what turn out to be a false results.

Even more concerning than false positives are false negatives. People who have serious family histories of cancer and could benefit from a thorough workup will sometimes get a reassuring negative result from a genetic test that was marketed directly to consumers. This kind of error could be deadly.

DIY is fine for learning some approximation of where your ancestors came from, but when it comes to testing for predisposition to cancer or other deadly diseases, consumers will get better information from a traditional professional.

Ross spoke as part of a panel discussion at this week’s annual meeting of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, facing off with Jill Hagenkord, chief medical officer of Color Genomics and former chief medical officer of 23andMe. While Hagenkord painted a rosy outlook for the future of direct-to-consumer genomics as a health service, Ross pointed out that at the present time, it may be inappropriate for companies that are essentially offering recreational genomics to include incomplete information on lethal cancer genes.

One problem consumers need to consider is that calculating cancer risk from DNA is complex, and requires some high-level interpretation. Different companies may interpret the same result as either pathological or normal. Partial information can still be better than no information, but only if those providing it can clearly convey the uncertainty. Otherwise it can become misinformation.

People assume that these tests are FDA approved, but that’s not quite the case, Ross said. The FDA allows the tests to be marketed, just as it allows all kinds of untested supplements to be marketed. They are not approved as a substitute for genetic testing in a medical setting. But as Ross has learned from her practice, people take direct-to-consumer results very seriously.

In one case, a young medical resident came to her distraught because he’d tested positive for a devastating cancer predisposition known as Lynch syndrome — stemming from a mutation in a gene called p53. The man did not have the kind of family history that would make such a syndrome likely.

23andMe, the company that analyzed the man’s genes, doesn’t offer a diagnosis of Lynch syndrome, but the man did what a number of others have tried — he sent his raw data to a third-party company that offers to extract additional information from it. When he got a frightening result, he turned to Dr. Ross. She found that the diagnosis of Lynch syndrome was flat-out wrong.

She said she worries about the fact that 23andMe does offer some information on the so-called breast cancer genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2. People can inherit hundreds of different mutations in these, some of which incur an extremely high risk of breast and ovarian cancers, and others do not. But the company tests for only three mutations. Consumers may not realize that a negative result does not mean they’re free of a genetic predisposition to breast cancer.

That might be fine if someone wasn’t particularly worried about familial cancer, and got the result as part a more general recreational profile. But if someone has a concerning family history and really needs to know what’s going on, they need a geneticist, not a kit.

 

BLOOMBERG OPINION

Beermen, KaTropa go for 2-1 series lead today

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

KNOTTED at 1-1 in their best-of-seven Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup finals series, the San Miguel Beermen and TNT KaTropa go for the go-ahead when they reengage today for Game Three at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Set for 7 p.m., the two teams look for the win that would swing for them the momentum in the highly competitive and emotional series and move a step closer to the title of the midseason PBA tournament.

The levelled affair came about after San Miguel hacked an escape act in Game Two, winning, 127-125, in double overtime.

The Beermen had control of the much until the KaTropa made a ferocious charge back towards the end of regulation.

Unfortunately for TNT it failed to complete the fight back as the game went into overtime.

In the first OT, the KaTropa once again had a chance to close out the Beermen.

But missed free throws by Brian Heruela and Troy Rosario in the closing moments and the ejection of import Terrence Jones because of two technical fouls gave the Beermen a window to force a second OT, which came by way of an Alex Cabagnot game-tying layup to make it 114-all as time expired.

In the second extra period, the two teams continued to jostle. But the Beermen eventually wound up with more leverage in the end to hold on for the win and tie the series.

Import Chris McCullough led the Beermen in the win, finishing with 32 points, 22 rebounds and seven assists.

Guard Terrence Romeo exploded for 29 points off the bench, going 6-of-8 from beyond the arc.

Chris Ross had 25 points while Mr. Cabagnot had 19 points and seven assists. June Mar Fajardo added 12 points and 10 rebounds for San Miguel.

For TNT it was Mr. Rosario who showed the way with 34 points, going 8-of-12 from three-point land.

Mr. Jones had another solid all-around game before being ejected, tallying 28 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, five steals and three blocks.

Jayson Castro had 27 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds while Roger Pogoy had 17 markers. Don Trollano had a double-double outing for TNT with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

“It was a fantastic game indeed. We’re just lucky that from what was a sure defeat we were able to win. We just never gave up. I commend the players because they never gave up. I think their experience was a big help. They just refused to lose. And we’re happy to tie the series,” said a relieved San Miguel coach Leo Austria in the postgame press conference.

Over at TNT, the KaTropa acknowledged that they let a win slip from their hands and was disappointed by it. But they vowed to move on and redeem themselves in Game Three.

“It is what it is. We had our chances in the game but that’s basketball. We thought we had it. We’ll just try to do a better job next game,” a somber TNT coach Bong Ravena said.

“The players are disappointed, of course, but we just have to move on and prepare for Game Three,” he added.

NCAA: Bombers take stab at Blazers’ unbeaten record

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE JOSE RIZAL University Heavy Bombers take a shot at bringing down the undefeated College of Saint Benilde Blazers when the two teams collide in National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 95 action today at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.

Winners of three of their last four games, the Bombers (3-4) look to sustain their fine form of late with a victory in their 2 p.m. game over the Blazers, who have been solid so far in the ongoing season of the country’s oldest collegiate league with a 4-0 card.

After opening its tournament campaign with three straight losses, Louie Gonzalez-coached JRU has since gone 3-1, with its latest victory coming over the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, 64-58, in an NCAA on Tour offering on Aug. 1 at the JRU Gym.

The Heavy Bombers found the going tough in the third quarter against the Generals but managed to adjust and come back strong in the fourth period to defend their home court.

John Amores led the Heavy Bombers in the win with 16 points and six rebounds while Chester Jungco chipped in 12 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two assists.

JL Delos Santos had a double-double outing of 10 points and 10 rebounds for JRU, which missed the services of key cog Agem Miranda last time around, serving his one-game suspension.

Saint Benilde, for its part, is aching to return to action after seeing its last two matches washed out and rescheduled because of inclement weather and the subsequent suspension of classes.

The Blazers were supposed to play on Aug. 2 and 6 but games on those days were postponed to a later date by the NCAA management committee.

The last time Saint Benilde played was on July 30 against the San Sebastian Stags and came away as a 77-72 winner despite playing sans top man Justin Gutang who was out because of knee injury.

Guard Unique Naboa paced CSB with 15 points, followed by Chris Flores with 14.

Jimboy Pasturan and Clement Leutcheu each had 12 points for the Blazers while veteran Yankie Haruna finally played his first game from injury and finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Also playing today at 4 p.m. are San Sebastian (2-3) and EAC (1-5). Both teams are currently skidding and out to book a much-needed win.

The Stags have lost three straight since opening the tournament with back-to-back wins while the Generals have dropped four straight.

Meanwhile, the NCAA will have its first Saturday schedule this season on Saturday, April 10, at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

League-leading and defending champions San Beda Red Lions (4-0) will battle rivals and on-a-roll Letran Knights (5-1) at 2 p.m. while season hosts Arellano Chiefs (1-4) face off with tailending Mapua Cardinals (0-5) at 4 p.m.

Trail Blazers’ McCollum has theory why players decline Team USA invite

LOS ANGELES — Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum has a theory about why so many NBA players declined invitations to play for Team USA at the upcoming FIBA 2019 World Cup: potential embarrassment and injury.

“I think other guys looked at it like, ‘Why would I go and potentially be the face of a losing roster?’” McCollum told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on The Woj Pod. “Or the workload part. If we all play, the workload is less — 20-25 minutes, you get blowouts, you’re moving on. A lot of guys don’t play, your minutes might go up, your usage might go up, and that affects your summer as you go into March when that crash comes.

“January is where that crash comes before the All-Star break and then after the All-Star break, guys start to break down in March and April. Those extra miles and summertime hours … I’ve led the league in miles or close to it every year, I don’t want to run around in Australia or China and then come back and have to get ready for the season when I can be strategically planning my workload.”

The 27-year-old McCollum, a six-year veteran who recently signed a three-year, $100 million contract extension with Portland, said that he expects to see players “… start to choose happiness over a lot of different things.”

Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters this week at training camp in Las Vegas that he isn’t concerned about the guys who are not present and instead is focused on who is.

“I’ve said that we’re going to be fine and by that what I really meant is that we’re blessed with a lot of depth in USA Basketball,” he said. “All of the players here want to be here, there’s no question about it. And that’s a big part of the battle itself. And so, when you look at the enthusiasm, the youth, the athleticism and versatility, that’ll really work well for us because our depth will be a factor.”

Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker is one of those players. He said he’s happy for the opportunity to vie for a spot on the final 12-man roster.

“This is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a lot of us,” said Walker, an All-Star Game starter in February who relocated from Charlotte to Boston via free agency in July. “I think a lot of us are happy those guys pulled out because this is our chance. It’s our chance to get on the big stage and showcase our talent. A chance for us to do something new. It’ll be a new-look team. Everybody is kind of doubting us, but I think we’re hungry.”

Among the NBA stars who opted not to participate were Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal, Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris, Trail Blazers guards Damian Lillard and McCollum, San Antonio Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan, Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis, Houston Rockets guards James Harden and Eric Gordon, New York Knicks forward Julius Randle and Los Angeles Clippers guard Landry Shamet.

The FIBA World Cup runs Aug. 31–Sept. 15 in Shanghai, China. — Reuters

Two Filipinos featured at REBEL FC’s China return

SOUTHEAST Asia-based mixed martial arts promotion REBEL Fighting Championship makes its return in China next month which has two Filipinos featured in the fight card.

Happening at the Hongkou Indoor Stadium in Shanghai on Sept. 7, “REBEL FC 9: Return of the Champion” will be headlined by one world-class bout and two title fights with fighters from China and around the world including Russia, Japan, the Philippines, Brazil, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and the United States.

The Philippines will be represented in the event by lightweight fighters Jaypee Espinosa and Reydon Romero.

Mr. Espinosa (1-4) is to face Russian Anvar Alizhanov (7-2) while Mr. Romero (12-7) battles Anvar Ammirli of Azerbaijan (8-0).

Also featured at REBEL FC 9 is the featherweight super fight between Yibugele of China against Ali Magomedkhanov of Russia. Co-headlining is the bantamweight title fight between Chinese Wang Shuo and Japanese Shuhei Sakano.

Headlining the card is the middleweight title fight of Wang Sai of China against Phil Baroni of the United States.

Making its return to China, REBEL FC said it is very excited of the opportunity in relation to its goal of making the brand known globally.

“We are very proud of our progress in building REBEL FC into a truly global MMA brand, made possible by the years of support from our fighters and loyal fans from around the world. Our goal is to become the world’s leading MMA tournament, with China as a key market where we estimate there are 300 million martial arts fans and 30 million MMA fans,” said Justin Leong, CEO of REBEL FC, in a statement. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Fitness center lends support to paralympic athletes

FURTHER underscoring that in sports and in life anything is possible, one-stop fitness center Santé Fitness Lab (SFL) recently held the “Langoy Pinoy 30 Minute Swim Challenge” to benefit the country’s paralympic athletes.

Held at the Vermosa Sports Club in Imus, Cavite, the swim challenge was composed of several categories with varying difficulties, namely, “Swimmers,” “Triathletes,” and “Masters,” as well as people from different age groups ranging from 13 to 50 upwards.

To win the competition, participants must swim the most laps in 30 minutes.

The event served as a fund-raising program in support of the Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled — National Paralympic Committee of the Philippines (PHILSPADA), apart from having young swimmers enjoy a day of fun-filled activities in the company of professional sports athletes, including Olympian swimmer Jessie Lacuna and professional athlete Bea Grabador.

Arnel Aba, a record-breaking national para athlete, triathlete, swimming coach, and member of the PHILSPADA team, emerged as one of the winners for the “Masters” category.

He said PHILSPADA joined the event to inspire people to push through life with discipline and perseverance.

“We are doing this because we want to encourage other people with disabilities to never give up and, show their talents to the world. Our handicaps do not define us. We can do so much more if we just try our best in whatever we do,” said Mr. Aba.

He was seconded by PHILSPADA national coach Tony Ong, saying “We want to include everyone in our programs, whether they are able-bodied, or with physical and mental disabilities, especially the young generation.

PHILSPADA is the national sports association for physically-impaired athletes which aims to counter discrimination by developing the physical well-being, self-respect, and confidence of PWDs through sports-related programs and, showcase their skills to the world.

Santé Fitness Lab, meanwhile, provides holistic and innovative fitness programs from professional and everyday athletes, as well as sports rehabilitation programs for the achievement and maintenance of optimal human performance. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

First Inter School Individual Chess Championship in OLOPSC, Marikina, August 31

THE OLOPSC Parents Teachers Association, Inc. in coordination with the Concepcion Dos Chess Club, is staging the First Inter School Individual Chess Championship on August 31 at the OLOPSC DS Hall (Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College-Dionisio A. Salvador Hall) Campus located in General Ordoñez St. Concepcion Uno, Marikina City.

The one-day National Chess Federation of the Philippines sanctioned tournament is open to all non titled, rated and non rated chess players according to PTA-VP and Project Chairman Marvin Manalang.

The tournament shall be divided into two divisions, Kiddies (12 years old and below with maximum rating of 2050) and Juniors (17 years old with maximum rating of 2050).

“Mark your calendar chess enthusiasts and make the best move ever in this battle of the squares,” said Pastor Ranier Pascual of Concepcion Dos Chess Club.

“We do this to promote chess in the grass-roots level and [to] discover future chess talents,” said OLOPSC chess coach Mark Rodrigo.

Registration fee is P300 (on-site is P350) for the seven-round Swiss System tournament. Time control is 20 minutes plus five seconds delay mode.

The Kiddies champion will take home P2,000 plus plaque, the second placer will pocket P1,500 plus medal, the third placer will earn P1,000 plus medal, while fourth to fifth will receive P500 each plus medals and the sixth to tenth will get medals.

The Juniors winner, meantime, will earn P4,000 plus plaque, the second placer will get P2,000 plus medal, the third placer will pocket P1,000 plus medal, the fourth will receive P700 plus medal, the fifth will bring home P600 plus medal, the sixth will go home with P500 plus medal and the seventh to tenth placers will receive P300 plus medals. — Marlon Bernardino

Bent on competing

Tiger Woods almost didn’t tee off for the Pro-Am round of The Northern Trust yesterday. Delayed by around half an hour due to inclement weather, it didn’t seem like a good idea for him following a mediocre practice session. After some thought, however, he opted to get some reps in at 7,370-yard, par-71 Liberty National in Jersey City, New Jersey, anyway. No doubt, improved conditions coupled with the warm temperature spurred him to much-needed action. And for a while there, he appeared to do all right — until, that is, his back appeared to act up after a wayward drive.

Woods would wind up playing just half the course and picking his spots to work on his short game the rest of the way. He didn’t even seem to put a lot of effort in what he was doing on the back nine, leading quarters to speculate on his physical state. As things turned out, he was, indeed, suffering from back problems, albeit nothing out of the new normal for him. “Just feeling stiff, being smart about it,” he explained in his presser. “What I did pre-Augusta, where I chipped and putted for nine holes. Same thing.”

Interestingly, Woods contrasted his iffy experience with a much better one the day before. “As I’ve said to you guys all year, this is how it is. Some days, I’m stiffer than others. Yesterday, I was out there hitting it great. Driving it out there with Brooksy [Koepka] and D.J. [Johnson]. Today, I’m stiff. Hopefully, I’m not that way [in the first round].” Simply put, he has no choice but to take things from day to day; despite having drastically cut back on his schedule, he remains uncertain as to how his body will fare on any given outing.

Not surprisingly, Woods isn’t among the favorites to emerge victorious. He isn’t even in bookies’ Top 10. His uneven showing on the course and a dearth of tournament appearances since he won the Masters in April have him at 30-to-one odds. All the same, he’s bent on competing and out to, in his words, “feel that type of tiredness where I have a chance to win. That’s a good feeling.” And should be qualify for the Tour Championship, he’s bent on subjecting himself to a third straight week of golf. “Yes, there is concern,” he disclosed. “But I’m trying to get myself where I’m in contention, where, yeah, it takes a toll.”

 

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.

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