Modernized jeepneys to start plying Iloilo City next week

May 9, 2019 | 8:54 pm

THE FIRST 12 modernized jeepneys of the Iloilo City Alliance Operators and Drivers Transport Cooperative (ICAODTC) will start operating next week, with an initial four routes to be served. “More than the convenience, we offer safety, a hassle-free ride, and they can arrive on their offices fresh and on time,” Rizal M. Alido, board secretary of ICAODTC and president of the City Loop Integrated Alliance of Jeepney Owners and Drivers’ Association, said. The air-conditioned jeepneys, with a seating capacity of up to 25 passengers, will have a minimum rate of P10.50 to P12, higher than the region’s P8 rate for old jeepneys. The new units will use an Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS), which require a beep card. “We will be using AFCS and the commuters will be using loadable beep cards. They can actually use this even in Manila,” Mr. Alido said. The transport group, in compliance with the government’s transport modernization program, is expected to have 110 new units by next year. “By 2020 hopefully there should be no visible old jeeps plying on the streets,” he said. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

Cebu bus terminal management asks LGUs to deploy gov’t buses to accommodate commuters for May 13 election

May 9, 2019 | 8:54 pm

THE CEBU South Bus Terminal (CSBT) management, which is under the Cebu provincial government, is expecting up to 40,000 passengers this weekend who will travel to vote for the May 13 midterm elections. CSBT Chief Jonathan F. Tumulak, in a statement, said they have sought the help of local government units (LGUs) in southern Cebu through the deployment of government-issued vehicles. He said the 300 public utility buses operating at the terminal could not possibly accommodate all commuters, similar to other major occasions like the recent Holy Week holiday, wherein LGU vehicles were also used as supplementary service. Mr. Tumulak said his office will help the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in monitoring and ensuring that the government vehicles will not be used to boost a politician’s interests. During the Holy Week, buses deployed by the LGUs were first inspected by CSBT personnel to make sure these were free of campaign materials.

More exhibitors in this year’s PHILBEX, TLEX Davao

May 9, 2019 | 8:54 pm

A HUNDRED exhibitors are participating in this year’s 5^th Philippine Building and Construction Expo (PHILBEX) Davao and 3^rd Travel and Leisure Expo (TLEX), up from 80 in 2018. “We’ve been returning here in Davao for five years already because it is a booming city in Mindanao… For the construction, we want to showcase the Build Build Build program of President (Rodrigo R.) Duterte,” Carmen Grace P. Paragas, marketing assistant of event organizer Worldbex Services International, said in a press conference. The event gathers leading players in the industry, including construction companies, product manufacturers, and professionals. For TLEX Davao, Ms. Paragas said they have around 60 exhibitors, up from 40 last year, consisting of local and foreign hotels, travel agencies, airlines, cruise lines, resorts, shipping companies, and recreational destinations. Both events will also have conferences, talks, and business-to-business meetings. PHILBEX and TLEX Davao opened on May 9 at the SMX Convention Center and will run until May 12. — Maya M. Padillo

Duterte warns Negros Occidental mayor: Let the people vote freely

May 9, 2019 | 8:53 pm

PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte has warned the mayor of a town in Negros Occidental against sowing fear and to allow the people “to vote freely” on May 13. In his speech at a campaign rally in Bohol Wednesday night, the President said that he dropped by Negros Occidental to talk to a mayor whom he did not name. “I came from [Negros] Occidental — these fools just keep on killing there. I’ve already told them that…. Well, there’s a certain mayor that’s really the suspect of everybody. So, I confronted the mayor. I talked to him,” the President said. The town of Moises Padilla in the province has been placed under Commission on Elections control due to political violence with recent killing of two town councilors seeking reelection. “So, you just be careful…allow everybody to vote freely. This is a democracy. This is an exercise of the right of the people to choose their leader,” he added. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Nation at a Glance — (05/10/19)

May 9, 2019 | 8:53 pm

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Lady Eagles, Tigresses tussle in UAAP finals

May 9, 2019 | 6:37 pm

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

FOLLOWING an eventful two rounds of preliminary play, the women’s volleyball tournament of Season 81 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines hits the championship phase with the Ateneo Lady Eagles and University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses disputing the title.

The top two teams at the end of the elimination round, Ateneo and UST try to complete what has been a strong campaign for them to date by hoisting the championship trophy in a best-of-three finals series setup which begins on May 11 with Game One at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Ateneo, the top seed in the playoffs and carried a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four, booked a spot in the finals after surviving a tough challenge from fourth-seeded Far Eastern University, forced to a deciding game last Wednesday, which it won by four sets.

The Lady Eagles return to the finals after missing it last year that ended six straight seasons of making it to the Big Dance. They are gunning for their third UAAP title.

Leading the charge for Ateneo is Kat Tolentino, who is averaging 15 points per game this season.

Graduating player Maddie Madayag has been good for 11.8 points, Ponggay Gaston 8.8 points, captain Bea de Leon 8.7 points and Jules Samonte seven points per contest for the Lady Eagles.

UST, for its parts, is back in the finals after eight years of absence and is eyeing a 17^th women’s title.

The Tigresses willed their way to the second spot at the end of the elimination round and made short work of erstwhile defending champions De La Salle Lady Spikers in the Final Four, seeing no need to use their twice-to-beat advantage and completing the job at the first instance.

Captain and graduating player Sisi Rondina has been steady leading UST’s thrust, getting valuable contributions from younger teammates Eya Laure, KC Galdones and Caitlin Viray.

Rondina has been good for a league-leading 19 points per game followed by Laure with 17 points a contest.

Galdones is third-running for UST with 6.3 points and Viray chipping in 5.8 points.

The Lady Eagles have had the number of the Tigresses this season so far, claiming each of their two previous encounters, winning in four sets in the first round and five in the second.

For Ateneo, the championship series will be a whole new game and that it has to come in prepared against a rested UST team.

“UST will come into the finals rested. So we have to have our rest as well and come in with the right mindset and show the heart and will to fight in the championship series,” said Ateneo coach Oliver Almadro after booking their spot in the finals.

Over at the other camp, UST coach Kungfu Reyes said they are expecting to continue to have a tough time versus the Lady Eagles but underscored that it would not stop them from seeing their championship goals through.

“Against Ateneo we expect to have a hard time in our attacks because they have taller players. But in terms of skills we are up there with them and we would not allow ourselves to be dominated,” Mr. Reyes said.

Incidentally both coaches are coaching in their first UAAP finals in the women’s tournament.

Moura hat-trick flattens Ajax to put Tottenham into finale

May 9, 2019 | 6:37 pm

AMSTERDAM — Lucas Moura conjured the second Champions League miracle in 24 hours with a last-gasp winner to complete his hat-trick and a 3-2 win to send Tottenham Hotspur past a shattered Ajax Amsterdam into the final on away goals on Wednesday.

A day after Liverpool beat Barcelona 4-0 to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit, Tottenham came back from the dead after Ajax had looked certain to reach their first final for 23 years.

Ajax skipper Matthijs de Ligt’s fifth-minute header and a superb 35^th minute effort by Hakim Ziyech put Ajax 3-0 ahead on aggregate by halftime at a raucous Johan Cruyff Arena.

But Tottenham were transformed after the break as they became the eighth English club to reach the European Cup final, where they will face Liverpool in Madrid on June 1.

With veteran Spanish striker Fernando Llorente on as a second-half substitute, Tottenham refused to lay down and when Moura scored in the 55^th minute the impossible began to seem possible for the north London club.

Four minutes later he fired through a crowd to equalise on the night and after both sides hit the woodwork in the heart-pumping finale, Moura drilled into the corner in the sixth minute of stoppage time to leave Ajax crestfallen.

“Football gives us moments we can’t imagine,” Moura, who scored the goal in Barcelona in the final group game to keep Tottenham alive in the competition, said.

Tottenham’s only other European Cup semi-final came 57 years ago when they lost to Benfica and their improbable victory left the away fans in a state of delirium and Argentine manager Mauricio Pochettino in tears at the end.

“The emotion is amazing, thank you to football,” Pochettino said. “My players are heroes — in the last year I was telling everyone this group are heroes.

ALL HEROES
“They are all heroes but Lucas Moura was a superhero.”

Tottenham had suffered three consecutive defeats in all competitions before Wednesday’s second leg and when Ajax led 2-0 at halftime, there was a celebratory mood inside the jam-packed Johan Cruyff Arena as their fans’ thoughts turned to Madrid.

But their joy turned into a nightmare as they were overwhelmed by a Tottenham side who dispensed with complicated tactics and simply threw the kitchen sink at their hosts.

“Football can be very beautiful and it can be very cruel, we have had to experience that today,” Ajax manager Erik Ten Hag said.

Ajax got off to a dream start as captain De Ligt took advantage of poor marking to head past Hugo Lloris.

Tottenham responded in spirited fashion with Son Heung-min deceiving keeper Onana with a cross that hit the post.

But Aax were cool, calm and collected and bided their time before striking again in devastating fashion.

Tadic, who moments earlier had dragged a shot just wide, was released down the left and he cut the ball back perfectly for Ziyech to whip a left-footed shot inside the far post.

Only one of the 17 teams to lose the first leg of a Champions League semi-final at home had ever come back to win.

But with Llorente on for Victor Wanyama, Tottenham went for the direct approach after the break and Ajax were rattled.

Moura converted in the 55^th minute, sliding home after running on to Dele Alli’s pass and four minutes later, after Onana had made a remarkable save to dent Llorente, the Brazilian showed great footwork to thread a shot through a crowd.

It set up a rip-roaring finale with Tottenham pressing for the winning goal and Ajax looking to counter-attack.

Ziyech shot against the post, then Tottenham’s former Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen headed against the crossbar with the goal gaping before Lloris’s save kept Spurs alive.

Lloris went up for a corner in stoppage time but it was Moura who proved Tottenham’s hero, producing a clinical finish from Alli’s flick. — Reuters

PHL Cup finals series hits pivotal Game Five

May 9, 2019 | 6:36 pm

THE ongoing best-of-seven PBA Philippine Cup finals series between defending champions San Miguel Beermen and Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok hits the critical juncture Game Five today with the two teams eyeing a victory that will take them one step away from the championship.

Set for 7 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the finals of the Philippine Basketball Association All-Filipino conference was reduced to a best-of-three affair after the Beermen pulled even in the series by winning Game Four, 114-98, on Wednesday.

San Miguel used a strong effort in the middle quarters in said game to create cushion and build momentum to hold off the Hotshots the rest of the way.

June Mar Fajardo, who took home his sixth best player of the conference in the Philippine Cup last time around, led San Miguel in the win with 31 points and 14 rebounds.

Terrence Romeo followed him with 18 points with Chris Ross finishing with 15.

Christian Standhardinger had 13 points and 14 boards while Arwind Santos and Alex Cabagnot had 12 and 11 points, respectively.

For Magnolia it was Mark Barroca and Jio Jalalon who showed the way with 22 points apiece. Ian Sangalang had 19 points.

San Miguel coach Leo Austria after Game Four lauded his team’s concerted effort to tie the series and get back to the mix.

“The team showed the energy, focus and pride in this game which helped us a lot. It was a total team effort. We hope to continue that in the next game,” said Mr. Austria.

For Magnolia counterpart Chito Victolero, he highlighted the need for them to dictate the pace of the contest to give themselves a better chance against a loaded squad like San Miguel.

“We cannot keep in step with them on offense so we have to do our job on the defensive end,” said Mr. Victolero, who pinpointed Mr. Fajardo as one of the players they have to do a good job on containing. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Bucks rout Celtics, 116-91, to clinch series 4-1

May 9, 2019 | 6:36 pm

LOS ANGELES — The team with the best record in the NBA regular season also won the race to be the first into the postseason conference finals Wednesday night, when the Milwaukee Bucks ran away from the visiting Boston Celtics for a series-clinching, 116-91 victory.

The top-seeded Bucks now advance to the Eastern finals, where they will have the home-court advantage over the winner of the other Eastern semifinal between Toronto and Philadelphia. Those two hopefuls meet in a Game 6 in Philadelphia on Friday, with the second-seeded Raptors holding a 3-2 series lead.

Avenging a seven-game, first-round loss to the Celtics last season, the Bucks won four straight in the series after being stunned 122-90 at home in the best-of-seven opener.

Milwaukee trailed for just a matter of seconds late in the first quarter in the clincher, building as much as a 16-point lead in the second quarter and 18 in the third before coasting home.

The Bucks used balanced scoring and a stingy defense to eliminate the fourth-seeded Celtics, who had reached the Eastern finals against Cleveland each of the past two seasons.

Antetokounmpo led seven players in double figures for the Bucks, who will be making their first appearance in the conference finals since 2001, when they lost to Philadelphia. Antetokounmpo also found time for eight rebounds and a game-high eight assists.

Khris Middleton (19 points), Eric Bledsoe (18), George Hill (16), Nikola Mirotic (10) and Ersan Ilyasova (10) also scored in double figures for the Bucks, who shot 44.7 percent overall and outscored the Celtics 45-21 on 3-pointers.

The Bucks also got 10 points in 16 minutes from guard Malcolm Brogdon, who was returning from a heel injury that had sidelined him since March 15.

Mirotic shared team-high rebounding honors with Pat Connaughton with 11 apiece.

Kyrie Irving had 15 points to top the Celtics, who had beaten the Bucks in five of their previous six postseason head-to-heads.

Irving shot 6-for-21 overall and 1-for-7 on 3-point attempts, and he was limited to one assist in what could be his final game as a Celtic. He can become a free agent this summer.

Marcus Morris and Jayson Tatum finished with 14 points apiece, and Jaylen Brown had 12 for the Celtics, who shot just 31.2% from the field.

Morris completed a double-double with a team-high 11 rebounds.

WARRIORS HOLD OFF ROCKETS DESPITE DURANT’S INJURY
Draymond Green and Klay Thompson buried 3-pointers on consecutive possessions late in the game Wednesday night, allowing the Golden State Warriors to survive the loss of Kevin Durant and hold off the Houston Rockets 104-99 in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals in Oakland, Calif.

Top-seeded Golden State’s third narrow win of the best-of-seven series puts the defending champions one victory away from a fifth straight trip to the West finals.

The Warriors will get their first opportunity to earn advancement in Game 6 of the series on Friday night in Houston. Game 7, if necessary, would be played Sunday in Oakland.

After the Rockets rallied from 20 down to take the lead late in the third quarter, and with Durant in the locker room for the final 14 minutes following a calf injury, the Warriors outfinished their fourth-seeded foe.

A 3-pointer by Eric Gordon had the Rockets down just 89-88 with 4:49 to play, and a free throw by James Harden kept Houston within 91-89 with 3:39 to go.

But Green then buried his 3-pointer, and after a Houston turnover, Thompson bombed in his trey to push the Golden State lead to 97-89 with 2:34 to go.

Houston got as close as three one more time, on a layup by Harden with 18.6 seconds left, before Thompson, after nearly throwing the ball away, dropped in an interior hoop for the clinching basket with 4.1 seconds left.

Durant’s injury occurred innocently enough after he hit a jumper from the right side with 2:05 left in the third quarter.

He took a step toward the defensive end of the court before grimacing in pain and looking down at his lower right leg, leading to concerns he might have ruptured his Achilles.

However, the injury was later announced by the Warriors to be a strained right calf.

Thompson finished with 27 points, Stephen Curry 25 and Durant 22 for the Warriors, who continued a run of home wins by the teams in the series.

Andre Iguodala added 11 points, while Green had a brilliant all-around game before fouling out, complementing eight points with 12 rebounds and 11 assists.

Harden was the game’s leading scorer with 31 points for the Rockets, who were both outshot by the Warriors from the field 45.9% to 41.8% and outscored on 3-pointers 39-36. — Reuters

Salomon thrust of ‘run, train and play’ continues with latest X-trail staging in Timberland Heights

May 9, 2019 | 6:35 pm

ANOTHER staging of the Salomon X-trail Run was held recently, continuing its message of discovering both the fun and technical side of outdoor undertakings through “run, train and play.”

Held on April 28 at The Glades in Timberland Heights in San Mateo, Rizal, this year’s edition of the Salomon X-trail Run had trail runners challenged with jacked-up race categories which had 16k and 50k as the shortest and longest distances, respectively.

Participants passed through difficult but scenic paths that took them uphill, downhill and in various twists and turns through dirt, mud, dust and water.

Organizers said the race course was conceived as such to challenge the most tenacious of runners both technical ability-wise and the mental part of it.

Topping the men’s side of the Salomon Ultra 50K run was Manolito Divina who finished with a time of seven hours, 45 minutes and 43 seconds, followed by Salomon athlete Miguel Lopez (7:54:43) and Anthony Calixtero III (8:21:12).

Over at the women’s side it was Patricia Ann Morata who ruled with a time of 10 hours, 21 minutes and 10 seconds with Trisha Reyes at second (10:24;31 and Carmina Luisa Jereza at third (12:03:42).

In the 32k category, first place was Welfred Esporma, followed by Alison Telias and Juan Basilio Salaug in the men’s, while in the women’s it was Jocelyn Elijeran at first place, Silamie Gutang at second and Joyce Tagongtong at third.

For the 24k runners, up top for the male and female categories were Randolf Gonzales and Ma. Cecilia Cardo at first place, Jeffrey Reginio and Carly Relf at second place, and Roy Dacutanan and Jennifer Santana at third place.

In the 16k, Andre Mahilum and Anne Marindol Rongauinlla took first place in the men’s and women’s divisions, respectively, with Samuel Ebuen Bada and Hersey Kaye Padre coming at send, and Jose Mari de Castro and Iris Charine Torculas at third place.

Following another successful staging of the X-trail Run in the country, Salomon Philippines said it is all the more determined to continue staging such events in the future and providing fun and difficult races for the trail running community, which has steadily grown throughout the years. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Bundesliga confirmed as Europe’s home of Asian football players

May 9, 2019 | 6:35 pm

BUNDESLIGA welcomes more Asian players compared to other top four European leagues while Asian players in Germany also accumulate more appearances and goals than all other top four European leagues combined.

The Bundesliga has this week released data which confirms Germany as the home for Asian talent in Europe, reinforcing the country’s strong footballing connections to the region.

Data collected by Opta Sports shows that from July 1998, the Bundesliga has welcomed 64 players who have played 3,926 matches and scored 427 goals. In terms of Asian appearances and goals, the Bundesliga outperforms the English Premier League, Serie A, La Liga and Ligue 1 combined.

Since 1998, players representing the vast geographic regions of Asia, including South-East Asia (Cambodia, the Philippines), Central Asia (Tajikistan), Western Asia (Iran, Lebanon), as well as East Asia (China, Japan, North and South Korea), have all made Germany their home. These include some of Asia’s biggest stars, such as AFC Asian International Player of the Year 2018 and former Japan captain Makoto Hasebe, former Korea captain Ja-Cheol Koo and Chinese legend Shao Jiayi.

In the last two decades, of the players that made the most appearances in top European leagues, the top four out of five Asian players — Makoto Hasebe, Mehdi Mahdavikia, Vahid Hashemian, Ja-Cheol Koo, made those in the Bundesliga. The quartet made almost 1,000 appearances between them, with Hasebe (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Koo (FC Augsburg) adding to this each week as they continue their careers in Germany.

Speaking about this, Bundesliga International CEO Robert Klein said: “The Bundesliga has earned a reputation of being a truly global league, but we’re particularly proud of our strong Asian connections. We look forward to welcoming many more Asian stars over the coming years as we continue to build on our strong relationship with Asian football and its fans.”

He continued: “Many Asian players come to Germany attracted by the league’s pure, authentic football — football as It’s meant to be. They’ve played an important part in our league’s success, both on the field and by engaging with millions of fans across the continent.”

Follow all the latest Bundesliga action on Bundesliga.com and via the official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels.

2019 UTP national juniors tennis team to be announced

May 9, 2019 | 6:35 pm

IN a bid to continue developing fresh Filipino tennis talents, Unified Tennis Philippines (UTP) is forming the 2019 UTP National Juniors Tennis Team, which will represent the country in International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) tournaments.

“We are helping our top junior players compete in international competitions to further hone their skills as they are the future of Philippine tennis. We hope that this year’s team will be equally successful as last year’s batch,” UTP President Jean Henri Lhuillier said.

The cut-off period for the ITF and ATF tournaments is from June 1, 2018 to May 31 this year. The top two players of the Boys and Girls 18 and 16 Under category will be selected for an ITF tournament while the top two players of the Boys and Girls 14 and Under category will be sent to an ATF tournament.

UTP is also doing a similar search for representatives to the WTA Future Stars Girls 14 and 16 Under category through the Cebuana Lhuillier Girls Tennis Challenge. The top 8 ranked girls in both categories from January 1, to August 31, will play in a round robin competition this September and the champions will be sent to the WTA Future Stars tournament in its new host country in Shenzhen, China.

Last year, UTP formed several teams that played in Malaysia and Indonesia and were successful in producing winners with the Eala siblings Alex and Miko reaching the finals of the AGS-ITF in Indonesia. In the Sarawak 13^th ATF 14 and under series, Johndy Velez won the Boy’s Singles, Rupert Tortal and Brent Cortes won the Boy’s Doubles and Alexa Milliam won both the Girl’s Singles and Doubles titles.