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Childcare in the workplace: Help for single mothers

I would like to laud the House of Representatives, which on Sept. 4 of this year approved on third and final reading House Bill 4113. The bill, principally authored by Rep. Emmeline Aglipay Villar, grants paid maternity leave of 100 days, up from the former 60 days (78 days for mothers who had caesarian delivery). But what’s a mother to do from the 101th day onwards? What comes after maternity leave?
After giving birth, a lot of Filipina employees face this dilemma. Whatever the childcare situation — no parent, both parents working, single parent working, no grandparent or sibling available to take care of the child, no nanny — the mother’s major concern is the quality of care her child receives. This concern has a huge impact on the psychological and emotional status of the mother while she is in (or out of) the workplace. Sometimes, she is forced to choose between career and motherhood.
My heart rejoices whenever I hear of companies that support mothers in their careers. As a single mother, I appreciate companies that regard single parents as assets. When I started working after giving birth, I had low self-esteem, so any encouragement I received — a welcoming workplace, recognition for a job done well, promotion — went a long way in boosting my self-esteem and in opening my eyes to career opportunities.
But childcare is not only a mother’s concern. According to the International Labor Organization, “the problems of workers with family responsibilities are aspects of wider issues regarding the family and society which should be taken into account in national policies.”
Therefore, companies have an important role in addressing this concern. Although a few companies in the Philippines have childcare facilities (ABS-CBN and Unilever come to mind), sadly, most local companies do not. And if the bigger companies do not prioritize the provision of childcare centers, what can we expect from micro-, small-, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs)? Based on 2016 data from the Department of Trade and Industry, MSMEs accounted for 99.57% of total establishments in the Philippines and contributed almost 63.3% of total jobs generated by all types of business establishments that year. This means that many employees are probably earning minimum wage and cannot expect company help in childcare. Juxtapose this information with data from the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines stating that at least 13.9 million Filipinos are single parents who carry the burden of raising their families by themselves.
Obviously, childcare has a tremendous effect on an organization’s profitability. A mother who can focus on her job because she is assured that her child is safe and well-fed will be more productive in and loyal to the company.
According to the International Labor Organization, a company can help parents access childcare by negotiating discounts from childcare facilities for their employees, or by providing suggestions to improve the quality of childcare facilities available in the community. These solutions are being done in Brazil and India. Another solution is for the company to give financial support in the form of a tax shelter for care expense the way one company in Chile does. Another is by providing basic information on available services to employees who are not familiar with the community, or by simply helping workers understand the benefits that are available to them.
Awareness of employers or companies of the physical, emotional, and financial difficulties single parents experience when raising their children is a big step in convincing stakeholders, be they MSMEs or multinational companies, of the need for childcare solutions. This initiative will empower more single mothers to do better in their careers, to provide and express love to their children, and to realize their worth in society.
 
Maricel S. Balatbat is a lecturer at the Management Organization Department, Ramon V. Del Rosario College of Business of De La Salle University. She teaches Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior.
maricel.balatbat@dlsu.edu.ph

Heroism for others: The North Korean War, 1950-1955

The extreme bravery of the Filipino soldiers who gallantly fought to save democracy in Korea must be forever remembered. Their heroism helped save today’s South Korea.
The extreme horrors and devastations of World War II in the Pacific have just ended few years back. Manila was still in ruins. Buildings were flattened. Homes were obliterated. Countless lives were lost. And life, or whatever was left of it, was just starting to spring when our soldiers were again called to task — assist in repelling the aggressions of communism.
In June 25, 1950, about 135,000 communist soldiers crossed the 38th parallel and in just 2 days, captured Seoul.
About 7,420 weary Filipinos volunteered to join their comrades in the fledgling United Nations Forces in the Korean peninsula. Yes, they volunteered. They were barely prepared for the mission though. Their basic provisions were not adequate to join the winter battles in the cold fronts. But the brave sons of the orient, whose spirit would never waver, ignored the physical exhaustion of the freezing and hostile battleground.
BUSAN TO SARIWON: DEFENSE LINES BREACHED
When the Philippine Expeditionary Forces (PEFTOK) landed in Korea, about 80% of the country was already occupied by the invading forces. The allied forces were holding on to about only 20% of the territory. The situation was terribly lopsided.
The main lines on the way to Sariwon from Busan were to be defended by a combined military forces from allied nations. In one battlefront, at the right were the army from Turkey. On the left were the contingent from Puerto Rico. And at the center was the 20th Battalion Combat Team (BCT) led by Colonel Salvador Abcede.
The North Korean and Chinese troops, thousands more than the combined allied forces, relentlessly attacked the defensive positions. They seemed to be more than the bullets available to repel them. The ratio was estimated to be 10 to one favoring the aggressors. The sheer superiority in numbers proved to be fatal.
The left and right flanks collapsed. This made the central position being held by the Filipino forces practically surrounded.
CLOSE QUARTER BATTLE
The Filipino soldiers stood their ground. Surrendering was not an option. Giving up and embarrassing our flag was neither an alternative. The fighting was fought to save and take the ground inch for inch. Bayonets were fixed and parried against the enemy soldiers about a meter away. Shouts were part of the available munitions to possibly scare of the enemies who also had a single mindset — kill or be killed.
Timely air support by the American Air-Force and Army Artillery barrage were crucial in reversing the momentum of the ongoing hand-to-hand combat. Accurately guiding the Americans were the signal units who gave the coordinates on where to drop the bombs and cannon shells. Famous was LCDR Emilio Liwanag of the 105th Howitzers Battery. The tanks also effectively paralyzed the endless onslaught of the invading armies of North Vietnam and China.
The gallantry of our soldiers paid off. The area was successfully defended though the battle took the lives of Cap. Conrado Yap and Lt. Jose Artiaga. And with the other fighters from the United Nations, the Korean War was won.
The same bravery was seen in the battles of Eerie Hill and Christmas Hill where the much outnumbered Filipinos would not yield an inch of the ground against the successive attacks of thousands of enemy soldiers.
38TH PARALLEL LINE
The defense of South Korea was secured. The victory was a combination of raw muscle, high resolve to fight, and skills that were galvanized by years of war from Europe, to Africa, and up to Asia. And to ensure that the north will not again encroach, the 38th parallel was again drawn as a permanent demarcation line that shall divide the wounded country where relatives and friends would be physically separated as enemies for decades until today.
HEROES, LEADERS AND HISTORY
They were no ordinary soldiers. The Filipinos who crossed the seas just to risk their lives for a war in another land for a beleaguered fellow Asians were selfless warriors. Many of them died. Some continued to become leaders of our country such as Gen. Fidel V. Ramos who became our President. Gen. Gregorio Vigilar became the Secretary of Public Works and Highways. Colonel Jose T. Reyes became a famed pilot of the Philippine Air Force who helped penetrate the Dutch Blockade in Indonesia and later became one of the organizers of the Oplan Takip Silim against Marcos. And we must also recall the patriotism of then President Elpidio Quirino who, after having lost his wife and 3 sons in the Liberation of Manila in 1945, sent his son Lt. Tommy Aquino and his son-in-law, Lt. Luis Gonzalez to the Korean War along with our soldiers.
There were others who fought and perished in the 20th, 19th, 14th, 10th, and 2nd, Batallion Combat Teams (BCT’s). And most of them are no longer with us today. The least we can do to honor all of them is to simply remember their deeds in the international campaign to fight for our common way of life, shared values, and cherished freedom.
The Korean War must not be a forgotten war. Our men fought there. Filipino blood spilled in Korea. The chronicles recorded that Filipinos joined the loud call to defend democracy. They fought well. We are proud of them.
History does not make heroes. Heroes make history. And we have at least 7,420 of them that day.
 
Ariel F. Nepomuceno is a management consultant on strategy and investment.

Keeping up with climate finance

By Isabella Ann Mendoza and Chien-Huan Li
A CALL for urgent climate action has again been raised by the scientific community, based on the latest data contained in the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report on global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius. Among other things, the report forecasts severe effects on coastal communities due to rising sea levels and increasing temperatures. The findings are, undeniably, reflected in real life in our own country. We’ve seen it in our work in Eastern Samar and Cebu through stories from fisherfolk and reports from local officials over lower fish catch, loss of coastlines and multiple islands of dead corals.
We were in Coron, Palawan recently to meet with Cordaid, our partner in assisting local governments create responsive climate change action plans. Though their eagerness towards participating in the process is undeniable, planning for further climate action comes with a fundamental dilemma: how will localities see initiatives through to fruition, and where will the funds come from?
INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE FINANCE
The United Nation has rightly prioritized climate finance. Its Green Climate Fund (GCF), operationalized in 2014, is the biggest international climate fund. The fund’s mandate is to mobilize resources from developed countries to finance adaptation and mitigation initiatives in developing countries. Thus far, it has financed over 70 projects from around the world that today are in various stages of implementation.
Four years later, we face today the predicament of the GCF’s first replenishment. Recent reports have also detailed various challenges the GCF board is currently facing, from diminishing resources, the lack of follow through from international commitments, changes in governing structure and deadlocks in the GCF governing board’s decision-making process.
According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), the three key challenges to improving the governance of the GCF are improving the predictability of financial resources, strengthening the effectiveness of the board, and strengthening the board’s role as a representative body. But the GCF board appears responsive. As of October 2018, they approved 19 new proposals from developing countries and 16 new partner institutions and accredited entities. They have likewise taken steps forward in preparation of the fund’s replenishment in 2019.
These developments are of particular interest for the Philippines.
ICSC has been active as an NGO observer at GCF board meetings and in support of accreditation bids from local agencies seeking to engage or access the fund. One highlight from the recent meeting was the approval of LANDBANK as the first GCF-accredited national entity of the Philippines. ICSC worked hard and early with WRI to help steer LANDBANK officials to put together complex accreditation requirements for the fund board’s consideration. Hopefully, more Philippine entities will get the green light.
NATIONAL CLIMATE FINANCE
The People’s Survival Fund (PSF) is similar to the GCF in its mandate to finance the climate adaptation action plans of local governments. Armed with an annual P1 billion allocation, the PSF is clearly not enough to cover the plethora of programs and initiatives that need to be undertaken throughout the country, but it’s a good start even in the face of considerable challenges.
Some have called into question the effectiveness of the fund due to the slow turnover rate. The replenishment of the PSF, for instance, has been unprogrammed due to the perceived under-utilization of the fund over the last three years. These issues can be attributed largely to the lack of capacity and resources to collect data and present the technical documentation and science-based evidence necessary to meet application requirements.
At present, there is little news in circulation about the status of the PSF. But as of this writing, its board has approved six projects, with six more in the pipeline awaiting approval.
Having been involved in crafting and passing the PSF into law, from advocacy to actual implementation, ICSC has had the opportunity to work with other fund board members in order to guide the efforts of local government recipients, such as Del Carmen, Siargao Island, Surigao Del Norte and Lanuza, Surigao Del Sur. As civil society representative to the fund board, ICSC has gone to great lengths, and will continue to do so, to keep communication lines between the board and potential proponents as dynamic and transparent as possible to facilitate easier local access to the PSF.
The growing international clamor for structure and discipline in climate finance show that the process of executing an efficient and effective financing system for climate change adaptation is a difficult yet evolving process. Challenges in managing climate funds are many but some are constant, such as the need for predictable and transparent governance.
Communities across the Philippines are already reeling from the impacts of climate change as world temperatures inch towards the Paris Agreement-prescribed 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold. Our leaders need to stay ahead of the learning curve and innovate approaches early.
 
Isabella Ann Mendoza is a climate policy analyst and Chien-Huan Li is a climate policy intern of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, an international climate and energy policy group.

UP returns to UAAP finals

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE University of the Philippines are back in the UAAP Finals after 32 years following their victory over the Adamson Soaring Falcons, 89-87, in overtime in their Final Four do-or-die on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Hanging tough amid a very tough challenge from the Falcons all the way to the end, the Maroons ended three decades of finals drought in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines while also completing an upset of higher-seeded Adamson, which carried a twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals.
UP had a strong start, jolted by Juan Gomez De Liano who came off the bench to boost their offense.
The Maroons were up, 13-8, in the first five minutes and then extending it to a nine-point cushion, 21-12, inside the last two minutes.
Diliman-based UP eventually settled for a 26-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Adamson came out on a better footing.
Led by Jerrick Ahanmisi and Papi Sarr, the Falcons would soar to a 14-5 run in the first four minutes of the frame to come within a point, 31-30.
But the Maroons regrouped after on the lead of Gomez De Liano and Bright Akhuetie.
They would finish the quarter with a 20-14 blast to carry a 51-42 advantage to the halftime break.
Gomez De Liano continued to pour it for UP to begin the third canto, towing his team to a 16-point separation, 60-44, at the 5:57 mark.
The Falcons were undeterred though and fashioned a comeback.
Adamson narrowed the gap to three points, 61-58, with two and a half minutes remaining in the quarter.
It would complete the turnaround in the canto with an 9-3 finish to seize the lead, 67-64, heading into the fourth period.
The two teams jousted to begin the fourth, fighting to a 69-68 count and Adamson up with 7:44 to go.
The game was knotted at 74-all midway into final canto.
UP was ahead, 74-73, entering the last two minutes before big man Jerson Prado made it a three-point cushion, 76-73, with two free throws with 1:22 remaining.
Ahanmisi pushed Adamson to within one point, 76-75, with a minute to go.
The two teams had their chances at the basket after but failed to connect until UP guard Jun Manzo scored on a drive to the basket to make it 78-75 with 10 seconds left.
Adamson sued for time after to set up a play.
The Falcons’ first play was foiled but had another chance at it and they delivered accordingly with Jerom Lastimosa hitting a game-tying triple with 2.6 seconds left to make it 78-all.
UP tried to go for the win with the time remaining but Paul Desiderio’s heave from midcourt failed to hit the mark, sending the game to extra time.
In overtime, it was the Falcons who jump-started things, scoring the first six points to take an 84-78 lead with 2:39 to go.
UP then answered with a quick six points after a minute and a half to tie the score at 84-all by the 1:09 mark.
Jonathan Espeleta gave the lead back to Adamson, 85-84, by splitting his free throws only to be answered by Desiderio with a triple to make it 87-85 for the Maroons with 41 ticks left.
Lastimosa then tied the count at 87-all with two free throws.
Back on their court, Desiderio broke the tie, 89-87, with a basket with six seconds to go.
Lastimosa had a chance to win it for the Falcons but his desperation three-pointer did not go in, sending the UP crowd, part of a mammoth 20,909 in attendance, into celebration.
Gomez De Liano led all scorers with 30 points while Desiderio had a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Akhuetie, meanwhile, had 13 points and 17 rebounds for UP.
Ahanmisi paced Adamson with 20 points while Lastimosa finished with 17.
Sarr had 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Falcons.
“After that made three-pointer by Lastimosa to force overtime the spirit to fight momentarily left us. But these guys just did not give up. We are happy to be in the finals with this group of players,” said UP coach Bo Perasol following their win.
“It was not an easy journey for us this season but it was all worth it. We are in the finals,” Mr. Perasol added.
UP will have a short turnaround as it plays the defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles in Game One of their best-of-three finals on Saturday, Dec. 1.

Singapore-headquartered e-commerce platform high on partnership with ONE

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
SINGAPORE-headquartered fashion, beauty and lifestyle e-commerce platform Zilingo recently inked a partnership with ONE Championship that has it helping power Asia’s largest global sports media property’s brand-new athleisure business.
It is a deal that Zilingo, founded in 2015, said it is very excited about as it adds further dimension to it as an e-commerce player.
The athleisure business of ONE Championship is another vertical it is exploring which aims to introduce premium sports and lifestyle wear that inspires, represents, and empowers the consumer, all part of the group’s thrust as a global brand.
The athleisure business has ONE having its own merchandise line and online store, which is supported by Zilingo, touted as Southeast Asia’s leading fashion, beauty and lifestyle e-commerce platform.
“ONE Championship through the years has truly been a supportive partner of Zilingo. We have strong synergies between our business and theirs. We are a fashion company and we focus on building products through the fashion supply chain and on the other hand ONE is a sports and media brand. So for us to plug in our products into the ONE Championship franchise and to support them in their merchandise line and leisure line is valuable for us,” said Marita Abraham, Zilingo chief marketing officer, in an interview with BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the unveiling of their partnership with ONE last week here in Manila.
“It’s a partnership where we are associating with one of the biggest brands in this region. We believe it will be a fruitful partnership and we’re excited about it,” added Ms. Abraham, whose group has also set its global footprint in Thailand, Indonesia and have recently penetrated the US online marketplace with its new B2B platform, Zilingo Asia Mall.
Zilingo is set to hit Philippine shores soon, the company official shared.
Ms. Abraham further said that they have been working closely with ONE Championship to ensure the success of the new business line.
“We have known [ONE Chairman and CEO] Chatri [Sityodtong] and his team for a long time and we have been following the ONE brand for years. It has been working with us on and off through small partnerships in the past. And now Zilingo is ready to work with them on this. We have been working under the hood of production, from manufacturing to design, sampling, quality control, shipping, logistics and designing the Website,” Ms. Abraham said.
The ONE Championship online store is at https://shop.onefc.com while Zilingo is at https://zilingo.com.

Esports at SEA Games 2019 takes form with Razer on board

JUST days after being named one of the 56 events included in the Southeast Asian Games next year here in the Philippines, esports saw things get rolling for it with the naming of Razer as an official partner in the biennial regional tournament.
The leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, Razer has been tasked to provide the infrastructure and logistical support as well as expertise and experience in organizing esports events to ensure that the esports portion of the Games is successful staged, from the qualifiers all the way to the tournament proper itself.
In the official announcement of the partnership on Wednesday at the Marriott Hotel, officials of Razer and the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee, led by Chairman Emeritus Alan Peter Cayetano, hailed the newly forged deal as a breakthrough for the SEA Games as well as in the continued growth of esports.
“Esports is no longer a niche market. Many people are already picking it up both as gamers and audience and it is projected to be a billion-dollar industry by next year,” said Limeng Lee, Razer chief strategy officer, at yesterday’s announcement.
“To have Southeast Asia be part in that movement is big,” he added.
For Mr. Cayetano, the inclusion of esports in the Games as an official medal sport is a welcome development as it fortifies further the SEA Games goal of unity and inclusion in the region.
“SEA Games is about sports and competition but still we cannot forget about its goal of unity and inclusion. Gamers are part of this community,” Mr. Cayetano said.
PhilSGOC and Razer officials said more details on the tournament and other developments will be announced on a later date.
They, however, said that six games are being eyed — two mobile, two PC and two console games — for the Games.
The 2019 SEA Games is slated from Nov. 30 to Dec. 13 spread in different parts of the country. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Coach Tiger Woods coming to your living room next year

LOS ANGELES — Tiger Woods next year will begin producing weekly golf instructional videos and give fans a glimpse into his life on the PGA Tour as part of a new partnership with Discovery’s GOLFTV, the network said on Tuesday.
The live and on-demand video streaming service will collaborate with Woods on a wide range of programming to offer fans an authentic look into the life, mind and performance of one of the game’s all-time greats, the network said.
The 14-time Major champion said he was excited for the new endeavor, which he hoped would generate enthusiasm for the game among a new, younger audience.
“I want to talk to golf fans and golfers everywhere, directly, and straight from me,” Woods said
“That’s important to me. Talking about what we care about: what’s happening on the course, how to play better, how can I shoot lower scores tomorrow, how can I beat my friends?”
The 42-year-old said sharing his knowledge of the game through training videos was his way of giving back to people who share his love for the game.
“Getting the chance to do instruction is exciting,” he said.
“I’ve always been focused on my own game and this experience can help players everywhere. Whether you’re a long-time player or a beginner, there are some things that help us all play better.”
“If I can help the next generation enjoy the game more and play better, that’s pretty special.”
The PGA Tour and pay TV operator Discovery, Inc. in October announced the creation of GOLFTV, a live and on-demand video streaming service that will give golf fans access to nearly 150 tournaments annually when it launches on Jan. 1.
The partnership with GOLFTV comes at an ideal time in Woods’ career.
After years of setbacks due to multiple back surgeries, the American had a comeback season this year that culminated with a win at the Tour Championship in September, his first PGA Tour win in five years and his 80th overall. — Reuters

Associations, events among to be feted at sports tourism awards

KEY PLAYERS who have been done their part in the exponential growth of the local sports tourism industry are set to be honored at the 2nd Sports Tourism Awards.
Happening on Dec. 5 at the newly opened Savoy Hotel Manila in Pasay City, the Philippine Sports Tourism Awards (PSTA), which is founded by tourism marketing and public relations group Selrahco, is also geared towards inspiring local players to further step up their game in pushing the Philippines as a top sports tourism destination in the world with various events and activities, riding on the back of the richness of the country’s geography and the inherent passion of Filipinos for sports.
The awards is making a comeback after taking a year off last year to give way to the organizational changes that happened both in the sports and tourism sectors in the country.
But like its inaugural edition in 2016, organizers said the 2nd Sports Tourism Awards will honor deserving awardees who have put in much effort to the Philippine sports tourism push.
“Once again the awardees are of par excellence and this event is to honor them for their efforts and professionalism in creating and hosting the sports events which have encouraged more visitors, locally and from overseas, to participate,” said Charles Lim, chairman and founder of the PSTA, during the press conference for the event held on Tuesday.
Among those short-listed for awards are the Philippine Football Federation and Philippine Football League (National Sports Association of the Year); Sunrise Events Inc., Palawan Express, Davao Fun Sale Inc. , and Blue Kiteboarding Inc. (Organizer of the Year [Private]); Tabuelan 111, Visit Davao, and Manggahan Bike Fest (Event of the Year [Domestic]); Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, 4th Futsal Asian Championship, Pal Interclub Tournament, Clark Hot Air Balloon, and Blue Palawan International Kiteboarding Open (Event of the Year [International]); and PAL Interclub, Century Tuna Ironman, and Cobra Ironman (Event Sponsorship of the Year).
Other categories in the PSTA are Destination of the Year, Organizer of the Year (LGU), Destination Marketing of the Year, Hotel of the Year, Charity of the Year, and Airline of the Year.
The winners are to be chosen by a panel of judges from the sports and tourism sectors.
The PSTA is supported by the Department of Tourism, Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corporation, among others.
Previous winners of the awards were Clark Freeport (Destination of the Year), Sunrise Events, Inc. (Organizer of the Year -Private), Municipality of Lubao (Organizer of the Year — Government), (Tabuelan 111 — Event of the Year -Domestic), Ironman 70.3 (Event of the Year — International), Philippine Inter-Island Sailing Federation — Sport Association of the Year), Province of Cebu -(Destination Marketing of the Year Ironman 70.3), Resorts World Manila Masters — Event Sponsorship of the Year) and Fat Boy 10s Rugby (Charity Event of the Year). — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Teen star in Khanty-Mansiysk

The 2018 women’s World Chess Championship is over and the Chinese Grandmaster Ju Wenjun remains the chess queen of earth. I’d like to point out the notable performance of IM Zhansaya Abdumalik of Kazakhstan.
Ms. Abdumalik was born in Jan. 12, 2000 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, which makes her 18 years old as of today. She carries the title of International Master but actually holds three Grandmaster (GM) norms already and only needs to bring her rating up to 2500 to get the full GM title.
IM Zhansaya has three world championship titles: Under-8 section (2008 Vung Tau) and Under-12 division (2011 Caldas Novas, Brazil) and World Girls Under-20 Championship (Tarvisio, Kazakhstan). In 2016 she became the women’s champion of Kazakhstan. She is so highly regarded in her home country that the chess academy there is called the “Zhansaya Abdumalik Chess Academy,” inaugurated by the 12th world champion Anatoly Karpov no less.
IM Abdumalik did really well here in Khanty-Mansiysk to reach the quarterfinals. Along the way she defeated IM Padmini Rout IND 2341 2.5-1.5, GM Zhao Xue CHN 2478 3-1, Jolanta Zawadzka POL 2407 2.5-1.5 before falling to former world champion Mariya Muzychuk UKR 2545 1-3.
That is the bare score and it doesn’t seem like much, but let me explain to you how difficult her journey was.
Let us not discuss first round opponent Padmini Rout who is lower rated than Zhansaya (never mind that Padmini was Indian women’s champion for the last four years), the second round opponent GM Zhao Xue is a real powerhouse who at one time was considered a potential world champion. She played for the Chinese Olympiad team (and you know they are among the most powerful teams in the world) in 2002 (Bled), 2004 (Calvia) and 2016 (Baku). In fact, in Bled she won a gold medal as 5th board, scoring 11/12 (!) for a performance rating of 2723.
In round 3 IM Abdumalik faced the Pole WGM Zawadzka who was herself having a good tournament – in the previous round she had defeated former challenger GM Humpy Koneru and was really itching to further go up the tournament ladder. Zhansaya lost the first game but came back to win the 2nd to bring the match to tiebreaks. Abdumalik then posted this very emphatic win to eliminate Jolanta.

Abdumalik, Zhansaya (2473) — Zawadzka, Jolanta (2407) [B01]
Women’s World Championship Khanty-Mansiysk (3.3), 11.11.2018

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bh5 7.g4 Bg6 8.Ne5 Nbd7 9.Nc4 Qe6+ 10.Ne3 0–0–0 11.Bg2 h5 12.g5 Ne4 13.Qf3 f5?!
Totally understandable but wrong. Black was afraid of the Q+B battery down the long diagonal and decides to shut it off on e4. In reality what is happening is that she has killed the scope of her g6–bishop. Better is 13…Nd6 followed by …f7–f6.
14.0–0 c6 15.h4 Nxc3 16.bxc3 Nb6 17.Bh3 Qf7 18.a4!
Winning the pawn with 18.Bxf5+ backfires after 18…e6 and White is forced into 19.Be4 Qxf3 20.Bxf3 Na4 21.Bd2 e5! Black equalizes.
18…e6 19.a5!
Getting the knight out of the way so that she can play Ne3–f4–e5.
19…Nd5 20.Nc4 Bd6? 21.Nxd6+ Rxd6 22.c4 Nc7 23.c3 Na6 24.Bf4 Rd7 25.Be5 Re8 26.Qf4 Kd8 27.c5 Qg8
Jolanta’s queen is doing nothing on f7 and she tries to reposition her forces with Ke7, Ra8, Qc8, etc.
28.Rfb1 Ke7 29.Rb2 Ra8 30.Rab1 Qc8 31.Bf1
With the idea of 32.Bxa6 bxa6 33.Rb8, which wins the black queen.
31…Nc7 32.Rxb7 Nd5 33.Rxd7+ Qxd7 34.Qd2 f4 35.Bd3 Bxd3 36.Qxd3 Kf8 37.Qh7 Qf7 38.Rb7! 1–0
Black resigned after 38.Rb7. She loses her queen after 38…Qxb7 39.Qh8+ Kf7 40.Qxg7+ and will probably be mated too in a few more moves. Her match with former women’s world champion Grandmaster Mariya Muzychuk was a battle royale. First Abdumalik grabs a win with a nice attack.

Muzychuk, Mariya (2545) — Abdumalik, Zhansaya (2473) [B41]
Women’s World Championship, Khanty-Mansiysk (4.1), 12.11.2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.Qd3 0–0 8.e5 Ne8 9.Bf4 Qc7N 10.a3 Bxc3+ 11.Qxc3 f6 12.Nf3 Nc6 13.Bg3 fxe5 14.Nxe5 Nxe5 15.Bxe5 d6 16.Bg3 Qc6 17.f3 e5 18.c5 dxc5 19.Bc4+ Be6 20.0–0–0 b5 21.Bxe6+ Qxe6 22.Rhe1 b4 23.Rxe5 Qa2 24.axb4 cxb4 25.Qxb4
The following sequence is fascinating.
25…Rc8+ 26.Rc5 a5 27.Qb5 Rf5! 28.Bf2 Qe6 29.Rd3?
A blunder. 29.Rd2! holds.
29…Rfxc5+ 30.Bxc5 Qe1+ 31.Kc2 Qf2+
The point.
32.Kb3 Qxc5 33.Qxc5 Rxc5 34.h4 Rb5+ 35.Ka3 Kf7 36.Rd7+ Ke6 37.Ra7 h5 38.g4 hxg4 39.fxg4 Rb4 40.Rxa5 Rxg4 41.Rh5 g6 42.Rh8 Ng7 43.b4 Nf5 44.b5 Rxh4 45.Rg8 Rg4 46.b6 Nd6 47.Rc8 Rg5 48.Rb8 Kd7 49.Kb4 Kc6 50.Kc3 Nb7 51.Kd4 Kxb6 52.Re8 Kc6 53.Re5 Rg4+ 54.Ke3 Nc5 55.Kf3 Rg1 56.Re8 Kd6 57.Rc8 Ne6 0–1
Mariya immediately strikes back in the second game to bring the match to tiebreaks.

Abdumalik, Zhansaya (2473) — Muzychuk, Mariya (2545) [B47]
Women’s World Championship Khanty-Mansiysk (4.2), 13.11.2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be2 Nf6 7.0–0 Bb4 8.Ndb5 Qb8! 9.Be3 a6 10.a3 Be7 11.Nd4 0–0 12.f4 d6 13.Kh1 Bd7 14.Bf3 Rc8N 15.Qe1 b5 16.Qg3 b4 17.axb4 Qxb4 18.e5 Nxd4!
It is win or go home, so the former world champion takes a risk by giving up the exchange in order to activate her bishops.
19.Bxd4 Qxd4 20.exf6 Bxf6 21.Bxa8 Rxa8 22.Qd3 Qxd3 23.cxd3 d5 24.Ra3 g6 25.Rb3 a5 26.Ra1 Kg7 27.Kg1 a4 28.Rb7
Strange as it may seem, this move, bringing the rook to the 7th rank is a mistake. It is vulnerable to the two rampaging bishops.
28…Bc6 29.Rc7
[29.Rb4 Be7 30.Rb6 Bc5+ wins the rook]
29…Be8 30.Kf1 h5 31.Ra2 Bd8 32.Rb7 Bc6 33.Rb4 Ra6 34.Ke2? Be7ƒ 35.Rd4 Bc5 36.Rdxa4 Bxa4 37.Nxa4 Bd4
Black’s bishop dominates the knight. Muzychuk is already winning.
38.b4 Ra8 39.Ra3 h4 40.Kf3 f5 41.g4 Kf6–+ 42.Ra2? Rb8 43.g5+ Ke7 44.Nb2 Rxb4 45.Nd1 Bb6 46.Rc2 Kd7 47.Nc3 Rd4 48.Rd2 Ba5 49.Ne2 Rxf4+! 50.Kxf4 Bxd2+ 51.Ke5 Ke7 52.Nf4 Bxf4+ 53.Kxf4 Kd6 54.d4 e5+! 55.dxe5+ Ke6 56.Kf3 Kxe5 57.Kg2 Kf4 58.Kh3 Kxg5 0–1
So … on to the tiebreaks! All tiebreaks games were played the next day after the second classical game. First there were two Rapid (25 minutes + 10 seconds increment) and the two players exchanged fighting wins to go to the second phase, the so-called “long-blitz” games at 10 minutes per game plus 10 seconds increment after every move.
The first game was a giant battle and wound up with a KRN vs KR endgame on the 85th move. As our BW readership knows this is a draw but fiendishly difficult for both sides. You should note that both players had already exhausted their time allotment and were only going by the 10-second increment. Try playing with 10 seconds per move in a complicated and crucial endgame for a hundred moves! Anyway, they fought on until they got to this position on the 135th move (Muzychuk is White).
POSITION AFTER 135.NG5
Black can only prevent 136.Re8 checkmate by giving up her rook for the knight, but fortunately for Abdumalik they have already reached the 50-move threshold with no exchanges or pawn moves and she could have claimed a draw here. The heat of battle and sheer exhaustion however got to her and she resigned in this position.
That meant that Abdumalik was once again one game away from elimination, and they had to play the 2nd “long-blitz” game immediately after the exhausting marathon above. She was equal to the task, though.

Abdumalik, Zhansaya (2473) — Muzychuk, Mariya (2545) [B18]
Women’s World Championship Khanty-Mansiysk (4.6), 14.11.2018

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nh3 Nf6 8.Nf4 Bh7 9.Be3
Mikhail Tal played 9.Bc4 in his 1960 world championship match with Botvinnik. The idea is that after 9…e6 10.0–0 Bd6 (Better than 10…Be7 11.Bxe6! fxe6 12.Nxe6 Qd7 13.Nh5! with a very dangerous attack) 11.Nxe6!? fxe6 12.Bxe6 Qc7 13.Re1 Nbd7 theoretically White does not have enough for the piece but the practical problems for Black are plenty. Tal, M-Botvinnik, M Moscow 1960 0–1 58. I wrote a long theoretical on this position many years ago in “Chess Asia” and have played it hundreds (maybe even thousands) of times in the Internet Chess Club for blitz and bullet games. My score with White in this line is something like 60%, and that includes games with titled players, even grandmasters!
9…e6 10.Bd3 Bxd3 11.Qxd3 Qa5+ 12.c3 Bd6 13.0–0 Nbd7 14.b4 Qc7 15.Nfe2 0–0 16.a4 a5 17.b5 c5 18.Ne4 c4 19.Qc2 Nxe4 20.Qxe4 Nf6 21.Qf3 Nd5 22.g3 f5?
When you are tired you tend to strike out rashly hoping to end the game immediately. This is the explanation I can think of for this anti-positional move which is parried by Abdumalik without problems.
23.Bf4 Rae8 24.Rfe1 Rf7 25.h5 Nxf4 26.Nxf4 e5?
A well-intentioned move which has a flaw.
27.dxe5 Rxe5 28.Ng6! Rxe1+ 29.Rxe1 Qd7 30.Qd5 f4 31.Re7!! 1–0
So now they go to the next set of tiebreak games, the blitz 5 minutes + 3 second increments. By this time Abdumalik had depleted all our inner reserves and could not put up a fight. Mariya Muzychuk won the 1st and forced a draw in the 2nd in a winning position to eliminate her worthy foe and go on to the semi-finals.
This epic battle left its mark on both players. Muzychuk herself was very tired and could not put up much resistance to Russia’s Kateryna Lagno in the semi-finals. They drew the two classical games but Lagno won both tiebreak games to proceed to the finals against Ju Wenjun.
Abdumalik is only 18 years old. She just put everyone on notice that her name will be one to reckon with in future world championship battles.
 
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 for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.
bobby@cpamd.net

Fruitful season

To contend that Tiger Woods has had a fruitful season would be an understatement. True, he was next to atrocious in his immediate past performances; he laid an egg at the Ryder Cup and failed to tame both Phil Mickelson and softened-up Shadow Creek in a made-for-television affair. On the other hand, he did wear himself thin heading into his unlikely triumph at the Tour Championship. And were his 80th PGA Tour triumph his only achievement for 2018, the year would still be deemed a resounding success. As things turned out, he contended in, among other tournaments, two major championships and managed to move up a whopping 655 spots to 13th in world rankings.
Which, for the most part, was why Woods sounded more thankful than disappointed during his presser for the Hero World Challenge yesterday. If nothing else, he understood the depths from where he came and the advances he made to remain the talk of the sport, but for all the right reasons. And considering the full schedule he hitherto subjected himself to in order to make his strides, his hosting of a by-invitation event in the Bahamas this weekend figures to be a welcome respite.
Knowing Woods, though, there will be nothing on his mind but victory when he tees off at Albany. For all the trappings of the luxury resort, he will not be distracted from the same singular pursuit that has propelled his achievements since he chucked his amateur status in late 1996. How well he does is subject to speculation, but what his determination to succeed won’t be. It’s certainly what has enabled him to turn his fortunes for the better despite four back surgeries in the last half decade. These days, he doesn’t just view teeing off as a measure of progress in and of itself; he’s back to believing he begins any competition as the prohibitive favorite.
In any case, there can be no underestimating the remarkable lengths Woods has gone through in order to once again rub elbows with the best of the best in the sport. Certainly, no other player would have been able to get reacquainted with winning in such forceful fashion after having canned a swing coach and changed equipment. Then again, he is who he is, and nothing he does surprises anymore.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

PSEi declines on concerns over reenacted budget

By Arra B. Francia, Reporter
STOCKS CORRECTED on Wednesday, ending a four-day winning streak as investors assessed how a pause on public works could affect the implementation of new projects next year.
The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) fell 0.42% or 31.20 points to 7,382.43 by closing bell yesterday. The broader all-shares index likewise dropped 0.34% or 15.38 points to 4,443.38.
“Today’s downward bias may have been influenced by the government’s re-enacted budget and ban on public works ahead of elections, which both point towards a five-month pause in the implementation of new projects,” Papa Securities Corp. Head of Marketing and Business Development Arbee B. Lu said in an e-mail on Wednesday.
Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said on Tuesday that the government will likely see a five-month pause in new projects to be implemented due to the late signing of the 2019 General Appropriations Act, which the president is expected to sign in mid-March.
This will coincide with the April-May ban on public works for the midterm elections.
“This may put pressure on the government’s GDP (gross domestic product) target next year,” Ms. Lu said, although adding that investors are still focusing on the release of inflation figures on Wednesday next week.
For Eagle Equities, Inc. Research Head Christopher John Mangun, the PSEi’s pullback was expected.
“Investors will continue to take profits and cut positions to raise cash for the long weekend. We expect the index to end the week more or else close to the levels we began the week at,” Mr. Mangun said in a separate e-mail.
Net foreign buying continued, albeit slowing to P265.94 million from Tuesday’s P312.80 million.
Four sectoral indices moved to negative territory, led by property which slumped 0.98% or 35.36 points to 3,541.67. Financials shed 0.61% or 10.93 points to 1,753.63; services slipped 0.32% or 4.55 points to 1,411.18; while mining and oil went down 0.04% or 3.78 points to 8,509.92.
In contrast, holding firms added 0.01% or 1.25 points to 7,282.89, while industrials was flat with a 0.44-point increase to 10,710.79.
Some 1.15 billion issues switched hands valued at P7.22 billion, slimming from the previous session’s P7.59 billion.
Decliners outpaced advancers, 95 to 81, while 54 names were unchanged.
Overseas, Wall Street advanced. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.44% or 108.49 points to 24,748.73. The S&P 500 index climbed 0.33% or 8.75 points to 2,682.20, while the Nasdaq Composite index also added 0.01% or 0.85 point to 7,082.70.
Asian markets ended mixed on Wednesday, although investors remained cautious on how US President Donald J. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s negotiations will go over the weekend.

Peso inches up vs dollar

THE PESO strengthened a tad against the dollar on Wednesday amid large trading volume ahead of the meeting between the US and Chinese leaders.
The local unit closed yesterday’s session at P52.585 versus the greenback, just two centavos stronger than the P52.605 finish the previous day.
The peso opened the session weaker at P52.67, while its intraday high stood at P52.51. Its worst showing, on the other hand, was at P52.72 against the US currency.
Trading volume slid to $1.053 billion from the $1.067 billion that switched hands on Tuesday.
A foreign exchange trader said the peso strengthened slightly even as the dollar moved higher ahead of the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump.
“The peso traded in a high range between P52.50-P52.70. So it’s more of a reflection of the dollar trading higher,” the trader said in a phone interview.
Reuters reported that the dollar’s strength also reflected risks around the upcoming G20 Summit in Buenos Aires wherein the leaders of the two biggest economies are scheduled to discuss trade issues.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Trump said it was “highly unlikely” Washington would accept Beijing’s proposal to postpone the 25% tariffs to be imposed on Chinese goods by next year.
“The peso slightly appreciated amid risk-on sentiment ahead of Trump’s upcoming trade talks with China,” another trader said.
For today, the first trader expects the peso to trade between P52.45 and P52.65, while the other gave a P52.50-P52.70 range.
“We will continue to trade between P52.50 and P52.75, range. We have to hear from other Fed officials on what they think about the path next year,” a third trader said.
On Tuesday, Federal Reserve Vice Chair Richard Clarida backed the central bank’s approach to hiking interest rates, saying it is “necessary.” Investors are now awaiting clues from Fed Chair Jerome Powell on the future path of policy rates. — K.A.N. Vidal

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