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KMU files complaint vs Duterte before ILO

A LABOR GROUP is calling on the International Labor Organization (ILO) to file a case against President Rodrigo R. Duterte for violating civil and labor rights.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) said it has written a letter to the labor arm of the United Nations (UN) stating that “trade union rights and civil liberties of Filipino workers and trade union activists were severely abused and violated” under the Duterte administration.
KMU Chairperson Elmer Labog said, “The Philippine government is violating workers’ freedom of association and the right to organize, through red-tagging, vilification, threats and harassment; the illegal arrest and detention of trade union organizations and trade union leaders(…)and even encouraging violent attacks against strikes and workers’ picketlines.”
“Workers are now seeking dialogues with international institutions,” the KMU chair added.
KMU said it attached in its letter a complaint stating that the Philippine government is violating ILO labor standards, specifically ILO Convention 87 Freedom of Association and Right to Organize and ILO Convention 98 Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining.
“Unionists are not terrorists. Organizing workers into union, bargaining collectively, and holding strikes are rights enshrined in the Philippine Constitution and in international conventions,” Mr. Labog said. — G.M. Cortez

UP and Adamson make another go at finals slot

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons and Adamson Soaring Falcons make one last go at a spot in the finals of University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 81 when they clash in a do-or-die Final Four match today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Set for 3:30 p.m., the Maroons and Falcons battle it out for the right to face defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles in the best-of-three championship series which is scheduled to begin later this week.
The sudden death was forced by lower-seeded UP after it overcame the first hurdle in a twice-to-win handicap with a 73-71 victory last Saturday off a game-winner by about-to-be-named league most valuable player Bright Akhuetie.
With the score knotted at 71-all with 3.7 seconds remaining after Adamson’s Sean Manganti tied things with two pressure-packed free throws, UP then set up a play off a time out which had erstwhile struggling Akhuetie receiving the ball under the basket and connecting for the eventual game-winner.
Adamson tried to salvage the win but Jonathan Espeleta’s desperation heave from midcourt failed to hit the mark as time expired.
The victory kept UP’s season alive and extended a win streak that now stands at four and has given their playoff push a major boost.
Given an opportunity to go deeper in the tournament, a position they have not been to in two decades, the Maroons are now more determined to seize it.
“I kept telling the players that no matter what happens we have to go through this. We may win or lose but it’s a matter of learning from it all. But since either way we would learn, we might as well win this,” said Maroons coach Bo Perasol following their hard-earned win at the weekend.
They recognize, however, that they have to take it away from the Falcons, who they expect to come back with the necessary adjustments come today’s game.
ADAMSON NOT WORRIED
Despite falling short of disposing UP at the first instance, Adamson still remains upbeat of eventually getting the job done.
“There is more one more game to be played,” Falcons coach Franz Pumaren was quoted as saying following their tough loss last time around.
He admitted though that they have to play far better in the next game, with top guns Jerrick Ahanmisi and Manganti, in particular, in their element right from the get-go.
Last Saturday, both Ahanmisi and Manganti struggled for the most part of the contest, only getting their groove late in the game.
Their slow start, the team acknowledged, had an adverse effect on its attack, something it hopes to be able to address in the sudden death.
UP looks to enter the finals for the first time since 1986 while Adamson shoots for a spot it has not been to since 1992.

Wizards top Rockets in OT despite Harden’s 54

LOS ANGELES — John Wall had 36 points and 11 assists, Bradley Beal added 32 points, and the Washington Wizards rallied from an early 17-point deficit to defeat the visiting Houston Rockets 135-131 in overtime Monday.
The Wizards overcame a season-high 54 points from Rockets guard James Harden.
Washington started the overtime with an 8-1 run capped when Otto Porter Jr. picked up a steal and fed Beal for a dunk with 1:50 left, and the Rockets got no closer than within three points the rest of the way.
Houston shot two of seven in overtime with four turnovers.
Harden missed three consecutive shots and turned the ball over twice in the final minutes of regulation but fed Clint Capela for an alley-oop that tied it, 125-125, with 9.8 seconds left. Wall had the ball knocked away on a jumper attempt with 1.2 seconds left, and he then blocked Eric Gordon’s jumper at the buzzer.
Markief Morris had 22 points and 10 rebounds as the Wizards’ bench outscored the Rockets’ reserves 45-9.
Gordon scored 36 points, and Capela had 17 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks for Houston, which has lost three games in a row.
Harden had 11 assists, eight rebounds and 13 turnovers in 47 minutes.
The Rockets were without guard Chris Paul (strained hamstring) for a second consecutive game. Backup guard Gerald Green (sore right ankle) was also out.
Washington center Dwight Howard (gluteal soreness) remains out.
Harden scored 21 points in the third quarter as the Rockets went on an 18-4 run late in the period to take an eight-point lead that was trimmed to four by the end of the frame.
The Rockets jumped out to a 17-point, first-quarter lead behind Gordon and Harden, who combined for 25 points in the period. A 15-4 run pulled Washington within 34-28, but the Rockets pushed their lead to 42-30 by the end of the quarter as they hit seven 3-pointers.
It was the third time this season that the Wizards gave up 40 or more points in a quarter.
The Wizards rallied again in the second quarter, and they led 67-65 at intermission.
PACERS PUMMEL JAZZ, 121-88
Doug McDermott scored a season-high 21 points off the bench while Myles Turner added 16 points in his first game back from an ankle injury to lift the Indiana Pacers to a 121-88 victory over the Utah Jazz on Monday night in Salt Lake City.
Bojan Bogdanovic chipped in 15 points and Tyreke Evans added 14 for Indiana, which had seven players score in double figures. The Pacers ended a two-game losing streak.
Derrick Favors scored 13 points and Rudy Gobert added 12 to lead Utah. The Jazz, who allowed Indiana to shoot 58.3 percent from the field, lost for the sixth time in eight games.
Both teams played without their leading scorers. Utah’s Donovan Mitchell sat out a second straight game due to a rib contusion. Indiana’s Victor Oladipo was sidelined with a right sore knee for a fourth consecutive game.
The Pacers seemed to handle their star’s absence a little better. Indiana trailed just once, at 2-0, taking control on both ends of the floor. It started on offense with 52% shooting from the field. On defense, the Pacers forced nine turnovers and limited Utah to 23% shooting from the perimeter in the first two quarters.
Indiana scored on nine of its first 11 possessions, ending in back-to-back driving layups from Bogdanovic that gave the Pacers a 20-12 lead. The Jazz eventually cut the deficit to a basket when Alec Burks buried a 3-pointer to make it 24-22.
Indiana answered with a 7-0 run fueled by a pair of baskets from Cory Joseph to push the lead to 31-22. The Pacers created a double-digit cushion before halftime. They led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter, going up 53-39 on a jumper from Turner.
Utah cut the deficit to nine points on back-to-back 3-pointers from Jae Crowder in the third quarter before things got totally out of hand. Crowder’s second basket cut Indiana’s lead to 69-60. From that point on, the Pacers ran away from the Jazz.
Indiana used a 16-1 run to push its lead to 85-61 with 2:15 left in the third quarter. Thaddeus Young sank a pair of floaters to spark the run, and Darren Collison fueled it further with a pair of steals and a pair of baskets.
WALKER, LAMB SCORE 21 EACH AS HORNETS TOP BUCKS
Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb scored 21 points each, and the Charlotte Hornets held on for perhaps their most impressive win of the season with a 110-107 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night.
The Hornets trailed by 14 midway through the first quarter, but they dominated the second quarter, led by 13 at halftime, and then pushed the lead to as many as 25 in the second half. The Bucks got to within a point in the final minute and trailed by three with the ball with 7.1 seconds remaining, but Eric Bledsoe missed the potential tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Hornets (10-10) snapped a two-game losing streak and got some revenge after losing 113-112 to the Bucks on opening night, Oct. 17, in Charlotte. The Hornets have not lost more than two straight this season.
The Bucks (14-6) have now lost two of their last three.
Walker hit four free throws in the final 30 seconds, including the two with 7.1 seconds that pushed the one-point lead to three. The Hornets also got 16 points from Marvin Williams and 15 from Tony Parker. Parker returned to action after missing the previous two games with a rib injury, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist returned after missing six games with a sprained ankle.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Bledsoe scored 17. Brook Lopez and Pat Connaughton scored 15 each, Khris Middleton scored 14 and Malcolm Brogdon 11.
Milwaukee came out hot, hitting eight 3-pointers in the first six minutes of the game for a 28-14 lead, but Charlotte closed to within 35-32 at the end of the first. Then came the Hornets’ domination, as they outscored Milwaukee 33-17 in the second quarter for a 65-52 halftime lead. Charlotte then scored the first 12 points of the third quarter to stretch it to 77-52. Milwaukee sliced the lead to 93-80 after three quarters and got as close as 108-107 in the final minute.
The Hornets opened a four-game home stand and will host Atlanta on Wednesday. The Bucks will return to Milwaukee to take on Chicago on Wednesday. — Reuters

Gilas Pilipinas grinding it out in lead-up to fifth window assignment

THE Philippine men’s national basketball team is deep in its preparation for the fifth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, trying to cover all bases to allow it to get a favorable result come the two-game stretch beginning later this week.
Gilas Pilipinas, now under coach Yeng Guiao, is coming off a series of tune-up games last week against international teams to get it ready for the next window of the qualifiers.
The nationals went 1-3 in matches against teams from Jordan and Lebanon.
But while the record was not as impressive as hoped, Mr. Guiao said they are really not worried as much, viewing the tune-up games as a way of preparing them to have the best possible team in the games that really matter.
“We wanted to win more matches but what’s more important is the learnings we had in the series. That is the luxury of having tune-ups as we can see what needs to be done,” said Mr. Guiao, which is now tasked to lead Gilas for the rest of the World Cup Qualifiers, taking over from erstwhile coach Chot Reyes.
“We have a lot of work to do in the next coming days in the lead-up to our first game. We have to put together all the learnings in this series of tune-up games and try to incorporate them in the games that matter against Kazakhstan and Iran,” he added.
Mr. Guiao said the series of tune-up matches had allowed the coaching staff to have an idea on who will make up the final 12, which he said will be announced either Wednesday or Thursday.
“We have already an idea on who will make up the final 12 but we will not announce it yet,” said Mr. Guiao, who also underscored the need for his team to get used to the physicality of the games in the qualifiers, especially the big men.
For the fifth window, Gilas Pilipinas assembled a pool of 20 players, mostly from the Philippine Basketball Association, to choose from.
The players are June Mar Fajardo, Greg Slaughter, Christian Standhardinger, Stanley Pringle, Scottie Thompson, Matthew Wright, Troy Rosario, Jayson Castro, Marcio Lassiter, Alex Cabagnot, JP Erram, Gabe Norwood, Paul Lee, Ian Sangalang, Beau Belga, Japeth Aguilar, Arwind Santos, LA Tenorio, Ricci Rivero, and Kai Sotto.
The Philippines is currently at third place in the merged Group F of the qualifiers with a 5-3 record, behind group leader Australia (7-1) and Iran (6-2).
Gilas Pilipinas battles Kazakhstan on Friday, Nov. 30, and then Iran on Dec. 3. Both matches are to be held at the Mall of Asia Arena. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Countdown to first World Cup Cricket qualifier event in the Philippines

THE first-ever World Cup Cricket qualifier to be hosted in the Philippines is just days away with national teams from Indonesia, Japan and South Korea now arriving in Manila to join the Philippine team for the week-long event starting Saturday.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) World T20 East Asia Pacific (EAP) Qualifier Group B will see the four teams compete to advance to the next round of qualifiers in Papua New Guinea in 2019. The ultimate prize is entry to the Cricket World Cup to be played in Australia in 2020. The World Cup is expected to attract a global television audience of more than 1.5 billion people.
The EAP qualifier will be played at Friendship Oval at Emilio Aguinaldo College, Dasmariñas, Cavite from 1−7 December. The Philippine team enters the tournament as favorites.
“This is an exciting moment for Philippines cricket,” said captain Jonathan Hill, a Filipino-Australian dual citizen. “We have matured and grown together as a group over the last few years, and had some encouraging results in competitions overseas. I think we’re ready to take the next step. We’ve trained hard for this tournament and want to do well in front of our home crowd.”
The Philippine national team is a mix of players who have risen through the ranks of the Philippine Cricket Association leagues and development programs, and overseas-born Filipinos starring in domestic leagues just below the top tier in Australia and England.
The Philippines will rely heavily on the talented Australia-based foursome of Hill, a proven match winner at the international level, Henry Tyler, a second grade top-order batsman from Melbourne, debutant Grant Russ, a swing bowler from Australia’s far north, and Daniel Smith, a first grade fast bowler and state representative from Sydney who also plays for Kent and Hampshire in England.
“I live for cricket. It’s what I’ve done all my life,” said Smith, who made his debut for the Philippines at an East Asia Pacific competition in Australia last year. “To play cricket for my Mum’s country makes her extremely proud and that’s a really good feeling for me. I’m really excited to represent the Philippines on home soil for the first time.”
Matches are scheduled on 1−3 December and 5-7 December with 4 December set aside as a reserve day in case of rain. Two 3-hour games will be played each day starting at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The Philippines’ first game is against South Korea on Saturday 1 December at 1:30 p.m. They play Japan at the same time the next day. The event is free for spectators.
“I’d love to see Filipinos embrace their national team and come to the ground to support them,” said Faisal Khan, the local tournament director and general manager of the Philippine Cricket Association.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to see the stars of the game in the Philippines and from around Asia. T20 cricket is easy to understand and really exciting to watch. If you are 8 or 80 years old you will enjoy it. It’s a terrific family day out.”

Hamilton bares his heart with podium strip

ABU DHABI — Lewis Hamilton bared body and soul on Sunday after stripping down to his waist on the podium following his victory in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver, who had already clinched his fifth Formula One championship, has a large cross and the words ‘Still I rise’ tattooed prominently on his back, with plenty of ink elsewhere as well.
The Briton said he had wanted to use it as an inspiration for others.
“I’ve always kind of wanted to do it, because I wanted to show ‘Still I Rise,’” he told Sky Sports television when asked about his celebrations.
“And I think it was the perfect moment because that’s really how it’s been this year.”
The Briton ended the season with 11 wins, equalling his best for a campaign, but the year did not start out that way with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel winning the first two and Hamilton on the back foot.
For much of the first half of the season, the champion was telling people he did not have the quickest car but he and Mercedes came back strongly after the August break and reaped the rewards.
Hamilton, Formula One’s first black champion who has risen from an under-privileged background to success and wealth beyond his dreams, urged people to read ‘Still I Rise,’ a poem by American Maya Angelou.
“Please go and read it because it applies to anyone who’s stumbling and falling,” he said.
“Look at Billy Monger, he’s been a real inspiration to me this year,” he added, referring to the young British driver who lost both his legs in a Formula Four crash last year but came back to stand on the podium in Formula Three in March.
“He probably looks up to me because he wants to be in Formula One but what he’s done…that’s really what ‘Still I Rise’ is all about,” said Hamilton.
“I really wanted to end the season strong and I think on a personal note I was able to do that,” he said.
“I wanted to end the way I plan to start next year, and that was kind of the new psyche.
“I’ve grown, I’ve understood myself more,” he said, when asked what he had learned. “I’ve just been able to be a better me all year long and that’s never going to stop.
“I’m going to continue to try and work on that and on the output, on the energy I’m projecting to people, my commitment to all the different things I have.” — Reuters

Thailand’s Albon to race for Toro Rosso

LONDON — Alexander Albon will become the first Thai to race in Formula One’s modern era after the Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso team announced on Monday that they had signed the British-born youngster for next season.
The 22-year-old, who joins Russian Daniil Kvyat in a new lineup, finished third in this year’s Formula Two championship and had been due to compete for Nissan in the all-electric Formula E series.
The only other Thai to have raced in Formula One was the wealthy Birabongse Bhanuban, better known as Prince Bira, who contested 18 grands prix between 1950 and 1954 with a best result of fourth.
Albon’s arrival means New Zealander Brendon Hartley, a Le Mans 24 Hours winner and world endurance champion, has lost his seat.
Hartley’s French team mate Pierre Gasly has graduated to the main Red Bull Racing team. — Reuters

FIFA urged by own rights body to give Iran gov’t deadline for allowing women into stadiums

ZURICH — Global soccer body FIFA has been urged by its own human rights advisory panel to give Iran a deadline for allowing women to watch soccer matches.
In a report published Monday, the panel said that Iran’s ban on women fans violated FIFA’s own ethics code which “specifically prohibits discrimination including on the basis of gender.”
Iranian women and girls have not been allowed to attend any men’s sporting events in the country for much of the 39 years since the Islamic revolution, and have not been granted access to matches involving top clubs since 1981.
However, this month, Iranian news agencies reported that an unspecified number of local women were allowed to attend the Asian Champions League final between home side Persepolis and Japan’s Kashima Antlers at Tehran’s Azadi stadium.
FIFA’s panel, made up of eight independent experts from the United Nations, trade unions and FIFA sponsors, also noted that women were able to attend screenings at the same venue of two of Iran’s matches during the World Cup.
It described this as a “positive” development but added that “these ad hoc decisions are obviously not the same as a formal end to the ban.”
The panel said “FIFA should be explicit about the time frame in which it expects (Iran) to align with FIFA’s human rights expectations.”
It said FIFA should also be clear about possible sanctions should Iran not fall into line.
FIFA statutes say that discrimination can be punishable by “suspension or expulsion” although its disciplinary code allows for lighter sanctions such as fines and partial stadium closures. — Reuters

Prohibitive favorite

The finals of University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 81 does not start until Saturday, Dec. 1, but this early the defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles are creating much buzz of repeating as champs.
First to barge into the finals of the ongoing UAAP season, the Eagles are awaiting the winner of today’s do-or-die match between the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons and Adamson Soaring Falcons in the other Final Four matchup.
But regardless of who advance between the Maroons and Falcons, they will have their hands full against a very solid Eagles crew.
Ateneo, downplay it as it may, is the closest thing to being an unstoppable in the UAAP right now in my opinion.
You can rattle it here and there but more often than not it just finds way to impose its will and win.
The Eagles lost two matches in the first round of the classification play but after that they have been streaking, winning eight straight, including an 80-61 shellacking of the Far Eastern University Tamaraws in the Final Four last Sunday.
They have been in the top two in the league in nearly all categories, punctuated by a UAAP defensive-best 61.8 points allowed per game, which shows how stable the game of Ateneo is.
Ateneo’s starting five of Matt Nieto, Anton Asistio, Thirdy Ravena, Raffy Verano and Ange Kouame is cohesively among the best, if not the best, out there.
And when the auxiliaries come in, the Eagles hardly miss a beat for the bench knows exactly what is expected of them, a credit to the coaching staff of the team led by head coach Tab Baldwin.
How lethal the Eagles are were greatly exhibited against FEU in their Final Four pairing.
The Tamaraws were on a high entering the contest after two big wins that propelled them to the playoffs but it did not take long for the Eagles to rain on their parade.
Ateneo went on an 8-0 blast to start the game, highlighted by back-to-back breakaway dunks by Ravena, and never looked back after that.
FEU tried to will its way back in the game but hardly had any success as Ateneo was on top of things from wire-to-wire,
When the battle smoke cleared, the discrepancy in the numbers was glaring with no FEU players scoring in double-digits and the team limited to 31% shooting from the field and just 15% from beyond the arc.
It was quite impressive considering that the Tamaraws were a highly capable offensive team, even leading the league in three-point percentage for the season.
And scary still, while watching the Eagles do what they did, one got that feeling that they still had more to give and could have won with a bigger margin had they wanted to.
Should we then give Ateneo the UAAP trophy now? Not yet, I guess. There is a finals to be played after all and as cliché as it sounds anything can still happen there.
Nonetheless, the fact remains Ateneo is the prohibitive favorite to win it all and repeat, and whether it is UP or Adamson the Eagles are facing the challengers have to bring it on and more lest they find themselves left in the dust quite easily.
 
Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld reporter covering the Sports beat.
msmurillo@bworldonline.com

Beating elites

Have the Washington Wizards turned the corner? It’s a fair question in light of their gains of late, with the small sample size offset by the quality of the opposition. Yesterday, they managed to overcome their biggest challenge yet; there can be no discounting their gritty homestand against the vaunted Rockets, never mind that it took them an extra period to do so. The bottom line: They got the job done, just as they did versus the West-leading Los Angeles Clippers last week.
Considering the propensity of the Wizards to underachieve, it’s equally reasonable to wonder if they’re simply collecting fool’s gold. In fact, their record in the half-dozen years their Big Three version of John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Otto Porter, Jr. have shared the court underscores their alarming predilection for roller-coaster rides that finish in a swoon and not in a surge. Still, any and all progress begins with small steps, and, if nothing else, they showed yesterday that they can hang with the best of the best in the league when they’re dialed in.
In many ways, the Wizards are fortunate to have conservative management overseeing their development. More impatient ownership would have already pulled the trigger on wholesale reform. After all, it’s hardly right to expect favorable results when the same things are being done over and over again. True, changes in personnel on the court and off have been made; on the other hand, the culture that encourages mediocrity remains, fueled by actions — or, as the case may be, lack thereof — of top players seemingly content to coast on talent.
Lately, the Wizards have been saying all the right things, owning up to deficiencies and pledging to improve for collective gains. Yesterday, they also did the right things; they showed the Houston Rockets — and all and sundry — that they’re a force when motivated and engaged. Moving forward, they need to prove that they possess the requisite determination to compete with consistency. Else, they’ll wind up with the same old, same old, with much time on their hands to lament what could have been.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Meeting ‘xpectations’:A 400-kilometer trip aboard the Mitsubishi Xpander shows why it has been worth the wait

Text and photos by Aries B. Espinosa

THE Mitsubishi Xpander MPV was launched in the Philippines early last March, and the ensuing eight months was a waiting game for its much-anticipated ride-and-drive activity. The wait ended on Nov. 23 and 24 when Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) took the four variants of the Xpander from Quezon City to Subic Bay in Zambales, then on to idyllic Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan, for a total round-trip distance of nearly 400 kilometers.
It turns out that MMPC just needed some space, and time, for more Xpander units to arrive, as senior manager for marketing services Arlan S. Reyes explained before the group rolled out of the Mitsubishi dealership in Balintawak. “There was a very long line of reservations for the Xpander, so we had to prioritize our customers. We had to wait for our vehicle allocations for the media.”
When we boarded the Xpander for the first time, we were immediately impressed with the generous cabin space. There were four of us in this seven-seat MPV, and the two people that sat in the second row, both of whom were above-average in height and build, said there was more than enough leg- and headroom for them to slouch and doze off. The third-row seats were conveniently folded down to accommodate all our luggage and gear, including tripods and bulky cases for cameras, stabilizers and drones.
Space, however, was just one of the many highlights MMPC wanted us to notice in the Xpander.
Among the more remarkable ones that we experienced during the drive were the class-leading minimum ground clearance of 205 millimeters (for the 16-inch wheels of the GLX Plus, GLS and GLS Sport) and 200 millimeters for the 15-inch wheels of the GLX variant, the easy-to-understand multimedia system (the navigation system in the GLX Plus, GLS and GLS Sport proved useful in plotting out our destinations in a loose convoy).
The gasoline-powered 1.5-liter 4A91 MIVEC engine provided an adequate power output of up to 103hp at 6,000rpm and 141Nm at 4,000rpm. Though we didn’t achieve MMPC’s recorded top fuel mileage of 22.9 kilometers per liter (kpl) for the GLS Sport A/T, our group still got an efficient average of 13 – 14kpl for the entire trip, considering the traffic outside of the expressways and the four-person load with luggage .
Mr. Reyes also guaranteed that we would enjoy the sedan-like ride of the Xpander, as he revealed that this was achieved via the interplay of the torsion beam of the rear suspension and the McPherson Strut front suspension. We had a firsthand feel of this on the sharp bends of the country road on our way to Bataan from Subic Bay via Morong, and on the rough unpaved turnoff from the highway in Bagac, Bataan to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar.
He also disclosed that the Xpander’s window panes and other strategic parts of the body frame underwent sound dampening processes for better noise insulation, resulting in a more quiet interior. We did notice this quietness that, even at speeds upwards of 100kph at the expressways, the drone inside the cabin was considerably lower compared to even some mid-size SUVs.
What we didn’t get to experience, thankfully, were the high-tensile steel strength Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution (RISE) body and the dual SRS airbags in action. The fact that they were there just waiting to be deployed in a millisecond’s notice to save our skins was enough to add to our peace of mind. Mitsubishi’s RISE body enhances passenger protection, such that in the event of a collision, its high cabin integrity efficiently absorbs the impact energy, diverting it from the occupants.
And it goes without saying that the Xpander is a looker, with an aggressive fascia that follows the automaker’s Dynamic Shield design concept that expresses both form and function, power and protection.
No spoilers here, whatsoever. What we discovered with the Xpander during this two-day trip, the motoring public must have long known by now. And they like what they’ve seen and felt, so far. Mr. Reyes said the waiting time for customers in the Xpander reservation list ran back to as long as three months, apparently mirroring its reception in Indonesia where it was first launched and where it received 50,000 orders immediately after its launch.
“During these ‘Ber’ months, however, we have been fortunate that our headquarters have allocated more [units] for the Philippines. So we have been able to lessen the waiting time to a little less than a month,” Mr. Reyes added.
So, there’s less waiting time, but still lots more space, for the Xpander to get into more Filipinos’ lives.


Xpander, explained

BILLED as a “next-generation MPV,” the Mitsubishi Xpander is a compact car-based model that could be configured to seat seven. It was launched in August 2017 in Mitsubishi’s largest Southeast Asian market — Indonesia.
Mitsubishi is pitching the Xpander’s mix of MPV utility and SUV toughness and style as key to the model’s commercial success. The company said the vehicle has the roomiest cabin in its class, and even out-sizes the cabin height of a competitor’s larger MPV because of a lower floor — the result of the Xpander’s monocoque structure that does not require its body to be mounted atop a ladder frame (unlike the larger truck-based MPV).
It debuted in the Philippines on March 1, and is available in four variants; GLX M/T, GLX Plus A/T, GLS A/T and GLS Sport. Prices range between P955,000 and P1.130 million.
Following the launch, strong demand in Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam has led Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (MMC) to increase production of the Xpander, which is built at a new manufacturing facility in Bekasi, Indonesia.
MMC said it originally planned to produce 100,000 Xpanders this year but a stronger-than-expected demand for the model will see production increase to 120,000 units. Additional welding and assembly facilities are seen to increase the manufacturing capacity of the Xpander to 10,000 vehicles per month.
The move seeks to “ensure waiting times are managed,” and that a further boost in production is “being investigated,” according to the car maker, which noted its Indonesia plant is aiming to build 150,000 Xpanders in 2019. — BMA

‘A-Class’ of its own:New-generation Mercedes-Benz hatch launched in PHL

By Kap Maceda Aguila

FIRST revealed globally at this year’s edition of the Geneva Motor Show, the fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class has now made its way into the Philippines. Auto Nation Group, official distributor of Mercedes-Benz in the country, last week unveiled the newest addition to its pantheon of vehicles while effectively serving as the entry point into its portfolio.
The subcompact executive hatch starts off strong visually, boasting the so-called “predator face,” also seen in the new CLS and is to be expected in only the brand’s “most progressive cars,” according to Mercedes-Benz chief design officer Gorden Wagener in a CarAdvice interview.
The all-new A-Class is the first model to wield the company’s new, completely revamped infotainment system MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) which is said to “[usher] in a new era in automotive connectivity.”
“Twenty years after it was first introduced in 1997, this vehicle is now smarter and sportier for the new generation. It is the synergy of modern luxury and technological breakthrough, and I believe you will agree with me the moment you see it for yourself,” said Francis Jonathan C. Ang, chief operating officer of the Auto Nation Group, in a speech during the launch at a Pasay City entertainment complex.
The MBUX features a learning ability, thanks to artificial intelligence, which allows it to be customized while adapting to suit the user. At the heart of the system are a 10.25-inch touch screen, center console touch pad, and touch-control buttons in the steering wheel — all highlighting what Mercedes-Benz calls its “touch operation concept.”
Meanwhile, a virtual assistant can be activated by pressing a button or by saying “Hey, Mercedes.” It opens the system to a host of commands to execute infotainment functions like destination input, music selection, climate control and ambient lighting. The MBUX comes with a speech recognition ability that helps it “recognize and understand nearly all sentences from the fields of multimedia and vehicle operation.”
Positioned as young and dynamic, the A-Class design idea is fancied as a “combination of uncompromisingly dynamic design and an intuitive operating concept,” seeking “sensual purity.” The aforementioned “predator face” is complemented by a low bonnet, flat LED headlamps with chrome accents, and “torch-like” daytime driving lamps.
The interior has been redesigned for spaciousness and an avant-garde feel. Along with the MBUX elements is an all-digital instrument panel display with three modes: Classic, Understated and Sport. The turbine-inspired air vents and leather multifunction sports steering wheel completes the look. Also of significant note is the large, freestanding widescreen, which dispenses with cockpit cowls above the instrument display.
Other highlights of the A-Class include standard Mercedes-Benz safety and assistive features such as Active Brake Assist, Active Parking Assist with Parktronic and rearview camera, along with seven airbags. It also has an anti-theft alarm package and Tirefit with tire inflator in case of road emergencies. Doing away with a spare wheel (and spare wheel well) saves on space and weight. The Tirefit system is composed of a tire sealant and electric pump, in addition to a tire pressure-loss warning indicator which lights up in the instrument cluster in the event of significant pressure loss.
Powering the A200 Edition 1 and A200 Progressive variants is a new powerful, fuel-efficient 1.3-liter engine delivering 163hp and 250Nm, mated to a seven-speed DCT. The A180 Progressive has a 1.3-liter engine and a seven-speed DCT system as well, this time delivering 136hp and 200Nm.
All Mercedes-Benz dealerships nationwide (EDSA Greenhills, Alabang, Bonifacio Global City, and Cebu) are now accepting pre-orders and reservations. Pricing is as follows: A200 Edition 1 (P3.29 million), A200 Progressive (P2.99 million), and A180 Progressive (P2.49 million).