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Filipino workers near top of Asia confidence rankings — LinkedIn

FILIPINO workers were the third-most confident in Asia about their future prospects, tied with workers in China and behind only their Indonesian and Indian counterparts, LinkedIn said, citing the results of a survey.
According to the first LinkedIn Opportunity Index for the Asia-Pacific region, over half of Filipino respondents defined their ideal opportunity as having their own business, while 44% said their idea of opportunity is best embodied by a job that offers a good work-life balance.
Some 37% of respondents said they defined opportunity as being trained in new skills to prepare for automation and the so-called fourth industrial revolution, the job-networking company said.
LinkedIn Asia Pacific Managing Director Olivier Legrand said in a statement on Wednesday: “With the inaugural LinkedIn Opportunity Index, our aim is to gain an insight into the aspirations of people across the Asia Pacific region, how they feel about the opportunities they want to pursue, as well as the barriers that may stand in their way.”
The study surveyed 11,000 participants from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore.
“In an environment concerned with the impact of AI/automation and other shifts in the labor ecosystem, professionals also recognize that with jobs rapidly evolving, they need to upskill to stay relevant,” LinkedIn said.
The LinkedIn Opportunity Index also reported that 46% of Filipino respondents said financial constraints are an obstacle to getting ahead in life, while 24% cited fear of failure and 20% lack of confidence. — Gillian M. Cortez

DTI sees SME opportunities in ASEAN-India free trade deal

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) upcoming free trade agreement with India will expand opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
“The ASEAN-India collaborations have started to prosper. They are going in the right direction but definitely there’s still a big room for improvement,” Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said in a statement on Wednesday.
“A strengthened partnership between ASEAN and India can give SMEs a larger free trade area to work with as we make them part of the global value chain,” he added.
Mr. Lopez cited noted potential areas that both the Philippines and India can explore, including information and communication technology; telecommunications; automotive parts and components; pharmaceuticals; and public-private-partnerships in infrastructure development, including energy and power.
He also noted the Philippines’ intention to explore potential markets for high-innovation and design-driven products, electronics and semi-conductors, hospitality, and education.
Among the potential trade and investment opportunities between ASEAN and India include sectors like pharmaceuticals, automotive, manufacturing, textile, and business process outsourcing, among others.
“The opportunities are numerous between the Philippines and India, especially with both countries experiencing robust economic growth. There’s good ground for industry complementation,” Mr. Lopez said as he addressed over 400 corporate and government leaders from ASEAN states, India and other countries present at the 3rd ASEAN-India Business Conference held Nov. 27 in Malaysia. “The Philippines is seeking to capitalize on the Indian government’s Act East policy, which focuses on strengthening trade and investment relations with its East Asian neighbors. We are also in a unique and strategic location as an entry point for Indian businesses to enter the Philippines and ASEAN market,” Mr. Lopez added.
In 2017, merchandise exports of the ASEAN bloc to India were worth $45 billion which accounted for 62% of bilateral merchandise trade.
The Philippines counts India as its 14th top trading partner, with India the 18th largest Philippine export market and 14th largest source of imports in 2017. Merchandise trade between the two countries amounted to $2.2 billion. — Janina C. Lim

Waste-to-energy projects at LGUs seen as ‘next wave’ by PPP center

LOCAL GOVERNMENT interest in waste-to-energy (WTE) projects is an emerging opportunity for potential power investors, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center said.
PPP Center Executive Director Ferdinand A. Pecson described WTEs as the “next wave of PPPs,” due to the depletion of the country’s indigenous energy sources and persistent solid waste issues.
“Energy is one of the pressing needs of the country, and also we have environmental problems like waste, which is also an important problem to solve. So we’re talking of a solution that addresses both the need for energy — renewable energy — and addressing sanitary, environmental (concerns). So cities have such problems, all cities, all local governments are looking for solutions to address this and already,” Mr. Pecson said yesterday on the sidelines of the China-Philippines Infrastructure Investment Conference in Manila.
The PPP Center is currently readying the Swiss challenge for a P22-billion WTE facility of the Quezon City government, where the proponent is a consortium of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), Covanta Energy, LLC, and Macquarie Group Ltd. Interested bidders can submit counterproposals until Jan. 31, 2019, and the PPP Center will select a winning proponent on Feb. 28.
The facility will have the capacity to convert up to 3,000 metric tons a day of municipal waste to 42 megawatts of output, which can power around 60,000 to 90,000 homes.
Mr. Pecson said that there is heightened interest from businesses as about three to four firms bought bid documents for the Swiss challenge.
“That’s something that many are interested in.”
He added that Cebu and Naga City in Camarines Sur are also considering similar projects.
“The government of Quezon City is a trailblazer and we expect others to follow. Cebu is pursuing this. I was talking to the planning officer of Naga City in Camarines Sur, and they said they also wanted to pursue this. This is worth exploring,” he said.
The first waste-to-energy project of the Philippines is currently being implemented by the Puerto Princesa local government, and WTE developer AustWorks Corp., worth P2.1 billion.
Mr. Pecson said that the PPP Center is looking to bundle smaller projects by LGUs, to make them more attractive for investors.
“The PPP Center needs to find those LGUs so we can bundle together, so we can increase the scale or even the scope of the project, to make these LGU projects bankable. The bigger issue is the scale is just too small,” he said, noting that the Baggao Water Supply Project and the Pampanga Bulk Water Supply Project are worth less than P100 million.
“Small projects find it difficult to attract many investors… But (the PPP Center) doe not shy away from even small projects. The economic benefit to the locality is so large that we can’t neglect the segment,” Mr. Pecson said.
He also said that there is an infrastructure gap in the sanitation industry.
“Sanitation is very much left behind. We just closed Boracay primarily because of sanitation issues. So this is the kind of infrastructure that is very badly needed, and that the government should provide support for,” Mr. Pecson said.
“They are usually not viable therefore the government has to step in order to make this financially viable for investment so we’re working on these issues,” he added.
In a bid to speed up implementation, the government has shifted away from pure-PPP schemes on its flagship infrastructure projects in favor of a hybrid type of PPP where projects are initially funded using government funds or Official Development Assistance, with the PPP component reserved for operations and maintenance. However, PPP proposals are still welcomed as long as they introduce new technology and do not seek guarantees from the government. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan

Cementing risk culture in the organization

Have you heard of anti-cheating headbands? In 2017, photos of students wearing anti-cheating headbands-made up of two folders to block the peripheral vision while taking the exam-went viral. The situation gives us an idea of the classroom culture as observed by the teacher. As a result, the anti-cheating headbands became the teacher’s tool to cultivate integrity and honesty as components of the desired classroom culture. In a way, this helps us visualize how PwC views culture: based on common assumptions and beliefs that can predict how people will behave.
More than 41% of survey respondents in the 2018 PwC Risk in Review study believe that their organizational culture prevents the development of a more effective risk management response to emerging risks like innovation. Consequently, an organization’s growth and innovation may be hampered by its risk culture and other risk management practices. Risk culture is part of the bigger concept of organizational culture-focusing on the formal and informal messages about the way its members are supposed to practice risk management beyond policies and procedures. Indeed, the success of any risk management initiative is highly dependent on people and risk culture for motivation, promotion, and support.
A strong risk culture pushes all members of the organization to proactively consider risk in decision making, especially in the organization’s pursuit of growth and innovation. This leads to the identification of factors affecting the business strategies, the implementation of actions to mitigate likelihood and impact of deviation to objectives, and the realization of holistic decisions to achieve its goals and meet stakeholders’ expectations.
The process of cultivating risk culture may be hampered by roadblocks such as the gap between the organization’s desired culture and its actual culture as seen in observed behaviors. To overcome this, consistency in words and actions must be exhibited at all levels of the organization, especially at the Board and senior management level. Organizations can CEMent their risk culture and achieve consistency through Communication, Environment, and Measurement across geographical areas, cross-functional departments, and at all levels of the organization.
Communication helps the organization embed their risk culture by conveying desired beliefs and behavior. As such, leaders are responsible for communicating the desired risk culture and must become examples by “walking the talk.” A way to do this is to ensure that everyone complies with existing risk management policies and procedures: no overrides.
Going beyond the tone at the top, risk culture should be reinforced by the environment through mechanisms that encourage employees to uphold the desired risk culture. Institutionalizing programs such as continuous training on the organization’s risk management policies and procedures and continuously engaging in risk dialogues to share and learn from near misses and issues at an individual and collective level shows that the organization values improvement and learning. Apart from these, upward and downward communication channels should also be present so as to promote honest conversations among all organization members-without the fear of retaliation. This can be done by formalizing channels to embed a risk mind-set in decision making and in the escalation process to respond to threats.
To manage the various programs in sustaining risk culture, organizations need to measure their progress in aligning their desired and actual risk culture. Not all exhibited behaviors in an organization can be observed and measured, so it is important to focus on key interactions and decision points where behaviors can make or break the outcome. This, coupled with clear performance expectations and reinforcement such as making risk management part of the performance appraisal, makes employees rethink their stance on risk management. New technology such as data and analytics can also serve as a platform to measure and monitor behavioral trends as seen in the performance appraisal results. Nowadays, organizations can even utilize simulation-based e-learning to gauge risk culture based on the respondents’ choices in given scenarios.
Risk management is beyond policies and procedures. Risk culture helps to foster a larger degree of cooperation and commitment so that organizations can effectively manage risks and opportunities before making key interactions or key decisions that have a disproportionate effect on outcomes. With this, have you cemented risk culture in your road map towards sustainable growth and innovation?
 
The views or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting Services Philippines Co. Ltd. The content is for general information purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for specific advice.
+63 (2) 845-2728
consulting.markets@ph.pwc.com

Justice Infrastructure

By Geronimo L. Sy
WITH the word “infrastructure,” we see roads, smell bridges and hear airports. We touch PPP and we taste BBB. Humans are embodied and connected to the physical world in very tangible ways. There is no argument against the necessity and importance of infrastructure to commuters and to country. It is essential to daily living and quality of life.
But there is more than meets the senses. Humans are soul and spirit too. The other infrastructure that we need to invest in is our justice response — the “justice infrastructure.” This is the layer in our community that contains and reflects our moral code — the idea of fairness.
When agreements are breached or when amounts due are unpaid, there is a recourse for those aggrieved. When consumers or citizens are unhappy with the service they are getting, there are remedies. From the simplest pickpocketing of cellphones, to complicated corporate fraud, from date rapes to conspiratorial murders, we inherently believe that the wrongdoer must not go unpunished and the victims restituted. It is the concept of justice.
Eventually in our system, these issues are addressed by our courts. Their actors are the most important component of the courts — from the judge, the clerk of court, the sheriff, and all the other units starting from the police and ending with the corrections officer. The selection, appointment and retention of personnel doing this work is the single critical factor to the success or failure of justice institutions. After all, an institution is made up of individuals and it is strong only when those who comprise it are people of integrity, competence and dedication.
There is no argument that a robust, efficient and working justice infrastructure is key for development — contracts honored, life and liberties protected. In fact, when projects are faulty or not completed, the parties end up in courts. Public interest and welfare ultimately relies on a well-built justice apparatus. If it is thus important, why is there no equal emphasis on the justice system as a national concern? This is in the context of daily crimes and continuing corruption.
The reasons are three. The first is that the presence or absence of physical infrastructure is easier to appreciate than a decaying justice infrastructure. The second is that given a period of time and amount of resources, a program of building infrastructure can resolve the problems. Be it a connector or a terminal, there are ready options. Justice reforms are a mystery and there are no solutions in sight. It is difficult to measure the performance or quality of the type of infrastructure. Bad drainage leads to floods and quick action. But bad appointments are just appointments even if the impact is worse.
Is our justice infrastructure potholed, cracked or falling? We may all nod and agree to the descriptions. Who is responsible and who is accountable? This is the third reason. While hard infrastructure is limited in time and space, justice infrastructure requires the whole system to be running well, together. Any part of the wheel that is broken, it does not turn. Short of working like an orchestra and more important than any highway, the justice infrastructure ought to be seamless. It can only deliver its service as fast as its narrowest bottleneck in the network.
In the classic example of a criminal trial, if any of the following: judge, prosecutor, public attorney, complainants, witnesses, respondents, their lawyers, or any one subpoenaed is absent, the hearing is postponed. Or if any piece of law is not met or a section of a rule or regulation is not complied, it too may result to cancellation of schedule. Repeated over many salas across the country over the course of years, it bogs down the docket like flight delays and clogs the cases like cars in EDSA. This is a crisis of another kind in our midst. This one affects our confidence and trust that we will be secure in our homes, at work and in our dealings.
There is an estimated 1,000,000 pending cases in our justice system. Assuming one case impacts five persons, there are actually 5,000,000 people at any one time who are suffering the delays, the red tape, and the costs of a fragmented justice infrastructure. Ask anyone who has filed or answered a case and the sentiments are the same — frustration to the verge of depression.
Adding the number of malpractices foisted by big business against consumers ranging from unreasonable fees and unilateral conditions to defective products and sloppy services, the justice infrastructure can only creak and sigh. It is too many times and in too many ways that we have been defrauded by those who seek to serve us. It is a rotten deal for users of all forms of infrastructure in the country.

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

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