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Expanded pool

The preparations of Gilas Pilipinas for the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China beginning late next month took further form on Monday night with the naming of the player pool from which the team representing the Philippines will be drawn from.

National team coach Yeng Guiao and the rest of the Gilas think tank decided to expand the pool to include players that could potential help in our campaign in the prestigious basketball spectacle happening from Aug. 31 to Sept. 15.

Heading the 19-man pool is naturalized player Andray Blatche, joined by Gilas staples June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Marcio Lassiter, Mark Barroca, Kiefer Ravena, Paul Lee, Roger Pogoy, Matthew Wright, Raymond Almazan, Troy Rosario, Gabe Norwood, Poy Erram and Beau Belga.

Seniors team newbies and Philippine Basketball Association rookies Robert Bolick and CJ Perez are also part of the pool and so do naturalized players Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle.

Also added to the list of players submitted to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, and correspondingly approved by the federation, was Filipino-American National Basketball Association star Jordan Clarkson.

From the pool of 19, the players later will be narrowed to 12 who will see action in the World Cup.

Looking at the pool, one thing stands out for this space is how it is not necessarily “All Star-laden,” representative of Guiao as a coach and the way to go, really, in international competitions.

Sure, Fajardo, Lee, Aguilar, Ravena and Rosario, among others, are there, but them being stars in the PBA is not the sole reason they are part of the pool but more of what they can bring to the table to help the Philippines’ cause in the World Cup.

An All-Star team like in the past is no longer an assurance that we will do well in international hoops wars, and going anew for serviceability over star value in this case is a tack in the right direction.

I like the composition of the players as we have shot and playmakers, shooters, defensive and athletic players to choose and craft our attack from.

It’s not the biggest of teams relative to what we are set to face in the World Cup but we have some ceiling and heft to compete.

Reports have it that Blatche arrived at the weekend in game shape and determined to make another solid run in the quadrennial tournament; which is well and good as competitions past had shown, how far he goes so does the team. A healthier kuya (big brother) Andray is surely a boon to the Philippine team.

It remains to be seen if Clarkson, Standhardinger and Pringle as naturalized players will get to play for the Philippines in the World Cup but their inclusion in the pool is still significant.

“C-Stand” and “Stan The Man” being in the practices at the very least could help the team prepare better with their experience playing in international competitions, and their input will be valuable.

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Clarkson is hoped to play as a local player for Gilas under an appeal made by the SBP to FIBA.

With him in the pool we could have another potentially solid local player, whose possible partnership with former NBA campaigner Blatche could do wonders for our campaign.

In the World Cup the top basketball teams are set to descend and most surely it will be a tough road for Gilas.

But it is reassuring that the team is at least making sure that we have a fighting chance by forming a competitive team and exhausting the best possible ways to go about it.

All the best to Coach Yeng and the rest of the team. Laban Pilipinas!

 

Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld reporter covering the Sports beat.

msmurillo@bworldonline.com

Sterling game

Simona Halep was the decided underdog heading into the Wimbledon women’s singles final. For one thing, her skill set felt suited for any surface other than grass; she boasted of a baseline-centric game that relied on her athleticism and determination to keep balls in play, and until such time when an opportunity to attack presented itself. In contrast, the ultra-fast courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club placed a premium on booming serves and powerful groundstrokes — characteristics that her opponent for the Venus Rosewater Dish just so happened to possess in spades.

For Halep, the fact that Serena Williams was on the other side of the net served to highlight the seemingly Sisyphean nature of her task. Not for nothing was her career record against the seven-time Wimbledon champion an anemic one and nine. And it didn’t help that her 2019 slate was a frustrating mix of sterling showings and poor performances. Nonetheless, she was focused and confident of her position, which, if nothing else, eased the pressure on her to win. Precisely because most quarters figured she was destined for a bridesmaid finish, she found herself ready to accept any outcome for as long as she managed to do her best.

As things turned out, Halep’s best was precisely what the capacity crowd at Centre Court witnessed. As opposed to Williams’ typically slow start, her sharpest was evident from the outset. She stayed on her toes all throughout, moving decisively and anticipating the howitzers that came her way with such precision as to set up effective counterpunches. And when the dust cleared, she didn’t just earn the right to hoist the hardware; the manner in which she dispatched a supposedly superior stalwart was seen to cement her claim to a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Indeed, so complete was Halep that she surrendered only two games in each set, and committed a paltry three unforced errors all told. And so one-sided was the match in her favor that it lasted four minutes short of an hour. At the awarding ceremony, Williams couldn’t help but acknowledge her outstanding effort. “She literally played out of her mind,” noted the runner-up for the second straight year. “It was a little bit deer in the headlights for me.” To be sure, a number of factors led to the outcome, and most out of her control. Nonetheless, there can be no discounting those she did, giving her the impetus to play the best match of her life.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Peso strengthens to P50:$1 level ahead of key US economic data

THE PESO continued to strengthen against the dollar on Tuesday to hit a new high on the back of profit taking ahead of the release of some US economic data.

The local currency ended yesterday’s session at P50.90 versus the greenback, 10 centavos higher than its P51-per-dollar finish last Monday.

This was the peso’s best showing in nearly one-and-a-half years or since it closed at P50.84 against the dollar on Jan. 26, 2018.

The peso opened the session at its worst showing of P51 per dollar, while its intraday high stood at P50.88 against the US currency.

Dollars traded surged to $1.045 billion from the $744.96 million that switched hands the previous session.

“The local currency continued in its strengthening as participants took profits ahead of likely weaker US retail sales report,” a trader said in an e-mail on Tuesday.

According to a poll conducted by Reuters, retail sales in the US likely edged up by 0.1% in June. If realized, this would be slower than the 0.5% growth in May, as households bought more automobiles and other goods.

Apart from retail sales data, another trader said market participants are also awaiting June US industrial production data.

“The dollar-peso breached the support level at P51, although it was capped at P50.88 since market players most likely took profit ahead of the upcoming data,” the second trader said.

The trader added that the peso continued to strengthen yesterday as the market was still pricing in a weaker dollar due to expectation of a cut from the US Federal Reserve.

Last week, Fed chair Jerome Powell hinted on a possible cut in interest rates, saying it will “act as appropriate” to sustain expansion given the headwinds that are weighing on the economy.

“I think the dollar moving lower is overdone, so there’s some profit taking going on already,” the second trader said.

For today, the first trader expects the peso to trade between P50.75 and P50.95 against the greenback, while the other gave a P50.80-P51.10 range.

Meanwhile, other emerging Asian currencies largely held to the sidelines on Tuesday as investors were reluctant to make any big bets ahead of US retail sales and a host of speeches from Federal Reserve officials later in the global day.

Market focus is firmly on a widely-expected US Federal Reserve rate cut later this month, with traders keenly assessing data from the world’s largest economy to gauge the extent to which the Fed might be willing to ease monetary policy.

“A very cautious start for risk assets this morning with trader positioning gingerly knowing that the rest of the week is potholed by Fed speakers and critical US data releases,” Stephen Innes, managing partner at Vanguard Markets Pte Ltd said in a note.

Mr. Powell and Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman will be among those making speeches later in the day.

The Fed will also release its key Beige Book on US economic conditions on Wednesday, which investors will study for insight on how trade tensions are affecting the business outlook.

Most Asian currencies had advanced in the previous session after monthly Chinese data showed signs that Beijing’s stepped-up stimulus efforts might be helping to stabilize the world’s second largest economy. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal with Reuters

Local stocks slump on last-minute profit taking

STOCKS failed to sustain their momentum on Tuesday on last-minute profit taking due to developments in the US-China trade war.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) lost 1.21% or 101.72 points to finish at 8,263.57 yesterday. The all-shares index also gave up 0.61% or 30.97 points to close at 5,012.99.

“The local market succumbed to last-minute profit taking on Sino-US trade sanction news headlining the market. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer expect to speak by phone with Chinese officials this week about continuing negotiations,” Luis A. Limlingan, head of sales of Regina Capital Development Corp., said in a mobile message.

Mr. Mnuchin on Monday said he expects to have another telephone call with Chinese officials this week as part of resumed discussions about a trade agreement.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last month agreed to another truce in the year-long trade spat between the world’s two largest economies.

“Separately, China may sanction firms like General Dynamics, Honeywell and Raytheon if the US sells weapons to Taiwan. The People’s Daily newspaper said their non-defense businesses in China may be boycotted in an article circulated on WeChat,” Mr. Limlingan said.

China’s government and Chinese companies will cut business ties with US firms selling arms to Taiwan, China’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday, declining to give details of the sanctions in a move likely to worsen already poor ties with Washington.

Last week, the Pentagon said the US State department had approved the sale of the weapons requested by Taiwan, including 108 General Dynamics Corp. M1A2T Abrams tanks and 250 Stinger missiles, which are manufactured by Raytheon.

The latest deal involves $2.2 billion worth of tanks, missiles and related equipment for Taiwan.

On Wall Street, The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 27.13 points or 0.1% to 27,359.16; the S&P 500 gained 0.53 point or 0.02% to 3,014.30; and the Nasdaq Composite added 14.04 points or 0.17% to 8,258.19.

Back home, most sectors ended lower led by services, which went down 1.9% or 32.69 points to 1,680.33. Property lost 1.65% or 74.38 points to end at 4,432.91; industrials declined by 1.21% or 145.92 points to 11,861.92; and holding firms gave up 0.86% or 68.97 points to 7,947.78.

On the other hand, mining and oil gained 3.69% or 277.90 points to close at 7,794.27, while financials added 0.26% or 4.83 points to 1,854.05.

Value turnover climbed to P10.49 billion yesterday as 1.21 billion shares changed hands, higher than Monday’s P8.51 billion.

Advancers outnumbered decliners, 121 to 85, while 48 names ended flat.

Net foreign buying also rose to P1.18 billion on Tuesday from the previous session’s P1.04 billion. — V.M.P. Galang with Reuters

Duterte may cut ties with Iceland over UN probe

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte is seriously considering cutting diplomatic ties with Iceland after it won United Nations support to have the Philippines investigated for its deadly war on drugs, his spokesman said yesterday.

“The two of us can only speculate that maybe some activists are feeding Iceland with the wrong information,” presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo told reporters in Manila.

The UN Human Rights Council on July 11 ordered its human rights office to present a comprehensive report as it expressed concerns about human rights violations in the Philippines. The body adopted a resolution that Iceland proposed and 17 other nations supported.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. begs to disagree, saying the nation will keep ties with Iceland, nor will it withdraw from the UN council.

“The UNHRC vote is a small and harmless matter and we’re staying in UNHRC as a pedagogical duty to teach Europeans moral manners,” he said in a social media post on Tuesday.

“We’re NOT severing diplomatic relations with any country. If we did, where’s the conversation? How do you insult those who insulted us if you cut them off?”

Mr. Locsin at the weekend hinted at the possibility of withdrawing from the UN body, just as the United States did in June 2018.

The UN council had urged the government to cooperate with UN offices by allowing visits by its officials and by “refraining from all acts of intimidation or retaliation.”

The Philippines, where police have admitted killing more than 6,000 drug suspects, has rejected the decision and will remain unrelenting in its campaign against illegal drugs, Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea said in a statement on Monday.

Mr. Panelo said trade relations with Iceland would continue because these will benefit both countries.

Philippine exports to Iceland of mostly resins, gems and metals, and electronic equipment more than tripled last year to $749,302 from a year earlier, according to data posted on the United Nations Comtrade website. Imports of mostly machinery, fish and dairy products from the Nordic country more than doubled to $916,246 during the same period.

Iceland ranked 132nd among the Philippines’ 221 trading partners in 2018, according to the Trade department. It ranked 121st as an import supplier and 127th as an exporter.

“We have very few Filipinos workers in Iceland and it’s not one of our major trading partners,” Dennis C. Coronacion, who heads the University of Santo Tomas Political Science Department, said in a text message.

But severing ties with Iceland could tarnish Philippine image globally and a bad perception could turn away foreign investors, he said.

“Our image as a country that upholds the rule of law, protects human rights and fosters international cooperation is going to suffer,” Mr. Coronacion said.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The two countries have been steady maritime partners as well as in the areas of mining, renewable energy, medical services, fisheries and geothermal energy, according to the Philippine Embassy website.

Filipinos make up the biggest group of Asian immigrants in the Nordic country.

NCMH officials face graft at Ombudsman

THE NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed a corruption complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman against 13 officials of the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) and a private individual after it found irregularities in the bidding for a P60 million building project, it said in a statement.

Government agents accused NCMH officials of colluding to rig the bidding to favor a local construction company.

They said NCMH still awarded the contract to the builder despite a flaw in its tax clearance.

The NBI accused the officials of misusing public funds by allowing the private company to receive payment of P60 million even if it lacked supporting documents.

The Health department in a separate statement said it supports the complaint based on the findings of the NBI.

“The project has been mired by procurement irregularities and remains unfinished despite the certificate of completion issued to the contractor,” it said. — VMV

Government agents arrest 8 suspects for alleged kidnapping

THE NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has arrested eight Chinese nationals and a Filipino in Las Piñas City for alleged kidnapping, it said in a statement yesterday.

The case stems from a complaint filed by the wife of the victim, whom the suspects abducted in Okada Manila. The men then asked him to call his friends and relatives so they can raise a P2 million ransom, government agents said.

A relative of the victim in China managed to send P500,000 to the suspects, who refused to release him unless the amount was paid in full.

The NBI said the victim had a chance to use a mobile phone and was able to send his exact location to his wife.

Government agents rescued the victim and seven others in a residential house in Manuela 4-A Subdivision in Las Piñas City, according to the statement. The NBI seized several firearms during the raid.

The suspects were subjected to inquest proceedings at the Office of the City Prosecutor in Las Piñas for kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges. They also face illegal gun possession charges. — VMV

Smartmatic presents paperless voting

ELECTION solutions company Smartmatic is offering a new technology that foregoes paper ballots to prevent voting errors.

In a statement on Tuesday, Smartmatic said it presented the new technology during an election fair organized by the Department of Communications and Technology.

The fair showcased various technology that the Commission on Elections could use in 2022.

The Comelec earlier said it would review the systems showcased at the fair.

Smartmatic presented its direct recording electronic voting machines, which use a touchscreen instead of paper.

Smartmatic has been the Philippines’ automated election systems provider since 2008. The Venezuelan company provided the vote counting machines and other equipment for the May 2019 elections.

Smartmatic was met with controversy after glitches were reported during the May polls after about 1,000 voting machines malfunctioned. — Gillian M. Cortez

Nationwide round-up

Duterte would be first to obey Bawal Bastos Law, spokesman says

PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte, known for his colorful language and oftentimes controversial jokes, would be the first to follow the Bawal Bastos Law, which penalizes gender-based street harassment against women and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said when sought for comment on the newly-signed law: “Since the President signed that law, it means that he recognizes the need of that law. And since he is the chief enforcer of all laws of the Philippines, he will be the first one to obey the law.” He also brushed off accusations that Mr. Duterte had been, on more than one occasion, vulgar in his remarks about women, saying he was only trying to be funny. “You’ve assumed that the President is bastos, naging bastos (rude, became rude). He never was bastos. When he cracks jokes, it was intended to make people laugh, never to offend,” the spokesman explained. Mr. Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11313, the Safe Spaces Act or also known as the Bawal Bastos Law, on April 17, but copies were released only on Monday. Under the law, gender-based sexual harassment covers “catcalling, wolf-whistling, unwanted invitations, misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic and sexist slur,” among others. Public places include restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs, resorts, hotels, and casinos. — Arjay L. Balinbin

SC gives lawyers more time to confer with fisherfolk clients in West PHL Sea case

THE Supreme Court seal — BW FILE PHOTO

THE SUPREME Court (SC), sitting en banc, has granted the request of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) to be given more time to confer with their clients involved in the writ of kalikasan petition seeking the protection of shoals in the West Philippine Sea. SC Public Information Office (PIO) Chief Brian Keith F. Hosaka, in a text message, said the lawyers were given until July 19, earlier than the July 22 date requested. In a social media post, the SC PIO said the en banc also reminded the counsels of both parties under the Code of Professional Responsibility and Rules of Court “not to litigate their cases through media or social media.” “Infractions shall be dealt with severely,” it said. The IBP on July 12 asked the high court for more consultation time with fishermen from Palawan and Zambales, following the submission of the Office of the Solicitor General on July 9 of judicial affidavits of 19 fishermen who were withdrawing from the petition. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

SC upholds Comelec declaration on PDP-Laban officers

THE SUPREME Court (SC) upheld a resolution of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which recognizes the group of Senator Aquilino L. Pimetel III as the officers of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban). In a resolution dated June 18 but released only on Tuesday, the SC dismissed the petition of the PDP-Laban faction led by Rogelio V. Garcia over the November 2018 resolution of the Comelec declaring the group led by Mr. Pimentel as the legitimate officers of the ruling political party. It also denied the application for a temporary restraining order and or preliminary injunction against the group of Mr. Pimentel. “As correctly found by the COMELEC …it must continue to recognize them as the legitimate officers authorized to act for and in behalf of PDP LABAN,” the SC’s resolution read. The high court also said its ruling is without prejudice to the filing of a direct challenge by the petitioner before a Comelec division questioning the legitimacy of Mr. Pimentel’s group. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Heavy rains expected until Thursday as Falcon intensifies into a tropical storm

FALCON, the 6th typhoon to enter the country this year, has intensified into a tropical storm and heavy rains in northern areas are expected until Thursday. Weather bureau PAGASA, in its 5 p.m. bulletin on Tuesday, said moderate to heavy rains will be experienced over Ilocos, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Cagayan Valley, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Zambales, Occidental Mindoro, northern Palawan, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, and Guimaras until Wednesday. The rest of Luzon, including Metro Manila, and the rest of the Visayas will have “light to moderate with at times heavy rains.” On Thursday, moderate to heavy rains may still prevail over Ilocos, CAR, and Cagayan Valley while Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa may have light to occasional heavy rains. Falcon, with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph, is expected to closely approach or make landfall over the Babuyan-Batanes Islands area by Wednesday evening. Apart from Falcon, the southwest monsoon has also been bringing rains in parts of the country.

Benguet potato farmers double yield with seeds from Canada

POTATO FARMERS in Benguet reported double yield with the use of potato seeds from Canada, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said. “Farmers reported during the harvest festival that they harvested an average of 20 metric tons which at only P30 per kilo could easily earn them P600,000 in just three months and 10 days,” Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said in a social media post on Tuesday, referring to the Potato Harvest Festival in Buguias, Benguet. The seed variety was introduced through the Potato Development Program of the DA in partnership with Universal Robina Corp. (URC). “URC President Lance (Y.) Gokongwei came to the Office of the Secretary of the DA two years ago to request for assistance in importing the chipping potato variety which local farmers do not grow,” Mr. Piñol said. URC brought in 100 metric tons of G-3 potato planting materials from Prince Edward Island in Canada. These were distributed in March this year to farmers in Buguias, Benguet; Talakag, Bukidnon; and Kapatagan, Davao del Sur. Asked if there are other provinces that have expressed interest to be part of the program, Mr. Piñol said, “Yes we are getting requests from other provinces. We will check the prospective areas for crop suitability,” he told BusinessWorld in a text message. The provinces include Negros Occidental, Nueva Vizcaya, North and South Cotabato, and Lanao del sur. Part of the agreement is for URC, a subsidiary of JG Summit Holdings, Inc., to purchase medium-sized potatoes, while the large, extra-large, and marble potatoes will be sold in the open market. Robinsons Supermarket, also under JG Summit, will purchase the produce. DA and URC are also looking into importing chipping potatoes variety for the production of URC’s potato chips brand. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang

Western Visayas health sector in full force for dengue response

THE HEALTH sector in Western Visayas, which registered the highest number of dengue cases amid a nationwide dengue alert declaration, is focusing resources to respond to patients. Marlyn W. Convocar, regional director of the Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DoH-CHD 6), said 228 health personnel composed of 24 medical technologists, 16 doctors and 189 nurses have been deployed around the region to monitor and respond to cases of the mosquito-borne disease. Emergency equipment have also been purchased for distribution to different areas. “The Philippine Red Cross has offered additional beds for the district hospitals. All the private hospitals have also agreed that they will accept all dengue patients from district and provincial hospitals provided that they secure a certification from the provincial hospital,” Ms. Convocar said. Ms. Convocar also said that they had a video conference Monday with Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque, who assured full support from the DoH central office and committed to send 18,375 test kits and additional IV fluids supply. Mr. Duque also approved the request of Ms. Convocar to delay the implementation of the school-based immunization program by two months and order a moratorium on trainings so that human resources could gear their efforts on the dengue outbreak.

4-S CAMPAIGN
At the same time, Ms. Convocar reiterated the appeal for full public cooperation through regular clean-up activities to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds. “We should really clean our surroundings and make sure that there is no stagnant water. Let’s not also forget to practice 4-S. If we do this all together, we can stop this dengue outbreak,” she said. The 4-S campaign stands for Search and destroy mosquito-breeding sites; secure Self-protection measures like wearing long pants and long sleeved shirts and daily use of mosquito repellent;Seek early consultation; and Support fogging/spraying only in hotspot areas where increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent an impending outbreak. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

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