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Change for the better

How do you react to changes in life, may it be a career change or change in the organization? Do you accept it wholeheartedly? Or do you shy away from change to stay in your comfort zone? I am a person who always seeks opportunities, looks for change and sees the bigger picture life has to offer.

However, I won’t deny that I am afraid to face new challenges, changes and opportunities. There were times I doubted myself, asking if I was good enough. Can I really do this? If I were not good enough, what will happen to me? But, while reading the book Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, I realized that “Change is the only thing that is certain.” No matter what happens in life, change is inevitable. And all we have to do is learn how to manage and adapt positively with change.

Personally, I always feel safe when I am in my comfort zone. There are times, when faced with an opportunity, that I turned it down. I prefer to stay where I will be comfortable. But, eventually I have realized that these changes and challenges will help me to achieve my goals. In an organization, we may encounter changes as our firm undergoes acquisitions, mergers, a management change, or simply adopts a new policy or hires a new supervisor. Often, we are not ready for these changes and sometimes, we choose to resist the change that the organization is trying to offer us. But understanding those changes has made me realize that it will be easier to handle if we positively accept it.

ENGAGE WITH YOUR CO-WORKER
One of the reasons employees stay is because workmates turned into family. For me, teamwork is important and I appreciate being with my team because we support each other in terms of doing our job responsibilities. I realized that whenever we face new changes in the organization, we should not be afraid to accept these new challenges as there are people along in our journey who believe we can make it. In my case, I was given an opportunity to apply for a higher position. At first I was hesitant to accept the new role and questioned myself if I was really qualified enough. But I am so grateful that my support system in the organization encouraged and believed in me. Because of their encouragement, I have gained confidence and was able to step up to a bigger role.

BE OPTIMISTIC
As I’ve said, sometimes I doubted myself, but realized that it is better to accept positively the change in our workplace. Accepting new job responsibilities is not as bad as we think; rather it may surprise us with new opportunities and success. So, if we ever felt impatient or irritated with our boss because of the voluminous work or new projects he just gave us, let go of your bad feelings. Be optimistic. Challenges are often not as hard as we think. Remember, success isn’t rewarding if it’s easy.

ADAPT AND ACCEPT
Change happens, so instead of resistance, why not accept and find the benefit of it? Say for example, in our company, a merger has happened and there are changes in top management as a new president is appointed. At first it was difficult for us, but looking at the positive side, the merger made the company sustainable on the triple bottom line: people, profit, and planet.

KEEP MOVING
There are always tough times. All I can is just keep on moving and never give up. It takes time to grow in the organization, but as Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba Group, once said, “Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine.” We will never reach our destination if we give up. What’s important is we keep on doing what we do and know best, and success will come naturally. Life brings unexpected surprises, just keep pushing through the finish line.

As we continue our journey through life and career in the organization, we learn that change is inevitable. We should never be afraid, but rather enjoy the ride, assess these changes and weigh their pros and cons. Who knows, maybe it’s all for the best. So, grab new opportunities and savor the experience throughout our journey. It prepares us to reach our goal. For all we know, these changes are “blessings in disguise.” So, instead of being reactive and resistance to changes, pause, be proactive, then embrace the change.

 

Crystal Justine Tan is an MBA student of the De La Salle University Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business. This article was part of the requirements of the course, Strategic Human Resource Management.

crystal_tan@dlsu.edu.ph

Understanding how vaccines work

By Dr. Susana P. Padilla-Campos

THE Department of Health joined the rest of the global community in observing World Immunization Week, celebrated in the last week of April. This is timely as the 2019 Childhood Immunization Schedule for the Philippines was released late last February, details of which recommended vaccines for children and adolescents. Prepared by the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) and the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines (PIDSP), together with the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination (PFV), the celebration commemorates the 13 vaccinations that Filipino children need from ages zero to 18 years.

The Childhood Immunization Schedule for 2019 includes the anti-tuberculosis Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and the Hepatitis B vaccine (HBV) which should be given to babies when born. The good news is, both vaccines are available for free at health centers nationwide. The Immunization Schedule also covers vaccines that can protect children from diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, hemophilus influenza type B, polio, rotavirus infection, pneumococcal infections, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, japaneses B encephalitis, hepatitis A, human papilloma virus (HPV), and other optional vaccinations.

Immunization is a proven way to prevent and eliminate life-threatening infectious diseases. When we are vaccinated, we challenge our immune system to generate antibodies against the antigens that we introduce, so that when we are exposed to these infectious agents, we are ready to mount a protective response and do not come down with the illness. Depending on the vaccine, more than one dose may be needed to build high immunity, enough to prevent disease and boost immunity that fades over time.

This proven safeguard in our children’s health and the health of all Filipinos has been under attack. Because of a growing fear and misunderstanding of what vaccines can do, including the unfounded link between vaccination and autism, the measles vaccination rate has gone down, and we are now having to face the consequences of the recent unprecedented measles outbreak. The PPS cited that measles cases increased by 57% to more than 5,000 confirmed cases and that the number continues to rise, overwhelming doctors and hospitals in urban and rural areas of the country. Instead of being on track to eliminate measles by 2010, the Philippines has slipped away from that goal.

Although measles vaccines are usually given to infants at nine months of age, it was recommended that the first measles vaccine should be administered as early as six months of age for added protection during cases of nationwide outbreaks.

The recent measles outbreak is a glaring reminder that vaccines are effective and protective. This is a scientifically proven means of fighting deadly infectious diseases. Withholding vaccines can result in decreased herd immunity and resurgence of nearly eradicated dreadful infections. Parents of infants, children, and adolescents should visit their healthcare provider or nearest health centers to find out how to follow the Childhood Immunization Schedule.

 

Dr. Susana P. Padilla-Campos is a pediatric endocrinologist and currently the medical director of ManilaMed (Medical Center Manila).

Ateneo Lady Eagles force rubber match

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE CHAMPIONSHIP aspirations of the Ateneo Lady Eagles are still alive after staving off elimination and forcing a sudden death in their best-of-three UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball tournament finals with the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses by taking Game Two in four sets, 26-24, 14-25, 25-21 and 25-15, on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Playing on better footing than in the series opener on Saturday where they were swept by their opponents, the Lady Eagles kept their quest of claiming their first University Athletic Association of the Philippines title in four years going.

Ateneo had a more concerted effort in Game Two, affording it with a deeper bag to draw from to survive the spirited attack of UST.

The contest got off to a competitive start with the two teams looking to take early control.

Ateneo sped to an 8-5 lead to open the first set but UST countered, led by Sisi Rondina and Eya Laure, with a 4-1 run to tie the count at 9-all.

The Tigresses continued with their charge to claim a 16-12 advantage by the second technical break.

The Lady Eagles, however, would show grit after and kept coming back.

With Kat Tolentino and Bea De Leon at the forefront, Ateneo managed to level the count at 21-all.

UST racked up back-to-back points after to move to within two points of the set win, 23-21.

Ateneo then pulled even anew at 23-all.

Caitlin Viray gave the lead back to the Tigresses, 24-23, with a kill but was answered by a block by Bea De Leon to send the set to overdrive.

Got the leverage it needed, Ateneo took full advantage of it, scoring the next two points for the set and go 1-0 up in the match.

In the second set, UST came out with more bite, dominating with an 8-2 separation at the onset and stretching its lead to seven points, 16-9, midway.

The Lady Eagles tried to claw their way back, but unforced errors and solid serving by the Tigresses made it tough for Ateneo to fashion out any comeback and the game went on to be knotted at a match apiece.

The third set was momentarily halted at the start as Laure got hurt by rolling her left ankle off a bad landing. She was then taken to the dugout to have her ankle iced and taped.

When play resume, the two slugged it out with the Tigresses eventually taking an 8-7 advantage by the first technical break.

Ateneo, however, was undeterred, rallying itself back to first tie the count at 10-all and then built a 16-13 advantage at the halfway juncture.

Rondina and the Tigresses levelled the score at 18-all but were eventually outsprinted by their opponents, 7-2, the rest of the way to hand the Lady Eagles a 2-1 lead for the game.

The fourth set had Ateneo rolling at the start with Ponggay Gaston and the Lady Eagles’ defense towing them to an 8-4 lead.

They would continue to roll after, creating a wider separation of 16-7 by the halfway point

Building a huge momentum, Ateneo was not to relent, soaring to a 20-8 lead.

From there the Lady Eagles were not to be stopped as they went on to close out things and book the victory that forced the rubber match on Saturday, May 17.

Maddie Madayag led a balanced Ateneo attack with 17 points while Rondina top-scored for UST with 22 points.

“The seniors led us in this game. How can you not deliver when they are egging you to play and give your all. We just believed in ourselves,” said libero Dani Ravena, who came off the bench to play well and earn the player of the game award.

Game Two of the finals drew a mammoth crowd of 19,762.

Curry, Thompson bury Blazers with treys to take series lead

OAKLAND, CALIF. — Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson dominated their highly anticipated matchup with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, combining for 12 3-pointers and 62 points in the Golden State Warriors’ 116-94 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals Tuesday night.

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Thursday night, also on top-seeded Golden State’s home court.

Curry finished with a game-high 36 points and Thompson added 26 for the Warriors, who won a second consecutive game without star forward Kevin Durant, out with a bruised right calf.

Curry shot nine-for-15 on 3-pointers, Thompson went three-for-nine from beyond the arc and backup Quinn Cook mixed in two timely treys to quell the Trail Blazers’ last threat, pushing Golden State a game up on an opponent it dominated 4-1 and 4-0 in the 2016 and 2017 playoffs.

Lillard shot just four-for-12 en route to a team-high 19 points, while McCollum added 17 for the Trail Blazers, who were facing a fresh team that had enjoyed three days off after eliminating Houston in Game 6 on the road Friday night.

The Warriors used a 13-5 burst to open the second half to extend a nine-point halftime advantage to 67-50. Curry had three 3-pointers in the run.

But Portland, which flew straight to Oakland after winning a decisive Game 7 at Denver on Sunday, refused to quit. Rodney Hood and Seth Curry drilled 3-pointers in an 11-4 run that ended the period and gave the Trail Blazers hope at 77-71 entering the fourth.

The Warriors’ lead was just 79-73 before Cook hit his two 3-pointers, helping Golden State go back up by 14, and the 3-point discrepancy proved too much for the Trail Blazers to overcome.

Draymond Green complemented Curry and Thompson with a team-high 10 rebounds to go with 12 points for the Warriors, who shot 50% from the field and 51.5% (17-for-33) on 3-pointers.

The Warriors outscored the Trail Blazers 51-21 on 3-pointers.

Hood and Maurice Harkless had 17 points apiece and Enes Kanter a game-high 16 rebounds with 10 points for the Trail Blazers, who were limited to 36.1% shooting overall and 25% (seven-for-28) on treys.

After having split the season series 2-2, the teams played on mostly even terms for the first 16 minutes, during which the Warriors managed just a two-point lead.

Consecutive hoops by reserve Jonas Jerebko, one a 3-pointer, finally got the Warriors rolling, before Curry took over. He poured in 11 points in the final 5:29 of the half, helping Golden State take a 54-45 lead into the intermission.

Curry had 19 of his 36 points in the half. — Reuters

Pelicans win lottery, chance to draft Duke’s Williamson

LOS ANGELES — The New Orleans Pelicans won the draft lottery on Tuesday and will pick first in the 2019 NBA Draft on June 20.

The draw gives the Pelicans — who had only a 6% chance of winning — the inside track to select Duke freshman forward Zion Williamson at No. 1. The franchise had the top pick in 2012, when it selected Anthony Davis, a six-time All-Star who requested a trade in January.

“I think it’s just another positive event for us in what I hope will be several that we stack together,” said David Griffin, the Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations. “I’m really excited for our fan base and we’ve got a lot of work to do, but this is a good start.”

Results of the revamped lottery were revealed in Chicago on Tuesday, two days before prospects take part in the draft combine on the city’s south side.

The No. 2 pick went to the Memphis Grizzlies, followed in order by the New York Knicks, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns.

The Chicago Bulls will pick seventh, followed in order by the Atlanta Hawks, the Washington Wizards, Atlanta, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Charlotte Hornets, the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics.

Immediate speculation was that the Pelicans winning the top pick could influence what Davis does next.

Griffin, hired by the Pelicans in April, told NBA TV he believes that management can convince Davis to stay. Davis has a player option to become a free agent after next season but also could sign a super-max extension with New Orleans.

“There are a lot reasons for him to believe that this will be different,” Griffin said.

“What it starts with is just us doing what we say we’re going to do, one step at a time. Over time, I think he’s going to see there is a trust level that he should have in us. I believe strongly he has always wanted to be part of the market, but, understandably, the kid wants to win.”

Under rewritten lottery rules designed to prevent tanking, the Knicks, Cavaliers and Suns held equal 14% odds to select No. 1 by virtue of having the three worst regular-season records. Bygone lottery guidelines would have granted New York a 25% chance as a result of an NBA-worst 17-65 record in 2018-19.

The Knicks were assured of being awarded no worse than the fifth overall pick, and they wound up at No. 3.

The Knicks have drafted first only twice since 1965, including selecting Patrick Ewing — who represented the team in Chicago on Tuesday — out of Georgetown in a top 10 that included Chris Mullin (seventh, Golden State Warriors), Detlef Schrempf (eighth, Dallas Mavericks) and Charles Oakley (ninth, Cleveland Cavaliers).

The Bulls (22-60 last season) finished with the fourth-worst record in the league and had a 12.5% chance to win the lottery and draft first overall, which last happened for Chicago in 2008. That year the Bulls had a 1.8% chance to draft first, won the lottery and selected future MVP Derrick Rose.

The Suns had the No. 1 pick in 2018 and selected Deandre Ayton.

Williamson, the consensus college player of the year as a freshman last season, is the favorite to be the No. 1 pick.

“Just my will to win,” he said of what he will bring to his new team. “Whatever that team needs me to do, I’m going to be able to do it.”

Blue Devils teammate RJ Barrett, Murray State guard Ja Morant, North Carolina point guard Coby White, Virginia forward De’Andre Hunter, Texas Tech guard Jarrett Culver and Vanderbilt point guard Darius Garland are among those projected to be drafted among the lottery picks. — Reuters

Eustaquio takes cue from time as champ in return

FILIPINO fighter Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio was ONE Championship world champion for only six months but it has taught him a lot in so many ways and something he is now taking cue from as he makes his fight return.

Set to take on South Korean Kim Kyu Sung in a flyweight world grand prix alternate bout at “ONE: Enter The Dragon” in Singapore on May 17, Mr. Eustaquio (11-7) said he is now ready, armed with the lessons during his time as world flyweight champion and from the split decision loss he absorbed in January at the hands of Brazilian Adriano Moraes where he lost his title.

“So I didn’t win the fight in front of my countrymen but I believe there is a greater purpose for that. Maybe it’s God’s way of saying that I need to develop more my skills so that when I get the chance to get back at it I’ll be better,” said Mr. Eustaquio in an interview with BusinessWorld in the lead-up to his upcoming fight.

The Benguet fighter lost to Mr. Moraes in January by split decision.

Mr. Eustaquio fought gallantly in his third fight with the Brazilian, even bucking a solid leg grab from the latter in the fourth round to survive until the end.

The decision though would not go Mr. Eustaquio’s way as the scorecards swayed in favor of Mr. Moraes, whom the Filipino defeated in June last year for the flyweight belt.

Mr. Eustaquio, 30, shared that he has accepted the decision and has been preparing for his return following a brief recuperation from a hyperextended left leg after the Moraes fight.

He also said that his time as champion has helped him develop not only as a fighter but as an individual as well and he is bent on using it as he makes his way back into the mix in his division.

“Being a world champion is not easy. Everyone dreams to become one but it does come easy. You have to put in the work and continue developing. It’s also a big responsibility in so many ways. But despite that I’m honored that I was able to experience becoming one and hoping to experience it once again,” Mr. Eustaquio said.

Adding, “In my next fight, I’ll be better.”

ONE: Enter The Dragon, happening at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, is headlined by the world lightweight championship fight between reigning champion Shinya Aoki of Japan and Singaporean challenger Christian Lee.

Mr. Aoki is coming off reclaiming the title in Japan in March over erstwhile Filipino champ Eduard Folayang.

Serving as co-main event is the lightweight kickboxing world championship between Dutch compatriots Nieky Holzken and Regian Eersel.

Also on tap are the featherweight kickboxing world grand prix quarterfinals between Thai Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy and Italian Petrosyan in one pairing, and Thai Yodsanklai Iwe Fairtex versus French Samy Sana in another.

The event also marks the ONE debut of former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Sage Northcutt of the United States against Cosmo Alexandre of Brazil.

Another Filipino fighting is Richard Corminal in a lightweight clash with Rahul Raju of India.

ONE: Enter The Dragon will be available live for viewing on the ONE Championship super mobile app while in the Philippines it can be seen at ABS-CBN S+A beginning at 8 p.m. and iWant Sports. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Tiger Woods ‘rested and ready’ for PGA Championship after month off

FARMINGDALE, NY — Tiger Woods walked into the media interview room at the PGA Championship on Tuesday morning clutching a cup of hot coffee on a cool New York morning.

He hopes to be holding something far more valuable on Sunday night — the Wanamaker Trophy awarded to the winner of the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black.

Judging by his words, the 43-year-old is in fine fettle as he prepares for his first tournament start since his Masters victory exactly one month ago.

Woods raised some eyebrows when he decided to skip the Wells Fargo Championship two weeks ago, thereby ensuring he would turn up this week without any competitive action between Augusta and Bethpage.

On Tuesday he erased concerns that there might be any physical issues behind his decision to play back-to-back majors without a tune-up gallop in between.

“To be honest, I wasn’t ready yet to start the grind of practising and preparing and logging all those hours again,” he said. “I was lifting (weights), feeling good in the gym, but I wasn’t prepared to log in the hours.

“Coming here is a different story… I feel rested and ready. I’ve done a lot of the leg work and hard work already trying to find my game over the past year-and-a-half. Now it’s just maintaining it.”

Woods’ Masters victory came two years after a spinal fusion that resurrected a career in danger of ending prematurely.

Instead, he notched one of the great comebacks of sporting history, ending a decade-long major drought and collecting his 15th major title.

Northern Ireland’s four-times major champion Rory McIlroy said on Tuesday: “I still don’t think people understand what he (Woods) did in April and coming back, and with everything that he’s been through.

“Whether it’s the greatest comeback in sports, that’s probably up for debate, but from what I’ve experienced and the things that he said when I’ve been around him … that’s unbelievable.”

Three-times major winner Padraig Harrington, meanwhile, was impressed with the way Woods played within himself and closed out his one-shot Masters win in clinical fashion. — Reuters

UAAP high school wars

UAAP Season 81
2018-2019 UAAP Chess Team Tournament (Boys)
1st Floor, QPAV Building, UST, España St., Manila
Sept. 19-Oct. 28, 2018

FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY (FEU), 33 points, 19 match points

bd01 FM John Merill Jacutina 9/12, bd02 Dale Bernardo 9.5/11, bd03 Istraelito Rilloraza 6/11, bd04 Jarvey Labanda 3.5/6, bd05 Christian Marcelo Olaybal 2/4, bd06 Frankly Loyd Andes 3/4. Team Captain: FM John Merill Jacutina, Head Coach: Grandmaster (GM) Jayson Gonzales, Asst. Coach: NM Alexander Milagrosa, Team Manager: Atty. Ruel Canobas.

UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (UST), 33 points, 16 match points

bd01 Samson Chhiu Chhin Lim 9.5/12, bd02 Anatoly Pascua Jr. 3.5/5, bd03 Daniel John Lemi 7.5/12, bd04 Dennis Gutierrez III 5/9, bd05 Emanuel Van Paler 6.5/8, bd06 Jester Sistoza 1/2. Team Captain: Daniel John Lemi, Team Coach: Peter Lim.

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY (NU), 30 points, 16 match points

bd01 Jayson Danday 9.5/12, bd02 Dennis Gutierrez Jr. 2.5/5, bd03 Mark Gerald Reyes 1/5, bd04 Chester Neil Reyes 6/12, bd05 Ruther Barredo 9/12, bd06 Sean Canasta 2/2. Team Captain: Jayson Danday, Team Coach: Jose Aquino Jr., Mark Anthony Bernales, Team Manager: Samson Go, Manny Go.

UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST (UE), 28.5 pts, 16 match points

bd01 Norsh Daniel Francois Lopez 3/5, bd02 Noel Geronimo 7.5/12, bd03 Francis Roi Parro 3/8, Lee Roi Palma 7.5/12, bd05 John Kenneth Gelua 7/9, bd06 Arvie Aguilar 0.5/2. Team Captain: Noel Geronimo, Head Coach: John Perzeus Orozco.

ADAMSON UNIVERSITY (AdU), 23.5 pts, 11 match points

bd01 Gerald Sean Gonio 1/3, bd02 John Frederick Sunga 5/11, bd03 Jalen Rhey Lacambra 5/11, bd04 Erick Spencer Valdez 5.5/9, bd05 Dustin Mackenzie Herrero 4/8, bd06 Joeben Jones Balitos 3/6. Team Captain: Jalen Rhey Lacambra, Team Coach: Christopher Rodriguez.

DELA SALLE-ZOBEL (DLS-Z), 12.5 points, 3 match points

bd01 Ezekiel Joachin Figueroa 0/7, bd02 Jethro Dino Aquino 5.5/11, bd03 Angele Tenshi Biete 5.5/12, bd04 Jefferson Danil Villarin 1/8, bd05 Hans Jeremy Reyes 0.5/6, bd06 Paolo Joaquin Villa 0/4. Head Coach: WIM Mikee Charlene Suede.

ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY (ADMU), 7.5 pts, 3 match points

bd01 Raphael Tamayo 0/8, bd02 Elijah Derek Pilien 0.5/10, bd03 Jose Enrique Guevarra 0/3, bd04 Gabriel Caleb Chua 2/8, bd05 Kurt Kenly Ong 3.5/10, bd06 Cris Angelo Rayos 1.5/9. Team Captain: Kurt Kenly Ong, Team Coach: Ildefonso Datu.

Individual Medal Awardees

Most Valuable Player: Dale Bernardo, FEU

Rookie of the Year: Angele Tenshi Biete, DLS-Z

Board 1
Gold — Jayson Danday NU 9.5/12; silver — Samson Chhiu Chhin Lim, UST 9.5/12; bronze — FM John Merill Jacutina, FEU 9/12

Board 2
Gold — Dale Bernardo, FEU 9.5/11; silver — Noel Geronimo, UE 7.5/12; bronze — Jethro Dino Aquino, DLS-Z 5.5/11

Board 3
Gold — Daniel John Lemi, UST 7.5/12; silver — Istraelito Rilloraza, FEU 6/11; bronze — Angele Tenshi Biete, DLS-Z 5.5/12

Board 4
Gold — Lee Roi Palma, UE 7.5/12; silver — Erick Spencer Valdez, AdU 5.5/9; bronze — Dennis Gutierrez III, UST 5/9

Board 5
Gold — Emanuel Van Paler, UST 6.5/8 silver — John Kenneth Gelua, UE 7/9 bronze — Ruther Barredo, NU 9/12

Board 6
Gold — Franklyn Loyd Andes, FEU 3/4; silver — Joeben Jones Balitos, AdU 3/6; bronze — Cris Angelo Rayos, ADMU 1.5/9

Unlike the Men’s and Women’s team competitions in the 81st Season of UAAP Chess, where were blowout victories for FEU and DLSU, respectively, the competition in the High School section was very close and indeed FEU and UST finished the double round-robin event tied at 33 points apiece. The tie-breaker was the match points and so FEU, which won nine matches against a draw and two losses (to UST and Adamson), was awarded the title against the Thomasians who only had seven team wins, two draws and three losses (to FEU, NU and UE).

For FEU it was the tandem of FM John Merill Jacutina and Dale Bernardo who did the heavy lifting. Jacutina likes closed positions with interlocked pawns and scope for long maneuvering games. Then with infinite patience he wears down his opponent. In the endgame he is really good — he beat NU’s Jayson Danday with king and two knights vs. Danday’s king and pawn! How many of you know how to do that?

[NU] DANDAY, Jayson C. — [FEU] FM JACUTINA, John Merill E. [A07]
2018–19 UAAP Chess (High School Boys) 1st Flr., QPAV Bldg., UST, España (9.1), 13.10.2018

POSITION AFTER 54 MOVES

In case the diagram does not reproduce well here are the piece positions:

White: Ke4, Nb5, Pawns on a4 and c4

Black: Kd7, Knights on e7 and g7, Pawn on c5

55.Nd4?

The best line of resistance is 55.a5 Ne6 56.a6 Nc8 57.a7 Nb6 58.Kf5 and I am not sure if Black can win this. However, White knew that K+2Ns vs. K cannot be won without allowing stalemate, so he gives up his knight for Black’s remaining pawn to “clinch the draw.” Did he not know that if the weaker side has a pawn then the two knights can win because there would be no stalemate possibility? I actually think he did but did not believe that Jacutina has the skill to do it. Big mistake.

55…cxd4 56.Kxd4 Ne6+

Jacutina blockades the c-pawn and captures the a-pawn.

57.Ke5 Nc5 58.a5 Kc6 59.Kf6 Nc8 60.Ke5 Nd6 61.a6 Nc8 62.Kf6 Kb6 63.Ke5 Kxa6 64.Kd4

Now, maintaining the blockage on c5 he has to force the White king to the edge of the board.

64…Kb6 65.Ke5 Kc6 66.Kf6 Kd6 67.Kf5 Nb6 68.Kf4 Ke6

Of course not 68…Nxc4? which eliminates White last pawn but is only good enough for a draw. You will understand why later.

69.Ke3 Ke5 70.Kf3 Nbd7 71.Ke3 Nb8 72.Kf3 Nc6 73.Ke3 Nd4 74.Kd2 Ke4 75.Kc3 Nc6 76.Kd2 Kf3 77.Kc3 Ke3 78.Kc2 Ke2 79.Kc1 Nd4 80.Kb1 Kd2 81.Kb2 Ne2 82.Kb1 Kc3 83.Ka2 Nc1+ 84.Ka3 N1d3 85.Ka2 Kb4 86.Kb1 Kb3 87.Ka1 Na4 0–1

Jacutina is going to mate his opponent with Na4–c3 followed by Nd3–b4–c2. Take note that after Na4–c3 White’s king is in the corner and has no more moves. If his c4–pawn did not exist this would be stalemate, but since the pawn is there Black can execute the checkmate.

There was also a close battle to see who would top the board 1 race. In the end it was Jayson Danday (NU) with 9.5/12 who got the gold, UST’s Samson Lim (also with 9.5/12) earning the silver, and John Merill Jacutina contenting himself with the bronze with 9.0/12. Jayson and Samson tied at 9.5/12, but since the NU top board defeated Samson twice in their individual encounters the gold medal went to him. Here is one of their games.

[NU] DANDAY, Jayson C — [UST] LIM, Samson Chhiu Chhin [A43]
2018–19 UAAP Chess (H. S. BOYS) 1st Flr., QPAV Bldg., UST, España (4.3), 27.09.2018

1.Nf3 c5 2.g3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Bg2 e5 6.Nb3 d5 7.Bg5 Be6 8.0–0 Qd7 9.Nc3 0–0–0 10.e4 d4 11.Nd5 Be7 12.Nxe7+ Qxe7 13.Qe2 h6 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Rfd1 h5 16.h4 Bg4 17.Bf3 Be6 18.c3 Bxb3 19.axb3 Kb8 20.b4 Rd6 21.b5 Nd8 22.Ra4 Ne6 23.Rda1 d3 24.Qe3 b6 25.Rc4

The smart Danday could have gotten the Black queen for his two rooks with 25.Rxa7 Qxa7 26.Rxa7 Kxa7 27.Qd2 but Samson’s passed d3–pawn will give White nightmares.

25…Qd7?

[25…d2 26.Rc6 Rhd8 27.Rxd6 Rxd6 28.Bxh5 Qd7 it is still a game]

26.Rc6! Nc5

[26…Rxc6 27.bxc6 Qxc6 28.Qxd3 now, with the destruction of Black’s dangerously advanced d-pawn, White holds all the cards]

27.b4 Nb3?

Relatively better is 27…Ne6 but even then 28.Rxd6 Qxd6 29.Rd1 Rd8 30.Bxh5 White is winning. Samson clearly did not see White’s next move.

28.Rxa7! Qxc6

Foced.

28…Kxa7 29.Qxb6+ Ka8 30.Rxd6;

28…Qxa7 29.Rxd6 Kc7 30.Rxf6 Black’s position is going to collapse.

29.bxc6 Kxa7 30.Bd1

This is the reason why 27…Ne6 was better than 27…Nb3. Now the knight has nowhere to go and is lost.

30…Rxc6 31.Qxd3 Rhc8 32.Bxb3 R8c7 33.Bd5 Rxc3 34.Qb5 Rc1+ 35.Kg2 R1c2 36.Qe8 Rc8 37.Qd7+ 1–0

Samson is something like a diesel engine — he gets stronger as the game gets longer. When you play the King’s Indian against him though make sure you cover all your bases as he has a particularly mean streak against that opening!

[UST] LIM, Samson Chhiu Chhin — [ADMU] TAMAYO, Raphael M. [E70]
2018–19 UAAP Chess (High School Boys) 1st Flr., QPAV Bldg., UST, España (8.1), 07.10.2018

1.e4 d6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.d4 Bg7 5.Bd3 0–0 6.Nge2 Nc6 7.0–0 Nd7 8.Be3 b6 9.Qd2 Re8 10.f4 Bb7 11.Rf2 e5 12.fxe5 dxe5 13.d5 Nd4 14.Raf1 Re7 15.Bxd4 exd4 16.Nb5 c5 17.d6 Re6 18.Rxf7 Bxe4 19.Nc7 Rf6 20.R1xf6 Nxf6 21.Rxg7+ Kxg7 22.Ne6+ 1–0

 

Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.

bobby@cpamd.net

Lottery shockers

Predictability wasn’t exactly the calling card of the National Basketball Association yesterday. True, the Warriors proved true to form and ran roughshod over the Blazers. Having had to endure a quick turnaround from a semifinal-round-series do-or-die affair to Game One of the conference finals, the latter looked too physically and emotionally drained to compete with consistency against the defending champions. Then again, perhaps some semblance of order was, well, in order following a draft lottery that shook probabilities and had oddsmakers scrambling in reaction.

Indeed, the NBA’s rules changes to prevent tanking wound up dropping the Knicks, erstwhile mathematical favorites to land the top pick in the rookie draft next month, to third. Suddenly, all the planning that had them partnering presumptive pick Zion Williamson with projected free-agent pickups Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving fell by the wayside. Such is the drop in incoming talent two spots down that, for the blue and orange, prognoses of a fifth appearance in the playoffs over 19 years, and the first since 2013, suddenly became murky.

In stark contrast, the Pelicans found their future much brighter after somehow catapulting from seventh to first in the draft. They already had Lady Luck smile on them last month in moving a spot ahead of the Mavericks, who likewise held the seventh-worst regular-season record, and the double jump had pundits speculating if resident star Anthony Davis would consider staying to fortify their status as contenders. Coincidentally, the Lakers likewise benefited from the way the ping-pong balls bounced, catapulting to fourth from 11th in the draft order and leading general manager Rob Pelinka to acknowledge the possibility of using it as a tool to pair another marquee name with LeBron James.

How the lottery shockers will impact the league landscape remains to be seen. The fact that there are too many moving parts to make a definitive assessment at this stage figures to fuel speculation. Will Durant think twice about heading to New York? Will Irving want to go to Brooklyn instead? Will Davis no longer pine to leave given Williamson’s presence? Or will a desired union with James come closer to fruition in light of the Lakers’ trade chip? All these, and much more, will dominate discussion off the court even as the action on it waxes and wanes. There are the games, and there are the games around games. No wonder the NBA is fan-tastic.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Senate to look into glitch in midterm polls

By Charmaine A. Tadalan , Reporter

THE Senate committee on electoral reforms and people’s participation will hold an oversight hearing on June 4 to look into technical issues that hounded Monday’s midterm elections.

Committee chairman and reelectionist Senator Aquilino L. Pimentel III, who currently places 10th in the ongoing election count, confirmed the scheduled hearing in a phone message, adding that his panel’s counterparts at the House of Representatives will also conduct their inquiry.

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson affirmed this in a phone message to reporters. “We have to conduct the inquiry as soon as we resume our session,” he said.

Mr. Lacson also said he will take up, among other things, the glitch in the transparency server which led to a seven-hour delay in the transmission of election results on Monday night.

“Comelec has to address certain issues that I myself will raise — among which are: (1) why did they shift from a simultaneous transmission of data at the precinct level as practiced before(,) to a transparency server which…as we found out caused the stoppage of the dissemination of data for some 7 hours,” Mr. Lacson said.

He added: “(2) who controls the transparency server; (3) what is the purpose of the transparency server in the first place except to act as a traffic controller; and (4) why did they procure low quality SD (secure-digital memory) cards…etc.”

Initial results transmitted from the transparency server to media organizations and PPCRV (Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting) were posted at around 6:00 p.m. on Monday but did not change until 1:00 a.m.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri said his colleagues will hold a caucus on Monday on this and other matters. “Meron kaming (We have a) Majority caucus on Monday at 12 to discuss important issues,” he told reporters in a phone message. “It would probably be discussed there.”

‘SUPPLIER SHOULD NOT BE PAID’
For her part, Commissioner Ma. Rowena Amelia V. Guanzon of the Commission on Elections told reporters on Wednesday: “This is my personal view, na itong supplier ng SD cards hindi namin babayaran ng buo at ipapasuri ko ‘yan ‘yung proseso sa pag bidding at saka pag deliver nila ng cards kasi ‘yan po talaga ‘yung naging culprit.” (This is my personal view, that this supplier (S1 Technologies Incorporated) of SD cards should not be paid by us in full and I will have this looked into, the bidding process and the delivery of the cards, because that is really the culprit).

As of Tuesday, 1,665 SD cards out of more than 55,000 used were reported defective, compared with the 120 memory cards reported defective in the 2016 general elections.

Comelec Chairman Sheriff A. Abas told reporters on Tuesday the poll body is reviewing its supply contracts to determine possible contract violations.

The PPCRV, for its part, said it wants to check the results in the central server received by the Comelec.

PPCRV Chairperson Myla C. Villanueva told reporters on Wednesday, “Gusto po namin makita ang central server data kasi ‘yung central server data i-ma-match namin sa transparency server data (We want to…match the central server data with the transparency server data). We wanted to make sure that it’s the same.”

“We want the count, all the results to match,” she added.

Ms. Villanueva said PPCRV has asked the Comelec for the “logs” after the transmission of votes in the transparency server to determine the cause of the glitch. “I will insist on the logs…It is right to wait. Ayaw natin guluhin ‘yung transparency server kasi tinatanggap pa ‘yung data (We do not want to disrupt the transparency server because data are still coming in). Pero (But) I don’t see any reason why we will not get it. I’m sure gusto rin nilang malaman kung ano ‘yung nangyari (I’m sure they also want to know what happened), but definitely we want to know. It’s a way of auditing.”

Regarding the Comelec’s agreement with the National Printing Office (NPO), over the printing of voter information sheets in which NPO reportedly tapped the Holy Family Printing Corporation, Ms. Guanzon said, “That’s against COA (Commission on Audit) rules, ‘yang subcontracting. Kaya nga sila ang pinili namin para wala na kaming bidding.” (Subcontracting is against COA rules. That’s why they [NPO] were selected, so there’ll be no more bidding).

She said the Comelec spent P4 per voter information sheet or an estimated total of P200 million for the over 61 million printed. — with Gillian M. Cortez and Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Agreement signed on welfare of Filipino workers in New Zealand

THE Philippine Embassy in Wellington witnessed the signing of a “landmark deal” with New Zealand employers to ensure protection of Filipino workers, particularly in the construction sector.

New Zealand recruitment agency ExtraStaff Management Ltd., the FIRST Union-Union Network of Migrants, and the Embassy on May 3 signed the Fair Labour Migrant Agreement (FLMA), The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported in a statement, Wednesday.

FIRST Union General Secretary Dennis Maga said in a statement: “This is a landmark deal that sets a precedent for other companies to follow and we invite more to do so. I believe this agreement will be monumental in the construction industry.”

According to the FIRST Union, Mr. Maga said the agreement includes a repatriation clause to ensure the protection of workers. The agreement is also aimed at sparing workers from incurring extra living costs.

FIRST Union has over 27,000 members across New Zealand engaged in retail, finance, transport, logistics, and manufacturing, among other industries.

For his part, Ambassador to New Zealand Jesus S. Domingo said in a statement, “This is a ‘win-win-win’ agreement, which underscores the gains from the tripartite collaboration among the stakeholders and the Filipino migrants.”

“While this agreement is very Kiwi, it is also very Filipino, as it upholds the principle of ‘fairness,’ a Kiwi attribute, and ensures that the ‘family,’ which is at the heart of every Filipino migrant worker, continues to be provided for.” — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Palace slams US comedian for portrayal of Duterte

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter

MALACAÑANG on Tuesday criticized an American comedian-host for “implying” in his Netflix show that President Rodrigo R. Duterte is an “autocrat” who “every so often goes on a killing spree.”

“We find it desperate that, on the eve of the Philippine midterm elections, the vociferous detractors of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte would use an American comedy show (“Patriot Act”), aired on Netflix, to demonize the Chief Executive and his government in its episode entitled ‘Brazil, Corruption and the Rainforest’ before the global audience,” Presidential Communications Secretary Martin M. Andanar said in a statement on Tuesday night.

He added: “Mr. Hasan Minhaj, an American comedian and host, maliciously implied that President Duterte is an ‘autocrat’ who ‘every so often goes on a killing spree.’ He cited an exaggerated figure — 27,000, which is way higher than the official figure — to besmirch the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.”

Citing Real Numbers PHL data, Mr. Andanar said there were about “5,050 drug personalities who died during the 115,435 anti-drug operations from July 2016 to November 2018.”

He said the Philippine National Police (PNP) has also reported that “a large number of deaths were done by the hands of vigilantes due to the rivalry between drug gangs.”

“There were also 164,265 individuals arrested during the same police operations,” Mr. Andanar also said. “Since President Rodrigo Roa Duterte assumed (office), there are about 303,533 individuals who graduated from the (government’s) rehabilitation programs.”

“We express outrage that such erroneous narratives, obviously peddled by anti-Duterte haters and trolls, would find their way to the gullible TV host and his comedy show and unwittingly parrot these falsehoods to an audience unaware of the real score in the Philippines.”

The official Mr. Andanar said preliminary results of the midterm elections “affirmed that the public indeed heeded the President’s call” and “continues to believe in the genuine reforms advocated by the candidates” of Mr. Duterte.

“For the information of Mr. Minhaj, 6 out of 10 Filipinos pointed out that the illegal drug users in their areas have decreased based on independent pollsters….Also, 7 out of 10 Filipinos mentioned that the Duterte Administration is serious in solving the killings in the country.”

Mr. Andanar likewise noted that Mr. Minhaj “heaped praises” on Rappler CEO and Executive Editor Maria A. Ressa and detained opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima for “standing up” against Mr. Duterte.

“Their cases underwent legal processes and their politics, or opposition to President Duterte, has nothing to do with the charges that they are now facing. Both personalities violated domestic laws with Ms. Ressa committing tax evasion, breach of anti-dummy laws, and violation of cyber laws; and Senator De Lima transgressing anti-drug laws,” Mr. Andanar said.

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