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Embracing the digital financial world

The Philippine financial sector inevitably faces growing global competition as technological innovation moves forward.

One of the drivers of the industry’s global competitiveness was the liberalization of the Philippine financial market to allow the entry of foreign banks. In 2014, our country opened its doors to foreign banks by allowing them full ownership and control of their banking operations in the Philippines. Under Republic Act No. 10641, a foreign bank can set up operations in the Philippines through any of the following modes: (a) by acquiring, purchasing, or owning up to 100% of the voting stock of an existing domestic bank; (b) by investing in up to 100% of the voting stock of a new banking subsidiary incorporated in the Philippines; or (c) by establishing branches with full banking authority. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has so far approved the entry of 11 foreign commercial banks since the law’s enactment.

On top of global competition, the Philippine financial market has also been preparing to face the complex demands of rapidly developing technology. This is evident in the rise of digital financial services. The significance of such a development is well-recognized and accompanied by certain challenges which need to be addressed.

In 2018, the signing of the Philippine Identification System Act was widely viewed as an opportunity to reach out to unbanked individuals, by easing the requirements for signing up bank customers. Under the law, all Philippine citizens and resident aliens are to have a single card as their official national identification card, known as the “Philippine Identification Card (PhilID).” According to the BSP’s 2017 Financial Inclusion Survey, out of 52.8 million adults who do not have bank accounts, 18% do not have the required documents, such as an acceptable ID, to open an account. Simplifying the documentation by mandating a single ID system addresses this predicament by offering easier access to financial services and products.

Likewise in the same year, the National Payment Systems Act (NPSA) was passed, vesting upon the BSP oversight power over payment systems, including supervisory and regulatory powers to ensure the stability and effectiveness of the Philippine financial system. For regulatory purposes, payment system operators (e.g., banks and electronic money issuers like PayMaya and Globe for GCash) are required by law to register with the BSP. As pointed out by the late BSP Governor Nestor Espenilla, this law provides a regulatory framework for payment systems, to level the playing field among operators, and to generate more competition, greater efficiency, and foster digital innovations for both banking and payments products and services.

The NPSA further enhanced the National Retail Payment System (NRPS) Framework adopted by the BSP in 2017 pursuant to BSP Circular No. 980. NRPS aims to establish a safe, efficient, and reliable retail payment system in the Philippines with the end view of achieving higher economic growth and improving competitiveness. It covers all domestic retail payments which are denominated in pesos for the purchase of goods and services, fund transfers, and other payment obligations with banks and other institutions. With the adoption of this framework, the BSP expects an increase in the level of cashless transactions from about 1% to 20% by 2020.

In implementing NRPS, the BSP launched two automated clearing houses, i.e., PESONet on Nov. 8, 2017 and InstaPay on April 23, 2018. Considered an electronic alternative to paper checks, PESONet covers batch payments on one hand, while InstaPay covers small-value payments for purchases of goods and services.

In BSP Circular No. 1033 issued in February, the BSP expressly recognized the impact of electronic payment and financial services (EPFS) in economic growth by facilitating the movement of funds that fuel productive activities.

EPFS pertains to products or services offered by BSP-Supervised Financial Institutions (BSFIs) to enable customers to receive payments or initiate financial transactions and other related services through an electronic device.

To engage in EPFS, BSFIs should meet the minimum pre-conditions set forth by the BSP. First, the BSFI should have an adequate risk management process in place to identify, assess, monitor, and control the risks arising from the proposed EPFS. Second, the BSFI should have appropriate policies and procedures in specific areas to address all security risks and concerns affecting the EPFS platform and application systems. The areas covered are authentication of identity of both sender and receiver; nonrepudiation or undeniable proof of participation by both the sender and receiver in a transaction; authorization which establishes and enforces access rights of the entities to the specified computing resources and application functions; integrity and confidentiality of the data; and availability of the operating system. Third, the EPFS system should have been tested prior to its implementation and that test results were satisfactory. Last, BSFIs should have adopted a business continuity planning process covering the use of EPFS.

The circular streamlined the process of securing the license to engage in EPFS, doing away with the tedious approval process of requiring conditional and final approval.

Further, EPFS are classified into two types: (a) Basic EPFS (Type C license) which refers to limited services such as receipt of funds and access to information; and (b) Advanced EPFS (Type A/B license) which allows customers to transfer funds and initiate other financial transactions including those services under Basic EPFS.

For Basic EPFS, there is only a need to notify the BSP within 30 days prior to the launch of services, instead of securing BSP approval. In contrast, Advanced EPFS is further categorized into Type A and Type B licenses. BSFIs with Type A licenses must conduct self-assessments against the established criteria by the BSP. Upon meeting the criteria, BSFIs should submit a certified letter of intent stating such compliance. If the BSP concurs with the certification, it shall issue a confirmation of eligibility to the BSFI. For Type B licenses, the process is similar to securing the Type A license except that there is no self-assessment and the BSP requires more documents.

With the use of technology, the Know-Your-Customer (KYC) process is now expedited. Under BSP Circular No. 1022, BSFIs can now accept the PhilID as an official document for financial transactions, and allow use of technology like video calls for customer identification.

Nonetheless, with innovation comes challenges. Rapid improvement of the IT infrastructure in the Philippines is urgently needed to keep pace with technological demands and synchronize existing inter-agency systems. Concomitantly, human resource considerations that may impede the growth of technological innovation, such as brain drain, likewise need to be addressed.

As a developing country, the Philippines may suffer some hiccups as it gears towards full globalization in financial markets, facilitated by advanced technology. Anchored on resiliency and cooperation, the Filipino people, hand in hand, will surely achieve that level of preparedness to fully embrace the digital financial world.

The views or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Isla Lipana & Co. The content is for general information purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for specific advice.

 

Sylvia R. Salvador is a director at the Tax Services Department of Isla Lipana & Co., the Philippine member firm of the PwC network.

+63 (2) 845-2728

sylvia.r.salvador@ph.pwc.com

Should we have meat import quotas after we tariffied the QR on rice?

Last week, BusinessWorld carried a report about a plan by Agriculture Secretary Piñol to limit meat imports due to high inventory of meats and meat products in cold-chain facilities in the country. In his words, he wants to broker a deal among meat importers and meat processors, on the one hand, and meat producers, on the other, for the amount of meat imports to be allowed into the country.

I did text a member of a family in the hog-raising business in General Santos City about this. She confirmed this concern, texting me that her family is worried about meat imports, and “the farmers there are suffering.”

I haven’t asked the opinion of owners of downstream businesses to the country’s piggeries or the chicken industry about the glut of meats in our country.

If his plan pushes through, Secretary Piñol has to lower the quantity of imported meat that he would permit into the country. He has three options he may consider taking in doing that. One, he imposes a quantitative restriction on meat imports to protect livestock raisers. Two, he may just reduce the minimum access volumes (MAV) of imported meats and meat products. Or three, he may use sanitary and phytosanitary permits, reminiscent of the abuse of SPS rules in the case of garlic imports a few years back.

There may be other measures, but in my opinion, those would likely be derivatives of any of the above three.

The agriculture tariffication act of 1996 poses a legal hurdle to either of the first two options. Section 6 of that law provided that “in lieu of quantitative restrictions, the maximum bound rates committed under the Uruguay Round Final Act shall be imposed on the agricultural products whose quantitative restrictions (QR) are repealed by this Act.” Meats and meat products are among the products covered by the 1996 tariffication law.

It is the policy of the state to use tariff and not quantity measures to protect local producers. In fact this year, we finished making good our treaty obligation in the WTO, when Congress passed the law to tariffy the QR on rice imports.

The tariffication act may offer him the legal rule he needs to reduce the meats’ MAV, but on closer scrutiny not. “In case of shortages or abnormal price increases in agricultural products, whose quantitative restrictions are lifted under this Act, the President may propose to Congress, revisions, modifications, or adjustments of the Minimum Access Volume (MAV)…”

The words are “revisions, modifications, or adjustments,” which changes could include reduction of the MAVs. However, the law requires that such changes are done in the context of a shortage or abnormal price increases of meats. These market situations require expanding rather than reducing the MAV.

However, an unvalidated information reached me about former agriculture secretary Alcala having offered higher meat MAV to get a principal supplier in meats in the world not to block the legal waiver which we applied for and obtained in 2014 from the WTO to extend our QR on rice imports for another 3 years.

If true, here’s a case of a distortion causing another! In the desire of the Aquino government to extend the rice QR, a distortion, it distorted the market of meats in the country. And that may have caused by now this glut that Secretary Piñol is talking about. Again, the information I received could be fake.

On the third option, Secretary Piñol cannot use sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures to restrict meat imports. A few Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) officials during the administration of former President Aquino reportedly slowed down the issuance of SPS permits allegedly to raise prices of garlic in the country. Isn’t there a case on this already in the Sandiganbayan?

SPS permits are issued when the conditions for them are met by the applicant. If the applicant meets the country’s health and sanitary standards of meats and meat products, the BPI has no choice but to approve the application. But reportedly the issuance of SPS permits for imported garlic slowed down at a time when local garlic harvest was bad, causing prices to go up by more than 300%. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairperson, Senator Villar conducted several hearings on the problem, and because of what she did, eyes are focused now on SPS regulators to prevent a similar abuse in other industries.

The WTO rules may be the least of Secretary Piñol’s concern. He announced his plan to issue quantity restrictions for imported meats, if in his judgment doing so serves the best interest of our agriculture sector.

WTO rules aside, let us talk about the cons and pros of restricting meat imports. I am for staying the course on liberalizing meat imports. The meat processing industry grew because of imported meats. They import meats because there is not just enough locally of the kinds of meats they need and at prices competitive with imported ones.

Livestock raisers may have another opinion, and they may be correct. But the rebuttal mirrors what they have been receiving from corn farmers. Corn is a key input to raising pigs and chicken. The raisers and feed millers have wanted to import corn, because in their words there is not enough corn in the country, or the corn price is higher than what they could get for in the world market.

Corn farmers shoot back saying there is enough corn in the country, but the transportation logistics is not good enough to make it available to the livestock raisers in the provinces surrounding Metro Manila.

Reduced meat imports hamper the growth of the meat processing industry. Besides meat processors, the hotels and restaurants depend on imported meats, and their businesses expansion thwarted.

pork meat market
PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

Big hotels and restaurants can take care of their needs under a regime of reduced meat imports. But there are SMEs, who are likely to go under with reduced quotas of imported meats. I remember a friend of mine, Raymund Fabre, who was running a small restaurant as his other skill to his competence working in the development industry. It was ten years ago, when he invited me to his mobile diner in what used to be open spaces in the now uptown side of Bonifacio Global City. I am saying this not to remind Raymund to invite me again.

He told me his business started because of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture, which led the way to tariffying the meat import quotas. He can survive paying the tariff on his imported meat, but he cannot with a quota because of the uncertainty it brings to his business.

Introducing meat quotas comes from the same insular and discarded thinking that has pervaded our agriculture sector for decades. True, imported meat quota helps existing livestock growers by raising prices of livestock.

However, it takes the sector in the opposite direction of faster growth. Faster growing agriculture sectors in the rest of ASEAN 5 have significantly stronger farm trade capacity. Both their exports and imports of farm products are significantly higher.

Meat prices in the country should be in the neighborhood of landed cost of imported meats plus the tariff. If policy makers calibrate trade policy to make inefficient livestock raisers survive, i.e. those whose costs are unnecessarily high, whose technologies are out of date, or simply who can’t offer their products at internationally competitive prices, they raise prices of meats and make investments in downstream industries less viable. They end up quashing the job and business opportunities in meat-using industries.

Efficient members of the industry support trade protection, because not only does trade protection particularly by meat quotas give them extra profits, but also they shield them as well from intense competition from meat importers.

The growth of our agriculture sector has lagged behind the rest of the economy. Many have blamed extreme weather for that. Climate change cannot be discounted as one of the important factors, but trade protection can be another.

The farm industry’s lackluster growth may be traced to these: its inefficient members survive; the efficient ones are not compelled to be as competitive as their international competitors; and their market is thin, with prices that make the country’s downstream industries less viable.

Reduced imported meat quota can do that to the livestock, meats, and downstream meat industries. However, if the Secretary decides not to push with his plan, that would be a move forward.

Some in the development industry, and this includes me, need to reflect and act on the need to complete the reform process: help displaced farmers transition to other sources of incomes in the least time possible.

Without the real assistance, the trade policy reform leaves a scar in society’s fabric. After decades, the grievance fuels future leader to swing the policy reform cycle back to trade protection and slower growth.

Financial resources are needed to assist backyard livestock raisers who can’t survive the competition with imported meats find other sources of income. In theory this should not be as difficult, since there is positive net benefit of the reform effort.

Taxing the winners to compensate the losers from a policy reform is a centuries-old idea attributed to an economist by the name of Kaldor. We need to operationalize Kaldor’s idea, and refrain from paying lip service to inclusive trade liberalization.

But there is reason to be hopeful. In the recent rice tariffication law, consumers of rice are taxed at the rate of 35%, the revenues of which are to be used to make rice farmers competitive, including assisting farmers diversify into other industries. Consumers still get their rice price lower than in the previous regime of a QR in rice.

The law calls the fund, RCEF or rice competitiveness enhancement fund, which rings a sourly familiar tune, like the Agriculture Competitiveness Enhancement Fund or ACEF. This was the fund created by the 1996 agriculture tariffication act from the revenues of the tariffs on MAVs Policy makers have regarded ACEF as a complete failure. The farmers have not become competitive after several years of ACEF.

To prevent RCEF from becoming another ACEF, the rice industry needs a very good strategy of making efficient rice farmers become more competitive internationally through use of better technology, innovative organization of farm production to avail of scale economies, and displaced rice farmers helped to move to other industries in the farming sector or even in non-agricultural industries at the least time possible.

In the meantime, the Secretary may consider using agriculture safeguards for the problems in the meat industry. The safeguards law allows his office to raise the tariff on meat imports, if the volume of meat imports exceed the threshold quantity defined in our law by as much as a third of the current import tariff. This is consistent with our treaty obligations under the WTO. Each end of the year, the duty will have to be lifted, but can be imposed again in the following year or in any time of a year, whenever the condition for breaching the safeguards volume is met.

 

Ramon L. Clarete is a professor at the University of the Philippines School of Economics.

Work. Life. MBA.

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.”

— Albert Einstein.

Work-life balance seems to be embedded in the desire to create a joyful and meaningful engagement between your personal interests and professional roles. Many organizations have created innovative programs to help employees juggle workplace stress with the daily pressures of family, friends, and self. However, if you are considered going for your MBA degree, I must warn you. Say farewell to any attempt to achieve work-life balance.

In an ideal world, everyone who goes to graduate school would quit their jobs and focus on accomplishing their MBA degree full-time, which means no distractions from life, or more specifically, from work. However, for most people, especially those who need to continue working, going back to school means squeezing in their studies into a very busy working day. While the financial burden may be lifted if your employer covers your tuition fee, you will be bound to stay. Aside from the need to have substantial savings, leaving your career to get your MBA as a full-time student might result in lost opportunity for professional advancement. This is my current situation. I continue to work as I pursue my degree.

When you start the MBA program, you are instantly adding significant work to your plate. So no matter how good you are at managing time, there will be instances that you’ll struggle and may need to make short-term sacrifices. These sacrifices can be as simple as not going out on a Friday night since you have a case study or research paper to be submitted the next day, not binge-watching your favorite series, or checking your Instagram account less. It can also be something more substantial, such as not having time on weekends to spend with your friends or missing an important family event or work deadline because of school requirements.

While I believe that it is near to impossible to achieve work-life-studies balance, it is important to carve out time for self-care, such as sleep and exercise. And during hectic days, remember that all these academic and work demands are just temporary. It takes about three years of part-time studies to earn an MBA, but I believe that the sacrifice is really worth doing it. Investing your time and money in MBA studies will give you a chance to accomplish great things in the future.

So far, the best thing I have experienced in my MBA is the access to the vast Lasallian network. From day one, I never felt any tension and regret in embarking on my graduate studies or if it was right option for me. And that is because since my first day, I have encountered peers who always give me new perspective in life as a student and as a working professional. They are the ones I know I can count on to achieve my goals as they always share new ideas and they always help me to find way to different problems. I believe that the most successful MBA students are the ones who connect the most with different people and get more involved in graduate school life.

Balancing your personal life with working and getting an MBA is not easy. However, in the end, it will totally be worth it. With an MBA in hand, you will encounter greater opportunities, including receiving increased compensation, job promotions, and new career opportunities. You will also get a chance to refocus yourself and provide yourself with the requisite knowledge, skills and ethics to pursue your corporate dreams.

Grab the opportunity to experience new challenges and learnings. Do not be scared to try as many different things as you can and plan your own unique path. It truly is a rewarding undertaking!

This article was part of the requirements of the course, Strategic Human Resource Management.

 

Hannah Joy Jadolos is an MBA student of the De La Salle University Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business.

hannah_jadolos@dlsu.edu.ph

Pedal to the future

The inevitable future, in my opinion, will involve some form of pedaling. The bicycle was invented about 200 years ago, and their makers later made motorcycles and cars. But cars and motorbikes — those running on fossil fuel, at least — may soon be things of the past as economic, environmental, and social concerns push people toward electric and, well, back to pedal power.

A friend recently remarked that in his lifetime, he wanted to see more bicycles than cars on roads in densely populated and congested urban centers. I can understand where he is coming from, as he takes long rides on his mountain bike almost every weekend. He is well aware of the benefits of biking, on his health and his wallet, and on the environment.

Personally, I prefer to walk than bike. But I am convinced that there are more to bikes than just getting around. Going beyond being personal transport, one can pedal a “bike” to pump water, generate electricity, sharpen knives, among others. Any wheel attached to any mechanism to move it is a simple machine that has countless applications.

However, as I tackled the issue of biking on public roads in my previous column, I advocated for some new rules. I still believe that some form of government regulation should cover all motorized or mechanically propelled vehicles, even those pedaled by humans, regardless of the number of wheels, if they are to be used on public roads.

And this is based on the premise that anyone using the road is expected to be familiar with and to abide by the rules of the road, and anything used on the road is expected to be roadworthy. This is also given the need to keep order on roads and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all road users.

Yes, I have read many of the arguments against licensing bikers and registering bicycles, including how such a process is unwieldy and too costly, administratively. And that it can only work to the extent that registering cars and licensing their drivers have actually resulted in better driving, which has not. The licensing process is also highly prone to corruption. Moreover, it may just prompt people to abandon their bikes and stick to their cars.

But I still believe we should start discussing whether or not the government should regulate or “administer” bicycles and scooters et al. In my opinion, anything that runs on an electric motor or any other type of motor, or a combination of pedal and motor, whether slow or fast, and used on public roads should be registered. And its user should be licensed.

bike

However, anything that is pedaled and runs only on human power, we should still consider some rules to apply, with corresponding penalties for violations. Registration can be compulsory, but licensing users or riders can be optional. Insurance rules should likewise be amended to allow for theft or damage insurance for bicycles and personal liability insurance for bicycle users.

Whether or not more of an anti-theft measure, or for purposes of securing liability and accident insurance, we should look into some rules or guidance regarding the use on public roads of all “modes of transport” other than cars or motorcycles, electric or otherwise, even those drawn by animals or pedaled by humans.

In Japan, for instance, bicycles are registered when purchased primarily as a protection against theft. The retailer puts a police registration sticker on the bicycle and gives the buyer the registration card. Cost is equivalent to about Php 250. Registration is compulsory, but there are no penalties for failing to register. However, one runs the risk of being stopped by police and accused of theft when using an unregistered bicycle. Cyclists are not licensed.

Switzerland used to have a similar bike sticker scheme, but this was reportedly discontinued starting 2012. Also, children under seven years old are allowed to cycle on roads only if accompanied or supervised by a person at least 16 years of age. Also, personal liability insurance can cover damage caused to third parties in an accident involving a bicycle. Bicycles can also be covered by household insurance.

But any pedal-assisted electric bicycle or e-bike, whether slow or fast, requires a motor-assisted bicycle registration plate and registration that is renewed yearly. Licenses are also issued to those who use motorized bicycles, which can use only specially designated cycle lanes. Safety helmets are also required for e-bike users.

And then there is Denmark. Available statistics indicate that nine out of 10 people in Denmark own a bicycle, and that Danes cycle an average of 1.6 kilometers a day. Moreover, cycling reportedly accounts for 25% of all personal transport in Denmark for distances shorter than five kilometers. Moreover, children learn in school about traffic rules, road safety, and the importance of wearing a helmet and other good cycling habits.

In Denmark, a bicycle is also required to have one white light in front and one red light at the back; reflectors on wheels, pedals, and on the frame; a functioning bike bell mounted on the handlebar; and, functioning brakes on both wheels. And bicycles are subject to the same traffic rules as cars. Cyclists cannot carry another person on a one-person bike, unless it’s a child in a child seat; cannot use a phone; and, must use hand signals. Violations are fined.

Denmark does not license cyclists, but a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) system has been in place there since 1942, and this provides all bicycles in Denmark with a unique code composed of a combination of letters and digits embedded into the bicycle frame and consisting of a manufacturer code, serial number, and construction year code. Since 1948, it has been illegal to sell bicycle frames in Denmark without an embedded VIN.

I am sure there are other examples of global best practices for and against licensing and or registration for electric as well as pedal bicycles. Philippine policy makers and law enforcers should start reviewing them so as to be guided which among these rules can apply locally. If cycling is the future, and I believe it is, we should already start looking into suitable and appropriate regulations.

 

Marvin Tort is a former managing editor of BusinessWorld, and a former chairman of the Philippines Press Council

matort@yahoo.com

Ateneo Lady Eagles notch twice-to-beat advantage

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE Ateneo Lady Eagles secured a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four of Season 81 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines after shutting out the Adamson Lady Falcons, 25-16, 28-26 and 25-17, in their league match on Wednesday at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.

Derailed in its attempt to secure the semifinal incentive last time around, Ateneo (11-2) made sure it would pull through against Adamson (1-12) with a dominant performance right from the opening buzzer.

Earlier in the day, the defending champions De La Salle Lady Spikers notched their 10th win and fortified their top-two push with a straight-sets win over the University of the East Lady Warriors, 25-17, 25-16 and 25-19.

Led by their veterans, the Lady Eagles were thorough at the start of their “avian war” with the Lady Falcons.

They soared to a 16-11 lead midway into the opening frame as Kat Tolentino and Maddie Madayag made their presence felt, before closing out the set with a 9-5 run to go up, 1-0.

Adamson came out the second on firmer footing.

Despite going down 0-5 early, the Lady Falcons charged back, led by Krich Macaslang, to claim an 8-6 lead by the first technical break.

Ateneo, however, did not stay down for long, answering with a 10-6 blast to go on top, 16-14, heading into homestretch of the frame.

The Lady Falcons turned to their bench for some support and were repaid instantly as they overtook their opponents, 21-19, with players like Lee-Ann Perez leading the charge.

It was, however, temporary as the Lady Eagles flapped their wings harder to squeak past and go up, 2-0.

Ateneo continued to be steady to begin the third set, racing to an 8-6 lead early on.

Adamson kept pressuring Ateneo after but the Lady Eagles continued to hold sway, 16-13, by the second technical timeout.

The Lady Eagles stretched their lead to five, 20-15, after and from there were never really threatened as they moved for the win.

Tolentino paced a balanced attack by Ateneo with 17 points.

Madayag had 13 while Ponggay Gaston finished with nine points.

For Adamson it was Bern Flora and Chiara Permentilla who led with nine points each.

“I commend the players for playing the way they did. They have been sacrificing a lot,” said Ateneo coach Oliver Almadro following their win.

“We are thankful to have gotten the twice-to-beat and have a chance to go to the finals. But it is only a chance and we still have to work for it,” he added.

LADY SPIKERS
Meanwhile, in the first game, La Salle made short work of UE by winning in just three sets.

Stayed on top of things throughout the match, the Lady Spikers (10-3) with the victory further strengthened their claim to one of the two top spots and the twice-to-beat advantage that go with it in the Final Four.

The contest had a familiar route in the first two sets with the Lady Warriors starting strong only to falter amid a tough stand from the Lady Spikers as the sets progressed and bow down.

Judith Abil led UE to a good start in the third frame as they took an 8-6 lead by the first techical timeout.

Collectively though La Salle rallied back, overtaking the Lady Warriors, 16-14, midway.

The Lady Spikers then moved to a 20-17 lead after.

UE tried to make a last-ditch effort to come back, coming to within three points, 22-19.

But Des Cheng and the rest of the Lady Spikers would have none of that as they racked up three straight points after to close out the match.

Rookie Jolina Dela Cruz and Aduke Ogunsanya led La Salle with 10 points each with Tin Tiamzon adding nine.

Cheng and Des Clemente had eight points apiece for La Salle.

UE (3-10), for its part, was paced by Abil with 16 points.

“This was an important match for us and we could not afford to relax. UE had nothing to lose. I told the players to continue playing hard,” said La Salle coach Ramil De Jesus after their win.

“We still have to work on our game. We are now on the last part and we have to be ready heading into the next round,” he added.

La Salle rounds out its elimination-round schedule versus the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws on April 28 while UE plays Ateneo on the same date.

Sixers, Raptors advance

LOS ANGELES — Kyle Lowry scored Toronto’s first nine points as part of a game-opening, 12-1 flurry Tuesday night to propel the Raptors to a 115-96 blowout win over the visiting Orlando Magic and a 4-1 win in an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

The second-seeded Raptors will next face the third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The 76ers beat the Brooklyn Nets 122-100 on Tuesday night to take their first-round series in five games, as well.

With a chance to wrap up the best-of-seven set at home, the Raptors wasted no time taking charge. Lowry hit four field goals — including a 3-pointer — in his early burst, and Kawhi Leonard added a three-point play as Toronto went up by 11 before the game was three minutes old.

The Raptors’ surge didn’t stop there. After Aaron Gordon dropped in Orlando’s first basket 3:23 into the game to cut the gap to 12-3, Toronto immediately went on another 10-0 run to expand the lead to 22-3 at the 5:09 mark of the first period.

Lowry buried a second 3-pointer in the second spurt.

In winning for the fourth straight time after a series-opening loss at home to Orlando, the Raptors led 35-19 after one quarter and never allowed the Magic closer than 11 after that.

In fact, after building a 67-47 halftime advantage, Toronto never led by fewer than 17 points the rest of the way.

Leonard finished with 27 points and Pascal Siakam scored 24 for the Raptors, who had never previously won four straight games in the same playoff series.

Leonard’s game-high total included 5-for-5 shooting on 3-point attempts.

Lowry totaled 14 points while Norman Powell added 11 and Serge Ibaka 10 for Toronto, which won the final four games of the series by a cumulative 75 points after dropping the opener 104-101.

Lowry also found time for nine assists, one fewer than teammate Fred VanVleet’s game-high total.

The Raptors shot 48.2 percent from the floor, compared to Orlando’s 38.6% mark.

D.J. Augustin, the hero of Orlando’s Game 1 win with a late 3-pointer, had a team-high 15 points for the Magic. Orlando was making its first playoff appearance since losing in the first round to Indiana in 2012.

Terrence Ross and Wes Iwundu had 12 points apiece, Gordon 11 and Evan Fournier 10 for Orlando. Khem Birch grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds in the loss.

LILLARD’S 50 POINTS, BUZZER-BEATER BOUNCE THUNDER
Damian Lillard capped a 50-point game by sinking a long 3-pointer as time expired to give the Portland Trail Blazers a 118-115 victory over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night and a five-game series win.

Lillard set a franchise single-game playoff scoring record as the third-seeded Trail Blazers clinched the first-round Western Conference playoff series despite trailing by 15 points with 7:45 to play. They will next play the winner of the Denver-San Antonio series.

Paul George scored 36 points for the Thunder, and Russell Westbrook collected 29 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds.

An 8-0 Blazers run tied the game at 113-113 with 57.1 seconds to play, and the two teams traded baskets after that. Then, after a Westbrook miss with less than 20 seconds to play, the Blazers rebounded and got it to Lillard, who hit the series-clinching bomb at the buzzer.

NUGGETS 108, SPURS 90
Jamal Murray had 23 points and seven assists, and host Denver beat San Antonio in Game 5 of a Western Conference playoff series — the only series of the four played Tuesday night not to end.

The Nuggets lead the series 3-2 heading into Game 6 at San Antonio on Thursday night. Game 7, if necessary, would be played Saturday in Denver.

Nikola Jokic amassed 16 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, Will Barton scored 17 points off the bench, and Gary Harris had 15 points for Denver. LaMarcus Aldridge had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan also scored 17 for the Spurs, who lost a second game in a row. — Reuters

Ceres-Negros FC stays unscathed in AFC Cup 2019

TOP local club Ceres-Negros FC kept its unblemished record in the ongoing AFC Cup 2019 intact after fashioning out an impressive come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Persija Jakarta in Group G action in Indonesia on Tuesday.

Down 0-2 early in the contest, which was witnessed by 35,000 hometown fans, the “Busmen” showed tremendous grit in fighting back and stunning Persija and its supporters.

Midfielder Mike Ott provided the winning goal in stoppage time that completed for his team the impressive victory that extended their lead at the top of the standings in Group G.

With the victory, Ceres now holds a 4-0-0 record and 12 points, five clear of second-running Becamex Binh Duong (2-1-1) while Persija (1-1-2) was pinned to third with four points.

Persija was first on the scoreboard, connecting in the 49th and 57th minute care off midfielders Sandi Sute and Rizki Ramdani Lestaluhu, respectively.

But the Busmen remained steadfast in its resolve and slowly chipped away on their deficit.

Substitute Miguel Tanton narrowed the gap at 2-1 with a smooth free kick in the 70th minute.

Team scorer Bienvenido Maranon then pulled Ceres even in the 85th minute when he headed into the net a nifty pass from Stephan Schrock.

Got the momentum it needed, Ceres continued to put pressure on the home team, which it was eventually reward for in stoppage time as Mr. Ott took a pass from Mr. Schrock and swished it past the Persija keeper for what turned out to be the winning goal.

Persija tried to salvage the game after but to no avail.

As expected, Ceres was proud of what it was able to pull off, highlighting how it was a product of team effort and hard work.

“We are happy with the win first of all. The team showed that if everybody works hard anything is possible. It’s very nice,” said Mr. Ott in the postmatch interview.

Ceres next plays on May 1 against already-eliminated Shan United (0-0-4) of Myanmar on May 1 in Yangon. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

San Miguel Beermen out to fetch semifinals series close out in Game Five

UP 3-1 in their best-of-seven PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series, the four-time defending champions San Miguel Beermen seek to close out the Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters in Game Five today at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

Set for 7 p.m., the Beermen use the first of the three tries they have to enter the finals of the season-opening Philippine Basketball Association tournament and give themselves a chance to extend their stranglehold on the All-Filipino title with a fifth straight crown.

San Miguel put itself in the favorable position it is in with a convincing and dominant 114-91 victory in an emotionally charged Game Four on Tuesday that saw a couple of players ejected, a lot of hard fouls given and second motions that nearly translated to fracas.

It was a tight contest at the start until Alex Cabagnot and Terrence Romeo jolted the Beermen to an offensive explosion that created much separation from their opponents, which the latter could not recover from.

Mr. Romeo led San Miguel with 20 points, going six-of-10 from beyond the arc, while Mr. Cabagnot had 18.

Arwind Santos also had a solid game with 16 points and eight rebounds. Chris Ross and Von Pessumal were in double digits in scoring as well with 10 points apiece.

Matt Ganuelas-Rosser stepped in for the still-ailing Marcio Lassiter and had an impressive all-around game of eight points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals.

For Phoenix, it was only Calvin Abueva who really made his presence felt with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Matthew Wright struggled for just six points.

Recognizing the great position they are in and how Phoenix has given them a hard time in the series, San Miguel coach Leo Austria said they will try to finish the affair today and not give the Fuel Masters any more chances.

“We will work hard in the next game to finish things. We don’t want to extend the series. But it’s not going to be easy because we believe Phoenix will fight hard for their tournament lives,” said Mr. Austria, who also underscored the need for them to have a good start just like in Game Four to make it easier for them in the end game.

Despite in a deep hole, the Fuel Masters are not about to give up and have vowed to continue fighting, taking it one game at a time, all the way to the end.

LONGER PREPARATION FOR GILAS
Meanwhile in Gilas Pilipinas news, the team’s think tank said it is looking at a longer preparation time for the team for its FIBA World Cup campaign in August.

Speaking at the Philippine Sportswriters Association forum on Tuesday at the Amelie Hotel-Manila, Gilas coach Yeng Guiao said they are looking at the possibility of asking stakeholders, particularly the PBA, for added time to prepare the team.

“I think we need more than the 10 or 12 days of break (in the PBA schedule) for the World Cup so we can extend our practices,” said Mr. Guiao.

Adding, “I’m asking for more than 12 days of continuous practice or if possible, one month. I hope we can practice twice a day for four days in June, then twice a day for eight days in July and daily in August.”

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, who was also at the forum, reiterated the league’s support for Gilas and that they are open to granting the request of Mr. Guiao.

Gilas struggled in qualifying for the World Cup but eventually secured a spot. It is bracketed in Group D along with Italy, Serbia and Angola. The World Cup happens in China from Aug. 30 to Sept. 15. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Magnolia now up 3-2 over ROS in semis series

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE streak back of the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok in their best-of-seven PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters continued on Wednesday as they took Game Five, 82-74, to gain the upper hand.

Lost the first two games of the series of their semifinal pairing, the Hotshots have won three straight since and are now on the verge of advancing to the finals of the season-opening Philippine Basketball Association tournament.

Mark Barroca and Jio Jalalon led Magnolia in the big win at the Cuneta Astrodome with 14 points apiece with Rafi Reavis also coming up big with nine points and 12 rebounds.

It was a low-scoring ball game as the two teams sputtered with their offense in different stretches of the match.

Magnolia though made a key run in late in the game that gave them a 78-71 lead with a minute and a half left.

Rain or Shine tried to rally back but it could only come to within four points, 78-74, with a minute to go in the game as it saw Magnolia go away with the victory.

Gabe Norwood had his best game of the series offensively for the Elasto Painters with 15 points but it was not enough to carry his team over the hump.

James Yap had 12 and Mark Borboran 11 for Rain or Shine, which will try to stave off elimination in Game Six on Friday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

MPBL: Davao Occidental, San Juan clash for Datu Cup

THE MPBL Datu Cup comes down to an end on Thursday night as fans will witness the ascension of the first ever national champion. Either host team Davao Occidental or San Juan will be feted here at the Rizal Memorial College Gym as they battle it out one last time this season.

Starting at 7 p.m., the Cocolife-backed Davao Occidental Tigers and the Go-For-Gold-supported San Juan Knights will slug it out one last time Thursday. The Tigers dragged the Knights to a rubber match following a late burst in Game 4, allowing Davao Occidental to sent the series back to its home court.

Expect the Davaoeños to come in full force as they brace themselves for war against the battle-tested Knights that is out to relive its glory days.

Tigers rookie head coach Don Dulay admittedly that he has never been in a game of this magnitude.

“It’s the first time for me to compete at this level,” said Dulay.

The hometown crowd will play as the sixth man for the Tigers, but Dulay believes there’s no guarantee that they’re going to win it. They know they have to take it.

In taking the championship, Dulay will need another collective effort from Billy Robles, Eman Calo, Leo Najorda, big man Bogs Raymundo and Finals MVP-candidate Mark Yee to put themselves in a better position to beat the Knights.

The Knights, on the other hand, will have to play it the right way and that is involving everybody on the groove of things — from gunners John Wilson and Macmac Cardona, big men Larry Rodriguez and Larry Muyang, high-leaping guard Mike Ayonayon and spitfire guard Orlan Wamar.

MPBL founder and chief executive officer Senator Manny Pacquiao is going to award the golden trophy and championship rings to the winning team.

Also to be feted Thursday night are the Finals MVP and the Coach of the Year. — Rey Joble

Bangkok Open

19th Bangkok Chess Club Open
Centara Grand Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand
April 6-14, 2019

Final Top Standings

1-2. GM Jan Gustafsson GER 2633, GM Deep Sengupta IND 2551, 7.5/9

3-6. GM Venkataraman Karthik IND 2505, GM Zhao Zong Yuan AUS 2529, GM S Dhopade Swapnil IND 2488, GM Andrea Stella ITA 2512, 7.0/9

7-19. IM Duong The Anh VIE 2302, GM Nigel Short ENG 2636, GM Musunari Lalith Babu IND 2577, GM Moulthun Ly AUS 2490, GM Jha Sriram IND 2381, IM Lou Yiping CHN 2482, IM Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi IND 2345, FM Andrean Susilodinata INA 2296, IM Haridas Pascua PHI 2426, FM Khherdekar Sauravh IND 2247, GM Rodrigo Vasquez Schroeder CHI 2487, Razah Muhd Syukar MAS 1792, FM Riste Menkinoski MKD 23096, 6.5/9

No. of participants: 200 players

Time control: 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 30 minutes play-to-finish with 30 seconds added to your clock after every move starting move 1

The Bangkok Chess Open, which alternates between being played in exotic resorts all around Thailand and the capital city, was this year held in the luxurious ballroom of the Centara Grand Hotel with a field of 200 players which included 17 International Grandmasters. Three former winners participated as well, Nigel Short (winner in 2012, 2015 and 2017), Jan Gustafsson (2011) and Australian GM Zhao Zong Yuan (2013).

This year GM (Grandmaster) Jan Gustafsson of Germany did a repeat and won by going undefeated with six wins and three draws. The popular GM, known for his tournament commentaries on the online website chess24.com, has taken part in almost every previous edition of the Bangkok tournament.

His opponent in the game below is the Vietnamese IM The Anh Duong, one of the surprises of the tournament. Despite his 2302 rating he had just defeated two GMs in a row (Italy’s Stella and Australian Zhao Zong Yuan) and was trying to ride the momentum.

Gustafsson, Jan (2633) — Duong, The Anh (2302) [A18]
Bangkok Open 2019 Bangkok THA (8.1), 13.04.2019

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 d5 4.cxd5

In the very sharp Mikenas Line of the English Opening White can either play 4.e5 right away or do it after exchanging first on d5. Most popular is 4.e5 d4 5.exf6 dxc3 6.bxc3 Qxf6 but GM Gustafsson, an openings expert, probably chose the text to confuse his young opponent.

4…exd5 5.e5 Nfd7

Not very common but still part of GM praxis. 5…Ne4 is the move usually played. After 6.Nxe4 dxe4 7.Qa4+ Nc6 8.Qxe4 Be6 Black is a pawn down but doing well because of his superior development. Here is an example of what might happen: 9.Bb5 Bd5 10.Qg4 a6 11.Bxc6+ Bxc6 12.Ne2 Qd5 13.d4 Bb4+ 14.Bd2 Bxd2+ 15.Kxd2 Qb5 16.Rab1 Qb4+ 17.Ke3 0–0 18.f3 f6 19.exf6 Rxf6 20.Rhd1 Re8+ 21.Kf2 Qe7 22.Nc3 Qe3+ 23.Kf1 Bxf3 24.gxf3 Rg6 25.Re1 Qd3+ 26.Kf2 Qd2+ 27.Re2 Rxe2+ 28.Nxe2 Rxg4 29.fxg4 c6 0–1 (29) Kuppe,W-Unzicker,W Oldenburg 1949.

6.d4 c5 7.Nf3

The idea behind Black’s 6th move is that 7.Nxd5 cxd4 8.Qxd4 Nb6 White is losing a piece.

7…Nc6 8.Bg5

Gustafsson avoids the main line but keeps developing rapidly — true enough Black soon loses his way. The move 8.Bb5 has a good reputation and even such a strong player as John Nunn lost a brevity here after 8…cxd4?! (8…Nb6 is best) 9.Nxd4 Ndxe5? 10.Qe2 Qe7 11.Nxd5 Just like that and White is winning 11…Nd3+ 12.Bxd3 Nxd4 13.Qxe7+ Bxe7 14.Nc7+ Kd8 15.Nxa8 Bb4+ 16.Bd2 Re8+ 17.Kd1 Bxd2 18.Kxd2 1–0 Quinteros,M (2555)-Nunn,J London 1977.

8…Qa5 9.Be2 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Nc5?

He should have accepted the pawn with 10…Ndxe5 11.0–0 White is doing very well but at least Black has some material compensation. The way the game goes White gets all the advantages he is after without any of the disadvantages.

11.0–0 Be6 12.Bb5 Rc8 13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.Qh5+ g6 15.Qg4

In case you didn’t notice White is threatening b2–b4.

15…h5 16.Qf4 Nd7 17.Nxd5! Qxb5

[17…exd5 18.e6 threatening both the d7–knight and Qf7 checkmate]

18.Nf6+ Nxf6 19.Qxf6 Rh7

[19…Rg8 20.Qxe6+]

20.Qxe6+ Ne7 21.Bxe7 Rxe7 22.Qxc8+ Kf7 23.f4 Qb6+ 24.Kh1 Rc7 25.Qd8 1–0

I said The Anh Duong was “one of the surprises” because the big one was our GM candidate Haridas Pascua from Baguio City. He lost in a huge upset in the first round to an unknown Malaysian player but then scored 6.5 from his next 7 games to climb back into contention. In fact, if he had beaten, and not lost to GM Deep Sengupta in the last round it was he, not Sengupta, who would have been tied with Gustafsson for firsst place.

In the penultimate round Haridas defeated India’s GM Lalith Babu, the tournament’s third seed. A good all-rounder with excellent fighting qualities, he is the Indian 2017 National Chess Champion and member of the legendary Indian team to the 2014 Tromso Olympiad which brought home the bronze medals even without their star player Vishy Anand.

Their game was an exciting tussle. Watch.

Pascua, Haridas (2426) — Babu, M R Lalith (2577) [E61]
19th Bangkok Chess Club Open 2019 Centara Grand Ladprao Hotel,
(8.3), 13.04.2019

1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4

A bit of an irregularity which GM Babu trots out every once in a while. This unnamed variant is usually resorted to get out of the books, although some high-profile players like Zurab Azmaiparashvili, Merab Gagunashvili and the Kazakh-French blitz specialist Vladislav Tkachiev. Locally, the one who uses this every once in a while is Fernie Donguines.

5.e3 Nf6 6.Be2 0–0 7.h3 Bf5 8.0–0 Nc6 9.d5 Nb8 10.Nd4 Bd7 11.e4 e5 12.Nc2 a5 13.Ne1 Na6 14.Nd3 c6 15.a4 Nb4 16.Be3 c5 17.Qd2 Qb6 18.g4 Ne8 19.Kh2 Qd8 20.Rg1 f5?!

Opening up the g-file which points directly at his king is reckless, but Lalith likes double-edged positions and so he goes for it.

21.gxf5 gxf5 22.Bg5

[22.Bh6 is easily parried by 22…Kh8]

22…Nf6 23.f4 fxe4 24.fxe5

[24.Nxe4? Nxe4 25.Bxd8 Nxd2 Black remains at least a piece up. Take note that the second players threatens …Nxd3, Bxd3, …Nf3+]

24…exd3

[24…dxe5 25.Nxc5 White wins the e4–pawn and has a big advantage]

25.exf6 Rxf6 26.Ne4 Kh8 27.Bh4 Qe8 <D>

Taking the queen out of White’s bishop’s diagonal. 27…dxe2? 28.Rxg7! Kxg7 29.Bxf6+ snares the queen.

POSITION AFTER 27…QE8

28.Rxg7!

Nevertheless!

28…Qe5+

[28…Kxg7 29.Bxf6+ Kg8 30.Rg1+ Kf8 31.Qh6+ Kf7 32.Nxd6#]

29.Rg3 Rf4

[29…Qxe4 30.Bxf6#; 29…dxe2 30.Bxf6+]

30.Qxf4! Qxf4 31.Bf6+ Qxf6 32.Nxf6 dxe2 33.Rag1 1–0

Mate is unavoidable.

Nigel Short has not been as active as he used to be because of his new duty as vice president of the World Chess Federation (FIDE), but he still makes it a point to play in Opens around the world to feel the chess pulse. Here in Bangkok he was the top seed and started well but lost steam towards the end. He came up with a brilliancy in round one. Too bad his opponent preferred to lose prosaically rather than go down in flames.

Short, Nigel D (2636) — Avinash Ramesh (1834) [A15]
Bangkok Open 2019 Bangkok THA (1.1), 06.04.2019

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.b4 Bg7 4.Bb2 0–0 5.g3 d5 6.Na3 b6 7.Bg2 Bb7 8.0–0 Na6N 9.b5 Nc5 10.d4 Nce4 11.Ne5 a6 12.Nc6 Qd7

Why not 12…Bxc6 13.bxc6 Qd6 and win the c6–pawn? Well, you can’t. After (13…e6 14.Rc1) 14.cxd5 Qxd5 15.Qc2 Rad8 16.f3 Nd6 17.e4 White is dominating the center and winning some material.

13.Qc2

With the same idea as in the previous variation: cxd5 followed by f2–f3 and e2–e4.

13…axb5 14.Ne5 Qd8 15.cxb5 Qd6 16.Nb1 Ra5 17.a4 Rfa8 18.f3 Ng5 19.Nd2 Qd8 20.Rfc1 Ne8 21.f4 Ne6 22.Qb3 Nf8 23.e3 e6 24.Bc3 R5a7 25.Bb4 Nd7 26.Bf1 f6 27.Nc6 Bxc6 28.Rxc6 Kf7

Black’s forces have been pushed back and now Short goes in for the kill.

29.Rxe6! Nb8

If Black takes the rook he is mated by 29…Kxe6 30.Qxd5+! Kxd5 31.Bc4#

30.Re7+ Kg8 31.Bg2 Bf8 32.Qxd5+ 1–0

Congratulations to the winners, also to National Master Ric Portugalera of Davao who won the parallel Bangkok Challengers Cup.

 

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

Confident Raptors

The Raptors advanced to the second round of the playoffs yesterday, but it wasn’t a big deal to them. In fact, it looked much like the same old, same old; they claimed their fourth straight game to book a seat in the conference semifinals for the fourth consecutive year. Significantly, the manner in which they did so was nothing short of dominant; after seeing the Magic score 104 points in a close loss to open their 2019 postseason campaign, they stamped their class on both ends of the court to norm 107.8 while limiting their opponents to 89 the rest of the way.

To be sure, it’s the type of outputs and outcomes that pushed Raptors hoops honcho Masai Ujiri to pull the trigger on a risky trade deal that sent erstwhile franchise leader DeMar DeRozan packing prior to the start of the season. The latter was a beloved figure among the Maple Leaf Square faithful, and the development produced blowback that could still have negative repercussions. Needless to say, whether or not it will be a boon or a bane depends on the decision of prime acquisition Kawhi Leonard when he enters free agency in July. Should he stay, he cannot but prove to be an extremely sound investment. Should he walk, he will go down as one of the most expensive one-year rentals in the annals of the National Basketball Association.

In this regard, the Raptors have reason to treat their first-round performance as much more than routine. True, they simply met expectations. And, true, the real challenges lie ahead. On the other hand, it’s not as if they don’t already carry a huge load on their shoulders. That they seem none the worse for wear so far is indicative of the progress they have made under first-year head coach Nick Nurse, and with Leonard spearheading the cause. And they’re certainly doing the three-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year right; they had, and still have, him on a cautious load-management regimen that ensured his complete convalescence from right quadriceps tendinopathy.

The Raptors believe the long game they’re playing will reap dividends when Leonard looks at his options as a free agent. At the same time, they understand that his mindset will be molded by how far they progress in the playoffs. Up next are the Sixers, much more loaded and far more dangerous than the overmatched Magic. Nonetheless, they’re confident of their chances — ostensibly much more confident than they would have been with DeRozan on tap. And, in the final analysis, it’s all that matters.

 

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