Raptors knock off LA Lakers

November 11, 2019 | 7:19 pm

LOS ANGELES — Pascal Siakam scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and the short-handed Toronto Raptors used a second-half surge to defeat the host Los Angeles Lakers 113-104 on Sunday night.

Fred VanVleet had 23 points and 10 assists for the Raptors, who snapped the Lakers’ seven-game winning streak. Toronto prevailed despite playing without guard Kyle Lowry, who sustained a fractured in his left thumb, and forward Serge Ibaka, who suffered a severe right ankle sprain in the team’s win in New Orleans on Friday night.

Chris Boucher scored 15 points, Norman Powell added 14 and Terence Davis chipped in 13 points for the Raptors, who have won six of their last seven contests.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 27 points to go along with eight rebounds and four blocks. LeBron James recorded his fourth triple-double in five games, finishing with 13 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds. Kyle Kuzma had 15 points off the bench for Los Angeles.

Consecutive 3-pointers by Kuzma and two free throws by James pulled the Lakers within 104-100 with 2:26 remaining. But a dunk and a bucket by Siakam, who also had three blocks overall, clinched the win for Raptors, who have beaten the Lakers 10 consecutive times.

Toronto outscored Los Angeles 26-18 in the third to knot the score at 78 heading into the fourth quarter. A 13-3 surge boosted the Raptors to a 91-81 lead less than three minutes into the fourth after a bucket by Siakam. The Raptors increased the margin to 104-92 after a 3-pointer by Davis with 3:50 remaining.

But the Lakers made an 8-0 run before Siakam converted a pair of crucial baskets.

The Lakers took a 60-52 advantage at the break. Lakers guard Troy Daniels provided a spark off the bench by converting 3 of 4 3-pointers and scoring 11 of his 13 points in second quarter.

Danny Green failed to score in 27 minutes against the Raptors, whom he helped win an NBA title last season.

Toronto outshot Los Angeles 48.3% to 43.6%. The Lakers won the rebounding battle 51-43, including a 13-7 edge on the offensive end. — Reuters

Rivals Kaya FC-Iloilo and Ceres-Negros FC set up marquee Copa Paulino Alcantara finals

November 11, 2019 | 7:16 pm

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE top local club football teams battle it out for the finals of the second Copa Paulino Alcantara after defending champion Kaya FC-Iloilo and three-time Philippines Football League champion Ceres-Negros FC dispatched their respective opponents in semifinal action on Sunday.

Kaya was a 3-0 winner over Mendiola FC 1991 at the Abotiz Pitch in Lipa City, Batangas, while Ceres dug deep to edge Stallion Laguna FC, 4-3, at the Biñan Football Stadium.

Kenshiro Daniels, Masanari Omura and Darryl Roberts provided the goals for Kaya in a fiery second half that pushed it to a position to defend its title in the championship match set for Nov. 16.

Daniels connected in the 51^st minute to hand Kaya a 1-0 lead before Japanese Omura doubled up their lead in the 72^nd minute.

Mendiola tried to stop its slide but Kaya would not allow such to happen, even adding another goal in the 81^st minute for good measure care of Mr. Roberts.

The win further solidified for Kaya a spot in the AFC Cup group stage next year.

Ceres, meanwhile, had a tougher time before barging into the finals after being pushed to the ropes early by a highly determined Stallion side.

Stallion went up 2-nil in the first 15 minutes of the contest with goals from Edris Najm and Abou Sy.

But the “Busmen” would not stay down for long with Stephan Schrock and Mike Ott combining for the equalizing points in the next 15 minutes.

The count stood at 2-2 at the halfway point.

With the outcome of the match still open, the two teams jostled to get the go-ahead.

Ceres beat Stallion to the punch with Messrs. Schrock and Ott once against leading the way.

Mr. Schrock gave Ceres the lead, 3-2, with a goal in the 69^th minute, with Mr. Ott making it a two-point cushion, 4-2, eight minutes later.

Stallion attempted to rally back but could only come to within a point after Jhan-Jhan Meliza struck and connected in the 85^th minute.

After that Ceres would hold on and preserve the victory.

The finals of the Copa Paulino Alcantara will be played at the Biñan Football Stadium.

Juve’s Dybala sinks Milan as angry Ronaldo substituted

November 11, 2019 | 7:16 pm

TURIN, ITALY — Juventus stayed top of Serie A with a 1-0 win over AC Milan thanks to Paulo Dybala’s fine strike on Sunday after Cristiano Ronaldo was substituted for the second game in a row and walked straight down the tunnel, clearly unhappy at the decision.

Ronaldo’s replacement Dybala scored in the 77^th minute with a goal the Portuguese would have been proud of. After a quick exchange of passes, the Argentine twisted past Alessio Romagnoli and beat Gianluigi Donnarumma with a right foot shot.

Ronaldo was taken off in the 55^th minute, his earliest substitution since he joined Juve at the start of last season and the first time he has been replaced twice in succession.

Despite producing a lacklustre display, Ronaldo gave coach Maurizio Sarri a dirty look, muttered something under his breath and walked straight down the tunnel.

Ronaldo also looked unhappy after being taken off during Wednesday’s Champions League match at Lokomotiv Moscow, although Sarri said it was to avoid risking injury as the 34-year-old had complained of knee and thigh problems.

Gazzetta dello Sport said Ronaldo left the stadium before the final whistle but Sarri denied there was a rift with the five-times World Player of the Year.

“There is no problem with Cristiano, and I thank him because he has played while not in perfect condition,” he told reporters.

“The important thing is that he makes himself available. He gets angry when he is taken off but that is part of the game.

“It (his condition) is affecting his performances and he is not at his best at the moment. All players who are trying to give their best will have to be annoyed for at least five minutes when they are substituted.”

Juventus, chasing a ninth straight Serie A title and unbeaten in all competitions under Sarri, who took over before the season started, moved to 32 points, a point ahead of Inter Milan who went top after a 2-1 home win over Verona on Saturday.

Milan’s problems continued as they were left down in 14^th place on 13 points after their ninth successive away defeat to Juve in Serie A.

But they gave an improved performance and had the better chances in the first half.

Misfiring striker Krzysztof Piatek headed wide from an unmarked position and Lucas Paqueta’s looping header forced Wojciech Szczesny into a difficult save.

Hakan Calhanoglu also tested Szczesny in the second half with a free kick before Dybala’s moment of brilliance settled the match. The Argentine nearly struck again in stoppage time but was denied by Donnarumma. — Reuters

The second Ascott Golf Cup tournament kicks off at Wack Wack GCC

November 11, 2019 | 7:16 pm

THE Ascott Limited, a international lodging owner-operators, organized its annual golf tournament dubbed as the “2nd Ascott Golf Cup” at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club, Mandaluyong City last Oct. 29.

Mr. Daniel Wee, The Ascott Limited Philippines’ country general manager said, “the aim of this cluster event is to celebrate camaraderie, sportsmanship, and appreciation to our valued clients. With 115 players who participated from different industries, I can say that without their presence, the event will not be perfectly accomplished.”

As a part of the appreciation, Mr. Wee introduced the newly opened Ascott property in the Visayas-Mindanao area, Citadines Cebu City. The said property was softly opened last Sept. 14 and so far, received positive feedback and compliments from its guests. In addition, Mr. Wee also presented the recently launched Ascott Star Rewards.

The 2nd Ascott Golf Cup was made possible by Ducati, Mercury Freight, Okada Manila, Cebu Landmasters, Inc., CWC, Torre Lorenzo, Electrolux, FMI Fibrefill, CDC Holdings, Maxicare, Canon, Keyland, AirAsia, Singapore Airlines, Dewar’s, Gatorade, Heineken, The Manila Times, BusinessMirror, Primer Philippines, AyalaLand Premier, RJC Security, Klean Athelete, Distinto Beverage Solutions, Inc., KLG Food Service, Evian, Pacsports, Nescafé Dolce Gusto, Hana Shampoo, Crystal Clear, and Champion.

Wesley So is World Champion

November 11, 2019 | 7:15 pm

Wesley So is the first official World Fischer Random Chess Champion of the world — and he did this in the most impressive way possible, by defeating Magnus Carlsen, world champion in classical and blitz chess, also former world champion in rapid. In other words Carlsen is or was world champion in all time controls in chess and this Fischer Random version is the only form that eludes him. As Magnus puts it: “Whenever there are titles to be had, I wanna have them. That’s my general mindset (smiles).”

What is the difference between Fischer Random and Classical chess? Basically only two: the starting position and castling rules. Fischer Random, also called Chess960 (there are 960 possible starting positions in this form) employs the same board and pieces as standard chess but with the starting position of the pieces randomized, following certain rules, the most significant of which are:

– The bishops must be placed on opposite-color squares

– The king must be placed on a square between the rooks

Black pieces are placed equal-and-opposite to White’s pieces. For example, if the white king stands on g1, then the black king automatically goes on g8.

Pawns are placed in the players’ second ranks as in standard chess

Castling is allowed and, after castling, the final positions of the king and rook are exactly the same as in standard chess.

The net effect of all these special rules is that after a few moves the game starts looking like a regular game of chess, except that all opening theory has been eliminated.

The Chessbase website (www.chessbase.com) describes the format of the championship:

“The first FIDE-endorsed Fischer Random World Chess Championship started, in fact, a little over six months ago. A number of online qualifier events were set up, with events for non-titled participants kicking off the championship. A little later the titled players entered the scene, until the brackets for the six 16-player knockout qualifiers were completed.

Strong players like Alexander Grischuk, Sergey Karjakin or Jan-Krzysztof Duda were eliminated at the knockout stage, as six winners went through to the quarterfinals. While the knockout counted with twelve invited players, the quarterfinals included two starts that did not need to participate in any previous qualifier: Fabiano Caruana, as the last challenger for the world title in classical chess, and Hikaru Nakamura, as the former Fischer Random champion (Nakamura won the last Chess960 tournament held in Mainz, back in 2009).

The quarterfinals were organized in a way that only three players would go through. In the end, Wesley So, Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi reached the semis that started this Sunday in Norway. The fourth semi-finalist is none other than world champion Magnus Carlsen, who defeated Nakamura in an unofficial match for the championship last year in Oslo.”

The semifinals and finals were held in the Henie Onstad Art Center in Havikodden, Norway, with a Norwegian TV crew broadcasting the event for the national and international audience. These matches were played across three different time controls:

Slow rapid. Four games with time control of 45 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 15 minutes for the rest of the game, no increment. Winner gets three points — if game is drawn then both players get 1.5 points. So if someone wins all four games, for example, he gets 12 points against 0 for his opponent.

Fast rapid. Four games with time control of 15 minutes plus two-second increments. Each win is worth two points, draw one point.

Blitz. Four games with three minutes plus two-second increments. Each win is worth one point.

The winner of the match is anyone who first reaches 12.5 points in total.

In case the match ends 12-12 then there is an “Armageddon” tiebreaker: White gets five minutes for the whole game, Black gets four minutes. Black advances if game is drawn.

Semifinals

So vs. Nepomniachtchi, 13.0-5.0

Carlsen vs. Fabiano 12.5-7.5

Finals

So versus Carlsen, 13.5-2.5

The first day of his match with Magnus involved two games at “Slow Rapid,” i.e., 45 minutes for first 40 moves then 15 minutes play-to-finish. First game was drawn and Wesley won the second. At the end of the day score was 4.5-1.5

Second day was two more games of “Slow Rapid.” Wesley surprised everybody by winning both games and stretched his lead to 10.5-1.5. The last time anybody beat Magnus in three consecutive games is Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, also achieved this year, in 2019: he defeated the world champion twice in the blitz section of the Ivory Coast Rapid/Blitz tournament and then won again in the opening blitz tournament of Stavanger. Those three games were, of course, in blitz, where lots of accidents happen. GM Wesley’s victories of Magnus Carlsen were in a longer time control format — definitely much harder to achieve!

Anyway, Wesley went into the final day of action with a nine-point lead, needing only two points to secure victory — a win in the first ‘fast rapid’ game would be sufficient. They drew the first and then Wesley won again to finally claim the Fischer Random chess title as well as the cash prize of $125,000 (about P6.3 million).

Here are the two games he won on the second day. Due to some software issues and the difficulty in implementing the castling rule I will start after both sides have castled:

So, Wesley (2767) — Carlsen, Magnus (2876)
World FRC Championship 2019 Oslo (2.3), 01.11.2019

17.Nhf3 Rd5 18.b3 cxb3 19.cxb3 Nc5 20.Kc2 Bd7?!

As in French positions Black should transform the advance White e5–pawn into a weakness with 20…f6! 21.b4 to remove the protection of the e6–pawn is met by 21…fxe5 22.fxe5 Bg6+ and Black is doing very well.

21.b4 Na6 22.Kb3 Rd8 23.Rhc1+ Kb8 24.Rc4 Be8 25.Rac1 h6 26.h4 b5?!

A bit inaccurate as the b5–pawn becomes a weakness. Better is 26…b6.

27.R4c2 Kb7 28.Rd2 Nb8 29.Rcd1 Rc8 30.Ne2 Bc6 31.Nfd4 g5! 32.Nxc6

[32.hxg5 hxg5 33.fxg5 Rxe5 Black is more than ok.]

32…Rxd2 33.Rxd2 Nxc6 34.Nc3 gxf4 35.Nxb5 Kb8 36.Rd7 a6 37.Nd6 Nd4+ 38.Ka4 Rg8 39.Nxf7 Nf5 40.Nd6 Nxh4

The obvious move is to take the g2–pawn, but after 40…Rxg2 41.Nxf5 exf5 42.Rf7 f3 43.Rxf5 f2 the black pawn on f2 looks scary, but White has it well-defended, and once his king centralizes to push the e5–pawn Black has no defense. Let me show you 44.Kb3 Kc7 45.Kc4 Kd7 46.Kd5 an easy win.

41.Rb7+ Ka8 42.Rb6 Nxg2 43.Rxa6+ Kb8 44.Rb6+ Ka8 45.Ra6+ Kb8 46.Rb6+ Ka8 47.Nb5 Ne3 48.Ra6+ Kb8 49.Rb6+ Ka8 50.Nc7+ Ka7 51.Rxe6 f3 52.Rf6 Ng4 53.Nb5+ Kb8 54.Rxf3 Nxe5 55.Rf5 Rg5 56.Rf8+ Kb7 57.Nd6+ Kc6 58.Nf7 Nxf7 59.Rxf7 h5 60.b5+ 1–0

After 60.b5+ the ending is quite simple. The White rook cuts off the black king from the queenside from the a-c files with 60…Kc5 61.Rc7+ Kd6 62.Rc6+ Kd5 63.a6 Rg1 64.Ka5 Black has to give up his rook for the White a-pawn.

The next game was an even more convincing win for Wesley So. Once again he got two isolated queenside pawns.

Carlsen, Magnus (2876) — So, Wesley (2767)
World FRC Championship 2019 Oslo (2.4), 01.11.2019

Already here by the 11^th move Wesley’s pieces are better positioned for play in the center, and here Carlsen makes a big mistake:

11.Nge2? g5! 12.Qe3

Where else can the queen go?

12.Qb4 c5 13.Qb3 (13.Qd2 Nc4 the threat of mate on b2 finishes the game) 13…Bf7 14.Qa4 Bxb2! because if 15.Kxb2 then 15…b5 the queen is lost to …Nc4+; 12.Qd2 Bxb2!.

12…Bxb2 13.Bc3

The Black bishop is too strong. If 13.Ra2 Bf6 14.Nc3 Bf7 the threat of …Nc4 and …Qb4+ will ruin white.

13…Bxc3 14.Nxc3 Qf6 15.h4

Most black players would do all they could to keep the queens on the board as he has attacking chances, but Wesley does not mind exchanging monarchs, as after that happens he is a pawn ahead in the endgame with a much better game and less chances for complications.

15…Nc4 16.hxg5

No choice — if he moves his queen then the c3–knight falls.

16…Nxe3 17.gxf6 Nxf6 18.Nd3 Rg8 19.Be2 Rxg2 20.Nf4 Rg8 21.Bd3 Rd4 22.Nce2 Rd6 23.Kb2 c5 24.Rae1 c4 25.Nc3 cxd3 26.Rxe3 dxc2 27.Rc1 Kb8 28.Rxc2 Bd7 29.Re7 b5 30.Rf7 Rxa6 31.Ncd5 Nxd5 32.Nxd5 Rd6 33.Ne7 Rh8 34.Rc5 a6 35.Nxf5 Bxf5 36.Rcxf5 h5 37.Re5 h4 38.Ree7 Rb6 39.Kc3 h3 40.Rh7 Rxh7 41.Rxh7 Rf6 42.Rxh3 Kb7

Once more Wesley has two connected passed pawns on the queenside and once again they are more than enough to win.

43.Kd4 Kb6 44.Ke5 Rf8 45.f4 b4 46.f5 a5 47.Rf3 a4 48.Kd4 Kb5 49.Kd3 Rc8

Don’t forget to cut off the king!

50.f6 b3 51.Kd4 0–1

Wesley So won four of the last five games against Magnus Carlsen in their FIDE Fischer Random Chess championship. If he had not agreed to a draw in a winning position on the 1st game of the last day, it would have meant a 4-game winning streak against Magnus, something nobody else had ever done.

Shortly after the match concluded Mr. Wilson Tan, the no. 2 man in SGV, texted me that he had stayed up all night to watch the finals, and that the result is “nakaka-proud.” Amen I say to that.

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

Risky kicker

November 11, 2019 | 7:14 pm

When the Colts headed into the 2019 season, the last thing they figured on worrying about was the kicker position. It wasn’t simply that they had pressing concerns to address, not least among them the retirement of quarterback Andrew Luck. It was that they had Adam Vinatieri, the National Football League’s leading scorer of all time, to lean on. If he stands three digits clear of second-running Morten Andersen, it’s because he has been about as automatic as they come in terms of producing points.

Unfortunately for the Colts, Vinatieri has been anything but automatic this season. In fact, he has been a veritable crapshoot, negatively accounting for outcomes because of his inability to get leather through uprights with consistency. Yesterday, he flubbed yet another extra-point attempt early in the fourth quarter that could have increased the hosts’ lead to three. Instead, the failed attempt forced them to go for a touchdown while down four at the Dolphins’ 17-yard line late in the match. Previously, he had miscues against the Chargers and the Steelers that cost them wins.

Per ESPN Stats & Information, yesterday’s miss was Vinatieri’s fifth of the year with the scores separated by three points or less, and sixth overall. Not coincidentally, he has likewise failed to capitalize on five field-goal tries. Still, he insisted on the aftermath that his confidence wasn’t shaken. At all. “It’s not a matter of that,” he contended. “It’s a matter of executing.” Meanwhile, Colts head coach Frank Reich remained steadfast in his support of the embattled kicker. “I believe this guy, mentally, to be one of the toughest guys to ever play.”

Then again, there can be no second-guessing the results. Vinatieri should have made the extra point yesterday, especially since he was at familiar Lucas Oil Stadium. (For the record, he did tie Andersen’s league mark for field-goal attempts at 709 with a 39-yard shot that extended his own mark for made FGs to 596.) And, certainly, a loss at home against the lowly Dolphins was inexcusable. The absence of vital cogs Jacoby Brissett and T.Y. Hilton notwithstanding, the Colts had no cause not to win. Instead, they got a reason for their loss. And having this missed out on getting to the top of the AFC South, they may well have a decision to make, fast.

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

How to reach more consumers by building a solid an online content strategy

November 11, 2019 | 1:20 pm

In the Philippines, nine out of 10 internet look online to find the right product or service to buy. Increasingly, we see Filipino consumers searching websites instead of shopping aisles for their purchases. That creates an opportunity for businesses to pull customers into their websites and online platforms wherever it is they’re coming from.

Content marketing—meaning the use of videos, blogs, and social media posts to engage an audience—is crucial to building brand loyalty as well. A recent study revealed that 60 percent of consumers use emotional language to describe products or brands they love–the same vocabulary used for family and friends. Meanwhile, only 3 percent of people would lean towards purchasing from a brand based on their values or corporate responsibility.

So how do you build that kind of authentic relationship? By creating relatable content. The experts at GoDaddy share some tips on how to make your content work for you.

Why businesses need a good content strategy

Developing and implementing a content strategy is not a cookie-cutter exercis —what works for an investment company might not work for a steel manufacturer. GoDaddy recommends that brands define their audience clearly to help determine the right online channels in which to engage them.

“While there are a variety of online platforms available today to promote brands, it can be helpful for small businesses to start with one or two platforms to deliver your content to your desired audiences, and monitor them to see what is working,” said Tina Shieh, director of marketing for Asia at GoDaddy. “With GoDaddy Website Builder, social platforms can be easily integrated into a business website for ease of consistency and management.”

It can be helpful to involve internal staff in developing the business’ content strategy especially if their knowledge of the brand is in-depth. If internal knowledge is still growing, then a small business owner might consider engaging a content expert who can help advise on how to make the brand story more appealing for a wider audience. There can also be increased pride of ownership by staff when they have active involvement in promoting where they work along with products and services.

Content needs time for traction

Unlike direct door-to-door marketing, online content marketing takes time to yield results. Experts suggest businesses should give online content marketing six to 12 months to make an impact before switching to another strategy. This allows some time to help a business identify which online channels are more effective than others, and which ones require more development.

Customer stories as content on a business website can also showcase a venture to its potential target market. These anecdotes are credible examples of how the business treats its customers. And can be added to an online portal over time as these remain evergreen.

Content needs to adapt to the target market

There’s really no one size fits all content strategy, it must keep evolving to suit what your target audience is looking for.

Recently, much of content marketing has shifted towards video streaming. It is important that businesses know the right length, type, and channel to post their videos to help reach their intended audience. Useful videos with advice and suggestions, coupled with data-driven infographics can also help engage audiences as they visit a small business website.

“Content can be a direct and authentic way for brands to interact with their audience. This interaction builds a strong bond that can ultimately lead to positive and more enduring business results while building affinity with customers,” said Shieh.
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GoDaddy is empowering everyday entrepreneurs around the world by providing all of the help and tools to succeed online. With 19 million customers worldwide, GoDaddy is the place people come to name their idea, build a professional website, attract customers and manage their work. Our mission is to give our customers the tools, insights and the people to transform their ideas and personal initiative into success.

PAL President Lucio Tan Jr. passes away

November 11, 2019 | 12:24 pm

PAL HOLDINGS, INC. President Lucio “Bong” K. Tan, Jr. has passed away, days after he was hospitalized after collapsing during a basketball game.

In a statement on Monday, Vivienne K. Tan, sister of Lucio and herself a director of the flag carrier, said: “It is with deep sorrow that I announce the passing of my brother, Lucio ‘Bong’ Tan, Jr. this morning, November 11, 2019. He was 53.”

“His untimely passing leaves a big void in our hearts and our Group’s management team which would be very hard to fill.”

Mr. Tan is survived by his wife Julie as well as sons Hun hun (Lucio Tan III) and Kyle Tan.

“Our sincerest thanks to all who offered prayers and shared words of comfort during this hour of grief. Our family continues to request everyone to respect our wish for privacy as we go through this very difficult time. We ask for your prayers for the eternal repose of his soul. Wake details will be announced soon,” Ms. Tan said further. — ALB

A sneak peek at the Manila run of CATS the Musical

November 11, 2019 | 11:55 am

The cast of CATS the Musical performed some of the classic numbers of the show such as “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats,” “The Rum Tum Tugger,” and “Memory” during the recently held media call.

Battling cancer from the inside out

November 11, 2019 | 9:00 am

Principal Counsellor from Parkway Cancer Centre (Singapore) stresses the importance of psychological counselling for cancer patients

Addressing cancer does not only involve the medical and physical aspects of a patient. Attending to the emotional and mental health of the patient as well as those of his or her family members and friends are equally important. This is what Tan Hui Ping, Principal Counsellor at Parkway Cancer Centre (PCC) in Singapore, believes and anchors her work on.

Ms. Tan provides psychosocial and emotional counselling for cancer patients as they cope with their diagnosis, treatment process, and care plans. She also runs support groups with other counsellors in PCC.

She shared that PCC provides counselling services right from the start for patients who require such support — either through referrals from doctors or walk-in by patients themselves. “We at Parkway Cancer Centre work as a team. We have our oncologists, nurses, guest relations officers, counsellors, dieticians, and palliative nurses,” Ms. Tan told BusinessWorld in an interview. “We are a team of practitioners coming together to support our patients in their respective areas of needs.”

For her, counselling plays a significant role in supporting and helping the patient battle against cancer. “There is no one aspect that is more important than the other,” Ms. Tan emphasized. “All aspects — physical, mental, emotional are important as they form the holistic well-being of a patient.”

While Ms. Tan has been able to empower patients through counselling, these patients also inspire her, like in a case of a patient in his early 30s. At the prime of his career in the aviation industry, the patient was found to have a tumor in his eye, affecting his vision and robbing him away from a profession that he so much loved.

“When I first saw him, I remembered he was totally devastated, and I can imagine why it is so terribly hard for him,” Ms. Tan narrated.

With counselling support, Ms. Tan continued, he started to shift his perspectives and gradually became very strong mentally and very positive emotionally. He was empowered to cope with his cancer a lot more.

“Once he accepted this fate that he couldn’t change, he changed his mindset, attitude and perspectives accordingly and things started to improve for him.”

Soon, this patient’s journey inspired many others, including Ms. Tan herself. “When I saw how resilient he became, how he did the seemingly impossible in the most amazing and extraordinary ways, how he turned predicament into achievement, that really inspired me and impacted me greatly,” she said. “I learnt a lot from my patients and draw energy, drive, and power from them.”

Being diagnosed with cancer challenges both patients and their loved ones. Family members and friends might be clueless about how to respond and how they could help. For Ms. Tan, by being present with the patient is good enough.

“Many times, our patients are tired of repeating their stories. So, if you could just stay with them, sit with them by their side, hold their hands, and simply listen to whatever they wanted to say — that’s good enough,” Ms. Tan advised.

Aside from being present, one could also help by doing simple tasks for their beloved, like helping them run day-to-day errands, babysitting their children for a few days, or driving them to the clinic to see the doctor. “Supporting someone with cancer need not mean doing tall order stuff, keep it practical and simple, and that’s all it matters.” Ms. Tan said.

For more information about cancer, please subscribe to https://ph.parkwaycancercentre.com/articles/.

HealthNews is a monthly publication by Parkway Cancer Centre Singapore.

In the Philippines, Parkway Cancer Centre Singapore are represented by CanHOPE Manila. They act as a link with direct access to the Singapore team providing integrated care throughout a patient’s journey.

For information on the centre and their services, please email canhopemla@gmail.com and visit CanHOPE Manila on Facebook.

To make an enquiry or appointment, contact our Parkway Patient Assistance Centre:

Parkway Patient Assistance Centre (Taguig) 2/F Ore Central, 31^st Street corner 9^th Avenue Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, 1634 Philippines

Tel: +63 2 812-1264 ext. 227

Email: cmi-bgc.ph@parkwaypantai.com

Parkway Patient Assistance Centre (Pasig) Unit 3106 East Tektite Tower Exchange Road, Ortigas Center Pasig City 1605, Philippines

Tel: +63 917-560-6498

Email: manila.ph@parkwaypantai.com

Pernia: Q4 could see 6.5-7% GDP growth

November 11, 2019 | 12:33 am

By Beatrice M. Laforga

THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY stands a fair chance of hitting the lower end of the government’s 6-7% gross domestic product (GDP) growth target for this year, if it were to hit the middle of Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia’s projection for this quarter.

Citing faster household consumption — which has lately been contributing nearly 70% of GDP — as Christmas approaches and the boost from easing inflation, Mr. Pernia gave a 6.5-7% projection when reporters pressed him on Thursday for a fourth-quarter economic growth estimate.

That would compare to the 5.6%, 5.5% and 6.2% growth rates recorded in the first to the third quarters of this year and the 6.3% logged in last year’s final three months.

The lower end of Mr. Pernia’s fourth-quarter growth estimate would match the rate recorded in last year’s first quarter and would be the fastest since the 6.6% recorded in 2017’s final three months.

With the nine months to September seeing 5.8% average GDP growth, Mr. Pernia had said that the economy needs to expand by at least 6.7% this quarter to hit the floor of the government’s 2019 growth target.

ANCHORS
National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa told reporters separately that this can be attained as the holiday season will further boost household consumption.

Household final consumption growth picked up to 5.9% from 5.5% in the preceding quarter and 5.3% the past year. The fourth quarter last year saw this growth expenditure segment sustain a 5.3% clip.

With the outbreak of the African Swine Fever (ASF), Mr. Mapa said hog production may decelerate this quarter.

Hog output growth, which accounted for 15.74% of total farm production last quarter, edged up 1.96% in July-September and by 2.54% year-to-date.

“Hogs [output] is relatively slower compared to the second quarter,” Mr. Mapa noted.

“But in the fourth quarter baka mag-negative (production might be negative), while the other livestock [will] compensate like chicken, increasing to near double-digit,” he explained.

Production of pork substitute chicken, which accounted for 14.72% of total farm output, increased by 8.48% last quarter and 5.25% year-to-date. Mr. Mapa said the increase in prices of this commodity could still pick up as even more consumers shun pork for substitutes during feasts in the upcoming holidays.

While saying that he needed more data to give a GDP growth estimate for 2019’s final three months, Finance Undersecretary Gil S. Beltran, who is the department’s chief economist, said that if currently available numbers were to be the sole basis, the “fourth quarter would be the best quarter of all.”

Michael L. Ricafort, economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) said 6.7% GDP growth in the fourth quarter would be “possible to achieve” if the surge in state spending in September, especially on infrastructure, was sustained.

Government spending, which contributes nearly a 10^th of GDP, recovered to grow 9.6% from 7.4% and 7.3% in the first and second quarters, respectively, though still slower than the 14.3% reported in 2018’s third quarter. Growth of this expenditure segment slowed to 12.6% in 2019’s final three months.

In September alone, state spending surged 39.01% to P415.1 billion from the P298.6 billion a year earlier, bringing the year-to-date expenditures to P2.627 trillion.

Robust consumer spending will likely be sustained as inflation could settle below the central bank’s 2-4% target range for this year, according to Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa, a senior economist at ING Bank N.V. Manila Branch.

However, ING’s Mr. Mapa warned that capital formation will be the “missing link” for the overall economic growth.

“Had capital formation remained in positive territory, overall PHL GDP may have easily cleared the six percent handle. But with the sector posting twin contractions [of -8.5% and -2.1% in the second and third quarters, respectively], growth has been held back,” he said in a note to journalists on Friday.

“Another major growth driver includes any pickup in investments or capital formation, especially if loan growth picks up from among the slowest levels in nearly nine years as local interest rates may have already bottomed out in August 2019 that could encourage borrowers to be more aggressive in their borrowings or financing requirements,” RCBC’s Mr. Ricafort said in a mobile phone message on Sunday.

Economists, companies eye opportunities from RCEP

November 11, 2019 | 12:32 am

By Jenina P. Ibañez and Denise A. Valdez
Reporter

THE EMERGING 15-country Asia-Pacific mega-trade deal can be expected to boost Philippine trade and investment prospects amid global trade tensions, economists and business leaders said last week.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is an emerging trade pact covering the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations members as well as Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. The 15 countries on Nov. 4 agreed to sign the trade deal in 2020.

Prospective signatory India has for now opted out due to concerns about the deal’s potential repercussions on vulnerable sectors like farmers and small businesses. But the door remains open until participating countries resolve such issues in a “mutually satisfactory way.”

The prospective free trade area has more than 3.5 billion people, or almost half the world’s population, and a third of global trade. Without India, the population represented is reduced to an estimated 2 billion people. Talks on the partnership began in 2012.

SHOT IN THE ARM
The extent of any gains and risks for the Philippines will depend on the final details and products included in the trade deal, University of Asia and the Pacific economist George N. Manzano, a former tariff commissioner, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

With the US-China trade war weighing on global trade, Mr. Manzano said that RCEP could turn out to be a shot in the arm. “This [partnership] could jump-start trade in this corner of the world,” he said, adding that the new arrangement can be expected to add impetus to further open up the Philippine economy.

Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said in a telephone interview on Thursday that ASEAN’s deals with each major trading partner currently benefit around 80% of products in the Philippines’ tariff and customs code. RCEP would open markets for 92% of the country’s products.

Philippine companies that have moved to expand beyond the country’s borders are generally optimistic about RCEP.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. Chief Finance Officer Manuel R. Lozano said in an interview on Wednesday that the emerging new trade agreement will give the region “a little more power or leverage when we deal with other countries.”

He said aside from tax advantages, having RCEP in place will also pool the strengths of component economies.

“By having presence across (the region) and being able to cross-pollinate ideas and opportunities, I think it helps grow and diversify business for sure,” Mr. Lozano said, citing AEV’s plans for Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar.

Mr. Lopez said that the new trade pact will integrate Philippine businesses in the regional supply chain, enticing potential investors to consider investing in Philippine-based production.

Ayala Land, Inc. Chief Finance Officer Augusto Cesar D. Bengzon said on Wednesday that RCEP will help the company’s plan to tap opportunities in neighboring markets.

“As a company, we’ve decided that, in terms of our international strategy, we will be focusing on the ASEAN region. So clearly, free trade zone benefits as well as integration have played into that decision of ours to focus on the ASEAN region,” he said in an interview.

Ayala Land forayed offshore when it bought into Malaysian firm MCT Bhd in 2015, growing its stake to 72.31% today.

Mr. Bengzon said the company continues to look for opportunities to expand within Southeast Asia and that RCEP will hone that focus.

For Metro Pacific Investments Corp. Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, RCEP will be a good opportunity to kick-start strengthening the Philippines’ position in regional trade.

“That agreement is a start, with the integration that will happen. It will take time, but we need to start. So I think it’s good,” Mr. Pangilinan told reporters on Wednesday.

“I think, economically, we should respond to the economic partnership… Sabi nila [They said the prospective new free trade region will have] 48% [of the world’s] population, so much of the trade, so much of the GDP (gross domestic product) of the world. So it is a major economic bloc if we can make it work.”

Metro Pacific is one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc. It also has presence in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam through its toll road unit, Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.

WINNERS AND LOSERS
At the same time, Philippine businesses that are not globally competitive could find it difficult to thrive under RCEP, Epictetus E. Patalinghug, an economics and finance professor at the University of the Philippines-Virata School of Business and former tariff commissioner, said in an e-mailed response to questions.

“Domestic high-cost industries that are protected by tariffs and safeguards like the domestic cement, steel and construction industries will not survive against RCEP competition,” Mr. Patalinghug said.

He said advantages and risks to Philippine industry will depend on which sectors are finally included in the trade agreement, but surmises that inclusion of more service sectors would be an advantage.

“If trade in services will not be restricted, PH[ilippine] will benefit like in labor-intensive BPO (business process outsourcing), while China will benefit in high-tech industries,” Mr. Patalinghug explained.

“On the other hand, PH[ilippine] service workers like seafarers, teachers, ICT (information and communication technology) programmers and engineers can benefit [due to] the demand from labor-scarce Japan, Korea and, soon, China.”

Philippine telecommunications services, he added, would improve if businesses elsewhere in RCEP were allowed to compete with local players.

Agriculture could also benefit from RCEP.

Rolando T. Dy, executive director of Center for Food and Agri-Business of University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P), said the trade pact may reduce barriers abroad for Philippine agricultural products, even if the country will also have to open its doors to foreign produce.

He specifically mentioned how RCEP may help the government in its efforts to reduce Japan’s tariffs on Philippine bananas. Lower tariffs will also help Philippine fruits tap other markets like Indonesia and South Korea, he added.

To offset risks to Philippine businesses, Mr. Lopez said that the Trade department is helping them be more competitive.

“For us, we’re improving competitiveness. That’s why there are many programs on many aspects of product development, financing and marketing being done,” he said.

The Philippines also excludes certain products — its “sensitive list” — from the trade deal to protect vulnerable sectors. For instance, Mr. Lopez said, the country will not be reducing tariffs on rice and sugar.

The withdrawal of India from RCEP, said Mr. Patalinghug, is an advantage for the Philippines.

“We do not have much trade (exports or imports) with India, and India is our major competitor within RCEP in terms of BPO… as well as OFW (overseas Filipino worker) services and… labor-intensive manufacturing,” he explained.

Mr. Manzano, however, said that India’s exit “takes the shine off” the mega trade deal as it was an enticing market for RCEP countries that did not have direct access to the Indian market.

For Mr. Lopez, however, the emerging trade deal would be a net positive for the Philippines.

“Think of it the other way around — if we don’t participate, we will be left behind.”

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