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The Philippines’ complicity in creating China’s vision of a regional order

Prior to his 5th working visit to Beijing, President Rodrigo Duterte announced that he would push for the immediate adoption of the Code of Conduct (CoC) for the Parties in the South China Sea dispute. He promised that he would press for the early drafting of the agreement to reduce tension and minimize the risk of incidents and miscalculation in the face of concerns about the delay in its drafting, apparently because of China’s delaying tactics.

President Duterte explained that he wanted the CoC because he does not want “trouble” for the Philippines. His sense of urgency for the early conclusion of a CoC came in the aftermath of two incidents in the West Philippine Sea: a Chinese vessel’s ramming of a Filipino fishing boat in the Reed Bank, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) sounding the alarm over the growing Chinese naval presence near the Tawi-Tawi Islands.

PUSHING FOR THE ASEAN-CHINA COC
The idea of an ASEAN-China CoC originated on Sept. 2, 2002 after the two parties signed the “Declaration on a Code of Conduct (DOC) for the South China Sea.” The DOC was a primarily a political statement of broad principles of behavior aimed to stabilize the situation in the South China Sea and prevent an accidental outbreak of conflict in the disputed areas. ASEAN’s original goal was to transform the DOC into a legally binding agreement and not just a broad statement of principles.

More than 15 years after China and the ASEAN signed the DOC, the two parties had not even started negotiations for the CoC for the simple reason that China declared that the time was not yet ripe to do so. On May 18, 2017, however, China and the 10 member states of ASEAN suddenly announced that they finally agreed on a framework for a code of conduct on the South China Sea. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that he would like to wrap up the deliberations on a CoC, indicating that China was positive toward the conclusion of such agreement. On Aug. 6, 2017, the ASEAN and Chinese foreign ministers endorsed the framework of the CoC negotiation. The agreement on a framework is a small step forward in putting in place a conflict-management mechanism to prevent any escalation of the South China Sea dispute.

The agreed framework, however, is short on details and contains many of the principles and provisions already mentioned in the 2002 DOC. The ASEAN insists that the CoC must be legally binding. However, Beijing wants adherence to the agreement to be voluntary, like the 2002 DOC. Furthermore, although the framework includes new reference to the prevention and management of incidents, the phrase “legally binding” is absent from the text along with its geographical scope and enforcement and arbitration mechanisms.

The framework agreement aims to exclude the US and Japan as external actors “who interfere” in the dispute, and marginalize the ASEAN’s role in the South China Sea dispute as it emphasizes Southeast Asian claimant states only versus China. It is framing the CoC negotiation as an issue between China and the claimant states only. It is expected that the negotiation for a CoC will be a long and protracted process, and most possibly a frustrating one since the ASEAN and China are still in a quandary on whether the agreement will be legally binding or not.

THE PHILIPPINES’ COMPLICITY
As the country coordinator of the ASEAN-China Dialogue, President Duterte declared that the Philippines is committed in advancing an early adoption of the CoC in the South China Sea with relevant parties. During his meeting with President Xi Jinping, he reasoned out that the “absence of the CoC that is to be observed by affected countries has caused numerous conflicts in the subject waters that could have been prevented by a document that will regulate their actions.” Xi welcomed the Philippine president’s efforts to hasten the conclusion of negotiations for a CoC as he described the agreement as a creative way to set rules for the resolution of the South China Sea dispute. The Chinese leader emphasized however that the joint efforts for the early conclusion of the CoC should “exclude external disturbances in order to focus on cooperation and developments to safeguard regional peace and stability.”

As Premier Li Keqiang said on Nov. 13, 2018 in Singapore, his country hoped to complete the CoC negotiations within three years. There are indications, however, that the CoC that will be concluded in 2022 will be different from what the ASEAN envisioned in 2002.

In 2002, the ASEAN’s goal was to negotiate a legally binding CoC that would enable the regional association to pursue a soft-balancing policy on China’s growing naval ambition in the South China Sea. The 2022 CoC will most likely contain provisions that would allow China to assume a leadership role vis-à-vis the ASEAN in managing but not resolving the dispute. It will also ensure that external stakeholders, such as the US and Japan, will be prevented from getting actively involved in the dispute. This will eventually allow Beijing to establish a Sino-centric regional order in Southeast Asia. In effect, the Philippines under the Duterte Administration is playing a significant role in ensuring that China will realize its vision of a Southeast Asian order under its suzerainty.

 

Dr. Renato de Castro is a Trustee and Convenor of the National Security and East Asian Affairs Program, Stratbase ADR Institute.

On being a Filipino in Mexico

For sure it will take more than a day’s visit to truly understand the culture, the nature, and the essence of a nation, but there is something about Mexico and Mexicans that can make a Pinoy feel “at home” upon setting foot on the United States’ southern neighbor.

My first visit to Mexico was back in 1981 when I was asked by the Malacañang press office to join a group of media, advertising, and public relations professionals who made up then President Ferdinand Marcos’ official contingent for the North-South Summit in Cancun.

Except for the dominance of beans in the meals and the total closing down of businesses for mid-day siesta, I sensed something very familiar about the environment in Mexico that was almost deja vu. Even the proliferation of good-looking femininity was so reminiscent of Metro Manila

“Ang daming tisay!” (So many mestizas), my advertising colleague, Emil Misa, gushed as we watched the girls go by at a Mexico City street corner. Emil, along with fellow ad men Greg Garcia III, Louie Morales, Tom Banguis, and myself, were jestingly called the Cancun Boys because of that trip.

In fact, to make ourselves “useful” at the Cancun Summit, another ad executive, Tony Zorilla, and our group decided to put out a supplement in the leading Mexican English-language and Spanish-language dailies, highlighting the remarkably tight bond that make Mexico and the Philippines virtual utol or kaputol (a Tagalog idiom referring to siblings cut from the same umbilical cord).

I wrote almost all of the articles for the supplement around the theme of shared Spanish colonial history, religion, culture, and even language, going back to the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade.

But it was in the early 1990s, on a subsequent visit to Tijuana, the northernmost Mexican city bordering the US (in San Diego), that the similarity between the Philippines and Mexico really struck me. The streets of Tijuana looked so much like Cubao or any Manila commercial area — store fronts, dusty streets, traffic and all — even the people.

This week, I have just made a quick trip to Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta, a favorite playground of the rich and famous, and I have become even more convinced that a Manileño would have no difficulty integrating into Mexico’s mainstream.

While the general impression is that the Latin American countries, chief of them Mexico, were so dominated by the Spanish conquistadores that nearly everyone looks Hispanic, the fact is that the indigenous Indio populace have managed to maintain their presence and brown continues to be a dominant race in these countries.

The fact that Columbus Day, a US holiday, is observed in Mexico and other Latin American countries as Dia de la Raza (The Day of the Race), not with joy and fondness but with bitterness and horror, is a testament to the massive and forcible Hispanization of the Indios, often through rape.

This, observes one historian, is where the Spanish colonization of the Philippines and the Latin American countries has differed. The Spanish conquistadores in Latin America committed genocide, decimating the indigenous population and siring thousands of half-breeds who became the dominant mestizo class.

This was not the case in the Philippines, although the Spanish friars did help themselves to Filipina womanhood, thus leaving Hispanic seeds throughout the islands, particularly in the major cities in the Visayas, Mindanao, and Luzon.

Dr. Jose Rizal underscored this in Noli Me Tangere with the tragic character of Maria Clara, sired by Padre Damaso. But even Rizal’s hero, Crisostomo Ibarra, belonged to the elite mestizo class himself.

While the US, mainly through the Thomasites, succeeded in obliterating much of the vestiges of Spain and displacing them with Americanish, the Hispanic physiognomy is still apparent among many Filipinos.

And because the Malayan race is very similar to that of the Indios in Latin America, the non-mestizo Pinoy could be mistaken for a native Mexican, and those of who have some Spanish in their blood, even with dominant Malayan features, could pass for a typical brown-skinned Mexicano.

Needless to say, the mestizos and mestizas who populate the Philippines’ entertainment industry could well be mainstays of Univision, the leading Hispanic TV network in the US.

Between 1565 and 1815, Spanish galleons braved the Pacific Ocean manned by crew members forcibly taken from the local population. According to one article, entitled, “For the Love of Mexico,” an estimated 100,000 Asians from Malaysia and the Philippines were brought to Mexico as slaves on the galleons. One can safely assume that at least half of them were natives of Las Islas Filipinas since most of the galleons set off from the Visayas, mainly Cebu.

To this day there are communities in Mexico where many families trace their roots to the Philippines. These are obviously the descendants of the natives of Las Islas Filipinas who sailed to the New World on the galleons.

Many of these Filipino crewmen managed to settle down in Mexico, particularly in Acapulco, While a number jumped ship and escaped to the marshes of Louisiana (journalist Lafcadio Hearn wrote about them, calling them Manila Men), there were those who settled in Mexico, married Mexican women and raised families.

One of them was Antonio Miranda Rodriguez who became one of the pobladores sent to found El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora de los Angeles de Porciuncula, which we now know as LA. But Rodriguez could not make it to the founding of LA at Olvera Park because he had to attend to his dying daughter in Baja California. He subsequently became an armorer at the Presidio of Santa Barbara, where he died of an illness.

Some of the galleon crewmen established themselves in Mexican society with remarkable success. The book, Race Mixture in the History of Latin America by Magnus Morner, in the archives of Mexico City, contains an entry about the marriage of one of the more prominent Filipinos to a member of Mexican high society: “Don Bernardo Marcos de Castro, Indian cacique and native of the City and Archdiocese of Manila in the Philippine Islands, and now resident at this Court… and Doña Maria Gertrudis de Rojas, Spanish and native of this City, legitimate daughter of Don Jose and Doña Rosa Clara Montes…”

The footnote to this entry is equally revealing: “Archivo del Sagrario Metropolitano, Mexico City: Libro de matrimonios de españoles, vol. 41 (1810-1811); Libro de Amonestaciones de los de color quebrado, 1756-1757, 13 v.”

Also in the archives is an account about a certain General Isidoro Montesdeoca who was reported to be of Filipino descent. Montesdeoca was a Lieutenant Governor of Guerrero, the state named after Vicente Guerrero who became president of Mexico following the war of independence from Spain.

While the bond between Filipinos and Mexicans deserves to be celebrated, there is a shadow hovering over this relationship in the era of President Donald Trump. Trump has unfairly demonized Mexicans (he does not bother to distinguish between Mexicans and other Latin Americans), calling them rapists, criminals, and terrorists.

I hope my fellow Pinoys do not use this demonization as a reason to distance themselves from our Mexican and Latin American brethren. The Trump era is just a fleeting phenomenon and will soon be but a bad memory, while our ties with Mexico, which have lasted hundreds of years, will last centuries more.

 

Greg B. Macabenta is an advertising and communications man shuttling between San Francisco and Manila and providing unique insights on issues from both perspectives.

gregmacabenta@hotmail.com

Bitcoin’s government enemies are planning their revenge

By Lionel Laurent

CHINA LOVES the blockchain, and the blockchain loves it back. Despite the People’s Republic having the least free internet in the world, and a ban on cryptocurrency trading, the Communist Party’s endorsement of the technology last month sent Bitcoin prices soaring almost 30% in a few days.

The irony is striking, considering Bitcoin’s anarchic origins. But there’s something broader going on here. The future of digital money is being shaped increasingly by national governments. Politicians are under pressure to make electronic payments more efficient, to neutralize the threat of cryptocurrencies to their sovereignty, and to crack down on illicit money flows. None of that is good news for the blockchain’s true believers, however much a Beijing stamp of approval boosts the price of a Bitcoin.

States dabbling in blockchain technology, or planning to issue their own digital currencies, isn’t flattery — it’s competition. Some 70% of central banks surveyed by the Bank for International Settlements are examining their options in this area. In places like Sweden, rapidly going cashless, electronic “fiat” money is seen as a path to easier payments. If that works out, stateless crypto coins would lose one of their selling points.

The first central bank digital currency could be here within five years, according to International Business Machines Corp. It may be sooner given the political pressure and the financial Cold War between the US and China. President Donald Trump has made clear that Facebook Inc.’s Libra will only get off the ground if it helps the US dollar. Beijing is betting that its own digital currency efforts will help it resist American power. The euro zone thinks similar.

BLOCKCHAINS OF THE WORLD, UNITE
So we can assume more competition for the “legacy” cryptocurrencies from state actors. But what about the “crypto” (secret) part of digital money that attracts people? If e-dollars or e-yuan are centrally controlled and monitored (which they most certainly will be), surely that will compel privacy-craving users to stick with Bitcoin and its ilk.

Picture illustration of small toy figurines and representations of the Bitcoin virtual currency displayed in front of an image of China’s flag. — REUTERS

Politicians are looking to destroy this competitive advantage for non-state digital currencies by making them less secure. Governments are investing heavily in a technology that could one day — in theory — crack the public-key cryptography underpinning Bitcoin: Quantum computing. The Trump administration has committed $1.2 billion to this endeavor. China is active too.

Google Inc.’s recent declaration of “quantum supremacy” doesn’t mean the tech is ready for this task; the author Olivier Ezratty notes that the kind of algorithm needed to crack Bitcoin encryption would demand much more power. But that may be available within a decade.

Already simpler tools are shining a light on cryptocurrency transactions by organized crime. Last month blockchain analysis helped US and Korean authorities bring down one of the world’s largest markets for child pornography.

Crypto believers hate the idea of losing the cloak of privacy to prying government eyes. But will the general public feel the same? People are happy when states shine a light on the parts of the financial system that allow money laundering and tax-dodging. And if dollars or euros become digital assets issued by central banks, they might look more like the future of money than the power-sucking mining rigs that dominate Bitcoin.

In praising the blockchain, governments are out to bury the cryptocurrencies that gave birth to it. “Innovation in blockchain technology does not mean we should speculate in virtual currencies,” the People’s Daily newspaper wrote. Bitcoin fans take note.

 

BLOOMBERG OPINION

Knights outduel Stags

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE campaign of the Letran Knights in National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 95 is still alive after they outdueled the San Sebastian Stags in their knockout step-ladder semifinal match, 85-80, on Tuesday at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

Had their offense clicking from practically all cylinders, the Knights rendered themselves too hard to keep in step with for the Stags for much of the contest, booking the win that sent them to the next level of the step-ladder against the second-seeded Lyceum Pirates on Nov. 8.

Allen Mina got the Knights to a strong start, draining two triples early to help his team to a 10-3 lead with 5:41 to go in the opening quarter.

But the Stags would be able to recover on the lead of Allyn Bulanadi and RK Ilagan as they were able to come to within two points, 10-8, less than a minute after.

The two teams went back and forth after before Letran made a late dash to finish the first period to hold a 23-20 cushion in the end.

San Sebastian came out charging in the second quarter but Letran continued to hold sway, 35-32, with four minutes to go.

The Knights then went on a 9-0 run in the next two minutes to build their biggest lead at that point of 12 points, 44-32.

The Stags tried to make up for lost ground in the remaining moments of the frame with little success however as Letran was still on top by double digits, 50-40, by the halftime break.

Recognizing they allowed the Knights to create some considerable distance as the first half drew to a close, San Sebastian made its move early in the third, slashing its deficit to half, 52-47, with just two minutes lapsing.

The Knights though responded with seven quick points to build a wider gap anew of 59-47 at the seven-minute mark.

It was a momentum shift that they would put into good use, tapping it as leverage to stretch their lead some more, 66-51, by the 2:30 juncture of the quarter.

Ilagan still tried to make things happen for the Stags, helping his team to stay within striking distance, 69-59, heading into the payoff period.

The Stags opened the fourth with four straight points inside the first minute to cut Letran’s lead to six points, 69-63.

Graduating players Jerrick Balanza and Bonbon Batiller then steadied the ship for Letran, conspiring to lead their team to an 8-0 run to mount a 14-point cushion, 77-63, with seven minutes to go.

Ilagan was undeterred, going on an 8-0 run of his own to pull his team to within six, 77-71, midway.

The Stags continued to put the pressure on the Knights from there.

The count stood at 79-73, with Letran still on top, with three minutes remaining.

Larry Muyang scored two from the charity line after to make it 81-73 only to be answered by San Sebastian veteran Alvin Capobres with an and-one play to keep the Stags in the game, 81-76, entering the last two minutes.

Capobres added another point from the free throw line with 1:45 to go to make it a four-point affair, 81-77.

The Stags managed to retain the ball off an out-of-bounds play and capitalized on it with Ilagan draining a triple to push San Sebastian to within one point, 81-80, with 1:38 to play.

King Caralipio gave the Knights more breathing space, 83-80, when he scored off the break with 59 seconds to go.

San Sebastian sued for time, but off the timeout Ilagan was forced by the Knights’ defense to a backcourt violation, sending the ball back to Letran.

Letran tried to add to its lead but to no avail.

Still in the contest, the Stags made its move to pull even but their push was dashed when Capobres turned the ball over.

Balanza had a chance to put the game away from the free throw line with 13 seconds to go but muffed his shots.

Fran Yu though came to the rescue of the Knights, getting the rebound and making his free throws to make it 85-80 to preserve the win.

As a team, Letran shot a solid 47.5% (29-of-61) with Balanza leading with 15 points, followed by Batiller with 14.

Mina, Muyang, Ato Ular and Yu all scored 10 points or more for the Knights.

For San Sebastian it was Ilagan who led with a career-high 36 points, followed by Bulanadi with 15 markers.

San Miguel Beermen seek to halt two-game losing streak

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

STRUGGLING-of-late San Miguel Beermen look to put a stop to their funk when they return to Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup action today against the Blackwater Elite.

Losers of their last two matches, the Beermen (5-3) are out to swing back to winning and pad their playoff push in their scheduled 4:30 p.m. match against the Elite (2-7) at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

The latest of the defeats of San Miguel came at the hands of the Meralco Bolts, 125-99, on Oct. 27 in a game that saw the Beermen outplayed right from the get-go.

Reigning league most valuable player Junmar Fajardo had a monster double-double game of 31 points and 13 rebounds but it was not enough to tow his team over the Bolts.

Explosive import Dez Wells were rendered limited by Meralco, with the San Miguel reinforcement just managing to post 18 points, three rebounds and two assists.

The dip in their play has San Miguel coach Leo Austria concerned and something they hope to address lest they find their PBA Grand Slam hopes dashed unceremoniously.

“The team has been lacking of late. We’re so complacent because of our good start (4-1) and they thought it’s easy to win. I told them we should not dwell on the last two championships because a lot of teams right now are playing well and they have very good imports,” said Mr. Austria following their loss to Meralco.

“We have to continue competing, because the problem in our last games, we are just playing, we are not competing,” added the coach, whose wards put themselves in a position for a shot at a rare league Grand Slam by topping the Philippine Cup and Commissioner’s Cup previously.

San Miguel won a PBA Grand Slam in 1989.

Out to add to the misery of the Beermen, meanwhile, are the new-look Elite, who are to play for the first time sans prize rookie Ray Parks Jr. whom the team dealt to the TNT KaTropa last week for Don Trollano, Anthony Semerad and two future first-round picks.

Blackwater has lost four straight and is on the verge of missing out on the playoffs.

Also playing today are the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok (4-4) against the Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters (2-6) at 7 p.m.

Magnolia is set to welcome to its fold Chris Banchero whom it acquired from the Alaska Aces last week for role players Robbie Herndon and Rodney Brondial.

Phoenix, for its part, has lost back-to-back games.

FEU Tamaraws and UST Growling Tigers get UAAP step-ladder semis going

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

COMPETITION in Season 82 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines enters the high-stakes phase beginning today with the step-ladder semifinals.

The third-seeded Far Eastern University Tamaraws (8-6) and fourth seeds University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers (8-6) get the proceedings going as they battle in a knockout match set for 4 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Waiting for the winner between FEU and UST are the second-seeded University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons (9-5) in the next stage of the semifinals.

The UAAP Season 82 semifinals were thrown to a step-ladder setup after three-peat-seeking Ateneo Blue Eagles (14-0) completed a sweep of the elimination round, something not seen in the league for more than a decade.

In the elimination round, the Tamaraws and Tigers split their series with UST taking the first encounter, 82-74, and FEU exacting payback in the second round, 72-58.

Morayta-based FEU had it roller-coaster for much of the elimination round until it found its footing in the homestretch, racking up three straight victories to give its playoff push a huge boost.

The Tamaraws averaged 68.43 points a game in the eliminations, eighth in the league, and was led by guard LJ Gonzales with 10.8 points per contest on top of 7.4 rebounds and four assists.

Graduating player Wendell Comboy has been good for 10.4 ppg and 4.8 rpg in his final year with Xyrus Torres adding 7.4 points in the elimination round.

Big men Pat Tchuente and Barkley Ebona have been combining for 14.3 points and 17.5 rebounds.

“Well, who would have thought of us making it to the Final Four? Not many believed that we would reach where we are right now, except for those in our circle and, of course, the FEU community,” said a proud FEU coach Olsen Racela after their final elimination game on Oct. 27.

“But we are not done. Our goal every year is really to make it to the Final Four then we move on to the next goal. We’ve achieved our first goal, and now to the next,” he added.

The Tamaraws are making their seventh straight UAAP semifinal appearance.

TOP OFFENSIVE TEAM
While FEU was the worst offensive team in the elimination round, UST was tops with an average of 79.21 points a game.

Leading most valuable player candidate Soulemane Chabiyo leads the Tigers with double-double numbers of 16.9 points and 14.7 rebounds.

Rookie sensation Rhenz Abando backstops him with 12.2 ppg, 5 rpg and 1.2 bpg while fellow freshman Mark Nonoy chips in 10 points a game.

Veteran guard Renzo Subido, meanwhile, has been good for 8.2 ppg and 3.5 apg.

The Tigers hit a rough patch midway into the elimination round but steadied in the end, winning three of their last four matches to make their way back into the playoffs after missing the cut in the three previous seasons of the UAAP.

“Entering the season our expectations were not too high. We only wanted to improve on our performance last season and we were able to do that, adding three wins from last year. That’s a huge improvement considering ours is still a young program. But we are not going to stop there because this is a competition and we will continue to strive,” said UST coach Aldin Ayo of leading his team back to the Final Four.

Meanwhile, Ateneo’s SJ Belangel was named UAAP player of the week after an impressive showing against UP on the final game of the eliminations on Oct. 30.

Belangel scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting in his team’s 86-64 victory over the Maroons that completed for the Eagles a sweep of the eliminations.

NBA extends tie-ups with leading digital service providers, telcos in the country

THE National Basketball Association announced on Tuesday an expansion of existing partnerships with Globe Telecom (Globe), Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) and PLDT, Inc., leading digital services and telecommunications providers, to distribute NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service, to their more than 213 million total subscribers nationwide.

Globe, Smart and PLDT will feature League Pass, Team Choice and 3-Game Choice packages in monthly pricing options starting as low as P85, and a weekly pricing offer for the League Pass package.

For streaming games on mobile devices, Globe subscribers can register to Globe’s data packages by texting GoWATCH 29, GoWATCH 99 or GoWATCH399 to 8080, while Smart subscribers can register to Smart’s data packages by dialing *123# and choosing GIGA VIDEO.

“It’s terrific to continue this journey with Globe, PLDT and Smart, companies that share our commitment to innovation as we create authentic NBA experiences tailor-made for our digital-savvy consumers,” said NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson.

“Building on the introduction of live regular season games on NBA Philippines Facebook and Twitter, we are working closely with the nation’s leading digital services and telecommunications providers to introduce affordable packages and data bundles to make the NBA more accessible to millions of our fans across the country,” he added.

NBA League Pass will continue to provide the most comprehensive live and on-demand access to an entire season of NBA games in high-definition with live stats and multiple viewing options, including the NBA Mobile View, which delivers a closer shot of the action optimized for viewing on mobile phones, tablets and connected devices. Team Choice is available for all 30 teams, giving fans the option to follow one team and watch their favorite players throughout the season, while the new 3-Game Choice enables users to watch up to three games of their choice per month.

In addition, NBA League Pass will spotlight exclusive NBA TV programming headlined by flagship program NBA GameTime as well as new shows including The Warmup, #Handles, and The List.

Fans in the Philippines can subscribe to select NBA League Pass offerings on Globe by visiting their official store on Lazada and Shopee. Fans can download the official NBA App for free on the App Store and Google Play Store to access NBA League Pass on the go together with official game highlights, schedules, scores, stats and standings among other key features.

For more information on Globe data packages, visit www.globe.com.ph and follow Globe Telecom on Facebook. For more details on PLDT and Smart product offerings, follow the official Facebook pages of PLDT and Smart.

Select 2019–20 NBA regular-season games can be livestreamed in the Philippines for free on Facebook Watch and Twitter. Follow NBA Philippines on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest information on the livestreams. Additional details regarding the distribution of NBA games and programming will be announced soon.

Sportswear firm Team Rebel Sports expands to US mart

FILIPINO sportswear company Team Rebel Sports Pilipinas has expanded to the United States market, angling to make available its products to a wider clientele.

Had its beginnings in the late 1990s in San Juan City, Team Rebel Sports’ expansion into the US market was made possible after Rebel Sports USA, headed by Steve Bottcher, recently completed its acquisition of Team Rebel Direct (TRD), which the former owned.

With this, Team Rebel USA will be the exclusive carrier of the Rebel brand in all 50 states in the US.

Mr. Bottcher said the acquisition of the rights to distribute official Rebel gear by way of “market-direct” channel is significant in the US market.

“I think the product was well embraced through the Rebel brand. The only thing was the market changed because people like buying direct. The thing is seeing that we are losing customers to China-direct or Pakistan-direct, having that direct source and seeing that you are the manufacturer means the world to the end buyers,” said Mr. Bottcher in a release.

He went on to say that he sees the Rebel brand doing well in the US, with their thrust anchored on quality and delivering on the market’s expectations.

For Team Rebel Sports Pilipinas owner Joel Cu, the recent deal was a welcome development, viewing it as an opportunity to grow their business.

“With Steve on board, we now have a direct link to the US market,” said Mr. Cu.

“His vision is unparalleled and we trust him in leading Rebel to new heights in the coming years,” added the Team Rebel Sports official, whose group is one of the leading sports apparel and customized uniform manufacturers in the country.

Rebel Sports USA, meanwhile, is the official sportswear of US-based leagues Women’s Football Alliance, Gridiron Developmental Football League, Independent Women’s Football League, and Great Midwest Football League.

It is headquartered in Hanover, Maryland.

Booker, Suns end 76ers’ unbeaten start

LOS ANGELES — Devin Booker scored a season-high 40 points on Monday (in US), and Ricky Rubio added 21 points and 10 assists as the host Phoenix Suns handed the Philadelphia 76ers their first loss of the season, 114-109.

Aron Baynes had 15 points and made three 3-pointers, Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 14 points, and the Suns shot 53.2 percent from the field. Phoenix won for the fifth time in seven games, its best start since beginning the 2013–14 season with the same record.

Al Horford had a season-high 32 points and tied a career high with five 3-pointers, Tobias Harris had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Furkan Korkmaz contributed a career-high 20 points for the Sixers. Philadelphia had been the last undefeated team in the league after winning its first five.

The 76ers played without leading scorer and rebounder Joel Embiid, who served the final game of a two-game suspension after an altercation with Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns last Wednesday. Kurkmaz started in his place.

Oubre made a free throw and Booker sank two for a 112-106 lead with 6.1 seconds left. Korkmaz sank his fourth 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds remaining before Rubio was fouled and made two free throws to seal the win.

Booker was 15 of 19 from the field, made 3 of 4 3-point tries and hit all seven of his free throws. At 23 years, five days, he became the eighth-youngest player in league history to reach 6,000 points. He needed 37 entering the night.

“I feel fresh,” Booker said.

Sixers 6-foot-10 point guard Ben Simmons had a season-low six points while adding five rebounds, six assists and seven of the team’s 11 steals. The six-foot-10 Baynes and 7-foot reserve Frank Kaminsky covered Simmons for the majority of the game.

The Suns held the Sixers to 47.2 percent shooting. Phoenix has outshot its opponent in all seven games this season.

Baynes has scored in double figures in a career-long six consecutive games and has made multiple 3-pointers in a career-long four straight games. He has received the bulk of the minutes while Deandre Ayton serves a 25-game suspension for a positive drug test. — Reuters

Dallas Cowboys gallop past New York Giants, stay atop NFC East

NEW YORK — Dak Prescott threw two of his three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter Monday night as the Dallas Cowboys finally pulled away for a 37-18 win over the New York Giants in East Rutherford, N.J.

Prescott, who completed 22 of 35 passes for 257 yards with an interception, broke the game open with a 45-yard scoring strike to Amari Cooper with 7:56 left. The third-and-12 connection was Cooper’s second big play of the drive. He drew a 26-yard pass interference penalty on third-and-6 from the Dallas 15 to get the drive started.

Ezekiel Elliott added 139 yards on 23 carries for the Cowboys (5-3), who maintained a half-game lead on Philadelphia in the NFC East. Dallas tacked on a 63-yard fumble-return score from Jourdan Lewis with six seconds remaining as it swept the season series from its division rival.

New York rookie quarterback Daniel Jones hit on 26 of 41 passes for 210 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Jones also lost two fumbles, upping his NFL-co-leading turnover total to 16, as New York (2-7) lost its fifth straight game.

Aldrick Rosas’ 21-yard field goal gave the Giants a lead less than two minutes into the game but also started a game-long trend that ultimately doomed the hosts. New York managed just one touchdown in five trips inside the Dallas 20-yard line.

That came when Jones found Cody Latimer on a 1-yard scoring strike with 11:55 left in the first half for a 9-3 lead. Rosas’ 25-yard field goal made it 12-3 at the 2:52 mark, but Dallas rallied to grab a 13-12 edge at intermission.

Prescott hit backup tight end Blake Jarwin on a 42-yard touchdown pass, and Brett Maher converted a 52-yard field goal with three seconds left, four plays after Jones tossed an interception.

The teams exchanged third-quarter field goals, and the Cowboys upped the margin to 23-15 when Michael Gallup soared over Janoris Jenkins for a 15-yard touchdown catch with 12:40 remaining. Rosas’ fourth field goal with 11:52 left, a 29-yarder, cut the deficit to five. — Reuters

Recent trades

The last few weeks have been a busy one in the Philippine Basketball Association for trades with a number of players finding themselves in new homes as the ongoing season hits the homestretch.

The most recent of the player deals consummated came just before the league went on a short holiday break for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day last weekend.

The swaps involved that of Ray Parks Jr. going to the TNT KaTropa from the Blackwater Elite in exchange for Don Trollano, Anthony Semerad and two future first-round picks.

Also being consummated was that between the Alaska Aces and Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok with All-Star guard Chris Banchero moving to the Hotshots from the Aces in return for role players Robbie Herndon and Rodney Brondial.

Much speculation has been thrown around as to the reasons behind these recent trades — with some saying these served to favor the “bigger” teams — which this space would not attempt to argue with in this piece and leaving for a discussion for another time.

Looking at the merits of the deal, however, I believe that the recent trades completed and approved by the league office were fair and would help all the parties involved.

Parks is definitely a huge loss for Blackwater.

He only played a conference and half for the Elite but it was enough to see the impact his skills set can have.

In his lone full conference with Blackwater in the Commissioner’s Cup, Parks helped the team to a quarterfinal finish and could have easily gone to the semifinals if not for import woes and had breaks in the playoffs went their way.

The finish came on the heels of the team’s dead-last finish in the season-opening Philippine Cup where Parks was not part of as he was still honoring his commitment with Alab Pilipinas in the ASEAN Basketball League.

In the ongoing Governors’ Cup, while the Elite have struggled to a 2-7 record before his departure, Parks still stayed steady, averaging 20.1 points, five rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals.

Despite this, Parks’ tenure with Blackwater was rendered “suspect” as he only signed a one-year deal with the team after a back-and-forth between the parties.

Was he committed with the Elite for the long term or not? Maybe. Or maybe not.

Given such a situation, I would not blame the Dioceldo Sy-bankrolled team for giving the go-ahead to the deal.

Could the Elite have gotten a better deal than what they received from TNT? Possibly.

But what they received was hardly a token as used properly the assets they got in return could have much impact.

The two future draft picks would go a long way in repositioning themselves for the direction they want to take moving forward. They can use them to draft quality players from the amateur ranks or trade for a player that could have an outright return.

In Trollano and Semerad, too, they have functioning pieces who would not have any trouble finding their place in their system.

Now Parks in TNT has an upside that is very promising.

TNT has been solid in the Governors’ Cup and the addition of Parks gives the KaTropa boosted ammo.

Alaska letting go of Banchero, meanwhile, also has a lot of sense to it considering how things have gone for the Aces in the last few conferences.

They have been competing but not as consistent as they wanted it to be.

New Alaska coach Jeffrey Coach has been pushing for the milk masters to have the “right mix” and trading Banchero, the most tradable player they had, he said, was part of it.

While they lost the leadership and big-game mentality of Banchero in the trade, they, however, further shored up their frontline with Herndon and Brondial.

Herndon has the ability to create shots for himself and his teammates when given the opportunity to play. He is no Calvin Abueva but he make things happen on both ends which should help the Aces moving forward.

Brondial is a tough big man and approaches the game with a no-nonsense attitude, providing added muscle for the Alaska attack.

On the other side, Banchero provides added stability to the Magnolia backcourt, which already has Mark Barroca, Jio Jalalon, Paul Lee and Justin Melton.

It is going to be interesting how coach Chito Victolero will use all the guards at his disposal but it is very reassuring no doubt for the Hotshots to have a guy with the abilities of Banchero in their fold.

With how the competition has shaped up in the PBA, it is little wonder that we get to see trade spurts right the one we have right now.

And the thing about it all, it is seemingly not yet done.

 

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

msmurillo@bworldonline.com

Patriots’ first loss

Disappointment was evident in coach Bill Belichick’s words even though they registered in a whisper. In fact, the dismay with which he met the Patriots’ loss the other day was underscored precisely by his soft delivery. “We did a lot of things we need to do better [in],” he told the assembled media. It wasn’t simply that they suffered their first setback in 13 outings spanning parts of two seasons and including Super Bowl LIII. It was how they did so, never mind that they faced the highly regarded Ravens on the road. They looked sluggish and out of sorts from the get-go, and even through a spirited second-half run that briefly made the set-to competitive.

To be sure, the Ravens came prepared and all too ready to defend the M&T Bank Stadium. With the 71,157-strong crowd providing added motivation, they hit the ground running to score on each of their first three series. They were, simply put, superb, keeping the Patriots’ vaunted defense — hitherto solid in limiting opponents to an anemic 7.6 points per game — guessing with well-designed and — disguised plays that highlighted quarterback Lamar Jackson’s strengths. By the time their sixth victory of the year became history, the sophomore managed to put up on-air and on-the-ground lines of 17-of-23 for 163 yards and a touchdown and 61 yards and two touchdowns, respectively.

Considering the numbers, Jackson would have had cause to argue that he deserved the game ball in the aftermath, anyway. That said, the reflection of the Ravens’ dominance in the outcome likewise stems from end-to-end ascendancy. The Patriots struggled to produce points, with usually dependable Tom Brady harassed into a forgettable 30-of-46 endeavor that included two sacks and an interception; their first three forays resulted in punts, and they got on board only after the second quarter was a fifth gone. They fell behind early, leading to a predisposition for play calls that favored the pass, but it’s also fair to argue that they didn’t have much of a running game to turn to in any case.

If there’s any silver lining for the Patriots, it’s that they can bank on their experience to improve moving forward. They’ve been there and done that too many times to count, and Belichick is, if nothing else, a master in getting his charges to bounce back, and fast. They have Week 10 to rest and then prepare for their meeting with the Eagles. And they will more likely than not be good — make that very good — when they next trek to the field. After all, they’re the reigning champions, and there’s another winning streak to put together.

 

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.

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