How PSEi member stocks performed — December 11, 2018
Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Tuesday, December 11, 2018.
Philippine Stock Exchange’s most active stocks by value turnover — December 11, 2018
Senate may seek to lift election prohibition on public works
THE SENATE does not expect to pass the proposed budget for 2019 in time for third reading approval before it adjourns this week, but one workaround the chamber is considering to avoid delaying major projects is to lift the ban on public works construction during election season this year only, Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri said Tuesday.
“We only have until Thursday under the calendar. We will work on Thursday. We will do our best to finish the budget on Thursday, at least to end the interpellations. But it looks like it will end there. Unless the President calls for a special session, we won’t finish the budget on time,” he told reporters before the Senate session.
To address the concerns of the executive branch on the implications of a reenacted budget, Mr. Zubiri said the Senate will push for a special provision in the General Appropriations Bill or a joint resolution that will exempt “projects that have to be implemented under capital outlay” from the April-May election ban on public works.
The Senate earlier targeted to have the proposed budget approved on third reading on Tuesday, Dec. 11, approved on the bicameral conference committee level on Dec. 12, and ratified on Dec. 14 in order to avoid a reenacted budget in January.
The proposed 2019 budget or the general appropriations bill remains in the interpellation stage at the Senate as of Tuesday afternoon.
Mr. Zubiri said the chamber will lose a day in discussing the proposed budget due to President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s calls to Congress to convene in a joint session on Wednesday, Dec. 12 to decide on the martial law extension in Mindanao.
Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno earlier warned that a reenacted budget next year would disrupt the implementation of new projects due to the delayed passage of the budget and the April-May ban on public works in the run-up to the midterm 2019 elections.
Economic managers also warned the Senate last Monday that gross domestic product (GDP) growth may decline by 1.1-2.3 percentage points if the reenacted budget applies for the entire 2019. They also cited possible job losses and the sectors that will be affected, such as construction, public administration, defense, wholesale and retail trade, land, transportation and education.
The Omnibus Election Code or Batas Pambansa Bilang 881 prohibits the government from releasing and disbursing public funds for public works 45 days before a regular election.
“We want to put a special provision in the budget that will amend the election code for 2019. In other words, in 2019, all the projects that have to be implemented under capital outlay will be exempted from the election ban,” Mr. Zubiri said.
“It’s either a special provision of the budget or we pass a joint resolution of Congress amending this particular year the omnibus election code which bans projects to be implemented during the elections,” he added.
He also said the chamber is also looking to pass the proposed 2019 budget on third and final reading when Congress resumes session on the third week of January. The chamber is also targeting to have the 2019 budget ratified on Jan. 16. — Camille A. Aguinaldo
House panel approves transfer of Mislatel control
By Charmaine A. Tadalan
THE HOUSE COMMITTEE on Legislative Franchises approved on Tuesday the transfer of controlling interest in Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company, Inc. (Mislatel) to its partners in setting up the third entrant to the telecommunications industry.
Panel Chair Franz E. Alvarez of the 1st district of Palawan said the franchise bill is expected to be introduced to the plenary when Congress resumes session in January.
“It will go forward after the break, there is no more time, so January,” Mr. Alvarez told reporters in a chance interview after the hearing. Congress will adjourn on Dec. 12 and will resume on Jan. 14.
The approval went through despite the contention of some legislators that Mislatel should settle a contractual dispute with DigiPhil Technology, Inc.
Mr. Alvarez argued the chamber cannot wait for the court to rule on the issue, which is a dispute between two participants in the selection process for the third entrant to the telecommunications industry, the so-called third player.
“We cannot wait. What if it takes years? We cannot tell how long that takes, a a resolution of the issue really isn’t our problem,” he said.
According to DigiPhil legal counsel Dennis P. Manalo, the selection of the Mislatel consortium violates DigiPhil’s right of first refusal.
“If the Committee will allow, then that will be in clear violation of a right of first refusal, which is now pending before the Regional Trial Court of Pasig City,” he told the panel.
The panel was acting on House Concurrent Resolution No. 23, introduced by Quirino Rep. Dakila Carlo E. Cua, which intends to allow transfer ownership of the Mislatel to other members of the consortium: Udenna Corp., Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp. and China Telecommunications Corp.
This is in compliance with the conditions of Mislatel’s franchise, governed by Republic Act No. 8627, which states that transfer of the controlling interest of Mislatel to another person or entity must be approved by Congress.
DigiPhil, a member of the rival Sear Telecommunications Consortium, sued Mislatel for breach of contract before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court on Nov. 14.
Mislatel consortium was declared the provisional third player on Nov. 7.
Pasig City Executive Judge Danilo S. Cruz on Nov. 29 assigned the DigiPhil case to RTC Branch 166, continuing proceedings from Branch 158.
In its complaint, DigiPhil asked the court to declare its share subscription agreement as “valid, existing, legal and enforceable” and to order Mislatel to comply with its commitment.
DigiPhil said it executed an agreement with Mislatel on May 30, under which it agreed to subscribe for 2.5 million common shares of Mislatel at P2.00 per share. Under the contract for the stake purchase, Mislatel is required to solely and exclusively partner in the utilization of frequencies, permits, licenses or authorizations with DigiPhil and DigiPhil’s nominated partners.
The agreement also entitled DigiPhil to at least one seat on Mislatel’s board. Mislatel also offered the right of first refusal for an additional P5 million.
DigiPhil also stated that it was “obligated to make payment on Mislatel’s behalf” worth P162,515 to obtain a Certificate of No Delinquency from the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC), pursuant to the agreement.
“That despite demands and payments made by DigiPhil, Defendant Mislatel, inordinately and in gross violation of its contractual commitment to exclusively venture with DigiPhil, partnered instead with another entity as NMP,” it said, referring to the government’s term for the winner of the third-player selection process, the New Major Player. It added that Mislatel did not approach DigiPhil or any of its officers for consent.
DigiPhil also claims that Mislatel also concealed to the NTC selection committee its joint venture arrangement with DigiPhil and the latter’s stake purchase.
“Defendant Mislatel’s action goes beyond a contractual breach. This is the real issue, that the defendant unbeknown to the NMP-Selection Committee of the NTC, brought in another partner other than DigiPhil,” it said.
The Sear Telecommunications consortium is led by TierOne Communications International, Inc. and former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis C. Singson’s LCS Group of Companies (Sear-LCS-TierOne).
In a statement issued in November, Mislatel said any contract it had with members of Sear Consortium had expired and applied to projects other than third-player selection. — with Vann Marlo M. Villegas
Fiber regulator seeking 2019 budget of P600M
THE Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) said it is seeking a P600 million budget for 2019 to pursue its development and marketing initiatives for the industry.
In a mobile message, Kennedy T. Costales, PhilFIDA Executive Director, said: “DA has an approved 2019 budget of P122 billion compared to P56 billion last year. We hope we in PhilFIDA will be given at least P600 million.
PhilFIDA oversees the abaca, coir, salago, buntal, raffia, piña, canton, kapok, sintal, kenaf, cotton, sabahon, maguey, tikog, tikog, yunot and silk fiber industries.
Asked how the P600 million will be used, Mr. Costales said the spending priorities are the Abaca Tuxy Buying Special Project for 10 cooperatives, sericulture projects in Benguet, as well as the development of the cotton, sisal, jute, maguey, salago, buri and piña industries.
Mr. Costales said that PhilFIDA needs P10 million to support sericulture, or silk farming, in Benguet. He earlier announced that PhilFIDA backed out from the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Japan’s Organization for Industrial Spiritual and Cultural Advancement (OISCA) as the latter wanted to buy silk at P200 per kilo.
Mr. Costales said that this would give farmers only P68.49 in daily income.
“We only need P10 million worth of government support and our sericulture industry in Benguet will thrive as we already have the filature facility to produce raw silk. We will be the one to market it for our sericulture farmers,” Mr. Costales said. — Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio
NEDA introduces measures to reduce agency’s carbon footprint, increase sustainability
THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC and Development Authority (NEDA) said it has completed a strategy for the agency to reduce its ecological footprint.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia on Dec. 6 signed the Declaration on Climate Change that contains a four-part initiative to reduce NEDA’s energy and water consumption, per capita greenhouse gas emissions, and maximize productivity.
“This Declaration is a call to action for the present generation to live sustainably and help reduce the detrimental effects of climate change, so as not to jeopardize the needs of future generations,” Mr. Pernia said in a statement.
“It will also provide the much needed framework that will guide and enable NEDA to implement concrete actions that ensure the protection and conservation of our environment and natural resources,” he added.
The first component includes the dissemination of promotional videos on climate change. The second component involves mainstreaming sustainable consumption practices in the workplace like water and energy conservation, efficient use of resources, reducing the use of plastic, waste reduction and recycling, and workplace greening through rooftop or vertical gardening.
NEDA will also seek to introduce ride sharing or point-to-point shuttles for its employees, and explore alternative transport service schemes, as the third part of the strategy.
The fourth component is the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework that assesses the overall effectiveness of NEDA’s initiatives to cut its carbon footprint. It may also feature a reward system that incentivizes good practices among departments.
“With this initiative, we hope to set an example among our stakeholders and encourage other government agencies to follow suit. Together, we can all make a big impact in reducing the effects of climate change,” said Mr. Pernia.
“The NEDA Management Committee officials reaffirm our commitment to conserve our environment and natural resources and addresses climate change, and call upon all NEDAns to take a proactive role in adopting and implementing concrete actions toward greenings NEDA’s systems and process which will contribute in reducing NEDA’s carbon footprint,” the declaration read. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan
Online hiring up 25% in Oct. — Monster
MONSTER.COM said online hiring grew 25% year-on-year in October, with most industries posting double-digit growth in recruitment activity.
In a statement on Tuesday, Monster said that according to its October 2018 Monster Employment Index (MEI) report, Monster said that 11 out of the 12 industries tracked by the study saw double digit growth in online recruitment, led by the Healthcare sector, with a 41% increase.
Other industry sectors reporting growth are retail (39%); logistics, courier/ freight/transportation, import/export and shipping (32%); banking, financial services and insurance (26%); and IT, telecoms and ISPs (23%).
Also posting growth were advertising, market research, public relations, media and entertainment (22%); production/manufacturing, automotive and ancillary sectors (14%); engineering, construction and real estate (12%); and BPO/IT enabled services (10%).
The education sector was the only one to post a decline in October at minus 8%.
The October 2018 MEI also reported a uptrend for all occupations. Recruiting of professionals in the purchasing/logistics/supply chain sector grew 47% while those in finance and accounting rose 39%. Service-based professions in health care (36%); tourism and travel (19%); and customer service (10%) were also among the top growth areas.
Monster.com — APAC and Middle East CEO Abhijeet Mukherjee said “With the government making an effort to boost tourism and attract investments in HRD, Research & Development, Finance and Infrastructure, there is bound to be an uptrend in hiring, especially for related professions.” — Gillian M. Cortez
Agri reforms needed to attract FDI — AmCham
By Reicelene J. N. Ignacio
THE Philippines needs to reform its agriculture sector to attract foreign investors and boost economic growth, according to an official with the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham).
In a phone interview, John D. Forbes, AmCham senior adviser, said: “We (AmCham) have almost nobody in agriculture. The Philippines is generally unattractive for foreign investors for agriculture because it is very restrictive in terms of the amount of land you can farm. How can you be a foreign investor and grow crops? You need to reverse the situation with agrarian reform.”
Mr. Forbes said the country’s farming population is decreasing, and the children of farmers are discouraged from going into farming because they do not see any improvement in the lives of their parents, who face difficulties in acquiring the land they farm.
“Let’s say if you have 50 farmers on a piece of land that is subject to agrarian reform, you have 50 names on the same title. They don’t have a title on their land,” Mr. Forbes said.
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is currently handing out Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) to farmers under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
However, according to a study of the government think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) in 2017, “there was no clear evidence of CARP’s success in terms of increasing investments in agriculture and enhancing access of farmers to formal credit.”
PIDS said DAR has awarded about 4.8 million hectares of land to 2.8 million agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), at a cost of P286 billion between 1986 and 2016.
PIDS also said that issues such as poor targeting and lack of an efficient land record system delay the program’s completion. However, it concluded that it is unnecessary to revise the law because there is very little land left to be distributed.
Instead, the government must focus on resolving issues such as ownership, cancellation of titles, payment defaults by ARBs and the completion of transfer of the awarded lands to its rightful owners, PIDS said. It also noted that the government must focus on providing farmers access to technology, credit, infrastructure, and markets.
Mr. Forbes concurred, saying that the priority issues to be addressed include the small size of Philippine exports compared to imports, as well as the slow facilitation of crop insurance support by the government, and the shortage of proper irrigation systems and farm-to-market roads.
“Insurance from the government takes a long time. Some bureaucrat has to come out and actually inspect what their losses are, but with modern technology, you can predict what the losses are,” Mr. Forbes said.
“The technology is here. There are bills passed in the House. There are those before the agriculture committee in Senate and the technical working group (TWG). I don’t know if they will get finished in this Congress because there is little time here but certainly they can be taken up in the 18th Congress. The reform bills are moving. Hopefully, in the 18th Congress, they’ll be passed,” according to Mr. Forbes.
“There are farm-to-market roads that need to be improved. Some of these are inadequate, we need several thousands (of kilometers),” Mr. Forbes said.
Mr. Forbes noted that the country’s agriculture sector faces a lot of challenges, as it comprises 30% of the Philippine population, and 70% of those live in poverty.
“We have new laws that will definitely be beneficial, but the growth in the sector is weak. It is not even keeping up with the GDP (growth domestic product) growth and people with higher income, people in middle class, they’re improving their diet. Therefore, they’re asking for more food, and it is a pity that food is being imported than being locally produced. The Philippines has a huge trade deficit of importing far more than the exports,” Mr. Forbes explained.
In November, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported an increase of 13.5% in the value of agricultural trade to $18.34 billion in 2017 from $16.15 billion in 2016.
PSA data show that agricultural exports rose 27.6% to $6.58 billion in 2017. Agricultural imports meanwhile were at $11.76, up 4%.
Mr. Forbes said fisheries have huge potential, particularly tilapia which can be exported. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), however, said, that Philippine tilapia has no market overseas because other sources are preferred.
BFAR National Director Eduardo B. Gongona said last month: “The Philippine tilapia is already developed. What we have to develop is the market. The local producers want to keep producing but the problem is, there is no market. We need to export, but there are many competitors. US would rather get from South America so it would be cheaper but our tilapia here is tastier.”
Mr. Forbes, however, said that there is always a market for all kinds of fish, with Vietnam finding a way to export to the United States.
“There is a huge market in the United States… Fish is the fastest-growing source of protein in the world… The fish in Vietnam is being sold successfully in the US,” Mr. Forbes said.
LGU business permits in spotlight after raid on tobacco factory
THE DEPARTMENT of Finance (DoF) said it wants an investigation into local government units (LGUs) granting permits to illegal businesses, following the discovery of unregistered tobacco factories and the proliferation of unregistered cigarette production lines.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) raided on Nov. 28 an illegal tobacco factory in Bugallon, Pangasinan that was given a permit to operate as a piggery.
“The officials/employees who were instrumental in the issuance of the permit and all other accountable persons who failed to exercise the degree of diligence required of them should be investigated and subsequently subjected to appropriate charge/s,” Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said in a letter to Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo M. Año.
Mr. Dominguez said the barangay, as the smallest political unit, serves as the government’s “first line of defense against the proliferation of illegal businesses” and its officials “are mandated to enforce all laws applicable within their jurisdiction and promote the general welfare of the barangay.”
“More specifically, barangays are given the power to issue barangay permits to businesses or activities which are located or conducted within their jurisdiction. The barangays are allowed to exact reasonable fees in the issuance of business permits for the limited purpose to cover only the cost of regulation,” Mr. Dominguez said.
“Thus, it is reasonable to expect that the barangay would investigate the requirements submitted and/or inspect the area/location before issuing the permit and its yearly renewals, and even during the validity thereof,” he added.
The latest raid saw P2 billion worth of cigarettes packed and imprinted with unregistered tax stamps and brand labels.
Around 30 workers, including five Chinese nationals, were found working at a factory in Barangay Portic.
The DoF has asked the BIR and the Bureau of Customs to keep watch on the importation of cigarette-making machinery from China.
The DoF has said that fake cigarettes have become more prevalent after the government imposed higher excise taxes on tobacco products in January.
Another bill raising tobacco taxes further is advancing in Congress after the House of Representatives approved it on final reading last week, while the Senate has started committee-level discussions.
Excise taxes on tobacco are currently at P35 per pack as of July under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law, from P32.5 in January and P30 in 2017. The law is also set to raise tobacco taxes to P37.50 by 2020, and P40 by 2022.
The House meanwhile approved on final reading House Bill No. 8677, which proposes to increase the excise tax on tobacco products gradually by P2.50 per pack every year beginning at P37.50 in July 2019 to P45 in July 2022, and a 4% annual hike thereafter.
The DoF raised P106.89 billion from tobacco excise taxes in the first nine months of the year, which is equivalent to about 6% of the government’s overall tax take. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan
DoJ pressed on Bilibid prison transfer to Nueva Ecija
SENATE Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon is pushing for the Department of Justice (DoJ) to transfer New Bilibid Prison (NBP), the national penitentiary, from Muntinlupa City to the Fort Magsaysay military reservation in Laur, Nueva Ecija.
During the continuation of the Senate budget deliberations on Tuesday, Mr. Drilon said he intends to file a resolution that will call on the Senate committee on finance to monitor developments regarding the transfer.
“We will probably file a resolution invoking the oversight powers of the committee on finance in order to call the Department on a regular basis on two aspects: regionalization of the penitentiary and number two, the use of assets for financing government projects, including regional facilities of the National Penitentiary,” he said.
Moves to transfer the prison facility have been proposed in the past 10 years, Mr. Drilon noted, in order to utilize the 254 hectare site in Muntinlupa City as a source of funding for the government. But plans were not carried out, he added.
“There is a government asset where the national penitentiary sits. There have been moves 10 years back to transfer this facility to Nueva Ecija and create wealth out of the 254 hectares,” he said.
In response, Senator Loren B. Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on finance, said a budget allocation for 2019 could not be given for the transfer of NBP since the DoJ has yet to present a proposal.
“By the next budget, (DoJ) will have a proposal because they just received the President’s directive in October. There’s no NEP (National Expenditure Program) allocation for the transfer (in 2019),” she said.
Mr. Drilon said the DoJ could carry out the transfer by bidding out and using the sale of the Muntinlupa City land as payment for the new prison facility. He said the agency should also plan for alternative sources of financing given the lack of funds for the transfer in 2019.
“If we can be innovative enough, they don’t even need a budget,” he said, noting that the proceeds from the lot sale can serve as payment for the facility.
“You have a facility right there, which precisely can generate you the wealth and resources. You need to build a facility in Fort (Magsaysay) and serve several purposes including decongesting the facility and at the same regionalizing if need be for more humane conditions… I don’t see the negative aspect of such a move,” he added.
Mr. Legarda said the DoJ agreed to study the transfer of NBP to Nueva Ecija in order to have allocation in the 2020 budget.
“Justice Secretary (Menardo I.) Guevarra agrees. He agrees that it must be studied. He cannot promise anything, he cannot until the end of the year. It’s not in the NEP (National Expenditure Program) and GAB (General Appropriations Bill). So by next budget within one year, by that time they would put at least a budget for the for the initial transfer,” she said. — Camille A. Aguinaldo
Hotshots, Aces go for crucial Game Four win
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE best-of-seven Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup finals series between the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok and Alaska Aces hits a critical juncture today with Game Four at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Magnolia currently leads the series, 2-1, and is looking to notch another victory to move one step closer to the title of the season-ending PBA conference while Alaska is out to build on their breakthrough win in Game Three and add another win in their 7 p.m. encounter to reduce the series to a best-of-three affair.
The Hotshots found the going tough in Game Three after taking the first two games of the series.
They were blitzed by the Aces in the middle quarters of said game and never recovered from it en route to the 100-71 defeat.
Magnolia took early command of the match, holding a 22-16 lead by the end of the first quarter.
After that, however, it was all downhill for the team, outscored by Alaska, 67-28, in the next two quarters, signalling the end of the contest as early as the end of the third frame.
Import Romeo Travis and guard Mark Barroca led the Hotshots with 16 and 13 points, respectively, in the losing cause.
Following the loss, Magnolia coach Chito Victolero said they have to make the necessary adjustments in Game Four even as he called on the referees to be consistent with their calls.
“We hope to have more consistency from the referees. Calls that go against us should also be called against Alaska,” said Mr. Victolero following Game Three.
LEVEL THE SERIES
On the part of Alaska, its mission order today is build on its big win previously to level the series.
The Aces played far better in Game Three with contributions coming from different directions.
Import Mike Harris led the way for Alaska in the victory with 36 points and 18 rebounds.
Vic Manuel and Carl Bryan Cruz came off the bench to chip in 14 and 10 points, respectively, while Simon Enciso had 12 markers.
“The overall story of the game was that we made a bunch of shots in the first three quarters. We didn’t commit many turnovers and we played defense with great intensity,” said Alaska coach Alex Compton following their breakthrough victory.
“I’m glad that we won, but we’re still down at this point,” added the Alaska coach, who is seeking to win his first PBA title with the team.
DRAFT COMBINE
Meanwhile, the two-day PBA Rookie Draft Combine opens today at the Hoops Center in Mandaluyong where the 48 rookie hopefuls get to showcase their skills and abilities for team scouts to see.
Leading the rookie class this season are CJ Perez, Bobby Ray Parks and Robert Bolick, who are seen going in the first three picks.
Joining them are Paul Desiderio, Bong Quinto, Abu Tratter, Michael Calisaan, JP Calvo, Diego Dario, Teytey Teodoro, Javee Mocon, Trevis Jackson, and Carlos Isit, among others.
During the draft combine the hopefuls will undergo a series of tests on the court as part of the procedure in the lead-up to the actual draft happening on Dec. 16 at the Robinsons Place Manila.
Celtics dump Pelicans for sixth straight win
MARCUS MORRIS and Jayson Tatum combined to score 52 points as the short-handed Boston Celtics won their sixth game in a row by defeating the visiting New Orleans Pelicans, 113-100, on Monday night.
Morris scored 31 points and Tatum added 21 to lead the way while five Celtics sat out the game because of injury or illness, including Al Horford (knee), Kyrie Irving (shoulder) and Gordon Hayward (illness).
Jaylen Brown scored 19, Semi Ojeleye had 11 and Terry Rozier added 10 for the Celtics. Despite the absences, the Boston reserves outscored their New Orleans counterparts, 41-21.
Anthony Davis led New Orleans with 41 points, and Julius Randle chipped in 20 points and 11 rebounds. Nikola Mirotic did not play in the second half because of an ankle injury.
76ERS 116, PISTONS 102
Joel Embiid scored 24 points, and Philadelphia beat visiting Detroit despite losing Jimmy Butler in the first quarter due to a strained groin.
Ben Simmons added 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, Furkan Korkmaz contributed a career-high 18 points, and T.J. McConnell had 14 for the Sixers, who improved to 14-1 at home.
Luke Kennard scored a career-high 28 points while Andre Drummond added 21 points and 17 rebounds for the Pistons, who have dropped five in a row. Reggie Jackson contributed 15 points and seven assists.
THUNDER 122, JAZZ 113
Paul George scored 31 points and Russell Westbrook produced his third consecutive triple-double as Oklahoma City beat visiting Utah.
It was the first meeting between the teams since the Jazz’s first-round playoff series win over Oklahoma City last season. The win was the 17th in the past 21 games for the Thunder. The Jazz took their second consecutive loss after wins in four of the previous five games.
Westbrook finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. He was just 4-of-18 from the floor, missing all five of his three-point tries. Dennis Schroder added 23 points off the bench and Steven Adams scored 22 for Oklahoma City. The Jazz got 19 points from Donovan Mitchell.
CLIPPERS 123, SUNS 119 (OT)
Tobias Harris had 33 points and eight rebounds, and Los Angeles ended a two-game losing streak with an overtime win at Phoenix.
Danilo Gallinari scored 25 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 16 for the Clippers.
Deandre Ayton contributed 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Richaun Holmes (19), Mikal Bridges (19) and Josh Jackson (18) all scored their season highs for the Suns, who have lost nine straight.
BUCKS 108, CAVALIERS 92
Eric Bledsoe had 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists to lead Milwaukee past visiting Cleveland.
Malcolm Brogdon added 18 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Bucks. Khris Middleton chipped in with 16 for Milwaukee, which played without Giannis Antetokounmpo (sore neck).
Larry Nance Jr. led the Cavaliers with 16 points, and rookie Collin Sexton added 15.
MAVERICKS 101, MAGIC 76
Dallas made it 10 home wins in a row, cruising to a wire-to-wire victory over Orlando.
Harrison Barnes led Dallas with 19 points, hitting five three-pointers. Rookie Jalen Brunson contributed a career-high 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, plus four assists and a steal in 32 minutes.
Dwight Powell led Dallas’ bench effort with 16 points.
The Magic’s only offensive threat was Jonathon Simmons, who scored 18 points.
KINGS 108, BULLS 89
De’Aaron Fox recorded 25 points, six assists and four steals to help Sacramento notch a victory at Chicago. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Marvin Bagley III each added 16 points for the Kings, who won for the fourth time in the past five games.
Zach LaVine scored 19 points and Lauri Markkanen added 13 for the Bulls, who have lost nine of their past 10 games. Chicago scored just 33 second-half points on 12-for-34 shooting.
The Bulls’ latest setback comes in the wake of deep dissension from the team less than one week after Jim Boylen became coach. Chicago lost by a franchise-worst 56 points to the Celtics on Saturday, and Boylen called for a Sunday practice, but players pushed back and a meeting was held instead.
PACERS 109, WIZARDS 101
Myles Turner had 26 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, and Indiana held off Washington at Indianapolis for its fourth straight win.
Bojan Bogdanovic added 22 points and Tyreke Evans scored 18 for the Pacers, who squandered all but one point of a 25-point, third-quarter lead. Darren Collison had 17 assists.
Bradley Beal, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, led Washington with 30 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 23 off the bench. Wizards point guard John Wall sat out due to bone spurs in his left heel.
NUGGETS 105, GRIZZLIES 99
Nikola Jokic had 27 points and 12 rebounds, Monte Morris scored 20 off the bench, and host Denver beat Memphis. — Reuters
Beach Volleyball Republic On Tour’s December Open 2018 fires off this weekend
COMPETITIVE beach volleyball action takes place this weekend with Beach Volleyball Republic On Tour’s December Open happening at the Sands SM By The Bay.
Dubbed “A Christmas Rally,” in time for the holidays, the December Open is set from Dec. 14 to 16.
Already confirmed to compete in the 10th and final leg of the Tour for 2018 are two pairs from University of Santo Tomas-Maynilad and BanKo-Perlas, Creamline, PetroGazz, Boysen-NU, Philippine Air Force, Rizal Technological University and Wild Card.
Tiger Winx, bannered by Dumaguete leg winners KR Guzman and Krung Arbasto, will headline the men’s field which also includes two pairs from Cignal, Air Force-Sta. Elena, PLDT, Boysen-NU, UST, Fury and Wild Card.
Designed to promote and grow the sport of beach volleyball, BVR, in three years, has steadily grown as a brand on the back of top-class beach volleyball tournaments and nationwide tours.
Through its programs, BVR aims that every aspiring beach volleyball athlete shall be given the opportunity to showcase and improve their talents through competitive games. Furthermore, it also yearn to manifest the game of beach volleyball across the country, inspiring a new era of Filipino youth and making the Philippines the Asia’s hub for beach volleyball.
Apart from competitive beach volleyball action, the three-day December Open will also feature the Sandroots program, a beach volleyball workshop with the players handling a kids’ camp set for Saturday.
The event will also have a celebrity match for a cause on Sunday, the proceeds of which will go to a chosen partner foundation.
For more information on the event and BVR, follow the group on its social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo