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PAGCOR to regulate creditors of casino-players like finance firms

THE PHILIPPINE Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) said Thursday that it will regulate the practice of financing casino players after cases of abduction due to unpaid debts.

“We likewise intend to accredit and regulate casino financiers subject to the implementing rules and regulations on lending companies by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory agencies,” PAGCOR said in a statement.

On Aug. 19, the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) arrested a Chinese national in Pasay City for allegedly abducting one of his countrymen.

Recently, four Chinese were arrested by the PNP-AKG for allegedly threatening a fellow Chinese.

Chinese who gamble overseas and in Macau face restrictions in bringing funds out of the mainland and often rely on so-called “junket operators” to provide credit. The junket operators can also enforce collection on the Mainland.

“PAGCOR and the major players in the local gaming industry denounce these criminal acts and we will not sit idly by in the face of these injustices.

There will be strict surveillance in the vicinity of casinos following reports of kidnapping of players,” the agency said.

It added, “PAGCOR believes that while gaming contributes significantly to government revenue, it must not be used as a vehicle for abuse and injustice.”

PAGCOR noted partnership with casino operators and with other government agencies in enhancing surveillance in the near vicinity of casinos.

“PAGCOR, along with our casino licensees, will strengthen our security protocols by enhancing casino surveillance facilities such as facial recognition cameras… (and) information sharing among casino operators on suspected criminals,” PAGCOR said in a statement.

According to police records, at least 120 Chinese suspects were arrested between January 2017 and August 2019 in relation to casino-related abduction. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

Wine importers push back against proposed tax scheme in House bill

A BILL to increase the excise tax on alcohol products will effectively “kill” the wine industry, a Senate committee was told.

“The newest version of this bill from the House is actually different from what was presented last week. The newest version threatens to kill the entire wine industry as well as my company,” Calabria Co. Ltd. president and general manager Christopher Quimbo said during a hearing at the Senate ways and means committee.

The committee is debating Senate Bill No. 383, which adopted the proposal of the Department of Finance and the Department of Health, and House Bill No. 1026, which won final approval at the House of Representatives.

Mr. Quimbo said the House version proposes an additional 15% ad valorem tax on wines on top of the specific tax rate that will increase to P60 from P37.9 currently.

“Right now, our company pays P37.9 pesos per liter in tax, which the Senate version increases to P40 per liter,” he said.

“But recently we found out that on third reading, it increases it to 97.5 pesos per liter because it’s a combo tax.”

Premier Wine & Spirits President JP Santamaria and Pablo Garcia Morera of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce the Philippines also pushed back against the ad valorem tax.

“I am aligned with Chris Quimbo on the non-imposition of ad valorem tax on still wines and sparkling wines. Wine is the healthier alternative, and second we don’t actually grow grapes here, it shouldn’t be taxed” Mr. Santamaria said.

He noted the ad valorem tax was also not proposed by the DoF originally.

Mr. Garcia said at the hearing: “With the new proposal, to have an excise tax and ad valorem, on top of that, have the VaT (Value-added Tax), the import tax, it seems quite excessive to impose that.

Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua said the DoF is “not too concerned” on adding an ad valorem tax on wine products, considering it is only 1% of the alcohol market.

“The House passed a slightly more complicated system, wherein there is a tax on the volume, the specific (tax), and there’s also another tax, the ad valorem, so officially, our position, given that wine is 1% of the total alcohol market, we were not too concerned in creating a very different system,” Mr. Chua said. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Phase I of Cebu BRT on track for operations by end-2021 — DoTr

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said it is on track to achieve operational status for the first phase of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (Cebu BRT) by the end of 2021.

In a statement, the DoTr said it is now finalizing the design of the project. The new design will include a separate lane dedicated to the Cebu BRT, shifting from the initial plan that combines dedicated and mixed-traffic lanes for the service.

The update was issued after Cebu City Rep. Raul V. del Mar said in a privilege speech earlier this week that the length of the Cebu BRT has been cut to 13 kilometers from the original 23 kilometers.

“No changes were made on the alignment of the Cebu BRT… [T]o this day, the plan calls for a route of 23 kilometers,” Transportation Undersecretary Mark Richmund M. de Leon said in the statement.

“What was perceived as route reduction was the division of the project into three phases under the new design plan,” he added, explaining that dividing the project into phases would allow for partial operability, or opening selected segments of the project ahead of its full completion.

The first phase of the Cebu BRT is set to open in December 2021. This would cover the stretch from Cebu South Bus Terminal to Capital via Osmeña Boulevard. The next two phases will extend the lanes further to Bulacao and Cebu South Road Properties heading south, and to Talamban to the north.

The next two phases of the Cebu BRT are scheduled for completion in 2025.

“The three-year allowance before the implementation of Phases 2 and 3 while Phase 1 is under construction is to obtain enough time to acquire the necessary Right of Way,” the DoTr said.

Engineering firm Egis International was tapped for the design of Cebu BRT, with the support of the World Bank and the Agence Francaise Developpement (AFD).

Aside from putting up dedicated bus lanes through the Cebu BRT, the government is hoping to implement a Cebu Integrated and Intermodal Transport System to help ease road congestion. — Denise A. Valdez

TESDA says Tulong Trabaho Act left unfunded in 2020 by Budget dep’t

THE Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) said Thursday that no funds were allocated to implement the Tulong Trabaho Act, which was signed into law this year.

TESDA Director-General Isidro S. Lapeña said its proposed P19.9 billion budget for 2020 was cut by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to P11.85 billion.

“There are major items that are not included in TESDA [for] fiscal year 2020 NEP (National Expenditure Program). One is the Tulong Trabaho Act which was approved by the President on Feb. 22, 2019,” Mr. Lapeña said.

Under Republic Act 11230, the law aims to provide free access to technical-vocational education through a Tulong Trabaho Fund.

The measure states that funds necessary for its implementation “shall be immediately sourced from the TESDA budget in the current General Appropriations Act and hereinafter be included in the GAA of the succeeding year.”

“That is a clear violation of the law. There has to be an appropriation signed by the President. I want to put that on record that the budget for Tulong Trabaho Act must be put in TESDA so that we can implement the law that we just passed,” said Bagong Henerasyon Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy, who filed the bill that became the law during the 17th Congress.

TESDA’s approved budget of P11.85 billion for this year is 6% lower than the P12.55 billion it received in 2019. It remains the agency with the lowest budget allocation in the education sector, as compared to the Department of Education (P551.7 billion) and Commission on Higher Education (P40.8 billion).

“If we have more funding, we can serve more people that need assistance especially the unemployed,” Mr. Lapeña said. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

DA taps LANDBANK to administer zero-interest loan for small rice farmers

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) and Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) signed a memorandum of agreement to extend credit to rice farmers under the Expanded Survival and Recovery Assistance program, which is known as SURE Aid.

“Credit is such as very important strategy to make it possible to develop and grow Philippine agriculture. Credit must be affordable, accessible, and the ease of doing business will be our principle in terms of simplifying the process for the common farmer,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar was quoted saying in a statement.

The SURE Aid program targets rice farmers affected by the drop of palay farmgate prices. The program allows a one-time zero-interest loan of P15,000 for farmers tilling one hectare and below. The loans will be available on Sept. 1.

Payable over eight years, the loan entails payments of P1,875 annually.

LANDBANK will administer the P1.5 billion fund for the DA Agricultural Credit Policy Council (DA-ACPC). DA-accredited service channels will also be tapped by the bank to disburse loans to eligible beneficiaries, particularly the unbanked.

The National Food Authority (NFA) will also buy the produce of the farmers who availed of the loan.

“LANDBANK is fully on board to work with you in making great things happen for our farmers and fishers,” LANDBANK President Cecilia C. Borromeo said.

After the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law on March 2019, domestic farmgate prices have dropped due to competition from cheaper imported rice. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang

Energy efficiency sector wants to be classed as infrastructure

THE PHILIPPINES should start viewing energy efficiency as a new infrastructure asset class that the government can use as an added resource in planning its energy mix, or the ideal combination of resources to support its power requirements.

“We’re not looking at a figure yet. We want to see how — any energy market, whether the Philippines or otherwise — can quantify targets. So that is still a work in progress. Even the US is struggling, even Japan is struggling,” said Alexander Ablaza, president of the Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance (PE2), in a chance interview.

In a separate statement on Thursday, he said the local economy needs to mobilize $243 billion in energy efficiency capital to harvest 45,900 megawatts from the demand-side of the Philippine energy market in the next 21 years.

“We’re not looking at a figure yet,” he said when asked to quantify the future share of energy efficiency in the energy mix.

The idea is to use the energy harnessed by introducing energy efficiency and conservation measures to offset new coal-fired power plants.

“So the next five to 10 years, the challenge of the global movement right now — because the IEA (International Energy Agency) has formed a high-level commission for urgent action on energy efficiency — is how do we pave the way so the energy mix planning of any country fully integrates energy efficiency as a resources,” Mr. Ablaza said on the sidelines of the three-day Philippine Infrastructure Conference at Manila Marriott Hotel in Pasay City.

He said the independent IEA commission will examine how progress on energy efficiency can be rapidly accelerated through new and stronger policy action. He said through the last decade, the agency has become more convinced that, more than any single fuel, energy efficiency has a central role to play in meeting global sustainable energy goals.

He said IEA analyses have shown that with the right policies, the global economy could double in size by 2040 while still maintaining broadly the same level of energy use as today.

He said such policies would enable the world to achieve more than 40% of the emissions cuts needed to reach international climate goals using available cost-effective technologies.

“Taking baby steps, UK and the rest of EU have already classified energy efficiency as infrastructure so that’s the first step, and that’s what we should do here,” Mr. Ablaza said.

On April 12, 2019, the Philippines passed Republic Act No. 11285 or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act.

“The President’s approval of the bicameral-endorsed bill of the 17th Congress has finally shifted the energy-consuming market from the inertia of the 29-year voluntary market to one of policy-driven market transformation,” PE2 said in a statement on Thursday.

The organization said that with the new law, “the Philippines finally rejoined the global movement of accelerating energy efficiency markets.” — Victor V. Saulon

FIBA World Cup unfurls this weekend in China

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE BASKETBALL world turns its attention to China beginning this weekend as the 2019 FIBA World Cup unfurls.

A two-week event happening from Aug. 31 to Sept. 15, the hoops spectacle gathers 32 of the best basketball nations in the world, including 20 in the top 30 in the current FIBA rankings with top seed the United States.

The Philippines, ranked number 31 in the world, is also competing in this edition of the World Cup, the second straight time that it has qualified after 2014 in Spain.

For the tournament, the 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four with the grouping determined by the drawing of lots held in March this year.

In the first round of group play, from Aug. 31 to Sept. 5, the games will be played in eight different cities in China with each team playing its group mates once with the top two squads advancing to the next round.

The second round, from Sept. 6 to 9, will have four groups of four made up of the teams that advanced from the first round, again playing each other once. The top two teams from these groups will qualify for the final knockout phase from Sept. 10 to 15.

The United States, the defending World Cup champion, begins its campaign in Group E, along with Turkey (17th ranked), Czech Republic (24) and Japan (48).

It will once again be bannered by National Basketball Association stars, led by All-Stars Kemba Walker of the Boston Celtics and Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks. Also part of the team are rising stars Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz and Jayson Tatum of the Celtics. Coach of the team is Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs.

Team USA saw some top NBA stars beg off from national team duty for varying reasons, leaving not a few seeing it as vulnerable come tournament time.

But Mr. Popovich remains upbeat of their chances but recognizes they have their work cut out for them in the World Cup.

“We have to play our best [in the World Cup]. This is group of guys works very hard. We are definitely a better team now that when we started,” the US coach said in the lead-up.

Games in Group E will be hosted by Shanghai.

GILAS PILIPINAS
The Philippine team, meanwhile, begins its World Cup bid in Group D along with Serbia (4), Italy (13) and Angola (39).

Carrying the cause for Gilas Pilipinas are Philippine Basketball Association stalwarts June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Gabe Norwood, Paul Lee, Troy Rosario, Roger Pogoy, Raymond Almazan, Mark Barroca, Kiefer Ravena, CJ Perez and Robert Bolick, backstopped by naturalized player and former NBA campaigner Andray Blatche. Gilas coach is Yeng Guiao.

Gilas said it is expecting another uphill battle in the World Cup but nonetheless is determined to make the country proud and give its best.

“[The] Guys are competing and take a lot of pride in their opportunity to represent the flag. The goal is to continue to prove that we are world-class, and Lord willing, improve on our finish from the previous World Cup,” said Mr. Norwood, who was also part of the team back in 2014.

Games in Group D will be hosted by Foshan with the Philippines taking on the Danilo Gallinari-led Italian squad first on Aug. 31.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who is in China on official business, is expected to watch Gilas play Italy.

The Philippines then plays Nikola Jokic and Serbia on Sept. 2 then Angola on Sept. 4.

Gilas Pilipinas games can be seen over TV5 and ESPN5.com.

The rest of the groupings has Venezuela (20), Poland (25), host China (30) and Ivory Coast in Group A (venue Beijing); Argentina (5), Russia (10), Korea (32) and Nigeria (33) in Group B (Wuhan); Spain (2), Puerto Rico (16), Iran (27) and Tunisia (51) in Group C (Guangzhou); Greece (8), Brazil (12), Montenegro (28) and New Zealand (38) in Group F (Nanjing); France (3), Dominican Republic (18), Germany (22) and Jordan (49) in Group G (Shenzhen); and Lithuania (6), Australia (11), Canada (23) and Senegal (37) in Group H (Dongguan).

Analyst says Uthok fight a step in right direction for Magsayo

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

ON AUG. 31 undefeated Filipino boxer Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo makes his ring return, taking on Thai veteran Panya Uthok; a bout that is a step in the right direction, one local boxing analyst said, in his push to jump-start his temporarily halted career.

Mr. Magsayo (19-0) is to take on Mr. Uthok (53-6) in the headlining fight of “Pride of Bohol” at the Bohol Wisdom Gymnasium in Tagbilaran for the vacant WBC Asia featherweight title and IBF Pan Pacific featherweight title.

It will be a homecoming for Bohol native Magsayo, 24, who last fought in Tagbilaran in November 2017 where he retained the WBO International featherweight belt by defeating Japanese Shota Hayashi by unanimous decision.

The event is also hoped to get Mr. Magsayo’s boxing career going anew after a two-year lull from the sport.

“Mark Magsayo knows for a fact that he has a talent in the sport, but in order to maximize that talent and reach his full potential, he has to fight the best boxers in the market, not just a hand-me-down opponent. Leaving ALA Boxing a few years ago was a gamble for him, but I can see where he is coming from,” said boxing analyst Nissi Icasiano when asked by BusinessWorld for his thoughts on Mr. Magsayo’s upcoming fight.

“I will concur that Magsayo has the wares to strut, but he is untested. This venture might be a step in the right direction,” Mr. Icasiano added.

Mr. Magsayo saw his career go idle for a long time following his hard-fought victory over Mr. Hayashi with contractual dispute with ALA Promotions, his former handler.

He made his ring return in April this year in Singapore fighting under Vladimir Boxing Promotions, knocking out Indonesian Erick Deztroyer in the fourth round for the win.

Seeing where the Filipino boxer is coming from, Mr. Icasiano underscored the importance of the Uthok fight to Mr. Magsayo. “For two years, he (Magsayo) was inactive. It’s a big blow to his career, especially prior to that he was busy, having a minimum of three fights per year. Plus, inactivity caused him to lose his position in the rankings. Against a former world champion like Panya Uthok, if he wins, it will definitely freshen up his name in the market. It’s not an instant ticket to a title shot, but it could lure big names in his next in-ring outings,” the analyst said.

Mr. Icasiano went on to say that he sees some things going for Mr. Magsayo against his Thai opponent which could well be the difference in the Filipino emerging on top.

“Magsayo’s opponent in this fight no longer possesses the threat that he once had when he was a bantamweight. Though he managed to carve a unanimous decision win against Filipino slugger Carlo Magali last April, Magsayo’s youth will play a big factor. He has the speed and the size. Of course, Magsayo’s crisp in his punches will make it difficult for Panya Uthok,” Mr. Icasiano said.

BVR on Tour hits Surigao for Gran Ola leg

THE travelling beach volleyball tournament Beach Volleyball Republic on Tour hits Surigao del Sur this weekend for the Gran Ola, Lianga leg.

The fifth stop of the tour this year, the Lianga leg will see top beach volleyball teams and players, including American Olympian David McKenzie, strut their stuff for the two-day event starting on Saturday, Aug. 31.

Mr. McKienzie, an all-American playing for California State University, Long Beach, is due to arrive in the country today and expressed excitement over competing against a stacked field of players, including from national team preparing for the 30th Southeast Asian Games, as well as standouts from club and collegiate teams at the Gran Ola Eco Surf Camp sand court.

“I haven’t played a tournament since September 2018, so very excited to play again. It will be nice to experience another part of Philippines,” said Mr. McKienzie. Also expected to see action in the leg are sand court veterans Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons, who gave the Philippines a quarterfinals finish in the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Boracay Open last May.

They are using the event as part of their preparation will for the SEA Games which the country is hosting later this year.

In the same Lianga event last year, Thailand 2’s Nasuda Janmong and Saranya Laesood bested BanKo-Perlas 1’s Dzi Gervacio and Bea Tan in the women’s division, while another international pair, Austria-Norway tandem of Marian Klaffinger and Aleksander Sorum, ruled the men’s division, beating Air Force’s Ranran Abdilla and Jessie Lopez. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Firefly LED brand joins Ateneo Blue Eagles in UAAP Season 82 flight

DEFENDING University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball champions Ateneo Blue Eagles begin their Season 82 campaign armed with its newly forge partnership with LED brand Firefly.

Officially signed on Aug. 28 at the Blue Eagle Gym in Ateneo, the partnership will see Firefly LED be part of the journey of the Blue Eagles as they embark on their quest for a third straight UAAP title.

The partnership also involves support for the Ateneo Lady Eagles, which finished sixth in the race last season, and the Ateneo Blue Eaglets, which finished runner-up in Season 81.

Present in the signing ceremony were Ateneo de Manila University’s Assistant to the President for University Athletics Fr. Nemesio S. Que SJ and University Athletics Director Emmanuel T. Fernandez, and Firefly Electric and Lighting Corp. Marketing Director Erik Riola and Assistant Brand Manager Christine Reyes.

Ateneo officials said they welcome Firefly coming on board in their campaign for the about-to-begin UAAP season, which officially starts on Sept. 1, hoping it will be the first of many tie-ups with the LED brand.

“This is yet a start, hopefully, for a longer partnership we are looking at in the future,” Mr. Fernandez said.

On the part of Firefly, the partnership with Ateneo is a continuation of its thrust of supporting local sports and teams, and aligning with groups it identifies and shares a common vision with.

“Firefly has been sponsoring premier basketball league for several years now. We consider basketball as one of our equities because it is very much aligned with our core target market,” said Mr. Riola, whose group prides itself in being the first local lighting brand certified by TUV SUD, a world-renowned German Testing Institute that certifies the quality and safety of various consumer products.

Season 82 of the UAAP begins on Sunday with ceremonies to be hold at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Blue Eagles play their first game on Sept. 4 against the Adamson Soaring Falcons at 4 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Serena survives scare to reach US Open third round

NEW YORK — Serena Williams survived a second-round scare at the US Open on Wednesday with a 5-7 6-3 6-1 win over American wildcard Catherine McNally to keep alive her hopes of securing a record-tying 24th Grand Slam title.

World number eight Williams, who captured the first of her six US Open titles two years before her 17-year-old opponent was born, spent the first half of the match trying to find her rhythm but when she did she was off to the races.

“She really came out and played really well, she showed no fear,” said Williams. “She had absolutely nothing to lose and she played like it.”

McNally, competing in only her sixth tour-level event of her career and against the highest-ranked player she has ever faced, used an old-school serve-and-volley approach along with a lethal slice backhand to unsettle Williams.

So effective was McNally, who has tried to model parts of her game after Swiss great Roger Federer, that at one point in the match Williams screamed at her racquet “why are you missing?”

But Williams, whose earliest US Open exit came in her 1997 debut when she lost in the third round, turned the match around when she finally broke McNally’s serve and then consolidated in a tight service game for a 5-2 lead in the second set.

Williams looked more like herself in the decider — both serving and returning better — as she went up a double break for a quick 3-0 lead before storming home and sealing the match when she broke to love.

“I survived tonight,” said Williams. “I am not too pleased with the way I played at all,” said Williams, whose 28 unforced errors were two fewer than McNally.

“But it’s OK, I’m alive, I’m still here and happy to be on this court. I’ll do better. I promise.”

Williams dropped only one point through her first three service games but it took her some time to make any inroads on the McNally serve as the American was hitting her targets with pinpoint precision.

The match proved a far more gruelling affair for Williams than she had in her opener, where she dismantled Maria Sharapova with one of her most dominant performances since returning from maternity leave in 2018.

McNally said she did not feel intimated walking onto the biggest stage in tennis to face one of the game’s all-time best players and left the match feeling beyond proud of what she accomplished.

“I got a set off Serena Williams. Had her close in the second set, too. Had some chances,” said McNally.

“For me, it just gives me a lot of confidence, shows me that I can compete out on the biggest stages. Just keep my head down, I’m ready to go back to work.”

Up next for Williams will be either Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei or Czech Karolina Muchova, who were unable to get their match in earlier due to rainy conditions. — Reuters

EAC looks to finish first round on winning note

HAVING LOST their last six games in Season 95 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals look to end the first round of the competition with a victory when they collide with the San Sebastian Stags in league action today.

Currently bottom-scraping with a 1-7 record, the Generals are out to catch a break in their 4 p.m. match with the Stags (4-3) at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

After opening their campaign with a 1-1 record, Oliver Bunyi-coached EAC has seen things drop off for the team, losing six in a row, the last one at the hands of the Perpetual Help Altas, 88-84, on Aug. 20.

Leading the way for the Generals is Marwin Taywan who is posting numbers of 14.9 points and 4.9 assists per game followed by JP Maguliano with a double-double average of 13.9 ppg and 11.3 rpg.

Jethro Mendoza is the other General in double-digits in scoring with 10.5 points per game.

Out to add to the misery of EAC is San Sebastian, winner of its last two games.

The last victory of the Stags was over Perpetual Help, 107-90, on Aug. 23.

Allyn Bulanadi stepped up big time for the Stags in said game, dropping a career-best 31 points as they dominated the Altas right from the get-go.

Alvin Capobres backstopped Bulanadi with solid all-around numbers of 18 points, five rebounds and three assists with guard RK Ilagan adding 17 points, five boards and four dimes.

JM Calma had 14 markers to go along with seven rebounds for the Stags.

“The players really played hard and hopefully we get to continue with our winning ways,” said San Sebastian coach Egay Macaraya after their win.

Meanwhile, playing in the 2 p.m. game are the College of Saint Benilde Blazers (5-2) and Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers (3-5). — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

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