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Net satisfaction rate of Duterte highest at +68 — Q2 survey

PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte’s popularity hit a new record high with the second quarter Social Weather Stations (SWS) report showing a two-point increase in his net satisfaction rating to +68, classified as “very good,” from +66 last quarter.

The non-commissioned survey, conducted from June 22-26, found 80% of adult Filipinos were satisfied by the performance of the President, 12% are dissatisfied, while the remaining 9% are undecided.

“This is a new personal record-high that surpassed the previous record of very good +66 in March 2019 and June 2017,” the SWS reported.

The poll body classifies a +70 rating and above, as “excellent”; +50 to +69, “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”, +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 to -69, “very bad”; -70 and below, “execrable”.

The two-point gain was attributed to an increase in areas of Luzon outside the capital, where Mr. Duterte got a +65 rating, up by nine points from last quarter’s +56.

This was, however, offset by declines in Metro Manila (two points to +59 from +61), Visayas (three points to +66 from +69), and Mindanao (eight points to +81 from +88).

Moreover, SWS also found an increase in the net satisfaction on the President’s performance in urban areas, among women and those belonging in Class E.

The President’s net satisfaction in urban areas rose to +67 from +62 last quarter, while it declined to +68 in rural areas in June this year from +69.

Mr. Duterte’s rating also stayed very good among women, at a record-high of +69 in June also, up by four points from +65; whereas his satisfaction rating among men dropped by one point to +67 in this quarter from +68.

His rating stayed very good in class E at +68 in June, up by 10 points from +58, which SWS noted surpassed the previous +67 record in June 2017.

The President, meanwhile, maintained his +68 rating in class D and slipped 11 points to +58 from +69 in March among those in class ABC.

The quarterly survey also found that more respondents in age groups 25-34, 35-44, and those aged 55 and above are satisfied with the President.

The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents, aged 18 years old and above, nationwide. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Tukmakov on Wesley (Part 2)

Last June 13 I reported that Wesley’s former coach GM Vladimir Tukmakov has written a book where he extensively discusses the work he did with Wesley So. I received a lot of questions and request for information from BW readers and this is a good time to respond to them.

The book is “Coaching the Chess Stars” published by Thinkers Publishing. If you want a copy of this book you can order it directly from their website at www.thinkerspublishing.com. Personally I find the quickest way to get the physical book in front of you is just to use amazon (www.amazon.com). If you, like me, are an Amazon Prime member it should be with you in a matter of a few days.

If you prefer reading from a computer or tablet screen then you should download the Forward Chess app on to your Windows/Android/MacOS and/or IOS device, and then order it from there. This is instantaneous: after paying for the book it is automatically downloaded to your device and you can immediately start reading it, complete with the chess set which materializes on your screen if you want to go through some chess games, including its annotations, and even have a chess engine analyze in the background as you are scrutinizing its variations. This new mode of reading chess books is really cool!

Talking about online publications, a lot of progress has been made recently. For example, New in Chess (www.newinchess.com is well worth a visit!) has app to let you read their magazines and yearbooks from your devices. As has become the standard they also have a chess set which pops up if you want to go over the games in the magazines/yearbooks. This feature is also available in the Chess Studio app, which features Gambit Publications, the outfit of GM John Nunn. Naturally all of Nunn’s books are there as well as nice reference works like Fundamental Chess Endings and Openings.

With almost everything, even Chess Informants (from Forward Chess) available on your device I have lately found myself hardly ever ordering physical books. Anyway, let’s get back to Vladimir Tukmakov and his collaboration with Wesley So.

He started working with Wesley in mid-2016 through Skype. Going back a bit when Wesley was very young he had the benefit of coaching from several Filipino National Masters. I remember GM Joseph Sanchez back in 1998 telling me about this amazing student of his whose quick grasp of tactical as well as strategical nuances is quite astounding. However, after this Bacoor native became a GM at 14 he was basically on his own. Tukmakov writes that “When we started our negotiations, So was ranked 10th in the world with a rating of 2770. I know of no other cases in modern chess history, with the possible exception of Bobby Fischer, where a player working alone has climbed so high.”

The first tournament where Tukmakov was involved in Wesley’s preparation, albeit remotely via Skype, was the 2016 Paris Rapid/Blitz event followed almost immediately by the Leuven Rapid/Blitz tournament. Tukmakov: “My participation in the direct preparation for the games was limited to general advice. Throughout his chess career, Wesley had been forced to study openings on his own and it would have been unwise to change his long-established habits.”

They had training sessions twice a week, this allowed the coach enough time to plan an upcoming Skype session in detail and to prepare appropriate material, while the student also had time to analyze his coach’s proposals and recommendations. This set-up proved very successful.

Soon after the collaboration started Wesley achieved his first ever super GM tournament win in St. Louise. “A humble boy from the Philippines realized that he could fight the best players in the world on equal terms — and even beat them.”

Coach and student met up in the Baku Olympiad, where Tukmakov was captain of Team Netherlands while Wesley played for the United States. After that it was back to Skype again. At the end of the year came the London Classic, the last and most important tournament of the year, and Wesley was its solo winner. This catapulted him to the 2016 Grand Chess Tour overall winner by a wide margin, 11.5 points ahead of second-placed Nakamura.

In 2017 came further successes in Wijk aan Zee, the USA-championship where Wesley got the title for the first and so far only time. He was also by then the second highest-rated player in the world behind world champion Magnus Carlsen.

Tukmakov then tried to “intensify” Wesley’s game. “In practical terms, it would mean not playing for a draw, even with Black. I believed that Wesley would gain an advantage in complicated positions due to his intense concentration during games and to an almost complete absence of gross errors.”

They tried this new approach in the 2017 Gashimov Memorial but it was not successful and Wesley shifted back to his usual style for the rest of the tournament. The next tournament was 2017 Norway Stavanger and Wesley drew all of his games.

Tukmakov joined “Team Wesley” physically for the first time in the 2017 Paris Rapid/Blitz event, but the chemistry they had established through skype training did not work in personal contact. After several less than successful tournaments in 2017 they then realized that their cooperation had exhausted itself and Tukmakov was no longer with the team in March 2018 when the Berlin Candidates’ tournament started.

It is time to discuss this game from the first round of the Zagredb leg of the 2019 Grand Chess Tour.

So, Wesley (2754) — Ding, Liren (2805) [A23]
Croatia Grand Chess Tour (1.3), 26.06.2019

1.c4 e5 2.g3

Interesting. We just wrote about Philippine Women’s Junior Champion Vic Glyzen Derotas playing 1.c4 followed by 2.g3 every time she has white. It is plain to see who her role model is. GM Simon Williams suggests here that a good counter for Black is to play …Nc6 (to prevent White’s d2–d4) followed by …f7–f5 and get a favorable version of the Classical Dutch.

Another possibility is the Keres Variation which consists of …c7–c6 and …d7–d5. Ultimately this is what Ding goes for.

2…Nf6 3.Bg2 Bc5 4.Nc3 c6

You will notice that Black waited until Wesley played Nc3 before his …c7–c6. This way there is the possibility of harassing the white knight with a quick …d7–d5–d4.

5.e3 0–0 6.Nge2 d5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.d4 exd4 9.Nxd5 cxd5 10.exd4 Bb6 11.Nc3 Nc6 12.Be3

[12.Nxd5 Bh3! is to be avoided]

12…Be6 13.0–0 Qd7 14.Na4 Rfd8

[14…Bc7 15.Nc5]

15.Nxb6 axb6 16.Qb3

Let us recall what Tukmakov said about Wesley’s style: “It was not accidental that Wesley’s play was cautious and pragmatic. These traits were the product of his development as a player. The young Filipino didn’t have a lot of chances to face elite players, so he was way too reverent and timid. An articulated respect for one’s elders is also a function of an Oriental upbringing.”

I made it clear a few columns ago that this was not an accurate assessment. Wesley has an opening system prepared for an event, sticks to it, and if his opponent does not err then it is a draw. If he does err Wesley will go for the win. This game is a good example. White has a small advantage in this game of the two bishops and a better pawn structure. Probably not good enough for a win but Wesley has something to work with and because of that he eschews the draw and grinds away at the position.

16…Ra6 17.Rfc1

With the idea of Bf1.

17…Bh3 18.Bf3 Bg4 19.Bg2 Bh3 20.Bf3 Bg4

Ding wants a draw but Wesley wants to play on.

21.Bh1 h5

It is not easy to spoil White’s coordination: 21…Na5 22.Qb4 Nc6 23.Qb5; However: 21…Qf5!? deserved attention with the obvious idea to get rid of the enemy light-squared bishop. Most likely Ding disliked: 22.f3 Bh3 23.Bf2 and was afraid that his bishop will be left out of game, but he can always bring it back with something like: 23…Qf6.

22.h4 Be2 23.Kh2 Qf5 24.Bg2 Na5

In the post-game conference Wesley remarked that the text was a bad move which allowed him to activate his two bishops. Instead he suggested to grab a pawn with 24…Bc4 25.Qd1 Rxa2 26.Rxa2 Bxa2 but something like this seems very risky. After 27.Bh3 Qg6 28.b3 Ra8 29.Bg2 Qf5 30.Bf4 it is not clear how to extricate the bishop. For example 30…Na5 31.b4 Nc6 32.b5 Na5 33.Rc7 Bc4 34.Re7 White’s threat of Re5 is looking dangerous.

25.Qc3 Nc6 26.b3 b5 27.Qd2 Bf3

[27…Bd3 28.Rc3 Be4 29.f3 does not solve his problem]

28.Bf1 Rb6?! <D>

POSITION AFTER 28…RB6

Methinks he should have just given up the pawn. Ding perhaps didn’t see Wesley’s next move.

29.Bf4!

With the idea of Bc7.

29…Rc8?!

This move shows you why Ding is so hard to beat. He could have resigned himself to losing a pawn after 29…Qd7 30.Qc3 Be4 31.f3 Bf5 32.Qc5, but moving the rook to c8 has a tactical point which you will soon see.

30.Rc3 Bg4

Not 30…Be4? 31.Bh3.

31.f3

Trapping the bishop, but now you see Ding’s resource.

31…b4 32.Rd3 Bxf3 33.Rxf3 Ne5!

Black has the idea of …Rc2 pinning the queen against the king.

34.dxe5 Rc2 35.Rf2 Rxd2 36.Rxd2

Ding’s resource is not enough though. Wesley consolidates his pieces strongly and overpowers Black’s forces.

36…Rc6 37.Bh3 Qg6 38.Rad1 Ra6 39.Bg2 d4 40.Bxb7 Ra5 41.Rxd4 Rxa2+ 42.R1d2 Qb6 43.Rxa2 Qxd4 44.Rd2 Qc3 45.Bd5 Kf8 46.Bc4 Ke7 47.Bg5+ f6 48.exf6+ gxf6 49.Re2+ Kd7 50.Bd2 1–0

Winning the b4 pawn, and Ding gives up.

 

Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.

bobby@cpamd.net

Spurned

The Lakers were decidedly angry in the aftermath of the stunning news that broke the Internet over the weekend. It wasn’t just that Kawhi Leonard, fresh off a sterling playoff stint that culminated in a championship and a Finals Most Valuable Player award, spurned their advances. It was that he deigned to align himself with the little-brother Clippers and, along the way, toyed with them like puppets on a string. He made them think — only too wrongly, as things turned out — that, in fulfillment of his wish to go home to native California, they were frontrunners in the battle for his services, with the prospect of headlining an unparalleled Big Three too enticing to pass up.

Indeed, Leonard allowed the Lakers to wallow in their confidence. It’s fair to argue that he even fueled it. In the previous weekend, his camp called living legend Magic Johnson to get answers on specific queries that sought to validate how much they wanted him. At the same time, he received assurances from resident top dog LeBron James that the new pecking order would feature him at the top. And as late as a couple of hours before he notified them of his decision to align with the Clippers at the end of the fifth day of free agency, he asked them if they could delay the multi-team trade that would formally net them Anthony Davis. Timing-wise, they knew the salary cap space they had would shrink if they didn’t sign him to a contract first.

To be sure, Leonard did want, and get, something from the Lakers: leverage. In using the prospect of spearheading a super squad that would perpetuate the relative irrelevance of the Clippers in Los Angeles and at the Staples Center, he spurred his preferred employers to action. He had them initiate negotiations with the Thunder for the acquisition of Paul George; if you get him, he told them, you get me. And so they moved, and to the point where they were glad to offer a record assembly of assets in exchange. Meanwhile, he had his would-be partner apply pressure on the other end by demanding a trade. And so sly was he that one of his meetings with the six-time All-Star occurred on the same day and in the same area as the scheduled pitch of purple-and-gold stalwarts Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka.

Simply put, Leonard needed the Lakers, but not for the reasons he led them to believe. He needed the Raptors, too, if only to keep the Thunder engaged in trade talks for George. And, needless to say, he needed the Clippers most. In the end, everything went according to plan. He got a maximum contract, the opportunity to play in his home state, the security of a second superstar of his choosing, and the breathing room provided by sterling support on and off the court. He even got a nice bonus by weakening the position of his in-arena rivals. In their willingness to give him leeway when they thought he hadn’t yet made up his mind, they held recruitment efforts in abeyance and let otherwise-complementary talents land elsewhere.

True, the Lakers were eager participants in the Leonard sweepstakes. Notwithstanding all the risks, they figured that the rewards were too good to pass up. And they were right; he’s a generational force who can, with Davis, keep them trophy-hunting for years to come. Then again, they could arguably have pulled the plug on their courtship much earlier in the process were he up front on where his sentiments truly lay. Instead, he swore everyone involved to secrecy, no doubt to prevent any part of his maneuverings from leaking.

Creditably, the Lakers were prepared for rejection; as soon as Leonard informed them of his decision, they implemented Plan B and filled their roster with talents-in-waiting. Could they have come out better had they not been strung along for a fool’s errand? Perhaps. That said, there can be no discounting the strides they’ve made in the offseason. For all their “failure,” they have James, they have Davis, and they have, if nothing else, a professional set of players that will keep them competitive.

Under the circumstances, the hope is that James will use the developments as motivation to succeed. Because of his advancing age and the sheer number of miles on his odometer, not a few quarters have seen fit to discount his contributions moving forward. To the contrary, the Lakers know he can still prove them wrong; when he looks Leonard’s way, all he need note is that he has been there and done that. And, certainly, the stage is set for him to do so. As far as they’re concerned, he’s the King, and he’s not dead. Not yet, and not for a while.

(Tomorrow: The Raptors, champions and yet pawns)

 

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.

Nationwide round-up

SC asked to order Comelec to strictly implement term limit of elected officials

A GROUP of lawyers and registered voters asked the Supreme Court (SC) to compel the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to strictly implement the term limit for members of Congress and local officials. In a petition for mandamus, the petitioners cited that Sections 4 and 7, Article VI of the 1987 Constitution only allows senators and members of the House of Representatives to serve for not more than two and three consecutive terms, respectively. However, they claimed that there have been instances where candidates should have been barred from running for the same position after serving the prescribed term limit and resorting to “hiatus” or “hibernation,” which is not specified in the Constitution. “The plain text of those provisions never mention at all that a senator or a member of the House of Representatives, as the case may be, may be elected for a third term after ‘two consecutive terms’ or for a fourth term after ‘three consecutive terms,’ on the contingency of ‘hibernation’ in between,” the petition read. “The constitutional text of sections 4 and 7 is determinate that reflects the absoluteness of the ban and its being non-contingent on chronological happenstance, such as by ‘hibernating, or taking a respite in between,” it added. The petitioners are lawyers Vladimir Alarique T. Cabigao, Mary Wendy A. Duran, Manolito Coronado, Socorro Maricel Namia Nepomuceno, and Cesar Evangelista and Yen Makabenta Antonio Santos and Jef Nalus Aquino. They also asked that their plea be made effective by the May 2022 elections. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Estrada plunder trial moved to Aug 5

BW FILE PHOTO

THE SANDIGANBAYAN Fifth Division has reset the trial date of former senator Jose “Jinggoy” E. Estrada to August 5 in connection with his plunder case on the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam. The anti-graft court deferred the trial scheduled on July 8 after Mr. Estrada’s camp filed a supplemental motion on his motion for reconsideration, which was dismissed. The Sandiganbayan has also granted the prosecution’s request to file a supplemental comment on Mr. Estrada’s motion. “…Five days to file a supplemental comment on the motion filed by the accused Estrada,” said Presiding Judge Associate Justice Maria Theresa V. Mendoza-Arcega. The court’s Fifth Division, in a resolution dated June 13, denied Mr. Estrada’s demurrer to evidence, citing that the prosecution has presented enough to prove his alleged role in transferring the PDAF funds to non-existent non-government organizations managed by Janet Lim-Napoles. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

Only gasoline up this week

OIL PRICE adjustments will be mixed this week as companies announced a price rollback for diesel and kerosene and an increase for gasoline. Prices of gasoline products will increase by P0.25 per liter (/L), while those of diesel and kerosene will decrease by P0.40/L and P0.35/L, respectively. The price adjustment follows the movement of prices in the international market.

Most companies that sent their advisories as of Monday afternoon advised that the price changes would take effect at 6:00 a.m. Today, July 9.

Last week, the per liter prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene rose by P1.20, P0.95 and P1.00, respectively. — Victor V. Saulon

Amnesty International report: Bulacan is drug war’s ‘bloodiest killing field’

BULACAN, a province adjacent to Metro Manila, has been dubbed as the country’s “bloodiest killing field” due to the number of “extrajudicial executions” linked to the government’s war against illegal drugs, according to rights group Amnesty International. “Located just north of the capital, Bulacan is a province to which a number of police commanders who previously supervised abusive operations in Manila have been transferred over the past eighteen months,” said the group in its latest report released July 8. The report, titled “They Just Kill: Ongoing Extrajudicial Executions and Other Violations In The Philippines’ ‘War on Drugs’,” documented 20 incidents of drug-related killings in Bulacan that took place between May and April this year, wherein 27 were killed. Of these incidents, 18 involved killings in police operations and two by unknown armed persons. “While drug-related killings continue to occur across the country, the epicentre of killings has shifted from Metro Manila to Central Luzon, following the transfer and promotion of senior police officers under whose command the police previously killed large numbers of people in the National Capital Region. Victims of killings are overwhelmingly from poor and marginalized communities,” said the report. In reaction to the report, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said the group is “politicizing” the alleged cases of extrajudicial killings. “The problem is this Amnesty International is politicizing the so-called extra judicial killings in this country. So there is bias, there is prejudice. So we’d rather have our own groups here protective of human rights to help those who feel that there has been police abuse in the matter of police operations,” said Mr. Panelo in a press briefing. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

CoA classifies Quezon City’s ‘Green Fund’ as public money

THE COMMISSION on Audit (CoA) asked retailers in Quezon City to remit the P316.598 million collected from the plastic bag tax or the “Green Fund” as of December last year, ruling that it is considered as public fund. “The CoA Commission Proper (CP) during its regular meeting held on January 31, 2019 has ruled that the Green Fund maintained by relevant retailers is a public fund therefore subject to CoA audit jurisdiction,” said CoA in its annual report on Quezon City. The report showed that Green Fund collections totalled P341,428,658 as of Dec. 31, 2018. “Of this amount, P24,830,307.52 was spent by the retailers for various environmental projects, thus leaving a balance of P316,598,350.48 as of year-end,” said CoA. The state auditors asked the Quezon City government to immediately collect and remit the balance from the Green Fund including interest, if any. CoA also asked the city government to amend the city ordinance for the immediate remittance of the plastic bag tax by retailers. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

3 Zamboanga City engineers face charges over school covered court collapse

THREE engineers of the Zamboanga City government have been placed on a 60-day preventive suspension as they face administrative charges over the collapse of a newly-built school covered court that left at nine students hurt. In a statement, Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said the three — Romeo Hiso, Santiago Solis, Jr. and Sherwin Alan Rabago — have been found to be possibly liable for gross neglect of duty following the investigation on the incident at the Sinubong National High School covered court last June 24. Based on the formal charge filed by the mayor, Mr. Hiso, chief of the Construction and Maintenance Division, allegedly “failed to supervise the project engineer, review and check plans and specifications and conduct periodic inspection” of the covered court project” as well as “certified” the work accomplishment “in accordance with plans and specifications.” Mr. Solis, the project engineer of the covered court, allegedly “failed to supervise the work of the contractor to ensure that the steel trusses are properly welded, failed to conduct satisfactory field inspection, failed to review whether the actual structure complies with the plans, failed to ensure quality and structurally safe project and failed to properly rectify the structure after at least 3 complaints by the school principal.” Mr. Rabago, chief of the Material Testing and Quality Control Division, allegedly “failed to review whether the actual structure complies with the plans, and failed to properly rectify the structure after complaint by the principal.” Ms. Salazar said “the failure of the 3 engineers to act according to their mandated duties resulted to the collapse of the covered court… to the damage and prejudice of the City Government and the students injured.”

Cagayan de Oro Convention Center main building 88% complete

THE MAIN BUILDING of the Cagayan de Oro Convention Center is nearing completion with an 88% accomplishment rate based on the total released budget, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways-Region 10 (DPWH-10). The main convention building is part of a complex that will also have a multi-level carpark, restaurant, function rooms, material recovery facility, and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) office. The project, initiated by former senator Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. in 2001, was put on hold for many years due to questions on the site’s land ownership. Construction work resumed after the ownership issue was settled in late 2016. In a statement, DPWH-10 said the complex, located in Indahag, can accommodate up to 7,700 people and “will support various events like sports, concerts, conventions, exhibits, seminars, conferences, and trade shows.” During a site visit last June 30, Mr. Pimentel said he wants to name the complex after the late mayor Pablo P. Magtajas, who passed away in 2017. He led Cagayan de Oro from 1984 to 1998, the period considered as the start of the city’s economic boom.

2 charged for murder of Zamboanga judge Lacaya

TWO SUSPECTS have been charged for the May 9 killing of Judge Reymar L. Lacaya, who was the presiding judge of Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 28. In the information filed before RTC Branch 28, the provincial prosecutor said Juliver S. Cabating and “Ramil” conspired in the judge’s murder. “(T)he above-named accused, conspiring together, confederating with and mutually helping one another, armed with firearms and with intent to kill by means of treachery, did then and there wilfully, unlawfully and feloniously attack, assault and shot one Judger Reymar L. Lacaya,” the information read. The Office of the Provincial Prosecutor found probable cause that the two conspired in the crime based on the affidavits of witnesses, documents, photographs and video footages. Mr. Lacaya was the 30th judge killed in service since 1999, according to the SC. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Nation at a Glance — (07/09/19)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Nation at a Glance — (07/09/19)

Zero to trading hero: Learn to invest with these online platforms

After a sharp decline in 2018, the Philippine Stock Exchange Composite Index (PSEi) rebounded in the first half of 2019, making it the third best performing index in Southeast Asia. In the first six months of the year, many prominent unicorns such as Uber, Lyft, and Slack debuted in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). And after being valued below USD 3,500 last February, Bitcoin breached the USD 10,000 mark last June. 

All of these are interesting news bites, but they unfortunately fall on deaf ears for a majority of the population. In a national survey on financial inclusion, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) revealed that only three percent of Filipino adults invest their money in stocks, bonds, pooled funds, and other similar vehicles. The BSP added that the top three reasons why Filipinos weren’t investing were the lack of money from unemployment, the high cost needed to invest, and not being aware of the available options.

Fortunately, there are several digital platforms that are addressing these barriers to investing and making it much more accessible to the country’s tech-savvy population. From low minimum investment amounts to virtual trading, these platforms are introducing innovative ways to get the risk-averse Filipino to see the importance in investing their hard-earned money.

Here are four of these platforms helping Filipinos get started with their investing journey:

GCash’s Invest Money

Almost all investment vehicles in the Philippines require a minimum capital of P5,000 to start investing. While that’s already relatively low, especially compared to minimum amounts in traditional platforms, that’s still a hefty amount for most Filipinos.

That’s what mobile wallet app GCash aims to address with its Invest Money feature, which allows users to invest in mutual funds for a minimum of only P50. GCash also makes it easier for investors as they can manage their investments all within the app, such as adding more capital, transferring them to a different mutual fund, or redeeming the investments.

On top of having a very low cost of entry, GCash also allows Filipinos to invest in funds without needing to go to a bank branch and opening an account. Interested investors only need to register for a GCash account and fill up a few documents through thr mobile application. This allows GCash to not only reach Filipinos without investments, but even those without formal financial accounts.

ATRAM’s Seedbox

While GCash’s Invest Money feature makes investing much more accessible, it only offers a handful of mutual funds as options. In reality, there are many mutual funds available that cater to investors with different appetites for risk. Some funds are made for those who are more conservative with their capital, while others appeal to those who are more aggressive with their investments.

Although many investment houses offer a wide variety of funds, one of the very few that offers a comprehensive online facility is ATR Asset Management (ATRAM)’s Seedbox. In partnership with Indonesia’s Indivira Group, ATRAM launched Seedbox to make it easier for individuals to invest in its mutual funds online. By registering with their platform and with a minimum capital of P1,000, users can choose to invest in one of ATRAM’s 10 mutual funds, each with varying degrees of risk. The entire process happens within the Seedbox platform, making it more seamless and more convenient for potential investors.

For those unfamiliar with the compositions of the different types of mutual funds, Seedbox also offers mutual fund packages based on an investor’s personal risk appetite, covering a spectrum between conservative and aggressive. On top of these, the Seedbox website also has a built-in goal planner for those who have a specific end-goal with their investments, allowing them to visualize how they can grow their capital in a specified amount of time.

Investagrams’s vTrade

Though it is not mentioned in the BSP survey, one other factor preventing Filipinos from investing is that many are inexperienced and afraid of losing their money to poor investment choices.

Fintech startup Investagrams offers a simple but effective solution with its Virtual Trading platform called vTrade. By becoming an Investagrams member, vTrade will provide users with virtual money that they can then use to practice investing in one of the most volatile investment instruments: stocks. They can then see their virtual capital increase and decrease in value depending on their chosen trades, allowing them to experience the volatility of stock trading without actually losing money.

When members are ready to move on to the real thing, Investagrams offers digital tools to analyze price movements and indicators of the over 250 stocks in the PSE. The platform also has a social media component encouraging members to interact with each other by sharing strategies, recommending stocks, and giving advice.

eToro’s CopyTrader

While the tools offered by Investagrams allow users to learn the basics of stock trading, forming a solid strategy takes years of experience. Investors with consistent returns on investment today all had to go through long spells of losses before figuring out the strategy that worked for them.

But one way new investors can receive the same benefits as their experienced counterparts is through eToro, an international social investing platform. With its CopyTrader feature, eToro users can go through the platform’s extensive database of experienced investors and choose which ones they’d want to copy. This means that any investments bought or sold by the expert investor will also be executed in the user’s capital, allowing them to receive the same profits (and losses) as the expert investor.

Similar to Investagrams, eToro allows its members to practice using its CopyTrader feature with virtual money. However, unlike the rest of the platforms listed above, eToro enables its users to invest in vehicles all over the world, from stock markets and exchange traded funds based in other countries to foreign exchanges and cryptocurrencies. This gives Filipino investors the chance to diversify their portfolios and find more opportunities beyond what’s available in the local market.

With these digital platforms, investing has become simpler, more accessible, and more inclusive than ever before. By giving investors more control over their capital and by introducing innovative tools that increase awareness and even decrease risk, these digital investment platforms all aim to cultivate investing as a means for profit among Filipinos.

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