THE NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested 30 individuals, including three Chinese nationals and the barangay captain of Manuali, for illegal quarrying activities in Porac, Pampanga. The suspects, who are owners and employees of L.A.C Quarry and TAG Mineral Resources, Inc., were presented for inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice last Nov. 29 for the alleged violation of Section 103 (Theft of Minerals) of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and Section 10 (Unauthorized and Unlawful Intrusion) of the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997. In a statement, the NBI said the arrest of the suspects stemmed from the complaint filed by “Katutubong Aetas” through the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption in Region III, which reported that the ancestral domains of the Aetas were being quarried. The joint team of NBI, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, and Task Force Department of Environment and Natural Resources also seized different heavy equipment and machineries along with extracted minerals with an aggregate amount of P1 billion from two mineral processing plants and two quarry sites. –Vann Marlo M. Villegas
By Vann Marlo M. Villegas
CHIEF JUSTICE Lucas P. Bersamin, speaking in his first flag ceremony as head of the Supreme Court (SC), made no apologies for his appointment and appealed to court workers to “accept” and support him in his 11 month-stint.
“I know that you have expected maybe another individual to be appointed to be in this office. I am not apologizing for myself. I am not apologizing for the President. I am here because I was appointed. So that should stop all speculations from within and from without regarding whether Justice Bersamin deserved to be chief justice or not,” he said.
“Myself, I will tell you, I am an accidental chief justice. But that is not a statement of apology. I don’t apologize to anyone for having been appointed. That is the wisdom of a President who is the appointing power. Please accept me,” he added.
Mr. Bersamin, 69, was appointed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte last Nov. 29, replacing Teresita J. Leonardo-De Castro who retired last Oct. 10.
He is the third most senior justice in the SC, following Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio and Associate Justice Diosdado M. Peralta.
He has been working in the judiciary for 32 years starting from his appointment as judge of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 96 in 1986.
The Abra-native also asked court employees to “work side by side” with him.
“(I) ask you to welcome me, to love me, to support me to help me in my 11 months. Maikli lang ‘yan, pagbigyan n’yo na po ako (That is short, please indulge me),” he said.
Mr. Bersamin promised that he will address problems both in the SC and the lower courts.
“I will be as open minded about your concerns as I have been when I was in the lower courts,” he said, adding that he will talk to Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez to identify lower court problems that need to be addressed.
He also asked the court employees to refrain from using their mobile phones during office hours to create a good image of the court. “Mula ngayon (From now on), from the Supreme Court down to the lowest level of our court system, I would like this to be observed. Please… put up a good image for our court,” he added.
He also said that he “hit the ground running” upon appointment as he already gave marching orders to Clerk of Court Edgar O. Aricheta and is set to meet the different offices under the SC.
He will also continue what was started by Ms. De Castro, he added.
The new top magistrate has also appointed Mr. Marquez as concurrent head of the SC Public Information Office (PIO), who previously served as SC PIO Chief during the time of former chief justices Renato C. Corona and Reynato S. Puno.
OVER P8 million worth of equipment, fertilizer, seeds and other materials were distributed to farmers during last week’s 11th Farmer-Scientists Congress organized by the Cebu provincial government under its Farmer-Scientists Training Program (FSTP). This year’s gathering was attended by about 2,000 farmers who listened to lectures focusing on resiliency and climate-smart agriculture. Gov. Hilario P. Davide III, quoted in a statement from the provincial information office, said during the congress: “We continue to honor our commitment to help improve the lives of our farmers by continuously providing you with new knowledge, skills and technical know-how to become better farmers.” The FSTP, conceptualized by Ramon Magsaysay awardee Dr. Romulo G. Davide, is a banner program of the provincial government. EL NIÑO
Meanwhile, Cebu may experience dry weather conditions in the coming months and the possibility of an El Niño phenomenon is high, according to state weather bureau PAGASA. PAGASA-Visayas chief Alfredo F. Quiblat, Jr. said on Sunday that the latest weather analysis indicates that ocean temperatures have exceeded the warm thresholds. “This event is an indication that there are higher chances that an El Niño event may occur if not this December, maybe in the first quarter of 2019,” he told The Freeman over a phone interview. An El Niño phenomenon occurs when there is an unusual warming of the ocean temperatures in the Pacific, affecting air and sea currents. According to PAGASA, the end months of 2018 is most likely seen as the transition period towards the development of an El Niño occurrence. — with a report fromThe Freeman
LAW enforcement agencies in the Davao Region have asserted that militant organizations and the communist New People’s Army are using some schools in indigenous people (IP) communities for teaching their ideologies and using the students in their protest actions. This developed as the group led by former Bayan Muna party-list representative and Saturnino “Satur” C. Ocampo and Alliance of Concerned Teachers party-list Rep. France L. Castro were released on bail following several cases of kidnapping and child trafficking slapped against over the incident in Talaingod, Davao del Norte. The two flew back to Metro Manila on Sunday, where they denounced the charges in a press conference. Police Regional Office Director Marcelo C. Morales, on the other hand, said they have reports of how the schools were being used outside the education mandate. “There were reports that the children were taught with false ideals at school, far from the mandates of the DepEd (Department of Education),” said Mr. Morales. The military, meanwhile, reported that in support of their cases against Mr. Ocampo’s group, about 1,000 members of IP communities in Talaingod, Davao del Norte staged a protest action against the militant organizations. The report claimed that the protesters were headed by tribal leaders Datu Guibang Apoga, who founded the Salugpungan Ta’tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Center and a self-confessed former sympathizer of the NPA and militant groups. — Carmelito Q. Francisco
OIL COMPANIES have cut the prices of petroleum products as early as the weekend, with Petron Corp. among the last to send its advisory of a rollback of P2.00 per liter (/L) for gasoline, P2.10/L for diesel and P2.00/L for kerosene. “These reflect movements in the international oil market,” Petron said on Monday night. The company, along with Total Philippines Corp., will be reducing prices at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4. This week’s reduction is the eighth straight week of price cuts at amounts mostly higher than P1.00-P2.00/L. Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. was among the first to send its advisory as it announced on Friday a reduction of P2.00/L for both gasoline and diesel effective noon of Dec. 1. — Victor V. Saulon
The University of Santo Tomas are the masters of alumni football.
The Growling Tigers held off a determined UP to win the UAFL overall title on Sunday, December 2, at the center fields of the Manila Jockey Club in the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite.
UST went 4-1 on Sunday’s final match day to amass 43 points, 5 better than second-place UP. DLSU finished 3rd with 27 points, while Ateneo managed a fourth place finish with 25. San Beda came in fifth with 13 markers.
The age-group awards were very evenly spread. UP took home trophies in the 31-39 and 48 and above divisions while Ateneo, who had a bye on Sunday, triumphed in the 40-47, having swept that category a week ago.
San Beda console themselves with gold in the 21-30, while the women’s medals went to an undefeated Santo Tomas squad.
The day began with the Thomasians, just 3 ahead of UP in the overall points tally, bulldozing San Beda in the 31 to 39, 6-2. Six different scorers found the net for the Tigers, including three Barotacnons, Yoc Becite, Louie Brilliantes, and Meliton Pelayo.
UP did their part to keep up with the black and gold crew, defeating DLSU in that age group 2-1. Andrew Santiago and Paolo Misa left the La Sallians shell-shocked with two goals in the first eight minutes. Tating Pasilan’s 73rd minute strike, his sixth of the UAFL, was mere consolation as the Maroons won their division.
Then UST stuttered, losing to San Beda in the 21 to 30 division 2-0 on goals from Jay Shaun Soberano and Ashley Flores, handing the Lions the division title.
UP failed to take full advantage of the opportunity, though, as their 21-30 team could only draw 1-1 with the La Sallians. Step Permanes scored for Diliman while Jimuel Ariola was on target for DLSU.
Still, that brought the state university to within two points of their rivals for España, 34 to 32.
The turning point proved to be the ladies division, where the Tigresses demolished San Beda’s ladies 22-0 to win the distaff side title. Boting Mondero was in imperious form, netting nine goals while Jennizel Cabalan compiled 5 goals.
In contrast, UP’s women fell 3-0 to DLSU. After a goalless first half, Paula Siggaoat put La Salle in front with a tap-in at the hour mark. Seven minutes later it was 2-0 thanks to a neat finish from Nicole Andaya from a tight angle.
But the ladies of La Salle saved the best for last. WNT keeper Inna Palacios, by then deployed as a field player after starting in goal, steered in a perfect free kick into the top right corner for 3-0 with just minutes left.
Trailing 32 to 37, UP needed UST to stumble in the last two matches but that did not happen. When the Thomasians blitzed San Beda 8-2 in the 40-47, the title race ended, with UST reaching 40 points, beyond the Maroon’s possible maximum total.
UST’s Edzel Bracamonte needed just 13 minutes to get a hat trick, igniting the rout.
UP did beat DLSU 4-1, with goals from Alex Magalona, John Paul Demontaño, Kenneth Villaluz, and Pilo Rosell, but it was too little, too late, with UST up 40 to 35.
In the final set of matches UST ended with a flourish, breaking open a close game to beat San Beda in the 48 and above category 6-1 to finish on 43 points. Thomasian Dodjie Locsin provided a second-half brace.
But UP’s 48-and-above side also impressed, downing DLSU 3-1 with a razor-sharp performance from their former national team players.
Pilo Rosell, playing his second match of the day, left spectators slack-jawed with an inch-perfect, top-corner free kick in the 19th minute that Archer Art Tabuena soon negated with a scrappy goal.
But in the second half Rudy Del Rosario unspooled two pinpoint passes to Maxi Abad that were both expertly bundled into the goal frame to seal the three points. This ageless UP squad went a perfect 4 for 4 to capture this category.
ONE of sports-entertainment celebrities that has dipped his hands in gaming and succeeded in it, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar Xavier Woods said he welcomes the enormous growth that Esports has had globally in recent years but believes such ascent can still be enhanced by taking cue from WWE’s thrust as an organization.
Recently visited the country to touch base with local WWE fans, Woods, Austin Creed in real life and a Guinness World Record holder for having the most subscribed to celebrity video game channel for his YouTube channel UpUpDownDown, said how Esports has evolved throughout the years is pretty amazing and the potential for it to grow some more is still high more so if stakeholders would consider looking at how the WWE is going about things to grow its business.
“I think Esports are amazing. The biggest thing about it is that it brings camaraderie and changes the view of people who do not like video games or try demonize it. But what I think it is still missing is what pro wrestling has, which are charismatic characters and larger-than-life aspects,” said Woods, also part of the popular tag team group New Day, when he met members of local media for a roundtable on Nov. 30.
“The thing about the WWE is it is putting smiles on people’s faces. So it’s an awesome place to be in, an awesome company to work for. When music hits and the athletes walk out, kids are losing their minds and having a good time. I feel like we can bring that same kind of emotion to Esports,” he added.
Woods went on to say that bringing Esports and what it is all about to more people on a consistent basis would go a long way for the gaming sector, which was considered as a niche market early on.
“In the WWE we have our pay-per-views, our SummerSlam, Survivor Series, all of those, but three days out of a week we’re wrestling non-televised events around the world that people get to see and experience. And Esports doesn’t have that aspect yet,” he said.
“Esports has its big shows. It has the CapCom Cup. It has EVO (Evolution Championship Series), it has CEO. But as far as weekly things happening where casual fans are able to go into local gaming spots, no,” Woods added.
Apart from sharing his passion for professional wrestling and gaming, while here Woods also took time to do other activities, including joining a basketball clinic led by the Alab Pilipinas team for special kids, which he said was a great experience for him.
He also got a chance to check out other places in the metro and see what they have to offer.
Part of the WWE group that did a show in the country in 2016, Woods said he is looking forward to doing another production here in Manila in the future. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
BATANGAS CITY — Three struggling teams aim to stop the bleeding when they see action in the final day of preliminaries of the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference today at the Batangas Sports Complex here.
Sta. Lucia shoots for its first victory when it tackles Foton at 4:15 p.m. while Cocolife and Cignal aim to step back on winning track when they collide in the 6 p.m. main tiff of this prestigious women’s club tourney bankrolled by Isuzu, Senoh, Asics, Mikasa, Mueller, UCPB Gen and Bizooku with Genius Sports as technical sponsor.
After winning all of its 10 games in the preliminaries of this tourney that also has ESPN5, Aksyon TV and Hyper HD as broadcast partners, Petron secured the top spot in the quarterfinals while F2 Logistics takes on the second seat via the virtue of its 8-2 win-loss card.
Petron and F2 Logistics will face the eighth and seventh-seed teams, respectively, making the last playdate very crucial for both the Asset Managers and the Lady Realtors as they are currently sitting at the bottom of the team standings.
The survivors in the quarterfinals will figure in the semifinals with the higher-ranked team enjoying a twice-to-beat advantage to determine the protagonists in the best-of-three finals that unwraps on Dec. 15 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Asset Managers, however, are serious to finish the preliminaries with a bang.
Head coach Moro Branislav said their season is not yet over and they will still go all out to spring a surprise against a Cignal squad that is licking the wounds created by its back-to-back setbacks to Generika-Ayala and F2 Logistics.
“I told the team to keep on working because it’s not yet over,” said Branislav, whose wards are coming off a sorry 15-25, 17-25, 11-25 loss to the vast-improved Lifesavers last Thursday.
“Good things happen to those who work hard. It’s still far from over so we have to keep on pushing and play to the best of our abilities.”
Also looking to pull off a massive upset is Sta. Lucia.
After being hampered by injuries, the Lady Realtors have yet to win in nine matches, making them hungry and even more dangerous.
Against a depleted Foton squad, Sta. Lucia has a golden opportunity to finally barge into the win column.
“Arianne (Layug) and Shaya (Adorador) are already out of the season, so we’re now down to only 12 women since Jaja (Santiago) and Dindin (Manabat) are still in Japan,” said Foton coach Aaron Velez, who will pin his hopes on Gen Casugod, Gyzelle Sy, CJ Rosario, Maika Ortiz and Mina Aganon.
“But even though we’re undermanned, we have to be there and play our best and no matter what the outcome we will be proud of ourselves because we gave our all.”
World Chess Championship
London, England
Nov. 9-28, 2018
Magnus Carlsen NOR 2835, 6.0/12
Fabiano Caruana USA 2832, 6.0/12
Time Control: 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 50 minutes for the next 20 moves then 15 minutes play-to-finish. 30 seconds added to clock after every move starting move 1.
World Championship Tiebreak
London, England
Nov. 28, 2018
Magnus Carlsen 2880 3.0/3
Fabiano Caruana 2789 0.0/3
Time Control: 25 minutes play-to-finish with 10 seconds added to the clock after every move starting move 1.
The world chess championship match between defending champion Magnus Carlsen (Norway 2835) and his challenger Fabiano Caruana (USA 2832) ended in a 6.0-6.0 score after 12 straight draws, the first time in the history of the world championships where there was no decisive game in the whole series. Magnus Carlsen then won the rapid tiebreak 3-0 to retain his title for another two years.
After ten well-contested draws where Caruana fought on equal terms with Carlsen the defending champion clearly steered for the rapid tiebreaks in the last two games, even offering a draw in the 12th game from an advantageous position where he could have pressed for the win with almost no risk.
No matter what we think about these tactics Magnus proved his strategy correct when he dominated the rapid tiebreaks. Clearly Fabiano was not his equal in these faster time controls.
Carlsen, Magnus (2880) — Caruana, Fabiano (2789) [A22]
World Championship Playoff London (1), 28.11.2018
1.c4
Unlike Caruana who stuck with 1.e4 all throughout Magnus would alternate his opening moves starting with 1.d4, then next White game 1.c4 followed by 1.e4. 1…e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 Bb4 4.e4!? 0–0
Black could have taken the proffered pawn on e4, but he cannot keep it: 4…Bxc3 5.bxc3 Nxe4 6.Qe2 Nf6 7.Qxe5+ Qe7 8.Qxe7+ Kxe7 9.d3 White has the two bishops. 5.Nge2 c6
Hereabouts Black’s passive play does not make a good impression. 6.Bg2 a6 7.0–0 b5 8.d4! d6
Once again Black can pawn grab with 8…exd4 9.Nxd4 bxc4 but after 10.e5! Ne8 11.a3 Be7 (11…Ba5 12.Ne4 is even worse) 12.Qa4 a5 13.Bf4 White is dominating the board. 9.a3 Bxc3 10.Nxc3 bxc4 11.dxe5 dxe5 12.Na4 Be6 13.Qxd8 Rxd8 14.Be3 Nbd7 15.f3 Rab8 16.Rac1 Rb3 17.Rfe1
Now after Bf1 Black’s c4 pawn will fall. 17…Ne8
GM San Shankland maintains that it was much better for Black to give back the pawn and at the same time compromise White’s structure. Therefore 17…Rdb8! 18.Bf1 c3 19.Rxc3 Rxc3 20.bxc3 Sam Shankland: ‘Black is a bit worse and will suffer, but I think it is probably holdable.’ 20…Rb3 the position might already be equal. 18.Bf1 Nd6 19.Rcd1 Nb5 20.Nc5! Rxb2 21.Nxe6 fxe6 22.Bxc4
Very difficult now for Black to untangle his pieces. 22…Nd4
I thought that best for the second player is 22…Kf7 but it turns out that 23.Bxb5! axb5 24.Bg5! wins a piece. 23.Bxd4 exd4 24.Bxe6+
Black has a surprising resource here: 24.Rxd4 Kf7 25.Red1 Ne5! 26.Rxd8 Nxf3+ 27.Kf1 Nxh2+ 28.Ke1 Nf3+ 29.Kf1 with a draw by perpetual check. 24…Kf8 25.Rxd4 Ke7 26.Rxd7+ Rxd7 27.Bxd7 Kxd7 28.Rd1+ Ke6 29.f4 c5
White is a pawn up but his king is stuck in the first rank. This position might be drawable. 30.Rd5 Rc2 31.h4 c4 32.f5+ Kf6 33.Rc5 h5 34.Kf1 Rc3?
This has to be a mistake as it lets Carlsen’s king out of the first rank. Black should push the c-pawn: 34…c3 35.Ke1 Rg2 36.Rxc3 Ke5 37.Kf1 Ra2 I don’t see how White can make progress. 35.Kg2! Rxa3 36.Rxc4 Ke5 37.Rc7! Kxe4 38.Re7+ Kxf5 39.Rxg7
The h5–pawn is going to fall, after which White has a clear win. 39…Kf6 40.Rg5 a5 41.Rxh5 a4 42.Ra5 Ra1 43.Kf3 a3 44.Ra6+ Kg7 45.Kg2 Ra2+ 46.Kh3 Ra1 47.h5 Kh7 48.g4 Kg7 49.Kh4 a2 50.Kg5 Kf7 51.h6 Rb1 52.Ra7+ Kg8 53.Rxa2 Rb5+ 54.Kg6 Rb6+ 55.Kh5 1–0
Before I show you game 2 of the tiebreaks let me make a few comments on the Sicilian Sveshnikov. Including the three tiebreak games, Caruana had white times in the match and always opened with 1.e4. In 4 of those games we had the Sveshnikov (some would say that the particular variation they used would more accurately be described as the Pelikan, but I will just follow the normal convention) and in three the Rossolimo. Out of those seven Carlsen won the 2nd game of the tiebreaks and got a winning position in game 1 and a highly advantageous one in game 12.
This tends toward the conclusion that Carlsen felt more at home in the dynamic positions of the Sveshnikov than Caruana. The American GM’s inability to get more from his white games was a major factor to his match loss.
We were talking about the openings there. Of course, after the 12 draws it was time for the quick-play games and Magnus Carlsen scored heavily there. Kasparov had this comment which I agree with completely: “Carlsen’s consistent level of play in rapid chess is phenomenal. We all play worse as we play faster and faster, but his ratio may be the smallest ever, perhaps only a 15% drop off. Huge advantage in this format.”
Caruana, Fabiano (2789) — Carlsen, Magnus (2880) [B33]
World Championship Playoff London (2), 28.11.2018
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Nd5!?
Magnus Carlsen had used the Sveshnikov in games 8, 10, and 12 and now here in game 2 of the tiebreak. In all four instances Caruana resorted to this line instead of going for the main areas of battle with 7.Bg5. 7…Nxd5 8.exd5 Ne7
This is a bit of a sideline. For example, the Greek GM Vasilios Kotronias wrote a major book on the Sicilian Sveshnikov for Quality Chess, a publishing house known for their excellent theoretical tomes, and only covered 8…Nb8 with no mention at all of 8…Ne7. But why is that? Why isn’t 8…Ne7 as well regarded as 8…Nb8. Well, a common maneuver for Black is Bf8–e7–g5 to exchange dark-squared bishops, and 9…Ne7 just gets in the way. 9.c4 Ng6 10.Qa4 Bd7 11.Qb4 Qb8
Carlsen played 11…Bf5 in the 12th game. It continued 12.h4 h5 13.Qa4 Bd7 14.Qb4 Bf5 15.Be3 Caruana avoids the repetition but now his opponent completely outplays him. 15…a6 16.Nc3 Qc7 17.g3 Be7 18.f3 Nf8! 19.Ne4 Nd7 20.Bd3 0–0 21.Rh2 Rac8 22.0–0–0 Bg6 23.Rc2 f5 24.Nf2 Nc5 25.f4 a5 26.Qd2 e4 27.Be2 Be8 28.Kb1 Bf6 29.Re1 a4 30.Qb4 g6 31.Rd1 Ra8 and suddenly Carlsen offers a draw which was of course immediately accepted by White. Obviously all the winning chances are with Black. 12.h4 h5 13.Be3 a6 14.Nc3 a5 15.Qb3 a4 16.Qd1 Be7 17.g3 Qc8!
The correct plan. Carlsen will work on the white squares on the kingside. 18.Be2 Bg4
Provoking f2–f3. 19.Rc1 Bxe2 20.Qxe2 Qf5!?
The intention is to follow-up with …e5–e4 and …Ne5. 21.c5?
On the wrong track — he should have castled. 21…0–0
[21…dxc5? 22.Bxc5 Bxc5 23.Qb5+] 22.c6 bxc6 23.dxc6 Rfc8 24.Qc4 Bd8!
Amongst other reasons, it also makes way for his knight to go to e7 and win the c6–pawn. 25.Nd5 e4! 26.c7?
A serious mistake. 26.Bd4 would have continued the battle. 26…Bxc7! 27.Nxc7 Ne5 28.Nd5
Alternatives:
28.Qd5 is met by 28…Rab8 (getting the rook out of range of the white queen) 29.0–0 Rxc7! 30.Rxc7 Nf3+ and wins the queen;
28.Qe2 Nd3+ 29.Kd2 Qa5+ is a rout 28…Kh7! 0–1 <D> FINAL POSITION
Be careful! 28…Nxc4?? 29.Ne7+ Kh7 30.Nxf5 The tables have been turned, but now, after 28…Kh7 29.Ne7 Qf3! There are no more unanswered questions.
At the closing ceremonies Magnus Carlsen paid tribute to his opponent: “Fabiano is the toughest opponent I have faced in World Championship matches, and in classical chess he has as much right as I do to call himself the best in the world.”
Well, it is easy to be gracious when you have just won €550,000 (roughly P32.7 million). Caruana did not do too badly either – he got €450,000 (P26.7 million).
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 for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies. bobby@cpamd.net
It was a situation with which Dwyane Wade had extremely familiarity. With the game tied and the Heat gaining possession of the ball for one final play, he proceeded to dribble to the frontcourt and organize the offense. Isolated against the Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell, he made his move with six ticks left on the clock, seeming to head to a screen set by Kelly Olynyk, only to move away with a deft crossover that gave him an open lane. There was one problem; Rudy Gobert, arguably the National Basketball Association’s premier rim protector, lay in wait. Still, he didn’t hesitate; confident he could again do what he did a minute and a half earlier, he drove straight to the rim.
As things turned out, Wade didn’t get another layup. In fact, he missed, with his twisting bank shot winding up short. What he did get, however, was a whistle; Gobert fouled him on a block attempt that looked clean in real time, but, as replay from a vantage point under the basket showed, drew contact off a downward swiping motion. Naturally, he made his charities to claim the win for the Heat, highlighting a vintage endgame performance that offset a sluggish start; he may have been an errant four of 15 from the field all told, but he proved outstanding with the outcome on the line, coming up with seven markers and three dimes in the payoff period.
Considering how the Heat have been far from competitive of late, it’s fair to say they needed the victory; Wade’s exertions couldn’t have come at a better time. They’re beset by injuries and bogged down by a glaring lack of consistency. And so anxious are they to turn their fortunes around that they’re willing to get an edge anywhere they can. For instance, they seem to have chucked the use of the highly regarded Miami Vice retro jersey because of their inability to win while donned in it. And, in the same context, it was but natural for them to turn to him in the crunch.
Certainly, Wade is in the process of winding down his career, with the current season likely his last. It isn’t simply that he’s past his prime. More crucially, it’s that his priorities have changed. For as long as he’s around, though, the Heat will keep turning to him. And, even as he’s pacing himself, he can be counted on to deliver.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
Right at the heart of the fast-rising Central Luzon region is a 1,800-hectare integrated mixed-use development perfectly positioned in an elevated landscape of rolling terrain and majestic mountain views, merging the comforts of city life alongside nature. This master-planned estate, called Alviera, is envisioned to be the next big growth center of the region and a gateway to its vibrant future. Artist’s perspective
Located in Porac, Pampanga, Alviera is a joint development project of Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) and Leonio Land Holdings, Inc. (LLHI) featuring a diverse mix of residential dwellings, commercial districts, industrial parks, institutions and leisure facilities to attract local and international markets and support local economic growth. The master-planned estate aims to put the spotlight on Central Luzon as an alternative destination for business and leisure growth, given the ongoing congestion problems in the country’s capital region. AN EMERGING BUSINESS DESTINATION
Central Luzon, otherwise known as the rice granary of the Philippines, boasts of a robust economy, fueled by the strong growth of its major productive sectors. Together with the National Capital Region (NCR) and the Southern Tagalog region, Central Luzon is one of the country’s core regions contributing significantly to the overall growth of the country.
In 2017, Central Luzon’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) grew 9.3%, according to the National Economic and Development Authority Regional Office 3 (NEDA 3). The agency noted that it is the third highest regional economic growth rate. Artist’s perspective
With its distinct and idyllic geographical location, breathtaking tourist attractions, rich history and culture, and a workforce comparable to that of Metro Manila, many believe that Central Luzon will be among the main drivers of the country’s next wave of growth. A CATCH BASIN OF METRO MANILA’S OVERFLOWING VIBRANCY
Nowadays, living in neighboring provinces of NCR is fast becoming a viable and wise option. According to the 2018 property forecast of Colliers International Philippines, more developers are pursuing more mixed-use projects in areas outside of Metro Manila, including Bulacan and Pampanga.
Government offices are also gearing up to move to the region. At least six government agencies are set to transfer to Clark, Pampanga soon. Last year, the Department of Transportation already transferred its head office to Clark. AN UNPARALLELED LOCATION AT THE CORE OF CENTRAL LUZON Artist’s perspective
Being strategically situated near Clark Airport, Subic Freeport and provincial hubs like Angeles City and San Fernando City, accessibility is a strong attribute of Alviera.
With infrastructures such as the North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway nearby, the estate is efficiently linked to Metro Manila, Bulacan and key cities up north, like La Union and Baguio.
More infrastructure developments are set to be completed in the area, including the NLEX-SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) Connector Road, the Philippine National Railways North Railway and the Clark International Airport expansion. A CAREFULLY MASTER-PLANNED ESTATE Artist’s perspective
Designed to integrate the diverse mix of uses, Alviera has four districts that present a broad spectrum of settings for business and leisure, tourism and education: the City Center, East Side, West Side, and the Greenbelt.
The Alviera City Center serves as the central business district with corporate offices, retail and commercial destinations. Alviera East, on the other hand, houses eco-industrial parks and residential communities, while Alviera West accommodates hotels, wellness centers, recreational developments, retail spaces, and residences. These three districts are linked by a five-kilometer long greenway called Alviera Greenbelt. URBAN LIVING CLOSER TO NATURE
Alviera offers a broad range of residential properties from the most high-end to the most affordable. It caters to different lifestyles – from luxury country club living, to starter homes for young families, and to cost-effective, affordable house-and-lot packages that are complemented by a great selection of shopping and dining outlets.
In 2014, two residential projects, Montala and Avida Settings, were launched within the estate.
Recently, Avida’s second project, Avida Northdale Settings, has been introduced. Situated on the east side of the estate, it features a refreshing community of contemporary homes along with its own central and pocket parks.
By the end of the year, Alveo Land and Ayala Land Premier is set to launch new residential offerings in 2018. PROVIDING MORE BUSINESS AND WORK OPPORTUNITIES
Sixty-four hectares of the estate is allotted to an eco-industrial park for light-to-medium industries such as food manufacturing, motorcycle assembly, packaging, logistics, and warehousing, which is expected to generate 3,000 jobs for communities within and outside the region.
More opportunities for investment and business will be made available through Alviera East Commercial, a seven-hectare commercial hub situated in close proximity to the industrial park, residential communities and schools. LEISURE DESTINATIONS AMIDST NATURE
Alviera is also designed to complement an urban living with leisure.
Four years ago, the estate started with Sandbox, a six-hectare adventure playground that is home to Asia’s first roller coaster zipline, giant swing and obstacle courses. The complex recently added two attractions: Splash Tub, a water-based inflatable playground; and City Kart Racing, the largest karting complex in the country.
Another one-of-a-kind leisure attraction to open in Alviera is the six-hectare Country Club. Some of its facilities will include swimming pools, sports facilities, specialty restaurants and spacious function rooms.
A 50-room boutique hotel, located adjacent to the country club and Sandbox, is also in the pipeline. The hotel will offer suites and deluxe rooms to complement the country club, the outdoor leisure facilities and the nearby communities. A REFRESHING ATMOSPHERE FOR LEARNING With the La Salle Botanical Gardens and two notable educational institutions slated to be developed within the estate, Alviera will surely provide a refreshing atmosphere for learning as well.
The La Salle Botanical Gardens will feature 25 garden patches and will house a laboratory, plant nursery, greenhouses, and libraries. The project will draw inspiration from internationally renowned gardens from France and London.
Miriam College and Holy Angel University will also rise and are expected to be operational in 2021. Both institutions will each have a 10-hectare campus.
The master-planned estate aims to put the spotlight on Central Luzon as an alternative destination for business and leisure growth, given the ongoing congestion problems in the country’s capital region.
With the La Salle Botanical Gardens and two notable educational institutions slated to be developed within the estate, Alviera will surely provide a refreshing atmosphere for learning as well.