Games on Friday (Ynares Center, Antipolo) 5 p.m. – San Miguel vs Ginebra (Semifinals Game 5)** 7:30 – Rain or Shine vs TNT (Semifinals Game 5)* * TNT leads best-of-seven series, 3-1 **Series tied, 2-2
WITH Rain or Shine (ROS) on life support, defending champion TNT knows that now’s the perfect time to finish off its pesky rival for a PBA Governors’ Cup finals seat.
The Tropang Giga are on the hill with a commanding 3-1 lead, thanks to their hard-earned 91-89 victory in Game 4, and need just 48 minutes or so of hard labor to put the race-to-four series to bed.
It entailed blood, sweat and tears to get into this position and the Chot Reyes-coached TNT is well aware Friday’s potential clincher at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City is going to take more.
“The finals are furthest from our minds right now. Our only thought is to prepare for the next game — Game 5,” Mr. Reyes said ahead of the 7:30 p.m. fifth match.
“Rain or Shine came up with a great game plan (in Game 4) but I thought my players really fought hard, buckled down. Give a lot of credit to the effort they put in. In the end they know what to do, we know what they want to do. It’s just really going to boil down to who wants it more. Hopefully on Friday, we act with the same kind of hunger and edge in Game 5.”
For the embattled Elasto Painters, the plan is simple.
“Our hope is just to keep the series going. RHJ (TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson) is playing like 46 minutes a game at high intensity so tingin namin kung ma-extend namin ito ng 6 or 7 games, there’s a possibility that he might tire out,” ROS mentor Yeng Guiao said.
“If we can continue the series, at some point we’ll be fresher than them.”
Meanwhile, Ginebra and San Miguel Beer battle for control and break a 2-2 stalemate in their Final Four duel at 5 p.m.
It’s been a literal seesaw battle for the two protagonists, with the Gin Kings taking Games 1 and 3 and the Beermen striking back in Games 2 and 4.
SMB strategist Jorge Gallent wants the Beermen to be the first to win back-to-back in the series and close in on the ticket to the Last Dance.
“I hope we change the tide in Friday’s Game. Now, it’s a best of three na lang. We’ll just think of it as ‘Game One’ on Friday. In a ‘best-of-three,’ Game 1 is very important so I hope tradition breaks on Friday.”
Ginebra counterpart Tim Cone said the adjustment falls on them after SMB’s 131-121 romp last outing.
“It’s basically back to the drawing board for us, try to figure out what we can do better next time around. They were just too good for us (in Game 4). It’s a best-of-three now. We’ll see.” — Olmin Leyba
Games on Friday (Rizal Memorial Coliseum) 11:30 a.m. – CSB vs SSC-R 1 p.m. – Mapua vs Perpetual 3:30 p.m. – UP vs JRU 6 p.m. – Arellano vs NU
COLLEGE of St. Benilde (CSB) spikes for the last playoff ticket from Pool D against San Sebastian College-Recoletos (SSC-R) in the 2024 Shakey’s Super League Collegiate Pre-Season Championship on Friday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Game time is at 11:30 a.m. with the Lady Blazers looking to be the lone NCAA team in the next round after the seven UAAP teams booked their slots.
The three-time NCAA champion on Wednesday took down Adamson, 25-13, 25-22, 25-19, to potentially spoil an all-UAAP playoffs and control its own fate at 1-1.
Far Eastern University (3-0) already topped Pool D, National University (3-0) and Ateneo de Manila University (3-1) led Pool A, Universityof Santo Tomas (3-0) and University of the East (3-1) headlined Pool B with De La Salle University (3-0) and University of the Philippines (1-1) spearheading Pool C.
And the pressure now is on the Lady Blazers to take care of business.
A win by St. Benilde would assure it a playoff spot while a loss would give way to a triple-tie with Adamson (1-2) and San Sebastian (0-2) in which scenario that the Lady Falcons would hold a superior quotient to advance to still make it an all-UAAP playoffs.
Meanwhile, also-ran squads Mapua University (0-3) and University of Perpetual Help System Dalta (0-3) go for graceful exits at 1 p.m. in Pool B while UP (1-1) collides in a no-bearing match with Jose Rizal University (0-2) in Pool C at 3:30 p.m.
Capping the quadruple-header ender of the elimination rounds is the sweep bid of back-to-back champion NU against Arellano University (2-1) at 6 p.m.
Teams will carry over their preliminary round points and play another round-robin in the next phase starting on Sunday with the top two teams from each pool earning twice-to-beat bonuses in the crossover quarterfinals. — John Bryan Ulanday
Games on Tuesday (Oct. 22) (Alonte Sports Arena, Biñan) 2 p.m. – Quezon vs Bacoor 4 p.m. – Caloocan vs Biñan
BIÑAN Tatak Gel stayed on track of its semifinal bid after cruising past ICC Negros, 25-16, 25-16, 26-24, in the Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA) Season 1 on Wednesday night at the Alonte Sports Arena in Laguna.
Erika Jin Deloria rifled in 19 points on 18 hits and one ace as the Volley Angels leaped to 9-5 to create wider separation from their closest challengers in San Juan (6-7) and Caloocan (5-7) for the coveted fourth and last playoff seat.
Shane Carmona and Chreizel Aguilar chipped in 11 and 10 points, in Biñan’s perfect home stand after also scoring an easy 25-14, 25-17, 25-22 win over the Valenzuela Classy the other day at the same venue.
San Juan, for its part, stayed in the race with a 25-9, 25-11, 19-25, 15-25, 15-10 win against Valenzuela behind the 15 points of Gregchelle Grace Cabadin.
Chamberlaine Cuñada added 13 points as the Lady Knights wasted a 2-0 set lead before recovering in time in the decider following a comeback win against Negros, 22-25, 23-25, 26-24, 25-14, 15-12, the other day.
Valenzuela (2-10) and Negros (4-9) absorbed big losses to fall at seventh and eighth place, respectively. — John Bryan Ulanday
INDIANA FEVER guard Caitlin Clark was named to the All-WNBA first team on Wednesday, becoming the first rookie in 16 years to earn the honor.
Clark joined Napheesa Collier, league MVP A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, Breanna Stewart and Alyssa Thomas on the first team. Wilson and Collier, the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year, received unanimous first-team votes. It’s the sixth first-team honor and seventh overall for Stewart, also a two-time league MVP.
Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty), Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury), Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm), Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings) and Jonquel Jones (Liberty) were named to the All-WNBA second team.
Clark received 52 first-team votes, fourth-most overall. She also finished fourth in MVP voting. She’s the first rookie named to the first team since Candace Parker in 2008. Sue Bird (2002), Tamika Catchings (2002) and Diana Taurasi (2004) were also first-team rookies.
The WNBA Rookie of the Year, Clark finished her first campaign averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and a league-high 8.4 assists per game.
Stewart, Ionescu and Jones all play for the New York Liberty, who are locked in a 1-1 series tie with the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Finals. Collier is the only player from the Lynx named to either team.
Ionescu was the top vote-getter on the second team, earning 204 points, 51 points shy of Thomas of the Connecticut Sun.
The teams were selected by a panel of 67 sportswriters and broadcasters. Voting was conducted at the conclusion of the regular season. Players were selected without regard to position. — Reuters
The Liberty are a game away from their first-ever championship in the Women’s National Basketball Association, and, fittingly, they have put themselves in position to make history with a ridiculous game winner. That the basket was made by the best shooter in the league via a Curryesque sidestep logo bomb only made the outcome even more memorable for fans who have long been tortured by cruel twists of fate. Perhaps it was simply time for the law of averages to come their way.
To be sure, the Liberty had to endure the worst practically all match long. With the Lynx finally hitting the ground running from opening tip, they found themselves playing from behind for the first time in the series. In front of a hostile crowd of 19,521 that booed them at just about every turn, they needed no small measure of resolve to stay focused on their objective of regaining the homecourt advantage they let go of following their devastating Game One experience.
Fortunately for the Liberty, their two brightest lights came through just when it mattered in Game Three. Two-time Most Valuable Player Breanna Stewart practically carried them from the moment they trailed a minute and a half into the first quarter until the instant they regained the lead with a minute and a half left in the set-to. She was a monster on both ends of the court, and she set the stage for fellow All-Star Sabrina Ionescu’s last-minute heroics. After having seemed to disappear for the first 39 minutes of the contest, the latter came alive in the crunch to secure the triumph.
Tomorrow, the Liberty have the opportunity to completely exorcise the demons that have plagued them since their pioneering campaign 28 years ago. The task will not be easy, what with Target Center diehards slated to once again make the going miserable for them in Game Four. More importantly, the Lynx have a winner’s pedigree borne of head coach Cheryl Reeve’s steady hand and highlighted by Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier’s ascension as a member of the league elite.
That said, the Liberty are primed. For the first time in five trips to the Finals, they will be playing ahead. And how well they stand and withstand the pressure of closing out the best-of-five affair with the vaunted Lynx in the way will determine their fate.
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.
A globe is seen in front of Chinese and Taiwanese flags in this illustration, Aug. 6, 2022. — REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION
TAIPEI — China is building its capacity to rapidly turn military drills into a full-out attack, a senior Taiwan security official said, providing the Taipei government’s assessment of the strategic intent behind Beijing’s war games around the island this week.
China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, staged large-scale drills on Monday that it said were a warning to “separatist acts” following last week’s national day speech by Taiwan President Lai Ching-te.
Taiwan has for the past five years complained of almost daily Chinese military activities around the island, including at least four rounds of major war games and regular “joint combat readiness patrols”.
“They are increasing the building up their capacity to turn military exercises into a conflict,” the official said at a briefing in Taipei, requesting anonymity to be able to speak more frankly.
Taiwan reported a record 153 Chinese aircraft took part in the drills, and the official added an unprecedented 25 Chinese navy and coast guard boats also approached close to Taiwan’s 24-mile (39-km) contiguous zone.
“They approached very close to Taiwan. They increased their pressure on Taiwan and squeezed Taiwan’s response time,” the official said. “This drill presented more of a threat than ever before to Taiwan.”
The official said during the drill, China launched two missiles towards an unspecified inland area, without providing further details.
“Although they did not fire missiles towards Taiwan this time, they did practice missile launches,” the official said.
China’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Monday, it vowed to take further action as needed against Taiwan.
Lai and his government reject Beijing’s sovereignty claims saying only Taiwan’s people can decide their future. Lai has repeatedly offered talks, but he has been rebuffed by China.
In a report to parliament on Thursday, Taiwan’s defense ministry said China currently holds three to four “joint combat readiness patrols” per month around Taiwan, in a move the ministry described as “provocation and increasing the threat to our military”.
Defense Minister Wellington Koo, asked when China could hold its next war games, told reporters it could be at any time and under any pretext.
“This shows their hegemonic nature, which we can all see very clearly,” Koo said.
A Taipei-based diplomat familiar with security issues in the region said Beijing’s war games presented a “big threat” because through the drills, China’s military was quickly building up its mobilization and combat capabilities.
“The permanent state of readiness is getting higher and higher – they can switch from nothing to drills to war in no time,” said the diplomat, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. — Reuters
PALESTINIANS wait to receive food in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, March 13, 2024. — REUTERS
UNITED NATIONS — The United States is watching to ensure that Israel’s actions on the ground show that it does not have a “policy of starvation” in the northern Gaza Strip, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council on Wednesday.
She told the 15-member council that such a policy would be “horrific and unacceptable and would have implications under international law and US law.”
“The Government of Israel has said that this is not their policy, that food and other essential supplies will not be cut off, and we will be watching to see that Israel’s actions on the ground match this statement,” Thomas-Greenfield said, in a ratcheting up of the US posture toward its longtime ally.
The United States has told Israel that it must take steps in the next 30 days to improve the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave or face potential restrictions on U.S. military aid, US officials said on Tuesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss expanding humanitarian aid to Gaza, three officials who had attended the discussion said, with aid likely to increase soon.
“Food and supplies must be surged into Gaza, immediately. And there must be humanitarian pauses across Gaza to allow for vaccinations and the delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
A deadly attack on southern Israel by Palestinian Hamas militants on Oct. 7, 2023, triggered Israel’s retaliation in Hamas-run Gaza, sparking a humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave. Authorities say more than 42,000 people have been killed and almost the entire population of 2.3 million displaced.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon told the council that the issue in Gaza was not a lack of aid, saying more than 1 million tons had been delivered during the past year. He accused Hamas of hijacking the humanitarian assistance.
“Israel, along with our international partners, continues to flood Gaza with aid, but it will never reach all those in need as long as Hamas remains in power,” he said. “Hamas has weaponized the humanitarian situation.”
Hamas has repeatedly denied Israeli allegations that it was stealing aid and says Israel is to blame for shortages.
‘UNCONSCIONABLE’ The UN has long complained of obstacles to getting aid into Gaza and distributing it throughout the war zone, blaming impediments on Israel and lawlessness. The UN said no food aid entered northern Gaza between Oct. 2 and Oct. 15.
“Given the abject conditions and intolerable suffering in north Gaza, the fact that access is nearly nonexistent is unconscionable,” acting UN aid chief Joyce Msuya told the council.
On Wednesday, the Israeli military unit that oversees aid and commercial shipments to Gaza said 50 trucks carrying food, water, medical supplies, and shelter equipment provided by Jordan were transferred to northern Gaza.
Ms. Msuya said that throughout Gaza less than a third of the 286 humanitarian missions coordinated with Israel during the past two weeks were facilitated without major incidents or delays.
She said that on Oct. 12 a humanitarian team reached two hospitals in northern Gaza after they were denied or impeded by Israeli forces nine times. They transferred more than a dozen critical patients to Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City.
“These missions were completed amid fierce ongoing hostilities,” said Ms. Msuya, adding that drivers in the convoy “were subjected to humiliating treatment during security screening and temporary detention” at an Israeli checkpoint.
“Medical staff kept one child alive by hand pumping oxygen for over seven hours until they made it through the checkpoint,” she said.
Mr. Danon cited the recent medical mission as an example of Israel’s “comprehensive” humanitarian efforts, adding that “as always, we acted in accordance with international law, going above and beyond our obligations.”
Mr. Danon also spoke about the start of a second round of polio vaccinations on Monday by the UN children’s agency UNICEF and the World Health Organization, targeting 590,000 children under the age of 10 during area-specific pauses in fighting. — Reuters
ROME — Italy’s parliament made it illegal on Wednesday for couples to go abroad to have a baby via surrogacy — a pet project of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party which activists say is meant to target same-sex partners.
Since taking office in 2022, Ms. Meloni has pursued a highly conservative social agenda, looking to promote what she sees as traditional family values, making it progressively harder for LGBTQ couples to become legal parents.
The upper house Senate voted into law a bill proposed by Ms. Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party by 84 votes to 58. The bill was already approved by the lower house last year.
The legislation extends a surrogacy ban already in place in Italy since 2004 to those who go to countries such as the United States or Canada, where it is legal, imposing jail terms of up to two years and fines of up to 1 million euros ($1.09 million).
“Motherhood is absolutely unique, it absolutely cannot be surrogated, and it is the foundation of our civilization,” Brothers of Italy senator Lavinia Mennuni said during the parliamentary debate.
“We want to uproot the phenomenon of surrogacy tourism.”
Earlier this year, Ms. Meloni called surrogacy an ‘inhuman’ practice that treated children as supermarket products, echoing a position expressed by the Catholic Church.
On Tuesday, demonstrators gathered near the Senate voicing their outrage at the bill, saying the government was lashing out at LGBTQ people and damaging those who wanted to have children despite the fact Italy has a sharply declining birth rate.
“If someone has a baby, they should be given a medal. Here instead you are sent to jail… if you don’t have children in the traditional way,” Franco Grillini, a long-time activist for LGBTQ rights in Italy, told Reuters at the demonstration.
Rainbow Families President Alessia Crocini said 90% of Italians who choose surrogacy are heterosexual couples but they mostly do so in secret, meaning the new ban would de facto affect only gay couples who cannot hide it.
The clampdown on surrogacy comes against the backdrop of falling birthrates, with national statistics institute ISTAT saying in March that births had dropped to a record low in 2023 — the 15th consecutive annual decline.
“This is a monstrous law. No country in the world has such a thing,” said Mr. Grillini, referring to the government’s move to prevent Italians from taking advantage of practices that are perfectly legal in some countries. — Reuters
POLICE OFFICERS walk at the scene where many people died and were injured in a stampede during a Halloween festival in Seoul, South Korea, Oct. 30, 2022. — REUTERS
SEOUL — A South Korean court ruled on Thursday that Seoul’s former police chief was not guilty of negligence in the response to a Halloween crowd crush in the capital’s Itaewon nightlife district that killed 159 revellers in 2022.
The Seoul Western District Court said it acquitted Kim Kwang-ho, the highest-ranking police official indicted for the incident, in contrast to the three-year jail term it handed the former police chief of the affected district in September.
That lower-ranking official, heading the city district where Itaewon is located, was faulted for a lack of preparation that the court said created the conditions for the crush nearly two years ago.
In the case of Kim, former head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, however, the court found “insufficient proof” that he violated his specific and direct duty of care in the run-up and preliminary response to the incident.
An association of activist groups that is demanding accountability for the incident urged the prosecution to appeal the ruling, saying it fell short of the expectations of bereaved families who wanted a tougher outcome.
Reuters could not immediately reach prosecution officials to seek comment. — Reuters
LONDON — The number of women who hold executive reins in corporate Britain has fallen for the first time in eight years in an “unacceptable” reversal that could delay gender parity for another five generations, a consultancy said on Thursday.
The Pipeline, which analyses gender diversity at senior corporate levels, said the average proportion of women on executive committees at Britain’s 350 biggest, listed companies slipped to 32% in 2024 from a revised 33% last year.
The drop appears small. But Geeta Nargund, the group’s chair, told Reuters it reflected a sharp disconnect with male numbers and urged business leaders and headhunters to use the vast pool of female talent to fill decision-making roles, fix cultures and ensure women can thrive in the workplace.
“It is unacceptable that gender representation in business leadership is moving backwards in 2024 …,” she said.
“Organizations which are performing the best in terms of gender parity are 22% more likely to have improved profits… and so fair representation is not just a ‘nice to have’ or a tick-box exercise — it is a business imperative.”
Women still hold only 9% of chief executive officer (CEO) roles on FTSE 350 companies and 18% of top finance (CFO) positions — although they account for over 44% of chartered accountant roles, The Pipeline’s 2024 Women Count report showed.
Only 19% of women hold commercial boardroom jobs — roles that are accountable for a company’s profit and loss and can lead to jobs as a CEO and CFO — according to the data, sourced from research group BoardEx. That number is down from 20% in 2023.
The latest report comes after former Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government stated last year that Britain was a leader for female representation because women held 40.2% of board positions on London’s top 350 listed companies — ahead of a 2025 deadline.
Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) also requires listed companies to appoint women to at least 40% of board positions or explain why they have missed that target.
Board positions, however, include non-executive roles that lack operational power and decision-making functions. — Reuters
Senate President Chiz Escudero, First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos and Sorsogon Gov. Edwin Hamor enjoy the performance of various groups competing in this year’s Kasanggayahan Festival, held at the newly-opened Sorsogon Sports Complex on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024.
Participants from all over the country took part in this year’s National Festival of Festivals Competition held in Sorsogon City, Sorsogon.
First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos graced the kick-off of the event that was held at the newly-constructed Sorsogon Sports Complex in the city.
In his short message, Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero thanked the First Lady for attending the event and to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. for his support to the annual competition.
“Sino mag-aakala na magkakaroon tayo ng ganitong klaseng arena kung saan makakanood tayo ng iba’t ibang kasiyahan, hindi lamang sa panahon ng Kasanggayahan, kundi sa anumang okasyon ng ating lalawigan,” said Mr. Escudero, who was governor of Sorsogon from 2019 to 2022.
Participants perform at the Kasanggayahan Festival.
The Kasanggayahan Festival is the biggest in the province and one of the highlights of the annual festivities is the National Festival of Festivals Competition.
Contingents from all over the country presented performances that highlight the unique cultural narratives and traditional practices of their respective localities.
As announced by the First Lady, President Marcos provided an additional P1 million each to the top three prizes, bringing the total amounts to P4 million for first place, P3 million for second place, and P2 million for third place.
Participants perform at the Kasanggayahan Festival.
Sorsogon is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Kasanggayahan Festival, that coincides with the 130th Founding Anniversary of the province, and the 455th commemoration of the first mass held in Luzon.
“Nagpapasalamat tayo sa naging suporta ng ating mahal na Pangulong Bongbong Marcos at kay First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos na dumalo dito sa napakahalagang okasyon sa ating minamahal na lalawigan ng Sorsogon. Talagang malayo na ang narating ng Sorsogon at sigurado ako na mas malayo pa ang mararating natin sa darating na panahon,” Mr. Escudero said.
Participants perform at the Kasanggayahan Festival.
Before the competition, Sorsoganons were treated to a concert that featured some of the country’s top artists including Sarah Geronimo, Matteo Gudicelli and Bamboo.
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Patrick Ella, economist at Sun Life Investment Management and Trust Corp.
The Philippine economy has been trending upward since experiencing a pandemic-induced decline in 2020. Growing by 5.7% in 2021, 7.6% in 2022, and 5.6% in 2023, the country’s gross domestic product is expected to continue its expansion by 5.02% to 6.17% this year.
Despite this strong economic showing, the robust performance was accompanied by inflation rates. Since peaking at 8.7% in January 2023, inflation in the country has eased considerably with headline inflation in August 2024 decreasing to 3.3%. This brings the national average inflation from January to August 2024 to 3.6% which keeps it within the government’s goal of 2% to 4% this year.
While inflation has eased, its ripple effects continue to influence not only consumer spending but investment decisions as well. Fluctuating prices can create uncertainty as businesses face increased production costs, which may affect their profit margins and stock performance.
Inflation-Proofing Investments
To help Filipino investors sustain investments in the face of inflation, Sun Life Investment Management and Trust Corp. (Sun Life Investment Management) economist Patrick Ella provides expert advice on strategies to navigate the challenges posed by rising prices. Building on the strong foundation of its well-established parent company, Sun Life of Canada (Philippines), Inc., Sun Life Investment Management is a stand-alone trust corporation duly authorized to conduct business as such by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
Serving as the Filipino’s “Partner for Life,” Sun Life Investment Management can customize inflation-proof fund management solutions according to a client’s specific objectives and requirements. Having access to a wide range of investment outlets, the trust corporation provides its clients with well-diversified portfolios suited to their preferences.
With investors aiming to protect their investments from inflation, Mr. Ella shares that one of the primary strategies is to invest in assets that provide a steady stream of returns which helps offset the eroding purchasing power caused by inflation.
“To guard against inflationary effects on investments, it’s recommended to invest in yield or income-producing assets like high-dividend stocks or income payout funds,” Mr. Ella said.
Income-producing assets are investments that generate passive income including dividends paid on shares, rental income from investment properties and real estate, bonds, and interest produced from bank accounts.
Pro Tips against Inflation Pitfalls
Additionally, Mr. Ella warned about several potential pitfalls in investing too conservatively to hedge against inflation. He added that investments that fail to outperform inflation rates can ultimately result in the diminished value of one’s savings.
“If the conservative outlet chosen does not give a meaningful return above inflation, then the net impact on the income-purchasing power of these investments is not compensating investors. So, holding cash in an inflationary environment might not be a good idea unless the cash outlet has a high yield over inflation,’ Mr. Ella said.
Furthermore, he advises investors to diversify their portfolios to minimize the impact of inflation on their overall investment returns. Mr. Ella explains that spreading investments across various high-dividend stocks can help mitigate risks associated with inflation and turn in profit despite rising prices.
“It is best to diversify the risky assets to high-dividend stocks, REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), government bonds and corporate bonds, and global funds that offer high dividend strategies and income payout,” he said.
Empowering Filipino Investors
One of Sun Life Investment Management’s core principles is risk management, which they apply through asset diversification, fundamental research and analysis of cash flows, proactive and continuous portfolio monitoring, and active fund management to ensure that their client’s wealth is protected against external shocks and provide Filipinos with confidence and peace of mind.
Hampered by inflation, the Philippine economy is still expected to remain robust due to strong consumer demand, a vibrant labor market, and high remittances. In today’s economic climate, Mr. Ella suggests several promising investment opportunities that can serve particularly as inflation protection for a brighter life.
“For now, given the backdrop of lowering interest rates, government bonds, corporate bonds, and high-quality dividend stock still offer the best outlets for the inflation-fighting investor,” he said.
In addition to these investment insights, Mr. Ella is also passionate about empowering Filipinos to make informed financial decisions. True to the missions of Sun Life Investment Management, he is dedicated to helping Filipinos effectively deploy their funds to achieve financial growth by enlightening them with sound advice, empowering them with innovative investment solutions,
“I’m passionate about investing because it gives me a constant puzzle to be solved, either a client-specific solution or a general market issue. At the moment, the Philippines is breaking to the $4,000 per capita income towards a goal of $5,000 to $7,000 level, which should put us in the camp of fast-growing middle class among global peers. Hence, helping Filipino households and savers deploy funds is even more important than ever,” he said.
With inflation easing, the Philippine economy is once again poised for continued growth in 2024. Through the help of experts like Mr. Ella and trusted brands like Sun Life Investment Management, Filipino investors can gain valuable insights and strategies to effectively ensure that their investments not only withstand inflationary pressures but also capitalize on opportunities that yield revenue.
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