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Competing Esports teams bullish of chances at The Nationals


NEXT WEEK the growing Esports scene in the country will be further enhanced with the kickoff of the first season of The Nationals — the Philippines’ first and only franchise-based Esports League.
Initially will feature five competing teams, The Nationals hopes to elevate the standing of the sport in the country that will have people viewing it as something worth investing time and effort in.
Competing in the first year of the league are Bren Epro, Cignal Ultra Warriors, HF Emperors, PLDT-Smart Omega, and Suha-XCTN Punishers. STI is the sixth team but is set to make its debut in the middle of this year.
Games to be featured on the first year of The Nationals, happening from March to October, are Dota 2 on PC, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang on Mobile, and Tekken 7 on PS4.
With less than a week since the league officially fires off on March 24, the competing teams said they are very excited and confident of their chances even as they highlighted the hugeness of The Nationals in growing the Esports scene in the country and further legitimizing it.
“The Nationals is huge for Esports in the country since it is being backed up prominent and respected groups. And the good thing about it all is that it is just the beginning,” said Jobe Nkemakolam, owner of Suha-XCTN Punishers, in an interview with BusinessWorld.
Mr. Nkemakolam, a former player with the Ateneo basketball team, said the field at The Nationals is very competitive but it would not stop them in going all out and make waves.
“All the teams in The Nationals are good. You cannot take anyone for granted. It will be a battle of strategies and all. Nothing is a sure-win I think. I believe we can compete with the rest of them,” he said.
For Bren Epro, the team is looking to its experience as a collective to propel its cause.
“We are very excited with the start of The Nationals. We are very happy that we are part of the endemic group with all the incorporators and partner teams. We have been in Esports for a much longer time than the other teams. And I think we will do good. That’s our expectation,” said Jab Escutin, Bren Epro owner, in a separate interview.
Like, Mr. Nkemakolam of Suha, Mr. Escutin also touts the setting up of a franchise-based Esports League in the Philippines.
“Coming from a company that is for Esports, we are happy that there are a lot of opportunities for the industry to grow in the Philippines, especially in making it legitimate. The Nationals is a good step for us. It’s a step in the right direction. Here we have certain rules and certain processes that we follow. Having those is big for Esports in the country. It’s a step in being recognized,” Mr. Escutin said.
On the part of the Cignal Ultra Warriors, it said it has been training hard in preparation for its campaign in The Nationals.
“We are training very hard. We have been taking care of our players, making sure they have everything they need to be able to perform well in the tournament,” said Cignal Ultra Warriors team owner Jane Basas.
The Cignal Ultra Warriors’ mobile games team is coming off a successful bid in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League — Philippines where it bagged the season 2 title.
All the games in the first season of The Nationals will be played at the Gariath Concepts Studio in Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City.
The Nationals’ official TV broadcast partners are ESPN5 through 5Plus on Free TV and Cignal TV through eGG Network and One Sports on Pay TV. Livestreaming on social media will likewise be provided by the league.
For more information on the league follow it on its Website at TheNationals.PH. It is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Lyceum-Cavite dodges upset in 2019 NBTC Nationals Seeding Round

MAC Guadana and John Barba steered Lyceum-Cavite to a 74-71 squeaker over Holy Trinity College-General Santos to start their campaign on a high note in the 2019 Chooks-to-Go NBTC League National Finals presented by SM Monday morning at SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Guadana fired 24 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals, as Barba poured 23 points, none bigger than his go-ahead bucket in the final 10 seconds, on top of seven boards and three assists as they helped the Junior Pirates avert a 22-point meltdown in the Seeding Round.
The win allowed Lyceum-Cavite to lock down the 28-seed, setting up a first round collision with 5-seed Ateneo de Manila High School in the national high school championship sponsored by Chooks-to-Go, Darlington-Exped Socks, EPSON, Huawei, Freego, Purefoods, Gatorade, Go for Gold, SM, Molten, and presented by 5Plus and Lighthouse Events.
Kyle Buen still had a shot to give the Wildcats the lead, but went way short in his floater that led to Jae Omandac sealing the deal at the free throw line.
HTC-GenSan settled for the 29-seed after the loss and will meet 4-seed San Beda.
In the other games, University of Baguio outsteadied Dolores National High School-Eastern Samar, 68-56, to claim the 27-seed; Narvacan National High School-Candon stunned Isabella Colleges-Cauayan, 80-74, to lock down the 25-seed; and Sta. Clarita International School-Iloilo fought back to frustrate Zamboanga del Sur National High School-Pagadian, 99-88, to clinch the 26-seed.The 2019 Chooks-to-Go NBTC League National Finals presented by SM will feature 32 teams composed of league champions, perennial contenders, regional titlists, and a record-six international teams.
The week-long tournament from March 18 to 24 will be free of admission, with fans needing just a valid ID to enter the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The tournament semis and finals, alongside the annual All-Star Game, will be aired live on ESPN5. All games, from the seeding round to the championship round, will also be streamed live over at tv5.espn.com.

Thiem topples ‘legend’ Federer to claim first Masters 1000 title

INDIAN WELLS — Dominic Thiem claimed his first Masters 1000 title after coming from a set down to defeat Roger Federer 3-6 6-3 7-5 and win the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday in Indian Wells.
Momentum swung in Thiem’s favor in the deciding set when he smacked a forehand winner down the line to break Federer and take a 6-5 lead.
The Austrian fell on his back and covered his face with his hands when Federer, who had been bidding for a record sixth Indian Wells title and 101st tournament victory, netted on match point.
The 25-year-old Thiem, who will rise four places to a career-high world number four on Monday, paid tribute to his opponent.
“It is such a pleasure to compete with you, to learn so much from you, and to play with one of the biggest legends of all time,” he told the 20-times Grand Slam champion during the trophy presentation ceremony.
“I feel like it’s not my right to congratulate you, you have 88 more titles than me, so I’m just hoping you play more and we can have some other big finals,” he said with a laugh.
Federer was gracious in defeat after falling in the final in the Southern California desert for a second consecutive year.
“It has been a great week for me even though it didn’t work out today,” he said.
“What a great week for Dominic. Wonderful playing at the very end and throughout the week. You deserve it.”
Federer raced to an early lead, winning the first three games before wrapping up the first set in the Southern California desert.
But baseline specialist Thiem kept his composure and levelled the match in the second, gaining traction by extending rallies and unleashing a torrent of high-kicking serves to keep Federer off balance.
Federer’s own serve lost some of its bite in the crucial game in the third set with the score tied at 5-5.
“The game he broke me I didn’t serve very well, so I think he took advantage of that fact,” said Federer, who was not overly down about the defeat.
“I just got my 100 (career title) in Dubai and I had a good week here,” the 37-year-old said.
“Really there is no reason to get down. Plus there is more to look forward to in Miami.”
Thiem will also play in Miami, hoping to complete the “Sunshine Double” with a victory there after his Indian Wells win. — Reuters

Teener stuns Kerber to win Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS — Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu stunned three-times Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber 6-4 3-6 6-4 to win the BNP Paribas Open and capture her first career title in Indian Wells on Sunday.
Andreescu used creative and aggressive shot-making to defeat the German despite suffering with a troublesome right shoulder and leg cramps on a hot and sunny day in the Southern California desert.
The 18-year-old dropped her racket and fell on her back when Kerber hit a backhand into the net on match point to deliver the tournament wildcard the victory.
“It wasn’t an easy match. It was one of the toughest matches I’ve ever played,” she said in an on-court interview. “It’s so incredible.” — Reuters

Timely confidence

Considering Rory McIlroy’s recent travails with the lead and only the fourth round between him and a podium finish, it was to his advantage that he began his last day at the Players Championship out of the final pairing. After all, he had hitherto failed to win from such a position in his last nine opportunities. And, for good measure, he began yesterday’s 18 a mere stroke behind frontrunner John Rahm. In other words, he was in a good place mentally, and he just needed to trust his swing in order to live up to expectations.
It’s easier said than done, to be sure — and perhaps especially for Mr. McIlroy, whose singular talent in the eyes of many should have already netted him many more than the 24 trophies on his mantel. Not that he proved inconsistent with a club in his hand; in his last five starts prior to the Players Championship, he managed to finish no worse than sixth. On the contrary, it was precisely because he looked automatic out on the course that his relative lack of hardware seemed inappropriate. And he had his chances; he teed off in the final group on Day Four thrice in those same five starts, only to walk off empty-handed.
Under the circumstances, McIlroy cannot but be delighted in his performance. An up-and-down round had him a stroke behind red-hot Jim Furyk after the 14th, and he seemed to make his standing worse with an errant tee shot. Coming in, however, he was nothing short of golden. On the next two holes, he claimed birdies off an outstanding bunker shot from 180 feet out and a whopping 347-yard drive, the longest of the final round. He then capped his effort with pars on the tricky island-green 17th and dangerous 18th. With the outcome on the line, he managed to forge ahead and, more importantly, stay ahead.
No doubt, the outcome figures to provide McIlroy with timely confidence. The Masters is up next, and his solid showing under pressure at TPC Sawgrass is just what he needed to silence critics questioning his capacity to contend for a fifth major title. It’s also what he needed to hold the demons inside him at bay. As he noted in the aftermath of his triumph, “to step up and make those good swings, it’s very satisfying knowing that it’s in there when it needs to be.” And with Augusta slated to play similarly, he should be the favorite to win and finally forge a career grand slam. “I’m playing some of the best golf of my life.” Enough said.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Peso ends flat vs dollar

Peso Dollar
THE PESO closed unchanged ahead of central bank meetings.

THE PESO closed flat against the dollar on Monday amid “strong” appetite for the US currency despite trading weaker overnight.
The local unit closed Monday’s session at P52.65 versus the greenback, flat from Friday’s close.
The peso opened the session stronger at P52.63 per dollar, slipping to as low as P52.72 intraday. Meanwhile, its best showing for the day stood at P52.62 against the greenback.
Trading volume thinned to $846.4 million from the $976.4 million that switched hands the previous session.
A foreign exchange trader said Monday’s trading was “very quiet” as the pair traded within a 10-cent range.
“We saw a weak dollar overnight. We’re supposed to move higher, but this is the evidence that there’s a strong desire to buy dollars despite weakening versus other currencies in the region,” the trader said in a phone interview.
Reuters reported that the dollar index edged down 0.1% to 96.481 against a basket of currencies, as weak manufacturing data increased bets that the US Federal Reserve will trim borrowing costs this year.
Meanwhile, another trader said the peso closed flat despite being “generally weaker” intraday amid “dovish” expectations ahead of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) policy meeting.
In a BusinessWorld poll, 10 out of 13 analysts expect the central bank to keep its benchmark rates steady during its review later this week as they may need more inflation data points before trimming rates.
Apart from this, the second trader said the peso closed flat amid “increasing concerns of a global growth slowdown after a slew of weaker economic data from the US last week.”
For today, the first trader expects the peso to move between P52.55 and P52.80 versus the dollar, while the other gave a P52.55-P52.75 range.
“The local currency might further weaken on market positioning amid likely pivotal policy cues from the BSP and the US Federal Reserve meetings this week,” the second trader noted. — K.A.N. Vidal

Stocks jump ahead of Federal Reserve’s review

By Arra B. Francia, Reporter
STOCKS jumped on Monday as investors awaited the US Federal Reserve’s policy meeting this week.
The 30-member Philippine Stock Exchange index firmed up 0.95% or 74.74 points to close at 7,873.02, reversing the losses seen in morning trading. The broader all-shares index likewise gained 0.67% or 32.39 points to 4,845.42.
“The Fed watch, US-China trade news kept the market cautiously at bay this week as investors carefully bought into selective names today,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Managing Director Luis A. Limlingan said in a mobile phone message on Monday.
Eagle Equities, Inc. Research Head Christopher John Mangun noted the same, saying the index ended higher alongside other Asian markets.
“Asian equities pulled ahead today on the growing speculation that the US Federal Reserve will sound dovish at its policy meeting this week,” Mr. Mangun said in an e-mail on Monday.
Analysts expect the US Federal Reserve to cut their interest rate forecasts this year, which means little to no further tightening in 2019. The US central bank’s two-day policy meeting will start on March 19.
The Fed’s policy meeting will be followed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ Monetary Board’s own review on Thursday.
A BusinessWorld poll showed 10 of 13 economists predicting that the Monetary Board will keep benchmark interest rates steady on Thursday as headline inflation has been declining in the previous months.
Mr. Mangun added that seeing as the index closed near the 7,900 resistance level, it may bounce off and edge lower on Tuesday.
“However, a break above 7,900 is bullish and may give investors some optimism. Trading volumes are still below average,” he said.
The PSEi also trailed off Wall Street’s advance last Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.54% or 138.93 points to 25,848.87. The S&P 500 index rose 0.5% or 14 points to 2,822.48, while the Nasdaq Composite index increased 0.76% or 57.62 points to 7,688.53.
Back home, services was the lone sector that ended in negative territory, dropping 0.25% or 4.08 points to 1,575.
The rest went up, led by mining and oil which soared 1.37% or 111.60 points to 8,247.37. Holding firms rose 1.33% or 102.17 points to 7,775.64; property gained 1.11% or 44.06 points to 4,013.95; financials increased 0.75% or 13.28 points to 1,784.09; while industrials added 0.66% or 77.33 points to 11,633.66.
Some 1.70 billion issues valued at P5.32 billion switched hands, significantly lower than Friday’s P20.79-billion turnover.
Advancers outpaced decliners by a hair, 94 to 93, while 54 names were unchanged.
Foreign investors remained net buyers at P406.76 million, although lower than the previous session’s net purchases worth P1.81 billion.

Poe keeps lead in poll; Bong Go jumps to 3rd place

CANDIDATES aligned with President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s administration, as well as a number of independent candidates continued to dominate Pulse Asia’s latest senatorial poll which reelectionist Senator Grace Poe continued to lead.
The noncommissioned survey, conducted Feb. 24-28, showed Ms. Poe maintaining her lead from Pulse Asia’s Jan. 26-31 survey, and still followed by fellow reelectionist Cynthia A. Villar of the Nacionalista Party.
Mr. Duterte’s aide, Christopher Lawrence T. Go, jumped to third place in the February survey from eighth last January. The other candidate associated with Mr. Duterte, former National Police chief Ronald M. Dela Rosa, leapt to 7th place in February from 15th place last January.
Completing the top six are reelectionist Juan Edgardo M. Angara and former senators Manuel M. Lapid and Pia S. Cayetano.
Mr. Dela Rosa leads the latter six top placers, followed by reelectionist Nancy S. Binay (8th place), former senator Ramon Revilla Jr. (10th place), Ilocos Norte Governor Imee R. Marcos (11th place), and reelectionist Aquilino Martin L. Pimentel III (12th place).
Former senator Manuel A. Roxas II is the lone oppositionist in the Top 12, occupying 9th place.
At the tailend, former senator Jose P. Ejercito Jr. ranks between 10th and 15th place, and fellow administration ally Francis N. Tolentino is between 11th and 15th place.
“Virtually the same percentages of Filipino voters are ambivalent about whom to elect as senator (1.1%), refuse to identify their preferred senatorial candidates (1.6%), or do not express support for any of the candidates running for senator (1.0%) in the coming May 2019 elections,” Pulse Asia said.

Palace: No need for Department of Water

MALACAÑANG ON Monday thumbed down the suggestion of Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia that there should be a Department of Water “that would centralize all activities having to do with water resource.”
“Hindi kailangan iyon (That is not needed),” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said at a news conference at the Palace on Monday.
“Eh ‘yung problema nga na ‘yun nagawan na nila ng paraan (They were able to find a solution to the problem). They created their own problem; they created their own solution. It’s purely inefficiency, mismanagement,” he added, referring to the Manila Water Company, Inc.
Mr. Panelo said further the draft Executive Order (EO) to address the water shortage in Metro Manila will be ready “any time this week or the week after.”
In a social media post on March 14, Mr. Pernia said: “It’s a real shame [that] we have a Dept. of Energy, which is important, but we utterly lack an Apex body — a Dept. of Water — to ensure water supply and distribution — an indispensable VITAL need. ‘Water is life.’ As the age-old saying goes, ‘Ok lang kung walang ilaw, basta lang may tubig!’ (It is okay if we do not have lights, as long as we have water).”
The proposed EO, according to Mr. Panelo, was “still being processed and finalized.”
“I have a personal suggestion: I think we should really put reservoir in all cities of this country, as well as in provinces. It’s very easy to build reservoir. I cannot even understand why we’re not doing that,” he added.
Last Sunday, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles said a draft EO may place the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), which will be tasked to integrate all government efforts pertaining to water, under the Office of the President (OP).
“Among the provisions of the proposed EO is the reconstitution of the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) into a body that will be responsible for policy, direction-setting, and the integration of all government efforts pertaining to water,” he said in a statement.
The body, according to Mr. Nograles, “may be placed under the supervision of the Office of the President.”
The NWRB is currently under the supervision of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) by virtue of EO No. 123 s. 2002.
“Given the scope and breadth of water-related concerns, the supervision of OP could help ensure that all 30-plus agencies involved in water resource management are on the same page,” Mr. Nograles explained.
One of the responsibilities of the NWRB, he also said, “would be the crafting of a national water management master plan.” — Arjay L. Balinbin

Crimes against Chinese on the rise — watchdog

KIDNAPPINGS AND other crimes related to gambling and victimizing Chinese nationals are on the rise, warned a citizens watchdog in a recent statement.
“Crimes related to casino or online gambling are on the rise. They no longer just result in torture and extortions but also…kidnapping, suicides and outright homicide and murders,” the Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO) said in a statement on March 11.
According to the group, the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has “recorded 15 victims of casino-related kidnapping incidents in 2018, and eight victims in the first two months of 2019.”
“This averages two victims a month, but MRPO reports that easily, five times more cases go unreported and therefore, undocumented by the AKG,” MRPO said.
“The incidents proliferate in geometric progression the past few years. The main problem is, very rarely do the victims file a case or pursue a case even if already filed.”
“The Tsinoy community likewise reports several cases of casino-related suicides, which apparently, are not reported to the police. Some of the victims were reportedly invited to work in the Philippines but before they start to work, they were enticed to gamble first to learn the ropes,” said MRPO.
The group added, “Unable to pay for the losses, they are then kept in a safe house, beaten and tortured until their families pay off. But a few victims decide to jump off tall buildings to spare their families the agony of paying off debts that their family cannot afford to pay.”
MRPO also said, “Despite the non-cooperation of the victims, the PNP, especially its Anti-Kidnapping Group, has been assiduous in doing their jobs although in most circumstances, it ends up being a waste of resources, manpower, time and effort when victims refuse to pursue the cases filed against malefactors.”
Among the cases cited by MRPO is that of Kate Liu, who “was abducted on Jan. 25, 2018 and was brought to a resort in Ternate, Cavite.”
“The suspects allegedly recommended her to act as an interpreter and picked her up from her residence to meet the client. Instead of proceeding to the nearby Solaire Hotel in Manila, she was brought to a Cavite resort, where she was able to seek help from the Filipino resort manager. The suspects escaped, but these were the same suspects who took Shi Guangdi, a student, just the week before (Jan. 16, 2018) Liu’s abduction.”
“Shi Guangdi paid P2 million ransom. Unfortunately, he left and returned to China even before AKG was able to file the case at the prosecutor’s office. The information from his case led to the arrest of the suspects in Liu’s kidnapping. The case is ongoing.”
MRPO proposed that the PNP, through AKG, establish a standard operating procedure (SOP) with the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Immigration to deport suspects arrested in casino-related kidnappings in instances where cases do not prosper in court.
The organization also proposed that the AKG seek the cooperation of the Chinese embassy to get data about suspects from China, especially to identify the accounts they use for money transfer.
Sought for comment, PNP Spokesperson Senior Supt. Bernard M. Banac said in a statement:
“The recent series of arrest of Chinese gang men involved in this activity is testament to the relentless effort of the PNP to check on these people.
“Although the crime involves Chinese victims and Chinese suspects, the fact that the crimes were committed in PHL soil makes the PNP duty bound to address these cases and serve the ends of justice regardless of who are involved.
“Despite the challenges, the PNP remains committed to its mandate to enforce the law, prevent online gaming crimes, and respond to reported incidents mainly thru the efforts of AKG, CIDG, IG and other operating units. In coordination with our international counterparts, we are seeking better and more effective ways to be one step ahead of mostly Chinese syndicates that prey on their fellow Chinese in a criminal scheme starting from an apparent harmless usury that eventually ends up to kidnapping for ransom incidents.” — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

Palace: PHL to take US cue on ICC

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
THE Philippine government will follow the United States’ policy on “denying or revoking” visas for members of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Malacañang said on Monday.
“Kasama lahat ‘yun (That will all be part [of the policy]),” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said at a news conference at the Palace on Monday when asked if the Philippine government, like the US, will also “deny or revoke” visas for ICC members who will pursue an actual investigation on President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s drug war.
“That includes everything to stop them from committing any acts that will be violative of our laws,” he added.
Citing news reports last Sunday, Mr. Panelo said: “I think the US State Department warn[ed] the personnel and staff of the ICC [that] if they pursue their investigations of certain heads of state of other countries, they will not be given or… their visas will not be renewed because as far as the US government is concerned, it (the ICC) is politically persecuting those subject of investigation.”
Mr. Panelo said ICC members can still visit the country as “tourists,” but they will be “deported” if they begin gathering data and interviewing persons in relation to the complaint about Mr. Duterte’s nationwide war on drugs campaign.
“Well, they can come here as guests, visitors. Puwede yun (that is allowed); pero (but) any move that will be deemed as a violation of our laws, eh may problema sila dun (they will have a problem),” he also said.
The ICC investigators, Mr. Panelo further said, “cannot undertake anything in connection with jurisdictional exercise on what they have in mind because that’s in violation of our laws.”
“We will not allow any attempt at interfering with the sovereignty of this country,” he added.
Mr. Panelo also maintained that the ICC has “never acquired jurisdiction over our country for the reason that… the requirement of publication imposed by law is not observed.”
He said there has to be a publication of the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, in a newspaper of general circulation or the Official Gazette.
He then said that “even if there was ratification by Congress or by the Senate on that particular subject, still a law cannot be enforced unless you comply with the requirement.”
At the same briefing, Mr. Panelo said the reported extrajudicial killings (EJKs) have no impact on the confidence of foreign investors who want to do business in the Philippines.
According to the President’s spokesman, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia, and Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez have said the issue of human rights violations or extrajudicial killis has “never” been raised “during their meetings with investors and other conferences relative to the business investments [in] this country.”
He also claimed that foreign direct investment inflows to the Philippines have already increased. “If you compare that to the previous administration, ang laki ng ating nakuhang (we got so much) investment[s] from the foreign side,” he said.
For their part, a delegation of international lawyers urged President Rodrigo R. Duterte and his administration to avoid attacking lawyers publicly to stop extrajudicial killing and killings of lawyers.
“President Duterte and his administration should refrain from publicly attacking lawyers and instead publicly condemn all attacks against lawyer, prosecutors, and judges at all levels and in strong terms,” the lawyers recommended in their preliminary findings on the killing of lawyers in the Philippines.
It has been reported that at least 37 members of the legal profession have been killed due to exercise of their duties since Mr. Duterte assumed office in June 2016.
The latest lawyer killed is Rex Jasper Lopoz who was gunned down in Tagum City, Davao del Norte last March 13.
The lawyers also said that the government should “put an end to the practice of red-tagging and end public disclosure of drug lists.” — with Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Chedeng may weaken into an LPA as it crosses Mindanao

TROPICAL DEPRESSION Chedeng brought moderate to heavy rains in the Caraga and Davao regions on Monday, prompting several local government units to declare the suspension of classes until at least Tuesday. Weather bureau PAGASA said in its 5 p.m. advisory on Monday that similar weather conditions are expected on Tuesday in parts of the regions of Davao, SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato-Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani-General Santos City), Bangsamoro, and Zamboanga Peninsula. PAGASA also said Chedeng is likely to make landfall over the eastern coast of Davao Oriental Tuesday morning and “is expected to weaken into a Low Pressure Area (LPA) while crossing Mindanao.” The Davao Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has raised a blue alert status, a level that means at least half of the personnel of government and other related agencies have to be at their posts, ready for the roll-out of response programs. Class suspensions were ordered in several towns and cities, including Maco, Mabini, Pantukan, Mawab, Nabunturan, maragusan and New Bataan in Compostela Valley province; Tagum, Samal, and Panabo cities in Davao del Norte; Mati City in Davao Oriental; and Davao City, among others.

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