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After Mount Apo, female mountaineer sets sights on world’s tallest Everest

AFTER conquering the 9,262-ft Mount Apo in just six hours, 27-year-old Filipina mountaineer Carla Kaya Tumaliuan is setting her sights next on Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain.
To be physically prepared for the Everest climb, Ms. Tumaliuan trains herself through regular climbs, crampons training, bouldering, running, and practices of her knot-tying skills. As part of her training, she did a trail run at the country’s highest peak with her two friends and their guide.
Ms. Tumaliuan’s admiration of nature’s unadulterated beauty and her desire to share it with others inspired her to become a mountaineer. During her Mount Apo hike, she reached the summit through geothermal company Energy Development Corp.’s (EDC) Executive Trail, which passes through EDC’s geothermal reservation.
“To be honest, it was the best climb and the best trail I ever had. I did not expect the trail to be that beautiful. I really saw how EDC took care of the trail and preserved the nature there. I was in awe even of the tree nursery they have there. I would like to climb again using the same trail,” Ms. Tumaliuan said.
“I am really grateful towards the Kidapawan Tourism Office, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and EDC. All of them helped make our climb possible, and they all cheered us on during the climb,” she added.
Ms. Tumaliuan also shared that while her training is exhausting, the financial aspect of her preparation is equally challenging. She is currently looking for groups and individuals to help support her Everest bid.
“Climbing Everest is every mountaineer’s dream. I’m not asking sponsors to just support me. In sponsoring my Everest bet, I want to share my blessings by sending children to school and to complete their studies. If I can make it to Everest, I hope these kids can feel like they can achieve anything,” she said.
For parties interested to provide logistical and financial support to help Kaya Tumaliuan’s training and Mt. Everest climb, contact her at (0999) 524 6736 or itsmekayathegreat@gmail.com.

Harden’s 30-pt. streak ends as Rockets beat Hawks

LOS ANGELES — James Harden and Chris Paul combined for 48 points and the host Houston Rockets withstood a career night from Atlanta Hawks rookie guard Trae Young in their 119-111 win on Monday.
Harden had his streak of consecutive 30-point games come to an end at 32, posting 28 points despite finishing 0 for 10 on 3-pointers. Harden had an opportunity to pursue an extension of the streak, the second-longest in league history, but he dribbled out the clock with the win secure.
Paul added 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds and carried the Rockets to a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter with a show of force down the stretch of the third.
Four other Houston Rockets player scored in double figures, with Eric Gordon scoring 16 off the bench after being replaced in the starting lineup by Kenneth Faried (13 points, 10 rebounds, two blocked shots).
Young paired 36 points on 8-of-12 shooting from 3-point range with eight assists. The Hawks shot 17 of 38 from deep, with three others joining Young by making multiple treys. Forward John Collins chipped in 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Hawks.
Despite shooting the lights out in the first quarter, the Rockets never seized complete control of the contest.
Houston finished six of 11 from deep in the opening frame, but the Hawks shot six of 10 on treys. And despite Harden and Paul combining for 16 points and the Rockets converting 61.9% of their overall shot attempts, their 11-point lead entering the second quarter felt tenuous.
Young was the reason. Atlanta trailed by as many as 12 points in the second before Young sparked a comeback with 12 points in the period. His 3-pointer pulled the Hawks even at 56-56 with 3:29 left in the half, and Young added two free throws at the 2:03 mark for a two-point lead.
CONLEY, GRIZZLIES SNAP SKID WITH WIN OVER LAKERS
Mike Conley scored 30 points and the Memphis Grizzlies ended a four-game losing streak with a 110-105 win against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points and 13 rebounds, Avery Bradley scored 15, and Joakim Noah finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for Memphis.
LeBron James had 24 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, Brandon Ingram scored 32 points, and Kyle Kuzma finished with 22 points for the Lakers, who went 0-2 on the brief road trip.
James — who became the first player in NBA history to move into the top 10 in both career assists and career points — scored on a fast break with a minute left, but missed the free throw on the potential three-point play to keep the deficit at 105-103. The Grizzlies shot 5-for-8 from the free throw line over the final 40 seconds, but the Lakers couldn’t pull any closer.
Memphis, which came in last in the NBA in scoring at 100.8 points a game, had 61 points and a five-point lead at the half.
As they did in the second quarter, the Lakers managed to pull back into a tie with Memphis during the third, but couldn’t regain a lead they lost in the final minutes of the opening quarter.
Neither team scored the first three-plus minutes of the fourth before Noah’s dunk gave Memphis an 89-81 lead with 8:44 left.
The start of the game featured 12 lead changes through the first 5:45. Neither team led by more than four until Conley sank a 3-pointer for a five-point lead with 8.8 seconds left in the first quarter, and the Grizzlies took a 34-31 advantage into the second.
76ERS BARELY HOLD OFF PELICANS
Tobias Harris scored 29 as the visiting Philadelphia 76ers held on to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 111-110 on Monday night.
After Julius Randle scored on a dunk to pull New Orleans within one point with 10.9 seconds left, Philadelphia’s Jonathon Simmons missed two free throws with 9.7 seconds to go, giving the Pelicans a chance to take the lead. However, Jimmy Butler got a hand on E’Twaun Moore’s 3-point attempt, forcing a miss just before the buzzer.
The 76ers led by 17 points early in the second half.
JJ Redick added 16 points, Ben Simmons had 14 points and 12 rebounds, Mike Scott scored 12 points, and Butler had 11 points for the 76ers. Boban Marjanovic contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds before being helped from the court after sustaining a knee injury late in the fourth quarter.
Sixers All-Star Center Joel Embiid sat out his third consecutive game to rest a sore left knee.
Jrue Holiday led the Pelicans with 22 points, and Randle had 19 points and 14 rebounds. Anthony Davis, who returned to the lineup after sitting out a 128-115 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers to rest Saturday night, had 18 points, and Elfrid Payton added 10 points and 14 assists.
Butler made consecutive jumpers to give Philadelphia a 110-100 lead with 2:48 left, but New Orleans scored four straight points.
Holiday’s 3-pointer cut the margin to three, and the Pelicans had two chances to get closer, but Holiday committed a turnover and then missed a 3-point attempt with 45.7 seconds left.
After a missed 3-point try by Harris, New Orleans got the ball back with 20.8 seconds remaining.
After Holiday made one of two free throws, Harris did the same with 16.4 seconds left, setting up the late-game drama. — Reuters

The road taken

The Philippine national men’s basketball team ended its campaign in the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers with a positive result, earning for the country a return trip to the quadrennial basketball spectacle later this year.
While the World Cup spot was achieved by the skin of its teeth, not as an automatic entry but by being the best fourth-placed team and with some help from the basketball gods (read: Korea), we will take it, more so for how difficult the road was for Gilas Pilipinas.
Plagued with the perennial problem of limited time to prepare, Gilas still had it solid in the first round of the qualifiers, recording a 4-2 record, second in Group B and earning a ticket to the next round.
Along the way some unfortunate events happened.
There was Kiefer Ravena being suspended for more than a year after some banned substances were found in the supplement he was taking.
Then there was the infamous brawl between Gilas and Australia in the third window in July in Bulacan that nearly wiped out the Philippine team’s roster because of the suspensions meted by FIBA after, including on coach Chot Reyes.
Heading into the second round, the team had to recalibrate behind new coach Yeng Guiao and practically a new set of players.
The team had it rough in the next two windows of the qualifiers in September and November-December, winning just one match out of four to lose some ground in the race.
Among the losses was back-to-back against Iran and Kazakhstan in the sixth window here at home, which forced Gilas to tinker with missing out on the World Cup altogether heading into the sixth final window this month.
With so much pressure on its back, Gilas dug deep and made things happen in their last two away games in the qualifiers against Qatar on Feb. 21 and Kazakhstan on Feb. 24.
Showing much determination and aggressiveness, the Philippines defeated Qatar, 84-46, and then Kazakhstan, 93-75.
The twin victories pushed Gilas’ record to 7-5, which in itself still hung precariously, no thanks to a lower quotient, until Korea gave our cause a helping hand by defeating Lebanon in their final game that sent the latter to a 6-6 card and giving the Philippines passage into the World Cup.
Following their Asian Qualifiers campaign, Gilas members heaved a huge sigh of relief, which we cannot blame them for.
I mean, at the end there was little room for error for them and there they were standing, far from unscathed, yes, but triumphant nonetheless.
After going through the kind of qualifiers it had, I expect Gilas to come out a better team heading into the World Cup.
So much lessons to draw from the road it took and so does inspiration to provide motor for the team moving forward.
Congratulations, Gilas! To the World Cup we go!
 
Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld reporter covering the Sports beat.
msmurillo@bworldonline.com

30-point games

James Harden’s remarkable streak of 30-point games came to an end yesterday, but he couldn’t have cared less. It didn’t matter that he was just a bucket short of extending the run to 33 games, second in National Basketball Association history to the 65 put up by offensive anomaly Wilt Chamberlain in another era. As far as he was concerned, the fact that the Rockets won was most important. A setback in familiar confines against the supposedly hapless Hawks would have put a crimp on their plan to claim homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
If anything, Harden coming close to keeping the streak alive was no small feat. When he reported back to the scorer’s table with a little over nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, he had only 17 points to his name. And because the Rockets were then merely up by four, he couldn’t very well operate outside the system in order to get the additional 13. Still, he had ample opportunity to do so given his ball-dominant role. And while he did manage to put up 11, he could have had more; he missed two three-point tries, a layup, and a free throw, not to mention committed two turnovers.
Perhaps Harden would have been less errant had he not played through a neck injury. His trademark step back jumper was certainly off; he wound up with zero made treys off 10 attempts en route to a seven-of-21 clip on aggregate. In any case, the Rockets prevailed, leading to his positive outlook in the aftermath. Not so fortunate was another James who suited up some 500 miles northeast. When the night was done, the four-time Most Valuable Player christened LeBron endured yet another disappointing loss against opponents the Lakers were pegged to overcome handily.
James proved less than efficient during his time on the court as well, but, unlike Harden, he did not have the benefit of victory to consider his outing a success, anyway. More likely, he was pondering failure of a greater magnitude. After all, he, too, had streaks on the line; not since the turn of the decade had he missed the Finals, and not since 2005 had he missed the postseason altogether. True, the Lakers still have 22 games to make up ground on the Clippers and Kings in order to book the last slot to the playoffs. Then again, they’re nowhere near to displaying the form they require to complete the task.
At the start of the season, James preached patience and understanding of the Lakers’ position as not-quite-ready-for-primetime players. He has also gone on record to argue that he no longer needs to prove anything. Make no mistake, though; he doesn’t care for all the losing. Nobody does, really, but, of course, nobody else has his legacy to protect. Not Harden, not Chamberlain (Joel Embiid’s protestations notwithstanding), and not his younger self.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Notte and nice

By Kap Maceda Aguila

SEVENTY-five-year-old scooter brand Vespa has long reached iconic status around the world for its distinctive design and performance. One of seven mobility companies owned by Piaggio & Co. SpA, the brand has never shied away from evolving.
This and more we gleaned from our exclusive interview with Gianluca Fiume, general director of Piaggio Vietnam and executive vice-president for the company’s two-wheel business in Asia Pacific, who on Feb. 21 was in Manila to introduce the Notte variants of Vespa Sprint and GTS. Mr. Fiume talks about “a magic combination of software and hardware” which come together in every Vespa product.
A perfect positioning is a 360-degree proposal which encompasses and conveys both the physical and ideological values that Vespa represents. He welcomes the challenges and demands of a fickle, discriminating market. “It is always stimulating us, and I’m always trying to learn from the situation.”
This is exactly the case with the special edition Notte variants of the 150cc Vespa Sprint and 300cc Vespa GTS Super. The Italian word for “night,” the Notte is rendered predominantly in black and “pairs the beautiful new opaque black of the chassis with numerous glossy black details, including the mirrors, the ornaments of the classic ‘tie’ on the front shield, the handlebar ends, the passenger handle and the extractable foot pegs of the GTS Super Notte.” In addition to these details are a dedicated saddle and plate with logo on the rear shield. Even the rims and muffler guard of the edition are rendered in glossy black.
The Hanoi, Vietnam-based Mr. Fiume said these special editions show that the brand is not averse to change, and that it listens to its customers. Vespa embraces the challenge to “improve the riding experience through advanced two-wheel solutions.”
Though it would probably be easier for the scooter brand and its siblings to rest on their laurels and simply trot out formulaic releases, the executive talks of an inevitable march forward — while never losing sight of what makes the marques click. “We must convey [their] DNA,” he declared. “Vespa is an icon — a fashion show on the street. . . Piaggio is commuting, Moto Guzzi is long riding, Aprilia is racing.” Linking these names together are history — 130 years of Piaggio, 75 years of Vespa, and close to half a century of Moto Guzzi and Aprilia.
Overseeing the Vietnamese market and the larger Asia Pacific territory to which it belongs is also about defying expectations. Typically, the regional headquarters of large brands are located in places such as Singapore. “Eleven years ago, we set up our direct presence in Vietnam,” related Fiume. “We proudly built an engine plant and a vehicle development plan, along with research and development center and department. At that time, our shareholders decided Vietnam to become the hub for all Asia-Pacific markets. We consider that by doing this, we pioneer the market also [while] transcending the traditional business model. You rarely find companies that establish their own hub in Vietnam.”
Then again, the country ranks second overall in Vespa’s market — surpassed only by Italy itself. But owing to its growth potential, Mr. Fiume predicts Vietnam to eventually assume sales leadership in two years.
He observed a clear fit between the Vietnamese riders and the brand. The executive sees them as “sophisticated from a technical point of view,” and the company actually leverages the learnings it derives from being in such a dynamic market. Being there thus helps Vespa evolve functionally — changes that have been adopted worldwide because, well, they make sense.
Filipinos are sophisticated, knowledgeable riders as well, with more males at the handlebars. And just as one would correctly guess, the onerous traffic situation in Manila lends itself to greater prospects in terms of industry prospects.
Overall, the Asia-Pacific market has a young and growing population base which also augurs well for companies doing business here. Mr. Fiume shared that the average European rider is 47 years old; compare that to Asia-Pacific customers averaging 31 years. And to this younger market, the Vespa stands as a luxury brand — a badge of honor that they’ve arrived at the scene.
“We are lucky because our brands are full of emotions. Therefore, I’m here to sell emotions. In order to sell emotion, every touchpoint of our business model formula must convey the best,” said Fiume. And at the very end at whichever market or demographic is the same goal. “We want to delight, entertain, wow our customer. It’s as simple as that.”
The Italians would be first to agree that Vespa is about delivering value and emotions; moving both the physical person as well as stirring his or her passion.

Own the ‘night’

Vespa 5
Vespa GTS 300 Super Notte

THE Vespa Notte (“notte” is Italian for “night”) is the special series available for the 150cc version of the Vespa Sprint) and the 300cc variant of the Vespa GTS Super — meaning two of the most recent large-frame Vespa scooters.
Fittingly, the Notte versions are marked by an opaque black chassis combined with numerous gloss-black details, such as the mirrors, ornaments of the classic “tie” on the front shield, the handlebar ends, the passenger handle, and the extractable foot pegs of the GTS Super Notte. The scooters’ wheels and muffler guards are also in gloss-black.
The Sprint Notte is powered by an air-cooled, four-stroke, single-cylinder 150cc engine with electronic fuel injection and a three-valve head. The engine makes 13hp at 7,750rpm and 12.8Nm at 6,500rpm, an output Vespa assured is enough for “particularly lively acceleration” given the light weight of the scooter.
The Vespa GTS 300 Super Notte has a four-stroke, four-valve, liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine with electronic fuel injection. It puts out 21hp at 7,750rpm and 22 Nm at 5,000 rpm. These figures, Vespa said, ensure “prompt acceleration and particularly brilliant performance, making the large frame special version Vespa the perfect vehicle to move about comfortably both in city traffic and for outdoor travel.”

Audi Q5 2.0 TDI: Executive chic in award-winning mid-size package

Text and photos by Kap Maceda Aguila

MUCH fanfare has surrounded the enthroning of the Q8 as Audi’s preeminent SUV. Supplanting the Q7, the mid-size Q8 is imagined by the Ingolstadt-based premium car maker as “[uniting] the elegance of a four-door luxury coupe with the practical versatility of a large SUV than can be used for both business and leisure.”
Perhaps lost in the powerplay between the two perfectly executed vehicles is the Q5. The approximate midpoint in heft for Audi may not hold the limelight or command center-stage importance, but I sincerely believe it behooves car buyers to take an earnest look at it if they’re perusing the price point. Consumer Reports concurs that it is “one of the best choices among compact luxury SUVs.”
Additionally, Kelley Blue Book, the California-based auto valuation and research company, gave the Q5 the Luxury SUV Best Buy award last year, and its inaugural 2019 Compact Luxury SUV Best Buy plum — a unanimous first pick in the latter.
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• The Q5 is blessed with an exterior profile and sheet work that exude confidence in a businesslike manner. It doesn’t struggle to get your attention; it just does. The four rings seated on the trapezoidal grille are pretty much you need. Flanked on both ends by smart-looking headlamp assemblies marked by DRLs (and we know that Audi helped pioneer this safety innovation), the front fascia is just an eyeful without it being gaudy.
• From the side, the Q5’s character line extends seamlessly from headlamp to tail lamp, passing above the door handles. A crimp on the lower part of the doors imbues a sexy, dynamic characteristic.
• It would also please buyers to know that the Q5 has been awarded five stars in the Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Program), which ranks it among the safest in its class in terms of occupant protection, child safety, pedestrian protection, driver-assistance systems, and crash safety. It also garners five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the US.
• The cabin is spacious and comfortably appointed — again, without going overboard. It’s sometimes easy to be overwhelmed with a panoply of buttons, switches, and whatnot. Audi has made the Q5 very legible and intuitive.
• Invariably, the driver will be captivated by Audi’s amazing Virtual Cockpit. A large 12.3-inch LCD screen supplants traditional analog instrumentation. The driver can access a number of indicators (and views) using buttons on the multi-function steering wheel. A classic view reproduces an analog tachometer and speedometer, latency-free; Infotainment Mode reduces the size of these gauges to accommodate a navigation map, telephone information, radio, or audio list.
• A large MMI terminal lends itself as the main control interface, linked to the 8.3-inch fixed display, situated ideally to be just out of the windshield view. A touchpad with haptic feedback, first seen in the Q7, is complemented by a rotary pushbutton. The driver can use this pad to input “handwritten” entries and other gestures.
• A torque-rich 2.0-liter TDI engine blurts out 190hp and 400Nm, and pairs to a seven-speed automatic transmission which you can choose to override with the shift paddles behind the steering wheel. I observed a fuel economy figure in the neighborhood of 15 kilometers per liter in light to normal traffic. The system up-shifts below 2,000rpm during normal duty, which proves to be a fuel-saving move. But not to worry, there is much torque (and driving fun) to be had even below this rev mark. Audi’s proprietary quattro-brand all-wheel drive promises better steering and acceleration poise, while a new start-stop system seamlessly switches off the engine during coasting to aid fuel economy. An auto-hold function, which engages the brakes when the car is stationary, is especially useful when on inclines. Never be antsy about them again.
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• I may be nitpicking (or lazy) here, but I expected powered steering-wheel adjustment.
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• Executive SUV, thy name is Q5.

Bluffer’s Box

Audi Q5 2.0 TDI
Price: Available upon request
Engine: 2.0-liter, inline four turbocharged diesel with common rail injection and exhaust gas recirculation; 150 hp @ 4,200 rpm, 320 Nm @ 1,500 — 3,250 rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed S-Tronic
Drivetrain: All-wheel drive (quattro)
Wheels/Tires: 18 inches, 235/60
Key features: Audi Drive Select, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, adaptive air suspension, ambient lighting, powered tailgate, Audi Virtual Cockpit, touchpad, multifunction steering wheel, Bang & Olufsen Sound System with 3D sound.

Ayala Automotive fuses sight, sound in Art Fair piece

IAN Carlo Jaucian’s “Car Keys” was the featured work of Ayala Corporation (AC) Automotive in the 2019 edition of Art Fair Philippines held on Feb. 22-24 at The Link in Makati City.
Mr. Jaucian’s work repurposes a car wheel into a “vinyl record” being played on a contraption resembling a gramophone. The device relies on an infrared proximity sensor to measure topographical differences on the outer surface of the spinning wheel. The data gathered are translated into ASCII numbers, then relayed to a computer keyboard where it gets interpreted into digital music.
AC Automotive in a statement called the piece “an amalgamation of visual and musical symmetry . . . bridging the gap between harmonious visual design and cyclic music through the language of numbers.”

Ayala Corporation (AC) Art 2
Ian Carlo Jaucian’s “Car Keys” repurposes a car wheel into a “vinyl record” being played on a contraption resembling a gramophone.

It added “Car Keys” shows “how passion can drive the seemingly cold and calculating precision of automobile engineering and design into unexpected — and often amazing — outcomes.”
Art Fair Philippines, which finished its sixth annual staging, features modern and contemporary visual art in the country.
AC Automotive distributes Volkswagen, Kia and KTM vehicles in the Philippines, as well as represent the largest dealership networks for Honda and Isuzu. The company manages 92 dealerships across the five brands, owning 27 of these.

Dashboard (02/27/19)

Chevrolet Trailblazer

Low down payment offered on select Chevys

PHILIPPINE Chevrolet distributor The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI) said it is offering all-in low down payment options on select Chevrolet models.
Down payment for the Chevrolet Trailblazer 4×4 Z71 A/T is P98,000; Trailblazer 4×2 LTX A/T is P138,000; and Trailblazer 4×2 LT A/T is P118,000.
The Chevrolet Colorado 4×2 LTX A/T can be bought for a down payment of P148,000 and the Colorado 4×2 LT A/T for a down payment of P88,000.
The three variants of the Chevrolet Sail — the 1.5L LTZ A/T, 1.5L LT A/T and 1.3L LT M/T — are offered low down payment options of either P58,000 or P68,000. Also available on a down payment of P58,000 is the Chevrolet Spark 1.4L LT M/T.
For the Chevrolet Trax LT A/T and Trax LS A/T, down payment options are P108,000 and P88,000, respectively.
TCCCI said all purchases come with a free Chevrolet-Caltex SavePlus Card.

Ford owners can win prizes in service promo

FORD Philippines said around 350 Ford customers who have their vehicles serviced at any Ford dealership get the chance to win a trip for two to Thailand, as well as other prizes.
Customers who purchased their Fords between Jan. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2018 qualify for the promo. The vehicles must be serviced by any Ford dealership between Feb. 1 and April 30, and should have a minimum single-receipt purchase of P10,000 on parts and labor.
Other prizes are an Apple iPhone XS Max, oil and oil filter packages, and exclusive Ford-branded merchandise. The promo runs until April 30, the raffle draw will be held on May 10.
“This latest service promo is part of our commitment to reward our customers especially those who have patronized our after-sales products such as parts, accessories, and service,” said Joyce Laxamana, director of Ford customer service division.

Toyota Vios

Toyota Vios monthly fee now lower for OFWs

TOYOTA Motor Philippines (TMP) announced special financing packages for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) buying the Toyota Vios.
Offered through Toyota Financial Services are monthly payment schemes as low as P7,394 for the Vios XE CVT (50% down payment, 60 months to pay).
To avail of the packages, TMP said OFWs (including seafarers) may visit the Vios display at the SM Mall of Asia that runs until March 6, and at Duty Free Philippines Fiesta Mall that runs until March 3. Applicants need to present their OWWA-issued OFW ID or MARINA-issued seaman’s book, contract of employment, certificate of employment, pay slip for the last three months, and proof of remittance.

When having a local manufacturing facility is a disadvantage

I’m a fan of automakers that put up and operate a manufacturing plant in the Philippines in spite of the many challenges that come with it. Even if electricity and labor are relatively more expensive in this country than in other Asian territories, some car companies doing business here still choose to assemble a vehicle or two locally.
For sure, having a manufacturing facility in the Philippines has its advantages, too (including certain tax breaks and the huge PR points earned from the perception that the undertaking is helping generate jobs for Filipinos), but it does seem the disadvantages outweigh them. Especially if you’re a brand whose limited product line doesn’t have the multi-model flexibility of, say, Toyota or Mitsubishi.
Take Isuzu Philippines, for instance. In the first quarter of 2018, the company stopped its Crosswind production in Santa Rosa, Laguna. Which actually made sense as the popular MPV had been around for many, many years already. The problem was that Isuzu essentially retired a vehicle without introducing a new-generation replacement. Remember that the Japanese commercial-vehicle maker had already been suffering from an abysmal lack of passenger-car offerings — besides the Crosswind, the brand only had the D-Max pickup and the Mu-X SUV. The rest of its products were commercial trucks that weren’t really volume sellers.
The result? Isuzu Philippines’ numbers took a drastic dive in 2018. After moving a total of 30,086 vehicles in 2017, the distributor managed to sell just 16,729 units last year — a truly depressing 44% decline. To be fair, nearly all automakers saw their sales go down in 2018, but among those with a sales volume of at least 1,000 units, only Kia (-57%) did worse than Isuzu. But the Korean firm had an excuse: It was going through a tough transition period in the wake of a new distributor acquiring the rights to it in our market.
But what was Isuzu’s excuse?
Besides the company retiring its old MPV, which had still been selling in healthy numbers, the D-Max, a perennially top-selling model in the pickup capital of Asia (Thailand) and even in our very own market, underachieved in 2018. That was even after the release of the more fuel-efficient and cleaner RZ4E Blue Power diesel engine. Maybe it was consumer fatigue: The current D-Max model had been in the market for far longer than its rivals. Maybe it was stiff competition: There was a preponderance of excellent newer players in the segment. Whatever it was, the D-Max struggled mightily in the sales department last year.
To be specific, Isuzu sold 3,870 D-Max units in 2018. By comparison, Toyota sold 18,287 Hilux units and Nissan sold 16,140 Navara units. Even the pre-facelift Mitsubishi Strada sold more with 4,725 units. Without the Crosswind, Isuzu Philippines was left with just one other passenger vehicle.
And now comes more unfortunate news: The manufacturer is also shutting down its local assembly of the D-Max in July this year. After that, the pickup will be sourced from Thailand, just like the Mu-X. With this latest development, the company has no choice but to let go of workers. Note that the automaker has already parted ways with 44 employees from the first wave of assembly-line closure. Inside word has it that Isuzu is preparing to offer a new round of retirement packages to its existing workforce.
So my point is this: Local manufacturing is nice and all. But when business goes bad — even for just a short period of time — the company is easily sent reeling against the ropes versus a competitor that simply imports completely built-up units that don’t require the organization to pay salaries and operational expenses.
My other point is this: If you’re getting a brand-new vehicle and it’s a choice between two nearly similar models, go for the one that is locally manufactured. I just feel that automakers that invest in our country deserve to be prioritized by Filipino consumers. That’s assuming, of course, that the locally made vehicle is a good product to begin with.
Which Isuzu vehicles are. I’m truly rooting for the brand this year. I hope the distributor recovers and does well in 2019. We need to keep the good guys in the auto industry.

Praxis teaches financial literacy via gameplay


By Vincent Mariel P. Galang, Reporter
AS we spend our money on things that we want, we tend to forget to save for the things that we need.
“Without financial literacy, or even basic financial literacy you get yourself into massive financial trouble, so in the Philippines like many other countries, when people receive their salaries, they tend to spend it first, which is a great short-term relief, but the next day, what happens? How do they, then, manage their money for the rest of the month, or the rest of the two weeks?” Greg Martin, group chief executive officer of the Praxis Company said in an interview on Feb. 13.
“The impact is significant,” he added.
Noting a 2014 study by the Standard & Poor’s Rating Services, 25% of the adults surveyed in the Philippines were financially literate, which is way below the global average of 33%. This is the problem that Mr. Martin, and his company is trying to address through the Praxis gameplay. It is a gameplay experience which stimulates financial challenges and pushes players to realize the importance of mastering money.
“Praxis, or financial literacy, isn’t about ‘don’t spend money.’ It isn’t. It’s about how you manage your money. The real thing about financial literacy is planning. It’s about understanding what to do with the money that you earn. You should be putting money away for savings. You should have some insurance protection, and you should have some long-term investments for retirement, or for your kids’ education. Financial literacy, what Praxis tried to do, is to show people how important it is to do this, and do it through a gameplay,” he said.
Since its creation in 2003 in Singapore, Praxis has taught not only adults, but also kids on how to properly manage their money. It has been in the Philippines for about four years now and has been partnering with schools like Jose Rizal University, which has incorporated the gameplay in its their curriculum, and companies like SunLife Financial, to reach more people and educate them of the importance of saving for their future. Clients either lease or get licensed to be able to conduct a session. The company designs the game according to the audience that will play the game.
“We have three focuses in the business. The first is schools, educating kids on financial literacy. The second is financial wellness, so corporations have wellness programs, and we bring in the financial element to it. Third is financial services, so working with insurance companies, asset managers, banks,” Mr. Martin said.
The company was recently awarded with a $3-million investment from Triple P Capital to help in their aim to boost financial literacy in Asia, “They’ve invested $3 million into the business to help us… take one step back, build some more foundations, recruit people, invest in marketing invest in product development, and to further support our clients, and work with more,” Mr. Martin said.
FINANCIAL LITERACY IN THE PHILIPPINES
With the 25% financial literacy in the country, Mr. Martin said Filipinos should be alarmed by it, but this is not unique in the Philippines.
“They are extremely low literacy levels, but again this is not unique to the Philippines. There are low-levels everywhere,” he said.
He also noted that as money gets complicated and financial products become more accessible, education has not improved yet.
“The complication of money has grown significantly over the last 15, 20 years… so what happens when things get complicated, but the education hasn’t actually moved is there’s a gap,” he noted.
“Stock markets have become more accessible,” he said, adding that trading platforms have allowed people to easily access and directly buy shares.
“But has anyone ever been taught how do you know when is the good time to buy shares? Is it a short-term investment? Is it a long-term investment? Products have become complicated yet easily accessible. I think it’s lack of education basically from, be it from governments through to financial institutions,” he said.
Nonetheless, he recognized the efforts of the government in order to address this problem and its big role in boosting financial literacy in the country, but lack of action is also another problem.
“One of the really good things in the Philippines is that it’s really going to the forefront of being a key leader in financial literacy. The BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas), Department of Education (DepEd), Insurance Commission (IC), SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), are coordinating, basically, to drive the importance of financial literacy in the Philippines,” he noted.
The government has partnered with companies to educate the Filipinos of the importance of money management. One of which is the program launched by DepEd, BSP, and Banco de Oro (BDO) Foundation that seeks to educate public school teachers, non-teaching personnel, and students on how to manage their finances through short videos.
“As it affects everybody, it covers all demographics, all geographies, an all cultures, because of that, it is, actually, important that governments, administrations have national policies and approach to drive and support financial literacy,” he said.

What women should know about cervical cancer

After breast cancer, cervical cancer is the second highest cancer-related cause of death  among Filipino women. Although considered a highly preventable disease, the high mortality rate is due to the fact that women are diagnosed at a late stage where treatment is expensive and in most parts outside of the metro, unavailable.
A study by the Philippine Cancer Society points to the strong link between  the incidence of the human papillomavirus (HPV) among the Filipinas afflicted with cervical cancer. Other factors that seem to increase the likelihood of HPV infection and cervical cancer are early sexual contact, low socioeconomic status, high parity, smoking, use of oral contraception and risky sexual behaviors.

In the 2005 cancer registry, there was a marked increase in new cases of cervical cancer, and reported deaths. The high mortality rate was attributed to the fact that 75% of women were diagnosed at late stage. The Philippine General Hospital (PGH), the country’s government tertiary center, reported the highest number of new cervical cancer cases.
We consulted gynecologic oncologist Dr. Chia Yin Nin practicing at Gleneagles Hospital in Singapore about this alarming finding and its implications on women’s health.
What advice can you give women on how to protect themselves against cervical cancer?
In the past, we would say that women with multiple sexual partners are high risk. But that has changed because normal women are now affected by cervical cancer. Now, we realize that, although HPV is sexually transmitted, it is not an STD. It can be acquired through personal contact like fondling, petting and sexual intercourse.  Nowadays, all women who are active sexually can have cervical cancer.
Young girls should get vaccinated before their sexual debut to protect against the HPV virus. The vaccine provides up to 95% coverage against cervical cancer. For older women who have started sexual activity, they can still have the vaccines ’till age 45, but I also advise screening: the PAP Smear or the HPV test kit.
Unless women go for tests, they will never know that they have signs of the virus. It takes years before the virus can develop into a cancer but this can progress very quickly depending on the strains of HPV virus they acquire e.g. type 16 and 18 are highly aggressive.
Cancer can deprive a woman of her fertility.
Once these pre-cancer changes are detected, they can be easily treated by burning away those abnormal cells to prevent any chances of progression into cancer. Pre-cancer treatment does not involve removal of the womb.
Early screening not only saves your life, it saves your womb.
What are the symptoms to look for?
The virus is so prevalent in the community, almost all women can have it. For about 20% of these women, the virus can develop into cancer. It is only when the cancer develops that you experience the signs like bleeding during intercourse, bleeding between menstrual periods or bleeding after menopause. The patient can also experience other symptoms like back pain, cough and swelling in the abdomen or limbs if the cancer has spread.
How can women protect themselves against cervical cancer?
There are 2 types of protection: primary and secondary. Vaccination is, by far, the best means of primary protection. Secondary protection to monitor the presence of pre-cancerous changes is done by PAP smear and/or the HPV test kit. The PAP smear is a test done by a General Practitioner or an OB Gynecologist to detect pre-cancer changes in the cervix.
Aside from the PAP smear, there is the HPV test kit. It is a swab test similar to the PAP smear. The accuracy is so much better than the PAP SMEAR. It is so accurate that you can space out your screening to 3-5 years. For PAP smears it is recommended that you test once every year because it is quite prone to interpretation error.
I tell my patients that cervical cancer can happen to any of us. My cervical cancer patients are normal married women, not commercial sex workers. Regular women are complacent so they think they are healthy and don’t need to go for screening. Also, they are reluctant to ask their partners about their sexual history. I tell women that instead of doubting your spouse or partner, you empower yourself by protecting yourself so that you can stay healthy and live long as a mother to your children, as a wife to your husband and a person with a promising career.
With many of today’s women taking full control of their lives and careers, there is no excuse for making sure that their bodies are strong enough to cope with the demands of running a company and a home simultaneously.
For more information about the gynecological disease and other condition, visit
https://www.gleneagles.com.sg/healthplus
Health Plus is an online health and wellness resource developed by Gleneagles Hospital, Singapore. To make an enquiry or appointment, contact our Central Patient Assistance Centre: 24-Hr Helpline: +65 6735 5000; email cpac@parkwaypantai.com; online appointment: http://www.gleneagles.com.sg.

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