Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube
Home Blog Page 11321

Putting the EASE into Doing Business

Much has been said about the difficulty of doing business in the Philippines, from the time it takes to incorporate a business to the complex maze of procedures we need to follow to get anything done, and the number of approvals needed to move anything.
During a forum on Ease of Doing Business, DTI Sec. Ramon Lopez highlighted key measures under the Ease of Doing Business Act, among which are:

• Single unified business application form at the local government level

• Business one-stop shop

• Automated, electronic systems

• Zero-contact policy

• Centralized Philippine Business Portal

• One-government approach

These are certainly welcome, and we await the IRR which is now with the President for signature.
In the MAP letter sent to DTI last October 2018, there were several areas of difficulty that members noted. What is striking about these is that many are implementation issues. As we have seen many times in the past, we have good laws and regulations, but implementation and execution are where the real test comes.
We took the liberty of suggesting to Sec. Lopez some of the learnings we have had:

• Ensure that new initiatives are fully tested. There have been many laudable initiatives that resulted in slower processes and much delay rather than speeding things up, because in the rush to implement, the system (both manual and computerized) was not fully tested. This is not something unique to the government. Many businesses fall into the same trap in the rush to beat competition in introducing new products, new services, or new features.

• Allow for a transition period. While better processes and increased computerization are very welcome, we need transition periods to allow for issues to surface and be ironed out, and to take into account the concerns of all stakeholders. For example, micro businesses are having difficulty complying with the SSS requirement for online reporting of contributions. Can they be allowed a longer period to comply, to be able to upgrade their infrastructure, or can there be alternatives designed for them? Difficulty in complying often leads to total non-compliance.

• Communicate extensively with the public using different media including social media which Filipinos are so fond of. For example, most citizens did not know that driver’s license applications or renewals could be scheduled online with the LTO, resulting in a low utilization rate for the online reservation system when it was implemented, and continued long lines in the regular lanes.

• Work with the private sector to ensure that the final rules and regulations do not overlook critical elements. While the government often involves the private sector in formulating laws and regulations, we are often “disinvited” once the laws are passed. But continuing involvement is often necessary to iron out the kinks in the processes.

• Related to this, Conduct post-implementation audits. We have often seen that while published turnaround time standards look very good, the actual times are well beyond what was promised. Again, this is something we also see in the private sector.

• Finally, who will oversee compliance by the various government agencies, particularly by the local governments? I think most of us have heard numerous stories of the difficulty of dealing with local government units. The maze of regulations, the number of permits, approvals, etc can be really daunting. Hopefully, the Ease of Doing Business Act, with its mandate of a business one stop shop, computerized processing and zero-contact can help resolve these issues. The PEZA zones, with their one-stop-shop approach, have proven this can be done.

We have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go, and can certainly aspire for more.
office workplace business
For example, the World Bank ranks New Zealand first among 190 countries in ease of doing business. In New Zealand, there is only one procedure to start a business, and it only takes half a day. We have cut our number from 16, but we still have 6. Regulations and legislation can be found online in official government websites.
Speaking of online, this is certainly one area which can facilitate ease of doing business, but it is one where much needs to be done to make the Philippines globally competitive.
Digital allows for faster transaction times, service on demand 24/7 across multiple channels, lower transaction costs, and easier processes.
As seen on e-commerce platforms, digital can stimulate the economy by enabling SMEs to reach a wider audience in a cost-effective manner. And digital tools like cashless payments allow automatic tracking and help small businesses to flourish even without complicated accounting systems, thus promoting inclusivity.
But in the World Digital Competitive Rankings of the Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development, the Philippines ranked 56th out of 63 countries, dropping 10 places from 2017’s 46th spot. In the Asia Pacific, we are one of the worst ranked at 12 out of 14. Slow internet remains a big reason for the low rankings: we rank 61st in internet bandwidth speed, and 62nd in communication technology, out of 63 countries — almost dead last!
We need to improve not just our physical infrastructure — roads, bridges, airports — but our digital infrastructure, and upgrade our laws and regulations to keep up with technological advancement. New businesses or products using online or mobile media often cannot be launched due to the lack of governing regulations.
Perhaps the government needs to invest in training for its personnel to be able to properly regulate the new digital world, and beyond that, create an environment where science, technology and innovation can grow and flourish.
In this respect, we welcome the DTI’s push to create a nation of smarter, tech-savvy entrepreneurs, such as the transformation of the Philippine Trade Training Center into a Global MSME Academy which will include focus on digital technology, and the creation of platforms for small local businesses to be able to sell online.
The EODB Law, along with the government’s push towards digitalization, holds much promise for a much more competitive business environment, and we look forward to its successful implementation.
This article was lifted from the speech of Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) President Rizalina G. Mantaring at the January 30, 2019 EODB Forum.
 
Rizalina G. Mantaring is Chair of Sun Life Financial Philippine Holding Co., Inc. and former CEO and Country Head of Sun Life Financial Philippines.
Rizalina.Mantaring@sunlife.com
map@map.org.ph
http://map.org.ph

Is optimism a national trait?

By Tony Samson
PERIODIC surveys that check how respondents feel about the future show that as a people, we are an optimistic lot. Our scores on having a positive outlook rank us consistently in the top three in the happiness index. The results favor those who are full of hope on what’s coming ahead. This positive outlook persists even through the bad times we find ourselves in.
Is optimism a trait we should project to investors (property boom) and tourists? Is it more fun in the Philippines not just due to the clean beaches and radiant sunsets, but also because Filipinos are just more fun to be with? Underneath the traits of friendliness and hospitality to strangers is a dose of positive vibes.
Our optimism partly flows from religion and leaving our woes to the mercies of divine providence. The word “bahala” is a corruption of “bathala” (or a deity in the ancient belief system). And so, the expression used to confront and shrug off complex situations that can lead to uncertain outcomes is a sigh, “bahala na,” leaving the resolution of pesky problems to cosmic forces coming to our aid. Such an optimistic (maybe even over-optimistic) dependence on divine providence makes for a sunny outlook. Such a capricious attitude can irritate those who look at different scenarios requiring contingency planning.
Still, even John Maynard Keynes concedes — “There is nothing so disastrous as a rational policy in an irrational world.”
Our upbeat nature must be part of our national DNA. The story of the lazy Juan waiting for the fruit from the tree to drop into his mouth is as much a parable of laziness as it is of blind optimism. While this character is much maligned as a role model, it is a worry-free antidote to the stressed-out workaholic. Idleness is underrated as a muscle relaxant, though not to be taken too often in large doses.
12% of the population working abroad send an ever-growing inflow of foreign-generated wealth back to the homeland. This cash is even accompanied by boxes of goodies and gifts to the family. This also explains why a rich relative acts as a mini welfare state taking care of the education of nieces, health care of sisters, and job offers for distant cousins. This same “family first” bias however also underlies corruption (both in the public and private sectors) and the role of dynasties.
Optimism is not a natural state. One works hard to achieve it. It can be a form of self-delusion. A positive outlook needs constant affirmation to explain away the speed bumps on the road to well-being. Optimism takes a beating with drug-related killings, botched rehabilitation efforts in war-torn provinces, attacks on media freedom, and daily traffic jams.
Exhortation for media to report “the good news” smacks of sucking up to the administration. Sure, there are segments of the news that feature returned wallets left in taxis, the humanitarian efforts of NGOs like building homes for the homeless, and the reining in of inflation. News reporting instinctively has a bias for what’s wrong, pointing out that two cable lines are obstructing a walkway, rather than the expansion of utility services that those new cables bring.
In the late eighties, the phone company I used to work for (no names mentioned here) created a sponsored three-minute news segment (not yet called branded content then), appended to the regular news program. The new feature was called simply “the good news.” For content, the news item was produced by an investigative reporting group, highly respected for doing documentaries on issues of a controversial nature. The corporate mandate to these fierce journalists was to dig out and “investigate” success stories. These interviews of managers and owners of small businesses, many of them exporters, who have opened new markets abroad and making headway in their entrepreneurial efforts. Other segments featured NGOs helping the community. The program ran for almost two years and accumulated over 300 success stories featured in the evening news. It was positively received by the public.
Maybe, it takes the same journalistic zeal to look for what’s going right as it does in investigating what’s going wrong. Looking for something to be optimistic about is not automatically government propagandizing. It is about what’s good about our country, and about us as a people. It’s about having faith in ourselves and our future.
 
Tony Samson is Chairman and CEO, TOUCH xda
ar.samson@yahoo.com

Peso to climb on US-China deal

THE PESO is expected to strengthen against the dollar this week due to positive developments in the US-China trade relations.
The local currency ended last week at P52.065 against the greenback, up 6.5 centavos from Thursday’s P52.13 finish, propelled by hawkish comments from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo.
Week on week, the peso also appreciated from the P52.43-per-dollar finish last Feb. 15.
Traders interviewed said the peso could strengthen against the dollar this week as risk appetite improved following the extension of the trade truce between US and China.
US President Donald J. Trump announced yesterday that Washington is planning on delaying the additional tariffs on Chinese goods scheduled to begin on March 1 as its talks with China made “substantial progress.”
He added that the world’s two largest economies are planning to conduct a summit in Mar-a-Lago, Florida to “conclude an agreement.”
“Should we have good trade headlines coming out from US and China, that could further bring about a stronger peso,” a trader said last Friday, although noting that the US-China trade developments are “widely priced in already.”
Meanwhile, a market analyst said the “welcome development” could improve investors’ risk appetite, which can counteract any deterioration in market sentiment as a result of the postponement of a final vote on the Brexit divorce agreement of British Prime Minister Theresa May.
“Towards the end of the week, the dollar is expected to depreciate further amid expectations of weaker US economic data on housing and GDP (gross domestic product) growth,” the analyst added.
“The dollar’s decline, however, might be tempered by potentially mixed Chinese manufacturing and nonmanufacturing data,” the analyst said.
Meanwhile, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. economist Michael L. Ricafort said the passing of BSP Governor Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. “should have no impact” on the peso-dollar trading as the “monetary policy direction would likely remain the same.”
Mr. Espenilla passed away on Saturday after battling tongue cancer since late 2017. He had been on intermittent medical leaves since, after undergoing surgery and radiation therapy.
For this week, the analyst expects the peso to trade between P51.75 and P52.35 versus the dollar, while the trader gave a P51.80-P52.20 range. Mr. Ricafort, on the other hand, sees the local unit trading within P52-P52.30. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

Earnings, US-China trade talks in focus this week

By Arra B. Francia, Reporter
LOCAL STOCKS are seen to firm up this week as more companies disclose their earnings results for 2018, while investors also monitor how trade negotiations between the United States and China will pan out.
The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) climbed 0.38% or 30.83 points to finish at 7,962.13 last Friday. It closed the week 0.67% higher or 53.24 points.
“As more earnings reports come in [this] week, this may provide the catalyst that the market needs,” Eagle Equities, Inc. Research Head Christopher John Mangun said in a weekly market report.
Companies that will be releasing their earnings reports include BDO Unibank, Inc., Manila Water Company, Inc., Manila Electric Co., and SM Investments Corp. These firms account for 8.85% of the PSEi basket.
“We are still positive that the market will perform better and end the week with gains as economic fundamentals are intact, the continuous inflow of foreign funds and the strengthening of the currency,” Mr. Mangun explained.
The Eagle Equities analyst added that investors may prop up the market considering that it is the last trading week of February.
“[I]nvestors may want to end the month in the green. The main index is currently down 0.56 percent for the month which is not much and a strong move to the upside [this] week will cause it to end the month in the green,” Mr. Mangun said.
Overseas, market leads include news on how the US-China deal is progressing ahead of their truce’s deadline on Friday, March 1.
“Regardless, fund managers may need to assess if both would agree to zero, status quo, or higher tariff, specifically on its impact on key production input items. The odds that may support for increase in tariff appear likely, possibly at a rate lower than anticipated,” online brokerage 2TradeAsia.com said in a weekly market note.
US President Donald J. Trump tweeted on Monday morning that he will delay the scheduled increase in tariffs against billions of dollars of Chinese goods on Saturday, noting that the US has made “substantial progress.”
Mr. Trump also said they are planning a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida to conclude an agreement, if both sides continue to make additional progress.
“Once the dust clears, however, higher tariffs may still weigh on consumption and investment demand growth. Given this, views for slower US economic expansion would be supported, and prod players to revert their attention to the Fed,” 2TradeAsia.com explained.
Eagle Equities’ Mr. Mangun placed the PSEi’s support level from 7,900 to 8,000, with resistance from 8,100 to 8,300.
Financial markets were closed yesterday for the EDSA People Power Revolution anniversary.

Trump shouldn’t settle for a chicken-rice meal

By David Fickling
COULD a banquet of chicken, beef and rice be the solution to the trade tensions between China and the US.?
It’s looking increasingly likely. President Donald Trump is extending a deadline for the ongoing trade negotiations after making “substantial progress” during talks in Washington, he said via Twitter on Sunday night in the US.
While Trump also cited issues of intellectual property, technology transfer, currencies and services, agriculture is the area where most clarity is emerging. China would buy an additional $30 billion a year of US agricultural produce as part of a deal, people with knowledge of the plan told Bloomberg News last week. Corn, ethanol, beef and poultry have been part of the trade discussions and China could move “relatively quickly” on resuming larger soybean purchases, US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said Saturday.
While China’s total agriculture imports from the US came to only $24.2 billion in 2017, it’s not hard to see how that ambitious-seeming $30 billion target could be reached, just by taking the brakes off a few products that have struggled in recent years.
Take chicken and beef. China imported about $4.1 billion of beef and poultry in 2017, up almost 90% from three years earlier. The US got just $25 million of that total, due mostly to barriers related to mad cow disease that have only recently been removed and others related to avian influenza that have just been imposed. If China were to buy as much as the biggest US import partners for those products — Hong Kong and Japan in the case of frozen and fresh beef, Mexico in the case of poultry — that would already amount to an almost $10-billion increase over current levels.
Next, consider animal feed. Soybeans and dried distillers’ grains are two popular ways for livestock farmers to get additional protein to bulk up their herds, but both have suffered from trade restrictions in recent years. In the three months before Trump’s inauguration, China bought about $8.9 billion of American soybeans; that had fallen to just $117 million in the last quarter of 2018, as a result of levies and unofficial import bans imposed in response to US tariffs.
rice food
It’s a similar picture with distillers’ grains, a byproduct of producing corn ethanol. The trade was worth $1.8 billion in the 2014 marketing year, according to the US Grains Council. Because of the impact of a drawn-out anti-dumping investigation, it came to just $44 million in the most recent 12 months. Just restoring these two commodities to their averages before trade restrictions came in would add another $10 billion or so to the total.
There are other areas with potential. Removing barriers to US pork could increase China’s imports by a median of $8.9 billion, according to a study last year by Minghao Li, Wendong Zhang, and Dermot Hayes of Iowa State University. The total increase in major agricultural goods could be a median of $35 billion and as much as $53 billion, they argued.
Our estimates don’t even include serious moves to open up trade in China’s most protected crops — corn, wheat and rice. All three operate under tariff rate quota systems, by which paltry amounts are allowed in with a one percent tariff but shipments outside of the quota are subject to a punitive 65% rate.
At present, China captures just $506 million of America’s $17.4-billion export trade in these products. Even letting in the full volume of imports allowed under the current regime could be worth another $2 billion or so, although the US might not capture all of that value.
That sounds good as far as it goes, but the problem comes if that’s all on offer. Trump’s tweet promises major progress on intellectual property, technology transfer and services, but we’ve seen vastly less information leaking out of the talks on those areas. Possibly that’s just a sign of the sensitivity of the process. If not, it would go a long way to explaining the split between a deal-focused president and his more hawkish trade advisers.
Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has always been clear that he’s seeking a deal addressing fundamental structural issues. With China aggressively moving up the technological value chain and seemingly prepared to use market power and outright industrial espionage to get its way, high-tech US businesses that have suffered faltering demand and retaliatory tariffs aren’t likely to be satisfied with a promise to buy more chicken.
President Trump would do well to learn a lesson from Chinese history: Those who bring war to an end by signing unequal treaties are rarely remembered with fondness.
 
BLOOMBERG

Bangladesh vs India in the development race

By Noah Smith
THERE’s an old theory that as an organism develops, it progresses through the same evolutionary stages traveled by its ancestors. Traditionally, economic development has worked in a similar way. When a country first shifts from agrarian poverty to industrialization, it tends to start out in light manufacturing, especially textiles. Later it masters more complex manufactured products, and finally it progresses to inventing its own cutting-edge technology. Thus, each country’s development tends to look a bit that of nations that already went through the process.
That certainly seems to describe the experience of South Korea and Taiwan, which reached developed-country status relatively recently. It’s also the path being followed by China. As these countries got richer and their wages rose, low-tech labor-intensive manufacturing industries tended to migrate to countries with cheaper workers.
Recently, one of the biggest beneficiaries of this process has been Bangladesh. The garment industry accounts for more than 80% of the South Asian nation’s export revenue, and about a fifth of its gross domestic product. In 2017, Bangladesh was the world’s second-largest apparel supplier after China, with 6.5% of the market, outpacing neighboring India despite the latter’s much larger economy.
This economic development path has no doubt come at a real human and social cost — Bangladesh’s workers suffer harsh working conditions and many industrial accidents, including a horrific factory collapse in 2013 that killed more than a thousand people. But overall, the tried-and-true industrialization strategy seems to be working. Real GDP per capita has doubled since the turn of the century, and Bangladesh appears to be on a similar exponential growth path as its neighbor India:
India, meanwhile, has generally underperformed in manufacturing. The country does have a few bright spots — for example, it’s now the world’s sixth-biggest auto manufacturer, with an immense factory cluster in Gujarat, and has been increasing its production of smartphones. But overall, manufacturing has declined as a share of the economy:
This isn’t to say that India’s leaders have ignored manufacturing — indeed, they have long called for a big effort to industrialize. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has courted foreign manufacturers, but so far the effect has been limited. Most observers agree that a lack of infrastructure and an excess of regulatory red tape are the reason India remains a difficult place to make things.
Despite its struggles in manufacturing, however, India is growing rapidly — even faster than Bangladesh, in most years. The reason has been growth in service industries. India’s famous outsourcing companies are just the tip of the iceberg — software, finance, online services, tourism, logistics, media, health care, and other services have been the biggest driver of India’s impressive growth. Some have suggested that India has discovered a development model that could leapfrog manufacturing entirely, going straight from agrarian poverty to a post-industrial economy. Others are more skeptical.
This all leads to a very important question. Will Bangladesh, with its traditional approach to growth, catch up and overtake India? Or has India stumbled upon a new development model that cuts out the need for a country to do a stint as the workshop of the world?
This is a crucial question because as technology advances, there’s a concern that the traditional path out of poverty might be closing. Automation is making textile manufacturing less labor-intensive. For one thing, that means that poor countries might no longer be able to create mass urban employment in the garment industry. But even more troubling, it might cause the industry to migrate back to rich countries like the US, where labor is expensive but capital is relatively cheap. Some of this reverse migration might already be happening.
In other words, the developing world is at risk of premature deindustrialization. If Bangladesh fails due to competition from rich-world robots, it will bode ill for countries such as Ethiopia that are looking to hop on the escalator to prosperity. That would leave India’s service-centric development model as the only feasible path.
Some economists argue that automation hasn’t closed off the traditional path, and that there is still plenty of work for industrious people in poor countries. Bangladesh, meanwhile, is scrambling to diversify into more valuable manufacturing industries such as autos and electronics.
So although the leaders of Bangladesh and India have similar goals, the difference in the country’s development models is making for an interesting experiment. Countries in Africa hoping to follow these two South Asian giants’ growth trajectories should be watching keenly. If Bangladesh grows faster, it will suggest that manufacturing, starting with textiles, is still the ticket to industrialization; but if Bangladesh falters and India sustains its growth, it will imply that poor countries should look to services first.
 
BLOOMBERG

Gilas beats Kazakhstan, books World Cup spot

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE ROAD it took had a lot of hurdles but in the end there was no denying the Philippine national men’s hoops team of a spot in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China later this year.
Defeated Kazakhstan, 93-75, in an all-important final game in the qualifiers on Sunday night (Manila time) in Astana, Gilas Pilipinas gave its World Cup push a major boost as it qualified as the best fourth-placed team from the two merged groups in the second round.
The Philippines (7-5) also got a helping hand from an unlikely source in long-time Asian basketball tormentor South Korea, which defeated Lebanon, 84-72, in its last game of the qualifiers also on Sunday.
Lebanon (6-6) and the Philippines, along with Jordan (7-5) and Japan (8-4), were the teams in precarious positions heading into last weekend’s matches. Jordan eventually punched a World Cup ticket by defeating New Zealand, 86-80, in their encounter as well as Japan over Qatar, 96-48.
Naturalized player Andray Blatche showed the way in the Philippines’ determined salvage job against Kazakhstan right from the get-go, finishing with solid all-around numbers of 41 points, 13 rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocks. He also drained five triples.
Other players also stepped for Gilas, especially when Mr. Blatche got his fourth foul in the third period.
Jayson Castro picked up the offense when Mr. Blatche came out, draining back-to-back triples to keep Gilas afloat amid charge-back attempts by Kazakhstan.
Reigning five-time Philippine Basketball Association most valuable player June Mar Fajardo also stepped up as he put pressure in the interior on both ends.
Mr. Castro finished with 15 points, going 4-of-4 from beyond the arc, while Mr. Fajardo had an efficient nine points and seven rebounds in 13 limited minutes off the bench.
Paul Lee and Marcio Lassiter, meanwhile, added eight points apiece.
For its part, Kazakhstan, which finished its qualifiers with a 4-8 card, was led by naturalized player Anthony Clemmons with 27 points on the back of six three-pointers.
“It was an emotional game for us. We knew what was at stake. It’s either win or good home. We competed right from the jump and had some speed bumps along the way but we stuck to it and we’re just happy that we came up with the win,” said Mr. Blatche, who made his Gilas return in the sixth and final window of the qualifiers after missing all of the fifth window, after their victory over Kazakhstan.
“We’re just glad it’s over. We were feeling the pressure prior to this game. We really wanted to go to the World Cup. Dray (Blatche) carried us in the first half. He was on fire and I was kind of worried that the other guys would over-rely on him but in the second half the rest of the guys stepped up. We’re just happy we are going to the World Cup,” Gilas coach Yeng Guiao, for his part, said post-game.
On the road to the World Cup, Gilas had to endure a lot, including multiple personnel changes, suspensions stemming from an infamous brawl with Australia in the third window in July, and the disastrous run in the fifth window in Manila where it lost back-to-back to put itself in a very dangerous position of missing out on the World Cup heading into the final window.
OTHER QUALIFIERS
Apart from the Philippines and Jordan, also qualifying for the FIBA World Cup on Sunday were Russia and Serbia from Europe, Japan and Iran from Asia, and Cote D’Ivoire from Africa. Three other teams are set to be included at the conclusion of the remaining matches on Monday.
Earlier qualifiers were China (host), Angola, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia from Africa; Argentina, Brazil, Canada, the United States and Venezuela from the Americas; Australia, New Zealand and South Korea from Asia; and Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Serbia, Spain and Turkey from Europe.
The draw for the 2019 FIBA World Cup is set for March 16. Tournament proper happens from Aug. 31 to Sept. 15.

Knicks wallop Spurs to end 18-game home skid

DAMYEAN DOTSON drained a career-high eight three-pointers and scored a team-high 27 points Sunday night as the New York Knicks ended a franchise-record 18-game home losing streak by beating the San Antonio Spurs, 130-118.
The Knicks, who hadn’t won at home since beating the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks, 136-134, in overtime on Dec. 1, came within one loss of tying the NBA record for the longest home losing streak, which was established by the Dallas Mavericks during the 1993-94 season.
Kevin Knox (19 points, 10 rebounds), Mitchell Robinson (15 points, 14 rebounds) and Dennis Smith Jr. (19 points, 13 assists) each had double-doubles for the Knicks, who won for just the fifth time in the last 37 games.
DeMar DeRozan scored 32 points for the Spurs, who have lost six of seven but remained tied with the Los Angeles Clippers for seventh place in the Western Conference.
Elsewhere,Nikola Jokic had 22 points and 16 rebounds, Paul Millsap scored 21 and also grabbed 16 boards, and host Denver beat the Clippers for its fourth straight win.
Jamal Murray scored 16 points, and Gary Harris added 14 off the bench in his second game back from a right adductor strain as the Nuggets pulled to within a game of Golden State in the Western Conference standings
Lou Williams had 24 points for the Clippers, who had their two-game winning streak snapped.
In Toronto, Nikola Vucevic scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help the Orlando Magic defeat the hosts Raptors for the second time in three games this season.
Former Raptor Terrence Ross added 28 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Magic, who have won six of their past seven games and snapped Toronto’s seven-game winning streak.
Kyle Lowry had 19 points and 10 assists and Pascal Siakam had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Raptors, who were without Kawhi Leonard for what was described as a “load management” day. — Reuters

Ceres begins AFC Cup bid vs Shan United FC

TOP LOCAL CLUB football squad Ceres-Negros FC begins its AFC Cup bid today against Shan United FC of Myanmar in ASEAN Zone Group G action at the Panaad Park and Football Stadium in Bacolod City.
Set for 7:30 p.m., Ceres, the Philippines Football League champion, returns to action and hopes to do well in the tournament while underscoring its standing as the top football club in the land.
Also part of Group G are Becamex Binh Duong of Vietnam and Persija Jakarta of Indonesia.
The “Busmen” last saw action three weeks ago at the AFC Champions League where they fell to Yangon United FC of Myanmar, 2-1, to miss out on the chance to advance to the next round.
It was a defeat that Ceres said it would use to propel itself in the AFC Cup.
“Hopefully we get to perform better in the next tournament … We will work on the things we did wrong and be ready in three weeks,” said Ceres stalwart Stephan Shrock upon their exit in the AFC Champion League.
He was seconded by Ceres coach Risto Vidakovic, who said “We have to prepare for the AFC Cup and make the necessary adjustments to perform better.”
Ceres faced Shan United three times last year and had the latter’s number, something it hopes to continue doing as the AFC Cup rolls off.
The Busmen are parading a souped-up roster which now includes Bosnian Mahir Karic and recent local signings in Jun Badelic, Dennis Villanueva and Alvaro Silva.
Also seeing action in the AFC Cup is Kaya FC-Iloilo, the Copa Paulino Alcantara champion, which begins its campaign in Group H on Wednesday.
The Ceres-Shan United match can be seen live over 5Plus and on FOX Sports 2. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

UAAP: Work continues for Ateneo in Season 81

WHILE they have seemingly recovered from an initial slippage in their University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 81 women’s volleyball campaign, the Ateneo Lady Eagles said they are still a work in progress relative to where they want to be.
Notched their second straight victory on Sunday with a hard-earned come-from-behind win over the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws, 14-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-18 and 15-12, the Lady Eagles (2-1) have moved to the top half of the standings after opening their season with a loss.
After three games, the Lady Eagles said they are happy where they are at but know that they still have to put in the needed work if they are to fashion out a truly successful season.
“[The first three games have been a] challenge for us. There will always be pressure and challenges but we can turn these into blessings if we have games like this where we can continue to learn and our character is further honed,” said Ateneo coach Oliver Almadro following their win over FEU.
The Ateneo coach touted the kind of performance and determination his wards showed against the Lady Tamaraws, believing they can learn a lot from it.
“It’s really the faith. I just asked them to keep the faith at one another and, of course, God, and it will be given to them. They just have to trust themselves and the talent follows. We must maximize what we can do,” said Mr. Almadro.
Against FEU, the Lady Eagles came out flat in the early goings of the contest but dug deep to overcome being two sets down to pull the rug from under the Lady Tamaraws for their second straight win.
Kat Toletino paced Ateneo in the big win with 19 points with veteran Maddie Madayag adding 14.
Ponggay Gaston had nine points while setter Deanna Wong had eight points and Jules Samonte seven.
“We really had a bad start. There’s no excuse for that. I guess we just played as a team in the third to fifth set. We stepped up and pulled up one another. Hopefully we can continue doing that,” said Madayag.
Next for the Lady Eagles is matchup with the University of the East Lady Warriors on March 3, Sunday. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Lastimosa, David All-Stars anew, this time in MPBL

FOR many years, Jojo Lastimosa found himself playing in the Philippine Basketball Association All-Stars, one of the most memorable perhaps came in the 1989 edition when he was still seeing action for the Rookies and Sophomores team alongside Alvin Patrimonio, Benjie Paras, Ato Agustin, Jerry Codiñera, Ronnie Magsanoc, Nelson Asaytono and Dindo Pumaren, among others, going up against the Veterans team headed by Robert Jaworski and Ramon Fernandez.
Three decades later, Mr. Lastimosa is returning to the All-Stars, this time in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) where he was chosen as head coach of the North side playing against the best players from the South.
Mr. Lastimosa is thrilled to face the new challenge and vowed for an intense match-up with their counterparts in the upcoming PayMaya-MPBL All-Star Game on March 2 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“I played in the All-Star Game many times before and it was a serious game. Even in 1989 when we were playing for the Rookies and Sophomores, there was so much pride at stake,” Lastimosa told BusinessWorld.
“Here, the guys are gonna be serious. For me as a coach, I will find the best five who’s going to win it for me.”
Leading the way for Lastimosa’s North All-Star team are guards Mike Ayonayon of the San Juan Knights and Gary David, his old reliable from the Bataan Risers.
Mr. Ayonayon, the high-leaping guard of the Knights, ended up as the player with the most number of votes. He garnered 2,086 votes.
Mr. David, a five-time PBA All-Star and a former scoring champion in the pro league, is excited to be back playing in such a prestigious event.
“It’s an honor to be back, playing against younger guys. I know I can still contribute and I want to repay the trust and love given to me by the fans,” said the 40-year-old David.
Messrs. Ayonayon and David will be joined in the North starting lineup by forward Aris Dionisio of the Manila Stars and Cedric Ablaza of the Makati Super Crunch while Big Mac Andaya of the Pasig Pirates will be the starting center.
Mr. Lastimosa also selected veteran guards Paolo Hubalde of the Valenzuela Classic and Almond Vosotros of the Caloocan Supremos, frontliners Jay Collado of the Quezon City Capitals and Gian Abrigo of the Mandaluyong El Tigre, forward Jaypee Belencion of the Pasay Voyagers, burly undersized but hardworking center JR Taganas of the Bulacan Kuyas, Levy Hernandez of the Pampanga Lanterns and Marlon Gomez of the Navotas Clutch.
An agreement was reached by Mr. Lastimosa and South team coach Don Dulay, and this was approved by MPBL commissioner Kenneth Duremdes, to allow them to select two wildcard picks to make their roster a 15-man lineup.
As per league rule, only one player per team is supposed to play in the All-Star Game, but the deal allowed teams to have multiple participants in the event.
Chris Bitoon of the Manila Stars was tapped to shore up the guard spot of the North side along with forward Larry Rodriguez of the Knights, they are the two wildcard picks of Mr. Lastimosa.
Mr. Dulay, who coaches the Davao Occidental Tigers, on the other hand, has Allan Mangahas of the Muntinlupa Cagers and celebrity baller Gerald Anderson of the Marikina Shoemasters as his starting guards and will be joined in the South All-Star first five by Mark Yee of Davao Occidental and Gab Banal of the Bacoor Strikers, who will play the forward spots. Jhaymo Eguilos of the Batangas City Athletics was named as the starting center.
Selected as reserves for the South All-Stars were Cebu Sharks gunner Patrick Cabahug, Basilan Steel guard Jojo Tangkay, underrated stretched four forward Marco Balagtas of the Rizal Crusaders, deadshot guard Reed Juntilla of the Zamboanga-Family’s Brand Sardines, spitfire guard Ian Melencio of the Imus Bandera, highly physical big man Michael Mabulac of the Laguna Heroes, guards Paolo Castro of the Parañaque Patriots and Chris Masaglang of the General Santos City Warriors.
Mr. Dulay also tapped Leo Najorda of Davao Occidental and Jeff Viernes of the Batangas City Athletics as his wildcard picks. — Rey Joble

Memories of Campo

Last Friday would have been the 92nd birthday of Hon. Florencio Campomanes, someone who all chess-loving Filipinos should remember. He, together with Ramon Lontoc, Jr., share the distinction of being the first Filipino National Masters (in 1956). He was also the Philippine national champion in 1956 and 1960 and represented the country at five Chess Olympiads: Moscow 1956, Munich 1958, Leipzig 1960, Varna 1962 and Havana 1966.
It started out as a passion for chess playing, but this passion soon consumed his entire being and the vision of Florencio Campomanes, the man, became an obsession to make a mark in the chess world, not just for him but also for his country.
Mr. Campomanes was born February 22, 1927 in Manila. He earned for himself college, university and departmental scholarships at the University of the Philippines where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science cum laude in 1947.
Believing in the chess percept that “there is no other move than the best move,” Campomanes pursued his studies in the United States, earning a Master’s degree at Brown, 1951 and undertook Doctoral Studies at Georgetown University, District of Columbia.
Shortly after he returned to the Philippines, Campomanes was one of the founding members of the Philippine Chess Federation in 1956 and prime mover to the creation of the first Chess Olympiad team to play for Philippine flag in Moscow also in that same year.
His closeness with then President Carlos P. Garcia enabled the country to experience a chess renaissance of sorts, for it was then that big names like Rodolfo Tan Cardoso, Renato Naranja, Glircerio Badilles, and Ramon Lontoc Jr. would emerge.
Campomanes put the Philippines on the world map and in many international publications when the big names of the sport came to our shores in the early ‘70s, with the Marlboro Chess Classics. Suddenly, the tournaments in Europe turned out almost empty, because everybody wanted to compete in this part of the world.
It was also in that period when the national juniors were held and the emergence of a promising, long-haired lad by the name of Eugene Torre, started off another era. Torre would later on become Asia’s first grandmaster taking a road directly and indirectly charted by Mr. Campomanes.
In 1978, the Philippines became the center of the chess world, when the World Chess Championship between Anatoly Karpov and challenger Victor Korchnoi was held in Baguio City. It turned out to be one of the most celebrated matches in chess history.
With the brown man from Southeast Asia getting much attention and recognition for his successful projects, Campomanes made it easily to the FIDE presidential elections of 1982, beating Iceland’s Grandmaster Fridrik Olafsson for the post, the first non-European to do so.
In 1992, Manila hosted the biggest international conclave in local sports history. The 1992 Manila Olympiad was to be the grandest Philippine sports spectacle ever as a hundred-odd nations participated.
Campomanes, in his term, made chess a spectator sport, and forever erased the idea of it being a nerd’s game or simply a boring pastime. He made Russians Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov instant millionaires by vastly increasing the pot money in big-time tournaments and the World Championships.
This idea of creating bigger tournaments with juicy prizes has given much reason for players to become serious achievers. Getting serious with the sport or any other endeavor, would mean curbing other negative forces in order to be successful. That is why sports is one of the best solutions to the drug menace, juvenile delinquency and other ills of society.
In the ‘60s and ‘70s Campomanes housed several promising players, giving them everything they needed — food, shelter and a little clothing — his ancestral house in Calle Campomanes in San Miguel, Manila.
One name that is inextricably linked to Campomanes is IM Andronico Yap.
“Boyet” Yap was an orphan who Campo took in as a ward and housed, fed, and clothed. He always gave Boyet odd jobs around chess tournaments, and one day assigned him a job as a “board boy” (someone operating the demonstration boards) during the 1979 Marlboro Chess Classic in Manila. When one of the foreign invitees had to cancel on the last minute due to visa problems, Yap was picked to take his place — apparently because he was the strongest chess player among the staff. Imagine that — from being board operator he jumped to one of the participants in a major (Grandmaster) GM tournament. In the very first round Boyet, unknown, untitled and unrated, defeated the 1977 Soviet chess champion.

7th Marlboro Classic
Manila, Philippines
January 1979

Final Standings:

1 GM Eugene Torre PHL 2520, 10.0/13

2 GM Fridrik Olafsson ISL 2555, 9.0/13

3-5 GM Yuri Averbakh URS 2515, GM Raymond Keene ENG 2465, GM Josif Dorfman URS 2595, 8.0/123

6 IM Rafaelito Maninang PHL 2320, 7.5/13

7-9 IM Haji Ardiansyah INA 2380, IM Ruben Rodriguez PHL 2370, Andronico Yap PHL unr, 6.5/13

10-11 IM Arovah Bachtiar INA 2390, IM Glenn Bordonada PHL 2365, 5.5/13

12-13 IM Terrey Shaw AUS 2355, Jacobus Sampouw INA 2320, 3.5/13

14 Ian Rogers AUS

Boyet finished with 6 wins (Dorfman, Maninang, Bachtiar, Bordonada, Shaw and Rogers), 1 draw and 6 losses. Very impressive for someone who actually had no business playing in such a strong event!

Yap, Andronico — Dorfman, Josif D (2595) [A01]
Marlboro Chess Classic Manila (1), 15.06.1979

1.b3 d5 2.Bb2 Bg4 3.h3 Bh5 4.Nf3 Bxf3 5.exf3 e6 6.g3 a5 7.a4 Ne7 8.f4
Eight moves into the game Dorfman already has an idea of what kind of player he is up against — a street fighter with limited theoretical knowledge.
Despite all the unorthodoxy White is already better in the opening. The bishop on b2 holds sway over the long diagonal.
8…Nd7 9.Bg2 h5 10.0–0 Nf5 11.c4 c6 12.cxd5 cxd5 13.Re1 Bc5 14.d4
Can White play 14.Bxd5 — the reply 14…Nxg3 is refuted by 15.d4 and White wins a piece. But the answer is “it is unclear” because after 14.Bxd5 instead of taking the g3–pawn Black can simply play 14…0–0 15.Bg2 Qb6 16.Qf3 h4 Black has the initiative, and Boyet prefers to be the one to do the attacking.
14…Bb4 15.Bc3 Nf6 16.Qd3 0–0 17.Na3 Bxc3 18.Qxc3 Rc8 19.Qd3 Qb6 20.Nb5 Rc6 21.Bf3 Rfc8 22.g4 hxg4 23.hxg4 Nh4 24.Bh1 Qd8 25.g5 Ne8 26.Qg3
After 26.Na7? Rc3 27.Qd2 Rc2 28.Qd1 R8c3 Black is getting the upper hand.
26…Nf5 < 27.Qh2 Qb6 28.Rad1 Nc7 29.Bf3
The idea is to play Bf3–g4xf5 followed by transferring his rook to the h-file. Black should not allow this.
29…Nxb5 30.axb5 Qxb5 31.Bg4 Qxb3 32.Bxf5! exf5 33.Kg2!
With the deadly threat of Rh1.
33…Rc2 34.Qh4! Qb2
In reply to the threat Dorfman goes With the idea of Rxf2, Qxf2, Rc2.
35.Rb1 Qxd4?
Dorfman should have agreed to the draw with 35…Qa2! 36.g6 fxg6 (36…Rxf2+? 37.Qxf2 Rc2 38.Re8#) 37.Rxb7 Rxf2+! 38.Qxf2 Rc2 39.Rb8+ Kf7 40.Rb7+ Kg8 41.Rb8+ Kf7 perpetual check.
36.Rxb7! g6 37.Rbe7! Rf8 <D>
POSITION AFTER 37…RF8
38.R7e5!
Obviously overlooked by Dorfman. He has to give up at least his rook to prevent mate down the h-file.
38…Qxe5 39.fxe5 Rc4 40.Qh6 Rg4+ 41.Kf3 1–0
That one game made it all worthwhile, said Campo to me many years later. IM Andronico Yap became the next Philippine prospect for international grandmastership, and in fact earned his first GM norm in Europe, but he had a nervous breakdown and came back to the Philippines where he tragically drowned in Manila Bay.
Campomanes’ international fame and contribution to the sport has given him the prestigious sports awards by the two sports organizations in the Philippines — the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) and the Sports Communicators Organization of the Philippines (SCOOP). Both have put him in the Sports Hall of Fame. What’s more, the PSA named him as Sports Leader of the Millennium.
The World Chess Federation (FIDE), on its Diamond Jubilee Celebration in Paris in December 1999, awarded Campo the Grand Knight of FIDE, the highest award of the International Sports Organization.
Hon. Florencio Campomanes passed away in the Philippines on May 3, 2010.
My first encounter with Mr. Campomanes was in 1998. I was supposed to go with the Philippine national team to the 1998 Elista Olympiad as their coach, but politics intervened and my slot was taken away by the Philippine Chess Federation in favor of someone else. The day after the teams arrived in Elista (Kalmyk Republic, Russia) I was completely shocked to receive a long-distance call from Russia. What’s more, the party on the other side was very pissed off and demanded to know what I was doing in the Philippines when I was supposed to be in Russia.
After the initial surprise had died down I realized that the caller was none other than Florencio Campomanes. Now, you should understand that I had never met let alone spoken with Mr. Campomanes before, so the idea that he would call me (and from Russia!) was something completely out of the blue. I replied that my name was on the original list but had been scratched out by the Federation. Nevertheless, according to Campo, I was needed by the team and he offered to pay for my ticket so long as I leave immediately as play was going to start the next day.
Completely flattered by the personal invitation I promised to leave right away and will pay for my own fare (without clearing with my wife — whew! That is another story). Completely satisfied, Campomanes welcomed me to the team.
Unfortunately, I still had to get endorsements from the Chess Federation as a member of the team and then to go to the Russian Embassy for my visa, but with the Federation unwilling to cooperate I could not leave on time. A tremendous blow for me, and I never forgot it.
That was in 1998. Two years later, in 2000, together with the Philippine Chess Society and with the backing of Mr. Campomanes, I was among the founding members of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) which disenfranchised the Philippine Chess Federation as the governing body of chess in the country. There! That showed them.
More Campo stories on Thursday.
 
Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.
bobby@cpamd.net

1...11,32011,32111,322...14,246Page 11,321 of 14,246
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube