Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube
Home Blog Page 11356

Antetokounmpo’s triple-double leads Bucks past Pacers, 106-97

LOS ANGELES — Giannis Antetokounmpo produced 33 points, 19 rebounds and 11 assists for his fifth triple-double of the season as the Milwaukee Bucks rallied for a 106-97 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis on Wednesday night.
Malcolm Brogdon scored 17 points and Khris Middleton added 15 as Milwaukee won for the 14th time in its past 16 games. George Hill had 12 points and Ersan Ilyasova tallied 11 for the Bucks, who own the best record (43-14) in the NBA heading into the All-Star break.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 20 points for the Pacers, who had a six-game winning streak halted. Domantas Sabonis recorded 14 points and nine rebounds, Darren Collison had 14 points and seven assists, Myles Turner scored 11 points, and Tyreke Evans had 10.
Milwaukee connected on 44.2 percent of its shots, including 9 of 31 from 3-point range. The Bucks held a 52-43 rebounding edge.
The Pacers made 41.6% of their shots and were 10 of 27 from long range.
Milwaukee recovered from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit en route to posting its seventh straight road win.
Thaddeus Young hit a 3-pointer to give the Pacers a 95-93 lead with 4:42 left. Antetokounmpo hit a tying jumper with 3:51 remaining, and the Bucks moved ahead at 97-95 when Antetokounmpo recorded his 10th assist by feeding a wide-open Ilyasova for a layup with 2:36 left.
Middleton followed with a 3-pointer and Antetokounmpo hit four straight free throws to make it 104-95 with 54.6 seconds left as Milwaukee closed it out.
The Pacers led 79-76 entering the fourth quarter before scoring the initial seven points of the final stanza. Evans knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 86-76 with 9:37 remaining.
Milwaukee responded with a 9-2 push with Middleton scoring the final five to trim Indiana’s lead to 88-85 with 7:23 left.
The Bucks took a 91-90 lead on Brogdon’s basket with 5:56 remaining.
Indiana trailed 55-47 at halftime before opening the third quarter with a 12-3 burst to take a one-point lead.
Later in the quarter, Wesley Matthews and Bogdanovic buried back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Pacers a 69-63 lead with 4:32 remaining.
Antetokounmpo had 15 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in the first half as the Bucks led by eight at the break.
Antetokounmpo scored 13 first-quarter points — half his club’s total — as Milwaukee held a 26-18 advantage.
HARDEN SCORES 42 BUT ROCKETS LOSE TO TIMBERWOLVES
Jeff Teague produced a double-double while Karl-Anthony Towns led a dominant performance in the paint by the Minnesota Timberwolves, who used a balanced scoring attack to thwart James Harden and the Houston Rockets 121-111 on Wednesday in Minneapolis.
Rookie guard Josh Okogie provided a spark with 16 points and played energetic defense on Harden, but Harden still extended his streak of 30-point games to 31 with 42 points, matching Wilt Chamberlain for the second-longest streak in NBA history. Harden has recorded 22 40-point games this season.
Teague paced seven Timberwolves in double figures with 27 points and added a game-high 12 assists while Towns paired 25 points with a team-best nine rebounds. Dario Saric, Luol Deng, and Taj Gibson recorded eight rebounds each as Minnesota posted a plus-10 rebounding advantage while also outscoring Houston 70-36 in the paint. The Timberwolves shot 54.4 percent.
Chris Paul added 16 points and eight assists for Houston while Kenneth Faried chipped in a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Rockets led 65-56 on two Faried free throws at the 10:18 mark of the third quarter before the Timberwolves mounted the first of their two significant runs in the period. Minnesota pulled even with a 9-0 surge and later added a 12-0 burst to seize the lead.
Okogie was crucial during the latter run, producing a steal and block, both against Harden, while also converting a transition dunk and a 3-pointer that pushed Minnesota to a 77-74 lead.
The series of alternating runs began in the first quarter when, after Saric scored 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting for Minnesota, the Rockets closed the frame on an 11-2 rally to carry a one-point lead into the second. Houston surged without Harden, who shot 1 of 4 in the period, and instead relied on 15 bench points, with eight coming from reserve swingman Gerald Green.
Harden found his rhythm in the second quarter, scoring 10 points during a 16-6 Rockets run that turned a three-point deficit into a 51-44 lead.
Harden totaled 20 points by the break and Houston led 58-52 at the intermission despite surrendering 34 points in the paint and playing to a minus-10 deficit on the boards.
The Timberwolves shot 51.2% in the first half despite missing 5 of 6 3-pointers. That dominance on the interior and the glass paid dividends after the break. — Reuters

ONE: Gina Iniong charting another path to the top

HAD it roller-coaster in her last three fights in ONE Championship, Filipino women’s atomweight fighter Gina “Conviction” Iniong aims to reestablish consistency in winning when she takes the cage anew with the end view of throwing herself back in the mix for a title shot.
Lost in her last fight in July last year against Brazilian Nuñes by unanimous decision, Ms. Iniong (7-4) of Team Lakay saw her attempt to rise back in the division derailed.
After opening her ONE career with back-to-back wins, Ms. Iniong has gone 1-2 after, something she hopes to improve on when she takes on Jihin Radzuan of Malaysia at “ONE: Clash of Legends” happening on Feb. 16 at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
Ms. Iniong, fighting out of Baguio City, Benguet, said her last three fights had taught her a lot in how she should approach every outing and is aiming for a convincing victory.
“They can expect an aggressive and determined Gina Iniong come fight night,” said Ms. Iniong of her upcoming fight.
“Anything can happen in a fight. All I can say is I don’t want the fight to go to the judges’ scorecards,” she added.
While she had to endure some setbacks in her MMA career of late, the six-time Philippine wushu champion said her drive to be finally crowned world champion in her division is still alive and she remains determined to achieve it.
“I am still hoping to get a shot at the ONE women’s atomweight world title and fight [reigning champion] Angela Lee [of Singapore],” Ms. Iniong shared.
Adding, “One of my dreams is to challenge her because I want to become a world champion.”
Zeroing in on her fight with Ms. Radzuan (4-0), the Filipino fighter said she is trying to cover all bases to churn out a great performance.
She has been training hard with her stable mate at Team Lakay, pushing herself to the limits.
“I am working doubly hard in training by pushing myself to the limits. I follow my coaches’ advice in every turn. We focused on my weaknesses in training and gave a lot of time on my ground game,” she said.
“My last fight made me realize that I have so many techniques to improve and develop. I am coming with everything to have my hand raised in Bangkok,” Ms. Iniong furthered.
Ms. Iniong also said that she hopes to get a favorable result in Thailand for her team after seeing Team Lakay stalwarts Joshua Pacio and Geje Eustaquio lose their ONE Championship world titles in succession in January.
ONE: Clash of Legends is headlined by the Super Series Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship battle between hometown bet Nong-O Gaiyanghadao and Chinese Han Zi Hao. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Magic Johnson cleared of tampering in Sixers guard Simmons situation: NBA

LOS ANGELES — The NBA has determined there were no tampering violations committed by Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson regarding potentially speaking with Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons.
“We have concluded that Magic Johnson’s statements regarding Ben Simmons do not constitute a tampering violation,” the league’s statement began. “The Philadelphia 76ers initiated the contact with the Los Angeles Lakers by requesting a meeting between Johnson and Simmons.
“Both organizations ultimately concluded that such a meeting did not make sense at this time but in that context, Johnson’s response to a media inquiry regarding Simmons does not run afoul of league rules.”
According to published reports, 76ers general manager Elton Brand called Johnson on Monday to apologize for making it sound during a radio interview as if the Lakers had called unprompted to seek permission for Johnson to speak to Simmons.
It turned out that a member of the Philadelphia organization began the communication by contacting Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka.The situation began because Simmons wanted to sit down with Johnson to discuss being a big point guard in the NBA.
The Lakers have been fined twice by the NBA for tampering since Johnson has been in charge. And although there has been no talk of the Lakers pursuing Simmons — he doesn’t become a restricted free agent until 2020 — eyes could be raised if he and Johnson got together.
The 22-year-old Simmons is represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. He represents both LeBron James and Anthony Davis, whom the Lakers tried to acquire before the trade deadline last week.
Brand reiterated to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that he is not worried the Lakers are trying to snatch his young star.
“No issue. I have a great relationship with Ben and Rich (Paul) and we expect him to be a Sixer for a long time,” Brand said. “He has taken interest in chatting with some of the game’s all-time greats and we’re supportive. I had brief dialogue with Rob Pelinka who I’ve known for a long time, but nothing is planned. Our collective focus is on making a postseason push. Again, we’re not sweating this, end of story.” — Reuters

Athlete-led group forms to drive change in sporting world

ATHLETES around the world must be at the forefront of shaping the future of global sport, British Olympic cycling champion Callum Skinner said on Wednesday as he fronts a new athlete-led organization launched following recent scandals.
Global Athlete, the creation of which comes after a Russian doping crisis and USA Gymnastics sexual abuse scandal, says it will empower Olympic athletes to speak up and work towards addressing a disconnect between competitors and sports leaders.
The independent body will focus on issues such as calling for a more robust doping system, better athlete welfare and ensuring athletes receive some Olympic revenues or prize money.
“It’s 2019, and, frankly speaking, sports governance lags far behind other sectors of society in terms of engaging their constituents,” Skinner, who won a gold medal in the team sprint at the 2016 Rio Olympics, said in a statement.
“As we’ve seen of late, athletes care deeply about how their sport is run, and they want an opportunity to provide input and to help shape sport’s future.
“A sporting landscape that it is democratic, representative and in-touch with wider society and opinion is critical to progress and staying relevant.”
The body also said it has appointed former World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Deputy Director General Rob Koehler as Director General.
Koehler, who abruptly left WADA last year, will lead a so-called “listening exercise” with athletes in all countries in the coming months to understand the changes they want to see in sport. — Reuters

San Juan Knights, Bataan Risers pumped up for Chooks-to-Go 3×3

THE 12-field tournament Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 President’s Cup fires off this weekend and all combatants have expressed readiness for it, including teams from San Juan and Bataan.
Known as the “Knights,” the San Juan-Go For Gold team is composed of former Philippine Basketball Association campaigners Mac Cardona, John Wilson and Larry Rodriguez, joined by young guns Larry Muyang, Mike Ayonayon and Cedric Pelayo.
The Bataan Risers, meanwhile, are bannered by collegiate standouts Alvin Pasaol of the University of the East, Sean Manganti of Adamson, Santi Santilla of La Salle, and Ateneo’s Anton Asistio. They will be joined in the team by veteran Chito Jaime.
The Knights and Risers said that the about-to-start tournament will be a tough one in more ways than one but they are nonetheless determined to make things happen and succeed in it.
“It’s a learning experience for the players with the different rules, different ball, and faster pace. With our pre-season outcome though, I think we can have a good chance,” said team governor Chris Conwi in the lead-up to the tournament.
“The team is very excited but we will just enjoy the games and not put too much pressure on us. Hopefully we will be at our best,” he added.
The Knights are bracketed in Group A alongside the Valenzuela Classic and the Zamboanga Valientes.
Bataan, meanwhile, said it carefully selected the members of their team and believes it got the players it wanted.
“Actually all of them are capable leaders. It’s just a matter of chemistry between the players and shifting leadership on the fly. We would like them to assume leadership positions when they are able to,” said Bataan team owner Anthony Zubiri.
Adding, “There is no strong or weak player and we designed it to be that way.”
Like San Juan, the Risers are also not putting too much pressure on them but underscored that they are in it to win it.
“We want to enjoy the game. If you enjoy the game, hopefully, we can perform well. As you’ve seen with the Risers, we have been going all out in building it from the ground up. This is the same mindset we are using with the Risers 3×3 team,” said Mr. Zubiri, referring to their team in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, which is one of the top ball clubs.
The Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 President’s Cup is a tournament that has the winner having a chance to compete at the world stage.
In the Pilipinas Cup, which begins on Feb. 16, there will be six legs. The league will follow FIBA’s 3×3’s format with one champion team per leg.
Teams will be ranked according to the point system under FIBA. The rankings for the grand finals will be determined by the points gathered by the teams during the first five legs.
The top four teams will automatically gain a quarterfinals berth in the Grand Finals.
Besides winning the President’s Cup, the winner will get P1 million and a chance to represent the country in the FIBA 3X3 World Tour.
All the games will be held at either at SM Megamall or SM Fairview. Moreover, all legs will be shown live on ESPN5. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

PHL Malditas to play in Group C in second round of Olympic qualifiers

THE PHILIPPINE women’s national football team will play in Group C in the second round of the 2020 Olympic Football Asian Qualifiers later this year.
In the official draw held early this week, the Malditas fell alongside Chinese Taipei, Iran and Palestine in the group competition happening from April 1 to 9. Palestine will host games in Group C.
In the second round, the Philippines needs to emerge on top to advance to the next round of the competition and come closer for an Olympic spot.
Last November during the opening round of the qualifiers, the Malditas, who were composed of players culled mostly from teams which played in the Philippine Football Federation Women’s League 2018 and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, made a good account of themselves, finishing second in their grouping with a 3-1 record behind Chinese Taipei (4-0).
They were in a position for a sweep but fell to Chinese Taipei, 5-0, in their final game.
In said match, the Philippines tried hard to keep in step with its opponent and was successful for much of the opening half.
But when Chinese-Taipei broke through in the 41st minute care of Lai Li Chin, it was simply unstoppable for the Philippines.
After that goal, a second came three minutes later from Lee Hsiu-chin.
Three more goals came in the second half — Yu Hsiu-chin (57’), Ms. Lee (65’) and Lin Hsin-hui (81’) – to complete the rout for Chinese-Taipei.
The loss halted what was an impressive run for the Malditas in round one of the qualifiers that had them beating Singapore, 9-0, host Tajikistan, 3-1, and Mongolia, 5-1.
Despite the loss though, the runner-up finish was enough for the Philippines to qualify for the second round.
In other groupings in the second round, Myanmar, India, Indonesia, and Nepal are in Group A, and Vietnam, Jordan, Hong Kong, and Uzbekistan are in Group B. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Rocky Pelicans

To argue that Anthony Davis wasn’t himself the other day would be to grossly understate the obvious. After all, he managed just three points off one basket and one free throw in playing half the game, his eight misses from the field coming just one short of his combined aggregate in rebounds and blocks. The offensive output was his worst ever in any match he was able to burn rubber for at least 21 minutes, and he wasn’t happy. In his post-mortem, he professed that he missed “a lot of easy shots, layups and stuff that I normally make,” adding to his frustration.
Significantly, Davis wasn’t himself off the court, either. Not normally predisposed to verbosity, he went out of character and accompanied a glaring self-assessment with even more pointed pronouncements that appeared to be directed at the other Pelicans. “We sucked,” he contended. “Nobody was interested in playing. That’s what it looked like.” Considering that he had hitherto all but demanded to be dealt before the trade deadline, he was no doubt frustrated to find himself still headed towards yet another early vacation.
Indeed, the Pelicans aren’t headed anywhere but to the lottery. No doubt, they harbored aspirations of a deep run in the 2018-19 season following an inspiring campaign that had them making the conference semifinals for the first time with Davis as the centerpiece. Instead, they were derailed by injuries early on, leading their franchise player to request for a change of address to a contender and thereby sealing their fate. And given their understandable intent to get more than pennies to the dollar for their most valuable asset, they face an immediate future that is rocky at best.
To be sure, the Pelicans would be right to place blame on Davis’ shoulders. He was the one who tried to twist their arm by publicly asking out. Then, when his wish wasn’t granted, he insisted on suiting up alongside teammates already primed to move on without him. When he says he wants to go to a contender, he’s indicating that they’re not good enough to be one. When he says he has to go all out just for them to have a chance to win, he’s indicating they’re doormats without him. While he may well be speaking the truth, they’re not wrong to counter that he’s actually pulling them down.
True, the Pelicans could have avoided the lingering fallout by going for the Lakers’ bets offer prior to the trade deadline. Instead, they saw it as underwhelming in the face of a potential blockbuster coming from the Celtics. Now, they are compelled to accept the risks and the consequences of their decision to wait. And because addition by subtraction will come later, they have no choice but to accept mail-in performances over the remaining 27 games of a once-promising season.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

How reading can help you become a better worker, and a better person

Tired, with no time, and with hardly any extra money: every member of the workforce has been all of these things at some point. If there’s any free time that can actually be claimed, staying in bed and doing nothing seems to be the only attractive option.

While resting is definitely good for one’s body, there may actually be other forms of relaxation which could prove beneficial. Playing sports and listening to music are some of these alternatives, but reading a book is a hobby that you may want to consider.

Helping oneself

According to a study by JAMA Psychiatry, doing “intellectual activities” such as reading significantly bolster mental performance, even lowering risk for dementia, independent of other interventions like healthy eating and regular exercise.
The benefits extend to your career as well. Reading can help improve your communication skills and make readers more empathetic.
While bookstores are a mall mainstay for the most part, fairs like the upcoming Big Bad Wolf Booksale are a fantastic way to discover new finds at bargain prices, perfect for helping kick off a new reading habit.

Helping others

With free admission and discounts up to 90 percent, readers will be able to fill their bags without breaking the bank. They’ll be sure to find some time to go as well, since the booksale is open 24 hours a day from Feb 22 to March 4 at the World Trade Center in Pasay.
This year, the book fair is bringing two million books ranging from science fiction, business, cooking, and design. Children will also enjoy the Little Hippo augmented reality (AR) books, which bring characters like Goldilocks to life via augmented reality. The Big Bad Wolf Booksale is the sole seller of Little Hippo in Asia.
The Big Bad Wolf Booksale won’t only be helping book enthusiasts. They’re continuing their partnership with Gawad Kalinga from last year, wherein they helped build libraries in impoverished communities.
“We had such an exciting time in 2018 and we are thrilled to return to the Philippines this year,” said Jacqueline Ng, one of the event’s founders. “We’re happy to continue our long-term commitment to make books affordable and accessible. We’re excited to also be partnering with Gawad Kalinga again and support their initiatives through the sale.”

More funds needed to hike social outlay

THE PHILIPPINES can afford to increase state spending on social protection to help attain better living conditions by 2030, but it will have to raise more revenues to do so, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a report released on Wednesday.
The regional lender said the Philippines needs to increase tax collections by at least 5.9% to as much as 9.6% from 2015 to 2030 to ensure ample funding to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The United Nations introduced the SDGs in 2015 which set global standards for poverty reduction and social inclusion; environmental sustainability, climate change and disaster risk management; accountable, responsive and participatory governance; fair and stable order based on international rule of law; as well as peace and security.
For the ADB, nations need to step up their game in order to improve social protection, which includes cash transfers to the poor as well as the delivery of goods and services that enhance income security and access to basic health care.
“The Philippines would have to make further substantial efforts to increase its revenue-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio, but it seems to have some fiscal space as there is no apparent reason why its ratio should be so much lower than those in Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam,” the ADB said in the report, titled: Asia’s Fiscal Challenge: Financing the Social Protection Agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Social protection can only be truly complete when transfers and infrastructure complement each other so that all people actually have access to essential goods and services of adequate quality,” it added.
The ADB analyzed the fiscal footing of 16 member-states, including the Philippines, and how current social protection systems have been faring and funding needed to expand coverage.
“Public resources for social protection have to be increased in all countries and that means, most likely, government revenues will have to be increased,” the ADB said.
The Philippines’ revenue effort stood at 16.9% against a 20% expenditure effort in the nine months to September 2018, according to the Department of Finance. This left the fiscal gap at three percent of GDP in that period.
The country’s fiscal gap is projected to amount to 1.7% of GDP by 2030 if the Philippines will keep the status quo.
The budget deficit is projected to balloon to 7.6% of GDP if the revenue effort remains static at 13.9%, versus the more aggressive spending required to attain the SDGs equivalent to 21.5% of GDP.
If the Philippines will raise additional revenues and meet the 21.5% average revenue effort among developing Asian economies, then the budget will be broadly balanced by 2030.
Apart from the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal and Sri Lanka need to “open new fiscal space” in order to finance increased social services.
The ADB added that fiscal stress will be removed only if these economies “brought up their revenue–GDP ratio to the regional average.”
The Philippines is also one of seven countries likely to feel “low” fiscal stress from pursuing the SDGs, the ADB added.
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Timor-Leste will have to make “painful choices” to attain the SDGs, while Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Mongolia, China, Thailand and Vietnam are expected to meet the targets “without major effort,” as increased spending will not put undue pressure on budget deficits in these areas.
The ADB said governments can choose to raise tax rates, reallocate energy subsidies and natural resource taxes, and instill stricter tax enforcement in order to rake in more public funds.
“As a net natural resources importer, the country is suggested to rely on taxes. Post-tax subsidy taxes can be reduced to an amount of three percent of GDP. Tax efforts can be made to collect 4.3% of GDP, especially from corporate income tax,” the regional lender said.
“The country can also raise VAT (value-added tax) to reach and surpass the lower gap estimate.”
Republic Act No. 10963, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN), is expected to add P79.012 billion to public coffers this year following a boost in the law’s first year of implementation.
TRAIN reduced personal income taxes for those earning below P2 million and put in place a simpler system for computing donor and estate taxes.
These foregone revenues will be offset by removal of some VAT exemptions; higher tax rates for fuel, cars, tobacco, coal, minerals, documentary stamps, foreign currency deposit units, capital gains for stocks not in the stock exchange, and stock transactions; as well as new taxes for sugar-sweetened drinks and cosmetic procedures.
ADB President Takehiko Nakao has said that the Philippines needs to raise more taxes to improve local infrastructure and social services, adding that the “too-complicated” tax regime also needs to be addressed.
The administration of President Rodrigo R. Duterte targets to raise P3.2 trillion in total revenues this year, against plans to spend as much as P3.8 trillion particularly for intensified infrastructure development.
Succeeding tax reform proposals remain pending with Congress, with time running out for enactment with the May 13 elections approaching. — Melissa Luz T. Lopez

Truckers face new regulation

By Melissa Luz T. Lopez
Senior Reporter
THE BUREAU of Customs (BoC) now requires trucking services to register with it, despite concerns from an industry group that its members are already heavily regulated.
Customs Memorandum Order 05-2019 requires truckers offering services to Customs ports to register under the bureau’s Client Profile Registration System.
This will be mandatory before they can continue ferrying goods from ports to Customs warehouses, freeport zones, consignee premises or exit ports.
“This order shall apply to all truckers dealing directly with the Bureau, for and on behalf of the importer or exporter relating to the transportation of goods,” read the issuance signed by Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero on Feb. 4.
“All truckers are required to be registered with the bureau before they may be authorized to transport imported goods,” it added, noting that applications must be filed with the bureau’s Account Management Office in Manila or before the respective district collectors in the provinces.
Applications will be made under oath and should include required documents, such as a copy of the trucking firm’s certificate of public convenience, list of clients, a certificate or affidavit for signatories for company representatives, two valid IDs, an original copy of a clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation, the firm’s latest general information sheet, and a list of drivers and helpers.
Other requirements include personal profile of applicants and company officials; certificates of registration and plate numbers of trucks, trailer chassis and tractor heads; proof of existence of garage; registration with the Bureau of Internal Revenue; certificate of good standing as a member of an industry group; valid mayor’s permit; and an endorsement from the collector.
Some of these documents must be updated annually.
Truckers will also have to pay a P5,000 registration fee, with the application to be evaluated within five working days upon submission.
If approved, registration is valid for three years.
The bureau said the changes were in accordance of Republic Act No. 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act passed in 2016.
ADDED REGULATORY LAYER
Sought for comment, an official of the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP) said its main concern about the new rules is that they add another layer of regulation.
“What we have been requesting is to make the requirements easily compliable. Pwede naman, pero huwag lang pahirapan (We can register, but they shouldn’t make it too cumbersome to do so),” Maria B. Zapata, CTAP vice-president for External Affairs, said in a telephone interview.
Currently, truck-for-hire companies already report to the Land Transportation Office, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and the Philippine Ports Authority.
Ms. Zapata added members of her group hope that the papers they submitted to these agencies will be acceptable to the BoC.
Signing up will mean that the truckers will be covered by rules and regulations prescribed by the BoC for handling shipments, and will also allow blacklisting of problematic service providers.
The same order states that a trucker’s registration also meant a pledge of cooperation in any Customs investigation by submitting pertinent papers, “statements, affidavits and attestations” related to the probe.
The bureau can also suspend, cancel or revoke the registration of truckers.
Grounds for revocation include facilitating transport of smuggled goods, failure to report information on fraud, as well as submission of misrepresented or false information for their registration.
In a separate issuance, the BoC also required all imported goods and services to be marked with their country of origin.
Customs said this is to prevent the “deceptive practice” of passing off imported items as coming from a different country other than its actual point of origin.

SBMA eyes additional land from Zambales, Bataan

THE SUBIC BAY Metropolitan Authority is looking to expand its area by about 21,000 hectares, taking in land from municipalities in Zambales and Bataan.
In a statement on Wednesday, the SBMA said these include 9,000 hectares in San Antonio; 10,000 hectares in San Marcelino; 500-600 hectares in Subic; 500 hectares in Castillejos, all in Zambales; 900 hectares in Olongapo City; as well as 505 hectares in Hermosa, Bataan.
“We want these areas to be utilized as economic zones because we’re already running out of space in the Subic Bay Freeport,” SBMA quoted Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma as saying in the statement.
The proposed expansion, she added, “will sustain the growth of the Subic Freeport, attract more investments, and generate jobs for residents from nearby communities and other areas.”
SBMA’s expansion is to be effected via a Senate bill now up for plenary action that was filed by Senator Richard J. Gordon.
The bill, which proposes to amend Republic Act No. 7227, or the Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992, also seeks to increase the area of the Clark Special Economic Zone from the current 4,400 hectares to 35,400 hectares and authorizes the Subic and Clark authorities to draft master plans for their expansion.
If the proposed bill is approved, projects set in expanded areas will enjoy the same tax incentives as those in Subic and Clark freeports so that they can attract investments.
Congress is currently in the process of revising tax incentives to make them more time-bound and performance-based, and to remove redundant perks.
Currently, businesses within these economic zones enjoy a five percent rate of tax on gross income earned in lieu of all other national and local taxes.
The national government currently receives three percent from the gross income tax collected from Subic locators, while the SBMA gets two percent which it then distributes to the eight local governments whose areas include parts of the freeport and special economic zone.
Meanwhile, one percent of the five percent gross income tax collected in Clark and other special economic zones is remitted to the national government; one percent goes to the provincial government; one percent to municipalities or cities; and two percent to the governing bodies of the ecozones. — Janina C. Lim

MetroPac Movers taps Aboitiz to develop Cavite logistics hub

THE LOGISTICS arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) has tapped Aboitiz Construction, Inc. (ACI) to develop its 20-hectare property into a logistics hub in Cavite.
In a statement issued Wednesday, MetroPac Movers, Inc. (MMI) said it has signed a memorandum of agreement with ACI for the development of the South Mega Distribution Center (South Mega DC) along Arnaldo Highway in General Trias City, Cavite.
South Mega DC will stand on a 202,000-square meter (sq.m.) property that MMI purchased for P1.2 billion in 2018. The company said it will offer about 25,000 sq.m. of leasable space when finished.
ACI will be in charge of preparing the project’s master plan and basic design, which is expected to take about six months to a year, excluding the actual construction.
MMI also named DCCD Engineering Corp. as South Mega DC’s project manager.
South Mega DC will cater to MMI’s existing and potential clients in the fast-moving consumer goods, consumer durables, and other industries.
Apart from South Mega DC, MMI will also build North Mega DC in Bulacan, from its acquisition of 277,857 sq.m of land in San Rafael, Bulacan last year. These form part of a series of logistics infrastructure projects that the company has lined up in the following years.
Founded in 2016, MMI targets to become the top logistics provider in the country. It currently owns a fleet of 520 trucks, and operates over 200,000 sq.m of aggregate warehouse space in various locations across Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The company is also investing in technology and training to further boost its logistics network. It had previously invested in a control tower where it can manage its booking, location, and tracking services.
Aside from its core business of end-to-end logistics, it also offers transport and freight forwarding through its three trucking components namely Premier Logistics, Metropac Trucking Company, Inc., and Trucking Pro.
MPIC posted a net income attributable to the parent of P12.49 billion in the first nine months of 2018, 12% higher year on year. This followed a 42% jump in gross revenues to P61.35 billion in the same period.
Shares in MPIC slipped by 0.61% or three centavos to close at P4.85 each at the stock exchange on Wednesday.
MPIC is one of the three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arra B. Francia

1...11,35511,35611,357...14,238Page 11,356 of 14,238
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube