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Jeremy Miado places the value of respect in the highest regard

FILIPINO strawweight contender Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado values respect above everything else as a mixed martial artist.
In his next contest, Miado faces off against former foe Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke once more on 22 February at ONE: Call to Greatness.
Dejdamrong is a Muay Thai legend. In their first encounter in March 2018, Miado scored a scintillating first-round knockout of the Thai superstar. Many critics say that Miado may have gotten in a lucky punch, and that things will be different in this rematch.
The Filipino “Jaguar” merely shrugs off this kind of talk and harbors no ill-will towards his detractors nor his opponent.
“No matter which martial artist I go up against, whether he’s better than me or not, I should respect him as a martial artist,” Miado said.
The Filipino took Muay Thai while he was still pursuing a Criminology degree in college. With the bond he developed with his coach, he learned a valuable lesson that is more important than punching and kicking.
“My coach back in Bicol, Dante Madrideo [taught me the value of respect],” Miado said.
“He was my first coach who really took me under his wing.”
The gym where he used to train embodied just that as he treated everyone with utmost respect. He rather be remembered as a respectful athlete rather than for his professional record.
“Not just as a martial artist, but as a regular person, respect is important. You won’t get respect if you don’t know how to give it,” Miado said.
“In the cage, if you don’t display this value, win or lose, people will not care. If you won, then good for you, but if you lost, then they would say that you had it coming.
“If you respect the people around you, win or lose, people will be proud of what you did in the cage. You can’t be respectful in the cage and be a different person in everyday life.”
Miado feels at home with ONE Championship as he shares the same values with the company who employs him. He also finds the promotion an avenue to display and share these values.
“ONE Championship is a huge platform where millions of people are watching,” Miado said.
“If you display this value, people will respect you just the same.
“It is especially true against any opponent because you’re not really enemies outside the cage. Competing against each other is what we do, it is our sport, but outside of the cage, we’re all friends.”
As Miado faces the former ONE Strawweight World Champion, he still holds onto immense respect for the highly-decorated Evolve MMA representative.
“I have great respect for him, because when I was starting, I was looking up to him,” he explains.
“It is a huge honor for me to be able to be on the opposite side of the cage (ring) competing against him. That’s why I want to do my best in our match.”
As the day of their rematch approaches, Miado looks to put on a performance worthy of the respect of his fans and opponent.

Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series leg set in Palawan

WORLD-CLASS cliff diving action comes to the Philippines in April as Red Bull stages the first leg of its world series in El Nido, Palawan.
Making its debut in the Philippines, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series is set to happen on April 12 and 13, and will set the pace for what is set to be a seven-stop global tour.
Happening at the Small and Big Lagoon in Miniloc Island in El Nido, 24 professional male and female cliff divers from 18 countries are expected to compete, including record champions Rhiannan Iffland of Austria and Gary Hunt of Great Britain.
Each stop of the tour would also feature four wildcard divers seeking to earn their way up the ranks.
In the competition, competing divers will soar from heights of up to 27m at speeds in excess of 86km/h with nothing else but their concentration, skill, and physical control. They will be scored by an international jury who will grade each dive on the following metrics, namely, take-off, position in the air and entry in the water.
Organizers said that apart from exposing the Filipinos in the sport of cliff diving, the world series leg is also a good opportunity to share to the world the headway that conservation efforts in Palawan have made and raise further awareness on them.
“The grant to hold the event in a national park is not merely to draw more tourists, but to show the world our efforts to protect and preserve this paradise from the threats of mass tourism. I personally think the event can help convey to the world the need to protect paradises like ours though responsible tourism,” said Carolyn Esmenda, Assistant Protection Area Management Board Superintendent.
Apart from the competition proper a number of educational and clean-up workshops will be conducted on the island as well .
After the Philippines, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will have stops in Dublin, Ireland (May 12); Polignano a Mare, Italy (June 2); Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal (June 22); Beirut, Lebanon (July 14); Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Aug. 24); and Bilbao, Spain (Sept. 14).
The event can be seen live via Red Bull TV as well as on FOX Sports, FOX Sports GO, FOX+ app, and online at http://www.foxsports.ph. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Cyclists test mettle at 2019 edition of 7-Eleven Trail

CROSS-COUNTRY racers were once again tested at the 7-Eleven Trail 2019 which was held last week at the Timberland Heights in San Mateo, Rizal.
One of the most-anticipated cross-country races in the Philippines, some 3,000 cyclists participated in this year’s edition of the event, its sixth year of staging.
The 7-Eleven Trail 2019 offered two categories, namely the 30-kilometer race and 40-km race.
Both distances used one big single loop course, with the 40-km race having two black diamond sections.
Organizers said that this year’s race course was a mix of road climbs (10%), fire road (30%), and single-track (60%).
They said that the continued tweaking of the course was designed to make the race — which is 7-Eleven’s way of showing its commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle and a deeper appreciation for the environment — fresh and something to look forward to for participants.
Emerging with podium finishes at the 7-Eleven Trail 2019 were Alvin Benosa (1st), Archie Duran (2nd) and Jericho Rivera in the men’s 40-KM race; and Cailh Jeron Mariano, Christian Polintan Carlos and Genesis Orozco in the men’s 30-KM race.
On the women’s side, winners were Ariana Dormitorio (1st), Nicole Quinones (2nd) and Melissa Jane Jaroda (3rd) in the 40-KM race; and Emily Bagaso, Veronica Maglapuz and Lwahna Mavecka Montanes in the 30-KM race. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Woods ready to take on new challenge in Mexico

TIGER WOODS hits on the rough of the second hole course during the final round of the Genesis Open golf tournament at Riviera Country Club. — GARY A. VASQUEZ-USA TODAY SPORTS

LOS ANGELES — Tiger Woods will compete in Mexico for the first time at this week’s World Golf Championships event and said on Wednesday he was not fretting about the new surroundings or losing sleep over the challenges of playing at a high altitude.
Woods, a seven-times winner of the event at six different venues before it was moved to Mexico City in 2017 and renamed the WGC-Mexico Championship, said being in a solid field is all he needs to get fired up.
“I take a lot of pride in playing well in the biggest events, so that being the majors, the Players (Championship), and the World Golf Championships,” Woods told news conference. “My record has been pretty good in those events.
“So just because this event has been in different places, it’s still against the best players in the world and I’ve always enjoyed competing against them and trying to beat them and win an event.”
Woods will tee off alongside American compatriot Bryson DeChambeau and Mexico’s Abraham Ancer in Thursday’s opening round at Club de Golf Chapultepec, where Phil Mickelson is the defending champion.
The strong field features 27 of the top 30 golfers in the world rankings, including past champions Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed.
Woods, who has been unable to compete in Mexico because of back issues, played nine holes on Tuesday and Wednesday and said he is still trying to deal with the challenge of playing in the high altitude at Chapultepec, which is some 7,000-plus feet above sea level and results in golf balls traveling farther.
“The ball was traveling obviously a long way,” said Woods, who qualified for the WGC-Mexico Championship by virtue of advancing to last year’s Tour Championship, which he went on to win for his first PGA Tour triumph in more than five years.
“The most interesting thing is the ball just doesn’t curve up here at altitude, there’s just not enough resistance. Shots that I thought I shaped just didn’t have any shape to it.”
Woods, who will be making his third start of the season after a T20 at the Farmers Insurance Open and T15 at the Genesis Open, said that while he is still trying to sort out his playing schedule he feels much better than he did during last year’s comeback season from spinal fusion surgery.
“There’s really no comparison to last year,” said Woods. “I didn’t really know what my golf future would be.
“Last year was a bit of a wandering world of how am I going to piece this together, how am I going to figure it out, what am I going to be capable of. By the end of the year I figured it out.”
Mickelson arrives at the event in top form after collecting his 44th PGA Tour victory two weeks ago at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. In 2018, Mickelson beat Justin Thomas in a sudden-death playoff to end a 96-event PGA Tour winless drought. — Reuters

Taiwan’s Hsieh stuns Kerber to reach Dubai quarters

DOHA, Qatar — Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber suffered a surprise last 16 exit from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after being beaten by unseeded Hsieh Su-wei 5-7 6-4 6-0 on Wednesday.
Taiwan’s Hsieh was two games away from defeat when Kerber rallied from 2-4 down to draw level at 4-4 in the second set, but the world number 31 won eight of the last 10 points to send the match to a decider.
The 33-year-old Hsieh ultimately scorched into the last eight, converting three break points to bagel her German opponent.
Hsieh, who recorded her first win in three attempts against Kerber, will next face Karolina Pliskova for a place in her second semi-final of the season, and first since the opening week of 2019 at the Auckland Classic.
“How did I win? I try very hard,” Hsieh said after notching up her first victory over a top 10 opponent since beating Simona Halep at last year’s Wimbledon.
“The first two sets, we both try super hard, so it was very close. Final set, I did little bit more. I feel more relaxed in the final set, so I gained the match pretty well.”
World number four Petra Kvitova overcame American qualifier Jennifer Brady 7-5 1-6 6-3 to reach the last eight in Dubai for the first time in six years.
Australian Open runner-up Kvitova was two points away from losing the opening set in the ninth game when she responded in style by clinching 14 of the next 16 points.
After defeating Katerina Siniakova in three sets in the second round, Kvitova had said on Twitter she was “glad P3tra came back” — and the two-time Wimbledon champion was forced to step up her game again in a decider against Brady.
Kvitova benefited from Brady’s sixth double fault of the match to secure a break in the first game before producing a string of delightful serve and volley combinations to extend her lead.
While Kvitova squandered her first match point by producing a 10th double fault, the Czech sealed a victory with a clinical point finished at the net.
“The wind was just terrible today, to be honest,” said Kvitova after reaching at least the quarter-finals for the fourth successive tournament.
“It was really difficult to find a way with it. I couldn’t really serve well today at all. It’s been big struggle for me.”
Third seed Simona Halep joined Kvitova in the quarter-finals after the Romanian continued her steady progress with a 6-3 7-5 win over Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko.
Two-time defending champion Elina Svitolina extended her winning streak in Dubai to 11 matches after defeating two-times Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza 6-1 6-2. — Reuters

PAL Interclub to be played over four Cebu courses

IN a very rare instance, this year’s staging of the prestigious Philippine Airlines Interclub championships will be played over four courses in the Queen City of the South starting with Senior play on Feb. 27.
Canlubang will be shooting for yet another title in the 55-and-over division by bringing back the multi-titled Tommy Manotoc, and the Sugar Barons will be contending with perennial rival Luisita in two layouts that are very similar in character.
Alta Vista and Club Filipino de Cebu in Danao will be the site of Senior action, with both courses carved out of mountains where precision off the tees and accurate approaches will be the premium.
The Barons won coming from behind in Bacolod last year even with Manotoc not in the team for the second straight year because of family commitments in the United States.
Manila Southwoods will be shooting to equal an Interclub record fifth Championship Division title in Men’s play starting Mar. 6.
Cebu Country Club, that exclusive layout in the heart of the city, and Mactan, an air force layout very near the city’s modern international airport, will be the host clubs for the centerpiece division.
The CCC and Mactan are traditional courses, with CCC again to determine the champion owing to its difficulty.
This year’s Interclub is sponsored by Asian Air Safari and Radio Mindanao Network. Also extending support are ABS-CBN Global Ltd. (The Filipino Channel), Rolls Royce, Primax Broadcasting Network, UM Broadcasting Network (Mindanao), Fox Sports, GECAS, Boeing, Lufthansa Technik AG and Manila Standard. Official hotel is Quest Hotel Conference Center Cebu.

No. 8

THE battle for eighth seed in the Western Conference looks to be going down the wire, never mind that those angling for it will subsequently face the prospect of a one-and-done appearance in the playoffs. On paper, it’s a three-way race between the Kings, Lakers, and Clippers, but the latter’s trade-deadline move sending erstwhile top scorer Tobias Harris packing for a couple of first-round picks telegraphs their preference to head to the lottery instead. They’re building for the future, which means they would rather miss the postseason and thereby keep a draft choice that would otherwise be going to the Celtics based on terms of a previous deal.
Between the two remaining contenders, the Kings appear to have the upper hand. First, they boast of a youth movement not just excited by the thought of extending the season, but backstopped by a head coach in David Joerger out to prove his worth. Second, they enjoy the full support of top management bent on rewarding long-suffering followers who haven’t experienced going beyond the regular season in 13 years. How bent? Consider that they took in vital cog Harrison Barnes and reserve Alec Burks after they learned of Harris’ change of address. If nothing else, it’s as clear an indication as any of their intent to secure a playoff berth.
The Lakers, meanwhile, stand to suffer from an extremely taxing post-All-Star-break schedule. Equally noteworthy is the fact that they’re in disarray in light of the failure of their front office to pry future Hall of Famer Anthony Davis from the Pelicans prior to the trade deadline. The go-for-broke stance that had everybody not named LeBron James available for the taking shook the purple and gold’s esprit de corps and makes the going tough for them moving forward. They have an ace in the hole, though, and a valuable one: the aforesaid James, who has made the Finals eight straight times for a reason.
It goes without saying that whoever books a seat in the postseason is confident of springing an upset in the first round. Believing and doing are, however, two different things, especially with the powerhouse Warriors likely set to be waiting in the wings. Of course, the Kings and Lakers deem making the playoffs to be success in and of itself — which is why the next two months figure to bring edge-of-seat competition. Motivations abound, leading to a fan-tastic finish.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

With Watson Anywhere, IBM wants to democratize artificial intelligence

According to a recent PwC study, AI adoption is poised to inject a potential $16 trillion to the global economy over the next decade. Despite this, the technology has a global adoption rate of only four percent.

In a recent post on the IBM Think Blog, General Manager for IBM Data + AI Rob Thomas listed three reasons AI adoption has been so glacial:
Increasing data complexity and silos
Limited AI expertise to build, run, and manage AI
And a lack of AI portability to enable businesses to bring AI to data.
Companies are creating more and more data, that’s being stored across more and more cloud platforms and data centers. That makes deploying AI, which works within data sets, a pretty difficult task. Add to that the common practice of AI vendor lock-in, wherein AI can only be used for data housed in a particular vendor’s platform, and the four percent adoption rate starts to make a bit more sense.
To support the adoption and development of AI, IBM is rolling out their AI service Watson, making it available to firms operating in any cloud environment. With it, they hope companies using any combination of data solutions can uncover previously unobtainable insights from their clouds.
“This means you can take your AI and bring it to the data, instead of the other way around,” said Daniel Hernandez, vice president for IBM Data + AI. “We think this is going to be absolutely game-changing for AI.”
IBM has built a series of new microservices on IBM Cloud Private for Data, their AI information architecture, to allow users to run Watson on any “public, hybrid or multi-cloud environment, enabling businesses to infuse AI into their apps, wherever they reside.”
But while this may address the issue of vendor lock-in, AI-powering their businesses continues to be a pipe dream for firms struggling with a lack of talent needed to this new technology.
This is especially true for developing markets like the Philippines, where a vast majority of firms have yet to migrate critical workflows onto the cloud, much less inject them with AI. As one of AI main advocates, IBM recognizes the role it plays in pushing new technologies onto a world that’s largely ill-equipped to leverage them.
“If you look across the data science and AI fields, there is a tremendous skill gap,” said Seth Dobrin, vice president and chief data officer of IBM Data + AI.
In response, IBM is rolling out a series of certification programs, apprenticeships, and client reskilling programs. One in particular, a data science certification program built in collaboration with the US Department of Labor, will get enrollees up to speed on using open source tools they can apply to what IBM is calling “new collar jobs”.
As a joint project with the US government, all the materials IBM prepared for this program are available online for free to anyone in the world. IBM is also currently in talks with partners and other government agencies outside the US to establish similar programs across the globe.
“We encourage people to take it and use it. We don’t see it as IBM’s,” Mr. Dobrin said. “We see it as a contribution to the community to help our clients be more successful.”
Last month, IBM announced a tripartite partnership with Taguig City and Taguig City University to launch the local leg of its global P-TECH school model. This free mentorship program targets graduating students looking to enter a growing market for tech-savvy workers.
According to the Philippine IT-BPM Accelerate PH Future Ready Roadmap, this market stands to contribute roughly 654,000 net new jobs to be created by 2022, from a baseline of 1.15 million jobs in 2016.
“It’s incredibly important that we develop these skills everywhere, not just in the US or Europe. It needs to be in the Philippines, in South Africa,” Mr. Dobrin said. “We really believe these things combined will help our clients have access to the talent they need to leverage all their data science tools.”
With these new services and educational programs, IBM hopes to build a path for firms looking to infuse their businesses with AI, regardless of the expertise they currently command. In addition to their programs, IBM offers an online product called IBM Cloud Private Experiences that allows users to get test drive their combined data and AI stacks might streamline their workflows.
“Expediting the pace of adoption is no trivial task,” Mr. Thomas said. “It requires an open approach to technology, a philosophy of bringing the best AI to the data, and a commitment to educating the world in this 21st century skill.”
“We are freeing clients from AI vendor lock-in and helping them begin to unlock insights from their data – wherever it resides, taking one big step towards AI everywhere,” he said.

Economic team wants 145 projects off poll ban

By Melissa Luz T. Lopez
Senior Reporter
The EXECUTIVE branch will release funds this year according to state offices’ spending capacity despite Congress’ opposition to the scheme, Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said in a press briefing on Wednesday, adding that President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s economic managers have signed a request for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to exempt 145 infrastructure projects from the 45-day ban on public works ahead of the May 13 mid-term elections.
The letter signed by Mr. Diokno, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia seeks the exemption of locally funded projects as well as those financed by official development assistance (ODA).
The list includes farm-to-market roads, new school buildings, the national ID system, as well as big-ticket items like the Mindanao Rail Project, phase one of the Metro Manila Subway and the New Bohol (Panglao) International Airport.
“The exemption will facilitate implementation and ensure that there are no delays and disruption of these national priority projects,” read the letter addressed to Comelec Chairman Sheriff M. Abas.
The Duterte administration is looking for ways to prod economic activity further, following a 6.2% gross domestic product (GDP) growth clocked in 2018 that fell short of the official downward-adjusted 6.5-6.9% target.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) listed 59 projects implemented by national government agencies, 82 under state corporations, three for constitutional bodies and one from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Comelec Spokesperson James B. Jimenez had said that the poll body will not grant a blanket waiver and will need a detailed list of projects. ODA-funded projects are actually not covered by the ban, which will take effect March 29 to May 12. Mr. Diokno noted that the Comelec en banc meets weekly and can take up their request promptly.
Mr. Diokno also added that they will forge ahead with cash-based fund releases for the P3.757-trillion spending plan, saying Mr. Duterte is prepared to issue an executive order if warranted.
Lawmakers removed the provision for cash-based budgeting in the bill before ratifying the now-delayed spending plan, citing supposed irregularities in the DBM’s proposal.
“The content and form of the budget is an executive decision,” Mr. Diokno said in Wednesday’s media briefing, adding that they can rely on the Administrative Code of 1987 for the basis of an “operational cash budget.”
However, Mr. Diokno said they can also ask the President to issue an executive order “if necessary” to avert possible questions on legality.
Cash-based budgeting means government funds will be released only for projects that are ready to be rolled out, with allocations valid for just a year. In contrast, the previous practice of obligation budgeting provided a two-year window for expenditures.
“That’s the reason why we have cut underspending… We’re slightly overspending because of the change in the budget process,” the Budget chief added.
“If it’s the old system, we won’t be able to do our Build, Build, Build. I can assure you that because it’s a slow process and we cannot attract new contractors.”
Mr. Diokno claimed the Duterte administration has moved faster in terms of project implementation, than the three years under the old public-private partnership scheme.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said Malacañang is “supportive” of the shift in the budget process.
The state is looking to raise infrastructure spending to 6.9% of GDP by 2022 from 4.4% of GDP in 2017. This, in turn, should drive economic growth to 7-8% annually from a 6.3% average in 2010-2016.
The government has been running on a re-enacted budget, leaving new programs unfunded, pending Mr. Duterte’s signing of the 2019 spending plan into law.

PHL, Japan officials meet on infrastructure updates

PHILIPPINE officials are headed to Osaka this week for meetings with Japanese counterparts on plans for the new Bangsamoro region as well as infrastructure projects funded by official development assistance (ODA).
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III will lead President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s economic team for the seventh meeting of the Philippines-Japan High-Level Joint Committee on Infrastructure Development and Economic Cooperation set today.
To be discussed are the progress of Japanese-funded infrastructure projects and updates on the new Bangsamoro region.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Department of Finance (DoF) said the Japanese officials are particularly interested in updates on ongoing peace efforts in Mindanao, especially after the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law that expands the area for Muslim autonomy as a way of promoting peace.
Formation of the new region is expected to unlock Mindanao’s potential as a growth hub, with massive funding to be provided by the national government projected to spur development and lift residents there from poverty.
Japan will also discuss findings of an observation mission during the Bangsamoro plebiscite earlier this month, as it looks to expand support for Mindanao.
The two nations expect to sign a new loan accord for the Road Network Development Project in Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao, following an exchange of notes on Feb. 10 during the visit of Japan Foreign Minister Tarō Kōno in Davao City.
On infrastructure, Japan has so far extended P189.92 billion (¥398.82 billion) for big-ticket projects since June 2016, making it the top ODA source under the Duterte administration.
Nine loan agreements have been signed so far, including for phase two of the New Bohol Airport Construction and Sustainable Environment Protection Project, the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 Rehabilitation Project, the first tranche of the North-South Commuter Railway Extension Project and the first phase of the Metro Manila Subway Project.
Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said he expects the subway project to break ground in “the next 30 days,” adding that the government will get more details about the deal during Thursday’s meeting.
The rollout of the subway project has faced several delays, with officials pointing out scheduling issues among Japanese and Philippine officials. The Transportation department is eyeing a Feb. 27 target for groundbreaking.
Secretary Arthur P. Tugade inspected tunnel boring machines at a Japanese factory on Wednesday.
Messrs. Dominguez and Diokno as well as Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia will also stage a Philippine Economic Briefing for Japanese investors, with the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program in mind.
The Philippine government has signified interest to offer a fresh tranche of yen-denominated bonds this year, following a successful return to the foreign market in 2018. The government raised ¥154.2 billion from the sale of three-, five- and 10-year bonds shortly after the June economic briefing held in Tokyo.
DoF officials will visit the National Tax College Osaka Training Center to learn best practices that could be applied to the newly established Philippine Tax Academy. — Melissa Luz T. Lopez

Tourism body gets 10 more years to offer perks

CONGRESS has ratified a measure extending the power of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to grant incentives to tourism enterprises for another 10 years.
The House of Representatives and the Senate have agreed to extend the body’s authority to Dec. 31, 2029. The House version of the bill had proposed an extension to just Dec. 31, 2026.
The bill amends Republic Act No. 9593 or the Tourism Act of 2009.
The original law and succeeding regulations gave TIEZA only until August 2019 to grant incentives. The incentives TIEZA grants tourism enterprises include a six-year income tax holiday, a five percent preferential tax on gross income, exemption from all taxes and customs duties of importation of capital equipment as well as of spare parts.
“Ratifying this bicameral conference committee report is another milestone in the tourism industry, albeit delayed. The primary purpose of the original law which we authored was to make sure that tourism becomes a primary engine of growth for our country because tourism means jobs,” Senator Richard J. Gordon said in his Feb. 6 speech as he presented the bicameral conference committee report for ratification.
It was revealed in Senate public hearings back in 2016 that TIEZA failed to grant incentives since the enactment of the Tourism Act due to the lack of a revenue regulation. The Bureau of Internal Revenue then issued a revenue regulation in 2016 but limited the period until 2019 due to the 10-year period prescribed in the original law. An extension period for the grant of incentives to tourism enterprises was then sought in Congress.
The new law also allows the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Tourism to operate indefinitely from 10 years previously. The committee consists of the chairmen of both chambers’ committees of tourism, ways and means, appropriations and of finance, among others. — Camille A. Aguinaldo

Malaysia nears deal with China to revive $20-B railway project

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia is making progress in talks with China to revive a rail project that Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s government said it would cancel, according to Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah.
China is willing to cut the $20-billion price tag for the East Coast Rail Link project and talks are “in the last mile,” Mr. Saifuddin said in an interview Tuesday.
Discussions have been led by Daim Zainuddin, an adviser to Mr. Mahathir, with the aim of reaching a smaller project size and cost, he said.
“It is not canceled until and unless we can’t settle on the numbers,” Mr. Saifuddin said. “China understands our constraint and they’re willing to scale down the size of the project and the cost. The discussion is probably in the last mile.”
In a wide-ranging interview at his office near Kuala Lumpur, Mr. Saifuddin discussed foreign investments, plans to reopen its embassy in Pyongyang and efforts to speak up for China’s Muslim minorities in a “tactful” way.
Since returning to power last May, Mr. Mahathir has tested Malaysia’s relations with the world’s second-largest economy.
Besides the railway, he has also canceled a gas pipeline project backed by China and warned against “a new version of colonialism” on a trip to Beijing.
China’s state-run Global Times newspaper last year blasted Mr. Mahathir’s “piercing” remarks, saying they “will definitely make Chinese investors worry about Malaysian public opinion and whether such an atmosphere will affect investment in the country.”
Mr. Mahathir struck a conciliatory tone last month, saying the government canceled the rail project only due to cost, leading to renewed talks.
Members of his cabinet have declined to confirm or deny a Wall Street Journal report that said senior Chinese leaders offered Mr. Mahathir’s predecessor help bailing out troubled state fund 1MDB in exchange for stakes in projects.
The nine-month old Malaysian government is seeking to balance efforts to attract investment with an anti-corruption drive that has led it to cancel and renegotiate billion-dollar contracts.
The scales are set to begin tipping toward the former, Mr. Saifuddin said.
“We’re working around the clock to try to quickly get things moving in the right direction when it comes to those contracts that have been awarded, while also attracting new investments,” he said.
“We have made clear that we plan to be business friendly.”
The Southeast Asian country is looking to play a small role in the ongoing talks between North Korea and the United States by linking the reopening of its Pyongyang embassy to the outcome of the upcoming summit in Hanoi.
Malaysia’s link to North Korea deteriorated after leader Kim Jong Un’s half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, was assassinated at an airport near Kuala Lumpur in 2017.
That led to a deep freeze in relations as Malaysia expelled the North Korean ambassador and banned travel between the countries.
“We are all for a sustained peace in the Korean peninsula,” Mr. Saifuddin said.
“We want to ensure that the timing of the reopening of the embassy is directly or indirectly related to the current negotiations at the summit.”
Malaysia has also sought to tread carefully on the issue of China’s alleged human-rights abuses against its Muslim minority, even after releasing 11 of the ethnic Uighurs last year and sending them to Turkey in defiance of Beijing.
Malaysia, which prides itself on being a moderate Muslim-majority country, has kept a muted public stance on the issue even as detailed reports continue to emerge over China’s crackdown against the predominantly Muslim population in Xinjiang.
“Malaysia has always been the voice of conscience especially in voicing the plights of those being suppressed,” Mr. Saifuddin said, when asked about Malaysia’s stance on the Uighurs.
“At the same time, we don’t want to unnecessarily invite negative implication while we try to punch above our weight.” — Bloomberg

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