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The three obstacles business operators face when going digital

Late last year, UnionBank rolled out UnionBank GlobalLinker, a free platform designed to help businesses of any size and industry launch and scale their digital operations. Since then, the platform has grown to service over 21,000 users across 17,000 partner MSMEs (that is, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises).
Lead proponent Dino Velasco sat with SparkUp to explain the three main obstacles MSMEs face in taking their businesses online. He also shared how platforms like UnionBank GlobalLinker provide the means to not only compete digitally, but thrive as well.

The new initiative comes as part of UnionBank’s broader plans towards transforming the company from a bank, into a tech company with a banking license. Mr. Velasco discussed what that shift means for UnionBank, the industry at large, and, ultimately, the banking customer experience.

Woman takes helm of Davao Occidental Tigers


By Rey Joble
IN the history of basketball, few women proved that they could also stood out in a game usually being managed by men.
Jeanie Buss, daughter of the late Dr. Jerry Buss, inherited the ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers from his dad and for more than a decade, she’s been running show time at the front office, being the controlling owner and president of one of the most fabled teams in the NBA.
Before she became Senator of the Republic of the Philippines, Nikki Coseteng was helping her father, the late Emerson Coseteng, the founding president of the PBA, running Mariwasa. Nikki became team manager then later on assumed ownership of the squad that had undergone several name changes — from Mariwasa to Noritake, to Mariwasa Honda to Galerie Dominique Artistas.
To see another woman running the basketball affairs isn’t surprising at all.
Meet Claudine Bautista, the young, dynamic team owner of the Davao Occidental Tigers-Cocolife in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) and to draw comparison from Buss and the other women team owners was really flattering.
Davao Occidental is actually the ‘youngest’ province in the country and elected their local officials for the first time in 2016.
“I’ve always been involved in sports. I used to do triathlon, I shoot, and when I was young, my dad taught me how to play basketball and billiards. I never really taught of gender being a detriment in any sports. If you look at it LA Lakers is owned by a woman, Jeanie Buss. It’s actually flattering knowing how people get surprised that the team is owned by a woman,” Ms. Bautista told BusinessWorld.
“I never really knew that LA Lakers was owned by a woman, it was our coaches who told me that and tease me about it. When my dad said we were joining MPBL, he gave me authority with everything in our team. I always take every responsibility as a challenge. My work entails me to deal with men most of the time and I’ve never been intimidated by it well except when it’s dealing with the President (Rodrigo Duterte).”
Ms. Bautista isn’t just your typical team owner who inherited the basketball genes from her dad, Governor Claude Bautista of Davao Occidental, who used to be a former varsity player. The young Bautista worked as a social worker and loves to do community services.
“I was a social worker before. I’ve always been involved with communities. I find it really fulfilling,” added Ms. Bautista. “I’m Ambassadress for Habitat for Humanity Davao and Caraga Region, I volunteered in building houses in Cagayan before and then during my birthday, I’d ask my parents and titos, titas to help me build classrooms for marginalized communities.”
But make no mistake about it, Ms. Bautista has a very impressive resume outside of basketball and community works.
She graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Glion Institute of Higher Education, Switzerland. She also finished her BS Entrepreneurship from Ateneo De Davao then took and completed International Politics from Kings College, London and culinary from Italian Culinary Institute, Italy.
Using her involvement in community works, her hospitality and graciousness she received from her family, Ms. Bautista made sure that the first hosting job of Davao Occidental in the MPBL will be a grander one.
There, Davao Occidental made everybody comfortable, from the MPBL officials headed by league founder and Senator Manny Pacquiao and PBA legend and current commissioner Kenneth Duremdes and their staff all the way to its rival teams.
“For the preparation, we had a fellowship night in a Hawaiian theme. It happened on the 29th, a day before the game. My aim was to make other teams — Rizal, Pasig, and Valenzuela — to feel welcome in our city. We also had raffles for the players and the coaches. It was a way for everyone to get to know each other off the court and create friendship amongst the teams,” said Ms. Bautista.
“I wanted them to feel very welcome here despite the fact that we will be playing against each other. But then again, I believe that the experience we all had, the friendship we have created amongst the other teams is more valuable than the expenses I had in hosting the event and for me that is more rewarding.”
Aside from hosting the first official game in the Mindanao region, Davao Occidental also did a basketball clinic for high school students called “Project Big Brother.”
“The children are high school students from the five municipalities of Davao Occidental — Sta. Maria, Malita, Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos and Sarangani,” added Ms. Bautista. “It was my initiative and was supported by our sponsor Cocolife. We had a meeting with all our sponsors a month ago and we came out with corporate social responsibility projects that would benefit the people of Davao Occidental mainly. This is one of the CSR projects the Davao Occidental Tigers have and we have other activities lined up gearing towards helping communities in the Province.”

Red Lions double on Knights but not after another scare

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter
THE DEFENDING champions San Beda Red Lions swept rivals Letran Knights in their season series in National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 94 after winning anew, 74-68, in their second-round encounter on Tuesday at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
Had Letran’s number in the first round, San Beda made it two-of-two over the Knights but not after being given another scare by the latter.
Like in their first encounter where the Lions labored to a 80-76 overtime victory, in the reengagement they were made to sweat anew late in the game by the Knights, who nearly erased a huge lead by San Beda in the fourth period and were a play or two away from pulling the rug from under the Lions.
It was tightly fought to start the contest with the two teams jostling to set the pace.
The score eventually settled at 16-15 with San Beda on top after the first 10 minutes.
The back-and-forth continued in the second quarter.
Point guard Robert Bolick jump-started things for the Lions only to be countered later by Knights counterpart JP Calvo.
The two teams battled all the way to end of the opening half with the Lions maintaining control, 35-32.
In the third period, San Beda would go on a fast start, led by Javee Mocon and AC Soberano.
The Lions raced to a 47-33 lead in the first five minutes.
Bonbon Batiller and Jeremiah Taladua stopped the bleeding for Letran and allowed themselves to firm up their footing.
But San Beda would not relent on putting pressure on the Knights on both ends of the court, allowing itself to stay in command, 60-42, heading into the final frame.
Sensing they had the game under control, the Lions went for the jugular to start the fourth quarter.
But Letran was not to be deterred and tried to wiggle out from the San Beda stranglehold.
It managed to come within three points, 67-64, with 57 ticks remaining led by Bong Quinto.
A basket by Donald Tankoua with 50 seconds to go gave San Beda more breathing space, 69-64.
Letran sued for time after to set up a play where Quinto connected on a deuce with 40 seconds left.
Calvo then made it a one-point game, 69-68, with 16 seconds to go.
The Lions called timeout and free throws by Franz Abuda and Jomari Presbitero after made it 72-68 from which the Knights could not recover from.
Tankoua led the Lions (11-1) with 19 points and nine rebounds while Bolick added 13 points.
Mocon had a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Quinto, meanwhile, paced the Knights (7-4) with 19 points while Calvo finished with 16.
“While we won I’m not happy with how we finished. I’m pissed off. Had we lost I would take the blame as I gave chance for everybody to play yet some players did not rise up to the challenge. They thought when we had the big lead it was already over,” said San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez after the game.
“Hopefully this serves as a lesson to our players that it is not over till the final buzzer,” he added.

‘Battle of Katipunan’ on UAAP deck today

THE University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ “Battle of Katipunan” rivalry is to played out today with the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons and Ateneo Blue Eagles taking on each other for the first time in Season 81.
Had a contrasting start to their respective campaigns, the Maroons (1-0) look to stay unblemished early in the season in their 4 p.m. encounter against the defending champions Eagles (0-1), out to bounce back from their opening-game loss, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Parading a souped-up lineup, UP used a strong second-half showing to run away and beat the University of the East Red Warriors, 87-58, on opening day on Sept. 8.
Juan Gomez De Liaño had solid all-around numbers of 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists while UAAP-debuting Bright Akhuetie, who previously paraded his wares in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, had a double-double of 15 points and 18 rebounds.
Jun Manzo, Paul Desiderio, and Javi Gomez De Liaño also finished in double-digits in scoring for the Maroons in the win, tallying 14, 12 and 10 points, respectively.
After a close opening half that was knotted at 33-all, UP surged in the second fold and never looked back on to the victory.
“It took us a while to figure things out but after talking to them at the halftime break the players adjusted and played that way they are capable of,” said UP coach Bo Perasol after their win.
“This is just the start for us and hopefully we could build on this victory,” he added.
EAGLES FLIGHT
Meanwhile, Ateneo seeks to rebound from its botched flight in its first game, losing 74-70 against the Adamson Soaring Falcons on Sept. 9 in their “avian clash.”
Had it cutthroat throughout the contest, the Eagles tried hard to get the better of the Falcons but just could not get the breaks in the end as they slumped to the defeat.
Matt Nieto led Ateneo with 21 points with Raffy Verano adding 10 points and eight rebounds.
Thirdy Ravena and Anton Asistio each had seven markers for the Eagles, who are coming off a solid preseason, including an impressive showing at the William Jones Cup in Taiwan.
“We’re looking at this (loss) as another challenge for us this season. We have to bounce back,” Ravena said following their tournament debut.
Playing before UP and Ateneo at 2 p.m. are the Far Eastern University Tamaraws (1-0) and University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers (0-1).
The Tamaraws are off a 68-61 win over the De La Salle Green Archers on Sept. 8 while UST bowed in its opener against season hosts National University Bulldogs, 75-70, on Sept. 9.
Meanwhile, Adamson’s Jerrick Ahanmisi was the first recipient of the UAAP player of the week award after leading the Falcons to their huge win over Ateneo.
Ahanmisi put up 23 points, going 8-of-17 on the floor, to go along with four rebounds to help the Falcons hold down the Eagles.
In winning the award, given by the league press corps, the Adamson junior beat out UP’s Juan Gomez De Liaño, NU’s Dave Ildefonso and FEU’s Arvin Tolentino — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Tactical fight should not have ended in a split draw — analyst

THE THIRD all-Filipino world championship fight in boxing history took place on Sunday (Manila time) in California, but unfortunately it failed to end with a resolution as the clash between Donnie “Ahas” Nietes and Aston “Mighty” Palicte for the World Boxing Organization super-flyweight title ended in a split draw.
Such should not have been the case, a local fight analyst said, for despite being a true tactical fight there was a clear winner, and it was Murcia, Negros Occidental’s Nietes.
Part of the “SuperFly 3” event of HBO and 360 Promotions that was held at the legendary The Forum in Inglewood, the scheduled 12-round world title fight went the distance and was eventually ruled a split draw, with the judges’ scorecards going 118-110 (Nietes), 116-112 (Palicte) and 114-114 (draw).
For combat sports analyst Nissi Icasiano, while the fight was indeed a close one, Mr. Nietes did more than enough to merit a victory and fulfil his date with history as a four-division world champion.
“As to how I scored and saw the bout, Nietes was well on his way to capturing a fourth division world championship… Honestly, if you’re going to ask me, I had it nine rounds to three in favor of Nietes. It was a close fight round per round, but Nietes did enough to pull away in those close rounds. The stats of the bout should also speak for itself. Nietes outlanded Palicte in the total number of punches. Moreover, Nietes landed more power punches,” said Mr. Icasiano when asked by BusinessWorld for his thoughts post-fight.
“[While] the number of punches thrown and landed does not always tell the whole picture, it definitely does help in showing how it played out,” he added.
The analyst went on to say that Mr. Nietes, who have won titles as a minimumweight, light flyweight and flyweight, had a slow start but eventually picked things up as the fight progressed.
“The fight was tactical from the very start, which drew the ire of many in attendance to see the bout live. Palicte had his moments, but Nietes clearly dominated the bout especially in the latter part. Nietes used his savvy boxing skills to break down Palicte. He clearly landed the more significant punches and combinations and managed to control Palicte’s aggressiveness,” Mr. Icasiano said of how things went for 36-year-old Nietes.
“For Palicte, he was the more active boxer. Palicte tried to use his height to his advantage, but he had futile success with Nietes able to make his way inside,” he added.
While the status quo has been preserved following the draw, still Mr. Icasiano said the outcome dealt a blow to both fighters’ career thrusts.
“There are a lot of options for Nietes’ camp. First, Michael Aldeguer may write the WBO to look into the result of the fight. Second, Nietes has the leverage because he remains as the No. 1 boxer in the WBO super-flyweight rankings. Meanwhile, Palicte still occupies the No. 2 spot. But I won’t be surprised if he doesn’t get the rematch nor the shot at the vacant title after the win of former WBA flyweight champ Kazuto Ioka against No. 3-ranked McWilliams Arroyo on the same card last weekend,” he said.
“The only downside I see with Nietes’ anticlimactic draw against Palicte is that it spoils Nietes’ plan to secure big money fights against other 115-pound champions,” Mr. Icasiano said.
The Palicte fight was the first foray of Mr. Nietes (41-1-5) in super-flyweight while Mr. Palicte (24-2-1) was trying to add his name to the roster of Filipino world boxing champions in said fight. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Tony Finau named to last spot on USA Ryder Cup roster

TONY FINAU — AFP

PHILADELPHIA — Tony Finau, a long-driving American golfer of Tongan and Samoan heritage, was named to the final vacant spot on the US Ryder Cup team on Monday by US captain Jim Furyk.
The 28-year-old from Utah completes the 12-man American lineup that will defend the trophy against Europe in the biennial team golf showdown on Sept. 28-30 at Le Golf National in France.
Finau, who won his only US PGA title at the 2016 Puerto Rico Open, had three top-10 major finishes this season — sharing 10th at the Masters, taking fifth at the US Open and sharing ninth at the British Open.
“We were looking for guys who had a great body of work all year. He had 11 top 10s. Played good in big moments. He had three top 10s in majors,” Furyk said.
Finau boosted his chances by joining a group that played at Le Golf National earlier this year.
“I liked what I saw,” Furyk said of Finau’s play on the French host layout. “He had a lot of support from our vice captains. Ultimately, I thought he was our best pick.”
The Americans, who haven’t won in Europe since 1993, figure to add power and endurance with Finau, who filmed a message of reaction from a plane as he left Monday’s final round of the PGA BMW Championship for a charity event in Utah.
“I’m so excited to be on the Ryder Cup team,” Finau said. “I can’t wait to get to Paris.”
Finau played alongside Furyk for the first two rounds at last month’s PGA Championship. The third man in that group was Xander Schauffele, who was seen as Finau’s most likely rival for Furyk’s final pick.
Schauffele made a run at the BMW title but came up short, settling for a share of third after a 63-64 (13-under-par) start. Finau shared eighth after a closing 65.
Tiger Woods, a 14-time major champion back on form after spinal fusion surgery, was named a captain’s pick last week along with left-hander Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau.
Eight other US players made the roster after last month’s PGA Championship after a two-year qualifying period — Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Webb Simpson, Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson.
Reed is the reigning Masters champion while Koepka won his second consecutive US Open title in June and followed by taking the PGA last month for his third major crown. — AFP

Navratilova to Serena: Even if guys do it, it’s wrong

SERENA WILLIAMS of the United States throws her racket to the ground in frustration in the Women’s Singles finals match against Naomi Osaka of Japan. — AFP

NEW YORK — Martina Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, says Serena Williams was wrong in her outburst at the US Open women’s finals even though she agreed there is a double standard.
Writing in an opinion article for the New York Times, the 61-year-old Czech-born American said a higher standard needed to be observed when Williams called chair umpire Carlos Ramos a “thief” and was penalized a key game in the second set.
“We cannot measure ourselves by what we think we should also be able to get away with,” Navratilova wrote. “In fact, this is the sort of behavior that no one should be engaging in on the court.”
Williams, who was thwarted in her bid for a record-tying 24th Slam singles crown in losing to Japan’s Naomi Osaka, said she was punished for saying something where men have said far worse without incurring such a penalty.
“Serena Williams has part of it right. There is a huge double standard for women when it comes to how bad behavior is punished — and not just in tennis,” Navratilova said.
“But in her protests… she also got part of it wrong. I don’t believe it’s a good idea to apply a standard of, “If men can get away with it, women should be able to, too.
“Rather, I think the question we have to ask ourselves is this: What is the right way to behave to honor our sport and to respect our opponents?”
Williams was issued a warning for coaching, something her coach sitting in the stands, Patrick Mouratoglou, admitted to doing.
Williams was unhappy at the violation call and complained to Ramos she hadn’t taken any signals.
Williams later smashed her racquet, resulting in a code violation and a point deduction, which she argued over with Ramos.
“Ramos, effectively, had no choice but to dock her a point,” Navratilova said.
“It was here that Ms. Williams really started to lose the plot. She and Mr. Ramos were, in effect, talking past each other.
“She was insisting that she doesn’t cheat — completely believable, but besides the point — while he was making a call over which he, at that point, had little discretion.”
Matters escalated and Williams called Ramos a “thief,” incurring the crucial game penalty.
“It’s difficult to know, and debatable, whether Ms. Williams could have gotten away with calling the umpire a thief if she were a male player,” Navratilova wrote.
“But to focus on that, I think, is missing the point. If, in fact, the guys are treated with a different measuring stick for the same transgressions, this needs to be thoroughly examined and must be fixed.” — AFP

Four for the Hall

MY affinity as a fan for the National Basketball Association started in the 1980s cheering for Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers but it was in the 1990s that my fancy soared to a new level with more players and offerings to follow and take delight from.
Which is why when four players who started their careers in the ’90s were enshrined to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame at the weekend, I could not help but reminisce about that standout stretch in The Association and the kind of career the newly minted Hall of Famers had.
As has been the case in the last decade or so, I once again sat through the whole Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies on Saturday morning, Sept. 8, and saw NBA legends Grant Hill, Jason Kidd, Ray Allen and Steve Nash take their place in the hallowed halls of the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The enshrinement all but solidified the four’s standing as some of the legends not only in the NBA, but basketball in general, and validation of the contribution they had in the sport.
Joining the four in the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2018 were NBA legends Maurice Cheeks, Dino Radja and Charles Scott, WNBA stars Katie Smith and Tina Thompson, collegiate coach Charles “Lefty” Driesell, pioneering woman athlete Ora Mae Washington and basketball contributors Rod Thorn and Rick Welts.
Hill, I was a fan of his since his playing days at Duke University.
I remember getting excited every time I read a feature on him and the incredible run he had with the Blue Devils in various sports magazines back in the day.
In the NBA he was true as advertised and took the league by storm when he was selected third in the 1994 draft by Detroit.
In his first six years, Hill was all-universe, practically doing everything for the Pistons that made him one of the league’s biggest stars.
After that, various injuries took their toll that effectively derailed his continued ascent to NBA superstardom.
But in 2005, playing for the Orlando Magic, he made his way back to All-Star level, which only added to my admiration for him for the resilience he showed in coming back.
He eventually finished his NBA career sans a title but his huge impact, notwithstanding a “what-could-have-been” run, was undeniably far-reaching.
Kidd was the ultimate team player who made everybody around him better right from his drafting in 1994.
His “Three Js” tandem with Jim Jackson and Jamaal Mashburn was a gem to watch and one big reason to my liking of the Dallas Mavericks up to this day.
He had stops with Phoenix, New Jersey and New York throughout his Hall of Fame career and in all of them he did not fail to make his mark.
Kidd with the Nets I truly liked because when he was there he was on top of his game, leading an interesting mix of players to greater heights.
He won a title in his second tour of duty with the Mavs and it was a fitting ending for the career he had.
Allen, drafted in 1996, has been dubbed as the “greatest shooter” in NBA history and it is going to be hard to argue with that.
He holds the record for the most three-pointers made in the NBA and he did so in a sweet-shooting candy way in stops in Milwaukee, Seattle, Boston and Miami.
Seattle Allen I enjoyed watching for he was truly the man there while I was impressed with how he custom-fitted his game when he arrived in star-filled Boston and Miami, where he was accordingly rewarded with NBA titles.
A batch mate of Allen in the Rookie Class of 1996, it took me a while to take notice of the greatness of Nash.
While I like his game in Dallas, playing in tandem with Dirk Nowitzki at the turn of the century, it was his return to Phoenix, which originally drafted him, that had me completely sold to him.
I must admit that I never rooted for the Nash-led, uptempo Phoenix team but it had my respect for the way it competed each time.
Nash was named a two-time league most valuable player awardee, a testament to the kind of player he was, who took pride in giving his all and never quitting despite the odds.
With four additions to the Hall from the ‘90s, there is no denying the time was great for basketball. And such standing could only be enhanced when the likes of Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Nowitzki, and Paul Pierce take their place among the legends of the sport in the near future.
Happy and proud to have seen Hill, Kidd, Allen, and Nash play, and along with it my congratulations.
 
Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld reporter covering the Sports beat.
msmurillo@bworldonline.com

Promising

THERE was a time when “Keegan Bradley” and “promising” were frequently used in the same sentence. He took the pro ranks by storm in 2011, becoming only the third player in history to claim a major championship on the first attempt and taking PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors without any competition to speak of. Over the next three years, he added a victory, three bridesmaid finishes, numerous Top Ten showings, and consecutive appearances at the Ryder and Presidents Cups to his resume. He was on a first-name basis with fans, a standout for his sunny disposition and competitive nature, if a target for his controversial use of the long putter.
And then Bradley came crashing down to earth. For pundits intent only on following contenders, he might as well have disappeared off the face of it; he fell to a career-low 120th in world rankings last year, with swing changes and inconsistent efforts underscoring his loss of confidence. Then came the birth of his son Logan in November, coinciding with an evidently improving form. Whether or not the two are correlated, only he knows.
In any case, the results are clear. Since the turn of the year, he has missed the cut just twice against four Top Ten finishes in 22 events. And if his playoff triumph at the BMW Championship yesterday is any indication, he figures to be a fixture in leaderboards more often than not. Considering his ascent, it was, perhaps, fitting that his fourth career win, and first in six years, came at the expense of World Number One Justin Rose. Naturally, he celebrated it with Logan, catapulting it to the top of his accomplishments on the course. As he noted in the aftermath, “we get to go back, have fun, and enjoy it together. It’s just a completely different experience.”
At this point, it’s fair to wonder if Bradley will be able to rub elbows with the best of the best week in and week out. In light of where he was this time last year, however, his jump to 31st in world rankings cannot but he seen as a positive. If nothing else, he can take heart in the knowledge that “Keegan Bradley” and “promising” are again being used in the same sentence.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

The ‘Fes’ of a new SUV: Hyundai holds regional introduction of new Santa Fe in the Philippines


Text and photos by Aries B. Espinosa
IN a ride-and-drive event involving over 40 participants coming from four countries in Southeast Asia, you can bet that the one person who could tie the human and machine aspects of the event together so neatly bears the same name as the vehicle that’s being tested.
Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo, president and CEO of Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), distributor of Hyundai in the Philippines, diverted the attention of the participants from the launch of the fourth generation of the bestselling Santa Fe SUV by recognizing the efforts of the local and regional journalists, and mentioning their names one by one.
“It’s not often for all of us to come together, because we have different life journeys in our respective fields and in our different countries. Today will be a moment to remember, because all of us have been intertwined, all for the Hyundai Santa Fe driving experience. Today we all serve as the testament to the dedication, camaraderie and refined strength exhibited not just by the ‘PH,’ or what we call ourselves the ‘People of Hyundai,’ but also by those coming from Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore and, of course, from South Korea,” Ms. Perez-Agudo said during the regional ride-and-drive event held on Sept. 3-4 in Subic Bay.
The executive could have just as well been describing the synthesis of the new features of the fourth-generation Santa Fe SUV, the monocoque-body SUV HARI previewed in April at the 2018 Manila International Auto Show.
The regional ride-and-drive for the new Santa Fe was held around four locations in Central Luzon: Subic Bay, Zambales, Mount Samat and Bagac in Bataan. The course, put together with the help of former race driver and now events organizer Vip Isada, highlighted the power, stability, comfort and spaciousness of the SUV.
HARI SVP for strategy and innovation Renato G. Pizarro explained the company’s choice of venue; “Much like the Santa Fe, Subic has the power. Subic was first a military base before it was converted to commercial use. After the Mount Pinatubo eruption, Subic rose from the ashes because of the power of its people, and became what it is today, a tourism hot spot.”
Dubbed the “Sea to Summit Conquest,” the event held with the participation of Hyundai Motor Company Regional Headquarters (HMC RHQ) entailed 146 kilometers of combined expressway, provincial and urban driving that also came with the challenging twisty routes, particularly in the leg going to and from the Mount Samat Shrine in Bataan, and along the Zambales mountain range from the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant to Subic Bay.
And just like what Yong Suk Lee, HMC RHQ director, guaranteed the before the drive on Sept. 4 when he said that the “cornerstone of Hyundai’s longstanding SUV heritage, the fourth-generation Santa Fe, will continue to impress with its premium design, spacious interior, and advanced technology,” the sporty-looking Santa Fe did not disappoint.
The Philippine-spec Santa Fe is powered by the 2.2-liter CRDI engine that generates 198 hp at 3,800 rpm and 440 Nm between 1,740 rpm and 2,750 rpm. The eight-speed automatic transmission that is matched to it has been improved, and the vehicle’s monocoque structure controls body roll better, resulting in a more efficient and comfortable driving experience.
Priced at P2.338 million, the all-new Santa Fe comes with a host of upgrades in its interior, exterior and technology. The seven-seat, midsize SUV is 70 millimeters longer and is 10 millimeters wider compared to the previous generation, helping the vehicle achieve the roomiest second-row legroom in its class. Outside, its three-dimensional honeycomb pattern and much-widened cascading grille gives it a bolder, smarter look that’s based on Hyundai’s new family identity. The separated headlight design (composed of LED projector lamps with dynamic bending and daytime running lights) and diamond-cut 19-inch alloy wheels add to the Santa Fe’s more muscular, taut shape.
The uncluttered cabin and instrument panel provide driver and passengers ease of use and sense of control despite the generous amounts of technologies thrown in, highlighted by the heads-up display, audio system that possesses Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition for Android Auto and Apple Carplay, and cruise control.
No doubt, Filipinos will see, feel, and experience all of these when they test-drive the new Santa Fe. But the “Fe” that we’ll remember the most during this regional event would be the woman that drives HARI to new highs.

Rethinking tires: Michelin Primacy 4 challenges ‘new vs worn’ notions


Text and photos by Kap Maceda Aguila
PATTAYA, Thailand — Did you know that as much as one in every five full tanks of fuel can be, in effect, consumed by tires? So choose well when shopping for the only things making contact with the road. Of course, safety remains the utmost concern. However, we are mostly pushed into tire shops when confronted with the realization that our tires, well, no longer make tracks.
Recently, Michelin Philippines unveiled a potentially game-changing new model in its Primacy line. The Primacy 4 highlights a number of advantages, pillared on a bold “Safe When New, Safe When Worn” slogan that promises “lasting safety and excellent performance in both new and worn states, throughout its entire life cycle.”
The “when worn” aspect of the pitch is something new — and significant. Asserted Cyrille Roget, Michelin’s worldwide director for scientific and innovation communication, at the Primacy 4’s regional launch here: “New tires only exist only on the shelf in the store… as soon as you start to drive, the tire performance changes… So how do you know you’re safe?” Michelin asks people to rethink and reframe how they think about tires.
At the firm’s request, TUV Rheinland Thailand Limited conducted tests on new and worn Primacy 4 tires versus four other premium brands. The results were compelling: Primacy 4 displayed superior braking (2.5 meters shorter) when new — a lead that grows to an impressive 5.1 meters shorter when worn, compared to the other brands. The “worn” tires had two millimeters of remaining tread depth, and wet-braking distances were recorded from 80 kph to standstill.
The Primacy 4 was also rated “most silent and comfortable” upon assessment of interior noise at 50 kph -70 kph and a comfort test at 30 kph — 50kph. The reckoning was performed on similar 225/50R17 tires fitted to a Honda Accord.
A delegation of journalists from Asia Pacific, including this writer, was asked to witness and be part of the aforementioned regional launch here. Part of the activities was the replication of the comparison testing. A professional driver executed the same tests performed on the same competing brands in January to similar results, while writers were invited to do noise and comfort testing by driving through test terrains aboard differently equipped cars.
According to Louis Giraud, Michelin vice-president for B2C marketing in East Asia and Oceania, buyers often consider four main factors when sourcing tires: safety, silence, comfort and price. Michelin looked at all these aspects in the development of the Primacy 4. Mr. Giraud continued that, typically, car owners replace their tires after three to four years of service or 40,000 to 50,000 kilometers — reflecting the commonly held belief that usage has a direct correlation with performance degradation. But Michelin wants to take exception.
Mr. Roget asserted; “We are here to understand consumer needs. We’re a company that is very consumer centric… safety is as the core of what we do every day.” He added that a sum of €6 billion to €9 billion is saved in Europe alone owing to the extended service life of Michelin’s tires — again, a direct product of the earnest work that the company’s innovators do.
The new product, explained Michelin Philippines chief representative Michael Nunag in a statement, “addresses two major pain points of consumers in our country: Safety, journey after journey, due to unfavorable road conditions and rain-related accidents; and comfort, due to challenging road and traffic conditions.”
Mr. Roget shared that the company is driven by a passion for innovation — resulting in groundbreaking, tangible technologies such as the radial tire in 1946 and the use of silica compound in the 1990s. “This is really in our core,” he insisted. “Last year, we spent €640 million [on] innovation.” Some 600 out of the 117,000 employees Michelin employees worldwide are involved in innovation work. In 2017, the company registered an excess of 400 patents — adding to a considerable total of 12,000 tire-related patents in its portfolio since 1889.

VW pitches new models as ideal for Filipinos’ ‘motoring lifestyle’

A RECENT two-day road trip that visited culinary destinations and cultural sites in Central Luzon was one of the latest activities by which Volkswagen Philippines proposed its current range as the ideal “motoring lifestyle” vehicles for consumers.
Taken by the company on a tour — held on Aug. 20-22 — of Pampanga. Nueva Ecija and Bulacan were the Volkswagen Santana MPI M/T, Lavida 230 TSI DSG, and Tiguan 280 TSI DSG. The three models presently represent Volkswagen Philippines’ initial shift toward the German brand’s vehicles that are either built, designed or exclusively sold in China — a move that allows for cheaper model prices in the Philippines, which come partly as a result of lower tariffs and freight costs. The new models were introduced in the country in May.
Volkswagen Philippines said it seeks to make its latest models be “within reach of hardworking Filipinos.” This also explains the “Filipiniana” theme of the recent “lifestyle tour,” according to the company.
The culinary spots included in the tour were restaurants famous for their Filipino cuisine: Bale Dutung in Angeles, Pampanga; Hapag Vicentico’s in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija; and Bahay na Tisa Restaurant in Malolos, Bulacan. Sites visited for their cultural and historical significance were the Barasoain Church Historical Landmark and The Museo ng Republika ng 1899 in Malolos, Bulacan; the Philippine Rice Research Institute in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija; and the Pantabangan Lake, also in Nueva Ecija.
ON THE ROAD
An equally important component of the tour were the routes taken from one destination to another as these were planned to highlight the vehicles’ capabilities — as well as how comfortable they could be on long trips. Cited in particular by Volkswagen as features that make the cars comfortable were their Climatronic air-conditioning, leather seats, and — in the Tiguan’s case — two-zone climate control, eight-speaker audio and 12-way powered adjustment for the driver’s seat.
The first day of the trip tackled Metro Manila streets, the northern expressways, and both the city roads and country lanes of Nueva Ecija. The next day’s drive traversed three mountain ranges — Sierra Madre, Caraballo and Cordillera. This, Volkswagen said, provided the “perfect setting [in which]… the power, stability and handling of the Santana, Lavida and Tiguan” could be sampled. The third day’s trip from Nueva Ecija to Bulacan and back to Quezon City — where the activity started — combined the varied types of roads tackled during the previous days. The tour covered more than 400 kilometers.
WHAT CAR?
Presently the entry model in Volkswagen Philippines’ lineup is the Santana, powered by an 89-hp, 132-Nm 1.4-liter MPI gasoline engine that’s matched to a five-speed manual transmission. It is positioned to compete against entry-level models via a price tag starting at P686,000.
A rung up Volkswagen’s current sedan range is the Lavida 230, which comes with a 128-hp, 225-Nm 1.4-liter Turbocharged Stratified Injection (TSI) gasoline engine and a seven-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) transmission. Among the premium features of the Lavida are leather seats, automatic climate control, a sunroof, electronic differential lock and push-button ignition start/stop. The car is priced from P1.171 million.
The Tiguan 280 is a refreshed version of the previous-generation Tiguan that is now produced by Shanghai Volkswagen. It is equipped with a 147-hp, 250-Nm 1.4-liter TSI engine, a six-speed DSG, “Vienna” leather seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a panoramic sunroof, an eight-speaker audio, and a 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, among other features. It sells for P1.648 million. — Brian M. Afuang

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