ABU DHABI — United Arab Emirates’ Ahmed Khalil scored a penalty two minutes from fulltime to spare their blushes as the hosts secured a fortuitous 1-1 draw with Bahrain in the opening game of the 2019 Asian Cup on Saturday.
Khalil smashed home his spot kick after Mohamed Marhoon was judged to have handled the ball inside the penalty area, cancelling out Mohamed Al Romaihi’s 78th-minute opener for Bahrain in the Group A meeting.
The late goal spared the host nation the indignity of losing to a side 34 places below them in the FIFA rankings but it will have done little to ease the pressure on coach Alberto Zaccheroni, who has come in for criticism throughout his time in charge of the UAE.
“The performance in the first half was aggressive and I thank the players for fighting, but I told them what matters is to evolve our performances from one game to the next,” said Zaccheroni.
“We will correct all the mistakes and learn lessons from them for the next game against India and hopefully the performance will be better.”
The Italian, who won the Asian title in 2011 when he was in charge of Japan, fielded a side on Saturday that lacked cohesion and composure in front of goal, with striker Ali Mabkhout missing several chances to put his side in front.
Ismail Al Hammadi almost gave Zaccheroni’s side the perfect start after seven minutes when he was sent racing in on goal by Mabkhout, only for Bahrain goalkeeper Sayed Shubbar to deny the winger.
Mabkhout pulled an effort across the face of goal while later in the half he skied a half-volley well over the bar.
Bahrain gradually pulled themselves into contention with Al Romaihi threatening in attack while Komail Al Aswad was inches away from giving Miroslav Soukup’s side the lead when his free kick just cleared the crossbar on the stroke of halftime.
Al Romaihi had given the home defence trouble throughout the match with his height and physical presence and it came as no surprise that it was the front man who put Bahrain ahead, scoring at the second attempt after indecision in the UAE defence.
Soukup’s side looked set to take all three points but the referee pointed to the spot when the ball brushed Marhoon’s hand and Khalil scored to rescue his team.
The UAE face India and Bahrain play Thailand in the second round of group matches on Jan. 10. — Reuters
DOHA — A Qatari official who helped organise the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates was prevented from flying there on Thursday for the tournament, sources said, as a rift between the two Gulf states showed no signs of abating.
Saoud Al-Mohannadi chaired the organizing committee for the tournament, which starts on Saturday, and is vice president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
A Qatari official told Reuters that Mohannadi was stopped from boarding an Oman Air flight to Abu Dhabi from Muscat. He was told by the airline that his name was not on a list held at Abu Dhabi airport, another source said.
Abu Dhabi’s government communications office did not respond immediately to Reuters’ request for comment. But Aref al-Awani, director of the Asian Cup’s local organising committee, said on Twitter that nobody was banned from attending the tournament.
Other than in special circumstances, Qataris have been prevented from entering United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt since the four countries launched a diplomatic and trade boycott of Qatar in June 2017.
They accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism, a charge that Doha denies. Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup, which soccer’s global governing body FIFA hopes to expand to 48 teams from 32, suggesting the country could share hosting duties with neighbouring Gulf states.
The AFC is one of six continental football confederations that make up FIFA. AFC ELECTION
Abu Dhabi’s Awani said reports about banning any individual from attending were untrue. “Whoever is trying to create stories and fictions are used to it, and we are used to ignoring them,” he tweeted.
Mohannadi said last month that he would run for president of the 47-country AFC in April. — Reuters
The only thing permanent in this world is change and that in the truest sense of the word was best exemplified by Jimmy Alapag, the guy who spent his playing career for 14 seasons under the MVP Group of Companies.
Known as The Mighty Mouse, Alapag started his career with Talk ‘N Text in 2003 and as a rookie, he won the team’s first ever championship that same year.
He became part of the Tropang Texters’ six championship squads before he would temporarily retire, but would resurface to play for the Meralco Bolts, his previous squad’s sister company for the 2015-2016 season.
There, at Meralco, he would break the all-time record of Allan Caidic for most three-point shots and he retired making 1,250 career treys.
After retirement, he would continue serving as an assistant coach both of the Bolts and Gilas Pilipinas under head coaches Tab Baldwin and Chot Reyes. His involvement with Alab Pilipinas, which would eventually be bankrolled by San Miguel Beer in the Asean Basketball League and a team he would led to the championship last year, opened his involvement with the MVP Group’s rival company.
It came as no surprise though that Alapag was named assistant coach of the San Miguel Beermen in the PBA to join the coaching staff headed by Leo Austria.
Why am I not surprised to see Alapag, who had shown his loyalty to the MVP Group for 13 years, moving to the SMC fold?
Tim Cone, the coach who was even mistakenly identified by long-time subscriber of Alaska as “the little boy in the can,” and would coach the Aces for 22 years, would eventually jump ship to the SMC fold.
After winning 13 championships with Alaska, Cone would lead the old Purefoods franchise to five championships, including his second grand slam. He would transfer to Ginebra, the PBA’s most popular team and sister company of Purefoods, to three more championships.
Jong Uichico, a loyal soldier of SMC and has been associated as the most diligent protégé of Ron Jacobs, would also transfer to the MVP Group of Companies despite his success with his previous mother company.
Uichico took over the team coached by his long-time mentor, the Beermen, and would quickly win a championship in just his first season. Overall, he would win six championships with San Miguel Beer before he was shipped to Ginebra, a team he led to two titles.
When Uichico has disagreements with SMC management, which was trying to put him as an alternate board governor and being demoted from a head coach to assistant of Siot Tanquingcen, the former La Salle stalwart transferred to the MVP Group where he served as an assistant coach to Ryan Gregorio before being named head coach of TNT.
There, at TNT, Uichico would win a championship. Uichico would also serve as an assistant coach to Chot Reyes at Gilas Pilipinas and would spearhead the Philippine men’s basketball team in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.
So even the most loyal soldiers would also leave their posts once opportunity arises. It may be hard to imagine seeing them in different squads, knowing their long associations with a certain entity.
But these individuals are out there just to continue pursuing what they loved the most – and that is being linked to basketball – whatever capacity it may be.
At least not in the case of Cone, who has been a champion in all of the teams he’s involved with.
Life goes on for them whatever teams they’re involved with.
Rey Joble is a member of the PBA Press Corps and Philippine Sportswriters Association. reyjoble09@gmail.com
A more conciliatory Gregg Popovich greeted the Spurs’ first match against the Raptors in their 2018-19 campaign. For those from the outside looking in, it was a contest made all the more significant because of the offseason exchange of vital cogs between the two sides. The trade was met with varied reactions, and especially from the concerned parties. And for all his protestations heading into and after the deal, he was himself affected greatly; at one point, he made an unprompted contention that Kawhi Leonard — who, prior to a shocking falling out, spearheaded his last title run and whom he figured would continue anchoring the cause of the black — was “not a leader.”
Last Friday, though, Popovich’s words portrayed a more measured appreciation for Leonard. No doubt, he would have wanted to prevent the latter’s departure or, barring that, approach it with far less recrimination. And it was precisely what he conveyed when asked about his perspective of the one-time Finals Most Valuable Player’s return to the AT&T Center for the first time since their parting of ways. The latter had every right to craft the future as deemed fit, he said, and all and sundry needed to accept the development. “You move on in life,” he said. “We’re not going to redo what’s happened in the past in any way, shape, or form. It’s of no consequence at this point, and it does no good to go backward and talk about this, that, or the other.”
Well, moving on was precisely what the Spurs wanted to show, and did. They won in emphatic fashion Friday, as if to prove that the system Popovich has put in place is conducive to success regardless of its components at any given time. Leonard had a decent game, but it was no coincidence that erstwhile Raptor DeMar DeRozan did even better to produce a career-first triple-double. The fans were understandably salty, booing the hero turned heel at every instance, a turn of events the bench tactician lamented. “Kawhi is a high-character guy,” he told the San Antonio Express-News. “We all make decisions in our lives, what we are going to do with our futures, and he has that same right as any of us. So, I felt badly, honestly.”
That said, the Spurs can’t complain about how they managed to make the most out of a difficult situation. After a rough patch that saw them assimilating their new acquisitions, and vice versa, they’ve prevailed in 12 of their last 15 outings to move to sixth in the highly competitive West. And they’re rising still, their consistency attributable in large measure to Popovich’s ability to make the whole better than the sum of its parts, not to mention experience in turning adversity to opportunity. While their capacity to go deep in the playoffs looks suspect given their uneven roster, they’ve earned the benefit of the doubt.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
By Arra B. Francia Reporter
SHARES MAY CORRECT in the week ahead on the back of profit taking after the main index hit a high of 7,801.50, while investors also anticipate the release of trade numbers for 2018.
The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) jumped 1.04% or 80.51 points to 7,761.11 on Friday as investors welcomed the inflation report which showed the rise in prices easing to 5.2% in December. This in line with the market consensus that inflation has indeed started to slow down.
On a weekly basis, the PSEi gained 3.95% or 295.09 points, lifted by the mining and oil and property counters which soared 8.19% and 6.87%, respectively, for the week. Net foreign buying averaged at P404 million daily, thanks to more than P1 billion in foreign inflows on Friday. Turnover also improved by 37% to P6.5 billion last week as investors returned from the holiday break.
Eagle Equities, Inc. Research Head Christopher John Mangun noted this was a very good start for 2019, since this could bring back investor confidence after last year’s dismal performance.
“With the huge move that we saw [last] week, there is a strong possibility that we will see a pullback [this] week. Based on the technicals, the main index ended the week right at its major resistance areas between 7,740 and 7,800 which may cause some profit taking from investors,” Mr. Mangun said in a weekly market report.
The online arm of F. Yap Securities, Inc. also urged caution for the week ahead given the main index’s high of 7,801.50 last week.
“The focus is back on consumer and investment spending for the first quarter of 2019, which will provide a clearer view how specific industries would fine-tune their spending plan for the rest of 2019,” 2TradeAsia.com said in a separate report.
The brokerage also welcomed the December inflation report, projecting a range of 4.5-5.7% for headline inflation this year.
“Stability will be dependent on continuity of supply for basic key items, as well as measures that may be adopted by the Fed[eral Reserve] and monetary authorities,” 2TradeAsia.com said, adding that neutral or even lower rates could support sentiment for equities.
Eagle Equities’ Mr. Mangun also noted that the government will release trade numbers in the week ahead. He said the market expects a trade deficit due to the increase in imports of capital goods for the government’s infrastructure program. This was accompanied by slow growth on exported products despite more tax cuts and incentives under the new tax reform program.
“However, there is some talk that as trade tensions mount between the US and China, some manufacturing firms may see opportunities here in the Philippines and choose to relocate here,” Mr. Mangun said.
The analyst placed the PSEi’s support from 7,500 to 7,600, while resistance is pegged at 7,740 to 8,000.
Building on its portfolio of flexible coworking spaces, Ayala Land Offices (ALO) launched its biggest Clock In branch to date at Ayala North Exchange, Makati City.
With over 1,500 square meters of floor space and 357 private office and coworking seats available for guests and members, the latest Clock In branch will bring all of the brand’s signature features and amenities to workers in the Makati area.
These include private and coworking seats with high-speed Internet connection, office maintenance services, administrative and IT support, and unlimited supply of coffee and tea. Members also enjoy passport access across all Clock In locations in Makati, Bonifacio Global City, Pasig, Quezon City, and Alabang.
“The center is located in an Ayala Land mixed-use development with two office buildings, serviced apartments, retail stores, and restaurants, creating a dynamic work environment,” Carol Mills, Vice President of Ayala Land, Inc. and President of Ayala Land Offices, Inc., said.
“Clock In Ayala North Exchange has an event space that can seat up to 120 people, ideal for trainings, seminars, product launches, and the like. It has a breakout area with recreational board games, stationary bikes, and napping pods where tenants can unwind.”
Lala Comia, General Manager of Clock In, added that the new location is also the perfect place for the vibrant freelance and startup community.
“For those who are in the startup business, one consideration is really the cost of building anything. They are into flexible spaces, which really do not cost them much compared to renting their own place. It’s a plug and play solution; they can actually work anywhere,” she said.
Ms. Mills said that given the traffic situation in Metro Manila, people are looking for a place where they can work close to home and save on commuting time for more productive activities.
For both big and small companies, Clock In offers flexible lease terms tailor fit to the office requirements of locators from daily, monthly and annual leases. In addition, its workspaces are designed to create professional relationships, collaborative as well as learning opportunities outside of conventional offices.
“Clock In fosters innovation, collaboration, and synergies with its spaces. With flexible lease terms, it can cater to the needs of both multinational companies and start-up companies alike. Our breakout areas are ideal spaces for members to collaborate and exchange ideas,” Ms. Mills said. Clock In has monthly events called After Hours where notable speakers share their expertise on various topics from business talks to personal interests.
“We saw the need for flexible workspaces and since Ayala Land has the largest inventory of office spaces in the country, we created a product that can address the need for large corporates as well as small to medium sized enterprises. Clock In offers coworking seats that are available for daily and even hourly use,” Ms. Mills said.
“A few years ago, coworking spaces primarily targeted freelancers and small businesses only, but now, we are also seeing large space requirements from big companies as they find the benefits of using a managed and flexible coworking facility like Clock In.” With easy access to the major thoroughfares Ayala Avenue and connected by an elevated walkway to the rest of Makati, Clock In is the office solution for today’s modern workforce. To learn more, visit https://www.clock-in.com.ph/locations/ayala-north-exchange or email clockin@ayalalandoffices.com.ph. You may also visit Clock In by Ayala Land Offices on Facebook and Instagram.
The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index fell 12.76 percent year-on-year in 2018, leading to an 8.17 percent drop in total market capitalization to P16.15 trillion. Forecasts are split on whether or not 2019 will continue this downward turn, with more optimistic analysts claiming this year may turn out “slightly better” than the last. Hopefully election-related spending in the upcoming midterms can help build momentum towards more economic growth.
The BIR is training its crosshairs on the local beverage industry after the Finance Department noted a P10-billion shortfall in excise tax collected over the first 10 months of 2018. While representatives of the Beverage Industry Association of the Philippines insist that members’ tax declarations have been truthful, Finance Undersecretary Chua is calling out firms that may be knowingly paying the wrong tax rates.
Philippine manufacturing continues to trail Vietnam in the ASEAN region, as local factory activity slowed once again in December. Experts point to dwindling remittances from FIlipino workers abroad and heightened inflation as the reasons behind slow factory business expansion. Overall, however, business optimism in the local manufacturing sector is high, thanks to solid growth in new orders, output, and job numbers — a strong end to 2018.
By Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan, Reporter
THE GOVERNMENT is readying the offer of dollar-denominated offshore bonds, looking at longer tenors as US treasury yield spreads tighten in the face of uncertainty in the world’s biggest economy.
National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon told reporters late on Thursday that the government will sell “$750 billion to $1 billion” in its upcoming global bond sale that is usually conducted in January.
“We are watching markets closely, including trade tensions, the US government shutdown and related emerging market events. We are looking at long tenors and actively seeking a good market window,” Ms. De Leon said in a mobile phone message.
She said that the government is looking at selling longer-dated securities as the US treasuries’ “yield curve is flat”.
The Department of Finance (DoF) had said in May last year that the government was planning to front-load its global dollar-denominated bond offer to the latter half of 2018 than in early 2019, in anticipation of further rate hikes seen from the US Federal Reserve.
But the Fed has lately been increasingly cautious in its policy outlook in the face of mounting macroeconomic risks, reducing pressure on the Philippines to offer the global bonds in advance.
Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation economist Michael L. Ricafort said that the partial US government shutdown since mid-December and the lingering US-China trade spat has brought down long-term US bond yields, which in turn should make emerging market long-term debt issues more attractive.
“The partial US government shutdown has partly added to expectations of slower US/global economic growth, on top of the adverse effects of the US-China trade on economic growth. Thus, this could result in some easing of US/global inflation, leading to more dovish assessment by Fed officials (in terms of less Fed rate hikes estimated for 2019) and partly led to lower 10-year US government bond yield to 2.50% levels, the lowest in nearly a year and down from the high of 3.26% posted on October 9, 2018,” Mr. Ricafort said in a mobile phone message on Friday.
“This resulted in lower borrowing costs for the government, especially for the upcoming US dollar (ROP) bond issuance as early as this month… longer tenors usually preferred especially for foreign borrowings to better manage maturities and better manage forex risks as well.”
In January last year, the government raised $2 billion from the sale of 10-year dollar-denominated bonds that fetched a three percent coupon, consisting of $750 in new money and $1.25 billion worth of outstanding debt redeemed in a bond swap as part of liability management that reduced overall interest expense.
The government borrows to pay maturing debt and plug its fiscal deficit that is capped at an equivalent of 3.2% of gross domestic product for this year.
It has also programmed a 75-25 borrowing mix in favor of local sources this year until 2022.
Economic managers noted that slower price increases for transportation, food and non-alcoholic beverages softened annual inflation for the second straight month in December.
By Carmina Angelica V. Olano, Researcher
THE OVERALL year-on-year increase in prices of widely used goods eased for the second straight month in December by its slowest pace in seven months, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported on Friday, giving the central bank room to consider the impact of its next monetary policy moves on economic growth.
Headline inflation eased to 5.1% last month, marking the slowest pace since May’s 4.6% though still much faster than the year-ago 2.9%.
Inflation had picked up for nine straight months to a nine-year-high 6.7% in September that was sustained in October before dropping to six percent in November.
The latest inflation pace is lower than the 5.7% median in a BusinessWorld poll late last week and falls below the 5.2-6% estimate given by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for last month.
Full-year inflation came in at 5.2% against the central bank’s 2-4% target range for 2018 and was the fastest in a decade, or since 2008’s 8.2%.
Stripping out volatile prices of energy and food, core inflation clocked 4.7% in December, slower than November’s 5.1%, fueling a 4.2% average for 2018. COMPONENTS
In a press briefing on Friday, National Statistician Lisa Grace S. Bersales noted “slowdowns” in year-on-year price increases of food and non-alcoholic drinks which eased to 6.7% in December from eight percent in November as well as for transport — to four percent from 8.9%.
Food-alone inflation moderated across the board, except for the “other cereals, flour, cereal preparation, bread, pasta and other bakery products” category that picked up to 4.1% last month from 3.9% in November. Increases in rice prices slowed to six percent in December from 8.1% in November, while increments in fish prices slowed to 9.9% from 12.5%; meat, 5.5% from 6.3%; and vegetables, 8.1% from 11.5%.
Increases in transport costs similarly eased to four percent from November’s 8.9%.
Reflecting a reduction in price pressures was the monthly picture, with inflation rate dropping 0.59% in December, bigger than November’s 0.17% drop after successive month-on-month increases since 2018 began. RISKS AHEAD
“Those are negative inflation rates that should tell us that, indeed, the supply-driven inflation process we saw in 2018 was not to be persistent and, therefore, short-lived,” BSP Deputy Governor and Officer-in-Charge Diwa C. Guinigundo said in a mobile phone message to reporters, citing the impact of the central bank’s five successive increases in benchmark inflation rates by a total of 175 basis points from May to November as well as the Executive branch’s non-monetary steps to remove food supply bottlenecks.
“With lower price movement, we could be optimistic about growth prospects and their positive feedback to inflation,” Mr. Guinigundo said, citing BSP forecasts of 3.2% and 3.0% for 2019 and 2020 inflation that will return overall prices increases to the central bank’s 2-4% target band.
“We shall continue to confront the issue of inflation with appropriate, vigilant stance of monetary policy in recognition of the remaining risks both here and abroad, without losing sight of the requirements of economic growth.”
The National Economic and Development Authority, the Department of Finance and the Department of Budget and Management noted in a joint statement that “[t]he rate of price increases has remained manageable, giving the country adequate elbow room to sustain its economic growth and reach its development goals”.
“Still, we understand that the faster inflation, particularly in the middle of 2018, had affected many Filipinos, most especially those in the disadvantaged sectors,” they said.
“While we can say that the worst seems to be over — given signs of easing price pressures — we continue to be vigilant of possible risks,” the departments added, saying that “[e]nsuring sufficient supply of rice and of other major agricultural products from local sources remains crucial… with the looming El Niño phenomenon in 2019.” INFLATION STILL FASTER IN MANY REGIONS
In Metro Manila, inflation slowed to 4.8% last month from 5.6% in November, while overall price hikes similarly eased to 5.3% — still above the national rate — from 6.2% in areas outside the National Capital Region, PSA data showed further.
While PSA noted that the increases in prices of widely used goods slowed across much of the country, the rate was still above the national pace in 11 of the country’s 17 regions, namely: the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (7.5%), Ilocos Region (7.0%), Bicol Region (7.0%), MIMAROPA (6.7%), Zamboanga Peninsula (6.6%), Cagayan Valley (6.0%), Western Visayas (5.7%), Northern Mindanao (5.7%), SOCCSKARGEN (5.6%), Central Visayas (5.3%) and Davao Region (5.3%). ANALYST EXPECTATIONS
For Michael L. Ricafort, economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.(RCBC), “Inflation could ease/decline further in January 2019 to four-percent levels, despite the scheduled increase in fuel excise taxes of about P2 per liter for gasoline and diesel, partly due to sharply lower oil/fuel prices, easing of rice/food prices, relatively stronger peso.”
“[T]he higher base/denominator effects for inflation starting January 2019 (after TRAIN law took effect in January 2018) would result to lower year-on-year inflation rate in the coming months of 2019,” Mr. Ricafort added, referring to Republic Act No. 10963, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN), that slashed personal income tax rates but either increased or added taxes on a host of items when it took effect a year ago.
For Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa, senior economist at the ING Bank NV Manila, “[W]e will be revising lower our inflation outlook for both 2019 and 2020”.
“With more imported grains currently on delivery over the next few weeks, the rice tariffication bill set for signing and energy prices depressed, risks to the inflation outlook appear tilted to the downside and expectations now more anchored,” he added, referring to an impending law now for signing by President Rodrigo R. Duterte that will replace the current import quota scheme for rice with a regular tariff that, in turn, is expected to slash retail prices of the staple by P7 per kilogram and headline inflation by 0.7-0.8 percentage point.
“With the stars aligning for decelerating inflation, a more dovish Fed [in the face of mounting macroeconomic uncertainty for the United States] and possibly slowing growth momentum, the chances for a BSP two-pronged easing in the first half of 2019 has increased significantly.”
The BSP’s Monetary Board is scheduled to meet for its first policy review this year on Feb. 7.
‘We… expect that election-related spending will drive up manufacturing, particularly production of food, beverage, tobacco, printing and paper products.’ — Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia
By Mark T. Amoguis, Researcher
MANUFACTURING growth decelerated for the fourth consecutive month in November to its slowest pace so far in 2018, even as it was better than the year-ago contraction, the Philippine Statistical Authority reported on Friday (PSA).
Preliminary results of PSA’s latest Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries, showed factory output — as measured by volume of production index — increased by 1.0% year-on-year in November, slower than October’s revised 3.6% though still a turnaround from past year’s 10.1% decline.
Factory output volume growth averaged 10.1% as of November, better than the nearly flat 0.8% recorded in past year’s comparative 11 months.
In comparison, the Nikkei Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) improved to 54.2 in November from October’s 54, but lower than last year’s 54.8, signaling “notable improvement” in the manufacturing sector’s health. A PMI reading above 50 signals improvement in business conditions from the preceding month, while a score below that point indicates deterioration.
Average capacity utilization — the extent by which industry resources are used in the production of goods — was estimated at 84.3% in November. Eleven of the 20 sectors registered capacity utilization rates of at least 80%.
According to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the uptick in production in November was supported by increases in textile (45.8% that month compared to 42.4% in October), miscellaneous manufactures (25.6% from 31.2%), petroleum (22.0% from 45.3%), tobacco (21.1% from -8.6%), paper products (15.0% from 11.4%), beverages (11.7 from 6.1%) and electrical machinery (11.0% from 17.0%).
Declines, however, were noted in printing (-71.6%), food manufacturing (-18.3%), machinery except electrical (-14.5%), leather products (-8.4%), footwear and wearing apparel (-4.4%) as well as chemical products (-2.2%).
“While the November outturn of sustained positive growth for manufacturing, indices showed a declining trend starting on the second half of 2018,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia was quoted as saying in the NEDA statement.
Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion, chief economist at Union Bank of the Philippines, Inc. (UnionBank), said that textiles industry propped November’s production growth. “This noted increase may have been prompted by increasing consumer demand due to Christmas spending. Compared to the same period last year, this is a huge improvement,” he said.
Mr. Asuncion said the overall slowdown in factory output was to be expected because orders for December are usually placed six months earlier and growth tapers off towards yearend.
NEDA said in its statement that reduced optimism among businesses and worsened consumer pessimism, as reflected in the central bank’s fourth-quarter surveys, likely weighed on manufacturing in those three months, and UnionBank’s Mr. Asuncion said he expects factory output growth to have slowed further in December.
Still, the coming months should see “moderate” inflationary pressures — particularly in cost of inputs — spurring production expansion, the NEDA said.
“We also expect that election-related spending will drive up manufacturing, particularly production of food, beverage, tobacco, printing and paper products,” said Mr. Pernia, who heads NEDA as director-general.
For Mr. Asuncion, factory output growth in “January will start to pick up as historical data dictates.”
“I expect 2019 to be more robust than 2018 as heightened inflation starts tapering off throughout 2019,” he said.
By Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio
DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol ordered on Friday the sacking of quarantine team of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after their failure to establish quarantine measures on the entry of pork products from countries affected by African Swine Fever (ASF).
“The directive was for all quarantine stations to establish footbaths in all entry points of the country, the interception and confiscation of all pork-based products,” Mr. Piñol said in his Facebook post.
Mr. Piñol cited a report quoting Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) Chairperson Rosendo O. So as saying there were no quarantine procedures observed at NAIA. The DA chief then confirmed the report with Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Officer-in-Charge and Director Ronnie D. Domingo.
“Dr. Domingo admitted that the NAIA Quarantine Group failed to establish the footbath facility ‘because of procurement issues’ and it was the only station which failed to implement the directives,” Mr. Piñol said, adding that the quarantine team will be released effective 5:00 p.m. of Jan. 4, Friday.
Pork products have been banned here from 13 countries: China, Hungary, Belgium, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Moldova, South Africa and Zambia. DA issued the first ban on June 27 last year, particularly on pork products from Hungary.
On Dec. 28, DA issued a memorandum order requiring the establishment of footbaths in all entry points of the country and a mandatory inspection of vessels docking in Philippine ports with meat supplies, including cruise ships and fishing boats with meat products from China.
The order also required close coordination with the Bureau of Customs and confiscation and destruction of all pork products within 24 hours coming from China and other countries affected by ASF.
Mr. Piñol appealed to consumers to patronize locally produced pork and pork products, especially in the face of the ASF threat.
“The threat is real and it could affect an industry which benefits millions of families, mostly small backyard farmers who raise 15 million heads of hogs every year,” he said.
“Better still, source your requirements locally. That way, you do not only protect our local hog industry but you also help lower poverty in the countryside. Remember that if you buy local, you not only help the hog farmers but also the corn, sorghum, coconut and cassava farmers, who produce the materials for local feeds,” Mr. Piñol added.
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday confirmed the arrest of Henry Yuson, the alleged hitman behind the DEc. 22 assassination of Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel M. Batocabe.
“With the arrest of the main gunman, this will further tighten the noose around the necks of the suspects,” PNP Chief Director-General Oscar D. Albayalde said in a televised press briefing, Friday.
Mr. Albayalde said Mr. Yuson had surrendered to the authorities, but was arrested in connection with a pending rape case.
“He surrendered to the Army, the 903rd but he was arrested because we served a warrant of arrest against him for the crime of rape,” Mr. Albayalde said.
Mr. Yuson was identified as a former New People’s Army rebel. Mr. Albayalde also reported that Jaywin Babor, who was designated in charge of the getaway motorcycle, had likewise surrendered and is now in police custody.
“May additional pa just this morning, at 10 am, the IG (Intelligence Group) of the PNP took custody of Jaywin Babor who is allegedly the driver of another one getaway motorycle used during the assassination of Congressman Batocabe and SPO2 Diaz,” the PNP chief said.
Mr. Albayalde said the suspects surrendered following a conflict over the P5-million pay for the hit job. “Pareho sinasabi nila na hindi tumupad sa usapan doon sa pera. May usapang problema sa pera so ito halos pare-pareho sinasabi nila,” he said. (They all say a promise was broken regarding the payment. There was a problem about the money so this is what they practically all say.)
The PNP had earlier tagged Mayor Carlwyn G. Baldo of Daraga, Albay, as the mastermind in Mr. Batocabe’s murder. Also implicated by the police were Christopher C. Naval, Danilo Muella, Rolando Arimado, and Emmanuel Rosello.
Mr. Batocabe and his police escort SPO2 Orlando Diaz were gunned down during a gift-giving activity in Daraga. He had earlier announced he was seeking the mayoralty in this year’s midterm elections.
Mr. Baldo, in a press briefing on Thursday afternoon, following his implication by the police, asserted his innocence.
For her part, House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sought the prosecution of Mr. Baldo and others tagged by the police.
“Now that the mastermind and all his co-conspirators have been identified, our law enforcement agencies must ensure that they be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” she said in a statement on Friday. — Charmaine A. Tadalan
