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Fuel Masters angle to go above .500 mark

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

MIDDLING team Phoenix Fuel Masters shoot to go above the .500 mark when they go up against the Meralco Bolts in the opening game of the Valentine’s offering of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

At the seventh spot currently in the season-opening PBA Philippine Cup with a 4-4 record, the Fuel Masters are out to get a victory over the struggling Bolts (2-6) in their scheduled 4:30 p.m. match to put them back in the black and position themselves for a shot at finishing in the top six and avoid a twice-to-win disadvantage if ever they manage to advance to the next round.

As per tournament format, only the top eight teams at the end of the elimination round move on to the next phase with the top two enjoying a twice-to-beat edge over the two lowest teams while the middle teams battle in a best-of-three series — #3 vs. #6 and #4 vs. #5.

Phoenix won in its last game, showing much resilience to edge the TNT KaTropa, 74-72, last Wednesday.

The Fuel Masters dug deep in a match that saw them play catch-up for much of the time and were boosted by the late-game surge by sophomore Matthew Wright to notch the all-important victory.

Mr. Wright, who drained a key three-pointer late in the game and made the pass for what turned out to be the game-winning shot by Doug Kramer with three seconds to go, top-scored for Phoenix with 16 points.

Veteran Jeff Chan added 11 markers while rookie Jason Perkins had eight points and 10 boards for the Fuel Masters, who have seen a promising start to their campaign turn iffy after going 2-3 in their last five games.

“We have three games left in the elimination round and anything can happen. So we’re not taking opponents lightly and will try to stay on top of our game to advance,” said Mr. Wright following their last victory.

For Phoenix coach Louie Alas, their win over TNT was huge in line with their goal to finish in the top six at least.

“That’s our goal really, to finish at least fourth to sixth to give us a chance in a best-of-three playoffs,” said the coach even as he underscored that they will still try to go as high as they can in the standings as the elimination round draws to a close.

SLIPPING
Meanwhile, looking to save their slowly slipping campaign are the Bolts, who are currently riding a three-game losing streak.

The most recent of Meralco’s losses came at the hands of the NLEX Road Warriors, 87-85, last Friday, with rookie sensation Kiefer Ravena draining the winning basket with little time left on the clock.

The defeat was all the more disappointing as Meralco had its grip on the game but just could not sustain and finish it.

Nico Salva came off the bench to lead the Bolts with 20 points with Chris Newsome finishing with 15 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Following the Phoenix-Meralco match is the main game encounter at 7 p.m. by TNT (4-5) and GlobalPort Batang Pier (3-4).

Both teams are coming off losses in their previous assignments and are out to get back on the winning track to give their campaigns a boost in the homestretch.

Defending champ DLSU aims for third win in row

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

UNDEFEATED in their first two games in University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 women’s volleyball, the defending champions De La Salle University Lady Spikers are out to make it 3-of-3.

To battle the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws (1-1) at 4 p.m. in the resumption of volleyball play today at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City, the Taft-based Lady Spikers look to sustain their steady form and keep in step with league-leading National University Lady Bulldogs (3-0) in the standings.

La Salle defeated the University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Fighting Maroons in straight sets in its last assignment on Saturday, 25-21, 25-22 and 26-24.

Tin Tiamzon and Kim Kianna Dy paced the Lady Spikers in the win with 13 points apiece while Desiree Cheng added 10 markers.

Setter Michelle Cobb also had 10 points, punctuated by seven service aces, including three straight to notch the win for her team, on top of 32 excellent sets for the Lady Spikers.

La Salle was challenged by UP but always found a way to stave off its opponent when it needed to in securing the victory.

“We just adjusted accordingly to the game of UP and stayed patient and in control,” La Salle coach Ramil De Jesus said after their win as he discussed the mind-set they had against the Lady Maroons.

The Lady Spikers’ opponent today, FEU, for its part, will try to get back on the winning track after losing a tough five-setter to the Adamson Lady Falcons, 25-23, 19-25, 25-22, 21-25 and 15-12, last Saturday.

Skipper Bernadeth Pons had 22 points, 16 digs and 13 excellent receptions for FEU while Toni Rose Basas added 18 points and Celine Domingo 10.

It was not enough, however, to get the Lady Tamaraws over the Lady Falcons, who were on top of things and showed tremendous composure when they were pushed to the limit.

FEU said it will try to bounce back and build a winning momentum moving forward under new coach George Pascua.

Meanwhile, playing in the opener at 2 p.m. are Adamson and UP, both sporting identical 1-1 cards.

The Lady Falcons are coming off their win over FEU last weekend while UP is fresh from a loss.

“It feels good. I’m just happy we won and I’m sure the players feel excited about it. We look forward to building on this victory,” said Adamsom coach Air Padda following their victory over FEU, a team they have not beaten in two seasons.

Udenna completes BGC corporate tower

THE UDENNA GROUP of Davao-based businessman Dennis A. Uy has completed the construction of its corporate tower in Bonifacio Global City (BGC).

In a statement issued Tuesday, the group said it has topped off the 24-storey Udenna Tower, located at the corner of Rizal Drive and 4th Avenue in BGC, Taguig City. The tower has a gross floor area of 14,703 square meters (sq.m.), with a net leasable space of over 13,600 sq.m.

Seven floors will be occupied by companies under Mr. Uy’s leadership, such as Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. and Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp.

“Udenna Tower will allow us a firmer foothold in the country’s capital region, as our businesses continue to grow into significant players in their respective industries and take on bigger roles in our national economy,” Udenna Vice-President for Corporate Affairs Adel A. Tamano was quoted as saying in a statement.

Mr. Tamano added the tower will also be more conducive for around 500 of its employees based in Metro Manila.

The tower’s six floors will be available for lease, strengthening the   portfolio of property arm, Udenna Development Corp. (Udevco).

“The development illustrates the strength and potential of our real estate business — (Udevco) — to become a significant player in the sector,” Mr. Tamayo said.

Udevco is currently embarking on the development of the 177-hectare Clark Global City (CGC), located within the Clark Freeport Zone, for $6 billion. The project will be developed in 10 years, with the first phase set to start this year. — Arra B. Francia

Initial 2018 Jr. NBA Philippines selection camp successfully held in Bacolod last weekend

THE staging of the selection camps for the 2018 Jr. NBA Philippines tipped off in Bacolod last weekend with over 400 aspiring boys and girls participating.

Held at the Trinity Christian School on Feb. 10-11, participants went through thorough training designed to develop not only their skills as players but also their character that should guide them in their lives beyond basketball.

After the two-day camp, 10 campers were selected and given slots to represent Visayas at the National Training Camp set in Manila on May 18-20.

Advancing to the next phase of the NBA’s global youth basketball participation program are John Lester Amagan, 14, of St. Robert’s International Academy; Nathan Jan Jundana, 14, and Heinzy Gabriel Demisana, 13, of Bacolod Taytung High School; William Agamemnon Allosada, 13, William Archimedez Allosada, 13, William Holan Baxter, 13, and Keane Angelo Yu, 14, of Sacred Heart School — Ateneo de Cebu (boys division), and Dancylle Gabrealene Busime, 12, of Colegio San Nicolas de Tolentino — Recoletos; Danielle Gwen Dusaran, 12, of University of Negros Occidental Recoletos; and Gin Kayla Relliquette, 12, of St. Carmen Salles School (girls division).

The selected 10 excelled in a variety of basketball activities and competition, and embodied the Jr. NBA core S.T.A.R. values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, a positive Attitude and Respect throughout the camp, conducted Jr. NBA coaches, led by Coach Carlos Barroca and former Alaska Aces player Tony Dela Cruz.

“We have kids in Visayas that showed a tremendous amount of potential at a very young age. We hope they will continue to work on their games and look forward to seeing their growth in our future camps within the region,” said Mr. Barroca at the conclusion of the Bacolod camp.

The Visayan contingent of Jr. NBA campers will compete with the top players from the remaining Regional Selection Camps in Butuan (Feb. 24-25), Baguio (March 17-18) and Manila (April 21-22) at the National Training Camp where the next batch of Jr. NBA Philippines All-Stars composed of the most outstanding eight boys and eight girls will be selected

The 2018 Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA All-Stars will be rewarded later in the year with an authentic, overseas NBA experience.

Jr. NBA Philippines is now on its 11th straight year of staging in the country and has made significant strides in teaching the fundamental skills and core values of the game at the grassroots level while enhancing the youth basketball experience for players, parents and coaches.

To participate in the program, which is presented by Alaska Milk and open to boys and girls, one must be aged 10 to 14. For more details on the registration and other details, visit www.jrnba.asia/philippines. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Art Fair 2018’s interesting problem: managing a growing crowd

RESPONDING TO THE surprisingly large crowd that flocked to its regular venue at The Link carpark in Makati City in 2017, this year’s Art Fair Philippines will control access to the carpark during its run from March 1 to 4 and will also post “Art Etiquette” memes on social media in the days before it opens.

“The art etiquette [memes] is not meant to look down on anybody, but for everybody to have a good experience while in the fair,” Dindin Araneta, one of the fair’s cofounders, told BusinessWorld at the sidelines of launch of the annual event which is now on its sixth year.

Over the past five years, the art fair has welcomed a growing number of visitors, made up of art collectors, artists, art enthusiasts, families, and students (the latter make up the fair’s biggest demographic at 30% of visitors).

In 2017, the fair welcomed 40,000 visitors, almost two times 2016’s 22,000. During its first year in 2013, the fair welcomed 6,000 art enthusiasts through its doors, and this number increased regularly in subsequent years — 10,000 visitors in 2014 and 16,000 in 2015.

“We’ve brought in growing audiences in the past years, now, it’s about time to educate them,” said Ms. Araneta.

Among the rules of etiquette that they will be pushing are:

• Don’t stand too close to the artwork.

• Don’t bring large bags and backpacks.

• Do not touch the artworks.

• Do not bring food and drinks inside.

• No camera flash.

Needing to deal with this growing enthusiasm for the arts by people who may not know the proper way to behave near the often fragile artworks — including people who like to take photos for their Instagram accounts — is not limited to the Philippines.

“[There are] essays in literature about the development of the audience for art in other countries, so there were also times when they had to educate the audiences… It’s really about education, to teach them how to view works of art and how to ask the right questions,” said Ms. Araneta.

In an effort to control the crowd, visitors will have to choose from three time periods when they can enter the fair: 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.; and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.) — but they are free to leave the fair at their own convenience.

“It’s to make sure that you are not bumping into works or into other people. It’s for your comfort. [And also] so the artists feel like their works are respected. Sometimes the people bump into their works and they’re like ‘Din, they are taking so many pictures and they are not looking anymore.’ We get a lot of comments [like that] so maybe less pictures and more discernment and conversations with the artists and the gallerists who are there,” said Ms. Araneta.

GROWING ART AFFAIR
Not only is the Art Fair growing when it comes to visitor numbers, but also in size. From the initial 24 participating local and international galleries, the number increased steadily to 46 last year. For this year’s edition, 51 galleries — 36 of which are local — will showcase their best art.

The exhibitors have always sold out their pieces in the first two days, so the gallerists have the interesting problem of curating what to hang in their spaces over the remaining days of the fair — the result is the audience will always have something new to see when they come back to the fair.

This year’s affair will also maximize the carpark by using all its available space for the first time. This time the fair will have a floor area of more than 13,000 square meters spread over all seven floors of the carpark.

“Our move to secure a bigger space and oversee access to the fair will allow us to enhance the viewing experience of our visitors and help ensure that artwork can be properly appreciated,” said Art Fair cofounder Trickie Lopa.

WHAT TO SEE
Filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik headlines this year’s “Projects,” which is a featured artist section. He will exhibit wooden sculptures on myths.

Meanwhile, the three veteran artists of Kaisahan group — Pablo Baen-Santos, Renato Habulan, and Antipas Delotovato — will showcase artworks with social commentaries.

Younger artists Leonard Aguinaldo (who works with rubbercuts), Lyra Garcellano (whose recurring theme revolves around national identity), Nilo Ilarde (a conceptual artist and curator), and Alvin Zafra (who will present an exhibit with video as the central piece) are also part of “Projects.”

This year’s fair also features a new section on photography, which is presented by Swiss private banker Julius Baer.

“We have had installations and video works, but very little photography. It is just a continuation of the conversations with people who are engaging with photography, whether you are professional, student, enthusiast,” said Ms. Araneta.

The photography exhibitions this year include Neal Oshima’s Kin, which pays tribute to the country’s tribes and indigenous traditions. Working with curator Angel Velasco, there will also be another exhibit, Provocations, which features a range of established and emerging documentary photographers.

“We are excited to see how photography will continue to find its place in our local art scene [because] it’s a medium that you can acquire,” said Lisa Periquet, one of the fair’s three cofounders. — Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

Federer quietly hoping for dream return to no. 1

ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS — Roger Federer said Monday he could allow himself to dream about recapturing the world number one spot at this week’s Rotterdam tournament and becoming the oldest man ever to hold the position.

To climb back to the top at the age of 36, the Swiss must at least reach the semifinals.

If seedings hold up, that means he would have to defeat compatriot and friend Stan Wawrinka in what would be a high-profile quarterfinal.

“I would love to be in that position with anyone, but with Stan it would be like a Grand Slam final, a big-time match,” said Federer, fresh from winning a 20th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.

“I’m hoping to get to number one and hoping to do it this week. You always want to do it the tough way, it’s not easy to get there.

“The achievement would be quite incredible. It’s exciting to see Stan in my section and it’s great to have him back (after knee surgery in July).”

Federer made a relatively late decision to play at the event, which he won in 2005 and 2012. He said that after winning in Melbourne a fortnight ago, he felt good enough to compete this week and is also considering playing in Dubai in two weeks’ time.

“I didn’t expect to win Australia, I played it not thinking about number one,” he said.

“I didn’t think of the rankings at all in Melbourne. Afterwards, I thought I could always play Rotterdam, I’d love to play, give it a go and see what happens.

“I’m happy I’m here, healthy and eager to play,” he said.

He starts his bid on Wednesday against Belgian Ruben Bemelmans.

Federer also gave some insight into his plans for the spring claycourt season, which he skipped completely last year on the way to winning his eighth Wimbledon title.

“The clay season is up in the air. If I’m playing a lot during this part of the season, it would be hard to play a robust clay season.

“It would be light (schedule) if I do play,” he said.

“We’ll see how it goes, I’m healthy and glad to be playing. I should be playing when I feel that way and not play when I don’t feel at 100% or don’t feel ready to do it. “That’s the secret for me moving forward.”

Play got underway on Monday, with third seed Alexander Zverev seeing off Spanish veteran David Ferrer 6-4, 6-3.

It was the 20-year-old German’s first win over the former French Open finalist at the third attempt.

Former Rotterdam winner Tomas Berdych put out Zverev’s older brother Mischa 7-5, 6-3, while Spain’s Feliciano Lopez eliminated 2016 champion Martin Klizan 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). — AFP

PTT Philippines weighs Jiffy expansion plans

PTT PHILIPPINES Corp., the local unit of Thailand’s biggest oil and gas company, will evaluate the performance of its convenience store business in the country before making expansion plans, company officials said.

“The head office is to decide how [we are going to] expand,” PTT Marketing Director Thitiroj Rergsumran told reporters on Tuesday on the sidelines of the launch of the company’s service station in Concepcion, Tarlac, its largest in the Philippines.

He said a “prototype” Jiffy was opened in a PTT service station in Fairview, Quezon City.” The convenience store, which is owned by Thailand’s PTT Public Co. Ltd., is up for audit by a team from the home country.

“On [Feb.] 16, they [will] go back to Thailand to conclude the plan to expand Jiffy… in the Philippines,” he said, adding that details on franchise fees have yet to be decided.

The local entry of Jiffy comes after PTT brought its own coffee shop brand Cafe Amazon to the Philippines with the opening of one outlet in 2016. The parent firm has more than 2,000 of such shops in Thailand.

“The first, in 2016, we opened one, and last year we opened five, and this year we [will] open 10,” Mr. Rergsumran said.

“For [Café] Amazon, right now we are developing our logistics about how to deliver the product because [it entails] a lot of details. So we [will] focus on Luzon first,” he said.

The growth of the cafe mirrors that of the company’s service stations, which now number 122 located in various parts of Luzon and Central Visayas.

“We [will] expand. [In] 2015, we have 15 [service stations], [in] 2016 we have 17, and last year, we have 23, and this year, we [will] have 30,” Mr. Rergsumran said.

For its fuel business, PTT and Cebu Air, Inc. recently renewed their P7-billion jet fuel supply agreement, sustaining the oil company’s position as the major supplier of the Gokongwei budget airline’s aviation fuel requirements.

“Cebu Air has been a loyal and good business partner,” said Sukanya Seriyothin, PTT Philippines president and chief executive officer. “Our partnership for more than 15 years is a testament of how it has been growing stronger for years.”

Danilo Alabado, general manager of PTT Philippines Trading Corp., said the supply contract with Cebu Air is an increase over the previous year’s estimated P6 billion.

He said the airline accounts for 60% of PTT’s aviation business and 25% of the oil company’s business volume. The other major customer is Semirara Mining and Power Corp.

Mr. Alabado said the company did not renew its supply contract in Japan but plans to look for other overseas markets.

“We’re also going to compete [in] airports outside the country where Cebu Pacific has presence, mostly in Asia plus two in Australia,” he said.

On Tuesday, at the launch of PTT’s two-hectare service station along Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), the company highlighted the features of its Restroom 20, a pay toilet concept that originated from Thailand.

Any funds raised from the restroom’s operations are donated by PTT to charity. It has so far reached the P2-million mark since it started in SCTEx three years ago. The facility has a solar rooftop that brings in savings of between 900 kilowatts and 1.5 megawatts a month.

“That can be translated to about P100,000 savings per year,” said Ms. Seriyothin.

PTT has turned over the amount to several beneficiaries identified by the local and provincial governments of Tarlac, including the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. — Victor V. Saulon

Mobile ads more effective in reaching target audience — Nielsen

MOBILE ADVERTISING emerged as the preferred avenue for digital campaigns in the Philippines, with its on-target performance outperforming other digital channels.

The Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings Benchmarks report showed that 91% of digital ad campaigns in the first half of 2017 leveraged mobile, and the medium enjoyed higher on-target rate than total digital and desktop benchmarks for all reported age brackets in the Philippines.

On-target performance refers to the percentage of impressions delivered to the intended audience out of the total impressions served during the entire campaign, thus providing a baseline for measuring digital campaigns.

Digital ads catering to the 18- to 49-year-old age bracket reached their intended audience 81% of the time for mobile, compared to 77% for total digital and 59% for desktop.

For digital ads targeting consumers aged 21-34, those served via mobile devices hit the mark 81% of the time, surpassing the 41% for desktop and 73% for total digital performance.

“The increase in mobile advertising reflects the growing penetration of mobile and the mobile-first habits of consumers in the Philippines,” Ernestine Amper, Nielsen’s head of media client service in the Philippines, was quoted in the statement as saying.

“While historically, ads served on desktops have had great success in reaching intended audiences than mobile; marketers have made considerable progress in rapidly increasing mobile’s on-target performance in the past year.”

Advertisers in the consumer packaged goods, business and consumer services, and computers and electronics sectors reached their desired audience via mobile devices, achieving an on-target success of 83%, 82%, and 81% respectively.

“Mobile is winning today but tomorrow is a different scenario. As consumers’ media habits evolve, marketers need to consider all the screens when trying to reach their target audience. These benchmarks can help media planners/buyers and sellers better evaluate and optimize their reach online,” Ms. Amper added.

The Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings Benchmarks has assessed more than 3,000 digital campaigns since its launch in Southeast Asia in 2015. — Krista Angela M. Montealegre

CCP audience grew in 2017, targets 1M by 2020

DESPITE a small decrease in its onscreen audience when it came to the Cinemalaya Film Festival, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) saw an increase in its overall audience, from 655,000 attendees in 2016 to 678,000 in 2017.

At the sidelines of the CCP’s institutional press conference about its upcoming shows for the rest of the year, CCP’s vice-president and artistic director Chris Millado told BusinessWorld that the decrease in the onscreen audience — to 68,000 in 2017 from 75,000 in 2016 — was caused by the K-12 shift in school calendar and the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) conference which was held in the area.

“[W]e had to close the CCP for a month for the ASEAN,” Mr. Millado noted.

According to the CCP’s statistics, its biggest audience drawer were the festivals (e.g. Pasinaya), which welcomed 172,000 people in 2017 compared with 158,000 in 2016, while the “on the walls” shows, as in the painting exhibitions, saw foot traffic of 74,000 in 2017 compared with 63,000 in 2016. The audience for onstage performances increased as well, to 262,000 in 2017 from 248,000 in 2016.

The CCP’s target is to reach the one million mark by 2020, which it hopes to achieve as it opens two new buildings that will complement the Main Theater.

The Blackbox Theater — formally called the Tanghalang Ignacio Jimenez — is a 300-seat theater for “out-of-the box performances” which will open in September. The Artist Center, a 40 hall complex for rehearsals, will have its groundbreaking in September as well. (Read: CCP to expand with three new theaters)

Meanwhile, here are highlights in the CCP schedule for the year:

March: The CCP front lawn will be the venue to mark Earth Hour, an annual plea to turn off our lights for one hour to save the earth. The CCP grounds will have a festive night to culminate the celebration.

April: PHILSTAGE’s Gawad Buhay awards will acknowledge all the best shows and artists of 2017.

May: In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Association of Pinoy Printmakers will hold an exhibition that will highlight the history and journey of printmaking in the country.

June: Philippine animators and enthusiasts will converge at the Animahenasyon and Gawad Alternatibo: Pinoy Animated Films at the Tanghalang Manuel Conde. This year’s focus is films on patriotism.

July: The Virgin Labfest, a festival of previously unperformed one-act plays, continues to attract audiences thanks to its fresh concepts by emerging and established Philippine playwrights. The festival is now on its 14th year.

August: The Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival will run from Aug. 3 to 12, with the awards night held on Aug. 12.

September: For a second year, the Festival of Arts and Ideas will serve as a platform for artistic expressions through flash performances, public conversations, and interactive exhibitions with this year’s theme on gender. The Encyclopedia of Philippine Arts will also be launched in August.

October: Held once every three years, the prestigious 13 Artists Awards will again recognize the best young artists in the country.

November: The CCP Ballet Competition 2018 is expected to attract ballet masters, choreographers, dancers, and enthusiasts as dancers compete in classical solo variations and contemporary pieces.

December: Tanghalang Pilipino’s third play for the season, Manila Notes, is the Philippine version of the Japanese playwright-director Oriza Hirata’s Tokyo Notes, which is a “quiet play” on silence and whispers to dramatize the effect of war and conflict on relationships.

For more information, check www.culturalcenter.gov.ph. — Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

NBA buyout players

What was initially seen as a slow National Basketball Association (NBA) trade deadline last week turned frenetic after some weighty deals were consummated.

And while some key players landed in new homes heading into the second half of the 2017-2018 NBA Season, some have found themselves already bought out with more expected to follow.

The Houston Rockets so far has emerged as the busiest picking up recently bought out players, reportedly set to sign up veteran Joe Johnson and big man Brandan Wright.

While they are expected to be role players with Houston, both Johnson and Wright should help the Rockets moving forward.

Johnson, who was traded to Sacramento by Utah in a three-way deal with the Cavaliers before being bought out by the Kings, should provide leadership and clutch mentally to, well, “Clutch City.”

His athleticism and consistency may no longer be crisp like those in his younger years but Johnson has shown that when called up he can still deliver here and there, which I think fits a Rockets team that already has dig-deep players like James Harden and Chris Paul.

He just needs to fill in the gaps in the Rockets’ play, something he has no problem doing with the Jazz last season particularly in the playoffs.

Former Memphis player Wright, meanwhile, adds athleticism and ceiling to the Houston front line, which already has Clint Capela, Ryan Anderson and Nene Hilario anchoring.

Bought out by Phoenix, Greg Monroe has been snatched by the Boston Celtics and has been backstopping All-Star Al Horford since.

Obviously he still in the adjustment phase with the Cs but like Johnson he can be counted on once adjusted to the system, particularly on the offensive side where he has shown he is very much capable at with stops in Detroit, Milwaukee and Phoenix previously.

Former NBA most valuable player Derrick Rose was nixed from the Utah roster after going from Cleveland.

It was another sorry turn for Rose who has not found his groove and game back after a series of injuries and personal issues.

Reports have it that Minnesota and Washington are considering signing him up for the rest of the season, locations that present themselves interesting.

The Timberwolves, under former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and feature ex-teammates Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson, should make it easy for Rose to transition and maybe inspire him to play better albeit in a limited capacity, and prove critics wrong — that he is not done.

With the Wizards, his potential partnership with All-Star John Wall is intriguing. While with the Cavs early this year, Rose actually did not suck, averaging 9.8 points, and I think he can be of service to the Wizards backcourt off the bench, spelling some of their resident stars.

Shooter Marco Belinelli is now in Philadelphia following his separation from Atlanta while defensive specialist Tony Allen was bought out by Chicago from New Orleans and said to be being considered by Oklahoma City.

Reportedly to be bought out, meanwhile, are Tyreke Evans (Memphis), Joakim Noah (New York), Channing Frye (Los Angeles Lakers) and Shabazz Muhammad (Minnesota).

From the last list, Evans presents much value and I would not be surprised if he finds his way to a new team in the event he does get released.

Teams angling to make it to the playoffs like Miami and Detroit may use his ability to create shots for himself and others while contending teams like San Antonio and Oklahoma City may find a spot for him to help propel their push.

With competition proving to be tight as the NBA hits the homestretch, I would not be surprised if teams turn to the buyout window for some support. And who knows, erstwhile cast-aside players by some may turn out to be gems for others.

 

Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld reporter covering the Sports beat.

msmurillo@www.bworldonline.com

ATN Holdings seeks ecozone status for property

ATN HOLDINGS, Inc. has cleared a number of resolutions that will allow the company to ride on the government’s ambitious infrastructure program.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange on Tuesday, ATN Holdings said it authorized the registration of a 2.56 million square meter property as an economic zone under its wholly owned subsidiary Palladian Land Development, Inc.

ATN Holdings said it has prospective international partners and investors that are keen on participating in the “Build, Build, Build” projects of the government and locating their export manufacturing businesses within its property upon government approval of its ecozone status.

The company did not identify the specific property, but it owns 254 hectares of land in Rodriguez, Rizal, located less than 10 kilometers from business districts in Metro Manila.

ATN Holdings also approved a P100-million diesel fuel supply deal with Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc., a contract with Linetech, Inc. for the integration of the P50-million medium-voltage facility and an agreement with Scanpacific, Inc. for the installation of a P50-million low-voltage facility.

In October, the company gave the signal for a P500-million fund-raising exercise in the form of debt or quasi-equity for expanded rock crusher capacity, heavy equipment acquisitions, and working capital to take part in the government’s infrastructure drive.

ATN invests in real properties and stocks. The company’s investment in real properties includes several units of office condominium at Summit One Tower in Mandaluyong City.

Aside from Palladian Land, its other subsidiaries include ATN Philippines Solar Energy Group, Inc., engaged in implementing the energy business; Advanced Home Concept Development Corp., engaged in residential properties development; and Managed Care Phil., Inc. (MCPI), engaged in the health care services specifically in outpatient clinics.

ATN Holdings widened its losses to P4.17 million in the six months ending September 2017 from P2.07 million a year ago on lower health care revenues and interest income.

ATN Holdings shares added seven centavos or 11.48% to settle at 68 centavos apiece on Tuesday. — Krista Angela M. Montealegre

UCPB posts higher profit on core businesses’ growth

UNITED COCONUT Planters Bank (UCPB) saw higher net earnings in 2017 as income from its businesses grew across the board.

In a statement sent to reporters late Monday, the state-owned bank said it posted a P4.08-billion net income in 2017, higher by 22% from its earnings posted in 2016.

The bank’s interest income grew 7% to P14.2 billion, driven by strong growth in loans, which stood at P171.7 billion, higher than the P156 billion booked in 2016.

Deposits, meanwhile, rose to P279.5 billion from the P265.6 billion posted at end-2016.

UCPB’s non-interest income also climbed 5.2% to P2.7 billion on the back of strong trading and securities gains, as well as revenues from its newly launched bancassurance business.

The bancassurance business of UCPB, in partnership with life insurer Cocolife and non-life insurer UCPB General Insurance Co., Inc. yielded total premiums of P1.05 billion in the nine months after its launch in April last year.

The bank is “eyeing to sustain the double-digit core earnings growth this year, anchored on the continued expansion of our consumer and middle market lending operations and a greater push to increase non-interest revenues from our other fee-based services like bancassurance,” UCPB President and Chief Executive Officer Higinio O. Macadaeg, Jr. was quoted as saying in the statement.

Bancassurance is a partnership between a bank and an insurer wherein the insurance provider can offer its products to the lender’s clientele.

Meanwhile, UCPB expects to double the premium production of its bancassurance business following the central bank’s approval late last year for the bank to offer variable life insurance, a hybrid life insurance with an investment component.

Aside from this, the lender’s newly launched Visa debit card embedded with an EMV (Europay Mastercard Visa) chip also contributed to its fee income business.

At end-September 2017, UCPB was the eleventh biggest commercial bank in asset terms worth P308.3 billion. — KANV

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