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Davao City passes law allowing Muslim women to wear head, face covers

Bai Halila Y. Sudagar, indigenous peoples representative in the Davao City council, is a member of the Kagan Tribe and also a Muslim. — BW FILE PHOTO/CACARILLO

THE MUSLIM community in Davao City welcomed the passage of an ordinance that respects their tradition of wearing head and face covers for women. “We welcome this initiative because it shows that the city government encourages its people to respect one another,” Aleem Mahmod M. Adilao of the Bishop Ulama Conference said. The city council approved last week the ordinance that protects Muslim women from discrimination if they wear head and face covers as a symbol of their faith, either in schools, workplaces, or business establishments. Halila Y. Sudagar, representative of the indigenous peoples to the city council who pushed for the law, said it is significant to have such a rule considering that some foreign countries ban this tradition. Under the ordinance, Muslim women can wear hijab, which covers the head and the chest; niqab, a face and head cover that only shows the eyes; or, burqa, which covers the entire body and leaves only a mesh screen for the eyes. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

Nation at a Glance — (10/10/18)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Final 4-bound Letran wins anew, beats San Sebastian

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE LETRAN KNIGHTS sustained their strong finish in the wind-up of the elimination round of Season 94 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as they won their fifth straight game with a 79-61 victory over the San Sebastian Stags on Tuesday at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
Came out in their element right from the get-go, the Knights dominated their rivals and never allowed the Stags to gain much headway in their fight-back attempts to book their fifth win in a row and improve to 12-4, still with a shot at a top-two finish in the eliminations that could merit them a twice-to-beat edge in the Final Four.
Letran opened the proceedings with a 6-0 blast and never looked back the rest of the first quarter to go on top 19-10.
The Stags tried to claw their way back in the second period but Bonbon Batiller and Larry Muyang would not allow the Knights to skip a beat, helping their team to a 29-15 lead midway into the frame.
Letran went on to lord it over San Sebastian after to take a commanding 42-25 advantage at the halftime break.
Despite the continued fending off of them by the Knights, the Stags remained resilient.
Behind RK Ilagan, Jesse Sumoda, and Michael Calisaan, San Sebastian managed to recover some ground in the third period.
When the quarter ended, the Stags were just seven points down, 59-52.
Sensing that they gave San Sebastian much real estate in the third canto, Letran came out with more purpose and aggressiveness to start the final frame.
Muyang and JP Calvo propelled the attack of the Knights that had them stretching their lead to 18 points, 72-54, with five minutes left in the game.
From there the Knights sped some more all the way to the win.
Muyang led Letran with 15 points and 13 rebounds as he was named player of the game.
Batiller also had 15 points while Nico Galvelo and Christian Fajarito had 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Calisaan paced San Sebastian (4-12) with 16 points with Ilagan finishing with 13 and Sumoda 12.
“This is a big win for us because we are now assured of a Final Four spot. But this is not where we want to be and we know we still have to work hard to go even deeper,” said Letran coach Jeff Napa following their victory.
“As far as the top two, we will let fate take its course if we are to notch it or not. From our end we will just be ready for whoever we face in the Final Four and where we end up,” he added as he spoke of their chances of finishing in the top two.
The Knights currently trail the defending champions San Beda Red Lions (14-1) and Lyceum Pirates (14-2) in the race to the top.

On-fire teams Blackwater, Magnolia lock horns today

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
TOP-FLIGHT teams Blackwater Elite and Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok test each other today in their 7 p.m. Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup tussle at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
Both right smack of a winning run that has them flying high in the season-ending PBA tournament, the second-running Elite (6-1) and currently third Hotshots (5-1) gun for the victory to keep their respective streaks going and fortify their spot in the top four that will have them a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
Preceding the main game today is the battle between the Phoenix Fuel Masters (5-2) and NLEX Road Warriors (4-3) at 4:30 p.m.
Blackwater has won in two in a row after absorbing its first defeat of the season.
Its last victory was over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 99-93, on Oct. 7, that had the Elite proving tough in the end en route to bagging the win.
The Elite showcased a balanced attack versus the Elasto Painters with five players finishing in double figures, led by Mike DiGregorio with 17 points and Nards Pinto adding 16.
Import Henry Walker had a triple-double of 14 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists. Allein Maliksi and Paul Zamar were the two other Elite players in double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
While they padded their push for the playoffs with the victory, Blackwater coach Bong Ramos said they are not thinking of the next round just yet and taking it a game at a time.
“We’re not thinking of the playoffs yet. For us it’s one game at a time and continue improving our game,” he said following their victory.
Their 6-1 start is the best for the Elite in franchise history.
ROLLING HOTSHOTS
The Hotshots, meanwhile, have racked three straight victories and have been steady of late.
They are off a 113-95 victory over the Columbian Dyip on Oct. 3 as they dominated from wire-to-wire.
Import Romeo Travis had a near triple-double of 32 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists to lead Magnolia to its third win in a row.
Mark Barroca finished with 16 while Paul Lee and Ian Sangalang had 13 and 11 points, respectively.
“We need to finish (the elimination round) strong. This (win over Columbian) is a testament to our defensive mindset. We need to have that best effort regardless of who we face. I’m proud of my players because they were able to do that for the entire 48 minutes in this game,” said Magnolia coach Chito Victolero following their win over winless Columbian (0-8).

Maroons seek to finish first round with winning record

THE UNIVERSITY of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, winners of their last two matches, look to finish the first round of the eliminations of UAAP Season 81 with a winning record when they take on the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers in the opener today at 2 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Lost three straight at one point early in the ongoing University Athletic Association of the Philippines season, the Maroons (3-3) have regained their footing and are angling to go past the .500 mark and have something to build on heading into the next round.
UP is coming off a squeaker of a win over National University Bulldogs, 89-88, on Oct. 7, a game that the Maroons had control of for much of the time but nearly lost it in the end.
Down by just a point, 89-88, with seven seconds to go, after fighting their way back in the fourth period, the Bulldogs had a chance to win the game when guard JV Gallego managed to weave through the Maroon defense from the backcourt off a rebound.
But Gallego opted not to take the shot and instead pass the ball to a teammate at the last moment as time expired, preserving in the process the win for the Maroons.
Bright Akhuetie led the way for UP with 21 points and 20 rebounds while brothers Juan and Javi Gomez de Liano added 20 and 19 points, respectively.
Post-game, Maroons coach Bo Perasol admitted that they were lucky to have escaped with the win even as he said they were disappointed to have allowed NU to come back and have a shot at snatching the victory.
“A positive way at looking at this is we learned while winning, which is better than learning and losing. We still have a lot to learn obviously but we take this,” said Mr. Perasol.
Channeling his focus on today’s game, the UP coach said it is very important to beat UST to boost their chances moving forward although was quick to say that it would be easier said than done since the Tigers have a lot of fight in them.
“We have to finish the first half of the season by getting that win over UST and boosting our chances in the tournament. Like NU, UST is a difficult team to face because it just does not give up. So we have to find a way to take their motivation to win as well,” he said.
BACK-TO-BACK WINS
UST (2-4), for its part, is gunning for back-to-back wins in today’s matchup after emerging victorious in its last game against the University of the East Red Warriors, 80-66, on Oct. 6.
The Tigers rode on their hot shooting from beyond the arc to feast on the Warriors and halt a three-game losing streak.
UST drained 16 triples in said game which proved to be too much for UE to handle.
Renzo Subido led the Tigers with 22 points, 15 coming from three-point land, while rookie CJ Cansino had all-around numbers of 17 points, 17 rebounds and four assists.
Immediately following the UP-UST game is the match between defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles (5-1) and Far Eastern University Tamaraws (4-2) at 4 p.m.
The Eagles are now flying high, winning five straight after opening their season with a loss, while the Tamaraws enter the match fresh from their conquest of erstwhile undefeated Adamson Soaring Falcons in their last game.
Meanwhile, FEU’s Wendell Comboy was named UAAP player of the week by the league press corps after playing huge for the Tamaraws in their back-to-back wins over NU and Adamson last week.
Comboy was all around in their twin wins, averaging 15.5 points and doing a lot of intangibles on both ends.
In winning the award, the FEU player beat out UST’s Cansino, Ateneo’s Angelo Kouame, and UP’s Akhuetie. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

PHL loses ground in Para Games medal race

AFTER placing fifth early in the medal race of the ongoing 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Philippines lost some ground but nonetheless added another gold medal in its total haul.
As of 12 noon on Tuesday, the Team Philippines was at 12th place in the third staging of the Para Games with two gold, two silver and two bronze medals to show for.
Bowler Kim Ian Chi provided the latest gold hardware for the Philippines after topping the mixed singles TPB10 event on Monday at the Jaya Ancol Bowling Centre in Jakarta.
Mr. Chi, 39, produced an average score of 231.30 to rule his event, ahead of silver medal winner Wonju Hong (229.80) of South Korea and bronze winners Raiwin Phisitthanakul of Thailand and Swang Hee Tan of Singapore with identical scores of 221.70.
Bowler Chi’s gold was in addition to that won by swimmer Erwin Gawilan on Oct. 7 where he topped the men’s 200m individual medley SM7.
Gawilan of Davao City, who was born with no legs and an underdeveloped left limb, registered the best time in the event of 2:52.43. He beat out Chinese-Taipei’s Chen Liang Da (2:55.90) and India’s Jadhav Suyash Narayan (2:56.51).
He also won a silver in the men’s 50m freestyle S7 on Oct. 7 with a time of 31.93 seconds behind gold medallist Wei Soong Toh (29.01s).
Other medal winners so far for Team Philippines are Achelle Guion (silver) in the women’s -45kg in powerlifting, Gary Bejino (bronze) in men’s 100m backstroke S6 in swimming, and Arthus Bucay (bronze) in men’s time trial C5 in cycling.
China sits on top of the leader board with 44 gold, 18 silver and 18 bronze medals followed by South Korea (16-10-5), Uzbekistan (13-5-3), Japan (11-20-19), and Iran (10-9-12).
Rounding out the top 10 are Indonesia (5-10-14), India (4-6-11), Vietnam (4-1-6), Thailand (3-8-11), and Hong Kong (3-2-6).
In the last Asian Para Games in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014, the Philippines finished at 24th place with five silver and five bronze medals. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Predictions (2)

Last week this space started throwing its take on the upcoming 2018-19 season of the National Basketball Association, which is seemingly heading to another interesting run following landscape-altering moves across varying levels in the offseason.
This writer began with who thinks would make it to the top eight in the Eastern Conference and this time around it is time for the Western side.
Like in the past years, the Western Conference is once again loaded and going to be competitive but the two-time defending NBA champions Golden State Warriors should continue ruling the bracket.
Their four All-Stars of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are back to help their team go for a rare three-peat and they are bringing along another star in big man DeMarcus Cousins along with them.
Now, five All-Stars in one team, backstopped by a champion supporting cast, it is hard not to like their chances, right?
Houston comes in second on the strength of continuity with its core pretty much intact.
The Rockets have added firepower in Carmelo Anthony which should lessen some of the workload off league most valuable player James Harden while giving point guard Chris Paul another good target to set up play for.
The loss of Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute though should take some toll early in the season by I see the team adjusting as the season progresses and be a handful for the rest of the league.
Utah continues to improve this season and figures in at number three.
Roster depth is a key for the Jazz, led by last year’s breakthrough star Donovan Mitchell, who exploded in his rookie season to help his team fast-track its journey back to league respectability.
The Jazz have steady play on both ends of the court, allowing them to put up a sustained fight even in such a tough conference.
San Antonio, meanwhile, has undergone much change in the offseason but I still see it figuring in the mix come the postseason as the fourth seed.
The Spurs undoubtedly would have their struggles in the early goings of the season as new additions like DeMar DeRozan figure their way.
Eventually though San Antonio and coach Gregg Popovich’s system would take hold and steady the ship.
Denver missed the playoffs last year on the final play date of the regular season but should have no problem making it this year.
Their young crew, led by potential All-Star Nikola Jokic, is a season older and more determined to prove their worth, which is not a bad motor to start the season with. The Nuggets have veteran players as well who can make things happen for the team.
After missing the postseason in the last few years, the Los Angeles Lakers would return to the playoffs thanks to LeBron James who have decided to bring his talent to the Western Conference.
With someone like “The King” leading them now, the Lakers, who boast of a mix of young players and veterans, should start making waves anew and be good for sixth, or even higher if a potential deal for All-Star Jimmy Butler pushes through.
Coming in at seventh are the Oklahoma City Thunder who are welcoming back Paul George to play in tandem with long-time resident star Russell Westbrook.
The team has added some good pieces to help their Big Two but Westbrook is expected to miss some time at the beginning of the season because of knee surgery and the Thunder might lose some ground because of that.
At eighth spot this space is in a quandary among the Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and New Orleans Pelicans.
I would give the seed though to the Blazers for the better collective “stability” they present on the lead of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
Minnesota with the Butler issue may have a hard time taking flight at the onset. The Timberwolves are better served resolving it the soonest but not necessarily letting go of the All-Star guard with little in return.
The Pelicans, for their part, lost some valuable pieces in Cousins and Rajon Rondo in the offseason and while they have gotten some serviceable pieces here and there I do not see them being enough to help All-Star Anthony Davis carry New Orleans to another playoff appearance this season.
The new-look Los Angeles Clippers, rebuilding Dallas Mavericks, regrouping Phoenix Suns, and Sacramento Kings I see filling the remaining slots in the Western Conference in that order.
To be continued next week
 
Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld reporter covering the Sports beat.
msmurillo@bworldonline.com

Captain America

It’s a reflection of how favored the United States was heading into the 2018 Ryder Cup that its lopsided loss continues to be dissected in golf circles. One and a half weeks have passed since Team Europe won pulling away, claiming all but the first session of the competition and, in the process, underscoring the fact that having great players on a team does not necessarily make a great team — especially absent the camaraderie and esprit de corps protagonists lean on to pull through under pressure.
For Team USA captain Jim Furyk, it certainly hasn’t helped that his own charges place the loss in an altogether different perspective. The popular narrative for the old red, white, and blue following a successful challenge at Hazeltine two years ago had the task-force setup as an important ingredient to success. It was claimed to have influenced not just the composition of the 2018 squad, but the all-important pairings for the four-ball and alternate-shot matches.
In the wake of the stinging defeat, however, erstwhile Ryder Cup hero Patrick Reed threw shade on both the system and his skipper, pointing to faulty decision making as the cause of his poor showing. Other members of Team USA made sure to hold a contrary view, with veteran Phil Mickelson — who has competed in the biennial event a record 12 straight times — noting the unparalleled level of closeness they displayed in Paris, the result notwithstanding.
Furyk himself chose to stay silent — until, that is, he agreed to sit down with Golf Channel’s Tom Rosaforte over the weekend to shed more light on the US’ failings. Even as he took full responsibility for the setback, he saw fit to dispute Reed’s contentions during the interview. And from the outside looking in, what proved striking was not what he said, but how he said it. There was none of the adversarial stance that “Captain America” took. Instead, there was only acceptance of the outcome, and of his role in it.
Considering how Reed threw Furyk under the bus, the latter could have dug in and fought fire with fire. He didn’t. And he not only took the high road. In fact, he insisted that “I’d take those 12 players into the fire any day, on any course … Last week didn’t work out the way we wanted, but I love those guys and I love what we had together in the team room. And I’d do it all over again.” Enough said.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Making the (up)grade: Vespa unveils new Primavera and Sprint

Text and photos by Kap Maceda Aguila

AMID skyrocketing fuel prices and monstrous traffic, now’s a good a time as any to consider traveling on two wheels instead of four. That’s according to MotoItalia Philippines head Willy Q. Tee Ten. He has a point. “We never expected Vespa to grow this big… Today, we have 17 dealerships and we’re not going anywhere but up,” he said on Oct. 3 during the launch program for the updated versions of the Vespa Primavera and Sprint.
MotoItalia Philippines is the authorized local distributor and service provider of the iconic Italian scooter maker.
Added MotoItalia Philippines group general manager Miguelito L. Jose; “Vespa has always been keen on detail, performance and service — driving generations of young people for over 70 years. One of the most important models in this long story is certainly the Vespa Primavera. On the other hand, we have the Sprint, which is the ideal Vespa for anyone who wants to ride around town in style and on something dynamic.”
PRIMAVERA
The Vespa Primavera celebrates its 50th anniversary with key changes in style and features. One of the “most spectacular commercial successes” in the brand’s history continues to boast familiar attributes: “young, innovative, technologically avant-garde, agile and dynamic, and environmentally friendly,” even as it moves forward to be a “modern bike.”
For starters, the new iteration receives bigger wheels — 12-inch aluminum alloys (the largest ever in the Vespa’s history), with a new five-spoke design. The company says these promise heightened stability, safety and “holding” on all surfaces and road conditions. Additionally, the Primavera now features LEDs on both the head light and the rear lamp.
The new version also gets a unique “tie” feature on its front and chrome crest on the front mudguard. Powering it is Vespa’s latest-generation 150 cc, four-stroke engine with three valves per cylinder. The system delivers 12.7 hp at 7,750 rpm, and 12.8 Nm at 6,500rpm.
Priced at P185,000, the Primavera also accommodates customization. The top box — painted in the same color as the bike, and can hold a full-face helmet — can be finished with a backrest. A chrome-plated base upon which the top box is mounted can also be used as a luggage rack. The anti-chip methacrylate windscreen can be customized with the Vespa logo. A top fairing (available as transparent or tinted) can also be fitted; same with chrome-plated front and rear luggage racks, and front, side and rear chrome mudguards. An internal top box bag, side stand, outdoor cover, and indoor cover, and rubber matting are additional accessories that can be had. Anti-theft features are available.
SPRINT
Bannered as the “youngest and sportiest Vespa,” the Sprint (priced at P205,000) has its beginnings in the 1960s as a new batch of these two wheelers “invaded European roads.” Small, quick, agile, and modern, the Sprint then (as now) was conceived to appeal to a more youthful set of riders. It directly descends from models such as the SS 90 or the Primavera ET3.
Predicated on a small and light body made entirely of steel, this Vespa is distinguished by a rectangular head light and dynamic styling. Like the Primavera, the new Sprint now boasts 12-inch wheels, and swaps its old lighting system with LEDs for both the head light and rear assembly. It also earns a similar “tie” feature on front.
A top box can also accommodate a full-face helmet, and can be finished with a backrest covered with the same material as the seat. A chrome-plated base where the top box is mounted similarly doubles as a luggage rack. As with the Primavera, the new Sprint sports a methacrylate windscreen customized with the Vespa logo. It can likewise be fitted with a top fairing, chrome-plated front and rear luggage racks, front side and rear chrome mudguards, internal top box bag, side stand, and indoor and outdoor vehicle covers. Theft-proof features are also offered.
The Sprint is powered by a four-stroke, three-valve electronic-injection engine. The 155 cc power plant serves up 12.7 hp and 12.8 Nm.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross gets design award

THE Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross compact SUV has won a spot in Good Design Award 2018. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation said the organization behind the awards, the Japan Institute of Design Promotion, cited the Eclipse Cross’ “bold wedge profile” as “very striking,” and that one can clearly see the attention to detail the model received.
The car maker explained the Eclipse Cross is a “fusion of sharp coupe looks and dynamic SUV mobility with signature Mitsubishi styling and performance.”
The Good Design Award has been the sole comprehensive design evaluation and commendation system in Japan. It was founded in 1957 as the Good Design Product Selection System (or G Mark System). In the 60 years since, it has given out 45,000 G Mark awards.

That energy boost: The refreshed Ford EcoSport shows why small but powerful is best in our country roads

Text and photos by Aries B. Espinosa

WHAT more does this pioneering subcompact SUV need to prove, when in all these four years since its introduction, the model has consistently led in the category’s sales, peaking at a remarkable 50% share in 2017?
Apparently, the Ford EcoSport isn’t done yet pulling off neat tricks to reel in more fans of the mini SUV. This time, the model comes out with two guns blazing — the EcoSport powered by the 1.5-liter TiVCT (for Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing) engine mated with either a new six-speed A/T or a five-speed M/T, and the new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine paired with a six-speed A/T.
After the launch of these two new models on Aug. 29, Ford Philippines organized a group ride-and-drive on Sept. 25 and 26 to highlight the design, new cabin features, handling, and power of the two EcoSport variants.
For this trip, FGP chose a route that would bring out the best attributes of both the 1.5-liter TiVCT and 1.0-liter EcoBoost: The south Luzon expressway to test for fuel economy at highway speeds, and the narrow, twisting interior roads leading to and from the coastal town of Laiya in Batangas province to test for handling and ride quality on unpaved roads, as well as engine response in stop-and-go traffic and when overtaking.
Though I must say the 1.5-liter TiVCT engine held its own in the handling, ride quality, and comfort factors, it was what Ford claims its most technologically advanced engine ever, the 1.0-liter EcoBoost and its direct fuel injection technology and variable camshaft timing with turbocharger, that was the more athletic one. True, the difference in power was completely negligible (119 hp versus the EcoBoost’s 123 hp), but it was the 170 Nm maximum torque of the EcoBoost (versus the 150 Nm of the 1.5-liter) that brought out the “woot-woot!” from both driver and passengers.
The subcompact SUVs’ size was also ideal in negotiating the narrow, winding roads of southern Batangas province. The suspension and handling were also remarkable, the EcoSport exhibiting a firm grip even on the dirt roads.
Toying with the EcoBoost’s “power surge” certainly primed up the ride-and-drive participants for an afternoon of fun physical challenges outside of the vehicles, at an adventure park in Laiya.
Despite a punishing run with moderate traffic in the town centers, and with three passengers on board loaded with luggage, our EcoBoost variant still yielded a satisfying fuel mileage result of 12 kilometers per liter.
Bertrand Lessard, Ford Philippines managing director, joined the group and solicited feedback from the participants. Understandably, praises were heaped on the EcoBoost. Mr. Lessard stressed that both variants has its own charms, and that both “combined quality design, rugged capability, best-in-class features, superior fuel economy, and great value for money, all into a single and fun vehicle.”
The new Ford EcoSport prices are: P1.168 million for the 1.0L EcoBoost Titanium A/T; P1.028 million for the 1.5L Trend A/T; P968,000 for the 1.5L Trend M/T, and; P918,000 for the 1.5L Ambient M/T.

Special variants of Honda CR-V, Mobilio, Civic can now be ordered

CUSTOMERS can now order the limited-edition variants of the Honda CR-V, Mobilio, and Civic at Honda Cars showrooms. Deliveries will start in November.
Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) explained the special variants come with sporty and stylish enhancements.
The limited edition CR-V Touring Diesel 9A/T will have a new grille, running board, rear bumper protector and exhaust pipe finisher, along with a Touring Edition emblem. The Mobilio 1.5 Premium CVT will come in a White Orchid Pearl paint color, a shark-fin antenna, exhaust pipe finisher, and a Premium Edition Emblem.
Only 100 units of the Mobilio 1.5 Premium CVT will be available. It sells for P968,000. The Civic RS Turbo CVT Limited Edition will be offered in a Brilliant Sporty Blue color, with only 30 examples to be sold at a price of P1.576 million.

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