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‘Chocolate capital’ title for Davao City pushed in Senate

DAVAO CITY — The Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao (CIDAMI) has asked Senator Cynthia A. Villar, who chairs the Senate committee on agriculture and food, to sponsor a resolution to declare Davao City the chocolate capital of the Philippines.

Ms. Villar, who toured the farm of cacao producer and chocolate-maker Malagos over the weekend, committed to pursue the resolution in 2018.

“In January we will file a resolution to make Davao City the chocolate capital of the Philippines because most of the biggest producers of chocolates and farms are in Davao City,” Ms. Villar told the media during the farm tour.

Ms. Villar said the declaration is expected to encourage more farmers to venture into cacao production and help develop the industry.

She said she will back the establishment of farm schools “to teach farmers how to plant cacao in the proper way so that we will produce good quality cacao and chocolates.”

The senator’s visit to Malagos followed the Kakao Konek 2017 conference in Davao City on Dec. 5 and 6, which launched the “Chocolate Tour Overload” farm tourism program.

“Farm tourism in the country has thrived on the best practices and growth of the cocoa industry,” said Ms. Villar, author of Republic Act 10816, or the Farm Tourism Development Act, that mandates the promotion of tourism at agricultural destinations through partnership with private stakeholders.

The tour of Malagos, also known as Puentespina Farm after the family that owns and manages it, includes stops at the cacao plantation, fermentation and sorting areas, dryer, and the interactive chocolate museum.

Puentespina Farm beans have been recognized as some of the Best 50 in the World at the 2017 Edition of the Cocoa Excellence Programme in France. Malagos Chocolates have also been bringing home various international recognitions over the last couple of years.

Davao City, for its part, recently opened Cacao City in the downtown area, a cafe/showroom for the industry.

“Accounting for 90% of the local cacao production, the spotlight is now on Mindanao, with Davao as the country’s chocolate capital, even as the farmers face the challenge to meet the growing demand for Philippine cacao, indicating international recognition of its quality,” Davao Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said during the Kakao Konek 2017.

“I am full of optimism that our micro and macro farmers and entrepreneurs will gain more insights in optimizing their productivity and in giving them an upper hand in the market,” Ms. Carpio added. — Maya M. Padillo

Opposition lawmakers decry zero infra budget

By Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz

OPPOSITION LAWMAKERS who will be getting zero infrastructure allocation next year said the removal of their budget was an act of “revenge” and “punishment” by the ruling party in the House of Representatives.

The General Appropriations Act for 2018, contained under Republic Act (RA) No. 10964, was signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte last Tuesday, Dec. 19, along with RA 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN).

Albay Representative Edcel C. Lagman, who leads a bloc of independent opposition lawmakers called the “Magnificent 7,” said the discarded projects are “for essential infrastructures intended for congressional districts in the 2018 National Infrastructure Program of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under the ‘Build, Build, Build’ scheme.”

Mr. Lagman added that the projects “were in the [General Appropriations Bill] which was approved on third reading by the House of Representatives but were surreptitiously deleted during the bicameral conference on the national budget reportedly upon instructions of Speaker Pantaleon (D.) Alvarez.”

“What is worse is that highways and bridges for completion in 2018 would be left hanging and unfinished,” Mr. Lagman said, saying that most of the rejected projects have already been bid out.

Likewise, Ifugao Representative Teddy B. Baguilat, Jr. said the removal of the project is “an assault on democracy.”

“Exacting revenge on the genuine opposition solons by removing projects dedicated not to them but to their citizens shows their desire for autocracy, for dangerous dictatorship,” Mr. Baguilat said, adding that opposing views should not be “quelled.”

He added: “The budget should be looked at objectively to make sure that taxpayer money goes where it is needed the most, and not used as a reward for those who will blindly follow the administration’s wishes, whether right or wrong.”

For his part, Akbayan Representative Tomasito S. Villarin said: “Punishing democratic dissent by letting people suffer through withdrawal of basic government services is pure hubris. The alacrity by which said punishment was imposed reveals the dictatorial nature of the House leadership and the vengeful mind-set of the Duterte administration.”

ACT Teachers Representative Antonio L. Tinio, meanwhile, called on fellow opposition lawmakers to keep voicing out their dissenting views.

“To my colleagues in the opposition affected by the ‘zero budget,’ the time for laying low is over. Let more voices of dissent be heard in Congress,” Mr. Tinio said.

He said that the defunding of infrastructure projects proves the continued existence of the pork barrel system under the Duterte administration.

Mr. Tinio also belied the allegations that he and the other members of the Makabayan bloc are some of the lawmakers whose infrastructure projects are affected.

“Consistent with our stand against the pork barrel system, we have no infrastructure projects. We submitted no proposals for infrastructure projects,” Mr. Tinio said.

Sought for comment, House committee on appropriations chair Karlo Alexei B. Nograles, who also led the House contingency at the bicameral conference, said all questions regarding the 2018 budget should be addressed to the House Speaker.

Mr. Alvarez, however, has not responded to queries as of press time.

Among the lawmakers reportedly not going to receive appropriations are members of the independent opposition bloc and the Makabayan bloc, five members of the Liberal Party, and five other district representatives, namely:

Independent opposition

1. Albay Representative Edcel C. Lagman

2. Magdalo Representative Gary C. Alejano

3. Ifugao Representative Teddy B. Baguilat, Jr.

4. Capiz Representative Emmanuel A. Billones

5. Northern Samar Representative Raul A. Daza

6. Caloocan Representative Edgar R. Erice

7. Akbayan Representative Tomasito S. Villarin

Makabayan bloc

1. ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio L. Tinio

2. ACT Teachers party-list Representative France L. Castro

3. Gabriela party-list Representative Arlene D. Brosas

4. Gabriela party-list Representative Emmie A. de Jesus

5. Anakpawis party-list Representative Ariel B. Casilao

6. Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Isagani T. Zarate

7. Kabataan party-list Representative Sarah Jane I. Elago

Liberal Party

1. Cavite Representative Francis Gerard A. Abaya

2. Quezon Representative Vicente J. Alcala

3. Dinagat Island Representative Kaka J. Bag-ao

4. Quezon City Representative Jorge B. Banal

5. Quezon City Representative Jose Christopher Y. Belmonte

Others

1. Zamboanga Del Sur Representative Aurora E. Cerilles

2. Davao Del Norte Representative Antonio R. Floirendo, Jr.

3. Ilocos Norte Representative Imelda R. Marcos

4. Agusan Del Sur Representative Maria Valentina G. Plaza

5. Samar Representative Milagrosa T. Tan

Wishes

My wishes for Christmas 2017 include the following: that people stop smoking; or at the very least, that people who litter unfinished cigarettes and/or cigarette butts are made to eat them; and, that consumers turn back to glass bottles from plastic bottles. And on both counts, more taxes please: higher taxes on cigarettes, and an environment tax on plastic bottles.

Of course, the first wish is more wishful thinking. For people will never stop smoking, illegally if they have to, and in spite of rising taxes on cigarettes and more graphic health warnings. And, cigarette butts will always end up on our streets, despite penalties for illegal smoking and littering. Public roads and public spaces are convenient public ashtrays for the inconsiderate.

The second wish, however, seems to have a fighting chance. Ongoing public campaigns may yet convince more consumers — and policy makers — on the need to ease up on plastic use for consumer packaging. There are plenty of research materials available to the public demonstrating the extent of the environmental damage related to plastic use.

In this regard, I am happy to find out that at least a couple of local beverage makers are moving towards alternatives to plastic bottles. One local beverage producer has started to use small glass bottles with metal crowns for its chocolate milk products; while another producer has resorted to canning its various coffee drinks.

I am uncertain whether this particular shift was prompted by environmental or by practical or economic considerations.

For one, a shift to glass bottling for chocolate milk products may be a hedge against a future tax — or regulation — on the use of plastic bottles. Incidentally, shifting to chocolate milk — from other beverages — may help the same manufacturer avoid the recently legislated tax on sweetened beverages.

As for the coffee producer, I think sweetened coffee beverages also avoid the new tax on sugary drinks. And shifting to canning or tinning their beverages allows the manufacturer to offer the product through vending machines, and serve them hot or cold. A pre-mixed, sweetened coffee beverage cannot be sold hot — even warm — through a vending machine if in a glass or plastic bottle.

Hot or cold coffee, sweetened, in tin or aluminum cans, and sold through coin-operated vending machines have been available in cities like Tokyo for some time now. While one would think that such a beverage will be more popular in places with a winter season, I believe there is a market for such even in tropical countries like the Philippines as an alternative to expensive to-go coffee from places like Starbucks.

To date, a small cup of hot coffee can be bought in neighborhood vending machines for P5-10. The paper cup has no cover, and is not easy to transport. A cup of to-go coffee, in a paper cup with sleeve and cover, from Starbucks can set you back by about P100. A canned coffee drink can be bought from supermarkets for about P40. Primarily sold as a cold drink at present, I believe these can be sold in vending machines as a hot coffee in the very near future.

If memory serves me, until about the late 1980s or early 1990s, beverage makers in the Philippines still used primarily glass bottles for their products. In fact, when I was a boy in the 1970s, we used to buy Magnolia chocolate milk in rectangular prism glass bottles, or in glass soda bottles (Choco-Vim). I don’t recall coffee beverages being sold to-go back then.

It was in the late 1970s, if I recall correctly, that Sunkist Orange in tetra-wedges were sold locally, signaling the break away from glass bottles. And shortly thereafter, in the early 1980s, even Magnolia chocolate milk discarded its glass bottles and shifted to tetra-brick packaging. Beer, liquor, and wine remained in glass bottles, however.

Later in the 1980s, glass use further waned as plastic bottles for carbonated beverages became the norm. Even sauces, soy sauce, and vinegar were sold on supermarket shelves had shifted to plastic bottles. The same happened to cooking oil that used to be sold in tin or cans. And then in the 1990s bottled water came into the picture.

By 2016, roughly 480 billion of plastic drinking bottles were reportedly sold (and less than half were recycled), according to a June 2017 report in online publication TheGuardian.com. But, with almost half a trillion plastic bottles produced and used and then discarded yearly, what happens to them after sale poses a big environmental problem for the world to resolve.

About 10% of plastic manufactured worldwide ends up in the ocean, mostly on the ocean floor where they will never degrade; and, 80% of water bottles end up in landfills, according to a commentary in the Huffington Post by writer Norm Schriever. He had also noted that the US national recycle rate for PET bottles is only 23%, and that every square mile of the ocean has over 46,000 pieces of floating plastic in it.

Moreover, “it takes three times the volume of water to manufacture one bottle of water than it does to fill it,” as he had noted that 17 million barrels of oil were used each year just to produce water bottles. Citing figures from the Earth Policy Institute, he had noted that energy used to pump, process, transport, and refrigerate bottled water was at over 50 million oil barrels yearly.

Where we go from here is anybody’s guess. While some local beverage producers have initiated a shift from plastic bottles, I believe a lot more can still be done by policy makers in incentivizing producers and consumers to shift to alternatives to plastic packaging. I still think a tax on plastic bottles is a step in the right direction.

Segregation and incentivizing recycling plastic bottles are not enough. We need something more drastic, and more urgent. People cannot use and discard plastic bottles if they cannot buy them. And people cannot buy them if manufacturers will not use and sell them. Beating our addiction to plastic bottles will be difficult, but not impossible. We all just need to work on it, one day at a time.

 

Marvin A. Tort is a former managing editor of BusinessWorld, and a former chairman of the Philippines Press Council.

matort@yahoo.com

Q&A with world jiu-jitsu champion Meggie Ochoa

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

ONE of the faces of the growing sport of jiu-jitsu in the country, 27-year-old Meggie Ochoa has gone a long way in just a short time since picking up the sport. In just six years, she has given pride and honor to the country by winning top medals in various international competitions, the most recent of which was in the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) held in September in Turkmenistan.

BusinessWorld caught up with the champion jiu-jitsu grappler in the thanksgiving for athletes and media by sports apparel brand Under Armour, which Ms. Ochoa is a brand ambassador, where she got to share her journey in the sport, her AIMAG experience and the direction jiu-jitsu is going in the country, among others.

Below is the Q&A.

BusinessWorld (BW): How did you start in the sport and how has the journey been for you so far?

Meggie Ochoa (MO): I started in jiu-jitsu after college. When I was in college I was in track and field [in Ateneo]. I started not in jiu-jitsu right away by in mixed martial arts as a hobby and I wanted really to fight but my problem was I could not find an opponent with the same size and weight as mine. So my coach told me to switch to jiu-jitsu and I liked it. I competed in the world championship in 2014 through crowd-funding and then by God’s grace I got the world championship. I did it in 2015 and 2016 as well.

BW: You recently competed in the 2017 AIMAG where you won gold; can you talk about your experience there?

MO: It was my first time in the Asian indoor because the national team of jiu-jitsu is still young, being established only in 2016. The experience with the national team was very exciting. It was really an honor to represent and bring pride to the country. It was a childhood dream of mine. AIMAG was the biggest so far I competed in with the national team and it was not easy but I just thought of just giving pride to the country and glory to God and thankfully it paid off and resulted into something good.

BW: How has the pickup been for jiu-jitsu in the country?

MO: It’s definitely growing in the country. Before there were only a handful of competitions here but now almost every month there is a competition. More and more athletes are now competing for the country abroad which only shows how the skill level of the Filipinos are rising. In Southeast Asia I think we are number one in it and it only set to go to greater heights and the establishment of a national team should help.

BW: How does it feel to be supported by a brand like Under Armour?

MO: Definitely it’s a huge honor and privilege to be supported by Under Armour. We know it’s a global brand and for them to support me is something I never really imagined. I like their products apart from how they care about the athletes.

BW: The Year 2017 was another good one for you, how do you see the coming year?

MO: Even better in 2018. Looking forward to the Asian Games in August and it’s going to be the first time that jiu-jitsu will be featured in the Games. We have yet to know the full details of the qualifiers for the Asian Games but we are starting to prepare for it.

BW: How do you see the growth of jiu-jitsu in the country moving forward?

MO: Annie Ramirez also won in the AIMAG. It was her and me who won gold and it’s really amazing that Filipino women won the gold in a male-dominated sport. Women can certainly benefit from jiu-jitsu in terms of confidence and self defense, and we know how the world is right now. I see the sport growing exponentially in the country moving forward. And depending on the growth of the national team I think the potential is high.

Hurricanes, heat waves, fires ravaged planet this year

FIERCE HURRICANES, heat waves, floods and wildfires ravaged the planet in 2017, as scientists said the role of climate change in causing or worsening certain natural disasters has grown increasingly clear.

It was also the year the world’s second largest polluter, the United States, turned its back on the 196-nation Paris climate deal meant to limit global warming to under two degrees Celsius (1.5 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial levels.

President Donald Trump, who has dismissed global warming as a Chinese hoax, vowed to quit the 2015 Paris accord and tapped fossil fuel allies to key environmental posts.

His administration also dropped climate change from the list of national security threats, announced plans to auction off vast swaths of the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling, and signed a proposal to eliminate the Clean Power Plan, aimed at limiting the release of polluting greenhouse gases.

Trump says the goal is to make America a dominant source of energy for the world, and to create jobs.

“Together, we are going to start a new energy revolution — one that celebrates American production on American soil,” Trump said in June.

In October, Trump signed a proclamation to make America a net energy exporter by 2026, reviving the coal industry and seeking to access the estimated $50 trillion in untapped shale, oil, and natural gas reserves, particularly on federal lands.

While the fossil fuel industry has applauded the moves, scientists have expressed alarm.

“The Trump administration, in less than a year, has done more to undermine climate policy than even the worst previous administration on climate (i.e. George W. Bush) had done over the course of two full terms,” said Michael Mann, a climatologist and geophysicist at Pennsylvania State University, in an e-mail to AFP.

Mann blamed the conservative billionaire Koch brothers and fossil fuel lobbyists for essentially running US environmental policy under the Trump administration.

“They must be stopped,” he added, because their actions “pose an existential threat to us and our children and grandchildren.”

The more fossil fuels we burn, the hotter the planet becomes due to the accumulation of heat-trapping greenhouse gases.

The world is currently on track for its third warmest year in modern times.

Experts say global warming can make certain events, like floods, drought and hurricanes, more frequent and sometimes worse.

Among the fiercest storms seen this year were severe monsoon rains in Bangladesh, India and Nepal that killed more than 1,200 people and affected 40 million people, destroying homes, livestock and crops, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Spain and Portugal have grappled with a deadly drought that dried up rivers, killed crops and fueled wildfires.

Meanwhile, an unusually active hurricane season roiled the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean with 17 big storms, the most since 2005.

Major, deadly hurricanes included Harvey, which flooded Texas with 50 inches (125 centimeters) of rain in some places. The massively powerful Irma devastated the Caribbean and Florida, while Maria flattened much of Puerto Rico.

California Governor Jerry Brown, whose state is currently battling its third largest wildfire since 1932, spoke this month of how such devastation could be the “new normal.”

“This could be something that happens every year or every few years,” Brown told reporters.

That phrase was echoed in the 2017 Arctic Report Card, an international peer-reviewed report on the fragile Arctic, which is warming at twice the pace of the rest of the world.

“The Arctic environmental system has reached a ‘new normal,’” that will raise sea levels, alter weather patterns and unleash more extreme weather across the globe, it said.

Just as extreme are the differing actions around the world to address climate change.

China, the world’s biggest polluter, just unveiled plans for a national carbon market likely to become the world’s largest exchange for emissions credits — earning praise from environmentalists.

At a Paris summit this month, banks and companies pledged to move billions of dollars out of coal, oil and natural gas.

The United States, however, is “doubling down on fossil fuels to power the nation and the world,” said Julia Olson of the Children’s Trust, which along with dozens of US children is suing the US government for failing to protect the nation’s air, land and water.

Peter Gleick, a president-emeritus of the Pacific Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, said Trump’s actions will reverberate for decades.

“Just as human-caused climate change is accelerating and having an increasingly clear impact on disasters and extreme weather events, the US administration is turning its back on climate science and policies that are needed to protect the American people, property, and the environment,” he told AFP.

“The anti-science agenda of the Trump administration will, without doubt, lead to preventable deaths and disasters, and is inexcusable.” — AFP

Finding salvation in a bowl of ramen


By Joseph L. Garcia, Reporter

SALVATION FROM the woes of the world can be found in a bowl of noodles. Each country has its own version of noodles and meat cuts suspended in broth, serving as palliatives for conditions ranging from drunkenness to despair. Rarely has a bowl of noodles achieved such a cultural impact as Japan’s own ramen. The soup has achieved worldwide recognition and serves as one of Japan’s cultural icons.

Ramen restaurants are a staple in Japan and in many parts of the world, and instant versions of the thing are found on supermarket shelves, peddling themselves as the revered noodles, but the difference between them is akin to comparing a fling to a lover: while the cheap versions are consumed quickly, with a little guilt and with very little care; a good ramen is something you pay attention to — listening, breathing in, and observing each one of the nuances that make it so, from the steam rising from the bowl to the aroma that it brings to the nose.

No, we didn’t get that from a book. During the opening of a branch of Tsuta Japanese Soba Noodles’ (the only ramen restaurant in the world with a Michelin star, which was awarded in 2015 and sustained in subsequent editions) in the Philippines last week, gossip and chatter gradually died down as the noodles arrived at the table. Each diner approached the bowl with reverence, and nobody gobbled, gulped, or wolfed down: everybody sipped and nibbled, each quiet bite a prayer of thanks.

Tsuta Ramen, at present, has seven branches in the world — the first one in Japan (which opened in 2012), then spread out across Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. It was brought to the Philippines by Foodee Global Concepts which is also behind bringing to the country FOO’D by Davide Oldani and Tim Ho Wan, each awarded a Michelin-star in their own countries.

The Manila branch seats 48 in both bar and table seating. A press release from Foodee Global Concepts promises that the ingredients used will be imported from Japan and the chefs trained by the founder in order to guarantee the quality.

RELEASING ITS CHARM
BusinessWorld had the stomach to eat all three of the varieties served in Tsuta: the shoyu soba (soy-sauced based), shio soba (Okinawa sea salt and Mongolian rock salt-base), and miso soba (Hatcho miso-flavored).

The shoyu soba (P390), its most popular variant, tasted aggressive, melding all the flavors of the bamboo shoots, and was topped with leek and truffle pureed in truffle oil, along with a slice of char siu (barbecued pork). This isn’t your drunk ramen; be a gentleman.

To be honest with you though, I felt that it was a mistake to have the shoyu soba first, when there was shio soba (P390) which felt like it had spent its time waiting for me, so it could release all its charms. It had with a minty scent that did not hold back, flush with the taste of what I could only describe as a garden after a spring rain. The freshness of its flavor was accented by the leeks and green olives pureed in truffle oil that served to flavor the light salt-based broth.

Then came the miso soba (P410), which tasted quite complex; intimidating, even. It boasted of a broth that was almost like a thick sauce, brightened with hot sauce, porcini mushroom oil and watercress; the had a nuttiness to it that gave it a certain raw earthiness.

Uniformly, all the noodles had a silky texture that was yielding and seductive. Combined, all the elements gave an almost complete sensorial experience: from the sound of your slurp to the noodles’ slip towards your lips.

STYLISH CHEF
Chef Onishi Yuki was at the launch in the Philippines, and he was every bit as stylish as the ramen he served. Due perhaps to his previous work in fashion (where he would buy goods from overseas and bring them to Japan to sell), he had a certain flair evident in his choice of work clothing. While other ramen chefs content themselves with boots, and towels wrapped around their heads, Mr. Yuki had his navy chef’s jacket cut like a blazer, wore a Gucci watch, and a diamond-studded cross dangled from his neck and rested on his chest.

According to his interpreter, speaking in a mixture of English and Filipino, Mr. Yuki has always felt that ramen was something cool, something that looked good, and he wanted to be seen as looking just as good. Just as well, because according to his interpreter, Mr. Yuki serves his customers in his nine-seater Tokyo restaurant himself. “He wants to serve only nine at a time because he wants to make sure that he really serves quality,” she said in a mixture of English and Filipino.

“He’s happy to get the Michelin star, but for him, it makes him happier when the customers he serves himself appreciate what he does.”

Tsuta Japanese Soba Noodles is located at C3 Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. It is open daily from 11:30 a.m. and onwards so long as supplies last.

Manila Water to obtain P2.4-B loan from BPI

MANILA WATER Co., Inc. said its subsidiary serving Boracay island had signed a P2.4-billion loan agreement with the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) in part to cover its five-year budget.

The unit — Boracay Island Water Co., Inc. — signed the fourth omnibus loan and security agreement with the bank on Wednesday, Manila Water told the stock exchange. The companies involved are all subsidiaries of Ayala Corp.

“The loan will be used to finance general corporate requirements and capital expenditures of Boracay Water in fulfillment of its service obligations, as well as refinance an existing loan,” Manila Water said. 

Boracay Water will be spending P2.2 billion in capital expenditure from 2018 to 2022 after the approval of its business plan in its rate rebasing of 2017.

On Wednesday, shares in Manila Water fell 0.18% to P27.95 each.

Boracay Water was formed through a 25-year concession agreement between Manila Water and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) in 2009. 

The partnership delivers the water and used water requirements of the three Boracay barangays of Manocmanoc, Balabag and Yapak. 

On Dec. 15, Manila Water said the TIEZA regulatory office had approved the implementation of the second of three tranches of new water rates of Boracay Water. — Victor V. Saulon

The MMDA towed my car even with my kids inside

“The animals you eat are not those who devour others; you do not eat the carnivorous beasts, you take them as your pattern. You only hunger for the sweet and gentle creatures which harm no one, which follow you, serve you, and are devoured by you as the reward of their service.”

— Jean-Jacques Rousseau
(French philosopher, 1700s)

These are the thoughts that to my mind, describe many government officers, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in particular, on Dec. 19.

That afternoon, I briefly parked my car along J. P. Rizal St. in Makati City to buy pork and rice in a nearby wet market. I turned the hazard lights on, kept the engine running, and left the air-con full blast because my two daughters — 7 and 11 years old — were inside.

When I came back more than five minutes later, MMDA officers and a truck were already in the process of towing my car.

Yes, there was a “No illegal parking” sign where I left my car and yes, I recognized my mistake. This is why I talked to the officers and asked that they issue me a ticket violation instead of towing my car. But they refused.

I appealed again because my girls are already terrified while inside the car but it was futile.

Helpless, I gave in but said I needed to bring my daughters home first to spare them from the stress of being towed to far away place. They agreed but said that a crew member of the Tiger towing company must be at the wheel of the car, not me. Then the towing started, prompting my 11-year-old daughter to cry.

This, to me, felt irregular.

First, a stranger was inside my car, holding the wheel. Second, the noise and the sudden jolt resulting from the car being pulled by the truck scared my two daughters further.

When we reached an intersection, I explained to the MMDA officer who escorted us on a motorcycle that my daughters were already terrified. Again, I asked him to issue me a ticket and just like the others, he refused.

His uniform showed the name “Dayaon LD.”

We arrived at their impounding area in Tumana, Marikina City around 5:30 p.m. Then the tow truck quickly left, perhaps to prowl for more potential victims. The area is secluded, far from the Tumana proper, muddy, and isn’t easily accessible to public transportation, not even tricycles. I saw hundreds of cars and vans and realized that I have come upon the mess the government has caused its citizens.

With this in mind, I have decided to raise several questions after having experienced the cavalier attitude of the MMDA.

1. Why did the MMDA officers insist on towing my car when I already showed up, admitted my mistake, and agreed to get a ticket for the violation? After all, my car was not “unattended vehicle” because the engine was running, the air-con and that hazard lights were on with two young girls inside?

2. Why did the MMDA officers allow or instruct Tiger Towing Co.’s crew to board and drive my car with me and my two girls inside? I stayed in the car after my girls went home, took a photo while the car was being towed with Tiger’s crew member behind the wheel.

3. Why did they bring the car to Marikina City when another MMDA impounding area is located in Ortigas, which is closer to Makati City?

4. Will the MMDA and/or its accredited towing company accept responsibility for damages to the car during towing?

5. Why is the information on the impounding notice for my vehicle incomplete? The notice should indicate the name, signature, and designated ID number of the officer who issued the impounding notice.

But it only indicated the name of the team leader — a certain Gonzales — while the names of the driver and the two crew members were not identifiable. Only a signature was on the notice, without any names nor ID numbers. The MMDA escort should have a printed name as well but there was nothing.

After reading the Impounding Notice and MMDA’s FAQs, I learned that:

An illegal parking violation penalty is only P500; towing is P1,500 for the first four kilometers while it is P200 for every succeeding kilometer. Makati City to Tumana in Marikina City is quite a distance, allowing the towing company to earn thousands of pesos per vehicle.

MMDA’s FAQs on towing also says:

“11. Are the towing crew allowed to board an attended vehicle?

This is NOT allowed. If this happens when the driver is present, this must be taken note of and reported as a violation to the MMDA (136).” (http://www.mmda.gov.ph/20-faq/2085-towing-and-impounding-faq)

“13. Who will be responsible for any damage/s obtained by the vehicle during the towing?

Take note that before the actual towing, the tow truck crew shall issue a Technical Inspection Report indicating the name of the owner, vehicle’s plate number, type and color, including the accessories thereof, and a description of the vehicle’s condition. The towing company/agency shall be held responsible for losses/damages incurred while towing the vehicle.”

Neither Tiger’s crew nor MMDA officers did this. They only gave me a one-page “Impounding Notice” with vehicle type and plate number and they did not even ask for my name.

The MMDA is a big bureaucracy in the metropolis.

The money they get from us via annual appropriation keeps on increasing: P1.726 billion in 2016, P2.180 billion in 2017, and P3.558 billion in 2018, according to the Budget department’s Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing 2018.

The MMDA also earns more from so many penalties for mundane violations like dirty plates, using slippers and/or sleeveless shirts while driving. I saw its list of “Traffic violations and penalties” and it was four and a half pages long, describing 300 different prohibitions and hence, potential sources of fines, penalties and harassment.

The MMDA towed my car at 2:39 p.m. and arrived Tumana about 5:30 p.m. I got home in Makati City around 8 p.m., wasting about six hours. Now, I have to go to the MMDA office in Pasig to settle the fees, then back to Tumana, then drive back home to Makati City, which will take many hours again.

(Later on, I was able to meet some MMDA personnel who helped correct the behavior of their errant staff. I was able to meet Mr. Mike Salalima, Deputy Chief of Staff of MMDA chairman Danny Lim. He said that what happened was wrong. I should have just been issued with a ticket violation, instead of towing my vehicle. He will call Tiger Towing Company and I will be there to listen in. And I will be spared of possibly P6,000+ towing fee because of the long distance from Makati City to Tumana.)

We private citizens and taxpayers already pay lots of taxes and fees partly to pay the salaries and bonuses, travels and vehicles, perks and pensions of government people. Next year we will pay even higher taxes with the TRAIN law. Why add more fines and fees in thousands of pesos, why harass us with many unproductive hours, as if we committed a huge, horrible crime?

If some traffic violations are made, the driver should be penalized, not the car. The process should also be shortened, not lengthened.

Government should be more sensitive to taxpayers and not punish them with harassment. Are these too much to ask?

 

Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. is President of Minimal Government Thinkers, a member-institute of Economic Freedom Network (EFN) Asia.

minimalgovernment@gmail.com.

DAP head relieved

MALACAÑANG HAS ordered the relief of Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) president Elba S. Cruz. A letter dated Dec. 18 by Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea to Ms. Cruz read in part: “Considering that your Term of Office expired on 30 June 2017 and that you have been serving in the DAP Board in a holdover capacity, we now wish to inform you that, upon instructions of the President, your service in such holdover status is hereby discontinued effective immediately.” DAP employees, for their part, in a press statement “thanked President Rodrigo (R.) Duterte for ‘finally terminating’” Ms. Cruz, saying this is the “best Christmas gift” after her “transgressions,” which include her “arbitrary” reorganization of the DAP and “frequent foreign travels.”

Law intended to smooth Brexit reaches key hurdle at parliament

LONDON — Legislation intended to smooth Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU) moves a step closer to becoming law on Wednesday, as ministers begin working out what they want from Brexit.

The House of Commons will hold its eighth and final day of detailed scrutiny of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, which would formally end Britain’s membership of the bloc and transfer EU rules into British law.

Theresa May suffered a humiliating defeat by pro-European members of her own Conservative party last week, when MPs voted to amend the bill to ensure parliament has the final say on any divorce deal with Brussels.

But she looks set to avoid a second rebellion over plans to enshrine Brexit day in law, by offering some flexibility to move the date — March 29, 2019 — if negotiations with the EU go down to the wire.

The bill still has two days of debate by MPs in January, when the rebel amendment could be reviewed, before it goes to the unelected House of Lords for debate.

But the so-called “committee stage” of scrutiny was a test for Ms. May’s minority government, which relies on a small Northern Irish party to push through legislation.

EU leaders last week agreed to open the second stage of Brexit talks, after approving an interim deal on Britain’s financial settlement, expatriate rights and the Irish border.

But they are still unclear on what Britain wants from the future relationship, including the shape of any trade deal.

Cabinet ministers held their first detailed discussion on the economic partnership at a meeting on Tuesday, although no negotiating position was finalized, with further talks expected in early January.

Ms. May’s spokesman said she called for “a deal which secures the best possible trading terms with the EU, enables the UK to set rules that are right for our situation and facilitates ambitious third-country trade deals.”

He said the cabinet agreed on the goal.

However, ministers are divided over how closely to stick to European regulations after Brexit, with some favoring convergence to secure the best possible trading ties, and others calling for a new approach.

Brussels meanwhile has repeatedly warned Britain that it cannot expect to leave the EU’s single market and customs union, and maintain all its benefits.

The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said that any deal struck would inevitably result in Britain’s banks and financial companies losing rights to trade across the bloc.

“There is no place” for giving Britain’s financial services full access to the EU market, he told a number of newspapers, including Britain’s The Guardian.

Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, said that as long as Britain’s goals remained vague, competing forces in Ms. May’s government could keep together.

“But the real difficulties ahead lie when the British will ask for special system of regulatory alignment — they won’t get it,” he said. — AFP

Loan validity for pending Jalaur Dam project extended

THE REQUEST for an extension of the loan validity for the long-delayed P11.2-billion Jalaur River Multipurpose Project (JRMP) II has been granted, according to a National Irrigation Administration-Western Visayas (NIA-6) official. Engr. Roberto Lapeña, principal engineer of the JRMP II Project Coordinator’s Office, said the loan validity extension also means an extension on the implementation schedule. “With the extension of 46 months, the project implementation will expire September 2021 and the loan validity on March 28, 2022,” he said. The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee approved NIA’s request to extend the validity of the loan as well as the project’s construction period for 46 months. Mr. Lapeña said they are aiming to break ground for the project by January 2018 as they are now finalizing the procurement of the civil works and waiting for the concurrence of the lending institution, the Korean Export-Import (EXIM) Bank. JRMP II — which involves the construction of three dams, a 6.6-megawatt hydropower plant,and an 81-kilometer highline canal — is funded by an P8.9-billion loan from the Korean EXIM Bank and a P2.3-billion counterpart from the Philippine government. The project aims to irrigate 33,000 hectares of rice lands in Iloilo. — Louine Hope U. Conserva

2017 London Classic

9th London Classic 2017
London, England
Nov. 29-Dec. 11, 2017

Final Standings

1-2. Fabiano Caruana USA 2799, Ian Nepomniachtchi RUS 2729, 6.0/9

3-5. Magnus Carlsen NOR 2837, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave FRA 2789, Wesley So USA 2788, 5.0/9

6. Hikaru Nakamura USA 2781, 4.5/9

7. Levon Aronian ARM 2805, 4.0/9

8. Sergey Karjakin RUS 2760, 3.5/9

9-10. Viswanathan Anand IND 2782, Michael Adams ENG 2715, 3.0/9

Average ELO 2778 Category 22

Time Control: 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 60 minutes play-to-finish with 30 seconds added to the clock after every move.

There were rather a lot of draws in the London. The first three rounds were all half-points and then Caruana won two straight games (against Karjakin and Anand) in the 4th and 5th round. After this Ian Nepomniachtchi took over the lead with three straight wins in rounds 6, 7 and 8 against Adams, Anand and Carlsen, respectively.

Before the last round started Ian was half a point ahead of Caruana and decided to take it easy with a short 19-move draw against the Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. His reasoning was that even if Caruana manages to defeat Michael Adams to finish neck-to-neck with him all that means is that they have to go into quickplay tiebreaks and at least he (Ian) would be well-rested and ready to play.

The logic cannot be questioned. After all Nepomniachtchi is known as a blitz specialist and should be considered the favorite against Caruana.

What happened was that Caruana did manage to beat Adams after a 6-hour endgame squeeze and the tremendous effort he exerted to win it completely warmed him up for the tie-breaks. Also, both Fabi and Ian were to receive the same prize money, $62,500 each — the playoff was only for bragging rights and the trophy.

First Caruana and Nepomniachtchi had to play two 10 minute plus five-second delay games (A 5-second delay means five seconds is the time allowance for you to make a move. If you don’t use up your 5-second there is no advantage gained, for the difference is NOT added to your clock). After two draws they then played two 5-minute plus 3-second delay games. Caruana won the 4th game and he was declared the champion.

Wesley So won only one game and drew the rest. This win though was very precious for Wesley as it was the first time he had defeated the former world champion in classical time control. And it was done in impressive manner. Bring out your chessboard to replay the game — you would appreciate it more rather than watching it unfold on a computer screen.

Anand, Viswanathan (2782) — So, Wesley (2788) [C50]
9th London Classic 2017 London (9), 11.12.2017

Dec. 11, 2017 is the 48th birthday of Viswanathan Anand. Wesley commented after the game that he was not aware of this, but I am sure that would not have changed his decision to play for a win here. After all, he has a good record against people celebrating their birthdays! Last year he beat Nakamura here in London in a quick 29-mover on Dec. 29, Nakamura’s natal day.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5

The Chessbase website reveals that Wesley So is currently doing an opening DVD on the Italian Game, so he is very up-to-date on the latest theory here.

4.0–0

In Winning with the Slow (but Venomous) Italian by Karsten Mueller (the endgame expert but not only that — you should read all of his books) and Georgios Souleidis, the authors point out White’s usual plan of attack in this position — he wants to play c2–c3, d2–d3, h2–h3, Re1, Nb1–d2–f1 and then proceed with Ng3, Be3 or d3–d4. As they say, “this plan is very easy to remember.”

4…Nf6 5.d3 0–0 6.a4

This is Grischuk’s favorite which he brought back into fashion in 2016. We will explain this a little bit more after you go through the line below.

In last year’s Sinquefield Cup Anand faced Wesley So in this same line and chose the usual move 6.c3 and after 6…d5 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.a4 (8.Re1 used to be the main line and I still believe it to be very strong, but it usually results in the exchange of queens right away. If you don’t want to go into the endgame then 8.a4 is the move for you) 8…Nb6 (home preparation by Wesley. 8…a6 or 8…a5 are the usual moves. 9.Bb5 Ne7!? (what!? leaving the e5–pawn unprotected?) 10.a5! (It turns out that Anand is also familiar with this position. Taking the e5–pawn with 10.Nxe5 does not promise much. After 10…c6 11.Bc4 Bd6 12.Bf4 Nxc4 13.dxc4 Nf5! Black has good compensation for the pawn because of his two bishops. Besides, White’s extra pawn is doubled anyway) 10…c6! An important resource. 11.axb6 cxb5 12.Rxa7! Rxa7 13.bxa7 Bxa7 14.Nxe5 Bf5! White is a pwn up but is feeling the pressure form the Black bishops. 15.Re1 Bb8! 16.Na3 b4! 17.cxb4 Qd5 18.Nec4 (18.Bf4 f6 19.Nec4 Bxf4 20.Rxe7 Rd8 is also fine for Black.; 18.d4! Rd8 19.Nf3 Nc6 20.b5 Nb4 21.Re3² was the critical test of Black’s setup.) 18…Bxd3 (18…Nc6!? 19.Qh5 Qxd3 also yields good compensation for a pawn.) 19.Rxe7 Bxc4 20.Qxd5 Bxd5 the game was headed for a draw. Anand,V (2770)-So,W (2771) Saint Louis USA 2016 1/2 39.

6…h6

OK, having played through Anand vs Wesley, you now understand that Grischuk’s move discourages …d5 as, in comparison with the previous note his pawn on d3 is not weak and thus he gets a good version of that line.

There is this famous game from last year’s Baku Olympiad where Wesley demolished Ian Nepomniachtchi who was at that time on the crest of a 7-game winning streak. It gives me a good feeling so let us review that game. 6…d6 7.c3 a6 8.h3 Ba7 9.Re1 Ne7 (preparing the typical …c6 and …d5) 10.d4 Ng6 11.Bd3 c6 12.Be3 Nh5 13.Nbd2 Nhf4 14.Bf1 exd4 15.Bxd4 Bxd4 16.cxd4 d5 17.e5 f6 18.Ra3 fxe5 19.dxe5?! This might be a mistake. Taking the knight seems better as then White will have use of the open e-file. 19…a5! 20.Qc1 Qe7! 21.Rb3 Bf5!? 22.Nd4 Ne6! 23.Nxf5?! (Nepom’s game now takes a turn for the worse. After 23.Nxe6! Bxe6 24.g3! the game is not yet over) 23…Rxf5 24.Bd3 Rf4! perhaps Nepom expected Wesley to take the pawn on e5, but on f4 it proves to be a monster 25.Bxg6 hxg6 26.Qd1 Raf8! 27.Rf3 Qb4! 28.Rxf4 Rxf4 29.Nf3 Qxa4!? 30.Qd3 Rf5 31.Qb1 Qf4 Black has won a pawn, and this was enough to win the game. Nepomniachtchi,I (2740)-So,W (2782) Baku AZE 2016 0–1 50.

This was the crucial game in the Russia vs USA match. Ray Robson had already lost (to Grischuk) and the other two games had ended in draws. Wesley was under pressure to win this one to tie the match. And win it he did!

7.c3 a5

Please do not fall for 7…d6?? 8.b4 Bb6 9.a5 trapping the dark-squared bishop.

8.Nbd2 d6 9.h3 Be6 10.Re1 Bxc4 11.Nxc4 Re8 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.Nxe3 Qd7 14.Qb3 Ne7 15.Nc4 Ng6 16.Rad1 b6 17.Qc2 d5

Due to White’s unambitious play Wesley decides to do the pushing.

18.exd5 Qxd5 19.b3

This was criticized by some commentators as weakening the c3–pawn, but I think this is a matter of perfect hindsight — if White didn’t commit the inaccuracies that follow the “weakness” wouldn’t have mattered.

19…Rad8 20.d4 exd4 21.Rxd4 Rxe1+ 22.Nxe1 Qa8 23.Rxd8+ Qxd8 <D>

Position after 23…Qxd8

The game is still equal but now watch as Wesley slowly but surely takes over.

24.Qd3?!

Anand was probably expecting an exchange of queens and a quick handshake, especially as Wesley had drawn all of his other games in the tournament. Unfortunately the Pinoy wanted to play some more. Stronger is g3 or Nd3 to keep the black knight off f4.

24…Qe7 25.Nc2 Nf4 26.Qd2 N6d5 27.Kf1?

[27.Kh2]

27…Nxc3! 28.N4e3

[28.Qxc3? Qe2+ 29.Kg1 Qd1+ 30.Kh2 Ne2³ threatening Qg1 mate 31.Qe1 Qxc2 Black is a pawn up and has the better position to boot]

28…Ne4 29.Qd4 c5 30.Qd1 Qf6

Threatening …Nxh3 and …Qxf2 mate.

31.Ng4

[31.Qf3?? Nd2+]

31…Qc3

Renewing the threat of …Nxh3.

32.Nce3 h5 33.Nh2 Qb2 0–1

After 33…Qb2 34.Qc2 Qxc2 35.Nxc2 Nd2+ White would be two pawns down in a knight endgame so he gives up.

A few days ago the Russian Superfinals concluded (we will have more to say about this on Tuesday). That means that the next big classical tournament will be in Wijk aan Zee in January 2018, which also means that the current ratings of the players will remain more or less intact till the end of the year. Remember, I said classical tournament. We have the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia before the end of the year and the European Rapid and Blitz Championships before that in Katowice,Poland. Here are the current live classical ratings:

Live Ratings (Russian Superfinals included)

1. Magnus Carlsen NOR 2833.8

2. Fabiano Caruana USA 2811.1

3. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov AZE 2799.0

4. Levon Aronian ARM 2796.5

5. Maxime Vacier Lagrave FRA 2792.6

6. Wesley So USA 2791.76

7. Vladimir Kramnik RUS 2787.0

8. Hikaru Nakamura USA 2780.7

9. Ding Liren CHN 2768.9

10. Peter Svidler RUS 2767.7

As you can see Peter Svidler, by winning the Russian Superfinals (for the 8th time!) has re-entered the World Top 10 and Ding Liren has risen up to no. 9.

It sure looks like 2018 is going to be another great chess year!

 

Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.

bobby@cpamd.net

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