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Renewed US TPP interest may trigger PHL rethink

THE GOVERNMENT’S economic managers will reconsider the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in light of US President Donald J. Trump’s renewed interest in the trade bloc, though the business sector wants competitiveness to improve before the country signs any free trade agreements (FTAs).
“We will certainly consider it. If one of your biggest partners is not going to join, why will we go to that party? We’ll see what the score is, but there is also RCEP (the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership),” Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III told reporters on Friday on the sidelines of the Philippine Economic Briefing in Clark, Pampanga.
He was reacting to reports of the US reconsidering the trade deal after Mr. Trump said in a social media post that it will only join if the deal’s terms were “substantially better” than that offered to his predecessor.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia, meanwhile, said that the country’s bid to join the TPP is “still in process,” but noted that the Philippines is “surer about RCEP than TPP, given the fickleness of Trump…you can never be sure.”
On March 8, 11 Asia-Pacific nations signed the agreement without the US — and renamed it the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) — effectively lowering trade and non-trade barriers and at the same time requiring its members to comply with good governance, environmental, intellectual property, and labor standards, among others.
The TPP was initially a strategy by President Barack Obama to expand US influence in Asia, before Mr. Trump pulled out in January 2017.
George T. Barcelon, President of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), meanwhile, said that despite the possible re-entry of the US — which he called not likely — the Philippines will face challenges in complying with the deal.
“I think they may not give it to the US. The TPP was something on the table before, and complying is also quite challenging. We have to be prepared, we have to be competitive… What’s important is for us to be in a position to be competitive before we open up,” Mr. Barcelon said in a phone interview yesterday.
“On the TPP, there is concern in our agriculture sector. For the last decade, it has not been growing that much, it’s not been given much attention (compared with the rest of) ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations),” he added.
Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. President Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis, meanwhile, said that the Philippines should likewise ask for a better deal if it continues with its bid to join the CPTPP, but nevertheless said that industry can still benefit from the China-led Belt and Road Initiative and RCEP, which is more likely to materialize.
“We have concerns about the many conditions that are being set that could be very expensive for us to come in. Provided that the conditions are better and aren’t expensive, we can come in,” he said in a separate phone interview.
“But still, Belt and Road offers easier entry, and no cost. For RCEP, we’ve been trying to do our best,” Mr. Ortiz-Luis said.
“But with or without the TPP, we’re doing well with China, and will enjoy benefits from Belt and Road,” he added.
Mr. Barcelon added that there is more visibility with RCEP, and expressed a preference for forgoing efforts to join the CPTPP as the Philippines enjoys other bilateral trade deals with Europe and possibly the US.
“We still have the European Union GSP+ (Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus) and a possible FTA with the US.”
“In the meantime, we should grow our manufacturing base… I think we should have the mind-set that we’re part of global trade, and we should prepare ourselves for competition,” he added.
Mr. Ortiz-Luis added: “we’ll just try to make the best of it, considering that in the region we have similar products. I think we should really try to look what our competitive advantage is in this area and pursue it. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan

Government to help more bidders qualify for auction to provide free public Wi-Fi services

THE Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) will help more potential bidders qualify for the Free Public WiFi Project of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), after only 18 firms submitted complete papers initially.
PITC President and Chief Executive Officer Dave M. Almarinez said that the company will revisit the bidding process because many bidders failed to submit complete documents. The PITC is the government body in charge of auctioning off the project.
The first phase of the bidding process is the determination of whether the interested groups have submitted sufficient proof of eligibility.
“The bidding is in May, so around August,” Mr. Almarinez said in an interview, referring to the timetable of awarding for the second batch of bids.
He said that many of those that submitted bids are first-time bidders for government projects, and the PITC will conduct a session to educate the companies on the requirements of the public bidding. Many did not qualify after failing to submit basic documents like a mayor’s permit. “Most are first-time bidders. So the next step would be like an educational conference to train them on the requirements,” Mr. Almarinez said.
“We expect more [companies to qualify]. The reason being, they will have known their deficiencies and addressed them to comply with what is required.”
For the project, a company can seek to become the provider for as many as 81 provinces.
Mr. Almarinez said around 18 that qualified in the initial round. The awarding for this group will be May or June.
The DICT plans to build 250,000 Wi-Fi access points before the end of the term of President Rodrigo R. Duterte in 2022. Republic Act No 10929 or the law authorizing the Free Internet Access Program was signed by Mr. Duterte in August.
DICT Acting Secretary Eliseo M. Rio, Jr. said the department targets around 7,000-8,000 access points for this year. Bids for the Free Public WiFi project will be conducted every year until 2022.
In case provinces attract no interested bidders, Mr. Rio said the department will enter into negotiated contracts after two failed bids. — Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo

NEDA hopes to resolve regulatory, commercial conflicts at NFA, PPA

THE NATIONAL Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) will seek to correct the Philippine Ports Authority’s (PPA) dual regulatory and commercial functions in the National Competition Policy due out this year.
The policy will also modify the functions of the National Food Authority (NFA), which is in the spotlight after its rice buffer stock dwindle below levels required by law — giving poorer consumers no alternative to higher-priced commercial grains.
“The NFA is both a regulator as well as merchandiser because it has a commercial activity so it’s really the conflict between being a regulator and undertaking commercial activity at the same time,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia told reporters on the sidelines of the Philippine Economic Briefing in Clark, Pampanga on Friday.
“PPA is also regulating and trying to promote the performance of ports,” Mr. Pernia added.
“If the key purpose of the GOCC (government-owned and controlled corporations) is to earn income, then it should be just earning income and not regulation — in other words, just drawing the line between commercial activity or proprietorship and regulation,” Mr. Pernia said.
To address this, he said that the government is currently preparing a comprehensive competition policy that also applies for state-owned firms — even as Republic Act No. 10149 or the GOCC Governance Act already provides for the clear separation of their regulatory and proprietary activities.
The Philippine Competition Act, or Republic Act No. 10667, tasks the Philippine Competition Commission to assist NEDA in formulating the National Competition Policy, which will “provide a guiding framework for both the private and the public sector,” which will in turn, ensure competitive neutrality to allow consumers “have better and wider choices of goods and services.”
Asked for a time line on implementing the National Competition Policy, Mr. Pernia said: “we should do it right away because we are really anxious in getting the economy to sustain its performance and even accelerate.”
“The President can really do a lot of things by using moral suasion on the legislature,” added Mr. Pernia.
The government expects the economy to grow 7-8% this year until 2022, faster than the 6.7% reading in 2017.
According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index, the Philippines’ rank improved to 56th of 137 countries last year, from 57th in 2016.
The government is targeting a ranking in the top third by 2019. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan

Power co-ops seeking to defend turf in off-grid market

ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES (ECs) are seeking an audience with the President in the face of moves from the private sector to compete in their franchise areas even without them waiving their right to provide services in the off-grid localities.
Their fear of losing their franchise areas to private businesses came after the Department of Energy (DoE) on March 11 issued a statement that it had committed its full support to President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s call for the removal of “barriers to electrification.”
Presley C. de Jesus, president of the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Inc. (Philreca), said that ECs should not be characterized as ineffective as only 8% of the total 121 ECs are ailing or underperforming.
Mr. De Jesus said it is unfair for private companies to become interested in serving the far-flung areas of the country after the electric cooperatives laid the groundwork, and after the former cash-strapped nonprofit organizations invested in their franchise areas.
He said claims that electric cooperatives are inefficient are misplaced considering only a few of their members are facing difficulties, and mostly those serving areas with security issues such as Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
He said most electric cooperatives have through the years gained financial and technical skills to operate like their counterparts in the private sector.
Mr. De Jesus, who also heads the electric cooperative in Isabela province, said that the entity he serves emerged from “Category C” to a ”Triple A” rating through the assistance of the National Electrification Administration.
He said the Isabela EC serves even the remotest barangay with five households because they are within its franchise area.
Mr. De Jesus, along with heads of various electric cooperative organizations, were in Manila on Friday to air their grievances.
The DoE statement last month followed Mr. Duterte’s meeting with DoE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi and Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Chairperson Agnes T. Devanadera to discuss missionary electrification in the “unserved” areas of the country.
The DoE said the President made clear that he wanted the “barriers that are blocking the entry of the private sector to provide better options and more choices for communities.”
The department quoted Mr. Duterte as saying that “the hurdles standing in the way of the total electrification of the entire country” had to be removed.
“This has to stop,” the DoE quoted the president as saying.
The DoE said it was instructed along with the ERC to initiate bold executive actions to allow the entry of the private sector so that consumers could have access to adequate and affordable electricity.
Mr. De Jesus and the other heads of electric cooperatives asked whether private companies will be keen to serve ARMM, which remains among the few regions without adequate electricity supply. — Victor V. Saulon

JPMorgan Chase training BPO workers in higher-value skills

By Janina C. Lim
Reporter
JPMORGAN Chase & Co., a major Philippine employer in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, said it continues to train its workers to take on higher-value jobs even as it anticipates a “positive” outcome for the company with the more widespread adoption of automation technologies.
“We have big training and development staff here. To me, that’s very important because as they said, the industry really has to do something about upgrading skills. We just have to do it in our own little way,” Roberto L. Panlilio, Managing Director and Senior Country Officer of the local unit JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
“Artificial Intelligence (AI) and a lot of these things, are really not a concern. In fact, it would probably be better for the company,” Mr. Panlilio said in an interview with BusinessWorld last week in Makati City.
“Obviously, it will also affect us, but to me, in a positive way because it will simply mean more efficiency and better ways to do things for us,” he added.
One of the country’s biggest BPO companies, JPMorgan Chase has over 15,000 Philippine employees.
The BPO sector is a pillar of the Philippine economy, employing some 1.15 million people and projected to generate $40 billion in revenue by 2022. However, the low value of the work performed in much of the industry has raised fears that AI will do away with the need for many jobs, particularly those involving the biggest advantage of Filipino workers — fluency in English.
Mr. Panlilio said workers need to prepare “to do more analytical work rather than just voice and pulling out information simply from a database” and reiterated the need to “constantly retrain our employees to go up the value curve.”
He said company employees need to be well-versed in consumer credit and portfolio analysis, among other skills.
“These are job skills that are really very specific basically in all aspects of banking,” Mr. Panlilio added, noting that the firm offers online courses to employees.
Asked if the firm eyes to expand operations, Mr. Panlilio said it is “obviously looking for opportunities.”
“Were looking at certain areas around here,” he said, adding: “it’s not a question of numbers; it’s a question of quality professionals.”
“Filipino productivity can match any market or any work force in this planet to a certain extent. At least, the firm is very happy with our operations here,” Mr. Panlilio added.
The bank’s Philippine operation has three businesses — corporate and investment banking, corporate infrastructure, and the global service center (GSC).
GSC provides global support, including operational, research, information technology and training across the group’s business lines.
GSC services include human resources, performance improvement, quality assurance, technology, accounting, account servicing, collections, operations and operations management, project management, and risk and compliance.

What makes digital tax administration a success?

Among the less talked about provisions of Republic Act No. 10963 or the TRAIN Law are perhaps the amendments to Section 237 of the Tax Code, and the insertion of Section 237-A. Within the next five years, these two changes will require large taxpayers, exporters, and taxpayers engaged in e-commerce to electronically issue their invoices/receipts, as well as report their sales data to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) at the point of sale (i.e., “eSales reporting”).
In the final copy of RA 10963, Section 237-A thereof only includes as among those mandatorily required to report sales “taxpayers engaged in the export of goods and services, and taxpayers under the jurisdiction of the Large Taxpayers Service”; however, in the proposed additional revision to Section 237-A under the draft bill for Package 2 of TRAIN, the phrase “taxpayers engaged in e-commerce” is already included therein. Pending clarity on the matter, and in the absence of indications to the contrary, we will assume for discussion purposes that taxpayers engaged in e-commerce are also already covered by the mandatory e-sales reporting requirement.
The upcoming e-invoicing and eSales reporting requirements are part of the Philippines’ current tax reform program — and with these new digital tax reporting requirements, the Philippines looks to mature to another level in terms of Digital Tax Administration. But what makes a digital tax administration a “good” one? How can the BIR measure the success of e-invoicing and eSales reporting? Here are some possible indicators.
INCREMENTAL INCREASE IN TAX COLLECTED
Point-of-sales reporting provides the BIR with transactional level data that — in theory — since already reported to the BIR, should also be consistent with what is being included in the periodic tax returns. In other words, BIR will gain more visibility over taxpayer compliance, with a greater ability to match each transaction reported at the point of sale vs. total sales. This will be a vast improvement on its current capabilities under the RELIEF (Reconciliation of Listing for Enforcement) system that the BIR has adopted for quite some time now.
Real-time (or near real-time) submission of sales data at the point of sale leaves the taxpayer little room (if at all) to adjust the corresponding periodic amounts to be reported in the tax returns (e.g., VAT or income tax returns). Taxpayers can no longer retract the information already provided to the BIR, and any discrepancies between the transactional level data and the periodic returns may be indications of fraud or error.
A case in point for this is South Korea — where in addition to being required to issue an Electronic Tax Invoice (ETI), taxpayers are also incentivized to use credit cards and other electronic payment methods. The data collected by the South Korean tax authorities from the mandatory use of the ETI — when paired with the information obtained through credit card usage — made it virtually impossible to engage in certain tax fraud schemes, such as the use of fraudulent tax invoices to claim tax credits or deductions. By simultaneously incentivizing the use of credit cards, South Korea had increased the amount of available purchase data that could be matched and validated against sales data from ETI, and reduce opportunities for taxpayers to claim fictitious deductions or tax credits against sales or sales/revenue taxes. In 2009, the year after the ETI became mandatory, South Korea estimated an increase in tax collections of about 880 billion won (about P40 billion). South Korea also estimated a reduction of 57% in cases of invoice seller fraud. [Can Electronic Tax Invoicing Improve Tax Compliance? A Case Study of the Republic of Korea’s Electronic Tax Invoicing for Value-Added Tax; World Bank Group Policy Research Working Paper No. 7592].
It is interesting to note that the draft bill for Package 2 of TRAIN (i.e., draft as of Jan. 15, 2018, as introduced by Reps. Dakila Cua and Aurelio Gonzales, Jr.) further proposes to incentivize the use of Electronically Traceable Payments (ETP) through additional deductible expenses for taxpayers using ETPs — much like the South Korean ETI model. The Package 2 draft bill also proposes to incentivize the adoption of e-Invoices/receipts and transmission thereof through the designated channels by offering tax credits to those who will adopt these systems.
IMPROVED AUDIT SELECTION PROCESS
In theory, the availability of transactional-level sales and purchase data will allow the BIR to better identify the taxpayers who should be prioritized for audits. For example, instead of simply matching one buyer’s purchases (e.g., Summary list of Purchases or Alphalist of Payees) vs. the sales data of a particular vendor (e.g., Summary List of Sales), the BIR may be able to employ more sophisticated data tools and techniques to consolidate transactional level purchase data across multiple tax payers (i.e., various customers of a specific vendor) to determine the expected sales of a particular vendor (even if sold to multiple customers). Any discrepancies in the sales and purchase data may then be used by the BIR to flag potential audit targets.
IMPROVED TAXPAYER EXPERIENCE
Naturally, any new or additional compliance requirement will raise some concern from covered taxpayers who may view this as an added burden. However, on the positive side, transitioning to a digital tax system is also expected to significantly enhance the tax filing experience itself.
On social media, we sometimes see a mix of rants and raves about our tax filing system. Rants are about system downtime, or connectivity issues; and raves are about how filing a return this time around took “only” a certain number of hours. By contrast, in Estonia, the process for filing personal tax returns takes less than five minutes on average – i.e., the apparent “norm,” and owing to pre-populated tax returns that leverage data obtained through the national e-ID system [Digitalisation of Tax: International Perspectives, ICAEW, 2016]. With this in mind, taxpayers will certainly be observing how smoothly the e-invoicing and eSales reporting will be implemented, i.e. without being disruptive of operations. Taxpayers will also want to see whether the overall implementation will bring about IT infrastructure improvements, as well as simplify the periodic reporting requirements.
Taxpayers may also be gauging how real-time or near real-time submission of transactional-level data can improve the audit selection process for the audit itself. Having provided the BIR with so much information, taxpayers can be expected to look for more scientific methods of selecting audit clients, and more “black-and-white” issues being raised during the actual examinations. As it is, there are taxpayers who still hope to experience the benefits of more rationalized BIR audit target identification methods. For example, even with the current RELIEF System, some taxpayers still claim to receive Letters of Authority every year even after they have explained/reconciled any supposed discrepancies between sales (or purchase) data with the customers’(or vendor’s) reported purchases from (or sales to) them. With a digital tax system, remote and electronically executed tax audits (or portions thereof) may even be a possibility – such as in the case of Brazil, where most tax audits are performed remotely and electronically, without contact with the taxpayer. After all, a “no contact” system of auditing has always been an aspiration for tax authorities and stakeholders.
Overall, the shift of the BIR to a digital tax administration holds much promise. Just last week, the BIR reported that it exceeded its first-quarter goal by 16.8% and by 14% year on year. It is expected that this level of performance can be sustained with the transition to the digital tax administration that has now been legislated. The challenge now is for the BIR to clearly demonstrate how this shift can benefit both tax authorities and taxpayers alike.
This article is part of a series on digital tax. The links to the previous articles are:

• http://www.bworldonline.com/e-invoicing-real-time-sales-reporting-hb-5636/

• http://www.bworldonline.com/hb-5636-philippine-tax-administration-going-digital/

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice where the facts and circumstances warrant. The views and opinion expressed above are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of SGV & Co.
 
Lee Celso R. Vivas is a Tax Partner of SGV & Co.

DLSU doubles on Ateneo

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE defending champions De La Salle Lady Spikers made it 2-of-2 over rivals Ateneo Lady Eagles in UAAP Season 80 after beating the latter in three sets on the final day of elimination play on Sunday at the Mall of Asia that also completed for the Taft-based residents a sweep of the second round.
Displaying the go-getting mind-set that has been on display for much of the ongoing University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season, the Lady Spikers took everything that the Lady Eagles could muster and just stood dominant to claim the victory, 26-24, 25-17 and 25-19.
The win pushed La Salle to a 12-2 record, tops heading into the Final Four where it will enjoy a twice-to-beat edge.
Earlier in the day, the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws chalked up their 10th win of the season, and in the process booked the number two seed heading into the playoffs and earning a twice-to-beat advantage, after beating the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs in four sets, 25-21, 25-22, 16-25 and 25-20.
The final game of the elimination round got off to a very competitive to the delight of the jam-packed arena.
Both teams went on their respective runs and fought to a 24-all count as the Lady Eagles charged back to extend the opening set.
Reigning most valuable player Majoy Baron and the rest of the Lady Spikers though would stand their ground in the extension to go up, 1-0.
In the second set, La Salle continued to crank up its level of play, racing to a 16-9 advantage by the second technical timeout.
The Lady Eagles tried hard to rally back but no such thing was to happen with the Lady Spikers clicking on both ends of the attack to bury Ateneo further, 2-0.
Ateneo would do a better job at the start of the third frame, claiming an 8-7 lead by the first technical break as Kat Tolentino and Jhoanna Maraguinot made their presence felt.
The Lady Eagles extended their lead to 12-8 before the Lady Spikers shoot their way back to tie the score at 14-all.
La Salle completed the comeback by the second technical timeout, holding a 16-15 advantage.
Regaining the momentum, the Lady Spikers did not waste any time going for the jugular.
They outscored Ateneo, 9-4, the rest of the way to complete the sweep.
Kim Kianna Dy led La Salle with 13 points followed by Desiree Cheng with 12 and Tin Tiamzon 11.
Tolentino, meanwhile, paced Ateneo with 15 points while Maddie Madayag had eight markers.
“We’re happy with the win. This gives us a lot of confidence heading into the semifinals,” said La Salle coach Ramil De Jesus.
LADY TAMARAWS AT 2
Meanwhile, in the first game, FEU made sure it put itself in good position for a shot at finishing in the top two by topping NU.
The Morayta-based Lady Tamaraws proved to be a tough nut to crack for the Lady Bulldogs in the first two sets, racing to a 2-0 lead for the game.
NU got to break through in the third set, using a strong finishing kick to narrow the gap at 2-1.
But the Lady Tamaraws would seal the deal in the fourth frame, breaking from a back-and-forth with the Lady Bulldogs late in the set and never looking back.
Graduating Bernadeth Pons led FEU with 17 points with Celine Domingo adding 12.
Chin-Chin Basas had nine markers while Net Villareal finished with eight points.
Jaja Santiago had 21 points for NU with Jorelle Singh adding 10.
“Hopefully we could build on this win. We are already near the top and I told the players not to stop fighting,” said winning coach George Pascua at the postgame press conference.
After the elimination round smoke cleared, La Salle finished at the top of standings, followed by FEU (10-4), Ateneo (9-5) and NU (7-7).
La Salle takes on NU in the Final Four with FEU battling Ateneo.
The semifinals of UAAP Season 80 begin on Saturday, April 21.

Poirier and Oliveira rule UFC Arizona

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
DUSTIN “The Diamond” Poirier threw his name into the mix of top title contenders in the stacked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight division in a fiery victory at “UFC on Fox 29” on Sunday (Manila time) in Arizona just as welterweight Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira topped his own fight in the co-main event.
Up against hometown bet Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje, Mr. Poirier emerged victorious with power and precision in a highly explosive contest that finished in the third round by way of technical knockout (punches).
Mr. Oliveira, meanwhile, got back on the winning track by submitting “The Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit via guillotine choke in the second round.
Arizona native Gaethje had his groove early, throwing leg kicks after leg kicks that had Mr. Poirier adjusting his stance throughout.
But the Louisiana fighter would stay the course with crisp combinations that also inflicted damage.
He would find an entry point as the third round drew to a close, landing a series of big shots that took the legs out of Mr. Gaethje. Mr. Poirier continued to pound on his obviously hurt opponent, prompting referee Herb Dean to stop the contest with 33 ticks left in the round.
The win, his third straight, improved number five contender Poirier to 23-5 while Mr. Gaethje (18-2) slumped to his second straight defeat.
“Justin is a warrior. I respect him. There is no give-up on him,” said Mr. Poirier after his win, referring to Mr. Gaethje in a fight many consider to be a “fight of the year” contender after both fighters brought it all.
He went on to call out UFC President Dana White and reigning lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov for a title shot.
For his part, Mr. Oliveira (19-4-1) got back on the winning track by compounding on the woes of former champion Condit.
The fighters had their moments in the early goings until Mr. Oliveira connected with an upkick to the jaw in the second round that immediately sent an already-bloodied Condit down.
From there it was all Mr. Oliveira, who worked his way for a guillotine choke and went for the finish thereafter. The fight was stopped at the 3:17 mark of the round.
The loss was the fourth straight for Mr. Condit (30-12) and seventh in his last nine fights.
In other fights at UFC on Fox 29, Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya defeated Marvin “The Italian Dream” Vettori by split decision while women’s strawweight “The Karate Hottie” Michelle Waterson beat Cortney “Cast Iron” Casey also by split decision.
Next for the UFC is “UFC Fight Night 128” in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on April 22 (Manila time) that will feature the lightweight battle between Edson “Junior” Barboza and Kevin “The Motown Phenom” Lee.
In the Philippines, Cignal TV, the country’s foremost direct-to-home (DTH) company, is the home of the UFC after the two groups agreed to an extensive deal that will see the UFC beamed on various platforms.

NBA Playoffs: No Stephen Curry, no problem as Warriors rout Spurs; Raptors, Sixers and Pelicans win

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors fired a warning to their rivals as the NBA playoffs got under way on Saturday, routing the San Antonio Spurs, 113-92, to serve notice they will not be dethroned easily despite Stephen Curry’s knee injury.
Klay Thompson scored a game-high 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting, including five-of-six from 3-point range, and Kevin Durant added 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to power Golden State.
“We played well. We played hard. We need to do even better next time,” Durant said before praising Thompson’s long-range heroics.
“Klay knocked down shots. He was really good. He was penetrating as well,” Durant said. “We won’t always make shots at that rate but we need to play good defense like that as well.”
In Saturday’s other games, Eastern Conference top seed Toronto outlasted Washington, 114-106, while the Philadelphia 76ers trounced the Miami Heat, 130-103.
New Orleans dug deep to defeat Portland, 97-95, in the late Western Conference game.
Earlier, the host Warriors updated star guard Curry’s left knee sprain before playing, saying he was making progress and will be re-evaluated next Saturday.
Curry, who missed Golden State’s last 10 regular-season contests after the March 23 setback, will intensify his rehabilitation work in the next few days with more running and lateral movement, the team said in a statement.
Curry averaged 26.4 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds for the Warriors, who have played without several top players during the season due to injuries.
Despite the setbacks, Golden State won 58 games and are solid contenders for a third title in four seasons and fourth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals.
“We’re a championship ball club. We know what it takes this time of year in order to win,” said Warriors forward Draymond Green.
“We’re primed for this. A lot of people have tended to forget what we’re capable of. But we know, and we intend to show that.”
The Warriors struggled down the stretch of the regular season and finished with only the third-best record in the NBA behind Western Conference leader Houston and Eastern Conference pace-setter Toronto.
“Everybody kept our individual games on point,” Durant said. “At the end of the season, our minds weren’t on it. They were on the playoffs. “Today they were on the present.”
JaVale McGee scored 15 points and played aggressive defense while Green had 12 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.
Reserve Rudy Gay led the Spurs with 15 points while LaMarcus Aldridge and Bryn Forbes each added 14 for San Antonio.

Ben Simmons & Dwyane Wade
Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (#25) drives against Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (#3). — BILL STREICHER-USA TODAY SPORTS

SIMMONS SHINES IN SIXERS ROUT
At Philadelphia, the 76ers overcame a spirited first half display from Miami before stamping their class on their series opener with a devastating second half display.
Australian-born rookie Ben Simmons finished with 17 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds while J.J. Redick led the scoring with 28 points.
Miami led, 60-56, at halftime but were unable to respond to a second-half onslaught from the in-form 76ers, who have now won 17 games straight.
The Sixers outscored the Heat 74-43 in the second half, making full use of an offensive lineup that saw five players finish with double-figures.
At Toronto, the Raptors snapped a streak of losses in all nine prior playoff openers in club history.
“It’s big for us. We got the job done,” said Raptors star Kyle Lowry. “Now we’re just going to try to continue to build on that.”
The Raptors struggled into the fourth quarter against a Wizards squad that had the most losses of any playoff team and split four regular-season games against Toronto.
But Raptors reserve Delon Wright scored five points and C.J. Miles added a 3-pointer in a 10-0 Toronto run in the fourth quarter for a 105-96 lead the Wizards never overcame.
Serge Ibaka led the Raptors with 23 points and 12 rebounds while Wright added 18 points and DeMar DeRozan netted 17. Lowry contributed 11 points and nine assists.
John Wall led Washington with 23 points and 15 assists while Markieff Morris added 22 points and 11 rebounds.
In the late Western Conference game, Anthony Davis scored 35 points to lead New Orleans to a series-opening win over the Trail Blazers in Portland. — AFP

NBA legend Kobe Bryant takes player’s perspective in playoffs

THE postseason of the 2017-2018 National Basketball Association (NBA) season got going yesterday with half of the eight pairings kicking things off.
And one of those excited to have the playoffs get started was NBA legend Kobe Bryant, a player who knows much about playoff basketball and championships from a two-decade Hall-of Fame career all with the Los Angeles Lakers.
But while most of the spectators at this stage of the competition in The Association tend to throw predictions left and right, the “Black Mamba” shared that he is taking a “cerebral” route to enjoying the playoffs and looking at it from a player’s perspective.
“Well, I’m just looking at it from the perspective if I was a player, right? If I was [James] Harden in the series, I just played this game, I’m watching the film, what would I be looking at. It’s basically me going back to my old ways of watching film, how I was breaking down series when I was playing. That’s that,” said Mr. Bryant in a global media conference last week for his new ESPN show Detail, the transcript of which was shared to BusinessWorld.
He, nonetheless, said he likes the chances of Houston and Golden State of taking it all albeit underscoring the outcome of these playoffs is still wide open.
“I try to stay out of the business of clairvoyancy. I kind of look at the raw picture of what I see in front of me from the execution standpoint. Obviously, a lot of it depends on the health of Golden State. Houston have put themselves in prime position with their length, versatility, their speed, their aggressiveness. They’re a very aggressive team. It’s a more aggressive team than [Mike] D’Antoni has had. Phoenix, they play with a lot of speed, but none of those guys are naturally physical. Houston has some real physical players, man. I like where they’re at,” the five-time NBA champion and 18-time All-Star said.
“Cleveland obviously with LeBron [James], the shooting they have around him, some of the youth they infused that team with is obviously going to be dangerous. [I’m] Curious to see what Toronto does. Kyrie going down makes a big difference in the Eastern Conference. I like Houston and Golden State, pending their health, as being my top two favorites. Like I said, I kind of stay out of the business of predictions,” Mr. Bryant added.
Two years removed from playing his last game in the NBA, Mr. Bryant, who recently won an Oscar award for his animated short film Dear Basketball, said he is settling well in retirement with his current endeavours and just enjoying watching games from the sidelines.
“…I don’t have a hard time watching it (games) at all. This is where me and Michael [Jordan] differ a lot. Where I was going through the process of retirement, I think people were kind of assuming Michael and I behave the same way from a competitive standpoint. We’re both ridiculously competitive, but it’s different to a point, right?” he said.
“I have this other thing that is calling me that I enjoy doing. I’m completely focused on that. I can watch a game, feel nothing at all. There’s no angst, there’s no, ‘Man, I want to get back out there.’ There’s literally zero of that. Thank God I haven’t completely struggled watching playoffs. I’d be going crazy, dude. So fortunate enough for me, like, I’ve really been able to move on from the game,” Mr. Bryant said. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

‘Eco Warriors’ summoned anew for Nat Geo Earth Day Run

KEEPING its commitment to healthy living and concern for the environment, National Geographic is once again summoning “Eco Warriors” to take part on the ninth staging of the Nat Geo Earth Day Run.
Happening on April 22 at the SM Mall of Asia Grounds, Nat Geo Earth Day Run 2018 is being done in partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines and aims to attract 15,000 runners across the 3K, 5K, 10K, and 21K categories.
It serves to highlight as well the #NotPlastic campaign, which will tackle the country’s issue on single-use plastics that pollute oceans and threaten marine biodiversity.
“The Philippines has been identified as the third highest plastic polluter in the world. In response to this, the two organizations (National Geographic and WWF) aim to increase awareness on plastic waste and push programs that focus on plastic waste management by utilizing the proceeds of the highly anticipated annual run for the environment,” said Jose Angelito Palma, WWF president and CEO, at the run’s press launch on April 12.
The people behind the highly popular running event said they have lined up interesting and engaging activities for participants.
This year’s edition includes the Fun Run under the new 3K race category that encourages more Eco Warriors to participate and champion the environmental causes they believe in.
Registered runners will be able to receive a singlet, race bib, timing chip, water bottle and towel. 21K race finishers will receive a finisher’s medal and a finisher’s shirt, while 10K finishers will receive a finisher’s medal.
Interested participants can log onto the Nat Geo Earth Day Run website (http://www.natgeoearthdayrun.com/). Offline registration is available at authorized booths located at SM MOA, SM Aura, and SM The Block.
Registration fee for the 3K category is P750, 5K category is P850, 10K category is P950, and 21K is P1,400.
The gun start for participants of the 21K run is at 3:30 a.m., 10K is at 4:00 a.m., 5K is at 5:30 a.m., and 3K is at 6:00 a.m.
Race organizer for Nat Geo Earth Day Run 2018 is RunRio Events, Inc.
For more information, visit http://www.natgeoearthdayrun.com/ or log on to its official Facebook page, NatGeo Run. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Daniel Henares clinches gold in Benchrest Rifle Championship

DANIEL ‘Danby’ Henares dominated the 2018 Quarter Benchrest Rifle Championship recently with a gold and silver medal in as many events at the Marine Range in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.
Two days after the San Miguel Beermen captured their fourth straight Philippine Cup crown last week, Henares, the assistant team manager of the Beermen, stepped out of his basketball shoes and went into shooting bay to win the Heavy Varmint class.
He posted a leading score of 720 points to grab the gold medal in the Philippine National Shooting Association competition.
Although the competition is joined by a lot of shooters, Henares rose to the occasion and ignored the pressure to start the competition on a high note.
“I always worry when a lot of shooters sign up. But I was very fortunate to lead after the first shooting card,” said Henares, noting that Benchrest rifle shooters are renowned for their accuracy.
Benchrest shooters are required to shoot a 1-mm bullseye at 50 meters and they usually hit it with 90% success.
“The wind is the only enemy for a well tuned rifle and it started to blow by the third and last shooting card,” added Henares, who bested second placer Jun Bernardo (713.18) and third placer Gene Manalastas (708.18).
“But in the last shooting card, all the scores had dropped and I was able to maintain my lead.”
Henares, who was the winningest shooter in the Benchrest rifle competition, also added a silver medal in the light Varmint class after scoring 720.22 points.
None Alvero grabbed the gold with 726.27 points while Nick Lagustan settled for bronze with 713.16 points.

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