THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as chair of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, has called for an inter-agency social response for workers and families who will be affected by the temporary closure of the popular tourist destination Boracay.
“We know that the closure will have significant negative effects on households and employment. We will work as best as we can to mitigate these effects by engaging in convergence efforts with other government agencies,” DSWD Officer in Charge Emmanuel A. Leyco said in a statement released Friday.
The government has announced that Boracay, which has been plagued by environmental abuse, will be closed for six months starting April 26. Mr. Leyco said he already had preliminary discussions with the respective heads of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as well as the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) for synchronized response efforts.
The DSWD is set to activate two operations centers in Aklan on April 26, one in Boracay and one in the mainland in front of the Malay municipal hall, to facilitate the release of assistance and emergency welfare services. Meanwhile, the DoLE-Western Visayas office said affected workers can avail of a one-month emergency employment from the agency while other assistance programs are also being prepared. DoLE said more than 17,000 workers are expected to be displaced by the island closure. — Louine Hope U. Conserva
THE ILOILO provincial government is planning to create a Northern Iloilo Tourism Authority (NITA) to take the lead in developing the islands in the province’s 5th district into tourism sites.
“We want to prepare the whole northern Iloilo, especially Concepcion, which has 17 islands while the town of Carles, which has 22 or I think 24, to be real tourist destinations,” said Gov. Arthur D. Defensor Sr.
Among the existing tourist destinations in northern Iloilo are Gigantes Island, Sicogon Island, Cabugao Gamay Island, and Pawikan Cave in Carles town; Marbuena Island Resort in Ajuy; Agho Island, Pan de Azucar, and Sandbar Island Beach Resort in Concepcion. However, Mr. Defensor said these sites still lack accommodation facilities. “We are looking at where to place the hotels and facilities — in the mainland or in the islands. Because what some tourists do is to go there for island hopping then go home in the evening,” he said.
The governor said they are now looking at the legislative process for creating the NITA. Mr. Defensor will meet with the northern Iloilo municipal mayors to discuss the plans after the scheduled League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Iloilo assembly on April 10-13.
In a previous interview, Provincial Tourism Office head Gilbert Marin said the 5th District was the top tourism destination in Iloilo province in 2017, accounting for 40% of the total 310,878 tourist arrivals. — Louine Hope U. Conserva
THE HAZING CASE involving 10 Aegis Juris fraternity members linked to the death of University of Santo Tomas law student Horacio “Atio” Castillo III has been re-raffled to a new judge following Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 20 Presiding Judge Alfredo D. Ampuan’s decision to inhibit last March 23.
Judge Marivic T. Umali of Manila RTC Branch 40 will be taking over the case from Mr. Ampuan, who granted the Motion for Inhibition by respondents and accused John Robin Ramos and Juan Miguel Salamat.
Messrs. Ramos and Salamat requested for Mr. Ampuan’s inhibition as he is the brother-in-law of Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) chairperson Dante Jimenez, a known supporter of the Castillos in the case.
The two, along with co-accused Min Wei Chan, Marcelino Bagtang, Jr., Arvin A. Balag, Ralph Trangia, Axel Munro Hipe, Oliver Onofre, Joshua Joriel Macabali, and Hans Matthew Rodrigo, surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation on March 23.
They are accused with violation of Section 4(a) of Republic Act No. 8049, or the Anti-Hazing Law. — Dane Angelo M. Enerio
DAVAO CITY — The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), a corporate-led non-profit foundation, has urged local leaders in Mindanao to improve governance standards and take initiatives that will strengthen their direct participation in development and investment projects.
PBSP Chair Miguel Rene A. Dominguez, a former governor of Sarangani province, said local governments — provincial, city, and municipal levels — need to show potential investors that their respective areas are ready to host business ventures.
“They (LGUs) need to be able to institute reforms and other policy initiatives geared toward the building of confidence among investors,” said Mr. Dominguez at the sidelines of last Friday’s launching of the Mindanao Jobs Report (MJR) here.
He pointed out that although Mindanao has vast growth areas for agriculture, farmers have remained poor because they cannot increase productivity and need capital support for better technology and market links.
LGUs, Mr. Dominguez said, can create an attractive investment landscape and help farmers convince investors that they can grow their capital in their localities.
The PBSP, in partnership with the Mindanao Development Authority, launched in 2014 an inclusive development program to encourage investors to consider possibilities in Mindanao, especially in areas outside the established urban and growth zones. NEW PROGRAM
Meanwhile, the World Bank and the Philippine government are crafting a new program, similar to the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP), that will serve as another mechanism for bringing growth in the rural areas.
Mara K. Warwick, World Bank country director for the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Thailand, said the proposed program is “still in the initial stages” with ongoing discussions with the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The DA was the lead agency in the implementation of the MRDP, which has now been upscaled into the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP).
Ms. Warwick said while similar to the MRDP, “there will always be differences” for the new one, which would be largely based on the Mindanao Jobs Report.
The study recommends a focus on increasing agricultural productivity and boosting human capital.
The MRDP was aimed at addressing poverty in the rural areas of Mindanao by putting in place key infrastructure interventions like farm-to-market roads and irrigation systems, enterprise components and environmental preservation initiatives.
Under the program, LGUs needed to apply for funding for their projects as well as provide a minimal financial counterpart for implementation. — Carmelito Q. Francisco
A BOY checks out floaters sold in Katipunan, Quezon City as the Philippine summer season starts. Weather bureau PAGASA announced last week the onset of the dry season. “The day to day weather will gradually become warmer and drier in the coming weeks partly due to the dominance of the ridge of North Pacific High Pressure area and easterlies. This would also signify the start of the dry season,” PAGASA said.
THE San Miguel Beermen further lionized themselves as a franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) after making history on Friday by winning their fourth straight PBA Philippine Cup title.
It marked the first time in league history that a team has accomplished such feat while padding the Beermen’s distinction as the “gold standard” in the PBA, punctuated by 25 championships all-time, six of which coming in the last 10 conferences.
And for key stalwarts of the team, the success they have been reaping of late is a product, among other things, of the special bond they have built as a group during the course of time.
“Man, this group is unbelievable. The amount of players we have and the mixture that we have, we show composure and grit, putting us in position to take on any challenge,” said San Miguel sharp-shooter Marcio Lassiter when asked by BusinessWorld of how special their group is following their 108-99 double-overtime victory over the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok in Game Five of their best-of-seven finals series on April 6 that gave them the All-Filipino title anew.
“We are not gonna back down. Together we will fight back in anyway we can, through our offense or defense. We just have a great group of guys and that’s all that matters. We all love each other. We like to fight for one another, from the starters to the people off the bench. On the floor, it’s all us,” added Mr. Lassiter, who finished with 16 points to go along with four assists in the title-clincher.
It is the same position that another key cog, Arwind Santos, takes special pride in, leading him to consider himself very lucky to be part of the team.
“How special this team is sometimes hard to explain. We are blessed that our team is complete. In every position you can make a case that they are the best in what they do,” said Mr. Santos in a separate interview.
“But what really makes us click is how special our relationship is as a group. If I was a rookie, I would love to play for this team. We love to play for each other. We know what each other can do and feed off that. The support and love for one another as brothers is there. It’s truly a family here for us,” added the former league most valuable player who wound up with 23 points and 11 rebounds in Game Five.
Mr. Santos also drained the key three-pointer late in regulation that sent the match into overtime.
In winning the title, the Beermen relied on a strong finishing kick after trailing for much of the contest and going down by as much 16 points in the payoff quarter.
Using a 13-0 run as the fourth quarter wound up, San Miguel put it in a position to snatch the win.
Magnolia had its chances to win and extend the series but the Beermen proved to be the steadier team as the match wore on and were awarded with the title in the end, winning the series, 4-1.
Best player of the conference and finals most valuable player June Mar Fajardo led San Miguel with a monster double-double of 42 points and 20 rebounds while guard Chris Ross had a near quadruple-double of 13 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and eight steals.
The PBA returns next for the import-laden Commissioner’s Cup, which kicks off on April 22.
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo Senior Reporter
THE National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs halted a telling five-game losing streak in the second round of UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball with a straight-sets victory over the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors yesterday that also saw them infuse life back to their playoff push.
Displaying more bounce and focus to their game, the Lady Bulldogs made short work of the already-eliminated Lady Warriors to notch the 26-24, 26-24 and 25-20 victory and earn their first win in the second round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) tournament and improve to 7-6 that has the team now a step closer to advancing to the next round.
The opening set was tightly fought with both teams going back and forth, looking to dictate the tempo of the contest.
UE would be first to set point, 24-22, but saw a determined NU crew rally back, led by skipper Jaja Santiago, tying the count at 24-all before scoring the next two points to pull the rug from under the Lady Warriors and go one set up.
The Lady Bulldogs sustained their strong finish in the first set at the start of the second frame, racing to a 16-10 lead by the second technical timeout.
UE then went on a 10-6 run to narrow the gap, 22-20, before eventually tying the score at 24-all.
But like the first set, Santiago came to the rescue of the Lady Bulldogs, accounting for the next two points to push her team two sets up over the Lady Warriors.
NU opened the third set with four quick points, which it used as a jump-off point to build an 8-3 lead by the first technical break.
The Lady Warriors showed fight thereafter, outscoring the Lady Bulldogs, 6-1, to level the score at 9-all.
It proved to be a temporary stupor by NU as it buried UE anew with a 7-3 blast for a 16-12 lead by the halfway mark.
Like in the first two sets, the Lady Warriors were not go down without a fight, coming within three points, 23-20.
They would not go any closer than that though as NU went for the closeout thereafter and book the win.
Santiago led the way for the Lady Bulldogs with 22 points with Risa Sato adding 13 and Roselyn Doria nine points.
UE (2-10), for its part, was paced by Meann Mendrez with 14 and Shaya Adorador with 11.
“We have been losing of late and we just kept our focus. We’re happy with the win,” said Sato, named player of the game, following their win.
With the victory, NU effectively eliminated the University of the Philippines Lady Fighting Maroons (5-8) and University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses (4-8) from the Final Four race.
The Adamson Lady Falcons are now the lone team left outside looking in with a 5-7 record and angling to catch the last bus to the playoffs via the backdoor and join already qualified De La Salle Lady Spikers, Ateneo Lady Eagles and Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws.
NU plays its last game in the elimination round on April 15 against FEU with UE playing next on Wednesday, April 11, also against the Lady Tamaraws.
THE controversy and change-filled “UFC 223” successfully took place yesterday at the Barclays Center in New York with Russian Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov and American “Thug” Rose Namajunas emerging victorious.
Despite seeing his opponent change twice last-minute, Mr. Nurmagomedov stayed focus and stuck to his guns, but not after having made to work than expected by “Raging” Al Iaquinta of the United States, to win by unanimous decision, 50-43, 50-43 and 50-43, and seize the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight belt.
The Russian got off to a strong start, anchored on takedowns and ground and pound, looking to finish his opponent early.
But Mr. Iaquinta would find his footing as the fight progressed, hurting Mr. Nurmagomedov with punches to the face and body shots.
Mr. Nurmagomedov tried to go for the finish in the final round, taking down Mr. Iaquinta and throwing some pounding anew but the American was not to give in and held on to survive albeit not winding up with the win.
“I don’t know what to say. Credit to my team for without them I would not be here. It’s the best team ever,” said Mr. Nurmagomedov, who expressed his desire to fight legend Georges-St. Pierre next.
The new UFC lightweight champion has stretched his winning streak to 26 wins and no losses while Mr. Iaquinta slid to 13-4-1.
Mr. Nurmagomedov was originally set to face interim UFC lightweight champion Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson, who had to pull out at the last minute because of a knee injury.
Featherweight champion Max “Blessed” Holloway stepped in but he, too, eventually was scrapped as he was ruled medically unfit to fight before Mr. Iaquinta was chosen as the final opponent.
Erstwhile reigning lightweight champ Conor “The Notorious” McGregor also created controversy in the lead-up to UFC 223, leading a violent attack on some of the fighters in the event that resulted to some being injured and unable to go. He has since been charged, along with others, over the incident. UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas (right) and Joanna Jedrzejczyk (left) trade punches during their UFC women’s strawweight championship bout at UFC 223 at Barclays Center on April 7 in New York City. — AFP CO-MAIN EVENT
Meanwhile, in the co-main event, Ms. Namajunas proved her victory over former champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk previously was no fluke, making it 2-of-2 over the latter with an impressive unanimous decision victory, 49-46, 49-46 and 49-46.
Showing much patience and confidence, defending champion Namajunas technically and methodically tore down Ms. Jedrzejczyk with solid punches and combinations that had the face of the Pole badly messed up.
Ms. Jedrzejczyk had her moments especially in the third round as she hurt Ms. Namajunas with a series of leg kicks.
But the champion was not to be denied as she complemented her strong start with an impressive finish, leaving hardly any doubt how deserving she was of the win.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t as technical this time, but it was still good, I pulled through,” humbly said Ms. Namajunas.
“She was right that weight cut kind of did mess her up the first time. But I’m just better, man. I feel like I could’ve been lighter on my feet this time, but I’ve got Pat Barry (her coach), the best low-kicker in the game, kicking me all the time,” she added.
With the win, Ms. Namajunas improved to 8-3 and has won three straight while Ms. Jedrzejczyk dropped to 14-2 and her second consecutive loss.
In other fights at UFC 222, featherweight Renato Mocaino downed Calvin Kattar by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 and 30-27), featherweight Zabit Magomedsharipov beat Kyle Bochniak by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 and 30-27), and Chris Gruetzemacher defeated Joe Lauzon by second-round technical knockout (corner stoppage).
Next for the UFC is ”UFC on Fox 29” in Glendale, Arizona, on April 15 (Manila time) that will feature the lightweight battle between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje as well as clash between welterweights Carlos Condit and Alex Oliveira.
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. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
AUGUSTA — Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy are headed into a last-round Masters showdown, 18 months after their epic Ryder Cup duel at Hazeltine.
America’s Reed eagled both par-5 holes on Augusta National’s back nine on Saturday en route to a five-under par 67 and, at 14-under 202, a three-shot lead over Northern Ireland star McIlroy.
McIlroy, a four-time major-winner who only needs a green jacket to complete his collection of Grand Slam titles, had five birdies and an eagle in his 7-under 65 for 205 — and said he would be ready to swing away come Sunday.
“All the pressure is on him,” McIlroy said. “He’s got to go out and protect that, and he’s got a few guys chasing him that are pretty big-time players. He’s got that to deal with and sleep on.
“I can go out there and play like I’ve got nothing to lose… I can go out and sort of free wheel.”
McIlroy has been hankering for a return to the last group on Sunday at Augusta since 2011, when he took a four-shot lead into the final round and carded an 80.
Since then he has won four majors, but never a Masters.
“I’ve been waiting for this chance,” McIlroy said. “I always have said that 2011 was a huge turning point in my career. Now I’m ready.”
Reed, who is seeking his first major title, hinted that McIlroy’s bid to become just the sixth player to win all four of golf’s major championships carried it’s own pressure.
“You can put it either way,” Reed said, adding that he “felt fine” after sleeping on the halfway lead.
“I believe that’s how it’s going to be… Wake up and just come out and play golf.”
The needling was no surprise given their history — specifically Reed’s 1 up victory, secured with a birdie at 18, which set the tone for the US Ryder Cup victory over Europe. NOT A TWO-HORSE RACE
Both Reed and McIlroy, however, said it would be dangerous to go into Sunday with eyes only for each other.
American Rickie Fowler and Spain’s Jon Rahm matched McIlroy’s 65 on Saturday, Fowler heading into the final round five shots off the lead and Rahm one stroke behind him.
Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, a British Open champion, is seven adrift and two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson is eight shots off the lead.
“There’s a lot more players in this golf tournament than just Patrick Reed and I,” McIlroy said. “It’s definitely not a two-horse race at this point.”
McIlroy believes his nine prior Masters appearances have earned him some support around Augusta, while Reed led Augusta State to two national collegiate golf championships in 2010 and 2011.
“It’s going to be awesome to come out tomorrow and have a lot of Augusta State guys out here cheering me on,” Reed said — although he noted that the stately confines of Augusta National would make for a far different experience than a rowdy Ryder Cup.
“There’s a lot of stuff that you can do at Ryder Cup that you can’t do at Augusta National,” he said. — AFP
AFTER failing to notch a victory in the new season of the Philippines Football League (PFL) in its first two tries, Kaya FC-Iloilo made it third time a charm by beating erstwhile undefeated JPV Marikina FC, 1-0, in their Saturday fixture at the University of Makati.
Towed by goalkeeper Ref Cuaresma’s game-long brilliance, holding his ground against every assault from their opponent, Kaya finally barged into the win column following a draw and a loss in its previous assignment in the young 2018 PFL season.
Kaya’s Eric Gaganto scored the lone goal of the night at the 13th minute and it proved to be enough as Kaya stood its ground the rest of the way even as JPV Marikina was unrelenting in its attempt to come back.
“We were dominating in the first half, we had lots of chances. But in the second half it didn’t go well. We gave away so many balls. We weren’t winning second balls, and JPV were able to play their game,” said Kaya head coach Noel Marcaida following their win.
“But I don’t call it (the win) lucky. I consider it hard work from all the players. It was a thrilling game. I’m proud to have Ref’s first clean sheet. He really saved us. We got our first win in the league, so we’re very happy,” the coach added.
The win put Kaya in second place as the PFL action resumes after the international break.
It currently has four points two behind league-leading JPV Marikina (2-0-1).
Defending champion Ceres-Negros FC (1-0-0) has three points, followed by Stallion Laguna FC (1-0-1) with three, Davao Aguilas FC (0-1-0) with one point, and Global FC (0-0-2) the remaining winless team to date.
Despite absorbing their first loss, JPV Marikina coach Dan Padernal was positive of the showing they had against Kaya and is looking forward to bouncing back in their next game.
“We made a few adjustments at halftime and they turned out very well. We were able to get lots of chances. We lost three points today, but the boys worked very hard until the very end. I’m very proud of them. They had chances, but we were just a bit unlucky. I’m still satisfied, and looking forward to our next game,” the coach said. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
LOS ANGELES — Will Barton scored 31 points as the Denver Nuggets kept their playoffs hopes alive with a 134-115 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
Nikola Jokic finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as the Nuggets won their fifth straight to move into a tie with the Minnesota Timberwolves for eighth place in the Western Conference with two games to play. Both teams are 45-35.
With the offense leading the way some nights and the defense on others, the Nuggets have regained control of their playoff destiny.
They will reach the post-season if they win their last two NBA games. The Nuggets finish the regular season at home against Portland on Monday night.
On Saturday, Denver started quickly on the attack, making 10 of their first 12 shots.
The stage is now set for the Nuggets’ season-ending game against the Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Wednesday. Minnesota, which holds the tiebreaker over the Nuggets, hosts Memphis on Monday.
The loss eliminated the struggling Clippers from the postseason race as they lost for the fourth time in the past five games. The loss ends a string of six straight post-season appearances for the Clippers. WIN STREAK SNAPPED
Elsewhere, Russell Westbrook and Paul George combined for 48 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Houston Rockets, 108-102.
Oklahoma City was behind by one point with seven minutes to go before going on an 11-0 burst.
The host Rockets scored five straight points with less than a minute left to get within five, but George made two free throws to clinch the win and snap Houston’s 20-game home win streak.
The Thunder are battling with a number of teams for the final playoff berths in the Western Conference.
Carmelo Anthony tallied 22 points for the Thunder, including some clutch three pointers.
James Harden had 26 and Chris Paul chipped in 17 points for the Rockets in the loss. — AFP
