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US Golf Association officials in damage control after tough day at US Open

SOUTHAMPTON — The US Golf Association (USGA) was in damage control mode Saturday, admitting they botched the US Open course setup but defending a decision not to disqualify five-time major winner Phil Mickelson.
USGA Chief Executive Mike Davis admitted organizers’ zeal to make the US Open the “ultimate” test in golf backfired as higher than expected winds dried out the sloping greens at Shinnecock Hills.
“We felt good about the setup when we left this morning,” Davis said. “We felt that it would work well given the forecast we had. Now that I’m sitting here, we would say that part of this test were simply too tough.
“We saw some examples late in the day where well executed shots were not only not being rewarded but in some cases penalized.”
Davis said the worst spot was the 15th, where the hole location was too close to the edge of the green.
“It worked fine most of the day, but it didn’t work fine later in the day,” Davis said of the pin position at par-four 15th, which was the hardest hole on the course playing at an average of 4.6 shots.
“We simply got higher winds than we anticipated. The grass really began to dry out. If you looked at it at the end, it was almost wilting around there and it just didn’t have enough grass to hold the ball up.”
Former Masters champion Zach Johnson said flatly that the USGA had “lost” the course.
But Davis said steps would be taken to insure there was no repeat of the 2004 US Open at Shinnecock, where the greens dried out over the weekend to the extent that some were virtually unplayable.
“We must slow the course down tonight and we will,” Davis said. “So that probably means more water applied.”
John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s managing director of championships and governance, took on the thorny question of Mickelson’s amazing swipe at his moving ball on the 13th green.
The five-time major-winner was penalized two strokes under rule 14-5 that bars a player from “making a stroke at a moving ball.”
After Mickelson admitted he was trying to “take advantage of the rules” debate raged on social media as to wether he should be disqualified under the rule stating a player “must not take an action with the intent to influence the movement of a ball in play.”
Bodenhamer insisted rule 14-5 was appropriate to the situation.
“It is not an intent-based rule,” he said. “It is a fact-based rule. You operate under what actually happened.” — AFP

UP gearing up for season of better results

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
COMPLEMENTING the gains they have had in the last couple of seasons in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) with a shored-up roster heading into Season 81, the University of the Philippines (UP) men’s basketball team is looking at its campaign later this year with much bullishness, believing that this year could be the season of better results.
To be backstopped in Season 81 by prized recruits Bright Akhuetie (formerly of the Perpetual Help Altas in the National Collegiate Athletic Association) and NCAA Juniors most valuable player Will Gozum, joining holdovers like Paul Desiderio, Jun Manzo and Juan and Javi Gomez de Liano, the Diliman-based Fighting Maroons are high on their chances of going deeper this time around albeit recognize they still need to put in the work to achieve such.
“This is our fourth year in our program and we feel this season we could compete better,” said UP coach Bo Perasol at the sidelines of the signing of their recently inked partnership with 3M Philippines as one their sponsors for UAAP Season 81.
“The vision that we had at the start is actually happening but the results have yet to happen. When we started this, we just wanted to have a good chance of being there (Final Four or even championship). We want to achieve that, but apart from that we also want to encourage our community to believe in that vision. I want them to be there. I want them to be involved,” he added.
The UP coach went on to say that they are really preparing hard, joining as many tournaments as they can to see where they currently stand as far as their progress is concerned as well as setting trainings both here and abroad to stay sharp.
“This preseason we are playing a number of games and we have set various training camps. These are for the new guys and holdovers to establish cohesion and chemistry. Hopefully these pay off this season,” he said.
As to Akhuetie, who is expected to play a key role in the Fighting Maroons’ push in Season 81, Mr. Perasol said a lot rides on the Cameroonian’s ability to get his game going in concert with the rest of the team.
“Bright is really the focal point of what we are doing right now. He is our big man both on offense and defense. We are trying to get a feel of what he can do along with the team. That is one of the things we are working on in practice every time,” said Mr. Perasol.
Asked if UP will get to finally hoist the UAAP men’s basketball title once again after more than 30 years, Mr. Perasol said they would no doubt make a go at it.
“I’m really hoping that it can happen. In basketball there is nothing really certain as injuries can happen and players not living up from their end, things like that. But again, our intention is to be in the right position to achieve that and the better way to do that is to have better personnel, which I believe we have this season,” the UP coach said.

Collegiate Basketball Awards

BEFORE the collegiate wars commence anew, the UAAP-NCAA Press Corps is set to honor the heroes of the past season in the 2018 Chooks-to-Go Collegiate Basketball Awards.
The group, made up of scribes from print and online outfits covering the beat, are set to distinguish the best players from last year when they hold the annual awards night on Thursday, June 21, at The Bayleaf Hotel in Intramuros.
Set to be awarded are standouts from the championship teams of San Beda Red Lions in the NCAA and the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP.
But the trophies aren’t just limited to them as the group will also hand out special awards to the breakout performers of this past season in the event sponsored by Chooks-to-Go, “Ang nag-iisang Manok ng Bayan!,” and The Bayleaf Intramuros.
The Red Lions, led by Robert Bolick and coached by Boyet Fernandez, were crowned as the NCAA Season 93 champion in 2017, copping the league’s crown for the 10th time over the last 12 seasons.
The Blue Eagles, coached by Tab Baldwin, captured the UAAP Season 80 title last year after beating La Salle in a thrilling championship series with Thirdy Ravena capturing the finals Most Valuable Player.
Both teams are also expected to figure prominently in the title chase for the coming season of their mother leagues.

MPBL: Manila wins at home; Navotas turns table on Pasay

HOST Manila outlasted Bataan in a battle of two favored squads in the Maharlika Pilipinas Baskteball League’s (MPBL) Datu Cup even as the new-look Navotas team showed a lot of promise in posting an impressive come from behind victory late Saturday night at the San Andres Gym in Manila.
The Robust Energy Capsule-supported Manila Stars, coached by Philip Cezar, trailed in the third period, but recovered in time to pull off an 89-82 triumph in the main game.
Behind veterans Drian Celada, Riel Cervantes and young star Aris Dionisio, the Stars overcame a 10-point deficit behind a blistering 15-3 run in the third period to turn a 56-46 deficit to a 61-59 edge.
Manila even posted its biggest lead at 84-74 but watched Bataan came in closer to within striking distance following eight unanswered points before the Stars got a big break in the final 1:25 of the game when Bataan Risers coach Jojo Lastimosa was called for a technical foul for pointing an accusing finger to an official.
That led to five straight points for the Stars as the Risers couldn’t buy a basket in the final minute.
Manila’s victory in front of its jampacked crowd was nearly overshadowed by Navotas’ 83-75 win over Pasay in the first game.
The Navotas Clutch, who are now being handled by new coach Ritchie Ticzon, paraded an entirely new team with the exception of two holdovers who played a key role in allowing the team to come up with a good first impression. The team silently built up in the off season, but for Mr. Ticzon, the familiarity of some of the players as well as the coaches in the system they’ve been running made the transition more smooth-sailing.
“A lot of people here know the system that we’ve been running. It wasn’t that difficult for us even though the team is entirely new,” added Mr. Ticzon, who took over the reins from Elvis Tolentino, now head coach of Marikina.
Doing much damage on Pasay’s defense was Navotas’ new top gun, ex-TNT player Levy Hernandez, who knocked in 26 points and was ably backed up by Rey Publico, now the team captain of the team.
The athletic 6-foot-5 Publico contributed 22 points and nine rebounds for the Clutch, who climbed back from a 25-13 deficit before turning things around the rest of the way. — Rey Joble

Murray returns; Djokovic woes hog spotlight at Queen’s Club

LONDON — Andy Murray will make his long awaited return from hip surgery at Queen’s Club this week, while his old rival Novak Djokovic arrives at the Wimbledon warm-up hoping to end his wretched run.
Murray has not played a competitive match since he was knocked out of the Wimbledon quarterfinals last July as a hip injury brought a painful end to his season.
The former world number one underwent surgery in January after pulling out of the 2017 US Open and this year’s Australian Open.
Murray made a tentative commitment to appear in the grass-court tournament in Rosmalen this week, before again pulling out at the last minute to spark fresh fears that he wouldn’t make it back in time for Wimbledon.
But the two-time Wimbledon champion has been practising regularly for the past fortnight and a final workout on Friday at Queen’s Club with fellow Briton Cameron Norrie convinced him to return.
“I’ve been practicing the last couple of weeks and obviously building up each day. I started playing sets about a week ago,” Murray said on Saturday.
“So, I played probably seven or eight sets, and I wanted to feel how I felt the following day after playing a couple of sets with Cam Norrie.
“I got tested by my physios this morning to make sure I hadn’t stiffened up and lost any range of motion in my hip which can happen when you’re tired and the hip’s a bit angry.
“That wasn’t the case. That was all positive and I pulled up pretty well from that, so then I decided to go for it.”
Murray faces temperamental but talented Australian Nick Kyrgios in the Queen’s first round as he builds up to the start of Wimbledon on July 2.
Murray, a five-time Queen’s winner, had only been seen on court during a charity match against Roger Federer last November and one exhibition set against Roberto Bautista Agut in December.
And, after such a long and frustrating rehabilitation period, the world number 157 admits it will be a tense moment when he gets back on the court to face Kyrgios.
“Well it’s obviously eleven months since I last competed. So obviously I’m looking forward to it. There are a lot of doubts though as well when you’ve not played for a long time,” Murray said.
“Coming back from injury you’re always kind of second guessing yourself.
“You never know exactly when you’re going to be ready, but I’m looking forward to getting back out there and competing, and hopefully playing well.”
EMBARRASSING
Like Murray, Djokovic has endured a frustrating period.
Djokovic is a lowly 21st in the rankings after an embarrassing French Open quarterfinal defeat against Italian journeyman Marco Cecchinato.
The struggling Serb hasn’t earned a major title since competing his career Grand Slam by winning the 2016 French Open.
Djokovic has failed to reach the semi-finals in any of his last five Grand Slam appearances.
A 12-time Grand Slam winner, Djokovic traditionally opts against playing a pre-Wimbledon event.
But, dogged by rumors that he no longer has the motivation and desire to return to the top, he has decided to start his bid for a fourth Wimbledon crown earlier than usual by accepting a Queen’s wild card. — AFP

Shinnecock ‘too tough’

The third round of any given major championship is tagged “Moving Day” for a reason: It’s when hopefuls make significant strides and become contenders for the hardware heading into the Final 18. And, for the most part, the fireworks are set up by astute course organizers who latch on to the right risk-reward formulas; the intent is to spur boldness and creativity, with the proper use of otherworldly skill sets leading to tangible benefits. Yesterday, sadly, was an exception to the rule.
Granted, the United States Open has long been the toughest test in the sport. Of all the tournaments on the Grand Slam rota, it’s the one that installs patience as a virtue and points to prudence as the better part of valor. That said, US Golf Association (USGA) officials take pains to convey the impression that the courses they manage for their events are eminently difficult but fair. Often, they succeed in doing so, bringing about challenges that go down the wire and keep observers on the edge of their seats. In some cases, they go overboard in their avowed desire to protect par, resulting in blood-red marks on the leaderboard and players and spectators alike complaining about the carnage.
The third round of the 2018 US Open was, by all accounts, the latter case. So penal were conditions on Shinnecock Hills that even USGA heads, Chief Executive Mike Davis included, agreed that the test was “probably too tough.” Certainly, it was an extraordinary admission from an organization that takes pride in treading the fine line between exactitude and inequity. “You were seeing shots that were well played and not rewarded,” he conceded.
Indeed, and examples of how Sisyphean the endeavor of keeping in step with yesterday’s layout could be found at every turn. Shinnecock Hills was already extremely demanding in the morning, when dampness made fairways and greens relatively soft; it became downright brutal in the afternoon, when shots off the tee and on approach seemed to be rejected by grounds and bounced any which way, and when delicately struck putts powered past holes.
Ask erstwhile leader Dustin Johnson, who appeared well on the road to an implosion before he managed to regain his bearings on the back nine. And even then, he remained subject to the course’s whims; on the last hole, his tap to get a 17-foot birdie attempt in the hole ran a ridiculous eight feet past — and, of course, he missed the comebacker. Ask two-time major winner Zach Johnson, who noted in frustration that the USGA “lost the golf course.” Ask six-time runner-up Phil Mickelson, who celebrated his birthday with an 81 that included a John Daly-like deliberate swipe at the ball while it was still moving on the fourth green.
Given the reaction, it’s no wonder that the USGA has pledged to make conditions more benign today. Whether it moves the pendulum to the other end or just closer to the middle remains to be seen. In any case, whoever winds up on top will have clearly done so not merely by competing, but by surviving.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Bank of Japan sticks with easing as Fed, ECB tighten policy

Bank of Japan head Haruhiko Kuroda defended its decision to press ahead with the country’s ultra-loose monetary policy Friday, even as the US Federal Reserve and European Central Bank tighten their policies.
After a two-day meeting, the BoJ said it would retain its current framework, pointing to a disappointing lack of progress towards its longstanding 2.0 percent inflation target.
Speaking after the meeting, Kuroda said a persistent “deflation mind” was plaguing Japanese boardrooms and families, keeping the goal he had hoped to reach by 2015 a distant goal.
“I believe the momentum remains intact for us to achieve the two-percent price (inflation) target,” he said.
“I believe the current framework is sustainable,” he added of the bank’s decision to maintain its monetary easing measures.
Kuroda took the post in 2013 pledging that he would help put the economy on a sustainable growth path and eradicate Japan’s long-running problem of almost non-existent inflation.
After rounds of huge easing and stimulus programmes, he has had to delay the target date several times, with consumer prices rising only 0.7 percent in April, weaker than in past months.
The bank’s decision to keep its monetary policy in place and maintain its key policy rate around zero was widely expected.
But it sets it at odds with its US and European peers.
In the US, solid, ongoing economic growth has convinced the US Federal Reserve to gradually increase its policy rate.
And the European Central Bank is also making gradual steps toward normalising its easy monetary policy although it said its interest rates would stay at current record lows through at least the summer of 2019.
“In the United States, wages and prices are steadily rising. The FOMC’s (Federal Open Market Committee) decision to move toward normalisation… matches the reality of its economy and wages,” Kuroda said.
“Europe is progressing at a relatively slower pace,” and its normalisation efforts also being delayed accordingly, he said.
But Japan has been slow to see prices rise, as firms and consumers remain cautious on spending.
“A special factor affecting our country is that there remains ‘deflation mind’ in the corporate and household sectors after the 15-year period between 1998 through 2013 of deflation, low growth,” Kuroda said.
That cautious mindset has kept prices from rising, he warned,
“Deflation mind still remains. That’s a factor unseen in the US and Europe,” he said.

Trump preps China tariff target list, Beijing ready to retaliate

US President Donald Trump on Friday was due to unveil a final list of Chinese imports that would face punishing tariffs, fanning fears of a trade war as Beijing warned that it could swiftly strike back.
The threat of massive duties on billions of dollars of goods sent Shanghai stocks to their lowest level since September 2016, though it remained uncertain whether Trump would hold fire as part of a negotiating strategy.
The deadline to release the list comes as Washington faces a dizzying array of parallel diplomatic horse trading, as Trump is increasingly dependent on Beijing to help advance efforts at North Korean denuclearization, while also using aggressive trade tactics on all major US economic partners.
The president’s trade team, including senior officials from the Commerce and Treasury departments, were due to gather Thursday at the White House to finalize the list of Chinese goods on the hit list.
A report in the Wall Street Journal quoting sources close to the matter said Thursday evening the list had been approved and would affect about $50 billion worth of goods, the same figure that was first announced in March.
China has pledged any tariffs will void progress made in recent trade talks between Beijing and Washington and has drawn up its own list of $50 billion in US goods to target.
“If the US side adopts unilateral protectionist measures and damages China’s interests, we will immediately react and take necessary measures to firmly safeguard our legitimate rights and interests,” foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in Beijing.
“All the results from the negotiations will not go into effect,” Geng repeated.
Trump has frequently reversed course, threatening and then backing away, or vice versa, but he has appeared determined to take a hard line with Beijing.
“What we’re seeing here is a bargaining process in which the Trump team has found that by continuing to put pressure on China, the offers have become better and better,” said Dennis Wilder, head of a Georgetown University program on US-China relations.
“My guess is that the Trump administration will announce but not implement. They want to give the Chinese a little more time,” the former senior CIA official for East Asia told AFP.
The confrontation with China began in March when Trump announced 25 percent tariffs on about $50 billion in Chinese goods to punish the country against the theft and forced transfer of American technologies and know-how.
China immediately threatened to retaliate on $50 billion in US goods, so Trump upped the ante, vowing to hit another $100 billion of goods.
A preliminary list of about 1,300 Chinese export goods was released in April by US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, with about 70 percent of the goods coming from categories covering nuclear reactors, electrical machinery and optical equipment.
A mystified Beijing
However, the list was due to be trimmed after a public comment period to reduce the negative impact on US companies and consumers, so the final total is not confirmed. CNBC reported Thursday Trump officials planned to winnow that list to between 800 and 900 goods.
It was also unclear when the tariffs would take effect. The White House said last month the final list would be unveiled on June 15, with the duties to be imposed “shortly thereafter.”
Analysts say that repeated about-faces and turmoil among US officials during trade talks have left Chinese officials unsure of Trump’s goals or which of the several senior emissaries from Trump’s Cabinet actually has the power to seal a deal.
“I think the Chinese have been mystified by what the administration wants,” said Nicholas Lardy, an expert on the Chinese economy at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Trump has moved to save the Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE from US sanctions imposed in April that brought it the verge of collapse, sparking outrage from congressional Republicans.
Last month the White House effectively declared a truce in the trade hostilities with China, before deciding weeks later to press ahead with tariffs.
Analysts say the tariffs that Washington is preparing are a pittance when compared to the size of the world’s two largest economies — limiting their power to bend Beijing to Trump’s will.
But others worry about the sign it sends, and the potential to damage the world economy.
Trump faces competing objectives in pursuing a North Korean deal while seeking comprehensive economic concessions from China, which might loosen economic pressure on Pyongyang if Washington presses too far.
“We’re asking them to completely change who they are and we’re shaking this little stick in front of them,” said Derek Scissors, an expert on the Chinese economy at the American Enterprise Institute.
“I’m a China-basher on trade,” he told AFP, but added: “I don’t see why we’re imposing $50 billion worth of tariffs on China. It’s not going to do any good.” — Douglas Gillison, AFP

Tokyo stocks close higher on weak yen

Tokyo stocks rose moderately on Friday, helped by Wall Street rallies and a cheaper yen against the dollar.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index gained 0.50 percent or 113.14 points to close at 22,851.75, logging a weekly gain of 0.69 percent.
The broader Topix index was up 0.29 percent or 5.15 points at 1,789.04. It gained 0.43 percent over the week.
A record high for the US tech-rich Nasdaq index and a weak yen against the dollar supported Japanese shares, said Toshikazu Horiuchi, a broker at IwaiCosmo Securities.
The dollar fetched 110.89 yen in Asian afternoon trade, up from 110.58 yen in New York and 109.99 yen in Tokyo on Thursday.
“Investors are expected to try 23,000 in Nikkei next week, but concerns over the US-China trade dispute may weigh on the market,” Horiuchi told AFP.
On Wall Street, the Nasdaq surged to a fresh record Thursday, boosted by higher media shares, as traders shrugged off trade-war worries amid signs of accelerating US growth.
Meanwhile, the euro tumbled against the dollar after the ECB sketched out a longer-than-expected timeframe for hiking interest rates.
The ECB’s timeframe, included as part of its announcement that it would end stimulus bond-buying this year, stood out all the more a day after the US Federal Reserve accelerated its schedule for hiking interest rates.
Investors largely ignored the Bank of Japan’s widely expected decision to keep its ultra-loose monetary policy unchanged.
In Tokyo, SoftBank fell 0.19 percent to 8,324 yen after reports said it is mulling an investment of dozens of billions of dollars in a solar-power project in India.
Oriental Land rallied 2.48 percent to 11,960 yen after the Tokyo Disney Resort operator announced a plan to expand the park.
Sony was up 1.07 percent at 5,445 yen while Nintendo was up 1.69 percent at 37,760.
— AFP

Megaworld to launch P80-B worth of projects this year

Megaworld Corp. is scaling up its residential project launches to P80 billion this year, banking on the continued strong demand for properties from both local and foreign buyers.
In the first quarter of the year alone, Megaworld Senior Vice President Jericho P. Go said the company has already matched the value of projects it launched last year. In 2017, Megaworld unveiled P39 billion worth of projects.
Asked where the demand for projects is coming from, Mr. Go said around 78% is from local buyers, while the rest are from foreign investors and overseas Filipino workers.
“Majority (of demand) is still domestic…the locals are starting to realize that when they reserve, they better follow through immediately and make that downpayment so that they can secure the unit that they’re purchasing. So the foreign (buying) has created a positive impact in terms of local buying,” Mr. Go told reporters in a briefing after the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting in Quezon City on Friday.
Around 70% of the projects will be under Megaworld — located across its townships Arcovia City in Pasig City, Capital Town in Pampanga, Iloilo Business Park in Iloilo City, Maple Grove in General Trias Cavite, the Upper East in Bacolod, and throughout Metro Manila.
Its leisure and tourism estate subsidiary Global-Estate Resorts, Inc. will account for 15% of the launches in Twin Lakes near Tagaytay, Southwoods City in Laguna, and in Ortigas Center.
The balance will come from Suntrust Properties, Inc. through its projects in Quezon City, Cavite, Davao, Baguio, and the Bicol Region.
“This record launch of new residential projects in a year is intended to further boost our aggressive position as the country’s top residential developer. There is no better time to expand our residential offerings across the country but now, when the economy is sound and healthy, and our country is experiencing the infrastructure boom,” Megaworld Senior Vice President Kevin Andrew L. Tan said in as statement.
Alongside the project launches, Megaworld is targeting reservation sales to hit P110 billion this year, from the P105 billion it saw in 2017. Last year was a record high for Megaworld’s reservation sales, which was a P20-billion jump from around P80 billion it posted in 2016.
Mr. Tan said the company is on track to reach the P110-billion target this year, as reservations sales already reached P73 billion by the end of May.
The firm has committed to spend P60 billion to finance its projects this year, 25% higher than the P48 billion capital spending in 2017. Around 20% of the 2018 capex will be used to further grow Megaworld’s current land bank of 4,414 hectares across the country.
Mr. Tan said the company has already spent around P10 billion in capex during the first quarter of the year.
Megaworld booked P3.2 billion in attributable profit during the first quarter of 2018, 11% higher year-on-year, supported by a 10% jump in revenues during the period to P13.1 billion.
The company is the property arm of tycoon Andrew L. Tan’s Alliance Global Group, Inc., which also has investments in liquor, gaming, and quick serviced restaurants. — Arra B. Francia

Balangiga adds Urian Best Picture award to its haul

After winning Best Picture at the recently concluded Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards, Khavn de la Cruz’s Philippine-American wartime drama, Balangiga: Howling Wilderness, adds another Best Film award to its slew of trophies after winning the same in the 41st Gawad Urian awards ceremony held on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Alberto “Treb” Monteras II’s political hip-hop film, Respeto, won four awards including a Best Actor trophy for Raymond “Abra” Abracosa, and a Best Supporting Actor for Dido de la Paz.
“Hip-hop, a culture that was once ignored by many, is now being recognized in the silver screen,” said Mr. Abracosa in his acceptance speech.
Loy Arcenas’ Ang Larawan–a musical adaptation of a play written by National Artist for Literature, Nick Joaquin–won two awards: a Best Actress for Joanna Ampil and Best Production Design for Gino Gonzales.
Composer Winston Raval, whose film credits include Ishmael Bernal’s Himala (1982), was granted the Natatanging Gawad Urian award, the award body’s lifetime achievement award.
The Gawad Urian, given by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, is considered the most prestigious film awards in the country and is the local counterpart to the New York Film Critics’ Circle.
The awards ceremony was held on June 14 at the ABS-CBN Vertis Tent in Quezon City.
Below is the complete list of winners:
Best Film: Balangiga: Howling Wilderness
Best Director: Arnel Barbarona (Tu Pug Imatuy)
Best Actress: Joanna Ampil (Ang Larawan)
Best Actor: Raymond “Abra” Abracosa (Respeto)
Best Supporting Actress: Odette Khan (Bar Boys)
Best Supporting Actor: Dido de la Paz (Respeto)
Best Screenplay: Christopher Gozum (Dapol Tan Payawar Na Tayug 1931)
Best Cinematography: Mycko David (Neomanila)
Best Production Design: Gino Gonzales (Ang Larawan)
Best Editing: Lawrence Ang (Respeto)
Best Music: Khavn de la Cruz (Balangiga: Howling Wilderness)
Best Sound: Corrine de San Jose (Respeto)
Best Documentary: Victor Delotavo Tagaro and Toshihiko Uriu (Yield)
Best Short Film: Gikan sa Ngitngit Nga Kinailadman
Natatanging Gawad Urian: Winston Raval
— Zsarlene B. Chua

SoftBank plans $60-100 bn investment in solar in India: report

Japan’s SoftBank is planning to invest between $60-100 billion in a solar power project in India, a Japanese report said Friday, as the firm looks to expand its interests into various sectors.
The report by public broadcaster NHK comes after SoftBank announced in March it would partner Saudi Arabia on a multi-billion dollar solar project that the company’s founder called the largest in the world.
NHK said the massive investment in India would be funded jointly by SoftBank and Saudi Arabia, which have already partnered to create the Vision Fund investment vehicle.
A spokesman for SoftBank declined to comment on the report.
NHK said the deal would likely be announced by SoftBank and the Indian government after details were finalised, without giving a timeline.
Under CEO Masayoshi Son, SoftBank, which started as a software firm, has increasingly been seen as an investment firm, ploughing funds into a broad range of companies and projects outside its core business. In recent years it has completed deals with the likes of French robotics firm Aldebaran and e-commerce Chinese giant Alibaba.
In March, Son said it would fund the “largest solar project ever”, in Saudi Arabia.
The project aims to generate 200 gigawatts of energy by 2030, with building beginning in 2018 and operations to start the following year.
The entire project is expected to cost $200 billion, with the first phase costing $5 billion.
SoftBank’s $100-billion Vision Fund, created in 2016 with money from Saudi and other investors, will contribute $1 billion to the first phase. — AFP

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