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Struggling teams Blackwater Elite, NLEX Road Warriors collide in PBA return

PHILIPPINE Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup action resumes today following a more than a week break to give way to All-Star festivities with a double-header set at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Kicking off things is the collision between currently struggling teams Blackwater Elite and NLEX Road Warriors at 4:30 p.m. to be followed by the game between the defending champions San Miguel Beermen and Phoenix Fuel Masters at 7 p.m.
Winless in six games to date, the Elite hope to turn things around and infuse life back to a slowly slipping campaign in the midseason PBA conference when they trek back to the court.
To help them in their turnaround bid, they are bringing back old reliable import Henry Walker to take the place of Jarrid Famous.
While Mr. Famous provided the needed numbers for now-Bong Ramos-coached Blackwater, he was not able to tow the team to collective success, something the squad hopes to change with the arrival of Mr. Walker.
The former National Basketball Association campaigner, who had stints with New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, suited up for the Elite in last year’s Governors’ Cup and led them to a spirited run to the quarterfinals.
Trying to keep the Elite winless are the Road Warriors, themselves grappling to find form with a 1-4 record.
Made it all the way to the semifinals of the previous conference, NLEX has started slow in the ongoing tournament, opening its campaign with three straight losses and has been continuing to look for consistency since.
The Road Warriors are coming off a loss in their last game against GlobalPort Batang Pier, 116-94, on May 16.
Rookie Kiefer Ravena led the way for NLEX in said game, finishing with 24 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals while import Arnett Moultrie had a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds to go along with two blocks.
SANS RAVENA
Unfortunately for the Road Warriors, they may be missing the services of Ravena for today’s game and possibly more after the prized rookie, also a member of the Gilas Pilipinas national team, failed the random drug testing of FIBA during the second window of the qualifiers for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
In urine samples taken from him after their game against Japan on Feb. 25 here in Manila, Mr. Ravena was found positive for three ingredients prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), namely, 4-methylhexan-2-amine (methylhexaneamine), 1,3-dimethylbutylamine (DMBA), and higenamine.
The prohibited substances were found in the pre-warm-up supplement that the player took.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, the national federation for the sport, was quick to say though that the said substances are not illegal in the country and can be bought over the counter but are prohibited under the WADA list.
By failing the test, Mr. Ravena was meted an 18-month suspension by FIBA and is not allowed to compete from Feb. 25, 2018, the date when the samples were taken, to Aug. 24, 2019.
The SBP said that it has communicated with FIBA, seeking clarification whether the ruling also covers Mr. Ravena’s standing in the PBA.
NLEX has said that it is standing beside Mr. Ravena in this tough time in his career and vowed to give him the needed support.
Mr. Ravena, for his part, manned up for his actions and said he would use the unfortunate event to help others be aware of what they take in their bodies.
“Main lesson here is not everything you can buy is legal. I take full responsibility for my actions and I’m going to use this to create awareness to be discerning in what you take,” Mr. Ravena said to members of media in a press conference on Monday night. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Wawrinka crashes, Djokovic through as rain halts Nadal and Sharapova

PARIS — Former French Open champion Stan Wawrinka was dumped out in the first round by Guillermo Garcia-Lopez on Monday, a defeat which will send his world ranking plummeting, while late evening rain halted Rafael Nadal’s first match in his pursuit of an 11th Roland Garros title.
When play was called off just before 2000 (1800 GMT), world number one Nadal was 6-4, 6-3, 0-3 ahead of Italian lucky loser Simone Bolelli.
The downpours also prevented two-time champion Maria Sharapova from starting her opener against Richel Hogenkamp of the Netherlands.
But there were no such problems for 2016 champion Novak Djokovic or Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki who both cruised through to the second round before the rains came.
Wawrinka, who lost to Nadal in last year’s final and won the 2015 title, was beaten in a five-set thriller 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 by the Spanish world number 67 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
The 33-year-old has been plagued by a knee injury and arrived at Roland Garros having won just one match on clay in Geneva last week, his first event in three months.
The defeat means that the three-time Grand Slam champion will slip from 30th in the world to outside the top 250 after the tournament, having failed to defend the ranking points he gained in 2017.
“There is no frustration (at rankings slip). It’s just tough,” said Wawrinka, seeded 23rd this year.
“But again, I knew from the beginning that it will take a long, a lot of time to get back. I knew that from the surgery that it will take a year at least to get where I want to be.”
There were worrying signs for his fans when he pulled up and called for a medical timeout after just six games, but he played down fears he had caused further damage to his already troublesome left knee.
“My knee is good. I blocked something else at the beginning of the first set, and that’s why I had to ask,” he said.
The 23rd seed found his rhythm from nowhere after a poor first set, crunching two massive forehands to break for a 3-1 lead in the second.
DJOKOVIC EASES THROUGH
Serbian star Djokovic had little trouble in reaching round two, though, seeing off Brazilian world number 134 Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
The 12-time Grand Slam champion dropped serve three times and will have to markedly improve to challenge Nadal in the latter stages of the tournament, but he was still far too good for Dutra Silva on Court Philippe Chatrier.
“It was good to start this year with a win. I wasn’t at my best, he played with a lot of spin. I didn’t play very well, but I won in three sets,” said the 20th seed, who will next face Spanish qualifier Jaume Munar.
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka’s return to Grand Slam tennis lasted just two sets as the Belarusian slumped to a 7-5, 7-5 loss to Katerina Siniakova.
Azarenka, who missed much of last season after being embroiled in a custody battle over her son, was broken to love in the 12th games of each set to be dumped out by the Czech world number 57.
It was Azarenka’s first Grand Slam match since losing to Simona Halep in the Wimbledon fourth round last July, but she still believes she can return to the top of the game.
“No doubt about it. Maybe not today, but no doubt about it,” the now-world number 82 insisted.
Petra Kvitova also found life hard, but the two-time Wimbledon champion fought back from a set down to beat Paraguay’s Veronica Cepede Royg 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 on Court Philippe Chatrier.
“I’ve won 12 matches straight on clay, but I’m still a long way from Rafa,” she said in reference to Nadal’s upcoming bid for an 11th men’s singles crown.
Wozniacki held off the challenge of American Danielle Collins to ease through their match 7-6 (7/2) 6-1, while men’s seventh seed Dominic Thiem, a semi-finalist in each of the last two years, brushed aside Ilya Ivashka in three sets. — AFP

Celtics are back

The Boston Celtics saw their impressive run in the 2017-2018 National Basketball Association season come to an end on Monday after losing in Game Seven of their Eastern Conference finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But considering the journey they had throughout, the Celtics has no reason to bow their heads in defeat for the way they “overachieved” this season they are every bit winners.
Some would say such is just pure consolatory talk for a job well done but in the case of the Celtics you cannot avoid bringing it to the fore because it was how Boston’s story unfolded this season.
They lost potentially one of their better players in Gordon Hayward on opening night to a season-ending leg injury yet the Celtics were a top-echelon team in the regular season, even taking hold of the number one spot in the East for some time.
Just when it seems like the team had recovered from Hayward’s injury, with stepped-up plays from young guns Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier III, the Celtics would go on and lose their best player in Kyrie Irving to a season-ending knee surgery in the tailend of the regular season.
Yet the Celtics had the second best record in the East heading into the playoffs, moved on to survive Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round in seven games before outclassing Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers, 4-1, in the East semifinals.
In the Eastern Finals, despite their solid play up to that point, not many really gave the Celtics much chance against erstwhile struggling but at that point rejuvenated Cleveland Cavaliers, led by the great LeBron James.
But chance Boston had a lot of, thanks in large part to their collective effort under the baton of coach Brad Stevens.
The Celtics took a 2-0 lead and eventually wound up with two solid shots at booking a spot in the NBA Finals after going up 3-2 in the series.
James and the Cavaliers though would eventually deliver from their end, exposing the Celtics’ lack of experience in big-game situations collectively.
It was very evident during the closing moments of Game Seven when the Celtics just could not counter the blows of the Cavaliers en route to the defeat and exit.
That being said though, the Celtics should only come out for the better following the kind of season they had.
You have a young triumvirate of Tatum, Brown and Rozier to count on moving forward in tandem with the steady talents of Irving, Hayward, Al Horford, Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart.
Then there is the brilliant coaching mind of Stevens, who more than the Xs and Os seemingly have a great connect with his players which only makes him all the more an effective coach.
Of course, falling short Boston still needs to put in the work, and maybe add another piece or two, to go over the hump as they say, something that I am counting on seeing the result of come next season.
In the last couple of years we have been hearing that Boston was on its way back to the top, and after this season I have to say it is back and would continue to be in the mix of contenders for years to come.
 
Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld reporter covering the Sports beat.
msmurillo@www.bworldonline.com

No shame in losing to Warriors

Right after the Warriors claimed their second championship in three years, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey was asked how the apparent dynasty could be overcome. His reply was far from that of a broken man. The red and white would be back, he said, and better. Never mind that he witnessed his charges’ disappointing second-round exit off a clunker from James Harden, his best player, in series-clinching Game Six. And, true enough, he walked the talk, making crucial offseason moves that strengthened competitiveness.
Fast forward to the start of Game Seven, and Morey’s confidence remained. It didn’t matter that the Rockets lost the previous match in spectacular fashion; they bombed in the last three quarters, exposing their worst weaknesses in the absence of injured starter Chris Paul. After all, they were at the Toyota Center, the homecourt advantage precisely the reason for their efforts to put together the best regular-season record. And again, true enough, they jumped to a first-quarter, double-digit lead in showing the best that they could be.
Unfortunately for Morey, the Rockets could not sustain their brilliance. In the midst of the Warriors’ trademark third-quarter push, they launched brick after brick. To their credit, they stayed true to the very principles that hitherto brought them success; threes and stabs at the rim were all they gunned for. To their discredit, they became predictable, leading to a poor outcome after the half. At one point, they endured 27 straight misses from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, their defense slowly crumbled under pressure, in large measure the result of fatigue borne of a necessarily tight rotation.
Indeed, the Rockets’ eventual failure stemmed from poor execution on both ends of the court. And though they managed to regain their bearings late in the fourth, their last-ditch stand proved too little, too late. That said, they have cause to hold their heads high; there is no shame in losing to the Warriors, whose star power and pace-and-pace system under the tutelage of head coach Steve Kerr make them one of the National Basketball Association’s all-time greats.
For Morey, there will be next season for which to prepare. And again, true enough, he is already over his disappointment and engaged in opportunity. Deep down, he knows that for the Rockets to be the best, they have to beat the best. Sure, they suffered from bad luck; had Paul not been injured late in Game Five, the series may well have been gone their way. Then again, it’s part and parcel of life in the sport’s highest echelon. Winning is very, very hard, and he knows all he and those around him can — and need to — do is try.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Extreme Experience

Text and photos by Kap Maceda Aguila

IF you ask the experts, nothing quite beats the insight and experience of getting behind the steering wheel in order to firm up impressions about a vehicle. Yes, amid all the resources and tools — mostly online — available to the contemporary car buyer, it is unwise to pull the trigger on a sale without even taking the car for “a spin,” even if that merely consists of a drive around the block and, with luck, a brief moment of heightened speed.
Predicated upon that belief, All British Cars, the sole authorized dealer of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles, parts and accessories in the Philippines, recently staged a “three-day experiential event” to more thoroughly showcase the abilities of the two iconic UK car brands. Taken together, the Tata-controlled marques assemble the most vehicles from that part of the world.
The two-in-one event held at a Quezon City venue pooled together current models of the two brands in a display at the property’s air-conditioned section, and collected specific models for testing on distinct outdoor courses. According to Coventry Motors Corp. assistant vice-president for PR communication Joseph AC Ayllon, the event received 283 guests — 196 of whom went on to test-drive.
ART OF PERFORMANCE
The Jaguar section of the course was put together to highlight dynamic driving, and called into duty the F-Pace SUV as well as the XE and XF sedans. First up was a soaped-down low-traction strip. “We wet this whole strip for you. Try to floor it as much as you can, and you’ll notice that you can’t [get out of control],” said lead instructor James Veerapen, before setting our batch out for the tests. Indeed, even as the Jaguar’s wheels were spinning wildly from the lack of friction, the cars kept their poise and never threatened to lose their bearing.
Next, we accelerated hard again, braked even harder, and made an abrupt lane change (also called a moose test). Once more, the Jaguars maintained their poise despite the abuse, and we noticed the very polished ABS system at work. This should give confidence to the greenest of drivers in the hairiest of situations.
It was back to some heavy-footed driving via a slalom test through some orange cones.
Whether on board the F-Pace or either of the two featured sedans, the experience was similar — hardly any roll while keeping four tires firmly on the pavement. Finally, the “high-speed roundabout” section highlighted composure amid duress. Even as we pushed the Jags hard around central cones, they never fish-tailed.
ABOVE AND BEYOND
Meanwhile, it wasn’t about speed but off-road and extreme abilities for the Land Rovers — represented by the all-new Land Rover Discovery, Range Rover Velar, and Range Rover Sport.
First up was an “X-twist” to focus on control in adverse, asymmetrical terrain. Even when not all four wheels were on terra firma, the Rovers served up adequate traction when and where needed.
Then it was up a steep 25-degree steel ramp, which showcased low-rpm grunt and ability. Down the other side of the cross structure, hillside descent kicked in and the vehicles safely and calmly clambered down even without stepping on the brake pedal. What awaited us after was a half-meter pool of water to test the integrity of the cabin and the Rovers’ vaunted wading depth, then down a series of steps for another test of composure.
Lastly, participants negotiated a 40-degree side slope just to underscore how extremely capable these vehicles are under duress.
“Understandably, a lot of these technologies and capabilities will not be used on a day-to-day basis,” declared Mr. Veerapen. “The whole idea is to showcase the technology in case you do go cross country and you, say, find yourself in a puddle of mud. These vehicles are highly capable of pulling themselves out.”
Certainly, Jaguar and Land Rover pulled this one-of-a-kind test drive most nicely, too.

The ‘Balesin’ Toyota’s court

Text and photos by Aries B. Espinosa

THE anticipation and hype surrounding Toyota Motor Philippines’ (TMP) newest compact SUV, the Toyota Rush, weeks prior to its grand public launch last May 5 and 6 was rivaled only by the guessing game around where the leading auto manufacturer would go for this year’s edition of its annual Road Trek event.
And when Balesin Island was revealed as the destination, the excitement went on overdrive, as most of participants had not set foot on this uber-exclusive island club — yes, an entire island about half the size of Boracay, off the Pacific southeastern coast of Quezon Province in the Polillo group of islands — made famous by high-profile weddings of celebrities and politicians.
Before flying off to Balesin from Clark International Airport, TMP engaged participants in its traditional on-road challenges, this time held at three Toyota dealerships in central Luzon — Angeles, Tarlac and Bataan. The group composed of 32 guests, divided into nine teams, rode on TMP’s best-selling vehicles — the Toyota Innova MPV, Fortuner mid-size SUV, and its newest entry in the compact SUV market, the Rush. The various fun challenges translated to corresponding points that would determine the winning teams.
Cristina Arevalo, TMP first vice-president for its brand and product planning cluster, explained: “We want journalists to experience the hustle and bustle of the cities in central Luzon while driving a Toyota. And then experience the peaceful and serene atmosphere of Balesin island.”
On the drive on the highways and city streets in and around Pampanga, Bataan and Tarlac, and then on the dirt roads of Balesin, the Rush units highlighted noticeable high ground clearance, comfortable suspension system, and the adequate 134 Nm of torque and 100 hp of power generated by its 1.5-liter, four-cylinder, DOHC, chain-drive gasoline engine with dual VVT-i mated to either a four-speed gate-type automatic transmission or a five-speed manual transmission.
An interesting sidelight during a stop in San Fernando, Pampanga, was the display of the new-look Alphard luxury van.
In Balesin, TMP President and CEO Satoru Suzuki summed up the 14th edition of Road Trek: “Road Trek 14 is a breakaway from the usual, from the monotony of the everyday, and that is exactly what Balesin Island Club offered us. Balesin gave us a new kind of rush, paired with the exciting challenges and top-notch vehicles led by the new Toyota Rush. Four days have gone by so fast.”
Four days did go by in a rush, in another ride-and-drive coup that only TMP could pull off. As Jade Sison, TMP group head for its marketing services department stressed; “We really want to build camaraderie among our friends from the motoring media, making sure each and every time it’s going to be memorable, and everything in good cheer.”
Unlike the name of this potential best-seller from Toyota, this kind of camaraderie that the car maker has nurtured all these years couldn’t have been accomplished in a rush.

First shipment of Mitsubishi Xpander arrives in PHL

DELIVERIES to customers of the new Mitsubishi Xpander has begun as the first shipment of the compact MPV model arrived in the Philippines in May. The Xpander is built in Indonesia.
Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) said it already has more than 3,800 paid reservations for the Xpander by the end of April.
“With the all-new Xpander’s class-leading features and with its very competitive pricing, we are looking at the great success of this model. We hope to have the same success that this model is currently reaping in Indonesia,” said Mutsuhiro Oshikiri, MMPC president and CEO.
The executive added the Xpander is “expected to significantly contribute to the company’s growth.”
Launched in the Philippines on March 1, the Xpander is available in four variants; GLX MT, GLX Plus AT, GLS AT and GLS Sport. Prices range between P885,000 and P1,060 million.
The car is powered by a 1.5-liter MIVEC engine that generates 105 hp at 6,000 rpm and 141 Nm at 4,000 rpm (and mated to either a four-speed automatic transmission or a newly developed five-speed manual transmission). Some of its amenities are flat-folding rear seats, a front passenger under-seat tray, driver seat back with various-sized pockets, center console box with a 12-volt power outlet, and third-row seats with side pockets.

Honda CR-V 2.0 S


THE Honda CR-V is sold in the Philippines in three variants fitted with small-displacement, diesel-fed engines. A fourth variant — the 2.0 S — relies on a gasoline mill. Among the litter it’s the 2.0 S that’s the cheapest. But this does not mean it isn’t as appealing as the diesel CR-Vs.
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• The 2.0 S does lose some of the items the top-spec diesel variant has, like a panoramic roof, navigation, some audio speakers, LED auxiliary lamps and air-conditioning vents. It also lacks the Honda Sensing suite of smart active safety systems and all-wheel drive — things that are not fitted on the lower diesel variants as well. But what features are retained in the 2.0 S are still substantial.
• Exterior pieces are identical — head lamps are also LEDs (only the auxiliary lamps were swapped for halogen units), wheels measure 18 inches, grille and other trim are unchanged. This means it’s difficult to mark out the 2.0 S as the cheapest in the lineup.
• Shifting gears in the 2.0 S is done via a good old-fashioned lever, as opposed to the buttons on which the diesel CR-Vs rely. For such a purpose, a lever is simply more intuitive to use.
• There is more than enough space for five in the CR-V’s cabin. The front and rear seats, all covered in leather and reasonably cushy, can be reclined and slid fore and aft. The absence of a third-row seat in the 2.0 S allows for a large amount of cargo to be stowed in the back — every time, as there is no third-row seat to tuck away.
• The black color scheme in the CR-V’s cabin is unpretentious, in stark contrast to the earthy hues most car furniture are wont to take these days. The 2.0 S opts for metallic accents on some panels, too, which look more subdued compared to the faux wood found in the top diesel variant.
• Controls and functions of the multimedia unit are clearly marked and its interface is logical and easy to learn. Accessing basic functions, like pre-setting radio stations or hooking up a Bluetooth device, does not mean delving into sub menu after sub menu.
• “Walk Away” feature of smart entry system automatically locks the CR-V 2.0 S’s doors once sensors detect the key is already a couple of feet away from the car (provided the engine has been switched off, of course). A more secure system, this.
• The CR-V’s suspension is supple and thankfully tuned for comfort rather than unnecessarily toward sportiness. This lets the car glide over bad road surfaces and even over ruts or small speed humps. The cabin is well insulated against vibrations coming from movements of the suspension, as well as from noises outside the car. Whether on city streets or on a relatively long drive, the CR-V proves a relaxing place to be in.
• Gasoline engines are a Honda specialty, and so it can only be expected that the four-pot VTEC propelling the 2.0 S is silken even when spun spiritedly.
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• The engine needs to be spun spiritedly in order to extract top torque — which becomes available only at 4,300 rpm.
• Not helping all that much is the CVT that’s bolted to the engine. While quite imperceptible at going about its business, it’s also a bit reluctant to “downshift” when the throttle is pressed firmly. This slows down responses, and it can feel like the car’s Eco mode has been left activated.
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The gasoline-fed version of the CR-V is P438,000 cheaper than the top-spec, all-wheel drive diesel variant. If one can live without some of the items fitted to the top variant, or appreciate the lack of a clattery diesel engine, the CR-V 2.0 S is a choice over which one still does not feel shortchanged. — BMA

Bluffer’s Box

Honda CR-V 2.0 S CVT
Price: P1.648 million
Engine: 2.0-liter inline-four, i-VTEC gasoline; 151 hp @ 6,500 rpm, 189 Nm @ 4,300 rpm
Transmission: CVT
Drivetrain: Front-wheel drive
Wheels/Tires: 18 inches, 235/60
Key features: LED head lamps and daytime running lights; Econ mode; seven-inch touch screeen multimedia unit with USB, aux-in and Bluetooth connectivity; smart entry system with Walk Away; electric parking brake; dual-zone air-conditioning; USB charging ports; hill-start assist; lane-change camera

Oil drops after Saudi-Russia output revival plan rattles traders

Oil in New York headed for its longest run of losses since February after Saudi Arabia and Russia proposed raising production later this year.
Futures slid 1.4% on Tuesday after Friday’s 4% decline. Saudi Arabia and Russia said OPEC and its partners may boost supply to make up for potential losses from other members, most notably Venezuela and Iran. There was no settlement Monday for West Texas Intermediate because of the US Memorial Day holiday and all trades will be booked Tuesday.
US President Donald Trump’s decision to reimpose sanctions on Iran and Venezuela’s slumping output drove oil to the highest level in more than three years earlier this month, prompting complaints from consuming nations like India about higher costs. The plan for OPEC and its allies to boost supply once more follows growing concerns that crude prices at current levels will slow demand growth.
“The market was not prepared for OPEC to get ready to return supply that soon,” said Jens Naervig Pedersen, a senior analyst at Danske Bank A/S in Copenhagen.
Prices Slide
WTI for July delivery fell as much as 3.1% to $65.80 a barrel and traded at $66.95 on the New York Mercantile Exchange as of 12:09 p.m. in London. Futures are headed for a fifth straight session of declines, the longest such stretch since Feb. 9.
Brent futures for July settlement rose 0.4% to $75.72 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange, after dropping $1.14 on Monday. The global benchmark traded at a $8.75 premium to WTI.
Meanwhile, explorers in the US added 15 oil rigs last week, taking the total to 859, the highest in more than three years, and adding to bearish signals for the market.
“We had a surprise rise in the rig count after a period where there’s been some speculation about bottlenecks in U.S. production limiting the prospect of further output increases,” Pedersen said. — Bloomberg

Dashboard (05/30/18)

Chevrolet Sail & SparkChevrolet cuts down payment on select models

THE distributor of Chevrolet in the Philippines, The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI), announced it is offering until June 30 low all-in down payment schemes for the 2018 versions of the Chevrolet Sail 1.3 LT MT, Spark 1.4 LT MT, Trax LS AT and Trailblazer LT 4×2 LT AT.
TCCCI said the Sail and Spark can be bought with a down payment of P8,000, the Trax with P38,000, and the Trailblazer with P78,000. An all-in down payment package includes chattel mortgage fees, comprehensive insurance coverage for one year, and registration for three years.
The Sail is a subcompact sedan fitted with 15-inch gunmetal alloy wheels, sunroof and advanced safety features. The Spark is a five-door mini hatchback powered by a new 1.4-liter, four-cylinder Ecotec engine. It also features a seven-inch touch screen panel on which to access Chevrolet’s MyLink infotainment system. The Trax crossover SUV is equipped with a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine, and the same MyLink setup that comes with a Siri Eyes Free function.
For its part, the Trailblazer midsize SUV has a turbocharged 2.8-liter Duramax diesel engine.
TCCCI said the Sail, Spark, Trax and Trailblazer come with a five-year, or 100,000-kilometer, warranty program. The Trailblazer’s coverage, however, includes a bumper-to-bumper warranty for three years, plus a two-year warranty for the vehicle’s power train. All models also get a 24/7 emergency roadside support, available for three years.

Ford starts building Marikina dealership

FORD Philippines said it started building a dealership in Marikina, set to open late this year.
It will be one of the biggest Ford dealerships in the country, the company said, citing the facility’s floor area of more than 5,000 square meters. The showroom can display eight vehicles while the service area has 26 bays.
Ford Marikina will be the first in Metro Manila to follow the Ford’s new global dealership branding guidelines.
“The addition of a new Ford dealership in our growing network in the country testifies to the growing preference for the Ford brand in the country as we continue to widen our reach to customers in the eastern part of Manila,” said Ford Philippines Managing Director Bertrand Lessard.

Five metrics to watch as Italy turmoil sweeps global markets

As populist parties in Rome mobilize for an early election, Italian assets are once again being scrutinized for stresses that undermine the euro project.
The stakes are high. The anti-establishment politicians vying for leadership in the continent’s second-most indebted country want to boost spending in defiance of European Union budget strictures — and make battle with the entrenched order. As such, fears are growing that the fresh election would effectively constitute a referendum on whether the third-largest economy in the euro area should stay within in the single-currency bloc.
Here are five metrics to watch to gauge fear in the periphery and beyond:
The best gauge of risk in any European bond market is a comparison with yields of Germany, the continent’s safest country to lend money to. Before the recent political flare-up, Italy was paying a premium of just over 1% compared to Germany to borrow in euros for 10 years. Now, that gap has more than doubled to 2.7%.
The other extreme is to compare Italy with the bond markets it’s supposed to be safer than, if conventional market perceptions based on credit ratings and the like are anything to go by. In that light, Italy is looking more and more like an emerging market. Investors are now willing to pay notably less to insure a basket of 14 developing-nation sovereigns against default than they are Italy, according to credit-default swap indexes.
With Italian populists calling for a review of the bailout of troubled lender Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, the political upheaval leaves banks looking particularly vulnerable. Italy has the fifth-biggest country weighting in the STOXX 600 Banks Index, contributing just over 8 percent. This week alone, the gauge has slumped about 4 percent to the lowest level since December 2016.
The pain in banks is also apparent in the swap market, where spreads for European lenders have surged to the highest level in more than a year. The jump in the cost of protection is also pushing up costs for primary issuers, with the majority of this month’s new bond sales being quoted wider at their launch, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
A worst-case scenario of the Italian populist revival is that Italy will leave the euro area. While few see it as likely, CDS traders are starting to price-in the risk. The premium investors pay for contracts that hedge the prospect Italian debt is converted into a national currency has swelled to 108 basis points. That’s almost double the level the spread reached in early 2017 amid woes over Banca Monte dei Paschi. — Bloomberg

Good things happen when our market is taken seriously

I have spent more than two decades traveling the world attending car launches and driving the latest vehicles. For the most part, this is because the Philippine market has always been treated as a relatively insignificant territory vis-à-vis other countries that sell more cars. As far as product-planning is concerned, we have always been an afterthought.
So I’ve always had to fly overseas to join my foreign counterparts in converging at pivotal selling points of the planet — Thailand, Indonesia, the United States, Germany. I have always been an outsider. A guest. An observer left to envy the high status accorded by automakers to other markets.
And then there’s the Philippines, which, with just 168,490 sold cars in 2010, has always been an asterisk — a mere footnote in the product strategies of automotive companies. You’ve heard the usual rants: Our market doesn’t get the good models or variants; we take a backseat to bigger-selling ASEAN neighbors when it comes to launch calendars; we’re not a priority in the global allocation of production units. In fact, I have a feeling that the Philippines has long been such a joke that several brands use our market to dispose of slow-moving or non-selling vehicles in other countries. Which explains why we often see stupid models being introduced here that make absolutely no sense at all.
It gets pretty frustrating as a Filipino member of the motoring press. So excuse me if I feel an inordinate amount of pride every time a car manufacturer gives our market the kind of importance usually reserved for more prosperous countries. It tells me that something is up, and that positive things are about to happen in the local automotive business.
I wax sentimental in the middle of a two-day regional launch event for the Nissan Terra, the much-awaited sport-utility vehicle based on the Navara platform. This time, I didn’t need to board a plane and visit a larger market just to witness the unveiling of a brand-new car, as I did when I went to Bangkok in February just to lay my eyes on the Ford Ranger Raptor. For the Terra’s Southeast Asian premiere, it’s journalists from all over the region — Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam — who have descended upon Clark, Pampanga, to see and get their hands on Nissan’s new SUV.
This gets more impressive when you realize that the Philippine-market Terra is made in and sourced from Thailand, and yet our market is the first to launch the vehicle’s seven-seat version (China introduced the five-seat Terra in April). Not Thailand, in case this little detail needs rubbing in. How did Nissan Philippines get the honor of rolling out this product ahead of the others?
I’m sure a huge part of the decision was Nissan Philippines’ strong sales performance last year, when it moved a total of 24,995 units for a whopping 48% year-on-year growth compared to 2016. It’s the kind of performance that gets the big bosses to stop and notice. With 470,000 sold cars in our market in 2017, we can no longer be ignored. Our days of being an asterisk may be well behind us.
To be clear, this is not the first time our country has hosted a regional car launch. Ford and Subaru have done it before. But Nissan’s event for the Terra seems more deliberate, more coordinated, more integral to the brand’s business offensive in this part of the world.
“The potential for market growth not only in the region but more so in the Philippines is why we did the Terra launch here,” Nissan Motor Asia-Pacific regional communications vice-president Lavanya Wadgaonkar told me. “Not to mention the Philippines is a beautiful country.”
The last line may have been a typical PR line uttered by a typical PR executive, but it sounded nice to my ears nevertheless. And as I drove back to my hotel from the event venue, I passed a number of new structures being constructed inside the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone that let me know there was nothing PR in all of this. This is really happening. The Philippines is being taken seriously in the global car industry.
That’s good for our economy. But also, that’s good for car enthusiasts. Get ready for more exciting vehicle models coming to our shores.

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