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Tanduay Athletics locked in for grassroots basketball

TANDUAY Distillers, Inc. President Lucio “Bong” Tan, Jr. is taking his support to grassroots sports a step further as he goes on full offensive for Batangas Tanduay Athletics in the new Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).

Tan, whose passion for basketball was cultivated in childhood, believes he saw a formidable ally in MPBL founder Senator Manny Pacquiao in providing opportunities for local talents from the regions to advance their basketball dreams.

“When we formed Tanduay Athletics, we had grassroots youth development as one of its major thrusts. We believe we can give equal opportunities to aspiring basketball talents from the cities and the regions through MPBL,” Tan said.

The MPBL features teams that represent a province, city or municipality in a home-and-away setup, where players get to play in front of hometown fans.

Each team is required to have at least three players that are homegrown to the area they represent.

Aside from Batangas Tanduay Athletics, other teams playing for the MPBL include Bataan Defenders, Bulacan Kuyas, Valenzuela Classic, Marikina Athletics, Caloocan Supremos, Navotas Redcore, Muntinlupa Cagers, Quezon City Capitals and Imus Bandera.

“We put our hope in the next generation to make better their lives and become useful to society. To give meaning to words, we support avenues that will enable them like the MPBL and Batangas is close to home. That makes this endeavor special and worthwhile,” Tan further explained.

Tanduay Distillers’ alcohol refinery Absolut Distillers, Inc. has been operating for 26 years in Lian, Batangas. It is one of the country’s most advanced distilleries that has received multiple local and international awards for operating on zero waste and employing green practices.

“We have a very encouraging start with the strong performance of the team. We hope to continue the momentum. But in every league or sport we support, what’s important is how we are making a difference in the lives of the athletes. How they develop as individuals and how they will continue to inspire a nation as an athlete like Manny Pacquiao is why we are here to support,” Tan concluded.

The Batangas-Tanduay Athletics had an early win during a match with Valenzuela Classic and Bataan Defenders as former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) players Val Acuña and Lester Alvarez lead the way for the new team.

MPBL games air every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m in ABS-CBN Sports + Action.

MRC Allied taps UniSolar for mall project

MRC ALLIED, Inc. has signed on Thursday an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with UniSolar, Inc. (USI) to handle the solar rooftop system project of Xentro Mall Developer, Inc. with a capacity of at least 4 megawatts (MW).

“We are excited because this partnership with USI and Xentro Mall will solidify the entry of MRC into the solar PV (photovoltaic) rooftop industry,” said MRC Chairman Carlos P. Gatmaitan in a statement.

“This will also expand our RE (renewable energy) portfolio and bring us closer to our goal of contributing to the clean and renewable capacity of the country,” he added.

MRC told the stock exchange that the purpose of the EPC contract is to engage the services of USI for the design, supply, delivery, installation, testing and commissioning, with operation and maintenance of the solar rooftop within various Xentro Malls nationwide.

The contract calls for MRC to pay USI at least P200 million for the installation of the initial target capacity. Xentro Mall, which operates community malls nationwide, will identify and nominate the facilities on which the solar rooftop will be built. 

MRC described USI as a domestic corporation engaged in the design, global sourcing, local distribution, manufacturing, sales of solar-powered products and the operation and maintenance of solar photovoltaic rooftop systems.

The construction period is set at a maximum of six months from issuance of notice to proceed by MRC to USI. The operation and maintenance period of the solar PV system is set at 20 years.

Gladys N. Nalda, MRC president and chief executive officer, said the project with USI and Xentro Mall would “solidify” the entry of the company in the solar photovoltaic industry.

“It will also bring the Company closer to its aspirational goal of developing at least 200 MW of clean and renewable energy each year,” she said.

MRC, a property company that diversified into energy development early last year, plans to invest between P80 billion and P100 billion in 10 years to achieve its target of putting up 10,000 MW of power capacity.

On Thursday, shares in MRC rose 8.06% to close at P0.335 each. — Victor V. Saulon

‘King’ James rules as Cavaliers edge Timberwolves in overtime

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James drained a fadeaway jump shot at the buzzer in overtime on Wednesday to lift the embattled Cleveland Cavaliers to a 140-138 NBA victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

James finished with 37 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds for his ninth triple double of the season and the 64th of his career.

With a second to go in overtime he produced a crucial block of a shot by Jimmy Butler and after a timeout the Cavaliers had a chance to bring the ball inbounds.

Jeff Green threw it down to the foul line where James caught it, turned and beat Butler with the game-winner.

It was a much-needed win for a Cavs team in turmoil, having lost their last two games by a total of 50 points — including a humiliating 116-98 loss to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.

“It was a great win for us,” James said. “We needed this after that tough loss last night.”

The Cavaliers are now 7-13 since Christmas. Their struggles have been so severe that James was even asked if he would consider waiving his no-trade clause if the team could make a deal for him by Thursday’s trade deadline.

James said he “couldn’t give up” on his teammates in that way — although that didn’t curb speculation that the Cavaliers could look significantly different by Friday as they try to find a way to get their bid to reach a fourth straight NBA Finals back on track.

In the meantime, however, the current Cavs pulled out all the stops to avenge their 28-point loss to Minnesota on Jan. 8.

Seven Cavaliers players scored in double figures in a see-saw battle that saw 34 lead changes and 16 ties.

The teams combined for an NBA record 40 three-pointers.

Butler led the Timberwolves with 35 and Karl-Anthony Towns added 30.

Andrew Wiggins’ jump shot with 1:25 left in overtime put Minnesota up, 138-136. James’s layup knotted the score at 138-138 with 24 seconds remaining.

Butler drove to the basket against Cavs rookie Cedi Osman with a chance to win it, but James came from the weak side and rose to swat the shot away.

Smith came up with the rebound to set the stage for the winning play.

“Coach Lue called up a great play,” James said. “Jeff Green gave me a heck of a pass and I just trusted my instincts to let it go.” — AFP

Producer Quincy Jones says Michael Jackson stole songs

NEW YORK — Quincy Jones, the legendary music producer behind Michael Jackson, says that the late King of Pop plagiarized some of his hits.

“I hate to get into this publicly, but Michael stole a lot of stuff. He stole a lot of songs,” Jones said in an interview full of eyebrow-raising comments published Tuesday by Vulture, the culture site of New York magazine.

“The notes don’t lie, man. He was as Machiavellian as they come,” the 84-year-old music veteran said.

He specifically cited “Billie Jean” — a signature song off the Jones-produced Thriller, the top-selling album of all times.

Jones suggested similarities between the song and disco queen Donna Summer’s “State of Independence,” which was also produced by Jones and released several months earlier in 1982.

Few listeners would immediately associate the two songs, although both open and are built on unusually lengthy synthesized bass lines.

Jones also said Jackson was “greedy” and should have given partial writing credit to keyboardist Greg Phillinganes for his song “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.”

Jones’ allegations run against prevailing public perceptions of Jackson, who died in 2009 and is often viewed as a tortured soul with little financial acumen as he amassed wealth.

The producer voiced sympathy over Jackson’s personal issues, saying he had raised concern to the singer over his plastic surgery and blamed abuse by the singer’s father for the King of Pop’s poor self-image.

Jones has remained active as an octogenarian, recently launching the Qwest TV video streaming service for jazz, but has also made a stream of headline-grabbing comments with a generous sprinkling of profanity.

In a recent interview with GQ magazine, he said he had 22 girlfriends around the world, spoke 26 languages and had undergone a cutting-edge treatment in Sweden to help him live to 110. — AFP

Globe considers divesting all or part of its cellular tower assets

GLOBE Telecom, Inc. on Thursday said it considering the divestment of all or part of its cellular tower assets to independent tower companies.

In a statement, Globe said it has started talks with “independent third parties” to establish a tower company that would help speed up the construction of cellular towers in the country.

“We have been allocating over 30% of our total revenues to capital expenditure for the past five years and this level will be sustained over a period of time. An independent tower company will be a win-win solution.  It will monetize assets for capex use and help maintain our consistent dividend policy,” Globe President and CEO Ernest L. Cu was quoted as saying.

“In addition, this greatly helps President Duterte’s initiative to open the telco industry to new players. The plan is for these towers to be open for lease to new and existing players,” he added.

Mr. Cu said this move would reduce the barriers that a new third player would face since it would not have to spend money to build towers.

“This significantly reduces the time needed for a new player to rollout given the 25 permits and up to 8 months required to build one cell tower. Our move is also consistent with our position of being open to more competition in the telecommunications industry,” he said.

The Duterte government is crafting a common tower policy, which will require current telecommunications operators to lease cell towers from tower companies instead of building their own sites. The policy is aimed at providing better telecommunications services to the public and leveling the playing field with the entry of a third player. Guidelines are set to be released this month.

Mr. Cu previously said they are wary of the common tower policy, saying it will not aid in the process of creating more cell sites.

The country only has 16,000 cell sites, with Globe having 8,000.

Presidential Adviser for Economic Affairs and Information Technology Communications Ramon P. Jacinto has said the country needs 50,000 cell sites.

Incumbent telcos PLDT, Inc. and Globe have cited red tape as a barrier to building more cell sites.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo

Shangri-La mall celebrates Year of the Dog

SHANGRI-LA Plaza ushers in the Chinese New Year with a series of cultural performances and events. The Grand Atrium’s 26-meter high ceiling is festooned with over 2,000 Chinese lanterns, and special areas of the mall are filled with icons to welcome the Year of the Dog.

The festivities begin with this year’s Spring Film Festival which will showcase six films from different genres that encapsulate the uniqueness of Chinese cinema. The festival opens with a special gala night on Feb. 13, 6 p.m., at the Grand Atrium, featuring a Kaoka performance by members of the Ateneo de Manila University faculty and students. Mall guests and cinephiles can catch the films free of admission until Feb. 18 at the Shang Cineplex, Cinema 4.

Also on Feb. 13, a Chinese Painting Exhibit opens at the Grand Atrium, featuring works by students and masters of the Ateneo Confucius Institute. The exhibition runs until Feb. 18, culminating with a Chinese Painting Workshop (Paint Your Jeans) at 2 p.m. at the Grand Atrium. It is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.

On New Year’s Day, Feb. 16, a mall-wide Chinese Dragon and Lion Mall Walkthrough takes place at noon. On Feb. 17, 2 p.m., at the Grand Atrium, there will be a Chinese Music Concert by the Ateneo Ricardo Leong Center featuring the Philippine York Lin School Chorale, an er hu exhibition, a performance by a local Chinese orchestra, a wushu exhibition by the Philippine York Lin School Wushu Group and a performance by pianist Albert Cedric Tan.

The Philippine Ling Nam Dragon and Lion Exhibition will be held on Feb. 25, 2 p.m. There will also be a fireworks display on Feb. 15, 9 p.m. at the Streetscape; the Flavors of China market from Feb. 8 to 18 at the Food Forum; consultations for a lucky year with Charlie Chao on Feb. 16 and 17, 4 p.m.-8 p.m. at Luxury Lane; and Mysterium Manila on Feb. 16-18 at the Level 4, Open Café. The Oodles of Noodles food fest will run from Feb. 16–28, featuring special noodle dishes with special discounts from participating restaurants.

Yoel ‘Soldier of God’ Romero, Luke Rockhold dispute UFC interim middleweight crown

TOP Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight fighters Yoel “Soldier of God” Romero (#1) and Luke Rockhold (#2) take headlining duties at “UFC 221” in Perth, Australia, on Sunday as they dispute the interim title in the division.

Coming off opposing directions heading into the clash, the two fighters are out to backstop their claim as worthy contenders for the middleweight gold currently held by Robert Whittaker, the erstwhile interim champion who was promoted to the undisputed titleholder spot after reigning champion Georges St-Pierre decided to vacate his throne late last year.

Mr. Romero (12-2) lost in his last fight against Mr. Whittaker for the interim title last July by unanimous decision.

It was a very competitive fight as the two fighters brought their A-game to get their hands on the prize.

In the end, however, it was Mr. Whittaker that got the judges’ nod albeit narrowly, 48-47, 48-47 and 48-47.

Former middleweight champion Rockhold (16-3), meanwhile, had a successful return in his last fight after losing his title previously.

American Rockhold stopped David Branch in the second round of their encounter last September by way of submission (punches).

“I’m looking forward to the challenge against Yoel. And I’m up for it and I’m going for the win and claim the title,” Mr. Rockhold said in the lead-up to UFC 221, which will be held at the Perth Arena.

Mr. Rockhold was crowned UFC middleweight champion in December 2015 following a technical knockout win (punches) over Chris Weidman only to be dethroned six months later by Michael Bisping by knockout in the first round.

Serving as co-main event for UFC 221 is heavyweight battle of Mark “Super Samoan” Hunt (#5) against Curtis “Razor” Blaydes (#9).

Also on tap in the main card are heavyweight Tai “Bam Bam” Tuivasa against Cyril “Silverback” Asker, welterweight Jake “The Celtic Kid” Matthews versus Li “The Leech” Jingliang, and light heavyweight Tyson Pedro (#13) vs. Saparbe Safarov.

UFC 221: Romero vs. Rockhold will be shown live on Sunday, Feb. 11, beginning at 11 a.m. over Hyper Ch. 91 in SD or 261 in HD on Cignal TV. Encore telecast is at 7 p.m. on the same day.

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

EO on contractualization due by March — DoLE

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte is set to sign an executive order (EO) on contractualization by March, Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said.

“He promised that by March he will sign the executive order that we presented,” Mr. Bello said in a televised interview with reporters in Albay on Thursday.

The Labor secretary added that the draft he presented to the President will be subject to further review.

“He said he will study it first. Both of us will study it before he signs it,” Mr. Bello said.

Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) president Gerry Rivera said his group is disappointed by the delay.

“It would have been good if we had the executive order by now. We have been fighting for it within Philippine Airlines for nearly a decade,” he said.

Labor groups have said they will push for the passage of the Security of Tenure bill (House Bill 6908) which is currently pending in Congress.

HB 6908, which seeks to further amend the Presidential Decree 442 or the Labor Code of the Philippines, hurdled second reading on Jan. 23. It is one of the bills listed under the Common Legislative Agenda of the 17th Congress.

Last month, Mr. Bello said “the labor department is targeting to regularize at least 300,000 contractual workers this year.”

In order to attain the target, Mr. Bello said in a statement that he has “instructed the Undersecretary for Labor Relations to order all our regional offices to require all business establishments throughout the country to submit a list of their employees and the nature of their employment. At the same time, they must submit a program of regularization.”

“Through our intensified labor inspections and voluntary regularization of collaborating establishments, we are expecting more workers to enjoy stable employment status. As President Duterte has committed, we are pursuing the campaign to stop this pernicious practice with more vigor,” Mr. Bello added.

According to DoLE, “there are 541 Labor Laws Compliance Officers (LLCOs) who conduct assessment and inspection of around 937,554 small, medium and big business establishments in the country. On top of that are 55 social partners composed of 45 labor groups, five employers’ groups, and five other organizations who were trained in Labor Laws and Social Legislation.” — Arjay L. Balinbin

Robin Williams’ death linked to copycat suicides

LOS ANGELES — Suicide rates in the United States spiked almost 10% following the death in 2014 of actor Robin Williams, and spiked even more among men and those who ended their lives, like Williams, by suffocation, according to a study published on Wednesday.

The study, published in the scientific journal PLOS One, found that in the five months from August to December 2014 some 18,690 deaths by suicide were recorded — an increase of 9.85% from the expected number of cases for the period.

Williams, the Oscar-winning star of Good Morning, Vietnam who was beloved for his humor, died in August 2014 at age 63 in a suicide that shocked fans worldwide. Authorities said he died of asphyxia after hanging himself at his home in Northern California. An autopsy found that Williams was suffering from Lew body dementia, which causes a progressive decline in mental ability.

Suicides following Williams’ death rose by 12.9% in men aged 30-44, and the study found a 32% increase in the number of deaths from suffocation.

Although the study could not prove a definitive link, it said there appeared to be a connection. Extensive media coverage of Williams’ death “might have proved the necessary stimulus for high-risk segments of the US population (e.g. middle-aged men in despair) to move from suicidal ideation to attempt.”

While the effects of widely reported celebrity suicides have previously been linked to increases in the wider population, the study said media coverage of Williams’ suicide was particularly detailed and sensational and was amplified through social media.

The suicide in 1994 of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain, for example, appeared to have a minimal impact on suicide rates in his Seattle home town, partly because of more restricted reporting, the study said.

“The media industry can positively or negatively influence imitation suicides,” the study said. “Popular news media headlines suggest that media guidelines for suicide reporting were not followed in the case of Mr. Williams.”

The study used data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. — Reuters

New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers most valuable NBA clubs — Forbes

LOS ANGELES — The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers still top the list of most valuable NBA clubs, according to a survey released Wednesday by Forbes — which for the first time says every franchise is worth $1 billion.

According to its latest annual assessment, the average value of an NBA club is $1.65 billion.

The Knicks remain atop that list, worth $3.6 billion (€2.94 billion) and another iconic club, the Lakers, are now worth an estimated $3.3 billion.

The Knicks are profiting from a $1-billion renovation to Madison Square Garden, which provided new revenue opportunities from sponsorships and seating.

The Lakers, who like the Knicks have struggled in recent years, continue to benefit from raking in almost $150 million a year from their local television and radio deals.

The reigning champion Golden State Warriors passed the Chicago Bulls in this year’s list to lie third with a value of $3.1 billion to Chicago’s $2.6 billion.

The Warriors’ jump is due in part to the new arena due to open in two seasons.

New arenas in Sacramento, Milwaukee and Detroit have also pushed up franchise values.

The New Orleans Pelicans are the lowest-ranked, at an estimated value of $1 billion.

The club making the biggest jump from last year was the Philadelphia 76ers, who gained 48% in value to $1.18 billion, according to Forbes’ calculations.

The valuations were calculated with revenues and operating incomes from the 2016-2017 season, while taking into consideration the league’s revenue sharing. Arena deals, and revenue from non-basketball events that take place at the venues, are also included in the totals. — AFP

PHL graduates’ English edge seen narrowing

THE PHILIPPINES’ perceived advantage in English may be narrowing after a study found that Filipino university graduates as a group score below the target grade for high school graduates in some Southeast Asian countries.

“While the general consensus is that the Philippines is superior to its neighboring countries in terms of English proficiency, the results presented in the convention show that the advantage is greatly at risk with the improvement of English literacy in other countries such as Singapore and Thailand,” according to a statement issued by the Government-Academe-Industry Network (GAIN), Inc.

The findings, which were presented yesterday, pointed out that Filipino university graduates averaged a Common European Framework of Reference of Language (CEFR) grade of B1, lower than the CEFR B2 proficiency target set for high school graduates in Thailand and Vietnam.

CEFR is a standard used to measure language proficiency. A grade of CEFR A1 is the lowest while CEFR C1 is the highest.

The CEFR B1 average for Filipino university graduates is comparable to the proficiency of 5th and 6th grade students in native English speaking countries such as the US and the United Kingdom.

Research conducted by Southville Foreign University President Melva Diamante and Hopkins International Partners, Inc. General Manager Rex Wallen Tan showed that the average English proficiency score of a Philippine college graduate is 630 based on the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC).

“This is alarming considering that taxi drivers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates are expected to have a TOEIC 650 score and business outsourcing agents are expected to have a TOEIC 850 score,” according to the GAIN statement.

GAIN Founder and President Monette Iturralde-Hamlin said: “[W]e have a problem.”

“We are globally competitive because we are good in English. But the results and the studies show that may no longer be true,” she said.

GAIN is a nonprofit organization that aims to identify and address the country’s workforce issues and competitiveness in the global market while Hopkins International is the sole authorized Philippine representative of the TOEIC.

Mr. Tan said that the CFER B1 score is likely the “best case scenario” as the study’s sample of 10,000 students came from the country’s richest and most literate regions.

He added that only between 3.2% to 10% of the graduates would get good jobs abroad based on the CEFR requirements.

The speakers likewise pointed the integration of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Economic Community as a concern moving forward.

“We are now competing with Thailand. Yet we were seen as the [leading] English-speaking [country in the] region,” said GAIN Chairman Peter Laurel.

ASEAN integration has increased competition as neighboring countries like Thailand and Malaysia are exerting more effort into achieving higher English proficiency. — Dane Angelo M. Enerio

Megaworld to introduce iTownship concept in Davao Park District

MEGAWORLD Corp. is developing its first “smart” township in Mindanao, as it starts rolling out its iTownship concept nationwide.

In a statement, Megaworld said Davao Park District will be classified as an iTownship, which means it will “integrate digital technology, design innovations and connectivity into the entire development.”

“Our goal is to future-proof our first township here in Mindanao. This means, there will be features and facilities within the township that maximize smart innovations, use of Internet and digital lifestyle. The Davao Park District will become the ‘township of the future,’” Megaworld Senior Vice-President Jericho P. Go was quoted as saying in the statement.

As an iTownship, Megaworld said the 11-hectare Davao Park District will have fiber optic-ready infrastructure, designated bike lanes and bike rental systems, LED-powered signages and digital walls, public and street Wi-Fi access, electric car charging stations and Township Operations Centers, among others.

“We have designated teams to carefully study what we can put here on the immediate term and on the long term. From design, smart technology, mobility and connectivity, energy efficiency as well as safety and security, we will put in place all these features to benefit those who live, work and play in the township,” Mr. Go said.

The P1.2-billion Davao Finance Center, which offers 26,000 square meters of office space, is expected to be finished within the first half of 2018.

Megaworld emphasized the 14-storey building’s safety features, such as an Automatic Fire Suppression System, Fire Detection and Alarm Systems, and a 24/7 CCTV and communication system.

“We will be extra-compliant to what the national and local fire codes require because the safety and security of our office tenants will always remain to be our top priority,” Mr. Go added.

Also in Davao Park District, Megaworld is building One Republic Plaza, with 18,000 square meters of office space inventory, and the Emperador House, with around 10,000 square meters of office space inventory.

Megaworld said the local city council of Davao City recently endorsed the accreditation of the Davao Park District, particularly the area of these office towers, as an economic zone for information technology under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.

Incorporated in 1989, Megaworld primarily engages in the development of master planned communities that include residential, commercial, leisure, and entertainment components.

Megaworld’s net income attributable to the parent grew 11% to P9.98 billion in the first nine months of 2017, against the P8.98 billion it generated in the same period in 2016. Revenues, meanwhile, increased 5% to P37.1 billion during the same period.

Megaworld is the real estate unit of tycoon Andrew L. Tan’s holding firm Alliance Global Group, Inc., which also has core investments in gaming through Travellers International Hotel Group, Inc., liquor through Emperador, Inc., and quick service restaurants through Golden Arches Development Corp.

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