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InterAksyon likely to be moved to PhilStar group

NEWS WEB SITE InterAksyon.com will likely be moved under the Philippine Star group, the president of MediaQuest Holdings said.

MediaQuest President Ray C. Espinosa told reporters that the news Web site’s branding will remain the same.

“InterAksyon will most likely move to Philippine Star. Obviously they’re looking at the manpower… We want it to draw strength and synergy from the larger print organization,” he said.

However, there are no final details yet on the number of InterAksyon employees to be retained.

“I don’t know how many would be retained. But definitely we want it to be kept alive,” Mr. Espinosa said.

InterAksyon editor-in-chief Roby Alampay previously said the Web site has 20 regular employees. The Web site also let go of contractual employees last year.

Mr. Espinosa said the company wants “a decision or any transition” to happen within the first quarter of the year.

He added the synergy of the news Web sites would allow for targeting wider audiences.

“That’s the beauty of online. You can address so many segments, versus the print, with the costs, you can’t have many platforms,” he said.

InterAksyon.com is the online platform of PLDT, Inc.’s television network TV5 Network, Inc.

TV President Vincent “Chot” P. Reyes told reporters last week the company aims to reduce losses by 50% this year, having reduced losses by 43% last year. It targets to break even by 2019.

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

Games from Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands

80th Tata Steel Masters
Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands
Jan. 12-28, 2018

Final Standings

1-2. Magnus Carlsen NOR 2834, Anish Giri NED 2752, 9.0/13

3-4. Vladimir Kramnik RUS 2787, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov AZE 2804, 8.5/13

5-6. Viswanathan Anand IND 2767, Wesley So USA 2792, 8.0/13

7. Sergey Karjakin RUS 2753, 7.5/13

8. Peter Svidler RUS 2768, 6.0/13

9. Wei Yi CHN 2743, 5.5/13

10-12. Gawain Jones ENG 2640, Fabiano Caruana USA 2811, Maxim Matlakov RUS 2718, 5.0/13

13. Baskaran Adhiban IND 2655, 3.5/13

14. Hou Yifan CHN 2680, 2.5/13

Ave Rating 2750 Category 20

Time Control: 100 minutes for the first 40 moves followed by 50 minutes for the next 20 moves then 15 minutes play-to-finish with 30 seconds added to your clock after every move starting move 1.

The pride of the Netherlands Anish Giri didn’t do too badly in the 80th Tata Steel Masters SuperGM tournament held in Wijk aan Zee. Of course it was World Champion Magnus Carlsen who was declared the winner of the event after the first place tie with Giri and then winning the blitz tie-break match 1.5-0.5. However, as I mentioned last week the prize money was split equally and the match was simply to determine who gets bragging rights as the winner of Tata Steel.

This need to have a solo champion was just introduced last year — before that the two would have been declared co-winners. And even after they decided to have a solo champion they could have used the usual mathematical tie-breaks to declare the winner without the need to call the players back to play. What are the usual methods of breaking ties?

The most common first criteria is to use the result of the direct encounter between the two players. If they had, this wouldn’t have worked either for Carlsen vs Giri from round 4 was a draw.

After that they usually apply the Sonneborn-Berger system, which means adding the sum of the conventional scores of the players he has defeated to half the sum of the conventional scores of those he has drawn against. If they had used this then Anish Giri would have won since his victims included Kramnik and Mamedyarov who are tied for 3rd place. The highest ranked player Carlsen beat is Wesley So, tied for 5th.

Department of useless trivia: using the name Sonneborn-Berger to describe the system is a huge misnomer. Hermann Neustadtl was the one who proposed this system in 1882. William Sonneborn and Johann Berger were actually strong critics of the system — problem is they wrote about their objections so much that their names were forever associated with the system.

Number of Black games. On the assumption that it is harder to win or draw with Black than with White, the player with more games as Black is declared winner. This would not have worked either as both protagonists had 6 games with that color.

Anyway, despite the disappointment of not being champion Giri still has much to be happy for — he was undefeated with 5 wins (against Kramnik, Mamedyarov, Matlakov, Adhiban and Hou Yifan), gained 24.7 ratings points and rejoined the world top 10 list.

It is not general knowledge but Anish Giri is not a native of Holland. He was born in St. Petersburg, Russia to a Russian mother (Olga Giri) and a Nepalese father (Sanjay Giri) in 1994. The Giri family then moved to Sapporo, Japan from 2002 to 2008 and after that settled in the Netherlands. His first chess steps were at the age of 6 when he joined a local youth sports club in St. Petersburg. He continued playing in Japan but it was in Holland where he made his quantum leap from a promising junior to a 2672 world beater.

Some quarters have suggested that Giri’s recent resurgence in form could be because he returned to his old coach Vladimir Chuchelov. This Muscovite-turned-Belgian International Grandmaster is well known as one of the world’s top trainers — Aside from Anish he has coached Van Wely, Radjabov and Fabiano Caruana.

Around three years ago Giri started working with another famous coach — Vladimir Tukmakov. No doubt the Giri-Tukmakov tandem had some successes, but in Wijk aan Zee the Dutchman showed up with GM Chuchelov once again. And his result here was inspiring.

Here is my favorite Giri game from Wijk aan Zee.

Giri, Anish (2752) — Adhiban, Baskaran (2655) [A40]
80th Tata Steel Masters Wijk aan Zee NED (12.2), 27.01.2018

GM Baskaran Adhiban qualified for last year’s Tata Steel main event by winning the previous year’s Challengers. He was the lowest rated player then (2653) and was expected to get a horrible spanking, and indeed started with two draws and two losses in the first four rounds. However, in the 5th round he decided to forget that his opponents were the best players in the world and just attacked them. It worked like a dream — he crushed Sergey Karjakin in the 5th round in only 31 moves and he went on to win three more times with 5 draws. He even trotted out the King’s Gambit against Wesley So!

Adhiban played exciting chess and for that he was invited again to this year’s event, but it didn’t go so well. His opponents had adjusted their mind-set by expecting offbeat openings and played accordingly. Here is one example.

1.c4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.e4 e6 6.Bd3 exd5 7.cxd5 Bg4

The idea behind this move is to follow-up with …Nd7, then …Bxf3 and …Ne5.

8.Nbd2

In the post-game interview Giri said that he did not play the opening in the best way and this is probably it. A strong move is 8.Qa4+ Nd7 9.Nfd2 and suddenly Black’s bishop is in danger of being trapped from what I see the only way to save the piece is 9…Kf8 (in Zhao Xue vs Elina Danielian from 2012 Beijing Black really did lose the piece after 9…a6 10.h3 b5 11.Qc2 c4 12.Bf1 Bh5 13.g4 Black could only drag out the game until move 46) 10.h3 Ne5 11.Qb3 Bd7 but even then Black’s opening is obviously not a success.]

8…Nf6 9.0–0 0–0 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Nxf3 c4!

Anish Giri: “I realized I am suddenly not better. I was afraid I will not pose him any problems.”

12.Bxc4 Nxe4 13.Re1 Re8 14.Qc2 Nf6 15.Rxe8+ Nxe8 16.Bg5 Nf6

According to Giri this is a mistake. Better was 16…Bf6 and after 17.h4 Nd7 (Perhaps 17…a6 was better, preventing White’s next move) 18.Bb5! Giri’s light-squared bishop did not have much scope and he wanted to exchange it.

17.Nd4

There is a hidden trap here. 17…Nbd7 is met by 18.Ne6!

17…Qb6 18.Be3 Ng4

Black is still having problems developing his pieces. He still cannot play 18…Nbd7 because of the aforementioned 19.Ne6.

19.Qe4! Nf6

Giri explained that 19…Nxe3 is met by 20.Qe8+ Bf8 21.fxe3 Qc7 22.Ne6! fxe6 23.dxe6 Qe7 24.Qc8 “when Black is completely paralyzed and helpless.”

20.Qe7 Nbd7 21.Nb5

Winning at least a pawn.

21…Bf8 22.Bxb6 Bxe7 23.Bxa7 Ne5 24.b3 Nxc4 25.bxc4 Rc8 26.Re1 Bf8 27.Bd4 Nd7 28.Rc1 Ra8 29.Rc2 Ra6 <D>

POSITION AFTER 29…RA6

Now Anish Giri hits upon the winning idea.

30.Re2! Ra4 31.Re8 Rxc4 32.Rd8 Ne5 33.f4 Nd3

Where else can the knight go?

34.Bf6!

Now Be7 is curtains.

34…Re4 35.Nxd6 Re1+ 36.Kh2 Nf2 37.Bg5

Making its way towards h6.

37…h5

[37…Kg7 does not work: 38.Ne8+ Kg8 39.Nf6+ Kg7 40.d6 h6 41.Bh4 Re2 42.d7 Rd2 43.Re8]

38.Bh6 h4

Just in case White falls for …Rh1 mate.

39.g4 Kh7 40.Rxf8 Nd3

[40…Kxh6 41.Rxf7 followed by g4–g5+ and Rh7 mate]

41.Rxf7+ Kh8 42.Rf8+ 1–0

Adhiban never survived the opening.

* * * * *

On another matter, the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) had its national convention and election last Jan. 30th at the Golden Bay Fresh Seafood Restaurant, Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, Pasay City.

The new Board of Directors of NCFP to serve for the next four years are:

Cong. Prospero Pichay, Jr.

Cong. Abraham Tolentino

Atty. Ruel Canobas

Atty. Neri Javier Colmenares

Atty. Cliburn Anthony Orbe

Judge Gonzalo Mapili

Atty. Edmundo Legaspi

Cong. Jesulito Manalo

Atty. Tonisito Umali

Louie Ramos

Erwin Bollozos

Waldo Geli

Jonathan Amon

Cesar Tan, Jr.

Binky Gaticales

Congressman Pichay (Surigao del Sur) was reelected as NCFP chairman/president while Cavite Representative Abraham Tolentino remained the secretary general. Atty. Cliburn Anthony Orbe became the new treasurer of the federation.

Congratulations to all!

 

Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.

bobby@cpamd.net

Lady Gaga cancels tour dates

WASHINGTON — US pop star Lady Gaga Saturday announced she had canceled the last 10 shows of the European leg of her world tour due to “severe pain.” In a statement posted on Twitter, the Grammy award-winning singer told fans she was “devastated” but said the decision to cancel the dates on her Joanne World Tour — her fifth headlining tour — was “beyond her control.” Shows affected include dates in London, Paris and Berlin, as well as Stockholm, Zurich and Copenhagen. Dates in Cologne, Germany and Manchester, England were also halted. It comes after the singer canceled another show in Rio de Janeiro in September after being hospitalized, also due to severe pain. Lady Gaga has previously revealed she suffers from the chronic pain condition fibromyalgia. — AFP

Gordon and Faeldon in power play

Senator Richard Gordon and Former Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon engaged in power play during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on alleged corruption in the Bureau of Customs.

Committee Chairman Gordon opened the hearing with a long enumeration of the privileges accorded Faeldon during his detention in the Senate, among them Faeldon being allowed to hold parties attended by his father and relatives. When Gordon asked if Faeldon agreed with what he said, Faeldon said: “I do not agree with the rest.” Faeldon said his father has long been dead and that what he had was not a party but Christmas dinner with his family.

“You are exaggerating,” said Faeldon. The arrogance with which Faeldon said it riled Gordon, setting off a heated exchange between the two. When Senator Bam Aquino, the only other senator in attendance, asked Gordon for permission to address Faeldon, Gordon waved him off and said, “No, you may not.”

When the former Customs chief said that he had told Gordon back in September that he was ready to answer questions from the senators through an affidavit but had gotten no response from them, Gordon tried to cut him off. But Faeldon continued to outtalk Gordon and told him, “You’ve been monologuing and lecturing,” prompting Gordon to turn off the microphone.

At one point, Faeldon held up a piece of paper on which was written “CR”, stood up, and left the session hall without Gordon’s permission.

Gordon said hours after the hearing and after he had met with senators that they “unanimously” decided to continue to hold Faeldon “charged with contempt” and decided to send him to jail.

Arrogant and defiant indeed was Faeldon but overbearing, moralizing, and unreasonable was Gordon. On the whole it was a display of power by both men. Not power of their own as each has very little power, if any, but power derived from their common patron — President Rodrigo Duterte.

Gordon may be the political kingpin in Olongapo City, but beyond the boundaries of that small city, he wields very little influence. While Gordon had been prominent (in the sense of being high profile rather than being eminent and illustrious) in the Senate from 2004 to 2010, he got only a little over 500,000 votes or 1.39% of the voting population when he ran for president in 2010.

He ran again for the Senate in 2016, placing No. 5 among the winners, the son of an evangelist, Joel Villanueva, and that Iskul Bukol character Tito Sotto garnering more votes than him. As he ran as an independent, he was not given a place in the Senate hierarchy by the new majority party. But when Senate Justice Committee chair Leila de Lima’s assiduous investigation of the alleged extrajudicial killings in Davao City during Mr. Duterte’s terms as mayor drew the ire of President Duterte, De Lima was ousted as chair and Gordon named as the new chair.

After attacking the credibility of Edgar Matobato’s testimony against Mr. Duterte and dismissing Arthur Lascañas’ corroboration of Matobato’s testimony, Gordon abruptly terminated the investigation of the Davao killings. During the Senate investigation on the ₱6.4-billion drug smuggling case, Senator Antonio Trillanes accused Gordon of lawyering for President Duterte’s son Paolo and son-in-law Manases Carpio, calling the investigation panel that Gordon heads as “Committee de Absuelto.”

Political pundits now refer to Gordon as the Papa Bear in the Senate because he seems to get whatever he wants.

As regards Marine Captain Faeldon, he joined the military service as a 3rd Class Trainee of the Naval Combat Engineering Brigade in 1989. He was commissioned an officer of the Philippine Marine Corps in 1992. As he is not a “mistah” or a Philippine Military Academy graduate, he does not enjoy the sympathy, much less the support, of high ranking officers in the Armed Forces unlike former rebel officers Gregorio Honasan and Antonio Trillanes, both “mistahs,” did and still do.

While his gallantry in military campaigns in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao earned him many medals, Faeldon drew national attention only on July 27, 2003, when he, Trillanes, and other commissioned officers led a group of 321 men of various branches of the Armed Forces to lay siege to the Oakwood serviced apartments in Makati City as an expression of their indignation at the corruption and politicization in the military.

When the rebel soldiers failed to get the support of the public and other units of the Armed Forces, they surrendered peacefully. All participants, including Faeldon, were charged in a general court martial.

Faeldon escaped in December 2005, but was recaptured the following month. He escaped again in November 2007 when the detained Oakwood mutineers walked out of their trial and seized the second floor of the Manila Peninsula Hotel.

On May 31, 2016, it was announced, to the bafflement of the Filipino people, that Faeldon would be joining the administration of president-elect Duterte as commissioner of the Bureau of Customs. He was sworn into office on June 30, 2016, the first day of Mr. Duterte as president. Among his subordinates in the Bureau were retired military officers who were senior in rank in the military establishment.

Whatever reasons the President had, and only he knows what they are, for appointing a fugitive as the chief of the very vital but controversial Bureau, they must be strong.

In May last year Faeldon was implicated in the P6.4-billion shabu shipment that slipped past Customs, causing him to resign but President Duterte rejected his resignation. He had tendered his resignation three times before Duterte accepted it. The President said of Faeldon, “I really believe he is an honest man.”

In August last year Senator Panfilo Lacson accused Faeldon of receiving P100 million as welcome gift when he was appointed as Customs chief.

The PDEA filed a violation of importation of illegal drugs complaint against Faeldon and several other Customs officials over the multibillion-peso shabu case. However, the National Prosecution Service dismissed the complaint. Subsequently, the President, in a show of trust and confidence in Faeldon, appointed him deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense. It is that faith the President in Faeldon that gives the former Marine captain the audacity to exchange harsh words with the imperious Gordon.

How the contempt charge against Faeldon is treated — whether Faeldon is released from jail or is detained indefinitely — will determine who is more “malakas” with the President — Richard Gordon or Nicanor Faeldon. We should know soon enough.

 

Oscar P. Lagman, Jr. is a member of Manindigan! a cause-oriented group of businessmen, professionals, and academics.

oplagman@yahoo.com

AirAsia mounts additional flights from Clark

PHILIPPINES AIRASIA, Inc. has added more flights from Clark International Airport, with the introduction of routes to Tacloban, Iloilo, and Puerto Princesa.

In a statement, the local unit of the AirAsia Group said it flew its maiden Clark-Iloilo flight on Feb. 3.

It also launched the Clark-Puerto Princesa  and Clark-Iloilo routes, which both operate three times a week. The Clark-Tacloban route is operated four times a week.

AirAsia also flies to Davao, Kalibo, and Caticlan from Clark International Airport (CIA) using Airbus 320s that can accommodate up to 180 passengers.

It is returning to CIA, its original hub, this month. It started in Clark in 2012 but moved to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in 2013.

AirAsia CEO Dexter M. Comendador told reporters last December that they are expecting revenues of P1.3 billion monthly, or a total of P15.6 billion for 2018. Revenues for 2017 were expected to reach P12 billion.

The company also plans to expand the domestic fleet to 70 planes in 15 years.

Philippines AirAsia is eyeing an initial public offering (IPO) before end-2018. It plans to raise $250 million, mainly for expanding its facilities. — P.P.C. Marcelo

Property buyers shift gaze away from Metro Manila

By Jochebed B. Gonzales
Senior Researcher

CONSUMER home buying sentiment in the Philippines improved last quarter, boosted by households’ increasing optimism over properties located in areas outside the National Capital Region (NCR).

Results from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) Consumer Expectations Survey showed that 40.6% of households considered last quarter was a “good time to buy” house and lot, improving from 37.5% in the third quarter of 2017 and 36.7% in last three months of 2016.

Property Purchase

The share of households who intend to buy at least one property for the 12-months forward also picked up to 11.2% from 9.8% during the preceding quarter and 9.5% in the fourth quarter of 2016.

Higher optimism was seen for areas outside Metro Manila where 41.2% of the households surveyed thought last quarter could have been an opportune time for buying real estate in these places, from 36.5% and 37.2%, for third quarter last year and fourth quarter of 2016.

The percentage of households which expressed intent of buying properties outside NCR during the next 12 months rose to 11.6% from 9.7% in the third quarter and 10.1% during 2016’s comparable three months.

In Metro Manila, however, outlook dampened as share of households who are optimistic about purchasing properties slipped to 36.5% from 43.8% in the third quarter. The percentage of those who plan to buy within this year also declined to 8.5% of households from 10% previously.

“From the usual central business districts, we see more of developments moving outside due to various reasons,” said Union Bank of the Philippines chief economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion.

“One is the increasing prices of properties at the centers. Although house and lot prices are actually stable, it is the vertical developments that are rising. I think, this is a probable reason why sentiment for buying has weakened in Metro Manila as the survey describes.”

“Another reason that supports the spilling out of Metro Manila is the push for more infrastructure projects that seek to decongest Metro Manila. Major real estate developers, including the second tier ones, are more aggressive of focusing outside of Metro Manila because of its higher potential and positioning reasons,” he added.

For Security Bank Corp. economist Angelo B. Taningco, weaker buying sentiment among Metro Manila households was due to steeper prices both in consumer items and real estate.

“Prospects of higher consumer price inflation and property prices in NCR this year may have turned consumers less optimistic in purchasing properties within this region, and bolstering their sentiment of buying real estate outside NCR. I agree with this sentiment by consumers,” Mr. Taningco said.

“I think the accelerating pace of property development and public infrastructure development in areas outside NCR are boosting consumer sentiment in buying house and lot outside NCR,” he added.

Jose R. Soberano III, chairman and chief executive officer of Visayas-based Cebu Landmasters, Inc., said: “A lot of these buyers are also based in Metro Manila and interested residents — those looking outside [NCR] or [those who want to] go back home.”

“Gradually, Visayas and Mindanao have been able to create their market niche. Metropolitan cities like Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo or even Dumaguete created employment-generating centers catering to the BPO sector for example.”

But for SM Development Corp.’s Executive Vice-President Jose Mari H. Banzon, Metro Manila still tops the sales for the Sy-led property developer.

“Our sales of residential properties in the NCR region continue to be strong. We’ve observed strong interest from both end-users and investors. The NCR continues to be our biggest market.”

Asked who these end-users were, Mr. Banzon said: “Various. Start-up families, young executives, entrepreneurs [and] OFW (overseas Filipino workers) professionals.”

According to the BSP survey, households which received OFW remittances last quarter allotted 14.2% of the remittance for “purchase of house.”

Security Bank net profit up 20% to P10.3 billion

SECURITY BANK Corp. posted a higher net income in 2017 driven by growth across its business segments.

In a disclosure to the local bourse on Monday, Security Bank said its net income grew by 20% to a “record high” P10.3 billion last year from P8.55 billion posted in 2016.

The profit growth was mainly attributed to the 22% increase in the bank’s net interest income to P19.4 billion from the P15.9 billion in the comparable year-ago period, as well as the 15% growth in its non-interest income to P5.7 billion.

Trading gains went up 36% to P2.4 billion, while service charges, fees and commission income grew 3% to P2.2 billion.

This brought Security Bank’s total revenues to P25.1 billion in 2017, up 20%.

For the fourth quarter alone last year, Security Bank booked a P2.9-billion net income, a 49% increase from the same period in 2016. The bank said this increase was driven by the 16% growth in its net interest income to P5 billion and gain on sale of securities of P1.3 billion.

The lender’s loans grew 28% to P369 billion in 2017. Wholesale loans booked a 25% growth, broken down into corporate loans, which climbed 25%, and a middle market loan growth of 24%.

Consumer loans also grew 49%, accounting for 16% of the bank’s total loans from the 13% in 2016.

Deposits were also up 19% last year, with low-cost deposits growing 18%, Security Bank said.

“Net interest margin improved to 3.3% in the fourth quarter of 2017 from 3.2% of previous quarter and 3.1% a year ago,” the lender added.

Still, the asset quality of the bank remained healthy, with its net non-performing loan (NPL) ratio at 0.02% at end-2017 from 0.11% at the end of third quarter last year.

Provisions for credit losses in 2017 stood at P656 million, while the bank’s NPL reserve cover rose to 239% at end-December from 220% in the previous quarter.

Security Bank’s cost-to-income ratio was at 49.8%. Operating expense growth, excluding provisions for credit and impairment losses, stood at 19% due to higher gross receipt taxes, a 14% growth in manpower cost and 48% growth in depreciation, amortization and software costs.

As of end-2017, Security Bank had 303 branches and 713 automated teller machines.

Total assets grew 9% to P756 billion. Capital adequacy ratios were also healthy, with its common equity ratio and total capital adequacy ratio at 15.5% and 17.7%, respectively.

Shareholders’ capital rose by 8% to P105 billion. Return on average shareholders’ equity was 10.2, while return on average assets was at 1.5%.

Security Bank’s shares closed Monday’s session at P 238 apiece, dropping P5.40 or 2.22% from Friday’s P243.40 each. — K.A.N. Vidal

Keeping it light

It’s not always easy just to have a simple conversation among friends about topics like movies, books, illnesses, diets, new restaurants, and gossip. Some contentious issues can pop up to weigh down the mood with strong opinions and irreconcilable positions. A conversation between friends aims to be quiet, punctuated by soft laughter and perhaps a slapping of thighs, your own or the other’s, but not too lingeringly.

In a conversational setting, there are no points to score. Ordinary dialogue does not attempt to characterize another’s opinion as irrational, badly thought through, or full of logical holes. A colloquy from Latin meaning talking together aims to seek common ground, finding subjects worth talking about (or not). It is meant to be a pleasant exchange.

How does conversation descend into argument, or a debate with two sides clashing?

Of course, debate has its place. Its purpose is to put forth a proposition, say, “should we move to a federal system of government” and then have two sides argue the case for and against. It is clear from this format that dissent is expected. Agreeing too readily with the other side, except when engaging in irony, is merely accepting defeat — hey, you’re right and I’m wrong.

Carrying on a conversation with a determined debater can lead to emotional stress, even a headache. Why should we go to the theater when we can download the movie on the phone? You just want a dark place with air conditioning. Besides, have you read the reviews of this film? (Do you have to analyze everything and provide supporting facts?)

Any topic can be the subject of conversation or debate. And the latter need not be in an academic setting or a competition for medals. Social interaction can move like a dance with graceful coordinated steps, moving with the music; or it can be a discordant tug-of-war where everything a person says is challenged and rebutted.

Conversation really entails listening. A view is expressed and allowed to develop. The other person adds to the appreciation of the topic, giving a different perspective or providing a new insight. There is head-nodding — hey, I never though of it that way. (Yes, the narrator in the play is indeed unnecessary and even jarring.) After all, conversation allows disagreement too. It is treated as a different point of view that doesn’t need to be torn down to conform with one’s own.

It is hard to deal with an opinionated person especially if one does not agree with his beliefs. Still, this predictability (say, a rabid affection for the chief) allows conversation to flow to other unrelated streams, say the impact of online shopping on the retail industry.

Much harder to manage is discourse with a knee-jerk debater. There is no subject to hide behind as each topic is challenged with a contrary point of view. It is even possible that the view being expressed is actually the one previously held but just because the same opinion is now being supported, the opposite view is immediately embraced with gusto. If you’re white, then I have to be black. Let the games begin.

It is not right to give up and simply walk out of a contentious exchange — “okay, you just don’t make sense. You never do. Let’s just stop talking.” This reaction, though understandable, is too emotional. It’s best to just keep drinking your coffee and declare a verbal truce — hey, it was good to catch up with you.

Conversation and debate happen to use different kinds of thinking. Nobel laureate economist and psychologist, Daniel Kahneman in his book, Thinking, Fast and Slow describes fast thinking as “system one” which is basically intuitive and requiring no deliberate analysis, like when you find a woman attractive without thinking through the details of why. Reading a map or figuring out the subway system of Manhattan on your first visit is “system two” thinking. It is deliberate, rational, and requiring methodical analysis. Thus conversation which is intuitive and easy clashes with debating which thinks up of arguments and logical thrusts.

Both conversation and debate are needed in social relationships, though the latter may be more useful in corporate settings, legislative halls, courtrooms, and TV talk shows. There is a time and place for both conversation and debate. It’s something worth talking about… and arguing over.

 

A. R. Samson is chair and CEO of Touch DDB.

ar.samson@yahoo.com

Reality star Kylie Jenner has daughter

LOS ANGELES — US reality TV star and cosmetics tycoon Kylie Jenner has delivered a daughter with her beau, rapper Travis Scott, she announced Sunday. Jenner, 20, runs Kylie Cosmetics in addition to appearing in her family’s long-running reality show Keeping up with the Kardashians. The baby’s name was not immediately announced. She was born in Los Angeles on Feb. 1. Jenner is normally a busy social media machine-feeder. But her pregnancy was a relative blackout, which she said was her decision. — AFP

Fly Eagles Fly

“Fly, Eagles Fly” enveloped the US Bank Stadium at the end of a thrilling match that saw the protagonists post a combined modern-era-record 1,151 yards. The 67,612-strong crowd, which braved extremely chilly conditions, was stunned at and by the outcome, but there can be no question who deserved to take Super Bowl LII. The Patriots were beaten fairly and squarely, and, most importantly, in their own game, with the sight of newly minted Most Valuable Player Tom Brady sitting in the ground in abject surrender when he battlesmoke cleared.

All things considered, it was, perhaps, only fitting that the Eagles had to overcome no small measure of adversity to wrap their arms around the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Fresh off a season in which they finished dead last in their division, they put together a campaign that had them overcoming hurdles at every turn en route to ultimate success. The injury to leading MVP candidate Carson Wentz seemed particularly Sisyphean, and yet they proved true to their Philadelphia roots by defying the odds.

Yesterday, the Eagles managed to be as relentless in their attack as in the National Football Conference Championship. They led early, and then brought back memories of the Falcons’ monumental collapse last year with a so-so third quarter. As things turned out, they had more than enough in their tank to prevail. Even when the Patriots mounted the expected comeback and grabbed the lead with nine minutes and change in the fourth, they hung tough and underscored their mettle; they were especially steely during a subsequent 75-yard touchdown, as well as through two defensive stands, to seal the victory.

Certainly, the Patriots were up to the challenge; Brady was his typical outstanding self, putting up an unprecedented 505 yards off a 115.4 rating highlighted by three touchdowns and zero interceptions. On the whole, though, the Eagles were simply better; erstwhile backup Nick Foles, for instance, rose to the moment, belying his journeyman roots to earn MVP honors. Indeed, they deserved to claim Super Bowl LII. They believed in themselves; now, everybody else believes in them.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.

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How PSEi member stocks performed — February 5, 2018

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Monday, February 5, 2018.

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