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Batang Gilas takes ‘compete’ mind-set for U17 World Cup

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
LUMPED in what many consider to be the “Group of Death” in the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup later this year, Batang Gilas is choosing to be undaunted by it and is taking a mind-set to compete with the best teams in the world.
Hacking out a fourth-place finish at the recently concluded FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Foshan, China, the national youth team, backed by Smart Communications, Inc. and Chooks-to-Go, got to secure a berth in the World Cup to be played from June 30 to July 8 in Argentina.
It marks the second time that the Philippines, currently 30th in the world, is making an appearance in the biennial meet after making it in the tournament in 2014 where it finished at 15th place out of 16 teams.
In this year’s edition of the World Cup, Batang Gilas is bracketed in Group D along with France (third in the world), host Argentina (fifth) and Croatia (eighth).
While they recognize that it is going to be an uphill battle for them right at the onset of the World Cup, the Batang Gilas think tank said it is not going to deter them from their goals of having a better showing in the tournament and furthering the program they have set under the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.
“We are not necessarily looking at it as the Group of Death but rather we are approaching it as the Philippines very fortunate to be able to compete with some of the best teams in the world,” said head coach Michael Oliver on the sidelines of the welcome home dinner for the team hosted by Chooks-to-Go on Tuesday at Bar One in Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria in Ortigas.
“It (tournament) would help the players in their development, seeing the level of play of these top teams and maybe take note of those for their own improvement,” he added.
He went to say that they are out to seize the opportunity presented to them and take away as much as they can from it.
“We’re happy for the players for the opportunity because this does not happen very often; that they get to play these teams. You only get to play them when you qualify in big tournaments,” Mr. Oliver said.
‘SURPRISE PEOPLE’
For assistant coach Josh Reyes, seeing how Batang Gilas competed in the FIBA Asia, the team is not going to surrender much at the World Cup.
“It’s going to be a good barometer of where we stand. We are not the small team anymore. We can handle them,” Mr. Reyes said.
Asked of their expectations come tournament proper, Mr. Reyes said part of their push is to surprise people.
“We will shoot for a better standing but we know it’s going to be tough. Nonetheless I believe with the proper preparation, at this level, we can compete. We are out to surprise people and let’s see how far we can go,” he said.
“When we go to Argentina we are going to compete. We are not there to have a vacation for why go there in the first place if such is going to be the case,” Mr. Reyes added.
On the part of Batang Gilas stalwart Kai Sotto, while he felt they did well in the FIBA Asia tournament, the work continues for them.
“Personally I’m expecting a tough road at the World Cup, so we really have to prepare hard. In the FIBA Asia we got a feel of the competition and how to play in big tournaments. In the World Cup the challenge will be greater but we will not back down,” said the Ateneo High School star player, who led Batang Gilas in points and rebounds in the FIBA Asia with 16.8 points and 13.5 rebounds.
Other players who saw action in the FIBA Asia and are part of the pool for the World Cup are Terrence Fortea, RC Calimag, Rence Padrigao and Raven Cortez.

Smart makes another go for first Grand Prix win against Sta. Lucia

CAME ever so close from notching their first victory in the ongoing Chooks-to-Go-Philippine Superliga (PSL) Grand Prix last time around, the Smart Giga Hitters make another go at it when they take on the Sta. Lucia Lady Realtors on the final play date of the elimination round today at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
Currently at the bottom of the eight-team field of the tournament with a 0-9 record, the Giga Hitters look to finish the classification phase on a winning note and build some momentum heading into the quarterfinals this weekend.
Smart enters the 7 p.m. contest off a record performance from import Gyselle Silva, who made PSL history by scoring 56 points against the Cocolife Asset Managers on April 8 in Batangas City.
The Cuban sensation shook Philippine volleyball when she erupted for 53 kills and three aces against Cocolife.
Her production was the highest ever in the country and third best in the world behind the 58 points of Polina Rahimova of Azerbaijan in 2015 and the 57 points of Madison Kingdon of United States in 2017 and Elitsa Vasileva of Bulgaria in 2013.
Unfortunately for the Giga Hitters, despite the historic performance of Ms. Silva it was not enough to help them avoid falling for a ninth straight time, 23-25, 21-25, 29-27, 25-19 and 14-16.
Nonetheless, Smart is still looking at Ms. Silva’s showing against Cocolife as a positive cue as the team goes for that elusive first victory.
“Her (Silva) main goal is to give us a victory. She’s very focused on training and actual games. So I’m not discounting the possibility that she can either match or surpass that impressive performance in our next few matches,” said Smart coach Ronald Dulay of their reinforcement.
Looking to thwart Smart’s push and keep it winless are the Lady Realtors who shocked top-echelon team Petron Blaze Spikers in straight sets in their last game.
Meanwhile, set to play in the opening game at 4:15 p.m. are the Cignal HD Spikers (3-6) against Generika-Ayala Lifesavers.
PSL matches are broadcast over ESPN5. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Sixers close in on third seed with 15th straight win

LOS ANGELES — The Philadelphia 76ers powered to a record-breaking 15th straight victory on Tuesday with a 121-113 defeat of the Atlanta Hawks to stay on course for third seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
J.J. Redick led the scoring with 28 points while Ersan Ilyasova weighed in with 26 off the bench as the Sixers moved to within one win of locking up third spot.
Ben Simmons, who had been struggling with a stomach bug, added 14 points with 10 assists while Marco Belinelli had 20 off the bench as the Sixers set a new franchise record for consecutive wins.
The Sixers can seal third in the Eastern Conference in the final round of regular season games on Wednesday when they return to Philadelphia to host Milwaukee.
Sixers coach Brett Brown said he believes his team’s record winning streak can be the catalyst for a strong performance in the postseason.
“We have momentum, we broke a club record tonight,” Brown told reporters.
“It’s not like we’re a young club. We’re an old club with a tremendous history. Taking that kind of momentum into the playoffs is important. It doesn’t guarantee anything but it certainly lets you feel you’re doing things the right way. The team has been fantastic.”
Third place in the East could potentially be worth an easier route to the Conference finals, with the injury-hit Boston Celtics, seeded second, likely opponents in the second round.
SARIC INJURY SCARE
Philadelphia’s emergence this season marks a dramatic turnaround in fortunes, just two years after finishing bottom with a dismal 10-72 record.
Atlanta, the worst side in the East with a 24-58 record, saw their season end with another loss. Taurean Prince led the Atlanta scoring with 27 points while Tyler Dorsey had 17 off the bench.
The only sour note for the Sixers was an injury to power forward Dario Saric, who left the game in the opening seconds nursing a cut lip and a chipped tooth after a collision with John Collins.
“It’s not an ideal time of year to lose a starting player on the first play of the game,” Brown said. “We’ll learn more about his condition when we get back to Philadelphia.”
Elsewhere Tuesday, John Wall racked up 29 points as the Washington Wizards romped past the Celtics, 113-101.
Wall pulled down seven rebounds and provided 12 assists in the win as the Celtics, who are already assured of second place in the East, slipped to their fourth loss in five games.
Jaylen Brown led the Boston scorers with 27 points. Jayson Tatum had 12 points while Al Horford snagged 14 rebounds and added 10 points.
In the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors brought their regular season campaign to a close with a tame defeat to the Utah Jazz.
The reigning NBA champions had already assured themselves of second place and were a long way off their best as they slumped to a 119-79 loss at Salt Lake City’s Vivint Smart Home Arena.
Klay Thompson led the scoring for the Warriors with 23 points but the Dubs were no match for the all-round offensive threat of the Jazz, who face Portland on the road on Wednesday to decide which team will finish third. Both Utah and Portland have identical 48-33 records. — AFP

Roma dump Barca out after miracle comeback

ROME — Kostas Manolas sent Roma through to the semifinals of the Champions League after an incredible 3-0 victory over Barcelona at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday saw them overhaul a 4-1 first-leg deficit and advance on away goals.
Manolas, who along with captain Daniele De Rossi scored the two own goals at the Camp Nou that looked to have sent Roma out, was mobbed by his delirious teammates after glancing home a brilliant headed winner with eight minutes left that sent the Roma supporters into raptures and left a dazed and confused Barca wondering what had hit them.
“All that counts is that we got to the semifinals against the best team on the planet,” Manolas said after a historic night for the Serie A club, who have made it through to the last four of Europe’s top competition for the first time in three decades.
“We all believed, we didn’t think about the first leg and unfortunate episodes.”
It was last week’s other own goal villain De Rossi who got the home fans believing in the impossible when he converted the penalty that made it 2-0 13 minutes after the break.
The local hero was also the architect of the brilliant Edin Dzeko’s sixth-minute opener, floating a pinpoint pass that the Bosnian took down expertly and poked past Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
“Just imagine what this triumph means for us,” said De Rossi.
“It’s about as much as I could have hoped for tonight.”
Just as they were at the Camp Nou, Roma were aggressive from the off, and Dzeko gave the home side a deserved early lead, brilliantly bringing down De Rossi’s clipped through ball and holding off Samuel Umtiti to score.
Roma doubled their tally in the 58th minute when Dzeko was chopped down by Gerard Pique and De Rossi slotted home the spot-kick.
Eusebio Di Francesco’s side smelled blood, and with the raucous crowd urging their team they tore into wobbling Barca.
De Rossi flashed a header wide in the 69th minute, and 10 minutes later it looked like Ter Stegen had saved the away side’s skin with an incredible close-range stop from Stephan El Shaarawy.
However, with just seven minutes left Manolas met another fizzing Aleksandar Kolarov corner with an unsaveable header, sparking wild celebrations on and off the pitch.
Barca finally came out of their shells as Roma tried to hold on to the result, but the hosts held on brilliantly to see the result out and go through to the semis for the first time since 1984, when they lost the final at home to Liverpool, Tuesday’s other victors.
“I am responsible. I make the team, I prepare it. That is the case if we win or lose. I put out the same team as last week,” said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde.
“It is a painful defeat. We wanted to keep going. Now we must lick our wounds. There are other competitions and we must try to win them because we have won nothing yet.” — AFP

Games from Euro Championship

19th European Individual Championship
Batumi, Georgia
March 16-29, 2018

Final Top Standings
1. GM Ivan Saric CRO 2657, 8.5/11
2-8. GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek POL 2738, GM Sanan Sjugirov RUS 2652, GM Gawain CB Jones ENG 2651, GM Maxim Matlakov RUS 2707, LGM Luke McShane ENG 2647, GM Anton Korobov UKR 2664, GM Eltaj Safarli AZE 2639, 8.0/11
9-24. GM Tamir Nabaty ISR 2690, GM Evgeniy Najer RUS 2683, GM Anton Demchenko RUS 2672, GM Nils Grandelius SWE 2646, GM Daniil Yuffa RUS 2521, GM David Navara CZE 2737, GM Ernesto Inarkiev RUS 2684, GM Robert Hovhannisyan ARM 2601, GM Ivan Cheparinov BUL 2693, GM Benjamin Bok NED 2622, IM Miguel Santos Ruiz ESP 2488, GM Nijat Abasov AZE 2608, GM Arman Pashikian ARM 2585, GM Alexey Sarana RUS 2577, GM David Anton Guijarro ESP 2647, GM Mircea-Emilian Parligras ROU 2642, , 7.5/11
Total Number of Participants: 302
Time Control: 90 minutes for the first 40 moves then 30 minutes play-to-finish with 30 seconds added after every move starting move 1.
The 19th European Individual Chess Championship was held March 17-28 in the Sheraton Hotel in Batumi, Georgia. It was an 11-round swiss system tournament with a total of 302 players from 34 federations participating, 135 of whom were grandmasters.
The top 23 players will qualify for the World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk next year. GM David Anton Guijarro of Spain and Mircea-Emilian Parligras of Romania finished on the exact same tiebreaks on 23rd place, so there was a question as to whether they should play a match to determine who will go to Khanty-Mansiysk but the organizers decided to do away with any playoff as anyway chances are some players who finished higher in the tournament might qualify by rating instead and one or two additional slots could open up.
Several high-profile players were not able to finish in the top 23 — for example the highest rated player and no. 1 seed Dmitry Jakovenko with his ultra-solid style had too many draws and finished in 52nd (!) place. Paco Vallejo Pons (4th seed) had to withdraw for personal reasons. Other non-qualifiers are hometown favorite Baadur Jobava and former FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov.
Ivanchuk alternated beautiful wins with disastrous losses and in the end finished half a point short of qualification. For example you have just got to see this: Ivanchuk comes up with a new idea and when Ivanisevic does not respond in the most accurate fashion he gets an iron grip on the position and does not let go.

Ivanisevic, Ivan (2587) — Ivanchuk, Vassily (2713) [D11]
19th ch-EUR Indiv 2018 Batumi GEO (9.21), 26.03.2018

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Bg4 5.Ne5 Bf5 6.Nc3 e6 7.Qb3 Nbd7!?
A new move, completely ignoring his weakness on b7. Everybody else played 7…Qb6 here.
8.cxd5
Taking the pawn on b7 right away is met by 8.Qxb7 Nxe5 9.dxe5 Nd7 10.Qxc6 Rc8 11.Qa6 d4 followed by Bb4+ and the White King is brought out to the center of the board.
8…Nxd5 9.Qxb7 Nxe5 10.dxe5 Bb4 11.Qxc6+ Kf8 12.Bd2 Rc8 13.Qa4 a5 14.Bg2 Nxc3 15.bxc3 Rxc3 16.Qd1
White has to watch out for tactical tricks. For example 16.Rd1 Qxd2+! 17.Rxd2 Rc1+ White has to give back the queen and after 18.Qd1 Rxd1+ 19.Kxd1 Ke7! Black’s two bishops is going to give him trouble.
16…Bc2 17.Qc1 Rc4 18.Bxb4+ axb4 19.Qb2 Ke7 20.0–0 Qa5 21.Rfc1 Rhc8 22.e3 Rc3 23.Bf3 Qc5
Chuckie’s idea is to play 24…Be4! 25.Rxc3 bxc3 26.Qe2 Bxf3 27.Qxf3 c2 when the passed pawn on c2 will give White fits. For example… 28.Rc1 Qb5 29.e4 Qb2 30.Qe3 Qxa2 and Black has all the play.
24.Re1 h6 25.Bd1 Be4 26.Ba4 Ra8 27.Bb3 Qxe5 28.Rac1 Rac8 29.Qd2 Qc5 30.Rcd1 Bd3 31.e4 Bb5 32.Qd4 Qxd4 33.Rxd4 Rc1 34.Rxc1
After 34.Rdd1 Rxd1 35.Rxd1 Be2 36.Re1 Bf3 it is not so hard to break Black’s grip on the position. He will be following up with g7–g5 and h7–h5 with all sorts of threats.
34…Rxc1+ 35.Kg2
This is Ivanisevic’s idea — the b4–pawn cannot be held. Is he out of the woods now?
35…Bf1+ 36.Kf3 Rc3+ 37.Kg4 Be2+ 38.Kh3 <D
POSITION AFTER 38.KH3
38…g5! 39.Rxb4?
Correct is 39.f4! gxf4 40.Kg2 fxg3 41.hxg3 White is still inferior but at least he is not being mated.
39…h5!
With the idea of Bf1 checkmate.
40.Kg2 Bf3+ 41.Kh3 Rc1! 0–1
Black intends to play Rg1 followed by Bg2 mate. The only way to avoid this entails ruinous material loss, so Ivanisevic gives up.
Going over the list of qualifiers I notice the name of GM Gawain Jones, the reigning British Chess Champion. He is one of my favorite players as he plays the openings which I used to play myself, for example the Sicilian Dragon and the King’s Indian. Here is one such thriller.

Baron, Tal (2529) — Jones, Gawain C B (2651) [E81]
19th ch-EUR Indiv 2018 Batumi GEO (2.20), 18.03.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0–0 6.Be3 c5 7.Nge2 Nc6 8.d5 Ne5
If this variation seems familiar to you, that is because the game Bersamina vs Pichot from the Baku Olympiad also started out this way.
9.Ng3 h5 10.Be2 h4 11.Nf1 e6 12.Bg5
Bersamina-Pichot continued 12.f4 Nxc4!? the jury is still out whether this sacrifice is sound or not, but as of now Black is scoring 60% with it. 13.Bxc4 b5 14.Bxb5 exd5 15.exd5 Rb8 16.h3 Nh5 17.Be2 Rxb2 18.Rc1 Re8 19.Kf2 Ng3 20.Nxg3 hxg3+ 21.Kf3 Qh4 22.Qg1 Bf5 23.Bb5 Re7 24.Bxc5 dxc5 25.d6 g5 26.fxg5 Be4+ 27.Nxe4 Qxe4+ 28.Kxg3 Be5# 0–1 (28) Bersamina,P (2408)-Pichot,A (2536) Baku 2016.
12…Qb6 13.Qd2 exd5 14.cxd5 h3 15.gxh3 Bxh3 16.Ne3 Nh7 17.Bf4 Qd8
Black is threatening 18…Ng5 with a double attack on f3. This more or less forces his opponent to exchange off his dark-squared bishop with 19.Bxe5 Bxe5 and now Black has a foothold on d4.
18.Bg3
Maybe better is to castle queenside.
18…Ng5 19.Qd1
With the counter-threat of f4.
19…b5! 20.f4 b4 21.Na4 Nxe4 22.Qc2
[22.fxe5 Bxe5 23.Bxe5 dxe5 and now White cannot prevent Qh4+. After 24.Rg1 Qh4+ 25.Rg3 Nxg3 26.hxg3 Qxg3+ 27.Kd2 Qf4 Black has a winning attack]
22…Re8! 23.fxe5 Bxe5 24.Nf1
[24.0–0–0 Qg5! the White knight on e3 is defenseless if 25.Qd3 then 25…c4!]
24…Bxf1! 25.Rxf1 Bxg3+ 26.hxg3 Nxg3 27.Rf2 Nxe2 28.Kf1 0–1
Tal Baron avoids 28.Rxe2 Qh4+ 29.Kf1 Qh1+; 28.Kf1 but now he notices that Gawain can play 28…Nd4 followed by Qh4 so he resigns without waiting for Black’s reply.
And another.

Jones,Gawain C B (2651) — Inarkiev, Ernesto (2684) [B51]
19th ch-EUR Indiv 2018 Batumi GEO (7.3), 24.03.2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7 4.a4
GM Krisztian Szabo wrote a theoretical on this line in NIC Yearbook 126. He say “this is a new and fashionable idea. White avoids the direct lines (4.d4 and 4.0–0) and goes for a positional way to handle this line. First he stops Black’s queenside pawns, avoiding the quick …a7–a6, …b7–b5 plans, and then he plays the natural developing moves 0–0, Nc3 and d2–d3 or d2–d4. This line was played in 2017 by Magnus Carlsen, Michael Adams, Gata Kamsky, Gawain Jones, Aleksandra Goryachkina and others.”
4…Ngf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 b6 7.0–0 Bb7 8.Re1 g6 9.d4 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Bg7 11.Bg5 h6
Of course not 11…Nxe4? 12.Nxe4 Bxe4 13.Bc4 the bishop cannot move because of the weakness of the e7 square.
12.Bh4 0–0 13.Bc4 Re8 14.Nf3 Qc7 15.Bb3 Rac8 16.Qd2 Qc5 17.Rad1 Nh5 18.Nd5
Threatening Nxe7+, which explains Black’s next move.
18…g5 19.Bxg5 hxg5 20.Qxg5 e6 21.Ne7+ Rxe7
Inarkiev didn’t believe in White’s attack, otherwise he would have gone for 21…Kf8 22.Nxc8 Qxg5 23.Nxg5 Bxc8 24.Rxd6 where he has bishop and knight vs white’s rook and 3 pawns. Both sides have chances.
22.Qxe7 Nhf6
The white queen is in danger of getting trapped by …Bf8.
23.Bxe6 fxe6 24.Qxe6+ Kf8?
Inarkiev must have missed something. 24…Kh8 leads to 25.Qh3+ Qh5 26.Qxh5+ Nxh5 27.Rxd6 Nc5 with still a big fight ahead of us.
25.Nh4 Qg5?
[25…Ne5 only move]
26.Qxd6+ Kg8
[26…Ke8 27.Nf5 Bf8 28.Qe6+ Kd8 29.h4 wins]
27.Qe6+ Kh7
The king cannot go back anymore because of 27…Kf8 28.Rxd7 Nxd7 29.Ng6+
28.Nf3 Qf4 29.Qh3+ Qh6 30.Ng5+ Kg8 31.Qe6+ Kh8 32.Nf7+ Kh7 33.Nxh6 Nc5 34.Qf5+ Kxh6 35.Re3 Bh8 36.Rg3 1–0
 
Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant, he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.
bobby@cpamd.net

Excellent coaching

Gregg Popovich breathed a sigh of relief in the aftermath of the Spurs’ victorious homestand against the Kings the other day. He had just seen his charges clinch a 21st consecutive playoff berth, a modern-era National Basketball Association record bested only by the pioneering Syracuse Nationals. Not normally predisposed to celebrating a modest stride, he allowed himself a moment of comfort, and with reason. When the black and silver were last compelled to take an early vacation, he was just a rookie head coach and franchise legend Tim Duncan had yet to declare for the draft.
Popovich won’t admit it, but the current season is, in many ways, his best at the helm. For all his achievements as five-time champion and three-time Coach of the Year, he hasn’t looked more in command at the hot seat than through his 2017-2018 campaign, during which the Spurs were handicapped with the highest number of man-hours lost to injury in the league by far. Among those sidelined was All-Defense staple and Most Valuable Player candidate Kawhi Leonard, from whom everything hitherto emanated. In the absence of his top dog and in the face of an unprecedented churn of personnel, he managed to stay competitive in the cutthroat Western Conference.
All things considered, it’s a wonder the Spurs still have a chance to claim homecourt advantage in the first round of the postseason. With some luck accompanying a win over the Pelicans today, they may yet find their resolve rewarded by good news. If nothing else, the development would be reflective of their roller-coaster ride; earlier this week, they weren’t even certain of booking a seat in the playoffs. And if their effort waxed and waned for parts of their grueling trek, their confidence did not — as good a testament as any of their faith in Popovich and the magic he routinely wields.
Certainly, the Spurs continue to face an uphill battle. Given the depth of the field and their relative lack of talent to implement the best of Popovich’s plans, making the conference semifinals would be a feat in and of itself. All the same, contentment will not be theirs to experience; winning has been so ingrained in them that nothing less than a crack at the Larry O’Brien Trophy will qualify as a job well done. Wishful thinking? Perhaps. Then again, they are who they are, an extension of a mentor who demands excellence on the court and off.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

After blockchain, Pacquiao invests in tech startup

From the boxing ring to the senate to the business world. Boxing superstar-turned-legislator Manny Pacquiao is embarking on a new venture beyond his sports and political endeavors.

The 39-year-old senator, whose total net worth amounts to $200 million, entered the digital entrepreneurship space after investing in Singapore-based blockchain company Global Crypto Offering Exchange last month: an endeavor that allowed him to launch his own cryptocurrency called “PAC Coin.” Just last April 7, Pacquiao led the seed funding of local car rental firm Graventure, a digital platform that will connect users with car renting agencies. The website and mobile app is set to be launched by the third quarter of the year.

Using the platform, users can also coordinate with car owners for pick-up or delivery service, and pay directly through it.

“I like that Graventure will solve a problem that will help many Filipinos in Manila and across the country,” Pacquiao, who will also serve as the endorser of the company, was quoted as saying in a statement. “They will be able to find and rent a car much more easily, and that’s important. They can now focus on going places instead of surfing the web all day.”

As a startup, Graventure currently commands a following of 7,362 people on Facebook: a platform where it reaches out to car owners to become official partners:



In a message to SparkUp, Gracy Fernandez, managing director and co-founder, said there are currently about 300 car rental agencies in the country and the company seeks to tap “as many of them as possible” to register in the platform.

Car providers will take 85% of the payment for each car transaction while the remaining 15% goes to the company.

According to her, the digital service aims to “simplify, and in some cases automate” the struggles of car owners such as tracking rental inquiries on multiple websites, validating car renters, and collecting and receiving payment.

Kaiser Dapar, co-founder, said the platform will provide an “end-to-end solution” both to car owners and renters.

“Car renters will be able to find, book, and pay for the car that’s just right for them, while car providers will be able to post listings, manage bookings, and process payments to more efficiently manage what is essentially their small business,” Dapar was quoted as saying in the statement.

Cebu Pacific wants millennials to study how to fly a plane

Millennials are no strangers to Cebu Pacific, the Gokongwei-led airline that posted a net income of P7.91 billion for 2017. But while most would satiate their wanderlust by booking a piso-fare flight, a select few push their luck further: by studying how to fly a Cebu Pac plane.

“Flying a plane is something I enjoy because of the technicality behind it. It’s not just about pushing buttons. You have to apply technical lessons and computations,” said Martha de Leon, a 22-year-old aeronautical engineering graduate. She is among the first batch of 16 aspiring pilots under Cebu Pacific’s Cadet Pilot Program who will be sent to Australia for a one-year training.

Cebu Pacific launched the program in October last year, shelling out $25 million that cover all expenses of a total of 240 candidates over a five-year period. From more than 12,500 applicants nationwide, 16 were chosen, including De Leon, as part of the maiden batch. The program was initially aimed to address the airline’s expansion requirements over the next five years.

Under the program, the aspirants will undergo integrated flying training, flight theory, and education courses at Australia’s Flight Training Adelaide. After finishing the training, they will return to the Philippines to complete type-rating and licensing requirements to become commercial pilots. Upon completing the entire program, the cadet pilots will become first officers at Cebu Pacific, flying both domestic and international routes.

At a send-off party last April 10 in Pasay City, she said that she took up aeronautical engineering—a course she finished with honors at PATTS College of Aeronautics—because she thought it was the closest she could get to becoming a pilot.  “But I couldn’t continue pursuing my dream of flying because of monetary problems,” she said.

Successful cadets will secure an employment slot at the airline. They will then reimburse the cost of the program through salary deduction over a period of ten years.

Pilots, navigators and flight engineers are still the highest paying jobs in the country with an average monthly salary of P156,823, according to the Labor Market Trends Report released last year. Salary for an aircraft captain can go as high as P280,000, while a senior captain can earn P350,000.

“There are still people who ask me why I want to study aviation. They often say it’s for the boys,” she pointed out. She “I want to prove to everyone that you can also do a job that men usually do.”

With the lure of travel and the attractive compensation packages, it isn’t surprising that de Leon and her contemporaries are taking the leap towards the cockpit. Twenty-one-year-old Jose Angelo Santos, for example, left his slot at the University of the Philippines College of Law after two semesters of law school to embark on this totally different flight.

“In law school, you have to be prepared everyday because there’s always a recitation, so you have to do your homework, read cases,” he said. “I think it’s the same thing as becoming a pilot. You have to be prepared everyday and you have to be on the top of your game because the responsibility you have [to carry people in the air from point A to point B] is huge.” 

But it’s not just people. As technology changes the way business is done—particularly the boom of e-commerce—transport companies like Cebu Pacific are bound to thrive and contribute to worldwide retail e-commerce sales, which is projected to grow to $4.5 trillion in 2021.

“We need a strong aviation sector to form bridges in the air,” said Samuel Avilla, Cebu Pacific’s vice president for flight operations. “We’re an archipelago. And the fastest way to connect to the islands before was by the sea. But now you have aircrafts and if you don’t have a strong aviation how would you to transport people and goods?”

 Cebu Pacific’s Cadet Pilot Program, he said, aims to contribute to the country’s strong commercial aviation sector by grooming future flight commanders. They are, in his words, “the future leaders” of the industry: “a requirement for nation building.”

PSE index edges towards 8,000 ahead of US data

THE MAIN INDEX climbed slightly on Wednesday, moving closer to the 8,000 level, as investors awaited new catalysts such as US inflation data set to be released today.
The local bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose 9.25 points or 0.11% to 7,943.93.
The broader all-shares index declined 3.76 points or 0.07% to 4,813.71.
“Philippine markets traded sideways despite the huge recovery in the US markets [which] will be turning to the FOMC [Federal Open Market Committee] minutes later,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Managing Director Luis A. Limlingan said via text on Wednesday.
Timson Securities, Inc. equity trader Jervin S. de Celis said traders were on the lookout for positive catalysts that can propel the index upward.
“I’m expecting this to continue until tomorrow once the US core inflation report has been released. I think that’s when the market will decide which way to go, Mr. De Celis said in a mobile message today, April 11.
Should US’ March inflation move higher than expected, the US Federal Reserve will likely turn hawkish in tightening borrowing policies. This, in turn, “may put our index between the range of 7,484 and 7,788 level in the next coming weeks,” according to Mr. De Celis.
“On the other hand, if the inflation data is lower than the consensus, the US Fed may reconsider their hawkish stance on raising rates and this event may trigger foreign investors to place their money back to emerging markets like the Philippines,” he added.
Foreign net selling continued to log its fourth consecutive trading day, climbing P627.37 million from the P465.76 million on Tuesday.
Trading volume dropped to 1.23 billion shares valued at P6.52 billion from the 1.70 billion shares worth P7.65 billion recorded in the prior trading day. Decliners trumped advancers at 100 to 91, while 66 names ended unchanged.
Most counters ended in the red. Mining and oil plunged 264.66 points or 2.37% to 10,890.04 points; property fell 39.08 points or 1.07% to 3,607.49 points; financials shed 14.94 points or 0.74% to 2,002.69; and services slid 1.74 points or 0.10% to 1,626.59 points.
Meanwhile, holding firms edged up by 92.63 points or 1.15% to 8,090.58 points and industrials gained 39.83 points or 0.35% to 11,258.22 points. — JCL

Trade deficit continues to widen in February

The Philippines’ trade deficit once again expanded in February as imports grew by double-digits while exports contracted during the month, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported this morning.
Exports declined 1.8% to $4.66 billion in February, a turnaround from the previous month’s revised 3.5% growth and the 8.7% growth in the same month last year. This was the worst turnout since the 4.5% decline logged in November 2016.
The latest merchandise export figure brought full-year receipts to $10.03 billion, up 1% from $9.93 billion in the same two months last year.
The country’s balance of trade in goods widened to a $3.06 billion deficit in February from $1.77 billion in February 2017 as imports grew by double-digits. The country’s import bill increased 18.6% to $7.72 billion in February, faster than the 11.4% seen in the previous month and 15.2% in February 2017.
So far, 2018 saw a 14.7% merchandise import growth, surpassing the 9% target set for the year.
The United States is the Philippines’ top export market in February with a 15.1% market share at $705.2 million followed by Japan’s 14.6% ($680.76 million) and Hong Kong’s 13.7% ($636.04 million) market shares.
Meanwhile, China was the country’s top source of imports with a 19.9% share in February ($1.54 billion) followed by Japan’s 10.4% ($804.61 million) and Korea’s 9.9% ($765.66 million) shares.

Foreign direct investments post strong start for 2018

By Melissa Luz T. Lopez
Senior Reporter
FOREIGN direct investments (FDI) surged in January, the central bank reported on Tuesday, saying it expected inflows to keep rising this year amid upbeat domestic activity and positive market sentiment.
FDIs to the Philippines started 2018 with $919-million net inflows, jumping by 56.7% from the $587 million that came in the past year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said. The figure is the highest since the $990 million received in November last year.
FDI
“Investor outlook on the country’s economic performance remained positive on the back of strong macroeconomic fundamentals,” the central bank said in a statement.
FDIs soared on the back of strong bets made on equity investments that resulted in $473-million net inflows that were eightfold more than the year-ago $58 million.
January saw gross equity placements reach $531 million versus $58 million withdrawn capital, data showed. This compares to just $71 million inflows partly offset by $13 million taken out by foreign investors a year ago.
Singapore, China, Taiwan, Japan and the United States were the biggest sources of capital that month.
Companies involved in manufacturing; financial and insurance; real estate; electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply; as well as wholesale and retail trade activities received the biggest investments, the central bank said in its statement.
On the other hand, lending by foreign parents to their Philippine units shrank 16.7% to $381 million from the $458 million invested a year ago, while reinvested earnings dropped 8.4% to $65 million from $71 million in the same comparative months.
One analyst said implementation starting Jan. 1 of Republic Act No. 10963, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law, likely spurred positive market sentiment towards the Philippines, adding to stable optimism over the country’s robust growth momentum. “In particular, the enactment into law of TRAIN as well as bigger national budget for infrastructure spending, I think, are two recent developments that may have likely been partly responsible in attracting relatively large FDIs for the month of January,” Angelo B. Taningco, economist at Security Bank Corp., said when sought for comment.
Mr. Taningco added that the shift towards equity over debt showed increased investor preference “for foreign ownership and managerial control.”
Starting Jan. 1, TRAIN reduced personal income tax rates for those earning P2 million annually. Revenue losses — pegged at roughly P10 billion a month — are expected to be offset by the removal of some value-added tax breaks; higher fuel, automobile, mineral and coal excise tax rates, as well as new levies on sugar-sweetened drinks and cosmetic surgery, among other items.
BSP Governor Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. said there is scope for the Philippines to see another banner year for FDIs this 2018, with local conditions proving more attractive for offshore investors. “[T]here are many drivers for more FDI. Among other things, the growth momentum is strong. We are opening new relationships across borders beyond ASEAN and greater Asia so we have more expectations of increased FDI,” he told reporters. “From an investment standpoint, it makes sense to look at the Philippines as an investment destination.”
Increased state infrastructure spending under the “Build, Build, Build” program is expected to stimulate activity in the private sector, Mr. Espenilla said.
The state plans to spend P1.068 trillion on infrastructure projects this year alone, nearly double the P568.8 billion spent in 2017.
FDIs are a key source of capital for the local economy, creating more jobs for Filipinos as the government strives to make economic growth more inclusive.
The inflows likewise provided a strong start towards an $8.2-billion FDI forecast for 2018. Net inflows posted a record $10.049 billion last year, jumping by a fifth from $8.28 billion in 2016.

Real estate developers cite China factor behind rising condo demand

By Krista A. M. Montealegre
National Correspondent
CHINESE nationals are adding fuel to residential condominium demand, as property developers look to add record new supply in Metro Manila this year.
Real estate firms Ayala Land, Inc.; DMCI Project Developers, Inc. and D.M. Wenceslao & Associates, Inc. are seeing a shift in demand on higher sales from Chinese buyers, who now account for majority of sales to foreigners.
While the Constitution prohibits foreign nationals from owning land, Republic Act No. 4726 or the Condominium Act of the Philippines allows foreigners to acquire condominium units and shares for up to 40% of the total stock of a Filipino-owned or controlled condominium corporation.
“We are seeing a significant shift in buyers. Dati OFW ang bumibili sa market pero ngayon mahal na presyo… pasok naman ang mainland Chinese (overseas Filipino workers used to dominate the market, but prices have been going up… in come mainland Chinese). For how long it is going to last, I don’t know,” DMCI Holdings, Inc. Chairman Isidro A. Consunji said in a recent telephone interview.
Generally, higher residential sales to foreign investors drive up real estate prices, making them too expensive for locals.
Colliers International Philippines Managing Director Richard T. Raymundo, however, said the advent of Chinese buyers has brought stability to an industry flooded with massive supply.
“It is also a good thing that you have this segment that is taking up the condo units. It helps the prices to be stable and go up so you’ll see some capital appreciation,” Mr. Raymundo said in a phone interview.
Total condominium stock in major central business districts in Metro Manila reached 101,500 units by the end of 2017, with a record 27,200 units expected to be added to the supply this year, according to data provided by Colliers.
The new supply is projected to put upward pressure on vacancy rates, hitting mid-teen levels by yearend although this will slide back to the pre-teen range with fewer completions expected in 2019 and 2020, Colliers said.
“You now have a new segment that is leasing and buying the units. Those who bought condominium units three to four years ago are finding a market for lease or sale. Otherwise, that’s a lot to take up in a year,” Mr. Raymundo said.
Demand from Chinese investors is anchored on the strength of Philippine online gaming operators (POGOs) that took up 312,000 square meters of space or a third of total transactions in the office sector last year.
“Mainland Chinese companies are into gaming and they have a residential requirement,” Mr. Raymundo explained.
Demand from POGO operators seems sustainable for now, with an initial scan of the office market indicating that the segment continued contributing 30-35% to total transactions in the first quarter of 2018, Mr. Raymundo said.
Demand from POGO is strengthened by the country’s warmer relations with China under the administration of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
D.M. Wenceslao., whose residential projects are mostly in the Bay Area where POGO companies are allowed to operate, are seeing Chinese nationals take up 60% of sales to foreigners, its Chief Executive Officer Delfin Angelo C. Wenceslao said.
DMCI Project Developers, operating under the DMCI Homes brand, earlier reported that Chinese nationals accounted for more than half the company’s overseas sales in the first quarter of 2018. Overseas markets contribute half to reservation sales.
“Kung hindi namin pipigilin baka umabot ng 90% (If we did not temper offers, Chinese nationals could have accounted for up to 90%). No kidding,” DMCI Holdings, Inc. President Isidro A. Consunji said.
Property giant Ayala Land had disclosed that the share of sales to Chinese nationals grew to 49.4% of international sales last year from about 10% in 2016.
“This may be the trend in the industry because ALI is big enough,” Mr. Raymundo said.
Growing sales to Chinese investors, however, has its challenges.
“Our worry is if we have too many absentee residences you might have what you see in Shanghai and Beijing wherein you have totally sold buildings but no one’s living there,” Mr. Consunji said.
“It’s out of our objective to sell to the end users — preferably the local end user.”

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