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Blaze Spikers go for PSL Grand Prix crown

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

A WIN away from clinching the title for the season-ending Philippine SuperLiga (PSL) Grand Prix, the Petron Blaze Spikers go for the clincher when they collide with the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers in Game Two today of their best-of-three finals series at the FilOil Flying V Center in San Juan City.

In their element from start to finish, the Blaze Spikers proved themselves to be a handful for the Cargo Movers in Game One last Tuesday en route to the series-leading 25-14, 25-21 and 25-16 victory.

Imports Lindsay Stalzer and Hillary Hurley towed Petron to the win in a game which coach Shaq delos Santos described as the way they envisioned it.

Ms. Stalzer, a one-time PSL most valuable player, struck for 15 kills and three blocks for 20 points while her co-import Hurley also tallied 20 points in the one-hour, 23-minute game.

“Everything went according to plan. We executed our game plan to perfection and everybody worked hard for this victory. We managed to hit our service targets and had defensive good reaction to their set plays. It was a good game,” said Mr. Delos Santos after the game in assessing their Game One performance.

“Our game plan was very effective. We were able to take them out of their comfort zone,” added the Petron coach.

While they rued not being able to execute their game as much as they wanted to in the series-opener, F2 Logistics coach Ramil de Jesus said they are not losing hope yet and will try to come out better for today’s game.

The multi-titled collegiate coach said key for them is getting back to their game, including getting in more passes.

“There was nothing left to say. We just need to bounce back in Game Two and play better,” said Mr. De Jesus after.

Leading the Cargo Movers in Game One was Venezuelan import Maria Jose Perez, who had 15 kills.

FOTON SETTLES FOR THIRD
Meanwhile, erstwhile PSL Grand Prix defending champions Foton Tornadoes wrapped up the bronze in the tournament following a 25-17, 25-16, 25-17 victory over the Cocolife Asset Managers in their knockout battle for third also last Tuesday.

Jaja Santiago led the Foton assault with 10 kills, four blocks and three aces for 17 points while import Sara Klisura and Dragana Perunicnic had 13 and 11 points, respectively, in their farewell performance this conference.

Despite not being able to defend their title in the finals, Foton coach Moro Branislav still viewed their third-place finish as a positive for the team and something to build on in the next conferences.

“It’s okay. That’s volleyball; sometimes you win, sometimes you lose,” said Mr. Branislav.

“In my opinion, there are three good teams in this league; F2 Logistics, Petron and Foton. I am proud of what we’ve accomplished and coming up with a podium finish is good than having nothing at all,” he added.

Game Two of the PSL Grand Prix finals is to be shown live over ESPN5 starting at 7 p.m.

Leonard returns but Spurs fall; James paces Cavs rout

LOS ANGELES — Kawhi Leonard made his long-awaited return from injury but could not stop San Antonio from an upset defeat in Dallas on Tuesday as LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a ninth straight win.

Leonard, who missed the first 27 games of the season due to a thigh muscle injury, made an impressive cameo in his 15 minutes on court, scoring 13 points and pulling down six rebounds.

But when Leonard exited as expected early in the third quarter soon after helping the Spurs into a 55-50 lead, the Mavericks came back into the contest to run out 95-89 winners at the American Airlines Center.

The defeat was a jolt for San Antonio, who fell to 19-9 for the season. The Mavs improved to 8-20, led by 17 points from Harrison Barnes.

In Cleveland, meanwhile, the Cavaliers rained down a bombardment of three-pointers on the Atlanta Hawks to secure a 123-114 win.

Cleveland bagged a season-high 20 three-pointers during the game, with James scoring 25 points and tying a career-high 17 assists.

Kyle Korver had 19 points — including six three-pointers — while Kevin Love had 17 points and 12 rebounds. Jose Calderon had 14 points.

HAPPY TO HELP
James was satisfied with his tally of assists as much as his points total.

“For me to assist my teammates making shots has always been an enjoyment of mine… my teammates were excellent tonight,” James said.

“We’re in a good rhythm right now. We know what we want to run, we know where guys are going to be out on the floor, we kind of know how defenses have been playing us as of late and guys are moving and sharing the ball extremely well. When the ball is moving, energy is behind it and guys are in rhythm.”

The Cavaliers improved to 20-8 and have now won 15 of their last 16 games to keep the pressure on Eastern Conference pace-setters Boston.

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said the Hawks had struggled to contain James’ passing threat.

“I think they do a lot of double-teaming and tilting with the bigs so that allows LeBron to just pick the guys apart,” Lue said.

‘EMBARRASSMENT’ FOR VAN GUNDY
Elsewhere Tuesday, Detroit Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy was left lamenting his team’s “embarrassing” performance after a seventh straight defeat in a 103-84 rout by the Denver Nuggets.

“I’ve coached around 850 regular season games and playoffs and that’s one of the worst ones I’ve ever had,” Van Gundy said.

“We didn’t do anything tonight. We didn’t compete. That’s on me as a coach. I’ve got to find the answers… that was an embarrassment tonight.”

After a solid start to the season the Pistons are now 14-13 in the Eastern Conference.

Wilson Chandler scored 18 points for the Nuggets while Mason Plumlee had 10 points and a season-high 13 rebounds.

At Madison Square Garden, Kristaps Porzingis scored 37 points and had 11 rebounds as the New York Knicks overcame the Los Angeles Lakers, 113-109, in overtime.

Enes Kanter had 14 points and 11 rebounds for New York while Knicks rookie Frank Ntilikina added a career-high 13 points.

The Lakers scoring was led by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with 24 points while Lonzo Ball had 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

“You have to give them credit for making plays, but as a team you always look at what you can do better as a group, as an individual, and there is a lot tonight that we could have done better to give ourselves a better chance to win that game,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said following the loss.

The Knicks improved to 14-13 with the win. The Lakers, who are 10-16 for the season. — AFP

LTFRB holds job fair for Angkas, habal-habal drivers as Angkas hopes for continued ‘public conversation’ on motorbikes as PUV

A JOB fair was organized yesterday, Dec. 13, by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) at its main office in Quezon City for drivers of motorcycles, which has been declared illegal for use as public utility vehicles (PUV). Meanwhile, Angkas, operator of a ride-hailing application for motorbikes, said in a Dec. 12 statement that it is hoping that the government will continue the “public conversation about the need for safe, affordable transport options like motorcycle taxis.” Angkas and LTFRB held a dialogue last Tuesday following an LTFRB crackdown on motorcycle drivers who are operating under Angkas or loosely as habal-habal, as they are commonly known in many parts of the country outside the capital. “Angkas is proud to uphold its advocacy of professionalizing motor taxi industry by improving safety measures, giving better income opportunities among Angkas bikers, as well as affordability and convenience to commuters,” the statement read. Under Republic Act 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, motorcycles are not allowed to be used as PUVs. Angkas has previously sought an amendment to the Department of Transportation order on transport network companies (TNCs) to include motorcycles in the definition of ride-sharing services.

Mario’s: Not resting on its laurels

BAGUIO — Pushing on its 50th year in business and having established itself as an institution with a captive clientele, it is easy for the restaurant Mario’s to just go through the motions and rest on its laurels. But the people running the well-known dining place in Baguio City are choosing not to, preferring instead to continue to evolve throughout the years and build on its legacy.

Founded by the husband-and-wife tandem of Mario and Consuelo Benitez, the first Mario’s opened shop in 1971 along Session Road.

Despite not having extensive experience in operating a restaurant, the Benitezes dove into it, armed with their desire to succeed and the firm belief that it was something they needed to do.

“Mario’s started with a very simple concept. It had callos (beef tripe and ox feet stew) and lengua (ox tongue) on its menu but it also had batchoy (noodle soup made with pork organs and pork cracklings), kare-kare (a stew of oxtail, pigs feet and more in a thick savory peanut sauce), interspersed with fettuccine and spaghetti in tomato sauce and garlic bread. It also had steak sold for P28 at a spot on Session Road with a capacity for 40 people,” said the owners, led by their matriarch Consuelo, in an interview with BusinessWorld as they spoke of the beginnings of the restaurant which has since become synonymous with the City of Pines.

No sooner than its founding that people started taking notice, boosted by the appeal of Baguio at that time as a destination of choice for many people to escape the daily grind in the metro, and the difficulty of vacationing out of the country because of the international travel ban imposed during martial law.

Thanks to the prodding of a businessman friend, the Benitezes later decided to open the first Mario’s in Manila which was located at Makati Avenue.

In the 1980s, it opened along Tomas Morato in Quezon City.

Currently, the branch in Baguio — now located at the upper portion of Session Road after a fire in 1999 destroyed the restaurant in its original location — and the one in Tomas Morato are the only ones that remain standing. There they serve their signature dishes like paella, steaks, callos, lengua, Caesar salad, and salpicado — a dish of beef tenderloin pieces sauteed with lots of garlic which the owners proudly said they created and has since been copied in other restaurants as salpicao.

They also highlighted that whether it is Baguio or Quezon City, Mario’s has continuously attracted celebrities, politicians, and genuine food lovers out to have a sumptuous meal in a cozy environment.

FORMULA FOR SUCCESS
While Mario’s has been around for 46 years, the owners said the simple formula of hard work, consistency, determination, and attention to details continues to propel the group, with Mrs. Benitez, now 84 years old, still helping oversee the operations of the restaurants.

“Mario’s remains committed to work and servicing the people, giving them the ‘Mario’s Way,’ by experiencing the service, the ambiance, and, of course, the food,” they said, touching on the term coined by their founder on the kind of offering they provide.

The owners also said they are totally committed to improving Mario’s, allowing it to stay relevant and fresh amid the opening of newer and trendier restaurants.

“It is a continuous process of improvement for us all this time, which is ingrained in the DNA of Mario’s as a group,” the owners said.

Adding, “But while we are open to improving ourselves, we are still mindful of Mario’s identity not being lost along the way and that the quality of our service, which is primary to us, is not sacrificed.”

In Baguio, Mario’s has recognized changing trends in the dining scene and has made an effort to keep in step.

With merienda buffets trending in the Summer Capital of the Philippines, Mario’s has decided to tap into it.

It recently introduced its “Afternoon Delights” for people who want to have a sumptuous afternoon snack in the cozy confines of the restaurant.

Mario's 5
The façade of Mario’s restaurant at Upper Session Road in Baguio City. — ALVIN S. GO

On Mondays to Fridays, from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., the establishment is offering a wide selection of merienda fare like spaghetti, pansit guisado (fried noodles), tokwa’t baboy (stir fried pork and tofu), ensaymada (a soft pastry), cheese roll, maja blanca (coconut pudding), and mocha cake, among others.

The response to it has been warm, the owners said, with foot traffic busy to complement those that go for lunch and dinner.

“Our merienda buffet is picking up. The regulars are liking it, saying they have more reason to go to the restaurant,” they said, though they mentioned as well that as the holiday rush approaches they may replace the merienda buffet with other promos.

The merienda buffet is apart from the Sunday Lunch Buffet which has now become a staple in Mario’s and a “must-do” for people whether in Baguio or in Manila.

Tweaks are also being made in its food offerings here and there, with the “Chef’s Creation” section of its menu being changed quarterly so that diners have more to look forward to.

Mario’s restaurants offer catering services as well both for small intimate affairs to big events.

ENGAGEMENT
Mario’s Baguio has also been active in engaging its clientele with ads on the city’s radio stations, including K-Lite 967.

It also has steady presence on social media outlets like Facebook and Instagram so as to update regulars and those who want to try their specialties and new offerings.

With the Baguio branch also becoming a go-to place for company and big-group gatherings, including some from prestigious international brands, apart from the regular diners, the owners said it is set to be “reconfigured.”

They said they are planning to make the area where the bar now stands into another, bigger, function room, in addition to the existing one which can handle 20 to 25 persons.

They also plan to improve their facilities and bring in new electronic equipment for presentations to encourage more companies and groups to hold their functions in the restaurant.

Forty-six years since opening shop, the owners of Mario’s consider it as having been an “excellent journey” and how far they have come is more than what they expected.

“For us, we never thought that the business will go this big and last this long. We consider it as an excellent journey filled with a lot of lessons and wonderful memories and history,” they said.

They were quick to say though that they will continue to forge ahead bettering themselves, planning more exciting offerings as they approach their golden anniversary.

“It’s a continuous process for us. We always push to be better with the standards we have set for ourselves. We will keep on going in that direction,” the owners said. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Mario’s is located at 16 Upper Session Road Extension in Baguio City with contact numbers (074) 442-4241 and 0905-297-3384 and e-mail at marios.baguio@gmail.com, and at 191 Tomas Morato, Quezon City with contact numbers of 415-3887, 372-0360 and 0917-323-2404.

Congress ratifies tax reform bill

The Senate and the House of Representatives ratified the final version of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) bill on Wednesday, Dec.13, a day after the adoption and ratification of the proposed P3.77 trillion 2018 budget.

At the Senate, the tax reform measure was ratified with 16 affirmative votes, while four senators — Senators Panfilo M. Lacson, Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV, Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel, and Antonio F. Trillanes IV — voted “no.” Senators Emmanuel D. Pacquiao and Francis Pancratius N. Pangilinan were not present at the session.

Meanwhile, at the House of Representatives, Rep.  Antonio L. Tinio of ACT-Teachers Partylist said the ratification was “invalid.”

“Tonight’s ratification of the TRAIN by the House of Representatives was a total farce and travesty of so-called representative democracy,” Mr. Tinio said.

“With barely 10 people on the floor and despite my very clear objections due to obvious lack of quorum, the presiding officer and majority floor leader proceeded to adopt the final report of the tax reform bill’s bicameral conference committee, copies of which were not even on hand. Since there was no quorum and no actual vote was taken, the alleged ratification is clearly invalid. The brazen railroading of this TRAIN wreck on the poor exposes yet again the blatant disregard  of the Duterte administration and its Supermajority in Congress  for even the most minimal standards of democracy,” Mr. Tinio added.

COAL TAX CHANGES
The tax reform measure, originally scheduled for ratification on Tuesday, Dec. 12, was delayed due to allegations the bicameral conference committee report was modified behind the scenes. The original report contained the amendment of Presidential Decree (PD) 972 or the Coal Mining Development Act of 1976, which had the effect of removing the tax exemption enjoyed by the coal mining industry for over 40 years, facilitating the imposition of a new excise tax.

Sen. Loren B. Legarda, who chairs her chamber’s finance committee, responded to the allegations as follows: “Let us take a stand on the integrity of the process. There should be no changes after the report is printed. There should be no “magic.” Nothing should disappear or appear.”

“The P50-P100-P150 excise tax on coal (for 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively), which is currently P10 per metric ton for imported coal… The intention of the Department of Finance (DoF) was a level playing field because local coal under PD 972 was untaxed. There are suspicions that local coal is again exempt. The exemption was never discussed. And that’s just one company or one family,” she added, speaking in Filipino.

Semirara Mining and Power Corp. is the dominant domestic producer of thermal coal used in the power industry.

Sen. Joel Villanueva, who proposed to amend PD 972, also said: “At the bicameral conference committee for TRAIN, both Senate and House reports repealed PD 972… But it turned out, that was changed… The government will be losing five billion. There are now two versions of the bicam report, on repealing PD 972, the other continuing the exemption of locally produced coal. The latest version floating around is that excise tax will go through, but domestic producers will enjoy VAT exemption, which is weird.”

Asked where the unauthorized bicam report came from, Mr. Villanueva said, “It appears that it’s (from) the House contingent. So you have to ask who benefits? There is only one company that produces 95% of our coal.”

The bicam-approved TRAIN bill also raised taxes on petroleum products, while keeping to a minimum the increases in LPG, diesel, and gasoline taxes.

The excise tax on LPG for 2018 is P1, for 2019 P2, and P3 for 2020 onwards. Meanwhile, the diesel fuel will be taxed P2.50 per liter in the first year of TRAIN implementation, rising to P4.50 in 2019, and P6 in 2020 and after. Both LPG and diesel fuel are currently exempted from excise tax.

The excise tax on regular and unleaded premium gasoline will rise to P7 in 2018 from the current P4.35; P9 in 2019, and P10 in 2020 onwards.

The original proposal of the DoF was a uniform P6 increase per liter. House Bill 5636 provided for a phased implementation of P3-P2-P1 per year, while Senate Bill 1592 provided for a P1.75-P2.00-P2.25 increase.

The bicameral conference also inserted a safeguard provision that would suspend the increase if the Dubai crude benchmark exceeds $80 per barrel.

The bicameral report also authorized the DoF to require fuel marking to combat oil smuggling.

The excise tax on tobacco was also raised from the current P30 per pack. Starting January to June 2018, the excise tax will increase to P32.50; between July 2018 and December 2019, it will rise to P35. Between 2020 and 2021, the tax rate is P37.50, rising to P40 between 2022 and 2023. The tax will ratchet up 4% annually from 2023 onwards.

The bicam also agreed to allocate 70% of the yearly incremental revenue for five years to the government’s infrastructure program with 30% going to social mitigation measures such as investments in education, health, targeted nutrition, and anti-hunger programs for mothers, infants, and young children, social protection, employment, and housing that prioritizes and directly benefits both the poor and near-poor households. — Arjay L. Balinbin and Minde Nyl R. Dela Cruz

TESDA eyes participation in Worldskills ASEAN Competition 2018

THE TECHNICAL Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is planning to bring Filipino participants to the Worldskills ASEAN Competition 2018, schedule Aug. 31-Sept.2 in Bangkok, Thailand. Rolando V. dela Torre, TESDA Davao provincial director and co-vice chair of the national technical committee the Philippines, said in a media forum in Davao City that the country stopped joining WorldSkills in the last 15 years because it was not considered a priority by the national government. However, he added, the victory of several Filipinos in the recent WorldSkills competition in Abu Dhabi, winning silver and bronze medals in various fields, has reignited interest and support. Francisco B. Jucar, Jr., TESDA-Davao regional director and vice chair of the national technical committee said they are looking at 18 trade areas where the Philippines can compete in next year. These include automotive, welding, cookery, restaurant service, plumbing, megatronics, and fashion technology, among others. Worldskills is a global nonprofit association that promotes skills excellence and the recognition of skilled professionals worldwide. — Maya M. Padillo

Auto sales up 16.8% in first 11 months ahead of higher excise tax

AUTO SALES in the 11 months to November rose 16.8% as buyers got their purchases in ahead of a higher excise tax to take effect in 2018, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association, Inc. (TMA) said.

AUTO sales in the 11 months to November rose 16.8% as buyers got their purchases in ahead of a higher excise tax to take effect in 2018, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association, Inc. (TMA) said. — BW FILE PHOTO

In a joint report, the associations said sales in the 11 months to November totaled 380,179 units, or within striking distance of the full-year target of 400,000 units.

In November, sales totaled 40,799 units, up 23.8% from a year earlier and up 11.7% from October.

CAMPI President Rommel Gutierrez in a statement said December sales will be supported by aggressive promotions.

“Carrying the momentum from November sales, the outlook for December remains strong driven by the good sales performance of key models. We are confident that the year-end industry target will be met as we continue with competitive promotional support and marketing activities,” he added.

Car sales rose 3.8% to 125,242 units in the 11 months, representing 32.94% of the auto market, while commercial vehicle (CV) sales rose 24.5% to 254,937 units, or 67.06% of the market, driven by promotions and widely available stock.

Sales in the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) and Asian Utility Vehicle (AUV) subcategories rose 26% and 22.2%, respectively in the first 11 months. LCVs sales totaled 165,814 units while AUV sales amounted to 73,414 units.

Light truck sales rose 15.7% to 9,195 units.

Sales of category IV and V trucks and buses rose 37.1% and 9.9% respectively to 4,430 units and 2,084 units in the 11 months.

Toyota was the leading brand, holding 43.82% of the market, with Mitsubishi at 17.55% and Ford at 8.42%. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

Making gift giving easy

AS THE holiday season really gets going, one starts to panic over the barely touched Christmas list. One of the easiest ways to remedy this it to give food — after all, who does not like a good chocolate or appreciate a fancy tea or olive oil. Even the much-maligned fruitcake has its fans.

Here are some ready-to-gift Christmas food options to consider.

The Christmas spirit fills the lobby of The Peninsula Manila, especially when choirs sing Christmas carols in the Lobby from 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. at certain evenings this month. One can enjoy this heavenly music while choosing from three festive food hampers at the giant gingerbread house set up at the Lobby or at The Peninsula Boutique. On offer are The Santa Hamper (P4,800) which is filled with a bottle of Lolea Sangria, some peanut crunch, a panettone, roast coffee beans from Sagada, a duck terrine, Peninsula white chocolate, a chocolate mendiant, and a medium sized chocolate Santa; The Sweet Indulgence Hamper (P7,800), which also contains sangria, panettone, Sagada coffee, and a medium sized chocolate Santa, plus Peninsula milk chocolate, Almendino turron, Banoffee spread, Crema De Morcilla, Rocher chocolate, pate de fruit, and a Peninsula Chef Bear key ring; and, The Peninsula Gourmet Hamper (P16,800), which, aside from two bottles of the sangria, panettone, Sagada coffee, and pate de fruit, also includes salted coco caramel, canard rillettes, Christmas jam, Modena balsamic vinegar, a Penguin Santa chocolate, hazelnut crunch, gingerbread cookies, Peninsula dark chocolate and white chocolate bars, a Peninsula silver-plated hat key ring, a Peninsula page bear mug, and a special Peninsula snow page plush toy. For every purchase of over P10,000, the hotel will provide complimentary delivery service to Makati City, Pasay City, Mandaluyong City and Bonifacio Global City.

There are also hampers at the Marriott Hotel, featuring holiday delicacies and Marriott signature items (the Premium hamper costs P3,988 while the Deluxe Hamper is P2,500). Or one can choose a Gingerbread Chalet in classic or a red velvet twist (P780) or a Gingerbread Man available in classic and red velvet too (P65) which one can hang it on the Christmas tree, serve it on a plate, or just give it to young carolers. For chocolate lovers, the hotel has a selection made with the creamiest Swiss chocolate available in white, milk and dark chocolate including some options that look almost too cute to eat like the Big Belly Santa (P330), the Santa Sleigh (P350), and Snowman (P430). The Marriott Manila is located at 2 Resorts Drive, Pasay City. For details, call 836-9998 or visit www.manilamarriott.com.

Eastwood Richmonde Hotel’s bakers have also come up with a variety of sweet treats for the season like gingerbread snowflake cookies (P225/6pcs), Christmas cake pops (P255/6pcs), and a gingerbread train (P495). All goodies may be ordered with holiday packaging at minimal cost. Orders can be made at the Gingerbread Train display at The Lounge located at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel, 17 Orchard Road, Eastwood City, Bagumbayan, Quezon City or by calling 570-7777, or sending an e-mail to erhfbsec@richmondehotel.com.ph.

Its sister hotel, the Richmonde Hotel Ortigas, has boxes of freshly baked pastries to give as gifts.

Available until Jan. 6 are goodies like pistachio double cream cheese bread (P225), bacon tomato cheese bread (P220), banana walnut bread (P265), and cinnamon cluster bread (P190) which are available at the Lobby Café. Also available are sweet treats like Craquelin cream puff (P100), chocolate cream puff (P120), coffee buns with cream cheese filling (P150/box of 4pcs), chocolate crinkles (P270/jar of 15pcs), Reese’s chocolate cookies (P260/pack of 7pcs), and Red Velvet cake at 4” (P250) and 6” (P350) sizes. Then there is its signature pastry — the oversized Richmonde Ensaymada which comes in plain, ube, salted egg, and quezo de bola flavors. The complete collection of holiday goodies can be found at the Lobby Café of Richmonde Hotel Ortigas. Bulk orders should be placed two days in advance. Call 638-7777 or e-mail rhofbsec@richmondehotel.com.ph to inquire or to order.

CHOCOLATES AND TEA
For something a bit simpler, Villa del Conte has come up with the Minusculo gift boxes — elegantly designed gift boxes are filled with its chocolates that everyone on your list would be sure to enjoy. The gift boxes come with either five pralines (P295), or six pralines (P340), and are available at all Villa Del Conte stores in Greenbelt 5, Century City Mall, Shangri-La Mall, Resorts World Manila, SM Megamall and Robinsons Magnolia or contact 893-2575. To order, visit www.villadelcontecioccolato.com.

The Sabino Leone Christmas Olive Oil takes the spotlight at Oliviers&Co. as this limited edition gold and green bottle contains an Italian Grand Crus — a creamy, velvety oil with hints of fresh herbs, and a floral taste profile with notes of fresh grass, bitter almond, and green pepper. Accompanying this Christmas olive oil is the Balsamic Vinegar Noel — a blend of cooked grape must, concentrated grape must, and wine vinegar, making it perfect for vinaigrettes, vegetables, poultry, or tuna. Also on offer is the 2017 Best Gift Set of five olive oils and condiments in an elegant gift box. To make gift-shopping easier, Oliviers&Co. also prepared gift baskets containing olive oils along with other kitchen essentials. There is the Balsamic Vinegar with Condiment Taster Set, the Limited Edition MeliMelo Set (which combines two limited edition balsamic condiment and three specialty oils or condiments), the Essentials Set (one basic oil, a limited edition condiment, and an olive paste), or the Starter Seasoning Set (with eggplant caviar, black olive relish, and mixes for meat, salad, and fish). As an ultimate indulgence, Oliviers&Co. offers a Truffle Collection which combines both white and black truffle specialty oils, a salt and white truffle mix, a Parmesan and truffle cream, a summer truffle in olive oil, and porcini mushroom cream with truffles in one gift box. There are Oliviers&Co. boutiques in Central Square, Bonifacio High Street, and Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center.

For tea lovers, you cannot go wrong with TWG’s specialties. For the ultimate bespoke gift, create your own TWG Tea hamper by choosing from a collection of over 400 loose teas from 41 tea-producing regions around the world, accessories and packed tins of tea, in addition to tea jellies, sugars, and macarons. There is the Joy of Christmas Tea which is part of TWG Tea’s seasonal Haute Couture Tea Collection, and there is also a range of other collections such as the World Voyage Christmas Tea Set, an exquisite offering in an elegant box and sleeve enclosing six TWG Tea mini tea tins, or the Red Christmas Teabag gift box with 15 hand sewn 100% cotton teabags, highlighted with burnished gold imagery of snowy sleigh rides. The Joy of Christmas Tea in Haute Couture Tea Collection retails at P1,600. The Red Christmas Teabag gift box is P1,200, and The World Voyage Christmas Tea Set is P5,995. They are available in TWG Tea Salons & Boutiques at Greenbelt 5, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Central Square, and S Maison Conrad Manila. TWG Tea Boutiques are also located in Okada Manila and Ayala Center Cebu.

For sweet treats, consider the Yuletide Velvet Collection from the kitchens of the culinary experts-mentored, student-run Andrew Café. The Velvet Christmas Cake Splendor is a blend of green and red velvet, packed and covered with cream cheese filling, then topped with green, white, and red dragees, M&M dark chocolates, and crowned with sugar cookies and mint Kisses. The Chocolate Cupcake Trio come in various designs: Christmas trees, wreaths, and Santa hats, all garnished with Swiss meringue butter cream, and adorned with dragees and fondant. Andrew Café is located at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Taft Campus, Corner of Estrada and Leon Guinto Streets, Malate, Manila.

Finally, there is the Red Ribbon HoliDozen which comes in three variants filled with Red Ribbon treats: the HoliDozenCheesy Ensaimada, HoliDozenAssorted Mamon with flavors like butter, ube, mocha, creamy, white choco almond, caramel, cookies and cream, and cheesy, and the HoliDozenAssorted Pastries which contains cheesy ensaimada, butter mamons, and choco cake slices. Gift-givers can also customize the HoliDozen boxes with different combinations to cater to every kind of person. Gift vouchers are also available.

PBA Season 43 is a go this weekend at the Big Dome

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

AMID the impasse currently besetting its leadership, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is pushing through with Season 43 this weekend.

Showing a “united” front at a press conference held at the Okada Manila yesterday, the league, with all 12 teams represented, said the new season of the PBA is to kick off on Sunday, Dec. 17, as scheduled even as it said all stakeholders are working and bent on resolving the conflict among the league officials.

“Happy to see all teams represented here. Dec. 17 is still the D-Day for the start of Season 43,” said outgoing board chairman Mikee Romero of GlobalPort Batang Pier in yesterday’s press conference.

“The PBA is here. It’s hard to imagine the country without the PBA. It’s business as usual. Let the games begin,” he added.

The league board members are currently divided on the standing of PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa.

Seven teams, namely TNT KaTropa, Alaska Aces, Blackwater Elite, Meralco Bolts, NLEX Road Warriors, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters, citing “lost of confidence” over “questionable” decisions of Mr. Narvasa of late, are calling for his outright resignation.

Five teams — San Miguel Beermen, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings, Magnolia Hotshots, Kia Picanto and GlobalPort — meanwhile, are batting for Mr. Narvasa’s retention until due process has been done.

Despite the quagmire, incoming chairman Ramoncito Fernandez of NLEX promised an exciting Season 43 for the country’s pro league.

“Expect a more exciting year for the PBA. We want to continue delighting the fans and stay relevant,” Mr. Fernandez said.

Also yesterday, the league announced that it posted a 3% increase in gate receipts in Season 42 from the previous season.

FAVORITES
Meanwhile, San Miguel, Barangay Ginebra and TNT were consensus teams to beat in the season-opening All-Filipino Cup.

Citing an intact lineup and good showing in the previous conferences, the three were top-of-mind choices by most of the teams when asked for their thoughts on the upcoming tournament.

Season 43 starts off with the traditional parade of teams and opening ceremonies at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to be followed by the lone game between defending champion San Miguel and Phoenix at 6:45 p.m.

Quality-of-life expectations rise in Q3 — SWS

QUALITY-OF-LIFE expectations in the next 12 months rose in the third quarter compared with the second, Social Weather Stations (SWS) said, citing the results of a survey of 1,500 respondents nationwide.

The net score of respondents who believe their personal quality of life will improve in the next 12 months was +42, up from +40 in the preceding quarter, it said.

The net score is the difference between percentage of respondents expecting an improvement, classified by SWS as “optimists,” and those expecting conditions to deteriorate, or “pessimists.”

SWS said it considers a net score of +42 to be “excellent.”    

“Net personal optimism had been excellent since December 2015 except in (the quarter ending) March 2017,” the SWS noted, when it was “very high” at +36, it said.

Mindanao yielded net personal optimism of +46, against +37 in the preceding quarter. In Metro Manila, the indicator rose six points to +52 over the same period.

It classified net personal optimism as “very high” in the Visayas, where the net score rose three points to +39. In Balance Luzon, which excludes Metro Manila, the net score fell to a “very high” +39 from an “excellent” +42 a quarter earlier.

“The 2-point rise in Net Personal Optimism nationwide was due to increases in Mindanao, Metro Manila and Visayas, combine with a slight decline in Balance Luzon from June 2017 to September 2017,” the SWS noted.

The ABC socioeconomic class net score rose 14 points in the quarter to +53, taking the category over the line to “excellent” from “very high” a quarter earlier.

The Class D net score rose a point to +42, remaining “excellent,” while the Class E score also rose a point to +38, or “very high.”

The survey also indicated that 43% of those surveyed were bullish that the general Philippine economy will improve next year, while 12% are expecting it to deteriorate, for a net score of +30, which it considers “excellent” and three points higher than the net score of a quarter earlier.

It said net optimism on the Philippine Economy has been “excellent” for eight surveys running, or since December 2015.

In Mindanao, it rose 17 points to +51 from the preceding quarter. In Metro Manila, it rose three points to +30. Balance Luzon was unchanged at +23 while Visayas fell three points to +24.

Across all classes, net scores were also “excellent” with ABC up 11 points at +33, E up eight points at +32, and D up three points at +30.

Asked about changes to their personal quality of life compared with 12 months earlier, 39% said their lives improved while 19% said they are worse off, for a net score of +19, which SWS classifies as “very high.” The net score rose two points from a quarter earlier and matches the record +19 from the quarter ending September 2016.

It said gains in this score were driven largely by respondents in Mindanao and Metro Manila, with a steady rise noted in Balance Luzon, and a decline in the Visayas.

Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion, chief economist at Union Bank of the Philippines, Inc said in an e-mail message: “It seems that there are marked increases across the board. This means that optimism about the Philippine economy by Filipinos themselves is high. This is indicative optimism is in support of the recent better-than-expected 3Q GDP growth of 6.9% and the continuing strong macroeconomic fundamentals.”

Noting positive views for the next 12 months, he said the result suggests significant level of satisfaction with the current administration’s economic polices.

“Although there is still much to be done, it seems that the general and growing sentiment is positive towards what the Duterte administration is trying to accomplish, such as the Build, Build, Build and tax reform programs,” he added. — Rosemarie A. Zamora

Villar urges more extensive coconut-cacao intercropping

DAVAO CITY — The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and cacao industry stakeholders should strengthen links to maximize the potential of existing coconut farms for cacao intercropping, Senator Cynthia A. Villar said.

Ms. Villar, chair of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, said the PCA could take the lead in pursuing partnerships using its allocation for intercropping programs on cacao as well as coffee. 

“The PCA has a budget for that. In fact, one of our competitive advantages in cacao production is linked with coconut farming (as) we have over two million hectares (ha.) of coconut farms that are ideal for coconut-cacao intercropping,” Ms. Villar said in a speech delivered for her by a representative during the opening of this year’s Kakao Konek-Cacao Conference and Chocolate Exposition held on Dec. 5-6.

As of 2016, the country had 3.565 million ha. planted to coconut, based on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data. In the same year, the PCA reported 143,902 ha. covered under its Accelerated Planting/Replanting Program.   

“The PCA targets to increase the number of coconut trees by at least 10 million trees this year, 15 million trees in 2018, and 20 million trees every year starting 2019,” the United Coconut Associations of the Philippines, Inc. said in a statement.

For the cacao industry, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has set a production goal of 100,000 metric tons (MT) by 2022, which has been adjusted from the original target year 2020.

Total cacao output as of 2016, based on PSA data, was only 6,263 MT. Of this, 5,073 came from the Davao Region. The province of Davao del Sur had the biggest contribution at 1,702.54 MT, followed by Davao City with 1,606.80. The rest of the provinces produced the following: Davao del Norte, 945.31 MT; Davao Oriental, 507.26 MT; and Compostela Valley, 311.92 MT.

“We all need to work together for the cacao industry’s development under the national program and the industry road map to help cacao farmers and chocolate makers… We also need to involve other) government agencies (like the PCA, ” Ms. Villar said.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), with its P8-billion Greening Program, is another agency that could be tapped by the cacao industry, she added.

“Cacao planting is part of the of the DENR Greening Program,” the senator said, suggesting that DENR allow farmers to plant high-value crops such as cacao in government-owned forests.

The Department of Tourism, meanwhile, can be tapped through its Farm Tourism campaign.

The multi-sectoral National Cacao Development Council, led by the DA, has representatives from the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, and the National Economic and Development Authority. — Maya M. Padillo

Azarenka gets Australian Open wildcard amidst custody battle

MELBOURNE — Two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka, who has been locked in a custody battle over her baby son, was Wednesday handed a wildcard into January’s Australian Open.

Tournament director Craig Tiley said every assistance would be provided to the former Belarus world number one so she can compete at the Melbourne event where she has achieved her greatest success.

“Vika’s current situation is obviously very difficult for her and we have reached out to offer any support we can,” Tiley said.

“As a two-time Australian Open champion we’ve awarded her a wildcard and look forward to seeing her back on court in Melbourne in January.”

Azarenka returned from maternity leave in the middle of the year but was forced to skip the US Open in August after a Los Angeles judge presiding in a custody case over her son Leo ruled the child could not leave California until the matter had been settled.

Azarenka, who has slipped down the rankings to be world number 210, said she was looking forward to returning to the opening Grand Slam of the year.

“I’m so excited about coming back to Melbourne for the Australian Open, it’s my favorite tournament,” she said.

“I’ve won there twice and always feel so comfortable on court and the city is great.

“It’s been a tough year and being able to come back to the Australian Open will be a really positive way to start 2018. I’d like to thank Craig and his team for their understanding and support and can’t wait to see all my Aussie fans again.”

The tournament runs from Jan. 15-28. — AFP

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