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Ceres-Negros stakes unbeaten run against visiting Shan United

YET to lose in group play of the AFC Cup, Ceres-Negros FC looks to maintain such as it takes on Shan United FC of Myanmar on Match Day 3 today at the Panaad Park and Football Stadium in Bacolod City.

At the top of the heap in Group F with a one-win and one-draw record and four points, tied with Singapore’s Home United FC (1-1-0), Ceres tries to pad its cause with a win and put itself in better position to advance to the knockout stage of the tournament.

The “Busmen” were able to hack out a 1-1 draw against Home United in an away match on Feb. 27 to remain undefeated. It was in follow-up to its 9-0 drubbing of Boeung Ket Angkor of Cambodia previously.

Super Herrera came to the rescue of Ceres last time around, scoring the equalizer at the 79th minute after his team surrendered a goal at the 23rd minute to Shahril Ishak.

Looking to stop Ceres, meanwhile, is Shan United (1-0-1), which is coming off a victory over Boeung Ket, 2-1.

Shan United used a spirited fight back and came from behind to notch its first win of the tournament.

It fell a goal down at the 28th minute after Maicon punched through for Boeung Ket.

Dway Ko Ko Chit leveled the count for Shan United at the 41st minute before Christopher Chizoba added another one which proved to be the marginal goal as they held on for the win.

The victory put Shan United in solo third place in Group F while keeping Boeung Ket (0-0-2) winless.

As per tournament format, in the group stage only the top team is assured of automatic qualification to the next round.

Kickoff for the Ceres-Shan United match is set for 7:30 p.m. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

2018 Aeroflot Open

2018 Aeroflot Open “A”
Moscow, Russia
Feb. 20-28, 2018

Final Top Standings

1. GM Vladislav Kovalev BLR 2641, 7.0/9

2-3. GM SP Sethuraman IND 2646, GM Dmitry Gordievsky RUS 2630, 6.5/9

4-10. GM Xu Xiangyu CHN 2545, GM Tigran L. Petrosian ARM 2589, GM Vladislav Artemiev RUS 2697, GM Igor Lysyj RUS 2618, GM Gabriel Sargissian ARM 2677, GM Anton Korobov UKR 2664, GM Rauf Mamedov AZE 2709, 6.0/9

11-19. GM David Paravyan RUS 2603, GM Gata Kamsky USA 2677, GM Kirill Alekseenko RUS 2609, GM Alexander Khalifman RUS 2614, GM Viktor Bologan MDA 2600, GM Maxim Matlakov RUS 2709, IM M.Amin Tabatabaei IRI 2577, GM Sandro Mareco ARG 2632, GM Vadim Zvjaginsev RUS 2629, GM Rinat Jumabayev KAZ 2614, 5.5/9

Total Number of Participants: 92 players

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

The 24-year-old GM from Belarus (formerly known as White Russia) Vladislav Kovalev won the very tough Aeroflot Open and went home with undivided first prize of €18,000 (roughly P1.1 million) plus an invitation to the superGM tournament in Dortmund later this year.

Kovalev is no weakling (rating is 2641) but he was only the 16th seed in the tournament. The favorites were the fastest-rising Russian sensation Vladimir Fedoseev 2724, the 3rd highest rated Indian Vidit Santosh Gujrathi 2723 (after Anand and Harikrishna), Dmitry Andreikin 2712, Rauf Mamedov 2709 and the reigning European Chess Champion Maxim Matlakov 2709.

This is definitely Kovalev’s biggest win to date although it should not be such a big surprise. After all, he has shown consistency in the past year and was in fact the runner-up in last year’s Aeroflot Open behind tournament winner Vladimir Fedoseev. That tie for second with Evgeniy Najer and Nikita Vitiugov was a bigger surprise than his 1st this year. Last year Kovalev’s rating was only 2598, good for 41st seed.

This year Kovalev scored 5/5 with White and drew all four games with Black. Main weapon as White is the Sicilian Chekhover (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4) and this Kovalev played to perfection — keep a strong center, push your opponent’s forces back, and then advance on both sides of the board.

I remember that the editor-in-chief of the American Chess Magazine (also former executive editor of Chess Informant) FM Josip Asik once asked me to write something about the Chekhover, it being his favorite line as well. I said yes, but unfortunately the pressures of work did not allow me to keep my promise. The games of Kovalev played in Aeroflot are great examples of how to play it.

Kovalev, Vladislav (2641) — Tran, Tuan Minh (2522) [B53]
Aeroflot Open A 2018 Moscow RUS (1.16), 20.02.2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4

Our beginner’s books by Fred Reinfeld preached that you shouldn’t bring your queen out so early in the game. That is not true. Bring your queen out quickly to strike out against the enemy forces. Just make sure that it doesn’t get kicked around.

4…Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Qd3

White had two ways to proceed here. Either 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.Bg5 e6 9.0–0–0 and go for the kingside attack, or 6.Qd3 followed by a Maroczy Bind with c2–c4. White goes for the second plan.

6…g6 7.c4 Bg7 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.0–0 0–0 10.Bxc6!

Removing the knight which defends the black squares (c5, d4, e5) in the center. This is a surprising statistic but this line scores something like 80% in top flight tournaments.

10…Bxc6 11.Nd4 Rc8 12.Rd1 a6 13.f3 Nd7 14.Qe2 Nc5 15.Be3 Na4 16.Nxa4 Bxa4 17.b3 Bd7 18.Rac1 Qa5 19.a4 Rc7 20.Qf2 Qb4 21.Rd3 Rcc8 22.Nc2 Qa5 23.Bb6 Qg5 24.f4 Qf6 25.e5 Qf5 26.Rcd1 Bc6 27.Ne3!

Going 27.exd6 exd6 28.Rxd6 right away is a mistake because Black gets counterplay with 28…Rfe8 29.Ne3 Qe4.

27…Qh5

The square e4 is not available to the queen because it is trapped after 27…Qe4 28.Rd4.

28.exd6 exd6 29.Bd4

The pawn is not going anywhere.

29…Bxd4 30.Rxd4 Rfe8 31.Rxd6 Rc7

Now it is time to push back the black queen.

32.h3 Qc5 33.Ng4 Qxf2+ 34.Kxf2 Kg7 35.Nf6 Ree7 36.g4 b5 37.g5! 1–0 <D>

FINAL POSITION

The Vietnamese GM resigns out of frustration — there is nothing he can undertake to avoid the loss. Take note that mate via Rd8–g8 is an ongoing threat. Here is what might happen: 37.g5 Rc8 38.axb5 axb5 39.Rd8 Rec7 40.c5 b4 41.h4 h6 42.R1d6 Bb5 43.Rxc8 Rxc8 44.Rb6 Rxc5 45.Rb8.

After seven rounds Kovalev and Tabatabaei were tied for 1st place so the result of this game would have a big say in the final standings of the tournament.

Mohammad Amin Tabatabaei is among the group of young Iranians who are slowly establishing their country as a chess power in Asia.

The chess historian H.J.R. Murray maintains that our game was developed in India around 600 AD, which remains the most widely accepted theory today. However, there have been several other scholars who says that it was developed in Persia and introduced to India by Muslims. As the Iran Chamber Society reports, “we know that while chess flourished in Baghdad in the 9th century, the earliest reliable account of chess-playing in India date only from the 11th century.”

In the ’70s the top Iranian players were Mershad Sharif, Khosro Harandi and Kamran Shirazi. When Ayatollah Khomeini took power in 1979 he banned chess and these players had to continue their chess careers elsewhere. In fact, when fighting broke out in Teheran in 1978 Eugene Torre, Ruben Rodriguez, Rico Mascariñas and Glenn Bordonada were there in the center of the fighting because the Iran leg of the Asian GM Circuit was being held in their capital city. They managed to leave the city and escape to London where they were stuck for a few days while the Philippine Chess Federation was frantically raising funds to get them to the Buenos Aires Olympiad.

They were successful but the 4 top Philippine players could only arrive before the 2nd round.

Glenn Bordonada told this story: “With only Ricky (de Guzman) and Vic (Torre) present, the Philippines was at first disallowed from playing against Andorra. Vic, who is a top sales engineer at Connell Bros., had to use his most persuasive sales talk to make them change their mind. Succeeding, he and Ricky played and won but Andorra claimed the other two boards by default.

“A lot of people, mostly fellow Asians who are acquainted with the Filipino players, were curious to know what happened. A preposterous rumor circulated that Eugene did not play because the Andorrans were very weak. Of course, it was not true. But still, Eugene had a lot of explaining when we finally arrived. That was the next morning, only a few hours before the second round.”

Enough reminiscing! The Iranian contingent to Aeroflot consisted of:

GM Parham Maghsoodloo 2594 17 years old

IM M. Amin Tabatabaei 2577 17 years old

IM Alireza Firoozja 2549 14 years old

IM Arian Gholami 2489 17 years old

Believe me, chess in Iran is really getting stronger.

Kovalev, Vladislav (2641) — Tabatabaei, M. (2577) [C01]
15th Aeroflot Open Moscow (8), 27.02.2018

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Bd3

Kovalev must have been wary of the fact that his young foe’s repertoire against 1.e4 is 1…e5, and sometimes either 1…c5 or 1…c6. Rarely the French, so it is quite possible Black had something special in mind against the French Tarrasch, which is why White avoids it right away.

3…dxe4 4.Bxe4 Nf6 5.Bf3

Well, at least Black can’t go into the Fort Knox formation with …Bc8–d7–c6 and …Nb8–d7.

5…c5 6.Ne2 Nc6 7.Be3 Nd5?

Kovalev from the Russian Chess Federation Web site: “In the 8th round there was a decisive game with a young Iranian chess player. I got a bit lucky: in the opening he blundered after my trap that I’d looked at a few years ago. It turned out he fell into it and I immediately had an advantage after the opening. I couldn’t recall the variations, though, despite everything being written down literally to a win, so I had to convert what became a technical position.”

But why is this a bad move? You will soon see why.

8.Bxd5 Qxd5 9.Nbc3

The point. 9…Qxg2 is met by Rg1, Nb5 followed by Bf4.

9…Qxg2 10.Rg1 Qf3 11.Nb5 Rb8 12.dxc5

There is a mate threat here: 13.Nc7+ Ke7 14.Qd6+ Kf6 15.Ne8+ Kf5 16.Rg5+ Ke4 17.Nec3+ mate.

12…f6 13.Nd6+ Bxd6

No choice. If 13…Ke7 14.Qd3 followed by queenside castling

14.Qxd6 g6 15.Rd1

To be followed by b2–b4–b5 and, with the knight gone, check on d8. You will notice despite the different opening Kovalev plays in the same style as in the previous games — strong center then action on both flanks.

15…Rf8 16.Nd4?!

Not the most efficient. White should have continued with 16.b4 as now Black gets to exchange queens.

16…Qd5 17.Qxd5 exd5 18.Bf4 Nxd4 19.Rxd4 Ra8 20.Rxd5

White remains just a pawn up but the active position of his pieces are enough to keep the enemy forces at bay.

20…Be6 21.Rd6 Kf7 22.Kd2 g5 23.Be3 Rfd8 24.Rxd8 Rxd8+ 25.Kc3 Rd7 26.a4 h5 27.b4 a6 28.b5 axb5 29.axb5 Bf5 30.Ra1 Be4 31.Ra4! Bf3 32.Ra8 Rd1 33.Rc8 Ke6 34.Bd4 Rc1 35.Kb2 Rh1 36.Rf8 f5 37.Rf6+! Kd5? 38.c6! bxc6 39.b6 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

Pride

The National Basketball Association had seven games on tap yesterday, but the battle between the Hawks and the Suns proved most interesting for a variety of reasons. Forget that they sported win-loss slates that had them scraping the bottom of the barrel, or that lottery considerations gave them ample reason to lose. Given the way they competed from opening tip to final buzzer, victory was on their minds. Even the most jaded observers would have had trouble describing their effort as wanting; a maximum of seven points separated them at any one time, and the winning trey, off a well-set screen with just over seven ticks left in the match, represented the 24th lead change.

Indeed, the Hawks and Suns showed their best, and were their performances judged in a vacuum, pundits wouldn’t have concluded that they were in the middle of a long, trying season. A fortunate confluence of events? Perhaps. They were evenly matched, fresh off a day’s rest, and just a couple of weeks removed from Commissioner Adam Silver’s sharp rebuke of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban’s extolment of the virtues of tanking. In any case, fans were treated to a humdinger whose outcome was not decided until the last second.

To be sure, nothing can replace pride as the sport’s biggest motivator. At the executive level, franchises no doubt assess options for the long term; if they don’t have the personnel to crowd the top of standings, they are better served to avoid mediocrity and instead aim for a quick reboot via the upcoming draft. But because they are barred, ideally and realistically, from conveying these sentiments to players, the latter will just keep doing what they do: play to the extent of their abilities and move to upend the opposition.

There are other ways, of course. The Hawks, for instance, gave Kent Bazemore the day off for the second time in three weeks. And, if nothing else, the DNP-Rest designations underscore the importance of owners resisting the temptation of making coaches heads of operations as well. Had Mike Budenholzer still been both, he would have compromised either of his positions heading into the set-to. All of which means one thing: rarely will deliberate deviousness be seen on the court. There are other ways, and, outside of the type of conceit Cuban displayed, there’s little Silver can do about 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.

China amps up defense spending amid modernization drive

BEIJING — China announced on Monday an 8.1% defense budget increase for 2018, giving a boost to the modernization of the world’s largest military after spending slowed in the previous two years.

Beijing will splash out 1.11 trillion yuan ($175 billion) on its military, according to a budget report presented before the opening session of the annual National People’s Congress.

“We will stick to the Chinese path in strengthening our armed forces, advance all aspects of military training and war preparedness, and firmly and resolvedly safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests,” Premier Li Keqiang said in a report to the legislature.

China’s neighbors and the US have watched warily as Beijing has modernized its military, reducing its ground troops while spending on state-of-the-art hardware and weapons.

Mr. Li said the military had completed its goal of slashing troop numbers by 300,000, leaving the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with a two-million-strong force.

At the same time, Beijing has imposed increasingly assertive claims to vast expanses of the contested South China Sea, while engaging in confrontations with Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea and with India over Himalayan border regions.

The 2018 outlay compares with a 7% increase last year and 7.6% in 2016, which marked the first time in six years that spending growth was not in double figures.

China spent $151 billion on the PLA last year, the second-largest defense budget in the world but still four times less than the $603- billion US outlay, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank.

The defense budget increase has roughly kept pace with China’s national economic output in recent years. The economy grew by 6.9% in 2017 and the government said Monday it will target growth of around 6.5% in 2018.

“We can expect that China’s defense budget will continue to be subordinated to, and coordinated with, China’s economic performance. It will likely not be over-militarized,” said James Char, a military expert at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.

‘WORLD-CLASS’ ARMY
As the PLA marked its 90th anniversary in August, Mr. Xi warned that China will protect its sovereignty against “any people, organization or political party.”

Since coming to power in 2012, the president has trumpeted the need to build a stronger combat-ready military, while cementing his leadership over the army, which was ordered to pledge absolute loyalty to him last year.

At a major Communist Party congress in October, Mr. Xi vowed to build a “world-class” fighting force by 2050.

The PLA has stocked up on stealth fighter jets, warships and high-tech weaponry over the years.

“Technologically speaking, the PLA has progressed markedly in recent years, with its own research and development in military hardware and growing professionalism reducing the gap with its US counterpart,” Mr. Char said.

Last year, China unveiled its first domestically built aircraft carrier, which will carry J-15 fighters that will take off from a raised “ski jump” platform. It also launched a new class of destroyer.

Its military has one operational carrier — the Liaoning — a Soviet-era vessel bought from Ukraine that was refitted and commissioned in 2012.

The chairman of the Dalian Shipbuilding Industry, which worked on both ships, said the company was “ready to build larger” carriers after gaining the experience to make more, the state-run China Daily newspaper said Friday.

China has also opened its first overseas military base in the Horn of Africa country of Djibouti.

Since 2008, its navy has participated in anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden.

Closer to home, China has in recent years built artificial islands — some with airstrips — capable of hosting military installations in the South China Sea, inflaming tensions with its Southeast Asian neighbors.

US warships, meanwhile, regularly conduct “freedom of navigation” operations near the islands to challenge China’s territorial claims.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan have contested China’s claims to the sea.

China’s military budget is “disproportional in the sense that the economies of Southeast Asia do not have the resources to keep pace” and Japan’s constitution restricts military spending, said Matthew Funaiole, a fellow with the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington.

“Whether or not this is a ‘threat’ depends on how China utilizes its capabilities. That said, its maritime presence is certainly growing.” — AFP

US aircraft carrier in Vietnam for historic visit, first since end of war

DANANG — A US aircraft carrier arrived in Vietnam Monday for the first time since the end of the war, as the former foes bolster military ties in the face of Beijing’s buildup in the disputed South China Sea.

The USS Carl Vinson will make a four-day port call to the central city of Danang for a highly symbolic trip that will include a visit to a center for victims of Agent Orange, the toxic defoliant sprayed over large swathes of land by the US during the Vietnam war.

But ongoing tensions in the South China Sea loom over the trip as Beijing continues to build artificial islands capable of hosting military installations — much to the chagrin of Vietnam and other claimants to the sea.

Though the US is not a claimant to the resource-rich waterway, it has long lobbied for freedom of navigation in the sea to counter China’s growing influence.

Analysts say the port call, which follows a visit to the Philippines last month, is a chance for the US to flex its military muscle in Asia.

“It’s a US push… to demonstrate a massive naval presence in the South China Sea area to China, that the US is staying engaged,” Vietnam expert Carl Thayer told AFP ahead of the trip.

Vietnam remains the most vocal claimant in the region after the Philippines backed off under China-friendly President Rodrigo R. Duterte. Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei also have claims in the sea.

Mr. Duterte has refused to implement a landmark 2016 international tribunal ruling in Manila’s favor over its competing claims with Beijing.

“The Philippines has just rolled over, China is continually militarizing and if the US doesn’t maintain a presence in the region, Vietnam’s got nowhere to hide,” Mr. Thayer said.

The visit is also being touted as a key landmark between the former bitter enemies, whose relations have seen an extraordinary turnaround since the end of the war in 1975.

Though US ships have regularly docked in Vietnam in the past, this is the first time an aircraft carrier will make a port call to the country.

Vietnam’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said the visit will “contribute to maintaining peace, stability, security, cooperation and development in the region.”

The nuclear-powered USS Carl Vinson is home to 5,300 sailors, pilots and crew and 72 aircraft and will be in Danang — once a key US airbase — until its departure on Friday. — AFP

PNG quake leaves 67 dead as aftershocks rock homes

SYDNEY — At least 67 people were killed by an earthquake that devastated Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) remote highlands last week, the Red Cross said Monday, with thousands more homeless and without food and clean water.

The recovery effort has been slow as aid workers grapple with blocked roads and power outages to reach cut-off villages after the 7.5-magnitude quake struck on Feb. 26 in the Pacific nation’s mountainous interior.

Terrified locals in the Southern Highlands, Western, Enga and Hela provinces have also been hit by strong aftershocks, including two 6.0-magnitude tremors early Monday.

Compounding the fallout was an announcement Monday that the impoverished country’s biggest-ever development — the PNG LNG project operated by US energy giant ExxonMobil — would be offline for up to eight weeks as the quake-hit facilities are repaired.

“The death toll reported by the National Disaster Centre and disaster management teams on Friday is 67,” the PNG country head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Udaya Regmi told AFP from the capital Port Moresby.

“Around 143,000 people are affected and 17,000 people have been generally displaced because their homes are either fully or partially damaged and not in a condition to live in.”

No official government death toll has been released.

Mr. Regmi added that water and sanitation were major concerns for local communities, with relief workers unable to get bigger food trucks through to some areas because of damage to roads by landslides.

Relief efforts are slowly being expanded, with millions of dollars in aid pledged by the government, ExxonMobil and the Australian energy producers, Oil Search and Santos, which are involved in the gas project.

The Australian and New Zealand defense forces have began delivering aid, while the China Red Cross and Beijing have pledged financial assistance, according to the PNG Post-Courier.

Oil Search managing director Peter Botten, who traveled to the Highlands to survey the damage, said the impact “has been enormous, with many deaths in the region as well as the destruction of houses, schools, roads and bridges.”

“Many communities are without basic necessities, such as food, clean water, shelter and medical support.”

A week after the quake, the rescue effort is still a logistical challenge due to the remoteness of the regions affected, but CARE International’s PNG program director Anna Bryan said aid agencies were hoping to fly in relief supplies soon.

“Just to put it into perspective, the provinces are already amongst the most remote in the country and on a good day when you do have road access, it’s a two-day drive at the shortest from the nearest coastal port,” she told AFP.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said last week the shutdown of the gas plant would have a “huge impact” on the economy, which is heavily dependent on its natural resources. — AFP

China to Taiwan: Separatist activities won’t be tolerated

BEIJING — China said on Monday that it would never tolerate any separatist schemes for self-ruled Taiwan and would safeguard China’s territorial integrity with the aim of “reunification” with an island it considers its sacred territory.

Premier Li Keqiang issued the warning in a speech at the opening of the annual session of China’s parliament, his stern words coming amid mounting Chinese anger over a US bill that seeks to raise official contacts between Washington and Taipei.

On Friday, China said Taiwan would only get burnt if it sought to rely on foreigners, adding to the warnings from state media about the risk of war.

The US legislation, which only needs President Donald J. Trump’s signature to become law, says it should be US policy to allow officials at all levels to travel to Taiwan to meet their counterparts, permit high-level Taiwan officials to enter the US “under respectful conditions” and meet US officials.

In his address to the largely rubber-stamp assembly, Mr. Li said China would promote the peaceful growth of relations across the Taiwan Strait and “advance China’s peaceful reunification.”

“We will remain firm in safeguarding China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and will never tolerate any separatist schemes or activities for Taiwan independence,” Mr. Li said, to applause from the 3,000-odd legislators at the Great Hall of the People.

“As fellow Chinese living on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, we share a bond of kinship. As long as we go with the tide of history and work together for our nation’s greater good, we will together create the future — a beautiful future of national rejuvenation.”

Speaking in Taipei, Huang Chung-yen, a spokesman for Taiwan’s Presidential Office, said protecting peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait was the joint responsibility of both sides.

“On cross-strait relations, our country’s policy of being committed to regional peace and protecting stability across the strait has always been clear and consistent,” Mr. Huang told reporters.

“When it comes to cross-strait relations, Taiwan of course has never been the one which brings a negative impact.”

‘RESOLUTE WILL’
Zhang Zhijun, head of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, told reporters after Mr. Li had finished speaking that China’s people would never stand for any bid by Taiwan to secure its independence.

“We have resolute will, full confidence and even fuller ability to prevent any sort or form of Taiwan independence separatist acts,” Mr. Zhang said.

China’s hostility towards Taiwan has risen since the election to president of Tsai Ing-wen from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party in 2016.

China suspects Ms. Tsai wants to push for formal independence, which would cross a red line for Communist Party leaders in Beijing, though Ms. Tsai has said she wants to maintain the status quo and is committed to ensuring peace.

Beijing considers democratic Taiwan to be a wayward province and integral part of “one China,” ineligible for state-to-state relations, and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control. — Reuters

Poet’s exhibition shut amid sexual harassment claims

SEOUL — South Korea’s capital has closed an exhibition by poet Ko Un, long the country’s hope for a Nobel Prize in literature, amid allegations of sexual misconduct and the government is considering removing his work from textbooks.

Mr. Ko, who denied any “habitual misconduct” in a statement made through his British publisher, first faced allegations when fellow South Korean poet Choi Young-mi released a poem in December titled “Monster,” which describes harassment by an older male poet named “En,”

South Koreans have widely interpreted it to refer to Mr. Ko, seizing on passages that match his biography, including references to the buzz surrounding the unnamed poet’s Nobel Prize chances.

While not confirming the identity, Ms. Choi has not denied the public identification of Mr. Ko and last month she told a TV interviewer that she had been harassed by a famous poet who “repeatedly harassed female writers,”

Neither Ms. Choi nor Mr. Ko’s publisher, Bloodaxe Books, responded to requests for comment.

After Mr. Ko’s denial was reported in The Guardian on Sunday, Ms. Choi took to Facebook to post simply: “What I wrote in my poem ‘Monster’ is true.”

The anti-sexual harassment #MeToo movement has taken off belatedly in male-dominated South Korea where discussion of sexual misconduct has long been taboo, but it has ensnared a growing number of leading entertainment figures in recent months.

The growing number of high-profile accusations has led President Moon Jae-in to urge law enforcement authorities to investigate reports of sexual abuse.

Ms. Choi’s oblique allegations have been corroborated by other writers, including poet Lee Hye-mi, who said on Facebook that she witnessed “ridiculous behavior” while co-hosting a TV show with Mr. Ko.

The controversy has led the Seoul city government to permanently shut an exhibition devoted to Mr. Ko’s work.

An official at the textbook division of South Korea’s Education Ministry told Reuters it was discussing plans to remove Mr. Ko’s poems from school books.

“We are taking the issue very seriously and issued a statement shortly after poet Choi’s claim became public, asking publishers how they would like to proceed with the issue and edit their textbooks with Ko’s works,” the official said. — Reuters

Stocks dip as market continues to consolidate

Shares started the week on a negative note, as the main index digested the impacts of interest rate hikes and higher inflation in the long-term.

The 30-member Philippine Stock Exchange index shed 0.86% or 72.40 points to close at 8,386.17 on Monday, March 5. The broader all-shares index also dipped 0.42% or 21.45 points to 5,043.89.

“The market today still continue its consolidation…(now the news that are coming in are) interest rates being adjusted for the US and the Philippines also. And how to address the inflation. But overall I feel that the economic condition of the country will be okay,” Summit Securities, Inc. President Harry G. Liu said in a phone interview on Monday.

Investors have been staying on the sidelines due to fears of higher inflation, which the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas predicts to have come in at 4-4.8% last February. Mr. Liu however said the country’s long term prospects remain positive.

“There will be an effect, that’s why the peso is affected for the meantime. But latter part, the foreign investments, economic programs keep on coming in, there will be a lot of spending. So this will help pressure inflation from getting any further on the wrong side,” the analyst said.

IB Gimenez Securities, Inc. Joylin F. Telagen meanwhile attributed Monday’s decline to concerns on United States President Donald J. Trump announcement last week, where he said that he wants to impose a 25% tariff on imported steel and 10% tariff for aluminum.

“I think today’s sell-off was following global concern on the possible impact of American tariffs to the global economy,” Ms. Telagen said via text. — Arra B. Francia

Peso sinks ahead of February inflation figures

The peso weakened against the dollar on Monday, March 5, touching the P52 level anew, as market players reduced their position ahead of the February inflation data release on Tuesday, March 6.

The local currency finished at P52 against the greenback on Monday, losing 10 centavos from its P51.90-per-dollar close on Friday.

The peso opened the session up at P51.85 versus the dollar, while its best showing was at P51.83. Its intraday low, meanwhile, was at P52.04 to the greenback.

Traders interviewed over the phone on Monday said the peso moved sideways with a downward bias on the back of position reduction.

“We saw thin volume [today]. I think it’s more of position reduction ahead of the inflation data [today],” the trader said.

According to the BusinessWorld poll of 14 economists, inflation is seen to pick up to 4.2% in February, accelerating faster than the 2-4% full-year target set by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, as well as the 3.3% figure in February last year.

The economists said the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law will drive the inflation faster as older inventories are used up.

Although the first tranche of the tax reform reduced personal income taxes, it slapped excise taxes on commodities such as sweetened beverages, tobacco and fuel. This comes at a three-year highs for crude prices.

“But given the volume, it’s not like we’re trending [weaker]. It’s more of sideways movement,” the trader added.

For Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion, chief economist at UnionBank of the Philippines, President Donald J. Trump’s protectionist policies will likely drive the currency exchange.

“Inflation will not be the main driver but the continuing saga of Trump’s protectionist stance,” said Mr. Asuncion in a text message.

Last week, Mr. Trump announced he will slap a 25% tariff on steel imports and a 10% tariff on aluminum imports.

However, Mr. Asuncion noted that “tensions eased a bit due to China’s openness to more discussion about trade.” — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

On the streets, a culinary revolution

By Bjorn Biel M. Beltran
Special Features Writer

It’s surprising to think that a few years ago, the most foodies can expect for a unique and affordable meal would come from the restaurant franchises that populated the Philippines’ many malls. Food parks, as they are known now, weren’t a thing.

It was only with the rise of places like Banchetto in Ortigas and Mercato Centrale in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) did the food park craze began to dominate Filipino cuisine. It was nothing short of a culinary revolution; food parks started appearing all over the metro, from the northern fringes of Quezon City to as far south as Parañaque, finding success in offering innovative fare from a re-imagination of turo-turo to hybrid cuisine.

Suddenly, Filipinos’ craving for new and exciting food weren’t limited to the rote offerings of the local carinderia, nor do they have to shell out for fancy dinners at starred restaurants. The food park’s cheap, community-building nature allows it to attract crowds that food establishments like restaurants and shopping mall franchises wouldn’t.

The history of the food park began in the late 2000s. In 2007, Banchetto opened to cater to the growing number of workers in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the Ortigas central business district. Claiming to be the first “overnight street food fiesta”, the park opened late at night every Friday and lasted until Saturday morning.

Mercato Centrale in BGC launched not long afterward in 2010. Inspired by the outdoor markets of Florence and the Boroughs Market in London, Mercato promised to bring an innovative weekend night markets with unique, great tasting food in a clean, open-air setting.

The concept only became more popular from then on. Establishments along the streets of Malingap and Maginhawa in Diliman, Quezon City garnered almost viral attention from students of the University of the Philippines nearby. Meanwhile, the country’s shopping malls were trying their hand at upscale food halls like the SM Mega Food Hall in SM Megamall. When 2016 rolled around, the food park craze was in full swing.

“Food parks surged in popularity in 2016,” global market research firm Euromonitor International wrote in a 2017 report on “Street Stalls/Kiosks in the Philippines”.

“The format replaced food trucks, as it offered a fun dining space for consumers to try new food concepts and bond with their friends and family. Similar to food courts, food parks feature a collection of food kiosks within an outdoor compound. They normally follow a central theme such as international street food in the case of Mercato, Instagram-able dining in regard to Crave Park and subway-inspired booths in the case of The Vibe,” the report said.

“Unlike food courts though, food parks are comprised wholly of independent consumer foodservice operators, normally start-up entrepreneurs, and serve as an ideal incubator for new businesses and novel concepts because of the low capital requirements and a targeted consumer base. Furthermore, food parks are located within neighborhoods and primarily target students, families and young professionals,” the report added.

One positive effect of the rise of food parks in the Philippines is the stepping stone it gives to enterprising Filipinos. Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet (www.ourawesomeplanet.com), the popular food and lifestyle blog that played a significant role in the birth of the modern food park, said that the more business-minded individuals from the new generation are leading the trend.

“I think the millennial generation wants to be more enterprising than the previous generation,” he said in an interview with BusinessWorld. “They want more freedom with their time and they’re trying out businesses. These are the people who want to open a restaurant, but don’t have the capital or the confidence [to start their own]. They start small. [Food parks are] an entry point.”

Many millennials are traveling the world in search for new cuisines to sample, he noted. Some of these traveling foodies are bringing these new cuisines back home to offer them to those who don’t have the luxury of traveling.

“They are the equivalent of hawker centers,” Mr. Diaz said, likening them to the open-air complexes popular in Southeast Asian countries like Singapore and Hong Kong, where a variety of inexpensive, quality food is offered in stalls. “The only issue is that some food places offer food without any heritage to them; hybrid cuisines that only work for fads.”

Mr. Diaz explained that the highly-experimental nature of food park cuisine makes it susceptible to businesses looking to survive solely on the uniqueness and “virality” of their offerings. To survive, he noted, food parks need authenticity.

“If let’s say you have a family recipe for pandit or bulalo, and you’re putting it out there, selling it to people and people can appreciate it, that can work better. It would be good to see a food park that offer that kind of food,” he said.

Not that there aren’t any establishments offering that kind of food. Uncle Mario’s Bulaluhan, a family-run food stall at the Funland Food Park on Regalado Avenue in Quezon City, caters mostly to students at the university nearby, offering authentic Ilocano and other provincial dishes based from family recipes.

“It’s funny because these students have never seen or even know about food like this,” Christian Uy Bungubung, who manages the stall, told BusinessWorld. “For example, they don’t even know that Goto Batangas is mostly liver, not rice. We try to bring these kinds of food to a new market. We get all our ingredients from the provinces.”

Mr. Bungubung said that they hope to bring their food through a restaurant of their own someday, and food parks offer them the opportunity to test the waters if their brand of Filipino cuisine has any demand from a city market.

“Of course it’s been challenging. But we’re hopeful that we can reach our dream. If not this year, then the next,” he said.

The perils of overtourism

By Mark Louis F. Ferrolino
Special Features Writer

The Philippines, which boasts of a colorful history and culture, rich biodiversity and stunning attractions, has continued to become one of the top tourist destinations around the world, recording up to 6.6 million of foreign tourist arrivals in 2017, according to the Department of Tourism (DoT).

Although the flourishing tourism sector may be good for the economy — opening employment opportunities for many Filipinos — the massive influx of tourists, on the other hand, has been resulting to negative consequences. There are certain destinations in the country that have become a victim of overdevelopment and overcrowding that lead to the destruction of the environment and deterioration of local residents’ quality of life.

Boracay and Baguio, for a long time, have been the face of Philippine tourism. These two destinations have captured many tourists with its alluring beauty and exceptional culture. As the number of visitors increases, more establishments were put up, infrastructure projects were rolled out, and expansion of commercial spaces took place. These, in no doubt, encourage more tourists to visit these destinations, up to the point where these places became too crowded.

“I think it became an issue because of the failure of the local government units (LGUs) to enforce the prescribed environmental, ecological laws. A lot of the problems being experienced now in the overcrowding is due to the non-implementation of the law,” DoT Assistant Secretary Frederick M. Alegre told BusinessWorld in a phone interview.

Mr. Alegre noted that when tourists observe the existing laws are not properly implemented by the authority, there’s a tendency for it to be abused or overlooked by them.

Ten years ago, Baguio was a peaceful and slow-moving city. One of Baguio’s local residents, Janikka C. Tabbada, told BusinessWorld, in an online message, that back then, they could still go out [in their streets] during peak season without worrying about the traffic, safety and overcrowding.

“Parks were more beautiful back then… There were few cases of crimes, so residents rarely worry about getting their phones or any valuables being snatched. There were less businesses that catered to tourists, less cafes, restaurants and shops. There were less people of course, but Baguio people then were generally simple, courteous and calm,” Ms. Tabbada said when asked about how’s Baguio City 10 years ago.

She added that the tourism of Baguio during that time started to boom, yet it did not affect the lifestyle of the residents. Today, she said it’s different — pollution and traffic in the city become worse, and residents are now worried about going to work and school as they may be caught in traffic.

Boracay has been facing the same fate. Decades ago, the island was a quiet, subdued and lovely paradise, accommodating number of tourists that is just ideal to its carrying capacity.

Recently, the world-renowned island made headlines when President Rodrigo R. Duterte threatened to shut down Boracay due to violation of environmental law. The problem has been a long time issue, according to Nenette A. Graf, owner of the Boracay Beach Resort and president of the island’s biggest business organization Boracay Foundation Incorporated (BFI). She shared that the island is facing the same problems on sewerage system and solid waste even before.

“We welcome our President Duterte’s order to DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) of six months deadline to fix Boracay. We’ve been waiting for this attention from the government for more than 10 years now,” Ms. Graf said in an online message.

Ms. Graf said that currently, Boracay has “horrendous traffic, more vehicles, taller hotels, less coconuts and greens.” She added, “Forests are now converted into hotels to accommodate more visitors.”

Destruction in environment, culture and quality of life in Baguio and Boracay, caused by overcrowding and non-compliance of environmental laws are not just exclusive to these destinations. They are just a representation of other tourist destinations in the country being overused and abused.

The national government through the office of the DoT are looking for ways to resolve these issues. Mr. Alegre said they are working closely with the LGUs, local stakeholders and other government agencies to ensure the sustainability of tourist destinations in the country, especially in Baguio and Boracay.

While they are still on the process of resolving the issue, the LGUs, on the other hand, have to play their role, he said. “The LGU has to be able to react, has to be able to redirect traffic. It must be able to regulate hotels and facilities, it must be able to enforce the law that disallows construction in areas that are not prescribed. And this again is a concern the LGU must step up and help us achieve a balance between the tourist and development of areas like Baguio.”

“The Philippines has a long coastline, which is in Mindanao, in the Visayas and Luzon. If we are able to promote these aggressively — the other alternative destinations — then we’re also able to decongest the (overcrowded) destinations,” Mr. Alegre added.

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