PROTESTERS hold flowers and placards during a rally to celebrate International Women’s Day in Manila on March 8. The protesters, including relatives of victims of alleged extrajudicial killings, assailed the government for continuing violence against women and the drug war.
NATIONAL Scientist Angel C. Alcala, a former secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and recognized for his work on marine biodiversity and protected areas, speaks during a field focused group discussion on the Establishment and Maintenance of No-Take Marine Protected Areas or Marine Reserves in Selected Areas in the Philippines, held in Masbate City on Thursday, March 8.
News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.
Risk appetite improved across global markets as investor concern about a potential global trade war appeared to ease. European stocks followed Asian peers higher as core government bonds fell and the dollar strengthened.
Futures for the S&P 500 Index also climbed as traders spooked by tit-for-tat trade threats took solace from suggestions President Donald Trump’s tariff plan will spare select countries. In Europe, food and beverage and telecom companies were among the biggest gainers as the Stoxx Europe 600 Index nudged toward a fourth day rising. The euro dropped ahead of the European Central Bank’s policy decision on Thursday, while peripheral bonds defied broader declines as Italy moved closer to forming a government.
The specter of a global trade war has had markets on edge this week, as Trump’s threats of steel and aluminum tariffs were met with talk of retaliation in China and Europe. Attention now turns back to central banks, with investors homing in on commentary from the ECB on Thursday before the Bank of Japan concludes its policy meeting Friday.
“If you look at the global economic backdrop the world still looks relatively good,” JPMorgan Asset Management Australia Chief Executive Officer Rachel Farrell told Bloomberg Television. “Long term we really look at fundamentals and fundamentals across the world are actually quite strong.”
Elsewhere, Bitcoin steadied around the $10,000 mark after dropping on Wednesday in the face of fresh pressure from U.S. regulators. Crude oil traded near $61 a barrel as a Bloomberg gauge of commodities slid for a second day.
Here are some key events coming up this week:
The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference runs through March 15 and overlaps with the National People’s Congress meetings in Beijing, through March 20. The ECB isn’t expected to change policy on Thursday, but the Governing Council may discuss a change to pave the way for the end of quantitative easing. BOJ monetary policy decision and briefing on Friday. U.S. monthly payrolls data come Friday.
And these are the main moves in markets:
Stocks
The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.2 percent as of 11:18 a.m. London time to the highest in a week. The MSCI All-Country World Index gained 0.1 percent to the highest in more than a week. Futures on the S&P 500 Index increased 0.1 percent. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index climbed less than 0.05 percent. The MSCI Emerging Market Index jumped 0.6 percent to the highest in more than a week.
Currencies
The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index climbed 0.2 percent, the biggest increase in more than a week. The euro sank 0.3 percent to $1.2376, the first retreat in more than a week. The British pound decreased 0.1 percent to $1.3877, the first retreat in more than a week. The Mexican peso dipped 0.2 percent to 18.7526 per dollar.
Bonds
The Bloomberg Commodity Index fell 0.3 percent to the lowest in more than three weeks. West Texas Intermediate crude dipped 0.1 percent to $61.08 a barrel, the lowest in a week. Gold climbed less than 0.05 percent to $1,325.77 an ounce. LME aluminum rose 0.3 percent to $2,103.50 per metric ton, the largest advance in a week. — Bloomberg
THE Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) slipped back to negative territory on Thursday, as investors absorbed data from the US Federal Reserve’s Beige Book.
The main index went down 0.27% or 22.84 points to close at 8,381.85 today, March 8, failing to sustain gains seen in the previous session.
The broader all-shares index, meanwhile, rose 0.19% or 9.61 points to 5,065.48.
“The index ended relatively flat today, falling only a measly 22.84 points to close at 8,381.85. We earlier noted the PSEi has broken below its long-term uptrend. We now expect it to trade within the 8,300-8,700 range,” Papa Securities Corp. Head of Research Ramon Vicente T. Kabigting said in an e-mail on Thursday.
Regina Capital Development Corp. Managing Director Luis A. Limlingan noted that the PSEi saw the same rocky trading seen in US markets, with investors focusing their attention on regional development as indicated in the Fed’s Beige Book.
“The Fed’s Beige Book reported modest-to-moderate growth in economic activity across the 12 districts. Consumer spending was mixed, with non-auto sales improving in just over half of the regions, while auto sales were unchanged or weaker,” Mr. Limlingan said in a mobile phone message.
The Beige book contains reports on current economic conditions based on anecdotes from banks, branch directors, interviews with key business contacts, and market experts, among others.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.33% or 82.76 points to 24,801.36 on Wednesday, while the S&P 500 was flat at 2,726.80, lower by 0.05% or 1.32 points. The Nasdaq Composite Index managed to post gains of 0.33% or 24.64 points to close at 7,396.65.
Four sectors were down today, led by financials which dipped 0.89% or 19.84 points to close at 2,186.40. Industrials followed with a decrease of 0.74% or 85.92 points to 11,442.52; property gave up 0.20% or 7.71 points to 3,747.23; while holding firms lost 0.11% or 9.57 points to 8,394.30.
Services on the other hand jumped by 1.03% or 18.08 points to 1,762.28, while mining and oil added 0.10% or 11.66 points to 11,538.19.
The market recorded a value turnover of P5.83 billion after some 1.99 billion issues switched hands. This is thinner than the P8.63-billion turnover on Wednesday.
Advancers outpaced decliners, 118 to 85, as 61 names remained unchanged. Foreign investors extended their selling spree for the 13th straight day, dumping stocks worth P715.67 million, against net sales of P295.89 million in the previous session.
PLDT, Inc. was among the top gainers today, climbing 2.3% to P1,560 apiece after disclosing that core recurring earnings jumped 33% in 2017.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arra B. Francia
THE PESO dropped against the dollar on Thursday as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of jobs data in the US and amid the ongoing rhetoric of President Donald J. Trump on tariffs.
The local currency finished at P52.03 against the dollar yesterday, losing five centavos from its P51.98 close on Wednesday.
The peso opened flat at P51.98 versus the dollar, which was also its best showing for the day. Its intraday low, meanwhile, was at P52.05 to the greenback.
Dollars traded thinned to $453.7 million on Tuesday from the $692.25 million that changed hands in the previous session.
Traders interviewed over the phone on Thursday said the dollar-peso pair continued to trade sideways.
“The pair traded fairly quiet [yesterday,] with a smaller volume than [on Wednesday],” a trader said, adding that market players was being very cautious ahead of the US jobs data release on Friday.
Private companies added 235,000 new jobs in February, according to an ADP and Moody’s Analytics report released on Wednesday. Though this was better than the market consensus of 195,000 according to a Reuters poll, the February figure was slightly lower than the revised data of 244,000 jobs created in January.
On the other hand, the trader added that the continued saga of Mr. Trump’s rhetoric on imposing tariffs also pushed investors to the sidelines.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that despite opposition from various countries, Mr. Trump will sign the measure of imposing a 25% tariff on steel and 10% tariff on aluminum on Friday, saying that the government may provide exemptions for some countries.
“We expect that the president will sign something by the end of the week,” Ms. Sanders said in a press briefing on Wednesday. “And there are potential carve-outs for Mexico and Canada based on national security and possibly other countries as well based on that process.”
As a retaliatory measure, the European Union said it might impose tariffs on certain American goods such as Harley-Davidson motorcycles and Kentucky bourbon.
“So far, the tariff talk of Trump is still developing, so markets has been stepping back and waiting for the noise to die down,” the trader said.
For today, the trader expects the peso to move between P51.95 and P52.15 versus the dollar, while another trader sees the pair trading from P51.80 to P52.10. — K.A.N. Vidal with Reuters
LONDON — British detectives were scrambling on Thursday to uncover who poisoned a Russian former double-agent and his daughter with a nerve agent, as doctors battled to save their lives and that of a policeman who also fell ill after coming to their aid.
Sergei Skripal, 66, who moved to Britain in a 2010 spy swap, is in a critical condition in hospital along with his daughter Yulia after they collapsed on a bench outside a shopping centre on Sunday.
The brazen poisoning in the southwestern English city of Salisbury is already being linked with Russia by British politicians and the media, sparking an angry response in Moscow.
On Wednesday, British police confirmed for the first time that a nerve agent was used and that their probe was now an attempted murder investigation.
“Sadly, in addition, a police officer, who was one of the first to attend (to) the scene is now also in a serious condition in hospital,” Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Mark Rowley told reporters.
Scientific tests by government experts have identified the specific nerve agent used “which will help identify the source,” he added, declining to reveal the exact substance.
British media reports suggest the three victims are seriously ill.
Britain’s Sky News, quoting sources, said all three victims are in a coma. The Times newspaper, quoting a senior unnamed British government official, said Mr. Skripal’s condition was thought to be particularly severe.
“The feeling is that he is not going to make it out of this,” the source told the newspaper. “I think it could be more positive (for Yulia). They are hopeful that she might be able to pull through.”
The paper added that the police officer’s condition was thought to be “less severe.”
Other emergency services personnel who treated the pair required medical treatment at the time but have not been admitted to hospital.
‘COOL HEADS’
Interior minister Amber Rudd called for “cool heads” over the poisoning amid swirling speculation.
Police say they are keeping an open mind about what happened, but Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has alluded to Russia.
He noted the “echoes” with the 2006 poisoning in London of former Russian spy and Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko, which Britain has blamed on Russia.
Moscow accused British politicians and journalists of whipping up anti-Russian sentiment, with Kremlin foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova telling reporters the story “was straight away used to boost an anti-Russian campaign in the media.”
Ms. Zakharova earlier said Mr. Johnson’s comments were “wild.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of counterterrorism detectives are working “around the clock” to create a timeline of the victims’ movements, with “many hours” of CCTV under review, police said.
Investigators believe Mr. Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter were in Salisbury city center for several hours before they were found slumped on a bench.
They reportedly had lunch at a pizza restaurant, Zizzi, and visited a pub in Salisbury before being discovered outside the shopping centre, where onlookers said they appeared “out of it.”
An anonymous witness who was in the pub, which has been closed by police, told the BBC on Wednesday that Mr. Skripal was there behaving erratically and at one point shouting loudly.
Mr. Rowley appealed for information from those in Salisbury on Sunday.
“Your memory of that afternoon and your movements alone could help us with missing pieces of the investigation,” he said.
The Times reported police are probing whether Mr. Skripal’s daughter, who arrived in Britain from Moscow last week with “gifts from friends,” may have inadvertently brought the nerve agent into the country.
The paper previously said investigators would also examine the 2012 death of Mr. Skripal’s wife from cancer, and that of his 44-year-old son last year in St Petersburg, reportedly from liver problems.
WORLD CUP THREAT
Prime Minister Theresa May was updated on the case at a meeting of her national security council on Tuesday, but has declined to publicly comment on the ongoing investigation.
However, she confirmed the government might consider a boycott by British officials and dignitaries of the 2018 football World Cup in Russia if it were found to have been involved.
The possible boycott — which would not include players — was first raised by Mr. Johnson on Tuesday, when he told MPs that he was not pointing fingers for Mr. Skripal’s collapse but made several references to Russia.
He warned Britain would respond “appropriately and robustly” if a government was found responsible.
Multiple British media outlets reported Wednesday that Prince William would now not attend this summer’s football World Cup in Russia, citing royal sources.
The prince has attended recent tournaments in his role as president of the English Football Association.
Kensington Palace, his residence, did not respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Skripal was a former colonel in Russian military intelligence who was jailed in his country for betraying agents to Britain’s MI6 secret service.
He was pardoned before being flown to Britain as part of a high-profile spy swap involving Russia and the US in 2010. — AFP
PARIS — Nerve agents such as that used to try and kill a former Russian double-agent in Britain, were first developed as neurotoxins by German scientists in the 1930s, but never used as chemical weapons in WWII.
An overview.
Q: What is a nerve agent?
A: Nerve agents are the most toxic known chemical warfare agents. They are a type of organophosphate chemical, like certain pesticides, and attack an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase that is crucial for controlling nerve signals.
“A nerve agent affects the nervous system by interrupting communications between the brain, the main organs, and muscles,” Jean-Pascal Zanders, a biological weapons expert at France’s Foundation for Strategic Research, told AFP.
“It prevents coordination between the organs, people can no longer breathe, for example, and asphyxiate.”
Q: Are there different types?
A: Sarin and VX are the best known nerve agents. Others include soman and tabun.
Sarin, soman and tabun are clear, colorless, tasteless liquids, while VX is clear, odorless and has a consistency more like motor oil.
Sarin is odorless, and evaporates at the same rate as water. Tabun has a fruity odor, while soman smells like camphor.
Q: How are they used?
A: Sarin, soman and tabun are sprayed in vapor form, and enter the body by breathing. If a high concentration is inhaled, death can occur in seconds or minutes.
Sarin gas was used in the 1995 Tokyo subway attack by a doomsday cult that killed a dozen people, and is alleged to have been used against civilians in the Syrian war.
It was also infamously used by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s regime to kill thousands of Kurds in 1988.
VX enters through the skin, which takes a bit longer, with symptoms appearing in about 20 to 30 minutes.
It has been identified as the agent that killed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s half-brother in February 2017 when two women sprayed a liquid in his face.
Nerve agents can also spread when a person touches the skin or clothing of another who has been exposed, or consumed in contaminated liquids or foods.
Q: What are the symptoms of exposure?
A: Twitching, spasms, diluted pupils, burning eyes, dim vision, a runny nose, breathing difficulties, headaches, confusion and weakness, sweating, stomach ache, or diarrhea, and in severe cases, respiratory arrest or heart failure.
Other sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Virginia Department of Health, Science Media Centre, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. — AFP
WASHINGTON and European Union (EU) — the world’s two largest economies — were on an accelerating collision course on Wednesday as Donald J. Trump’s administration vowed to unveil new tariffs on steel and aluminum within days, and Brussels readied to retaliate.
As the White House forged ahead with Mr. Trump’s nationalist economic agenda — triggering howls of protest from fellow Republicans, a walkout by a top presidential aide and a market sell-off — European leaders warned the US president against starting a trade war.
The sparring came just six weeks after Mr. Trump’s conciliatory words at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he pledged that his “America First” vision did not mean “America alone.”
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders sought to calm nerves, saying a detailed decision would come by the end of the week on the tariffs — whose sudden announcement by Mr. Trump last week opened a chasm among his staff, with economic advisor Gary Cohn quitting Tuesday following a pitched internal battle.
With Mr. Cohn’s exit reverberating through global markets fearful the world could backslide on trade, Trump Cabinet members appeared on television to make the president’s case, with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross insisting the US was not “looking for a trade war.”
“We’re going to have sensible relations with our allies,” Mr. Ross told CNBC, claiming Mr. Trump’s policy was well “thought through.”
But in Brussels, the bloc wasted no time in outlining planned retaliatory measures on targeted American exports — from steel, industrial and agricultural items to flagship products such as jeans and motorbikes, peanut butter and bourbon — to be rolled out if the US makes good on its threat.
“Trade wars are bad and easy to lose,” EU President Donald Tusk told a news conference Wednesday, directly rebuffing Mr. Trump’s assertion last week they were “good and easy to win.”
Warning of “a serious trade dispute” between Washington and the rest of the world, Mr. Tusk said leaders of the bloc would hold emergency talks on the issue on March 22-23.
EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem doubled down, saying a full-on transatlantic trade war was “not in anybody’s interests.”
“A trade war has no winners,” Sweden’s Ms. Malmstroem told reporters after the European Commission discussed the tariffs.
“We should be very careful with that word… there are only losers in that, and that’s why we will respond in a proportionate and balanced way.”
‘THOUSANDS’ OF JOBS AT RISK
The EU is holding fire on its reprisals for now — as Mr. Trump has yet to sign into effect his aggressive plan, having floated 25% tariffs on steel and 10% on aluminum to correct what he calls unfair competition for US industry.
But a hit list of targeted US exports has been drawn up.
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker had threatened to hit big-name US brands such as Harley Davidson motorbikes and Levi’s jeans with import duties, prompting Mr. Trump to fire back a threat to tax cars from the EU.
Despite Mr. Juncker’s headline-grabbing threat to iconic brands, the EU’s list, written in the dry language of customs regulations, does not mention specific businesses.
Obtained by AFP, the list includes “men’s or boys’ trousers and breeches of cotton denim” and “motorcycles including mopeds” with engines of 500 cc capacity and above — which includes Harley Davidson models.
Sweetcorn, cranberry juice and peanut butter are all featured along with cigarettes, cigars and playing cards.
Ms. Malmstroem said the EU was still trying to persuade Washington not to go ahead with the tariffs, which she said would threaten “thousands of European jobs.”
The EU is also looking at “safeguard” measures to protect its own industry — restricting the bloc’s imports of steel and aluminum to stop foreign supplies flooding the European market, which is allowed under World Trade Organization rules.
Mr. Juncker, who on Wednesday met Lakshmi Mittal, the boss of the world’s top steelmaker ArcelorMittal, said last week the EU would “react firmly” to protect European industry.
Europe exports around five billion euros’ ($4 billion) worth of steel and a billion euros’ worth of aluminum to the US each year, and the commission estimates Mr. Trump’s tariffs could cost some 2.8 billion euros. — AFP
SANTIAGO, CHILE — Eleven Asia-Pacific nations on Thursday are to sign a slimmed-down trade pact to lower tariffs just as US President Donald J. Trump seeks to raise them after withdrawing from the deal last year.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which would have represented 40% of the global economy and nearly one-quarter of its trade, was left for dead after Mr. Trump pulled out to pursue his “America First” agenda before the TPP could take effect.
But the revamped deal, now known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), is still a significant achievement that sends a message of openness, its supporters said ahead of the signing ceremony in Santiago, Chile.
The pact will include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, representing together 13.5% of global gross domestic product.
The 11 states form a market of 500 million people, greater than that of the European Union’s single market.
“While taxes are going to be applied to certain products and there is a threat of a trade war, we are going to give a signal of openness,” said Chilean Foreign Minister Heraldo Muñoz.
“It’s the most important free trade agreement and the most rigorous that has been signed until now in the world.”
The deal will be finalized in the same week that Mr. Trump has risked a global trade war over his decision to introduce tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.
Former president Barack Obama’s administration pushed for the TPP as a counterweight to growing Chinese commercial power. It not only cut tariffs but required members to comply with a high level of regulatory standards in areas like labor law and environmental protection.
Fernando Estenssoro, of Chile’s University of Santiago, says the revamped pact will be “a type of suicide” for the United States.
‘A NEW STANDARD’
Washington’s absence leaves an open path for China — which remains excluded from the deal — as it negotiates separately with Asian countries and New Zealand.
The CPTPP aims to slash tariffs among the 11 members and foster trade to boost growth.
Felipe Lopeandia, Chile’s top trade negotiator, said the deal will “send a political signal to the world and to the United States itself, that this is a global agreement.”
It is one which remains hugely significant, said Ignacio Bartesaghi of the Catholic University of Uruguay’s business school.
“There is no trade agreement involving that number of countries, and one that has 30 chapters which deal with all the most modern topics of international trade,” Mr. Bartesaghi told AFP.
Most provisions of the original agreement remain, except those related to intellectual property originally inserted at the demand of US negotiators.
“The CPTPP will establish a new standard for other regional economic integration agreements, and even for future negotiations in the WTO (World Trade Organization) and in APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation),” said Chile’s foreign ministry, which is hosting Thursday’s ceremony.
Chile said membership of the new pact will improve access to markets currently responsible for 17% of its total exports.
Mexico and Peru will also get better entry to countries on the other side of the Pacific.
“It means an increase in our potential market and the possibility that our people can access more products,” said Mario Mongilardi, head of Lima’s chamber of commerce.
The pact will come into force 60 days after it is fully ratified by six of the 11 members. — AFP
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE PBA Philippine Cup enters the semifinal phase today with the defending champions San Miguel Beermen and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings getting their best-of-seven series going.
A reengagement of last year’s championship match in the season-opening Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) tournament, the two teams look to establish early control by claiming the opener set for 7 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Beermen entered the semifinal round after topping the elimination round with an 8-3 record before dispatching the TNT KaTropa in their quarterfinal pairing, finding no need to use their twice-to-beat advantage.
Reigning league most valuable player June Mar Fajardo has been leading the team with averages of 22.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks while guard Marcio Lassiter has been good for 16.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
Arwind Santos is also averaging a double-double of 16.5 points and 10.5 rebounds and Chris Ross 11.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists.
Point guard Alex Cabagnot missed much of the team’s tournament assignments so far but has been averaging 17.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
Facing the Kings anew, San Miguel said they expect Barangay Ginebra to be determined to get back at them in the about-to-start semifinal series.
“We will have to ready and come back relaxed and recharged for what we expect to be a tough best-of-seven series,” said San Miguel coach Leo Austria after their win in their last game.
RELIEF
Barging into the semifinals, the Kings heaved a sigh of relief, viewing the quarterfinals as a key juncture in any tournament.
“It’s always a big relief to get through the quarters. It puts such a pressure on you to make the semifinals all the time. To me, in my career, it’s the hardest series to win. So when you finally get through it, it’s just truly a relief,” said Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone following their sweep of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in their best-of-three quarterfinal series.
The winningest coach in the PBA went on to say that against the Beermen their work is cut out for them.
“We will now face the monster and that’s San Miguel. You can refer that to San Miguel or you can refer that to June Mar. I don’t know what you do with that but we have them coming up,” said Mr. Cone, who also expressed hope that Kings big man Greg Slaughter would be ready in time for the semifinal series off an ankle sprain.
Mr. Slaughter has been steady for Barangay Ginebra in the Philippine Cup, averaging 17.7 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.
Japeth Aguilar is leading the team in scoring with 19.3 points per ball game to go along with 8.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks while guard LA Tenorio has been chipping in 14.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists.
Scottie Thompson, for his part, has been all-around for Barangay Ginebra with norms of 11.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 5.7 assists.
In the other semifinal pairing, meanwhile, are the Magnolia Hotshots and NLEX Road Warriors. They begin their own best-of-seven series on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. also at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
UNLIKE in recent seasons of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the current women’s volleyball year is proving to be a tough one for the University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Fighting Maroons as they deal with various changes and find their footing anew.
Halfway into UAAP Season 80, the Diliman-based spikers are currently struggling and are perched at the low half of the standings with a 2-5 record, good for sixth place.
Where they are currently at pales in comparison to their showing in the previous seasons when they were prominent in the playoff picture at this stage of the competition.
UP made a coaching change in the offseason, bringing in Kenyan coach Godfrey Okumu to replace Jerry Yee, even as the team lost steady veterans Nicole Tiamzon, Princess Gaisler and Kathy Bersola.
The changes have forced the Lady Maroons to “recalibrate” their thrust to adapt to the system and personnel that they have, which is proving to be not as fluid as hoped so far.
“We are finding our footing. We are struggling but we’re getting there. We are still growing as a team,” said Mr. Okumu as he put things in perspective in relation to the struggles they are having in the ongoing season.
“It is a building process but hopefully in our next games we get to improve and show better results,” he added.
Leading the charge for the Lady Maroons this season is the one-two punch of hitters Tots Carlos and Isa Molde, who admitted they are embracing the roles given them to help the team.
Carlos has been averaging 19.3 points while Molde has been good for 13.1 points.
After the two though, not much scoring has been coming out of the Lady Maroons, made worse by their struggles in service.
But despite their not-so-good record in the standings, Mr. Okumu is still upbeat that in time they will turn things around and start winning again.
He further said that he hopes fans of UP will remain patient with the team and looking to their support more so now.
“The fans have always been there for us even when we are struggling. I would like to thank them and may they continue to support us because we really need them,” the UP coach said.
The Lady Maroons next play tomorrow against the Adamson Lady Falcons (3-4) at 2 p.m. at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
Immediately following the match at 4 p.m. is the encounter between league-leading National University Lady Bulldogs (6-1) and the defending champions De La Salle Lady Spikers (5-2).
