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Winner-take-all match

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

WITH THEIR best-of-three University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) finals series now down to a winner-take-all Game Three, both the De La Salle Green Archers and Ateneo Blue Eagles are now fixed on said game, bent on winning it all.

Forced after the defending champions Archers bucked a poor start and came from behind to take Game Two, 92-83, last Wednesday, La Salle and Ateneo have vowed to come out in the sudden death able and ready to go to battle to be crowned Season 80 champion.

With its back against the wall, La Salle turned to the steady efforts of Ben Mbala, Ricci Rivero and Andrei Caracut to bail it out in Game Two and live to fight another day.

Stared at a 21-point deficit, 49-28, at one juncture in the opening half, the Archers dug deep in the second half to overhaul Ateneo’s control of the contest and eventually raced to the victory.

Mbala led La Salle with 20 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks in Game Two with Rivero adding 18 points.

Guard Andrei Caracut bounced back from a so-so performance in Game One with 13 points.

While they are relieved and happy to have been able to extend the series and their title retention bid, Rivero said they should reserve the celebration until after they have completed their mission of defending their crown.

“It does not stop here. This is only Game Two and we just tied the series. The work continues for us in Game Three and if we want to remain champions we have to come in prepared and ready to play,” said Rivero, who did a good job staying in the game despite being slapped with his fourth personal foul early in the second period, after their Game Two victory.

Such thinking is not lost to Mbala, who officially claimed his second consecutive UAAP most valuable player prior to Game Two, saying that come Game Three it is either one wins or loses.

“I like how we came together in this game (Game Two) even when things were not going our way early and came back and win. In Game Three we have to show the same mind-set of togetherness. We have to come in wanting to win and grab that trophy,” said Mbala.

OPPORTUNITY STILL
For the Eagles, their second-half “meltdown” was something they are ruing about but nonetheless they are moving on from as they still have the opportunity to claim the UAAP title in Game Three.

“We just have to learn from this. We have to learn how to be composed, not to show letup even when we are ahead and continue to play at a high level,” said Ateneo assistant coach Sandy Arespacochaga after their loss.

“Hopefully we come with the right adjustments in Game Three. We lost this game but we still have the opportunity to win it,” he added.

Ateneo had it hot and going in the opening half of Game Two but just could not handle things when La Salle fashioned a massive charge back as the game progressed.

Thirdy Ravena led the Eagles with 20 markers while Aaron Black and Anton Asistio had 15 and 13 points, respectively.

“We have to regroup for Game Three. The opportunity to win is still there. We know La Salle will be coming in prepared and we have to be ready to counter it. It is going to be a tough game for sure,” Mr. Arespacochaga said.

Game Three of the finals is on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum at 3:30 p.m..

La Salle is looking to bag its 10th men’s basketball title in the UAAP and second straight while Ateneo is looking to tie the Archers for joint fourth overall with nine championships and first after five years.

Max Holloway, Jose Aldo battle anew at UFC 218

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

REIGNING Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight champion Max “Blessed” Holloway makes his Octagon return this weekend against a familiar foe, taking on former champ Jose Aldo in the headliner for “UFC 218” in Detroit, Michigan.

Happening on Sunday (Manila time) at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, UFC 218 will see the top featherweights reengage four months after they first met where Mr. Holloway seized the gold in the division.

American Holloway (18-3) defeated the Brazilian legend Aldo (26-3) by way of technical knockout (punches) in the third round to assert his might on top of the division and extend his winning streak to 11 fights.

The loss, meanwhile, was the second in three fights for Mr. Aldo, who at one point in his Hall-of-Fame career racked up 18 straight wins.

With the fight being a rematch, one local combat sports writer and observer said fans should expect an interesting dynamic between the combatants.

“For their second fight, the roles between Holloway and Aldo have been reversed. Aldo can be expected to be eager to redeem himself after losing the belt. Holloway on the other hand, wants to show the world that his victory over the long-time champion wasn’t a fluke. So I’m expecting this fight to be a very tactical fight for both men,” said Mike Miguel, who writes for DojoDrifter.com and Tiebreaker Times, when asked by BusinessWorld for his thoughts on the rematch between Messrs. Holloway and Aldo.

He went on to say that Mr. Holloway will be a tough nut to crack and that as good as Mr. Aldo has been he will have his work cut out for him in trying to reclaim the featherweight title.

“While his confidence is definitely sky high right now, I don’t expect Holloway to show any letup and instead will continue to showcase the warrior’s mentality like he always does. Like what Hawaiian chiefs did back then, he will do everything he can to keep the title,” said Mr. Miguel.

He was quick to say though that he is not counting out Mr. Aldo outright, saying that he even sees the former champion bringing along some surprises to possibly stem the tide in his favor, or even win it all if he plays his cards correctly.

“I expect Aldo to do something different in this fight. In their first encounter, Aldo wasn’t able to put out Holloway with his boxing so I expect him to utilize the leg kicks more to slow down the champion. The key for him is to land his combinations while being able to get out of Holloway’s striking range to reduce the possible damage,” said Mr. Miguel.

“If Aldo gets his timing and his angles perfectly, I won’t be totally surprised if he gets to regain his belt by knockout,” he added.

Serving as co-main event for UFC 218 is the heavyweight clash between number one contender Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem and Francis “The Predator” Ngannou (#4).

Other featured fights in the main card are flyweight Henry “The Messenger” Cejudo (#2) against Sergio Pettis (#4); former lightweight champion Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez (#4) versus Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (#5); and women’s strawweight Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (#5) against Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (#6).

UFC 218: Holloway vs Aldo 2 will be shown live on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. over Hyper Ch. 91 in SD or 261 in HD on Cignal TV. Encore telecast is at 7 p.m. on the same day.

In the Philippines, Cignal TV, the country’s foremost direct-to-home (DTH) company, is the home of the UFC after the two groups agreed to an extensive deal that will see the UFC beamed on various platforms.

Inaugural PFL season hits semifinal stage

AFTER SEVEN months of home and away regular season play, the inaugural year of the Philippines Football League (PFL) moves to a higher phase of competition with the start of the semifinal round this weekend.

From a full complement of eight teams, the field has been cut to half with the surviving squads battling it out in a two-legged aggregate-goals series to decide which of them will play in the PFL’s first-ever championship match.

Left standing in the competition are regular season winner FC Meralco Manila (17-7-4) with 58 points, Ceres Negros FC (17-6-5) at 57, Kaya FC Makati (14-5-9) at 47 and Global Cebu FC (13-8-7) also at 47 points.

Meralco faces off with Global beginning this Saturday while Ceres takes on Kaya in the series which starts on Sunday.

“I would like to congratulate the four teams that have qualified to the Philippines Football League Finals Series and at the same time wish them good luck,” said Philippine Football Federation president Mariano V. Araneta, whose group is the prime mover for the establishment of the country’s national football league.

“What started out as a collective dream then has become a reality; we are near the day where the first professional club of the Philippines Football League will be crowned champions,” he added.

EXPECTING A TOUGH BATTLE
While it wound up on top of the heap at the end of the regular season, Meralco, meanwhile, is not expecting anything easy in the semifinal round, especially since it is up against Global, the last team it got a win from among the other teams in the league.

After three matches when they drew twice and lost once, the Sparks finally got one over Cebu early last month, 2-1, at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

In said game, Daniel Gadia, with his first-ever PFL goal, produced the late winner.

It was a result that Meralco is looking at with some significance as it heads into its series with Global.

“Winning that game was psychologically beneficial and showed the great character of the team,” said Sparks coach Aris Caslib.

It was a sentiment that Meralco striker Curt Dizon shares albeit he cautioned that they still have to stay on their toes and focus on what needs to be done.

“We have more confidence after beating them but we can’t take them lightly,” said Mr. Dizon.

Meralco will have an almost full slate of healthy players at its disposal, with all projected starters in good health.

Global, on the other hand, is still without injured Azkal centerback Amani Aguinaldo but will have Misagh Bahadoran back in harness.

The first leg of Meralco versus Global will be at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium while that of Ceres against Kaya is at 4 p.m. on Sunday at the University of Makati Stadium.

The PFL finals is set for Dec. 16. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

‘Terrorist’ tag for CPP-NPA means no negotiations

AN OFFICIAL declaration by President Rodrigo R. Duterte of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed groups, collectively known as the New People’s Army (NPA), as terrorists would seal the end of negotiations, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, who also chairs the government panel for peace talks with the CPP-NPA and its umbrella organization, the National Democratic Front (NDF).

“Kapag nangyari ’yon (If that happens), end of everything na ’yan,” said Mr. Bello in an interview at the House of Representatives yesterday, Nov. 30. “Alam mo naman (You know for a fact), we cannot negotiate with terrorists.”

At the same time, Mr. Bello stressed that there is no official document yet. “He is just considering,” Mr. Bello said.

As for the President’s decision suspending the peace dialogues, Mr. Bello said that the Norwegian government, which has been serving as facilitator and mediator, “is aware of it because of the Presidential Proclamation No. 360.”

“It is very clear that the President has terminated the talks,” Mr. Bello said, adding that the government is also considering whether it is necessary to “furnish the NDF-CPP-NPA panel a copy of the Presidential proclamation just to comply with the requirement of a notice of 30 days.”

“We have to discuss it with Secretary (Jesus G.) Dureza (the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process),” Mr. Bello said.

Mr. Bello also clarified that the government is not yet completely closing the door on the possibility of peace negotiations.

“The President terminated the talks, but it is also very clear in his statement that he is not closing the possibility of the resumption (of the peace talks),” he said.

“It is terminated for now because the environment is not there, so we will have to wait for the enabling environment or a conducive environment for the conduct of the peace negotiations,” he explained, referring to the continued clashes on the ground between the NPA and government forces following the CPP leadership’s call for intensified attacks.

Meanwhile, Mr. Duterte, following the official termination of talks, has ordered the military and police forces to shoot armed NPA members.

“So, what will be my orders to them… shoot them. Eh they will kill you anyway. So if there is an armed NPA there or terrorists, if he’s holding any firearms, shoot,” Mr. Duterte said Wednesday during the send-off ceremony for five Vietnamese fishermen in Pangasinan.

“Ako na ang magsagot (I will answer for you), you just shut up. Do not answer if that issue of human rights (comes up), you say, ‘Go to Duterte. It is and was his order,’” he said, reassuring government forces.

In the same speech, Mr. Duterte also said that he is now preparing for an executive order (EO) formally declaring the NPA as terrorists.

Asked when the President will issue the EO, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said: “No fixed date but the President will do that.”

Mr. Roque, a lawyer, also said that Mr. Duterte is well within bounds to order the police and military to shoot armed rebels . “Anyone who bears arms is fusing rebellion.”

“The crime of rebellion is a crime of taking up arms against the government. So, natural, when you are bearing arms against the government you are engaged in crime, [then] you are supposed to implement the law, and yes, the President has that power to implement the law,” he said.

On the other hand, Vice-President Maria Leonor G. Robredo disagreed saying that is not what the Constitution provides.

“Ang sinasabi ng ating batas, na kapag mayroong nagkasala, mayroong proseso para alamin kung totoo ba iyong paratang, at mayroon namang nararapat na penalidad sa mga paratang (What our law says, if someone has committed a crime, there is a process to determine whether the allegations are true and there ought to be a penalty in every crime),” said Ms. Robredo, also a lawyer.

The vice-president, who belongs to the opposition party, said such policy is tantamount to “putting the law into our hands” and a disregard for democratic processes. — Arjay L. Balinbin and Rosemarie A. Zamora

NY Knicks rout Heat as star Porzingis exits early

NEW YORK — Enes Kanter had 22 points and 14 rebounds to help the New York Knicks down the Miami Heat, 115-86, on Wednesday despite losing Kristaps Porzingis early to an ankle injury.

Courtney Lee added 17 points for the Knicks, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Kanter and Lee stepped up after star forward Porzingis, the fourth-best scorer in the NBA going into the contest, hurt his right ankle less than three minutes into the contest.

Porzingis was scrambling for a loose ball when his right ankle buckled to a cringe-making angle and he hit the court, lying there for several minutes before he was escorted to the locker room.

The Knicks said X-rays done on site were negative, and even added that he was available to return.

But New York quickly built a big lead and didn’t have to bring back the Latvian big man, who was reported by the team to be keeping warm pedaling a stationary bike.

It was another injury blow for Porzingis, who has battled back and elbow trouble despite taking extra steps with diet and rest this season to keep his 7-foot-3-inch (2.20m) frame fit.

Turkish center Kanter, who missed the Knicks’ three previous games with back spasms, had 18 points and 13 rebounds in the first half as New York dominated.

The Knicks went on to lead by as many as 30 in the third quarter as they rebounded from a dismal offensive performance in their 103-91 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. — AFP

DENR to implement stricter penalties to protect Coral Triangle

THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will be enforcing stiffer sanctions on companies that will be found to be polluting bodies of water near the Coral Triangle, as part of the country’s contribution to the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF).

DENR Director for policy, planning and international affairs Jonas R. Leones said on the sidelines of the CTI-CFF 13th senior officials’ meeting at the Dusit Thani Hotel Makati on Thursday, Nov. 30, that the country’s concern for the protection of the Coral Triangle is not only for environmental purposes but for food security as well.

The Coral Triangle refers to an area in the tropics covering the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.

“Can you imagine under this Coral Triangle, at least 120 million people are depending on this in terms of food and other things. Of course, we won’t be forgetting the environmental consideration. If we will allow the continued destruction of the Coral Triangle, then a lot will die, a lot will be affected,” he added.

Mr. Leones said that the focus on public educational campaigns on the importance of environmental conservation should be more on companies as these are the biggest contributors to pollution, rather than the coastal area residents, whom he considers as victims of environmental degradation.

Various Philippines laws are intended to protect the country’s bodies of water, one of which provides for penalties such as imprisonment and paying a P500,000 fine for corporations found guilty of polluting waters with chemical waste. Foreign firms will be banned from entry and will have their licenses revoked.

“Perhaps the biggest contribution they (coastal area residents) can give us is to monitor and inform the government agencies that there are polluters in the environment,” Mr. Leones said.

“They can become bantay-dagat (sea patrollers) and I believe that most or majority of our coastal communities are already aware of the importance of this because they’re getting their income, their food (from marine resources).”

The Philippines is one of the six member states that make up the CTI-CFF, which was formed in 2009 by former Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, having partial jurisdiction over the waters of the Coral Triangle, which houses 53% of the world’s coral reefs.

This year, the Philippines contributed $198,599, just $12 short of the required contribution, to the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat, which will be used for the CTI-CFF’s regional activities and other policies that will be adopted after the meeting.

One of these being the measure to ensure that there would be no misuse of the organization’s funds.

“We are always thinking for a need to come up with a very transparent financial guideline or procedures to ensure whatever resources we get from the donor partners and industries are used wisely and properly,” Mr. Leones said.

Donors include the Australian Government, Conservation International, United States Agency for International Development, the academe and members of the private sectors.

“[We have] annual activities [that] are being undertaken properly and in accordance with the schedules, in accordance with the financial rules and regulations so that’s what we’re monitoring. We’re not looking at it only annually but as a regional plan of actions — and that’s five years,” Mr. Leones said. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

DTI targeting more domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it is pursuing a strategy of encouraging more local manufacturing, targeting goods for which there is heavy import demand, such as pharmaceuticals. 

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez told reporters on the sidelines of the Manufacturing Summit 2017 that the department has identified pharmaceutical products as one of the industries that has room for local manufacturing.

“We will be more aggressive. Right now, we just import and import, so [what] if we study which of the products here being imported can we start producing here?” he added.

“Pharmaceuticals is just an example but it can really include any heavily imported item especially if it’s an essential. We would talk about cheaper medicine and we import from this country and that, so why not manufacture it here?”

The DTI will also target for local manufacture those items with high technology content and value-added, to bring the country more in line with a paradigm known as “Industry 4.0,” which employs more automation and artificial intelligence.

Mr. Lopez added that DTI is also working on new incentives for technology deployment, equipment, and shared services to help persuade foreign companies to move or expand their operations in the Philippines.

“It will be a multinational’s decision to make this country a hub for production so we want to participate in that. We’re buying so much from you, why not commit to production in-country? That’s what we want to offer,” he added.

Separately, Mr. Lopez said the government is currently in negotiations to lower tariffs for agricultural products with South Korea, Japan and Australia.

“We’ve lowered their tariffs here but they haven’t lowered the tariff on our products, like bananas. We’ve already told South Korea that we’ve lowered tariffs on their fruit to 5% but our bananas and other fruit exports are still at 25% to 30%,” he added. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

Keep calm: Palace assures no RevGov

AMID YESTERDAY’S rallies of both those against and supporters of a “revolutionary government” (RevGov) that President Rodrigo R. Duterte hinted on in several occasions, Malacañang yesterday, Nov. 30, reiterated its assurance that there will be no such proclamation forthcoming.

“The President has earlier said that he does not want a revolutionary government. This, however, does not mean he would prevent citizens from expressing their support for a revolutionary government,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr., said in a statement.

“While it is true that there are some of the President’s ally who wants a revolutionary government, he appreciates the suggestion, but he has repeatedly said there is no basis and there is no need for a revolutionary government for now,” Mr. Roque said.

Meanwhile, Vice-President Maria Leonor G. Robredo, who has earlier expressed opposition to a RevGov, said such an idea is “alarming and “ironic.”

“That is alarming because it seems that you want to rally against the government, when you are a representative of that government. That situation seems to be very ironic,” Ms. Robredo said, speaking in mixed English and Filipino in an interview with the media yesterday as she joined Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana in leading the commemoration rites for the 154th birth anniversary of revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio. — Rosemarie A. Zamora

Golf: Rising stars looking forward to taking on in-form Tiger Woods

WASHINGTON — US PGA Tour player of the year Justin Thomas will have a ringside seat Thursday when Tiger Woods launches his latest comeback at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

The 24-year-old rising star is relishing the opportunity.

“He has 79 (wins) and 14 majors,” Thomas said. “I mean, I’m probably just as excited to watch it as you are.”

“I just get a front-row seat to it on Thursday, but I’m also looking forward to trying to kick his ass, to be perfectly honest.”

Thomas won five times on the PGA Tour in the 2016-2017 season, nabbing his first major title at the PGA Championship and capturing the FedEx Cup crown.

Woods, meanwhile, spent most of the year recovering from his fourth back surgery, in April.

In October he pleaded guilty to reckless driving, following his arrest in May when police found him asleep in his car beside the road, and toxicology tests revealed an array of prescription medications in his bloodstream.

Now Woods says he is free of the pain he was trying to conquer with medications, and is “loving life.”

Woods says he doesn’t know just what to expect as he returns to competition for the first time since last February.

But Thomas says it’s natural that the 41-year-old superstar, owner of 14 major titles, still garners so much attention.

“The same reason that when Michael Jordan came back to play basketball,” Thomas said. “When you’re one of the greatest of all time to play your sport and just do things that people can’t and haven’t done before and you just have such a huge fan base,” he said. “There’s nobody that moves the needle like him, even now.”

British Open champion Jordan Spieth says Woods seems “more confident” than he did at this time last year, when he launched what proved to be an abortive return from injury.

“We’re all very interested, as we should be, in how it goes for him this week,” Spieth said, adding that golf’s young guns are hoping Woods will soon find himself among the game’s contenders again.

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, the defending champion in the 18-man tournament that benefits Woods’ charitable foundation, would also like a chance to compete against a player he once idolized. — AFP

ARMM fishermen’s average income doubles; RBOI seeks aquaculture investments

FISHERMEN IN the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have seen their average monthly income double in the last two years with regional government interventions, and the local investment board is now looking at avenues for expanding the aquaculture industry.

“From P3,495 in 2014, the monthly income of a fisherman in the region is now P7,005,” Governor Mujiv S. Hataman said in his state of the region address delivered last week, citing data from the ARMM-Department of Agriculture and Fisheries that are due for release by yearend.

A total of 159,123 fishermen are operating in the 18,426,613 hectares of territorial waters under the ARMM’s administrative jurisdiction, which comprises the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

Mr. Hataman said programs in the last seven years are now slowly being felt, including the distribution of boats, help in setting up fish cages, other funding assistance, and alternative livelihood projects.

At the same time, he said there is a lot of room for growth, particularly expanding commercial opportunities for the available high-value marine resources.

A primer from the Regional Board of Investments (RBOI) outlines the region’s comparative aquatic industry advantage over other regions.

“The vast coastline of Sulu has abundant coral reef rich in marine resources. With Tawi-Tawi, Sulu produces around 72% of the country’s seaweeds,” it said.

The major fishing grounds in the ARMM include Illana Bay, Moro Gulf, Basilan Strait, Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea, all rich in various fish as well as other aquatic resources.

In 2016, ARMM produced 824,314 metric tons (MT) of fishery products, comprising 19% of the country’s 4.35 million MT total. ARMM harvested about 44% of the national seaweeds output tracked at 1.4 million MT.

Janice Desamito-Musali, director of the ARMM-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, earlier said the high seaweed production of the region could be attributed to various factors, including the long coastline highly suitable to seaweed farming.

“Good weather conditions, lesser occurrences of ‘ice-ice’ diseases, good quality planting materials and favorable water conditions enhanced the growth of more seaweeds in our region in 2016,” said Ms. Musali.

However, the ARMM’s total fishery output last year fell below other regions’ performance in terms of value.

The RBOI said in many regions that posted higher fishery production values, the focus is on modern commercial-scale aquaculture through fishponds and farms that produce high-value freshwater species.

In the case of the neighboring regions of Zamboanga Peninsula and SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, General Santos City), the major contributors in raising the value of their outputs are the presence of government-run fishing ports that handle commercial fish catch on a 24-hour basis.

Ms. Musali said they have taken notes on the gaps in ARMM and are aiming to roll out programs that would help the fishery sector grow, including attracting investors in the aquaculture industry. — Mindanao Bureau

Baketech upsets Nougat in thriller to advance to finals of LGR Hoops

BAKETECH PULLED off a king-sized 93-89 upset win over Nougat to enter the championship round of the Novice Plus Division of the LGR Hoops Season 4 at the Gatorade Hoops Center.

Meljar Murillo knocked in 22 points, including the game-winning baskets in the last three seconds, enabling Baketech to make its way to the finals of this event sponsored by Bugsy’s, Rain or Shine, Petron, Titan, NBA Store, Gatorade, BTV, Gold’s Gym, Zark’s Burger, Kartilya, SYF and Ybalai. Mr. Murillo hit a three-pointer plus a foul from Milan Vargas in the last three seconds then completed a rare four-point play.

Without a timeout to call, Nougat had to rush to the other end but couldn’t get off a shot before the final buzzer sounded.

Baketech will face defending champion Zark’s in the championship game on Saturday, set for 8:30 p.m. at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan City.

Also making it to the championship round were Wednesday Group’s teams in the Novice and 38-and-above divisions, Los Mexicanos, Nougat, and Zark’s.

Wednesday Group defeated RJS Construction in the Novice Division, 76-72, to arrange a titular showdown with Nougat.

Collins Cardenas finished with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds to power Wednesday Group. He was backed up by Jun Fuentes, who had 14 and Jolan Barrios’ 11 markers.

Los Mexicanos repulsed Tiboli, 101-97, in their knockout semifinals match in the Neophyte Division as the power duo of Russell Marcelo and Rod Advincula combined for 48 points.

Zarks had an easier time dumping Chiba, 99-77, to fortify their title retention bid.

All 15 players fielded in produced points for Zark’s led by Clark Torrente’s 12 markers. — Rey Joble

Senate tax reform bill friendly to spending — Credit Suisse

By Melissa Luz T. Lopez,
Senior Reporter

THE SENATE’S version of the tax reform plan is likely to have a smaller impact on commodity prices, an analyst with a global bank said, and will help drive stronger household spending by giving Filipinos more take-home pay.

Economist Michael Wan of Credit Suisse said that the inflation impact of the tax reform package approved by the Senate is expected be tame next year, although the additional revenue generated will be  lower.

Voting 17-1, the Senate passed on third reading its version of the first tax reform package on Tuesday night, six months after the House of Representatives approved its own version of the bill.

Senate Bill 1592 is expected to generate around P130 billion in fresh revenue during its first year of implementation, which is slightly lower than the P133.8 billion expected from House Bill 5636 and the P157.2 billion under the original proposal of the Department of Finance.

“Our previous analysis of the House Bill shows that inflation should rise by around 0.9%-1.2% in 2018 due to the tax changes. Addition to CPI (Consumer price Index) will likely be lower in the Senate version for a few reasons,” Mr. Wan said in a Nov. 28 report.

For one, the adjustments to the excise tax on petroleum products will start small, with the heavier levies imposed during the latter years. Mr. Wan also pointed out that the tax on sugary drinks will be lower at P4.50 per liter, compared with the P10/liter prescribed under the House version.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas expects 2018 inflation to average 3.4% in 2018 as the new duties kick in, slightly higher than the 3.2% forecast this year but still within the two to 4% target band.

The Senate bill also provides for targeted implementation of new taxes for documentary stamps, mining, and cosmetic procedures, against a “broad-based” approach in its counterpart bill approved by the House. Exemptions to value-added tax, particularly on mass housing and low-cost rentals, have also been retained.

“A corollary is that the Senate bill is slightly more supportive of private consumption, with personal income tax cuts front-loaded in one tranche in the Senate bill compared with two tranches in the House version,” Mr. Wan added.

Members of the Senate and the House will sit in bicameral committee to reconcile their versions of the tax program, before it can be sent to President Rodrigo R. Duterte for signing into law.

Credit Suisse said it expects discussions on the mining tax, documentary stamp rates on bank checks and shares of stock, and stocks to be the sticking points during the last stretch of Congressional meetings.

The DoF is targeting the bill for signing Dec. 15, which would allow the new tax scheme to take effect by Jan. 1.

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