Volkov rules UFC’s ‘Battle of the Giants’

September 4, 2017 | 12:08 am

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Reporter

TWO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) tallest fighters met yesterday at “UFC Fight Night 115” in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with Russian heavyweight Alexander “Drago” Volkov on the winning end, beating hometown bet Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve by technical knockout (punches) in the third round.

Russian heavyweight Alexander “Drago” Volkov

Six-foot-seven Volkov was in his element right from the opening bell, bucking early hits by seven-foot Struve while throwing some heavy punches of his own as the first round wore on.

Round two started with both fighters exchanging blows before an accidental eye poke by Mr. Struve momentarily halted the fight.

When proceedings resumed the two connected with solid hits but much like in the first round, the Russian would pick up the ante and unloaded hard combinations to hurt his opponent just as time expired for the round.

Looking to make up for lost ground, Dutch Struve began the third round aggressively by jabbing at the body of the Russian.

Mr. Volkov, the no. 7-ranked fighter, eventually got his footing and exchanged blows with Mr. Struve (#8) after which the former had the latter’s back on the cage and shelled and rained combinations on him that had Mr. Struve’s legs buckling down to the canvas.

That marked the end for Mr. Struve as sensing he has his opponent cornered for the finish, Mr. Volkov went for it and rained hard shots from which his opponent had no answer to, prompting the referee to stop the fight at the 3:30 mark of the round and give the win to Mr. Volkov.

The win was the third straight in the UFC for Mr. Volkov (29-6), a former Bellator and M-1 heavyweight champion, while Mr. Struve (28-9) lost his first fight in his last three matches.

“It feels great to win. I would like to thank the people from Russia who came here to support me and I hope you enjoyed the show me and Stefan put up,” said Mr. Volkov, who now holds the second longest winning streak in the heavyweight division in the UFC, in the post-fight interview.

“Stefan and I have similar styles so I had to adjust my game but as promised I stopped the fight in three rounds. I’m ready for anybody. I want to be on top,” he added.

In earlier fights, middleweight Siyar Bahadurzada beat Rob Wilkinson by TKO in the second round (punches); women’s bantamweight Marion Reneau defeated Talita Bernardo by TKO in the second round (punches); and welterweight Leon Edwards edged Bryan Barberena by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 and 29-28).

Next for the UFC is “UFC 215” that will feature the flyweight title fight between champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and challenger Ray “The Tazmexican Devil” Borg in Edmonton, Canada, on Sept. 10 (Manila time).

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.

‘Strong incentive’ for RCEP deal seen — DTI

September 4, 2017 | 12:07 am

THE COUNTRIES negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) have no choice but to resolve contentious issues relating to the creation of the economic bloc by year’s end, an official of the Department of Trade of Industry (DTI) said.

Ramon Lopez71117 — File photo of DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez

“There is a strong incentive and motivation for everyone on the table to really reach something significant by the end of this year,” said Ceferino S. Rodolfo, Trade undersecretary and managing head of the department’s investment promotion arm Board of Investments.

He made the statement ahead of an RCEP ministerial meeting on Sept. 10 in Manila in line with next week’s 49th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Economic Ministers’ (AEM) meeting.

RCEP, which if concluded will create an economic bloc that covers nearly half of the world population, entered the Manila round of discussions in May, 2017. The 18th trade negotiating committee meeting sought to arrive at crucial commitments to move closer to a conclusion.

The partnership will link ASEAN — the economic bloc that includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam — and the six countries it has free trade agreements with: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

Mr. Rodolfo said although he does not expect the RCEP signing by the end of the year, he said “at the very least, pave the way so that the most contentious issues are discussed and (there is an) agreement on how to move forward.”

Citing notes from DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, the undersecretary said the meeting on Sunday would consider the report of the trade negotiating committee, which contains the set of key elements for “significant outcomes” in the negotiations to be achieved by end-2017.

“This is a follow-up action to a decision made by the ministers in Hanoi in May,” he said, describing the previous action as the “ministers imprimatur on the key elements and clear guidance on how to deal with [future] challenges.”

He added that the trade negotiating committee was hoping to achieve some breakthroughs when its members meet in South Korea in October.

“I think this will be the last RCEP ministerial meeting, then [there will be] only one negotiating round in Korea in October,” he said.

Mr. Rodolfo said among the contentious issues to be resolved is the level of liberalization, adding some of the negotiating countries were offering an initial 92% while others are sticking to as low as 70% or so.

RCEP aims to achieve a modern, comprehensive, high-quality and mutually beneficial economic partnership agreement. Once concluded, it will further contribute in deepening ASEAN’s economic integration and heighten its role in global trade and investment.

DTI previously said RCEP is poised to boost global growth by expanding the ASEAN consumer base of 620 million to 3.5 billion, integrating the major economic players’ markets, which will account for almost half of the world’s population and almost 30% of global gross domestic product. — Victor V. Saulon

Senator puts telecom firms to task

September 4, 2017 | 12:07 am

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE providers better shape up, Senator Grace S. Poe warned yesterday, as she recently launched a social media campaign that compiles complaints from the public.

Ms. Poe, in a statement, said the common grievances from netizens have been slow internet speed, poor connection, exorbitant charges, and disappearing prepaid load. “The complaints of netizens will not fall on deaf ears.

We will gather them and raise them in appropriate committee hearings,” she said.

In addition, the senator said there appears to be a slow rollout of infrastructure improvements while companies introduce usage plans that are restrictive.

“Telcos have slowly removed their unlimited data plan in their mobile subscriptions and shifted to volume pricing and introduced caps on prepaid and postpaid plans. This way, they are able to charge more per customer as data consumption increases and at the same time, able to cut down on heavy users,” she said.

Ms. Poe said the “duopoly” in the industry, referring to major players PLDT, Inc. and Globe Telecom, Inc., does not create a competitive environment.

“There’s no real competition. Here it is comparing a rotten apple with another rotten apple. It is a duopoly, there is no real incentive to improve service,” she said.

Sought for comment, PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc. Public Affairs Head Ramon R. Isberto said the two firms are closely working with government agencies such as the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and National Telecommunications Commission to improve internet service in the country and to make it accessible to more Filipinos.

“On our own account, PLDT and Smart continue to invest massively to roll out our fiber to the home, LTE and WiFi networks, which are bringing high-speed internet to more cities and towns in the country at affordable prices,” he said.

In the event that there will be a Senate hearing, he added, company representatives will attend if invited.

BusinessWorld also sought Globe for comments but had yet to reply as of press time.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Mario M. Banzon

TV5 expresses readiness to handle coverage for ’19 SEA Games

September 4, 2017 | 12:07 am

DESPITE missing out on the opportunity to be the official broadcaster of the recently concluded Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, TV5 remains undeterred and expressed readiness to take on coverage duties for the regional biennial sporting meet happening in the country in 2019.

Chot-Reyes-TW — File photo of TV5 Pres. Chot Reyes (Photo from his Twitter account)

In a talk with a group of sportswriters on the sidelines of the homecoming press conference for SEA Games gold winner Gilas Pilipinas last Thursday that was hosted by staunch backer Chooks-to-Go, TV5 President and Chief Executive Officer Vincent “Chot” Reyes said that while they rued not ending up with the main broadcasting duties for the Philippines of the 29th SEA Games, they will still pursue the next one.

“There was a problem with that (Malaysia Games) coverage that was awarded to us I think more than a year ago and at the last minute it was pulled back by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and offered to PTV-4, which turned out did not have the facilities nor manpower nor the time to mount a coverage… We ran to a lot of complications leading up to the Southeast Asian Games,” said Mr. Reyes, referring to an “understanding” they had with the POC last year coming on the heels of a successful partnership to bring the Olympic Games in Brazil to the Filipinos in 2016.

In the lead-up to the SEA Games, published reports said that the POC decided to keep its options open, offering coverage duties to other television networks before picking government station PTV-4.

Nevertheless, Mr. Reyes underscored their group’s commitment to continue channeling focus on the Filipino athletes and expressed hope that they get to bag the broadcasting rights for the 30th SEA Games here in the Philippines on the strength of their good track record of doing such.

“Hopefully for 2019 we get it because we have been faithfully spending money to bring to the Filipinos our athletes’ feats. It’s no secret, and I’m not saying this because I’m with TV5, we are the best among the best in Asia. FIBA has said that. The Malaysian organizers thanked us. They love the production and coverage of the games we do on Sports5. The quality they say is world-class. Hopefully we get the chance to get the coverage for 2019,” Mr. Reyes said.

In relation to this push of theirs, the TV5 top official said they have had initial talks with the 2019 Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee, headed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano.

“We already had some talks with Secretary Cayetano but nothing is official yet. Until it is signed we can never be sure,” Mr. Reyes said.

In the just-concluded SEA Games, the Philippines ended up at sixth place with a medal haul of 24 gold, 33 silver and 66 bronze medals. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Payatas landfill closure causes stir

September 4, 2017 | 12:06 am

By Janina C. Lim
Reporter

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is defying calls among Payatas residents to reopen the Quezon City Sanitary Landfill (QCSLF), saying its decision is final.

“DENR officials maintained that the decision to close down the landfill due to numerous environmental violations and susceptibility to trash slide was already final,” read the agency’s statement over the weekend.

The agency was confronted by appeals to reconsider the closure during a recent dialogue with representatives of the Payatas Alliance Recyling Exchange (PARE) Cooperative whose members are mostly scavengers and junkshop owners relying on the landfill for their livelihood.

The QCSLF had reached overcapacity and the leachate is said to have already flowed through the Marikina River, a circumstance in violation of Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, according to the agency.

Eligio Ildefonso, chief engineer at the Solid Waste Management Division of the Environmental Management Bureau and executive director of the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), said in the statement that “there was no technical basis for the DENR to allow the reopening of the Payatas landfill.”

“The DENR looks after the technical aspect, including the environment and the welfare of the people, while the Quezon City government handles the social aspect like providing alternative livelihood to those who will be displaced by the closure,” Mr. Ildefonso said.

“Let us all work together to find a solution to this problem,” he added.

The DENR has assured that PARE members will not immediately lose their source of livelihood as they may still benefit from the planned rehabilitation of the landfill.

Last month, the DENR turned down a request by the Quezon City government to allow the QCSLF to reopen until December this year due to violations committed by the landfill’s operator, IPM Environmental Services Inc.

The DENR has ordered the company to immediately submit its detailed Safe Closure and Rehabilitation Plan, which will be evaluated by the EMB-National Capital Region and the National Solid Waste Management Council.

Miners hope to close book on Lopez era

September 4, 2017 | 12:06 am

MINERS said they expect to move the industry forward after the disruptive term of the Duterte administration’s first environment secretary, with an industry conference due this week.

The three-day conference will be held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila in Pasay City from Sept. 5-7, and will be called “Responsible Mining: Moving Beyond Compliance.”

“This is really responding to what’s happened in the last 12 months,” Chamber of Mines of the Philippines Executive Director Ronald S. Recidoro said in a phone interview last week.

“The industry has been at the center of a policy storm when (President Rodrigo R.) Duterte came out with his statements early on and he appointed former Environment Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez. Our world really turned upside down,” he added.

The appointment of Ms. Lopez, a staunch environmentalist and known opponent of mining, produced a campaign against irresponsible miners, especially large-scale companies whose financial resources she hoped to tap to rehabilitate mines and develop green communities.

After thrice being bypassed at the Commission on Appointments since her appointment in June 2016, Ms. Lopez was finally rejected in May.

“After Gina was rejected, it cannot be just business as usual… Now, in redefining responsible mining, we want to take it a step higher and move beyond compliance,” Mr. Recidoro said, noting that miners are encouraged to participate in enhancing communities’ environmental and social development programs.

Global Ferronickel Holdings, Inc. President Dante R. Bravo expressed hopes that the mining conference succeeds in reversing the misinformation allegedly spread by Ms. Lopez.

“We hope the discussions would hinge on the position of the industry on the pending bills in Congress affecting mining, the required actions on the pending cases left by Gina Lopez and the activities needed to be done to correct the public perception about the industry,” said Mr. Bravo in a mobile message.

Jose Bayani D. Baylon, vice-president of Nickel Asia Corp.’s corporate communications division, said the government also plays an essential part in exploring the opportunities presented by extractive industries, both in the social and the economic aspects.

“[It is] important I think to engage our policy makers to help them understand the role of sustainable mining in a vibrant economy,” Mr. Baylon said in a text message.

“[Target] result is awareness of the stakeholder on the existing good governance policy of the government and for them to be compliant of the existing laws, rules and regulations,” Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Assistant Director Danilo U. Uykieng, one of the invited panelists, said in a text when sought for comment.

The industry has been reeling from unfriendly policies since the previous government decided to halt approvals for new mining projects in 2011 and extended indefinitely through Executive Order No. 79 signed by former President Benigno S. C. Aquino III on July 6, 2012.

In 2012, the value of the country’s metal output fell by about a fifth to P100.798 billion following the suspension of key mining projects.

The decline halted the trend of growth seen since 2008, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show.

Declines continued until last year when metals production hit P75.93 billion but a rebound is expected this year due to higher metal prices.

The value of metals output in the six months to June totaled P50.81 billion, up 4.27% from a year earlier.

Data from the MGB show mining contributing 0.6-0.7% annually to gross domestic product from 2013 to last year, with the share coming in at 0.7% in the second quarter of 2016, as well as 0.5-0.7% of total employment.

The country’s land area is about 30 million hectares, nine million hectares of which the MGB identifies as having high potential for mineral extraction.

Only 3% of the Philippines is officially a mining area and only 0.3% of this is actively mined. — Janina C. Lim

Jon Rahm roars to halfway lead at Dell Championship

September 4, 2017 | 12:06 am

NORTON — Jon Rahm fired a five-under 66 Saturday to take a two-shot lead at the Dell Championship as world number two Jordan Spieth and former US Open winner Justin Rose charged up the leader board.

PGA Tour newcomer Rahm, who is ranked fifth in the world, shot an opening round 67 for a total of nine-under 133 at the halfway stage of the second event of the 2017 PGA Tour playoffs.

Canada’s Adam Hadwin (65), Englishman Paul Casey (65) and Americans Kyle Stanley (68) and Kevin Streelman (65) are tied for second at seven under at the TPC Boston course.

Phil Mickelson (67) is in a group of four tied for sixth at six-under 136, one shot ahead of Spieth and Rose, who both rebounded from one-over 72s in the first round to shoot 65s on Saturday.

Both of Rahm’s mistakes came on his front nine which he began on the 10th tee. After parring his first two holes he made bogey on the par-four 12th.

The 22-year-old Spaniard had a double bogey on the par-three 16th but answered it two holes later with an eagle on 18. His 200 foot approach set him up nicely for a 12-foot putt that curled right to left into the hole.

“It felt like very different — that front nine and back nine,” Rahm said. “I played a nearly perfect back nine. Felt like I didn’t miss a shot.

“But that front nine is the one that probably looked worse than what it felt. It felt like I was making great swings. We misjudged the wind a couple times or we got a couple gusts and ended up missing greens.”

Dustin Johnson, who won last week and took a one stroke lead into the second round, cooled off Saturday with a one-over 72 that included two double bogeys on the back nine. The 33-year-old American is tied for 14th, five shots adrift of Rahm.

While world number one Johnson’s game went south, Spieth and Rose are trending upwards with identical scores for the second straight day.

Spieth, who lost in a playoff to Johnson last week, started his round the way he finished with a birdie. He also birdied the par-five no. 2.

On the back nine he had just one bogey on 16 but sandwiched it between birdies at 15 and 17.

SNARLY SPIETH
“I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed yesterday,” Spieth said. “I woke up and got out here, and I was just cranky.

“For me it was just a matter of just stop being cranky.”

Rose’s game also intensified as the round progressed as he birdied five of his seven final holes.

“Always nice to respond with a few birdies. Keeps you moving forward,” he said.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy shot a three-over 74 in the second round for a two-day total of four-over 146 to miss the cut by one stroke. — AFP

Tubig Pilipinas to set up water, sewerage system in Echague town

September 4, 2017 | 12:05 am

TUBIG PILIPINAS, a subsidiary of Pure Energy Holdings Corp., will begin construction of a water and sewerage system in Echague, Isabela by the fourth quarter this year. In a statement, the company said the project’s first phase, involving water supply, is expected to be completed in the first quarter next year. Once operational, about 80,000 residents of the first-class municipality will have potable water supply at home. “This project hopes to bring convenience to the residents of Echague. Hopefully, with water flowing into their homes, we are able to raise the quality of living in this province,” said Tubig Pilipinas President Ryan T. Yapkianwee. The Echague Water Supply, Sewage, and Septic Utility Project covers a management and maintenance service for a period of 25 years. Tubig Pilipinas was granted the authority to undertake the project through a municipal resolution issued Dec. 5, 2016. Tubig Pilipinas also has projects in the cities of Bacolod and Cadiz in Negros Occidental, three areas in Cavite, and Sual, Pangasinan.

ERC defends officials’ travel after criticism from Malacañang

September 4, 2017 | 12:05 am

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said the travels of its key officials are “legitimate, legal and necessary” as they build their capability to fulfill their role in the process of restructuring the industry.

File photo of ERC officials, led by ERC OIC Alfredo J. Non (fourth from left), attending the hearing of House joint committees on good government and public accountability and on energy in July 2017. — www.erc.gov.ph

In a statement on Sunday, the ERC said it plays a critical role in the restructuring of the power industry after the country adopted significant reforms with the passage in June 2001 of Republic Act No. 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA). “The role of the regulator … in the restructuring process is critical since its mandate remains extremely challenging,” it said.

The statement comes after President Rodrigo R. Duterte called out ERC officials over their travel.

“The complex nature of the restructuring process and the subject matter of electricity markets require trainings and meetings of the members of the Commission and personnel aimed to build their technical understanding and capacity, enhance and advance their knowledge and appreciation on current dynamics and emerging issues in electricity markets and the deregulated industries,” the ERC said.

“The travels in relation to these are therefore legitimate and necessary, not directly paid to these agencies but instead earmarked, appropriated, and disbursed in accordance with their instructions,” it said.

The ERC added that all expenses have been accounted for, disbursed and liquidated in accordance with rules of the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC), the market operator. PEMC is mandated to administer the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM) through the market rules promulgated to govern the market. “The charge that is imposed by PEMC in administering the WESM is subject to the approval of the ERC in the form of market fees. Cognizant of the limited resources available to government in performing tasks related to the highly complex subject matter, the market rules obliged the provision of resources by the market operator to the ERC and the Department of Energy,” ERC said. — Victor V. Saulon

Light Rail Manila proposes express trains on LRT-1

September 4, 2017 | 12:05 am

LIGHT RAIL Manila Corporation (LRMC) is studying the possibility of deploying express trains on the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) by December.

“We are now looking at how we can do express trains. This can significantly improve ridership, as well as [lessen] travel time,” LRMC Chief Executive Officer Rogelio L. Singson told reporters last week.

He said the company, which operates and maintains the LRT-1, will present the plan for express trains to the government. Express trains will reach a destination station without stopping at every station.

“We will present it to regulators and hopefully, they will see the value,” the former Public Works secretary said.

Mr. Singson said the proposed express trains will not require a fare increase, but noted there will be a need to properly orient the riding public once the proposal is approved.

Meanwhile, Mr. Singson said the bidding to procure new light rail vehicles (LRVs) for the LRT-1 may be able to proceed by November.

“The technical evaluation and financial obligations of the two competing bidders have been completed… The timetable for the notice to proceed is Nov. 15. Based on what we see on actual scheduling, we might be able to get the notice to proceed even earlier,” he said.

The two bidders are Mitsubishi Electric and a joint venture of Marubeni Corporation and Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (Grupo CAF). Only Japanese-led companies or groups are allowed to bid since the project is being funded by a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

In 2015, the then-Department of Transportation and Communications opened the bidding for the procurement of 120 LRVs for LRT-1, which currently runs from Roosevelt in Quezon City to Baclaran in Pasay City. A bidding was conducted in March 2016 but was declared failed due to the lack of bidders.

The new bidding was conducted by the Department of Transportation (DoTr) in April this year.

The procurement of LRVs aims to expand the capacity of LRT-1, with the upcoming Cavite extension that covers 11.8 kilometers and eight new stations.

Mr. Singson noted that the technical and financial proposals by the two competing bidders are already under the evaluation of the procurement service of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

An official of the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said via text message confirmed the documents are “under evaluation” by the DBM’s Procurement Service Bids and Awards Committee (BAC).

“We’re happy with the progress… At least it’s not a failed bidding anymore,” Mr. Singson said.

The LRMC CEO also noted the LRT depot expansion, a project also to be funded by a loan from JICA, cannot be awarded this year because of a government counterpart requirement which will be funded in the 2018 budget.

“The award of the component cannot be done until the 2018 GAA [General Appropriations Act] (is approved),” Mr. Singson said.

LRMC is a consortium of AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Metro Pacific Infrastructure Corp., and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd. It has been in charge of operations and maintenance of LRT-1 since late 2015. The P64.9-billion public private partnership project also involves the 11.7-km. extension from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite.

Metro Pacific Investment Corp. is one of three Philippine subsidiaries of Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being PLDT, Inc. and Philex Mining Corp.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., maintains an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group. — Patrizia Paola P. Marcelo

Aparte, Magbanua seize Shell chess lead

September 4, 2017 | 12:05 am

SUNGYEONG APARTE and Wesley Magbanua flashed top form and swept their first six matches to wrest the solo lead in their respective divisions in the 25th Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship Southern Mindanao leg at SM City Davao last Saturday.

The ninth-ranked Aparte stamped his class over Mae Ducusin, Joy Atupan, Benjie Brobo and Roger Olaso, Jr. then the General Santos City NHS mainstay stunned fourth seed Ellyz Bongato and no. 3 Kurt Placencia to move on top with six points in the junior division of the country’s longest talent-search sponsored by Pilipinas Shell.

Magbanua, on the other hand, lived up to his top billing in the kiddies section as the Jose Maria College standout trampled Renie Asilum, Pierce Villanueva, Mae Vitor, Nathalie Liscano, Joannah Olay and Charliemagne Arias to seize command in the three-division tournament serving as the fourth leg of the five-stage regional eliminations culminating in the grand finals next month.

Rafael dela Torre, Jr., another Jose Maria College ace, also took the solo lead in seniors play with 5.5 points as the seventh-ranked bet eased past Carla Frias, Jelord Villareal, Charles Fiel, John Diaz and Francis Guimalan while halving the point with Dhona Yngayo in the fifth round.

Top seed Irish Yngayo and No. 2 Aaron Caresosa were held by draws by Yeongsa Aparte and Kyle Tiamzon, respectively, in the third round but won their five other matches to stay in the hunt in the 13-16 division with 5.5 points.

Six others — Placencia, Bongato, Chris Ampon, Queen Peralta, Jerson Pantalita and Joerex Pugosa — posted five points heading to the last three rounds of the event where the top two plus the top female player will gain berths in the national finals on Oct. 7-8 at SM MOA in Pasay.

Ruth Atog scored 5.5 points while Jacob Aparte, Cliff Descartin, Ryan Rasay, Sam Umayan, Jayson Gener, James Catayas, Jeiela Julom, Gabriel Umayan and Arias scored five points apiece to remain in the race in the 7-12 age category of the event sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.

Four players also kept their bid in the 17-20 age category with five points, including Guimalan, Daniel Borinaga, Andre Jorgio and James Sumatra with top seed Gino Asuncion and Renard Mamaril posting 4.5 points each.

Baguio group prepares for campaign vs e-bingo

September 4, 2017 | 12:04 am

THE BAGUIO-Benguet Ecumenical Group, an organization of the clergy and laity, is readying a formal complaint against electronic bingo (e-bingo) games in the city. The complaint will be handed to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) by Catholic priest Manny Flores and will also be sent to the 14-member Baguio City council. The group sees it as the first phase of a fight against gambling in the city, where at least five applications for e-bingo outlets have been approved by the city council. “I am frustrated and sad that our leaders could not make a stand (against gambling),” said Mr. Flores, adding that the group is preparing a signature campaign to overturn the approvals. The campaign comes amid allegations that the two e-bingo operators — Bingo Palace Corp. and Highland Gaming Corp. — share an office address and an officer. — philstar.com