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Superbods finalists grace Subic IRONMAN

THE CENTURY Tuna Superbods Underpants Run, an exuberant event featuring the 36 Superbods finalists and spirited athletes, kicks off a thrilling IRONMAN (IM) weekend today at the Subic Bay Boardwalk.

This lively fun run at 5 p.m. brings together a select group of 550 participants aged 18-and-above, setting the stage for Sunday’s main events – the fifth Century Tuna Full IRONMAN Philippines and the 11th IM 70.3 Subic Bay.

The Underpants Run highlights the inspiring journeys of the Superbods finalists, chosen from hundreds of hopefuls. These individuals showcase their physiques, charisma and stage presence in a walk-off, followed by a Q&A segment where they share their fitness advocacies, embodying the essence of Century Tuna Superbods’ “Best You Ever” campaign.

Since its inception in 2006, Century Tuna Superbods has celebrated remarkable transformations, personal growth and a commitment to healthy living. Now integrated into the IRONMAN events, it stands as a national fitness challenge motivating Filipinos to adopt healthier, more active lifestyles.

Meanwhile, thousands of athletes from 54 countries are primed for the grueling IRONMAN Philippines and the IM 70.3. The full-distance race features a 3.8km swim, 180km bike, and 42.2km run while the 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21.2km run race also promises another thrilling competition, with August Benedicto aiming to replicate his 2022 victory in Cebu amidst strong contenders.

The top 25 male triathletes from the full IRONMAN will qualify for the Kona, Hawaii World Championship scheduled for Oct. 22-28, where they will join elite competitors. The top 15 female athletes will secure their spots in the IM World Championship in Nice, France, from Sept. 24-28.

The IM 70.3 Subic Bay offers 45 age-group qualifying slots for the Vinfast IM 70.3 World Championship in Taupo, New Zealand, on Dec. 14-15. Additionally, 15 slots are reserved exclusively for female participants, promoting gender equality.

The spotlight will also shine on the future of Philippine triathlon with the Choco Hero IRONKIDS event set tomorrow (Saturday, June 8). Open to children aged 6 to 15, this non-timed race emphasizes fun and participation across various age categories: (13-15: 250m swim, 6km bike, 2km run); (11-12: 200m swim, 4km bike, 1.5km run); (9-10: 150m swim, 4km bike, 1.5km run); and (6-8: 100m swim, 2km bike, 1km run).

This vibrant weekend of events is supported by a host of sponsors, including Century Tuna, Subic Bay, Vinfast, HOKA, ROKA, Breitling 1884, Athletic Brewing Co., Hyperice, Maurten, Santini, AG1, Wahoo, Qatar Airways, Fulgaz, TriDot, Always Advancing, Nirvana, Compressport, EKOI, Outside, 2Go, Birch Tree, ION Advanced Electrolyte Drink, Lightwater, NLEX, SCTEX, NLEX Connector, One Sport, Cignal, Santé, Sportograf.com, Teresa Marble, and The Philippine Star.

For details, visit www.ironman.com/im-philippines-register.

Also on tap is the Team Tents Competition, which aims to foster camaraderie in the Subic Bay community. It offers a top prize of P10,000 cast and another P10,000 worth of Century Tuna and Vita Coco products.

Century Tuna is also putting up a “Saving Our Seas Beach Clean Up,” a voluntary undertaking from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, including briefing and segregation to maintain cleanliness around the swim area. All supplies will come from Century Tuna.

NBA eyes $76-B media revenue

THE NATIONAL Basketball Association is closing in on media rights deals with Comcast-owned NBC, Disney’s ESPN, and Amazon.com that would generate about $76 billion in media revenue over 11 years, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Rights to the widely watched professional basketball league are a prized possession for media companies. Sports content continues to attract a reliable and loyal audience at a time when traditional TV businesses are losing millions of subscribers to cord-cutting.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report said that NBC would pay an average of $2.5 billion a year to the NBA under the arrangement and show around 100 games per season, with about half airing exclusively on Comcast’s Peacock streaming service.

Amazon’s package would amount to $1.8 billion a year and will include regular-season and playoff games and a share of the conference finals, which will be split in a rotation among the media partners, the report said.

Disney’s payments will average about $2.6 billion annually, more than the $1.5 billion it paid under the current deal, and will continue to air the NBA Finals though it will get fewer games under the new deal, the WSJ reported. — Reuters

WNBA takes back second ‘T’ on Reese

ANGEL REESE — MICHELLE PEMBERTON/INDIANAPOLIS STAR/USA TODAY SPORTS/REUTERS

THE WNBA on Wednesday rescinded the second technical foul assessed to Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese on Tuesday night.

Angel Reese was ejected after receiving two technical fouls with 2:31 remaining in the game, an 88-75 loss to the New York Liberty. Head official Maj Forsberg told a pool reporter post game that Ms. Reese’s technical fouls were for “disrespectfully addressing” official Charles Watson and then for “waving her hand in dismissal.” 

Ms. Reese will now be fined $200 for the one technical instead of $400 for two. A seventh tech brings an $800- fine and one-game suspension.

Ms. Reese finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds but shot 3 of 12 from the floor in the loss. — Reuters

Egypt wants 2036 Olympics

EGYPT will take its biggest ever delegation to the Paris Olympics with the hope of exceeding its record medal haul from three years ago and continue to build its credentials for a possible tilt at hosting the Summer Games in 2036.

Although the final decision on whether to launch a bid to bring the Olympics to Africa for the first time will rest with the government, a senior official at the country’s Olympic committee told Reuters that it was no pipe dream.

“The State-of-the-Art sports infrastructure Egypt built during the last few years encouraged the country to think about organizing games to exploit the great human and organizational capabilities” said Mohamed Abdel Aziz Ghoneim, Egyptian Olympic Committee (EOC) treasurer.

“IOC president Thomas Bach said on a recent visit to our country that Egypt is ready to organize the Olympic Games and has come a long way, reaching 60 percent of the organizing efforts, including facilities, roads. The rest are related to budget and financial issues.” — Reuters

Is it Redick?

When the Lakers fired Darvin Ham early last month, conventional wisdom figured that the search for a new head coach would be an extensive one. For one thing, time was on their side; the first round of the 2024 National Basketball Association (NBA) Playoffs had just concluded, and training camps for the next season aren’t slated to open until October. For another, logic and prudence dictated that a wide net had to be cast in order for them not to repeat their sins of the past; since Hall of Famer Phil Jackson left in 2011, they have cycled through seven bench tacticians — far from indicative of success.

Fast forward to today, and it seems that the Lakers are already close to making a decision that will most certainly determine their competitiveness in the short term. That it has taken them just four weeks to get to a point where they’re already comfortable with their shortlist hardly inspires confidence. For all the speculation that comes with dealings in high-profile purple and gold, it’s telling that practically nothing from the grapevine has them considering mentors with vast experience in the hot seat.

To be clear, there is nothing inherently wrong with working fast; after all, the Suns took a single day to pivot from Frank Vogel to Mike Budenholzer. Neither is focusing on less-heralded choices a mistake in and of itself; four-time champion Steve Kerr, for instance, had zero bench time to his name before being hired by the Warriors 10 years ago. That said, the Lakers, having been burned by Ham, were assumed to be predisposed to dotting all the Is and crossing all the Ts before taking the plunge. At stake is nothing less than the last hurrah of all-time-great LeBron James, and the not inconsiderable benefits capping his career with a title would bring to the storied franchise.

Under the circumstances, therefore, it’s a wonder why the Lakers haven’t tried going for candidates with established reputations that all and sundry cannot but respect. Get James and presumptive cornerstone Anthony Davis to completely buy in, and everyone else will follow. Instead, reports have highlighted the status of broadcast analyst JJ Redick as the frontrunner for the job, with James Borrego, currently with the Pelicans, as a close second. Nothing against them, but where is news of touching base with Jeff Van Gundy? How about Stan Van Gundy? Or Terry Stotts?

To be sure, Klutch head Rich Paul is right. The choice has to be run through Davis first and foremost. And perhaps the latter has already signed off on Redick. If so, then well and good. These days, the position is as much a matter of being in touch with the players off the court as directing them through Xs and Os on it. All the same, the Lakers owe it to themselves to exhaust all options first. This way, they have an out if the results do not align with expectations. They can at least say they did not short-circuit the process.

The Lakers may well be on the right track. When all is said and done, they may yet look to the course of action they took as the means by which they got their hands on an 18th trophy. Meanwhile, fans are hoping owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka don’t drop the ball anew.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Lack of digital literacy makes Filipinos vulnerable to cybercrime

FREEPIK

Filipinos unequipped with sufficient knowledge in the digital world are prone to cybercrime, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) Undersecretary Alexander K. Ramos said in an interview yesterday.  

“We need to increase awareness of the different tactics being used by persons who try to take advantage of the less educated online. That’s why we have victims who don’t know how to protect themselves when they go online…We need to re-educate”, he stated. 

Mr. Ramos added that the pandemic caused a lot of people to use the Internet unprepared. 

“Historically, we have a problem because of the pandemic. People are forced into embracing technology as a means and, part of our norms, our way of life. we have adapted to it, seeing the convenience of online transactions. Because we were forced into this nature, a lot of our citizenry are not prepared to protect themselves”, he explained.

To combat the pressing issue, Mr. Ramos emphasized the importance of citizen participation to identify the different tactics and schemes used in cybercrimes. 

“It is important to increase awareness and to ask the public to report to us so that we can come up with advisory stories towards trending activities online that are detrimental to everyone”, he added.  

Apart from citizen awareness and education, the government is taking measures to ensure the safety of Filipinos online by employing “technically capable” agents, increasing the budget for cybersecurity, and creating new processes and protocols to expedite online crimes, Mr. Ramos said.  

 

Online fraud ranks first in cybercrime  

The CICC Undersecretary also mentioned the leading category of cybercrime in the country is online fraud, which covers phishing, vishing, consumer fraud, and online trade.  

“Number one of the complaints is online fraud transactions…You can break it down to several sub-topics such as phishing, vishing, consumer fraud, online trade, because, we use one strategy to do this and, it falls under the category of online fraud,” he stated.  

PMGEN Sidney S. Hernia elaborated in a press release that the increase in online activity and the continuous advancement of technology is one of the reasons for the increasing rate of digital scams in the country.  

“The rise in e-commerce and online platforms provide scammers with more opportunities to perpetrate their schemes”, he said. 

In the first quarter of 2024, the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) reported 4,469 cybercrime incidents, a 21.84% rise from the previous quarter. – Almira Louise S. Martinez

Competence more important than character for Filipino voters — survey

PHILIPPINE STAR/ WALTER BOLLOZOS

By Chloe Mari A. Hufana

THREE of 10 Filipinos value a political candidate’s competence more than his character, according to a survey by Insightspedia, Inc.

“When they talk of competence, they talk about somebody who knows what they’re talking about — somebody who has enough experience on the job,” Insightspedia Managing Director Rolland M. Ramirez told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of a news briefing.

“Filipinos don’t really associate education with competence as much as others do. Competence for Filipinos is more being on the job… someone who rose from the ranks,” he added.

These voters, who made up 33% of the total and labeled as the “middle-road majority,” are mostly composed of Generation Z — born in 1997 to 2012 — and boomers born in 1946 to 1964, the digital survey operator said.

The Philippines will hold midterm elections next year. Filipinos will elect their congressmen, mayors, vice mayors and members of city councils on May 12, 2025.

Twelve of the 24-member Senate will also be replaced.

Mr. Ramirez said the “middle-road majority” tends to be more idealistic in choosing their leaders.

“No more bothered by issues than average, they place higher importance on competence traits compared with other segments,” according to Insightspedia. “They are less swayable and are more likely to be influenced by their peers.”

It added that 23% of Filipino voters are “passive onlookers” who trust the status quo and are less influenced by gimmicks. These people value character traits more than competence.

They mostly live in the vote-rich Calabarzon region made up of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon provinces. They are the hardest voters to capture, but the easiest to keep because they are loyal.

Insightspedia said 17% of Filipino voters are “solution seekers” who tend to be “the angriest and most frustrated” and look for a leader who could solve their problems.

Like the passive onlookers, the solution-seekers also look for character traits in candidates.

“So, you appeal to their emotions, their anger, their frustrations,” Mr. Ramirez said at the briefing.

These voters are more influenced by their families, immediate and extended friends, religion and endorsements.

An iron-fisted and assertive candidate might appeal to solution-seekers, Mr. Ramirez said, citing as an example the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

“They are most receptive to influences and are most swayable, perhaps due to their search for solutions to the myriads of issues they observe,” according to the study.

The last segment of voters is the “economy worriers,” who make up 12% of Filipino voters. Mr. Ramirez said they are the most family-oriented voters.

“While rising prices, low income and the lack of jobs are the top concerns across all segments, they take unique prominence in this segment,” Insightspedia said. “Given this, they place more value on leaders’ skills especially knowledge.”

These people worry about security issues such as crimes, terrorism, informal settlements and the slow justice system.

Insightspedia said Philippine elections are no longer just a popularity contest.

The online survey operator seeks to go beyond traditional demographics by delving into voters’ personal values, beliefs and motivations.

It also aims to help candidates, policymakers and political parties to tailor their campaigns so these can resonate more with voters.

The Insighspedia study had a sample size of 2,500 respondents.

Manila urged to keep an eye on migrant workers as China tensions grow

AN AERIAL VIEW of the BRP Sierra Madre at the contested Second Thomas Shoal on March 9, 2023. — REUTERS

THE PHILIPPINES should look after overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Macau, Hong Kong and China because they are at risk if sea tensions with Beijing continue to flare up, according to a senator.

The government of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. should also ensure that exports will not be affected by supply chain disruptions, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian told a news briefing.

“If there’s a problem in the supply chain, we won’t be able to export,” he said. “But in terms of exports, we’re not exporting so much. In fact, we’re importing more from China.”

Tensions between the Philippines and China have worsened in the past year as Beijing continues to block resupply missions to Second Thomas Shoal, where Manila grounded a World War II-era ship in 1999 to assert its sovereignty. 

China has issued a new policy allowing its coast guard to detain foreigners it suspects of violating its exit-entry rules including in disputed areas of the South China Sea for up to 60 days without a trial.

Foreign vessels may be seized, and foreigners detained if they are accused of illegal entry and exit, of helping others “to illegally enter and exit the country,” and of “endangering national security and interests.”

The Philippine Coast Guard said the policy is against international law.

China was the Philippines’ largest supplier of imported goods worth $2.27 billion in March, or 24% of the total, according to the local statistics agency. Exports to China reached $837.51 million or 13.7% of the total.

China supplied the Philippines with $6.84 billion worth of goods, while Manila exported $2.84 billion worth of products from January to March.

Data from Tradeline Philippines showed that total trade between the Philippines and China reached $40.3 billion last year, up 2.9% from a year earlier.

Mr. Gatchalian said there are about 500,000 OFWs in Macau, Hong Kong and China, and their livelihoods could be jeopardized if tensions worsen further.

“If things escalate, we need to think about their welfare,” he said.

More than $3 trillion worth of trade passes yearly through the sea, which China claims almost in its entirety. A United Nations-backed tribunal in 2016 voided its claim for being illegal.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has said 200,000 Filipinos in Taiwan would suffer if tensions escalate between China and Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province.

In April last year, Chinese Ambassador Huan Xilian asked the Philippines to oppose Taiwan’s independence if the country “cares genuinely” about the welfare of OFWs there.

The envoy told a business forum in Manila nations that “talk down on China” would miss out on opportunities as it sets an ambitious economic expansion goal of about 5% this year. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Marcos orders whole-day processing of imported goods

MANILA INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has ordered round-the-clock processing of imported goods to ensure their continuous flow.

The Bureau of Customs (BoC) and Department of Agriculture (DA) should ensure there are enough workers who process shipments 24/7, the presidential palace said in a statement, citing his meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council – Infrastructure Sector Group.

There should be a full-day processing of shipments since they all enter the country 24/7, he said at the meeting.

“In this business, there’s no afterhours,” Mr. Marcos said. “It’s ready 24/7. So, let’s not put an extra team, let’s just keep it running.

The council had proposed that Customs and the Agriculture department come up with a shifting schedule to ensure 24/7 operations across government services related to logistics and supply chains.

There should be continuous inspections, clearance and payment processes to reduce costs and time, particularly on the x-ray scanning operations of the Customs bureau and the DA office that inspects refrigerated vans, according to the group, based on the palace release.

Sabin M. Aboitiz, council strategic convenor and president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc., presented the recommendations at the meeting.

Also present during the meeting in Malacañang were council members International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) Chairman Enrique K. Razon, Jr. and First Pacific Co. Ltd. CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan.

Most delays in Customs processing occur in pre-Customs and post-Customs processes, according to 2022 study conducted by the bureau.

Reasons behind delays include broker-related issues such as missing documents, weak internet connection and high volume of shipments in and out of Manila, the capital. — KATA

Aghon damage runs up to P1B

STRONG winds and heavy rains from Tropical Storm Aghon knocked down this tree in front of the Minor Basilica and Parish of St. John the Baptist in Taytay, Rizal on Sunday. No one was hurt when it crushed two parked vehicles. — PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

DAMAGE to agriculture and infrastructure caused by “Aghon” (international name: Ewiniar), the first tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines this year, has exceeded over P1 billion, disaster officials said Thursday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that 19 cities and municipalities declared a state of calamity due to the typhoon damage, with at least eight people reported killed.

Infrastructure damage from the typhoon reached P942.5 million in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Quezon or Region 4A), the region immediately south of the capital Manila.

Add to that P85.6 million worth of damage to agriculture in the adjoining region south, Mimaropa (Mindoro provinces, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan or Region 4B), the NDRRMC said.

Aghon affected a total of 152,266 people or 41,105 families in six regions, including Region 3 (Central Luzon), just north of Manila; Region 5 or Bicol; Region 7 or Central Visayas; and Region 8 or Eastern Visayas.

The destruction wrought by Aghon affected 7,000 houses, 752 of which were totally destroyed.

The typhoon exited the country on May 29, but the NDRRMC said 600 typhoon victims are still staying at evacuation centers, while 2,220 others are forced to take shelter elsewhere.

Also, six areas are still suffering from power outages. Air and sea travel cancellations have kept 142 passengers stranded to date as NDRRMC reported that a damaged seaport in Central Visayas remained non-operational due.

EL NIÑO WEAKENS, BUT…
Meanwhile, the NDRRMC quoted the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) that the El Niño weather pattern, which has caused droughts in the Philippines, continued to weaken “but impacts such as hotter and drier conditions still persist.”

On Thursday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. personally gave several provinces in Davao Region close to P60 million in financial assistance to help them cope with the effects of El Niño.

Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, and Davao Occidental each received P10 million, while Davao del Sur got P19.52 million, according to a press release from his office.

Over 1,000 families in the region have been affected by the weather phenomenon, whose damage to agriculture nationwide had hit P9.5 billion based on a May 21 statement from the Agriculture department.

Davao Region has not declared a state of calamity due to El Niño, but it has logged P49.58 million worth of agricultural losses, the palace said, affecting 1,344 farmers and fisherfolk.

Meanwhile, the Social Welfare department provided P10,000 in financial assistance to 10,000 target beneficiaries in Davao del Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, and Davao Occidental, it said.

“The same beneficiaries received rice assistance from the Office of House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez,” it added.

The Philippines is now a few months away from the filing of candidacies for the 2025 polls.

Group hits US drone deployment

MILITANT group Bayan Muna raised a howl on Thursday over the deployment of US drones in the country, saying it violates the 1987 Constitution which bars the posting of foreign military forces in Philippine territory without a treaty concurred to by the Senate.

The US has deployed MQ-9A Reaper drones in the Philippines at its behest to “provide reconnaissance and surveillance” support to intelligence sharing operations between the two nations, a United States Marine Expeditionary Force spokesperson told US-based defense forum US Naval Institute News.

“The deployment of US Reaper drones in the Philippines is a blatant violation of our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Bayan Muna Executive Vice President Carlos Isagani T. Zarate said in a statement.

It scored the government for skirting the Constitution by permitting US military deployments under the two nations’ Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

The US military did not specify the command detail and the number of drones currently deployed on a rotational basis.

Mr. Zarate said the government should “immediately withdraw its request for the deployment of drones” to assert the country’s independence and sovereignty.

The entry of Reaper drones shows the country’s susceptibility to being dictated upon by other countries, he added. “This is a clear example of the neocolonial relationship between the US and the Philippines… with our government allowing foreign powers to dictate our foreign and defense policies,” he said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Makati tops 80% of revenue target

BUILDINGS are seen from the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge in Makati City, Dec. 4, 2022. — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

MAKATI City said on Thursday it hit slightly over 80% of its revenue target for 2024 after collecting more than P14.77 billion as of April.

In a statement, Makati City Mayor Mar-len Abigail “Abby” S. Binay-Campos said that as of April, the city has already collected P14.77 billion of its P18.40 billion revenue target for the year.

“Our robust revenues provide us with the financial stability we need to continuously implement programs that go well beyond the basic needs of our constituents,” she said. Last year, the city surpassed its revenue target by 39% without hiking tax rates.

City Treasurer Jesusa E. Cuneta said the city collected almost P8.2 billion in business tax and P5.2 billion in real property tax.

The Business Permit and Licensing Office of the city said 1,820 new businesses have registered in the first quarter of the year. The total combined capital investment is worth more than P16.30 billion.

A total of 34,203 businesses renewed their permits in the same period. Registered total gross sales amounted to over P1.80 trillion.

Makati’s total budget for 2024 is P21.10 billion, with the Social Development sector taking a chunk with a P10.40 billion allocation.

The city allotted P4.50 billion for education, P4.10 billion for health, and P1.80 billion for social welfare.

Earlier this year, Ms. Binay-Campos said her administration has plans to reduce real property tax and other local taxes. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

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