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Letran battles UPHSD in NCAA S99 junior basketball finals

COLEGIO DE SAN JUAN DE LETRAN SQUIRES — FACEBOOK.COM/NCAA.ORG.PH

Games Wednesday
(Filoil EcoOil Arena)
10 a.m — Mapua vs San Sebastian (Battle for Third)
1 p.m. — Inidividual Awarding Ceremonies
2:30 p.m. — Letran vs UPHSD

MOSES MANALILI is expected to go all out and seal another championship for Colegio de San Juan de Letran as they battle University of Perpetual Help System Dalta (UPHSD) Wednesday in the NCAA Season 99 junior basketball finals at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

Mr. Manalili, who is popularly called “Titing” back in Cebu City as tribute to his dad known by the same nickname, was the Squires’ deliverance after coming through with a magnificent game in a 97-80 rout of the Junior Altas in last Saturday’s Game One.

The fiery guard was nothing short of spectacular as he almost single-handedly willed the Dominican school to the win after dishing out the game of his life — 35 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and four steals. And expect Mr. Manalili to go at it again in Game Two set at 2:30 p.m. Mr. Manalili is hoping to help win his school a second straight title and 14th overall — the third most crown by a school in the grand old league behind San Beda University’s 23 and Mapua University’s 20.

Letran coach Allen Ricardo, for his part, continued to praise defense to his wards knowing it was their meal ticket in Game One.

“We just have to stay composed,” he said.

It was a show of defensive force for the Squires in the opener as they held the Junior Altas lower than their norm of 93 points a game entering the finals.

They also made life difficult to UPHSD’s Amiel Acido, Jan Pagulayan, Lebron Jhames Daep and Mark Gojo Cruz, whom Mr. Ricardo referred to as their “Big Four.”

“We scouted them,” he said.

With everything on the line, expect UPHSD to summon the same fire and iron will that helped it to top the elimination round where its victim included Letran and beat Mapua in the Final Four.

The Junior Altas hope to force a decider Saturday. — Joey Villar

UST clashes with Ateneo in second round of UAAP volleyball

UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS GOLDEN TIGRESSES — FACEBOOK.COM/WEARETHEUAAP

Games Wednesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
10 a.m. — NU vs UP (men)
12 p.m. — Ateneo vs UST (men)
2 p.m. — NU vs UP (women)
4 p.m. — Ateneo vs UST (women)

AFTER snatching the baton from favored bets, unbeaten University of Santo Tomas (UST) has no plans of surrendering the leadership when it shores up its drive in the crucial second round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Golden Tigresses owned the first round with a 7-0 wipeout, including massive stunners on reigning champion De La Salle University and intact powerhouse National University (NU) to issue a strong statement to its mad seriousness of ending a 14-year drought. It’s the first sweep of UST in the Final Four era but the real battle is just getting started.

The UST Golden Tigresses made short work of the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the first round via sweep with super rookie and top MVP contender Angeline Poyos leading the way behind her career-best 26 points.

This time, Ms. Poyos is anticipating a larger target on her back, not only from the Blue Eagles at 2-5 eager to stay in Final Four contention but from the rest of the hungry UAAP pack.

Meanwhile in the first game, NU (5-2) wants to stabilize its redemption bid against the University of the Philippines (1-6) at 2 p.m. after the men’s matches of UST-Ateneo and NU-UP at 10 a.m. and 12 noon, respectively.

The Lady Bulldogs, finalists of the last two seasons, settled for third place in the first round after shellacking losses to rivals De La Salle and UST. — John Bryan Ulanday

WADA clears the Philippines from its compliance watchlist

THE PHILIPPINE flag will be rightfully flown in the Paris Olympics this July.

This after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) cleared the country from its compliance watchlist after the Philippine National Anti-Doping Organization had undertaken corrective actions.

This decision rendered the issue moot and the elevation of the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport as unnecessary.

“I am pleased to confirm that in light of the latest developments, the Compliance Review Committee has decided to sign off the remaining pending critical corrective actions relating to testing and results management,” said Emiliano Simonelli, WADA’s chief compliance manager, in a recent email sent to Philippine National Anti-Doping Organization chief Dr. Alejandro Pineda.

“As a result the compliance procedure has now been closed and the case will not be filed before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS),” he added.

Philippine Sports Commission chair Richard Bachmann likewise expressed his gratitude to the WADA and PHI-NADO and stressed the country will continue its advocacy in building a sporting venue free from any doping activities.

A month ago, the country was worried that its flag would not be flown in Paris if it had not resolved the WADA compliance issue, which was brought up to the CAS.

Now that cloud of doubt was dissipated and Filipinos can breathe a collective sigh of relief with this piece of good news. — Joey Villar

DLSU, San Beda share lead of PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup

Games on April 2
(Ynares Sports Arena, Pasig City)
4:30 p.m. — Keanzel Basketball vs CCI-Yengskivel
7:30 p.m. — EcoOil-DLSU vs CEU

REIGNING champion EcoOil-University of De La Salle and Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda University kept a share of the lead by rolling past separate counterparts for the second straight match in the 2024 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup Monday night at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo.

The Green Archers smothered Go Torakku-St. Clare College, 90-63, while the Red Lions drubbed Keanzel Basketball, 109-59, for similar 2-0 slates in the six-team field.

Both squads also scored lopsided debut wins with La Salle dominating CCI-Yengskivel, 110-68, and San Beda trouncing St. Clare, 92-59, in the opener last week.

All players racked up the scoring board led by NCAA Finals MVP James Payosing with 18 points in only 13 minutes of play.

Shocktroopers Richi Calimag (14), Bryan Sajonia (12) and Joe Celzo (12) came off the bench to account for the bulk of San Beda’s bench mob with 74 points compared to Keanzel’s 29.

Jonnel Policarpio sustained his fine play with 17 points and nine rebounds after flirting with a triple-double of 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in the opener to show the way for De La Salle.

UAAP 3×3 MVP CJ Austria added 15 points while Mike Phillips collared 12 points and 16 rebounds plus three assists and two steals. Henry Agunanne contributed 12 more points.

“Despite the two wins, we still have to learn and we believe we can still be better, especially on execution. That’s one thing we have to work on,” said assistant coach Caloy Garcia. — John Bryan Ulanday

The Scores:

First Game

Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda 109 – Payosing 18, Calimag 14, Sajonia 12, Celzo 12, Songcuya 8, Estacio 8, Andrada 6, Lopez 6, Etulle 6, Gonzales 4, Puno 4, Tagle 3, Tagala 3, Royo 3, Jalbuena 2.

Keanzel Basketball 59 – Martinez 14, Panlilio 9, Ceniza 9, Alota 9, Gayosa 8, Villaflor 4, Camay 2, Calacalsada 2, Yambao 2, Romero 0, Alina 0, Wong 0, Villamor 0, Ibo 9, Advincula 0.

Quarterscores: 28-16, 62-39, 86-55, 109-59.

Second Game

EcoOil-La Salle 90 – Policarpio 17, Austria 15, Phillips 12, Agunanne 12, Cortez 9, Abadam 8, Rubico 4, Daja 4, Alian 4,  Marasigan 3, David 2, Gaspay 0, Gollena 0.

Go Torakku-St. Clare 63 – Rojas 14, Sual 14, Ndong 9, Decano 9, Estacio 7, Galang 6, Yu 3, Lopez 1, Balacaoc 0, Dumancas 0, Cabauatan 0.

Quarterscores: 26-11, 47-29, 75-47, 90-63.

College of St. Benilde sweeps first round of NCAA S99 men’s and women’s lawn tennis

COLLEGE of St. Benilde (CSB) moved on the verge of an National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 99 lawn tennis sweep after recently seizing the first round pennants of both the men’s and women’s divisions at the PCA courts in Paco, Manila.

Carl Ubalde’s 6-1, 6-4 win over Al Kent Balazo in the opening singles helped seal the Blazing Netters’ 3-0 romp of the San Beda University Red Lions and complete the first round sweep in two outings. Gian Macaraeg and Fern Po bounced Marlon Fortaleza and Shant Nuguit, 7-5, 6-1, in the doubles, and Karl Baran waylaid Luis Angelo Pascua in the last singles, 6-1, 6-1, that sealed the deal.

Gab Zoleta, meanwhile, sideswiped Angela Valdez, 6-1, 6-4, in clinching a 2-1 win over University of Perpetual Help and completing a women’s first-round sweep. UPHSD earlier won the first singles with a 6-2, 6-1 win by Shyryn Salazar over Valerie Desoyo but CSB struck back with a 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-2 win by Kiana de Asis and Dorelle Laguda over Julia Ignacio and Ella Natividad in the doubles.

CSB could claim the title if it could top the second round unfolding Thursday.

If not, CSB would play a sudden death against the eventual second-round pennant winner. — Joey Villar

Dionisio replaces Thompson in Team Japeth

MAGNOLIA forward Aris Dionisio is set for his maiden appearance in the PBA All Star Game this weekend in Bacolod City.

Mr. Dionisio, one of the most reliable backups for the Hotshots, has been tapped to replace Ginebra star Scottie Thompson, who is sidelined by a back injury, in the Team Japeth selection battling Team Mark in the showcase match on Sunday.

The 6-foot-4 Mr. Dionisio is the only Magnolia player other than veteran Paul Lee in the squad captained by Japeth Aguilar and coached by Tim Cone.

With Mr. Dionisio seeing action in the All Star Game, he turned over his spot in the Three-Point Contest for Big Men to fellow Magnolia frontliner James Laput. The PBA delegation, meanwhile, leaves for the City of Smiles Wednesday and launches the event in a courtesy call and press conference kickstarting a series of activities lasting through Sunday.

Friday’s itinerary includes a basketball and referees’ clinic, school visit and meet and greet with fans while the Skills Events (Obstacle Challenge, Three-Point Shootout Big Men version and Three-Point Shootout Guards edition) and the Team Greats versus Team Stalwarts game featuring the top rookies, sophomores and juniors highlight Saturday’s schedule. — Olmin Leyba

Embiid-less Sixers

What a difference two months makes in the National Basketball Association. This time in January, the Sixers were crowding the Celtics and Bucks at the top of the East. Joel Embiid was on a tear, having just put up a whopping 70 points against the Victor Wembanyama-led Spurs to cement his hold atop the league’s scoring list. Clearly, they benefited from addition by subtraction; in the absence of the disillusioned James Harden, they saw the rise of perfect complement Tyrese Maxey. To argue that things were looking up under new head coach Nick Nurse would be to underscore the obvious.

Fast forward to the present, and the Sixers are hard-pressed to avoid the play-in tournament. Embiid’s extraordinary offensive explosion proved to be the precursor for yet another extended stint in the sidelines. With a meniscus injury keeping their foundational piece off the floor, they found themselves swooning to eighth in conference standings. His loss was particularly rough at the onset, leading them to suffer setbacks in eight of nine contests. And though they subsequently managed to alter their sets on both ends of the court, mediocre is what can best describe their output since then.

Taken in this context, yesterday’s victory was nothing short of critical for the Sixers. True, there’s still a lot of hoops left to play; 14 games remain in their regular season schedule. On the other hand, there can be no discounting the significance of their win against the Heat; the latter have been exchanging places with them for seventh in recent memory, and getting a leg up may well spell the difference between a one-and-done appearance and an extended trek to the hardware.

The triumph at home was brutal. The Sixers shot only 43.5% overall and failed to crack the century mark. Still, the final outcome is what matters, and the 19,782 fans at the Wells Fargo Center rightly went home smiling. Hopefully, it will help build momentum as they go through a brutal phase, with seven of their next eight opponents sporting positive win-loss slates. After that, it’s another encounter with the Heat — and another chance to get ahead. How well they fare in the interim is up to them.

 

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.

Prosecutors seek death penalty for mastermind of Vietnam’s largest financial scam

STOCK PHOTO | Image by D Mz from Pixabay

 – Vietnamese prosecutors called on Tuesday for the death penalty to be handed to Truong My Lan, the mastermind of the Southeast Asian nation’s largest financial fraud on record, state media said.

Ms. Lan, the chairwoman of real estate developer Van Thinh Phat Holdings Group, faces a trial in the economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City on accusations of leading a scam that caused damages of $20 billion, or about 4.9% of Vietnam’s gross domestic product.

The trial, expected to run until the end of April, is part of a campaign against graft that the leader of the ruling Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, has pledged for years to stamp out, although with few tangible results.

“Lan didn’t plead guilty and didn’t show remorse,” the Thanh Nien newspaper cited the prosecutors as saying, while demanding the death penalty on the charge of embezzlement.

“The consequences are extremely serious and irreparable, and therefore, there must be a strict punishment for Truong My Lan and remove her from the society,” it added.

A lawyer for Ms. Lan was not immediately available for comment on Tuesday.

Ms. Lan and her accomplices are accused of siphoning off more than 304 trillion dong ($12.46 billion) from Saigon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB), which she effectively controlled through dozens of proxies, investigators say.

Prosecutors have also accused the group of causing damages to the to the tune of a further 193 trillion dong, more than 129 trillion dong of which consists of accumulated interest on the loans they took.

That carried total financial damages in the case to 498 trillion dong ($20 billion), the report said.

From early 2018 through October 2022, when the state bailed out SCB after a run on its deposits, Lan appropriated large sums by arranging unlawful loans to shell companies, investigators say.

She is accused of bribing officials to ignore her activities, including paying an alleged $5.2 million to a senior central bank inspector, the investigators said.

Three independent auditing firms had committed violations in the SCB case, lawmaker Pham Van Hoa said on Monday, without identifying them, the government said.

The remark came in a question to Finance Minister Ho Duc Phoc, the government statement added.

Mr. Phoc faulted auditing in some recent criminal cases, adding that “intentional collusion and violations” by auditors had not been ruled out.

Top global firms, such as Ernst & Young and KPMG, did not flag concerns about the bank in their audits, public documents show. – Reuters

Gaza’s catastrophic food shortage means mass death is imminent

PALESTINIANS gather to receive aid outside a warehouse as Gaza residents face crisis levels of hunger, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, March 18, 2024. — REUTERS

CAIRO/JERUSALEM/LONDON — Extreme food shortages in parts of the Gaza Strip have already exceeded famine levels, and mass death is now imminent without an immediate ceasefire and surge of food to areas cut off by fighting, the global hunger monitor said on Monday.

The Integrated Food-Security Phase Classification (IPC), whose assessments are relied on by the United Nations (UN) agencies, said 70% of people in parts of northern Gaza were suffering the most severe level of food shortage, more than triple the 20% threshold to be considered famine.

The IPC said it did not have enough data on death rates, but estimated residents would be dying at famine scale imminently, defined as two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or from malnutrition and disease.

Gaza’s health ministry has said 27 children and three adults have died so far from malnutrition.

“The actions needed to prevent famine require an immediate political decision for a ceasefire together with a significant and immediate increase in humanitarian and commercial access to the entire population of Gaza,” it said.

In all, 1.1 million Gazans, around half the population, were experiencing “catastrophic” shortages of food, with around 300,000 in the areas now facing the prospect of famine-scale death rates.

The prospect of a manmade famine in Gaza has brought the strongest criticism of Israel from Western allies since it launched its war against Hamas militants following their deadly attack on Israeli territory on Oct. 7.

“In Gaza we are no longer on the brink of famine. We are in a state of famine… Starvation is used as a weapon of war. Israel is provoking famine,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said at a Brussels conference on aid for Gaza.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded that Mr. Borrell should “stop attacking Israel and recognize our right to self-defense against Hamas’ crimes.”

Israel allowed “extensive humanitarian aid into Gaza by land, air, and sea for anyone willing to help,” Mr. Katz said on X, and aid was “violently disturbed” by Hamas militants with “collaboration” by the UN’s aid agency UNRWA.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the IPC report an “appalling indictment” and said Israel must allow complete and unfettered access to all parts of Gaza.

Britain’s foreign minister David Cameron said he would carefully review the report: “It’s clear the status quo is unsustainable. We need urgent action now to avoid a famine.”

Israel, which initially allowed aid into Gaza through only two checkpoints on the enclave’s southern edge, says it is opening more routes by land, as well as allowing sea shipments and air drops. The first boat carrying aid arrived last week.

Aid agencies say they still cannot get enough supplies through or distribute them safely, especially in the north.

HOSPITAL ASSAULT
In the ruins of Gaza City, the main settlement in the north of the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces launched a major assault on Al Shifa hospital overnight. Once the Gaza Strip’s biggest hospital, it is now one of the only medical facilities still even partially functioning in the north of the territory.

Israel said it had killed more than 20 Hamas fighters, including a senior Hamas commander, Fayeq al-Mabhouh, in the hospital. Hamas said he was a Palestinian police official tasked with overseeing the protection of aid deliveries in Gaza.

Negotiations for a ceasefire in the war, now in its sixth month, were due to resume on Monday with an Israeli delegation led by the country’s spy chief heading to Qatar. But an Israeli official said nailing down any deal would probably take at least two more weeks, a clear disappointment for Washington which had sought a deal by the start of the Ramadan holy month last week.

President Joseph R. Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a call on Monday that a military operation in Rafah would deepen anarchy in Gaza and they agreed that teams from each side would meet in Washington to discuss it, the White House said.

Mr. Netanyahu has pledged to push into Rafah in Gaza’s southern tip, where more than half of the territory’s 2.3 million residents have been sheltering to escape an Israeli assault farther north.

The leader in the US Senate from Mr. Biden’s Democratic Party called on Israelis last week to replace Mr. Netanyahu, saying he was wrecking Israel’s international standing by allowing too much suffering in Gaza.

The war began when Hamas fighters stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel’s assault has killed more than 31,000 Gazans, according to Palestinian health officials.

SPECIAL FORCES
The Israeli military said special forces, supported by infantry and tanks, conducted a “precise operation” on the Al Shifa Hospital compound, based on intelligence that the hospital was being used by Hamas leaders.

“We apprehended more than 200 terrorist suspects that are now being questioned,” said spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. One Israeli soldier was killed in the fighting, he said.

Residents described some of the heaviest fighting in northern Gaza for months.

Mohammad Ali, 32, a father of two who lives near the hospital, told Reuters via a chat app that the sound of the assault awoke the neighborhood at around 1 a.m.

“Soon tanks started to roll, they came from the western road and headed toward Al Shifa, then sounds of gunfire and explosions increased,” he said.

The Gaza health ministry said displaced people inside the hospital had been killed in a fire caused by the raid. — Reuters

Number of South Korea marriages edges up in 2023 after 11 years of falls

UNSPLASH

SEOUL — The number of marriages in South Korea rose in 2023 for the first time in more than a decade, lifted by pent-up demand from couples delaying nuptials during the pandemic, but the data did not point to a sustained rebound in a rapidly ageing society.

The slight rise in marriages last year comes after South Korea’s fertility rate, already the world’s lowest, continued its dramatic decline in 2023, as women concerned about career advancement and the cost of raising children delayed childbirth or decided to not have babies.

A total of 193,657 couples got married last year, up 1.0% from 191,690 a year earlier and the first increase since 2011, Statistics Korea data showed on Tuesday.

That compares with a 0.4% drop in 2022, when South Korea started to ease restrictions on social gatherings put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The curbs had seen the number of marriages slide 9.8% in 2021 and 10.7% in 2020.

The 2023 figure, however, remains well below the 239,159 marriages seen in 2019 and compares with an annual figure of more than 320,000 recorded 10 years earlier.

A government official said that couples delaying nuptials was a factor contributing to more marriages in the second half of 2022 and the first half of 2023.

“In the second half of 2023, however, marriages fell year-on-year, indicating that people who had been delaying marriage due to COVID-19 have now mostly got married,” the official told a briefing.

The 2023 increase was also well below the jump in neighboring China, where marriages rose 12.4% last year, as more couples tied the knot after delays due to the pandemic.

Most South Koreans cite high housing costs as the biggest hurdle for getting married. Marriage is seen as a prerequisite for having a baby in the Asian country.

A recent survey of 500 South Koreans aged between 19 to 23 showed 50.4% of respondents did not plan on getting married or having children, Yonhap news agency reported.

The government has vowed to bring in “extraordinary measures” to tackle the low birth rate, with political parties promising public housing and easier loans for young South Koreans ahead of the April legislative election.

Marriages with a foreign national rose sharply for a second straight year, climbing 18.3% to 19,717. — Reuters

Bangladesh, Pakistan and India remain the world’s smoggiest countries in 2023, air quality data show

A MAN rides a motor tricycle, loaded with sacks of recyclables, amid dense smog in Lahore, Pakistan Nov. 24, 2021. — REUTERS

SINGAPORE — Pakistan remained one of the world’s three smoggiest countries in 2023, as Bangladesh and India replaced Chad and Iran, with particulate matter about 15 times the level recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), data published on Tuesday showed.

Average concentrations of PM2.5 — small airborne particles that damage the lungs — reached 79.9 micrograms per cubic meter in Bangladesh in 2023, and 73.7 micrograms in Pakistan. The WHO recommends no more than 5 micrograms.

“Because of the climate conditions and the geography (in South Asia), you get this streak of PM2.5 concentrations that just skyrocket because the pollution has nowhere to go,” said Christi Chester Schroeder, air quality science manager at IQAir, a Swiss air-monitoring organization.

“On top of that are factors such as agricultural practices, industry and population density,” she added. “Unfortunately, it really does look like it will get worse before it gets better.”

In 2022, Bangladesh was ranked as having the fifth-worst air quality, and India was eighth.

About 20% of premature deaths in Bangladesh are attributed to air pollution, and related healthcare costs amount to 4%-5% of the country’s gross domestic product, said Md Firoz Khan, an air pollution expert at Dhaka’s North South University.

Indian pollution also increased last year, with PM2.5 levels about 11 times higher than the WHO standard. India’s New Delhi was the worst-performing capital city, at 92.7 micrograms.

China also saw PM2.5 rise 6.3% to 32.5 micrograms last year, after five consecutive annual declines.

Only Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and New Zealand met WHO standards in 2023.

The IQAir report was based on data from more than 30,000 monitoring stations in 134 countries and regions.

Chad, the world’s most polluted country in 2022, was excluded from the 2023 listings because of data issues. Iran and Sudan were also taken off the 2023 list.

Christa Hasenkopf, director of the Air Quality Life Index at the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute, said 39% of countries have no public air quality monitoring.

“Considering the large potential benefits and relatively low cost, it’s stunning that we don’t have an organized global effort to deploy resources to close these data gaps, especially in places where the health burden of air pollution has been largest,” she said.  Reuters

Japan saw record 2.79 million visitors in February due to Lunar New Year boost

EMRAN YOUSOF-UNSPLASH

 – Japan welcomed 2.79 million visitors in February, a record for the month and the most for any month since the COVID-19 pandemic began, boosted by travel during Lunar New Year holidays.

The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure was up from 2.69 million in January, data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) showed on Tuesday.

Arrivals in February were 7.1% higher than in 2019, when the Lunar New Year also fell in the second month of the year rather than the first. For all of 2019, Japan welcomed a record 31.9 million visitors before the pandemic struck.

Tourism to Japan all but stopped for more than two years during the pandemic. Since then, the industry has received a major boost from a weak yen that has made Japan a bargain destination for foreign travelers.

Current account data in January showed a record gain attributable to inbound tourism, illustrating the sector’s widening role in the economy. Visitors spent more than 5 trillion yen ($33.3 billion) in the country last year for the first time, exceeding the government’s goal.

Travelers from 19 of 23 countries and territories, including South Korea and the United States, set records for February, the JNTO said.

Japan is the top destination for travelers from 12 countries on Agoda’s online booking platform, said Agoda Chief Executive Omri Morgenshtern.

“Demand for Japan is very strong,” Mr. Morgenshtern said. “I assume, overall, you will see 2024 in the 2019 levels or slightly above.” – Reuters