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Bicam report raising RCEF allocation to P30B ratified

PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

CONGRESS late Wednesday ratified the bicameral conference committee report on a bill seeking to raise the yearly allocation of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) to P30 billion from P10 billion until 2031.

The measure coming out of bicam, which harmonized Senate Bill No. 2779 and House Bill No. 10381, also requires the National Food Authority (NFA) must maintain a rice reserve equivalent to at least 15 days’ demand, according to the bicam report sent to BusinessWorld  on Thursday.

The measure would also give the Department of Agriculture (DA) the authority to sell NFA rice reserves in times of shortage and high rice prices to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Office of Civil Defense, local government units (LGUs), and the KADIWA network of stores that sell government-subsidized goods.

The measure amends the Rice Tariffication Law of 2019 or Republic Act No. 11203. RA 11203 opened up to private entities the rice import trade, which had previously been dominated by the NFA, which imported the grain via government-to-government deals. The private traders instead had to pay a tariff of 35% on their shipments of Southeast Asian grain. The tariff has since been reduced to 15% and applies to rice from all sources.

According to the bicam report, the Secretary of Agriculture will be given the authority to designate importing entities during times of “extraordinarily” high prices. The NFA remains barred from importing rice.

Under the reconciled version of the bill, the importing entity is required to ship rice at least cost following the conclusion of government-to-government supply agreements.

It also requires the DA to maintain a rice buffer fund of P5 billion during food security emergencies.

The P30-billion RCEF allocation will fund the development of high-quality inbred rice seed, the distribution of cash aid for farmers, and the construction of solar-powered irrigation systems and composting facilities.

Rice tariff collections amounted to about P30 billion last year, according to the Bureau of Customs.

The 2019 law also restricted the NFA to buying domestic grain to maintain an emergency reserve of rice for use during calamities.

Tourist spending to rise nearly 30% with VAT refund law in place — DoT

Tourists are seen at the beach of Boracay island, Aklan province. — PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

TOURIST spending is projected to increase 29.8% if the government passes the value-added tax (VAT) refund law for foreign tourists, according to the Department of Tourism (DoT).

In a statement on Thursday, the DoT expressed support for the passage of the refund legislation, which it called “a crucial milestone in enhancing the country’s appeal as a premier tourism destination, positioning the Philippines competitively among its regional neighbors.”

“The projected increase in tourist spending, as estimated by the House Committee on Ways and Means, represents a tremendous opportunity for growth in local businesses, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and an increase in tourism employment,” it added.

On Monday, the Senate approved on final reading, Senate Bill No. 2415, which will allow tourists to claim VAT refunds on locally purchased goods worth at least P3,000.

A counterpart bill for the proposed measure was approved by the House of Representatives on March 6, 2023.

The measure is also seen as an opportunity to promote products such as Marikina shoes, barongs, and traditional weaves, it said.

“This initiative, coupled with ongoing improvements in our tourism infrastructure and innovative tourism programs, will elevate the overall travel experience for our visitors and encourage longer stays and return visits,” the DoT said.

At the 2024 Outstanding Filipino Retailers Awards Night late Wednesday, Philippine Retailers Association President Roberto S. Claudio said that the passage of the measure is being closely watched by the retail sector.

He said that the Philippines is the only country in Asia where tourists do not get VAT refunds.

“So, tourists never came to the Philippines to do their shopping. Shopping is the biggest expense of any tourist worldwide,” he said.

“This is one explanation why Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore are getting more tourists than our country,” he added.

Hans Sy, executive committee chairman of SM Prime Holdings, Inc., said that the VAT refund scheme for tourists is a positive development for SM.

“I just hope that they can make it very easy and simple. If you go to Japan, outright, they do the discount there as long as you show your passport,” he said.

“I hope it won’t be like some other countries that make it almost impossible for you to get it … that’s why for us, in whatever we do, we make sure that everything is really done for (the customers),” he added.

He said he believes that technology will help make such measures easy to implement. 

“I actually could see the future with so many technology-aided things. To me, it’s also still a challenge because that’s going to really make the arena really competitive,” he added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

DoF calls for action vs ASF, cites need to contain inflation

FREEPIK

GOVERNMENT agencies need to act in concert to contain African Swine Fever (ASF), including expediting the release of subsidies to aid in the vaccination effort, due to the urgent need to manage inflation, the Department of Finance (DoF) said.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the DoF said it called for measures to control ASF after the Economic Development Group and the Inter-Agency Committee on Inflation and Market Outlook discussed measures on Sept. 25 to contain inflation.

“To manage food inflation, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) called on the implementing agencies to employ supply-augmenting programs and enforce disease control measures, including the rollout of ASF vaccines and the adoption of Integrated Pest Management technologies for sugar,” the DoF said in a statement.

During the meeting, the Department of Agriculture said it is looking at other means of toughening biosecurity measures against ASF.

Among the measures against non-food inflation, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board said it wants to partner with major payment services providers to validate its master list of fuel subsidy beneficiaries. These beneficiaries will be eligible to buy cheap fuel to ease the pressure on the government to approve fare hikes. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

NEDA sees ‘Konektadong Pinoy’ boosting agri, education, health

STOCK PHOTO | Image by Yasmina H from Unsplash

THE National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) called for the immediate approval of the Konektadong Pinoy bill, which it expects to help bolster growth in education and agriculture.

“The Konektadong Pinoy Bill is crucial to the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, as it will usher advancements across various sectors, including ICT (information and communications technology), education, health, and agriculture,” NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan was quoted as saying in a statement.

The bill “aligns with the government’s commitment to ensuring fast, reliable, and affordable internet access for all Filipinos,” NEDA said.

Senate Bill No. 2699 or the Konektadong Pinoy bill seeks to make internet access more affordable and equitable even in remote areas by promoting fair competition and removing barriers to entry in the data transmission industry.

The bill will help bridge the digital divide and allow the Philippines to add momentum to the growth of the digital economy, NEDA said in a policy note published in February.

The proposed law divides the data transmission network to four key main segments — international gateway facilities; the core or backbone network; the so-called middle mile; and the so-called last mile. It may also include any other segment defined by the Department of Information and Communications Technology. 

Under the bill, a data transmission industry participant would be “allowed to deploy satellite technology and use associated spectrum in any or all segments of their broadband network without the need to go through lease or rent capacity.”

It also seeks to create a Spectrum Management Policy Framework to ensure fair competition, make the system adaptable to technological advances, and the efficient use of data transmission frequencies.

The Senate has yet to pass its Konektadong Pinoy bill, which is awaiting second reading.

It is one of the 23 priority measures Congress has yet to approve.

These priority bills include the Amendments to the Foreign Investors’ Long-Term Lease Act; the proposed Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act; the proposed Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act; the proposed Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) Act; the proposed Philippine Maritime Zones Act; the proposed Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act; and the proposed Enterprise-Based Education and Training Framework Act.

Measures also on the LEDAC list include the proposed Blue Economy Act; Amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law, the proposed Universal Health Care Act, the proposed Electric Power Industry Reform Act; the proposed Right-of-Way Act; the proposed Rationalization of the Mining Fiscal Regime; the proposed E-Government Act or E-Governance Act; the measure establishing the Department of Water Resources; the proposed Mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Act; and the proposed Unified System of Separation, Retirement, and Pension of Military and Uniformed Personnel (MUP).

Other priority bills include the Waste-to-Energy Bill; Amendments to the Agrarian Reform Law; Reforms to Philippine Capital Markets; Excise Tax on Single-Use Plastics; the proposed New Government Auditing Code; and the proposed Philippine Immigration Act. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

PHL prices still high, household spending to remain subdued, ANZ Research says

ELEVATED PRICES will continue to dampen household spending in the Philippines, ANZ Research said.

“In the Philippines, high food prices and rebuilding of savings have constrained household discretionary spend. We do not foresee a meaningful turnaround until food prices ease and savings are rebuilt to pre-COVID levels,” it said in a report.

Food inflation eased to 4.2% in August from 6.7% a month earlier, largely driven by easing rice prices. Rice inflation slowed to 14.7% from 20.9% a month prior.

The heavily weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages index is typically the main contributor to headline inflation, with rice accounting for almost half of overall inflation.

ANZ expects inflation to settle at 3.4% this year, in line with the central bank’s own forecast. Headline inflation eased to 3.3% in August from 4.4% in July.

“Private consumption growth has also been uneven across economies. In the second quarter of 2024, private consumption softened in the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan,” it added.

Household consumption, which accounts for over 70% of the economy, rose 4.6% in the second quarter, slowing from the 5.5% a year earlier.

The economy expanded 6.3% in the second quarter, bringing the first-half growth to 6%.

ANZ expects GDP to grow 5.9% this year, short of the government’s 6-7% target.

Meanwhile, it sees the policy rate ending the year at 6%. The Monetary Board cut interest rates by 25 basis points at its August meeting, bringing the key rate to 6.25% from an over-17 year high of 6.5%.

“We think lower interest rates will be beneficial overall, but gains will not be formidable or immediate for all economies. As households are spending a greater share of their incomes towards interest payments, a rate cut will help household finances materially,” ANZ said.

“In the Philippines, households are likely to rebuild savings before stepping up spending. Businesses, too, do not view the cost of capital as the most important constraint to capacity expansion. Rather, it has been the degree of competition.”

In a paper, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that inflation expectations remain “broadly well anchored.”

“ASEAN-4 central banks have developed significant monetary policy credibility on the back of sound policies over the years. This has helped in anchoring inflation expectations, which have been largely stable since the adoption of inflation targeting in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.”

The IMF said that monetary policy should be the “first line of defense” against persistent inflationary pressures.

“The exchange rate should remain flexible and act as a shock absorber following fundamental shocks,” it said.

“However, in the context of Philippines’ relatively shallow FX market, and under a scenario with sharp and volatile exchange rate depreciation where shocks relate to risk-off or disorderly financial conditions, the use of foreign exchange intervention may alleviate financial stability risks, limit inflation, and reduce some of the pressure on monetary policy — particularly if exchange rate pass-through to inflation is stronger than expected.”

The peso closed at P55.965 to the dollar on Thursday, against its P55.88 finish on Wednesday. The currency had been trading at the P57-58 level in recent months. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Traders cornering tariff cut benefits, farmers say

REUTERS

FARMERS said savings from the lower tariffs on rice have been pocketed by traders instead of being passed on to consumers.

“The fact that retail prices hardly moved means that importers, wholesalers and retailers pocketed most of the P5 billion in savings. They, and not the consumers, have been the real beneficiaries of the tariff cuts,” Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) National Manager Raul Q. Montemayor said in a statement.

In June, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signed Executive Order No. 62 which lowered the tariff on imported rice to 15% from 35% until 2028, citing the need to stabilize rice prices. The order took effect in July.

Rice imports totaled 3.09 million metric tons as of Sept. 19, according to the Bureau of Plant Industry.

According to the FFF, rice traders have absorbed a P6.70 per kilogram saving from the lower tariff, “assuming a landed cost of $600 per MT and an exchange rate of P56 per dollar.”

It estimated total tariff savings from the more than 800,000 MT that arrived between July and mid-September at more than P5 billion.

Mr. Montemayor said that rice price may decline starting late September even without the tariff as the rice harvest season begins.

“Farmers have begun harvesting their main crop. Importers will logically try to sell now, when prices are still high. But instead of forwarding their savings to consumers, they are maximizing their profit margins,” he added.

The Department of Agriculture has said that the lower tariffs on rice will lead to a P5 to P7 per kilogram drop in the price of imported rice.

The impact on prices is expected to start showing up in mid-October, but more significant effects could be seen by January. 

“Hopefully, tuloy-tuloy ng pababa ’yan by January. Siguro makuha natin at least less P5 by January (We hope the decrease in rice prices will continue up to January, when prices will fall by about P5 per kilo at least),” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. told reporters.

Mr. Laurel added that the rice being consumed at the moment was likely imported during the first half when tariffs were high, though the supply of high-tariff rice is expected to run out by mid-October. — Adrian H. Halili

NFA bats for fund releases to hit palay procurement goals

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE National Food Authority (NFA) said it is seeking funding to allow it to hit its goals for procuring palay, or unmilled rice.

In a statement on Thursday, NFA acting Administrator Larry R. Lacson said it is seeking P9 billion to bring its palay procurement budget to P11 billion this year.

“NFA has been using left over funding of P8.7 billion from 2023 to buy palay from farmers,” it said.

In the first half, the NFA used P5.3 billion to purchase 175,000 metric tons (MT) of palay, equivalent to 3.5 million bags, from domestic farmers.

It hopes to have purchased up to 8.7 million bags of palay before the end of the year, equivalent to up 435,000 MT of palay.

“The NFA asked the Department of Budget and Management to release the funds for palay procurement so we can support farmers and stabilize prices during the harvest this wet season,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said.

He added that the NFA will purchase palay from farmers at P21 and P23 per kilogram, depending on location and grading of the grain, in accordance with a decision in April approving variable pricing.

In June, the NFA Council approved a ceiling price for palay purchases of P30 per kilo, against the P23 per kilo previously. The floor price was lifted to P17 from P16 per kg.

Mr. Laurel said this measure makes it attractive for farmers to sell to the NFA as opposed to private traders, who were reportedly buying rice at P16-P17 a kilo in Nueva Ecija.

Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law of 2019, restricted the NFA to purchasing domestically harvested rice to build up its emergency reserves. — Adrian H. Halili

Shakey’s Super League kickstarts Friday at Rizal Memorial Coliseum

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY LADY BULLDOGS — UAAP/JEMILL FERRER

BACK-TO-BACK champion and reigning UAAP queen National University still looms as the heavy favorite but all other squads vow a gallant challenge in the Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Collegiate Pre-Season Championship Season 3 starting on Friday (Sept. 27) at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The Lady Bulldogs, led by MVP and Alas Pilipinas ace Bella Belen, are poised to complete a hat-trick in the 18-team cast featuring the return of De La Salle University and University of the Philippines after they skipped last season.

All eight schools from the UAAP and 10 from the NCAA are represented in the premier pre-season tourney, under an all-to-play format for equal opportunity for all players, and serving as an appetizer for the resumption of their mother leagues early next year.

UAAP bet Far Eastern University  and NCAA’s San Sebastian College-Recoletos raise the curtains at 3:30 p.m. on Friday followed by the Lyceum University of the Philippines-University of the East duel at 6 p.m. as the official opening ceremony kicks off Saturday.

FEU and SSC-R join NCAA champion College of St. Benilde and Adamson University in Pool D as Lyceum and UE complete Pool B with University of Santo Tomas, Mapua University and the University of Perpetual Help System-Dalta.

Headlining Pool A is NU with Arellano University, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Ateneo de Manila University and San Beda University while La Salle leads Pool C with Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Jose Rizal University  and UP.

But there’s more to it than just games in the third season of SSL, which will hand out cash incentives to each school from its SSL bundle promo that raised more than P11 million last season.

Then there’s the unwavering advocacy to champion the growth of women’s volleyball as SSL also holds the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League (GVIL) for high school and the National Invitationals for a nationwide tourney.

“The main focus and goal of SSL is producing champions. We learn every season and may we continue to grow,” said chairman and CEO Dr. Philip Ella Juico of SSL organizer Athletic Events and Sports Management, Inc., (ACES), joined by president and COO Dr. Ian Laurel during the season launch Wednesday at the Shakey’s Malate.

“It’s always been a pleasure for Shakey’s. We feel blessed, lucky and privileged to help the Philippine women’s volleyball scene. We hope to continue this strong partnership and commitment,” said Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures, Inc., president and CEO Vic Gregorio.

From 18 squads, only the top two from each pool will advance to the quarterfinals with the top-ranked team holding a twice-to-beat edge. The semifinals and finals then will be under a knockout format as games are accessible live and on-demand via Puso Pilipinas, SMART Livestream, Solar Sports Channel 70 on Sky Cable and Channel 59 on Cable Link. — John Bryan Ulanday

Clark says best is yet to come after dazzling WNBA rookie year

CAITLIN CLARK — FACEBOOK.COM/WNBA

NEW YORK — Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark said she has only scratched the surface of what she can accomplish after her record-breaking rookie season ended in the first round of the WNBA playoffs on Wednesday.

The Rookie of the Year led the Fever to their first postseason appearance since 2016 and while they exited the playoffs with a 87-81 defeat by the Connecticut Sun on the road Clark assured fans that bigger things are on the way.

“I feel like I had a solid year but for me the fun part is I feel like I’m just scratching the surface,” she told reporters. “I feel like I can continue to get a lot better.”

Clark took some time to get going but once she gelled with her team mates, including two-time All Star Kelsey Mitchell and last year’s rookie of the year Aliyah Boston, she put up extraordinary numbers in her debut year.

The 22-year-old broke the single-season assists record (337), smashed the rookie scoring record with 769 points and in July became the first WNBA rookie to score a triple double.

“We came together and had a lot of fun playing with one another,” said Clark. “That’s sometimes the worst part of it — it’s like you feel like you’re playing your best basketball and then it has to end.”

It was exactly the kind of run that the WNBA had hoped for, as they worked to capitalize on the “Clark effect” that saw television ratings shattered in her wake in her record-breaking final collegiate season with Iowa.

The six-foot sharpshooter became appointment viewing in college thanks to her dazzling three-pointers and she had her best weapon on display in the WNBA, recording the most with 122 of them.

Viewership of WNBA games on Ion more than doubled from 2023, the network said. Seven games had more than one million viewers — all of them Fever games.

The Fever’s final regular-season game brought in a WNBA record crowd of 20,711 to Capital One Arena, where the home team Washington Mystics won 92-91.

Clark had scarcely a week between her final college game and the WNBA Draft, where a television audience of 2.45 million, a record for the event, tuned in to watch her go first overall.

While some WNBA players head overseas in the off-season to supplement their income, Clark, who has already signed a host of lucrative endorsement deals, appears unlikely to follow suit.

“I feel like basketball has really consumed my life for a year,” she said. “I feel like taking some time to myself and really enjoying that and reflecting back and, you know, it was special.” — Reuters

College of St. Benilde Blazers eye quick turnaround against Lyceum Pirates

COLLEGE OF ST. BENILDE BLAZERS — FACEBOOK.COM/NCAA.ORG.PH

Games on Friday
(Filoil EcoOil Arena)
12 p.m. – Mapua vs SSC-R
2:30 p.m. – LPU vs CSB

COLLEGE of St. Benilde hopes to rebound from its excruciating defeat the last time out as it tangles with a dangerous Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) on Friday in NCAA Season 100 at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

The Blazers will battle the Pirates in their 2:30 p.m. showdown without its lead guard in Jhomel Ancheta, who was slapped a one-game suspension for slapping Letran’s Pao Javillonar on the back of the latter’s head in a stinging 71-69 defeat to the Knights Sunday.

“Hoping we can bounce back without our starting point guard,” said CSB coach Charles Tiu referring to Mr. Ancheta.

Mr. Tiu said he felt disappointed as they just utterly blew what could have been their fifth victory if not for that collapse.

Instead, the Blazers fell to 4-1.

Game time is at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. Tiu also knew LPU will come in optimistic of its chances as it is coming off three straight victories after dropping its first two outings. — Joey Villar

Liverpool thrashes West Ham; Arsenal crushes Bolton in third-round League Cup wins

LIVERPOOL — Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo scored two goals apiece as holders Liverpool thrashed West Ham United, 5-1, at Anfield on Wednesday to cruise into the fourth round of the League Cup in another solid performance from Arne Slot’s side.

Mohamed Salah was also on target for Liverpool who fell behind and endured some nervy moments before pulling away for a comfortable victory.

Arsenal crushed third-tier Bolton Wanderers 5-1 in the evening’s other League Cup tie.

West Ham — who were reduced to 10 men when Edson Alvarez was shown a second yellow card in the 76th minute — opened the scoring at Anfield when Wataru Endo’s attempt to clear a corner ricocheted off Jarell Quansah and past keeper Caoimhin Kelleher for an own goal.

The Hammers’ celebrations were short-lived as Jota equalized four minutes later, leaping to head home Federico Chiesa’s acrobatic volley.

Jota netted his second in the 49th minute when Curtis Jones slotted a reverse pass to the Portuguese player who scored into the bottom corner.

Talisman Salah made it 3-1 in the 74th when he knocked in the rebound off Alexis Mac Allister’s shot, and then Alvarez was sent off two minutes later following a late challenge.

Gakpo added to Liverpool’s lead with goals in the 90th and 93rd minutes, his first a fantastic strike from 17 yards out after a one-two with Darwin Nunez.

The Reds captured a record 10th League Cup title last season, manager Juergen Klopp’s final trophy with the team before he stepped down at the end of the campaign.

New manager Slot has barely missed a beat. The Reds sit a point behind Manchester City in second in the Premier League after five games. They also opened their Champions League campaign with a victory over AC Milan last week.

NWANERI DOUBLE
Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri scored twice — the 17-year-old’s first goals for the club — while Raheem Sterling netted his debut goal for the Gunners. Declan Rice and Kai Havertz also scored at the Emirates Stadium, while Aaron Collins netted Bolton’s lone goal.

On the heels of a hard-fought 2-2 league draw with Manchester City on Sunday, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta shuffled his side, giving Nwaneri and 16-year-old keeper Jack Porter their first starts.

Declan Rice opened scoring with a goal from 18 yards out in the 16th minute before Nwaneri made his presence felt in the 37th, latching onto a cross from Sterling to finish into an empty net from close range. — Reuters

Threepeat bid

Don’t think for a moment that the Aces aren’t ready to defend their title. In fact, they’re on a roll, and cannot but be deemed the favorites following their shellacking of the Storm in the first round of the WNBA Playoffs. For all the travails they experienced at the start of their 2024 campaign, there can be no questioning their preeminent status as they face the Liberty next. And, under the circumstances, it’s fair to argue that the rough stretches they had in the face of an injury to “point gawd” Chelsea Gray and inconsistent play from fellow starters Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum are in the past.

Certainly, the Aces are a threat in any case, what with A’ja Wilson spearheading their cause on both ends of the floor as the best of the best in pro hoops. She was just named the Most Valuable Player awardee off a unanimous vote for only the second time in league annals, and with reason; the numbers she produced — first to keep the defending champions treading water, and then to underscore their ascendancy — are unprecedented, and she’s still going strong. Never mind her evident lack of rest following a successful run as Team USA’s anchor in the Paris Olympics.

Given the challenges that have come the Aces’ way on and off the court, it’s a wonder they’re even in the hunt for the hardware. If there’s anything they have in abundance, however, it’s resiliency borne of experience. Make that vast experience. Not for nothing are they back-to-back titleholders, and not for nothing do they utterly believe that they are fated for a threepeat. They’ve been there and done that, and are all the better for having been tested en route — and, of course, for having Wilson as the proverbial ace in the hole they can brandish again and again.

First things first, though. The Liberty are holders of the best record in the WNBA from the outset, and, on paper, superior odds, and the Aces are not taking the task lightly. It isn’t simply that they’ll be on the road for the first two matches of the best-of-five affair. It’s that they’ll be up against their biggest threats; they were on the short end of the stick in each of the three times they faced their vaunted foils this year. Which is to say they would do well to steal at least one win at Barclays Center, and then get the job done at the Michelob ULTRA Arena. Needless to say, they’re prepped and primed, and with Wilson in tow, who’s to say they can’t do the job?

 

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.

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