Authorities destroy P8-M cannabis plantation in Kalinga

September 13, 2023 | 8:21 pm

BAGUIO CITY — Agents from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Kalinga aided by local policemen raided a marijuana plantation in Ngibat, Tinglayan town on Wednesday and destroyed P8 million worth of plants.

At least 40,000 pieces of fully-grown marijuana shrubs were uprooted and burned from two plantations totaling to 4,000 square meters, according to PDEA-Cordillera spokesman Rosel G. Sarmiento.

No cultivator was arrested in the operation.

In Lamut, Ifugao, officials led by Mayor Victomar H. Bunnol inaugurated the Balay Silangan Reformation Center at the Tourism Village in barangay Mabatobato on Tuesday.

The Center will serve as a reformatory facility for qualified drug pushers who surrendered to authorities and availed themselves of a plea bargain under Republic Act 9165. — Artemio A. Dumlao

77 Moro patients receive free eye treatment

September 13, 2023 | 8:20 pm

COTABATO CITY – A team led by a physician in the Bangsamoro parliament treated 77 patients, 32 of them afflicted with cataract and pterygium, through an outreach mission in an impoverished barangay in Pikit, Cotabato on Tuesday.

The eye care mission of the outreach team of the ophthalmologist and Bangsamoro parliament member Kadil Monera Sinolinding, Jr. in Barangay Kabasalan in Pikit was facilitated by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to benefit poor residents of the community.

Municipal officials in Pikit and the barangay chairman in Kabasalan, Gulam K. Guimbalanan, separately told reporters Wednesday that the medical mission was “a big help to us.”

“All of those they treated are from marginalized families,” Mr. Guimbalanan said.

The outreach team of Mr. Sinolinding had served almost 3,000 patients in a series of medical missions since he was appointed member of the parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. in August last year. — John Felix M. Unson

Filipinos need 80 workdays to afford the latest iPhone — report

September 13, 2023 | 8:18 pm

The average Filipino will need 79.5 working days to afford the newly released iPhone 15 Pro, based on the country’s average wage, according to a report by analytics site Picodi.com.

The Philippines ranked second out of 47 countries indexed with the most number of working days needed to afford the latest iPhone, the Sept. 12 report said.

The number of man-days required dropped by 11.4 days from last year, according to Picodi Philippines.

Türkiye topped the list with the longest time, requiring 123.7 working days to purchase the new iPhone, followed by the Philippines and Brazil with 66.6 man-days.

Switzerland scored the lowest, with the average Swiss needing only 4.2 man-days, followed by the United States with 5.3 and Australia with 6.3.

Picodi’s iPhone Index represents the annual price of Apple’s latest flagship smartphone expressed in man-days. This index has been conducted since 2018, according to the analytics site.

Analysts from Picodi compared the price of the local iPhone 15 Pro at 128 GB (P79,990) with the average earnings of a worker in each country to calculate its Phone Index.

Picodi said that the price-to-wage ratio is as stated, assuming that all the money earned is saved for the purpose of purchasing the iPhone.

It noted that the average wage in the Philippines is P18,744.39 net monthly, citing the latest data from Numbeo, a crowd-sourced cost-of-living database.

The report should have also considered the daily cost of living among Filipinos, Ronald B. Gustilo, national campaigner for Digital Pinoys, said in a Viber message.

“With the continuing price increase of basic commodities, the number of man-days that Filipinos need to be able to purchase an iPhone 15 Pro may actually be more than 79.5 days,” he said.

Inflation accelerated for the first time in seven months in August, amid price increases of rice, vegetables, and fuel, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Preliminary data from the PSA showed the consumer price index quickened to 5.3% in August from 4.7% in July, but slower than the 6.3% clip last year.

August also marked the 17^th consecutive month that inflation surpassed the central bank’s 2-4% target range.

“As much as Filipinos want to experience and enjoy the features of the new iPhone variants, many Filipinos will still opt for smartphone brands that have a cheaper price tag,” Mr. Gustilo said. — Miguel Hanz L. Antivola

Senate body to craft Philippine map covering S. China Sea territories

September 13, 2023 | 8:17 pm

Spratly Islands-South China Sea-2 — AN AERIAL photo of Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, locally known as Pag-asa, in the contested Spratly Islands. — REUTERS

A SPECIAL Senate committee will craft a Philippine map that would assert the country’s claim over territories in the South China Sea as a response to China’s recent so-called 10-dash line map, a senator said on Wednesday.

In a statement, Senator Francis N. Tolentino said the Senate Special Committee on Maritime and Admiralty Zones will hold five hearings this month to decide on which areas of the disputed waterway would be included in the map.

“The West Philippine Sea will be institutionalized,” he said in Filipino. “We will add Benham Rise, Philippine Rise and other areas, one time big time.”

The Benham Rise, locally known as Philippine Rise is located east of northern Philippines and is said to be abundant in marine species and has untapped mineral resources and gas deposits.

Mr. Tolentino said on Tuesday that the committee would hold its first meeting on Thursday to discuss measures seeking to establish Philippine maritime zones, archipelagic sea lanes, and boosting the country’s archipelagic defense.

China recently released a 2023 version of its standard map, featuring a 10-dash line. The Philippines, Vietnam, India and Taiwan have criticized the map for covering regions beyond China’s borders and claiming most of the South China Sea.

The Philippines has filed a protest regarding the new map, which was published by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, Philippine Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Daniel R. Espiritu told a palace briefing last month.

China claims the South China Sea almost in its entirety based on a 1940s map which a United Nations-backed tribunal said in 2016 is illegal. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

How many days does a Filipino need to work to buy the latest iPhone?

September 13, 2023 | 8:15 pm

An average Filipino must work for 79.5 days — and spend all of his or her earnings — to buy the latest iPhone 15 Pro, according to the latest edition of the iPhone Index by research ﬁrm Picodi.com. This put the Philippines the second highest out of 47 countries in the index, behind Türkiye’s 123.7 days. The base model of the iPhone 15 Pro was priced at P70,990, almost fourfold the P18,744.39 average net monthly wage in the Philippines. Read the full story.

Philippine Azkals rally to beat Afghanistan in friendly match

September 13, 2023 | 8:01 pm

377761351_799925072136904_6411712287091324431_n — JENS SEBASTIAN RASMUSSEN (13) came off the bench to produce a crafty strike at the 74th minute that offset the Afghans’ opening goal then Christian Rontini (23) headed in the winner seven minutes later. — FACEBOOK.COM/THEAZKALSPH

THE YOUTH brigade saved the day for the Philippine Azkals as they pulled off a 2-1 fightback win over Afghanistan in Tuesday night’s international friendly at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Jens Sebastian Rasmussen, 21, came off the bench to produce a crafty strike at the 74^th minute that offset the Afghans’ opening goal then Christian Rontini, 24, headed in the winner seven minutes later to save the home side from the blushes.

The Azkals picked up the W four nights after blowing a 1-nil lead in a 1-1 draw against Chinese Taipei on wet conditions in Kaohsiung. They also put one over Afghanistan head to head after stalemates in two previous meetings in the defunct AFC Challenge Cup.

“In Germany, we say it’s a dirty win. You win despite the adversity, problems that were there so for us it‘s fantastic,” said the Azkals’ German coach Michael Weiss, who is preparing the team for the FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers in November.

“I think we should have already won in Taipei, which was the better game of the two. But at the end of the day, football is a results-oriented sport so I’m happy.

“It gives us confidence for the next level in October (next Fifa match days) as we’ll have a (training) camp in Bahrain (and possible friendlies) against very strong teams (prior to the World Cup Qualifiers),” he added.

Despite the Azkals controlling possession, it was the Afghans who broke through at the 64^th with Omid Popalzay firing a volley that eluded Neil Etheridge and bounced off the crossbar into the net.

Then came Mr. Rasmussen, who made an amazing run from the half-line past three Afghan defenders to slot in a sublime equalizer that drove the 2,157 supporters nuts.

Mr. Rontini made sure the merrymaking was complete as he soared to meet Bienve Maranon’s cross and send it home, executing Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic “siuu” celebration to the delight of the crowd.

Mr. Etheridge, now the elder statesman and skipper of the team, said the Azkals’ “winning mentality is back “after “accepting mediocrity the last five years.”

“It’s probably the first time in a long while I’ve seen that fight from an Azkals team. We could have rolled over after conceding one- nil. We didn’t,” said Mr. Etheridge, whom Mr. Weiss described as the side’s “mental coach” for helping his teammates embrace the “win-at-all-cost” mentality. — Olmin Leyba

Gilas Pilipinas preparing for tough road in Asian Games

September 13, 2023 | 8:00 pm

EVEN though it outranks Bahrain and Thailand in the totem pole and finished higher than Jordan in the last FIBA World Cup, Gilas Pilipinas is under no illusion the coming Asian Games would be easy.

“We know we have a tough road ahead of us,” Gilas interim coach Tim Cone said of what’s up ahead in the Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 Asiad in Hangzhou, China.

Mr. Cone’s troops face Bahrain, a Middle East side sitting 44 places lower in the FIBA world rankings, in the Group C opener. The 94^th-ranked Thais, the Philippines’ regular prey in the Southeast Asian Games, is next before the WC 23^rd-placing Filipinos battle Jordan, a squad that wound up 32^nd and last in the global meet.

“We don’t know much about Bahrain but we’re trying to figure it out. We know Thailand from the SEA Games and they’ve gotten better and better with their naturalized players and Thai-Americans. Their program’s really growing by leaps and bounds so we know they’re going to be tough,” said Mr. Cone.

As for Jordan, the Middle Eastern squad is topbilled by TNT’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (RHJ), a skilled man responsible for taking the PBA Governors’ Cup away from Mr. Cone and Gilas counterpart Justin Brownlee.

“Justin (Brownlee) already has the experience of playing Rondae (Hollis-Jefferson) so we know how tough he is. And he played really, really well in the World Cup, he was amazing,” said Mr. Cone of RHJ.

If Gilas does get past the group stages, a potential showdown with Japan and Korea looms. The Japanese reportedly has a team for the Asian Games separate from the side that took the highest Asian honors in the World Cup (WC). The Koreans, meanwhile, have been preparing solely for the Asian Games since they weren’t in the global hoopfest.

Then there’s host China, which should be raring to give Gilas a home beatdown in the mold of the latter’s 96-75 blowout in the WC.

“If we win (a seat in the next stage), we’ll probably cross over with either Japan or Korea so that’s not going to be easy either. And China will be there somewhere along the line,” said Mr. Cone.

“We haven’t spent too much time thinking about it (opposition), they’re not right in front of us yet. Right now, we’re trying to do the day-to-day, trying to get ourselves prepared. But we know we’ve got a tough road and we have to figure out a way to play Rondae (Hollis-Jefferson),” he added. — Olmin Leyba

Gilas men’s, women’s basketball team set for joint training

September 13, 2023 | 7:59 pm

Gilas Women’s Basketabll Team — GILAS WOMEN’S BASKETABLL TEAM — FIBA.BASKETBALL

THE GILAS Pilipinas women’s team beams with excitement to share the court with its men’s counterparts as they both brace for a tall order of flying the flag high in the upcoming Asian Games on Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 in Hangzhou, China.

Head coach and program director Pat Aquino said it will be like “one big family” for both the Philippine basketball teams as they train together on a rare occasion today at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

“We would like to thank coach Tim Cone for doing this. It’s also nice to see the Gilas together like one big family,” Mr. Aquino told The STAR after Mr. Cone’s announcement of the momentous event.

Mr. Cone on Tuesday shared that the stage has been set for the joint training of the two Philippine quintets and it will be open to the public at 4 p.m.

The addition of Gilas women, which was at the sidelines of the FIBA Basketball World Cup here and even met 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup global ambassador Sue Bird, in the men’s camp will boost the team’s preparation since last month at the Aero Center in Quezon City.

Aside from home training, Gilas also embarked on overseas trips with participation in the FIBA Asia Cup Division A, the return of the Women’s Jones Cup and a pocket tournament in South Korea against Women’s Korean Basketball League teams.

Gilas actually started preparing for the Asiad as early as summer when it took home a pair of silver medals in the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games before claiming a historic sixth-place finish in the Asia Cup in Australia.

In the Jones Cup, Gilas also finished sixth while standing its ground against Korean squads. Gilas will also play against UAAP teams starting against Far Eastern University this weekend.

“The preparation is doing good and hoping that we can make our country proud again,” added Mr. Aquino, whose wards will be led by veterans Jack Animam and Afril Bernardino.

Like the men’s teams, Gilas women already have an initial list submitted to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee but possible changes are anticipated.

Gilas women’s Hangzhou Asiad stint will mark its return to the continental stint for the first time since 1998, when coincidentally the Philippine centennial team also under Mr. Cone won the bronze in Bangkok for the country’s last podium finish.

This time with inspiration from each other in joint training, the Philippine teams are determined to end the drought and bring home the country’s lost glory. — John Bryan Ulanday

Philippines braces for war in chess in Hangzhou Games

September 13, 2023 | 7:59 pm

THE PHILIPPINES is eyeing to replicate, if not eclipse, its solid silver medal finish the last time chess was held in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China 13 years ago as it braces for battle in the Hangzhou Games set Sept. 23 to Oct. 8.

The country is fielding a 10-strong squad spearheaded by Grandmasters Mark Paragua, John Paul Gomez and Darwin Laylo and Woman GM Janelle Mae Frayna as it tries to get a fair share of the five gold medals staked in the event.

The categories to be fought at in Hangzhou are men’s team standard, individual and team rapid and women’s individual rapid and team standard.

In 2010, the Filipinos, then headed by Wesley So and composed of GMs Eugene Torre, Joey Antonio, Mr. Gomez and Mr. Laylo, came out of nowhere in snatching a men’s team silver.

They finished behind the mighty Chinese and shockingly ahead of another powerhouse India.

But the Indians have since improved by leaps and bounds in the last decade and have produced two bronze medal teams in both the men’s and women’s divisions of last year’s World Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India and three players in the top 20.

It included World No. 8 Dommaraju Gukesh and No. 19 and FIDE World Cup runner up Rameshbabu Praggnandhaa, who will be part of India’s squad in Hangzhou.

And the country no longer has Mr. So, who has since moved and represented the United States for years.

The Filipinos, who will also be composed of Paulo Bersamina, Jem Garcia, Bernadette Galas, Shania Mae Mendoza, Jan Jodilyn Fronda and Marie Antoinette San Diego, however, isn’t giving up on hope.

“We’ll do our best,” said national coach GM Jayson Gonzales. — Joey Villar

PSC hosts financial literacy seminar for national athletes, coaches

September 13, 2023 | 7:59 pm

NATIONAL training pool athletes and coaches, numbering around 400, will receive insights from top financial executives in the country today as the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) hosts a financial literacy seminar at Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.

The project, dubbed “Pera Mo, Kinabukasan Mo!”, is an initiative of the agency, overseen by PSC Commissioner Walter Torres, to provide a comprehensive understanding of financial literacy, offering insights, strategies and practical knowledge to enable informed financial decision-making to all national athletes and coaches.

“Our national team just came off two successful stints at the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games, in which they were rewarded with cash incentives by the government last August. We felt the need to also guide them to take care of their hard-earned peso,” said Mr. Torres.

The day-long seminar will feature top executives in the field, starting with renowned financial educator and author Chinkee Tan, followed by Landbank of the Philippines’ Overseas Filipino Bank Representative Officer Leover Loyola, Acting Senior Trust Management Specialist Neil Concepcion, Digital Marketing Officer Desiree Cabuyao and Treasury Manager Glenn Aguda for the morning session.

Pioneer Life, Inc. Vice President for Marketing Corporate Affairs Liza Lichauco and Middle Income Insurance Deputy Head Hazel Inocencio-Zapanta will open the afternoon session, together with Scam Watch Pilipinas Co-Lead Convenors Art Samaniego and Jocel De Guzman, Pag-IBIG Member Services Officer Ms. Maricel Zamudio, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Senior Specialist Mr. Marcelo C. Matias.

“As sports continue to mold the discipline and dedication of our athletes in the game, it is also through those same values that they can be good stewards of their money,” said PSC Chairman Richard Bachmann.

The program marks the third time the PSC conducted a financial literacy seminar for athletes and coaches, dating back in the first and second editions in 2015 and 2019, respectively, with Registered Financial Planner (RFP) and journalist Salve Duplito.

Haaland, Norway keep Euro hunt

September 13, 2023 | 7:58 pm

ERLING Haaland notched his 25^th goal in 26 international appearances to help Norway to a 2-1 win over Georgia on Tuesday that kept their Euro 2024 qualification hopes alive.

The 23-year-old striker struck on 25 minutes before captain Martin Odegaard doubled their lead eight minutes later as the home side dominated the match at Oslo’s Ullevaal stadium.

However, with Norway needing all three points to remain in the hunt for one of the two qualifying spots from Group A, Budu Zivzivadze rattled the home side’s nerves by pulling a goal back for Georgia in stoppage time. — Reuters

Livestream shopping booms on 9.9 — Shopee

September 13, 2023 | 7:55 pm

livestream-shopping-shoppertainmentlive — SHOPPERTAINMENTLIVE.COM

Interactive livestream selling had a significant breakthrough for small online businesses during the the Sept. 9 sale period, according to e-commerce platform Shopee.

When compared to a normal day, Shopee Live saw an increase in first-time buyers of 41 times, as users made the most of the platform’s exclusive 9.9 promos and shoppertainment opportunities, Shopee said in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday.

“This 9.9, we are glad to bring users even more value through Shopee Live, by helping brands and sellers reach out to and deliver the best deals to shoppers effectively,” Vincent Lee, head of Shopee Philippines, said.

Shoppertainment is a fast-growing e-commerce opportunity that seeks to entertain and educate consumers to drive sales.

It is projected to expand to a market value of over $1 trillion by 2025, according to the Boston Consulting Group.

Viewers had spent more than 2.7 million hours on the platform’s live-selling platform, with a six-times uptick in new viewers compared to an average day, according to Shopee.

“Sellers also achieved increased sales with an 8 times uplift of items sold within the first two hours of September 9, compared to an average day,” Shopee said.

It also said that Chemiscents, its top local merchant selling personalized perfume and hand sanitizer bottles, sold over 29,000 items via livestream on Sept. 9 alone.

Brands were able to gain up to P11 million in a single stream on September 9, Shopee said.

Shoppers claimed over 400,000 deal vouchers during the sale period, the platform added. — Miguel Hanz L. Antivola