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SME trade services startup 1Export opens Indonesia office 

REUTERS

STARTUP 1Export, a provider of compliance and logistics solutions for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) engaged in trade, said it recently opened an office in Indonesia.

1Export said in a statement on Tuesday that the new office is tasked with helping SMEs achieve compliance with Indonesian trade rules, find distributors, and ship products at a “competitive rate.”  

Philippine companies “can now bring their products to Indonesia without having to worry about the bureaucracy of processing the necessary (approvals),” the company said.

It said that “compliance seminars for the US and Saudi Arabia are being conducted on a regular basis in order for SMEs to understand the importance of shipping properly,” it added.

According to 1Export, it raised $860,000 from a seed capital round in August last year enabling its Indonesia expansion. Participants in the seed round were Foxmont Capital Partners, Manila Angels Investor Network, and Iterative VC.

The startup, established in 2016, has also partnered with digital logistics platform Envio in supporting deliveries and warehousing in Indonesia.  

“There were already customers availing of our services as soon as we launched. The Philippines was a relatively challenging market to operate in. For us, if we solve the problems of the Philippines, we can also address the difficulties in more challenging markets,” 1Export Chief Executive Officer Mel Nava said.  

1Export’s other initiatives include partnering with Muslim organizations in Indonesia to lower the cost of halal products in the Philippines.

The startup also uses its distribution channels to assist Indonesian SMEs. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

DENR opens cold chain technology transfer center in Taguig

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has launched a cold chain innovation hub in Taguig City to promote low-carbon and energy-efficient technologies.

“The Cold Chain Innovation Hub (CCIH) is a one-stop shop for technology transfer, capacity building, research, and education,” the DENR said in a statement on Tuesday.

DENR Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Service Director Al O. Orolfo said the project will help the Philippines meet its ozone-depleting substance phaseout commitments.

The hub will serve as a venue for global partnership for the public and private sectors and technology providers.

It is also expected to help upgrade worker skills in commercial and industrial refrigeration.

Mr. Orolfo said that while cold chains are vital for the economy, the industry must be developed in a sustainable and climate-friendly manner and aligned with commitments to the Montreal Protocol and the Paris Agreement.

The Philippines is committed under the Montreal Protocol to phase out the production of ozone-depleting substances like chlorofluorocarbons, which have been banned since the 1990s. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Addressing the challenge of agricultural development: The coconut

CHEN MIZRACH-UNSPLASH

(Part 4)

In the Transition Report of the last leadership in the Department of Agriculture (DA), a great deal of importance was given to the Philippine coconut industry. This stands to reason because 69 out of 82 provinces in the country produce coconut. The industry covers about 3.62 million hectares, about a third of the total farm land, and provides an estimated 2.5 million farmers with employment. As of 2018, it was estimated that the Philippines had 347 million fruit-bearing coconut trees and a total production (in metric tons) of 14.7 million (nut terms).

The Philippines is the second largest producer of coconut in the ASEAN, next only to Indonesia. Major producers of coconut in the Philippines include the regions of Calabarzon, the Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao, and Northern Mindanao.

According to the Philippine Statistical Authority in its Bulletin, April to June 2022, coconut (with husk) production improved to 3.30 million metric tons, an increase of 2% from 3.29 million metric tons output in the same period of 2021, the height of the pandemic. The Davao Region was the top producer during the quarter, with 460.01 thousand metric tons output or a 13.7% share in the country’s coconut production. Northern Mindanao and the Zamboanga Peninsula followed with 13.1% and 12.4% shares, respectively.

Unfortunately, as described in a paper issued by the Food and Fertilizer Technology Center for the Asian and Pacific Region (PCAARRD), the coconut industry in the Philippines has been in a constant state of stagnation. It is still considered to be an “orphan” in the country’s agriculture because of poor investments, with a very high poverty incidence among millions of Filipino coconut farmers.

Among the identified problems are the unorganized supply chain, vulnerability of the product to world price fluctuations, low farm productivity, recurring infestations of an insect called “cocolisap,” the ageing of the current crop of coconut trees, inadequate fertilization, insufficient farm to market roads, low allocation on research and development (R&D), and the presence of corruption and bureaucracy.

To make matters even worse, there is the unresolved coconut levy fund.

The Marcos Jr. administration need not start from scratch in addressing these myriad problems of the coconut industry. The President should seriously consider the content of the Transition Report submitted to him by the DA’s former leadership. The first step is to address the coconut levy fund issue.

The enactment of Republic Act No. 11524, or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund, signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte on Feb. 16, 2021, paved the way for the release of the P74-billion coconut levy fund intended to uplift the livelihood of the coconut farmers and their families. The law mandates the formulation of a 50-year Coconut Farmers’ and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) that will provide the blueprint for the modernization and industrialization of the coconut sector. As of March 10, 2022, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) has submitted the CFIDP to the Office of the President for signing, a pre-condition for the release of the coconut levy fund. Concomitantly, there is an on-going drafting and consolidation of the CFIDP Operations Manual to flesh out the operational details of the Plan.

In addition, the PCA’s Program Management Office and Implementing agencies are conducting parallel pre-implementation activities for the full activation of the CFIDP. While awaiting the signature of the President, the PCA focuses on conducting and establishing an information campaign and completing the staff requirements of the PMO.

Among the important concerns of President Marcos Jr., especially in his position as Secretary of Agriculture, is the coordination of various agencies that have to act synergistically. He should pay special attention to the way the PCA collaborated with the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) and the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), as well as the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital for clinical studies on the therapeutic use of virgin coconut oil against COVID-19. Results of the study by the PCA and DOST-FNRI found that five of the 29 individuals with probable and suspect COVID-19 cases who were served meals with VCO manifested diminishing signs and symptoms as early as the second day, while only one patient served with the same meals but without the VCO showed similar improvement. The study of the PCHRD and UP-PGH is still ongoing.

Among the short-term goals (2023-2025) indicated in the Agriculture Department’s Transition Report, there is one that is most applicable to the coconut sector. It is the one about farm consolidation and clustering.

Studies have shown that the fragmentation of farm lands into miniscule sizes (1-1.5 hectares) has resulted in a significant decline in farm productivity. This is due to the lack of economies of scale that results in the inability to apply modern farm machinery and technology. It is for this reason that the leadership of the DA in the last Administration advocated farm consolidation as one of the key pillars in promoting agricultural development. It has to be pointed out, however, that consolidation does not refer to ownership of land but to its use and cultivation. There should be a way of replicating land use models that have worked in other agricultural countries like Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam that have made agrarian reform compatible with large-scale application of mechanization and other modern technologies through cooperatives or nucleus estate farming.

As Secretary of Agriculture, President Marcos Jr. can literally crack the whip for the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agrarian Reform (with possible participation of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the cases of fruit trees) to finally address this long-standing dilemma of making social justice compatible with economic growth and development.

The prolonged agrarian reform program has resulted in the fragmentation of farm lands, especially in the coconut sector, into ridiculously small sizes. It also decimated the middle-class farmers because of the low hectarage ceiling for land ownership. There is an economic size for the production of most agricultural commodities but its realization cannot be attained because of the low hectarage ceiling. The result was the increasing impoverishment of the small farmers and the inability to form an entrepreneurial class of middle-income farmers because of the unviable sizes of the farms mandated by agrarian reform.

President Marcos Jr. has the unique opportunity of reviewing the agrarian reform program after more than 30 years of implementation to make the necessary revisions to ensure that the law will really promote the development of the agricultural sector and, more importantly, to redeem the small farmers from grinding poverty, which is especially acute in the coconut industry. In this regard, President Marcos Jr. should give serious study to the proposal submitted by General Benjamin Madrigal as PCA Chief to the Transition Team spelling out a very realistic program to apply the clustering scheme for coconut farms to address this problem of lack of economies of scale in the coconut industry that resulted from the agrarian reform program.

 

Bernardo M. Villegas has a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard, is professor emeritus at the University of Asia and the Pacific, and a visiting professor at the IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. He was a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission.

bernardo.villegas@uap.asia

The 21st Century Philippine Navy: The challenge of building capabilities amidst unfilled expectations

BRP ANTONIO LUNA (FF151) is seen docking at Manila South Harbor Pier 15, on Aug. 25, during the Philippine Navy arrival ceremony for the returning Naval Task Group (NTG) 80.0 on board the multi-mission capable frigate, from their participation in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise 2022 in Hawaii. — PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

For three months in 2012, the Philippines engaged China in a dangerous standoff near Scarborough Shoal. This maritime incident between the two countries began on April 10 when the Philippine Navy dispatched its flagship, the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar, to Scarborough Shoal to apprehend eight Chinese boats allegedly illegally fishing in this land feature. Both countries were claiming this feature.

At the onset of the standoff, China immediately had the upper hand when it used a civilian vessel to force a Philippine Navy surface combatant to back away and withdraw from the shoal. More significantly, the standoff also exposed the Navy’s weakness.

EARLY EFFORTS TO MODERNIZE
The aftermath of the three-month standoff at Scarborough Shoal urged the Aquino Administration to push for the modernization of the Navy. In June 2012, the Navy formulated the Philippine Fleet Desired Force Mix, which envisioned that the Philippine government would spend about $12 billion for the acquisition of the following: three submarines, six frigates, 12 corvettes, 18 Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), 42 multipurpose attack craft, and 30 patrol boats, among others. The Navy also developed the Active Archipelagic Defense Strategy (AADS) in December 2013. The AADS is composed of three strategic concepts: a.) maritime situational awareness; b.) maritime operations; and, c.) maritime cooperation.

The Aquino administration, however, was immobilized by scant financial resources. The Navy acquired only two second-hand US Coast Guard Cutters (the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar and the BRP Alcaraz) and signed the contract for 12 F/A-50 multi-purpose fighter planes from South Korea. Though the Navy acquired six Multi-Purpose Attack Crafts (MPACs), the Department of National Defense (DND) postponed the purchase of missile-armed MPACs. Furthermore, it could not source the much-needed blue-water missile-armed ships, search-and-rescue vessels, naval helicopters, strategic sea lift ships, and top-of-the-line interceptors to protect the country’s oil exploration projects and territorial claims in the South China Sea because of the shortfall in funds allocated by the Philippine Congress.

CONTINUING THE EFFORTS
The Duterte Administration continued its predecessor’s arms modernization program. In September 2016, the DND signed a procurement contract for the construction of two frigates with Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) as the contractor. In August 2019, South Korea donated a Pohang class corvette to the Philippines. Formerly the Chungju of the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN), the corvette named BRP Conrado Yap became the most heavily armed PN ship and has been designated for anti-submarine warfare missions in the South China Sea. In July 2020, the Navy commissioned its first brand-new guided-missile frigate, the BRP Jose Rizal, manufactured by the HHI shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea. The newly acquired frigate is capable of waging anti-air, anti-surface, anti-submarine, and electronic warfare operations.

In October 2020, the Navy received the first of eight fast-attack interdiction craft-missile (FAIC-M) purchased to replace its aging force killer medium or medium patrol craft. Half of the FAIC-M will be armed with non-line-of-sight missiles and will be deployed in the country’s key sea-lines-of-communications (SLOCs), such as Mindoro, Balabac, Sibutu, and Basilan Straits against conventional naval threats.

In March 2021, the Navy commissioned its second missile frigate, the BRP Antonio Luna (FF151). The commissioning of this frigate marked the completion of the Navy’s long-delayed frigate acquisition project that began during the Aquino Administration.

FACING A GUNS-VERSUS-BUTTER DILEMMA
The Navy has embarked on a major effort to develop itself into a credible naval force by mothballing its huge inventory of Second World War vintage destroyer escorts, high endurance patrol escorts, motor gunboats, etc., and acquiring some modern naval assets in the past few years.

Early in his term, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. faces a guns-versus-butter dilemma; he has to decide whether he would fund the third horizon of the AFP modernization program. This program will further capacitate the Philippine armed forces to safeguard the country’s SLOCs.

THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH FRANCE
As the Philippines and France mark the 75th anniversary of bi-lateral relations, a new chapter in their continuing engagement in defense and security promises to significantly boost the Navy’s defense capability.

Said French Ambassador to the Philippines Michèle Boccoz in a recent Op-Ed article, “As two nations of the Indo-Pacific, our shared goal of developing independent foreign policies in the region first and foremost entails the protection of our territorial sovereignty, and the possibility to freely navigate international waters. This is why France has been increasing patrols in the region since the launch of its Indo-Pacific strategy in 2018, and successfully developed defense partnerships in the region.”

With French support, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, under the Horizon 3 of its modernization program, is planning to acquire the Philippine Navy’s first submarine.

On Sept. 14, the Stratbase Group under the patronage of the French Embassy in Manila, will host an international forum on “Revolutionizing the Philippine Defense Posture with France in the Indo-Pacific.” High officials of France and geopolitical and defense experts will explore and define the opportunities for stronger maritime security and defense cooperation.

With all the challenges on multiple fronts the nation is facing today, revitalizing relations with states that respect the rule of law is critical to Philippine defense posture.

 

Dr. Renato De Castro is a trustee and program convenor of the Stratbase ADR Institute.

Workplace Culture: Dealing with bullying, discrimination and harassment

MORGAN BASHAM-UNSPLASH

In a bid to restart the economy, the government has rolled back most pandemic measures. With this, more and more employees are reporting to the office either as needed, pursuant to a set schedule, or for the entire workweek. The return to the workplace necessarily entails an increase in personal interactions among coworkers.

With the increased personal interaction with coworkers, employees get to see more sides of their coworkers’ personalities. Unfortunately, some employees who thought that they worked well with their coworkers while they were working with each other from different locations may now discover negative personality traits or faults on the part of their coworkers. While this may be limited to simple friction which may go unnoticed, the worst-case scenario is for the new interactions to result in hostile feelings among the members of the workforce that may affect their mental health.

Some may say that the mental health concern is a result of the hostile work environment, while others may simply classify this as bullying. Traditionally, the term “bullying” refers to aggressive or intimidating acts performed by children or adolescents while in school. The more common terms used in discussing grievances in relation to co-workers, colleagues, and superiors are “harassment” or “discrimination.” Unfortunately, the term “workplace bullying” has been used more often worldwide in recent years.

Unlike bullying in school, workplace bullying is not covered by any specific law in the Philippines. Republic Act 10627, or the Anti-Bullying Act, applies to school-related bullying and seeks to address a hostile environment that disrupts the education process. There were previous efforts to legislate similar laws to apply to the workplace. House Bill 815 was filed with the House of Representatives in 2016, while Senate Bill Number 1217 was filed in 2019. Both bills sought to prevent acts classified as bullying which include physical, emotional, and mental harm, profanities, name-calling, negative comments on how a person looks and dresses, cyber-bullying, spreading of rumors, false news, and gossip against an individual, threat and intimidation, taking of undue credit for work performed by others, and preventing access to workplace, career, and office opportunities.

While HB 815 and SB 127 have not yet been passed, this does not mean that persons who have the proclivity to perform hostile acts may just do as they please. The following acts are prohibited for being discriminatory:

1.) Discrimination to discourage or encourage membership in a labor organization (PD 442);

2.) Discriminating against an employee on account of race (PD 966);

3.) Discriminating against any female employee with respect to terms and conditions of employment solely on account of her sex (RA 6725);

4.) Discriminating against any solo parent employee with respect to terms and conditions of employment on account of his/her status (RA 8972);

5.) Discrimination and ill treatment of an indigenous person on account of his/her descent (RA 9371);

6.) Discriminating against a disabled employee or subjecting him/her to public ridicule due to his/her impairment/s (RAs 7277 and 9442);

7.) Discriminating against an employee on account of age (RA 10911);

8.) Discriminating against an employee with a mental-health condition (RA 11036);

9.) Discriminating against an employee on account of actual, perceived, or suspected HIV status (RA 11166);

10.) Discriminating against female employees for them not to avail of maternity leave benefits (RA 11210);

11.) Discriminating against an employee who has cancer or is a cancer survivor (RA 11215);

12.) Discriminating against an employee who had or has tuberculosis (DoLE DO 73-05); and

13.) Discriminating against an employee on account of his/her Hepatitis B status (DoLE DA 05 Series of 2010).

If any hostile act is sexual in nature, this may be considered sexual harassment and one may invoke either the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act (RA 7822) or Safe Spaces Act (RA 11313) depending on the circumstances.

In case the employee’s hostile act is not covered by any of the aforementioned prohibitions, the employer may still take action if the act is proscribed by the Company Policy, Code of Conduct, or Employee’s Handbook. Improper conduct is usually penalized by employers who have a policy or its equivalent, and the term is broad enough to cover any hostile act.

If there is no code of conduct in place, the employee who displays disruptive behavior may be penalized for having an attitude problem as supported by substantial evidence. “Attitude problem” is broad enough to cover any acts of bullying, harassment, or discrimination. As early as 2005, the Supreme Court declared that “an employee’s attitude problem is a valid ground for his termination. It is a situation analogous to loss of trust and confidence that must be duly proved by the employer.” Further, it was discussed that “An employee who cannot get along with his co-employees is detrimental to the company for he can upset and strain the working environment. Without the necessary teamwork and synergy, the organization cannot function well. Thus, management has the prerogative to take the necessary action to correct the situation and protect its organization.”

Therefore, employers and victims of workplace bullying have potential remedies despite the absence of a law that specifically addresses workplace bullying. However, it would be best if employers were able to determine if job applicants fit the culture of the company and would not disrupt the peace.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. This article is for general informational and educational purposes only and not offered as and does not constitute legal advice or legal opinion.

 

Martin Luigi G. Samson is an associate of the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW), Davao Branch.

(6382) 224-0996

mgsamson@accralaw.com

Broadening the Philippines’ financial inclusion mission

BW FILE PHOTO

THE latest financial inclusion survey (FIS) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) further signals how the fintech revolution has undeniably swept the country. The report affirms that the simplicity, convenience and accessibility offered by e-money services, digital lending and basic savings accounts position them as the most promising sectors.

Unbanked Filipino adults dropped to 34.3 million or 44% of the total adult population from 51.2 million in 2019, reflecting a reduction of 16.9 million individuals from the category. While favorable, examining data from the BSP indicates that work remains to be done to address unequal access to modern digital services.

Seventy-three percent of farmers, 48% of workers in private households, and 45% of self-employed individuals say they have no financial account. Women noticeably outranked men when it comes to account ownership, smartphone and internet access, online financial transactions, use of formal credit, fund transfer remittances, and financial literacy. Geographical and age-related gaps were also revealed in the report.

These details, along with the lack of documentary requirements and money being listed as topmost reasons for not having an account, explains the growing importance of digital-first services that demand fewer requirements to participate, allowing them to get past most geographical and economic barriers faster.

E-money accounts are now the most-owned, with account holders performing transactions most frequently at one to six times a week in 2021, a jump from twice a month usage in 2019. Seventy-eight percent of account holders used their accounts for payment-related transactions, higher than for savings (56%).

Credit also grew, which happened mostly because of borrowing from family and friends, and informal lenders, which both grew in 2021 at 47% (from 44% in 2019) and 14% (from 10%), respectively. Borrowing from formal sources meanwhile received the same (56%) while bank loans are still very low (4% compared with 3% in 2019). Filipinos’ growing appetite for credit illustrates a challenge and untapped opportunity for digital lending technologies to continue building trust and properly respond to consumers’ urgent needs for small payments, business capital, emergency funds, and the like.

The FIS considers dedicated attention to some groups of the population and generating more awareness of inclusive products and services as the main ways to gain greater financial inclusion and resilience in the country. This can be broadened by all stakeholders capitalizing on the accelerated financial digitalization that is being seen, the people’s desire to improve themselves when dealing with financial questions, and greater mainstreaming of innovative financial products from smartphone apps.

Continued government efforts are expected to further make a mark, with 83% of respondents in the FIS agreeing that BSP’s programs and policies helped increase access to financial services.

It is a no-brainer that those who wish to become or remain a meaningful player in the Philippine fintech scene are compelled to get even more creative in improving service without sacrificing simplicity, address specific pain points in various segments of the population, solve the challenges of informal financial services, and help people to master these new technologies, strengthen their financial well-being, and reach their personal goals faster and easier.

The local fintech industry’s vision of addressing critical issues is one that should also be done with collaboration between products and services — effectively becoming a more seamless digital ecosystem. Doing so truly works towards a financially and technologically resilient Philippines.

 

Kirill Kalashnikov is the regional director for APAC at Robocash Group, which operates in the Philippines through Digido Finance Corp.

Obiena scores his sixth golden vault in Bellinzona, Switzerland

REUTERS

WORLD Championship bronze medalist EJ Obiena added another feather on his cap after he ruled last Monday’s Gala dei Castelli in Bellinzona, Switzerland where he also set a new meet record.

The 26-year-old World No. 3 from the Philippines cleared 5.81 meters on his second attempt to claim his sixth golden vault and eighth straight podium finish.

He also reset the meet record of 5.70m registered by Tim Lobinger 23 years ago.

The event, which was not originally listed in schedule he posted in his social media, capped a spectacular campaign by the Asian record-holder highlighted by a memorable win over Olympic and world champion and world record-holder Armand Duplantis in Brussels, Belgium more than a week ago.

Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Chris Nilsen of the United States and Renaud Lavillenie of France each had 5.71ms but the former copped the silver and the latter the bronze via count back.

The Southeast Asian Games gold medalist went fort 5.95m that would have established a new Asian mark and eclipsed the old one of 5.94m he himself set in the Worlds in Eugene, Oregon last July.

He failed in three attempts though.

The string of triumphs nonetheless established further Mr. Obiena’s reputation as one of the big guns in the sport.

His other conquests came in the Stabhochsprungmeeting in Jockgrim, Germany, the True Athletes Classics in Leverkusen, Germany, the Saint Wendel City Jump in Sankt Wendel, Germany and the Golden Fly Series in Liechtenstein.

He had a bronze in the Athletissima in Lausanne, Switzerland and silver in ISTAF in Berlin, Germany. — Joey Villar

SSC Stags book first win in NCAA Season 98

SAN SEBASTIAN’s masterful display of defensive prowess — NCAA/SYNERGY/GMA NETWORK, INC.

Games Today
(Filoil EcoOil Centre)
12 p.m. — JRU vs Letran
3 p.m. — LPU vs Mapua

SAN Sebastian College (SSC) unmasked Arellano University (AU) from a title contender to a mere pretender with an emphatic 60-51 victory yesterday to launch its own championship bid in the 98th NCAA basketball tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

The Stags achieved the feat with a masterful display of defensive prowess particularly in the second half when they shackled the Chiefs to just 24 points after the latter scored 27 in the first half.

So suffocating was SSC’s defense that it forced AU to 24 turnovers that resulted to 30 points, which was half of the former’s total production.

The win catapulted SSC into an early four-way logjam at the helm with Mapua, College of St. Benilde and University of Perpetual Help and, hopefully, the championship if it keeps playing impressive games like this one.

“The team gets it motivation from our defense because we believe defense wins championship,” said SSC coach Egay Macaraya.

Itchie Altamirano was the only player from SSC that finished in double figures with 10.

“All of us played our roles especially in defense,” said Mr. Altamirano, who also had four rebounds, four assists and two steals.

But the Stags didn’t need scoring that much as defense carried them through their first win.

That defense zapped the title aspirations out of AU, which came in confident after pulling the rug from under a pre-season favorite Emilio Aguinaldo College, 63-58, in Saturday’s opener at the Big Dome.

After scoring that much in that opener, the Chiefs fired only bricks and blanks on this one, no thanks to the Stags’ rock-solid defense.

Journeyman Darrel Menina, who led AU with 15 points in that win, ran into the punishing SSC wall and was held scoreless in five attempts and forced to turn the ball over thrice. — Joey Villar

THE SCORES:

SSC-R 60 — Altamirano 10, Villapando 9, Yambing 9, Felebrico 7, Cosari 6, Una 6, Sumoda 4, Are 3, Shanoda 2, Escobido 2, Desoyo 2, Suico 0

Arellano 51 — Doromal 15, Flores 12, Abastillas 8, Talampas 8, Oliva 2, Mallari 2, Tolentino 2, Sunga 2, Menina 0, Oftana 0, Mantua 0

Quarterscores: 10-12; 27-27; 50-38; 60-51

Eala jumps to No. 35 from No. 167 in ITF junior rankings

FILIPINO tennis ace Alex Eala — ALEX EALA FB PAGE

BUOYED by a historic US Open conquest, Alex Eala roared and soared back into the Top 50 International Tennis Federation (ITF) world junior rankings.

The Filipina tennis pride leapt 132 notches all the way from No. 167 to place at No. 35 with 1,106.75 points in the world junior list despite only a single event so far this season.

That lone tilt proved to be a giant stepping stone as the 17-year-old Ms. Eala harvested 1,000 points from winning the US Open for her breakthrough singles Grand Slam in her budding career.

A two-time doubles Grand Slam titlist in the 2020 Australian Open and 2021 French Open, Ms. Eala’s championship in the US tennis major was also the first for the Philippines in any singles Grand Slam tournament that made her return to junior play a sweet double jackpot.

Ms. Eala, a scholar of the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain, was once the world junior No. 2 player last year but slid outside Top 150 due to inactivity after opting to spend more time in the women’s professional circuit.

In her comeback, the No. 10 seed Ms. Eala was relentless the entire tournament without a single set allowed through six rounds highlighted by a 6-2, 6-4 finals win over No. 3 seed and world junior No. 2 Lucie Havlickova of Czech Republic.

Ms. Havlickova (3,598.5), despite the loss, overtook Belgium’s Sofia Costoulas (3,085.5) to become the new world junior No.1 player.

Aside from the Czech ace, Ms. Eala toppled top-ranked opponents in her US Open run including No. 7 Victoria Mboko of Canada, No. 10 Taylah Preston of Australia, No. 12 Mirra Andreeva of Russia, No. 18 Annabelle Xu of Canada and No. 28 Nina Vargova of Slovakia.

In the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), Ms. Eala also slightly improved to No. 288 from No. 297 with two titles to show in the 2021 W15 Manacor in Spain and 2022 W25 Chiang Rai in Thailand. — John Bryan Ulanday

Long lines and lack of water mar Qatar World Cup stadium trial

DOHA — “Stop! Can’t you see the metro station is full? Stop!” a frazzled supervisor shouted as green-vested marshals linked arms to contain thousands of fans streaming from the stadium that will host soccer’s World Cup final in Qatar.

It was after midnight on Friday and, for hours, nearly 78,000 people had been filing out of the stadium after a near-capacity match tested the small Gulf state’s readiness for the tournament, which kicks off on Nov. 20.

“Let us through! We have children,” cried one man carrying a sweaty toddler. “We need water. Is there water?” a woman shouted from behind the line.

There was none.

Stadium stands were out of water by halftime and there was none outside, where the late summer temperature was 34 Celsius (93 Fahrenheit) but felt far hotter because of the humidity.

Friday’s match, called the Lusail Super Cup, was the first time the new Lusail stadium has hosted such a crowd. At 80,000 seats, it is the largest of Qatar’s eight World Cup stadiums and a gold-clad showpiece designed to host the final match on Dec. 18.

Qatar is the first Middle Eastern country and smallest nation ever to host the World Cup. While it has spent billions of dollars on infrastructure, it has never organized an event on such a scale — which unusually for a World Cup will also be held in or around a single city.

There will be four matches around Doha every day for the first 12 days of the tournament. World soccer governing body FIFA says 2.45 million tickets out of a possible 3 million are already sold and an unprecedented 1.2 million people, equivalent to nearly half Qatar’s population, are expected to visit.

Organizers said exactly 77,575 people passed through the turnstiles on Friday, the largest crowd ever in Qatar. Families brought young children to the stadium, arriving ahead of a performance by Egyptian singer Amr Diab. Hundreds of Saudi fans wore the blue jersey of Al Hilal, the Saudi team which beat Egypt’s Zamalek on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

With migrants often bused in to fill empty arenas, hundreds of South Asian and African workers were also there together in a section of the stadium, wearing identical white, blue or red t-shirts. They left en masse at half time to board buses away.

Asked about the teething problems, a spokesperson for organizers, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, told Reuters the game was designed to identify operational issues and learn lessons for a “seamless” World Cup.

“Every team involved in the event’s organization gained invaluable experience they will carry into this year’s tournament,” the spokesperson added in a statement.

‘THIS IS SUCH A MESS’
In the post-game chaos, one fan leaving the stadium swore, elbowed a marshal in the neck and broke through the cordon, followed by several others, trying to reach the metro.

The station entrance is 400 meters from the stadium, but fans waited in a 2.5 kilometer line snaking back and forth across an empty lot. Officials said that was to prevent a stampede.

“This is such a mess,” said Eslam, an Egyptian fan who has lived in Doha since 2004 and had his arm around a bleary-eyed and exhausted friend in the line. “I don’t want to go to the World Cup any more. Not if it’s like this.”

Some suppliers, caterers, security personnel and medical staff had difficulty accessing the stadium, a supplier told Reuters.

“Even some ambulances were driving around trying to figure out where they were supposed to be positioned. We were given the wrong directions over-and-over and the parking passes we had were for lots that didn’t exist,” said the supplier, who did not want their name published due to the sensitivity.

The stadium cooling system, which Qatar has described as state-of-the art, struggled to keep the stands cool. Humidity levels and temperatures will be lower when the tournament starts, but there will be other challenges.

Unlike on Friday, ticket holders will be able to drink beer outside stadiums before and after each game.

Friday’s game was also a test for stadium security. Close to the pitch, guards in dark clothes and baseball caps were positioned every few meters in the aisles, monitoring fans, who were enthusiastic but well-behaved.

Outside, guards patrolled the perimeter in groups of five men or five women, each with a hook-shaped baton dangling from their belt. Some carried fistfuls of zip-tie handcuffs.

Preparations go far beyond the stadiums.

To prevent traffic across its only land border — with Saudi Arabia — from jamming roads, organizers are levelling a section of desert where fans will park their cars and board buses for the 100 km (62 miles) journey up the desert highway to Doha.

Authorities will limit cars on the roads by ordering schools to close for the tournament, banning vehicles from swathes of the city and urging businesses to have staff work from home.

An old airport is back in operation to handle extra flights and new passport control stands are being introduced to triple the number of passengers Qatar can process. Qatar Airways is shifting 70% of its flight schedule to create more landing slots during the tournament. — Reuters

Yankees back on a roll, visit Boston

FRESH off weekend series wins against American League East rivals, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees play a two-game set in Boston beginning Tuesday night.

New York (85-56) moved to 6-2 over its past eight games after claiming series wins against Minnesota and Tampa Bay during a seven-game homestand.

The Yankees scored double-digit runs in consecutive games have scored 10 runs or more a league-leading 20 times this season — including Sunday’s 10-4 win over the Rays — after reaching that mark just six times in all of 2021.

“It’s going to take everybody,” starting pitcher Gerrit Cole said recently. “It’s going to take guys that aren’t even in the room to get where we want to get. We just try to live by that motto and score one more run than the other team.”

Cole (11-7, 3.20 ERA) is expected to start Tuesday for the Yankees. He struck out a season-high 14 over 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball in the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader sweep of Minnesota. He leads the majors with 218 strikeouts.

Cole has allowed zero or one earned run in 13 of his past 25 starts, including three of the past five. He is 7-3 with a 4.14 ERA in 13 career starts against Boston. Two wins have come in three starts this season.

Despite their 10-18 August swoon, the Yankees closed the weekend with a 5 1/2-game division lead.

On Sunday, Gleyber Torres recorded his second multi-homer game of the season, giving him 20 home runs for the season.

“When he’s at his best, he’s a guy that lengthens our order and gives us power,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Hopefully this gets him rolling a little bit for the stretch drive.”

Oswaldo Cabrera hit his first major league home run Sunday.

Boston (69-72) finished a 2-4 road trip through Tampa and Baltimore on a high note, earning a 1-0 Sunday win over the Orioles to capture the final two games of the three-game series.

Rich Hill struck out seven in five, two-hit innings before four relievers clinched the ninth Red Sox shutout of the season. A day earlier, the Red Sox scored a season-high 17 runs on 21 hits in a 17-4 win.

“It was like playing a video game almost,” catcher Connor Wong said. “That was a lot of fun.”

Sunday, Tommy Pham reached base for the 17th straight game and scored the lone run on a Xander Bogaerts sacrifice fly.

Nick Pivetta (9-11, 4.29) was on the wrong side of a 1-0 score in his Wednesday start against the Rays, as he allowed a run in the fifth inning. He needed 101 pitches to finish that outing, allowing just two hits but three walks.

“He bounced back after the first two innings,” manager Alex Cora said. “Seemed like it was going to be a short one (with) a lot of 3-2 counts. Good fastball. Made some pitches when he had to.”

That’s Pivetta in a nutshell as the workhorse of Boston’s rotation, as his 155 1/3 innings are already the second-most of his six-year career — just 8 2/3 innings shy of his career high.

Pivetta is 0-2 over his past four starts and has the same record in three outings this season against the Yankees, who have tagged him for 17 runs in 13 1/3 innings. Overall, he’s 0-3 against New York in five career starts and has a 9.67 ERA against the Yanks.

The Yankees lead the season series 7-6 despite dropping a pair during last month’s three-game set in Boston. — Reuters

Danny Ainge: Jazz rebuilding because players lacked belief

DANNY Ainge joined the Utah Jazz as their CEO of basketball operations in the middle of last season. What he observed at the time contributed to the team’s decision to trade away their two All-Stars.

The Jazz dealt center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves in July, and after guard Donovan Mitchell became uncertain of his own future with the team, Utah sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this month.

There had long been reports chronicling Gobert and Mitchell’s uneasy relationship, but Ainge said it had more to do with the entire team.

“What I saw during the season was a group of players that really didn’t believe in each other,” Ainge told reporters at a news conference on Monday. “Like the whole group, I think they liked each other even more than what was reported, but I’m not sure there was a belief.

“When we got to the playoffs I thought, well this is a team that has had some disappointing playoffs, so I thought maybe they’re just waiting for the playoffs. I gave them that benefit of the doubt, but it was clear the team didn’t perform well in the playoffs again.”

The Jazz made the playoffs in each of the past six seasons, but they lost in the first round three times and lost in the Western Conference semifinals “The biggest thing for us was opening up a window to compete for a title,” Zanik said. “Give credit to ownership, the organization, the community and the support we’ve had over the last three years as we put every resource toward trying to accomplish that. And we fell short.

“In the NBA life cycle, this was kind of a touch point to make a pivot. To do that, we wanted to give the organization every opportunity, the greatest base of flexibility, young players and assets going forward to make really good decisions going forward to reach the ceiling we want to get to and that’s win a title here.”

The Jazz acquired five players, four first-round draft picks and one pick swap from Minnesota for Gobert. One of those five players, Patrick Beverley, was flipped to the Los Angeles Angels for guard Talen Horton-Tucker and forward Stanley Johnson. The Jazz also landed Malik Beasley, first-round rookie Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt and Leandro Bolmaro.

In the Mitchell deal, Utah received Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, rookie guard Ochai Agbaji, three first-round draft picks and two pick swaps from Cleveland. — Reuters

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