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Economist flags possibility of close vote, electoral protest

PHILSTAR

THE PROSPECT of a closer Presidential vote is looming based on momentum indicated by the March surveys, raising the possibility of a contested outcome that could lead to a repeat of the 2016 electoral protest, a GlobalSource Partners economist said.

Romeo L. Bernardo, the firm’s Philippine country analyst, said in a brief that Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s lead in the polls remains significant, though Vice President Ma. Leonor G. Robredo’s following has swollen to about 24%.

“While March survey results in past elections tended to have good predictive value of election results, many acknowledge that the campaign momentum is on VP Robredo’s side. Will this time be different?” Mr. Bernardo said.

“With less than a month to go until election day, does she have enough time to catch up? And if she manages to significantly narrow the gap towards the homestretch, would a close count lead to a repeat of the 2016 electoral protest (between the same two candidates but for the VP position) and increase business uncertainty?” he added.

He added that the Pulse Asia survey from mid-March showed Ms. Robredo’s voter share jumping 9 percentage points to 24%, which has “invigorated her supporters to intensify their house-to-house push in hopes of winning over supporters of the other candidates.”

“Although the VP’s recent gains have made the presidential campaign more interesting, political pundits continue to eye the wide gap between her and Mr. Marcos. The survey in March showed Mr. Marcos still enjoying a majority of voter support (56%), which is just 4 (percentage points) below his share in February.”

He also noted the prospect of an economy returning to normal, as reflected in the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) economic outlooks for the Philippines that were “mostly steady.”

The World Bank sees Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022 coming in at 5.7%, down from the 5.8% forecast issued in October. The ADB’s forecast was 6%, unchanged from its view in December.

“The steady outlooks (reflected) the positive impact of increased economic activity following the lifting of Covid restrictions, against the negative impacts of slower global growth and tighter financial conditions as well as rising inflation,” Mr. Bernardo said.

“Nevertheless, both institutions warned of downside risks from a worsening of global conditions, economic and geopolitical, in the face of more limited macroeconomic policy room,” he added. — Tobias Jared Tomas

Globe says willing to help in revising SIM card bill

PHILSTAR

GLOBE TELECOM, Inc. said it is ready to help legislators review the proposed SIM Card Registration Act, which President Rodrigo R. Duterte vetoed.

“Given this development, we stand ready to provide advice as they examine the matter deeper,” General Legal Counsel Froilan Vicente M. Castelo said in a statement late Saturday in response to a BusinessWorld query.

“Globe reiterates its commitment to support the government in its fight against fraud, terrorism and other crimes through the enforcement of existing laws,” he added.

The Palace announced Friday that Mr. Duterte had vetoed the proposed measure, which seeks the mandatory registration of subscriber identity module (SIM) cards. The President said such a measure could result in “dangerous state intrusion and surveillance, threatening many constitutionally protected rights,” because it also calls for the registration of social media accounts.

“Globe is following with interest progress on the SIM Card Registration Act,” Mr. Castelo said.

The proposed measure sets penalties for anyone who registers a SIM card using false information.

Mr. Duterte is “pushing instead for a more thorough study of the proposal,” Mr. Castelo noted. “We respect his decision.”

“Globe reiterates its commitment to support the government in its fight against fraud, terrorism and other crimes through the enforcement of existing laws,” he added.

The leading mobile operators, Globe and PLDT, Inc.’s Smart Communications, Inc., both supported the proposed measure.

Globe has called for the “rational enforcement” of the SIM Card Registration Act once it becomes law.

It would “protect Filipinos from rampant fraudulent activities using mobile phones and the internet,” the company said in a statement in February.

PLDT and Smart said that the measure would also help “spur e-commerce adoption and growth.”

“The PCTO (Philippine Chamber of Telecom Operators) supports the SIM card registration bill but this should ensure safeguards that will not unduly displace prepaid subscribers by giving a sufficient SIM registration period and ensuring that the wide adoption or use of the national ID is already in place,” said Roy Cecil D. Ibay, Smart Communications vice president for regulatory affairs.

Democracy.Net.PH, an information and communications technology rights group, welcomed Mr. Duterte’s veto.

“We were this close to allowing an intrusion into our privacy for what was nothing more than security theater,” the group said in a statement.

“The President vetoed it not only because the constitutional defects were glaring, but because the passage of this law posed a real and serious threat to our national security,” it added.

The group also said that more than 83,000 individuals signed its petition on the Change website calling for the veto of the bill.

Senator Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares, who chairs the Senate committee on public services, expects Congress to “act in a timely manner in reconsidering the bill for approval in accordance with the legislative process.”

“Each day without the safeguards from the measure makes our people vulnerable to ripoffs that take away their money and cause them anxiety; the onslaught of cybercrimes and fake news that tear away the fabric of our democracy,” she said in a statement.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon said: “By vetoing this bill, the President lets trolls thrive, spread lies and hate, and fuel discord and division.”

“Political trolling as we’ve seen these days is a thriving business. This veto is a big win for troll farms.”

“To say that I am disappointed by the President’s veto is an understatement. I authored this particular provision of the measure in order to address the anonymity in the internet and the social media that allowed an environment for troll accounts and fake news,” he added.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Foreign borrowing still seen as ‘prudent’ despite major expansion in gov’t debt

REUTERS

GOVERNMENT borrowing remains “prudent” despite the significant increase in the public debt, a bank economist said, adding that much of the borrowing taken on in the last two years was necessary to help manage the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said the government needed to insulate the economy from external risks.

The Department of Finance (DoF) said in an economic bulletin Saturday that the recovery that emerged in 2021 was helped along by the loans and grants taken on since the start of the pandemic.

It said the long-term nature of much of the debt — up to 40 years — will still require a fiscal consolidation program and improved collections.

“Both the government and private sector have been prudent on foreign borrowing, in view of foreign exchange risks entailed, learning from the past crisis periods, especially during the Asian financial crisis,” Mr. Ricafort said.

“The country’s external debt-to-GDP ratio still relatively low compared to other ASEAN and similarly rated countries,” Mr. Ricafort added. “Most of the country’s foreign debt is medium- to long-term in nature to prevent the risk of bunching debt maturities.”

The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has added to the risk faced by all economies by pushing up fuel and commodity prices, while the winding down of the US Federal Reserve’s bond-buying program is expected to signal higher interest rates, he said.

The BSP has so far lent P300 billion to the national government, while issues of Retail Treasury Bonds (RTBs), have also reduced the need for the government to borrow overseas.

Mr. Ricafort said one of the areas of focus when taking on added debt is managing foreign exchange risk, particularly with regard to foreign debt.

The peso closed at P52.03 on Wednesday in a shortened trading week due to the Easter holidays, against Tuesday’s close of P52.10. The Wednesday close was among the currency’s weakest in two years.

Loans raised as of Jan. 14 for the pandemic response totaled P1.31 trillion, with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) providing P303.37 billion and the World Bank Group’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) accounting for P291.95-billion, according to DoF data.

Donations were also received from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) (P66.01 billion), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) (P47.56 billion), Agence Française de Développement (AFD) (P28.96 billion), and the Eximbank of Korea (KEXIM) (P10.15 billion).

Meanwhile, grants received amounted to P2.74 trillion, with World Bank and European Union accounting for P1.06 trillion.

In total, combined grants and loans totaled P4.05 trillion.

The government plans to collect P3.29 trillion from tax and non-tax revenues in 2022, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). The Bureau of Internal Revenue plans to collect P2.4 trillion in 2022, while the Bureau of Customs plans to collect P671 billion.

Gross domestic product (GDP) growth was 5.7% in 2021, revised upward from the 5.6% reported on Jan. 27, and above the government’s 5-5.5% target. The 2021 GDP represents a rebound from the 9.6% contraction in 2020.

Meanwhile, growth for the fourth quarter was 7.8%, against the 8.2% contraction in the year-earlier period.

The Philippines has received 76.44 million vaccines from the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) and from bilateral donations, the DoF said, citing data from the UNICEF COVID-19 Market Dashboard.

Nearly 85% of donated vaccines or 65.33 million doses came from COVAX.

At the end of 2021, 63% of the target population was vaccinated, with 48.6 million people receiving full doses. As of April 11, this number had grown to 66.74 million, while 12.53 million individuals have received booster shots.

National government debt hit a record P12.09 trillion at the end of February. In 2021, the debt-to-GDP ratio hit a 16-year high of 60.5%. This is higher than the 60% threshold considered manageable by multilateral lenders for developing economies. — Tobias Jared Tomas

New management rules issued for marine protected areas

PHILSTAR

THREE departments signed on to a joint memorandum circular outlining new rules for managing marine protected area networks (MPANs), restore damaged coastal ecosystems, and preserve marine habitats, including coral reefs.

The Departments of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),  Agriculture (DA), and Interior and Local Government (DILG) is seen as a win for efforts to maintain biodiversity, according to SMARTSeas, a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-supported project.

 “The eventual approval of the joint policy guidelines on the establishment and management of MPANs will be valuable in biodiversity conservation efforts,” SMARTSeas National Project Manager Vincent V. Hilomen said in a statement.

The memorandum circular places biodiversity conservation on equal footing with economic development.

“There will be a value for a government policy that places conservation as equally important to development and progress. Many of the degraded coastal and marine habitats resulted from the relentless push for development and progress with little afterthought of the higher costs to the environment,” Mr. Hilomen said.

MPAN is a collection of individual MPAs or reserves operating cooperatively under the Strengthening Marine Protected Areas to Conserve Marine Key Biodiversity Areas (SMARTSeas) project.

The protection regime for coastal ecosystems classified as MPAs includes patrolling, surveillance of habitats, and repair of signage, other facilities, and equipment.

 “One of the greatest challenges that we are experiencing in establishing MPANs is still the acceptance of the community. There are several instances where the communities resist to set aside a portion of their waters for protection purposes because they think that access to their fishing areas will be limited,” Mr. Hilomen added. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

RCEP participants already reaping benefits from trade deal — DTI 

TRADE SECRETARY Ramon M. Lopez said the early signatories to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are starting to derive benefits from their participation, and warned that the Philippines risks being left behind if it further delays joining the trade deal.

In a virtual conference attended by Senator Cynthia Villar, who chairs the chamber’s Committee on Agriculture and Food,  Mr. Lopez cited the case of early signatory Singapore, whose companies are taking advantage of opportunities brought about by expanded market access in China and Japan in industries like mineral fuels, plastics, chemical products, food preparations and beverages.

The International Trade Forum hosted by the DTI, sought to assess “The Importance of Philippine Participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement” and arrayed a panel of government officials, academics, and the legislature. In particular, participants sought to assess the trade deal’s impact on the agricultural sector.

“We cannot afford to delay or not participate in this free trade agreement (FTA) deal when our ASEAN neighbors are already reaping the advantages of the agreement with partners. And they are already benefitting from it,” Mr. Lopez added.

Delayed participation to the agreement can also affect how businesses view the openness of the Philippine economy, with Mr. Lopez warning of the potential loss of trade, investment, and other economic opportunities from shunning RCEP.

Trade Assistant Secretary and RCEP chief negotiator Allan B. Gepty said standing aloof from RCEP is inconsistent with the direction of trade policy and the recent liberalization of the Foreign Investments Act, Public Service Act, and Retail Liberalization Act.

The RCEP agreement was signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte last year and is currently stalled in the Senate, which went on break for the May 9 elections without ratifying the treaty.

The countries where RCEP is currently in force are Bunei, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Malaysia.  — Ram Christian S. Agustin

Why analytics are essential to quality non-financial corporate reporting

EY’s recent Global Corporate Reporting Survey tells us that change in corporate reporting is accelerating. In particular, the need to better communicate an organization’s ESG performance is putting significant pressure on the finance leaders responsible for its preparation — requiring finance teams to beef up their analytics capabilities.

Late last year, more than 1,000 CFOs, financial controllers and senior finance leaders of large organizations across 26 countries — including 250 in Asia-Pacific — were surveyed to understand the challenges they face in corporate reporting.

The biggest theme emerging from this research is that, alongside the traditional financial reporting that finance leaders oversee, investors and other stakeholders want consistent and credible ESG disclosures on material issues to help them understand how a company creates long-term value and sustainable growth.

EY survey participants are not alone in noticing this trend. At EY, we’re seeing growing increased pressure on corporates to improve their ESG reporting — from equity investors, insurers, lenders, bondholders and asset managers, as well as customers who all want more details on ESG factors to assess the full impact of their economic decisions.

ADVANCED ANALYTICS KEY TO EXTRACTING ESG METRICS AND INSIGHTS Extracting ESG insights from data is complex and time-consuming — an almost impossible manual task. It requires the use of advanced analytics, which are now available to help companies structure, synthesize, interpret and derive insights from voluminous data, and create credible and useful ESG reporting. Advanced analytics is particularly important in ESG reporting because of the need to address and relate significant amounts of unstructured data.

Not surprisingly, the EY Global Corporate Reporting Survey found the top technology investment priority for finance leaders over the next three years is in advanced and predictive analytics. This priority is particularly felt in Asia-Pacific where 47% of regional respondents (68% in China) vs. 38% of global respondents have analytics as their top tech investment priority.

DATA VOLUME AND QUALITY ARE STILL STUMBLING BLOCKS
Yet even as finance teams seek to invest in analytics and build a more agile financial planning and analysis approach, several data challenges stand in the way. According to EY Asia-Pacific survey participants, the biggest hurdles include the sheer volume of external data, followed closely by data quality and comparability issues. Lack of timely data and inefficient data integration are also problematic.

Analytics starts with data, but techniques such as predictive modeling, statistics and visualization are also important in turning that data into timely and actionable insights.

For example, organizations can enhance the quality of reporting by introducing forward-looking insights, using external data to corroborate and provide analysis on future trends. Thereafter, this downstream reporting outcome can be used to streamline upstream activities, such as capturing data in the right format to allow for efficient collection and analysis.

However, this requires proper planning from data collection to reporting, with technology as a key enabler. In other words, this process should be considered as part of an organization’s digital transformation journey.

COLLABORATION ESSENTIAL TO BUILD NEW ANALYTICS CAPABILITIES
Deploying these sorts of advanced solutions requires more than finance teams buying new technology. It will take a cross-disciplinary effort that combines advanced data science skills, business domain expertise, and finance and ESG experience.

Developing an approach that mimics human efforts is a guided process. It’s not simply about developing algorithms — it can require learning and incorporating the human decision-making process. The finance team will need to work together with key stakeholders, such as the analytics centers of excellence, to define the use cases for advanced ESG analytics and then collaborate during the development process.

RESOURCES AND SUPPORT REQUIRED TO DRIVE REPORTING EXCELLENCE
Better quality non-financial corporate reporting, underpinned by advanced data analytics, will be essential to meet the changing needs of investors and stakeholders. Finance leaders need to drive innovation by setting out a bold technology road map for transforming financial analytics and providing enhanced and trusted reporting, including advanced tools such as AI (artificial intelligence).

To support them, boards should assess whether finance leaders have adequate resources and budgets to address these challenges and increase their use of advanced data analytics to deliver more robust non-financial corporate reporting.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice where the facts and circumstances warrant. The views and opinion expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of SGV & Co.

 

Aris C. Malantic is a Market Group Leader and the Financial Accounting Advisory Services (FAAS) Leader of SGV & Co., as well as the EY Asean FAAS Leader.

Mitchell’s strong second half lifts Jazz past Mavs

UTAH Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of game one of the first round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. — REUTERS

DONOVAN Mitchell scored 32 points after a rough start and Bojan Bogdanović had 26 as the Utah Jazz took advantage of Luka Dončić’s absence to defeat the host Dallas Mavericks 99-93 in the opening game of their Western Conference first-round series on Saturday afternoon.

Rudy Gobert grabbed 17 rebounds and blocked three shots to lead the defensive effort in this low-scoring contest for the Jazz, who took both a 1-0 lead and home-court advantage with the road win.

Mitchell had a rough overall game from the field, shooting 10-for-29, and only scored two points in the first half before exploding for 30 in the second half. He also had six rebounds and six assists. Mike Conley added 13 points, six rebounds and three assists for the Jazz.

Dallas played without its superstar Dončić, who was ruled out of Game 1 on Saturday morning. He suffered a left calf strain in the regular-season finale on Sunday against San Antonio. It’s uncertain whether he’ll be back for Game 2 on Monday.

Jalen Brunson scored 24 and Spencer Dinwiddie tossed in 22 for the Mavericks, who were limited offensively without their leading scorer. Reggie Bullock added 15 points, Dorian Finney-Smith had 14 and Max Kleber scored 10.

Utah, which struggled to put teams away after taking big leads this season, was up 86-75 in the fourth quarter when Dallas made a final push — mostly from the free-throw line. The Mavs pulled within one with 2:12 left after a Kleber 3-pointer capped a 16-6 surge.

Kleber had a chance to put Dallas ahead but missed from beyond the arc on the next possession.

Royce O’Neal then had a big possession for the Jazz, hauling in his own missed shot and then nailing a 3-pointer for a 95-91 lead with 56.2 seconds remaining. Mitchell added some free throws and Utah’s defense fended off the Mavs’ final comeback effort.

Jordan Clarkson and Bogdanović sparked the Jazz’s second-quarter resurgence, which was capped off by a 13-2 run heading into half time. Bogdanović had 20 points, including a last-second 3 to put the Jazz up 45-43, and Clarkson scored 10 in the first half.

Mitchell came alive in the third quarter, scoring the first two buckets out of the locker room en route to a 19-point outburst.

Utah outrebounded Dallas 53-34 and shot 43.4% from the field compared to just 38.2% for the Mavericks. — Reuters

Liverpool hangs on for 3-2 FA Cup semifinals win over Man City

LONDON — Liverpool hung on to beat Manchester City 3-2 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday to reach the final of the Football Association (FA) Cup and end Pep Guardiola’s hopes of a treble.

Jürgen Klopp’s side will meet the winners of Sunday’s other semifinal between Chelsea and Crystal Palace in the May 14th final as they keep alive their dream of an unprecedented quadruple.

Guardiola opted to rest several of Premier League leader’s City’s starters, including goalkeeper Ederson, and the weakened side were outplayed by Klopp’s team in the first half, going in 3-0 down at the interval.

Although City scored at the start and end of the second half, their weakened lineup never really did enough to win the game against opponents they drew 2-2 with in the Premier League last week.

Ibrahima Konate headed Liverpool ahead from an Andy Robertson corner in the ninth minute before a dreadful error from City’s American backup goalkeeper Zack Steffen gifted the Reds a second.

Steffen took too long when receiving a back pass from John Stones and Sadio Mane slid in to tackle the keeper and the ball flew into the net.

Mane then added another, on the stroke of half time, in more conventional fashion, driving a volley past Steffen after being set up by Thiago Alcantara.

Jack Grealish pulled a goal back 70 seconds after the resumption after Gabriel Jesus did well to beat Fabinho and set up the England midfielder who drilled home.

Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker was alert to get out quickly and foil Gabriel Jesus as the Brazilian burst goalwards, but while City was improved, they still were far from their usual levels of chance creation.

It was puzzling that Guardiola only made one of his possible five changes in the second half, bringing Mahrez on seven minutes from the end although the introduction of the Algerian did make a big impact.

For City, it was the third straight season in which they have lost in the last four of the FA Cup. — Reuters

Ronaldo hat trick rescues Man United amid fan anger in Norwich win

MANCHESTER, England — Cristiano Ronaldo’s 50th club career hat trick and second Premier League treble of the season earned below-par Manchester United a 3-2 victory over Norwich City on Saturday amid scenes of fan protest at Old Trafford.

With Tottenham Hotspur losing 1-0 at home to Brighton & Hove Albion earlier on Saturday, the door was open for United to close on the Champions League qualification places with victory over bottom side Norwich and they just about took advantage.

A first-half double from veteran striker Ronaldo seemingly put the hosts on course for a comfortable win in the sunshine, with Norwich struggling to keep pace.

However, Kieran Dowell’s goal out of nowhere in first-half stoppage time got the visitors back in the contest, before Finnish forward Teemu Pukki completed the Norwich comeback to stun Old Trafford into silence seven minutes after the break.

Fans who protested against the club’s owners ahead of the match were singing “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” in the second half as their team were second best to a team seven points adrift of the Premier League safety zone.

United’s France midfielder Paul Pogba was booed by his own fans as he was substituted before Ronaldo stole the show once again with a sensational winner 14 minutes from time to drag United out of the mire once more.

The win, United’s first in four games in all competitions, moved them above Arsenal, who lost 1-0 at Southampton, into fifth on 54 points from 32 matches, with Spurs now just three points in front. Norwich stays bottom on 21 points.

“I don’t think we need to speak anymore about Cristiano,” United coach Ralf Rangnick said. “He made the difference once again, at least two goals were not easy to score.

“He showed against Tottenham and today, he can be the difference maker. It is no coincidence he has scored the amount of goals he has.

“But I am not happy with that performance. If you want to defend properly in this league, you just have to be physical and not allow players to get past you so easily. This is what this team do not do well enough.”

Thousands of fans protested outside the stadium before the match against the Glazer family ownership, chanting “get out of our club,” among other things, with many not inside to see Ronaldo break the deadlock seven minutes in.

Young winger Anthony Elanga did the leg work, winning the ball off Norwich defender Ben Gibson before squaring for Ronaldo to net his first goal in five games for club and country.

A trademark Ronaldo leap from an Alex Telles corner in the 32nd minute doubled the home side’s lead, as all was well inside Old Trafford.

Dowell’s first-ever Premier League goal on the cusp of half time on the end of a Pukki pass did not seem like it was going to derail United, but their second-half showings this term have often been their undoing, and sure enough, Pukki was then left all alone to level.

Home goalkeeper David de Gea was then forced into a fine save to deny Milot Rashica as Norwich pressed to really cause uproar at Old Trafford, with fans turning on the players.

One player has been immune to fan criticism, and for good reason, as against the run of play, Ronaldo arrowed his 21st goal of the season past Tim Krul to win it for United to revive their hopes of securing a top-four finish.

“We handed it on a platter to Ronaldo today,” Norwich coach Dean Smith said. “I am pleased with the performance but not the result.

“At half time, I thought if we could be better with the ball, we could be a problem on the transition. You just cannot give a team like that a two-goal head start here.

“I cannot question the fight of the players. We know we have an uphill task to survive. We are disappointed not to get anything today.” — Reuters

Sizzling Świątek sends Poland into Billie Jean King Cup finals

POLAND’S red-hot world number one Ia Śgwiątek did not drop a game in her Saturday singles match against Romania’s Andreea Prisacăriu, sending Poland through to November’s Billie Jean King Cup finals in decisive fashion.

Świątek, who put Poland up 2-0 on Friday by thrashing Mihaela Buzărnescu 6-1, 6-0 for an 18th straight win, continued her sizzling form, as the 20-year-old broke Prisacăriu six times in Radom, Poland.

Joining Poland in the finals will be the Czech Republic, Spain, Kazakhstan, Italy, Belgium, United States and Canada.

“I’m really proud. I was really working hard for that. Even though I didn’t play last year, I feel it’s been a long journey and it took us a few years to progress step by step and qualify for the finals,” Świątek said after her 6-0, 6-0 victory.

“It just shows what a strong team we are. Hopefully in the finals, we’re going to show even more progress and we’re going to succeed.”

Markéta Vondroušová and Karolína Muchová won the doubles decider for 11-time champions Czech Republic to clinch their finals berth with a 3-2 victory over Britain, beating Harriet Dart and Katie Swan 6-1, 7-5 in Prague.

In singles play, Vondroušová, the 2019 French Open runner-up, earlier picked apart Britain’s Emma Raducanu 6-1, 6-1 as the teenager struggled with blisters on her right foot before Dart leveled the tie at 2-2 with a 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 win over 16-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova of the Czech Republic.

Kazakhstan progressed at the expense of Germany with Elena Rybakina coming from a set down to get past three-times Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in Nur-Sultan in Kazakhstan.

Four-time winner Italy advanced after Camila Giorgi secured the decisive point in their victory over France in Sardinia with a 6-2, 6-0 thrashing of Harmony Tan.

Spain will bid for a sixth title, despite missing Paula Badosa and Garbine Muguruza this weekend, after Sara Sorribes Tormo beat Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 6-0, 6-4 to secure their passage to the finals.

UKRAINE FALLs SHORT
The United States squeezed through to the finals with a 3-2 home victory over Ukraine in Asheville, North Carolina, but only after receiving a mighty scare by the visitors from the war-torn nation.

Underdogs Dayana Yastremska and Katarina Zavatska won their respective singles matches in straight sets on Saturday but the United States ultimately prevailed in the doubles decider, won 7-6(5), 6-3 by Jessica Pegula and Asia Muhammad over Yastremska and Lyudmyla Kichenok.

In Vancouver, Canada confirmed their place in the finals by beating Latvia.

US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez won her Saturday singles over Daniela Vismane 6-2, 6-1 to give the hosts an unassailable lead.

Belgium had an easy route to the finals, receiving a walkover with opponents Belarus being suspended from international team competitions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Belarus is a key staging area for the invasion, which Russia calls a “special operation.” — Reuters

T-Wolves’ Town

Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t exactly enjoy his experience the first time he made the playoffs. The Timberwolves were unceremoniously shown the exit in the first round by the Western Conference-leading Rockets, with his poor showing contributing to their five-game meltdown. To argue that he had the deer-in-the-headlights look throughout would be an understatement; he wound up norming just 15.2 points off a true shooting percentage 1,000 basis points lower than his regular-season clip. In other words, he failed to make any sort of impact projected by his very first All-Star berth.

To contend that Towns is much better now, four years removed from his forgettable debut, would also be an understatement. Perhaps it’s because he’s in a much better place. Out are taskmaster head coach Tom Thibodeau and effective but grating teammate Jimmy Butler. In are prime motivator Chris Finch and close friend D’Angelo Russell, and their positive influence shows in his much-improved output. As he noted matter-of-factly, the 14-month bench tactician is “probably the most important” factor in the Timberwolves’ resurgence. “You think it’s the players; it’s the coach.”

Towns is only half-right, of course. In large measure, the Timberwolves are thriving because of his inspired play. He won’t be at his best all the time; against the Clippers in their play-in outing, for example, he had a less-than-stellar line of 11, five, and three in 24 minutes of foul-ridden exposure. What he is sure to do, however, is try and bounce back — as he did yesterday en route to victory over the heavily favored Grizzlies in Game One of their first round series. That he was plus-16 in 43 minutes in the court speaks volumes about his contributions beyond his efficient 29, 13, and three line.

The Timberwolves know they still have a fight in their hands. They may have wrested homecourt advantage at the outset, but keeping it is another matter altogether — especially against the scrappy Grizzlies. Nonetheless, they ooze confidence, and it isn’t because they have the pesky and perky Patrick Beverley on their roster. Rather, it’s because they have Towns, unleashed in full by Finch’s schematic adjustments on both sides of the floor. They may yet lose the series, but the 2015 first overall pick knows he’ll hold his head high any which way. He’s leaving nothing in the tank, and peace has come as a result.

 

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.

Magis

JCOMP-FREEPIK

I have been mistaken for being a professor (I was once a lecturer) and a lawyer (perhaps people confuse Men Sta. Ana with Mel Sta. Maria, the dean of Far Eastern University’s law school). It thus no longer surprises me that some people address me as Professor or Attorney.

But what stupefied me was a question that Greg, the husband of my cousin Lynn, forwarded to me: “Is Filomeno Sta. Ana an XJ?” (XJ stand for ex-Jesuit.) Wow!

Greg, an XJ, was relaying to me a message from his friend, an ex-Jesuit novice. Greg is the author of Magis: Things that Matter Most in Life (2021). And he invited me to write the book’s foreword, which I did.

Greg’s Jesuit-trained friend sent his reaction to Magis. And he told Greg that he learned “facets of you that you did not show of yourself in the seminary or novitiate. But that only illustrates that life’s momentum is growth and constant unfolding of who we are.”

Further Greg’s XJ friend said, “I found the Foreword on Magis thought provoking.” (Thank you.) Which led him to ask: “Is Filomeno Sta. Ana also an XJ?”

So, Greg asked me how he would respond to his friend’s question. I told Greg that his friend’s question is the spur to action for me to fulfill a promise to write a column about magis. I said: “Tell your friend to anticipate the column on magis. He can discern from reading it whether I am truly XJ.”

I have procrastinated writing another piece on the same topic. After all, I had written what I have wanted to say in the foreword. But with the topic brought up again, I realize there is always something new about magis. To use the phrase of Greg’s friend, whose prose is that of a Jesuit than a lawyer, I see magis as “life’s constant unfolding.”

But let’s digress and dwell on Greg’s Magis. The book has gotten good reviews. To entice the curious to read Magis, I quote two of our friends.

Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz wrote: “No frills, no gimmicks, just a wise, no-nonsense, full of heartwarming stories, authentic life survival and realities shared and packed with life’s lessons. I highly recommend it, page by page, story by story, from beginning to end!”

Marilen Abesamis in her book review described Magis as “a brave and truthful chronicle of the past five decades (1970s to 2020s), mirroring the lives of a generation that would not revise the horrors of the Marcos martial law era, nor quit searching for social justice in uncertain times.” She also said, “Greg writes intimately, so simply and so forthrightly of deeply personal events.”

“Magis” is a mystical, esoteric word. It is for the Jesuits, the society founded by Ignatius of Loyola. I myself, Jesuit-educated and mistaken for being an XJ, learned its meaning only late in life. I wish I had known and internalized its meaning when Mae, my late wife, and I were together. In loving people, Mae typified magis.

Magis is the Latin word for “more.” This word is connected to another Latin phrase, ad majorem Dei gloriam, which means “for the greater glory of God.” Conjoining magis and ad majorem Dei gloriam, we subscribe to striving more, doing more, and performing better for the greater good, for God’s greater glory.

Nowadays, in an election campaign where one camp has been notorious in deceiving the masses and extolling Marcosian rule, we have to strive more and perform better for the greater good. We must exert our greatest effort and all the more harness our skills and resources to defeat disinformation, terror, and sloth.

The candidate that champions the greater good must win. And, like the Jesuit founder Ignatius, she has been bruised wounded. And she has big obstacles to clear. But like Ignatius, she and we attempt to make history.

She demonstrates what radikal na pagmamahal (radical love) is. She herself has given hope and inspiration to millions. She and we have made the choice; with fortitude and bravery, we carry on and fight.

All this has led me to return to magis and Greg’s book. One does not need to be a Jesuit or an XJ to practice magis.

For orders of Greg Castilla’s book Magis, contact Vic Nierva (0917-307-6291) or Djai Rugeria (0916-239-8306). The book is also available at the Ateneo de Naga University Press/Bookstore. Proceeds from the book sale will benefit the O’Bikoliana section of the James J. O’Brien Library at Ateneo de Naga.

 

Filomeno S. Sta. Ana III coordinates the Action for Economic Reforms.

www.aer.ph

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