Healthcare workers in 4 QC hospitals offered free rides

October 31, 2022 | 8:02 pm

healthworker-PHILSTAR-MIGUELDEGUZMAN — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

MOTORCYCLE taxi hailing service firm MOVE IT, a subsidiary of Grab Philippines, is extending its partnership with a party-list group for the provision of free rides to healthcare workers.

The extended free service will cover health workers in four state-owned hospitals in Quezon City.

These are: East Avenue Medical Center and National Kidney and Transplant Institute from Nov. 2 to 8; and Philippine Heart Center and Philippine Children’s Medical Center from Nov. 9 to 15.

BHW Party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha A. Co said healthcare workers from these hospitals have 300 free ride slots available to them.

“Health care workers at these hospitals who usually take long commutes can get home and go to their workplaces sooner rather than later and without the risk of catching COVID from other commuters if they usually take public transport,” Ms. Co said in a statement on Monday.

“(The) expansion of the Libreng Sakay was necessary to ensure wider coverage to include not just barangay health workers but other health care frontliners as well, so focusing on key hospital locations achieves this goal,” she said.

The BHW-MOVE IT partnership started last month, covering workers assigned in community health facilities. — Matthew Carl L. Montecillo

Proposed law seeks to institutionalize burial aid for poor families

October 31, 2022 | 8:02 pm

A BILL that seeks to give a 50% discount for burial services to indigent families has been filed by progressive lawmakers at the House of Representatives.

Under House Bill 5753 or the Free and Discounted Funeral Services Act, mortuaries nationwide are mandated to provide the assistance to beneficiaries, who will be determined based on the government’s Community-Based Monitoring System supervised by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

“Living is already hard but it’s still difficult when you die plus you have to spend,” ACT-Teachers Party-list Rep. France L. Castro, one of the authors of the bill, said in a statement on Monday.

“This measure seeks to help our countrymen on this by providing immediate relief to the poor, especially during the loss of their loved ones.”

Several government agencies, including the Department of Social and Welfare and Development (DSWD) and social insurance institutions, have existing burial assistance programs.

The proposed discounted and free funeral services will be funded under the DSWD budget.

“We trust that the House leadership will fast track the measure and approve it as soon as possible to help our poor people cope with the rising cost of funeral services,” Ms. Castro said. — Matthew Carl L. Montecillo

Claros upsets Mordido to win National Juniors chess title

October 31, 2022 | 7:10 pm

YOUTHFUL sensation April Joy Claros shocked Woman Grandmaster candidate Kylen Joy Mordido in the ninth and final round to rule the National Juniors Chess Championship in Malolos.

Ms. Claros, a 15-year-old Far Eastern University-Diliman standout, actually caught up with Mordido, an Olympiad veteran, at first with six points apiece but took the crown via win-over-the-other rule.

It was the third triumph for Ms. Claros after she ruled the Under-20 section of the National Age Group Championships in Malolos City and the National Youth and Schools Championship in Dapitan City a month ago.

The feat also earned Ms. Claros a spot to the Asan Juniors Championships on Nov. 17 to 26 in Tagaytay City where she would have a chance to earn an outright International Master title or WGM norm if she ends up beating odds and topping it.

Meanwhile, IM Daniel Quizon edged IM Michael Concio, Jr. via tiebreaker to rule the boys’ event.

The 18-year-old Mr. Quizon and Mr. Concio both went undefeated with 7.5 points apiece on seven wins and a draw, which came against each other.

Mr. Quizon is also expected to see action in Tagaytay where he will be aiming for his second of the three required norms to become WGM. — Joey Villar

Lakers defeat Nuggets to capture first win of season

October 31, 2022 | 7:10 pm

LEBRON JAMES scored 26 points, Anthony Davis added 23 to go along with 15 rebounds and the host Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 121-110 on Sunday night for their first win of the season.

Lonnie Walker IV scored 18 points, as did reserve Russell Westbrook, who also had eight rebounds and eight assists for Los Angeles.

Nikola Jokic had 23 points and 14 rebounds to pace Denver. Jamal Murray scored 21 points, Aaron Gordon chipped in 18, Michael Porter Jr. finished with 17 and Bruce Brown notched 10 off the bench.

The Nuggets played without Bones Hyland, who was injured during warmups. The game was tied at 67 early in the third quarter when Denver started to build a lead. Murray and Brown hit shots and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope drained a 3-pointer to put the Nuggets ahead by seven, and a 3-pointer by Brown made it 83-75 with 3:45 left in the period.

Walker scored 10 points during an 18-2 run that gave the Lakers a 93-85 lead heading into the fourth. Matt Ryan opened the last period with a 3-pointer and Walker split a pair of free throws to give Los Angeles a 12-point lead.

Denver scored the next seven points to get within 97-92, but the Lakers extended the lead to 106-95 on a driving layup by Davis with 7:51 left.

Jokic’s hook shot cut the deficit to seven, but Los Angeles went on a 7-1 run to take a 113-100 lead.

The Nuggets made one last push but twice missed 3-pointers that would have got them within four, and a tip-in by Davis and a layup from Westbrook helped the Lakers close it out.

The Nuggets led by 10 in the first quarter before Los Angeles clawed its way back to get within five entering the second quarter. It was 39-33 with 8:29 left in the period when the Lakers went on a 14-5 run to take their first lead of the night.

A layup by Troy Brown Jr. in the final seconds of the second gave Los Angeles a 55-51 lead at halftime. — Reuters

LIV Golf vows next year will be bigger and better

October 31, 2022 | 7:09 pm

LIV Golf crowned a first team champion to bring the controversial Saudi-backed series to a close at Trump National Doral on Sunday, declaring the inaugural season a huge success and vowing to come back bigger and better next year.

The 4 Aces captained by Dustin Johnson collected the winner’s prize splitting $16 million, which was just part of a whopping $50 million pay out that saw even the last of the 12 teams pocketing a $1 million for a single round of golf.

Johnson had said that it was the competition not the money that excited him but the former-world number one and Masters champion cashed in anyway finishing top of the LIV money list with more than $35 million from just eight events (including an $18 million bonus as the season’s individual champion).

Bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, LIV grabbed the golf world’s attention with staggering prize purses totalling $255 million while luring top players like six-time major winner Phil Mickelson away from the PGA Tour with huge signing bonuses that reports said totalled close to $1 billion.

But the Saudi money has come with plenty of scrutiny with critics accusing LIV golfers of being little more than well paid mercenaries in a “sportwashing” scheme by a nation trying to improve its reputation over its human rights record.

If sportwashing was the objective of LIV Golf, it failed miserably instead drawing attention to a number of Saudi involvements from the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to the Kingdom’s treatment of women.

While LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman was in Miami the Australian, who defended the Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and Khashoggi murder saying “we’ve all made mistakes,” kept a low profile holding no formal media availability leaving it to golfers and host Donald Trump to step in praise the project.

Describing LIV’s Saudi backers “as good people with unlimited money”, Trump teased that even more big names will be signing onto the rebel circuit next year.

“The Saudis have done a fantastic job,” praised the ex-president after playing in Thursday’s Pro Am. “And by the way a lot of other people are coming over, big names.”

More poaching of players is sure to dial up the feud between LIV and the PGA Tour another notch, creating more chaos within the sport.

LIV will be rebranded as the LIV Golf League next season but will stick with what it sees as a winning formula, putting an increased focus on the team competition as it grows from eight to 14 events with prize money jumping to more than $400 million.

“You look at the strength of the league now and you have a lot of really strong players and you have a lot of really strong characters in the game,” said Mickelson. “Whether you love them or hate them, there’s a lot of guys here that people want to see.

“Were having a lot of current tournaments on multiple tours coming to us wanting a LIV event, we only have 14 so it’s not like we have a lot to go around, but we’re going to have an exciting year next year with a lot of strong play and a lot of strong tournaments.”

During LIV’s first season, what was happening out on the course was seldom the focus. But LIV proved at Miami that it can produce an entertaining product appealing to a younger audience who descended on Trump National as much for the party as the golf.

All three rounds of the team final delivered some drama but those moments over the course of the season were rare with the Saudi cloud hanging over the US stops.

If LIV Golf is to evolve into a major player it will also need to eventually find a broadcast deal and sponsors which so far have appeared hesitant to get onboard. — Reuters

Bill Belichick makes history as Patriots overpower Jets 22-17

October 31, 2022 | 7:09 pm

BILL BELICHICK became the second-winningest coach in NFL history and Nick Folk kicked five field goals as the New England Patriots pulled off a 22-17 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.

Belichick earned his 325^th win (regular and postseason) to pass George Halas (324) on the all-time list.

New England (4-4) also won its 13^th straight game against the Jets (5-3).

Folk, who played for New York for seven seasons, made field goals of 31, 42, 49, 45 and 52 yards.

Mac Jones completed 24 of 35 passes for 194 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and Rhamondre Stevenson finished with 143 yards from scrimmage (72 receiving, 71 rushing).

Jets quarterback Zach Wilson struggled despite throwing for 355 yards and two touchdowns. He completed just 20 of 41 passes and threw three interceptions.

Garrett Wilson hauled in six of those completions for 115 yards, and Tyler Conklin had two receiving scores.

49ERS 31, RAMS 14

Christian McCaffrey had a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown as visiting San Francisco continued its regular-season dominance over rival Los Angeles at Inglewood, California.

McCaffrey had a 34-yard passing touchdown in the second quarter, a 9-yard receiving score in the third and a 1-yard rushing TD in the fourth to seal San Francisco’s eighth consecutive regular-season victory over Los Angeles.

Jimmy Garoppolo was 21-of-25 passing with 235 yards and two touchdowns for the 49ers (4-4).

Matthew Stafford had a rushing and passing touchdown for the Rams (3-4), going 22 of 33 in the air for a season-low 187 yards.

Cooper Kupp had eight receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown for the Rams but left with 1:02 remaining after an ankle injury.

FALCONS 37, PANTHERS 34 (OT)

Younghoe Koo booted a 41-yard field goal with 1:55 left in overtime as Atlanta pulled out a wild victory against visiting Carolina.

The Panthers’ PJ Walker hooked up with a diving DJ Moore for a 62-yard touchdown heave with 12 seconds left in regulation, but an unsportsmanlike penalty on Moore contributed to a longer extra-point kick that was off the mark and kept the game tied at 34-34.

Still, Carolina (2-6) appeared poised to win after CJ Henderson intercepted a pass in overtime. Eddy Pineiro missed a 32-yard field goal.

Given another chance on offense, the Falcons (4-4) drove 55 yards to set up Koo’s winner.

BRONCOS 21, JAGUARS 17

Latavius Murray rushed for a 2-yard touchdown with 1:43 remaining to lift Denver to a win over Jacksonville in London.

Russell Wilson returned from a nagging hamstring injury that kept him out of Denver’s 16-9 loss to the New York Jets on Oct. 23.

He completed 18 of 30 passes for 252 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Broncos (3-5).

Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who threw two costly interceptions, completed 18 of 31 passes for 133 yards and one touchdown.

The Jaguars (2-6) lost their fifth straight game overall and ninth in a row by one score.

COWBOYS 49, BEARS 29

Tony Pollard ran for 131 yards and three touchdowns to key host Dallas’ dominant victory over Chicago in Arlington, Texas.

The Cowboys (6-2) have won six of their past seven games and dealt the Bears (3-5) their fourth loss in their past five contests.

Pollard got the start with Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott nursing an ailing knee. Pollard paced a Dallas offense which was potent from the start, scoring on its first four possessions and delivering the highest scoring output of any team in the league so far this season.

Led by quarterback Justin Fields, Chicago fought its way back after falling behind 28-7. Eddie Jackson also had a key interception with 28 seconds left in the first half which led to a Cairo Santos field goal on the last play of the second quarter.

Fields threw two touchdown passes and completed 17 of 23 for 151 yards while also rushing for another touchdown and finishing with 60 yards on eight attempts on the ground.

DOLPHINS 31, LIONS 27

Tua Tagovailoa threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns and visiting Miami defeated Detroit.

Tagovailoa completed 29 of 36 passes, including a pair of scoring strikes to Jaylen Waddle. Tyreek Hill caught 12 passes for 188 yards, while Waddle hauled in eight passes for 106 yards. Raheem Mostert rushed for 64 yards on 14 carries for Miami (5-3), which erased a 14-point deficit.

Jared Goff completed 27 of 37 passes for 321 yards and a touchdown for the Lions (1-6), who have lost five straight.

Jamaal Williams gained 53 yards on 10 carries and scored twice, but Detroit was shut out in the second half. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught seven passes for 69 yards.

VIKINGS 34, CARDINALS 26

Kirk Cousins accounted for three total touchdowns as Minnesota hung on for a 34-26 victory over Arizona in Minneapolis.

The Vikings won by eight points or fewer for the fifth straight game. Cousins completed 24 of 36 passes for 232 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding a score on the ground.

Dalvin Cook (20 carries, 111 yards) and Alexander Mattison (five carries, 40 yards) combined for 151 rushing yards and two touchdowns for the Vikings (6-1).

Kyler Murray completed 31 of 44 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns but was intercepted twice.

In his second game back from a league suspension, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins had 12 receptions on 13 targets for 159 yards and one touchdown for the Cardinals (3-5).

SAINTS 24, RAIDERS 0

Alvin Kamara tallied 158 yards of total offense and scored his first three touchdowns of the season as host New Orleans routed Las Vegas.

Kamara ran for 62 yards and one touchdown and had 96 receiving yards and two touchdown catches as the Saints (3-5) won for just the second time since the season opener.

According to the NFL, Kamara is the first player in league history to have 10 games with at least one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown in his first six seasons.

The Raiders’ Derek Carr threw for just 101 yards, completing 15 of 26 passes with one interception.

Josh Jacobs, who entered the game second in the NFL with an average of 105.5 rushing yards per game, finished with 43 yards on 10 carries for the Raiders (2-5).

EAGLES 35, STEELERS 13

Jalen Hurts threw three first-half touchdown passes to A.J. Brown and unbeaten Philadelphia matched the best start in franchise history with a victory over visiting Pittsburgh.

The Eagles (7-0) tied the 2004 squad that won its first seven contests en route to a Super Bowl appearance, while the cross-state rival Steelers (2-6) are off to their worst start since 2013.

Hurts completed 19 of 28 passes for 285 yards and a career-high four touchdowns — after throwing six in the first six games combined. Brown had six catches for a career-high 156 yards.

Steelers rookie Kenny Pickett was 25 of 38 for 191 yards with an interception and a fumble. He was sacked six times.

An Eagles penalty on fourth-and-goal and some trickery helped the Steelers knot the game at 7-7 on wide receiver Chase Claypool’s 1-yard TD toss to Derek Watt with 1:57 left in the first quarter.

Nick Skiba also made his first career field goal late in the second quarter for Pittsburgh.

TITANS 17, TEXANS 10

Derrick Henry rushed 32 times for 219 yards and two touchdowns as visiting Tennessee stopped punchless Houston.

It was the fourth consecutive 200-yard performance for Henry against the Texans (1-5-1), dating back to 2019, and the most rushing yards by any player this year.

Tennessee (5-2) rushed for 314 yards as a team and threw just one pass in the second half.

Rookie quarterback Malik Willis, making his first NFL start in place of Ryan Tannehill (ankle, illness), completed 6 of 10 throws for 55 yards with an interception and had 12 rushing yards.

Dontrell Hilliard added 83 yards on the ground for the Titans, who won their fifth straight game to remain in first place in the AFC South.

COMMANDERS 17, COLTS 16

Taylor Heinicke’s 1-yard run with 22 seconds left capped a nine-play, 89-yard drive as Washington roared back from a late nine-point deficit to stun host Indianapolis.

In his second game since replacing injured quarterback Carson Wentz, Heinicke went 23-of-31 passing for 279 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

His 33-yard strike to Terry McLaurin to the Colts 1-yard line set the stage for the winning score. McLaurin racked up 113 yards on six catches for the Commanders (4-4).

Indianapolis quarterback Sam Ehlinger, who was making his first career start and his season debut, completed 17 of 23 passes for 201 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

Jonathan Taylor finished with 16 carries for 76 yards for the Colts (3-4-1).

SEAHAWKS 27, GIANTS 13

Tyler Lockett overcame a pair of rare miscues to catch the tiebreaking touchdown as Seattle defeated visiting New York in the NFL’s lone matchup of the week between teams with winning records.

The veteran receiver hauled in a pass from Geno Smith down the right sideline and scored a 33-yard touchdown with 9:18 remaining to put Seattle ahead for good.

Smith was 23 of 34 for 212 yards and two touchdowns for the NFC West-leading Seahawks (5-3).

Smith went 5 of 5 for 75 yards on the go-ahead drive. Lockett finished the game with five receptions for 63 yards.

The Giants (6-2) were limited to 225 yards of total offense by a Seattle defense that was ranked 29th in total yardage.

Daniel Jones was 17-of-31 passing for 176 yards and was sacked five times. Saquon Barkley gained just 53 yards on 20 carries. — Reuters

Max Verstappen sets F1 record for most wins in a season

October 31, 2022 | 7:08 pm

MEXICO CITY — Red Bull’s double world champion Max Verstappen won the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday to set a Formula One record of 14 victories from a single season, as well as the most points scored.

The Dutch driver led from pole position at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, stopping on lap 26 of 71 to switch from soft to medium tires and taking the chequered flag 15.186 seconds clear of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

“It’s been an incredible year so far, we are definitely enjoying it and we’ll try to go for more,” said Verstappen, who clinched his second title in Japan on Oct. 9 and had an untroubled afternoon.

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez finished third in front of his cheering home crowd after a race that was low on thrills and all about tire strategy.

Verstappen’s win was the 25-year-old’s fourth in Mexico and the podium was the same as last year.

In Austin, Texas, last weekend he had pulled level with German champions Michael Schumacher (2004) and Sebastian Vettel (2013) on 13 wins in a season.

There are more races now than then, however, with the 2022 season featuring 22 compared to 19 in 2013 and 18 in 2004.

Verstappen also took his points tally to 416 — 136 more than Perez who moved up to second overall and three more than the previous record set by Hamilton in 2019.

It was also a ninth win in a row and 16th from 20 races for Red Bull, who wrapped up the constructors’ title in Texas with three rounds to spare, but Mercedes showed they were getting closer.

“I was so close in that first stint but I think the Red Bull was clearly too fast today and ultimately, maybe they had the better tyre strategy,” said Hamilton, who felt he should have started on softs instead of mediums before switching to hards. “I’m not sure (hard) was the right tire at the end.”

George Russell lost out at the start, lining up on the front row for Mercedes but dropping two places to fourth as Hamilton muscled past his team mate with Perez also seizing the opportunity to go third.

Russell finished fourth, pitting on the penultimate lap to deny Perez the bonus point for fastest lap.

Both Mercedes drivers complained about the strategy but were assured from the pit wall that Red Bull’s medium tyres would lose performance — a hope that proved to be optimistic.

“That medium looks quick mate, they’re going to go to the end,” said Hamilton over the radio 10 laps from the end, accepting it was game over.

The race was already a four-driver battle after 20 of the 71 laps, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finishing fifth and sixth but far off the pace and the latter close to being lapped.

“This weekend we were just slow,” said Sainz, who finished 58 seconds behind Verstappen.

Daniel Ricciardo put on the show of the day, reeling off overtakes on the soft tyres and finishing seventh for McLaren despite a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda.

His performance won the Australian, who is leaving McLaren at the end of the season with no other drive lined up, the vote for driver of the day by fans and that familiar smile was broader than ever.

Esteban Ocon was eighth for Renault-owned Alpine, after team mate Fernando Alonso retired with an engine failure, with McLaren’s Lando Norris ninth and Valtteri Bottas back in the points for Alfa Romeo in 10th.

“Unbelievable. What a season, what a season,” complained Alonso before he pulled off and parked up on lap 65, triggering a brief virtual safety car while the Alpine was pushed away by marshals.

Formula One said 395,902 spectators attended over the three days, compared to 371,779 last year. — Reuters

Hamilton welcome to race for Mercedes team past age 40

October 31, 2022 | 7:08 pm

MEXICO CITY — Mercedes have told Lewis Hamilton he can be sure of a seat if he wants to stay in Formula One and believe he can emulate NFL great Tom Brady and compete into his 40s.

The seven-times world champion and winner of a record 103 races will be 38 in January and has said he intends to sign a multi-year extension to the contract that expires at the end of 2023.

“It’s 100% his seat,” team boss Toto Wolff told reporters at the Mexico City Grand Prix when asked whether Mercedes, who have Britain’s George Russell in their other car, might consider anyone else.

The Austrian said contract talks had yet to start, despite both championships now being over. Mercedes still harbors hopes of overtaking Ferrari for second place overall in a year dominated by Red Bull and Max Verstappen.

“We want to definitely finish the season and then find some quiet time over the winter like we have done last time around,” said Wolff. “He’s much more than a driver to us now.

“Although we are not talking about a career end, it’s also important to speak about his role as an ambassador for Mercedes and the many sponsors we have and the implication he can have in our wider universe.”

Hamilton is the second oldest driver on the grid, with double world champion Fernando Alonso at 41 the oldest and set for a couple more seasons after signing with Aston Martin.

After a period of ever-younger drivers — with Verstappen debuting at 17 in 2015, Lance Stroll at 18 in 2017 and Lando Norris at 19 in 2019 — Alonso and Hamilton are set to push the boundaries at the other end of the spectrum.

The oldest race winner of the modern era remains Nigel Mansell at 41 in 1994, with Kimi Raikkonen also a winner at 39 in 2018.

“You can see today’s athletes pushing the boundaries in terms of age. For me, Fernando is performing at a very high level,” said Wolff.

He cited also the example of Brady still on field, being tackled and throwing the ball at 45. “As long as you continue to look after yourself and develop your cognitive sensors, I think he (Hamilton) has many more years in him. I’m pretty certain that’s going to be the case here in the team,” said Wolff. — Reuters

Sugar producers seek price increase after storm

October 31, 2022 | 6:54 pm

sugar-warehouse — BOC - PUBLIC INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE DIVISION (BOC-PIAD)

SUGAR PRODUCERS are lobbying the government to raise its price guidance for sugar sold by major supermarkets from the current P70 per kilogram (kg), to account for the crop damage inflicted by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (International name: Nalgae).

United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) President Manuel R. Lamata said in a statement that the association is asking President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to revise the agreement with the supermarkets to allow retail sales at between P85 and P90 per kg.

In August, Robinsons Supermarket, SM Supermarket, and Puregold agreed to sell sugar for P70/kg at the request of Mr. Marcos, who cited inflation concerns.

Mr. Lamata also asked Mr. Marcos to intervene to raise the millgate price. Sugar at millgate currently sells for about P2,900 per 50-kilogram (Lkg) bag.

“Our sugar farmers need help to recover from the damage caused by the recent typhoon that has inundated hundreds of sugar farms from north to south and the rest of the Visayas,” Mr. Lamata said.

“Before Paeng, millgate prices were already going down but seeing the damage Paeng wrought, we need the immediate assistance from President Marcos to bring up the retail price until our farmers are able to recover,” he added.

Mr. Lamata said even before the storm, sugar farmers were contending with high production costs.

“Fertilizer and fuel prices are still on the rise and compounded by Paeng’s damage, our sugar farmers will have a hard time surviving,” Mr. Lamata said.

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has also announced that it will sell sugar at P70/kg in its offices at Quezon City and Bacolod City

According to the Agriculture department, as of Sunday afternoon crop damage as a result of Paeng was estimated at P285.28 million. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

PPP Center urges LGUs to be self-sufficient in project planning

October 31, 2022 | 6:54 pm

By Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson, Reporter

LOCAL GOVERNMENT units (LGUs) must develop the capacity to implement their own public-private partnerships (PPP), the head of the government’s PPP agency said.

“LGUs are empowered to do PPPs but a lot are asking for help from our center, and we really want to rise to the challenge, but of course we have constraints. Looking at the trend, we may have difficulty meeting demand from LGUs,” PPP Center of the Philippines Executive Director Cynthia C. Hernandez said in an interview on Oct. 27.

“What they need to have is the capacity to be able to (complete) the entire process of identifying, planning, and contracting PPP projects by themselves,” she added.

Ms. Hernandez said LGUs mainly need to be able to plan projects and manage resources internally.

“The intent is that one day they can manage everything themselves. Their constraints are, for example, their planning horizon is only three years,” she said, referring to the terms of municipal officials.

“If a project is good or financially viable, there’s no reason why they couldn’t (pursue it). If you have a good PPP project the private sector wants to take on, what’s stopping you from pursuing the project?” she added.

There are currently 74 PPP projects in the pipeline worth P2.2 trillion, according to the PPP Center.

“In the first few years we should deploy those; any additions should also be well underway. That is the minimum,” Ms. Hernandez added.

The PPP Center is also looking for ways to attract more institutional investors.

“We are looking for a means for institutional investors to be sort of asked to join the government equity end, maybe in partnership with the Government Service Insurance System or some government fund or even the implementing agency. We’re looking at whether this is something we can do,” Ms. Hernandez added.

Terry L. Ridon, a public investment analyst and convenor of think tank InfraWatch PH, said that inflationary pressures are another challenge for PPP projects.

“Whether funded through development loans or private financing, the current economic headwinds, particularly rising interest rates, will make government and private investors reconsider whether it will make sense to proceed with PPPs today,” he said in an email.

“More importantly, proceeding with PPPs under a high-interest rate environment will also impact the actual rates and fees imposed on consumers in the medium- and long-term,” he added.

Mr. Ridon said that the government should also prioritize PPPs in areas with a need for immediate investment, such as airports, trains and busway systems while ensuring fair and reasonable rates to commuters and end-users.

Impact of production cuts by OPEC+ may be offset by economic slowdown

October 31, 2022 | 6:53 pm

By Alyssa Nicole O. Tan, Reporter

ANY upward pressure on oil prices resulting from production cuts agreed to by the oil cartel, acting in concert with Russia, could be offset by the expected recession in advanced economies, dampening demand for fuel, a prominent economist said.

“The impact is uncertain,” Bernardo M. Villegas, professor emeritus at the University of Asia and the Pacific, told BusinessWorld in an email. “The recession expected in the developed countries may reduce demand for oil. Thus, a reduction in oil supply may just match the reduction in demand.”

“It is most probable that the price of oil will remain below $100 per barrel. Thus, the impact of the reduction in supply may be minimal on the Philippines,” he added.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which coordinates supply decisions with major producers who are non-OPEC members like Russia, recently announced production cuts despite pressure from the US, which had asked for a postponement of the decision until after the US midterm elections on Nov. 8. OPEC acting in concert with non-OPEC producers is referred to in the energy industry as OPEC+.

Saudi Arabia, which calls the shots in OPEC on the strength of its status as the leading producer, has said the production cut was needed to deal with rising interest rates in the West and a weakening global economy.

Rino E. Abad, director of the Oil Industry Management Bureau at the Department of Energy (DoE), said the speculation will affect the price of oil regardless of the actual supply-demand fundamentals.

“My educated guess is it won’t affect us supply-wise but of course any decline, we know for a fact, even if it’s just 500,000 barrels, almost always (results in) speculation on the price,” he told BusinessWorld in a phone interview.

“I think the more immediate effect is that there would be price volatility rather than (a significant drop in) supply,” he added.

Mr. Abad said the production decision may ultimately haunt OPEC+.

“By increasing the price, you’re creating inflation, and the people cannot really purchase as much volume as they did before, so that will result in the further decline in demand, and that is not what you want in the first place,” he said.

He added that inflationary conditions would provide fuel for an expected recession, further decreasing demand for oil.

Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) Energy Transition Advisor Alberto Dalusung III said in an email to BusinessWorld that oil remains the primary source of energy for the Philippines, citing the latest Energy Balance Table published by the DoE. “Therefore, we expect that transport will be the most affected sector.”

The Philippines, as a net energy importer, can only respond to the supply and price signals set by the market, Mr. Dalusung said.

“The current situation points to a need to rethink our energy strategy for the transport sector,” he said. “There have been initiatives to electrify aspects of the transport sector, primarily commuter jeepneys and buses.”

“I think that a more targeted action plan is needed to mainstream these initiatives,” he added.

Foundation for the National Interest Trustee Charmaine M. Misalucha-Willoughby, in an email to BusinessWorld, said the Philippines will “inevitably bear the brunt of OPEC’s decision due to its high dependence on oil imports.”

“This is due to the Philippines’ embeddedness in global supply chains, which are still recovering from the pandemic and are now disrupted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” she said.

“Another reason for the negative impact of OPEC’s decision is that the Philippines under the new administration has yet to solidify a clear economic strategy,” she added.

To successfully respond to global energy shocks, Ms. Willoughby said the Philippines can invest in renewable energy and pursue external partnerships to address climate change.

Ms. Willoughby said the government needs to come up with “economic and security strategies, (and) diversify international relations to cooperate with like-minded states on environmental concerns.”

She does not support a proposal by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to source fuel from Russia.

“Any moves towards Russia will put the Philippines in an untenable position. The Philippines should maintain its stance against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to be consistent with its position against China in the West Philippine Sea,” she said.

“If the Philippines continues to vacillate from one decision to another, the country then becomes an unreliable member of the international community,” she added.

Mr. Dalusung, meanwhile, expected the President to “consider all options for our oil and fertilizer supply, pressure from other parties notwithstanding.”

“Foreign policy is a balancing act that I leave to our officials,” he added.

However, he noted the ultimate need to transition towards more sustainable sources of energy.

“The cost impacts of these international actions have made fossil fuels so much more expensive that there are no more cost concerns on the transition to more renewables,” he said. “The good news is that solar and wind power projects are among the fastest ways to add capacity.”

He welcomed the Department of Justice’s (DoJ) legal opinion in favor of opening up renewable energy projects to 100% foreign participation.

“I have always taken a contrary position on the interpretation of some constitutional provisions that treat renewable energy sources such as solar and wind as if they were mineral resources, subject to state-defined limits on foreign participation,” he said.

“Renewable energy resources are not exhaustible and their proper use will not deprive future generations of the same resources,” he added.

Ms. Willoughby said this could only work if there are substantial economic reforms in the Philippines to ensure oversight and accountability of foreign companies.

Mr. Abad said the government’s short-term plan is to provide relief packages and financial assistance to the transport and agriculture sector. Meanwhile, the medium- to long-term solution was to develop indigenous supply to reduce dependence on energy imports.

“The solution is to lower the dependency on imports and the only way to do that is to encourage and further develop the indigenous supply,” he added.

This will likely take up to 10 years to explore and another five years to develop, Mr. Abad said. “That will be a long time but that should be started now.”

“We have to start at some point,” he said. “We may not gain the benefit now, but at least 15 years from now the people will benefit from that indigenous supply.”

He also said that there was “nothing wrong” with the DoJ legal opinion, adding, “Opening up (the renewables industry) is the intent… It’s primarily grounded on the need for investors that could provide faster and bigger investment.”

Small-farmer insurance bill filed in Senate

October 31, 2022 | 6:52 pm

A BILL seeking to expand the coverage of the crop insurance program to include small farmers has been filed at the Senate.

The Philippines’ “vulnerability to disasters and (their) disastrous effect on agricultural productivity calls for a more permanent and long-term solution that will ensure that the agricultural sector, especially small farmers, are protected and given support to sustain their production,” Senator Joseph Victor G. Ejercito, author of Senate bill No. 390, said in a statement Monday.

The measure would require the DA to develop a comprehensive insurance scheme for small farmers in coordination with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) and the Insurance Commission (IC).

The bill calls for subsidized premiums for farmers tilling five hectares or less, Mr. Ejercito noted.

As of the afternoon of Oct. 30, the Department of Agriculture (DA) estimated agricultural damage caused by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) at P285.28 million affecting 8,608 farmers and fisherfolk.

Last month, Super Typhoo Karding (international name: Noru) inflicted P3.12 billion worth of crop damage, according to the DA.

“The government has provided subsidies to support the crop insurance program and has been shouldering shares of insurance premiums of insured farmers,” Mr. Ejercito said.

“However, this has not resulted in better outcomes in terms of alleviating the financial burden of farmers,” he added. — John Victor D. Ordonez

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