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PSEi posts strong gains on improved sentiment

PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

THE LOCAL BOURSE posted robust gains in August on improved sentiment amid increased certainty about the economic priorities of the current administration and as listed firms posted strong second-quarter results.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) has gone up by 436.57 points or 6.9% so far this month to end at 6,752.50 on Aug. 26 from its end-July close.

At end-July, the PSEi gained by 2.6% month on month, while in June, it dropped by 9.1%.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said the PSEi rose as market sentiment was supported by the first State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. “as it covered a lot of economic-related priorities and reiterated the economic team’s earlier signals, especially economic growth targets and fiscal management in terms of reducing the country’s budget deficit and debt-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio.”

“Generally better corporate earnings or results also supported market sentiment and overall valuations,” Mr. Ricafort said in a Viber message.

However, he warned that if the Russia-Ukraine war drags on, it could lead to increased volatility in global financial markets.

Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said indicators such as signs of peaking of inflation in the United States and good earnings reports also boosted the market.

“Philippine macro indicators and corporate earnings were also encouraging as the elevated prices of goods did not affect profits as much as analysts expected it would,” Mr. Limlingan said in a Viber message.

“Despite the month of ‘Au-ghost,’ the Philippine index has soared nearly 400 points, indicating that the market is recovering well from the June slump,” Timson Securities, Inc. Head of Online Trading Marc Kebinson L. Lood said in a Viber message.

The ghost month is a period in the Lunar calendar when some Asian investors refrain from making big investments or decisions, resulting in lower trading volumes. For this year, it was set on July 29 to Aug. 26.

“The main factors that contributed to the market’s strong performance are signs of slowing inflation in the Philippines, a lower-than-expected inflation print in the United States, and a better-than-anticipated earnings report from companies, which boosts investor confidence,” Mr. Lood added.

Philippine headline inflation rose further to 6.4% in July from 6.1% in June and 3.7% a year ago, preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed.

The July inflation print was the fastest since the 6.9% logged in October 2018.

Meanwhile, consumer prices in the US decelerated last month as gasoline prices dropped sharply, raising market sentiment that the US Federal Reserve may dial back its aggressive interest rate hikes.

The US consumer price index climbed by 8.5% year on year in July, slower than the 9.1% rise in June. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

OCTA: Philippine COVID-19 infections decreasing

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

DAILY coronavirus infections in the Philippines could fall to fewer than 1,000 by mid-September, the OCTA Research Group said on Sunday.

The average daily cases in the past week had fallen to 2,959 as of Aug. 27, 15% lower than a week earlier, OCTA Research fellow Fredegusto P. David said in a report. The daily average hit its highest at 4,071 infections two weeks ago, he added.

The country would likely post fewer than 1,000 daily infections by mid-September and 500 infections by the end of next month, he said.

The virus reproduction number had fallen to 0.91 as of Aug. 24 from 0.96 on Aug. 17. The positivity rate had also decreased to 14.3% from 16.2% as of Aug. 26, he added.

“The current average daily attack rate is 2.69, per 100,000, which is considered low,” Mr. David said. Filipinos are expected to hold more gatherings such as parties during the Christmas holidays.

The Philippines had experienced infection surges in the past holidays, with the highly infectious Omicron variant spreading locally as early as January this year.

“We are still living with COVID-19 even if cases seem low,” the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a Facebook post earlier this month.

It reminded people about the risk of catching the disease, which has killed millions and “can change at any time.” “Not all people with COVID-19 show symptoms. Don’t let cases rise again,” the WHO said. “Avoid getting infected and infecting others.”

Thousands of people are still dying from COVID-19 every week, the WHO said separately in a Facebook post on Aug. 9. “At least one of 10 people with COVID-19 get long-COVID.”

The WHO has been saying that unvaccinated people are 10 times more likely to get seriously ill with the coronavirus than those who have been vaccinated. “Getting vaccinated significantly reduces your chances of getting seriously ill or dying.” 

The Philippine government had fully vaccinated 72.47 million people as of Aug. 27, while 17.82 million people have received booster shots. The state started a campaign in June to encourage more people to get boosters, as the government pushes face-to-face classes this school year.

Last week, millions of children in the Southeast Asian nation returned to schools for their first physical classes in two years.

The government failed to prepare for face-to-face classes while the country was still on lockdown, critics said, noting that students and teachers endured classroom shortages on the first day of school.

A group of teachers earlier said the Department of Education should have limited the number of students per class. Aside from the coronavirus, the monkeypox virus also threatens Filipinos.

The Department of Health this month said monkeypox should not become a reason for the government to delay or to stop the opening of classes.

It said safeguards were in place to keep students safe. The Philippines has recorded four cases of monkeypox, which spreads via contact and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled skin lesions.

New monkeypox cases have fallen in some major cities in the United States, CNBC reported.

“Although monkeypox cases are still increasing nationally, the speed of the outbreak appears to be slowing,” it said, citing an official at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The US is watching this with cautious optimism, and hopeful that many of its harm-reduction messages and vaccines were getting out there and working, CNBC said, citing CDC Director Rochelle Paula Walensky.

The number of monkeypox cases reported globally declined by 21% two weeks ago, Reuters reported, citing an epidemiological report by the WHO.

“The decrease in case numbers may potentially signal that the outbreak is declining in the European region,” it said Aug. 25.

Still, almost two-dozen countries have experienced a rise in weekly monkeypox cases, with the highest increase reported in the US, it said. More than 34% of infected people globally were in the US.

Gov’t told not to abolish PCGG during Marcos rule

EX-PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand E. Marcos and his family at the presidential palace on the day of his 1965 inaugural. — MALACANANG.GOV.PH

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

THE PRESIDENTIAL Commission on Good Government (PCGG) should not be abolished during Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s rule due to conflict of interest, according to political analysts.

“The PCGG should eventually be abolished but not now and not during the Marcos administration,” Antonio M. La Viña, a human rights lawyer and former dean of the Ateneo School of Government, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“It’s in bad taste to do that now. I suggest a 10-year time frame for proper closure of all the cases that are still pending.”

Executive Secretary Victor D. Rodriguez did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.

At a House of Representatives hearing last week, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez and Cavite Rep. Elpidio F. Barza, Jr. said the PCGG had “outlived its usefulness,” adding that agencies such as the Department of Justice and Office of the Ombudsman could take over pending ill-gotten wealth cases.

The late Corazon C. Aquino created the PCGG in 1986 to go after the ill-gotten assets of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, his family and cronies that were amassed during his two-decade reign. The elder Marcos is the father of the current Philippine president.

PCGG Chairman John A. Agbayani said the agency should be strengthened to help relieve other agencies of handling graft and corruption cases, according to a live-streamed video of the hearing. He noted that for this year alone, the PCGG has remitted P850 million to the Treasury bureau.

Abolishing the PCGG would be an attempt to “dismantle the institutional condemnation of everything the elder Marcos has done,” Hansley A. Juliano, a former political science professor studying at Nagoya University’s Graduate School of International Development in Japan, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“There are so many other cases, both local and international, regarding the Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth that have not been properly processed, not to mention the other cases of corruption of other politicians over the years.”

Last week, the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law opposed a proposal to abolish the PCGG. Reassigning pending corruption cases to other agencies could slow proceedings, it said.

“Much more can be discovered and recovered, but abolishing the institution will only put all such efforts down the drain,” it said in a statement.

A popular street uprising toppled the dictator’s regime in February 1986, forcing him and his family to flee into exile in the United States.

The president earlier asked the country’s anti-graft court Sandiganbayan to consider the dismissal of several ill-gotten wealth lawsuits against his family in a similar case.

In July, the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division affirmed its 2019 ruling that dismissed the state’s lawsuit seeking to recover at least four Marcos properties in the absence of sufficient evidence that these had been illegally obtained.

The PCGG filed the case in 1987, accusing business associates of the late dictator and his wife Imelda of acting as their dummies to acquire ill-gotten assets.

Some of the associates are set to present evidence at the case’s next pre-trial hearing on Sept. 1.

After the elder Marcos’ death in 1989, the court ordered his heirs — Imelda, Marcos Jr. and his sisters Imee and Irene — to substitute for him in the case.

The anti-graft court last month allowed the Marcos family to present evidence, rejecting the government’s motion to waive the family’s right to present evidence.

Political analysts have said an unfavorable judgment against the Marcoses could lead to a constitutional crisis since law enforcers are under the president.

A favorable outcome could result in more allegations of using executive power to influence other institutions to protect himself and his family’s interests, Maria Ela L. Atienza, who teaches political science at the University of the Philippines, said on July 9.

In 2003, the Philippine Supreme Court awarded the Philippine government $658 million (P37 billion) of the dictator’s frozen Swiss bank deposits. The court ruled only about $304,000 of the Marcos family’s income was lawful.

Former Supreme Court Justice Antonio T. Carpio had said the former president’s unpaid estate tax, worth P23 million in 1997, had ballooned to more than P200 billion due to interests and other fees.

Tax bureau chief Lillia C. Guillermo said she would enforce the collection of the unpaid estate tax of the elder Marcos as ordered by the courts.

Among the ill-gotten assets recovered by the government were shares in Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. worth P25.2 billion, shares in Philippine Telecoms Investment Corp. worth P25.2 billion, several houses in Baguio City and 526 art pieces now under the custody of the Philippine central bank.

Analysts: ‘Learning poverty’ could spur labor crisis 

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

By Alyssa Nicole O. Tan, Reporter 

THE COUNTRY’s so-called learning poverty could spur a workforce crisis if not resolved soon, according to education experts. 

“If learning poverty in the country will not be urgently addressed, our future human resources will be a major challenge to our economic development,” Jerome T. Buenviaje, dean of the University of the Philippines College of Education said in an e-mail. 

“This simply means producing a generation whose skills are not aligned with the need of our country,” he said, noting that the country relies a lot on the service economy, which requires 21st-century learning skills. 

The Philippines’ learning poverty is among the highest in the region, with nine of 10 Filipinos unable to read and understand short, age-appropriate texts by the age of 10, according to the World Bank. It added that 5% of children who should be in primary school are not enrolled. 

“Reading is the gateway to learning,” Philippine Business for Education Acting Executive Director Justine B. Raagas said in a Viber message. “It is a basic skill that makes all other learning possible, and it is a basic skill needed for an individual to progress in school and join the workforce.” 

“Our learners would not be able to build a better career if they have poor literacy skills,” she added. 

One of two Filipino workers did not finish high school, Ms. Raagas said, citing a labor force survey in June. The lack of basic competencies and qualifications translated to a high underemployment rate. 

About 5.8 million Filipinos were working in low-skilled positions with inadequate pay. “An educated workforce means shared economic prosperity for everyone,” she added. 

Mr. Buenviaje said all education levels are important, but basic education should be prioritized for budget allocations. “This is where the biggest number of learners belong.” 

“Budget allocations should prioritize the improvement of learning environments, organizational development, learning material production and keeping the health and well-being of all stakeholders,” he said. 

The government should aim to build a stronger education system that will help it achieve its quality education agenda and other sustainable development goals, he added. 

Ms. Raagas said she agreed with the government’s decision to allot about 80% of the education sector’s budget for the salaries and benefits of teachers. 

“A low-hanging fruit is to reduce administrative work from teachers so that they can focus on improving themselves and their instruction,” she said. “In the mid-term, we must ensure that we increase their capacity and quality by providing them with better skill training.” 

The government of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has said the coronavirus pandemic would no longer become an excuse to suspend face-to-face classes. 

Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio, who serves as Education secretary, rejected calls to move the opening of school day to September or October. 

Ms. Raagas said the vice-president should use her political capital to improve the educational system. “The convergence of tools, resources, networks, and technical expertise from the education and private sector is needed to address our country’s learning crisis.” 

She also cited the need to make the education sector more autonomous, noting that local governments and schools should be held accountable. 

“Studies show that students in countries with greater school autonomy tend to perform better. Their autonomy covers what and how students are taught and how they are assessed.”

Local governments should also play a larger role and work with local school systems. 

Mr. Buenviaje said state efforts to handle the education crisis are at an early stage and could be improved further. 

He called for a whole-government approach where different agencies work with the Department of Education to come up with effective policies. “It is also important to make schooling attractive to learners, parents and other stakeholders.” 

“The active participation of local government units and the influence of mainstream and social media can be used to promote back-to-school campaigns and other programs that will increase school enrollment,” he added. 

Fire breaks out at SSS building 

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE SOCIAL Security System (SSS) on Sunday said a fire broke out at its main office in Quezon City on Sunday morning. 

It managed to prevent the fire from spreading to other areas, it said in a statement. 

The fire, which started at 1:43 a.m., had been contained by 3:35 a.m., SSS said, citing firefighters.

“SSS assures the public that all member data records are not affected and there is no interruption in the delivery of its services in all branches and via online,” the state pensioner said. “It likewise assures the public that all payments will be accepted and posted accordingly.” — NPA

Magnitude 5.2 quake jolts Abra 

OFFICE OF REP. CHING BERNOS

A MAGNITUDE 5.2 earthquake rocked Abra province in northern Philippines on Sunday, according to the United States Geological Survey. 

The quake occurred 10 kilometers southeast of San Ramon Town at 2:27 a.m. and had a depth of 38.4 kilometers, it said on its website. 

The local state volcanology agency in a bulletin posted on its website said it was an aftershock of the 7.1 earthquake that struck the province last month, killing at least four people and damaging roads, bridges and historical sites. 

The towns of Pilar, Bangued and Bucay felt the quake at Intensity V, it said. Banayoyo in Ilocos Sur province and San Fernando in La Union province felt the quake at Intensity IV, it added. 

Intensity III was felt in Sinait, Ilocos Sur, while Intensity II was experienced in Gonzaga, Cagayan, Laoag City and Pasuquin in Ilocos Norte. 

The agency’s instruments also recorded the quake at Intensity I in Claveria and Peñablanca in Cagayan; Santiago City in Isabela; Tabuk in Kalinga; San Jose in Nueva Ecija; Urdaneta, Infanta and Sison in Pangasinan; and Madella in Quirino. 

Last month’s major temblor was also felt in Manila, the capital and nearby cities, forcing workers to evacuate buildings and halting train operations. 

P2.5B allotted for airport upgrades — congressman 

THE DEPARTMENT of Transportation plans to spend P2.5 billion to upgrade at least five airports on the three main islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, Makati City Rep. Luis Jose Angel S. Campos, Jr. said in a statement on Sunday. 

The agency’s aviation infrastructure program in the 2023 proposed national budget seeks to allot P1.42 billion for the upgrade of the Tacloban City Airport in Leyte, P500 million for the Antique Airport and P445 million for the Laoag International Airport, the congressman said. 

Bukidnon Airport, which is expected to start operations in 2023, would get P80 million, while the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the capital region would get P43 million, said Mr. Campos, who is vice chairman of the House of Representatives committee on appropriations. 

“We are all for increased spending to build up our aviation infrastructure across all regions,” he said. “There’s no question that airports are powerful generators of economic growth, jobs and income.” 

The Transportation department will receive a P167.1-billion budget next year as proposed by the Executive department. 

“We are all for increased spending to build up our aviation infrastructure across all regions,” Mr. Campos said. He said airports help move people and goods, which also benefits consumers and industries especially micro, small and medium enterprises that account for 99% of the country’s almost a million registered enterprises. 

He said bigger and better airports would also help the Philippines in disaster preparedness. “They enable us to rapidly deploy emergency first responders as well as relief supplies and equipment to regions hit by typhoons, earthquakes and other natural calamities,” Mr. Campos said. 

He said government funding for aviation infrastructure is usually spent to build, rehabilitate or improve runways, taxiways and aprons, air traffic control buildings as well as passenger and cargo terminals. 

The money is also spent on aircraft refueling facilities, fire and rescue stations, powerhouses, water and sewage systems and perimeter fencing. — Matthew Carl L. Montecillo 

Philippines rallies and outlasts taller Australians in five sets

TOTS Carlos unleashes a match-best 26 points. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RUSSEL PALMA

FORMED late and given little time to prepare, the Philippines answered the call for national team duty without condition and charged straight into the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Cup head on with only this one little weapon called hope.

It sprung eternal.

Summoning its last remaining strength, the weary Filipinas clawed their way out of a grave and outlasted the taller Australians, 21-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-18, 15-12, to essay its best performance in AVC Cup history before a loud and decent Sunday crowd at the PhilSports Arena.

Represented by reigning Premier Volleyball League Invitational champion Creamline, the Nationals fought off fatigue and relied on willpower alone to rally their way back from what looked like massive deficits, including midway in the fifth and final set when the Aussies led, 8-6.

But the power hitting but hurting Jema Galanza went on a killing spree and scored three straight points that sparked the decisive run.

Tots Carlos, Pangs Panaga and Ced Domingo joined the onslaught in powering the host country into a battle of fifth place with Chinese Taipei, which trounced Iran, 25-23, 25-19, 25-17, earlier, today.

But regardless of the result of that duel, the nation have already exceeded expectations and would end up with their best effort in the event after placing ninth four years ago in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

And the squad did it despite all the tribulations it faced — a missed game by coach Sherwin Meneses and setter Jia de Guzman due to health reasons, the little preparation and the absence of its heart and soul Alyssa Valdez due to dengue.

It also cautioned the impact of the team’s stinging 25-18, 23-25, 25-20, 25-9 defeat it suffered at the hands of Southeast Asian power Thailand the day before.

Meneses and De Guzman summed it all. “They’re all fighters,” said Meneses.

“We’re all feeling something but no one complained, everyone just wants to step up and do their roles,” said De Guzman, who had 32 excellent sets and four points.

Carlos was nothing less than breathtaking as she unleashed a match-best 26 points despite being relentlessly hounded by taller, long-limbed blockers while Galanza and Domingo scattered 18 and 15 hits, respectively.

The rest was pure heart. — Joey Villar

Clarkson to return next year for World Cup

Clarkson visits tenement court in Taguig City
FILIPINO pride Jordan Clarkson speaks in front of kids in awe including an avid fan wearing his green Utah Jazz jersey during his visit at the famed Tenement Court in Taguig City ahead of the Gilas Pilipinas’ game in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. Clarkson, a Filipino-American who traces his roots in Pampanga, donated pairs of shoes and signed basketballs to the passionate Filipino kids. — PHILIPPINE STAR/ JOHN BRYAN ULANDAY

JORDAN Clarkson is just getting started in his national tour of duty with big plans of returning home next year to reinforce Gilas Pilipinas in its biggest battle, the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

The Philippines will serve as the main host in the 32-team world basketball showpiece next August and the Filipino-American pride Mr. Clarkson is expected to be by the country’s side after his stint in fourth window of the ongoing  Asian Qualifiers.

“Yes,” answered the Utah Jazz guard and 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year when asked about the possibility much to the cheers of hundreds of Filipino fans during his visit at the famed Tenement court in Taguig City.

Mr. Clarkson, who traces his roots in Pampanga, said donning the Philippine colors has been a dream come true since he debuted for Gilas in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.

“It’s been great. It’s been something that I’ve envisioned when I first went to Jakarta and watched the team play,” said Utah Jazz’s Clarkson in the event organized by Taguig led by Mayor Lani Cayetano and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.

“It’s great seeing Kai Sotto, Carl Tamayo, Dwight Ramos and young, talented players being surrounded and trying to put us in a position to make the Olympics and hopefully win the World cup in like 360 days. We got some time to prepare and prepare for all that. Everything that I’ve envisioned and what I’ve been trying to push for is coming to life,” he added.

But more than that, the 6-foot-4 guard is just thrilled and honored to give back to his roots and serve as an inspiration to the Filipino kids also aspiring to make it in the big stage

“This is kind of where it started. We came here the first time I visited here, now I’m just continuing my visits. Every NBA player comes here. They’re not from here — I am, straight up” beamed Mr. Clarkson.

Huge part of that is his family beaming with pride to witness how far he has come and how big he has become since being a kid clad with excitement in wearing a barong back then.

“I know all y’all looking at the bigger picture but a lot of this is for my grandmother. Just trying to carry her name, make her proud and still continue to this day. That’s probably the biggest reason why I still do and represent the flag and country to this day,” he brimmed.

“You being here today is such a big inspiration, and I hope those present not only here in Tenement but also those tuning in online will look at you and your achievements and dream big,” said Mr. Cayetano.

“I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to JC, his family and his team. His presence here today will surely inspire young dreamers and athletes to be the best that they can be,” added Ms. Cayetano.
—  John Bryan Ulanday

Liverpool equals PL record with 9-0 hammering of Bournemouth

LIVERPOOL’s Roberto Firmino scores their seventh goal. — REUTERS

LIVERPOOL, England — Liverpool earned their first win of the season in stunning fashion after equalling the record for the biggest ever Premier League (PL) victory with a 9-0 thrashing of promoted Bournemouth at Anfield on Saturday.

Two goals inside the opening six minutes from Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliot put the hosts into a commanding position from the off.

A stunning strike from England full-back Trent Alexander Arnold which arrowed into the top corner gave Liverpool a three-goal lead in the 28th minute before Roberto Firmino got in on the act with a fourth three minutes later.

Not done there, Liverpool had a fifth before the interval, with Virgil van Dijk heading home from a corner — the first time the Reds had netted five in the first half of a league game since 1958.

Chris Mepham’s own goal had the visitors staring at the prospect of an embarrassing drubbing, with such worries heightening after a close-range finish from Firmino and substitute Fabio Carvalho’s volley.

After Diaz headed in the ninth, Liverpool had five minutes to become the first side to score 10 goals in a Premier League match. But despite some late scares, Bournemouth did just enough to avoid suffering that ignominy.

Following Manchester United (twice) and Leicester City, it was the fourth time a team has recorded a 9-0 win in a Premier League match.

“We had to prove a point to ourselves,” Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp said as he celebrated the biggest ever competitive win of his managerial career.

“We were not happy with how we played so far this season, but we had good moments in those games.

“We just had to give the game a proper direction and that’s why I loved the start today. Two wonderful goals, everything about them.

“We kept going, scoring different goals but with the same purpose to keep up the pressure. In the end it was the perfect football afternoon.”

The last time Liverpool failed to win any of their opening four games of a season was back in 2012-13, a feat never likely to be repeated once Diaz’s third-minute header on the end of Mohamed Salah’s cross had found the net.

It was the first time in eight league games that Liverpool scored first, and before long the hosts added a second in the Merseyside sunshine as young Elliot rifled home from the edge of the penalty area.

A third was quickly forthcoming, and worth the wait for an expectant Anfield, with Alexander-Arnold firing an unstoppable strike into the net, while there was more than an element of fortune about Liverpool’s fourth finished off by Firmino.

In finding the net, the Brazilian became the first Liverpool player to be involved in four goals — three assists and a goal — in the Premier League.

Van Dijk’s header meant it was going to be a long second half for the visitors, with the feeling of dread even more prevalent after Mepham’s own goal just after the break made it six.

A poor parry from Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers was then punished by Firmino, before Carvalho and Diaz again had supporters calling for 10, with Bournemouth looking decidedly panicked, but it was not to be.

Bournemouth have now conceded more goals (16) in their first four games of a Premier League season than any other side in the competition’s history.

“It was a humbling experience what has happened today,” Bournemouth coach Scott Parker said.

“We need to make a decision (in the transfer market) and give these players a break. They are struggling for air.” — Reuters

Bengals defeat Rams in Super Bowl rematch

JAKE Browning threw for 173 yards and a touchdown on 19-for-24 passing to lead the host Cincinnati Bengals to a 16-7 preseason victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday night in a rematch of Super Bowl LVI.

Browning found tight end Justin Rigg for a 3-yard score late in the fourth quarter to extend a Bengals lead that had been forged by kicker Evan McPherson, who made three field goals in the first half to put Cincinnati up 9-0.

Los Angeles got its only points thanks to a 3-yard rushing touchdown from Bryce Perkins. Perkins completed 14 of 19 passes for 143 yards and added 33 yards on the ground on eight carries.

FALCONS 28, JAGUARS 12
Three running backs each found the end zone once as Atlanta cruised past visiting Jacksonville.

Caleb Huntley, Qadree Ollison and Tyler Allgeier all scored on the ground, and Allgeier also hauled in a receiving touchdown for the Falcons.  — Reuters

Unwanted Westbrook

To argue that Russell Westbrook has not been having a good offseason would be understating the obvious. Fresh off a campaign in which his skill set appeared to be in decline, he has seen developments reflect his worth — or, to be more precise, lack thereof. His name has been linked to just about every major trade scenario, what with the Lakers bent on improving their roster following a supposed run for the championship that turned into an abject failure to even make the playoffs. And because he continues to exhibit the pride that fueled his stardom in the first place, he’s not taking it well; he has even found cause to part ways with longtime agent Thad Foucher.

Amid the tumult, the Lakers have, not surprisingly, sought to mend fences with Westbrook. Forget that they remain bent on dealing him for assets they believe will get them closer to the hardware. Considering his $47 million price tag, however, he’s a veritable albatross that gives potential trade partners pause; the latter would need to be either desperate or aiming to rebuild through the use of his expiring contract. Which means that, for all the desire of the purple and gold to show him the door, he may yet be around when the 2022-23 season gets under way. In a nutshell, this explains why the likes of head coach Darvin Ham and top dog LeBron James keep publicly propping him up; they need him to be focused on the task at hand should he still be around when the games begin.

That said, the message the Lakers are really sending cannot be denied. Heck, they even went so far as to trade Talen Horton-Tucker, a talent they hitherto held in high regard, and Stanley Johnson, arguably their best wing defender, for aging two-way player Patrick Beverley. On paper, it makes a lot of sense since it addresses a primary weakness. However, they could not have been blind to the fact that Westbrook has had a long-running feud with their new acquisition. To spread the welcome mat for an acknowledged enemy of their supposed pillar speaks of their true intentions.

Westbrook isn’t stupid. He knows he isn’t wanted anymore, and it riles him no end that the Lakers have given up on him just a year after they wooed him with a rosy picture of the future. Then again, he also knows it’s the nature of the business, and that the only way he can silence naysayers is to prove that he’s not washed out, all the advanced metrics discounting his value notwithstanding. So, yes, he’ll be a fixture in talks for asset swaps. And, yes, if he’s serious about giving critics the finger, he should view it as motivation, period. It’s not the first time he has been doubted, and it won’t be the last.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

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