Manny Pacquiao faces new foe as Errol Spence, Jr. out injured

August 11, 2021 | 7:35 pm

Pacman — FILIPINO boxing superstar Manny D. Pacquiao will have a new opponent for his ring return next week after his original foe pulled out because of injury. — ALVIN S. GO

Will fight Cuban Yordenis Ugás on Aug. 22

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

FILIPINO boxing superstar Manny D. “Pacman” Pacquiao will have a new opponent for his ring return next week after his original foe pulled out because of injury.

In an announcement on Wednesday, promoters of Mr. Pacquiao’s fight on Aug. 22 (Manila time) said Cuban Yordenis Ugás will now be facing the eight-division world champion, taking the place of American Errol Spence, Jr. who suffered a career-threatening eye injury that would require surgery.

Mr. Pacquiao, who is also a sitting senator of the republic, expressed his disappointment over not being able to fight current International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Council welterweight champion, Spence but understood the situation and wished the injured fighter well in his surgery and road to recovery.

The American champion also expressed disappointment with the turn of events just as he vowed to come back stronger after surgery.

“I’m very disappointed that I won’t be able to fight Manny Pacquiao on Aug. 21. I was excited about the fight and the event. Unfortunately, the doctors found a tear in my left eye and said I needed to get surgery on it ASAP and that there was no way I could fight with my eye in that condition,” Mr. Spence said in a statement.

In 35-year-old Mr. Ugás (26-4, 12 KOs), Mr. Pacquiao will face a fighter who currently holds the World Boxing Association welterweight title, which used to be in the hands of the Filipino champion.

Despite the sudden change, Mr. Pacquiao was still grateful that his fight would push through and that he looks forward to getting the victory.

“This is the best training camp I have had since the first [Marco Antonio] Barrera fight [in 2003]. I am grateful it won’t be wasted,” said Mr. Pacquiao (62-7, 39 KOs) in a Viber message.

“I look forward to showing everyone that Manny Pacquiao is still here to give the fans a good show,” he added.

POTENTIAL FIGHT OF THE YEAR
For boxing analyst Nissi Icasiano, it was just unfortunate that a potential fight of the year was side-tracked by an injury but shared that what Mr. Spence has to deal with is something serious.

In an interview with BusinessWorld, he said he expects Mr. Pacquiao to make the necessary adjustments and be ready against Mr. Ugás.

“For sure, it’s disappointing on the part of Manny Pacquiao. Aside from making adjustments with less than two weeks to go, he’s looking at the dividends that he could possibly get. Winning against Spence, who is a younger and super talented boxer, will resonate so much and will put him on a much higher pedestal,” the analyst said.

“Stylistically, this fight against Yordenis Ugás favors Manny Pacquiao. He is too tentative and upright for the fighting senator. I expect Pacquiao to dart in and out with ease against Ugás,” Mr. Icasiano added. — with Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Creamline draws first blood in PVL finals series

August 11, 2021 | 7:34 pm

2021 PVL Open - Chery Tiggo vs. Creamline Finals G1 - Alyssa Valdez-5167 — The Creamline Cool Smashers took a 1-0 lead over the Chery Tiggo Crossovers in their best-of-three PVL Open Conference finals series after taking Game One in five sets on Wednesday. — PVL MEDIA BUREAU

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

Top seeds Creamline Cool Smashers defeated the Chery Tiggo Crossovers in five sets in Game One of the best-of-three Premier Volleyball League Open Conference finals series on Wednesday to move a win away from another league title.

Creamline, a three-time PVL champion, hung tough to get the better of a determined Chery Tiggo crew en route to the win, 25-15, 25-21, 18-25, 19-25, 15-7, in proceedings held at the PCV Socio-Civic & Cultural Center in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.

The Cool Smashers created some separation early and never looked back after to claim a 1-0 lead in the contest.

In the second set, the match was more nip-and-tuck, with the teams fighting to a 16-15 count in favor of the Crossovers by the second technical timeout.

But Creamline held sway for the remainder of the set, outscoring its opponent, 10-5, to go on and take a 2-0 advantage.

Looking to stay alive, Chery Tiggo dug deeper at the start of the third set, building a 16-10 cushion by the midway point.

The Crossovers went on to get the set and narrow the gap, 2-1.

The teams battled it out to begin the fourth frame.

Chery Tiggo got it going early before Creamline made its move and tied the count at 13-all.

The Crossovers were undeterred, creating distance anew, 20-16, before taking the set and forcing the deciding frame.

Creamline opened the decider with a 6-1 lead, led by Tots Carlos.

It will take full advantage of it, stretching it to a 10-4 advantage and going on to close things out after.

Game Two of the finals is on Thursday at 5 p.m. It can be seen over One Sports and One Sports+.

Added funding, scientific training keys to sustaining 2020 Tokyo Olympic gains

August 11, 2021 | 7:32 pm

PSCPOC — PSC Chairman William I. Ramirez (left) and POC President Abraham N. Tolentinio said efforts have to be made to build on the gains in the Tokyo Olympic Games.

NOW that the country has achieved the success it was long searching for in the Olympics, the challenge now for all stakeholders is how to sustain it.

This was among the topics touched on by officials of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) during an online forum on Tuesday, saying that the work continues.

“We have to be serious if we would like to sustain the momentum of the Tokyo Olympics,” said PSC Chairman William I. Ramirez at the Philippines Sportswriters Association Forum.

The Philippines is fresh from its best performance yet in the Olympics in nearly a century of participation, including winning a first-ever gold medal courtesy of weightlifter Hidilyn F. Diaz.

Two silver medals were also won by boxers Nesthy A. Petecio and Carlo Paalam and so was a bronze by Eumir Felix D. Marcial also of boxing.

The performance was the first multi-medal showing for the Philippines since the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles where three bronze medals were won.

The 1-2-1 medal haul for the country was also good for 50^th place overall at the Tokyo Games.

Mr. Ramirez said while there is much to celebrate about for the successful campaign of the Philippine contingent in the recent Olympics, there is still the need to continue fine-tuning the preparation and training of the athletes for sustained success to be achieved, which would require added resources and effort.

He mentioned added budget and more scientific training for the athletes as among the key aspects that need to be looked at.

“I think the budget for sports should be increased,” said POC President and Cavite Congressman Abraham N. Tolentino.

He said the need for a bigger budget is not only geared for the next Olympics in Paris in 2024, but also for the training and preparation of athletes seeing action in the Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games next year.

For the Tokyo Games, the PSC, as per data it provided, released some P2 billion since 2017 for the national team, which also covered the foreign exposure of the Olympians and those who vied for Olympic spots.

In addition, more scientific training is also needed.

“It is really extremely important that we will provide a cutting-edge sports sciences,” said Mr. Ramirez, referring to athletes undergoing performance science, physiological test, metabolic efficiency, and other programs which dominant countries in the Olympics like China, the United States, Russia, and those from Europe, regularly undergo.

While he admitted that it is going to be a challenge here, still efforts need to be made for it to happen because if not goals for the Paris Olympics and the next will be hard to achieve.

Mr. Tolentino agreed with his counterpart in the PSC just as he added for the need to shore up further collaboration with the private sector and other National Olympic Committees in achieving the goals they are setting.

The two officials vowed that their agencies will soon meet to discuss the paths that they will be taking. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Journey continues for Folayang at ONE: Battleground II

August 11, 2021 | 7:31 pm

Eduard-Folayang — VETERAN Eduard Folayang of the Philippines returns to the ONE Championship Circle at “ONE: Battleground II” on Friday in Singapore against Chinese Zhang Lipeng. — ONE CHAMPIONSHIP

VETERAN Eduard “Landslide” Folayang’s mixed martial arts journey continues as he makes his return to the ONE Championship Circle at “ONE: Battleground II” on Friday in Singapore.

Mr. Folayang, 36, will take on Chinese Zhang Lipeng in the headlining fight of the event where he hopes to end a skid that has seen him lose three straight fights.

While he admits that the losing streak is concerning, he still feels that he is not done in the sport and is more determined to keep going.

“What keeps me going is that I believe I haven’t reached my destination yet. I’m still in the journey, so there is a lot of potential that I need to unleash,” said the former two-time ONE world lightweight champion in a recent virtual media day for Battleground II.

“I think, for me, [one of the things I learned during this skid is] perseverance. I need to persevere so that I can be able to hit that break [to the skid] and eventually to continue to go,” he added.

The most recent of his defeats came at the hands of long-time rival Shinya Aoki of Japan in April this year where he lost in the opening round by arm bar.

It was the de facto rubber match in the trilogy between the two accomplished fighters, with Mr. Aoki taking the lead, 2-1.

Heading into his latest fight, Team Lakay’s Folayang (22-11) said he is expecting a solid challenge from Mr. Zhang, 31, who is making his ONE debut.

“He (Zhang) is a fighter. He is also a warrior because, you know, few people can have that kind of record, 30-11, I think? So he has been in the sport for a long time also, and I’m excited to face the same veteran with the same fighting style so let’s see how it will go,” said the Filipino bet of Mr. Zhang (30-11-2).

In the lead-up, Mr. Folayang shared they gave much focus to his ground game and wrestling as they expect the fight to go in that direction.

“In our training camp, I focused more on my wrestling. I need to do well in my wrestling and my ground because I know it will be the area where they want to put me again. So as much as possible, I want to be better prepared,” he said.

He declined to make a prediction on the fight and would rather take on the challenge as it is and let the chips fall where they may.

“This is mixed martial arts so sometimes it’s very unpredictable. Sometimes, the fight goes on to a finish, either by knockout or submission, but, you know, for me, in any way that I can be able to get the win, of course, legally, then I will go for it,” he said.

Apart from the Folayang-Zhang clash, also on tap at Battleground II is the collision between former ONE strawweight champion Alex Silva of Brazil and Miao Li Tao of China and the heavyweight battle of Thomas Narmo of Norway and Alain Ngalani of Hong Kong.

“ONE: Battleground II” can be seen live over ONE Sports at 9 p.m. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Lionel Messi signs two-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain

August 11, 2021 | 7:31 pm

LIONEL Messi’s departure from Barcelona is official.

The 34-year-old Argentinian forward signed a two-year deal Tuesday with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) of Ligue 1 with an option for a third year. Financial terms were not announced, but The New York Times reported Messi will earn $41 million per year.

Messi had spent his entire pro career with Barcelona, but his contract expired and the two sides couldn’t agree on a new deal. His last contract was for four years and $674 million, and he was looking at a massive pay cut to return to the Spanish side.

“I am excited to begin a new chapter of my career at Paris Saint-Germain. Everything about the club matches my football ambitions,” Messi said on Tuesday in a statement. “I know how talented the squad and the coaching staff are here. I am determined to help build something special for the club and the fans, and I am looking forward to stepping out onto the pitch at the Parc des Princes.”

Messi already is in Paris and will be formally introduced as part of the team on Wednesday.

Messi registered 25 goals and 21 assists in 33 matches (starts) for Barcelona in La Liga play in 2019-20, then had 30 goals and nine assists in 35 matches (33 starts) in 2020-21.

He has won 34 titles in 16 seasons with Barcelona, including four Champions League and 10 La Liga crowns. He is a six-time Ballon d’Or-winner. — Reuters

PVL: Petro Gazz Angels take Game One of battle for third place

August 11, 2021 | 7:30 pm

THE Petro Gazz Angels took Game One of the best-of-three Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Open Conference battle for third series over the Choco Mucho Flying Titans in four sets at the PCV Socio-Civic & Cultural Center in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, on Wednesday.

Led by veteran Myla Pablo, the Angels gained early traction in the contest which they used as a springboard to hold off the spirited challenge of the Flying Titans en route to the 25-21, 25-15, 22-25, 25-20 victory.

Petro Gazz had its way in the first two sets until Choco Mucho asserted itself in the third frame behind the efforts of Ponggay Gaston and Kat Tolentino.

The Flying Titans sustained the momentum early in the fourth set until it was zapped when captain Maddie Madayag went down with an apparent injury to her left knee midway and Choco Mucho up, 15-14.

Ms. Madayag was rolled out in a wheelchair after landing awkwardly off an attack.

After that, Choco Mucho just could not get it going, outscored, 11-5, the rest of the way.

Ms. Pablo had a game-high 26 points, 25 off attacks, while Grethcel Soltones had 13 and Ces Molina 11 in the win.

“We may be out of contention for the title, but we said to ourselves that we cannot leave the tournament without something. So we just played our best and worked together,” said Petro Gazz coach Arnold Laniog in Filipino of the mind set they have in the battle for third.

For Choco Mucho, who played its sixth game in as many days, it was Ms. Gaston who led with 18 points, followed by Ms. Tolentino with 10.

Ms. Madayag finished with six points before she got injured.

Petro Gazz has the chance to finish the series on Thursday in Game Two set for 2 p.m.

The best-of-three championship series, meanwhile, is being disputed by the Creamline Cool Smashers and Chery Tiggo Crossovers with Game One to be played later on Wednesday.

PVL Open Conference matches are shown over One Sports and One Sports+. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Westbrook ‘all ears’ as he joins LeBron, AD on Lakers

August 11, 2021 | 7:29 pm

LOS ANGELES — The biggest move of a busy National Basketball Association (NBA) offseason was Russell Westbrook’s return to his native Los Angeles to join the Lakers franchise he grew up worshipping.

But as soon as the trade was announced, questions sprung up about how the ball dominant guard would fit in alongside demanding floor general LeBron James in an offense built around maximizing the generational talent of forward Anthony Davis (AD).

During his first press conference as a Laker on Tuesday, the nine-time All-Star from Long Beach who played college ball at UCLA said he was still eager to learn.

“I will always stay true to who I am,” Westbrook said.

“But with that said, I’ll also make sure that I am able to listen and be all ears because I am coming to an unbelievable organization and a team with players that I’m able to learn from.” — Reuters

Monaco, PSV and Benfica reach Champions League playoff round

August 11, 2021 | 7:26 pm

MONACO — Monaco breezed into the Champions League playoff round with a 5-1 aggregate win over Sparta Prague on Tuesday as former winners PSV Einhoven and Benfica also advanced to set up a mouth-watering clash between the two for a group-stage berth.

Red Star Belgrade crashed out after a 1-0 reverse at Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol condemned the 1991 European Cup winners to a 2-1 defeat over two legs while Swedes Malmo knocked out Rangers (4-2) on aggregate.

Gelson Martins fired Monaco ahead on the night with a sublime finish from a tight angle in the 50^th minute and Aleksandr Golovin made it 2-0 when he capped a flowing move with a crisp shot into the bottom corner.

David Moberg-Karlsson pulled one back for Sparta before substitute Sofiane Diop sealed Monaco’s progress and booked a clash with Shakhtar Donetsk.

Shakhtar beat Genk 4-2 on aggregate after goals from Lassina Traore and Marcos Antonio gave them a 2-1 win over the Belgian side, who managed only a consolation goal from Cyriel Dessers after falling two goals behind on the night.

The clash between PSV and Benfica, who won the continent’s premier club competition in 1961 and 1962, will be a repeat of the 1988 European Cup final when the Dutch side lifted their maiden title with a penalty shootout win.

Both sides cruised past their opponents as a stoppage-time goal from Bruma sealed PSV’s 4-0 aggregate win at Danes Midtjylland while a Joao Mario strike and a Roman Yaremchuk own goal gave Benfica a 2-0 win over Spartak Moscow to complete a 4-0 sweep.

Red Star were undone by a looping Danilo Arboleda header on the stroke of half time while Hungary’s Ferencvaros advanced despite a 1-0 defeat at Slavia Prague following their 2-0 first-leg win over the Czech side.

Ferencvaros will meet Young Boys in the playoff round after the Swiss side beat Romanian team Cluj 3-1 in the return leg to seal a 4-2 aggregate victory on the back of a Jordan Siebatcheu brace in Bern.

Trailing 2-1 from the first leg at Malmo and with the away goal rule no longer in effect, Rangers were level after Alfredo Morelos struck in the 19^th minute only for Antonio Colak to swing the tie Malmo’s way with a pair of clinical goals.

Malmo’s reward is a clash with Bulgarians Ludogorets Razgrad, who knocked out more fancied Olympiakos Piraeus on penalties after the tie finished 3-3 on aggregate.

Mathieu Valbuena and Ahmed Hassan missed the Greek side’s spot kicks in the shootout and Ludogorets took advantage as they netted all four efforts to advance.

Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb edged Legia Warsaw 2-1 on aggregate after a 20^th-minute goal from left back Bartol Franjic gave them a 1-0 win on the night in Poland and booked a clash with Sheriff for a group-stage berth.

RB Salzburg will lock horns with Danes Brondby in the other playoff round tie. — Reuters

Trudeau condemns Chinese court’s sentence in Canadian’s spying case

August 11, 2021 | 6:21 pm

BEIJING — Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said a Chinese court’s sentencing of Canadian businessman Michael Spavor to 11 years in prison for espionage on Wednesday was “absolutely unacceptable” and called for his immediate release.

The United States embassy in Beijing also condemned the sentencing in a statement, saying that proceedings against Mr. Spavor and another Canadian charged with espionage were an attempt to “use human beings as bargaining leverage.”

The espionage cases are embroiled in a wider diplomatic spat involving Washington and Beijing, and Mr. Spavor’s sentencing comes as lawyers in Canada representing the chief financial officer of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei make a final push to convince a court not to extradite her to the United States.

“China’s conviction and sentencing of Michael Spavor is absolutely unacceptable and unjust,” said Mr. Trudeau in a statement.

“The verdict for Mr. Spavor comes after more than two and a half years of arbitrary detention, a lack of transparency in the legal process, and a trial that did not satisfy even the minimum standards required by international law,” he said.

Mr. Trudeau called for the release of Mr. Spavor, and former Canadian diplomat Mr. Michael Kovrig, who is awaiting a verdict in his espionage case.

China detained both Mr. Spavor and Mr. Kovrig in late 2018, just days after Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver International Airport on a warrant from the United States.

Canada’s ambassador to China, Dominic Barton, who visited Mr. Spavor at a detention center in northeastern China following the verdict, said Mr. Spavor had three messages that he asked to be shared with the outside world: “Thank you for all your support”, “I am in good spirits,” and “I want to get home.”

“While we disagree with the charges, we realize that this is the next step in the process to bring Michael home and we will continue to support him through this challenging time,” the Spavor family said in a statement.

Noting the presence of diplomats from 25 countries gathered at the Canadian embassy, Mr. Barton said that “our collective presence and voice sends a strong signal to China and the Chinese government in particular, that all the eyes of the world are watching.”

The Dandong Intermediate Court also said 50,000 yuan of Mr. Spavor’s personal assets will be confiscated. He will be deported on completion of his sentence, Mr. Barton said.

The potential sentence ranged from 5 to 20 years.

China detained Mr. Spavor in Dec. 2018 and he was charged with espionage in June 2019. The Dandong court concluded a one-day trial in March 2021 and waited till Wednesday to announce the verdict.

Mr. Spavor’s family said in March the charges against him are vague and have not been made public, and that he has had “very limited access and interaction with his retained Chinese defense counsel”.

Mr. Kovrig’s espionage trial concluded in March with the verdict to be announced at an unspecified date.

Some observers have said convictions of the two Canadians could ultimately facilitate an agreement in which they are released and sent back to Canada.

China has a conviction rate of well over 99%, and public and media access to trials in sensitive cases is typically limited.

Since Ms. Meng’s arrest, China has sentenced four Canadians to death over drug charges. They are Robert Schellenberg, Fan Wei, Ye Jianhui and Xu Weihong.

China has rejected the suggestion that the cases of the Canadians in China are linked to Ms. Meng’s case in Canada though Beijing has warned of unspecified consequences unless Ms. Meng was released.

Ms. Meng was charged with misleading HSBC Holdings PLC about Huawei’s business dealings in Iran, potentially causing the bank to violate American economic sanctions against Tehran.

Ms. Meng, who has said she is innocent, has been fighting her extradition from under house arrest in Vancouver.

Her extradition hearings in Canada are currently in their last few weeks ahead of a ruling from the judge, expected sometime in the next few months, before Canada’s justice minister makes a final decision on whether to extradite her. — Reuters

US, China trade barbs at UN over South China Sea

August 11, 2021 | 6:20 pm

NEW YORK — United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken called out bullying in the South China Sea on Monday and warned the U.N. Security Council that a conflict “would have serious global consequences for security and for commerce,” sparking a strong rebuke from China.

The South China Sea has become one of many flashpoints in the testy relationship between China and the United States, with Washington rejecting what it calls unlawful territorial claims by Beijing in the resource-rich waters.

“Conflict in the South China Sea, or in any ocean, would have serious global consequences for security, and for commerce,” Mr. Blinken told a Security Council meeting on maritime security. “When a state faces no consequences for ignoring these rules, it fuels greater impunity and instability everywhere.”

China claims vast swaths of the South China Sea which overlap with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. Trillions of dollars in trade flow every year through the waterway, which also contains rich fishing grounds and gas fields.

“We have seen dangerous encounters between vessels at sea and provocative actions to advance unlawful maritime claims,” said Mr. Blinken, adding that Washington was concerned by actions that “intimidate and bully other states from lawfully accessing their maritime resources.”

China’s deputy U.N. Ambassador Dai Bing accused the United States of “stirring up trouble out nothing, arbitrarily sending advanced military vessels and aircraft into the South China Sea as provocations and publicly trying to drive a wedge into regional countries.”

“This country itself has become the biggest threat to peace and stability in the South China Sea,” Mr. Dai said.

Mr. Blinken said it was the responsibility of all countries, not just claimants to the islands and waters of the South China Sea, to defend the rules they had all agreed to follow to peacefully resolve maritime disputes. — Reuters

Britain urged to donate vaccines rather than give boosters

August 11, 2021 | 6:20 pm

LONDON — Booster shots for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are not currently needed and the doses should be given to other countries, Oxford vaccine chief Andrew Pollard said on Tuesday in contrast to the position taken by Britain’s health minister.

Mr. Pollard, who heads the Oxford Vaccine Group, said that a decision to boost should be based on scientific studies, and there had not been any evidence yet of an increase in severe disease or deaths among the fully vaccinated.

“There isn’t any reason at this moment to panic. We’re not seeing a problem with breakthrough severe disease,” he said at an online briefing with lawmakers.

“If there was any falloff in protection, it is something which will happen gradually, and it will be happening at a point where we can pick it up and be able to respond.”

Britain is planning for a COVID-19 vaccine booster program, and health minister Sajid Javid said he expected the booster program to begin in early September, pending final advice from officials.

AstraZeneca, which manufactures the vaccine invented at Oxford University, has said it needs more time to assess whether boosters are needed to maintain protection.

That differs from Pfizer, which has said it expects a third shot will be needed to keep protection high.

Britain has given two doses of vaccine to three-quarters of adults, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries that are planning booster programs to delay them until more people are vaccinated around the world.

Mr. Pollard said that vaccine supplies would be better used to protect vulnerable people in other countries.

“Doses that are available that could be used for boosting or for childhood programs are much better deployed for people who will die over the next six months rather than that very unlikely scenario of a sudden collapse in the programs in countries that are highly vaccinated,” he said. — Reuters

AXA Philippines launches family plan that covers COVID-19 expenses

August 11, 2021 | 5:47 pm

Life insurance company AXA Philippines is introducing a family healthcare plan that covers pandemic diseases like coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This will include hospitalization, prescribed tests, and vaccine complications — but not the vaccines themselves.

The plan, called Health Care Access (HCA), will be brought to market next week. “There will be a wide range of plan types. You can choose the full comprehensive healthcare plan HCA Prime, or the supplementary plan HCA Lite, for those who want to add to their existing healthcare coverage,” said Grace M. Mallabo, protection and health segment director of AXA Philippines, at the product launch on Wednesday.

Each plan type has five different benefit options ranging from P500,000 to P5 million, and will provide access to cashless arrangements for hospitalization, surgery, outpatient care, emergency care, preventive care needs, and teleconsultation.

“Forty-eight percent of medical expenses in the Philippines are out-of-pocket, so these funds come from the hands of the family themselves or borrowed from other loved ones or from the bank, which still puts pressure on the family,” said Rahul Hora, president and chief executive officer of AXA Philippines. “That’s what we want to change.”

HCA Lite, for example, can augment employer-provided medical plans, which, on average, cover around P150,000 to P250,000 of expenses. The cost of getting sick can very well go up to P1 million, said Ms. Mallabo, and this is where HCA Lite can come in handy.

Those who avail of the plan will benefit beyond retirement, with medical coverage up to 75 years old and a longevity health fund that kicks in from age 76 onwards. — Brontë H. Lacsamana