Lawmakers did not tackle key tax bills, says Senate leader

July 11, 2021 | 7:28 pm

LAWMAKERS and palace officials did not discuss two key tax measures at a recent meeting, according to the Senate president.

Officials did not talk about the bills on property valuation and a simplified tax structure for financial products, Senate President Vicente “Tito” C. Sotto III said by telephone on Sunday. Both measures have been languishing at the Senate since 2019.

“We have to sit down and discuss it in the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC),” he said. “In our last mini LED AC meeting with the executive secretary, these were not discussed.”

Presidential spokesman Herminio “Harry” L. Roque, Jr. last week said he was confident the bills would be passed before President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s term ends next year. Lawmakers in both houses of Congress support the measures, he added.

The proposed Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act and Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act are the third and fourth packages of the government’s tax reform program.

The House of Representatives approved both bills on third and final reading in 2019. Both are pending in two Senate committees.

The first measure seeks to expand the tax base of local governments through a schedule of property market values that will be used as benchmarks for other purposes, such as right-of-way acquisition and lease. The second bill seeks to simplify the tax structure for financial instruments.

During an event attended by key legislators in Malacañang last month, Mr. Duterte called on Congress to ensure the passage of the tax reform measures and other priority bills.

In Aug. 2018, a few months before the 2019 congressional elections, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said the President’s remaining tax reforms, which included the second package at that time, would face rough sailing in Congress. Tax policy “is never the best way to be reelected,” he said at the time.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri said senators might no longer have time to approve the measures. Congress only has two months of work before the October break, which is also the deadline for the filing of candidacies for the 2022 elections.

“It’s doable but it’s going to be tight,” he said in a Viber message. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Marawi lawyer accuses gov’t of land grabbing in 4 central villages

July 11, 2021 | 7:27 pm

A PROSECUTOR of the Justice department has accused the government of land grabbing in four villages within the central area of Marawi City after discovering that private properties have been designated for the construction of public infrastructure.

“I will just say in plain language, that is land grabbing,” said lawyer Ibrahim M. Mimbalawag, whose family’s four properties are among the more than 11,000 affected.

“These private owners have their own certificate of land title,” he said during Friday’s Bangsamoro Alerto program aired over local radio DXMS Radyo Bida.

The land dispute stems partly from varying maps used by the city government and the National Housing Authority, according to Jorge Golle, senior officer on digital information and mapping of non-government organization International Alert Philippines, one of the radio program’s anchors.

Mr. Mimbalawag said the problem also arises from lack of consultation and communication by Task Force Bangon Marawi, which is overseeing the war-torn city’s rehabilitation.

He cited that they only learned about the “sequestration” of their properties when they went to the local treasury to pay real estate tax.

Marawi Mayor Majul U. Gandamra, in a briefing Thursday hosted by the task force, denied the accusation saying the government is building public facilities only in parts of the four barangays.

“Not the whole of the four barangays, but only a portion, and this is the reclamation area,” he said, noting that the reclamation area is government-owned land.

The four barangays — Sabala Manao, Dansalan, Datu sa Dansalan, and Datu Naga — are part of the 24 villages within the so-called ground zero of the Marawi siege.

The mayor also said discussions are continuously being held by the land dispute arbitration committee to address concerns.

“We resolve these issues before the proper forum,” he said.

Saripada Pacasum, Jr. of Marawi Reconstruction Conflict Watch, a group formed by residents, said the matter should be taken up in Congress.

“This must be resolved immediately, it should be raised in Congress so Task Force Bangon Marawi can clear how they reached this point that they are building despite these issues,” Mr. Pacasum said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Secretary Eduardo D. Del Rosario, who heads the task force and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, said on Thursday that the 56 implementing agencies are “strictly abiding by its methodology in carrying out the rebuilding process.”

He said residents in parts of the central area will be allowed to start rebuilding their homes by September upon the completion of road networks.

“Contrary to what is being peddled by critics, much has been accomplished one year after the actual reconstruction of public infrastructures, particularly in the former ground zero… By this time, the completion rate is about 68%,” he said. — MSJ

FICCO taps Traxion Cooperative for digital shift

July 11, 2021 | 7:27 pm

THE 67-year old First Community Credit Cooperative, Inc. (FICCO) is shifting to digital services through a partnership with Traxion Technology Services Cooperative.

Using Traxion’s digiCOOP platform, accessible through a mobile application or an internet browser, FICCO is now offering online financial services such as bills payment, loan availment, money transfer, and online purchase, Traxion Cooperative said in a statement emailed to BusinessWorld.

Traxion Chief Executive Officer Ann J. Cuisia said they are aiming to have 75% or 300,000 of the more than 400,000 FICCO members switch to digital services.

The platform also delivers other services such as membership registration and insurance subscription.

“Such digitalization of offerings makes FICCO one of the first community

cooperatives in the country to provide its members access to a full suite of digital services,” Traxion Cooperative said.

FICCO, which started as the Ateneo Credit Union set up in Cagayan de Oro in 1954, has more than 90 branches and business centers nationwide. More than 92% of its members are from the southern island of Mindanao.

Traxion’s digiCOOP is a technology services and worker’ cooperative that aims to provide a digital platform to fellow cooperatives across the country. It said it aims to “revolutionize and unite” cooperatives through technology. — MSJ

QC gov’t sets parks as ‘safe zones’ for children; commercial areas up for assessment

July 11, 2021 | 7:27 pm

PUBLIC PARKS and similar open spaces inside private residential subdivisions have been marked as “child friendly safe zones” by the Quezon City government where kids at least five years old can go for non-contact leisure activities.

Included in the list are the Quezon Memorial Circle, Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife, and 17 other private and public parks managed by the Quezon City Parks Development and Administration Department, based on a memorandum signed by Maria Josefina “Joy” G. Belmonte over the weekend.

The national task force managing the coronavirus response on Friday approved the policy allowing children at least five years old in certain outdoor venues in localities under the relaxed community quarantines.

In line with this, the Quezon City government on Saturday issued local guidelines for open areas where minors will be given access.

Commercial establishments such as shopping malls with outdoor areas, sports venues, and tourist sites must apply for accreditation to get a child safe zone tag.

“After months of being confined inside their houses, we saw the need to give minors a chance to go out and get some fresh air in outdoor areas that are deemed safe,” Ms. Belmonte said in a statement on Sunday.

Under the local government rules, a minor must be accompanied by a fully-vaccinated guardian.

“The adult guardian should be able to present the vaccination card and ID at any time upon request,” Ms. Belmonte said.

Local elections, rank and political office

July 11, 2021 | 6:54 pm

The 2022 elections are less than a year away, so it is not at all surprising that we are constantly bombarded with news of presidentiables, and to a lesser extent, the vice-presidentiables. Different parties and individuals are gearing up as the filing of candidacy and the ensuing campaign season are fast approaching.

Come October 1^st, another batch of aspiring politicians — new and old — will set their sights on the different political positions up for grabs. Although the media have so far focused on national positions, the importance (and sheer magnitude) of local positions cannot be understated.

Local politicians design and execute local policies, and directly interact with their constituents. The impending implementation of the Mandanas ruling in the coming year can only serve to speed up the devolution process, further strengthening the role of local government in providing goods and services to the public. This seemingly fated (and fateful!) combination — of the 2022 Elections and the Mandanas ruling — underscores the importance of the upcoming local elections, which is why we need to understand politician behavior, and how voters can play a role not just in electing our leaders, but also in selecting the candidates who aspire for political office.

I’ve spent almost a decade trying to understand Philippine elections (my PhD dissertation was entirely dedicated to this) — which, for economists like me, means that I’ve processed and analyzed various datasets to uncover interesting patterns and unravel underlying politician and voter behaviors. Based on a recently published article*, D. Dulay and L. Go (2021) share three stylized facts from analyzing all local elections from 1988 to the present.

First: Elections for local legislatures (sanggunian) all exhibit a phenomenon we coin the “first place effect.” That is, councilors who end up in first place — those who garner the highest number of votes — are significantly more likely to run for and win higher office in the next elections. One may argue that it is not fair to compare first and second placers, as the former garnered more votes because of better access to resources, personality or charisma, social networks, etc. To address this, we focus on close elections — where the gap between the first and second placers is infinitesimal, even as small as one vote (!). This provides some level of randomness to who becomes first vs. second. Interestingly, the result is universal: it is present across time (considering elections from 1988-2016), across space (considering all regions), across levels of government (provincial, city/municipal and barangay councils).

Second: There is a caveat to the first-place effect, however. This effect is only present in the immediate higher office — the barangay chair, vice-mayor, or vice-governor. Although we do see potential “jumps” from municipal/city councilors to mayor, this is not very likely (it happens for around 0.7% of candidates, or the likes of Vico Sotto, but not more generally). Even more so, jumps from provincial board members to governor almost never happen (in the data, almost all have been unsuccessful). Basically, local politics follows a strict hierarchy: First placers get promoted to vice-mayor or vice-governor, and only after serving in the “vice” capacity would they consider running for local chief executive.

Third: The first-place effect is “unique” in the sense that no other rank comes close. Coming in second or any other rank does not make one aspire for higher office. What we see in the data is that while first place councilors run for higher office, second placers run for re-election. While ending up first increases your chances for political promotion, coming in second makes you more likely to run for the same position. This is not surprising, and is also quite expected. When the higher ranked politician (who has proven to be more winnable) is seeking higher office where there can only be one winner, the lower ranked politician must try again until he/she reaches first place. Indeed, this appears to be the electoral analogy for “try and try until you succeed.”

These three facts exhibit interesting patterns of politician behavior in Philippine elections. In our research, we’ve proven how rank is such an important factor for a politician’s decision to run for higher office. The question of why it matters remains an open path for future work. Regardless of the cause, understanding the importance of rank on political selection, i.e., those who aspire for political office, is a critical piece of information for politicians and voters alike. In our study, we find that rank remains powerful even in close elections where the vote difference between candidates is tiny. This corroborates the saying “every vote counts,” not just for determining who wins in the current election, but also in deciding the fate of our local politicians.

* Dulay, D., Go, L., 2021. “First Among Equals: The First Place Effect and Political Promotion in Multi-Member Plurality Elections.” Journal of Public Economics 200 (104455)

Laurence Go is a senior fellow of Action for Economic Reforms. He finished his economics PhD at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

@golaurencego

The Middle Class Burden

July 11, 2021 | 6:53 pm

“Ma’am, you have a maturity today,” her account officer said.

“What are my options for reinvesting this?” asked the retired former corporate employee, now a Senior Citizen living on her pension and small investments. “I want my investment to mature before the May 2022 elections. We don’t know what will happen to our country then.”

Client classification: Moderately conservative. Wants safety of the principal and guaranteed interest for the investment term.

The account officer offered the 182-day Treasury Bills for a minimum investment of P50,000, earning net of 20% final income tax to be withheld on the 1.5% purchase discount on face value. Maturity of the placement will be before the May 2022 elections, as specified by Client.

Why are the May 2022 elections a critical cut-off for the small peso investment of this widow? Because things might be better after then, she says. Maybe then the niggardly interest on cash investments will at least cover inflation. That’s the way “real” earnings, especially on government securities are supposed to be computed, right? Nominal interest rate and charges/taxes minus inflation equals real interest rate. Compute: 1.5% less 0.2 tax less 4.1% inflation (as at end-June) equals -2.8%. Earned nothing, actually! The government, borrowing from the public must be honest and fair not to let citizens suffer “negative carry” from a transaction bullied and intimidated upon them by the lack of other options in the collapsed markets in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The widow’s experience with her small T-bills investment replicates frustrations of the middle class with other options to improve their wherewithal for survival and a little more quality of life. In a recession like in today’s 15-month (and continuing) COVID-19 pandemic, the middle class is in the most vulnerable position, where it is easier to slump and sink to poverty than to rise to wealth.

The Philippine Statistics Office (PSO) shows that as of 2020, there are 46 million Filipinos (about 12 million households) who are “Middle Class,” with a range of monthly family incomes from P23,381 (Lower Middle Class) to P46,761 (Middle-Middle Class) to P81,832 (Upper Middle Class) peaking at P140,284 which is the maximum before the next “Upper Income but not Rich” income class. The Middle Class would be 43.5% of the total population of 105.76 million per the PSO. The Low Income but not Poor would be 38.4% of population, and the 17.7 million Poor (earning below the P11,690 poverty level) would be 16.7% of population.

The Middle Class pays taxes on at least 30% of its income. That is a painful slice off from the fruits of hard-earned labor — for the middle class is also the largest contributor to the labor force. The tenuous financial condition is usually augmented by personal borrowing (the ubiquitous credit card, or company loans, personal loans) on a need basis — for health, education/training, survival; or on a want basis — wants blown big in the availability of consumer goods and services for about any social or income class.

What happens now that the bubble has burst, in the stranglehold of COVID-19? The Middle Class has the most anxieties about when the pandemic will end, and what will be the “New Normal” after, say three to five years, as the virologists estimate that confident controls will really be established against the virus.

“The economy contracted by 4.2% year on year in the first quarter of 2021 amid prolonged implementation of containment measures. The country registered the worst growth performance among peers in the region such as Thailand (-2.6%), Indonesia (-0.7%), Malaysia (-0.5%), and Vietnam (4.5%),” according to the World Bank Philippines Economic Update, June 2021. There has been weak domestic demand (businesses and establishments have not picked up); weak external demand from contraction in services exports and for international tourism amid lingering restrictions and containment measures. Add rising inflation on top of it all.

The public sector was the main driver of growth, armed with the P4.506-trillion National Budget for Fiscal Year 2021 for accelerating public spending to boost the economy. Stimulus spending and infrastructure investment drove public spending from 19.1% of GDP in the first quarter of 2020 to 23.4% of GDP in the same period in 2021, the WB cites. Pandemic response measures under the “Bayanihan to Recover as One” Law (Bayanihan II) were implemented on June 30, 2021.

The budget deficit grew to P191.4 billion, a big rise from the P71.6 billion in the same month last year, the Bureau of the Treasury reported in April. Government spending rose by 22.3% annually, but revenue collections (from taxes, customs duties and other fees) dwindled by 17.3% in the period. The widening deficit was accompanied by an increase in the public debt ratio from 54.5% of GDP by end-2020 to 60.4% of GDP as of end-March 2021 (CNN Philippines, April 27).

It was Milton Friedman who questioned the knottiness of John Maynard Keynes’ prescription of stimulus spending by governments in recessions. He argued passionately against government intervention and in favor of the free market, pointing out that government failures could be worse than market failures, the latter being able to make and correct itself in the classic laissez faire of Adam Smith. He did not believe in increasing government borrowing to finance current deficits. In free trade and less government, a slow, steady increase of the money supply would grow the economy. His emphasis on monetary policy and the quantity theory of money became known as Monetarism.

“No bureaucrat would or could spend money as wisely or as carefully as the taxpayers from whom it was taken,” Friedman says (The Nobel Prize. “Milton Friedman: Biographical,” nobelprize.org). A person’s consumption and savings decisions are more greatly impacted by permanent changes to income, rather than changes to income that are perceived as ephemeral (like cash dole-outs, perhaps like the “ayuda” from government in COVID pandemic?).

And we hear the whines of the Middle Class, the largest aggregate of individual taxpayers who must subsidize the “short-sighted elected politicians to run fiscal deficits and accumulate massive levels of government debt,” as was the acidic remark of one critic of the Keynesian formula. Might it be added that Keynes also espoused consumer-driven economics as the ruling paradigm of the 1970s and ’80s — an obsession to spend, spend, spend. But the Middle Class was the most susceptible to most often uncontrolled consumer spending. And it has all come around from start. Now the Middle Class pays most for stimulus spending in the recession.

It is truly opportune that in the limitations and restrictions of the COVID protocols, individual introspection will urge an examination of principles and values and a forced focus on what really matters in life. Deep discernment is needed individually on changes in lifestyle and a strategized personal plan of action for the hopeful future. Government must recognize and consider the new parameters for dealing with economic crises, specially in the unique global segmentation and separation of countries and indigenous opportunities, forced by the COVID pandemic. Leaders must honestly and with integrity, think and do for the common good, and not for criminal self-aggrandizement in the seeming helplessness of this trying pandemic.

“You are right, Ma’am,” the bank account officer said. The May 2022 elections are a critical decision factor for us to plan our future.

Amelia H. C. Ylagan is a Doctor of Business Administration from the University of the Philippines.

ahcylagan@yahoo.com

Good news from the Maritime Industry Authority

July 11, 2021 | 6:52 pm

MARINA-Central-Office-Building — MARINA’S central office building

Filipino traders are in crisis due to the global shortage of cargo vessels and container vans. The shortage has caused inbound and outbound freight costs to increase by as much as five times the normal rate. Exacerbating matters is that shipping delays have become more the norm rather than the exception.

Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (Philexport) President Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis, Jr. declared that the scarcity of container and vessel space has become a “serious” problem that requires immediate solutions. Its implications are severe and far reaching. As a result of the shortage, our exporters of electronics, furniture, garments, and other manufactures are unable to meet their delivery schedules. This, in turn, has caused their customers to withhold payments, triggering cashflow problems across the board. Meanwhile, exporters of perishable goods like fresh mangoes and bananas must contend with rotting inventories due their inability to leave the ports on time.

Importers are facing challenges too. Those who depend on imported components in their manufacturing process face production delays and high import costs. In the same vein, institutional retailers like supermarkets and department stores are unable to replenish their inventories of imported goods. All these translate to a scarcity of goods and sharp price increases for the Filipino consumer.

Unfortunately, the Philippines is helpless amid this global shortage of cargo vessels since we do not have our own international shipping line. We operate at the mercy of foreign shippers and must accept their pricing schemes, slew of auxiliary fees and charges (which they unilaterally dictate), and shipping schedules.

Then irony is that Philippine laws discourage Philippine registered vessels from plying international routes, not incentivize them.

The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), an agency under the Department of Transportation, has the power to allow local shipping lines to service foreign ports. The problem is, Philippine maritime laws are so antiquated that MARINA only registers local shipping lines as either engaged in domestic trade or international trade, never both. This is stated in MARINA memorandum circular no. OS-2019-02. There are even separate administrative entities within MARINA to manage domestic and international shipping.

Shipping lines registered for international trade must conform to Philippine cabotage laws. As such, they are prohibited from calling on Philippine ports unless it is an onwards shipment from a foreign destination (the principle of which is similar to airline code sharing arrangements). Other than that, domestic cargo is exclusively reserved for domestic shipping lines.

The prospect of violating cabotage laws is the reason why MARINA does not allow local shipping lines to serve international destinations and concurrently be allowed to call on Philippine ports. The law is counter-productive in that prevents our local shipping companies from expanding internationally.

The other reason is the fear that local shipping lines may purchase fuel abroad (where it could cost half the price) and deprive the Philippine government of tax revenues. This myopic view and miserly attitude have, in effect, stunted the development of our shipping industry.

While other countries offer incentives for their local shipping lines to ply international routes, Philippine laws discourage them. This has caused foreign shipping lines to have a monopoly over Philippine foreign trade. As a consequence, importers are abused by having to pay scandalous destination charges while exporters are made to pay stiff freight charges for their shipments abroad.

The good news is that MARINA is showing some flexibility in light of the cargo vessels shortage we are facing. In a (draft) memorandum dated June 9, 2021 (no memorandum number yet), MARINA has softened its stance and is now open to grant permission to certain local shipping lines to ply international routes, provided they apply for it first. The memorandum outlines the governing terms and conditions.

MARINA’s intentions are good, but the last thing we need is to render the plan unfeasible by over-regulating it. Similarly, MARINA should make it easy for shipping lines to invest in international routes by not subjecting them to bureaucratic red tape.

As MARINA finalizes its plan, it will do well for them to appreciate the conditions that matter most to shipping lines. Hopefully, the final version of the memorandum will embody win-win conditions for all.

First, the coverage of routes should not be confined to Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as once proposed, but Inter-Asian trade, including our most important trading partners (e.g., Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and China). This is the only way MARINA can achieve it purpose of alleviating the cargo vessel shortage.

Second, the privilege to ply inter-Asian routes should be made a part of the regular service of local shipping lines for at least five years, not a one-off or one year privilege. To require a shipping line to go through the tedious process of securing a new permit each time it deploys its vessels internationally (or even on a yearly basis) puts undue burden on both the shipping line and MARINA. It is red tape that we all can do without. More importantly, Philippine registered ships that are allowed to go international must not lose their Philippine cabotage privileges. In other words, they must be authorized to cover domestic and international lanes concurrently.

Third, MARINA should not require local shipping lines that go international to be manned by 100% Filipinos crew. Due consideration must be given to the fact that vessels call on multiple ports in multiple countries for which the crew are rotated. There may be instances when there are no available Filipino mates, engineers, or pursers at a particular time and/or port. Thus, it is more practical to require shipping lines to have majority Filipino crew, but always under the operational control of a Filipino owner and its designated operator.

Fourth, since the financial investment to acquire vessels and a brigade of containers vans is massive, it may be more cost efficient to lease, rather than buy. Thus, local shipping lines should be authorized to bareboat charter foreign vessels for the duration of its permit. It should also be allowed to lease containers from the most cost-efficient source.

MARINA is on the right track by opening the door for local shipping lines to go international. Hopefully, this will lead to the development of an honest to goodness international shipping line that bears the Philippine flag. With this, we can finally break free from our dependence on foreign shipping lines.

Andrew J. Masigan is an economist

andrew_rs6@yahoo.com

Facebook@AndrewJ. Masigan

Twitter @aj_masigan

Shooter Valdez out to make most of Olympic opportunity

July 11, 2021 | 6:03 pm

FILIPINO air rifle shooter Jayson Valdez is confident of his form heading into the Olympic Games where he hopes to position himself for a shot at the gold medal.

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

AN Olympian for the first time, 25-year-old air rifle shooter Jayson Valdez is out to make the most of the opportunity presented to him and succeed.

One of 19-strong Filipino athletes seeing action in the rescheduled Olympic Games in Tokyo beginning later this month, Mr. Valdez said it is an honor and privilege to represent the country, more so since he thought that such chance would not happen this year.

“It’s a great feeling to be called an Olympian, but it’s a much greater feeling to win in the Olympics,” said Mr. Valdez in his recent session on the online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.

He shared that after the quadrennial Games was postponed last year, he thought his Tokyo push was over, so much so that he was ready to enter military service.

The plan to join the army is currently on hold as he competes in the Olympics.

Mr. Valdez earned qualification for the men’s air rifle 10-meter event through the quota system implemented by the International Shooting Sports Federation.

It was based on his participation in the World Cup and Asian qualifying tournaments previously, earning the minimum qualifying scores.

Mr. Valdez is the latest Filipino shooter to qualify for the Olympics after Paul Brian Rosario, who competed in men’s skeet as a wild card entry in London 2012.

The son of three-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Julius Valdez said he is in good shape heading into the Olympics.

He changed his lifestyle and committed himself to be healthier, redounding well in his form.

“I feel great. I’m confident with my scores now because before I was not this consistent,” Mr. Valdez said.

“In my training, I got 630 and 631 points. My personal best was 626. My international competition’s best score was 620,” he added.

In the Olympics, Mr. Valdez said a tough challenge awaits but he remains undeterred, especially because he knows that he is pretty much up against competitors he has faced before.

“This is a great opportunity for me. We’ll see. Anything is possible at that stage. My immediate goal is to enter the Top Eight and go into the medal round. From there, everybody’s back to zero,” he said.

In his Olympic event, Mr. Valdez will be competing against 29 other shooters.

The Tokyo Olympics takes place from July 23 to Aug. 8.

Injury abruptly ends Poirier-McGregor third fight at UFC 264

July 11, 2021 | 6:02 pm

THE much-anticipated third fight of top lightweight fighters Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) came to an abrupt end on Sunday (Manila time) after the latter suffered what appeared to be an ankle injury late in the opening round of the main event of UFC 264.

Fighting to settle once and for all their bitter rivalry, the third encounter instead took an “inconclusive” turn with Mr. McGregor ruled unable to go because of a broken ankle to hand the win to Mr. Poirier by technical knockout (doctor’s stoppage).

But Mr. Poirier dominated Mr. McGregor for much of the opening round before the unfortunate incident.

Following intense action on the ground where American Poirier punished Irish McGregor, the two took their fight standing up. But as the first round wound up, Mr. McGregor badly rolled his left ankle which forced him down. It was an opportunity that Mr. Poirier capitalized on, throwing solid punches before the bell rang.

Mr. McGregor immediately pointed to his injury and moments later the fight was declared over to the disappointment of the crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Both fighters regretted the ending after, but had different takes on it.

Mr. Poirier was satisfied with his performance and was confident of eventually finishing his opponent had the fight continued while Mr. McGregor highlighted that it was a doctor’s stoppage and that the outcome of the match was still out until the injury occurred.

The win stretched Mr. Poirier’s UFC win streak to three matches, including back-to-back victories over Mr. McGregor who defeated him the first time around in 2014. He now sports a 28-6 record and is the number one contender for the lightweight belt currently held by Charles Oliveira of Brazil.

Mr. McGregor (22-6), for his part, has lost three of his last fights.

Meanwhile, other winners in the main card of UFC 264 were welterweight Gilbert Burns over Stephen Thompson by unanimous decision, heavyweight Tai Tuivasa over Greg Hardy (first-round knockout), Irene Aldana over Yana Kunitskaya (first-round TKO); and bantamweight Sean O’Malley over Kris Moutinho (third-round TKO). — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Phoenix Suns prepared for their time in the NBA Finals

July 11, 2021 | 6:01 pm

Booker3 — PHOENIX SUNS All-Star Devin Booker believes what they have gone through in the playoffs has prepared them for the NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. — PHOENIX SUNS FB PAGE

THE Phoenix Suns are up 2-0 over the Milwaukee Bucks in their best-of-seven National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals series and they are the least surprised by it.

Following their 118-108 victory in Game Two on Friday (Manila time), the Suns moved two wins away from winning their first-ever NBA championship in franchise history.

Phoenix banked on a franchise-record 20 three-pointers for the game, on solid 50% shooting, and steady ball movement to get the better of the Bucks anew in the series.

Devin Booker top-scored for the Suns with 31 points, including seven triples. Mikal Bridges stepped up with 27 points while veteran guard Chris Paul had 23 in the win.

The victory eclipsed a stellar performance from Milwaukee star and two-time NBA most valuable player Giannis Antetokounmpo who had 42 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in Game Two.

For Mr. Booker, for them to be up a deuce in the series is not surprising from their end as he feels they are ready for their time in the NBA Finals.

“To be completely honest, you know, I think the whole playoff experience helped to tone it down a bit because I feel like we have seen a lot of situations and different coverages, and we have been through it all, through the regular season and stressing the details of the game,” the 24-year-old Suns gunner said in the post-Game Two press conference, the transcript of which was shared to BusinessWorld.

“So, I think we’re prepared for this moment. Obviously, Milwaukee is no slouch and they make it tough on us and they’re always going to make it tougher on us, but we have seen a lot as a team,” he added.

He went on to say that while they have built some cushion in the series heading to Milwaukee for Game Three today here, it was important for them to continue to have that “seize the moment” mentality and not run away from the challenge.

“We prepared for these moments, nobody’s running from any action or any type of moment, and it’s not just me, it’s 1 through 5. It’s all the collective group, it’s team basketball and that’s why I feel like we have been successful for most of the year,” he said.

Game Two of the NBA Finals can be seen on television over TV5 and NBA TV Philippines on Monday beginning at 8 a.m. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Mark Galedo, Kate Velasco rule Day I of PhilCycling National Trials for Road in Clark Freeport Zone

July 11, 2021 | 6:00 pm

cycling-trials — BASES Conversion and Development Authority President and CEO Secretary Vince Dizon (second from left) and Clark Development Corp. President and CEO PBGen. Manuel Gaerlan (left), along with BCDA Vice-President for Corporate Services Group Arrey Perez (second from right) and two-time Marlboro Tour champion Renato Dolosa (right) flag off Bea Marie Quiamboa for the women’s ITT of the PhilCycling National Trials for Road. — PHILCYCLING

MARK John Lexer Galedo proved age doesn’t matter and Kate Jasmine Velasco provided a peek of the future in Day 1 of the PhilCycling National Trials for Road on Saturday at the Clark Freeport Zone.

Mr. Galedo, 35, was in his best in the men’s individual time trial (ITT), winning the gold medal in 32 minutes and 2.2 seconds over the 24.60-km course that started and finished at the Clark Parade Grounds.

Ms. Velasco, on the other hand, made the Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance team proud with her gold medal-clinching ride in women’s ITT, ruling the 17.1-km race in 27:52.814.

The 21-year-old Velasco beat teammate Marianne Dacumos, who finished 22.187 seconds behind for the silver medal and Maura Delos Reyes settled for third with 00:28:35.452. Navyman Jhon Mark Camingao (32:28.0) clinched silver and Joey delos Reyes (33:00.3) bagged the men’s ITT bronze in the event organized by the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines (PhilCycling).

Mr. Galedo, riding for 7-Eleven Roadbike Philippines and gold medalist in the Myanmar 2013 Southeast Asian Games, however, missed a golden double after overshooting a sharp right-hand bend in the men’s criterium raced at the 2-3-km perimeter of the Clark Parade Grounds in the afternoon.

Go For Gold’s Dominic Perez ruled the double points final 20^th lap to pile up 13 points for the criterium gold medal of the event, which is also presented by Smart and MVP Sports Foundation.

Mathilda Krog, 19, also made her young presence felt in the women’s criterium, and with Velasco, made it 1-2 for Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance with 23 and 17 points, respectively. Avegail Rombaon of Devel was third with six points.

The PhilCycling National Trials for Road is supported by Go for Gold, Chooks-to-Go, GAC Motor, Gatorade, Versa, 7-Eleven, Le Tour de Filipinas, 7-Eleven, UBE Express, Inc., Powerade, Wilkins, Coca-Cola, Shimano, Bike-X and MadCrank.

NCAA Season 96 virtual taekwondo competition successfully concludes

July 11, 2021 | 5:59 pm

Virtual taekwondo competition in Season 96 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association successfully came to a conclusion last week.

Held from June 14 to July 5, taekwondo jins from the NCAA’s 10-member schools competed in the different events, part of the league ‘s collective push amid the pandemic under the theme “Rise Up Stronger: NCAA Season 96.”

Taekwondo events included Poomsae Standard, Poomsae Freestyle, Speed Kicking Juniors, Speed Kicking Women’s, and Speed Kicking Men’s.

The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (CSB) emerged as the overall champion of the Speed Kicking event in the men’s and women’s divisions.

In the men’s division, the Blazers amassed a total of five gold medals from Ivan Murray Solimen (finweight division); Laurence Scott Santiago (featherweight); Mikko Michael Regala (welterweight); Matthew Cloyd Roxas (light middleweight); and Josemari Aiko Ong (heavyweight).

CSB’s good form extended in the distaff side, with its women players taking four gold medals care of Krizelle Therese Yadao (flyweight); Loralee Natividad (welterweight); Anne Christine Obenza (middleweight); and Lucille Cunanan (heavyweight).

Also emerging victorious in the Speed Kicking men’s division were San Beda University’s Jack Janggo Natividad (flyweight) and Christian Neil Arches (lightweight); and Arellano University’s Stanley Roy Laguio (bantamweight).

Others scoring gold in the women’s division were Jose Rizal University’s Emie Fernandez (finweight); San Beda University’s Princess Angel Doria (bantamweight); San Sebastian College-Recoletos’ Liza Leslie Bagay (featherweight); and Arellano University’s Paulene Gaye Rey (lightweight).

In the Juniors Speed Kicking division, San Beda ruled with three gold medals.

Topping their rivals in their respective divisions were San Beda’s Ignatius Vicente Lorenzo Pinera (bantamweight); Philip Joshua Lee (lightweight); and Louell Ivannerich Mamaclay (light middleweight).

Winning gold as well were CSB-La Salle Greenhills jins Victor Emmanuel Rodriguez and Raphael Ongkiko in the welterweight and middle/light heavyweight divisions, respectively.

Champions in other divisions were Lyceum of the Philippines University’s John Patrick Moneda (fin/flyweight); Colegio de San Juan de Letran’s Luke Morel (featherweight); and Arellano University’s Joshua Lyndon Dionio (heavyweight).

Poomsae

In Juniors Poomsae, Emilio Aguinaldo University (EAC) triumphed.

EAC’s John Vergel Reyes snagged the gold medal in Poomsae Standard Juniors while John Mc Leary Ornido won in the Poomsae Freestyle Standard Juniors.

Topping the women’s and men’s divisions in the Poomsae Standard, meanwhile, were Jose Rizal University’s Emie Fernandez and San Beda University’s Alfritz Victoria Arevalo.

CSB’s Krizelle Therese Yadao and San Beda University’s Michael Christian Macario were named champions in the Freestyle Standard Women’s Division and Freestyle Standard Men’s Division, respectively.

The taekwondo event was broadcast daily over GTV in close coordination with the NCAA’s official TV partner GMA Network.

Meanwhile, a day after NCAA taekwondo ended, the virtual chess competition kicked off on July 6.

For this season, all chess matches are done via knockout games, with the next round being the Round of 16, followed by the quarterfinal round, semifinals and finals.

Season 96 of the NCAA airs on GTV weekdays at 3 p.m. (with replays weeknights at 10:50 p.m.), Saturdays at 4:30 p.m., and Sundays at 5:05 p.m. For more information on the league, visit NCAA Philippines’ official website www.ncaa.com.ph and follow @ncaaphilippines and @gmasynergy on social media. – Michael Angelo S. Murillo