GFSI: Measuring food security across countries

June 7, 2021 | 7:23 pm

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Food security is a pressing concern among countries, especially since food is essential to meet the needs of a growing population.

Food security means that “all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life,” according to the UN Committee on World Food Security 1979 and the International Food Policy Research Institute.

THE GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY INDEX
A good measure of food security across countries is the Global Food Security Index (GFSI).

The GFSI, developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit, provides an annual assessment measuring food security through four key parameters — affordability, availability, quality and safety, and natural resources and resilience — across 113 countries. “Natural Resources and Resilience” is a recent addition to the metrics. It assesses “a country’s exposure to the impacts of a changing climate; its susceptibility to natural resource risks; and how the country is adapting to these risks, all of which impact the incidence of food insecurity in a country.” While it was introduced in the 2017 GFSI as an adjustment factor, it was only in 2020 that it was mainstreamed.

The GFSI is a “dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model constructed from 59 unique indicators that measure the drivers of food security across both developing and developed countries.”

THE COUNTRY LEADERS
In 2020, the Top 10 countries worldwide were Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Israel, Japan, and Switzerland. All are high-income countries where supply availability is also notable.

In the ASEAN, Malaysia led, followed by Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

The Philippines lagged behind its ASEAN counterparts not just in overall food security but also in affordability. It posted the second to the lowest ranking across the other metrics.

The country, just like Indonesia, also ranked low in national resources and resilience. Both are archipelagic countries and prone to natural disasters. Both are located in the “ring of fire.”

In terms of the level of malnourishment, the Top 10 countries have very low levels of 2.5%. By contrast. ASEAN rates are higher with Vietnam at 6.4%, Indonesia 9%, Thailand 9.3%, Vietnam 6.4%, and the Philippines at 14.5%.

Food sufficiency is not directly correlated with food security. The Netherlands is food secure but not food sufficient. It is importing food. Japan also imports 40% of its food requirements.

ASEAN GFSI GAINS AND LOSSES
What were the gains/losses in the GFSI in ASEAN between 2012 and 2020?

Indonesia posted the biggest gains as its overall score improved by 5.8 points between 2012 and 2020. It led the gains in affordability and availability. Thailand was next with 1.4 points, followed by Vietnam. The Philippines was second to the last before Indonesia. It was able to post the second biggest gain in availability after Indonesia.

Vietnam was the only country which registered gains in quality and safety. All others posted losses led by Thailand.

WHAT ARE THE TAKE HOMES?
In the quest for food security, balancing the demand and supply of food is key. It is not just about having food but making it affordable and available, ensuring its quality and safety, and minimizing susceptibility to climate and natural resources risks.

Affordability counts. It is a combination of food prices and family income, including tariffs. Availability is not just about local food production but also imports. Productive farms address farm incomes and prices.

Having a management system like farm consolidation to achieve both income and economies in production, mechanization, and logistics is a proven strategy in many Asian countries. The Farm Consolidation model in Piddig, Ilocos Norte is worth looking at, driven by a well-led farmers’ group supported by the local government unit.

Food quality and safety all the more becomes important, especially at this time of the pandemic, wherein eating healthy and keeping healthy have become the mantra. It is an area that needs more attention. So is managing the risks associated with climate change as it heavily impacts food production.

This article reflects the personal opinion of the author and does not reflect the official stand of the Management Association of the Philippines or MAP.

Prof. Rolando “Rolly” T. Dy, Ph.D., is Co-Vice Chair of the MAP Agribusiness Committee and the Executive Director of the Center for Food and Agri Business of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P)

map@map.org.ph

magg@mageo.net

map.org.ph

Fear a factor in voters’ preference surveys

June 7, 2021 | 7:21 pm

Some political observers have written off any genuine opposition candidate as winner for president in 2022. They base their forecast on the results of the latest Pulse Asia survey. The survey revealed that Vice-President Leni Robredo ranked only No. 6 in terms of voters’ preference.

Only 7% of the 2,400 respondents interviewed during the period Feb. 22-March 3 expressed a preference for her. Five other probable candidates ranked higher than her. They are Sara Duterte (27%), Bongbong Marcos (13%), Grace Poe (12%), Isko Moreno (12%), and Manny Pacquiao (11%). The others named in the survey were Bong Go (5%), Jojo Binay (3%), and Alan Peter Cayetano (2%).

While Grace Poe does not belong to the President’s political party, she has in her many years in the Senate voted in favor of his agenda more often than against. Mayor Isko Moreno also belongs to another party but he has expressed admiration for President Rodrigo Duterte.

Social Weather Stations, the other major public opinion pollster, has not conducted a similar survey. As far as I know, neither has it conducted a survey on people’s satisfaction on President Duterte’s performance since a year ago. SWS used to do it every quarter.

I tend to think SWS decided to stop doing satisfaction surveys because civil society in general has cast doubt on the validity of survey results. Respected newspaper columnists have difficulty accepting the President’s high satisfaction rating in surveys — 92% sometimes — given the true state of the nation. After all, President Duterte himself had admitted his failure to fulfill his campaign promises of ridding the country of the drug menace, eradicating corruption, reducing street crime, ending the contractualization of employees, and keeping the price of rice low.

Many political pundits have also found it hard to reconcile the high ratings of the President with the various issues surrounding the administration’s poor response to the pandemic while Vice-President Leni Robredo fared badly when she has been rolling out her own assistance to those affected adversely by the lockdown without help from the administration.

Among the issues levelled against the administration were allegations of massive corruption against executives of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., the inadequacy of the country’s communications system for the new teaching method the pandemic situation requires, and the spending of P349 million for the beautification of the Baywalk alongside Roxas Boulevard when the government has claimed it no longer has the resources to give financial aid to those who lost their job or livelihood due to the lockdown.

Netizens are more blunt on what they think about those surveys on the performance of the President. Some say SWS has been co-opted by the President and that Pulse Asia is “doctoring” the findings to gain the goodwill of the President.

I do not think so.

This is not in defense of SWS and Pulse Asia. I have no connection with them and never had. This is more in defense of public opinion polling. I have a working knowledge of public opinion polling. I was with Robot Statistics, the country’s first independent public opinion pollster/market research firm and Gallup affiliate, in the early 1960s. It was my first job.

I learned at Robot Statistics how respondents to public opinion polls are drawn at random so that the entire lot (it is called the sample in public opinion polling) is representative of the voting population. SWS had briefed me some time back on how they draw their 1,500 respondents. Pulse Asia has several times described on television their sampling method. SWS’ and Pulse Asia’s sampling methods are in accordance with accepted general practice in the field of public opinion polling. That is why the results of their surveys have been borne out by the results of the general elections.

In 2016, the two pollsters projected Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo as the winning presidential and vice-presidential candidates. They even got the rankings of the candidates for the top two positions right.

However, I believe that in these times, results of surveys on voters’ preference for presidential candidates and on the performance of President Duterte do not reflect the true sentiments of the respondents. President Duterte has shown a disdain for opposition to his agenda and to criticism. That disdain is evidenced by the woeful fate of Senator Leila de Lima, Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno, former Senator Antonio Trillanes, journalist Maria Ressa, and ABS-CBN, bitter critics all of the President.

Survey respondents could be afraid of saying something negative about him or are reluctant to say something favorable to his critics and political opponents. Interviews are conducted face-to-face. The respondent’s name and address are written by the interviewer for purposes of verification of the interview by survey auditors. However, the respondent may be suspicious of the true purpose of the interviewer, a total stranger to him.

In fact, SWS found out through its July 3-6, 2020 National Mobile Phone Survey that 51% of Filipinos agree that “It is dangerous to print or broadcast anything critical of the administration, even if it is the truth.”

In an interview with a newspaper reporter late last year, Pulse Asia President Ronnie Holmes admitted that fear, though difficult to measure, cannot be ruled out as possibly influencing survey results. He said you can’t rule out the possibility that there are some people whose prevailing sentiment is apprehension or fear.

According to Mr. Holmes, Pulse Asia interviewers record the “nonverbal behavior” of survey respondents such as the time it takes a respondent to answer questions, if he showed apprehension, or appeared to be assessing the interviewer. However, the interviewers’ observations are not shared with the public.

Because of the prevailing atmosphere of fear, respondents may not express their true sentiments. The latest Pulse Asia survey on voters’ preference for president may not be of value to any candidate, even to Mayor Sara Duterte. Strategists of the 1Sambayan might would do well to not place significance on results of polls during this election period.

Oscar P. Lagman, Jr. is a retired corporate executive, business consultant, and management professor. He has been a politicized citizen since his college days in the late 1950s.

COVID-19 and the Shadow Pandemic

June 7, 2021 | 7:20 pm

When the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic on March 11, 2020, an outbreak of anti-China and anti-Chinese hatred and revulsion flooded cyberspace in almost every part of the world. During this time, two other outbreaks seemed to have hijacked governments across the globe.

The COVID-19 outbreak revealed not only the increased vulnerabilities of States, particularly those with weak public health infrastructures. It also intensified citizens and media’s increased demand for transparency and accountability from their governments in spite of governments’ increased call for tolerance and calm from their citizens and media.

While containing the COVID-19 pandemic remained high on both the global and national agenda, COVID-19 has also created an outbreak of “moral panic” resulting in peoples’ increased feelings of fear and anxiety exacerbated by feelings of lack of protection and certainty. More alarmingly, COVID-19 revealed another outbreak, that is, a global surge in gender-based violence exacerbated by the very measures put in place to mitigate the spread of the virus, such as lockdowns, physical distancing, and other forms of restrictions on movement or mobility.

In its “Policy Brief: The Impact of COVID-19 on Women,” the United Nations (2020) noted the exponential increase of gender-based violence. With restricted movement and social isolation measures, “many women are being forced to ‘lockdown’ at home with their abusers at the same time that services to support survivors are being disrupted or made inaccessible” (p. 2). The increase in cases of gender-based violence and the intensity of these incidents prompted the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (2020) to declare violence against women and girls as probably the most devastating consequence of the COVID-19 lockdown.

In light of the global increase in gender-based violence amid the COVID-19 health crisis, the UN Women (2020) launched the Shadow Pandemic public awareness campaign with a 60-second video. The video underscores the alarming upsurge in domestic violence during COVID-19 and urges people to be aware of domestic violence and to act to support women if they know or suspect someone is experiencing violence.

The UN Women’s “Gender Snapshot: COVID-19 in the Philippines” highlighted how various measures to contain the COVID-19 increased the vulnerabilities of women and girls to different forms of violence, harassment, and discrimination. In its recommendations, the UN Women identified the enhancement of reporting and monitoring mechanisms for violence against women and girls as well as of social protections, the availability of women’s shelters as essential services to women and children, the delivery of sexual and reproductive health services, and the implementation of laws on gender-based violence and gender equality.

While the Philippines has various laws addressing violence against women, it does not have any law that addresses the specific increased vulnerabilities of women and girls during a pandemic. It is in this light that the recent proposal of the women senators in the country to push for a bill that seeks to establish programs and protocols to meet women’s special needs during disasters and public health emergencies becomes both timely and relevant.

Senate Bill No. 2088 or “An Act to Ensure Gender Responsive and Inclusive Protocols and Programming to Address the Gender-Differentiated Needs of Women During COVID-19 and other Public Health Concerns, Emergencies, and Disasters” or the “Gender Responsive and Inclusive Pandemic Management Act of 2021” recognizes that the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated violence against women. Its proponents, led by Senator Risa Hontiveros, believe that “it is imperative that policies are tailored to fit the specific needs of women” as the COVID-19 crisis is far from over.

Some of the salient features of the bill include the following:

1. The participation of women in leadership, decision-making and policy-making positions in national and local government’s response and recovery systems during a public health emergency;

2. A higher penalty for any form of discrimination against women during the occurrence of a pandemic or any public health emergency;

3. Gender-based violence preparedness and response systems as essential services;

4. Access to sexual and reproductive health services and other essential services during pandemics and other public health concerns emergencies, and disasters; and

5. The provision of social protection and safety nets.

While the bill is still at the committee stage, it is hoped that the Senate Committee to which the bill has been primarily referred expedites its hearings when the Senate commences its Third Regular Session on July 27. It is also hoped that the members of the House of Representatives see the timeliness and relevance of the proposal and that they will adopt the Senate’s version of the bill to further expedite the legislative process.

The “Gender Responsive and Pandemic Management Act of 2021” is one urgent and important piece of legislation. Members of the House of Representatives must see its importance in the same way as (or more than) it sees charter change. On June 1, the House adopted on third and final reading the Resolution of Both Houses No. 2 (RBH 2) which proposes amendments to the “restrictive” economic provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. The vote seems like an affirmation of the need of the country to arise above the pandemic.

Yes, the country needs to arise above this pandemic. But a charter change is not the way. Not at this time of the pandemic. And not before the synchronized national and local elections are held.

If it is pursued, charter change can lead to another shadow pandemic. Benign at first, to focus on economic provisions; but once it unfolds, it unleashes the malignant force of self-serving interests seeking the removal of term limits, or a shift to a parliamentary system, or the latest craze, that of the president seeking a re-election as vice-president.

This pandemic must end. And it must end now!

Diana J. Mendoza, PhD is Chair of the Department of Political Science, Ateneo de Manila University.

Vaccination rates and KKK on June 12

June 7, 2021 | 7:19 pm

This is a follow up to this column’s earlier piece on vaccination rates, https://www.bworldonline.com/vaccination-rates-and-lockdown/, which came out on May 1. I have expanded the number of countries included and updated the vaccination rates (at least one dose was given) up to June 5. Many countries though submit their reports late.

Most countries in the world follow a general trend of declining COVID-19 cases and deaths as vaccination rates increase. This is not a direct causality as there are many factors to consider including natural herd immunity, the use of repurposed drugs like Ivermectin, better hygiene, etc.

Then there are many countries that defy this trend, as their vaccination rates increase, the number of cases and deaths also increase or remain high. Clear examples are Seychelles, Bahrain, Mongolia, and the UAE (vaccination rates 52% to 72%).

The charts here show the COVID-19 cases (source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries) for some Asian and Middle-East countries and South American countries. Compare these with their vaccination rates as a percentage of total country population which I list below (source: https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations?country):

VACCINATION RATES (ASIA/MIDDLE EAST)
June 5: Bahrain 58.7%, Mongolia 57.1%, Sri Lanka 9%, Indonesia 6.4%, Vietnam 1.2%;

June 4: Malaysia 7.1%, Taiwan 2.8%;

June 3: Cambodia 16.1%;

May 30: Philippines 3.6%, Thailand 3.6%;

April 20: the UAE 51.5%;

April 18: Kuwait 19.2%.

VACCINATION RATES (SOUTH AMERICA)
June 5: Uruguay 56.0%, Dominican Republic 34.9%, Argentina 23.8%, Brazil 22.8%, Colombia 15.4%, Suriname 12.8%, Bolivia 12.4%;

June 4: Chile 58.2%, Peru 9.0%;

June 3: Cuba 13.8%, Ecuador 9.6%;

June 1: Costa Rica 19.9%;

May 25: Seychelles 71.6%.

Thus, there is no truth to the general narrative that “all anti-COVID vaccines are safe and effective in reducing cases and deaths.” We should remember that all of these anti-COVID vaccines have no approval yet for long-term safety and efficacy, they were just given emergency use authorization (EUA) on the distorted assumption that there is no proven treatment against the virus and its variants and mutants.

On June 12, Araw ng Kalayaan or Independence Day, several groups and NGOs led by the Concerned Doctors and Citizens of the PH (CDC PH), Gising Maharlika Patriots, Kilusang Demokratikong Pilipinas (KDP), and some legislators at the House of Representatives, will reassert the people’s Constitutional freedom and human rights. Our freedom of mobility, freedom to open up businesses and schools, freedom to use proven safe and efficacious treatment options against COVID-19 like Ivermectin, freedom to choose to get vaccinated or not.

The event is called Katotohanan, Karapatan at Kapatiran para sa Kalayaan (KKK). All these 15 months of government lockdown and mandatory quarantines, many medical truths have been distorted and many human rights and individual freedom have been curtailed. Since CDC PH was formed in September 2020, it has been consistently calling for lifting the lockdown via focused protection for the vulnerable and frontliners while allowing the young and healthy to go out and not paralyze many sectors of the economy.

There will be a motorcade of hundreds of cars, motorcycles, and bicycles, from UP Diliman and other assembly areas in Quezon City, to several landmarks in Manila with short programs.

The economic damages of indefinite lockdown in the Philippines keep piling up. From having the worst GDP performance in 2020 and first quarter 2021 in the whole of Asia, to huge rise in public debt that will require huge taxes and fees in the future, to rising bank non-performing loans (NPLs), etc.

Economic freedom, individual freedom, less government restrictions and prohibitions. We should reassert these principles this coming June 12 and beyond.

Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. is the president of Minimal Government Thinkers

minimalgovernment@gmail.com

China’s three-child policy unlikely to boost birthrate – Moody’s

June 7, 2021 | 6:57 pm

A NEW CHINESE POLICY allowing couples to have up to three children could support fertility but was unlikely to dramatically change its birthrate, rating agency Moody’s Investors Service said on Monday.

China announced on May 31 that married couples may have up to three children in a major shift from a limit of two after recent data showed a dramatic decline in births in the world’s most populous country.

Moody’s said the reform highlighted the risk of aging across emerging markets in Asia.

“Although China’s new policy allowing couples to have up to three children could support fertility, it is unlikely to dramatically change the national birthrate, meaning that aging will remain a credit-negative constraint,” Moody’s said.

Shares in birth- and fertility-related companies listed in Hong Kong and mainland China fell after the Moody’s statement.

The decision to allow families to have up to three children was met with skepticism in China, with people expressing doubts on social media as to whether it would make much difference, and calls for details on what promised “supportive measures” would be available.

China scrapped its decades-old one-child policy in 2016, replacing it with a two-child limit to try to avoid the risks to its economy from a rapidly aging population.

But that failed to result in a sustained surge in births given the high cost of raising children, especially in cities. — Reuters

Thailand starts long awaited COVID-19 vaccination drive

June 7, 2021 | 6:56 pm

BANGKOK — Thailand kicked off a long-awaited mass vaccination campaign on Monday as the country battles its third and worst wave of the coronavirus epidemic.

The government aims to administer 6 million doses of locally-made AstraZeneca and imported Sinovac vaccines this month, hoping to assuage worries about the slow roll-out and supply shortages.

“The government will ensure that everyone is vaccinated,” Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said in televised comments after he visited an inoculation centre in Bangkok.

The government plans to vaccinate 70% of Thailand’s population of more than 66 million people by the end of the year. So far, 2.8 million people deemed most vulnerable, including frontline health and transport workers, have received a first dose.

But the government has come under fire from opposition politicians who accuse it of complacency and an over-reliance on the locally-made AstraZeneca doses.

Thailand had escaped the worst of the pandemic as it hit other countries hard last year, but is now grappling with its deadliest outbreak. The third wave has accounted for more than 80% of total infections so far. Officials reported 2,419 new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and 33 deaths on Monday, bringing the total to 179,886 and 1,269 fatalities.

“My feeling is that no matter what, we will need to go outside of home for the littlest things, so getting the vaccine gives us a sense of relief,” said Praepawee Lertpongkijja, 38, at a Bangkok vaccination center.

The government has been scrambling to source more vaccines as concerns emerged about the production capacity of royal-owned Siam Bioscience, the Thai company making the AstraZeneca vaccine locally, after the Philippines said its order had been reduced and delayed.

Thailand will receive an additional 3.24 million doses from AstraZeneca after mid-June, the health ministry said in a statement, but did not specify how much would be locally made.

The Thai government received 1.8 million locally-produced AstraZeneca shots on Friday and has sourced another 200,000 doses from South Korea, a health ministry source told Reuters. Thailand expects to sign a contract this week for 20 million shots of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. — Reuters

Saso triumphs in playoff to win US Women’s Open

June 7, 2021 | 6:50 pm

SASO-FANS — YUKA SASO hoists the US Open trophy with a group of spectators after winning in a sudden death playoff over Nasa Hataoka following the final round of the US Women’s Open golf tournament at The Olympic Club. — REUTERS

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First Filipino golfer to win a Major tournament, Saso matches Park Inbee as youngest champion

SAN FRANCISCO — Yuka Saso battled back from a horrid start to best Japan’s Nasa Hataoka in the third hole of a sudden death playoff to win the 76^th US Women’s Open golf championship at the Olympic Club in San Francisco on Sunday.

With the victory, the 19-year-old Saso became the first Filipino player to win a golf major and announced herself as a new force in the game.

Ms. Saso pumped her fist and smiled after drilling a 10-foot birdie putt to seal the win before having champagne poured on her to close out a picture-perfect day at the Lake Course.

“I was actually upset,” she said about two double bogeys in her first three holes, which seemed to doom her chances.

“My caddie talked to me and said there are still many holes to go and to keep doing what I’ve been doing the past few days,” she said. “And to trust the process.”

All week, Ms. Saso enjoyed the vocal support of fans from nearby Daly City, which is home to a large Filipino population.

“There were so many people holding up Philippines flags,” she said. “It made me really happy.”

Ms. Saso, who earlier in the tournament revealed she has tried to emulate four-time men’s major champion Rory McIlroy’s swing, received encouragement from the Northern Irishman on social media on Sunday.

“Rory said, ‘Get that trophy,’ and I did. So thank you, Rory,” she said with a laugh.

At 19 years, 11 months and 17 days, Ms. Saso matched South Korea’s Park Inbee to the day as the youngest champion at the women’s game’s oldest major.

Ms. Saso had to survive a late charge by Hataoka, who was seeking to become the latest Japanese major champion after Hideki Matsuyama triumphed at the Masters earlier this year.

After starting the day six strokes off the lead, Hataoka stormed from behind with three birdies on her last six holes but could only manage pars on the three playoff holes and was forced to watch on as Ms. Saso sank the winning shot.

HEARTBREAK FOR THOMPSON
The playoff came after American Lexi Thompson, who led by four strokes after her first nine holes, suffered a heartbreaking collapse on the back nine.

Thompson, 26, had her elusive second major title in sight but began to struggle with her accuracy off the tee on the back nine and missed a crucial par putt on 17 as well as one on 18 that would have seen her into the playoff.

The popular American, who was playing in her 15^thUS Women’s Open, could only manage a disappointing four-over 75 on Sunday.

Thompson has been working on taking a more positive mind-set to the game and while she admitted it was hard to smile after the letdown, she said it had been “an amazing week.”

“I played not so well today with a few of the bogeys coming in on the back nine, but the fans were unbelievable,” she said.

“Hearing the chants, it gives me a reason to play. I’ll take today and I’ll learn from it.”

The 76^th edition of the US Women’s Open was the first time it has been played at the challenging Olympic Club, the oceanside course that has hosted five men’s US Opens.

Next year’s tournament will be played at Pine Needles Golf Club in North Carolina before it returns to California at Pebble Beach in 2023. — Reuters

Young scores 35 as Hawks upset 76ers

June 7, 2021 | 6:49 pm

TRAE Young had 35 points and 10 assists and the fifth-seeded Atlanta Hawks upset the top-seeded and host Philadelphia 76ers (128-124) in the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday afternoon.

John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanović added 21 each and Kevin Huerter had 15 for the Hawks, who are competing in this playoff round for the first time in five years. Clint Capela also had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Game 2 will be Tuesday night at Philadelphia.

Joel Embiid had been questionable to play with a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, but he finished with 39 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots in 38 minutes.

Seth Curry added 21 points, Tobias Harris had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Ben Simmons chipped in with 17 points and 10 assists for the Sixers.

The Hawks played without De’Andre Hunter, who sat out with right knee soreness.

The Hawks jumped out to a 42-27 lead at the end of the first quarter. They opened the second on a torrid pace as well and extended the advantage to 53-27 after a 3-pointer by Bogdanović capped a 17-0 run.

Atlanta was still on top 74-54 at half time thanks in large part to Young’s 25 points.

Embiid paced the Sixers with 17. But they looked sloppy and disjointed on offense throughout and committed 12 turnovers in the first half, including nine in the first quarter.

The Sixers came out aggressive in the third and when Danny Green secured an offensive rebound and scored, they pulled within 79-64 with 8:44 left.

But the Hawks responded with a 10-0 spurt to go back ahead by 25.

After the Sixers cut the deficit to 14, Collins came back with a three-point play as the Hawks moved ahead 105-88 with 9:07 remaining.

Philadelphia managed to close within 118-111 with 1:41 to go after Curry dropped in a 3-pointer from the corner.

Embiid scored on the next two possessions and the deficit was suddenly three.

Bogdanović then hit a trey and the Hawks moved back ahead by six.

The Sixers got within two in the waning seconds after a steal and dunk by Simmons before Bogdanović made two free throws with 8.9 seconds left to seal it. — Reuters

Serena stunned by Rybakina

June 7, 2021 | 6:48 pm

PARIS — Serena Williams’ wait for a record-equalling 24^th Grand Slam singles title goes on after the American was beaten (6-3, 7-5) by an inspired Elena Rybakina in the French Open fourth round on Sunday.

From the moment the 21-year-old Rybakina, playing in only her seventh Grand Slam main draw, held her opening two service games without dropping a point, Williams looked in peril.

And so it proved as Williams bowed out to add yet another twist to a wildly unpredictable women’s event.

With so many big names having fallen, including Victoria Azarenka early in the day, a prospective quarter-final opponent for Williams, the path to the final looked enticing.

But Williams, whose last Grand Slam title came in 2017 at the Australian Open, was unable to find her A game.

The 39-year-old recovered from an early service break in the opening set but Rybakina responded superbly to break again and pocket the opener in confident fashion.

The calm-headed and clean-hitting Rybakina broke the Williams serve at 3-3 in the second set but immediately dropped her own delivery as she betrayed the first sign of nerves. — Reuters

Clippers oust Mavericks in Game 7 win

June 7, 2021 | 6:48 pm

KAWHI Leonard scored 28 points with 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Los Angeles Clippers used a balanced attack to defeat the visiting Dallas Mavericks (126-111) on Sunday in Game 7 of their National Basketball Association (NBA) first-round playoff series.

Marcus Morris, Sr. scored 23 points and Paul George added 22 points with 10 assists as the fourth-seeded Clippers advanced to the second round to face the Utah Jazz. Los Angeles became the sixth team in NBA history to lose the first two games of a series at home and still advance.

Sunday’s game was the first time in the series the home team came out with the victory. It was the first time in NBA history the road team won the first six games of a postseason series.

Luka Dončić scored 46 points with 14 assists in his first career Game 7 of a playoff series but was unable to carry the Mavericks across the finish line. Dallas lost to the Clippers in the first round for the second consecutive season. Dorian Finney-Smith scored 18 points with 10 rebounds and Kristaps Porziņģis added 16 points with 11 rebounds for the Mavericks, who had two chances to close out the series. — Reuters

Federer withdraws from French Open with Wimbledon in mind

June 7, 2021 | 6:48 pm

PARIS — Former world number one Roger Federer, who is targeting a record 21^st Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, withdrew from the French Open on Sunday, a day after winning a tough third-round match, opting to save himself for the grass-court season.

“After discussions with my team, I decided that I should withdraw from the French Open today,” Federer said in a statement released by the French Tennis Federation. Federer, who has hardly played in the last 17 months because of a knee injury, suffered physically in his four-set, late-night victory over German Dominik Koepfer on Saturday and decided to end his Roland Garros campaign ahead of what would have been a punishing fourth-round match against Italian Matteo Berrettini.

He had said after Saturday’s match that he was pondering whether to participate in the second week of the claycourt Grand Slam as his season goal was Wimbledon, the grass-court major starting on June 28. — Reuters

GAC Motor Race Team goes back on track for 2021 Kalayaan Cup 12-hr Endurance Challenge

June 7, 2021 | 6:47 pm

GAC Motor Philippines makes its much-awaited return to the local endurance racing scene when it takes part in the Kalayaan Cup 12-hour Endurance Race in Clark International Speedway on June 12-13.

The GAC Motor Race Team, composed of Brennan S. Lim, and Andre Tan has enjoyed great success in the racing circuit in 2019, highlighted by four championships in the 2019 Kalayaan Cup 4-hour Endurance Championship (Manufacturer’s Class), the 2019 Kalayaan Cup 12-hour Endurance Championship (Manufacturer’s Class), the 2019 Bonifacio Cup 4-hour Endurance Championship (Manufacturer’s Class) and the 2019 Bonifacio Cup 4-hour Endurance Championship (Open Category).

For this year’s Kalayaan Cup, the GAC Motor Race Team will be joined by multi-awarded racecar driver Milo Rivera, who is the 2019 Philippine Autocross Championship Series (PACS) overall champion Kody Ng, the 2019 PACS novice-class winner, and Patrick Mendoza.

“Joining motorsports events such as the endurance challenge will play a key role in boosting the presence of GAC Motor and building brand confidence in the Philippines. It will also enable us to showcase the performance and reliability of the brand’s vehicle lineup, especially the GA4,” said Brennan Lim, branch head of GAC Motor Metrowalk, Pasig City.

The GA4 1.5L MT is powered by a 1.5-liter inline-4 DCVVT Euro 5-compliant engine that can produce an output of 113 horsepower and 136 Nm of torque. It is also equipped with an L-type McPherson front suspension that suppresses high-frequency vibration and for better handling.

The Kalayaan Cup 12-hr Endurance Challenge is composed of two categories: the Makisig Class, a six-hour endurance race with two race car drivers; and the Matatag Class, a twelve-hour test that has at least three drivers taking turns in driving the race car.