Red tide warning up in Bislig Bay

May 2, 2021 | 7:39 pm

THE BUREAU of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) warned consumers from eating shellfish harvested from Bislig Bay, Surigao del Sur after the area tested positive for paralytic shellfish poison or red tide contamination.

BFAR said in its 13^th bulletin that Bislig Bay joins other red tide positive zones across the country such as Puerto Princesa Bay, Palawan; Dauis and Tagbilaran City, Bohol; Tambobo Bay, Negros Oriental; Calubian, Leyte; Balite Bay, Davao Oriental; and Lianga Bay and Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.

All types of shellfish and Acetes sp. or alamang harvested in red tide areas are unsafe for human consumption. However, other marine species from the contaminated waters can still be eaten with proper handling.

Red tide occurs as a result of high concentrations of algae in the water. Human consumption of contaminated shellfish may result in paralytic shellfish poisoning, which affects the nervous system.

Typical symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning are headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Severe cases may include muscular paralysis and respiratory issues. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

House panel starts debating bills regulating shipping rates

May 2, 2021 | 7:16 pm

THE HOUSE Transportation Committee started discussing on Friday two proposed measures seeking to regulate the charges imposed by international shipping lines.

Transportation Committee Chairman Edgar Mary S. Sarmiento said it was “urgent” to hear the two bills filed with his committee because of rising shipping costs.

House Bill No. 4316 filed by Bagong Henerasyon Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy seeks to regulate the application of fees charged at origin and destination by shipping companies.

House Bill No. 4462 filed by Ang Probinsyano Party-list Rep. Ronnie L. Ong seeks to empower the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to ensure fairness and transparency in shipping charges levied by forwarders and agents of international shipping lines.

Mr. Sarmiento, citing a report by Enrico L. Basilio, chairman of the Export Development Council’s networking committee on transport and logistics, said the Philippines has the highest shipping cost of $592 per 20-foot container at full container load in Asia. The average for other countries such as Japan, China, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Bangladesh is $202.

“I wonder why the Philippines seems to be topping costs, hindi naman po tayo mayaman (We’re not exactly wealthy) … every time we jack up the price, there is no other way to address it but to pass it to consumers,” Mr. Sarmiento said.

Ms. Herrera-Dy’s bill prohibits origin and destination charges… by international shipping lines to local consignees or importers “without a contractual relationship.”

“Quoted rates shall be transparent and inclusive of all charges; and the Department of Trade (DTI), Bureau of Customs (BoC), Department of Justice (DoJ), and Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) (will) primarily implement the provisions of the law.”

Mr. Ong’s bill wants MARINA to supervise the rate-fixing mechanism of forwarders and agents of international shipping lines.

Association of International Shipping Lines, Inc. (AISL) General Manager Maximino T. Cruz said during the hearing when asked if AISL supports the bills: “There are provisions wherein we have to comment on, specifically on the provisions on the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Customs to regulate the destination charges…”

“They are not in a position to be the regulatory body as far as the imposition of destination charges of shipping lines is concerned. We are more inclined to give this authority to MARINA,” he added.

According to shipping industry officials who requested not to be identified, freight rates are still above pre-pandemic levels of about $2,000 per box for long-haul routes like Europe and the US.

They said there is now a downtrend in freight rates and do not expect freight rates to return to pre-pandemic levels in the foreseeable future “due to trade-related pressure coming from China,” which is still the world’s manufacturing center.

“The growth of the volume from China has been very dramatic. The stores in America and Europe are now restocking and therefore cargo has moved without let up. The Philippines imports a lot from China and (goods from there are) now 60% to 70% of cargo coming to major ports in the country,” one of the officials said.

“Export boxes further decreased due to the recent quarantine classification imposed within and along the country’s trade corridors. Imports, however, posted minimal increases.”

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released a policy brief on container shipping last week, which noted that containers and container ships are in short supply.

“The increase in demand was stronger than expected and not met with a sufficient supply of shipping capacity,” it said. “The container crisis is also a reflection of a slowdown in and delays across the maritime supply chain due to strains caused by the pandemic.”

UNCTAD said policymakers should therefore focus on trade facilitation and digitalization for resilient supply chains, tracking and tracing, and competition in maritime transport.

Asked to comment on April 28, the PCC said via e-mail that it “has an ongoing investigation of potentially abusive behavior in the industry.”

“The Competition Unit of UNCTAD has been facilitating cooperation and sharing of experiences among national competition authorities, especially benefiting young competition authorities, such as PCC, in developing countries,” it said.

“Logistics, including shipping, is one of PCC’s sector priorities, considering that this sector is vital during the pandemic and to economic recovery. We have been coordinating with DTI on the issue of high freight rates,” the PCC added.

Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (Philexport) Assistant Vice-President Flordeliza C. Leong said via e-mail on April 29 that the increasing freight rates by shipping lines have “long been an issue and considered one of the impediments to export growth.”

“Addressing this will help lessen trade costs and make us more competitive,” she added.

Philexport’s suggestion, she said, is for the PCC “to unbundle the freight cost and check each item if valid.”

“I know there are fees such as cleaning fee, congestion fee, container deposit fee, imbalance fee, etc. Brokers and freight forwarders have long ago been complaining that their container deposit fees have not been refunded or slow to be refunded. They estimate this to be in the billions already,” she explained.

“Maybe the PCC can also look at which agency, if possible at all as benchmarked with other countries, to regulate international shipping lines to avoid or lessen such issues,” she added.

Also sought for comment, Chelsea Logistics and Infrastructure Holdings Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer Chryss Alfonsus V. Damuy said in a phone message April 27 that the three recommendations of UNCTAD “can help.”

However, on the competition item, it is “not much of a concern in the Philippines as there is too much competition already, which also drives the prices low actually,” he noted. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Busy stretch for OQT-bound Gilas Pilipinas 3-on-3 team

May 2, 2021 | 7:16 pm

Gilas-3x3 — MEMBERS of Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 team entered their training “bubble” at the INSPIRE Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna, at the weekend in preparation for their FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament bid in Austria later this month. — SBP

GILAS Pilipinas 3×3 team’s busy journey to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) has begun after it entered its training “bubble” at the weekend at the INSPIRE Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.

For at least eight days, the three-a-side national team, composed of the country’s top players in the sport and Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) stalwarts, will try to work on their collective game for their OQT campaign happening from May 26 to 30 in Graz, Austria.

In the qualifiers, the nationals will try to notch one of the three tickets up for grabs for the Tokyo Olympics, where 3×3 basketball will make its debut.

The team said much work lies ahead for it since the pandemic greatly affected its preparation but it remains optimistic, banking on the members’ similar mind-set of doing well in the competition.

“We all have the same goals of making it to the Olympics. Once we’re on the court, we know what is expected of us and we’re going to do everything we can for the team and the country,” said incoming PBA rookie Alvin Pasaol of the Meralco Bolts in Filipino during their session on the radio program Power & Play on Saturday.

Mr. Pasaol and fellow rookies Joshua Munzon (Terrafirma) and Santi Santillan (Rain or Shine) are among the top 3×3 players in the country and played a big role in the Philippines securing a spot in the OQT, being part of teams which saw action and gained qualifying points in various International Basketball Federation (FIBA) tournaments.

They now aim to take what they have built to another level in the OQT, along with teammates CJ Perez and Mo Tautuaa of San Miguel, who are members of the gold medal-winning team in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

Also part of the OQT-bound squad is PBA free-agent Karl Dehesa.

While no longer strangers to one another, having had a chance to practice and train together right before the pandemic hit last year, still the 3×3 team members admit they have their work cut out at INSPIRE as they prepare a game plan to what is expected to be a tough OQT campaign.

“Most of the teams seeing action in the OQT have been playing for a long time now so we have a lot of room to make up for,” said Mr. Dehesa.

Mr. Munzon, for his part, said they will use the time given to them for training to get their feel for one another on the court and perfect the chemistry needed.

“It may take a little adjustment at first for some of us, but it is about the team and going for our goal,” the country’s top 3×3 player said.

While initially pegged to last for eight days, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) is looking to extend the Ronnie Magsanoc-coached 3×3 team’s training for several days more if conditions permit before it flies out to the OQT.

The nationals play in the tough Pool C, which also has Slovenia (Europe Cup 2016 winner), France (second at Europe Cup 2019), Qatar (2014 World Champ), and the Dominican Republic.

OQT format calls for each team playing the other four in their respective pools. The top two teams from each pool qualify for the crossover quarterfinals and then play knockout games all the way to the semifinals.

The semifinals and the third-place games will be known in the FIBA 3×3 OQT as the Olympic Ticket games.

Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 will first play Qatar on May 26 at 8 p.m. (Manila time) to be followed by the game against Slovenia at 9:45 p.m.

It will take a break the following day before resuming its campaign on May 28 against the Dominican Republic at 6 p.m. and France at 8 p.m.

If Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 succeeds in booking a spot in the Tokyo Games, it will become the first basketball squad from the Philippines to qualify for the Olympics since the 5-on-5 team which featured the likes of Bogs Adornado, Jimmy Mariano and Freddie Webb in 1972 in Munich, Germany. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

NPC sets minigrid, RE construction target of 5 megawatts this year

May 2, 2021 | 7:15 pm

NATIONAL POWER CORP. (NPC) said it hopes to build 5 megawatts (MW) worth of capacity in the form of minigrids and renewable energy (RE) systems this year, part of a broader goal of adding 45 MW in power capacity in remote islands and communities.

“For 2021, NPC plans to install around 45.31 MW in new capacity. This include(s) 4.17 MW minigrids capacity for new areas and 1.1853 MWp (megawatts-peak) renewable energy, (such as) diesel-solar hybridization and PV (photovoltaic) mainstreaming through the use of solar home systems,” the NPC’s Corporate Communications Division told BusinessWorld in an e-mail Wednesday.

PV mainstreaming is an energy department program which aims to standardize the provision of solar home systems as a utility service offering for electric cooperatives and regulated electricity suppliers.

The NPC is authorized to carry out missionary electrification in remote islands and communities through its small power utilities group (SPUG). The missionary electrification program for 2021 to 2025 called for capacity upgrades at established SPUG power plants and delivering power services to more unserved areas.

The NPC said however that the 45-MW target covers projects to be built in “new SPUG areas and existing areas.” Some of these began last year, but the public health emergency pushed back their timetables.

It added that it plans to complete four transmission and substation projects this year: the 69 kilovolt Roxas to Taytay transmission line in Palawan; upgrading of the 20 MVA (megavolt ampere) Mobo Substation in Masbate, transfer of the 5 MVA substation from Narra to Brookes Point in Palawan, and the construction of the 20 MVA Mogpog substation in Marinduque.

Asked for updates about the Agus-Pulangi Hydropower Plants rehabilitation, the NPC said it is currently in the preparatory stage. NPC said that engineering consultant Tractebel-Engie is conducting multiple options pending compilation of an environmental and social impact assessment.

The NPC added: “The rehabilitation project aims to extend the operational lives of the facility, restore its rated capacities, improved safety, upgrade operational performance and strengthen its resilience against climate change and natural disasters.”

The project involves seven hydroelectric plants with a combined capacity of 932.1 MW at the Agus-Pulangi Hydropower Complex in Mindanao.

In a separate statement issued Wednesday, NPC announced that it is planning to build four more solar hybrid facilities in its SPUG plants. The plants will have a total capacity of 595 kilowatts-peak (kWp).

NPC President and Chief Executive Officer Pio J. Benavidez was quoted as saying that the facilities will be located in Cuaming, Bohol (55 kWp), Palumbanes in Catanduanes (40 kWp), Sabtang in Batanes (250 kWp), and Itbayat in Batanes (250 kWp).

NPC separately told BusinessWorld that the estimated cost for these four projects is around P132 million.

NPC currently operates 276 SPUG plants in 189 municipalities across 35 provinces. In March, the finance department said that NPC and the National Transmission Corp. hoped to bring power to 30,000 more households through their expansion activities this year. — Angelica Y. Yang

Pacers thrash OKC Thunder by 57 points; Magic squeak past Grizzlies

May 2, 2021 | 7:15 pm

DOMANTAS Sabonis had 26 points, 19 rebounds and a career-high 14 assists to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 152-95 blowout win over the Oklahoma City (OKC) Thunder on the road on Saturday.

The Pacers’ 152 points were the most in franchise history since the team moved to the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1976-77 and the 57-point margin was the largest loss in Thunder franchise history.

Indiana flirted with the largest margin in NBA history — Cleveland’s 68-point win over Miami in December 1991 — with the Pacers leading by as many as 67 in the fourth quarter.

The Pacers (30-33) swept the season series and snapped a two-game losing streak, remaining in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

Oklahoma City (21-43) lost for the 19^th time in 21 games.

Indiana hit a franchise-record 21 three-pointers, six by Doug McDermott.

Sabonis had missed the last six games with lower-back soreness but was dominant from the start, as was another former Thunder player, McDermott.

By the end of the first quarter, Sabonis had 8 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists as the Pacers scored the game’s first eight points and led by as many as 19 in the first quarter.

Just less than two minutes to go before half time, Sabonis earned his seventh triple-double of the season with his 10^th assist.

By half time, Sabonis had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.

McDermott tied his career-high with 31 points, scoring 16 with four 3-pointers in the first quarter.

The Pacers kept pouring it on in the second, starting the second with a 22-9 run, then stretched their lead to 29 midway through and eventually led by 36 by half time.

Caris LeVert added 25 points for Indiana, which set season highs in field-goal percentage (65.5) and three-point percentage (63.6). Sabonis was 10 of 13 from the floor.

Moses Brown led the Thunder with 16 points, going 7 of 9 from the floor. Oklahoma City was just 8 of 38 from behind the arc and 11 of 23 on free throws.

The Pacers hammered the Thunder despite being without Malcolm Brogdon (sore right hamstring) and JaKarr Sampson (concussion protocol).

The Thunder didn’t have Luguentz Dort (right hip strain) or Aleksej Pokuševski (left knee contusion).

MAGICAL SHOT
Meanwhile, rookie Cole Anthony swished a deep three-pointer with 0.1 seconds left to cap his season-best 26 points and provide the Orlando Magic with a 112-111 comeback victory over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.

Anthony’s dramatic shot over Memphis’ Kyle Anderson was the finishing touch as the Magic overcame a 20-point deficit to split the back-to-back with the Grizzlies.

Moritz Wagner scored a season-high 24 points and Dwayne Bacon added 23 as Orlando (20-44) won for just the third time in the past 16 games. Rookie R.J. Hampton tallied a season-high 18 points to help the Magic snap a nine-game home losing streak.

Dillon Brooks scored 23 points for Memphis, and he knocked down an 18-footer with seven seconds left to give the Grizzlies (32-31) a 111-109 lead.

Ja Morant recorded 22 points and seven assists, Anderson scored 21 points, and Jonas Valančiūnas had 11 points and 16 rebounds for Memphis.

The Grizzlies beat the Magic (92-75) on Friday night in Memphis. — Reuters

Proposal to reform wage-setting system finds union backing

May 2, 2021 | 7:14 pm

wage-hike-protest — PHILIPPINE STAR/ ANDY G. ZAPATA JR.

UNIONS have declared their support for a proposal put forward by a legislator to reform the current wage-setting process in light of the vulnerability of any wage gains to erosion during major emergencies that dampen the economy.

Agusan del Norte Rep. Lawrence H. Fortun on Saturday called for a review of current law governing minimum wages, as well as other labor laws.

The current wage determination system is governed by Republic Act 6727 or the Wage Rationalization Act.

“I appeal for a joint legislative-executive review of our laws and regulations on minimum wage and working conditions. Given the pandemic economic shocks and its effects which will last for years to come, the need to review and reform our current legal architecture on wages and working conditions is an exigency,” he said in a statement.

Unions backed the review of the wage-setting mechanism, which was enacted over three decades ago.

In a mobile message to BusinessWorld Sunday, Partido Manggagawa Chairman Renato B. Magtubo said the proposal is “very much welcome” adding that RA 6727’s… objectives and mechanisms should be evaluated with the end in view of addressing the gap between workers’ nominal wage and the cost of living and satisfying the constitutional mandate of granting workers a living wage.”

He said labor unions should be involved in the review since it affects their wages.

Associated Labor Unions Spokesman Alan A. Tanjusay told BusinessWorld in a social media message that the law is not well-suited to current times, and supports an across-the-board minimum wage. The law currently authorizes wage boards to set rates regionally.

“It has to be national. The time is ripe to abandon regional wage setting. Our aspiration is to do away with minimum wage-setting and replace it with a living wage (which) must be uniform,” Mr. Tanjusay said.

An economist called into question the urgency of the reforms, saying that business survival is currently a higher priority.

University of the Philippines Economics Professor Rene E. Ofreneo told BusinessWorld by phone Sunday, “Review of the law will be a continuous thing but the urgency is in the survival of industries.”

He added that the most urgent thing that can be done to help workers deal with their eroding purchasing power is “integrative bargaining” between the management and workers.

“Actually the situation calls for more dialogue for industry and labor. If wages of minimum wage earners are eroded, even more so (are) the incomes of businesses,” he said, adding most businesses are micro, small and medium enterprises severely hit by the pandemic.

Dialogues should be conducted on an industry-to-industry or company-to-company basis for now, overseen by the Department of Labor and Employment, he said. — Gillian M. Cortez

Work and commitment needed to be successful in entrepreneurship, says ONE’s Chatri Sityodtong

May 2, 2021 | 7:14 pm

“ENTREPRENEURSHIP is such a crazy adventure… So much of it is about gathering and attracting, and retaining resources, people, and capital; creating an ecosystem around your start-up,” said ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong. — ONE CHAMPIONSHIP

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

TO SUCCEED in any business venture, one has to put in the needed work and give commitment through and through.

These are among the values that ONE Championship seeks to espouse in its version of the reality television show The Apprentice, now running across Asia.

A brainchild of ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong and his group, The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition offers to the winner a $250,000 job offer to work under Mr. Sityodtong as his protégé at the group’s global headquarters in Singapore for a year.

The winner will also be named chief of staff and have the opportunity to launch a new business unit within ONE Championship.

In the show, the candidates’ creativity and business acumen are put to the test every week as well as their physical strength, stamina, athleticism, and ability to face their fears.

The show is designed as such, ONE said, so as to produce the “most deserving” winner, who is also expected to embody what the organization is.

Having overcome a myriad of challenges since their group was established a decade ago, Mr. Sityodtong shared that it has been whirlwind of a journey for them but that they have been able to survive it by being “ready” as it can be, something they are trying to share to the candidates and viewers of The Apprentice.

“Entrepreneurship is such a crazy adventure. When I first started ONE Championship, we faced thousands of rejections in the first three years. But ONE was fortunate to receive funding from some of the world’s leading institutional investors. Today, ONE Championship is one of Asia’s leading unicorns,” Mr. Sityodtong shared to BusinessWorld.

“So much of entrepreneurship is about gathering and attracting, and retaining resources, people, and capital; creating an ecosystem around your start-up,” he added.

The official went on to say that every time he speaks with the candidates in the show, he makes it a point to underscore that the whole adventure in The Apprentice goes beyond landing a job in ONE Championship.

“This competition has nothing to do with me. It has everything to do with [the candidates] — [their] commitment, passion, desire to unleash [their] greatness in life. I’m willing to invest all my knowledge, all my ideas, all my experiences, my failures, my successes, into [them] so that [they] can become great. I want to see how badly [they] want it,” Mr. Sityodtong said.

And good for the organization, the message is being taken to heart by the candidates.

“The promise of this position in ONE Championship really makes me feel that I am in the right place at the right time, and there’s no way I’m going to take this opportunity for granted. I’m going to give it my all,” shared one of the candidates Jessica Ramella of Venezuela.

The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition features two Filipino candidates, namely Lara Alvarez and Louie Sangalang. Ms. Alvarez has since been eliminated while Mr. Sangalang is still in the mix and did well in the last business challenge.

The show is broadcast across Asia on AXN, the show’s official Asian broadcast partner. In the Philippines, it can be seen on Thursdays at 8:50 p.m. on AXN cable network and on Mondays at 9 p.m. on One Sport.

Manchester City on brink of title; Chelsea bolsters top-four hopes

May 2, 2021 | 7:13 pm

ManCity — MANCHESTER City is on the brink of a third Premier League title in four seasons after a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday. — MANCHESTER CITY FB PAGE

LONDON — Manchester City is on the brink of a third Premier League title in four seasons after a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday secured with goals by Sergio Aguero and Ferran Torres.

Chelsea’s 2-0 home win over Fulham cemented it in fourth place while leaving its London rival facing almost certain relegation and Brighton & Hove Albion took a massive leap towards safety by beating visiting Leeds United (2-0).

Everton’s hopes of qualifying for Europe suffered a blow as it went down 2-1 at home to Aston Villa.

City scored twice in 83 seconds in the second half to notch an 11th successive away league win and will be confirmed as champion if Liverpool wins at Manchester United on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola’s side has 80 points with four games left, while second-placed United is on 67 with five to play.

Leicester City, which drew 1-1 with 10-man Southampton on Friday, is third on 63 points. Fourth-placed Chelsea has 61, six ahead of West Ham United which travels to Burnley on Monday.

“We can start to put the champagne in the fridge — not to open yet but to think about it,” said Guardiola, whose side faces Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday in the home leg of their Champions League semifinal with a 2-1 lead.

“The Premier League is already there — it is in our hands. We need one more victory, two more points.”

MASSIVE WEEK
Chelsea, who, like City, faced a massive week with a Champions League semifinal return against Real Madrid after a 1-1 draw away, had a Kai Havertz double to thank for beating Fulham.

Germany forward Havertz, who has struggled to justify his 71-million-pounds ($98.08-million) price tag from Bayer Leverkusen, doubled his Premier League tally in the game against Fulham.

“Kai played double striker with Timo (Werner) and the two had a good connection and were always dangerous,” Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel said. “We need him spot on to achieve our goals.”

Fulham is nine points behind fourth-bottom Newcastle United after a fifth defeat in six matches although manager Scott Parker refused to admit staying up was a lost cause.

“I understand from the outside people will laugh and think I’m crazy, but there’s no other option for me,” he said.

“While it’s the case that we can [survive], that’s our main focus from now until the end.”

Brighton breathed a sigh of relief as it moved 10 points clear of the drop zone by beating Leeds on the south-coast.

Pascal Gross converted a penalty in the 14^th minute and Danny Welbeck sealed the win with a late goal that lifted Brighton to 14^th in the standings.

“It was one of our best performances. You have to match Leeds for their effort and honesty, and I felt we did that really well,” Brighton manager Graham Potter said.

Anwar El Ghazi’s superb late curler earned Villa the points at Goodison Park — leaving Everton frustrated and nine points behind Chelsea albeit with a game in hand.

Ollie Watkins opened the scoring for Villa but Dominic Calvert-Lewin soon headed an equalizer.

Everton have won one of its last 10 home league games and that looks like it could cost them a European place. — Reuters

House bill seeks to ban cross-ownership in power industry

May 2, 2021 | 7:13 pm

HOUSE LEGISLATORS have filed a bill that will ban cross-ownership in the power sector to deter monopolies and anti-competitive behavior in the energy industry.

In a statement Sunday, Bayan Muna party-list lawmakers said they filed House Bill 9260, which regulates cross-ownership between distribution utilities (DUs) and power generation companies (gencos).

“This amendment to ban cross-ownership between DUs and gencos is now becoming a must (while) the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) is not yet fully repealed,” Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani T. Zarate said in the statement.

EPIRA allows distribution utilities to own generation companies. In the bill filed April 27 and provided to reporters Sunday, Bayan Muna said cross-ownership results in conflicts of interest, with distribution utilities preferring to source power from affiliated companies.

“In the name of the EPIRA, the regulator has abetted conflicted distribution utilities to own retail electricity suppliers or be one themselves or both. It is not difficult to guess which generation companies these retail electricity suppliers prefer,” according to the bill’s explanatory note.

If enacted, the law will prohibit shareholders and officers of the electricity distribution company and their relatives within the fourth degree; any entity with financial interest in the power distribution company; and shareholders and officers of the same entity and their relatives within the fourth degree, from holding any interest with any person engaged in electric power generation or electric supply.

Any person found to be involved in cross-ownership will be liable for an administrative fine of P20 million.

Those engaged in cross-ownership prior to the law need to divest within one year from the law taking effect. Failure to do so triggers an administrative fine of P10 million.

Criminal penalties include a fine of up to P50 million and imprisonment of between two and seven years. — Gillian M. Cortez

National beach volleyball team tryouts

May 2, 2021 | 7:13 pm

NATIONAL beach volleyball team tryouts capped the three-day trials organized by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation last week in Subic. Twenty-one athletes showed up for both the women’s and men’s teams on Friday in addition to the 16 women and 31 men in the indoor volleyball tryouts held on Wednesday and Thursday. “This goes to show that volleyball — and sports in general, for that matter — is eager to make a comeback amid the pandemic,” said PNVF President Ramon Suzara said. Adding, “We completed three days of tryouts and the turnout of aspirants breached expectations.” The tryouts were held in line with the push to assemble formidable squads for the 31^st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam in November.

National lifters, fencers welcomed back

May 2, 2021 | 7:12 pm

THE Philippine Sports Commission welcomed the national weightlifting and fencing teams upon their return from their respective qualifying tournaments in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, last week. The country’s lifters took home two gold, six silver, and three bronze medals at the Asian Weightlifting Championships while the fencers secured a bronze medal. The PSC assured the athletes they will receive incentives under Republic Act No. 10699, or the “National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act’’ for their medal-winning efforts. During the welcome, strict health and safety protocols were followed, the PSC said.

Turn for the worse

May 2, 2021 | 7:12 pm

For the second season in a row, the Packers dominated the conversation in the National Football League draft for all the wrong causes. Even as they made the right decision in taking cornerback Eric Stokes with the 29^th overall pick, it came a year too late for most quarters — and certainly for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The reigning league Most Valuable Player, notorious for keeping grudges, was obviously still smarting from their ill-advised move to trade up in the 2020 draft in order to latch on to Jordan Love, his evident replacement under center.

Hindsight makes for perfect vision, but it’s clear to all and sundry that, had the Packers chosen to shore up their defense — as they had in the previous nine drafts — last year, they would have been in much better position to take the measure of the Buccaneers in the National Football Conference Championship. Instead, for reasons known only to them even now, they made Love, an iffy proposition at best, their target. What’s worse, they didn’t even bother to give Rodgers, their franchise cornerstone and still the most talented QB in the league, a heads-up.

Not that the advance notice would have mattered to the prickly Rodgers, who had hitherto indicated that he planned to play well into his forties. In any case, the Packers’ bold step sent the wrong message off the field and, just as egregiously, handicapped them on it. In other words, they managed to screw up their immediate future, as the loss to the Buccaneers showed, AND the medium term, as their supposed leader is proving. He no longer wants to wear their jersey, he says, and it seems nothing they do from here on can make him change his mind. Their fate was sealed the moment they made Love their future.

The irony is that the grand design might not even take hold. Love was the third-string QB last year, and he’s supposed to be the backup this season. If Rodgers somehow gets to stay, the transition to him as the lead may well not happen at all. There’s simply no way he will be better than the starter he’s supposed to succeed in the three years he remains guaranteed to be with the Packers. And if the divorce does push through, he will be too raw to take the reins with confidence. Which is too bad, really, because nothing is his fault. The blame lies squarely on the shoulders of general manager Brian Gutekunst, who could have avoided the land mines had prudence taken hold.

Not that Rodgers will automatically be better off leaving. For all the dysfunction, the Packers are built to contend; he has more than enough weapons around him to go deep in the playoffs. At this point, however, he appears dead set against returning to the fold. Only time will tell if he’s bent on seeing his revolt through, but, no matter what happens, one thing’s clear: things will get worse — perhaps much, much worse — before they get better.

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