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Learning from and about China – 2

(Second of three parts)

According to a publication of Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) entitled “Is China Succeeding at Eradicating Poverty?,” using the World Bank’s $1.90 per day extreme poverty line, the global poverty rate has declined significantly since 1990, when it stood at 36.2% of the global population (1.9 billion people) to about 8.7% (roughly 668.7 million people) in 2018. China can claim responsibility for some 60% of this decrease.

As we saw in the first part of this series, decades of rapid economic growth (that reached 12% or more annually in the early 1980s following the opening up of markets by Deng Xiaoping in 1978) helped to liberate 748.5 million people from dehumanizing poverty. The poverty rate declined from 66.3% in 1990 to zero percent in 2020 (even using a higher poverty incidence rate of $2.25). Among the world’s 15 most populous developing countries, China has seen the greatest drop in poverty rates. To be sure, China’s impressive contribution to global poverty reduction is largely a function of its size of 1.4 billion people. For example, Vietnam succeeded in reducing its extreme poverty rate from 61.3% to 1.9% from 1990 to 2018, replicating the accomplishment of China. Having a much smaller population than China (95 million), Vietnam’s also equally impressive success only accounts for 3.2% of global poverty declines since 1990.

China’s success at alleviating poverty can be partly attributed to the decades of rapid economic growth unleashed by rapid increase in the Gross National Income (GNI) which includes incomes earned by Chinese individuals and enterprises abroad. Over the last two decades alone, China’s GNI per capita grew more than ten-fold from just $940 in 2000 to $10,400 in 2019. This is twice the rate of increase achieved by Russia, the second fastest growing economy among the once-celebrated BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), the five emerging markets that were supposed to dominate the developing world in the coming decades. It was clear, however, that growth in itself did not solve the problem of a highly uneven distribution of income and wealth. The rural areas were left very much behind by the urban regions where the manufacturing jobs were clustered. This is a very important lesson that countries like the Philippines should take to heart.

Free market forces alone do not solve the problem of mass poverty. Those who fall below the poverty line are too undernourished, too unhealthy, too uneducated and unskilled to be able to participate productively in a free market. The State has the primary responsibility to directly address or target the problem of acute poverty, especially in the rural areas. In the Philippines, 75% of those who fall below the poverty line are in the rural areas.

Realizing that free markets do not solve the problem of mass poverty, the Chinese Government set up a State Council office to identify impoverished counties, established a national poverty line and created special funds for poverty reduction. In 1994, the government introduced the Seven-Year Priority Poverty Alleviation Program, which set a goal of lifting 80 million people out of poverty within seven years. Central authorities also created cooperation mechanisms to allow more urbanized coastal areas to support poorer western regions.

Among other measures, primary school fees were totally eliminated for rural students. China, as early as 1999, implemented the equivalent of our Social Amelioration Program (SAP), which they called the dibao program. This was a means-tested, unconditional cash transfer program that served as the primary safety net for the poorest individuals. First piloted in Shanghai in 1993, dibao was expanded to cover all urban areas in 1999 and all rural areas in 2007.

Whatever undemocratic practices President Xi Jinping might have introduced to China since he declared himself as its lifetime president, it cannot be denied that he has been mainly instrumental for the impressive gains the country has made in eradicating dehumanizing poverty. Since he rose to power in 2012, he has made “deep-sixing poverty” (in the words of a Brookings report) a top policy goal. Some attribute this near compulsion to what he experienced when he was exiled to a poverty-stricken rural village during the Cultural Revolution. As reported by Fatuomata Diallo in an article in Focus Asia (March 2019), it is possible that his exposure to the conditions in poverty-stricken farming communities grafted itself onto his political consciousness during this formative period in political leadership. Xi first put forward the strategy of “targeted poverty relief” during a trip in 2013 to Hunan Province. In late 2015, the Chinese government officially committed to eradicating poverty by 2020, defining poverty as income levels at or below the rural poverty line of $339.70 (RMB 2,300) or less per year in constant 2010 values. The Chinese leaders also pledged to eliminate the “two worries” (inadequate food and inadequate clothing) and provide “three guarantees” (access to healthcare, education, and housing). The government’s commitments amounted to lifting more than 70 million people out of poverty within just five years.

What is notable is that, even before devoting massive financial resources to the goal of poverty eradication, the Chinese Government started with the needed human resources.

In 2016, a staggering 775,000 officials were dispatched to the countryside where they took up the job of relieving conditions in impoverished areas within one- to three-year posts. Many of these officials were drawn from the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), serving to imbed the party in the grass roots drive to reshape China’s agrarian communities. The involvement of the CPC’s Central Committee highlighted the top priority given to poverty eradication. Such a priority was also reflected in the massive financial support given to the drive. Some 91 billion RMB ($13 billion) was allocated to poverty alleviation funds for 2019 alone. To guarantee that such massive funds were spent on the right individuals, China created a national registration system for poor households that enabled local officials to gather data from each individual person, household, and village. The system, which registered data for 128,000 villages and 290,000 households, has helped to identify the most poverty-stricken areas, including in the Guizhou Hunan, Guangxi, Sichuan, and Yunnan provinces.

To guarantee that the rural areas are not significantly left behind in this age of digitalization, the Chinese Government accelerated the development of “Internet Plus” strategies in the fight against poverty. For instance, Chinese internet giant Alibaba has supported the creation of rural e-commerce centers known as Taobao villages that encourage online sales of farm produce and local specialties. By 2015, 780 Taobao villages catered to over 200,000 active online shop owners and collectively employed over one million people. Encouraged by this success, Alibaba nominated a further 2,100 Taobao villages to take part in the program in 2017. To complement this “Internet Plus” strategy, elements of the rural population who live in remote or ecologically fragile regions were relocated to areas closer to the cities. It was expected that 9.81 million people would be moved between 2016 and 2020 as part of this program.

It is obvious that many of these components of the anti-poverty program of China cannot be replicated lock, stock, and barrel in the Philippines. There are significant differences in the political structures as well as cultural characteristics of the people of the two countries. It is possible, though, that some sectors of Philippine society (national government agencies, local government units, socially responsible business enterprises — which stood out for their very proactive role in helping the country meet the challenges of the pandemic — and non-governmental organizations may be inspired to implement one or more of the practices that helped China reduce those living in dehumanizing poverty to zero percent by 2020!

 

Bernardo M. Villegas has a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard, is Professor Emeritus at the University of Asia and the Pacific, and a Visiting Professor at the IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. He was a  member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission.

bernardo.villegas@uap.asia

The Supreme Court’s new perspective on an old issue

On Nov. 11, 2020, the Supreme Court promulgated a landmark decision involving the fundamental equality between women and men before the law. In Alanis v. Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court ruled on a legitimate child’s right to use and adopt his mother’s maiden name — a matter which not only allows a legal option for the use of a surname, but also elevates the level of mothers from a legal perspective.

The underlying facts of Alanis are simple and straightforward and do not immediately call to mind issues of patriarchy and discrimination against women. The case stemmed from a petition filed by one Anacleto Ballaho Alanis III, who sought to change the name appearing on his birth certificate to “Abdulhamid Ballaho,” a name using his mother’s maiden name. He alleged that his parents had separated when he was five years old, and that it was his mother who had single-handedly raised him and his siblings. As a result, all of his school records and other government-issued documents indicate his name as “Abdulhamid Ballaho.” He asserted that, under such circumstances, his formal adoption of the name and change in his birth certificate would avoid confusion.

Setting aside the technical aspects of the case, both the trial and appellate courts declined to grant his petition. The trial court in particular held that granting his petition would actually create, rather than avoid, confusion since changing the name appearing on his birth certificate would “trigger much deeper inquiries regarding [his] parentage and/or paternity,” considering his status as a legitimate child of a technically subsisting marriage.

The issue brought before the Supreme Court in Alanis is not a novel one. The Supreme Court has, on more than one occasion, ruled on a legitimate child’s right to use their mother’s maiden name.

In Oshita v. Republic of the Philippines (G.R. No. L-21180, March 31, 1967), the Supreme Court held that the Civil Code provision directing that legitimate children principally use the surname of their father does not preclude their adoption of their mother’s maiden name on the basis of “sufficient reasons” or “proper and reasonable cause.” In Oshita, the reasons found to be sufficient by the Supreme Court were Antonina Oshita’s desire to have a “Filipino” surname to reflect her elected Filipino citizenship and avoid the “embarrassment” of having a Japanese surname when certain post-war prejudices were still prevalent.

In Alfon v. Republic of the Philippines (G.R. No. L-51201, May 29, 1980), the Supreme Court explained that the word “principally” used in the Civil Code provision signifies that legitimate children were not meant to use the surnames of their fathers exclusively. Accordingly, there would be no legal obstacle to a legitimate child’s adoption of their mother’s maiden name, considering they are equally entitled to use the same under law.

Significantly, the Supreme Court found that Maria Estrella Veronica Primitiva Duterte’s long use of her mother’s maiden name, as evidenced by her school records since childhood and other government-issued documents, warranted the change of name sought in order to avoid confusion.

In the more recent case of Wang v. Cebu City Civil Registrar (G.R. No. 159966, March 30, 2005), the Supreme Court refused to allow Julian Lin Carulasan Wang to omit his mother’s maiden name from his registered name. According to Wang, doing so would make his integration into Singaporean society easier, considering that Singapore does not ordinarily use or recognize middle names and “Carulasan” would be too difficult to pronounce for Mandarin-speakers. The Supreme Court considered the grounds invoked by Wang to be insufficient. Further, because Wang had only been a minor at the time of the filing of the petition, the Supreme Court held that he may not have understood or appreciated the value of his mother’s maiden name, and that the change he sought may eventually prejudice him in his rights under law.

These cases show that the Supreme Court has consistently recognized that a legitimate child has a right to use both their father’s and mother’s names, and there is no mandatory rule requiring the exclusive use of their father’s name under law. What sets Alanis apart, however, is how the Supreme Court framed this issue as one involving gender equality and the State’s need to correct cultural norms that tend towards patriarchy.

In Alanis, the Supreme Court based its ruling on the Constitutional guarantee ensuring the fundamental of women and men before the law, the state policy underlying the Women in Development and Nation Building Act, the Philippines’ obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the emerging custom under international law against the discrimination of women. The Supreme Court thus based its ruling on the State’s positive duty to “dismantle the existing patriarchy by addressing the culture that supports it.” On this premise, the Supreme Court reaffirmed its ruling in Alfon and held that legitimate children were not meant to use the surnames of their fathers exclusively. According to the Supreme Court, to rule otherwise would have been tantamount to further “encoding” patriarchy into Philippine society, rendering the mother and maternal line invisible in a person’s heritage, and reinforcing antiquated gender roles positioning the father in the public sphere and the mother in the private. Ultimately, the Supreme Court held that the change in name sought by Alanis would result in the avoidance of confusion, following its ruling in Alfon.

While some may view the Supreme Court’s framing of issues in Alanis as an attempt at unwarranted judicial activism, or mere incidental statements without the authority of binding precedent, others may see the same as the Supreme Court breathing new life into our laws to keep pace with changing norms and values on the ground. Only time will tell if this will be an isolated incident in this Supreme Court’s judicial legacy.

This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not offered and does not constitute legal advice or legal opinion.

 

Maria Celia H. Poblador is an Associate of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department (LDRD) of the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices or ACCRALAW.

(632) 8830-8000

chpoblador@accralaw.com

10 trends in mortality and spending economics

The latest death and mortality data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) last week had many interesting aspects. Below we list 10 trends happening in the Philippines.

1 There were fewer deaths, not more, in 2020.

Since COVID-19 has killed thousands last year, the expectation is that there should be more deaths, high “excess mortality” over 2019 but this did not happen. The 1,700 deaths/day in 2019 became 1,578 deaths/day in 2020. Including some 95 COVID-19 deaths per day from March 11 (first COVID-19 death in the Philippines) to December.

2 There were 30,000 fewer pneumonia deaths, 7,000 fewer respiratory infection deaths, 5,000 fewer TB deaths. Most surprising is that there were over 42,000 fewer deaths from infectious diseases last year than in 2019.

There are two possible reasons: One, people became more health conscious, transmission of infectious diseases significantly declined. Two, ordinary pneumonia was labelled as COVID-19 pneumonia; ordinary infections became COVID-19 infections, ordinary tuberculosis (TB) became COVID-19 TB. Sort of COVID-19 has murdered many other infectious diseases.

One explanation for the possible mislabeling of causes as COVID-19 deaths is the high PhilHealth reimbursement. If a patient is hospitalized, recovers or dies, from what is declared as non-COVID-19 positive pneumonia, PhilHealth will pay a small amount. If it is due to COVID-19, case payment to the hospital is high: mild pneumonia about P100,000, severe pneumonia P333,000, critical pneumonia P786,000.

3 There were fewer transport accidents and fatal assaults, but more suicides.

Lockdowns, checkpoints, curfew, closure of all bars and occasional alcohol bans, led to fewer road accidents, less fights. But there was more self-inflicted harm or suicides (see Table 1).

4 Cases are rising.

Why? It coincided with the vaccination rollout this March. Two of the many possibilities: One, “escape mutations” of the virus, and/or vaccination-triggered cases in which the vaccine triggered symptoms or more inflammation in people who are positive but asymptomatic. Two, people’s immune systems have been weakened due to prolonged lockdown or mobility restrictions and lack of income, and there are no prevention prophylaxis, early treatment drugs for symptomatic persons to avoid hospitalization.

5 “Superspreader” scaremongering and OCTA.

Octa Research is “a polling, research and consulting firm” but it is now into making alarmist predictions. There have been at least six reports from different news sources: 1.) “Virus ‘Super Spreader’ cited as debates over reduced commuter distancing continue among Cabinet members, health experts” (One News, Sept. 16, 2020); 2.) “Seminars, minors in malls can be ‘dangerous superspreaders’” (Manila Bulletin, Dec. 9, 2020); 3.) “CTA Research warns gov’t vs. ‘superspreader events’ due to new COVID-19 policies” (Inquirer.net, Dec. 9, 2020); 4.) “Black Nazarene feast a ‘superspreader’ event, OCTA Research says” (GMA, Jan. 9, 2021); 5.) “Cinemas can be superspreader” (Daily Tribune, Feb. 13, 2021); 6.) “People below 18 may become COVID ‘supercarriers’ if age restrictions ease, OCTA warns” (Inquirer.net, Feb. 16, 2021).

We now turn to public spending during lockdown.

6 Revenues are falling to the floor…

With many businesses and companies closed, fully or partially, temporarily or permanently, government tax revenues declined significantly, from an average increase of P315 billion/year from 2016 to 2019, it declined by P281 billion in 2020, or a net decline of nearly P600 billion.

7 While spending is rising to the roof.

All the salaries, allowances and bonuses of government personnel from national to local and barangay levels were given. New subsidies were also created, bigger borrowings made and higher interest payment were paid.

8 GDP crashing to 2018 level.

The Philippines’ GDP contracted 9.5% in 2020 from 6.2% and 6% growth in 2018 and 2019 (see Table 2). This contraction put the GDP size at P17.5 trillion in 2020, similar to the size of the GDP in 2018 of P17.4 trillion. It is not the virus per se that caused this economic crash but the government’s strict and draconian lockdown policies.

9 Continued demonization of early treatment.

The Concerned Doctors and Citizens of the Philippines (CDC Ph) has been advocating for focused protection of the vulnerable people (the elderly, those with comorbidities) via prophylaxis and early treatment using Ivermectin for humans (not Ivermectin veterinary products) plus supplements Vitamins C and D, zinc, and melatonin. Then all forms of lockdown and mobility and business restrictions can be lifted. But the Health department, the Food and Drug Administration, and World Health Organization, and various medical societies disapprove of, if not demonize, early treatment.

10 Lockdown déjà vu.

The current mobility restrictions for two weeks until April 4 are similar to last year’s. Government said in mid-March 2020 that it would take “only two weeks” to flatten the curve. The two weeks became two months, became 12 months — 12 months of failure to control virus transmission. Lockdowns do not work. The mantra “new normal” is actually “new dictatorship.”

 

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

minimalgovernment@gmail.com

Germany extends lockdown to combat ‘new pandemic’

BERLIN — Germany is extending its lockdown until Apr. 18 and calling on citizens to stay at home for five days over the Easter holidays to try to break a third wave of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, Chancellor Angela Merkel said early on Tuesday.

In talks that ran deep into the night, Ms. Merkel pushed the leaders of Germany’s 16 states to take a tougher stance to fight the pandemic, reversing plans for a gradual re-opening of the economy agreed earlier this month after a sharp rise in the infection rate.

“We are now basically in a new pandemic. The British mutation has become dominant,” Ms. Merkel told a news conference.

“Fundamentally, we face a new virus of the same kind but with very different characteristics. More deadly, more infectious, and infectious for longer.”

Germany started cautiously easing restrictions earlier this month. But the spread of more infectious variants of the virus has pushed up cases, prompting concerns that hospitals could soon be overstretched without further curbs.

The number of cases per 100,000 people over a week stood at 107 on Monday, above the level at which intensive care units will be overwhelmed. More than 3,000 people with COVID-19 are in intensive care.

On Monday, Britain demanded the European Union (EU) allow the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines it has ordered as tensions over a possible export ban on EU-manufactured shots mounted and Brussels pointed an accusing finger at drug maker AstraZeneca .

After falling far behind post-Brexit Britain and the United States in rolling out vaccines, EU leaders are due to discuss a possible ban on vaccine exports to Britain at a summit on Thursday.

“We have a problem — that was known — with AstraZeneca,” Merkel said, adding that she supported the European Commission. “We will decide responsibly.”

For five days from Apr. 1, Germans are to stay at home and reduce contacts as much as possible. But the late-night agreement did not include a closing of all stores, including essential shops like supermarkets, which Ms. Merkel had called for.

Big family gatherings will be banned over the holidays, with no more than two households, or up to five people, being allowed to meet. The government will ask churches to hold any Easter services online to avoid gatherings.

Economists said the extension of Germany’s lockdown measures would delay a much hoped-for recovery in Europe’s largest economy from spring until early summer.

EASTER TRAVEL
Talks had dragged on for hours as Ms. Merkel and state leaders were at loggerheads over whether to ease restrictions on domestic travel over the Easter holiday season.

Germans can travel freely even amid the pandemic, but hotels and holiday resorts in the country are not allowed to rent rooms to tourists. That leaves travel abroad as the only option for those who are desperate to go on holidays.

“We advise against all travel abroad,” Ms. Merkel said.

Airlines will now be responsible for ensuring all travelers and crew are tested for the coronavirus prior to departure to Germany, regardless of the infection rate in the country they have visited.

But Ms. Merkel and the state leaders stopped short of imposing mandatory quarantine for all returning travelers, a relief for holiday destinations such as Spain’s Mallorca that are banking on a boost from Easter travel business.

Ms. Merkel said Germany was in a race against time to vaccinate its population before new coronavirus variants took over. Some 9% of Germans have received at least one shot of the vaccine, but the pace of vaccinations is expected to pick up next month.

“Things are tough longer than we had expected, but there is very clearly light at the end of the tunnel,” Ms. Merkel said. — Reuters

South Korean regions still mandate coronavirus testing for foreign workers

REUTERS

SEOUL — Several South Korea provinces and cities are continuing to mandate coronavirus testing for foreign workers, despite a request from the national government that prompted Seoul to end its mandate amid international outcry.

Last week the headquarters of the nation’s pandemic control effort asked local governments to end mandatory testing for foreigners, and improve testing policies to eliminate discrimination or rights violations. But only Seoul scrapped its controversial order.

The same day, Daegu, the fourth-largest city, with a population of 2.5 million, doubled down with a second order expanding the number of foreign workers that needed to be tested. No foreign workers among 2,553 in the first round tested positive, Daegu said in a statement.

The city, once the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in South Korea, also mandated that any new foreign hires be tested between Mar. 19 to 28.

South Jeolla province kept its order to test about 14,000 foreigners in March, but said it had revised its policies to include more Koreans, a provincial official told Reuters.

So far 24,700 foreign workers have been tested, with one testing positive, the official said.

Gyeonggi, the most populous province in South Korea, wrapped up two weeks of mandatory tests for hundreds of thousands of foreign workers on Monday.

North Gyeongsang and Gangwon provinces, and Incheon city, have also had mandatory testing policies. Representatives there did not respond to requests for comment.

North Gyeongsang said in a statement last week it had found 11 positive patients among 13,034 foreigners tested.

Health officials have said the measures were needed to blunt a spike in infections among foreign residents. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), foreigners accounted for more than 11% of all new cases across the country over the past week.

South Korea had at least 1.6 million registered foreign workers and 391,306 undocumented foreigners as of December, the justice ministry told Reuters.

South Korea’s human rights commission said on Monday that the remaining measures should be “immediately suspended” and called for Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun — who oversees anti-pandemic efforts — to work with local governments to implement policies that are not discriminatory.

Visiting one of Seoul’s testing centers on Monday, Mr. Chung said testing should cover foreigners and Koreans, and focus more on high-risk facilities.

The British Embassy, which was one of the most vocal critics of the policies, is discussing the issue with senior officials, spokesman Stephen Burns said.

“Any policy requiring the mandatory testing of foreigners, and only foreigners, is discriminatory in nature,” he said. — Reuters

Gunman kills 10, including cop, at Colorado grocery

BOULDER, Colo.  — A gunman opened fire at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, on Monday, killing 10 people, including a police officer, before being arrested, marking the second deadly US mass shooting in less than a week.

Police gave few immediate details of the shooting and no known motive for the violence, which unfolded at about 3 p.m. at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, a north-central Colorado city at the eastern foot of the Rockies, about 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Denver.

Frantic shoppers and employees fled for cover through the supermarket as law enforcement officers swarmed the scene, located about 2 miles from the University of Colorado’s flagship campus.

Sarah Moonshadow, 42, a customer and Boulder resident who was in the store with her son, Nicholas, recounted scenes of pandemonium as gunfire rang out from inside the store.

“We were at the checkout, and shots just started going off,” Ms. Moonshadow told Reuters. “And I said, ‘Nicholas get down.’ And Nicholas ducked. And we just started listening and there, just repetitive shots … and I just said, ‘Nicholas, run.’”

Ms. Moonshadow said she tried to go to the aid of a victim she saw lying on the pavement just outside the store, but her son pulled her away, telling her, ‘We have to go.’” The woman broke down in sobs, adding, “I couldn’t help anybody.”

The bloodshed came less than a week after gun violence last Tuesday that left eight people dead, including six Asian women, at three day spas in and around Atlanta. A 21-year-old man has been charged with those killings.

Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said 10 people perished in the attack at King Soopers grocery. Among them was 51-year-old policeman Eric Talley, an 11-year veteran of the Boulder police force, who she said was the first officer at the scene.

Police said the suspected gunman was believed to be the only individual with serious injuries who survived the bloodshed. He was not publicly identified.

Video footage from the scene broadcast earlier by television stations showed a shirtless, bearded man in boxer shorts being led away from the store in handcuffs, before he was placed on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance. The man in custody appeared to have a bloody leg and was limping as he walked.

One man who said he was shopping inside the store with his wife told KCNC-TV that he heard three loud bangs he took for gunshots, and ran through the store with other customers to escape through a loading bay at the rear of the building.

He said the apparent shots sounded like they came from the checkout area at the front of the store.

Authorities gave few details about how the shooting unfolded. Commander Kerry Yamaguchi of the Boulder Police Department told reporters several hours after the fact that investigators were just starting to process the crime scene.

“Boulder has suffered a terrible and horrific mass shooting today,” Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said at a news conference later in the evening.

Video footage taken by an onlooker and posted to social media shows two bodies lying in the grocery store parking lot, before the person with the camera walks inside and films a third body lying there, as three shots are heard in the background.

The Table Mesa area of Boulder where the shooting occurred is home to a residential neighborhood and the hilltop laboratory of the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Police declined to say what kind of weapon was used, but the Denver Post reported that initial 911-emergency calls described the suspect’s firearms as a “patrol rifle.” — Reuters

Tennis ace Eala falls short in Miami Open qualifiers

FILIPINO TENNIS ACE ALEX EALA fell to Slovak Viktória Kužmová (6-4, 4-6, 2-6) in the first round of the Miami Open qualifiers this early Tuesday morning (Manila time). — GLOBE TELECOM

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

FILIPINO tennis ace Alex Eala failed to move past the first round of the Miami Open qualifiers, bowing to Slovakian Viktória Kužmová (6-4, 4-6, 2-6) in Florida, this early Tuesday morning (Manila time).

Ms. Eala, 15, who earned a wild card entry to the prestigious ATP 1000 event, started the match strong against her older opponent, but could not sustain it throughout the contest en route to the defeat.

The Rafa Nadal Academy scholar Eala, who is also a Globe ambassador, found herself in a 0-2 hole early in the opening set but charged back to first level the score at 4-4 then bagged the next two games to go a set up.

Ms. Kužmová, 22, regrouped in the second set, racing to a 4-1 lead and never looked back from there.

In the deciding set, the Slovak, ranked 104 in the World Tennis Association (WTA), built on the momentum she got in the previous set to push 737th-ranked Eala on the brink, 5-2.

Ms. Eala still tried to claw her way back, but Ms. Kužmová would have none of it and went for the closeout to advance to the next round of the qualifiers where she will face Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa.

Despite the loss, Ms. Eala remained positive, seeing the setback as part of the “journey” of making the transition from a junior player to a professional.

In a post by the WTA, the teen tennis sensation shared that she recognizes that as she progresses in the sport it will be littered with “ups and downs,” something she expressed readiness for.

She went on to thank her family and supporters for backing her up just as she is counting on them to be by her side moving forward.

The stint in the Miami Open qualifiers was the latest achievement for Ms. Eala this year.

Ms. Eala opened 2021 by winning her very first professional championship in the W15 Manacor back in January. She then followed it up with three straight quarterfinal finishes in the succeeding legs of the tournament.

NCAA determined to push through with new season despite pandemic challenges

THE National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is determined to push through with its new season despite the challenges presented by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking at the online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday, NCAA Management Committee Chairman Fr. Vic Calvo of Season 96 host Letran moved to assure that the league is in the process of setting the stage for its new season in close collaboration with its partners.

“The season will definitely push through,” said Mr. Calvo, adding they are targeting a season kickoff sometime in May.

He, however, said some modifications are to be expected as they try to adapt to the present conditions with the pandemic.

“The NCAA is looking to at least hold two to four online and hybrid competitions,” the long-time league official said.

Mr. Calvo said online events for chess and taekwondo are being readied just as they are working on the possibility of holding basketball and volleyball competitions this year.

“We have reached out to pertinent authorities to discuss ways to make things work. We’re still waiting for their response,” he said, referring to, among others, the Commission on Higher Education and Department of Education.

He shared that at this point of rising coronavirus cases things got trickier for them, but they are not losing hope and vowed to be creative in going about holding the season.

“We’re not going to give up. The NCAA embodies the Filipinos’ resilience and perseverance particularly in sports. The coronavirus is a serious matter, but if we can find ways to still function in a safe manner, we should go for it. We have to learn to adapt with the new normal,” Mr. Calvo said.

The NCAA, Mr. Calvo said, has been coordinating closely with new television partner GMA-7 for their upcoming season.

“GMA has been supportive of the league since we partnered with them. Almost every day we have been meeting with them on how we are going to present the season. And we’re satisfied with the developments,” he said.

The NCAA formalized its partnership with GMA late last year after the league’s former TV home, ABS-CBN, was forced to shut down in May 2020.

Both the league and GMA expressed excitement over the linkup as they look to build on each other’s brands to help further grow the NCAA and collegiate sports in general.

The country’s oldest collegiate sports league saw its Season 95 come to an abrupt end last year as the coronavirus pandemic started to make its presence felt in the country. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

MPBL stands by decision not to allow Basilan Steel to play in Subic ‘bubble’

THE Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) is standing by its decision not to allow Basilan-Jumbo Plastic Steel in the recent playoffs of the league done in a “bubble” setting inside the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority in Zambales.

On Tuesday, MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes spoke on the issue, saying that they acted in the best interest of the league in relation to the ongoing situation with the pandemic and was done in good faith in accordance with the health and safety guidelines given to them by the authorities.

The MPBL official also addressed efforts by Basilan on social media to discredit the league, saying they are “uncalled for.”

“I thank God that nobody tested positive inside the bubble… We were very strict in implementing the DoH (Department of Health) guideline. Based on it, in the event one person tested positive inside the bubble, they will cancel the event. Ensuring the safety and health of everyone was important for us and to make sure the bubble was held successfully,” said Mr. Duremdes, whose group had to wait for a year to resume its Lakan Season after the pandemic brought it to a halt last year.

Basilan was supposed to play eventual league champions Davao Occidental-Cocolife Tigers in a do-or-die match for the South division crown last March 10. But two members of its delegation tested positive for the coronavirus upon their arrival in Subic.

According to Mr. Duremdes right then and there, the Basilan team was supposed to be sent back to Manila as the Steel delegation travelled to Subic in one vehicle.

“According to our medical experts, since the team traveled together, all of them are considered as close contacts and as per the guideline they are automatically out. But they (Steel) appealed for re-swabbing and after consulting with our medical team headed by Dr. Aris Cabigao, we agreed, Re-swabbing was for seven days,” shared Mr. Duremdes.

As all parties were waiting for the re-swabbing, it was agreed upon that if no one tested positive from the Basilan team in the re-swabbing, it would be allowed to enter the bubble. But in the event, there was a positive case the team had to forfeit its game.

Mr. Duremdes said the decision was clear with the Basilan team officials, who, in turn, agreed to it.

Basilan had its retest on March 15. A day later, it yielded four positive cases, resulting in Basilan’s win-or-go-home game against Davao Occidental being called a no-contest.

The Steel criticized the league for its action after, saying they were treated unfairly and demanded the decision to be overturned.

They, too, asked that they be given the full refund of their expenses for the past season and called for the resignation of MPBL officials.

Mr. Duremdes hit out at the efforts to discredit the league, saying how unfair they are.

He said that the same process would have been done if Davao Occidental, San Juan-Go for Gold Knights and Makati Super Crunch, the other teams that saw action in the bubble, were on the same boat as Basilan.

Despite the issue, the MPBL commissioner is thankful that the Lakan Season was given the conclusion it needed, with Davao Occidental emerging as champion, beating San Juan in a tightly fought best-of-five finals series, 3-1. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Bike and plant for Sarangani Bay protected seascape 

More than 500 bikers from Soccsksargen Region took part in the recent bike and plant activity marking the 25th anniversary of the proclamation of the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS). The bikers, representing various government agencies and private cycling groups, rode the 60-kilometer route from General Santos City and planted various species of mangrove propagules in mangrove forests in the coastal towns of Alabel, Malapatan and Glan in Sarangani province. The coastal road along the bay is being primed as a bike tourism destination in southern Mindanao because of its scenic and culturally rich highways. The event was spearheaded by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, through its Protected Area Management Office and Protected Area Management Board, to combine recreational sports and environmental education and action in Region 12.

Olympics – Tokyo organizers to bar most international volunteers

TOKYO — Tokyo Olympic organizers said on Monday that Japan would not allow in volunteers from overseas except for some who are deemed essential, after it decided to bar international spectators amid public concerns over the novel coronavirus.

Athletes’ families are also likely to be barred although organizers have yet to make a decision, Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto told a news conference.

Mr. Muto said the decision on volunteers was regrettable, but that organizers wanted to decide now so there would not be confusion for those people overseas who were waiting for a decision.

Organizers said on Saturday they had decided not to allow in foreign spectators during the Games and would refund some 600,000 Olympic tickets and another 30,000 Paralympic tickets purchased by overseas residents.

“So considering that decision, we have also decided that we will not be able to allow volunteers from outside Japan into Japan this summer to take part in the Games,” Mr. Muto said.

Mr. Muto added that organizers had yet to reach a conclusion about the families of athletes, but that they would likely be considered in the same way as foreign spectators.

More than 110,000 volunteers had put their lives on hold waiting for word from Olympics organizers about their roles this summer.

Volunteers take care of everything from translating and guiding people to driving visitors around and venue management. A rich part of the Olympic tradition, they range from university students to retirees and come from all around the world.

Mr. Muto said exceptions would be made for volunteers with expert and specialised knowledge about specific sports and that these people would receive individual notifications.

It was not immediately clear how many exceptions would be granted. Kyodo News reported earlier that organizers might allow around 500 foreign volunteers into Japan under special entry rules. — Reuters

Rudy Gobert swats nine shots as Jazz rout Bulls

RUDY Gobert had 21 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high nine blocked shots, and the Utah Jazz pulled away for a 120-95 win over the host Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

Donovan Mitchell scored a team-high 30 points for Utah, which wrapped a five-game road trip with a 3-2 record. Joe Ingles (17 points), Jordan Clarkson (16), and Mike Conley (15) also scored in double digits for the league-leading Jazz.

Gobert set a personal record when he swatted away a layup attempt by Coby White midway through the fourth quarter. He surpassed his previous high of eight blocked shots, which he established against the Indiana Pacers on March 20, 2017.

Zach LaVine finished with 27 points to lead the Bulls. Thaddeus Young contributed 14 points and nine rebounds, Tomas Satoransky scored 13, and White had 10.

Utah shot 48.9% (45 of 92) from the field and 43.6% (17 of 39) from 3-point range.

Chicago shot 40.6% (39 of 96) overall and 23.1% (six of 26) from long distance.

The Jazz led 89-71 at the end of the third quarter. Clarkson capped the period with a floating jump shot off an assist from Conley with 3.1 seconds to go.

Utah held a 56-42 lead at the half. Mitchell led all scorers with 21 points before the break while LaVine led the Bulls with 13.

Chicago opened with a 20-15 lead after White drained a 3-pointer with 4:07 remaining in the first quarter. But the advantage did not last for long as Utah closed the quarter on a 14-3 run to go ahead 29-23.

In the second quarter, Utah extended its lead to as many as 17 points. Young trimmed the Bulls’ deficit to 14 when he made a cutting layup with 25.9 seconds left before intermission.

Chicago has lost three of its past four games while Utah has won three of its past four.

This was the first meeting of the season between the teams, who will square off again in Salt Lake City on April 2. — Reuters

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