MPBL set to turn professional

November 10, 2021 | 7:39 pm

By John Bryan Ulanday

THE Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) is set for a major reboot including a planned transformation to a professional league soon and the lifting of restrictions for Filipino-foreign players.

The country’s regional league said it is already ironing out requirements for its overhaul including an accreditation from Games and Amusements Board (GAB) the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

Part of the league’s series of changes for its next season is the removal of height limit on Fil-foreign reinforcements after only allowing 6-foot-5 players and below in its past tournaments.

Limits on the number of homegrown and ex-pro players in each team will also be lifted, paving the way for a stronger field of squads.

For now, the MPBL is finalizing details of the Chooks-to-Go – MPBL Invitational Tournament on Dec. 11-21 that will mark its return since the pandemic-delayed Lakan Season earlier this year.

“Chooks-to-Go’s involvememt this time is more expanded coming from a title sponsorship. As per agreement with the MPBL, we are now handling the operations of the league,” said Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas spokesperson Mark Zambrano.

“This will still be done in cooperation and partnership with both league founder Manny Pacquiao and the office of commissioner Kenneth Duremdes. There will be changes, but these changes will all be good for the league,” he added.

Thirteen teams led by Lakan Season champion Davao Occidental have confirmed their participation so far in the invitationals to be held either in Caloocan City, Antipolo or Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Also in the 13-team cast is Bicol under former University of Santo Tomas mentor Aldin Ayo, who’s making a head coaching comeback after stepping down from his post last September following the controversial Sorsogon training bubble amid the pandemic.

“Isa pong karangalan ang makapaglingkod sa ating kapwa Bicolano. Suportahan niyo po kami sa darating na MPBL Season,” said the Sorsogon-native Mr. Ayo, who will also return in the MPBL after a stint with Muntinlupa in 2018.

Joining them are the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards, the Makati Super Crunch, the GenSan Warriors, the Caloocan Supremos, the Sarangani Marlins, the Rizal Golden Coolers-Xentro Mall, the Marikina Shoemasters, the Laguna Heroes, the Bicol Volcanoes, the Imus Bandera, the Negros Mascuvados, and a team from Bacolod.

Other MPBL member teams which want to join the Invitationals are given on Wednesday afternoon to make their decision. The final list of participating teams will be announced on Thursday.

Donovan Mitchell scores 27 to lead Jazz over Hawks

November 10, 2021 | 7:38 pm

clarkson — UTAH Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) brings the ball up the court during the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Vivint Arena. — REUTERS

1 of 2

DONOVAN Mitchell scored 27 points to lead five Utah Jazz players in double digits en route to a 110-98 home win over the struggling Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night in Salt Lake City.

Utah’s defense, led by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, also had a big night, holding the Hawks to just 18 points in the fourth quarter and to 43.5% shooting overall. The Jazz also held Kevin Huerter and Trae Young scoreless in the final quarter after they scored 28 and 27 points, respectively, in the first 36 minutes.

Atlanta, in the midst of a tough four-game Western Conference road trip, dropped its fifth straight game. The Jazz, meanwhile, began a five-game homestand on the right note after playing seven of their first 10 games on the road.

Utah also had a low-scoring fourth quarter with just 15 points, but they had a timely 8-0 offensive spurt to turn a competitive game into a blowout. Mitchell sparked that surge with a 3-pointer after which he waved his arms to the crowd to cheer louder.

Soon after, Jordan Clarkson hit a 3 and Hassan Whiteside scored inside to help Utah go ahead 108-93. That advantage proved big enough to help the Jazz bounce back after losing a pair of road games in Florida over the weekend.

Clarkson had 16 points and Bojan Bogdanović scored 18 points for the Jazz, and Whiteside contributed eight points and eight rebounds off the bench in one of his best outings with his new team. Royce O’Neale added 11 points and Mike Conley dished out six assists with 12 points.

Young scored the final five points of the half to bring the Hawks within a dozen points at half time at 62-50. He carried that momentum over to the third quarter by making a floater that sparked an 8-0 run finished by 3-pointers from John Collins and Huerter. Overall, that was a 13-0 run for Atlanta. Young then followed a Mitchell jumper with a 3-pointer to pull Atlanta within 64-61.

Fueled by Mitchell and Gobert, Utah used a 7-0 run to again go up by double figures at 75-64. A 13-2 run near the end of the third quarter helped the Jazz take a 95-77 advantage.

Lou Williams hit a 3 to make it 98-91 as the Hawks began the fourth with renewed energy and an 11-3 run, but the Jazz finished tough for the win. — Reuters

Idle Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady pulls even with Josh Allen in MVP race

November 10, 2021 | 7:38 pm

TOM Brady came out of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Week 9 bye as the co-MVP favorite after his closest competitors endured a damaging week.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was the +250 favorite last week, but he turned the ball over three times while leading the offense to only six points in a stunning loss at Jacksonville. His odds lengthened to +350 at BetMGM and DraftKings, as Allen and Brady are now the co-favorites at both sportsbooks.

Brady is also leading the way with 22% of the money at DraftKings backing him to win his fourth most valuable player (MVP) award.

Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray is +500 at BetMGM and +750 at DraftKings after sitting out the Cardinals’ rout of the San Francisco 49ers due to an ankle injury. Matthew Stafford (+750, +800) saw his odds lengthen following the Rams’ lopsided home loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Dak Prescott’s odds also took a hit — from +700 to +900 at BetMGM and from +650 to +1200 at DraftKings — after the Dallas Cowboys had to rally late to avoid a shutout during a loss to the Denver Broncos.

Aaron Rodgers wasn’t even on the field for the Green Bay Packers’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after testing positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Combined with the fallout from his explanation for not being vaccinated, and Rodgers’ MVP odds also slipped to +900 and +1200, respectively.

However, Rodgers, the reigning MVP, continues to be the most-backed candidate at DraftKings with 17% of the bets since the market opened. He’s also responsible for 10% of the money wagered at the book.

Another quarterback on the rise this week also hasn’t taken a snap in weeks. The news that Russell Wilson has been medically cleared to return for the Seattle Seahawks’ Week 10 game at Green Bay resulted in his MVP odds shortening from +25000 to +10000 at DraftKings.

Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase remains the -140 favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, with New England quarterback Mac Jones (+350) his closest competitor.

Dallas linebacker Micah Parsons is coming off a 2.5-sack performance against Denver. He also has 21 tackles, including 7.0 for losses, in his past two games, resulting in his Defensive Rookie of the Year odds shortening from +600 to -120.

Parsons has overtaken Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who moved from +500 last week to +1000 along with Giants linebacker Azeez Ojulari and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jayson Oweh. — Reuters

SEA Games-bound athletes will train in bubble venues

November 10, 2021 | 7:38 pm

THE training of the national athletes plunging into action in the Hanoi Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in May next year starts on Jan. 10 next year.

Ramon Fernandez, the country’s SEA Games chef-de-mission, yesterday said the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) where he serves as a commissioner is targeting the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila and the PhilSports Complex in Pasig as potential bubble venues for the SEA Games-bound athletes.

But if the government-owned facilities that are currently being used as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) centers aren’t available, national sports association must find their own temporary training sites to jumpstart their preparation.

“It will depend on the availability of the said venues but if hindi pa talaga pwede, hanap muna sila,” said Mr. Fernandez.

There were some sports that have already started training including karate, which opened its preparation last month in Baguio City.

Swimming has also held its first of many qualifying races last month at the New Clark Aquatics Center in Capas, Tarlac while athletics will have its own selection meet next month.

The rest will have to wait next year.

Mr. Fernandez and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Tolentino will meet next week to finalize everything. — JV

Rom, Bernardo catch up with Severino at 10^th spot of World Chess para championship

November 10, 2021 | 7:37 pm

white-chess-pieces-chess-board-king — FREEPIK

FILIPINOS Jasper Rom and Darry Bernardo down their respective rivals to catch up on countryman Sander Severino in the top 10 after five rounds of the World Chess Championship for People with Disabilities on Tuesday night.

Mr. Rom blasted Mario Pallerols Duran of Cuba in 43 moves of a Queen’s Gambit while Bernardo waylaid Jerome Esteban of Spain in 50 moves of a King’s Indian Attack to leapfrog to a share of the No. 10 spot with four points.

There they joined Mr. Severino, who ended up with a second straight draw, this time against Dmitrij Danilchenko in a marathon 75-move result of a Queen’s Pawn game where the former ended up with a king and a rook against the latter’s king and pair of galloping knights.

All three remained in title contention with four rounds to go.

In the sixth round at press time, Mr. Severino was tackling Ganbat Dashtseren of Mongolia, Mr. Rom playing Zarko Selkovski of Macedonia and Mr. Bernardo clashing with Ejaz Husain of Bangladesh.

With 3.5 points and still in the thick of things was Henry Lopez, who split the point with Soundarya Kumar Pradhan of India in 35 moves of a Benoni. — JV

Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., Bryce Harper win Hank Aaron Award

November 10, 2021 | 7:37 pm

INFIELDER Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays and outfielder Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies were named winners of the 2021 Hank Aaron Award on Tuesday night.

Guerrero won the honor for the American League while Harper was the recipient for the National League.

It marks the second time Harper was won the award. The other time was 2015, when he was with the Washington Nationals.

The award was established in 1999 and honors the best hitter in each league, as voted on by fans and media. It is named after Hank Aaron, the Hall of Famer with 755 career homers who died in January at age 86.

“It’s such an honor,” Harper said on Major League Baseball (MLB) Network. “Being able to win this award after the passing of Hank in January — I mean, what an incredible person he was.

“… Just to be able to win this award, I’m very appreciative of that and can’t thank everybody that voted for me enough. Just remember Hank from this award, as well.”

Harper, 29, batted .309 with 35 homers, 42 doubles, 84 RBIs and 101 runs scored in 141 games this season.

Guerrero, 22, hit 48 homers to tie Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals for the major league lead. He batted .311 with 111 RBIs in 161 games.

“I’m very proud to work hard and have my hard work show through and win an award like this,” Guerrero said on MLB Network. “Very proud and very happy.”

The other AL finalists were Perez, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, Los Angeles Angels designated hitter/pitcher Shohei Ohtani, Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson and Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez.

The other NL finalists were outfielder Nick Castellanos of the Cincinnati Reds, shortstop Brandon Crawford of the San Francisco Giants, first baseman Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt of the St. Louis Cardinals, shortstop Fernando Tatis, Jr. of the San Diego Padres and outfielder Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals. — Reuters

Raducanu ends season with defeat to China’s Wang at Linz Open

November 10, 2021 | 7:36 pm

UNSEEDED Chinese Wang Xinyu caused an upset at the Linz Open on Tuesday as she took out US Open champion Emma Raducanu (6-1, 6-7(0), 7-5) in an absorbing three-setter to book her place in the quarterfinals of the WTA 250 event in Austria.

The defeat brought the curtain down on Raducanu’s breakthrough season, during which she won her maiden Grand Slam, at Flushing Meadows in September.

Wang, 20, got off to a blistering start and clinched the opener in just under half an hour as her deep returns forced the top seed into a number of errors. Raducanu was unable to match her opponent, who won over 85% of points on her first serve.

The 18-year-old Briton responded well in the second set, breaking in the first game following a rare error from Wang before the Chinese qualifier, ranked 106 in the world, hit back with a break of her own at 3-4.

Raducanu, however, outclassed Wang in the tie-breaker, striking a flurry of winners to win seven straight points and force a decider.

With the match poised at 4-4 in the third, Raducanu, seeking only her third win since her victory in New York, had to summon the trainer for what appeared to be an injury to her right leg.

Despite the blow, Raducanu stayed in the contest by saving two match points at 4-5 but was eventually overpowered by Wang, who broke in the 11^th game and comfortably closed out the match on serve when Raducanu sent a backhand long. — Reuters

Malampaya transactions raise nat’l, energy security concerns

November 10, 2021 | 7:24 pm

BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS said Wednesday that they support a continued investigation in the Senate into the sale of stakes in the Malampaya operators, citing the threat to national security.

“The government should scrutinize the buyer’s financial and technical capabilities and interests and should reserve, enforce, and exercise its right to block and invalidate transfers of shares and control that may be disadvantageous to the Filipino people,” they said in a statement.

The business groups said the government failed to oversee the transaction and intervene by either blocking the deals or denying operating licenses to buyers whose qualifications are in question.

“From an energy security standpoint, the delay may be a breach of fiduciary duty given that the existing wells are expected to be depleted by 2025, and the estimated 5 years needed to explore and develop additional wells,” it said.

The chairman of the Senate Energy committee, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, declined to comment on the statement.

In March 2020, Udenna group unit UC Malampaya Philippines Pte. Ltd. acquired Chevron Malampaya’s 45% stake in the gas-to-power project, which was approved by the Energy department.

Earlier this year, Shell Petroleum N.V. reached a deal with another Udenna subsidiary, Malampaya Energy XP Pte Ltd., to acquire the 45% stake held by the project’s operator Shell Philippines Exploration B.V.

The Energy department is currently reviewing the technical, financial, and legal aspects of the Shell-Udenna deal.

The business groups said “allowing the sale of a critical energy asset to a group with, at the time of the bid, no experience or track record in gas exploration or production needs to be further investigated.”

The statement went out in the name of the Energy Lawyers Association of the Philippines, the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, the Filipina CEO Circle, the Integrity Initiative, Inc., the Investment Houses Association of the Philippines, the Makati Business Club, the Philippine Women’s Economic Network, and the Women’s Business Council Philippines. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Clean air advocates say updates required for PHL air quality norms

November 10, 2021 | 7:24 pm

air-pollution-climate-change — PEXELS-PIXABAY

AIR QUALITY standards are falling behind international norms, with the two-decade-old Clean Air Act not up to the task of minimizing untimely death as a result of substandard air, clean air advocates said in a report.

The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) said in their report that neglecting air quality costs the Philippines P4.5 trillion a year and may have inflated the pandemic death and illness count by up to 15%.

“Air quality is not an abstract issue. Air pollution costs the Philippines P4.5 trillion every year, which in 2019 represented 23% of our GDP,” according to Isabella Suarez, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and a co-author of the report, known as “Aiming Higher: Benchmarking the Philippine Clean Air Act.”

“Neglecting air pollution comes with a heavy bill in the form of increased healthcare and welfare costs, as well as loss of labor and economic productivity,” she said in a statement accompanying the report.

The report estimated the tally of premature deaths due to poor air quality at 66,000 a year.

“If this does not spell out how urgent the situation is, it’s hard to imagine what else can spur the government to truly implement the country’s Clean Air Act. Our findings show the degree to which Filipino’s long-term exposure to air pollution increases the risk of developing illnesses such as asthma, lung cancer and stroke, as well as comorbidities to COVID-19,” according to Vince Carlo Garcia, a research analyst with the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities and a co-author of the report.

CREA and the ICSC noted that in September, the World Health Organization (WHO) revised its recommended “safe levels” of air pollution based on growing evidence that air pollution is more dangerous to human health than previously estimated. The organizations estimated that if the WHO guidelines are met, “the country’s annual air pollution-related deaths could be reduced by more than half while economic costs would reduce to a third.”

Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, principal author of the Clean Air Act, was quoted as saying in the statement: “Millions of premature deaths around the world have been attributed to poor air quality and millions more are exposed to higher levels of pollution from a growing number of pollution sources. Some of the pollutants also contribute to climate change.”

Ms. Legarda added that the Philippines is exceeding “by more than 200% what is deemed to be safe” according to the WHO’s new guidelines. She added: “The adverse impacts of climate change and poor air quality do not recognize political colors. It is incumbent upon us to come together and take leadership in the effort to promote the health of the environment and of our people.”

Ms. Legarda called for a Joint Resolution of Congress “to constitute the Congressional Oversight Committee on the Clean Air Act.”

Panasia Energy wins auction for Bataan power plant site

November 10, 2021 | 7:24 pm

THE Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) said Wednesday that it successfully auctioned the site of a former power plant in Limay, Bataan to Panasia Energy, Inc., which submitted the top bid of P1.02 billion.

In a statement, PSALM said the Limay site consists of 14 lots covering an area of about 139,054 square meters, which it declared suitable for redevelopment for industrial or energy projects.

The company added that the site is located near the Limay Substation, which converts high-voltage transmission electricity to lower voltages for safe and efficient distribution to homes and businesses.

“Portions of these assets are also suitable for residential development as some areas are generally flat with rolling portions,” the company PSALM added.

Panasia’s bid is about five times the valuation of the Landbank of the Philippines of P209.29 million, and four times the PSALM floor price of P250.43 million.

Pan Pacific Renewable Power Philippines Corp., Fort Pilar Energy, Inc., Panasia Energy, Inc., and individual bidder Laylani Latina De Vera submitted bids, while Sta. Clara International Corp. and Cordillera Hydro Corp. withdrew from the auction. Bellagio Holdings did not file a bid.

Panasia’s bid is still subject to post-qualification to validate the documents and information submitted by Panasia.

PSALM President and Chief Executive Officer Irene Joy J. Besido-Garcia said the high winning bid “is a major boost for PSALM’s efforts to raise privatization proceeds” which will be used to settle the financial obligations it assumed from the National Power Corp. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

ADB to develop climate insurance scheme for MSMEs

November 10, 2021 | 7:24 pm

THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Wednesday that it is developing a climate-risk insurance project for micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippines.

The project aims to come up with a sustainable business case and model for climate disaster insurance by studying the risk management needs of local MSMEs.

“MSMEs remain underserved and, in some instances, unreached by insurance markets, leaving them highly vulnerable to climate and disaster shocks,” the bank said.

The “climate-smart” insurance project will be supported by the Asia-Pacific Climate Finance Fund, a multi-donor trust fund managed by the ADB. The German government will also help fund the program.

“Small enterprises frequently lack access to effective risk management tools, such as climate risk insurance, to protect against climate and disaster shocks,” German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development Director General Jürgen Zattler said.

“Promoting insurance access and adoption among small enterprises provides financial protection that helps to safeguard development gains and avoid reliance on adverse and less effective coping mechanisms.”

The ADB said the project will also explore solutions to the gender-specific impacts of disasters on MSMEs.

The climate-smart insurance project is the first project under the Vulnerable Twenty Group’s (V20) sustainable insurance facility.

V20 is a group of Finance Ministers from economies that are vulnerable to climate change.

The ADB has also partnered with the Philippines and Indonesia to launch an energy transition mechanism that aims to fund the early retirement of coal-run power plants and replace them with renewable energy alternatives. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Shrimp industry confident of meeting demand during holidays

November 10, 2021 | 7:24 pm

THE SHRIMP industry said it expects production to keep up with demand as the holiday season approaches and with the recovery of the economy.

Christopher G. Co, Oversea Feeds Corp. vice-president, said at a recent virtual briefing at the 13^th Philippine Shrimp Congress that farmers are waiting for the economy to pick up after the pandemic.

“Farmers are waiting to increase production because there is no point in trying to produce too much when the markets in the Philippines as well as the global market are having issues with purchasing power,” Mr. Co said.

Mr. Co said the production has had to be adjusted for weak demand.

“A lot of farmers have reduced their stocking densities to take into account the effect of the lockdown. The industry’s production should be somewhere in the vicinity of 60,000 metric tons (MT) this year,” Mr. Co said.

“As far as the farmgate prices of the shrimp, there has been a quick uptick by as much as P50 per kilogram in the past month to around P270, which is based on ten-gram shrimp. That already reflects the gradual reopening of our economy and that will encourage farmers to… restock their idle ponds,” he added.

For the remainder of 2021, Mr. Co said: “We’re still hoping that December will be good for us. Hopefully, it will continue to next year. It really depends on our economy,” Mr. Co said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave