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Bianca Pagdanganan: Passion with a purpose

FILIPINO LPGA golfer Bianca Pagdanganan — 2019 SEA GAMES WEBSITE

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

FILIPINO golfer Bianca Pagdanganan’s journey in the sport took on an added dimension as she was recently tapped as an ambassador of Smart Sports.

It was a development that the pro golfer and 2018 Asian Games gold medallist said she welcomes, viewing it as an opportunity to do what she is passionate about but with more purpose.

“For me, this is something important. It’s something I believe in. When I play golf, when I’m out there on the Tour, I don’t only think of myself. I want to have a purpose. I want it to have a meaning,” said Ms. Pagdanganan, 23, at the virtual press conference on Tuesday announcing her addition to the Smart Sports family.

“I want the younger generation to have someone to look up to. When I was starting, I did not have that. I want them to believe that if they put in the work, they can also compete on the big stage against the best golfers in the world,” she added.

In Smart Sports, Ms. Pagdanganan joins other athletes like weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and gymnast Caloy Yulo who the group is rallying behind in line with its mission of using sports in nation building and to inspire as many people as possible.

Also in the press conference was Smart head of sports Jude Turcuato.

Ms. Pagdanganan is coming off a solid run in her rookie season on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour in 2020.

She finished in the top 10 in two tournaments she competed in and earned a spot in the US Women’s Open in December. She has career earnings of $203,775 to date.

Looking back, Ms. Pagdanganan said her first year as a professional was a memorable one, full of lessons which she hopes to build on.

“My first year was exciting. I was nervous, of course, because I’m on a bigger stage and playing against the greatest golfers in the world. But that was part of the challenge, trying to believe in yourself and being comfortable with those surroundings against these veterans who’ve been in the Tour for years,” said University of Arizona standout Pagdanganan of her experience.

“It was more of a mental thing. College prepared me for all the travelling and time management. It was more of the mental challenge for me, trying to believe in myself. Eventually, though, you just get used to it. And you start to realize that you have what it takes to play the game.”

Ms. Pagdanganan is now girding for new challenges and quests in her career.

She begins her 2021 campaign next month, competing in the World Golf Championship set for Feb. 25 to 28 in Florida.

Playing for the Philippines in the rescheduled Olympics is something she is also keenly eyeing.

“Playing for my country is always one of the greatest things that golf has given me. Not everyone is given that chance. It’s different when you’re playing for something bigger than yourself. Playing in the Olympics has always been a goal of mine,” she said.

Ms. Pagdanganan is looking to maintain her spot inside the top 60 in the Olympic golf rankings to earn a spot in the Tokyo Games.

As per the latest rankings, she is number 41. Fellow Filipino golfer and her Asian Games teammate Yuka Saso, meanwhile, is at 21.

BVR’s Soriano welcomes new role as PNVFI official

BEACH Volleyball Republic (BVR) co-founder Charo Soriano is wearing another hat as a board member of the newly formed local volleyball association Philippine National Volleyball Federation, Inc. (PNVFI).

Ms. Soriano was one of the sport’s stakeholders voted to the board of the PNVFI, along with Ricky Palou, Tony Boy Liao, Karl Chan, Carmela Gamboa, and Fr. Vic Calvo, in elections held on Monday at the East Ocean Seafood Restaurant in Parañaque City.

PNVFI is headed by Ramon Suzara who was voted as president in the proceedings supervised by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) on the request of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).

The FIVB asked the POC to oversee an election among volleyball stakeholders in the country at the soonest possible time to settle once and for all the issue on who gets to officially represent the Philippines in the federation.

The PNVFI replaces the Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc.

In her latest role, Ms. Soriano said she welcomes the opportunity to serve on the board and help foster unity among stakeholders and further push the growth of volleyball.

“Admittedly, the road that paved the way toward a united volleyball community had many pitfalls, but today is different — today is all about hope, unity, and commitment,” said Mr. Soriano in a statement.

“It is truly such an honor to be part of the federation and to materialize our responsibility to make the dreams of the Filipino volleyball athletes come true. At the end of the day, it is my personal calling and mission to give back to the sport that taught me so much about life — on and off the court,” she added.

Ms. Soriano, along with other Ateneo women’s volleyball players, founded BVR in 2015 with the aim of growing beach volleyball in the country.

It has been successful in its push of staging different events in various parts of the country, raising the profile of current players and discovering new ones.

Ms. Soriano was in charge of the country’s beach volleyball national team program for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, where both the men’s and women’s teams won bronze medals. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

PRURide PH, Garmin formalize partnership for healthy living

BUILDING on their successful collaboration on the first-ever virtual PRURide PH, life insurer Pru Life UK and outdoor and fitness device brand Garmin formalized their partnership and are gearing up for more healthy lifestyle activities moving forward.

In a virtual press conference on Tuesday, officials of Pru Life and Nauts and Vectors Company, Inc. (exclusive local distributor of Garmin and Tacx) shared their excitement on the recently agreed deal, built on their common goals of highlighting the need for healthy living and providing platforms to achieve that.

Garmin has been a key partner as Pru Life moved its well-received PRURide PH cycling event virtually because of the limitations presented by the coronavirus pandemic.

Smart wearables and devices like those made by Garmin are helping to ensure the success of the virtual PRURide PH, which is powered by Pulse, Pru Life UK’s downloadable all-in-one health management app.

Through Pulse, participants get to track their progress in the online cycling event, which is still happening until Jan. 31.

Pulse’s online communities also allow its members to post daily stories, photos, and even challenges documenting their health and wealth journeys.

Organizers said the event has garnered a record of over 7,000 participants from all over the country.

Allan Tumbaga, Pru Life UK SVP and Chief Customer Marketing Officer, said they remain committed to their mission they have set for PRURide PH despite the challenges amid the pandemic and they are looking to accomplish it with help of partners like Garmin.  

“As we usher in the new year, we continue to expand our ‘We DO Health’ commitment to our customers. Garmin’s competitive advantage in the smart wearables industry brings a wider reach to the partnership, with the common goal to encourage Filipinos to actively monitor and maintain a healthy lifestyle,” said Mr. Tumbaga during the press conference.

Garmin, through Nauts and Vectors, expressed excitement as well in being a partner of Pru Life in its healthy lifestyle push.

“We are delighted by our partnership with Pru Life UK and the PRURide Virtual Challenge as the leading Pulse-compatible wearable available on Android and iOS mobile devices. This year, we will be planning more exciting engagement initiatives with the members of Pulse’s PRURider, PRURunner, and other health online communities,” said Nauts and Vectors President and CEO Ryan Tan, who was also in the press conference.

Lucky finishers in the virtual PRURide PH will win via raffle an exclusive Garmin Edge 530 and Tacx Galaxia Rollers, while the first 3,000 finishers will receive P1,000 discount vouchers from Garmin.

For more information on PRURide PH and the Pulse app, visit www.prulifeuk.com.ph or the Pru Life UK Facebook page at facebook.com/prulifeukofficial. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Florida offers to replace Tokyo as Olympics host

FLORIDA’S chief financial officer has asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to consider relocating the 2021 Games to the Sunshine State amid speculation that Tokyo organizers may back out as hosts due to concerns about the COVID-19 outbreak.

Tokyo organizers have vowed to press ahead with the re-scheduled Games, which are due to open on July 23 after being postponed for a year because of the novel coronavirus, but Florida’s Jimmy Patronis has offered an alternative option.

“There is still time to deploy a site selection team to Florida to meet with statewide and local officials on holding the Olympics in the Sunshine State,” Mr. Patronis said in a letter sent this week to IOC President Thomas Bach.

“I would welcome the opportunity to pitch Florida and help you make the right contacts to get this done.”

In an e-mail to Reuters, the IOC said it has not received a letter from Patronis and referred to the statement issued last Friday that said it is committed to having the Olympic Games in Tokyo this year.

Given all the planning and preparations necessary to host an Olympics, it is virtually impossible to relocate the event within six months of the scheduled opening ceremony.

In his letter, Mr. Patronis drew attention to what he called the strength of the state’s vaccination rollout along with Florida holding several sporting events, including the entirety of last year’s NBA playoffs, during the pandemic.

Florida’s death toll from the novel coronavirus has topped 25,000. The cumulative death toll from the virus in Japan topped 5,000 over the weekend.

“Whatever precautions are required, let’s figure it out and get it done,” wrote Mr. Patronis. — Reuters

Royce O’Neale gives Jazz a boost in win over Knicks

ROYCE O’Neale scored a career-high 20 points and Rudy Gobert dominated the interior as the Utah Jazz defeated the New York Knicks 108-94 on Tuesday in Salt Lake City for their ninth straight victory.

With leading scorer Donovan Mitchell struggling — scoring only nine points on three-of-15 shooting — O’Neale picked up the pace by connecting on seven of 12 attempts while also grabbing six rebounds.

Gobert hauled in 19 rebounds, to go with 18 points and four blocked shots, and Mike Conley scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half. — Reuters

CDC researchers see little evidence in-person school drives COVID-19 infection

Studies in the United States and abroad found little evidence schools were spreading coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections, showing a “path forward” to in-person classes, researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday.

The risk of catching COVID-19 in schools and whether to allow in-person learning or stick with online classes has been a hot topic of debate in many countries, including the United States.

While there had been some evidence of in-school transmission, “the preponderance of available evidence from the fall school semester has been reassuring,” the researchers said in an opinion piece on the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network. 

“As many schools have reopened for in-person instruction in some parts of the US as well as internationally, school-related cases of COVID-19 have been reported, but there has been little evidence that schools have contributed meaningfully to increased community transmission,” the CDC said.

The authors pointed in part to a new CDC study of rural Wisconsin schools, where student mask-wearing was high. COVID-19 incidence in the 17 elementary through high schools was 37% lower than in the wider community, with no infections acquired at school among staff members.

“Given the findings of our data set, with proper precautions such as distancing and wearing face coverings, it seems that adult school staff members are unlikely to contract COVID-19 in the classroom,” study author Amy Falk, from the Aspirus Hospitals and Clinics, said in an e-mailed response.

CDC scientists in JAMA said that closing schools could affect academic progress, mental health, and access to essential services.

They said that mitigation measures such as universal mask use, social distancing, and ventilation were key to avoiding infection.

In the Wisconsin study, just seven of 191 cases (3.7%) identified among 5,530 students and staff members during the period of Aug. 31 to Nov. 29, 2020, were associated with in-school transmission, all in students, researchers reported.

Social distancing was required and mask-wearing was reported at more than 92%. Classes were taught in stable cohorts with both lunch and classes taking place indoors. No systematic COVID-19 screening was conducted in the schools or the community, though, and student mask-wearing was charted by only some teachers, according to the Wisconsin study, published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report.

The researchers found widespread virus transmission in the surrounding community during the study period, with 7% to 40% of COVID-19 tests from Wood County showing positive results.

COVID-19 incidence among students and staff members in the study translated into 3,453 cases per 100,000 in schools versus 5,466 per 100,000 in the wider community. — Vishwadha Chander/Reuters

Sing to the sound of a great investment with The Symphony Towers

Nothing beats the sound of a great investment. Nothing compares to the mere simplicity and stability that comes with owning the right condominium property, purchased at the right price, in the most opportune time. With various ways to invest in real estate, almost anyone can find an investment strategy that’s a good fit. After all, millionaires are not the only people who know how to do real estate investing. You too can do it.

However, when getting started in real estate investment, you have to be honest about your own abilities, how much money you can invest at the onset, how much time you can spend managing your investment, and to which condominium property you should put your money in.

Moreover, time is of the essence in real estate investing. One of the major considerations in property investment is whether to buy pre-selling or ready for occupancy condo units.

Vista Residences, the condominium arm of the country’s largest homebuilder Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc. offers pre-selling and ready for occupancy condominium projects in Manila and Quezon City that are strategically located near developed business districts and premier universities.

Whether you are ready to invest or move into a new home, Vista Residences has the right condominium property for you and a sound investment for your future.

This 2021, sing to the sound of a great investment with The Symphony Towers, Vista Residences’ two-tower mixed-use complex located along with Sgt. Esguerra Avenue corner Timog Avenue in Quezon City, which features a central courtyard, lavish landscapes, and a unique interplay of commercial establishments and exclusive residences. 

Bringing a whole new groove to the beat of city life, The Symphony Towers lets you enjoy the right balance of comfort and convenience as it sits in the middle of Quezon City, in convenient distance from media giants, within close proximity to various commercial and institutional establishments and just beats away from EDSA and main transport hubs such as the MRT Station.

With its 360-degree commanding view of the metro, The Symphony Towers resounds quality, accessibility, value, and ease of cosmopolitan living.

The Symphony Towers also gives you an ensemble of condo spaces where you can discover your sonata of creativity and passion. Each tower has two floors dedicated to offices while the remaining floors are allotted for residences. It offers a variety of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom condo units that provide an ideal layout and square footage options to cater to the different needs and lifestyles of its condo unit owners.

At The Symphony Towers, large balconies create a rich and wonderful link between the outdoor and indoor spaces and can serve as an extra lounging spot with the best view of the city.

As with the rest of Vista Residences condo projects, The Symphony Towers boasts of indoor and outdoor amenities such as a swimming pool, fitness center, function room, lounge, and a roof deck that will surely help you achieve a healthy work-life-balance and enrich your life as you live in harmony with yourself.

In line with Vista Residences’ thrust of providing ultimate comfort and convenience, The Symphony Towers, just like the other Vista Residences condo projects, features an AllDay Convenience Store and Coffee Project in the building.

Waiting to invest can cost you big time. So, start your 2021 by looking upon the New Year with fresh eyes, setting your financial goals, and having a sound investment in mind to achieve your financial freedom. The steps you will take today will create lasting implications for years to come. So, consider making a choice on how to move into the right condo space today.

At The Symphony Towers, you can invest or own your dream condo unit for as low as P165k. Sing to the sound of a great investment this year with The Symphony Towers.

For more information on The Symphony Towers and other Vista Residences projects as well as Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc’s offerings, visit www.vistaresidences.com.ph & www.vistaland.com.ph, follow @VistaResidencesOfficial or call our Marketing Office at 0908-9148457.

Peru volunteer who received placebo in Sinopharm vaccine trial dies of COVID-19 pneumonia, university says

The volunteer received the placebo rather than the vaccine.

LIMA — A volunteer who received the placebo in the local Peruvian trial of a coronavirus vaccine produced by China’s Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd. has died from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related pneumonia, the university carrying out the trial said on Tuesday.

Cayetano Heredia University, which is involved with the study, said on the instructions of the Peruvian health regulator it had unblinded the volunteer’s participation in the trial and determined she had received the placebo rather than the vaccine.

“It is important to stipulate that the death of the participant is not related to the vaccine since she received the placebo, and we will therefore report to the relevant regulatory and ethics bodies and maintain the course of this phase three study,” the university said in a statement.

German Malaga, chief researcher at the Cayetano Heredia University, told Reuters by phone that the deceased volunteer had suffered from diabetes.

Mr. Malaga said the trial investigators had so far issued two doses of either the vaccine or placebo to 12,000 volunteers and were now following their responses.

“It is developing without any setbacks. These things can happen, COVID is a disease that causes deaths,” he said.

“Our message to the volunteers is to take care of themselves because we don’t know if they have the vaccine or the placebo,” he added.

The university said in its statement that the volunteer had received “all the necessary care to treat this disease and her complications” and was “fighting for her life” for more than a week.

“It is a painful loss for which we extend our condolences to her family,” the statement added.

In December, Peru temporarily suspended trials of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine due to a “serious adverse event” that occurred with a volunteer in the study.

In Brazil, clinical trials of China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine were suspended before being allowed to resume late last year due to a study subject’s death that was registered in Sao Paulo as a suicide. —  Marco Aquino/Reuters

Working from home is losing its effectiveness, bank execs say

Working from home has been surprisingly successful for global banks during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic but is losing its effectiveness, two prominent industry executives said on Tuesday at a virtual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

“It’s remarkable it’s working as well as it is, but I don’t think it’s sustainable,” said Barclays Chief Executive Jes Staley.

Mary Erdoes, who runs asset and wealth management for JPMorgan Chase & Co, added, “It is fraying. It is hard.”

For employees to focus, Erodes said: “It takes a lot of inner strength and sustainability (without) the energy that you get from being around other people.”

Mr. Staley said: “It will increasingly be a challenge to maintain the culture and collaboration that these large financial institutions seek to have and should have.”

He predicted that more people would come back to offices to work, but with flexibility to work from home.

Ms. Erdoes said executives believed that part of the initial success of working from home was due to adrenalin from having to adapt so quickly.

Now, she said, executives were facing the likelihood that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its variants would persist for a long time.

“The world is going to have to figure out how to adapt,” Ms. Erdoes said.

Mr. Staley also told the event—which is being held virtually this year, rather than in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, due to the coronavirus—that the world economy could experience a boom after the pandemic similar to the “Roaring ’20s” that followed the 1918 flu pandemic. Pent-up demand was widespread and could power growth, he said.

“You could have a robust second half to the year,” Mr. Staley said, followed by an “explosion of demand.” — David Henry and Iain Withers/Reuters

IMF lifts global growth forecast for 2021, still sees ‘exceptional uncertainty’

WASHINGTON — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday raised its forecast for global economic growth in 2021 and said the coronavirus-triggered downturn last year—the biggest peacetime contraction since the Great Depression—would be nearly a full percentage point less severe than expected.

The global lender said multiple vaccine approvals and the start of vaccinations in some countries had boosted hopes of an eventual end to the pandemic that has now infected nearly 100 million people and claimed the lives of more than 2.1 million globally.

But it warned that the world economy continued to face “exceptional uncertainty” and new waves of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections and variants posed risks, and global activity would remain well below pre-COVID-19 projections made one year ago.

IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath said the pledge of US President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., to fund the World Health Organization’s COVAX vaccine initiative marked “a very big step” to containing the pandemic and ensuring more equitable distribution of vaccines.

“Much more will be needed, because as we can see, given the mutating virus, that this is not a problem that’s going away anytime soon,” Ms. Gopinath told a news conference.

“There is still a tremendous amount of uncertainty,” she told Reuters in a separate interview. “We know that the health crisis is not over until it’s over everywhere.”

Ms. Gopinath said the global economy could gain $9 trillion between 2020 and 2025 if faster progress could be made in ending the health crisis, and it was clearly in the interest of advanced economies to help poorer countries recover.

“There’s a complete economic sense to do this, and do it right now,” she told Reuters.

The IMF estimates that close to 90 million people are likely to fall below the extreme poverty threshold during 2020–2021, with the pandemic wiping some out $22 trillion in projected output through 2025 and reversing progress made in reducing poverty over the past two decades.

Ms. Gopinath said advanced economies were recovering more quickly, and urged countries with means to continue to offer poorer nations aid, low-interest loans, and debt relief.

“There is still much, much to be done, but we’re certainly at least in positive growth territory this year, as opposed to last year,” she told the news conference.

VACCINE-POWERED UPTICK

In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF forecast a 2020 global contraction of 3.5%, an improvement of 0.9 percentage points from the 4.4% slump predicted in October, given stronger-than-expected momentum in the second half of last year.

It predicted global growth of 5.5% in 2021, 0.3 percentage points better than in October, citing expectations of a vaccine-powered uptick later in the year and added policy support in the United States, Japan, and a few other large economies.

It said the US economy, the largest in the world, was expected to grow by 5.1% in 2021, an upward revision of 2 percentage points attributed to carryover from strong momentum in the second half of 2020 and the benefit accruing from about $900 billion in additional fiscal support approved in December.

The outlook would likely improve further if the US Congress passes a $1.9 trillion relief package proposed by Mr. Biden, Ms. Gopinath said, forecasting a 5% boost over three years if the package is approved by the US Congress.

China’s economy is expected to expand by 8.1% in 2021 and 5.6% in 2022, compared with the October forecasts of 8.2% and 5.8%, respectively, while India’s economy is seen growing 11.5% in 2021, up 2.7 percentage points from the October forecast, after a stronger-than-expected recovery in 2020.

The Fund said countries should continue to support their economies until activity normalized to limit persistent damage from the deep recession of the past year.

Low-income countries would need continued support through grants, low-interest loans, and debt relief, and some countries may require debt restructuring, the IMF said. — Andrea Shalal/Reuters

Cavite cancels award for China Communications’ $10-billion airport project

MANILA – A Philippine province has cancelled its award of a $10 billion airport deal south of the capital, among the biggest projects involving a Chinese firm under President Rodrigo Duterte who has pursued warmer ties with Beijing since taking office in 2016.

China Communications Construction Co (CCCC) and Philippines company MacroAsia Corp won the auction in 2019 to partner with the Cavite provincial government to upgrade the Sangley airport.

“The notice of selection and award for the Sangley Point International Airport Project issued on 12 February 2020 was cancelled,” MacroAsia told the stock exchange on Wednesday. (https://bit.ly/3cfWZbQ)

Cavite Governor Juanito Victor Remulla told Reuters the consortium’s documentation was “deficient in three or four items”.

“We saw it as a sign they were not fully committed to the project,” Remulla said.

The Cavite government would start new negotiations for a private sector partner to pursue the airport project, he said in a Facebook post.

In December 2019, the CCCC-MacroAsia consortium were the sole bidders for a $10 billion airport just outside the capital, one of two big projects that aim to take pressure off the four terminals of Manila’s notoriously packed international airport.

CCCC was among the Chinese firms blacklisted by the United States in August for their roles in constructing and militarising artificial South China Sea islands.

Remulla said the blacklisting had nothing to do with the cancellation.

China’s CCCC was not immediately available for comment.

MacroAsia’s shares sank as much as 19% to a three-month low in the first 10 minutes of trade following the cancellation. — Reuters

BusinessWorld Insights: C Suite in Digital Transformation

With the quarantine restrictions still in place due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, digitalization is the “now” normal. But what are the constraints that keep management and organizations from maximizing the benefits of going digital? How can a company address these challenges?

Catch the second part of BusinessWorld Insights’ Leadership Series with the topic, “Embracing Digitalization: C-Suite in DigitalTransformation”, with speakers Marivic Españo, chairperson and chief executive officer of P&A Grant Thornton; David Almirol, Jr., CEO and founder of MultiSys; and Gwendolyn Kelley, first vice-president, chief technology officer, head of information technology division of InLife; with moderator Leo Uy, research head of BusinessWorld.

#BUSINESSWORLDINSIGHTS​ Leadership Series is presented by InLife; with the support of Management Association of the Philippines, British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, Philippine Association of National Advertisers, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and The Philippine STAR.

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