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MRT-7 67% complete, to be partially operational next year

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

METRO MANILA Rail Transit (MRT) Line 7 is 67% complete and will start partial operations by the fourth quarter of 2022, President Rodrigo R. Duterte said Thursday.

“We can proudly say that this new rail transit system runs more than 24 kilometers from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte in Bulacan,” he said at an online news briefing. “It is a world-class mode of transportation for the benefit of the people.”

The total cost was P77 billion, he added, funded via a public-private partnership with San Miguel Corp. under a build, transfer, operate arrangement, with a concession period of 25 years.

“The MRT project will provide the public with a fast, efficient, convenient, safe, and reliable transportation system that will result in increased activity (for) businesses in Metro Manila and nearby provinces,” Mr. Duterte said.

MRT Line 7 is a 22.8km-long elevated rapid transit line under construction since April 2016. The elevated line will have 14 stations.

It can carry about 28,000 passengers an hour in each direction, which can be extended to roughly 36,000 passengers an hour with further upgrades. It is estimated to initially serve about 350,000 passengers a day, which will increase to 800,000 passengers a day upon completion of the upgrades.

Metro Manila is currently served by Light Rail Transit (LRT) 1, LRT 2, and MRT 3, while the MRT 7 line will be connected to MRT Lines 1 and 3.

“It is also good to know that this new train system will have minimized air pollution as it is a greener and more energy-efficient means of transportation,” he added, noting that its contribution to a cleaner environment will improve the capital’s livability.

Its success, Mr. Duterte said, confirms the administration’s “strong commitment to critical infrastructure projects” even during the pandemic.

“I enjoin all government agencies to ensure the prompt implementation and completion of significant government projects while still upholding the transparency, integrity, and accountability in its operation,” he added. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Philippines the least attractive market among retailers

Entertainment News (12/17/21)

THE KANGKS SHOW CAST

YouTube expands topical information panels in PHL

As part of its continued efforts to help fight misinformation and bring greater transparency and context for content on the platform, YouTube has announced the expansion of its information panel giving topical context in the Philippines. In addition to the COVID-19 information panels, people in the Philippines will now begin to see information from third party sources, such as Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica, alongside videos on a number of well-established topics that can be prone to misinformation. Some of these topics include Martial Law in the Philippines, climate change, the 9/11 attacks, the Holocaust, and the Apollo moon landing, among many others. The launch of the information panel giving topical context in the Philippines builds on the existing portfolio of features that YouTube launched in the country, aimed at raising authoritative information that is essential to viewers, especially during fast-moving, breaking news events. These include Top News and Breaking News shelves, information panels that indicate funding sources from publishers that receive public or government funding, and information panels for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The information panel giving topical context will appear regardless of the opinions and perspectives expressed in the video, on both search results and watch pages when people search for topics on YouTube that are prone to misinformation. YouTube warns that as the feature initially rolls out in the Philippines, panels may not appear immediately on some content, which it says it will correct over time. YouTube first launched the information panel giving topical context in 2018 and it is currently available in many countries around the world including Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, the UK, and the US.

WeTV premieres sex-positive comedy show

A late-night advice show and social media channel compete for viewership and relatability in The Kangks Show. Directed by Antoinette Jadaone, The Kangks Show is a sex-positive comedy that follows feisty sex guru Dr. Kara Teo (played by Angelica Panganiban) who hosts a long-running midnight sex advice program. Ratings are at an all-time low when Gen-Z influencer Cassandra (Maris Racal) launches a competing advice channel on TikTok. As the network threatens to cancel her show, Dr. Kara and producer Nikki (Angelica Bayani), pulls out all the stops to deliver the most outrageous and over-the-top stories yet. The Kangks Show premieres Dec. 17, 8 p.m., on WeTV. Stream new episodes for free every Friday. Download the WeTV and iflix app from the App store and Google Play.

ABS-CBN special pays tribute to everyday heroes

Andito Tayo Para Sa Isa’t Isa: The ABS-CBN Christmas Special 2021 — which airs on Dec. 18, 8 p.m., on the Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live, and iWantTFC — will pay tribute to the country’s everyday heroes from different sectors. Actor, dancer, and now director John Prats, will direct the Christmas special featuring representatives from various sectors, as well as over 100 stars from different programs of ABS-CBN. Also joining the celebration are journalists from ABS-CBN News, social media stars, and even some international artists. Before the special, the Star Magical Christmas: The Star Magic Christmas Special 2021 will air at 4 p.m. on the ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube channel.

LOIR releases new single

R&B ARTIST LOIR reflects on the process of growth and peace of mind on her new single “Umaga.”  Laced with strings, acoustic guitars, and minimal beats, the slow jam is produced by frequent collaborators HavoMusic and Goodson. It also features a rap verse and songwriting credit from hip-hop artist Guddhist Gunanita. In the song’s official music video, LOIR essays the role of a diwata, who unexpectedly gets entangled in a forbidden romantic relationship with a hunter, played by Gunanita. “Umaga” serves as the second installment in a series of music videos by LOIR that are connected by a narrative thread. LOIR is expected to wrap up the series of music videos with her upcoming EP, to be released in 2022. “Umaga” is available to stream on all music streaming platforms.

Netflix announces season 2 of D.P.

Netflix has confirmed the production of the second season of Korean series D.P. The show made The New York Times list Best International Shows of 2021. D.P. centers on Deserter Pursuit Unit members An Joon-ho (Jung Hae-in) and Han Ho-yeul (Koo Kyo-hwan) as they come across different stories while tracking down fellow soldiers who have deserted their posts. Based on the webtoon D.P. Dog’s Day by Kim Bo-Tong. The series earned high praise both domestically and internationally for shedding light on neglected stories of AWOL soldiers and those who search for them.

Senate clears franchise of Smart Broadband, Air PHL

BW FILE PHOTO

BILLS extending for another 25 years the franchise of Smart Broadband, Inc. and Air Philippines Corp. on Thursday passed on third and final reading, receiving unanimous support from the Senate.

House Bill 8970 or an act renewing for another 25 years the franchise granted to Smart Broadband, previously known as the Meridian Telekoms, Inc. was passed with 20 affirmative votes.

Under the proposed measure, the grantee is permitted and will have the authority “to construct, install, establish, maintain, lease, and operate wired and wireless telecommunication systems throughout the Philippines.”

It must also operate, maintain, and upgrade all its stations, lines, cables, systems, facilities, and equipment for the satisfactory transmission and reception of messages, signals, and pulses at all times.

The proposed bill also mandates that it improves and extends its services in areas not yet served, and hazard- and typhoon-prone areas.

The grantee no longer has to apply for renewal of its franchise three years before its expiration.

On the dispersal of ownership, the grantee must offer Filipino citizens at least 30% of its outstanding capital stocks in any securities exchange or through any methods allowed by law.

The provision that the grantee must ensure that 60% of its employees are regular employees was also removed.

Smart Broadband is a unit of Smart Communications, Inc., which is a subsidiary of PLDT, Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.

Meanwhile, House Bill 10442 or the act renewing for another 25 years the franchise granted to Air Philippines was also passed with 20 affirmative votes.

Air Philippines, formerly known as Airphil Express, is under listed firm PAL Holdings, Inc.

Under the proposed measure, its air transport services must include “the maintenance and operation of hangars and aircraft service stations and facilities and other services of similar nature which may be necessary, convenient or useful as an auxiliary to aircraft transportation.”

The grantee must secure from the Civil Aeronautics Board and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines the appropriate certificates, permits, and licenses for its operation.

It must also create employment opportunities and accept on-the-job trainees in its operations.

The franchise will be deemed ipso facto revoked if the grantee fails to operate continuously for two years.

On the dispersal of ownership, the grantee should also offer its outstanding stocks to at least 30% of Filipino citizens in any securities exchange or through any methods allowed by law.

The grantee must submit an annual report to Congress. If it fails to comply, the airline will be fined P500 per working day of noncompliance. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

How PSEi member stocks performed — December 16, 2021

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Wednesday, December 16, 2021.

 

Bautista, Santos open Ayala PHL Athletics Championship in style

PATAFA FB PAGE

By winning two golds each including the 100m dash

By John Bryan Ulanday

BAGUIO CITY — National team mainstay Clinton Bautista and hometown hero Katherine Khay Santos ran away with two gold medals apiece to open the Ayala Philippine Athletics Championships in style at the Athletic Bowl here on Thursday.

Mr. Bautista, the Tarlac pride, and Baguio’s own Ms. Santos juggled two duties but still stamped their classes over their rivals highlighted by supremacy in the centerpiece 100m sprint to emerge as the fastest man and woman in the country’s first trackfest amid the pandemic.

KATHERINE KHAY SANTOS FB PAGE

A known hurdles master, Mr. Bautista finished the men’s century dash in 10.86 seconds before staple long jumper Ms. Santos extended her brilliance on the track by clocking in 12.61 seconds to rule the distaff side.

Mr. Bautista also dominated the 110m hurdles, which he won in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG), in 14.42 seconds while Ms. Santos leapt for 6.06 meters in long jump to stun four-time SEAG champion and national record holder Marestella Torres-Sunang.

Impressive was Ms. Santos’ twin-gold medal feat via Herculean fashion after reigning supreme in 100m run and long jump only 45 minutes apart.

Ms. Santos ruled the field with a 6.06-m long jump tally only on her first attempt — compared to Ms. Sunang’s same mark on fourth try — before transferring to the track, with little to no breather, for another glory much to the awe of the good-sized Baguio crowd.

“It’s a surreal feeling to compete in a place where it all started, back when it was still soil. It’s my hometown so it’s all worth it with the support of my family and friends,” said the University of Baguio stalwart, who previously won a long jump bronze medal in the 2011 SEAG.

Ms. Santos’ stellar campaign pushed her into strong consideration for a national team comeback with this event organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) serving as a performance trial for the 31st SEAG next year in Vietnam.

Other first-day gold medal winners were Melissa Escoton (women’s 100m hurdles), Janry Ubas (men’s long jump), Edwin Giron (men’s 800m), Bernalyn Bejoy (women’s 800m), John Albert Mantua (men’s discus throw), Daniella Daynata (women’s discus throw), Frederick Ramirez (men’s 400m) and Junel Gobotia (men’s 3000m steeplechase).

Bolts’ rousing debut sends Bossing to third loss

NARDS PINTO

By Olmin Leyba

Meralco turned to full power and fried hard-luck Blackwater, 98-77, for a rousing debut in the 46th Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Tony Bishop marked his PBA arrival with 28 points, 13 rebounds and three shot blocks to spark the Bolts to the 21-point triumph in Day 2 of the league’s Big Dome games with a live audience.

Nards Pinto led a solid local support as he scored 18 with seven assists and two steals coming off the bench. Mr. Pinto fired 11 of his output in the second canto, which provided the juice for Meralco’s 32-20 pullaway run.

“It’s exactly what we really hoped for. We wanted to get to a great start this conference and try to catch up with teams who already played a lot of games,” said Meralco coach Norman Black.

The Bolts sent the injury-plagued Bossing reeling to their third straight setback, their long-standing skid extended to 22 games overall since last year’s All-Filipino.

Mr. Bishop is filling in the big shoes of Meralco’s resident import Allen Durham in the import-spiced tournament and showed he could get the job done.

“He showed he can shoot from the perimeter and get points inside and more importantly, he rebounded the basketball and blocked some shots defensively,” said Mr. Black of their Panamanian reinforcement.

“He has a lot of versatility in his game, an all-around player. I don’t think he’s the give-him-the-ball, get-out-of-the-way type of player but he fits well with what we do.”

Despite absence of JVee Casio, Josh Torralba, Kelly Nabong. Kobe Paras and Mike Ayonayon to various injuries, the Bossing fought the Bolts on even terms in the first 12 minutes.

The Bossing were still in the thick of things early in the second before Messrs. Pinto, Newsome and Bishop triggered a 17-5 salvo that pushed the Bolts to a 44-29 tear.

“I think the combination of Nards Pinto and Anjo Caram coming off the bench defensively was a difference-maker and changed the momentum of the game as soon as they entered,” noted Mr. Black.

Mr. Newsome added 11 while Raymund Almazan posted 10 markers and nine boards aside from his defensive duties on Blackwater import Jaylen Bond.

Mr. Bond finished with 18 plus 15 rebounds as Rashawn McCarthy paced the Bossing with 19.

Jamie Lim, Junna Tsukii lead Team Philippines in Asian Karate Championships in Kazakhstan

JAMIE LIM IG PAGE

Jamie Lim and Junna Tsukii will spearhead the seven-strong Philippine team battling the region’s best and brightest in the 2021 Asian Karate Championships slated Dec. 19-22 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Ms. Lim will compete in the women’s -61-kilogram division while Ms. Tsukii in the -50kg class for the national squad that also fielded in Remon Misu (women’s -61kg Under-21), Alwyn Batican (men’s -67kg), Ivan Agustin (men’s -75kg), Sakura Alforte (women’s individual kata) and John Enrico Vasquez (men’s kata).

The national karatekas arrived in Almaty as early as last Sunday to give them enough time to acclimatize to the conditions.

JUNNA TSUKII IG PAGE

“We have a pretty good chance of getting a podium finish specially with Junna Tsukii and Jamie Lim,” Karate Pilipinas President Richard Lim on Thursday told The STAR. “But we also have a few surprises that we are also counting on.”

Ms. Lim also said they are using the four-day meet as an indicator on how the country will perform in the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games and the Hangzhou Asian Games next year.

“Overall, it will be a good gauge for the upcoming Asian and SEA Games,” said Ms. Lim.

The 24-year-old Ms. Lim hopes to draw strength from her solid World Championship debut in Dubai last month where she came two wins away from plucking a bronze medal.

Ms. Lim eventually emerged the best Asian performer and even bested Sarara Shimada of Japan where the martial arts sport came from.

Ms. Tsukii, for her part, should be one of the favorites being No. 4 in the world and No. 2 in Asia behind Japanese Miho Miyahara. — Joey Villar

MLB, MLBPA unlikely to discuss economic issues before 2022

There apparently will be no Christmas miracle for baseball fans hoping for a quick resolution to the game’s latest labor strife.

On Wednesday night, The Athletic reported that Major League Baseball (MLB) players and owners are not expected to discuss core economic issues until January. Both MLB and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) are scheduled to meet Thursday to discuss non-core economic issues.

The business of baseball has been on pause since Dec. 2, when owners locked out players following the expiration of the previous collective bargaining agreement.

It does not appear that either side is in a hurry to get a deal in place.

A source from the players’ union told The Athletic that the union has not heard from the league regarding any core economic issues since the beginning of the lockout.

At the same time, The Athletic reported, the union has not reached out to owners about any of those issues either. — Reuters

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao sue LaLiga over CVC deal

MADRID — Real Madrid, Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao are taking legal action against LaLiga over a €1.994-billion private equity deal that the administrators of elite Spanish soccer agreed last week, the clubs said on Wednesday.

All but five of the 42 clubs in the top two divisions signed up to the €1.994 billion ($2.24 billion) investment from CVC Capital Partners, the first of its kind in Europe.

Four clubs, including the top flight trio, opted out and one abstained.

The deal was “an illegal transaction that causes irreparable damage to the entire Spanish football sector and flagrantly violates the most elementary principles of Spanish sports law and the LaLiga statutes,” Real Madrid, Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao said in a statement announcing legal action and published on their websites.

The agreement, dubbed “LaLiga Boost,” buys CVC an 8.2% stake in a new company that will get broadcasting revenues and sponsorship rights for 50 years.

It commits clubs to allocating 70% of funds for investments to new infrastructure and modernization projects. Up to 15% can be used to sign players, with the remaining 15% for reducing debt.

The CVC deal looked at risk of unravelling last week when Barcelona, Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao proposed an alternative proposal for JPMorgan, Bank of America and HSBC to jointly lend €2 billion in exchange for a fixed annual payment of €115 million over 25 years, a document seen by Reuters showed.

Barcelona and Real Madrid were also among the driving forces behind a failed plan to launch a breakaway European Super League earlier this year, and vowed to continue to try to set it up. — Reuters

Clubs spend $500M in agents fees

MANCHESTER, England — Soccer clubs spent $500.8 million in fees to agents in 2020, more than in the previous year, despite a drop in spending on transfers, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) said in a report published on Wednesday.

FIFA said that club spending on transfer fees shrank for the second year in a row, due to the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, but that “this decrease did not carry over to spending on intermediary service fees, which remained on the same level as in 2020 and even slightly increased by 0.7%.”

European clubs accounted for 95.8% of the total spent on ‘intermediary service fees,’ with clubs from England ($133.3m), Germany ($84.3m), Italy ($73.5m), Spain ($34.8m), France ($30.3m) and Portugal ($29.3m) responsible for 77% of the total sum worldwide.

The FIFA report comes as world soccer’s governing body is seeking to alter regulations for football agents. — Reuters

Changing the game

It was, perhaps, only fitting that Stephen Curry set the record for career three-point shots made in The Mecca of Basketball. And as he celebrated the 2,974th trey he has made since he joined the Warriors in 2009, the overflow crowd of 19,812 at the Madison Square Garden — typically jaded and too preoccupied with other interests to be bothered with watching proceedings on the court — celebrated with him. Fans rightly cheered for the leading Most Valuable Player candidate’s accomplishment, never mind that it helped seal the Knicks’ fourth straight loss and seventh setback in the last eight outings.

Needless to say, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made sure Curry had more than enough time to bask in the feat. He promptly called time out, and the festivities intensified. Erstwhile record holder Ray Allen was even in the building, and made sure to acknowledge the milestone with a hug and a hearty smile. To be fair, it wasn’t a changing of the guard; the ascent to the throne of the greatest shooter in pro hoops history was as inevitable as the sun rising in the east. Rather, it was an appreciation of the singular skill of the 6’2”, 185-pound guard who lasted all the way to seventh in the 2009 draft.

Indeed, Curry didn’t exactly hit the ground running in the land of the giants. He did start 77 of 80 games in the Warriors’ 2009-10 campaign, but he took just 14 shots in 36 minutes per outing. Injury practically wiped out his third season, but, amid speculation that he had putty for ankles, he wound up flourishing when Kerr assumed the mantle in 2014. Three championships and two MVP awards later, he is again taking the National Basketball Association by storm.

That the Warriors are pacing the league despite vital cog Klay Thompson’s continued absence speaks volumes about Curry’s status as first among equals. And, certainly, part of his universal appeal stems not just from his everyman persona, but from his comfort and comfortability in his own skin. He doesn’t act like an Alpha Male; at the height of his powers, he welcomed fellow MVP Kevin Durant with open arms, even going so far as to defer to the new addition to the roster. Which, in a nutshell, is why all and sundry happily doffed their hats to him, and why he doffed his hat to all those who helped him reach the summit.

As outstanding as Curry is at getting his own shot, he was right to give longtime teammates Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, and Thompson engraved Rolexes for their assists (literally); of his made threes, 479, 168, and 129, respectively, came off dimes from the three. Durant is third on the list with 153; little wonder, then, that the 11-time All-Star couldn’t resist tweeting “Send the Rollie” in response. Bottom line, though, he deserves the spotlight — for changing the game while being, well, himself. Enough said.

 

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

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