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Firecracker-related injuries rise to almost 70 in less than a week

IAN SCHNEIDER-UNSPLASH

FIRECRACKER-RELATED injuries in the Philippines have risen to nearly 70 in less than a week, the Department of Health (DoH) said on Thursday.

Data from 62 sentinel sites, under DoH monitoring, showed that 26 injuries were registered today, bringing the total number of cases to 69 between Dec. 22 to 26.

Of this, 58 involved individuals aged 19 and below, while the rest were aged 20 and above, the DoH said in a statement.

Most of the users and victims of firecrackers were children and minors, the Health department said.

It said 86% of the victims used illegal firecrackers such as boga or a PVC cannon.

Moreover, DoH reported 65 patients with firecracker injuries were male while four were female.

Using firecrackers could lead to amputation of body parts, hearing loss, blindness, poisoning, burns, permanent lung damage, and even death from severe injuries, according to the health agency.

DoH noted that boga, 5-Star, and piccolo were the leading causes of fireworks-related injuries. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

BCDA builds ethnobotanical center

BCDA.GOV.PH

AN ETHNOBOTANICAL learning facility is expected to rise in New Clark City to help capacitate Aeta communities in Pampanga and Tarlac, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said.

In a statement on Thursday, the BCDA said it signed memoranda of agreement with the Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Field Office III and the Pampanga State Agricultural University for the establishment of a 10-hectare ethnobotanical learning facility.

Under the agreement, BCDA will allocate a 10-hectare piece of land in New Clark City for the Ayta Ethno Botanical Center, while the university will manage, supervise, and monitor the learning facility’s activities.

Meanwhile, the DA Regional Field Office allocated P4.8 million for a training project in the enrichment of the agriculture, food, and non-food-based indigenous practices of the Aetas at Ayta Ethno Botanical Center.

“The Ayta Ethno Botanical Center is envisioned to become a model for food forests — a system in which edible, harvestable crops are produced in a multi-story setting — which can be replicated around the green areas of New Clark City,” BCDA said.

“The presence of an ethnobotanical learning facility in New Clark City also provides BCDA an opportunity to develop adjoining protected and forest reserve areas into an ecotourism spot,” it added.

It also said that it has been coordinating with firms from the government and the private sector to assist in the planning and implementation of the appropriate projects to be implemented within the 10-hectare area. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

Cordillera gets P1.4M for healthcare

FREEPIK

BAGUIO CITY — Hedcor Group (Hedcor), the renewable energy asset manager of AboitizPower, and Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. said it has invested over P1.4 million to improve healthcare in its host communities in the highland Cordillera.

Through medical and dental missions, as well as essential medicines and supplies, these efforts seek to enhance access to care in Benguet, Mountain Province, and Ilocos Sur—areas where travel costs and distance often make medical services hard to reach, said Hedcor’s Corporate Communications chief Pamela Geminiano.

Under the Community Health Empowerment Program (CHEP), Hedcor and its partners
allocated P650,000 to deliver dental and medical services, including comprehensive check-ups, cleanings, fluoride treatments, and oral hygiene education.

This support reached multiple host communities, benefiting 125 patients in Barangay Bineng and 165 patients from the La Trinidad Indigenous Peoples Organization. It also covered 172 patients in Barangays Otucan Sur and Otucan Norte in Bauko, Mountain
Province.

Hedcor and Aboitiz Foundation also invested P800,000 in medicines and hygiene kits, benefiting thousands of residents. Maintenance medicines for conditions,
like diabetes and hypertension, as well as essential vitamins and dental supplies, were also made available.

These resources reached 395 elementary students in Barangay Alno, La
Trinidad, Benguet, and households in Barangays Alapang, Sabangan, Bakun, and Alilem.

Hedcor President and Chief Operating Officer Rolando G. Pacquiao emphasizing the importance of these initiatives said, “in the Cordillera region, limited access to healthcare is a critical issue. By
bringing vital medical services and supplies closer to our host communities, we help
address this gap, ultimately improving well-being and fostering resilience.”
— Artemio A. Dumlao

P3.4-M drugs seized in Sultan Kudarat

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

COTABATO CITY — Policemen and local officials seized P3.4 million worth of crystal meth (shabu) from a dealer entrapped in Barangay Kabuntalan in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte on Wednesday afternoon.

Brig. Gen. Romeo J. Macapaz, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), told reporters on Thursday that the suspect, Loloh Sakilan Ali, is now locked in a detention facility, to be prosecuted for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Mr. Ali, a resident of Barangay Tugal in Talitay town in Maguindanao del Norte, was immediately detained by personnel of the Sultan Kudarat Municipal Police Station, led by Lt. Col. Esmael A. Madin, after selling half a kilo of shabu during a tradeoff at a secluded area in the barangay.

Mr. Macapaz said personnel of the Sultan Kudarat municipal police and operatives of different units under PRO-BAR also impounded Ali’s Suzuki Raider motorcycle that he used in transporting shabu to contacts in different towns in Maguindanao del Norte and in nearby barangays in Cotabato City. — John Felix M. Unson

RJ Abarrientos cherishes the experience of Christmas Clasico

RJ ABARRIENTOS — PBA

It was his first “Manila Clasico” experience — on Christmas Day with 12,198 in attendance at the Big Dome and against the team of his legendary uncle, Magnolia assistant coach Johnny Abarrientos, at that.

And so Barangay Ginebra’s RJ Abarrientos made sure to really make it count.

The rookie guard fired 17 of his 20 points in the second half, dropping four booming triples that sparked the Gin Kings’ turnaround from 22 markers down en route to a pulsating 95-92 win.

“It’s Christmas and everybody wants to go home a winner, even Tito (Johnny A),” said the young Abarrientos, who capped his brilliant night with the assist that led to Scottie Thompson’s game-winning trey at the buzzer.

“Christmas Clasico, this is special for the Ginebra team, especially for me. This is my first time playing sa ‘Clasico’ and then with my uncle (on the other side) so (it’s) very special for me,” he added.

The third overall pick in the Season 49 rookie draft said his uncle, one of the greatest players in the PBA with 12 championships, including a grand slam in 1996, one MVP and two Finals MVP plums, has been his major influence.

Prior to Wednesday’s rivalry game, the Ginebra ace said he and coach Johnny had a good talk about family, life and yes, basketball.

“Tito is always there to support me, he’s like father figure to me. So I cherish every moment growing up with my Tito. He always guides me and I’m very thankful that he’s always there for me.”

The “Flying A” even attended the draft proceedings last July and represented his nephew, who was then playing in Korea, when his name was called by Ginebra mentor Tim Cone.

With the Dec. 25 game on the line, Mr. Cone entrusted Mr. Abarrientos with the main role in the final offensive.

“It was designed for RJ to make the decision. We wanted to get the ball into RJ’s hand and then put him in a pick-and-roll situation with Justin (Brownlee).

“We wanted to flare Justin out and we were spreading everybody out and we were hoping that RJ would get some penetration into the paint, either throw back to Justin or find somebody open and RJ delivered with a great pass to Scottie,” said Mr. Cone.

The epic come-from-behind victory washed away the bitterness of the 117-94 beating the Hotshots handed the crowd darlings in their last Christmas Day encounter three years ago.

“Winning like that on a day like Christmas made it extra special,” said Mr. Brownlee. “A couple Christmases ago we got beat by 20 plus points by the same team so I’m happy for the guys and the fans.” — Olmin Leyba

Eala to rank among top 150 tennis players this year

ALEX EALA — FACEBOOK.COM/ALEXEALA

ALEX EALA is likely to finish among the Top 150 women’s tennis players in the world this year for the first time in her career.

Ms. Eala slightly climbed to No. 148 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings this week from No. 149 earlier this month approaching the final year-end list.

Pending a major slide, Ms. Eala is poised to net her highest WTA year placing ever after starting outside the Top 1000 when she entered the women’s pro circuit four years ago.

The 19-year-old Filipina sensation debuted at No. 1180 in 2020 and scaled the ranks from there on. She placed 529th and 219th in 2021 and 2022, respectively, before striking within the sport’s titans at No. 205 last year.

This year, Ms. Eala reached her career-best at No. 143 back in July after a twin-title feat in the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz singles and doubles tournaments in Spain.

That’s her fourth pro singles title as she achieved the doubles feat with partner Estelle Cascino from France. The Filipina-French duo also won the W75 Croissy-Beauborg in France as Ms. Eala teamed up with Latvia’s Darja Semenistaja in ruling the W50 Pune in India for her third overall doubles title.

From there, Ms. Eala came so close to being the first Filipina in a women’s Grand Slam main draw to highlight her stellar year marked by deep runs against more seasoned rivals all over the world.

A junior singles and doubles Grand Slam champion, Ms. Eala jumped on to the women’s tilt, where she reached the finals of the qualifying draw in the prestigious French Open, Wimbledon and US Open before falling just short.

Ms. Eala bowed to Julia Riera of Argentina, 6-4, 6(3)-7, 4-6, in the French Open finals, fell to New Zealand’s Lulu Sun in 6(3)-7, 5-7, in the Wimbledon finale and took a 6-3, 1-6, 4-6 meltdown loss against Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the US Open qualifying championship. — John Bryan Ulanday

World No. 4 Obiena eyes return to competition as indoor season begins

EJ OBIENA — REUTERS

AFTER taking a step back after his Paris Olympics heartache, expect Filipino star pole-vaulter EJ Obiena to return with a vengeance next year.

The two-time Olympian and Asian champion and record-holder, however, would have to cover more ground after sputtering from No. 2 in the world men’s rankings to most recently No. 4 due to his unavoidable absence.

Unflappable at No. 1 was, of course, Olympic and world champion and record-holder Armand Duplantis followed by American Sam Kendricks and Greek Emmanouil Karalis at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.

Interestingly, Messrs. Kendricks and Karalis won the silver and bronze in the French capital.

The Southeast Asian Games king was forced to rest after being bothered by a spinal issue that slowed him down in the Pairs Games resulting in him missing a historic medal with a heartbreaking fourth-place finish.

But Mr. Obiena has completely healed now and was given the green light by his doctors to compete.

Mr. Obiena is targeting a 2025 return starting next month when the much-awaited indoor season begins. — Joey Villar

Title-chasing Philippines battles Thais in Mitsubishi Cup semifinals

Match on Friday
(Rizal Memorial Stadium)
9 p.m. – Philippines vs Thailand (Semifinal Leg 1)

THE Last Dance has been unreachable and powerhouse Thailand uncrackable so far, even for the legendary batch that made stellar runs in the 2010s.

Now the young bloods of the Philippine men’s football team take their shot at breaking ground as they carry the fight in the Asean Championship-Mitsubishi Electric Cup knockout stages.

The Albert Capellas-coached booters take the first step in a crucial semifinal opening leg at the Rizal Memorial Stadium against the three-peat-seeking War Elephants.

It’s a daunting task versus the Thais, the tournament’s most bemedalled squad with seven championships whom the Filipinos haven’t beaten since winning their first three encounters from 1971 to 1972. The best results achieved since then were a 0-0 draw in Leg 1 of the Final Four of the 2014 Asean meet and a 1-1 tie in the group stage of the 2018 edition with a team led by Phil Younghusband.

But the current crop is ready to face the Thais head-on in the 9 p.m. home gig and gun for the elusive victory to gain the edge heading into the return leg set Monday over in Bangkok.

“We’ll do our best to reach the finals,” said Mr. Capellas, whose charges broke a six-year drought of semifinal appearances in the biennial bootfest.

“We’re playing at home against Thailand and I hope the crowd, the Filipinos, will support us as much as they can because we will need that.” — Olmin Leyba

QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs defeat Pittsburgh Steelers, lock up AFC home-field edge

PATRICK MAHOMES passed for 320 yards and three touchdowns (TD) and the Kansas City Chiefs clinched homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 29-10 victory over the host Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday.

Travis Kelce became the third tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 career receptions and also took over the franchise lead with his 77th career touchdown catch. Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson also caught scoring passes and Kareem Hunt rushed for a touchdown for the Chiefs (15-1) during the Christmas Day affair.

Russell Wilson completed 23 of 37 passes for 205 yards and one interception as Pittsburgh (10-6) failed to clinch the AFC North for the second straight game. The Steelers have lost three consecutive games.

Mahomes was 29-of-38 passing while helping the Chiefs win their sixth straight game. Kansas City also set a franchise record with its 15th victory.

Kelce had eight catches for 84 yards to raise his career receptions total to 1,004. Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (1,325) and Jason Witten (1,228) are the only two tight ends with more catches.

Ironically, it was Gonzalez’s franchise record for receiving scores that Kelce broke. He celebrated by doing Gonzalez’s signature dunking of the football through the uprights. Gonzalez was a college basketball player in addition to being a star football player.

The Chiefs racked up five sacks and thrived defensively without star tackle Chris Jones (calf).

Kansas City led by six at halftime and increased the lead to 16-7 on Harrison Butker’s 32-yard field goal with 12:21 left in the third quarter.

The Steelers responded with Chris Boswell’s 36-yard field goal to move back within six with 5:45 left in the quarter.

Kelce’s 1,000th grab was a 19-yard gain late in the third quarter and helped set up Hunt’s 2-yard touchdown run to start the fourth quarter. The two-point conversion pass failed and the Chiefs settled for a 22-10 advantage.

On the next possession, Kelce caught a 12-yard scoring pass with 12:38 remaining in the game to increase the margin to 19.

Mahomes threw two first-half touchdown passes as Kansas City held a 13-7 halftime lead.

On the first one, Worthy lined up in the backfield and flared into the left flat to catch a 7-yard scoring pass. His celebration drew a 15-yard penalty, and Butker’s ensuing 48-yard extra point was wide right.

Later, Mahomes tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Watson with four minutes left in the opening quarter. Mahomes also teamed up with Watson on a 49-yard play earlier in the drive.

The Steelers got on the board with 10:28 left in the half when Wilson scored from the 1 by barely getting the ball across the goal line at the left pylon.

KELCE BRINGS IN FRANCHISE RECORD 77TH RECEIVING TD
Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce got everything on his Christmas wish list on Wednesday, as the nine-time Pro Bowler hauled in a franchise record 77th receiving touchdown in the Chiefs’ confident 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The defending Super Bowl champions took the lead immediately in front of a hostile away crowd and never let off the gas as they extended their record to 15-1 and clinched the top playoff seed in the AFC.

Kelce became only the third NFL tight end to record 1,000 or more career receptions during the game and surpassed Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez’s record for most receiving touchdowns in Chiefs’ history on a 12-yard reception from quarterback (QB) Patrick Mahomes.

“It’s everything to me. Tony’s been a mentor for me,” Kelce said in televised remarks after the game. “I feel like I’m still trying to fill that guy’s shoes.”

Gonzalez previously promised to pay any potential fine if the 35-year-old Kelce celebrated with a signature Gonzalez “dunk” of the ball over the goalpost. Kelce did just that. Post-touchdown dunks were once routine but have more recently been punishable with fines. — Reuters

76ers spoil Celtics’ Christmas

TYRESE MAXEY collected 33 points and 12 assists to lead the visiting Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-114 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.

The 76ers received 27 points and nine rebounds from Joel Embiid and 23 points from Caleb Martin, who made seven of nine 3-point attempts.

The Celtics, who trailed by 15 in the fourth quarter, trimmed their deficit to 116-114 with 4.9 seconds to play, but Embiid made two free throws to put the 76ers up by four with 2.8 seconds left. Philadelphia has won six of its past eight games.

Jayson Tatum led Boston in points (32) and rebounds (15). Jaylen Brown added 23 points and seven rebounds but shot 10 of 23 from the field. Payton Pritchard missed all eight of his 3-point attempts.

Boston, which was coming off a 108-104 setback against the Orlando Magic on Monday, lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Jrue Holiday didn’t play for Boston because of a right shoulder impingement. The Celtics also played most of the game without Kristaps Porzingis, who sustained a left ankle injury and didn’t play in the second half. — Reuters

James vs Curry

For a while there, it looked like Stephen Curry would give the 18,064-strong crowd at the Chase Center ample reason to rejoice. The Warriors were down by five with five minutes left in the match, and he knew he had to weave his magic once more in order to upend the rival Lakers. To argue that he had hitherto been playing well below his usual standards would be to understate the obvious. He was just two days removed from a clunker in which he shot 15% from the field against the otherwise beleaguered Pacers. And two games before that, he put up a bunch of zeros in a shocking swoon. Yet, there he was, turning back time in a superb effort down the stretch.

Certainly, the Warriors needed Curry to be, well, himself, and not just because they were a woeful three and 10 heading into their Christmas Day set-to. Embedded in those losses was an alarming inability to meet expectations in the clutch, defined by the National Basketball Association as a situation where the protagonists are within five points of each other with five minutes left in a given contest — precisely where they stood versus the rival Lakers yesterday. And so he went to work; he scattered 13 points in the final 3:16, with each made field goal under duress and still finding the bottom of the net. His 31-foot three off an inbounds play with 7.1 ricks remaining in the payoff period tied the score and gave them hope.

Unfortunately, the Lakers had other plans. Every time the Warriors threatened to wrest momentum, they came up with a counter. And while, needless to say, LeBron James was in the thick of things, it was Austin Reaves who came up big under pressure; his nine points in the clutch included two critical free throws with 8.2 seconds on the clock and the game-winning lay-in off a gutsy drive against noted defender Andrew Wiggins. As he took the ball in the final play of the purple and gold, he had clearly made up his mind to take matters into his own hands.

Considering the ages of the superstars, it’s fair to wonder how many more times Curry and James will do battle against each other. The greatest shooter of all time is 36, while the greatest of all time, period, is turning 40 in four days. And so fans have been only too happy to partake as much of their heroics as possible in the interim, the diminished stakes notwithstanding. Neither the Warriors nor the Lakers are likely to go deep in the playoffs — and that’s if they even survive the highly competitive Western Conference. Meanwhile, the generational pieces continue to plod on, still among the best of the best in the league but needing others to help carry the load more and more.

 

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.

Inspired by Squid Game, Chinese tricksters prey on the indebted

REUTERS

BEIJING — In China’s take on Squid Game, fraudsters are preying on the financially distressed in a slumping economy with promises of prize money, debt restructuring and other schemes that are not always what is promised.

Unlike the dystopian South Korean TV series, which returns to the small screen for a second season on Thursday, Chinese players taking on “self-discipline” challenges do not risk their lives if they lose.

But courts have found some participants in isolation challenges – who pay hundreds of dollars to stay in a room for days, following prescribed rules in the hopes of winning as much as 1 million yuan ($140,000) — are being scammed. And regulators are warning people about dodgy debt relief claims.

Isolation challenges, often advertised on Douyin, as TikTok is known in China, have risen in popularity this year as the world’s second-biggest economy slows. It grew at the weakest pace in more than a year in the three months to September, spurring policymakers to pledge fresh measures to boost household incomes among other steps.

The long lists of rules in the challenges include toilet breaks not exceeding 15 minutes and bans on touching the alarm clock more than twice a day.

Many players cry foul when they do not survive their first day for infractions caught on surveillance cameras, which they dispute.

In October, a court in the eastern province of Shandong ordered an organizer to refund 5,400 yuan ($740) in sign-up fees to a player surnamed Sun, ruling the contract was unfair and “violated public order and good morals”.

Sun was trying to win 250,000 yuan by surviving a 30-day isolation challenge with rules forbidding smoking, use of electronic devices, consumption of alcohol and contact with anyone outside the room.

On the third day of the challenge, organizers said Sun had covered his face with a pillow, breaking a prohibition on players obscuring their faces.

The Cyberspace Administration of China, which regulates the country’s internet, and ByteDance, owner of Douyin, did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

The National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA) warned the public on Tuesday not to fall for “debt intermediaries” claiming to help people restructure their borrowings or improve their credit profiles.

Touting their services through phone, texts, flyers and ads on social media, such intermediaries claim they can help secure new loans or provide temporary funds, but the regulator warned the services come with a high fee.

Intermediaries charge as much as 12% of the loan value in “service fees”, the state-backed National Business Daily said.

Another scheme involves charging large fees to ostensibly help debtors repair their credit records, according to the NFRA, which cautioned that borrowers’ personal information might also be leaked or sold.

China’s household loans totaled 82.47 trillion yuan ($11.3 trillion) in November, according to central bank data. — Reuters

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