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The Curious Case of CREATE

(News came out last night that the bicameral conference committee ironed out differences between the House and Senate versions of the CREATE bill, and, according to Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, it is ready for signing. — Ed.)

Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) is designated as a priority bill. It has also been issued a certificate of urgency by the President. In late November 2020, the Senate passed CREATE on third reading.  It was anticipated that soon after, a bicameral conference committee would reconcile the Senate and House versions. But it has taken a long time for the bicameral conference committee to formally approve the bill.

What’s going on?

CREATE provides game-changing fiscal reforms. It addresses issues relating to the rationalization of fiscal incentives and the competitiveness of corporate income taxation. Also, CREATE contributes to the stimulus package by significantly reducing the corporate income tax. The intention is to help businesses and their workers cope with the economic impact of the pandemic.

The biggest issue, however, revolves around fiscal incentives reform, which has met strong resistance from vested interests.

The reforms on fiscal incentives are straightforward: Make the incentives performance-based, time-bound, targeted, and transparent. Base the incentives on sound economic criteria, and discourage redundant incentives.

Clearly, the passage of CREATE is an urgent matter. Further delay will only add another layer of investor uncertainty.

The delay in the passage of CREATE is thus surprising and alarming. The House passed the bill (then known as the Corporate Income Tax and Incentive Rationalization Act or CITIRA) as early as September 2019. The House bill is a good version as it contains all the essential reform features enumerated above. The Chair of the House’s Ways and Means Committee, Representative Joey Salceda, deserves credit for the swift passage of a good bill.

In the Senate, the bill went through intense and through debate before its passage in November 2020. The Senate bill was a compromise version of the House bill, as Senator Ralph Recto insisted on putting in place questionable amendments. The realpolitik and the compromises nevertheless did not undermine the bottom-line reforms. Thus, the reformers accepted the Senate version.

The Chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, Senator Pia Cayetano, should be cited and given appreciation for shepherding CREATE and preventing its mangling.

Following the statement of the Chair of the House of Representatives that the House could accept the Senate version, everyone expected that the House’s adoption of the Senate version would have resulted in the immediate ratification of the bill. That meant it was no longer necessary to have a bicameral conference committee. The view was that the Senate bill was acceptable. Through the long deliberations and debate, the Senate retained the essential reforms and found the formula in dealing with the most contentious provisions.

However, in a move that caught everyone by surprise, House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco called for a bicameral conference committee meeting. More worrisome, two months passed, but the bicameral conference committee did not convene. The public was not aware of what was being bargained in the corridors of power.

The bicameral conference committee is dangerous territory. The members of the committee can totally exclude the public from the discussions. Hence, the threat of last-minute insertions is real. This is utterly wrong because the role of the bicameral conference committee is to reconcile whatever differences are there between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The bicameral conference committee cannot and should not make insertions of provisions not found in the House and Senate bills.

In this light, transparency is crucial. All stakeholders must demand that the bicameral conference committee be transparent in resolving CREATE.

What we do not want to happen is to have insertions that will run counter to the objectives of the reforms. In particular, we do not want giving fiscal incentives without sound or solid economic justification. Further, we do not want insertions that have not been subject to a thorough study and debate.

At present, we already see tension between CREATE and recently passed legislation or legislation being lobbied.

Take the case of the new law that gives San Miguel Aerocity a franchise together with fiscal incentives. The franchise bill ratified by Congress lapsed into law, given that President Rodrigo Duterte neither signed nor vetoed it. Elsewhere, we have argued that fiscal incentives can only be justified in this case when market failure exists. But it is established that the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and the Clark International Airport, together with their improvement and expansion, are sufficient to meet present and future passenger demand.

So let San Miguel have the freedom to operate its airport and compete with the two other international airports. But giving tax incentives to San Miguel is unnecessary and unsound.

The franchise with incentives is already a law. Yet, it conflicts with the pending ratification of CREATE.

Also being pushed is the Petron application for PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority) incentives. (See “DoE inclined to back Petron’s refinery’s bid to apply for PEZA incentives,” Manila Standard, Dec. 22, 2020.)

Ramon Ang, concurrent president of Petron and San Miguel Corp., once told reporters that Petron needs tax relief. Three months ago, the Philippine Daily Inquirer (“Petron warns of refinery shutdown ‘very soon’”) quoted Mr. Ang as saying: “We need a level playing field, but that requires a new law or an executive order from Malacañang.” The Inquirer added, “the first would take a very long time while the second posed political risks such as being branded as a crony of the President.”

Whether Petron needs exemption from taxes is a policy question that must go through the scrutiny of Congress and the public. We grant that Mr. Ang’s concerns deserve to be heard, but they have to be studied well and debated. Granting incentives must be informed by the trade-offs and a cost-benefit analysis.

To illustrate a contentious point, giving Petron tax and duty exemptions can lead to disadvantaging importing competitors. Note, too, that Petron also imports crude oil.

The bicameral conference committee is aware of these tensions and dilemmas that will affect CREATE.

Thus, we reiterate our calls. Have full transparency of the bicameral conference committee. Resist any insertions that deviate from either the House or Senate bill. Oppose any attempt to weaken the governance of fiscal incentives through the Fiscal Incentives Review Board. And uphold the essential features of making fiscal incentives time-bound and performance-based.

May our champions heed this plea.

 

Filomeno S. Sta. Ana III coordinates the Action for Economic Reforms while Arjay Mercado heads AER’s tax reform team.

www.aer.ph

Myanmar military seizes power, detains Aung San Suu Kyi, others

A MAN PRAYS in front of Sule pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar in the early morning of Feb. 1. — REUTERS

MYANMAR’S military seized power on Monday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party in early morning raids.

The army said it had carried out the detentions in response to “election fraud,” handing power to military chief Min Aung Hlaing and imposing a state of emergency for one year, according to a statement on a military-owned television station.

The generals made their move hours before parliament had been due to sit for the first time since the NLD’s landslide win in a Nov. 8 election viewed as a referendum on Ms. Suu Kyi’s fledgling democratic government.

Phone lines to the capital Naypyitaw and the main commercial center of Yangon were not reachable, and state TV went off air. People rushed to markets in Yangon to stock up on food and supplies while others lined up at ATMs to withdraw cash.

Soldiers took up positions at city hall in Yangon and mobile internet data and phone services in the NLD stronghold were disrupted, residents said. Internet connectivity also had fallen dramatically, monitoring service NetBlocks said.

Suu Kyi, Myanmar President Win Myint and other NLD leaders had been “taken” in the early hours of the morning, NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told Reuters by phone.

“I want to tell our people not to respond rashly and I want them to act according to the law,” he said, adding that he expected to be arrested himself. Reuters was subsequently unable to contact him.

A video posted to Facebook by one MP appeared to show the arrest of another, regional lawmaker Pa Pa Han.

In the video, her husband pleads with men in military garb standing outside the gate. A young child can be seen clinging to his chest and wailing.

The detentions came after days of escalating tension between the civilian government and the military that stirred fears of a coup in the aftermath of the election.

Ms. Suu Kyi’s party won 83% of the vote in only the second election since a military junta agreed to share power in 2011.

The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the arrests and Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for the leaders’ release.

“The United States stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development. The military must reverse these actions immediately,” he said in a statement, using an alternative name for Myanmar.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the detention of Ms. Suu Kyi and other political leaders and “urges the military leadership to respect the will of the people of Myanmar,” a UN spokesman said.

The Australian government said it was “deeply concerned at reports the Myanmar military is once again seeking to seize control of Myanmar.”

Japan said it was watching the situation and had no plans to repatriate Japanese nationals from Myanmar, while India’s foreign ministry expressed deep concerns about the coup.

Singapore had “grave” concern about the unfolding situation in Myanmar and urged all sides to work towards a peaceful outcome, its foreign ministry said.

LEAD-UP TO COUP
Nobel Peace Prize winner Ms. Suu Kyi, 75, came to power after a 2015 election win that followed decades of house arrest in a struggle for democracy with Myanmar’s junta that turned her into an international icon.

Her international standing was damaged after hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled army operations into refuge from Myanmar’s western Rakhine state in 2017, but she remains hugely popular at home.

Political tensions soared last week when a military spokesman declined to rule out a coup ahead of the new parliament convening on Monday, and military chief Min Aung Hlaing raised the prospect of repealing the constitution.

Tanks were deployed in some streets last week and pro-military demonstrations have taken place in some cities ahead of the first gathering of parliament.

Myanmar’s election commission has rejected the military’s allegations of vote fraud.

The country’s constitution, published in 2008 after decades of military rule, reserves 25% of seats in parliament for the military and control of three key ministries in Ms. Suu Kyi’s administration.

In its statement declaring the state of emergency, the military cited the failure of the electoral commission to address complaints over voter lists, its refusal to agree to a request to postpone new parliamentary sessions and protests by groups unhappy over the election.

“Unless this problem is resolved, it will obstruct the path to democracy and it must therefore be resolved according to the law,” the statement said, citing an emergency provision in the constitution in the event national sovereignty is threatened.

Daniel Russel, the top US diplomat for East Asia under former President Barack Obama, who fostered close ties with Ms. Suu Kyi, described the military takeover as a severe blow to democracy in the region.

“If true, this is a huge setback — not only for democracy in Myanmar, but for US interests. It’s yet another reminder that the extended absence of credible and steady US engagement in the region has emboldened anti-democratic forces,” he said.

Human Rights Watch’s Asia advocacy director, John Sifton, criticized the initial White House response as “disappointingly weak” and urged a more concerted international reaction.

“The US needs to work with allies to speak more clearly, in unison, in terms of ultimatums, to put the Myanmar military on notice of the specific consequences that will occur if their coup is not reversed,” he said. — Reuters

Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s torch bearer for democracy, detained again in coup

Myanmar’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Aung San Suu Kyi speaks during an event at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York City, U.S. Sept. 21, 2016. — REUTERS/BRIA WEBB/FILE PHOTO

AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who spent 15 years under house arrest in the struggle to bring democracy to Myanmar, has been detained along with other leaders of her political party in a military coup.

Beloved in Myanmar as “the Lady”, Suu Kyi fulfilled the dreams of millions when her party won a landslide election in 2015 that established the Southeast Asian nation’s first civilian government in half a century.

But the Nobel laureate appalled the world two years later by denying the extent of a sweeping military-led crackdown against the Rohingya Muslim minority which forced hundreds of thousands to flee the country.

In Myanmar, Suu Kyi remains adored but she has failed to unite its myriad ethnic groups or end its decade-long civil wars. She also oversaw tightening restrictions on the press and civil society and has fallen out with many former allies.

The daughter of independence hero Aung San, who was assassinated in 1947 when she was two years old, Suu Kyi spent much of her young life overseas. She attended Oxford University, met her husband, the British academic Michael Aris, and had two sons.

Before they married, she asked Aris to promise he would not stop her if she needed to return home. In 1988, she got the phone call that changed their lives: her mother was dying.

In the capital Yangon, then Rangoon, she was swept up in a student-led revolution against the military junta that had seized power after her father’s death and plunged the country into a ruinous isolation.

Suu Kyi, the spitting image of the idolized Aung San and an eloquent public speaker, became the leader of the new movement, quoting her father’s dream to “build up a free Burma”.

The revolution was crushed, its leaders killed and jailed, and Suu Kyi was imprisoned in her lakeside family home. Speaking her name in public could earn her supporters a prison sentence, so they called her “the Lady”.

Slightly built and soft-spoken, she played a crucial role in keeping world attention on Myanmar’s military junta and its human rights record, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. Aris died in 1997 but she did not attend his funeral, fearful she would not be allowed to return.

For years, the army led a relentless smear campaign against Suu Kyi, whom they dubbed an “axe-handle of the West”.

During a brief release from house arrest in 1998 she attempted to travel outside Yangon to visit supporters and was blocked by the army. She sat inside her van for several days and nights, despite dehydration in the sweltering heat, and was said to have caught rainwater in an open umbrella.

She survived an assassination attempt in 2003 when pro-military men wielding spikes and rods attacked a convoy she was travelling in. Some of her supporters were killed or badly wounded.

The army again placed her under house arrest and from behind the gates, she gave witty weekly addresses to supporters, standing on rickety tables and talking about human rights and democracy under the watchful eyes of secret police. A devout Buddhist, she sometimes spoke of her struggle in spiritual terms.

FROM REVERED TO REVILED
In 2010, the military began a series of democratic reforms and Suu Kyi was released before thousands of weeping, cheering supporters.

In the West, she was feted. Barack Obama became the first U.S president to visit Myanmar in 2012, calling her an “inspiration to people all around the world, including myself”. U.S economic sanctions on Myanmar were eased, though Suu Kyi remained cautious about the extent of reforms.

With the 2015 election win, Suu Kyi became state counsellor, pledging to end civil war, boost foreign investment and reduce the army’s role in politics. She also promised Western allies she would address the plight of the Rohingya who had borne the brunt of violent clashes with Buddhists, with hundreds of thousands detained in internment camps.

In August 2017, Rohingya militants attacked security forces and the military responded by burning hundreds of villages to the ground and carrying out mass killings and gang rapes. The United Nations said it was conducted with “genocidal intent”.

Suu Kyi said the military was exercising “rule of law” and appeared baffled and ignorant about the exodus of refugees. And while she had no power to direct the army operation, her government ordered burned land become government-owned land and oversaw the bulldozing of destroyed villages.

Global institutions and former advocates including the Dalai Lama publicly denounced her and many of the numerous accolades awarded to her were rescinded.

In 2019, she flew to the Hague to face charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice. She acknowledged the possibility war crimes had been committed but framed the crackdown as a legitimate military operation against terrorists. — Reuters

Japan expected to extend COVID-19 state of emergency

TOKYO — Japan is expected to extend a state of emergency on Tuesday to fight the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for Tokyo and other areas, three sources with knowledge of the legal procedures said on Monday.

The government will decide on the extension after a meeting of its experts panel on Tuesday, with the emergency period in prefectures including the Tokyo area expected to run for another month, the sources said.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to hold a news conference on Tuesday, one source told Reuters.

The government last month declared a one-month state of emergency, due to end on Sunday, for 11 areas https://graphics.reuters.com/HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/JAPAN/jznvnmgkxpl/index.html, including Tokyo and its neighboring prefectures, as part of measures to rein in the pandemic.

Mr. Suga has launched a raft of measures to contain a third wave of infections as his government remains determined that the Olympics go ahead as planned on July 23.

But support for his administration has weakened over unhappiness with its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which critics have called too slow and inconsistent.

The government may also consider lifting the state of emergency in some less-populated areas such as Tochigi Prefecture, which has seen a decline in cases, local media said.

A Nikkei newspaper poll showed 90% of respondents favoured extending the emergency period in areas where it is implemented.

Japan has had a total of 390,687 coronavirus cases and 5,766 deaths, public broadcaster NHK said. In Tokyo, new cases totalled 633 on Sunday, below 1,000 for the third consecutive day.

Separately, the lower house is expected to pass on Monday a revision to the coronavirus special measures law, followed by upper house approval on Wednesday, NHK said. The revision would toughen regulations and allow authorities to levy fines on those who break the law. — Reuters

Vietnam targets growth acceleration, shifts to high-tech gear in economic blueprint

HANOI — Having sidestepped the worst of the coronavirus pandemic so far, Vietnam aims to rev up its economy over the next five years, trusting on its custom-tooled mix of free trade deals, privatization and tight coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) curbs.

Armed with a raft of free trade deals envied by regional peers and increasingly luring factories away from China, the ruling Communist Party on Monday formally approved ambitions to raise growth beyond an annual 6% in the pre-pandemic era to 6.5%-7.0% for the 2021-2025 period.

In an economic development blueprint confirmed at its five-yearly congress, it said it would boost its growing role as a key manufacturing hub for global giants like Samsung Electronics Co. and Intel Corp. At the same time, the Party is targeting raising the country’s profile beyond a low-cost labor destination to a center for science and technology.

With more than a dozen free trade agreements now under its belt, Vietnam aims to expand and diversify export markets, the Party said.

The country has reaped the benefit of China and the United States, its largest trading partners, being locked in a bitter trade war that has seen Western manufacturers look to move more and more of their production out of China — with Vietnam a popular choice.

The lofty 2021-2025 targets come as Vietnam recoils from its worst outbreak of COVID-19 in nearly two months, a reminder that future success will depend in the short term at least on keeping the virus at bay.

Last year’s 2.9% growth would have been welcome in many countries around the world, but was the worst year in decades for Vietnam’s economy as it soaked up the impact of tight quarantines, border closures and other anti-virus curbs.

Despite the pandemic, in January, a unit of Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Co. Ltd., a key Apple, Inc. supplied, obtained a licence to invest $270 million in the country as it is moving some iPad and MacBook assembly from China. Meanwhile US chipmaker Intel said it raised its investment in Vietnam by $475 million to $1.5 billion.

The country will “focus on measures to basically complete the elements of a socialist-oriented market economy, better handling the relationship between the state and the market and society,” according to the Party’s economic blueprint.

Analysts say that’s code for Vietnam continuing its drive to privatize state-owned enterprises, except for those operating in areas deemed essential for national security and defense.

The Party also said it will shift its focus on foreign direct investment (FDI) from quantity to quality, with a focus on environmental risks.

After decades of development driven by robust FDI, largely in labor-intensive and environmentally unfriendly business, Vietnam “won’t allow projects with outdated technologies, environment pollution risks,” it said. — Reuters

Navalny, Thunberg nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

OSLO — Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, the World Health Organization (WHO) and climate campaigner Greta Thunberg are among those nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, all backed by Norwegian lawmakers who have a track record of picking the winner.

Thousands of people, from members of parliaments worldwide to former winners, are eligible to propose candidates. Nominations, which close on Sunday, do not imply an endorsement from the Nobel committee.

Norwegian lawmakers have nominated the eventual laureate every year since 2014, with the exception of 2019, said Henrik Urdal, Director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo. “The pattern from recent years is quite stunning.”

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which decides who wins the award, does not comment on nominations, keeping secret for 50 years the names of nominators and unsuccessful nominees.

But nominators can choose to reveal their picks.

According to a Reuters survey of Norwegian lawmakers, nominees include Thunberg, Navalny, the WHO and its COVAX programme to secure fair access to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines for poor countries.

Thunberg was named as one of “the foremost spokespeople in the fight against the climate crisis,” with the campaigning group she co-founded, Fridays for Future, also receiving a nod.

Navalny, nominated by Russian academics, was named for his “efforts for a peaceful democratisation of Russia” by Norwegian former minister Ola Elvestuen.

The battle against COVID-19 is front and center, including a nomination for the GAVI vaccine alliance.

Other names are Belarusian activists Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Maria Kolesnikova and Veronika Tsepkalo for their “fight for a fair election and inspiration for peaceful resistance,” one nominator, Geir Sigbjoern Toskedal, said.

Another, Jette Christensen, also named the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a human rights group, and IUSTITIA, a group of Polish judges defending civil rights. “My nomination this year is … for the fight to preserve democracy as a form of government in Europe,” Ms. Christensen said.

Freedom of information is a recurring theme with nominees including the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists; former Charlie Hebdo journalist Zineb el Rhazoui; news website Hong Kong Free Press, the US-based International Fact-Checking Network and Paris-based Reporters without Borders (RSF).

Other nominees include former US President Donald Trump, NATO and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).

Also on the list is Aminatou Haidar, for her peaceful campaigning towards an independent Western Sahara, the International Space Station (ISS) and the International Scout Movement.

The 2021 laureate will be announced in October. — Reuters

Planned PBA 3×3 tourney set to take further form this week

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

THE Philippine Basketball Association’s (PBA) planned 3-on-3 tournament is set to take further form in discussions among organizers this week.

Designed to enhance the offering of Asia’s first play-for-pay league, the 3×3 competition has gained the approval of PBA officials and is being angled to be in motion in Season 46.

Alaska Aces governor Richard Bachmann is the tournament chairman, joined by newly named tournament director Eric Altamirano along with fellow committee members Joey Guanio, who is representing the PBA, and Ronnie Magsanoc for the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

In a virtual meet-up with the media last week along with PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, Mr. Bachmann said they hope to finalize the details of the league’s 3×3 tournament this week and present them to the board in its next meeting.

“I will iron things out next week (this week) together with Eric. We are tasked by the PBA board to present our plans in our next meeting on Feb. 26,” Mr. Bachmann said.

The league official shared that all the 12 teams in the PBA are expected to field their respective squads for the 3×3 competition, to be joined by at least four guest teams, which will feature direct-hire players.

“For now, basically it’s direct hire. So, the guest teams will have their own players already,” Mr. Bachmann said.

The competition was initially envisioned to have a three-conference format similar to the PBA 5-on-5 offering, but it was abandoned for now because of the situation with the coronavirus pandemic.

In place will be “three or four pocket tournaments” in between conferences for the year.

Mr. Bachmann underscored as important the inclusion of Mr. Altamirano in the PBA’s organizing team to the success of the planned tournament, owing to the latter’s extensive knowledge in 3×3 organization.

Mr. Altamirano, a former PBA player and coach, served as commissioner of the highly successful Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3.

“It’s a no-brainer [to have Altamirano on board]. He’s experienced in running 3×3, so it makes sense to hire somebody who has the experience. It’s a big advantage for us. We will learn a lot from him,” said Mr. Bachmann.

PBA officials said the 3×3 competition is also being aligned with the plans of the SBP on the sport. They are closely coordinating with the local basketball federation as well as the world governing body FIBA.

Alex Eala vows to continue to work after WTA ranking rises

FILIPINO tennis ace Alex Eala

FILIPINO tennis ace Alex Eala vowed to continue working on her game just as her ranking in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) continues to rise.

In the latest WTA singles rankings, 15-year-old Eala jumped 248 spots to no. 942 from her previous position of 1,190, boosted by her impressive showing in the tournaments she was part of in the last two weeks.

Ms. Eala, a scholar of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain and a Globe ambassador, won her first professional career title in the first leg of the W15 Manacor ITF Rafael Nadal Academy World Tennis Tour in Mallorca on Jan. 24.

She followed it up with a quarterfinal finish in the second leg of the same tournament last week.

“It’s a long journey ahead and I will need to keep on working hard! “ wrote Ms. Eala on her official Facebook page on Monday, which was accompanied by a screenshot of the WTA Tour rankings wherein she also highlighted the significant increase she managed to post.

The last year and a half have been solid for the young tennis player.

In 2019, she helped the country qualify for the World Junior Tennis Finals in the Czech Republic, where the Philippines wound up in fifth place.

She also finished runner-up in the World Super Junior Under-18 Tennis Championships in Japan in the same year.

Last year, despite the pandemic, she won the Australian Open girls’ doubles title along with partner Priska Nugroho of Indonesia.

Ms. Eala finished 2020 strong with a semifinal finish in the French Open juniors singles tournament.

The Rafa Nadal Academy has been proud of its scholar, with no less than 20-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal egging Ms. Eala to continue soaring and reaching for her dreams.  

Ms. Eala is now gearing up for a competition in France set to start on Feb. 9, where she hopes to boost her quest for another title and a chance to further improve her world ranking.

The WTA rankings, meanwhile, has Australian Ashleigh Barty at no. 1, followed Simona Halep of Romania at no. 2, Naomi Osaka of Japan (third) Sofia Kenin of the United States (fourth) and Elina Svitolina (fifth).

Completing the top 10 are Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic), Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus), Bianca Andreescu (Canada), Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic), and Kiki Bertens (Netherlands).

American Serena Williams is at no. 11. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Women’s basketball league sets first-ever virtual draft for Feb. 7

TEAMS competing in the inaugural season as a professional league of the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) may start building up their rosters through the its first-ever draft set for Feb. 7.

To be done virtually, the draft will allow the teams to further shore up their squads in addition to the direct-hire players they are allowed to sign.

A lottery to determine the order of the draft and the release of the official list of draftees will take place on Tuesday.

WNBL officials said 17 teams signified their intention to join the newly recognized pro league, but after thorough evaluation of their applications, only six teams made the cut.

Primary consideration in the application was the ability of the teams to sustain their operations to protect the players and help ensure league stability.

“We are very careful now that we are a pro league already. We are really very careful on this because the financial capability of the team really matters in ensuring that players will be compensated well and commitment to the players will be delivered on time,” said Rhose Montreal, WNBL executive vice-president, in a release.

Under league guidelines, teams can avail of the “protect six” rule in which they directly sign players without them going through the draft. However, teams will lose the right to select in the draft from the first to sixth round depending on the number of their direct-hire players.

Aside from the six teams, the Go For Gold Lady Sailors will also see action in the first season of the WNBL pro as a guest team and will have no draft picks.

In the lead-up to the draft, a draft combine was held at the Victoria Sports Center in Quezon City in December, where player aspirants got to show what they are capable of for selection.

The draft combine was done under strict health and safety protocols supervised by the Games and Amusements Board and the local government.

Following their recognition as a pro league last year, Ms. Montreal said giving women basketball players a platform to continue what they are doing is a driving force for them.

“Even before the pandemic, there were plans to bring the WNBL to the next level, which was to turn pro,” said Ms. Montreal.

The draft was originally set for an earlier date, but was delayed by quarantine restrictions in place. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Bouldering gym in Makati resumes operations

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

FOLLOWING a temporary six-month closure because of the coronavirus pandemic, The Bouldering Hive (bhive) in Makati City has opened for business once again to cater to rock climbers of various levels who are out to further sharpen their skills.

The only gym in Metro Manila dedicated to bouldering, bhive, which is located at Ayala Malls, Circuit Makati, is excited to be back in operation and resume its push to grow the exciting rock climbing form in the country.

For the uninitiated, bouldering is a unique form of rock climbing that requires only two things — chalk and climbing shoes.

Ropes and harnesses are not necessary, making the activity a relatively simple and inexpensive activity for anyone to pick up if they so do want.

Climbs can be up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) tall or relatively low, with a one foot-thick safety mat that allows climbers to return to the ground with a soft landing.

The bouldering gym opened in September 2019 and was steadily gaining a following and establishing itself as a community center for new and experienced climbers until the pandemic put everything to a stop.

“Climbers have their office, their home, and The Bouldering Hive. We designed this gym to help foster a community. It’s become a place where people gather multiple times a week to meet friends and push themselves or just have fun. We’ve also hosted events, competitions, and activities that bring together Metro Manila’s growing climbing community,” said bhive founder Christoph Bastin in a release.

“The pandemic has brought these events to a stop, but the sense of community is still strong,” he added.

ADAPTING
Like all businesses during this time of the pandemic, bhive has made the necessary adjustments in its health and safety protocols, coming up with added measures to ensure a safe environment for climbers.

The measures in place are the submission of all climbers of health declarations and temperature checks upon entry; mask must be worn at all times (free masks are provided in case the mask gets too wet); the gym’s capacity is limited to 40 visitors per time slot; three separate time slots are allotted per day to reduce the risk of exposure among visitors; and each slot is three hours long, with 30-minute breaks in between to sanitize the gym.

Also part of the measures are routine disinfection of the climbing walls every day; all climbers must wash their hands before and after their workout; only liquid chalk (a mixture of climbing chalk and alcohol) is permitted on-site to keep hands dry and also disinfect hands regularly during climbing; showers are currently closed and unavailable for use; and CO2 levels are monitored at the gym and a high level of ventilation inside the gym is maintained.

Now back in operation, Mr. Bastin is hoping bhive’s ascent continues and appreciation for bouldering here goes deeper.

“It (bouldering) is a 3D puzzle, you solve with your body. This is a way people can try something new and overcome their limits, like a fear of heights. We have a saying in the climbing community, ‘feel the fear, but do it anyway.’ You can climb at your own pace and experience the joy of overcoming your limits,” Mr. Bastin said.

The Bouldering Hive is located at the Upper Ground Floor at Circuit Lane, Ayala Malls, Circuit Makati. It houses 400 square meters of climbing walls, air-conditioning, a coworking space, and lockers. Rates for climbing start at P600.

For more information, log on to http://www.bhiveph.com or follow The Bouldering Hive on Facebook and Instagram (@bhiveph).

Messi hits goal 650 in Barça win

BARCELONA — Lionel Messi scored his 650th goal for Barcelona while Antoine Griezmann struck the winner in a 2-1 home success over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Sunday, avenging a defeat by the Basque side in the Spanish Super Cup final.

Messi curled in a stunning free kick after 20 minutes for his milestone goal on the same day the club pledged to sue Spanish newspaper El Mundo for publishing the full details of the Argentine’s contract.

Ronald Koeman’s side recorded a fifth straight Liga win and moved above Real Madrid into second on goal difference with 40 points, 10 behind Atletico Madrid who have a game in hand.

Messi had missed a gilt-edged chance at the start when he fired straight at keeper Unai Simon and Barça spurned several more opportunities to increase their lead before halftime.

Athletic, who had won their previous five matches in all competitions in a flying start under new coach Marcelino, failed to get going but levelled in the 49th thanks to an own goal.

Jordi Alba tried to prevent Athletic’s Oscar de Marcos reaching a cross, but instead prodded into the Barça net.

The hosts struggled to respond but finally restored their lead in the 74th when Griezmann knock home a cross from Oscar Mingueza. — Reuters

Russell Westbrook lifts Washington Wizards to wild win over Brooklyn Nets, 149-146

RUSSELL Westbrook hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds remaining as the host Washington Wizards posted an unlikely 149-146 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night.

Washington’s only lead was briefly in the second quarter before the frenetic final seconds that saw them overcome a five-point deficit in the final 12.3 seconds. Bradley Beal’s 3-pointer from the top of the key with 8.1 seconds left got Washington within 146-144.

Washington had a chance to tie or get the lead when Garrison Matthews intercepted an inbounds pass by Joe Harris intended for Kevin Durant with 6.8 seconds left. He quickly dished to Westbrook, who sank a 3-pointer over Kyrie Irving with 4.3 seconds.

After Brooklyn used two timeouts, the Nets could not score when Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot’s point-blank layup rolled around the rim and out with seventh-tenths of a second remaining. After officials ruled there was still time remaining, Beal hit two free throws for the final margin.

Westbrook scored 15 of his season-high 41 points in the fourth quarter as Washington snapped a four-game losing streak and he also added 10 rebounds and eight assists. Beal added 22 of his 37 as Washington beat the Nets in the final seconds for the second time this season after overcoming a nine-point deficit in the final 4:54.

Durant scored 37 and Harris added a career-high 32 for the Nets, who saw a four-game winning streak stopped and played without James Harden (left thigh contusion). Irving added 26 and Jeff Green contributed a season-best 23 for Brooklyn, which shot 56.8% and led by 18 late in the first quarter. — Reuters

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