PSE index drops on fears of a fresh surge in cases

July 19, 2021 | 9:00 pm

PHILIPPINE shares started the week in the red as concerns over the Delta variant of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continued to dampen market sentiment.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) lost 106.63 points or 1.59% to close at 6,587.20 on Monday, while the broader all shares index declined by 53.39 points or 1.29% to 4,084.55.

“Philippine shares were sold again ahead of the holiday and as investors keep vigilant on the Delta variant spreading globally and more key data set to be released,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said in a Viber message.

Financial markets are closed on Tuesday, July 20, in observance of Eid’l Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice.

“Market still had some lingering growth downgrade hangover and so the selling. The Delta plus variant spread is another concern,” First Metro Investment Corp. Head of Research Cristina S. Ulang said in a separate Viber message.

“A wall of worry seems to have built up in the approach to ghost month which is traditionally a weak period,” she added. “But dropping US Treasury yields create a more benign backdrop for local liquidity, supportive of both fixed and equities markets.”

Fitch last week revised its outlook for the Philippines from “stable” to “negative” while maintaining its “BBB” rating for the country, citing the impact of the prolonged coronavirus pandemic.

The “negative” outlook means Fitch may downgrade the Philippines’ credit rating if it reverses reforms or departs from the prudent macroeconomic policy framework that leads to continued higher fiscal deficits.

Meanwhile, the Health department on Friday reported 16 infections of the Delta variant of COVID-19, with 11 of these being cases of local transmission. The country has recorded 35 Delta cases so far.

Health experts from the OCTA Research Group have warned of a fresh surge in COVID-19 infections once the more transmissible variant spreads in Metro Manila.

The country reported 5,651 new cases on Monday, bringing the total infection tally to 1,513,396. Active cases stood at 47,561 while deaths were at 26,786.

All sectoral indices closed lower on Monday. Property shed 96 points or 3% to 3,104.36; services dropped by 27.42 points or 1.73% to close at 1,557.73; holding firms went down by 79.05 points or 1.18% to 6,572.25; financials shaved off 16.94 points or 1.16% to end at 1,436.81; industrials lost 53.24 points or 0.56% to 9,340.61; and mining and oil inched down by 36.81 points or 0.38% to 9,613.30.

Value turnover decreased to P6.54 billion with 2.11 billion shares switching hands on Monday, from the P7.59 billion with 2.4 billion issues traded on Friday.

Decliners outnumbered advancers, 159 against 43, while 48 names closed unchanged.

Net foreign selling declined to P362.2 million on Monday from the P939.35 million logged on Friday. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Philippine Coast Guard drives away China warship

July 19, 2021 | 8:33 pm

Chinese navy warship — PHOTO FROM PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD

THE PHILIPPINE Coast Guard on Monday said it had driven away a Chinese warship in the South China Sea, in another sign of tension between the two nations.

The Coast Guard had sent a verbal challenge to a Chinese warship spotted at Marie Louise Bank, it said, citing a July 13 report. The Chinese vessel eventually moved away from the area.

The foreign vessel sent a radio message identifying itself as “Chinese Navy Warship 189” and asked the Philippine ship tailing it to keep distance, the Coast Guard said.

The two nations’ vessels have been locked in a standoff in the South China Sea for months after hundreds of Chinese ships swarmed the disputed territory earlier this year.

The Philippines has repeatedly protested the ships’ presence and has been backed by the US, while Beijing has said its actions were normal and legitimate.

The Philippines under the late President Benigno S.C. Aquino III sued China before the arbitration court in the Hague given its island-building and military activities in the South China Sea. The court in 2016 favored the Philippines in a decision that China has ignored.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who has sought closer trade and investment ties with China since he became President in 2016, in March belittled the legal victory, saying it was just a piece of paper that could end up in a trash bin.

“I pursued it but nothing happened,” he said in a televised speech in Filipino on May 5. He added that between scalawags, one could always say that “it’s just a piece of paper and I would throw it in the waste basket.”

Philippine legislators have been urging Mr. Duterte to boost Philippine alliance with the US. The tough-talking leader had criticized the US for what he claimed was its ill treatment of its former colony.

Under Mr. Aquino’s watch, the Philippines signed an enhanced defense cooperation pact with the US, the country’s key western ally.

Mr. Duterte had not decided whether to keep a visiting forces agreement with the US, his spokesman earlier said.

The President in February last year said he would end the deal on the deployment of troops for war games after the US Embassy canceled the visa of his ally Senator Ronald M. de la Rosa, his former police chief who led his deadly war on drugs.

US-based geospatial imagery firm Simularity, Inc. has said Chinese ships could also be dumping human wastes in other parts of the South China Sea claimed by the Philippines.

Simularity’s earlier report showing swarms of Chinese ships anchored in Philippine-claimed areas in the South China Sea dumping human waste only covered Union Banks, founder and Chief Executive Officer Liz Derr told a virtual forum last week.

Ms. Derr noted that based on their calculations, 2,596 pounds or more than a ton of human wastes were being dumped around the Spratly and Paracel Islands daily.

She also asked Philippine authorities to validate their report. “I wholeheartedly encourage the government to validate our findings, question our findings, understand the science and see for themselves.”

She issued the call after Philippine authorities downplayed the firm’s report that human waste and wastewater have accumulated at Union Banks in the resource-rich Spratly Islands, where more than 200 Chinese ships have moored.

Ms. Derr said there are ways to address the issue that would not lead to an “international incident.”

Environment Undersecretary and spokesman Benny D. Antiporda on Wednesday downplayed the report, saying the image showed not waste discharge but most probably oil spill.

Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana also questioned the report, saying it was only based on multi-spectral satellite images.

Ms. Derr said the raw sewage had led to the overgrowth of harmful algae in the disputed area, threatening marine life and damaging corals.

Mr. Lorenzana has said concerned agencies were verifying the report.

A group of congressmen has filed a resolution calling on the House committees on aquaculture and foreign affairs to investigate the report.

Senator Ralph G. Recto also asked the government to verify the Simularity report and file charges in court if needed. He said the government could not fine sidewalk litterers while turning a blind eye to this.

Mr. Recto noted that ships are barred by domestic and international laws from dumping their trash in the oceans.

Under Philippine laws, such are environmental crimes that carry a jail term and a hefty fine, he said. Even without these laws, decent human behavior commands civilized men not to turn rich fishing grounds into a “cesspool of feces,” he added.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. has branded the report as fake.

Simularity on Wednesday said its reports were not intended to be political. Ms. Derr has said she could not immediately verify if the ships were from China, but said the Philippine Coast Guard had taken numerous photos of these ships since March “and they are clearly Chinese.” — Norman P. Aquino with Bloomberg News

Delta variant death toll climbed to 3, says Health department

July 19, 2021 | 8:32 pm

vaccination — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

ONE more patient infected with the Delta coronavirus variant has died, bringing the death toll to three, Health authorities said on Monday.

The 78-year-old patient from Baybay, Antique province in central Philippines was tagged as recovered on July 16 but was later reported as a death, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire told reporters in a Viber message. The patient died on May 28.

A crew member of a foreign vessel died of the Delta variant on May 19 and a 58-year-old female resident of Manila died on June 28, she said.

Of the 35 Delta variant patients in the country, including 11 locally acquired cases, 32 have recovered, Ms. Vergeire said.

She said the city of Manila had traced three dozen contacts of the two Delta variant patients from the city. A stricter lockdown could be imposed in some areas, but not the entire city, she added.

Still, only a granular lockdown is advised for Manila City, Ms. Vergeire said separately in a televised news briefing. “But everyday, we will be assessing the situation if there is a need to escalate restrictions, she said in mixed English and Filipino.

Anthony C. Leachon, a former pandemic official, earlier said local transmission of the Delta variant might have been underreported in the absence of genome surveillance studies particularly in hotspots outside the National Capital Region.

Philippine Genome Center Executive Director Cynthia P. Saloma had said the agency could only sequence 750 samples weekly.

Ms. Vergeire said the agency could test 1,500 samples weekly once it gets more machines. The center would extend its capacity to its networks in the Visayas and Mindanao.

“The ideal when you do whole genome sequencing is to be able to do it among at least 5% of positive cases in the country,” she said. “We are not at 1% tayo and we aim to expand our capacity to reach the ideal number.”

At the same briefing, Health Undersecretary Leopoldo J. Vega said the government was trying to find ways to provide high-risk areas high-flow oxygen machines.

About 55% of intensive care unit (ICU) beds in the country had been used as of July 18, presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. told the same briefing.

About 46% of isolation beds and 43% of ward beds in the country had been occupied, he added.

Mr. Roque said about 42% of ICU beds in Metro Manila had been used. He added that 39% of isolation beds and 33% of ward beds in the capital region had been occupied.

The Department of Health (DoH) reported 5,651 coronavirus infections on Monday, bringing the total to 1.51 million.

The death toll rose to 26, 786 after 72 more patients died, while recoveries increased by 5,332 to 1.44 million, it said in a bulletin.

There were 47,561 active cases, 91.9% of which were mild, 1.9% were asymptomatic, 2.7% were severe, 1.88% were moderate and 1.6% were critical.

The agency said 10 duplicates had been removed from the tally, seven of which were tagged as recoveries.

Eighty-eight recoveries were reclassified as active cases, while 39 recoveries were reclassified as deaths. Six laboratories failed to submit data on July 17. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

DoT reassessing tourism income projections due to continued pandemic uncertainty

July 19, 2021 | 8:32 pm

Airport-empty-PHILSTAR-RUDYSANTOS — PHILIPPINE STAR/ RUDY SANSTOS

THE DEPARTMENT of Tourism (DOT) could further reduce its projections for inbound tourist arrivals and receipts as pandemic-related uncertainties persist.

“We already drafted the reformulated national tourism development plan (NTDP), however we are now recalibrating again – actually it’s not a target but rather the scenario of the figures that we would like to look into because of this uncertainty,” Office of Tourism Development Planning OIC-Director Warner M. Andrada said.

He said the department is still looking into uncertainties on market responses to the country’s economic outlook and travel restrictions.

“We’re currently now adjusting the different scenarios that we have initially estimated in our reformulated NTDP,” Mr. Andrada said.

The department will return to its consultants to project different market responses to different scenarios, he added.

Tourism revenues last year dropped 83% to P81.4 billion after border closure and other pandemic-related restrictions prompted a significant decline in foreign visitors .

Less than 1.5 million tourists arrived in the country in 2020, down 82% from the previous year.

Preliminary data compiled by the Philippine Statistics Authority showed tourism’s direct gross value added accounted for 5.4% of gross domestic product in 2020, down from 12.8% in 2019.

The initial NTDP 2016-2022 targeted P3.9 trillion in total revenues and 12 million inbound tourist arrivals by 2022. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Anti-Terror Council tags NDFP as terrorist group

July 19, 2021 | 8:31 pm

THE ANTI-TERRORISM Council has designated the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) as a terrorist organization, citing its link to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

In a resolution dated June 23 and released to the public on Monday, the council said the NDFP is “organized, controlled, acting on behalf or at the direction of, and operated by the Communist Party of the Philippines — a designated terrorist organization.”

Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said the designation does not mean members of the NDFP will be arrested because “the principal effect of designation… is the freezing of bank accounts and other financial assets of the designated person entity, not immediate arrest.”

Leaders of the NDFP, which defines itself as a “revolutionary united front organization of the Filipino people fighting for national freedom and for the democratic rights of the people,” were involved in the aborted peace talks between the government and the CPP.

Meanwhile, the CPP said in a statement on Monday that the designation is a scheme of President Rodrigo R. Duterte “to draw away attention from the regime’s crimes against humanity and its policy of attacking civilians in the course of waging its dirty counterinsurgency war.”

CPP also said the designation was done to “further (shut) all doors to peace negotiations as a means of resolving the roots of the civil war in the country.”

In May, the government released a list naming 19 members of the CPP and its armed group New People’s Army, and 10 members of Mindanao-based militant groups, as terrorists. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

Fishers, coalition oppose planned Dumaguete City reclamation project

July 19, 2021 | 8:31 pm

DumagueteBoulevard-DUMAGUETECITY.GOV.PH — DUMAGUETECITY.GOV.PH

GROUPS OPPOSING the proposed 174-hectare reclamation project in Dumaguete City are reinforcing their actions to pressure the government for more transparency and reconsider the plan. “The environmental catastrophe that the reclamation project would bring to the marine ecosystem is one thing, but having a Chinese firm as its subcontractor is quite another. We all know how China rampantly occupies our exclusive economic zone and exploits our marine resources at the expense of the livelihood of our fisherfolks and the national patrimony,” said fishers’ group PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson Fernando L. Hicap in a statement on Monday. PAMALAKAYA, which stands for Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas, said it aims to unite the local fishing communities with environmental and science groups in voicing out their opposition against the reclamation project, and the ‘creeping Chinese encroachment’ in different parts of the Philippine seas. Mr. Hicap said aside from its environmental effects, the P23-billion reclamation project should be strongly opposed since it would involve China-based Poly Changda Overseas Engineering Co. as a subcontractor. The developer of the reclamation project is E.M. Cuerpo, Inc., a Filipino construction firm based in Quezon City. Recently, PAMALAKAYA urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to reject the project due to its adverse impact on the marine environment, coastal communities, and local fish supply. “Having China in the picture makes the Dumaguete reclamation project not only an environmental and socio-economic concerns, but also a matter of national patrimony. This is not development, this is profit-driven project and foreign takeover in disguise,” he said.

CONSULTATIONS
Meanwhile, a coalition called NO to 174DGTE also announced its opposition against the reclamation project, which is touted to become a “smart city.” The reclaimed area will host a clubhouse, heliport, yacht club, retirement villas, high-rise commercial and residential buildings, and malls. In a position paper, the coalition called for “respectful” dialogue and “meaningful” public consultations that will check the social, cultural, ecological, and economic implications of the reclamation project. “We have been told that the island will be a ‘smart city’ but a smart city is an informed city. The public was not informed of the unsolicited proposal by E.M. Cuerpo, nor of E.M. Cuerpo’s prior arrangements with the Chinese company Poly Changda Overseas Engineering Co., nor of the negotiations between Dumaguete City and E.M. Cuerpo in Feb. 2020 that led to a draft joint venture agreement,” the group said. “We object (to the reclamation) because an unnatural island along the coast will concentrate malodorous pollutants from our canals and drains in the narrow stream of water between the coast and island. It will increase flooding in our low-lying coastal communities as the natural flow of rivers and creeks is disrupted,” it added. Aileen P. Maypa, a representative of NO to 174DGTE, said in a mobile phone message that the coalition consists of environmental groups, youth groups, private institutions, and environmental lawyers, among others. The Dumaguete City government, in a project brief posted on its website, said it will “make sure the concerns of all stakeholders” will be submitted to the Philippine Reclamation Authority and the Environment department. The local government said the project will give “tremendous revenues” from business and real property taxes as well upgrade the city’s classification to highly-urbanized from a 3^rd class. “There will be public consultations,” it said, as soon as the engineering and other technical studies are completed. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Olongapo court junks anti-terrorism case against indigenous farmers

July 19, 2021 | 8:31 pm

THE OLONGAPO City court has dismissed the first recorded case relating to the new anti-terrorism law, filed against Japer T. Gurung and Junior U. Ramos, two farmers belonging to the indigenous Aeta community.

The court said the prosecution failed to prove the identities of the accused as perpetrators of the crime of violation of Section 4 of Republic Act No. 11479 or the Anti-Terror Law.

A release order was also issued for Messrs. Gurung and Ramos.

“The inconsistencies of the soldiers on the presence of the accused at the crime scene and the profiling of the accused, and the presence of the danger signal in their identification of the accused cast doubt on their testimonies that accused were the perpetrators of the crime,” the court said in its decision dated July 15 and released to reporters on Monday.

The court explained that the soldiers may have “misidentified” the two as “both are Aetas who share with other Aetas common physical characteristics of dark skin tones, short statures and curly hair,” and because they only saw the two “for the first time on the day the gunfight happened.”

It further said there were multiple inconsistencies with the sworn statements and testimonies of the two soldiers who stood as witnesses for the military.

The court also said that the two farmers were unlawfully arrested, which invalidates the warrantless search on them.

As such, the court said their cases for alleged violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and for illegal or unlawful possession of firearms are also dismissed.

Messrs. Gurung and Ramos were accused of being members of the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which has been tagged by the government as a terrorist organization.

The two were arrested by the military on Aug. 21, 2020 and have since been detained at the Olongapo City Jail.

In a joint statement on Monday, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples welcomed the dismissal of the case, saying the decision clearly shows “that our Justice system works, hears and decides cases fairly, without fear or favor.”

NTF ELCAC spokesperson Marlon P. Bosantog also told reporters that they “have no plan at this point” to pursue counter charges against the military. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

Storms, southwest monsoon bring rains to western side of Luzon, Palawan

July 19, 2021 | 8:30 pm

RAINS IN the western side of Luzon and Palawan Island are expected until Tuesday due to the southwest monsoon that is being enhanced by tropical storm Fabian as well as another storm that is not yet within the Philippine area, according to state weather agency PAGASA.

“Under the influence of the southwest monsoon that is being enhanced by Fabian and the Tropical Storm Cempaka estimated at 945 kilometers west of extreme northern Luzon (outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility), monsoon rains will be experienced in the next 24 hours over Ilocos Region, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan,” PAGASA said in its 5 p.m. bulletin on Monday.

Fabian was almost stationary at its location 1,075 kilometers east-northeast of northern Luzon as of 4 p.m. It was packing winds of 95 km per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 115 km/h.

The tropical storm, the 6th typhoon to enter the Philippines this year, was not expected to make landfall nor brings heavy rains in any part of the country.

However, residents and disaster managers in Batanes and Babuyan Islands, the northernmost islands in the country, were advised to continuously monitor for any shift in the storm’s direction.

Fabian is forecast to further intensify and may reach typhoon category by Tuesday afternoon or evening.

Janssen to the provinces

July 19, 2021 | 8:29 pm

Delivery of the one-dose Johnson&Johnson’s Janssen vaccines to the different regions across the country started Monday, boosting the vaccination drive against coronavirus in the provinces. In the Eastern Visayas Region in central Philippines, 131,200 Janssen doses were received from the initial 3.2 million doses donated by the US government. Also delivered were 8,300 doses of AstraZeneca. The Department of Health’s regional office said senior citizens, and adults with comorbidities are the priority recipients for Janssen. “The primary goal for this single-shot vaccine is to give accessibility to communities isolated due to distance and transportation difficulties, since they don’t have to come back for a second dose, potentially easing its distribution,” the Health office said.

Successful foray for Filipino Alex Eala in Milan tournament

July 19, 2021 | 7:55 pm

FILIPINO tennis ace Alex Eala capped a successful foray at the 61^st Trofeo Bonfiglio tournament in Milan, Italy, by adding the girls’ singles title on Sunday (Manila time) to the doubles championship she won the previous day.

Rafa Nadal Academy scholar Eala, 16, defeated Czech Republic’s Nikola Bartunkova in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, in the finals of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior grade A tournament.

It was in follow-up to her doubles conquest along with American partner Madison Sieg on Saturday, where they edged the tandem of Lucija Čirić Bagarić of Croatia and Sofia Costoulas of Belgium in three thrilling sets.

Ms. Eala was in her element in the singles finals, never allowing her opponent to gain much traction in the contest.

She raced to a 5-1 lead in the opening set and was not threatened thereafter for the 1-0 lead in the match.

The second set took the same route with Ms. Eala creating a considerable separation, 4-1, early on.

Ms. Bartunkova tried to rally back, but it was rendered limited as Ms. Eala took advantage of the opportunities she got to close out the proceedings to book the win and the title.

Globe ambassador Eala had it impressive in her run to the singles title.

She breezed through the first two rounds with straight-set victories over Brenda Fruhvirtova of Czech Republic and Kayla Cross of Canada in that order.

In the third round and quarterfinals, Ms. Eala was tested by Ksenia Zaytseva of Russia and Ms. Costoulas, respectively, taking her to the full route of three sets each time but came out triumphant.

Russian Mirra Andreeva stood in her way in the semifinals, but there was no stopping the Filipino bet, winning in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2.

The title was the second for Ms. Eala in the ITF this year after the W15 Manacor tournament in Spain in January.

“What an Amazing Week! Thank you to the Tennis Club Milano – Torneo Bonfiglio for the beautiful tournament,” wrote Ms. Eala in a Facebook post after her campaign.

She went on to thank her supporters and sponsors for rallying behind her.

The Trofeo Bonfiglio tournament was held from July 10 to 18 at the Tennis Club Milano Alberto Bonacossa and hosted the best under-18 tennis players on the international scene. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Ice-cool Morikawa wins blazing hot British Open

July 19, 2021 | 7:55 pm

SANDWICH, England — American debutant Collin Morikawa produced an ice-cool final round to win the British Open by two strokes on a blazing hot afternoon at Royal St. George’s on Sunday.

The 24-year-old began the day a stroke behind Louis Oosthuizen but played picture-perfect golf in a four-under round of 66 to overhaul the South African and resist resurgent fellow American Jordan Spieth in a three-way battle.

Morikawa barely missed a fairway all day as he made four birdies and dropped no shots, showing incredible composure late on as Spieth applied pressure down the stretch.

He never looked like cracking though and his fourth sub-par round of the week saw him finish on 15-under 265 — his remarkable consistency born out by the astonishing statistic of only four bogeys all week.

Spieth, who was bidding to win his fourth major and first since the 2017 Open, started his final round badly with two bogeys in his first six holes but an eagle at the seventh launched a gallant chase of Morikawa.

The packed galleries, enjoying a memorable finale after last year’s cancelation, roared on Spieth but despite a return to his best, he was unable to catch Morikawa, finishing 13 under, left to rue his bogey-bogey finish the night before.

Oosthuizen ended in a tie for third with Spain’s US Open champion Jon Rahm, four shots back after a storming finish.

He led from round one and posted the lowest-ever Open total for 36 holes but wilted and finished with a one-over 71.

Morikawa had the luxury of a two-shot lead as he teed off from the 18^th tee before striding down the fairway and two-putting for a victory that never looked in doubt to become the first player to win two majors on debut, having also claimed the 2020 PGA Championship.

The last debutant to win the Open was American Ben Curtis in 2003, although whereas Curtis was ranked 396^th at the time, Morikawa is the world number four.

He only turned pro in 2019 but the University of California graduate has now won two of his first eight majors.

PERFECT CONDITIONS
The finale to a riveting 149^thOpen was beautifully poised as clear blue skies and light winds provided the perfect conditions for a duel under the sun.

Morikawa collected six successive pars to climb into a share of the lead after Oosthuisen bogeyed the fourth.

Spieth bunkered his tee shot at the par-three sixth and dropped his second shot of the round before an eagle at the seventh flicked the switch.

Morikawa tapped in a birdie at the seventh, but for playing partner Oosthuizen that was where everything went wrong.

His second shot went into a greenside bunker, his third into another bunker, before flying his escape across the green, eventually limiting the damage with a bogey six.

That put Morikawa two shots clear and he turned the screws with birdies at eight and nine to briefly go four clear.

Spieth was not giving up the chase but Morikawa was nerveless, saving par on the 10^th with a long putt.

Oosthuizen briefly came alive with a birdie at the 11 after almost holing his tee shot, but Morikawa was relentless.

His poor shots were as rare as trees on the coastal links, and even when he did play one, as he did with his second to the 15^th, nothing could knock him out of his stride.

With Spieth just two behind, Morikawa was in trouble in the rough next to the downward sloping green, but the Californian made a sensational up-and-down to save par and he kept Spieth at arm’s length thereafter.

American four-time major winner Brooks Koepka carded the day’s joint best score, a 65 taking him to a tie for fifth while his archrival Bryson DeChambeau ended an eventful week with a 65 also, although he was never in contention.

Shane Lowry’s admirable defense of the trophy he won in 2019 saw him finish in a tie for 12^th after a final round 69. — Reuters

Sports heroes honored at Hall of Fame ceremonies

July 19, 2021 | 7:55 pm

PSHOF-(2) — THE latest enshrinees of the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame

TEN Filipino sports heroes took their places in the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame (PSHOF) in virtual ceremonies held at the weekend.

Legends Paulino Alcantara (football), Robert Jaworski (basketball), Eric Buhain (swimming), Elma Muros-Posadas (track and field), and Arianne Cerdeña (bowling) led the latest batch of enshrinees to the PSHOF in the event on Sunday, which had President Rodrigo R. Duterte honoring them.

Also feted were Dionisio Calvo (basketball and football coach), Gertrudes Lozada (swimming), Rogelio Onofre (athletics) and Olympic bronze medalist boxers Leopoldo Serrantes and Roel Velasco.

“It is a great honor and privilege for me to congratulate the newest batch of sports icons that we enshrined into the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame. On behalf of a grateful nation, let me thank our athletes for bringing pride and honor to our country,” said Mr. Duterte during the ceremony, organized by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and broadcast over PTV 4.

“Through your dedication and excellence in your respective sports, let your achievements inspire the younger generation of Filipinos to work harder in their chosen fields so that one day they can make our nation proud as you have made us all proud,” the President added.

The 10 enshrinees received P200,000 each plus a PSHOF trophy.

“It’s a privilege that I’ve presided over the selection committee. It was not easy to decide who among our past heroes will be chosen. Not everyone can become a part of the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame,” said PSC’s Ramirez.

Adding, “They are great examples for our youth, they are living heroes and these heroes will have an impact on the lives of our children, the future of our country.”

Mr. Ramirez also chairs the PSHOF, created by virtue of Republic Act 8757, or the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame Act. Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham Tolentino serves as the vice-chairman.

In coming up with the latest batch of enshrinees, the process involved going through a series of selection and reviews done by a panel of sports officials and media practitioners. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo