Vista Mall and Star Mall thriving in the new normal

June 21, 2021 | 6:36 pm

Following safety protocols and wearing protective gear like face masks and face shields are quickly becoming a way of life for most Filipinos.

While these measures are needed to ensure the public’s health and safety, the new norm continues to affect how businesses operate.

“The early days of the pandemic were really difficult for everyone, and this was specially true for malls whose primary resource is people,” says Camille Villar, managing director of the Vista Land Commercial Division. “Vista Mall and Starmall locations, however, were in the unique position of being centers of community. This helped us quickly adapt and recognize where and how we could thrive by helping our communities manage the challenges of the pandemic.”

Using this as a guide, Vista Land was able to roll out several initiatives that not only provided conveniences to their customers but allowed the company to support their tenant partners as well.“To be able to thrive, we had to learn to pivot,” Camille adds.

And since the pandemic forced everyone to stay home, Vista Mall and Starmall partnered with logistics provider GetAll, also under the Villar Group of Companies, to establish a shopper service under a unified hotline. This shopper service is currently active across the entire 30-mall network of the Villar Group.

SAFETY GUARANTEED

As the economy is slowly picking up, the question of safety still looms heavy over commercial centers. Even with the vaccine rollout, keeping its customers and employees safe remains a top priority for Vista Mall and Starmalls.

In fact, Vista Mall and Starmalls locations recently received the “safety seal” from the Departments of Health, Labor, Interior and Local Government, Tourism, and Trade and Industry. This certification is a guarantee that Vista Mall and Starmall have met minimum public health standards set by the government in managing the pandemic in aid of the reopening of the economy.

The seal also gives shoppers peace of mind that they can shop and dine at Vista Mall and Starmalls anytime.

GET THE JAB DONE

Vista Mall and Starmalls are also proud participants in the government’s initiative to roll out the vaccine. In cooperation with the city and municipal governments of Las Pinas, Taguig, Dasmariñas, Tanza, and Bataan, five Vista Malls across the country are now official sites for the DOH-led vaccination efforts, improving accessibility to the vaccine not only for the community at large but for retail frontliners as well.

“We believe that the inoculation of everyone — in this case, especially our essential workers — is a key milestone on the road to our economic recovery from the impacts of COVID-19,” Villar points out. “Health — Especially the vaccine rollout — is a core personal advocacy of mine. Partnering with the DOH and our esteemed local governments to administer the vaccine is not only for us but for every family and worker affected by the pandemic. This effort is going to be of great help in ensuring families are better protected from COVID-19. We will be announcing more Vista Malls as vaccination sites as soon as possible” she discloses.

COMMUNITY-CENTERED

Vista Mall and Starmall continue the tradition of being involved members of their communities by putting the spotlight on local trade. In partnership with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry, the Villar chain of malls launched two initiatives: “Farm To Table AgriMarket” which supports local farmers, craftsmen, and Kalakal Community Market, which is currently in Vista Mall Sta. Rosa.

The Farm To Table AgriMarket showcases locally sourced fresh & frozen produce and handmade Filipino crafted goods from vendors all over the Philippines. The AgriMarket allows these businesses to reach out to a wider audience and introduce their quality products to more potential buyers. This opportunity does not only benefit the local vendors but also the customers by giving them access to locally and ethically sourced goods.

CELEBRATE WITH CARE

Filipinos still find ways to honor and celebrate family amid the pandemic. With the upcoming Father’s Day festivities, Vista Mall and Starmall celebrate daddy’s day with My Dad Rocks!, a collection of fun activities in keeping with the safety priorities of the pandemic. These include a virtual concert and fan meet with Silent Sanctuary, themed automotive displays, various deals and discounts from tenant partners, and a TikTok challenge for the digital young and young-at-heart.

For information about the many initiatives, Vista Mall and Starmall are implementing as they thrive in #NavigatingTheNewNormal, visit Vista Mall’s official Facebook Page at facebook.com/vistamallofficial, Starmall’s official Facebook Page at facebook.com/StarmallOfficial, or through the Vista Mall website at www.vistamalls.com.ph.

US envoy for North Korea eyes ‘positive’ response on dialogue

June 21, 2021 | 6:36 pm

SEOUL — The United States’ new top envoy for North Korea said on Monday in Seoul that he looks forward to a “positive response soon” on dialogue from North Korea.

US special representative for North Korea Sung Kim is in South Korea for a five-day visit, amid an impasse in denuclearization talks with Pyongyang, with no word of any planned efforts to contact the North.

“We continue to hope that the DPRK will respond positively for our outreach and our offer to meet anywhere, anytime without preconditions,” Mr. Kim said, using the initials of North Korea’s official name.

Mr. Kim arrived on Saturday, a day after North Korean state media reported that leader Kim Jong Un urged preparation for both dialogue and confrontation with the United States, particularly the latter.

“We will be prepared for either, because you know, we are still waiting to hear back from Pyongyang for a meeting,” Mr. Sung Kim said. “Hopefully dialogue indicates that we will get a positive response soon.”

In the meantime, the United States will continue to enforce U.N. Security Council resolutions that have imposed sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear weapons program and urge other countries to do the same, Mr. Kim said.

Mr. Kim, who doubles as ambassador to Indonesia, had back-to-back meetings with South Korea’s top nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, as well as a trilateral session involving his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi.

Mr. Noh said he and Mr. Kim discussed ways to cooperate and facilitate the “prompt” resumption of dialogue with North Korea. Mr. Noh and Mr. Funakoshi were also scheduled to have a bilateral meeting to discuss North Korea.

Mr. Kim’s appointment came after US President Joseph R. Biden’s administration conducted a review of North Korea policy that concluded the United States would seek to find “calibrated and practical” ways of inducing Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.

The United States said on Sunday it saw Kim’s comments as an “interesting signal,” but added that Washington was still waiting for direct communication from Pyongyang to start any talks relating to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

China is North Korea’s only major ally, and is seen as a key player in any efforts to resolve tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

In a rare op-ed published in North Korea’s main state newspaper on Monday, China’s top envoy to Pyongyang, Ambassador Li Jinjun emphasized the long-standing ties between the two countries.

With the relationship between China and North Korea at a new starting point, they will strengthen communication at every level and boost cooperation to “contribute to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity,” Mr. Li wrote. — Reuters

Indonesia police investigates death of politician who opposed remote mine

June 21, 2021 | 6:32 pm

JAKARTA — Indonesian police are looking into the death of a politician from Sulawesi island who opposed a gold mine project there, after environmental groups and the human rights commission called for an investigation.

Helmud Hontong, 58, the deputy regent of the remote Sangihe islands, in North Sulawesi province, was pronounced dead on arrival at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in the city of Makassar on June 9.

Canadian mining firm, Baru Gold Corporation, which owns 70% of the Indonesian company granted the mining concession on Sangihe, said it strongly denied any suggestion of links to the death or that it had caused any environmental damage.

Police have set up a team to investigate the death, Jules Abraham Abast, a spokesman for the North Sulawesi police, said.

Initial results of an autopsy did not show any indication of poison, police said in a forensic report, adding that the suspected cause of death was chronic illness. Forensic samples had been sent for further testing, police said.

Ahmad Taufan Damanik, chairman of Indonesia’s human rights commission Komnas HAM, said it had asked police to investigate after receiving complaints from Sangihe island residents.

The politician had appeared to be in good health before boarding a Lion Air flight on Bali island but complained of feeling dizzy about 20 minutes after takeoff, his aide, Harmen Kontu, who was sitting beside him at the time, told Reuters.

Mr. Helmud “lost conscious (ness) and blood flowed from his mouth and nose” soon afterwards, Mr. Kontu said.

Mr. Helmud opposed the 42,000 hectare gold mine concession granted to PT Tambang Mas Sangihe. The central government gave the greenlight for the mine earlier this year.

PT Tambang Mas Sangihe is 70% owned by Canadian firm Baru Gold Corporation and 30% by combined interests, according to the Baru Gold website.

Baru Gold President and CEO Terry Filbert said in a statement that the company denied unfounded accusations over any link to the death of the politician in the strongest possible terms.

“The company has conducted itself, and will continue to conduct itself, in accordance with all laws, rules, and regulations,” he said.

Baru Gold said it had undertaken an environmental study and “outlined in detail a meticulous strategy to mitigate disturbances to the rare flora and fauna of the island”.

Environmentalists say the mining concession, which covers more than half of Sangihe Island — the main island in the group — is a threat to ancient forests, at least 10 species of birds and water supplies for residents.

On April 28, Mr. Helmud wrote to the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry urging it to revoke the mine permit on environmental grounds, the ministry said.

The letter had been received and representatives of the ministry were scheduling a meeting with authorities in Sangihe to discuss the mine, Ridwan Djamaluddin, an official from the ministry, said in a statement.

Alfred Pontolondo, coordinator of the Save Sangihe Island environment group, said Mr. Helmud had been close to the island’s residents and opposed the mine “because of his love for the island”.

“I don’t want to speculate on his death,” he said. “Let the police process it legally if there’s any suspicion.” — Reuters

Ikea and Rockefeller foundations plan to give $1 billion for clean energy

June 21, 2021 | 6:31 pm

IN A move to kickstart the energy transition globally, the Ikea Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation announced today that they will each donate $500 million to support distributed renewable generation projects in developing nations.

Roughly 2.8 billion people worldwide don’t have access to reliable power, according to the United Nations, but the two philanthropies estimate these funds will bring energy to a billion of them over the next decade. Further, since the partnership will target communities that might otherwise rely on fossil fuels for power generation either now or in the future, they expect that the combined gift will reduce carbon emissions by a billion metric tons.

“Really nothing has ever been attempted even close to this kind of scale when it comes to bringing renewable energy to the world’s poor,” said Rajiv Shah, president of the Rockefeller Foundation. The two foundations said their money will be used to “de-risk” the kind of projects private capital has tended to shy away from and will be shared through a new third public charity. This, Mr. Shah said, will help increase their leverage through private corporations and international development agencies.

The announcement comes as rich countries are under growing pressure to deliver on a decade-old climate finance pledge. In 2009, wealthy nations promised to mobilize $100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing countries deal with the worst impacts of climate change and invest in green technologies. But a meeting of Group of Seven (G7) leaders last week merely reiterated a promise to reach the milestone, even though it was supposed to have been achieved last year. They reached $78.9 billion in 2018, far short of the $100 billion agreed, according to the latest data from the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development.

The question of who pays to tackle climate change is essential to ramping up efforts to rein in temperatures. Poor countries say they need funding if they’re to step up their carbon-cutting ambitions and invest in the technologies needed to wean themselves off fossil fuels. The investment divide is particularly stark in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, with rich countries investing trillions in recovery while poor nations struggle to recover.

China has been investing heavily in energy generation in developing nations for well over a decade. In 2019 and 2020 alone — an anemic period due to the pandemic — China pumped over $20 billion into energy projects in developing nations, according to information gathered by The American Enterprise Institute, a Washington-based think tank. This included coal projects as well as renewable projects in solar, hydro and nuclear, as well as grid investments.

“We need to be honest and recognize that the current approach is not delivering the impact the world needs in the time that we have,” said Per Heggenes, chief executive officer of the Ikea Foundation. “This is all about acceleration.”

If wealthy nations are to fulfill their $100 billion promise, it will likely be through a mix of public funding and private finance, said Jennifer Layke, global director of energy at the World Resources Institute, a non-profit not party to the agreement. “Some of the persistent challenges with getting markets to change and getting investment to flow into the developing world have remained really sticky problems,” she said.

Ms. Layke also said that philanthropies could play an important role in unsticking the market by supplying seed capital to model projects that demonstrate their viability — exactly what Rockefeller and Ikea partnership was designed to do.

“This is absolutely seed capital,” Mr. Shah said. “It’s risk capital, so that we can motivate others to provide more commercially oriented investment capital to take these to scale.”

He pointed to India, where Rockefeller spent a decade funding 200 micro-solar grids to serve remote villages. Once the kinks were worked out, India’s own Tata Power agreed to expand the project to 10,000 grids.

Ikea has made similar investments in the past, but the two hope that by combining forces, they will be able to leverage billions more dollars and move at a new scale.

The partners say they have a roster of shovel-ready projects across India, Africa and Latin America. Rockefeller already signed commitments for development from both the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, and the US International Development Finance Corporation, America’s development bank. — Bloomberg

Rahm wins US Open

June 21, 2021 | 6:23 pm

As Oosthuizen falls short again

SAN DIEGO, CA — Jon Rahm became the fourth Spanish major champion when he finished with two brilliant birdies to capture the US Open on Sunday.

He edged South African Louis Oosthuizen by one stroke in a wild battle of attrition that finally turned into a two-man race as several other contenders came unglued on the difficult back nine at Torrey Pines.

Rahm was the only contender to avoid a bogey on the inward half, and he timed his run perfectly by sinking lengthy, sharply-breaking putts at the 17^th and 18^th holes.

He shot 67 for a six-under-par 278, and was confirmed as the champion when Oosthuizen was unable to eagle the par-five 18^th.

Rahm dedicated his victory to his late countryman Seve Ballesteros, who died a decade ago of brain cancer. Ballesteros won five majors, but never the US Open.

“This is definitely for Seve. I know he wanted to win this one most of all,” said an emotional Rahm moments after clinching the title.

The win comes a fortnight after Rahm was withdrawn from the Memorial tournament after testing positive for coronavirus before the final round. He had a six-shot lead at the time.

“I’m a big believer in karma and after what happened a couple of weeks ago, I stayed really positive knowing big things were coming,” he said.

“I didn’t know what it was going to be but I knew we were coming to a special place. I got my breakthrough win here and it is a very special place for my family.”

While Rahm celebrated, Oosthuizen pondered another major near-miss.

Though Oosthuizen birdied the final hole for a 71, it was another bitter pill for the likeable South African, who also finished runner-up at last month’s PGA Championship, and now has six career second-placings in the four tournaments that comprise the grand slam. — Reuters

Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala trusting the process

June 21, 2021 | 6:23 pm

Ealafun — “I THINK it’s important to keep wanting to improve and keep wanting to work hard whether you win or you lose. There’s going to be good times and hard times, but that’s part of being a tennis player and being an athlete,” said Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala. — ALEX EALA FB PAGE

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

HARD work and commitment to improve pay off — a lesson that is very clear for Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala.

Making significant waves in the last two years as a juniors player, and, recently in the professional circuit, Ms. Eala, 16, shared that it has been fun seeing her growth as a player in a sport she is passionate about.

But she admits there is still much to be done and achieved; something she is looking to work for with help from the people who have her back, including those at the Rafa Nadal Academy where she is a scholar.

“I think it’s important to keep wanting to improve and keep wanting to work hard whether you win or you lose. There are going to be good times and hard times, but that’s part of being a tennis player and being an athlete,” said Ms. Eala in a virtual press conference with local sportswriters on Sunday.

“It’s always important to stay positive; having the right people around you, pushing you to be the best you can be.”

The long-time Globe ambassador counts the girls doubles titles in the Australian Open (2020) and French Open (2021) and a couple of International Tennis Federation pro titles this year as a junior-exempt player as among her standout feats in the last two years.

Ms. Eala said she is proud of all of them but that she is not dwelling too much on the results at this point in her career.

“I’m not focusing too much on results at the moment. My goal right now is improving my overall game. I believe the results will just follow,” she said.

Next for Ms. Eala is the Wimbledon Championships which is to kick off later this month.

She is competing in both the girls’ doubles and singles events. Ms. Eala said they have reached out to a number of individuals to partner with in the Wimbledon doubles event but they have not decided yet on a particular player.

In the recent French Open, Ms. Eala had Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva as partner in her run to the title.

After Wimbledon, Ms. Eala said her schedule is pretty much open and dependent on the situation with the pandemic.

She underscored though that work for her definitely continues.

“I’m having a fun time [playing]. Tennis is something I really enjoy. It’s not all fun, of course, because you have to work to stay fit and on top of your game. But that’s part of the job.”

Gilas Pilipinas looks to build on gains from FIBA ACQ

June 21, 2021 | 6:23 pm

GilasTab — THE journey towards improvement continues for Gilas Pilipinas following a successful campaign in the recently concluded FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. — FIBA

THE journey towards improvement continues for Gilas Pilipinas following a successful campaign in the recently concluded International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia Cup Qualifiers (ACQ).

This was shared by Gilas program director and head coach Tab Baldwin following their 82-77 victory over rival Korea on the final day of competition in the qualifiers, which completed for them a sweep of all six matches in the pandemic-disrupted tournament.

“We still have a lot of work to do. We can’t get ahead of ourselves. This is a good start but we have to stay focused again, going back to that theme of improvement,” said Mr. Baldwin at the post-game press conference.

The national men’s basketball team coach commended the all-cadet Gilas players for the manner with which they competed just as he expressed hope that they get to stay the course so as to achieve their collective goal of achieving success for the team and country.

“This is a great group of guys to work with… But the fact is this is a long-term job and in order to do this job well, at the level we hope to get to, we have to put in the work,” he said.

It will be a short turnaround for Gilas as it will be competing in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Belgrade, Serbia, from June 29 to July 4.

Gilas will be playing with the host country and the Dominican Republic in Group A in the OQT where one Olympic spot is up for grabs.

The Philippines earned a spot in the qualifiers after New Zealand withdrew from various FIBA tournaments, including the OQT, over coronavirus-related concerns.

Playing in Group B are Puerto Rico, Italy, and Senegal.

Mr. Baldwin said their lineup will be coming from the same pool of players who saw action in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers for continuity.

“The players that we have here in this bubble are the players that will go to Serbia. We have to leave one or two players behind, but the 12 players for the OQT will be taken from this group here,” he said.

Fifteen players composed the pool for Gilas in the FIBA ACQ, namely: Dwight Ramos, Justine Baltazar, SJ Belangel, RJ Abarrientos, Javi Gomez De Liaño, Will Navarro, Angelo Kouame, Mike Nieto, Isaac Go, Jordan Heading, Carl Tamayo, Geo Chiu, Kai Sotto, Jaydee Tungcab and Lebron Lopez.

The Gilas coach said they are expecting a tough road in the OQT but reiterated the valuable experience to be gained by the players in Serbia.

The nationals return to work for the Olympic qualifiers this week, including playing the Chinese team, which also saw action in the ACQ, in a pair of tune-up matches. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Back to the drawing board for Dasmariñas — analyst

June 21, 2021 | 6:22 pm

FILIPINO boxer Michael Dasmariñas — ALVIN S. GO

FILIPINO boxer Michael “Hot and Spicy” Dasmariñas had it rough in his first fight in the United States, torn down with body shots by undefeated Japanese champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue in three rounds of their scheduled 12-rounder title fight on Sunday.

It was an outcome that should send the Camarines Sur native, the number one contender for Mr. Inoue’s World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation bantamweight world titles, back to the drawing board, one local fight analyst said.

“[The] talent is there, no doubt about it. But people forget that getting ranked is different from getting a quality opponent. It’s not synonymous,” said analyst Nissi Icasiano in a post-fight interview with BusinessWorld.

The analyst said that while Mr. Dasmariñas has had success in his boxing career as attested by his winning record of 30-3-1, he still lacks the “best competition” in his resume, citing the limited quality fighters that the Filipino had face before Mr. Inoue, which include Lwandile Sityatha and Manyo Plange.

Mr. Icasiano said Mr. Dasmariñas had a right approach against Mr. Inoue but failed to follow through on it.

“He had the right approach. He knew that being tentative would put him in a tough predicament. It was beautiful because he had angles. But my only gripe was that he didn’t generate offense from that movement. He didn’t want to get touched by Inoue, too wary of the punches,” the analyst said.

“He failed to use his length and stance; never created distance with his right jab that could create traps, setups or diversion from a southpaw stance. He was too reliant on his left straight, and we all know that you have to do more than that to put the Japanese knockout artist off his game.”

Mr. Dasmariñas’ corner also did not make the needed adjustments, Mr. Icasiano pointed out.

“Since the second round, the ploy was hit with a jab-straight combo, forcing Dasmariñas to a high guard. However, that left him open for a brutal body shot. From there, Inoue knew he had it,” he said.

But despite the tough loss, Mr. Icasiano said all is not lost yet for Mr. Dasmariñas.

“Michael is only 28. So there is a lot ahead of him. The good takeaway from this fight is that he got a feel of what it is like to be at the elite level. [Again] the talent is there. But you have to put that talent to the test. Iron sharpens iron,” he said. “Michael Dasmariñas needs fights that will bring out the best in him to prepare him for the boxers at the upper echelon.” — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Suns GM James Jones named NBA executive of the year

June 21, 2021 | 6:22 pm

PHOENIX Suns general manager (GM) James Jones was named National Basketball Association (NBA) executive of the year on Sunday.

The Suns posted the league’s second-best regular season record at 51-21. They reached the Western Conference Finals with a six-game series win over the Los Angeles Lakers and a four-game sweep of the Denver Nuggets.

Jones was honored the same day the team he helped construct tipped off the conference finals at home against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Jones, 40, played 14 seasons in the NBA for the Indiana Pacers, Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers before joining the Suns’ front office. He was first the vice-president of basketball operations, then given the general manager position on an interim basis in 2018 before the interim title was lifted several months later.

He was the architect of the trade that brought Chris Paul to Phoenix from the Oklahoma City Thunder last November. Paul was named All-NBA second team in 2020-21.

Jones received nine of the 30 first-place votes and earned 65 total points. Utah Jazz executive vice-president of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey was a close second with 61 points (nine first-place votes), and Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks finished third with 51 points (five first-place votes).

The award is voted upon by a panel of one executive from all 30 teams. — Reuters

Hawks upset no. 1 seeded 76ers in Game 7; Booker’s 40-pt triple-double carries Suns past Clippers

June 21, 2021 | 6:22 pm

KEVIN Huerter scored a playoff career-high 27 points, Trae Young added 21 points and 10 assists and the fifth-seeded Atlanta Hawks stunned the host Philadelphia 76ers 103-96 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday.

The Hawks will face the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals.

Young shot five of 23, but made a couple of clutch shots down the stretch.

John Collins had 14 points and 16 rebounds while Danilo Gallinari had 17 points and Clint Capela 13 for the Hawks, who reached the conference finals for the first time since 2015. The Hawks won three games at Philadelphia in this series.

Joel Embiid led the top-seeded Sixers with 31 points and 11 rebounds yet committed eight turnovers. Tobias Harris added 24 points and 14 rebounds, Seth Curry had 16 points and Ben Simmons contributed 13 assists.

The Sixers haven’t reached the conference finals since 2001.

The Hawks led 48-46 at half time thanks in large part to Huerter’s 12 points. Young shot just one of 12 in the opening half.

Embiid had 15 points but committed four turnovers and appeared to tweak his injured right knee shortly before half time.

The game was tight throughout the third as the Hawks moved out to a 64-63 advantage with 4:45 left after a tough jumper by Huerter. He was fouled as well but missed the free throw.

Matisse Thybulle scored four late points in the period, but the Hawks closed the third strong and led 76-71.

Embiid scored the first five points of the fourth — a jumper and a 3-pointer — to tie the game at 76 with 10:37 to go.

The Hawks missed their first nine shots of the fourth but trailed only 81-77. Gallinari then connected on a trey to close the Hawks within one.

Young drove scored on a runner with 5:11 left to give the Hawks an 86-84 lead.

Embiid responded with a jumper with 4:14 remaining to tie the game at 86.

Young drained a deep 30-foot trey with 2:31 to go, and the Hawks led 93-87.

The Sixers went on a 5-0 run to close within one with 1:09 remaining.

Huerter was then fouled on a 3-pointer and dropped in all three for a 96-92 lead with 54 seconds left.

A Gallinari steal and dunk put Atlanta up 98-92 with 42 seconds left.

SUNS DRAW FIRST BLOOD
Devin Booker posted his first career triple-double Sunday afternoon, when he scored 40 points and collected 13 rebounds and 11 assists as the Phoenix Suns outlasted the visiting Los Angeles Clippers (120-114) in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

Booker scored 16 consecutive points for the Suns in the third quarter and 29 in the second half for second-seeded Phoenix, which was without All-Star point guard Chris Paul (health and safety protocols).

Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday night in Phoenix. Considering the Clippers dropped the first two games in each of their first two series this postseason, Booker said the series is far from over.

Making the Suns’ victory more impressive was doing so in their first playoff game this spring without their floor leader Paul. Even without their starting point guard, the Suns tallied a playoff high 31 assists in Game 1.

Paul George scored 34 points and dueled with Booker throughout the second half for “I like the way Devin did it, he didn’t inject himself into the game, he just did it out of what we do,” Suns head coach Monty Williams said about Booker’s duel with George. “I think the poise of our team was important in that moment. When a guy’s making shots like that, it’s easy to become deflated.”

Deandre Ayton scored 20 points for Phoenix with nine rebounds while Mikal Bridges (14 points), Jae Crowder (13 points), Cameron Johnson (12 points) and Cameron Payne (11 points, nine assists) also got into double digits.

Reggie Jackson had 24 points and DeMarcus Cousins added 11 points off the bench for the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard missed his third straight game with a right knee injury.

Neither team led by more than five points in the first half, during which there were 18 lead changes and eight ties, before George (16 points) and Booker (18 points) put on a show in the third quarter, when they combined to score almost half the combined points generated by both teams.

The Suns took their first eight-point lead at 76-68 on a pair of free throws by Booker with 7:13 left. George then scored eight straight points to tie the score before Booker drained a turnaround jumper to put Phoenix up 78-76. But Jackson sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around a basket by Ivica Zubac to complete the 16-2 run that gave the Clippers an 84-78 lead. — Reuters

QBO-assisted startups hit Q2 targets, seek investors in order to scale

June 21, 2021 | 5:53 pm

Early-stage startups that participated in QBO Innovation Hub’s incubation program secured their growth targets in the second quarter of 2021 and are now looking for investors.

“The goal of the program is to help these select startups set their business up for long-term success. We worked with them to help them understand their customers, improve the customer and user experience, and refine their products and services,” said Carlo Yaptinchay, QBO’s startup development program head, in a statement, “After six months, most of these startups are now looking to expand their customer base, link up with partners, and find investors.”

QBO’s virtual program, which ran from November 2020 to May 2021, helped each venture digitize operations and reach target revenues. COCOTEL, a hotel aggregator, reached an average of P1 million worth of transactions per month for four months; Panublix, a textile sourcing platform, generated over P300,000 in sales for community enterprises; and Last Mile, a logistics service innovation company, grew by 200% in transactions within one quarter.

The 13 participating startups are:

AkadsPH, an online service that streamlines the process of booking tutorial sessions for students using a system that matches them with tutors;
COCOTEL, a hotel brand and aggregator of getaway destination hotels that prevents overbooking through its property management system;
Panublix, a collaborative sourcing platform based in Iloilo City that connects Philippine weavers with the fashion market;
EveGrocer, a subscription-based online grocery, that offers waste-free commodity products;
iRentMo, a rental marketplace community that brings renters together across different industries with an app;
Spare, a financial solution that allows small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to give digital change;
Ventii Eats, a discovery and delivery platform for specialty food;
RaceYaya, a portal for live and virtual events for the endurance sports community;
Fitscovery, a marketplace that provides trainers and gym studios with tools to digitize;
XPERTO, an online events management platform for learning programs designed and delivered by professional organizations, associations, and experts;
InterLeukin, a web platform for end-users, medical purchasers, and suppliers automating the procurement process from end-to-end;
Last Mile, a digital logistics service innovation company that offers fleet management, riders-for-hire marketplace, and third-party fulfillment;
and SmarterMeter, a device that helps consumers save electricity by giving real-time data and analysis about their consumption.

“The pandemic may have delivered a huge blow to our economy, but these startups have shown that they have the expertise, grit, and muscle to help industries digitize and deliver value,” said Katrina R. Chan, executive director of QBO. — B. H. Lacsamana

Plastic Credit Exchange revamps system, uses blockchain technology

June 21, 2021 | 4:43 pm

Plastic Credit Exchange (PCX), a Filipino non-profit plastic offset program, partnered with Microsoft to develop a public, blockchain-protected credit registry.

“It is important that the credit registry is trustworthy and available to the public,” said PCX founder and chair Nanette Medved-Po in a statement. “By using blockchain technology to not only protect the ledger but provide transparency around additionality and protect against double counting, stakeholders will know where and how they positively impact the environment.”

Similar to carbon markets that use carbon credits to limit companies’ production of greenhouse gases, PCX uses plastic credits to limit the number of plastics that businesses produce.

Companies in the Philippines who have purchased plastic offsets include Nestle Philippines and Unilever Philippines. Meanwhile, companies like PepsiCo Snacks, Wyeth Nutrition, Century Pacific Food, Colgate-Palmolive, and NutriAsia have pursued plastic neutrality in the country.

According to PCX, these partnerships have helped divert over 18 million kilograms of plastic waste from the ocean.

“Sustainability and humanity’s response to it is one of the greatest challenges of our lifetime — a planet-sized challenge that requires a planet-sized response,” said Microsoft Philippines Country Manager Andres Ortola in a statement. “Technology can — and must — accelerate that response.”

Microsoft provided an Azure-based blockchain solution to beef up the credit registry’s security, using a web application to integrate the blockchain into PCX’s current operations.

PCX’s blockchain-protected credit registry can be found plasticcreditexchange.com, where it shows how much plastic credit each corporation has bought. — B. H. Lacsamana