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Just cut the dolomite beach losses

PEOPLE gather at the artificial white sand beach along the shore of Manila Bay. — PHILIPPINE STAR / MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

FROM out of the blue, at a televised meeting of his COVID-19 Task Force, President Duterte justified the dolomite beach “nourishment” project by defending his choice of Roy Cimatu as his Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources. He, typically, cited his personal trust in Cimatu as having worked in Davao when he was mayor there. Therefore, it seems, in his opinion, Cimatu, who happens to be a retired general, can do no wrong.

Look at the facts.

We are trying to deal with a humongous pandemic crisis. There is not enough money to pay for all the vaccines that we need. Nurses and other healthcare frontliners have not been getting their hazard pay, let alone their basic salaries. Millions of people have lost their jobs or their businesses. Government revenues have been decreasing due to reduced tax collections from businesses which are closing or losing money, plus reduced consumer spending: a source of business incomes and VAT collections. Social welfare “ayuda” benefits for the needy, including the newly needy as a result of the pandemic, are not enough to prevent more and more involuntary hunger and deaths caused by inability to pay for expensive anti-COVID treatments. Besides, hospitals, which are losing their frontliners, are unable to cope with the unprecedented demand for rooms, medicines, patient care, and survival equipment.

Government certainly has to prioritize between basic needs and wants.

The Manila Bay artificial beach project at best is definitely not a need, but a want, if at all. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) justifies it as something that the public needs. A beach in the heart of the capital city! We can’t even swim in highly polluted Manila Bay! Can’t we just enjoy the most beautiful sunset in the world? Can’t we just sit on the sea wall and watch for the awesome view like I used to when I lived there?

When the “beach” was opened to the public, the people who went there forgot the social distancing protocols in place because of the pandemic. So, surveillance and security personnel had to be mobilized to supervise the crowds which included children. These required additional operating costs that surely were not anticipated.

After the project was “completed,” when the rains came, as they always do, black sand covered the “white” dolomite fake sand. The DENR claims that the dolomite beach was not washed away by the rain, but that the black sand from the bay covered the dolomite. What difference does that make? The artificial beach was ruined. Engineering cures had to be shoveled in place to keep the dolomite beach from getting submerged. Did that mean more unplanned spending? Marine biologists say that the quick fixes will not last as they work against nature. Dolomite is not indigenous to Manila Bay’s environment. It is destructive to marine life there. The fish kill that followed the construction of the dolomite beach testifies to this. Of the hundreds of “beach nourishment” projects in the world, the Manila Bay project is the only one using dolomite, which is crushed into sand after being mined in Alcoy town in Cebu province. We haven’t even studied the impact the dolomite mining will have on the environment of Alcoy and Cebu province.

If the government persists in operating and maintaining the artificial Manila Bay beach project, are we prepared to allocate more and more funds to this ill-conceived and unnecessary project? We are a poor country and getting poorer. Government loans are already at the record highest in history.

Secretary Cimatu obviously was not asked the usual question that President PNoy would ask his Cabinet: “Is this the best use of the people’s money?” Last I checked, the initial budget for the dolomite beach was P389 million. This year, another P265 million has been allocated. More will be provided for 2022 when the beach “nourishment” project is supposed to be completed. Additional funds will have to be provided annually for the destructive heavy rains and typhoons that come to our Pacific island country. These climate disasters will continue to visit us with increasing frequency and severity with unmitigated climate change.

Mr. President, this is not personal. This is not about relationships. This is about responsibility for the people’s money.

Mr. President, let’s just cut our losses. Drop the project now. Just let it die. We cannot continue to spend money on it that we cannot afford. This is the plain and simple, sensible and practical option among several worse ones. Let’s just acknowledge it as a terrible mistake.

 

Teresa S. Abesamis is a former professor at the Asian Institute of Management and Fellow of the Development Academy of the Philippines.

tsabesamis0114@yahoo.com

AI, employee privacy and COVID-19

JCOMP-FREEPIK

For more than a year now, the current COVID-19 pandemic has affected “how we do things” in all aspects of our lives. Apart from “shocking” our health systems, this pandemic forced companies to adapt in order to survive, drastically changing working arrangements. Caught in a difficult exercise of balancing interests of protecting health and providing continuous employment, most companies implemented remote working or work-from-home (WFH) arrangements for their employees. Among others, companies implemented tools and processes to ensure that WFH employees remain productive and comply with the company rules and policies. The deployment of technological resources such as artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor WFH employees prove to be efficient, especially for those that deal significantly with confidential records and personal information of various clients and customers. Nonetheless, concerns have been raised whether the use of AI in WFH employee monitoring (such as use of webcams integrated in WFH PCs and devices) violate one’s right to privacy.

The National Privacy Commission’s (NPC) Advisory Opinion (AO) No. 2020-004 on “Guidelines on the Use of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) Systems” does not expressly prohibit the use of such work-monitoring AI tools since it applies to companies “engaged in the processing of personal data through the use of CCTV systems operating in public and semi-public areas.” A “semi-public” space refers to “a space that, even if privately owned, is accessible to the public during operating hours.” For an employee who is working remotely within the confines of one’s home and not in an “unsecure” public or semi-public area, this NPC AO does not squarely apply to the use of AI and other technological tools a company uses in connection with WFH computers or devices.

This notwithstanding, in an earlier opinion, i.e., Advisory Opinion No. 2018-084 on “Computer Monitoring,” the NPC stated that where the computer monitoring results in the collection of personal information of employees, employers are considered engaged in the “processing personal data” as defined under our privacy law, and thus, covered by the provisions of the Philippine Data Privacy Act of 2012 (DPA). As such, the monitoring of employee activities when the employee is using an office-issued computer (which clearly includes the use of A.I. software and other tools) is allowable under the DPA, provided that such “processing” falls under the criteria for lawful processing of personal data under Sections 12 (for non-sensitive personal information) and/or 13 (for sensitive personal information) of the DPA.

Under Section 12 of the DPA, the processing of non-sensitive personal information is permitted only if not otherwise prohibited by any law, and when at least one of any of the following conditions exists:

a.) Consent from data subject (in this case, the employee) is secured;

b.) Processing of personal information is necessary to the fulfillment of a contract with the data subject;

c.) Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation;

d.) Processing is necessary to protect important interests of the data subject (such as life and health);

e.) Processing is necessary due to national emergency, or public order and safety; or,

f.) Processing is necessary to pursue the legitimate interests of the company.

Meanwhile, Section 13 of the DPA provides that processing of sensitive personal information shall be generally prohibited, except in any of the following cases:

a.) Consent from data subject (in this case, the employee) is secured;

b.) Processing is provided for by existing laws and regulations, and that the latter guarantees the protection of the sensitive personal information and expressly provides that consent of the data subjects is not required;

c.) Processing is necessary to protect the life and health of data subject who is legally or physically unable to express consent;

d.) Processing is necessary for lawful, noncommercial objectives of public organizations so long as it is only confined and related to their members and consent of the data subject was obtained;

e.) Processing is necessary for purposes of medical treatment; or,

f.) Processing is necessary for the protection of lawful rights and interests of persons in court proceedings, or when provided to government or public authority.

Considering that the use of AI technology as a WFH monitoring tool is within the scope of the DPA, companies employing such security measures must ensure that the “processing” complies with the privacy principles of transparency, legitimate purpose, and proportionality. The company must first inform the employee of the legitimate purpose/s of the processing of personal data and obtain the consent of the employee with respect to the use and implementation of the AI technology. Moreover, the method of data collection must also be proportional to the fulfillment of the purpose/s of the company and the use of computer monitoring is allowed only if it cannot be fulfilled by any other less privacy-intrusive means.

Further, the NPC recommends that employers conduct a Privacy Impact Assessment and prepare a policy or set of guidelines on the use of the company-issued devices and equipment containing at least the following information: 1.) purpose/s that computer monitoring seeks to fulfill; 2.) circumstances of monitoring, including the time and place it may be conducted; 3.) kinds of personal data that may be collected in the course of monitoring; 4.) criteria for accessing monitoring records; 5.) retention period of recordings or footages; 6.) security measures pertaining to storage, disclosure and disposal of recorded information; 7.) authorized personnel who have access and control over the system in place; and, 8.) procedure on how employees may lodge a complaint in case of violation of their rights, including the right to access their own personal data collected. All the foregoing information are prescribed by the DPA and its implementing rules and regulations.

The invaluable help of attorneys Maria Isabel M. Llave (mmllave@accralaw.com) and Mary Erica D. Manuel (mdmanuel@accralaw.com) for the research involved for this article is acknowledged.

This article is for general informational and educational purposes only and not offered as, and does not constitute, legal advice or legal opinion.

 

John Paul M. Gaba is a Partner in the Intellectual Property Department of the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW).

jmgaba@accralaw.com

8830-0000

PBA Philippine Cup resumes

THE TnT Tropang Giga play the Blackwater Bossing in the resumption of play in the PBA Philippine Cup on Wednesday. — PBA IMAGES

Triple-header opens in Pampanga

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) resumes action in the All-Filipino tournament on Wednesday with a triple-header opening the return at the Don Honorio Ventura State University (DHVSU) in Bacolor, Pampanga.

After a month of stoppage to heed government directives after cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), particularly the Delta variant, rose in Metro Manila, the PBA is now proceeding with the elimination round of the Philippine Cup and looking to stay the course all the way to crowning a champion.

Three matches are on tap as the resumption begins, with the TnT Tropang Giga (3-0) taking on the Blackwater Bossing (0-4) in the 12:30 p.m. contest, followed by the San Miguel Beermen (3-1) against Terrafirma Dyip (0-4) at 3 p.m. League-leading Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok (4-0) face off with the Meralco Bolts (4-1) in the final match at 6 p.m.

Commissioner Willie O. Marcial expressed hope that their return will proceed with little hiccups as possible so they can finish the eliminations on schedule — targeted for Sept. 19 — and then the playoffs after.

The PBA Philippine Cup opened on July 16 with games held at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. Action was stopped after matches on Aug. 1 as Metro Manila was placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

The league spent the next weeks looking for areas which could hold its games, eventually finding a willing host in Pampanga, which is under a less strict Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) setup.

The resumption of play will be conducted under a “semi-bubble” environment, with player and team movements limited to hotel-game venue-hotel.

All the competing teams have been in different parts of Pampanga since last week to prepare for their return to action.

As per the protocols approved by the national and provincial government of Pampanga, Mondays are set for RT-PCR tests, with the results expected to come out the next day, while antigen testing of all the teams will be conducted in the morning of each play date.

In the tournament return, games will be played from Wednesday to Sunday, with triple-headers set for Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and double-headers on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Other teams seeing action are the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (4-2), NLEX Road Warriors (2-2), Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings (2-2), Alaska Aces (2-3), Northport Batang Pier (1-3), and Phoenix Fuel Masters (1-4).

TOP PERFORMERS
Meanwhile, Matthew Wright, Christian Standhardinger, and Jayson Castro, top performers in key individual categories prior to the tournament halt, look to extend their solid play in the resumption of action.

Phoenix’s Mr. Wright is the league’s top scorer, averaging 19.8 points in five games.

The Fuel Masters actually have two of the top scorers in the season-opening tournament so far, with teammate Vic Manuel right behind Mr. Wright with an 18.8-point average.

Completing the top five scorers are Kevin Alas of NLEX (18.5 points), Northport’s Robert Bolick (18.3), and Stanley Pringle of Barangay Ginebra (18.3).

Mr. Standhardinger, meanwhile, tops rebounding with 13 boards per outing in four matches with his new team Barangay Ginebra.

Coming in at second is Terrafirma sophomore Roosevelt Adams, who is averaging 10.7 rebounds, followed by TnT’s Troy Rosario (10.7) at no. 3.

Barangay Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson is fourth with 10.3 rebounds, with Alaska big man Yousef Taha fifth with 9.6 boards per game.

In assists, it is Mr. Castro who is showing the way with 6.7 dimes in three matches for TnT.

Kiefer Ravena of NLEX is at second spot with 6.5 per game, followed by Mr. Bolick with six assists per game. Tied at fourth spot are the trio of LA Tenorio (Barangay Ginebra), Chris Ross (San Miguel), and Mark Barroca (Magnolia), all with an average of 5.5 assists, while Chris Newsome of Meralco makes it at no. 5 with 5.4.

Philippines to play in Group A of FIBA World Cup Qualifiers

The Philippines will play in Group A of the Asia/Oceania region of the FIBA World Cup 2023 Qualifiers. — FIBA

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

The Philippines will play in Group A of the Asia/Oceania region of the FIBA World Cup 2023 Qualifiers. This was known following the official draw held in Switzerland on Tuesday.

Gilas Pilipinas is bracketed with New Zealand, Korea and India in the first round of the qualifying phase with games set to begin in November this year.

The country, however, is already assured of a spot in the World Cup, being one of the three host countries along with Japan and Indonesia, but the national team has made it known that it will go in the qualifiers seeking to do well as part of its preparation for the 2023 basketball event.

For Asia/Oceania, six spots are up for grabs in the 32-team field that will see action in the World Cup.

As hosts, the Philippines and Japan are automatically qualified but will play in the Asian Qualifiers first round and second round, advancing to the next phase as automatically qualified.

Indonesia, for its part, needs to be ranked among the top eight teams at the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 in order to receive automatic qualification as per the decision of FIBA’s Executive Committee. ​

New Zealand is the highest FIBA-ranked team in Group A at number 25, followed by Korea (29th), the Philippines (31st) and India (78th).

The rest of the groupings have Australia, China, Japan and Chinese Taipei in Group B; Jordan, Lebanon, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia in Group C; and Iran, Kazakhstan, Syria and Bahrain in Group D.

FIBA said each qualification window will last nine days, with the windows running until February 2023. The national sides play home and away games across each of these event windows.

The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup is scheduled to take place from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 with the Group Phase taking place in all three host countries, and the Final Phase of the tournament happening in the Philippines.

Taliban celebrates self-rule as last US troops leave Afghanistan

CELEBRATORY gunfire echoed across Kabul as Taliban fighters took control of the airport before dawn on Tuesday following the withdrawal of the last US troops, ending 20 years of war that left the Islamic militia stronger than it was in 2001.

Shaky video footage distributed by the Taliban showed fighters entering the airport after the last US troops took off a minute before midnight, marking the end of a hasty and humiliating exit for Washington and its NATO allies.

“The last US soldier has left Kabul airport and our country gained complete independence,” Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf said, according to Al Jazeera TV.

The US Army shared an image taken with night-vision optics of the last US soldier to step aboard the final evacuation flight out of Kabul — Major General Chris Donahue, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division.

America’s longest war took the lives of nearly 2,500 US soldiers and about 240,000 Afghans, and cost $2 trillion.

Although it succeeded in driving the Taliban from power and stopped Afghanistan being used as a base by al Qaeda to attack the United States, it ended with the hardline Islamic militants controlling more of the country than they ever did during their previous rule from 1996 to 2001.

Those years were marked by the brutal enforcement of the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic law, and the world is now watching to see whether it forms a more moderate and inclusive government in the months ahead.

Thousands of Afghans have already fled fearing Taliban reprisals. A massive but chaotic airlift by the United States and its allies over the past two weeks succeeded in evacuating more than 123,000 people from Kabul, but tens of thousands who helped Western countries during the war were left behind.

A contingent of Americans, estimated by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as under 200 and possibly closer to 100, wanted to leave but were unable to get on the last flights.

General Frank McKenzie, commander of the US Central Command, told a Pentagon briefing that the chief US diplomat in Afghanistan, Ross Wilson, was on the last C-17 flight out. “There’s a lot of heartbreak associated with this departure. We did not get everybody out that we wanted to get out. But I think if we’d stayed another 10 days, we wouldn’t have gotten everybody out,” Mr. McKenzie told reporters.

As the US troops departed, they destroyed more than 70 aircraft, dozens of armored vehicles and disabled air defenses that had thwarted an attempted Islamic State rocket attack on the eve of the US departure.

‘NATIONAL DISGRACE’
President Joseph R. Biden, in a statement, defended his decision to stick to a Tuesday deadline for withdrawing US forces. He said the world would hold the Taliban to their commitment to allow safe passage for those who want to leave Afghanistan.

“Now, our 20-year military presence in Afghanistan has ended,” said Mr. Biden, who thanked the US military for carrying out the dangerous evacuation. He plans to address the American people on Tuesday afternoon.

Mr. Biden has said the United States long ago achieved the objectives it set in ousting the Taliban in 2001 for harboring al Qaeda militants who masterminded the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

The president has drawn heavy criticism from Republicans and some of his fellow Democrats for his handling of Afghanistan since the Taliban took over Kabul earlier this month after a lightning advance and the collapse of the US-backed government.

Senator Ben Sasse, a Republican member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called the US withdrawal a “national disgrace” that was “the direct result of President Biden’s cowardice and incompetence.”

But Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse tweeted: “Bravo to our diplomats, military, and intelligence agencies. An airlift of 120,000 people in that dangerous and tumultuous situation is something no one else could do.”

Mr. Blinken said the United States was prepared to work with the new Taliban government if it does not carry out reprisals against opponents in the country.

“The Taliban seeks international legitimacy and support. Our position is any legitimacy and support will have to be earned,” he said.

The Taliban must revive a war-shattered economy without being able to count on the billions of dollars in foreign aid that flowed to the previous ruling elite and fed systemic corruption.

The population outside the cities is facing what UN officials have called a catastrophic humanitarian situation worsened by a severe drought.

A Taliban official in Kabul said the group wants people to lead an Islamic way of life and get rid of all foreign influences.

“Our culture has become toxic, we see Russian and American influence everywhere, even in the food we eat. That is something people should realize and make necessary changes. This will take time but will happen,” he said. — Reuters

Explained: What happens now that American soldiers are out of Kabul?

FOR THE FIRST TIME since 2001 there are no American troops in Afghanistan after the United States completed the evacuation of most of its citizens and thousands of at-risk Afghans.

More than 114,000 people have been airlifted from Kabul airport in the past two weeks as part of the US effort.

But the end of the US military involvement in Afghanistan raises a new set of questions for President Biden and his administration.

WHAT HAPPENS TO AMERICANS AND AT-RISK AFGHANS LEFT BEHIND?
The United States has evacuated more than 5,500 US citizens since evacuation flights began on Aug. 14. A small number of American citizens have chosen to continue to stay in Afghanistan, many of them so they can be with family members.

The Biden administration has said it expects the Taliban to continue allowing safe passage for Americans and others to leave Afghanistan after the US military withdrawal is completed.

But there are concerns about how those citizens will be able to leave if there is no functioning airport.

Tens of thousands of at-risk Afghans, such as interpreters who worked with the US military, journalists and women’s rights advocates, have also been left behind.

It is unclear what their fate will be but officials are concerned that the Taliban may retaliate against them. Follow Afghanistan News LIVE Updates.

The Taliban have pledged to allow all foreign nationals and Afghan citizens with travel authorization from another country to leave Afghanistan, according to a joint statement issued by Britain, the United States and other countries on Sunday.

WHAT HAPPENS TO KABUL AIRPORT AFTER US FORCES LEAVE?
For the past two weeks, the US military has been securing and operating Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport with nearly 6,000 troops.

The Taliban are in talks with governments like Qatar and Turkey to seek assistance to continue civilian flight operations from there, the only way for many people to leave Afghanistan.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday that repairs need to be made at Kabul airport before it can be reopened to civilian flights.

Turkey, which is part of the NATO mission, has been responsible for security at the airport for the past six years. Keeping the airport open after foreign forces hand over control is vital not just for Afghanistan to stay connected to the world but also to maintain aid supplies and operations.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE US-TALIBAN RELATIONSHIP LOOK LIKE?
The United States has said it does not plan to leave diplomats behind in Afghanistan and will decide on what to do in the future based on the Taliban’s actions.

But the Biden administration will have to determine how it is able to ensure a humanitarian and economic crisis does not break out in the country.

The United Nations says more than 18 million people — over half Afghanistan’s population — require aid and half of all Afghan children under 5 already suffer from acute malnutrition amid the second drought in four years. 

Some countries, including Britain, have said that no nation should bilaterally recognize the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan.

WHAT KIND OF THREAT IS POSED BY ISLAMIC STATE?
The one area of cooperation between the United States and the Taliban could be the threat posed by Islamic State militants.

There are questions about how Washington and the Taliban can coordinate and potentially even share information to counter the group.

Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), named after a historic term for the region, first appeared in eastern Afghanistan in late 2014 and quickly established a reputation for extreme brutality.

The group claimed responsibility for an Aug. 26 suicide bombing outside the airport that killed 13 US troops and scores of Afghan civilians.

The United States has carried out at least two drone strikes against the group since then and Mr. Biden has said his administration will continue to retaliate for the attack.

ISIS-K is a sworn enemy of the Taliban. But US intelligence officials believe the movement used the instability that led to the collapse of Afghanistan’s Western-backed government this month to strengthen its position and step up recruitment of disenfranchised Taliban members. — Reuters

Ida carves path of destruction across Lousiana as it heads northward

NEW ORLEANS — Ida, one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to hit the US Gulf Coast, knocked out power to more than a million homes in Louisiana on Monday and prompted rescue operations in flooded communities around New Orleans as the weakening storm churned northward.

Ida made landfall on Sunday as a Category 4 hurricane, 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina, evoking memories of a disaster that killed more than 1,800 people in 2005 and devastated New Orleans.

By late Monday afternoon, after dumping a deluge of rain in Louisiana and killing at least two people, Ida was downgraded to a tropical depression as its eye crawled through neighboring Mississippi. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said more fatalities were expected in his state.

“We didn’t have another Katrina and that is something that we should be grateful for. However, the impact is absolutely significant,” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell told a news conference.

City officials vowed to comb every neighborhood block by block to assess damage and aid the afflicted, seeking to reassure a majority Black city that felt abandoned by the US government after Katrina.

“No one will be left out,” Ms. Cantrell said.

President Joseph R. Biden declared a major disaster in the state, and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) sent 3,600 of its personnel and 3.4 million meals to the storm-devastated area.

Climate change is fueling deadly and disastrous weather across the globe, including stronger and more damaging hurricanes.

The National Guard said it has dispatched thousands of personnel as well as vehicles that can navigate flooded roads, boats and 34 helicopters to rescue people stranded by flooding.

Local officials and “Cajun Navy” disaster relief volunteers sped to the small city of Houma, where volunteers searched for people who were reported trapped by floodwaters.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto said he was coordinating a flotilla on Monday to rescue an estimated 400 people in Lafitte, a fishing community about 25 miles (40 km) south of New Orleans.

Another 40 people rode out the storm and appeared to be safe on the tiny barrier island of Grand Isle, just a few miles from where Ida made landfall at maximum strength on Sunday, Mr. Lopinto told WWL Radio.

A helicopter on a fly-over found people on Grand Isle flashing thumbs-up signs, Mr. Lopinto said.

Coast Guard aerial video showed widespread flooding on the island and significant roof damage to many homes.

The town of LaPlace, on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain, also sustained damage, with homes crushed by trees or surrounded by several feet of water. People waded through floodwaters to check on their loved ones.

“The sky went black and what you could hear was a tornado,” said Madeline Brewer, 30, shortly after being rescued by the US Army on Monday. “There was a whole tree that flew past.”

POWER OUT
Widespread power outages reached as far north as over 200 miles from where the hurricane made landfall. Many water systems in Louisiana were also out.

One transmission tower collapsed into the Mississippi River, the Jefferson Parish Emergency Management Department said.

The entire New Orleans metropolitan area lost power after the failure of all eight transmission lines that deliver electricity to the city, the utility company Entergy Louisiana reported.

Customers in the hardest-hit areas could experience power outages for weeks, Entergy said.

More than a million Louisiana electric customers and 92,000 in Mississippi remained without power, according to PowerOutage, which gathers data from US utility companies.

Oil production in the US Gulf of Mexico on Monday was almost completely shut off after the storm forced the evacuation of hundreds of oil and gas production platforms and drilling rigs, with 1.72 million barrels of output suspended, according to offshore regulator the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).

The closures are equivalent to 95% of the Gulf’s crude output and 94% of gas production.

PESTILENCE
Ida crashed ashore at a time when Louisiana is reeling from a resurgence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections that has strained the state’s healthcare system, with an estimated 2,450 COVID-19 patients hospitalized statewide, many in intensive care units.

Even so, early assessments indicate that the healthcare system in Louisiana largely escaped catastrophic damage.

Another encouraging development was that the $14.5-billion system of levees, floodwalls and gates erected after Hurricane Katrina seemed to have passed their first major test.

“There were no levee breaches or overtopping… There have been no issues with our pumps,” the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East said, adding that the system performed as designed.

Although Ida weakened over land it still threatened to generate tornadoes in Louisiana and storm surge warnings remained in place for the Gulf coasts of Mississippi and Alabama. — Reuters

Naomi Osaka the entertainer kicks off US Open title defense with 6-4, 6-1 win vs Bouzková

NAOMI Osaka of Japan in action against Marie Bouzková of Czech Republic in the first round on day one of the 2021 US Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie King National Tennis Center. — REUTERS

NEW YORK — Naomi Osaka came to Flushing Meadows to entertain and did not disappoint on Monday, overcoming a slow start to beat Czech Marie Bouzková (6-4, 6-1) and get her US Open title defense under way in front of a roaring capacity crowd.

Unseeded Ms. Bouzková held her own through much of the first set, but failed to convert on four break point opportunities against the Japanese four-time Grand Slam winner.

Ms. Osaka, who fired 21 winners but committed 13 unforced errors in the first set, broke Ms. Bouzková’s serve at 5-4 to win the opener and never looked back, winning the first five games of the second despite struggling with her first serve.

The world number three closed out the match with a forehand winner, offering a smile and a wave to the stands that were empty a year ago.

“I’m the type of player that wants to entertain a crowd as well. I think last year I was just really business,” she said.

“I wouldn’t try to hit a crazy serve or anything like that. Of course, I’m only one match in here and I don’t think I’ve gotten that distracted yet.”

Ms. Osaka’s only previous meeting with Ms. Bouzková came at the first round of the Australian Open in 2020, where she also won in straight sets.

“I thought today’s match was really tough. I haven’t played her in a while. I guess just to be able to be the first night match and to win in two sets was really important to me,” she told reporters.

In the run-up to the year’s final major, much of the talk around Ms. Osaka focused on her inconsistent play and relative lack of time on court as she crashed out in the third round of the Tokyo Olympics and the Western & Southern Open.

But the match marked a reassuring return to form for the 23-year-old, who looks the likeliest candidate to upset world number one Ash Barty on the New York hardcourts.

Ms. Osaka, who had her powerful forehand dialed in and held Ms. Bouzková to just 10 winners in the entire match, said she felt at home at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where she won her first major title three years ago.

“I’m always nervous during the first round in a Slam,” said Ms. Osaka.

“It felt kind of surreal to walk onto the court and to hear an actual audience this time. To see people and to hear their energy, because last year the automated crowd noise was kind of the same all the time.

“But here, people are reacting in real time, so it was cool.” — Reuters

Zamboanga taking it a step at a time in ONE grand prix

FILIPINO Denice Zamboanga will be one of eight female fighters seeing action in the about-to-start ONE Championship atomweight world grand prix later this week. — ONE CHAMPIONSHIP

FILIPINO fighter Denice “Lycan Queen” Zamboanga sees a tough challenge in the about-to-start ONE atomweight world grand prix and not getting ahead of herself, choosing to take it a step at a time.

Ms. Zamboanga, 24, ONE Championship’s number one-ranked atomweight contender, will take on Korea’s Seo Hee Ham (#5) in the quarterfinals of the highly anticipated fight series on Sept. 3 and is solely focusing on it for now.

“Right now, in this tournament, there’s a lot of work to be done. I have a very dangerous opponent in Seo Hee Ham, and I am not looking past her,” said the Philippine bet in a recent media forum.

“This is going to be a good fight. I just want to prove that I am the number one contender to the title again. I am completely focused on this fight,” she added.

Ms. Zamboanga has been undefeated in eight professional fights to date, including three in ONE. She last fought in August last year, winning by submission (keylock) in the opening round over Watsapinya Kaewkhong of Thailand.

While she is carrying momentum heading into the grand prix, she recognizes that at the onset of the tournament she is up against a tough competition in 34-year-old Ms. Seo (23-8), who is making her ONE debut, but is a veteran and has fought in different fight promotions, including the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

She said they have been training hard with her team at Marrok Force in Thailand, which includes her brother Drex and coach Fritz Biagtan.

“We have studied her (Seo) already and we know what we have to do during the fight,” Ms. Zamboanga said.

If she goes past the quarterfinals, Ms. Zamboanga will face in the semifinals either Ukraine’s Alyona Rassohyna or Stamp of Thailand.

Other grand prix quarterfinal matches have Itsuki Hirata of Japan against American Alyse Anderson, and Meng Bo of China versus Ritu Phogat of India.

The ONE atomweight world grand prix is part of the historic “Empower” event, which is featuring an all-female fight card, headlined by the strawweight world championship fight between reigning champion Xiong Jing Nan of China and Brazilian challenger Michelle Nicolini.

Meanwhile, the atomweight world grand prix alternate bout between Jenelyn Olsim of the Philippines and Grace Cleveland of the United States is not pushing through as the latter deals with medical issues.

In a lengthy Instagram post, Thai-American Ms. Cleveland said she is very disappointed to announce that she would not be competing in the grand prix as she has “been experiencing really bad dizziness for the past month.”

She has been consulting different medical experts about her condition and for now, she has deemed it fit to not to compete and risk long-term repercussions. Ms. Cleveland said she still hopes to return to the sport if her health allows her to.

Ms. Olsim of Team Lakay earned a spot in the alternate bout after winning by unanimous decision in a hard-fought fight against Vietnamese-American Bi Nguyen just last Friday. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Patrick Cantlay outlasts Bryson DeChambeau, wins BMW Championship

PATRICK Cantlay poses with the trophies after winning the BMW Championship golf tournament. — REUTERS

PATRICK Cantlay made a litany of must-have putts, culminating in a 17 1/2-foot birdie on the sixth playoff hole that carried him to a victory over Bryson DeChambeau at the BMW Championship outside Baltimore.

The astonishing victory at Caves Valley Golf Club gave Patrick Cantlay 2,000 FedEx Cup points, enough to move into first place entering next week’s Tour Championship.

Mr. DeChambeau, who came up just shy of a round of 59 two days earlier, missed four putts to win the tournament — the 72nd hole and each of the first three playoff holes at Owings Mills, MD.

Mr. Cantlay drained his slightly left-to-right, midrange putt at the par-4 18th hole, and Mr. DeChambeau missed a 9-footer that would have extended the playoff.

Trailing by a stroke late in his round, Mr. Cantlay’s hopes looked all but dashed when his tee shot at No. 17 landed short and dribbled into the water. But Mr. DeChambeau flubbed his second shot, a chip out of the rough. Mr. Cantlay saved bogey from 8 feet and Mr. DeChambeau missed his par putt.

It set Mr. Cantlay up to drill a nearly 22-foot birdie putt at his 72nd hole to get to 27-under 261. Mr. DeChambeau’s first would-be winning putt of the afternoon, a 15-footer for birdie, missed left, leading to the playoff. Both players carded rounds of 6-under 66.

Among Mr. Cantlay’s other highlights were a 21 1/2-foot birdie at No. 14 and an important 9-foot par saved at No. 16.

The duo opened the playoff by playing No. 18 twice. On the first play-through, Mr. Cantlay’s approach sailed over the green, but his chip out of the rough hit the hole, which slowed the ball to about 5 1/2 feet. Mr. DeChambeau barely missed his birdie putt, and Mr. Cantlay saved his par.

On their second go-round, Mr. DeChambeau dialed in a laser of an approach shot that landed right next to the cup and spun back to 6 feet. After Mr. Cantlay two-putted for par, Mr. DeChambeau’s would-be winner lipped out. It was almost identical to the distance that he had at No. 18 on Friday to make birdie for a 59 — a putt he also missed.

The golfers played the par-3 17th for their third playoff hole, and after Mr. Cantlay missed a birdie, Mr. DeChambeau again hit the cup to blow another chance to win.

Back at the par-4 18th, Mr. DeChambeau’s tee shot sailed into a creek. He took a penalty stroke and recovered by hitting a wedge into the green, leaving himself a 4-foot par putt that he’d go on to make. This time, it was Mr. Cantlay who couldn’t convert a birdie putt to win.

They played hole No. 17 one more time and dropped their tee shots inside 5 feet of the cup to lead to matching birdies. — Reuters

Spending on international transfer fees nearly tripled in 10 years — FIFA

SPENDING on international transfer fees over the last decade increased from $2.66 billion in 2012 to a peak of $7.35 billion in 2019, while players’ agents received $3.5 billion in commissions, a study by world governing body International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) said.

The study said average transfer fees for players moving to a club in a different country rose steadily between 2012 and 2019 before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic strained finances and led to a drop in 2020, when $5.63 billion was spent.

In all, $48.5 billion was spent on international transfers over the past decade with the top 30 spending clubs all based in Europe.

The most spent on a player was Paris St.-Germain’s €222 million ($262.45 million) deal to bring Neymar from Barcelona in 2017.

Brazilian players were the most on the move, topping the list with over 15,000 moving between clubs in different countries.

“From 11,890 transfers conducted in 2011 to a peak of 18,079 in 2019, a total of 133,225 international transfers and loans of professional players took place,” FIFA said.

“The transfers involved 66,789 players and 8,264 clubs across 200 FIFA member associations, thus underlining football’s role in the global economy.”

English clubs spent the most in the last decade at $12.4 billion followed by Spain ($6.7 billion), Italy ($5.6 billion), Germany ($4.4 billion) and France ($4 billion).

The only non-European country in the top 10 was China, where clubs spent $1.7 billion in transfers as they tried to attract high-profile players to the Chinese Super League.

Player agents’ commissions jumped from $131.1 million in 2011 to $640.5 million in 2019, almost a five-fold increase.

Manchester City (130 incoming transfers) and Chelsea (95) topped the spending charts while Portuguese clubs Benfica and Sporting were the biggest benefactors from transfer fees.

Along with Porto, the three Portuguese sides have had a great deal of success in signing or developing young talent and selling them on at big profits, topping the list of clubs with a positive net balance from transfer fees.

City and Chelsea both had over 200 players go on loan — more than any other clubs. — Reuters

Ronaldo completes medical ahead of Man United move

CRISTIANO Ronaldo completed a medical in Lisbon over the weekend ahead of his return to Manchester United and he has agreed personal terms on a two-year contract with the Premier League club, Sky Sports reported on Monday.

United said last week they had agreed a deal to re-sign Ronaldo from Juventus after he told the Serie A club he had no intention of staying, but the transfer was still subject to the agreement of personal terms and a medical.

The clubs have yet to confirm the Portugal forward’s transfer. The Premier League’s summer transfer window closes on Tuesday at 2200 GMT.

Sky reported the fee agreed for the 36-year-old Portuguese was around €15 million ($17.70 million) plus a further eight million euros in add-ons.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær was relishing Ronaldo’s return and said on Sunday that the announcement would be made once the paperwork was done.

With the league paused for the international break, Ronaldo is expected to play his first game when United host Newcastle United at old Trafford on Sept. 11.

Ronaldo won eight major trophies at United from 2003-2009, and the Ballon d’Or as the world’s best player in 2008, before sealing a then world record £80 million ($110.1 million) move to Real Madrid. — Reuters

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