Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Home Blog Page 7567

Airport perks seen opening door for legislated tax breaks

THE proposed tax perks for San Miguel Aerocity, Inc., a P740-billion international airport in Bulacan, will set back the government’s tax reform program and may encourage other firms to also seek similar incentives via legislation, according to non-government organization Action for Economic Reforms (AER).

In a statement Thursday, AER Cofounder and Coordinator Filomeno S. Sta. Ana III said the proposal to give San Miguel Aerocity a 10-year exemption from direct and indirect taxes while it constructs the Bulacan airport could set a “dangerous precedent” as it may encourage other companies to go to Congress for tax incentives as well.

Senate Bill (SB) 1823, which grants a 50-year franchise to the San Miguel Aerocity along with the tax perks, cleared the Senate Committee on Public Services Wednesday while its counterpart measure House Bill No. 7241 has been approved by the House of Representatives.

Mr. Sta Ana said the bill “runs contrary to the core objectives” of the government’s plan to streamline the country’s tax incentive system under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) bill.

“Legislating another tax incentive such as the provision in SB 1823 undermines the goal of CREATE. It sets a dangerous precedent where individual corporations will just approach Congress for tax perks, instead of going through the systematic fiscal incentives criteria that CREATE offers,” he said.

“It opens the floodgates for more corporate lobbying for fiscal incentives,” he added.

He said the company should instead apply for tax breaks within the framework of the CREATE bill.

The CREATE bill seeks to cut the corporate income tax to 25% this year from 30% currently and reform the country’s tax incentive system to simplify it and make it time-bound.

Finance Assistant Secretary Maria Teresa S. Habitan said in August that the Department of Finance, which backs the CREATE bill, is “not okay” with the proposed grant of tax perks for the construction of Bulacan airport because it was an unsolicited bid.

Mr. Sta Ana said the attempt to gain incentives because of alleged market failure ignores the findings of a 2016 study by Japan International Cooperation Agency, which indicated that service improvements at Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Clark International Airport can accommodate future demand for air travel in the area surrounding the capital region.

“First and foremost, fiscal incentives can be justified whenever a failure in the market exists. In this issue, market failure is absent because current and future demand for air travel can be addressed by enhancing and expanding existing airports,” he said.

He said the proposed Bulacan airport “will merely be competing” with the improved and expanded airport in Clark, Pampanga for the same passengers and could “create the conditions for market failure since two airports close to each other lead to suboptimal outcomes.”

“Second, the construction of the San Miguel airport is a private good… Yet it seeks government subsidy… The service it provides, from a public good perspective, is redundant. Hence, the government and the taxpayer should not shoulder the costs of this airport’s construction,” he said.

“If the private sector decides to build a new airport, it must shoulder the entire cost, and taxpayers must be spared from the burden,” he said. — Beatrice M. Laforga

NGO opposes Bulacan airport franchise prior to completion of environmental impact study

THE proposed legislative franchise for San Miguel Aerocity, Inc. for the Bulacan airport should be put on hold prior to an environmental impact study, a non-government organization (NGO) said.

In a virtual briefing Thursday, OCEANA Vice-President Gloria Estenzo-Ramos said the Senate should hold off on granting a franchise to San Miguel Aerocity since an environmental impact assessment has yet to be conducted.

“Granting franchise to San Miguel Aerocity without an environmental impact assessment is putting the cart before the horse,” Ms. Estenzo-Ramos said.

Ms. Estenzo-Ramos said the location of the project poses risks to public safety and food security, among others.

The proposed airport, which will be established in Barangays Taliptip and Bambang in Bulakan municipality, are geohazard zones and prone to natural disasters such as flooding and storm surges.

“Land subsidence, which is already happening in large parts of Bulacan, will worsen with the rise of an airport,” Ms. Estenzo-Ramos said.

On Sept. 23, Senate Bill 1823 which proposes to grant a franchise for the P735-billion airport, was approved by the Committee on Public Services.

If the bill passes, San Miguel Aerocity will be granted a 50-year franchise, including a 10-year tax exemption during the design, planning, and construction stages.

The House of Representatives passed the counterpart legislation, House Bill 7507, on third and final reading on Sept. 7. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

PAGCOR reports sharp drop in fees collected from POGOs

STATE-RUN Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) said online gaming income has plunged due to reduced fees collected from Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), whose operations have been restricted by the lockdown.

In a text message to reporters Thursday, PAGCOR Assistant Vice-President for Offshore Gaming and Licensing Department Jose S. Tria, Jr. said fees collected from POGOs have been slashed by nearly half because few operators have been allowed to return to business.

Mr. Tria said only 32 POGO licensees and 111 service providers have been allowed to resume operations at limited capacity. There are 55 registered POGOs and 218 accredited POGO service providers.

“Our monthly regulatory fees of around P600-million pre-COVID are now down by almost half. This should have been lower if not for the Minimum Guaranteed Fees which allows PAGCOR to impose higher regulatory fees than the 2% of POGOs’ GGR (gross gaming revenue) following the ‘whichever is higher formula’,” he said.

PAGCOR Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Andrea D. Domingo said in a text message Wednesday that the industry’s monthly GGR dropped 83% to P50 million a year earlier. The agency collects 2% of GGR representing the cut of the national government.

PAGCOR booked a P1.596-billion net loss in the first half, against a P3.079-billion net profit a year earlier. Gaming revenue fell 49.56% due to the ban on casino gambling during the quarantine.

According to Mr. Tria, licenses of five POGOs have been canceled, five more were suspended, and 42 service providers are in the process of having their accreditation revoked.

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said Wednesday the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will audit POGOs leaving the country to check on their tax compliance and collect any back taxes.

Casino and offshore gambling operations were banned when the strictest form of the lockdown was imposed in mid-March. Operations of POGOs and their service providers were allowed to resume in early May, subject to safety protocols and the submission of a tax clearance.

The BIR requires POGOs to settle their tax arrears and pay the 5% franchise tax before they can be issued a tax clearance, which the industry contests.

The BIR collected P6.42 billion in taxes from POGOs last year, up 170%.

Leechiu Property Consultants reported that demand for office space dropped 74% in the first six months of 2020 as POGOs began leaving the country due to the pandemic. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Senate bill seeks to empower Palace to expedite permits

A MEASURE authorizing President Rodrigo R. Duterte to expedite the issuance of permits and licenses at national and local levels has been filed in the Senate.

Senate Bill No. 1844 will suspend or waive requirements for securing key documents to help small businesses affected by the economic shutdown.

“While this may be a small step, it surely can create a significant impact on all enterprises,” according to the bill’s explanatory note.

The measure was filed after Mr. Duterte last week consulted Congress leaders on possible amendments to the Ease of Doing Business Law.

The Philippines rose 29 places to 95th on the World Bank’s 2020 Doing Business Report with a score of 62.8. The report measures the time required to start a business, employ workers, deal with construction permits and being connected for electricity, among others.

The bill was filed by Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III and Senators Ralph G. Recto, Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, Franklin M. Drilon and Panfilo M. Lacson.

If passed, President Duterte will also be granted the power to suspend or remove government officials or employees found non-compliant.

The measure will cover attached agencies, such as bureaus, commissions and government-owned and controlled corporations. It applies to permits, licenses, clearances, certifications or authorizations. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Internet, incentives top agenda items at upcoming PHL business conference

PHILIPPINE businesses will ask the government to improve internet connectivity and provide longer-term incentives in some of the potential recommendations at the upcoming 46th Philippine Business Conference and Expo (PBC&E).

The conference will be held online on Oct. 7 and 8, during which the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) will present its resolutions to the government.

Among the recommendations collected from regional meetings were longer-term fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, PBC&E Chair Eunina Mangio said.

“(This will) ensure the survival and recovery of businesses to continue providing employment,” she said.

PCCI is also asking the national government to step up the automation and digitalization of government processes, which Ms. Mangio said will reduce physical contact during the pandemic.

“The national government (should) provide incentives for companies to digitalize, automate, and undertake programs to upskill and reskill their human resources,” she said.

The PCCI will also ask the government to provide input subsidies to the agriculture and aquaculture sectors. The chamber said that these sectors must have access to research and technology.

The chamber is also asking the Information and Communications Technology Department and the National Telecommunications Commission to exercise its powers of oversight on internet providers to improve services and connectivity at affordable prices.

“(They should) allow the common use of facilities and impose punitive and timely sanctions for telcos that misrepresent,” Ms. Mangio added.

PCCI President Benedicto V. Yujuico said that he hopes conversations with policymakers during the event include the private sector’s role in science and technology investment, incentives policy, red tape, and internet connectivity.

The resolutions are still subject to approval.

Speakers at the event include Vice-President Maria Leonor G. Robredo, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez, Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, and Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña.

Private-sector speakers include Filinvest Development Corp. President and CEO Josephine Gotianun Yap, Kickstart Ventures President Minette Navarrete, and JG Digital Equity CEO Jojo Malolos. — Jenina P. Ibañez

DA to fund P100 million in UPLB agricultural research

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it has set aside P100 million to fund agricultural research at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB).

During a recent visit to the university, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said that of the funds committed to UPLB’s College of Agriculture and Food Science, around P50 million will be allocated to plant disease research at the Crop Protection research center.

It said P30 million will go to crop improvement and vegetable seed production at the Institute of Plant Breeding and P20 million will help establish a packing facility at the university, which will also serve as a storage and trading area for farmers in Laguna.

Mr. Dar urged the UPLB officials to step up their research and development activity, pointing them to current problems like the fall armyworm, which affects multiple crops, and fusarium wilt, which affects bananas.

“As the country shifts amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the agriculture sector needs individuals who will lead to the development of… inclusive agribusiness anchored on value chain systems,” Mr. Dar said.

“The sector also needs… to engage the youth more in agriculture and agribusiness, digitalization of agriculture, and the development of demand-driven and market-oriented research and extension systems,” he added. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Coconut oil, garments could be hit by GSP+ withdrawal

THE potential loss of tariff advantages offered by the European Union (EU) could harm crude coconut oil and garment exports, business leaders said.

The loss would have a “huge impact” on the Philippine agriculture export sector, which mostly uses indigenous materials, Philippine Food Processors & Exporters Organization, Inc. President Roberto C. Amores said at an online conference Thursday.

The European Parliament last week asked the European Commission to start the process for temporarily withdrawing GSP+ or  Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus, privileges enjoyed by the Philippines, after the government failed to improve the human rights situation.

GSP+ is an incentive agreement under which 6,274 Philippine products enjoy zero-tariff entry to the European Union provided the country adheres to 27 core international conventions that include human and labor rights, environmental protection, and good governance.

“We are exporting a very huge chunk of our crude coconut oil to the European market, and we’re already having problems with the competitiveness of our agri-products — which includes coconut oil — on cost, because of competition from cheaper and more competitive products like palm oil and soy bean oil,” Mr. Amores said.

He added that the removal of GSP+ could impact profits in the coconut oil and canned tuna industries.

The loss of trade perks will also harm the garment industry, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Benedicto V. Yujuico said.

“Once the subsidy or the preference is taken out, it means that the buyers will have to pay 15-20% more… and that might mean a lot of the factories might be closing. A lot of our garment workers will be out of jobs,” he said.

PCCI Industry Committee Chairman Ferdinand Ferrer said that the Philippines is one of two countries in ASEAN that enjoys GSP+.

“It is very attractive for manufacturers, especially the white goods and electronics to have that advantage. Revoking it will put us at par with the other ASEAN countries, where some have lower labor rates. So there is a lot of advantage in maintaining the GSP+” he said.

White goods are large home appliances.

European legislators in the resolution cited Philippine human rights issues, including President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s war on drugs that has killed at least 8,663 people.

They also raised concerns about the detention of opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima and the convictions of Rappler founder Maria A. Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos, Jr. for cyber libel.

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez had said that he is confident that the trade perks will be retained, noting that the European Parliament had raised the same concerns before.

The Management Association of the Philippines on Wednesday asked the government to take the matter seriously, noting that the removal of tariff perks would hurt various industries and worsen unemployment.

Goods exported under GSP+ preferences usually account for around a quarter of total Philippine exports to the EU each year, significantly lower than the leading beneficiary countries such as Bangladesh and Cambodia, whose utilization rates top 90%.

In 2018, Philippine use of GSP+ compared with all eligible exports was 73.1%.

“We are not even utilizing the total amount of GSP+ that we’re allocated. So it’s something that we should work together with the government — improve on the utilization,” Mr. Ferrer said. — Jenina P. Ibañez

The purpose of the purpose clause

As businesses strive to survive the economic impact of the pandemic, diversification is one of the options commonly considered. However, before pursuing a new income stream, corporations should check whether a new or additional business activity falls within the limits of its corporate purpose or powers.

Under the Doctrine of Limited Capacity, a corporation can only exercise powers that are express, implied, or incidental to its existence. Express powers are those conferred by law and stated in a company’s Articles of Incorporation (AoI), particularly in the “purpose clause.” The purpose clause generally limits what a corporation can do. Exceptions are implied and incidental powers which can be inferred, necessary, or consequential to the exercise of the express powers.

Ideally, a corporation should operate within the limits of its corporate purpose. Otherwise, acts that go beyond its powers (“ultra vires”), depending on the nature of act, are either void (if illegal), or voidable unless ratified by the stockholders. In exercising its regulatory powers, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may also impose sanctions such as fines against the corporation for ultra vires acts that affect the public.

In case of doubt, the corporation may seek formal confirmation from the SEC on whether or not a new purpose or activity is covered by its purpose clause. Through two opinions issued, the SEC had the occasion to clarify whether the envisioned additional activities of corporations in connection with retail trade are within the ambit of their corporate franchise. The first involves a repairs and maintenance company contemplating entering the retail trade; the second is a retail company that sought confirmation prior to conducting business via an online platform.

SALE OF SPARE PARTS BY A REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE COMPANY
According to the SEC, the sale of spare parts and other materials necessary for repair services does not fall within the concept of retail trade as it is merely incidental to repair and maintenance services, and not being pursued as an independ ent business. Moreover, the corporation’s sale of motorbikes to the general public is not considered retail if made only: (a) through only a single sales outlet at the existing service center located at the principal office where motorbikes are assembled; or (b) to the government and its agencies. This is in accordance with the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Retail Trade Law.

Moreover, the sale of products to industrial/entity users is not considered retail if the latter use such products to render services to the general public or produce/manufacture goods for sale. Lastly, sales that are limited to qualified employees are not considered retail provided that the products sold are not also offered to the general public.

The determination of whether a proposed sale activity qualifies as retail trade is particularly crucial for corporations with foreign stockholders. Currently, retail trade is generally reserved to Filipinos, and only admits foreign participation upon meeting a substantial investment requirement. Note, however, that there are proposals to liberalize retail trade and these bills are currently pending with Congress.

ONLINE SELLING
Retail companies are now leaning towards the use of electronic channels. As confirmed in a ruling issued by the SEC, retailers need not amend their AoI to engage in online selling.

“Retail trade” is defined as an act, occupation, or calling of habitually selling direct to the general public merchandise, commodities or goods for consumption. The Retail Trade Law does not distinguish retail trade carried through physical stores and those conducted through online channels. As such, for as long as the corporation is authorized to engage in retail, it may do so using any means or mode.

At most, the act of online selling can be considered a new mode of delivering retail services and could  appropriately be considered as necessary or incidental to the powers of the corporation. According to the SEC, it is legal to “stretch” the purpose clause to cover new and unexpected situations, especially those that arise from doubts created by poor craftsmanship, lack of foresight, or occurrence of events that were unforeseeable at the time when the purpose clause was drafted. However, in case the situation is reversed, such as when the proposed business activity is explicitly outside the scope of the purpose clause, or impossible to be impliedly included within the ambit of the purpose clause, the AoI should be amended.

This confirmation from the SEC is relevant and useful in view of the increased number of retail companies intending or currently offering their products online as part of the new normal.

The views or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Isla Lipana & Co. The content is for general information purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for specific advice.

 

Aimee Rose DG Dela Cruz is a senior manager with the Tax Services Group of Isla Lipana & Co., the Philippine member firm of the PwC network.

(02) 8 845-27 28

aimee.rose.d.dela.cruz@pwc.com

Miami closes in on Finals berth

Behind 20-year-old rookie Tyler Herro’s 37

ROOKIE Tyler Herro — 20 years old — scored a career-high 37 points, Jimmy Butler added 24, and the Heat held off the Boston Celtics 112-109 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night near Orlando, moving Miami within one win of an NBA Finals berth.

Herro made 14 of 21 shots off the bench to continue his dynamic playoff run as the Heat grabbed a 3-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series. Goran Dragic had 22 points, and Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 12 rebounds.

“Just trying to get a rhythm going early,” said Herro, whose 37 points are the second most in a playoff game for a player 20 or younger (Magic Johnson, 42). “Once you see a couple shots go down, the rest of the game is easier for you. Tonight was definitely a good night.”

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 28 points, all coming in the second half, and Jaylen Brown had 21. Kemba Walker scored 20, Gordon Hayward did 14, and Marcus Smart had 10 points and 11 assists.

Miami will get the chance to close out the series in Game 5 on Friday (Saturday, Manila time).

Unlike in each of the first three games, when the Heat fell behind by double digits, Miami opened up a 58-46 lead early in the third quarter. Prior to that run, the Heat’s largest lead of the series was eight. Tatum, scoreless on six shots in the first half, came to life with 16 points in the period as the Celtics got within 77-76 entering the fourth.

“I wasn’t aggressive enough,” said Tatum of his slow start. “I had to play better.”

Boston surged ahead for the first time since 11:05 of the second quarter on a Daniel Theis dunk with 8:51 to go in the game. An Adebayo basket and five points from Herro to reach 30 on the night put Miami up 91-85.

“Not too many people get an opportunity to make it this far in the playoffs and be in a game like this, but for him, it’s another day in the office,” said Butler of Herro. “… He’s been doing it all year long. To him, there’s no pressure or anything. He’s just going to keep playing basketball the right way.”

The Heat upped their advantage to 98-90 on Herro’s fifth 3-pointer with 4:09 left. Brown hit a trey and Smart added a layup to get the Celtics within three, but Dragic and Butler each made short buckets to reset the margin to seven.

After Tatum hit a trey, Dragic responded from deep and Herro added a layup to put Miami up by nine with 56.2 seconds remaining. Boston got within three again on a Brown 3-pointer with 16 seconds to go, but free throws by Herro and Butler helped Miami hold on.

Hayward hit a pair of free throws to tie the score at 40 with 3:38 left in the first half. The Heat responded with a 10-4 run to lead 50-44 at the break.

The Celtics committed 11 of their 19 turnovers in the first half.

“We’ve got to do a better job of handling the ball and taking care of it,” said coach Brad Stevens. — Reuters

PBA scrimmages, restart of season get IATF approval

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

Philippine Basketball Association action is set to come back beginning next month after the government approved the league’s request to hold a tournament “bubble” and resume its currently suspended season.

The PBA on Thursday said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) gave a “provisional approval” for the league to proceed with its planned bubble in Clark City in Angeles, Pampanga, as well as 5-on-5 scrimmages in the lead-up to the resumption.

“We’re happy and we’re ready to go,” said PBA chairman Ricky Vargas in the impromptu online press conference announcing the long-awaited development.

Mr. Vargas, who represents the TNT KaTropa, was joined in the press conference by PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, Bases Conversion and Development Corp. (BCDA) chief and IATF official Vince Dizon and Clark Development Corporation (CDC) president Noel Manankil.

The league suspended it Season 45 in March when the coronavirus pandemic started to make its presence felt in the country.

Now given the nod to resume, the PBA is preparing to send member teams to Clark City to begin their preparations for the restart, targeted to kick off on Oct. 11.

The first batch of teams will leave on Sept. 28 while the second batch departs the next day.

The teams underwent swab testing this week with the Magnolia Hotshots, Meralco Bolts, Phoenix Fuel Masters, TNT KaTropa and Terra Firma Dyip having their tests on Wednesday and the Alaska Aces, Blackwater Bossing, Northport Batang Pier, NLEX Road Warriors, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, Barangay Ginebra Kings and San Miguel Beermen on Thursday.

Upon entry to the bubble, the teams will once again go through swab testing and wait for the result at Quest Hotel, the official home of the league during the tournament.

Once they get negative results, the teams can then proceed to do 5-on-5 scrimmages at the official training and games venue — Angeles University Foundation.

The PBA thanked Mr. Dizon, who made the presentation at the IATF which was presided by the task force’s co-chairman Secretary Karlo Nograles, in behalf of the pro league.

The BCDA chief and Mr. Manankil said their respective agencies will do their share in making the PBA restart a success, including providing proper coronavirus testing and ensuring the bubble will be held in a safe environment.

Under the bubble setup, which is similar to that employed in the National Basketball Association, players, coaches, and staff of the teams and the league will be holed up in one location for the duration of the tournament and will be shuttled to and from the hotel and the playing venue.

It will be a compressed tournament for the PBA, lasting only two months and will feature two games daily. And the league expects to crown a champion by the second week of December.

Casimero has a lot going for him against Micah — analyst

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Seniuor Reporter

WORLD BOXING ORGANIZATION (WBO) bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero of the Philippines is set to defend his title this weekend against Duke Micah of Ghana in a fight that the Filipino should like his chances in, according to a local fight analyst.

The Casimero-Micah clash is set for Sunday (Manila time) and happening at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut in the United States.

Ormoc, Leyte native Casimero (29-4, 20 KOs) was supposed to meet undefeated Japanese Naoya Inoue before the coronavirus pandemic cancelled the marquee showdown, leaving Mr. Casimero’s camp to deal with Mr. Micah (24-0, 19 KOs) instead.

For local fight analyst Nissi Icasiano, while Mr. Micah presents a challenge, he is not Mr. Inoue and may have a tough time against a fighter with the experience of Mr. Casimero.

“To me, Mr. Micah doesn’t appear to be a threat like Inoue. Though he got heavy hands, which is something that Mr. Casimero cannot take for granted, Mr. Micah lacks lateral movement, making him an easy target for Mr. Casimero. He moves in one direction and doesn’t have a footwork to offset the pesky and awkward style of the Filipino. It’s interesting as to how Mr. Micah will react if he starts to box backwards, which is something that I haven’t seen from him since 2017 when he started fighting in the United States,” said Mr. Icasiano in an interview with BusinessWorld.

“I am not convinced that Mr. Micah is ready to face a champion like Mr. Casimero who has won titles in three different weight classes. He has yet to possess that much-needed wealth of experience and even the wares to strut on the championship stage. It’s possible that Mr. Casimero can wrap it up within five to six rounds,” he added.

Mr. Casimero, who is signed with Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions, has been in the United States since March preparing for his title defense initially against Mr. Inoue.

Despite the long wait though, Mr. Icasiano said he does not see it as a problem because of the kind of work ethic Mr. Casimero and his camp has.  

“I don’t think the long wait will affect Mr. Casimero. He is in great shape since March. He never missed a beat in training camp. Plus, the Filipino has Ángel “Memo” Heredia to monitor the peak of his performance as well as his weight,” the analyst said.

But while Mr. Casimero has a lot going for him in his upcoming fight, Mr. Icasiano cautioned against the Filipino letting his guard down, more so since the outcome of the fight against Mr. Micah could dictate things for him moving forward.

“Though Mr. Micah has nothing to lose on paper, Mr. Casimero is in a must-win situation if he wants to secure a date with Inoue, Luis Nery (Mexico), or Guillermo Rigondeaux (Cuba) early next year,” the analyst said.

Mr. Casimero enters this weekend’s title bout riding a five-fight winning streak, the last one coming in November last year over South African Zolani Tete where he won the WBO bantamweight title by technical knockout in the third round.

Ghanaian Micah, meanwhile, last fought in July 2019, beating Puerto Rican Janiel Rivers by unanimous decision.

Teams preparing to enter PBA bubble in Clark

WHILE they are still awaiting government approval of the Philippine Basketball Association’s  (PBA) request to resume its currently suspended season, the 12 competing teams of the league are already girding for entry into the tournament “bubble” which could happen next week.

As part of their preparations for playing in the bubble which would take place at Clark City in Angeles, Pampanga, teams underwent swab testing this week.

The Magnolia Hotshots, Meralco Bolts, Phoenix Fuel Masters, TNT KaTropa, and Terra Firma Dyid had their tests on Wednesday while the Alaska Aces, Blackwater Bossing, Northport Batang Pier, NLEX Road Warriors, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, Barangay Ginebra Kings, and San Miguel Beermen had theirs on Thursday.

Following the testing, players and team officials are restricted to their homes for the next five days until their scheduled departure for Clark next week to get going with their scrimmages.

The first batch of teams to leave for the bubble is targeted to do so on Sept. 28, while the second batch departs the next day.

The tournament bubble, now set to begin anywhere between Oct. 9 to 13, however, still depends on the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) of the league’s request to resume its season.

The PBA has already sent letters of request for its return push, the response of which it is expecting anytime soon.

Entering the bubble, league stakeholders admit that it would be a challenge and much sacrifice is expected from them to make the season restart a success.

“It (bubble) will show how professional we are. We have to do our best and show what we can do out of our comfort zone,” San Miguel coach Leo Austria was quoted as saying by the official PBA website.

He was seconded by Alaska coach Jeff Cariaso, saying, “Guys are professionals. For us to be able to continue and go through this conference, they’re gonna have to really sacrifice.”

The league said it will be doing everything it can to ensure that all bases are covered for the bubble setup to make it comfortable to all concerned.

In return, the PBA just wants to get the full commitment of the players, coaches and staff to follow the set of health and safety protocols.

“If we maintain the ‘bubble’ I think there’s nothing to worry about,” said Dr. Raul Canlas, the league’s medical consultant.

Under the bubble setup, which is similar to that employed in the National Basketball Association, players, coaches, and staff of the teams and the league will be holed up in one location for the duration of the tournament and will be shuttled to and from the hotel and the playing venue.

Games will be played at the Angeles University Foundation while the teams will be staying in the nearby Quest Hotel.

It will be a compressed tournament for the PBA, lasting only two months and will feature two games daily. And the league expects to crown a champion by the second week of December.

The league suspended it Season 45 in March when the coronavirus pandemic started to make its presence felt in the country. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

1...7,5667,5677,568...12,774Page 7,567 of 12,774
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube