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Vikings rally to survive Broncos

LOS ANGELES — The Minnesota Vikings made up for three bad quarters of football with a dominant one on Sunday.

Kirk Cousins was 29-of-35 passing for 319 yards and three touchdowns to lead Minnesota to a come-from-behind 27-23 home win over the Denver Broncos.

The Vikings (8-3) trailed 20-0 at halftime and 23-7 after three quarters, but scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to rally and win for the sixth time in their past seven games. Cousins hit Kyle Rudolph for a 32-yard touchdown pass with 6:01 remaining to give the Vikings a 27-23 lead, their first of the game.

Denver (3-7) took the ball and put together a 19-play drive to the Minnesota 4-yard line in the final seconds, but the Broncos couldn’t connect on three consecutive passing plays before time ran out. — Reuters

PSC wants to find more local talents in under-13 football meet

KEEN on discovering more homegrown talents in football, the Philippine Sports Commission will come up with a national tournament for under-13 players next year at the newly-refurbished Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.

PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez made the announcement in support of the “Football Para Sa Lahat” development program of the various football associations (FAs) in the country.

The PSC commitment was made during the launch of the Luzon Cup football tournament for Under-12 players spearheaded by the Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA) and the Central Luzon Football Association (CLFA).

“We will offer Rizal Memorial Stadium for the national championship to add some support, para tuluy-tuloy na kayo,” Ramirez told the enthusiastic crowd.

The Luzon Cup will be held from Nov. 21 till Nov. 24 at the Jose V. Yap Sports and Recreational Complex in San Jose, Tarlac. The Luzon Cup is supported by the Tarlac provincial and local governments and the Department of Education.

Ramirez delighted the FAs and football enthusiasts present at the launch with his surprise announcement of a new national age-group tourney, with the PSC chair expressing his gratitude for the FAs’ efforts to promote sports development in the regions.

He said the new tourney will feature the champions of the NOFA Cup (Visayas leg), Mindanao Cup, and the coming Luzon Cup, age-group tournaments backed by the NOFA headed by its president Ricky Yanson Jr. and their partner FAs.

“Football has a special place in my heart because my grand daughter based in the US competes at a high level for a spot in the US age-group teams,” said Ramirez.

Chairman Ramirez noted the NOFA’s efforts under Yanson to partner with other FAs throughout the country to replicate NOFA’s successful “Football para sa lahat” development programs in the Visayas.

In cooperation with fellow football associations and football stakeholders, NOFA has been organizing tournaments for Under-12 and Under-13 boys, beginning with its own Bacolod-based NOFA Cup which has completed four successful editions since 2015.

In October, the Davao Central Football Association and NOFA successfully held the Mindanao Cup in Davao City for 16 Under-12 teams, with Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte in attendance.

Yanson thanked Ramirez, saying a new national age-group tourney in Manila will be the perfect cap-stone to the triangle of Bacolod, Davao, and Tarlac age-group tourneys put up by the FAs.

“Our dream, through “Football para sa lahat,” is to support more tournaments and activities for all age groups. We want more Filipinos to enjoy football,” said Yanson.

CLFA General Secretary Mr. Ed Flaminiano said the upcoming Luzon Cup is a significant development.

“Malaking bagay ito para sa amin sa Central Luzon at sa buong Luzon dahil for the past three years, there have been no tournaments in Central Luzon,” said Flaminiano of the Luzon Cup, which is expecting 16 teams, including Mindanao Cup champion the Bukidnon Football Association team.

European team championship

22nd European Team Championship
Batumi, Georgia
Oct 24 — Nov 2, 2019

Final Top Standings (match points)

1. Russia, 15/18. bd01 GM Dmitry Andreikin 2741, 5.5/8, bd02 GM Nikita Vitiugov 2732, 4.5/7, bd03 GM Kirill Aleksenko 2674, 4.5/8, bd04 GM Maxim Matlakov 2716, 2.5/6, bd05 GM Daniil Dubov 2699, 5.5/7.

2. Ukraine, 14/18. bd01 Vassily Ivanchuk 2686, 5.5/9, bd092 GM Yuriy Kuzubov 2636, 4/6, bd03 GM Andrei Volokitin 2627, 4.5/7, bd04 GM Alexander Moiseenko 2635, 2.5/6, bd05 GM Vladimir Onischuk 2616, 6/8.

3. England, 14/18. bd01 GM Michael Adams 2694, 5.5/9, bd092 GM Luke McShane 2682, 5/8, bd03 GM David Howell 2694, 5/9, bd04 GM Gawain Jones 2688, 5.5/8, bd05 GM Nicholas Pert 2557, 1.5/2.

4. Armenia, 13/18

5. Croatia, 12/18

6–10. Azerbaijan, Spain, Germany, France, Czech Republic, 11/18

Total of 40 participants: 140 Grandmaster, 41 International Master, 14 FM

Time Control: 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 30 minutes play-to-finish with 30 seconds added to your clock after every move starting move 1.

Here in Batumi it was interesting to see the changes taking place within the various team rosters. We start with almost no change in the English squad (the 47-year-old Michael Adams has been representing England since 1989, 38-years old Luke McShane played for England in the 2002 Bled Olympiad, interned at Goldman Sachs in 2006 and retired from chess in 2007 to become a trader. He is just recently coming back to chess) to France’s 12-year-old Marc Maurizzi.

One veteran who is experiencing a resurgence of form is the 47-year “Fire on Board” Alexei Shirov. Shirov was ranked no. 2 in the world behind Karpov in 1994 and was among the world’s top 10 from 1992 up to 2001. He is already past his prime and has seen his rating slip down to the mid 2600s in the past 5 years. However, Shirov’s play in the FIDE Grand Swiss last month and now in the Batumi Team Championship once again shows his tactical mastery and aggressive pushing for the full point.

Shirov, Alexei (2664) — Westerberg, Jonathan (2546) [D06]
22nd EU-chT Open 2019 Batumi (9.27), 02.11.2019

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c5

The former Russian Champion GM Aleksei Bezgodov has written a well-received book on this line, calling it The Double Queen’s Gambit. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov is the elite player who regularly adopts this line, especially in fast time controls. I agree with the assessment of Dennis Monokroussos in The Chess Mind: If you want complications and structural imbalances, this probably isn’t the opening for you. If on the other hand you like relatively simpler structures, this could be just what you’re looking for, as both players’ c- and d-pawns tend to speedily disappear from the board.

3.cxd5 Qxd5 4.Nf3 cxd4 5.Nc3 Qa5

Here is one finesse you have to be familiar with. 5…Qd8? in such positions is not considered good because after 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 (6…Nc6 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8 (7…Nxd8? 8.Nb5 Ne6 9.Ng5 Nxg5 10.Bxg5 Kd8 11.Rd1+ Bd7 12.Nd6 f6 13.Nf7+ Ke8 14.Nxh8 fxg5 15.Nf7 and he escapes with the extra material) 8.Bf4 f6 9.0–0–0+ Bd7 White has easier play. Karsa, L. (2340)-Groszpeter, A. (2480) Budapest 1980 1/2 40) 7.Nxd4 Nf6 8.Ndb5 Na6 9.g3 Black’s knight on a6 gets locked out of action. Let’s bring the analysis forth a few more moves: 9…Bd7 10.Bg2 Bc6 11.0–0 e6 12.a3 Bxg2 13.Kxg2 Be7 14.Be3 b6 15.b4 0–0 16.Rac1 it is clear Black is in trouble.

6.Nxd4

An interesting line from Bezgodov’s book: 6.Qxd4 Nc6 7.Qd5 Qc7 8.Nb5 Qb8! (8…Qb6?! 9.Be3 White has the initiative. Videki,S (2430)-Penz,H (2307) Austria 2003 1/2 54.) 9.Qc4 (intending Bf4) 9…a6! (9…Nf6? 10.Ng5; 9…Be6 10.Qf4 in both cases White is clearly better) 10.Nbd4 Bd7 11.Nxc6 Bxc6, and according to Bezgodov (in his book he analyses this position even further) Black is okay here.

6…Nf6 7.Bd2 e5 8.Ndb5 Bb4?

Black has not been doing too well with either 8…Na6 or 8…Qb6, but this move is even worse.

9.a3 Bxc3 10.Nd6+!

This is why Black’s 8th move was bad.

10…Ke7 11.Bxc3 Qd5 12.Bb4 Nc6

[12…Qxd1+? 13.Rxd1 Ke6 14.e3 White’s coming Bc4 will be crushing]

13.Nxc8+ Ke6 <D>

POSITION AFTER 13…KE6

And now for the star move.

14.g3!

Threatening Bh3+. Taking the queen won’t work because after 14.Qxd5+ Nxd5 White’s knight has nowhere to go.

14…Qxh1 15.Qd6+! Kf5 16.Qd3+ e4

Alternatives:

16…Ke6 17.0–0–0 Qxh2 18.Qb3+ Kf5 19.Nd6+ Kg5 (19…Kg6 20.Qxf7+ Kg5 21.Bd2+ Kg4 22.Qxg7+ Kh5 23.Qg5#) 20.Bd2+ Kh5 21.Qf3+ Ng4 22.Qf5+ g5 23.Qxg5#;

16…Ne4 17.Nd6+ Kg6 18.Nxe4;

16…Qe4 17.Nd6+

17.Nd6+ Kg6 18.Qb5

With the idea of Qf5+, Bd2+, and mate.

18…Ne7 19.Nc4 Nc6 20.Qxb7 Nxb4 21.Ne5+! Kf5 22.axb4

Intending to follow-up with Ra5!

22…a5 23.Nxf7 Rhf8 24.Rc1

Now intending Rc5+

24…h6 25.Nd6+ Kg6 26.Rc7!

Yes, the fire on board of old, with threats coming from everywhere.

26…Nh5 27.f3! Kh7

[27…exf3 28.Qe4+ Kg5 29.h4+]

28.Qxe4+ Kg8 29.Qd5+ Kh7 30.Qxh5 Rf6 31.Ne4 Rg6 32.Qf5! Raa6

[32…Qxh2 33.Nf6+ Kh8 34.Rc8+ Rxc8 35.Qxc8#]

33.h4 1–0

The team from the host country Georgia did not do too well, finishing in 11th place. They lost to Slovenia and the Czech Republic and were held to draws by Finland (!), Germany, Norway and Israel. This despite having ex-Bulgarian GM Ivan Cheparinov playing on their second board and finishing with a powerful 6.5/9 on second board.

Their problem is that team leader Baadur Jobava was not in good form. In the following game for example he used his patented 1.b3 attack and already had a very bad position after 11 moves!

Jobava, Baadur (2617) — Lenic, Luka (2644) [A03]
22nd EU-chT Open Batumi GEO (4.1), 27.10.2019

1.b3 d5 2.Bb2 Bf5 3.e3 e6 4.f4 Nf6 5.Nf3 h6 6.Nc3 a6 7.h3 c5 8.g4 Bh7 9.Ne2 Nc6 10.Bg2 Nb4 11.d3 c4! 12.bxc4 dxc4 13.Ne5

Castling kingside loses a pawn, either to …cxd3 or …Nxc2!

13…Nfd5 14.Nxc4 b5 15.Bxd5

Going back is not possible: 15.Ne5 Nxe3 there is a double attack on white’s queen and g2–bishop.

15…Nxd5 16.e4 bxc4 17.exd5 Qxd5 18.Rh2 cxd3 19.cxd3 Bxd3 20.Rc1 0–1

Jobava resigns without waiting for 20.Rc1 Rd8 followed by …Bd7–h4+

There are eight slots in the Candidates’ Tournament to be held in Yekaterinburg come March 2020. One of the slots is for the player with the highest average FIDE rating not otherwise qualified. For this purpose they will use the standard rating lists of February 2019 up to January 2020. As of now the GM who qualifies under this criteria is Anish Giri.

It is therefore imperative that Giri’s rating not take a tumble between now and January 2020 because otherwise maybe Maxime Vachier-Lagrave or Mamedyarov might overtake him. It was expected that Anish Giri would play conservatively in this tournament to preserve his rating. The opposite happened as Giri pout in a powerful display of attacking chess.

Giri, Anish (2780) — Anton Guijarro, David (2674) [C54]
22nd EU-chT Open Batumi GEO (3.1), 26.10.2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0–0 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 a5 7.Re1 0–0 8.h3 h6 9.Nbd2 Be6 10.Bb5 Qb8

Black seeks to relocate his queen to the g1–a7 diagonal.

11.Bxc6

[11.Nf1 Qa7 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.Nxe3 Ne7 Black has no trouble equalizing. Carlsen,M (2837)-Ding,L (2774) Saint Louis 2017 1/2 44.]

11…bxc6 12.d4 exd4 13.cxd4 Bb6?!

This is what is usually played, but I think it would be better to swap out the bishop with 13…Bb4 rather than have it hemmed in by the white pawns.

14.a4 Re8 15.Ra3

And in addition to blocking off Black’s bishop the a2–a4 move allows the white rook to centralize quickly.

15…Qb7 16.Rae3 Rab8 17.b3 Ba7 18.Bb2 d5 19.e5 Nd7 20.Nh4

With Black’s pieces all clumped up in the queenside the coast is clear for Giri to launch a kingside assault.

20…c5 21.Rg3 Qa6

[21…cxd4?! 22.Qh5 Kh7 23.Nf5 Bxf5 24.Qxf7 Rg8 25.Qxf5+ Kh8 26.Qxd7 is easily winning for White]

22.Qh5 Kh8 23.Bc1 Rg8 24.Ndf3 Nf8 25.Bxh6 g6

[25…gxh6 26.Qxh6+ Nh7 27.Ng5 wins]

26.Nxg6+ fxg6 27.Qh4 Nh7 28.Ng5 Qb5 29.Nxh7 Qd7 30.f4 1–0

[30.f4 Qxh7 31.Qf6+ Rg7 32.Bxg7+ Qxg7 33.Qxe6]

 

Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.

bobby@cpamd.net

Homecourt edge

The Kings had plenty to say in the aftermath of a loss against the vaunted Lakers the other day. Despite being shorthanded in the absence of rotation regulars De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley, and Trevor Ariza, they managed to stay close until the waning seconds of the match. And for all the pressure being brought to bear by the partisan crowd at the Staples Center, they were on the cusp of an upset. Until, that is, the referees called a questionable foul on Harrison Barnes that sent LeBron James to the line for two shots with the score tied and five and a half seconds remaining in regulation. The charities proved to be the difference maker, leading to interesting interviews in which opinions were carefully couched to avoid fines from the league office while still making the displeasure clear.

Certainly, the Kings didn’t lose the game on the whistle of Rodney Mott, who, along with Sean Wright and Natalie Sago, officiated the match. Never mind the glaring 22-to-nine disparity in free throws. And forget that, on the next play, Barnes appeared to have been inadvertently tripped by James as he made his way to the basket, leading to an awkward try to force overtime that a lying-in-wait Anthony Davis had no trouble defending. Still, their sentiments were clear; homecourt advantage coupled with star power tilted the balance of calls in the Lakers’ favor.

Interestingly, the National Basketball Association’s Last Two Minute Report on the set-to validated one of the Kings’ concerns and negated another. It acknowledged that James “extends his elbow into Barnes’s chin before any contact is initiated by Barnes on the perimeter,” and should thus have been charged with an offensive foul. It likewise noted that the contact between the two in the subsequent play was “marginal” and “incidental.” Not that either determination changes the outcome; at best, it promotes speculation on what could have been.

Creditably, the Kings used the experience as fodder for motivation. Yesterday, they hosted the red-hot Celtics, proud owners of a 10-game win streak heading into the Golden 1 Center, and managed to eke out a hard-earned win. Rather than dwell on the wasted chance for victory, they focused on the opportunity before them — and promptly succeeded. As head coach Luke Walton argued, “I don’t care [about the Last Two Minute Report]. I don’t look at it. Our mindset is ‘What’s next? What are we doing next?’” And this time around, they got a whistle that sent Richaun Holmes to the line with 13.3 seconds left to set up a triumph by the slimmest of margins. The call was second-guessed, to be sure, but ultimately upheld following a coach’s challenge.

Moving forward, the Kings are right not to dwell too much on any one win or loss. They may have a 5-7 slate, but they’re moving up in the West standings, seemingly rounding into form after five consecutive setbacks to start the season. There remains a lot of hoops to negotiate, and if there’s anything the outcomes of their two most recent contests showed, it’s that they’re best served dwelling on things they can control, and quickly turning their back on things they can’t.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Senator pushes budget transfer to quake victims

A SENATOR yesterday proposed to realign P3 billion worth of unspent housing funds to victims of earthquake victims in the Mindanao region.

Senator Risa Hontiveros-Barraquel sought the transfer during budget deliberations on key shelter agencies, according to a statement posted on the Senate website.

The lawmaker, who heads the finance subcommittee that tackles the budget for the housing sector, noted that the National Housing Authority (NHA) and Social Housing Finance Corp. have very low budget use rates. The funds, she added, would be better used to rehabilitate damaged houses and infrastructure in Mindanao.

“We don’t want these funds to go stale, so it’s better that they be dedicated to the most urgent needs,” she said. “This is where the government should put flesh to its ‘Build, build, build’ rhetoric.”

Hontiveros cited the need for “new and better ways of doing things” to increase the housing sector’s “absorptive capacity,” according to the statement.

She said the government should not limit its options when it comes to providing poor and homeless families with decent and affordable housing. “We should link up and identify possible partnerships with institutions both public and private which are willing and able to help our people.”

Ms. Hontiveros said that the local governments have been formulating their local shelter plans for years but they have not been matched with resources. She also said both the NHA and Home Development Mutual Fund have entered into Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).

“Let’s see which partnerships work and are effective in allowing us to hit more of our housing targets,” she said. “Successful ones should be scaled up and replicated in the long term.

At least 24 people died in a magnitude 6.6 quake that hit central Mindanao on Oct. 29 and in a temblor that followed two days later, according to a Nov. 18 report by the national agency on disasters.

The agency said 66,395 families consisting of 324,720 people were affected by the earthquakes, it said. — Gillian M. Cortez

DoJ to rule on Albayalde’s drug case soon

GOVERNMENT prosecutors will soon decide the complaint against President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s former police chief and 13 cops accused of recycling illegal drugs seized from a legitimate operation in 2013.

The Justice department has submitted the graft and drug trafficking case against ex-police chief Oscar D. Albayalde and 13 policemen involved in a questionable operations in 2013, Senior State Assistant Prosecutor Alexander Q. Suarez told reporters at yesterday’s hearing.

The agency earlier reopened the case and included Mr. Albayalde in an amended complaint after senators investigating corruption in the country’s jails found that he had allegedly intervened in the firing of the cops before he became police chief.

Mr. Albayalde earlier challenged the authority of the Justice department to reopen the complaint, noting that a preliminary probe may only be re-opened when it has been submitted for resolution but before its promulgation.

A Senate committee earlier recommended the filing of criminal charges against the police officers.

The Justice department re-opened the case after former CIDG chief Benjamin B. Magalong, now Baguio City mayor, disclosed at a Senate hearing last month the involvement of the 13 cops in a questionable buy-bust operation on Nov. 29, 2013.

The cops claimed to have seized 38 kilos of drugs but an investigation showed that they seized about 200 kilos of illegal drugs worth P648 million and about P10 million in cash. The suspected drug trafficker also paid them P50 million to present a different person, Mr. Magalong had said.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron N. Aquino told senators that during a probe when he was still Central Luzon regional director, Mr. Albayalde, then acting regional director for Metro Manila, had sought to stop the dismissal of the 13 cops in 2016.

Mr. Albayalde, who resigned before his retirement, earlier asked prosecutors to dismiss the complaint for lack of merit.

The former police chief said in a filing that at the time he made the special report on the operation, he “had no reason to doubt the truthfulness” of the account made by another police officer.

Mr. Albayalde also said records of the Senate blue ribbon committee hearings are “replete with testimony that are inadmissible” in the preliminary investigation because they are hearsay, coerced statements, opinion and answers to leading questions.

He reiterated that the DoJ has no authority to re-open the probe. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

SC asked to merge Dengvaxia cases

THE Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) has asked the Supreme Court to resolve a plea to consolidate cases on deaths attributed Dengvaxia vaccination into one family court.

In a filing, PAO asked the high court to consolidate and transfer seven cases filed in separate courts and one case that will soon be filed in a Quezon City trial court.

The agency said this would quicken the administration of justice and will favor all parties.

PAO also cited conflicting orders on jurisdiction coming from several courts in San Pedro in Laguna province, Muntinlupa City and Caloocan City.

Prosecutor General Benedicto A. Malcontento through the Office of the Solicitor General has filed a petition before a Caloocan court and this would probably be followed by more petitions after the cases are dismissed in first-level courts for lack of jurisdiction.

“The prosecution of the criminal cases filed in connection with the Dengvaxia vaccine fiasco will be delayed and will drag on for a very long time, to the prejudice of the herein petitioners who are seeking justice for the death and injuries of their respective children,” according to the PAO filing.

PAO, which represents families of the victims, said consolidating the cases “will be more to the advantage of all parties and will further the orderly administration of justice as the trial of the said cases will be lodged in one family court.”

The Justice department in February indicted former Health Secretary Janette P. Loreto-Garin and 19 others for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide over eight death linked to the Dengvaxia vaccine.

Seven cases were filed in different courts in Quezon City, Laguna, Bataan, Muntinlupa City and Caloocan City. One case is yet to be filed. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Pinoys warned vs social media recruitment

THE Bureau of Immigration has warned the public against illegal recruiters on social media who try to lure Filipinos into working overseas.

“They should avoid transacting with strangers online offering high-paying jobs in foreign lands without the benefit of protection from the government,” Immigration Commissioner Jaime H. Morente said in a statement. “You will only be putting yourselves in harm’s way.”

The bureau said a number of victims recruited on social media had been barred at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Four women bound for Singapore and Malaysia as tourists but were recruited to work as household workers in Dubai were intercepted on Nov. 9 and 10, it said. All admitted that they had met their recruiters through Facebook, said Ma. Timotea Barizo, head of the bureau’s Travel Control and Enforcement Unit.

Their visas and employment papers were processed in the United Arab Emirates, she added.

“Do not deal with unlicensed recruiters as they cannot guarantee your safety, good working conditions, and salaries according to industry standards,” Mr. Morente said.

“Chances are you will be intercepted at our ports if you avail yourself of the services of fraudsters and illegal recruiters,” he added.

He said overseas job seekers may access the website of the Philippine Employment Overseas Administration or visit their office for legitimate job openings and avail themselves of the services of accredited recruitment agencies. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

5 Japan-funded community projects to be signed Nov. 22

FIVE PROJECTS worth over P30.3 million funded by the Japanese government will be signed on Nov. 22. Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda will sign the contracts with the recipient organizations, the Embassy of Japan said in a statement. The projects, located in different parts of the country, are part of the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD) and funded through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP). These are: Dormitory building for the Philippine School for the Deaf in Pasay City; health station with birthing facility in Paracelis, Mountain Province; classrooms for Don Felix Robles Elementary School in La Castellana, Negros Occidental; school Building of Sto. Niño Elementary School in Kidapawan City, Cotabato; and pre- and post-harvest equipment for farmers in Anao, Tarlac. Japan launched the GGP in 1989 to help in poverty reduction, and 538 projects have so far been implemented under the program.

Cagayan braces for typhoon Ramon landfall

TYPHOON RAMON (international name: Kalmaegi) has intensified into a severe tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 125 kph, and was expected to make landfall over the northern part of Cagayan province by Monday evening or Tuesday morning. Weather bureau PAGASA has raised cyclone wind signals #1 and #2 in most of the Cagayan Valley Region and Cordillera Administrative Region as well as parts of Ilocos Region. Meanwhile, the incoming low pressure area was located at 1,320 km east of Eastern Visayas as of 2 p.m. Monday. PAGASA said it is expected to enter the Philippine within 24 hours and “is being monitored for potential tropical cyclone development.”

SMEs, retail sector to feel blow from minimum wage hike, say Iloilo business leaders

By Emme Rose S. Santiagudo, Correspondent

RETAIL BUSINESSES along with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are likely to feel the blow from the higher minimum wage rates in Western Visayas that will take effect on Nov. 26.

“Generally, it is good for the employees, but we have to consider the fact that our employers in the region are mostly small and micro-entrepreneurs so they will be greatly affected by this,” Ronald U. So, incoming Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Western Visayas incoming regional governor, said in a phone interview Friday.

The daily wage for employees in non-agriculture, industrial and commercial businesses with more than 10 workers will increase by P30 to P395 from P365. Those in establishments with up to 10 workers will get a P15 increase to P310 from P295. For the agriculture sector, there will be a P20 adjustment to P315 from P295.

Mr. So said some SMEs could be forced to limit their manpower due to limited income and other resources. He also said that unlike hospitals and other tourism-related establishments that can increase their service rates, most in the trading sector will likely see a negative impact from the higher wages.

Iloilo Business Club (IBC) Executive Director Lea E. Lara also said retail businesses will likely make adjustments to cope with the increased pay for workers.

“Most of the businesses here (in Iloilo) are into retail and those businesses have low profit margin so the effect will be either they increase their prices or cut down their employees,” she said in a separate interview on Friday.

Mr. So said they have been pushing for two years now to have different wage categories in the region that will take into consideration SMEs as well as micro businesses.

In a position paper submitted to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board, PCCI is proposing to categorize salaries based on the classification of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), namely: micro, small, medium, and large enterprises.

Cigarette machines destroyed at Clark port

SMUGGLED CIGARETTE manufacturing machines, fake cigarette master cases and other packaging materials were destroyed at the Port of Clark on Monday, while another set of similar items are scheduled for destruction on Tuesday. The Bureau of Customs (BoC), in a statement, said this is part of the “relentless effort… to prevent illicit trade and customs fraud.” The Monday batch were seized last Feb. 19, and forfeited on July 26 for violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. Those on Tuesday were forfeited Aug. 6. “The said activity sends a strong message to smugglers to stop their illegal business practices, shortchanging the government of the rightful revenues,” BoC said.

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