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Blackwater agrees to trade Ray Parks to TNT

WHILE it has yet to get the nod of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) trade committee, super rookie Ray Parks, Jr. could well be on the move after his mother team Blackwater Elite agreed to send him to the TNT KaTropa in a five-player deal.

In a setup finalized on Wednesday, Mr. Parks will go to the KaTropa in exchange for forwards Don Trollano and Anthony Semerad plus two future first-round picks.

The PBA, however, would not be able to give its approval of the deal until Nov. 4 when it resumes office after the holiday break for All Saints’ Day.

If given the nod, the latest deal would be the third for Blackwater in less than a month after completing the deal that sent guard Michael DiGregorio to TNT for Brian Heruela and that of Allein Maliksi and Reymar Jose going to the Meralco Bolts for KG Canaleta, Mike Tolemia and their 2020 and 2022 second-round picks.

Mr. Parks, son of legendary PBA import Bobby, began playing only for the Elite in the second conference of the ongoing season as he played out his commitment with Alab Pilipinas in the ASEAN Basketball League.

Since stepping on the PBA hardwood, Mr. Parks has become one of the top players in the league, currently posting solid numbers of 20.1 points, five rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals in the PBA Governors’ Cup.

He played possibly for the last time with the Elite on Wednesday, finishing with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists in their 101-93 loss to the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings.

Mr. Trollano, meanwhile, has had a steady season for TNT, embodying the prototypical do-it-all player for the KaTropa.

He has been averaging of 11.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists for TNT in the Governors’ Cup.

Mr. Semerad is currently sidelined by a shoulder injury he got in the previous conference.

The PBA has no schedule of games today and will resume action on Nov. 3 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with Northport Batang Pier taking on the Alaska Aces at 4:30 p.m. and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings playing Meralco Bolts at 7 p.m. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Rodriguez fight chance for Ancajas to prove anew staying power in division

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

FOR the eighth straight time, Filipino IBF world super flyweight champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas will defend his title, an opportunity once again for the reigning champion to underscore he is a cut above the rest in the 115-pound division, one local fight analyst said.

Set to take on Mexican Jonathan Rodriguez (21-1) in the boxing event happening at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, on Nov. 3 (Manila time), Mr. Ancajas (31-1-2) looks to extend his successful defense of the title he won back in 2016.

And for Davao native Mr. Ancajas to be on top of his game without showing signs of slowing down speaks volumes of the kind of fighter that he is, said fight analyst Nissi Icasiano.

“It says a lot about Jerwin Ancajas’ staying power in his talent-filled division. Simply put, the super flyweight division is a shark tank. To hold one of the four belts in the weight class for three years proves that Ancajas is a cut above the rest,” said Mr. Icasiano in an interview, giving his take on the upcoming fight of 27-year-old Mr. Ancajas.

The analyst, however, lamented that the Filipino champion has yet to attract a big-name opponent that would give him a stern test, something he hopes Mr. Ancajas would finally get if he gets past Mr. Rodriguez.

“The current mindset of Jerwin Ancajas is to share the ring with the stalwarts at 115 pounds. It is one of the primary reasons why he is not moving up in weight, especially in today’s boxing culture where most boxers jump from one division to another,” the analyst said.

Zeroing in on the Ancajas-Rodriguez fight, Mr. Icasiano said he sees it up the alley of Mr. Ancajas and, hence, leaning towards him come fight day.

“Based on the footages that I have seen, Rodriguez is a dangerous puncher. He has heavy hands. He even sent his last opponent into the emergency room. However, he is a dead giveaway for Ancajas. His style is susceptible to Ancajas’ pesky attacks and movement. Anjacas likes to dart his foes from different angles,” said Mr. Icasiano.

The analyst though cautioned that Mr. Ancajas still has to play his cards right against Mr. Rodriguez who is very much capable of swinging the tide in his favor if allowed to have his way.

“I am favoring Jerwin Ancajas in this fight. Rodriguez is tailor-made for him. He just needs to use his speed, volume punches, and movement to wear the Mexican out. The Filipino is obviously the faster and the more technically sound pugilist between the two on paper. If Jerwin Ancajas imposes those aforementioned leverages on fight night, we could see a late stoppage win in favor of the Panabo native,” Mr. Icasiano said.

Mr. Ancajas won the International Boxing Federation world super flyweight title in September 2016, defeating McJoe Arroyo of Puerto Rico by unanimous decision here in Manila.

He has defended his title seven times previously, the last time against Japanese Ryuichi Funai in May this year by knockout in California.

Mr. Rodriguez, for his part, is riding a five-fight winning streak, all by knockout.

Bukidnon FC tops first Mindanao Cup tournament

BUKIDNON FC emerged as the champion of the first Mindanao Cup that was held recently at the Tionko Football Grounds in Davao City. The football tournament was a joint endeavor of the Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA) headed by its president, Mr. Ricky Yanson, and the Davao South Regional Football Association, headed by its president, Mr. Henry Sabate.

Sixteen teams from Mindanao took part in the competition envisioned to hone grassroots football players.

The other winners in the Cup included Davao South Regional FA White, first runner-up; Davao South RFA Red; second runner-up and Mt. Apo RFA, third runner-up.

Meanwhile, the winners of Mindanao Cup’s Division 1 Plate Competition were North Davao RFA, champion; Golden Davao RFA, first runner-up; Iligan-Lanao del Norte-Lanao del Sur RFA, second runner-up; and Sultan Kudarat FA, third runner-up.

SOCSARGEN RFA was crowned champion of the tourney’s Second Division, which had Cagayan de Oro-Misamis Oriental FA, Zamboanga del Norte — Dipolog FA, and Agusan del Sur RFA as first runner-up, second runner-up and third runner-up respectively.

Individual awards to Bukidnon FA’s Jun Melig (Best Goalkeeper), Adriel Algador (Best Defender), Prince Aseniero (Best Midfielder) and Kurbe Dairo (MVP), as well as to Mt. Apo RFA’s Jedd Gabriel Ceballos (Best Striker with 14 goals).

Mr. Yanson said, “I salute all the players, coaches, parents, teams and football associations who have joined us in these efforts… Special thanks to the Davao South Regional Football Association for hosting this Cup; congratulations to everyone because in grassroots football… everyone is a winner!”

The tournament was also supported by the local government of Davao City represented by Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte who attended the welcome dinner, and by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Jr., who graced the games and the awarding ceremonies.

Atty. Iroy, a former national football player in the late 1980s lauded the Mindanao Cup for supplementing the PSC’s own grassroots program and for bringing together the Mindanao football associations. “This is a good program because it realizes the importance of the participation of young children. The Mindanao Cup is also special because, for a time, there was no tournament that involved all the regional FAs in Mindanao. There was a ‘lag’… With this program, the FAs have had a chance to band together.”

Almost 5,000 cops fired since 2016

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has penalized 9,172 erring police personnel in the past three years as part of its internal cleansing, the Department of Interior and Local Government said yesterday.

The agency, which supervises the police, said 51% or 4,721 policemen had been suspended, while 31% or 2,806 had been dismissed.

PNP “continues and persists in seeking to change the culture and image of the police organization in the face of ongoing challenges,” Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año said in a statement. “The controversies hounding the police service will not stop us in pursuing our internal cleansing initiatives.”

Mr. Año said 762 PNP personnel had been reprimanded, 535 demoted, 208 forfeited their salaries, 80 had their privileges withheld and 60 were under restrictions.

The penalties covered workers from July 2016 to September this year, Interior Undersecretary Jonathan E. Malaya said in a mobile-phone message.

Mr. Año also commended the revamp being enforced by PNP Officer-in-Charge Lieutenant General Archie F. Gamboa.

Mr. Gamboa took office this month after the resignation of General Oscar D. Albayalde, who was accused of trying to protect 13 rogue cops from Pampanga province when he was still a deputy director for Metro Manila.

Mr. Albayalde and the 13 policemen are facing graft and drug-dealing charges at the Justice department. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Golden State Warriors’ guard Curry breaks left hand in fall

LOS ANGELES — Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry suffered a broken left hand on Wednesday, the NBA team announced, marking the latest setback for the franchise.

The two-times NBA Most Valuable Player was injured when he landed heavily while driving to the basket during the third quarter of the team’s 121-110 home defeat against the Phoenix Suns. X-rays confirmed the break, but there was no immediate word of how long he might be out of action.

Curry’s injury came as the Warriors fell to 1-3 early in the new season.

The 2015, 2017 and 2018 NBA champions are struggling to replace Kevin Durant, who has moved to the Brooklyn Nets, and Klay Thompson, out indefinitely as he recovers from a torn knee ligament. — Reuters

Families victimized by common crimes down to 5.6% — SWS

ABOUT 1.4 million Filipino families (5.6%) reported being victimized by common crimes in the past six months, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) poll.

The ratio was lower than the 7% of Filipino families or 1.7 million who reported being victimized in June, and the lowest since the 5.3% result in June last year, the pollster said in a report.

“Victimization by common crimes reported in SWS surveys is much higher than the number of crimes actually reported to the police,” SWS said.

Common crimes included pickpocket or robbery of personal property, break-ins, carnapping and physical violence. SWS interviewed 1,800 adults for the poll, which had an error margin of ±2.3 percentage points. — Gillian M. Cortez

Their time is now

Max Scherzer was done. He tried his best, but he simply didn’t have it on a night he was needed most. The Astros tagged him early and often yesterday, and, all things considered, he did incredibly well to post a pitch count of 103 through five innings before manager Dave Martinez decided he was done. It certainly helped that he had luck and incredible defense on his side; his relative lack of control notwithstanding, he gave up only two runs, and, if nothing else, put the Nationals in prime position to craft yet another comeback in the very last set-to of the season.

In retrospect, it was, perhaps, too much to ask Scherzer to be at his finest after he couldn’t even get off the bed to start for Game Five of the World Series over the weekend. That the three-time Cy Young awardee was on the mound for yesterday’s winner-take-all affair underscored the resolve with which he approached his craft. Determination and cortisone shots combined to allow him to throw just three days after neck spasms so debilitated him that he couldn’t even turn his head any which way. Under the circumstances and given his history of neck and back ailments, he put together a heroic effort.

Needless to say, Scherzer’s work was appreciated by the Nationals. Regardless of the score, it epitomized their desire — and capacity — to exceed themselves. And, no doubt, it spurred them to claim the World Series over the heavily favored Astros. That they prevailed yesterday in hostile Minute Maid Park was remarkable in and of itself. That each of their previous three wins was likewise on the road served only to highlight their refusal to accept the odds. To the contrary, they relished bucking them over and over again, in full cognizance that they have been, and will continually be, better than the sum of their parts.

Looking back, the Nationals couldn’t have been seemingly worse-equipped for a title run. They lost erstwhile star Bryce Harper to free agency in February, and then scraped the bottom of the barrel with a 19-31 slate in May. And still they never lost sight of the ultimate prize; they wisely proceeded to take the season a game at a time, making the most of the opportunities presented them en route. They scratched and clawed to the playoffs with the wild card, and then rallied from deficits to prevail in an unprecedented five elimination contests and ultimately give the franchise its first World Series triumph.

So, yes, Scherzer deserves his place in the spotlight — as do all the players on the Nationals roster. From Most Valuable Player Stephen Strasburg to homerun-hitting Howie Kendrick and Anthony Rendon to workhorse Juan Soto to insurance-provider Adam Eaton to closer Daniel Hudson, they have proven that their time is now. And up until they meet the Astros anew for an exhibition at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in February, they’re right to bask in the glory they’ve earned together.

 

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

International event to bring P700M in tourism receipts

MORE than 5,000 foreigners from 67 countries are in Manila to attend an international convention, and are expected to generate about P700 million ($14 million) in tourism receipts for the Philippines, organizers said.

The expenses do not include the foreign delegates’ airfare to the Philippines, as well as their personal spending on food and shopping, said Ralph Balmaceda, a local spokesman for the Jehovah’s Witness (JW) Christian group, which is organizing the convention.

The tourism receipts include expenses by about 20,000 Filipino delegates from around the country, he told reporters at a briefing. The international convention will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena and SMX Convention Center in Pasay City on Nov. 1 to 3.

Some of the delegates come from countries whose nationals don’t normally visit the Philippines, such as Botswana and Madagascar, said Dean Jacek, communications director of the Philippine branch of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Some of the foreign attendees arrived in the Philippines as early as September and have been touring the countryside. Many of them will stay behind after the convention to visit more places outside the capital, Mr. Balmaceda said.

About 30,000 members of the group, which includes more than 4,000 volunteers who are helping organize the event, will attend the convention in Pasay City, Mr. Balmaceda said. The convention is open to the public, he added.

The group is closely coordinating with local governments, the police, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the Tourism department, said another JW spokesman, Allan de Guzman. There are more than 200,000 JWs in the Philippines and about 8.58 million worldwide. — NPA

Rehabilitated Marcos Bridge fully open

THE MARCOS Bridge in Marikina was fully reopened Thursday after five months of rehabilitation work, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced. “The rehabilitation was initially targeted to finish on April 2020 but considering the volume of motorists and commuters affected, the DPWH National Capital Region went 24/7 to finish the project as early as possible,” DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar said in a statement following yesterday’s reopening ceremony. “As an integral access to Quezon City from the east of Rizal province, rehabilitation works on the bridge after its 40 years of service are necessary to ensure the safety and convenience of the public,” Secretary Villar said. The P213.46 million project included the re-decking of the 315-linear meter slab, strengthening of girders, and replacement of expansion joints, concrete sidewalks, railing and drain pipes.

Social media stirs ‘emotional connections’ between candidate and voter — Publicus Asia

SOCIAL MEDIA presence is not enough to ensure a candidate victory in an election, but it is an effective tool to boost campaign and allow closer connection to the voting public, Publicus Asia reported. In its Final Social Media Intelligence Report (SMIR), released on Thursday, it presented observations on how social media played in the May 2019 midterm elections. “These conclusions point out to the importance of social media, considering more people are engaging with the platform,” Publicus Asia said in a statement. “Any political brand will have to get involved in these activities to expand his/her base and secure wider presence or coverage.”

EMOTIONS
For one, the SMIR found being active in social media alone will not guarantee winning, but a “detailed, well-organized” social media presence can make a candidate more competitive. Further, the report said “social media helps stir emotional connections with voters.” The report cited the cases of now Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” T. Go and losing candidate Willie T. Ong, who ranked 18th in the final count. “Bong Go, who ended up in third place in the election, was consistent in all four categories in SMIR. With a good balance of the President’s endorsement and effective mobilization of social media, Go was able to convert votes with increased virality,” it said. “However, Dr. Willie Ong, who boasts of having a strong social media following in many platforms, was not able to mobilize his online presence well due to lack of air and ground support which is necessary to aid his digital strength.” In assessing social media strength, the SMIR takes into account popularity, virality, exposure and social capacity. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Tacloban ‘AAA’ slaughterhouse awaits permit to operate

TACLOBAN CITY’S new slaughterhouse, classified as a triple-A facility, is now on a test run and is awaiting the permit to operate, the local government said. An “AAA” classification, based on the National Meat Inspection Service’s (NMIS) guidelines, means livestock and poultry processed at the facility can be sold to both the domestic and international markets. City Veterinarian Eunice Alcantara, in a statement from the city government, said the machinery within the abattoir is “undergoing a run-through, but is not commercially operational.” She added, “The dry run is being done to enhance the skills of staff on slaughtering procedure.” The test run is targeted to end by December, after which full operations will commence as soon as the NMIS permit is issued. “The CVO (City Veterinary Office) has already revised and complied with requirements set by the NMIS three weeks ago for accreditation such as Good Manufacturing Manual, Sanitary Standard Operating Procedures and others,” Ms. Alcantara said.

POPCOM-Davao pushes for more teen centers as region records highest teen pregnancies

THE COMMISSION on Population’s (POPCOM) Davao office has called for more teen centers in public and private schools as well as in communities for out-of-school youth as the region recorded the highest percentage of teen pregnancies nationwide. POPCOM Regional Director Bai Agnes Sampulna said the region currently has 103 teen centers, which serve as educational and support venues, but more are needed to curb the teen pregnancies. Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data show that in 2017, Davao Region had a 17.9% teen rate out of all pregnancies, followed by the Northern Mindanao Region at 14.7% and Soccsksargen (South Cotabato-Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani-General Santos City) at 14.5%, which are all higher than the 8.6% national average rate. Ms. Bai said the recently-launched campaign “No More Children Having Children” involves educational sessions for teens and parents on adolescent health. “We tapped the schools for this and we give lectures… We also gathered children with the help of teen facilitators who will identify and address their concerns,” she said. POPCOM has asked President Rodrigo R. Duterte to issue an executive order declaring teenage pregnancy as a national emergency to avoid a population crisis. — Maya M. Padillo

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