Fuel prices dropping by more than P2/L this week

June 9, 2019 | 11:51 pm

OIL COMPANIES are set to rollback fuel prices again this week at reduction rates higher than last week. SeaOil said it will lower prices for gasoline by P2.45 per liter (/L), diesel by P2.70/L and kerosene by P2.60/L at 12:01 a.m. on Monday. Petro Gazz will implement the same price cuts for gasoline and diesel at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Last week, firms such as Petron Corp. and PTT Philippines Corp. slashed the per liter prices on gasoline, diesel, and kerosene at P1.70, P1.05, and P1.00, respectively. The rollbacks follow the movements in the international oil market, one of the companies said. — Janina C. Lim

Cordillera stakeholders prepare amendments to autonomy bill for 18th Congress

June 9, 2019 | 11:51 pm

THE MULTI-SECTOR drafting committee for the proposed Autonomous Region of the Cordillera (ARC) Organic Law has started consolidating inputs from stakeholders for amendments that will be proposed in the bill for refilling at the 18^th Congress. In a statement on June 7, the Cordillera Administrative Region-Regional Development Council (CAR-RDC) said they aim to turn over the suggested revisions to House Bill 5343, An Act Establishing the ARC, by July of this year to the incoming CAR representatives. HB 5343 was filed at the just-concluded 17^th Congress. Re-elected Baguio City Rep. Mark O. Go, at the consolidation workshop held on May 22-24, committed to gather all the incoming CAR representatives to discuss their strategy for the refiling of the bill and facilitate its passage in the incoming Congress. The CAR-RDC has drafted a roadmap to achieve Cordillera autonomy by 2021. The drafting committee held several consultations, forums, and assemblies around the region to gather suggestions on the ARC bill. The committee is composed of representatives from local governments, regional line agencies, indigenous peoples’ rights groups, civil society organizations, and the academe.

FLo Water cuts off supply to MIWD amid dispute

June 9, 2019 | 11:50 pm

FLO WATER Resources Inc., one of the bulk water suppliers of Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) that delivers 15,000 cubic meters daily, has temporarily cut off supply since June 5 amid a dispute over fines relating to water quality. Flo Water stopped the supply to MIWD to protest the P1.5-million fine imposed by the latter for allegedly violating water quality parameters in their bulk water supply agreement. “The disconnection was based on our penalty… after they delivered discolored water from April 7-16, 2019. They wrote us a letter protesting the penalty but we cannot do otherwise because it was embodied in the contract that the color is part of the quality,” said Amarylis Josephine C. Castro, MIWD officer-in-charge general manager. In a letter to MIWD dated June 3, Flo Water President Rogelio C. Florete Jr. said the water district should pay the P1.5 million, not the other way around, and set a June 4 deadline, “otherwise, we will resort to all actions necessary to protect and/or vindicate our rights.” The discolored water is being blamed on the molasses spill incident in a sugar central in San Enrique, Iloilo that contaminated the Jalaur River, Flo Water’s main source of raw water. MIWD officials, in a press conference last week, said the supply cut would mean low water pressure in the areas covering Barangay Tabuc Suba in Jaro, Iloilo City to Leganes, Iloilo. “The most affected areas will be from Tabuc Suba going to Leganes but in some areas like La Paz, Pavia, and even in Iloilo City, we are still validating the data. The most affected areas do not necessarily mean that there is no water supply but just low water pressure,” said Jerry P. Guillergan, officer-in-charge of MIWD’s Engineering Department. Ms. Castro also assured the public that the situation is “under control” and that they will be resorting to water rescheduling to balance the supply delivery. MIWD legal counsel Roy P. Villa, meanwhile, said they are now looking at several legal remedies following the disconnection. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

Sarbay Fest 2019: A green kind of beach party

June 9, 2019 | 11:50 pm

By Maya M. Padillo, Correspondent

GLAN, SARANGANI — The annual Sarangani Bay Fest (SarBay Fest) at the Gumasa Beach in Glan, which started in 2006, has in recent years been trumpeting the idea of environment-friendly and sustainable tourism.

This year, the provincial government amplified this message by, among other things, partnering with corporate giants Smart Telecommunications, Inc. and San Miguel Brewery Inc. (SMB) to set up innovative bins for recyclable trash.

SMB set up a towering bottle-shaped bin made of steel wire where people can chuck in their recyclable wastes.

Smart, the wireless unit of PLDT, Inc., made a turtle-shaped bin with a machine and sensor attached for counting the number of plastic bottles thrown in.

The machine also had an application wherein people who dropped their plastic can register their names and mobile numbers to get free load credits — P5 for every two cans or plastic bottles, and P25 for 10 recyclable items.

“On the shoreline we have huge installations where visitors took a selfie and instagrammed (their photos) and also placed their trash. This was another creative way of our Sarbay citizens to keep it clean and keep the environment and the beach at its best,” Michelle L. Solon, regional tourism council chair, said in an interview.

Other waste segregation areas were also set up while locals were again hired to serve as cleaners, with a pool of 150 that worked in groups of 50, each on an eight-hour shift to make sure that the beach stayed waste-free.

There were also interactive games and “planet camp” to drive the message of environmental protection, urban gardening demonstrations, coastal clean-up, and the scubasurero (scuba divers cleaning up underwater trash).

Various sporting events were also held, such as the 15-kilometer (km) swim from Maasim to Glan, which has become an iconic Sarbay activity. There was also a 50-km run from the province’s capitol all the way to Gumasa.

The evening shows featured a percussion competition, international DJs, popular bands, and fireworks.

“We have really made our bay closer to what we really want it to be, where we all partied and enjoyed but kept clean,” Ms. Solon said.

The Glan Municipal Environment Resources Office reported that garbage collected during Sarbay 2019 from May 31 to June 4 was 48 cubic meters, consisting of 30% biodegradable, 30% residuals, and 40% recyclable.

Ms. Solon said the Sarbay Fest is also an important income earner for the tourism sector, citing P65 million generated in 2018 from accommodations, food, environmental fees, and transportation, among others.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.

Macalintal says Smartmatic-TIM should pay for poll glitches, defective supplies

June 9, 2019 | 11:48 pm

ELECTION LAWYER Romulo B. Macalintal said Smartmatic-TIM, the automated elections system (AES) provider of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), should be made to pay for damages relating to the May 13 midterm elections. In a statement on Sunday, Mr. Macalintal said President Rodrigo R. Duterte should focus on getting a refund from the defective materials such as malfunctioning vote counting machines (VCMs) and voter registration verification machines (VRVMs). The election lawyer’s statement comes after Mr. Duterte said in late May that Comelec should look for another AES provider that is “fraud-free.” “What President Duterte should do is to remind or pressure Comelec to ask Smartmatic and other suppliers to compensate our government for damages for the hundreds of VCMs and (VRVM) machines that malfunctioned; defective writing or shading pens; glitches in the transparency servers, and for all other technical problems that caused delays in the conduct of the 2019 elections,” the lawyer said. At the same time, Mr. Macalintal acknowledged that despite the malfunctions, there is weak proof that the VCMs used during the elections served as instruments of fraud after the Comelec released the initial findings of their random manual audit (RMA) last week. The RMA result showed 99.9953% accuracy, the highest accuracy rate ever since the AES implementation in 2010. “(W)ith the recent result of the Random Manual Counting which shows that the VCM’s count was 99.9% accurate and taking into consideration the past results of election protest since the first automated polls in our country in 2010 where the physical count of the ballots tallied with VCM’s count, it appears that the results of the 2019 elections were accurate and no electoral fraud was committed that compromised the integrity of these VCMs,” he said. — Gillian M. Cortez

Duterte bats for higher Hajj fund

June 9, 2019 | 11:46 pm

PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte wants a higher allocation to help fund the annual Mecca pilgrimage of Filipino Muslim citizens, according to Communications Secretary Martin M. Andanar. The pronouncement comes amid the controversial use of Marawi rehabilitation funds by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) to sponsor the Hajj of some internally displaced residents in Marawi City. “The budget, I believe, will be increased,” Mr. Andanar said in a Cabinet Report sa Teleradyo interview transcript emailed by the Palace to reporters on Saturday. He explained that the President wants this because he believes that is what Muslims value the most and in recognition of Islam as a Filipino sub-culture. “Isa o dalawang mansion (One or two mansions), that is nothing compared to being able to go to Mecca para sa isang (for the) pilgrimage.” The beneficiaries, Mr. Andanar said, will be chosen in batches based on the different Muslim-indigenous people communities such as the Maranao and Tausug, among others. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Labor leaders say latest 94.9% employment rate due mainly to election period

June 9, 2019 | 11:45 pm

LABOR LEADERS polled by BusinessWorld said that the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) latest report of a lower unemployment rate is mainly due to the election period, and stressed the need for more developments in the agricultural and industrial sectors to create more gainful and sustainable jobs.

Last week, the PSA reported in its Labor Force Survey (LFS) that the employment rate as of April 2019 was 94.9%, higher than the same period last year at 94.5%.

The labor force participation rate of Filipinos also grew to 42.24 million from 40.9 million during the month in review.

Nagkaisa Labor Coalition Spokesperson (NAGKAISA) Renato B. Magtubo said the growth of the labor force was only temporary due to activities relating to the May 13 midterm elections.

“(T)he recent LFS results paint a picture of the country’s economy, which is anemic in generating employment opportunities despite the government’s build, build, build program. It also tells the government and the private sector to train their efforts and resources to the development of local industries and agriculture in order to generate gainful employment to a growing population of the labor force,” he said on Saturday.

Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) Chair Leody De Guzman also said there is a need “for government to invest in national industrialization.”

“Buhayin ang industriya ng Garment, paunlarin ang pagtatanim at pag-hahayupan — mga labor — intensive ng industriya at sa huli ay buhayin ang industriya ng bakal na pundasyon para sa iba pang sub-industry. Hindi sustainable na trabaho kung pagtatayo lang ng mga imprastratura (We should revive the garments industry, develop farming and livestock, which are labor-intensive industries, and in the end, also revive the steel industry which is a foundation for other sub-industries. It is not sustainable to simply produce jobs through infrastructure building),” Mr. De Guzman said in a text message.

Associated Labor Unions- Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) Spokesperson Alan A. Tanjusay expressed the same position that the lower level of unemployment was brought about by the election season that started in January.

He said on Friday, “The decline in unemployment is because many were hired during the campaign season. Many were temporarily hired to work in various tasks in the campaign of candidates.”

Unemployment as of April 2019 dropped to 5.1% from 5.5% in the same period last year this year while underemployment also saw a decline to 13.5% from 17%.

Mr. De Guzman said despite this decline, the number of unemployed Filipinos remains in the millions.

He cited the Social Weathers Stations (SWS) report in September 2018 that indicates local joblessness was still high.

“Ang 5.1% unemployment rate sa sariling sukatan ng Gobyerno ay malaki pa rin kumpara sa 4^th Quarter ng taong 2016 na 4.7% lamang pero malayong malayo ito sa sukatan naman ng SWS na 19.7 % ang unemployment ngayon. Katumbas ng 9.7 M na walang trabaho (The 5.1% unemployment rate as measured by the government is still high compared to the 4th quarter 2016 that was only 4.7%, but that is still far from the measurement of SWS, which states current unemployment at 19.7%. This is still 9.7 million unemployed), he said.

“Artipisyal at pansamantala lamang ang pagtaas ng bilang ng may trabaho sa bansa (The rise of the employment rate is only artificial and temporary),” he added.

Mr. Tanjusay added that the government should have a stricter implementation of labor laws and ensure that businesses comply.

”Because government is always threatened by businesses with capital flight, shutdown and unemployment, the enforcement of labor laws is always lacking,” he said. — Gillian M. Cortez

PHL opens FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers in Group A

June 9, 2019 | 11:40 pm

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE Philippine national men’s basketball team will open its FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers campaign later this year in Group A following the official draw in India at the weekend.

Held in Bengaluru on Saturday night and attended by FIBA officials and noted Asian basketball personalities, the grouping of the 24 participating nations which will battle it out in the six-window and home-and-away matches was known.

The Philippines, ranked 31 in the world and fourth in Asia, is in Group A along with South Korea (32^nd), Indonesia (85^th) and Thailand (102^nd).

The tournament windows begin in November this year, followed in February and November 2020.

Teams which finish in the top two in each of the six groupings directly advance to the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup with the third-place teams advancing to the second round of the qualifiers.

In other groups are Chinese-Taipei, Japan, Malaysia and China (Group B); Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Guam (Group C); Bahrain, Lebanon, India and Iraq (Group D); Saudi Arabia, Syria, Qatar and Iran (Group E) and Jordan, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka and Palestine (Group F).

The Philippines will first take part in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China in September before plunging into action in the Asia Cup qualifiers.

Present during the FIBA Asia Cup draw were FIBA President Horacio Muratore, FIBA Secretary-General Andreas Zagklis, FIBA Asia President Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani, FIBA Executive Director for Asia Hagop Khajirian, the governor of Bengaluru, and several representatives from the participating nations.

They were joined by members of FIBA’s Executive Committee and Central Board, as well as by high-ranking officials from the Local Organizing Committee (LOC).

Also there were Asia hoops legends Jimmy Alapag of the Philippines and Asami Yoshida of Japan.

FIBA U-18 WOMEN’S 3X3
Meanwhile, the impressive run of the Philippine Under-18 women’s 3×3 team in the FIBA 3×3 World Cup in Mongolia came to a halt in the quarterfinals on the final day of the competition on Friday.

Faced world number one China in the quarterfinals, the Philippines could not go over the hump, bowing, 21-12.

Fell behind early, the Filipina players, namely Camille Izabel Clarin (18), Ella Patrice Fajardo (16), Karl Ann Pingol (17) and Angelica Marie Surada (18), tried to catch up but just could not take it all the way against the hot-shooting Chinese team en route to slumping to the defeat.

Despite falling short, the team was lauded for its efforts that saw it exceeding expectations given its limited time together to prepare.

The United States eventually won the U-18 women’s 3×3 title after beating New Zealand in the finals.

The quarterfinal finish of the Philippine U-18 women’s 3×3 team duplicated the feat of the seniors team in the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup last month.

Barty party under way as Ashleigh triumphs in Paris

June 9, 2019 | 11:40 pm

PARIS — Ashleigh Barty, the Australian who ditched tennis to play professional cricket for a year, smashed Marketa Vondrousova for six on Saturday to lift the French Open crown at Roland Garros.

Boasting a bewildering array of shots and spins, the eighth seed crushed her Czech teenage opponent 6-1 6-3 to win her first Grand Slam title, and Australia’s first French women’s singles crown in more than four decades.

“It’s unbelievable… I played the perfect match today. I am so proud of myself and my whole team… it has been a crazy two weeks,” said Barty, the ninth different female champion in the last 10 grand slams.

“This is a special place for Australian players… it has been a magical two weeks.”

Not since Margaret Court’s triumph in Paris in 1973 has an Australian won the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen but this victory was in very little doubt from the moment the final began.

In a match-up where guile and artistry always trumped power, Barty was simply smarter throughout.

Producing angles so sharp they might have come with a health warning, the 23-year-old carved apart Vondrousova in the opening set, clinching it in half an hour.

While the match was no classic, those fans who had taken a break after the conclusion of the Dominic Thiem-Novak Djokovic men’s semi-final which had caused the women’s final to run more than an hour late, missed some of the more thoughtful tennis played on the Roland Garros clay this past fortnight.

Vondrousova, who herself has bamboozled a succession of opponents here, repeatedly found herself outfoxed by Barty, whose doubles excellence was always on display with her net-play and cleverly angled serving.

Barty, who returned to tennis in 2016 after a successful stint with the Brisbane Heat in Australian cricket’s Women’s Big Bash League, took nary a backward step, breaking instantly in the second set to deprive her 19-year-old opponent any foothold.

Cracking a stiff-armed, two-handed backhand, in the manner of Jim Courier, Barty was able to counter Vondrousova’s attempts to pull her wide with her loopy left-handed backhand, and the Czech rapidly ran out of ideas.

Vondrousova turned to ever riskier strategies — her drop shots became finer, her drives more firmly struck — and she earned a little breathing space, holding serve three times after that early break.

But the irrevocable damage had been done and when Barty slammed a short smash high into the stands it was all over and she raised her arms in triumph.

The victory lacked drama but lifts Barty to number two in the world — a feat last accomplished by an Australian woman in 1976 by Evonne Goolagong.

Considering her goal at the start of the year was to break into the world’s top 10, it has been a remarkable rise.

“I think it’s just been an amazing journey we’ve had over the last few years,” she told reporters.

“I just tried to say to myself today on the court: ‘I may never get this opportunity again, so enjoy it, try and grab it with both hands and go out there and smile.’”

Australia was smiling with her. — Reuters

PFL: Mendiola FC and Air Force FC draw, 1-1

June 9, 2019 | 11:39 pm

MENDIOLA FC 1991 and Philippine Air Force FC notched their first points in the ongoing Philippines Football League (PFL) season after battling to a 1-1 draw on Saturday at the Philippine Football Federation National Training Center in Carmona, Cavite.

Both searching for their debut win in Season 3 of the PFL entering the contest, Mendiola and Air Force instead settled for splitting the points in the lone league match at the weekend.

Mendiola (0-1-1) was first on the scoreboard after Papuh Corsarme punctured a goal just seven minutes into the contest.

It would maintain a 1-0 lead all the way to the break as it fought off any challenge from the Airmen to level the count.

Air Force (0-1-2), however, was not to be denied in its push as forward Alvin Obero levelled things for his team in the 58^th minutes.

The two teams tried to notch the go-ahead goal but none would come, leading them to the 1-1 draw and making do with a point each that goes with it.

Mendiola next plays on June 15 versus Stallion Laguna FC and Air Force faces off with Global Cebu FC on June 19. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Raptors cost McDonald’s millions in free french fries

June 9, 2019 | 11:38 pm

ONTARIO — It appears McDonald’s has underestimated Toronto Raptors’ fans appetite for french fries in Ontario.

As part of a promotional partnership between the fast-food chain and the team, McDonald’s locations in Eastern Canada give away orders of free medium french fries whenever the Raptors hit at least 12 3-pointers in a game. According to The Financial Post, McDonald’s estimated 700,000 orders, but with the team playing so well, that number has ballooned to nearly three times the original estimate, resulting in approximately C$5.4 million (just over $4 million) worth of fries.

Chuck Coolen, head of marketing for McDonald’s in Eastern Canada, explained that the marketing plan’s initial forecast was based on a previous promotion with the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and was finalized nearly a year ago — just 18 days before Demar DeRozan was traded for Kawhi Leonard last summer.

Last season, Toronto hit 12 3-pointers in 43 of 82 regular season games and five postseason games. This season, the Raptors hit the mark 44 times, plus another 10 so far during their playoff run.

Coolen said they have given away approximately 2 million orders of fries, but that number is still growing. While the final tallies for the playoffs aren’t yet available, after Game 1 of the finals alone, where the Raptors hit 13 threes, McDonald’s gave away a record 80,000 free orders.

Mike Forman, who owns four McDonald’s franchises in Whitby, Ontario, noted that while the company may be losing revenue on the free fries, they believe the long-term benefits will outweigh the short-term losses. Customers must download and use the McDonald’s app to redeem their free french fries, which hopefully will keep customers invested going forward.

“We believe it will pay off in the future,” Forman told The Financial Post. — Reuters

Beating Rafael Nadal in clay: Ultimate challenge in danger of becoming mission impossible for Thiem

June 9, 2019 | 11:38 pm

PARIS — Beating Rafael Nadal on clay is the ultimate challenge, but that may have already become mission impossible for his opponent Dominic Thiem, even before Sunday’s French Open final gets underway.

Seeking a record-extending 12^th title at Roland Garros, where he has an intimidating 92-2 record since 2005, Nadal has had the ideal preparation for Sunday’s showdown, beating arch-rival Roger Federer in straight sets on Friday before enjoying a rest day.

Austrian fourth seed Thiem, his victim in last year’s final, has enjoyed none of those advantages, needing two weather-disrupted days and five sets to get rid of world number one Novak Djokovic in the other semi-final.

Thiem, who has become part of the Roland Garros furniture with his fourth last-four appearance in a row, risks being mentally drained when he steps onto Court Philippe Chatrier, Nadal’s back-lawn.

“The physical part is one thing, and the mental part is another thing,” his coach Nicolas Massu told reporters after his protege’s semi-final spanned 24 hours.

“But when you are in this world… you have to be prepared for everything.”

Thiem won his last match on clay against second-seed Nadal, but that was the best of three sets. They have met on three previous occasions at Roland Garros and Nadal has won all three encounters in straight sets, including a 6-4 6-3 6-2 in last year’s final.

After winning his first five-set match here, a fired-up Thiem refused to complain about the schedule after his coach was told there was no chance the final would be put back to Monday to accommodate the Austrian.

“I’m full of adrenaline, of course, still from today’s match, and also I will have that tomorrow,” he said.

“So I’m not going to be tired. It’s all going to come after the tournament. So I’m ready to leave all or everything what I have out on the court tomorrow.”

So will Nadal, who is on the brink of an 18^th major title, which would put him only two shy of Federer’s record and make him the only player to have won a slam 12 times.

Thiem, who has never made it to the final at another Grand Slam, is looking to become the first Austrian to win a major since Thomas Muster lifted the Musketeers Cup at the French Open in 1995.

Should he fail — which seems likely — the 25-year-old Thiem will be back.

“I think it’s really important that I go into the match with the belief to win,” he said.

“Of course it’s a big dream for me to win that match tomorrow, to win this title. But I also have it in my head that if it does not happen tomorrow — which can happen easily because of the opponent on the other side of the net — I don’t make myself too much pressure.” — Reuters