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Pag-IBIG, no more?

“No more to Pag-IBIG!” is the message of Circular No. 421 released in January by the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), also known as Pag-IBIG. The Circular highlighted three points concerning foreign nationals who are working or assigned to work in the Philippines.

First, employers should no longer withhold and remit the Pag-IBIG contributions of their foreign employees to the HDMF. Second, contributions made by the foreign national and his/her employer to the HDMF, including accrued dividends, can be refunded by filing an application for claims. Last, the mandatory enrollment of foreign nationals with Pag-IBIG, due to their compulsory membership with the Social Security System (SSS), is now repealed. Thus, foreign nationals working in the Philippine are no longer required to be registered with Pag-IBIG.

Since the content of the Circular is quite general, I inquired with some Pag-IBIG officials who participated in drafting the Circular in order to understand the rationale behind the issuance and the procedures for refunding the contributions.

RATIONALE BEHIND THE ISSUANCE
Due to the short and temporary tenure of their stay in the Philippines, foreign nationals shall no longer be mandatorily covered by the agency. This conclusion was developed after a series of studies and deliberations within the agency, which stemmed from the various inquiries they have received from employers regarding the Pag-IBIG coverage of foreign nationals.

FOREIGN NATIONALS COVERED BY THE CIRCULAR
Circular No. 421 applies to foreign nationals living and working in the Philippines; and those who have already left the country, for the purpose of claiming a refund for the contributions that they had previously made to the agency.

However, those who are considered naturalized Filipino citizens are not covered by the Circular, and thus, are still covered by the mandatory registration with Pag-IBIG.

COVERAGE OF THE REFUND AND EFFECTIVITY OF THE CIRCULAR
The refund will cover all contributions made by the foreign national and shall be considered a withdrawal of the employee and employer’s contributions, including accrued dividends.

The circular took effect on Feb. 1, after its publication in People’s Journal. The agency expects that contributions should have ceased by then. Nevertheless, if employers still remit contributions from February onwards, all such contributions made shall be included in the refund claim.

PROCEDURE FOR WITHDRAWING THE CONTRIBUTIONS

i. Documentary requirements

The documents needed to claim a refund of the contributions are the same as a claim for provident fund benefit with the agency. These are: a) HDMF Downloadable Form: Application for Provident Benefits (APB) Claim (under Reason for Claim, the applicant should choose Others and indicate Foreign national refund); b) Two valid IDs of the expatriate employee; and c) a Notarized Special Power of Attorney if filed through an authorized representative, along with two valid IDs of the representative.

While the above documents are the general requirements, employers or foreign nationals are advised to inquire about any additional documents their respective Pag-IBIG branches may need for the processing of their claims.

As a general rule, any document executed outside the Philippines by foreign nationals must be authenticated by the Philippine Consulate in the country where they are located. On the other hand, documents executed in Apostille-contracting countries and territories (under the Apostille Convention) do not need to be authenticated by the Philippine Embassy or General Consulate after Apostillization by the relevant foreign government agency.

ii. Timeline of processing the claim

If the foreign national has only one employer, Pag-IBIG will process the claim within three to five working days.

In the case of multiple employers, the processing will take at least 20 working days since Pag-IBIG needs to consolidate all contributions made from the various branches and validate the accuracy of such information. To facilitate data validation, the individual must accurately list down the names of all his or her employers and the periods of employment.

iii. Manner of payment/refund

A refund will be made through the issuance of a check in the name of the foreign national. If the check is to be encashed through a representative, a separate SPA is needed. Since the check will be under Land Bank of the Philippines, it is advisable for the individual to verify with their respective LANDBANK branches if there are other requirements and procedures for their representatives to encash the check.

VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS
If a foreign national decides to enroll as a member despite the issuance of the Circular, he/she may do so subject to the review and approval of the Agency.

Alternatively, foreign nationals may consider the agency’s MP2 savings program, which is a voluntary savings platform for members who wish to save more and earn higher dividends. Interested individuals may inquire directly with the agency or access the Pag-IBIG website for details.

ISSUANCE OF IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS (IRR)
Because the agency is currently finalizing its internal business rules for branch processing of claims and updating its systems for this purpose, the formulation of the IRR remains under discussion and for consideration. In the meantime, the agency will be releasing a memorandum directed to the employers as guidelines for the Circular.

However, even while the IRR is pending release, the agency is accepting applications for refund claims.

TAXATION OF THE REFUND
Since the refund represents a withdrawal of contributions from the agency, like in the case of retiring employees or those individuals who will permanently depart from the Philippines, the withdrawn contribution is considered a mere return of capital, hence is a non-taxable payment to the foreign national.

Considering the costs (such as delivery charges for transport of requirements) and additional documents required to be submitted (such as Consular Authentication Certificate, SPA, etc.) by foreign nationals who have already left the country, it would be judicious for the company and the foreign nationals to balance the objectives of the circular against its impact on refund claims. Transaction costs may outweigh the refundable sum since the contribution only amounts to P200 per month, comprising both the employer and employee’s shares. Nevertheless, Pag-IBIG’s new policy remains a spark of good news for its foreign national members who can now expect a windfall from their hard-earned contributions.

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.

 

Edmund James Opinio is a consultant at the Tax Services Department of Isla Lipana & Co., the Philippine member firm of the PwC network.

+63 (2) 845-2728

edmund.james.opinio@pwc.com

Private airports and government airport authorities

As argued in previous columns, I advocate integrated Public–Private Partnership (PPP) — construction then Operations and Maintenance (O&M) all done and financed by one private entity — and not hybrid PPP — construction via foreign loan or national budget, O&M by local private entity. I like the development in some provincial airports that become bigger, more modern international airports, privately owned and managed, and helping attract more foreign tourism, investments and commerce.

I saw a paper, “Airport ownership, economic regulation and financial performance” (2016) by the Airports Council International (ACI). (See Table.)

ACI made four policy recommendations:

• No “one size fits all” approach to airport ownership;

• Create economic incentives and guarantee consistency in regulatory frameworks;

• Evidence-based policy making, and

• Fostering entrepreneurship and value creation.

Good. Private ownership and management of airports is consistent with attracting more private investors and traders, local and foreign.

Among the big, modern and privately owned airports in the Philippines are the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) and, soon, the Davao or Francisco Bangoy International Airport (FBIA).

There are just some twists here. While the international airport is privately owned for 25 or 30 years or longer (after which it will be government-owned), there are government agencies that will “control, supervise, construct, maintain, operate and provide such facilities or services…”

These agencies are the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) for other provincial airports, the MCIA Authority (MCIAA, RA 6958 enacted in July 1990) and, soon, the Davao International Airport Authority (DIAA) under SB 2168 and waiting for President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s signature to become a law.

This seems confusing because the private owners of the new international airports are supposed to have overall control and management of the passenger terminals, the runway and plane taxi bay, etc. But there are government agencies that, on top of the functions quoted above, have the power to:

“Acquire, purchase, own, administer, lease, mortgage, sell or otherwise dispose of any land, building, airport facility, or property of whatever kind and nature, whether movable or immovable… levy and collect dues, charges, fees or assessments for the use of airport premises, works, appliances, facilities or concessions, or for any service provided by the Authority…”

The implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of such laws can be complicated but must clearly delineate where a government agency, its national and local bureaucracies, can or cannot intervene, in facilities and structures that were entirely built and funded by the private sector.

While the private sector has the incentives to develop modern international airports that they will operate for two to three decades or more, local and national bureaucracies do not have similar incentives as their outlook is short-term, dependent on their appointment for six years or less by the administration in power.

Let us hope that more investors, local and foreign, will expand current small provincial airports into big and modern international airports. More accommodating, more visitors-friendly international airports are often the gateway to more foreign tourism, trade and investments into the country.

So we wish for more modern, privately owned international airports and less-interventionist airport authorities and other government agencies, local and national. We expand the wish-list to include more budget terminals charging lower terminal fees, alongside main terminals by private contractors and airport owners; more airlines competition via the amendment and liberalization of the Public Service Act; and, abolition of the travel tax. The Philippines seems to be the only country in East Asia that penalizes its own citizens for travelling abroad.

 

Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. is the president of Minimal Government Thinkers.

minimalgovernment@gmail.com

Why buck what works?

In some cases, people get away with doing questionable things because they cannot be made accountable for them. And knowing that they can get away with it, they wreak havoc with impunity. They are emboldened by the fact that, at the end of the day, the rewards for their misdeed far outweigh the potential risks or penalties — if there will be any at all.

It is thus easy enough for a supposed farmers’ group, for instance, to make public their accusation that imported rice are being smuggled into the country — or being undervalued to avoid higher taxes — without presenting any evidence or proof. In the same manner, it is fairly easy for media to spread the story. It is, after all, a scandal.

But, if, eventually, the accusation is proved to be false, will the accusers bother to apologize? Will they take time to explain why they made the accusation in the first place and elaborate on their agenda? Will media also publicize their apology and agenda? Will media bother to promote fair play by admitting that it, too made a mistake in spreading the accusation?

The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) is alleging that rice importers have connived with suppliers abroad to undervalue rice imports, which have since been liberalized or allowed in commercial quantities as long as proper tariffs are paid. By undervaluing importations, the FFF claims that rice importers had so far shortchanged the government of about P5 billion. The allegation also insinuates corruption.

This matters to the FFF as only tariffs in excess of P10 billion per year go to assistance programs for rice farmers affected by rice imports. Of course, lower tariff collection imperils whatever funding is supposed to go to these programs. Undervaluation also artificially lowers the price of imported rice, which in effect also depresses farm gate prices or the buying price for local rice.

However, their only evidence to prove smuggling is their own computation of tariffs that should have been collected, based on data from their sources abroad — which, they claim, do not match government data. Other than this, there has been no documentary or other factual evidence to show that undervaluation — thus smuggling — and under-collection has been going on.

Frankly, there is no doubt in my mind that there is some smuggling going on, in one form or the other. But this is simply on the notion that smuggling occurs, whether for rice or other commodities. This, I consider, is a fact of life in this part of the world. But to the extent that it is rampant as far as rice is concerned? I need proof — and not just statements — to believe that.

Beyond the smuggling allegation, my greater concern is what has happened to the rice supply, and prices, as well as inflation since rice importation was deregulated. There are far more local consumers than local rice farmers, who are consumers themselves, and using tariffs to replace quantity restrictions for imported rice has more to do with feeding them than agriculture.

If importers undervalued imported rice — declared acquisition cost at lower than actual with the connivance of exporters or foreign suppliers — just so they can save on tariffs, then wouldn’t they lose money? Importers would be forced to pass off imported rice to traders, and consumers, at below cost, too. Does this make sense? Won’t they aim to maximize and not minimize profits?

As a consumer, frankly, I prefer cheap over expensive rice. And if undervaluation makes my rice cheaper, I would prefer to get a “direct” benefit from the situation — lower rice prices — rather than the “indirect” benefit of tariffs and taxes being used to finance welfare and farmer assistance programs. Yes, this is the selfish way of looking at things. But, by going the “indirect” way, there is always the risk that tariffs will just end up in the pockets of the corrupt.

Of course, this is not to say that we should condone smuggling. Right is right, and wrong is wrong. If importers are smuggling and/or undervaluing importations, then they should be investigated and prosecuted. However, proper investigation requires evidence and proof. In the case of the FFF, they are simply teasing authorities and the public. Why end at public allegations? Why not produce evidence, or, better yet, file cases against the importers?

Moving on to what is factual as opposed to what is simply alleged, allow me to share a July 9 Bloomberg report on the rice situation: “Philippine rice prices have retreated from last year’s record highs after the Southeast Asian nation scrapped import quotas for the first time in nearly a quarter-century. The staple grain retailed for P38.65 ($0.75) per kilogram last month, down 15% from its peak in September 2018 when typhoons and pests decimated local harvests and forced government to look abroad for supply. June inflation fell to its slowest pace in two years as a result, boosting odds the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas could further slash the interest rates it hiked during the height of the rice shortage last year.”

If the FFF agenda is to again demonize the transition to rice tariffs, then that might find resonance with rice farmers opposed to it. But, in my opinion, it gains little traction with the general public, the consumers, who, like the farmers, struggled with low supply and high rice prices last year.

The aim is to improve the rice supply, from whatever source. Ensuring a stable supply to meet demand will also stabilize prices. Food security trumps hunger, and makes poverty a bit more bearable. To be honest, I can live with some undervaluation and lower tariff collection. I may even tolerate some corruption. As long as rice remains available and affordable.

 

Marvin Tort is a former managing editor of Businessworld, and a former chairman of the Philippines Press Council.

matort@yahoo.com

Taking a stand for marginalized employees

I moved to the Philippines 12 years ago to start a business. The skilled labor and high level of English proficiency made it a natural choice among its neighbors in the region. The friendly people, beautiful islands, live bands, and incredible nightlife didn’t hurt either! As my business progressed from start-up to operations, I realized that I had so many questions about why employees behave the way that they do in an organization.

I decided to pursue doctoral studies so that I could learn how to answer questions that no one seemed to know the answers to. I had met graduates of De La Salle University in Chamber of Commerce meetings and industry events, many of whom stood out because of their sense of integrity and professional accomplishments. After listening to their experiences and hearing about the value that a Lasallian education created in their lives, I was persuaded to apply and commence the decade-long journey that I just completed two weeks ago.

Graduate students learn how to conduct research using rigorous methods in pursuit of answers to questions and solutions to problems. In doing so, we create new knowledge that addresses real workplace problems, points of contention in industry, and societal issues. Part of what makes a Lasallian graduate business education unique is the emphasis that is placed on conducting business in a way that is ethically sound, environmentally sustainable, and socially responsible. While companies need to create value for their shareholders to survive in the long run, I learned that it is possible to achieve this while simultaneously caring for our customers, employees, and the communities that we live in. Our drive to make a positive impact in the lives of these stakeholders is fueled by our sense of purpose.

One of the causes that I have taken to heart since moving to the Philippines is the growing number of new HIV positive diagnoses among young people. The Philippines currently has the fastest-growing epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region, with 36 Filipinos being newly diagnosed each day. Approximately 80% of those being diagnosed are between the ages of 15 and 34 — in the prime of their lives. During a time when they should be focusing on their education and careers, these individuals are faced with a stigmatized, lifelong condition that affects their health, interpersonal relationships, and work productivity. What hasn’t been understood until now are the consequences that being HIV positive has on a person’s career. How does the stigma associated with having HIV affect an employee’s job performance? Does it hinder their opportunity to be promoted and to find satisfaction in their work? These are examples of some of the questions that I set out to answer so that I could help employers better understand how to create safe and inclusive work environments for people living with HIV.

My research brought me half-way around the globe to meet with scholars, attend academic conferences, and collaborate with NGOs. I was amazed by the level of support, encouragement, and interest coming from business leaders, researchers, and philanthropists from around the world. It made me realize that when you are genuinely passionate about something, and your heart is invested in making a difference, your desire to help becomes contagious.

One important lesson that I would like to share about stigma is that while it is often silent and invisible, it hurts so many people deep down to their core. People all around us come from different walks of life and have different stories to tell. One of our most significant challenges and responsibilities as managers is the reality that we have the power to touch people’s lives in a way that can be very impactful. The time that I spent at De La Salle University helped me develop a deep appreciation of the positive impact that businesses can have on the lives of others. Being socially responsible need not come at a high financial cost. It requires heart, dedication, and a commitment to bringing out the best in people.

I encourage each of my fellow graduates to stand up for a coworker whom they know is being marginalized. Our differences bring unique perspectives to the workplace, and by embracing diversity, we enable our colleagues to be the best version of themselves. After all, what is money without humanity? I assure you that a simple act of kindness and compassion can touch a person’s life in more positive ways than one.

 

Dr. Anthony Decoste is President & CEO of Global Virtuoso, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Sustained Health Initiatives of the Philippines, and a volunteer HIV counselor. This article is an abbreviated version of the response that he delivered to the Graduate students during the College of Business Graduate Studies Recognition Rites on June 22.

 

anthony_decoste@dlsu.edu.ph

That giant asteroid of gold won’t make us richer

By Noah Smith

REJOICE, people of Earth! News outlets are reporting that NASA is planning to visit an asteroid made of gold and other precious metals! At current prices, the minerals contained in asteroid 16 Psyche are said to be worth $700 quintillion — enough to give everyone on the planet $93 billion. We’re all going to be richer than Jeff Bezos!

OK, now for the bad news: This isn’t going to happen. Yes, 16 Psyche and other asteroids will probably be mined for their metals. But once those metals start hitting the market in large quantities, they’re unlikely to be precious for much longer. As any introductory economics student knows, price is a function of relative scarcity — flood the market with gold, and it will go from being a rarity to being a common decoration. Supply goes up, price goes down.

But in fact, there’s a more fundamental reason why a giant golden asteroid wouldn’t make the world fabulously rich. It’s because wealth mostly doesn’t come from big hunks of metal. It comes from the ability to create things that satisfy human desires.

A steel factory represents real wealth, because you can use it to make parts for cars, buildings, and so on. A house does too, because you can live in it or rent it out. The skills and knowledge in your head are also a form of wealth, even though they’re not counted in the official statistics. Even a sandwich is wealth, at least until it goes bad.

But a giant asteroid full of gold only adds a little to real wealth. The metal would have various industrial applications and make nice jewelry and dental fillings, but it wouldn’t spark a new industrial revolution, or dramatically bring down the cost of goods and services, or in general make human life much better or more comfortable. Gold doesn’t command high prices just because it’s rare — plenty of rare things have little to no market value. It’s because it’s rare relative to people’s demand for it. And because a golden asteroid wouldn’t increase the world’s total demand for gold, there’s no way it could create quadrillions of dollars of new real wealth.

Something a bit like a golden asteroid happened once before. In about 1500, Spain conquered South and Central America and discovered large deposits of gold and silver. It then shipped these metals back to Europe and used them to pay for government expenditures (mostly wars). Because gold and silver were used for money at that time, a drop in the value of gold and silver meant a drop in the value of money — in other words, inflation.

FREEPIK

Gold no longer is used as money, nor is the value of modern money pegged to the value of gold or any other metal. Thus, the arrival of a giant golden asteroid would probably not cause consumer prices to go up, and would instead simply cause gold prices to crash to almost zero.

So a giant asteroid wouldn’t make us all billionaires. But whatever space-mining company managed to claim the space rock would still probably be able to make a substantial fortune for itself. It would have to follow the playbook of the diamond company De Beers.

Diamonds used to be exceedingly rare, until large deposits were discovered in the 1800s in South Africa. The British businessman and colonial government official Cecil Rhodes consolidated all South African diamond mining under the De Beers company, an effective monopoly which later was controlled by the Oppenheimer family. Over the years, De Beers managed to defend this monopoly against challenges from various upstarts, by hoarding diamonds when prices were low and flooding the market to destroy competitors.

A monopoly allows a company to limit supply to keep prices high. But De Beers needed more than that in order to prevent diamonds from eventually becoming commoditized — and so it turned to marketing, launching one of the most effective advertising campaigns ever with the slogan, “A Diamond Is Forever.” This convinced couples all around the world that diamond engagement rings were an indispensable symbol of marital commitment. That symbolism represents real value.

Owners of a golden asteroid could conceivably try to pull a similar trick, launching advertising campaigns to get people to start using gold for more things — building materials, perhaps, or clothing. But it seems unlikely that they could persuade the world to pay a premium for the sheer volume of gold coming from an asteroid like 16 Psyche — especially if a rival company showed up with another golden space rock.

The impossibility of extracting untold riches from 16 Psyche teaches two important lessons about how wealth really works. First, it shows that a great deal of wealth exists only on paper — when you try to sell your assets, the price goes down. Liquidity — the ability to sell an asset for cash — is an important factor that tends to be forgotten when calculating net worth.

And second, this example shows that real wealth doesn’t actually come from golden hoards. It comes from the productive activities of human beings creating things that other human beings desire. De Beers’ fabulous fortunes ultimately came not from its control over a certain type of dazzling rock, but from its ability to convince the world that this rock could be used to communicate love and devotion.

If you want to get rich, don’t think about how to seize scarce resources. Think about how to use resources in an innovative way to make something people truly want or need.

 

BLOOMBERG OPINION

Iran’s reform movement died 20 years ago

By Eli Lake

ONE OF THE comforting illusions promoted by many critics of President Trump’s Iran policy is that his actions have alienated and weakened the regime’s moderates.

You hear this line from time to time, with the usual caveat that “moderate” and “reformer” in the context of Iran are quite different than what they mean in the West. It is nonetheless the basis of a dream pursued by most of Washington’s foreign-policy establishment: If you treat Iran’s regime with respect it will bolster those who seek to reform it.

Proponents of this view would do well to study what happened 20 years ago this week at Tehran University. The rebellion began when students launched demonstrations after the judiciary closed a reformist newspaper known as Salaam. The paper had published details on the regime’s culpability in the string of killings of dissidents and intellectuals known in Iran as the “chain murders.” On July 9, 1999, the regime’s security forces raided a dormitory and began the arrests. Some 1,500 students were taken away. To this day, the whereabouts of dozens of them remain unknown. A cover of the Economist showing a student raising a bloody shirt has become the uprising’s iconic image.

Demonstrations and crackdowns in Iran are not unusual. In 2009, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest the stolen presidential election that gave Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a second term. Since late 2017, Iranians throughout the country have engaged in strikes, protests, and other acts of civil disobedience against a regime that has lost legitimacy.

The 1999 protests at Tehran University are particularly significant, though, because at the time the country’s president, Mohammad Khatami, championed the kinds of reforms the students demanded. He had been elected two years earlier promising a freer press and an end to repression. He publicly pleaded with his own government to spare the students in the raids. Yet in the end, he could do nothing to save them.

It’s also worth looking at who was on the pro-regime side of the uprising. Leading a counter-demonstration was the secretary of Iran’s national security council, Hassan Rouhani. A relatively unknown cleric at the time, he told his supporters that the students demanding reform were “enemies of the state.” This was no idle threat. A student shot dead by security forces was later found guilty by a revolutionary court for engaging in unlawful protest. Rouhani, of course, is Iran’s president today. The Obama administration, which relied on him to negotiate the 2015 nuclear deal, touted him as an Iranian moderate. It’s telling that in 1999, he was the face of a regime undermining Iran’s only reformist president since the 1979 revolution.

Khatami’s failure to protect the students is one reason that so many Iranian activists who believed for years in the prospect of incremental reform now feel that radical change the only path forward. Roya Boroumand, the executive director of the nonprofit Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, told me that the 1999 protests were a lesson for many Iranians who learned that even if reformist politicians supported changes to the law, those changes would be stymied by the unelected clerics who control Iran’s courts and powerful Guardian Council.

The most prominent example of this disillusionment is Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, who represented some of those students back in 1999 in Iran’s courts. As she told me last year, she supports the movement for a constitutional referendum to eliminate the position of the supreme leader. There are millions of Iranians who agree. What will it take for their natural allies in the West to listen to what they are saying?

 

BLOOMBERG OPINION

ROS Elasto painters give quarters push a boost

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE Rain or Shine Elasto Painters did their Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinal push a favor with a gutsy 86-82 win over the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

With their playoff lives still in the balance, the Elasto Painters assured that they are still strongly in the mix for a spot in the next round of the tournament by beating the Hotshots, using a firmer showing in the second half.

The win improved Rain or Shine to 5-5, tied with Magnolia, with a game left in their schedule in the eliminations, still in the quarterfinal hunt.

Magnolia dictated the early goings of the game, racing to a 12-5 lead midway into the opening quarter and continue to hold sway, 22-15, after the first 12 minutes.

The Hotshots sustained their steady form in the second canto with Paul Lee and Rome Dela Rosa leading the way.

They were able to stretch their lead to 10 points, 33-23, with four minutes to go.

But Rain or Shine, towed by Beau Belga and Ed Daquioag, would finish the frame strong, outscoring Magnolia, 12-8, to narrow the gap by the halftime break, 41-35.

The Elasto Painters came out swinging as the third quarter commenced as Mr. Daquioag and new import Carl Montgomery found their touch from beyond the arc.

They opened with a 13-6 run to seize the lead, 48-47, at the 7:54 mark.

Rain or Shine continued to build on it, taking a 61-57 advantage heading into the final two minutes of the quarter.

When the third-quarter smoke cleared, the Elasto Painters were on top, 64-61.

With the outcome of the match anything but settled, the teams scrambled to gain early hold at the start of the payoff period.

Import James Farr went to work to pull Magnolia even, 67-all, after just two minutes.

Rain or Shine rookie Javee Mocon steadied the ship for his team, leading a 13-2 run in the next three minutes to create distance anew, 80-69.

Magnolia rallied back to within two points, 82-78, with 2:07 left on the strength of triples from Mark Barroca and Jio Jalalon.

The Elasto Painters continued to lead, 84-80, with a minute to go.

The Hotshots had its chances to narrow the gap after but Rain or Shine’s defense held up.

Two free throws made by Gabe Norwood with nine seconds to go put the game away for Rain or Shine.

Mr. Belga led the Elasto Painters with 22 points.

Mr. Montgomery, who replaced the injured Denzel Bowles, had a 20-point and 12-rebound debut. He also had four assists, two steals and two blocks.

Mr. Daquioag added 14 points of his own for Rain or Shine.

Magnolia, meanwhile, was led by Ian Sangalang with 24 points and Mr. Farr having a double-double of 19 points and 23 rebounds.

“I just challenged the players that it is not easy having a new import. We did not play our game in the first half but I just told the players to step up in the second half and they did, especially in hitting our three-pointers,” said Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia after their win.

Rain or Shine plays its last game on Saturday, July 13, versus the San Miguel Beermen while Magnolia tries to book a quarterfinal spot on July 17 against the TNT KaTropa.

‘Dream Team’ turn mean machine at Wimbledon

LONDON — Wimbledon’s Centre Court is the property of the All England Club, but on Tuesday it belonged to Serena Williams.

After reaching her 37th Grand Slam singles semifinal, the American returned with Britain’s Andy Murray in a fist-pumping, high-fiving, forehand-slapping frenzy as the mixed doubles ‘Dream Team’ put on a show for the thousands of fans who had hung around into the evening to watch.

‘SerAndy’ or ‘Murrena,’ as the multiple Grand Slam-winning duo have been dubbed, eased into the third round with a 7-5 6-3 win over America’s Raquel Atawo and France’s Fabrice Martin.

Having beaten compatriot Alison Riske in three sets in the singles quarterfinals earlier in the day, Williams looked like she wanted to be anywhere but out on court again.

Not in a sulky sort of way. Far from it. She was in a fired-up frenzy to get off court as fast as possible as the evening drew in, smashing winners left and right, roaring, fist-pumping and pirouetting in celebration as each one flew off her racket.

“I am having a blast,” she said. “Obviously it has been a great atmosphere playing out there with Andy, so it is great.”

Any doubt over whether Williams would be in the mood for the mixed doubles was dispelled in the first game as she smashed a volley straight at Martin, apologizing profusely after the ball cannoned off his body.

Playing with home favorite Murray, a twice Wimbledon singles champion, means Williams had the Centre Court crowd firmly in her corner and they loudly roared their approval throughout as she fired a string of superb return winners.

“I do not expect that to ever happen again. I’m convinced that was once in a lifetime. I just never hit returns like that in my life,” said Williams.

The result of the match was never really in doubt, even if the first set was tight — but this partnership was never meant to be just about results.

Both players are using the mixed doubles as an opportunity to play matches in an effort to return from injuries, with Williams feeling her way back after a niggling knee problem and Murray feeling his way after hip surgery.

Williams’ focus will return to her main task on Thursday when the 11th seeded American faces unseeded Czech Barbora Strycova in the semifinals as she bids to claim a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title.

Murray, however, is playing the long game, having made no immediate decision about when he will be ready to battle again with the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer.

A truer test of their doubles credentials will come in the next round when they face top seeds Brazilian Bruno Soares and American Nicole Melichar.

Soares won Grand Slam doubles titles with Andy’s older brother Jamie at the US and Australian Opens in 2016. — Reuters

Gilas Pilipinas preparations steadily coming along

A LITTLE over three weeks since opening camp for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Gilas Pilipinas said things are steadily coming along and expected it to further pick up in the coming weeks.

Following their practice and tune-up game with the Jones Cup-bound Mighty Sports team last Monday, Gilas coach Yeng Guiao said that while they are still a work in progress, he is happy with the effort that the players are giving and that as practice moves along execution should improve.

“I’m happy with the effort of the players, including the new guys like CJ (Perez) and Robert (Bolick). The chemistry is steadily developing,” said Mr. Guiao.

“It’s still a work in progress. We still have some lapses but I expect our execution to improve as we progress and when Andray (Blatche) joins us,” he added.

Mr. Guiao went on to say that the Mighty Sports tune-up, which ended in a tie at 85-all, was a good practice for them and that they are looking forward to their trip to Spain early next month for training to prepare themselves better for the World Cup in China, which is happening from Aug. 31 to Sept. 15.

The 14-man Gilas pool for the World Cup will be released later this week, Mr. Guiao said, when Mr. Blatche joins them.

He said the players will be selected from the players who are currently training with the team.

“It’s more or less this team,” Mr. Guiao said.

Regularly training with the team are June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, Messrs. Perez and Bolick, Kiefer Ravena, Gabe Norwood, Mark Barroca, Paul Lee, Japeth Aguilar, Poy Erram, Roger Pogoy and Troy Rosario. Recently joining the training are Matthew Wright and Beau Belga. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

What’s next for Gauff as world goes Coco-crazy?

LONDON — A quick glance at Cori Gauff’s Twitter account shows what a difference a week makes in the life of a 15-year-old tennis phenomenon.

The giggling teenager, who likes to be called Coco, came to Wimbledon with a following of around 4,000 on Twitter. By the time her sensational run had ended on Monday, those numbers had risen to over 125,000 and included a number of celebrities.

Not bad for a player who is ranked 313 in the world and one who has yet to win a main-tour tournament.

But then again, there is nothing ordinary about a high school student who manages to pass a science test in the midst of qualifying for Wimbledon, then jettisons five-times champion Venus Williams in the first round before storming back from a set and two match points down to reach the second week of the most famous tennis tournament.

The tennis world had gone Coco-crazy for Gauff but when her remarkable run was finally ended by Simona Halep in the fourth round, Wimbledon’s most prolific champion had some words of advice.

“I just hope she backs off after the tournament and takes a breath,” said American great Billie Jean King, the winner of 20 titles at the All England Club across singles and doubles.

“I would say ‘remember how blessed you are to be in this position… take care of yourself and always stay humble. Right now you can get full of yourself very quickly because everyone’s around you.’

“The most important things for her now is to recalibrate and stay focused on her goals. We’re going to know her as a human being and not just a tennis player, and that’s what people are interested in.”

What fans do not want to see is a repetition of Jennifer Capriati’s sorry teenaged saga.

At 13, she was a six-million-dollar girl, showered with endorsement contracts even before she played her first professional match in March 1990.

SUPPORT NETWORK
In 1991, she became the youngest Wimbledon semifinalist at aged 15. But within two years Capriati had tired of the game and was arrested for shoplifting and for possession of marijuana.

The support network around Gauff, which includes Roger Federer’s agent Tony Godsick, suggests she is well protected from such pitfalls or the temptation to chase every sponsorship dollar thrown her way.

“I’ve heard they’ve had over 400 (sponsorship) offers and lots more are going to come her way,” said former world number one Tracy Austin, who was also a teenage prodigy.

“It’s very important that she’s got that veteran agent to know how to deal with it all. She’s got to stay humble and be choosy because at 15, she’s got a long career ahead of her, there will be plenty of money in the future.”

Although she is expected to shoot into the world’s top 140 when the new WTA rankings are released next Monday, Gauff will need to plan the rest of her year more judiciously. A WTA rule introduced after Capriati’s downfall means that she is allowed to play only five more tournaments before her 16th birthday next March — even if she wins them all.

One of those events will almost certainly be the US Open in August because as John McEnroe commented, organizers at Flushing Meadows will be clamoring to sign her up as “she sells tickets, people love her and she’s got it all.” — Reuters

Filipino pugilists eye SEA Games gold repeat

GOLD MEDAL winners in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games, Filipino boxers John Marvin and Eumir Felix Marcial are eyeing a repeat of the feat in this year’s edition of the biennial regional games which the Philippines is hosting later this year.

Gracing the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Amelie Hotel-Manila, Marvin and Mr. Marcial, joined by men’s boxing team coach Roel Velasco and SEA Games bronze medallist Ian Clark Bautista, said they are once again going for gold more so since the Games will be held in the country just as they highlighted that they are expecting the competition to be tough.

“I’m after that gold and nothing less than that,” said Filipino-British Marvin at the forum, presented by San Miguel Corp., Braska Restaurant, Amelie Hotel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

Marvin won gold in the light heavyweight division of the 29th SEA Games in Malaysia two years ago.

He defeated Adli Hafidz Bin Mohd Pauzi of Malaysia in the finals.

Mr. Marcial seconded Marvin, saying he, too, is aiming for the gold and nothing less, and vowed to do his best in his pursuit of it.

“The field will be competitive because everybody is aiming for the gold. But I won’t be deterred by it,” he said in the vernacular.

Mr. Marcial ruled the middleweight division two years ago by beating Thai Pathomsak Kuttiya in the finals.

The gold medals of Marvin and Mr. Marcial were part of the two gold, one silver and two bronze haul of boxing in 2017 and the 24-34-63 medal total of the Philippines, good for sixth place.

Apart from the SEA Games, the Philippine boxing team is also gearing up for the World Championships in Russia in September. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Magnus Carlsen wins No. 8

Croatia Grand Chess Tour
Zagreb, Croatia
June 26-July 8, 2019

Final Standings

1. Magnus Carlsen NOR 2875, 8.0/11

2. Wesley So USA 2754, 7.0/11

3-4. Levon Aronian ARM 2752, Fabiano Caruana USA 2819, 6.0/11

5-7. Anish Giri NED 2779, Ding Liren CHN 2805, Ian Nepomniachtchi RUS 2775, 5.5/11

8. Sergey Karjakin RUS 2748, 5.0/11

9-11. Viswanathan Anand IND 2767, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov AZE 2774, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave FRA 2779, 4.5/11

12. Hikaru Nakamura USA 2754, 4.0/11

Average Rating 2782 Category 22

Time Control: 130 minutes play-to-finish with 30 second delay before the clock starts on every move

Magnus Carlsen has just won his eighth consecutive tournament with an overpowering 5-win 6-draw result in the Zagreb leg of the 2019 Grand Chess Tour. The moving spirit behind this event is former World Champion Garry Kasparov. As you may know Kasparov tried to run for President of Russia in 2008 against Vladimir Putin but failure to find a sufficiently large rental space to assemble the number of supporters that is legally required to endorse such a candidacy forced him to withdraw. Kasparov blamed “official obstruction” for the lack of available space.

Ever since then he has found it difficult to live in Russia and moved out of the country. He currently resides in New York City but travels often, especially to Zagreb since he obtained Croatian citizenship in 2014.

Zagreb with a population of 1.1 million is the largest city in Croatia by far and contains a quarter of the total population of the country. They are a chess-mad nation and literally multitudes would show up at the tournament venue to follow the games and, in old-time courtesy, applaud the players at the conclusion of their games.

This almost fanatic fervor apparently inspired Magnus Carlsen to go for the win in every game. In fact, he managed to defeat two players (Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren) from the elite who he had never managed to take down in a classical game ever before.

Carlsen’s score against Nepo before they met in Zagreb was 0 wins and 4 losses. Here is how he dealt with the former Russian and European champion in round 7.

Nepomniachtchi, Ian (2775) — Carlsen, Magnus (2875) [B30]
Croatia Grand Chess Tour Zagreb CRO (7.1), 03.07.2019

Nepomniachtchi started the tournament with three straight wins (against Anand, Caruana and Mamedyarov” but just had his momentum snapped by Ding in the previous round and fell to his first loss. This allowed Magnus and Wesley to catch up with him for the lead, but by this victory Magnus now took over 1st place.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Bc4 g6

This could not have been a surprise for Nepo, for Magnus had played this exact line against Vachier-Lagrave in last year’s Sinquefield Cup.

5.d3

The game with MVL continued 5.h4 h6 6.h5 g5 7.Nh2 Nf6 8.d3 d6 9.Nf1 Bg4 10.f3 Be6 11.Ne3 Bg7 12.Ncd5 0–0 13.c3 Rb8 14.a4 a6 15.g4 b5 16.axb5 axb5 17.Bb3 (17.Ra6!? can also be tried) 17…Ne7 18.Nxe7+ Qxe7 19.0–0 the game was headed for a draw. Vachier Lagrave, M. (2779)-Carlsen, M. (2842) Saint Louis 2018 1/2 37.

5…h6 6.h4 d6 7.h5 g5 8.Nh2

Now the game strongly resembles MVL vs Carlsen. This knight is also headed for e3, same as in that game.

8…Bg7 9.Ng4 Nge7 10.Ne3 0–0 11.Bd2 Kh8 12.g4

Closing out the kingside and now the action moves over to the queenside.

12…Rb8 13.a4 Nd4 14.Ncd5 Nxd5 15.Nxd5 Ne6 16.f3 Nf4 17.Qb1

A bit of a controversial decision. Carlsen: he went for a very ambitious plan with the queen to a2 and so on. The problem, of course, is that his king lacks shelter, so the opening of the position is always going to be good for me.

17…Be6 18.Qa2 Qd7

With the idea of …Bxg4.

19.Rg1 b6 20.Bc3

Nepo’s idea is 21.Nxd4 exd4 22.Bxg7+ Kxg7 23.Kd2 when White is the one with the better prospects.

20…Bxd5! 21.Bxd5 a6 22.Bd2 Qe7 23.Rf1 b5 24.axb5 axb5 25.Kf2 c4 26.Bxf4

[26.dxc4 bxc4 27.Bxc4 d5! opens up the position in the center, which obviously White with his exposed king does not want]

26…exf4 27.Rad1 <D>

POSITION AFTER 27.RAD1

27…f5!?

This is a bluff, Carlsen’s own words.

28.gxf5?

And Nepo blinks. The correct response is 28.exf5! Qe3+ 29.Kg2 Qe2+ 30.Kh3 how can Black continue? Try to get his rook on the 2nd rank? 30…cxd3 31.cxd3 Rbc8 but then 32.Rde1 Qd2 33.Rd1 holds.

28…g4!

Based on the body language of the players, after this move Nepo knew he was lost, and the remaining moves came quite quickly.

29.d4

[29.fxg4 Qh4+ 30.Ke2 Bd4]

29…Qh4+ 30.Ke2 Qh2+ 31.Rf2

[31.Ke1 g3 followed by …g2.]

31…gxf3+ 0–1

Nepo resigned because Kxf3 Qxh5+ drops his rook.

After drawing all seven games he had played against Ding Liren before Zagreb Magnus finally nailed him in round 8.

Ding, Liren (2805) — Carlsen, Magnus (2875) [E05]
Croatia Grand Chess Tour Zagreb CRO (8), 04.07.2019

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 b5 8.a4 b4 9.Nfd2 Nd5

The usual move here is 9…c6. As confirmed by Magnus in the post-game conference, this was opening preparation for his world championship match with Caruana last year which he didn’t get to use. Developed by one of his seconds, GM Daniil Dubov, the idea is to activate black’s two bishops. You will see later how this works.

10.Nxc4 c5 11.dxc5 Ba6!

Black’s dark-squared bishop, which is usually “bad” when its access is blocked by the e6–pawn, now has full scope.

12.Ne3 Nd7 13.Nxd5 exd5 14.c6 Rc8 15.Bf4! Nc5 16.c7 Qd7 17.Nd2

Since move 10 Ding, smelling opening preparation, was taking his time between moves while Magnus was blitzing out his. By this time the Chinese GM was already an hour behind on the clock.

17…g5! 18.Be5

He can’t take the pawn because of 18.Bxg5 b3! (Not 18…Bxg5? right away because 19.Qxc5 Bxd2 20.Rfd1 Rxc7 21.Qa5 one of the bishops will fall) 19.Qc1 Bxg5 20.Qxc5 Bxd2 21.Rfd1 Rxc7 now the white queen cannot go to a5, and so he ends up down a powerful bishop.

18…f6 19.Bd4 Rxc7 20.Qd1 Ne6 21.Nb3 Bc4 22.Na5?!

A better idea is 22.Be3! followed by Nd4.

22…Nxd4 23.Qxd4 Kg7 24.Rfc1 Bxe2 25.Rxc7 Qxc7 26.Re1?!

Taking the pawn 26.Qxd5 Rd8 27.Qe4 Bd3 is more to the point but Ding was probably afraid of losing his knight on a5

26…Bc5! 27.Qxd5 Re8! 28.Qb7?

Correct idea wrong execution. After 28.Qc6 Qxc6 29.Nxc6 Bh5 30.Rc1 White will win either the a7 or b4 pawn.

28…Qxb7 29.Nxb7 Bf8 30.Bc6

Ding misses his chance to activate his pieces with 30.Nd8! Rxd8 (30…Bh5 31.Ne6+ Kg8 32.Bc6 Re7 33.Bd5 Bf7 34.Bc4 white is at least equal) 31.Rxe2 Rd1+ 32.Bf1 Bc5 Black still has a slight edge, but nothing serious anymore.

30…Re7 31.f3 Bc4 32.Rxe7+ Bxe7

It is Carlsen’s two bishops vs Ding’s bishop+knight with both sides having three pawns on the kingside and two on the queenside. A draw, right? Carlsen gives a display of how powerful the two bishops working together can be and just overpowers Ding.

33.Kf2 f5 34.Ke3 Bg8 35.Kd3 g4!

Fixing the h2 pawn as a target.

36.Na5 Bc5! 37.Nc4

Ding is going after Black’s f5 pawn.

37…Bg1 38.Ne3 Be6 39.fxg4 fxg4 40.Ke2 h5

[40…Bxh2? 41.Kf2 Black is going to lose his bishop]

41.Bd5 Bd7 42.Bb3 Bxh2 43.Kf2 h4 44.gxh4

[44.Nf1 hxg3+]

44…Be5! 45.Nc4 g3+ 46.Kg1 Bf4 47.Bd1 Bc6 48.b3 Kh6 49.a5 Be4 50.Kf1 Kg7 51.Kg1 Kf6 52.Kf1 Ke6 53.h5 Kd5 54.a6 Kd4 55.Bg4 Kc3 56.Be6 Bc2 57.Na5 Bc7 58.Nb7 Bd3+ 59.Kg1 Bxa6 0–1

Magnus: “A win is a win, but this one obviously is special.” Indeed it is, both in terms of importance in the standings and in chess content.

 

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

bobby@cpamd.net

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