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Labor secretary urges worker skill upgrades to head off inequality

LABOR Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said Filipino workers must upgrade their skills in the face of technological disruption, warning that mismanaging the technology transition will widen inequality.

In a speech at the 108th International Labor Organization (ILO) Conference, Mr. Bello said: “(W)e want to ensure that no one is left behind and no one is displaced from their respective jobs.”

“The collective efforts to… ensure the dignity of labor against the backdrop of technological advances have never been more urgent than today,” he added.

He said automation and other technologies threaten those jobs which can be done better and more cost-efficiently by machine.

“The main task at hand right now is to craft specific policy responses that affirm our human incomparability and assert the import of tripartism and social dialogue,” he said.

In order to help employees face automation challenges, Mr. Bello urged them to pursue “upskilling, reskilling, and retooling.” While automation can open up new employment opportunities, he warned that the transition should be managed cautiously to minimize risks to the work force.

“Automation in the world represents good opportunities but it can also, if not properly managed, cause social inequality and poverty,” Mr. Bello said. — Gillian M. Cortez

PSA projects 6.5% decline in 2nd quarter palay output

THE Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said it estimates a 6.5% year-on-year decline in output of palay, or unmilled rice, in the second quarter, to 3.83 million metric tons (MMT), due to the continuing impact of El Niño.

As of May 1, the probable palay production estimate for the quarter was expected to be lower than the 4.09 MMT a year earlier.

Corn production was projected to decline to 1.15 MMT, down 10.2% from a year earlier.

In its last update on April, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said lost agricultural production was P7.96 billion due to El Niño.

Lost palay production was about 0.96% of the 20 MMT target production for the year, while corn losses were 2.94% of the 8.64 MMT target.

The DA has requested the importation of 300,000 MT of corn in response to the dry spell. The DA has also requested funds to expand the production of corn and sorghum by 100,000 hectares each.

Despite the estimate of falling production, palay prices are continuing to fall, pressured by expectations of more liberal imports of foreign rice under the Rice Tariffication Law.

The average farmgate price of palay fell 0.8% week-on-week during the first week of June to P18.00 per kilogram (kg), the PSA said in a separate statement.

The PSA said the average wholesale price of well-milled rice fell 0.1% week-on-week to P39.42. At retail, it was steady at P43.10 per kg.

The average price of regular-milled rice fell at wholesale by 0.5% week-on-week to P35.54. At retail, the price fell 0.1% to P38.72.

The farmgate price of yellow corn grain rose 0.3% week-on-week to P14.01 per kg. The average wholesale and retail and prices were both unchanged at P18.43 and P23.96, respectively.

The average farmgate price of white corn grain rose 1% week-on-week to P16.27. The average wholesale price was unchanged at P22.41, as was the average retail price at P29.12. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang

From foundation to innovation

Data is very much in the spotlight in today’s business environment. We se it in how organizations are moving towards automating their data-related processes in order to minimize their output error rate, reduce the cost of data remediation, and maximize insights. There has also been a surge in the demand for data professionals such as data scientists and engineers to better analyze unstructured pieces of data and turn them into valuable information (e.g., reliable trends, forecasts and projections).

Data’s celebrity status, however, brings its own share of risks. Issues such as data privacy breaches, inaccurate reporting and the unmanageable volume of data have caused big hits to organizations across the globe. One may wonder — what are organizations doing to address such risks? While organizations institute controls to minimize these risks, a lot of them (from what I’ve observed) set their sights and focus their efforts and resources on famous technologies and tools for data analytics, robotic process automation and artificial intelligence/machine learning.

Although there are endless possibilities as to how far our data tools and technologies can take us, nothing useful and reliable can come out of them if we do not have quality data. Are organizations really putting their efforts and priorities in the right order? Are they able to address the core issues concerning their data or are they just going with the trend?

There are no right or wrong answers, but one thing is clear: data will continuously reshape the business and economic landscape. As such, organizations must take steps to ensure that “data” is accurate, complete, consistent, timely and uniformly defined by the stakeholders, who in turn should have the proper mindset so as not to be “consumed/governed” by the data.

Taking the necessary steps does not require organizations to run before they have learned how to walk. Before organizations can start to run and take the big leap, strengthening their foundations is crucial if they are to achieve the targeted benefits. Accordingly, data governance would allow organizations to view data innovations holistically from both a control and growth perspective.

The journey towards data innovation requires a proper survey of current capabilities and state, against a benchmark or aspired state. Organizational awareness of data governance maturity level is necessary in leveraging strengths and addressing weaknesses. A comprehensive maturity assessment will help to increase organizational awareness on how it performs against the critical components of data governance.

The maturity assessment requires an organization to answer significant questions. Are policies, processes, and standards in place to support a data-driven culture? Is the data architecture capable of specifying the ‘golden source of truth’? Is data quality measured through defined metrics where data can be described as accurate, complete, timely and adaptable? How are tools, technology, and methodology aligned with the overall data strategy to support organizational growth? These are just some among the list of many questions looking at the components of data governance. Determining the answers to these questions before diving into big technological investments and hiring data specialists will help in addressing the right requirements and maximizing the benefits of data to the entire organization.

Depending on the results of the data governance maturity assessment, organizations should then prepare a Roadmap defining the necessary steps to address the noted gaps while leveraging the strengths. The roadmap serves as the plan that defines the business case, strategic direction and scope as agreed with data stakeholders. Once this roadmap is approved by senior management and the board, organizations can proceed to the design of the organization’s data governance framework. Details of the data governance components are crafted in more detail: roles and responsibilities, and organization, policies and processes, change management and data culture, data architecture, data quality and metrics, and tools technology and methodology. The design will also show how data looks like for the organization, how it will flow and be used and, more importantly, how the data governance transformation will affect the organization’s overall financial and human investments.

One of the key challenges in the data governance transformation journey is cost. Managing the trade-off between what’s best and what’s cost-effective is nothing new. As the best solutions usually require commensurate investments, organizations should budget time and resources to ensure that the data governance transformation roadmap and design will sail towards the expected direction that will ultimately be beneficial to the entire organization.

Roadmaps and designs are merely dreams if not implemented. For these dreams to translate into reality, an organization must commit its time, resources and executive sponsorship in the Implementation phase. Knowing how to do it and actually doing it are two different things. One’s confidence in the theories and prototypes at hand will only be enhanced once these are implemented and put to practical test.

Implementation will vary across organizations as data governance transformation roadmaps depend on their respective maturity levels. Despite these variations, successful implementations require board and executive support to oversee and direct the data governance journey. To enable the board and senior management carry out their respective roles, we have seen organizations appoint a Chief Data Officer and establish a data management office to drive the transformation. They also ensure that the organizational efforts from various stakeholders are aligned with the organization’s data governance strategy.

Does data governance end in implementation? Definitely not. It’s a cycle requiring continuous improvement to ensure its effectiveness and adaptability to the organizational context. Sound data governance is self-aware, dynamic and improving: capable of knowing when to change and adapt to a progressing organization with evolving data requirements.

From changing your mindset to “us governing the data” to knowing the “data governance with control and growth perspective,” now is the time to start your data governance journey: assess your data governance maturity, develop your roadmap, design and implement your data governance framework.

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

 

Aya Zelline L. Gevaña is a senior associate with the Risk Consulting practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting Services Philippines Co. Ltd., a Philippine member firm of the PwC network.

+63 (2) 845-2728

aya.zelline.gevana@pwc.com

Yellow Box and counterflow

A report, citing records from the Land Transportation Office (LTO), noted that in 2017, the top traffic violations nationwide were the following: Not wearing seatbelt; Failure to wear helmet; No OR/CR on hand; Driving without license; Unregistered/invalid motor vehicle registration; Reckless driving; Obstruction; No spare tire; Axle overloading; Student driver operation motor vehicle without accompanying licensed driver.

In another report, citing figures from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), covering 2016, the top traffic violations in Metro Manila were the following: Disregarding traffic signs; Obstruction; Unified vehicle volume reduction program; Illegal parking; Stalled vehicle; Loading/unloading in prohibited zone; Truck ban; Reckless driving; and, Motorcycle lane policy.

What I would like to see on these lists in the future, however, are two of what I consider the most annoying infractions that I have observed during daily drives: counterflowing, particularly by motorcycles and bicycles; and failure to keep out of the Yellow Box. I consider these two violations to have a greater negative impact on traffic flow than violations like not wearing a seatbelt or disregarding traffic signs.

My concern, however, is that there seems to be little will or motivation anywhere in Metro Manila for traffic enforcers to strictly implement rules against counterflow or obstructing intersections. And judging from the top 10 lists of LTO and MMDA, this appears to be the case. Despite the fact that these two violations appear to be rampant, daily occurrences. Why?

Counterflowing, I believe, is among the most dangerous infractions an erring motorist can commit. It can easily result in a collision, and, in extreme cases, injury and death. Oncoming traffic is also likely to halt, if not swerve, to avoid a counterflowing vehicle, which can easily result in accidents. Even pedestrians are at great risk from counterflowing traffic.

Yellow Box violations, meanwhile, cause gridlocks and tend to slow if not halt traffic flow. It causes long chain reactions that eventually screw up automated traffic systems. And the damage resulting from box obstructions tend to be difficult to untangle, and will normally require manual intervention by traffic enforcers. Yellow Box violations tend to involve multiple lane obstructions.

Traffic enforcement also appears to be more tolerant of Yellow Box obstructions and counterflowing, particularly from two-wheeled vehicles, during rush hour and heavy traffic situations. But isn’t it precisely during these situations that motorists should be more conscious or rules and more compliant, and that traffic enforcers should be less forgiving?

It has been reported often enough that Metro Manila loses billions of pesos daily in relation to productivity and economic output because of the countless hours spent in traffic gridlocks and considerable delays in the movement of people and goods because of traffic. But, in turn, how much has Metro Manila spent to fix the problem?

PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

In short, are we putting in enough resources to resolve the problem? Excluding the cost of roads and bridges, how much are we spending on traffic management and administration if only to minimize or mitigate economic losses resulting from traffic congestion? If we spend more time and resources going after “seatbelt” violations, how is this helping improve traffic flow?

If we lack resources to further improve traffic management and administration, perhaps with the use of technology, then perhaps we should consider the possibility of “profiting” from the violations? Maybe all traffic penalties and fines collected by MMDA and local government units should be earmarked primarily for technical interventions to improve traffic management.

I have yet to find data to show how much LTO, MMDA, and local government units collect from traffic penalties and fines as well as parking fees. But I am certain that a concerted effort to “collect” particularly from Yellow Box violations and counterflows will yield a significant amount of funds for traffic management.

It’s economics. I believe the costs related to enforcement and apprehension will be far exceeded by the fines to be collected, judging from daily traffic gridlocks. No-contact apprehension can work effectively in this case — all a matter of strategically mounting cameras in key intersections and over lanes where counterflowing are prevalent.

Enforcement will be crucial here. In fact, Yellow Box and counterflow violations are fairly straightforward. If by the time the light turns red the camera shows you are still in the box, then that’s a violation. Or, if you are seen on camera to be on the lane of oncoming traffic, even during a failed attempt to overtake, then you are in violation. Apprehension plus ticket equals fine. All sent by mail.

The problem is, there seems to be little effort to apprehend. Local governments should review their local ordinances versus Yellow Box violations and counterflowing. They should consider investing in no-contact apprehension systems, and channeling more resources to camera-based or technology-based enforcement. A fine of P500 per violation will be a good starting point.

They should learn from the experience of Transport for London, the local government agency responsible for the transport system in Greater London. The agency was reported to have issued in 2015 about £6.5 million worth of penalty charge notices (PCN) for infringements in its box junctions. That’s equivalent to about P423 million in just one year, from Yellow Box violations alone.

Then there are reports that a single Yellow Box junction camera in London’s Fulham made over £12 million in fines over the last seven years. That’s roughly an average of 112 million yearly for just one Yellow Box camera. One can only wonder how much was initially spent to put up that camera, and how much is spent to operate it yearly. But I am sure, Fulham has been earning from it.

 

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

matort@yahoo.com

MORE investment liberalization needed

Four reports in BusinessWorld last week seem to show a confusing investment environment of the Philippines:

1. “Foreign direct investments fall in March” (June 11).

2. “Investment pledges climb 40% in January-May” (June 12).

3. “Reforms eyed to boost FDI inflows” (June 13).

4. “Foreign funds to continue fleeing PHL stock market” (June 13).

So actual foreign direct investment (FDI) in early 2019 has fallen while pledges of FDIs at the Board of Investments (BoI) were up.

I checked the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Report (WIR) 2019 to see trends in FDI inflows. The following trends are emerging over the past five years: (a) Global FDIs are declining; (b) FDIs in China, HK, and Singapore are flatlining; (c) FDIs in Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos are rising; (d) FDIs in the Philippines are up-and-down (see table).

Japan, S. Korea, and Taiwan are sources or origins of FDIs, not destinations of FDIs. The Philippines is still far from becoming a net exporter of FDI.

During the UP School of Economics Alumni Association (UPSEAA) lecture held on June 14 at the Ark by UnionBank, InLife building, on Ayala Avenue, the lone speaker was Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez, himself a fellow alumnus. Sec. Lopez mentioned that among the promising areas for FDIs and top 12 investment priorities in the Philippines is the shipbuilding and ship repair (SBSR) sub-sector. His data showed that we are currently the 5th largest ship producer in the world based on gross tons, with nearly 2 million tons built in 2017. There are also 119 shipyards nationwide. As a regular passenger of roll-on roll-off (RoRo) boats in my annual local travels to Mindoro and Panay, Negros islands, this is good news to me. More big and modern boats, more competing shipping lines, more options for passengers.

Sec. Lopez also mentioned on several occasions the need to liberalize the Public Service Act (PSA), amend the Foreign Investments Act (FIA), and Foreign Investment Negative List (FINL) to further attract more FDIs into the country. True, the transportation sector (land, sea, and air) should be opened up to more foreign capital.

Another report in BusinessWorld titled “Japanese businesses cite martial law, lack of direct flights as main Mindanao issues” (June 13) corroborates this necessity. Some Japanese investors want to develop a flower farm in Mindanao and transport the flowers, some of which are “very expensive,” to Japan but there are not enough airlines that serve this route.

The market-oriented reforms for efficiency (MORE) that the incoming Congress this July should prioritize are PSA, FIA, and FINL liberalization and related measures. These will greatly help address the investment gap, which will create more jobs and expand more choices in services for passengers and consumers.

 

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

minimalgovernment@gmail.com

Quezon’s quest

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of visiting Israel. Through our pastor’s teachings and our tour, I learned how President Manuel L. Quezon accepted about 1,300 Jews facing persecution in Germany and Austria. The lesson became more real to me when we visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust History Museum, Israel’s official memorial to the Holocaust victims.

The museum aims to preserve the memory of the dead and to honor both Jews who fought against their Nazi oppressors and Gentiles who selflessly aided Jews in need. And most gratifyingly, the Philippines was one of the few nations that did this.

I culled the following facts from various news sources:

In 1938, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler sent to concentration camps thousands of Jews, who would be released only if they agreed to leave Nazi territory. In 1940, persecution across Europe started, with camps being created for Jews to die in. More and more Polish Jews were relocated to ghettos. In 1941, commanders were ordered to systematically murder the Jews of Europe. More Jews were murdered in 1942 than in any other year of the Holocaust, the majority in the new camps.

Fearing for their lives, Jews in Germany and other parts of Europe appealed to the world for asylum.

US President Franklin Roosevelt believed that the refugees threatened national security. In 1939, he refused asylum to the 937 German Jew passengers of the SS St. Louis after Cuba refused their entry. Cuban President Federico Laredo Brú feared that the immigrants would compete for jobs with Cubans during the Great Depression. The US excuse was the country’s yearly immigration quota. Eventually, Belgium, France, Holland, and the UK agreed to take the refugees.

Upon learning of their plight, Quezon announced that Jews were welcome to stay in the Philippines. He could do this because as a commonwealth, the Philippines could set its own immigration policies. Despite his opponents’ criticism that Jews were “‘communists and schemers’ bent on ‘controlling the world’,” Quezon worked hard with American High Commissioner Paul McNutt, Colonel Dwight Eisenhower, and the Frieder brothers — Alex, Philip, Herbert, and Morris — to admit Jewish professionals, such as doctors, engineers, and accountants, who would benefit the Philippine economy (“A Filipino-American Effort to Harbor Jews Is Honored.” The New York Times, Feb. 14, 2005). They needed to do this because as a commonwealth, the Philippines could not accept people who would need public assistance.

Quezon offered 10,000 visas and his Marikina property to the Jews. He also allotted a farm and a large settlement area in Mindanao. Unfortunately, the Japanese invasion stopped the rescue plans; only about 1,300 Jews reached the Philippines.

According to Lee Blumenthal, executive director of the Jewish Association of the Philippines, the Philippines was “the only country in the world that went out to save Jews that were not their own” (“How Jews secretly found a home in the Philippines.” CNN Philippines Life, June 10, 2019). Says presidential daughter Zenaida Quezon Avanceña: “…I know that dad had the moral courage to do it because he believed in the sanctity of human life, and the right of people to live as they believed they should” (“Jews honor Manuel L. Quezon on his 134th birthday.” Philippine Daily Inquirer, August 19, 2012).

According to Commonwealth historian Sharon Delmendo, Quezon empathized with the Jews because “As the Filipinos were recipients of racial discrimination and bigotry on the part of many Americans at that time, the Jews were similarly recipients of bigotry by the Nazis.” (as quoted in “Why President Manuel Quezon Sheltered Jewish Refugees in the Philippines in 1939.” Esquire Philippines, May 9, 2019).

Those of us who are of Judeo-Christian faith believe that God has chosen the Jews as His special people. Thus, David exhorts us in Psalm 122:6: “Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper.”

I am sure Quezon was not thinking of the Psalm’s promised prosperity when he accepted the Jewish refugees. In fact, we don’t know how familiar he was with the Bible. Quezon’s rationale was simple: the Philippines “could not turn a deaf ear to the sufferings of these unfortunate people. The Philippine Commonwealth, founded as it is upon justice and righteousness and the preservation of essential human liberties, could not but view with sympathy the opportunity to do its share in meeting the situation.” Quezon, in his February 15, 1939, statement on the Jewish Settlement in Mindanao, expressed in a nutshell what would become the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December 1948, four years after his death.

But Israel, which became a state in May 1948, has since reciprocated our kindness. (The Philippines was the only Asian nation to vote in favor of its statehood.) Since 1969, Filipinos have been able to enter Israel, a First World nation, visa-free for up to 59 days. In 2009, Israel erected the Open Doors Monument at the Holocaust Memorial Park in Rishon Lezion to commemorate the Philippines’ generosity and friendship to Israel. In 2013 and 2014, Israel sent humanitarian and medical supplies and emergency response teams when the Philippines was devastated by Typhoons Haiyan and Ruby.

In April 1940, Quezon said, “It is my hope, and indeed my expectation, that the people of the Philippines will have in the future every reason to be glad that when the time of need came, their country was willing to extend a hand of welcome.”

Indeed, after having watched Quezon’s Game, I felt proud to be a Filipino, and proud that we once had a president who responded with solidarity and moral courage to the cries for help of those who were being oppressed and killed. May we — and other nations — have more presidents like Quezon.

 

Marissa C. Marasigan teaches Business Communication, Management Principles, and Lasallian Business Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Social Responsibility in the undergraduate and MBA programs of De La Salle University.

marissa.marasigan@dlsu.edu.ph

Lessening choices by default

GADGETS, with their “planned obsolescence,” promote the impulse to have the latest model with ever more features, including features for clearer selfies. This promotes an almost Freudian “phone envy,” arising from a feeling of missing out on the latest phone. (How big is yours?) Gadget series numbers become status symbols. However, declining sales of new versions coming less than a year apart show a waning appetite for upgrades, or a longer embrace of the status quo.

Can the proliferation of options and features as well as over half a million possible apps overwhelm the consumer? Will the digital illiterate buy a product that makes him feel as intelligent as a ketchup stain?

One way to address the overload of options is to offer the frequently used functions as “default options.” These features are deemed to be what the simpleton will use. Rather than forcing the consumer to go through a thicket of decisions and options, a small set of features are bundled into a default option displayed on the first screen.

This default approach to multiplying choices is also promoted by the combo meals of fast-food chains. The five combinations are numbered, laid out, and accompanied with pictures. This moves the line of customers faster, having only to choose among a few default packages rather than meditating on the infinite combinations of chicken thighs, drinks, noodles, soups, sauces, potato states, and spiciness levels.

Unused features drive up a gadget’s price and profit margin. This mismatch of purpose and cost does not seem to deter purchase by even those who readily admit that they just use their phones to send text messages, make and receive calls, store contact numbers, surf the ’net for news, and check stock prices.

What about asking Siri for the weather forecast or the nearest ATM, using Google Maps to navigate to a restaurant, or demanding a FaceTime call to check the real whereabouts of an untrustworthy mate — she’s in a room with red curtains and many mirrors (we’re teleconferencing, Hon). These features, like jealousy, are seldom activated.

Apps need to be related to what needs to be done. Should they include items needed for an emergency and disaster preparedness? Is a fire extinguisher unused in the last 10 years to be discarded as unused capacity? Here, the default option is to flee the burning building rather than put out the fire by breaking the glass where the extinguisher is stored and only then finding out it no longer works.

Downsizing companies identify the core skills needed to run the business and anything outside that definition is deemed dispensable. Thus, early retirement descends like a plague on people with no longer usable skills. Their precious contacts have all retired.

Job descriptions are the default options. The skills needed only cover routine tasks like signing checks, attending meetings, holding the hand of clients, and delivering the revenue numbers. Not factored into this default setting are such attributes as a sense of perspective, loyalty to the company, strategic thinking, the ability to build consensus, or the willingness to go the extra mile at crunch time — What? There’s an earthquake?

A factoid, which is difficult to believe, holds that we only use 10% of our brain and leave the remaining 90% as unused capacity. This default approach is the premise for the movie Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson as the title character. The unutilized portions in Lucy’s case unleashed by a chemical reaction include the ability to absorb neurological studies and drive fast through the streets of Paris in a few seconds. This premise of limited usage of the brain’s full capacity has been upended by recent studies tracking electric pulses. It seems that we do use all of our brain capacity, only not simultaneously, and not in the same degree.

Default options make gadgets and services more user-friendly. This simplified approach also applies to relationships. The default options for handling disagreements and squabbles are established by a long relationship. They prevent things from getting out of control and resulting in slammed doors and noisy goodbyes. A default mode of changing the topic or just declaring a verbal truce can work — would you please pass the salad dressing, Dear?

Still, lessening choices does not always work. Having only eight candidates for 12 openings seems to accommodate other commitments, and even lends itself to a catchy slogan. However, the default mode, in this case, turned into a zero option.

 

Tony Samson is Chairman and CEO, TOUCH xda.

ar.samson@yahoo.com

Northport rallies to edge ROS in overtime, 107-105

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE UPSWING of the Northport Batang Pier in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup continued on Wednesday after defeating the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 107-105, in overtime at the Mall of Asia Arena to extend their win streak to three games.

Playing with just eight players, Northport struggled early in the contest but showed resilience and determination to claw its way back and eventually pulled the rug from under Rain or Shine to notch the win that improved it to 6-1 and share of the top spot in the standings.

The Elasto Painters got it going first, shooting an efficient 52%, led by import Denzel Bowles and rookie Javer Mocon, to claim a 25-17 lead by the end of the opening quarter.

Rain or Shine continued with its hot shooting in the second canto, allowing the team to stretch its lead to 17 points, 45-28, with 3:25 to go in the frame.

But Northport would finish strong on the lead of Mo Tautuaa and Paolo Taha, outscoring the Elasto Painters, 12-4, the rest of the way to narrow the gap, 49-40, at the half.

The two teams came out the third quarter aggressive, looking to build early momentum.

The Elasto Painters kept a safe distance of 63-49 midway before cranking things further to make it a 20-point cushion, 70-50, by the 4:55 mark.

Sean Anthony tried to rally the Batang Pier but with no success as Rain or Shine’s lead even grew a notch to 21 points, 84-63, heading into the fourth quarter.

Sensing that the game was slipping from them, the Batang Pier began the final canto with a sense of urgency.

Garvo Lanete started to find his range from beyond the arc to help Northport to come within eight points, 88-80, with seven minutes left in the match.

The two teams slugged it out after.

The count was at 90-86, and Rain or Shine on top, with a little over three minutes remaining.

Five straight points care of Rey Nambatac and Mr. Bowles gave Rain or Shine more breathing space, 95-86, entering the last two minutes.

Northport, however, was not about done, making one last push to salvage the win, narrowing its deficit to just three points, 100-97, with 28 seconds left.

Rain or Shine had a chance to put the game away but Mr. Bowles muffed his two free throws to open the door for Northport.

Rookie Robert Bolick drained the game-tying triple with 11 seconds remaining, making up for an earlier backcourt miscue.

The Elasto Painters still had an opportunity to win the game but the last-second triple by Gabe Norwood failed to connect, sending the game to extra time.

The points came hard for both teams in overtime as they fought to a 102-all count with two minutes to go.

The floodgates opened for Northport after as Messrs. Bolick and Tautuaa conspired for five points straight to give their team a 107-102 lead with 26 ticks left.

It was a hole Rain or Shine could not recover from as Northport booked the win.

Mr. Tautuaa finished with a career-high 34 points for Northport, going 5-of-9 from three-point land, to go along with 11 boards.

For Rain or Shine (2-3) it was Mr. Bowles who led with 41 points and 21 rebounds.

“Credit to all the players. They showed the will to win despite the team being undermanned. This win shows what the team is capable of,” said Northport coach Pido Jarencio after their win.

New POC head determined not to have 30th SEA Games preparations disrupted

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

WHILE the sudden resignation of Ricky Vargas as Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president on Tuesday left questions over the country’s preparations as host of the 30th Southeast Asian Games later this year, the man who was tasked to replace him expressed determination to work to have little disruption in the buildup as possible.

Joey Romasanta, erstwhile first vice-president of the POC, assumed the presidency of the local Olympic committee after Mr. Vargas submitted his irrevocable resignation to give way to other sports leaders “who would have the time and inclination needed to lead the POC effectively.”

Mr. Vargas was meeting members of the POC Board when he tendered his resignation, made official by letter coursed through chairman Abrahan Tolentino.

The meeting was called to straighten things out in the POC and clarify issues hounding the country’s hosting of this year’s SEA Games.

In the letter, Mr. Vargas, who earlier expressed dislike for the “politics” surrounding Philippine sports, said his resignation was effective immediately just as he thanked all the athletes and national sports associations who supported him and his programs as POC president.

Mr. Vargas stepped down from his post a year and a half since taking the position in February 2018, a tenure that proved to be rocky with him not seeing eye-to-eye with some sports leaders on certain issues and policies.

It also came less than six months before the country hosts the 30th SEA Games in November to December.

Admitting to have been taken by surprise by Mr. Vargas’ decision, Mr. Romasanta said there is no way to go about it but just to move on and work for the successful staging of the Games.

Mr. Romasanta said first to be done is to take stock of where the preparations are at this point, pick up the pieces and take it from there.

“Anybody would regard this as a huge honor as POC president but not under these circumstances. It’s going to be very difficult. But at the same time we have to pick up the pieces and see what we have and what we don’t have especially with the SEA Games hosting challenge,” said Mr. Romasanta to members of media after being tasked as the new POC president.

“We have to regroup, communicate with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to go through the plans and programs to make the SEA Games successful and work with Phisgoc chairman Alan Peter Cayetano. This is for the country after all. We hope to be better organized to ensure the success of the Games,” he added.

Mr. Romasanta said he is looking to have the POC and the PSC take greater participation in the preparation unlike in the current setup where the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) Foundation is at the lead.

The formation of the Phisgoc Foundation was one of the issues brought forth against Mr. Vargas by some members of the POC prior to his resignation.

Mr. Vargas reportedly was one of the eight original incorporators of Phisgoc Foundation, which the POC board members do not recognize because they said it was set up without their approval.

Mr. Romasanta, however, said he does not intend to cast aside Phisgoc entirely but instead leaning at making it a committee for the preparations.

In the aftermath of the sudden change in POC leadership, a special general assembly among POC members was set for next week.

Ceres looks to regroup after 1-1 draw with Hanoi

FAILED to come up with the victory in the first leg of its 2019 AFC Cup ASEAN Zonal semifinals on Tuesday night in Bacolod City, Ceres-Negros FC now looks to regroup and finish the job in the next game.

Held to a 1-1 draw by visiting Hanoi FC at the Panaad Park and Football Stadium, Ceres said it rued the result but that it remains positive that it would do better in the second leg in Vietnam on June 25.

The first leg was very competitive at the onset with the two teams fighting for early control of the match.

Both had their chances but the count would stand at nil-nil by the halftime break.

The tie was broken in the 57th minute when tournament scoring leader Bienvenido Maranon gave Ceres the go-ahead goal, 1-0, heading the ball off a cross from teammate Stephan Schrock.

But Hanoi would not stay down for long, scrambling to get back the point it gave.

The levelling goal came 10 minutes later with midfielder Pape Omar Faye finding the bottom of the net after being set up by Pham Thanh Luong.

The two squads battled it out the rest of the way, looking to get another point to hand them the win but none would come as time expired, leaving the teams settling for the draw.

While they are happy with their effort on home turf, the “Busmen” said they should have won the contest and now have to prepare hard for the next game.

“We are happy for the effort but we did not get the win. We have to prepare for the next game,” said Mr. Maranon in the post-match interview.

For Ceres coach Risto Vidakovic, while the road to advancing to the next round of the tournament was only made difficult by the draw, Ceres is still not out of it but needs to deliver in the second leg.

“Everything is still open. They (Hanoi) are a strong team and are playing at a high level. We have to match them,” the Ceres coach said.

The second leg of the Ceres-Hanoi zonal semifinals will be played at the Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

TCR Asia Series: Daniel Miranda keeps lead among Asian drivers after Shanghai performance

FILIPINO racecar driver Daniel Miranda continues to impress at the TCR Asia Series, making another strong performance at the Shanghai International Circuit. The June 1-2 race weekend saw the Cebuano bring the fight to the fastest drivers on the grid and come out as the top Asian driver.

Miranda, however, admitted that he and Eurasia Motorsport struggled with car setup early on. It also took him several sessions to acquaint himself with the 5.451-km F1 circuit before he could truly push the #20 Hyundai i30 N TCR with full confidence. But once everything was sorted out, Miranda was able to set the 8th fastest time in the qualifying race out of a combined 21-car grid of TCR Asia and TCR China.

Backed by Cebuana Lhuillier, Miranda got to a good start off the line in Race 1 and was up to P6 at the end of the first lap. He then had to defend his position against his hard-charging rivals, but at the cost of his tires. The lack of grip eventually slowed him down in the closing stages of the race and he ended up 9th overall and 2nd in the Asian Drivers’ classification.

“I’m so elated and proud of Daniel’s strong performances. Cebuana Lhuillier will continue to support him as I strongly believe that he has what it takes to become one of the best drivers not just in Asia but in the whole world.” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, president and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier and a recognized sports patron.

Miranda made up for lost ground the following day with a brilliant drive in Race 2. Starting from P3 on the grid, he shot up to P2 on the run to the first corner and battled with the top TCR drivers from Europe and South America. He showed good pace and even made several attempts for the lead, but inadvertently left the door open for his competitors to get past. Despite the slight misstep, Miranda continued the fight for position and crossed the finish line as 5th overall and landed on the podium with 1st place in the Asian Drivers’ class.

“Although we encountered some challenges over the weekend, I’m very happy to make a podium finish in Shanghai. This is only my first year in TCR Asia and it feels amazing to be able to compete on the same level as the top three or four drivers on the grid who have more racing experience around the world. I learned a lot from them and hope to continue on learning for the next two races in Zhejiang and Bangsaen which I have never visited before,” Miranda said.

The Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Junior Driver currently sits 4th overall in the championship and extends his lead in the Asian Drivers’ standings to 29 points. After a short one-month break, the TCR Asia Series will resume on July 5-7 at the Zhejiang International Circuit for the penultimate event of the 2019 season.

Los Angeles Lakers seek salary-cap space to add third star

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers, with LeBron James in place and Anthony Davis on the way, reportedly are attempting to clear enough salary-cap space to make a run at a third star player this summer.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks, the Lakers are looking to expand the agreed-upon trade that would bring in Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans, hoping to add other teams who might take fringe players off their hands.

It’s all part of the Lakers’ efforts to boost their available money from the current $23.8 million up to $32.5 million.

Those who could be on their way out of Los Angeles, according to the report, are Moritz Wagner, who made $1.76 million last season and is due to make $2.06 million in 2019-20; Jemerrio Jones, who made $52,170 last season and is due to make $1.42 million next season; and Isaac Bonga, who received $1 million last season and is set to get $1.66 million in the upcoming season.

The Lakers also would need Davis to waive the $4 million trade bonus that he is contractually due to receive in order for his new team to reach its desired salary-cap level.

Moritz, a 22-year-old who was a first-round pick last year, averaged 4.8 points and two rebounds per game as a rookie. Jones, 24, appeared in just six games last season, producing 4.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Bonga, 19, averaged 0.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 22 games for the Lakers.

Last weekend, the Lakers agreed to send Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round picks to the Pelicans in exchange for Davis.

The New York Times reported that Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker is expected to be a top target in free agency for the Lakers in the wake of the Davis deal. The Lakers also managed to keep forward Kyle Kuzma, one of the players mentioned earlier in a possible deal. — Reuters