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Growling Tigers head coach Aldin Ayo highlights improved UST program but says more is needed

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

WITH the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers making it to the UAAP Finals in just his second year at the coaching helm, Aldin Ayo said it goes to show that the program they are trying to build is working but nonetheless highlighted that more could still be done.

Saw their spirited run in Season 82 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines come to an end on Wednesday with an 86-79 loss to the Ateneo Blue Eagles in Game Two of their best-of-three finals, Mr. Ayo said they take pride in how far they were able to go even as he said that it also showed they still have a lot to learn and improve on.

“Well, yes I can say yes what he have achieve this season is an improvement. We always want to improve. Last year, we ended up sixth. This year, we made it to the Finals. [But] Our mindset is, even if we made it here, we are still lacking on certain aspects of our game and we have to work on them. We’ll make sure that the experience we got this season we will learn from them,” said Mr. Ayo following Game Two.

And such mindset allowed the España-based Tigers to be one of the success stories in the UAAP this season outside of Ateneo, which was simply unstoppable in making history with an undefeated season and winning a second three-peat in school history.

UST competed each time on its way to barging into the step-ladder semifinals.

Despite being the lowest seed, it conquered the Far Eastern University Tamaraws in the first step before overhauling the twice-to-beat advantage of the second seeds University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons to set up a finals matchup with Ateneo.

In the finals, while they had their struggles, the Tigers showed no let-up in their fight.

In Game Two, despite being limited by the Ateneo defense in the opening half, the Tigers stayed resilient and go-getting, coming dangerously close from snatching the win late in the game which would have prevented a perfect season for the Eagles.

But the trademark steadiness of Ateneo in the end made it hard for UST to complete its pulling-the-rug-from-under quest.

“We tried our best but we fell short. Hats off to Ateneo. But like what I have said this is a learning experience for us, especially our young players. We will continue to work on our game and our system in the offseason,” said Mr. Ayo, a champion UAAP coach with the De La Salle Green Archers in Season 79.

UST is set to lose Renzo Subido, Zach Huang and Enrique Caunan to graduation, and Mr. Ayo said they will be a big loss, especially Subido who was a steadying factor and clutch player for the Tigers this season.

The Tigers coach, however, expressed confidence they would able to manage moving forward with help from holdovers Soulemane Chabi Yo, the league most valuable player; rookie of the year Mark Nonoy, talented forwards Rhenz Abando and Sherwin Concepcion and young veteran CJ Casino.

They are also set to welcome new recruits, whom Mr. Ayo described as not high-profile players but fit their system and would be of help to the team.

Mr. Ayo also shared that they are going to compete in various tournaments in the offseason all geared towards their goal of coming back stronger and better in UAAP Season 83.

Aristorenas leads bets at Open Kitchen kiddies chess tourney on Dec. 14

CHRISTIAN Peter M. Aristorenas, grade 9 student of South Lakes Integrated School in San Pablo City will lead woodpushers in the upcoming Woman Fide Master Sheerie Joy Lomibao-Beltran FIDE rating rapid chess tournament, Inter School Rapid Chess Championship kiddies 14 years old and below on Dec. 14, in Mandaluyong City.

“I hope to do well in the upcoming Woman Fide Master Sheerie Joy Lomibao-Beltran FIDE rating rapid chess tournament,” said Aristorenas whose local and international chess campaign is being supported by Senator Manny Pacquiao, Sol Aragones and Barangay San Francisco Chairman Pho Ligaya.

A two-time (2018–2019) PRISEA (Private School Association) San Pablo City champion, Aristorenas already represent the country in the 2018 Asean Age Group chess championship in Davao City, 2018 Asian Continental Chess Championship in Makati City and the 2nd Pattaya Chess Club Open 2019 age group chess championship last October 19 to 24 in Pattaya, Thailand.

Also seeing action next month are defending champion Tenshi Biete, Wayne Diaz Ruiz, Mar Aviel Carredo, Oshrie Jhames and Prince Jhamie Reyes, Jersey and Jeremy Marticio, Ivan Travis and Jericho Winston Cu, Cyrus James Damiray, Ariel Santander, Junsen Maranan, Bonjoure Fille Suyamin, Janmyl Dilan Tisado, Geraldine Mae Camarines, Ayesha Janelle Guanzon, Louisse Viray Toralba and Yanie Ayesha Estavillo, among others. — Marlon Bernardino

Trail Blazers waive Gasol, could become coach

LOS ANGELES — Six-time All-Star Pau Gasol has been waived by the Portland Trail Blazers, the 7-foot-1 power forward said Wednesday.

Signed in July as a free agent, Gasol, 39, did not play a game this season while trying to recover from surgery on his left foot. He will continue his rehabilitation in Portland while discussing a coaching job with the Blazers.

On Twitter, Gasol wrote, “As of today, I will no longer be a member of the @TrailBlazers player roster, so I can focus all my energy on my rehabilitation.”

In a video posted in the tweet, Gasol said he had hoped his surgery, performed last May, would expedite his recovery, but recent tests have shown he’ll be out longer than originally hoped for.

The team later confirmed the move in a press release.

Last season was Gasol’s least productive in his 18-year NBA career. In failing to average double digits in scoring for the first time, he averaged 3.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 30 contests (six starts) with the San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks.

After being bought out by the Spurs on March 1, Gasol joined the East-leading Bucks two days later. But he appeared in only three games before a stress fracture in his left foot ended his season.

Gasol’s has career averages of 17.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists with the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Spurs and Bucks.He averaged 17.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game for the Grizzlies in 2001-02, his rookie season. After being traded to the Lakers in February 2008, he was a member of a Kobe Bryant-led team that won two NBA championships.

Gasol played with the Lakers through the 2013–14 season before two All-Star seasons with the Bulls. The veteran signed with the Spurs before the 2016-17 season.

Before signing with San Antonio, he tried to work out a free agent deal with the Blazers in 2016. — Reuters

Kings’ Bagley not ready to return after broken thumb

LOS ANGELES — Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III, out since breaking his right thumb in the Oct. 23 season-opener against the Phoenix Suns, is making progress in his recovery but isn’t expected to return for at least another week, the team said Wednesday.

Bagley was evaluated by the team’s medical staff on Wednesday and had an X-ray, according to the Sacramento Bee.

After an MRI exam following the injury revealed a non-displaced fracture, the Kings expected him to miss four to six weeks. He is now at the four-week mark since the injury.

Traveling with the Kings as they begin a four-game Eastern road swing Friday at the Brooklyn Nets, Bagley will be evaluated again when the Kings host the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 30.

Bagley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, opened his second season by recording 14 points and 10 rebounds in the 124-95 loss in Phoenix. — Reuters

Spurs’ deficiencies

Heading into the Spurs’ match against the Wizards yesterday, head coach Gregg Popovich expressed confidence his charges would break out of their worst losing run in nearly nine years. They seemed to have an alarming predilection to fall behind early, thus requiring them to expend energy just to get close, only to ultimately run out of time. “If we can cut out the former, maybe we can get back on the winning track,” he told the San Antonio Express-News. He didn’t say it, but he was, no doubt, buoyed by the fact that their opponents likewise had problems to contend with while sporting the worst record in the Eastern Conference.

As things turned out, the Spurs didn’t just manage to keep pace in the first quarter; in fact, they finished it three points ahead, as clear an indication as any that they listened to Popovich’s pleadings and resolved to hit the ground running. Unfortunately, the score still left much to be desired; they needed to put up 38 points in order to forge the slight lead, indicating both the pace of the contest and the need for them to continue puncturing the hoop. As much as they were producing numbers, they were likewise hemorrhaging them. And against the high-scoring Wizards, the situation spelled danger.

True enough, the Spurs wound up falling behind by as much as nine in a third quarter that had them turning a six-point advantage into a three-point deficit going into the payoff period. They did well to stay close from then on, but, unfortunately, not well enough to overcome the disadvantage — leading to their seventh consecutive loss, an ignominious streak not seen in 21 years. The last time the silver and black found themselves in a similar situation, they were in a tank job that subsequently netted them a certain would-be Hall of Famer named Tim Duncan.

Back then, Popovich was just new to pacing the sidelines. Now, he’s seen by conventional wisdom as the best of the best in the job. And yet, not even his proven skills applied to a complete roster devoid of injury have been close to adequate. The Spurs have been bad, not able to overcome their individual deficiencies on both ends of the floor by being better and more efficient as a group. And that they’re actually trying to get better speaks volumes of their fundamental frailties. Which is why even avid followers are suggesting that they work for draft position instead.

That’s not — or no longer — Popovich’s style, though, so observers should expect the Spurs to keep plodding on. Still, intrinsic infirmities look to limit their ceiling. Most tellingly, advanced statistics show that seemingly complementary top dogs DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge have yielded net negative results when they share the court. Which is to say the chips will fall where they may: The effort will stay elite, but the bottom line isn’t likely to be good.

 

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

Puerto Princesa hosts 2019 National Young Leaders’ Conference

The National Young Leaders’ Conference (NYLC) kicks off tomorrow, running till Nov. 26 at the City Coliseum in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. 

Organized by the Global Institute for Youth Development, alongside with City Government of Puerto Princesa through its Youth Development Office, the flagship conference aims to equip next-generation grassroots leaders with practical knowledge and necessary competencies to effectively spearhead in sustainable development initiatives.

This year’s conference revolves around the theme: “#SDGeneration: Acting towards Social, Economic and Environmental Sustainability by 2030”, making Puerto Princesa, the “eco-tourism center of the Philippines” a fitting venue for conversations on maximizing the youth’s contribution to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of their respective communities. 

You can find out more about the program and register for NYLC 2019 at this link.

Voting for the Top 5 finalists of Anytime Fitness’ ‘Search for the Purple Champion’ starts

The world’s largest and fastest growing gym franchise, Anytime Fitness, is once again extending its efforts in leading and welcoming communities to start their fitness journeys with their current regional campaign “You’re Welcome.” With over 4,000 gyms spanning six continents and well-maintained facilities which feature top-quality exercise equipment, the industry leader has recently launched “The Search for the Purple Champion,” an initiative that takes inspiration from its club members and their journey to wellness.

This year’s competition further cements the brand’s “You’re Welcome” campaign as it celebrates different kinds of fitness journeys – whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. “Our mission, really, is to improve the self-esteem of Filipinos. It may sound ambitious, but we’re all about making the impossible possible. Our clubs across the country support the communities they belong—communities of individuals who are determined to enjoy healthier and happier lifestyles. Through our The Search for the Purple Champion, we hope to inspire other people to start their own stories and later on, share their stories too,” said Anytime Fitness Asia Regional Marketing Manager Jap Angeles.

Ride Like a Champion

As a supplement to the brand’s continuous efforts on educating Filipinos about healthier lifestyles, Anytime Fitness is launching an activation series dubbed as “Ride Like a Champion.” Converging ways to make “being fit” sound less rigorous and, instead, more entertaining for people, the ‘Ride Like a Champion’ is a sweat-powered fun ride that people can experience on the following dates: Nov. 16 to 17 at SM Seaside Cebu, Nov. 23 to 24 at SM Davao, and Nov. 30 to Dec. 1 at TriNoma.

“We seek to provide a friendly and supportive atmosphere in our clubs, and we want to extend that same feeling even to non-members. Through this “fitainment” series, we hope people can rethink about fitness as a daunting concept. Who says sweating can’t be fun, right?” added Mr. Angeles.

Voting for the Top 5 finalists of Anytime Fitness’ Search for the Purple Champion commenced on Nov. 17, 2019 via www.thepurplechampion.ph/vote.

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Mondelēz International releases first-ever State of Snacking Report

  • Study confirms global snacking on the rise as more consumers opt for snacks over meals to fulfill evolving needs
  • Snacking meeting needs of modern lifestyles, community connection and nourishing functional and emotional well being
  • Launched one year after Mondelēz International unveiled new long-term strategy and introduced new purpose to empower people to snack right

Mondelēz International today announced the launch of its first-ever State of Snacking™ report, a global consumer trends study examining the role snacking plays across the world in meeting consumers’ evolving needs: busy modern lifestyles, the growing desire for community connection and a more holistic sense of wellbeing. The study reveals the rise of global snacking, underscored by regional parallels demonstrating how snacks are helping lead the future of food by delivering on the spectrum of needs that exists in our day-to-day lives.

The State of Snacking report, developed in partnership with consumer polling specialist, The Harris Poll, complements Mondelēz International’s global snacking knowledge estate with new research conducted among thousands of consumers across twelve countries. The report sheds light on snacking as a growing behavior worldwide. Notably 6 in 10 adults worldwide say they prefer to eat many small meals throughout the day, as opposed to a few larger ones (59%), with younger consumers especially leaning into snacks over meals as that number rises to 7 in 10 among Millennials (70%).
Key findings from the 2019 State of Snacking report include: (full report available at www.stateofsnacking.com)

Our relationship with food is fundamentally changing.

For consumers around the world, the role food plays in health and wellbeing is increasingly top of mind; people are more commonly considering how smaller bites – snacks – effect their emotional wellbeing, as well as their physical health.

  • For more than 8 in 10 people, convenience (87%) and quality (85%) are among the top factors impacting snack choice.
  • 80% of consumers are looking for healthy, balanced bites.
  • 71% of adults say snacking helps them control their hunger and manage their calories throughout the day.
  • However, moments of indulgence continue to have an important place in daily routines.
  • 80% of adults worldwide acknowledge the need for balance by appreciating the option of both healthy and indulgent snacks depending on the moment of need.
  • 77% of consumers agree there is a time and a place for a healthy snack, and a time and a place for an indulgent one.
  • The majority of people say snacks are just as important to their mental (71%) and emotional (70%) wellbeing as their physical wellbeing.

Snacking is about so much more than what we eat.

Snacking is a key way for people around the world to connect to their culture and share their sense of identity with their communities and families.
  • 71% say snacking is a way to remind themselves of home.
  • 7 in 10 adults make an effort to share their favorite childhood snacks with others (70%).
  • Around the world, more than 8 in 10 parents use snack time as a small way to connect with their children (82%).
  • 76% of parents use snacks to pass cultural snacking rituals on to their children.
  • More than three out of four parents (78%) say the snacks they choose for their children reflect who they are as a parent.

“As the snacking market continues to grow globally, we’re living our purpose to empower people to snack right by constantly learning about the many different ways consumers around the world are snacking and evolving their relationship with food,” said Dirk Van de Put, Chairman and CEO of Mondelēz International. “We see that the average global adult now eats more snacks than meals on a given day, driven by a number of evolving demands largely associated with how we live today, including a growing need for convenience, yearning to share nostalgic and cultural experiences, expanded wellbeing preferences and the desire for choices that range from wholesome to indulgent.”

Mondelēz International launches the State of Snacking report a year after it announced a new business strategy and purpose. Over the last year, the company made strong progress on its mission to offer consumers the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way. This includes developing an ever-deeper knowledge estate of the demands that motivate people to reach for snacks while continuing to meet people’s more holistic understanding of wellbeing by focusing on sustainably sourced essential ingredients, evolving its product portfolio to a broader range of options and inspiring mindful snacking habits.

“We embrace the fact that snacking habits around the world are as diverse as the consumers who enjoy them,” continued Van de Put. “However people snack, they should not have to choose between snacking and eating right, or to worry about the impact their choices have on the world and their communities. That’s why we’re committed to empowering people to snack right.”

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HK protests lead to cancellation of global tech conference RISE

Amidst rampant security concerns and social unrest, the company behind global tech conference RISE cancels their flagship summit, slated for March 2020.

“Our number one priority is the well-being, safety, and security of attendees at our events,” the company said in a statement. “Given the uncertainty of the situation by early 2020, and after consulting with experts and advisers, we have decided to postpone RISE until March 2021.”

With the cancellation of RISE, Hong Kong adds yet another major event to a growing list of business losses now plaguing the city. According to the South China Morning Post, the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council found a 20 percent drop in visitors to exhibitions held in October. This amounted to roughly HK$300 million in lost tourism-related revenues.

RISE is the first event on the city’s 2020 calendar to be cancelled due to security concerns, signalling that the protests may now be affecting long-term business planning. Experts have confirmed that Hong Kong is currently in a technical recession, and is expected to experience continued negative growth well into next year.

Bourse to tighten delisting rules

By Denise A. Valdez
Reporter

THE PHILIPPINE STOCK EXCHANGE, Inc. (PSE) is preparing stricter rules for companies that want to delist, in order to protect minority shareholders.

PSE President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Monzon told reporters on Wednesday that the bourse operator has drafted proposed revisions of voluntary delisting rules.

This draft, he said, will have at least two significant changes: shareholders will need to approve any delisting plan of a company, and the tender offer price for delisting will consider the company’s highest price in the last six months.

Mr. Monzon said PSE’s existing rules require a delisting company to get the approval only of its board. The PSE wants to also require approval of all independent directors and 67-75% of a company’s shareholders.

On the tender offer valuation, Mr. Monzon said existing rules allow delisting companies to use the price given by a fairness opinion provider. Under the proposed amendment, the PSE will look at the highest price of the company for the last six months versus the fairness opinion price, and follow whichever is higher.

“We presented this to our board. Our board has approved it. But now we’ve brought it out to the stakeholders for public comments,” he said.

Once comments and suggestions are gathered, which the PSE expects by first week of December, the proposed amendment will be submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission for approval.

The PSE’s review of its delisting rules follows the delisting announcement of Travellers International Hotel Group, Inc. in August and Melco Resorts & Entertainment (Philippines) Corp. last year. Analysts noted then that some small shareholders felt disenfranchised in these firms’ exit. In the former’s case, some cited a tender offer price that was higher than its volume weighted average price and lower than its initial public offering (IPO) price.

With the PSE’s proposed changes, Diversified Securities, Inc. Equity Trader Aniceto K. Pangan said small shareholders will be more protected from similar occurrences in the future.

“This would be a much better system wherein the minority shareholders get to participate in the delisting so they wouldn’t feel duped by majority owners, especially if (the tender offer) price is lower than the IPO,” he said in a mobile phone message.

“This is a much predictive pricing rather than the current means of valuation wherein it’s hard to accept how they arrive at the pricing,” he added, referring to the current practice of basing the tender offer price on fairness opinion.

Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said via text message: “That move would give a voice to small investors… Also most likely, even though they have a smaller pie in the company, they represent many individuals/corporations as well.”

The PSE also said on Wednesday it is looking at requiring a higher minimum capitalization for registered brokers amid the rogue clerk case that rocked R&L Investments, Inc.

“We are looking at some steps that hopefully will rationalize the broker industry some more,” he said. “We’re looking at some things, like increasing their capital, things like that.”

He said that, with this safeguard measure, brokerages “can afford to hire enough people to be able to have those correct internal controls,” noting that the R&L issue was caused by an employee that handled both the front and back end of transactions.

P1B collected so far with tax amnesty under way

taxpayer
BW FILE PHOTO

By Beatrice M. Laforga

EIGHT MONTHS into its implementation, the ongoing tax amnesty program has yielded over P1 billion in collections so far as more than 3,000 individuals have availed of the chance for a clean slate in their obligations, according to data from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

BIR Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay said in a mobile phone message on Monday that as of end-October, the BIR collected P887.07 million as 1,005 taxpayers availed the tax amnesty program for delinquent accounts.

For estate tax amnesty, Mr. Dulay said that 2,656 taxpayers have availed with P360.5 million in collections, as of Oct. 15.

The Finance department (DoF) had estimated that the government could raise up to P21 billion from tax amnesty for delinquent accounts, while estate tax amnesty could yield P6 billion.

BIR Deputy Commissioner Marissa O. Cabreros said the relatively small number of those availing of the offer was expected since Filipinos are known for procrastination. “We all know na behavior ng taxpayer natin is always near deadline mag-comply,” Ms. Cabreros said in a texst message.

Republic Act No. 11213, signed into law in February, states that taxpayers have a two-year window to avail of estate tax amnesty while those who want to avail of amnesty for delinquent accounts have a year to do so. Those periods start from the months when the BIR released guidelines for these amnesty offers: April forRevenue Regulations (RR) No. 4-2019 on delinquent accounts up to 2017 and May for RR 6-2019 for estate tax amnesty.

For Maria Lourdes P. Lim, tax managing partner of Isla Lipana & Co., PwC Philippines, “[t]he BIR should continuously urge taxpayers to avail of the program and not wait for the deadline. There should be more information dissemination of the benefits of the amnesty so taxpayers will be encouraged to avail.

DoF data show there were 18 tax amnesty programs implemented between 1972 and 2008, with the last one yielding P4.913 billion in collections.

BSP sees no inflation impact from halt to rice importation

SUSPENSION of rice importation amid the ongoing harvest, as ordered by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, should have no impact on inflation, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said on Wednesday.

“It will not [affect inflation]. Walang (There will be no) impact sa (on) inflation,” Mr. Diokno told reporters at the BSP headquarters in Manila City.

Mr. Duterte said in a late-night press conference on Tuesday that he had ordered the suspension of rice importation as farmers reeled from falling prices.

He clarified, however, that the suspension was only for the duration of the current harvest season that runs from late September to mid-December.

Mr. Duterte was to meet Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar on Wednesday to discuss specifics of his order.

Republic Act No. 11203 — which liberalized importation of the staple after it was enacted on Feb. 19 and came into effect early the following month — resulted in an estimated P8 per kilogram (/kg) drop in retail prices of the staple, as intended.

Average farmgate prices, however, have fallen by 16.26% to 17.17/kg as of September from P20.51/kg in 2018’s comparable nine months, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

A surge in prices of rice, which accounts for 9.6% of the theoretical basket of goods widely used by households that is the basis for computing year-on-year price changes, due to delayed importation caused headline inflation to hit successive multi-year peaks last year. Inflation has been on a general downtrend this year, falling back into the BSP’s 2-4% target range for 2019 at 2.6% in the 10 months to October after clocking in at a decade-high 5.2% in 2018.

On the flip side, however, farmers have been reeling from smaller incomes since the government was not able to adequately implement safeguards that came with RA 11203.

“Di naman nakaka-apekto kasi marami namang mga imports na darating pa lang e. Tapos ang concern nga is harvest season so baka lalong bumaba ang presyo. So temporary lang naman ’yun (It won’t affect inflation because there are still a lot of imports that have yet to arrive. Also, the concern is that it’s harvest season so prices might continue to go down. This is temporary),” Mr. Diokno explained.

For one farmers group, however, safeguard measures have more legal basis under RA 11203, which is otherwise silent on suspension of rice importation.

“Matagal na naming pinu-push ’yung (We have been pushing for the implementation of) general safeguard duties, kasi pag na-impose nga sana iyon (because if the higher rates were imposed), it becomes more expensive for importers to bring in more rice,” Federation of Free Farmers Chairman Leonardo Q. Montemayor said by phone.

“Ang isang problema dito (One problem) is how will the suspension of importation be carried out kasi under the law, free importation na,” he added.

“You cannot just say bawal na yung (say stop) importation. It’s against the law,” he said.

The Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food, Inc. said imports could resume in January or February next year “to ensure that imports will not coincide with harvest by dry season in March-April 2020.”

Besides allowing a special safeguard duty to protect rice farmers sudden or extreme price fluctuations, RA 11203 also allows the president to increase, reduce, revise or adjust import duty rates when Congress is not in session.

If there is an expected shortage, or any event that may require intervention from the government, he is also authorized “for a limited period and/or a specified volume, to allow the importation at a lower applied tariff rate to address the situation.”

Mr. Duterte on Tuesday night also said he has ordered the National Food Authority (NFA) to purchase all of farmers’ rice.

“NFA must procure them without condition and regardless of moisture content; especially in areas devastated by typhoons, monsoon floods and earthquakes — at P19/kg, just so our farmers will have something for their families this coming festive season,” Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura Chairman Rosendo O. So said in a statement. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang with LWTN

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