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Artists helping fellow artists

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted the restriction of public movement which led to the closure of non-essential businesses. For the arts and culture industry worldwide, it meant the cancellation and postponement of shows.

While we enjoy entertainment and art at home through online streaming and browsing, artists, freelancers, and creative industries are suffering a great loss. 

The loss of livelihood of artists led Fringe Manila Creative Producer Jodinand Aguillon and Festival Director Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan established ilostmygig.ph – a website that collects data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country’s arts, culture, independent businesses, and creative industries. 

Messrs. Aguillon and Pamintuan participated in a Zoom call by the World Fringe Network with Fringe festival managers and directors around the globe, where they discussed  the effects of the pandemic on those who “rely on the gig-economy.”

 “The urgency to establish ilostmygig.ph happened because the team at Pineapple Lab and Fringe feel that artists, freelancers, and small businesses seem to be left behind when it comes to the national response to the business and labor sector,” they told BusinessWorld in an e-mail.

 “While cultural agencies – both in the public/nonprofit and private sector in different countries have come up with grants and initiatives to help out freelancers and artists, we have not heard yet of a plan [here] that artists can access during this time. We feel that a more structured strategy and plan would be important for our [LGUs] and government to come up with a stimulus package that can help independent artists, freelancers, and the  local creative industry,” they added. 

THE INITIATIVE

The website is inspired by initiatives done in countries such as Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. 

Similar to the international framework, the Philippine website includes a questionnaire to collate information on total income lost, the number of jobs lost, number of industry workers affected, as well as respondents’ testimonials. It is also a platform that gives information on future opportunities and resources. 

The website went public on March 26 (6 p.m.). As of April 6 (12 a.m.), the survey tally showed 1,946 people have been affected, 3,370 projects have been lost, and that there has been a total loss in income of P34,611,759. The tally is updated daily. 

“From there, we want to publish a public report to highlight the impact and needs of the creative communities,” Messrs. Aguillon and Pamintuan wrote. “We are currently updating the website and sharing links/info submitted with regards to job opportunities, free up-skilling opportunities, best practices, etc.” 

 After gathering data, online fundraising options and partnerships will be sought for artists’ income and to pursue artistic practice online. 

 “We hope to get donations and funding from both local and international cultural agencies so we can come up with a grant that artists and creatives can apply for,” they wrote. 

THE ONLINE TALKS

Aside from gathering data, the team kicked off an online conference on March 27 called, “Re-imagining How We Gather, Creatives in the Time of Corona,” where artists and cultural workers shared their experiences on how they were coping at the time of the quarantine. 

“We initially started a survey in preparation for the first online gathering, which asked users to suggest topics and pressing concerns they want to talk about. We had close to 60 people from different industries respond,” they wrote. 

 The topics included: finding ways to earn money during the enhanced community quarantine period, exploring possible ways and means to sustain art activities in the community, art support by the government through programs and incentives, and getting better online presence for a local artist. 

 The episodes of the online conferences will continue beyond the duration of the enhanced community quarantine. (Visit https://forms.gle/BQyWSpC7nkPJwo766 to suggest other topics. For upcoming conferences, visit https://www.facebook.com/pineapplelabph/). 

“Think about our world during the enhanced community quarantine without the arts – no movies, no music, no online museums and galleries, no dancing, no designers making apps like TikTok or Houseparty, no free online concerts, no online art classes, no food shows, no YouTube, no theater plays and musicals available,” Messrs. Aguillon and Pamintuan wrote. “All these are possible because of artists and creatives. Shouldn’t we want to take care of them and champion cultural rights, too?”

 For more information, visit https://ilostmygig.ph/. To contribute to the survey, visit https://ilostmygig.ph/blog/impact/. – Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Musical fundraiser get P22-million for quarantine affected poor

Bayanihan Musikahan, the daily concert fundraiser organized by National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, has so far raised more than P22 million to benefit marginalized communities.

Now on its third week, the concert series has seen performances by over 80 artists including Martin Nievera, Ebe Dancel, Morisette Amon, Bullet Dumas, Karylle Tatlonghari, and Spongecola, among others.

The concert series is expected to run for another few weeks. This week will see performances by Jed Madela (Wednesday) and Gary Valenciano (Thursday), among others. Both previous performances and live performances can be viewed on the Bayanihan Musikahan Facebook page.

Lea Salonga did a one-hour concert on April 3 that raised P1.5 million and “it was immediately clear to an audience of tens of thousands that the surge was driven by the experience of virtual, communal bonding around an admired singer, and heightened awareness of the gravity of [the] threat to impoverished communities,” said a release.

The Blue and Green Fund, created by the De La Salle Brothers and the Society of Jesus (or the Jesuits of the Philippines) through the corporate networks of the alumni of De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University, donated P10.5 million to the cause.

The funds raised by the marathon concert series will be used to buy food packs through the Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Pamilya ng Pantawid (SNPP), a 70,000-strong urban poor organization. The organization has so far delivered 15,000 food packs to families in dense, inner-city pockets. The funds are disbursed and accounted for by Philippine Business for Social Progress.

Those interested in giving to the cause can donate via pymy.co/pbsp or dnation.ph/pbsp (for BPI Debit/Credit Cards only). – ZBC

Ample rewards from La-Mulana 1 & 2

La-Mulana 1 & 2
Nintendo Switch/Sony PlayStation 4/Microsoft Xbox One

There was once a time when MSX systems ruled Japan. A joint venture of Microsoft and ASCII, the standardized home computer architecture was released in 1983 and subsequently wound up being produced by no less than 22 hardware manufacturers in the country. Personal-computer trailblazer Kazuhiko Nishi, then holding key positions in the companies behind the project, argued the need for unified standards in the industry, and thus pushed for its adoption. As popular as it became locally, however, it failed to penetrate the United States and other key markets. Notwithstanding the involvement of the Redmond, Washington-based technology firm, it found its influence limited to continental Europe and the likes of Brazil, Argentina, and South Korea.

The end of the decade saw the MSX slowly fading into oblivion. By then on its fourth iteration, it proved unable to claim the mass base it needed to meet its objectives. That said, its significant following, particularly in the gaming community, could not be denied. In fact, it became the launching point for a number of highly regarded franchises (among them Metal Gear, Bomberman, Puyo Puyo, and Parodius), as well as an invaluable breeding ground for other long-running series (including Final Fantasy, Castlevania, Ys, Dragon Quest, and Gradius). For all its issues (particularly regarding scrolling), it boasted of technical benefits that highlighted the relative superiority of titles it released.

One such title was The Maze of Galious: Knightmare II, released in 1987 as a followup to the previous year’s Knightmare: Majou Densetsu. Even as a version was also developed for the Nintendo Family Computer, it proved superior on the MSX — so much so that Japan-based GR3 Project used it as a source of inspiration for La-Mulana, which made its appearance on store shelves 18 years later. The latter was a passion project of Takayuki Ebihara, Takumi Naramura, and Houryu Samejima, made for the PC but as an homage to the realized hardware of Nishi’s vision. Indeed, it made no bones about its purpose; it featured a load screen that mimicked that of the MSX, down to the logo and amount of video random access memory available, not to mention a central character that used, in-game, an MSX and MSX cartridges.

Significantly, Nigoro, the company GR3 Project would become, remade La-Mulana from scratch for the Wii in 2011, the PC the following year, and then the Sony PlayStation Vita three years after. The work took half a decade and was notable for changes, relative to the original version, designed to reach a wider audience — with more reasonable difficulty spikes and an updated audio-visual presentation. Its debut in the West was not without hitches; would-be publisher Nicalis bailed, requiring Playism Games, EnjoyUp Games, and Rising Star Games to come in and take over distribution.

At around the same time, Playism took advantage of the interest generated by the La-Mulana remake to launch a Kickstarter initiative aimed at producing a sequel for the Switch. The $200,000 target was exceeded in a week, enabling the developers to add to the stated goals a story bridge and, no joke, a “curry party” they hosted on Twitch. The latter underscored the importance of the dish in the game — referred to, in fact, as its “soul” on fund-raising notes and the main course of director Naramura three times a day for three days “to make him stronger, allowing him the ability to make an even better game!”

These days, La-Mulana and its sequel have homes on the Switch, PS4, and Microsoft Xbox One via the compilation release of La-Mulana 1 & 2. In both titles, players take control of an intrepid explorer out in search of treasure. While initially armed with nothing more than a simple whip, the secrets buried within the tomb of La-Mulana will enable them to progress, gifting them with weapons, items, and rare finds. En route, they strive to overcome the traps, terrors, and troubles that lie in wait — all for the ultimate goal of finding out what lies inside the tomb.

Creditably, La-Mulana 1 & 2 manages to transcend standard Metroidvania fare and highlight its rich history. Starting with pretty much nothing, players soon get their hands on such notables as hand scanners, gloves, and grapple claws, with each key item affecting how they deal with obstacles coming their way. They wind up opening newer paths for exploration, leading to even more items to be put to good use. And so on and so forth, in a seemingly relentless cycle. At times, the outcomes can prove frustrating; trial and error are inevitable given the lack of tutorials, and, in some cases, may well leave first-time players at a loss on what to do.

Needless to say, the development shines the spotlight on La-Mulana 1 & 2’s greatest flaw. Both games therein have simplistic premises, but their cryptic puzzles are at odds with the minimalistic design, and can be quite frustrating to those not used to the genre. True to their MSX roots, they encourage players to explore and experiment. At the same time, however the notably hands-off approach to gameplay can result in confusion. While not normally a problem for Metroidvania offerings, their emphasis on freedom of choice can be more detrimental than advantageous, especially when there’s no real starting area to get acquainted with the controls and abilities.

There’s also the problem of how little feedback La-Mulana 1 & 2 can give. Its artstyle is fantastic, yes, but it can clash, and hard, with how it actually unfolds. Both titles in the compilation sport difficult puzzles, and seemingly in abundance. That said, and despite how things seem, frustration is an integral part of appreciating their finest points. Blindly rushing in can lead to missing subtle hints in their design. They were never meant to be easy and fast-paced. Rather, they’re best appreciated as slow burns, during which players take the time to slow down and evaluate each room as they should. Each tends to give subtle hints; what initially seems like bad game design turns out to be deliberately placed to fool you.

And with the epiphany comes a sense of triumph and understanding that ultimately makes La-Mulana 1 & 2 so appealing. The games in the compilation are admittedly hard. Nonetheless, keeping a deliberate pace is half the battle won; what initially looked to be immensely cryptic, almost-unfair platformers aren’t, after all. They just compel players to engage with them in a manner that’s different from the usual dregs in the genre. And, once done, their best parts start to rise to the surface and shine, giving taste after taste of their intended experience.

It bears noting that La-Mulana 1 & 2 don’t need to be played in order. The sequel is better, and not simply because of its more focused presentation laced with Norse mythology; gamers can head straight to it sans any loss of appreciation for the overarching narrative. Controls are decidedly smooth in any of the platforms, although the graphics and sounds stand out on the Xbox One and the PS4. Because of the added benefit of portability, however, the Switch figures to provide the best value.

In any case, La-Mulana 1 & 2 earns its keep. It can be a source of irritation, especially when played without hints, but it stands out all the same because of its unabashed desire to be different. Those looking for a cookie-cutter Metroidvania platformer would do well to look elsewhere. The rest will likely appreciate its pacing and puzzle designs. It tries the patience of even the most determined, but provides ample rewards to make the time worthwhile. It pays off in the end, and in spades.

THE GOOD:

  • Sleek retro look and feel
  • Smooth controls 
  • Fairly lengthy campaigns
  • Nice, unique pacing

THE BAD:

  • Cryptic and confusing map designs
  • Convoluted puzzles galore
  • Hands-off approach to gameplay
  • Zero tutorials and poor initial feedback with regards to mechanics
  •  Can prove frustrating for those new to the genre in general and the series in particular

RATING: 8.5/10

POSTSCRIPT: SNK Gals Fighters looks to be coming to the Switch. The Korean Game Rating and Administration Committee has given the game, which originally appeared on the Neo Geo Pocket Color at the turn of the millennium, a rating and points to Inplay Interactive as the publisher. The 2D fighting game features female characters from various SNK franchises and has them compete in a “Queen of Fighters” tournament organized by “Miss X.” Defeating her in the end will yield a talisman capable of granting the owner any wish.

THE LAST WORD: Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition will be heading to the Nintendo eShop on April 23. At $19.99, the gothic horror role-playing title is slated to include the base game and the underwater expansion pack. As announced by publisher Digerati (noted for the likes of Oniken, Shikhondo, and Slain: Back to Hell), Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition, the sequel, is also expected to be released for the Switch.

Doing good: stepping up during a lockdown

It’s been three weeks since the Luzon community quarantine to stem the spread of COVID-19 started, and as front liners keep trying to stem the pandemic, more and more companies and groups are helping their fight by donating much-needed protective equipment and other supplies. Here’s a partial list of those who have donated to the cause.

SM FOUNDATION

SM Foundation has begun distributing “over P170 million”-worth of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and medical supplies to over 50 hospitals nationwide including the Philippine General Hospital, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, and the Lung Center of the Philippines. The medical supplies being donated include ICU-grade ventilators and COVID-19 test kits including those developed by the University of the Philippines National Institutes of Sciences.

GRAB

Ride-hailing service Grab Philippines announced that it has raised P5 million so far for the Philippine Red Cross through the ongoing donation drive in the app. Grab also distributed P14 million worth of groceries and medicines to 40,000 of its driver-partners. The amount was raised from donations from “its employees, corporate partners and communities.” It has distributed 30,000 safety kits containing face masks and 2,000 bottles of alcohol. The company also announced that it activated 1,600 driver-partners as they temporarily transitioned as GrabFood and GrabExpress partners.

On March 30, Grab announced that it gave its Grab drivers emergency support funds and that the Department of Trade and Industry will be extending small and medium enterprise (SME) loans to the drivers. It is also working with the Land Transportation Franchise Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to see which driver-partners are eligible to be included in the social amelioration program.

Grab Philippines said it will donate 200 electric scooters (61 have been successfully donated) to local government units (LGUs) and deploy a car fleet to help with food and medical distribution. It is also donating 20,000 face masks to health front liners and LGUs.

OYO HOTELS

Hotel chain OYO reopened 24 properties in several cities in Mindanao to support frontliners “engaged in the delivery of medical and other vital services during the Covid-19 pandemic.” The company dedicated 500 rooms for front liners “with discounts of up to 40% from the posted rate.”

Participating establishments include Humberto’s Hotel, Davao Airport View Hotel, Sunny Point Hotel, The West Inn, Dad’s Bayview Pension, Deck 360 Dormitel, Braveheart Residency, Anisabel Suites, Capital Asrodel, Circle B Suites, Chateau Cinco, D’ Abirus Inn, Yellow Pad, Sharana Pensionne, and Capital World Palace.

OKADA MANILA

Okada Manila, through its Okada Foundation, pledged P25 million to the Lung Center of the Philippines and another P25 million to the Philippine Heart Center. The donations will be used to procure “items needed by both institutions to address the COVID-19 pandemic.”

UNIVERSAL ROBINA CORPORATION (URC)

URC donated Biaxially-oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) films to hospitals including the Philippine Heart Center and the Philippine General Hospital to serve as a protective barrier between patients and healthcare workers in the hospitals’ triage, examination areas, diagnostic areas, and operation rooms. The film is commonly used as packaging for consumer products.

TRIBU VERDE LA SALLE GREENHILLS

Members of Tribu Verde from La Salle Greenhills High School batch 1981 started a fundraising drive for frontliners and are aiming to raise P500,000 to provide masks and PPEs to frontliners and their families.

De La Salle University and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde meanwhile, are currently giving shelter to about 150 homeless individuals in Manila. La Salle Greenhills also opened its campus to house front liners from nearby The Medical City.

Kominers’s Conundrums: The Light-Switch Challenge

This weekend, lots of people are finally getting their sourdoughs started. Others are enjoying Frozen 2 for the twentieth time. For me, this is the perfect time to kick back with some brain teasers.

I love puzzles of all forms. I’ve published a few of my own, and at least once a year I spend an entire weekend solving a massive puzzle competition that unfolds across a college campus.        

But I haven’t forgotten the barriers to enjoying puzzles in the first place. They can be dense — even impenetrable — when you start out. 

So over the next few weeks, let me introduce you to some of my favorite types of puzzles, and how to begin solving them on your own. With any luck, you’ll emerge from this anxious time with an enigmatic new hobby.

This week, we are looking at reasoning puzzles, which typically describe a simple setting — often with constraints — and ask you to unravel the situation with logic.

Here’s a simple example inspired by our current moment:

You have a panel of three light switches, and you know that one of those switches controls the bulb in your shed — but you can’t remember which. In order to keep the handwashing to a minimum (for the sake of your dry, cracked skin), you want to figure it out with no more than one trip outside.

How can you do it?

At first it sounds impossible: Can you possibly test three switches with only one trip to the shed? 

Now take a deep breath. You have options here; what are they?

(Seriously, give it a shot before reading on.)

For a puzzle like this, I usually start by thinking small, then try to work my way up to the solution.

If there were only one switch, then there’s no puzzle at all — that switch has to be the answer, and you don’t even have to go outside.

So what if there were only two? Well then, you can turn one “on” and leave the other “off,” and go check the shed. If the bulb is on, you know it must be controlled by the first switch; otherwise, it must be controlled by the second. (Note that here we really lean on the knowledge that at least one of the switches actually does turn on the light.)

But somehow three seems much harder than two. If, for example, you were to turn on the first and second switch and then see that the bulb is on, you wouldn’t know which of those two switches controls the light!

The trick, as it happens, is to introduce a dimension other than just whether the switches are on or off: time.

Lightbulbs heat up when you leave them on. So you can turn on the first switch for 20 minutes, then simultaneously turn it off and turn on the second one. If you then check the shed immediately, you’ll have the answer. If the light is on, you know the second switch is the winner. If the light is off, check the bulb. Is it hot? Then it must be controlled by the first switch. Cold? Bingo, it’s the third.

With just a few mental moves, a seemingly hopeless conundrum becomes simple. All it takes is expanding our view of the problem beyond just the switches in plain sight.

Fun, right? Next week, we’ll go deeper. Until then, check out Brainzilla and Riddles.com for more. And don’t forget to feed that sourdough.

 

Scott Duke Kominers at skominers1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Mike Nizza at mnizza3@bloomberg.net
I first learned this puzzle from Peter Winkler‘s Mathematical Puzzles: A Connoisseur’s Collection — one of my all-time favorite books.

Queen Elizabeth II addresses her nation for only the 4th time

Queen Elizabeth II addressed Britain on Sunday in a rare televised speech. In it, she thanked medical frontliners and promised better days. “Better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.”

This is only the Queen’s fourth address of such a nature in her 67-year reign: while the Queen addresses the nation annually during Christmas, she has only made such speeches during the Gulf War; the 1997 death of her former daughter-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales; and the 2002 death of her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. “It reminds me of the very first broadcast I made, in 1940, helped by my sister. We, as children, spoke from here at Windsor to children who had been evacuated from their homes and sent away for their own safety,” she said in the speech, while the video showed a photograph of her and her younger sister, the late Princess Margaret, making that broadcast as children in Britain during the Second World War. The speech was pre-recorded at the royal residence of Windsor Castle. Over 900 years old, the complex has been a symbol of stability for the nation.

“I want to thank everyone on the NHS front line, as well as care workers and those carrying out essential roles, who selflessly continue their day-to-day duties outside the home in support of us all. I am sure the nation will join me in assuring you that what you do is appreciated and every hour of your hard work brings us closer to a return to more normal times,” she said in the speech. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who stay at home, which in a way contributes to the efforts to defeat the global pandemic. “I also want to thank those of you who are staying at home, thereby helping to protect the vulnerable and sparing many families the pain already felt by those who have lost loved ones. Together we are tackling this disease, and I want to reassure you that if we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it. I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge.”

For the occasion, the queen wore a bright green dress, her signature triple-strand pearl necklace, and the rarely seen Queen Mary Turquoise and Diamond Brooch, a bequest from her grandmother, Queen Mary, who in turn received it as a wedding present in 1893 from her in-laws, the future Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. Turquoise gemstones are believed to be a talisman against danger.

“While we have faced challenges before, this one is different. This time we join with all nations across the globe in a common endeavor, using the great advances of science and our instinctive compassion to heal. We will succeed — and that success will belong to every one of us,” The Queen said.

Watch the speech here: youtu.be/2klmuggOElE. — JLG

PFL remains upbeat despite new season start pushed back twice

THE START of its fourth season postponed twice because of the ongoing concern over the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Philippines Football League (PFL) said that it has been “frustrating” but nonetheless expressed its willingness to work with what is presented to it.

Originally set to start on March 21, Year Four of the PFL, seen by many as a “landmark” season for the added sponsorship it was to get, was rescheduled to kick off on April 18 before the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) late last week pushed the start anew to the later part of May.

In an announcement made on April 3, the PFF, which oversees the affairs and conduct of the PFL, said the decision to postpone once again was a result of the ongoing Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) and increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region.

Reports have it that the government task force leading the fight against the spread of the highly communicable disease is mulling the extension for another two to three weeks of the ECQ which is set to lapse on April 12.

“The current situation is unprecedented. So the League (as well as other industries) is facing setbacks to our objectives for the year. It is important to note however that in times like this, placing the safety and security of individuals is priority — as personal well-being is on top of our core values,” said PFL commissioner Coco Torre in an email correspondence.

But the PFL official said that they are confident that once the situation normalizes and they are allowed to resume their activities, they will be able to get the machine and season rolling albeit with adjustments here and there. 

“We are confident for the League to resume smoothly as things normalize. It is a matter of scheduling the matches to fit the calendar and touching base with our collaborators to ensure we are right on track,” said Mr. Torre, who assumed his post as PFL commissioner in 2019. 

“Part of the objectives this year is to expand the Copa Paulino Alcantara for emerging Clubs and other collegiate teams. We are in high hopes to be able to achieve this despite the delays in their respective competitions. Last and most importantly, our thoughts are with the players who are deprived of their usual training sessions. We are wishing them well and hope they are keeping physically and mentally fit in preparation for this highly competitive season,” he added.

As things stand, Mr. Torre said, the PFL will see six teams competing in the League tournament, namely Ceres-Negros FC (defending champion), Kaya FC-Iloilo, Stallion Laguna FC, Azkals Development Team, Global FC and Mendiola FC. 

League is a double-round home-and-away format wherein teams play each other four times for a total of 60 League matches.

For the Copa Paulino Alcantara they are opening more slots. Number of matches depend on how many participants there would be but Mr. Torre said they are targeting above 30 matches.

While what lies ahead amid COVID-19 is anybody’s guess, Mr. Torre assured that the PFL remained committed to continue providing inspiration and entertainment through The Beautiful Game.  

“Football has and will always be around to serve as inspiration and entertainment to the fans. In the meantime, we urge everyone to observe best practices in combating the virus, cooperate with local and national authorities, and be safe and healthy during the ongoing state of public health emergency in the country,” said Mr. Torre.

Adding, “To the frontliners and donors, we are very grateful for your service and sacrifice. We look forward to delivering the best football season this year once our nation has healed.”

PGA Championship rescheduled for August, says report

THE PGA Championship, one of golf’s four majors, has been rescheduled for Aug. 6–9 after being postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Sunday.

The event will remain at the city’s Harding Park course, the paper said.

The championship is run by the PGA of America, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The PGA Championship was originally planned for May 14–17 but the PGA of America announced on March 17 that the event had been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The spread of the virus has prompted the shutdown of almost all sports events worldwide.

The first major championship of the year, the Masters, was scheduled to start this Thursday at Augusta National, but the club announced on March 13 that it had been postponed.

The US Open, scheduled for Winged Foot in New York from June 18–21, and the July 16–19 British Open at Royal St. George’s in Kent, are still officially on the schedule.

But it is believed an announcement on the postponement of the US Open will be made in the next few days.

The major championship organisers and the PGA Tour, which runs the weekly circuit of non-major tournaments, have been discussing a revamped schedule.

However, any plans to resume the professional circuit depend on the coronavirus subsiding over the next couple of months. — Reuters

McLaren boss Brown warns F1 must change to survive

LONDON — Formula One is in “a very fragile state” due to the coronavirus disease 2019 crisis and risks losing some of its 10 teams unless some big changes are made, McLaren boss Zak Brown warned on Sunday.

The season has yet to start, with two races — including the showcase Monaco Grand Prix in May — cancelled and six postponed so far.

The sport has already made some changes, including postponing a planned major technical rule change from 2021 to 2022 and agreeing teams will use the same cars next year but Brown said more was needed.

“Could I see — through what is going on right now in the world if we don’t tackle this situation head-on very aggressively — two teams disappearing? Yeah,” the American told the BBC.

“In fact, I could see four teams disappearing if this isn’t handled the right way.”

Brown said the economic and health situation meant it should not be assumed anyone would be lining up to take over any struggling teams.

“I don’t think the timing could be worse from that standpoint,” he added. “So I think F1 is in a very fragile state at the moment.”

McLaren last week became the first team to put staff on furlough while ratings agency Moody’s changed Formula One’s outlook to negative from positive.

Team bosses are due to discuss cost-saving plans on a call on Monday.

A $150-million budget cap, still well above the spending levels of some smaller teams, is due to come into force next year but Brown indicated there was a push for it to be reduced further — possibly to $100 million.

“You have everyone at $150 million, and the strong majority — including one of the big teams — willing to come substantially under $150 million,” he said.

There is also some discussion about a further postponement of the technical rule changes to 2023. — Reuters

Filipino tech experts, DOST partner for rapid COVID-19 checkpoint verification

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has partnered with a global community of Filipino tech experts to launch digital solutions addressing key challenges brought about by the Covid-19 crisis. First among these is RapidPassPH, a quick verification system that removes congestion, speeds up vital deliveries, and protects frontliners via contact-free verification through Metro Manila’s 56 checkpoints. This addresses the choke points that have sprung up as a result of the manual checking of credentials of “Authorized Persons Outside of Residence,” mandated by the government’s enhanced community quarantine measures.

As DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña explained, “RapidPassPH is a virtual identification system that utilizes QR code-based technology to provide ease for frontliners and priority vehicles. To use the system, “Authorized Persons Outside of Residence” must register online through the RapidPassPH app. A QR code will then be sent to them upon approval. This QR code must be printed and placed on one’s vehicle window for checkpoint personnel to scan using the same app. The system provides a safe, efficient, and contact-less method for manning our various checkpoints.”

Public-Private Partnership vs Covid-19

RapidPassPH was developed free-of-charge in partnership with Developers Connect (DEVCON Philippines), the largest community of Filipino IT professionals and tech enthusiasts, and the DEVCON Community of Technology Experts, a global volunteer-based community of Filipino experts working on digital solutions to address the challenges of the current pandemic. Tested in Mandaluyong on March 27, it was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases the same day.

Two hundred Samsung A10 smartphones, donated by PLDT, will be distributed to checkpoint personnel to be used in verifying QR codes, recording the comings and goings at checkpoints, and providing statistical data to inform our nation’s response efforts.

Winston Damarillo, founder of DEVCON Philippines, assured that the centralized database is anonymized and that only an individual’s name and control number will be seen in checkpoints. “We’re only capturing what data we need.”

Damarillo also shared that they had tremendous support from private sector organizations for this initiative, and cited Microsoft Philippines, the PLDT Group, Amihan Global Strategies, and Talino Venture Labs as some of its industry stakeholders.

“Now, more than ever, we are seeing the importance of adapting to a more digital way of life,” said Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan in a press statement.

“RapidPassPH is aligned with the department’s mandate of privacy, cybersecurity and resilience,” he said. “Hundreds of DEVCON volunteers made this possible just three weeks after the quarantine. This proves to the world the triumph of the indomitable Filipino spirit.”

RapidPassPH is set to be deployed this week beginning Monday, April 6.

Players-only tournament

FORGET about the seedings, resorted to mostly out of convenience. For fans compelled to digest their required dose of hoops from the comfort of their homes, the NBA 2K20 Players-Only Tournament aimed to deliver the needed adrenaline rush, and from a bevy of the sport’s households names. And given the quick turnaround time from conception to implementation, it has done extremely well based on the completion of the first round of matches. At the very least, it has managed to keep National Basketball Association stakeholders busy.

Make no mistake. The participants took the tournament seriously. Most went all out from the start, choosing strong squads in order to get the win. Never mind their inability to reuse a team from a list of eight. And, in hindsight, their decision was rewarded. Four chose the Bucks, and all four moved on to the quarterfinals following convincing outcomes. Meanwhile, only two stuck with the franchises for which they actually play; up against each other, the Clippers’ Montrezl Harrell and the Pacers’ Domantas Sabonis showed their loyalty, respectively, and the latter was promptly blown off the court — but not before complaining out loud how his in-game likeness “sucks! He really sucks!”

Parenthetically, the refusal of the protagonists to stick to their colors is telling. Andre Drummond threatened to opt for the Cavaliers, getting a “you know something I don’t” reaction, before opting for the Lakers and coming up with a 52-point victory over DeMarcus Cousins’ Nets. Devin Booker said “ehh, no” when asked if he wanted to use the Suns, instead going for the Bucks and prevailing against Michael Porter Jr.’s Lakers in convincing fashion. “Because @NBA2K has my player messed up,” he later tweeted in defense of his decision.

Perhaps the proceedings would have been more intriguing were the players inclined to be more vocal. The very first match of the tournament proved to be a relative snoozefest, with Kevin Durant and Derrick Jones Jr. hardly interacting. The mere handful of quotable quotes had the future Hall-of-Famer bemoaning the actions of the Bucks’ Ersan Ilyasova against his Clippers. “Hold up. They got Ilyasova out here?” He asked at one point. And then, after the 36th overall pick in the 2005 draft got a steal, he argued: “Come on, man. This is a fluke!”

Needless to say, the most entertaining contests featured competitors proficient with the Xbox controllers. And it was also no shock to find the good ones predisposed to doing a lot of trash talk. Patrick Beverley’s Bucks demolished Hassan Whiteside’s Lakers, even getting in a jab against his real-life foil. “Uh uh. This ain’t videogame [LeBron] James,” he said after a block. “He got some years on him now. He can’t just be jumpin’ all over the rim now.” And when he was told he had Giannis Antetokounmpo for “a cheat code,” he contended, “It ain’t Giannis that’s playing. I’m controlling him. So I’m just a cheat code. You can just call me The Cheat Code.”

Next up are set-tos between Jones and Harrell, Drummond and Beverley, Booker and Rui Hachimura (whose Lakers escaped with a triumph over Donovan Mitchell’s Nets on Monday), and the Hawks’ Trae Young and the Suns’ DeAndre Ayton. All are certified gamers, but the latter is especially proficient at NBA 2K play. Then again, anything can happen with six-minute quarters in a one-and-done setting. Under the circumstances, going with the best team still available is sound. Bragging rights are at stake, so there can be no risking the present for a projected advantage.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

4 things you need to consider before launching your incubation program

While the Philippines is blessed with many budding entrepreneurs offering innovative solutions, the reality is that most are lacking experience and connections. This is where incubators come in: providing a nurturing environment to help startups get off the ground through mentorship and access to resources and network.

More and more institutions are creating their own incubators—even yours included, perhaps. But before you launch, what important factors must you consider? Rosstyn Fallorina, QBO Innovation Hub’s senior program lead for ecosystem development, shares four:

Timeline

It may seem like an obvious consideration, but the simple act of determining the length of your program and setting deadlines can help you run your program more definitively and efficiently.

“You need to see the timeline of your program so you can see how long you can allot for your selection process,” Fallorina said.

Your target market

Different groups have a different set of needs, so it’s vital to pinpoint which one you want to help. Crafting a program for women entrepreneurs, for example, might take a very different direction from one that’s catered towards students.

Opening your program to a specific startup stage only could also help you hone in further. Early-stage startups often have more time and are less choosy with activities. But they also have less business experience and need more guidance. Mature startups lie on the opposite end of the spectrum, already having a clearer idea of their needs but unable to commit their time to things outside their core business operations.

When QBO decided to focus their program on mature startups, they made sure that it would mesh well with their work life. “We didn’t ask them to go to QBO every week so that they could update us and attend workshops or seminars, since we knew that they have a lot of other things to worry about,” said Fallorina. “We didn’t want to give a lot of responsibilities to them.”

Selection processes and methods

If all goes well and you do your research, you should be able to draw in a ton of startup applications for you to choose from, and nearly as many selection processes to choose among them with.

Whether it’s an online form, a panel interview, or a mix of both, what’s important is that your processes are designed to get what you’re looking for.

“For example, if we do a competition, we might just do an online assessment, choose the startups, and then they pitch to the partners or panel,” said Fallorina. “Or for a bootcamp, it can just potentially be one-on-one interviews. It really depends on your program and your needs as an organization.”

Your program’s strengths, gaps, and offerings

As the adage goes, “know thyself”—or in this case, know your program’s strengths and limitations. Doing so will not only guide your team but also the startups that you could potentially be helping.

“A lot of the startups throughout the process will be asking, ‘What can you help us with? Who can you connect us with?’” said Fallorina. “They’ll be selecting from different programs. This is one way for them to figure out, ‘Okay, this program is for me at my stage and my needs.’”

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