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Loose firearms in Lanao del Norte turned over to military

LOCAL GOVERNMENT officials turned over 19 high-powered firearms to the military’s 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion at Munai Municipal Hall in Lanao del Norte last Friday as part of peace and security efforts in the province. Lt. Col. Bernardo A. Taqueban, battalion commander, said the handover was a result of intensified collaboration between local government units, security forces, and other stakeholders. The surrendered weapons include one caliber 50 Barrett, one M14 sniper, eleven M16A1, two Carbine, and four grand rifles with magazines and ammunition. “We encourage not only the local government units but also other stakeholders, especially the people of Lanao del Norte, to trust and support our campaign against loose firearms for us to attain a peaceful and secured province towards its faster development,” Col. Facundo O. Palafox, 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade commander, said in a statement from the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom). For his part, Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, WestMinCom commander, said good governance is crucial to the “peace machinery.” “So, we implore the commitment of local government units, especially in conflict-affected areas, to take the lead in advancing our peaceful mechanisms for our inclusive security and development campaign in Mindanao,” he added.

BARMM agri programs

SECRETARY Emmanuel F. Piñol (left), chair of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), meets with Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim on Sept. 7 to discuss development initiatives for the region. Among the priorities are the review and approval by the Bangsamoro Parliament of the BARMM Master Plan for Agriculture and Fisheries as well as passage of legislation that will pave the way for the export of young and matured coconuts from BARMM to Middle East and China.

Ateneo defeats La Salle

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE defending University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball champions Ateneo Blue Eagles made it back-to-back wins to start Season 82 after defeating rivals De La Salle Green Archers, 81-69, on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Winners in their season debut on opening day on Wednesday, the Eagles stayed unscathed by topping the Archers on the strength of a thorough attack, punctuated by a telling run in the second period where they created a wide gap that they were able to capitalize on the rest of the way.

Earlier in the day, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws bounced back following a loss in their season debut, beating the University of the Red Warriors, 81-65.

Ateneo and La Salle got their match to an action-packed start as both teams jostled to seize early control.

Veteran guard Matt Nieto took the cudgels for the Eagles with Jamie Malonzo countering for the Archers.

The teams had it close before the score settled at 23-21 and Ateneo on top after the opening 10 minutes.

La Salle tried to seize the lead at the start of the second quarter, coming to within a point, 29-28 in the opening minutes of the frame.

But Ateneo would steady its ship, re-establishing some distance, 38-29, by the four-minute mark.

It would continue to lord it over for the rest of the period, building a 22-point separation, 51-29, by the halftime break.

The Archers played with more direction to start the third canto, cutting their deficit to just 15 points, 57-42, with six minutes to go as Andrei Caracut and Aljun Melecio started to make their presence felt.

The Eagles, however, would stand firm, maintaining a safe distance of 16 points, 66-50, heading into the final quarter.

La Salle was undeterred though, starting the fourth quarter aggressively.

Led by Malonzo, Melecio and Enchong Serrano, the Archers cut their deficit to below 10 points, 71-62, at the 4:50 mark.

Gian Mamuyac gave the Eagles more breathing space, 73-62, off the break only to be answered by Justine Baltazar, 73-64, with less than four minutes to play.

The two teams went at back-and-forth after, fighting to a 77-67 count entering the last two minutes.

Joaqui Manuel pushed La Salle to within eight points, 77-69, with 1:20 to go.

Mamuyac answered back for Ateneo to make it a 10-point lead once again, 79-69, with less than a minute to play.

It proved to be the fatal for the Archers as they could not recover from it and saw the Eagles soar to the win.

Mike Nieto led Ateneo with 18 points while brother Matt had 15.

Mamuyac, meanwhile, finished with 14 points.

La Salle, for its part, was paced by Malonzo with 18 followed by Caracut with 14 and Baltazar 10.

“Credit to La Salle. It came out to fight in its first game and it showed that it will be a force this season. We just put in the effort especially defensively. But we still have to work on some things and be better. But we take the win,” said Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin after their win.

TAMARAWS ROLL PAST WARRIORS
Meanwhile, FEU notched its first win in Season 82, beating UE that saw it dominating the latter from wire to wire.

Senior player Wendell Comboy led the Tamaraws in rolling past the Warriors, finishing with a career-high 24 points, boosted by a 6-of-9 shooting clip from beyond the arc.

LJay Gonzales also had a solid all-around game for FEU, tallying 14 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals.

For UE it was the duo of Alex Diakhite and Rey Suerte once again led the way, winding up with 21 and 17 points, respectively.

The Tamaraws get early traction in the contest and never took its foot on the gas pedal as they sped to the breakthrough victory that improved them to 1-1.

“It’s a great feeling to win your first game especially after an opening-day loss. It’s the first of hopefully many this season,” said FEU coach Olsen Racela after their win.

FEU next plays on Sept. 14 against Ateneo.

The Warriors (0-2), meanwhile, dropped to their second straight defeat under coach Bong Tan. They return on Sept. 11 versus the Adamson Soaring Falcons.

Andreescu fends off Williams comeback to win US Open

NEW YORK — Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu claimed her first Grand Slam title in a hard-hitting, nerve-jangling 6-3 7-5 win over Serena Williams on Saturday that put the brakes on the American’s bid to equal the all-time record.

Andreescu matched Williams’ power throughout the slugfest and kept her composure under intense pressure to fend off a late comeback from the six-times champion.

The 19-year-old dropped her racket after hitting a blistering forehand return winner on match point to seal victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium and collapsed on her back after embracing her defeated opponent.

“It’s so hard to explain (what the win means) in words,” Andreescu said.

“I’m just beyond grateful and truly blessed. I’ve worked really, really hard for this moment and I can’t complain. This year has been a dream come true,” she added before collecting her $3.85 million winner’s cheque.

“And now to be able to play on this stage against Serena, a true legend of the sport, is amazing.”

Andreescu, the first Canadian to win a major in the professional era, prevented Williams from equalling Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.

Williams, who has been denied the milestone in four slam finals since claiming her last major title at the Australian Open in 2017, was gracious in defeat.

“Bianca played an unbelievable match,” she said.

The fearless Andreescu pressured Williams from the outset, electing to receive after winning the coin toss and immediately breaking her childhood idol.

With her back against the wall trailing 5-1 and facing championship point, Williams mounted a spirited comeback to draw level at 5-5, leading to deafening roars from the packed crowd in the biggest tennis stadium in the world.

Yet Andreescu, who covered her ears at times, regained her steely composure to cross the finish line with an emphatic forehand winner, her 19th of the match.

For Williams, her normally trusty serve proved her undoing.

She only managed to put 44% of her first serves in play and her nine aces were almost offset by eight double faults, three of which came on break points.

Andreescu was the sharper of the pair, committing almost half as many unforced errors as Williams and thumping down five aces of her own.

While a fierce and fiery competitor on the court, Andreescu apologized to the disappointed crowd for beating the home favorite.

“I know you guys wanted Serena to win. I’m so sorry,” she said.” — Reuters

Gilas finishes World Cup campaign sans a win

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

UP to the very end Gilas Pilipinas could not catch a break in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup as it finished its campaign without a win to show for after losing to Iran, 95-75, in its final game of the tournament on Sunday in Beijing, China.

Hoping to at least salvage a win to ease the sting of what had been a nightmare campaign in the global basketball spectacle, Gilas instead saw its struggles continue, dropping its fifth straight game as it exited the World Cup.

The Philippines competed strong in the opening quarter, able to keep in step with the Iranians and just down by six points, 30-24, at the end of the first 10 minutes.

In the second and third quarters, however, Iran pulled away from which Gilas could not recover from.

The Iranians outscored the Filipinos, 45-16, in said quarters to build a 25-point separation, 75-50, heading into the fourth quarter.

Gilas tried to fashion out a comeback to begin the payoff quarter but Iran held firm and maintained control of the contest the rest of the way en route to booking the win.

Hamed Haddadi led Iran with 19 points on top of seven rebounds and two blocks.

Mohammadsamad Nik Khahbahrami followed with 17 and Mohammad Jamshidijafarabadi with 16 points.

For the Philippines it was Robert Bolick who top-scored with 15 points followed by Andray Blatche with 12 points before he was ejected with five minutes left to play in the game for excessive complaining to the referee.

June Mar Fajardo had 10 and CJ Perez finished with nine markers.

Apart from exiting the tournament sans a win, the loss also meant Gilas failed to duplicate its 1-4 record in the 2014 World Cup in Spain.

With the 20-point victory, Iran, meanwhile, assured itself an automatic spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the Asian team with the best record in the World Cup.

Kaya FC-Iloilo books fifth straight win in PFL

KAYA FC-Iloilo notched its fifth straight win on Saturday after beating Global Cebu FC, 5-1, in Philippines Football League (PFL) action at the Aboitiz Pitch in Lipa City, Batangas.

Towed by the hat trick of Jordan Mintah, Kaya proved to be too much for Global as it made its way to the victory that improved its record to 12 wins, a draw and two losses with 37 points and fortified its position at second place in the ongoing season of the tournament.

It is just three points behind league-leading and defending champion Ceres-Negros FC (13-1-0).

Kaya seized the victory as early as the first half when it went up, 5-0, by the halftime break.

Mr. Mintah, Darryl Roberts and Alfred Osei accounted for the goals of Kaya and the team never looked back after.

Ghanaian Mintah got the scoring going for his team, finding the bottom of the net in the eighth minute.

A second goal came four minutes later care of Mr. Roberts.

Kaya kept the pressure on Global after, going up, 3-0, as Mr. Mintah scored anew in the 27th minute before Mr. Osei joined the scoring parade in the 32nd minute.

Mr. Mintah completed his hat trick in the 37th minute and helped Kaya establish the commanding 5-nil lead.

Global showed some fight in the second half and was able to puncture through in the 63rd minute courtesy of Paolo Salenga to make it a 5-1 count.

It would not go any closer than that though as Kaya buckled down to nip any further rally from Global on its way to the win.

With the loss, Global (1-2-11) dropped to its eighth straight loss. It remains at the bottom of the standings with five points.

Meanwhile, also winning on Saturday was Green Archers United FC, which defeated Mendiola FC 1991, 2-1.

Christian Zubiri (12’) and Stephen Appiah (69’) accounted for the winning team’s goals which led to GAU (7-4-6) getting the full three points for the win, jacking it up to 25 points, tied for third place with Stallion Laguna FC (7-4-4)

Mendiola (3-2-10), for its part, stayed at 11 points with the defeat. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Falcons stake UAAP claim by way of young team

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

ENTERING Season 82 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, the Adamson Soaring Falcons knew they have their work cut out for them not only because of the souped-up competition but also the retooling they made which has resulted in them parading one of the younger teams in the league.

The Falcons had a rude opening to the brand-new season, falling to the defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles, 70-52, on opening day on Sept. 4.

They, however, bounced back in their next game last Saturday but not after having made to sweat by the National University Bulldogs that had them winning narrowly, 84-83, in overtime.

New foreign player Lenda Douanga of Congo pulled Adamson in the victory, draining the game-winning triple as time expired.

Falcons coach Franz Pumaren said after that the win was huge for a team like them who are still finding their way through with the personnel they have even as he expressed hope that the improvement continues for the team as the season progresses.

“Well, we needed that win. I guess we were searching for the right combination. I think that’s the downside of having a young team, having some new guys. We’re still searching for the right chemistry,” said Mr. Pumaren in the postgame press conference.

“This was a hard game especially coming off the first game versus Ateneo. What we saw the last time around was really not the Adamson team that we projected. That’s why this win is so important for us, for us to really settle down and show what we’re capable of doing,” he added.

Adamson, a losing semifinalist last year, lost some key cogs from Season 81 in the offseason like Sean Manganti, Jerie Pingol, Jonathan Espeleta and foreign player Papi Sarr for various reasons.

In their place were the likes of Brandon Chauca, Joem Sabandal, Aaron Fermin, Joshua Yerro, Adrian Manlapaz and Douanga, who was selected over Parr as the team’s foreign reinforcement.

The Falcons are hoping that the new players get to do their share in seeing the team’s cause through in tandem with holders Jerrick Ahanmisi, Simon Camacho, Kristian Beranrdo and Jerom Lastimosa.

Mr. Pumaren said work still lies ahead for them but he nonetheless believes his team can deliver provided they stick to the system that they have and believe in their collective abilities.

“If we make sure that we play within the system, we’ll be okay,” said the Adamson coach.

Adding, “We have to understand, we are not a dominant team. We are a team that can compete if we will work in a collective manner. This one (NU game) is a good test for us, that even though we were down, even though we were trailing most of the time in the fourth quarter, we were able to come back. I think this type of game will help us down the road. It’s good for us.”

Next for Adamson is the game versus the University of the East on Wednesday, Sept. 11.

Merwin Tan grabs 2 titles in METBA-Davao Open

MERWIN TAN captured two titles in the first METBA-Davao Kadayawan Bowling Open Championships recently at SM Lanang in Davao City.

Tan, 20, under the tutelage of world champion Biboy Rivera, won the Open Masters and Youth Masters title of the tournament participated by competitive bowlers around the country.

He outclassed Man Man Nierra of ACBI-Prima, 216-160, during their step-ladder showdown to win the Open Masters title.

Tan qualified for the step-ladder match after accumulating a leading 1621 total pinfalls.

Tan claimed then the Youth Masters crown by scoring 203 points against Norel Nuevo’s 197 in the step-ladder match. He made it to the step-ladder event after posting a leading 1627 total pinfalls in the elimination round.

“It was a blessing and I feel accomplished. I will train hard for the upcoming tournaments. “Thank you, PBF, PSC, POC, Team Prima, and coaches for the support and guidance,” said Tan, who settled for bronze in the U-22 event of 5th Fukuoka Summer Cup bowling tourney last month.

The Philippine junior bowler is hoping to sustain his impressive performance at the last part of the year when he represents the country in the 30th Southeast Asian Games on Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 in Mandaluyong City after his successful performance in various overseas tournaments recently.

Tan is coming from winning gold medals in the 51st Singapore International Open last June and 20th Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championship in Malaysia last May. Last May, he also copped the men’s open masters crown of the Philippine International Open in Mandaluyong City.

The Filipino bowlers are supported by PAGCOR.

Milo Philippines lauds national government efforts to provide opportunities through sports initiatives

WITH the national government continuously finding ways to provide opportunities through sports, Milo Philippines reaffirmed its support to the former and lauded its efforts to further cultivate the country’s sports program.

Speaking at the recently-concluded Batang Pinoy National Finals organized by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Milo Sports Manager Lester P. Castillo said they are very proud of their involvement in Batang Pinoy, which is geared towards championing Filipino youth athletes and uplifting the sporting community through grassroots sports.

“We are happy to be among the supporters of PSC’s Batang Pinoy National Finals that has been a proponent of getting more young Filipinos into sports,” said Mr. Castillo.

Adding, “We believe that sports teach children character-forming values such as teamwork, discipline and confidence. These are the same values that children need to be successful later on in life as they continue to pursue their ambitions. The PSC’s Batang Pinoy has long advocated for the development of physical qualities and moral values, a vision that we at Milo share with them.”

Milo’s involvement in the Batang Pinoy program, Mr. Castillo said, is an extension of Milo’s thrust through programs like the Milo Summer Sports Clinics, Milo Little Olympics, Milo Brgy. Liga and the National Milo Marathon.

Among these are the establishment of the country’s first Sports Academy, done in cooperation with the Department of Education, and the rolling-out of the Philippine Sports Institute-Sports Mapping Action Research Talent Identification.

Both initiatives were unveiled in the Batang Pinoy in Palawan.

“This unprecedented development entails a brighter future for grassroots sports development in the Philippines,” said Mr. Castillo.

“We are very fortunate to have been given a chance by the PSC to support the National Finals of Batang Pinoy. Hopefully our team can find ways to continue the collaboration with the PSC in preparation for future Batang Pinoy programs. Such partnerships can continue enabling the youth to become champions not only in sports but also in life,” he added.

BAGUIO AS CHAMPION
Meanwhile, Baguio City was declared the champion in the Batang Pinoy after winning the most number of gold medals.

It won 61 top hardware from over 600 gold medals handed out in the competition while also bagging 25 silver and 70 bronze medals. Cebu took second place with a 36-34-35 medal haul. Davao was third with 31-30-41.

Over 8,500 athletes from 249 cities and provinces nationwide saw action in the prestigious youth tournament, which was staged by the PSC with help from DepEd, Milo, Department of Interior and Local Government and the people and officials of Puerto Princesa City. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

FIBA World Cup: Australia and France advance to last eight as US beat Greece

BEIJING — Australia and France reached the basketball World Cup quarter-finals with a match to spare after tight wins over their respective rivals while holders the United States edged closer to the last eight with the 69-53 defeat of Greece on Saturday.

The Czech Republic also boosted their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage of the competition with an impressive 93-71 victory over Brazil thanks to an effervescent performance by their Chicago Bulls guard Tomas Satoransky.

Australia overcame a strong challenge from the Dominican Republic in an 82-76 win over the Caribbean nation while France ground out a dramatic 78-75 victory against Lithuania.

The Americans enjoyed plain sailing although Giannis Antetokounmpo, last season’s most valuable player in the NBA regular season, made a bright start as he netted seven of Greece’s opening nine points.

A steely defence by the US forced the Greeks to take a barrage of difficult perimeter shots while the champions took advantage of their athleticism at the other end of the court.

The US had six players in double scoring digits, with Kemba Walker leading the way on 17 points. Harrison Barnes got 15 and Myles Turner added 14 while Jaylen Brown, Joe Harris and Donovan Mitchell chipped in with 11 each.

France produced three perfect quarters against Lithuania but almost spilled a 16-point lead in the final period as the Baltic nation, roared on by a vociferous band of supporters, turned the tide at one stage.

A Jonas Maciulis three-pointer allowed the Lithuanians to nose ahead 72-70 in the home straight before Evan Fournier and Nando De Colo forced the final twist in the last two minutes.

Fournier finished with a game-high 24 points and De Colo added 21 as the duo overpowered Lithuania’s towering centre Jonas Valanciunas, who had 18 points and eight rebounds but missed a crunch free throw in the last minute.

The Australians were made to work hard for their win against the Dominicans, who trailed throughout the pacy contest but stayed on the Boomers’ heels as they matched them for speed.

Patty Mills sank 19 points and dished out nine assists and Chris Goulding scored 15 points for Australia, who will face France on Sunday to decide top spot in their pool.

Beaming after three successive wins in the preliminary group stage, the Brazilians were brought crashing down to earth by a rip-roaring Czech side who notched their third straight win after an opening defeat by the US. — Reuters

Serena legacy

For much of the fortnight, it looked like Serena Williams was finally prepped for the moment she long wanted to claim. Since her convalescence from pregnancy-induced complications in 2017, she had been a picture of inconsistency. A variety of injuries and an increased emphasis on family life stunted her return to the top of the sport. And while she proved good enough in spurts to contend for titles, she appeared tentative and unable to close the deal under the klieg lights. Thusly, she wound up with bridesmaid finishes in her last two appearances at Wimbledon and in the United States Open last year.

Nonetheless, a near-dominant run en route to yesterday’s match at Flushing Meadows changed conventional wisdom’s assessment of Williams’ chance to tie Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles. Apart from a brief second-round stumble against Caty McNally, she romped through the competition to set up a widely anticipated coronation. Her booming serves and punishing groundstrokes were on point, and she seemed ready to meet the challenge against first-time major finalist Bianca Andreescu. Her sharp play gave the impression that she wouldn’t fold the way she had against Angelique Kerber, Simona Halep, and Naomi Osaka with the hardware in sight.

Unfortunately, Williams was again far from her best yesterday. In fact, she saved her worst for last. Against the supposedly inexperienced Andreescu, she displayed the same uncertain disposition that manifested itself in her immediate past attempts at glory. She was particularly shaky from the service line, and it told on her capacity to dictate points. Meanwhile, her opponent did an outstanding impression of her old ascendant self, displaying power and precision and, most importantly, passion that could withstand the pressure of position.

Indeed, Williams was decidedly the lesser from the get-go. To the shock and dismay of the packed Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd overwhelmingly in support of her projected march to greatness, she failed to summon a modicum of the form that fueled her latest run at Flushing Meadows. In retrospect, she didn’t do nearly enough to win, not in the face of her previous performances, and not against a determined Andreescu. And, on a prospective note, she would do well to learn from her spate of disappointments.

True, there is no shame in finishing second four times in the last six major tournaments. If nothing else, Williams has underscored her continued relevance even at 37. That said, she’s no longer the same force able to summon a higher gear on demand. And when those on the other side of the net aren’t old enough to remember the way she ran roughshod over the competition with ease, her task becomes harder still. In her post-mortem, she promised to do better. For fans, the hope is that she will do so soon. Else, she may want to steel herself for be inevitable. No one vanquishes Father Time, and he’s fast approaching.

 

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.

Details of e-cigarette regulations due next month from DoH, DTI

THE Department of Health (DoH) will release next month details of its plan to jointly regulate the e-cigarette industry with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), after it issued an order in June that called for such producers to be licensed.

In an interview with BusinessWorld, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director IV Ana Trinidad F. Rivera said that the DTI has prepared its own policies for the upcoming guidelines.

“The implementation (of the guidelines) for the device will be joint with DoH and DTI,” said Ms. Rivera.

DoH Administrative Order (AO) 2019-0007 issued in June required all makers, sellers and distributors involved in the Electronic Nicotine and Non-nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS/ENNDS) industry to obtain a license to operate (LTO) from the FDA. The AO also called for the registration of END/ENNDS products and regulation of labeling and packaging.

DoH Undersecretary Rolando Enrique D. Domingo told BusinessWorld previously that the department planned to regulate e-cigarettes and vape devices after reports of explosions of these devices, injuring users these devices caused explosions and injuries to users.

On the other hand, he said that the release on the list of permitted flavors for E-Liquids is still being finalized. Registration of these products will begin by next month.

“We’re finalizing (it) so by next month, we’re going to start registration,” he told BusinessWorld.

The Health Undersecretary, who also is the FDA Officer-in-Charge, said in an earlier report that the FDA will begin taking applications for LTOs in December.

Ms. Rivera said the FDA is set to meet with the World Health Organization (WHO) this week regarding the flavors of e-liquids that will be permissible but noted that flavors targeting young customers will be prohibited, as underlined in the AO

“Next week we will be having a meeting with the WHO regarding the flavors. (There are) flavors that have health effects,” she said, adding that there is possibility that the list of permitted flavors will be more than the mint and tobacco as raised by the DoH and Department of Finance (DoF).

She added that apart from releasing a memorandum on the permitted flavors of e-liquids, the FDA “will be coming out with separate memos for the labels, for the license (LTO), and for the (product) registration.” — Gillian M. Cortez

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