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BPO industry seen insulated from trade war

THE business process outsourcing (BPO) industry (BPO) is considered insulated from the impact of the trade war, unlike the manufacturing sector, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) said.

They added that the Philippines continues to be attractive for BPO investors due to low costs and English-language skills.

“I think the Philippines is very unique and could reap the benefits of having an English-speaking population… (US companies) are very happy with the outsourcing and (can be expected to) continue to outsource their activities to the Philippines,” Leong Sook Mei, ASEAN Head of Global Markets Research for MUFG told reporters in a briefing Friday in Makati.

Ms. Leong added that the industry is unlikely to be a direct competitor in BPO because of its underdeveloped service economy.

“It’s something that I think is very hard to take away because China is not into the same kind of deal or the service sector that the Philippines (is). The closest competitor is probably India. But even then I think there has been a lot of issues over the BPO operations in India,” Ms. Leong said.

Marie Diana Lynn C. Singson, head of Global Corporate Banking at MUFG Manila, said that the low cost is what makes the Philippines attractive, despite global trade tensions.

“I think BPOs are relatively shielded from the trade wars… Companies set up BPOs precisely because they want to minimize costs… even with a trade war, I don’t think we will see it affecting the BPO business,” Ms. Singson said.

Any impact of trade tensions could show up in another pillar of the economy, remittances.

“I think, may be a little bit (of impact) on remittances. Manufacturers are impacted by the fact that they can’t export as much… But I think for BPO not really,” Ms. Singson said.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte has said that India and the Philippines and India should boost ties to complement each other’s strengths in the global IT and BPO industries.

During a visit to Manila in October, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind said India is looking to expand business opportunities with the Philippines in the digital industries, start-ups, health, and agriculture.

The BPO industry generated between $24.5 billion and $24.8 billion in revenue in 2018, according to estimates from the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP). Despite the pickup, it was short of the association’s targets.

“I think there was a prevailing discussion around the overall uncertainty, really and what we have said in the past, it’s less about what eventually the fiscal regime will be. It’s more about how are we managing the predictability of fiscal forecasts,” IBPAP President and CEO Rey E. Untal told members in May, referring to the possible impact of tax reform and incentives rationalization.

Such uncertainties could take their toll on the industry and prevent it from hitting its $40 billion revenue target by 2022. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

DTI to probe substandard steel after Mindanao quakes

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it will investigate the alleged proliferation of substandard steel after legislators cited the damage to buildings caused by recent earthquakes in Mindanao.

In a statement Friday, the DTI said that it supports House Resolution 379, which on Nov. 4 sought an investigation into substandard steel and cement products that may have compromised the southern island’s infrastructure.

“We welcome this call and shall fully cooperate and support the investigation to be conducted in order to ensure that the public will not be harmed by substandard construction materials,” Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said.

House Resolution 379 directs the department to conduct an inquiry into the alleged smuggling of substandard steel products, with the alleged collusion between steelmakers, the DTI, and the Bureau of Customs.

Mr. Lopez said such smuggling runs against the agency’s goal of protecting consumers and strengthening manufacturing. He added that the DTI will investigate to ensure that there is no corruption in the system.

He is also encouraging third-party investigations, including those led by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC).

“We heightened the campaign against substandard products because it is not safe for consumers and unfair to local manufacturers who will face cheap competition. This, in turn, may shrink the country’s manufacturing base and lead to job losses. Clearly, smuggling substandard steel is detrimental to the mission of the agency,” Mr. Lopez said.

Mr. Lopez said that under the Duterte administration, the DTI has developed stricter product standards, included more products in the list of mandatory compliance, and increased the sample size of products for testing.

“We are adding more products for mandatory compliance… (if many of them are) not subjected to mandatory testing, substandard products can come in,” he said.

DTI has cracked down on steel products like rebar and angle bars. The agency has also increased its surveillance of foreign manufacturers.

The guidelines also include regular annual surveillance and surprise factory visits and requiring steel manufactures to set up their own testing facilities prior to qualifying for a Philippine Standards license.

The guidelines require inspections at various stages of transport, including pre-shipment, post-shipment, and audit in retail.

In 2019, the DTI Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau has so far issued 61 notices of violation against establishments found distributing non-conforming steel products.

The department is studying the inclusion of roofing, ceramic tiles, and plywood in the list for mandatory certification, and is holding consultations on the regulation of black iron and galvanized iron, steel pipe, and steel sheets. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Seven lessons from IFRS 17 live engagements

The financial statements of companies issuing insurance contracts are bound to change dramatically beginning Jan. 1, 2022, as the date marks the global adoption of International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 17.

IFRS 17 introduces the concept of deferring profit and recognizing this profit over the duration of the contract. This significantly changes the way companies measure and account for long-term insurance contracts. This poses the question of whether current financial metrics will remain relevant (such as gross premiums as a basis for ranking) and even if so, new metrics will surely be introduced (such as the future profits for new business) upon adoption of IFRS 17.

Along with this key change, several requirements of IFRS 17 will force companies to implement changes to their data, systems and processes.

While local companies are given an additional one-year reprieve at this time, companies should ideally be either in the last stage of their impact assessment or in the early phase of their implementation.

Though the implementation experience varies from one company to another, several unique insights and lessons can be gained from each company’s IFRS 17 journey. We present seven important lessons learned from our own live IFRS 17 engagements which are bound to benefit the insurance industry.

1. DO IT NOW
It is essential for companies that have not started any IFRS 17 activity to begin with a comprehensive data gap analysis. This will provide a view of the extent of work needed to implement IFRS 17. While 2023 might seem far away, it will easily take an average of 12-15 months to change systems and processes that conform with the new rules. Extra time will be better spent on parallel runs rather than on impact assessment.

A detailed timeline including milestones and key dates should be clearly in place, with leeway for potential setbacks, whether these are caused internally or externally. Several key decision points that can affect the overall implementation journey also need to be addressed early on. The most critical of these is deciding whether the ambition level for change is for minimal compliance, smarter reporting, or a full finance transformation.

2. THE OPPORTUNITY TO UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL OF CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAMS
Implementing IFRS 17 is more than just an accounting and compliance task; it should encompass a team that consists, at a minimum, of the following competencies:

a. Accountants

b. Actuaries

c. Finance Subject Matter Experts

d. Technology Subject Matter Experts

e. Project and Change Managers

Currently, there is a scarcity of talent equipped with IFRS 17 knowledge and experience to lead and drive the implementation. A reasonable assessment of a company’s internal resources should be performed to match each employee’s skills and availability to identified workstreams. Accountants and actuarial resources for most insurers are already stretched with business-as-usual (BAU) activities and other ongoing conflicting internal initiatives. This resulting gap must then be properly addressed with IFRS 17 content owners and drivers, whether to hire new employees or contract external advisors. The team should also have a strong and effective project manager with IFRS 17 content knowledge to ensure everyone is on the same boat and that key stakeholders are well-briefed and engaged.

To plan for a sustainable future, companies need to adapt to an evolving relevant mix of resources, skills and capabilities to properly implement expected changes in the business under the new standard. A clear governance structure should also be in place to enable the timely alignment of key decision points.

3. LEARN TO MANAGE THE DETAILS IN THE DATA
IFRS 17 has extensive requirements for data quality, calculation, transfer and storage. Experience suggests that data cleansing should be initiated, considering both accounting and actuarial perspectives, before embarking on any data transformation. Though it may vary from one company to another, securing the availability of clean and controlled source data to be extracted can take longer than expected. Significant time in the project plan must be invested to determine how information would feed smoothly into the IFRS 17 Information Technology solution.

The vast data requirements will then need to be managed continually and effectively. This can be particularly useful for decision-making factors such as real-time data driven pricing models, “what if” scenarios, determining the most critical key performance indicators, and identifying high-risk transactions or customers.

4. EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY AS A KEY ENABLER
For large multinational companies, it is apparent that one of the significant line items in the IFRS 17 budget will be the cost of acquiring a new system or changing an existing one. Most companies expect to change existing systems to operationalize and further centralize their modelling systems. While certain life companies have decided on a software vendor, most are still in the process of vendor evaluation and selection.

One of the challenges encountered is the current assessment of system architecture. This pertains, but is not limited, to the complexity of system architecture, data granularity to support required reporting in the future, current functionality uses and existing model updates, the number of reporting basis and ledgers, and the alignment of various processes under one workflow software, whether this is built in-house or purchased.

There is no magic “one size fits all” solution available but companies in the midst of designing or upgrading their systems, need to revisit their programs to consider the potential impact of the proposed IFRS 17 amendments. In addition, a big consideration is to have an integrated data model covering both actuarial and finance systems, ensuring that the technology and data are aligned and not just the workstreams.

5. THE NEED FOR KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND STAKEHOLDER AWARENESS

IFRS 17 training should be provided to core team members to keep them abreast of current developments and proposed amendments. Collaborative awareness and education sessions must be continually adopted with a phased rollout approach not only for key team members but also for other relevant internal and external stakeholders. Moreover, members of the core team should be expanded to include members of BAU processes to facilitate a smooth transition.

6. TALK TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE EARLY ON
Participating in industry working groups, advocacy initiatives with local regulatory bodies, and submitting comments and feedback to the International Accounting Standards Board will enable companies to raise peculiarities or transactions requiring special handling. The earlier the concerns and challenges are heard and addressed, the easier it will be for companies to incorporate necessary action required in their implementation activities.

Proactiveness in reaching out to national standard-setting bodies and regional groups has a vital role in ensuring that the interests of the company are heard. These groups undertake relevant research, conduct surveys and identify emerging issues, thus providing further opportunities for companies to benchmark against the experiences and best practices of one another.

7. FORM A CHANGE MANAGEMENT TEAM
Consideration to turnover, the language, and communication methods for employees to manage resistance and change fatigue, should be in put in place. External stakeholders must also be included in the plan, as many will be interested to know the projected changes to key performance indicators and revenue-driven metrics that will serve as the new language when presenting business results.

A WAITING OPPORTUNITY
As the timeline shortens with the approaching deadline, the key to a successful and relatively smooth adoption generally rests on management ensuring that the collaboration of the several moving pieces is closely monitored. Companies can take this as an opportunity to adapt and emerge from the change to further drive growth and agility.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice where the facts and circumstances warrant. The views and opinion expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of SGV & Co.

 

Faith Mariel N. Reoyan is an Advisory Senior Manager of SGV & Co.

UST beats UP by 20 pts to force a rubber match

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE stepladder semifinals of UAAP Season 82 goes the full route after the fourth-seeded University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers defeated the second seeds University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 89-69, on Sunday to force a rubber match later this week for a spot in the finals.

At a twice-to-win disadvantage entering the game, the Tigers negated such handicap with a thorough collective pounding of the Maroons in front of a large crowd of 17,722 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, to come to within one win away of making back to the finals of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

It was a close fight early on with the two teams fighting to a 7-5 count, and the Tigers on top, with 5:50 to go in the opening quarter.

UST then finished the period strong, outscoring UP, 12-8, to hold a 19-13 advantage after the first 10 minutes.

On the lead of CJ Cansino the Tigers continued to hold sway at the beginning of the second quarter, up, 27-15, by the mandatory TV timeout midway.

Kobe Paras and Bright Akhuetie tried to tow the Maroons to a fight back but with limited success as the Tigers did not relent on their attack, building an even bigger lead of 17 points, 41-24, at the half.

The Maroons came out with more aggressiveness in the third with Juan Gomez De Liano spearheading a 7-2 run to push Up to within 12 points, 43-31, at the eighth-minute mark.

Much like what they had been doing all game long, UST would find ways to stave off the UP challenge.

Rookie Mark Nonoy exploded and helped the Tigers to a 7-0 blast in the next two minutes to stretch their lead to 19 points, 50-31.

UP was not to be deterred by it, keeping the pressure on UST to stay within striking distance, 60-47, heading into the fourth.

Gomez De Liano and Ricci Rivero had UP charging to begin the payoff canto.

UST though still dictated the contest, ahead by nine points, 68-59, with five minutes left to play.

It was still a nine-point advantage for UST, 72-63, with 3:13 to go.

The Tigers further padded their lead with back-to-back triples from Sherwin Concepcion and Nonoy, pushing the count to 78-63, after just less than a minute.

Season most valuable player Soulemane Chabi Yo made it a 17-point lead, 80-63, with a basket at the two-minute mark.

From there it was all UST with the Tigers putting the finishing touches on their way to the victory.

Chabi Yo and Rhenz Abando led the Tigers with 17 points each with the former adding 15 boards.

Nonoy had 16 points while Concepcion and Cansino added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

For UP it was Gomez De Liano who led with 20 points with Akhuetie following him up with 19 points and 18 rebounds.

“It’s all about execution both on offense and defense. The players followed our game plan and my instructions and it really paid off in this game,” said UST coach Aldin Ayo after the game as he discussed what did it for them in the victory.

The do-or-die match between UP and UST is on Wednesday also at the Big Dome.

Smart National Open Badminton set for Nov. 17-22

THE sixth edition of the Smart National Open Badminton Tournament will take place from Nov. 17 to 22 at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex.

This time around, the tournament which is backed by the MVP Sports Foundation and Bali Pure will serve two purposes.

First off the tournament will serve as the final tune-up for the national team players before heading to the 2019 Southeast Asian Games later this year.

“To tell you honestly, we really want to get gold in the SEA Games. As a matter of fact, they are leaving for Malaysia this Sunday (yesterday),” said Philippine Badminton Association secretary-general Christopher Quimpo as the nationals also had camps in Indonesia and Australia early this year.

“Then when they get back, they will immediately play in the Open as it will serve as their final prep for the SEA Games.”

Headlining the event are national team players Ros Pedrosa, Lanz Zafra, Arthur Salvado, and Solomon Padiz for men’s singles; the men’s doubles teams of Peter Magnaye and Alvin Morada, and Joper Escueta and Paul Pantig; Sarah Barredo, Nicole Albo, Bianca Carlos, and Mika De Guzman for women’s singles; and the women’s double squads of Thea Pomar and Isay Leonardo, and Geva De Vera and Chanelle Lunod.

Moreover, the tournament will also serve as the test event for the SEAG as it will also take place at Muntinlupa Sports Complex.

For national team head coach Bogs Amahit, being able to get a feel of the venue and its flooring will be a huge advantage for the squad entering the biennial meet.

“We would like to thank the MVPSF for helping badminton and hosting this event. It will be a big help for the players to be familiarize with the venue before playing in the SEA Games,” said Mr. Amahit in Filipino.

“We can use homecourt advantage because of this,” he added.

Innovations for the tournament are the utilization of tablets for scoring and the activation of the service fault detection device, which is being used in international tournaments.

The federation hopes that all the sacrifices the national team has done will end up, not just with a SEAG medal, but also a Tokyo Olympics berth next year.

“For most of the year, you’ve probably haven’t heard much about Philippine badminton. It’s because we are dead set in winning gold in the SEA Games and, maybe, make it to the Olympics. We want our national athletes to excel not just here but also in the international scene,” shared Mr. Quimpo.

Meralco Bolts sustain impressive run, defeat Northport Batang Pier

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

MAKE it five straight victories for the Meralco Bolts in the Philippine Basketball Association after adding the Northport Batang Pier to their list of conquered, 103-89, on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Had it tough for much of the contest, the Bolts (8-2) used a strong finishing kick to leave the Batang Pier (3-6) on their way to the win that strengthened their claim for a top-two finish in the elimination round and earned a twice-to-beat edge in the next phase of the season-ending PBA tournament.

The Batang Pier gained early traction with import Michael Qualls finding his mark.

Northport would hold the upper hand, 23-20, at the end of the first canto.

In the second quarter it was the Bolts who would hit their strides.

They opened the frame with a 17-2 run to build a dozen lead, 37-25, with just five minutes lapsing.

Northport, however, rallied back, coming to within a point, 46-45, with 55 ticks left.

Chris Newsome though kept Meralco’s head above water in the closing moments of the quarter, helping the Bolts to a 50-45 advantage at the half.

In the third canto the tight battle continued.

Meralco had control for much of the time until Northport fashioned a spirited run to pull to within a point, 68-67, at the 1:25 mark.

The Bolts survived the assault to stay on top, 62-59, with one quarter to play.

Northport stayed within striking distance of Meralco at the start of the fourth.

The score was at 84-80, and Meralco still ahead, at the 5:31 mark.

The Bolts would then dig deep, outscoring their opponents, 19-9, the rest of the way as they moved for the finish and the win.

Guard Anjo Caram top-scored for Meralco with 30 points with import Allen Durham adding 26 points and 19 boards.

Newsome, meanwhile, finished with 17 points.

For Northport it was Mr. Qualls who showed the way with 27 points, followed by Christian Standhardinger with 20.

Despite the loss, the Batang Pier are still in the mix for a playoff spot as they are currently at the eighth spot.

San Beda’s Calvin Oftana is NCAA 95 most valuable player

THE San Beda Red Lions’ magical run in National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 95 got added dimension with forward Calvin Oftana winning the most valuable player award.

A do-it-all forward, Oftana averaged 15.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 blocks in the Lions’ unbeaten push in the elimination round to garner 51.56 Player Average Value (PAV), tops among the contenders for the MVP race.

Oftana beat out teammates Evan Nelle (45.39 PAV) and James Canlas (45.33) as well San Sebastian’s Allyn Bulanadi (45.28) and Lyceum’s Jaycee Marcelino (43.94) for the award.

The five make up the NCAA Season 95 mythical team.

Oftana is the first San Beda player to win NCAA MVP in nearly a decade after Sudan Daniel bagged the award in 2010.

San Beda’s Donald Tankoua, meanwhile, will receive the first, and last, best foreign player award in the NCAA.

Starting next season, the NCAA will no longer allow foreign student athletes on teams’ rosters.

The All-Defensive Team is composed of Oftana, Arellano’s Justin Arana, Perpetual Help’s Ben Adamos, Emilio Aguinaldo College’s JP Maguliano and San Sebastian’s JM Calma.

Letran’s Fran Yu is the most improved player.

The individual awardees will be feted on Nov. 15 prior to the start of Game Two of the NCAA finals.

Game One of the finals between reigning champion San Beda and rival Letran is tomorrow at the Mall of Asia Arena. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Joey Antonio to play FIDE World Seniors 2019 Chess Championships

FILIPINO Grandmaster (GM) Rogelio “Joey” Madrigal Antonio Jr. is set to compete in the FIDE World Seniors 2019 Chess Championships, which begins on Monday at the Rin Grand Hotel in Bucharest, Romania.

The 19th seed Antonio (elo rating of 2427) bagged the runner-up trophy in the 2017 edition in Italy two years ago.

Backed up by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., the 57-years-old Mr. Antonio, who holds the record 13-time Philippine Open Champion, will try to surpass his runner-up finish in the 27th World Senior Chess Championship 2017 (50+) held in Acqui Terme, Italy in 2017.

“I’m ready. It’s a big challenge for me, but I will do my very best for flag and country,” said Mr. Antonio who tallied undefeated record of 41 wins and drew four games in a rare 45 board simultaneous exhibition last Saturday at the Xavier School in San Juan City.Jericho Winston Cu, a grade 4 pupil of Xavier School received chess set and a medal after halving the point with Antonio while his eldest brother Ivan Travis Cu, a grade 5 student of Xavier School pocketed medal being the last man standing. — Marlon Bernardino

PHL outlasts Indonesia in 3×3 invitational

CHOOKS-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 pulled out all the stops in the end game to outlast host Indonesia and win the Jakarta 3×3 International Invitational Challenge, 21-17 (7:02), on Saturday evening.

“We dedicate this win to our countrymen. It’s for them,” said Chooks-to-Go 3×3 program director Eric Altamirano about the team’s five-game sweep of this tournament hosted by Indonesian federation PERBASI as part of their Southeast Asian Games preparation.

“Secondly, we are preparing for the OQT. This is a good tournament to start. I’m really proud of the boys.”

And this was a good test for the Philippine side as it played five games in a span of four hours.

In the finale, Indonesia gave the Philippines a good challenge as the game was tied at 17-all with 3:17 remaining.

Joshua Munzon and Alvin Pasaol though did not allow an upset to take place.

Munzon, the top 3×3 player of the country, powered his way to the paint for the go-ahead bucket. On the other end, he was able to force an Indonesian player to the outside for a stop.

Though Munzon missed on a tough layup in the next possession, Pasaol was able to score on a putback plus the harm. With Indonesia already having seven fouls, the former UE Red Warrior was awarded two free throws. Pasaol knocked down both free throws with 2:58 left, the latter serving as championship point.

Pasaol tallied a game-high 10 points while Munzon finished with seven.

Santi Santillan chipped in three points while Troy Rike had one.

Chooks 3×3 began the day with a quick 21-10 (6:08) win over world no. 40 Chinese-Taipei. It would then defeat SEA Games-bound squads Malaysia (21-17 — 7:04), Indonesia (21-13 — 9:13), and Vietnam (19-14) to sweep the elims.

And Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 league owner Ronald Mascariñas said that they are planning to join more pocket tournaments to close out the year.

“We can’t afford to rest on our laurels especially with the OQT just four months away,” said Mascariñas. “We are thinking of organizing another pocket tournament this December to accumulate more points for our potential pool players and, as well as, keep our players going heading into the first quarter of 2020.”

Team Lakay masters ONE Championship’s recent Manila event

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

BAGUIO-based Team Lakay finished what was a crazy 2019 for the team in ONE Championship with a solid performance at “ONE: Masters of Fate” on Nov. 8 at the Mall of Asia Arena, the promotion’s last live event in the country for the year.

Paraded three of its top stars in ONE’s most recent Manila event, Team Lakay went 3-of-3, which it said in the post-event press conference was a welcome sea change following the tough results it had to endure of late in Asia’s largest sports media property.

Winners last Friday were reigning ONE world strawweight champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, Eduard “Landslide” Folayang and Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio.

Mr. Pacio successfully defended his title over compatriot Rene “D’Challenger” Catalan to improve his record to 15 wins with only three losses.

The Team Lakay champion survived an early submission scare from Mr. Catalan to impose his will on the ground. In the second round, Mr. Pacio stuffed a takedown from his opponent and worked his way into a mount, before securing a masterful arm-triangle choke, leaving Mr. Catalan with no choice but to tap out.

Also fashioning out an impressive victory was Mr. Eustaquio, the former ONE world flyweight champion.

Mr. Eustaquio barged back into the win column with a thrilling knockout victory over Finland’s Toni “Dynamite” Tauru.

In the first round, it looked as if Mr. Tauru was going to pick up an early submission win, but Mr. Eustaquio survived getting his back taken and proceeded to turn the tide in his favor. After a rocky opening stanza, Mr. Eustaquio rallied back in the second round by using his superior striking to do heaps of damage.

The former flyweight king finished things off in the third round with a spinning back kick to the midsection that sent Mr. Tauru crashing to the mat for the highlight-reel stoppage win.

Former lightweight champion Folayang, for his part, won via unconventional manner — technical decision — after absorbing an unintentional headbutt from Mongolia’s Amarsanaa “Spear” Tsogookhuu that abruptly ended the contest in the second round.

The turn of events led to the officials going to the score cards, which went to the Filipino martial arts star.

The 3-0 outing was the first for Team Lakay in a while, leaving the whole team very happy and relieved.

“I cannot explain the feeling. I’m just very happy. We aimed to close 2019 on a high note and we needed to win these three fights to bounce back,” said Team Lakay coach Mark Sangiao, whose team lost all four world titles it held at the start of 2019 in successive fashion early in the year.

Mr. Pacio though eventually regained his in April after defeating Yosuke Saruta in their title rematch.

Last month in Japan, former champions Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon and Honorio “The Rock” Banario both lost their respective fights.

Also falling short was Danny “The King” Kingad, who bowed to American Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in the flyweight grand prix final.

Considering the kind of year they have had, Mr. Sangiao said they will try to build on their recent victories, improving their game to have a far better year in 2020.

Meanwhile, despite missing out on the top prize with Mr. Catalan falling to Mr. Pacio, Catalan Fighting System did not go empty-handed at Masters of Fate, with Robin Catalan providing one of the highlights of the night with a knockout win over Cuban Gustavo Balart in their strawweight contest.

Robin was on point with his striking throughout the bout, and was able to hold his own against the high-level grappling of the Olympian wrestler Balart.

Late in the second round, Robin uncorked a well-timed right high kick that connected and took Mr. Balart out instantly.

Tiger’s pick

Tiger Woods was again in the news heading into the weekend, but not for anything inside the ropes. He found eyes trained on him as he announced the finalization of Team USA’s contingent to the Presidents Cup. As skipper for the old red, white, and blue, he couldn’t help but wade into murky waters. He made four at-large selections that were, in and of themselves, justifiable, and yet subject to second-guessing given the depth of the talent at his disposal. He could have gone any which way, but instead opted to tread a path that was alternately predictable and unfamiliar.

In the end, Woods can argue with reason than his choices were, well, inevitable. He picked himself, and not simply because he had just claimed victory number 82 of his PGA Tour career; obligations to organizers and sponsors, not to mention fans, in light of his status as the sport’s biggest draw made him a lock regardless of the state of his game. He picked Gary Woodland, reigning United States Open champion and fresh off impressive stops in Asia; “you couldn’t have a better, more competitive guy,” he said. And he picked Tony Finau, who excelled in last year’s Ryder Cup, and who, with five Top 10s in the last eight major championships, figured to do just as well in Australia next month.

Interestingly, Woods also went with Patrick Reed, who, despite having earned the moniker “Captain America” for spirited performances in previous team competitions, had a less-then-fruitful outing in France last year. He was mediocre at best with a club in his hand, and a certified bust with a microphone trained on him. He threw teammate Jordan Spieth under the bus, and then blasted captain Jim Furyk after the US was shellacked into submission. Heck, he didn’t even spare his new leader, insinuating that the latter brought him down with poor play as a partner.

Under the circumstances, Woods could have dodged criticism by instead tapping Spieth, a proven yeoman for flag and country, or Kevin Kisner, who sports a stellar record in match play. He likewise kept Rickie Fowler off the squad; it was, he disclosed, the “toughest call [I had] to make.” For all his alternatives, he still chose Reed, “a person who’s as fiery as they come … He’ll do anything to get a point for you.” Which speaks volumes of his level of maturity, and of the strides his pick must have made to mend fences in the intervening period.

Insofar as making tough decisions prior to the actual matches goes, Woods may not yet be done. World Number One Brooks Koepka recently aggravated a knee injury and could be a scratch. Should he be forced to choose one more name, he will again be in a quandary. While next in line, Fowler had a bacterial infection near the end of a honeymoon and may not have enough time to recover. In any case, the US will be the heavy favorite, as always. It’s bringing a 10-1-1 slate to the Royal Melbourne Golf Club, and nothing should deter it from notching another win when all is said and done.

 

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.

HIV in prisons, or how a society treats its criminals

The problems in our prison systems are well-documented. These include severe congestion and extreme delays in courts. Another issue is the acute lack of care for their health.

As the overwhelming prison population are poor this is a cause for continued incarceration — no money to post bail as small as P500, and no resources to engage effective counsel and gather evidence in their defense. This also means no financial capacity to take care of their state of well-being. The top five diseases upon entering jails are upper respiratory tract infection, acute gastroenteritis, influenza, and tension type headache.

How bad is the situation? For people who are jailed pending trial and who enjoy the presumption of innocence, there are less than 15 medical officers in the entire Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to attend to more than 200,000 persons deprived of liberty.

This translates to one medical officer for about 15,000 prisoners. If each officer checks on 10 prisoners a day for a calendar year, it will take 40 years to see all of them. That is just an ordinary check and assumes that all medical officers have the requisite skills and training.

The medicine allowance for detention prisoners is P15 per day, or less than P500 a month. Every year, the BJMP makes the case for an increased budget for the needs of the prisoners and each year, the problem festers.

Coupled with congestion and inadequate support facilities, and given that a majority of detention prisoners are arrested for substance abuse, one particular issue that is reaching epidemic level is the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other blood infections, including hepatitis, among prisoners because of the sharing of needles for drug use.

High-risk behaviors like instances of male-male sex without the use of condoms compound the problem.

We have an HIV law which was passed in 2018 — the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act (Republic Act No. 11166). Voluntary testing is encouraged. Compulsory testing is allowed when necessary to test a person who is charged with serious and slight physical injuries, rape and simple seduction; or in cases of blood or organ donations.

Informed consent of prisoners is required for HIV testing. Religious beliefs of some prevent their participation in voluntary testing. The stigma, fear, and ignorance around HIV and AIDS are barriers to the need for openness and understanding to address the HIV epidemic in the prison population. Clear laws and policies backed up by competent personnel and adequate paraphernalia are essential to health management of prisons.

Any results of testing are confidential in nature to protect the privacy of those tested. Non-discrimination is enshrined in law but awareness of the causes of HIV that can cause AIDS is low. The public health dimension requires data on persons infected with HIV/AIDS to inform the general populace of the prevalence of the disease.

The recent passage of the Universal Health Care Act is another pillar of support that may include package for drug abuse and use treatment. The affordability of health care remains a key determinant for the maintenance of the health of any cohort anywhere.

In developed economies, no one dies of AIDS anymore. HIV and AIDS are officially treatable diseases that come with a price tag. Early detection is important to refer the infected persons to the properly equipped medical institutions for treatment and care. Too late and it becomes a sentence of death.

Prevention is still the best solution, but with the conditions in our jails with the hodgepodge of regulations, it seems that the HIV epidemic will join the cluster with dengue epidemic and the resurgence of polio.

Truly, Dostoevsky’s observation that “a society should be judged not by how it treats its outstanding citizens but by how it treats its criminals” is amplified by how we treat innocent detention prisoners whose lives are wasting away waiting for their day or night in court that may never come, especially for those who are sick.

Physical death may be a comfort. Mental illness may dull the pain. But suffering is not to be justified by our inaction. Neither should it be institutionalized in our systems that are called to treat and to rehabilitate, to care and to reform.

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