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Saturday, April 9, 2016 Vol. 11 No. 182

PPP CENTER, PSE, PDEx HIGHLIGHT IMPORTANCE OF PPP LAW

Groups make final push for proposed PPP Act

T

he massive pipeline of key infrastructure deals—possibly at around a trillion pesos in total cost— is a reflection of how much money the Philippines needs to invest to improve the quality of life in the country.

INSIDE

catch jordan!

Sports CATCH JORDAN! BusinessMirror

A8 | S

AturdAy, April 9, 2016 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph sports@businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao Asst. Editor: Joel Orellana

JORDAN SPIETH picks up where he left off at Augusta National. AP

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By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press

UGUSTA, Georgia—Jordan Spieth is off to another great start in the Masters because of the way he finished.

His two biggest rivals were left behind because they couldn’t.

Spieth capped off the only bogey-free round in the wicked wind at Augusta National by making a 15-foot par putt on the 16th hole and hitting an 8-iron into 6 feet for birdie on the final hole for a six-under 66 and a two-shot lead, the first step in his bid to win another green jacket.

Jason Day couldn’t keep pace. On the verge of tying for the lead late in the round on Thursday, Day dropped five shots in three holes and had to settle for a 72. Rory McIlroy pulled to within two shots of the lead until he made two bogeys over the last three holes.

When a day of big wind, big numbers and far too many putts for Ernie Els was finally over, it felt as though nothing had changed from last year.

Spieth is the man to beat at the Masters.

He was atop the leaderboard for the fifth straight round, and he has had at least a share of the lead in six of the last seven rounds at the Masters. One more and he matches the longest streak since Arnold Palmer in 1960 and the opening two rounds of 1961.

And just like last year, now it’s time for the rest of the field to try to catch him.

“We’re through one round,” Spieth said. “There’s going to be a lot of different changes. There are going to be a lot of different birdies, bogeys and everything in between. We know how to win this golf tournament, and we believe in our process.

And if the putts are dropping, then hopefully it goes our way.”

He had a two-shot lead over Danny Lee and Shane Lowry.

Three shots behind was a group that included Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose and Paul Casey.

Still in the mix were Day and McIlroy, though both gave up a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

Day’s troubles began when he three-putted for bogey on the par-5 15th, pulled his tee shot into the water on the par-3 16th for a triple bogey and then sailed the green on the 17th and dropped another shot. When he finished, he was six behind the defending champion.

“I’ve just got to slowly try to inch my way back into this tournament if I can, and be patient with myself, and hopefully I’m there by Sunday,” Day said. “But it’s a major championship. Things

Jordan Spieth capped off the only bogey-free round in the wicked wind at Augusta National by making a 15-foot par putt on the 16th hole and hitting an 8-iron into 6 feet for birdie on the final hole for a six-under 66 and a two-shot lead, the first step in his bid to win another green jacket.

With this issue at hand, funding mechanisms for public-private partnership (PPP) contracts must be expanded, stakeholders discussed during a forum in Makati City on Friday.

Capital markets, such as the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) and the

happen. And unfortunately, it happened at the wrong time today.”

Right when Day was falling apart, McIlroy holed an 18-foot eagle putt on the 13th and looked to be on his way in his bid to win a green jacket and complete the career Grand Slam. He was within two shots of the lead until he three-putted the 16th for bogey and missed the 18th green to the right, was plugged in a bunker and dropped another shot for a 70.

“If somebody had given me a 70 on the first day, I would have taken it,” McIlroy said. “I’m a little disappointed in the way I finished.”

It could have been worse.

Bubba Watson, a two-time champion, had a 41 on the back nine and shot 75. He wasn’t even low Watson—66-year-old Tom Watson, in his last Masters, shot 74. Adam Scott, coming off two victories in Florida last month, opened with a 76.

Rickie Fowler had his worst score ever at Augusta National by posting an 80, with 44 of those shots coming on the back nine.

Spieth simply picked up where he left off a year ago.

Never mind that he discovered a hairline crack in his driver during Wednesday practice and had to find a backup for the opening round.

Or that he was hearing questions about what was wrong with his game from not having seriously contended in the last two months.

Spieth was at Augusta National, a course that feels like home for the 22-year-old Texan.

“I would have signed for two under today and not even played the rough, knowing the conditions that were coming up,” Spieth said. “Just scored extremely well, which is something I’ve been struggling with this season. If I can kind of straighten out things with the iron play, hopefully we’ll be in business. But yeah, I’m extremely pleased with that round today. I felt like we stole a few.”

For all the birdies—none longer than 12 feet—the pars make Spieth look so tough to beat.

He settled himself early with a beautiful pitch across the first green to 2 feet. He pumped his fist with a tough pitch over the bunker and to the upper tier on No. 4. He gambled with a 4-iron through a tiny gap in the trees on the 11th and made it pay off with another par. On 16, he kept his card clean by ramming in a 15-foot par putt.

By the end of the day, no one could do better.

Nine players couldn’t break 80, a group that included Els, who took six putts from 2 feet on the opening hole for a 9. He played the rest of the day at one over.

“It wouldn’t matter if I putted with a stick,” Els said.

“When snakes are going off in your brain, it’s difficult.”

BIG DEBACLE FOR BIG EASY

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UGUSTA, Georgia—Ernie Els was 2 feet from a par to start the Masters.

Twenty-four measly inches.

Then, the unimaginable happened. One miss. And another. And another. And another. And another.

Finally, on his sixth putt—a one-handed swat that showed his total disgust—Els finished off a quintuplebogey 9 that essentially ruined any hope of contending for a green jacket on the very first hole on Thursday.

Talk about a hard one to take for the Big Easy.

“I can’t explain it,” said Els, who went on to shoot an eight-over 80 that matched his highest score ever at Augusta National and left him a whopping 14 shots behind leader Jordan Spieth. “You’re not able to do what you normally do.

It’s unexplainable.”

Els posted the worst score ever at No. 1, a 445-yarder known as “Tea Olive.”

No one at the Masters had ever gone higher than 8 on the par-4 hole.

“I feel bad for Ernie,” said Spieth, the defending Masters champion. “It’s obviously in your head. I’ve certainly had my moments, everybody has, from short range, where they just are not confident in where they are starting it. And on Augusta National’s greens, with the wind blowing, it’s a place you certainly want to be comfortable.”

Making the whole scene downright surreal, none of the putts appeared longer than 4 feet. Els just kept knocking the ball back and forth past the cup, totally bedeviled by not only the slick, treacherous greens at Augusta National, but basically a meltdown in his mental approach.

He missed so many times, the score was initially recorded as a 10 instead of a 9. It was easy to lose count. Even Els wasn’t quite sure how many times he putted.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever seen anything like that,” said Jason Day, who was playing with Els. “You don’t want to see any player go through something like that. It can be sometimes career ending for guys like that if they really are fighting it that much. I just want Ernie to kind of get back to what he used to do, and start playing some good golf again and try to get past this.”

Els’s correct score was finally posted after he finished his round.

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

Not that it was much solace to the South African.

“I can’t get the putter to go back,” Els said. “I’m not sure where I go from here.”

Tom Watson, playing in the Masters for the final time, said Els’s putts were harder than they might have looked, especially on a blustery day.

“It’s probably the windiest green on the golf course,” Watson said.

But Els said the conditions had nothing with it.

He three-putted from 25 feet at No. 2. He missed a 6-footer at the 15th, an 8-footer at the 16th, and a 4-footer at the 17th. Finally, he closed with a three-putt from 16 feet at the final hole, the crowd groaning one last time in the fading sunlight.

Els’s only real highlight with the putter was a 40-foot birdie at the fifth.

“I can count up 15 shots I lost out there just on the greens,” Els moaned.

After the third putt at No. 1, Els stared at the ball with a disbelieving hint of a smile. By the end, he let his frustration get the best of him, making a halfhearted flick at the ball with one hand on the club from less than a foot away. Naturally, it lipped out. This one would’ve been tough to take for a weekend duffer.

Imagine how a guy who has won four major titles must’ve felt, though it wasn’t the first time Els has come down with the yips at a major championship.

At the first hole of the 2014 British Open, he struck a spectator in the face with his opening tee shot and was still shaken when he got to the green. Els missed a 1-foot putt, and then missed again when he carelessly tried to back-hand the ball into the hole. AP

Sports

Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp.

(PDEx), are enthusiastic about the idea of listing projects under the program.

But, to provide easier access to these options, Congress will have to enact into law the proposed amendments to the build-operate-transfer (BOT) law.

Number of PPP contracts awarded to private partners since 2010 Cosette V. Canilao, the former executive director of the PPP Center, said the passage of this legislation is critical in raising capital to finance projects of prime importance.

“The magnitude of the projects in the pipeline is getting bigger and bigger, See “PPP Act,” A2

A8 Federal Reserve Chairman Janet Yellen addresses The Economic Club of New York on March 29 in The Big Apple. AP

ERNIE ELS finishes off a quintuple-bogey 9 that essentially ruined any hope of contending for a green jacket on the very first hole on Thursday. AP

F

BusinessMirror

World The

B2-1 | Saturday, April 9, 2016 • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

US cites Chinese Internet filters as trade barrier

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EIJING—The American government has cited Chinese Internet controls as a trade barrier in a report that comes as Beijing tries to block its public from seeing news about the finances of Chinese leaders’ families.

Chinese filters, which block access to web sites, including the Google search engine and social media, such as Twitter, are a “significant burden” on businesses, the US Trade Representative (USTR) said in an annual report on trade conditions.

It gave no indication Washington plans to take action but highlights the economic cost of pervasive Chinese censorship that also draws criticism from human-rights and pro-democracy activists.

On such issues, Washington is at

odds with Beijing, which sees strict control over information as essential to protecting the Communist Party’s monopoly on power.

China restricts access to online materials by requiring traffic to pass through state-controlled gateways linked to the global Internet.

Controls have been tightened since President Xi Jinping became party leader in 2012.

The filters, known informally as the Great Firewall of China, are in line with Beijing’s advocacy of “In-

ternet sovereignty,” or allowing governments to impose control on the freewheeling Internet within their borders. Xi called in a speech last December for the creation of a global “governance system” for cyberspace.

This week, Chinese Web users have been blocked from seeing news reports about documents from a law firm in Panama that say relatives of political figures, including Xi, own offshore companies.

State media have carried brief reports on the revelations but with no mention of Chinese figures.

Chinese regulators block access not just to web sites operated by human-rights or pro-democracy activists, but also to dozens of news, entertainment and socialmedia services that operate freely in other countries.

“Outright blocking of web sites appears to have worsened over the past year, with eight of the top 25 most-trafficked global sites now blocked in China,” the USTR says in its National Trade Estimate.

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Of the top 25 mosttrafficked global Internet sites blocked in China

It said much of the blocking appears to be arbitrary, including a home improvement web site in the United States.

Foreign and local companies in China that rely on the Internet for sales, accounting and other internal functions complain the filters hinder their operations.

Almost 80 percent of companies that responded to a survey released in January by the American Chamber of Commerce in China said they were “negatively impacted” by the controls.

More than half said they were blocked from using online tools or

accessing information. Only 5 percent said they were not hindered in any way.

Chinese also complain the filters hamper their ability to interact with customers or business partners abroad or apply to foreign universities. Some get around the filters by using virtual private networks (VPNs), which route traffic through unblocked web sites, but Beijing has begun to block them, as well.

“This censorship not only prevents this country’s people from getting information quickly, but it also, bit by bit, isolates China’s Internet companies internationally,” said a posting on the Sina Weibo socialmedia service signed by Bao Beibei, an investment manager for a Beijing technology company.

US officials previously have labeled Beijing’s Internet controls a barrier to business, but have yet to file a complaint in the World Trade Organization (WTO) or take other action.

In 2011, the US trade envoy, Ron Kirk, asked Beijing to explain

its controls, citing WTO rules that require member-governments to publish details of restrictions that might affect business. Kirk said the filters create “commercial barriers” that hurt US companies.

The USTR never indicated whether Chinese authorities replied.

In 2009 a WTO panel ruled China’s censorship system for movies improperly restricted imports and Beijing promised to change it.

Chinese authorities have released few details of how they pick which online material to block.

When asked about specific incidents, government spokesmen sometimes suggest a technical problem abroad must be to blame.

However, researchers have traced some blockages to servers operated by state-owned China Telecom Ltd. The controls have allowed Chinese Internet services, such as search engine Baidu, to flourish by blocking or slowing access to foreign competitors, such as Google, that dominate other global markets. AP

ALERT: SPANISH PARTIES GREECE RESUMES DEPORTATION OF MIGRANTS SIESTA PLEDGE TO END WWII TIME WARP L M

ESBOS, Greece—Amid protests, Greece on Friday resumed deportations of refugees and migrants from its islands to Turkey after a four-day pause, sending back 45 people from Lesbos to a nearby port on the Turkish coast.

Before the boat left the island, four activists jumped into the sea to try to obstruct the operation—swimming to the front of the ferry and grabbing the anchor chain—and were detained by the coast guard.

The boat later docked in the Turkish port of Dikili. A further 79 people were being placed on a second boat on Lesbos by officers from the European Union’s (EU) border protection agency, to be deported later on Friday.

An agreement between Turkey and the EU went into full effect on Monday, when 202 migrants were sent back.

Some 4,000 migrants and refugees, who reached Greek islands from nearby Turkey after March 20, are being held in detention camps to be screened for deportation.

The returns have been held up by delays in processing asylum claims by overwhelmed Greek authorities, who are also preparing to deal with applications across the country by some 50,000 stranded migrants and refugees promised places in a slow-moving EU relocation scheme.

On Greek islands protests continued at overcrowded detention camps.

Police cleared the main port

to the migrants there.

The human-rights group Amnesty International said migrants were being held “arbitrarily in appalling conditions” at camps on Chios and Lesbos after interviewing dozens of detainees there.

“On the edge of Europe, refugees

“We cannot lose contact with Europe.

The rationalization of the timetables of work shifts and government institutions is of capital importance,” Rajoy said.

Nuria Chinchilla, an IESE business school professor who worked on a study urging the change in 2013, said the move would benefit both businesses and people.

The study found that being ahead an hour meant Spaniards slept an hour less than recommended, which had a negative effect on productivity, absenteeism, stress, accidents and school drop-out rates.

“We have not been in our time zone for more than 70 years,” she said.

Some say the measure could end the siesta, but Chinchilla disagreed.

“The siesta is not a reality anymore,” she says. “This was in agricultural times and before the Civil War too...[but not] in Barcelona or Madrid, where, for sure, nobody is going back home to have lunch.”

Still, many Spaniards take siestas during the sweltering hot summer holidays or on weekends if they can.

Rajoy’s proposal mirrors one by two other parties also looking to form the next Spanish government, the Socialists and the Ciudadanos party. But no party has been able to muster enough parliamentary support to do that— making a new vote look more likely day by day.

That means no time-change laws in the near future—and Spaniards can still sneak off for a siesta as the weather gets warmer this year. AP

world

A PAKISTANI migrant looks back as he gets on a ferry for Turkey in the port of Mytilini of the Greek island of Lesbos on Friday. Forty-five migrants from Pakistan were deported to Turkey on Friday under the European Union agreement with Turkey. AP/PETROS GIANNAKOURIS

on the island of Chios overnight, where scores of migrants had been camped out for a week after pushing their way out of a detention camp. Scuffles occurred between police and Greek protesters staging rival demonstrations at the port in support of and in opposition

ADRID—Spain’s celebrated siesta could be facing a modern makeover.

Political parties are promising to turn the clock back in Spain and eliminate a time quirk dating from World War II, a move that could radically change Spaniards’ eating and sleeping habits.

Until the 1940s, Spain was on the same Greenwich Mean Time as Britain and Portugal, being in roughly the same longitude. But during World War II, Spain, Britain and some other countries added on an hour, going on the same time as Nazi Germany to maximize factory productivity so people could get home before blackouts.

While Britain reverted back after the war, Spain, under the dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco, never did. That led to almost everything being done an hour or more later in Spain than was natural.

Job hours vary greatly, but many Spaniards start work at 10 a.m. and finish at 8 p.m. Lunch is generally around 3 p.m., while dinner can start at 10 p.m. or later, leading often to late nights and less sleep.

Now acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy says if he manages to form another government following the December 20 inconclusive election, he will push for a new work-life balance law that would switch Spain back to its original time zone.

The law would include a working day that ends at 6 p.m., thus, scrapping the country’s lengthy lunch-hour breaks that some use to grab a siesta.

are trapped with no light at the end of the tunnel.” Amnesty Deputy Europe Director Gauri van Gulik said.

“A setup that is so flawed, rushed and ill-prepared is ripe for mistakes, trampling the rights and well-being of some of the most vulnerable people.” AP

YELLEN: U.S. NEARS FULL EMPLOYMENT, BUT SLACK REMAINS

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U.s. cites chinese internet filters as trade barrier

A WOMAN uses her smartphone near an advertisement for a Chinese news Web portal in Beijing, China, on March 30. China is consolidating its ability to censor the Internet by drafting new rules requiring businesses that serve domestic Internet users to register their Web addresses inside the country, a move seen as targeting Chinese companies but that has raised concerns among foreign businesses. AP/NG HAN GUAN

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BIG-TICKET PROJECT A bird’s-eye view of the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 project, an elevated expressway being built from Buendia, Makati City, to Balintawak, Quezon City, with a distance of about 14.82 kilometers. It is one of the government’s public-private partnership projects. NONIE REYES

Seipi gets big concessions from PNP

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he Philippine semiconductor and electronics industry got big concessions from the Philippine National Police (PNP), when the latter agreed to streamline procedures and ease the purchase of regulated chemicals for the export sector.

Dan C. Lachica, president of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc. (Seipi), told reporters in a news conference on Friday the PNP’s move to reduce the list of regu-

PESO exchange rates n US 46.1250

lated chemicals also solved the sector’s long-standing problem that adversely affected the industry’s competitiveness.

“From 41, we have reduced the number of chemicals that are classified as either yellow or green to 17. The number of steps has also been reduced, from 44 signatures to 4,” Lachica said. The industry hopes the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) being crafted by stakeholders and the government Continued on A2

From 41, we’ve reduced the number of chemicals that are classified as either yellow or green to 17.”

—Seipi president

ederal Reserve (the Fed) Chairman Janet Yellen said she continues to see some slack remaining in the US labor market, even as the economy shows “tremendous progress” following the financial crisis and the worst recession since the Great Depression.

“We are coming close to our assigned congressional goal of maximum employment,” Yellen said on Thursday in New York on a panel with three of her predecessors. Many measures of unemployment, she said, “really suggest a labor market that is vastly improved.” Still, Yellen said, other broader measures of underemployment are “higher than one would expect” and show that some slack remains.

Unemployment in the US has been at or below 5 percent since October, down from 10 percent in October 2009. Jobless claims have been lower than 300,000 a week for more than a year, signaling firings remain at a very low level given the size of the labor force.

Yellen said most members of the Federal Open Market Committee anticipate unemployment will continue to drop, overshooting somewhat what Fed officials see as its lowest sustainable level.

Inflation goal

She added that the committee is not aiming for a level that will drive inflation above the Fed’s 2percent target.

“But it’s also the case that 2 percent is our goal, and it’s not a ceiling,” she added.

Yellen, who in 2014 became the first woman to lead the US central bank, discussed monetary policy and their approaches to leading the US central bank with Ben S. Bernanke, Alan Greenspan and Paul Volcker.

The first time the four Fed chiefs have gathered for a joint public appearance comes as policy-makers approach a crossroads: Tighten borrowing costs too quickly, choke off the expansion and be forced Continued on A2

n japan 0.4261 n UK 64.8333 n HK 5.9442 n CHINA 7.1260 n singapore 34.1086 n australia 34.5891 n EU 52.4672 n SAUDI arabia 12.3033

Source: BSP (8 April 2016 )

BMReports BusinessMirror

A2 Saturday, April 9, 2016

news@businessmirror.com.ph

Megaworld crowned ‘Best Developer’ Seipi gets big concessions from PNP… at 2016 Philippines Property Awards R Continued from a1

agencies can be finished by April 15 and sig ned by President Aquino on May 2.

The PNP’s expansion of regulated chemicals in June 2015 to include common household chemicals and the additional bureaucracy, have led to reduced competitiveness of the industry.

Despite this setback, export revenues in 2015 reached $28.9 billion, a 7.95percent improvement over 2014’s total export haul of $26.7 billion.

Lachica credited this to the inelastic demand for electronics and semiconductors last year, as the global shift to the digital economy and the fast-rising need for cybersecurity has countered problematic domestic policies.

Aside from reducing the list of regulated chemicals, the PNP also made concessions for unlicensed small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to buy the controlled chemicals without a license within certain thresholds.

eal-estate giant Megaworld has been named the country’s “Best Developer” in the 2016 Philippines Property Awards held recently at the Fairmont Hotel, Makati City.

With this, the company will compete against other developers in the region at the sixth South East Asia Property Awards in Singapore this November.

Aside from the much-coveted Best Developer Award, the company also received three major development and design awards, and 13 highly commended awards for various projects.

Megaworld won the Best Residential Architectural Design for Uptown Ritz, an all-suites residential tower in the up and coming Uptown Bonifacio township; Best Condo Development in Cebu for 8 Newtown Boulevard, the first residential cluster in The Mactan Newtown; and Best Condo Development (Resort) for The Vineyard Residences in Twin Lakes, a 1,300-hectare integrated tourism estate near Tagaytay being developed by Megaworld’s Global-Estate Resorts Inc. Among the highly commended projects were Uptown Ritz (Best Luxury Condo Development for Metro Manila); Uptown Parksuites (Best Residential Architectural Design); Uptown Mall (Best Retail Development and Best Retail Architectural Design); Uptown Tower 3 (Best Office Architectural Design); The Venice Grand Canal Mall (Best Retail Architectural Design); Salcedo SkySuites (Best Residential Interior Design); 8 Newtown Boulevard (Best Residential Interior Design and Best Landscape Architectural Design in Cebu); Marriott Courtyard Hotel (Best Hotel Development and Best Hotel Interior Design); and One Lakeshore Drive (Best Residential Development in Davao); Suntrust Shanata (Best Affordable Condo Development in Metro Manila), both being developed by Megaworld’s Suntrust Properties Inc.

Target at 2 percent to 5 percent

Receiving the award from 2016 Philippines Property Awards Chairman of the Board of Judges Lindsay Orr (left) were Megaworld Chief Operating Officer Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso (center) and First Vice President Kevin L. Tan.

Yellen: US nears full employment, but slack remains Continued from A1

to add stimulus again, or keep rates low, run the risk of stoking inflation and overheating an economy already close to full employment.

Tightening policy

The Fed started raising interest rates from zero last December, and has since struck a cautious tone amid increased volatility in financial markets and uncertainty about global growth. Policy-makers debated an April rate hike at the last meeting of the FOMC, with several leaning against such a move because it would signal a wrong sense of urgency and some saying it might be warranted.

Officials currently predict they’ll raise rates twice this year, while investors see a less than 50-percent chance that the Fed will tighten borrowing costs even once.

While the domestic economy is expanding, with solid gains in employment underpinning consumer spending, persistent global risks threaten to derail the recovery. Policymakers are concerned that slowing world

growth could reduce corporate investment plans and restrain US exports, according to the minutes of the FOMC’s March 15 and 16 meeting. Greenspan, reflecting on international woes heconfronted while Fed chairman in the 1990s, said global developments must inevitably be taken into account by US policy-makers.

Global repercussions

“It would be foolish to believe that we can act in an isolated manner from the rest of the world,” he said.

Yellen, responding to criticism that the current Fed doesn’t take emerging-market concerns sufficiently into account, said she and her colleagues carefully consider the impact of their actions on the rest of the world.

“Wedolookverycarefullyandtrytominimize adverse spillovers where possible of our policies,” she said. “One thing we can do to minimize volatility around policy changes is to communicate as clearly as we can how we’re framing policy to attempt to avoid surprises.”

Yellen said in a March 29 speech that, given

the downside risks to the global outlook and the proximity of the zero boundary on interest rates, it would be appropriate to “proceed cautiously in adjusting policy.”

Meeting minutes

The minutes published on Wednesday echoed those remarks, noting the FOMC had room to raise if the economy turned out to be stronger than anticipated,t while having less room to ease if growth softened.

“This asymmetry made it prudent to wait for additional information regarding the underlying strength of economic activity and prospects for inflation before taking another step to reduce policy accommodation,” the minutes said. The FOMC holds its next meeting on April 26 and 27.

Central banks in Europe and Japan have resorted to negative interest rates and bond purchases to stimulate their economies and raise inflation. In China the central bank is trying to underpin the economy as it transitions from export-driven growth to a consumer-led expansion. Bloomberg News

Even as export growth has reached almost 8 percent, the industry is eyeing a more modest range of 2 percent to 5 percent in exports this year, or a revenue target of $30.36 billion.

According to Lachica, even as the semiconductor and electronics industry was able to reach its 7-percent to 8-percent original growth target last year, growth this year may be tempered as global external demand is still weak.

“Our main export destinations have not fully recovered: Japan, China, the United States and Europe have their own issues. There are uncertainties in the global economy. While we recognize

PPP Act. . .

Continued from A2

and proponents would indeed have to tap other forms of financing other than banks,” she said. “There is an impetus to develop a framework by which PPP proponents to tap capital market.”

The infrastructure-development body has proposed several amendments to the BOT law. These, she noted, will help facilitate faster fund sourcing for PPP projects.

“If we wish to really tap the capital markets for infrastructure financing, we need to enact such an amendment,” Canilao said. “We hope that Congress would not pass the watered-down version, but a version that will help us develop the capital markets for PPP funding.”

PPP Center Executive Director Andre C. Palacios agreed, saying that his camp is hopeful that both houses of Congress could still pass the bill into law.

“The passage of the PPP Act is crucial as it will improve the capital market, and it will make create a better environment for private investments to go into infrastructure projects, which by themselves are high risk. The PPP Act will derisk the infrastructure projects,” he said.

When approved, PPP Act will institutionalize the Project Development and Monitoring Facility, the PPP Governing Board and the contingent liability fund.

The proposed amendments include the separation of regulatory and commercial functions of government-owned and -controlled corporations and create a list of projects called “projects of national significance.”

By virtue of being included on the list of projects of national significance, projects will be “insulated” from local laws, among others, by local government units.

The proposed amendments also include allowing time-bound temporary restraining order and the extension of the period for Swiss Challenge to six months, from the current twomonth period.

Also, the said piece of legislation will give the executive director of the PPP Center a fixed tenure, and will, likewise, make the said body a voting member of the Investment Coordination Committee and the Cabinet Committee of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

Palacios clarified that these provisions in the proposed PPP Act will lead

there would be demand for the Internet of Things, and the need for cybersecurity, we already experienced that last year. We may not see the same jump this year,” Lachica said.

In terms of investments, Seipi has not met its target of pulling in $2.5 billion in foreign direct investments (FDI) by 2016 as dictated by its road map submitted to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The industry said that external factors, such as continuing rise of electricity costs and global economic events, have hindered growth.

The employment target in the road map also sees 506,000 direct employees.

But in 2015, direct employment count was only at 351,487 workers.

The reason for these missed targets can be traced to the weak flow of FDI into the country.

Lachica said the industry will no longer abide by the targets spelled out in the road map and will embark on its Product and Technology Holistic Strategy (PATHS).

The PATHS is aimed at identifying specific products and technologies in the industry with strong growth potential. The general objective is to move the capabilities of the semiconductor and electronics industry up the value chain. Right now, the industry’s production is mostly in test and assembly.

The PATHS’ second phase requires a study to cover trends in Asean, the US and Europe. The industry has secured a budget from the DTI and is currently scouting for a consultant partner to make the study. Catherine N. Pillas

to faster facilitation of private investments in infrastructure.

“The problem in getting private investments into infrastructure is the risk.

For example, there is a risk called friction with local governments. The PPP Act creates a special class of infrastructure called projects of national significance,” he explained.

Palacios continued: “If a project is classified as such they will be exempt from real-property tax and permits. It will will greatly reduce friction with local governments.”

PSE Senior Vice President Roel A. Refran supported the PPP Center in its push for the passage of the Act, saying that this would give investors—both retail and institutional—more options, while providing a blanket of protection against any unnecessary issue.

“We hope that it sees the light of day, as investor protection and fiscal incentives are in the act,” he said. “We will complement the government to make this happen.”

Philippine Dealing System Corp.

President Cesar B. Crisol said his camp will also be ready to provide necessary funding, provided that necessary assurances be in place.

“If the proponents will access the capital markets one of the financing avenues would be project finance bonds, which will have to be issued out of a special purpose trust. This relies mainly on the revenues of the project,” he said.

“We hope to be able to align ourselves with the initiatives of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Project bonds is an entirely new approach.”

Insurance Commission of the Philippines Deputy Commissioner Vida T. Chiong said her group is fully supportive of this cause, and vowed to continue to provide the necessary blanketing mechanisms for private proponents.

“The insurance industry will be able to mitigate the risks to these projects,” she said. “We support the government in these projects, and I can’t see any problems getting the required approval from Insurance Commission.”

Since 2010, various implementing agencies have awarded 12 PPP contracts to the private partners, more than the combined six solicited projects awarded during the past three administrations.

The government is currently tendering off 13 key infrastructure projects, which include five regional airports, a prison facility, a port modernization and water project, two information-technology projects and three rail projects.

news@businessmirror.com.ph

briefs LTFRB revokes franchise of 3 Ultra bus units The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has canceled and revoked the franchise of three units of United Land Transport & Bus Co. Inc. (Ultra Bus) for operating without special permit during the Christmas season last year.

Ultra Bus allegedly operated bus services last December despite its lack of special permit to do so. In a filing, Ultra Bus said the firm was “about to reapply for another special permit to transport passengers from Alabang to Cubao for the Christmas season, but failed to timely secure one.”

Government policy shows that special bus permit for special holidays must be filed at least two weeks prior to the start of the duration of the permit.

“Our findings show that Ultra Bus violated the terms and conditions of its Certificate of Public Convenience, hence, we are ordering them to pay the penalties,” Winston Ginez, LTFRB chairman, said.

Under a resolution, companies that operate buses without permits are subject to a P1-million fine per unit. In this case, Ultra Bus has to pay P3 million for the said violation. Lorenz S. Marasigan

PAF allocates P10.7M for F-28 jet spares The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is allocating at least P10.7 million for the acquisition of spare parts needed for the maintenance of its lone Fokker F-28 “Fellowship” jet liner.

The jet is used for domestic flights of an incumbent president and is named “Kalayaan”.

Prebid conference is scheduled on April 11, 9 a.m. at the PAF Procurement Center Conference Room, Villamor Air Base, Pasay City, while submission and opening of bids is on April 26, 9 a.m., also on the same venue.

PAF Bids and Awards Committee Chairman Brig. Gen. Nicolas Parilla, in a bid bulletin posted at the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System, said prospective bidders should have an experience in a similar project within the last five years. The F-28 is a short-range jet airliner designed and built by Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. PNA

GenSan farmers get food assistance GENERAL SANTOS CITY—The city government has started the distribution of food assistance to local farmers and farmworkers who are directly affected by the continuing onslaught of the long dry spell spawned by El Niño. Dr. Agripino Dacera Jr., city disaster risk reduction and management office head, said an initial 600 families in Barangay Upper Labay here received rice packs on Thursday through personnel and volunteers of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).

He said the city government partnered with the PRC for the distribution of the relief assistance in the wake of a prohibition set by the Commission on Elections in line with the May 9 local and national elections.

The official said that each family-beneficiary was given an initial 5 kilos of rice based on the emergency relief scheme set by the local government.

“The distribution of the relief packs will continue until we cover all the identified beneficiaries,” he said. Citing their monitoring, Dacera said some 10,645 families within the city’s 26 barangays were already affected by the intense dry weather.

The city government placed the entire area under a state of calamity in late February due to the impact of El Niño, which has so far destroyed around P54 million worth of agricultural crops. PNA

Economy BusinessMirror

Editors: Vittorio V. Vitug and Max V. de Leon • Saturday, April 9, 2016 A3

Palace to critics: Stop ‘politicizing’ El Niño fund issue, Kidapawan dispersal

M

By David Cahagastian

alacañang assured its full cooperation on congressional investigations into the alleged withholding of funds for El Niño mitigation projects this year, and called on candidates in the next elections to stop “politicizing” the issue, which is believed to have led to the mass action of farmers in Kidapawan City that ended in a violent dispersal last week.

Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. reiterated on Friday that the Aquino administration had always been ready to cooperate and explain on matters of public interest.

“The government is always open and ready to explain because the matter involves the welfare of the poorest sectors of society,” Coloma said in a news statement.

Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad, for his part, said that candidates in the next elections should stop allegations of withholding of some P900 million in funds meant for projects aimed at mitigating the effects of El Niño since last year.

The drought and consequent famine, which hit the farmers in Mindanao, led them to a mass action in Kidapawan City that ended with a violent dispersal by the police, leaving at least three farmers dead and dozens more wounded.

The Senate has started its investigation into the violent dispersal and into allegations that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has withheld the P900-million in El Niño funds.

But Abad added that funds are not being withheld by the government, and the P39-billion Calamity Fund under the 2016 budget had hardly been tapped by national government agencies and by local governments.

The Calamity Fund may be tapped upon the recommendation for spending by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Abad said local governments could tap into the national government’s Calamity Fund if they fall short of funds from their own

calamity funds.

“Local governments, like the provincial government of North Cotabato, are distributing rice and other goods from their calamity funds. And if these are not enough, the NDRRMC fund had hardly been used and could be a source of aid for those affected by El Niño,” Abad said.

REAL ESTATE PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR Villar Group Chairman Manny Villar receives the prestigious Real Estate Personality of the Year award at the Philippines Property Awards 2016 held at Fairmont Hotel in Makati City, in recognition of his significant contribution in the real-estate industry. Villar’s Vista Land has played an important role in improving the lives of Filipinos by providing homes and building “communicities, innovative master-planned developments integrating residential, lifestyle, retail, office, health care, education and leisure components, closer to a city than mere residential village. His company has built more than 300,000 quality homes for all market segments in 95 cities and municipalities and 36 across the country. Handing the award is Liam Aran Barnes, editor in chief of Property Report, Asia’s leading luxury real estate, architecture and design publication.

Sufficient funds

Sen. Loren Legarda, chairman of the Senate Committees on Finance and Climate Change, on Thursday said the outgoing Aquino administration must utilize available funds to mitigate and adapt to El Niño, stressing that this should have already been done since the government has been sufficiently warned by the state weather bureau since 2014.

Legarda made the statement in a Senate briefing on Friday about how the government has disbursed and used public funds allocated for mitigation and adaptation to the impacts of El Niño.

Agencies present were the Department of Agriculture (DA), National Economic and Developments Authority, the departments of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Budget and Management, Environment and Natural Resources, and the Interior and Local Government, Climate Change Commission, National Food Authority (NFA) and the NDRRMC. “We have the funds, but they are not being accessed. The NFA said there’s no rice shortage, but people died asking for rice. We must not wait for our people to ask government for help because we have already been warned of the El Niño phenomenon since 2014. We must be proactive and

We have the funds, but they are not being accessed. The National Food Authority said there’s no rice shortage, but people died asking for rice. We must not wait for our people to ask government for help because we have already been warned of the El Niño phenomenon since 2014. We must be proactive and anticipate our people’s needs. That’s why we have planning processes and that’s why we allocated funds”—Legarda anticipate our people’s needs. That’s why we have planning processes and that’s why we allocated funds,” Legarda said.

The DA still has P11.9 million balance in its Quick Response Fund

(QRF) for 2015 and P496.6 million for 2016; the DSWD has a balance of P703.6 million in its 2015 QRF and P1.6 billion for 2016. Meanwhile, there is still a P5-billion NDRRM Fund for 2015 and P43

FPI seeks passage of climate-change mitigation bills

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

T

he Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) has recently asked the House of Representatives to pass measures mitigating the effect of climate change.

In a letter to the House Committee on Energy, the FPI, as a signatory to the 2015 Manila Declaration on Climate Change, asked the lower chamber to make climate change-related bills as priority.

FPI president, Jess Arranza, also said measures to mitigate climate change should be aligned with national priorities, circumstances and capabilities, which should be based on cobenefit measures such as forestation.

Arranza also lamented the recent call of former US Vice President Al Gore during his visit to the Philippines for “people power” action versus Philippine coal power-plant projects.

“This is not only misplaced but reflects a complete lack of understanding of local conditions,” Arranza said.

He said the FPI has been urging its members to adopt friendly climatechange mitigation methods, such as robust reforestation, traffic decongestion to prevent carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and a rational evaluation of the Philippine

policy on renewable energies.

According to Arranza, the Philippines only accounts for 1.37 percent of the world’s population and only contributes 0.24 percent of the global CO2 emissions annually, which is significantly lower than the other countries such as the United States (17 percent), Germany (8.9 percent), China (6.7 percent), and even neighboring Thailand (4.5 percent).

The Philippines, he said, already has a high installed power-generation capacity from renewable sources at 32 percent, driven primarily by geothermal and hydro resources, which is even higher than far more developed economies such as Germany (24 percent) and the United States (12.2 percent).

Moreover, Arranza said the Philippines has only 23 coal-fired power plants, which incidentally are the backbone of the country’s generating sector as the aggregate power produced by these plants constitutes 35 percent of the country’s total power generated at about 6,000 megawatts.

“Coal-power plants are base-load power plants that provide stable and dependable power that addresses the requirements of manufacturers and producers on a 24 x 7 basis,” he said.

WB plan

The World Bank (WB) announced its plan on Thursday to help developing countries add 30 gigawatts of renewable energy to the world’s energy capacity and to mobilize $25 billion in private financing for clean energy by 2020.

The Climate Change Action Plan, released by the Washington-based lender on Thursday, is designed to help countries meet their Paris COP21 pledges and manage increasing climate impacts.

Under the plan, the WB will quadruple funding for climate-resilient transport, integrate climate into urban planning through the Global Platform for Sustainable Cities, and boost assistance for sustainable forest and fisheries management.

According to the World Bank, climate change threatens to drive 100 million more people into poverty in the next 15 years.

In addition to the World Bank’s efforts, the International Finance Corp., a member of the World Bank Group, aims to expand its climate investments from the current $2.2 billion a year to a goal of $3.5 billion a year, and lead on leveraging an additional $13 billion a year in privatesector financing by 2020. With PNA/Xinhua

billion for 2016.

Legarda added that national government agencies must work closely with local government units (LGUs) on how they can access additional funds from the central government, such as the NDRRM Fund, QRF and the People’s Survival Fund.

“The government must reach out to the LGUs, to our people, especially the underserved and unserved communities. The government’s support must reach far-flung communities.

If our farmers cannot plant rice due to the drought, the government must give them alternative sources of income and livelihood.

The government can offer climatesensitive cash-for-work programs, such as desilting of rivers, building of barangay nurseries, building water-catchment facilities and waste segregation, among others,” she said.

The senator said the 2016 General Appropriations Act is filled with general and special provisions on how funds can be utilized for climate-change adaptation and mitigation.

Council defers endorsement of $500-million Cebu City coal-fired power plant

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EBU CITY—The Cebu City council has deferred the approval of a resolution endorsing the proposed 300-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant of the Ludo Power Corp.

(LPC) in Barangay Sawang Calero, this city.

Cebu City Councilors Noel Wenceslao and Richard Osmeña earlier filed a proposed resolution endorsing the power-plant project.

But the council instead set another public hearing on the $500-million power-plant project on April 17, after more than a thousand Sawang Calero residents signed a petition opposing the project.

Some of them trooped on Wednesday during the council’s regular session at the Cebu City Hall to express their opposition to the project. The residents, wearing black armbands and t-shirts with “No to Coal” print, said they were not consulted about the proposed power plant. But Sawang Calero Barangay Captain Ariel Yburan said three consultative assemblies were conducted for the project, but those who opposed the project did not attend to air their objections.

He said a consultative assembly was held on February 17 for Barangay Sawang Calero and neighboring Barangay Duljo-Fatima, with representatives from the Geoshpere Technologies Inc., the consultant of LPC on the project.

On March 1 he said another meeting was reportedly held with representatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as part of the environmental impact assessment of the project.

The day after, Yburan said the barangay held a general assembly with more than 300 residents to discuss the project. PNA

A4 Saturday, April 9, 2016 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

editorial

A weak judiciary is hurting our economy

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E learn from an early age that we should tell the truth and not lie. As we grow older, we also learn that simply telling the truth is not all there is to being “truthful.”

In a situation—usually in a legal environment—a person may be required to give “sworn testimony” that is based on an oath.

The oath often reads something like this: “I promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” Unfortunately, governments are not bound by that oath and fall back on the childhood oath of “I will not lie.”

Every year American think tank the Heritage Foundation publishes its “Index of Economic Freedom.” This index has rated countries for 20 years with the idea that the more economic freedom a people have, the more prosperous they will become, and history has proven that to be correct.

Economic freedom is strongly associated with healthier societies, cleaner environments, greater per-capita wealth, human development, democracy and poverty elimination.

Economic freedom ranges from the micro level, such as if a person has the legal right to change jobs as desired, to the macro level of trade between nations. In the most recent index, the Philippines reached its highest score and ranked 70 out of 178 nations and territories. The Philippine government naturally highlighted this success story.

But what the government failed to mention was the failing score in the category of “Rule of Law” and, specifically, “Property Rights”—defined as “the ability of individuals to accumulate private property, secured by clear laws that are fully enforced by the state.” The Philippines scored 30 out of a possible 100. That score is interpreted as, “Property ownership is weakly protected. The court system is highly inefficient. Corruption is extensive, and the judiciary is strongly influenced by the other branches of government.”

It is no wonder the administration failed to “tell the whole truth” on this point. Further, this score is exactly the same, as it was in 2009. The comment then was, “The judicial system is weak. Judges are nominally independent, but some are corrupt, or have been appointed strictly for political reasons.”

From 2010 our score in “Business Freedom” improved from 43 to 63, in “Financial Freedom” from 50 to 60 and “Investment Freedom” from 40 to 60. Had a similar increase occurred in our Rule of Law score, the Philippines would have been in company of nations, such as South Korea, Norway, Malaysia and Austria.

Instead, our overall immediate neighbors are Rwanda and Kazakhstan.

In Property Rights, we are next to Panama and Paraguay.

The problems with our judicial system are not being solved and are critical to the future economic success of the nation. This issue must be strongly addressed by the next administration.

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The other transportation failures John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

A

ttention has been focused on the failure of the transportation system in Metro Manila and the National Capital Region. We are told how billions of pesos are wasted each year because of the area’s poor transport facilities. However, this may be just a few drops in the overall economic ocean when the total transportation problem of the country is taken into account.

Consider that 98 percent of all passenger traffic and 60 percent of all cargo in the country travels by the road system. The Philippines has an inadequate sea-transport infrastructure and a lack of vessels to move the numbers of people and the amount of cargo needed. For all intents and purposes, the nation does not have any rail transport. Therefore, it is an inadequate road system that must bear the load.

The Philippines ranks sixth out

of the Asean-6—Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam—countries in the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI) and 57th globally.

However, in the category of “Infrastructure,” the Philippines ranks at a dismal 75th, next to Venezuela and Jordan.

The problem of the national transportation system is complex and complicated, not in small measure, because the Philippines is an

archipelago. Therefore, the total system must be integrated, which is not an easy task. Government agencies, from the primary Department of Transportation and Communications to those of the local governments, have studied the situation for years in cooperation with international groups.

All the ideas from the Strong Republic Nautical Highway program and the Pan-Philippine Highway to building a railway system eventually come back to cost and maybe more important, cost-efficiency. When you factor in roads, a rail system, increased sea-transportation facilities and, at some point, airports, the total investment is impossible.

But the Oxford Business Group out of the United Kingdom that consults on this stuff for living has the answer that we already knew. They report, “The sector [transportation] is a key component of the national economy, which will be better able to achieve its potential through improved linkages between economic centers and cities on the archipelago.

This growth will depend on the government’s ability to improve spending and encourage public-private partnerships [PPPs]. However, realization remains relatively slow and, while the PPP Center has some 66 projects, only eight had reached completion of the bidding and contract award stage as of January 2015.”

Great ideas and plans mean absolutely nothing, unless and until they can be transformed into reality. Improving the Philippine transportation system is going to have to depend on the PPP model and its implementation. But that is not ever going to happen until the PPP system is improved first. Perhaps, more authority should be given to the PPP to direct other government agencies rather than the way the current system is operating.

Or maybe we can just increase our supply of carabao carts and bancas.

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Visit my web site at www.mangunonmarkets.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis tools provided by the COL Financial Group Inc.

The MetLife ruling puts America at Risk

A

By Mark Whitehouse | Bloomberg View

United States district judge in Washington, D.C., may have poked a big hole in reforms aimed at protecting millions of Americans from the next financial crisis. It’s a troubling development, and one that the government must do what it can to reverse.

At issue is the part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act that gave the Federal Reserve (the Fed) oversight of all financial institutions whose collapse could seriously hurt the US economy—be they banks, insurers, whatever. The law says this broad set of so-called systemically important institutions needs added scrutiny.

They do. The near-demise of insurer American International Group almost brought down the US banking system, thanks to losses on derivatives positions that a fragmented regulatory system overlooked.

In 2013 and 2014 the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), which brings together all the relevant federal regulators, designated three insurance companies—AIG, Prudential Financial and MetLife—as systemically important. The rationale was clear: They are intricately connected to the rest of the financial system through hundreds of billions of dollars in insurance products, debt contracts, securities holdings and derivatives—exposures that could destabilize the financial system if the companies ran into trouble.

MetLife sued, and a federal judge

has upheld its claim that designating the insurer as systemically important was “arbitrary and capricious.”

In an opinion unsealed today, the judge agreed that the FSOC failed to do three things it should have: Properly assess MetLife’s vulnerability to financial distress, precisely calculate whether such distress would result in losses “sufficiently severe” to harm the economy, and consider how the added cost of regulation could adversely affect the company.

The decision relies on a strange reading of Dodd-Frank and the FSOC’s subsequent rulemaking.

First, the FSOC doesn’t interpret systemic importance as requiring it to assess a company’s vulnerability, just whether distress at a company could have system-wide consequences. Second, calculating potential losses is beside the point: The whole purpose of the systemic designation is to allow the Fed—though stress-testing and other means—to do such calculations regularly and ensure that the company doesn’t become unduly vulnerable. Third, Dodd-Frank doesn’t tell the FSOC to conduct a cost-benefit analysis—though that

METLIFE headquarters

would be a useful exercise, and the Fed has agreed to make its oversight of insurance companies less burdensome. The FSOC gave MetLife more than a year to plead its case, and it went to great lengths to explain its reasoning. This hardly seems arbitrary or capricious.

Details from the hearing offer some insight into the judge’s thinking. At one point, the judge took issue with the crisis scenario implied in the FSOC’s designation, saying that it assumed “the worst of the worst of the worst.” But that’s exactly what a systemic-risk regulator is supposed to do. Also, assuming that a crisis could get bad enough to affect insurers doesn’t seem out

of line. A systemic-risk model built by economists at New York University, for example, estimates that MetLife would fall nearly $50 billion short of the capital it would need to cope with a crisis like that of 2008. The International Monetary Fund dedicated a whole chapter of its latest global financial stability report to the systemic risk posed by insurers.

The danger now is that other insurers will follow MetLife’s example.

To prevent that from happening, the FSOC will have to appeal the ruling. As it stands, regulators’ ability to contain risks arising outside the traditional banking system is in question.

Opinion BusinessMirror

opinion@businessmirror.com.ph

Health-care information management fastest-growing sector in IT-BPM industry Jemain Diaz De Rivera

Forward Moving 1.3 million to be directly employed in IT-BPM by end of 2016

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he Philippine information technology and business-process management (IT-BPM) industry has global leadership in voice-based services, as well as continuing improvements in nonvoice and complex-process outsourcing. To cement its position in the global IT-BPM sector, the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (Ibpap) advocates for employees’ skills development.

The IT-BPM industry includes sectors in animation, contact center, digital-game development, global in-house center, health-care information management and software development. nnn The health-care IT-BPM sector is represented by the Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines (Himap). It primarily provides service competencies in pharma, health IT, and provider- and payorcentric processes.

Himap brings together the Philippines’s most distinguished players in the health-care information managementdocumentation industry, servicing the needs of the health-care information management (HIM) service organization, HIM education and training centers and vendors promoting the Philippines as the destination of choice for quality HIM services.

The Philippine target for 2016 set by the association is to fully employ 182,000 and earn revenue of $2.7 billion.

Health-care is one of the fastestgrowing sectors in the IT-BPM industry, providing huge opportunities for our country and people, said Beng Coronel, president of Pointwest Technologies and the new president of Himap.

Other elected officials of Himap are Jeff Williams of Infinit-O as chairman, Roger Salazar of United Health Group Philippines as vice president, Raymond Ang of Edulynx Corp. as corporate secretary, and Judy Whisenhunt of TeleDevelopment Services as treasurer.

The global health-care outsourcing industry is a large and rapidly expanding market that is expected to grow at a rate of 7.6 percent, compounded annually, from 2013. By 2018, the global healthcare IT-BPM industry is expected to reach $180 billion and assigning key segments of the work to the Philippines is seen as a way to reduce the cost, as well as meet the demand, for high-level health care.

The Philippines is known for the quality of its medical professionals.

About 83,000 US registered nurses were educated and trained in the Philippines, said Jeanette Carillo, executive director of Himap. Local players are exploring other areas of health-care information management as the market expands,

looking to provide higher-value services due to developments in the health-care industry overseas. n n n Recently the Philippines sent a delegation to the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society 2016 conference. During the courtesy call, Consul General Mario de Leon Jr. of the Philippine Consulate in New York City discussed initiatives of the consulate to promote the Philippine IT-BPM industry in North America. He noted that foreign investors see the Philippines as being economically sound.

The Philippines is a one-stop destination for IT-BPM, offering various services that a typical client requires.

Aside from IT, voice and other clinical services in health care, the country offers analytics, back-office support and even creative services, like game development and animation, Coronel said.

The Affordable Healthcare Act of the United States gave Philippine companies lots of opportunities for growth. The former president of Himap, Myla Reyes, gave examples of how Filipino nurses do medical calls; IT professionals provide integration and automation; and IT-BPM experts do process management.

Collaboration with other Asean countries in the global sourcing industry is encouraged. The Philippines should take a leadership role in the region, since it is a pioneer in the industry having expertise and experience.

The consul general said assigning work to the Philippines allows American companies to focus on their core competencies and save money.

The industry must focus on talent development, Whisenhunt said. She added that the Philippines must continue to build the capability of its human resources. n n n Over half-a-million graduates are expected to join the labor force this year. Data from the Commission on Higher Education showed that the projected total number of graduates for the current academic year is 692,602.

The IT-BPM industry has career opportunities for Filipinos with qualities and skills essential for business leadership and organizational success in a global marketplace.

Saturday, April 9, 2016 A5

Cardinal Tagle opens Holy Door of Mercy at Manila City Jail Rev. Fr. Antonio Cecilio T. Pascual

H

SERVANT LEADER

is Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, DD, Archbishop of Manila, opened the Holy Door of Mercy at the Manila City Jail Chapel on March 23, Holy Wednesday, with Archbishop Guiseppe Pinto, apostolic nuncio to the Philippines.

The opening of the Holy Door was part of the celebration of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, which runs from December 2015 until November 20 this year. Holy Doors are being opened throughout the world as symbols of God’s mercy to us. By passing through the Holy Door, one may obtain the Jubilee indulgence.

Celebration of the Holy Eucharist proceeded after the opening of the Holy Door. Cardinal Tagle led the Mass concelebrated by yours truly in my capacity as executive director of Caritas Manila; Rev. Fr. Bobby de la Cruz, Restorative Justice minister; Rev. Fr. Jason Laguerta, head, Office of Promotion on the New

Evangelization; and other clergy members of the Archdiocese of Manila.

The Manila City Jail Chapel is the first prison to open a Holy Door in the Archdiocese of Manila. In his homily, Cardinal Tagle stressed the importance of this event for the inmates, “Pagpasok sa pintuan ay isaisip natin na lalakad ako at paghakbang ko, pumapasok ako sa puso ni Hesus.”

He also encouraged the inmates to never lose hope, “Kahit hindi pa tayo nakakaalis sa lugar na ito, maaaring ang puso at isip ay maging malaya sa kasalanan at sa nakaraan, malaya para makapagpatuloy sa bagong buhay.”

“Let’s not lose hope. All of us, including me, commit mistakes. We are all capable of betrayal but let’s not forget that we’re also capable of loving,” stressed Cardinal Tagle.

“Let us not forget that we sinned like

Bloomberg View

T

he leak of confidential documents from Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca has had many interesting results. We’ve seen the biggest dump of confidential documents in history. Prominent international figures have been revealed as the holders, or near-holders, of shadowy offshore accounts. The prime minister of Iceland has resigned over allegations of impropriety.

Less interesting is the predictable result: a flurry of people rushing to blame “global capitalism.”

“The documents, which show the extraordinary lengths the global elite have gone to in order to shield their wealth from taxation, are at once big news and old hat,” says my friend Freddie deBoer in Foreign Policy. “ They provide the nasty details of the kind of business most savvy people assume goes on all the time. You and I pay our taxes; the wealthy find ways to avoid them. For some, reading

about the Panama Papers will feel like being told by your parents that Santa isn’t real: merely the final confirmation of a suspicion that you have harbored for a very long time. The game is rigged, and unless you are part of the global 1 percent, it isn’t rigged to help you.”

A libertarian of my acquaintance wrote to inquire whether this is going to sour people on global capitalism.

It shouldn’t. What we’ve seen from the papers so far is not so much an indictment of global capitalism as an indictment of countries that have weak institutions and a lot of corruption. And for all the outrage in the United States, so far the message for us is pretty reassuring: We aren’t one of those countries.

Consider the big names that have shown up so far on the list. With the notable exception of Iceland, these are not countries I would describe as “capitalist”: Russia, Pakistan, Iraq, Ukraine, Egypt. They’re countries where kleptocratic government officials amass money not through commerce, but through quasilegal extortion, or siphoning off

To support the Restorative Justice Program and other Caritas Manila’s programs for the poor, visit www.caritasmanila.org.ph. or call our DonorCare lines 563-9311, 564-0205, 0999-7943455, 09054285001 and 0929-8343857. Make it a habit to listen to Radio Veritas 846 in the AM band, or through live streaming at www.veritas846.ph. For comments, e-mail veritas846pr@gmail.com.

Music and why Pacquiao excel in boxing

By Michael Makabenta Alunan | Special to the BusinessMirror

A

lthough there are several reasons Filipinos excel in boxing, is the love for music also a significant factor? Can we blend metaphorically two discordant and dissonant ideas— like music and sports? What’s the role of music in Manny Pacquiao’s success as a world champion?

n Brawn vs. brain. Sports is normally associated with brawn, and not brains. However, it appears you need more brains to excel in sports. To borrow the TV show Survivor’s tagline: “Outlast, Outplay and Outwit.” Thus, you need brains as you compete.

In boxing, fighters fight on equal footing. They fight on equal weight divisions, equally get the same skills training, the same techniques and the same balanced diet of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, etc., regardless of differences in culture. n Mind over matter. A general observation, however, is the fact that most boxers who have dominated the sport are poor in academics. Poverty is often cited as the reason for boxers, like Pacquiao, to stop schooling to help eke out a living for their family.

Is it poverty that helped produce great fighters? Somehow, a history of poverty and deprivation has shaped great fighters to fight to survive and succeed.

Some nations that have industrialized and shifted to more leisureseeking lifestyles have lost their supremacy in boxing. Japan, which is known for many traditional martial arts and sports, has lost its glory in boxing. While recovering from the ravages of war in the 1950s and 1960s, young Japanese boxers from poor families struggled to produce five world boxing titles for the country.

Today Japan no longer excels in boxing, as its youth realized they can achieve success without the need to fight. They have learned how to “fish” without fighting with their

fists. Japan’s industrialization and wealth ushered in a culture of leisure-loving citizens, a turnaround from the rabid workaholic Japanese after World War II. n Genetic vs. memetic and mimetic. For so long, everything was traced to genetics. AfricanAmericans, for instance, dominated the sport decades back, on the belief they had the genetic predisposition.

Scientific anthropological, biological and historical accounts show that “Afro-Americans” developed certain genes after centuries of having been exposed to harsh environment, which is what memetic is all about.

Memetic from the word “memes,” or ideas, explains how people behave socially and culturally. Running away from or chasing wild animals, either as predator or prey, as a way of life in the African bush for thousands of years, has developed in them certain genetic traits. Their history of slavery developed in many of them the stamina, endurance, physical makeup and the pent-up angst that would make them excel in many sports, including boxing.

Afro-Americans must have also developed in them the suppressed anger and frustration of having been victims of racism. Through sports like boxing, they can let out their angst and steam. It is also understandable why they have not developed good swimmers, as Africa was too dry, and even in America, many grew up in ghettos and suburbs, where swimming pools are absent.

A reinforcing factor to memetic is the concept of mimetic, which is about mimicry or imitating some-

body. When Pacquiao won global fights, a slew of mimetic activities about him emerged. There were Pacquiao look-alikes, Pacquiao images and cartoons, Pacquiao TV shows and songs composed for Pacquiao, etc., while many try to follow in his footsteps, and even mimicked his looks. n Nature vs. nurture. Genetic makeup is one’s nature, which is the internal structure, which is also partly a result of nurture or the constant exposure and adaptation to the changes in the external factors or the environment. One’s nature keeps one the same without change, but it is nurture that changes nature somehow or change one’s genetics to a certain extent through adaptation and evolution.

It is understandable why AfroAmericans have excelled in specific sports, like boxing and track and, field, or in rhythmic drum-beat and percussion-rich music that have triggered distinctly new musical genres.

Thus, you have reggae in Jamaica, jazz in America, samba in Brazil, calypso in Trinidad and Tobago, bomba in Puerto Rico, and rumba and mambo in Cuba, etc.

Similarly, Filipinos have developed through generations certain talents that are more cultural and, therefore, more memetic and mimetic. Filipinos are highly versatile, friendly, multitalented, can do multitasking and can easily adapt to any situation, language or culture.

Even the typical jeepney driver is extremely talented, being able to do simultaneous things, focusing on one thing and on another the next moment. He drives you crazy, zigzagging through busy streets, while acting as a collector of fares, an accountant assuring the right fares for the right distance, including computing discounts for students and senior citizens, a cashier disbursing change, an inspector ensuring everyone pays, a music lover with his stereo blaring, and even a lawbreaker dodging

The Panama Papers actually reflect pretty well on capitalism

By Megan McArdle

Judas and Peter, but let’s not forget that we can still be like Jesus who, even if we’re not worthy, took care of us as his friends.”

In this Year of Mercy, as Christians, we are all the more called to do corporal and spiritual works as concrete acts of mercy. One of the corporal works of mercy is to visit the imprisoned. Those who are incarcerated still need support, and through Caritas Manila’s Restorative Justice Program, pastoral care is extended to our lost brothers in prison.

the till. This is an activity that has gone on long before capitalism, and probably before there was money. Presenting this as an indictment of global capitalism is like presenting Romeo and Juliet as an after-school special on the dangers of playing with knives.

The only American I’ve so far seen identified was a Chicago-area financial coach I’ve never heard of. Moreover, even the folks who may be putting money offshore won’t necessarily be doing so to avoid taxes or hide nefarious activity. Hedge funds, for example, are often incorporated in the Caymans for boring reasons having to do with quirks in the US tax code (which would tax foreign investors on certain types of transactions) rather than to hide income or let Americans avoid their legally owed tax liabilities.

For that matter, even foreigners who are trying to hide their names might not be doing so for entirely unsavory reasons. People living under unstable regimes may have very good reasons to want to move assets outside the coun-

try; Jews in 1930s Germany did not put money in Swiss accounts because they were trying to lower their tax bill, but because they were trying to ensure that they would have enough set aside to flee the genocidal maniac ruling their country.

Trying to lump all these behaviors together under the rubric of “global capitalism” distorts the term to uselessness. While the economy is certainly more global than it used to be, most capitalism is local. There is, of course, a fair amount of interaction between economic elites. Nonetheless, most of those people still live under local law and local government, and make their money in a particular local economy. When some of those people break their local laws, this is not some sort of collective enterprise that indicts everyone, everywhere.

But there’s a common tendency, when talking about “global capitalism” to forget that borders and governments still exist. A few weeks back, I was the designated capitalist punching bag on a panel well attended by socialists. A

woman in global development stood up and delivered a heartfelt rebuttal to my arguments on the grounds that places like Saudi Arabia had immense and wild excess, while their near neighbors had desperate poverty. This, she said, was something that we needed to fix.

That discussion rapidly went south when I asked her how many troops she wished to commit to this project. Saudi Arabia is its own country. Even if the rest of the world went socialist, we’d probably have to give them something in exchange for their oil, which would mean that there would probably be wealth disparities between them and their nearest neighbors.

“We” are not going to rectify this situation without some pretty old-school empire building, in which we invade and seize the lands of folks who happened to end up sitting atop some valuable natural resources, and then reassign those resources to uses that “we” deem more appropriate. By “we,” of course, I mean educated affluent white people in Western countries.

Projecting our concerns onto the

traffic enforcers. n What’s found in sound? Our deep cultural appreciation for music allows us to appreciate multiple limitless harmonizing sounds, like an orchestra and a chorale—from the soprano, tenor and bass, to the strings, piano, wind instruments and percussion—all of which help train the mind to process simultaneously every distinct tone and sound, and their blending. Indeed, they help sharpen one’s creativity and versatility.

A seasoned musician can accompany a singer even if he does not know the song, because he has an ear for music, or oido. He can anticipate notes for a musical piece. This is where the essence of metaphor and contradictions are formed in the mind through music, which can help harness creativity. In music, this is expressed in various forms of harmony, like counterpoints, fugues, musical canons, wherein two or more melodies are either sung or played simultaneously, or successively, but still in harmony.

The same principle can be applied in all aspects of life. Let me call it the principle of “anticipation,” which essentially is creative thinking. One can anticipate the future, which is thinking ahead. The skill of knowing creatively the future or what to expect is developed faster with music.

In boxing, this means anticipating the next moves of an opponent. An intelligent boxer can actually think and prepare steps ahead as to footwork, stance, fist positions, shoulder movements, etc., even before an opponent executes his attack.

Pacquiao may not have the voice and diction to sing well, but he can carry a tune, play the guitar or piano, even if he did not have formal music lessons. A Filipino boxer may, therefore, be likened to a musician, who anticipates by ear the melodic movements, the pitch and key of a particular song. In other words, he fights with a musician’s oido talent.

governance problems of Pakistan, or pretending that the Russian oligarchs are part of some club that jointly rules the world with the Walton family, is a convenient way to give our local complaints extra oomph by projecting them onto the world stage. But while it may be emotionally satisfying, it’s worse than useless, because it suggests terrible policy solutions to those complaints, or no solution at all.

What we seem to have learned from the documents so far is that this particular sort of corruption isn’t a big local problem for the US. We do, of course, have some law breakers, because there is no such thing as a law that won’t be broken. But it seems to be a minor, furtive thing, rather than the mass habit you see in parts of the developing world. The IRS is very good at finding offshore tax cheats, and getting better all the time. I am confident that if US scofflaws should be revealed by these documents, the tax authorities will waste no time ensuring that they get what is coming to them.

News

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Gov faces charges over ₧2-M fuel purchase

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MBUDSMAN Conchita Carpio-Morales on Friday ordered the filing of charges before the Sandiganbayan against North Cotobato Gov. Emmylou TaliñoMendoza in connection with the alleged illegal procurement of diesel fuel worth P2.4 million from a gasoline station owned by her mother in 2010.

Morales said Mendoza will face trial on three counts of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act (RA) 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. In the complaint, the Ombudsman alleged that Mendoza approved the release of P2.4 million from the provincial funds to pay for 49,526.72 liters of fuel used for one road grader and four dump trucks utilized during the implementation of road-rehabilitation project conducted for two days.

“No public bidding was conducted for the procurement of fuel. Instead, Mendoza directly contracted with the gas station owned by her mother. There was no compelling justification for dispensing with the requirement of public bidding,” Morales said.

Morales added that “the great disparity between the estimated 552 liters of diesel actually consumed for the two-day road-maintenance project in Magpet vis-àvis the 20,833 liters actually paid

for, is proof that the fuel-purchase transaction is illegal and that this transaction is obviously a scheme to pocket government funds.” “[T he respondent] made it appear that the diesel fuel was procured and used in a government project, when in truth, only a small portion of the fuel was actually used and the rest was converted to cash for the benefit of those who were involved in the fraudulent transaction.”

Under Section 3(e) of RA 3019, a public officer is “prohibited from causing any undue injury to any party, including the government, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.”

For her part, Mendoza claimed that “ it was only the Ta liño Shell Station which was willing to accommodate the credit term requested by the provincial government.”

Vincent Paul Montejo, Taliño’s

lawyer, said: “It is unfortunate that the Ombudsman has found probable cause against North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Mendoza for supposed graft or violations of Section 3[e] of the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act.” Despite this, Montejo said, “Governor Mendoza remains confident that she will be able to address all the Ombudsman’s accusations.

Any accusation of partiality, preference or bias in favor of any gas station has no basis. What should be borne in mind is that Governor Mendoza is not a member of the Bids and Awards Committee [BAC].

It follows then that she did not handpick or select any particular station as the province’s supplier for the P2.4-million fuel.”

“Contrary to what the Ombudsman is saying, the fuel was procured after it went through a form of bidding, allowed under the Government Procurement Act and as recommended by the BAC. Last, the Ombudsman also ignored evidence that fuel was actually utilized for the province’s road projects.”

Navy unit reactivated as military shifts focus on Scarborough Shoal

By Rene Acosta

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HE Armed Forces on Friday reactivated Naval Forces Northern Luzon (NavForNL) that will focus on the Scarborough Shoal that has been effectively occupied by China.

Naval Forces Northern Luzon was returned to its former status as another naval unit more than two years after it was merged with the Naval Forces West (NavForWest) based in Palawan.

NavForNL will be under the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command that is based in President Aquino’s home province of Tarlac.

“With the demands of our present maritime situation and the need to have focus on naval operations in these areas of responsibility, the Navy leadership deemed to reconstitute these two organizations

[NavForNL and NavForWest],” Navy Acting Spokesman LCdr. Marineth Domingo said.

Vice Adm. Caesar Taccad, Navy flag officer in command, presided over on Friday the reactivation of the two naval forces as separate units, installing Commo. Danilo Rodelas as commander of the NavForWest and Capt. Albert Mogol as acting commander of NavForNL. “These two units were brought back to their original set up,” Domingo explained. The Navy merged the NavForNL with the NavForWest more than two years ago, forming Naval Forces Northwest, with the commander of the Armed Forces Western Command exercising operational control over it.

The merger of the two naval forces was implemented after China seized Scarborough Shoal, located near Zambales, following a stand-

off with BRP Gregorio del Pilar in 2012. Beijing now exercises de facto control over the shoal.

The merger of the two naval units was questioned then, especially that Naval Forces Northwest was based in Palawan, given that Scarborough Shoal, apart from being the subject of a dispute with China and where Filipino fishermen are irregularly harassed

by Beijing, is near the waters of Central Luzon.

However, the military leadership explained at that time that the merger was made in order for just one unit to be taking care of the West Philippine Sea’s maritime security.

Domingo said the two units were reconstituted to their former status so that they could take on their original maritime security concerns, other than having

“distinct naval components.

“Kasi dati when it was merged into one, parang naguguluhan iyong Northern Luzon. Ngayon naging distinct na siya, may kanya-kanya na sila ngayong operational command,” she said.

Last month Lt. Gen. Romeo Tanalgo, a Marine, assumed as command of the Nolcom, swapping his position as Armed Forces vice chief of staff with then Nolcom chief Lt. Gen. Glorioso Miranda upon the orders of Aquino.

Miranda and Tanalgo are both members of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983.

The Armed Forces Public Affairs Office chief, Col. Noel Detoyato, said the appointment of Tanalgo as Nolcom chief was made out of maritime consideration, apparently referring to problem involving Scarborough Shoal.

Marcos thanks critics for ‘so much attention’

By Ferdinand G. Patinio Philippines News Agency

I

NSTEAD of condemning his detractors, Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed gratitude to them “for giving my candidacy [for vice president] so much attention.”

Marcos noted that the nonstop attention by his critics had won him more supporters.

“Napakalaki ng atensyon sa akin [at] salamat naman sa walang tigil na pagpansin sa aking kandidatura.

Pero part iyan ng politika, [at dahil] sa mga nangyayari sa akin ang mga supporters ko ang dumadami…hindi iyong bumabatikos,” he said in an ambush interview after he met political leaders during his Unity Caravan in Quezon City.

Marcos is also wondering why some people seemed to be afraid of him when he had not attacked anyone.

“Iyon na nga pinagtataka ko e. Bakit natatakot sila sa akin, e ang bait-bait ko naman. Nananahimik lang naman ako,” he added.

With this, the independent vicepresidential bet is expecting more attacks against him as campaigning heats up in remaining weeks leading to the May 9 elections.

“Hindi kami magkakasama, hindi magkaka-alyado kaya ini-expect natin na sa darating na ilang linggo dadami pa iyan,” he said.

Despite the attacks, Marcos chose

Counterfeit goods

Customs Commissioner Alberto D. Lina (right) and representatives of the Intellectual Property Office and the Department of Trade in Industry (DTI) witness the shredding of the initial batch of P9 billion worth of seized counterfeit goods smuggled into the country. The goods include shirts, footwear, toys, electronic gadgets and food seasoning, among others. JPT Pro-Earth will provide the facilities for the destruction of the seized goods daily in the next three months. Others in the photo are Intellectual Property Office Director General Josephine Santiago (from left), JPT PRO Earth Representative Josephine Talorong and DTI representative Claire Anne Cabochan.

to stick to his campaign and not be provoked to engage in mudslinging, adding that a candidate’s platform is what is important to the people.

“Hindi na ako nakikisali sa pamumulitika, sa paninira at sinasagot ko na lang ay ang mga tanong ng tao kung paano ko mapapabuti ang buhay nila at maipaliwanag ang aking programa para sa pamahalaan. Ipagpapatuloy

lang natin ang pagbigkas ng mensahe ng pagkakaisa at programa na palagay ko ay mas mahalaga sa taong bayan kaysa itong pamumulitika,” he said.

On the other hand, a well-known politician in Quezon City has endorsed the vice-presidential candidacy of Marcos.

Three-term representative and two-term councilor Vincent Crisologo

expressed his support for the senator during the latter’s visit at Barangay Pagibig sa Nayon, District 1 of the said city.

Other politicians also backed Marcos’s vice-presidential bid, including reelectionist Onyx Crisologo and Von Yalong, who is also running for councilor in the city and former Rep.Chuck Mathay.

National Police starts purge in wake of Kidapawan killings

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IDA PAWA N CIT Y—T he National Police Central Mindanao command relieved its top officers in North Cotabato province in the fallout of the April 1 dispersal of thousands of protesting farmers who blockaded the segment of the Cotabato-Davao Highway to dramatize their plight caused by the harsh effects of the droughtspawned El Niño.

T he protest i ng f a r mers stopped traffic f low on the highway for four days prior to the chaotic dispersal that claimed the lives of two protesters and the wounding of over a hundred farmers and crowd-control policemen.

Senior Supt. Danilo Peralta, administrative head of National Police Central Mindanao command, confirmed on Friday the relief of Senior Supt. Alexander Tagum as provincial commander and Supt. John Calinga as this city’s police chief.

The relief order stemmed from the law-enforcement operation currently being investigated by the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

Peralta said it is the command’s policy to relieve all officers who are being investigated.

The same order named Supt.

Jose Briones, concurrent provincial police operations chief, would seat as North Cotabato police officer in charge and Supt. Noel Kinazo, provincial police office

deputy chief for administration, acts as Calinga’s replacement.

Both Tagum and Calinga are mandated to submit themselves to the ongoing investigation, Peralta said.

This developed as the remaining 1,114 far mers stay ing at the compound of a local church returned home on Thursday to their respective communities in the province.

The last batch of farmers was part of a much bigger 6,000-strong group that clashed w ith 200 crowd-control policemen during the dispersal operation that was launched to clear the highway for the motorcade of a presidential candidate and his ticket.

Jer r y A lbor me, prov inc i a l chairman of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, said each protester went home with 25 kilos of rice, taken from donations that reached 1,223 bags following the dispersal incident.

He said out of the total rice donation, 245 bags were consumed during the rally, while the remaining 978 bags had been divided among the protest-action participants.

Alborme said future rice donations would be coursed through the Philippine Red Cross and partners owing to existing Commission on Elections regulations, which prohibit government entities on releasing funds before the May 9 polls. PNA

E-courts system gets UNDP nod

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HE country’s e-courts system is considered a good model in expediting the delivery of justice and reduction of corruption in Asia-Pacific countries, a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report said.

UNDP said the creation of ecourts augurs well for the achievement of the targets set under the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 on justice for all.

SDG 16 targets include equal access to justice for all; reduction of corruption and bribery in all their forms; and effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels, among others.

“The use of new technologies helps reduce human intervention, thus, minimizing integrity risks along the justice chain—from the electronic-raffle system assigning cases, to the adoption of the Automated Hearing System, which electronically captures every activity of the trial, including orders issued by the judge, minutes and marking of evidences,” the UNDP report said.

The system was tested in the 58 courts in Quezon City in 2013. The city, at that time, had the highest caseload in the country—about 7.5 percent of the total nationwide.

Similar were also set up in 15 other localities, including those in provinces north of Manila and the central Philippines. By 2015, the number of e-courts reached more than 94, including one in Tacloban City.

The e-court in Tacloban expedited the issuance of decisions, thus, serving justice to the residents, especially in the wake of Supertyphoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan),which destroyed all court facilities and almost all court records.

UNDP said this year, 120 ecourts will be established in Manila, Pasig City and Mandaluyong City. By the end of 2016, 287 trial courts will be covered by the system. These will handle about 30 percent of the total caseload of the trial courts in the country. “ W hile technolo g y is not offered as a panacea to corruption within justice systems, modernization and automation of judicial

services can be key enablers for judicial transparency and accountability, the report adds.

UNDP said corrupt judicial systems undermine reforms and are a major impediment to ensuring access to justice and human rights for ordinary citizens across the world.

Citing data from Transparency International, the UNDP said 28 percent of citizens across SubSaharan Africa who had contact with a judge or court official paid a bribe—more than the police and any other public-sector service.

In Bangladesh, UNDP said, the average bribe of $108 that a court user has to pay accounts for roughly a quarter of the per-capita GDP. “We are advocating the judiciary to open itself to peer learning by engaging with counterparts in other countries and allowing meaningful capacity assessments that will lead to increased judicial integrity” said Phil Matsheza, regional practice leader in UNDP’s Bangkok Regional Hub. Apart from the experience of the Philippines, the report also discussed successful experiences from Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya, Kosovo, Nepal, Nigeria, Paraguay and Somalia, in promoting transparency and accountability within the judiciary.

It discusses internal oversight within the judiciary, such as judicial councils, and explains the mechanisms used in Somaliland to enforce sanctions against judic i al o ff icers in cas es o f misconduct.

It also looks at how stakeholders, such as associations of judges and court users, can become allies in reforming judicial systems.

For example, the report cites the use of surveys and consultations with court users that have led to more responsive services and reduced demands for bribes in countries such as Kenya and Nigeria.

“Corruption undermines justice in many parts of the world with the poor and vulnerable suffering most,” said Cobus de Swardt, managing director of the International Secretariat of Transparency International. Cai U. Ordinario

Sports BusinessMirror

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Saturday, April 9, 2016 A7

Azkals climb 19 rungs on Fifa list

CHRISTOPHER ULBOC (right photo) is unbeatable in the men’s steeplechase, while Filipino-American Donovant Arriola is king of long jump. NONOY LACZA

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HE Philippines earned its best ranking so far in world football history by jumping 19 places to 116th spot.

Capping the month of March with a dauntless and historic 3-2 triumph over North Korea in the Asian Qualifiers of the 2018 World Cup a week ago at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, the Azkals made that huge leap from No. 135, according to the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) rankings.

It was the best ranking for Philippine football since its No. 127 position in 2013. The Azkals are also tops in the Southeast Asian football region,

topping Thailand (119), which made it to the final round of the Asian World Cup Qualifiers.

The Philippines finished third in Group H of Asian World Cup Qualifiers, tallying 10 points from three wins, four losses and a draw thus giving the Azkals a third-round berth for the Asian Cup Qualifiers in 2019.

The men’s national football team will also be seeing action in the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup this November, hosted by the country at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan and the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila. Lance Agcaoili

Zaragosa, R Go wrest golf titles

UPERT ZARAGOSA and Lois Kaye Go carved out victories in varying fashions to share top honors in the first MVPSF Visayas Regional Match Play Championship at the Cebu Country Club in Cebu on Friday. But while Zaragosa scored an expected 6&5 romp over local bet Rolando Pila to run away with the men’s crown, Go pulled off a 2-up triumph over reigning national amateur stroke-play champion Harmie Constantino in their own side of the grueling 36-hole duel in scorching heat.

Zaragosa, winner of a number of titles in the ranks, imposed his will early, going 4-up after 18 holes in morning play before cruising to victory in the afternoon match. The lopsided triumph capped Zaragosa’s domination of the weeklong event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, PLDT, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and the Philippine Sports Commission that saw the diminutive Canlubang mainstay top the 36-hole stroke-play elims and romp off with emphatic wins all throughout the knockout phase.

The 16-year-old Go, on the other hand, rallied from one hole down in the morning play with clutch pars in the stretch to turn back Constantino, foiling her rival’s bid to extend the marathon match by taking the final hole and claiming her biggest victory in a young career before an appreciative hometown gallery.

But like Zaragosa, Go lorded it over the ladies field in the qualifier, finishing six strokes ahead of Constantino.

She also strung up three victories in emphatic fashions to set up a title clash with Constantino.

Jolo Magcalayo, whom Zaragosa beat, 3&2, in Friday’s semifinals, nipped Marko Sarmiento on the 19th hole to snare third-place honors in the event, organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines, while Kristine Torralba placed third in the ladies side with a walkover win over Angela Mangana.

ULBOC MAKES FOES EAT DUST

By Ramon Rafael Bonilla

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HRISTOPHE ULBOC expectedly won the men’s steeplechase gold medal but fell short of earning a ticket to the Rio Olympics as familiar names dominated Day Two of the 2016 Ayala-Philippine National Open Invitational Athletics Championships on Friday at the PhilSports Complex in Pasig City.

Ulboc, the Singapore 2015 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, was unchallenged in clocking a winning time of nine minutes and 11.79 seconds.

But his numbers were not enough not only to match his personal best of 8:56.00 but, more important, to beat the Rio qualifying time of 8:30.

“Sa tingin ko okay ‘yung performance ko pero baka malabo na ang Rio Olympics.

Ang tina-target na lang namin ay ang 2017 Southeast Asian [SEA] Games [Malaysia] at,

UP Street eyes third UAAP title

U

NIVERSITY of the Philippines eyes a third straight championship as a the University Athletic Association of the Philippines holds its Season 78 Streetdance Competition on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Using an array of 1990s and current dance mixes, UP Street with its luksong tinik theme tallied 178 points to win last year’s title, beating Company of Ateneo Dancers (167.3) and two-time titlist La Salle Dance Company-Street (167).

With a remarkable mix of hip-hop and electronic dance music, Ateneo achieved its best finish in the four-year competition with a clean routine, while La Salle had an impressive Backstreet Boys-inspired performance.

The competition actually returned last season after it was shelved in 2014, and UP Street did not waste the opportunity to extend its reign. The seven-team event will start at 2 p.m. It will be aired live on ABS-CBN Sports+Action Channel 23.

Action in women’s volleyball resumes on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena, with defending champion Ateneo and De La Salle clashing for the second time this season to at 4:30 p.m.

Already assured of twice-to-beat slots in the Final Four, the Lady Eagles (11-2) and the Lady Spikers (10-2) will still go all out as the two fiercest rivals are eyeing for the victory to secure the No. 1 seeding in the postseason.

hopefully, ang 2020 Olympics,” Ulboc said.

Also making their presence felt in the open presented by Ayala Corp. and also backed by Milo Nutri-up, Philippine Sports Commission, Foton Philippines, PCSO, Summit Natural Drinking Water, Appeton, Asics Watch, L TimeStudio and media partners the BusinessMirror, BusinessMirror Health and Fitness magazine and radio station Mellow 94.7, were long-jump queen Marestella Torres’s husband Eli Sunang and Filipino-Americans Donovant Arriola and Jessica Lyn Barnard.

Sunang bagged the men’s shotput gold medal with a throw of 15.31 meters, beating Albert Mantua (15.00) and Malaysia’s Ronmol Andawa (13.6).

Arriola, on the other hand, leapt 7.48 meters in his sixth attempt to rule the men’s long jump, beating College of St. Benilde’s Julian Reem Fuentes (7.41) and Barnard had little trouble taking the women’s 800-meter

gold in 2:11.65, with Neslee Angco (2:22.9) and Vanessa del Valle (2:23.9) settling for the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Rising to the occasion were a slew of varsity athletes, including Elbren Neri and Macrose Dichoso, who upset their seasoned rivals.

The 21-year-old Neri, a student from University of Santo Tomas, clinched the men’s 800-meter-run gold with a time of 1:52.50, in the process shoving Southeast Asian Games silver medalist Mervin Guarte (1:53.31) to the bronze medal. Air Force’s Wenlie Maulas (1:52.90) bagged silver.

“Nahirapan ako kasi 53 seconds ang target ni coach nung first lap [400 meters] pa lang. Eh, nag-55 seconds ako,” Neri said.

Dichoso, an Education student at the University of the East, also pulled the rug from under veterans Christabel Martes and Mary Grace de los Santos to win the women’s 10,000 meters in 39:27.70. Dischoso,

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By Tim Dahlberg The Associated Press

AS VEGAS—Manny Pacquiao was sitting on a couch, talking about his dreams.

Good ones and bad, like the one he had a month before fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. “I dreamed I lost the fight, but in my dream I also saw there was a problem,” Pacquiao said. “It happened exactly like my dream.”

A lot of boxing fans might have wished Pacquiao had disclosed his dreams before last May’s megafight. They could have saved themselves thousands of dollars for a ticket or $100 to watch at home on pay-per-view in boxing’s richest fight.

Instead, they paid to see a ho-hum fight won

by Mayweather, quickly followed by an excuse from Pacquiao. In the fourth round he reinjured a shoulder no one outside his camp knew was injured, Pacquiao said, leading to his defeat.

In all it was huge letdown for almost everyone involved. What was billed as one of the greatest matchups in recent years was a snoozer that looked little different from any other Mayweather fight.

Now Pacquiao returns nearly a year later for a welterweight fight with Timothy Bradley that even promoter Bob Arum is having difficulty figuring out how to sell. The two meet in a rubber match of

their three-fight series on Saturday night (Sunday morning in Manila), and once again Arum wants fight fans to dig into their pockets for what could be Pacquiao’s final pay-per-view fight.

Arum has jumped in the middle of Pacquiao’s derogatory comments about gays, calling them outrageous while defending the fighter himself. He’s put together a “No Trump” undercard of Hispanic fighters and tried to market the fight as a clash between longtime Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach and new Bradley trainer Teddy Atlas.

But even a promoter of Arum’s stature— he’s celebrating his 50th year in boxing this month—can do only so much. The first two fights between Pacquiao and Bradley weren’t terribly memorable, and boxing fans may still be suffering a hangover from the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight.

While his fight with Mayweather generated 4.4 million buys, this one will struggle to do the 700,000 Arum is predicting, even at a lower price.

There are also still tickets available at the MGM Grand box office, also a lot cheaper than the Mayweather fight.

Still, there’s a good chance this will be Pacquiao’s last fight, the final time we’ll see the remarkable Filipino who started boxing in the ring at age 12. He’s running for Senate in the Philippines, and if he wins he’ll have a full-time job that would leave little time for training.

LIM RULES BAGUIO CLIMB

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22, is back from an 18-month rest after giving birth to her first child.

“Humabol si Grace sa last 5,000, si Martes naman nu’ng 8,000 meters.

First time ko silang nakalaban. Masaya, exciting, hindi ako makapaniwala na mananalo ako sa kanila,” Dichoso said.

Martes settled for the silver after finishing 22.7 seconds behind Dichoso with 39.57.9, while de los Santos took the bronze with 40:55.6.

Rosie Villarito of Army prevailed in women’s javelin throw with 45.83 meters, followed by Far Eastern University’s Evalyn Palabrica (43.55) and UST’s Sarah Diquiran (39.84).

Charlie de la Cruz of Jose Rizal University claimed the boy’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in 10:10.03, with Fernando Reyes of La Union (10:18.16) finishing second.

USTON LIM of LBC-MVP Sports Foundation used his superb mountain-climbing skills to top Stage Four and close in on leader Jan Paul Morales of Navy-Standard Insurance in Friday’s Luzon Leg fourth stage of the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2016 that started in Dagupan City and finished at the Burnham Park in Baguio City.

Lim outlasted early leaders Navy’s El Joshua Cariño and Lloyd Lucien Reynante in the dreaded Benguet mountains and clocked two hours, 48 minutes and 16.99 seconds to win his first Baguio stage after three runner-up finishes to Junrey Navarra.

Cariño wound up second in 2:49:43.84, while Reynante, the Navy skipper, checked in third in 2:49:45.78.

“I gave everything to catch up with them [Reynante and Cariño]. When I attacked and they didn’t do anything, I just kept my pace,” said Lim, who hails from Guimba, Nueva Ecija.

Lim, a former Asian Juniors bronze medalist, earned 15 points for topping the stage that catapulted him from third to second place with 44 points.

He also chopped the once-mighty 16-point lead of Morales to just eight going into the fifth and final stage—a 2.70-km criterium

also at the Burnham Park.

Morales, the Mindanao Leg titlist who ruled the first three Luzon stages, was fifth with a clocking of 2:51:54.46 but still kept the red jersey.

LBC-MVPSF’s George Oconer was No. 4 at 2:50:45.11 and skidded to fourth overall with 40 points.

Morales said he smells victory.

“I think I’m too far ahead and the criterium is my specialty,” the 30-year-old Morales said.

The last stage could be Morales’s coronation ride as he needs only to finish fourth to clinch the title.

Summer clinics on Monday

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NBA RESULTS Phoenix 124, Houston 115

He runs hot and cold about leaving boxing, though, and there is the alluring prospect of another big payday or two if he is impressive against Bradley.

“It’s hard to say right now,” Pacquiao said. “I haven’t been there. I don’t know the feeling of being there. But I’m OK with that [retirement].”

If Pacquiao does retire it won’t be because he’s taken too many punches in 65 fights over the last 21 years. He still has his mental faculties, as evidenced by a command of English that gets better every fight, and feels fresh after taking nearly a year off to relax and repair his shoulder.

But he’s getting pressure from his wife to stop boxing, and wants to transition from being a congressman to a senator and, perhaps in the future, make a run for the presidency.

“It’s not about being tired of boxing,” Pacquiao said. “It’s about the advice of my family.”

Even with the loss to Mayweather in a fight that paid him more than $100 million,Pacquiao would seem to have little left to prove in the ring. He won his first title 18 years ago at 112 pounds and added seven others in the years in between as he transformed from scrappy fighter to boxing superstar.

He also claims to have some money still left after years of buying cars, houses and providing for the needs of a lot of his countrymen.

Miami 106, Chicago 98 Atlanta 95, Toronto 87 Minnesota 105, Sacramento 97 Golden State 112, San Antonio 101

NOW Manny Pacquiao returns nearly a year later for a welterweight fight with Timothy Bradley that even promoter Bob Arum is having difficulty figuring out how to sell. AP “I’m OK, I’m OK,” Pacquiao said about his finances.

Sitting on the couch in a VIP room at the MGM Grand a few days before his fight with Bradley, Pacquiao seemed at peace with both his life and career. He laughed easily, tried his best to explain contradictions in when exactly his shoulder was hurt (he now claims 2009) and talked about how moving up in weight had taken away some of his knockout power.

He also talked about his dreams, including the one that came to him before the Mayweather fight that he would lose. There have been no dreams about this fight,Pacquiao said, although Roach was quick to offer one of his own.

“I dreamed that he wins this fight by a knockout,” Roach said.

LADY TROOPERS GEAR UP FOR THAIS

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By Lance Agcoili

C COLA-ARMY dismantled F2 Logistics, 25-21, 25-20, 25-16, on Friday to send a strong message in the 2016 PLDT Home Ultera Philippine Superliga (PSL) Invitational Cup women’s volleyball tournament on Friday at the Filoil FLying V Center in San Juan.

Behind Honey Royse Tubino and Rachel Anne Daquis, the three-time champion Lady Troopers were in control throughout to go 2-0 won-lost in the final round of the tournament bankrolled by Asics, Mikasa, Senoh, Mueller, Grand Sport with TV5 as official broadcast partner.

Tubino made 16 kills for 18 points, while Daquis bucked a bad right shoulder to chip in 11 points for RC Cola-Army, which will figure in a much-anticipated battle against

OUNG basketball and volleyball hopefuls converge starting on Monday at the Ateneo courts in Katipunan, Quezon City, for the summer sessions of the multiawarded and pioneering Basketball Efficiency and Scientific Training (BEST) Center clinics backed by Milo.

The Monday and Thursday clinics for

visiting Est Cola of Thailand on Saturday.

RC Cola-Army Coach Kungfu Reyes didn’t hide his excitement in facing the Thais, who were invited by PSL President Ramon “Tats” Suzara to give local players a chance to battle world-caliber players.

“We’re done playing with local teams. Now, we’re ready to face our biggest battle, which is Thailand,” said Reyes, the former University of Santo Tomas star who served as deputy coach when the Philippines competed in the Asian U-17 Youth Girls Volleyball Championship in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, last year.

“We’re quite familiar with their brand of play after facing them last year,” Reyes said. “We will use our experience to our advantage. If we can slow down the tempo, we will do it.”

basketball will be from April 11 to May 2 for students in Preparatory Level and Level 1 (9 years and up), Level 2 (9 to 11 years old) and Level 5, from 8 to 11:30 a.m.

Also, 1 to 4:30 pm sessions are set for students in Preparatory Level, Level 1 (9-up), Level 2 (12-up), Level 3, Level 4 and Level 6.

Volleyball clinics for Levels 1 to 3 students are set on Tuesday and Friday, from April 12 to May 3 from 8 to 11:30 a.m.

Ateneo de Zamboanga will also host Milo Best clinics for students in Preparatory Level and Levels 1, 2 and 3. Provincial enrollees can contact Pedro Alfaro and Fr. Myk Cron (0917-821-5441).

Regional netfest goes to Mindoro

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manda Gabrielle Zoleta and Rewel Justiniani set out for the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional tennis circuit, hoping to nail at least one title each in the Mindoro leg, which fires off on Saturday at the Pinamalayan Tennis Club.

Zoleta, one of the top junior players from Lucena City, vies in two categories, going up against fellow fancied bets Kiana de Asis, Julia Ignacio and Lila Salvacion, also of Lucena, in the girls’ 14-under and Tracy Llamas, Rianna Aquino, Judy Ann Saudan, Abby Amboy and Francaix Manguiat from the National Capital Region in the 16-under division.

“We expect a highly competitive tournament plus some surprises from the local players who are all raring to prove their worth against their counterparts from other cities, including Manila,” Palawan Pawnshop President/CEO Bobby Castro said. “We also thank the hosts for providing free accommodation to all participants.”

Justiniani, on the other hand, will see action in three classes, including the premier boys’ 18-under side where he is the top seed with Joseph Abuel, Rommel Sagel and Lloyd Sapuma out to foil his bid. The La Carlota, Negros, ace is ranked second to Jerome Ignacio in the 16-under section that includes Kitoy Abuel, Kurt Garcia, Anthony Henderin and Lorenzo Legaspi but gets the top ranking again in the 14-U side that features sibling Khenz Justiniani, Andrei Guinoo, Gabriel Avila and Henderin.

Also tipped to contend for the crown in the Group 2 event sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger are Patrick and Luis Salvacion and Jerome Ignacio, also from Lucena, Rye Christian Ruanto from Manila, and Kalibo City’s Lorenzo Legaspi and John Bolivar.

But a slew of local talents are also going all out to pull off some surprises, including Aquino, Saudan, Amboy, Judy Ann Sajo, DM Madrid, Kurt Garcia, Kitoy Manuel, Romel Saguer and Joseph Abuel.

For details, call Bobby Mangunay, PPS-PEPP regional age group tennis event organizer and Sports Program Development director at 0915-4046464.

Sports CATCH JORDAN!

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aturday, April 9, 2016 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph sports@businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao Asst. Editor: Joel Orellana

JORDAN SPIETH picks up where he left off at Augusta National. AP

Jordan Spieth capped off the only bogey-free round in the wicked wind at Augusta National by making a 15-foot par putt on the 16th hole and hitting an 8-iron into 6 feet for birdie on the final hole for a six-under 66 and a two-shot lead, the first step in his bid to win another green jacket.

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BusinessMirror

By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press

UGUSTA, Georgia—Jordan Spieth is off to another great start in the Masters because of the way he finished.

His two biggest rivals were left behind because they couldn’t.

Spieth capped off the only bogey-free round in the wicked wind at Augusta National by making a 15-foot par putt on the 16th hole and hitting an 8-iron into 6 feet for birdie on the final hole for a six-under 66 and a two-shot lead, the first step in his bid to win another green jacket.

Jason Day couldn’t keep pace. On the verge of tying for the lead late in the round on Thursday, Day dropped five shots in three holes and had to settle for a 72. Rory McIlroy pulled to within two shots of the lead until he made two bogeys over the last three holes.

When a day of big wind, big numbers and far too many putts for Ernie Els was finally over, it felt as though nothing had changed from last year.

Spieth is the man to beat at the Masters.

He was atop the leaderboard for the fifth straight round, and he has had at least a share of the lead in six of the last seven rounds at the Masters. One more and he matches the longest streak since Arnold Palmer in 1960 and the opening two rounds of 1961.

And just like last year, now it’s time for the rest of the field to try to catch him.

“We’re through one round,” Spieth said. “There’s going to be a lot of different changes. There are going to be a lot of different birdies, bogeys and everything in between. We know how to win this golf tournament, and we believe in our process.

And if the putts are dropping, then hopefully it goes our way.”

He had a two-shot lead over Danny Lee and Shane Lowry.

Three shots behind was a group that included Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose and Paul Casey.

Still in the mix were Day and McIlroy, though both gave up a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

Day’s troubles began when he three-putted for bogey on the par-5 15th, pulled his tee shot into the water on the par-3 16th for a triple bogey and then sailed the green on the 17th and dropped another shot. When he finished, he was six behind the defending champion.

“I’ve just got to slowly try to inch my way back into this tournament if I can, and be patient with myself, and hopefully I’m there by Sunday,” Day said. “But it’s a major championship. Things

happen. And unfortunately, it happened at the wrong time today.”

Right when Day was falling apart, McIlroy holed an 18-foot eagle putt on the 13th and looked to be on his way in his bid to win a green jacket and complete the career Grand Slam. He was within two shots of the lead until he three-putted the 16th for bogey and missed the 18th green to the right, was plugged in a bunker and dropped another shot for a 70.

“If somebody had given me a 70 on the first day, I would have taken it,” McIlroy said. “I’m a little disappointed in the way I finished.”

It could have been worse.

Bubba Watson, a two-time champion, had a 41 on the back nine and shot 75. He wasn’t even low Watson—66-year-old Tom Watson, in his last Masters, shot 74. Adam Scott, coming off two victories in Florida last month, opened with a 76.

Rickie Fowler had his worst score ever at Augusta National by posting an 80, with 44 of those shots coming on the back nine.

Spieth simply picked up where he left off a year ago.

Never mind that he discovered a hairline crack in his driver during Wednesday practice and had to find a backup for the opening round.

Or that he was hearing questions about what was wrong with his game from not having seriously contended in the last two months.

Spieth was at Augusta National, a course that feels like home for the 22-year-old Texan.

“I would have signed for two under today and not even played the rough, knowing the conditions that were coming up,” Spieth said. “Just scored extremely well, which is something I’ve been struggling with this season. If I can kind of straighten out things with the iron play, hopefully we’ll be in business. But yeah, I’m extremely pleased with that round today. I felt like we stole a few.”

For all the birdies—none longer than 12 feet—the pars make Spieth look so tough to beat.

He settled himself early with a beautiful pitch across the first green to 2 feet. He pumped his fist with a tough pitch over the bunker and to the upper tier on No. 4. He gambled with a 4-iron through a tiny gap in the trees on the 11th and made it pay off with another par. On 16, he kept his card clean by ramming in a 15-foot par putt.

By the end of the day, no one could do better.

Nine players couldn’t break 80, a group that included Els, who took six putts from 2 feet on the opening hole for a 9. He played the rest of the day at one over.

“It wouldn’t matter if I putted with a stick,” Els said.

“When snakes are going off in your brain, it’s difficult.”

BIG DEBACLE FOR BIG EASY

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UGUSTA, Georgia—Ernie Els was 2 feet from a par to start the Masters.

Twenty-four measly inches.

Then, the unimaginable happened. One miss. And another. And another. And another. And another.

Finally, on his sixth putt—a one-handed swat that showed his total disgust—Els finished off a quintuplebogey 9 that essentially ruined any hope of contending for a green jacket on the very first hole on Thursday.

Talk about a hard one to take for the Big Easy.

“I can’t explain it,” said Els, who went on to shoot an eight-over 80 that matched his highest score ever at Augusta National and left him a whopping 14 shots behind leader Jordan Spieth. “You’re not able to do what you normally do.

It’s unexplainable.”

Els posted the worst score ever at No. 1, a 445-yarder known as “Tea Olive.”

No one at the Masters had ever gone higher than 8 on the par-4 hole.

“I feel bad for Ernie,” said Spieth, the defending Masters champion. “It’s obviously in your head. I’ve certainly had my moments, everybody has, from short range, where they just are not confident in where they are starting it. And on Augusta National’s greens, with the wind blowing, it’s a place you certainly want to be comfortable.”

Making the whole scene downright surreal, none of the putts appeared longer than 4 feet. Els just kept knocking the ball back and forth past the cup, totally bedeviled by not only the slick, treacherous greens at Augusta National, but basically a meltdown in his mental approach.

He missed so many times, the score was initially recorded as a 10 instead of a 9. It was easy to lose count. Even Els wasn’t quite sure how many times he putted.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever seen anything like that,” said Jason Day, who was playing with Els. “You don’t want to see any player go through something like that. It can be sometimes career ending for guys like that if they really are fighting it that much. I just want Ernie to kind of get back to what he used to do, and start playing some good golf again and try to get past this.”

Els’s correct score was finally posted after he finished his round.

Not that it was much solace to the South African.

“I can’t get the putter to go back,” Els said. “I’m not sure where I go from here.”

Tom Watson, playing in the Masters for the final time, said Els’s putts were harder than they might have looked, especially on a blustery day.

“It’s probably the windiest green on the golf course,” Watson said.

But Els said the conditions had nothing with it.

He three-putted from 25 feet at No. 2. He missed a 6-footer at the 15th, an 8-footer at the 16th, and a 4-footer at the 17th. Finally, he closed with a three-putt from 16 feet at the final hole, the crowd groaning one last time in the fading sunlight.

Els’s only real highlight with the putter was a 40-foot birdie at the fifth.

“I can count up 15 shots I lost out there just on the greens,” Els moaned.

After the third putt at No. 1, Els stared at the ball with a disbelieving hint of a smile. By the end, he let his frustration get the best of him, making a halfhearted flick at the ball with one hand on the club from less than a foot away. Naturally, it lipped out. This one would’ve been tough to take for a weekend duffer.

Imagine how a guy who has won four major titles must’ve felt, though it wasn’t the first time Els has come down with the yips at a major championship.

At the first hole of the 2014 British Open, he struck a spectator in the face with his opening tee shot and was still shaken when he got to the green. Els missed a 1-foot putt, and then missed again when he carelessly tried to back-hand the ball into the hole. AP

ERNIE ELS finishes off a quintuple-bogey 9 that essentially ruined any hope of contending for a green jacket on the very first hole on Thursday. AP