Businessmirror august 20, 2016

“No joke, we were literally being chased by the fire. You’ve got flames on the side of you. You’ve got flames behind you.”—April Christy, describing the chaotic scene, as wildfires tore through mountain and desert communities east of Los Angeles. AP

“We were passing them from one balcony to the other.”—Mahmoud Raslan, a photojournalist for Al Jazeera Mubasher, who helped pull victims and survivors from the rubble after an air strike on Aleppo, Syria. AP

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2015 environmental Media Award leadership award 2008

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A broader look at today’s business n

Saturday, August 20, 2016 Vol. 11 No. 315

TMAP: Federal system must ease tax regime

Under a federal he Tax Management Association of the system, we will Philippines (TMAP) on Friday said the still push for a tax administration in the proposed federal simplified tax system of government should be simplified system and to encourage more voluntary compliance and preserve the ease preserve the ease of doing business, even after the of doing business.”

Continued on A2 proposed shift.

—Tugonon

By David Cagahastian

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INSIDE

MERCIFULLY KINDLE IN US

P25.00 nationwide | 4 sections 20 pages | 7 days a week

OPEC FREEZE WOULDN’T BE SO POTENT AS GULF RIVALS PUMP MORE OIL

@davecaga

O Lord, who has mercy upon all, take away from us our sins and mercifully kindle in us the fire of the Holy Spirit. Take away from us the heart of a stone, and give us a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore Thee, a heart to delight in Thee, to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ’s sake. We ask Your grace and inspiration from the Holy Spirit that You mercifully kindle in us, a life full of holiness and joyful life. Amen!

Saint Ambrose of Milan (339-397), Shared by Louie M. Lacson

rio olympics medal tally

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media partner of the year

“I don’t care if Donald Duck is running the campaign. If he can make this thing about Hillary Clinton’s record and getting the country back on track, that’s what’s going to win this election.”—Henry Barbour, a Republican National committeeman from Mississippi, after Donald Trump’s latest campaign staff shake-up. AP

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VEn if the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) strikes a deal with Russia next month in Algiers to freeze oil production, success will mean a lot less than when they tried and failed four months ago.

Oil has rallied more than 10 percent, since the Opec said it will hold an informal meeting in the Algerian capital, fanning speculation the group could complete a supply agreement with rival producers that sputtered in April. Iran may now drop its refusal to join a freeze, after restoring most of the crude output curbed by sanctions, a development analysts say makes a deal more likely, but also less worthwhile.

“A freeze at 34 million barrels a day is not the same as one at 33 million barrels a day,” said David Hufton, CEO of PVM Group in London, referring to the broker’s own estimate for total Opec output. “It pushes the rebalancing process back at least a year.”

Saudi Arabia and Iran, whose political rivalry thwarted the previous negotiations, are together pumping about 1 million barrels a day more than in January—the proposed level of the original freeze.

That additional crude has prolonged a global oversupply, preventing the market from sliding into deficit this quarter, according to Bloomberg calculations based on International Energy Agency (IEA) data.

See “Opec,” A2

1 United States 2 Great Britain 3 China 4 Germany 5 Russia 6 Japan 7 France 8 Italy 9 Netherlands 10 Australia 11 South Korea 12 Hungary 13 Brazil 14 Spain 15 Croatia 16 Jamaica 17 New Zealand 18 Kenya 19 Canada 20 Kazakhstan 21 Cuba 22 Argentina 23 Ukraine 24 North Korea 25 Poland 26 Belgium 26 Thailand 28 Colombia 29 Uzbekistan 30 Greece 62 Philippines

G 35 22 20 13 12 12 8 8 8 7 7 7 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0

S 33 21 16 8 15 6 12 10 4 10 3 3 5 2 2 0 8 4 3 5 2 1 4 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1

B 32 13 22 11 17 18 14 6 4 10 8 4 5 3 0 2 3 0 11 7 4 0 2 2 4 2 2 1 5 2 0

T 100 56 58 32 44 36 34 24 16 27 18 14 15 10 7 7 15 8 18 15 9 4 8 7 8 6 6 5 8 5 1

RIDE AND DINE Colorful jeepneys are parked at Gerry’s Jeepney in Maginhawa Street in Quezon City. Customers can dine inside the jeepneys with their special Filipino dishes presented in boodle style. ALYSA SALEN

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@MiaRosienna

he economy is seen to sustain its strong growth throughout the second half of the year, as the private sector has reacted positively to the initial moves and policy pronouncements of President Duterte, according to First Metro Investment Corp. (FMIC) and the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) Capital Markets Research.

In the August 2016 issue of The Market Call, the FMIC and UA&P

PESO exchange rates n US 46.3060

said further growth will be hinged on low inflation and strong domestic savings, as the new administration is “bent on accelerating spending, especially in some key areas, and big-ticket PPP [public-private partnership] projects taking off.”

The report added that government spending could provide the third engine of growth.

“However, given the absorptive capacity constraints among the different government departments/agencies, coupled with an eagle-eyed Commission on Audit,

A

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

the fiscal deficit may only reach the original target of 2 percent of GDP inherited from the previous administration,” the FMIC and UA&P report said.

The macroeconomic horizon is expected to expand further and continue industry-high growth of 6.6 percent to 7.3 percent in the remaining six months of the year.

On Thursday the Philippine Statistics Authority announced the 7-percent growth of the GDP for the Aprilto-June period.

group of geothermal-energy developers has urged the government to provide incentives to address the barriers related to costs and resource-exploration risks.

In particular, the National Geothermal Association of the Philippines (NGAP) said geothermal projects should be included in the feed-in tariff (FiT) program.

FiT is a preset power price that is guaranteed to qualified new renewable-energy providers. Under Republic Act 9513, or the 2008 Renewable Energy Act, FiT is already provided to solar-, wind- and other renewable-energy sources considered “emerging technology” for the Philippines, but geothermal is not yet included.

The Department of Energy (DOE), according to the group, is actively encouraging the development of renewable-electricity generation through the National Renewable Energy Program, which outlines the government’s goal to increase geothermal-power capacity by 75 percent, with an addition of 1,465 megawatts (MW) for the period 2013 to 2030.

Continued on A2

See “Geothermal plants,” A2

Economy seen sustaining growth in H2

By Mia Rosienna Mallari

Group asks govt to grant perks to geothermal plants

n japan 0.4637 n UK 60.9850 n HK 5.9728 n CHINA 6.9806 n singapore 34.5799 n australia 35.5862 n EU 52.5851 n SAUDI arabia 12.3519

Source: BSP (19 August 2016 )

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Saturday, August 20, 2016

www.businessmirror.com.ph

TMAP: Federal system must ease tax regime Continued from A1

TMAP President Benedict R. Tugonon said that, while TMAP is not an expert in the federal system and will defer to foreign experts on this matter, the members of the group are hopeful and will continue to advocate for a simplified tax system during the discussions on how the federal government will be structured.

“We really do not know yet how taxation will be in a federal system. This is something that we are not experts in and we would surely want to study and listen

from the foreign experts,” Tugonon said in a text message to the BusinessMirror.

“However, even under a federal system, we will still push for a simplified tax system and preserve the ease of doing business,” he added.

This issue on the details of the proposed federal government for the Philippines will be tackled in the forum on federalism to be hosted by the BusinessMirror on August 23 at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City.

The forum is in partnership with the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines

(ECCP) and will feature speakers who will present case studies on the federal systems in Germany and Canada, as well as the parliamentary setup in France. House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez will deliver the keynote speech to open the forum. Malacañang has given its imprimatur to the BusinessMirror-ECCP forum.

Tugonon said among the details which should be discussed in the ongoing debates on the federal system of government is the tax-administration system, which should remain simplified to entice more taxpayers to voluntarily com-

Economy seen sustaining growth in H2 Continued from A1

In the previous month’s report, The Market Call stated that there are little indications of the second half inflation deviating much from 2 percent.

After noting the crude oil prices crawling back to the low-$40-abarrel levels and the subsiding effects of El Niño, the FMIC and UA&P report predicts that inflation is likely to average 2.1 percent for the second semester and a full-year average of below 2 percent.

For the third quarter, the domestic inflation is seen to stay close to 2 percent and the economy accelerating to provide more savings. liquidity will still have a pivotal role in bond-yield movements.

“The trading volume seen in July may seem pedestrian, but market players continue to gain confidence

that profits can be made in the local bond markets,” the report stated.

“All eyes are on the Fed [the Federal Reserve], and despite strong employment numbers in June and July, other economic indicators do not support robust growth. Thus, we expect the Fed to continue delaying a 25 basis points [bps] policy rate to December, at the earliest.”

Nevertheless, the cautiousness of market players will result in yields at the longer term moving within a narrow range. Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas’s interest rate corridor would tend to pull up yields slowly toward their floor of 2.5 percent, the report explained.

Brexit, negative interest rates, global economic uncertainties, remain the key indications of the possibility of downside risks in the economy. Meanwhile, FMIC and UA&P pronounced that emerging-

market equities have become the alternative investment channels in the face of rising uncertainty in developed markets.

“Our preferred sector, consumer staples, is unchanged. And in light of low yield environment, we have added high-dividend stocks.

Low P/E, or growth stocks, would also be attractive. In short, greater selectivity would be in order,” the report stated.

FMIC and UA&P cited that the looming risks for the second semester include low trading volume for the ghost month, August, the US Presidential elections in November, and the potential Fed rate hike in December, adding that good employment data for June and July have pushed up the probability of a rate hike by more than 10 bps from 36 percent at end-July based on futures.

ply with their tax obligations.

Senate President Aquilino L. Pimentel III, who will be represented in the forum on federalism on Tuesday by his father, former Senate President Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr., recently said that, in the past, taxpayers may fill out the tax forms by themselves, without the need for hiring an accountant.

The older Pimentel will talk about the Philippine scenario, and which structure of a federal system of government should fit the Philippines.

Nowadays, many taxpayers

Opec. . .

Continued from A1

Prices have struggled to go much higher than $50 a barrel. After the longest run of gains since March, Brent crude, the international benchmark, traded unchanged at $50.89 at 12:10 p.m. in Hong Kong on Friday.

Sixteen nations representing about half the world’s oil output gathered on April 17, but talks broke down because of Saudi Arabia’s last-minute demand that Iran must also participate. Iran wasn’t at the Doha meeting because it refused to consider any limits on its production, which had only been released from nuclear-related sanctions in January.

Record production

Now that major producers, including Iran, are pumping at, or close to, capacity, they have little to lose by agreeing to a cap, Chakib Khelil, former Opec president and Algerian energy minister, said in a Bloomberg television interview on August 17.

Iran produced about 600,000 barrels a day more in July than in January, as it restarted oil

complain of the intricate forms prescribed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in tax transactions, making it necessary for taxpayers to hire accountants or even engage the services of “fixers.” This is why new Internal Revenue Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay had included among his top priorities at the bureau the simplification of processes to increase voluntary compliance among taxpayers from which most or some 98 percent of the BIR’s annual collection come from.

Tugonon sa id t h at du r i ng the debates on the federal sys-

fields shuttered during almost four years of sanctions, according to the IEA. Saudi Arabia pumped an extra 410,000 a day, lifting output to a record as it met surging domestic demand and defended its share of global markets, the IEA said.

“All the conditions are set for an agreement,” said Khelil, who steered Opec in 2008, the last time it announced a supply cut. “Russia, Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia are reaching their top production level. They have gained all the market share they could gain.”

There are still reasons to think Iran could be reluctant to join a freeze.

The nation will refuse to accept any limits, as long as officials insist they can boost output further, said Eugen Weinberg, head of commodities research at Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt. Iran is also trying to attract billions of dollars of investment from international oil companies to expand production capacity, which would conflict with submitting to a cap, said Harry Tchilinguirian, head of commodity markets strategy at BNP Paribas SA. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh hasn’t decided yet whether to participate in the talks in Algiers, a spokesman said on August 16. Bloomberg News

tem of government, the tax authorities—with which taxpayers should register—should be confined to only two: the federal BIR and the local government unit (LGU) concerned.

“Today, taxpayers have to register with two tax authorities, the BIR and the LGU. We hope this number will be maintained even under a federal system. A third set of registration and filing requirement with possible additional tax examination by another tax authority would be too cumbersome and difficult for taxpayers to handle,” Tugonon said.

Geothermal plants. . .

Continued from A1

However, the DOE, in consultation with NGAP, has determined that meeting that target will require certain enabling actions by the government, as detailed in the Geothermal Road Map. “ T he DOE rea l izes t hat it can no longer hope to discover conventiona l ‘elephant-sized ’ geothermal resources, as these have been fully accessed and evaluated by the former stateowned energy development and public-utility companies,” the NGAP said.

“With an appropriately structured FiT rate that will provide guaranteed payment to investors through a universal charge, these acidic and lower enthalpy resources can be developed to generate electricity,” it added.

Economy BusinessMirror

news@businessmirror.com.ph

Exclude overtime pay from taxable income–Vilma

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

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he chairman of the House Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation is pushing for a measure seeking the exclusion of overtime pay from the computation of taxable income.

In House Bill (HB) 2599, Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto of Batangas said her proposal is expected to benefit an estimated 39.8 million employees from both private and public sectors.

HB 2599, now pending at the House Committee on Ways and Means, seeks to amend Section 32 (B) (7) of Republic 8424, or the “National Internal Revenue Code of 1997,” as amended, pertaining to exclusions from gross income.

Under the measure, overtime or compensation due to hours worked in excess of the required maximum working hours shall not be included in gross income and shall be exempt from taxation.

The bill said the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Finance, the Department of Labor and Employment, and Civil Service Commission shall promulgate not later than 30 days upon the effectivity of the act the necessary rules and regulations for its effective implementation.

In filing the bill, Recto said her proposal will cost the government foregone revenues.

“However, more money in taxpayers’ pockets will increase disposable income and boost consumer spending, which, in turn, would trigger demand for more goods and services and, thereby, stimulate activities in the industrial and service sector and generate more taxes,” she said.

The lawmaker said this would allow government and private employees to fully enjoy the monetary benefits due them for putting in more hours of work and contributing additional physical and mental effort.

According to Recto, the Philippine Labor Code prescribes the maximum hours of work for employees at eight hours a day for six consecutive days.

“If the employee works beyond eight hours, the employer is required to pay additional compensation equivalent to the employee’s regular wage plus at least 25 percent of his regular wage. If the employee renders overtime on a holiday or rest day, the rate is increased to 30 percent,” she said. The lawmaker said government employees are also entitled to overtime pay governed by civil service laws and rules.

“An employee who renders overtime work puts in additional hours of work and requires greater physical and mental effort. Instead of being able to rest early and spend more time with the family, the employee is forced to extend the working hours to achieve management’s goals. Thus, it is only fitting that the employee be properly compensated for additional work hours rendered,” Recto added.

But Recto said compensation received for overtime work forms part of an employee’s taxable income.

Editors: Vittorio V. Vitug and Max V. de Leon • Saturday, August 20, 2016 A3

IFC bares plan to build 3 biomass power projects in Negros Occidental

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By Jonathan L. Mayuga

@jonlmayuga

he International Finance Corp.

(IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, announced on Friday an investment of $161 million for the construction of three biomass power-plant projects in Negros Occidental.

The power plants, which will generate a total of 70 megawatts of clean renewable energy, is being supported by the government of Canada and the Clean Technology Fund (CTF).

IFC is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets, and is working with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide.

The CTF is a financing instrument under the Climate Investment Funds. The CTF provides

developing countries with incentives to scale up the demonstration, deployment and transfer of technologies that have high potential for long-term greenhouse-gas emissions savings.

The three power plants are expected to qualify for the biomass feed-in tariff (FiT) of the Philippine Energ y Regulator y Commission.

The FiT is available to energy producers with up to 250 MW of biomass-generating capacity. The

Hemp output rise by 6.8% to 30K+ MT in H1–PhilFida data

By Jasper Emmanuel Arcalas

@arteliterary

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he country’s abaca output for the first half of the year increased 6.8 percent to 30,898.80 metric tons (MT), latest data from the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFida) showed. PhilFida data also showed that Bicol region remained as the top producer of abaca, accounting for nearly 39 percent of the country’s output for the first six months of the year.

Bicol output grew 9.5 percent to 11,867.28 metric tons (MT), from 10,835.86 MT same time period last year. Davao region became the country’s second top producer, accounting for nearly 16 percent, taking over Eastern Visayas. Davao produced 4,906.20, a 13-percent increase from last year’s 4,339.88 MT Among all the country’s producing regions, Western Visayas posted the highest growth, producing doubled abaca output from 528 MT in 2015 to 1,071.06 MT this year.

Central Luzon recorded the highest output drop in the country. Production in the area plunged 72.2 percent to 0.50 MT, from 1.80 MT last year.

Meanwhile, total abaca exports earnings for the first quarter grew 27.7 percent to $31.51 million from $24.67 million same time period last year.

Abaca pulps accounted for the lion’s share of the earnings during the period at 63.1 percent. Exports receipt from abaca pulps grew 44.3 percent to $19.90 million, from $13.79 million earned a year ago.

The United Kingdom (UK) and Germany were the top 2 importers of local abaca pulps accounting for 38.6 percent and 19.3 percent of share, respectively. Abaca pulp exports to UK more than doubled to 1,909.93 MT from 855.75 MT last year. The UK was also the top importer of local abaca fiber in the first quarter, accounting for 47.2 percent. However, local abaca fiber exports to the UK declined 4.1 percent to 1,575 MT, from 1,642.5 MT in 2015. China was the second top importer of abaca fiber. Japan imported 1,307.5 MT, 83.5 MT less than 1,391 MT same time period last year.

The Philippines produces 85 percent of the world abaca supply, which is globally known as Manila hemp.

PCSO LOTTO SHARE TO LGU Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Vice Chairman and

General Manager lawyer Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II (second from left) hands a check for P1.145 million to Taytay, Rizal Mayor Joric Gacula (second from right), as payment of the local government unit’s share from the PCSO Lotto draws from July to December 2015 during a simple ceremony at the main office of the charity agency in Mandaluyong City on August 16. With them are PCSO’s Office of the General Manager Executive Assistant Gerry Rojas (left) and Taytay Municipal Treasurer Lorrie Collado. JOSEPH MUEGO

70 MW The output capacity of three renewable-energy plants estimated to be worth $161 million

power plants, to be constructed in the towns of Manapla, San Carlos and La Carlota, will convert sugarcane waste to electricity using a low carbon-emitting process, called circulating fluidized bed boiler technology.

Sugarcane agricultural wastes are disposed through burning before it as identified as a feedstock for biomass-power plants.

In a news statement, IFC Country Manager Yuan Xu said: “Energy is central to the country’s development, and the Philippines needs to further diversify and secure its energy sources. Converting agricultural waste to biomass power is a sustainable way of creating economic value while caring for

the environment.”

The CTF, as well as the government of Canada’s contribution to the project through the IFCCanada Climate Change Program, have helped make this investment viable. To date, Canada has provided CA$271 million to the program, to enable climate-change investments that are generating significant environmental and economic benefits in developing countries.

“We are pleased to support innovative projects abroad that help reduce global greenhouse gases.

Through our partnership with the IFC, the government of Canada will deliver funds that will enable the growth of renewable energy while supporting the creation of green jobs,” said Catherine McKenna, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

“We are happy to receive this support from IFC and the development partners,” said Jose Maria Zabaleta, CEO of Bronzeoak Philippines, one of the shareholders for the project.

“This funding will help utilize agricultural waste to generate reliable base-load power, providing additional income to farmers, reducing fertilizer costs and helping contribute to a healthful ecology,” he said.

“ThomasLloyd is delighted that IFC has chosen to participate in these investments. With its use of local sugarcane waste, this project is an exciting development for all the stakeholders and especially for the local community,” said Tony Coveney, executive director of ThomasLloyd Group Ltd. ThomasLloyd CTI Asia Holdings is the principal financial sponsor. WBE (Hong Kong) International Green Energy Ltd., another shareholder, will provide engineering and construction services.

On top of the loans from Canada and the CTF, IFC is also mobilizing funding from the Managed CoLending Portfolio Program, a new syndications platform that offers institutional investors the ability to passively participate in IFC’s future senior loan portfolio.

A4 Saturday, August 20, 2016 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

editorial

Opening up to unsolicited proposal

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o provide us with needed infrastructure, several unsolicited proposals from the private sector have been submitted for approval.

San Miguel Corp. has renewed its proposal for a $10-billion international airport along 1,600 hectares of reclaimed land in Manila Bay, while Malaysian conglomerate AlloyMtd Group has submitted a new proposal for a 9-kilometer rail line with 11 stations in Quezon Avenue under the Philippine National Railways (PNR) East West Railway Project.

An unsolicited bid by definition is an infrastructure or development project proposed by the private sector. The private-sector proponent determines the viability of the project and conducts the necessary feasibility studies and planning required, and submits the proposal to the government for approval. Once the proposal is approved the project proponent will undertake the design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance during the agreed concession period.

Compared to official bids, unsolicited proposals are faster to implement. This is because the viability of the project is well studied and planned by the project proponent and does not have to go through the cumbersome and time-consuming procurement process of the government. In contrast to official government projects that require multiple approvals from various agencies and added costs, unsolicited bids only require the implementing agency for evaluation.

Given the safeguards and regulatory provisions for unsolicited proposals under the law, we do not have to worry about issues, such as transparency and giving undue advantage to private proponents. Since the government does not have to spend a single centavo on these projects, it would be just logical to go for unsolicited proposals.

The Duterte administration’s receptiveness to unsolicited proposals to get needed infrastructure projects at the soonest is definitely a good thing. But just as opening the windows brings both fresh air and mosquitoes inside your home, unsolicited ideas may also come with bad proposals and proponents.

An example is the recent proposal announced to convert the existing Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2 from a metro rail to a bus rapid transit (BRT) system. Proposed by a private group to provide a “new and more efficient form of public transportation” and “save taxpayers from endless subsidies,” the proposal intends to remove the tracks on the elevated guide way and replace the trains with buses. The group also touts that its “intelligent system” can “carry more” passengers than the existing system.

The proposal has raised eyebrows, and serious doubts have been cast over its viability. The LRT-2 system is currently the newest and most advanced elevated rail line we have. Each four-car train set has a total capacity of 1,620 passengers and is 3.2 meters wide, wider than LRT-1 or MRT-3 trains, hence more room for passengers.

An average articulated bus carries a maximum of 150, while some models can carry a maximum of 200 people. Converting the line into a BRT system would significantly reduce its passenger capacity and entail additional costs. There is also the question of the buses fitting the elevated guideway.

While we appreciate the efforts of the DOTr and private-sector proponents, we just hope that opening the floodgates to unsolicited proposals does not inundate us with projects that, instead of benefitting the public, do more harm than good.

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Inefficient markets John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

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here is nothing more beautiful to watch than an efficiently functioning market. It is like viewing an automobile race where multimillion-dollar race cars speed around a track at 100 miles an hour almost in unison.

You can also see this during a three-day sale at the local shopping mall. Merchandise is properly displayed and buyers can easily evaluate price against quality. A knowledgeable sales staff is there to assist shoppers and help them make their decisions. Cashiers are in abundance to facilitate the transactions and make sure the people get the goods they have paid for.

Now, imagine the chaos of a market that has completely broken down.

Two similar items are marked with different prices, confusing shoppers and the sales crew, half of whom

never showed up for work. While the merchandise is marked “20-percent discount”, the cash registers are deducting 23.75 percent and no one knows how to manually correct it for the proper price.

Financial and hard-asset markets work exactly the same way and can function just as efficiently, or with just as much confusion and turmoil.

While we think of the stock, debt, currency and commodity markets being simple; they are not. There are some critical factors that allow them to function efficiently and

effectively, the most important of which is liquidity. There must be consistency of liquidity and it cannot be manipulated.

On August 9 it was announced that the shares of PhilWeb Corp. were to be suspended for trading for 10 days. This was in light of the stock price losing 70 percent of its value in five days. This kind of suspension is normal to allow a “cooling off” period until material facts can be assessed. But magically the next day, the suspension was lifted and within three days the price was 100 percent higher.

The suspension was approved “due to material uncertainties and unverified material information affecting the business of PhilWeb Corp. that will materially affect the investing public.”

The suspension was lifted when it was announced that the majority shareholder would auction the shares to public on August 18. The auction did not take place. The share price fell 50 percent. Ask your stockbroker what the genuine reason was for the trading suspension being lifted.

What if the department-store owner paid people to come in and shop during the three-day sale?

There really wouldn’t be anything wrong with that, unless it was an attempt to manipulate the headcount of shoppers to raise mall rents.

Listed companies do that all the time under the guise of a “share buy-back”. The last years have seen countless companies borrow cheap money to buy their own shares.

This does nothing for the long term prospects of the company, but it does hold or increase the short-term price of the stock.

Since 2008, interest rates have dropped to record lows and over $15 trillion of new money has been pumped into the world economy representing 20 percent of the global economic output. But that money has not created jobs, capital expansion of personal wealth. It has created higher and higher stock prices.

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.

Does the EKC hypothesis apply to the Philippines?

Rosalina Palanca-Tan, Allen Timothy Dy and Angela Tan

EAGLE WATCH

T

he Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) suggests that environmental degradation, such as pollution, increases in the early stages of development, reaches a maximum at the middleincome level, and then decreases with further income expansion. As a country starts to develop, pollution worsens due to the increase in the production of commodities.

The decline in environmental damage as the country reaches the middleincome level results from the shift in economic structure from the polluting manufacturing industries to the relatively clean services and information sectors, technological innovations in pollution and environmental-damage control, and greater availability of public funds for environmental investments. Further, with greater wealth, there is greater demand for environmental quality. An effect on the scale of activity may also arise. As income rises, population-growth rates drop and approach replacement levels. The EKC hypothesis trivializes the issue of environmental degradation, as it is seen to be temporary with development eventually leading to a better environment.

Hence, an empirical test of the existence or nonexistence of the EKC will have important implications on development policy orientation. A strong empirical evidence for the EKC justifies a lenient environmental policy scenario, while

the absence of such evidence supports the pursuit of an economic growth trajectory that is stringently constrained by environmental considerations.

We looked at the relationship between carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions and economic growth in the Philippines during the period 1971 to 2010. Our country is currently one of the fast growing economies in Asia, and the environmental consequences, if any, of this long-desired growth must be investigated and accordingly addressed. CO2 is said to account for about 64 percent of the greenhouse gasses that cause global warming. The need to be watchful of increased CO2 emissions that may accompany income growth is dictated by both internal and external factors. Due to its geographical location, topography and current socioeconomic structure, the Philippines is considered highly vulnerable to climatechange impact. Its more than 7,000 small islands and long coastline expose much of its land and people to the dangers of stronger tropical storms and flooding.

Increased occurrence of extreme weather disturbances may significantly lower productivity in agriculture and fisheries, sectors on which majority of the Filipinos depend for livelihood. The incidence of below-subsistence living may increase and gaps among socio-economic classes may widen as those in the lower strata are more susceptible to the damages that climate change can bring and are less able to cope with it than those in the upper strata. With added pressure to adhere to global environmental initiatives on carbon-emission reductions (such as that of the Kyoto Protocol), Philippine policy- makers are faced with difficult decisions regarding long-run economic growth and environment paths that the country must thread.

In order to make sound policy choices, there is a need for empirical evidence on the relationship of key economic variables with CO2 emissions.

Our study yields no evidence of an EKC phenomenon in the case of CO2 in the Philippines. Instead, we found that CO2 emissions would tend to increase continuously with economic growth, suggesting that growth policies must be subject to reasonably stringent environmental constraints related to CO2 emissions. The other macroeconomic variables that turn out to be significantly associated with CO2 emissions are energy use, urbanization and foreign direct investments (FDI).

CO2 emission is inelastic with respect to energy use in the short-run, but its response becomes elastic in the long-run.

This finding underscores the need for policies that promote cleaner sources of energy and more efficient use of energy so as to dampen the effect of energy use, an indispensable production input for the currently fast growing Philippine

economy, on the environment.

Urbanization has a highly elastic negative impact on CO2 emissions, implying that urbanization is associated with lower CO2 emissions. This may be explained by the large services sector and the relatively small manufacturing sector in the country, an employment composition that is more commonly found in high-income, rather than low- and middle-income economies.

In 2009, more than 50 percent of the working population in the Philippines was employed in the services sector, and only less than 9 percent was in the manufacturing sector. Comparable lower-middle income countries in Asia, such as Thailand and Indonesia show a more robust manufacturing sector, accounting for 14 percent and 12 percent, respectively, of the working population, and smaller services sector (employment ratios of 39 percent and 41 percent, respectively).

The positive elasticity of CO2 emissions with respect to FDI suggests that FDI increases CO2 emissions. This may be explained by the sectoral distribution of FDI in the country. The manufacturing sector accounts for the greater part of FDI in the Philippines. From 1996 to 2009, the share of the manufacturing sector in total approved foreign investments averaged 53 percent. Though an association between CO2 emissions and FDI is statistically established, the magnitude of the impact is small (very low elasticity), which may imply that the manufacturing FDIs in the Philippines are not using very dirty technologies.

Rosalina Tan is professor of Economics; Allen Timothy Dy and Angela Tan are with the Department of Economics, Ateneo de Manila University.

Opinion BusinessMirror

opinion@businessmirror.com.ph

Roberto Ongpin’s open letter to Pagcor MAIL

Please e-mail your letters to the editor to oped@businessmirror. com.ph. Letters chosen for publication in this section are edited for brevity and clarity.

I hope you will forgive me for this one final attempt at not only saving the livelihood of some 6,000 individuals and their families, but also to make effective use of my donation, which has now been rejected by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).

In rejecting my offer to donate 49 percent of my PhilWeb shares to Pagcor, Pagcor said “The issue is not RVO or PhilWeb per se. It is the President’s and his government’s opposition to online and on-site electronic gaming because of the social ills and decay they foist on our communities, as they cater to the more economically vulnerable portion of our population.”

I, of course, have no choice but to accept this decision by Pagcor.

Regrettably, this decision has three inevitable results: 1. The 6,000 PhilWeb and eGames employees are out of a job; 2. The operators of e-Games cafés numbering 131 entities and their investments of P1.8 billion, are wiped out; and 3. Most important, the donation of my 771 million shares in PhilWeb, which, under normal circumstances, would be worth P20 billion, is rendered valueless.

At this juncture, I would like to point out that the correct valuation of my donation is closer to P20 billion than the P4 billion or P5 billion estimated by the media.

Before Pagcor’s decision not to renew the PhilWeb license, PhilWeb had a market capitalization of P40 billion and, therefore, half of it is worth at least P20 billion. This is the amount which I am personally sacrificing and donating to Pagcor in the attempt to save jobs and investment losses for innocent employees and e-Games operators.

Considering the foregoing, I would now want to make one final attempt to save the day for the innocent bystanders enumerated above.

I hereby amend my donation to be used exclusively for the establishment of a nationwide network of drug-rehabilitation centers.

As background, some months before the PhilWeb license was to expire, PhilWeb had engaged in a serious study of drug-rehabilitation centers and how many other countries in the World, such as in the US and in Europe, were addressing this need.

In fact, we had identified a site near Atimonan, Quezon province, which had been used as a staging area during the construction of

Balesin Island Club, as an ideal rehabilitation site. It consists of 2.1 hectares of land, completely fenced, fronting the Pacific Ocean and a virgin forest behind it. We had even identified medical toxicologists and other drugrehabilitation specialists who we would retain to man this center.

Our objective was to develop a model drug-rehabilitation center, which can be used as a prototype for other centers to be established by the government and others in the private sector. PhilWeb had actually appropriated P100 million per year (equivalent to about 10 percent of its profits) plus P2 million to P3 million per month to maintain and sustain this center. Obviously, this project can no longer be undertaken by PhilWeb at this point.

I am a firm believer in the President’s drive against the drug menace. And as he has pointed out, the elimination of drug lords and drug pushers will not succeed unless this is complemented by an effective drug-rehabilitation program.

While one could agree that gambling is undesirable, nothing could be more pernicious than the drug menace, which destroys the very fabric of our youth and our society, and which admirably, the President has chosen as his first priority.

My amended donation can be implemented in several days, e.g.: 1. Pagcor could accept the donation and, after an appropriate period when the true values of PhilWeb have been restored, auction it off.

2. A drug-rehabilitation agency could be created to which the donation could be funneled. It should be managed both by the government and the private sector to ensure the effective use of the donated funds. This may, however, take time, as it may require legislation, although I personally believe that it could be accomplished by a presidential executive order.

3. A combination of both (1 and 2) above where the donation is initially channeled to Pagcor with the specific objective of utilizing the funds for the purpose of drug rehabilitation as soon as an effective mechanism for the purpose has been established.

As I said in the beginning, I hope that I will be forgiven for this one last attempt. It is a sincere attempt and no benefit whatsoever will accrue to me since I have already committed to donate all my shares.

I believe that it is useful to maintain the format of the original donation with most of it going to the government (but now amended to be specifically used for drug rehabilitation) and the balance of 4.7 percent to the Ateneo de Manila University JVO Scholarship Foundation.

I would also be most grateful if the board of Pagcor could transmit this amended offer to the President’s attention.

Roberto V. Ongpin

Philippine govt grants renewal of franchise to Radio Veritas Rev. Fr. Antonio Cecilio T. Pascual

SERVANT LEADER

M

anila Archbishop His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle graced the turnover ceremony of Republic Act (RA) 10793, the law granting Radio Veritas 846 another 25 years of service during the recently concluded Thanksgiving Agape of the station.

Cardinal Tagle received the signed copy of RA 10793 from the authors Hon. Regina Ongsiako-Reyes, former representative of the lone district of Marinduque and Marikina City Mayor Marcelino R. Teodoro, who was the Chairman of House Committee on Legislative Franchises during the 16th Congress, together with Ms. Juliet Cudiamat, Philippine Regional Investment Development Corp. executive legal assistant, and Ms. Portia Silang, House of Representatives Committee of Legislative Franchises secretary.

Also present in the event were Radio Veritas’s members of the board,

Driving Momentum

W

ith a new and strong-willed leader at its helm, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) continues to examine the operations of all violators of the country’s mining and environmental laws. Upon taking office, Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez cast a very wide net by ordering an extensive audit of all mines in the country to determine their compliance to government’s responsible-mining policies. As of this writing, the crackdown on irresponsible mining has resulted in the suspension of eight mining firms due to an array of environmental-law violations.

The nationwide mining audit is expected to wrap up within the month, but there’s no slowing down in the issuance of suspensions.

Ms. Esther O. Santos, Philippine Long Distance Telephone-Smart Foundation president; lawyer Adelina Gatdula, corporate secretary; Most Rev. Jesse Mercado, D.D., Bishop of Parañaque; Mr. Juan Velasquez, Most Rev. Mylo Hubert Vergara, D.D., bishop of Pasig and myself in my capacity as President of the station.

RA 10793 allows Radio Veritas to construct, install, operate and maintain for religious, educational, cultural and commercial purposes and in the public interest, radio and TV broadcasting facilities nationwide for another 25 years.

The legislative franchise was

RA 10793 allows Radio Veritas to construct, install, operate and maintain for religious, educational, cultural and commercial purposes and in the public interest, radio and TV broadcasting facilities nationwide for another 25 years.

passed by the House of Representatives on June 9, 2015, amended by the Senate on January 18 and which amendment was concurred in by the House of Representatives on February 1. It was signed by former President Benigno S. Aquino III on May 10.

This marks another milestone, not only for Radio Veritas, but also to our Kapanalig media community members who’ve been supporting and helping the station to move forward, as it continues to be the leading social-communications ministry for truth and new evangelization.

Owned and operated by the Archdiocese of Manila, Radio Veritas is a 24/7 AM radio station providing religious and magazine programs, Church advocacies and social concerns to its listeners.

In 1986 it was through Radio Veritas that Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin made the call to the people to converge in Edsa to prevent the bloodshed, and ushered in the four-day bloodless revolution, known as People Power Revolution.

That same year, Radio Veritas received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award Board of Trustees recognized Radio Veritas’s crucial role in using the truth to depose an oppressive and corrupt regime and restore the Filipino faith in the electoral process.

Currently, Radio Veritas is going beyond radio through its web site, www.veritas846.ph, and its various social-media platforms. It is also to extending its reach to television through its partnership with TV Maria.

To know more about Caritas Manila, visit www. caritasmanila.org.ph. For your donations, please call our DonorCare lines 563-9311, 564-0205, 0999-7943455, 0905-4285001 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.

Phl IT-BPM industry gaining ground leading to 2022 Jemain Tinio Diaz de Rivera

Forward Moving

T

he best time to be in the Philippines is from September to October. Those in the fastest-growing industry in the country, the information technology and business-process management (IT-BPM) are having conferences and meetings that will help sustain growth for the next few years.

Members of the IT-BPM industry represented by the IT and Business Process Association Philippines (Ibpap) and its partner associations, Animation Council Philippines Inc. (ACPI), Contact Center Association Philippines (CCAP), Game Developers Association Philippines (GDAP) Global In-House Center Council (GICC), Healthcare Information Management Association Philippines (Himap) and the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA) are creating a new road map that will chart the course of the industry up to 2022, as it is poised to face an ever-changing future.

Banner IT-BPM events include: The ever evolving field of Healthcare Information Management Services (HIMS), which consists of the processing, maintenance and care of health-care data, for utilization in hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics, insurance companies and organizations that provide health-related services, has demonstrated the highest sectorial growth rate in the Philippine IT-BPM industry for the past four years, contributing 47- percent increase to the government’s goal of providing employment in the country with a combined work force of about 80,000 full-time employees.

In support of responsible mining Arrenz Joseph B. Magnabihon

Saturday, August 20, 2016 A5

The fight for clean air, potable water and the protection of the environment is, indeed, a noble cause, worthy of such intense passion and commitment exemplified by the new DENR leadership. However, one cannot simply brush aside the significant contribution and potential of the mining sector in industrializing the Philippines, just because of a few bad eggs. Let’s not fall for the false dichotomy between mining and the environment: Laying down the facts, mining plays an important role in economic development, as it creates the opportunity for a country to supply raw materials to its manufacturing sector using its own natural resources. Mining activities also generate employ-

Industry officials said the Philippines’s IT-BPM industry is expected to continue booming over the next decade, but needs to get over the hump of being regarded as “just a call center” to attract quality talents. With the industry working together with national and local government, academe and local communities, it is likely that the ITBPM industry, especially the healthcare sector, will see a brighter path leading to 2022.

The HIMS Conference 2016, with the theme: “Global Convergence enabling inclusive care and innovation,” is about setting trends in the healthcare system, health-care solution and the convergence of global market and local services and serves as a venue for industry players, training institutions, vendors, other stakeholders and the larger business community to identify key factors and programs that will contribute to positioning the Philippines as the leading destination for quality health-care information management services.

This year’s edition of the annual conference and exhibition is headed

by Himap at Makati Shangri-La on September 15.

Speakers include Sec. Rudy Salalima of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Beng Coronel of Pointwest, Colin Christie of Liftrack, Dan Schwebach of AAPC, Edwin Matulin of Liberty Medical, Fred Kumetz of E-Data, Jedreck Estanislao of Eastern Telecoms, Jojo Uligan of CCAP, Jorge Azurin of Freelance. com, Jovita Aragona of Philhealth, Karlo Panti of IMS Health, Kevin Ross Nera of the Commission on Higher Education, Kit Sumabat of Health Informatics Inc., Liza

Alcances of Teledevelopment, Lloyd Tronco of Medix.ph, Mark Zavalla of Easimed and Pointwest Technologies Corp., Commissioner Monchito Ibrahim of the DICT, Myla Reyes of SPI, Nicki Agcaoilo of CRM International, Undersecretary Noya Terrado of the Department of Trade and Industry, Paolo Bugayong of AIDE, Penny Bongato of Ibpap, Raymond Ang of Edulynx Corp., Roger Salazar of UHG, Rossana Urdaneta of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Dr. Ryan Banez of Healthylitics, Sam Matunog of Segworks and Ted Herbosa of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and the Department of Health, among others.

Icon Manila 2016, international entertainment design conference on September 16 and 17, at De La Salle College of Saint Benilde in Manila City. Speakers include Aaron Blaise, who is codirector of Disney’s Brother Bear, illustrator, animator, character designer; Pascal Campion, an illustrator, animator, concept designer; Kim Jung Gi, an illustrator, comic book artist, record holder for the longest drawing in the world on Fish Eye Category; Armand Serrano a visual-development artist and concept designer; and Victoria Ying, a visual development artist, illustrator.

The International Contact Center

ment for communities and create economic activity in remote areas, which would, otherwise, have little or no economic activity at all. On the other hand, mining has unwanted impacts, such as deforestation, soil erosion, water pollution, to name a few, as it alters the environmental landscape of an area. However, the mining sector is not oblivious to the environmental consequence of its operations. Rather, responsible players in the industry are leading the way through their efforts to limit their environmental footprint, having received international recognition for their environmentally sustainable operations.

One month ago, the Chamber of Mines released its list of ISO 14001

Certification-Environmental Management Systems compliant mining firms answering the government’s challenge for responsible mining. The ISO 14001 is a global certification that assures a mining firm’s adherence to the “highest, most acceptable level of efficiency in terms of extracting minerals, while, at the same time, ensuring that the environment is not compromised.” In addition to the sector’s concerted effort for efficient and responsible mining, mining firms are key drivers of social development in remote areas as they build communities and develop infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, hospitals and schools, complementing the government’s efforts. There

Conference and Expo (ICCCE) is the premier learning, networking and trade platform of the Philippine contact-center industry. It gathers over 500 industry executives, government officials, potential investors and customers, and service providers on September 27 and 28, at Marriott Grand Ballroom, Manila.

This year’s ICCCE, dubbed “Contact Islands: Opportunities in the Ultimate Customer Experience Paradise,” tells the story why the Philippines is the top destination for companies requiring customer experience solutions, and how it intends to remain on top in the years to come.

ICCCE 2016 is designed to benefit industry professionals and stakeholders in the Philippines and overseas.

This year’s International IT-BPM Summit, scheduled on October 28, also at the Marriot Grand Ballroom, Manila, would feature not only highlevel discussions about the future of the Philippine IT-BPM industry, but would also play host to an important conversation about continuing to elevate the industry’s growth under the new administration.

“The road map will be turned over to the new President, who is expected to provide a glimpse of the new administration’s plans for the industry,” the group said.

Industry officials said the Philippines’s IT-BPM industry is expected to continue booming over the next decade, but needs to get over the hump of being regarded as “just a call center” to attract quality talents.

With the industry working together with national and local government, the academe and local communities, it is likely that the IT-BPM industry, especially the health-care sector, will see a brighter path leading to 2022.

E-mail: jemain_diaz_de_rivera@yahoo.com.

are numerous examples of mining communities where the mined-out areas are undergoing rehabilitation through tree planting and community development, paid for by the mining firms.

Responsible mining is the only way to go as it allows the nation to benefit from a thriving mining industry.

While the actions of the DENR to weed out irresponsible miners should be supported, there must also be equal recognition and support for firms that advocate and epitomize responsible mining in our country.

Arrenz Joseph B. Magnabihon serves as Market Research Specialist at the Nordic Business Council of the Philippines. For comments and inquiries, e-mail: arrenz.magnabihon@nbcp.com.ph.

The Nation BusinessMirror

A6 Saturday, August 20, 2016 • Editor: Dionisio L. Pelayo

‘Senators won’t shirk duty to investigate extrajudicial killings, drug-war deaths’

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By Butch Fernandez

@butchfBM

ENATORS will not shirk the duty of ensuring a fair and comprehensive inquiry into extrajudicial killings and President Duterte’s bloody antidrug war.

Senate President Aquilino L. Pimentel III issued the assurance on Friday, in the wake of a brewing controversy involving Sen. Leila de M. Lima, who is spearheading an ongoing investigation into the wave of summary killings under the Duterte administration.

Pimentel affirmed that the senators conducting the hearings will not evade their responsibility to conduct such inquiries in aid of legislation.

“Actually, Senator de Lima said

she would not be deterred and affected in her official duties,” Pimentel said in a text message to the BusinessMirror. “That is good and that is expected of her and all senators,” Pimentel added.

His affirmation came in the wake of Duterte’s allegation romantically linking de Lima to her driver, whom the President accused of receiving huge financial “contributions” from drug lords imprisoned at the national penitentiary for de Lima’s campaign funds.

“Of course,” Senate Majority Leader Vicente C. Sotto III replied in a separate text message when asked if the leadership can assure that the Senate is ready to fulfill its constitutional duty to conduct an impartial inquiry in aid of legislation, while allowing all parties a chance to air their views and provide useful information.

Sotto issued the assurance in advance of Monday’s Senate hearing scheduled by de Lima’s Committee on Justice and Human Rights to look into cases of extrajudicial killing, as the number of fatalities continue to rise under the Duterte administration.

Earlier, Sen. Grace Poe asked the National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa to submit to the Senate a report on drug-related killings, in the wake of increasing incidents of deaths reported since the Duterte administration stepped up its campaign against illegal drugs.

“Humihingi kami ng kopya ng upd ate sa mga imbestigasyon na ito. Kaya lamang, nandoon na tayo, kung matagal man ang imbestigasyon pero sana may imbestigasyon talaga,” Poe said.

Poe clarified in a television interview that she fully supports Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs, citing the police service’s dedication in eliminating this menace, even as she underscored the need to ensure protection of basic human rights.

On Thursday, Poe asked dela Rosa to submit an update on cases involving drug-related deaths.

“Gusto natin talagang masugpo na itong problema sa droga kaya lang, kasama rin naman ay proteksyunan din ang ating mga kababayan na magkaroon sila ng patas na pagkakataong depensahan ang sarili nila lalung-lalo na kung sumuko na,” she said.

Poe added: “Ang mga Pilipino ngayon ay sawang-sawa na talaga sa krimen at droga kaya pinalalag-

pas ang lahat ng ito hang gang mangyari sa iyong pamilya o sa iyong kakilala. Sinasabi natin na may hangganan ito. Basta dapat nasa tamang mabilis na proseso.”

She added that the antidrugs campaign must also include rehabilitation programs, especially for the poor who cannot afford the high cost of treatment, suggesting “a partnership between the government and the private sector to address the need for more rehabilitation centers and facilities. ” “Kaya nga sa Senado, nais namin talagang itaas iyong budget para magkaroon naman ng lugar itong mga mahihirap na sumusuko na kailangan ng rehabilitasyon,” Poe said.

During the Senate inquiry, dela Rosa reported that the number of deaths “under investigation” was pegged at 899 from July 1 to August 15, with 665 of these from legitimate operations. He added only 22 cases were filed in court with regard to deaths under investigation.

mobilizes Red Cross Tiamzon couple released, can Gordon 143 volunteers, equipment now participate in peace talks A R

By Rene Acosta

@reneacostaBM

ANKING communist leaders Benito Tiamzon and his wife Wilma were freed from detention on Friday, paving the way for them to personally participate in the peace talks with the government as peace consultants for the National Democratic Front (NDF).

The couple was freed at past 11 a.m. from the tightly guarded Custodial Center inside Camp General Rafael Crame in Quezon City, where they have been detained since their arrest in Cebu in March 2014 on a number of charges, including murder.

At the time of their arrest, Benito was listed as the head of the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and a key member of the CPP Central Committee.

On the other hand, his wife Wilma was tagged as the second highest ranking leader of the NPA, apart from heading the National Organization Department of the CPP’s Central Committee.

The couple thanked President Duterte for facilitating their temporary release from detentions so that they could perform their duty as consultants to the NDF in its peace negotiations with the government, which is scheduled to resume in Oslo, Norway, on Monday.

The Tiamzons were allowed to post bail on cases pending in some courts around the country.

“Kami ay nagpapasalamat kay Presidente Rodrigo Duterte sa pagpapalaya sa amin at sa pagbubukas muli ng usapang pang-kapayapaan para pag-usapan ang mga malalimang reporma sa lipunan, sa ekonomiya, sa pulitika na kinakailangan para bigyang wakas ang armadong labanan,” Benito said in the vernacular after they stepped out of the deterntion facility at Camp Rafael Crame.

“Sa kabuuan, kami ay malaki ang tiwala na susulong at makakamit ang mga pagkakasundong pangkapayapaan para makamit ang mga repormang panlipunan. Alam namin na maraming hamon, sagka na kailangang igpawan para magtagumpay ng lubos ang usapang pangkapayapaan,” he added.

Tiamzon’s message of gratitude to Duterte was also conveyed by his wife, who remains positive that the resumption of

Benito and Wilma Tiamzon

the talks between the rebels and the government would bring peace in the country.

“Nagpapasalamat kami kay Presidente Duterte na maibabalik sa tamang landas ang usapang pangkapayapaan. Kailangang mapaksa ang mga makabuluhang usapin sa ating lipunan at mga batayan kung bakit mayroong digmaan na nangyayari,” Wilma said.

The NDF said the release of the two communist leaders was a way forward toward the implementation of key agreements relating to the overall peace negotiations.

“The release of Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, key consultants of the NDF negotiating panel, propels the talks to a positive higher ground, even as the frustrating bureaucracy has delayed the releases and even impeded that of five others,” said Rachel Pastores, NDF’s legal consultant.

“With the peace talks set to resume next week, we hope for substantial agreements on socioeconomic and political change,” she added.

Cebu Pacific celebrates first baby born in-flight

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EBU Pacific (CEB) celebrated this week the birth of a baby girl, born while the aircraft was halfway from Dubai to Manila.

This is the first time a baby has been delivered onboard a Cebu Pacific aircraft.

Baby girl Haven was born approximately four hours after the departure of flight 5J-015 from the Dubai International Airport on August 14. Cebu Pacific cabin crew, along with two registered nurses, who were also passengers on the flight, assisted with the delivery.

The flight diverted to Hyderabad, India, to ensure the mother and baby received medical assistance. Both mother and baby, who was born premature at 32 weeks, are being assisted by CEB’s customercare team.

“We are happy that both mother and daughter are doing well, and would like to commend our flight and cabin crew for handling the

situation with utmost professionalism and efficiency. We also express our sincerest gratitude to the two volunteer nurses who helped ensure the baby’s safe delivery,” says Lance Gokongwei, CEB president and CEO. “To celebrate this momentous occasion in the life of one of our passengers, CEB awards baby Haven 1 million GetGo points, which she can use to fly with us for free,” he said. GetGo is CEB’s lifestyle rewards program. The baby’s points have no expiry, and may be shared with her family.

CEB, the Philippines’s largest airline, offers flights to a wide network of over 100 routes on 36 domestic and 30 international destinations, spanning Asia, Australia, the Middle East and the US. Its 57-strong fleet is comprised of seven Airbus A-319, 36 Airbus A-320, six Airbus A-330 and eight ATR 72-500 aircraft.

S heavy rains spawned by the southwest monsoon, or habagat, continue to pound many areas in the country, Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman Sen. Richard J. Gordon mobilized Red Cross 143 volunteers for rescue and relief contingencies, including the humanitarian group’s fleet of rubber boats, ambulances, emergency trucks and heavy equipment.

The volunteers and equipment will remain on standby, ready for immediate deployment, in anticipation of massive flooding, landslides and displacement of people in vulnerable areas, Gordon said.

He added that volunteers will work without letup, monitoring the situation in the affected areas of Northern and Central Luzon, Metro Manila and portions of the Cavite-LagunaBatangas-Rizal-Quezon (Calabarzon) region.

“Our volunteers on the ground will remain on alert and ready for any eventuality until the bad weather is over,” Gordon assured.

So far, the PRC has rescued five individuals in distress, three in Marikina and two in Quezon City, and have assisted approximately 76 individuals.

Volunteers have also distributed bottled water, food provision, and emergency kits to families and individuals in Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan and Rizal provinces and in the National Capital Region, particularly those affected by a tornado that tore through Manila on Sunday.

Furthermore, efforts by PRC welfare services, such as the welfare desk in evacuation centers, psychosocial support to affected families and giving out of hotmeals extended up to Ilocos Sur. Based on PRC’s latest monitoring, habagat’s rains have affected 59 towns and cities, 107 barangays, 7,355 families and 37,000 individuals and at least 776 families have been taken to 35 evacuation centers.

The PRC also reported that around 159 houses were partially and totally damaged by heavy rains, strong sea waves and river currents.

Based on PRC Chapter reports, there are five accounted casualties, one in Quezon City, two in Manila, one in Ilocos Sur and one in Tarlac, while five were injured in Manila and two missing in Cainta, Rizal. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Mediaman charged for posting rape victim’s photo, videos on Internet

A

MEDIAMAN who allegedly posted the photograph and videos of a naked and unconscious rape victim in his social-media account has been charged by the local police with video voyeurism.

The Tagum City police filed the case against Jorge Pangandoyon, a radio blocktimer ang publisher of a local weekly tabloid.

Senior Insp. Anjanette Tirador, chief of the Tagum Women’s and Children’s Desk and Police Officer 2 Asanie Avila signed the charge sheet against Pangandoyon.

On Thursday morning, Pangandoyon was invited by the local police for investigation into the social-media post, but reports said when he arrived at the police station, he was told by Tirador that charges for alleged violation of Republic Act 9995, or the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009, would be filed against him for the video post he made on the rape suspect.

Pangandoyon said that he posted the video to help in spreading information about the crime that would lead to arrest

of the assailant who raped the woman, who was living in an apartment about five houses from Pangandoyon’s house.

He said that the victim could have died had the onlookers, including him, not took her immediately to the nearest hospital.

The victim, a worker of a catering service in a nearby mall, was found naked and hogtied with her own clothes and an electric cord at around 3 p.m. on Wednesday by her coworkers who saw her through the half-open door of the apartment.

The victim reportedly lived alone in the apartment, but allowed her coworkers to cook their food in there.

When her coworkers returned to the apartment, they found the door halfopen and the victim lying naked and unconscious on the floor.

Pangandoyon said that upon discovery of the crime, one of victim’s coworkers asked for help from the neighbors, so as a mediaman his instinct was to get his camera to help record the scene of the crime.

By around 5 p.m. Pangandoyon alleg-

edly uploaded a short video and subsequently, another one video, which is longer, with news written in the vernacular.

In the videos, the victim was seen lying naked on her side with her breast covered by her hogtied hands.

The videos became viral among netizens in the city and the province, with the first one earning more than 6,000 views early Thursday morning.

In the longer video, Pangandoyon’s voice can be heard asking emergency help from the city police.

Some netizens commented that Pangandoyon failed to put a blur the videos before he posted them.

The videos were already deleted late Thursday afternoon, but before that, several netizens commented that it was unfortunate that Pangandoyon was first arrested by the police and not the rape suspect, while there had been many cases in the past that netizens uploaded similar and even clearer voyeur videos and photos but the uploaders were not put in jail. Cha Monforte

news@businessmirror.com.ph

Abandon waste incineration plan, groups tell QC mayor

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

E

NVIRONMENTAL groups on Friday urged Quezon City Mayor Herbert M. Bautista to scrap a planned joint venture with a Japanese company for a multibillion waste-to-energy project.

A report published in the Nikkei Asian Review revealed Hitachi Zosen’s plan to construct a garbage-incineration facility, which will provide fuel to a power plant able to produce more than 20,000 kilowatts of electricity.

The project costs some $395 million, or P18.17 billion, including initial investment outlay and operational expenses for 20 years. The capital will be recovered through waste-processing charges and electricity sales, the report said.

Groups, like EcoWaste Coalition, Bangon Kalikasan Movement, Green Convergece for Safe Food, Healthy Environment and Sustainable Economy, Greenpeace Southeast Asia and Global Alliance for Incinerator Alterantives, however, said the Clean Air Act banned the use of waste incinerators for causing air pollution.

They added that the waste incineration plan disguised as a waste-to-energy scheme is costly and suggested other enviornmentally sound, sustainable and cheaper solutions for managing waste that will not circumvent the ban on burning the garbage.

The Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, which aims to solve the garbage problem promotes segregation at source, composting, recycling, reuse and other measures, excluding incineration, she said.

“The construction of this incinerator might be even used to justify the continued dumping operations in Payatas, since a landfill will still be required for the toxic ash resulting from the combustion of discards,” said Joey Papa, president of Bangon Kalikasan Movement.

Burning produces 30 tons of ash for every 100 tons of garbage burned.

Angelina Galang, president of Green Convergence for Safe Food, Healthy Environment and Sustainable Economy, for her part said waste-to-energy technology is not the answer to the country’s energy woes, as well.

“It emits toxic dioxins and furans and burns resources, which can, otherwise, be recycled or composted.

It promotes the generation of waste because the combustion chamber must be constantly fed with waste. It is the most expensive energy source according to some experts,” she said.

Abigail Aguiilar, detox campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said waste-to-energy and integrated waste management systems are just fancy names for incinerators, and not at all clean, renewable or healthy.

“Incinerators go against the principle of sustainability. Their toxic emissions can never be controlled once released to the environment, therefore lethal to humans and damaging to the ecology,” she said.

The P18.17 billion that will be needed to build and operate the incinerator should be used instead to improve and expand QC’s existing waste prevention and reduction programs, including ensuring the proper closure and rehabilitation of the Payatas dumpsite, the groups insisted.

“For example, 11,647 barangay waste workers will be paid a minimum salary of 12,000 per month for 10 years, plus the annual 13th-month pay, to collect segregated wastes from households, sell recyclables to junkshops and compost the organics. This in turn would allow Quezon City to achieve at least 70-percent waste diversion or more,” Froilan Grate, Asia-Pacific Coordinator, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives said for his part.

Sports BusinessMirror

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph | sports@businessmirror.com.ph

Saturday, August 20, 2016 A7

Khim goes for 3-peat vs Clarice

Foton taps Menta

for AVC Club tilt

F

OTON Pilipinas tapped seasoned Italian mentor and International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) international volleyball instructor Fabio Menta as its new head coach for the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Asian Women’s Club Championship slated from September 3 to 11 at the Alonte Sports Center in Binan City.

Menta was officially introduced by Foton President Rommel Sytin and Team Manager Jose Mari Angulo in a hastily called news conference on Thursday night at Ka Tunying’s Café in Quezon City.

“In the past year, I have been watching games of the Philippine volleyball teams and I must admit that it’s the Foton Tornadoes who really caught my attention,” said Menta, who used to train the Cuban national team and is currently the head coach of the Cook Islands Volleyball Association.

“The team is a very good team. It’s a mixture of enthusiasm and youth. I’m here to develop them to become higher-level volleyball players to be able to play against strong teams, like China, Japan and Thailand,” added the 54-year-old coach, who has been in the volleyball industry for more than two decades.

Menta, who just arrived last week, set a modest goal for the Tornadoes for the AVC tournament.

“We’re looking at a fourth-place finish in the AVC,” he said. “My goal is to make a higher upgrade by preparing new defensive schemes. The leagues where the Tornadoes have participated are evidences of their potential. But it should not end there. If we are to compete in world-class play, we have to train harder and sharper.”

Menta and the Foton squad, with imports Ariel Usher and Lindsay Stalzer, who arrived few days ago, as well as guest players Aby Maraño, Jovelyn Gonzaga and Jen Reyes, will leave the country on Saturday for Sisaket, Thailand, to compete in the 2016 Select Tuna Thailand Volleyball Championship as part of their preparations. Lance Agcaoili

Ateneo fights for survival

A

TENEO de Manila tries to keep its quarterfinals hope alive as it battles the unbeaten National University (NU) in Group A of Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Collegiate Conference on Saturday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

The Lady Eagles and defending champion Lady Bulldogs clash at 6 p.m. in a rematch of last season’s Collegiate Finals.

But this time, Ateneo will be playing minus superstar Alyssa Valdez, while NU won’t have Myla Pablo anymore, as both players already used their eligibility.

Meanwhile, University of the Philippines (UP) and Far Eastern University (FEU) square off at 4 p.m. in a battle of Group B sweep.

The Lady Tamaraws and Lady Maroons are already in the quarterfinals with identical 3-0 winloss slates along with University of Santo Tomas (2-2).

But expect FEU and UP to go all out as they want to enter the next round on a high note and, at the same time, their records in the first round will be carried to the next phase.

The Lady Eagles (1-2) finally tasted a win and are eyeing a playoff with Technological Institute of the Philippines (2-2) with a win against NU. The Lady Bulldogs will continue to miss Jaja Santiago due to her commitment with FotonPilipinas, which flies to Thailand in preparation for Asian Volleyball Confederation Asian Women’s Club Championship this September in Biñan, Laguna.

NU already played without Santiago on Wednesday against University of Perpetual Help but the Lady Bulldogs still prevailed with a 25-10, 2125, 25-16, 27-25 victory and they are now seeking a four-game sweep of Group A. In Spikers’s Turf, defending titlist Ateneo and UST battle for fourth straight win in Group B at 12 noon, where at stake is a seat in the next round, while NU and winless College of Saint Benilde battle at 10 a.m. Lance Agcaoili

CENTENNIAL CLASSIQUE ON

M

ANILA Jockey Club, the premier horseracing club in the Philippines, will host the Ramon Bagatsing Centennial Classique on Sunday at San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite.

The racing festival, which is running on its eighth year, is a memorial of the life and love of horse racing by the city of Manila’s ex-mayor.

“We celebrate the memory of my father, and his life’s achievements by holding this annual racing festival. He would have been 100 years old today, and I, along with the entire Bagatsing clan, remain steadfast in continuing the tradition he has established, and uphold his proud legacy.

Mahal na mahal po ni Mayor ang karera, lalo na ang bayang karerista, kaya iniimbitahan po namin kayong lahat na makisaya at maki-isa sa amin!”

K

Kirstie Elaine Alora is the last woman standing for the Philippines in the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

READY FOR BATTLE R

By Jun Lomibao

IO DE JANEIRO—Mexico’s Maria del Rosario Espinoza has a credential that could send shivers down Philippine bet Kirstie Elaine Alora’s at the taekwondo competitions of Rio 2016.

Espinoza, 28, won gold in the 2007 world championships and 2008 Beijing Olympics. A personnel at Mexico’s armed forces, she always got through her first three fights in all the world championships she competed in from 2005 up to last year in Chelyabinsk, Russia, where she reached the quarterfinals.

Espinoza clinched silver at the Pan-American Games in Toronto last year, bagged gold at home in Queretaro this year and a silver in Aguascalietes

in 2014 and also in two Grand Prix tournaments both held in Mexico City in 2014 and 2015.

She took up taekwondo at 10 upon the prodding of a cousin. Since then, she got enamored with the sport and loved fighting with boys as a youngster.

The Rio Olympics profiled her as an “aggressive but points-conscious fighter and doesn’t lose control.” Espinoza is also described as a “dangerous” opponent.

Alora, a year younger that her first round opponent in the women’s +67 kilograms on Saturday, has less across her name as compared to Espinoza.

An export management graduate at the College of Saint Benilde, Alora settled for a bronze medal each from the 2010 Guangzhou and 2014 Incheon Asian Games, which she considers her biggest achievement as an athlete.

She bagged three gold medals but from the inferior Southeast Asian Games in Manila (2005), Indonesia (2011) and Myanmar (2013), and two silvers in Thailand (2007) and Lao PDR (2009).

She got hooked to taekwondo also when she was 10. Like Espinoza, she fights “old style,” meaning Alora prefers unleashing powerful kicks rather than piling up points with numerous, yet less effective, kicks that have become the trend with the introduction of the electronic scoring system.

The tale of the tape appeared to favor the

Mexican, but Alora looked to be the more motivated athlete in the fight set 10:30 a.m. (Rio time).

“Elaine is a quick fighter and I am confident she will bring that quickness against the Mexican,” Alora’s Coach Roberto Cruz said.

It’s not the first time that the two jins met.

Espinoza won a close 2-1 decision when they squared off in 2009 in a tournament in Mexico.

Team Philippines Chief of Mission Jose Romasanta felt Alora, the last to fight among the 13 Filipino athletes at Rio 2016, has prepared well for the Games.

“She has acclimatized, she has trained day in and day out here and, the most important, she is well motivated and relaxed,” Romasanta said.

Alora arrived in Rio on July 23 with the main bulk of the Philippine delegation.

An added motivation for Alora was the arrival of her parents, Marilou and Pablito, from Alaska, where they work as overseas Filipino workers in a fish factory. Her sister Kathlyn was also due on Thursday evening.

“We are looking forward to a very competitive Alora. Her parents and sister will be there cheering for her and that’s a big morale booster,” Romasanta added.

“Of course, I am happy that my family is here. They are a motivation for me,” Alora said.

No other athlete on Team Philippines would be cheering for Alora. Long jumper Marestella

Torres and hurdler Eric Cray flew to Manila and Texas, respectively, on Thursday night. Left to tend to the depleted delegation are Romasanta and Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose Cojuangco Jr., Secretary-General Steve Hontiveros and Treasurer Julian Camacho, as well as Philippine Olympic Committee administrative officer Lisa Ner and Philippine Sports Commission Chief Accountant Merle Ibay.

Alora needs to win three fights to reach the final for a guaranteed bronze medal. If she loses to Espinoza, she could still get a shot at a bronze medal in the repechage for as long as the Mexican advanced to the gold-medal round.

Taekwondo offers two bronze medals, one from the draw and the other from the repechage.

Despite her opponents’ credentials, Alora is unfazed. The Mexican also stands at 5-foot-8, thus, denying her of any advantage in reach.

And for Alora, focusing on the draw over the repechage gives her a better chance at a medal.

“The taller opponents are in the lower bracket,” said Alora, referring to jins from China (No. 2), Serbia (No. 6) and France (No. 7), who all stand above 6 feet. She is ranked 16th and last in her weight class.

A medal of any color from Alora would add to Hidilyn Diaz’s silver in women’s weightlifting, allowing the country to book its best campaign in the Games.

THAIS SHOWING THE WAY FOR S.E.A. COUNTRIES R

IO DE JANEIRO—Of the 206 countries in the Olympic Family, 70 have so far earned a slot in the medal tally board and six of them are from the Southeast Asian (SEA) region.

But of the six SEA Games countries, the Philippines ranked sixth and last, with the lone silver medal Hidilyn Diaz clinched in the 53-kilograms class of women’s weightlifting.

And interestingly, the Philippines should not be surprised if it continues to rank No. 6 among its closest neighbors. All six SEA Games countries that have won medals here made up the top 6 of the tally board when Singapore hosted the biennial regional games last year.

Thailand maintained its reputation as the top sporting country in the region, with its haul of two gold medals from taekwondo and weightlifting, and a silver each from the same sports. The Thais are ranked No. 25 on the Rio tally that the Americans have been dominating since day one of the Olympics.

No. 40 Indonesia also kept its reputation, particularly in badminton, where it won one gold medal, and in weightlifting with two silvers. Vietnam was nailed at 45th place with its shooting gold and silver medals won by the same athlete in the men’s air rifle competitions.

Singapore would still be in cloud nine at No. 50, after its swimming phenom, Joseph Schooling, stunned the legendary Michael Phelps in the men’s 100-meter butterly final. Malaysia has two silvers and one bronze across its spot at No. 57 in the board, reaping the second-place finishes in badminton and diving, and the bronze from cycling’s track.

The Philippines was at No. 61 and stayed there since Diaz became the first Filipino to win an Olympic weightlifting medal two days into the Games on August 7. Diaz’s accomplishment, which rewarded her a total P7-million incentive from the government and a house and lot from the private sector, was the first Filipina to win a Games medal.

Diaz also ended a 20-year medal drought for the Philippines since Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco clinched a silver medal in boxing’s men’s flyweight at the Atlanta edition in 1996.

In the 2015 SEA Games, Thailand emerged overall champion with a 95-83-69 gold-silverbronze tally, followed by Singapore (83-74-102), Vietnam (73-53-60), Malaysia (62-58-66), Indonesia (47-61-74) and the Philippines (29-36-66).

Except for Diaz, and Jessie Khing Lacuna and Jasmine Alkhaldi, who earned swimming berths under the International Olympic Committee’s “Principle of Universality” and Marestella TorresSunang, who made her farewell campaign in Olympic long jump, the rest on the 13-athlete delegation are first-timers in the Games.

They were Nestor Colonia in weightlifting, Rogen Ladon and Charly Suarez in boxing,

Mary Joy Tabal in women’s marathon, Miguel Luis Tabuena in golf, Ian Lariba in table tennis, Eric Cray in men’s hurdles of athletics and Kodo Nakano in judo.

Another Olympic first-timer, Kirstie Elaine Alora, was the last woman standing for the team. She fights Beijing 2008 gold medalist Maria Espinoza of Mexico in the first round of the women’s +67-kg class on Saturday.

Only Cray managed to live another day in his batch of Olympians when he reached the 400-meter hurdles semifinals. But according to Philippine Chief of Mission Jose Romasanta, the disappointments in five of the seven sports Filipino athletes competed in does not translate to an ill-prepared delegation.

“I can face anybody and say that despite of what happened in the other events, no one in this 13-athlete delegation came unprepared,” Romasanta said. “These athletes have long prepared for Rio and they qualified. It’s not easy qualifying for the Olympics.”

The international federations (IFs) of the 29 sports on the Olympic program each have their own strict qualifying criteria to keep the Games’s high level of competitiveness. The IFs and IOC, however, have adopted the Principle of Universality to promote the goal of Olympic unity and full participation.

The principle allows countries with small resources and with no qualifiers to field athletes in swimming and athletics.

The gold medal remained elusive as ever for

Amado Bagatsing, eldest son and ex-congressman of Manila’s fifth district said.

Andrew Sanchez, chairman of the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) said: “The late Ramon Bagatsing was one of Philippine horse racing’s finest ambassadors. It was he who gave us the Gran Copa de Manila, and through him that some of the country’s greatest races ran. It was he who set the standard, and through his example, Philippine horse racing will continue to progress.”

Major races of the racing festival are the 1,750-meter 3-year-old Centennial Classic, featuring imported versus local horses Radio Active, Homonhon Island, Dewey Boulevard, Space Needle and Daiquiri Lass.

The 1,750-meter, 4-year-old-and-

above Challenge of Champions, will feature Atomicseventynine, Haley’s Rainbow, Dixie Gold, Court of Honour, Kanlaon, Love To Death and Marinx.

The 1,500-meter, 3-year-old local Challenge Race, on the other hand, will have Real Flames, Pinay Pharoah, Leave It To Me, Mr. Noble, Guanta Na Mera, Xen Young, Double Rock, Bite My Dust, Pinagtipunan, Kundiman, Play It Safe and Creative.

Also on this day, the Philracom will be staging the fifth leg of the 2,000-meter Imported/Local Challenge, where imported and locally born horses will go head to head.

Atty. Ramon Bagatsing, Jr., second-born son of the late Manila mayor and a commissioner of the Philracom, said: “We are grateful for all of the sponsors who continue to support this worthwhile

endeavor. We not only celebrate the memory of my father, but also contribute to uplifting the welfare and livelihood of the residents of the city of Manila through the contributions made to the Kabalikat ng Bayan sa Kaunlaran (Kabaka) Foundation. We do my father proud by continuing his lifelong work of helping our fellow countrymen.”

Sponsors of the Ramon Bagatsing Centennial Classique include Resorts World Manila, the Philracom, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Solaire Resort & Casino, Midas Hotel and Casino, Manila Jockey Club, DLTB Bus Co., Herma Farms, EEG Development Corp., Mr. Eduardo “Duay” Calixto, City of Dreams Manila, Pacific Online, Skyway Corp., Smart Communications, Mr. Gardi Cruz, Engr. Jun Sevilla, Mr. Al Tenco and Mr. Bing Tecson.

the Philippines. Since its Olympic debut in 1928 in Amsterdam, the country has tallied three silver— including Diaz’s in Rio—and seven bronze medals.

Boxers Anthony Villanueva (featherweight) clinched a silver medal in 1964 in Tokyo, while Velasco settled for the same color in 1996 in Atlanta. Teofilo Yldefonso (swimming, 200 breastroke, 1928 Amsterdam and 1932 Los Angeles), Jose Villanueva (boxing, bantamweight, 1932), Simeon Toribio (swimming, 200 breastroke, 1932), Miguel White (400-meter hurdles, 1936 Berlin), Leopoldo Serrantes (boxing, light flyweight, 1988 Seoul) and Roel Velasco (boxing, light flyweight, 1992 Barcelona) accounted for the bronze medals.

At Rio 2016, the US held on to its traditional hold of the No. 1 spot atop the tally board with 35 golds, 33 silvers and 32 bronzes, followed by Britain (22-21-13), China (20-1622), Germany (13-8-11), Russia (12-15-17), Japan (12-6-8), France (8-12-14), Italy (8-10-6), the Netherlands (8-4-4) and Australia (7-10-10). Jun Lomibao

San Sebastian’s Alvin Baetiong goes hard to the hoop against Gab Dagangon of Perpetual Help.

NONOY LACZA

HIM Khim Iglupas fought off two match points in the second set then pounced on Marian Capadocia’s shaky finish to hack out a 6-7(8), 7-5, 6-3 victory and set up a title clash with Clarice Patrimonio in the seventh Olivarez Cup Tennis Championship at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat on Friday.

Down a set and 1-5 in the second frame, Iglupas, 18, put on a gem of comeback from 15-40, stealing the seventh game then sweeping the next five to steal the set and force a decider.

It was all Iglupas in the third as the Philippine Tennis Academy (PTA) mainstay sustained her form and dominated Capadocia with her baseline game to complete the grueling come-from-behind win that took three hours to finish.

That kept the Iligan City-based ace, who also edged Capadocia in last year’s finals, on track for a three peat in this annual event sponsored

by Palawan Pawnshop and backed by Milestone Guaranty and Assurance Corp. and Slazenger as official ball.

But out to foil her bid is the second-seeded Patrimonio, who trounced Maia Balce, 6-3, 6-1, in the other semifinal match in the ladies Open singles of the top-ranking tournament staged by Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez, along with Rep. Eric Olivarez and Dr. Pablo Olivarez, as part of the family’s longtime commitment to boost the development of the sport and help discover fresh talents.

Iglupas and Patrimonio dispute the crown at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

“This is going to be thriller of a finale. Khim is on a roll, but Clarice is just as determined to win this one,” Mayor Olivarez said.

Patrimonio earlier subdued Shaira Rivera, 7-5, 6-2, while Balce scored a walkover win over Miles Vitaliano. Capadocia, on the other hand, ripped Frances Santiago, 6-0, 6-0, while Iglupas turned back Christine Patrimonio, 6-2, 7-6(1).

Top seed Johnny Arcilla and No. 2 Patrick John Tierro, meanwhile, hacked out victories in contrasting fashions to advance to the semis of the men’s Open singles. Arcilla eased out Michael Madrio, 6-0, 6-1, to seal a Final Four duel against third seed Albert Anasta, who held off Leander Lazaro, 7-6(2), 7-5.

San Beda beats EAC, keeps lead

S

AN BEDA surged late in the fourth quarter to survive the upset ax of the gritty Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC), 90-82, to stay on top of the standings in the Season 92 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament on Friday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

After a dominating first half where they erected a 48-37 lead, the Red Lions found themselves leading by just one, 66-67, as the Generals staged the comeback in the third period.

EAC even tied the game at 69-all and last threatened at 79-80 on the putbacks from Sidney Onwubere and Hamadou Laminou with more than three minutes to play.

AC Soberano stepped up big for San Beda as he hit a huge three-pointer to give his team an 85-79 cushion. Francis Munsayac answered with a three of his own to keep the Generals within striking distance, 85-82, with just a minute to play.

But Soberano again came to the rescue as he hit another three-pointer, 88-82, 49.2 ticks left.

EAC never had an answer since then.

“Everything’s gonna be tougher come to the second round,” San Beda Head Coach Jamike Jarin said.

“Actually, if we look at the record of EAC, it doesn’t show how they are really playing, they had a few wins and couple of close games, they are

really playing well. “We just found a way to give the ball to the open man so we executed very well twice,” he added.

The Red Lions, who improved to a league-best 10-1, lost Donald Tankoua due to a leg injury in the first period. Tankoua did not return and was rushed to the hospital.

Davon Potts led San Beda with 21 points, while Ranbill Tongco and Ben Adamos poured 12 and 11 points, respectively. Javee Mocon delivered 10, while Soberano, Robert Bolick and Arnaud Noah each had eight markers.

Onwubere had 19 points,18 rebounds and five assists, while Laminou added 18 points and 17 rebounds for EAC, which dropped to 3-8.

Meanwhile, San Sebastian waxed hot to snap a nine-game losing streak after stunning University of Perpetual Help, 71-55.

“The boys played well on defense. It’s all about the defense and the rebounds kaya nanalo kami,” said Stags Head Coach Egay Macaraya, who drew 13 points from Alvin Capobres. Lance Agcaoili

Sports BusinessMirror

A8 | S

aturday, August 20, 2016 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph sports@businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao Asst. Editor: Joel Orellana

A strong start can give BMX racers edge in Rio

Cyclists (from right) Sam Willoughby of Australia, Twan van Gendt of the Netherlands, Amidou Mir of France, Jeremy Rencurel of France, Alfredo Campo of Ecuador and Evgeny Komarov of Russia compete in the BMX cycling quarterfinals. In the background left is Kyle Evans of Britain. AP

Eaton ties Olympic record, but it’s Bolt’s show again

TRACK STARS

R

By Gerald Imray The Associated Press

IO DE JANEIRO—Ashton Eaton retained his title as the best all-around athlete in the world by tying the decathlon Olympic record and, within minutes, had stepped back for track and field’s ultimate superstar to take center stage again.

What more could the now twotime Olympic champion Eaton do on Thursday night to get just a little sliver of the limelight that beams down so brightly on Usain Bolt?

Not much.

“I had the pleasure of being in the same era as Usain Bolt,” Eaton said.

“I mean, the guy’s last name is Bolt, he’s the fastest man ever, you can’t write a story like that.”

You can try.

his own world record of 19.19.

Friday’s 4x100-meter relay final is all that’s left now between Bolt and an historic three golds at three straight Olympics. Concentrating on not messing that up for Bolt, a Jamaica team led by Asafa Powell got into the final in a pretty important moment for the big man’s legacy. They only finished second in their heat behind Japan, but Jamaica’s in.

“There was some pressure to make it to the finals,” Powell said, relieved he didn’t have to deliver any bad news as Bolt prepared for the 200 final.

Wednesday produced an “awesome hour” for the US

For his own tale, Eaton made it back-to-back Olympic and world titles in the decathlon, an event the American has ruled since he rebounded from silver at the worlds in 2011 to claim the next four major gold medals available. From throwing, to jumping, to running, Eaton can do it all.

But then Bolt—a Jamaican who just deals in speed—roared around the bend at the Olympic Stadium to win the 200 meters in 19.78 seconds, completing act two of his three-part quest for gold and history in Rio. Maybe there was some comfort for Eaton—and loads of other athletes looking to be the one to shine—with Bolt’s suggestion afterward that he’s nearly done.

“On the straight, my body didn’t respond. I’m getting old,” said Bolt, who was trying to break

track team, according to Tianna Bartoletta. By Thursday night, that had evolved into a pretty great 24 hours.

Alongside Eaton’s triumph, Ryan Crouser led an American one-two in the shot put, also setting a new Olympic record of 22.52 meters to win his first major title from world champion Joe Kovacs.

Dalilah Muhammad kept the US total ticking on with gold in the women’s 400-meter hurdles and Ashley Spencer added a bronze, with another American 1-2 only just thwarted by Denmark’s Sara Slott Petersen.

Kerron Clement also won his first

individual Olympic gold in the 400-meter hurdles.

“We are making history out here,” Muhammad said of the US team’s gold rush.

The crowd at a near-full Olympic Stadium was constantly reminded of that with a series of medal ceremonies through the day, most of them starting with: “Oh say can you see...”

With three days remaining, the United States was up to 25 medals in track and field, nine of them gold. The US won 29 medals, including nine golds, in London.

For a few short moments, the US women’s 4x100 relay team was a little like Bolt: They were the only ones everyone was looking at.

Leading off, Bartoletta nestled into the starting blocks in Lane 2 for the team’s re-run—all on their own and against the clock only—after they fumbled the baton in their original qualifier. The second chance came after a US protest. With just that clock and the crowd for company, the Americans took the baton around in 41.77 seconds to reach the final.

“Our coach said before we went out there, ‘It’s just like practice, just the whole world

will be watching,” said English Gardner, who ran the third leg.

Eaton finished with 8,893 points, digging deep through the final lap of the last event, the 1,500 meters, to cross the line third, incredibly matching exactly the Olympic record after 10 events over two days.

“How can’t there be one stinking point in there somewhere?” Eaton said.

Eaton had briefly darted away from the decathlon to congratulate Clement, as his teammate knelt exhausted in the midday sun after winning the hurdles, an indicator of the feel-good surging through the US track team right now.

Croatia’s Sara Kolak won the women’s javelin, another first-time Olympic champion like Crouser.

And South Africa’s Caster Semenya, the outright favorite for the women’s 800-meter title, qualified fastest for the final as she breezed to victory in her semifinal heat, unchallenged, in one minute 58.15 seconds.

Semenya, another compelling story at these games but for different reasons to Bolt, will run in the 800 final on Saturday.

By then, Bolt will be done at the Olympics forever.

“I’ve worked all my career, all my life, for this moment,” Bolt said. “So, hopefully, people can read about me as the greatest.”

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt celebrates after »defending his men’s 200-meter title. The United States’s Ashton Eaton (right) emerges as the best all-around athlete after winning the gold in the decathlon event. AP

BRAZILIAN POLICE SAY LOCHTE, TEAMMATES WERE NOT ROBBED R

IO DE JANEIRO—Brazilian police said on Thursday swimmer Ryan Lochte and three US teammates were not robbed after a night of partying, and the intoxicated athletes, instead, vandalized a gas-station bathroom and were questioned by armed guards before they paid for the damage and left.

The robbery that was or wasn’t has become the biggest spectacle outside of the Olympic venues in Rio, casting a shadow over American athletes amid an otherwise remarkable run at the Summer Games. The ordeal was also a blow to Brazilians, who for months endured scrutiny about whether the city could keep athletes and tourists safe given its long history of violence.

“No robbery was committed against these

athletes. They were not victims of the crimes they claimed,” Civil Police Chief Fernando Veloso said during a news conference.

The police account came in direct contrast to claims from Lochte’s attorney earlier in the week. The attorney, Jeff Ostrow, had insisted the swimmer had nothing to gain by making the story up. He, as well as Lochte’s father and agent, did not return phone calls seeking comment.

The swimmers could potentially face punishment—probation, suspension, a fine or expulsion—under US swimming’s code of conduct. It was not clear if the swimmers would face criminal charges, though the police said the athletes could be charged with destruction of property, falsely reporting a crime or both.

Two of the swimmers—Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger—checked in to a flight out of Brazil late Thursday, after a judge lifted the order seizing their passports and keeping them in the country. They had testified about the incident earlier in the day, and Brazilians chanted “liar” as they left the police building.

“They did not lie in their statements. They never lied to journalists. They only stayed quiet. They did not know what was going on,” lawyer Sergio Riera said.

The last swimmer in Rio, Jimmy Feigen, provided an updated statement to the police, US Olympic officials said, and hoped to get his passport back shortly to return home.

The saga began when Lochte claimed that he and his teammates were held at gunpoint

and robbed several hours after the last Olympic swimming races ended. But the police then said they didn’t have evidence to substantiate the story. Their passports were ordered seized so the investigation could continue, but Lochte had already left the country.

While some details in the official account of the story changed on Thursday—the police first said no guns were involved, then said two guards pointed weapons at the swimmers— security video confirmed the athletes vandalized parts of the gas station, leading to an encounter with station employees.

The closed-circuit video shows one of the swimmers pulling a sign off of a wall and dropping it onto the ground. A gas-station worker arrives, and other workers inspect the

damage. Veloso said the swimmers broke a door, a soap dispenser and a mirror.

The swimmers eventually talk with station workers as their cab leaves.

As they talk, two of the swimmers briefly raise their hands and all four sit down on a curb. After a few minutes, the swimmers stand up and appear to exchange something—perhaps cash, as police said—with one of the men.

The footage doesn’t show a weapon, but a police official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, said two guards pointed guns during the encounter.

Veloso said the guards did not use excessive force and would have been justified in drawing their weapons because the athletes “were conducting themselves in a violent way.” AP

By Genaro C. Armas The Associated Press

R

IO DE JANEIRO—In the unpredictable sport of BMX cycling, where races last just about 40 seconds, a strong start means a lot.

Get to the front after the first turn, and there’s a good chance a rider will be able to avoid the kind of wreck-filled chaos that marked the action in the men’s quarterfinal round at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on a breezy afternoon.

“It’s always the key,” Australia’s Sam Willoughby said, “but especially...when it’s windy like this and there’s carnage out there.”

An early lead will come in handy for riders in the men’s and women’s semifinals beginning on Friday afternoon, with the medal races later in the day.

Willoughby is on a roll headed into the semis after winning all three of his heats in the quarters on Thursday. Australian teammate Anthony Dean also had a strong quarterfinal round, while the United States and the Netherlands each sent all three of their cyclists into the men’s semis.

“We don’t have lanes and it’s a full-contact sport, so the start is very important,” Willoughby, the 2012 silver medalist, said this week. “To get out front at the first corner, you can run your own race from there and create your own destiny a bit.”

It’s tough enough just to have a chance to lead the pack after the first turn.

The action begins with cyclists released from a starting gate at the top of a ramp three stories tall. They pedal furiously down the ramp and pick up speed to jump hills and maneuver through turns on the roughly quarter mile-long course.

US rider Alise Post said she thinks riders reach a speed of 35 meters per hour to 40 mph just a few seconds into the race. There’s no suspension on the bikes, either.

“It’s very demanding for sure,” Post said.

The series of jumps after the starting ramp leads into the wide first turn. Inside position is important. Stay out in front and there is a greater likelihood that a rider won’t get caught up in the pack of cyclists desperately trying to catch up.

And this all might happen in a span of 10 seconds, maybe less.

The alternative is to scramble from behind, which isn’t uncommon, though less desirable.

A contender’s day can end in a hurry. In the quarterfinals on Thursday, two-time gold medalist Maris Strombergs barely missed the cut after getting set back from a crash in his first heat that also involved Britain’s Liam Phillips.

Joris Daudet of France, the reigning world champion, also got knocked out after crashing.

“There’s still 800 feet of track that you can’t mess up on...because seven guys will pass you, no problem,” US rider Nic Long said.

“It’s never easy. But yeah, winning to the first jump, the winning to the second jump, then winning the first turn, makes winning to the finish line that much easier.”