Ms sect c 20170507 sunday

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SUNDAY, MAY 7, 2017

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick dela Cruz, Issue Editor business@manilastandard.net

CEBUANOS DEVELOP APP TO REFORM POSTAL SECTOR

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CHAIRMAN.

Unilever Philippines Inc. chairman Benjie Yap

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FORMER TRAINEE NAMED UNILEVER PH CHAIRMAN

former technical trainee who arranged boxes at the supply chain division of Unilever Philippines Inc. two decades ago is now the chairman of the local unit of the world’s largest consumer goods company.

Benjie Yap, 43, became the first homegrown talent to hold the position in over 30 years. Yap, who grew up in Divisoria, Manila, joined Unilever after graduating from De La Salle University in Manila with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering (minor in Mechanical Engineering) in 1994. He completed his basic education at Chiang Kai Shek College.

Unilever is a Dutch-British company behind consumer brands Axe, Ben & Jerry’s, Block & White, Breeze, Clear, CloseUp, Cream Silk, Domex, Dove, Eskinol, Lux, Lifebuoy, Master, Pepsodent, Perla, Pond’s, Sunsilk, Tresemme, Vaseline, Surf, Caress, Best Foods, Cornetto, Knorr, Lipton, Lady’s Choice, Magnum, Selecta, among others.

As a technical management trainee in 1994, Yap had stints in manufacturing, engineering, research and development and packaging development.

“I’ve been in the company for 23 years now,” he says.

Yap was first assigned at the packaging section of Unilever’s factory in Manila. “Because I’m an engineer, I worked in the supply chain as technical trainee in the factory. So I did the rounds of working third shifts. I was packaging, moving and arranging boxes,” he says.

From the supply chain division, he shifted career tracks and served as a product development manager in Port Sunlight UK in 1999. He became marketing director of home care in 2001. He later joined Unilever Philippines’ National Board of Directors as the food managing director at the age of 32, 11 years after joining the company.

In 2009, he was assigned to Thailand as vice president for home care products. He returned to Manila in 2013 to lead home care and foods and

later as vice president of customer development, before being named chairman in March 2017.

The company was formed by the Lever brothers in the UK as a soap company, with Lifebuoy as its first product. It merged with a Dutch maker of margarine in 1929, to form Unilever, which has diversified into ice cream and refreshment, food, personal care, home care, water, sanitation, environment, agriculture and livelihood. In the Philippines, Unilever has the largest advertising expenditures amounting to billions annually, supporting the businesses of broadcast networks.

Yap received numerous accolades throughout his career, including the CEO Excel Award in 2007 and the Outstanding Achievement Award in Marketing Management from Agora in 2015, as well as being named one of the top alumni of De La Salle University in 2010.

“I am deeply honored to be named chairman of Unilever Philippines. Having been with Unilever throughout my professional career, I have witnessed how the company has grown and has uplifted the lives of many Filipinos,” says Yap. “Being appointed as chairman at a time when the private sector is called to help address societal concerns, I am inspired by the work that we have begun and are continuing—creating real solutions in areas such as nutrition, livelihood, water, sanitation, and the environment. We take a long view of how we provide for the needs of Filipino families, offering products for their daily use and helping them in challenges they face,” Yap says.

“At Unilever Philippines, we place a premium on sustainability. This is not just reflected in the Sustainable Living programs that we are implementing to address major social concerns. We are also committed to sustainable agriculture and sustainable manufacturing practices. Moreover, we are looking at strategic investments in the Philippines to better serve Filipino families,” says Yap. Yap has recently led the inauguration of Unilever Philippines’ head office in Taguig City.

Located in the Bonifacio Corporate Center at Stopover, Unilever Philippines’ LEED-certified offices are also aligned with the company’s focus on sustainability. The new office marks Unilever’s continued investment in the Philippines, not just

to further grow the market, but to nurture young Filipino talent as well.

Unilever’s new head office in Taguig City is just one among the big-ticket investments of the company, which also include the mega distribution center in Cabuyao, Laguna, its largest distribution center in the Philippines, and the world-class Unilever Cavite Foods Factory, which has Halal capability to address the needs of Muslims in the country.

The mega distribution center spans 13.7 hectares and is expected to facilitate distribution and transport of Unilever’s products manufactured in its Cavite and Paco, Manila sites.

Its location is also ideal for vessels going to Visayas and Mindanao via the Batangas ports. In addition to all these, the mega distribution center has future-ready capabilities to ensure efficient and sustainable operations. The mega distribution center’s design and technology will use materials intended to reduce environmental impact.

Constructing the mega distribution center allows Unilever Philippines to enhance delivery of goods throughout the country and create a ripple effect of benefits to communities.

Accessible to the mega distribution center is Unilever Cavite Foods Factory, which adheres to world-class manufacturing services and on which Unilever is investing a total of P1.7 billion.

The factory is also expected to serve as the Halal Hub for South East Asia and Australia. To date, the Philippines has yet to realize the potential of the Halal market, which can be a driver for sustained socio-economic growth.

The LEED-certified Unilever Cavite Foods Factory is utilizing renewable energy resources for its power requirements.

“Unilever Philippines is committed to the Filipino people. Not only are we optimistic about prospects for growth, but we are also constantly on the lookout for emerging opportunities to better serve the market,” Yap says.

Yap at 43 is the youngest Filipino chairman of a multinational corporation. “It’s a proud moment for my parents and my family to get this opportunity,” says Yap, who together with wife Karen, has two children who are now in their early teens. Othel V. Campos

T H E P h i l i p p i n e Tr a d e a n d Investment Center in Singapore is working closely with four Filipinos from Cebu to officially introduce Geopik, an app that can revolutionize the postal system in the Philippines.

Singapore-based Francisco Liwa, Ivan Lacuesta, Rodessa Padrigano and John Ryan Loyloy utilize the digital address system using geohashing and geolocation technologies similar to that used by apps such as Waze or Google Maps.

Geopik converts long addresses or the absence of house numbers which is common in the Philippines, into more exact, customizable and easy-to-remember single codes. The app reduces the hassle brought by additional information to the actual address such as “house with blue gate, in front of a mango tree” by simply converting addresses to simple digital codes.

Seeing the inefficiency in the Philippines’ postal coding,Geopik set out to offer a solution to e-commerce, logistics and other location-dependent businesses.

“It’s such a unique experience to help build something and be part of its growth from the very beginning. This is our way of taking charge of our future and making an impact back home in the process,” said GeoPik cofounder John Loyloy.

Aligned with the Philippine government’s thrust to develop an innovative entrepreneurial culture, the Trade Department supports startups and helps strengthen the innovation ecosystem in the country through various initiatives such engaging startup entrepreneurs.

The agency launched QBO Innovation Hub situated at the DTI International Building, Makati City in 2016. It is the first public-private innovation hub in the Philippines that aims to provide support services to startup and innovation entrepreneurs.

DTI teamed up with incubator and accelerator Ideaspace Foundation, the Department of Science and Technology and JP Morgan.

In Singapore, parallel initiatives are being done by PTIC led by commercial counsellor Glenn Peñaranda, who engages with the Filipino community by speaking at investment seminars and online channels on entrepreneurship with the goal of providing more job opportunities for Filipinos.

“Startups play a pivotal role in driving innovation and economic growth hence we are happy to help GeoPik reach out to decisionmakers and to potential users. We also look forward to work with more Filipino startups here in Singapore and the region and help them scale up,” said Peñaranda.

TILAPIA ICE CREAM DRAWS CROWD IN CANADA THE Philippine’s “tilapia ice cream” was featured in Salon International de l’Agroalimentaire or SIAL Canada 2017 on May 2 to 4 in Toronto, Canada, drawing a crowd of interested exhibit attendees.

Developed by Central Luzon State University and funded by the Bureau of Agricultural Research, tilapia ice cream won during the SIAL Asean-Manila 2016 held at the World Trade Center in Manila. The product received a gold medal as the Innovation World Winner.

The Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service of the Agriculture Department invited tilapia ice cream to

be showcased during the SIAL AseanManila 2016.

BAR, under its National Technology Commercialization Program, supported the technology enhancement and commercialization of tilapia ice cream along with the developed tilapia cookies which were optimally aligned to consumers’ preference.

As part of the award, the two products will join the world tour in other SIAL exhibitions scheduled in Paris, Indonesia, Dubai and China.

These exhibitions serve as venues to inform attendees, especially Filipinos working abroad, on the other products

of the Philippines.

Filipinos who are based in Canada were able to visit the booth and showed interest in other locally-produced items.

They got excited in exploring possibilities on how they can bring and promote Philippine products and possibly invest as livelihood opportunities in their families back home.

SIAL is North America’s largest food innovation trade show, showcasing products from 25 countries around the world.

Business

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SUNDAY, MAY 7, 2017 business@manilastandard.net

ZEN ROOMS BRING COD CONCEPT TO HOTEL SECTOR BUDGET hotel franchise Zen Rooms is introducing transformational payat-hotel, credit card-free feature, becoming the first chain in Southeast Asia to allow 100-percent card-free bookings and enable anyone to book affordable hospitality, irrespective of card ownership.

This is because 73 percent of population in Southeast Asia (438 million people) is unbanked, with most transactions paid in cash.

The feature was successfully tested in the first quarter this year and subsequently rolled out to over 500 Zen Rooms locations, across 50 cities in Southeast Asia.

Zen Rooms which was launched in 2015 by Rocket Internet has shaken the hospitality industry in the region by providing a more affordable, disruptive alternative to traditional hotel chains.

The company is now announcing the release of a groundbreaking feature allowing anyone, irrespective of card ownership to book an affordable room and travel safely.

Credit card penetration remains very low in the region, with 74 percent of transactions still paid in cash. The hospitality industry is particularly concerned, as a credit card is usually needed to secure a booking, even if the payment itself only happens at check-in.

Zen Rooms said by introducing its pay-at-hotel feature, it becomes the first budget hotel chain in Southeast Asia to disrupt the status quo.

The only thing required to confirm a booking on www.zenrooms.com is a valid phone number. The feature is currently available for over 500 Zen Rooms locations and is being rolled out to 1,000 ZEN locations in the next three months. The pay-at-hotel option will complement other payment methods available at the moment, such as credit card payment and bank transfer. “ We are really glad to finally announce this pay-at-hotel feature.

This of course removes a significant barrier to travel in SEA. We founded Zen in 2015 to change hospitality in the region for the better with a full customer-centric approach and this is one important step forward to allowing more people travel across the region, in line with our motto and mission Travel More, Pay Less! Since introducing the feature in our first-quarter pilot, we saw a 100-percent increase in booking rate, above expectations, and only confirmed our view that this can transform hospitality industry in a similar way cash-on-delivery revolutionized e-commerce in the past few years,” said Zen Rooms co-chief executive Nathan Boublil.

Founded in 2015 in Jakarta, Zen Rooms has since become the fastest growing budget accommodation franchise in South East Asia. It specializes in providing top value-for-money accommodation (hotels, B&Bs, guest houses, apartments) by guaranteeing all the key essentials needed for a comfortable stay and affordable rates starting at $10.

UNIVERSITY RESIDENCE BUILDER EXPANDS REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO

By Jove Tolaresa Moya and Angelo Yanga

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member of Davao’s Lorenzo family returned to the country after studying in the United States in the 1990s to redesign student housing which would soon become a lucrative segment of the Philippine property sector.

Tomas Lorenzo, a younger brother of former Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo, led the development of Torre Lorenzo 1 along Taft Ave. near De La Salle University to provide homes for young and vibrant market through stylish and contemporary living spaces.

“We were called dormitories, bed spacers and the like...What we’ve done is we’ve made it the place to stay if you are a university student in top universities.

We are already a brand,” says Lorenzo.

“University residences did not really exist before we started the first one,” says Lorenzo. “We bring to the market what the students need and a lot of it came from their parents who really feel a need for a home for their children away from home. So we said let’s come up with residential units for students which we can be proud of, which the parents don’t mind visiting.”

His first project which opened in 2001 would be followed by more so-called university residences, a trend that will be replicated across the property sector in the next decade. Other university residences built by Torre Lorenzo Development Corp. are Torre Central near University of Santo Tomas and Torre Sur in Las Piñas City.

TLDC, the company he established and led as president and chief executive, is now diversifying into other projects by creating new segments in the property sector. It is spending P30 billion to P32 billion to finance the construction of 22 projects until 2020.

“We don’t just follow the trend. We want to make sure we’re first. We wanna make sure that before people even know they need it, we already know what is going to happen. So we watch demographics. We watch migration patterns. We talk to the markets,” Lorenzo says.

Lorenzo, whose family controls fruit producer and trader Lapanday Foods Corp., is now looking to invest in other areas of the country.

“Those of you who know our group and my family know that we are heavily invested outside Metro Manila. We are really thankful for the opportunities given to us especially in Mindanao where my family is from, and we are able to really tap into that provincial growth and there will be more provincial growth,” he says.

He is bullish about growth in other parts of the country. “Many people would rather move back to the provinces where they grew up, and we want to make sure that we are there to give them what they need and the amenities that they want,” says Lorenzo.

TLDC is building mixed-use developments, hotels and condominiums in Baguio City, Pampanga, other parts of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

“Today, we are continuing to tell the world that we just don’t do university residences. Yes, we are very adept in coming up with innovations to the university residences concept, but at the same time we actually come up with newer offerings, newer products or portfolio such as the Tierra Lorenzo projects which are mixed-use developments in regional centers,” says Lorenzo.

Lorenzo wants TLDC to be known as a small

Torre Lorenzo Development Corp. president and chief executive Tomas Lorenzo company that slowly expands until it becomes known because of its brand. “We really think out of the box. We see ourselves as a little company that dreamt big and a little company that you didn’t notice was there, but later on you realized that our projects are all around us already.”

“We don’t want to have a very industrial type of business model... We want to have a personal touch. We want make sure people are happy and like I said we don’t leave our buyers behind,” says Lorenzo.

Some Torre Lorenzo’s units are only open for leasing, because this provides the company

a recurring income. “The leasing of our units and retaining units serve several purposes.

We have recurring income and it allows us to manage the building because we become owners as well. Also, I can look up to my buyers and not feel guilty and be very honest and say ‘I am not going to leave you behind.”

TLDC is pursuing five projects this year, including Torre Lorenzo Malvar in Malate near University of the Philippines-Manila “This one, we are very excited of, because we really put everything that we feel to make the building a success.”

PHOTOGRAPHER SHARES TIPS ON HOW TO SELL PRODUCT CRAFT MNL in partnership with co.lab, Manila Workshops and Globe myBusiness has been holding a series of workshop sessions called “Growing Your Homemade Business.”

I n a workshop, professional photographer Jeryc Garcia gave a short lecture on the basics of photography and a few DIY (do-it-yourself) tips and tricks to get small business owners to put out engaging and eye-catching product photos. The attendees peppered Garcia with questions and showcased their original products while he assisted them from conceptualizing to composing great photos.

Selling a lifestyle Product photography is not just snapping a nice pic of your wares, hoping that people are going to want to buy it for its prettiness. Good product photography doesn’t just sell a product, it promises a lifestyle. You’ve got to get your product photos to tell stories, and not just any stories, but the stories of the people viewing them. Viewers have got to look at your product photos, and say to themselves, “I know how that is going

to add to my life.”

Using your photography to tell those stories as creatively as possible is the best way to invite its viewers to the luxuries of homemade jewelry, the deliciousness of sweet or savory delicacies you’re serving up, or whatever lifestyle your product caters to.

Set your product up Getting photographs of your products to tell those stories is a giant creative task.

So the first thing you’ve got to do is make sure you know your product inside and out. What is it about? What’s it for? How many ways can it be used?

When you’ve got a clear idea on what your photos are going to be saying about your product, you’ve got to figure out how to get the photos to actually say that.

Visual language isn’t particularly difficult to learn and there’s so much of it all around. Go get pegs, lots and lots of pegs —turn to movies, paintings, Instagram, Pinterest and the trusty Google search bar.

Then you’ve got to decide the setting in which to shoot your product. There are two basic set ups—first is the Seamless set

up, which is a closed set up. For anyone who has ever flipped through a catalogue, you’ve seen Seamless set ups. These are tasteful and elegant set ups, that identify the product clearly and straightforwardly.

It’s a setup that says, “here it is, and it’s great.”

The second is the environmental set

up—which is an open set up. It places your product in the world, and contextualizes it.

It’s cookies on a plate on a kitchen counter.

It’s soap gliding down the skin of an arm.

It’s up to you. While this setup might seem ideal for product photography that tells stories, it’s important to keep in mind that environmental set ups can sometimes be

distracting, and can put your products out of context too.

Maximize the product Getting the most out of your product in a photograph is not only a creative task, but also a technical one. So examine your product, and dissect its visual properties.

Is it transparent, translucent, or opaque?

Is it edgy, or rounded? Is it very colorful, or more muted? Is it a product that is actually attractive, or are you going to shoot the packaging instead?

There are many things to consider because getting the product to look good in a photograph means picking its most engaging visual properties and highlighting them. This will be done with lighting. Lighting is the most immediately important consideration for any photographer because it is literally how your product will be seen.

And the lighting will determine the mood of your photograph, and by extension the mood in which your product is received. Is the light soft, and warm? Is it hard, and edgy? What does that say about the product?

Sports

PEOPLE LOVE, HATE CORREIA’S HONESTY

Bethe Correia (left) connects with a left straight at the face of her opponent Jessica Eye during their UFC bantamweight battle. Correia won by split decision over Eye. UFC

By Reuel Vidal

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OVE her or hate her, Bethe Correia will always be honest and true to herself.

She has a polarizing effect on people because she’s always honest. Many don’t like her because they don’t want to hear the truth. Truth hurts said Correia in a conference call with Manila Standard last Friday morning, May 5.

Correia has accepted the fact that everyone will always be divided in their opinion of her. But she will not change. The one thing she is not is being fake just to please people.

Regardless of their opinion about her, everyone will love to see her fight.

Correia once challenged Ronda Rousey for the UFC bantamweight title. She is coming off a majority draw after her fight with Marion Reneau last March. Prior to that fight Correia bounced back from consecutive losses with a split decision ovictory over Jessica Eye. Despite this respectable UFC record Correia thinks she is underestimated by everyone. Maybe this is because of the result of her one-sided loss to Rousey. But

fighting is relative. Rousey beat Correia decisively but she in turn suffered a devastating loss to Holm because of their styles in fighting.

Holm and Correia will be the main event in UFC Fight Night 111 in Singapore on June 17.

Holm enters the five-round bout on the heels of a threefight losing skid. A many-time kickboxing world champion Holm won her first 10 MMA fights with seven knockout finishes. This includes her spectacular victory over Rousey to win the UFC world bantamweight title.

Holm has since lost to Miesha Tate, Valentina Shevchenko and Germaine de Randamie for the inaugural UFC featherweight title.

Correia believes it is Holm who is pressured because of the high expectations for her. Holm is under pressure because after her victory over Rousey. Holm has not lived up to those expectations built up after that victory.

On the other hand Cor-

A confident Bethe Correia raises her hand after making weight before a UFC fight. UFC

reia considers herself a warrior. She has evolved as a fighter because of the trials she has gone through. She has no doubt she will win

over Holm.

Correia said the biggest flaw in the fighting style of Holm is that she has to fight from a distance. When

someone blocks her attacks or closes the gap, then Holm is lost.

This is how Correia will win. She will not fight from distance. She will immediately close the gap between her and Holm. She has no doubt she will win.

Correia says Mixed Martials Arts is her life. She was already working in an Accounting job before she became a fighter. But she didn’t find herself in her job in Accounting. She was frustrated in her other jobs.

Everything changed when she found MMA. She fell in love with MMA and trained everyday. Everything seemed right in her world after that. Everything suddenly made sense because of MMA. She had a good life with her husband. MMA changed her life for the better.

Correia is upbeat and confident that she will fight for the world title soon.

After she wins her fight against Holm, Correia wants a title shot next. She wants to fight for the UFC belt next.

It doesn’t matter against who. She doesn’t care who she fights next. She just wants to fight for the belt after she beats Holm.

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SUNDAY, MAY 7, 2017 reuelvidal@yahoo.com

MARCIANO DISCOVERS THAT LIFE’S A BEACH LIKE most female athletes Janine Marciano thought that she could get a free college education through a sports scholarship as a varsity volleyball player.

Because of the strides made in local women’s volleyball Marciano is happy to find that her life’s a beach.

She did get a college education when she and Frances Molina led San Beda College to their best years in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. But she hasn’t yet gone on to a career as a regular employee. Marciano is happy instead to find a career as a volleyball player.

After her stint at San Beda College she graduated to the Premier Volleyball League (then Shakey’s V-League) with Cagayan Valley then PLDT Home Ultera then Bali Pure before finding a home in the Philippine Super Liga with Cignal HD. Marciano finds herself playing in the sands of SM By the Bay in the Mall of Asia representing Cignal HD B in the 2017 Belo PSL Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup. Cignal HD B carved out a three-set, 2510, 24-26, 15-10 victory over F2 Logistics B last Thursday to stay in the hunt for a berth in the playoffs. Marciano teamed up with Mylene Paat to beat Aby Marano and Cha Cruz of the Cargo Movers.

“Nung third set, nag-usap na talaga kami. Iniisip namin na simula ulit kami kaya sinubukan talaga namin na i-lessen ang mga errors naming. Hindi naman sa nag-relax kami nung second set, pero lumaban talaga ang F2 (Logistics) nung first set. Gusto din talaga nilang makabawi.

Mabuti na lang at gumanda ang inilaro namin nung third set at nakuha namin ang panalo,” said Marciano.

The HD Spikers bounced back from a loss to the tandem of Fiola Ceballos and Patty Orendain of Generika-Ayala A in the opening day late Thursday.

“Natuto na kami sa yesterday’s game na pagkatalo namin. So nag-stick na lang kami sa game plan namin at itinama lahat ng mga naging pagkakamali namin nung first game namin,” said Marciano.

The power spiking duo of Marciano and Paat were brought back down to earth by the quick-stepping pair of Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons of Petron Sprint 4T in the quarterfinals yesterday, May 6.

Quickness and guile proved superior to height and dominance at the net as Marciano and Paat lost in two sets 11-21, 9-21.

Rondina and Pons have been steamrolling the opposition and have not lost a single set in their march to the semifinals.

Still, Marciano is happy to discover that her life’s a beach. Reuel Vidal

Janine Marciano prepares to receive the volleyball while playing in the sands of SM By the Bay in the Mall of Asia representing Cignal HD B in the 2017 Belo PSL Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup.

BARANGAY GINEBRA, ALASKA RESUME STORIED PBA RIVALRY IT’S time.

Barangay Ginebra guard Earl Scottie Thompson (6) protects the basketball against Alaska Aces counterpart Jvee Casio (42).

After a long hiatus to accommodate the Philippine Basketball Association All Star Week one of the most storied, most enduring rivalries in the PBA resumes when the Alaska Aces battle Barangay Ginebra in the 2017 PBA Commissioner’s Cup 6:45 p.m., today May 7 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Both squads are again title contenders this conference.

Ginebra (4 wins, 1 loss) is at third place behind the Meralco Bolts (7-1) and the San Miguel Beermen (5-1). They are followed closely by TNT KaTropa (6-2) and the Star Hotshots (5-2).

The Aces (4 wins, 2 losses) are in solo sixth place in the standings of this tightly

contested conference. A victory propels them to at least a tie for a berth in the quarterfinals. A loss drops them to a tie with the Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters (4-3).

The other teams include the Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters (4-5), the Blackwater Elite (2-6), the GlobalPort Batang Pier (2-6), the Mahindra Floodbuster (1-7) and the NLEX Road Warriors (0-8).

After the 11-game elimination round of the 2017 Commissioner’s Cup the top eight teams advance to the quarterfinals with the top four enjoying a twice-to-beat advantage over the fifth to eighth place squads. The ninth to 12th place squads will be eliminated outright.

The Aces will try to arrest a two-game slide when they face Ginebra. Alaska bowed to the Fuel Masters, 86-94, in a defenseoriented game last April 21. Before that the

Aces almost erased a 25-point deficit in the last five minutes but ran out of time to yield a scrambling 91-99 decision to the Meralco Bolts last April 8.

The last time these two teams met was in the quarterfinals of the 2017 Philippine Cup where the Aces could not take advantage of a twice-tobeat advantage and lost back-to-back games to Ginebra to bow out of the tournament.

The Aces lost a big lead and fell behind, rallied to cut the gap but were outsteadied at end game to lose to Ginebra, 81-85, on February 5. The Aces again lost to Ginebra, 97-108, February 7 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, to miss their second and final chance to advance to the Semifinals of the 2017 Philippine Cup The Aces will be motivated to avenge those playoff losses.

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Sports

SUNDAY, MAY 7, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor / Randy Caluag, Issue Editor

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

MAC’S CRANKIT TENNIS ACADEMY

BRINGING PH TENNIS TO HIGHER LEVEL

By Nathaniel Mariano

Tabuena

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OACH Pat, as he she is fondly called by peers and her students, was born in Manila and migrated to Australia before she reached her teens.

She was doing well as a junior tennis player but her calling was actually to become maker of champion. She pursued her talent for teaching until she became one of the few elite Level 3 coaches from the Australian Tennis Professional Coach Association (ATPCA).

For all her accomplishments, her heart still belongs to her native country.

“We want to help our talented (Filipino) kids reach their full potential,” said coach Patricia Albano-Concon-Puzon.

In 2012, coach Pat put up Mac’s Crankit Tennis Academy in Australia, primarily to help disadvantaged youth and aspiring coaches.

She discovered her love and interest of coaching after completing her ATPCA coach training from the Graduate Pro entry level accreditation to the highest Master Pro Level 3.

Being on the level of a Master Pro Level 3, Puzon can certify coaches internationally, realizing that her true calling was tennis coaching and mentoring.

“My priority is to actually help the community by sponsoring children who have potential in making it to the Big Open,” Puzon said, sharing that a solid and a successful coaching career in Australia made her realize to bring the standards of professional coaching training to her native land.

Puzon believes that the ATPCA Coach Training will provide opportunities for coaches and children in disadvantaged communities and will pave a way forward to people who look for career options, both national and international, in tennis.

“We all know that half of the class of athletes being sponsored from the Philippines to travel and create their dreams under the International Tennis Federation (ITF) is very scarce,” said Puzon.

With Lebanese expat Fadi El Soury, coach Pat

TABUENA TURNS BACK KESYER IN PLAYOFF

Frances Angelica Santiago is one of the products of MAC Crankit’s tennis program

found a perfect ally and together they put up Mac’s Crank it Philippines.

Fadi, owner of Fadi lines of tennis apparel and equipment, has made the Philippines is home and for him, the best way to give back is to help “develop world-class Filipino tennis players who can compete in top level international events.”

Fadi is well aware of the politics currently engulfing Philippine tennis and he is quick to clarify that “we are not against or for anyone.

We just want to help any kid who cannot even buy proper uniform and equipment. Any kid who has potential can be sponsored by MAC’s Crankit.”

For a couple of years now, they have been sponsoring exchange students from Australia and the Philippines.

Officials of MAC’sCrankit Philippines (From left) chairman Fadi El-Soury, player Frances Angelica Santiago, founder/vice President and coach Patricia Albano-Concon-Puzon, president Georgina Ramos, corporate secretary Johanna Patricia Ramos.

Just recently, they brought young players with Filipino blood and others with foreign descent to play in an age-group tournament in General Santos City.

One of their best products is Frances Angelica Santiago, currently no. 8 in the women’s national pool.

The 16-year-old trained for three months in Australia and joined competitions. She won the 2016 New Southwales Age Group tournament and two more. Her feats allowed her to improve her rankings from 600 to 6,000 in the senior women’s players in Australia.

The secret, according to coach Pat, is “to teach the coaches first before teaching out the kids. We want to teach coaches to become certified professional coaches and she is doing it in the Philippines “almost for free.”

With Fadi and coach Pat in their mission are Georgina Ramos, president and Johanna Patricia Ramos, corporate secretary, and treasure Dalia Puzon.

“Our mission is to standardized competencies in the sport of tennis for every level,” Mac’sCrankit president Georgina Ramos said, mentioning to achieve the aim of the organization in the country so that everybody is on the same page in the sport of tennis.

Aside from establishing a tennis academy in the Philippines, Ramos shared that they also envision togive aspiring coaches a chance to have a career within the world of tennis. “We also aim to give community services by reaching out to the marginalized and the disadvantaged few,” added Ramos.

MAC’s Crankit focuses on inspiring and developing tennis players, regardless of their financial background. “This is basically what we are here for.

We also aim to let others know that MAC’sCrankit is here permanently,” Ramos ended.

TARLAC—Miguel Tabuena pulled off one of the most stirring comebacks in local golf history, battling from seven strokes down with a brilliant 65 then pouncing on South African Mathiam Keyser’s errant drive in sudden death to snatch the ICTSI Luisita Championship at the Luisita Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Though Tabuena needed to churn out a spectacular bogey-free sevenunder card to get a shot at the crown, the $60,000 event lived up to its pretournament hype—the championship decided on the last shot—with Keyser, who closed out with a 71 to tie Tabuena at 277, finding the water off the 18th mound and ending up with a double-bogey.

“I’m very happy because I made it despite the odds where I trailed all throughout,” said Tabuena, who clinched the victory worth $10,500 with a routine par and whose 11-under aggregate with Keyser stood as the official record at the quaint par-72 layout, according to Luisita general manager Jeric Hechanova.

Brimming with confidence after that 65 feat, Tabuena hit his 4-wood tee shot on their second trip on No. 18 into the fairway then watched Keyser hook his into the water. Pressure-free, the Filipino ace hacked a wedge shot from 104 yards barely on the green then pitched and putted for par from four feet while Keyser knocked his third shot from 148 yards then threeputted from 25 feet for a double bogey.

“He’s good, he deserved the win,” said Keyser of Tabuena, who thus relived his glory days at Luisita where he ruled the CAT (Central Azucarera de Tarlac) Open and topped the rain-shortened Philippine Open, both in 2015.

Tabuena did see action here last year but withdrew in the second round with a bad back with Tony Lascuña scoring a four-shot romp over Korean Park Jun Hyeok.

Third round leader John Michael O’Toole actually padded his two-shot overnight lead with a birdie on the first hole but succumbed under pressure and double-bogeyed No. 4 while missing a couple of birdie chances for a 37. He made another 6 on the par-4 No. 10 and bogeyed the next to drop off the lead, paving the way for Tabuena, Keanu Jahns and Jhonnel Ababa’s takeover with Keyser trailing just a stroke behind. O’Toole limped with a 76 and fell to joint seventh at 280.

DICHAVES ELECTED MARHO PREXY, VOWS MORE QUALITY HORSE RACES THE Metropolitan Association of Race Horse Owners (MARHO) held its general assembly and elected James Albert Dichaves as president recently at the Chantilly Restaurant inside San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite.

MARHO’s Chairman Emeritus, Mayor Sandy Javier led the induction ceremony for the new set of officers that include vice president Antonio Tan Jr., Aurelio De Leon (secretary), Antonio De Ubago (treasurer),Victor Ferrer (auditor) and directors Luis Macario Asistio, Marlon Cunanan, JeciLapus, Vicente Go Bon, Felizardo Sevilla Jr. and Wilbert Tan.

“I want to thank mayor Sandy Javier for his continuous support to the group and our two major supporters Philracom chairman Andrew Sanchez and Atty. Boy Reyno of the San Lazaro Leisure Park,” said Dichaves.

“We at MARHO will work with our partners in the industry to continue providing quality races and provide more incentives and prizes to winners in our races.”

After the ceremonies, MARHO also hosted the 1st Leg of the Road to the MARHO Breeders Cup Classic and the 1st MARHO Invitational Race.

The annual MARHO Breeder’s Cup Classic,

one of the biggest events in the Philippine racing industry, will take place in November after a series of high-powered elimination races.

The 1st Leg of the Road to the MARHO Breeders Cup Classic was sponsored by the Philippine Racing Commission. Kanlaon, the horse owned by Benjamin Abalos Jr, won this race with a cash prize of Php 500,000 from Philracom.

The 1st MARHO Invitational Race, which was sponsored by the Manila Jockey Club Inc with Php500,000 cash prize, the winning horse was Malaya, also owned by Benjamin Abalos Jr.

Chairman emeritus Sandy Javier (left) leads the induction ceremony for MARHO’s new set of officers, headed by president James Albert Dichaves.