The right to disconnect

HAVE MY SAY
By KLAUS DORING

A LIFE WITHOUT CELLPHONE? I remember the time, when one of my first Japanese friends kept on complaining, why I didn’t operate a cell phone. Believe me, during that time, sometime in 2000 or 2001, I even typed my articles on an old typewriter from Germany.

My Japanese friend then bought me a computer - and a cellphone! Some other friends congratulated me: “Welcome back to the world!”

Sometimes, I observed (business-)people operating with two or even more cell phones at the same time. I asked them: “How did you survive doing business before without these units?” Believe me or not. The answers have been mostly: I really don’t know!

Doing business nowadays without a cell phone? Even a very private life? I can’t imagine it anymore. Philippines’ cell phone companies really provide us with the widest distribution and the broadest coverage to very affordable charges. I really enjoy, for example, the unlimited call experience - just to mention one.

Two handsets or even three. Ok lang, as long it keeps my business running.

But then it happened! I thought I had lost my cell phone. I got panic, lossing all my important connections. This “thing” really got a special meaning for me. And here we are: not only for business. Just even for a short “Hi - kumusta ka?” I really felt lonely!

Journalist Chris Stokel-Walker explained it very well: for the average working person, there’s no greater feeling than powering down your computer and kissing goodbye to your avalanche of work emails for the day. If we’re lucky enough to disconnect from the job on evenings and weekends, we’re overjoyed to leave work email and the stress that comes with it in the office.

But experts say we’re increasingly failing to do so, instead bringing the burden home with us and fielding emails during our free time. Unsurprisingly, this routine has some serious consequences.

Now, it is a reflex, like checking my Facebook or Twitter timeline. Yes, it’s indeed so - but never 24/7.

Working abnormal or long hours have long been linked with depression, anxiety and even coronary heart disease. Crucially, the importance of weekend recovery has also been correlated with weekly job performance and personal initiative. While further research revealed psychological detachment during off-work time, reduced emotional exhaustion caused by high job demands and helped people stay engaged.

So, if we know all this, it begs the question: why are we still letting work invade our precious weekends?

According to Cary Cooper, professor of organizational psychology at Manchester Business School and president of the CIPD, the recent trend even spills into the way we access our work communications and projects.

Today, says Cooper, work emails are just a tap of a smartphone away. “You don’t carry your laptop around when you’re out to dinner, but you do carry your mobile phone,” he says. “The smartphone changed everything.”

If we don’t switch off from work we don’t recover from work. We should get the right being disconnected. At night or during weekends.

Kelsey Merritt is first Pinay to walk in Victoria's Secret fashion show

By: Jan Milo Severo (philstar.com) 

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino-American Kelsey Merritt will become the first Filipina to walk through the runway for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2018. 

In her Instagram account, the 21-year-old model announced that she is ready to represent the Philippines.

“WE DID IT PHILIPPINES!!!!!! What an honor it is to be the first Filipino to walk in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2018!!!" she wrote.

image: https://video.unrulymedia.com/native/images/unmiss-close-button-dc13fd35130ef93fcd271ef2cd1f1739.svg

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"Ahhhhhh I can’t believe this!!” she added.

She also thanked the people who helped in her journey. 

Other supermodels who are confirmed to walk in the fashion show’s ramp are Candice Swanepoel, Bella Hadid, Gigi Hadid, Taylor Hill, Josephine Skriver and Stella Maxwell, among others.  

Miss Universe 2012 first runner-up Janine Tugonon was also featured in the advertisement of Victoria’s Secret but failed to make it in the final lineup of the fashion show in 2016.

Are you are a workaholic?

By column in MINDANAO DAILY:

What's really behind the global rise in working longer and longer hours? We are all workers whether we work in a plush carpetted office as executives and managers, in a hot and noisy assembly-plant as factory-hands or as house-wives at home.

Why do we work? Why do we slug five or six days a week (or even more?) for eight or more hours at a stretch? The church has had quite a lot to say about work and especially, the rights of the workers. And when you get through the church jargon, you'll find statements on minimum wages for workers, needs for leisure and social benefits.

It is the Book of Genesis which tell us that work is God's gift to human beings. God gave us the will, power and intelligence to "fill the earth and subdue it" and not just talk about seeing the wild beasts, the fruits and grains... .

We are given the enormous task of shaping the earth, whether as machinist in a textile factory, or as clerk in court. The important message is: Work is for man (and woman) and not man (and woman) for work! Through work, man develops himself, his personality and his sense of self-worth. It is also through work that man produces goods and services contributing and participating in the development and society.

Asking writer José Luis Peñarredonda about being a workaholic, he says: It makes accidents more likely, boosts stress levels, and even causes physical pain. But the real problem is that many people just can’t afford not to do it.

According to latest International Labour Organization statistics, more than 400 million employed people worldwide work 49 or more hours per week, a sizeable proportion of the near 1.8 billion total employed people worldwide.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, even entrepreneur Elon Musk felt moved to describe his 47th birthday spent locked in his factory, pulling an all-nighter. “No friends, nothing,” he said. It might have been just another day in another 120-hour work week. “This has really come at the expense of seeing my kids. And seeing friends,” he added.

For some of his fans, this is just the price of being Silicon Valley’s current demi-god, the pioneer simultaneously pursuing the colonisation of Mars and creating an affordable and mass-produced electric car.

A 2016 study found that the cortisol levels of people ‘on call’ rise faster in the mornings than those of people who are not required to be available. But wearing exhaustion like a badge of honor sets a dangerous precedent. Hustling over long hours and weekends has become a staple of start-up culture in Silicon Valley - hence, it has also filtered out to many parts of the world. 

The problem is that this 'long hours' culture likely defeats the purpose of getting more things done, or at least puts a very hefty price on doing them. There is plenty of evidence that working overtime reduces your productivity, and makes you feel and actually be less healthy. It also make you more likely to develop a whole range of diseases.

Still, millions of workers seem unable to take a stand against it, from medics to ‘gig economy’ workers and freelancers. What happens then? And, what can we – those who can’t help working on Saturday nights – do about it? Yes, in my opinion: this is going to hurt very much.

It seems self-evident: an overworked person is tired; hence more likely to have an accident at work. But proving this is surprisingly difficult. It might be that riskier jobs also have more demanding hours, or simply that people who work more hours spend more time at risk, even if they don’t do overtime. But a study that analysed 13 years of job records in the US found that “working in jobs with overtime schedules was associated with a 61% higher injury hazard rate compared to jobs without overtime”.

Have you ever heard about the algorithmic ‘whip’? Still, a lot of people feel trapped in the cycle – they rely on overworking to make ends meet and pay their bills. They are stuck in a system that incentivises them for clocking up lots of hours, or for working through the night if their clients live in another time zone.

For example, this is often the case for ‘gig economy’ workers in Southeast Asia and Africa, hired by companies or entrepreneurs in the US, UK or Europe through freelancer platforms to do things like coding, blog post working, website building or social media management. Some recent research led by Alex J Wood, from the Oxford Internet Institute, reveals that the algorithms that assign jobs to these workers are a powerful driver to sustained overworking.

As one interviewee on Wood’s research said, “I’m so broke, this is someone who’s ready to give me the money, so why don’t you want 18 hours in one day?”

Basically, the higher your ranking on these platforms, the more likely you are to be hired. But to get these good reviews, workers have to accommodate everything their client wants, with little room for negotiating better conditions: “They have to be available to communicate whenever they are wanted. If the client has a very short deadline, they have to accept. Otherwise, they will be given a bad rating”, says Wood in an interview.

If the worker is not in the top rankings, this pressure only increases. Some try to attract more gigs by charging extremely low prices, forcing them to work very long hours for little money. Furthermore, most invest a significant amount of unpaid labour too, on admin like setting up profiles, bidding for gigs on the platform, and acquiring skills to create a more attractive profile. All this adds up to a very long and exhausting routine.

As one interviewee on Wood’s research said, “I’m so broke, this is someone who’s ready to give me the money, so why don’t you want 18 hours in one day?”

Are you, my dear readers always on-call? Indeed, the era when work ended as people left the office is long gone. Checking and answering messages from work seems unavoidable – and even desirable for some people, as they feel it allows them to outperform competitors, or to spend more time with family without losing track of their jobs. Yes,  increases expectations are normal; nowadays: managers and colleagues alike expect staff to be almost always available to do work.

But being ‘on call’ is not the same as being off work, and the way our body reacts to both situations is very different. A 2016 study found that the cortisol levels (the hormone that regulates the ‘fight or flight’ reaction and plays a role in raising stress levels) of people ‘on call’ rise faster in the mornings than those of people who are not required to be available, even if they don’t end up working that day.

This hormone usually has its peak concentration when we wake up, and it decreases on the rest of the day. But scientists believe everyday stress factors tamper with its cycle in several ways: it rises faster when you expect a stressful day (researchers believe this may be the case here), its levels remain high if you are chronically stressed, and it does not rise if you are going through a ‘burnout syndrome’ – something usually preceded by a chronic stress period.

As a result, people also find it more difficult “mentally detaching work from non-work” when they are ‘on call’, as well as choosing to do the activities that they really want – a trait researchers call ‘control’. In other words: workers don’t feel like the time they are ‘on call’ is really their own, and their stress levels rise accordingly. Hence, researchers conclude that days where availability is demanded “cannot be considered leisure time, because recovery – a crucial function of leisure time – is restricted under such circumstances”.

Keep in mind that working for days at a time is not smart, even if you are Elon Musk. The news of his unhealthy work routine has not been well received by investors, and Tesla’s stock fell 8.8% shortly after the NYT interview, amid suspicions of Musk’s poor mental health. Take it as a sobering tale: if you can avoid working for days at a time, just do it, as it has no positive effects on your health, your well-being, or your productivity. Even if you think you are an exception, most likely you are not. I am happy to be  an exception!

Oslob Shark Tourism cited by National Geographic

By: Catherine Talavera (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines — National Geographic has cited Oslob in Cebu for its shark tourism industry, describing it as a booming business despite its effects on wildlife still being debated on.

“In the Philippines, whale shark tourism is a booming business. But questions have arisen about how this activity could harm the animals,” Kennedy Warne of National Geographic said in a story posted on its website.

Shark viewing or shark watching uses baiting or provisioning to attract animals.

“In this town, near the southern tip of Cebu island in the Philippines, whale sharks are a big draw. Tourism is booming for people who want to watch, swim with and take photographs next to the world’s biggest fish,” Warne said.

Warne said the shark tourism in Oslob has become the largest such venture in the world since it began in 2011.

“But the operation is controversial, because whale sharks don’t naturally gather here, unlike other such sites in the country. The Oslob sharks are hand-fed, and this essentially guarantees they will show up to thrill guests, who can snap close-range photos,” he added.

Warne emphasized that while shark watching is still an industry being debated on due to its impact on the wildlife, the Oslob shark tourism industry has seen some benefits, particularly the conservation of these sharks.

He added that there has been reduction in fishing pressure around Oslob.

“The 170 or so members of the local fishermen’s association, who feed the sharks and ferry the guests, no longer need to catch fish for food from increasingly depleted reefs. Likewise, fishers nearby can earn a living supplying the several hundred pounds of shrimp needed for each day’s shark food, thus placing less pressure on declining fish stocks,” he said.

The article added that the shark tourism industry also benefits the local Oslob economy as it attracts tourists.

“At night, the Oslob coastline twinkles with the lights of more than 50 hostels, resorts and guesthouses, as well as local homes,” National Geographic said.

Despite the benefits of the shark tourism industry to Cebu, scientists worry that sharks that take advantage of the free feed for prolonged periods may suffer ill effects, both physiologically and behaviorally. However, these effects are still unknown today.

“While research has begun, conducted for example by the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines, basic questions about the influence of this feeding remain unanswered. The shrimp they’re fed is a less diverse mix of planktonic creatures than what they would consume naturally. It’s not junk food, but neither is it necessarily a healthy diet,” National Geographic said.

Moreover, the article also pointed out while whale sharks have been nationally protected by the Philippines since 1998, some form of danger may still harm these sharks, particularly caused by boats, since they associate boats with free food.

“Almost half of the whale sharks studied at Oslob have propeller cuts on their bodies, which must have happened elsewhere, since the operation uses only hand-paddled vessels. These animals may also be more likely to one day approach a shark-fishing vessel,” National Geographic said.

According to earlier reports, the provincial government of Cebu is eyeing to implement a carrying capacity for BarangayTan-anawan in Oslob, an area popular with tourists for whale shark watching.

The said barangay sees an average of 1,000 tourists a day.

Davao City 4th most competitive city

2018 index awards

TUE, AUGUST 28, 2018 BY MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

The city has gone one rank lower from its previous ranking as the third most competitive highly-urbanized city in the country, but still made it to the top 5.

Davao City bagged the Fourth Most Competitive City in the Highly-Urbanized category during the 2018 Cities and Municipalities Competi-tiveness Index Awards at the 6th Regional Compe-titiveness Summit held at the Philippine International Convention Center on August 16, 2018.

A tourist enjoys taking a selfie with the Obu Manubo tribe at IP Village during Kadayawan Festivities. ARJOY M. CENIZA

“The skid from 3rd to 4th can be explained by the different concepts in the business permitting processes,” Davao City Planning and Development Office Chief Ivan Cortez said.

He said last year “it was okay to count actual time spent per office then accumulate spent time per office divide by eight hours per day. The imposed system this year is that every office or every step in the process, regardless if it will only take a few minutes, they counted it as equivalent to one day.”

Cortez said that with the new system, the whole process of getting a permit is counted as a five-day process if the applicant has to go to different offices even if the permit is released in just one day.

“Davao City has consistently ranked among the top 5 most competitive cities in the Philippines in the past years,” he said.

The city ranked fifth most competitive highly-urbanized city in 2015 and 2016 but got the third place in 2017. The award is given annually by the Department of Trade and Industry-National Competitiveness Council on the basis of each city’s ranking in economic dynamism, government efficiency and infra-structure.

In 2016, Davao City ranked 8th for economic dynamism category, 4th for government efficiency category and 6th for infrastructure.

A new category, the resiliency award, was added last year and Davao City ranked first in this category. Last year, it was also the only city in Mindanao that made it to the top five, following Quezon City and Manila City.

“The award is the testament of all the efforts made by all of the departments of the City Government to bring development to Davao City. With this award, we can see that the government is unceasingly giving its best to continue to improve its services,” Cortez said.

Davao City placed third in Economic Dyna-mism, one step higher from the previous year’s ranking according to the Davao City Investment Promotion Center. Among the factors considered for this category are the size of economy, sources of material, structure of economy, safety compliance of businesses, cost of living, financial deepening involving the number of financial institutions within the city and number of people employed.

The city also got third prize in the Infrastructure category, which include roads, water and power utilities, telecommunication, number of transport vehi-cles, education and health facilities and financial technology capacity.

From its previous first place ranking, the city this year ranked second in Resilience, which is measured based on land-use planning, disaster risk management plan, early warning systems and emergency infrastructures.

The cities and municipalities competitiveness index measures a local government unit’s competitiveness and presents an opportunity for local governments to better understand their performance against global standards.

Mayor Sara Duterte earlier attributed the city’s awards and achievements to the vibrant partnership between the city government and the private sector. Lovely A. Carillo

One drink a day

My column in Mindanao Daily - the Mindanao-wide circulated paper.

A study of drinking around the world warns that even an occasional glass of wine or beer can increase your chances of disease and an early death. Scientists say there's no such thing as a "safe level" of alcohol. Alcohol consumption caused almost 3 million premature deaths in 2016, according to the results of a major study of drinking in 195 countries.

The research, published yesterday (August 24, 2018) in the medical journal The Lancet, found that drinking was the leading factor in deaths of people between the ages of 15 and 49. It also concluded that any amount of alcohol consumption, even one drink every now and again, increased the risk of health problems like cancer, cardiovascular disease and tuberculosis.

One additional big reason: alcohol guidelines may not be safe in many countries, the study says. The health risks associated with alcohol are enormous. I quoted Emmanuela Gakidou, senior author and director at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in Seattle.

The researchers drew on more than 1,000 studies to compile a picture of alcohol's health impacts and drinking habits among men and women around the world. 

They reported that imbibing one standard drink — equivalent to a small beer, glass of wine or shot of spirits — each day, boosted the odds of developing at least one of 23 possible health conditions by about 0.5 percent.

That might not sound like much, but — at a global level — that daily drinking habit translates to about 100,000 additional deaths every year, Gakidou said.

Alcohol and the unforgiving liver... . "There is no safe level of alcohol," Max Griswold, lead author and IHME researcher, told the AFP news agency. "Overall, the health risks associated with alcohol rose in line with the amount consumed."

In addition to the prevalence of alcohol-related disease, the study also looked at injuries and death resulting from alcohol consumption, such as road accidents and self-harm.

Two drinks per day increased the chances of disease and injury by 7 percent, the researchers wrote. The risk climbed to 37 percent with five drinks.

According to the study, drinking was the seventh leading risk factor for premature death and disease in 2016, accounting for around 2 percent of deaths in women and nearly 7 percent in men. Alcohol was the most lethal factor in the 15-49 age bracket, responsible for more than 12 percent of male deaths.

This is how a global picture looks like: of the more than 2 billion people around the world who consume alcohol, about 63 percent are men, the researchers wrote. The biggest drinkers in 2016 were men in Romania, who put away an average of eight drinks a day. Portugal, Luxembourg, Lithuania and Ukraine followed with seven "units" per day. Among women, Ukrainians led with four drinks a day, followed by Andorra, Luxembourg, Belarus, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland and Britain, all averaging about three per day.

The most abstemious nations were those with Muslim-majority populations.

Alcohol is, as we all know, a depressant. It slows down the function of all the body's parts. Vital functions can be slowed down to the point of death. Under its influence people choke to death at family picnics, drown at the beach, fall asleep while driving a car, hurt and even kill other people.

The devil alcohol creates a feeling of freedom without worries and euphoria. Our feelings are really free flowing, everyday worries are replaced with a carefree spirit. Wow, I really feel on top of the world today... .

I joined the circle of many other fellows around, more or less regular social drinking, and/or habitual drinking drinking with meals (beer or wine!). When I stayed in France, I couldn't believe that for many Frenchmen a breakfast consists of bread (baguette), cheese, coffee - and red wine! Anyway, social drinking also means occasional drinks to relieve stress or boredom.

Once we reach the addictive stage we are already in danger. Gulping drinks and secret drinking daily to relieve stress makes one lose control, and being unable to stop drinking creates drinking habits, Danger is with us, if we lose control over when, where and how much we drink. The memory blackouts don't let us remember any more, where we had been or how we get home. We loose our self-respect and the performance of our work is seriously affected. Loss of interest in everything (except in drinking) means loss of jobs, conflicts with the law, mental deterioration, and even death. The sad consequences should let us tremble with fear.

A few people who decide to stop drinking find it easy. Having made the decision, they simply never drink again. And honestly, every time I enjoy a drink in really acceptable measurements I am trying to ask myself, if I could stop drinking right now. And I am pretty sure, the answer is YES. That's how I quit smoking almost 35 years ago... . 

Let's face it: one drink a day is one too many.

"Who was woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long on the wine, those who go in search of mixed wines? Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse words. Yes, you will be like one who lies down in he mist o the sea, or like one, who lies on top of  the mast, saying: 'They have struck me, but I wasn't hurt; they have beaten me, but I didn't feel it. When I shall awake, that I may seek another drink!'" (Proverbs 23:29-35).

 

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'Riceless' Zamboanga lifts State of Calamity

By: Roel Pareño (The Philippine Star) 

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — The rice crisis in Zamboanga is “officially over” as supply has started to stabilize, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said yesterday.

Piñol issued the statement after his meeting with local government officials of Zamboanga peninsula and the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and executives of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and National Food Authority (NFA) in addressing the rice scarcity problem.

A boat laden with 180,000 bags of rice docked yesterday at Zamboanga port.

The volume of rice allocation was originally 110,000 bags for Zamboanga City and 10,000 bags each for Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and 20,000 bags for Zamboanga Sibugay.

Piñol said local leaders have decided that additional allocation will be given to the three island provinces with 20,000 each for them to have stable rice supply. Zamboanga will have 80,000 bags.

“This means the city will have rice supply from the NFA alone which is good for 13 days that will actually end the rice crisis,” Piñol said.

Zamboanga Sibugay Gov. Wilter Palma said the harvest started in the province and the produce is being delivered to Zamboanga City.

“I am happy to report to the President the crisis is over,” Piñol said.

“I never thought that this will end today. Everybody joined hands and came up with this great news that would please not only the people of Zamboanga but the President as well that as of today, the boat laden with rice starts to unload, the rice crisis of Zamboanga is over. That’s the biggest news today,” he added.

However, Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said the city will still be under a state of calamity for 60 days.

Isabela City in Basilan was also declared under a state of calamity for 60 days since Aug. 8 following the rice scarcity.

Salazar said the declaration was contained in a city council resolution and she will issue an executive order for the price ceiling monitoring in the city.

Piñol explained that rice smuggling was the cause of the rice crisis in the city.

“As we all know, rice smuggling has been a way of life in this part of the country. While we in the government called it smuggling, people in the island considered it as part of their traditional trading practices,” he said.

Piñol said while the rice crisis is over, there are long-term and medium-term programs that the DA will implement.

As part of the long-term program, the DA has committed to develop a demonstration farm of 1,000 hectares in the LGUs involved, including Zamboanga City, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. The DA will fund and operate the farms.

The demonstration farm will also serve as rice production center.

Piñol said the DA and the local government officials will also propose to President Duterte the establishment of rice trading centers in the island provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi so that there will be stable supply of rice in these areas.

He said the volume of rice supply will be based on the per capita consumption of the population of the two island provinces or about 80 percent sufficiency of local supply with the proper safeguards to be implemented.

The DA chief also committed P100-million loan to Zamboanga Sibugay as he is impressed with Palma’s program of providing zero-interest loan to farmers who will engage in organic farming.

“The allocation will help them boost the production of rice in the region and this is also a token from the DA to Zamboanga Sibugay for helping Zamboanga City,” Piñol said.

NFA chief won’t resign

Meanwhile, NFA chief Jason Aquino has decided to remain in his post despite calls for him to step down following the still unresolved issue of rice supply and high prices of the commodity in the market.

Senators are pressing Aquino to resign over the NFA’s failure to bring down prices of rice and curb shortage in some areas despite the importation.

But Aquino remained firm and called on interested parties “to get out of their comfort zones, go out to the field, and look into the root cause of the current rice and other problems.”

“My position is dependent on the trust and confidence of the President. We have been quietly doing our work. We don’t brag about it. I am not a person endowed with a glib tongue who can regularly and spontaneously dish out empty talk to impress,” he said.

“I go out to the field to mingle with local officials, talk to the local folk, feel their pulse, know their problems, and offer solutions rather than empty promises,” he added.

The NFA chief also slammed lawmakers who continuously blame the grains agency for the dwindling buffer stocks, delay of import arrivals and high prices of commercial rice.

“The NFA can only be effective in stabilizing the rice market if it has the right volume of buffer stocks. Isn’t it ironic that we are now being blamed for a problem of tight supply and high prices of rice that we tried our best to prevent way back last year?” Aquino said.

“We are open for scrutiny anytime. Those who want to verify what we had been doing, can check our records, go around the country and ask the people,” he added.

The NFA administrator emphasized that the current rice problem is a result of the several rejection of NFA’s proposal to either increase its palay buying price or to import as early as last year.

The NFA is intensifying its fight against rice traders who are illegally re-bagging and diverting NFA rice.

Aquino has appointed NFA National Capital Region director Carlito Co as focal person to coordinate with the National Bureau of Investigation on the conduct of warehouse inspection nationwide.

“We have to double our effort because it is not enough that we have NFA rice available if it does not go to the market and reach the people. We have to ensure that NFA rice is not diverted or rebagged, and then sold as commercial rice at a much higher price in the market by some unscrupulous individuals,” Aquino said. – With Louise Maureen Simeon, Marvin Sy, Eva Visperas, Rhodina Villanueva

Filipina lands bronze in new Asiad Sport

By: Nelson Beltran (The Philippine Star)

All-Filipina duel in ju-jitsu

JAKARTA – Margarita Ochoa outfought Jenna Kaila Napolis in  an all-Filipina bronze-medal match in the new sport of ju-jitsu as Team Phl regained some winning momentum heading to the final week of the 18th Asian Games in various battlefronts here.

A prospect of another double-medal haul loomed before Carlos Yulo was bumped off the Top Three then eventually settled for fourth place in men’s vault in gymnastics at the Jakarta International Expo Hall.

SEA Games gold medalist Dines Dumaan and Jefferson Rhey Loon, meanwhile, whipped their separate quarterfinal rivals to book their spots in the semifinals and assure themselves of at least bronze medals at the Pencak Silat TMII hall.

Dumaan, who broke a 13-year-old gold-medal drought in the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur last year, crushed India’s Naorem Boynao Singh, 5-0, in the men’s 50-55 kgs Class B quarterfinals while Loon dominated Kyrgyzstan’s Almazbek Zamirov, 4-0, in the men’s Class D 60-65-kgs quarterfinals of tanding (sparring).

Princesslyn Enopia, however, took a 0-5 beating at the hands of Laotian Sounthavong Olathai in the round-of-8 to bow out of the women’s 50-55 kgs Class D division.

Dumaan faces Malaysian Muhammad Fayzul Nazir while Loon takes on Vietnam Nguyen Ngoc Tuan in the semifinals tomorrow.

It’s almost the same time at dusk over at the Jakarta Convention Center when Ochoa and Napolis figured in a repeat of their all-Filipina title match in the Asian championships in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan earlier this year.

This time, they slugged it out just for the bronze medal as both were beaten in their third match in the day and had to survive the repechage.

As in Ashgabat, Ochoa proved to be the superior fighter, pulling off a 2-0 victory for the bronze that weighed a lot for Team Phl after a day of heartaches and heartbreaks, stopping the momentum of the contingent’s harvest of one gold and five bronze medals on the first four days of competitions.

Even then, the Philippines dropped deeper behind the leaders among all the teams and among Southeast Asia teams in the medal tally.

China raised its haul to 66 gold, 46 silver and 27 bronze medals on the steady dominant showings of its world-class athletes. With the exploits of its own elite bets, Japan remained at second with 29-31-43, followed by Korea (22-26-28), Iran (12-11-8) then the host country (9-9-14).

The Philippines, with 1-0-6, dropped down to sixth among the Southeast Asians as Singapore (2-1-6) jumped past the Philippines, Malaysia (1-4-1) and Vietnam (1-6-9) on a two-gold blitzkrieg by Olympic champion swimmer Joseph Schooling.

Still, it proved to be a better day with Cebuano WeiWei Gao firing a five-under 67 to move within three strokes of Japanese Keita Nakajima in the second round of men’s individual play of golf at the Pondok Indah layout.

Gao, who charged back at the front to salvage a 72 Monday, gunned down seven birdies, including three in the last seven holes at the back. He did commit a couple of miscues that led to bogeys on Nos. 3 and 10 but the Univ. of Virginia sophomore bounced back from those mishaps with a string of birdies to put himself in contention for medal honors.

With a 139 aggregate, Gao tied India’s Aadil Bedi, who made a 70, at third, just three behind Nakajima, who carded a second 68 for a 136 and a one-stroke lead over Korean Hoyoung Choi, who also turned in a 68.

But while Gao rebounded to figure for medal race in the last 36 holes, the Phl men’s team lagged at 432 despite recovering from a 223 with a 209 as teammates Lloyd Go carded a 71-145, Luis Castro also shot a 71-148, and Rupert Zaragosa III hardly improved from a 77 with a 73.

Japan pooled a 206 for a 414, padding its lead to six over India, which made a 420 after a 207 while Korea remained in third at 423 after a 209.

The Pinay golfers also made waves, rallying into the Top Three with a five-under second round of 139 for a 36-hole 282 total. They however lay nine shots behind the Chinese, who pooled a 273 after a 135, and four behind the second running Japanese (142-278).

Yuka Saso fired four birdies against a bogey for a three-under 69 after a one-under 71 as she stood as the best-placed Phl bet in the individual play at joint fifth, five behind pacesetter Du Mohan of China, going to the last two rounds of play.

Bianca Pagdanganan was another two strokes down with a two-under 142.

The Philippines hopes to sustain the surge today with Daniel Caluag, the country’s lone gold medalist in the 2014 Incheon Asiad, returning to defend his title in the men’s BMX over at the Jakarta International BMX Track.

The contingent is also pinning its hopes on the other ju-jitsu fighters and the karatekas who plunge into action today.

Then there’s the athletics team that parades Fil-Am sprinter Kristina Marie Knott, long jumper Janry Ubas and decathlete Aries Toledo at the start of track-and-fieldcompetitions at the Gelaro Bung Karno Sports Complex.

Ochoa, a judoka that has shifted to jiu-jitsu, outfought Jordanian Yasmin Alkhatib, 2-1, then mauled Thai Siramul Deepudsa, 2-0, before being relegated to the repechage by Vietnamese Thi Thanh Minh (via superiority).

Napolis, meanwhile, sent UAE’s Wadima Alyafei into submission, then rolled past Indonesia’s Santi Apriyani before being stopped by Cambodia’s Jessa Khan also via submission.

Both survived the repechage semis to set up their bronze-medal showdown.

Three Phl male ju-jitsu bets in Jan Vincent Cortez, Marc Alexander Lim and Gian Taylor Dee failed to make it past the Round of 16.

After his sorry seventh-place finish from No. 1 ranking in the qualifying round in floor exercise, Yulo pulled off some amount of redemption on a near medal finish in the vault.

He wound up fourth with 13.662 as against the 14.612 of eventual gold medal winner Shek Wai Hung of Macau, 14.550 silver medalist Kim Hansol of Korea and 14.125 of Indon Agus Prayoko.

Elreen Ando had her near win in placing fourth in women’s 63kg with a total score of 201.

Meanwhile, sport climber Gerald Verosil placed 15th in men’s combined qualification.

The lady bowlers continued to struggle in the face of tough opposition, rolling only 3916 for fifth place in the first block in the Team of Six event.

Korea paced the 12-team field with 4091 with Malaysia coming in second at 4024 then Chinese Taipei at 4018 and Japan at 3917.

The compound mixed team lost by five to Bangladesh, 149-154, in round of 16 in archery while the men’s foil routed Nepal, 45-3, in the round of 16 before being waylaid by Korea, 18-45, in the quarterfinals in fencing.

The Filipino bets suffered heavy beating almost everywhere in the morning sessions.

Jasmine Alkhaldi clocked 26.20 in women’s 50m freestyle and failed to qualify in the final.

In sepak takraw, the Philippines bowed to Japan, 1-2, in men’s team doubles.

Pride and momentum up in Philippines-Indonesia Volley

By: Nelson Beltran (The Philippine Star)

JAKARTA – Alyssa Valdez said it’s a fight for pride more than anything else as SEA Games rivals the Philippines and Indonesia face off tonight in the penultimate playdate of the 18th Asian Games women’s volleyball competition group play at the GBK Tennis Indoor court here.

It’s a virtual non-bearing game since both have booked spots in the quarterfinals with no way of bumping off Thailand and Japan on top places in Pool A.

But the two teams are expected to figure in a fierce battle in their 7 p.m. (8 p.m. in Manila) match to build some momentum going to the knockout quarterfinals.

And as Valdez insists, it’s for pride.

“Even if we’re assured of the quarterfinals, we would feel good pulling off another win, especially against our longtime rival,” said Valdez.

“Our campaign here would be better if we beat Indonesia. It’s a showdown of SEA Games rivals,” said national coach Shaq delos Santos.

After all, the main purpose of Team Phl’s presence here is to size up neighbors Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam and prepare for the SEA Games in Manila next year.

The Thais, the Indonesians and the Vietnamese finished first, second and third, in that order, in the last SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.

“They won the silver coming from another bracket. But seeing their games, I do think we have the better skills,” said Delos Santos, confident of their chance against the Indonesian team built around sisters Amansya Angraini and Aprilia Santini Mangarang.

“We’ll break down the game of the Mangarang sisters. We will work hard to stop them,” said Delos Santos.

Valdez and her teammates are in high spirits following their 25-18, 25-21, 25-22 drubbing of Hong Kong Thursday – the Philippines’ first win in Asiad volleyball in 36 years.

“We’re very happy because it’s a historic win. We sacrificed a lot of things to be here, so we might as well do our best to produce the best result we could get here,” said Valdez, among the lead guns of Team Phl here along with Santiago sisters Jaja and Dindin Manabat, Mika Reyes, Aby Maraño, Mylene Paat and Kianna Kim Dy.

Curiously, the Indonesians took four sets to top Hong Kong, 21-25, 25-13, 25-18, 25-14, last Wednesday.

After the decline of the Philippines in SEAG, Indonesia and Vietnam rose as Thailand’s toughest challengers. The Vietnamese were second placers in eight of the last SEAG while the Indonesians collected a silver and five bronze medals in the last six editions of the biennial meet.

The Philippines has never had a podium finish since salvaging a bronze in Manila in 2005.

Following the wrong road?

My column in MINDANAO DAILY:

FOLLOWING THE WRONG ROAD?

Which road do you take right now, my dear readers? Are you sure, you're on the right track?

Many times, we compare our life with a path. We talk about "the way". We describe a determined man as, "He's on the right (or wrong ?) track". We go about our tracks, but we are reproved if we take a short-cut and not the path across a rice-field. We learn that there are many ways of solving problems.

We also don't want to stand in other people's way. Sometimes, we prefer to keep put of someone's way and plan to avoid getting in their way. Often we try to find the golden middle course... .Often - but not always. Sure, that's life!

Many different ways have been offered to us during our whole life. How can we be able to choose the right and correct one? Which signs at our way can be trusted blindly? These are urgent and vital questions for all of us, and, especially during this time, very important like never before.

In the past, traditions and customs are the paths, we took. Nowadays, we make decisions and long for the correct path - mostly on our own. Are traditions and customs still important for us?

The German atom-physician Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976) described it very impressively. The man of today is like a ship's captain. This ship is made out of iron. The compass needle is no longer able to show the Northern direction, as expected, because of the ship's iron inflexible body. You have one choice only: look up to the stars and study their guiding support!"

We're all happy and proud, when we have every need at our disposal. On the other hand, it only confuses our aims, goals, and objectives in life.

"I am the way" is NOT ONLY a traffic sign - or a shepherd without responsibility - or a religious founder, who thinks, that "only he is the right way, if one follows him"... .

HIS way is the only right way. Only His deeds colored our fates. Let's keep our eyes open for the important signs at our way. Think about an unselfish participation in the life of others!

Do you show courage to uncover prejudice in your surroundings? Are you ready to help the unprotected and defenseless? Where is your struggle for freedom and justice as well as your commitment for peace?

Most of all: Show and exercise love, which does not calculate and count. Love without measurements, boundaries and limits!

If you can share with others, you'll know one day in future, that someone walked this way - earlier then you - and FOR YOU!

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