PH dominated the Women's Asian Rugby

Philippines women triumph in Jakarta


Asianrugby.com
11 August 2019

The Philippines women recorded a 100% record at the Asia Rugby Women’s Sevens Trophy to claim promotion to next season’s Sevens Series.

With Korea out of the running following defeat on day one, it came down to a round-robin between hosts Indonesia, India and the Philippines.

And it was the Philippines who won both of their matches on day two to guarantee victory in Jakarta.

First they beat India 19-12 with tries from Ono, Helena Indigne and Patrocinia Duffy before they proved too strong for Indonesia.

In the final women’s match of the tournament Aidee Denuyo, Jacquiline Mae Lyden, Ono and Indigne scored the tries in a 26-7 victory.

Veronika Olua scored one of the tries of the weekend with an 80-metre try, but the hosts could not prevent the Philippines from gaining promotion.

“We are delighted to get to the top tier of sevens in Asia,” said World Rugby Council Member and Philippines player Ada Milby. “It was great to come out on top of such a competitive competition. All the teams have improved so much and it is so promising for the future of the sport in our region.”

In the other round-robin match hosts India had beaten Indonesia 21-17 with two tries from Vahbiz Bharucha.

Elsewhere, Korea won the Plate round-robin with 17-14 and 26-17 victories over Laos and Guam with Juyeon Lee scoring a hat-trick in their final match.

Earlier, Paige Surber scored three tries in Guam’s 22-14 win over Laos and added another against Korea, despite defeat to Korea.

Qatar took home the Bowl round-robin thanks to a 44-0 win over Bangladesh where Yasmine Tobun scored a hat-trick and a 36-5 over Chinese Taipei, with Hanna Clark bagging three of her own tries.

OVERALL STANDINGS
1. Philippines
2. India
3. Indonesia
4. Korea
5. Guam
6. Laos
7. Qatar
8. Chinese Taipei
9. Bangladesh

Math Wizzards in Hong Kong

Filipino elementary students bag 11 awards in world math contest 

Philippine Star

21 July 2019

MANILA, Philippines — Eight Filipino elementary students recently brought pride to the country as they reaped 11 awards in an international math competition in Hong Kong.

Filipino students and their coaches at the awarding ceremony of the 22nd Po Leung Kuk Primary Mathematics World Contest in Hong Kong. Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines/Released

The Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines said the eight Grade 5 students represented the Philippines and competed against 144 other students at the 22nd Po Leung Kuk Primary Mathematics World Contest held from July 15 to 19 in Hong Kong.

They won two silver and four bronze medals in the individual contest while four silver medals and a trophy were earned by the delegation in the team category.

MTG said the winning silver medals in the individual contest are Jerome Austin Te of Jubilee Christian Academy and Michael Gerard Tongson of Stonyhurst Southville International School-Malarayat.

On the other hand, the individual bronze medalists are Kody Briones of Emmanuel Christian School, Iris Lexi Ababon of Colegio San Agustin-Makati, Sophie Jill Co of Pace Academy and Sean Jang of Elizabeth Seton School-South.

Ian Gabriel Hong of Pace Academy, Tongson, Te and Briones meanwhile snagged the first-runner up trophy for the team contest. The Philippine Team A were awarded silver medals and a trophy. 

MTG president Isidro Aguilar said they were very proud of the young students.

“We congratulate our Filipino contestants for winning awards in the contest,” Aguilar said.

Aside from the Philippines, students from countries such as the US, Australia, South Korea, China, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore and Vietnam also joined the math contest. — Rosette Adel 

PH powerhouse economy

‘PHL growth faster than regional powerhouses’

Rea Cu| Business Mirror

27 June 2019

GROWTH of the Philippine economy will be faster than other regional economic powerhouses under the Duterte administration, the Department of Finance (DOF) said on Wednesday, citing the World Bank (WB) for such projection.

The country’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals provide the basis for the Bank’s expectations that the Philippine economy will grow faster than China and Malaysia, the DOF said in a statement on Wednesday.

Finance Undersecretary Gil S. Beltran said the World Bank based its projections on the Philippines’s solid external stance and “highly domestically driven” economy, which provides it “ample cushion” against external headwinds that are generally foreseen to slow down global growth this year.

“The Philippines is also expected to remain as an attractive destination for foreign direct investments [FDI]. We are pushing for further liberalization of investment ownership in the country,” said Beltran, also the chief economist of the DOF.

According to World Bank forecasts, the Philippines’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow by 6.4 percent this year, second only to Vietnam’s 6.6 percent, and higher than China’s 6.2 percent, Indonesia’s 5.2 percent and Malaysia’s 4.6 percent.

In 2020 and 2021, the Philippines’s GDP growth of 6.5 percent for both these periods will equal Vietnam’s 6.5 percent, also for both periods, and surpass China’s 6.1 and 6.0 percent, respectively.

The Indonesian economy is projected to expand 5.3 percent for 2020 and 2021, while Malaysia will maintain its growth at 4.6 percent in both these years.

Based on an economic research published by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Global Ratings for June entitled Apac Monthly Snapshots: Trade Wars and Currency Corners, the country’s GDP is seen to settle between 6 percent and 6.5 percent this year.

“We continue to expect GDP growth to come in at the low end of the 6 percent to 6.5 percent range in 2019, with a likely resumption of the infrastructure build in the second half of the year to bring the fiscal impulse for the year to around neutral after being negative in the first half of the year. We also expect BSP [Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas] to maintain its easing bias this year, supporting growth, as inflation will likely stay benign especially compared to last year’s spike,” the economic research said.

Beltran noted that the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio also continued its downward trajectory on the Duterte watch despite its ambitious infrastructure buildup under its “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program, with national government debt in relation to GDP at 42.1 percent in 2017, and falling further to 41.9 percent in 2018.

“Moreover, the Philippines has implemented monetary and nonmonetary policies to keep inflation manageable and bring it back to the government’s target range of 2 to 4 percent this year. Perceived overheating risks have abated, driven by government measures and policies,” Beltran said.

Fitch Ratings has also maintained its “BBB” with a stable outlook for the Philippines as of May this year, while Moody’s also affirmed its Baa2 with a stable outlook as of November 2018.

Pinoy Math wizzards in Hanoi

Pinoy students bag 10 medals at int'l math contest

Donna Magsino

GMA News

April 7, 2019 

Eight Filipino junior and senior high school students brought home the bacon after competing at an international math competition held in Vietnam this month, according to the Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines (MTG) on Sunday.

"This is the first international math contest for MTG students this year and we laud them for their achievement," said Dr. Isidro Aguilar, MTG president.

Two of them bagged gold medals: Grade 10 students Bryce Ainsley Sanchez of Grace Christian College and Immanuel Josiah Balete of St. Stephen’s High School.

On the other hand, Grade 8 students Enzo Rafael Chan of Bayanihan Institute-Tarlac and Rickson Caleb Tan of MGC New Life Christian Academy won silver medals.

The bronze medalists were Cassidy Kyler Tan, Grade 8, Davao Christian High School; Noel Stephen Dequito, Grade 8, Xavier School Nuvali; Daryll Carlsten Ko, Grade 10, St. Stephen's High School; and Issam Wang, Grade 10, Manila Science High School.

Two more bronze medals were won by the Filipino students in the team contest.

From April 2 to 6, 2019, around 700 students from China, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Poland, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam participated in the said math competition organized by the Hanoi Department of Education and Training and Hanoi Mathematical Society. — LA, GMA News

PH Athletes wins in Singapore Open

Philippines bags 4x100m gold in Singapore 

Olmin Leyba
The Philippine Star
30 March 2019


MANILA, Philippines — The quartet of Eric Cray, Clinton Bautista, Jomar Udtohan and Anfernee Lopena ran the third fastest time in Philippine history as they captured the men’s 4x100 meter relay gold in the 81st Singapore Open Track and Field Championships yesterday.

The Filipinos’ winning time just fell short of the standing national record of 39.11 set at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games and the next-best 39.50 posted at the 2018 Asian Games. Eric Cray/File

The foursome clocked 39.72 seconds to beat Hong Kong (40.05) and Indonesia’s Mochammad Abina, Joko Adi, Bayu Kertanegara and Eko Rimbawan (40.26) for the mint, giving Team Phl its second triumph after Kristina Knott’s 200m gold  Thursday.

The Filipinos’ winning time just fell short of the standing national record of 39.11 set at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games and the next-best 39.50 posted at the 2018 Asian Games.

It was a productive day in particular for Udtohan and Lopena, who landed podium finishes in the individual events earlier.

Udtohan won a silver in men’s 400m, setting a new personal best 46.95 seconds behind the victorious 46.74 of Japanese Rikuya Ito of Waseda University while Lopena took the bronze in the 100m dash in 10.63 seconds behind Japanese Kirara Shiraishi of Daitobunka U (10.46) and Indon Eko Rimbawan (10.53).

Cray also vied in the century dash final but slipped off the starting block and settled for eighth with 10.76. Knott failed to sweep the sprints, ending up fourth in the 100m with 11.89, struggling with menstrual cycle.

Daniella Daynata copped a silver in women’s discus throw (9.45m) while veteran Maristella Torres Sunang took the bronze in women’s long jump (6.05m) as Team Philippines hiked its collection to two golds, five silvers and four bronzes in the two-day trackfest. Three also set new personal bests.
“I’m rather pleased with the results and the positive effects of full-time training and coaching now showing,” said track and field association president Philip Ella Juico.

It's Showtime Indonesia

Philippines’ ‘It’s Showtime’ franchised by Indonesia 

Jan Milo Severo

philstar.com)

March 19, 2019 

MANILA, Philippines — Indonesia’s MNC TV announced that the TV station will be airing its own version of ABS-CBN’s hit noontime show “It’s Showtime” soon.

To announce the franchise, MNC TV’s Facebook page posted a lyric video of the Kapamilya noontime show.

“IT'S SHOWTIME INDONESIA SOON ON MNCTV! The newest and definitely exciting program will be on MNCTV! Curious about what fun and excitement is like? #ItsShowtimeIndonesia SOON on MNCTV,” the TV network said in Bahasa.

"It's Showtime" Business Unit Head Peter Edward Dizon confirmed the news by sharing the video posted by MNCTV on his Facebook page.

“HELLO THERE It's Showtime Indonesia. Congrats Team Showtime!” he wrote.

https://web.facebook.com/MnctvOfficial/videos/255806141968654/

The noontime show’s hosts Vhong Navarro and Vice Ganda also announced the news in the “Bidaman” segment of the noontime show last Saturday.

“It’s Showtime” is not the first Filipino noontime show to be franchised by an Indonesian media company.

In 2012, the show’s timeslot rival, “Eat Bulaga!,” was also franchised by an Indonesian company. The Indonesian “Eat Bulaga!,” however, only lasted for two years.

PH is Regional leader in Antitrust laws

Philippines Steps Up Regional Edge In Antitrust Law Enforcement

By Marvie Chorawan-Basilan

Feb 21, 2019 

A view of nickel ore stockpiles at a port in Sta Cruz Zambales in northern Philippines February 8, 2017. (Photo: REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File Photo)

The Philippines is gradually transforming into a regional leader in the enforcement of antitrust laws as the Southeast Asian country jumped to 5^th place in 2018's Asia-Pacific policy records.

According to local newspaper The Philippine Star, competition news and analysis firm Policy and Regulatory Report (PaRR) revealed in its 2019 "Global Trends Monitor" report that the Philippines stepped up three places higher in the top 10 Asia-Pacific list of economies that allow for fair competition in trade and business.

PaRR's report noted that the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) enhanced its authority, thus strengthening the monitoring activities of markets or trade practices that could be hampering growth in some business sectors in the country.

"The Philippine Competition Commission is strengthening its enforcement framework this year with the introduction of a leniency program and the addition of rules on forbearance and dawn raids to its arsenal of investigative tools," part of the report stated.

Last year, the Philippine antitrust agency recorded a total of 40 acquisition transactions and mergers, accounting for PHP438 billion. Of the M&A transactions recorded, 33 were given the approval to proceed with the projects.

In April, the agency released a draft of guidelines that seek to benefit joint ventures. The merger notification threshold for Philippine exchange was also raised to PHP5 billion.

This year, the PCC is looking to focus on chain logistics, petroleum refining, sugar and pesticides manufacturing, corn milling and trading, and other trading programs that seek to enhance fair exchange in the Philippines, the report added.

Another country that made a significant rise in the ranks is Indonesia. The report found that Indonesia has climbed to 6^th place, one level higher from its 7^th spot record in 2017. The top three economies in antitrust enforcement practices are China, Australia, and South Korea respectively.

AEC News Today reported that Indonesia appointed new competition commissioners as part of its efforts in enforcing antitrust policies. This move also echoed the ASEAN member nations' October move of establishing the Asean Competition Enforcers Network - a program that encourages Asean states to cooperate on competition cases.

Other Asian countries also joined the fight against unfair trade standards as Myanmar eased its foreign investment rules last year and Singapore approved amendments to its competition law.

For its part in the global reinvention of antitrust policies, Vietnam fined companies that engaged in anticompetitive conduct, including Grab. In addition, Thailand finally granted conditional clearance to Glow Energy to imply its willingness in the Asia-Pacific region's goals of providing the trade industry with justifiable practices that will benefit both giants, small, and medium-sized operations.

Second Fastest Emerging Market

Oxford Economics: PH will be 2nd fastest 

growing emerging market in 2019-2028



Ben O. de Vera
Inquirer.net
20 February 2019

MANILA, Philippines — With an expanding labor force, the Philippines will be eclipsed only by India among emerging markets (EMs) expected to post the fastest economic growth in the next 10 years.

In a February 15 report, UK-based Oxford Economics projected the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by an average of 5.3 percent between 2019 and 2028, only outpaced by India’s 6.5 percent.

For 2019, Oxford Economics had said its expects the Philippines’ GDP growth at 6.1 percent, below the government’s 7-8 percent target range.

China and Indonesia’s economies were both seen expanding by 5.1 percent during the 10-year period; Malaysia, 3.8 percent; Turkey, 3 percent; Thailand, 2.9 percent; Chile, 2.6 percent; Poland, 2.5 percent; and South Africa, 2.3 percent.

The labor force in the Philippines was projected to increase by an average of 2.3 percent during the next 10 years, the fastest among the 10 emerging markets.

The labor force growth figure was computed by Oxford Economics as the number of people in the labor force multiplied to the average number of hours worked.

Total factor productivity growth was seen at 1 percent, while capital deepening or the contribution of capital accumulation to labor productivity growth was projected to rise by 1.6 percent from 2019 and 2028.

In a report titled “Sustained growth in EMs calls for thrift and innovation,” Oxford Economics said that while “countries with higher gross domestic saving (as a share of GDP) tend to have higher trend growth… the Philippines seems to be a major outlier, but its domestic savings are supplemented heavily by remittances.” /kga