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Business
Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick dela Cruz, Issue Editor business@thestandard.com.ph
GREEK DOCTOR WANTS PH TO REGULATE E-CIGARETTES
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S THE government intensifies its collection of cigarette taxes in the Philippines, a Greek visitor in Manila reminds authorities that saving millions of Filipino smokers from premature death is a campaign that deserves a greater attention.
“Smoking is an epidemic worldwide. We have over 1.1 billion smokers in the world, or about 23 percent of the adult population. The World Health Organization predicts that within the 21st Century alone, we are going to have 1 billion premature deaths due to smoking. In the Philippines, the smoking prevalence is about 20 percent. Of these 20 million smokers, 10 million of them are going to die prematurely by smoking-related diseases. The average life expectancy of a smoker is 10 years less than a non-smoker. It is a huge cost in lives and in economy,” says Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, a researcher at Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre in Athens and University of Paltras in Paltras, Greece. Farsalinos, a former smoker, says millions of Filipino smokers have an opportunity to quit the vice by switching to a less harmful product— electronic cigarette. He considers vaping or the use of e-cigarette as a harm reduction tool, because it is 95-percent less harmful than the traditional burning of cigarettes. He says, however, that vaping should never be endorsed to non-smokers and minors and should be promoted only to smokers as a tool to help them quit smoking. Farsalinos explains that it is not nicotine that is responsible for diseases related to smoking, but the burning process of cigarettes. “We know for more than 40 years, or since 1976, that people smoke for nicotine, but die from the tar. Tar is the combustion product from burning of material. Nicotine itself has not killed any smoker. All the diseases caused by smoking are not caused by nicotine present in the smoke, but by the combustion product, the burning of the cigarette tip at more than 800 degree Celsius that creates a lot of toxins consequently inhaled by the smoker,” he says in an interview at Holiday Inn Hotel in Makati City. Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette, a batteryoperated device which vaporizes a flavored liquid made of nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerine and flavorings. A cigarette industry executive in the Philippines, however, says vaping does not give the same satisfaction as smoking. He predicts that smoking will continue to thrive in the coming years. Farsalinos, who has done 50 scientific studies on electronic cigarettes, says while WHO does not support the use of e-cigarettes, individual countries such as the Philippines should develop regulations on the growing vaping sector. “WHO is making a big mistake,” says Farsalino, referring to the organization’s quit-or-die approach. “Worldwide, six million people die every year prematurely because of smoking. That is going to go up to 10 million per year by 2025. Any delay is costing lives. With 1.1 billion smokers, we have a lot of deaths per year. We don’t have time to wait for 20 or 30 years. We are going to lose one generation of smokers,” he says. Farsalinos says while the best solution remain a complete stop to smoking or smoking cessation medication, e-cigarettes proved to be most successful in making a large number of smokers quit the vice. “E-cigarettes help smokers quit,” says Fersalinos, citing the results of a May 2016 study by Action on Smoking and Health UK.
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Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos of Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre in Athens, Greece He says that a 2014 study in the European Union shows that 6.1 million Europeans quit smoking and another 9.2 million reduced consumption of cigarettes after they had tried e-cigarettes. This means that 67.3 percent of Europeans who had tried e-cigarettes either quit or reduced smoking. “In Europe, there were about 9 million established regular users in 2014. I am sure that number now is much higher. But the biggest market is the US,” he says. He says in Asia, the Philippines and Malaysia are two countries with large population of e-cigarette users. “Here in the Philippines and Malaysia, they created the industry by themselves, the local people. They are not imported products. They are products made locally. Many entrepreneurs got engaged into that, and that’s how it grew here. The regulation should be done in such a way that vaping will be promoted to smokers only. That’s why we need rules,” he says. “I am seeing that over the years, WHO is changing its position. But it is going on slowly,” he says. “We have a lot of data. There are more than 1,000 studies. I myself have done 50 studies on
Source: http://www.lazada.com.ph
e-cigarettes.” “I am a former smoker who has tried every smoking cessation medication in the past. I have tried gums, I have tried oral smoking cessation, I have tried psychological therapy. I managed to Turn to C2
AIRASIA LAUNCHES WEB SERIES AIRASIA, voted the world’s best low cost carrier for eight consecutive years by Skytrax, formally launched a six-part web series featuring some of Asia’s bestkept attractions, rich cultural heritage and inside stories about people and the airline that broke travel norms and made flying possible for everyone across Asia and beyond. “Red Talks with Daphne,” is hosted by award-winning TV host and producer Daphne Oseña-Paez. She takes viewers to different places and talks about traveling, flying, helping and inspiring communities.
Sisters Ma. Theresa Jimenez (left) and Hazel Santos (right) remind their employees that they have what it takes to perform well and succeed.
New episode of Red Talks with Daphne is shown on AirAsia Philippines’ Facebook page every other Saturday at 7 p.m. Red Talks with Daphne was made possible by the AirAsia Foundation, the AA BIG Loyalty Program, Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta, Flower Island Resort Palawan and Jewelmer. AirAsia BIG Loyalty Program makes it even easier and faster to fly. AirAsia’s award-winning loyalty program, AirAsia Big Loyalty, allows members to earn AirAsia Big Points to redeem free AirAsia flights, hotel stays and more.
TV host and producer Daphne Oseña-Paez (center) with AirAsia director of flight operations Capt. Gomer Monrea (right) and a flight attendant
Success runs in the family. This illustrates the newfound fulfillment of Ma. Theresa Jimenez and Hazel Santos after investing in a dream franchise business that perfectly served as an alternative career, as well as a rewarding endeavor that feeds their passion for food, family and quick service. Prior to becoming 7-Eleven franchisees, the siblings run a 21-yearold family business, Eat Graphics Advertising which caters to the advertising needs of fast-food chains. Ma. Theresa is the owner/president while Hazel acts as general manager and HR manager. Professionally, the former is a Computer Management major and the latter is a registered nurse. Currently, they have two 7-Eleven stores, the first store in Tikling, Taytay, Rizal and the second in C. Lawis in Antipolo City. The idea of owning a C-store came while the two were having their snacks at their neighborhood 7-Eleven store. Both avid fans of Slurpee since childhood, Ma.Theresa says their common love for food and convenience inspired them to pursue their goal. “We love to eat. It is our undying passion for food and convenience that helped us in the transition. We want our food served easy, fast and of course, tasty. And we just want the same for everybody,” Hazel says. Both sisters were excited and impressed about the opportunity, as they knew they would follow through with their dream of becoming franchisees. “We chose 7-Eleven over other franchising businesses because we think highly of the 7-Eleven Franchise System. We admire what 7-Eleven has accomplished for the past years and we are confident in what it can still do in the coming years. It is also a major player in the retail [convenience stores] industry because it has made its service very convenient, accessible and affordable to its customers. It is the go-to place for all customer needs,” says Ma. Theresa. What makes the 7-Eleven f r anch is e p a ck age a wor t hy investment, according to her, is that it is backed by a powerful brand, a strong long-term support system from the franchisor and a profit sharing/distribution that is very promising for the franchisee. The 7-Eleven franchise package includes a one-month classroom training. Upon completion, Ma. Theresa, Hazel and their teams were fully ready when they opened their stores recently. The sisters also especially value the way their common C-store passion has brought their family together. “Not only do our customers benefit from the C-store. Both of us get to have more family time. We also get to meet each other often, sharing updates and consulting each other about our stores’ progress. We discuss and come up with a game plan that would address and even eradicate any issue and concern,” she says. “My p ar t nership wit h my family enhances my strengths and cancels my weaknesses not just as a leader in the business but also as a person. They are my constant supply of encouragement and wisdom especially in making crucial decisions. They see my blind spots; thus, we are able to identify problems and provide solutions to improve and grow the business. Their maturity helps me run the business more efficiently,” says Ma. Theresa. Both sisters see the positive in the stores’ challenging but very promising growing phase. “In time, with continuous training and application of best practices, we believe we will be able to handle these challenges more effectively,” says Ma. Theresa.
Business
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SUNDAY, APRIL 9, 2017 business@thestandard.com.ph
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be smoke free for a maximum of five months. I was successful repeatedly because I repeatedly relapsed,” he says. “After I did my first study on e-cigarettes, at that time I was still a smoker and seeing the results, I decided to try it. I managed to quit on day one. I kept a pack of cigarettes at home for one week. After a week, I threw it away together with the lighter. And I am now smoke-free for five years and one month. Now, I never feel the need to get a cigarette. That’s why I am saying the relapse is probably gonna be much smaller with e-cigarettes compared to quitting with other methods,” he says. Farsalinos says it is important that the Philippines develop a regulatory framework for e-cigarettes in such as way that vaping will be promoted to smokers only as a harm reduction tool. “You need to have rules and ensure that everyone in the industry complies with the rules,” he says. Farsalinos says while there is a need to ensure the safety and quality of e-cigarette devices, it is also important that the industry does not fall under the control of big tobacco companies. “If you create a very expensive and very restrictive regulation, who is going to afford this regulation? Only the big tobacco companies. A very strict regulation is basically providing the whole industry to the hands of the big tobacco and we don’t want that. We want to have competition and innovation. It was not a product made by big tobacco and we don’t want now to deliver it to big tobacco. We need to have small and medium-sized independent players because we will have competitive, creative, innovative environment and this helps in developing much better products,” he says. Heneage Mitchell, founder of not-forprofit, consumer-oriented think tank Fact Asia Consultants Ltd., says e-cigarette is something that consumers enjoy and which can be improved and enhanced. “This is the only invention that has come up ever that has shown that promise [to quit smoking],” he says. Mitchell says the current strategies against smoking such as the imposition of higher excise taxes which have been in place for 20 years now are not working. “They are just feeding the illicit trade and the criminal syndicates who are selling counterfeit and illicit cigarettes all over the world,” he says. “E-cigarettes have been successful in getting millions of smokers in the EU to quit smoking. It is a personal choice, a consumer choice, a product that consumers have chosen and they deserve to have a regulatory framework that protects their interest, their health and to ensure that the products they are buying are manufactured safely,” says Mitchell. “E-cigarettes have the proven capacity to save millions upon millions of lives, not just in the Philippines, but worldwide,” he says. Mitchell says a ban on e-cigarettes would be disastrous. “More people are going to die because they are not given an opportunity to switch, from a dangerous product, and surely it is the government’s duty to protect the lives of its citizens and to ensure they are given access to products that will help them improve their lives and to be around with their families longer and to be more productive,” he says. “On behalf of millions of Filipino smokers whose lives are impacted by tobacco, this is a way forward. We have an opportunity here to save millions of Filipino lives. If the government does not act and regulate the products, and make them available to smokers, I am sorry, but they will be responsible for the death of millions of Filipino smokers. They need to make the right decision. Filipino smokers and their families deserve to have access to these life-saving, gamechanging products,” says Mitchell. Roderick T. dela Cruz
PageUp founder and CEO Karen Cariss
AUSTRALIAN CEO PREDICTS FUTURE JOBS
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armer, miner, tailor, site laborer, flight attendant and even news reporter are among the jobs that will disappear in the future amid the changing workforce landscape and digital disruption, an Australian chief executive says in an interview.
Karen Cariss, the co-founder and CEO of global talent management software provider PageUp, says jobs in the future will include ergonomist, biostatistician, green marketer, cognitive engineer, data scientist, music therapist and Cloud architect. Others are professional tutor, energy auditor, household manager, school psychometrist, wind turbine engineer and home care nurse. “People will have different jobs and they will also have different careers. You could be a journalist today, and you could be a drummer in a band tomorrow,” she says. Cariss says jobs will be highly flexible and mobile in the future, and the office environment may also disappear. This early, she says, her company allows employees to work from home. She says repetitive and manual jobs will go
to robots while future jobs will involve a lot of creativity and relationships. “There is a potential that the whole concept of being an employee is gonna be abolished. I think that is what disruption does,” says Cariss, a co-author of a new book titled ‘Cliffhanger: HR on the Precipe in the Future of Work’. Cariss says the human resources department of a company should take note of the latest technology developments. “It is the role of HR to educate and help them [management] understand what is possible and the transformation that needs to happen,” she says in an interview at Makati Diamond Residences in Makati City. She advises Filipino companies to employ new methods to adapt to the changing local workforce landscape typified by digital disruption and local employment driven by foreign investments. The book warns that the HR industry is at risk of extinction if it fails to rapidly reinvent itself. It offers an insightful blend of current research, thinking and futurist forecasts from multiple global HR industry thought-leaders as well as the findings of three PageUp Talent Labs conducted over a 12-month period. Underpinning the Cliffhanger book is the notion that workplaces are being redefined and reimagined, underscored by a new understanding of productivity and engagement which will see a multi-modal future workforce. “In countries with a very dynamic workforce such as the Philippines, the road ahead requires HR
to play a strategic role in the organization by sharply aligning to the business strategy, using technology as an enabler and applying strategic foresight to navigate future workforce needs,” Cariss says, “The journey that HR is traveling has hit a hard stop and is under pressure to not only facilitate the transition of the workforce into the new world of work, but also to equally to reinvent itself. HR is on the precipice of a cliff. There is a real risk of falling over and there are two choices to make: invent a way across the chasm, or disappear into it,” she says. PageUp is a global talent management softwareas-a-service provider, offering a strategic talent management solution, delivered via the cloud. It creates technology designed to help organizations streamline people processes and strategically align their human resources across borders, business units, cultures and languages, to execute on corporate objectives. Co-founded in Melbourne 1997 by Cariss, PageUp has since expanded globally to support both local and multinational organizations, including several Fortune 500 employers. It has offices in Australia, the US, the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong. The tech company is building an offshore unit in the Philippines to tap Filipino talents. “We are recruiting now to augment our development team in Melbourne,” she says. “We will have two development teams here, with five to seven people per team.” Roderick T. dela Cruz
GLOBAL GATEWAY CLARK SETS THE BAR HIGHER FOR GREEN BUILDINGS GREEN development has traditionally ranked low in the Philippines’ priority list, but increasing demand from multi-national companies is now driving a demand-led surge in LEED-registered buildings. LEED, short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a green building certification used worldwide that is also now gaining traction in the Philippines. Across the country, more real estate developers are adopting environmentfriendly practices in commercial, industrial and residential projects. At present, there are 245 LEED activities in the country, with 61 projects having already obtained certification. More will soon be joining the likes of Zuellig Building in reaching the highest standards of environmentally friendly construction. Located in the financial center of Makati, Zuellig Building was the first in the Philippines, and among the first buildings in Asia, to be Platinum-certified under the LEED program. Just north of Manila in Clark Freeport Zone, a new city—Global Gateway Clark—
is under construction that will eventually cater to 500,000 workers. Currently, One West and Two West office towers have been pre-certified gold and these buildings, along with a further three office towers, which are scheduled for construction later this year, are targeting a post completion certification of Platinum status. Another major project—the Clark Green City in Tarlac province—will draw on expertise from the private sector to develop key environmentally friendly initiatives. Japanese companies Hitachi Asia and The Power Grid Solution will work with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority to set up an energy management and storage system, a district cooling system, a total energy network system and a private utility company across 23,400 acres which will accommodate over 1 million residents. The appeal of sustainable development Such projects are a part of a bigger government vision to lighten the load on the congested National Capital Region and encourage more international companies to set up bases in the country. Clark, which has
Global Gateway Clark’s One West and Two West office towers have been precertified with gold status
an international airport and connectivity to Manila, is emerging as the best location as the country’s new business hub. Green credentials are becoming more important for new and existing developments if they are to gain traction
with an increasingly sustainability conscious business community, according to Mark Williams, CEO of Global Gateway Development Corp., which owns and operates Global Gateway Clark. “Green certification is much more than
applying labels that add a positive image to real estate projects. From a business perspective, these certifications show that the investment has a higher asset value and is recoverable through reduced operating costs and higher return on investments,” Williams said. “While energy savings is a direct advantage, it also has other benefits such as a greater company marketability and increased employee productivity,” he said. While the Philippines still lags behind its Southeast Asian neighbors such as Singapore and Thailand in green initiatives, sustainability is now in the mind of developers when building new projects and retrofitting existing ones. “The rapid expansion of the green building industry globally sets the bar high for the local real estate sector, and should ultimately encourage developers to keep up with the demand pressure for livable spaces as a result of increasing urbanization and the inflow of foreign businesses,” Williams said.
Sports
SAFC HOME OF RISING MIXED MARTIAL ARTS STARS By Randy Caluag
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OW it can be told. The Southeast Asia Fighting Championship (SAFC) is the country’s biggest Mixed Martial Arts organization in terms of fight frequency. It’s the only MMA promotion that holds events three days in a week with fights held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at its home at Venus Hotel and Sports Club in Angeles City. The SAFC is the brainchild master Emmanuel Sabrine, president of the National Muay Thai and Kickboxing Council of the Philippines (NMCKCP) and supported by Kwan Rae Jo, chairman of the Venus Hotel and Sports Club. “SAFC has become a venue for aspiring MMA stars. We give a chance to young, amateur fighters as well as dormant, veteran fighters to have a regular tournament to continue honing their skills,” said Sabrine. “We are really thankful to chairman Kwang Rae Jo who is considered by our MMA fighters as godfather,” he added. Just recently, SAFC held its 60th fight night which was the culmination of months-long elimination of fighters from the amateur ranks. “We just affirmed that SAFC is home to future MMA stars,” claimed Sabrine.
SAFC 60 a success
It was a hot and dizzyingly humid day and the City of Angeles was anxiously bracing itself from an impending storm in the form of a barrage of ground shaking strikes and an onslaught of bone-cracking submissions. Working together as a family, the
MJ Abrillo, a veteran of local and international fights, in some of his fights. Yin Quintin
partnership between Kwang and master Sabrine The night saw 4 undercards and 5 main event championship bouts. In the first bout Maico Fernandez scored a submission win over Alejo Corpuz via Guillotine Choke at the 4minute 51second mark of the 1st round. Veteran internationalist MJ Abrillo won by split decision over an equally tough foe in Dennis Salazar in the second bout. Benjie Tabaranza won over
Master Emmanuel Sabrine presents the plaque of appreciation to Venus Hotel and Sports Club chairman Kwang Rae Jo with the assistance of officials from the Games and Amusement Board
Team Young Blood celebrates victory at SAFC 60
Michael Escobia by TKO via Punches at the 2minute 56second mark of the 1st round. Genil Francisco eked out a submission win over Joemar Baying via Rear Naked Choke at 3-minute and 23-second mark of the 2nd round. Adrian Francisco submitted Reynold Vargas via Armbar in the first round. Junie Kimayong won by unanimous decision over Ariel Oliveros. Roel Rio pounded out a TKO win over Mark Gregory Valerio in the 4th round. Rufino Mante punched
his way to a TKO win over Jhunior Diapolet in 53 seconds of the first round. Tom Gregory Iraola won by Submission via Armbar over Benedict Venus right in the first round. In the last bout, Jonathan Ring finished Jaypee Espinosa with a single headkick to the head to win by TKO in the first round. The MMA clubs who participated were D Elements MMA, Cerberus, Yaw-Yan Kampilan, Young Blood, Legacy MMA, Elorde MMA to name a few. With Emmanuel Cabrera Jr.
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SUNDAY, APRIL 9, 2017 randyproject@yahoo.com
UNDER ARMOUR 3X3 ADDS UP OPEN CATEGORY HIGH-PERFORMANCE sportswear label Under Armour announces registration sponsorship for the U18 participants of the Under Armour 3x3 Southeast Asia 2017 Tournament. All eligible teams will now receive 50% sponsorship for their registration fee. Registration now is only P2,750 for four participants, plus they get free Under Armour tops and bot-toms. Organized in partnership with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the Under Armour 3x3 Southeast Asia 2017 Tournament is a springboard for local U18 players to win a chance to be part of the national contingent and compete against other National Teams from Asia in the FIBA 3x3 U18 Asia Cup 2017 from May 26–28 in Cyberjaya Gem in Mall, Malaysia. Flights and accommodation will be fully paid for the selected teams. In addition to the U18 categor y, Under Armour has also cre ated an Open Category for passionate local and non-resident basketballers aged between 19–50 years old to put their skills to the test (those born between the years of 1998 and 1967). The Open Category consists of Men and Women brackets, and winners stand to win cash prizes and medals. Registration deadline for U18 and Open Categories has been updated to 12 April 2017. The Under Armour 3x3 Southeast Asia 2017 Tournament eliminations for the Philippines will take place in Cebu at the Cebu City Sports Club and Ayala Center Cebu on April 22-23. In Manila, it will take place at Bonifacio Global City on April 28-30. Visit www.ua3x3.com for more information on the Under Armour 3x3 Southeast Asia 2017 Tour-nament. Players must also register themselves on FIBA www.3x3planet.com and are encouraged to study the FIBA 3×3 Official Basketball Rules. Final decisions for the selection of winning teams joining the national contingent rest with the respective federation or association. Sponsored by Air Asia and Shot Zone Singapore, the Under Armour 3x3 Southeast Asia 2017 Tournament, is organized in partnership with FIBA, SBP, Basketball Association of Singapore (BAS), Malaysia Basketball Association (MABA), and Persatuan Bola Basket Seluruh Indonesia (PERBASI).
LASCUNA EDGES BAYRON TO BAG ICTSI CROWN BINANGONAN, Rizal—Tony Lascuna pounced on Guido Van der Valk’s early meltdown then fended off Jay Bayron’s late-hole charge in a sweltering high-noon shootout, drilling in a pressure-packed 14-foot birdie putt on the final hole to snare the ICTSI Manila Masters crown by one with a 70 yesterday (Saturday). Lascuna nearly blew a threestroke lead with two holes to go with a bogey on the par-4 No. 17 which Bayron birdied, setting the stage for a thrilling finish at the par5 18th. Bayron sustained his charge and closed out with a tap-in birdie for a 71, bracing for a playoff after Lascuna’s pitch from 40 yards stopped 14 feet short of target. But the reigning Order of Merit champion displayed grace under pressure, canning in that matching birdie putt from an uphill lie and preserving a one-shot victory for
the country’s winningest pro who finally nailed one at the Eastridge Golf Club here with a 285 aggregate worth P550.000. “I really wanted this one very badly since I’ve never won here at Eastridge for years,” said Lascuna, who placed outside the Top 10 here last year in a season where he racked up five victories to reclaim the OOM crown from absentee Miguel Tabuena. It was a sorry setback for Bayron, who also won two titles in last year’s circuit sponsored by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., who recovered from a disastrous triple-bogey 7 on No. 9 with three birdies in the last four holes to get a shot at the playoff. “He’s really good at putting,” said Bayron, who wound up with a 286 and settled for P370,000. True to Lascuna’s third round fore-
cast, Van der Valk did crumble under pressure from the local aces, blowing an overnight three-shot lead with a bogey-riddled, birdie-less 41. Lascuna took charge by three with a 35 as Bayron, who shared the lead up to the eighth, dropped three strokes on the par 4 ninth. But the Dutchman fought back with birdies on Nos. 10 and 13 but faltered again with a triple-bogey on the 16th and ended up with a 78, falling to sixth place instead at 290 worth P115,000. Hirotaro Naito of Japan rallied from way down with a tournamentbest tying 68 to tie Jhonnel Ababa, who matched par 72, at third at 288 worth P190,000 each while Josh Salah of the US fired a 71 to place fifth at 289 and received P130,000. Mhark Fernando carded a 72 and shared seventh with Rene Menor and American John Michael O’Toole,
who both shot 73s, and Paul Harris of the US, who wavered with a 75, at 291. “I played good and my putting clicked,” said Lascuna, who couldn’t make the putts in a third round 76 that dropped him to joint second after 54 holes of the P3 million event backed by BDO, KZG, Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Sharp, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and PLDT. The final round foldup extended the Manila-based Van der Valk’s winless run in the circuit, blaming poor putting for his defeat to Lascuna, who also nipped him in a playoff to annex the Bacolod leg crown last year. “I played horrible. My putting was really bad and I’m very disgusted it happened in the final round,” said the Dutchman, who nevertheless praised Lascuna for his solid final round game.
Lascuna displays his Masters trophy following a pressure-pack shootout in the final hole
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Sports
SUNDAY, APRIL 9, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor / Randy Caluag, Issue Editor
sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
ASKREN DEFENDS ONE CROWN
Alaska Aces import Cory Jefferson (34) protects the basketball against three GlobalPort Batang Pier defenders, from left: Stanley Pringle, Billy Mamaril and KG Canaleta.
JEFFERSON EARNS ALASKA’S TRUST
By Reuel Vidal
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HE 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup has seen some outstanding performances by this year’s batch of big imports. The best performance so far has been submitted by this conference’s likely best import in Cory Jefferson of the Alaska Aces.
Jefferson is averaging a leaguebest 31.8 points ahead of fellow imports James White (30.5) of the Mahindra Floodbuster, Shawn Taggart (29.0) of defending champion Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters, Wayne Chism (28.2) of the NLEX Road Warriors (28.2) and Greg Smith (26.8) of the Blackwater Elite. Jefferson started the conference with a bang as he gave his team a big lift at the offensive end when the Aces posted a rousing 107-79 rout of the GlobalPort Batang Pier during their first game on March 18. Jefferson scored from everywhere as he sniped from threepoint distance, drove strong to the paint and even finished with a rimrattling dunk en route to a gamehigh 28 points. The Aces grabbed a share of the lead in the 2017 PBA Commissioner’s Cup when Jefferson led his team to a decisive, 109-95, victory over the Blackwater Elite on March 22. The Aces mauled the Elite at the defensive end, forcing one turnover after another, then torched them at the offensive end with fastbreak attacks and crisp outside shooting. Jefferson led the Alaska assault against Blackwater. He was unstoppable as he scored from outside and
drove into the paint to score on inside incursions. He finished with 28 points and 14 rebounds as he towed Alaska to victory. Jefferson again led all scorers when the Aces rumbled to their third consecutive victory this conference with a wire-to-wire 98-92 victory over the Mahindra Floodbuster last March 29. In Alaska’s last game the Aces lost a big lead but came back strong behind the masterful playmaking of Jvee Casio and the blazing outside shooting of Jefferson. The Aces overhauled a four-point deficit with a little over a minute to go to post a come-from-behind 105-102 victory over Rain Or Shine on April 2. Casio set up Alaska’s final offensive plays with the Aces trailing by four points, 93-97, with 1:51 left to play. Casio found Jefferson who drained a pressure-packed triple. Casio then dished to Sonny Thoss who scored on a layup as Alaska forged ahead, 98-97. The Aces went to post the victory. Jefferson played college basketball for Baylor University where he averaged 13.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in his senior year. He then represented the United States at the 2013 Summer
Meralco Bolts import Alex Stepheson (33) rips down the rebound in traffic against a pair of TNT Ka Tropa players.
Universiade in Kazan, Russia. He is among the most credentialed import to ever don an Alaska jersey. He played for the Brooklyn Nets (2014-2015) and the Phoenix Suns (2015-2016) in the National Basketball Association. He also had stops with the Maine Red Claws, the Bakersfield Jam and the Austin Spurs in the NBA Development League. He played so well that on February 6, 2017, he was named to the Western Conference All-Star team for the 2017 NBA D-
ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren returns to the ONE Championship cage to defend his title against rising young Malaysian star Agilan “Alligator” Thani as co-main event at ONE: Dynasty of Heroes on May 26 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Victor Cui, CEO of ONE Championship said non-stop MMA action will hit Singapore during the card. “ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren is back and he’s ready to welcome the young Agilan Thani to the upper echelon of the division. It is going to be an awesome showdown of youth versus experience, on a night fans will not want to miss,” said Cui. A former NCAA Division I AllAmerican, Ben Askren is a collegiate wrestling legend and one of the finest mixed martial artists in the world today. In just a few fights in ONE, Askren was able to seize the ONE Welterweight World Championship with a resounding technical knockout victory over Nobutatsu Suzuki. The highly-skilled Askren is widely considered to be the absolute best in his division and one of the best fighters in the world pound-for-pound. The undefeated Agilan “Alligator” Thani of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, will be making his return to the ONE Championship cage, following a spectacular submission victory over veteran welterweight Jeff Huang. The 21-year old prospect is a perfect 7-0 as a professional, with five of his seven victories ending in the first round. All of Thani’s victories have come by exciting finish. The young Malaysian has shown steady improvement in each outing, and has earned a shot at ONE Welterweight World Champion Askren. The card also features ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela “Unstoppable” Lee taking on challenger Istela Nunes of Brazil in the main event. Ticket information for ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES is available at www.onefc.com For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ ONEChampionship.
League All-Star Game. Jefferson was actually Alaska’s third choice and got the call to play for the Aces after Octavius Ellis, who was already in the Philippines practicing with the team, went home to attend to “family matters.” Alaska not getting either of their first two choices for import has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Third choice or not Jefferson has led the Aces to four consecutive victories and the top of the standings. Ben Askren
FOLAYANG FACES CONQUEROR OF FILIPINOS
ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang (left) and Malaysian star Ev Ting face off during the media launch last week of their coming fight at the Mall of Asia Arena.
WITH a little more than two weeks to go to fight night, ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang (17-5) is hard at work at the high-altitudes of Baguio City, Philippines. Folayang will make his long-awaited return to the ONE Championship cage in Manila to defend the title for the first time against Malaysian star Ev “E.T.” Ting (13-3), a fighter who has proven to be a thorn on the side of Philippine MMA. The 27-year-old Ting has had his fair share of run-ins with Filipino MMA fighters. Throughout his career, Ting has managed to deal losses to the likes of Eric and Edward Kelly, Cary Bullos, and even Folayang’s Team Lakay stablemate Honorio Banario.
Folayang realizes that to be successful against Ting, he has to make sure he comes in at his absolute best and prevent Ting from winning over another Filipino. “I know the stakes. I know what’s riding on this fight. Ev (Ting) is coming for my belt, he’s coming to take what I’ve worked so hard for my entire career. There is no way I’m just going to let him take it. It’s not going to be easy, that’s for sure,” said Folayang. By all accounts, Folayang seems on the right track. Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao certainly seems to think so. Sangiao believes that fans can expect a stand-up war when Folayang and Ting finally climb inside the ONE Championship cage. Although he may have a friendly and boyish
demeanor outside the battleground, Folayang reveals that inside the cage it’s different. “When I enter that cage, my entire mindset changes. The time for being nice and playing games is over. Once that cage door closes, my focus shifts entirely to battle. It’s different because it’s just like taking final exams, if I don’t take it seriously, I myself will fail. Only one guy gets to walk out of the cage a winner, so I make sure that guy is me,” said Folayang. “Outside the cage, I don’t know Ev personally but I think he is a stand-up individual. Once we step inside those steel doors however, it’s time for the Landslide to take over. I put everything into my performance. All the months of hard work and sacrifice boils down to just one night so I have to make it count.”