...analytics

So world's No. 3 junior chess player The Philippine Star January 02, 2011

MANILA, Philippines – Wesley So vaulted into No. 3 in the list of the world’s top junior players in the newest rating list released by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) for January 2011.
 
The 17-year-old Filipino champion raised his Elo rating by four points – from 2669 to 2673 -- to climb to third place overall behind GMs Fabiano Caruana of Italy and Anish Giri of the Netherlands.

Caruana is now on top of the list with an Elo 2771, replacing super GM Magnus Carlsen of Norway, who has left the junior category.

Giri, one of the few junior players with a plus record over So, is now second with 2686.

So’s top Southeast Asian rival, GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam, dropped to fourth place with   2664. Le lost 25 points in the same period.

Also in the list of Top 10 junior players in the world GMs Sebastian Feller of France (2656), Anton Kovalyov of Argentina (2629), Eltaj Safarli of Azerbaijan (2629), Ivan Salgado Lopez of Spain (2626), Sana Sjugirov of Russia (2626) and Maxim Matlakov of Russia (2613).

GM Parimarjan Negi of India (2607) and GMs Yu Yangyi (2607) and Hou Yifan (2602) occupy the next three places.

Overall, So also moved into No. 64 in the world. He is only two points behind GM Vladimir Akopianof Armenia for 63rd place and one point ahead of GM Ernesto Inarkiev of Russia.

In the November 2010 rating list of FIDE, So is ranked No. 9 in the junior category and No. 73 in the world.

Previously, So’s highest rating was No. 60 in the world when he reached Elo 2674 during the July 2010 period. He first broke the elite Top 100 list -- No. 92 -- with 2646 in July 2009.

In the list of top chess-playing countries, the Philippines is now No. 33 with an average rating of 2531, ahead of Asian rivals Vietnam, Iran, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.

The Philippines now has 62 titled players, including 12 GMs and 23 IMs.

National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president/chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay lauded So and other Filipino players for their exceptional showing in the year just ended.

Pichay said So can easily breach the 2700 mark this year, judging from his superb play last year.

Newly-elected FIDE Southeast Asian zone president and Tagaytay Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino also expressed confidence that Filipino players will perform even better in 2011.

So also kept his top spot in the list of leading Filipino players.

Four other Filipinos – GMs Rogelio Antonio Jr., Roland Salvador, John Paul Gomez and Mark Paragua – also made significant improvements.

Antonio kept second place with 2589 – up by 16 points from his previous Elo of 2573. He achieved his highest rating since becoming the country’s third GM in Baguio City in 1993. He is now ranked No. 254 in the world.

...trading

Philippine stocks surge 38% in 2010

abs-cbnNEWS.com

12/31/2010

MANILA, Philippines - The local stock market posted a banner year in 2010, with the key index surging 37.6%.

As of December 30, the last trading day of the year, the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi), the barometer of overall stock market performance, was up by 1,148.46 points to end at 4,201.14.
PSE Chairman Hans Sicat said strong macroeconomic fundamentals on the domestic front, as well as economic recovery overseas, boosted investor sentiment this year.

"From a sluggish 2009, gross domestic product grew by 7.5% during the first 3 quarters of 2010, on account of the robust performances of the industry and services sectors. Inflation and interest rates continue to be benign. These factors have largely buoyed stock market sentiment and reinforced investor and business confidence," he said.

"Many of the developed, Western economies were showing signs of economic recovery despite the threat of some European nations' bankruptcies. Overall, the major global stock markets were on an uptick this year, improving capital market conditions," he added.

Total value turnover for 2010 reached P1.21 trillion, 29.8% higher than the P930.4 billion registered in 2009. The combined market capitalization of listed issues in the PSE rose by 47.1% to P8.87 trillion compared with P6.03 trillion in 2009.

Preliminary figures also show that foreign investors went into net buying territory in 2010 at P35.6 billion, higher than last year's P14.9 billion.

Total capital raised this year was P84.9 billion, largely from the initial public offerings of Cebu Air Inc., Nickel Asia and IP Converge Data Center Inc., and the stock rights offerings of First Gen Corp., SM Development Corp. and Bank of the Philippine Islands. This was an improvement over the P38.8 billion raised in 2009.

In terms of sectoral indices, the holding firms index emerged as the best performer in 2010 as it climbed by 110.28% from 2009. This was followed by the Industrial index, with 56% growth.
"As we enter a new chapter in 2011, we remain bullish that the initiatives and reforms we have started will enhance the growth of the capital markets," Sicat said.

Last July 26, 2010, the PSE rolled out a new trading system that is designed to trade a wide range of cash, debt and derivative instruments as well as improve the capacity of the PSE to handle any future sharp increases in its value turnover. The new trading system was developed by the New York Stock Exchange Technologies.

The PSE also completed the transfer of its principal office to Makati City, the financial district of the country, through an office integration project that aimed to increase the efficiency of resources and reduce costs in order to enhance shareholder value.

The PSE board has also approved the spin-off of the exchange's market regulation division into an independent and self-regulatory company to monitor activities of trading participants.

...community service

Philippine pride: Besting CNN in 2009, BBC in 2010

By Lala Rimando, abs-cbnNEWS.com

12/30/2010

MANILA, Philippines – This country of 7,107 islands is not only a breeding ground for peaceful revolutions, world-class singers, seafarers, nurses, and beauty queens; it is also a lush source for award-winning social projects.

Social projects that aim to lift the plight of the country’s underprivileged have bested entries from other parts of the world in 2 international media outfits.

In 2009, Efren Peñaflorida was hailed by American cable news network CNN as the “Hero of the Year.”
In 2010, the Ram Pump Project by a non-governmental organization based in Bacolod in the Visayas region was named by the British cable news network BBC as the winner in the “World Challenge.”
Both competitions were determined by number of votes cast for the finalists.

CNN Heroes had 2.75 million online votes cast over 7 weeks for 9 finalists, while BBC had about 167,000 people across the globe casting their votes for 12 finalists over about 2 months.

CNN Hero of the Year 2009 Efren Peñaflorida

The votes came after each international media group featured them on TV and online. BBC World News ran six 30-minute programs and ran features about the finalists in Newsweek magazine. CNN ran a star-studded awarding ceremony in Hollywood.

Both aim to inspire. CNN focuses on the individual who makes extraordinary contributions to help others.

Efren Peñaflorida started a "pushcart classroom" to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership. Peñaflorida’s team of volunteers brings around their mobile classroom stacked with teaching materials to different areas they service.

BBC, on the other hand, champions specific projects or small businesses that make a difference at the grassroots level through enterprising and innovative means.

'No Way But Up', an indigenous hydraulic ram pump project in Bacolod, wins in BBC's 'World Challenge'.

 Besting over 800 projects from all over the world was "No Way But Up," an indigenous hydraulic ram pump that uses a river's flow to literally push water uphill to supply water to villagers living in mountainous regions.

The project -- an entry of the Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation Inc. (AIDFI) based in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City -- does not require the use of electricity.

The foundation is led by Dutch ships engineer Auke Idzenga and has introduced the project to over 170 upland villages benefiting 50,000 people.
Peñaflorida received a total of US$125,000 to continue his work, while AIDFI received a US$20,000 financial grant.

...confidence

MANILA, Philippines - Renewed confidence in the Philippine business climate has improved employment and reduced unemployment and underemployment figures in 2010, according to President Aquino.

Aquino said he considered job creation and unemployment reduction as the biggest achievement in the first six months of his administration.

He made the statement after signing the 2011 budget on Monday.

When he assumed the presidency, Aquino said he met local and foreign investors who had renewed their enthusiasm for and optimism in the Philippines, particularly in the booming business process outsourcing industry.

“Our slogan that the Philippines is now open again for business seems to have taken hold,” he said.
“Business processing outsourcing companies have already started and they have been actually doing recruitment that has made some impact on both the employment and underemployment figures.

“Everybody that I talked to, both local and foreign, talked about the renewed and enthusiastic and optimistic way they look at the Philippines.”

For 2010, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has reported that employment figures generally improved as job creation reached 983,000; unemployment rate was lower at 7.3 percent compared to 7.5 percent in 2009; and underemployment rate improved to 18.7 percent from 19.1 percent last year.

 

NEDA Secretary-General Cayetano Paderanga said the continued improvement in the level of confidence in the Philippines and the implementation of necessary reforms would greatly contribute to the creation of more and quality employment for Filipinos in the years to come.

Paderanga said NEDA was expecting the full-year gross domestic product growth to likely surpass the five to six percent target for 2010, to seven to eight percent this year.

For 2011, the country was expecting more modest growth with the absence of election spending and the still quite fragile global economic recovery, he added.

However, Paderanga said the right policies and continued confidence were expected to help achieve the government interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee’s real GDP growth target of seven to eight percent and a real gross national product growth target of nine to 10 percent.

“With the Aquino administration focusing on improving the lives of Filipinos, we are aiming for high sustained growth. The targets that have been set will sharply reduce poverty incidence and increase per capita income,” Paderanga said.

...techno-savvy

South Korea school robots operated by Filipino teachers

Philippine Daily Inquirer
12/29/2010

SEOUL—Controlled remotely by English teachers in the Philippines, the 29 robots wheeled around the classroom while speaking to the students, reading books to them and dancing to music by moving their head and arms.

About one meter high with a TV display panel for a face, the robots have started teaching English to youngsters at a South Korean city, in a pilot project designed to nurture the nascent robot industry, according to education officials.

The robots display an avatar face of a Caucasian woman and the Filipino teachers can see and hear the children via a remote control system.

Cameras detect the Filipino teachers’ facial expressions and instantly reflect them on the avatar’s face, said Sagong Seong-dae, a senior scientist at the Korea Institute of Science of Technology (KIST).

“Well-educated, experienced Filipino teachers are far cheaper than their counterparts elsewhere, including South Korea,” Sagong told Agence France-Presse.

Kids love them

Engkey, a white, egg-shaped robot developed by KIST, began taking classes on Monday at 21 elementary schools in the southeastern city of Daegu.

Apart from reading books, the robots use preprogrammed software to sing songs and play alphabet games with the children.

“The kids seemed to love it since the robots look, well, cute and interesting. But some adults also expressed interest, saying they may feel less nervous talking to robots than a real person,” said Kim Mi-young, an official at the Daegu city education office.

Kim said some robots may be sent to remote rural areas of South Korea shunned by foreign English teachers.
She said the robots were still being tested. But officials may consider hiring the robots full time if scientists upgrade them and make them easier to handle and more affordable.

Shy ones

“Having robots in the classroom makes the students more active in participating, especially shy ones afraid of speaking out to human teachers,” Kim said.

She stressed the experiment was not about replacing human teachers with robots. “We are helping upgrade a key, strategic industry and all the while giving children more interest in what they learn.”

The four-month pilot program was sponsored by the government, which invested $1.37 million.
Scientists have held pilot programs in schools since 2009 to develop robots to teach English, math, science and other subjects at different levels with a desired price tag of $4,400 to $7,000.

$8,700 each

Sagong stressed that the robots, which currently cost $8,700 each, largely backed up human teachers but would eventually have a bigger role.

The machines can be an efficient tool to hone language skills for many people who feel nervous about conversing with flesh-and-blood foreigners, he said.

“Plus, they won’t complain about health insurance, sick leave and severance package, or leave in three months for a better-paying job in Japan… all you need is a repair and upgrade every once in a while,” Sagong added.

...beaches

'Philippines one of top holiday hotspots for 2011'

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Posted at 12/28/2010

MANILA, Philippines - An Australian travel website considers the country as one of the must-see destinations next year, primarily because of its untapped pristine beaches.

Travel.com.au has released a list of top holiday hotspots and airlines for 2011, citing travel trends and statistics. Other countries included in the list are Brazil, India, United States and New Zealand.

"While affordable airfares and its rich culture were the key factors for Brazil's selection, interest in India continues to rise as well as the Philippines, which is becoming increasingly popular due to the political unrest in Thailand and its untapped beaches," reported news.com.au.

The Australian travel website is also expecting a change in holiday patterns as travelers start to book months in advance to get cheap seats. Among the carriers to watch out for in 2011 are Singapore Airlines, V Australia, Asiana Airlines, Emirates, Thai International Airlines and Korean Airlines.

A small Philippine island was recently named by Travel and Leisure Magazine as one of the world's most romantic travel spots. Pamalican island, more popularly known as Amanpulo, is said to provide couples with "luxurious seclusion" with its 40 pitched-roof traditional villas and a pristine beach with sand "so white it's blinding."

Other islands that made it in Travel and Leisure Magazine's list are Rangali Island in Maldives, Santorini in Greece, and Harbour Island in Bahamas, among others.

Aside from Amanpulo, other popular tourist destinations in the Philippines include Boracay island, Bohol, Camarines Sur and Ilocos. A recent Boracay visitor is Mark Salling who plays "Puck" in the hit TV musical series "Glee."

...running for a cause

'Run for Pasig' certified world's largest race

abs-cbnNEWS.com

12/27/2010

Run for Pasig River finishers near the Mall of Asia, Pasay City. Photo by Zen Hernandez, ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines  – It's certified.
The prestigious Guinness World Records has officially declared the "10.10.10 A Run for the Pasig River" as the largest footrace event in the world.

The race, held last October 10, saw 116, 086 runners crossing the finish line with the aim of helping clean up the polluted Pasig River.

It has now overtaken the record by San Francisco’s "Bay to Breakers" race in 1988.

It also broke the official Philippine record of most number of runners in a foot race.

The race, which was organized by the ABS-CBN Foundation, had 3 race divisions - the 3k, 5k and 10k.

Local celebrities and national figures, including ABS-CBN honcho Eugenio "Gabby" Lopez III, ABS-CBN Foundation head Gina Lopez, Manny Pacquiao, and Piolo Pascual had joined the event.

Days before the race, Gina Lopez said she was confident the said run will break records.

She said participation in the race "will send the message that Filipinos care, and that united we can make a difference, and united, we can break world records. We all care about cleaning the river, so everybody should make things happen because this is the pulse of the nation.” – With reports from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News

...pug King

Pacquiao tops Sports Illustrated's boxing story for 2010

By Dennis Gasgonia, abs-cbnNEWS.com

Posted at 12/25/2010

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao’s exploits in the world of boxing was picked by Sports Illustrated as their top boxing story for 2010.

Columnist Bryan Armen Graham, who compiled Sports Illustrated’s Top 10 boxing stories for 2010, said the Filipino boxing hero has penetrated the American sporting mainstream “like no Asian-born athlete in history”.

“He's won major sanctioning-body titles in eight different weight classes, nearly half of the sport's 17 divisions. He was the subject of a 60 Minutes profile in November, less than 12 months after being named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people,” Graham said.

Graham also cited Pacquiao’s success in politics, having been elected as the lone representative of Sarangani province.

Last March, Pacquiao defended his world Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title by outpunching the defense-conscious Joshua Clottey. This was followed by his 12-round demolition of Antonio Margarito last November.

Graham has branded 2010 as “the year of Pacquiao.”
Also selected by Sports Illustrated as Top 10 boxing story of the year is the breakdown of the fight negotiations between the camps of Pacquiao and undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“The much-anticipated showdown between Mayweather and Pacquiao nearly came together twice in 2010. But it rapidly came apart over Mayweather's demand that Pacquiao submit to a blood test up until the day before the fight -- and Pacquiao's refusal to acquiesce,” said Graham.

The boxing columnist said the much awaited Pacquiao-Mayweather fight has become an obligation needed to quench every fight fan’s thirst.
“It wouldn't just be a showdown between the sport's two best pound-for-pound fighters, it'd be the most delicious clash of styles boxing fans have seen in ages: Pacquiao's oppressive, offensive force against Mayweather, the foremost defensive tactician of our generation,” said Graham.

...surname

Guam senator a Batangueña

By Maricar Cinco
Inquirer Southern Luzon
12/26/2010

SENATOR SAM Mabini of Balayan, Batangas, is the first Filipino senator in Guam.

 

 

SAN PEDRO, Laguna—Her roots go back to Balayan, Batangas, but Sam, whose real name is Shirley Abinales Mabini, said she had no evidence of her lineage to the country’s revolutionary hero, Apolinario Mabini.

But growing up in Guam, she could not but toy with that possibility. There are streets in Guam named after Apolinario Mabini, who also hails from Balayan. He was exiled along with many other Filipino revolutionaries at the start of the American occupation in 1901.

Jogging in Guam’s Asan Park almost daily, she quickly made her favorite place the spot where a monument to the famous hero now stands. (In fact, there are two Mabini monuments there.)

“I never dug into it, but I’m proud of my last name,” said Mabini, in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer at the passengers’ waiting area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Clad in denim pants and a shirt which read “I am a proud Filipina,” she came without any security aide to catch a flight for Cebu to attend a relative’s wedding.

It was her first visit to the Philippines since she was elected the first Filipina senator in Guam in November.

Service to community

The elections also made history as two Filipinos won in the 15-seat legislature.
About half of the population in Guam claims Filipino descent.

From Cebu, Mabini will head to the United States to spend the holidays before she formally takes her oath of office on January 3.

If there is one thing that links Mabini to the Filipino hero, it is her urge to serve her community—composed not only of Filipinos but native Guameños as well.

“Service is in my blood,” she said.

As a young girl, Mabini remembered staying after school to volunteer teaching English to the refugees of the Vietnam War, many of whom migrated to Guam during the ’70s.

She collected boxes of old magazines and romance novels which she would then donate to poor communities. She also used to volunteer for animal clinics.

Humble beginnings

In 2007, Mabini, with friends Roy Adonay and lawyer Elizabeth Cena, started the only Filipino language talk show on FM radio, “Damdaming Pinoy.”

She said the program discussed Filipino sentiments, from education to business, and served as a “life connection” to the thousands of OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) in Hawaii and the United States.

Mabini said she came from a poor family. Her mother, Antonia, 74, a seamstress, lived by “kuskos-bote” or washing used bottles to earn a living. Her father, Larry, worked as a carpenter in Batangas, until he found a job at a construction site in Tamuning, Guam.

“They never finished elementary school, so education was one gift they wanted me to have. The importance of education was drilled into my head,” Mabini said.

In Tamuning, Antonia used to plant vegetables in their backyard, while the children frequented the beach to collect “sukid” (sea shells) and crabs so the family would have something to eat.

“It was not an easy life. They worked hard to earn the money they paid for my high school education,” Mabini said.

She said she did not want to be a burden so she worked hard and earned two full scholarships in the University of Guam and in the University of San Francisco.

Mabini finished her Master’s Degree and Doctorate in Work, Community and Family Education at the University of Minnesota.

A piano for her mom

“My mom’s biggest dream was to walk into a big house with a piano. She said maybe one day, my daughter could buy me one. And I did! I became a pianist and had my own baby grand piano,” she said.

Mabini said she owed her passion for education and public service to her mother. It was also her mother who introduced her to Philippine culture and values by taking her back to Batangas from time to time to visit relatives.

Mabini said she misses the warm Christmas celebration in the Philippines and the Parada ng Lechon (roasted pig parade) in Balayan. She said she misses being in the small town, where everybody knows everybody.
“I wouldn’t have gotten all these if I were not taught Filipino values,” she said.

Not a career politician

Mabini worked as a professor of education and business. She was also appointed acting director of the public library system and served as the general manager of television network PBS Guam.

“But I realized that no matter how big your dreams and good your ideas were, sometimes they’re just not enough,” she said in a mix of English and slang Filipino.

Being a rookie politician of the Republican Party, Mabini said her win would allow her to help a larger number of incoming new residents with the planned transfer of the US military base from Okinawa, Japan to Guam.

She said an influx of more than 20,000 people, among them Filipino teachers and OFWs, is expected.
Mabini eyes legislation that will improve the educational system by focusing on career and technical education.

 She believes graduates should be guided on the appropriate skills training and the career path they should take.

When she ran for office, Mabini said she was never after the prestige and never considered politics as a career, but as “access to the right people who could make a difference.”

“Now that I am a senator-elect, I am seated with the top people in the prefecture who make the biggest decisions that have the biggest impact,” she said.

The Filipina-Guamanian senator is hopeful she can make now make an even bigger difference to improve education and public service in Guam.