...the FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifyer

Philippines earns ticket to FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in India


Philip Matel
ESPN
01 November 2019

The Philippines booked a ticket in the FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in India from March 18-22 next year.

FIBA made the announcement in a gala in Utsunomiya, Japan on Friday, the site of the 2019 World Tour Final. Tokyo will play host to the Summer Games next August for the first time since 1964.

The Philippines is in Group Pool C, along with Slovenia, France, Qatar, and the Dominican Republic.

A total of 20 countries will be vying for three slots for Tokyo. An additional spot will be allotted to the winner of the Universality-driven Olympic Qualifying Tournament, to be held in Hungary in April.

Host Japan and top three countries Serbia, China, and Russia were given direct qualification to the inaugural tournament in the men's division. In the women's category, Russia, China, Mongolia, and Romania directly qualified.

Other countries that have qualified include India, the United States, Latvia, Poland, Mongolia, Netherlands, Lithuania, Brazil, Belarus, Canada, Croatia,South Korea, Turkey, Spain, and New Zealand in the men's division.

Meanwhile, for the distaff division, India, Hungary, France, Iran, Netherlands, Italy, Chinese Taipei, Estonia, United States, Germany, Ukraine, Belarus, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Uruguay, Turkmenistan, Indonesia, Australia, and Sri Lanka also advanced to the tournament.

"We're very happy that the Philippines will be competing in the upcoming Olympic Qualifying Tournament for a shot at making it to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics," said Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Al Panlilio.

"3x3 is an area where Filipino basketball players can really excel and we're delighted that a Filipino basketball team will get to test their skills against the world's best."

The Philippines, which started 61st in the World Rankings at the start of 2019, leapt over 40 spots and went as high as 20 -- primarily due to a collective effort on numerous fronts.

Major players include the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 tournaments, which featured four conferences, and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas' Pambansang Tatluhan.

Also a contributor was the country's international involvement in this emerging variety, with several clubs like Pasig, Balanga, and Basilan participating in several high-level 3x3 competitions over the past nine months. Manila also played host to some high-profile 3x3 contests, including the first-ever Challenger tournament last September.

The pool for the 3x3 squads will be determined at a later date. However, FIBA rules stipulate that at least two of the four must be part of a country's Top 10 3x3 rankings.

To serve as tuneup for the OQT, Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 will open its 2020 season in January.

"We would like to thank the [SBP], headed by chairman emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan and president Al Panlilio, the numerous private promoters, all the players from Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3, and of course, the Filipino people who supported us for the last nine months," bared CTG Pilipinas 3x3 league owner Ronald Mascariñas.

"The journey is far from over as the goal is to not just make it to the OQT. The endgame is to make it to Tokyo. We are all going all out to prepare our national team for this and we hope that everyone joins us in this journey."

...the expat builders of the nation

Expat Pinoy engineers to come home to build Metro Manila Subway: DOTr

ABS-CBN  News | 3 October  2019

MANILA - Dozens of Filipino engineers who are currently working on rail projects abroad are willing to go back to the Philippines to help build railways, particularly the Metro Manila Subway, the country's transportation secretary said on Thursday.

More than 60 Filipino railway engineers and technicians currently employed in Bahrain, Qatar and Denmark agreed to work on rail projects in the Philippines, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade told senators. 

The engineers said that they want to help build infrastructure in the Philippines, as well as be closer to their families.

"Pumirma ho sila ng mga application form. Basta maumpisahan lang yung subway project, given a reasonable time, they are ready to come back," Tugade said during a Senate hearing on his Department's budget. 

(They signed application forms. When the subway project starts, and they are given a reasonable time, they are ready to come back.) 

The Metro Manila subway broke ground in February this year but actual drilling of the subway tunnels is not expected to begin until November or December this year.

The underground rail system, which is the country's first, is among the flagship projects under President Rodrigo Duterte's P8 trillion infrastructure program.

The 36-kilometer subway will stretch from Valenzuela on the capital's northern end to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, promising as fast as 30 minutes of travel time from end to end.

The government earlier said it hopes to open the first 3 stations in Valenzuela, Tandang Sora, and North Avenue before Duterte's term ends in 2022.

Kyodo News, however, reported that contractors and people familiar with the project said the government's target timeline may increase the total cost, while the acquisition of land for its stations could take longer than estimated

...the Filipino artists at Katara show

Works by Filipino artist on show at Katara



Raynald C. Rivera
The Peninsula
26 August 2019

A diverse array of works by renowned international Filipino visual artist Frederick Epistola is on show at his solo exhibition titled Hugis at Kulay (Shapes and Hues) which launched at Katara Cultural Village yesterday.

Officially inaugurating the exhibition, Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, General Manager of Katara, lauded the level of cooperation between Katara and the Philippine Embassy in Doha which has resulted to a variety of artistic and cultural activities, including this exhibition which shows visitors the stunning features of the Philippines and its rich culture.

Al Sulaiti stressed Katara’s keenness to diversify its exhibitions and host various artistic experiences that would open different cultural windows.

In his remarks, Alan L Timbayan, Ambassador of the Philippines, underlined the importance of the exhibition showcasing its several paintings, collages and sculptures depicting the historical, social and cultural changes experienced by the Filipino society to expose many customs and traditions.

Timbayan also praised the great efforts made by Katara in building bridges of cooperation and convergence between cultures and peoples.

The ambassadors of Morocco, Canada, Thailand, Vietnam, Iraq and Russia were among those who attended the launch of the exhibition.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is a mixed media on wood piece, one of the artist’s latest works, dedicated to hardworking overseas Filipino workers around the world.

An abstract expressionist painter, collagist, sculptor and photography enthusiast, Epistola has produced wide ranging art pieces in different mediums from mixed media to clay to metal sculpture some of which are now part of permanent collections of museums and cultural institutions in various countries such as the US, Switzerland and Italy.

With a degree in Fine Arts Major in Visual Communications from the University of the Philippines, Epistola has been featured extensively in numerous solo and group exhibitions abroad such as Malaysia, Italy, Sweden and the US.

Apart from his art, Epistola is also known for his advocacies and innovation including initiating the Solar Power Initiative (SPIN) project which provides homes in depressed areas in the Philippines access to affordable and clean power through the use of solar energy.

The exhibition is open for public viewing from 10am to 10pm until August 30 at Gallery 2 of Katara Building 22.

...the OFWs contribution in GCC

Why GCC would not be the same without Filipinos

By Dr Jasim Ali,
Special to Gulf News
First Published:  May 24, 2014

 

"Much to their credit, OFWS have made the first impression with respect to working habits and ethics.

They are admired for possessing traits of productivity, discipline, customer service, attention to detail, and ease of communicating in English, and presentable.

It is not unfair to claim that Filipinos have emerged as a factor in local economic activities in all GCC countries. And it can be asserted that quality of life in the GCC cannot be the same without the OFWs on the back of their significant presence in diverse sectors."   - Dr. Jasim Ali, Member of Parliament, Bahrain

 

 

The Gulf countries are home to the largest number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and it’s an arrangement which benefits both sides. For instance, for the Philippines, the workers send home billions of dollars.
 

GCC airlines benefit from the traffic to the Philippines, with Emirates dominating the Manila route.

Fact is, a sizable number of Filipinos live and work abroad for economic reasons, with their number estimated at around 10.5 million and comprising around 11 per cent of the country’s total population. The stats include some 5 million permanently living abroad and about 1.5 million irregulars.
 

However, this piece focuses on OFWs, officially estimated at more than 2.2 million by end 2012, including some 0.45 million working on the high seas. Yet, thousands of Filipinos were exposed for overstaying their work permits following the implementation of the Nitaqat scheme in Saudi Arabia in July. The controversial project is meant to make Saudi nationals, rather than immigrant workers, employees of choice in the private sector.

 

Notably, five of the six Gulf countries are on the list of top 10 destinations for OFWs, an evidence of openness of the economies of the grouping.
 

Saudi Arabia continues to maintain its position as the top destination for OFWs, which has been the case since 2004, followed by the UAE. In 2012, Saudi Arabia and the UAE accounted for 20 and 16 per cent of OFWs, respectively. Qatar emerges in fourth popular place after Singapore in third position. Qatar alone boasts some 200,000 Filipinos.
 

Service workers
 

The increasing significance of Gulf countries for Filipinos partly reflects the changing composition of OFWs, with more emphasis placed on household services workers. Unlike the GCC, Western countries are known for applying relatively strict conditions on employment of live-in housemaids.
 

To a degree, the changing make up of OFWs is in response to difficulties surrounding employment in the Philippines. The challenges include an unemployment rate of 7 per cent, and under-employment of nearly 20 per cent. More than 40 per cent of the employed work in the informal sector.
 

The Philippines enticed some $24 billion (Dh88 billion) in remittances in 2012, the third highest worldwide after India and China, according to the World Bank. The amount represents around 10 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). This sum is inclusive of money sent via financial institutions, cash carried by returning and visiting Filipinos and others in-kind.
 

The figure could be higher for the lifestyle of Filipinos, who are known to spend in the local economies. The habit of spending a considerable amount of their salaries in local markets adds to the attraction of having Filipinos in the GCC workforce.
 

Much to their credit, OFWS have made the first impression with respect to working habits and ethics.

They are admired for possessing traits of productivity, discipline, customer service, attention to detail, and ease of communicating in English, and presentable.
 

It is not unfair to claim that Filipinos have emerged as a factor in local economic activities in all GCC countries. And it can be asserted that quality of life in the GCC cannot be the same without the OFWs on the back of their significant presence in diverse sectors.
 

The writer is a Member of Parliament in Bahrain.

...the Gilas world ranking

Thanks to FIBA Asia run, PH climbs 11 spots in world rankings

 

By Chris Lagunzad

Yahoo PH Sports

28 September 2013

Yahoo PH Sports - Gilas Pilipinas at the awarding ceremonies of the 27th FIBA Asia Championship held August 11, 2013 at the Mall of Asia Arena. (Czeasar Dancel/NPPA Images)

 

 

Buoyed by its magical run in the 27th FIBA Asia Championship last month, the Philippines made a big leap in the world rankings, moving up 11 rungs higher to the 34th spot with an accumulated 22.8 points.

The Nationals, as hosts, finished fighting runners-up to powerhouse Iran in the Manila cage joust and that proved enough to earn the points to leapfrog the likes of continental rivals Japan (35th with 22.6 points), Qatar (42nd with 17.3) and Chinese Taipei (44th with 15.9).

Collectively known as Gilas Pilipinas, the Nationals also emerged as one of the most improved squads in the world rankings and is now ranked sixth-best overall in Asia behind China (12th with 188.9 points), Iran (20th with 94.2), Lebanon (29th with 35.4), Jordan (30th with 33.8), and South Korea (31st with 30.6).

More than elation, national team coach Chot Reyes admitted Friday that the Nationals’ latest feat also serve as an added motivation as they gear up for future international tournaments, including next year’s FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

The United States, the reigning Olympic champion, kept its firm hold on the top spot with 940 points followed by European titan Spain with 885. Argentina was a distant third with 490 while Lithuania and Greece traded places in fourth and fifth spots with 432 and 376 points, respectively.

The rankings are based on the performance of each country in three major tournaments that includes the Olympics, the FIBA World Cup (then known as the FIBA World Championship) and the continental championships. FIBA then makes calculations from those tourneys inside two Olympic cycles.

 

 

...the FIBA Asia U18 champ

Philippines rules first Fiba Asia U18 3×3

By Celest R. Flores
INQUIRER.net

Friday, May 24th, 2013

Team Philippines. Photo from Fiba Asia website.

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippines clinched the first-ever FIBA Asia 3×3 Under 18 championship, ousting India, 21-19, in the gold medal round on Friday night in Bangkok, Thailand.

Ateneo’s Thirdy Ravena, San Beda’s Arvin Tolentino, La Salle Greenhills’ Prince Rivero and Kobe Paras first towed the Philippines past China in the semis, 22-18, earlier on Friday.

And then they completed the job they went to Bangkok for, nipping India to bring home the gold for the boys’ section of the inaugural tournament.

The scores were taken from the FIBA Asia website.

The Filipino boys squad bounced back from a 14-16 opener loss to Qatar in the elimination round by sweeping all their remaining games.

Meanwhile, Chinese Taipei also beat India, 21-13, in the girls’ division finals.

 

...the OFWs in Qatar

Challenges and rewards of Filipinos in Qatar

By Maricar CP Hampton
FilAm Star

Sunday, November 18th, 2012

Filipino construction workers in Qatar PHOTO/FILAM STAR

Slowly but surely, Filipinos in Qatar are making strong contributions to the country’s culture in the areas of arts, sports, fashion and design.

In the creative field, architect Adonis Canonicato has played an important role in the design of such outdoor structures like the Qatar Pavilions at the World Expo in Nagoya, Japan in 2005, as well as in Zaragoza, Spain in 2008. He also designed the Qatar Reception Lounge for World Petroleum Congress held in Madrid, Spain, in 2008.

Canonicato believes that the underlying strength of the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) lies in their ability to adjust to any work situation.

“It is mainly because we come from a country where we can find homeless and jobless people around us. So, having a job is considered to be a blessing. We are from a country which produces competitive professionals,” Canonicato said to the Qatar Tribune.

Based on published data, there are about 175,000 to 250,000 Filipinos living and working in Qatar with most of them into the hospitality, health care and construction industry.

Considered a small sized country within the Persian Gulf, this oil rich country houses the third largest gas reserve in world after Russia and Iran. And because Qatar has one of the best GDP per capita rates, which translates to a good pay rates, the country attracts many overseas workers.

For the millions of Filipino migrant workers, Qatar is the fourth-largest choice destination worldwide and the third-largest destination of choice in the Middle East after United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Estimated to be the second largest group of foreign workers next only to the Indians, Filipinos in Qatar have about 44 community based organizations ranging from sports leagues to religious organizations and cultural groups that enjoy a high membership turn out.

Another Filipino who is making a buzz, this time in sports is Rhea Navarro, the players’ affairs supervisors at Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) lends her more than a decade experience in sports to develop Qatar’s basketball league as she oversees the requirement for the national team in relation to Qatar’s participation in FIBA Asia Championships.

“Working in such a male-dominated field is never a problem for a tough cookie,” she tells the news source.

Confident of her position, Navarro explains, “Filipino workers are diligent and dedicated professionals who know their craft well. We love what we do and this makes for rendering an excellent job regardless of title or industry.”

While in the world of high fashion, Victoria Ferraris, a sales manager, social media blogger and fashion stylist who has initiated and popularized fashion related events in the country is among Qatar’s most well connected media person.

“As a Filipino I am proud to say that I am where I am now. I enjoy life. I love what I do and I embrace all other culture,” says Ferraris.

Meanwhile, serving the educational needs of the children of the Filipino community in Qatar is the establishment of the Philippine School in Doha (PSD).

“Guided by the dictum “Knowledge Begets Wisdom”, the Philippine School Doha envisions itself to be the center of academic excellence as the first Philippine Science School in the Middle East abreast with the dynamics and development of society, culture, Science and Technology and the Arts,” the website said.

After 8 years of striving for excellence with only 33 original students, PSD now boasts having 2696 currently enrolled students for the school year 2012-2013.

The birth of PSD was the result of the community’s action with support of the Philippine Embassy.

Dubbed as modern day heroes of the country, especially in light of the economic hardships, OFW’s worldwide through there billions of dollars in remittances have helped the country stay afloat all while excelling in their field.

...the hopeful FIBA Asia host

Phl looms best bet to host FIBA Asia By Nelson Beltran The Philippine Star September 19, 2012

TOKYO – The Philippines has emerged as having the best chance to host the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship.

Talks making the rounds on the eve of the FIBA Asia executive board meeting Wednesday were favorable for the Philippines which is bidding to host the biennial regional event for the first time in four decades.

For one, Iran, another serious bidder, has conceded the Philippines would earn the rights to host the Asian meet with the Tehran Times already reporting on Tuesday that the event will be held in Manila.

China hinted at making a bid in the last minute, but it is unlikely to get the nod of the FIBA Asia board, having hosted the last two editions (in Tianjin in 2009 and in Wuhan in 2011) of the event.

Qatar has reportedly dropped its plan to join the bidding presentation set during the FIBA Asia executive board meeting at the International Convention Center of Grand Prince New Takanawa Hotel at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

At the start of the knock out stage Thursday, the Philippines plays Chinese Taipei which placed third in Group B following a 75-73 squeaker over Qatar.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is determined to make good impression that it is sending a high-powered cast of Filipino cage officials in the meeting.

SBP executive director Sonny Barrios will make a presentation on behalf of the Philippine federation which intends to bring the event at the brand-new SM MOA Arena as the main venue and the Ninoy Aquino Stadium as the second venue.

 

SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan will also attend the meeting with PBA officials, led by commissioner Chito Salud and board chairman Robert Non, lending their presence on the sideline to show full backing on the Philippine bid.

The Philippines has never played host to this event since the 1973 meet which the country ruled with a team including Robert Jaworski, Mon Fernandez and Bogs Adornado among others. The event was still then called ABC (Asian Basketball Confederation) Championship.

The other only huge FIBA event the country hosted since then was the 1978 World Championship at the Araneta Coliseum.

In 2010, the SBP showcased the Philsports Arena in hosting the FIBA Asia Champions Cup.

The latest significant move done by the SBP was inviting FIBA Asia secretary general Hagop Khajirian to inspect the SM MOA Arena a few weeks back.

Khajirian told SBP officials then that, for him, SM MOA Arena “is more than acceptable as primary venue of the FIBA Asia Championship.”

The FIBA Asia leadership includes president Sheikh Saud Bin Ali Al-Thani from Qatar, chairman Xin Lancheng from China, first vice president Adel Al Assomi from Bahrain, second vice president Yushi Samuro from Japan, treasurer Quek Hiang Chiang from Singapore, assistant sec-gen Mahmoud Mashhoun from Iran and women’s representative Noviantika Nasution from Indonesia.

Meanwhile, defending champion Lebanon and reigning FIBA Asia titlist China rolled past Uzbekistan and Macau, respectively, to catch up with Smart Gilas Pilipinas at 3-1 at the close of the fourth FIBA Asia Cup group plays at the Ota Gymnasium.

The Lebanese blasted the Uzbeks, 84-49, while the Chinese ripped their Macau neighbors, 84-49.

Lebanon, the Philippines and China finished on that order following the application of the quotient tiebreak system. Uzbekistan was the fourth quarters qualifier from Group A.


UPDATE: Lebanon beats Philippines as FIBA hosts
http://www.philstar.com/sportsarticle.aspx?publicationsubcategoryid=69&articleid=850815&keyword=sp_pba

...the PH wings

UN hails Philippine protection of migrant workers

By Tina G. Santos
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Sunday, December 18th, 2011

Logo taken from United Nations website

MANILA, Philippines—While the sob stories usually make the headlines, the country’s efforts to help thousands of overseas Filipinos, especially those caught in wars and calamities, have not gone unnoticed in the United Nations.

A UN executive speaking at a recent conference in Geneva has commended the Philippines for its exemplary efforts to protect its nationals caught in international crisis situations, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Peter Sutherland, the special representative of the UN secretary general for international migration and development, “specifically mentioned the Philippines as rising to the challenge by setting up a system to protect and engage its migrants,” the DFA said.

Sutherland made the remarks at the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) held in the Swiss city earlier this month, where he said the forum participants “could learn from the Philippines’ initiatives and good practices,” the foreign office added.

The Philippines drew praise for its repatriation efforts in troubled countries like Libya, Yemen and Syria, among others, DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez told the Inquirer on Saturday.

“He (Sutherland) probably saw that we’re proactive in protecting our people by taking them out of harm’s way,” Hernandez said.

In the forum, the UN official also drew attention to the plight of domestic workers, particularly the so-called “kafala” or sponsorship system which he said “constituted a modern form of slavery,” the DFA said.

More fleeing Syria

Hernandez said another batch of at least 51 Filipinos from Syria will be repatriated in the next few days. The last group that arrived in Manila over a week ago totaled 55, bringing the current number of Filipino repatriates to 240 since political violence escalated in the Arab state earlier this year.

“Our embassy in Damascus continues to negotiate for the release of the workers from their employers or agencies,” Hernandez said, adding that securing airline seats for the next batch had been difficult of late because of the peak Christmas season.

The year 2011 has been one of the busiest for the DFA in terms of evacuating Filipinos from strife-torn regions, starting with those fleeing Egypt in February, at the height of street protests against the regime of then President Hosni Mubarak.

From that same month to March, the repatriation efforts shifted to Libya, with no less than Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario personally leading one of the missions across the Sahara desert to fetch compatriots fleeing the fighting between rebels and government forces under dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

The turmoil in Yemen also prompted Del Rosario to go there in March to assess the situation and offer voluntary repatriation to the less than 1,500 registered migrant Filipinos working in that country.

Review of ‘unsafe’ countries

Apart from the repatriation efforts, the DFA is currently conducting a review of the 41 countries earlier considered unsafe for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and could be covered by a labor deployment ban.

“At present, we have asked a review of the present status of each of the 41 countries to determine if they have already acceded or enacted laws that would protect our migrant workers,” Hernandez said in an earlier interview.

The DFA proceeded with the review after asking the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to defer the ban for three months.

“We will use the deferment period to revisit the 41 countries with the view of moving forward toward compliance with the amended Migrant Workers Act (Republic Act No. 10022),” which forbids the deployment of OFWs to countries certified as not protective of migrant workers, Hernandez said.

“We will submit new certifications after 90 days, taking into account results of DFA’s dialogue with countries concerned and new developments in those countries with respect to the protection of migrant workers,” Hernandez said.

9M in 200 countries

More than 1.4 million Filipino workers were deployed overseas last year, according to the POEA. Of this number, 1.1 million were land-based, while around 350,000 were sea-based workers.

For land-based OFWs, the top destinations were Saudi Arabia (293,049), United Arab Emirates (201,214), Hong Kong (101,340), Qatar (87,813) and Singapore (70,251).

Among the newly hired overseas Filipino workers deployed last year, the top occupational categories included household service workers (96,583), cleaners and related workers (12,133), nurses (12,082), caregivers and caretakers (9,293), and waiters, bartenders and related workers (8,789).

According to the latest estimates by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, some 9 million Filipinos are in more than 200 countries around the world as of December 2009. With a report from Inquirer Research
Sources: Commission on Filipinos Overseas, POEA.

...the World 9-Ball finalist

Alcano settles for 2nd place in World 9-Ball

abs-cbnNEWS.com

07/02/2011

MANILA, Philippines – Two-time billiards world champion Ronato "Volcano" Alcano of the Philippines lost his bid for a third title after being outplayed by Japanese Yukio Akakariyama in the finals of the 2011 World 9-Ball Championship.

Akakariyama outsteadied Alcano in a thrilling duel, 13-11, before a partisan crowd at the Al Sadd Sports Club in Doha, Qatar.

Ranked No. 2 in the world, Alcano made his way to the finals by edging fellow Filipino Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo, 11-9, in an all-Filipino semifinal showdown.

Alcano, a former World 9-Ball and World 8-Ball titlist, received the runner-up prize of $18,000.
Akakariyama pocketed the title and the $36,000 top purse that goes with it.

Semi-finalists Orcollo and Mark Gray, meanwhile, both went home with $10,000 each. – By Marlon Bernardino

...the cueball Masters

A record 17 Pinoys through to last 64 in world 9 ball

 

Photo by Sid Ventura

Talk about a show of force.

The Philippines showed why it is one of the greatest pool-playing nations in the world when Filipino cue players accounted for 17 of the 64 players left in World 9 Ball Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Antonio Gabica, Caneda Villamor, Roberto Gomez, Venancio Tanio, Joven Alba, Israel Rota, Lee Van Corteza, Ronnie Alcano, and Raymond Faraon all won their do-or-die matches in the losers' bracket yesterday to advance to the knockout stage that reels off today with the round of 64.

The nine survivors join Dennis Orcullo, Django Bustamante, Efren "Bata" Reyes, Carlo Biado, Oliver Medenilla, Jeff De Luna, Allan Cuartero and Antonio Lining, who earlier advanced outright after winning their first two group stage matches.

The lone casualty among the 18 Pinoys seeing action in Doha was qualifier Francisco Olita, who dropped a heartbreaking 8-9 knockout match to Soheil Vahedi of Iran. Were it not for that close loss, the Philippines would have gone a perfect 18-for-18 after the group stage.

Photo by Sid Ventura

Nonetheless, accounting for 17 out of the final 64 is still a very impressive — and unprecedented - feat.

Longtime pool sportswriter Ted Lerner said in his World Pool Association column that he was pretty sure this was a record for a single country in the world pool championships.

But the hard part begins today as the knockout matches get going, and already, the 17 Filipinos are sure to be reduced to 16 after Medenilla and Corteza drew each other in the upper portion of the round of 64 bracket.

In the same upper half of the bracket, Tanio faces the Netherlands' Nick van den Berg, Biado tangles with Iran's Takhti Zarekani, Gabica squares off against 2001 champ Mika Immonen, Cuartero battles Ahmad Taufiq Murni, and Alba plays Chinese Taipei's Chang Jun Lin.

In the lower half, Alcano is pitted against Chris Orme, Rota battles Chang Yu Lun, Lining plays perennial contender Oliver Ortmann of Germany, Orcullo faces Indonesia's Muhammad Zulfikri, Reyes locks horns with Carlos Cabello, Bustamante battles Sascha-Andrej Tege, De Luna plays Fu Che Wei, Gomez faces the man who beat him in the 2007 championship match, Daryl Peach, and Faraon takes on Stephan Cohen.

Photo by Sid Ventura

Should Orcullo and Reyes hurdle their respective opponents, they will face each other in the round of 32. De Luna and Gomez are also on a collision course in the next round if they win today.

Other contenders who advanced include Niels Feijen of the Netherlands, American Shane Van Boening, England's Darren Appleton, last year's runner-up Kuo Po Cheng of Chinese Taipei, and Germany's Thorsten Hohmann and Ralf Souquet.

In the tournament's biggest shocker so far, Mariusz Skoneczy of Poland ousted former champion Wu Jiaqing of China, 9-8, after Wu incredibly missed an extremely easy shot on the 8 ball in the deciding 17^th rack.

...the PH natural gas reserve

Foreign companies interested in PH natural gas projects

By: Amy R. Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

MANILA, Philippines—Companies from Australia, Italy, China, including Hong Kong, and South Korea have signified their intentions to invest in the highly capital-intensive Philippine natural gas sector, expressing interest in building either  a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, pipeline or a gas-fired power plant, the Department of Energy said.

Energy Undersecretary Jose M. Layug Jr. identified these foreign companies as First Pacific Capital, and Energy World from Australia; ENN Energy Holdings from China; Synergy International of Hong Kong; ENI-Saipem of Italy; and SK Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd., Korean Western Power, BW Ventures and Hyundai Merchant Marine, all from South Korea.

GN Power Ltd. of the Netherlands, which is currently building a 600-megawatt coal facility in Mariveles, Bataan, also plans to participate in the local natural gas industry. There are also three Indian companies interested in helping the Philippine government put up the necessary LNG infrastructure, but Layug did not identify them.

Apart from the foreign companies, local firms are likewise seeking active participation, including the state-run Philippine National Oil Co.; listed firm Abacus Consolidated Resources, which will be partnering with ENI-Saipem of Italy; and the Lopez-led First Gen Corp., Layug disclosed.

“We are completing our Master Plan for Natural Gas through technical assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) and World Bank by yearend. After we complete the plan, and the results are favorable, then we will conduct public bidding for such infrastructures next year,” Layug said.

The Department of Energy initially estimated that $5 billion in fresh investments would be needed to fully develop the country’s downstream natural gas industry.

Based on the original masterplan, investments were needed to construct 423 kilometers of transmission and 504 sq. km. of distribution pipelines. Priority projects include a 140-km pipeline from Bataan to Manila (BatMan 2); 40-km Edsa-Taft loop; 35 km from Sucat to Malaya; 40 km from Batangas to Cavite (BatCave); 35 km from Rosario to Biñan (RoBin); 100 km from Batangas to Manila (Batman 1); and the 30-km Calaca-Spurline (CatLine). These investments also included greenfield power plant projects that could generate a combined 3,000 MW and power plant conversion projects that could generate some 600 MW.

The expected JICA-WB Master Plan for Natural Gas will re-evaluate these opportunities and identify which infrastructure will be deemed  priority projects, and what kind of investments will be needed. It will also evaluate the viability of importing natural gas and the potential sources.

Possible LNG sources include Indonesia, Malaysia, Qatar, the United States and Australia, which is known to hold huge natural gas deposits, Layug said earlier. The Malampaya gas power project, which currently provides natural gas to three facilities in Luzon, will not be the main source of gas, he added.

“Malampaya will not have a role in the masterplan other than what they are providing for currently. The masterplan hopes to provide infrastructure for LNG imports which we expect to be much cheaper because worldwide, the price of LNG is going down. We will import LNG. There’s a lot of supply and the Philippines is being looked at by the LNG industry as a potential market—that’s why they’re knocking on our doors,” Layug said.

Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras has been pushing for alternative fuels such as natural gas given the global oil price volatility, to which the Philippines is highly vulnerable as it sources most of its fuel requirements abroad.

Natural gas is deemed to be among the more feasible alternatives that will allow the country to diversify its energy and transport fuel sources.

The country’s natural gas resources are estimated at 2.135 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.