Storylines: 2016 - 2017 NBA Regular Season

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Here are some National Basketball Association (NBA) storylines and trivia that you may find interesting for Week of Nov. 21, 2016.

WORTH THE WAIT: Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid all made strong cases to be the top pick of the 2014 NBA Draft. In the end, Wiggins got the nod and went on to capture Rookie of the Year honors with the Timberwolves. Parker, the second pick by Milwaukee, missed the bulk of his rookie season after tearing his ACL. Embiid, chosen third by Philadelphia, missed two full seasons with foot problems. But all three are finally playing in the NBA at the same time and validating their place at the top of the draft. Wiggins is averaging more than 25 points and leading the NBA in three-point accuracy. Parker is scoring 20 per game and, like Wiggins, diversifying his game. And Embiid has hit the ground running as a game-changing big man with an array of skills.

TINY’S LEGACY: Nate “Tiny” Archibald’s name has popped up repeatedly early this season because James Harden and Russell Westbrook look poised to chase his record as the only player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring and assists in a single season. That singular accomplishment is only part of Archibald’s legacy. The Bronx, N.Y., native defied the odds by even reaching the NBA, and being a second-round pick didn’t augur future stardom. But Archibald used his speed, smarts and creativity to develop into an All-Star, NBA champion, Hall of Famer and Top 50 player. These days, Archibald is very active in the community mentoring youth and participating in NBA Cares events.

PLAYING BIG: Size and versatility will forever move the NBA scouting needle. Look no further than Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. Size is not a prerequisite for success, however, especially in today’s game, which features a more wide-open and up-tempo style of play. Boston’s Isaiah Thomas, Charlotte’s Kemba Walker, Atlanta’s Dennis Schröder, Memphis’ Mike Conley and the Clippers’ Chris Paul continue to prove that impact players still come in small packages. All five 6-1-and-under point guards are off to great starts. Thomas, Walker and Conley are putting up career numbers. Schröder has risen to the challenge of being a full-time starter. And Paul, in his 12th season, is showing no signs of slowing down. Also in the mix as 6-foot or 6-1 forces: Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, Phoenix’s Eric Bledsoe and Dallas’ J.J. Barea.

CARRYING THE TORCH: For years, Kobe Bryant (along with Dwyane Wade) anchored the NBA’s shooting guard spot. With Kobe’s departure, a host of his former counterparts – many of whom consider him a big influence on their careers – are showing that the position is well stocked for the present and future. Houston’s James Harden (now running point) and Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan are off to historic starts. Golden State’s Klay Thompson and Chicago’s Jimmy Butler are two-way stars. Portland’s CJ McCollum, Phoenix’s Devin Booker and Utah’s Rodney Hood are budding young players. Boston’s Avery Bradley keeps getting better. The depth and variety at shooting guard is impressive.

GLUE GUY: One big reason for the Hawks’ outstanding start is the play of Thabo Sefolosha, who has overcome adversity and is playing some of the best basketball of his pioneering career. The NBA’s first player from Switzerland, the 31-year-old Sefolosha is scoring at the highest rate of his 11-year career and ranks among the league leaders in steals, field goal percentage and plus-minus. He is enjoying success off the court, too, as the fashion maven recently opened a men’s boutique in Atlanta.

PERSEVERING PELICAN: The NBA’s assist leaderboard features the usual suspects such as James Harden, Chris Paul, John Wall, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Draymond Green. Also on the list is Tim Frazier, the Pelicans’ third-year point guard, who excelled during Jrue Holiday’s absence. Frazier came in through the back door. First, he tore his Achilles at the start of his senior season at Penn State. After a solid redshirt senior campaign, he went undrafted in 2014 before earning NBA D-League Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in the same season. His big break came when he averaged 13.1 points and 7.5 assists in 16 games for New Orleans last season after signing in March. Even with Holiday’s return this week, Frazier has shown that he deserves to continue playing a big role for the Pelicans.

SWEET PRINCE: The Clippers’ starting lineup features three stars (Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan) and one of the game’s great shooters (J.J. Redick). The fifth member of the unit, however, is also leaving his mark during the best start in team history. Luc Mbah a Moute has helped lead the NBA’s top defense while making unsung contributions on offense. Coach Doc Rivers recently called him the league’s best defender. Mbah a Moute has long been regarded as a terrific teammate and a mentor to young NBA players, including fellow Cameroon native Joel Embiid, who participated in one of Mbah a Moute’s hoops camps back home. Mbah a Moute, the prince in his Cameroonian village, was a camper at the inaugural Basketball without Borders Africa camp in 2003. He has been instrumental in growing the game in Africa.

Upcoming Games

Nov. 22: Thunder @ Lakers, 10:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV: Solid test for a young Lakers team.
Nov. 23: Timberwolves @ Pelicans, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN: Karl-Anthony Towns vs. Anthony Davis.
Nov. 25: Warriors @ Lakers, 10:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV: Warriors look to avenge recent loss at Staples.

Malaysia, Middle East, China, Russia, Japan Investors Invited for PEZA’s SEZs

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Numerous companies of Malaysia, the Middle East, China, Japan and others are now in discussions and being invited to invest in the Philippines’ tax-free industrial, agricultural, tourism, forestry, defense industry and other Special Economic Zones (SEZs) “due to President Rody Duterte’s new independent foreign policy to make the Philippines a friend of all countries and enemy of no one”, said the new director-general of Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Dr. Charito “Ching” B. Plaza on November 21 at the Pandesal Forum of 77-year-old Kamuning Bakery Café in Quezon City.

PEZA Director-General Dr. Plaza said that the Philippines traditionally received foreign investments in the past from the United States and its allies like Japan and the West, but now investors and governments of other countries in the Middle East, Russia, China and other regions are also being invited to invest in the fast-growing economy of the Philippines. She said these defense industrial complexes can rise in Bataan, Zambales, Palawan, and at least in two areas of Mindanao.

Plaza said the Duterte government also has a bold vision to transform some of the country’s islands into self-contained SEZs which can become future cities.

Plaza said officials and members of royal families United Arab Emirates and Qatar have expressed interest to lease land here for 75 years for possible agricultural and oil refinery projects, with one interested group even asking for as much as a million hectares of agricultural land in exchange for part of the venture’s profits to be donated as social development projects and schools. Dr. Plaza mentioned that among those she had discussed possible SEZ investments was Sheikh Al Thani of the respected Qatari royal family. One possible major SEZ project is the creation of a halal food processing hub in Davao, in Mindanao, southern Philippines.

PEZA Director-General Plaza added that they are also proposing the creation of defense industry SEZs with countries like Russia, China, Israel, South Korea or others. She added that these defense industrial complexes will not only boost economic development, they can also strengthen the Philippines’ national defense and manufacturing capabilities. Plaza had the rank of brigadier general in the military reserve force.

Dr, Plaza added that President Duterte’s economics-focused diplomacy and independent foreign policy are boosting our ties with Asean and Asian countries, with Malaysian investors expressing interest in undertaking business ventures in the Philippines such as a large-scale palm oil planation and milling project.

PEZA Director-General Dr. Charito Plaza said the Duterte government’s pro-poor priority shall encourage more foreign and also Philippine investors to do business in the poorest and neglected yet resource-rich rural regions of the country such as in Mindanao and the Visayas.

Brandon Vera Returns to ONE Cage to Defend Heavyweight Title

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ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera (14-7-0, 1NC) of San Diego, California is set to make his much-anticipated return to the ONE Championship cage next Friday, 2 December at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. The Filipino-American fighter is set to defend his title belt against undefeated Japanese challenger Hideki Sekine (7-0) in the main event of ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION.

The matchup headlines a stacked fight card featuring a posse of local homegrown Filipino mixed martial artists. Seeing action are Team Lakay standouts Geje Eustaquio, Honorio Banario, April Osenio and Danny Kingad. Also to see cage time are Eugene Toquero, Mark Striegl, and Filipino-Australian Reece McLaren.

Vera, 39, takes pride in leading the charge for team Philippines who are ready to put on a show in Manila.

“The Philippines is just as much my home as the United States is, and I am truly blessed to be able to compete here in front of all the Filipino fans,” said Vera. “It’s an amazing country and we discover something new everyday. It’s an honor to be able to headline massive ONE Championship fight cards.”

Vera was last seen in the cage nearly a year ago, when he captured the ONE Heavyweight World Championship with a first round knockout victory over Taiwanese-Canadian fighter Paul “Typhoon” Cheng.

Healthway Medical Launches Executive Check-Up Package for Senior Citizens

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Healthway Medical, the country’s most trusted and preferred network of mall-based clinics, recently launched PrimeCheQ, an executive check-up package specially made for senior citizens.

As people age, their immune system becomes slower to respond, which may cause them to become more susceptible to different chronic health conditions, like obesity, osteoporosis, respiratory problems, cardiovascular diseases, vision problems, diabetes, dementia and cancer, among others.

Healthway Medical promotes preventive healthcare and a proactive lifestyle among the elderly through making healthy choices such as eating healthy, being active, and visiting the doctor regularly for check-ups.

Healthway Medical brings you PrimeCheQ, a customized executive check-up for senior citizens. With its complete diagnostics and comprehensive physical evaluation, elderly patients are assured that every aspect of their health will be assessed.

The package includes laboratory tests, imaging procedures, eye screening, posture evaluation and other specialist consultations. It also has a geriatric screening, developed especially for older people, to evaluate their functional ability, physical, cognitive and mental and socioenvironmental circumstances. Finally, examinations that detect cervical cancer among women (pap smear) and prostate cancer among men (prostate-specific antigen test) are also included.

Healthway Medical promotes excellent patient care experience and convenience to its PrimeCheQ customers. The results of the check-up is available within 24 hours after the completion of the tests.

According to Healthway Medical’s Vice President for Sales and Marketing Carmie de Leon, aside from being in line with the clinic’s long-standing commitment in cultivating preventive healthcare and giving people of all ages access to quality health and wellness, PrimeCheQ is Healthway Medical’s way of giving thanks to the elderly.

“The primary objective of PrimeCheQ is to pay tribute to our parents and grandparents for all the love and care they give us. This product aims to encourage them to continue embracing their life with confidence on health,” De Leon said.

For more information, kindly visit Healthway Medical’s website at www.healthway.com.ph and follow Healthway Medical on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/healthwaymedical/.

Cusi Salutes Linemen-Heroes of Task Force Kapatid

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For their selfless dedication, Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi salutes the heroes of the power sector during the supertyphoon Lawin restoration efforts.

“In behalf of the entire energy family, my sincerest appreciation and gratitude to all the linemen and staff who braved the storm to ensure that electricity will be accessible again to the affected areas of Lawin,” Cusi expressed.

“Hindi biro ang kanilang sinasabak tuwing nagkakaroroon ng mga line rehab efforts para maibalik agad ang kuryente, these linemen are true to the spirit of bayanihan,” Cusi added.

Cusi lauded the heroism of 30-year-old Jomar Betonio of Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SOLECO), who died in the line of duty in the Province of Cagayan.

Cusi emphasized that linemen should strictly follow safety standards and precautionary measures to avoid accidents.

As of 20 November, the National Electrification Administration reported that the restoration level for supertyphoon Lawin stands at 94%.

Of all the affected provinces in Northern Luzon, only Cagayan (82.48%), Kalinga-Apayao (79%), Abra (87%) and Isabela (78%) are still undergoing rehabilitation covering 94,332 households for energization due to inaccessible roads and uneven terrain.

"The rehabilitation of the road networks is necessary for the smooth restoration of the distribution facilities in the said areas."

The following institutions have nobly participated in Task Force Kapatid or Bayanihan in the power sector when disasters hit fellow industry participants:

Abra Electric Cooperative, Angeles Electric Corporation, Batangas I & II Electric Cooperatives, Benguet Electric Cooperative, Cabanatuan Electric Corporation, Cagayan I Electric Cooperative, Camarines Norte Electric Cooperative, Camarines Sur II Electric Cooperative, Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative, Dagupan Electric Corporation, Davao Light & Power Company, First Laguna Electric Cooperative, Ifugao Electric Cooperative, Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative, Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative, Isabela I & II Electric Cooperatives, Kalinga-Apayao Electric Cooperative, Leyte III Electric Cooperative, Manila Electric Company, National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, Nueva Ecija I Electric Cooperative, Nueva Ecija II Electric Cooperative -Areas 1 & 2, Pampanga I, II, & III Electric Cooperatives, Pampanga Rural Electric Service Cooperative, Pangasinan I & III Electric Cooperatives, Peninsula Electric Cooperative, Quezon I Electric Cooperative, Quirino Electric Cooperative, San Fernando Electric Light & Power Company, Sorsogon II Electric Cooperative, Subic Power Corporation, Tarlac Electric Incorporated, Tarlac I & II Electric Cooperatives, Visayan Electric Company Incorporated and Zambales I & II Electric Cooperatives.

Oyayi Children's Show Holds Grand Launch at Mind Museum

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CBN Asia, in partnership with the National Council for Children’s Television (NCCT), is proud to present its newest kiddie show for the whole family entitled “Oyayi” during the grand launch held on November 18, 2016 at the Mind Museum Auditorium in Taguig city.

Oyayi, a Filipino word which means lullaby, is based on a children’s storybook written by Fernando Rosal Gonzalez. It was the chosen winner in the NCCT Nationwide Search for the Coolest Television Proposal in 2012. The show aims to create an awareness among the Filipino children about the environment, culture, family, and arts through educational and fun-filled episodes that teach them to be wise citizens at their young age.

Hosted by the delightful duo of Pocholo "The Voicemaster" Gonzales and Jing Castaneda of ABS-CBN, the grand launch was started by an opening prayer from Peter Kairuz, CBN Asia's President and CEO, who also thanked everyone involved in realizing the creation of the children's show.

The honorable and youngest councilor from District 2 of the Taguig Local government unit, Amparo Maria Zamora gave the welcome remarks, and also told us about how her niece, eventhough she was "maarte," loves the show very much.

To excite the students in the audience, TeleBobby,one of the characters in the Oyayi TV show whose head is shaped like a television, held a "Dok Pil in Da Blanks" warm-up trivia game. One eventually emerged as the winner but everyone who participated was given small prizes for the effort.

Top Takeaways I Brought Home from the 16th Achievers & Leaders Summit

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Here are the top takeaways I got from the 16th Achievers & Leaders Summit which was recently held at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel on November 9, 2016.

The summit had Etiquette Expert, Author and Speaker Jacqueline Whitmore as its featured speaker for the day along with a few more speakers like Gerry Plana, Carlo Mata, David Sutherland, Luigi Mapa and Bo Sanchez. However, I was only able to attend the morning session which had only three speakers. So that's supposedly half of the entire summit but maybe not because I feel that the bulk of the enlightening topics were discussed in the afternoon.

So instead of telling the entire story, which I could not really do since I was half-present, lol, I will just echo the most memorable sayings or statements during the morning talks composed of Gerry Plana, Carlo Mata and Jacqueline Whitmore.

A speaker emphasized on the art of 'listening" of which I also believe was greatly important if you really want to understand others. Most of the time we are deaf to what others want to tell us because we insist on making our own ideas stick out and is seldom open to accept our own mistakes. The root of understanding is the ability to listen and "absorb" like a sponge what other people are saying. It is a very important personal leadership brand that we should never take for granted.

DOE Statement: Sec. Cusi on the ERC-Villa Issue

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Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi has written a letter to Charie Villa offering the department's sincerest sympathies on the unexpected death of her brother, Atty. Francisco Villa.

He said the Department, together with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), is resolute in finding out the truth behind the allegations and issues raised.

"We need a strong energy regulator and a united energy family. Our strength should be based on the truth. As the leader of the sector, I enjoin everyone to be fair," Cusi said.

"We need to ensure that ERC personnel are able to recover immediately. They are also affected by the loss of their colleague but their service is needed by our country," Cusi said.

"I have spoken to the commissioners of the ERC. I am pleased that they too want to get to the bottom of this. I have assured them of the department's support in carrying out their mandate in protecting electricity consumers," Cusi said.

"This is a challenge for all of us. Our commitment to fairness and the truth will be tested. I am confident that we will come out stronger after this," Cusi said.

#SalamatApo: When the #MarcosBurial Was Done Like a Thief in the Night

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"The Marcoses fast tracked the burial to stop protests from snowballing and to stop a national conversation that was dangerous to their interests." - Inday Espina-Varona

The surprising Supreme Court (SC) decision to give the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos a hero's burial has triggered protests. It is a decision that has truly divided the nation. The SC said that it could not deny the former president his "rightful place" at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB). SC Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin says “President Marcos—being… a two-term President of the Philippines, a Medal of Valor awardee, a veteran of World War II, a former Senator and Senate President, and a former Congressman, by any of which was qualified to have his remains be interred in the LNMB.”

"Considering that the subject decision is not yet final and to foreclose the projected motion/s for reconsideration from being rendered moot by a precipitate burial of the late President Marcosin the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani, it is respectfully manifested and prayed that the Honorable Supreme Court may consider reissuing the status ante order."

But when we suddenly learned about the equally surprising and rushed, like a thief in the night, burial of his remains at the LNMB, we have to say that this country is beyond repair anymore. If we are talking about legalities, the SC decision was not yet final. There is still the Motion for Reconsideration (MR). So the Marcoses did defy the law in this case.

Petitioners against the burial of late dictator will file a motion to cite in contempt the Marcoses and the military for the "premature" interment of the late dictator, saying the SC's decision is not yet final. "They had hidden wealth, hidden human rights abuses and now a hidden burial - with complete disrespect for the rule of law."

PH User Per Cellsite Density Highest in Asia

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Amid continuing permitting challenges relating to the establishment of new facilities, telecommunication providers in the Philippines serve more customers per site compared to other operators Asia, Globe Telecom said.

According to Globe Chief Information & Technology Officer Gil Genio, user-per-site density in the Philippines is about 2,244, based on estimates of 21,000 total cell sites against internet users of around 47.1 million.

In Vietnam, which is similar in size to the Philippines, has a much lower user-per-site density of only 860, based on total number of cell sites of 55,000 against internet users of 47.3 million, which is also almost equal to the Philippines’ total internet users of 47.1 million. Malaysia, with total cell sites of 22,000 against internet users of 20.6 million has a user-per-site density of 937. Japan with 220,000 cell sites against internet users of 115 million has a user-per-site density of 522 while China with 1.18 million cell sites against internet users totaling 688 million, has a user-per-site density of 566.

Currently, Globe Telecom has a cell site backlog of around 3,000 sites owing to difficulties in securing permits from various local government units, homeowners associations and other government agencies, that cause considerable delay in the construction of such facilities, said Genio. According to him, at least 25 permits are needed to put up one cell sites and the permitting process takes at least 8 months to complete barring major concerns from various agencies. He stressed that construction of additional sites is critical in improving internet services in the country, pointing out that this will provide more bandwidth for local internet users.

While some special interest groups have proposed for the adoption of open access model in the Philippines, Genio emphasized that such policy is good only for mature economies with good infrastructure investments. The open access model allows the sharing the physical infrastructure across multiple operators which can contribute significantly to improving cost effectiveness.

In the country, however, such model should be applied only in industries where players contribute infrastructure investment on a reciprocal basis. “The problem is congestion because of disproportionate number of cell sites versus traffic. Tower sharing will not alleviate congestion as current sites are in same locations. Tower co-location will not solve anything if we maintain same number of cell sites; rather, we need to build more sites,” Genio emphasized.

To improve cell site per user density in the Philippines, the government needs to prioritize infrastructure builds for the telco industry. The government, particularly at the local level, should simplify the acquisition process for cell sites and rationalize permitting process including tower fees, he said. He also said spectrum management and monitoring by the National Telecommunications Commission is also important. “Spectrum allocation is a function of site density in order to serve customers effectively. Spectrum must not be left in the hands of private companies that do not use it to benefit consumers,” he said.

Genio said Globe also supports an update on the country’s ICT strategy and plan including the development of a national broadband plan to improve delivery of government services; promote process efficiencies for public service and provide WiFi services in public areas and internet connectivity in public schools. The company also supports calls for an amendment on existing laws as the Telecom Policy Act of 1935 and Republic Act 7925 or the Public Telecommunications Act of 1995 to reflect 21st century requirements and enable rationalization of the management, allocation or assignment of radio frequency spectrum in a manner that is transparent, fair, and economically efficient and effective, he added.