NEWS
Tabuena quashes Mondilla in playoff to capture ICTSI Luisita golf crown
March 25, 2022 8:19 p.m.
TARLAC – Miguel Tabuena showed firm resolve in the clutch and staying power in debilitating heat, foiling Clyde Mondilla’s scorching rally with a six-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole to capture the ICTSI Luisita Championship here yesterday.
Both birdied the tough closing par-4 hole in regulation in separate flights with Mondilla doing the feat first off a superb 56-degree wedge shot from 96 yards to within five feet to spike a closing 65 highlighted by four straight bogeys from No. 4.
Tabuena, on the other hand, bounced back from a disastrous bogey on the 17th with a birdie putt from close range off a near-perfect drive to save a 70 and tie Mondilla at nine-under 279.
But after both matched pars on the first playoff hole, also on No. 18, Tabuena proved steadier in the end, drilling a delicate putt back on the 18th after Mondilla flubbed his own bid from 10 feet and ending up on top in the P2 million championship that kicked off the new Philippine Golf Tour season after a year-long break due to global health crisis.
The victory, worth P360,000, likewise extended the ace shotmaker’s winning run at the Robert Trent Jones, Sr.-designed layout to four, including the Philippine Open in 2015.
“I struck the ball better compared to the first three days but I didn’t putt as well that’s why I didn’t have as many birdies,” said Tabuena, who had five birdies against three bogeys in his closing pair of 35s.
“But I’m pretty happy with the outcome, obviously. But a win is a win and it’s my first win as a married man, so thank you Lord,” added Tabuena, who married his long-time Lauren Nocum in the US last month.
Despite his big lead following Michael Bibat’s early meltdown, Tabuena knew someone very familiar with the tight, challenging course would step up and mount a charge.
“Congrats to Clyde, he played the best round, but I wasn’t so shocked (of his comeback),” he said of Mondilla. “I was expecting someone to chase me and I had very good feeling it would be Clyde, who basically practiced and lived here for few months before the pandemic so he really knew the course.”
Mondilla missed duplicating his feat at Pradera Verde two years ago but admitted he yielded to a better player.
“Getting to the playoff was something, considering that I was down by five. My putting just clicked and I was in the hunt,” said Mondilla, who actually fell by as many as seven with a bogey on No. 2 which Tabuena birdied in a flight behind.
“But I misread my line of putt (on the second playoff hole). But that’s okay, me mas magaling pa kesa sa akin (there’s someone better than me),” said Mondilla, who had hoped to match his feat at ICTSI Pradera Verde where he also rallied from five down in the final round and best four others in the playoff in the most crowded playoff cast in PGT history in Jan. 2020 before the circuit took a long break due to global health crisis. He received P236,000.
Earlier, Tabuena pounced on Bibat’s early stumble to build up a big cushion, only to find himself faced with a tougher task of stopping a hot-finishing Mondilla on his tracks.
As the Del Monte native strung up four straight birdies from No. 4 to launch his fightback and sustained it with four more birdies in the last 10 holes, Tabuena went on a roller-coaster ride, mixing two birdies with two bogeys from No. 4 to the 14th, enabling Mondilla to force a tie at eight-under overall.
He birdied the 16th to regain the lead but stumbled with a bogey on the 17th and needed to produce a birdie on the 72nd hole to force a playoff.
Amateur Perry Bucay also proved to be a revelation, finishing a strong joint third with third round joint leader Michael Bibat at four-under 284 total after a 70 in sweltering heat.
His confidence boosted by a fiery 66 Thursday that lifted him from joint 15th to joint fourth, Bucay snapped a one-birdie, one-bogey game with three birdies in a four-hole stretch from No. 12 and could’ve claimed solo third if not for a bogey on No. 17.
Still, it was impressive stint for the rising amateur star, who turned in a pair of so-so 74s in the first two rounds but went on a birdie-spree in the third day before closing out with another under-par card.
He nearly upstaged Bibat, who sparked hopes of ending a long title spell after forging ahead with Tabuena with a second 68 in three days Thursday. But the 2013 ICTSI Pueblo de Oro champion failed to recover from a bogey and double bogey stumble on Nos. 1 and 3, respectively, and yielded two more strokes on the first two holes at the back.
But he birdied two of the next three, missed a chance on the 16th and parred the rest for a 75. He took home P136,000 with Bucay claiming the low amateur trophy in the 72-hole championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Reymon Jaraula carded a 70 and Lascuña shot a 71 as they shared fifth at 286 worth P96,000 each while Zanieboy Gialon matched par 72 for seventh at 287 worth P76,000, and rookie pro Sean Ramos fumbled with a 75 and tumbled to eighth at 288 for his first paycheck of P66,000.
Next up for the PGT is the ICTSI Splendido Challenge on April 18-22 to be held with the 54-hole Ladies PGT at Splendido Taal Golf Club in Tagaytay.
NEWS
Atayde bats for moratorium on student loan payments during emergencies, calamities
March 17, 2023 9:00 p.m.
STUDENTS won’t have to worry paying their loans during times of calamities and emergencies, as Quezon City first district Congressman Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde has introduced a moratorium on the payment of student loans administered by higher educational institutions (HEIs).
The House Bill 7279, which Atayde filed last Feb. 21, headed into its first reading six days later in the Committee on Higher and Technical Education, chaired by Baguio City Rep. Mark O. Go.
He said the bill — once it turns to a law — will halt the payment of all the fees, charges, and costs relating to student loans and technical-vocational training institutions (TVIs) or by the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UNIFAST) during emergencies.
It will cover all students residing in areas declared to be under a state of calamity or emergency — those who are enrolled in state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges (LUCs), private HEIs, and public and private TVIs.
“We have to find a way to help our students and their families, when natural or even these man-made calamities hit them hard. We just have to make everything easy for them including a moratorium on the payment of student loans,” Atayde said. “It is a burden on a student and their family especially in difficult times like aftermath of typhoon, fire and earthquakes, among other disasters.”
“In the order of spending, student loans will be their least priority since spending will go mostly to basic necessities for survival,” Atayde added.
The moratorium shall be effective for the duration of the state of calamity or emergency and for 30 days after its lifting. No penalties shall be collected on the deferred payments.
“To provide adequate relief and protection to our students in times of calamities and emergencies, this measure shall allow the deferral of student loan collections for a reasonable period during and after the onset of disasters.”
The Quezon City lawmaker cited also the availability of the moratorium, which shall not adversely affect the status of the students concerned with regard to their eligibility for re-enrollment on the succeeding semesters or terms, or their eligibility for graduation.
“The proposed legislation doesn’t prevent public and private HEIs from implementing more favorable forms of payment relief or assistance to students affected by disasters, prohibiting students from voluntarily waiving the moratorium on student loan payments, or availing subsidies and assistance from the government,” Atayde concluded.
NEWS
ShopeePay now available as a payment method for App Store, other Apple services in PH
March 16, 2023 1:59 p.m.
Beginning today, ShopeePay, Shopee’s integrated mobile wallet, is now available as a payment method for Apple services in the Philippines. Customers can use their ShopeePay account to pay for App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV app, and iTunes Store purchases, iCloud storage and more.
The addition of ShopeePay as an Apple ID payment method offers a new way to pay for Apple services without needing a credit card and still allows for easy, secure one-tap purchasing from Apple products including iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Customers can manage their Apple ID payment information in Settings on iPhone and iPad, or on their Mac or PC.
Agatha Soh, Director at ShopeePay commented, “ShopeePay is committed to meeting the needs of users who are increasingly expecting seamless payments across all platforms. We are excited to offer ShopeePay as a convenient payment option for our customers, and expand access to digital payments, benefitting more users.”
For more information on how to add ShopeePay as a payment method, please visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201266 or https://shopee.ph/m/ShopeePay-Apple-ID-PH.
NEWS
Be bolder, braver, more confident at SM Supermalls’ Women’s Month celebration!
March 8, 2023, 8:30 p.m.
Ladies, take center stage as SM celebrates Women Power throughout the month of March. Lots of activities both online and on-ground are in store to empower women and girls all over the country.
Join the Future of Women Global Summit
SM Supermalls will be joining UN Women in kicking off the IWD 2023 celebration through a women’s summit on March 8, at the SM Aura Premier Samsung Hall. Focusing on the future of women in ICT, the two-part event will gather young women, country leaders, policy makers, and advocates together to share perspectives and affirm their commitment to supporting digital equality for women and girls.
Photo courtesy of SM City Lucena
Photo courtesy of SM City San Jose del Monte
Support your local Womenpreneurs
Great finds for ladies are on sale at the SM Womenpreneur Market! This pop-up of small and medium businesses owned by women for women will give you everything you need from food and beauty to wellness and fashion!
Wednesdays are for women!
Shopping on Wednesdays has become even more tempting because the Women’s Wednesday Sale is back! Achieve the glow-up you deserve with special discounts, deals, and promos on fashion, beauty, and fitness exclusively for women every Wednesday of March. So don’t hold back on your shopping; you deserve all these and more!
A beautiful treat of wellness all for you
Forda glow-up and pampering sesh tayo this month because lots of self-care deals are available at the Women’s Wellness Sale. Avail of great deals from wellness salons on facials, hair and body treatments, nail care, and massage from March 1 to March 31.
And more deals online!
Special deals are up for women via the SM Malls Online app. Get the best brand offerings every Wednesday from shoes and beauty and wellness to home and hobbies. Use the code WOMEN and get an extra 10% off, capped at 250. What’s great is that there’s no minimum purchase required!
Also, a collection of brand vouchers will be sent to all women SM Malls Online shoppers valid all month. Wait for your Beauty Pass and give yourself the retail therapy you deserve with tons of discounts, GWP deals, samplers, in-store pick up bonuses, and mystery boxes!
Plus, the SM Malls Online app will be hosting self-care sessions online. Follow SM Supermalls on social media to get a dose of starter packages, Get-Ready-With-Me routines, and beauty products that your favorite beauty experts swear by.
Photo courtesy of SM City East Ortigas
Photo courtesy of SM City Manila
Celebrate Women Power on IG!
Capture the beauty and power of women at the beautiful spots and installations all over SM. Be free to express your own uniqueness and creativity in the specially-designed selfie spaces in partnership with Selfie Studio. Don’t forget to tag us on IG!
We don’t know about you but exciting days await every SM woman. So be bolder, braver, and more confident! With these activities, you can confidently step forward in fashion, beauty, wellness, and express yourselves to make a positive impact.
Stay updated on all things women this IWD 2023 by visiting www.smsupermalls.com and following @smsupermalls on social media.
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Atayde bats for moratorium on student loan payments during emergencies, calamities
ShopeePay now available as a payment method for App Store, other Apple services in PH
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