NORTH REPEATS AS DUEL CHAMP

AMEMBER of House Committee on Economic Affairs is pushing for the passage of a measure seeking to institutionalize a special work-for-pay program for senior citizens.

In House Bill 5362, or the Senior Citizens Employment Opportunity Act, Rep. Ronnie Ong of Ang Probinsyano Party-list said the private sector must be encouraged to hire senior citizens and in return, they shall be entitled to an additional tax deduction from their gross income equivalent to 70 percent of the total amount paid as wages to senior citizens, subject to compliance or the pertinent provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.

Ong said his proposal would ensure an automatic employment allocation

for Filipinos aged 60 years old and above.

The bill seeks to amend Section 5 of Republic Act 9994, or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 to ensure that senior citizens whose annual income is below the poverty threshold as determined by the Philippine Statistics Authority(PSA) are given priority employment through job matches provided by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC).

HB 5362 also compels all government offices to invite, select and hire qualified senior citizens for positions, qualifications and functions initially determined by DOLE, the NCSC and the Civil Service Commission.

The measure will also encourage the private sector to hire senior citizens because they shall be entitled to an additional tax deduction from their gross income, equivalent to 70 percent of the total amount paid as wages to senior citizens subject to compliance or the pertinent provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.

Despite the various discounts and other perks currently being enjoyed by Filipino senior citizens, Ong said many of our elderly still live in abject poverty because of the lack or total absence of economic opportunities for them.

“They have discounts on food, medicine, transportation and even entertainment, but what’s the use of all these perks if our senior citizens do not have the money to spend? I really think that the government should open more economic opportunities for our senior citizens and let them enjoy life even in their twilight years,” Ong said.

Ong hopes to change this by forging a partnership with the DOLE and tap its Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program to provide employment for senior citizens in various government offices, including public schools and state universities.

Ong said this partnership will be initially launched at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), which has entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Ong for the pilot implementation of the special employment program for senior citizens.

Ong said that senior citizens who will be hired to work at the PUP will do tasks that are important but not physically strenuous for at least three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon.

Senior citizens who live around the various PUP campuses will be given priority, and their salaries will be drawn from DOLE’s TUPAD allocation.

The salaries of the senior citizen workers under this program shall be based on the minimum salary in each region. In the National Capital Region, for example, they would be paid P537 per day.

Ong said another MOA will be signed with the University of the Philippines and he is hoping that this program will be replicated in other state universities and public schools nationwide.

“I’m really happy because we can now test this program, if it is truly effective in making life easier and better for our beloved senior citizens. This is our own little way of showing our gratitudefortheirsacrifices,”Ongsaid.

Story & photos

by Mike Besa he driver is the sexiest club in the bag.

On this there is no argument. What’s sexier than smashing a golf ball further into the distance than you ever have before? That brings on intense emotions which are incredibly intoxicating and euphoric; it’s why golfers put down big bucks for the big stick.

You won’t find the longest hitters on the PGA Tour. We might marvel at Rory, Brooks, DJ and the rest for their ability to fire a golf ball over 300 yards down the fairway with stunning regularity but that pales in comparison to the 400 yard plus drives that are achieved on the World Long Drive Tour.

What does it take to hit a golf ball that far? Cameron Champ is the longest driver of the golf ball on the PGA Tour. The whole world is in awe of just how much longer champ is than the rest of the field with his 129-miles per hour clubhead speed and 194-mph ball speed. If you’re wondering, that’s in excess of 10 mph more ball speed than the next guy on the list.

Those numbers may not make it out of the first round of a Long Drive tournament. Kyle Berkshire, Long Drive’s latest wunderkind, has had his clubhead speed measured at a mind numbing 155 mph and routinely averages 145 mph in competition. That kind of velocity generates ball speeds of up to 228 mph! If you were wondering, Berkshire’s record in competition is a mind-numbing 492 yards.

No, that’s not a typo. Most club players would struggle to hit it that far with three shots.

Do you wonder what kind of driver can stand up to that kind of force? Some of the major manufacturers produce special versions of their production drivers for the long drive game. These heads are reinforced to withstand the fury of the longest men in golf but still break over time. We had the

Topportunity to speak with Sean “The Beast” Fister, three-time world long drive champion who told us he used to break four drivers a week when he was in training. But there is one manufacturer that makes a driver that not only tolerate the abuse that it will suffer at the hands of these monsters but has become the weapon of champions in the long drive game. Krank Golf was founded by Lance Reader, a long drive competitor himself who, by his own admission, got tired of breaking drivers. Their current magnum opus is the Krank Formula X extreme driver, the 10th since Krank started making drivers. The clubhead is handmade from proprietary forged and heattreated Beta Titanium to produce the strongest driver in golf. This is essentially the same driver that stands up to the most powerful men in golf but with the face thinned out to make it playable by mere mortals.

A cursory examination of the Formula X extreme reveals a clubhead that’s quite busy. There are stabilizers that manage airflow on the raised crown, there are louvers in the perimeter of the clubhead to reinforce and create rigidity. Krank says it’s the most rigid driver head in golf. It’s hard to argue otherwise. It’s not what you’d call a classic design, but one borne of the fires of war. This is a military grade piece of hardware.

This is Maximum energy Transfer (MeT) Technology, which means the Formula X extreme stores and releases energy back to the ball better than any other driver in the world.

Krank starts with the highest-grade titanium available on the market today. Then they harden it with a proprietary process before welding it into the clubhead. This makes the Formula X extreme so durable; the drivers are 100 percent forged titanium. Rather than using casting as is the norm, Krank forges every component of the clubhead by hand before robotically welding it together.

The result is the highest coefficient of restitution from a clubhead that meets the regulations set by the USGA and

R&A. The rigid structure and high elasticity of the forged cup face return as much energy as possible to the golf ball which result in the highest ball speeds possible.

Another benefit of their processes is the attendant durability of the Formula X extreme. Berkshire put 5,000 hits on his and still hasn’t compromised the clubface. That sounds impossible, but there it is. This driver will probably last the average Juan a lifetime.

It’s a compelling

technical concept and a great marketing story. The question is how it plays in the real world. Two shafts are available with the Krank Formula X; the Fujikura Speeder Tour Lite and its slightly heavier sibling the Fujikura Speeder Tour. These are made for Krank by Fujikura, so the specifications of these shafts are unique to Krank.

The Formula X Extreme features an adjustable hosel that allows +2/-1 degrees of loft adjustment and the capability to individually adjust lie angle and flight trajectory. Interestingly, the Krank adaptor is compatible with the one Callaway uses on its drivers. This creates a lot of possibilities for a great number of golfers and should help Krank considerably.

The Krank Formula X is a remarkable driver. The head structure is extremely rigid. you can feel the energy from the clubhead being transferred directly to the golf ball. The Formula X feels powerful at impact. The common perception among the golfers that tried it was that the ball exits the clubface explosively.

The ball flight across the different skill levels was strong and piercing; a clear indication of the

Team North took the best dished out by some of the country’s best from the South and proved they’re better– individually—dominating the singles, 8 1/2-3 1/2—to repeat as The DuelNorth versus South champions at Sta. elena Golf Club in Santa Rosa, Laguna, on Friday.

Unfazed by their rivals’ edge in depth, led by three top guns who swept the last four legs of this year’s Philippine Golf Tour (PGT), the Northerners relied on their big fighting heart and resolve, taking five of the first seven matches while squaring off in one to all but rule their sixth face-off in the country’s version of the Ryder Cup, 14 1/2-9 1/2.

North’s strong start likewise turned what was expected to be a down-to-the-wire finish into a runaway triumph after South forced a tie at six points after fighting back, 4-2, in foursomes on Thursday.

“It’s a question of making the right match-ups and they did well,” said North Coach Cookie La’O, whose wards also beat Team South by three at John Hay in 2017. “It’s a job well done.”

It was, indeed, as each winning member received P80,000 plus trophies and medals from organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. Executive Director Narlene Soriano and Sta. Elena’s Rico

Tantoco during awards rites. The South members took P40,000 each.

North, which won the opening four-ball, 4-2, Wednesday, thus completed a back-to-back title romp and squared off their series at three wins apiece in the biennial event which served as highlight of the PGT’s 10th season.

South ruled the inaugurals in 2012 in Alabang but North struck back in 2013, also at the Muntinlupa layout, before South won the next two editions in Cebu and Wack Wack.

Ira Alido staked his claim as the best from among a slew of young turks on the International Container Terminal Services Inc.sponsored circuit as the 18-year-old former amateur hotshot routed veteran Arnold Villacencio, 5&4, to spark the Northerners’ romp in the deciding one-on-one matches.

After Mars Pucay held Tony Lascuña, who won the Apo and South Pacific legs last month, to an all-square game in the second pairing, former PGT Asia leg winner Justin Quiban wore down Rufino Bayron, 2&1, to give the defending champions a one-point cushion as South’s Albin Engino dominated last year’s PGT Order of Merit winner Jobim Carlos to fashion out a runaway 5&4 triumph in their side of the match-up.

But Keanu Jahns surprised PGT Asia’s winningest player Jhonnel Ababa, who also reigned at PGT Del Monte, 3&2, and James Ryan Lam and Michael Bibat overpowered Elmer Salvador, 4&2, and Nilo Salahog, 5&4, respectively, as South pulled away, 5 1/2-2 1/2 after the first eight matches.

North, however, proved far from being finished as Eric Gallardo upended former PGT Asia leg titlist Rene Menor, 1-up, Jun Bernis upstaged fancied Jay Bayron via the same scoreline and Joenard Rates held on to foil PGT Pueblo leg winner Reymon Jaraula, 1-up.

Zanieboy Gialon and Jerson Balasabas provided the two other wins for South with the former blasting Fidel Concepcion, 6&5, and the latter thwarting Gerald Rosales, 1-up.