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Fights over illegal fishing lead to armed conflict and deaths n
Around the world, from Sri Lanka to Argentina to the South China Sea, the ocean has become an expanding front in the armed conflict between nations over illegal fishing and overfishing, practices that deplete a vulnerable food source for billions of people worldwide.
DEBRIS fly into the air as foreign fishing boats are blown up by the Indonesian Navy off Batam Island, Indonesia, on February 22, 2016, as authorities sank dozens of fishing boats caught operating illegally in Indonesian waters. AP/M. URIP
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By Helen Wieffering The Associated Press
ROTESTERS from across Sri Lanka descended on the nation’s capital in February, shouting above the street noise and pumping their fists in the air in frustration. The group was made up of fishermen and their supporters, and their rage was sparked by the Indian boats that regularly sail into Sri Lankan waters by the thousands, hauling away valuable sea cucumbers and prawns. Sri Lankan fishermen say they’ve lost business, and some have lost their lives in confrontations with foreign crews. The protesters demanded more action from the government, even as Sri Lanka’s navy has used force to guard its fisheries—destroying Indian fishing gear, charging at the vessels, and in at least one violent episode, firing shots. Five Indian fishermen were reportedly killed last year in encounters with the navy, although Sri Lankan authorities deny they killed or shot at crews, and say they were not the aggressors. “The intensity is increasing, the level of violence is increasing, deaths are increasing,” said N. Manoharan, who has researched the conflict as director of East Asian studies at Bangalore’s Christ
University. Warnings and arrests, he said, have failed to keep Indian trawlers from crossing into Sri Lankan waters—in part because their own shores are overfished. “They are so desperate for the catch, and they go and lose their lives.” This 600-mile stretch of the Indian Ocean is far from the only place where tensions over fishing run high. Elsewhere in the region, fishermen in India and Pakistan are also entangled in an ongoing boundary dispute between the two nations in the Arabian Sea. According to Indian news reports, Pakistan’s maritime authority has shot at Indian fishing boats at least twice in the past two years.
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ROUND the world, from Sri Lanka to Argentina to the South China Sea, the ocean has become an expanding front in the armed conflict between nations over illegal fishing and overfishing, practices that deplete a vulnerable food source for billions
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 51.9060
A SOLDIER fires at the Chinese fishing boat named Jing Yuan 626 in Argentine waters, February 22, 2018. The operation was called off by Argentina's foreign ministry after the vessel was chased for nearly eight hours, according to Argentina's prefecture. ARGENTINE COAST GUARD VIA AP
A FOREIGN vessel accused of fishing illegally in the vicinity of Rowley Shoals of Australia is set on fire after its crew was taken off, November 2, 2021. AUSTRALIAN BORDER FORCE VIA AP
of people worldwide. Jessica Spijkers, a researcher for Australia’s national science agency, found a rise in global fishing conflicts when she studied a four-decade period ending in 2016. Conflicts this century, she said, often involved claims of illegal and overfishing. Her analysis included nonviolent disputes that sometimes precede the outbreak of violence. An Associated Press review of conflict databases compiled by non-governmental organizations, government tallies, and media reports found in the past five years more than 360 instances of state authorities ramming or shooting at foreign fishing boats, sometimes
years. Already, industrial fishing boats extract droves of fish from the sea, with distant-water fleets from China and other countries roaming far beyond their domestic waters in search of stocks that have been depleted closer to home. The search for new sources of fish comes as nations are tasked with feeding growing populations and climate change further endangers ocean life. “It is getting significantly worse,” said Johan Bergenas, a World Wildlife Fund expert on oceans who first warned of a rise in global fishing conflicts five years ago. “We are now seeing armed conflict and tensions and strains
leading to deaths. During that same time, another 850 foreign fishing boats were seized by authorities and systematically crushed, blown up, or sunk. The figures cover incidents across six continents but are likely an undercount since no single entity tracks violent conflicts over fishing rights worldwide. The AP analysis did not include routine citations and arrests but focused on where and how violence has escalated in fishing grounds around the world. Environmental and national security experts say countries that depend on fishing both as a source of food and commerce are at risk of greater conflict in the coming
as a result of fish stocks and competition over in West Africa, in the West Indian Ocean, in Latin America,” he said. “There’s going to be conflicts and armed engagements over these incredibly important fish stocks around the world.” In early February, the 400foot US Coast Guard Cutter Stratton docked in Fiji and welcomed three local officials aboard. For one week, the combined crew toured the oceans around Fiji’s islands in search of fishing boats that might be flouting the rules—boarding eight boats and flagging 22 customs and fishing violations. Fiji’s exclusive economic zone Continued on A2
n JAPAN 0.4266 n UK 68.2097 n HK 6.6272 n CHINA 8.1880 n SINGAPORE 38.3183 n AUSTRALIA 38.8516 n EU 57.4599 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.8364
Source: BSP (April 1, 2022)
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A2 Sunday, April 3, 2022
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Fights over illegal fishing lead to armed conflict and deaths
THE Chinese-flagged Lu Rong Yuan Yu 609 prepares to fish for squid on the high seas near the Galapagos Islands on July 19, 2021. Fishing takes place almost exclusively at night when each ship turns on hundreds of lights as powerful than anything at a stadium to attract swarms of fast-flying squid. The concentration of lights is so intense it can be seen from space on satellite images that show the massive fleet shining as brightly as major cities hundreds of miles away on land. AP/JOSHUA GOODMAN
SRI Lankan fishermen stand near a catch of sharks at a fishery harbor in Negombo, on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, October 15, 2014. Environmental and national security experts say countries that depend on fishing both as a source of food and commerce are at risk of greater conflict in the coming years. AP/ERANGA JAYAWARDENA Continued from A1
is an area of water 70 times larger than its landmass. Vilisoni Tarabe, a fisheries policy officer at the WWF office in Fiji, said many Pacific island countries suspect fishing boats of catching more tuna or sharks than they report. “We don’t always have the capacity or resources,” he said, to “monitor the activities that go on those fishing vessels.” This sheer size of the ocean is partly what makes fishing enforcement so difficult—what Capt. Stephen Adler, the Stratton’s commanding officer, calls
“the tyranny of distance.” “What we do is we help provide those islands the support and the capabilities to go out and target those kinds of issues that they’re seeing out on their waters,” Adler said. The US partnership with Fiji is one of 11 between the US and Pacific Island countries, with a possible 12th on the horizon—each meant to stave off the economic collapse and regional instability that could follow if waters are fished to depletion. In a 2020 report, the service for the first time listed illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing ahead of piracy as the leading security issue at sea—even a possible
threat to world order. “It’s incredibly important to make sure that these regions stay stable,” said US Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Kristen Caldwell, who leads the service’s fisheries law enforcement in the Pacific. “Every single one of these countries that we’re concerned about are in our backyard.” The joint patrols are fueled, too, by US concerns about China, which maintains the largest fishing fleet in the world and has invested heavily in port access in coastal nations from Latin America to West Africa. Hundreds of Chinese fishing vessels have swarmed the high seas near South America, with the
Argentine navy twice firing shots at Chinese boats in 2018 and 2019. Last summer, the AP discovered that two dozen Chinese vessels fishing near the Galapagos Islands had a history of labor abuse accusations, past convictions for illegal fishing, or showed signs of possibly violating maritime law. Meanwhile, China and its neighbors in the South China Sea are at a long-running standoff over access to islands and fishing grounds. Conflict has flared between coast guards and foreign fishing crews in the Paracel Islands near Vietnam, the Natuna Islands near Indonesia and the Spratly Islands west of the Philippines. “It’s a tinderbox,” said Sally Yozell, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, a national security think tank based in Washington. The AP reviewed data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which tracked armed standoffs in the South China Sea from 2010 through 2020. More than three-quarters of the 17 events since 2017 involved violence between a law enforcement vessel and a foreign fishing crew. The conflicts show that fishing and national security concerns are increasingly intertwined. China maintains a fleet of maritime militia fishing boats, for instance, that can store weapons and water cannons alongside their catch, according to research by CSIS and the Center for Advanced Defense Studies. A separate fleet of fishing boats lingers near the disputed Spratly Islands, serving as an implicit extension of Chinese law enforcement. Neither fleet does much fishing, said Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS. Mainly, he said, the boats stay put, anchored— achieving a larger political goal. “Nobody’s crazy enough to try to board a Chinese boat surrounded by a hundred other Chinese boats, all of whom are bigger than you.” Even Chinese boats that do fish commercially are often escorted by armed coast guard vessels, Poling said. The US Coast Guard has accused China’s maritime militia of “aggressive behavior” meant to intimidate foreign fishermen at home and on the high seas.
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OR many countries, violent confrontations at sea are a last-ditch effort to keep foreign fleets from fishing illegally. Countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia try to deter illegal fishing by making a spectacle of their enforcement, lining confiscated boats with explosives and setting them aflame. Indonesia sank more than 370 foreign fishing boats in the past five years, according to the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. Andreas Aditya Salim, cofounder of the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative and a former member of the fishing ministry, said seeing his country destroying foreign fishing boats felt “heroic.” As a nation comprising more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia has far
more marine territory than land. “This is important for my country. We have to defend it,” he said. The explosions send a message that “illegal fishing stops here.” But elsewhere in the Indian Ocean, it is Indonesian boats that are being destroyed. Last fall, Australia’s Border Force destroyed three Indonesian fishing boats and posted pictures on Facebook of a vessel on fire. Authorities destroyed at least 15 foreign fishing boats between July and October last year, part of a task force operation to combat rising incursions. “Our message to foreign fishers that choose to fish outside the rules is simple,” the Border Force said in a statement last year. “We will intercept you, you will lose your catch, your equipment and possibly even your vessel.” The US Coast Guard has taken a much quieter approach to disposing of Mexican fishing boats captured in US waters. At the South Padre Island station in Texas, 440 boats were cut apart over the past five years, the Coast Guard said— their engines crushed. The Canadian Coast Guard and the Fisheries Control Agency for the European Union both told the AP they had not rammed or shot at a foreign fishing boat in that timeframe. Still, Europe has not been immune to conflict, with press reports describing Romanian authorities firing at a Turkish boat suspected of illegal fishing, and Italian law enforcement chasing and shooting at a Tunisian fishing boat. Feuds at sea were common before the United Nations established broader international agreement on maritime boundaries in 1982. The Americas were no exception. In the late ’60s, a US tuna boat was hit by machine gun fire for fishing in Peru’s claimed economic waters. The US and Canada also argued for years over the right to fish around Georges Bank, a rich scallop ground between Nova Scotia and Maine, until the dispute was settled in international court in 1984. Some experts say climate change could be the next driver of armed conflicts between nations over fishing. Bergenas, who is working to predict the next areas of fishing conflict, has his eyes trained on the Arctic and the tropical Pacific. Polar ice melting could free up valuable fisheries for Russia, China and the United States, he said, and he expects Pacific tuna stocks to migrate eastward, leaving poverty and bitter competition in their wake.
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HERE lines of demarcation between nations remain unclear or international relations are fraught, fishing serves as an easy spark for conflict. Last year, Eritrean military forces opened fire at Yemeni fishermen near the Hanish Islands, reviving a conflict over the contested area that started decades ago. And off the coast of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian fishermen have been in constant conflict with Israeli security forces. The AP, drawing on data from the
nonprofit Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, found more than 300 incidents of Israeli authorities firing shots, damaging vessels, or shooting water cannons at Gaza fishermen in the past five years. The tight control Israel keeps over Gaza’s borders has meant Palestinians are restricted to fishing in a narrow ribbon of the Mediterranean Sea, and in wartime, Israel has cut off access to the fishing zone altogether. The Israeli Defense Forces did not respond to AP’s requests for comment but have previously said the restrictions are a security measure to prevent the militant group Hamas from launching attacks in Israel. Nizar Ayyash, head of Gaza’s fishermen union, told the AP three fishermen have died from attacks in the past five years. The best fishing is for sea bass, he said, but stocks are mostly located outside the permitted area. Most shootings happen within 100-200 meters of fishing boundaries to the north and south, Ayyash said, though organizations like Gisha and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights have documented attacks well within areas where Gaza’s fishermen were allowed to work. “Fishing has become a far more dangerous occupation and also one that fewer Gaza residents are able to actually make a living off of because of the problems in accessing Gaza’s sea space,” said Miriam Marmur, Gisha’s public advocacy director. The violence between Sri Lanka and India persists despite the countries’ otherwise friendly relations. Many Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen share the same Tamil ethnicity and language, even if their countries sit opposite a narrow band of the ocean. Yet Sri Lankan authorities say Indian trawlers pose a real threat to the country’s fishing sector. Sri Lanka has banned bottom trawling, a practice environmentalists say strips the sea of fish and damages seaweed and coral reefs. Bottom trawling “is bad enough,” said V. Vivekanandan, former head of the South Indian Federation of Fisherman Societies. Subsequent innovations are even worse, he said, allowing the nets to catch “every fish available in the sea.” Decades of civil war in Sri Lanka meant that Indian crews could reap the benefits of fishing in the waters around the island without repercussion, but the war’s end in 2009 and the return of Sri Lankan fishermen to the sea pushed fishing conflicts back into the limelight. Deadly brawls have erupted between the competing boats even when national authorities aren’t present. Herman Kumara, head of Sri Lanka’s National Fisheries Solidarity Movement, said seven Sri Lankan fishermen died amid violence with Indian crews in 2019. Another two died this year. Kumara wants to see even stronger enforcement and hopes for a dialogue with Indian fishermen. “It has already turned violent,” he said. Without intervention, he added, “this situation might explode.”
The World BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Angel R. Calso
Sunday, April 03, 2022
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Sharp price increases push millions in Britain toward poverty overnight
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he cost of heating a home, taking a shower or cooking a meal rose to new heights for millions of people in the UK on Friday as household energy prices hit a record, days before a payroll tax increase also comes into force. The overnight surge in living costs, which pushes up the burden on Britons already facing high inflation, will see the average domestic energy bill increase by 693 pounds ($911) over the next year as a result of sharp rises in wholesale prices. A springtime cold snap blanketed much of the UK. in frost overnight, with warnings of widespread ice and some snow over coming days. The low temperatures will force many into an immediate choice between heating their homes and managing their stretched household budgets. Rising costs have united groups across the political spectrum— from the Institute of Directors to the Resolution Foundation—in criticism of Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak for not doing more to cushion the blow and of the Bank of England for allowing inflation to race out of control.
In addition to rising energy prices, working Britons will soon find their monthly pay packet has become a little smaller. A rise in the National Insurance tax, officially aimed at refilling health service budgets after the Covid-19 pandemic, will hit families across the income spectrum from April 6. Overall, the average family will be 1,100 pounds ($1,443) worse off over the next 12 months, according to the Resolution Foundation. That’s in addition to the impact of soaring consumer price inflation, which hit 6.2 percent in February and is already at a threedecade high. In a bid to increase the pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the opposition Labour Party says the hit to living standards could be even higher, calculating that consumers could be as much as 2,620 pounds worse off when taking the rising cost of staples such as food
into account. The sharp jump in domestic energy costs comes after energy regulator Ofgem raised a cap on prices in the face of a steep and sustained increase in the wholesale gas market, which is now more than six times higher than a year ago. From Friday, customers on a default tariff could see gas cost 81 percent more, with electricity prices going up by 36 percent. On the eve of the price-hike many supplier websites crashed as customers rushed to submit accurate meter readings. “This is the biggest energy price shock in living memory,” said Adam Scorer, chief executive officer of fuel poverty charity National Energy Action. “Millions of people will be priced out of adequate levels of heating and power and for all the anticipation of these price rises, many people on the lowest incomes will be crushed by the reality.” Many have already found that a winter of rising prices has pushed them to the brink. Resolution estimated on Friday that the number of households in “fuel poverty”— defined as spending at least 10 percent of income on energy—has doubled to 5 million as a result of the price-cap hike. While the April pinch point has been looming for some time, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine raised the stakes even further. Food and petrol prices soared and the conflict
looks set to push household energy bills even higher later this year. The price cap is estimated to rise by another 50 percent in October, to about 3,000 pounds, according to Investec Bank Plc. Sunak faced public backlash last week after his Spring Statement contained few new measures to counter the rising cost of living. Instead, the chancellor announced changes to limit the scale of the National Insurance tax rise and cut taxes on petrol and diesel fuel, suggesting that further measures could be put in place in time for October. The government also says that 2.5 million UK workers will get a pay rise from Friday as a result of increases to the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage, and has already pledged a 9 billion-pound package of support for energy bills. “While no government can control the global factors pushing up the cost of everyday essentials, we will absolutely act wherever we can to mitigate rising costs,” Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said in a statement. Despite t hat, campa ig ners say the government is not doing enough. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation accused it of acting “recklessly” by failing to raise benefits in line with inflation. “For people on the lowest incomes, the next few months could be truly
catastrophic, as inflation reaches a 30-year high while the basic rate of social security is at a 35-year low in real terms,” Katie Schmuecker, the organization’s deputy director of policy & partnerships, said in a statement.
Hardship and suffering
The UK is now facing the prev iously unthinkable prospect of double-digit inflation while households are facing a squeeze on incomes that Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey describes as “historic.” After the financial crisis, Brexit and Covid all brought significant shocks to the UK economy, many observers feel the inflation spike is a crisis too far for many poorer households. Meanwhile, the Bank of England says it can do nothing about the short-term pain ahead, and its interest-rate hikes—designed to bring inflation under control over time — are already pushing up borrowing costs, adding to immediate pressure on budgets. “I just worry about the misery, the hardship, the suffering, that is now being caused by a failure to understand that a large section of our population simply cannot afford to turn up their heating. Simply cannot afford the weekly food bill,” former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in an LBC radio interview this week.
The situation was bleak for many before the April hikes. With inflation above 6 percent already, more than eight in 10 UK adults reported an increase in their cost of living in March, the Office for National Statistics said Wednesday. Food, domestic energy and vehicle fuel are the most commonly cited reasons for rising bills, and more than half expected to respond to the pressure of family budgets by spending less on discretionary items. Credit card borrowing in February rose at a record speed, too, more evidence of the strain on everyday household finances. Turmoil in the energy markets could end up costing consumers even more. UK taxpayers could face billions of pounds in costs if the government ends up nationalizing a unit of Gazprom PJSC that supplies about a fifth of the country’s commercial gas. The UK. is preparing to step in as customers turn their backs on Russian businesses over the war in Ukraine. Some are keen for the government to step in to aid struggling people as well as businesses. “For most consumers, it is not a question of waiting until the prices are unbearable. That is already happening,” said Dieter Helm, professor of economic policy at Oxford University and former energ y polic y adv iser to t he government. Bloomberg News
EU to warn China it will hurt A world that’s more expensive is starting to destroy demand global role by helping Russia P
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uropean Union leaders plan to tell President Xi Jinping in a summit that China will hurt its global stature if it hands Russia an economic or military lifeline, a pointed message that will test Beijing’s commitment to keep the war from damaging its ties with Brussels. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said China had a “special responsibility” to demand that Russia respect international law and to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty. “No European citizen would understand any support to Russia’s ability to wage war,” she said in a statement to Bloomberg ahead of the virtual summit Friday. “It would lead to major reputational damage for China here in Europe.” The war in Ukraine was expected to dominate the long-scheduled summit, with the EU chiefs ready to warn China that any help to Russia to avoid sanctions or to supply weapons will result in severe consequences, diplomats and officials said. The EU wasn’t planning to spell out those consequences to maintain strategic ambiguity, but one official said they could include sanctions. Europe is trying to strike a difficult balance: giving China a stern warning over Ukraine, human rights and trade issues, while still trying to maintain the EU’s objective of re-engaging with the Asian giant. Beijing, for its part, has sought to keep the conflict from pushing the two sides further into opposing blocs, sparing European officials the criticism it levels at their American counterparts and urging them to assert their strategic autonomy from Washington. China has rejected US assertions that Russia asked Beijing for financial and military support. Beijing’s envoy to the US said on March 20 that it has not sent “weapons and ammunition to any party.” Western nations have seen no evidence so far that China has materially helped Russia evade sanctions, according to several officials. “China stands ready to maintain communication and coordination with the European side and continue playing a
constructive role together with all parties concerned in resolving the crisis and restoring peace in Europe at an early date,” Wang Hongjian, the top diplomat at China’s mission to the EU, wrote in an opinion piece. The two sides agreed to hold the summit in the fall after a long freeze in relations over alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Now, with the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, decisions related to Russia are set to shape the relationship between Beijing and Brussels for years to come. “It is important to understand, that this is not only a defining moment for our continent, but for our relationship with the rest of the world,” Von der Leyen said. Both sides were also likely to raise an EUChina agreement on investment, which has been blocked from ratification in Brussels over Chinese sanctions on EU lawmakers. Those penalties were a response to the bloc’s measures against Chinese officials over human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Expectations for concrete achievements are low, with one official saying the main accomplishment would likely be the mere fact that the summit was taking place. Western officials have, however, estimated in recent days that China may be less willing to cooperate with Russia due to its own economic interests, the brutality of the war and Moscow’s increasing isolation. The EU has worked closely with the US to impose sanctions on Russia, but one official said the bloc was against bolstering a broader US policy seen as aiming to isolate China on the world stage. Von der Leyen, European Council chief Charles Michel and Josep Borrell, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, will hold talks with Xi in the afternoon, after Premier Li Keqiang in the morning. Amid skepticism in Brussels that Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about its negotiations with Ukraine, the EU leaders will urge China to use its influence to press for peace, with priorities including a cease-fire and humanitarian corridors for evacuating refugees. They will also urge Xi to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, another official said.
Bloomberg News
rices for some of t he world’s most pivotal products—foods, fuels, plastics, metals—are spiking beyond what many buyers can afford. That’s forcing consumers to cut back and, if the trend grows, may tip economies already buffeted by pandemic and war back into recession. The phenomenon is happening in ways large and small. Soaring natural gas prices in China force ceramic factories burning the fuel to halve their operations. A Missouri trucking company debates suspending operations because it can’t fully recoup rising diesel costs from customers. European steel mills using electric arc furnaces scale back production as power costs soar, making the metal even more expensive. Global food prices set a record in February, according to the United Nations, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted shipments from the countries that, together, supply one-quarter of the world’s grain and much of its cooking oil. More-expensive food may be frustrating to the middle class, but it’s devastating to communities trying to claw their way out of poverty. For some, “demand destruction” will be a bloodless way to say “hunger.” In the developed world, the squeeze between higher energy and food costs could force households to cut discretionary spending—evenings out, vacations, the latest iPhone or PlayStation. China’s decision to put its top steelmaking hub under Covid-19 lockdown could limit supply and push up prices for big-ticket items like home appliances and cars. Electric vehicles from Tesla Inc., Volkswagen AG and General Motors Co. may be the future of transportation, except the lithium in their
batteries is almost 500 percent more expensive than a year ago. “Altogether, it signals what could turn into a recession,” said Kenneth Medlock III, senior director of the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. The International Monetary Fund is poised to cut its global growth forecast because of the war, and it sees recession risks in an increasing number of countries, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said. The world economy is still set to expand this year, though by less than the 4.4 percent previously anticipated, Georgieva said in an interview with Foreign Policy magazine. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is aggravating inflation pressures by boosting prices on food, energy and other commodities “at a time of already too high inflation.” Curbing high inflation is a top priority, and the central bank is prepared to raise interest rates by a half percentage-point at its next meeting if needed, he said. The danger is more acute in Europe, where energy bills are soaring due to a reliance on Russian supplies. Natural gas prices on the continent are six times higher than a year ago, and electricity costs almost five times more. Those prices may fuse with the conflict raging on the European Union’s doorstep to make businesses and households averse to all kinds of spending. The UK. downgraded its economic forecast to 3.8 percent from 6 percent as consumers face the worst squeeze on living standards in at least six decades. “There’s little doubt that inflation’s going to stay higher for longer as a result of the war in
Ukraine,” said James Smith, a London-based economist for developed markets at ING. “A renewed spike in gas prices would see demand destruction become more widespread.” The dynamic is playing out in products as ubiquitous as oil and as specialized as lithium, a key ingredient in advanced batteries for consumer electronics and plug-in cars. Battery makers in China paying five times more for the metal than a year ago have to pass some of that cost on to car companies, potentially slowing EV sales. “The pressure is on the automakers,” said Maria Ma, an analyst at Shanghai Metals Market. “What worries the market now is that the EV sales in the next couple months may stay flat or may not perform very well after the price adjustments.” Fertilizer makers, who use natural gas as a raw material, started scaling back operations last year. Italy, Germany and the UK. are exploring whether to burn more coal next winter to ease the need for gas in power generation. This would free up more of the fuel for industries, such as glassmakers and large steel mills, that can’t easily replace it. But that still may not be enough, and there are contingency plans to limit some demand. Brick makers in the UK. have been asked by the government to prepare for production slowdowns if the war chokes energy supplies, the industry’s lobby group said. Higher fuel costs already are having a dramatic effect in Asia. Foshan, a city in southern Guangdong province, started rationing gas deliveries to industrial users, and half of the province’s ceramics production lines stopped running. American consumers and busi-
nesses are more insulated from surging fuel prices since the country doesn’t rely heavily on Russian oil or natural gas, but they’re not immune. Crude oil prices in the US soared in January and February as the threat of war grew, and retail gas prices followed, setting a nominal record of $4.31 for a gallon of regular. In Los Angeles, the average now tops $6. Still, demand isn’t budging. It’s about 4 percent higher than this time last year, the US Energy Information Administration said. That may reflect how Americans cooped up by years of restrictions are hell-bent on traveling. “That has skewed everything,” said Andrew Gross, a spokesman for Florida-based AAA. “Had there not been a pandemic, these high prices might crush demand.” If oil prices stay high for a sustained level, demand destruction looms. JPMorgan Chase & Co. trimmed its second-quarter global demand forecast by 1.1 million barrels a day and reduced the outlook for both of the remaining quarters by about 500,000 barrels. Europe accounts for most of the cuts. “Whether it’s motorists in filling up their cars, or heating or cooling their houses, this is a level that consumers have started to push back a little bit, and we’ve seen demand destruction in the past,” Ryan Lance, chief executive officer of ConocoPhillips, said March 8 on Bloomberg TV. “People start conserving and changing their behavior.” Gary Hamilton, owner of an independent trucking company in Frankford, Missouri, is weighing whether to suspend operations until costs drop. Diesel there averages $4.67 a gallon, according to AAA, and if prices climb above $5.25, that’s enough for him.
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The World BusinessMirror
Sunday, April 3, 2022
Shortages, skyrocketing prices are changing the way people eat By Anuradha Raghu & Pratik Parija
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n India, roadside restaurateurs are halving their palm oil use and moving into steamed snacks. Bakers in Ivory Coast want to cut the size of their standard baguette. Sandwiches from US fast-food stalls are headed for fewer slices of bacon, pizzas for a more parsimonious sprinkle of pepperoni.
With the world economy already shackled by Covid-related shortages and now reeling from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, prices of such basics as bread, meat a nd cook i ng oi l s h ave jumped across the world, sending shock waves through the commodity markets and damaging the global food system. For the most vulnerable societies—think Yemen, which imports 90 percent of its food in the midst of a grinding conflict and depreciating currency—this poses a genuine risk of hunger. Elsewhere, it triggers worries about what economists call demand destruction, a phenomenon when goods get too pricey to purchase. “The cupboards are bare,” said Julian Conway McGill, head of South East Asia at consultancy LMC International, “and consumers will have to reduce their intake.” In households as well as in the food-services industry, vegetable oils have become indispensable, used for deep-fr y ing instant noodles, making cakes moist and giving pastries their flaky texture. Exporters were already grappling with labor shortages and bad weather. The attack on Ukraine further roiled global crop trading and sent prices of the two most common oils, palm and soybean, to records. Governments are starting to step in, curbing exports, controlling prices and coming down hard on hoarders. But as higher costs seep through to grocery bills and with festivals in Asia fast approaching, consumers are being forced to scale back. R aju Sa hoo, a 4 8 -year- old roadside restaurant operator in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, has halved his daily palm
oil purchases to 15 kilograms by selling fewer fried snacks and switching to more steamed foods. “I am currently making 300 to 400 fried dumplings a day compared with about 1,000 pieces earlier,” Sahoo said. “I have started making idlis and upma to give more options to my customers,” he added, referring to steamed rice cakes and semolina, popular breakfast dishes. Cooking oil shortages have been worsening since last year. In Malaysia—the world’s number two palm oil producer—output fell drastically due to a chronic labor shortage. Then drought decimated the canola crop in Canada and slashed the soybean harvests in Brazil and Argentina. Buyers were counting on filling in with sunflower oil from Ukraine and Russia, which together make up about 75 percent of the world’s exports. The invasion ended that possibility. The market reacted swiftly. Prices of the four major cooking oils—palm, soybean, rapeseed and sunflower—soared, and the rally is set to cascade down to shoppers in the form of higher costs for everything from candy to chocolate. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia face the likelihood of heightened poverty, LMC’s McGill added, and demand destruction may arise suddenly as companies use less oil or shrink their product size all at the same time. For instance, the Organization of Bakery Employers in Ivory Coast is seeking to cut the weight of a baguette, whose price is fixed by law, because of the rising cost of wheat due to the Ukraine war. It suggests 150 instead of 200 grams, the current approved weight, it said in a statement Friday.
Workers deliver jars of pickles to a store in the old town of Lviv, Ukraine, on March 25. Seth Herald/Bloomberg
With changes like that, social unrest may be looming, especially in India, according to Brice Dunlop, principal industry analyst for food and drink at Fitch Solutions. “India has a long history of unrest related to shortages in key food products, and vegetable oils are a key ingredient in many of the different Indian cuisines,” he said. The war is also exacerbating a record surge in fertilizer prices, which will only make food more expensive. Brazilian farmer Zilto Donadello plans to cut fertilizer applications 30 percent to 50 percent in the next soybean crop, likely resulting in lower yields on his 400-hectare-farm in northern Mato Grosso in the agriculture heartland of the world’s biggest soybean producer. Donadel lo hasn’t bought crop nutrients for the planting in September because he was waiting for a price drop after last year’s high—and then faced the new sticker shock from the invasion. Soybean prices have risen but not enough to make up for higher costs. “Risks are very high for a tiny margin,” Donadello said. Still, Donadello’s plan is in line with a recommendation from Aprosoja, Brazil’s largest farming group. “We have fertilizer savings in the soil that should be used amid troubled moments like this one,” said Antonio Galvan, Aprosoja’s head. “We have been telling farmers to not buy anything at abusive prices.” It’s not just crops. In Chicago and surrounding suburbs, Joe Fontana owns five locations of the spicy-chicken restaurant Fry the Coop. Prices for chicken have been elevated since the pandemic closed meatpacking plants two
years ago. Now, drought in Brazil plus war in Ukraine have boosted feed prices, pushing up chicken costs even more. Fontana was already avoiding vegetable oils made from seeds such as canola, similar to the trendy diet from the Bitcoin community. Instead, he fries his chicken and potatoes using only beef tallow. But the cost of that fat has also surged amid issues at the slaughterhouses and soaring demand for fats and oils to produce renewable diesel. “Since January 2021, it seems like we’ve almost doubled our costs across the board,” Fontana said. A 50-pound cube of beef tallow cost about $29 for years, but now it’s $56, he said. He’s raised prices for his chicken sandwiches a few times already and more increases are planned, putting them above $10. Customers tell him they are delicious but expensive. “You can only charge customers a certain price when it’s fast casual,” he said. “My fear is that it’s going to get to a point where it’s the $15 sandwich.” He’s renegotiating all of his supplier deals and creating a centralized kitchen to prepare foods such as coleslaw for all of his restaurants. Still, right now, he’s barely breaking even with labor and natural gas costs also rising sharply. Other favorite dishes won’t be spared either. Pizza makers might start to cut the pepperoni that gets placed on a pizza by half, Rabobank protein analyst Christine McCracken said. And that’s not all. “Keep watching bacon,” she said. “You’ll start to see food service take one strip off the sandwich.” Bloomberg News
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Russian oil tankers going dark raises flags on sanctions evasion
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ussian tankers carrying oil chemicals and oil products are increasingly concealing their movements, a phenomenon that some maritime experts warn could signal attempts to evade unprecedented sanctions prompted by the invasion of Ukraine. In the week ended March 25, there were at least 33 occurrences of so-called “dark activity”—operating while onboard systems to transmit their locations are turned off—by Russian tankers, said Windward Ltd., an Israeli consultancy that specializes in maritime risk using artificial intelligence and satellite imagery. That’s more than double the weekly average of 14 in the past year. The dark operations occurred mainly in or around Russia’s exclusive economic zone, according to Windward, which conducted the research at Bloomberg’s request. The ships engaging in dark activity include vessels connected to big corporations and multinational shipping firms, as well as small businesses, according to Windward. Commercial vessels are required by international maritime law to have their automatic identification system, or AIS, turned on while at sea. Disabling or manipulating a ship’s identification system is at the top of deceptive shipping practices cited by the US Treasury Department in an advisory last May to curb illicit shipping and sanctions evasions. “There’s no reason why they should have their AIS turned off,” said Gur Sender, Windward’s program manager who specializes in compliance and risk issues. “Investigating if a vessel is engaged in deceptive shipping practices related to specific regimes is crucial to protect your business from dealing with sanctioned entities.” Since the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, the US, UK and other allies have ramped up sanctions against the Kremlin. US President Joe Biden issued an executive order on March 8 banning imports of Russian oil and gas, while on the same day, the UK said it will phase out oil imports by the end of the year. Both countries, along with Canada, have also barred Russian ships from accessing their ports. As more countries and businesses shun commerce with Russia, the country’s fleet will be under pressure to conduct dark activity and even engage in illicit shipping to stay afloat, said Ian Ralby, chief executive of I.R. Consilium, a maritime law and security consulting firm that works with governments. “Russia has quickly become a pariah state so they are obscuring some of their activities because a lot of people on both ends of a transit don’t want any association to Russia,” said Ralby. “Anywhere that Russia appears in the overall management or operation and ownership of the vessel, there are
concerns about dark activity right now. Almost anything that they are going to be doing is gaining scrutiny and legal concerns because of all the various sanctions.” If the isolation of Russian ships and crew continue, they will have little choice but to take offers that are given to them, making them susceptible to “all sorts of criminal and nefarious manipulation,” said Ralby. “We may see a parallel global market emerge where there is internal trading among all these sanctioned states and their enablers,” he said.
Satellite imagery
In many of the cases of dark activity, operations are conducted between a Russian-flagged or owned ship and non-Russian vessels, according to Windward. Ships that conduct operations side-by-side exhibit telltale patterns of movements and speed, even if their transponders are off. Satellite imagery can also reveal operations. Windward’s data shows that the number of ship-to-ship meetings that lasted at least three hours between Russian oil tankers and non-Russian vessels has remained relatively normal. That’s enough time to allow oil tankers to transfer their goods to a third vessel that’s not affected by sanctions or bans, said Sender. The occurrences are also happening close enough to ports where ships can potentially load up on clean fuel products, he said. Windward has also detected some vessels entering Russian territorial waters and visiting its ports for the very first time, even as the overall number of ships making a maiden voyage to Russia falls. Since the outbreak of the conflict, 22 unique vessels—some of which are owned or operated by companies registered in the UK, US and Germany—have entered Russian territorial waters for the first time, according to Windward. In one instance, a tanker managed by an American company departed from the Chinese city of Dongying on Feb. 25 and entered Russian waters on March 3, making its first-ever Russian port call in Nakhodka. The tanker departed the port and drifted in Russian waters before calling port on March 19 in a tanker terminal in Vladivostok. The US ban on Russian oil came into effect March 8 for new purchases, but provides a 45-day window for US buyers to wind down their existing contracts. “While this voyage is not considered illegal or a violation of sanctions, it still raises questions” given current US policies, according to a Windward AI Insights note. “It will be interesting to see if this trend continues and how many companies will view these new regulations and restrictions as mere recommendations.” Bloomberg News
Bankers are still standing behind dirtiest fossil fuel G
By Tim Quinson
ranted it’s still early in 2022, but signs are emerging that the amount of financing going to coal-related projects is running at a rate that’s more than double last year’s pace. With the first quarter coming to a close, banks (mostly based in China) have helped coal companies raise $9.9 billion via loans and bond sales, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. For comparison, the number was closer to $4.4 billion during the first three months of 2021. While the biggest chunk of the coal money is being accumulated for Chinese coal endeavors, the increase nevertheless runs counter to all the global banking sector chatter about its supposed
commitment to helping the world cut dangerous emissions. And there’s no more dangerous fossil fuel than coal—the single largest source of global temperature rise. “It’s amazing that the numbers are so big,” said Alison Kirsch, research and policy manager at Rainforest Action Network, which published its 13th annual “Banking on Climate Chaos” report Wednesday. The world’s 60 largest banks have helped raise about $4.6 trillion—in total—for oil, gas and coal companies since the Paris climate agreement was announced at the end of 2015, according to Rainforest Action, citing Bloomberg data among other sources. How is it possible in 2022 that “banks are still financing coal?” Kirsch said. Bankers
put coal in “the penalty box” in 2015 when they started drawing a line around mining of the combustible, black-sedimentary rock, she said. Since then, it looks like coal got back out on the ice. The data show coal financing close to doubled in 2017 and has remained elevated ever since. Coal power needs to be phased out by nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Union by 2030—and by 2040 in the rest of the world—to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, Kirsch said, citing reports from the United Nations and Climate Analytics. Increasing coal investment makes this more difficult. Some banks seem to be trying. HSBC Holdings Plc promised earlier this month to “phase down” its
exposure to fossil fuels, sending a warning to oil and gas clients. The bank said it will look at updating its wider financing polices, including those for conventional and unconventional oil and gas, methane emissions and environmentally critical areas such as the Arctic and Amazon. As for coal, HSBC said in December that it plans to stop financing the industry by 2040. And despite HSBC’s large China presence, the bank has done little in recent years to help coal miners raise money through the debt markets, Bloomberg data show. Instead, the leaders in this area have been lenders such as China Securities, an affiliate of Citic Securities, and Industrial Bank Co., a mid-sized Chinese bank based in Fuzhou.
The main conclusion from the Rainforest Action publication is that runaway funding for fossilfuel extraction and infrastructure is “causing climate chaos and threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions.” And notably, the inability of bankers to cut off the spigot to coal is “just horrible,” Kirsch said. The conversation around coal has been growing since Vladimir Putin launched his war on Ukraine. Europe relies on natural gas from Russia, and the war has prompted nations, including Germany, to consider keeping open their coal plants. “The big picture here is this is a moment to rapidly uptick the movement toward renewables, and instead, the opposite is happening,” Kirsch said. “We aren’t accelerating the transition.”
Rainforest Action, which along with other climate-focused nonprofits including BankTrack, Reclaim Finance and Sierra Club that compile the report, has developed scores for banks. Not too surprisingly, those that rank among the lowest have been lenders that extend the most funding to fossil fuels, namely JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. Wells Fargo & Co. has rated among the world’s top fracking banker and Barclays Plc has placed at the bottom of the pack in Europe. As for coal, Industrial Bank has been among the biggest bankers of mining. “It’s pretty stark,” Kirsch said. “It’s past the time for every bank in every country to immediately end their support for the expansion of coal mining and power.” Bloomberg News
Science Sunday
www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion
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Sunday, April 3, 2022
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PhilSA, USAID and ADB seek innovations for Internet access in remote areas in PHL
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ome Philippine presidential candidates in the May 9 elections are looking into providing the public fast Internet service by negotiating with foreign technology providers for low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites. This came as the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are seeking the potential of LEO satellites in connecting more households in remote areas in the country. The three agencies hosted a virtual forum with international satellite internet providers to discuss the use of LEO which is a crucial step for driving economic empowerment, innovation, and financial inclusion in underserved communities, PhilSA said in a news release. In the first of a two-part event, “Assessing the Promise of Low Earth Orbit Satellites in Accelerating Rural Connectivity and Closing the Digital Divide,” they explored LEO satellite technology’s ability to provide wider access to basic services already found online, particularly in areas where challenges in terrain and cost make it difficult to deploy land- and sea-
based infrastructure, such as fiber optic cables. “The Internet offers important opportunities for business, education, and civic participation," US Embassy in the Philippines Chargé d ’Affaires ad interim Heather Variava said during the event. "But for many Filipinos in remote communities, a lack of reliable internet access means that those opportunities remain out of reach. Damage caused by Typhoon Odette in December also reminds us of the value of a resilient and diversified internet infrastructure during natural disasters,” Variava said. The percentage of Internet household subscribers have been growing in urban areas (24 percent). However, subscribers from remote and disadvantaged rural areas (11 percent) fall behind as seen in the 2019 National ICT Household Survey (NICTHS), PhilSA said. “The Asian Development Bank is very interested in bridging the digital divide. We find more and more of our investments, programs, and development activities dependent on people getting connected,” ADB Chief Digital Technology for Development Thomas Abell said.
An image of the LEO satellite Internet perspective from the ground. From the presentation of PhilSA Dir. Gen. Dr. Joel S. Marciano Jr. LEO satellites, which orbit between 200 to 2,000 kilometers above the Earth, are described as a quick launch and potentially affordable option that can deliver speeds and data transfer rates on par with terrestrial networks, as well as drive competition on price and innovation. International companies developing, deploying and operating LEO satellite constellations, or clusters of satellites working together as a system, indicated interest or are already
working with government agencies and local firms to expand their services in the Philippines. At the forum, representatives from Amazon’s Project Kuiper, AST SpaceMobile, OneWeb and SpaceX’s Starlink each presented their services to more than 780 participants who were eager to learn about the new technology. To accelerate entry into the Philippines’ internet ecosystem, some of the providers stressed the need for
simplified licensing applications as well as clear and fair rules on spectrum sharing and use. Project Kuiper and Starlink expressed their intention to focus on household, consumer, and enterprise users and described their user terminals. While focusing also on enterprise customers, OneWeb detailed their role in providing capacity for mobile network operators. AST SpaceMobile, meanwhile, will partner with operators to be able to connect services to mobile phones, acting as a direct extension of telecommunications networks, without the need for land-based infrastructure. All providers expect services to be available to the public by 2023. Last year, PhilSA, the main government agency that oversees activities related to space science and technology applications, called on non-geostationar y orbit satellite Internet operators, which include LEO satellite operators, to conduct test deployments in remote and rural areas of the Philippines through "Incentivise," which stands for “Introducing Non-Geostationary Satellite Constellations Test Deployments to Improve Internet Service.”
In February, PhilSA accepted London-based OneWeb’s proposal to test the high throughput and low latency capability of their satellite broadband constellation. The Incentivise Project will allow the agency to witness, experience, and assess the performance and viability of satellite internet services ahead of possible full commercial service. “We share the vision of national economic development as addressing the digital divide, and promoting the local industry leads to creating more jobs and opportunities for businesses and stimulate the economy as we recover from the pandemic,” PhilSA Director General Joel Joseph Marciano Jr. said. USAID is helping the Philippines improve its ICT and logistics infrastructure; strengthen the regulatory, business, and innovation environment; and bolster cybersecurity through its Better Connectivity and Access (Beacon) Activity. To help bridge the digital divide, USAID is supporting the Philippine government's efforts to develop satellite connectivity that promotes inclusive growth, fosters resilient and democratic communities, and empowers Filipinos all across the country.
4 countries approve 10 GMO crops By Manuel T. Cayon
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AVAO CITY—Four countries, including the Philippines, approved 10 genet ic a l ly modified (GM) crops for various purposes, from cultivation to food and feed processing. Last month's edition of the newsletter of the New York-headquartered International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISA A A) said the Philippines topped the list, with 10 approvals of five crops, followed by the US with four crops, Australia with two approval one crop, and Turkey with approval on two crops. The approvals were made from the period January 2021 to March 9 this year. The Philippines approved GM corn with tags stacked herbicide tolerance MON87429; stacked herbicide tolerant and insect resistant MON87427 x MON89034 x TC1507 x MON87411
Genetically modified corn being dried in the Philippines. ISAAA.org photo x 59122; glyphosate tolerant, lepidoptera resistant, coleoptera resistant MON87427 MON-87427-7 x MON-89Ø34-3 x DAS-Ø15Ø7-1 x MON-88Ø17-3 x DAS-59122-7, all for food, feed and processing. They were approved on August 5 and May 12 last year.
It a l so ap prove d GM cot ton MON88701 on August 5 and cotton MON88702 on May 12 also for food, feed and processing. Bt eggplant was approved for food, feed and processing on July 21, together with Golden Rice GR2E for commercial propagation.
GM alfalfa KK179 x J101 was approved for food, feed and processing on May 12. T he US approved GM cot ton MON88702 for cultivation and GM petunia event A1-DFR, also for cultivation on January 12 and 13 last year. In August, it approved GM potato event Gen2-Z6 and maize event DP202216 for food and feed. T he fol low i ng mont h , it ap proved GM maize event PY203 for cultivation. By October, it approved maize event DBN9858 for food and feed. in March, the US approved GM soybean event GMB151 for cultivation. Australia approved two GM canola events, one canola MS11, in May and the other tagged MS11 × RF3 and MS11 × RF3 × MON 88302 in September last year, all for cultivation, food, feed and processing. Turkey approved GM soybean DAS-44406-6 and GM maize DAS40278-9 for feed use.
Without Russia, science going solo on world’s woes, climate
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ARIS—Without Russian help, climate scientists worry how they'll keep up their important work of documenting warming in the Arctic. Europe's space agency is wrestling with how its planned Mars rover might survive freezing nights on the Red Planet without its Russian heating unit. And what of the world's quest for carbon-free energy if 35 nations cooperating on an experimental fusion-power reactor in France can't ship vital components from Russia? In scientific fields with profound implications for mankind's future and knowledge, Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine is causing a swift and broad decaying of relationships and projects that bound together Moscow and the West. Post-Cold War bridge-building through science is unraveling as Western nations seek to punish and isolate the Kremlin by drying up support for scientific programs involving Russia. The costs of this decoupling, scientists say, could be high on both sides. Tackling climate change and other problems will be tougher without collaboration and time will be lost. Russian and Western scientists have become dependent on each other's expertise as they have worked together on conundrums from unlocking the power of atoms to firing
probes into space. Picking apart the dense web of relationships will be complicated. The European Space Agency's (ESA) planned Mars rover with Russia is an example. Arrays of Russian sensors to sniff, scour and study the planet's environment may have to be unbolted and replaced, and a non-Russian launcher rocket found if the suspension of their collaboration becomes a lasting rupture. In that case, the launch, already scrubbed for this year, couldn't happen before 2026. “We need to untangle all this cooperation which we had, and this is a very complex process, a painful one I can also tell you," the ESA director, Josef Aschbacher, said in an Associated Press interview. “Dependency on each other, of course, creates also stability and, to a certain extent, trust. And this is something that we will lose, and we have lost now, through the invasion of Russia in Ukraine,” Aschbacher said. International indignation and sanctions on Russia are making formal collaborations difficult or impossible. Scientists who became friends are staying in touch informally but plugs are being pulled on their projects big and small. The European Union is freezing Russian entities out of its main €95 billion ($105 billion) fund for research, suspending payments and saying they'll get no new contracts. In Germany, Britain and elsewhere, fund-
ing and support is also being withdrawn for projects involving Russia. In the United States, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology severed ties with a research university it helped establish in Moscow. The oldest and largest university in Estonia won't accept new students from Russia and ally Belarus. The president of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, Tarmo Soomere, said the breaking of scientific connections is necessary but also will hurt. “We are in danger of losing much of the momentum that drives our world toward better solutions, [a] better future,” he told the Associated Press (AP). “Globally, we are in danger of losing the core point of science—which is obtaining new and essential information and communicating it to others,” he added. Russian scientists are bracing for painful isolation. An online petition by Russian scientists and scientific workers opposed to the war says it now has more than 8,000 signatories. They warn that by invading Ukraine, Russia has turned itself into a pariah state, which “means that we can’t normally do our work as scientists, because conducting research is impossible without full-fledged cooperation with foreign colleagues.” The growing estrangement is being pushed by Russian authorities, too. An
order from the Science Ministry suggested that scientists no longer need bother getting research published in scientific journals, saying they'll no longer be used as benchmarks for the quality for their work. Lev Zelenyi, a leading physicist at the Space Research Institute in Moscow who was involved in the now-suspended collaboration on the ExoMars rover, described the situation as “tragic” and said by e-mail to the AP that he and other Russian scientists must now “learn how to live and work in this new nonenabling environment.” On some major collaborations, the future isn't clear. Work continues on the 35-nation ITER fusion-energy project in southern France, with Russia still among seven founders sharing costs and results from the experiment. ITER spokesman Laban Coblentz said the project remains “a deliberate attempt by countries with different ideologies to physically build something together.” Among the essential components being supplied by Russia is a massive superconducting magnet awaiting testing in St. Petersburg before shipment—due in several years. Researchers hunting for elusive dark matter hope they’ll not lose the more than 1,000 Russian scientists contributing to experiments at the European nuclear research organization CERN. AP
Universal Testing Machine MIRDC photo
MIRDC labs aid in safeguarding public safety
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lain concrete has no ability to sustain tensile and shear stresses induced by wind, earthquakes, vibrations, and other pressures, making it unsuitable for most structural applications. On the other hand, reinforcing steel—rods, bars, or mesh— are materials that absorb tensile, shear and occasionally compressive stresses within a concrete structure. In the Philippines, materials for construction, such as rebars, are regulated by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The DTI recognizes the expertise of the Department of Science and Technology's Metals Industry Research and Development Center (DOST-MIRDC) in performing testing activities of the steels used in construction. Among the consumer service thrusts of the DTI is the regulation of requirements for various materials, such as rebars, angle bars, nails, and liquefied petroleum gas containers. The DOST-MIRDC provides critical support to the DTI by implementing
public safety measures. Through its Physical Laboratories Section (PLS), the center handles the testing and analysis of rebars through tension testing, deformation and mass variation measurement, and bending testing. The PLS uses the 2000 kN- capacity Universal Testing Machine in analyzing these rebars. “If steels in the market are not tested, they pose a serious hazard to the public. Consider installing substandard steel bars in bridges, high-rise buildings, and even your own home. If a strong earthquake hits, the infrastructure will undoubtedly be damaged, jeopardizing public safety,” said Engr. Edward A. Malit, a Senior Science Research Specialist at the DOST- MIRDC. In related news, the DTI destroyed 467 pieces of deformed steel bars last month which were non-compliant with the standards set by the Bureau of Philippine Standards. They were confiscated from a hardware store in Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija. Jim Patrick S.D.
Erispe/S&T Media Services
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Sunday
Editor: Lyn Resurreccion • www.businessmirror.com.ph
Church groups set 40 days of prayer for May 9 polls
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Church-based movement for socio-political renewal recently launched its 40 days of prayer and discernment for the upcoming elections.
An initiative of the Dilaab Foundation, in coordination with Caritas Philippines, the campaign started on March 30 until election day on May 9. Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, national Caritas chairman, said the initiative aims to highlight that “it is very important that we put God in the center of political exercise.” “We invite you to discern and put God at the center of your
decision making especially this coming elections,” Bagaforo said during the “i Vote God” virtual press conference. Dilaab founder, Fr. Victor Carmelo Diola, said that around six to eight of 10 voters have not yet decided who to vote. He said the lack of guidance for the electorate has contributed to the high levels of indecision. The need for guidance, accord-
ing to him, pushed them to launch “i Vote God,” a nonpartisan campaign to help people decide who to vote for. In explaining the cause, he said that the choices voters make are still personality-based and dependent on external influence like surveys, name-recall, peer pressure, among others. The priest emphasized the need for a “culture of change” for voters. The campaign also includes
five-point “Laser” test, which asks voters to judge their chosen candidates according to their “lifestyle, accomplishments, source of support, election conduct and reputation in the community.” In a pastoral statement released on March 27, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines encouraged dioceses to apply the “Laser” method in their communities. Fr. Antonio Labiao, Caritas executive secretary, said they hope to reach out to more people in 40 days and guide them to make a good choice. “ The important thing here is that our voters will know exactly who the candidates are so that they won’t just vote because they were asked to vote or were influenced by social media,” he said. CBCP News
Renovated Santisima Trinidad Parish is dedicated, consecrated
Parish Priest Fr. Joselito Buenafe (second from left) acknowledges the support given by the parishioners and other supporters for the renovation of Santisima Trinidad Parish. Behind him is the former Parish Priest Fr. Domingo Baybay. On the right is Manila Archbishop Jose F. Cardinal Advincula. Photos by Arch. Mikko Martelino/ STP Facebook
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he parishioners of Santisima Trinidad Parish in Malate, Manila, recently celebrated two significant events: the completion of the renovation of the more than 60-year-old church and its solemn dedication and consecration. Manila Archbishop Jose F. Cardinal Advincula led the ceremonies with a Mass on March 26. He led the anointing of the altar with aromatic oil while some priests did the same on parts of the walls “to make them holy.” Then the altar was covered with white cloth and candles were lighted. Advincula and Parish Priest Fr. Joselito Buenafe unveiled the marker of the newly renovated church. “Your church is very beautiful. But you should remember that the beauty of the church building is borrowed from the beauty of the church of God,” Advincula said in his homily that he delivered in Filipino. He said, “The sign in the Dedication of a Church is like the sign in the Sacrament of Baptism which we all received.” Thus, the
anointing of the altar, covering it with white cloth and lighting of candles. “If we honor the holiness of this parish church, we are challenged to take care of each member of this Church of God. We should take care and guide each other to Jesus,” he said. Buenafe said the face masks on the parishioners who attended the event did not hide their happiness in seeing the beautiful church. “You make this church radiant. You were the reason why we have a church. You are the church,” Buenafe said in Filipino as he recognized the support many people, including the parishioners who helped in surmounting the financial problem by giving from P1 to P1 million. “This church is the symbol of the unity of the Parish of Santisima Trinidad,” he said. The renovation that also faced the challenges of the two-year Covid-19 pandemic was designed by Arch. Mikko Martelino. The original church was built in 1935 by the Iglesia Independista de Santisima
Manila Archbishop Jose F. Cardinal Advincula (center) and Parish Priest Fr. Joselito Buenafe (left) unveil the marker of the dedicated and consecrated newly renovated Santisima Trinidad Parish.
Manila Archbishop Jose F. Cardinal Advincula (right) anoints the altar with aromatic oil. Witnessing the rite are former Parish Priest Fr. Domingo Baybay (left) and Parish Priest Fr. Joselito Buenafe (second from left). Trinidad, a break away from the Aglipayan Church, or Philippine Independent Church. But after it was neglected, then-Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, upon the request of the parishioners, converted it into Catholic—the Santisima Trinidad Parish on March 25, 1994, with Fr. Domingo
Baybay as its first parish priest. But the church experienced a legal challenge on the ownership of the land on where the building was erected. Through the persistence of Father Baybay, the church won the legal battle that lasted for two decades. Lyn B. Resurreccion
Obando Church is PHL’s newest national shrine
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B A N D O, B u l a c a n — A Catholic church in Bulacan province that dates back to 1754 is the Philippines’ newest national shrine, becoming one of only 27 parish churches in the country with such title. Devotees gathered for a Mass on March 25 to witness the declaration of the San Pascual Baylon Parish in Obando town to the dignity of a national shrine. Known for its annual fertility festival rites, the parish church houses the revered image of Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción de Salambao. For centuries, thousands of devotees from all over the county and from different parts of the world have f locked to the shrine to seek the intercession of Our Lady.
The Obando Church was declared the National Shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepcion de Salambao on March 25. PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRISTIAN BELOLO
“The bishops of the Philippines have collectively recognized the depth and strength of your faith in
God, as well as the rich history of your intense devotion to Our Lady and the saints,” said Cardinal Jose
Advincula of Manila in his homily. It was last Januar y during their plenar y assembly when the bishops approved the petition to declare the church as a national shrine. Among those who attended the celebration were five other bishops including Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara, vice president of the episcopal conference, and Malolos Bishop Dennis Villarojo of Malolos. The cardinal exhorted the devotees to imitate Mary “in reflecting God’s enduring presence”. “And let us accompany our brothers and sisters in their pain and poverty through our acts of charity and solidarity,” Advincula said. The Obando Church is also the fourth national shrine in the Malolos diocese. CBCP News
A member of the restoration team removes a stone from the floor of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and rose from the dead, in the Old City of Jerusalem, on March 17. AP/Mahmoud Illean
Christians unite in restoring holiest Jerusalem church
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ERUSALEM—The three Christian communities that have uneasily shared their holiest site for centuries are embarking on a large-scale project to restore the ancient stone floor of the Jerusalem basilica. The project includes an excavation that could shed light on the rich history of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City, built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, died and rose again, the central event of the faith celebrated every spring on Easter. It marks a further improvement of ties among the Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic churches. In the past, they have come to blows over the site, which they share under a delicate arrangement dating back to the mid-19th century. Three other denominations also have clearly defined access to the church. “The cooperation among the three communities is the most important thing,» said Rev. Francesco Patton, the head of the Catholic Franciscan order devoted to preserving Christian sites in the Holy Land. “It shows to the entire world that it is possible among Christians of different churches and communities to have a fraternal relationship.” Patton said. The three communities came together in 2016 to restore the Holy Edicule on the site where Jesus is believed to have been buried in a cave tomb—the first large-scale renovation since the clean-up after an 1808 fire. The renovation of the Edicule pointed to the need for further repairs of the floor of the basilica, which includes stones from the Crusader era in the 12th century, recent additions from the 19th century and splotches of concrete and mortar, part of earlier and cruder renovations. The 1,200 square-meter floor will be repaired in phases to allow liturgical services and visits to continue. The sewage and electricity lines running beneath the church, which is nestled in the heart of Jerusalem’s densely populated Old City, will also be repaired. Heading up the project is Osama Hamdan, a Palestinian Muslim architect from Jerusalem who has worked on the conservation of Jewish, Christian and Muslim sites across the Holy Land. He said it’s a great honor to work at the church, which he sees as part of his own cultural heritage. “It’s a big part of the history of this territory, and we are the results of this accumulation of cultures,» he said. «Before [we were] Muslims, we were Christians, and before we were Jewish, and before we were pagans.” At a ceremony marking the start of the project, the Greek patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, acknowledged that it was a “difficult time for humanity,” with war raging in Ukraine and instability elsewhere. “As we care for and restore this holy place, we participate in the message of hope that emanates from the holy tomb not just for the Christians, but also for people of goodwill around the world,” he said. After a preliminary study carried out over the past two years, when the church was largely empty because of the coronavirus pandemic, work began this month. The $11 million renovation project will be funded through donations and is expected to be completed in May 2024—depending on what the archaeologists find. The archaeological work will be undertaken by experts from the Sapienza University of Rome in coordination with the Franciscan Faculty of Biblical Sciences and Archaeology in Jerusalem. “When you are doing some archaeological excavations you always expect to have some surprise,» Patton said. Christian tradition holds that Jesus was crucified by the Romans just outside the city’s walls as they existed 2,000 years ago, and was buried in a cave tomb nearby. The Romans persecuted the early Christian community, and Emperor Hadrian built pagan temples on the site. After Emperor Constantine embraced Christianity in the 4th century, his mother, Helena, traveled to the Holy Land to identify sites linked to Jesus and commissioned monumental churches, including a sprawling basilica on the traditional location of the crucifixion and burial. That structure was torched by Persian invaders in 614 and destroyed again in 1009 by the psychopathic caliph al-Hakim, who persecuted Jews, Christians and even fellow Muslims. A 12th-century restoration by the Crusaders gave the Church of the Holy Sepulchre its current appearance. Since 1852, the site has been governed by a rigid power-sharing arrangement among the different Christian denominations known as the “status quo.» A Muslim family has been entrusted with the keys to the church for at least 800 years. Under the arrangement, the various denominations have undertaken smaller renovations of the chapels under their control, but collective action to maintain shared areas often proved elusive. A wake-up call came in 2015, when Israeli authorities briefly closed the Edicule, deeming it unsafe. Inter-denominational relations have steadily improved since then, even as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other regional disputes remain as intractable as ever. The restoration work itself seems to have helped the various churches to patch up their differences. “Dialogue is really facilitated when you are doing something together with the others,» Patton said. «Working together is something that helps people to know each other and to start a process of trusting.” AP
Biodiversity Sunday BusinessMirror
Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014
Sunday, April 3, 2022
Editor: Lyn Resurreccion
A7
Environment groups search for ‘green’ candidates
Greening the election By Jonathan L. Mayuga
Photo of tamaraws at the Philippine National Museum of Natural History. Natural history museums are largely responsible for collecting the raw data analyzed, and genetic and biodiversity databases provided the infrastructure to make it accessible. Julan Shirwod Nueva/Wikipedia CC-SA-4
Research: Thousands of undiscovered mammal species may be hidden from sight
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axonomy, the study of how living organisms relate to one another as species, has been around since the 1700s. Though scientists and philosophers have long debated what makes a species a species, taxonomists treat each species as a group of organisms that share common biological characteristics. Discovering and describing new species is essential to biology researchers and conservationists because they use species as a unit of analysis. Species are also economically important to agriculture, hunting and fishing, and have special legal status, such as under the US Endangered Species Act. Despite this, scientists have been able to formally name and describe only an estimated 10 percent of species on the planet, based on discovery trends over the years. This gap in knowledge is known as the Linnean shortfall. It remains unclear whether poor research methodology, disagreements on how to define a species, or other factors are to blame for this gap. We are scientists in evolutionary biology, and figuring out ways to better identify species is central to our research. Using genetic analysis and artificial intelligence, we were able to disentangle hidden species that have been lumped together in a single group and predict where and what types they might be. Our findings also pinpoint a potential cause for this shortfall in species identification: an underinvestment in the science of taxonomy.
Hidden species remain to be discovered
For this study, we chose to focus on mammals. Because of their relatively large size and importance to people as a source of food, companionship and entertainment, we predicted that it was more likely that a large proportion of mammalian species have been already been identified. Our first task was to identify known species that might actually contain two or more species. To do this, we analyzed 1 million gene sequences from 4,300 named species, identifying clusters of sequences that showed high genetic diversity and fitting the data to an evolutionary model. We found potentially hundreds of hidden species that were previously classified as a single group. This finding was expected, as it mirrors results from previous studies, albeit on a larger scale.
Where and what are these hidden species?
Once we identified the presence of these potentially hidden species, our second task was to determine what specific traits they have in common. To do this, we used a data science technique called “random forest analysis,” a form of machine learning that draws information from a large number of different variables in order to make a prediction about a particular outcome. It’s similar to the technique that Netflix uses to suggest shows you might be interested in watching. In our case, we wanted to predict whether a known species contained hidden species. The predictor variables we used spanned environmental factors, such as the climate of common mammalian habitats, and species-specific factors, such as physical traits, geographic range, reproductive and survival patterns. We also included research-based factors on the techniques scientists used to conduct their studies. In total, we collected some 3.8 million data points to build our model. Based on our model, we found that three types of predictor variables stood out the most. The first type comprised attributes of the species itself, such as body mass and geographic range. These results suggest that small mammals with relatively large ranges are more likely to have hidden species. This makes sense as, all things being equal, it is more difficult for scientists to recognize physical differences in smaller animals than larger ones. The second type was climate—there are likely to be more hidden species in wet, warm areas with a large difference in day and night temperatures. This likely reflects the fact that tropical rainforests tend to have very high levels of mammalian diversity. The third type was research effort, including the geographic dispersion of samples in museum collections and the number of recent publications mentioning the scientific name of a known species. This implies that researchers are generally effective in identifying new mammals, as how much attention the scientific community has focused on a specific mammal predicts whether that creature is identified. This is supported by how the general characteristics we’ve identified match new mammalian species described over the past 30 years, as well as the fact that our model recognizes areas that scientists are already investigating for hidden species.
Unknown species face extinction
At a time when Earth is facing its greatest extinction crisis since an asteroid killed off the dinosaurs, we believe that identifying and describing the many undiscovered species on Earth is crucial to aiding the preservation of its biodiversity. Even though our study still found a large number of mammals waiting to be discovered, mammalian diversity is already relatively well captured compared with that of other species. We found that roughly 80 percent of existing mammal species have already been described, a proportion far higher than in nonmammal groups with even higher diversity, such as beetles or mites. Discovering and describing new species, as with all scientific research, takes a village. Natural history museums are largely responsible for collecting the raw data we analyzed, and genetic and biodiversity databases provided the infrastructure to make it accessible to us. A culture of information sharing among peers and large computer networks supported the thousands of hours of computation time we needed. Our work was made possible only by ongoing investments in taxonomic research. Biodiversity scientists are racing to better understand the processes that create and maintain biodiversity while in the midst of the planet’s sixth mass extinction, one that is entirely caused by human actions. Taxonomists face the challenge of describing the species around us before they go extinct. As our findings suggest, there is still a long way to go. Danielle Parsons and Bryan Carstens,
The Ohio State University/The Conversation CC
emitter countries,” he explained. Sadly, Baclagon said that among the candidates only two, who have a proven history of being involved in environmental-justice work even before they entered the electoral race, have articulated clear programs of actions. “But as far as the entire electoral discourse is concerned, we think more efforts should be done by the candidates to explore the intersectionality of democracy, human rights and economic development with environmental protection,” he pointed out.
A
s the May 9 elections draw near, environmental groups under the Panatang Luntian launched on March 26 a fact-checking study to assess the positions and track records of candidates on Philippine environmental concerns. “Our #EnvibeCheck is a research project that we made as a community to draw the line on who are the greenest and dirtiest candidates today,» Leon Dulce, head of secretariat of Panatang Luntian, said in a statement. “We want to educate the public on how their vote can affect the lives of more than 40 million fellow Filipinos dependent on our environment and natural resources,” Dulce said. Dulce, national coordinator of the Kalikasan-People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan-PNE), said the research data challenged national candidates to do better by taking the pledge to uphold the pro-environment Pantang Luntian agenda. The fact-checking study covered research on env ironmenta l pronouncements and track records of eight presidential and six vice-presidential candidates on issues surrounding extractive and destructive projects, waste management, just energy transition, green spaces and mobility, environmental defense, climate justice, and biodiversity and environmental conservation. The full details of the study #EnvibeCheck is accessible for public viewing.
Why the need for ‘green’ candidates? When asked why there is a need for green candidates, Dulce told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on March 30: “Pro-environment leaders in government help enhance and enforce our environmental laws that benefit more than 40 million natural resource-dependent Filipinos.” He added: “A green leadership is crucial in the remaining eight years where the Philippines can make or break its urgent response to the ecological, climate, health, and human rights crises we face.” According to Dulce, the next president must prioritize the immediate end to the extractive and destructive projects—like mining, dams and reclamation—that cause immeasurable damage to our ecosystems and depletion of our natural resources. “They must nurture our watersheds,
‘Tragic’ reality protected areas and natural resource corridors, and empower the various land and environmental defenders protecting them,” he said. The leaders, he added, “must take drastic action in demanding just compensation from the top climate-polluter countries for causing widespread loss and damages to vulnerable nations such as the Philippines.” According to Dulce, the next administration must usher in doable steps toward the just transition of the economy to clean energy, mobility, green jobs and urban renewal.
Mainstreaming environment in policy discourse As the election noise intensifies, environmental groups noticed the environment and climate change concerns are seemingly being left out, if not sidelined by pressing social, economic and political issues. Dulce said: “We are seeing less and less discourse over social media and coverage over news regarding the environment and climate issues.” He maintained that environment and climate discourse is greatly lacking among candidates and the public. “These issues are not considered gut issues [that is why] they are slow at the onset and infrequently [discussed] compared to daily economic hardships. The marginalized communities in farflung, underserved areas who are the frontlines of these ecological impacts are unfortunately far away from public view and concern,” Dulce said.
Green deals, climate leadership In the first 100 days of the new administration, Dulce said the country’s leaders must immediately set to work on implementing a moratorium on extractive and destructive projects. “They must also pass a People’s Green New Deal that would inject emergency economic stimulus into green
solutions for the persisting pandemic and climate impacts our countrymen are still suffering from,” he said. Chuck Baclagon, the regional finance campaigner of 350.org, highlighted the need for climate leadership given the country’s status as highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change effects. “Climate leadership is of utmost importance in our part of the world given our status [being] among the countries that are at the frontlines of climate-induced disasters,» Baclagon told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on March 29. He added that protecting the environment and responding to the challenges of climate change directly translates to social and economic benefits for the Philippines now and for generations to come.
Putting the green agenda forward “We have less than a decade to get climate change under control. Our leaders need to do more on climate action. That is why we hope that the candidates vying for the highest position in this coming elections should put forward an agenda that puts communities and ecosystems ahead of corporate interests,” Baclagon explained. Beyond the candidates, environmental groups and advocates are building up an informed electorate that votes for candidates based on their platforms as well as their track record of standing up for the interest of the people and the planet. He said that as a climate-justice organization, 350.org believes that the most urgent task for the incoming president is about ensuring our country’s capacity to thrive amid the climate crisis. “Our failure as a country to take decisive action on climate change sends a message that legitimizes the current inaction of big historical and per capita
Baclagon described as tragic what is currently happening in the electoral debates with the environment and climate being sidelined in the electoral discourse. However, he explained that the election is also happening under a unique set of circumstances where there are clear lines drawn between values translated into electoral platforms. On the one hand there are candidates who instead chose to valorize through historical revisionism, a status quo that married crony capitalism with environmental plunder, undermine historical grievances that cost the lives of Filipinos and wrecked the Philippine economy. On the other hand, he noted that there is also a pushback that champions active citizenship and restores governance that respect democratic institutions and fundamental principles like human rights, press freedom and defense of national patrimony. Asked what are the most serious environmental and climate change problems the national and local electoral leaders should prepare for, he said it is the transition from fossil-fuel-based to clean, renewable energy sources. “We believe that a government’s seriousness in climate action is best measured in its energy policy. We hope that whoever wins this election would build on the major wins that have been achieved by the campaign for energy transition during this regime, such as the Department of Energy’s recent moratorium on coal power plants,” he said. According to Baclagon, securing a renewable energy future does not only limit pollution and mitigate carbon emissions. It also ensures stable and equitable access to power for an archipelagic country like the Philippines. “Whoever wins the elections, it is incumbent on the new government to prioritize the provision of affordable and reliable electricity for all Filipinos,” he said.
Maynilad honors 14 water, environment champions at 7th World Water Day Awards
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est Z o n e c o n c e s s i o n a i r e Maynilad Water Services Inc. (Maynilad) honored 14 water and environment champions at the recent World Water Day PH Awards 2022 (WWD.PH Awards) as the culminating event in the country’s recent week-long celebration of World Water Day. Maynilad held the event virtually together with the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Maynilad’s “Water Warrior Awardee” was the Parañaque City Environment and Natural Resource Office for actively promoting proper wastewater management through an ordinance establishing a septage management system in the City of Paranaque. The NWRB’s “Water Wise Awards” went to Coca-Cola Beverage Philippines for its Reduce, Reuse, Replenish program, and the local government unit (LGU) of Pavia, Iloilo and Pavia National School, which served as the pilot location for the NWRB’s Groundwater Management Plan. The Local Water Utilities Administration’s “Huwarang Lingkod Tubig Award”
recipients were Puerto Princesa City Water District in Palawan, Bayawan Water District in Negros Oriental, and San Francisco Water District in Agusan del Sur. The Damayan Irrigators Association Inc., PPATTABA Irrigators Association Inc. and Silway 7-Klinan 6 Communal Irrigators Association Inc. were named the “Most Outstanding Irrigator’s Associations” by the National Irrigators Association. Efforts in protecting the Laguna de Bay were also recognized through the Laguna Lake Development Authority’s “Kampeon ng Lawa Awards,” which were
given to the LGUs of Morong, Rizal; the Muntinlupa City Lake Management Office’s paddle wheel project; and to Rev. Msgr. Jerry Veluz Bitoon, Rector of San Pablo Cathedral, in San Pablo City. Completing the roster of honorees were Metro Pacific Water’s “Kampeon ng Kalikasan” awardee Metro Iloilo Water District, and Aboitiz InfraCapital’s “Agos ng Kinabukasan” awardee Metro Lipa Water District. Emphasizing this year’s World Water Day theme “Groundwater—Making the invisible, visible,” Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez said, “With climate change continuing to
threaten our surface water sources, sustainably managing our groundwater sources is critical. We need to make the invisible visible by bringing discussions on groundwater management and protection to the mainstream.” For more than five years now, the WWD.PH Awards has been a platform for honoring champions for water and the environment—individuals, institutions and programs—that have contributed to achieving water and water-environment sustainability in the Philippines. Each WWD.PH-participating government agency and private company submits their nominees, which are then screened and vetted by a multiorganization committee before being included in the list of awardees. The event was shot at the El Deposito Museum in San Juan City, which showcased the largest underground water reservoir in the country. It presented the history of the 1882 Carriedo Waterworks, which provided potable water to the residents of Manila, carried from the Marikina and Pasig Rivers, in the 19th century. It could be considered the forerunner of today’s Maynilad and Manila Water.
Sports
WOMEN’S soccer celebrates a record crowd of 91,533 at Camp Nou. AP
BusinessMirror
A8 | S
unday, April 3, 2022 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao
Progress claimed in women’s NCAA, not close on pay
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INNEAPOLIS—A year after glaring inequities were revealed at the women’s NCAA Tournament and less than two weeks after sharp criticism from Congress, NCAA President Mark Emmert declared Wednesday that he was happy with the institution’s progress. He said, however, there has been only “preliminary discussions” about distributing tournament revenues to women’s programs. Emmert said the work ahead includes negotiating a new television contract for the women’s tournament and potentially having a similar revenue distribution protocol as the men’s event. Emmert was careful not to call for specific changes ahead of discussions by the NCAA’s hundreds of member schools, and he declined to offer his own viewpoint. “It’s up to the schools and what they want to do in that regard,” he said at the site of the women’s Final Four in Minneapolis. “It’s a complicated relationship because the championships on the men’s side, the relative weight of moving forward in the tournament has been diminished over time. Those in the membership who think there shouldn’t be that much emphasis on winning in the tournament.” Sending money to the women’s programs is something coaches have been clamoring for. Men’s conferences receive hundreds of thousands of dollars per tournament game involding one of their teams, money they then redistribute to schools. There’s no such system on the women’s side. Emmert said adopting such a payment structure won’t be a quick fix and will require approval from several NCAA committees. “There’s really only just preliminary discussions about it,” he said. “I would hope those are decisions that can be made within the next calendar year, for example. If by this time next year there’s some notion of a direction to go in, that would be great.” Emmert said that wouldn’t mean it could be implemented immediately. “There’s no reason why they couldn’t start that debate and that discussion,” he said. “But it is a very challenging debate among the schools. Once you start talking about how you’re going to divide resources, then those are difficult.” AP
ON WOMEN’S MONTH,
DREAMS COME TRUE By Tales Arizona The Associated Press
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ADRID—The ovation when the world-record crowd was announced at the Camp Nou Stadium was just as loud as when Barcelona had scored its goals. Everyone in attendance knew they were part of something special: Never before had so many people watched a women’s soccer match. Wednesday’s record crowd of 91,553 at the Champions League game between Barcelona and Real Madrid was being celebrated by women’s soccer everywhere, seen as a demonstration of how far the sport has come and bringing hope about how far it can go. “Dreams DO come true,” Nadine Kessler, UEFA’s chief of women’s soccer and a former player, wrote on Twitter. “History made & world record set. Proud to see it all come
WHILE transgenders are being banned in sports in several US states, President Joe Biden marks Transgender Day of Visibility on Thursday by denouncing “hateful bills” being passed at the state level as the White House played host to “Jeopardy!” champion Amy Schneider, the first openly transgender winner on the popular quiz show.
China’s World University Games still on despite withdrawals
together, proud of our game. A night to be remembered.” The previous record for any women’s game was 90,185 for the 1999 World Cup final between the United States and China at the Rose Bowl. At the 2012 Olympic final in London, 80,203 people saw the US defeat Japan, 2-1, to win the gold medal. “Let’s keep it growing,” said the Twitter account of the United States’ women’s national team while comparing the crowds at the Camp Nou and the Rose Bowl. US stars Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan were among the Americans celebrating the world record on social media. “A crowd fitting for the team on the pitch! You LOVE to see it,” Rapinoe wrote on Twitter. A stadium-wide mosaic featured the words “More than Empowerment” on the grandstands of the Camp Nou in a show of support for women’s battle for a more equal society.
believe there were 91,000 people there for a women’s game,” former England player Karen Carney told Sky Sports News. “I was a bit emotional looking back at it. For a long, long time in women’s football we’ve been after this. ... It was amazing. The sport is in a great place and it’s only going to continue to grow.” Barcelona is one of the hottest teams in women’s soccer and won Wednesday’s match 5-2 to advance to the Champions League semifinals. Madrid was one of the few top clubs in Europe still without a women’s team until a couple of seasons ago. Now nearly every major club on the continent has one, though even the professional women’s leagues lag far behind their men’s counterparts when it comes to generating revenue. It was the first time Barcelona’s women’s team played a match at the Camp Nou in front of fans. It had played at the stadium before but behind closed doors because of restrictions prompted by the
coronavirus pandemic. The team usually plays at the much smaller Johan Cruyff Stadium, which holds about 6,000 fans. The Camp Nou has a 99,000-capacity. The match sold out quickly after free tickets for club members were snapped up two months in advance. The cheapest tickets for non-members were priced up to 15 euros ($16). Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas scored one of the goals for Barcelona and made headlines after the game for putting the Barcelona-Madrid rivalry aside and taking a photo with Madrid fans who were at the Camp Nou. “I don’t have the words to describe it,” Putellas said about the game and the world record. “It was super magical.” The record came ahead of the 2022 women’s European Championship, which will be played in England this summer. “What a moment for our sport,” said Chelsea player Bethany England.
Oklahoma, Arizona governors sign into law bans in transgender sports
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KLAHOMA CITY—Republican governors in Oklahoma and Arizona both signed bills into law on Wednesday that prevent transgender girls and women from competing on female sports teams, joining more than a dozen other states with similar laws. Flanked by more than two dozen young female athletes, including his 14-year-old daughter Piper, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed the measure, dubbed the “ Save Women’s Sports Act.” “This bill, the Save Women’s Sports Act, to us in Oklahoma is just common sense,” said Stitt, a firstterm Republican who is running for reelection. “When it comes to sports and athletics, girls should compete against girls. Boys should compete against boys. And let’s be very clear: That’s all this bill says.” Until two years ago, no state had passed a law regulating gender-
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THEN International University Sports Federation (FISU) President George Killian (center) holds a FISU flag before handing it over to Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic (not in photo) during the closing ceremony of the 24th World University Games in Bangkok on August 18, 2007. AP
“This evening, the reason why it’s incredible, (is because) I used to watch (Lionel) Messi or Dani Alves (play here),” former England player Alex Scott told DAZN Football from the Camp Nou. “Now every young girl is dreaming of playing at this stadium, of playing in a Champions League game, and it’s possible because they are witnessing it.” The previous club record was 60,739 in a match between Atlético Madrid and Barcelona at Atlético’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in 2019. The previous women’s Champions League record was 50,212 for a game between Lyon and Frankfurt in Munich in 2012. Juventus set an Italy record in its first women’s game at the Allianz Stadium in 2019 with 39,027 people on hand, and recently English women’s teams have also been playing at their clubs’ main stadiums, including at Manchester United’s Old Trafford. “Just looking at it, I couldn’t
RGANIZERS of the World University Games, which open in just under three months in Chengdu, China, say they are going ahead despite some countries pulling out of the event. Officials confirmed to The Associated Press on Friday that Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Luxembourg have withdrawn due to COVID-19 concerns. Australia has also indicated it is withdrawing its swimmers, volleyball players and track-and-field athletes. “Athletics Australia continues to have many concerns around the event and its management of COVID
designated youth sports. But the issue has become front and center in Republican-led statehouses since Idaho lawmakers passed the nation’s first sports participation law in 2020. That law is now blocked in court, along with another in West Virginia. The Oklahoma bill, which took effect immediately with the governor’s signature, applies to female sports teams in both high school and college. The new law was quickly panned by civil rights groups as unnecessarily targeting a group of people who already are marginalized. “Transgender people belong everywhere, but with the swipe of a pen and a public display, Governor Stitt has sent a clear message to Oklahoma’s vulnerable transgender youth that they are not welcome or accepted in our state,” Tamya Cox-Toure, the executive director of the Oklahoma chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
“Ultimately, SB2 violates the United States Constitution and federal civil rights law, puts Oklahoma at risk of losing federal funding, and harms transgender youth, all to solve a problem that does not exist.” Oklahoma’s governing body for high school sports, the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activity Association, has had a policy in place since 2015 addressing transgender athletes’ participation in sports, but OSSAA spokesman Van Shea Iven said no school has ever requested enforcement of the policy for a male student transitioning to female. There are also few transgender athletes in Arizona schools. Since 2017, about 16 trans athletes have received waivers to play on teams that align with their gender identities out of about 170,000 high school athletes in the state, according to the Arizona Interscholastic Association. Outside the room where Stitt signed the bill, 26-year-old Cara
Klever, who is transgender, held a sign that read: “How does it feel bullying kids needing support?” “They’re not going to keep trans kids from playing sports, having fun or living their lives,” Klever said. “What they are going to do with this bill is tell them they’re not invited in spaces and amongst everyone else, that they’re not equal, that they’re not loved, that they’re not cared for.” In Oklahoma, several supporters of the measure said they were convinced to vote for it after University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, a trans woman, won a title earlier this month at the national NCAA Women’s Division I championship. Some opponents had raised concerns about the NCAA pulling sports tournaments from Oklahoma, including the Women’s College World Series held each year in Oklahoma City, but Stitt said he wasn’t concerned. AP
protocols,” Athletics Australia said in a statement this week. “It is Athletics Australia’s view that it cannot endorse competition for Australian athletes in an environment that could put athletes at risk.” A spokesman for Switzerlandbased FISU—the International University Sports Federation—told AP that it has raised many concerns with Chinese authorities. FISU has said that Chinese officials have reassured them that Chengdu will not face a lockdown. This is a concern since China’s most populous city Shanghai, with 26 million people, is now under
lockdown because of worries over spreading COVID-19 cases. The Shanghai lockdown was unforeseen, as would be a lockdown in Chengdu. It’s expected that the World University Games will operate on a closed-loop system similar to one used in the just-completed Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing. That kept athletes and officials walled off from residents of the city of Beijing, required daily testing of all participants, extensive protocols to enter the country, and tracking by China-issued smart-phone apps.
Olivier Van Bogaert, a spokesman for FISU, said about 6,000 athletes from 90 delegations were expected to attend. He said the number was in flux. The World University Games, scheduled to be held every two years, are to open on June 26 and close on July 7. They were pushed back from 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. China is also scheduled to hold the Asian Games from September 10 to 25 in Hangzhou. This event involves more than 11,000 athletes and is usually larger than the participant numbers at the Summer Olympics. AP
BusinessMirror
April 3, 2022
Axie Infinity owner ‘committed’ to reimbursing players after $600-m hack
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YOUR MUSI
Melancholy and Abe Parker’s not-so infinite sadness
A
By Stephanie Joy Ching
LTHOUGH he seemed to have suddenly appeared in the music scene with his breakthrough song “Empty House”, Abe Parker is no newcomer to the music scene. Having written and produced for the likes of Marc E Bassy, David Kushner, Lecrae, Crowder, Social Club Misfits and Jaylon Ashaun, he already had quite the repertoire. However, his new single, “Butterflies” marks the first time that the Atlantabased singer-songwriter takes on the role of the artist.
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Group Creative Director : Eduardo A. Davad Graphic Designers Contributing Writers
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As a hopeful piano ballad, “Butterflies” first made its way onto Tiktok as an unfinished verse. Surprisingly, it became a smash hit on the platform, reaching 26 thousand creates, the majority of which came from Southeast Asia. “This whole song was a total shock for me. I wrote a verse and posted it on TikTok. Honestly, I didn’t think it would go anywhere until two weeks later when I noticed that 10 thousand people had made a video to the audio and it was not even finished! The next three days were a blur, but somehow I managed to write, track, produce, mix and remix the song until it was done. It was a little insane. My team really bent over backwards to make it work as well!” Abe shared. Though he has been well known in producing other artists, Abe revealed that producing was actually a side hustle in his artistic journey. “I think wanting to do my own music has always been the thing, all of the stuff with other artists, it just kinda happens. It’s been awesome to help other artists and all that stuff, but at the same time, I am doing the same thing,” he added. Drawing inspiration from his own life and his faith, Abe started his music career writing positive, happy pop songs. However, he revealed that he recently began to
shift towards sadder, more serious subjects drawing from what he describes as “past hurts.” This, he further explained, is his way of helping people cope with life. “The thing I am so excited about is that even though the songs are sad, I can help people even more. That’s what I really want to be able
ABE Parker
to do, to just give people a way to express something they were not sure about or they didn’t know how to think about it,” With lyrics like “Am I the only one that’s catchin’ butterflies? Am I moth in your flame? Do you burn the same when I look in your eyes...?” “Butterflies” has resonated well with music fans. Since its release last January, the song’s lyric video has earned over 2.1 million views while the subsequent music video currently has over 328,000 views. As a result, more encouraging songs are now expected from Abe, who revealed that he will be dropping many more singles during the summer. “I just want to be able to share my emotions with as many people as possible. The ultimate goal is for people to say; ‘I always felt this way, but I never knew how to explain it, but after listening to this song, I kind of know now,’” he concludes. Abe Parker’s “Butterflies” is now available on all major streaming platforms.
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soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | APRIL 3, 2022
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BUSINESS
ALL THINGS MUST PASS Jun Lopito was much more than a master guitarist
JUN Lopito (Photo from his Facebook page)
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PHOTO by Eddie Boy Escudero
By Paula Dinna Bellosillo-Sacris
OME of the most meaningful moments in life start with the tiniest interactions.
Sometimes, the path to the enlightenment you are trying to achieve is shown to you by people you don’t expect to touch you most profoundly not just with their revered work but also through their good-naturedness, humility and generosity of time. Through the loving kindness of certain people, Jun Lopito was such a pilgrim I was fortunate to have met along the way. Jun was, to me, not just the unassuming master guitarman most people revered. It wasn’t his legend, his blues, his life nor his fidelity to his Buddhist faith that endeared him to me. It was his calm countenance and presence with silent detachment from everything and everyone in his orbit. He was unperturbed by the trappings of his own celebrity, totally uncharacteristic of someone with his stature in the music industry. For a well-regarded Pinoy rock royalty, ego was virtually
non-existent for him. In the words of the late, great actor-turned broadcaster Rod Navarro, “walang masamang tinapay” best sums up his low-key disposition in life. Just a genuinely nice guy. If you’ve been to gigs, rocked the house out with some of the notable acts and had the privilege to hang out with rock stars who usually hogged all the attention, if you’ve been in the music scene long enough to identify the poets from the poseurs, you’d understand why it is such a big deal to know a Jun Lopito in person. It would be presumptuous to say we were friends in the personal sense. We just knew each other through common friends. But I hope somehow Jun remembered me from that brief interaction, probably my closest encounter when he asked me who my favorite Beatle was. Why the Beatles among the old fogies, or how or why that came up, I can’t recall. I told him
I don’t know the music of all four by heart to say I have a favorite, but I told him I like “the energy” (I actually said that…dear me!) of fellow Pisces, George Harrison. Then Jun reflexively strummed his guitar with the first ten bars of “My Sweet Lord.” Hearing him play an ex-Beatle’s song was a big surprise from someone who was often been compared with Keith Richards, lead guitarist of the Fab Four’s rival band, the Rolling Stones. Then I choked up. My struggle with indecision about a major lifestyle change that time just needed a soundtrack after all. We have no pictures together and I did not have another chance to hang out with him again. What I have of Jun is just memories, of his music, his trusty old Fender Strat guitar and powerful performances onstage as well as this sentimental memory of an impromptu soundcheck off-stage. And most of all, I will always have this heartfelt gratitude to him for wishing me well. For reassuring me that I will be just fine after planting my feet in the sand of Cebu, away from the noise of the city of my birth and the negativity of my personal history. Perhaps it was this blues buddha’s way of saying, “let go, go with the flow.” “Be kind to yourself.” Or “bloom
where you are.” Jun unknowingly silenced the overthinker and worrier in me. His kind words, his reticence with the affirmation “OK yan” to my hesitation to uproot for good and begin anew offered some solace and a form of an unburdening prayer. His recent passing, if I base it on the condolences and write-ups about him, will not be easy for everyone he has left behind. Yet I know it is going to be a spur to celebrate as well as emulate a life lived fully with total surrender to the invisible course. Jun Lopito will leave behind a garland of good times, of happy memories, of his kindness - a testament to his heart and soul in cultivating his talent since the summers of his youth and sharing the gifts of his music until his last sunset at 64. People’s common stories about their own encounters with him, both as an uncompromising musician, or a supportive mentor, and an inspirational human being will resound like a beautiful mantra on how to make a difference with the way Jun made connection and nurtured them into true friendships. His hearty laugh, his congenial company, his unintimidating aura and the transference of his visible joy of playing the guitar on stage, basking in the same limelight with fellow artists, and the warmth and energy those times produced will be painfully missed. And will never be forgotten. We will have to come to terms with Jun’s permanent absence soon enough. Thus, this reflection. His life as his death is a tag to the impermanence of life. Like the scent from an incense stick lit to remind us that – if I may borrow the words of dearly departed George Harrison in his song – “sunrise doesn’t last all morning and darkness only stays at night time” with the amazing grace of certainty that our life “not always going to be grey.” This optimistic view is as compelling and empowering as Jun’s practice of Buddhism in its resignation to the natural order. Because in the end, regardless of what we believe is true, like the cyclical seasons, all things must pass. NMRK, Boddhisatva.
Axie Infinity owner ‘committed’ to reimbursing players after $600-M hack By Kristine Servando & Philip Lagerkranser
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Bloomberg
he company behind the popular Axie Infinity crypto game said it will reimburse online participants who lost funds after hackers stole about $600 million from a blockchain system underpinning the game.
“We are fully committed to reimbursing our players as soon as possible,” Aleksander Leonard Larsen, chief operating officer of the gaming studio Sky Mavis, said via text message. “We’re still working on a solution, that is an ongoing discussion.” Hackers exploited a security weakness in a so-called bridge—software that lets people convert tokens into ones that can be used on another network—to drain it of 173,600 Ether and 25.5 million USDC tokens in two transactions. The breach happened on March 23, but was only discovered last Tuesday, according to Ronin, the blockchain that supports Axie Infinity. The funds swiped include the “deposits of players and speculators and the Axie Infinity Treasury revenue,” Larsen said. Of the Ether stolen, 56,000 belonged to the Axie Infinity treasury, he said. The company doesn’t suspect insider involvement in the heist, according to Larsen.
Axie Infinity is a blockchain-based, play-to-earn game developed by Sky Mavis. Hackers stole about $600 million from a blockchain network connected to the popular game, but the breach was only discovered almost a full week after. Axie Infinity is among the biggest of the so-called play-to-earn games, which allow participants to accumulate tradeable crypto coins. Daily active users swelled last year in developing countries hit hard by Covid, including the Philippines, Brazil and Venezuela. It continued to be played Wednesday. The attack is the latest to show that bridges are often rife with problems. The computer code of many isn’t audited, allowing for hackers to exploit vulnerabilities. It’s often unclear who runs them and exactly how. Identities of validators, who are supposed to order transactions on bridges, are often shrouded in mystery. And yet there are thousands of bridges out there, and they move hundreds of million of dollars’ worth of crypto.
Possible solutions Among possible ways to raise funds, Sky
Mavis could sell some of its Axie-related tokens in bulk at discount to major players, or sell the company’s equity to raise cash, said Sam Peurifoy, head of interactive at Hivemind Capital who also leads the playto-earn guild Kapital DAO in Axie Infinity. Alternatively, the Axie community could host a vote to approve liquidating enough funding from its “community treasury”—which currently has a total net worth of $1.6 billion—for reimbursements of the hack, Peurifoy said. AXS, a token used in Axie Infinity, fell as much as 11 percent after the hack was announced before recouping some losses. It was down about 9 percent on Wednesday, according to CoinMarketCap data. Ron, a token used on the Ronin blockchain, was down about 20 percent. “From our experience, the chances of recovery are low,” said Rishav Rai, lead
investigator for Merkle Science, a blockchain data analysis company. “When we look at the biggest crypto hacks and heists out there, it’s very rare that the funds get returned.” Sky Mavis has said it keeps all its revenue from Axie Infinity—including fees for joining the game, breeding its nonfungible token creatures, and other in-game payments—in its treasury, and only uses outside investor money to maintain its real-world team’s operations. It generated $1.3 billion in revenue in the 12 months through February. “The easiest way to look at this is like the bridge is the bank for the Ronin Network,” Larsen said. “The heist that happened took out all the ETH and USDC. So the ETH/ USDC on Ronin Network is not currently backed by anything. But we are looking at other options.”
Filipino gamers can now access preview of PC Game Pass
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icrosoft announced that it made available for the first time a preview of PC Game Pass to five Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. Players can now register for the PC Game Pass preview, giving them access to a library of over 100 high-quality games including new Xbox Game Studios releases on day one, iconic Bethesda games, and an EA Play membership for one low monthly price. “At Xbox, our mission is simple: to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet,” said Jeremy Hinton, Xbox Asia Business Lead. “Bringing PC Game Pass to more countries in Southeast Asia is an important part of how we will achieve this as we strive to reach billions of players.” To get started, players must download the Xbox Insider app from the Microsoft Store on Windows. After signing into the app using one’s Microsoft account, navigate the Previews tab and join the PC Game Pass Southeast Asia Market Expansion preview. Players can then trial PC
Game Pass for P5 for the duration of the preview. As the preview serves as the first step in bringing access to PC Game Pass in the region, participants can share their feedback to allow Microsoft to make improvements across the service. The company is looking to launch the service in full later this year.
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PC Game Pass launched in 2019 and was built from the ground up in partnership with the PC gaming community to give gamers the ultimate freedom to discover and play a highly curated library of great games. PC Game Pass includes Minecraft, Forza Horizon 5, Age of Empires IV, Sea of Thieves and Microsoft Flight Simulator, among others. Meanwhile, new Xbox Game Studios titles on day one covers Halo Infinite, as well as iconic franchises like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls from Bethesda Softworks, independent games and blockbusters. EA Play is also included with the service, featuring some of the world’s biggest franchises including FIFA, Battlefield, The Sims and Mass Effect. “PC Game Pass features a large library of high-quality titles from diverse game studios, with experiences from every genre,” Hinton said. “Xbox Insiders will get the first opportunity to experience the value that PC Game Pass offers, and we look forward to making the service available to more gamers soon.” More information about the PC Game Pass preview in the Philippines is available at https://bit.ly/3LwqynU.