BusinessMirror August 15, 2021

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Sunday, August 15, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 305

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BEST DEFENSE VS

DIGITAL PIRACY

Unlicensed design software in construction sector continues to proliferate in PHL, Southeast Asian countries

By Roderick L. Abad

S

“Second, companies should establish internal company policy to prevent employees from using private consumer applications in the work environment as these are often not protected against cyberattacks.

“Third, companies should close gaps in software licensing by purchasing legal software for every purpose that employees could need it and make it available to all employees. Allow requests of specific software,” he said.

Contributor

ECURING the Philippines’s cyber space is highly pivotal in fulfilling the nation’s goal to boost its competitiveness amid the government’s ongoing massive infrastructure projects.

The use of unlicensed software by numerous private organizations in the country over the years has not completely been addressed, however, leaving some of them highly susceptible to cyber attacks that could be detrimental not only to their business, but also to the markets or clients they serve, most especially in the public sector.

“We are looking at an initial list of 5,000 companies in the Philippines where we believe there is a significant gap between the design software they license and their actual usage rates,” BSA | The Software Alliance (BSA) Senior Director Tarun Sawney told the BusinessMirror in an e-mail interview.

In particular, the top executive said these are primarily professional engineering and design providers operating fairly large businesses and serving significant clients.

“Beyond these 5,000 companies there are of course thousands of other firms using unlicensed software,” he said, noting that they include manufacturers and animation studios.

Atty. Cyrus Paul S. Valenzuela, chief of Legal Division of the Optical Media Board (OMB), underscored that the first line of defense against cyber threats is a licensed software.

“The country’s unlicensed software use is an indicator of how exposed we are to cyberattacks, data

theft, ransomware and network attacks. This remains a concern in the Philippines, and it has to be fixed,” he pointed out.

Decline of illegals, but…

‘Dubious’ role in infra buildup

GIVEN that there are still many engineering and design companies using unlicensed software, it “is quite possible” that some of these are engaged in certain colossal infrastructure initiatives of the government, according to Sawney.

The “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) project is touted as the Duterte administration’s “centerpiece” economic program. Launched in 2017, it was envisioned to spend at least P8.4-trillion worth of new infrastructure projects nationwide, from roads to bridges and airports, among others.

“We do not know which firms are going to win government projects,” he emphasized, when pressed on how certain firms might have been awarded the contracts for some of the BBB projects—with their rigid rules and transparent biddings—if they use illegal software.

“In many procurement processes, companies must make numerous guarantees. And in some of these cases, using licensed software would be among these guarantees. But to systematically audit every company pitching for a project would be beyond the capacity of the government. Instead,

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 50.3930

BUSINESS Software Alliance Senior Director Tarun Sawney.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BSA | THE SOFTWARE ALLIANCE

it is the duty of the business leaders and shareholders in such companies to ensure they are using licensed software, because this is in the best interests of their business and the best interests of their stakeholders,” he explained.

Risk to public works

USING illicit design and engineering software could have adverse effects on the outcome and timetable of public works, the BSA’s senior officer admitted.

“The risks are serious,” he cautioned of the many possibilities in which security gaps in unlicensed software could have very dire consequences.

“Imagine a design firm engaged in an important infrastructure project that is hacked via a security gap in unlicensed software.

And imagine that the hackers demand ransom in order to allow the company to access its computers.

In the midst of a big project, how would a design firm react? Would the firm try to piece together designs while lacking the right software to do the job? Would they fall behind schedule—and in the rush to meet deadlines make mistakes?” he pointed out.

Sawney said that this should serve as a stern warning to those who remain unaware of the manifold impacts of using unauthorized design software that may be tied to national infrastructure projects.

“It is simply not worth the risk—and this is why we want to help companies transition from risky unlicensed software to secure licensed software assets. In short, the use of unlicensed software by

design companies engaged in infrastructure is fully unsustainable and is a losing proposition for everyone—including the public,” he said.

Protecting the business

ANY company using illegal software is taking a huge risk with their own business and the data that belongs to their customers.

With this in mind, chief executive officers must be on top policing their own businesses, especially now, to ensure their software is fully legal. It will just take only three steps to protect their business.

“First, they should conduct PC [personal computer] audits to ensure that all employees are using only legal software as this forms the first line of defense against cyberattacks,” Sawney said.

THROUGH the years, there has been a consistent decline of unlicensed software use in the Philippines.

“But we know there is still a long way to go, especially for those firms using sophisticated design software,” the BSA senior director said of this perennial problem that needs immediate action from both the private and public sectors.

While companies have a national duty to monitor their own behaviors and use only licensed software, he reiterated that the government has also an important role to influence them, most especially those who are noncompliant.

This is by educating business leaders on the importance of using licensed software to protect their business from cyber felons, enforce the law and use procurement regulations, per Sawney.

“Similarly, we encourage the government to require those companies providing services in the infrastructure projects to meet certain standards, which include the use of only licensed software in such projects,” he added.

Shift enabler

WITH billions of dollars budgeted for national infrastructure Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4564 n UK 69.6129 n HK 6.4762 n CHINA 7.7778 n SINGAPORE 37.1110 n AUSTRALIA 36.9683 n EU 59.1261 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.4374

Source: BSP (August 13, 2021)

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A broader look at today’s business

NewsSunday BusinessMirror

A2 Sunday, August 15, 2021

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China market turns frosty for Taiwan books, as tensions rise

By Huizhong Wu

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The Associated Press

AIPEI, Taiwan—Taiwanese author Iris Chiang hardly seems like the type whose work would be banned from publication in China. Yet four years after being sold to a Chinese publisher, her book teaching children how to appreciate art has yet to go to press, a victim of heightened tensions between China and Taiwan that are spilling over into the cultural sphere.

It’s not just about losing access to the huge Chinese market, authors and publishers say. It’s also about losing opportunities to exchange and connect, after three decades of growing contact between the two. In recent years, China has cut the flow of Chinese tourists and students to Taiwan and blocked its artists from taking part in Taiwan’s Golden Horse and Golden Melody awards, regarded as the Oscars and Grammys for Chinese-language movies and music.

“It feels like in these few years, the flow of exchange is diverging.

Taiwan is going further in one direction and China is going farther in one direction,” said James Chao, head of the China Times Publishing group, one of the largest publishers in Taiwan. “It’s getting farther and farther apart.”

China claims Taiwan, a selfgoverning island about 160 kilo-

meters off China’s east coast, as its territory. The election of Tsai Ing-wen, who favors Taiwan’s current de facto independence, as the island’s president in 2016 ushered in a period of deteriorating relations. China has tried to isolate the island diplomatically and pressure it militarily.

While China’s ruling Communist Party has long banned books on sensitive issues from religion to the lives of Chinese political leaders, Taiwanese publishers previously sold a wide variety of other books to the mainland, drawing on a shared language and cultural history.

“Exchanges in publishing is really the exchange of ideas,” said Linden Lin, the head of Linking Publishing Co. in Taiwan. “It’s only through publishing that you can have this type of exchange.”

Now, any Taiwanese book has

IN this photo taken on March 23, 2021, Taiwanese author Iris Chiang holds her book Play with Art at the saloon featuring Taiwanese artist YUYU Yang’s work in Taipei, Taiwan. Four years on after being sold to a Chinese publisher, Chiang’s book that teaches children how to appreciate art remains unpublished and may have fallen victim to the heightened tensions between China and Taiwan that are spilling over into the cultural sphere. AP

become harder to publish in China, according to editors, academics, publishers and authors. It is not a blanket ban, and publishers blame self-censorship by their mainland counterparts rather than any official order.

Titles that have been frozen out include a Taiwanese-Japanese fusion cookbook, a self-help book and a book of travel sketches from a Taiwanese artist’s travels in Beijing that featured cats roaming the city’s tra-

‘F

or me, in this harsh environment, you will also shrink yourself, because that type of cooperation is mutual. Because in the end we are all still carrying this burden of country and this burden of history.’—Rosine Liu, an editor at Taiwan’s Business Weekly

ditional hutong neighborhoods.

One sticking point is any content that suggests a separate Taiwanese identity.

Younger Taiwanese in particular have developed a distinct identity. A 2020 poll found that twothirds of the respondents didn’t think of themselves as Chinese.

‘Aversion’

“IN the past, they would censor books about religion.... But for example if a book’s topic is Taiwan’s food then that’s fine,” said Rosine Liu, an editor at Taiwan’s Business Weekly, who previously sold two cookbooks by a Taiwanese author to China. “But now I feel like now if it’s called ‘Taiwan Cuisine,’ even that’s a little stressful.”

The soft-spoken Chiang thought she would market her book, Play with Art, toward prosperous parents in China, where

the government was encouraging many people to have more kids— a fact she learned from one of her students from the mainland.

Things went smoothly with the Chinese publisher at first. At their request, she agreed to change one chapter that used examples from art museums in Taiwan. A Chinese writer would substitute a chapter based on museums in China.

Then the other side went silent, she said. When she reached out more than a year later, she was told the review process was slower than normal.

“After we got a new president, the response from the other side— the harshness of the situation and the unfriendliness—has created a lot of tedious things that make it inconvenient to have an exchange,” Chiang said.

That’s in sharp contrast to the 1980s and 1990s, when Chinese

readers were drawn to Taiwanese writers such as Lung Ying-tai, whose essays contributed to the debate on Taiwan’s transformation from one-party rule to democracy.

Sanmao, a Taiwanese writer who wrote stories about her life in the Sahara desert, captured a generation of Chinese women’s hearts.

There was also curiosity about the most basic things, after the two were cut off for decades following their split in 1949 during a civil war in China.

“Back then, relations were good and it seemed like there was a mood in China that they really wanted to understand Taiwan,” Chiang said. “What kind of fruit do you guys eat? What’s your art like?

What’s your life like? How do you celebrate New Year’s? These small things in life.”

Now, Taiwanese are also sensitive to the heightened tensions, highlighted by debate last year over a children’s book from China. Waiting for Dad to Come Home, about a boy whose father was out of town during the Lunar New Year holiday treating Covid-19 patients, paints a rosy picture of China’s efforts to fight the pandemic.

Propaganda, counter propaganda

SOME in Taiwan argued China was using the island’s open environment to spread propaganda. But a government proposal to vet books from the mainland prompted criticism that the island would be falling back on authoritarian habits.

“If we say we are afraid that the people will see fake news, that I will help them filter information … then how can you call this democracy?” said Lai Hsiang-wai, a professor of press freedom at National Taiwan University of Arts.

The government dropped the proposal, saying it would only censor books published by the Communist Party or its military, the People’s Liberation Army.

Liu, the editor, said it was never a purely commercial exchange for her. She enjoyed meeting her mainland counterparts at book fairs and learning about their way of doing things. In the current political climate, these very basic human moments of exchange, which had helped people forge a connection to each other, have disappeared.

“For me, in this harsh environment, you will also shrink yourself, because that type of cooperation is mutual,” said Liu. “Because in the end we are all still carrying this burden of country and this burden of history.”

Best defense vs digital piracy Continued from A1

projects here and the rest of Southeast Asia, BSA launched on July 21 a campaign encouraging engineering and design firms to commit to using only licensed software in the development of roads, bridges, ports and communications infrastructure planned for the years ahead.

This initiative is a continuation of its successful regional Legalize and Protect initiative that kicked off in 2019, helping businesses across the 10 member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to install licensed, cyber-secure software on nearly one million PCs.

“It would be a tremendous sign of strength to have the next generation of infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia built with software that is fully enabled, highly productive, secure and licensed,” said Sawney. “BSA wants to help the Asean region’s leading design and engineering firms to make the transition away from the risks of unlicensed software to fully licensed software that can actually unlock potential of the region’s leading designers.”

The leading advocate for the global software industry is working

with software company Autodesk Inc. for this campaign. It plans to conduct outreach to 20,000 engineering and design firms across the region, including 5,000 in the Philippines, 5,000 in Indonesia, 5,000 in Malaysia, and 5,000 in Thailand.

“Our goal is to try and ensure that every company working on important infrastructure projects takes time to audit its software assets and to confirm its licensing agreements are current—in particular for design and engineering software required for large-scale projects,” he shared.

Directly communicating with the target firms, the BSA now offers free consultations and advisory services on conducting audits for private-sector enterprises that seek counsel on the software licensing process. For companies that would like to learn more about software licensing, it encourages executives to conduct internal audits to identify potential licensed gaps inside their companies.

As part of the campaign, BSA is also collaborating with government agencies across the region to support the campaign and further encourage the private sector to exclusively use licensed software.

This includes the OMB in the Philippines; the Ministry of Communi-

cation and Informatics in Indonesia; the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs in Malaysia; and the Royal Thai Police, Economic Crime Suppression Division in Thailand.

“BSA’s effort to help companies on their journey to following national laws is crucial and we strongly support BSA to make our national cyber space more secure,” said Valenzuela.

Per the BSA estimates, there are still more than 100,000 design and engineering companies using unlicensed software in Southeast Asia. Nearly every week in the region, a private-sector engineering, architecture or design firm is fined and penalized for using unlicensed software. As such, its campaign is designed to inform business leaders about the risks of unlicensed software and the benefits of using legal design software.

“It’s clear that Southeast Asia’s leading engineers and designers want to use fully licensed design software because it makes them more productive and keeps their PCs secure from attack. The challenge is that not enough business leaders at these firms are willing to make the necessary investment,” Sawney stressed.

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Giant infernos blazing for months are the new norm in California

T

he Dixie Fire has been burning for nearly a month in Northern California, and that’s no longer unusual for giant wildfires torching the Golden State.

Eight of the 10 biggest fires in California history have occurred in just the past four years, and several of those raged for months before they were fully contained, according the information from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

Climate change is leading to longer, hotter summers and shorter winter rainy seasons across the state, leaving its 33 million acres of forestland more vulnerable to catastrophic conflagrations.

“The ability for these fires to grow right now is exponential,” said Daniel Bertucelli, a spokesman with Cal Fire’s incident management team for the Dixie Fire.

The August Complex fire, the biggest ever, blazed for nearly three months late last year in Northern California and destroyed more than 1 million acres before it was fully corralled.

The Dixie Fire has been tricky to contain because it’s located in a rural area with rough terrain and bone-dry vegetation, Bertucelli said. Fire officials don’t have an estimate for when the blaze, which has charred more than 500,000 acres and ranks as the second biggest ever in California, will be fully controlled. The fire was 30 percent contained as of Thursday afternoon.

“Once a fire gets as big as this fire is, it’s a big challenge,” Bertucelli said. Bloomberg News

TheWorld BusinessMirror

Sunday, August 15, 2021

A3

The new rich overtaking old money in South Korea’s billionaire rankings

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new elite of uber-rich entrepreneurs is shooting up the wealth rankings in South Korea, overtaking the families behind the country’s decades-old sprawling conglomerates known as “chaebol.”

Brian Kim, the founder of mobilemessaging app Kakao Corp., is the most prominent example with a fortune of $13.2 billion, recently replacing Samsung group heir Jay Y. Lee as the nation’s richest person. But other selfmade billionaires abound.

T here’s C h a ng By u ng - g y u who completed a listing of game developer Krafton Inc. just this week, and Bom Kim, a South Korea-born US national who took e-commerce giant Coupang Inc. public in the US earlier this year.

Seo Jung-jin, the founder of biotech firm Celltrion Inc., is worth about $10 billion.

The changing of the guard is a sig n t hat Sout h Korea’s $1.6 -t r i l l ion economy is enter ing a new era of g row t h, becoming less reliant on the family-controlled corporations that wield immense power in all aspects of life. Some experts say the new wealthy are more aware of rising inequality and are more willing to give back to s o c ie t y. O t he r s que s t ion whether they’ ll be any different from those who built their

old empires using cozy links to politicians and bureaucrats.

“It’s a positive shift for South Korea,” said Kim Kyonghwan, dean of the graduate school of entrepreneurship at Sungkyunkwan University in Suwon, a city near Seoul. “The new rich offer a silver lining for younger folks by showing how fortunes can be made independently, rather than from inheritance.”

For decades, the chaebols have served as pillars of the Asian “miracle economy” that arose from the ashes of the Korean War. Political leaders have relied on conglomerates including Hyundai, Samsung, LG and Hanjin to rebuild the nation, giving them outsized influence. Over the years, some of them shot into the spotlight for scandals and cases of corruption that

Chang Byung-gyu, founder and chairman of Bluehole Inc., poses for a photograph in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, on September 25, 2017. South Korean game developer Bluehole is now worth 5.2 trillion won ($4.6 billion), up five-fold in just three months, according to 38 Communications, which keeps track of unlisted Korean stocks. Bloomberg photo

made international headlines, s pa rk i ng bac k l a sh f rom t he public. President Moon Jae-in has vowed to overhaul chaebol business practices and his government kicked off reforms last year to improve cor porate governance and transparency.

That image of South Korea is

slowly giving way to one full of booming start-ups. With the pandemic spurring demand in sectors such as e-commerce, entertainment and biotechnology, an investor frenzy is fueling billions of dollars in fund-raising, initial public offerings and acquisitions.

Venture capital investment in the

country reached 3.07 trillion won ($2.7 billion) in the first half of this year, the most on record for the six-month period, government data show.

Some of the newly minted wealthy are getting into philanthropy. Kakao’s Brian Kim and Kim Bong-jin, the founder of food-delivery app Woowa Brothers Corp., have pledged to give away their personal fortunes.

That’s in contrast to families behind chaebol, who usually aren’t known to make large personal donations. They’re more likely to give to charity via companies they control.

“A major generational shift i s t a k i n g p l a c e i n K o r e a ’s wealthy population,” said Lim Jung wook, managing partner at TBT, a Seoul-based venture capital firm.

Many chaebols have faced cr iticism for using questionable means to transfer wealth to their scions and retain control, of ten r id ing roughshod over m i nor it y sh a re holders, said Park Ju-gun, the head of corporate research firm Leaders Index in Seoul. New-economy businesses that implement such practices need to be scrutinized, Park said.

Fo r no w, b e t t e r c a p it a l ava i l abi l it y a nd adopt ion of digita l tools dr iven by the pandem ic a re f uel ing t he g row t h of st a r t-ups.

“There has never been a better time for start-ups to grow and raise funds,” said Kim, the professor at Sungkyunkwan University. “We’ll see more cases of these new billionaires overtaking the traditional rich.” Bloomberg News

China’s education crackdown pushes tutors underground Amnesty reports widespread

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hina’s latest campaign to rein in its $100-billion outof-school education sector was meant to level the playing field for all. Instead, the crackdown is forcing tutors under the radar, making their services even more expensive—and exclusive.

A sweeping overhaul announced last month bans private companies from teaching the school syllabus during weekends and vacations and from making a profit, along with a laundry list of other restrictions. The education technology industry has been left reeling, with more than $18 billion wiped off the combined market value of TAL Education Group, Gaotu Techedu Inc. and New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. But the new rules also created a loophole, for now at least: private tutors and one-on-one lessons that the wealthiest families were already using to give their kids a head start. With the companies that provided group classes to middle-class families now decimated, regulations intended to redress the balance for students could end up skewing it further, as extra assistance becomes available only to the richest.

“Eventually parents will have to find other alternatives like private tutoring,” said Shen Meng, a director of Beijing-based boutique investment bank Chanson & Co., who follows technology firms closely. “While the crackdown will inevitably increase fees for such services for everyone, less wealthy families will struggle more.”

Private tutor rates have already skyrocketed in the aftermath of the chaotic crackdown. In Shanghai, some one-on-one tutors are charging as much as 3,000 yuan ($463) an hour, said parent Zoe Li.

Jack Wang, a Beijing publicschool teacher, charges as much as 500 yuan per hour for private classes at his home. He makes about 7,000 yuan per month from tutoring, roughly equivalent to his school wage, and says after-school lessons are the future.

“I only teach students at my home, but if they pay me high enough, I might consider going to their houses,” the 27-year-old said. “The demand will eventually increase.”

Private tutors—many of whom are public-school teachers offering extra tuition to students oneon-one, or in small groups—have been a popular option for betteroff families since well before the crackdown. The rules announced on July 24 specifically target education firms, but there are signs that individuals are also starting to face additional scrutiny.

The Beijing Municipal Education Commission said Monday that one person, along with six institutions, had been punished for offering unlicensed lessons following a recent inspection.

The appetite for extra tuition is understandable. China’s national college admission test, the gaokao, is notoriously demanding but standardized, and a top score can win any student a place at one of the country’s best universities. It is a key opportunity for young people to move up the social ladder, and tutoring firms have been known to play on parental anxiety about underperformance.

As a result, many parents are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of yuan each year on giving their child every possible edge.

Extra lessons for kids as young as five or six are not uncommon among those who can afford them.

Before Beijing’s intervention, the private education sector had become an investor darling, attracting more than $10 billion of funding from venture capital investors and technology giants like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. last year alone.

But firms reacted swiftly after the reforms were unveiled, along with accusations that the industry had been “severely hijacked by capital” and “broke the nature of education as welfare.” TikTok owner ByteDance Ltd. shut down a significant part of its online education business, laying off hundreds of employees in the process.

Tencent-backed VIPKid said it will cease selling new classes taught by foreign-based tutors to students in China.

“After-school tutoring is completely out of control and it’s time they ought to be taught a lesson,” said Polly, a Hangzhou high-school teacher who did not give her full name for fear of reprisal. As the mother of a four-year-old, she said she blamed the tutoring institutions for magnifying parental anxiety and expected the new regulations to ease that stress.

But while limiting access to out-of-school lessons may reduce some of the competitive pressure on children and parents, demand for tutors won’t be snuffed out without reforms to the university admissions system itself.

“As long as the hard demand is there—as in the high school and college entrance exam still exist— there’s no other way for parents,” said one mother who asked to be identified only as Huang. “They will have to find alternatives like one-on-one tutoring. All in all, the aspiration [of the crackdown] is

positive, but we don’t know where it’s heading.”

Hugo Guo, a 42-year-old tech worker in Shanghai, said one family in his neighborhood was already spending around 120,000 yuan over a summer holiday on their child’s private lessons.

“The rules will only push up costs for any after-school training, as the demand will always be there,” he said. “It’s just a matter of having to spend more money for the rich.”

Anyone looking to cater to that demand will certainly face heightened scrutiny from local authorities. Guangdong province pledged to curb after-school tutoring as part of their anti-mafia efforts, while Hubei deployed officials responsible for combating pornography and illegal publications. Anhui kicked off a six-month campaign targeted at public-school teachers who charge for additional tutoring, after reports of a local teacher teaching private classes from their home went viral.

In its five-year blueprint released Wednesday, China called for greater regulation of numerous parts of the economy, ranging from food and drugs to big data and artificial intelligence. “The people’s growing need for a better life has put forward new and higher requirements for the construction of a government under the rule of law,” the document said.

Meanwhile, Beijing teacher Wang has so far managed to avoid unwanted regulatory attention by giving most of his private students a pseudonym and collecting fees via a WeChat account linked to his friend’s identification.

“There’s no way you can find and report me at my place,” he said. Bloomberg News

rapes ‘with impunity’ in Tigray

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AIROBI, Kenya—Dozens of women have described shocking sexual assaults by Ethiopian soldiers and allied forces in the country’s Tigray conflict, says an Amnesty International report published Wednesday, and its researcher calls it striking how the perpetrators appeared to act without fear of punishment from their commanders.

“All of these forces from the very beginning, everywhere, and for a long period of time felt it was perfectly OK with them to perpetrate these crimes because they clearly felt they could do so with impunity, nothing holding them back,” Donatella Rovera told The Associated Press.

She would not speculate on whether any leader gave the signal to rape, which the report says was intended to humiliate both the women and their Tigrayan ethnic group. In her years of work investigating atrocities around the world, these are some of the worst, Rovera said.

More than 1,200 cases of sexual violence were documented by health centers in Tigray between February and April alone, Amnesty said. No one knows the real toll during the nine-month conflict, as most of the health facilities across the region of 6 million people were looted or destroyed.

These numbers are likely a “small fraction” of the reality, Amnesty said. It interviewed 63 women, along with health workers.

A dozen women described being held for days or weeks while being raped multiple times, usually by several men. And 12 other women said they were raped in front of family members. Five women said they were pregnant at the time they

were assaulted. Two said they had nails, gravel and shrapnel shoved into their vaginas.

“I don’t know if they realized I was a person,” one woman told Amnesty, describing how she was attacked in her home by three men.

She was four months pregnant at the time.

The AP separately has spoken with women who described being gang-raped by combatants allied with the Ethiopian military, notably soldiers from neighboring Eritrea but also fighters with the neighboring Amhara region.

Amnesty has not received allegations against Tigray forces, which regained control of much of the Tigray region in late June and have since crossed into the Amhara and Afar regions in what they call an attempt to break the blockade on their land and pressure Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to step down.

While Ethiopian and allied forces retreated from much of Tigray in June, some remain in western Tigray, and Ethiopia’s government on Tuesday essentially abandoned its unilateral cease-fire as Abiy called all able citizens to fight.

The Amnesty report calls for accountability for the sexual violence during the conflict, saying rape and sexual slavery constitute war crimes. Many women in Tigray now live with the physical and mental effects of the assaults including HIV infections and continued bleeding, it said.

In a statement responding to the Amnesty report, Ethiopia’s government said it had previously acknowledged that “some members of the armed forces have engaged in conduct that is contrary to the clear rules of engagement and direction they have been given.” AP

Journey

»life on the go

BusinessMirror

Sunday, August 15, 2021

A4

Editor: Tet Andolong

Resto Roundup on the Ridge

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Story & photos By Bernard L. Supetran

S Metro Manila undergoes another two-week quarantine, its fringes beckon lockdown-weary urbanites for even for a fleeting family getaway. The mountain resort city of Tagaytay and its neighboring towns are a logical choice because of its proximity and the new dining choices that open up every so often.

If you can pass checkpoint gauntlet unscathed or wait for Covid-19 cases to simmer down a bit, it is an exciting drive to do a roundup of the restaurants along the scenic and chilly ridge. Here are some must check-out dining haunts for families and friends.

Leonarda’s Authentic Filipino Cuisine

A roadside pit stop beside the newly opened Kaykulot Bridge, it is a country-style ancestral home which takes pride in its heirloom recipes handed down across generations. Named after their foodie matriarch, this restaurant with a six-room boutique accommodation serves Pinoy comfort dishes and highland specialties, including the sought-after bulalo and lomi of Batangas.

Its two-level dining area is an eye-candy with the profusion of decorative and curio items from all over the world meticulously curated by its owners which will keep you occupied as the kitchen crew whips up your order. With natural ventilation and physically distanced tables, diners can feel safe from the dreaded virus.

For dessert, sink your teeth on its dreamy buco creampie, a perfectly textured and delicious pie crust filled with rich, creamy coconut custard layered with pure milky goodness, generous toppings of macapuno. Better yet, pair it with

Leonarda’s premium house coffee which undergoes a unique brewing process.

For a complete escape, spend the night at the bedrooms which sport a comfy and retro theme which will transport you back to the 1960s.

You can also check out their nearby vacation lodging called “Little House on the Prairie” which is inspired by the American TV series.

For the obligatory pasalubong or takeaway, you can sample the artisanal buko pie sourced from nearby NMJ Il Felino Pasalubong Hub, which has a vast selection of provincial goodies.

Leonarda’s is undergoing transition and is expanding to Silang, Tanay and Batangas to reach out to more food trippers.

Siglo Modern Filipino

Situated at View Park Hotel across Picnic Grove, this resto takes you to a gustatory journey of the country’s regions at an intimate spot away from the madding crowd.

With the slogan “Travel Through the Philippines Through Food,” among its offerings are Cagayan Valley’s binukadkad na tilapia, Pampanga’s Sisig, Cebu’s lechon belly, Gen. Santos City’s tuna belly, and Iloilo’s Bam-i.

There are also fusion dishes such as bagnet samgyupsal of the Ilocandia and malungay pasta of Bicol, native panghimagas or desserts.

For lovers of craft brews, the res-

Don Limone Napa Grill Wine Cellar

Leonarda’s Restaurant interior

Siglo’s Bagnet Samgyupsal & Pinakbet

to recently opened its adjunct Siglo Brew which boasts of its craft beer such as Pinya Cream Ale, Tagaytay Wheat Beer, and Taal IPA, and an array of tasty bar chows.

While waiting for the food to be served, you can stroll around the hotel which exudes the charm of Asian and Neo-Italian architectural motifs, interiors, poolside, landscaped garden and outdoor lounges for an Instagram-worthy snapshot.

You can also request a quick peek at the artsy bedrooms painted with bits of prose and poetry.

Don Limone Napa Grill

Tucked inside the NBB Farm at

Don Limone Napa Grill's Mexican delights

the junction of Mahogany and Tagaytay-Nasugbu Roads is this cozy culinary spot which is a best-kept secret hiding from plain sight. A splendid crossover of fine and casual dining, this garden-themed resto possesses the elements and food of fine dining whose intimidating elegance is softened by its solicitous crew.

Inspired by the wine-growing counties of northern California, it is like a slice of various corners of the globe with its food, interiors, and aged wines—a little bit of America, Mexico, Europe, Middle East, and the Mediterranean. The chef couple and owners Allen and

NMJ Il Felino buko pie

Betty Tadayon can amiably take inquisitive diners to a gastronomy tour 101 for an appreciation of the cuisine they are offering.

For a catch-all meal, order the Kabob Combo Platter which has marinated tender beef fillet, boneless chicken, & marinated shr imp, home-made hummus and zatziki, freshly baked bread, salad, savory rice and Mediterranean dips.

There’s also wide range of fresh seafood and salads, biscottis, grilled meats, pizzas, pastas, soups, and fine dining specialties. Don Limone also springs up surprise offerings on special

events such as Mexico’s Cinco De Mayo, and America’s Fourth of July and Thanksgiving Day. Cap your meal with the fingerlicking saffron & date cheesecake laced with premium California dates, Italian mascarpone cheese, and Iranian saffron.

Sip the best spirits from its wine corner which is arguably the most diverse in the ridge area.

Enhancing the experience is the good old fireplace and garden patio which exudes a romantic and rustic vibe.

With the end to the lockdowns nowhere near, a ridge resto roundup is our sure refuge and relief.

Soon to rise ecotourism site in Mindoro brings excitement to travelers Hotel Sogo pioneers anti-Covid technologies

and help indigent communities

By Roderick L. Abad

A

S people drool over the return to normalcy that w i l l ma ke them f ina l ly free from any travel restriction, a new ecotourism destination—the Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Center (MBCC)—is now on the rise in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro.

T he constr uction of the 600-square-meter facility on a 16-hectare property overlooking the bay at Brgy. Dulangan was nearly halfway done already last month. With its ongoing construction, locals and tourists can soon expect this upcoming premier environmental conservation venue and educational-cultural site in the country.

“It is the first of its kind in Mindoro and will be the physical embodiment of sustainability, benefitting present and future generations,” said Grace Diamante, executive director of Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. (MBCFI).

This legacy project will be a focal point for nature preservation efforts and ecological research in the Philippines since MBCFI’s inception in 2008. Its location is strategic as Mindoro is known worldwide as a biodiversity conservation area because of its abundance in endemic species and diversity of habitats which, unfortunately, are threatened by human activities like poaching and deforestation.

Visitors can enjoy their journey at the MBCC with its many attractions, such as a natural history museum; a forest restoration area for native tree species; a Mangyan heritage hall for Indigenous People groups to showcase their culture

I

THE concept design of the Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Center (MBCC)

and products; a research laboratory to assist in the discovery of new species; a Nature Discovery Trail; eco-lodges with glamping areas at the view deck; and even a temporary holding facility for rescued endangered animals.

The facility is in synch with the local government’s One Island approach that considers use of natural resources, social programs, and economic viability in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

With its sustainability features, the MBCC aims to be a green building certified by the International Finance Corp.’s EDGE. It is also expected to help MBCFI continue studies for science-based recommendations to policymakers, and conduct information drives through its Conservation Awareness Raising and Education program.

The top executive emphasized that environmental conservation must be prioritized because the constant loss of biodiversity caused by human activities will affect communities with the consequences of climate change like typhoons, drought, and loss of natural resources.

The Philippines is ranked No. 2 among nations as the most vulnerable to climate change. Oriental Mindoro ranked ninth among the country’s provinces prone to flooding following forestry net loss of nearly 30 percent on the island from 1988 to 2015.

Recently, the Department of Science and Technology-MIMAROPA approved the provision of solar panels to help power up the MBCC’s research laboratory. Naming opportunities are also open to help fund other components of the MBCC for posterity.

N an effort to rebuild public’s trust and attract hotel guests who are worried about hygiene, social distancing, and safety at the top of their concerns, Hotel Sogo pioneered anti-Covid technologies based on research, and benchmarking from best practices around the world.

To regain the public’s trust, at the top of Hotel Sogo’s priority is to reduce touch points and intensify no-contact fixtures. Based on a prepandemic research carried out by Hotel Sogo, data shows that guests had a minimum of 59 Touch Points (TPs) during a typical hotel stay.

Due to new protocols that include contact-less fixtures, TPs have been reduced by 40.7 percent with the goal to achieve a reduction of 66.1 percent with more advanced technology centered on cellphone use.

At the onset of the pandemic on March 202, Sogo was the first hotel to use UVC (254nm) to fight Covid-19. Taking the cue from hospitals abroad, remote-controlled carts have been deployed for room disinfection. Compartments for utensils, key cards and cash were also fitted with UVC LEDs but kept away from personnel since 254 nm UVCs, while great for killing viruses may harm the skin and eyes.

FAR UVC disinfection was also extended at elevator lobbies. After extensive research, Sogo has acquired and tested the FAR UVC 222 nm lamps that effectively kill viruses while being harmless to humans.

Just recently (2020 Q4) produced commercially, it is quite expensive and is sold by only a few manufacturers abroad. Sogo is the first hotel to

install these revolutionary excimer lamps in all its elevator lobbies.

In its lobbies and hallways, ventilation Air Change Rate (ACR) is doubled. The ACR or the number of times the air is replaced for all general spaces is set at ≥ 4 per hour by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air-Conditioning Engineers). Sogo is doubling its current ACRs for intensified inflow of Covid-free fresh air to accelerate indoor air replacement.

Each branch has an Anti-Covid Team that regularly swabs high touch point surfaces that pass through ATP Fluorescence Detectors to verify microbial presence and effectivity of the new protocols. Anti-microbial coatings were applied on furnishings, fixtures and touch points.

Widely used in hospitals and mass transports in China, Hong Kong and Japan, these Polymer coatings are formed after spraying millions of nano-capsules with contact killing and anti-adhesion features that lasts for weeks. It effectively kills bacteria and viruses, including H1N1 and

Covid. Sogo applies this over all furnishings and touch points.

To further sanitize indoor air, Sogo installed air-purifying equipment having several levels of filters: Pre-filter, Activated Carbon, HEPA (H11), with built-in Cold Catalysts, Ion Generators and UVC lights that eliminate allergens and pollutants such as dust, pollen, odor, bacteria, viruses, and even reduces carbon dioxide levels.

Hotel Sogo is also ramping up its effort in helping the country’s indigent communities through Sogo Cares, the hotel’s Corporate Social Responsibility program. Continuously, Sogo provides basic necessities, such as food and water to indigent communities. Recently, it donated food packs with linens and towels to some fire victims in Manila; essential needs such as bottled waters, linens, pillows, surgical masks, pillow cases, and mattresses to the Philippine General Hospital with the help of AFP and donated in different community pantries in Bulacan and Quezon City. https://www.hotelsogo.com.

Science

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Sunday

Sunday, August 15, 2021

A5

Hopes raised anew on possible passing of nuke regulatory bill with panel's OK

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opes are raised anew on the possible passing of the bill creating an independent nuclear regulatory body with its recent approval by the House Committee on Ways and Means, said the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOSTPNRI).

Called the Comprehensive Atomic Regulation Act, the bill proposes the creation of the Philippine Atomic Reg u lator y Commission (PA RC), which will regulate all activities and facilities involving sources of ionizing radiation, a news release from the DOST-PNRI said.

The substitute bill, which consolidates 13 supporting House bills, was

approved on August 9 by the House Ways and Means Committee chaired

by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda.

The committee approved the measures that would allow the PARC to charge and collect reasonable fees for its regulatory functions.

The PARC will also be exempted from taxes and duties when importing atomic fuel, in accordance with the National

Members of the House Committee on Ways and Means met online to approve the fiscal provisions of the substitute bill for the Comprehensive Atomic Regulation Act. They are joined by DOST-PNRI Director Dr. Carlo Arcilla as well as other DOST and PNRI officials and staff. DOST-PNRI photo Internal Revenue Code.

Salceda expressed his full support for the passage of the measure, stating that the growing country, which is now the 13th most populous country in the world, needs to harness “the most powerful forces ever tapped into by mankind.”

He cited DOST as “very nimble in making use of atomic and nuclear research in determining everything from the purity of foods to the health risks of certain devices.”

“Soon, as some scientists predict,

we will be using nuclear technology to expand the world’s vaccine portfolio faster, since atomic and sub-atomic particles can be made to behave with greater precision than live organisms or parts of them,” Salceda added.

“We need to understand the world at the atomic level, and we need our laws to acknowledge this field,” he said. “For these reasons, I express my full support for the passage of this measure.”

Among those to be regulated by the PARC are nuclear and radioactive materials, and facilities and

rad i at ion- generat i ng equ ipment commonly used in the medical and industrial sectors.

The country currently has two regulatory bodies that deal with ionizing radiation. The DOST-PNRI regulates nuclear and radioactive materials and facilities, while the Center for Device Regulation, Radiation Health and Research of the Food and Drug Administration under the Department of Health regulates radiation-generating devices, such as X-ray machines.

Meanwhile, Science Secretar y

Fortunato T. de la Peña has been continuously rallying behind the creation of an independent regulatory body for the country that is on a par with international standards.

Further, DOST-PNRI Director Carlo A. Arcilla likewise pointed out that the nuclear industry regulation must be entrusted to a single independent agency for a number of reasons, including the lowering of the risk of nuclear or radiological accidents.

The funding provisions of the measure was approved in May this year by the House Committee on Appropriations.

The recent approval by the Committee on Ways and Means will subject the measure for second reading by the Committees on Government Reorganization, Science and Technology, and Energy.

On November 21, 2017, the substitute bill for a Comprehensive Nuclear Law was approved by the House Committees on Government Reorganization, and Science and Technology of the previous 17th Congress.

1 in 10 Pinoy kids PHL space agency marks 2nd year lacks vitamin D T O

ne in 10, or 10.3 percent, of Filipino children 6 years to 12 years old from selected provinces and cities in the country is vitamin D deficient.

This is according to the 2018 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) of the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), the agency said in a news release.

Vitamin D, also called “sunshine vitamin,” is a micronutrient which helps increase mineral absorption like calcium that is necessary for bone health and development The body can “make” vitamin D when exposed to direct sunlight that converts a chemical in the skin into an active form of the vitamin called calcitriol.

Lack of vitamin D is strongly associated with bone disorders and diseases, such as rickets, which affects bone development in children that may result in bone fragility and fracture in later years.

Vitamin D also protects against some forms of cancer and have recognized roles in preventing respiratory diseases.

Recognizing the importance of vitamin D, the DOST-FNRI assessed the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency among children 6 to 12 years old.

Vitamin D insufficiency According to the 2018 ENNS, a significantly higher proportion of vitamin D insufficiency is observed in girls, 6 in 10 (57.6 percent) than among boys, 4 in 10 (43 percent) aged 6 to 12 years old.

A vitamin D concentration of 50 to less than 75 nanomoles (nmol) per liter (L) is considered insufficient (50<75 nmol/L).

There are more children in urban areas (59 percent) who are insufficient in vitamin D compared to their rural counterparts (45.4 percent), the study also revealed.

The survey likewise reported that around 4 to 5 in 10 of Filipino children 6 years to12 years old across islands (National Capital Region [NCR]: 57.9 percent; Luzon: 45.8 percent; Visayas: 47.7 percent; and Mindanao: 51.2 percent) have insufficient levels of vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency The 2018 ENNS also showed that

among Filipino children 6 years to 12 years old, a significantly higher proportion, or 1 in 10 (11.9 percent) of girls are vitamin D deficient, compared to 8.6 percent of boys.

A vitamin D concentration of less than 50 nmol/L is considered deficient (<50 nmol/L).

Significantly, more children, around 18 percent living in urban areas, are deficient in vitamin D, highest prevalence of which was in the NCR at 30.1 percent, the study noted.

Vitamin D deficiency prevalence among Filipino children 6 years to 12 years old in Luzon is 6.6 percent, Visayas was 5.1 percent, and 6.9 percent in Mindanao.

The survey added that older children 11 years to 12 years old have a higher likelihood of having vitamin D deficiency than younger children.

Filipino girls are 1.5 times more likely to be vitamin D deficient than boys, the study found.

The probability of having vitamin D deficiency are 5.4 times higher in children living in urban areas, the survey concluded.

Based on the Philippine Dietary Reference Intakes (PDRI) developed by DOST-FNRI, recommended intake for vitamin D is 5 micrograms for children 6 years to 12 years old for both males and females.

There have been many reports on high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among pediatric population from various countries worldwide, including the United States (Gordon et al. 2004), China (Foo et al., 2009), New Zealand (Cairncross et al., 2017), and Africa (Mogire et al., 2021).

Because of its importance in body functions and nutrition, having enough vitamin D in children is essential.

The most practical and free source of vitamin D is from exposure to the sun. This is already sufficient to generate our daily vitamin D requirement.

The recommendations of the Pinggang Pinoy by the DOST-FNRI also provides a guide to good nutrition for children.

Pinggang Pinoy serve as a quick and easy guide for determining how much to eat per meal time. It includes "Grow" foods such as fish and eggs and consumption of milk, which are all good sources of vitamin D.

he Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) early this month marked the second anniversary of the signing of the Philippine Space Act, or Republic Act 11363, creating the agency.

With the theme, “PhilSA: Gabay mula Kalawakan, Tanglaw sa Pagbangon," the celebration highlighted the increasingly valuable role of space science and technology applications (SSTA) in the country’s recovery from the pandemic and in forging the nation’s development through digital governance and a knowledge economy.

PhilSA’s f lagship initiatives of space data mobilization and advanced satellite development aim to further strengthen science-backed planning and policy-making across society, and to build high value local industries and a knowledge workforce.

Director General Joel Joseph S. Marciano Jr. pointed out the importance of Philippine Space Act in the country’s long-held aspiration to contribute to a community of space-capable and spacefaring nations.

"We mark the second anniversary of the Act and of the establishment of the PhilSA with stronger resolve and vigor, and we continue to focus on the work of creating and adding value in space for and from Filipinos and for the world,” Marciano said PhilSA is heightening efforts in sharing its expertise and resources with other government and private entities in the utilization of space science and technology data, facilities, and systems to help enhance their ability to perform their respective mandates and duties, in line with Improved Public Access and Resource-Sharing under the space Act.

As an example, Earth Observation and remote sensing satellites are being used to demonstrate the country's capabilities to monitor and analyze the economic impact of Covid-19 through the Space Data Dashboard.

This platform was jointly developed

by PhilSA and the Advanced Science and Technology Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-ASTI).

The combined techniques of artificial intelligence and remote sensing enables the more efficient monitoring of critical infrastructure, movement of goods on ships and vehicles, and changes in air and water quality.

These direct and indirect indicators provide data needed by experts to assess the economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis across wide geographic areas. In turn, this can help the country determine our economic recovery strategies and monitor the ensuing pace of recovery.

PhilSA also intends to contribute to efforts aimed at improving Internet access in the country by bringing relevant space technologies.

“In relation to Internet connectivity being one direct application or downstream utilization of SSTA, we are shining the spotlight on the space segment and leveraging significant advancements in satellite technologies in helping bridge the digital divide. To this end, the PhilSA is working with various partners in an initiative that aims to accelerate the deployment of these new broadband Internet satellite services locally,” Marciano said.

The agency supports and collaborates with the academe, the private sector, and other government agencies

to promote the growth of space S&T by performing basic and applied R&D in SSTA, developing space education and public awareness initiatives, and providing grants and contributions to support programs or projects relating to scientific or industrial space R&D. These are designed to generate a robust and vibrant local space industry and economy over the long term. In particular, PhilSA also looks forward to the implementation of its scholarship and grants program, which is expected to kick off in 2021.

In coordination with the Space Technology and Applications Mastery, Innovation and Advancement (Stamina4Space) Program, the development of the country’s biggest satellite yet, the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment (MULA), began this year.

The Filipino engineers involved in the MULA satellite are returning to the Philippines this month after an immersion in the United Kingdom for the design and manufacturing process.

At the same time, nanosatellites Maya-3 and Maya-4 were completed and turned over to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) this year, and are set for launch soon.

According to Deputy Director General Gay Jane Perez, “The development, launch and use of these new satellites are critical milestones in our journey as a nascent space actor."

She said the country has seen in recent years the increasing utilization of space technology in addressing many of today’s pressing concerns.

“That is why we gear our efforts towards capacitating our very own local scientists and engineers to be able to develop and operate our own satellites

that are tailored according to our needs.

Having this endogenous capacity allows us to harness this technology as a tool for diverse applications that contribute to overall national socio-economic development,” Perez said.

PhilSA also established linkages with international space agencies and cooperates with them on the development and peaceful uses of outer space.

It represents the Philippines in the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and other similar space-related forums, assemblies, and organizations.

PhilSA made significant strides during its first year of operations, sustaining the momentum built from previous and current satellite development and data mobilization projects.

Landmark agreements with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and Jaxa were signed to ensure strengthened capacity-building and cooperation with international space agencies in areas of satellite building, space exploration, space law and policy, and data utilization.

PhilSA also continues to undertake its work toward the ratification of the UN Outer Space Treaties in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs.

PhilSA continues to strengthen its institutional capability and human resource buildup in its second year.

“During these formative years of the agency, we are given this unique opportunity to build an institution that will thrive with a culture of science, innovation and social responsibility at its core,” Perez said. “The agency takes pride in its young, talented, and hardworking team that continues to propel the agency to new heights.”

Science agency launches its ‘bayanihan’ through Lingap

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tate universities and colleges (SUCs) and government agencies in Ifugao, La Union, Samar and Laguna work together to share products of science and technology initiatives to their respective communities in “Lingkod Alalay sa Pamayanan,” or Lingap.

Lingap is an initiative conceptualized and organized by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).

It is a collaboration among partner agencies being supported by the Technology Transfer and Promotion Division (TTPD) of DOST-PCAARRD: Ifugao State University (IFSU), Don

Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU), Samar State University (SSU), and Bureau of Plant Industry-Los Baños National Crop Research, Development and Production Support Center (BPI-LBNCRDPSC).

The initiative mimics the community pantry concept, wherein the harvests and other products of the partner agencies will be distributed to its communities. Donors from the community are also welcome to contribute other food and non-food products to be distributed.

Lingap was launched recently via Facebook Live.

“In Filipino, the word lingap corresponds to compassion, providing

attention, or the act of taking care of someone. This is the main concept of Lingap,” said Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña in his message. “I hope that through this i n it i at ive, gover nment agenc ies become inspired and follow suit.”

According to DOST-PC A ARRD E xec ut ive Di rector Rey na ldo V. Ebora, Lingap is one of the components of the Good Agri-Aqua Livelihood Initiatives toward National Goals, or Galing-PCA ARRD Kontra Covid-19 program.

The program is DOST-PCAARRD’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic in accordance with the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act of the government.

Although the event was held for one day, the launch was just a glimpse of more efforts of DOST-PCAARRD in responding to the needs of communities in times of natural disasters.

“The project, which we launched today, is only part of our initiatives at DOST in terms of responding to the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. This is only the start of introducing the gains of S&T to our fellow Filipinos,” said DOST Undersecretar y for R&D Rowena Cristina L. Guevara.

“I hope that this initiative will flourish and expand to more locations in the country,” Guevara added. Rose Anne M.

Aya/S&T Media Services

Faith

Sunday

A6 Sunday, August 15, 2021

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion • www.businessmirror.com.ph

Dumaguete bishop: ‘Reclamation project morally wrong’

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UMAGUETE Bishop Julito B. Cortes reiterated his opposition to the city’s proposed 174-hectare reclamation project, calling it “morally wrong.”

“If it is morally wrong, then it is incumbent for Christians and people of goodwill not to support such projects, structures or systems,” Cortes said.

He made the statement recently during the city council’s virtual session on the controversial P23-billion project dubbed “Smart City.”

Speaking before the city legislators, the bishop anchored his presentation on Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si. Cortes said the diocese opposes the project because it could have “irreversible damage” on marine life.

He also raised “grave concerns” about the legality and the alleged corruption in the approval of the contract.

T he bishop asked officials to stop “enticing the poor” w ith more promises to advance the reclamation project. “ The Church has long warned political and business leaders never to instrumentalize the poor in order to advance the selfish interests of the few,” Cortes said.

“It is a sin to abuse the poor to satisfy one’s greed,” he added.

The prelate then appealed for an

Dumaguete Bishop Julito B. Cortes PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY JUDALINE PARTLOW end to “division and hurt” brought by the issue to the people.

“I appeal to you, honorable mayor and our city councilors, stop this, please! As the Italians say, “Basta!

Enough, enough!” he said.

Protecting environment should be top priority IN another call to protect the environment, Manila Archbishop Jose F. Cardinal Advincula said environmental concerns cannot and must

not be set aside in the face of the Covid-19 crisis.

On the contrary, he said world leaders have to do everything possible to make sure the environment is a top priority when dealing with the pandemic.

“It is a concern that should be prioritized by leaders of nations, of the church, of business and various sectors of society,” Advincula said.

He asked the people to protect God’s creation “like how we protect ourselves from Covid-19.”

“We do everything we can to prevent the infection and further spread the virus, so we also do everything to take care of our environment,” he said.

The cardinal made the statement in his video message to participants of the Manila archdiocesan online assembly and planning for next month’s “Season of Creation.”

He encouraged the archdiocese’s Ministry on Ecology and its partners to

continue its efforts in raising awareness about “our collective duty as stewards of creation.”

Advincula expressed hope that through the annual celebration, the archdiocese will respond to Pope Francis’ call “for everyone to have an ecological conversion.”

He also assured his support for the ministry “because environmental concerns play an important part in our lives.”

The Season of Creation starts on September 1, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and ends on October 4, the feast of St. Francis, the patron saint of ecology.

In the Philippines, dioceses extend the celebration until the second Sunday of October, which the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines declared as Indigenous Peoples (IP) Sunday in 1978.

This year’s IP Sunday falls on October 10. Ryan Sorote/CBCP News

Religious revival on in China under Communist Party’s watch

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Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo arrives in Taytay, Palawan, on August 5 ahead of his installation as Apostolic Vicar of Taytay on August 19. APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF TAYTAY

ECQ causes changes to Pabillo’s installation as Taytay prelate

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UERTO Pr incesa Bishop Socrates C. Mesiona will install Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo to the Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay instead of Manila Archbishop Jose F. Cardinal Advincula Jr. as Metro Manila was placed under enhanced community quarantine until August 20.

Pabi l lo a n nou nced over R ad io Ver itas on Aug ust 9 that the cardin a l a nd Papa l Nu nc io A rc hbi shop Charles John Brow n w i l l not ma ke it to h i s i nst a l l at ion bec au se of pa ndem ic t rave l rest r ic t ions.

He said his predecessor Taytay Bishop Emeritus Edgardo S. Juanich will also attend the installation rite

on August 19.

“So basically it is an all Palawan team,” he said.

The bishop, who arrived in Taytay on August 5, observed the mandatory seven-day quarantine of the province.

Pabillo’s installation will take place at the St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral, the seat of the Taytay bishop, with limited number of attendees in adherence to health protocols.

The ceremony coincides with the feast of St. Ezequiel Moreno, the Augustinian Recollect missionary who served in Palawan, and the prelate’s 15th episcopal anniversary. CBCP News

Sanctions on Iran block mosque from claiming religious tiles

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A NA SS A S, V i rg i n i a—A northern Virginia mosque is asking the Biden administration to release a set of religious tiles that were confiscated at Dulles International Airport after they were deemed to violate sanctions on Iran.

At a news conference on August 10 at the Manassas Mosque, Imam Abolfazl Nahidian said the custommade tiles shipped in June from the Iranian city of Qom would be used in the construction of a new mosque a few miles away.

He said the tiles were a gift and he paid no money for them, but a Customs and Border Protection officer at the airport blocked the mosque from claiming the tiles, citing the sanctions.

Nahidian said he has received other tile shipments throughout the years without incident, including one shipment that arrived eight months ago.

A letter from Customs and Border Protection informed the mosque that the tile must be shipped back to Iran or destroyed.

Destroying the tiles, which are adorned with Quranic verses, would be especially disturbing, Nahidian said.

“Destroying the tiles is the same as

destroying verses of the Quran, or the whole Quran itself,” he said.

Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said that whatever one’s views are of the Iranian sanctions, it makes no sense to enforce the rules on a benign piece of religious art.

“They are not weapons of mass destruction,” Awad said. “We believe the government should have common sense.”

A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection confirmed that the tiles were placed on hold June 21 and that on June 30, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control determined that, under the sanctions imposed on Iran, the tiles could not be imported.

The spokesperson said no final determination has been made on the tiles’ disposition. The Treasury Department declined to comment.

Speakers during the news conference suggested that anti-Islam sentiment may be responsible for the confiscation.

“If this were a statue of the Virgin Mary, would we be here discussing this?” asked Rafi Uddin Ahmed, president of the Muslim Association of Virginia. AP

HE Chinese Communist Party is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding in 1921. For most of those decades, the party sought to restrict or obliterate traditional religious practices, which it considered part of China’s “feudal” past.

But since the late 1970s, the party has slowly permitted a multifaceted and far-reaching revival of religion in China to take place.

More recently, current Chinese President and Communist Party leader Xi Jinping has endorsed continued party tolerance for religion as filling a moral void that has developed amid China’s fast-paced economic growth.

This support does come with caveats and restrictions, however, including the demand that religious leaders support the Communist Party.

As a scholar of Chinese religions, these considerable changes are of special interest to me.

A revival of religion ATHEISM remains the official party ideology, with members banned from professing religious faith. The party’s aggressive efforts to obliterate all religious beliefs and practices reached a high point during the tumultuous decade of the Cultural Revolution, from 1966 to 1976.

All temples and churches were shut down or destroyed. Any form of religious activity was prohibited, even as there was forceful promotion of the cult of Mao (Zedong), which assumed the role of an officially sanctioned religion.

As part of major reforms and a loosening of social controls, initiated in the late 1970s, the party has slowly accepted a range of behaviors and traditions that fulfill religious needs or provide spiritual outlets.

Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, Islam and Protestantism—the five officia l ly recog nized relig ions— have staged comebacks, albeit with varying success.

There are increasing numbers of local temples, associations, pilgrimages and festivals, and growing numbers of Buddhist, Christian and Taoist clergy.

Many religious sites are open for private worship and communal service and frequented by people from all walks of life.

Local governments are often keen to restore and promote religious establishments, largely to stimulate tourism and local economic development.

Consequently, a major metropolis, such as Shanghai, has become home to religious establishments large and small, official and underground.

They range from local shrines to Buddhist and Taoist temples, churches and mosques. There are also new entrants to the religious scene, exemplified by the yoga centers that have sprung up in many Chinese cities.

Grand Buddha at Ling Shan, Wuxi in Jiangsu province, eastern China. Wikimedia Commons It seems that people have welcomed these policy shifts. A 2020 study by the Pew Research Center found that 48.2 percent of China’s population had some form of religious affiliation.

The exact data is debatable, and it is difficult to conduct reliable research in China. But these results suggest that many Chinese participate in various activities that can be labeled religious.

A mix of religious practices TRADITIONALLY, most Chinese people don’t subscribe to a single faith or construct a narrow religious identity.

They engage with varied beliefs and practices, a pattern of religious piety dating back centuries to ancient imperial China.

That encompasses aspects of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, as well as many practices termed “popular religion.” These range from visiting temples, attending pilgrimages and festivals, praying and offering incense, ancestor worship and veneration of various celestial divinities.

There are also the popular practices of geomancy or feng shui, an ancient art of harmonizing humans with their surroundings, and divination or fortunetelling.

These rich traditions often have regional variations, such as the veneration of Mazu, a sea goddess, which is especially prevalent in southeast China and Taiwan. Originally a patron

goddess of seafarers, Mazu is widely worshiped by people from all walks of life and promoted as an important symbol of local culture.

Confucian rapprochement THE Communist Par t y has a lso stopped criticizing the teachings of Confucius, the famous philosopher and educator of the sixth and fifth centuries B.C. For much of the 20th century, Confucian teachings were rejected as discredited relics of an imperial past.

But that changed over recent decades, as the party sought to reposition itself as the guardian of Chinese traditions.

This contributed to a significant revival of Confucianism.

Confucianism’s time-honored ethical framework offers guideposts to navigating the often-harsh realities of life in a highly competitive society.

But the party has also found it useful to harness aspects of Confucianism that resonate with its core interests, such as obedience to authority and respect for the leader.

Accordingly, the government has supported reestablishment of Confucian temples and institutes. It has also sponsored conferences on Confucianism and even organized lectures on Confucian teachings for party officials.

Control and curation of religion ADOPTING attitudes and methods

with long-established precedents in the dynastic history of imperial China, the communist government positions itself as the ultimate arbiter of orthodoxy and heterodoxy, or proper and improper religious practices. Religious leaders must support the party and follow its directives.

Authorities keep firm administrative control over all forms of religious expressions and organizations, by whatever means they deem prudent or necessary. As we know from the reports of Western scholars and journalists, that control ranges from subtle forms of domination and co-option of religious groups to outright bans or repressions.

In 2015, the government removed 1,200 crosses from church buildings across Zhejiang province. In 2016, a Zhejiang court sentenced a Protestant pastor to 14 years in prison for resisting a government order to take down his church’s cross.

In 2018, the gover nment demolished the Golden Lampstand Church in Shanxi province.

In response, most religious groups tread carefully and engage in self-censorship, as I and others have observed during research trips in China.

China tends to treat religions perceived as potentially threatening to the established order harshly, especially if suspected of foreign ties or secessionist tendencies.

For instance, for decades China has strictly regulated Buddhism in Tibet, as it has pursued policies aimed at suppressing the cultural and national identities of the Tibetans. That contrasts with more relaxed attitudes toward the form of Buddhism practiced by the Han majority.

The party has explained its recent, ruthless campaign to repress the Uighurs, a Muslim minority in Xinjiang—a nominally autonomous region in Northwest China—as intended to counteract terrorism and separatism.

According to leaked documents, since 2014 up to a million Uighurs have been interned in “re-education camps.” It’s part of a hardline policy of secularization and “Sinicization,” which implies assimilating the Uighurs into the majority Han culture, at a loss of their religious and ethnic identities.

Balancing act AS it celebrates its 100th anniversary, the Chinese Communist Party seeks to project the image of a unified nation returning to global political and economic dominance.

But at home it faces manifold problems and is engaged in a balancing act: affirming its dual role as a guardian and curator of traditional Chinese culture and religion, but in a manner that enhances rather than undermines its power and authority. Mario Poceski,

University of Florida/The Conversation (CC)

Biodiversity Sunday BusinessMirror

Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014

Sunday, August 15, 2021

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

A7

Climate change is causing tuna to migrate This could spell catastrophe for the small islands that depend on them

S

MALL Pacific Island states depend on their commercial fisheries for food supplies and economic health. But our new research shows climate change will dramatically alter tuna stocks in the tropical Pacific, with potentially severe consequences for the people who depend on them.

As climate change warms the waters of the Pacific, some tuna will be forced to migrate to the open ocean of the high seas, away from the jurisdiction of any country. The changes will affect three key tuna species: skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye.

Pacific Island nations such as the Cook Islands and territories such as Tokelau charge foreign fishing operators to access their waters, and heavily depend on this revenue.

Our research estimates the movement of tuna stocks will cause a fall in annual government revenue to some of these small island states of up to 17 percent.

This loss will hurt these developing economies, which need fisheries revenue to maintain essential services such as hospitals, roads and schools.

The experience of Pacific Island states also bodes poorly for global climate justice more broadly.

Island states at risk

CATCHES from the Western and Central Pacific represent over half of all tuna produced globally. Much of this catch is taken from the waters of 10 small developing island states, which are disproportionately dependent on tuna stocks for food security and economic development.

These states comprise Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tokelau and Tuvalu.

Their governments charge tuna fishing access fees to distant nations of between $7.1 million and $134 million, providing an average of 37 percent of total government revenue (ranging from 4 percent to 84 percent).

Tuna stocks are critical for these states’ current and future economic development, and have been sustainably managed by a co-

shift in the location of the edge of the Western Pacific Warm Pool (a mass of water in the western Pacific Ocean with consistently high-water temperatures) and subsequently the prime fishing grounds for some tropical tuna.

This shift into areas beyond national jurisdiction would result in weaker regulation and monitoring, with parallel implications for the long-term sustainability of stocks.

Country

Annual access fee revenue

% of gov. revenue

1

Palau

$7.1 million

9.4%

2

Federated States of Micronesia

$68.4 million

47.6%

3

Papua New Guinea

$134.3 million

4%

4

Marshall Islands

$31 million

47.8%

5

Nauru

$29.5 million

31.2%

6

Solomon Islands

$41.3 million

9.6%

7

Tuvalu

$25.6 million

53.9%

8

Kiribati

$128.3 million

70.6%

9

Tokelau

$13.4 million

84.2%

10

Cook Islands

$13.5 million

10.60%

operative agreement for decades.

However, our analysis reveals this revenue, and other important benefits fisheries provide, are at risk.

Climate change and migration

TUNA species are highly migrator y—they move over large distances according to ocean conditions. The skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye tuna species are found largely within Pacific Island waters.

C o n c e nt r a t i o n s o f t h e s e stocks normally shift from year to year between areas further to the east in El Niño years, and those further west in La Niña years.

However, under climate change, these stocks are projected to shift eastward—out of sovereign waters and into the high seas.

Under climate change, the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean will warm further. This warming will result in a large eastward

What our research found

COMBINING climate science, ecological models and economic data from the region, our researc h publ ished recent ly in Nature Sustainability shows that under strong projections of climate change, small island economies are poised to lose up to $140 million annually by 2050, and up to 17 percent of annual government revenue in the case of some states.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides scenarios of various greenhouse gas concentrations, called “representative concentration pathways” (RCP). We used a higher RCP of 8.5 and a more moderate RCP of 4.5 to understand tuna movement in different emissions scenarios.

In the RCP 8.5 scenario, by 2050, our model predicted the total biomass of the three species of tuna in the combined jurisdictions of the 10 Pacific Island states would decrease by an average of

13 percent, and up to 20 percent.

But if emissions were kept to the lower RCP 4.5 scenario, the effects are expected to be far less pronounced, with an average decrease in biomass of just 1 percent.

While both climate scenarios result in average losses of both tuna catches and revenue, lower emissions scenarios lead to drastically smaller losses, highlighting the importance of climate action.

These projected losses compound the existing climate vulnerability of many Pacific Island people, who will endure some of the earliest and harshest climate realities, while being responsible for only a tiny fraction of global emissions.

What can be done?

CAPPING greenhouse-gas emissions, and reducing t hem to levels aligning with the Paris Agreement, would reduce multiple climate impacts for these states, including shifting tuna stocks.

In many parts of the world, the consequences of climate change compound upon one another to create complex injustices.

Our study identifies new direct and indirect implications of climate change for some of t he world ’s most v u l nerable populations.

Katherine Seto, Johann Bell and Quentin Hanich of the University of Wollongong, and Simon Nicol of the University of Canberra/The Conversation (CC)

Haribon supports call to junk Dumaguete’s ‘smart city’ project B

IODI V ER SI T Y conservationist group Haribon Foundation joined the call of the countr y’s leading scientists to junk the “smart city” reclamation project in Dumaguete City.

In a statement, the group also urged the city’s local government “to reassess the impacts of reclamation on biodiversity and its ecosystem services.”

“Haribon Foundation stands with the leading scientists from Silliman University to urge local and national government authorities to oppose and abandon the proposed 174-hectare Smart City reclamation project along the shores of the renowned university town in Negros Oriental,” the group said.

“We believe that decisions over the establishment of large infrastructure projects that creates long-term impacts on the lives of those dependent on these resources should be inclusive and transparent,” Haribon added.

The move to authorize the project without public consultation led to an uproar among Dumaguete’s constituents, especially its scientists, according to Haribon.

In their recent statement, Silliman University President Dr. Betty Cernol-McCann, SU’s former presidents Dr. Angel Alcala and Dr. Ben Malayang III, marine scientists Dr. Hilconida Calumpong, Dr. Rene Abesamis, Dr. Enrique Oracion, Dr. Janet Estacion and Dr. Robert Guinoo said the project will “bury the biodiversity-rich

and fishes to other areas.

“These MPAs are legally protected through a city ordinance enacted by the Sangguniang Bayan of Dumaguete that localizes the implementation of Republic Act 8550, or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, and its internal rules and regulations, Republic Act 10654,” the group said.

Prior to their approval, the MPAs went through a lengthy process that involved consultations with several stakeholders of the city.

coastal habitats of Dumaguete, impacting 63 percent of the 58 hectares of seagrass beds and 61 percent of the 60 hectares of coral reefs.”

Marine protected areas movement

National Scientist Alcala, a former member of the Haribon Board of Trustees and scientific advisor, led the marine protected areas (MPAs) movement in the Philippines, Haribon said.

T he movement st a r ted i n Dumaguete City when A lcala was the lead marine scientist in the Silliman University Marine Laboratory. He was also a former secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Alcala and his team established the first community-based MPA— known today as the Apo Island Protected Landscape and Seascape— which became one of the most successful MPAs in terms of tourism and fisheries management.

“This MPA continues to be a beacon of hope as one of the 228 Key Biodiversity Areas in the country,” Haribon said.

Ecological and socioeconomic damage

HARIBON said that recent information suggests deeper areas off the coast of Dumaguete City between 30 meters to 90 meters deep also harbor a high diversity of fish.

While these areas offer fewer hiding places and shelter than

shallow reefs, 60 percent to 80 percent of the fishes found here are important to fisheries.

“Our waters are interconnected.

Fish stocks are shared and know no political boundaries, known as ecological connectivity,” the group said.

Haribon said the “irreversible ecological damage will have a ripple effect on dozens of other MPAs along the Negros Oriental coast, Siquijor and Bohol, as well as the DENR-managed MPAs, such as the Apo Island Protected Landscape and Seascape and Tañon Strait Protected Seascape.”

Legally protected MPAs

DUMAGUETE City’s four MPAs will also cease to exist once the proposed reclamation project is approved, Haribon said.

MPAs provide refuge for biodiversit y, including fishes to thrive, reproduce and be protected from human activities within its boundaries, allowing them to move in and out, or provide eggs

Beyond marine resources

R EC L A M AT ION proje c t s a l ter coastal topography and will change local water movement, adding to the imminent problem of sea-level rise in low-lying areas.

“The development of artificial islands [also] requires tens of millions of filling materials, which will be sourced through quarrying on land or dredging the seafloor.

These are seen to result in permanent environmental damage to the source areas,” Haribon said.

While the effects may not be seen in the immediate area, their repercussions will be felt elsewhere through coastal erosion given the interconnectedness of ecosystems.

Haribon said the reclamation project “that promises to build infrastructures, such as high-rise hotels and even a yacht club, will further marginalize fishers and their communities dependent on the resources provided by the MPAs and the coastal habitats of Dumaguete.”

ACB on Mayon bacterial species find: A breakthrough for PHL and Asean

‘S

olutions indeed, can be found in nature,” said the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) in a statement as it congratulated the University of the Philippines Los Baños and its team of researchers who has recently isolated 30 bacterial species from Mount Mayon’s volcanic soils and found potential antibiotic and anti-colorectal cancer properties.

The bacterial isolates may be turned into potentially useful antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs.

Considering that the World Hea lt h Orga n i z at ion ( W HO) has declared antimicrobial resistance as one of the top 10 global threats to public health while colorectal cancers are currently the third leading site of malignancy in the Philippines, this discovery is a breakthrough for the Philippines and the Asean, the ACB said.

In the early 1950s, the Philippines was also the source of a useful antibiotic, the ilosone, which was found in the soils around Iloilo City and vicinities.

The drug became commercially successful worldwide.

“As a Party to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing, the Philippines is orientated to enhance the contribution of biodiversity to development and human well-being as well as to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of its genetic

resources,” the ACB added.

Through further research and development, this innovation could be poised to have potential commercial and non-commercial benefits that will accrue to the people living in the vicinity of Mayon Volcano and the rest of the country, it added.

Mount Mayon, known worldwide for its perfect shape and majestic beauty, is also rich in biodiversity, serving as home to 156 floral species, and 104 species of land vertebrates.

The immense beauty, as well as its valuable role as habitats for endemic and indigenous species is among Mount Mayon’s merits in its inclusion in the tentative list of Unesco World Heritage Sites.

“This discovery also underscores the importance of mainstreaming biodiversity considerations into health while showing the need to prioritise the continuing assessment and monitoring of our soil biodiversity along the 2020 -2030 Inter nationa l Initiative For The Conservation and Sustainable Use of Soil Biodiversity of the Convention on Biological Diversity,” it said.

“May this exciting research inspire us all to do our part in saving our biodiversity! Together, let us ensure a safer and healthier future by acting now. We are all part of the solution, because #WeAreASEANBiodiversity,” ACB added.

Sports BusinessMirror

A8 | S

unday, August 15, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

CHICAGO White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn warms up in the outfield as actor Kevin Costner speaks during a news conference before the New York Yankees-Chicago White Sox game. AP

Chisox, Yanks go deep into ‘Field of Dreams’

BECKY HAMMON: DON’T HIRE ME TO CHECK A BOX L

AS VEGAS—Becky Hammon can’t wait for the time when it’s normal for women to interview for head coaching positions in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and their gender isn’t the story.

“It’s huge and important. It’s something that can’t be [checking] the box,” the Spurs assistant told The Associated Press. “You have to hire the best person. Half the world’s population hasn’t been tapped for their mind and ability and skill sets in the sports world.

It’s something that needs to change.”

Hammon is entering her eighth season as an assistant and has been interviewed for several head coach openings but hasn’t gotten an offer to be the first woman to lead a NBA team.

“There’s 30 jobs and they are incredibly hard to get,” Hammon said in a recent phone interview.

“When I saw there are 30 jobs, not all 30 are available, so I’m really talking about three or four and they are really hard to get.”

While Hammon would love to be the first, she hopes it’s for the right reasons.

“Please don’t hire me to check a box. That’s the worst thing you can do for me,” she said. “Hire me because of my skill sets and coaching, who am I as a person, hire me for those.”

Hammon was a finalist for the

Portland Trail Blazers job, which went to Chauncey Billups.

“I can’t speak for organizations across the league and the whole sports world. I can tell you they were asking me legitimate coaching questions,” the 44-year-old said.

“When you get to this level, you’ve got to hire the best person for the job and the person who fits your organization the best.”

Hammon spoke from Las Vegas, where she was watching the NBA summer league, but her eyes went to Phoenix, the site of the

inaugural WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship game between Seattle and Connecticut, which will be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

“It’s a really good idea. Another opportunity for people to see these women compete at the highest level,” she said. “It’s not foreign to women playing overseas. The WNBA players are used to it.”

She played in a few cup championships while competing overseas during the winters.

“They are always fun, always

WHILE Becky Hammon would love to be the first woman to get a head coaching job in the National Basketball Association, she hopes it’s for the right reasons.

bonuses in everyone’s contract. That was overseas,” she said. “Put a little something extra on the line.”

While Hammon is excited about the game, not all the players are thrilled by the timing. Five of the Storm’s players were at the Tokyo Olympics, including stars Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd and Sue Bird, who helped the US win a seventh consecutive gold medal.

“Obviously it’s not the best for us,” Stewart said in Tokyo. “We’ll see what happens.”

LEONARD STAYS WITH CLIPPERS KAWHI LEONARD is staying in Los Angeles after the Clippers resigned their free-agent superstar on Thursday.

Leonard averaged 26 points, 6.8 rebounds and five assists in his first two seasons with his hometown team.

He suffered a partially torn right ACL during the playoffs and missed the Clippers’ first Western Conference finals appearance. Leonard had surgery on his knee a month ago. The team has said there’s no timetable for his return, and it’s possible he could miss a good portion of the upcoming season while rehabbing.

Leonard declined his $36 million option last week, setting up his ability to sign a maximum contract worth 35 percent of the team’s salary cap

Spanish league gets approval for multibillion-dollar deal

M

ADRID—The majority of Spanish league clubs on Thursday approved a multibillion-dollar deal with an investment fund after giving Real Madrid and Barcelona the option not to participate.

The league said 38 of the 42 clubs from the first and second divisions in Spain voted in favor of the deal with private equity firm CVC, which is intended to boost the clubs’ finances and help the league cut into the Premier League’s global dominance. The agreement could bring in up to €2.7 billion ($3.2 billion) to the league.

The league and CVC gave the four clubs who voted against the deal the option to opt out, meaning they would not benefit from the new funds and would not relinquish a percentage of their future

revenues. Athletic Bilbao also opposed the agreement. The fourth club that voted against the deal was not disclosed.

Madrid and Barcelona said that although the deal would inject a significant influx of cash in the next three years, the agreement would hurt the clubs’ income from broadcast rights in the long term as they would be tied to it for the next 50 years.

“Barça, as well as Real Madrid and Athletic Club, the three first division clubs that have not signed the agreement, defend their membership and assembly-based ownership systems, with boards of directors chosen by their members for limited mandates,” Barcelona said in a statement.

Athletic released a statement saying the deal presented too many “risks” that could affect the

club’s future. It said this kind of agreement shouldn’t have been put up for approval just before the start of the season.

Spanish league president Javier Tebas said he estimates the value of the league’s broadcast rights to increase by 30 percent within the next decade thanks to the CVC deal.

He said the opposition by Madrid was “clearly” related to the proposal of a European Super League, which failed earlier this year.

“This infusion of money in the league is not good for the type of competition that [Madrid president] Florentino [Pérez] wants to create,” Tebas said.

Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are the only three clubs that still haven’t fully given up on the idea of the Super League, which would involve only the top European clubs

and could weaken the domestic leagues.

Madrid and Barcelona had already said they planned to take legal action against the league and CVC if the deal was approved by Thursday’s general assembly.

Madrid noted that both the Italian and the German leagues refused the deal with CVC because they felt it undervalued their leagues.

The Spanish league was valued at €24.2 billion ($28.4 billion) in the deal with CVC, which used to own Formula One and has been involved in other endeavors related to sports.

The valuation would not change if Barcelona and Madrid opted out, the league said, though the amount of the investment would be reduced to about €2.1 billion ($2.46 billion) as the clubs who opted out would not receive any funds. AP

and allowing him to earn upwards of $3 million more for the 2021-22 season.

By re-signing Leonard, the Clippers are guaranteed to have him and Paul George in the fold for the next few seasons. George signed a maximum contract extension last December. Leonard is from nearby Moreno Valley, and Paul is from Palmdale, north of Los Angeles.

The five-time All-Star averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and a career-high 5.2 assists last season, while shooting 51 percent from the field and 88 percent from the line. He was named to his seventh All-Defensive team and his third All-NBA first team last season.

Leonard was even better in the postseason. He averaged 30.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 11 games. He first got injured in Game Four of the Clippers’ secondround series against the Utah Jazz.

He was held out of the last eight postseason games, including the Clippers’ 4-2 loss to the Phoenix Suns in the West finals.

He still had a presence around the team, despite being unable to play.

“Kawhi is a transcendent player and a relentless worker who improves himself every day,” said Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations. “We share many of the same goals, which include a long-term relationship.”

Frank said the Clippers will “do whatever we can” to support Leonard in his injury rehab.

“We look forward to seeing him back where he wants to be, on the court with his teammates,” Frank said.

Leonard joined George, Reggie Jackson, Terance Mann and Luke Kennard courtside to watch the Clippers’ rookies in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas this week. Leonard wasn’t wearing a brace on his right leg. AP THE Spanish league admits “it hurts” to lose Lionel Messi. AP

D

YERSVILLE, Iowa—As the bus carried the New York Yankees through the cornfields blanketing this serene, rolling farmland of northeast Iowa, Aaron Judge noticed a difference from the usual arrival in the next city.

The ride to the Field of Dreams site to play the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night had everyone’s attention, like a bunch of kids who couldn’t believe what they were getting to do.

“It was the first time people had their headphones out, and they were just glued to the windows, checking out the scenery,” said Judge, the three-time All-Star right fielder.

“We have a lot of guys from different countries who really haven’t seen the country like this, or guys from big cities who really haven’t seen open fields and stuff like this, so it was pretty cool driving in and seeing everybody in town kind of standing on the side of the roads with signs and cheering us on,” he said.

The made-for-TV event, delayed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, had the billing as the first Major League Baseball game in this state that’s usually focused on college and community sports, spotlighted by presidential campaigns and fueled by the hog and grain industry.

Judge provided a pair of picture-perfect images, launching two long drives into the cornstalks. Tim Anderson hit the eighth homer of the game, a two-run liner in the ninth inning that lifted the White Sox over the Yankees in a 9-8 thriller.

Anderson delivered a Hollywood ending, too, circling the bases as fireworks exploded.

So what if it was more from “The Natural” than “Field of Dreams”?

This won’t be a one-time visit, either. Commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed that the Field of Dreams game will return in August 2022, with the teams to be determined.

The made-from-scratch stadium—built to hold about 8,000 fans watch the White Sox and Yankees play in one of the most anticipated mid-August games in history—was placed next to the actual diamond where the 1989 movie starring Kevin Costner was shot outside the town of Dyersville, population 4,000.

Costner came back for this, stealing the scene with a slow, ponderous stroll into the outfield his character Ray Kinsella often took in the film before stopping to watch the real White Sox and Yankees emerge from the corn for pregame introductions.

Clutching a ball in his hand, while the original symphonic score from the movie played over the loudspeakers, Costner stepped up to a microphone and told the crowd, “It’s perfect.”

White Sox slugger José Abreu delivered an instant highlight in the first inning, hitting a line drive that zipped over the fence in left field and vanished into the corn.

Judge connected for a threerun smash in the third and a tworun drive in the ninth. Neither was a can of corn—they both flew far.

There were rows upon rows of corn between the two outfields, in fact. Yes, it’s the same spot where Shoeless Joe Jackson and his pals appeared—and disappeared— throughout the Academy Awardnominated film about fathers, children, culture, selfdiscovery, ghosts and, oh, yeah, baseball.

“As a kid you dream of the chance to play Major League Baseball and you watch certain movies or heroes in comic books and fairytales, and getting a chance to actually be at the Field of Dreams and play a game here and have family and friends here and getting a chance to represent the Yankees here, never in my life did I think I’d ever experience this,” Judge said. AP

BusinessMirror

‘invisible casualties’

August 15, 2021

Youth mental health problems have doubled during Covid-19

2

BusinessMirror AUGUST 15, 2021 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

YOUR MUSI

THREE FROM TARLAC Promising solo acts Mark Mercado, John Michael Cudiamat, and Noela Amparo make their hometown proud

JOHN Michael Cudiamat

MARK Mercado

Publisher

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Editor-In-Chief

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NOELA Amparo

By Yugel Losorata

NDER the guidance of APAT TV online channel, recording artists Mark Mercado, John Michael Cudiamat, and Noela Amparo are showcasing the province’s potential as a music hotbed Earlier this month, three friends appeared in an intimate virtual presscon to practically talk about things common among themselves.

First and foremost, they’re all singers, which means they have won singing competitions, and struggled to get an audience at some point.

Second, they found themselves tapped by the same producer, Pat Achas, and his online channel APAT TV which provided them an encompassing avenue to showcase their skills amidst a world beset by a pandemic.

Then, in a relatively short span, all three of them had officially become recording artists through separate digital releases, with music videos to go along with introducing their voices.

Mark Mercado, a boy-next-door type of a talent, actually released a five-song debut package just last July 30. The following day, he premiered on YouTube the official music video for his composition “Patawad.” In his songs we can hear a young man in touch with nature and his feelings.

He shared, “Actually isa sa mga ginagawa ko tuwing umaga ay pumupunta ako sa likod namin which is bukid at doon ako kumakanta ng kumakanta. Naging daily routine ko yung kasama ng mga alaga naming manok. When it comes sa pag-compose naman, sinusuri ko ang sarili ko kung ano ang emosyon na nararamdaman ko hanggang sa hindi ko namamalayan ay nakakabuo na pala ako ng kanta sa isipan ko.”

For a time he had been in a friendly rivalry with John Michael Cudiamat which led to both of them earning the nod of Achas who then vowed to support them in their quest for music glory. APAT TV is part of the producer’s advocacy to extend help to untapped but deserving talents. Since its home base happened to be in Paniqui, Tarlac, it became natural for promising entertainers in the area to be discovered and be part of the pool. In case you’re wondering why APAT, it’s a four-point plan and the big T stands for Tuklas Talento.

John Michael related, “APAT TV channel is about providing

livelihood, discovering talents, and uplifting the spirits of small entrepreneurs. As part of the APAT family, I make sure to give inspiration to everyone through music and entertainment.”

He entered the recording scene Christmas time last year with a song called “Pangako” that graced the Apat TV Artists First EP. The track had its official music video premiered on YouTube last summer. His first full-length album is in the works to be released in the last quarter of this year.

“Most of the time, we have to borrow some money for minus one recording and travel fare, not to mention borrowing clothes for my attire,” recalled the singer with an old soul and had his cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine” uploaded on YouTube.

He likes mentioning his mom who has supported her any possible way she can. “Sometimes we had to walk far enough to get home late at night because I didn’t win a contest. It became my motivation.”

Between the rivalry of two talents born and bred in Tarlac is a girl with a soaring and soothing voice depending on the song she’s interpreting. Once Noela Amparo relocated to Tarlac, there’s no denying she’s an asset to the circle that Achas and associates were trying to cultivate. Just a few months ago, upon the video upload of her debut single, “Sandalan,” she got introduced to national media and appeared on Wish FM, It’s Showtime, among others, via online guesting.

She was previously featured on this page, and certainly deserves another spot with her career on the rise. “Mahiwaga ang tadhana ngayon tayo ay magkasama,” said a key line in her song which she singled out when asked what’s her favorite line in the track.

That spells true for her camaraderie with Mark and John Michael as they work together to shine for their hometown and as artists in their own right.

IC

soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | AUGUST 15, 2021

BUSINESS

SoundSampler

by Tony M. Maghirang

Barbie Almalbis turns a new chapter in latest album Barbie placing her life in His hands.

On the whole, there’s a chance that “Scenes from Inside” is Barbie’s contemplation of her current relationship with God and her fellow men.

“Definitely!” the singer-songwriter replied. “There’s also “Kumpas” that’s inspired by Matthew 6:33.

A lot of the new songs came out of conversations I’ve had with Martin, who co-wrote all three, including “Comment.” We often talk about art, music, and how they relate to our faith and life.

“This year has been one of the

BARBIE Almalbis

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WARD-WINNING singer-songwriter Barbie Almalbis celebrates her 25th year in the music business with the release of her fourth studio album, Scenes From Inside. The 9-track concept album also sees Barbie turning a few pages in her multi-faceted life as she draws from her connected experiences as a musician, a mom, a friend, a wife, and a pet lover during the time of quarantine,

Speaking to Soundstrip, Barbie said it’s been seven years since her last studio recording and the time felt ripe for a new album.

“The idea for a new album came about some three years ago when I started writing songs with my husband, Martin. From there, I composed new materials for an album again, she added,” Flickering with warm, conversational flair, Scenes From Inside gives listeners a lot of reasons to welcome Barbie back. There’s always Almalbis’ introspective and engaging songwriting even as the new record carefully constructs a colorful musical canvas with splashes of jangly indie pop, electronic music, post-rock, alternative pop, Christian music, and folk-rock.

Barbie told Soundstrip, “I’ve

always written from my life experiences, so the struggles as well as learnings in this current pandemic season became an overall theme for the latest album.

Yes, it’s a collection of songs, but hopefully, they still fit into a theme since they’re like slices of life from the past few years.

“The album title “Scenes From Inside” was inspired by the art work of my sister-in-law, Kuki Ulpindo,” the singer-songwriter expanded. “She carved and block-printed a picture from our “gigs from home,” which was mostly how we gigged in the pandemic. So, it felt right since everything’s been happening just inside our homes these days.”

It’s noticeable that songs like “Silaw” and “Iyong-Iyo” seem to be more than just love songs.

They feel like hymns to God and

most challenging for many of us, and it has also given us the time to hold on deeper to our faith and find hope and security in God,” she elaborated.

There’s some kind of electronica going on in “Days Are Long.” It’s technically outside her usual comfort zone musically so Barbie’s probably tinkering with new toys this time around.

She was quick to answer, “I’m a fan of music technology, especially guitar effects and the new toys and gadgets invented for musicians. It does take a lot of time to learn to use those tools though.

“For the track “Days Are Long,” I used a mini synthesizer called the Pocket Operator as the main bed for the song. I’ve also been using the Empress Effects Zoia for synths and drum machine whenever I get to perform with my band though we couldn’t meet in person yet.”

The band behind the new recording consists of Karel Honasan on bass, Jonard Bolor on drums, and Nikko Rivera of keys. Rommel De La Cruz played bass on “Iyong-Iyo” and “Comment.” Jonard recorded the tracks in the studios while Michael Alba also played drums on “Kumpas.” Tech head and keyboard player, Nikko Rivera, managed the sending of files back and forth easily so that the entire project worked seamlessly even if the band members hardly saw each other during the lockdowns.

Besides raising their beautiful children and producing new music, Barbie kept busy learning to survive the current pandemic.

She related, “Aside from making music this year, I’ve been learning to bake, mostly different kinds of bread, been doing more exercises — walking, swimming. The kids and their cousins have been getting more serious with music lessons too, and they jam together often. I teach and jam with them from time to time.

She’s particularly grateful she still gets to play music with family, now that many of them can play musical instruments.

Still, she occasionally misses face-to-face contact with her audience.

She shared, “Doing online shows is also fun, because despite not being physically in the same room, you can still interact with people through the comments section. But yes, there is nothing like playing live together, which was something my band got to do for the first time in months, during our album launch, “Still a virtual audience though, because it was through FB live, but I really missed playing together with the complete band in the flesh.”

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‘invisible casualties’

Youth mental health problems have doubled during Covid-19 state of children’s mental health globally, one year into the pandemic. A research summary published in JAMA Pediatrics shows that globally, one in four young people is experiencing clinically elevated depressive symptoms, while one in five is experiencing clinically elevated anxiety symptoms.

These rates are all the more alarming when compared to pre-pandemic estimates, which were closer to one in 10 youth having clinically elevated anxiety and depression. This indicates that youth mental health difficulties have likely doubled during Covid-19.

By Brae Anne McArthur, Nicole Racine and Sheri Madigan

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University of Calgary

or most children and adolescents, the past year has been a shadow of a typical childhood.

Instead, there have been strict stayat-home orders, repeated opening and closures of schools, social distancing from peers and other supports, limited or no access to sport and extracurricular activities, and many missed milestones such as graduation.

During this time, the family unit has been in crisis as well, with financial instability as well as increased psychological stress for caregivers.

Independently and collectively, these events can catalyze mental health difficulties in children and youth.

At the beginning of the pandemic, children and adolescents were the lowest-risk group with regards to medical concerns and complications from Covid-19. Now, over a year into the pandemic, they have emerged as the invisible casualties of this global crisis.

Autobiographical comics are changing our understanding of illness. Hyperbole and Half, for example, honestly discusses living with depression. Photo from Allie Brosh/Hyperbold and a Half via The Conversation

Sounding the alarm

Many clinicians and child-health practitioners are calling attention to a youth mental health crisis. Recently, national children’s charity Children

Many pediatric hospitals have reported a 100-percent increase in admissions for mental health problems, upwards of a 200-percent increase in admissions for substance use and suicide attempts, and

“Globally, one in four young people is experiencing clinically elevated depressive symptoms, while one in five is experiencing clinically elevated anxiety symptoms.”

First Canada declared a #codePINK, a term commonly used in healthcare settings to indicate a pediatric emergency.

report that 70 per cent of children and youth have indicated that the pandemic has affected their mental health.

Our child psychology research team sought to better understand the current

Sustained long term?

When we looked deeper into which youth were struggling the most globally, we found that—consistent with pre-pandemic data—females and older youth were at greater risk for both depression and anxiety difficulties.

We also found that mental health difficulties were more prevalent as the pandemic persisted. This suggests that as the length of the pandemic continued, along with public health safety measures such as school closures and social distancing, clinically significant anxiety and depression symptoms also increased. This indicates that children and youth globally are struggling with mental health difficulties, and their symptoms are worsening as the pandemic continues. The Conversation ON THE COVER: Photo by Elina Krima from Pexels

What can be done to help children and youth?

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hildren and adolescents who endured the various disruptions and emotional and physical consequences of the pandemic are the future of our society. To help foster their well-being and our prosperity as a society, now is the time to act to protect the next generation.

We have identified three primary objectives for pandemic recovery efforts aimed at improving child and youth mental health.

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Take action now

We can’t wait to make services available to children who are suffering emotionally. We must act now to address a near doubling in mental health difficulties for children and youth during the pandemic. There is a need for government to develop urgent and strategic plans to address the mental health of youth and ensure the provision of accessible and eq-

uitable resources to support this initiative.

2

Return to routine

Decades of research on child development has shown that children thrive in the context of clear and consistent routines and structure. Many of the strategies used to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have forced children and adolescents to stay indoors, resulting in disrupted routines, increased sedentary time (for example, more screen time, less physical activity) and a reduction in structured activities such as sports, camps and extracurriculars.

Keeping schools open and maintaining family routines during the pandemic can protect children’s mental health. It will also be critical to support families by ensuring they have the material and psychological resources needed to help their children.

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Mental health supports for children

To address this ongoing crisis, there is a need for equitable mental health services that are accessible to all children and youth. Investing in new models of care that can be adapted to increase scalability should be prioritized. This includes group and individual telemental health services (mental health services delivered by phone, texting or videoconference) and brief intervention approaches. Emerging research awaiting peer review suggests that single-session interventions for adolescent depression during Covid-19 can effectively reduce feelings of depression and hopelessness among youth. Increased access to, and availability of, mental health resources are critical.

Children and youth represent

AUGUST 15, 2021

our largest investment in the future. The mental health implications of Covid-19 have been particularly dire. Although there have been some Covid-19 recovery initiatives targeted at this group, we need clear and actionable items to move forward with a mental health recovery plan that will address the increased severity of mental illness in children and adolescents and the rising need for services.

Ultimately, the policy choices we make now will have longlasting effects on the prosperity of the next generation of youth.

There is an urgent and rising demand for child and youth mental health services around the world.

Parents, practitioners, allies and policy-makers need to come together to develop methods of mental health service delivery with widespread impact to meet this demand. The Conversation