BusinessMirror August 16, 2020

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IN this drone picture, the destroyed silo sits in rubble and debris after an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon, August 5, 2020. The massive explosion rocked Beirut, flattening much of the city’s port, damaging buildings across the capital and sending a giant mushroom cloud into the sky. AP/HUSSEIN MALLA

DEADLY STOCKPILE

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By Rene Acosta & Recto Mercene

OLLOWING the August 4, 2020, massive explosion from a huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate at the Beirut port in Lebanon, the flag officer in command (FOIC) of the Philippine Navy has confirmed the existence of a storage site for vintage unexploded ordnance and munitions on Caballo Island, a rocky islet at the entrance of Manila Bay.

After the massive, deadly explosion of an abandoned stockpile in Beirut, the Philippine Navy chief assures the public steps are being taken to rid Caballo Island of its stockpile of vintage ordnance, munitions.

CABALLO Island, as seen from the tailside of Corregidor Island, March 2019. LAWRENCE RUIZ (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Navy FOIC Vice Adm. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, however, asserted that the dumps are being tightly secured and maintained to preclude any untoward incident, or worse, an explosion similar to, or as powerful as, the Beirut blast that killed more than a hundred people and injured more than a hundred more.

“The Philippine Navy has in its inventory old stockpile of ordnance and munitions on Caballo Island supervised by the Naval Ordnance depot,” he confirmed in reply to a query by the BusinessMirror. The inquiry was triggered by a BBC report listing the Caballo Island among sites around the world that still host potentially deadly stockpiles.

Continued on A2

Good-bye to bartenders: Robots could soon make your drink

By Breanna T. Bradham | Bloomberg News

But in a time when fellow drinkers and bartenders are possible disease vectors, the austerity of contactless cocktails can be comforting.

“In robotic bars like ours, there is no kind of contact with [people] because you can order and pay through your mobile phone, so you touch nothing,” said Emanuele Rossetti, chief executive officer of Torino, Italy-based Makr Shakr.

W

HILE there seems to be a new video every day of maskless youth blithely partying outside (and inside) bars, many people have actually been drinking less during the pandemic.

Half of Americans say they aren’t excited at all about heading back to their favorite watering hole—or any bar for that matter.

Indeed, fear of enclosed spaces and sloppy, less-than-socially distanced crowds may change drinking culture for a long time to come.

It’s already threatening the future of your friendly bartender.

Countertop cocktail makers have been available for years. Largerscale commercial options have been

Entertainers

mixing drinks and entertainment, using robotic arms to whirl and shake cocktails in clubs from Europe to Dubai and aboard cruise ships.

Bigger stage

BUT the pandemic may have opened the door to a bigger stage.

A woman placing her pink face mask down on an empty bar and clinking glasses with a robotic bartender was not your typical drinking ad before Covid-19.

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 48.8900

“TONI,” an automated cocktail maker made by Makr Shakr, mixes a cocktail during a press event to promote the “AI: More than Human” exhibition at the Barbican Centre on August 7, 2019, in London, England. Six bartenders were asked to mix certain cocktails in a bid to beat the robotic system in a taste-test challenge. The exhibition takes a look at creative and scientific developments in artificial intelligence, and explores the evolution of the relationship between humans and technology. LEON NEAL/GETTY IMAGES

TO be sure, robotic mixologists won’t solve the risk of close quarters—which is part of what makes bars ideal hotspots for transmitting the coronavirus.

Your local bar probably doesn’t have the money right now to bring in a more-than-$100,000 robot, either. And big-ticket customers like cruise lines, which have been anchored for months, are stuck in a pandemic-induced financial pinch.

Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4573 n UK 63.8943 n HK 6.3081 n CHINA 7.0386 n SINGAPORE 35.6367 n AUSTRALIA 35.6367 n EU 57.7684 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.0377

Source: BSP (August 14, 2020)

NewsSunday BusinessMirror

A2 Sunday, August 16, 2020

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Deadly stockpile Continued from A1

“The Philippine Navy assures the public that the stockpile of ordnance and munitions are properly handled [and] stored,” the top Navy official added.

Moved out to Crow Valley

A HIGHLY placed source from the military who requested not to be named, however, said some of the potentially deadly inventory stored on the island, which has remained strictly off limits to civilians and unauthorized individuals, have already been transported to Crow Valley in Tarlac and disposed of by controlled detonation.

Crow Valley was the main bombing range of the United States Armed Forces in the Western Pacific when the US still held exclusive control over its sprawling military bases at Clark and Subic.

It is currently under the control of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and has been renamed Col. Ernesto Ravina Air Base in 2016.

Heap of bombs

THE presence of a huge cache of ammunition on Caballo Island was flagged in a report by the BBC News, in an article on August 12, 2020, titled: “Beirut Blast: The Other Countries with Dangerous Dumps of Explosives.”

Writer Frank Gardner quoted Simon Conway, a senior director with the British mine-clearing charity Halo Trust, as saying: “In the Philippines, Ukraine, Georgia, Libya and Guinea-Bissau there are dangerous dumps of munitions left over from both past and present conflicts, some of them perilously close to residential areas.”

Conway visited Caballo Island and found “a store of deteriorating US munitions dating back to World War II.”

12-INCH (305mm) mortars at Fort Greble, Rhode Island, during World War I, similar to those of Battery Craighill used on Fort Hughes. Below, map of the recapture of Corregidor, February 1945.

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“Rusting shells, depth charges, mortar bombs and other projectiles litter the floor of a bunker, while crates of explosives and propellant charges are stacked all the way to the ceiling,” he observed.

Halo Trust estimates that on Caballo Island and at another site nearby, there are a total of 1.6 million explosive items—enough, it is feared, to potentially destroy the nearby airport in Corregidor and threaten passing ships on Manila Bay. Conway, accompanied by members of the military, said there are two sheds containing 200,000 anti-aircraft rounds. “If those sheds went up, it would definitely affect the nearby airport,” referring to the tiny airstrip on Corregidor 4.7 kilometers away.

Conway said the horror of what happened in Beirut port has not been lost on local authorities and “within days, the Philippine Navy called Halo to discuss how best to dispose of all this ammunition safely.”

Rich history

CABALLO Island has a rich history. It is a twin island of Corregidor that the Americans turned into im-

pregnable defenses, arming them with huge guns pointed toward the mouth of Manila Bay to discourage the entry of enemy battleships.

It is about 1.2 kilometers long and 381 feet high at the highest point.

The whole island was formerly occupied by Fort Hughes, a US defense fortification before World War II. It was heavily bombed during the war.

Japanese soldiers occupied Caballo Island in 1942, until returning American forces, three years later, flushed them out by pouring gasoline and diesel in their hiding places, detonating the gasoline by dynamite. Some 70 Japanese soldiers died in the ensuing inferno.

Remains of the old fortifications, batteries and structures were left rusting in the open after it was abandoned at the end of World War II.

‘Daily monitoring’

BACORDO said the condition of the stored bombs and ordnance is regularly monitored by Navy personnel so they would not pose any risk to the island and the surrounding areas.

“Our personnel on Caballo Island are conducting daily monitoring and inspection on the status of munitions in order to ensure that these items are stable and safe from any hazard and secured from intruders,” he said.

Bacordo confirmed that the Navy is also coordinating with US military officials for the disposal of the stored bomb items.

“Currently, the Philippine Navy is constantly coordinating with the Jusmag [Joint US Military Advisory Group] personnel on how we are going to clear all the explosive remnants of war on Caballo Island. The removal of said items needs special equipment for handling. However, it was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” Bacordo explained.

The Navy chief assured they are working to avoid an accident similar to the Beirut blast.

“We ensure that safety measures are employed to avoid such incident. Our Navy ordnance personnel are aptly trained and equipped to respond to and properly handle any eventualities especially in ensuring such incident will not happen,” he said.

Good-bye to bartenders: Robots could soon make your drink Continued from A1

Rossetti said the initial impact was a “very big slowdown,” but conversations about new orders have started up again.

Dina Zemke, an associate professor at Ball State University who studies how physical environments affect services, said robotic bartenders are more entertainment than serious mixologists.

She said that while bartenders still have a future, bars themselves may change.

There are semi-robotic options that may catch on more—such as automated dispensers for wine and mixed drinks, she said. And there are non-alcoholic options, too:

“Sally” is a $35,000 salad-making robot that aims to clean up the supermarket salad bar. “The concept of a bar is completely changing now, ” Zemke said.

But Alan Adojaan, chief executive officer of Tallinn, Estoniabased startup Yanu, said his company has created a prototype robot bartender that’s getting interest from airports and casinos.

“The concept of a bar is completely changing now, and the concept of nightclubs and public events,” Adojaan said. While humans are needed to maintain and stock automated bars, mechanized mixologists do succeed in cutting out the customer-bartender interface.

‘I

N robotic bars like ours, there is no kind of contact with [people] because you can order and pay through your mobile phone, so you touch nothing.”—Rossetti Weighing the risks

CROWDS gather outside bars and restaurants in New York City on July 9, 2020. ROY ROCHLIN/GETTY IMAGES

AT the Tipsy Robot in Las Vegas, Makr Shakr machines typically pour out popular drinks like “Pineapple Planet” and Long Island Iced Teas for casino goers. They have to use a bar tablet to order their drinks, so it’s not as free from risk as using your mobile phone, however.

The venue was only open for one month this summer before a

second state-ordered shutdown due to a surge in local Covid-19 cases, General Manager Victor Reza Valanejad said.

“We noticed that compared to other bars, we were doing much better and people were actually very, very happy to come order at the Tipsy Robot because you have much less contact than a traditional bar,” Valanejad said.

Editor: Angel R. Calso

The World

Hundreds quarantined in schools that opened on Trump’s advice

P

resident Donald Trump is pushing US schools to open classroom doors wide. In some districts that have followed his instructions, they’re slamming shut again. Schools that reopened fully and early are seeing hundreds of students, staff and teachers put into quarantine as Covid-19 spreads. Some are closing buildings opened just days ago. Others are frantically looking for workarounds—and for the money to pay for them. In Memphis, Tennessee, and Irvine, California, teachers must sign liability waivers in case they get sick. Nationally, most districts are ignoring Trump’s full-speed-ahead advice. New Jersey on Wednesday reversed course on mandatory in-person classes, and Boston won’t attempt them. Still, too many insist on putting educators and communities at risk, said Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the National Education Association and a sixth-grade teacher in Salt Lake City.

“There is no one, maybe besides parents, who wants kids back in school as much as teachers do,” Eskelsen Garcia said. “We hate online learning, too. We’re throwing our computers against the wall, too. But we want to do it when and where we can do it without killing anybody.” Trump has been demanding schools reopen so that parents are able to work—part of a bid to restart the economy and create the impression the US is returning to normal ahead of the November election. Yet the virus is continuing to rage across parts of the US, with the country’s death toll at about 165,000.

Test subjects

The president has tried to force reopenings by saying that half the money for schools in the next round of stimulus legislation should be reserved for those that open their doors. On Wednesday, at an event with parents and educators, he criticized districts trying to use halfway measures to bring students back to class, like combining virtual learning with class time, and having fewer kids in the school at a time.

At a later briefing, the White House released simple advice for reopening: Students and staff should assess their own health, understand the symptoms of Covid-19, wash their hands, socially distance around vulnerable people, and maintain good ventilation. The guidelines also said schools should “encourage” wearing masks.

Trump said there’s no substitute for traditional schooling.

“When you have students sitting at home playing with a computer, it’s not the same,” he said at the briefing. “When you sit at home in a basement looking at a computer, your brain starts to wither away.”

Nationally, just over half of students in kindergarten through high school will attend school virtually in the fall, while 44 percent will take classes in person in some form, according to a survey of public-school districts by Burbio, a New York-based data service. And many of those going back to in-person classes won’t be going back full-time, with schools staggering attendance to groups small enough to maintain social distancing. Some 66 percent of students across the 200 largest districts are taking virtual-only classes, Burbio found.

School’s out

Large urban districts that are starting the year online include Atlanta, Houston, Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago. Some have written off the entire semester for in-person classes. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced Wednesday that public school students will not be showing up in person in the fall. In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy abandoned a requirement that New Jersey’s 2,500 public schools conduct in-person teaching, allowing some to use distance-only learning when the academic year begins in early September.

Others are setting dates for students to come back to class that may roll forward, depending on the pandemic’s spread. In metro Atlanta, Fulton County schools—in March the first in Georgia to shut down—will bring in the youngest children and special-education students for limited hours in September, and then phase in the rest. But that’s only if the infection rates in the county are low enough and dropping, said Superintendent Mike Looney. He said he’s taken heat from parents and teachers alike, but will follow health guidelines about what’s safe. When students do return, they will be required to wear masks, he said. The district is also working to reconfigure its physical plant to allow proper distancing.

Vanishing students

Other metro Atlanta districts have pushed forward with reopening and paid an immediate price in an area with high community spread. In Cherokee County, north of the city, more than 900 people—most of them students, but also teachers and staff—are in quarantine just nine days after the school opened its doors because students reported infections.

The high school had to close again. The district required masks of teachers and staff but not of students, spokeswoman Barbara Jacoby said. Nearby Paulding County also had to close its high school for cleaning this week, after students, teachers and staff tested positive. The district’s August 3 opening day became briefly famous after a student sent out a photo of a throng of maskless students in a hallway there. She was promptly suspended and then unsuspended.

Trump has asserted that children are “virtually immune” to the coronavirus.

The president appears to be referring to the notion that children are less likely to become ill from the virus, even though they can spread it to adults.

Relatively little is known about how Covid-19 is transmitted to and from children. On one hand, some early evidence has suggested that children—and especially younger children—don’t transmit it as frequently as adults or even older children.

But children can certainly still contract the virus, and a growing number have as the virus has surged throughout the country. Covid-19 infections among US kids grew 40 percent in the second half of July, according to a report this week from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.

And while children do appear to be at a lower risk of getting very ill, a federal study published last week found that a growing number require hospitalization.

Lasting damage

Advocates for reopening schools often point to regions that have already done so successfully, or never closed schools to begin with, such as several nations in Northern Europe. Experts, though, stress that those regions have had far less viral transmission than the US. Paul Peterson, director of the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University, said at the White House that students who miss school likely will earn less money when they’re older. To Eskelsen Garcia, the NEA president, the superiority of in-school teaching isn’t in question. “This is not about pedagogy,” she said. “This disease kills people.” Eskelsen Garcia said she’s been heartened by the number of districts resisting Trump’s pressure and that schools should reopen only when the community infection rate is low. Her advice: “Listen to what Trump says. Then do the exact opposite of whatever comes out of his mouth.” Bloomberg News

BusinessMirror

Sunday, August 16, 2020

A3

Covid-19 spreading fast because billions don’t have water to wash

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severe household water shortage facing two out of five people in the world is undermining efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

Frequent and thorough hand washing are among the most effective measures in restricting the spread of the virus because the primary routes of transmission are droplets and direct contact, according to the World Health Organization. Yet, some 3 billion people don’t have access to running water and soap at home, and 4 billion suffer from severe water scarcity for at least one month a year, the United Nations group UN-Water said.

“It is a disastrous situation for people living without access to safe water and safely managed sanitation,” UN-Water Chair Gilbert F. Houngbo said in an interview. “The chronic underinvestment has left billions vulnerable and we are now seeing the consequences.”

Years of deferred investments in clean water and sanitation are now putting everyone at risk as the virus spreads through developed and developing nations generating a cycle of infection and reinfection.

The world needs to spend $6.7 trillion on water infrastructure by 2030, according to the UN, not just for the urgent sanitation needs, but to tackle longer term issues from the pandemic such as providing better irrigation to head off a potential food crisis, Houngbo said.

Some companies have stepped in to offer solutions for the most urgent problems. Japan’s Lixil Group Corp., which owns brands such as American Standard and Grohe, worked with Unicef and other partners to create an off-grid

hand-washing gadget that needs only a small amount of water in a bottle. For $1 million it will make 500,000 units in India to be donated to serve 2.5 million people before it starts retail sales.

It’s a rapid, short-term response to help fight the pandemic, but more sustainable investments are needed, such as installing piped water to more homes, said Clarissa Brocklehurst, faculty member of the Water Institute at University of North Carolina and a former water, sanitation and hygiene chief at Unicef.

Water inequalities

The lack of access to basic water and sanitation is one more example of the lethal effects of inequality being exposed by the pandemic. The impacts of water mismanagement are felt disproportionately by the poor, who are more likely to rely on rain-fed agriculture for food and are most at risk from contaminated water and inadequate sanitation, the World Bank said.

Underprivileged people in cities are particularly vulnerable as they

often live in densely populated areas where social distancing is hard, especially if they have to share a water source. Transmission in the Americas has been tougher to contain in poor urban areas that have limited access to water, sanitation and public health services, said Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization.

As many as 5.7 billion people could be living in areas where water is scarce for at least one month a year by 2050, creating unprecedented competition for water, said UN’s Houngbo.

By one estimate, each degree of global warming will expose about 7 percent of the world’s population to a decrease of renewable water resources of at least 20 percent.

Limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to 2 degrees, may reduce climate-induced water stress by as much as 50 percent.

“Hand washing for so long has been what I would call infantilized,” Brocklehurst said. “All of a sudden, it’s a matter of life and death and adults are teaching themselves hand-washing songs.”

Bloomberg News

India seen facing lost generation as virus pushes children to work

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he coronavirus pandemic is forcing India’s children out of school and into farms and factories to work, worsening a child-labor problem that was already one of the direst in the world.

Sixteen-year-old Maheshwari Munkalapally and her 15-year-old sister stopped attending lessons when virtually the entire economy was brought to a halt during the world’s biggest lockdown. Munkalapally’s mother and older sister lost their jobs as housemaids in Hyderabad, the capital of the southern Indian state of Telangana. The younger girls, who had been living with their grandmother in a nearby village, were forced to become farmhands along with their mother, in order to survive.

“Working under the sun was difficult as we were never used to it,” Munkalapally said. “But we have to work at least to buy rice and other groceries.”

It’s difficult to quantify the number of children affected since the pandemic erupted, but civilsociety groups are rescuing more of them from forced labor and warn that many others are being compelled to work in cities because of the migrant labor shortage there.

Even before the outbreak, India was struggling to keep children in school. A 2018 study by DHL International GmBH estimated that more than 56 million children were out of school in India—more than double the combined number across Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The cost to India’s economy, in terms of lost productivity, was projected at $6.79 billion, or 0.3 percent of gross domestic product.

Of those children not in school, 10.1 million are working, either as a “main worker” or as a “marginal worker,” according to the International Labor Organization.

Global trend

Global child labor had been gradually declining in the past two decades, but the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to reverse that trend, according to the ILO. As many as 60 million people are expected to fall into poverty this year alone, and that inevitably drives families to send children out to work. A

A child works at a toy factory. Bloomberg

joint report by the ILO and United Nations Children’s Fund estimates that a 1-percentage-point rise in poverty leads to at least a 0.7-percentage-point increase in child labor.

Indonesia, the world’s fourth most-populous nation, is another country that will see large numbers of children from vulnerable families drop out of school and into the work force. The ILO estimates about 11 million are at risk of being exploited as child laborers under current conditions, especially in the less-developed eastern parts of the country, like Sulawesi islands, Nusa Tenggara and Papua.

Economic loss

In India, home to more young people than any other country in the world, this lost generation of children will have substantial effects on Asia’s third-largest economy: lower productivity and earning potential, unrealized tax revenue, increased poverty levels and pressure for more government handouts.

“Even prior to the pandemic, numbers of children out of school in India and in child labor were high,” said Ramya Subrahmanian, the chief of research on child rights and protection at Unicef-Innocenti in Florence, Italy. “An even bigger issue will be for those children who are due

to enter school during this time.

If these children face delays in entering school, there may be an increase in the numbers of never-enrolled children, which could in turn push up child labor numbers.”

The Indian constitution provides free and compulsory education for all children in the age group of six to 14 years as a fundamental right. While Munkalapally and her sister are no longer covered by it because of their age, they are protected by the local law on child labor, which prohibits employment of adolescents between the age of 14 and 18 from working in any hazardous or dangerous occupations. The same law bars children under the age of 14 in any form of occupation except as a child artist, or in a family business.

Forced labor

“At a household level, it’s hard to differentiate whether children are involved or not,” says Dheeraj, a program manager at Praxis: Institute for Participatory Practices, who uses only one name.

The jobs may still be hazardous and against the law—small-scale businesses such as matchbox making can be run from home— but the difficulty in identifying such labor leaves children open to exploitation.

Bonded labor, where people are

forced to work for creditors to pay off their loans, is another avenue where families send their children to work.

A total of 591 children were rescued from forced work and bonded labor from different parts of India during the lockdown by Bachpan Bachao Andolan, a civilsociety group on children’s rights, founded by Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi.

“Once the lockdown is lifted and normal manufacturing activity resumes, factory owners will look to cover their financial losses by employing cheap labor,” the group said in a statement.

NGOs point to the fact that the real spike in child labor is yet to come. When economic activity begins accelerating, there is a risk of returning migrants taking children along with them to the cities.

“When hotels reopen, construction work starts, the railways get back on track, when everything opens up, this community that has returned will be the main source that take our children to the cities,” said Abhishek Kumar, program coordinator at SOS Children’s Villages.

Children may be seen as a stopgap measure to fill jobs left vacant by migrant laborers who fled cities for their rural homes during the lockdown.

“The burden has shifted to the poor households within urban areas,” said Rahul Sapkal, an assistant professor at the Center for Labor Studies in the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai.

While children aren’t exactly engaging in heavy labor usually carried out by adults, if parents take their children along for support in their jobs, even if it’s to avoid leaving them at home, a precedent is set, and such activity is normalized, he said.

Mu k a l apa l ly mot her, Venkatamma, is unhappy that her children are now forced to work, but cannot think of any alternative. The money they make is still not enough.

“Vegetables, rice, spices, soap, we still cannot afford these despite the four of us working,” she says.

“It would be better if we could go back. In Hyderabad, even if the work is difficult, the pay is better.”

Bloomberg News

Journey Reveling Holi: »life on the go

A4

BusinessMirror

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Editor: Tet Andolong

the Festival of Colors in Jaisalmer, India

Holi revelers out and about

I

Story & photos by Marky Ramone Go

remember the sheen of the rising sun lighting up an ember at the edge of the hills of sand dunes. It is the first thing I saw from where I laid out on a mattress in the open desert.

A few feet away from me, I noticed a black scorpion struggling to crawl away. I look up at our guide with a smile on his face.

“Close call” he tells me before breaking into a grin.

“They are poisonous but they don’t kill people,” he adds. That prevented me from thinking the night we spent at the desert of Jaisalmer was a life-threatening one.

One by one; myself, Aileen and the five other Indian travelers we befriended rose up and marveled at the spectacular sunrise. As what we have witnessed the previous sunset, the rising sun over the desert of Jaisalmer is a picture to behold. It was a rarity finding myself unable to even capture it with my camera. I gazed at it like a lovelorn soul looking at a goddess.

Holee mubaarak

The youngest of our guide—already an expert camel herder– kick started the Holi celebration by yelling Holee Mubaarak (Hindi for Happy Holi) before our other two guides started tossing colored powders on us. Before we knew it, we were smudged with pink, yellow, violet, red and blue colors on our faces.

The Holi Festival is an ancient Hindu Festival known as the “festival of colors.” Held predominantly in the Indian subcontinent, it celebrates the victory of good over evil. The manner it is reveled originated from the childhood pranks of Lord Krishna—the reincarna-

tion of Lord Vishnu—of dousing village kids with colored waters.

Occurring every year on the day after the first full moon of March, Holi Festival coincided the morning after our magical experience of sleeping on the sand dunes of Jaisalmer.

Our trek back to the city of Jaisalmer was filled with gaiety episodes bookending with a bittersweet farewell to our camels— who proved to be loveable creatures of the unforgiving terrain of Rajasthan. I patted mine on the head and hear her make a sound as if acknowledging my gesture of goodbye.

Holi revelers on the streets of Jaisalmer

was like “bring it on, I’m game for this.”

Around early noon, the euphoric vibe turned more chaotic as the crowd started to thicken.

Chaotic in a way it should be— otherwise it won’t be the Holi I've always wanted to witness.

Good karma brought the Holi to me

More colors in Jaisalmer

Although compared to other cities in India such as Vrindavan, Pushkar, Jaipur and Hampi, the Holi Festival in Jaisalmer appear more laid-back and intimate. There are no mosh-pit type of crowd gatherings on the streets. Rather, locals parade on the streets in waves of varying numbers from a handful to a couple of dozen. Still, I can’t deny feeling the unique festive vibe of the Holi. After wiping the blotches of color powder on my face, I joined our group on the street of Jaisalmer with a clean slate. The locals seem to notice it because a minute later, we were all blemished again with rainbow colors.

I love the fact that the revelers were polite about it. They always ask my permission before flinging powders to my direction. I

the adorable camel I rode through the desert

The morning of the Holi Festival

I wouldn’t have known that in my excitement to book cheap plane tickets to Kolkata would overlap with the Holi Festival. I just picked two random dates 26 days apart in March to pencil my first-ever visit to India.

Four years later and after a couple more return journeys to India, and the memory of that Holi Festival remains as crystal clear in my head. I can still hear the laughter of the jubilant merrymakers as we all chuck colored powder in the air, catching it by dancing under it facing the sky and with outstretched arms.

Living up to the original emphasis of the Holi rituals to shy away the demoness Holika, I felt like I've shed my own inner demons as well. My initial trip to India not only opened my eyes to a wider world, I also discovered my good karma—the main mechanism that brought me there. A favorable fate that shall come aplenty, if only we can continue doing things at the pure desire of our heart and soul.

Science

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

BusinessMirror

Sunday

Sunday, August 16, 2020 A5

Govt experts back review of nuke energy policy

T

he interest in nuclear power program is in high gear once again with government experts throwing their support for it after Malacañang gave a go signal for an energy mix, including the possible use of nuclear.

This included the possible revival of the controversial Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) that was mothballed for almost four decades now.

This renewed interest in nuclear energy came after President Duterte in July signed Executive Order 116 “directing a study for the adoption of a national position on Nuclear Energy Program.”

EO 116 also created the National Energ y Program InterAgency Committee (NEP-IAC) to do the study.

The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOSTPNRI) is throwing its support for the renewed efforts to engage in a nuclear power program as it also pushes for an independent regulatory body through a pending bill in Congress, the institute said in its news release.

DOST-PNRI, the country’s lead agency in atomic research and development, has been advocating for adding nuclear to the current energy mix in order to pave the way for more efficient and less costly power cost.

The DOST-PNRI is a member of the NEP-IAC that is tasked to study the adoption of a national position on nuclear power. It is chaired by the Department of Energy with the

DOST as vice chairman.

Among the functions of the NEP-IAC is to review the legal framework and study the viability of nuclear energy.

It also has to recommend steps in the use of nuclear power and the available facilities but not limited to the BNPP.

Nuclear energy as best option

Dr. Carlo Arcilla, DOST-PNRI director, asserts that nuclear energy is the best option for the country’s long-term plans for more affordable power generation, the DOSTPNRI said in its news release.

“Ask anyone who has relatives abroad, and they will tell you the stark difference between their electricity rates and ours,” said Arcilla, who has been strongly advocating for the Philippines to establish its own nuclear power program even before he became the PNRI chief.

“That’s how the Philippines lags behind other countries in terms of power cost,” he added.

“Nuclear is simply the cleanest, cheapest and most efficient means of producing electricity. Nuclear power will especially spare the poorest among the Filipinos who are the ones actually allotting the lion’s share of their income just for electric bills,” Arcilla explained.

The mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant provides a massive background to science journalists’ photo op during their tour of the facility a few years back. Henri de Leon

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) web site says that “nuclear power, along with hydro and wind power, emits the lowest quantity of GHGs [greenhouse gasses] per unit of electricity on a life cycle basis.”

A graph indicated that nuclear energy has near-zero carbon emission.

Increasing electricity rates and occasional power outages only worsen the national mood as the country continues to grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic, the institute said.

Solution to climate change

Nuclear energy has the capacity to produce baseload power for a continuous supply of electricity 24/7, according to Arcilla.

Conventional sources, such as

coal and natural gas also has similar capacity, but nuclear does not entail the high cost of refueling fossil fuels or the carbon emissions that are the bane of a world ravaged by climate change.

A pencil eraser-sized single pellet of uranium fuel contains as much energy as a ton of coal (907 kilogram), three barrels of oil (149 gallons), or as much as 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas, Arcilla said.

These advantages of nuclear energy have been acknowledged by the DOST-National Academy of Science and Technology (DOSTNAST), the country’s leading advisory and scientific recognition body, the news release said.

In a statement issued last year, DOST-NAST recommended the use of nuclear power for the country’s energy mix.

DOST earmarks P60M for Covid-19 tech research T

he Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is allocating P60 million to support research initiatives that will enable the country grapple with the effects of Covid-19.

Spearheaded by the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) of the DOST, the project, “Science and Technology for a Resilient Community against the Pandemic,” or STRAP Block Grant, is the department’s response to help Filipinos combat the pandemic and adapt to the new normal, a news release from DOST-PCIEERD said.

Projects that will be funded in this program should fall under these priority areas: n Work from home tools for efficient communication, collaboration, focus, learning new skills, resources for working, managing stress, and the like. n Workplace ergonomics for re-design and managing movement that could be studied and simulated to ensure social distancing during the new normal. n Safe mobility and transport for air, sea and land, where digitization and connectivity will be

a crucial key to enable a seamless mobility and transport during the new normal. n Response and coping up with the new normal that include some of the ways to help cope with the new normal phase, including delivery services, digital contactless payments, virtual learning, 3D printing, drones, among others. n Testing and calibration of locally developed medical devices: DOST-PCIEERD supported the design and development of ventilator prototypes to be simulated and tested in cooperation with the Electronics Product Development Center and Food and Drug Administration-accredited testing body.

This program will provide testing facilities and additional support needed by local developers to have their prototypes tested, accredited, clinically tested for multiple production for deployment to its partner hospitals and institutions. This is not limited to ventilators but can be extended to other medical devices, such as respirators and thermal scanners. n Geospatial and ICT solutions to address Covid-19: The most recent challenge lies on establishing a safer, more connected new normal related to governance challenges that opens

opportunities for scientific geospatial solutions provided by DOST. This include educational tools, artificial intelligence, mobile apps and devices, among others to address Covid-19 crisis. n New devices and products to help ensure that individuals, patients and health-care providers have timely and continued access to high-quality medical devices, including masks, face shields, gowns, gloves and electronic wearables to respond effectively to the Covid-19 pandemic. n Protective coatings for surfaces and PPEs: Nano-based coatings for surfaces and PPEs can help prevent the spread and infection of the corona virus. When the virus touches the surface, nano-based coatings will automatically neutralize the virus. It will also allow the reusability of the PPEs while also addressing the lack of adequate number of PPEs for our frontliners. n Detection and disinfection technologies such as ultraviolet LEDs that are currently being considered as an effective means of detecting, disinfecting and neutralizing coronavirus from surfaces and, potentially, air and water. As a technology, UV Light disinfection is being used and can still be further explored or developed.

n Emergency food for Covid-19 affected families, communities, and frontliners.

In the past, there are emergency food deployed for areas and communities affected by natural calamities. This time, more food options will be developed to cater to the needs of affected families, communities, and frontliners that have longer shelf life, safe and ready-to-eat.

DOST PCIEERD Executive Director Dr. Enrico C. Paringit, who is also the STRAP project leader, expressed hope that the research outputs will help Filipino communities to thrive and get back on its feet.

“As a leader and par tner in enabling innovations in the country amid the pandemic, we are optimistic that the outputs of the STRAP Block Grant will keep us buckled safely as we navigate the new normal,” he said.

Paringit avowed to continue supporting novel ideas and concepts that can provide solutions and opportunities for all Filipinos.

“We will be relentless in our pursuit of newer ways in finding our way out of this pandemic. We believe in the ingenuity of our Filipino researchers and look forward to their ideas,” he said.

Filipino app wins Space Apps Covid-19 Challenge A

n integrated public policy information por tal measuring the impac t of the co ro n av i ru s p a n d e m i c d e ve l o p e d by Filipinos won the Space Apps Covid-19 Challenge in the best use of data, the solution that best makes space data accessible, or leverages it to a unique application.

Data analysts Nick Tobia, Helen Mary Barrameda, Kristel Joyce Zapata, Theresa Rosario Tan and Miguel Oscar Castelo from CirroLytix created a dashboard for policy-makers and economic planners to show the impact of Covid-19 on various countries and the effects on the economy and environment, Nasa Space Apps Challenge said in a news release.

The group used Earth observation, in-country economic and human mobility data and global infection case counts.

Named “G.I.D.E.O.N. [Global Impact Detection from Emitted Light, Onset of Covid-19, and Nitrogen Dioxide],” the portal uses news feeds, Google mobility data, and coronavirus cases, revealing the multi- dimensional impact of lockdown and other interventions.

Night lights from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and nitrogen dioxide levels from Sentinel-5P show current impacts and forecast effects of lockdown.

Google’s community mobility reports, global infection data from Johns Hopkins University and nitrogen dioxide data reveal pollution levels

produced by human activity, and monitor which countries keep air quality under control as they bounce back from lockdown and pave the way for the new normal.

Besides having a global winner, two Filipino teams made it as global finalists too.

Inspired by social isolation experienced by astronauts in space, “Snail Space” (A wordplay for snail’s pace) is an app giving a “safe space” by providing mental care and comfort during times of social isolation brought by Covid-19 pandemic.

It was developed by Celestial Snails team comprised of Arturo Caronongan III, Kevin Olanday, In Yong Lee, Mary Anne Dominique Casacop and Gabriel Santiago from De La Salle University.

With public health in mind, “Sentinellium” leverages user data sent through SMS and chat, and space assets like population density, urbanization, and aerosol to provide a more accurate prediction of developing epidemics.

This was done by Harlee Quizzagan, James Andrew C. Cornes, Angela Chua, Alaica Mariño, Joal Rose Lin, and Mohammad Ashraful Mobin, in which their group was formed during the hackathon period.

“The use of these modern and advanced technologies will be crucial, especially as the world navigates the fourth industrial revolution.

Using big data, cloud and AI applications, for instance, could help us understand the severity of the disease and aid in delivering measures to

mitigate its impact,” said Trade Undersecretary Dr. Rafaelita “Fita” M. Aldaba, for Competitiveness and Innovation.

“This really fills me with great optimism that our young and talented startups have so much to offer and contribute to our efforts to provide solutions to address health and economic crisis,” she said.

Last May, coders, entrepreneurs, scientists, designers, storytellers, makers, builders, artists and technologists have been invited to a two-day in an all-virtual, global hackathon by the United States space agency National Aeronautics Space Administration (Nasa), along with the European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the National Centre for Space Studies of France and Canadian Space Agency.

Within 48 hours, more than 15,000 participants from 150 countries created more than 2,000 virtual teams. Participants used Earth observation and other open data to propose solutions to one of 12 challenges related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a virtual bootcamp one week prior to the hackathon, Ellison Castro, Cara Patricia Canlas, and Arlo Jayson Sabuito from STAMINA4Space discussed the capabilities of microsatellites in determining the height of clouds and forest fire mapping using support vector machine.

G.I.D.E.O.N. is one of the six global winners selected by Nasa, ESA, JAXA, CSA and CNES, and

one of the three teams shall have special access to the Euro Data Cube environment.

If travel is deemed safe, the winners shall be invited to visit a Nasa site to view a spacecraft launch.

Lead organizer Michael Lance M. Domagas appealed for support for the current and past winners, finalists and especially to the four-year community who worked hard in bringing honor for the country.

“After being recognized by five leading space agencies of the planet, its time for our own country to show appreciation and give support for those who are stepping forward in combating the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects in our society today to defeat our common enemy,” he said.

Previous Pinoy hackathon winners are Project AEDES (2019), using satellite and climate data to pinpoint possible dengue hotspots, and ISDApp (2018), which uses citizen science data to inform fishermen the right time to catch fish.

The Space Apps Covid-19 Challenge is a special edition of Nasa’s annual Space Apps Challenge, an international hackathon that takes place around the world and online every October. Since 2012, teams have engaged with Nasa’s free and open data to address real-world problems on Earth and in space. Space Apps 2019 included more than 29,000 participants in 71 countries, developing more than 2,000 hackathon solutions over one weekend.

It said that “nuclear fuel can be a viable solution to mitigate the effects of climate change.”

DOST-NAST added that nuclear energy serves as an alternative to fossil fuels not only in terms of environmental impact, but also in terms of its economic feasibility. “[T]he dependence on imported fossil fuels makes the country vulnerable to world energy price volatility. By comparison, the cost of generating nuclear energy is less sensitive to nuclear fuel price due to the larger component contributed by its capital cost,” DOSTNAST said.

Regulatory body for nuclear tech

Besides advocating nuclear science and technology, the DOSTPNRI has been pushing for the

enactment of the Comprehensive Atomic Regulatory Act in order to create an independent nuclear regulatory body in the Philippines, the news release said.

A separate agency that will handle the regulation of all activities and facilities involving sources of ionizing radiation is being required by international standards.

“While we are waiting for a law creating an independent body, RA [Republic Act] 5207 is still a basis for pursuing nuclear power as it was when the [BNPP] was being licensed in the 1970s and 80s,” said Dr. Carlito Aleta, former DOSTPNRI director and DOST Balik Scientist specializing on nuclear engineering, and consultant of the IAEA. “Let’s hope a new bill will be passed by Congress creating a new regulatory body,” Aleta said.

RA 5207, or the Atomic Energy Regulatory and Liability Act of 1968, encourages, promotes and assists the development and use of atomic energy for all peaceful purposes, including the production and use of atomic energy facilities and atomic energy materials, subject to regulations.

T he regulations w ill cover matters involving nuclear power, nuclear and radioactive materials, facilities and radiation-generating equipment used for diagnosis and treatment of diseases in hospitals and medical centers, and industrial activities in the country, the DOST-PNRI news release said.

Currently, the DOST-PNRI serves as the national regulatory body for nuclear and radioactive materials.

The BNPP was mothballed by administration of President Corazon Aquino in 1986 over alleged safety issues.

‘Learning is a lifelong process’

By Rizal Raoul Reyes

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aving her sterling credentials as a student and as a scientist, astrophysicist Reinabelle Reyes pointed out that learning is a lifelong process.

A high school valedictorian in the Philippine Science High School (PSHS), Reyes urged her online audience to be passionate in pursuing knowledge.

“Learning does not stop after stepping out of school. Grow your brainpower and skills. By also working in other fields, I essentially got that chance to broaden my knowledge,” Reyes said in the webinar “Physics Meetup: Adventures in Astrophysics and Analytics with Dr. Reina Reyes” held in late July. It was organized by the Physics Department of Central Mindanao University with the Bukidnon Physics Society Philippines.

After graduating with a physics degree (summa cum laude) from Ateneo de Manila University, Reyes pursued advanced studies in physics in Europe and the US. “I discovered that physics was my favorite subject in college,” Reyes said “I also want to give credit to my teachers in Philippine Science HS for providing me a strong foundation in science,” recalled Reyes.

After her five-year stint in Princeton University for her post graduate studies, Reyes returned to the Philippines to promote and share her knowledge in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

“I think it was the right time and I decided to come back,” said Reyes.

She is known in the world as “the Filipina who proved Einstein was right” after her work confirming Einstein’s Theory of Relativity in a cosmic scale in 2010 during her Ph.D. studies in the United States.

One of Reyes’s projects was the Department of Science and Technologyfunded ReliefOps.Ph, a web-based decision support tool for better logistics during disaster relief and rescue operations.

Besides working as part-time faculty at Ateneo de Manila University, she also

teaches at Rizal Technological University, the only university in the Philippines with an astronomy program.

After her teaching stints, Reyes decided to have a career shift. “I pivoted to data science with a lot of reluctance.”

At 30, she started to have her formal job in the corporate world. She pointed out there were no regrets as she learned to broaden her network.

With her academic background, Reyes found a lot of opportunities in data science as the discipline that required high mathematical and analytical skills.

As a data scientist, Reyes worked with the United Health Group and the Ayala Group of companies.

“At Ayala, I worked with Ayala Analytics that handled analytics processes and best practices in data management,” she said.

This August, Reyes is looking forward to joining the National Institute of Physics (NIP) in University of the Philippines Diliman as faculty.

“I have been lucky to be part of the first online remote learning class under NIP,” she said.

Reyes will be teaching computational physics in UP. At the same time, she will still work as consultant in data driven industries.

Also in August, Reyes will join a team of teachers in conducting talks in radio through the program “Radyo Turo Guro: Praktikal na Payo sa Gurong Pilipino” to give tips to teachers tips on how to handle teaching chores among others during this time of coronavirus.

She also urged students to be open to changes as some things will be changing brought by several factors. She said students must continue to develop their creative minds to be able to respond to the challenges.

“You must seek opportunities that are attainable. And if you’re open minded, be active in pursuing new opportunities,” she explained.

For Reyes, her task is to make physics not intimidating to the people.

“I think scientists should harness the power of marketing to popularize science in the country,” she remarked.

Faith

Sunday

A6 Sunday, August 16, 2020

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

Bishops launch ‘10 Hail Marys daily’ prayer

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atholic bishops called for a collective prayer for “healing” and an end to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) asked the faithful to pray “10 Hail Mary’s daily” in Catholic schools and seminaries, parishes and communities.

The nationwide prayer campaign started on August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption, and will end on September 15, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.

The Marian prayer, according to them, is to be recited at 12 noon “wherever you may be.”

The “call to prayer” was contained in a joint pastoral message on Covid-19 issued by the CBCP’s Commission on Seminaries and the Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education.

The statement was released on Wednesday in time for the upcoming opening of the new school year.

“We invite all to a collective prayer action to lift the lockdowns and help heal the nation. God always listens and nothing is impossible with Him,” they said.

The bishops also called on Catholic colleges and universities to make sure that scientific studies about

Covid-19 are widely shared to the general public “using reason, science and Catholic social teachings.”

While saying that medicine is not the expertise in seminaries, “let us drink from the well of Catholic social teachings how to face this worldwide pandemic.”

“These will give our countrymen an access to the truth that will free them from baseless fears and unnecessary anxieties,” the bishops said.

The church leaders also appealed to parents and teachers to attend to the special needs of their children during these “extraordinary times.”

“Let us insure their balanced growth and formation of the mind, body and soul,” the bishops added.

“There is a bigger and brighter world beyond the virtual world that our children have been accustomed to during the lockdowns,” they added.

The bishops “pleaded” with the mediamen “to balance their coverage of the Covid-19 crisis.” “ The science and facts have evolved away from the original narrative that caused and surrounded the

The Assumption of Mary (Rubens, circa 1626) Wikimedia Commons

lockdowns. Be truly independent and fearless. Follow the truth wherever it may lead,” they said.

They likewise called on government officials “to be more open to the new scientific insights and global experiences around Covid-19, even if these may challenge one’s belief systems and preferred approaches to managing the epidemic.”

“Let us learn from the success stories of our Asean neighbors with political humility and collective honesty. We appeal to the IATF [InterAgency Task Force] for a more participatory approach that is open to

the wisdom and experience of various professionals, scientists and physicians as well as genuine and constructive representatives of business, civil society, and local government units,” they added.

They also appealed for the upgrade of the capacity of hospitals and rationalize the use of limited hospital spaces.

“Be more precise in targeting who should receive priority in hospital care. Focus our strategy in protecting the most vulnerable sectors of society including the senior citizens and people threatened with other morbidities,” the bishops said.

To the frontliners, they said: “We bow in homage and gratitude to our medical frontliners who have laid down their lives that others may live.”

The bishops quoted Pope Francis’s message in March “We are not selfsufficient; by ourselves we flounder: we need the Lord, like ancient navigators needed the stars. Let us invite Jesus into the boats of our lives.”

“Let us hand over our fears to Him so that He can conquer them.

Like the disciples, we will experience that with Him on board there will be no shipwreck. Because this is God’s strength: turning to the good everything that happens to us, even the bad things. He brings serenity into our storms, because with God life never dies.”

The pastoral message was signed

by Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan and chairman of Episcopal Commission on Seminaries; Bishop Roberto C. Mallari of San Jose de Nueva Ecija and chairman of Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education; and endorsed

by Bishop Pablo Virgilio S. David of Kalookan, acting president of CBCP.

Pope asks for Mary’s intercession At the Vatican, Pope Francis asked the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede so that humanity might overcome the novel coronavirus, as the Church prepares to celebrate the feast of her Assumption.

In his g reetings dur ing the Wednesday General Audience, Pope Francis looked ahead to the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, celebrated on August 15.

Greeting the Polish-speaking faithful, the Pope recalled the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role in the “Miracle of the Vistula,” which took place 100 years ago.

On August 15, 1920, the Polish Army won a decisive victory over Soviet forces at the Battle of Warsaw, which was attributed to Mary’s intercession.

The day is also marked as Polish Armed Forces Day. “May the Mother of God today help humanity to defeat the coronavirus,” the pope said, “and may she as-

sure generous blessings for you, your families, and all the Polish people.”

He also expressed his spiritual support for the hundreds of Catholics taking part in a pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa.

“May this pilgrimage, undertaken with care due to the pandemic, be for all a moment of reflection, prayer, and fraternity in faith and love,” he prayed.

In his greetings to the Englishspeaking faithful, Pope Francis encouraged everyone to prepare themselves to celebrate the feast of the Assumption of Mary.

“May she guide our pilgrimage toward the fullness of Christ’ promises,” he said.

The Pope told the German-speaking faithful that the Solemnity “reveals the sublime dignity which God has bestowed upon humanity.”

“Let us ask the Lord for the grace of the humility of His Servant, so that He might do great things in us as well.”

Our Lady of the Assumption is also the patroness of France.

Pope Francis prayed that Mary might “strengthen [the] faith and hope” of the French people.

“May she help you always to resist selfishness, indifference, and individualism to build a more fraternal society built on solidarity.”

CBCP News and Vatican News

Lawmakers told: Remove Our Lady of Mount Carmel receives papal crown ‘blinders’ on death penalty

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network of Catholic lay organizations pointed out that death penalty is not necessary and this is no time to be wearing “blinders.”

In a statement, the Council of the Laity of the Philippines urged lawmakers to consider the risks of capital punishment, which they said, outweigh any justification.

“We urge you to remove the blinders that prevent you from seeing that death penalty is an offense ‘against the inviolability of life and the dignity of the human person,’” said Laiko President Rouquel Ponte.

He said it is about time lawmakers see beyond the call of President Duterte to reinstate the death penalty and treat the issue from a wide perspective.

According to him, its reimposition will single out for punishment the most vulnerable sectors of society who have no means to defend themselves.

He also warned the country’s failure to honor its commitment with the international community not to bring back death penalty “will not only put us in bad light but lose their respect as well.”

“We lament and decry the actuations of our elected lawmakers in calling back from its grave the death penalty proposals,” Ponte said.

Instead of directing their attention on efforts to revive death penalty, he called on the lawmakers to focus on how to combat the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

He added that it will also be better if lawmakers will ensure the speedy enactment of laws that will reform the country’s judicial and correctional systems.

“We would rather that you also focus your attention on how to stop the flagrant reality of graft and corruption,” Ponte also said.

PHL bishops explain opposition to death penalty

The bishops of the Philippines once again voiced their “strong opposition” to the reintroduction of capital punishment in the nation.

The death penalty was a legal punishment in the Philippines for much of the country’s history. After the fall of the Ferdinand Marcos regime in the 1980s, a moratorium on capital punishment was imposed, but executions resumed in 1999. The practice was outlawed in 2006.

Current President, Duterte, has

campaigned for the restoration of the death penalty, and polls suggest many Filipinos support his position. Several bills have been revived in the Senate seeking to restore capital punishment.

In a statement issued last week by the Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCPECPPC), the bishops argued that “the death penalty violates the inherent dignity of a person, which is not lost despite the commission of a crime.”

They cited Pope Francis, who has said: “Capital punishment is an offense ‘against the inviolability of life and the dignity of the human person, which contradicts God’s plan for man and society’ and ‘does not render justice to the victims, but rather fosters vengeance.’”

They pointed out that the death sentence is irrevocable, thus, it leaves no possibility for correcting errors that could occur in an imperfect justice system.

For the same reason, it does not give the offender an opportunity to change.

“True justice is restorative,” they said, “never merely punitive.” Punishment should offer the opportunity for amendment.

Further, they argued that capital punishment is unfairly applied to “the most vulnerable sectors of society, the marginalized and the poor.”

The bishops also noted that the Philippines has made international commitments not to reimpose the death penalty.

“Reviving it,” they said, “will go against this commitment and will put our country in a bad light insofar as our standing in the community of nations is concerned.”

Instead of attempting to restore the death penalty, the bishops called on Congress to focus its attention on working out a comprehensive response to the Covid-19 pandemic; to reforming the judicial and correctional systems; and to stamp out corruption in the various correctional institutions.

“Trusting in the help of our merciful God,” the bishops wrote, “we at the CBCP-ECPPC are ready to dialogue with our legislators to explore with them ways and means to improve our criminal justice system and our ways of treating PDLs [persons deprived of liberty].”

They said: “Together let us stand for life and heal as one!”

CBCP News and Vatican News

T

he venerated image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel enshrined in a basilica in Quezon City was crowned through a papal mandate on August 15.

In an earlier statement, the Basilica of the National Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel said the ceremony will be held in time for the Solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady on August 15.

The event took place as Metro Manila is under the modified enhanced community quarantine status where public Masses are restricted.

In solidarity with those hardly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, the basilica assured its prayers “for our brothers and sisters afflicted with the disease and those who perished because of it.”

An image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Carmelitesistersocd.com

“Each day we will ask Our Lady of Mount Carmel to intercede for them, firmly believing that she will bring all the cares and concerns of these people to her Son, Jesus,” it said.

Pope Francis on May 13 approved the canonical coronation of the image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

The pontifical crowning of the Marian image will be the third such coronation in the diocese.

The two other images that received canonical coronations are the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary de Manila and the Our Lady of Lourdes, both enshrined in two national shrines.

The pope has earlier entrusted to Jesus’ mother the suffering and anguish of millions of people affected by the global health crisis. CBCP News

Backyard pilgrimages become a way to spiritual journey amid Covid-19

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any major religious pilgrimages have been canceled or curtailed in an effort to contain the spread of Covid-19.

These have included the Hajj, a religious milestone for Muslims the world over; the Hindu pilgrimage, known as the Amarnath Yatra high in the mountains of Kashmir; and pilgrimages to Lourdes in France.

Pilgrims have faced travel delays and cancellations for centuries. Reasons ranged from financial hardship and agricultural responsibilities to what is now all too familiar to modern-day pilgrims—plague or ill health.

Then, as now, one strategy has been to bring the pilgrimage home or into the religious community.

Journey of a thousand miles

Pilgrimage can be an interior or outward journey and while individual motivations may vary, it can be an act of religious devotion or a way to seek closeness with the divine.

Through the centuries and across cultures, those who longed to go on a sacred journey would find alternative ways to do so.

Reading travel narratives, tracing a map with the finger or eye, or holding a souvenir brought back from a sacred site helped facilitate a real sense of travel for the homebound pilgrim.

Through these visual or material aids, people felt as though they, too, were having a pilgrimage experience, and even connecting with others.

One such example is the story of the Dominican friar Felix Fabri, who was known for recording his own pilgrimages in various formats, some geared toward the laity and some for his brothers.

Fabri was approached in the 1490s by a group of cloistered nuns, meaning that they had professed vows to lead a contemplative life in the quietude of their community.

They desired a devotional exercise so they could receive the spiritual benefits of pilgrimage without having to break their promise of a life that was sheltered from the outside world.

He produced “Die Sionpilger,” a virtual pilgrimage

in the form of a day-to-day guidebook to Santiago de Compostela, Jerusalem and Rome.

In these cities, pilgrims would encounter sites and scenes associated with many facets of their religion: shrines to honor Jesus and the saints, relics, great cathedrals and sacred landscapes associated with miraculous events and stories.

Fabri’s guidebook sent the pilgrim on an imaginative journey of a thousand miles, without having to take a single step.

DIY pilgrimages

My current book project shows that from Lourdes to South Africa, from Jerusalem to England, from Ecuador to California, DIY pilgrimages are not just a medieval phenomenon.

One such example is Phil Volker’s backyard Camino.

Volker is a 72-year-old father and now grandfather, woodworker and veteran who mapped the Camino de Santiago onto his backyard in Vashon Island in the Pacific Northwest.

Volker prays the rosary as he walks: for those who have been impacted by the pandemic, his family, his neighbors, the world.

After a cancer diagnosis in 2013, a few things came together to inspire Volker to build a backyard Camino, including the film The Way , a pocket-sized book of meditations, Everyday Camino With Annie by Annie O’Neil and the story of Eratosthenes, the Greek polymath from the second century B.C. who figured out a way to measure the circumference of the Earth using the Sun, a stick and a well.

“For me, this guy was the grand godfather of do-it-yourselfers. How can someone pull off this kind of a caper with things at hand in his own backyard?

It got me thinking, what else can come out of one’s backyard?” he told me.

Volker began walking a circuitous route around his 10-acre property on Vashon Island in the Pacific Northwest. It was a chance to exercise, which his

doctors had encouraged, but also created a space to think and pray.

Each lap around the property is just over a halfmile. Realizing that he was covering quite a distance, he found a map of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route to track his progress, calculating that 909 laps would get him from St. Jean Pied-de-Port to the Cathedral of Saint James.

To date, Volker has completed three 500-mile Caminos without leaving his backyard.

Thanks to a documentary film, Volker’s daily blog and an article in the magazine Northwest Catholic, the backyard Camino has attracted many visitors, some simply curious but many who are seeking healing and solace.

Pilgrimage and remembrance

The story of Volker’s backyard Camino inspired Sara Postlethwaite, a sister of the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity, to map St. Kevin’s Way, a 19-mile pilgrimage route in County Wicklow, Ireland, onto a series of daily 1.5-mile circuits in Daly City, California.

The route rambles along roads and countryside from Hollywood to the ruins of the monastery that St. Kevin, a sixth-century abbot, had founded in Glendalough.

Postlethwaite had intended to travel back to her native Ireland in the spring of 2020 to walk the route in person, but due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, she brought the pilgrimage to her home in Daly City.

Every so often, Postlethwaite would check in on Google Maps to see where she was along the Irish route, pivoting the camera to see surrounding trees or, at one point, finding herself in the center of an old stone circle.

Several joined Postlethwaite’s walk in solidarity, both in the US and overseas.

After each day’s walk, she paused at the shed at her community house, where she had drawn a to-scale version of the Market Cross at Glendalough.

As Postlethwaite traced the intersecting knots,

circles and image of the crucified Christ with her chalk, she reflected not just on the suffering caused by the pandemic but also about issues of racism, justice and privilege.

In particular, she remembered Ahmaud Arbery, a Black jogger shot by two white men in a fatal confrontation in February 2020. She inscribed his name on the chalk cross.

For Berkeley-based artist Maggie Preston, a DIY chalk labyrinth on the street outside her house became a way to connect with her neighbors and her three-year-old son.

There is a link here with the medieval strategies for bringing longer pilgrimages into the Church or community.

Scholars have suggested that labyrinths may have been based on maps of Jerusalem, providing a scaleddown version of a much longer pilgrimage route.

They started out by chalking in the places they could no longer go—the aquarium, the zoo, a train journey—and then created a simple labyrinth formed by a continuous path in seven half-circles.

“A labyrinth gave us a greater destination, not just somewhere to imagine going, but a circuitous path to literally travel with our feet,” she told me.

As neighbors discovered the labyrinth, it began to create a genuine sense of community akin to that which many seek to find when they embark on a much longer pilgrimage.

‘Relearn to pretend’

Volker’s cancer has progressed to stage IV and he celebrated his 100th chemo treatment back in 2017, but he is still walking and praying on a regular basis.

He offers the following advice: “For folks starting their own backyard Camino I think that creating the myth is the most important consideration. Study maps, learn to pronounce the names of the towns, walk in the dust and the mud, be out there in the rain, drink their wine and eat their food, relearn to pretend.”

Kathryn Barush/The Conversation

Biodiversity Sunday BusinessMirror

Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

U.S. launches P1.1-B Sibol project for PHL biodiversity conservation

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he United States government recently launched the Philippines Sustainable Interventions for Biodiversity, Oceans and Landscapes (Sibol) project that will support the management of the country’s natural resources and combat environmental crimes.

The five-year P1.1-billion project will be implemented through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

It aims to help the government achieve its goal of improving natural resource governance and stimulate public and private investments leading to a greater ecosystem stability and inclusive green growth, USAID said in a news release.

Under the project, USAID will work closely with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

“Effective conservation management and measurement of the value of natural resources contribute to the Philippines’s economic development and environmental resilience,” explained Lawrence Hardy II, mission director of USAID Philippines.

“Through Sibol, USAID is pleased to support the Philippines’s efforts to conserve the country’s rich biodiversity while improving the livelihoods of Filipinos whose incomes depend upon these natural resources,” Hardy added.

RTI International, a US-based nonprofit organization, will lead the implementation of the Sibol project, building on its three decades of experience providing technical assistance, institutional strengthening, programmatic support, and research in a variety of sectors in the Philippines.

The Center for Conservation Innovations, Forest Foundation Philippines, Internews, Zoological Society of London, and the Resources, Environment and Economics Center for Studies will comprise the consortium partnering with RTI.

In the same news release, DENR Undersecretary Juan Miguel T. Cuna, for Policy, Planning and International Affairs, welcomed par tnership with USAID. “Ensuring ecosystem integrity and human wellbeing are among the key priorities of DENR,” he said.

He said the DENR “look forward to partnering with USAID in advancing our goals of environmental sustainability and strengthening DENR’s capacity to combat environmental criminals, enhance the adaptive capacities of communities against natural disasters, as well as improve the economic conditions of affected local people.”

Sought for reaction, DENR Assistant Secretary Ricardo Calderon said Sibol is a long-term investment program of the USAID. Sibol is a product of a consortium of different consultancy groups commissioned to do the project, Calderon told the B usiness M irror in a telephone interview.

“Because of the pandemic, the project is very timely especially on building back a better nature.

This is a very important project because for us to bounce back, we need to go back to biodiversity conservation and investment in natural resources conservation,” Calderon, concurrent director of Biodiversity Management Bureau, said.

This is a very crucial element of the project in partnership with key agencies of the government implementing land resources and coastal management, he added.

“We are looking at it as an area of convergence to enhance biodiversity conservation and sustainable development,” the BMB chief said.

Since 2014, USAID has provided more than P5 billion in assistance to the Philippine government in conserving the country’s biodiversity and protecting its landscapes and seascapes.

Jonathan L. Mayuga

Expert: Endemism is key in protecting biodiversity

E

nd e mism is impor tant in promoting biodiversity in the country, a professor at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) said.

Dr. Juan Carlos T. Gonzalez, head of the UPLB Museum of Natural History, said the study of endemism or naturally occurring species in a location, such as an island, region or country, is important to further understand and appreciate biodiversity, as well as to take steps to protect it.

To enhance biodiversity, people should plant more trees, vegetation and flowering plants to encourage pollination, Gonzalez discussed during an online session organized by Energy Development Corp. (EDC) in line with Philippine Environment Month in June.

“For the longest time, we have been reforesting using nonnative species,” he said.

Besides being unsuitable for the location they are planted in, the nonnative species are unable to thrive and serve their purpose of being home to other endemic flora and fauna. In some instances, such reforestation measures end up being more harmful than beneficial, he explained.

In response, EDC established the Binhi greening program in 2008 to address such needs and ensure that endemic tree species are propagated and nurtured across the country.

Binhi has identified and documented 96 threatened species of native Philippine trees and successfully planted in all its 177 partnerorganizations across.

An ornithologist, Gonzalez was impressed with the country’s biodiversity data.

According to a 2019 checklist, there are 700 species recorded with 241 of them found only in the Philippines, with the Mindanao region possessing

the highest rate of endemism.

At the same time, new species of birds continue to be discovered, including the Cebu hawk-owl in 2012 and the Sierra Madre ground warbler in 2013.

Gonzalez added that this is an indicator of the continuously evolving ecosystem and the need for humans to know more about the creatures that they coexist with.

In partnership with the University of the Philippines Diliman’s Institute of Biology, Gonzalez said the results of an almost decadelong Biodiversity Conservation and Monitoring Program carried out in the geothermal sites further illustrate the impact of endemic trees to biodiversity. He cited the result among birds and flying mammals, inclluding bats.

Gonzalez noted that at least 300 species of birds have been documented to be thriving in these locations, representing about 43 percent of the total bird species in the country.

Some 169 bird species are Philippine-endemic, which represent nearly 71 percent of the total endemic species in the country.

He cited the significance of a total of 59 threatened bird species recorded in these geothermal sites, including the critically endangered Philippine eagle.

Gonzalez noted other important sightings including the Visayan tarictic hornbill in Negros and the Apo myna in Mindanao, among many other precious birds.

He noted that the Binhi forests are an “amazing laboratory” where scientists, including himself, are not only able to study species but also “understand the relationships and patterns that govern our own anthropogenic disturbances,” or human activities that impact the environment. Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

Cement company ties up with public, private sectors to address waste woes

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O help reduce the impact of the trash it has been generating, a cement firm has been offering waste coprocessing to its partner communities and entities.

Coprocessing is a common method by cement manufacturers the world over that recovers the energy and mineral content of wastes that serve as substitute fuels or alternative raw materials to produce cement in a single operation.

The process fully burns litters, such as plastics, at 1,450 degrees Celsius in a kiln chamber, retrieving from them thermal and mineral properties that provide the energy needed to make cement.

In the Philippines, where the most common garbage disposal methods are thermal destruction and chemical or physical treatment, they still end up in landfills in the form of ashes and treated wastes.

With coprocessing, wastes are not merely transformed into a productive cement product, it also helps lower greenhouse-gas emissions, minimize waste handling costs, and supports sustainable solutions in solving the perennial plastic problem in the country.

Republic Cement has optimized the use of alternative fuels, such as rice husk, saw dust and refuse-derived fuel as a substitute for its fossil fuel needs Using these materials as power source proved to be more eco-friendly, moving it closer to zero waste and lower carbon emissions.

The company’s plants are equipped with stateof-the-art continuous emission monitoring systems that are calibrated and maintained.

The Environmental Management Bureau of the

Department of Environment and Natural Resources is mandated to guarantee businesses’s compliance to emission limits and other regulatory requirements.

While the firm offers coprocessing services to fast-moving consumer goods firms, the perpetual challenge of collecting and segregating wastes remain a tedious task.

Based on scientific estimates, around 80 percent of branded plastic residual wastes found in the ocean are from food packaging.

So to encourage businesses to at least mitigate their production of such rubbish, Republic Cement offers “Plastic Neutrality” option to partners.

This initiative aims to decrease single-use plastics and converting wastes into resources which in the case of the cement manufacturer is an alternative fuel.

Last year, Republic Cement signed partnerships with companies seeking to become plastic neutral.

They are Nestlé, Century Pacific Food and Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures.

“With more Filipino companies embracing the plastic-neutrality concept, we are confident that we will continue to make strides for a greener and stronger Republic,” said Nabil Francis, chief executive officer of Republic Cement.

Besides the private sector, the company has, likewise, tied up with local government units, including the City of Manila; Valenzuela; Paete and Liliw in Laguna; Norzagaray and San Jose del Monte in Bulacan; Teresa in Rizal; Taysan and Lipa City in Batangas; and San Fernando, Lubao,w Sasmuan and Mexico in Pampanga.

Roderick L. Abad

A7

Toward a ‘bluer normal’

The Southeast Asian region, home to a third of the world’s coastal and marine habitats, plays a significant role in achieving the “30by30 ambition.” Lene & Claus Topp/ACB

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By Jonathan L. Mayuga

mpacted by the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19), fishermen can play a crucial role in coastal and marine biodiversity protection and conservation. But they will need all the assistance that they could get.

As the community quarantine remains in effect in many areas of the country to help fight the spread of Covid-19, Filipino fishermen, who belong to the poorest of the poor sector of society, remain highly vulnerable.

Nevertheless, experts believe that the fishery sector could bounce back and boost the recovery efforts given the right support and a wider role in the government’s national recovery strategy.

Production setback

Participants in the online forum, dubbed “Tungo sa Mas Bughaw na Pangkaraniwan,” or simply “Toward a Bluer Normal,” believed that the stringent quarantine measures put in place since March have reduced fish production.

It also created logistical challenges in delivering the produce, including fish, whether produced via aquaculture or caught in open waters, potentially posing problems to national food security and nutrition.

Fish remains the most abundant protein source for most Filipinos, accounting for 31.2 kilos of consumption per person each year.

W hile small fishermen were unable to go out fishing, or bring their catch to designated trading centers because of the reduced mobility, illegal fishing continued due to reduced marine patrols during the lockdown.

Fish Right

The forum series, held on July 16, 20 and 22, was part of the activities of the ongoing USAID Fish Right Program, a partnership between the Philippine government and the US Agency for International Development to help improve the country’s marine biodiversity and the fisheries sector.

Among the participants were experts from various sectors, including the government and the private sector.

The resource speakers were Dr. Cielito Habito, professor of Economics; Dr. Joan Castro, executive vice president of PATH Foundation; and Juju Tan, managing trustee of the Center for Empowerment and Resource Development (CERD) and trustee of the NGOs for Fisheries Reform.

“The objective of the program is to reduce the risk of biodiversity,” said Nygiel Armada, chief of party of the Fish Right Program, during a Zoom meeting with the BusinessMirror on August 11.

The USAID Fish Right Program is being implemented in the Philippines by the University of Rhode Island in partnership with a consortium of Philippine universities and nongovernment organizations (NGOs).

This five-year project aims to address biodiversity threats, improve marine ecosystem governance, and increase fish biomass in three marine key biodiversity areas (MKBAs) of Calamianes Island Group, South Negros and the Visayan Sea. During the last two-and-a-half years of implementation, the proponents of the program worked with the Department of AgricultureBureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) and local government units in 48 municipalities in Calamianes Island Group, Visayan Sea and South Negros.

Various activities under the program, at various levels enhanced the capacities of various stakeholders in coastal communities.

Among these were local governance, community management of local resources, identifying economically important natural wealth or assets, and protecting and conserving coastal and marine biodiversity.

Economic opportunity

Despi t e t he deg rad at ion a nd overexploitation, including overfishing, it was found that sustainable management of the country’s biodiversity-rich coastal and marine ecosystems could still provide an abundance of seafood and create “ blue jobs” that could spur economic activities under the socalled blue economy.

In a statement, Habito pronounced the economic opportunities of sustainably managing the country’s coastal and marine resources.

“The economic activities that can possibly be generated from the waters of our territory could contribute more than the current 1.5 percent to the GDP,” Habito said.

For his part, John Edgar, Environment Office chief of USAIDPhilippines, said that the country’s vast natural wealth, as well as strong social capital, are key foundations that can anchor a steady and sustainable recovery.

Sad plight

Castro told the BusinessMirror during the Zoom meeting on Tuesday about the sad plight of small fishermen.

“Our assessment before and af-

A tourist guide does a balancing act as their motorized boat loaded with passengers approach the mouth of the Big Lagoon in El Nido, Palawan. El Nido’s tourism is comanaged by coastal communities that also act as the ocean’s protectors. Jonathan L. Mayuga

ter, or during the pandemic, is that the fishers are already marginalized and vulnerable as they were. They are the poorest of the poor sector.

They were more compromised than ever. The threats, the challenges that they have been experiencing has been more pronounced during the pandemic, particularly during the lockdown wherein they lack the mobility to go on their daily lives,” Castro explained.

Worse, she said there were no markets available even when they went out fishing.

She noted that highly affected were the women in fishing communities who would sell the fish that their husbands catch.

“It was double jeopardy for the family, the households. How difficult it was. The longer the lockdown, the more pronounced were the challenges,” Castro said.

Needed: Financial support Tan, for his part, said additional funds are needed from the government more than ever.

“I believe that is the case. There are not enough funds from the government, especially for local governments. Local governments have limited budget for coastal resource management and they do not have the technical capacities to assess what good MPAs [marine protected areas] will be,” he said.

Tan said that national government agencies like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and DA have a budget for coastal and marine resource conservation and protection, “which is good ” However, he said, because of the pandemic, the activities slowed down.

Biodiversity conservation opportunity On a positive note, Tan said the community lockdowns were opportunities to step up biodiversity conservation and protection efforts in coastal communities.

“There were more reasons for us to go for conservation because there’s no incentive to go fishing since the market demand was limited and transportation was also limited,” he pointed out.

“I think this is the best time to push more conservation like building more MPAs and networking them to be more effective in the medium and long term,” he added.

Fisherfolk involvement

In providing financial support, Tan underscored the need to involve fisher folk in identif y ing new MPAs or network of MPAs to cover the other ecosystems, such as mangroves and seagrasses that they need to conserve and protect.

“It is important that they be involved, and the money to be used for them to understand and for them to [campaign] among fisherfolk. What is more convincing than fisherfolk convincing fellow fisherfolk,” Tan said.

He said even those who engage in illegal fishing will be enlightened and will have a change of heart.

“I have known a lot of fishermen

who were once engaged in illegal [activities]. When they were enlightened, they willingly changed their ways and they became effective enforcers,” he said.

Alternative livelihood

Both Tan and Castro believe that providing alternative livelihood will be an effective way to reduce the pressure on coastal environments.

“We need to look at developing the value chains. For example, in post harvest. There is a lot of wastage because there are no post harvest facilities,” Tan said.

He said jobs can also be generated through the processing of fish.

“Because the value chain is big, it is regional or national, we have to create a shorter value chain that will employ fishers or those who were once fishers. We can employ fishers in protection activities,” he said.

Castro, for her part, said women can also play a crucial role in transitioning to a “bluer economy.”

“They got to be involved in homebased livelihood. Some of the communities with the women [in project sites] that we worked with started to make masks,” she said.

Time for a bluer normal

According to Tan, the time is ripe to push for a bluer normal.

He said it is high time for the blue economy to get the much-needed attention.

In terms of prioritization, he said the bulk of government budget is going to the green or agriculture. However, despite its small contribution to the GDP, investing in coastal and marine biodiversity conservation is very important “ because we are protecting our natural assets.”

“It is important that the bluer normal has more protection and conservation activities by the communities themselves supported by the national and local government,” he said, acknowledging that to some degrees, many national government agencies are already looking at how to help coastal communities “Our marine resources have a lot of potential but we need to ensure that they will serve future and present generation,” he said.

Castro, for her part, said the fishermen are frontliners, in their own right. As such, she said they need a lot of support, understanding the fact that the pandemic has affected them severely.

“It is a great opportunity for us to put them at the center and recognize the effort that they do for the communities and to us as a citizenry for reasons that it will be hard for them to bounce back with the challenges that they experienced during the pandemic,” she said.

Putt ing t he r ight prog rams and the right support, investing in nature-based solutions that w i l l inc lude t he f isher men as decision-makers and by looking at their alternative livelihood, “then we are not just helping them now but we are making them more resilient to future pandemics and other crises,” Castro added.

By Doug Ferguson

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The Associated Press

HE Masters, known as much for the roars as the raw beauty of Augusta National, will be on mute this year. The club decided Wednesday there will be no spectators.

That means all three majors in this year of Covid-19 will not have fans, and the silence figures to be most deafening at Augusta National when the Masters is played from November 12 to 15.

From the opening holes down to Amen Corner all the way through the back nine, players can often figure out what’s happening with others just by listening.

That will be missing this year, along with the azalea and dogwood blooms from having to move it from April.

“Ultimately, we determined that the potential risks of welcoming patrons and guests to our grounds in November are simply too significant to overcome,” club chairman Fred Ridley said.

Considered in some circles to be the cathedral of golf, Augusta National now will sound like one.

“Part of the allure and kind of majesty of Augusta National is the patrons,” Brandt Snedeker said. “You have that electricity from the first moment on Thursday morning to the last putt goes in on Sunday night on every hole.

It’s not just on the back nine—it’s on every hole. So to not have that there is going to be a different feeling.”

Ridley said the health of everyone involved with the tournament during the Covid-19 pandemic was paramount in rescheduling the Masters from April and deciding whether it could have spectators, even a limited gallery.

“The guests who come to Augusta each spring from around the world are a key component to making the tournament so special,” he said. “Augusta National has the responsibility, however, to understand and accept the challenges associated with this virus and take the necessary precautions to conduct all aspects of the tournament in a safe manner.

“We look forward to the day when we can welcome all of our patrons back, hopefully in April 2021.”

He said all tickets will be honored for next April, and the club would contact ticket holders and those who have applied for tickets for next April’s Masters sometime next month.

Golf is coming off its first major without fans last week at the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Championship. The US Open, moved from June to September 17 to 20 because of the pandemic, previously announced it won’t have spectators at Winged Foot.

NO ROARS AT MASTERS SOUTH Korea’s Park Si-hun (left) delivers a left jab to US’s Roy Jones Jr. during their gold-medal bout in the Seoul Olympics on October 2, 1988. AP

GOLD MEDAL STILL STINGS KOREAN PUG

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Sports BusinessMirror

A8 | S

unday, August 16, 2020 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

TIGER WOODS hits from the gallery along the 11th fairway during the third round of the Masters at the Augusta National in Georgia in April last year. AP

The British Open announced in April it would be canceled this year.

The lack of noise was noticeable at Harding Park last week for the PGA Championship in San Francisco, especially when Collin Morikawa hit

driver to 7 feet on the 16th hole for an eagle that sent him to his first major championship. There were a few media, mainly the broadcast crew, along with a few volunteers and support staff.

But a shot that memorable was greeted

with mostly silence.

“This is the one time I really wish there were crowds right there,” Morikawa said with a laugh.

The Masters, though, is different.

Built on a former nursery, the back nine descends steeply toward Rae’s Creek and Amen Corner before making a steady climb toward the clubhouse. Pockets of roars come from everywhere.

Tiger Woods leaned on them when he won his fifth green jacket last year, studying every white scoreboard so that he would understand who was where and what a cheer might mean.

“When I got down to 13, I got a chance to look at the board and see where everyone stood,” Woods said last year in an interview the GolfTV. “I’m like, ‘OK, the next board I see is not until 15, because there’s no board on 14.’ So I get a good understanding, see where they all are, look at what holes they’re on in case I hear any roars who that might be.

“Obviously, there’s significance to certain roars,” he said. “But I want to know what players are in what position so after I played 14 and headed to 15, I have a pretty good understanding of what’s going on.”

The roars carried Jack Nicklaus to his astounding 30 on the back nine when he rallied to win his sixth Masters in 1986.

The fabled “Arnie’s Army” began with a group of soldiers from nearby Fort Gordon in the late 1950s, but it grew to include practically every patron on the grounds.

Palmer felt as though he knew them all as they cheered him to four victories.

Snedeker played his first Masters in 2004 as the US Amateur Public Links champion. He made the cut, finished early and stayed to the end as Phil Mickelson made an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win his first major. Snedeker was watching on TV in the clubhouse. He heard the cheer before it was captured on television.

“That’s what you historically remember with Augusta, so to not have that is going to be totally different,” he said. “It’s going to be an odd feeling, to say the least.

Last week at Harding Park it kind of felt odd, too, because you just didn’t have the nerves as much because the fans weren’t there adding a little bit of electricity to it and you didn’t have the excitement.”

Woods was making a charge in 2011 when two reporters waiting to cross the eighth fairway heard a roar that rattled the pines.

What happened? A marshal said Woods had just hit his approach, and it was clear what the noise meant—an eagle that momentarily tied him for the lead.

A few minutes later, a roar from Amen Corner. And then another from behind the 13th green. And another from the second green. That was from all the scoreboards being changed to show Woods tied for the lead.

That’s what will be missing in November.

It will be different for the television viewers, too. They will see Augusta National like never before, lined by Georgia pines instead of spectators.

HE last South Korean boxer to win an Olympic gold medal has spent the past 32 years wishing it was a silver.

Entering the men’s light-middleweight final against an American teenager named Roy Jones Jr. on the last day of the 1988 Games in Seoul, Park Si-hun fantasized about etching his name in the pantheon of South Korean sports legends in front of a delirious home crowd.

He did get his gold three rounds later, but not the way he envisioned.

Park’s win by a 3-2 decision remains as one of the most controversial moments in boxing history, as Jones had seemed to dominate the fight from start to finish.

The outcome drew instant criticism and disdain, even from South Koreans, who heckled Park at the podium and bombarded local TV stations with phone calls protesting that the country’s home advantage had gone too far.

Jones went on to have a phenomenal professional career, retiring in 2018 with a 66-9 record that cemented him as one of the sport’s all-time greats. He is now a boxing commentator and is planning to fight Mike Tyson in an exhibition of retired greats later this year.

Deeply shaken and scarred, Park quietly retired at the end of the Seoul Games and spent the next 13 years as a middle- and high-school teacher in a rural seaside town before making a return to competitive boxing as a coach.

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Park said his dream was to see one of his boxers pull off a convincing gold-winning performance in a future Olympics, which he said would possibly give him some sense of redemption and closure.

After three decades, it still stings that his gold is seen as a smudge on the image of the Games his country still glorifies as its comingout party to the world.

“There’s hardened resentment built up in me that I will probably carry for the rest of my life,” said Park, 54, who now coaches the small municipal boxing team of Seogwipo City in the island province of Jeju.

“I didn’t want my hand to be raised [after the fight with Jones], but it did go up, and my life became gloomy because of that.”

Park still grimaces when talking about his match with Jones.

Desperate for Olympic glory, Park had gutted out the tournament with a broken right hand he suffered during training. He said it didn’t really matter until he met Jones, the one opponent in Seoul who was quicker than him.

With the injury taking away his right-hand, Park simply had no chance at slowing Jones, who was coming at him with “excellent speed, power and technique.” AP

Interest in Wallace picks up momentum

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ORPORATE interest in Bubba Wallace has picked up momentum and Nascar’s only Black full-time driver has signed a new sponsor that includes funding for his Richard Petty Motorports team.

Columbia Sportswear Co. on Wednesday announced a multiyear sponsorship with Wallace as a brand ambassador that will also put the company on the No. 43 at Dover later this month and one to two other races not yet announced.

Wallace, in his third full season at Nascar’s top Cup Series level, has gained national attention over the last several months as an activist. He successfully pushed Nascar to ban the Confederate flag at its events, promotes a message of “compassion, love, understanding” in his quest for inclusivity and has led the conversation among his peers about racial equality.

Joe Boyle, Columbia Brand president, told The Associated Press the company took notice of Wallace during the coronavirus pandemic when Nascar was one of the first sports to return to competition in May. It gave Wallace the spotlight during national unrest over racial inequalities.

“With Covid there’s not a lot of sports that have been on and with popular culture and everything Bubba has stood up for, we had really been watching him as he rose to national attention,” Boyle said. “Everything he stood for, in terms of his fortitude, courage, conviction around what he is standing up for, that’s what really Columbia has stood up for all these years, as well.”

Wallace is an outdoors enthusiast and budding photographer. As discussions on sponsorship began, Wallace sent the company photographs of himself wearing a prized bright yellow ski jacket that was his first Columbia apparel purchase.

“It wasn’t the [activism] that stood out for us, it was that he grew up in the outdoors,” Boyle said. “His favorite activities to do outside the track is photography, hiking, biking, golf—it’s just a natural fit.”

Columbia is an established brand in active outdoor lifestyle apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment. It plans to use the deal with Wallace—its first Nascar driver and team sponsorship agreement—to promote its product lines.

Finding sponsorship has been difficult during Wallace’s career. He joined RPM, co-owned by Hall of Famer Richard Petty, in 2017 but a lack of proper funding has long slowed the team on the track. Wallace began this season with only 16 of 36 races sold to corporate sponsors.

It has taken time for deals to come together in the months since Wallace found his voice. He signed a personal sponsorship agreement with Beats by Dre in July, a deal announced ahead of schedule when the company responded to President Donald Trump targeting Wallace in a tweet.

One week later, Cash App signed on to sponsor Wallace for five races.

“It’s just incredible momentum that we have right now,” Wallace told AP. “These are the types of deals that we’ve always talked about that we needed to be successful on and off the race track.”

The deals are slowly coming in as Wallace, a free agent, plots his future in Nascar. He has received a contract extension offer from RPM co-owner Andrew Murstein that promises a larger stake in team ownership—Wallace already owns a piece of the team—and he has options elsewhere.

Wallace, a six-time winner in Nascar’s Truck Series, liked the deal with Columbia because it is an authentic partnership that represents his interests. AP Nascar’s only Black full-time driver Bubba Wallace signs a new sponsor that includes funding for his team. AP

How to know if your online shopping habit is a problem— and what to do if it is

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BusinessMirror AUGUST 16, 2020 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

FROM THE HEART

YOUR MUSI

Heartbreaks and quarantine go hand-in-hand with Kyd the Band’s new single

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By Stephanie Joy Ching

ROWING up with a pastor for a father, Devin Guisande always thought he’d follow in his old man’s footsteps and become a preacher himself. Fate, however, had a different path set for him. Now a rising star in the music world, Guisande, better known by his stage name Kyd the Band, has the world listening not to sermons, but to soulful songs that truly speak from the heart.

Publisher

: T. Anthony C. Cabangon

Editor-In-Chief

: Lourdes M. Fernandez

Concept

: Aldwin M. Tolosa

Y2Z Editor

: Jt Nisay

SoundStrip Editor

: Edwin P. Sallan

Group Creative Director : Eduardo A. Davad Graphic Designers Contributing Writers

Columnists

: Niggel Figueroa Anabelle O. Flores : Tony M. Maghirang, Rick Olivares, Darwin Fernandez, Leony Garcia, Stephanie Joy Ching Pauline Joy M. Gutierrez : Kaye VillagomezLosorata Annie S. Alejo

Photographers

: Bernard P. Testa Nonie Reyes

Raised in the Pentecostal faith, Kyd was not allowed to listen to “secular” music during his childhood.

Despite this, his home was “a house full of music and singing.” Other than his mother, whom he called a “great singer,” Kyd was surrounded by gospel songs for most of his early life.

“One thing I’m really grateful for,” he shared, “was that I grew up on black gospel music that’s really passionate. It’s one of the most emotion filled music out there, and that kind of set the bar for me of what I wanted my music to do.”

After leaving the church at 18, he started his deep dive into music, listening and writing as much as he could, quickly realizing how much music meant to him.

“Music was a thing I could be passionate about and I would want to get out of bed every single day for,” he said, “so I became obsessed with finding out how to make it a job.”

In order to achieve this, Guisande

first moved to Los Angeles and later to Nashville where Kyd the Band first debuted as a two-man act with his brother. Despite his brother leaving the band under amicable terms in 2017, the now solo Kyd pushed on, eventually releasing his first single “American Dreamer.”

The single, an electro pop number about achieving the American Dream, garnered over 3 million streams and landed him a spot-on Apple Music’s Best of the Week and The A-List: Pop. Now with his new single “Heartbreak Anthem” which he recorded while on quarantine, Guisande charts a new direction for his music based on what he had observed during his tour.

“A lot of my music is very deep, very heavy. So as I began to tour more, I saw how that kind of music impacted people,” he said, describing

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Kyd the Band meets the media via Zoom

Kyd the Band

the whole thing as “crazy.”

“You’re in a room with all these people you don’t know, and you’re singing this song about heartbreak and pain,” he observed. “You’re dealing with something, and it’s uniting. It feels cathartic.it brings people together in a really strange way.”

The single is also a collaboration with fellow artist gnash, whom he met when he co-wrote the song “pajamas’’ on his album.

“Ever since that we got more connected and became friends. So, I wanted to find something we could collaborate on. Something that felt authentic to him and authentic to me of where we’ve both been musically,” he said.

The resulting song is a genre ambiguous track that, while still on brand with the type of music that people expect from him, feels refreshing with its brighter tones.

Obviously melancholic, the song nonetheless carries a hint of hope that as insurmountable as they seem, heartbreaks can eventually be overcome.

The overwhelming maturity of the lyrics allow it to truly be the heartbreak anthem for everything and anything people are going through.

Released thru Sony Music Philippines, “Heartbreak Anthem” is now available on all major streaming platforms and is already one of Kyd the Band’s most streamed tracks on Spotify where he currently has over 218,000 monthly listeners.

IC

soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | AUGUST 16, 2020

BUSINESS

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SoundSampler

ALL THE RAGE

by Tony M. Maghirang

PHL musicians release music video to protest threats to freedom

I

T’S finally out.

The music video titled “Rage” featuring 35 Filipino music artists that includes such icons as Raimund Marasigan, Buddy Zabala, Bobby Balingit, and Cooky Chua, premiered online at the Rage PH Facebook page (​https://www. facebook.com/ArtistsRagePH/) last Saturday, August 8.

It was supposed to be launched in time with President Duterte’s SONA last month but it had to shelved at the last minute due to technical problems.

Still, better late than never. The “Rage” video finds the artists rocking and bonding and together in protest of the passage of the Anti-Terror Law, the denial of franchise renewal of the largest media network in the country, and a host of related threats to freedom of expression amid the backdrop of an escalating COVID-19 health crisis.

The song comes from the eponymous album of indie music scene favorites, The Jerks, which won “Album of the Year” honors in the 1998 NU Rock Awards, “Rage” is arguably the most intense and emotionally-charged track from that debut album Now, more than two decades later, the resurgence of “Rage” is a testament to both the timelessness of its message and the enduring

relevance of its battle cry as all artists must come together to defend the democratic rights and liberties that have come under siege.

Despite the challenges posed to the initiative like travel restrictions and quarantine measures as part of the passage to the “new normal,” the collaborators threw caution to the wind, and gathered their voices and instruments in solidarity to fight an emerging tyranny.

Jerks’ frontman Chickoy Pura himself asserted. “Ito ang panahon ng pagkakaisa. Tayo ay haharap sa pinakamatinding hamon na susukat sa ating paninindigan at katatagan. ‘Wag manahimik.

Lumaban.” (This is a time for unity.

The tremendous challenge to come will test our resolve, our principles, our strength. Do not be silent. Fight.)

are real. Fight!

Cooky Chua (Color It Red, solo performer): I’m in solidarity sa cause ng movement. Nakakagalit na ang mga nangyayari sa ating bansa. Feeling helpless na rin ako at isa ito sa mga paraan para maexpress ko ang aking frustration sa

mga nangyayari na naka linya pa din sa art.

So there they go singing their collective song of indignation.

“Sing a song about this terrible sight Rage until the lightning strikes” But I’ll go not gently into the night Rage against the dying of the light.”

Kindred spirits echoed the same sentiments of indignation

Bing Austria (Juan Pablo Dream, Flippin’s Soul Stompers, soulman) :Mahirap maging tahimik sa panahong ito. Nakikiisa ako sa lahat ng mga artists at kababayan na labanan ang pang gagago ng administrasyon na ito.

Bobby Balingit (Wuds, Juan Isip): Never abandon being a responsible artist... The grievances

Chickoy Pura

Photos and video screenshots from the Rage PH Facebook page

How to know if your online shopping habit is a problem—and what to do if it is

By Melissa Norberg and Jonathan David

A

Macquarie University

s Covid-19 quarantines and lockdowns drive up psychological distress, many people have increased their screen time, including online shopping, to cope.

Like alcohol use—or overeating, watching TV or surfing the Internet—online shopping doesn’t pose a problem when used as an occasional treat.

For some people, however, these behaviors can turn into habits that are hard to break. Here’s how to know when online shopping becomes a problem and what to do if it does.

Is it already an addiction?

A behavior becomes an addiction when at least three criteria are met: n the behavior is clearly excessive given its context n it causes significant distress or impairment for the person or important people in their lives n it persists despite not resulting in reward.

Shopping online for your weekly groceries would not usually be considered a behavioral addiction. Neither would making Covid-19-related online purchases of exercise equipment, office supplies, or masks.

However, online shopping might be considered addiction-like if you find yourself spending a great deal of time shopping, buying a lot more than you need, or finding it hard to stop shopping even

though you rarely seem to enjoy the stuff you buy.

Relationship issues and financial hardship are other key clues your online shopping has become a problem. Some people may experience online shopping problems without even spending a lot of money; just spending excessive amounts of time browsing products may be enough to warrant reflection and possibly intervention.

significant others. They may buy compulsively when they feel ambivalent or confused about their sense of self.

That is why it’s not surprising that during the pandemic, many people report turning to online shopping to cope with significant changes to their social, work and family lives.

Australia experienced a surge in online shopping in March and April, and online spending now remains well above what it was a year ago.

What research says about online shopping and addiction

How to cut back

For many people, shopping can be a social or leisurely activity. It can feel good, and that can get wrapped up with the desire to buy and own material possessions.

In fact, research from my (Melissa Norberg) lab suggests compulsive shopping can be associated with a feeling of being unable to deal with distress.

Problematic shopping also may occur when people attempt to compensate for an unmet psychological need, such as a need to feel competent, in control, or connected to others.

People sometimes turn to comfort products when they feel unsupported by

If online shopping or browsing is interfering with your life, there are several strategies you can try.

The first is to determine what triggers your online shopping. Are you trying to feel better about yourself or relieve negative emotions such as boredom, stress or anxiety? Are you experiencing poor sleep or unhealthy eating? (If so, upsetting events might be more difficult to manage).

Is the online shopping occurring mostly at a certain time of day or in certain circumstances (after a glass or two of wine, after scrolling social media or when you’re lying in bed at the end of a long day, for example?).

Next, try to figure out if there are other, more effective ways you can respond to whatever is triggering your excessive shopping.

If you tend to react impulsively to situations, practice identifying your urge to respond and then sitting with that discomfort so that you can choose a less impulsive and more productive or fulfilling response. Being able to tolerate negative emotions and respond flexibly to stressful situations is associated with healthier outcomes.

Chatting on the phone (or by text) with a friend, doing a peaceful activity (taking a bath, reading a book), exercising, or practicing a hobby can help you to feel supported, relaxed, and talented. These activities also can lessen anxiety and depression.

Once you determine what you can do instead of shopping, develop a daily schedule. Having a schedule will help you feel more in control of your life and reduce the time available to shop online.

Try to set goals and monitor your shopping behavior.

You can also try to do the following: n make shopping lists (and stick to them) when buying groceries and other essential items n set a timer to limit how long you browse n set constraints on how much you spend n if possible, use debit cards instead of credit cards so you can only spend money you have n steer clear of “buy now, pay later” services n if you have multiple credit cards, consider closing them to limit your ability to spend money you don’t have.

Research has found these strategies can help people reduce their compulsive shopping. If you have trouble reducing your shopping behavior on your own, you can always seek help from a professional.

Also, when you do meet your goals, don’t forget to reward yourself (with something other than shopping, that is). The Conversation

Making e-learning for everyone

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

T

he onslaught of Covid-19 has presented a common challenge on how to make e-learning inclusive considering the socioeconomic background of majority of Filipino students.

To help address the problem, Security Bank Foundation Inc. (SBFI) recently formed a partnership with Edukasyon. ph to provide e-learning access to displaced students. The latest in a long line of education initiatives, the partnership has enabled SBFI to automate its scholarship application process and

extend Edukasyon.ph online education platform to its external college scholars.

Ivie Azor, a student from the University of the Philippines Diliman, complimented the program, saying that the Edukasyon.ph online courses can be compared to the free courses offered by Harvard. “Most of their discussions were already tackled when I was in senior high school, so I guess this course was more of digging deeper in each terminology and giving complex examples.”

Security Bank Cards also partnered with Edukasyon.ph to offer Security Bank

4 BusinessMirror

Cardholders access to their paid courses through its platform. Senior high school and college students of cardholders can access the free specialized e-learning course from online institutions such as,.

Udemy, Kadenze, and Google Garage.

The scholars thanked SBFI for the chance to expand their learning while in quarantine since adjusting to the new normal has been difficult for many students.

Jay-ar Guyena, an accounting student at De La Salle University found the partnership as beneficial. “Edukasyon.ph has easy access to tertiary programs for on-

August 16, 2020

Jay-ar Guyena, a first-year BS Accountancy scholar in De La Salle University, taking the “Strategic Business Management–Microeconomics” e-learning course at Edukasyon.ph. line learning,” he said. “It offers various online learning courses for different undergraduate programs.”