BusinessMirror August 25, 2019

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A broader look at today’s business

Sunday, August 25, 2019 Vol. 14 No. 319

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WITH TOBACCO The tobacco leaf has been associated with health hazards for humans, but a part of the plant deemed as waste—its stalk—may soon become the next construction material star.

TOBACCO stalks, by-products of tobacco processing and once considered waste, ready to be turned into termite-resistant additive for plywood adhesives.

WOOD panels with varying levels of tobacco-dust glue were placed in a drum with a termite nest in the middle. The panels with tobacco glue were unscathed.

Text & Photos by Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

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neers on how to turn the waste into something useful.

The stalks were by-products of tobacco processing and were already considered waste.

Acda, Jimenez said, thought of using the stalks in making particle board.

The particle board exhibited a resistance to termites after tobacco particles were mixed in its composition.

In the tests conducted by Acda, particle boards with tobacco weren’t eaten by termites, which eventually died of hunger.

“But the problem with that was we don’t have a particle board industry anymore. So when I applied for my PhD dissertation, [Acda] suggested that I use tobacco stalk as additives in the glue used in plywood,” Jimenez told the BusinessMirror in an interview.

F an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then a tobacco at bay sends the termites astray.

This is a simplistic explanation of what a Filipino engineer discovered about the potential of tobacco to be the next construction material star.

Juanito P. Jimenez Jr. of the Department of Science and Technology Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOSTFPRDI) studied the use of tobacco stalk particles as additive in glues used in plywood production.

In his study, he found out that tobacco’s insect repellency and scavenger properties work well in plywood as they solve two of

its major problems: termites and formaldehyde emissions.

Termite repellency

JIMENEZ said tobacco’s property to repel termites—due to its nicotine content—has been known for decades already.

But it was only through his adviser’s—Dr. Menandro N. Acda— work that the tobacco trait was put to real use.

Jimenez recalled that National Tobacco Administration (NTA) brought tobacco stalks to DOSTFPRDI and sought help from engi-

PARTICLE board using ground tobacco stem as extender, filler, termiticide and scavenger.

JUANITO P. JIMENEZ JR. found out that tobacco’s insect repellency and scavenger properties work well in plywood as they solve two of its major problems: termites and formaldehyde emissions.

Filler

JIMENEZ initially formulated a glue containing tobacco stalk particles or crushed tobacco stems that look like dust as a filler. He would cut up tobacco stems into chips, dry them, chip again, and then ground them into fine coffee-powder-like particles. The particles, which he calls dust, are then mixed with other components to create a glue treatment.

To test if the treatment is effective against termites, he placed four panels with varying levels of tobacco-dust glue in a drum with a termite nest in the middle.

“If given the choice, the termites would eat first the panels without treatment. After weeks the nest would lose activity and eventually die due to starvation,” he explained.

“The other panels with tobacco glue were unscathed,” he added.

Continued on A2

Economic twilight zone: Bonds that charge you for lending

By David McHugh & Paul Wiseman | The Associated Press

F

RANKFURT, Germany—Imagine lending money to someone and having to pay for the privilege of doing so. Or being asked to invest and informed of how much money you’ll lose.

Sounds absurd, but increasingly that’s the global bond market these days. A rising share of government and corporate bonds are trading at negative interest yields—a financial twilight zone that took hold after the financial crisis and has accelerated on fear that a fragile global economy will

be further damaged by the US-China trade war.

On Wednesday, for the first time ever, the German government sold 30-year bonds at a negative interest rate. The bonds pay no coupon interest at all. Yet bidders at the auction were willing to pay more than the face value they

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 52.2430

would receive back when the bonds mature.

The sale added to the mountain of negative-yielding bonds around the world that investors have gobbled up, suggesting that they expect global growth and inflation to remain subpar for years to come. After all, accepting a negative yield on a bond—agreeing, in effect, to lose money in exchange for parking money in a safe place— could reflect expectations that yields will sink even further into negative territory.

"You’re essentially paying a warehouse fee by paying these negative rates," said Jim Bianco of Bianco Research in Chicago.

Worldwide debt with negative rates has surged to $16.4 trillion

from $12.2 trillion in mid-July and $5.7 trillion in October, Bianco said.

"Until a few months ago, negative-yielding debt was an interesting curiosity," he said. "In the last three months, it’s become a mainstay in the marketplace."

The negative-yield phenomenon — 87 percent of it in Europe and Japan combined — is above all sign of pessimism about the future.

"This is like a temperature gauge for the economy, and it says the economy is sick," said Sung Won Sohn, business economist at Loyola Marymount University in California.

The bond market is also reContinued on A2

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel and German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, August 21, 2019. AP/MICHAEL SOHN

n JAPAN 0.4909 n UK 64.0186 n HK 6.6635 n CHINA 7.3758 n SINGAPORE 37.7124 n AUSTRALIA 35.2954 n EU 57.8905 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.9303

Source: BSP (August 23, 2019 )

NewsSunday BusinessMirror

A2 Sunday, August 25, 2019

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Build build build–with tobacco Continued from A1

Jimenez explained that most of the raw tree materials that plywood manufacturers use today are vulnerable to insect attacks, especially to termites.

Scavenger

ASIDE from its termite repellency, tobacco also contains a scavenger property due to its nicotine content.

Due to this, plywood with tobacco-based glue has less formaldehyde emission, hence, lesser risk for household users to inhale carcinogenic materials.

“We’re not aware of formaldehyde emission of furniture. Furniture over time emit formaldehyde which, based on World Health Organization (WHO)’s findings, is carcinogenic when inhaled through time,” Jimenez explained.

“Formaldehyde iyong masangsang na amoy lalo na hardware at bagong gawang plywood,” he added.

Jimenez disclosed that plywood using their tobacco-based glue would also pass industry standards based on formaldehyde emission.

He added that plywood would pass the minimum formaldehyde emission grading of F1 star. F4 star is the top formaldehyde emission grade which means least emitted amount of the strong chemical.

Four-in-one

THE original goal of Jimenez’s study was to just replace the filler

and extender materials used by manufacturers of plywood with tobacco-based mixture.

At present, Jimenez said manufacturers use wheat flour and rice hull flour or ipa as extender and fillers.

“You think plywood’s surface level is smooth but on a microscopic level it’s not. That’s why they use fillers,” he explained.

“And in our study we were able to prove that our glue mixture could replace both the extender and filler components. It’s replacing two with one,” he added.

Due to this, Jimenez said manufacturers could save P22 per kilo if they use tobacco dust-based glue mixture since it would replace two raw materials, based on their initial computations.

Jimenez added that manufacturers pay P18 per kilogram for wheat and P9 per kilogram for rice hull, while tobacco dust is just P5 per kilogram.

Furthermore, companies would no longer be competing for wheat and rice hull supplies from other businesses since tobacco dust is not utilized much by industries, he said.

“So what happened now is that our product became a four-in-one.

Ground tobacco stem as an extender, filler, termiticide and scavenger,” he quipped.

Jimenez’s research titled “Tobacco Particles as 4-in-1 Additive for Plywood Adhesive” won first

FROM waste to the next construction material star, the National Tobacco Administration said Jimenez’s glue mixture is one of the promising value-added products of tobacco today.

place both in the paper and poster competitions under the research category of the 31st Regional Symposium on Research, Development and Extension Services of the Southern Tagalog Agriculture, Aquatic and Resources Research, Development and Extension Consortium in November 2018.

For real

THE real economic benefits of Jimenez’s product will only be determined, however, during their pilot production of industry-sized plywood this fourth quarter.

Jimenez said they partnered with a plywood cooperator that will produce full-sized panels in large quantities to determine the efficacy of their glue in the real environment.

The pilot production will start sometime in October to November this year, Jimenez said.

Jimenez said they will tap an economist to determine the economic benefits, such as savings for plywood manufacturers, in using the tobacco glue.

He explained that some considerations for costing would be expenses for hauling and transportation of tobacco stems and equipment used in producing the glue.

Future

DESPITE the still-uncertain horizon for the innovation, Jimenez said there are already interested firms to adopt their tobacco-based glue.

The interest, Jimenez said, arises from the fact that plywood manufacturers and even glue makers are looking for alternatives to chemicals they use.

In fact, Jimenez disclosed, one of the country’s leading glue manufacturers is willing to adopt the tobacco-based glue should they be able to prove its possible savings in production.

Jimenez is optimistic that their pilot production run this fourth quarter would yield positive results and prove that their product is economically feasible.

Jimenez said it would be pragmatic if their technology would be adopted in Mindanao since it is where plywood manufacturers are concentrated and there is a huge tobacco plantation in the region

Promising

NTA said it is optimistic about the potential of Jimenez’s study since it could wipe out the 25,000-MT tobacco stem wastage annually.

The attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Jimenez’s glue mixture is one of

the promising value-added products of tobacco today.

And since tobacco stems constitute waste in the farm, NTA said the country has sufficient supply in case the tobacco-based glue is commercially adopted by manufacturers.

NTA said one of the ways to commercialize Jimenez’s work is by packaging it and seeking government funding.

Jimenez estimates that tobacco stem waste nationwide would be reduced by 2 million kilograms annually if all 20 active plywood companies use a tobacco-mixed glue.

The NTA estimates that tobacco waste is around 25,000 metric tons or 25 million kilograms every year.

Besides waste reduction, farmers would have additional income since tobacco stems are treated as waste in the fields.

Looking back, he recalled that he just wanted a laboratory-based experiment for his dissertation but DOST officials encouraged him to go big and do it in a real large-scale production.

“I’m positive that we will get good results,” he said.

Economic twilight zone…

Continued from A1

sponding to expectations that many central banks such as the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank will respond to economic weakness and the raging trade conflict between the US and China by unleashing more stimulus to try to drive down interest rates. The ECB has indicated that it may decide on a stimulus package as soon as its September 12 meeting.

Despite its strong credit rating and demand for its bonds, Germany is a big part of the growth problem for the eurozone. The German economy shrank 0.1 percent in the second quarter and could tip into recession with another quarter of falling output.

Negative rates aren’t just an indicator of economic distress.

They can cause problems in the financial system, too. They make it harder for banks to turn a profit or for insurance companies to fund their future payouts.

“Why would you want to lend money when you can’t make money?” Sohn said.

Indeed, bank stocks have tumbled—24 percent in Europe and 23 percent in Japan—over the past year.

Most of the negative-yielding debt is in government bonds, in part because they are seen as ultrasafe. But there are also about $60 billion US corporate bonds that are in negative territory.

Something similar is going on with US government debt: The yield on the 10-year Treasury note

has sagged to 1.57 percent—a rate that would amount to a negative one after accounting for inflation.

Japan has been stuck in years of low inflation and sluggish growth.

And growth rates in Europe have slowed in recent quarters.

German bonds are prime candidates for negative rates. The country’s financial solidity means that safety-seeking investors will at least receive most of their money back. German 10-year bonds yield negative 0.69 percent. Other countries with negative yields on government bonds include Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Spain.

What was especially unusual about the German bond sale was its long maturity. As anyone who has shopped for a bank CD knows, you usually get more interest the longer your money is tied up. Yet bond yields are sagging not just for shorter-term issues but also for longer-term bonds.

The negative yields on German bonds have fueled debate over the government’s insistence on running budget surpluses and avoiding new debt, even though the government could borrow to spend more on roads and bridges and in effect be paid to do so.

Economists and such outside voices as the US Treasury and the International Monetary Fund say Germany could support growth at home and abroad by spending more. Germany’s economy shrank 0.1 percent in the second quarter, held back by slowing global trade and the auto industry’s adjustment

to tough emissions standards and new technologies.

A little bond math helps to understand things. Bond yields and prices move in opposite directions.

If investors think inflation and interest rates will rise above levels now reflected in bond yields, they may sell the bond, sending its yield higher.

Conversely, demand for bonds—as seen now—drives the price up and the yield down. The more investors foresee low growth and low inflation ahead, the more willing they become to buy bonds that offer low returns. They can earn healthy returns from rising bond prices, even when the yields are negative.

One big reason for falling yields is purchases by central banks. The European Central Bank bought €2.6 trillion in government and corporate bonds as part of a stimulus program that ended in December. As the economic picture has worsened, the bank has signaled those purchases might start again.

In addition to its signal about the economy, negative yields can make it harder to fund retirement savings. The high bond prices reflected in the low yields also raise the possibility of a bond market plunge if sentiment changes.

That could happen if the economies of Europe and Japan begin to regain momentum and their central banks call off their easy money policies.

“The worst thing that can happen for these bonds is, God forbid, the economies recover,” Bianco said.

The World BusinessMirror

Editor: Angel R. Calso

Sunday, August 25, 2019

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Turmoil in Hong Kong’s streets, markets keeps investors worried

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ong Kong’s financial markets are in one of their most volatile periods in years, and signs of a turnaround are few and far between.

A brief rebound in stocks is fading as concern grows over the impact the trade war, political unrest and a weak yuan are having on cor porate earnings and the economy. Investors pulling funds from the city would undermine the local dollar and potentially force the central bank to defend the peg. That would tighten liquidity, spike interest rates and pressure a fragile property market.

Hong Kong stands out even as markets worldwide are dragged down by deterioration in growth.

With no obvious end in sight to anti-government demonstrations, the local dollar is returning toward the weak end of its trading band and the Hang Seng Index has lost nearly 9 percent since the end of June, on course for its worst quarter in four years.

“It’s still too early to call the bottom,” said Raymond Chen, a portfolio manager with Keywise Capital Management (HK) Ltd. in Beijing. “The local incident looks far from being resolved. We’d stay

cautious about putting money in the Hong Kong market.”

There’s been some encouragement. Hong Kong equities are proving popular with investors from mainland China, attracted by their lowest valuations since late 2016. They funneled a net $7 billion across the border over 25 consecutive sessions through Thursday, though trading via exchange links accounted for only about 11 percent of daily turnover in the city’s equities during that period.

Calm is also returning to the options market, where the price of bearish puts on the Hang Seng Index has dropped versus the cost of bullish calls in the past two weeks. That shows there’s less demand to hedge against further declines in the gauge. The spread, known as skew, spiked to a oneyear high on August 6.

Tim Nan, chief investment officer of Nanjing Hilltop Investment Management Co., has added more Hong Kong-listed Chinese firms in his portfolio.

Demonstrators spray fire extinguishers during a protest at the Yuen Long MTR station in Hong Kong on August 21. Hong Kong riot police faced off briefly with protesters occupying a suburban train station on Wednesday evening following a commemoration of a violent attack there by masked assailants on supporters of the anti-government movement. AP/Kin Cheung

“The core value of Hong Kong is that it functions as a transit for China’s economy and the domestic financial system, and I don’t think the conflicts are going to change that,” Nan said. “Since that core value remains unharmed and quality stocks are getting cheaper, why not buy on the dips?”

But the protests are a big overh a ng , at t imes br ing ing pa r ts of t he c it y—i nc lud i ng the international air port—to a standstill and clouding the econom ic out look . Fi n a nc i a l Secretar y Paul Chan said gross domestic product will grow zero percent to 1 percent this year,

down from a previous forecast of 2 percent to 3 percent. China is also pushing the development of Shenzhen, including possibly granting it privileges in yuan internationalization, a potential threat to Hong Kong as the offshore center.

“Stocks may have largely priced

in the local incidents, but it’s hard to gauge the ramifications in the medium to long run, including whether China’s development plan for Shenzhen is aimed at replacing Hong Kong,” said Ronald Wan, chief executive of Partners Capital International Ltd. Wan is watching how trade talks between China and the US evolve in the coming months, as well as corporate earnings. The impact from protests, which kicked into high gear in early June, on local tourism and consumption hasn’t yet been reflected in corporate results, he said. “It may only start to bite in the second half.”

Most Hong Kong retailers have seen sales drop more than 50 percent in August, the city’s Retail Management Association said Thursday, urging landlords to halve rents for six months to help tenants through difficult times.

The value of retail sales dropped for a fifth straight month in June, official numbers show.

Morgan Stanley warned this week that the Hang Seng Index could drop to 21,500 points given the “current environment” and investors should “remain defensively positioned and sell near term rallies.” That level would signal a bear market as it implies more than 20 percent downside from an April peak. The benchmark was up 0.2 percent as of 10:26 a.m. local time at 26,095.15. Bloomberg News

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Sunday, August 25, 2019

The World BusinessMirror

Japan’s leader says South Korea canceling intel deal damages trust S

www.businessmirror.com.ph

North Korea foreign minister calls Pompeo ‘poisonous plant’

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OKYO—Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday said South Korea’s decision to cancel a deal to share military intelligence is damaging mutual trust, and he vowed to work closely with the US for regional peace.

Abe also accused Seoul of not keeping past promises. The military agreement started in 2016.

“We will continue to closely coordinate with the US to ensure regional peace and prosperity, as well as Japan’s security,” he said, ahead of his departure for the Group of Seven summit of industrialized nations in France.

South Korea said it made the decision because Tokyo downgraded South Korea’s preferential trade status, which it said changed the security cooperation between the countries. Seoul says it will downgrade Tokyo as well, a change that would take effect in September.

South Korea accuses Japan of weaponizing trade to punish it over a separate dispute linked to Japan’s brutal colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. Japan denies any retaliation.

Japan has long claimed all wartime compensation issues were settled when the two countries normalized relations under a 1965 treaty.

But South Korea’s Supreme Court last year ruled that the deal did not cover individual rights to seek reparations and has ordered compensations for victims of forced labor under Japan’s rule.

South Korea’s latest decision on military intelligence came as a surprise to many, and underlined how much the relations had deteriorated.

The US sees both South Korea and Japan as important allies in northern Asia amid the continuing threats from North Korea and China. The Pentagon has expressed “strong concern and disappointment” in the collapse of the agreement.

Despite the ample signs of friendly relations between the people, such as the popularity of K-pop in Japan and of Japanese animation in South Korea, the nations are entangled in a long history that has bred animosity.

“The weight of past history influences current relations,” said Daniel Sneider, lecturer of international policy at Stanford University, noting that generations who never directly experienced the colonial and wartime past can remain affected.

Sneider compared the situation to the divisive legacy of the Civil War, which remains relevant for many Americans. He also warned

that an easy exit for the JapanKorea tensions was not in sight.

“Korea certainly was a historical victim in that sense from the countries around it. That’s very embedded in the historical memory that is created for Koreans.

It’s in their school curriculum, and it’s in their popular culture,” he added.

“They have this narrative of victimization, in which Japan certainly comes at the top of the list.”

Liberal South Korean President Moon Jae-in has declared that his country would “never again lose” to Japan, although he later softened his tone and said he was willing to talk with Tokyo.

In the latest row, South Koreans have held massive rallies and started a boycott of Japanese products. The South Korean government has, in turn, downgraded Japan’s trade status.

The tit-for-tat actions could lead to economic damage that’s bigger for South Korea than Japan.

Major South Korean manufacturers, including Samsung, rely heavily on materials and components imported from Japan. AP

US officials confirm Israeli strike in Iraq J

ERUSALEM—US officials have confirmed that Israel was responsible for the bombing of an Iranian weapons depot in Iraq last month, an attack that would mark a significant escalation in Israel’s years-long campaign against Iranian military entrenchment across the region.

The confirmation comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is strongly hinting that his country is behind recent airstrikes in Iraq.

Two American officials said Israel carried out an attack on an Iranian weapons depot that killed two Iranian military commanders.

The US officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter with the media.

There have been weeks of speculation in Israel that the army is attacking targets in Iraq.

In an inter view with a Russian-lang uage T V station on Thursday, Netanyahu indicated the speculation is true.

“I don’t give Iran immunity anywhere,” he said, accusing the Iranians of trying to establish bases “against us everywhere,” including Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq.

Asked whether that means Israel is operating in Iraq, Netanyahu said: “We act in many arenas against a country that desires to annihilate us. Of course I gave the security forces a free hand and the instruction to do what is needed to thwart these plans of Iran.”

Early Friday, the New York

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continues to confront the North with sanctions.

Ri likely referred to comments

by Pompeo during an interview with the Washington Examiner earlier this week. During the interview, Pompeo said that the US will “continue to keep on the sanctions that are the toughest in all of history and continue to work toward convincing Chairman Kim and the North Korean leaders that the right thing to do is for them to denuclearize.”

North Korea is notorious for crude and fiery diatribes against the United States and South Korea, although it lately focused its anger on South Korea rather than the US, particularly over the allies’ military drills.

During the drills, North Korea carried out a slew of short-range missile and other weapons tests capable of hitting much of South Korea, not the mainland US. Some experts said these suggest that North Korea was interested in resuming talks with Washington.

The top US envoy on North Korea, Stephen Biegun, said Wednesday that the United States was “prepared to engage as soon as we hear from our counterparts in North Korea.”

US-led negotiations on North Korea’s nuclear weapons collapsed after Trump rejected Kim’s demand for widespread sanctions relief in return for partial disarmament steps during their second summit in Vietnam in February.

Trump and Kim met again at the Korean border in late June and agreed to resume the talks. AP

Italy president to pols: Make solid deal or elections soon

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In this Monday, file photo, plumes of smoke rise after an explosion at a military base southwest of Baghdad, Iraq. A fact-finding committee appointed by the Iraqi government to investigate a massive munitions depot explosion near the capital Baghdad has concluded that the blast was the result of a drone strike. A copy of the report was obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday. AP/Loay Hameed

Times, citing Israeli and US officials, reported that Israel bombed an Iranian weapons depot in Iraq last month.

It would be the first known Israeli air strike in Iraq since 1980, when Israeli warplanes destroyed a nuclear reactor being built by Saddam Hussein. It also steps up Israel’s campaign against Iranian military involvement across the region.

Israel has previously acknowledged hundreds of air strikes on

Iranian targets in neighboring Syria, primarily arms shipments believed to be destined for Iran’s Hezbollah allies.

Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy and has repeatedly vowed that it will not allow the Iranians, who are supporting the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad, to establish a permanent military presence in Syria.

Striking Iraq would be far more complicated than reaching

neighboring Syria.

The Israeli warplanes would likely have to travel through Turkey, a former ally that now has cool relations with Israel, or through Saudi Arabia, to carry out the strikes on Iraq.

Israel and the Saudis do not have formal diplomatic relations, but are believed to have established a behind-the-scenes alliance based on their shared hostility toward Iran. AP

Canada halts H.K. consulate staff travel after U.K. case ONG KONG—The Canadian Consulate in Hong Kong said Friday that local staff would not be allowed to leave the city on official business, following the detention of a British Consulate worker in mainland China.

It didn’t say whether the travel restriction was related to the detention of Simon Cheng Man-kit, who went missing two weeks ago after he went on a business trip from Hong Kong’s high-speed rail terminal to Shenzhen, a mainland city just across the border from the semiautonomous territory.

“At present, locally engaged staff will not undertake official business travel outside of Hong Kong,” the Canadian Consulate said in a statement.

The Chinese government’s announcement this week that Cheng had been detained has

EOUL, South Korea—North Korea’s foreign minister on Friday called US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo a “poisonous plant of American diplomacy” and vowed to “shutter the absurd dream” that sanctions will force a change in Pyongyang.

The North ’s blistering rhetoric may dim the prospect for an early resumption of nuclear negotiations between the countries. A senior US diplomat said earlier this week that Washington was ready to restart the talks, a day after US and South Korean militaries ended their regular drills that Pyong yang called an invasion rehearsal.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho made the comments to protest Pompeo’s remarks in an interview in which he said that Washington will maintain crippling sanctions on North Korea unless it denuclearizes.

Ri said he couldn’t just let the “reckless remarks” by Pompeo pass by him because they came amid a possible restart of the nuclear talks. Ri said Pompeo is a “brazen” man because he “had begged for” North Korean denuclearization and improved bilateral ties when he visited Pyongyang and met leader Kim Jong Un several times.

In April, North Korea demanded President Donald J. Trump remove Pompeo from the nuclear negotiations.

Ri said North Korea is ready for both dialogue and confrontation.

But he warned that North Korea will try to remain “America’s biggest threat” if the United States

stoked tensions in Hong Kong, which has been gripped by more than two months of anti-government protests sparked by outrage over proposed legislation that would have allowed some criminal suspects to be sent to the mainland for trial.

The head of the cabin crew union for Cathay Dragon, a Hong Kong-based regional airline, said Friday that she had been fired in retaliation for supporting the protests.

Rebecca Sy said the carrier dismissed her without giving a reason, but that the firing came after she was pulled from a flight at short notice and asked by an airline representative to confirm that a screenshot from Facebook was from her account.

The union said in a statement the firing is

a “blatant suppression and retaliation on her participation in the anti-extradition bill movement and her actions to mobilize her colleagues to participate as a trade union leader.”

Cathay Dragon is owned by Hong Kong’s main carrier, Cathay Pacific. It did not respond to a request for comment.

The missing worker, Cheng, had worked for the British Consulate since December 2017 as an international trade and investment officer for the Scottish government. He and other local staff at consulates and embassies support diplomats but don’t have diplomatic passports themselves.

China said this week that Cheng is a Hong Kong resident who had been placed in administrative detention for 15 days for violating public order

regulations. It did not elaborate.

The Global Times, a Communist Party-owned nationalistic tabloid, reported Wednesday that Chen was detained for “soliciting prostitutes.”

Police in Shenzhen did not respond to requests for confirmation of the report.

China often uses public order charges against political targets and has sometimes used the charge of soliciting prostitution. Ou Shaokun, an anti-corruption activist, alleged in 2015 that he was framed by authorities in southern Hunan province who said they found him in a hotel room with a prostitute.

The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a statement that they are still urgently seeking further information about Cheng’s case. AP

OME—Italy’s president gave party leaders a few more days to try to forge a solid, durable governing coalition but served notice they must convince him soon they have found a formula for a new majority in Parliament or else he’ll call early elections.

President Sergio Mattarella made clear that only a government solid enough to win the required confidence vote in Parliament would be considered an acceptable way out of the knotty, weeks-long political crisis.

Otherwise, said Mattarella, “the path is that of elections.”

Fast-rising nationalist leader Matteo Salvini yanked support for the governing 14-month-old populist coalition in a bid to come to power himself in fresh elections.

Mattarella, who is head of state, said he’ll start a fresh round of talks with party leaders on Tuesday so he can “reach my conclusions and take the necessary decisions.”

He urged swiftness.

“Political and economic uncertainties, on an international level, require it,” he said, also citing the European Union’s new leadership taking the helm this fall.

Mattarella didn’t say which parties had told him they were trying to reach a coalition deal.

But Italian news reports said the negotiations involved archrivals: the opposition Democrats and the 5-Star Movement, which was the main partner in the now-caretaker government.

The Democrats confirmed that negotiations between the heads of the two parties were indeed under way, even though the 5-Stars were shying away from confirming that.

Any such deal, if successful, could foil Deputy Premier Salvini, the euroskeptic leader of the right-wing League, in his bid to force early elections and become premier.

He wants to capitalize on his soaring popularity, including in May’s European Parliament vote.

Premier Giuseppe Conte resigned on Tuesday after Salvini withdrew political support earlier this month. Since then, at Mattarella’s request, Conte is serving in a caretaker role.

To call new elections “is a decision not to be taken lightly, after more than a year of the legislature’s life,” Mattarella said. Parliament’s full term is five years, but in the volatile world of Italian politics rarely lasts that.

In rapid-fire order, the three main political parties pitched possible deals to rivals earlier

Thursday.

Parliament’s largest opposition party, the Democrats, signaled a willingness to work with the 5-Stars to attempt to cobble together a pro-Europe coalition to counter Salvini and avoid an early election.

Salvini, who also serves as Italy’s antimigrant interior minister, kept up his press for early elections. But as a backstop against any deal between the Democrats and 5-Stars, Salvini dangled the possibility of a Cabinet overhaul that keeps his League party in a ruling coalition with the 5-Stars.

“If someone tells me ‘Let’s improve the team, let’s improve the aim,’ I’m a concrete man. I don’t hold grudges,” Salvini said.

Barely an hour later, 5-Star leader Luigi di Maio, like Salvini a deputy premier, said that while “the most convenient path is to head to a vote,” he’d be open to a political deal to keep the current legislature alive. But he didn’t say with whom.

Earlier, Nicola Zingaretti, who leads the center-left Democrats, lobbied for the same solution as di Maio: a coalition that could nail down durable, broad backing in Parliament.

“Not a government at any cost,” Zingaretti told reporters at the palace. “We need a government that changes direction, an alternative to the right.”

Creating a viable replacement for Conte’s collapsed government will prove a Herculean task for anyone.

Both the Democrats and the 5-Stars have been weakened by infighting—and over a year ago they failed to agree to a coalition deal after the 2018 election that ultimately brought Conte’s now-caretaker government to power.

Zingaretti said any new government must pledge to protect the “pro-European vocation” of Italy. The 5-Stars, however, frequently depict European Union policies as infringing on Italy’s autonomy. Mammoth state spending under Conte’s tenure, reflecting populist promises to voters by both the 5-Stars and the League, means whoever governs Italy for the rest of this year must slash tens of billions of euros from the proposed 2020 budget to avoid triggering higher sales taxes and other painful measures which could alienate voters.

Salvini with his “Italians first” agenda has openly challenged the EU’s financial rules for the 19 nations including Italy who use the shared euro currency. AP

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

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time: ‘Luke 13:22-30’

Sunday

Sunday, August 25, 2019 A5

Amid sainthood push

Who can be saved? Ohio ‘miracle house’ draws pilgrims Msgr. Josefino S. Ramirez SUNDAY GOSPEL IN OUR LIFE

‘L

ord, are only a few be saved?” (Luke 13:23). It is a very interesting questions that Jesus Christ did not answer.

Instead, He urged his listeners to strive to “enter by the narrow gate” and He pointed out that some, who took their salvation for granted, would not be saved, because they were “workers of iniquity” (Luke 13:27).

While the question of eternal salvation is such a vital concern of everyone, still, perhaps out of respect for the individual conscience, Christ did not want to make any explicit answer to the question.

He wanted to channel that curiosity of the questioner to something more practical.

It is idle to know whether many or few will be saved. The important thing is that you try to make sure of your salvation—after all, being such a personal matter, no one can substitute for you in your place.

What Jesus is telling us is that we should not take salvation for granted—it is an important matter, and it is no easy one.

“Enter the narrow gate.” In another passage, He elaborates, “For wise is the way that leads to destruction.”

The Christian life has often been compared to a journey. When we are going to a certain destination, obviously the right road is fewer than the wrong ones.

To live a Christian life and, therefore, achieve our eternal salvation, we need to follow the road set out for us by the fulfilment of our ordinary Christian duties.

At the same time, there is no denying that along the way, we may be tempted by many other things, and then be deviated from our path.

How do we know if we are on the right path? How do we know if we are on the way to salvation?

Martin Luther enunciated the principle that salvation comes with faith alone. I am saved because I believe in Jesus Christ, full stop.

Modern day fundamentalists express this by the phrase: “Accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.” Then you know that you are saved.

With all respect for that position, we must nevertheless say that Jesus’s teaching does not agree with that. Faith alone is not enough. It has to be accompanied by works.

Faith without works is not authentic. Accepting Jesus Christ as one’s personal Lord and Saviour needs to be accompanied by an effective change in one’s life and in one’s self.

The gospel of today points out how some people who had “accepted” Christ in their midst, did not achieve salvation. Although Christ was present, their deeds did not correspond with this presence. They were cast out as “workers of iniquity,” their works continued to be evil in spite of Christ’s presence.

Let us, therefore, be concerned for our eternal salvation. And let us work for this salvation by accepting Christ into our lives and transforming our lives by acting and working according to Christ’s teachings.

Malolos diocese welcomes new bishop

C

ANTON, Ohio—Late in the summer of 1939, crowds of strangers started showing up at Rhoda Wise’s house next to a city dump in Ohio after she let it be known that miracles were occurring in her room.

Eight decades later, people still make pilgrimages to the wood frame bungalow at the edge of Canton, Ohio, seeking their own miracles.

Wise died in 1948, but her legend as a Christian mystic has blossomed with time. And last fall, after years of discussions, the local Roman Catholic diocese petitioned the Vatican to make Wise a saint, renewing interest in her former home.

The story starts with the sickly Wise, who lived with her alcoholic husband and young daughter, claiming she was healed of a terminal illness and was visited by Jesus Christ as she suffered in her bed.

When word got out, people began arriving at all hours, seeking spiritual guidance and asking to see the wooden chair where Jesus sat. They stood in lines around the block to file past her bed when she appeared to suffer stigmata— bloody wounds on her head, hands and feet like those Jesus suffered on the cross—until she implored the church to take her off display.

Newspapers and national magazines sent reporters to write about Ohio’s “miracle house.”

The parade of pilgrims slowed down after Wise’s death but never stopped. Her house—now with beige vinyl siding and a good-sized parking lot—has remained an under-the-radar destination for the faithful and curious.

Her former home is one of dozens of Catholic shrines and pilgrimage sites in the United States, ranging from modest to grand.

Among them are one of the

largest crucifixes in the world in the woods of Michigan, an altar inside a 50-foot-high cave carved into a cliff in Oregon, and a small chapel in Minnesota built as a tribute to the Virgin Mary, to whom the locals prayed when a plague of grasshoppers devastated crops in the 1870s.

In 1996, a popular shrine developed in the parking lot of an office building in Clearwater, Florida, where thousands believed a 60-foot image of Mary had appeared on the mirrored glass.

That lasted until 2004, when a high-school boy with a slingshot shattered some of the panes.

The Wise house stands out because it doesn’t stand out, blending in with a row of Habitat for Humanity homes, built across the street in recent years, and the rest of the frayed residential neighborhood. These days, there’s a golf course where the dump used to be.

Regard less of t he va l id it y of the Rhoda Wise narrative— scoffers note that she was known to have menta l hea lth prob lems—people still arrive by the busload. They come to view her 9-foot-square bedroom, pray and sit in the Jesus chair, which has been repaired numerous times through the years and now is painted gold. There is no admission fee. Donations pay the bills.

Canton native Karen Sigler, 66, visited with a group in the early 1980s and was recruited by Wise’s daughter Anna Mae to become the live-in caretaker, a position she has held now for 36 years.

“We live in a world that’s really

Marge Ruminski, from Parma, Ohio, sits on the chair in this August 9 photo, where Rhoda Wise said she was visited

by Jesus Christ in front of the altar in Canton, Ohio. AP/Tony Dejak

hard to have faith in today. Really hard,” Sigler said, trying to explain the attraction. “A lot of people want to hold on to it. And Rhoda’s strength to endure everything she did with such a great love of God is inspiration for them.”

Precise numbers aren’t kept, but a guest book shows visitors from more than a dozen states and Canada since late spring. Most are already believers, like 49-year-old Denise Kleinhenz. She came with her family recently from their home on the other side of the state.

“She saw Jesus,” said Kleinhenz, wonder in her voice. “And He came more than just once. It just makes me think about, that He exists.”

The room where Wise was bedridden for years now is an altar room crowded with statues and relics. Bandages claimed to be those that absorbed Wise’s blood during stigmata are mounted in frames on the wall.

Photos of Wise bleeding from the head and hands are also displayed.

The “Acts of the Case” advocating for her sainthood have been sent to Rome, but the next steps of the arduous process could take years.

Whether scientific explanations might exist for things that happened to Wise makes little

difference by now, said Michele Dillon, a University of New Hampshire sociology professor who has written on Catholic beliefs.

Nobody can prove or disprove that miracles occurred at the house or as a result of people visiting and praying there, Dillon said. And the continued involvement of the church has given the story a stamp of legitimacy.

“People do believe in prayer and miracles,” Dillon said. “And there’s also a social piece to that— if so many others are going, they must be on to something. If the story is compelling, it will attract a following.”

One of Wise’s granddaughters, 71-year-old Darlene Zastawny, was raised in the house and still stops around to talk to visitors. Her earliest memories, she said, involve strangers showing up at the door.

“I always wondered who all these people were that my mother would let in,” she said. “I’d be getting ready for school when I was little and there would be a stranger sitting with us because she wouldn’t tell them no. I knew it was special, but sometimes I wished it was more of a home. There was somebody coming all the time, but you get used to it.” AP

Exodus to the Promised Land

By Corazon Damo-Santiago Bishop Dennis Villarojo greets the faithful after his installation as the fifth bishop of Malolos. Roy Lagarde

M

ALOLOS, Bulacan—A huge crowd filled the church on Wednesday and burst into applause as they welcomed the new bishop of the Diocese of Malolos.

Bishop Dennis Villarojo was installed as the diocese’s pastoral leader during a Mass at the Malolos Cathedral, also known as the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception.

The fifth bishop of Malolos, he will now ser ve as head of the diocese, home to nearly 4 million Catholics in the entire Bulacan province and the nearby city of Valenzuela.

Villarojo, 52, has served as auxiliary bishop of Cebu since 2015.

During his installation, Villarojo was recognized as one who can provide a renewed sense of hope and faith for the local church.

“The mission of the Church is to wipe away the blood, tears and sweat of those who are heavily laden,” Villarojo said.

The first 20 minutes of the mass was dedicated to Villarojo’s installation officiated by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila and Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines.

A miter was placed on his head, a shepherd ’s staff was handed to him and then he sat

in the cathedra, signifying his possession of the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Malolos.

He was then greeted by members of the diocesan clergy and lay faithful who represented various parts of the diocese. Some government leaders also came up to greet him.

Also present were 50 bishops and around 200 priests, mostly from Cebu and Malolos.

Upon his arrival in Malolos on August 19, Villarojo visited some ministries that attend to the church’s works of mercy— such as houses of charity and a correctional facility.

The diocese has been without a bishop since Bishop Jose Oliveros died in May 2018. For more than a year, the ecclesiastical territory was overseen by Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of Cubao as apostolic administrator.

Many of the bishops present during the installation also came all the way from Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, for the episcopal ordination of Bishop Jose Rapadas of Iligan on August 20.

Bishop Rapadas is the first priest from the country’s youngest diocese to be raised to the episcopacy. He will be installed as the new bishop of Iligan in Lanao del Norte on September 5.

Roy Lagarde/CBCPNews

T

he Lord gave the 10 commandments to Moses for the newly delivered nation to follow to enable them to worship God properly.

To the ordinances of the Lord, the Israelites all answered with one voice: “We will do everything that the Lord has told us” (Exodus 24:3).

The next day, Moses built an altar at the foot of the mountain with 12 pillars for the 12 tribes of Israel. Again, taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud. The people reiterated their willingness to obey. “All that the Lord has said, we will heed and do” (Exodus 24:7).

Rituals and sacrifices

The Lord instructed Moses that preparations have to be made before Aaron, the priest, enters the sanctuary. His vestments, offerings, rituals and atonement for all the “sinful defilements and faults of the Israelites” (Levites 16:16).

Aaron and his sons were appointed priests, and the Levites were to guard the altars from desecration.

The Lord instructed Moses what was expected of Aaron and his sons as priests, what to tell the Israelites for the Lord to bless them.

“The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

The journey

At the end of their encampment on

Mount Sinai, a census was ordered by the Lord. It included all men aged 20, and excluded men from the Levi tribe who were tasked to maintain the tabernacle and the Israelites' system of worship.

Moses was instructed to remind the Israelites on the different rules of conduct and the penalties: “Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: ‘Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God am holy’” (Levites 19:3).

Eleven months after the arrival on Mount Sinai and 19 days after the census, 601,730 Israelites walked toward Canaan, according to the Complete Guide to the Bible by the Reader’s Digest.

The Levites led the way with the Ark of the Covenant to the Promised Land about 300 miles away (Numbers 10:35).

The Israelites were provided by God with manna—flaky wafers with honey that fell with the dew from heaven—as food.

But the rebellious people complained about the hard travel and lack of meat. Distressed, Moses complained to God and was advised to select 70 tribal leaders to help manage the Israelites.

In Kadish, Barnea, the southern border of Canaan, Moses selected leaders from the 12 tribes to make a preliminary survey of Canaan. Another census was conducted, which yielded more Israelites—603,550.

Forty days after the survey, only Caleb was in favor of proceeding to Canaan. The others reported of fortified cities, and

God shows Moses the Promised Land by Frans Pourbus the Elder, c. 1565–80 Wikimedia Commons

or fierce and veritable giants who will simply consider them as grasshoppers.

So the entire community grumbled and were mad at Moses and Aaron. They wanted to appoint a leader and go back to Egypt. “Why is the Lord bringing us into this land only to have us fall into the sword?” (Numbers 14:1-4).

Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb, who were with the 12, pleaded to stop the revolt and assured the Israelites that God will bring them safely to the Promised Land.

Angry for their unfaithfulness, as a “wicked community,” God spoke to Moses and Aaron to tell the people of His decree: "Here in

the desert shall your dead bodies fall. Of all your men of 20 years or more, registered in the census, who grumbled against me, not one shall enter the land where I solemnly swore to settle you except Caleb and Joshua” (Numbers 14:30-34).

God sentenced the Israelites to wander for 40 years in the wilderness, one year for each day of the mission to Canaan.

Damo-Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of Education National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member of Mater Redemptoris Collegium in Calauan, Laguna, and of Mater Redemptoris College in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.

Science

BusinessMirror

A6 Sunday, August 25, 2019

Sunday

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

Project offering to save lakes and rivers

Eco-Sep to help mitigate water pollution

P

Story & photos by Jonathan L. Mayuga

ollution, brought by poor solid waste management, and inadequate or lack of sewerage and sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the country’s ecotourism sites, pose serious problems on the environment and the health and well-being of the communities.

One such tourism site threatened by the booming ecotourism industry in Mindanao is Lake Mainit, the countr y’s four th largest lake and the deepest in the country.

Located in the northeastern section of Mindanao and shared bet ween t he prov inces of Sur igao del Nor te and Ag usan del Nor te, it has a su r face a rea of 173.40 squ a re k i lometers a nd dept h reac h ing 223 meters.

It is bordered by the towns of Mainit and Alegria in Surigao del Norte and the towns of Jabona and Kitcharao in Agusan del Norte.

Key biodiversity area

The lake and its surrounding watershed are considered key biodiversity areas. Lake Mainit’s watershed is the habitat of rare fish species, including puyo, or climbing perch, and gabot, a riverine fish that is said to be on the brink of extinction because of, among others, predation by introduced species.

The forests around the lake are home to rare and threatened wildlife, as well, giving the lake and its surrounding area a high ecological value.

It has been proposed to declare the Lake Mainit watershed as a protected area under the National Integrated Protected Area System.

Economically important

B e si d e s b e i n g t h e s o u r c e of livelihood of hundreds of families living around it, Lake Mainit is also a source of water essential for household use, as well as irrigation.

It is known in the region for its rich fish resources. More than 30 barangays in the four towns bordering the lake are dependent on it’s bounty for food and livelihood.

With its attractions, L a ke Mainit is fast-becoming a popular ecotourism site in the Caraga region, posing serious challenges in promoting sustainable tourism while protecting and conserving the lake’s environment and natural resources at the same time.

DOST solution

In response to the challenge, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has developed a technology that will mitigate water pollution that could protect and save important bodies of water, such as Lake Mainit, from human pressure.

Dr. Merlinda A. Palencia, a professor at Adamson University, invented the Eco-Sep technology through funding from Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) of the DOST. The project, “Eco-friendly Septic System for Tourism and Environmentally Compromised Areas,” may yet solve the environmental problems brought about by the direct discharge of untreated wastewater that leaks into the freshwater resources, like lakes and rivers.

Last July 24, the DOST inaugurated the Eco-Sep in Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte, at the town’s newly constructed convention center near Lake Mainit, in its bid to mitigate water pollution.

T he conv e nt ion c e nt e r i s one of several facilities constructed in what will soon be the town’s eco-park to promote Lake Mainit as a tourism site, and to help protect and conser ve the lake and the various wildlife that thrive within the surrounding watershed.

Eco-Sep Technology

Eco - S e p w i l l h e l p a d d r e s s

Merlinda Palencia (second from left) shows an Eco-Sep tank to officials of the DOST during the inauguration of the Eco-Sep installation at Kitcharao Convention Center in Lake Mainit. With her are Undersecretary for Regional Operations Brenda L. NazarethManzano (left) and PCIEERD Executive Director Enrico Paringit.

safe and effective. It neutralizes strong odor, is nontoxic or has no health hazards.

The combination of Eco-Sep and Vigormin can effectively reduce odor in septic tanks and improve septic water quality.

Vigormin, a powder-like substance, is mixed and dissolved in water, which will be poured inside the Eco-Sep tank. It has a resealable outlet that leads to the four-chambered plastic septic tank, allowing the natural water-treatment minerals to do its thing.

So far Eco-Sep has been used in General Luna Public Market, the Traveller’s Beach Resort and Genera l Luna Nat iona l High School, all on Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte.

Palencia explains the Eco-Sep technology during the inauguration of the Eco-Sep installation in Lake Mainit in Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte, on July 24.

t he t reat ment of sewerage and wastewater f rom house holds, resorts, hotels and p u b l i c e s t a b l i s h m e nt s .

It is a water-treatment system consisting of a plastic septic tank, organomineral and drain field.

T he s y stem m a kes u se of filtration and bioremediation

Other applications which can remove total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand and some pathogens.

Natural water treatment

She said Eco-Sep is boosted by the use of vigormin natural water treatment minerals, which she developed. It is natural, odor-free,

Vigormin can also be used as an odor neutralizer for decaying organic waste, materials-recovery facilities and landfills.

According to Palencia, the discharge from the system has been found to pass the water-quality standards under the Philippine Water Act. This means the discharge water is safe and can be reused for watering plants or vegetable gardens.

“It will help improve and sustain ecotourism in the country.

We all know that the Philippines is one of the top ecotourism destinations all over the world. Caraga is blessed with beautif u l islands and whitesand beaches. But pollution is a problem. In Manila, the government launched the Manila Bay rehabilitation program because of pollution,” she said.

According to Palencia, the use of Eco-Sep in Lake Mainit can prevent future problems—mainly water pollution that can undermine the productivity of precious economic resources—whether as water for domestic use, for agriculture or livestock, including ecotourism value.

She said the technology can be used to save lake and rivers, especially in tourism sites where people flock.

“Without a septic tank, the household wastewater goes directly into the lakes or rivers. So does the water from restaurants and resorts near it,” she said.

T his, Pa lencia said, spel ls problems, as water pollution can compromise valuable freshwater resource which is now being experienced in various parts of the country.

“In 2025, we will have a severe freshwater shortage. Because we have limited freshwater resources and we are polluting and abusing our pristine water resources. Deep wells can no longer be used in Metro Manila, Central Visayas and Southern Tagalog Region. [Because] there are too many people [and because of] improper solid waste management and poor sewerage system.

Wastewater? Eighty-five percent are domestic from households and small-scale industries,” she said.

Most water treatment technolog ies, she said, are capita l intensive, because of the design and the technolog y used.

“The Eco-Sep technology is a low-cost, easi ly deployable method and mitigates water pollution. You will not spend more than P200 a month for a small household,” she said.

According to Palencia, t he E co - S e p c a n b e mo d i f ie d t o e n h a nc e it s c ap a c it y a nd leng t hen it s l i fe s pa n f rom 10 y e a r s t o 5 0 y e a r s , d e p e nd i n g on t he m at e r i a l s u s e d . B ut t he m a g ic l ie s on t he s p e c i a l m i ne r a l s , w h ic h s he d i s co v e re d a nd de ve lop e d a s a n at ur a l w at e r t re at me nt m i ne r a l t o ne ut r a l i z e o d or i n w at e r.

D.O.S.T. partners with PayMaya for OneSTore.ph e-commerce Searca PhD research scholarship

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

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he Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has chosen major digital financial services provider PayMaya to enable the digital payments for its OneSTore.ph e-commerce platform.

Science Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) must be given more suppor t because they play an important role in the development of the economy, “MSMEs are the lifeblood of the country and power the economy, which is why it is imperative to help them succeed. With the OneSTore.ph platform, we helped them expand their market online which reaches virtually every corner of the country. And now that we have digital payments acceptance f ro m Pay M aya , t h e o n l i n e s h o p p i n g experience on the platform just got even more convenient,” de la Peña explained in a news statement.

He said the partnership will boost further DOST’s mission for OneSTore.ph to serve as a platform to expand the market of local MSMEs by allowing sellers on the site to be able to easily accept payments via any Visa, Mastercard and JCB credit, debit and prepaid cards, as well as PayMaya e-wallet via mobile

Department of Science and Technology partners with PayMaya in powering e-commerce platform OneSTore.ph with online payment gateway PayMaya Checkout to offer cashless payments convenient to both enterprises and online shoppers. Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña (left) is with PayMaya Founder and CEO Orlando Vea.

number through the cutting-edge PayMaya Checkout payment gateway.

OneSTore.ph, launched in 2017, was envisioned as a platform to help local MSMEs grow their business by expanding their market online and help promote the use of the platform in connection with its Small Enterprises Technology Upgrading Program.

Through the PayMaya Checkout, PayMaya CEO and Founder Orlando B. Vea said businesses of all sizes can easily accept payments via card and other emerging payment options, such as

PayMaya, which only requires the customer to input their mobile number in order to pay for purchases online.

“With DOST being a center of excellence for the country’s science and technology programs, this partnership is a validation of PayMaya’s integrated digital financial services platform,” Vea said.

He added that PayMaya “is proud to work with DOST on this project, and we are looking forward to collaborate with them in other areas as well.”

He explained that the benefits of digital

should be felt by all, not just by large enterprises or big-named merchants, “which is why we have designed our platforms, particularly PayMaya Checkout, to be able to scale and adapt to the needs of all businesses, no matter the size or location.”

Besides providing digital payments acceptance for OneSTore.ph, PayMaya and DOST will also be collaborating on bringing digital payments capabilities to OneSTore physical hubs that will be launched across the country through the PayMaya all-in-one payment device, which is the only point-of-sale device that can accept multiple modes of cashless payments via swipe, tap and dip for cards, and pay-to-scan via QR. PayMaya is the only digital financial services company with an integrated suite of solutions for consumers and merchants complemented by the widest remittance partner agent network. It is the financial technology arm of Voyager Innovations, the leading technology company in the country backed by PLDT, KKR, Tencent, World Bank’s IFC and the IFC Emerging Asia Fund.

Its “one-payment platform” enables the country’s top e-commerce sites, major retail and quick-service restaurants, government institutions, as well as MSMEs, allowing them to accept multiple kinds of cashless payments.

applications deadline on Aug. 31

T

he Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) has set the deadline of applications for research scholarships to doctorate students August 31.

The scholarship is open to Filipinos and other Southeast Asians from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, TimorLeste and Vietnam.

Headquartered at the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Searca provides research funds not exceeding to $4,500 and optional internship at the center for up to two months.

Those who will avail themselves of the internship may be given additional scholarship funds to cover travel expenses to and from Searca, travel and accident insurance, and stipend during the internship period.

Moreover, the scholars may use the resources and facilities available at Searca and its network of universities in

Southeast Asia for their research. They will be able to work with Searca’s research and development staff on common areas of interests in agriculture and rural development.

The scholarship will also support them in producing quality research papers for publication.

For fiscal year 2019-2020, priority will be given to research scholarship applications that are anchored on any of the topics defined by the project “Agricultural Transformation and Market Integration in the Asean Region: Responding to Food Security and Inclusiveness Concerns.”

The project is jointly implemented

by Searca and the International Food Policy Research Institute with financial support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

These topics focus on priority commodities, such as root and cash crops, fruits, vegetables and livestock, as well as value-chain studies.

Application requirements are posted online at www.searca.org.

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Sunday, August 25, 2019

A7

Let’s unveil Malungon’s golden surprises Story & photos

by Bernard L. Supetran

T

he town of Malungon in Sarangani may not immediately ring a bell to the jaded travelers.

But beneath its quiet profile is a rich cultural heritage largely hidden from plain sight for generations. The town, which recently marked its 50th founding anniversary in grand ceremonies, takes pride in a history much older than its age as a municipal unit.

Founded in 1969 under South Cotabato province, it lies at an enviable location near the Digos City, the capital of Davao del Sur, Sarangani Province and General Santos City, the boomtown of Soccsksargen region.

This agricultural town takes pride for being the ancestral domain of the Blaan and Tagakaulo, two of the most exotic indigenous groups in southern Mindanao.

Malungon broke into national prominence in 2007 with the establishment of the Lamlifew Village Museum, the first of its kind in the country which is a repository of the heritage of the Blaan ethnic group. Situated in the interior sitio, its core is the gumusek or the showcase of the intricate weaving and dyeing traditions, musical instruments, accessories and organic agricultural practices.

Organized by the Lamlifew Tribal Women’s Association, it has an adjacent weaving room and Blaan School of Living Traditions which preserves the exquisite tabih weaving tradition, considered as the crown jewel of Sarangani’s cultural resources.

The town’s top tourist spot, its eco–cultural experience won the recent Outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility Project in Arts and Culture of League of Corporate Foundations Guild Awards

View the mountains and Davao Gulf at Kalon Barak Skyline Ridge.

Malungon Retreat and Training Center is a sanctuary for spiritual reflection.

Blaan weavers at Lamlifew Village Museum

RioVista Farm and Forest offers the farming experience.

and the BPI-Sinag Awards in 2017.

Further up in the hinterlands is the settlement of the Tagakaulo, keepers of one of the best-kept tribal traditions in Mindanao.

The area offers an authentic backto-basic immersion with the absence of living amenities.

A new talk of the town is the Kalon Barak Skyline Ridge, an eco-cultural tourism with a commanding viewpoint of Mount Apo, Mount Matutum, Sarangani Bay and Davao Gulf. With an altitude of 2,677 feet above sea level, it is known for its cool climate and is the habitat of endemic tarsier species.

T he t hree-year- old attraction has been spruced up and bahay kubo huts have been put in place to accommodate overnight visitors. Last year, it hosted the Kalonbarak Summer Music and

Mountain Adventure Festival which featured multi-awarded neoethnic musician Joey Ayala.

The cultural-musical event was conceptualized in 2017 by the municipal government to develop a cultural tourism engagement which represents the culture of indigenous peoples and enhance their skills in the performing arts.

It also aims to identify a community-based tourism event or site where musicians can develop new folk songs that speak the values and sentiments of the people.

Another interesting spot is the recently opened Tagakaulo School of Living Traditions in Upper Lumabat, which serves as a village museum for which will help conserve the culture of the said indigenous people’s group.

Of late, Malungon has also emerged as the farm tourism

Tagakaulo School of Living Traditions is a village museum recently opened to the public.

hub of the province due to the presence of farm resorts which offer a merry mix of agrarian and nontraditional recreation.

Topping the list is the 72-hectare Malungon Retreat and Training Center operated by the Center for Community Transformation.

The sprawling complex, often used as a sanctuary for spiritual reflection, and venue for religious and government training courses, is also engaged in community projects that aim to keep alive the rich culture of the local indigenous peoples, the Blaan and the Tagakaulo.

It has a model farm where Blaan and Tagakaulo tribesmen grow fruit and vegetables the traditional way, and earn with their coffee and cacao produce.

It can be showcased through a tour arranged by the CCT, where a cultural show where indigenous

music, song, arts, spirituality and cuisine can be showcased.

Meanwhile, RioVista Farm and Forest, a natural reforestation site and integrated, organic upland farm situated by a river and has two farms—the 47-hectare Sitio Rancho for upland, integrated farm and indigenous crops, and the 15-hectare Sitio Alngihan for high-value vegetables.

Recognized by the Department of Agriculture as a Learning Site for the Agriculture Training Institute, it has forayed to tourism by offering the area as a farm camp to visitors who would like to get a rural vacation experience of planting crops, tending to animals and an array of fun activities.

Another interesting site is the B3 Sodaco Farm, a newly opened landscaped eco-farm with a natural lake located at Upper Mainit

where toursits can relax in open cottages, and go bamboo rafting or boating and fishing.

Moreover, outdoor lovers can trek to Busagan Falls in Sitio Sabangan further inland, and get the thrill of having of having the cascade unto yourself.

But perhaps the biggest surprise in this bustling town is the Sarangani Golf and Country Club where golf aficionados can perfect their swing in a scenic yet uncrowded fairway. The nine-hole course is laid out on rolling terrain with mango and hardwood trees and miniature lakes, and a Clubhouse with a majestic view of Mount Matutum.

With surprises as golden as its age, Malungon is an unexpected getaway for its unique blend of culture and leisure, and everything in between.

Reef monitoring system vital for reef conservation and management Boosting domestic tourism

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ulu Sea, the richest reef region in the world, is home to 505 coral species, and yet, we know little about its reefs. With tourism booming exponentially in the Palawan islands, fishermen immigrating from nearby regions, and the seas warming, how are our corals coping?

Which anthropogenic threats affect our reefs the most? Will corals in the Sulu Sea survive the warming waters?

These questions seem basic, yet no coral reef monitoring system is in place to help answer them.

Dr. Wilfredo Licuanan with his team of research assistants from the De La Salle University Br. Alfred Shields FSC Ocean Research Center and the World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines recently embarked on consecutive reef research trips to Tubbataha, Cagayancillo islands, Honda Bay, and Taytay, Palawan. This collaboration between DLSU-SHORE and WWF-Philippines, under a grant from WWF-Singapore, is called Designing of Monitoring and Evaluation System for Coral Reef Resilience and Fisheries Sustainability in Northeast Palawan through Marine Protected Areas or Network of MPAs. The project kicked off with a weeklong navigation in Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park where 10 previously established coral monitoring stations were surveyed, including the ship grounding sites of Ming Ping Yu and USS Guardian.

In 2013, the grounding sites of the two vessels left fields of rubble,

Coral rubble captured inside a monitoring quadrat at Ming Ping Yu grounding site.

an environment where little to no coral could recruit. Upon consistent monitoring, Licuanan found that some plots, specifically in the USS Guardian are recovering. “Our projections on recovery rates at the USS Guardian site appear accurate.

The impact plots should look like how it was before the grounding in four years. One Ming Ping Yu plot is also doing well,” expounds Licuanan.

In June, the research team established monitoring stations in Arena atoll, and Cawili, Calusa, and Dondonay islands, all part of the Cagayancillo group of islands 178 nautical miles off the coast of Puerto Princ-

esa, Palawan and approximately four hours away from Tubbataha.

“The Cagayancillo reefs are interesting as most sites we visited have coral cover levels of oceanic reefs and atolls, yet also have the diversity of inshore fringing reefs,” says Licuanan.

During his surveys, he also observed that the corals in the Arena atoll are most likely prone to temperature fluctuation because of the surge of warm water from the lagoon as the tide changes. This brings him to a hypothesis that Arena might have climate-resilient corals. “I suspect it will be tested in the next few weeks as the seas are expected to get warmer

in the region,” he adds, “I wish we can revisit those reefs sooner.

Before the month ended, DLSUSHORE and WWF-Philippines organized a reef assessment training in Puerto Princesa with delegates from the Tubbataha Management Office, Western Philippines University, Palawan State University, Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, Office of the Provincial Agriculture, Office of the Puerto Princesa City Agriculture, Provincial Environment Office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Smart Seas Philippines.

This collaboration with concerned stakeholders and academic institutions is key for establishing a reef monitoring system in the region.

“Working with local people to effectively manage MPAs entails having a common understanding about the situation of the marine environment in the area. Science plays a significant part to achieve this. As experienced in the past, research results help explain better the local observations and insights, thus creating a platform for meaningful conversations,” shares WWF-Philippines Project Manager Marivel Dygico.

For Licuanan, monitoring reefs is a necessary step after the threeyear natiowide coral reef assessment project. “Monitoring allows us to generate information that we can act on and potentially save corals.

Assessments are useful only for writing obituaries for nature.”

with Philippine Travel Mart 2019

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n its continuous effort to push forward the country’s tourism industry, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines gives its unyielding support to the 30th Philippine Travel Mart (PTM) happening from August 30 to September 1 at SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with the theme “Fostering Sustainable and Inclusive Tourism,” PTM remains to be the longestrunning travel trade exhibition in the Philippines. Organized by the Philippine Tour Operators Association Inc., this year’s event will have over 250 exhibitors offering the best deals from all over the country.

With Philippines being part of the Asean community, intra-regional travel will also be promoted, with

Philippine Travel Mart now on its 30th year.

equally exciting offers from China, Japan and Korea.

Other activities include “Sale ng Bayan business-to-consumer” where travelers can directly book and buy holiday packages, as well as businessto-business sessions where potential clients can meet with tour operators and resort owners right on the floor.

Visitors to PTM 2019 will also be treated to live entertainment and cultural events from the different participating regions.

With common goals shared with PTM 2019, TPB’s support of the event aims to bolster the tourism industry through the promotion of the country’s rich culture, natural attractions and products, while supporting a sustainable business environment socially equitable for local communities.

A8 Sunday, August 25, 2019

Sports BusinessMirror

Editor: Jun Lomibao | mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS: MOST EXPENSIVE EVER?

By Stephen Wade

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The Associated Press

OKYO—Having trouble getting tickets for next year’s Tokyo Olympics?

That’s no problem if you have $60,000 to spare.

Tokyo Olympic organizers are offering high-end hospitality packages to Japan residents with prices soaring to ¥6.35 million— about $60,000. This is good for the opening and closing ceremony, nine days of track and field with luxury seating and sumptuous dining. Lowend packages dip down to about $1,500 for one session at a less popular event.

Tokyo is shaping up as a very pricey Olympics.

Ticket demand is unprecedented, so unofficial reselling likely will flourish. Hotel rates are soaring. And getting here will be costly, particularly for people traveling from the Americas and Europe.

“I don’t know if I can afford to go to the Olympics,” Brant Feldman, a Los Angelesbased sports agent, told The Associated Press.

He’s attended seven straight Olympics, and represents American and Canadian athletes for AGM Sports. “For the average family right now to head to the Olympics, it’s going to be the most expensive in history.”

Organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

say the luxurious hospitality packages are an “opportunity for family, friends and business contacts” to enjoy the games. In the words of organizers, here’s what’s included with the tickets: n especially selected champagne, sake and beers; n gourmet dining menu prepared by top international chefs; n fine wines chosen by our sommelier; n elegant commemorative souvenir VIP access pass; n first-class personal service capable of dealing with any request; and n event host and celebrity guests appearances.

Hospitality packages, of course, are aimed at the wealthy, targeting executives who treat the Olympics as a venue for doing business and schmoozing with sports as an alluring sideshow.

There’s also an old-fashioned way for residents of Japan to get scarce tickets: a socalled second-chance lottery that closed Monday.

Results will be announced next month, and another lottery for Japan residents will be held in the fall.

For now, those living outside Japan must go through Authorized Ticket Resellers, which are deluged with unprecedented demand. They also offer high-end packages and are allowed to tack on a 20-percent service charge to each ticket.

And many of the best tickets are tied to expensive hotels.

A random search of wellknown hotel booking sites by AP found prices for most three-to four-star hotels between $1,000 to $1,500 per night with few available. There have been complaints that many hotels are canceling previous reservations to secure the markup.

Even Japan’s famous capsule hotels—or sleep pod—will cost more to crawl inside with prices up three or four times on booking sites.

In a statement to AP, Tokyo organizers said they are working with “the government and the accommodation industry and travel industry in order to control prices.”

Quoting a government report, organizers say there are 300,000 rooms “in different classes” in Tokyo and in neighboring prefectures.

Olympic athletes are guaranteed housing and have access to a few tickets for event sessions in which they participate. After that, family and friends are on their own.

“If your son or daughter qualifies for the Olympics in 2020, I don’t know how any of those families are going to be able to afford the airline tickets, the Airbnb, the hotels, or get the tickets,” Feldman said.

Those planning to wait until the last minute to book rooms, which sometimes become available because organizers typically

TOURISTS walk with their luggage past the Olympic rings in Tokyo. AP

overestimate the number of rooms needed and the number of foreign visitors, could miss out.

It may not happen this time.

Tokyo’s demand is driven partly by a giant metropolitan area of 35 million, its safe streets, and long-time support for the Olympics.

Australia-based Kingdom Sports Group, an official reseller that deals primarily with Asia and Africa, said on a social-media site that Tokyo is “30 times more popular” than London was in 2012. London is often seen as the benchmark for Olympic interest.

Ken Hanscom, a ticketing expert who runs Los Angeles-based TicketManager, told AP “this is the biggest [Olympic] demand ever—by far.”

The big winner could be the Paralympics, which open a few weeks after the Olympics close on August 9, 2020. The lottery in Japan for the Paralympics started on Thursday with 2.3 million tickets available.

Just over 80 percent of Japan residents who applied got nothing in the first Olympic ticket lottery earlier this year. Of those who landed tickets in June, many got far fewer than they expected.

Organizers say 3.22 million tickets were sold in the first phase. Demand appears to

exceed supply by at least 10 times. Another 680,000 tickets are available in this lottery, but only for those who were shut out the first time.

Tokyo organizers said there are 7.8 million tickets for the Olympics. They estimate between 70 percent to 80 percent will go to the general public in Japan. The difference between the larger and smaller percentage is 780,000 tickets, giving organizers flexibility in how tickets are distributed.

The remaining tickets are sold abroad, or go to sponsors, national Olympic committees, and sports federations.

Organizers hope to earn $800 million from ticket sales, a big chuck of income for the privately funded, $5.6 billion operating budget.

A report released last year by the national government’s Board of Audit said Japan is likely to spend $25 billion overall to prepare the games. This is public money, except for the operating budget. Organizers dispute the figure and say it’s about $12 billion, though what are Olympics costs—and what are not—is subject to heated debate.

Tokyo projected total costs of about $7.5 billion in its winning bid for the games in 2013.

Swedish women boycotting hockey tourney over dispute

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TOCKHOLM—Female hockey players in Sweden will go ahead with their boycott of an international tournament in Finland because of their unhappiness about pay and working conditions.

Sweden was to play its first game of the Five Nations Tournament on Wednesday against Japan in Vierumaki, but the squad of 43 players will be absent. They refused to attend a five-day training camp in Sweden last week.

Anders Larsson, chairman of the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation, said the boycott is damaging the brand of the country’s hockey team and is a failure for both the federation and the Swedish team.

“That is why it’s so important to try to find a solution,” Larsson said in Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.

The federation will meet with representatives of the players’ union this week to discuss the issue. Larsson said the federation only received official documentation from the union on Monday highlighting the players’ grievances.

Last week, the union released a statement detailing 10 of the issues the female players were complaining about.

Among them was their unhappiness about the lack of compensation they receive while on duty with the national team. Many of Sweden’s players have full-time jobs away from the rink, so must fit games around work schedules and family needs.

The most recent agreement on

compensation for lost work income expired in April.

Other complaints were about things like travel conditions and schedules, the short-and long-term vision for women’s hockey in Sweden, and a perceived lack of respect. They also have complained about having to wear the same uniforms as the men’s team, saying requests to have clothing adapted for women were ignored over the last five years.

Larsson said he felt men and women were treated equally by the federation. He also said he understood why the female players felt disappointed. AP

2.3M tickets for lottery

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OKYO—Tokyo’s Paralympics could be the big winner with Olympic tickets hard to find and costly.

The lottery for Paralympic tickets for Japan residents opened on Thursday with 2.3 million available. The lottery closes on September 9. A second lottery will be held early next year.

Olympic tickets are experiencing unprecedented demand in Japan and elsewhere. Demand is at least 10 times over supply for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and probably much more than that.

Paralympic tickets should be more available, and less expensive. Tickets for the opening and closing ceremony are about half the price of Olympic tickets. Some event tickets sell for as low as ¥900, or about $8.

The Paralympics open on August 25, 2020—one year from Sunday. AP

NOT A ‘TATTOOED GUY’

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NDIANAPOLIS—Larry Bird likes the mural but not the tats.

An artist says she’ll remove most tattoos from a large painting of the former National Basketball Association (NBA) star on an Indianapolis multifamily residence. The tattoos include two rabbits mating on his right arm and a spider web on a shoulder.

Artist Jules Muck says she was just trying to be funny. The mural is a replica of Bird’s appearance on a 1977 Sports Illustrated cover when he played college ball for Indiana State.

Bird’s attorney, Gary Sallee, says the former Indiana Pacers executive “needs to protect” his brand and “doesn’t want to be seen as a tattooed guy.”

Muck tells the Indianapolis Star that an “Indiana” tattoo will remain on Bird’s arm in the mural. AP A mural of Larry Bird is seen on the side of a multifamily residence in Fountain Square in Indianapolis. AP

Young Asian ‘snackers’ to boost snack-maker’s business

Young Asian ‘snackers’ to boost snack-maker’s business

Mondelēz International Inc. believes that 80 percent of growth in snacking will come from markets in Southeast Asia. the company in the Philippine market. In recent years, he pointed out that the company has been working to grow their other product categories as well.

“Our biscuit and chocolate brands have also been part of many Filipino traditions and snack times.”

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

M

ILLENNIALS in Asia will be a major growth driver for Mondelēz International Inc. as the company known formerly as Kraft Foods Inc. believes a lot of people belonging to this generation will be eating snacks as part of their lifestyle.

“Snacking for us and for most consumers is when you eat in between meals or when you take a small meal,” Mondelēz Chairman and CEO Dirk van de Put told reporters in a news briefing. “In the future we see that 80 percent of the growth in snacking will come from developing markets like Southeast Asia.”

Van de Put added the Deerfield, Illinois-headquartered company sees the lifestyle of consumers is changing.

“They’re much busier, much more urban and without the same opportunity to sit down for a meal; particularly millennials think about food quite differently: they’re

Understanding needs

Mondelēz International Inc. Chairman and CEO Dirk van de Put poses before the products manufactured by the Deerfield, Illinois-headquartered snack-maker. constantly on the move,” van de Put said.

“What is changing is the attitude toward food and snacking is the preferred way of consuming food these days.”

Just like their global counterparts, Filipino millennials have developed a penchant for snacking that has become an important part of their daily routine. Living in a fast-paced lifestyle, van de Put said.

Filipino millennials are always mobile and require a faster turnaround in whatever they need such as services and food, he added.

Snacking trends ACCORDING to a March 2019 study by Nielsen Retail Audit, the snacks category

2 BusinessMirror

is growing at a double-digit rate in the Philippines. Mondelēz International attributes this growth to major consumer megatrends not only happening in the Philippines but around the world as well.

“We see trends [that] are affecting how and why consumers are snacking,” van de Put said. “There’s time compression, urbanization, channel evolution with the ecommerce boom, and increased interest in health and wellness.”

According to him, the company “have been able to meet these consumer needs locally by offering snacks they can enjoy on-the-go including bite-sized snacks.”

Van de Put explained their heritage brands have been the growth engines of August 25, 2019

ACCORDING to van de Put, the company was tagged as No. 1 in “Modern Trade” on the Nielsen Retail Audit in the chocolates category.

“For biscuits, we have been steadily growing to carve our space in Filipino’s snack times, with our products growing high double-digits in the first quarter, locally,” he said. “We have been able to grow our total snacks portfolio by focusing on our love for our consumers and our brands, and by understanding what they need for their snack times, and from our products.”

Mondelēz International announced its new strategic plan in September 2018, based on “accelerating consumer-centric growth, driving operational excellence, and building a winning growth culture.”

The company behind the Cadbury brand said its 2018 net revenues have hit approximately $26 billion.

Moreover, van de Put told reporters that the company is also studying the possible application of artificial intelligence and data analytics in their global operations.

BusinessMirror

MUSIC

PRINT

WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

UCHUSENTAI:NOIZ

By Carla Mortel Baricaua | Photos by Mary Rose Loperez

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HESE guitar-slinging, drum-beating, and super energetic performers from Japan’s rock scene will be making their comeback in the Best of Anime 2019 stage. On August 31 and September 1, UCHUSENTAI:NOIZ rekindles their ties with Manila fans after a three year absence in the local j-rock scene. Before the much-awaited return of Angel Taka, Masato, Kyo, Kotaro, and Yamato, here’s what you want to know about this visual kei rock band that has captured the hearts of many Space Babies (How the band endearingly addresses local fans).

Charity mission In an act of kindness, Angel Taka first visited the country to distribute tooth brushes to students in Davao Oriental in 2006 in an effort to keep them in school. Since then, Angel and fellow bandmates had continued to support a local orphanage through their band activities.

The band also sponsors a scholarship program for Filipino students in elementary, high school and college.

After the devastation brought by Typhoon Yolanda, the band staged a charity event in Japan with other bands and donated the proceeds to the disaster victims. Angel Taka personally came to Tacloban to deliver the donations in January 2014.

OPM covers Aside from financial and material help, UCHUSENTAI:NOIZ also provided hope and

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WHAT WE...

from page 3

inspiration not only to the typhoon victims. It was also in 2014 when the band released a set of OPM covers to uplift the spirit of Filipinos during the hard times of recovery and rehabilitation. With fresh arrangements and lively rendition, the band unveiled their own rendition of Rivermaya’s “Liwanag sa Dilim”, Rocksteddy’s “Super Hero”, and Orange and Lemon’s “Pinoy Ako” on YouTube.

However, their first OPM cover was first heard in Davao in 2012.

“Narda”, an original piece

by Kamikazee, was covered by the band to endear themselves to Filipino children and their growing number of fans. It was widely received and has already reached more than 1.3 million

views, the band’s most popular music video yet!

Local release

2014 saw the launch of UCHUSENTAI:NOIZ’s first Philippine album titled “Legend of Rock n’ Roll Heroes.” Released under PULP Live Records, the album’s track list included “Kanata (English version),” “Happy Tied (Filipino version),” “Paradox in Ideology,” “cloud9,” “Back Bone,” “Boom Boom Honey Blossom,” and “Minority Blue Sky.” The album comes with a DVD containing music videos of “Kanata (English version),” and “Happy Tied (Filipino version).”

Local performances

In 2011, UCHUSENTAI: NOIZ first performed before the Filipino

audience in 2011 in Davao Oriental and has been visiting the province regularly since then. The Manila audience saw their first live performance in the Best of Anime (BOA) 2012. In 2013, the band staged its first major concert during the Nihongo Fiesta in 2013 at the Sky Dome and this was followed by their appearance in Bazooka Rocks II held in SMX Mall of Asia, as the only Japanese featured artist.

Space Babies saw the band in a series of performances that was staged in Manila and Davao City via the Best of Anime: Summer Live in 2014. They returned the following years for scheduled performances in BOA 2015 and 2016.

On September 24, 2016, UCHUSENTAI:NOIZ staged its first self-produced solo show at the Music Hall in Metrowalk, Pasig.

Fan Service

Aside from delivering on stage intense and head-banging performances, UCHUSENTAI:NOIZ always makes it a point to spend some time meeting their local fans.

These special moments provide fans a glimpse of their unique personalities and special affinity for the Pinoy culture and spread their message of love and joy in a more intimate setting. To make the most out of these encounters, fans and would-be fans are advised to familiarize themselves with the band’s song releases through their albums and official YouTube channel before the scheduled performances and get ready to interact with Space Heroes during the fan meetings.

For regular updates, fans may also follow their official Facebook page and individual Twitter accounts.

d trip

soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | AUGUST 25, 2019

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SIC ON PRINT

A COMMENTARY ABOUT FILIPINO VINYL RELEASES

Text and Photos by Rick Olivares

Century,” Taken By Cars’ “Plagues,” The Ransom Collective’s “Traces,” The Strange Creatures’ “Phantasms,” and Holmes’ “Ray Dee Oh.” All the rest are disappointments. Slapshock’s “12.0” album that is a compilation of their hits was released on picture disk so that was nifty.

In contrast with overseas to Filipina-American indie artist Jay Som’s latest release, “Anak Ko (released last August 14 on Polyvinyl Records),” it contains not only the record but also a zine.

Yes, others as well were released in colored vinyl, but that again isn’t the point.

The Filipino underground punk and metal releases (pressed in Europe or the United States) come with inserts that include lyrics, photos, or even pull outs.

And there’s the matter of pricing.

The challenges of pricing.

I

t is no longer a secret. Vinyl is back in a big way for music fans. Not only is it back for music fans but also for recording artists; homegrown included.

These past two months (July and August) have seen the release of six 12-inch records from local artists. There’s “Closure” from Sugar Hiccup, “Temple of the Soul” from The Insekftlife Cycle, “Scorned As Timber Beloved of the Sky” by The Strangeness, “Ray Dee Oh” by Holmes, “Your Universe” by Rico Blanco, and “Mystic Revolution” by Red-I. Before the year’s end, releases expected to drop include dub artist Red-I’s second album that will be out via double LP release from Japan label, Oto Records; the re-release of the Eraserheads’ “Ultraelectromagneticpop”; and UDD’s fourth album. I am told

by Offshore Music, one of the partners for the re-release of Ultraelectromagneticpop, it comes

in a gatefold release with lyrics, liner notes.

This volume of music released on vinyl hasn’t happened since the early 1990s. This only underscores the return of vinyl as a viable physical music format.

As a long-time fan of the medium, I can identify three concerns that challenge their return.

The lack of inner sleeves with notes, photos, etc.

However, as good as it is for the record music fan, it is disappointing to see most of these records pressed minus inner sleeves, liner notes, or even lyrics sheets much less download codes. In short, it’s just the jacket and the record.

I mean, if we are going to do it, why don’t we do it right? This is exactly

how it was during vinyl’s heyday back in the 1980s. At least locally. Records were released but minus any inner sleeves. Notes, lyric sheets, posters or what not.

Which is why I and other collectors preferred the foreign pressings.

While it was obvious that the omission was done to lower costs, it does not complete the vinyl experience.

The reason the format was so popular was the album art that was like a mini-art piece, the liner notes and lyrics that you read, the photos you gazed upon, and the inserts such as posters, catalogues, and booklets that were prized keepsakes. There were gimmicks such as pop up guns (Kiss’ “Love Gun” album) or even zippers on the jacket (see The Rolling Stones’ “Sticky Fingers”) to name but a few. Plus, you had all the details about the songs and the album.

Not including them is a sin of omission. Was it just a bucket list thing to say you had a vinyl release?

In my opinion, the vinyl releases by local artists that come in gatefold covers, with lyrics, or liner notes, or even inserts include Apartel’s “Inner Play,” IOV’s “Another Destructive

At this point, there are no vinyl pressing plants in the Philippines as all the old shops closed down in the 1990s. So local artists have to go to North America, Europe, and Asia to have their music pressed on vinyl. For one to have them pressed abroad will range from P50,000-P200,000 and get you 50 to 500 copies.

The 12-inch records sell from anywhere from P800-2,500 while the 7-inch singles and Eps fetch a tag of P350-700. The prices include everything from recording to mastering to musicians’ fees to pressing to shipping, and ultimately, taxes.

At this point, it is the hardcore collectors who pick up the records.

And friends of the artist, too. But the price is always a factor. Casual fans will not pay for the higher-priced ones.

But get this…. they will plunk down the cash for a foreign artist.

Does pricing it lower devalue the local artist? Some look at it that way.

But what is sad is to see them later stocked on the shelves unmoving and their prices marked down.

Granted… not everyone who likes music nowadays is willing to buy releases in physical format. Some just go to shows but don’t buy the merchandise or even the albums.

Continued on page 6

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MUSIC ON PRINT

This October will see the release of another EP titled, Kings Music, that includes a song with Cebu-based musician, King Spade, and the second will be a double LP; both manufactured

by Japanese label Oto Records that previously issued Red-I’s Natty Dread I Beat EP and Mystic Revelation.

“I didn’t really know King Spade,” explained Red-I of the story about this collaboration.

“One day, he sent me his acoustic version of his song, “Babylon Fall,” and I really liked the vibe.

So we decided to make that a collaboration tune.”

Both musicians began trading files this past February with each adding parts until they formed a whole. The result is the Kings Music EP. “When we did the Irie Sunday event in Cebu earlier this year, Kings Spade picked me up at the airport.,” related Red-I. “I played him the riddim instrumental and he began singing, ‘soundsystem upon the soundsystem.’” I was like, “That’s it! Let’s call the song, ‘Soundsystem.’”

“I like working with King Spade because he writes his lyrics on the spot and I like creating with an artist on the spot because the energy and vibe is different,” added Red-I of this instant collaboration.

Offered King Spade, “I am very honored to be a part of this collaboration. Ang galeng ni Red-I. Kings Music is like a child… naghihintay lang lumabas.

Hindi namin minadali kasi pang soundsystem kasi yung tune.”

The next day they went to Back Yard Studio in Cebu to record King Spade’s vocal tracks.

The two repeated the same method with the second track, “Light” when Red-I flew into Cebu last May for the Cebu Reggae Festival.

The four-track EP, Kings Music (with cover art by Chico Zapotilla who also provided the art for RedI’s Mystic Revelation EP) will be available on 12-inch vinyl from Oto Records this October.

Usually, one does not only buy one Pop, but quite a few others. Hence, space become a concern.

It is the same for comic books.

The cheapest is at P240 with other going for as much as P300-400-plus depending on the number of pages or if it is a special edition. And we all know what the back issue market is like…

And you will seldom find collectors who buy one or two comics a month. It is usually much more than that.

The point being, it is acceptable to buy Filipino themed-characters and talent. The UDD vinyl of Capacities has sold out and in the collector’s market, it re-sells anywhere from P3,000-5,000! The Ultraelectromagneticpop with 2,500 copies on hand will surely sell out.

The underground punk scene routinely sells out their pressings of 500 records.

What are they doing right that

others are doing wrong? For one, the underground punks have tapped into the underground network that stretches across Southeast Asia all the way to Europe. One does not have to be a Filipino to buy a Filipino band.

Conversely, others also buy product that is sung in other languages.

One can argue that turntables are expensive. Maybe. But that is where suppliers should come in with starter kits. Something I have discussed with many a local seller but have failed to act on. A huge number of buyers today are millennials and that is good. However, this is another topic left for another time.

Having lived in the United States… you knew the release date for the new album from this and that artist. There was anticipation. Here they drop with no fanfare and for the most part with no media mileage.

To sum it up, I will re-state what I said earlier… if we are going to do it, why don’t we do it right?

RED-I AND CEBU’S KING SPADE COLLAB ON NEW JAPANESE PRESSED EP by rick olivares

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his 2019 is turning out to be a busy one for dub and soundsystem artist Red-I. In addition to the release of his Mystic Revolution EP by Japanese label, Oto Records last March, Red-I is set to have two more releases before the year ends.

A COMMENTARY from page 5 And that leads me to the last point… a startling lack of marketing.

Most think that promoting on social media is enough. It is… not enough.

Let’s look laterally to other pop culture items.

The Funko Pops of Manny Pacquiao, Jollibee, and Darna have been massive sellers.

Foreign comic books that feature artwork by Filipino artists sell very well.

Funko Pops sell anywhere from P500 to an average of P800. Special edition Pops go for double, triple, and at times several times more than their original selling price. And

Early financial The death of the bachelor and literacy, saving can bachelorette party as we know it shape career choice

B

ACHELOR and bachelorette parties may be synonymous with wild debauchery, signaling the end of singledom with outrageous antics nobody dares remember the next morning. But now that most Americans are getting married later than their parents’ generation, the reality is more: Been there, done that.

“People are shifting away from that narrative of, this is your last days as a single person,” says New York-based event planner Dawn Mauberret. Prenuptial gatherings are less and less focused on boozefilled escapades and more about escaping the pressures of modern life, with a trip centered around food and wellness activities. “It’s more about spending quality time with friends and family.”

Consider the data: The average age for a first marriage in 2018 was 27.8 years for women and 29.8 years for men, according to the most recent estimates from the US Census Bureau. In comparison, the average age was 23.9 years and 26.1 years, respectively, in 1990.

That means most bachelors and bachelorettes have had the majority of their 20s to explore their wild sides if they wanted to. (Some don’t; studies show millennials are spending less on alcohol than previous generations.) With age comes maturity, and with maturity generally comes money, and today’s bachelor and bachelorettes want to step it up a notch— whatever that means to them.

More luxury, longer trips LITTY Samuel, a 33-year-old executive producer at Meredith Corp. in New York, opted for a four-day international getaway for her bachelorette trip in November 2017.

She and her six friends visited Iceland, where they lounged in the famed Blue Lagoon, hiked to hot springs, and scuba-dived between tectonic plates.

“As I grew older, I partied less and less,” she says. “The more I thought about it, I didn’t know if I want to put on a little dress and go out and wear a bunch of plastic penises around my neck. If I could get a group of girlfriends together, I wanted to hike and experience nature with them instead.”

Jenna Miller, creative director at wedding web site Here Comes the Guide, says she’s seeing an uptick in the use of bespoke luxury planning services such as Bach to Basics or Luxury Bachelorette.

These couples are using private jets with personal chefs to take their parties to the destinations, which may include the Saguaro Palm Springs, with its pool parties, in-house spa, and daily yoga classes, and Carneros Resort and Spa or Solage Calistoga for wine tasting.

Pricier, longer “It’s more sophisticated than a Las Vegas pool party,” she says. “It’s more chic and kind of more adult to go to Napa and do your spa treatment.”

It’s also pricier.

The average bachelor or bachelorette

By Liza Dy Salonga

MILLENNIALS UNIVERSE

W Studies have shown that millennials are spending less on alcohol than previous generations and may have led to the redefining of bachelor and bachelorette parties in the US. Bloomberg News party attendee spends $537, including the cost of travel, accommodations and gifts.

And it’s even more for a luxury getaway; a destination party in New York City could cost guests more than $1,900. (About 35 percent of millennials have gone into debt to attend a bachelor or bachelorette party, according to a survey by Credit Karma.)

These more luxurious trips are also longer than the typical one-night party that past generations favored. According to data from Wedding Wire, one in three bachelor or bachelorette parties take place for three or more days.

With friend groups so often dispersed geographically, a longer pre-wedding party has become a necessity of sorts, “especially if your groomsmen or bridesmaids don’t know each other,” says Jamie Chang, destination wedding planner for Mango Muse Events.

Gender neutral, joint parties THE strict male-female divide typical of stag and hen parties of years past is also changing.

“Something that was really important to me, and I think this goes along of being in my 30s, was that the party was made up of people from all different points in my lives,” says Jenna Citron, a 32-year-old bride in New York who works as the executive director of nonprofit Queens College Hillel.

This meant that inviting her best friend Jon from high school along for her bachelorette was natural, given that he’s also a member of her bridal party.

“At my age, I couldn’t imagine going and doing a strip-club, glitter-filled drink fest.

It’s not who I am,” she says of planning her four-day trip to Disney World next month, ahead of her November wedding.

“Up until recently it’s always been a very gendered affair,” Mauberret says. But now, most adults, especially those in their late 20s or 30s, have close friends of both genders.

This is especially the case with samesex marriages, which are on the rise, with 10.2 percent of LGBTQ Americans married to a same-sex spouse in 2017, compared to 7.9 percent in 2015, during the months before the Supreme Court’s

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legalization of gay marriage, according to a Gallup survey. In 2017, 61 percent of same-sex couples were married, up from 38 percent before the ruling.

One in 10 couples is even opting for a joint party, says Kim Forrest, senior editor at Wedding Wire, starting the night with separate activities and then meeting up later in the evening. “The wedding party isn’t divided up by gender [anymore], so why should your bachelor or bachelorette party be?” Forrest says. “It also opens it up to having family members be part of it.”

Adventure time Brides-to-be and grooms-to-be are also seeking out more adrenaline-boosting activities than in the past, says Nikki Clause, founder and creative planner of Fling Before the Ring. Requests for workout classes such as yoga and kickboxing are common from her female clients; recently, she arranged for a group in Detroit to attend a private aerialist class at a local circus school.

“We just thought that was totally out of the box and so different,” she says.

Bachelor parties, especially, are skewing toward more adventurous themes, says Michelle Lang, president of party planning service Before the Knot.

She recently planned an outing at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee, where the guys went skeet shooting and fishing and rode ATVs. She also arranged axethrowing and exotic car racing in Miami.

Montana is a popular destination as well, Lang adds, for its horseback riding and hiking opportunities. She recommends staying at the Paws Up Resort outside Missoula.

“More actual, substantive trips,” is how Leah Weinberg, owner and creative director of Color Pop Events, sums it all up. She planned several nature-focused vacations in places such as Jackson Hole, Wyo., where attendees can ski and hike.

If none of those options sounds appealing, some couples are choosing to skip the prenuptial getaway altogether.

“I think that with age comes being a little more wise about money and not wanting to blow their money on a bachelorette party,” Weinburg says. “At this age, maybe they’re saving to put a down payment on a house.”

Bloomberg Opinion August 25, 2019

HEN asked what they dream of becoming someday, kids, especially those in rural areas, would say they want to become an engineer, a soldier, a teacher or a seafarer.

For generations, most students set foot in college with the mere intention of getting a degree that would give them the required credentials for getting hired in a company.

Only a few see themselves becoming entrepreneurs who would create jobs, instead of looking for it.

Due to the common mindset that the easier way to make a living is to get employed, parents encourage their children to pursue nonbusiness courses. As a result, a youth’s career perspective narrows.

Introducing financial literacy and encouraging young people to save money can change that mindset.

One of the options available for young people is the social and financial literacy program of nongovernment group Aflatoun International. The program of this xxx-based group teaches and encourages young people to save money and start their own enterprise in the future.

According to Aflatoun Annual Report 2017, a total of 192 partners in 102 countries implement its programs, reaching 5.4 million kids and young people.

The report also showed 60,183 teachers worldwide had been trained to instruct the Aflatoun method, which is being taught by a total of 70,050 educators.

In the Philippines, the group is partnered with Children International, the Department of Education and the National Confederation of Cooperatives.

Rosa Cabasag, business development manager at Center Industrial Supply Corp., thinks introducing financial literacy early on can influence the career choice of the young.

“It’s better to start making them financially literate at a young age,” said Cabasag, who is an alumna of the Barcelona National Comprehensive High School.

Almost everyone has entrepreneurial bearing regardless of financial background, age and gender.

People are selling everything online and offline, like vanity products, cloths, homemade delicacies; even dried fish.

Manases Evasco, an alumnus of Tagdon Elementary School who ventures in agribusiness and retail, also observed that business-related courses usually are not an option for most rural-based students due to financial background.

No less than a dozen entrepreneurs have proven that financial difficulty is not a hindrance to becoming successful.

John Paul Jones DeJoria, for one, lived in a foster home and at times was homeless before he cofounded the John Paul Mitchell Systems and the Patron Spirits Co. Mariano Que was a drugstore employee and used wooden pushcart to sell medicines before he put up the Mercury Drug, a medicine retail chain with over 1,000 outlets nationwide today.

Tagdon Elementary School is looking at having the Aflatoun International program offered to its learners.

Liza Dy Salonga is currently principal at Tagdon Elementary School in Barcelona, Sorsogon. The views Dy-Salonga expressed in her article do not necessarily reflect the BusinessMirror’s.

Self-improvement app poised to be PHL’s first tech unicorn

T

HE convenience of access to data, mobile gadgets and online payment portals set against a landscape of densely populated cities, roads choking on the volume of vehicles and changing lifestyle have resulted to an exponential rise of mobile apps.

dergo a major update that will then include various home services.

The app will also have an e-commerce aspect where users will be able to purchase products from its partners.

Such growth is not surprising though as behind the app is known as an innovator and founder of world-renowned beer chilling system Beer Below Zero.

Not only did BBZ change the way consumers preferred their brews but, it also holds the distinction of being one of the first Filipino start-ups to breach the $10-million valuation.

“What used to be a 20-minute drive has now become over an hour for most parts of the day,” Nuñez said. “Multiplied over the number of errands or services that one would need to have over the course of a month, these minutes and hours on the road do add up to unproductive time.”

First unicorn

Simple solution One such app is the on-demand, byappointment self-improvement solution called “SIF.” Created by Luigi Nuñez, SIF started by offering grooming, beauty and wellness services that eliminated the travel and waiting time people usually took for granted.

Within a span of six months since it was first launched, SIF has been populating from two partner-contractors to a current 300-strong combined force of partner establishments and independent contractors.

Nuñez’s first investment in the tech space clearly provides a solution to the challenges faced by consumers in today’s hectic and stressful environment.

With his strategic partners and their respective expertise, Nuñez was able to conceptualize, develop, test and deploy SIF by simply centering on what would have the most traction based on what the digitally connected might want.

“While SIF’s main goal has always been to provide everyone a way to escape

Luigi Nuñez the hassles of Metro traffic, a detraction that makes people realize that 24 hours a day is sometimes not enough for all the errands and needs we travel for, Nuñez said. “In effect, what SIF provides its users is access to the most valuable commodity, time.”

In its next iteration, expected to launch by mid-September this year, SIF will un-

ACCORDING to Nuñez, SIF has caught the attention of international investors.

Speculation is that the company is now valued at $1.5 million because of the milestones it was able to achieve in six months and its potential to scale up and expand to other markets rapidly given its unique synergistic mode, he said. It won’t be a surprise if it turns out to be the country’s first tech unicorn.

The secret sauce to SIFs tremendously fast growth was the ability to pivot from being an independent entity to synergizing with existing establishments who wanted to add a revenue stream by offering home services. Why compete when we can synergize? Nuñez revealed.

With SIF expected to grow even more in the next few months, Nuñez has already lined up four more groundbreaking appbased projects and is working on a timeline that will see them available in the market by next year.

What millennials get wrong about Social Security

By Liz Weston of NerdWallet

F

EW issues unite millennials like the future of Social Security. Overwhelmingly, they’re convinced it doesn’t have one.

A recent Transamerica survey found that 80 percent of millennials, defined in the survey as people born between 1979 and 2000, worry that Social Security won’t be around when they need it. That’s not surprising—for years, they’ve heard that Social Security is about to “run out of money.”

The language doesn’t match the reality. Social Security benefits come from two sources: taxes collected from current workers’ paychecks and a trust fund of specially issued US Treasury securities. This trust fund is scheduled to be depleted in 2034, but the system will still collect hundreds of billions in payroll taxes and send out hundreds of billions in benefit checks. If Congress doesn’t intervene, the system can still pay 77 percent of projected benefits.

In any case, chances are good Congress will intervene, as it did in 1977 and 1983, to strengthen Social Security’s finances.

Social Security is an enormously popular program with bipartisan support and influential lobbies, including the immensely powerful AARP, looking out for it.

Still, millennials who believe Social Security won’t be there for them could make bad choices about their retirement savings.

The worst outcome would be if they didn’t save at all, convinced retirement was hopeless. But any of the following myths could cause problems.

‘I can save enough to retire even without Social Security’ Good luck with that.

Currently, the average Social Security benefit is just under $1,500 a month. You would need to save $400,000 to generate a similar amount. (That’s assuming you use the financial planners’ “4-percent rule,” which recommends taking no more than 4 percent of the portfolio in the first year of retirement and adjusting it for inflation after that.)

And that may be underestimating the value of Social Security. The Urban Institute estimates that many average-income single adults retiring between 2015 and 2020 will receive about $500,000 in benefits from the system while couples will receive roughly $1 million. Millennials, meanwhile, are projected to receive twice as much: about $1 million for an average-income single adult and $2 million for a couple.

Trying to save enough to replace 100 percent of your expected Social Security benefit might well be impossible, and could cause you to stint on other important goals such as saving for a child’s education or even having a little fun once in a while.

A more realistic yet still cautious

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approach would be to assume you’ll get 70 percent to 80 percent of what your Social Security statement projects, says Bill Meyer, founder of Social Security Solutions, a software tool for Social Security claiming strategies.

“Somewhere between a 20 percent to 30 percent reduction seems like the worst-case scenario to me,” Meyer says.

‘I can ignore my social security account’ Your future Social Security check will be based on your 35 highest-earning years. To get what you’re owed, however, your earnings need to be reported accurately and that doesn’t always happen. Employers may not report the correct information to Social Security, or may not report your earnings at all.

You can correct those errors if you catch them in time. Fixes could be difficult decades from now, when the employer may have gone out of business and needed documents may be unavailable.

Millennials may be more exposed to errors than previous generations because they tend to change jobs more, Meyer says. That makes it important for them to check their earnings records, which they can do by creating an account on the Social Security Administration’s web site.

“Every two to three years, you should August 25, 2019

log on and make sure that your earnings are reflected correctly,” Hayes says.

‘If it’s still around, I z should grab it as soon as possible’ Millions of Americans make this mistake every year, locking in permanently reduced payments and potentially costing themselves up to $250,000 in lost benefits by claiming too early. But Congress is highly unlikely to cut benefits for those in retirement or close to retirement age, Meyer notes.

Instead, there likely will continue to be incentives for delaying your Social Security claim. Currently, benefits increase by about 7 percent to 8 percent for each year you wait to apply after age 62 until benefits max out at 70.

Working an additional few years also can compensate for low- or no-earning years earlier in millennials’ careers, when incomes may have been depressed by recession or gig-to-gig work.

“A higher-earnings year can replace a lower one,” Meyer says. “You can fill in those gaps.”

This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance web site NerdWallet. Liz Weston is a columnist at NerdWallet, a certified financial planner and author of Your Credit Score. E-mail: lweston@nerdwallet.com.

Twitter: @lizweston.