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Sunday, December 2, 2018 Vol. 14 No. 53

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MINING THE WHITE GOLD AN unlimited supply of salt raw material—pristine water— in Barangay Sawang, Lobo, Batangas, is free, and relatively clean, in this part of the Calabarzon Region.

BATANGAS FOLK HAVE HIGH HOPES IN SALT PRODUCTION, FIND WAY TO CARE FOR ENVIRONMENT

Story & photos by Jonathan L. Mayuga

SMALL fishing community in Lobo, Batangas is putting a lot of investment in mining the so-called white gold in Lobo, Batangas. A third-class municipality, Lobo is a coastal town known for its pristine environment and rich natural resources. With high hopes, Leo Glenn Macatangay, president of Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Mamamayan sa Pagsulong at Pagunland ng Baran-

gay Sawang (SNMPPBS), is leading his group to produce as much salt as possible, to meet the demand for this very important commodity. Given the support they are receiving from various national government agencies, the local government of Lobo, Batangas,

academic institutions and other support groups, Macatangay said there is a big chance of making their endeavor a resounding success and make their small barangay a major supplier of quality salt product in the province and other areas in the Cavite-LagunaBatangas-Rizal-Quezon (Calabarzon) Region. Established three years ago, SNMPPBS was formed to boost the protection of the barangay’s coastal and marine environment and to ease the pressure on the municipal fishing ground of Lobo, by reviving a small salt-making business, to provide fishermen another source

of income and livelihood other than fishing.

Cooking salt

UNLIKE most salt farms, where salt is dried in the open to produce salt, the group is producing salt by cooking. The group currently produces fine salt and rock salt which they market in nearby barangays in the town of Lobo. Before the salt-making business, the barangay was able to produce 10 sacks of salt per week. But poor market access and inadequate support led to the business closing shop.

MACATANGAY shows salt produced at the group’s facility in Barangay Sawang.

Continued on A2

Ending a culture of violence against children

By Estrella Torres | Special to the BusinessMirror

HIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD Jason (not his real name) managed to be on top of his class in a public school in Quezon City despite living in abject poverty.

His teacher once assigned the class a project that requires students to buy a few items. Jason was afraid to ask for money as his mother easily gets angry and hits him often. Left with no recourse to get money for his school project, he took the risk of getting parts of a copper wire in the community’s electrical post to sell to a junk shop. The community experienced

a brownout and his mother was furious. He was hit for several hours and slept with excruciating pain and sores all over his body. Jason was not able to go to school and submit the project. He was comatose for 10 hours before he died. Children’s rights to be protected from physical and humiliating punishment is at the center of pub-

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 52.6080

lic debate as the Positive Discipline bill is now up for bicameral deliberations in Senate and Congress. The bill seeks a paradigm shift in the way Filipino adults discipline children by using open communication and strategies, without hitting and cursing them. Save the Children Philippines is one of those pushing for the passage of the bill to protect children’s rights in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children, which was signed on November 20, 1989. The convention was inspired by the vision and early works of Save the Children founder Eglantyne Jebb, who spoke on behalf of millions of starving children affected by the food blockade during World War I. Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4630 n UK 67.4855 n HK 6.7231 n CHINA 7.5651 n SINGAPORE 38.3161 n AUSTRALIA 38.4564 n EU 59.8206 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.0236

Source: BSP (November 29, 2018 )

NewsSunday BusinessMirror

A2 Sunday, December 2, 2018

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MINING THE WHITE GOLD Continued from A1

“Our problem is we don’t have enough rice hull to use for cooking. There is a possible supply of rice hull in Mindoro but we have to buy them. Before, we have enough supply of rice hull, but because we had an irrigation problem, many farmers stopped planting rice,” he said. Hopeful, Macatangay said they were told that irrigation service will be back soon, and farmers can start planting rice again to ensure an adequate supply of rice hull that will support their salt-making operation. “Today, we can only produce 10 sacks a day. Each sack is 25-kilo per. But still, we are having a problem finding more rice hull to cook salt,” he said. With their salt-making facility, a one-story building constructed two years ago, the group hopes to produce as much as 10,000 kilos per month. “That is what our beloved mayor requires of us,” he said. The group’s salt-making facility, which is powered by solar energy donated by a group of students from the Batangas State University, has water tanks where saltwater is stored, a filtering machine, heaters and salt-dryer trays. “We still need equipment. More mixers, more trays, and motor pump to pump water from the shore to our tanks because during low tide, it is hard to fetch salt water,” he said. The salt-making facility of Barangay Sawang is now part of the tourism package offered by the Tourism Offices of the Province of Batangas and the Municipality of Lobo. Salt production boosts food security and livelihood. Through biodiversity-friendly enterprises, the fishing community is avoiding overfishing and destructive fishing, while ensuring sustainability

geared toward the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs), particularly, SDG 11, or Sustainable Communities.

‘Unlimited supply’

“WE have an unlimited supply of raw materials for salt—the ocean is so vast. We have clean saltwater. It’s all around us,” Macatangay said in Filipino. According to Macatangay, as they gear up for commercial production of salt, they have come to realize that protecting their coastal and marine environment has its purpose. In fact, their fishing ground is starting to recover, and they expressed hope that it will soon provide them with an unlimited supply of fish and seafood. “The ocean is very important to us. This is our source of food, our livelihood. If we are not going to protect it, what will happen to us?” he said. Macatangay pointed out that illegal fishing—particularly the use of cyanide to poison the fish and dynamite, or worse, active gear that destroys the corals—are no longer allowed in Lobo, with 24/7 protection provided by members of the town’s bantay dagat. With their group helping protect their MPA in the barangay, he said fish catch is now slightly increasing, unlike before when fishing was unregulated. “Fishing within fish sanctuaries is not allowed. You can fish using hooks, but not nets,” he said.

Marine Protected Areas

MACATANGAY, a bantay dagat, is also the Barangay Secretary of Sawang, one of nine coastal barangays in Lobo, which boasts of having a highly secured coastal and marine environment against illegal fishing activities.

Situated near the southern tip of Batangas Province, Lobo is about 145 kilometers from Manila and boasts of white-sand beaches and crystal-clear waters. It has protected mangrove forests and fish sanctuaries, which are part of several locally managed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) guarded by volunteer bantay dagat members like Macatangay. Interviewed by the BusinessMirror on November 16, Macatangay said in Filipino that unlike the yellow metal, which is a limited resource, the raw materials for producing salt are aplenty.

Fighting plastic pollution

BARANGAY Sawang is fighting ocean plastic pollution through its own little way, said Barangay Sawang Chairman Daniel A. Ramirez. “From time to time, we conduct coastal clean-up activities to collect pieces of trash brought to our shores by the tide,” said Ramirez. He surmised that some of the garbage may have been dumped by irresponsible individuals onboard passenger boats, or by boat operators, including commercial fishing operators themselves. In Barangay Sawang and other coastal areas, solid waste management is not a problem, he said. But during the typhoon season, their shores are filled with trash—mostly plastic—some coming from as far as Metro Manila. “We can say that some of the garbage that we collect came from as far as Mandaluyong because there is a student ID from a school in Mandaluyong among it,” he noted with a laugh. Barangay Sawang, he said, helps conduct an information drive about the importance of protecting and conserving the environment in partnership with the Municipality of Lobo, the Provincial Govern-

ment and the DENR.

ICM initiatives

THE DENR’s Regional Office in Calabarzon (Region IV-A), through Community Environment and Natural Resource Officer (Cenro) Noel M. Recillo of Cenro Lipa City, has identified sustainable coastal and ocean development projects, particularly on habitat protection, as an integrated coastal management strategy in Lobo, which is highlighted by the establishment of MPAs, deployment of artificial reefs, and mobilization of people’s organizations. These include the management of the Olo-olo-Sawang MPA, the Olo-olo Artificial Reefs, Lagadlarin Artificial Reefs, Soloc Artificial Reefs, Malabrigo Fish Sanctuary and Refuge, Malabrigo Artificial Reefs, Balibago Artificial Reefs, Biga Fish Sanctuary, and Biga Artificial Reefs. There are also two proposed MPA sites in Lobo, one in Barangay Balibago and one in Barangay Banalo. The establishment of MPAs is a strategy adopted to achieve UN SDG 14, or Life Below Water.

Mining-free town

LOBO is being targeted by a mining company for its rich mineral resources, including gold. In December 2016, then Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources nixed the envi-

ronmental compliance certificate (ECC) application of MRL-Egerton Gold Philippines for its mining project in Lobo and San Juan, Batangas. The mining company’s project, a copper and gold mine, has completed its exploration and is a step short of starting commercial operation. The project site is situated along the Verde Island Passage, which scientists have declared as the center of the shorefish’s biodiversity in the world. Residents of Lobo are elated by the decision, preferring to protect and conserve their rich biodiversity and pristine environment than suffer the consequence of hosting destructive development projects.

Pemsea ICM site

THE provincial government of Batangas is working in partnership with the DENR and the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (Pemsea), which was created to foster and sustain healthy and resilient coasts and oceans, communities and economies across the Seas of East Asia through integrated management solutions and partnerships. The DENR and Pemsea co-organized the East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress 2018 in Iloilo City this week with the theme, “25 Years of Partnerships for Healthy Oceans,

People and Economies: Moving as One with the Global Ocean Agenda.” The Province of Batangas started applying the ICM framework for managing the development of Batangas Bay in 1994. The demonstration project was funded by GEF, and resulted in the development and implementation of the Strategic Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) consisting of six major action areas: legal and institutional mechanisms, integrated policy and planning systems, integrated management systems and technical interventions, management and technical skills improvement, information base improvement and sustainable financing development, according to the Pemsea website. The Batangas Bay Region Environmental Protection Council (BBREPC) of the Province of Batangas, established in 1995 as the coordinating body chaired by the Governor of Batangas and consisting of representatives of national and local governments, academe, the private sector, media and community organizations as members, has expanded over time to include other local government units and stakeholders, as the ICM program has scaled up to cover the entire coastline of the province. The BBREPC has recently been renamed the Batangas Environmental Protection Council.

Ending a culture of violence against children

Continued from A1

The Declaration of the Rights of the Child, then known as the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child, is an international document promoting child rights, drafted by Jebb. It was adopted by the League of Nations in 1924, and later adopted in extended form by the United Nations in 1959 and became the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The treaty, ratified by the Philippines, protects children from all forms of violence and maltreatment. It cited that “an adult’s judgment of a child’s best interests cannot override the obligation to respect all the child’s rights under the convention.” Article 19 of the convention “protects children from all forms of violence and maltreatment.” Lawyer Albert Muyot, chief executive officer of Save the Children Philippines, observes that parents are usually outraged when other people hurt their children, but when they hit their own child, they say it’s a proof they care for them. “Parents should not treat their children as possessions; thus, hitting them is wrong and is never acceptable,” said Muyot. Young children who experience corporal punishment are left with feelings of fear, shame, rage, revenge and hostility. Jason’s story was a turning point for educator Zaida Padullo, principal of Judge Feliciano Belmonte Sr. High School who founded the Positive Discipline Advocates of the Philippines (PDAP). Padullo, who experienced cor-

poral punishment, used to believe the practice as “normal” in both home and school settings. “Pero isang Jason lang ang nagpabago sa akin [It took Jason’s story to change my perspective],” she told parents, teachers and children who took part in the recent MultiSectoral Forum on Positive Discipline in Quezon City. She said Positive Discipline for Everyday Teaching (PDET), a training program of Save the Children Philippines, integrates strategies that improve communication between teachers and students. The group also conducts Positive Discipline for Everyday Parenting (PDEP) in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The school has 6,500 students and used to rank 45th in the National Secondary Assessment Test (NSAT). “With [the] Positive Discipline practice in our school, our ranking in NSAT climbed to top 3,” she said. Positive Discipline builds an open communication between parents, carers and teachers with children. It emphasized growth and learning through giving responsive care as well as clear and constant rules. It also guides children to understand that certain behaviors are acceptable while others are not. The method focuses on explaining cause-effect reasons, that it is the behavior that parents dislike, not the child. “Children must be treated with dignity and respect, and not as property of their parents,” said Muyot.

The Positive Discipline bill allows intervention of local communities and schools in the way parents and carers discipline their children without physical and humiliating punishment. Muyot said existing laws are not enough to protect children against violence, particularly at home. Laws that govern children’s rights and welfare, such as the Family Code of 1987, the Child and Youth Welfare Code of 1974, the Code of Muslim Personal Laws, and the Revised Penal Code, use vague terms “cruel”, “unusual”, or “excessive” to describe the severity of the punishment. The terms used in these laws are open to multiple interpretations and can be an excuse for parents to get away with abusing their children in the name of discipline. The Republic Act 7610 of 1992, or the Anti-Child Abuse law, provided an increase in protective measures for children against violence and abuse, but the definition of corporal punishment as a form of violence and its total prohibition in all settings—including the home—remain unclear. At least 54 countries, both developing and rich ones, have stepped up legislation to ban corporal punishment in all settings, including the home. Violence begets violence. The study notes that children who experienced corporal punishment are likely to use it to their future children, perpetuating intergenerational violence against children. Ms. Torres is the Media Officer of Save the Children.

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

The World

NEXT U.S. MOON LANDING WILL BE BY PRIVATE COMPANIES, NOT NASA

APE CANAVERAL, Florida—America’s next moon landing will be made by private companies—not Nasa. Nasa Administrator Jim Bridenstine said nine US companies will compete to deliver experiments to the lunar surface. The space agency will buy the service and let private industry work out the details on getting there, he said. The goal is to get small science and technology experiments to the surface of the moon as soon as possible. The first flight could be next year; 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the first manned moon landing. “We’re going at high speed,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, head of Nasa’s science mission directorate, which will lead the effort. Nasa officials said the research will help get astronauts back to the moon more quickly and keep them safer once they’re there. The initial deliveries likely will include radiation monitors, as well as laser reflectors for gravity and other types of measurements, according to Zurbuchen. Bridenstine said it will be up to the companies to arrange their own rocket rides. Nasa will be one of multiple customers using these lunar services. The announcement came just three days after Nasa landed a spacecraft on Mars. Nasa wants to see how it goes at the moon before committing to commercial delivery services at Mars. This new partnership is loosely modeled

after Nasa’s successful commercial cargo deliveries to the International Space Station, as well as the still-unproven commercial crew effor t. SpaceX and Northrop Grumman, formerly Orbital ATK, have been making space station shipments since 2012. SpaceX expects to star t transporting astronauts to the orbiting lab next year; so does Boeing. Altogether, these Commercial Lunar Payload Services contracts have a combined value of $2.6 billion over the next 10 years. Nasa wants lots of companies involved to encourage competition and get to the moon fast, so astronauts can benefit once an orbiting outpost is up and running near the moon. Bridenstine expects to have humans working intermittently on the moon, along with robots and rovers, within a decade. The nine companies, representing seven states, are: Astrobiotic Technology Inc., Pittsburgh; Deep Space Systems, Littleton, Colorado; Draper, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Firefly Aerospace Inc., Cedar Park, Texas; Intuitive Machines, Houston; Lockheed Martin, Littleton; Masten Space Systems Inc., Mojave, California; Moon Express, Cape Canaveral; and Orbit Beyond, Edison, New Jersey. Lockheed Martin already has a moon lander in the works modeled after the Mars InSight lander, which the company built for Nasa. InSight arrived at Mars on Monday. AP

BusinessMirror

Sunday, December 2, 2018

WHO: Congo’s Ebola outbreak now second largest in history

OHANNESBURG—Congo’s deadly Ebola outbreak is now the second largest in history, behind the devastating West Africa outbreak that killed thousands a few years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. WHO’s emergencies chief, Dr. Peter Salama, called it a “sad toll” as Congo’s health ministry announced the number of cases has reached 426. That includes 379 confirmed cases and 47 probable ones. So far this outbreak, declared on August 1, has 198 confirmed deaths, with another 47 probable ones, Congo’s health ministry said. Attacks by rebel groups and open hostility by some wary locals have posed serious challenges to health workers that Ebola experts say they’ve never been seen before. Many venture out on critical virus

containment missions only accompanied by UN peacekeepers in areas where gunfire echoes daily. Salama this month predicted that the outbreak in northeastern Congo will last at least another six months before it can be contained. West Africa’s Ebola outbreak killed more than 11,000 people from 2014 to 2016. Day by day, reports by health organizations note one new difficulty after another in this latest outbreak, even as their work sets milestones that have given new hope in the fight against one of the

world’s most notorious diseases. More than 37,000 people have received Ebola vaccinations, and Congo has begun the first-ever trial to test the effectiveness and safety of four experimental Ebola drugs. And yet the risk of Ebola spreading in so-called red zones—areas that are virtually inaccessible because of the threat of rebel groups—is a major concern in containing this outbreak. “This tragic milestone clearly demonstrates the complexity and severity of the outbreak. While the numbers are far from those from West Africa in 2014, we’re witnessing how the dynamics of conflict pose a different kind of threat,” said Michelle Gayer, senior director of emergency health at the International Rescue Committee. In a major concern for health workers, many new cases have been unconnected to known infections as the insecurity complicates efforts to track contacts of those with the disease. The alarmingly high number of

infected newborns in this outbreak is another concern, and so far a mystery. In a separate statement on Thursday, WHO said so far 36 Ebola cases have been reported among newborn babies and children under 2. As the need for help in containing the outbreak grows, two of the world’s most prominent medical journals this week published statements by global health experts urging the Trump administration to do more. In the Journal of the American Medical Association, one group noted that the US government weeks ago ordered all centers for Disease Control and Prevention personnel—“some of the world’s most experienced outbreak experts”—from Congo’s outbreak zone because of security concerns. A separate statement published in the New England Journal of Medicine said: “Given the worsening of the outbreak, we believe it’s essential that these security concerns be addressed and that CDC staff return to the field.” AP

Sunday, December 2, 2018

The World BusinessMirror

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As oil hovers at $50 a barrel, Donald Trump tries to push the price lower

OUSTON—Oil prices have plunged by 25 percent in the last month while the cost of gasoline has tumbled to as little as $2 a gallon in several states. President Donald J. Trump is pushing for even lower prices, calling it “a big Tax Cut for America and the World.” But Trump is playing a tricky game. The United States became the world’s largest oil producer this year, and a collapse in prices could hurt scores of businesses and hundreds of thousands of workers in the energy and manufacturing industries. The damage would be particularly severe in states like Texas, Oklahoma and North Dakota that voted for the president. Oil, which is trading at around $50 a barrel, is close to an economic sweet spot. Prices are not so high

that they are a burdensome tax on consumers and businesses and not so low as to bankrupt energy companies and strain the finances of major oil exporters like Saudi Arabia and Russia. “Trump tweets as if he has a joystick and he has everything under his command like he is playing one of these video games,” said Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at the Oil Price Information Service. Trump is expected to discuss

oil prices with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia at the Group of 20 summit at the end of the week. Those talks will come days before the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) is expected to set production targets. If he persuades major oil-producing nations to maintain their current output, “oil prices could go down to the low 40s,” Kloza said. That kind of drop would have been a n una l loyed economic boon for the United States just a dozen years ago, when domestic oil production was declining and the country was becoming increasingly dependent on unstable or unfriendly countries like Venezuela and Nigeria. But lower prices will have a more ambiguous impact now. After the boom in drilling in shale fields, oil production in the United States has more than doubled since 2008, to upward of 11 million barrels a day now, and the country has become a major exporter. Exxon Mobil, Chevron and other oil companies have made huge investments

and employ tens of thousands of workers across the country. After prices began to slide in late 2014, more than 160,000 oil workers lost their jobs. Hundreds of smaller drillers went bankrupt, putting pressure on banks and investors. Manufacturers and other businesses that supply the energy industry also took a hit. At the time, Opec decided not to cut production in order to retain market share and undercut US shale producers. That decision set off a three-year slump in prices. “Of course I’m concerned because the price of oil is dropping like crazy right now,” said Darlene S. Wallace, president of Columbus Oil, a small Oklahoma producer. “I was making a profit this year for the first time in four years, and now it doesn’t look like it will end up that way toward the end of the year.” But the drop in prices has clearly been a boon to people and businesses that use oil. Americans consume roughly 400 million gallons of gasoline a day, so every time prices fall by a

penny they save about $4 million. The average retail price for regular gasoline is about $2.50 a gallon, according to AAA, about the same as it was a year ago. But that is $1.60 a gallon less than it was a decade earlier, when the shale-oil boom was just starting. In addition to the benefits of lower prices for consumers, Trump appears to want a well-supplied oil market so he can press countries to cut their imports from Iran without worrying about running out of fuel. Lower energy costs should also tamp down inflation, which, in turn, would help keep interest rates low at a time when some analysts fear an economic slowdown. The president might have some success in getting Saudi Arabia not to cut oil production because of how he has handled the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Thankful for Trump’s public support, the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, might be more willing to tolerate low oil prices than he would have been otherwise.

Russia also appears to be in no hurry to cut production, which is at the record level of roughly 11 million barrels a day. Igor Sechin, chief executive of the Russian oil company Rosneft and an influential ally of President Vladimir Putin, has aggressively promoted drilling at home and abroad. Putin recently said he was satisfied with the current price of oil. Given all those political calculations, Kloza and other energy analysts say that Saudi Arabia is likely to cut production modestly and lobby other producers to do the same. At current prices, Saudi Arabia, which is heavily dependent on petroleum exports, can pay its bills and most oil companies can make a profit. (The global price of oil is about $60 a barrel.) “I think everybody is keen on stability,” said Sadad Ibrahim Al Husseini, a former executive vice president of Saudi Aramco. He expects Opec will cut production by at least 1 million barrels a day, roughly 1 percent of global supply. New York Times News Service

Jack Ma, China’s richest man, belongs to the Communist Party. Of course

JACK MA

ONG KONG—Jack Ma, China’s richest man and the guiding force behind its biggest e-commerce company, belongs to an elite club of power brokers, 89 million strong: the Chinese Communist Party. The party’s official People’s Daily newspaper included Ma, executive chairman of the Alibaba Group and the country’s most prominent capitalist, in a list it published on Monday of 100 Chinese people who had made extraordinary contributions to the country’s development over the past 40 years. The entry for Ma identified him as a party member. It may sound contradictory that the wealthy Ma belongs to an organization that got its start calling for the empowerment of the proletariat. But Ma’s political affiliation came as no surprise to many Chinese and China watchers. Though it still publicly extols the principles of Karl Marx, the Chinese Communist Party largely abandoned collectivist doctrine in the post-Mao era, freeing private entrepreneurs to help build the world’s second-largest economy after the United States. In fact, the disclosure reveals a party that is eager to prove its legitimacy by affiliating itself with capitalist success stories. Ma is a tech rock star in China, and his membership in the party could prod others to follow his lead. “Even Jack Ma is a party member,” said Kellee Tsai, dean of humanities and social science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, referring to the party’s pitch. “Doesn’t it make you

want to join the party, too?” Alibaba declined to comment on the matter. The Hurun Report, a research organization in Shanghai that tracks the wealthy in China, estimates Ma and his family’s net worth at 270 billion renminbi, or $39 billion. Today’s party isn’t exactly exclusive. Its members represent nearly 7 percent of China’s population. Its ranks include government officials, businesspeople and even dissidents. Being a member often suggests a desire to network and get ahead rather than express one’s political views. For businesspeople in particular, membership is more often a matter of expediency. Party membership provides a layer of protection in a country where private ownership protections are often haphazardly enforced or ignored entirely. Though its constitution still describes members as “vanguard fighters of the Chinese working class imbued with communist consciousness,” the party has veered away from its communist roots and welcomed private entrepreneurs since 2001. Some of the richest men in China are party members, including Wang Jianlin of the Dalian Wanda Group, a property and entertainment conglomerate, and Xu Jiayin of the Evergrande Group, a property developer. It is unclear when Ma joined the party or how much he pays in dues. The party sets dues at 2 percent of monthly salary for higher-income members. The star power of the Chinese entrepreneur class has

dimmed since Xi Jinping became the country’s top leader in 2012. Under Xi, the Communist Party plays a bigger role in not only Chinese politics but also the economy and everyday life. Any entity with more than three party members is required to set up a party cell. Some three-quarters of private enterprises, or 1.9 million, had done so in 2017, according to official data. Companies say they face much greater pressure to set up the cells than in the past. Even some of the coolest startups in tech-savvy Beijing have designated party-building spaces. The disclosure of Ma’s membership reflects the thinking that the party controls the economy and society, said Guo Yuhua, a sociology professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing and a critic of the party. “It’s going backward from the Deng Xiaoping era, when the party advocated the separation of the party and the government,” she said, referring to the party leader who ultimately governed China during its early years of reform in the 1970s and 1980s. The disclosure also drew attention because Ma had in the past tried to keep his distance from the government. When asked at public appearances how he managed government relations, he often said, “Fall in love with the government, but don’t get married.” But as Xi tightens ideological controls and the power of the state grows, many successful entrepreneurs have made a point of showing their party loyalty. Ma visited Yan’an, the city often considered the birthplace of the Chinese Communist Revolution, in 2015, according to the Chinese news media. Pony Ma, who is chief executive of the Internet giant Tencent Holdings but is not a party member, nonetheless showed up in Yan’an as well this year, wearing a Red Army uniform. Yan’an is also where Xi spent much of his teenage years. In recent weeks, amid signs of a slowing economy and an intensifying trade war with the United States, China’s leaders have taken a softer tone toward private enterprise, making supportive remarks and promising tax cuts. New York Times News Service

FEDERAL Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at the Economic Club of New York on Wednesday. AP/MARK LENNIHAN

Fed jumps off predictable rate path and into a policy wilderness

EDER AL Reserve officials have stepped off a predictable path of interest-rate increases and are signaling to investors a hard truth about relying on increasingly contradictory economic data: There are no easy answers anymore. It’s going to be choppy. It’s going to bring more surprises. And it may get rough on those trying to track the central bank’s strategy. A lot of reputable Wall Street forecasters will have to revise their predictions because even the Fed is less certain about what it is going to do. “They are carving out flexibility and that is a hard thing to communicate,’’ said Laura Rosner, senior economist at Macropolicy Perspectives Llc. in New York. “The message is: no change in the outlook for now but risks are shifting slightly and could eventually require a revision to the path of policy.” In two speeches and a set of minutes this week from the Federal Open Market Committee’s November 7-8 meeting, the Fed signaled that the steady march of quarterly rate increases is over. From now on, economic data will weigh more heavily on what they do next. The reason, according to Vice Chairman Richard Clarida and Chairman Jerome Powell’s comments this week, is that the policy rate is “just below’’ an estimated range that neither provides stimulus nor slows growth. The problem with that socalled neutral rate is Fed officials don’t have precise estimates for it. Overshooting it risks a recession at a time when the central bank is already under intense criticism

from President Donald J. Trump. Undershooting it may unleash price pressures or asset bubbles. Fed officials weigh all risks, both political and economic. They are turning cautious, and there are risks on the horizon. “They’re at an inflection point’’ as they close in on the range for a neutral interest rate, said Kevin Logan, chief US economist at HSBC Securities. “They have to be more judgmental about policy.’’ The minutes released on Thursday highlighted several downside risks, such as weakening global growth, tighter financial conditions, and a slowdown in interestsensitive sectors of the economy. Counter-balancing that was the continuous strength in the labor market which underpins strong household spending, a pillar of the current expansion.

“The numbers have been a little less supportive of the number of rate hikes they had projected for 2019,’’ said Peter Hooper, Deutsche Bank Securities’s chief economist, referring to the three 2019 rate hikes Fed officials estimated in September. “Global growth is softening a bit and that does contribute to a little weaker outlook for the US.’’ For all that, Hooper —like many economists—faces a conundrum: Growth is still projected to be above its cruising speed, estimated at 1.8 percent by Fed officials. With the labor markets tight and inflation around its 2 percent target, the Fed’s policy rate needs to be somewhere in the vicinity of neutral if not a little higher. Deutsche Bank still foresees four hikes for next year but “recent developments say there’s downside risks to that forecast,” Hooper said.

Stocks applaud

Powell testimony

THE Fed’s latest messaging bolstered both stock and bond markets. Eurodollar futures markets reduced to about 0.23 percentage point the amount of rate increases they expect in 2019 after next month’s expected hike, from pricing earlier this month of more than a half percentage point of tightening next year. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield fell below the key 3 percent level on Thursday for the first time since September, before rebounding to about 3.03 percent. The S&P 500 Index gained during the week as concern dwindled that the Fed would snuff out a nearly decadelong expansion.

ONE thing forecasters won’t lack is frequent updating from the central bank. Powell moves to eight press conferences a year in 2019, from four. New York Fed President John Williams speaks on Friday on the global economy in New York. Powell will address the Joint Economic Committee next Wednesday. “Now we are shifting to a situation where they are going to be debating at each meeting whether further rate hikes are warranted,” said Omair Sharif, senior US economist at Societe Generale SA in New York. “They don’t know what the right level is. They are going to be in the same boat the rest of us are in watching the data.” Bloomberg News

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

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT: ‘LUKE 21:25-28,34-36’

BE READY FOR CHRIST THROUGH PRAYER MSGR. JOSEFINO S. RAMIREZ SUNDAY GOSPEL IN OUR LIFE

HE liturgical season of Advent is a time that the Church especially dedicates to our preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. There are two “comings of Christ”—the first one was the first Christmas almost more than 2,000 years ago. The second one will be on the last day, when the world ends. Christ will come again “to judge the living and the dead,” as we say in the Creed. The season of Advent is also divided according to these two “comings of Christ”—the first part of the season, from which today ’s Gospel is taken, concentrates on the final coming of Christ. The last part, close to Christmas, refers to Christ’s first coming into our world. In our life, we can also speak of two comings of Christ. The first one is when He came into our hearts, and He has remained there provided we have maintained the state of grace. And Christ will come again in a very short time, when we have to face Him as our judge, at the moment of death. In order to receive Christ well, the gospel of today has a piece of advice that will certainly be helpful for us. Christ told His listeners, “Watch then and pray at all times” (Luke 19:36). Yes, we shall certainly be ready to receive Christ when He enters our life or when He comes to ask an accounting from us, if we have been vigilant and prayerful. He tells us to pray, at all times.

Is this possible? It certainly is! We pray not only with our lips. We pray, above all, with our hearts. And the value of the prayers that comes to our lips resides in our heart. The scripture says, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” We also pray with our actions. If we do what God wants (for example, all the duties of our state in life) and we do them for God, then we are also praying with our actions. And if we do things raising our intentions to God and wanting to please God, then we also pray with our thoughts. It is therefore very possible to pray at all times. Christ is somehow telling us that we should never remove God from our life. We should not put God in a compartment or drawer in our life, and refer to Him only every once in a while. We cannot forget about God or stash the thought of Him away. But in order to achieve this wonderful state of soul that the spiritual writers refer to as “living in the presence of God,” we need to devote some time periodically each day, exclusively in conversation with God. It will be possible to pray at all times with our thoughts, words and actions, and then be prepared to receive Christ moments of the day. Let us resolve to find those moments everyday, in intimate conversation with Jesus Christ.

SAINT JOHN DAMASCENE, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH

By Corazon Damo-Santiago

OHN pleaded that his severed right hand that was hanged in the market place be returned. The caliph granted the request. In his private chapel, John prayed to the Most Holy Mother of God (Theotokos) and praised the “Most Pure Virgin and His Son.” He pressed the severed hand near his wrist and fell asleep, worn out by excruciating pain. He woke up with his right hand intact. News about the miracle spread. The caliph offered back his job but John politely declined. He retreated in the monastery of Mar Saba near Jerusalem with his brother Cosmas. In 730 he was ordained priest by Patriarch John. He preached and counselled bishops on faith and doctrine.

Holy intellectual

JOHN MANSOUR was born in Damascus, Syria, in 675 of Christian and Arab parentage. His father, Sergius, was chief representative of the Christian community and finance officer of Damascus. John and his foster brother, Cosmas, were educated by Cosmas, an old learned Italian monk who was captured in Sicily and brought to Damascus to be sold. Other prisoners converged at his feet pleading for his prayers and blessings. His eyes were filled with tears. Curious, Sergius asked why. His answer, distressed he was “for all the learnings he had painfully acquired without an heir, an intellectual son he never had” (Orthodox Research Institute.org). Sergius asked Caliph Abd Al Malek for his freedom. Cosmas rejoiced and gave John and his brother “an excellent e d u c at i o n i n a l l t h e s c i e n c e s a n d theology.” After years, he returned in the monastery of Saint Sabas. When his father died, the Caliph and the Saracens, so impressed with John’s intellectual ability, offered him a higher position than that of his father— protosymbulus, or chief counsellor to the caliph.

Iconoclastic Controversy

IN 726 Emperor Leo III issued an edict against the veneration of images and icons which started the Iconoclastic Controversy or Image Breaking. The edict stated that images and icons fostered idolatry and Leo ordered them destroyed. The edict was opposed vehemently by Eastern monks who were teachers of painting icons. John Mansour, a Christian Arab and chief counselor to the Caliph of Damascus,

then capital of the Arabian empire, wrote his Treatise on Images, to express his disagreement. “The whole earth is a living icon of the face of God. Worshiping images in our churches, Far be it from us to do this.... With the material picture before our eyes we see the invisible God through the visible representation, and glorify Him as present, not as a God without reality, but as a God who is the essence of being. Nor are the saints we glorify fictitious. They are in being and are living with God....” The emperor and his supporters were angry but they could not punish John because he was not a Byzantine subject. Emperor Leo intercepted one of John’s letter and had his penmanship imitated. It was a letter to the emperor supposedly written by John that if Leo “would dispatch a band of resolute men, he would capture the city [Damascus] with little trouble.” To the Caliph, Leo sent the letter with a note: “Let the Caliph beware of his Christian subjects when such were the proposals they were capable of making” (Orthodox Church of America). When confronted by Caliph Abd Al Malek, John admitted that it was his handwriting but vehemently denied he wrote it. As a punishment, John was paraded through the city in chains before his right hand was cut.

Great theologian

SAINT John was known for his oratorical skills and theological writings. A hymnographer, too, he was considered the Prince of Greek hymns. A prolific writer, he had 150 works in theology, religious education, philosophy, biographies and hymns, which Greek and Roman churches held in great esteem were attributed to him. Fountain of wisdom, a compilation of ancient tradition and theological opinions of great ecclesiastical writers during his time was considered his greatest work. It was considered the Summa Theologica of the East. To him, the church attributes the now classic distinction between adoration and worship given only to God and veneration and honor for God’s creatures. Saint John died in 794 at the age of 74. Pope Leo XIII declared him Doctor of the church in 1890. The church celebrates his feast on December 4. 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.

Sunday

Sunday, December 2, 2018

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE AN UNDERGROUND CHINESE SEMINARIAN?

‘Life as a Chinese Catholic is difficult’

EIJING, China—Wang Jie (a fictional name) is a deacon belonging to the Chinese underground Church. He has spent several years studying in Europe, and for security reasons cannot use his real name, since Chinese authorities may not let him reenter his country if they knew he is preparing to become a priest.

The seminarian shared his story recently with media. He was born in China “in an area where most of the people are pagan.” None of his family members were Catholic, and in fact his parents “had never even heard the word ‘Christianity.’” But one day his mother fell ill. They found what they believed to be a medical center with a cross on it. It was actually a church, where a nun received them. After his mother recovered, Wang’s parents returned to thank the woman for caring for her. “Then the nun began to gradually speak to them about faith, about Christ. My parents were very interested and after some time they converted,” he said. “We see it as a miracle so we would know the faith. God guided us to his house.” In a sense, the conversion was natural, because his parents were already practicing charity and trying to help others in any way they could. Wang’s entire family was baptized when he was 8 years old. His family joined the underground Catholic Church. They could not openly practice their faith, as the government only recognized the “Patriotic Church” controlled by the Communist Party. When Wang’s mother became pregnant again, they faced a challenge. The one-child policy, which was in effect at the time, prohibited families from having a second child. But as Catholics, his parents refused to abort. They looked for a way to avoid the heavy penalties imposed by the Communist government on families with more than one child. “When my sister was born, we found a family that had just had another child, and we registered them as if they were twins. In fact,

my sister doesn’t have my same last name [as I do] but that of the other family because according to those documents they are siblings,” he said. Eventually, his parents befriended a priest who was a rector of the seminary. The rector explained that the seminarians had to move every three or four

months to avoid being discovered by the authorities. “My parents of fered t hem our house, they could live on the ground floor and we on the top floor,” he said. For the next 10 years, seminarians were living intermittently on the ground floor of the house. Touched by their example, Wang felt a call to the seminary. He m a d e t he f i n a l d e c i s ion after accompany ing one of t he s e m i n a r i a n s to g ive some c at e c h i s m l e s s on s . “When I returned home, it was as if something had set my heart on fire, I told my parents I wanted to be a priest. I had that seed of a vocation in my heart,” he said. “Now I’m a deacon and no words can express the very profound joy I have in my heart.” T he sem i n a r i a n sa id t h at even though he is study ing in Europe, his desire is to retur n to China as soon as possible to preach the Gospel there. Life as a Chinese Catholic is difficult.

When I’m in line to enter and I have the passport in my hands, I start praying to the Virgin: ‘My mother, help me. My mother, help me.’ And everything has always gone well even though the dangers are real. God always helps me.”—Wang

Mass is celebrated in fami ly homes, and people must be careful not to talk about their faith explicitly, because the authorities could be listening. However, living with the risk of arrest is worth it, Wang said, because “we want to have the Truth, it’s what you have to do despite the cost.” One of the worst moments he faces, he said, is when he has to enter China without the authorities discovering that he is a seminarian. “When I’m in line to enter and I have the passport in my hands, I start praying to the Virgin: ‘My mother, help me. My mother, help me.’ And everything has always gone well even though the dangers are real. God always helps me,” he said. Regarding the recent accord bet ween the Holy See and the C h i ne s e go ve r n me nt , w h ic h initiates the integration of the underground Church w ith the Patr iotic Church, the seminari a n st ressed t he impor t a nce of unit y. “There are some who say the accord is good, and others who don’t think so. But above all we have to pray a lot and follow what the Church says, because the Devil wants to divide the Church and knows how to do it,” he said. “God gave the key to the papacy to Saint Peter and that’s part of our faith, and either we unite ourselves to Peter or we’re not going anywhere.” Catholic News Agency/CBCPNews

A WOMAN hangs laundry near a church in the city of Pingdingshan in central China’s Henan province in this photo taken in June. Under President Xi Jinping, China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, believers are seeing their freedoms shrink dramatically even as the country undergoes a religious revival. Experts and activists say that as he consolidates his power, Xi is waging the most severe systematic suppression of Christianity in the country since religious freedom was written into the Chinese constitution in 1982. AP/NG HAN GUAN

200 years of ‘Silent Night’: Singers mark carol’s birthday

EW YORK—One of the most famous songs of Christmas was celebrated this past week as it approaches its 200th anniversary, with a concert at the New York City church where “Silent Night” is believed to have been sung in the United States for the first time and where a priest was the first to publish an English translation of the Austrian carol. The performance of the carol by Austria’s Kroll Family Singers and ensembles from Trinity Church took place at the Alexander Hamilton memorial in the Trinity churchyard. The singers stood in front of the memorial in the darkened yard as onlookers gathered and horns from passing cars beeped on nearby streets. The Kroll singers opened the carol with verses in the original German, followed by the Trinity singers with verses in languages, including French, Spanish and finally English. After the outdoor performance, they went inside the church, where the Austrian group sang some other songs before they finished with another rendition of “Silent Night.”

The song resonates with people because of its simple melody and straightforward message, said Elisabeth Frontull, a member of the Kroll group. “You sing it from the bottom of your heart; that’s the reason why

the song is so popular,” she said. Organizers of the event said it’s believed the song was first sung at the Trinity Church location in 1839 by the Rainer family singers, a traveling singing group from Austria. “Silent Night” initially debuted

THE Kroell Family Singers, (from left) Gerlinde, Elisabeth and Christiane, sing Christmas carols during a celebration of the song “Silent Night” at Trinity Church in New York. “Silent Night,” one of the most famous songs of the Christmas season, is being celebrated as it approaches its 200th anniversary. Written and sung in Austria in December 1818, the song was first performed in the US in 1839 at the Hamilton Memorial on the church’s grounds by an Austrian family of traveling singers. AP/JULIE JACOBSON

as a musical piece in December 1818, with words by Joseph Mohr, a priest, and music by Franz Xaver Gruber, in Oberndorf, Austria. In 1859 a priest at Trinity, John Freeman Young, published the first English translation of three verses of the carol, including the wellknown first verse that ends with “sleep in heavenly peace.” It has become one of the most recorded songs in the world and declared as part of Austria’s cultural heritage. To mark its anniversary, Austrian tourism organizations put together a number of events in that country, including concert and exhibitions. The concert at Trinity—a historic church and tourist attraction that survived the destruction of the nearby World Trade Center in 2001—was the only stateside event done through that effort, said Sigrid Pichler, spokesman for New York City’s Austrian Tourist Office. “It touches the hearts of people deeply,” she said. “It’s a very simple song, it has an eternal message of peace. It is also something that the whole world needs to hear.” AP

Science

Sunday, December 2, 2018

BusinessMirror

Sunday

Scientists: World still isn’t ready for gene-edited babies

ONG KONG—A group of leading scientists has declared that it’s still too soon to try making permanent changes to DNA that can be inherited by future generations, as a Chinese researcher claims to have done. The scientists gathered in Hong Kong this week for an international conference on gene editing, the ability to rewrite the code of life to try to correct or prevent diseases. A lthough the science holds promise for helping people already born and studies testing that are underway, a statement issued by the 14-member conference leaders says it’s irresponsible to try it on eggs, sperm or embryos except in lab research because not enough is known yet about its risks or safety. The conference was rocked by the Chinese researcher’s claim to have helped make the world ’s first gene-edited babies, twin girls he said were born earlier this month. Conference leaders called for an independent investigation of the claim by He Jiankui of Shenzhen, who spoke to the group on Wednesday as international criticism of his claim mounted. There is no independent confirmation of what He says he did. He was scheduled to speak again at the conference on Thursday, but he left Hong Kong and, through a spokesman, sent a statement saying, “I will remain in China, my home country, and cooperate fully with all inquiries about my work. My raw data will be made available for third-party review.” Several prominent scientists said the case showed a failure of the field to police itself and the need for stricter principles or regulations. “It’s not unreasonable to expect the scientific community” to follow guidelines, said David Baltimore, a Nobel laureate from California Institute of Technology who led the panel. There already are some rules that should have prevented what He says he did, said Alta Charo, a University of Wisconsin lawyer and bioethicist and a conference organizer. “I think the failure was his, not the scientific community,” Charo said. Gene editing for reproductive purposes might be considered in the future “ but only when there is compel ling medica l need,” w it h c lea r u nderst a nd ing of risks and benefits, and certain other conditions, said Dr. Victor Dzau, president of the US National Academy of Medicine, one of the conference sponsors. “Not following these guidelines would be an irresponsible act,” he added. Other sponsors of the threeday conference are the Academy of Sciences of Hong Kong, the Royal Society of the United Kingdom and the US National Academy of Sciences. The Chinese scientist claimed at the conference on Wednesday that his actions were safe and ethical, and he asserted that he was proud of what he had done. But many other scientists seemed highly skeptical, with a conference organizer calling his actions irresponsible. “For this specific case, I feel proud, actua l ly,” He said at the i nter n at ion a l con ference on

genome editing. Indeed, the only thing He apologized for was that news had “leaked unexpectedly” that he had used the gene-editing technique Crispr to alter embryos and then implanted them in the womb of a woman who gave birth to twin girls this month. H i s a n nou nce me nt of h i s embr yo editing early last week sent a thunderbolt through the scientific world. Scientists have been work ing assiduously to prevent just such a rogue use of the rapidly advancing technolog y for making changes in human DNA. Scores of sc ient ists —i ncluding many of the top-f light genetics ex per ts gathered in Hong Kong for what they had e x pec ted to be a muc h less newsworthy conference—have c a l le d He’s conduc t u net h i ca l. T hey say there are ser ious u na nswered quest ions about the safet y of embr yo editing and a need to ma ke sure that such research is conducted in a transparent, monitored way so the technolog y isn’t misused. A nd He’s present at ion on Wednesday afternoon did not seem to mollif y many of his colleagues’ concerns. Immediately after his presentation, Baltimore, who led the conference’s organizing committee, told the audience that what He had done “would still be considered irresponsible.” B a lt i more added , “ I don’t think it has been a transparent process. We only found out about it after it happened, and after the children were even born. I

personally don’t think it was medically necessary.” Robin Lovell-Badge, a professor of genetics and embryology at the Francis Crick Institute in London who moderated the session, asked a question that he said was on many attendees’ minds. “Why so much secrecy around t h i s, pa r t ic u l a rly w he n you know the general feeling around the scientific community is we shouldn’t go ahead yet?” LovellBadge asked. “You know the accusation now is that you’ve broken the law. If you had involved the Chinese authorities, they might have said you can’t do it.” After He’s presentation, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis S. Collins, issued a scathing denunciation, calling it “a deeply disturbing willingness by Dr. He and his team to flaunt international ethical norms.” “It is profoundly unfortunate that the first apparent application of this powerful technique to the human germline has been carried out so irresponsibly,” Collins said, calling for international consensus on setting limits for such research. “Without such limits, the world will face the serious risk of a deluge of similarly ill-considered and unethical projects. Should such epic scientific misadventures proceed, a technology with enormous promise for prevention and treatment of disease will be overshadowed by justifiable public outrage, fear and disgust.” When He, 34, walked onstage in an open-collar shirt carrying a tan briefcase, it was clear this would be no ordinary conference presentation. Although his appearance had been previously scheduled, LovellBadge said He had earlier “sent me the slides he was going to show in this presentation and it didn’t include anything that he is going to talk about today.” Facing a packed auditorium of scientists and members of the media, He also acknowledged that he had not made his university in China aware of the research he

Why so much secrecy around this, particularly when you know the general feeling around the scientific community is we shouldn’t go ahead yet? You know the accusation now is that you’ve broken the law.” —Lovell-Badge

was doing. But he asserted that he had not been overly secretive about his work, saying that he had presented preliminary aspects of it at conferences and consulted with scientists in the United States and elsewhere. He said he had submitted his research to a scientific journal for review and had not expected to be presenting it at this conference. And he insisted that the parents of the twins and seven other couples who had participated in his research were fully informed of the risks involved, and that they understood what was being done to their embryos. “The parents were informed of the implication of this,” He said. “We reminded them of the option to leave the trial without implantation, or to choose the embryos. The couple elected to implant these embryos to start a two-embryo pregnancy.” Showing a series of slides, he quickly described what he said was three years of work involving mice, monkeys and then human embryos. He used the editing technique, Crispr-Cas9, to disable a gene, called CCR₅, which creates a protein that makes it possible for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, to infect people’s cells. He said that with the help of an HIV/AIDS organization in China, he recruited eight couples in which the man had HIV and the woman did not. One couple dropped out and another achieved a “chemical pregnancy,” a pregnancy which fails soon after the embryo is implanted in the womb. After editing the CCR₅ genes, he said he used in-vitro fertilization to create embryos that were resistant to HIV. The goal, he said, was to engineer babies who would not be vulnerable to HIV infection. Many scientists have noted that there are other, simpler ways to protect newborn babies of an infected parent, especially an infected father, from getting HIV. Embryo editing should be used only to prevent or treat dire medical conditions that cannot be addressed in any other way, they said. But He suggested that the parents of the twins, especially the HIV-positive father, saw the procedure as a way to recapture their reason for living. “I feel proudest, because they had lost hope for life,” He said. “But with this protection, he sent a message saying he will work hard, earn money and take care of his two daughters and his wife for this life.” AP and New York Times News Service

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

STUDY WARNS OF SURGING HEALTH RISKS FROM CHANGING CLIMATE

A WOMAN (right) suffered from heat-stroke symptoms in a New Delhi hospital on June 20. A wide-ranging scientific report lays out the growing risks of climate change for human health and predicts that cascading hazards could soon face millions more people in rich and poor countries around the world. SAUMYA KHANDELWAL/THE NEW YORK TIMES

ROP yields are declining. Tropical diseases like dengue fever are showing up in unfamiliar places, including in the United States. Tens of millions of people are exposed to extreme heat. These are the stark findings of a wideranging scientific report that lays out the growing risks of climate change for human health and predicts that cascading hazards could soon face millions more people in rich and poor countries around the world. The report, published this past week in the public health journal The Lancet, incorporates the work of 24 academic institutions and United Nations agencies, and follows a major climate assessment issued last week by the US government. The two studies represent the most serious warnings to date that climate change is posing a series of interconnected health risks for the global population. “We don’t see these health impacts individually,” said Kristie L. Ebi, a professor of global health at the University of Washington and one of the authors of the Lancet study. “We see them jointly. We see them coming at communities all at the same time.” Among the biggest threats humans face in a warming climate is heat stress, which not only kills people directly but can also lead to kidney and cardiovascular disease, the report noted. Higher temperatures can also diminish people’s ability to work, particularly in agriculture, leading to tens of billions of hours of lost labor capacity each year. Most worrying, according to the authors, is the compounding effect of extreme weather events that are exacerbated by climate change. Heat waves, floods and storms can batter the very public-health systems that are meant to help people, the report says. A failure to rein in emissions, it warns, could lead to disasters that “disrupt core public-health infrastructure and overwhelm health services.” The US report, called the National Climate Assessment, says that extreme rainfall could overwhelm the nation’s ailing water and sewer systems, contributing to shortages of drinkable water and increasing exposure to gastrointestinal disease. In some parts of the country, like Florida and Texas, higher temperatures will be a boon to a type of mosquito that transmits the viruses that cause dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever. Echoing these warnings, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged world leaders to swiftly curb greenhouse-gas emissions as they had promised under the Paris climate accord three years ago. Nine out of 10 people breathe unsafe air, according to the World Health Organization, Guterres said. “Meeting the Paris Agreement commitments could save more than a million lives a year,” he said. Cutting emissions from sources like coal-fired power plants and diesel-burning trucks would also result in enormous savings to public-health systems, the Lancet authors said. “Doing that now would be good for us, it would be good for our livelihoods and would be good for the planet,” Ebi said. But as the world continues to warm, the study warned of a number of potential domino effects.

Extreme heat

HE JIANKUI (center), a Chinese researcher, speaks during the Human Genome Editing Conference in Hong Kong this past week. He made his first public comments about his claim to have helped make the world’s first gene-edited babies. AP/KIN CHEUNG

IN 2017, 157 million more people were exposed to heat-related health risks than in 2000, the report said. And that was before the scorching summer of 2018. In England and Wales, for instance, over a 15-day period of exceptionally high temperatures this summer, there were 700 “excess deaths” compared to a comparable period in previous years, said Nick Watts, the report’s lead author. Some of the most vulnerable people are

in relatively prosperous countries in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean region, particularly because these places have large populations of older people living in cities. In both regions, more than 40 percent of people over the age of 65 were found to be at risk. In the United States, the National Climate Assessment found that some of the largest increases in heat-related mortality in future years would occur in the Northeast. By midcentury, there could be 50 to 100 excess deaths per 1 million people due to heat in that region, the report said.

Lost labor

HEAT makes it hard for people to work, especially on farms. According to the Lancet report, in 2017, 153 billion hours of labor were lost worldwide because of heat, with the largest share in vulnerable rural communities in countries like India. That’s 64 billion more lost labor hours than in 2000. By midcentury, “Prevalence of heatstroke and extreme weather will have redefined global labor and production beyond recognition,” The Lancet warned in an accompanying editorial. “Multiple cities will be uninhabitable, and migration patterns will be far beyond those levels already creating pressure worldwide.”

Infectious diseases

THE risk of debilitating, often deadly infectious diseases is moving to new places. That’s because even small changes in temperature and rainfall can have a significant effect on where diseases that are spread by bugs and water can take hold. H a b i t a t s f o r d e n g u e - s p re a d i n g mosquitoes have expanded significantly, the Lancet study concluded. The National Climate Assessment noted that warmer conditions may have helped transmit Zika in the US. Since 1950, the Lancet study said, the cholera bacteria has expanded its reach to the Baltic coastline, and the risk of malaria has spread to higher altitudes in sub-Saharan Africa. “I don’t want people to be surprised when they see cases of what used to be tropical diseases now being found in the United States as a result of changing climate,” said Gina McCarthy, a professor of public health at Harvard and a former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency during the Obama administration.

Droughts and floods

EXTREME droughts and floods are affecting already vulnerable communities, particularly in Southeast Asia and South America. Drought affects agricultural yields, in turn heightening the risk of early death, hunger and childhood malnutrition, according to the Lancet report. With drought often comes more dust, which can aggravate allergies and asthma and can also accelerate the reproduction of disease-causing fungi in soil, according to the National Climate Assessment. Floods can wash away farmland and homes and spread waterborne diseases.

Food production

THOUGH the world still produces more than enough food to feed itself, rising temperatures and extreme weather events are affecting food production. Crop yields are diminishing in 30 countries, reversing a trend of rising agricultural productivity and threatening food security around the world and in the United States. The quality of some food itself is also expected to decline, according to the National Climate Assessment. Rising levels of carbon dioxide will reduce the presence of key nutrients—including iron, zinc and protein—in crops and seafood. New York Times News Service

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Sunday, December 2, 2018

NATURE CALLS IN ANTIPOLO, RIZAL

FARM. FOREST. FOOD. I

Story & photos by Bernard L. Supetran

N this day and age of sophisticated travel, it is heartening to know that Filipino travel bugs still yearn for the back-to-basics allure of a vacation at a no-frills lodging in an island, a forest or farm. Metro Manilans are fortunate because they need not look far to move from the concrete jungle to reconnect with Mother Earth through nature-themed destinations. Located at the Metro’s eastern doorstep is the mountain resort city of Antipolo in Rizal province, which has been trying with relive its glory as an out-of-town getaway. n Mount Purro Nature Reserve. Tucked in the bosom of the Sierra Madre ranges, Mount Purro Nature Reserve is perhaps the closest mountain experience you can get— a sprawling fenced upland-themed resort and camp site. A part of the 26,000-hectare Upper Marikina Watershed which is crucial in mitigating the effects of typhoons and heavy rainfall, it is bereft of typical lodging amenities, such as air-conditioning, comfy beds, Wi-Fi and cellphone signal. But what it lacks in the frills department, it more than compensates with the sheer beauty which cannot be replicated—towering hardwood trees, a wide variety of plant and bird species, and a host of natural endowments. Resort owner Toto Malvar says that while guests are disconnected from the trappings of modern technology, they will be reconnected to nature and to the Creator Himself during their stay.

Visitors, he said, will be kept occupied by the exciting 4-kilometer Laudato Si Hiking Trail, which goes around the property and enables them to admire God’s creation and stop to smell the flowers by the wayside, quite literally. There are also interactions with the Dumagat indigenous tribe as they demonstrate basic jungle survival skills, most notably cooking food inside a bamboo. While the nature reserve is ideal for groups, it is also an alternative family hideaway if only to take teeners and children to the basics of life, and emphasize the importance of preserving the ecosystem. In lieu of gadget games, beckoning them are recreational sports in the game room, the Nature Playscape with swings, slides, monkey bars, tree houses and mud kitchen, a mini-zip line and a scenic swimming pool. The more daring ones can try the high-element ropes course and rappel from the water tank and catwalk between coconut trees. Families can nibble on snacks as they share throwback stories, read books and bond with one another at the Asian Lounge, the cozy Martha Stewart gazebos and log benches in the landscaped gardens. Despite the logistical challenges, the reserve is able to spring up surprises every meal time at the bahay kubo-style Loli’s Kitchen,

AT Pestaño’s Farm, pathways lead visitors to its vegetable farm, fruit garden and fish pond.

MOUNT Purro’s native-themed cabins are homey sans modern conveniences.

DUMAGATS conducts cooking demo at Mount Purro.

which serves all-time Filipino favorites reminiscent of mom’s good old cooking. Malvar concluded that the Mount Purro sojourn can be summed up in the acronym GNP (God, Nature, People)—which every guest will surely experience in their brief stay.

n Phillip’s Sanctuary. Also known as Pestaño Farm, this 12-hectare land began as a family vegetable farm, fruit garden and fish pond, which grew tropical produce to supply the local market. Due to insistent public demand, the owners slowly put in facilities

FLOR’S Garden scenic lap pool and cabana overlook the adjacent Ed’s Farm.

tion of the Arte Povera artists. It will be a major exhibition never seen before in Southeast Asia. It is a huge effort we are making and I hope it will be compensated with an important interest of people. We want to show Filipino artists and Filipino public something they have never seen before,” Ambassador Guglielmino announced This is something that Ambassador Guglielmino stressed: that art needs to be seen—in person and not through the Internet. “Contemporary” art is often criticized for its lack of form as compared to more “classical” versions. However, this is often a misunderstanding in terms of interpretation: What we consider to be classical now was actually quite innovative and shocking in that specific time. Only due to years and years of being exposed to these art forms have they become “normalized.” Thus, when looking at a contemporary art piece, one must always come in with an open mind. As Ambassador Guglielmino succinctly expresses, you must look at art, “with a very simple

approach, without being afraid of saying ‘I don’t like it’ and without always questioning ‘What does it mean?’ Most of the time contemporary art means nothing but the pleasure of looking at it.” Ambassador Guglielmino introduced world-renowned art critic, Ludovico Pratesi, himself an art professor for several years. Pratesi used to teach Management of Art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Urbino but is now focused on personally curating various art exhibitions for the last 10 years. The talk also highlighted how local artists can thrive in this art form. Tina Fernandez of Art Informal emphasized the need for Filipinos to find their voice through art. The group was first established in 2004 as an initiative to bring art and its practice closer to the community through programs and exhibitions. Eventually the group opened an art gallery in Makati, which features solo exhibitions by selected artists who reach out to the public through their art works.

n Flor’s Garden. This 5-hectare private garden is the toast of the town when it comes to organic farming practices and farm-to-table

NINJA Complex at the lagoon is built for teambuilding activities at Phillip's Sanctuary.

It’s a feast with New World Makati Hotel’s December offers

TALK ON CONTEMPORARY ART IN SOCIETY PRELUDES ARTE POVERA ARTISTS EXHIBITION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA HE Italian Embassy along with Art Informal recently hosted a talk entitled “Spaces of Contemporary Art in Italy” which, as the name suggests, highlighted the importance of contemporary art in the modern society. Renowned art critic and curator from Italy, Ludovico Pratesi, discussed the importance of appreciating contemporary art. “People are familiar with contemporary art even if they do not realize it. Contemporary art is the art of today, the art linked to the facts we all read in the newspapers or on Internet, art which emerges from today’s life,” Italian Ambassador Giorgio Guglielmino of the Embassy of Italy said. “Although we live in a global society where information is spread through Internet, artists still need to look at works of art in flesh and not through the screen of their computers. This is why the Embassy of Italy and MCAD [Museum of Contemporary Art and Design] will present in Manila from February 2019 an extraordinary exhibi-

for military-grade obstacle courses for team-building, dirt roadbiking and camping for those who want to get a dose of the serenity of the hills. Over the years, it has taken on a second character as a sought-after venue for spiritual retreats, group outings and, soon enough, teleseryes from the major TV networks. Named after the Navy ensign son of the farm owners, the sanctuary takes pride in a butterfly habitat, and brook for fishing, and endless rows of hardwood trees, crisscrossing trails and plots of an assortment of major fruits and crops, carefully planted on the slopes. Families and small groups who want a more snug lodging can laze at the wooden cottages overlooking the forest.

dining philosophy. This means that they don’t use chemical fertilizers, and instead prepare their own. Guests are welcomed in the Balinese-style gazebo to immediately give them the positive vibes of how blessed our country is in terms of its rich biodiversity and how each plant can be of practical use. They are then toured to pomelo and Carissa plantations, vermicomposting areas, coffee farm, mango and calamansi orchards, palmetums, and various pocket theme gardens, most of which are medicinal or edible. The core of the property is an artsy and spacious two-story resthouse which serves as the dining hall, small function rooms, lounges and bedrooms. Outside, it has a scenic infinity pool and cabana which overlooks the adjacent Ed’s Farm which raises no-smell livestock, free range chickens and an assortment of crops. Banker Flor Tarriela, who owns this slice of paradise, says that this is also a place for learning and a laboratory for students for farming 101, and emphasizes that no Filipino should go hungry with our wealth of resources. “You will learn about nature, medicinal plants and its applications, weeds that can be eaten, how to grow fresh air, propagation, vermiculture, making organic fertilizers, varieties of ornamental plants, etc.,” she enthuses. A sanctuary of birds and butterflies, the garden has also been named as one of Antipolo’s best dining places, with its merry mix healthful dishes and natural ambiance. It also tops for camps, pictorials, weddings, intimate private gatherings and even business meetings away from the corporate jungle. With farm, forest, food. and fun just an hour away, urbanites can repeat this cycle over and over, to rediscover and reconnect with Mother Nature more often during weekends and this holiday season.

SPACES of Contemporary Art in Italy. Ambassador Giorgio Guglielmino of Italy (left) and Ludovica Pratesi Italian Curator and Art Critic This talk is one that needs to be heard. Art is an expression of beauty that has the power to communicate messages and thoughts that are beyond mere words. It is important that contemporary be taken seriously in order to fully grasp how some people express themselves and how we can be influenced by it.

AT, drink and be merry! New World Makati Hotel prepares an exciting feast to celebrate the holidays. Throughout the month of December, Café 1228’s international buffet will be brimming with traditional Christmas favorites from around the world. Delight in classic European specialties like honey-glazed ham and prime rib at the carving stations, alongside Filipino favorites like whole native lechon, and a host of scrumptious and beautifully presented seasonal desserts. Lunch is priced at P2,299 per person on weekdays and P2,599 on weekends. Dinner is at P2,699 per person. Toast Christmas with freeflowing local beer, wine and soft drinks for just an additional P699 per person. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve dinner entitles you to one round of sparkling wine and standard drinks for P2,999 per person. Christmas Day and New

Year’s Day lunch are priced at P2,599 per person. Have a hearty holiday at Jasmine and indulge in authentic Cantonese feast with Executive Chinese Chef Wong Kam On’s specialties. Choose from three festive set menus good for sharing, starting at P9,888 for six persons. You can also customize to your own liking with à la carte dishes such as Peking Duck, live fish and seafood offers, and other Jasmine specialties. These holiday offers are available on December 24, 25, 31, 2018 and January 1, 2019. Or treat yourself to a mouthwatering all-you-can-eat dim sum served Yum Cha-style exquisitely handcrafted by Chef Wong Sing To for P1,388 net every lunch on weekends of December, and P1,688 every lunch on December 24, 25, 31, 2018 and January 1, 2019. Cheers to a fabulous festive season at these best dining destinations in Makati City.

A8 Sunday, December 2, 2018

Sports BusinessMirror

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

‘LONG-TERM PLAY’

SOCCER and basketball games overlap as boys share space on a basketball court local residents say was built several years ago by Charlotte Bobcats’ DeSagana Diop in the neighborhood where he grew up in Dakar, Senegal. AP

THOMAS BACH and the International Olympic Committee have what they want: bids that will take the Winter Olympics back to a traditional venue after Winter Games in Russia, South Korea—and in 2022 in Beijing.

Stockholm vs Milan-Cortina for Winter 2026 Olympics

OKYO—After finding it difficult to sell the 2026 Winter Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) finally has two countries that are all in: Sweden and Italy. It’s Stockholm, the capital of Sweden and the self-described capital of Scandinavia, up against a joint Italian bid of Milan—a global fashion capital—and the ski resort of Cortina d’ Ampezzo. “I will refrain from making any comments because I guess both candidate cities are in the room,” IOC President Thomas Bach said on Thursday, addressing a convention of 1,400 delegates from the world’s 206 Olympic committees. “They will note every word I’ve said and go home and interpret it one way or the other.” Bach and the IOC have what they want: bids that will take the Winter Olympics back to a traditional venue after winter games in Russia, South Korea—and in 2022 in Beijing. China got the games by attrition, winning by four votes over Almaty, Kazakhstan, after a half-dozen European bidders dropped out, discouraged by soaring costs and taxpayer backlash. For 2026, it seems different with the IOC picking the winner in June in Lausanne, Switzerland. Although several cities voted in referendums not to bid—including Calgary, Canada, earlier this month—and several dropped out, the two left standing have deep roots in snow and ice. “These are two good bids, but we think it’s time for Sweden,” Peter Reinebo, the CEO of the Swedish Olympic Committee, told The Associated Press (AP). Sweden was host to the 1912 Olympics, but has never held the Winter Games. Italy has held two Winter Olympics—1956 in Cortina d’Ampezzo and 2006 in Turin—and the Summer Games in Rome in 1960. Both bidders say they are almost ready to go with little to build. The IOC says Stockholm would construct three new venues, and Italy will need one. The rest of the venues in both bids will be temporary, existing, or existing venues that will be refurbished. Both say their operating budgets will be about $1.5 billion, which is the budget for running the games themselves. Both downplay the need for much government spending, although Olympic costs—always

difficult to track—often double, or triple. The Milan-Cortina bid already has a pledge of added funding support from the national government. But most of the load will be on two wealthy regional governments of Lombardy and Veneto, and the private sector. Italian Olympic Committee President Giovanni Malago described the bid as “the efficiency of a great metropolis with the charm of the mountains. It is a great display of teamwork with a single goal: to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games back to Italy.” Skating sports and hockey would be held in Milan, with Alpine skiing and sliding events in Cortina, which will hold the 2021 world ski championships. Other snow sports like snowboarding and freestyle skiing could be contested in Bormio and Livigno north of Milan. Other venues are also in play across northern Italy. “It’s a race, we have to arrive first,” said Danilo di Tommaso, spokesman for the Italian Olympic Committee. Stockholm’s main obstacle is that Sweden is between governments. A new national government could be formed as early as next week—or it might take months. Swedish officials have warned the IOC about the circumstances. “In one way or another we are going to get support,” Peter Reinebo, the CEO of the Swedish Olympic Committee, told AP. “We have almost all the venues. We don’t need the financial guarantees, the financial support of the government.” Richard Brisius, chief executive of the Stockholm bid, said the process has been “100 small steps, and we have taken 90.” Reinebo said any building project—a new ice arena, or a new Nordic ski circuit—would be funded by local governments or private capital. He said a new ice arena in Stockholm was optional. The bid calls for using a sliding venue in Sigulda, Latvia. The Big Air events will be held in the Stockholm Olympic Stadium, built in 1912 and still in use. And Alpine is set for Are, which will also hold the 2019 world ski championships. “Latvia is a country that wouldn’t be able to host the games,” Per Palmstrom, vice president of the Swedish Olympic Committee, told AP. “But now they are able to partner ours. So they love it.” AP

By Ken Maguire The Associated Press

ALY, Senegal—Timothy Ighoefe is an intimidating defender at 6-foot-11 and 245 pounds. Still, the Nigerian knows he must improve if his decision to play basketball instead of soccer is going to pay off and take him to the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 18-year-old Ighoefe has committed to play for Patrick Ewing at Georgetown University next season, only three years after switching to basketball in his hometown of Lagos. “I need to work on my speed, running down the floor baseline to baseline,” Ighoefe said this week at the unveiling of a new training facility at the NBA’s African academy in Senegal. “My left hand, I need to improve, to finish with my left hand.” In other words, there’s potential but it’s a work in progress—just like Africa itself for the NBA. “It’s a continent with over a billion people, with a fast-growing economy, fast-growing young urban population. That’s a good recipe for the NBA long term,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, also in Senegal for the training facility opening. The NBA has big plans for Africa. An office was established eight years ago in South Africa. There’s an annual exhibition game featuring NBA stars. Now, the NBA’s top brass says Africa is ready for more. Tatum said they’re creating a

pan-African league that will involve existing professional clubs, and that NBA pre-season and regular-season games will be held on the continent “in the next couple of years.” Another step is the new training center, built on the campus of a soccer academy in a coastal resort town 45 miles south of the Senegalese capital Dakar. Saly, a former Portuguese trading post, is now a getaway spot for Dakar’s upper class and is home to many French people. The two parquet courts were imported from the United States. Simply being indoors and with air conditioning probably makes it the best basketball facility in Senegal. A fabric, tent-like covering is stitched together over steel trusses, and repurposed shipping containers facing the courts are used for weight training. The academy is one of seven around the world, with three of them in China. It features full-time schooling and training. It can accommodate 24 boys selected from Englishand French-speaking African countries. The NBA holds camps for elite African girls, but there’s no center for them yet. “All you have to do here is just focus on basketball and school,” Ighoefe said. “You don’t have to be worried about anything else. In Lagos, it’s different. There are a lot of distractions.” The teenage boys begin their days with a light workout at 5:30 a.m. Then it’s breakfast, school, lunch, school, gym. They’re coached by former NBA and NCAA players and have traveled to Australia, Europe and the United States for tournaments.

Refugee player sought by Bahrain held in Thailand

ANGKOK—Rights groups are urging Thai authorities not to deport a Bahraini professional soccer player to his homeland, where he faces imprisonment for what his supporters say are political reasons. The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy says Hakeem Ali Mohamed Ali Al-Arab was tortured after a 2012 arrest and fled in 2014 to Australia, which granted

him political asylum last year. He had played for Bahrain’s national soccer team and now plays for Melbourne’s Pascoe Vale Football Club. He has been publicly critical of Bahrain’s royal family’s alleged involvement in sports scandals. The London-based group says Hakeem was detained on Tuesday at Bangkok’s international airport on the basis of an

Interpol notice issued at Bahrain’s request that says he is sought because he was sentenced in absentia in 2014 to 10 years in prison for allegedly vandalizing a police station, a charge he denies. He says he was playing a match that was televised live when the alleged crime occurred, but when his family reached out to Bahrain’s soccer association to confirm his alibi, their

requests went unanswered. Rights groups say Interpol’s Red Notice— which is a request to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition— violates the international police organization’s policy that the notices will not be issued “if the status of refugee or asylum-seeking has been confirmed.” A visa granted by the Australian

Amadou Gallo Fall, NBA vice president and managing director for Africa, said the NBA is building from the grassroots, like the Jr. NBA programs expanding across the continent. “We are only scratching the surface,” said Fall, a Senegal native who founded the nearby SEED Academy, which works closely with the NBA’s African operation. “We are empowering young people through basketball and, in the process, elite talent is going come out and get into the NBA, and also feed other leagues across the world, and our future league on the continent.” This season began with 13 African-born players on NBA rosters. Tatum said details of the pan-African league will be announced within months. It will involve cooperation from Fiba and existing professional leagues, he said. “We’re trying to find a way to do it quickly, to be able to work with some of those leagues, to work with our partner Fiba, to get something up and running sooner rather than later,”Tatum said. Africa lacks good infrastructure, but Tatum cited the new Dakar Arena, as well as Rwanda’s plan for a new facility, as incentive for the NBA to bring games here. He called the Dakar Arena a “world-class facility” but wouldn’t confirm the Senegalese sports minister’s announcement moments earlier that it would host the NBA exhibition game next year. South Africa hosted the first three NBA Africa exhibitions but West African countries like Senegal and Nigeria appear more eager to embrace basketball.

government is supposed to allow Hakeem to remain in Australia indefinitely and to travel to and from Australia without having to travel to Bahrain, the country he has sought protection from. “Hakeem is a refugee accepted by Australia, so Thailand should do the right thing by sending him back to Australia on the next flight,” said Sunai Phasuk, Human Rights Watch’s senior researcher for Thailand. “Under no circumstances should Thai immigration authorities hand him over to Bahrain, where he faces 10 years in prison on a politically motivated conviction and a

Soccer is by far the most popular sport in Africa. The likes of Liverpool and Barcelona boast fan clubs all over the continent, and the European start times make it easier to watch live. Ighoefe catches highlights of his favorite player, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, on the mornings after games. He watches on YouTube and follows the Cameroonian star on Instagram. African kids can play soccer with just a ball and any bit of space, even a street. But finding a basketball court, even just a cement half-court and a rim, is hard. Ibrahima Ndiaye, director of Flying Star academy in Dakar, which has produced several NCAA Division 1 players, said the NBA can dramatically increase youth participation by building courts—a lot of them. “That’s what is needed here in Africa to develop basketball in all neighborhoods,” Ndiaye said in a phone interview. “We need more and more usable infrastructure. It’s the only way to increase the number of kids who practice.” China is a huge success for the NBA, so it’s often compared to the league’s initiatives in Africa. “We’ve been in China for 30 years,” Tatum said, adding some perspective. “We opened up our office here on the continent, in South Africa, only eight years ago.” Tatum said that figure of 13 African players on NBA starting rosters could double within a decade. “For us,” he said, “it’s a long-term investment and long-term play.”

repeat of the torture he experienced before he fled. Sending him back to Bahrain would be a heartless act that violates Thailand’s obligations to protect refugees and will surely result in global condemnation.” No comment was immediately available from Thai or Australian officials. Hakeem has said he was blindfolded and had his legs beaten while he was held in Bahrain. He said he believed he was targeted for arrest because of his Shiite faith and because his brother was politically active in Bahrain. Bahrain has a Shiite majority but is ruled by a Sunni monarchy. AP

RUSLAN KARAZBAYEV | DREAMSTIME.COM

Youth seen solving growing challenges in Asia

DORIS MAGSAYSAY-Ho (center), Asia Society Philippines chairman, speaks during the recently concluded 21 Young Leaders Summit organized by her organization. NONOY LACZA

By Samuel P. Medenilla

HAT gives young leaders an edge over their older counterparts? They start from scratch.

This was the message of Doris Magsaysay-Ho to the youth in the recently concluded 21 Young Leaders Summit (YLS) organized by the Asia Society Philippines, which Magsaysay-Ho leads. While the youth’s lack of experience and capital is often seen as a liability, she said it is also their biggest advantage. “Because the greatest innovation comes from having nothing,” said Magsaysay-Ho, who is also president and CEO of the Magsaysay Group. “So in my company I try to encourage innovation from a mindset, because if you are stuck with what you have, you will not see the need to innovate.” The Zen-like approach of the youth coupled with their exposure to modern technology like social media, she explained, makes their business or members of advocacy groups more grounded to the nuisances and needs of their intended target clients or beneficiaries.

“I would say to the youth to be very excited with possibilities of being close to market demand and don’t feel they are being held back having nothing because that is their strength,” Magsaysay-Ho said.

THIS makes the youth, especially in Asia, the best candidates in solving the growing challenges in Asia. This is only natural, according to Tom Nagorski, executive vice president of the New York City, New York, United Statesbased Asia Society, with bulk of the population in the region being below 40 years old. Data from the United Nations showed there are about 700 million youth in the AsiaPacific Region, making it one of the regions in the world with the youngest population. It is this reason why the Asia Society decided to intensify its mentorship program in Asian countries, including the Philippines, to ensure its future leaders will be equipped with the necessary skills for such a challenge. “Today, the Asia 21 Young Leaders from across Asia Pacific’s foremost young leaders network,” Nagorski said. Since the summit’s creation in 2006, the Asia Young Leaders was already able to produce 900 alumni from 40 countries.

leadership workshops, networks with other leaders, but also seed funding through the Asia 21 Action Lab. Emily Chew, chairman of the Asia 21 Action Lab Steering Committee, said that among the most notable participants of the YLS are Moshin Ali Mustafa, who established Clinic 5 in Pakistan. Mustafa created an “innovative way” to solve the health-care needs of women and children in Pakistan. Another alumni, Lincoln Sihotang, helped establish Kopernick in Indonesia, which provides energy devices to a network of women, mostly young mothers, to farflung areas. In the Philippines, she mentioned John Piermont Montilla, founder of the Kabataang Gabay, which helps child survivors of trafficking and violence by rehabilitating them and then creating opportunities for them to seek employment. Chew noted that while YLS alumni come from different backgrounds, they have one key similarity in the manner of conducting their for-profit or nonprofit organizations. “They use innovation in breaking into new business models that bring scalable and realistic solutions to improve prosperity to the bottom pyramid of the population in Asia,” Chew said.

Living proof

Philippine connection

INDUCTED YLS alumni are not only given

ON November 15, the Asia Society held its

Problem solvers

2 BusinessMirror

DECEMBER 2, 2018

first-ever 21 YLS in the Philippines as proof of the growing role of Asian youth not just in their countries but in international affairs as well. Among its key speakers was Vice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo, who shared her experience to provide aid to isolated communities in the country despite the apparent limitation of her position. With minimal mandate and government funding for her office, Robredo said she collaborated with the private sector to facilitate for the needs of people in farflung areas. She attributed the success of her outof-the-box endeavor to her staff, who are mostly composed of youth. In the Philippine leg of the YLS, 27 of 31 participating young leaders are from Asia. Three of them are Filipinos: Bellas Artes Projects founder and director Jam Acuzar, photographer Xyza Cruz Bacani and Kalibrr co-founder and CEO Paul V. Rivera. YLS participants were selected for being leading figures in their respective fields, like politics, business, arts, media and in nonprofit organizations. “Building collaborations and opening new doors for people to be more effective and impactful agents of positive change is at the heart of Asia Society Philippines’ mission,” Asia Society Philippines Executive Director Maria Suyin Liu-Lee said.

BusinessMirror

MUSIC

PAGE

“I’m looking at the world I live in.”— Joe Songco

Sound BusinessMirror

DECEMBER 2, 2018 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

MUS

‘JAMMING’ WITH JOE SONGCO

FIL-AM HARDCORE LEGEND by Rick Olivares

(Last of a two-part series)

N our previous article, we introduced the Philippines at large to one of our own compatriots who was with the nascent hardcore punk scene in New York City back in the 1980s. He is Joe Songco, who pounds the skins for Astoria-based crew Outburst. Aside from Songco, Outburst also featured another FilipinoAmerican in Jay Rufino, who left the band a few years ago. Outburst recorded an EP, “Miles to Go,” and appeared on many hardcore compilation albums since. The band, he said, has something cooking for 2019. During their halcyon days in the 80s, New York hardcore bands that paved the way were Agnostic Front, Cro-Mags, Crumbsuckers, Kraut, Murphy’s Law and Antidote, to name a few. Although Washington DC and Los Angeles had their own scene going even ahead of New York, the Big Apple’s was the biggest and arguably the most influential, remaining vibrant to this day. Back then however, when Outburst came out in 1987, they quickly partied with the big boys. They shared the stage with legendary bands like Gorilla Biscuits, Judge, Youth of Today, and many others of their musical heroes. “Those bands were like the teachers,” reflected Songco. “And we were the students because what came next was basically the students taking the lessons we learned and applying them. Everyone was forming, recording demo tapes and bringing them down to Some Records. Then came the compilations: ‘The Revelation NYHC’ record and ‘The Way It Is’ LP, the ‘New Breed Tape,’ Blackout’s ‘Where the Wild Things Are’—they all were so important in getting everyone’s music out there.” “I would definitely say the scene’s vibe between 1987 to ‘89 felt like it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing to many of us,” he added.

JOE SONGCO (right) with a musician-colleague. PHOTO BY JC PHOTO MEDIA.NET

“There were hardcore shows every week, and we were making friends with all these kids in other bands, playing shows together, and hanging out. I think (fellow band) Youth of Today’s Together probably sums up the feeling of that time best: ‘I will never forget all that we’ve done; all that it’s meant.’” “There’s a line in the song Dedication by Brand Nubian where Grand Puba says, ‘Just because I’m a rapper doesn’t mean I’m not a fan.’ That’s kind of how it’s always been—at least for me, for all of the bands we’ve shared stages and bills with. And you kind of hope they feel the same about your band when you’re playing together.” Songco went on: “Because we came up together following the same path, for the most part, there’s always been this respect, like brothers in a fraternity. Maybe throw-in a little friendly rivalry of wanting to be at the top of your game but really, it’s just been a feeling of, ‘Let’s give the crowd the best show and represent this scene the best we can, together.’” While “life got in the way” for many bands—Outburst included— Songco and most of his mates

stayed in the scene that has been undergoing a revival of sorts. “There are so many great bands keeping hardcore going strong right now,” beamed the drummer, who by day works in the legal and compliance field of the securities industry. “The list of bands I follow would be way too long but Backtrack, Power Trip, Fury, Krimewatch, King Nine, Mizery, Search and Higher Power are all insane.” “The scene today isn’t just a boys’ club. The female presence is much more noticeable. You can look up on stage and see bands like Krimewatch and Nosebleed, and they’re getting photographed [courtesy of] Angela Owens and Danielle Dombrowski. You can look into the crowds at the shows and see a growing number of girls coming out to support the scene. That’s good stuff right there.” It isn’t only the hardcore punk scene that is evolving. Both the United States and the Philippines, along with many other countries, are undergoing political upheavals. Outburst’s beatmeister couldn’t help but think of a song he penned some time ago.

“Personally speaking, I can’t believe that a lyric I came up with so long ago can be perfectly applied today: ‘I’m looking at the world I live in. I don’t like what I see,’” as he lifted from the song, The Hard Way. Thirty years later—that is, this present time, Songco and Outburst remain in business. In his free time, he listens to a lot of other music. “During the summer of 2018, I listened to a lot of Foo Fighters. This past month I’ve been listening to a lot of Queen. I frequently do extensive binge listening to 90s’ R&B slow jams, and I’ve come late to the party on the music of Pasek & Paul as well as healthy doses of Dear Evan Hansen and The Greatest Showman soundtracks.” One difference that brings joy to Songco is how his family comes down to his band’s shows. “Annie (his wife) and the kids came to our show early this November in Brooklyn with Ice Cold Killers, Krimewatch, King Nine and Killing Time. That was a lot of fun. Both my kids enjoyed The Hard Way, but usually they don’t actively seek Outburst to listen to it. We’re no Twenty One Pilots… Hahahaha!”

d trip

soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | DECEMBER 2, 2018

SIC ON PRINT

SoundSampler | by Tony M. Maghirang

Sonic disclosures: Narcloudia, Wayo, Mudhoney, Enclosure, Marianne Faithfull

MARIANNE FAITHFULL Negative Capability

HE overall mood of Marianne Faithfull’s 23rd album is pastoral under the night sky. “It is the evening of the day…” from her most famous song, As Tears Go By, might as well be a fitting description of her new album’s emotional center. With Nick Cave and Bad Seed’s Warren Ellis as songwriting partners, backing musicians and producers, “Negative Capability” teems with the lonely trek to a final destination. Neither death nor grief rears its head prominently. It’s personal emptiness that’s out front. “Send me someone to love...”—Faithfull cries in one track. In another, she rues, “No moon in Paris, and it’s lonely, and it’s all I got...”The final song even intones, “You may be, the loneliest person/ But you’ll never, be as lonely as me…” A cover of her own ‘80s anthem Witches Song revives the fire of her new wave days but beneath it all, she remembers, “Happy is the family/ Lonely is the ward.” Faithfull’s musical associates oblige to the desolation without resorting to funeral dirges or dark metal laments. There are traces of the best works of Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash on this album. As she fades out into the sunset, Marianne Faithfull still stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the giants.

WAYO Slow Dough

AILING from Las Piñas City, five-man OPM band Wayo calls their music “rascal reggae,” or

simply “rascalan”—most likely a “Tag-lish” twist on small-time mischief. In execution, as evidenced by their new EP “Slowdough,” Wayo inoculates Pinoy rock with doses of hip hop, psychedelia and reggae to create a new breed apart from Pepe Smith’s favorite sonic beast. Beelzebub gets things hustling on the rock and roll side of town. Reminiscent of a garage rock classic, the brisk acoustic strums provide an upbeat platform for a bracing love offering to Jesus’ archenemy that, in the end, does not reciprocate in kind. Wayo recovers from such a life-changing bad trip with the self-effacing Lost Case, then picks up the pieces slightly in the great-sounding reggae of Voodoo Lady, where the source of shame gets deflected to some unnamed femme fatale. It’s another fall from grace from hereon, with the final two tracks featuring the troubled, almost psycho cries of the unloved. Slowdough is one of a kind. Its short batch of rebel yells brims with character, a unique aesthetic and above all, a melodic tug that will get any blackened heart pumping with delight. Kudos, yo!

Mudhoney’s tenth and latest studio album Digital Garbage is crawling with punk crabbiness, beginning with the titular rage against digital technology. Organized religion, mass shooting, the filthy rich, and online suicide are in the thematic mix too. Paranoid Core gathers human pests in one song. Garage rock, The Rolling Stones and MC5 figure prominently in the 11 tracks. Lead vocalist Mark Arm does a Jello Biafra in Paranoid Core. Opener Nerve Attack leaps from a Stonesy riff-a-thon to a Steppenwolf ripper. More Stones references kickstart Prosperity Gospel, then comes a second half of Crazy Horse jam proportions. These veteran outlaws have a chockful of bitter blues for all millennials.

NARCLOUDIA Day-Blind Stars

I ENCLOSURE Tabula Rasa

T MUDHONEY Digital Garbage

N February 1995 Seattle grunge pioneers Mudhoney opened for Pearl Jam at the then-Folk Arts Theater. Virtual unknowns in Manila, they played the kind of splatternoise rock, following in the footsteps of early Sonic Youth. Almost a quarter century later, perhaps due to acquired virtuosic skills over the years, post-millennial Mudhoney simplifies the equation to the basics. Gone is the monolithic passion to be as noisy as possible. In its place are the essential elements that, interestingly, made their first certified hit Touch Me I’m Sick (circa 1988)—a memorable artifact of the pre-grunge era.

Forward unleash thunderous unbroken assaults on the senses, and Mother (not the John Lennon song) interlaces slow and loud in waves of steady pummels. The riffs keep on going relentlessly while the bass/drum axis morphs ceaselessly, until Moscoso and company have risen above the wreckage. This is one blasting concept from Western Visayas.

HE sound of Iloilo City’s Enclosure isn’t exactly a blank slate. It rips, ripples, stutters and screams. It’s founded on a process of tearing down to make way for something new. The band plays metal grounded firmly on hardcore punk, so what issues from their new EP “Tabula Rasa” are broad strokes of an odyssey in tribute to “British New Wave of Heavy Metal,” or BNWOHM. Vocalist Vic Moscoso has the requisite hyperventilating vocals down pat and his bandmates prove up to the challenge of creating heavy music that’s special. Thing is, most folks will actually miss the point after listening to Enclosure. It isn’t the catchiest music this side of the E-heads. It is sometimes dissonant and occasionally instigates weird reaction from first-time listeners, e.g. slam dancing, mean growls, devil horns, etc. It’s their loss because For The Fallen suggests Motorhead on a lightningfast thrash binge, Survivalist and Pay

N contrast to their album cover, Narcloudia, a trio formed by Filipino expats in Singapore, isn’t smothered with their fuzz. Rather, the symbolic image spews various shades of the dream pop the band has been known for since their “Sky Spectre” debut EP in 2014. While referencing the black and white sides of the light spectrum, the trio plots out three-minute songs without essentially repeating themselves. Their core may be the shoegaze of UK pioneers My Bloody Valentine and Ride, but the injection of varying elements and textures works to make each track suf ficiently dif ferent from one another. In fact, there are moments that really stand out. Howl is one example. Opening with gently strummed guitars, it gallops to a folk-rock romp halfway through. Crisis slow burns in darkwave menace, as layered synths envelop the proceedings like creeping dust cloud. The bass and drums project rockswing in Spiraling Mandy, even as the massed chords and reverb lead the song tumbling down a Goth limbo. The gentle haunting vocals add a second sepia-toned dimension to most of the tracks, instilling a narcotic feel that washes over you. Narcloudia’s music is soothing and creepy within the same span. You can’t get any more beautifully eccentric than that.

J-pop anime singing contest now accepting entries T

HE Embassy of Japan is inviting all J-pop-loving amateur Pinoy solo or duo singers to join the 2019 J-pop Anime Singing Contest, which will be held on Saturday, February 16, 2019, at the SM Cinema Centerstage of the SM Mall of Asia from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Interested participants must

submit a filled-out application form (downloadable from the Embassy of Japan web site), a photo, a copy of the song lyrics with the name of the original artist/s, a short write-up about the participant (50 to 100 words) and a link to an uploaded video performance of one or two songs combined not exceeding 3

minutes on YouTube. All entries must be emailed to jicc-mnl@ mofa.go.jp*. Chosen finalists will have a chance to win a three-day trip to Japan valid until March 2019 for two (2), and other exciting prizes from sponsors. In 2018 J-pop Anime Singing Contest Grand Prize Winner

Johannie Velasco bested other candidates and won herself a trip to Tokyo. For more details, visit the Embassy of Japan website: www. ph.emb-japan.go.jp and Facebook page: Embassy of Japan in the Philippines. *on or before January 11, 2019, Friday

DECEMBER 2, 2018 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

Sound trip BusinessMirror

MUSIC ON PRINT

‘Smart speakers’ series launched H

ARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., is optimistic that Harman products will receive a warm reception in the local market. Harman Lifestyle Audio Philippines Country Head Larry Secreto said that the company’s newest product line, the JBL Link series, is special because they are the first voice-activated speakers to bring together JBL’s Signature Sound with Google Assistant. The Link series is available in four models: the LINK 10, LINK 20, LINK 300 and LINK 500. With built-in Google Assistant, Secreto revealed the JBL LINK lineup gives hassle-free listening because it’s a hands-free voice-activated set of speaker series that enables users to stream music, ask questions, manage everyday tasks, and easily control connected smart devices around the home simply by using voice commands. By saying “Ok, Google…” or “Hey, Google…” the devices can help perform tasks like playing a favorite song, finding delicious recipes for dinner parties, or even checking traffic before leaving the house. “We are thrilled to pair JBL’s incredible legacy of award-winning sound with our growing lineup of voice-controlled speakers,” Secreto affirmed. “The JBL LINK is an outstanding wireless smart speaker that truly brings world-class innovation right into the home of our consumers.” By merging JBL’s well-known quality sound and Google’s voice assistant technology, Secreto said JBL LINK speakers can deliver a powerful listening experience and a conversational voice assistant. They feature high-definition music streaming with Chromecast built-in, providing an elevated music experience, best-in-class sound quality and top-class entertainment from the most popular music and entertainment apps—all through simple voice commands. The country head explained that the LINK 10 and LINK 20 speakers ensure almost nonstop listening continuity with IPX7 waterproof rating and comes with five to 10 hours of playing time, respectively. For home users, the LINK series’ larger members, the LINK 300 and LINK 500, are perfect fits. Also powered by Google Assistant, these speakers can be connected to the user’s smart appliances through the Google Home app. The LINK 300 and LINK 500, along with other JBL speakers, can all be connected through any home Wi-Fi network for multiple-speakers setup, creating powerful, louder multi-room listening experiences. Boosting its lineup, Secreto Harman International also launched the all-new JBL Everest lineup comprised of the Everest Elite 110 GA, Everest 310 GA, and Everest 710 GA. Through Google Assistant, Secreto explained all three of the in-ear Everest Elite 110GA, on-ear Everest 310GA, and over-ear 710GA allow users to have easy and convenient control over the connected device’s notifications, music, phone calls, SMS text messages and other smartphone functions. The revamped Everest lineup also comes with touch-sensitive ear cups and ear buds, allowing one-tap access for Google Assistant. The Everest Elite 110GA, Everest 310GA, and Everest 710GA carry long hours of playtime with stamina of eight hours, 10 hours, and 25 hours, respectively.

Singapore malls try big gambit to stay ahead of e-commerce

SHOPPERS at Westgate Mall, Singapore. BLOOMBERG NEWS

NLINE shopping in Singapore is lackluster even after Amazon Inc. debuted its Prime service in mid-2017. The island’s malls are trying hard to keep it that way. With some of the nation’s biggest mall operators reporting falling rents and rising vacancies, landlords, just like those elsewhere in Asia and the US, are being forced to reposition. They’re making room for yoga

studios, boxing gyms and climbing walls— plus expanding their food and beverage options—to make sure people come for the dining and fun, and hopefully, stay for some shopping. Centers around the world have tried similar stunts in recent years—often to no avail—but in tiny Singapore, where it’s often joked that shopping is the national sport, they do have an advantage. Online shopping penetration ranks behind Slovakia and Greece in the city-state, putting it relatively low down for developed economies. It accounted for 5.7 percent of total sales in 2017, up from 2.1 percent in 2012, Euromonitor data show. The government is also weighing a tax on e-commerce imports from 2020.

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There are early signs the gambit is working—at least in terms of driving up traffic. At VivoCity, the island’s largest shopping center, visitor numbers rose 3.1 percent in the six months through September 30 from a year earlier as owner Mapletree Commercial Trust added an arcade complete with a full-sized bumper car ring. Yet actual shopping fell slightly. In other malls, visitors can spend a day taking a cooking class or participating in a complimentary yoga session. At CapitaLand’s Clarke Quay, you’ll be able to sip margaritas while playing a round of indoor mini golf. CapitaLand’s Westgate mall and its soon-to-open revamped Funan mall will feature an ABC Cooking Studio, where people can sign up for bread-baking lessons or classes on how to make wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets. Shopper traffic at CapitaLand Mall Trust, which has a portfolio of 15 centers, declined 1.8 percent in the nine months ended September from a year ago while tenants’ sales per square foot climbed 0.5 percent over the same period. “While the current market share of online sales is small, its pace of growth will only speed up as tomorrow’s consumers enter the market,” CapitaLand Chief Executive Officer Lee Chee Koon said in September at a ceremony to mark the new Funan center. “Brick-and-mortar businesses must go beyond passively selling products and services to generating quality retail experi-

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ences and emotional connections.” Amazon’s Prime launched in July last year and almost immediately faced delivery delays—a costly snafu in a market where the nearest store or mall is just minutes away for most people. Singapore vies with Hong Kong for the most retail space per capita in Asia. Amazon was the sixth-ranked online shopping app on the Apple Store by active users in the third quarter, behind homegrown competitors such as Qoo10, data compiled by iPrice Group show. Malls that can’t effectively incorporate activity-based tenants risk falling behind, both in terms of footfall and retail rents, according to Cushman & Wakefield Inc. Millennials in particular are a target of non-shopping ventures. But while the plethora of new activities has helped drive traffic, the uptick has failed to translate into real money. Mall rents have dropped 18 percent over the past year and vacancies rose in the quarter through September, to 7.6 percent, Urban Redevelopment Authority data show. And with an estimated 803,000 square feet of retail space coming online in the next 15 months, rents will remain under pressure, according to Huey Ying Tay, head of research for Singapore at JLL. “Until brick-and-mortar retail stores manage to convert foot traffic into in-store purchases, rentals are expected to remain subdued,” she said. Bloomberg News

Millennials rule over Indonesian stock market as foreigners flee

A WOMAN uses a mobile phone in front of a stock ticker displaying share prices at the Indonesia Stock Exchange in Jakarta, Indonesia, on August 21, 2013. DIMAS ARDIAN/BLOOMBERG

HO says millennials only care about food and travel? For the second year running, people aged between 21 and 30 are the biggest group of investors in Indonesian equities, data from the nation’s stock exchange show. A campaign last year to hold contests and pop concerts on the trading floor of the bourse has helped boost the number of retail investors by 40 percent to more than 1.5 million participants since November 2017, according to the Central Securities Depository, an arm of the Indonesia Stock Exchange. People in their 20s represented more than 34 percent of all retail investors in October from 26 percent in November last year. The next largest group were 31- to 40-year-olds, making up a quarter of retail

investors, while those in their 40s accounted for 23 percent. Still, participation of individual investors in Indonesia is among the lowest among Asian countries—they made up 41 percent of total turnover on their exchange last year, compared with more than 80 percent in Taiwan and 59 percent in Thailand. Barely 1 percent of Indonesia’s 260 million people are registered as stock investors. And although the latest statistics are positive news for Indonesian equities, offshore investors are set to post a record net outflow, reaching almost $3.3 billion this year, after $2.96 billion in withdrawals in 2017. The Jakarta Composite Index is down 6.1 percent since December, on track for its first annual decline in three years. Bloomberg News Service

PHL ranking in World Talent Report stagnant

HE Philippines ranked 55th out of 63 countries in the 2018 World Talent Report (WTR) ranking. Now on its fifth edition, the Philippines’s rank in the WTR has been mostly stagnant in the past five years. It also placed 55th in 2014, 57th in 2015, back to 55th in 2016, climbed up to 45th in 2017, and back to 55th again this year. Among Asean countries in the report, Singapore placed 13th, followed by Malaysia (22nd), Thailand (42nd) and Indonesia (45th). Overall, the highest ranked country was Switzerland, followed by Denmark, Norway, Austria and the Netherlands. The WTR ranks countries based on

their ability to attract, develop and retain a talented pool of human resources that businesses can employ. The 2018 edition ranked countries using 30 criteria grouped into three factors—Investment and Development, Appeal, and Readiness. Hard statistics hold two-thirds weight in determining the rankings, while perceptions-based criteria account for the remaining third. The Investment and Development factor measures the level of investment in and development of domestic, home-grown human resources. The Appeal factor measures the ability of a country to attract and retain high-quality human resources from abroad. The final

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factor, Readiness, looks at the quality and growth of the existing talent pool in the economy. Among the three factors, Readiness has consistently been the highest-ranked, placing 37th this year. From 26th in 2014, it dropped to 27th in 2015, climbed back to 23rd in 2016, and even registered a high 11th place last year. The relatively higher rank of the Readiness factor was mostly driven by the sub-indicators on availability of skilled labor (7th), language skills (20th), and availability of competent senior managers (23rd). The next highest-ranked factor is Appeal at 38th. Its ranking remained relatively con-

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stant over the last five years ranging from 34th to 38th. The consistently worst-performing factor is Investment and Development, at 62nd out of 63 countries in 2018. In the five years of the WTR, its highest rank was 59th in 2014, and ranged from 61st to 63rd in the succeeding years. The indicators that contributed the most to this factor’s poor ranking were student-teacher ratio in primary and secondary education, public expenditure in education, and government expenditure on education per student. The WTR is a publication of the IMD with AIM RSN PCC (formerly AIM Policy Center) as its Philippine partner.