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Sunday, December 3, 2023 Vol. 19 No. 53

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RICH WATERS, EMPTY TABLES Can science and technology fast-track growth of the ‘blue economy’?

Government experts, academics think so.

UBAY Island, an island situated in Cebu Strait, is one of the islands located in the Danajon Bank, the only double-barrier reef in the country. Ubay Island is under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Tubigon, Bohol. MICHAEL EDWARDS | DREAMSTIME.COM

‘T

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

HE poorest of the poor.”

This is how the Filipino fisherfolk, the ones who catch the fish and other seafood to feed a population of 111 million people consuming an average per capita of 34 kilograms of fish and fishery products annually, could be described.

THE M/V Capt. John B. Lacson, docked in the Iloilo River at Muelle Loney Street, Iloilo City. DOST REGION VI

DR. Jesrelljane Amper delivers the results of their study about the impacts of Covid-19 on smallscale fisherfolk in Danajon Bank. DOST REGION VI

The total fisheries production volume in 2021 reached 4.25 million metric tons equivalent to P302.44 billion, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ data. Fishing and aquaculture contributed P248.47 billion or 12.70 percent to the national economy in the same year, ranking third to the total agricultural Gross Valued Added (GVA).

In the 2021 poverty statistics of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released in 2023, the fisherfolk posted the highest incidence rate at 30.6 percent, which significantly increased by 4.4 percent compared to the year 2018.

So when the pandemic hit, the small-scale fisheries (SSF) sector— those who fish using traditional gear and small vessels and engines, owned by a family or locals who live near the coast for their livelihood—

couldn’t keep up with the waves.

SSF in Danajon Bank

THE Danajon Bank is the largest double-barrier reef and one of only six in the world. It is located off northern Bohol Island in the Visayas with an overall area of 272 square kilometers and an aggregate coastline of 699 kilometers, including 40 islands.

Its jurisdiction covers four provinces: Cebu, Bohol, Southern Leyte and Leyte, encompassing 17 municipalities, with 10 of them falling under the domain of Bohol.

The SSF sector emerged as one of the most vulnerable sectors to the far-reaching impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the study of Dr. Jesrelljane Amper, dean of Bohol Island State University’s College of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, titled “Navigat-

THE Aquarium Tunnel at the Lawud: Marine S&T Exhibits on M/V Capt. John B. Lacson. DOST REGION VI

ing the Storm: Understanding the Impact of Covid-19 on Small-Scale Fisherfolk in Danajon Bank and Building Resilience for a Sustainable Blue Economy.”

The study, which concluded in July and was presented at the recent

National Science, Technology and Innovation Week 2023 held in Iloilo City, found that since most smallscale fisherfolk heavily rely on their daily catch sales, their vulnerability is rooted in economic factors.

This resource dependence is

aggravated by limited financial reserves, lack of access to support systems and the information nature of their operations. The community’s proximity to the coast also exposes them to environmental threats.

“In the midst of the challenges faced by small-scale fisheries communities in the country, the smallscale fisherfolk in Danajon Bank stands out as a critical player in the fishing industry of Bohol,” said Dr. Amper in her presentation.

The 51 percent of the total value of fisheries production in Bohol is attributed to the substantial contribution of the small-scale fisherfolk in Danajon Bank, according to PSA data in 2019 as cited by Amper.

The primary livelihood focus for fisherfolk is capture fishing— harvesting fish directly from their natural habitat.

The primary livelihood for most males involves aquaculture, cultivating fish and other aquatic products. On the other hand, most females are engaged in gleaning— collecting edible marine invertebrates and seaweed during low tide, as well as participating in fish processing.

Challenges and coping strategies

VARIOUS impacts of Covid-19 on the SSF were found in the study,

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 55.4510 n JAPAN 0.3742 n UK 70.0069 n HK 7.0994 n CHINA 7.7717 n SINGAPORE 41.4649 n AUSTRALIA 36.6254 n EU 60.5164 n KOREA 0.0427 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.7814 Source: BSP (December 1, 2023)

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RICH WATERS, EMPTY TABLES Continued from A1

such as disruptions of supply chain and market access due to the “no sail policy” and limited or controlled mobility, greater decline in income for women, low fish prices, increased incidents of blast fishing to extract for fish, which leads to the destruction of marine biodiversity, and the additional burden for parents to take the role of teachers during the shift to online learning.

To cope with the challenges intensified by the pandemic, the fisherfolk shifted to post-harvest processing—specifically drying and salting of fish catch—to extend shelf life and for ease of marketing, engaged in backyard gardening and food vending as alternative livelihood sources.

The fisherfolk also substituted food and nutritional sources using seaweeds, since most of them do seaweed farming, to make puto, jams and biscuits.

“They could live with having no fish or meat because they can get the fish as an alternative to the meat. Pero pag walang rice, gutom daw. Kung anong meron sa kanila, ginagawa nilang alternative sa rice [But if there’s no rice, they get hungry. With what they have, they turn it to an alternative for rice],” Amper said, referring to the puto and biscuits.

FACING a sea of challenges in Binakayan, Cavite, a resilient fisherman mends his net, determined to recover lost income after a week-long hiatus caused by two recent typhoons. In the backdrop of these efforts, the 2021 poverty statistics from the Philippine Statistics Authority paint a grim picture. Fisherfolk grapple with the highest incidence rate at 30.6 percent, a notable increase of 4.4 percent from 2018. The pandemic exacerbates the struggle for the small-scale fisheries (SSF) sector—dependent on traditional gear and small vessels for livelihood. As waves of challenges crash, their resilience undergoes a crucial test of time. NONIE REYES

Policy recommendations

THE fisheries sector is part of the concept called the “Blue Economy,” which seeks to promote economic growth, social inclusion, and the preservation or improvement of livelihoods while ensuring the environmental sustainability of the oceans and coastal areas.

To achieve a sustainable blue economy, it recommended having an Integrated Support Framework specifically tailored to the needs of SSF to ensure a “unified approach” to address the needs of the SSF sector, based on the results of the study.

Programs that focus on livelihood assets, such as subsidies and training for sustainable fishing practices, vocational training, infrastructure development for fish processing facilities, and market access and value chain integration, were also raised.

Since most small-scale fisherfolk are not members of PhilHealth, it suggested establishing a social insurance program for SSF communities to provide health coverage and financial support during emergencies, specifically a community-based health fund or insurance scheme.

Dr. Amper added that right now, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, local government units (LGUs), academe, and non-government organizations are forming the Danajon Council to address the common problems of those in the area, including the SSF sector.

Similar to the vast marine resources available in the waters, the problems faced by fisherfolk in the Danajon Bank are just among the many problems surrounding the fisheries sector and the so-called blue economy.

‘Aquaculture is the way forward’

THERE are three major sectors in the fisheries industry: commercial capture fisheries, municipal capture fisheries, and aquaculture, which contributed the largest, at 52.88 percent, to the total fisheries volume of production in 2021.

“I think the way forward now is in our aquaculture," said Dr. Christopher Caipang from the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of the Philippines Visayas in an interview with the BusinessMirror.

He said the aquatic products that dominate our tables now come from aquaculture, which is now rapidly growing, whereas in the past, it used to be capture fisheries.

The five priority commodities in aquaculture are seaweeds, milkfish, tilapia, shrimps/prawns, shellfish, and other aquatic products.

Caipang shared that when he returned to the Philippines, he developed a project to ensure the sustainable production of shrimps through biofloc technology for shrimp nurseries, funded by the DOST-Philippine Center for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD).

The technology, he explained, is based on the manipulation of the microorganisms inside the nurseries. Once the microorganisms grow and clog together, they act as food for the small shrimps and regulate and improve the water quality as well.

Since the nurseries are of good quality, shrimps grow fast and can be harvested after a short time.

Farmers can now improve their production of shrimp to four or five times a year, Caipang added.

Can S&T benefit the blue economy?

AS a maritime and archipelagic nation, the Philippines has a total territorial water area of 2.2 million square kilometers and a coastline stretching up to 266,000 square kilometers, including the contentious exclusive economic zone.

However, Caipang said, “The people who are dependent on these resources are the ones marginalized.”

He stressed the crucial role of technological support based on the needs of a particular sector, instead of imposing the developed technology or innovation on them: such imposition makes it doomed to fail.

“It should be a close coordination. The academe or the research institution should work hand-inhand with the sector to know what they need,” he said. Adding that once the needs and gaps are identified, that’s when the government should provide infrastructure and funding support.

Dr. Juanito Batalon, Deputy Executive Director for Research and Development of DOST- PCAARRD, told the BusinessMirror that to address the interconnected problems in the blue economy, “planning and development through the fundamentals of science, technology and innovation (STI) is a vital output.”

Batalon emphasized that science and technology will lead in discovering new growth sources and are necessary to contribute to evidence-based policy making that

will “greatly impact marine conservation and management.”

Innovations, meanwhile, will “help open doors to new development areas for an advancing economic development.”

Pagtanaw 2050

ACADEMICIAN Dr. Rhodora Azanza is advocating “the use of STI not only for the preservation and sustainable utilization of the marine environment but all the natural endowments of the country.”

In the three-part series “The Way Forward” aired on CNN Philippines, Azanza highlighted the “Pagtanaw 2050,” a blueprint on STI developed by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and funded by the DOST, in which she was the project leader.

She said that while most of the government strategies are shortterm or mid-term, the Pagtanaw 2050 is an outlook for the next 30 years, embodying the overarching concept of the blue economy as part of its 12 key operational areas.

The document suggests the preparation and implementation of a comprehensive action plan for a National Coast and Ocean Strategy using the framework for an STI-based development of the country’s blue economy as a starting or shifting point.

It said this will allow the Philippines to anticipate and make important changes to its national political, economic and social spheres, as well as to its stance visà-vis Asian neighbors and the rest of the world.

The current blue industries in the Philippines include tourism, fisheries, coastal manufacturing, marine transportation, ocean energy, seabed mining, marine biotechnology and medicine, and marine technology and environmental services.

All these industries rely on the oceans and their resources, but it cannot be denied that certain constraints such as the lack of scientific knowledge and capability impede their development.

To achieve an inclusive and sustainable “Prosperous, Archipelagic and Maritime Nation,” as NAST would refer to the country, it suggested the development and implementation of a Philippine Coasts and Ocean Strategy to be a top Philippine government priority.

TheWorld

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

Sunday, December 3, 2023

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Biggest climate talks ever in Dubai confront global chaos, record heat

By Jess Shankleman, Laura Millan & Jennifer A Dlouhy

M

ORE than 70,000 politicians, diplomats, campaigners, financiers and business leaders are in Dubai to talk about arresting the world’s slide toward environmental catastrophe.

T he need for progress has never been more urgent: 2023 will almost certainly be the hottest year on record, greenhouse gas emissions are still rising and promises to cut pollution remain insufficient to take the risk of unmanageable warming off the table. At the same time, rapid inf lation and global instability—including wars in Ukraine and Gaza—have scrambled the politics and economics of the energy transition.” This is a very sobering, even somber moment as world leaders gather,” said Rachel Cleetus, policy director with the climate program at the Union of Concerned Scientists in Massachusetts. “That said, there’s a real opportunity in the climate space to secure some wins.”

The responsibility for making a breakthrough lies with COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber. To many in the climate community, his leadership of the talks is tarnished by his role as chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., one of the world’s largest oil producers. A report this week alleges he was prepared to use his COP role to promote Adnoc’s interests.

For his part, Al Jaber has publicly said he sees this COP as an opportunity to co-opt the fossil fuel industry into tackling emissions. One of the star announcements is expected to be a pledge by the global oil and gas sector to eliminate emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, by 2030.

While the deal won’t have legal force, it’s one of several signs that progress can be made in the United Arab Emirates this December. At least 150 countries and 25 national and international oil companies have signed the pledge, Adnan Amin, chief executive of COP28, said in an interview. His aim is to get 50 percent of methane emissions covered by the commitment.

“These are very, very significant companies and countries and if we are able to really attack the methane issue here, that gives us substantial emission reductions of probably the most dangerous greenhouse gas,” Amin said, talking up prospects for this year’s summit.

Perhaps the most positive development so far has been the improved diplomatic mood between the US and China. The world’s top two polluters agreed earlier this month to publish more expansive emissions-cutting pledges and back a target to triple renewable energy. That goal now appears likely to make it into the final COP document.

It’s a renewal of climate collaboration between the geopolitical rivals that bodes well for the summit. Past agreements between Washington and Beijing in 2014 and 2021 helped pave the way for landmark texts at earlier COPs. Beyond a deal on methane and expanding renewables, other key areas for the talks are a potential commitment to phase out fossil fuels, progress on securing more climate cash for the developing world and the first formal stocktake of the world’s progress fighting climate change since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015.

Fossil fuels

THE China-US statement does not explicitly call for the phase out of all fossil fuels, a key demand by a group of European nations and Pacific island states known as the High Ambition Coalition. A similar push to embed that language in the agreement at COP27 in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh failed last year. It’s likely to become a battleground in Dubai.

C hina’s c l imate envoy X ie Zhenhua said in September that targeting the phase out of all fossil fuels is “unrealistic.” Meanwhile, a growing chorus of voices led by developing nations are calling for a broader energy package that ties the goal to funding.

Diplomats are trying to find wording that’s less polarizing, and that sends the right signal, according to a senior official at the US State Department.

A final deal on fossil fuels could ultimately be caveated by words calling for an “orderly,” “ just” or “responsible” transition and the use of carbon capture and storage technologies.

“Over the last two COPs it’s been hard to move the needle on the consensus,” said Amin. ”We are very open and very supportive to finding new solutions on the language that advance the cause, that advance the ambition on fossil fuels and the responsible phase down on fossil fuels.”

Climate finance

MONEY will be central to the debate in Dubai. Wealthy nations likely met their long-overdue goal of mobilizing $100 billion annually to help poor countries tackle the worst impacts of climate change and pay for clean energy. But that figure is just a drop in the ocean. Developing countries will need $2.4 trillion per year by 2030 from a combination of governments and the private sector, according to the latest estimates.

“The failure of developed countries to deliver the promised $100 billion has been a point of tension for a long time,” said Mohammed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa. “To rebuild trust, it will be important for us to actually see developed countries participate in that process and transparently report on the delivery of that promise.”

In the first days of the summit, the UAE government is expected to announce a $25 billion fund to spur clean energy investments. In addition there will be a portion of below market rate concessional finance to help developing countries boost investments in climate action. However, the details are yet to be agreed, according to people familiar with the matter. Just weeks before the summit, climate negotiators agreed on a framework for operating a fund meant to help vulnerable nations deal with the loss and damage they are experiencing as a result of increasingly turbulent weather. The fund is on track to start disbursing money at the start of next year, said Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s minister of environment and climate change.

Progress in setting up that fund “goes a long way in helping build the necessary momentum we will

SULTAN Al Jaber, at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) in Abu Dhabi, in October. CHRISTOPHER PIKE/BLOOMBERG

Perhaps the most positive development so far has been the improved diplomatic mood between the US and China. The world’s top two polluters agreed earlier this month to publish more expansive emissions-cutting pledges and back a target to triple renewable energy. That goal now appears likely to make it into the final COP document. need to deliver a successful outcome in Dubai,” he told reporters in a November 16 briefing.

The stocktake

UNDER the Par is Ag reement signed in 2015, countries need to hold an official stocktake this year to evaluate the progress in meeting their target to hold warming to 1.5C from pre-industrial levels.

They also need to set rules for the next round of emissions pledges they have to submit in 2025.

Scientific consensus states that global greenhouse gas emissions should halve by 2030 and reach net zero by mid-century. Coal, oil and gas production should be cut from 80 percent of the global energy supply today to just 20 percent by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency’s net zero roadmap.

“If we don’t halve global emissions in these six years, the 1.5C goal will be incredibly difficult to achieve—and the requirements on the Loss and Damage fund will be extraordinary,” said Jennifer Morgan, Germany’s climate envoy. “There’s so much at stake.”

Listen to Akshat Rathi in conversation with former UNFCCC head Christiana Figueres about what can be achieved at COP28, and what the role of the fossil fuel industry should be.

The UN estimates global temperatures will rise as much as 2.8C by the end of this century, meaning that overshoot of the 1.5C goal is inevitable under current commitments to cut emissions.

While the stocktake is an incredibly technical exercise, what comes out of it will determine the course of global climate policy for the rest of the decade.

“The stocktake of what’s happened since Paris has to be clear and blunt regarding how we need to update our national commitments,” Spain’s Environmental Transition Minister Teresa Ribera said. COP28 will fail if countries don’t send a strong signal to the public and to investors that they are aligned and committed to cutting emissions, she said.

Amin, the COP CEO, agreed that the fact this year’s COP will include the biggest ever stocktake process lent the summit added weight.

“There’s a potentially historic character to this COP because it’s the first ever global stocktake on

the progress of the Paris Agreement,” he said. “We are hoping for an ambitious forward-looking part to the agreement.

The outcome

IF Al Jaber secures deals on methane, renewables and language on fossil fuels, Dubai will likely be considered a successful COP and validate his view that the coalition fighting climate change should be as broad as possible.

But as COPs grow and grow, attracting thousands of people with little or no involvement in the diplomatic process, others argue they risk becoming a bloated embarrassment.

The intermingling of COP and business was given prominence just days before it started. The British Broadcasting Corp. reported Al Jaber’s team planned to lobby on oil and gas matters during climate meetings with foreign governments this year, citing leaked internal records. (The presidency says the documents are inaccurate and weren’t used in meetings.)

“What’s going to take place in Dubai is essentially ‘Climate Expo 2023’,” said Robert Stavins, a professor of energy and economic development at Harvard University who has been following the UN-sponsored process since its inception three decades ago. “It’s like Davos.”

And while previous COPs, especially Paris, have had real-world impacts, the diplomatic process itself can be divorced from the real word.

COP meetings are known for all-night quarrels between diplomats and climate bureaucrats over commas and prepositions.

Negotiators risk losing focus of the real issues at stake when they spend so much time and effort debating over, for example, the subtle differences between phasing out or down fossil fuels, said David Victor, a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“They are shiny objects that people in the diplomatic world get excited about,” Victor said.

“They’re largely irrelevant to the real world.”

The deadweight of COP diplomacy, which relies on unanimity for agreement, is made all too clear by the fight over where next year’s summit will be held. Traditionally, the presidency rotates between the world’s regions and it would be Eastern Europe’s turn to hold COP29.

But reaching a unanimous decision between all of the region’s members—which include Russia and Ukraine—is proving impossible. Russia has vowed to veto any EU members, leaving A zerbaijan as a potential candidate—that’s likely to be rejected by A rmenia over the Na gor no - K a r a ba k h con f l ic t .

T he UA E and A l Jaber are ver y reluctant to host and preside for a second year in a row, according to people familiar with the matter.

On similar occasions in the past, COPs have been held in Bonn, Germany, home to the headquarters of the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change.

But the growing size of climate meetings have led the Germans to politely decline to host a full COP, the people say.

“This should be a straightforward thing,” Cleetus said. “Disagreements about simple things like this are a sign of how sharp the geopolitics are now, when even straightforward things like hosting a COP end up being political football.” With assistance from John Ainger/Bloomberg) Michael R. Bloomberg, the founder of Bloomberg LP, the parent of Bloomberg News, is also UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions. His foundation Bloomberg Philanthropies provides support to the UNFCCC, the agency that oversees COP.

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How did we get to the brink of crashing climate?

A long push for progress and energy to fuel it

By Dana Beltaji

A

The Associated Press

MIDST record-high temperatures, deluges, droughts and wildfires, leaders are convening for another round of United Nations climate talks in Dubai from November 30 to December 12 in an effort to find effective ways to curb the centuries-long trend of humans spewing ever more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

For hundreds of years, people have shaped the world around them for their benefit: T hey drained lakes to protect infrastructure, wealth and people.

They dug up billions of tons of coal, and then oil and gas, to fuel empires and economies. The allure of exploiting nature and burning fossil fuels as a path to prosperity hopped from nation to nation, each eager to secure their own energy.

People who claimed the power to control nature and the energy resources around them saw the environment as a tool to be used for progress, historians say. Over hundreds of years, that impulse has remade the planet’s climate, too—and brought its inhabitants to the brink of catastrophe.

Controlling the environment

MEXICO City traces its roots to a settlement centuries ago on islands in the midst of Lake Texcoco. These days, most of the lake is gone, drained long ago to make room for the building and growth that today has more than 22 million people sprawling toward the edges of the Valley of Mexico.

Getting water in the arid valley—a need that has spiked as droughts have worsened—relies on pumping from deep underground. The toll of centuries of such pumping can be seen in curbs that crumble and structures that tilt atop the resulting subsidence, with some areas sinking around 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) a year. At the same time, neighborhoods are at increased risk of severe flooding because of climate change-fueled extreme rain events and drainage systems that are less effective because of the subsidence.

“Nature doesn’t create these huge problems,” said Luis Zambrano, professor of ecology at the National University Autónoma of Mexico. “Nature behaves as nature...we are increasing our vulnerability by allowing the city to sink by pumping as much water as we possibly can from the aquifer.”

Mexico City is just one example of people and empires altering their natural environments in ways they believe will benefit themselves and the land. Elsewhere, huge swathes of land have been deforested for agriculture or livestock grazing, or degraded and contaminated by quarrying and mining for metals and minerals. Tapping nature for its resources drove progress and productivity for some, but it’s also been a major driver of emissions and environmental degradation.

Anya Zilberstein, a historian of climate science at Concordia University in Montreal, highlighted the example of Europeans colonizing

the Americas in the 16th and 17th centuries as an early catalyst for modern-day climate and environmental crises.

“They bring with them this idea that conquest and then the development of the cultivation of landscapes, like taking down trees, opening up lands to European style agriculture, that the draining of swamps...will also change the climate, usually for the better,” Zilberstein said.

The Aztecs built Tenochtitlán— what became Mexico City—on the lake’s islands and chinampas— small, artificial fields. When the city later fell under Spain’s rule, it was seen as the “most gorgeous jewel in the Spanish empire,” with ornate palaces and commercial hubs, said Vera S. Candiani, a historian of Latin America at Princeton.

Catastrophic flooding in the mid-16th century led the Spanish to pursue drainage projects that aimed to keep the city dry and prosperous, and stretched on for three centuries, Candiani said.

But not everyone benefited equally.

Candiani said that capitalowning elites got technicians, engineers and other professionals to implement a system of extracting resources and labor from the countryside to benefit the city in colonial Mexico, and more broadly from the colonies for the gain of the home country. Rural populations, who contributed the most to the project through coerced labor, didn’t benefit.

Jan Golinski, a professor of history at the University of New Hampshire, said Europeans of the time thought that their changes— cutting down forests, draining swamps, plowing land—would change the climate as well, to something closer to their homelands. He said they saw this engineering as positive.

“They believed that their society was making progress, that it was gaining greater control over nature, that they were becoming more civilized and were civilizing the environment around them,” Golinski said.

It’s a belief that several historians say is rooted in feelings of racial and cultural superiority.

“We hear echoes of these tropes” in the present day, said Deborah Coen, a historian of science at Yale.

Being more vulnerable to climate extremes is associated with populations of color, and at the same time, “we find white elites pursuing projects of climate adaptation that protect themselves at the expense of communities of color,” she said. For example, residents in areas that were deemed safer from extreme weather following

PREVIOUS centuries created the right conditions for human-caused climate change, but the last few generations made it a reality. In 1960, humans put about 9 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the air; in 2021, they produced more than four times that amount, according to the Global Carbon Project. AP ILLUSTRATION/PETER HAMLIN

Previous centuries created the right conditions for human-caused climate change, but the last few generations made it a reality. In 1960, humans put about 9 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the air; in 2021, they produced more than four times that amount, according to the Global Carbon Project. wildfires in Maui this summer are now getting priced out of their own neighborhoods.

T he early moder n per iod ’s ideas on race have “long tentacles into the present,” said Zilberstein, and also solidified notions of environmental control, productivity and growth as positive, making it harder to tackle the current climate crisis.

“There are plenty of people who would say, yes, I believe climate change is real and I’ll go on a march, but I can’t accept de-growth,” she said. “And I understand why businesses won’t commit to it and nations won’t commit to it. It’s sort of unfathomable. It goes against the deeply held ideology of progress.”

The fossil fuel economy

WHILE Mexico City was built over water, Britain was sitting on vast expanses of coal that would eventually help form the blanket of carbon dioxide emissions that now clogs the atmosphere.

Coal had long been used in homes on the island for heating and cooking. It wasn’t the only source of energy—timber, water and peat were in use as well—but the balance tipped dramatically in its favor through the late 18th and early 19th centuries through technological inventions like steam power, new transportation routes like canals and later railroads, and a desire to better control how, when and where energy was used.

When the steam economy arrived—engines fueled by coal to heat water and make steam power—it made it easier for factory owners to control labor and nature than an economy based on water power, for example, said Andreas Malm, an associate professor of human ecology at Lund University in Sweden.

“Steam engines were mobile

in space, so you could erect them anywhere, and the great benefit of this was that you could concentrate steam factories in towns where there was access to cheap and disciplined labor power,” said Malm. Steam power was also less vulnerable to the droughts, floods and storms that could affect water power: “You could just turn it on at any point in the day, regardless of the weather outside.”

It made coal the central energymaker for British manufacturing and transport.

“Britain forcibly exported this model and integrated other countries such as India or Egypt or what became Nigeria into a kind of an economy that was dependent on fossil fuel,” said Malm.

By the mid-19th century, steam power was adopted in manufacturing, cotton mills, steam ships and locomotives around the world, turning coal into a global trade.

On Barak, a historian at Tel Aviv University and co-founder of the Laboratory for the History of Climate Change, likened steam engines and coal to the British empire giving other states coffee machines and capsules. Nations consistently needed to buy new capsules, or coal, for their coffee machines, or steam engines, feeding an ongoing addiction.

“This kickstarts...searching for fossil fuels in various places in the Ottoman Empire, in the Indian subcontinent and elsewhere,” he said. And while it led to some discoveries, other empires and nations kept coming back to the more energy-rich British coal.

Centuries later, the United Kingdom has nearly weaned itself off coal, with weeks or months at a stretch where the national grid gets no coal power. The UK plans to stop using coal for the production of electricity by the end of next year, although it’s still used in

heavy industry like steel-making, with a new coal mine approved in Cumbria as late as 2022.

But the country’s move away from coal wasn’t before its empire left its sooty footprint around the world. Its legacy can also be seen at home, where many of the mining and port towns in the north of England and parts of Wales and Scotland once buoyed by coal now languish, and abandoned mines and heaps of waste and debris scar the landscape.

A global problem

PREVIOUS centuries created the right conditions for human-caused climate change, but the last few generations made it a reality. In 1960, humans put about 9 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the air; in 2021, they produced more than four times that amount, according to the Global Carbon Project.

Energ y use sky rocketed as cars, air travel and technology became more affordable in many North American and European countries. Other nations such as China, Japan and India were assembling their own energy regimes based on fossil fuels. And this all happened amid growing understanding and concern about heat-trapping gases.

Oil use grew in the late 19th century because it wasn’t as labor-intensive as coal, an industry whose workers now had strong unions in some Western nations, historians say.

Like coal, oil was easy to store.

It is more energy-rich than coal, and it’s easier to move; as a liquid it can be shipped through pipes, as well as by trucks, tankers and railcars, said J.R. McNeill, a historian at Georgetown University.

The rise of automobiles in the 1920s led the US to build its energy system and much of its technology around internal combustion engines that still dominate cars, ships and planes. And as Europe and Japan followed suit, it made the global investment in an oil-dominated fossil fuel regime “gigantic and harder, but not impossible, to reverse or replace,” McNeill said.

Meanwhile, coal kept its place in the global economy.

In China and Japan, growing consumption was a barometer of economic development by the early 20th century, said Harvard historian of science Victor Seow.

After the Communist Revolution in 1949, the Chinese government

measured growth by its production of items like cloth, electricity, wheat, iron, steel—and coal, too, which was key measure of growth. Japan studied Western mining to develop its own coalfields in both its home islands and empire.

China is the world’s current largest greenhouse gas emitter, although the United States still trumps it historically.

In India, too, which was part of the British Empire until it gained independence in 1947, coal was used to further the country’s development and help state governments win popular support, said Elizabeth Chatterjee, a historian at the University of Chicago.

India set up state-owned coalfired plants and started electrifying its cities and larger farms, with many other rural areas not coming online until the early 21st century.

And they electrified while also understanding the environmental risks of coal, she said.

“Indira Gandhi, as early as 1981, spoke publicly about climate change, for example, as a threat, but plowed on with this (coal) regardless,” Chatterjee said.

“If you’re a country with few resources, what choice do you have?”

In the United States, environmental issues started gaining traction in the 1960s and 1970s, with the first Earth Day in 1970, said Joshua Howe, an environmental historian at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. He cited major legislation—to create the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Endangered Species Act—as “really big responses to that really big moment.”

But tack ling fossil fuels— what Howe called “the center of the global economy”—was more difficult.

Yale’s Coen described fear in the US around discussing how to adapt to weather extremes caused by climate change that were already unavoidable in the late 20th century. Talking about adaptation was seen as a risk to detract from the will to slash emissions, she said.

Howe also noted unwillingness to join international climate agreements, including a unanimous US Senate vote in 1997 against signing any climate treaty that would mandate cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

That vote “was, in my opinion, pretty much when optimism for a national-level commitment to climate mitigation—especially via international agreements—went up in smoke,” Howe said.

But many historians agree, amid the gloom of spiraling concerns about the climate and environment, that radical shifts away from centuries-old ideas of progress can shape a better future.

Fredrik A lbritton Jonsson, a historian at the University of Chicago, said if humans rethink the need for persistent growth, societies can operate within the restrictions of finite resources and atmospheric limits.

“There are two kinds of boundaries to this economy,” said Jonsson. “One is a sort of upper boundary of planetary limits” of what our natural world can withstand, “and then there’s a lower boundary, that would guarantee minimum social needs, entitlements, the right to education, the right to clean water, the right to a steady income.”

The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Science Sunday

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

SCIENCE Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. checks the featured marine technologies at “Lawud: Marine S&T Exhibits” at the M/V Capt. John B. Lacson Training Ship in Iloilo City. HENRY DE LEON/DOST-STII PHOTO

BusinessMirror

AN exhibitor explains how the plant Philippine indigo can be used as a natural source of blue color. REINE ALBERTO

Sunday, December 3, 2023

A5

A WEAVER demonstrates the use of the Handloom Weaving Machine. REINE ALBERTO

Rich Visayas marine resources, textiles among NSTW attractions

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By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

HIS year’s National Science, Technology and Innovation Week (NSTW) underscores the latest innovations and technologies in the blue economy and textiles that are available and ready to be adopted by different sectors from local government units (LGUs) and industries.

NSTW 2023, with the theme “Siyensiya, Teknolohiya, at Inobasyon: Kabalikat sa Matatag, Maginhawa, at Panatag na Kinabukasan,” was held at the Iloilo Convention Center (ICON) in Iloilo City from November 22 to 26.

The word “innovation” was included in this year’s NSTW title to emphasize innovation that encapsulates the “practical implementation of new ideas and technologies,” said DOST-VI Regional Director Rowen Gelonga.

“It’s not merely about creating new knowledge within the scientific community, but it is ensuring that these advancements address public welfare concerns

like poverty, malnutrition and disaster resilience while enhancing business competitiveness,” Gelonga added.

Marine technologies

NSTW 2023 focused on “creating and protecting wealth for a sustainable blue economy.”

The Philippines, an archipelagic country brimming with marine resources, Science Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. said, “contribute to the employment generation, enhancing business economy, nurturing diverse cultural heritage and traditions, and promoting inclusive growth in the regions.”

Solidum highlighted several

programs and projects implemented in the Visayas region that address the blue economy and were developed together with partner state universities and colleges and industry players.

The Science Secretary mentioned the sea vessel with multiple engines and an alternative renewable energy system using ocean wave technology called the “Hybrid Trimaran” invented by DOST with Aklan State University, Maritime Industry Authority and the Aklan LGU. The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development developed the “Rapid Assessment Instrument for Coastal Benthic Habitats [Araicobeh],” a low-cost survey equipment for capturing images of coral reefs to monitor and assess large tracks of coastal habitats surrounding the islands.

Meanwhile, the “Reef BayBe,” (A Coral Reef Decision-Making Tool and Primer), is a software that integrates quantitative data and experts’ knowledge that provides a holistic ridge-to-river-to-reef system. It can help marine protected area managers and other users to make data-driven decisions on protecting coral reefs.

“These are just but a few of the many programs we have developed and are still developing that focus

on sustaining the blue economy,” Solidum said at the opening ceremony of NSTW on November 22.

Fish processing

Other technologies featured in the marine science and technology (S&T) exhibit “Lawud” held at the Capt. John B. Lacson Training Ship was the fish processing equipment, such as the “Multi-layered Biomass-Fired Dryer” that can dry 40 kilograms of Sardinella fortunella (manamsi) by using a biomass furnace, such as rice husk, which is available in the area, as a cheaper heat source.

The technology can take eight to nine hours to dry per batch and can be used at night or during bad weather conditions instead of the traditional way of drying fish under the sun. It can also dry milkfish (bangus), tilapia and tamban (sardines).

“The fish dryer is needed on the island where we will deploy it, Navitas Island in Capiz, since the weather is unpredictable, and it’s safer to use because it is enclosed,” Project Technical Aid John Lery de Lara of Capiz State University (CapSU) told the BusinessMirror.

CapSU also developed a “Smoke House Stove” to make tinapa (smoked fish), a fish preservation method. After smoking the fish for two hours, it is wrapped in plastic bags and sealed.

Textiles technologies

Region VI is also considered the “center of gravity” in terms of textile activity, with its provinces. such as Iloilo producing hablon, Antique with patadyong, Aklan with piña and abaca, Capiz with fiber crops, and Negros with silk.

“This diversity puts them on the map of textile materials and textile development, and we want them [to pilot that] they can actually use local materials and local innovations,” said Director Dr. Julius Leaño of the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) on the sidelines during the “Hinabul: Natural Fiber and Textile Exhibit” held at the National Museum Western Visayas in Iloilo City.

He added that the region is one of the “most highly diverse and highly active” in terms of handloom weaving within the Philippines, so it is rightful for PTRI to stage an exhibit there.

Among the handloom machines exhibited was the “Therapeutic Handloom Machine Design [Thera Loom V.2],” a 25-inch width handloom weaving machine designed for differently-abled persons and the elderly.

It is characterized with convenience and comfort of operation that is adaptable to a standard wheelchair and portability for ease of transport to other places.

Likew ise featured was the “NatDyes,” one of the flagship programs of PTR I, using the plant Indigofera tinctoria, locally known as “malatayum,” or Philippine indigo, a natural dye source of blue color.

The plant is abundant in Western Visayas, particularly in Madalag, Aklan. There are over 100 plant dye sources identified by the PTRI, such as annatto seeds, betel leaves, coffee pulp, mahogany bark and yellow ginger, among others.

The first “Regional Yarn Production and Innovation Center” that was funded by DOST, was also in Miagao, Iloilo, which converts different natural textile fibers into yarn.

Leaño pointed out the importance of promotion in supporting the textile industry in the Philippines.

“We just have to show that it’s actually very useful, it’s part of our daily lives.... It’s not about price, it’s only a factor, but if they realize that they’re helping another, helping communities, if they know their culture is part of those products, I think it all forms that part of the narrative,” he explained.

“The young generation is the one that actually propels the industry forward [and] we want them to appreciate what we are doing in terms of textiles,” he added.

Science chief: Nuclear tech will revolutionize plastic waste recycling

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

‘O

THE gadget for the Driver.Ph and Pasada technology that monitors and measures drivers’ behavior on the road, and the unmanned aerial system. TIP PHOTO

Drone, ground-based radar to detect road infra defects, drivers’ behavior

By Manuel T. Cayon

I

LOILO CITY—A combination of dronecarried and ground-based technologies attempt to correct the defects in the country’s road design and infrastructure as well as look into the behavior of drivers while driving trucks and other public utility vehicles.

The technologies developed by the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) are undergoing final touches or improvement but their initial tests in a Quezon City avenue already proved the reliability of the data collected, said TIP-Quezon City Researcher Ryan Christopher Pinca.

The inventions were put on display during the seventh National Technology Business Incubator Summit held here on November 21 and 22.

Pinca told the BusinessMirror last week that TIP’s Road Infrastructure Design Evaluation and Reporting System (Riders) consists of an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, and a portable wheeled cart with installed information and communication technology (ICT) gadgets to read, measure and compute the highway grids.

A TIP brochure describes the Riders as

a “combined ICT solution that gathers and records road-quality data using an Internet of Things [IOT]-enabled ground penetrating radar [GPR] device, and gathers and records road infrastructure design data using unmanned aerial system.”

The drone was used on a test run in October along Commonwealth Avenue, one of the accident-prone highways in the national capital. The data would be used to determine the location and design of a proposed park in the area.

The ground-based wheeled board manually pushed along the road would complement the drone-collected video data with the data of the underground feature of the highway collected through the GPR. The data collected would be sent via the Internet to a web-based application with the algorithm to read and measure the data “and see if the highway measurements, such as the road width and lane markings, match those of the standard of the Department of Public Works and Highways.”

The two gadgets are undergoing improvement, such as its size and portability, Pinca said.

Meanwhile, the TIP is also developing two other applications that both monitor and

collect data on the behavior of a driver while driving a truck, bus or jeepney.

The Driver.ph and the Pasada have a gadget that resembles a car audio equalizer.

It is installed near the driver’s seat, has a camera focused on the driver and collects real time data.

The TIP brochure said the Driver.ph “is an integrated ICT solution that utilizes [IOT], artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics to monitor and assess the driving behavior of drivers.”

This application “employs gamified assessments to evaluate the technical driving skills and knowledge of drivers, with a focus on vehicle roadworthiness and safe driving practices.”

The Pasada has almost similar feature, and is installed in public utility buses and jeepneys.

“For example, we might see here how a driver decides when approaching an intersection. We might also see here the speed of the vehicle while approaching a red light traffic sign,” Pinca explained.

The Driver.ph and Pasada would be useful for traffic enforcers and government agencies like the Land Transportation Office, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and local government offices with mandates on transport and traffic, he added.

The TIP has already developed eight prototypes and final touches weer also being applied to the gadget.

UR planet is facing a historic disaster—the epidemic of plastic waste—and the Philippines is at the forefront.”

Science Secretary Dr. Renato U. Solidum Jr. said this, highlighting the situation that Filipinos are top consumers of single-use plastics.

The Philippines ranks as the third biggest polluter in the world, generating 2.7 million metric tons of plastic waste per year, according to a report by Ocean Conservancy and McKinsey Center for Business and Environment.

An average Filipino, meanwhile, uses 591 pieces of sachets, 174 shopping bags and 163 sando bags every year, as noted by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives.

Many solutions have been proposed to address this major problem, but a “cleaner and more sustainable” option promises to become one.

Simply uttering “nuke/s” often evokes a sense of awe and fear, but it will change soon because nuclear technology will “revolutionize” plastic waste recycling, Solidum declared at the National Stakeholders Meeting on Plastic Recycling Through Radiation Technology on November 6.

The event was attended by officials of Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and its attached agencies, and stakeholders.

Director Dr. Carlo Arcilla of the DOST's Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI) explained that since ordinary Filipinos cannot afford to buy in bulk, commercial companies strategized to sell in sachets.

"It's a marketing technique imposed on us by economic conditions," he stated.

Arcilla added: “When people talk about nukes, many times, the first that comes to their minds are bombs. Here's an example [of how] nuclear can address a very important problem in our society.”

Nutec Plastics

AT a global scale, IAEA Deputy Director General Dr. Hua Liu highlighted Nutec Plastics, a flagship initiative of IAEA that brings together countries and partners to address the global challenge of plastic pollution through nuclear technology.

With almost 80 IAEA member states participating in its activities, the Philippines is among the four pilot countries in Asia and the Pacific.

"Irradiation can be used to treat existing plastics and to render them fit for reuse— extending current recycling potential and enabling a wider and higher-value reuse," Liu explained.

Dr. Celina Horak, IAEA’s head of Radiochemistry and Radiation Technology Section, emphasized that the Philippines’ projec t in reutilizing and rec ycling polymeric waste through radiation modification for the produc tion of construction materials, such as tiles and bricks, has achieved Technical Readiness Level 3 (TRL 3) in 2023.

It is in progress toward TRL 4 by the first quarter of 2024, Horak added, which means that from research to proof of concept, it will progress from experimental pilot at the lab scale to industrial pilot.

Philippines’ PREx

MEANWHILE, PNRI has signed a memorandum of agreement with the DOST-Industrial Technological Development Institute and industrial partner Envirotech Waste Recycling Inc. for the Post-radiation Reactive Extrusion (PREx) that uses nuclear and radiation technologies for environmental and industrial development.

PREx Head Dr. Jordan Madrid expounded on the irradiation technology it uses: “Ionizing radiation, like gamma and electron beam radiation, has this capability of altering the structure and properties of bulk materials in various forms and states,” enabling its different components to blend better.

“This could be done with little to no

additional chemical reactants and at moderate conditions,” he stated.

Radiation processing, unlike chemical processing, uses little to no chemicals. It can also process in the “as-received” condition, optimized for various types of plastics, and is a more efficient modification of natural fibers for reinforcement, according to DOST-PNRI. A new product that is stronger, more dense, and with enhanced properties can be the result of the yechnology, the PNRI added.

An example is the “eco-friendly tiles” made of 100 percent recycled mixed plastic waste produced through PREx, shown by Solidum on the sidelines.

Adaptation woes

HOWEVER, promising technologies also come with challenges; in the Philippines, it is technology adaptation. With 99 percent of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) comprising the business establishments in the country, they cannot afford this technology, unlike private companies which have their own research and development.

For MSMEs to adapt this technology, Commissioner Crispian Lao of the National Solid Waste Management Commission said there is a need “to compete in terms of pricing.”

He said the “real challenge” is to use the technology and see how it can be applied while maintaining the cost structures or expenses that a business incurs since, he said, that if product costs are increased, the market will suffer.

“It is important to look into that at the early stage of the development of the project,” he advised.

Solidum, meanwhile, said private companies can benefit from irradiation technology because operation costs will be lower in terms of recycling plastics.

With the concerns surrounding this technology, Solidum gave the assurance that it will be “built on rigorous research, stringent measures, and open communication.”

A6 Sunday, December 3, 2023

Faith

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

Challenges of being a religious scientist G

IVEN popular portrayals, you would be forgiven for assuming that the type of person who is a scientist is not the type of person who would be religious.

Consider the popular television show “The Big Bang Theory,” which is about friends who nearly all have advanced degrees in physics, biology or neuroscience.

The main character, Sheldon— a physicist who is often dismissive of religion—is juxtaposed with his devout Christian mother, who is uninterested in and ignorant about science.

Such stereotypes reinforce the idea that religion and science are not only different from each other, but also locked in combat.

Yet social scientists have found that most of the US public does not actually view religion and science as being in conflict.

When religion does seem to reduce individuals’ acceptance of scientific ideas, it is typically not because of the facts themselves.

Rather, religious individuals’ objections are often grounded in the moral implications of that research, or scientists’ perceived role in policymaking.

Plenty of scientists are religious, undercutting assumptions about faith and science being inherently in conflict.

Take Francis Collins, the former director of the National Institutes of Health, who is open about his Christian beliefs.

On the other hand, religious people do face challenges when

working in science. These challenges have little to do with internal struggles over stereotypical issues like the origins of human life.

Instead, religious scientists more often report navigating hostility from their peers and a professional culture that poses challenges for other life goals, such as building a family.

I came to this conclusion after surveying over 1,300 US graduate students in biology, chemistry, physics, psychology and sociology—one of many sociological studies I’ve done to try to understand the social dynamics of religion and science.

Findings from this research are presented in a book I published in October 2023, “The Faithful Scientist: Experiences of Anti-Religious Bias in Scientific Training.”

Assumed atheism

ACCORDING to my survey, 22 percent of graduate students in science say that they believe in God and 20 percent describe themselves as “very” or “moderately” religious.

These percentages are similar to what is seen among science faculty, but much less than what is seen in the general US public.

According to surveys by the Pew Research Center, around half of Americans say they believe in “God as described in the Bible,” while another third believe in some kind of higher power.

Gallup has found that 3 in 4 Americans say religion is very or fairly important in their lives.

The relatively nonreligious

composition of their peers and faculty can create challenges for religious graduate students.

Many of the religious students I spoke with described a culture that assumed everyone in a lab or classroom was atheist and permitted comments that were openly hostile toward religion or religious people.

One Christian graduate student in biology told me, “I was actually really shocked when I started graduate school … at the lack of respect of my fellow students as well as professors. I still feel like I need to hide that part of my life.…

I don’t feel willing to open up.”

Indeed, around two-thirds of the students who identified as very religious or moderately religious agreed with the statement that “people in my discipline have a negative attitude toward religion,” according to a survey I created and examined in my book.

Around 40 percent of those students also agreed that they “conceal or camouflage” their views or identity around people in their program.

Family and career

RELIGIOUS graduate students in science face more subtle cultural conflicts as well.

Social science has highlighted the many challenges academic scientists face in establishing and maintaining their family life.

For one, graduate school and pre-tenure positions are demanding, leading many academic scientists to delay having children and have fewer children than they

FR. Bienvenido F. Nebres, SJ, a Filipino, is an example of a scientist, who is not only religious but is even a Jesuit priest. Born in 1940, the scientist and mathematician was the longest-serving president of the Ateneo de Manila University, from 1993 to 2011, or for 18 years. President Benigno Aquino III conferred the rank and title of National Scientist on Nebres in 2011. WIKIMEDIA CC BY 3.0

would have liked.

The highly competitive nature of academic jobs also means that scientists rarely have much say in where they live, which makes it difficult to rely on the support of grandparents and other extended family when raising a family.

All of these dynamics become even more difficult if a scientist is partnered with another scientist—what is often called the “two-body problem.”

These challenges are particularly salient for religious graduate students. Many scholars’ studies have shown that religion influences individuals’ attitudes and behaviors when it comes to things like how many children they would like to have.

Indeed, my book’s survey found that 23 percent of science graduate students who identify as very

religious have at least one child already.

This compares to 12 percent among the moderately religious, 7 percent among the slightly religious and 6 percent among those who say they are not religious.

More religious students also indicated a greater desire to have additional children in the future.

These patterns have implications for career paths. My survey asked respondents to rate the importance of career, partnership and parenthood on a four-point scale.

On average, religious students did not place less importance on career than their less religious peers, but they did place more importance on their family lives.

This importance placed on family, in turn, is associated with a lower intent to pursue researchfocused tenure-track positions.

All else being equal, students who say that family goals are “very important” to them are 12 percent less likely to say they intend to pursue such a position, compared to students who say such family goals are “not important” to them.

Benefits of religious diversity

MANY people may dismiss these challenges, as religion is not typically part of the conversation about supporting and increasing diversity in science.

At the very least, however, making derogatory comments or showing other forms of hostility toward an individual’s religion— as many of my respondents said

CBCP to identify ‘new martyrs’ in PHL MSGR. Bernardo Pantin, CBCP Secretary General, leads the “Red Wednesday” observance at the Manila Cathedral, November 30, 2023. ERIC PAUL GUANLAO/MANILA CATHEDRAL

H

EEDING the call of Pope Francis for the Church to identify 21st-century martyrs, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will order a census of those who sacrificed their lives for the witness of Christ.

CBCP Secretary General Msgr.

Bernardino Pantin said on Wednesday that the list is not only limited to Catholics “but to all Christian confessions.”

“Here in our countr y, we also have our share of the faithful who have died for the faith,” Pantin said.

“The CBCP will be asking all the dioceses, religious congregations and the different commissions to help in gathering these data of the

Filipinos or foreign missionaries who have been murdered for their faith so that they could be submitted to Rome in time for the 2025 Jubilee,” he said.

The priest was presiding a Mass for this year’s observance of “Red Wednesday” at the Manila Cathedral.

Red Wednesday is an initiative launched in 2015 by Aid to the Church in Need, a Catholic charity dedicated to support the suffering and persecuted Christians around the world.

In the Philippines, a number of cathedrals and parish churches were lit in red and Masses were offered to highlight and pray for the more than 250 million Christians “who courageously

bear the cross for their faith in Jesus Christ”.

“They endure hardships, discrimination, violence, and even death because they refuse to renounce their faith,” Pantin said.

“Let us recommit ourselves to living out our faith boldly, following the example of those who persevere amid persecution,” he added.

“Let us be steadfast in prayer, support and advocacy for our persecuted brothers and sisters, knowing that through our solidarity, we contribute to the spread of God’s kingdom on earth,” he also said.

Pope Francis in July set up a special commission tasked to study the modern-day killings of Christians and identify those he calls “new martyrs” of the 21st century.

The pope had given the task to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints’ the “Commission for New Martyrs-Witnesses of the Faith”, which was created in view of the Jubilee 2025.

Among the commission’s objectives is to draw up a catalogue of all Christians who have shed their blood to confess Christ and bear witness to the Gospel.

Roy Lagarde/CBCP News

CARITAS PHL CALLS ON MARCOS ADMIN TO REJOIN ICC

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FR. Antonio Labiao, executive secretary of Caritas Philippines CBCP NEWS

HE social advocacy arm of the Catholic Church called on the Marcos administration to rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC) to improve the country’s human rights record.

Caritas Philippines Executive Secretary Fr. Antonio Labiao said the government has “a crucial role to play in ensuring that the nation upholds its international obligations and protects the rights of its citizens”.

“Rejoining the ICC would send a strong message that the government is serious about accountability and justice for all,” Labiao said.

“The Philippine government has a re-

sponsibility to its citizens to uphold the rule of law and protect human rights,” he said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr earlier disclosed that proposals for the nation’s rejoining the ICC are “under study.”

The president made the statement amid calls for the country to allow ICC prosecutors to probe former president Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly drug war that killed thousands of people.

The Philippines signed the Rome Statute in 2011 but it pulled out in 2018 during Duterte’s presidency after the ICC announced the launch of a preliminary investigation on the drug killings. CBCP News

THE Antipolo Cathedral, also known as Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.

ANTIPOLO CATHEDRAL/FACEBOOK

Antipolo Cathedral to become an ‘international shrine’ in Jan 2024

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By Patrick Miguel

HE Antipolo Cathedral, or the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, will be declared as an “international shrine” on January 26 next year, the Diocese of Antipolo announced on Wednesday.

It will be the very first international shrine in the Philippines, the third in Asia, and the 11th worldwide, according to CBCP News.

“The significant event will be part of the assembly of the CBCP [Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines],” the diocese

they experienced—could violate anti-discrimination and harassment laws.

What’s more, dimensions of diversity are not isolated from each other. The data collected for my book finds that female and Black graduate students in science are significantly more likely to identify as religious than male and white students.

Twenty-three percent of Black students I surveyed identify as “very religious,” for example, compared with 7.3 percent of white students.

Ignoring religion as a dimension of diversity has the potential to undermine efforts to support other forms of diversity in science.

I would argue that religious diversity could bring other benefits to the scientific community, as well. Given the heightened salience of work-family issues among scientists who are religious, these individuals could be important agents in changing norms and policies that improve work-life balance for all scientists.

Similarly, scientists who are religious could also serve as ambassadors, or what sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklund calls “bridgebuilders,” between scientific and religious communities.

In the short term, graduate programs in science might consider how they approach and talk about religion, keeping in mind that about 1 in 5 of their students are likely religious.

Christopher P. Scheitle, West Virginia University/The Conversation (CC) via AP

posted on Facebook.

In March, Pope Francis had approved the petition to declare the Antipolo Church an international shrine through the Dicastery of Evangelization.

According to the diocese, the declaration “marks a new chapter in our history and in our country as Pueblo Amante de Maria.” “ T h is recog nit ion ser ves not only as a testament to the enduring faith of the Filipino people but also as a beacon of hope and peace for pi lg r ims from around the world,” the diocese said.

The diocese added: “The journey that began almost four centuries ago continues to inspire and guide, solidifying the Antipolo Church’s place as a sacred and internationally revered site dedicated to Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.”

A Mass led by Papal Nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown will preside for the declaration. Several bishops are expected to join the celebration on the eve of the 127th plenary assembly of the CBCP in Manila.

Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso set as ‘principal patroness’ of Parañaque

T

HE bishop of Parañaque declared on Wednesday that the Blessed Virgin Mary, with the title of Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso (Our Lady of the Good Event), as the “principal patroness” of the diocese.

Bishop Jesse Mercado said they took note of the faithful’s long-standing devotion to Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso over the last 400 years, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) News reported.

“With her maternal protection, the clergy, religious and laity of the diocese have grown in faith and trust in God’s presence, and are increased daily by the Church’s sacraments,” Mercado said in the decree that was signed on November 29.

The decree was announced during a Mass at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Parañaque City, where the revered image of the patroness is enthroned.

THE image of Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Parañaque City.

MICHAEL DALOGDOG/CBCP NEWS

The love for Our Lady led to the canonical coronation of her image in 2000, the bishop added.

The wooden image of Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso was brought to the Philippines by Spanish Augustinian missionaries and was placed at the Parañaque Cathedral in 1625.

The statue soon became a beacon of hope and faith for many, as stories of miracles attributed to the Blessed Mother’s intercession began to spread, said CBCP News.

The diocese has been actively promoting the devotion to Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso.

Biodiversity Sunday BusinessMirror

Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014

Sunday, December 3, 2023 A7

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Mali, most loved but world’s loneliest elephant

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By Jonathan L. Mayuga

resources from in-situ [in original place] conservation efforts,” PETA further explained.

EST in peace, Mali!” cried a netizen, who posted on his website a photo of himself when he was a lot younger with the huge land mammal behind him.

Vishwa Ma’ali, popularly known as Mali, breathed her last on her lonesome at Manila Zoo at 3:45 p.m. on November 28. Necropsy revealed she had cancer and congestive heart failure.

Mali’s death came as a sad news to many Filipinos, whose fond memories as a child included visiting the only zoo in the country that had one of the biggest land mammal on earth as a resident.

For many, Mali was just an ordinary caged animal for their amusement, without feeling sorry for the poor creature who should have been roaming free in the wild with other elephants.

Yet, for more than four decades, this elephant was the most revered animal at Manila Zoo.

Indifference, greed

THE animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), likewise grieved Mali’s death.

“Because of indifference and greed, Mali died the same way she had lived for nearly 50 years— alone in a barren concrete pen,” PETA said.

PETA, cultural and political leaders, world-renowned elephant experts and people from around the world all pleaded for her release to a sanctuary, where she could have enjoyed the company of other elephants.

“Instead, the Manila Zoo and the city of Manila sentenced Mali to decades of solitary confinement—torture for female elephants, who, in nature, spend their lives among their mothers and sisters, protecting one another and raising each other’s

calves—and now she has lost any chance of happiness,” PETA told the BusinessMirror in an e-mail interview on November 29, a day after Mali’s death. “ D e s p it e PE TA’s re p e at e d warnings, zoo and city officials ignored Mali ’s clearly painful foot problems, the leading cause of death in captive elephants. And if they [foot problems] caused her death, too, ever y person who denied her veterinary care and blocked her transfer to a sanctuary should be held accountable,” the group pointed out.

Many have supported PETA’s campaign to have the elephant freed from its cage at Manila Zoo. They included the English primatologist and anthropologist Dame Dr. Jane Goodall and Sir Paul McCartney, Filipino celebrities and thousands of schoolchildren.

It urged people “to stay away from any business that puts animals on display.”

Local tourist spot

THIS reporter’s family members and friends, who would come to visit the zoo, would make it a point to see the elephant. For them, the zoo would be an amazing place to visit in Manila, with Mali as the center of attraction.

They would be waiting for hours just to have a perfect photo with their old film cameras back then when smartphones hadn’t existed yet—for even just one photo with this huge, gentle mammal at the background.

Indeed, Mali who was sent to the Philippines in 1977 as a gift

by Sri Lanka was loved by many Filipinos more than any other

Most abused animal

BESIDES being captured in the wild to being caged in zoos, elephants are among the most abused land mammals on earth.

Some elephants are trained to do hard labor in the wild. They are used to haul huge logs and timber, and other forest products—while others end up as “performers” in the circus.

During their training, they experience the most abusive acts of torture by their owners or trainers. Such animal abuses are well documented that compelled animal rights groups to demand banning the practice, to which some governments in Southeast Asia heeded.

Endangered, hunted to extinction

A PHOTO of Mali taken at Manila Zoo on April 22, 2018. WOLFGANG HÄGELE/WIKIPEDIA CC BY-SA 4.0

animals in Manila Zoo.

Educational tours

ZOO operators argue that their facilities are helpful as outdoor classrooms for school children.

Indeed, Manila Zoo and other similar venues are allowed to operate in the Philippines for the purpose of educating the public about animal wildlife.

A tour of Manila Zoo, for instance, have been helping young students identify wild animals, how they look like, their feeding habits, and a lot more.

In a way, people have become aware of the plight of these animals in the wild.

‘Shut the zoo down’

WITH Mali ’s death, PETA expressed outrage and demanded to shut down the animal facility.

“The Manila Zoo must be shut down. Because of Manila Zoo’s greed, Mali died the same way she had lived for nearly 50 years— alone in a barren concrete pen,”

PETA told the BusinessMirror.

Another reason to close down the facility, the group pointed out, was the plan “to import an elephant to replace Mali.”

Wild animal trade to blame

PETA, meanwhile, blamed the illegal wild animal trade as “deadly for animals caged and animals we don’t see.”

“For every animal who makes it to the cage, countless others die along the way the illegal wildlife trading,” it said.

Governments can combat the issue of wild animals ending up in cages, the group explained, “by enforcing strict regulations on the importation of exotic animals, considering outright bans on certain species, collaborating internationally to establish standard regulations, promoting conservation efforts in natural habitats, and implementing educational programs to raise public awareness about the ethical and environmental consequences of

the wild animal trade.”

Zoos are not helping

ASKED whether zoos that cage animals for amusement are helping protect and conserve endangered species, PETA said clearly that it is not.

“Most animals confined in zoos are not endangered, nor are they being prepared for release into natural habitats,” the group pointed out.

“In fact, it is nearly impossible to release captive-bred animals, including threatened species like elephants, polar bears, gorillas, tigers and chimpanzees into the wild,” it added.

Moreover, PETA said that zoos are not breeding animals with the intent of replenishing threatened populations.

“Babies [of animals] bring visitors through the gates, and captive breeding gives the public a false sense of security about a species’ survival. But that belief undermines support for and diverts

THERE are currently three living species of elephants known on record—the African bush, the African forest and the Asian, which is Mali’s kind. They are the only surviving members of the Elephantidae family and the order Proboscidea.

In the w ild, elephants are among the most hunted animals, and are being driven to the brink of extinction owing to the illegal trade of their distinctive features—their tusks, the most sought-after parts of elephants with ivory being highly in demand in the black market.

Elepha nts a re scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast A sia. T hey are found in different habitats, including savannahs, forests, deserts, and marshes. They feed on plants and live near bodies of water.

Sc ient ists bel ieve t hat elephants are among keystone species due to their impact on their env ironment. Keystone species physica l ly mod if y or maintain an ecosystem As elephants live in family groups it is no wonder that caged, lonesome elephants like Mali can be considered the loneliest on the planet.

Path to net-zero emissions runs through industry

A

S gover n ment leaders and climate negotiators gather in Dubai for the United Nations climate 28th Conference of Parties (COP28), an enormous challenge looms over the proceedings: decarbonizing the global industrial sector.

Industry has accounted for over 30 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in recent years. It is the single largest emitting sector when accounting for its electricity use and heat generation.

For countries to meet their goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions, stopping emissions from carbon-intensive industries like steel, cement and chemicals is imperative.

There are promising technologies and innovations that can drive decarbonization in industry: green hydrogen fuel made from clean electricity and water, energy efficiency measures across supply chains, and carbon capture, use and storage to name a few.

However, these solutions have yet to be deployed at the speed and scale required to slow global warming.

Global industrial emissions will need to fall by 25 percent by 2030 for the world to be on track to reach net-zero emissions by

2050 – a target espoused by many of the world’s largest economies.

That’s an extremely steep decline of 3 percent per year, and it will require a massive mobilization of money, technology and political will.

The positive news is that many countries are taking steps in the right direction. The US Inf lation Reduction Act, signed in 2022, includes approximately $80 billion per year for climate initiatives from 2022-27, with provisions to spur clean technolog y de plo y me nt a nd i nce nt iv i z e em i ssion s reduc t ion s ac ross industrial sectors.

But efforts in developed countries, while commendable, are insufficient to drive global decarbonization at the pace needed to keep global warming in check.

Developing countries face enormous barriers to adopting lowcarbon technologies, from lack of infrastructure to insufficient skills and capacity.

In a recent paper in the journal Energy Research and Social Science, drawing from a series of deep dives on specific industries, we set out a comprehensive road map for decarbonizing industry around the globe. Here are some of the key points.

Scaling up finance

FIRST and foremost, there needs to be a radical scale-up of financing for industrial decarbonization in the developing world.

Annual investments will have to increase at least sevenfold by 2030 to get the world on track to reach net-zero emissions by midcentury.

Grants, loans, risk guarantees and equity investments provided through public and private institutions can help mobilize both public and private investments to meet that goal.

That funding can start with developed countries meeting and exceeding their commitment to provide $100 billion in climate finance for developing countries every year.

De ve loped cou nt r ies bea r the bulk of responsibility for past emissions that have fueled climate change.

More technology transfer

DECARBONIZATION will move faster if developed countries accelerate their technology transfer to the Global South. That is, making sure that developing economies receive the advanced technologies needed and are included in global value chains.

With the majority of industrial emissions expected to come from emerging economies by mid-century, spreading knowledge and expertise will be critical.

Partnerships between countries and companies can facilitate demonstration projects for new technologies like green hydrogen and carbon capture in developing nations.

Improved job training

THE net-zero transition will also require a massive workforce with new capabilities, so investing in human capital and skills training is essential.

Companies and governments can collaborate to develop curriculums and apprenticeship programs focused on green technologies.

Building this pipeline of talent to build and install renewable energy such as solar panels and appliances like heat pumps needs to start now.

While demand for these technologies is high, one of the key constraints to their rapid growth is workforce development—across geographies and technology types.

Ensuring a just transition

A NOT HER pr ior it y is a ju st transition for communities that

A COAL-FIRED power plant operates near wind turbines Niederaussem, Germany, as the sun rises on November 2, 2022. Climate negotiators gather in Dubai for marathon United Nations talks that include a first-ever assessment of how well the world is doing in its battle against global warming. AP/MICHAEL PROBST

have relied on fossil fuels for generations.

As industries transform, some jobs will be lost while new ones are created. Ensuring that the economic and environmental benefits spread across economies will require robust government and industry programs to assist displaced workers.

Establishing a global treaty

FINALLY, a new global treaty to coordinate industrial decarbonization will likely be necessary to move fast enough.

The treaty could establish standards, incentivize coordination on policies and avoid unfair competition as countries shift to net-zero industries.

“Climate clubs”—groups of developed and developing countries working together to reduce emissions from specific industrial sectors—may also foster progress and technology sharing as they jointly implement decarbonization goals.

In our view, the path to net-zero emissions industries will be challenging but not impossible.

With smart polic y, investments in technology and human capital, and bold leadership from countries in the Global North and Global South, we believe that decarbonizing heavy industry could become the next big climate and economic development success story. Morgan Bazilian, Colorado School of Mines/The Conversation (CC) via AP

Caitlin Clark: Best circus E in women’s basketball

Sports BusinessMirror

A8 | S

unday, December 3, 2023 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

ALL eyes are on Caitlin Clark from the moment she steps onto the floor for warm-ups to the time she waves good-bye when the game ends. AP

T

HERE’S been homophobic and racist chanting in the stands, a team bus pelted with stones, a game called off because of crowd trouble, and precious few goals on the field.

The French soccer league is making headlines for all the wrong reasons this season. And now even the French government is calling for something to be done about it.

After 13 rounds of games this season, the number of incidents is worrying officials who have been dealing with an upsurge of violence in stadiums over the past two campaigns.

According to Interior minister Gerald Darmanin, more than 100 police officers were injured in soccerrelated incidents last season, and 870 people were detained. And there is no sign of abatement.

“There’s no other sport with this level of violence,” Darmanin said recently.

In October in Montpellier, a match was stopped in added time after fans threw a firework from the stands that landed next to Clermont goalkeeper Mory Diaw. The Senegal player had to be taken off on a stretcher, but was not seriously injured.

A new nadir was reached a few weeks later in Marseille when the bus carrying Lyon players was stoned by fans outside the Velodrome stadium.

The windows were smashed and thenLyon coach Fabio Grosso was left with his face bloodied, an injury that required stitches.

Supporters were also targeted, five police officers were injured, and nine people placed in custody, according to Darmanin.

Another episode of violence broke out in Montpellier last weekend when a bus transporting Brest fans back home was attacked as they left the southern city following a 3-1 win for the away team. Their bus was hit by stones reportedly thrown from a motorway bridge.

“What happened was very serious.

When you look at the impacts on the vehicle, you quickly understand the violence,” said Pascal Robert, the club’s managing director. “If the paving stone that was thrown at the front of the bus had fallen two meters lower, the driver would have been hit...I can’t imagine the tragedy that would have ensued with our sixty supporters on board.”

Meanwhile, the league isn’t offering up a whole lot in terms of entertainment or suspense.

Paris Saint-Germain once again tops the standings ahead of Sunday’s match at Le Havre, having won nine of the last 11 league titles. With its starstudded team lead by Kylian Mbappe— the league’s top scorer with 14 goals— PSG has no rival on the domestic stage.

French soccer league struggling with violence, discriminatory chanting, low-scoring matches Nice, however, has mounted a credible challenge this campaign and lags just one point behind the leader ahead of Saturday’s match at Nantes.

But the other 16 teams are not giving their fans much to cheer about.

According to the league’s statistics, the average number of goals per game after 12 rounds was lower than in the last three seasons—at under 2.5—with the number of scoreless draws on the rise.

Some supporter groups are finding other ways to stay entertained.

Before the match between Marseille and Lyon was ultimately called off, fans from both teams remained in the stadium and exchanged insults as they waited for play to resume.

Taunting their Marseille rivals, some Lyon fans were filmed making Nazi gestures and mimicking monkeys.

Vincent Labrune, the French league president, believes the violence reached a new high after stadiums welcomed supporters back following the Covid-19 pandemic during which games were played with no fans.

With the reopening of venues, violent individuals who had served stadium bans during the interruption were allowed back, he said.

“The guys had served their time.

We ended up with a completely aboveaverage number of crazy people,” Labrune said during a hearing with French lawmakers this month.

Labrune estimated that about 50 violent fans at each French league club are causing trouble.

“If we manage to get them out of stadiums, the situation should improve,” he said.

Labrune added that the “zero tolerance” policy implemented by the league—with point deductions and the closure of stadium sections—is needed to improve the situation. But he seemed under no illusion that the violence can be eradicated without a bigger change in mentalities.

“Football is a reflection of society, we’re not going to stop it all on our own,” Labrune said.

Faced with an increasing number of homophobic chants in stadiums, Labrune also called for matches to be systematically stopped as soon as the first offensive chant can be heard.

“We’re prepared to go as far as we can,” he told lawmakers. “I find questions of discrimination in general intolerable, and questions of homophobia drive me crazy. We have to stop the match, this is an appropriate measure.” AP

STERO, Florida—They start showing up an hour or more before games.

They’ve got their faces painted, they’re carrying signs, they’re wearing No. 22 jerseys.

Some are old. Some are young. Men, women, boys, girls, they’re all there.

Officially, they come to watch No. 4 Iowa.

More specifically, they come to watch Caitlin Clark.

It is perhaps the best circus in women’s basketball. All eyes are on Clark—the reigning Associated Press national player of the year and someone on pace to win the national scoring title for a record third time— from the moment she steps onto the floor for warm-ups to the time she waves good-bye when the game ends.

Her game has brought fame (nearly 800,000 followers on Instagram), fortune (Nike and State Farm are among her many endorsement deals) and she’s on pace to become the leading scorer in Division I women’s history later this season.

“The way people have on our jerseys, the way people have on Iowa clothes, it’s just not the same for every other program,” Clark said. “So, I think for me, it’s ‘just don’t let it overwhelm you. Don’t let the moment pass you by.’ Living in the now is super important. It’s really special.

“These are going to be some of the best moments of my life that I get to share with my best friends, as a kid who’s 21 years old in college. I play this game because I love it. I play because it’s fun. And when I play that way, that’s what allows me to be as good as I am.”

Great is more accurate. A generational great, probably even more so.

With 2,954 points entering Saturday’s game with Bowling Green for the Hawkeyes (7-1), Clark is probably two games away from reaching 3,000. At her current average of around 30 points per game, she’s on pace to catch Kelsey Plum for the all-time Division I women’s mark of 3,527 by the end of February.

Plum, an Olympic 3x3 gold medalist and two-time Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) champion with the Las Vegas Aces, knows what’s coming Clark’s way. She experienced it a few years back when she was at Washington and closing in on Jackie Stiles’ record.

“I feel like people started caring less about the game and more about just the individual points,” Plum said.

MARSEILLE fans wait for the start of the French League One match between Olympique de Marseille and Lyon at the Velodrome Stadium in Marseille, France, last October. AP

“It was tough for me because I felt like I lost a little bit of my identity and it ultimately led to a tough transition into the [WNBA] because the expectations were so high. So, if anything, I’d try to send her as much compassion and love as I can and I hope the people around her are checking in with her…because it’s going to be tough to feel like you’re just playing basketball.”

Clark is on pace to become the first player in Division I history— men’s or women’s—with 3,000 points and 1,000 assists. Reaching 1,000 rebounds isn’t totally out of the question. Pete Maravich’s all-time Division I scoring record of 3,667 points is within reach. And come March, an Iowa team that lost to LSU in the national championship game last season will likely be a favorite to win it all this time.

“I mean, she’s the national player of the year,” Florida Gulf Coast coach Karl Smesko said. “She has Steph Curry mentality. She’s somebody who will share the ball, but she is somebody that’s aggressive looking for opportunities. She’s probably the toughest person to guard in college basketball right now.… It’s quite a challenge.”

Curry raves about Clark. Chris Paul follows her on Instagram. So does tennis star Frances Tiafoe, women’s basketball legend Sue Bird and a slew of other famous people.

She’s a three-time gold medalist with USA Basketball. She’s a full-fledged star already, with the game to match.

Purdue Fort Wayne lost to Iowa last week in Fort Myers. When it was over, Mastadons coach Maria Marchesano acknowledged “it’s cool to be part of a game like this.”

“You know, she sees things on the court before it ever happens,” Marchesano said. “She’s a one of one player.”

The awe factor isn’t just for opponents. Iowa takes pains to make sure it doesn’t fall victim as well.

Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder calls it “the Michael Jordan effect,” where teammates might just stand around and watch Clark dominate. Clark plays the biggest role in combating that by being a willing passer and making sure teammates are involved.

“To me, it’s managing everybody else too,” Bluder said. “Understanding that she’s a special player, and that doesn’t mean that you’re less valuable.

It doesn’t mean that she’s more valuable to us. It means that we’re all just really fortunate. We all have roles and we all play our own role. And I think our team does a really good job of buying into that.”

Last season’s NCAA title game against Reese and LSU averaged nearly 10 million viewers, a record for women’s basketball. The Gulf Coast Showcase also set attendance records, and while having Florida Gulf Coast there (its campus is just a couple miles from the tournament site) helped, Clark was the reason why most people made the trip.

It was 3,000 or 4,000 fans in the stands this past weekend to see the Clark show. It’ll be 15,000 fans in Iowa City when Clark and the Hawkeyes return home on Saturday. The crowds will be big the rest of the way.

Usually, Clark gives the people what they want—30-footers, bounce passes on the run, lots of emotion and, more often than not, a wave after another win. She is going to savor it all with hopes of delivering that national title that was just one game from her grasp last spring.

“Just enjoy every single moment, soak it in and know no moment is ever too big,” Clark said. “I think our team really steps up when the lights kind of shine the brightest.” AP

Bronny James cleared by doctors for return to basketball 4 months after cardiac arrest

L

OS ANGELES—Bronny James has been cleared by doctors for a full return to basketball four months after suffering a cardiac arrest, and the Southern California freshman is expected to make his collegiate debut soon.

A James family spokesperson said in a statement Thursday that the 19-year-old will have a final evaluation with USC staff this week and resume practice next week. He will be able to play in games “soon after,” it said.

“The heart specialists have cleared him, which is great,” coach Andy Enfield said Thursday after practice, “and now it’s a matter of getting him back on the court next week hopefully to begin working out with the team full contact.”

LeBron James said after the Los Angeles Lakers’ game Thursday night at Oklahoma City that he looks forward to his son getting back on the court.

“It’s a proud moment, big-time excitement from our family for Bronny, and now for USC as well because it’s something that he’s been working towards for the last 12

weeks,” LeBron said. “And for him to get the clearance for him to do what he loves to do and go back to being back with his teammates and putting on a uniform and things of that nature—it’s very gratifying for sure.”

LeBron said Bronny handled rehab well.

“We had great doctors along the way the whole time telling us that they believe things will work out for us in our favor, so Bronny took care of his business,” LeBron said.

“He did everything and didn’t have any setbacks. Didn’t try to rush the process of his rehab. He took every step accordingly to plan.”

Bronny didn’t participate in pregame warmups Wednesday night and he didn’t join his teammates on the bench until late in the first half of their 106-78 rout of Eastern Washington. He joked and smiled with the other reserves and he stood at the rear of the huddles during timeouts.

The Trojans (5-2) play No. 11 Gonzaga in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Their next home game is December 10 against Long Beach State, a day

the Lakers are off, which could allow LeBron to watch his namesake son’s debut. After that, the Trojans hit the road for four straight games.

“That’s not my decision and it’s probably too early to speculate,” Enfield said. “He’s been out of basketball for quite a few months, so we’ll be patient with him and once we get the green light we’ll get him into games.”

USC fell out of the AP Top 25 poll this week after a two-point loss to Oklahoma last week.

“We’re excited, but we’ll be even

more excited when he’s actually out there with us playing,” leading scorer Boogie Ellis said.

“That’s definitely a piece that we’re missing.”

While Bronny will be a welcome addition to USC’s rotation, he’ll need

time to acclimate to game action. He has been on the court for pregame warmups twice in recent weeks, doing some rebounding and taking shots but also watching his teammates.

He’s also been at practices.

“We’re all ready to have him back,” said forward Kijani Wright, who played in high school with Bronny. “It’ll just be another guard component that we have, add more fire.” AP

BusinessMirror

‘Get Ready with Me’: Video genre that focuses on everyday life is everywhere

December 3, 2023

2

BusinessMirror DECEMBER 3, 2023

YOUR MUSI

MUSIC BEYOND THE CHARTS

Benjamin Kheng’s unconventional musical approach

By John Eiron R. Francisco

W

HATEVER the business and a situation, building genuine connection is a must, in a world marked by uncertainty, pressure, and a rapidly evolving industry.

Singaporean singer-songwriter and actor Benjamin Kheng recently told SoundStrip that amidst his success in acting, hosting and writing that he takes specifically in music—lies in the camaraderie of friendship, creating moments that resonate beyond charts and numbers.

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“Not so much like chasing numbers or whatever but it’s the moment where you are with friends and you’re like this stuff is on fire,” Benjamin told SoundStrip.

He grew up in an environment where his parents always played music and instruments, saying “I was so fortunate to be in a [this] family” and he always loves to recreate the feeling of being with good friends like jamming in a karaoke which is what this music about him is.

Unlike some modern writers, Kheng revealed his creative process in a more old-school approach, “I have a whole notes list of lyrical ideas,” before integrating melodies.

This method allows him to create a meaningful connection between lyrics and melody, emphasizing the importance of starting with a solid idea.

Throughout his career, he has gained extensive experiences and exposures into acting and hosting, however, Benjamin shares that he often struggles to balance his career from acting to music, “I struggle, I go through phases.”

Benjamin reflects, as he shares his recent immersion in acting, particularly in a boxing series with intricate choreography. Emphasizing the need to observe and time actions in order to effectively deliver choreography, he draws parallels between this process and the dynamics of a scene or conversation.

He stresses the importance of listening and reacting, likening it to the essence of music, writing, or collaborating in a band.

“You need to be present and you need to serve the story and to listen,” Kheng remarked, highlighting the power of creating meaningful moments through active engagement and thoughtful responses.

From pop sensation to musical maverick

IN 2012, beginning his musical journey, he started as a member of the pop band The Sam Willows.

However, by 2019, he ventured into a solo career, unveiling numerous singles and an EP. Notable releases include “Wicked” (2019), “Find Me” (2020), a reflection on self-discovery post-breakup, “Lovers Forever” (2020), and “A Sea That Never Stops” (2020), marking his debut EP comprising six tracks, among other compositions.

Yet, Benjamin admitted that his “music style is a bit too confusing,” influenced by a diverse background including musical theater, boy bands, and a phase of metal.

“I want very musical theater moments. I just want everything into one record and I really

enjoyed it,” he enthused.

Last July 2023, together with FilipinoAustralian singer, songwriter and actor James Reid they collaborated and released “Rock Bottom Blues,” that explores the emotions of being in a toxic relationship and feeling stuck at rock bottom.

“James Reed is a great human being. Very genuine, very kind, very talented,” Benjamin said.

Benjamin recalled a prior meeting with James at a party, where they engaged in casual conversation about shared interests like hiking. At that time, Benjamin had already completed the song in question.

“It wasn’t really a song that I thought he would want to do, because it’s not really R&B, it’s a bit different,” he underscored, yet he decided to approach James about collaborating on the track.

To Benjamin’s surprise, James agreed to join in the project.

Bridging authenticity and advocacy in music

BEYOND his music journey, he also became an advocate for youth and social causes, and when Soundstrip asked about this experience overcoming depression and anxiety, Benjamin emphasizes the importance of honesty.

He believes that instead of offering solutions, he can share his own struggles authentically

and through his music and influence, he aims to raise awareness and support for these issues, encouraging openness and connection.

Acknowledging the power of realness to allow people to relate, share moments and in a culture that often promotes distance, he believes in the strength of opening up.

“I think as an artist that it is your responsibility to be honest with people,” adding to be sincere and create with the intention of inviting others into their world, even within the context of a pop song.

New single: “Shared Trauma” ft. Keenan Te

RECENTLY, the versatile Singaporean singer has unveiled his long-awaited debut single, “Shared Trauma,” featuring Australian artist Keenan Te, as part of ‘GLOOMY BOOGIE Vol. 2.’

This track marks the initiation of the final phase of Benjamin’s two-part album series, with Vol. 1 introduced in August earlier this year.

Co-written by Benjamin and Keenan, the song was brought to life by Los Angeles-based emerging producer Rence, with mixing and mastering handled by two-time Grammynominated engineer Joe Grasso from New York City.

The release is complemented by a music video directed by frequent collaborator Barnabas Chua, set in a retro living room and maintaining a playful tone despite the song’s weighty subject matter.

Benjamin explains that “Shared Trauma” draws inspiration from the profound emotional connections formed among individuals who have shared similar traumatic experiences, emphasizing the poetic exploration of mutual descent and the paradoxical theme of finding new love through old wounds.

“I’m no licensed therapist, but as someone who started a relationship with good ol’ trauma bonding, I’d say please don’t do that,” saying that “it’s much better as a song, though.”

While Benjamin’s collaborator, Kennan expressed in a statement his enthusiasm for the project, “Absolutely love working with Ben, not only is he a good friend but a great artist which makes working together so easy.” He described the song as exceptionally enjoyable and expressed immense pride in their collaborative project.

Fearless creativity

WHILE navigating with various circumstances, Benjamin has learned and encourages youth and aspiring musicians not to fear making mistakes.

“I feel like a lot of young musicians these days are so image conscious, because of social media that they have to look a certain way and adhere to a certain branding,” Benjamin told SoundStrip that having a defined brand is helpful.

He shares his own experience of living multiple public lives in the past decade, acknowledging that not all phases were enjoyable. However, he values the growth that resulted from learning and evolving through those mistakes.

“I’ve grown from my mistakes and I’m very happy with the current version of me and it was because I was allowed to make mistakes and I think you actually can. You should just try things because life is short. Just try,” Benjamin concluded, encouraging aspiring musicians to embrace the learning process.

IC

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BUSINESS

FINDING THEIR VOICE Re-introducing SOS, Filipino indie rock band

SOS (PHOTO BY REINE JUVIERRE S. ALBERTO/BM)

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

“It brings more life to the band,” Panopio added.

F

ILIPINO indie rock quintet SOS, formerly known as She’s Only Sixteen, has been on the scene for 15 years, and some listeners find out late that they’re a Filipino band.

On their TikTok account, most of the comments they receive are: “Filipino band pala kayo? Ang tagal ‘ko ng nakikinig sa inyo.”

[You’re a Filipino band? I’ve been listening to you for so long.]

SOS pronounced as “sauce,” reintroduces themselves with their new single “Please Lang,” the band’s second Filipino song, following “Seryoso,” as their third offering from their upcoming EP ‘It Was A Moment’ under Careless Music.

“Please Lang” is a sad song hiding behind happy and upbeat backing music, which the band labeled as “sad kembot.”

It narrates the falling outs—the heated arguments and unresolved fights—in a once romantic relationship on the verge of a painful and inevitable split.

“Please lang, kumapit ka pa ‘Wag kang magpahalata Na tumigil ang lahat at hinayaang mawala.”

A Tagalog song this time

RESPONDING to SoundStrip’s question, SOS’s vocalist Robert Seña shared that what urged them to write a Tagalog song was when Ebe Dancel asked him during a bike ride in La Union why the band doesn’t have a Tagalog song, to which Seña admitted: “It’s because of [how] I don’t know to use metaphors in English the way I write and translate it into Tagalog without sounding cheesy or baduy.”

At first, SOS tried writing in Filipino with “Seryoso,” which Seña noted as a “fun and interesting process.” Because of that, they pushed themselves to write more Filipino tracks.

With “Please Lang,” all the band members aided in writing, arranging, and producing

For more and new listeners

the song during one of their jam sessions at Bavarian Studios, their studio in La Union where they all stayed for a month to write their two upcoming EPs. Puentespina recalled: “I remember stepping out of the studio. For a few hours pagbalik ‘ko, the four of them naka huddle up then sabi nila, ‘King, tapos na namin yung kanta,’” [For a few hours when I came back, they were all huddled up and said, ‘King, the song is done.’]

“Everyone came together to write and make a story out of it,” drummer King Puentespina said and added that among the stories in their songs, this is his favorite since it’s about fighting in a relationship. “Everyone has been through that so everyone just related so much to that song.”

Guitarist Andrew Panopio shared that each of them would give a verse or a line and would tease each other about the context of their fights in their relationships.

It usually takes them a week to write, bassist Anjo Silvoza said, but with “Please Lang,” it was already done before midnight.

“Kahit yung pinaka raw version niya, sobrang proud na kami [of] what we came up with. Ito na yon, tapos na to,” he said. [Even its raw version, we’re very proud of what we came up with. This

is it, this is done.]

Keyboardist Ram Alonzo chimed in terms of the lyrics, “Please Lang” is more natural and conversational than “Seryoso.”

“While we were writing the song, I guess lahat kami may pinagdadaanan or [have] past experiences,” he said. [I guess we’re all going through something or have past experiences.]

Finding their voice

SILVOZA said that for the longest time, it’s been a struggle for SOS to write songs in Tagalog that sound like them and not like other artists or anyone in the scene.

Panopio added that he’s excited about the band singing in Tagalog because they are in the process of finding their voice when they say things.

Despite taking new directions—from changing their name to singing in their native language—SOS is still the same old SOS. They still sound like the indie rock band that music listeners would follow in different music venues to watch their electric live performances.

“Wala namang nagbago sa sound. NagTagalog lang ako,” Seña said. [Nothing changed in our sound. I just sang in Tagalog.]

SOS has been performing outside of the country with their recent one for Baybeats in Singapore.

Playing international shows, specifically in Asia, has always been the band’s goal since they started, but Seña admitted that they also want to tap into a newer market here in the Philippines.

Although their English songs do that as well, songs in their native tongue get more mileage here in the country, Seña explained.

“We want to introduce our band to new people,” Seña added.

Silvoza also wanted to reach more cities outside of Metro Manila to play shows and connect with them more. “We get ourselves out there in other countries and we reach more people here.”

Two EPs on the way

THREE songs, namely “Seryoso,” “Roses,” and “Please Lang,” were made as singles as part of SOS’s two upcoming EPs titled ‘It Was A Moment.’

The band is still debating whether there will be two parts, volumes, or sides. Why two?

“It’s a logistical thing. A lot of modern music listeners barely have the attention span for albums although I want to make an album soon,” Seña said.

Ram noted that not all songs in their EPs are sad, while Silvoza added that there are introspective memories and coming-of-age themes as well.

Panopio said that listeners can expect the songs to have different vibes, emotions, and grooves, further sharing that a month they spent in La Union allowed them to explore new sounds and they are excited to share it with everyone.

The band revealed that the first EP will be released in February 2024, while the second one will follow soon.

‘Get Ready with Me’:

Video genre that focuses on everyday life is everywhere

By Haleluya Hadero The Associated Press

N

EW YORK—“Get Ready with Me”—to go on a date, go to work or... get fired?

“Get Ready with Me” videos are everywhere these days, and they’re as straightforward as the name suggests. Social media users, often influencers, invite viewers to watch them get ready to do something or go somewhere. And embedded in the storyline are the skin care, the makeup, the hairdo and all the glam that goes into looking hot—and, of course, the personal stories about life or love that arrest your attention.

GRWM videos, as they’re also known, are part of a trend of “with me” content that has gained popularity over the past decade.

Think “Clean with Me” videos where users watch people clean their homes for inspiration or pleasure. Or hours-long “Study with Me” videos for students who want buddies for intense cramming sessions but don’t have any friends nearby.

More than a decade after debuting on YouTube in the days when creator content was still relatively new, “Get Ready with Me” videos and their personal sensibilities have inundated social media thanks to a shorter iteration of the genre, which seems to have lent them a more personal and even revelatory tone.

“For creators, this is a vehicle for storytelling,” says Earnest Pettie, a trends insight lead at YouTube. “It becomes an excuse to share something about your life.”

People are watching by the billion The videos have made everyday tasks a core staple of our online diets on platforms like YouTube by drawing in viewers who find it either informative, communal, or both.

Consumers, for the most part, seem to be really into it. In a report released in August, YouTube said there were more than 6 billion views of videos titled with variations of “grwm” at that point in the year. On TikTok, videos with the hashtag “grwm” have been viewed more than 157 billion times.

Celebrities and “it girls” have hopped on the bandwagon, often to promote their brands or as part of Vogue’s “Beauty Secrets” series, which draws from the trend.

In April, model Sofia Richie Grainge joined TikTok and posted a series of Get Ready with Me videos to offer fans an inside look into her wedding.

Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.com

In the initial years of the genre, Pettie says, people would simply put on makeup in front of the camera. Soon after, the videos evolved to what is seen today—content creators getting glammed up while talking to their followers about whatever’s on their minds.

It experienced another revival in recent years with the popularity of short-form video, TikTok’s bread-and-butter—which was cloned by YouTube and Instagram in the form of Shorts and Reels, respectively.

The genre is being adopted by up-andcoming creators who might be uncomfortable sharing a story in a video without doing anything else, says Nicla Bartoli, the vice president of sales at Influencer Marketing Factory. Adding activities has the tendency to make content feel less heavy and more inviting, especially to viewers who’ve never come across the creator but are interested in what they’re doing.

Because users also tend to scroll quickly on TikTok, creators must capture a viewer’s attention right away before they move on to the next thing on their “For You” page.

More engagement means more popularity, which typically leads to partnerships with companies eager to pay influencers through brand deals or other means.

“The level of compelling stories has been increasing a lot,” says Bartoli, whose company connects influencers with brands who want to partner with them to promote products. “It can be because it’s more crowded. You need to step up the game, so to speak.”

Get ready for emerging personalities One of the most-known influencers in this

4 BusinessMirror

arena is 22-year-old Alix Earle, who shares her experiences with struggles like acne, an eating disorder and panic attacks as well as lighthearted episodes about nights out with friends. She has nearly 6 million followers on TikTok. Alisha Rei, 18, who lives in Toronto and models, says she wants to create viral social media content to help her build her following and, in turn, her modeling career. She says her friends told her to make Get Ready with Me videos because they tend to be popular.

Because of modeling events, Rei says she’d missed some shifts at her part-time job working at a mall shoe store. So she decided to make a “get ready with me to get fired” video while doing her makeup before she went back for another shift. The video

ments and encourage brand partnerships, which, according to Goldman Sachs, is the largest source of income for creators. The investment bank said in a report earlier this year that the creator economy is worth $250 billion today and could roughly double in size by 2027.

Allie Pribula, a 25-year-old TikToker who used to be an elementary school teacher in the Philadelphia suburbs, says she started making GRWM videos as a way to process her feelings about her old job. Pribula says some companies have since reached out to her to offer gifts and have paid her to market products on her page. She says she considers it a “side hustle.”

Camilla Ramirez Diaz, a 25-year-old optician who lives in Burlingame, California, recently bought a freckle pen that was

“For creators, [the Get Ready with Me video genre] is a vehicle for storytelling,” says Earnest Pettie, a trends insight lead at YouTube. was tagged #pleasedontbelikeme.

In an interview, Rei, a college freshman, says she received a warning from her manager but didn’t get fired. “God is good,” she says.

Often, behind the “getting ready” content lurk other, more commercial messages.

Bartoli notes that many of the confessional videos do more than they might first appear: They can provide more engagement from users who want to receive updates on a story that’s being shared or know more about the products creators are using. That can make the videos good for product placeDecember 3, 2023

featured on GRWM videos she watches at night to wind down her day. Diaz prefers to watch them more on TikTok, where she says the content can be a bit more personal.

She cites a video she recently came across from an influencer who was getting ready while stranded in London due to an expired passport.

“Its almost like you’re watching your friend on FaceTime with you,” Diaz says. “I could sit there all day and watch Get Ready with Me videos from different creators.

They’re just a mix of everything.”

Cover photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com