BusinessMirror December 05, 2021

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A broader look at today’s business n

Sunday, December 5, 2021 Vol. 17 No. 58

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‘DIGITAL DIASPORA’ AVAO CITY—A leading online brand retailer in Asia is seeing a sharp behavioral shift among consumers and brand makers that may reinvent and innovate approaches, especially from the latter, as data analytics—since the onset of the pandemic—indicate the emergence of more discerning consumers adaptive to electronic, or online, shopping experience.

For one, the Southeast Asia Trender Report 2021 by Zalora shows that 40 million Asians made their debut in Internet use and 70 million have made their first online purchase within the 2020 and 2021 period, many of them attracted and drawn into actual purchase by product sales promotion and discount offerings.

When pandemic curbs were imposed by the first quarter of 2020, sales of products like trendy dresses and fashion wear dropped sharply, and replaced by products relating to health and wellness, personal care and apparel, even sports and accessories.

However, some items that were dropped by consumers for practical reasons of movement restrictions are seeing a revival in sales lately, as a promise of a “less stressed” year of 2022 on Covid-19 infections, are opening avenues to revive the engines of travel, fueling new interest in travel and fashion wear again.

Zalora, a member of the Global Fashion Group, boldly predicted

ZALORA CEO Gunjan Soni: “The dawn of a new era of retail is already here in Southeast Asia. As consumers become more discerning and connected, we are seeing incredible innovations happening in the retail sector that completely reimagine the shopping experience.”

that “the future of retail is virtual,” pointing at the momentum of Asian consumers going online and becoming adaptive and savvy about online shopping.

Shoppers of tomorrow

“THE dawn of a new era of retail is already here in Southeast Asia. As

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 50.4010

consumers become more discerning and connected, we are seeing incredible innovations happening in the retail sector that completely reimagine the shopping experience,” Gunjan Soni, chief executive officer of the Zalora Group, told an online presentation of its Trender Report 2021.

She described the “shoppers of tomorrow” as “digital and diverse across Southeast Asia.”

“It’s a digital diaspora,” she said, citing Google trend monitoring that shows 40 million new Internet users came online in 2021, “bringing the internet penetration in Southeast Asia to 75 percent.”

“In fact, eight out of 10 Internet users in the region are digital consumers. Recognizing this shift in adoption, brands quickly expanded their online presence to reach these new digital consumers, and Zalora reported a 19-percent increase in new brands that joined the platform in 2021,” she added.

With more Southeast Asians browsing now and getting themselves more online, the average Asian shopper browses across 7.9 websites before making a decision, up from 5.2 in 2020.

By country countdown, Filipino shoppers spend the highest average number of hours online, at close to 11 hours, “and are most likely to make purchases based on sustainability considerations.”

Compare this with their Indonesian counterparts who are most likely to spend on beauty products and sports equipment as a form of leisure, despite a dip in consumer sentiment due to the pandemic.

Malaysia, though, has the highest percentage of digital natives, at 88 percent or 22 million.

These are the segment of their population that grew up with the

BANG OLAND | DREAMSTIME.COM

D

By Manuel T. Cayon

NMEDIA | DREAMSTIME.COM

Online shopping platform notes behavioral shift among consumers, brand makers amid Covid

Internet and electronic communication gadgets by their side. Google trend shows Malaysian shoppers spend close to 9 hours online on average, “and are the most likely to be value-driven.”

Singaporean shoppers are most likely to invest in luxury purchases, with Google search data showing a 21-percent year-on-year increase in Singaporeans’ searches for luxury goods.

Data consumption

ZALORA’S venture into data analysis allowed its clients to see more clearly the trend in retail.

“Our flagship state-of-the-industry report helps facilitate the industry’s evolution by allowing more brands to understand the changing market and anticipate what the future holds. Our focus continues to be on consumer behaviors vs. market size outlooks and how it is evolving.”

Its latest Trender 2021 Report has outlined key technological shifts in digital payment and consumer experience that come hand in hand with shoppers’ rising digi-

tal savviness and taste for luxury and sustainability.

“The report is positioned as a reference point that helps Zalora’s 900 brand partners navigate the region’s diversity and evolving retail landscape,” Zalora’s CEO Gunjan Soni said.

Aside from digital partners like Google, Mastercard, H&M, Lush, Paula’s Choice, HABIB, Atome, Revery.AI, Visenze, BeLive Technology, TaFF, Finix Wear, Joannalsm, Lily and Lou, and CrescentRating, Zalora also gets its data analysis from the total of 8,000 brands in its fold, the 60 million online visits by shoppers and whose active customers of 4 million helped increase mobile sales by 81 percent in 2021 compared to the previous year.

Brand partners of Zalora would appreciate the other information it obtained such as customers “are 40 percent more likely to spend than planned once they identify the shopping experience as highly personalized.”

This makes virtual sessions helpful for consumers, like live

shows of products, with hosts and guests providing more details and giving testimonies, Zalora said.

It would also help brands innovate on flexible sales promotions, such as giving discounts, and offering easier and attractive payment options such as the buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) option, which, it said, emerged as the most popular option among Asian shoppers.

In Indonesia, for example, Google saw a “10x increase in searches for e-wallet services and 15x rise in BNPL services in the last five years. Other appealing payment options like monthly installments, to 0 percent interest fees on credit cards, provide access to quality products and services while also improving financial inclusion.

Zalora, for instance, offers 21 payment methods across the region, including cash-on-delivery and BNPL options across the markets. It launched its first co-branded credit card in partnership with RCBC and Mastercard in the Philippines, the first-ever fashion and lifestyle credit card in the region that rewards customers every time they shop. It is also the Philippines’ first sustainably made credit card as the Zalora Credit Cards will be made with 84 percent bio-sourced polylactic acid derived from non­ edible corn.

“With 290 million unbanked people in the region, offering alternative payment methods became a must for online retailers,” Zalora said.

Signs of the times

BRAND partners of Zalora may also look at the data: • Fragrances dominated the Personal Care category, overtaking Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4454 n UK 67.0888 n HK 6.4693 n CHINA 7.9027 n SINGAPORE 36.8159 n AUSTRALIA 35.7494 n EU 56.9683 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.4356

Source: BSP (December 3, 2021)

NewsSunday BusinessMirror

A2 Sunday, December 5, 2021

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Omicron and Delta spell return of unpopular restrictions

By Lori Hinnant

P

wear their masks, there’s no need for the lockdowns,” he added.

The rise of the new variant makes little difference to Mark Christensen, a grain buyer for an ethanol plant in Nebraska. He rejects any vaccination mandate and doesn’t understand why it would be needed. In any event, he said, most businesses in his corner of the state are too small to fall under the regulations.

“If they were just encouraging me to take it, that’s one thing,” Christensen said. “But I believe in freedom of choice, not decisions by force.”

Chile has taken a harder line since the emergence of Omicron: People over 18 must receive a booster dose every six months to keep their pass that allows access to restaurants, hotels and public gatherings.

And Chile never dropped its requirement to wear masks in public— probably the most common renewed restriction around the world.

The Associated Press

ARIS—Greeks who are over age 60 and refuse coronavirus vaccinations could be hit with monthly fines of more than one-quarter of their pensions—a get-tough policy that the country’s politicians say will cost votes but save lives.

In Israel, potential carriers of the new Omicron variant could be tracked by the nation’s domestic security agency in seeming defiance of a Supreme Court ruling from the last go-round.

Weekly protests in the Netherlands over the country’s 5 p.m. lockdown and other new restrictions have descended into violence, despite what appears to be overwhelming acceptance of the rules.

With the Delta variant of Covid-19 pushing up cases in Europe and growing fears over the Omicron variant, governments around the world are weighing new measures for populations tired of hearing about restrictions and vaccines.

‘Frustration’

IT’S a thorny calculus made more difficult by the prospect of backlash, increased social divisions and, for many politicians, the fear of being voted out of office.

“I know the frustration that we all feel with this Omicron variant, the sense of exhaustion that we could be going through this all

over again,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday, two days after the government announced that masks would be mandatory again in stores and on public transportation and required all visitors from abroad to undergo a Covid-19 test and quarantine.

“We’re trying to take a balanced and proportioned approach.”

New restrictions, or variations on the old ones, are cropping up around the world, especially in Europe, where leaders are at pains to explain what looks like a failed promise: that mass vaccinations would mean an end to widely loathed limitations.

“People need normality. They need families, they need to see people, obviously safely, socially distancing, but I really think, this Christmas now, people have had enough,” said Belinda Storey, who runs a stall at a Christmas market in Nottingham, England.

In the Netherlands, where the curfew went into effect last week, mounted police patrol to break up demonstrations against the new

Masks and home tests

A MAN takes part in a demonstration against the country’s coronavirus restrictions in Vienna, Austria, on Saturday, November 20, 2021. The coronavirus’s Omicron variant kept a jittery world off-kilter Wednesday, December 1, 2021, as reports of infections linked to the mutant strain cropped up in more parts of the globe, and one official said that the wait for more information on its dangers felt like “an eternity.” AP

lockdown, which is among the world’s strictest. But most people appeared resigned to rush through errands and head home.

“The only thing we can do is to listen to the rules, follow them and hope it’s not getting worse. For me it’s no problem. I’m a nurse. I know how sick people get,” said Wilma van Kampen.

In Greece, residents over 60

face fines of €100 ($113) a month if they fail to get vaccinated. The fines will be tacked onto tax bills in January.

About 17 percent of Greeks over 60 are unvaccinated despite various efforts to prod them to get their shots, and nine in 10 Greeks currently dying of Covid-19 are over 60.

“I don’t care whether the measure will cost me some extra votes in the elections,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Wednesday after lawmakers passed the measure. “I am convinced that we are doing the right thing, and I am convinced that this policy will save lives.”

Employing a carrot instead of a stick, Slovakia’s government is proposing to give people 60 and older a €500 ($568) bonus if they get vaccinated.

Phone trace option

IN Israel, the government this week approved resuming the use of a controversial phone-monitoring technology to perform contact tracing of people confirmed to have the Omicron variant.

Israeli rights groups have decried the use of the technology as a violation of privacy rights, and others have noted that its accuracy in indoor places is flawed, leading to large numbers of people being wrongly flagged. The Supreme Court earlier this year issued a ruling limiting its use.

“We need to use this tool in

extreme situations, and I am not convinced we are in that kind of situation,” Justice Minister Gideon Saar told Israeli public broadcaster Kan this week.

In South Africa, which alerted the World Health Organization to the Omicron variant, previous restrictions included curfews and a ban on alcohol sales. This time, President Cyril Ramaphosa is simply calling on more people to get vaccines “to help restore the social freedoms we all yearn for.”

In the US, there is little appetite in either political party for a return to lockdowns or strict contact tracing. Enforcing even simple measures like mask wearing has become a political flashpoint. And Republicans are suing to block the Biden administration’s new getvaccinated-or-get-tested requirement for large employers.

President Joe Biden, whose political fate may well hinge on controlling the pandemic, has used a combination of pressure and urgent appeals to induce people to get their first shots or a booster.

Also, the administration is working toward requiring that all air travelers to the US be tested within a day before boarding their flight, instead of the current three days.

But Biden has said the US will fight Covid-19 and the new variant “not with shutdowns or lockdowns but with more widespread vaccinations, boosters, testing, and more.”

“If people are vaccinated and

DR. Madhukar Pai, of McGill University’s School of Population and Public Health, said that masks are an easy and pain-free way of keeping transmission down, but that cheap, at-home tests need to be much more widespread, in both rich and poor countries.

He said both approaches give people a sense of control over their own behavior that is lost with a lockdown and make it easier to accept the need to do things like cancel a party or stay inside.

Pai said requiring boosters universally, as is essentially the case in Israel, Chile and many countries in Europe, including France, will only prolong the pandemic by making it harder to get first doses to the developing world. That raises the odds of still more variants.

Lockdowns, he said, should be the very last choice.

“Lockdowns only come up when a system is failing,” he said.

“We do it when the hospital system is about to collapse. It’s a last resort that indicates you have failed to do all the right things.”

That’s not how lockdowns are seen in communist China, which allows little dissent. At each new outbreak, entire cities are sealed, and sometimes millions of people undergo mass testing. In the strictest lockdowns, people are forbidden to leave their homes, and groceries are brought to their door.

So far, China hasn’t seen the need for new restrictions in response to the Omicron variant. The head of China’s Center for Disease Control’s Epidemiology unit, Wu Zunyou, said Omicron, for now, poses a manageable threat, and “no matter what variant, our public health measures are effective.”

‘DIGITAL DIASPORA’ Continued from A1

face serums and hair care, with a continued increase in the average basket size for beauty products;

• Lockdown shopping: Reflecting the acceleration in the adoption of e-commerce shopping in the region, the average basket size on Zalora across Southeast Asia increased from $77 and 2.18 items pre-Covid, to $85 and 2.37 items during periods of low alert, and further to $96 and 2.70 items during periods of high alert;

• Consumers are investing more in casual wear and focusing on their fitness as demand for dressier pieces went down; both men and women across the region have spent more on sportswear compared to other product categories; • As consumers start planning their social calendars, forgotten categories are seeing a rebound. For example, when Singapore announced its Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) pilot with Germany, the search terms for winter wear increased by 275 percent, and searches for thermal clothing rose by 325 percent;

• Muslim consumers in the Philippines notched the highest increase in online searches, at 38 percent compared to 2020 level.

This is more than double the next country with more Muslim population, Malaysia, with an increase of 15 percent in Google search for products. They search mostly for Halal goods, and mainly on dresses and accessories, such as traditional tops, dresses, tudungs and head scarves, batik cloth and prayer headgear.

And men are becoming vain, too. Beauty product sales among male consumers jumped 247 percent in 2020, from 2019 and went 45 percent more this year. “No wonder then that the global male grooming market is expected to be worth $166 billion by 2022,” Zalora said, citing a report by the Allied Market Research, which further reported that the Asia-Pacific region is one of the fastest-growing regions for men’s makeup and grooming category. As this trend grows, Zalora added, “the men’s cosmetics industry in Southeast Asia is forecast to grow by an aver-

age of 8.6 percent a year from 2020 to 2026.”

Bold prediction

THE future of retail is virtual.

This bold prediction by Zalora comes from its data analysis that current government warnings on health protocol and other “augmented reality features are no longer a bonus but an expected prerequisite for online retailers.”

“At a time where social distancing is still common, the [various electronic shopping and payment] technology is highly sought after,” Soni said.

“Similarly, fashion retail has undergone what some may call an accelerated trial by fire in recent months. The Great Retail Reckoning of 2020 has seen e-commerce grow by leaps and bounds amid rapid digitization of businesses worldwide. And brands are rightfully investing more than ever to thrive in this new ecosystem. This marks the new era in retail as both consumers and brands are looking at the near future with a more optimistic lens,” Zalora said.

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

TheWorld BusinessMirror

Sunday, December 5, 2021

A3

High power costs, supply chain disruptions fuel global inflation

By Justin Spike, Paul Wiseman & Vanessa Gera

A container ship is docked at the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach in California on October 1. Many parts of the country were hit by supply chain disruptions and labor shortages in November, the Federal Reserve reported on December 1. In a survey of business conditions around the country, the Fed’s 12 regional banks found that the economy continued to grow at a modest-to-moderate pace, and the outlook for future growth remains positive. AP/Jae C. Hong

Fed survey finds supply-chain shortages raising US inflation

By Martin Crutsinger AP Economics Writer

W

ASHINGTON—Many parts of the country were hit by supply chain disruptions and labor shortages in November, the Federal Reserve reported Wednesday.

In a survey of business conditions around the country, the Fed’s 12 regional banks found that the economy continued to grow at a modest-to-moderate pace, and the outlook for future growth remains positive.

But some of the Fed’s some business contacts expressed uncertainty about when the problems presented by supply chain bottlenecks and labor shortages might begin to ease.

In part because of the supply chain problems, price increases were reported to be widespread across the economy.

“There were wide-ranging input cost increases stemming from strong demand for raw materials, logistical challenges and labor market tightness,” the Fed’s report, known as the beige book, said.

The Fed survey, which is based on interviews with business contacts last month in all 12 of the Fed’s regional bank districts, will form the basis for discussions when central bank officials hold their final meeting of the year on December 14-15.

In congressional testimony this week, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank is prepared to speed up the pace of the pullback of the easy-money policies it has been using to support the economy for the past 20 months.

The Fed had been buying $120 billion in Treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities since the spring of 2020. At its meeting last month, the central bank announced that it would start to trim those purchases, which serve to keep long-term interest rates low, by $15 billion in November and another $15 billion in December.

Powell’s comments this week indicated the Fed may announce at its December meeting that it will make larger monthly reductions in the future so that the bond purchases can be totally ended earlier than the June end-date which had been expected.

That would clear the way for the Fed to begin raising its benchmark interest rate, which was reduced to a record low of 0 percent to 0.25 percent in early 2020.

Both the ending of the bond purchases and the start of interest rate hikes would be expected to raise borrowing costs for consumers and businesses as a way to slow the economy and fight inflationary pressures.

Powell made his comments as inflation has surged to a threedecade high, largely because the pandemic has limited supplies at a time when the re-opening of the economy has led to high demand.

The Fed report said that companies were complaining about “persistent difficulty in hiring and retaining employees” with many leisure and hospitality firms still limiting operating hours due to a lack of workers.

The report said businesses had heard a variety of reasons for the labor shortages. Those included the lack of childcare, retirements, and continued safety concerns revolving around the persistence of Covid cases. The survey was conducted before the emergence of the new Omicron variant.

“Nearly all districts reported robust wage growth,” the Fed said. “Hiring struggles and elevated turnover rates led businesses to raise wages and offer other incentives, such as bonuses and more f lexible working arrangements.” AP

B

The Associated Press

UDAPEST, Hungary—From appliance stores in the United States to food markets in Hungary and gas stations in Poland, rising consumer prices fueled by high energy costs and supply chain disruptions are putting a pinch on households and businesses worldwide.

Rising inflation is leading to price increases for food, gas and other products and pushing many people to choose between digging deeper into their pockets or tightening their belts. In developing economies, it’s especially dire.

“We’ve noticed that we’re consuming less,” Gabor Pardi, a shopper at an open-air food market in Hungary’s capital, Budapest, said after buying a sack of fresh vegetables recently. “We try to shop for the cheapest and most economical things, even if they don’t look as good.”

Nearly two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic impact of the crisis is still being felt even after countries raced out of debilitating lockdowns and consumer demand rebounded. Making things worse, a new surge of infections is leading to renewed restrictions in Europe and other parts of the world.

The reverberations are hitting central and Eastern Europe especially hard, where countries have some of the highest inflation rates in the 27-nation European Union and people are struggling to buy food or fill their fuel tanks.

A butcher at the Budapest food market, Ildiko Vardos Serfozo, said she’s seen a drop in business as customers head to multinational grocery chains that can offer discounts by buying in large wholesale quantities.

“Buyers are price sensitive and therefore often leave us behind, even if our products are high quality. Money talks,” she said. “We notice that inflation is not good for us.... I’m just glad my kids don’t want to continue this family business, I don’t see much future in it.”

In nearby Poland, Barbara Grotowska, a 71-year-old pensioner, said outside a discount supermarket in the capital of Warsaw that she’s been hit hardest by her garbage collection fee nearly tripling to 88 zlotys ($21). She also lamented that the cooking oil she uses has gone up by a third of its price, to 10 zlotys ($2.40).

“That’s a real difference,” she said.

The recent pickup in inflation has caught business leaders and economists around the world by

surprise.

In spring 2020, the coronavirus crushed the global economy: governments ordered lockdowns, businesses c losed or slashed hours and families stayed home.

Companies braced for the worst, canceling orders and putting off investments.

In an attempt to stave off economic catastrophe, wealthy countries—most notably the United States—introduced trillions of dollars worth of government aid, an economic mobilization on a scale unseen since World War II. Central banks also slashed interest rates in a bid to revive economic activity.

But those efforts to jump-start economies have had unintended consequences: as consumers felt more emboldened to spend the money they had received through government assistance or lowinterest bor row ing, and vaccine rollouts encouraged people to return to restaurants, bars and shops, the surge in demand tested the capacity of suppliers to keep pace.

Ports and freight yards were suddenly clogged with shipments, and prices began to rise as global supply chains seized up—especially as new outbreaks of Covid-19 sometimes shut down factories and ports in Asia.

The rise in prices has been dramatic. Inflation in the United States surged to 6.2 percent in October, the highest since 1990, and the International Monetary Fund predicts that world consumer prices will rise 4.3 percent this year, the biggest jump since 2011.

It is most pronounced in the developing economies of central and Eastern Europe, with the highest annual rates recorded in Lithuania (8.2 percent), Estonia (6.8 percent) and Hungary (6.6 percent). In Poland, one of Europe’s fastest-growing economies, inflation came in at 6.4 percent in October, the highest rate in two decades.

Several shoppers at a vegetable stand in Warsaw said they are anxious about rising prices for staples like bread and cooking oil and are expecting the situation to get worse in the New Year, when energy prices are set to rise.

A vendor sells food items, at a food market in Budapest, Hungary on November 20. From appliance stores in the United States to food markets, in Hungary and gas stations in Poland, rising consumer prices fueled by high energy costs and supply chain disruptions are putting a pinch on households and businesses worldwide. As economies recover from lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, increased consumer demand has helped lead to rising inflation.

AP/Laszlo Balogh

Piotr Molak, a 44-year-old vegetable vendor, said he has not yet had to raise prices on the potatoes, apples or carrots he sells but the cherry tomatoes he imports from Spain and Italy, which he buys in euros, have gotten far more expensive as Poland’s currency, the zloty, has weakened.

“We will mostly feel this in the new year when electricity goes up,” Molak said. “We are really going to feel it when we have to spend more on our home than on pleasure.”

The weakening of currencies across central and Eastern Europe against the US dollar and euro is pushing up the price of imports and fuel and exacerbating the pinch from supply backups and other factors.

Hungary’s currency, the forint, has lost around 16 percent of its value against the dollar in the last six months and slipped to a historic low against the euro last week. That’s part of a strategy by Hungary’s central bank to keep the country competitive and attract foreign companies seeking cheap labor, said Zsolt Balassi, a portfolio manager at Hold Asset Management in Budapest.

But prices on imported goods have skyrocketed, and global oil prices set in US dollars have pushed fuel costs to record levels.

“As the Hungarian forint, and actually all regional currencies, are more or less constantly weakening, this will constantly raise oil prices in our currencies,” Balassi said.

In response to record fuel prices, which peaked this month at 506 forints ($1.59) for gasoline and 512 forints ($1.61) for diesel per liter, Hungary’s government announced a 480-forint ($1.50) cap at filling stations.

While giving some relief, Hungar y’s upcoming elections, in which the right-wing governing party faces the most serious challenge since it was elected in 2010, were likely a factor, Balassi said.

“This is obviously a political decision which has huge economic disadvantages, but probably

it makes the households happy,” he said.

The political nature of some economic decisions is not limited to Hungary.

Poland ’s central bank, also facing a weakening currency, has been accused by critics of allowing inflation to rise too high for too long to encourage economic growth and bolster support for the ruling party.

The bank surprised markets with the timing and size of two base interest rate hikes in October and November in a bid to ease prices, while Hungary’s central bank has raised rates in smaller increments six times this year.

Still, if central banks move too aggressively too soon to control inflation, it could short-circuit the economic recovery, said Carmen Reinhart, chief economist at the World Bank.

She worries about higher food prices that primarily hurt the poor in developing countries, where a disproportionate share of family budgets goes toward keeping food on the table.

“Food prices are a barometer for social unrest,’’ Reinhart said, noting that the Arab Spring uprisings that began in 2010 were caused partly by higher food prices.

Anna Andrzejczak, a 41-yearold who works for an environmental foundation in Poland, was still a child when Communism ended there in 1989 and has only a vague memory of the hyperinflation and other economic “tumult” that came with the transition to a market economy.

But she feels the prices going up “every time I fill my tank,” with fuel costs having risen some 35 percent in the last year.

“We’ve had a period of stability in past years, so this inflation now is a big shock,” Andrzejczak said.

“We don’t have the price increases that we had then, but I think this will cause big stress.”

Wiseman reported from Washington, and Gera from Warsaw, Poland.

Apple tells suppliers iPhone 13 demand down as holidays near

A

pple Inc., suffering from a global supply crunch, is now confronting a different problem: slowing demand.

The company has told its component suppliers that demand for the iPhone 13 lineup has weakened, people familiar with the matter said, signaling that some consumers have decided against trying to get the hard-to-find item.

A lready, Apple had cut its iPhone 13 production goal for

this year by as many as 10 million units, down from a target of 90 million, because of a lack of parts, Bloomberg News reported. But the hope was to make up much of that shortfall next year—when supply is expected to improve. The company is now informing its vendors that those orders may not materialize, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private.

The company is still on track for

a record holiday season, with analysts projecting a sales increase of 6 percent to $117.9 billion in the final three months of the calendar year. But it won’t be the blockbuster quarter that Apple—and Wall Street—had originally envisioned.

Shortages and delivery delays have frustrated many consumers. And with inflation and the Omicron variant bringing fresh concerns to pandemic-weary shoppers, they may forgo some purchases.

That could mean skipping the iPhone 13 altogether and waiting to upgrade next year, when its successor comes out. The current lineup, which starts at $799 for the standard model and $999 for the Pro, is considered a modest update from the iPhone 12, which had a whole new design. Bigger changes are expected for the 2022 model, giving some shoppers a reason to wait.

Apple, based in Cupertino, California, declined to comment.

Apple’s shares fell 1 percent in pre-market trading in New York, while suppliers across Asia and Europe extended their declines after Bloomberg’s report. In South Korea, LG Innotek Co. slid 8.4 percent, while Japan’s TDK Corp. dropped 3.6 percent. In Europe, STMicroelectronics NV slipped 3.9 percent and Infineon Technologies AG declined 3.1 percent.

The iPhone is Apple’s flagship product, accounting for about half of

its $365.8 billion in revenue during the last fiscal year, and rolling out upgrades is a delicate dance. With the iPhone 13, Apple and wireless carriers unleashed aggressive rebate programs to spur purchases.

In some cases, owners of an iPhone 12 or earlier models were able to buy an iPhone 13 at little to no cost.

While discount programs are still available, some offer less dramatic savings than when new models first went on sale. Bloomberg News

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Sunday, December 5, 2021

TheWorld BusinessMirror

UN says 274 million people will need humanitarian aid in 2022 I

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Gas traders fear prices could plunge after a volatile winter

By Jamey Keaten

G

The Associated Press

ENEVA—The United Nations is predicting that a record 274 million people—who together would amount to the world’s fourth most-populous country—will require emergency humanitarian aid next year in countries like Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Syria and Yemen which face a raft of challenges including war, insecurity, hunger, climate change and the coronavirus pandemic.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in its annual overview of future needs, is projecting a 17-percent jump in the number of people who will need urgent assistance in 2022, and is appealing to donors to provide a record $41 billion to help 183 million people who are the most in need.

“The climate crisis is hitting

the world’s most vulnerable people first and worst. Protracted conflicts grind on, and instability has worsened in several parts of the world, notably Ethiopia, Myanmar and Afghanistan,” said Martin Griffiths, the head of OCHA. “The pandemic is not over, and poor countries are deprived of vaccines.”

T he appea l pu l ls toget her

needs from an array of UN agencies and their partners, and is likely to fall short of its ambitions. This year, donors provided over $17 billion for projects in last year’s Global Humanitarian Overview from OCHA, but funding has been less than half of the UN request for 2021.

This year, Griffiths said, “we reached 70 percent of the people that we wanted to. We’re aware that we’re not going to get the $41 billion, much as we will try hard.”

The overview lays out countryspecific plans for 30 countries, half of them in Africa, and most of the rest in the Middle East or Latin America.

Griffiths cited estimates by the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization that 45 million people are at risk of famine, in dozens of countries.

“Humanitarian aid matters,” said Griffiths. “We were able to stop famine affecting half a million people in southern Sudan… we delivered health care to 10 million people in Yemen…we’ve helped vaccinate millions in Myanmar.”

OCHA says more than 24 million people require life-saving assistance in Afghanistan, driven by conflict, political turmoil, the

coronavirus, economic shocks and the worst drought in more than a generation.

“We never left Afghanistan.

And we are there now with a projected program for 2022, three times the size of the program for 2021—because of the various needs and circumstances that you know so well,” he said.

That appeared to be an allusion to the ouster of the internationally-backed Afghan government by Taliban fighters in August, and surge of humanitarian needs in the country—including the fight against famine and hunger—since then.

Griffiths said the situation in Ethiopia, where the government has been battling fighters from the Tigray region, is the “most worrying” in terms of “urgent, immediate need” and said he was “very worried” about a possible siege by fighters on the capital, Addis Ababa.

“The capacity to respond to an imploded Ethiopia is almost impossible to imagine,” he said.

“I think Ethiopia is the most concerning,” Griffiths said, adding: “It’s a terrible thing to have to choose between, you know, places of such great need” in the world.

t’s been a roller-coaster ride for natural gas this year, with most of the time spent climbing to newer heights.

Spot contracts in Asia and Europe surged to a record, triggering factor y closures and bankrupting energ y retailers from Singapore to t he UK Higher prices also meant storage facilities weren’t replenished as much as usual, and now they’re being depleted quickly.

The worst is far from over with frigid winter weather on the horizon for many parts of the world, while fears remain that the market may stay out of balance through much of next year.

Here are some of the questions traders will be asking about 2022:

What’s up with Nord Stream 2?

Europe’s sky-high prices should plummet when the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia starts, as the new flows ease shortage fears. The problem is that no one is entirely sure when that will happen.

T he 1,230 -kilometer (764 mile) project is engulfed in bureaucracy, waiting for a nod from the German regulator and a review by European Union authorities. That means the continent may go through the bulk of winter without the extra billions of cubic meters Russia could pump.

The approval process could delay the start of operations until the spring or even summer of 2022. A “no pipeline” scenario could push storage to a critically low level by winter’s end, according to BloombergNEF. That could pressure governments to approve the pipeline in some way before then to keep households warmer and bills lower.

Will China stay hungry?

China’s seemingly insatiable appetite for liquefied natural gas keeps surprising the market, with the nation set to become the world’s biggest importer of the super-chilled fuel this year—well before analysts predicted.

The ongoing energy shortage is due partly to China’s need to power its economy while shifting away from dirtier fuels, particularly coal, in pursuit of ambitious climate goals. Economic growth for 2021 will exceed target, and the government said it is fully conf ident about ne x t yea r— potentially leaving less gas for Asian rivals, Europe and South America.

“China clearly will have increased gas demand,” said Steve Hill, executive vice president at Shell Energy. “If China has to find solutions to reduce its emissions, gas will have to play a bigger role because, ultimately, some coal will need to be displaced.”

Bloomberg News

Science Sunday

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

BusinessMirror

Sunday, December 5, 2021

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This e-trike is light weight, allows physical distancing DOST holds first Nicer summit of 37 hubs to boost regional development

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research and development (R&D) center is designing, developing and fabricating an electric tricycle (e-trike) that focuses on the reduction of weight through an improved body shell design and lightweight materials.

Besides that, the e-trike will be responsive to the pandemic situation by ensuring that its design allows physical distancing and prevents the spread of viral infections.

The project is one of the highlights of the first summit of the Niche Centers in the Region for R&D (Nicer) that was held on Friday by the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Science for Change (S4C) Program, a news release said.

The online event titled, “Conference on Accelerating STI in the Country through a Regionally Inclusive R&D,” showcased 37 inno-

vation hubs from the 17 regions in the country.

The e-trike is a project of the E-Mobility R&D Center led by Cagayan State University and the University of the Philippines Diliman.

The Nicer will redesign a lightweight chassis, improve mechanical energy transmission systems, and determine the optimal electronic/electrical systems for the mechanical design of the tricycle.

After assembly and integration of the different parts to create the e-trike, its performance will be tested in actual road conditions.

Besides, the center will design

Manila’s Brgy. 412 is best S&T community

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arangay 412, Zone 42 in Legarda, Manila, was chosen as the 2021 Best CEST Community.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) conferred the award to Barangay 412 on November 27 as part of the celebration of the National Science and Technology Week, Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña said in his weekly DOST Report.

The barangay is one of the communities assisted by DOST-National Capital

Region (NCR) under the Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) Program.

Situated along the Estero de San Miguel, Barangay 412 Zone 42 was once a target for force eviction and relocation due to their hazardous living conditions.

In 2017, the DOST-NCR entered the community through the CEST Program, and provided support based on results of a series of focus group discussions.

Among the assistance provided to the

The e-trikes being developed by E-Mobility R&D Center led by Cagayan State University and the University of the Philippines Diliman. S4CP photo

the electrical and electronic components of e-tricycle. It will also determine if the conversion of conventional tricycle to e-trike will be viable.

Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña said: “Our Nicer Centers are actively taking on the challenge of elevating the products, commodities, and expertise of the regions through the development of smart and innovative solutions

and strategies.” “ Through inclusive innovation where no Region will be left behind and a properly supported R&D network, our country will be able to sustain itself and remain resilient, particularly in difficult times,” de la Peña added.

For her part, Science Undersecretary for R&D, Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara said: “The Nicer Program has cata lyzed

community is the improvement of the residents’ sewing livelihood, dubbed as “Sastrepreneurship Program.

Besides its flourishing sewing livelihood, which gave them an an income amounting to P327,000 from June 2019 to March 2021, the community was also a recipient of the Gulayan sa Pamayanan (GSP) Program, providing 720 pieces of “super paso” to 60 families and to the barangay ’s communal garden, de la Peña said.

At the same time, the barangay established its Material Recovery Facility

after they were provided with technologies on waste management, such as dual drum composter and plastic shredder.

The barangay is also active in engaging with Claro M. Recto High School for their initiatives in community development.

The school was provided with support activities for human resource development, such as Invent School, Wanderlab, and Hands-on Minds-on Microscale Chemistry Workshop.

As a result, three students from the school passed as DOST scholars, de la Peña proudly said.

DOST-PCAARRD celebrates 10 yrs with conferment of awards

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he Ph i l ippi ne Cou nc i l for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natura l Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCA ARRD) last week celebrated its 10th anniversary and accomplishments which it highlighted with conferment of awards and recognitions.

With the theme, “Harnessing the gains of Galing-PCA ARRD toward a more resilient A ANR sector,” the DOST-PC A A R R D conferred the Dr. Elvira O. Tan Award, Best R&D Papers and Ulat Sipag Award. AANR stands for agriculture, aquatic and natural resources.

Dr. Elvira O. Tan Award

Three exceptional published research papers on A ANR were conferred with the Dr. Elvira O. Tan Award.

The award pays tribute to Filipino scientists and researchers for their exceptional publication of research and development (R&D) results, which support DOSTPCAARRD’s mission to advance the country’s national economic and food security.

Outstanding Published Paper in Agriculture: University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) and Cavite State University (CvSU) for the paper, “Growth response of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) plant as affected by bamboo biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in sterilized and unsterilized soil” The researcher-writer team is composed of Nelly S. Aggangan, Angelbert D. Cortes, and Consorcia E. Reaño.

Outstanding Paper in Aquatic Sciences: University of the Philippines Diliman Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) and the School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering (SESEE), Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology The study, “Predicting fish kills

and toxic blooms in an intensive mariculture site in the Philippines using a machine learning model,” was undertaken by Aletta Concepcion T. Yñiguez of UP-MSI and Zheina J. Ottong of SESEE. Outstanding Paper in the Natural Resources and Environment: “Soil C quantities of mangrove forests, their competing land uses, and their spatial distribution in the coast of Honda Bay, Philippines” The team from Department of Env ironment and Natura l Resources-Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau, University of Southern Queensland and Ateneo de Manila University is composed of Jose Alan A. Castillo, Armando A. Apan, Tek Narayan Maraseni and Severino G. Salmo III.

Best Research and Best Development Paper

Central Mindanao University (CMU) and UP Mindanao garnered the Best Research Paper and Best Development Paper, respectively.

The Best R&D Papers were recognized by the annual National Symposium on Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of DOST-PCAARRD.

Best Research Papers

First place: “Saving the Imperiled Marilog Forests in Southern Mindanao, Philippines: Inventory, Assessment and Conservation for Sustainable Community Utilization” of CMU. The research established the nursery and re-introduced the seedlings of endangered, endemic, and economically important plants to the forests through the Assisted Natural Regeneration efforts.

The study paved for Mount Malambo of Marilog Forests Reserve to be declared as the Local Conservation Area through

a barangay resolution.

Second place: University of Southeastern Philippines for the paper, “Development of Rosanna Banana Disease Sur vei l lance System.”

The research developed a mobile application or app for an agricultural disease surveillance system to gather and disseminate disease-related information at the farm level.

Third place: National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology-UP Los Baños for the paper, “Zinc Biofortification and Growth Enhancement of Rice and Corn using Zinc Solubilizing Bacteria.”

The research demonstrated the utility of zinc-solubilizing microorganisms in harnessing insoluble forms of zinc compounds in the soil. Zinc solubilizing inoculant biofortifies zinc content of rice and corn, making it a promising solution against dietary zinc deficiency.

Best Development Papers

First place: UP Mindanao’s “Giving Farmers uwen fananafedew: Improving Agricultural Extension in Conf lict-Vulnerable Areas through the Livelihood Improvement through Facilitated Extension (LIFE) Model.”

T he LIFE Model is an e xtension modality for conf lictvulnerable areas. The program forged 17 memoranda of agreement w it h loca l gover nment units and institutions.

Second place: Philippine Carabao Center’s “Sustainable Homegrown Forages and Complete Nutrient Diet Towards Enhancing Growth and Milk Production of Dairy Buffaloes in Nueva Ecija and San Agustin, Isabela.”

The research capacitated participating farmers to produce homegrown forages and prepares complete nutrient diet developed for buffaloes.

Third place: Benguet State

University’s “Disaster Risk Reduction of Climate Change Impacts on Vegetable Terrace Farms in Benguet.”

The research capacitated vegetable farmers and officials on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and mitigation through science and technology interventions.

Ulat Sipag Award for the media

T his yea r, DOS T-PC A A R R D awards two major categories: National Print and Broadcast, and Regional Print and Broadcast.

National print awardees

First place: Julio P. Yap, Jr., business editor of the Daily Tribune. This is his fourth consecutive first place win of the award.

Yap also won a special recognition under the regional print category for disseminating articles through the local paper, Panay News.

Second place: Ly n B. Resu rreccion, science editor of BusinessMir ror Third place: Glendel D. Nazario, reporter of Manila Bulletin.

National Broadcast awardees

First place: Hermelina C. Tenorio, host of “Syensya Na, Tekno Pa” program of the Eagle Broadcasting Corp.

Second place: Dr. Josephine D. Agapito, host of “Pinoy Scientist” program of the Eagle Broadcasting Corp.

Third place: Annabelle D. Surara, host of “Eat Connect Na” of Eagle Broadcasting Corp.

Regional broadcast awardees

First place: Emil Jun B. Delos Santos “Daniel Castro,” host of “Diskarte ni Daniel Castro” of DZJV 1458 Radyo Calabarzon Second place: Rose A nne L .

Sibag, host of “Kaibigan sa Barangay” of DZJV 1458 Radyo Calabarzon.

Rose Anne M. Aya/S&T Media Services

collaborations among academe, national government agencies, loca l gover nment units, a nd private industry, which in turn, contributed to accelerating the country’s social and economic development.”

Guevara explained that through the establishment of the Nicers, Filipino researchers “were able to advance their role from the status quo of peer-centric R&D toward a society-centric R&D.” This advancement ensures that the researchers are focused on achieving socio-economic impact from their research efforts in addition to training young scientists, frequent publications, and technology development, she said.

“Through society-centric R&D efforts and inclusive innovation, the Sustainable Development Goals will be achieved,” she added.

The event called for the universities and research institutions, in collaboration with the government agencies and the private sector, to join the aspiration of pursuing inclusive innovation.

The next Call for Proposals is on March 2022.

With all the stakeholders engaged in the establishment of the Nicers, it is evident that academe-industry-government collaboration really works and indeed boosts regional development.

“We are excited how these collaborations and partnerships will grow, continue to expand, and give birth eventually to new national research, development, and innovation institutions. We need the commitment, support, and assistance of everyone in making it happen in the not-so-distant future,” said Science Undersecretary for Regional Operations, Engr.

Sancho A. Mabborang.

The House of Representatives approved the Science for Change Program (S4CP) bill, in its third and final reading in September. It is hoped that the Senate will soon start discussing the S4CP bill.

By institutionalizing the S4CP, a massive increase in R&D investments will address issues that hold back the Philippines from fully benefiting from science, technology, and innovation, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the S4C news release said.

From beauty queen to soldier: DOST scholars celebrated in new book

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nybody from any walk of life can be—and benefit from being—a science scholar.

This is the main message of a new coffee table book that was launched by the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute in partnership with the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC) as part of the recent National Science and Technology Week (NSTW), the DOST-SEI said in a news release.

Titled, “Ripples: Transformations Beyond Science,” the volume highlights the value of science scholarships, and even scientific thinking, beyond the confines of the laboratory and the academe.

It contains a wealth of personal testimonials from people from a multitude of backgrounds—not just teachers and scientists, but also soldiers, lawyers, and even a beauty queen.

“DOST-SEI programs contributed significantly to where the beneficiaries are now, regardless of whether or not they settled within or drifted outside of science,” said PSSC Executive Director Dr. Lourdes Portus on her team’s findings.

“A common thread that weaves and binds their outlook in life is the desire to pay forward and serve the communities where they belong,” she said Portus added: “You could say that the generous assistance given by DOST-SEI ‘rippled’ into a desire to communicate the importance of science in solving the country’s problems.”

Not many people know that before winning the prestigious Miss Earth title in 2017, Karen Ibasco was a scholar under the Accelerated Science and Technology Human Resource Development Program (ASTHRDP), which provides financial assistance to students applying for MS and PhD programs in the Philippines.

With DOST-SEI’s help, Ibasco entered and finished her degree in MS Medical Physics in UST. “Every time someone would ask, they would be surprised, ‘Ah, I didn’t know you were a DOST scholar!’ And I’d say that I also couldn’t believe it before, to be honest, that I was chosen to be one!” Ibasco told the researchers.

There is also the story of lawyer and former Army captain Carol Lim-Gamban, who was a science high-school scholar through the Republic Act 8496, or the Philippine Science High School System Act of 1997, as well as an ASTHRDP scholar.

These scholarships led her to pursue a colorful career in physics and teaching at the prestigious Philippine Military Academy, and eventually into law.

“I thank the DOST so much… they were the ones instrumental to spark the interest... have a stepping stone, have hope. They give hope,” Lim-Gamban said partly in Fillipino.

The book launching was graced by DOST Undersecretary Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevarra, herself a former scholar—a fondly remembered experience that also enabled her family to send all of her other siblings to school.

“Being a beneficiary of the DOST SEI scholarships, in and of itself, has determined the trajectory of my life so far,” she said.

“Anybody who has a DOST-SEI scholar in the family will surely improve their economic status.”

Besides firsthand testimonials, Ripples also takes a long hard look at how the DOST-SEI’s various scholarship programs have impacted STEM education in the country—and how these can be further improved.

“While much has already been said about the transformative power of a good STEM education, we don’t always get to see the personal stories of our scholars themselves,” said DOSTSEI Director Josette T. Biyo.

“We hope that these testimonials inspire more Filipinos to pursue meaningful careers in STEM, regardless of their circumstances and background,” Biyo added. S&T Media Services

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Sunday, December 5, 2021

Faith

Sunday

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

Bp. David assumes post as CBCP head; laments Filipinos’ growing ‘escapism’ T ishop Pablo Virgilio David

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, Filipino families to be consecrated to St. Joseph on Dec. 8

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be elected a second term, giving them a total of four years in office.

The CBCP meets in regular sessions twice a year, in January and in July. When not in session, the permanent council acts on behalf of the conference.

of Kalookan assumed his new post as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on December 1.

On the same day, David lamented, in his speech after being conferred the honorary doctor of humanities degree from Holy Angel University in Angeles City, what he described as growing “escapism” among many Filipinos.

He said such an attitude is “very wrong” especially for those who are only “seduced by troll propaganda in the social media.”

He pointed out that having a sense of history is crucial “because we do not want our past mistakes to keep repeating themselves.”

“Otherwise, the ghost of the past can continue to haunt us in the present,” David said.

“We remain in that dark and perpetual state of victimhood that deprives us of a future, because we do not know how to review the past in a manner that lights up our path in the present for the future,” he said.

The Kalookan bishop warned

that without a sense of history, “we cannot even develop a good sense of identity.”

Without mincing words he said: “Those who do not learn from history are simply doomed.”

Other CBCP officials assume posts

David replaced Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao, who finished his term as head of the conference of Catholic bishops in the country.

Prior to becoming CBCP head, David served as vice president of the bishops’ collegial body.

The new CBCP vice president is Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara of Pasig.

The new set of permanent council members are: for Luzon, Archbishop Ricardo Baccay of Tuguegarao, Bishop Dennis Villarojo of Malolos, Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga and Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa.

Honorary doctor

Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan assumes his post as the new president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. DIOCESE OF KALOOKAN photo

For Visayas, the regional representatives are Bishop Jose Bantolo of Masbate, Bishop Patrick Daniel Parcon of Talibon and Bishop Louie Galbines of Kabankalan.

Representatives for Mindanao, meanwhile, include Archbishop Jose Cabantan of Cagayan de Oro and Bishop Abel Apigo of Mati.

This new set of officers, who were elected during the bishops’ plenary assembly last July, will set the pace and agenda of the CBCP for the next two years.

CBCP officials have a twoyear tenure in office. They can

The Holy Angel University conferred on David an honorary doctor degree “for his inspirational leadership in the Church and community.”

Besides his “tireless work of evangelization” as a writer, cultural heritage worker and environmental advocate, the award also cited David’s “courage” to defend the poor and the defenseless.

The university particularly noted the prelate’s vocal stand against the spate of killings in the government’s brutal war on drugs.

The church leader once described his diocese, which covers the cities of Caloocan, Malabon and Navotas, as a “killing field” as many killings of drug suspects happened in his jurisdiction.

David also expanded his diocese’s mental health ministry to assist the drug war widows and orphans. CBCP News

he Catholic faithful will celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on December 8.

It is one of the most important Marian feasts in the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church celebrated worldwide.

In the Philippines, the holy day has an additional significance: the Catholic Church will entrust families to St. Joseph, the husband of Virgin Mary.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said consecrating the families to St. Joseph “is an act of entrustment to his fatherly care, protection, and guidance.”

“The goal of this consecration is to imitate St. Joseph’s virtue, example, and closeness with Christ,” the CBCP said in a circular on November 8.

CBCP President Bishop Pablo Virgilio David will lead the praying of the rosary and the act of consecration at the San Roque Cathedral in Caloocan City.

All bishops of the country are expected to join the event online with the clergy, religious and families from their homes.

In a circular issued November 8, the episcopal conference also suggested that a Eucharistic celebration be done after the national consecration.

The celebration will be livestreamed through the Facebook pages of CBCP News, Radio Veritas, TV Maria and other Catholic social media platforms.

The day will also be the closing of the “Year of St. Joseph,” which began on December 8, 2019, in honor of the saint’s proclamation as patron of the Universal Church.

Cancelled gathering in Vatican In the Vatican, for the second year in a row, Pope Francis has canceled the Roman tradition of a public gathering at the Spanish Steps on December 8 to venerate a statue of the Immaculate Conception due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Holy See press office announced on November 27 that instead of the usual outdoor public ceremony, the pope will instead perform a private act of devotion to Our Lady to avoid the formation of a crowd and the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

The pope will ask the Virgin Mary in prayer “to protect the Romans, the city in which they live, and the sick who need Her maternal protection everywhere in the world,” the statement said.

The announcement came after the Italian government unveiled further Covid-19 restrictions entering into force on December 6.

Last year, Pope Francis made a surprise visit to pray alone at the Immaculate Conception statue in the Piazza di Spagna at 7 a.m. on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary after the traditional public gathering was canceled.

The pope laid a bouquet of white roses at the base of the nearly 40-foot high column which holds the statue.

The statue was dedicated on December 8, 1857, three years after Pope Pius IX promulgated a decree defining the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

Since 1953, it has been a custom for popes to venerate the statue on the feast day. Pius XII was the first to do so, walking nearly two miles from the Vatican.

CBCP News and Catholic News Agency

Lighting Advent candles, temple lights for Christmas

By Lyn Resurreccion

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hristmas is just less than three weeks away, and it is time to prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

This period is called Advent, which comes from the Latin “adventus” that means an arrival or visit. It is observed on four Sundays before Christmas Day. In the Philippines, a Catholic country, the Advent season starts with the lighting of the Advent Wreath candles, one of the symbols of the season.

For the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the country, they start the celebration with the lighting of the temple lights.

Advent wreath-candle lighting

Christians celebrate Advent, which denotes the coming of Jesus into the world. They use the four Sundays and weeks of Advent to prepare and remember the real meaning of Christmas.

The lighting of the first of the four candles in the Advent wreath—three purple and one pink—started on November 28, the first Advent Sunday this year. The other candles are lit on succeeding Sundays leading up to Christmas.

A prayer is said while each candle is lit.

On the first and second Sundays, the two purple candles are lit; on the third Sunday, the pink and the two purple candles; and on the fourth Sunday, the last purple together with all the other candles.

Some Advent wreaths include a white candle, which symbolizes Christ, that is lit on Christmas Eve. Each of the Advent Sunday represent the themes of the graces of hope, peace, joy and love.

Pope Francis, reflecting on

The Philippines Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leads in the temple lighting countdown during the Manila Philippines Virtual Temple Lighting ceremony on November 27. The Church photo

the Gospel reading on the first Sunday of Advent, which speaks about the Lord’s coming at the end of time, he said the faithful are invited to be hopeful as the Lord comes to save us and “we await Him with joy,” even in the midst of life’s trials and tribulations.

The Lord invites us to “stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand,” the pope said.

Philippine churches and chapels observe the Advent wreath candle-lighting tradition. Although many faithful also do so, Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao urged parishes and lay and youth leaders to promote and help encourage families to start the the tradition in their homes.

“I call on our parish priests, in particular, to do this promotion to our families, that is, to put up Advent Wreaths and do the accompanying prayer rituals,” Valles said a circular in early November.

“As we wait with joy and prepare for the celebration of

An Advent wreath with three purple and one pink candles. Wikimedia Commons

Christmas, let us keep this beautiful tradition of displaying the Advent wreath in our homes to remind us of the eternity of God and of our eternal life in Christ,” he added.

The Church of Jesus Christ temple lighting

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Church) Philippine Area Presidency held its virtual temple lighting ceremony at its temple grounds in Green Meadows, Quezon City, on November 27.

It was the second year the Church hosted its annual

temple lighting virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Every year thousands of lights, as well as hundreds of smiles, illuminate the Manila Philippines Temple grounds to usher in the Christmas season,” said Elder Taniela B. Wakolo of the Philippines Area Presidency, during the temple lighting.

The Church’s friends and guests graced the event. Among them were Sen. Grace Poe; Manila US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Heather Variava; Rev. Fr. Carlos Reyes, minister for Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs; Rev. Fr. Richard James Babao, assistant minister for Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs; Atty. Tommy de Castro, action officer of the Third District of QC on behalf of Mayor Joy Belmonte; Stephanie Ching of the BusinessMirror; Dr. Pablito Baybado, secretary general of Religions for Peace Philippines; and Nita Cortez and Sister Melleniza of the Office of the Papal Nuncio.

In her message, Poe shared how she was delighted to witness the temple lighting ceremony.

She said: “Whenever we see the lit landscape of this temple, it signals to us one of the best reminders that we are approaching Christmas. ...Tonight, even though there is darkness and hopelessness, these can be dispelled by the true light and love which emanate from our Savior Jesus Christ.”

Father Reyes delivered Cardinal Advincula’s inspiring message.

He shared: “We truly need to light the world with love during this time of the pandemic. In the northern hemisphere, we celebrate Christmas during the winter solstice when the night is longest. Perhaps it is provident that we celebrate the first coming of the Savior during the longest and darkest night of the year. It sends a message that Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, comes into the darkest of our long night to be our comfort and our light.”

Speaking about the Church’s “Light the World” campaign, US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Variava expressed her admiration for the Church’s efforts to encourage people to serve others.

«It is easy for people to get tired, to get worn down, and to wonder why we need to be strong [especially during this global pandemic]. But with service campaigns such as the ‘Light the World with Love’, [we are reminded] that we do need to be a light to other people and to our communities,» she said.

In lieu of the annual countdown with interfaith friends and government leaders, the Church’s Philippines Area Presidency and their wives held a countdown on the temple grounds together

with hundreds of individuals and families on Facebook and YouTube.

The lighting of the traditional capiz parol was featured. Prerecorded messages and musical numbers were among the highlights during the program, including Mikee Misalucha’s singing of “Light of the World” song, and special messages from government officials and interfaith representatives all over the country.

Among those who gave their messages were Sen. Ronald de la Rosa; Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan in Pangasinan; Muntinlupa City Rep. Rufino Biazon; Laguna Gov. Ramil Hernandez; Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando; Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar; Marikina City Vice Mayor Marion Andres; Urdaneta City ABC President Michael Brian Perez; Quezon City Barangay Bagbag Chairman Richard Ambita; Panabo Police Station OIC P/ Lt. Col. Atty. Verna LimboCabuhat; The Salvation ArmyUrdaneta Corps Maj. Norberto Orpilla; broadcast journalist Kara David; BusinessMirror Senior Editor Lyn B. Resurreccion; Fr. Angel Marcelo Pastor of Basilica Immaculada Conception in Batangas City; and Assistant Division Superintendent Gregorio Mueco of the Schools Division in Quezon.

Elder Steven R. Bangerter, First Counselor of the Philippines Area Presidency, expressed his appreciation for all those who participated in the event.

“We hope you feel our love and our prayers for you. And especially, we hope that you feel the love of our Savior within your hearts and within your lives,” he said.

Biodiversity Sunday BusinessMirror

Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014

Sunday, December 5, 2021

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

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Not only for nipa huts and handicrafts

Bamboo is good for house construction

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Fighting climate change

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

Jorillo said promoting bamboo as a construction material alternative to wood is beneficial to the environment, and helps in the fight against climate change.

Planting bamboo alone, he said, means increasing the capacity for carbon sequestration.

Bamboo grows very fast and can regenerate after cutting, unlike trees, he said.

It can be harvested every two to three years, which means supply can be sustainable, he said.

China’s bamboo forest can sequester carbon up to 1 billion tons by 2050 from the current estimate of 700 million tons in 2010.

Like wood, bamboo’s carbon sequestration capacity is endless as long as it is preserved and used in construction.

he production of engineered bamboo as substitute for good lumber to help fight deforestation and climate change, among others, was envisioned by Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu.

“Bamboo reduces the need for timber resources, and helps greatly in carbon sequestration, in biodiversity conservation and in low-cost rehabilitation of degraded lands,” the Environment chief said in his speech at the first Asean Bamboo Congress in 2019.

Giant grass Bamboos are not trees. They are “giant grass” belonging to the grass family.

They are among the fastest-growing plants in the world. Certain species of bamboos can be as tall as 30 feet.

Bamboos are an important economic resource as they can be used for building materials, as a source of food and as a versatile raw product.

Bamboos are also being used in making furnitures and handicrafts in the Philippines.

Its most common species in the country are the kawayan tinik, buho, giant bamboo and bulo.

Bamboo technology Researches and innovations on the uses of bamboo are currently being done by different sectors, including the Department of Science and Technology’s Forest Products Research and Development Institute, and the private sector.

The Base Bahay Foundation Inc. is raising the profile of bamboo that is traditionally used in the country in building nipa huts, as a sustainable building material through research and innovation, and to reintroduce it in mainstream construction.

The foundation has established a “ bamboo laboratory,” called the Base Innovation Center (BIC), which is focused on alternative building materials, especially for socialized housing sector.

BIC opened at the start of the year in Manila as the research and development arm of Base Bahay in order to ensure a continued testing and knowledge improvement on the overall application of the foundation’s Cement Bamboo Frame Technology.

Building sustainable communities Partnering with like-minded organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity, to build sustainable communities with affordable housing across the Philippines, Base Bahay has so far established 12 communities and provided livelihood for around 1,000 families, or more than 5,000 individuals using the foundation’s unique technology.

“Establishing BIC has put us at an advantage in terms of research, and has opened up a flurry of partnerships,” said Pablo Jorillo, Base Bahay general manager.

“BIC allows our partners to see what we can offer them and lets us elaborate on the different construction methods and design elements that we can study for bamboos, such as wind and seismic designs,” Jorillo added.

Mainstreaming bamboo construction One of Base Bahay’s main thrusts is

Economic opportunity Workers make use of bamboo as construction material. Hilti Foundation/Base Bahay photo the creation of a National Structural Code for Bamboo. It is currently working with the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines to promote its proposed Code.

This move was further encouraged by the publication in June of a new standard on a structural design using bamboo poles by the International Organization to Standardization 22156:2021 “This milestone is a significant step for the mainstreaming of bamboo [as] construction [material] around the world,” Jorillo said.

Base Bahay aims to establish bamboo as part of the building code not just in the Philippines, but in other countries as well, Jorillo said.

At the moment, BIC’s research touches on a variety of projects, including the characterization of five different bamboo species in the Philippines, which it is working on in close collaboration with the De La Salle University-Manila.

Interviewed by the BusinessMir-

ror via Zoom on November 25, Jorillo said Base Bahay’s Cement Bamboo Frame Technology, which it has been promoting for socialized housing, has been scrutinized by various institutions.

It has received a certification from the Accreditation of Innovative Technologies for Housing, which includes the UP Building Research Service, National Housing Authority, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board.

Durable, long lasting, economical Jorillo said the technology can withstand strong typhoons and earthquakes, which commonly occur in the Philippines.

He added that with the treatment process developed by BIC, it can last for 25 years.

“Untreated and exposed to elements, bamboo can only last one year

to two years,” he said, adding that anay (termite) and bukbok (wood borer) are natural enemies of bamboo.

“However, properly treated, there’s clear assurance that the minimum service life of bamboo is 25 years,” Jorillo told the BusinessMirror.

Using bamboo instead of steel also saves a lot of money in socialized housing, Jorillo pointed out.

“When we sought for accreditation, we came up with cost comparison between using concrete hollow blocks and bamboo. [Bamboo use] saved about 37 percent,” he said.

He said the savings in construction can be bigger if more bamboo materials are used, such as in socialized housing.

Communities can save more, he said, if they create a bamboo plantation, and use them for their projects applying the Cement Bamboo Frame Technology, which, he added, can be used for free.

He said Base Bahay is actually teaching communities how to process bamboo and use the technology as part of their advocacy.

‘PHL needs green, sustainable recovery’

By Rizal Raoul Reyes

A

lthough it is a Third World country, the Philippines can still play an important role in the global effort in the fight against climate change.

It can choose a different approach, which underscores its relevance to the long-suffering working Filipino families that would also hasten, as a co-benefit, the low carbon development of the country in the short and medium term.

“Climate change may be bigger than everything else, but it is not necessarily more important than addressing poverty, livelihood, biodiversity, education, jobs and securing the good health of our citizens.

Air quality alone is costing us P4.5 trillion a year, or 23 percent of our GDP annually,” said Renato Redentor Constantino, executive director of Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), at the recent Pilipinas Conference 2021 titled, “Strengthening Cooperation for a Green and Sustainable Recovery: A Part of EU-PH Trade and Sustainability Discussions 2021.” It was organized by Stratbase ADR Institute.

Constantino noted majority of the data and information he shared was based on a paper released in August and authored by Dr Toby Monsod of the UP School of Economics, Sara Ahmed of the Financial Futures Center and Golda Hilario of ICSC. In the recently concluded 26th United Nations C l imate Change Conference of the Parties held in Glasgow, Scotland, Constantino said the Philippines called for a different

pathway to decarbonization.

The pathway is anchored on resetting the countr y’s nationa l ly determined contributions, or nonbinding national plans highlighting climate actions, so that national imperatives for climate risk resilience and climate-smart development and global mitigation requirements are better served.

He explained the rationale was to to strengthen the Philippines’s contribution to the Paris Agreement, where adaptation and resilience are considered the country’s anchor and sustainable development in its context, instead of the incredibly narrow greenhouse gases inventory-centric approach.

He u rged t he gover nment to tackle climate change with a broad approach.

For instance, if it pursues an emissions-reduction strategy, the government must integrate into a larger transition strategy focused on achieving sustainable, inclusive and resilient economic development.

Constantino pointed out that the government must develop the right messaging so the people will know and realize the importance of the programs in saving the environment.

“If the public cannot identify with the developmental goals arising from their government’s climate strategies, the political consensus required to make increasingly difficult decisions further down the road will simply be too hard to achieve or, if realized, it will be hard to sustain,” Constantino said.

“We need to get our acts together urgently,” he added.

Although it presents a colossal challenge, Constantino pointed out

that climate change gives the country an opportunity to pump-prime the economy.

He explained that climate change compels the country to upgrade everything, from urban services to logistics, food supply, and supply chains, including transport infrastructure that should be designed to move people instead of cars.

Citing the UP study, he said 88 percent of Greater Metro Manila families—with the same number probably for the entire country—do not own cars.

“We have been prioritizing the needs of the minority through private car-centric infrastructure. Even if we electrify cars, we will again be serving only the needs of a few. It doesn’t make sense,” Constantino argued.

He said the growing number of people in Metro Manila alone are pursuing active mobility through cycling, which is a good sign that people are responding to the call for transport sustainability.

“Thankfully there is a revolution underway in the form of active mobility. With an estimated at least 500,000 commuters in Metro Manila alone on the road daily, [many] pedalled because they have long been frustrated at the neglect of their needs,” he noted.

“Protected, interconnected bicycle lanes and facilities continue to develop rapidly, supported by more and more national agencies, local governments and businesses. Not because of [the] Paris [agreement] or climate [change], but because it makes practical development sense to move people instead of cars,” Constantino explained.

Globe Business supports sea turtle egg protection and reforestation

G

lobe Business supported initiatives to combat sea turtle egg poaching and reforestation efforts in Zambales.

It contributed P500,000 to The Mead Foundation drive to combat sea turtle egg poaching and reforestation.

“It is important for companies to think beyond profit as a sole metric of success and a sole purpose,” said Peter Maquera, senior vice president for Globe Business, Enterprise Group, in a news release. ”Instead, let us measure our performance based on our efforts to improve the world we live in and uplift the lives of the people—from the policies we enact, the investments we make, and the technology we use,” Maquera added.

The donation was made during Globe Business’ 12th Leadership

Innovation Forum attended by over 900 guests, including C-Level executives and leaders from various industries.

With the theme, “Bigger Picture, Greater Future: Redefining Success Beyond Business,” the online event underscores the power that environmental, social and governance integration has on the future of enterprises.

“The Mead Foundation thanks Globe for their recognition of and support for our non-profit initiatives focused on conservation of the environment and community development.

While the pandemic has presented unique challenges, we have worked diligently to continue our programs as the need remains as great as ever,” said Ben Mead, founder of The Mead Foundation.

Jorillo said Base Bahay’s various partners are into processing bamboo, and could actually plant and process bamboo for construction materials for socialized housing using its technolog y.

Jorillo said the DTI and the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council are working to increase the number or the area coverage of bamboo plantations in the Philippines to help reduce the country’s dependence on steel as a construction material.

As of 2021, the areas planted to bamboo in the country is 84,000 hectares, but it is still not enough to promote its use in socialized housing or for the country to become an exporter, Jorillo said.

According to Jorillo, bamboo can also be used in building interiors as a substitute to concrete stud, as panel interior, in ceiling as an insulator, or even as tiles.

Processed bamboo, like plyboard, can also be used in construction, he added.

Under Environment Chief Cimatu helm, bamboo is a priority planting material for the National Greening Program, which will give it a boost.

The foundation is preparing for the pawikan (sea turtle) season, the time when these endangered species start nesting. The conservation project aims to protect the sea turtles and prevent poachers from smuggling the eggs to areas where they are eaten as a delicacy.

In addition, The Mead Foundation will use the funds for the ongoing reforestation program in Iba, Zambales, which Globe has supported since 2018.

The foundation also works closely with indigenous communities, the Aetas of Zambales, to provide them with livelihood opportunities.

Engaging local communities yields positive environmental, ecological, and social benefits. It makes people aware of their significant role and participation in taking care of the area, the importance of environmental protection, and the benefits of a natural forest area, Globe said.

Both Globe Business and The Me a d Fou nd at io n b e l i e v e t h at partnership and collaboration help achieve impactful outcomes by enabling corporations and individuals with three key components: reforestation, food security, and sustainable livelihood development.

Glob e st rong ly sup por t s t he United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG 15, which promotes the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

Globe is committed to upholding the UN Global Compact principles and contributing to 10 UN SDGs.

Sports BusinessMirror

NBA star Kevin Love honored for mental health advocacy

KEVIN LOVE repeatedly taken steps to eradicate the mental health stigma by sharing stories of his struggles with depression, anxiety and other challenges. AP

B

OSTON—Kevin Love knows the euphoria of sinking a three-pointer just before the buzzer. But the five-time National Basketball Association (NBA) AllStar has had plenty of lows to offset those highs.

“There are days when I don’t want to get out of bed. That’s just the truth,” the Cleveland Cavaliers power forward wrote in 2018 about his lifelong struggles with depression and low self-worth.

On Thursday, the Boston-based Ruderman Family Foundation honored Love with its annual Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion for his work both on and off the court to remove the stigma around mental illness.

“Love has repeatedly taken steps to eradicate the mental health stigma by sharing stories of his struggles with depression, anxiety, and other challenges,” the foundation said in a statement. He has also established the Kevin Love Fund, with an ambitious goal of helping more than 1 billion people over a five-year period.

Last year, his fund teamed up with the University of California, Los Angeles, and established the Kevin Love Fund Chair in UCLA’s psychology department to diagnose, prevent, treat and destigmatize anxiety and depression.

Love, 33, won an NBA championship with the Cavaliers in 2016 and was a member of the gold medal-winning US national team at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 London Olympics.

He’s repeatedly taken steps to eradicate the mental health stigma by sharing stories of his struggles with depression, anxiety and other challenges. In a 2018 essay for The Players’ Tribune, he revealed that he had been seeing a therapist for several months following a panic attack during a game earlier that year.

The struggle continues: In April, Love apologized for an on-court tantrum during a game against the Toronto Raptors.

“When I first spoke out about my mental health struggles, it transformed my life,” Love said Thursday.

“Over the past few years, athletes around the world have shown us incredible courage by shining a light on the mental health toll that comes with extreme pressure. In doing so, they helped kick-start a cultural shift around mental wellness,” he said.

Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Foundation, said Love was chosen for his “instrumental role in destigmatizing mental health and bringing this long-overdue conversation out in the open.”

“He has served as a high-profile role model for countless people facing mental health challenges, who can now use his courage and determination as a guiding light,” Ruderman said.

The award, now in its eighth year, was named after Morton E. Ruderman, a founder of the Ruderman Family Foundation.

Past recipients include Academy Award-nominated actor Taraji P. Henson, filmmakers Peter and Bobby Farrelly, Olympian Michael Phelps, Oscar-winning actor Marlee Matlin, and former US senator and Americans with Disability Act architect Tom Harkin. AP

A8 | S

unday, December 5, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? S

ECAUCUS, New Jersey—If you’ve turned on a television in the last three years, chances are you’ve been inundated with advertisements for sports betting, and not only during game broadcasts.

Commercials featuring an emperor addressing the masses, a woman urging bettors to “make it rain” and companies enticing gamblers with the chance to turn a few dollars into a fortune are blanketing the airwaves. Concern is starting to grow over how much is too much.

At the SBC Summit North America, a major international sports betting conference being held this week in northern New Jersey, industry players are voicing concern about possible backlash they fear could lead to harsh government restrictions on such advertising, like what has happened in Europe.

Bill Miller, president of the

American Gaming Association—the gambling industry’s national trade association—called the current level of sports betting ads “an unsustainable arms race.”

“Is it annoying?” he asked. “Is it too much? It is an unsustainable thing.”

Miller and others warned that if the US sports betting industry does not restrain itself, it could fall victim to the same sort of government regulations that an orgy of sports betting ads prompted in Europe.

In the UK, teams are subject to a “whistle-to-whistle” ban on sports betting ads appearing during the broadcast of their games. Italy has banned all gambling ads since 2019, and Spain prohibits sportsbooks from advertising on players’ jerseys or appearing as part of stadium names.

It also restricts broadcast ads for any other forms of gambling to the hours between 1 and 5 a.m.

So far, the US has not imposed such regulations on sports betting ads. And many in the industry want to keep it that way.

Jeff Fernandez, vice president of business development and ventures for the New York Jets, said the industry and its professional sports partners need “to make sure we don’t have to go to a whistle-to-whistle ban like what happens in the UK.” Joe Asher, president of sports betting for the gambling technology company IGT, also warned of “a

I

NDIANAPOLIS—New graduation numbers show college athletes continue to graduate at higher rates than overall students.

On Thursday, the NCAA released its annual Graduation Success Rate report that shows college athletes who entered school from 201112 through 2014-15 graduated at a rate of 89 percent, 21 points higher than the federal graduation rate—and well above the 80 percent goal set by late NCAA President Myles Brand when he first introduced the report in 2002.

The single-year calculation of 90 percent also matched last year’s record high.

NCAA numbers include athletes who remain academically eligible and graduate after transferring. The federal numbers do not count students who graduate from a school other than the one where they first enrolled.

The two-decade comparisons were up across the board.

The overall rate increased by 16 percentage points over the past 20 years while the percentage of Black athletes earning diplomas went from 56 percent to 80 percent; 94 percent of Hispanic athletes also are now graduating, a 13-point increase since 2002.

“Today’s announcement proves college athletes take seriously their status as students,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said. “We celebrate them and their achievements and will continue to support them as the NCAA modernizes its rules to benefit them.”

Critics contend the NCAA numbers do not accurately reflect actual graduation results.

Individual sports have seen similar jumps when compared to 2002.

The percentage of Division I men’s basketball players increased by 28 points to 84 percent with wrestlers going up 24 points to 86 percent and baseball players improving 23 points to 88 percent. Football Bowl Subdivision players followed the trend, seeing their numbers increase 18 points to 81 percent.

While this year’s rate among FBS players held steady at 81 percent, the percentage of Division I women’s basketball players earning diplomas

A CLERK counts money at the sports book at Freehold Raceway in Freehold, New Jersey. AP backlash on the advertising going on today, and the excessive amount of it going on.”

“It’s not something that lends itself to self-regulation,” said Asher, also the former CEO of gambling company William Hill. “I do worry about when we get to that phase.”

The Jets, like most other pro sports teams, heavily promote their numerous sports betting partners during games, including logos on the building, scoreboard mentions and ads for an in-stadium sports betting lounge.

One of the most frequent advertisers is Caesars Entertainment,

Report shows college athletes still improving grad rates

MICHIGAN running back Hassan Haskins leaps over Ohio State defenders for a touchdown in their NCAA college game in Ann Arbor, Michigan. AP increased by 2 percentage points to 94 percent.

Female athletes also continue to outpace their male counterparts, 94 percent to 85 percent, but college administrators were

impressed by the overall results.

“Division I student-athletes are succeeding in the classroom, and we celebrate their achievements along with them,” said Dianne

Bobsledder Humphries now an American

K

KAILLIE HUMPHRIES watches the leaderboard after the women’s two-women bobsleigh World Cup race in Innsbruck, Austria. AP

whose ads featuring an actor playing Caesar seem to be everywhere. At Thursday’s conference, Ken Fuchs, senior vice president of sports for Caesars Digital, echoed the caution that the industry says it has regarding advertising.

“You do have to draw lessons from the UK: you have to self-regulate,” he said. “It’s about how does a customer interact with Caesars as a brand. It’s not about shouting at people: ‘Free money! Free money! Free money!’

That’s what wears people down.”

Johnny Avello, director of race and sports book operations for DraftKings,

said his company’s current level of advertising is working as planned.

“I was at the [train] terminal in Hoboken yesterday and I saw DraftKings on every kiosk and every wall,” he said. “And I think it’s effective. It works.”

PointsBet said advertising is needed to attract new customers and hold onto existing ones.

“We have taken a focused view by listening to what our bettors want and reaching them where they are,” said Kyle Christensen, the company’s chief marketing officer. “We have a philosophy not to spend irrationally but be aggressive and disciplined. It has served us well, made our users happy, and will continue to be our perspective as we look at future advertising budgets.”

On Thursday, PointsBet debuted two new ads featuring recently retired New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees telling people how to live their “bet life.”

And Thursday night, the NFL was set to debut a responsible betting ad during the Dallas Cowboys-New Orleans Saints game, urging people to “only bet what you can afford.”

FanDuel and BetMGM, two other major advertisers, declined comment.

FanDuel became the official provider of sports lines and betting odds for The Associated Press in a commercial agreement starting in April 2021. AP

AILLIE HUMPHRIES is now, officially, an American.

And just like that, the US medal hopes in bobsledding at the Beijing Olympics just got much stronger.

The reigning world champion in both monobob and women’s bobsledding was sworn in as a citizen in San Diego on Thursday, ending her long saga to become an American and have the right to compete for the US at the Olympics.

She does not yet have her passport, but that is likely to be little more than a formality.

Without the passport, there was

almost no chance the Canadianborn Humphries would have been allowed to slide at the Olympics.

“Most stressful morning ever, but it’s done,” Humphries told The Associated Press from the plane as she was leaving San Diego.

It was a whirlwind finale to the process. Humphries raced in a World Cup stop at Austria this past weekend. She got to Altenberg, Germany, for this week’s race on Monday, did the two necessary training runs Tuesday that she needed to qualify for World Cup races this weekend, then made the five-hour drive to Frankfurt for a Wednesday morning flight to San Diego.

Her citizenship meeting was Thursday, and not long afterward she

Harrison, the chair of the NCAA’s committee on academics. “We want every student to achieve their full potential academically and earn their degree.” AP

was on a plane headed back to Europe.

“I think she’s super excited,” US bobsled coach Mike Kohn said in a telephone interview from Germany.

“She’s had a great couple of years with us. I think she’s going to just really shine now. I think, the uncertainty, it’s held her back a little bit. I think it’s held us all back.”

Humphries—a two-time Olympic champion and three-time Olympic medalist, all won for Canada—lives in San Diego, has held a green card and is married to an American, former bobsledder Travis Armbruster.

She won the right to slide for the US in September 2019 after a lengthy and ongoing dispute with Canadian bobsled officials over claims of verbal abuse, mental abuse and harassment.

Humphries left the Canadian team, she said, to seek a safer work environment.

Joining the US team was not an easy decision, especially since she knew

it did not come with a guarantee of being able to slide for the Americans at the Beijing Games—but was still a move she deemed necessary for her mental and physical safety.

She could have pursued the chance to slide for another country at these Olympics, but made the decision long ago that if she was going to Beijing she was going as an American.

Which, as of Thursday, she is.

“It was a long journey, this has been a team effort and feels amazing to have the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” Humphries said.

Humphries had a legal team guiding her, plus got support from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee and no fewer than five members of Congress—Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) and Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). AP

BusinessMirror

December 5, 2021

Management is so passé:

Workers demanding ‘co-creation’

2

BusinessMirror DECEMBER 5, 2021 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

YOUR MUSI

GROWTH MOMENT How Alfa captures emotion with her groove-driven music

P

By Edwin P. Sallan

HILIPPINE-BORN singer-songwriter Alfa Garcia, simply known as Alfa, made headlines last year when she won Grand Prize in the 2020 John Lennon Songwriting Contest with “Alindahaw,” a bossa nova acoustic number sung in her native Visayan language.

ALFA

Publisher

: T. Anthony C. Cabangon

Editor-In-Chief

: Lourdes M. Fernandez

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: Aldwin M. Tolosa

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SoundStrip Editor

: Edwin P. Sallan

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

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Photographers

: Bernard P. Testa Nonie Reyes

Y2Z & SOUNDSTRIP are published and distributed free every Sunday by the Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing Inc. as a project of the

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But even before that, Alfa has already been releasing original material dating back to 2009, with at least three albums, Second Skin, World Go Blue and Spark & Fury currently streaming in Spotify and other music platforms.

Recently Alfa signed up with AWOOO Records, the flourishing record label of actress Alessandra de Rossi and has released a new single called, “Every Word You Say,” a stunning bit of campfire-meetscoffeeshop synth ballad characterized by an equally painful lyrical theme.

In a recent interview with SoundStrip, Alfa talks about her musical odyssey, finding kindred spirits with Alessandra, her new single and performing before a live audience again. Excerpts:

piano when I was 5, but got passionate about the violin when I was 8 and played in an orchestra for 10 years. In my teens, I started writing songs in my room.

Eventually, I took up the guitar so that I had an instrument I could easily carry with me to performances. My grandfather gave me a chord book and I just taught myself from there. I’m not sure when I decided I wanted to pursue it more seriously; I feel like it was always important for me to create, release, and perform music since I was 15, so no matter what else was going on in my life - whether it was school or work - I was always making an album or project.

In 2011, I decided to be more purposeful about learning the craft so I quit my dayjob to give music more of my time.

Last year, you made headlines for winning the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. What was that episode of your life and how has that helped your career?

That one took me by surprise! I’d always known about the JLSC and had submitted songs in the past, but never with much expectation. There’s thousands of submissions from all over the world, so it’s safer not to hope too hard. But I was pleasantly surprised by the news, and it was a big honor to have gotten the World category with a Visayan-language song. The realization that “Alindahaw” beat out more widelyspoken languages was really cool. The contest is just a really great way to get people to hear your music, so it’s been nice to have a way to reach a new audience.

In your own words, how would you describe your music and how has it evolved over the years?

I think over the years I’ve tried a lot of approaches to my music, so it’s increasingly hard to describe it. Originally it was more pop/rock influenced, then veered into folk and country-esque territory, now it’s a bit more synthy and groove-driven. But the thread that ties my work together is I try to start from a place of authenticity, in both lyric and melody. If I sense that I’m imitating or trying too hard to get an idea across, I lose interest in the song I’m writing. The ones that make it through production and eventually into performances are songs that have genuinely stuck with me because they’re an honest snapshot of what I’m living through.

When did your passion for music begin? When and how did you decide that this is the career path you’d like to pursue?

Music has been a part of my life for as long as I remember. My whole family played music around the house when I was growing up - so much so that I thought it was normal and boring, and wanted to do something else: be a dentist!

Ultimately, I’m happy I took the music route (no offense to dentists). I learned

How and when did you meet Alessandra de Rossi? How did the two of you hit it off? What are the things that you both consider you have in common?

I was introduced to Alessandra via Clem Castro at Lilystars, who was working with my manager. She and I have never met in person, but shortly after being introduced on Zoom, she and I started chatting on Instagram. She’s 100% emotion and fire and I love that about her.

She’s a less-reserved version of myself.

And she’s hilarious. We can’t wait to finally meet in-person when traveling gets easier.

Tell us something about your song, “Every Word You Say.” How personal or special is it compared to your other songs?

The idea for it wasn’t actually personal at all. But it’s special for me as the first song I wrote that was inspired by another work. I had finished streaming Fleabag on Amazon and was so swept up with emotion that I found myself writing the song almost instantly. The vibe stood out to me first, and everything else just came around it. I wanted it to be simple and distilled, so that the emotion I felt could come through, and maybe evoke the same feeling in others. I think the process of producing a song that captured an emotion was a growth moment for me.

How were you able to weather the pandemic? Did staying mostly at home allow you to focus more on making new music?

I spent the pandemic being busy between tracking vocals, violins, and piano in my apartment, and doing a one-year teaching credential program.

Most people chilled out during the worst of the pandemic - I made it very hard for myself. Before everything shut down I had been demo-ing these new songs with Carl Thomson, my drummer/ producer. I had to figure out how to finish the recording at home. We just went back and forth via e-mail, sending tracks and making edits virtually.

How much do you miss performing before a live audience? Have you made any post-pandemic plans and are live shows a big part of that plan?

I played a show opening for Kawehi in Los Angeles last month and I realized just how much I missed being in front of an audience. As much as I love recording and writing, the real icing on the cake is being able to connect with people. I feel like myself when I’m performing. I hope that more live shows will come when the pandemic ends!

IC

soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | DECEMBER 5, 2021

BUSINESS

SoundSampler

by Tony M. Maghirang

NEW SINGLES AND A DEBUT ALBUM J

BEN&BEN “Lunod”

O

N the music video of their new single “Lunod,” the nine-piece collective Ben&Ben chronicle the experience of drowning in torrential distress and anxiety. The visual narrative pushes the discussion forward with its metaphorical depiction of individuals trying to keep their head above water and find their way out of a dark, harrowing tunnel.

“The music video is a deeply introspective and symbolic interpretation of the song, which is all tied in together from the concept and writing, down to the location,” lead vocalist, guitarist and Lunod chief songwriter Paolo Benjamin explains. “In the video, the song is narrated as the band, with Zild and juan karlos, move deeper and deeper into the tunnel slowly—losing breath, then in the latter half taking powerful strides to move out of it. This signals a ‘rebirth’ into a new, more mature version of the self.”

Lunod’ has also received a remix treatment from hip-hop artist Zelijah, who channeled his struggles with mental health on the production level, and even added a rap verse to convey the mental strains that he went through during the pandemic.

JEAN TAN ‘When It’s Time’

EAN Tan’s is a singersongwriter based in Singapore whose music is a blend of folk, R&B, blues, and jazz. Her latest release ‘When It’s Time’ is a perfect song for the season of waiting.

Written in the context of a blossoming relationship, the song is essentially about being in the period of nervous waiting, between the fluttering of beginnings and the certainty of something more. In a way, While the instrumentation is simple, its soundscape is lush and sweet, bringing together chill R&B and jazz genres. The song starts with a strong, bluesy instrumental hook carried smoothly by electric guitar, accompanied by a bass line that locks in the groove. Together with the velvety tones of the electric piano and the sharp click of a faraway snare, the arrangement is a soothing balm for those biding their time away.

deserving of genuine happiness and love. He explains, “It’s hard for someone to trust and believe in second chances, especially after experiencing pain after pain. My song wants to bring light into someone’s darkness, hoping to dry those tears away with new memories.”

The song is written and produced by raven himself, with guidance from music mentor and co-producer Rico Blanco and sound engineer Emil dela Rosa. As for the track’s instrumentation, raven and Rico Blanco played the guitars, with the latter also doing bass duties, and Luke Sigua manning the drums.

KIYO Haranasa Album

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RAVEN “Lika Na”

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OUNG singer-songwriter/ producer raven has built a reputation for experimenting with various music genres, from hip-hop to bedroom pop to R&B to ‘90s indie rock. This time around, raven channels his passion and energy into accessible but well-crafted earworms. His latest single “Lika Na” puts a refreshing spin on ‘90s alternative rock and early 2000s power-pop, finding inspiration the in little thrills of romantic adolescence.

According to raven, “Lika Na” serves as a love letter to a ‘girl’ who has endured several heartbreaks in life, but is

ILIPINO underground hiphop sensation Kiyo captures his love for a vast spectrum of sounds and music styles on his debut full-length album, Haranasa out via Dyecast Ent. His long-awaited debut album features collaborations with contemporaries and friends in the industry, especially Shortone on the dub-meets-trap jam “Hey,” Space Moses on the jazzy but chill “G,” and YZKK on the stripped-down, laidback tune “Dantay.”

With eclectic music influences ranging from lo-fi rap to trap, experimental hiphop to tropical jazz, ambient electronica to bedroom pop, his debut release marks a defining moment for him as a prolific rapper, wordsmith, and producer. His 15-track record navigates lyrical themes about love and its messily glorious iterations.

DAYDREAM “Lumayo”

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YNAMIC PPop Group Daydream returns with “Lumayo,” an ultra-catchy and frank ode to a relationship falling apart because of lack of communication. The only question that remains is whether the relationship can still be saved or if it’s time to part ways.

It’s a perfect crossroads tune for anyone who’s wondered if a relationship is worth fighting for or if it’s better to walk away.

Written by Cebu based electric pop duo Route83, “Lumayo” has a dancehall vibe with an intoxicating urban beat and percussions. The vocals and harmonies combine perfectly as the girls share their feelings with listeners who will undoubtedly be able to relate and sing along.

FERDINAND ARAGON Hangtod Karon

N Hangtod Karon, Ferdinand Aragon sings about a person who can’t seem to confess his love for the person he likes. It follows a quirky and innocent protagonist who tried their best to say words of confession that don’t seem to come out. I believe we can all relate to this song one way or another. Musically, Hangtod Karon conveys a light kind of feeling that takes you to a much simpler setting. It’s radiofriendly and easy on the ears - and the heart.

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Management is so passé:

Workers demanding ‘co-creation’

By David Weitzner

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York University, Canada

better.” As I argue in my recent book, Connected Capitalism, we need to move away from an emphasis on “management” and towards a focus on co-creation.

Management is passé. Co-creation will allow us to thrive in meeting the changing demands of key stakeholders like employees, customers and governments.

t’s time for business, political and organizational leaders to give up on “management.”

Employee malaise

Workers today don’t want to be managed, even benevolently. They want to be partners in co-creation, where all members are empowered to bring their whole selves to the organization regardless of hierarchies. Consequently, those uncomfortably perched atop organizational hierarchies are faced with a stark choice: Co-create or manage, because you cannot do both.

As businesses start to envision a postpandemic world, they are faced with unprecedented challenges, like the so-called Great Resignation that involves millions of employees opting to quit their unfulfilling jobs, and political pressures to “build back

Even before the pandemic, there was a crisis of worker dissatisfaction, with millennials—the generation poised to make up the majority of our work force—viewing business as out of step with their priorities.

Corporations must commit to a broader social purpose or face disconnected and unmotivated workers unlikely to stay in their jobs. Co-creation builds on that rare and valuable sense of connection emerging in the very best type of purpose-driven cooperative partnerships.

The feeling of connection is so important, I believe we will start to normalize viewing friendship as an essential work resource, since we now know that cooperation is not born of deep analytical calcula-

tions, but intuition and feelings.

Often, when management gurus talk about cooperation, what they really mean is managing subordinates into passivity. Cooperation in this context is contingent on repression. That’s not co-creation.

Panicked responses When I speak to executives, I often get a panicked reaction: “What does this mean for my power to run the business?!?”

Assuredly, decision-making power stays in the C-suites. But an empowered team only increases the effectiveness of leadership. And while corporate behemoths like Google are leading with this new course of action, a 20-year study of more than 300 companies found human-centric approaches that empowered employees improved performance in a wide variety of settings.

Besides, co-creation is not only about loosening the managerial reins on employees. Many businesses have come to realize that they don’t get the best product by closely managing their suppliers with laundry lists of desired specifica-

tions. Instead, optimal outcomes are often attained by supporting suppliers in co-creation, giving up control and letting them lead the way.

Human-centric work future The shift away from the stifling, controlling and outdated dominance of management in favor of co-creation is an absolute must for those helming organizations— from private sector businesses to governments and health-care organizations— even if the prospect makes some existing leaders uncomfortable.

Using the tools of co-creation where we once used management hierarchies means expanding the rigid boundaries between the social, professional and personal, which we have been clinging to incorporate settings for too long.

Workers are demanding a more humancentric future, with space for trust and vulnerability. There is no going back to the “before world.” Management is over. The era of co-creation is under way. The Conversation ON THE COVER: Photo by Tiger Lily from Pexels

Finding inclusive and sustainable solutions

Young Filipino entrepreneurs show passion, purpose amid pandemic

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tudies have shown that the greatest motivators for millennials is finding purpose and a sense of responsibility in their work. Being more adept with technology has also helped them to find innovative solutions in reaching their market amid the pandemic.

Three young entrepreneurs Victoria Kristina C. Pariña of Likha Studio; Emmanuel Caguimbal of XPERTO and Yuki Higson of Style Cat have found ways to help their businesses thrive through the pandemic while also helping fellow Filipinos overcome its effects.

Sustainable initiatives for living spaces Likha Studio is an Architectural & Interior Design specializing in sustainability.

Victoria Pariña and her business partner Arch. Butch Nera officially launched their start-up in May 2020, during the height of the pandemic, with the goal of helping their clients find sustainable, eco-friendly solutions for their spaces.

“With the limited movements, unforeseen lockdowns and the uncertainty of the future, it was a big risk,” Pariña, 28, admits.

“But I guess since most of the people have been working from home, they have found the perfect time to finally revamp their spaces.”

They started with small projects like several bathroom renovations until they

Victoria Pariña of Likha Studio

Emmanuel Caguimbal of XPERTO

were referred to bigger companies. They have ongoing residential projects and they are also the LEED Contractor support for the JP Morgan Chase office project in Taguig and to Arthaland for their ongoing Sevina Park Villas project in Laguna.

Encouraging continuous learning XPERTO is a digital solutions provider whose goal is to help professional societies thrive in the digital world and empower professionals as lifelong learners. The group developed a web-based platform that hosts virtual events for professionals and students, with the addition of end-to-end services, including registration, payment collection, virtual event platform setup, and certification.

For his start-up, 34-year-old Emmanuel Caguimbal draws from his own frustrating experiences in attending conferences that started late or was delayed because of registration issues, technical glitches, or inadequate staffing.

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Yuki Higson of Style Cat and The Sewing Room

“It dawned on me that these problems occur because planning and managing professional development events, like seminars and conferences, become a challenge for professional societies because of limited manpower and lack of technology,” he says.

XPERTO has thrived during the pandemic, given the ramped up digital transformation, including the surge in use of videoconferencing apps for meetings and conferences. The group caters primarily to the professional societies and organizations, especially the organizations of professions regulated by the Philippine Regulatory Commission, such as the different engineering organizations in the Philippines.

Generating jobs and helping new enterprises Creative entrepreneur Yuki Higson established her business Style Cat in 2009, making handmade accessories to sell to her college blockmates. When the pandemic be-

December 5, 2021

gan, she founded The Sewing Room, which employs highly skilled sewers who were displaced from their jobs.

“At first, it was difficult to build our customer base since we hurriedly set up our business to give livelihood but we’re happy to have built a pool of regular clients, mostly online brands that also started during this pandemic,” the 29-year-old says.

The three millennial entrepreneurs harness their strengths and draw on their resilience to grow their businesses. They also say that strong networking skills have enabled them to promote their products and services. Pariña and Caguimbal are members of BNI Philippines, which helps them to connect with like-minded individuals at their regular meetings.

“Do not be afraid to take risks,” Caguimbal says to those who are looking to begin their entrepreneurship journey. For Higson, it’s to continue to be engaged in a culture of learning. “A perfect plan is no good if no one executes it.”

Meanwhile, Pariña says, “Do it and trust yourself. At first, I had doubts and hesitations when my partner encouraged me to put up our own business. But I think being afraid is sometimes a good thing. Those fears, they’re good to have because they push you and they make you assess yourself and your actions. You wouldn’t know what you’re capable of unless you try.”