BusinessMirror December 23-25, 2022

By Henry Empeño

Anjovil Villanueva, a 30-yearold resident of Barangay Sto. Niño in this town, was coaching her three children before taking their picture. It was their second time this week to be here at the municipal park, which is now aglow at night with a Winter Wonderland-

themed light display. Seated near Santa and with the huge sack of tinsel-wrapped gifts behind them, the kids made cutesy faces as their mother clicked away on her camera phone—capturing them in Santa’s reindeer-drawn sleigh, freezing their joy in digital

eternity, and sharing with them a night to remember.

Maganda po kasi dito at masaya (It’s a beautiful and happy place),” explained Alaiza Jane, 12, Anjovil’s eldest. This is why they keep coming back, she said.

Her mother agreed, pointing out

the rarity of both place and moment. “ Bihira kasi na merong ganito. Kahit sa mga bahay bihira na ang may pailaw, kaya dito kami nagpupunta (Nowadays we rarely see Christmas displays like this—even in houses. That is why we come here).”

BusinessMirror

Data firm sees steady growth for telecom, pay-TV revenues

By Andrea E. San Juan

TELECOMMUNICATION and pay-TV services revenue in the Philippines is expected to increase at 4 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) during 2021-2026, according to the forecast of GlobalData, a data and analytics company.

GlobalData said this growth may be attributed to mobile data and fixed broadband segments.

“Pay-TV services revenue in the country is set to grow over the fore -

cast period in line with the steady increase in [direct to home] DTH subscriptions and robust growth in [internet protocol television] IPTV subscriptions,” GlobalData

said in a statement on Thursday.

Meanwhile, according to GlobalData, mobile data service revenue is also poised to increase at a “healthy” CAGR of 7.8 percent over the provided forecast period.

This, the data and analytics firm noted, will be driven by the projected rise in mobile internet subscriptions, growth in higher [average revenue per user] ARPUyielding 5G subscriptions and a steady rise in the consumption of mobile data services.

Based on the data presented by GlobalData, mobile data and messaging will grow by 7.2 percent annually within the 20212026 period.

This was followed by fixed broadband which is expected to grow by 5.1 percent yearly; fixed voice with 1.3 percent growth; and Pay-TV with 1.1 percent.

Aasif Iqbal, Telecom Analyst at GlobalData, said, “4G services

A Christmas for Children

Continued from A1

Lights, camera, groufie

SINCE late last month, all the town halls and nearby public parks in all the 13 municipalities of Zambales lit up with LED light displays that drew residents and

visitors alike like moths to their multicolored illumination.

In Sta. Cruz, the northernmost town in Zambales, the display started at the entrance arc of the municipal park, narrowed to a pedestrian tunnel, then emerged at the other side for a full-light

cladding of the municipal hall. The full light display on the town hall is a feature also seen in the municipalities of San Antonio, Castillejos, and Subic.

Masinloc town, meanwhile, incorporated booths displaying the town’s tourism attractions to maximize the

accounted for 80.4 percent of the total mobile subscriptions in 2021 and will remain the leading mobile technology through 2026.”

For 5G, GlobalData’s analyst also noted that it will, however, increase at a “brisk pace” over the forecast period, supported by 5G network expansion efforts by operators like PLDT and Globe Telecom across the country.

Meanwhile, GlobalData said that in the fixed communication services segment, fixed voice service revenue will increase over the forecast period, driven by the “subscription gains in the [Voice over Internet Protocol] VoIP segment.”

“Fixed broadband service revenue will also increase during the forecast period, driven by a steady rise in [fiber to the home] FTTH subscriptions, and continued growth in [digital subscriber line] DSL, cable internet, and fixed wireless subscriptions,” the data

and analytics firm noted.

With this, Iqbal said, “The acceleration in the adoption of fiber-optic broadband services in the Philippines can be primarily attributed to the rising demand for high-speed data services and the expansion of fiber-optic network infrastructure by local government and service coverage by operators.”

For instance, he said, PLDT has added 489,000 new fiber subscriptions and has deployed 1.29 million new fiber ports in the first nine months of 2022.

With Globe Telecom’s “strong focus” on 4G/5G network expansions, the GlobalData analyst said the telco firm will continue to hold the top spot through the forecast period. He also noted that Globe led the mobile services segment in terms of subscriptions in 2021.

Meanwhile, Iqbal said PLDT topped the fixed voice and fixed

broadband segments. He said, “in the fixed broadband segment, PLDT will continue to lead through 2026, supported by its strong position in DSL segment and its fastexpanding FTTH user base and keen focus on migrating its copper wire and hybrid fiber broadband service users to full fiber fixed broadband service. Cignal on the other hand led the pay-TV services market, in terms of subscriptions in 2021, thanks to its strong position in the DTH segment.”

On the other hand, GlobalData’s research reveals that the mobile voice service revenue in the country will decline over 20212026 in line with the “steady drop” in mobile voice average revenue per user (ARPU).

This, the data and analytics firm said, as mobile network operators (MNOs) extend unlimited voice minutes as part of their bundled plans.

impact to visitors, while San Marcelino dressed up its public park in tasty-looking candy canes and lollipop that became a favorite groufie background for teenagers.

The light display in Botolan, on the other hand, was notable for its somber white color of stylized angels, with little use of LED lights that starkly contrasted with most of the other LGU displays.

One of the most popular Christmas displays in the province remains to be that on the façade of the Zambales provincial capitol building, a dazzling spectacle supplemented by three giant Christmas trees, two Christmas wreaths customized for groufies, and a light tunnel that snaked its way between the Christmas trees.

Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., who switched on the Christmas lights on November 25, said the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony and light show at the Capitol traditionally signaled the Christmas festivities in the province and the start of similar Christmas-themed displays in its 13 municipalities.

The Capitol displays, he added, were “a huge morale boost to Zambaleños, who like everybody else in the country, must contend with the lingering effects of the health crisis and other everyday struggles.”

Residents’ delight

THE glittering displays of Christmas lights bring a special delight to residents here. Perhaps even to adults who must decide on whether P500 would suffice for a family of four’s noche buena, or the traditional Christmas Eve feast.

The Department of Trade and Industry, in a now pulled-out infomercial, may have only highlighted the gnawing lack that faced over 5.6 million Filipinos families living in poverty as of 2022, according to a list released by the Department of Social

Welfare and Development, but the simple joys of family bonding could be heightened by light and color.

Gary Nelfred Macabare, 50, said he brings his two-year old daughter to view the Capitol lights every night ever since it was turned on last month.

Masaya ang mga tao dahil dito [The people are happy seeing this],” he observed. “Kung hindi pa kay Governor, wala naman sanang ganito dito [We wouldn’t have anything like this were it not for the efforts of the Governor],” he added.

The same pleasure was expressed by a young couple who walked into the light tunnel at the Capitol on Wednesday night. It was their second time to be here, said Carmela and Kenneth Manaloto, who come from Barangay Dirita in Iba town.

Their one-year-old son Khen Azial simply enjoyed the colorful lights, they said.

Esmeralda, the two-year-old granddaughter of San Agustin resident William Mendones, 57, also asks to see the light displays once a week, her grandfather whom she calls Tatay said.

Dito na kami namamasyal ng mga apo ko [This is where we take a walk now with our grandchildren],” said

Mendones, who was with his wife Susan, 58. “Family bonding na rin (It’s also for family bonding).”

He said he’s now making up for the time he failed to bond with his own children because he was still working full time then. “Bumabawi na lang ako sa mga apo ko. Mabuti naman at mayroong ganito; nakaka-enganyong magkasama ang pamilya [I’m just making it up with my grandchildren. It’s a good thing that there’s something like this; the family is encouraged to be together],” Mendones said.

Bringing more Christmas joy

THE simple joys that Zambaleños derive from Christmas lights displays are matched by the provincial government’s Christmas Package delivery, an annual project of the Ebdane administration.

According to personnel at the Governor’s Office, they have distributed food packages for Christmas to some 250,000 households in the 13 towns of Zambales since November 28.

The package consisted of some pasta and spaghetti sauce, canned corned beef, cheese, a pack of Graham crackers, Alaska cream, and a liter of Smart C juice. The package would surely add up to whatever noche buena that residents plan to feast on.

The somber white angels of Botolan, Zambales contrast with the multi-colored lights display in most towns. Henry e m peño

Mu LT i - Co Lo R ed lights festoon the façade of the Masinloc, Zambales municipal hall. Henry e m peño

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy thanks ‘every American,’ sees war ‘turning point’

By Zeke Miller, Lisa Mascaro & E. Eduardo Castillo The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy told cheering US legislators during a defiant wartime visit to the nation’s capital on Wednesday that against all odds his country still stands, thanking Americans for helping to fund the war effort with money that is “not charity,” but an “investment” in global security and democracy.

The whirlwind stop in Washington—his first known trip outside his country since Russia invaded in February—was aimed at reinvigorating support for his country in the US and around the world at a time when there is concern that allies are growing weary of the costly war and its disruption to global food and energy supplies.

Zelenskyy called the tens of billions of dollars in US military and economic assistance provided over the past year vital to Ukraine’s efforts to beat back Russia and appealed for even more in the future.

“Your money is not charity,” he sought to reassure both those in the room and those watching at home. “It’s an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.”

Just before his arrival, the US announced a new $1.8 billion military aid package, including for the first time Patriot surface-to-air missiles. And Congress planned to vote this week on a fresh spending package that includes

about $45 billion in additional emergency assistance to Ukraine.

The speech to Congress came after President Joe Biden hosted Zelenskyy in the Oval Office for strategy consultations, saying the US and Ukraine would maintain their “united defense” as Russia wages a “brutal assault on Ukraine’s right to exist as a nation.”

Biden pledged to help bring about a “just peace.”

Zelenskyy told Biden that he had wanted to visit sooner and his visit now demonstrates that the “situation is under control, because of your support.”

The highly sensitive trip came after 10 months of a brutal war that has seen tens of thousands of casualties on both sides and devastation for Ukrainian civilians.

Zelenskyy traveled to Washington aboard a US Air Force jet. The visit had been long sought by both sides, but the right conditions only came together in the last 10 days, US officials said, after high-level discussions about the security both of Zelenskyy and of his people while he was outside of Ukraine. Zelenskyy spent less than 10 hours in Washington before beginning the journey back to Ukraine.

In his remarks to lawmakers, Zelenskky harked back to US victories in the Battle of the Bulge, a turning point against Nazi Germany in World War II, and the Revolutionary War Battle of Saratoga, an American victory that helped draw France’s aid for US independence. The Ukrainian leader predicted that next year would be a “turning point” in the conflict, “when Ukrainian courage and American resolve must guarantee the future of our common freedom—the freedom

of people who stand for their values.”

Zelenskyy received thunderous applause from members of Congress and presented lawmakers with a Ukrainian flag autographed by front-line troops in Bakhmut, in Ukraine’s contested Donetsk province. The flag was displayed behind him on the rostrum by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris. Pelosi, in turn, presented Zelenskyy with an American flag that had flown over the Capitol that day, and Zelenskyy pumped it up and down as he exited the chamber.

Declaring in his speech that Ukraine “will never surrender,” Zelenskyy warned that the stakes of the conflict were greater than just the fate of his nation—that democracy worldwide is being tested.

“This battle cannot be ignored, hoping that the ocean or something else will provide protection,” he said, speaking in English for what he had billed as a “speech to Americans.”

Earlier, in a joint news conference with Biden, Zelenskyy was pressed on how Ukraine would try to bring an end to the conflict. He rejected Biden’s framing of finding a “just peace,” saying, “For me as a president, ‘just peace’ is no compromises.” He said the war would end once Ukraine’s sovereignty, freedom and territorial integrity were restored, and Russia had paid back Ukraine for all the damage inflicted by its forces.

“There can’t be any ‘just peace’ in the war that was imposed on us,” he added.

Biden, for his part, said Russia was “trying to use winter as a weapon, but Ukrainian people continue to inspire the world.” During the news

conference, he said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “no intention of stopping this cruel war.”

The two leaders appeared to share a warm rapport, laughing at each other’s comments and patting each other on the back throughout the visit, though Zelenskyy made clear he will continue to press Biden and other Western leaders for ever more support.

He said that after the Patriot system was up and running, “we will send another signal to President Biden that we would like to get more Patriots.”

“We are in the war,” Zelenskyy added with a smile, as Biden chuckled at the direct request. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

Biden told Zelenskyy that it was “important for the American people, and for the world, to hear directly from you, Mr. President, about Ukraine’s fight, and the need to continue to stand together through 2023.”

Zelenskyy had headed to Washington after making a daring and dangerous trip Tuesday to what he called the hottest spot on the 1,300-kilometer (800-mile) front line of the war, the city of Bakhmut.

Poland’s private broadcaster, TVN24, said Zelenskyy crossed into Poland early Wednesday on his way to Washington. The station showed footage of what appeared to be Zelenskyy arriving at a train station and being escorted to a motorcade of American SUVs. TVN24 said the video, partially blurred for security reasons, was shot in Przemysl, a Polish border town that has been the arrival point for many refugees fleeing the war.

Officials, citing security concerns, were cagey about Zelenskyy’s travel

plans, but a US official confirmed that Zelenskyy arrived on a US Air Force jet that landed at Joint Base Andrews, just outside the capital, from the Polish city of Rzeszow.

Biden told Zelenskyy, who wore a combat-green sweatshirt and boots, that “it’s an honor to be by your side.”

US and Ukrainian officials have made clear they do not envision an imminent resolution to the war and are preparing for fighting to continue for some time. The latest infusion of US money would be the biggest yet— and exceed Biden’s $37 billion request.

Biden repeated that while the US will arm and train Ukraine, American forces will not be directly engaged in the war.

The latest US military aid package includes not only a Patriot missile battery but also precision-guided bombs for fighter jets, US officials said. It represents an expansion in the kinds of advanced weaponry intended to bolster Ukraine’s air defenses against what has been an increasing barrage of Russian missiles.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has said the delivery of the advanced surfaceto-air missile system would be considered a provocative step and that the system and any crews accompanying it would be a legitimate target for Moscow’s military.

“It’s a defensive system,” Biden said of sending the missile system. “It’s not escalatory—it’s defensive.”

The visit comes at an important moment, with the White House bracing for greater resistance when Republicans take control of the House in January and give more scrutiny to aid for Ukraine. GOP leader Kevin

McCarthy of California has said his party will not write a “blank check” for Ukraine.

Zelenskky appeared well aware of political divisions in the US over prolonged overseas spending, and called on the House and Senate lawmakers to ensure American leadership remains “bicameral and bipartisan.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer opened the chamber’s session on Wednesday by saying that passage of the aid package and confirmation of the new US ambassador to Russia, Lynne M. Tracy, would send a strong signal that Americans stand “unequivocally” with Ukraine. Tracy was confirmed later on a 93-2 vote.

The Senate’s top Republican, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, said “the most basic reasons for continuing to help Ukraine degrade and defeat the Russian invaders are cold, hard, practical American interests.” He said “defeating Russia’s aggression will help prevent further security crises in Europe.”

Russia’s invasion, which began Feb. 24, has lost momentum. The illegally annexed provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia remain fiercely contested.

With the fighting in the east at a stalemate, Moscow has used missiles and drones to attack Ukraine’s power equipment, hoping to leave people without electricity as freezing weather sets in.

Castillo reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri, Lolita C. Baldor, Tara Copp, Kevin Freking, Aamer Madhani, Chris Megerian and Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.

WHO ‘very concerned’ about severe Covid reports in China

GENEVA—The head of the World Health Organization said the agency is “very concerned” about rising reports of severe coronavirus disease across China after the country largely abandoned its “zero Covid” policy, warning that its lagging vaccination rate could result in large numbers of vulnerable people getting infected.

At a press briefing on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN agency needs more information on Covid-19 severity in China, particularly regarding hospital and intensive care unit admissions, “in order to make a comprehensive risk assessment of the situation on the ground.”

“WHO is very concerned over the evolving situation in China with increasing reports of severe disease,” Tedros said. He added that while Covid deaths have dropped more than 90 percent since their global peak, there were still too many uncertainties about the virus to conclude that the pandemic is over.

Some scientists have warned that the unchecked spread of Covid-19 in China could spur the emergence of new variants, which might unravel progress made globally to contain the pandemic.

“Vaccination is the exit strategy from Omicron,” WHO emergencies

chief Dr. Michael Ryan said.

Ryan said the explosive surge of cases in China was not exclusively due to the lifting of many of the country’s restrictive policies and that it was impossible to stop transmission of Omicron, the most highly infectious variant yet seen of Covid-19.

He said vaccination rates among people over age 60 in China lagged behind many other countries and that the efficacy of the Chinesemade vaccines was about 50 percent.

“That’s just not adequate protection in a population as large as

China, with so many vulnerable people,” Ryan said. He added that while China has dramatically increased its capacity to vaccinate people in recent weeks, it’s unclear whether that will be enough.

To date, China has declined to authorize Western-made messenger RNA vaccines, which have proven to be more effective than its locally made shots. Beijing did agree to allow a shipment of the BioNTechPfizer vaccine to be imported, for Germans living in China.

“The question remains whether or not enough vaccination can be

done in the coming week or two weeks that will actually blunt the impact of the second wave and the burden on the health system,” Ryan said.

Like Tedros, he said WHO had insufficient information about the extent of severe disease and hospitalization, but he noted that nearly all countries overwhelmed by Covid-19 had struggled to share such real-time data.

Ryan also suggested China’s definition of Covid deaths was too narrow, saying the country was limiting it to people who have suffered respiratory failure.

“People who die of Covid die from many different (organ) systems’ failures, given the severity of infection,” Ryan said. “So limiting a diagnosis of death from Covid to someone with a Covid positive test and respiratory failure will very much underestimate the true death toll associated with Covid.”

Countries such as Britain, for example, define any Covid death as someone who has died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus.

Globally, nearly every country has grappled with how to count Covid deaths, and official numbers are believed to be a major underestimate. In May, WHO estimated there were nearly 15 million coronavirus deaths worldwide, more than double the official toll of 6 million.

UN council adopts resolution urging end to Myanmar violence

By Edith M. Lederer The Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS—The UN Security Council approved its first-ever resolution on Myanmar on Wednesday, demanding an immediate end to violence in the Southeast Asian nation and urging its military rulers to release all “arbitrarily detained” prisoners including ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and to restore democratic institutions.

The resolution reiterated the call by the 15-member council for the country’s opposing parties to pursue dialogue and reconciliation and urged all sides “to respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.”

The council vote was 12-0 with three abstentions, China, Russia and India.

Britain’s UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward, whose country sponsored the resolution, said it is the first adopted by the UN’s most powerful body since the country, formerly known as Burma, joined the United Nations in 1948.

It is the result of the military overturning the results of a democratic election and seizing power on February 1, 2021, plunging the country into a series of cascading crises with “negative consequences for the region and its stability,” she said.

“Today we’ve sent a firm message to the military, that there should be a no doubt we expect this resolution to be implemented in full,” Woodward said. “We stand with the people of Myanmar. It is time for the junta to return the country to them.”

US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken applauded the adoption of the resolution as an important step but said the Council had more work to do “to advance a just solution” to the crisis.

“The Security Council should leverage this opportunity to seek additional ways to

promote a return to the path of democracy, advance accountability for the regime’s actions, and support Asean’s efforts to achieve meaningful implementation of the Five Point Consensus,” he said in a statement, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ plan to restore peace and stability.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remains “extremely concerned” about the deteriorating humanitarian situation and human rights in Myanmar. “We welcome this strong message from the Security Council,” he told AP.

For five decades Myanmar had languished under strict military rule that led to international isolation and sanctions. As the generals loosened their grip, culminating in Suu Kyi’s rise to leadership in 2015 elections and moves toward democracy, the international community responded by lifting most sanctions and pouring investment into the country.

That ended with the military takeover on the day Parliament was to reconvene following November 2020 elections which Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won overwhelmingly—an outcome the military claims without evidence was based on fraud.

The takeover was met with massive public opposition, which has since turned into armed resistance that some UN experts have characterized as civil war.

Last month, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights monitoring organization, said over 16,000 people had been detained on political charges in Myanmar since the army takeover. Of those arrested, more than 13,000 were still in detention. The association said at least 2,465 civilians had been killed since the 2021 takeover, although the number is thought to be far higher.

Much of the international community, including Myanmar’s fellow Asean members, have expressed frustration at the generals’ hard line in resisting reform. Myanmar’s rulers agreed to Asean’s plan in April 2021 but have made little effort to implement it.

The plan calls for the immediate cessation of violence, a dialogue among all concerned parties, mediation of the dialogue process by an Asean special envoy, provision of humanitarian aid through Asean channels and a visit to Myanmar by the association’s special envoy to meet all concerned parties. Current UN special envoy Noeleen Heyzer and Asean special envoy Prak Sokhonn, a Cambodian minister, have both visited Myanmar but neither was allowed to meet Suu Kyi.

Afghan women weep as Taliban fighters enforce university ban

KABUL, Afghanistan—Taliban security forces in the Afghan capital on Wednesday enforced a higher education ban for women by blocking their access to universities, with video obtained by The Associated Press showing women weeping and consoling each other outside one campus in Kabul.

The country’s Taliban rulers a day earlier ordered women nationwide to stop attending private and public universities effective immediately and until further notice. The Taliban-led administration has not given a reason for the ban or reacted to the fierce and swift global condemnation of it.

Journalists saw Taliban forces outside four Kabul universities Wednesday. The forces stopped some women from entering, while allowing others to go in and finish their work. They also tried to prevent any photography, filming and protests from taking place.

Rahimullah Nadeem, a spokesman for Kabul University, confirmed that classes for female students had stopped. He said some women were allowed to enter the campus for paperwork and administrative reasons, and that four graduation ceremonies were held Wednesday.

Members of an activist group called the Unity and Solidarity of Afghanistan Women gathered outside the private Edrak University in Kabul on Wednesday morning, chanting slogans in Dari.

“Do not make education political!” they said. “Once again university is banned for women, we do not want to be eliminated!”

Despite initially promising a more moderate rule respecting rights for women and minorities, the Taliban have widely implemented their interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, since they seized power in August 2021.

They have banned girls from middle school and high school, barred women from most fields of employment and ordered them to wear head-to-toe clothing in public. Women are also banned from parks and gyms.

A letter shared by the spokesman for the Ministry of Higher Education, Ziaullah Hashmi, on Tuesday told private and public universities to implement the ban as soon as possible and to inform the ministry once the ban is in place.

The move is certain to hurt efforts by the Taliban to win international recognition for their government and aid from potential donors at a time when Afghanistan is mired in a worsening humanitarian crisis. The international community has urged Taliban leaders to reopen schools and give women their right to public space.

Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan, all Muslim countries, have expressed their disappointment at the university ban and urged authorities to withdraw or reconsider their decision.

Qatar played a key role in facilitating the negotiations that led to the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan last year. It called on the “Afghan caretaker government” to review the ban in line with the teachings of Islam on women’s education.

US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said late Tuesday that no other country in the world bars women and girls from receiving an education.

“The Taliban cannot expect to be a legitimate member of the international community until they respect the rights of all in Afghanistan,” he warned. “This decision will come with consequences for the Taliban.”

On Wednesday, the US State Department released a joint statement alongside the UK, Canada, European Union and other Western allies that warned the ban further isolated Afghanistan’s rulers from the international community.

The head of the UN agency promoting women’s rights, Sima Bahous, said in a statement the move was part of a “comprehensive onslaught on women’s rights in Afghanistan” and called for its immediate reversal.

Afghanistan’s former president, Hamid Karzai, strongly condemned the university ban for women in a Tweet.

Abdallah Abdallah, a senior leader in Afghanistan’s former US-allied government, described universal education as a “fundamental” right. He urged the country’s Taliban leadership to reconsider the decision.

Afghan political analyst Ahmad Saeedi said that the latest decision by the Taliban authorities may have closed the door to winning international acceptance.

“The issue of recognition is over,” he said. “The world is now trying to find an alternative. The world tried to interact more but they (the Taliban) don’t let the world talk to them about recognition.”

Saeedi said he believes most Afghans favor female education because they consider learning to be a religious command contained in the Quran.

He said the decision to bar women from universities was likely made by a handful of senior Taliban figures, including the leader Hibatullah Akhunzada, who are based in the southwestern city of Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban movement.

He said the main center of power is Kandahar, rather than the Taliban-led government in Kabul, even if the ministers of justice, higher education and so-called “virtue and vice” would also have been involved in the decision to ban women from universities.

UN experts said last month that the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan may amount to a crime against humanity and should be investigated and prosecuted under international law.

They said the Taliban actions against females deepened existing rights violations—already the “most draconian globally”—and may constitute gender persecution, which is a crime against humanity.

The Taliban authorities have rejected the allegation.

The Associated Press writer Riazat Butt contributed from Islamabad.

A PATIENT is turned away from the emergency room due to full capacity at the Baoding No. 2 Central Hospital in Zhuozhou city in northern China’s Hebei province on Wednesday, December 21, 2022. China only counts deaths from pneumonia or respiratory failure in its official Covid-19 death toll, a Chinese health official said, in a narrow definition that limits the number of deaths reported, as an outbreak of the virus surges following the easing of pandemic-related restrictions. AP/DAKE KANG

Territorial grab claims ‘made out of thin air’

China uses the “nine-dash line” to justify its sweeping claims of sovereignty over the South China Sea, which encompasses 90 percent of the three million square kilometers sea. a major issue is that the nature of the claim is deliberately ambiguous. it is based on a 1947 map showing vague markings that have since become known as the “nine-dash line.”

In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague issued its ruling on a claim brought against China by the Philippines under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The international tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines on almost every count, saying that China’s claims had no legal basis. While China is a signatory to the treaty, which established the tribunal, it refuses to accept the court’s authority. China dismissed the ruling, saying the tribunal had no jurisdiction.

There are seven claimants to the South China Sea: China, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. No claimant, however, can match China’s military might. That’s why it continues to intimidate and bully the Philippines and other South China Sea claimants from lawfully accessing their maritime resources.

The South China Sea holds an estimated 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 11 billion barrels of untapped oil, with much more potentially undiscovered reserves. Apart from oil and gas, the sea is rich in mineral deposits such as titaniferous magnetite, zircon, monazite, tin, gold, and chromite.

The South China Sea is also a vital trade route connecting the main arteries of trade in Southeast Asia.

A Bloomberg story on Tuesday— China Accused of Fresh Territorial Grab in South China Sea— said that China is building up several unoccupied land features in the South China Sea, according to Western officials, an unprecedented move they said was part of Beijing’s long-running effort to strengthen claims to disputed territory in a region critical to global trade.

Bloomberg said: “While China has previously built out disputed reefs, islands and land formations in the area that it had long controlled—and militarized them with ports, runways and other infrastructure—the officials presented images of what they called the first known instances of a nation doing so on territory it doesn’t already occupy. They warned that Beijing’s latest construction activity indicates an attempt to advance a new status quo, even though it’s too early to know whether China would seek to militarize them.”

“The officials said new land formations have appeared above water over the past year at Eldad Reef in the northern Spratlys, with images showing large holes, debris piles and excavator tracks at a site that used to be only partially exposed at high tide. A 2014 photo of the reef, previously reported to have been taken by the Philippine military, had depicted what the officials said was a Chinese maritime vessel offloading an amphibious hydraulic excavator used in land reclamation projects.”

Bloomberg quoted officials saying similar activities have also taken place at Lankiam Cay, known as Panata Island in the Philippines, where a feature had been reinforced with a new perimeter wall over the course of just a couple of months last year. Other images they presented showed physical changes at both Whitsun Reef and Sandy Cay, where previously submerged features now sit permanently above the high-tide line.

Asked to respond to the claims, China’s Foreign Ministry in Beijing said: “The relevant report is purely made out of thin air.”

Denialism is the practice of denying the existence, truth, or validity of something despite proof or strong evidence that it is real, true, or valid.

It can be recalled that China signed a “declaration of conduct” with Southeast Asian nations in 2002 that called on parties to refrain from “inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays and other features” in the South China Sea.

UP Lantern Parade: Reminiscing college life under the acacia trees

Kuwentong peyups

DeCember has always been my favorite time of the year since it is my natal month. i have celebrated my birthday inside the Diliman campus of the University of the Philippines (UP) several times, in most instances coinciding with the traditional Lantern Parade.

UP normally celebrates the most festive of seasons the best way we can imagine with a parade of lights, floats and every single extravaganza UP students could practically think of.

The Lantern Parade started in 1922, inspired by the folk practice of carrying lanterns of various shapes and sizes to light the way to the early morning December masses or misa de gallo during the Spanish period.

It was institutionalized in 1934 by UP President Jorge Bocobo “so that students can have a frolicsome activity before the year ends.”

“From its beginnings as a simple homage to an old Christmas tradition to the elegant, colorful, sometimes controversial creations that strut (or sometimes sputter) around the UPD academic oval every Yuletide, the Lantern Parade has evolved into an event that reflects both the people and milieu of its time, depicting the changing social and political landscape of the University and indeed, the country,” according to the UP web site.

UP is known to be a sanctuary of advocates of civil rights and academic freedom, especially in times of un-

certainty and social turmoil.

Lantern parades are held in all UP constituent universities, with administrative offices, academic units, organizations, and community groups getting creative on their lanterns and presentations.

I remember my first lantern parade in 1987 during my freshman year lasted for six to eight hours when six wheeler trucks were still allowed.

Due to the pandemic, the traditional lantern parades were not celebrated in the various UP campuses for two years in a row.

The parade reverted back to its face-to-face format this year  with the theme  “Bagong Tahak, Bagong Galak.”

Last year, the “People’s Lantern Parade” in Diliman was held as an informal activity organized by the College of Engineering and School of Economics (my home college as well as that of former Vice President Leni Robredo).

With the theme “Parada ng Pagibig at Pag-asa,” most participants carried pink parols of various sizes as the parade aims to symbolize calls to end corruption and its adherents,

Lantern parades are held in all UP constituent universities, with administrative offices, academic units, organizations, and community groups getting creative on their lanterns and presentations.

and to fight for democracy, human rights, and the welfare of Filipinos.

The parade traverses the UP Academic oval under the acacia trees that are silent witnesses to the travails of the Diliman denizens.

Canopied by over a hundred years old sturdy acacia trees, the Diliman academic oval is a pollution-free haven not just for runners, but also for bikers.

A favorite photo backdrop is the scenic view of the way the branches of the trees from the left side of the street meet with those from the right side, forming some kind of archway.

The trees are now part of UP culture and heritage as most of them are as old as the campus itself.

The academic oval was my solace as a student at the UP School of Economics from 1987 to 1991 and later at the UP College of Law from 1992 to 1998.

After engaging in graphs, formulas and laws of supply and demand as an Economics major, I crossed the street to pursue my law degree.

It was on my third year in college that I became part of the UP student movement as the photographer for the Philippine Collegian and later as a member of the Sandigan Para sa Magaaral at Sambayanan (SAMASA).

It was also in UP that I became roommates with Buddy Zabala and Raymund Marasigan of Eraserheads for two years (1989 to 1991) at the

Economic pain, Turkish strikes drive Syrian Kurds to Europe

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB & HOGIR AL ABDO | The Associated Press

Molave dorm.

Because the band members often used our room to play their instruments and practice, I often ended up going out to study somewhere else, as I could not take the “noise.”

It was beyond my comprehension that the “noise” that I tried to avoid made them known as one of the most successful, critically acclaimed, and significant bands in OPM history.

Instead of going home to Las Piñas for my birthday in 1990, I celebrated it with Buddy over ice cream while watching an old film in the dorm’s TV room.

The float called “School of Rock” by the geology institute last night had a band playing Eraserhead songs.

Listening to their songs is a nostalgic journey of our adolescent lives when we were pursuing both academic excellence and progressive thinking.

The campus molded us to fight for the causes we believe in; trained us for the skills we need to communicate ideas and rally others to effect changes in society.

One needs to see the world from a different perspective, not to be complacent to submit to the status quo, and not to be afraid to be critical.

College life taught us how to persevere, be patient and be grateful for small blessings.

The lantern parade is a reminder that we should not only reminisce the innocence and enthusiasm of our youth but we also have to look at the joys in our lives.

Peyups is the moniker of University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786.

QamiSh

Li, Syria—ba ran ra madan mesko had been hiding with other migrants for weeks in the coastal a lgerian city of Oran, awaiting a chance to take a boat across the mediterranean Sea to eu rope.

Days before the 38-year-old Syrian Kurd was to begin the journey, he received news that a smuggler boat carrying some of his friends had sunk soon after leaving the Algerian coast. Most of its passengers had drowned.

It came as a shock, after spending weeks to get to Algeria from Syria and then waiting for a month for a smuggler to put him on the boat.

But having poured thousands of dollars into the journey, and with his wife and 4- and 3-yearold daughters counting on him to secure a life safe from conflict, the engineer-turned-citizen journalist boarded a small fishing boat with a dozen other men and took a group selfie to send to their families before they went offline.

After a 12-hour overnight journey, Mesko made his way to Alm-

ería, Spain, on Oct. 15, and then flew to Germany four days later, where he is now an asylum seeker in a migrant settlement near Bielefeld. He’s still getting used to the cold weather, and is using a translation app on his phone to help him get around while learning German. He said he’s hopeful his papers will be settled soon so his family can join him.

At least 246 migrants have gone missing while trying to cross the western Mediterranean into Europe in 2022, the International Organization for Migration says. In the past few years, thousands more have perished making the dangerous sea voyage.

Mesko is among a growing num-

ber of Syrian Kurds making the journey to Europe on a winding course that includes travel by car and plane across Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, then finally by boat to Spain. They say they are opting for this circuitous route because they fear detention by Turkish forces or Turkish-backed militants in Syria if they try to sneak into Turkey, the most direct path to Europe.

According to data from the European Union border agency Frontex, at least 591 Syrians have crossed the Mediterranean from Algeria and Morocco to Spain in 2022, six times more than last year’s total.

Dennis gorecho

China’s Covid wave spurs new variant worry as sequencing falls

By Michelle Fay Cortez | Bloomberg Opinion

ThE tsunami of Covid-19 that’s taking hold across China is spurring concern that a dangerous new variant could emerge for the first time in more than a year, just as genetic sequencing to catch such a threat is dwindling.

The situation in China is unique because of the path it’s followed throughout the pandemic. While almost every other part of the world has battled infections and embraced vaccinations with potent mRNA shots to varying degrees, China largely sidestepped both. The result is a population with low levels of immunity facing a wave of disease caused by the most contagious strain of the virus yet to circulate.

The expected surge of infections and deaths are taking hold in China within a black box since the government is no longer releasing detailed Covid data. The rise has medical experts and political leaders in the US and elsewhere worried about another round of disease caused by the mutating virus. Meanwhile, the number of cases sequenced globally each month to find those changes has plunged.

“There will certainly be more Omicron subvariants developing in China in the coming days, weeks and months, but what the world must anticipate in order to recognize it early and take rapid action is a completely new variant of concern,” said Daniel Lucey, a fellow at the Infectious Diseases Society of America and professor at Dartmouth University’s Geisel School of Medicine. “It could be more contagious, more deadly, or evade drugs, vaccines and detection from existing diagnostics.”

The closest precedent to what could happen, Lucey says, is the experience with the Delta variant in India in late 2020 when millions of people were infected over a short period of time and the deadly strain raced around the globe. While it’s not inevitable, the world must protectively prepare for such an event so that vaccines, treatments and other necessary measures can be ready, he said.

Tracking

CHINA is closely watching Omicron subvariants circulating in the country, Xu Wenbo, director at the National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, said on Dec. 20 at a briefing in Beijing. It has established a national Covid viral sequencing database, which will receive genetic sequences from three hospitals in every province each week to catch any emerging variants, he said.

“This will allow us to monitor in real-time how Omicron subvariants are circulating in China and their makeup,” he said.

There is little clarity now about infections and deaths in China, after the country largely abandoned its mass testing regime and narrowed the way it measures Covid mortality.

Diverging paths

T H ERE are two paths the virus could take in China. Omicron and its hundreds of subvariants may sweep directly through, likely in several waves, leaving no room for other contenders—as it has in the rest of the world for all of 2022. Vaccination and infections will boost immunity until eventually antibodies in the population will help control serious disease.

“It might be that China catches up, and what comes out is more of what we have already seen,” said Stuart Turville, a virologist at the University of New South Wales’ Kirby Institute, who has conducted research showing that existing antibodies in some people bind even to emerging variants. “Our antibodies are mature enough to deal with them.”

The other possibility is that something else entirely develops, much like the way the original Omicron emerged in southern Africa in late

2021. That could pose a novel threat for the world.

Omicron “came out of nowhere,” Turville said. “It made an evolutionary change in a way that’s different. If that’s the path, and it spreads more easily, there might be another parachuting event, where it takes a trajectory we don’t expect.”

Lagging immunity

THE fact that China doesn’t have a lot of previous exposure to the virus could work in its favor when it comes to the risk of new variants. In most of the world, the virus has been under severe pressure, forced to mutate like a contortionist to get around existing antibodies, Turville said. That may not be necessary in China.

“It’s a different situation,” said Alex Sigal, a virologist at the Africa Health Research Institute in Durban. “It’s going through a population that doesn’t have a lot of immunity. Just because there are more infections doesn’t mean we’ll have nastier infections.”

On the other hand, it may give other new variants a chance to take off because there isn’t such a bar of immunity, Sigal said. That could be problematic if something worse emerges.

That is Turville’s primary concern.

“Maybe it will go down a different route because it’s not under pressure and there is more room to move,” he said. “It could be a seismic shift, something that’s completely different. It may be a low probability, but it’s a probability and we have to be ready for that. At the moment, it’s crystal ball gazing.”

Omicron doesn’t penetrate as deeply in the lower respiratory tract or do as much harm as some of the earlier strains. Its superpowers include its contagiousness and ability to evade existing immunity, a combination that slammed the door on other variants—including those that could have been more virulent.

Low risk

Not everyone is concerned. Stephen Goldstein, an evolutionary virologist at the University of Utah, said the differences in the immunity landscape between China and the rest of the world makes it unlikely that the emerging Omicron subvariants will have advantages over what is already circulating.

“With respect to new dangerous variants emerging from China, I’m not particularly concerned right now,” he said. “I don’t think the situation in China significantly affects the situation everywhere else,” he said. “Could something out of the blue emerge and cause problems? Maybe—but we can’t predict it and it isn’t what I expect,” he said.

While Covid science has become highly politicized in China, officials there also say the danger is remote, even as Omicron continues to mutate.

To catch a killer Y ET the global pullback from sequencing Covid could mean a new, possibly dangerous variant evades detection until it’s spreading widely.

“This will bite us,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 technical lead. “We need to have some eyes around the world on this,” she said.

The virus “hasn’t settled down into a predictable pattern,” the WHO scientist said. “We know that it will continue to evolve. And this notion that it will only become milder is false. It could – and we hope so – but that’s not a guarantee.” With assistance from Dong Lyu and Jinshan Hong / Bloomberg.

Wheels of joy mark celebration of Intl Day of PWDs

By Roderick Abad @rodrik_28 Contributor

PERSONS with Disabilities (PWDs) have special needs, and who better can understand them than their physically challenged fellows.

Bringing cheers to differentlyabled constituents of Laguna and Quezon provinces, PWD-led Alagang AKAY Inc., in partnership with the Sol Aragones Foundation, distributed early this month a total of 1,000 wheelchairs (500 in each province) as Christmas gifts.

The back-to-back programs held on December 4 at the Sta. Rosa Sports Complex in Sta. Rosa, Laguna and December 6 at the Quezon Convention Center, Lucena City in Quezon marked the global celebration of the 30th International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

“This is a special day, so I greet every one of you,” former Laguna 3rd District Congresswoman Sol Aragones said.

“I commend you because you choose to be happy instead of becoming sad. You choose to come out and be with us rather than sulk. You choose to become strong-willed and live instead of forgetting the hope of a better future. And because of that, A K AY Foundation is here to help and inspire all of you,” she said.

Aragones said one in seven people, or 15 percent of the world’s population, are facing difficulties because of different forms of disability. She said the challenges are steeper for PWDs in developing countries like the Philippines.

“Always remember that as long as there is AKAY, you will be cared for,” she added.

Quality life, dignity, compassion for PWDs

KNOWING personally how it feels to be incapacitated, the anonymous founder, who is also a PWD, formed the AKAY as a nonprofit organization with a mission to uplift the quality of life and uphold the dignity of the disabled and their families.

“He met an accident that disabled his feet. This served as his life’s purpose: To help others who share the same experience,” Aragones told the media.

Inspired by the founder’s benevolence to share his blessings despite his condition, AKAY ambassador Dwight Bayona, a leg amputee who was also a mishap victim, did not think twice to be affiliated with the organization that understands the plight of people with disabilities.

“I salute the PWDs like me who still face the stream of life. Together with my fellow PWDs that established AKAY, we are always willing and ready to help them,” said the handicapped multi-sport athlete who wears a mechanical leg.

“We will change what others think of us as pitiful. We should not pity ourselves because we can also do what the normal people can. If they have strengths, we also have them. If they have weaknesses, we have, too. So we are all equal. That’s the story of AKAY, myself and ours.”

Maricel Apatan, another AKAY ambassador, could not agree more. The chef, who lost her hands from a tragic crime incident, did not let her unwanted past to lead her to a miserable life.

“Even if I lost my hands, I did not lose hope. I studied very hard. Education is what we need to pursue our dreams. Let’s fight. Whatever challenge that comes to us, we should overcome it. Of course, trust God that He will help us achieve our dreams,” shared the chef, an HRM and culinary arts graduate who now works in a hotel. “We now embrace the love of AKAY Foundation.”

AKAY also taps medical and other professionals who work with community leaders to help identify, screen and prioritize those who will immediately benefit from specific assistance and interventions. It collaborates with public and private organizations to provide education, training and work opportunities for PWDs to have a dignified and productive life.

Enable the disabled BECAUSE it takes a village to capacitate the PWDs, Alagang AKAY has found an ally from both the government and private sector.

“In our own efforts in Laguna to assist PWDs and their families, we have found a partner in PWD-led Alagang AKAY,” Aragones explained how their partnership started.

The former lawmaker told BusinessMirror that although she’s not in public office anymore, she will continue to help those in need, especially the disabled who are very close to her heart, through her very own foundation.

“That’s because it’s our advocacy

Recent events in northeastern Syria have given its residents an additional incentive to leave.

Aragones became a champion of PWDs because they are one of the often-neglected members of society. She said there are more than 70,000 PWDs in Laguna alone. “This is what is recorded. But we don’t know those who are not. So it means that this is a big sector with a huge need.”

to assist the PWDs. I’m glad to have a partner like the AKAY Foundation for this purpose,” she said.

Aragones became a champion of PWDs because they are one of the often-neglected members of society.

She said there are more than 70,000 PWDs in Laguna alone. “This is what is recorded. But we don’t know those who are not. So it means that this is a big sector with a huge need. So whatever help that will be given is a great part for AKAY Foundation’s constant progress and development to assist more in need.”

Aragones thanked Quezon province led by Governor Angelina “Doktora Helen” D.L. Tan and the local government unit of Lucena headed by Mayor Mark Alcala for the warm welcome they received for the Alagang Sol-Alagang Akay event.

“We all know that my BFF [best friend forever] Governor Helen Tan, when it comes to public service, especially for the PWD sector, she is very concerned about them. That’s why we work together to help them,” the Sol Aragones Foundation chair said.

“We’re also thankful, of course, to my friend, [former] Congresswoman Sol and the AKAY Foundation ambassadors. When she went to my office, I thought she was just visiting me. But she has a blessing to bring. We’re very happy because the funds of our province is unburdened with this kind of an outside source,” replied Governor Helen Tan.

“Imagine, they gave us 500 wheelchairs. We would have spent a lot if we bought them. So it’s a big savings that could be coursed to our other programs. I hope this will not be just the beginning, but a continuous partnership with Congresswoman Sol and the AKAY Foundation,” she added.

Apart from the wheelchairs, the PWD attendees also received goodie bags. “Kabuhayan” packages were raffled off during the two separate events for the PWD-beneficiaries and their families, as well as the members of civic organizations in both provinces. Each of the liveli-

ism, then across the porous border into Lebanon, the migrants and smugglers said.

hood kits given away is complete with a steamer, siopao and siomai products, and a container of palamig or cold drinks.

“What the AKAY Foundation wants is for you to grow this business because we want you to earn to uplift the economic status of your families,” Aragones said.

The provincial government of Quezon also gave a cheque worth P20,000 for PWD federations of each of the towns and municipalities of the province.

Continuous assistance

KEEPING the ball rolling to further help the PWD sector, the Alagang SolAlagang AKAY initiative is expected to broaden its coverage.

“With constant donations, we can reach out to more places—Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Cebu, and other areas nationwide,” Aragones said.

“Actually, we’re also planning to provide prosthesis like [this mechanical leg of] mine to people who have difficulties walking. May the Lord Almighty bless us more to raise enough funds to extend help to our PWD countrymen,” Bayona said.

Meanwhile, the provincial government of Quezon will launch next year various projects for PWDs, such as full scholarships for occupational, speech and developmental therapy.

“In the Philippines, we don’t have enough access to the right education or treatment of those born with disabilities,” Governor Tan said. “With free education, there will come a time—in the next three, four or five years—that we will produce the needed doctors and experts, plus medical centers where PWDs can be brought in.”

She said the plan includes PWD profiling province-wide since there are no official figures available on their disabled constituents.

“We hope to get the numbers because when I asked the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office about that when we were programming our budget for 2023, so I’ll know how much we’ll spend for this sector, they could not provide an exact figure,” said Governor Tan.

“Their estimate of around 3,000, I don’t think that’s accurate since they don’t document also the other disabilities like those with global developmental delays. So we want a good profiling. Hopefully, by the end of the year, we have a good number to make our decision-making data driven,” she explained.

A Kurdish Syrian smuggler in Algeria said dozens of Kurds from Syria arrive in the Algerian coastal city of Oran each week for the sea journey.

“I’ve never had numbers this high before,” the smuggler told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of arrest by Algerian authorities.

Years of conflict and economic turmoil have left their mark on Syria’s northern areas, home to some 3 million people under de facto Kurdish control. The region has been targeted by Islamic State group militants, Turkish forces and Syrian opposition groups from the country’s northwestern rebel-held enclave. Climate change and worsening poverty spurred a cholera outbreak in recent months.

Like Mesko, many of the migrants come from the Syrian city of Kobani, which made headlines seven years ago when Kurdish fighters withstood a brutal siege by the Islamic State militant group.

The town was left in ruins, and since then, “not much has happened” to try to rebuild, said Joseph Daher, a professor at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, adding that most development funding went to cities further east.

Turkey stepped up attacks on Kurdish areas in Syria after a bombing in Istanbul in November killed six people and wounded over 80 others. Ankara blames the outlawed Kurdish Workers’ Party and the US-backed Kurdish militia, the People’s Protection Unit in Syria. Both have denied responsibility.

Since then, Turkish airstrikes have pounded areas across northeastern Syria, including Kobani, further battering its already pulverized infrastructure, and Ankara has vowed a ground invasion.

Bozan Shahin, an engineer from Kobani, recalled a Turkish airstrike last month.

“I saw my mother trembling in fear and holding my 4-year-old sister to keep her calm,” Shahin said.

He now wants to join the flow of Kurds headed from Syria to Europe.

“I have some friends who found a way to get to Lebanon through a smuggler and go somewhere through Libya,” he said. “I’m not familiar with all the details, but I’m trying to see how I can take that journey safely.”

The operation, which takes weeks and costs thousands of dollars, is run by a smuggler network that bribes Syrian soldiers to get people through checkpoints where they could be detained for draftdodging or anti-government activ-

There, the migrants typically stay in crowded apartments in Beirut for about a week while awaiting expedited passports from the Syrian Embassy by way of a smuggler’s middleman.

With passports in hand, they fly to Egypt to transit before taking another flight to Benghazi in wartorn Libya before embarking on the journey to Algeria through another network of smugglers.

“We went in vans and jeeps and they took us across Libya through Tripoli and the coastal road and we would switch cars every 500 kilometers or so,” Mesko said.

During the journey across the desert, they had to cross checkpoints run by Libya’s mosaic of armed groups.

“Some of the guards at checkpoints treated us horribly when they knew we were Syrian, taking our money and phones, or making us stand outside in the heat for hours,” he said.

An armed group kidnapped the group of migrants who left before his and demanded $36,000 for their release, Mesko said.

By the time they reached the Algerian city of Oran, Mesko was relieved to take refuge in an apartment run by the smugglers. While they waited for weeks, he and the other migrants spent most of their time indoors.

“We couldn’t move freely around Oran, because security forces are all over and we did not cross into the country legally,” Mesko said. “There were also gangs in the city or even on the coast who would try to mug migrants and take their money.”

Human rights groups have accused the Algerian authorities of arresting migrants, and in some cases expelling them across land borders.

According to the U.N. refugee agency, Algeria expelled over 13,000 migrants to neighboring Niger to its south in the first half of 2021.

Despite his relief at arriving safely in Germany with a chance to bring his wife and girls there, Mesko feels remorse for leaving Kobani.

“I was always opposed to the idea of migrating or even being displaced,” he said. “Whenever we had to move to another area because of the war, we’d come back to Kobani once we could.”

Mesko spends much of his time at asylum interviews and court hearings, but says he’s in good spirits knowing he’s started a process he only dreamed of months ago. He hopes to be granted asylum status soon, so his wife and daughters can reunite with him in Europe.

“Syria has become an epicenter of war, corruption and terrorism,” he said. “We lived this way for 10 years, and I don’t want my children to live through these experiences, and see all the atrocities.” Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Renata Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain.

Govt urged anew to take action on elevated sugar retail price, meet with industry players

By Andrea E. San Juan

SUGARCANE planters are calling on the government anew to undertake measures that will bring down the retail prices of sugar, which have remained elevated despite the decline in mill-gate prices.

T he Confederation of Sugar Producers Association Inc. (Confed), Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers Inc. (PANAYFED), and the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters Inc. (NFSP) also urged the government to engage the industry in an “earnest” dialogue.

The three sugarcane producers’ federations represent 50 percent of domestic production.

We share government’s concern over the current inflation rate hounding the Philippine economy.

This inflation has hurt not only consumers, but also Filipino farmers who are reeling from escalating costs of production. We thus support any reasonable measures to curb inflation,” they said in a news statement.

“ We are therefore concerned that the reportedly ‘very high inflation rate of sugar, confectioneries and desserts’ is seen as a major contributor to inflation, and that measures must be taken to stabilize not only supply but prices of sugar in the domestic market,” they added.

T he producers’ groups, however, said that importing sugar via the minimum access volume (MAV) scheme to bring down the retail prices of sugar at this time is unwarranted.

F or one, the groups noted that millgate prices have already dropped by as much as 26 percent

over the last 11 weeks.

T hey also noted that the refined sugar inventory from September 1 to December 11, based on data from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), is higher by 56.55 percent compared to the inventory last year due to higher refinery output and previous import balances.

“ There is thus no urgent need for importation especially during peak milling season. There is also no reason why retail prices should remain disproportionately high when millgate prices have already dropped,” the groups said.

SRA data as of December 11 indicated that the average retail price of raw sugar in Metro Manila markets is at P86.32 per kilogram, while refined sugar averaged P100.10 per kg.

Producers sadly get the blame but

do not benefit from excessive retail prices, while consumers and endusers suffer when retail prices are unreasonably high,” the groups said.

Confed, PANAYFED and NFSP reiterated their call to concerned government agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry, to “guard against excessive retail prices” that are not in sync with prevailing mill-gate prices.

T he groups issued the statement after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the DA to fast-track the importation of 64,050 metric tons (MT) of refined sugar through the MAV mechanism to further “stabilize” sugar prices.

In a memorandum order (MO) dated December 20, Senior Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo

F. Panganiban said Marcos, who is concurrently the agriculture chief, is “concerned” about the “very high” inflation rate of sugar.

He noted that the annual inflation rate of sugars, confectionery and desserts in November reached 38 percent.

Concerned about this very high inflation rate, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, has ordered the Department to take action to stabilize sugar prices,” Panganiban said in MO 77 addressed to Jocelyn A. Salvador, the OIC Executive Director of the MAV Secretariat.

Panganiban told Salvador to “immediately” convene the MAV Advisory Council (MAV-AC) and “expedite” the importation of the additional supply of refined sugar.

BARMM bills propose creation of 8 new towns for ‘special geographic area’

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAO CITY—Bangsamoro lawmakers filed eight parliamentary bills seeking to create eight new municipalities for the 63 barangays of North Cotabato which were included in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) during the 2019 plebiscite.

They will soon have their own municipalities in the region’s Special Geographic Area [SGA] as proposed in the eight newly-filed parliament

bills,” the Bangsamoro Information Office said.

It said the bills were filed “by the Government of the Day on Tuesday to create the eight municipalities of Pahamudin, Kadayangan, Kabalukan, Northern Kabacan, Kapalawan, Malmar, Tugunan and Ligawasan.”

I n the proposed bills, the 63 SGA villages would be separated from their mother municipalities and constituted into distinct and independent municipalities. These barangays formerly belonged to the towns of Pikit, Midsayap, Aleosan, Pigcawayan, Kabacan, and Carmen in North Cotabato.

O ne proposal by Parliament Bill (PB) No. 129 would create the municipality of Pahamudin to cover the barangays of Balacayon, Buricain, Datu Binasing, Datu Mantil, Kadilingan, Lower Pangangkalan, Matilac, Patot, Upper Pangangkalan, Lower Baquer, Simsiman, and Libungan Torreta as its seat of government.

I n PB No. 130, the municipality of Kadayangan would be established and composed of the villages of Kapinpilan (seat of government), Central Labas, Malingao, Mudseng, Sambulawan, Tugal, and Tumbras.

T he municipality of Kabalukan

would also be created in PB No. 131 with barangay Nabalawag as its seat of government and to consist of the villages of Damatulan, Kadigasan, Kadingilan, Kudarangan, Olandang, Macasendeg, and Dungguan.

U nder PB No. 132, the barangays of Buluan, Nangaan, Sanggadong, Simbuhay, Simone, Tamped, and Pedtad (seat of government) will compose Northern Kabacan municipality.

K apalawan Municipality will be created in PB No. 133 with its barangays, including Kitulaan (seat of government), Kibayao, Langogan, Manarapan, Nasapian, Pebpoloan, and Tupig.

PB No. 134 proposed to establish Malmar Municipality with the seven barangays of Balungis, Batulawan, Fort Pikit, Nabundas, Nalapaan, Nunguan, and Gokotan as the seat of government.

T hrough PB No. 135, the villages of Balong, Bualan, Lagunde, Macabual, Pamalian, Panicupan, and Manaulanan (seat of government) would compose the municipality of Tugunan.

PB No. 136 would also create the municipality of Ligawasan to compose the barangays of Bagoinged (seat of government), Barungis, Bulol, Buliok, Gli-Gli, Kabasalan, and Rajamuda.

PSA reports issuance of over 10-M ePhilIDs by December 9

THE Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Thursday reported that it has issued more than 10 million ePhilIDs as of December 19.

T he PSA said in a news statement that a total of 10,126,352 ePhilIDs have been claimed at Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) registration centers nationwide.

We launched the ePhilID just two months ago. Reaching the 10 million mark this fast in the implementation and is indeed a major milestone. This only shows how ready we Filipinos are for PhilSys as a digital ID,” said PSA Undersecretary Dennis S. Mapa, National Statistician and Civil Registrar General.

PSA also said there is an allocated physical card for each person registered to PhilSys. Those who want to claim their ePhilID at PhilSys registration centers will still receive their physical card which will be delivered to the address they used upon their Step 2 registration.

Lahat ng nag-register sa PhilSys ay may PhilID card. Kahit kumuha ka ng ePhilID, makakatanggap ka pa rin ng PhilID card,” Mapa said.

PSA said the printing and delivery of the PhilID card are continuous in partnership with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and Philippine Postal Corporation (Post Office).

T he ePhilID is a part of the PSA’s strategy to allow the immediate use of PhilSys as a valid proof of identity and age, subject to authentication. Designed to have the same functionality and validity as the physical card, the ePhilID is a government-issued ID and is being accepted by government agencies and private establishments in transactions requiring proof of identity or age.

T hrough various issuances and advisories, the BSP, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Finance, Government Service Insurance System, Philippine Health Insurance Corp., and National Privacy Commission, among others have announced the acceptance of the ePhilID.

In terms of security, the PSA said, the ePhilID has its QR code, which uses public-private key cryptography to ensure that the information inside the code is tamper proof. Andrea E. San Juan

LGUs told to set up ‘common areas’ for fireworks display

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is calling on local government units (LGUs) to set up a “common areas” for fireworks display to avoid firecracker-related injuries in welcoming the New Year.  “ What we should do is…I will enjoin the LGUs, instead of allowing our people to have their own firecrackers, you [LGUs] should instead put up fireworks display for your respective constituents,” Marcos said, partly in Filipino, in a chance interview after leading the distribution of Christmas gifts and livelihood aid to children and families in Manila.

Marcos warned Filipinos about the dangers and health effects of using firecrackers, especially those that result from “reckless and indiscriminate” use of firecrackers.  Let us not use firecrackers as we know that it is dangerous. Especially now that they will release firecrackers, which we don’t know where they came from or if they are safe to be used in the first place,” the President said.

According to a statement issued by Malacañang on Thursday, the Department of Health (DOH) noted a downward trend in firecracker-related injuries in the country, citing figures in recent years.

T he Palace said DOH Officer-inCharge (OIC) and Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, at a forum on Tuesday, said 122 cases were recorded in 2020, while 128 were reported last year.

However, Vergeire also urged families and individuals to avoid purchasing and using fireworks this holiday season and instead observe fireworks displays from afar or ones that are “professionally prepared and organized.”

Vergeire said DOH officials would inspect hospitals to check their readiness to attend to fireworks-related injuries or any form of emergency.

T he DOH said it has scheduled visit to hospitals on December 29, starting with the Las Piñas Trauma Center, Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, East Avenue Medical Center, and Amang Rodriguez Medical Center for the “Oplan Iwas Paputok” campaign.

On December 30, Field Implementation and Coordination Team officials will be visiting communities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao to ensure that families are celebrating the coming of 2023 safely.  (Full story of BusinessMirror here:https://businessmirror.com. ph/2022/12/19/doh-hospitalson-high-alert-for-celebrations/)

T he DOH said it has always advocated for the safe practice of the holidays by avoiding fireworks and firecrackers. With this, the health department said on Sunday that it has placed all local hospitals on “high alert” ahead of the New Year festivities. Andrea E. San Juan

Villafuerte backs legalization of small scale mining ops

ALAWMAKER on Thursday said legalizing the operations of small-scale miners would help promote their safety, provide financial incentives, generate higher revenue for the sector and protect the environment.

C amarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte made the statement in support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s recent order for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to strengthen its regulatory powers on smallscale mining so the government can provide miners with social protection plus skills training and even financial incentives for their operations. PNA

Sunday

www.businessmirror.com.ph

• Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Christmas tree a tradition older than Christmas

WHY every Christmas, do so many people endure the mess of dried pine needles, the risk of a fire hazard and impossibly tangled strings of lights?

Strapping a fir tree to the hood of my car and worrying about the strength of the twine, I sometimes wonder if I should just buy an artificial tree and do away with all the hassle.

Then my inner historian scolds me—I have to remind myself that I’m taking part in one of the world’s oldest religious traditions. To give up the tree would be to give up a ritual that predates Christmas itself.

A symbol of life in a time of darkness

ALMOST all agrarian societies independently venerated the Sun in their pantheon of gods at one time or another—there was the Sol of the Norse, the Aztec Huitzilopochtli, the Greek Helios.

The solstices, when the Sun is at its highest and lowest points in the sky, were major events. The winter solstice, when the sky is its darkest, has been a notable day of celebration in agrarian societies throughout human history.

T he Persian Shab-e Yalda, Dongzhi in China and the North American Hopi Soyal all independently mark the occasion.

The favored décor for ancient winter solstices? Evergreen plants.

Whether as palm branches gathered in Egypt in the celebration of Ra or wreaths for the Roman feast of Saturnalia, evergreens have long served as symbols of the perseverance of life during the bleakness of winter, and the promise of the Sun’s return.

Christmas slowly emerges CHRISTMAS came much later. The date was not fixed on liturgical calendars until centuries after Jesus’ birth, and the English word Christmas—an abbreviation of “Christ’s Mass”— would not appear until over 1,000 years after the original event.

While December 25 was ostensibly a Christian holiday, many Europeans simply carried over traditions from winter solstice celebrations, which were notoriously raucous affairs.

For example, the 12 days of Christmas commemorated in the popular carol actually originated in ancient Germanic Yule celebrations.

The continued use of evergreens, most notably the Christmas tree, is the most visible remnant of those ancient solstice celebrations.

Although Ernst Anschütz’s well-known 1824 carol dedicated to the tree is translated into English as “O Christmas Tree,” the title of the original German tune is simply “Tannenbaum,” meaning fir tree.

There is no reference to Christmas in the carol, which Anschütz based on a much older Silesian folk love song. In keeping with old solstice celebrations, the song praises the tree’s faithful hardiness during the dark and cold winter.

Bacchanal backlash

SIXTEENTH-CENTURY German Protestants, eager to remove the iconography and relics of the Roman Catholic Church, gave the Christmas tree a huge boost when they used it to replace Nativity scenes. The religious reformer Martin Luther supposedly adopted the practice and added candles.

But a century later, the English Puritans frowned upon the disorderly holiday for lacking biblical legitimacy. T hey banned it in the 1650s, with soldiers patrolling London’s streets looking for anyone daring to celebrate the day.

Puritan colonists in Massachusetts did the same, fining “whosoever shall be found observing Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other way.”

German immigration to the American colonies ensured that the practice of trees would take root in the New World. Benjamin Franklin estimated that at least one-third of Pennsylvania’s white population was German before the American Revolution.

Yet, the German tradition of the Christmas tree blossomed in the United States largely due to Britain’s German royal lineage.

Taking a cue from the queen

SINCE 1701, English kings had been forbidden from becoming or marrying Catholics. Germany, which was made up of a patchwork of kingdoms, had eligible Protestant princes and princesses to spare.

Many British royals privately maintained the familiar custom of a Christmas tree, but Queen Victoria—who had a German mother as well as a German grandmother on her father’s side—made the practice public and fashionable.

Victoria’s style of rule both reflected and shaped the outwardly stern, family-centered morality that dominated middle-class life during the era.

In the 1840s, Christmas became the target of reformers like novelist Charles Dickens, who sought to transform the raucous celebrations of the largely sidelined holiday into a family day in which the people of the rapidly industrialized nation could relax, rejoice and give thanks.

His 1843 novella, “A Christmas Carol,” in which the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge found redemption by embracing Dickens’ prescriptions for the holiday, was a hit with the public. While the evergreen décor is evident in the hand-colored illustrations Dickens specially commissioned for the book, there are no Christmas trees in those pictures.

Victoria added the fir tree to family celebrations five years later. Although Christmas trees had been part of private royal celebrations for decades, an 1848 issue of the London Illustrated News depicted Victoria with her German husband and children decorating one as a family at Windsor Castle.

The cultural impact was almost instantaneous. Christmas trees started appearing in homes throughout England, its colonies and the rest of the English-speaking world.

Dickens followed with his short story “A Christmas Tree” two years later.

Adopting the tradition in America

DURING this period, America’s middle classes generally embraced all things Victorian, from architecture to moral reform societies.

Sarah Hale, the author most famous for her children’s poem “Mary had a Little Lamb,” used her position as editor of the best-selling magazine Godey’s Ladies Book to advance a reformist agenda that included the abolition of slavery and the creation of holidays that promoted pious family values.

The adoption of Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863 was perhaps her most lasting achievement.

It is closely followed by the Christmas tree.

While trees sporadically adorned the homes of German immigrants in the US, it became a mainstream middle-class practice when, in 1850, Godey’s published an engraving of Victoria and her Christmas tree.

A supporter of Dickens and the movement to reinvent Christmas, Hale helped to popularize the family Christmas tree across the pond.

Only in 1870 did the United States recognize Christmas as a federal holiday.

The practice of erecting public Christmas trees emerged in the US in the 20th century. In 1923, the first one appeared on the White House’s South Lawn. During the Great Depression, famous sites, such as New York’s Rockefeller Center began erecting increasingly larger trees.

Christmas trees go global

AS both American and British cultures extended their influence around the world, Christmas trees started to appear in communal spaces even in countries that are not predominately Christian. Shopping districts in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Tokyo now regularly erect trees.

The modern Christmas tree is a universal symbol that carries meanings both religious and secular. Adorned with lights, they promote hope and offer brightness in literally the darkest time of year for half of the world.

In that sense, the modern Christmas tree has come full circle.

Statue of Japanese martyr Blessed Takayama enthroned in National Shrine of Saint Michael

CARDINAL José F. Advincula, Archbishop of Manila, blessed the statue of Blessed Justo Ukon Takayama during the Mass for its Enthronement at the National Shrine of Saint Michael and the Archangel San Miguel Pro Cathedral in San Miguel, Manila.

The event also marked the 40th anniv ersary of Takayama’s arrival in Manila together with 350 other Catholic Japanese exiles, the Japanese Embassy said.

The Mass was presided by Rev. Msgr. Mario D. Enriquez, shrine rector.

J apanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko, his wife, Yuko, and Ernesto De Pedro, a Takayama Ocon Trustee, attended the event.

Beatified in 2017, Takayama was a Catholic feudal lord and samurai exiled to

of political upheaval and warlordism in Japan, lasting from the Onin War from 1467 to 77 through the reunification of the country around 1598. It was an era of civil war, in which the feudal lords of Japan fought one another in endless plays

for land and power.

Takayama died in Intramuros on February 3, 1615. His statue was formerly located at the Philippines-Japan Friendship Park in Plaza Dilao, Manila.

Among the 42 Japanese saints and 394 blessed, Takayama was the only Japanese martyred outside Japan, the Japanese Embassy said.

He was also the only Cause for blessedness who was studied solo by the Vatican—a first instance in Japanese church history. All other Japanese Saints and Blessed are group martyrs, processed by the Vatican in four batches.

The Manila City Council in 2018, thenchaired by current Mayor Honey Lacuna authored a resolution declaring December 21 as Blessed Takayama Ukon Day in Manila.

Christ’s virgin birth is not surprising for early Christians

EVERY year on Christmas, Christians celebrate the birth of their religion’s founder, Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.

Part of this celebration includes the claim that Jesus was born from a virgin mother named Mary, which is fundamental to the Christian understanding that Jesus is the divine son of God.

The virgin birth may seem strange to a modern audience—and not just because it runs counter to the science of reproduction. Even in the Bible itself, the idea is rarely mentioned.

As a scholar of the New Testament, however, I argue that this story’s original audiences would not have been put off by the supposed “strangeness” of the virgin birth story.

The story would have felt much more familiar to listeners at that time, when the ancient Mediterranean was full of tales of legendary men born of gods—and when early Christians were paying close attention to the Hebrew Bible’s prophecies.

What the Bible does—and doesn’t—say

STRIKINGLY, the New Testament is relatively silent on the virgin birth except in two places. It appears only in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, written a few decades after Jesus’ death.

The B ook of Matthew e xplains that when Joseph was engaged to Mary, she was “found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.” The writer links this unexpected pregnancy to an Old Testament prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 , which states “the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and she will call Him Immanuel.”

According to the prophet Isaiah, this child would be a sign to the Jewish people that God would protect them from powerful empires.

Now the majority of early Christians outside of Judea and throughout the Roman empire did not know the Old Testament in the original Hebrew, but rather a Greek translation known as the Septuagint.

When the Gospel of Matthew quotes Isaiah 7:14, it uses the Septuagint, which includes the term “parthenos,” commonly understood as “virgin.” This term differs from the Hebrew Old Testament, which uses the word “almah,” properly translated as “young woman.”

The slight difference in translation between the Hebrew and the Greek may not mean much,

but for early Christians who knew Greek, it provided prophetic proof for Jesus’ birth from the Virgin Mary.

Was the belief in the virgin birth based on a mistranslation? Not necessarily. Such terms were sometimes synonymous in Greek and Jewish thought.

And the same Greek word, “parthenos,” is also found in Luke’s version of the story. Luke does not cite the prophecy in Isaiah7:14

Instead, this version of the Nativity story describes the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she will give birth even though she is a virgin. Like in Matthew’s version of the story, Mary is told that her baby will be the “son of God.”

Human and divine?

FOR early Christians, the idea of the virgin birth put to rest any rumors about Mary’s honor. It also contributed to their belief that Jesus was the Son of God and Mary the Mother of God.

These ideas became even more important during the second century, when some Christians were deba ting Jesus’ origins: Was he simply born a human being but became the Son of God after being baptized? Was He a semi-divine being, not really human? Or was He both fully divine and fully human?

The last idea, symbolized by the virgin birth, was most accepted—and is now standard Christian belief.

But the relative silence about it in the first few decades of Christianity does not necessarily suggest that early Christians did not believe it.

Instead, as biblical scholar Raymond Brown also noted, the virgin birth was likely not a major concern for first-century Christians. T hey affirmed that Jesus was the divine Son of God who became a human being, without trying to explain exactly how this happened.

Greco-Roman roots

CLAIMING that someone was divinely born was not a new concept during the first century, when Jesus was born. Many Greco-Roman heroes had divine birth stories. Take three famous figures: Perseus, Ion and Alexander the Great.

One of the oldest Greek legends affirms that Perseus, an ancient ancestor of the Greek people, was born of a virgin mother named Danaë. The story begins with Danaë imprisoned by her father, the king of Argos, who feared her because it was prophesied that his grandson would kill him.

According to the legend, the Greek

god Zeus transformed himself into golden rain and impregnated her.

When Danaë gave birth to Perseus, they escaped and eventually landed on an island where he grew up. He eventually became a famous hero who killed the snakehaired Medusa, and his great-grandson was Hercules, known for his strength and uncontrollable anger.

The playwright Euripides, who lived in the fifth century BC, describes the story of Ion, whose father was the Greek god Apollo.

Apollo raped Creusa, Ion’s mother, who abandoned him at birth. Ion grew up unaware of his divine father, but eventually reconciled with his Athenian mother and became known as the founder of various Greek cities in modern-day Turkey.

Lastly, legends held that Zeus was the father of Alexander the Great, the Macedonian ruler who conquered his vast empire before age 33.

Alexander was supposedly conceived the night before his mother consummated her marriage with the king of Macedon, when Zeus impregnated her with a lightning bolt from heaven.

Philip, the king of Macedon, raised Alexander as his son, but suspected that there was something different about his conception.

A familiar type of hero

OVERALL , divine conception stories were familiar in the ancient Mediterranean world. By the second century A.D., Justin Martyr, a Christian theologian who defended Christianity, recognized this point: that virgin birth would not have been considered as “extraordinary” in societies familiar with Greco-Roman deities.

In fact, in an address to the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius and philosophers, Justin a rgued t hat they should tolerate Christian belief in the virgin birth just as they did belief in the stories of Perseus.

The idea of the divine participating in the conception of a child destined for greatness wouldn’t have seemed so unusual to an ancient audience. Even more, early Christians’ interpretation of the prophecy in Isaiah7:14 from the Septuagint supported their belief that Jesus’ origin was not only divine, but foretold in their prophetic scriptures. Rodolfo Galvan Estrada III, Vanguard University/The Conversation (CC) via AP

NATIVITY scene at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Quezon City in December 2019. LYN B. RESURRECCION

the Philippines at a time when Christians were being persecuted during the Sengoku era in Japan, the embassy said.

The Sengoku was a century-long period

JAPANESE Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko is holding a statue of Blessed Justo Ukon Takayama as a souvenir after the Mass at the National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangel San Miguel Pro Cathedral in San Miguel, Manila. ROY DOMINGO

CARDINAL Jose F. Advincula, Archbishop of Manila, blesses the statue of Blessed Justo Ukon Takayama during the Mass for the Enthronement of his Statue at the National Shrine of Saint Michael and the Archangel San Miguel Pro Cathedral in San Miguel, Manila. ROY DOMINGO

ARCHBISHOP of Manila, Cardinal Jose F. Advincula, in a huddle with Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko and his wife, Yuko, before the Mass for the Enthronement of the Statue of Blessed Justo Ukon Takayama and the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of his arrival in Manila with the 350 exiled Catholics from Japan. ROY DOMINGO

ERNESTO DE PEDRO, a Takayama Ocon Trustee, with Japanesse Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko during the Mass. ROY DOMINGO

Goorjian’s never

By Josef Ramos

BRIAN GOORJIAN’S no ordinary coach and has been in basketball for a long time—a career he highlighted by steering Australia to its first Olympic medal, a bronze, last year in Tokyo.

But he’s never been in a best-ofseven championship series.

I have been in the game for a long time, but I have never been involved in a seven-game finals,” said Goorjian, a six-time National Basketball League of Australia champion coach. “Every now and then I have been involved in a best-

baptism of fire right on Christmas Day this Sunday when his Hongkong Bay Area Dragons square off with the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings in the race-to-four Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup.

T he game is set at 5 p.m. with the league expecting a sellout holiday crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

So great opportunity. I’m just really proud to be there and we have again a battle on our hands, and we know that,” said Goorjian, who has stayed at home during his coaching career with a stint in the National Basketball Association (NBA) also absent from his credentials.

Goorjian’s Dragons booted out the San Miguel Beermen, 94-92, in Game 4 of their best-of-five semifinals series last Wednesday, the same day the Gin Kings eliminated the Magnolia Hotshots also in four games, 99-84.

G oorjian and his wards are traversing uncharted waters as the favorites for having dominated the eliminations with a 10-2 win-loss record.

He’ll be sticking with former NBA player, 6-foot-10 center Andrew Nicholson, for the entire series after his spitfire Myles Powell injured his knee.

Nicholson torched the Beermen in Game 4 with 42 points, including six triples, and 21 rebounds with Kobe Lam contributing 26 points.

Soccer legend Pelé’s cancer worsens—hits kidneys, heart

SÃO PAULO—Pelé’s health has worsened during his hospital stay to regulate his cancer medication, doctors said Wednesday.

The Albert Einstein hospital in São Paulo said in a statement Wednesday that Pelé’s cancer has advanced and that the 82-year-old Brazilian soccer great is under “elevated care” related to “kidney and cardiac dysfunctions.”

The hospital did not mention any signs of the three-time World Cup winner’s recent respiratory infection, which was aggravated by Covid-19.

E dson Arantes do Nascimento, who is globally known as Pelé, is undergoing chemotherapy in his fight against cancer since he had a colon tumor removed in September 2021. Neither his family nor the hospital have said whether it had spread to other organs.

K ely Nascimento, one of his daughters, said Pelé will stay in the hospital during Christmas.

We decided with doctors that, for many reasons, it will be best for us to stay here, with all the care that this new family at Einstein gives us,” she wrote on Instagram. “We will even make some caipirinhas (no kidding). We love you and we will give up an update next week.”

Ne wspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported Saturday that Pelé’s chemotherapy is not working and that doctors had decided to put him on palliative care. Pelé’s family denied that report. The Associated Press could not confirm the newspaper’s information.

Pelé led Brazil to victory the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cups and remains one of the team’s all-time leading scorer with 77 goals. Neymar tied Pelé’s record during the latest World Cup.

Several tributes and get-well soon wishes were made for the former footballer during the Qatar tournament, which was won by Argentina on Sunday.

The French soccer federation, meanwhile, wants to go after social media users who targeted some of the national team’s players with racist comments following France’s loss to Argentina in the World Cup final.

The federation said Tuesday that some players were hit by “unacceptable racist and hateful comments on social networks” and that it planned to file a complaint against those that posted abuse.

“ The French soccer federation condemns with the utmost firmness these intolerable behaviors and abuses,” it said in a statement.

French government officials have expressed their indignation following the insults. Isabelle Rome, the minister in charge of gender equality, said Kylian Mbappé and Kinglsey Coman were among those abused.

M bappé and Coman are Black.

Coman’s club, Bayern Munich, also condemned the racist comments targeting the winger, one of the French

players who missed during the penalty shootout that decided Sunday’s final.

The FC Bayern family is behind you, King. Racism has no place in sport or our society,” Bayern wrote on Twitter.

French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera tweeted her support to Coman and all the players abused, saying the heinous comments “have no place in soccer or anywhere else.”

A nti-racism group SOS Racisme said in a statement that some players had to disable comments on their Instagram accounts because of “a torrent of racist slurs, with hundreds of users on the social network posting comments likening them to apes, slaves, or even urging them to go back to the jungle.”

The NGO said it will file a complaint.

France twice fought back for a 3-3 draw through extra time in Qatar before Argentina won a penalty shootout to cap one of the most exciting finals in World Cup history. Coman had an attempt saved by Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez and Aurelien Tchouameni then missed for France. AP

BUENOS AIRES—

Argentina’s government on Wednesday defended the mammoth parade held to welcome home the World Cup winners even though the event was abruptly cut short amid organizational chaos.

A nd former FIFA president Sepp Blatter criticized successor Gianni Infantino’s plans for a 48-team World Cup and an expanded Club World Cup just two days after Argentina’s dramatic victory over France in the final that has become the mostwatched soccer match of any kind in the United States.

A fter days of high-profile activity, team captain Lionel Messi and most of the other members of the national soccer squad were largely staying out of sight and spending time with family and friends.

There had been speculation that Rosario, Argentina’s third-largest city, would put on its own celebration for hometown hero Messi. But after Tuesday’s chaos in Buenos Aires, where millions swamped the streets eager to get a glimpse of the winning team, officials were emphasizing that the players preferred to rest.

I n talking about the early end to Tuesday’s parade, Security Minister Aníbal Fernández said: “The objective was to protect the players—not because they were going to be harmed, but rather because anything could help when so many people were trying to get close to them.”

WORLD CUP VICTORY PARTY GOES AWRY

The World Cup and the success of the national team brought a brief respite from the political infighting that is common in Argentina, a country that has been plagued by economic malaise for years and is suffering one of the world’s highest inflation rates. But controversy over the parade brought back Soccer officials had said early Tuesday that the team would travel in an open-top bus from the Argentine Football Association headquarters outside the capital to the Obelisk, the iconic downtown Buenos Aires landmark that is the traditional site of celebrations. Fernández said he warned early on that was a mistake.

“ Look at the photos. Put a bus in the middle of there and you realize that they would have stayed living there for six days,” Fernández said.

P resident Alberto Fernández sought to play up the celebration itself, saying that “if you see the happiness that there were in the streets, the objective was met.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with German weekly Die Zeit released Wednesday, Blatter said that “what is happening at the moment is an ‘overcommercialization’ of the game.”

There are attempts to squeeze more and more out of the lemon—for example with the World Cup finals with 48 teams or now with a Club

World Cup that must be viewed as direct competition to the Champions League,” he was quoted as saying.

“FIFA is encroaching here on something that is actually none of its business, club soccer.”

The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada will be the first 48-nation tournament, meeting Infantino’s election pledge of a bigger and more inclusive World Cup going beyond European and South American teams. This year’s tournament in Qatar featured 32 teams.

E arlier this month, Infantino called for a 32-team men’s Club World Cup in 2025.

B latter announced in June 2015 that he would resign early as FIFA president, in the fallout from a sprawling corruption investigation. He has long denied wrongdoing, saying in Wednesday’s interview that “I have never taken money that I didn’t earn—that’s why nothing on me could ever be proven in all the proceedings against me. And that will remain the case.”

I nfantino, a fellow Swiss, succeeded Blatter in 2016. Blatter told Die Zeit that he has “no relationship with Infantino” and that the current president “behaved disrespectfully because he has refused any contact with me since his election.” Blatter added that

“he only communicates with me via lawyers.”

W ith Nielsen and Fox releasing the “match only” rating on Wednesday, Sunday’s match had an English- and Spanish-language total combined audience of 26,726,000. The numbers include 4.24 million that watched via streaming.

T he updated total narrowly edges the 26.7 million that tuned in to the 2015 Women’s World Cup final, when the US beat Japan, 5-2, in a match that aired in prime time for most of the United States because the tournament was held in Canada.

The previous high for a men’s World Cup match in the US was 26.5 million for the 2014 final between Germany and Argentina, which was on ABC and Univision.

A rgentina’s first World Cup title since 1986 was Fox’s mostwatched match of the tournament at 17,726,000. That surpasses the 15,491,000 that watched the Americans 0-0 draw with England during group-stage play on Nov. 25. Sunday’s combined audience was a 33.3 percent increase over the 2018 final, which averaged 17.83 million on Fox and Telemundo. Fox’s audience increased 29.5 percent from four years ago, when France defeated Croatia. AP

Arcilla foils Seno, bags Naga Open net crown in Cebu

OVERPOWERED by Jan Godfrey Seno in the early going, Johnny Arcilla used his veteran smarts to repel his younger rival in the last two sets, hacking out a 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 decision to claim the Naga Open National Tennis Championship crown at the City of Naga tennis courts in Cebu Wednesday.

A rcilla changed tactics after yielding the opening set which Seno dominated with his power and baseline game, coming through with superb drop and lob shots and backspins that baffled the latter and helped fuel his come-frombehind victory that extended his domination of the circuit presented by Dunlop.

It was the 10-time Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) Open champion’s third straight win coming off romps in the Brookside Open in Cainta and Zentro Open in Pampanga the last three weeks, and five overall, counting his victories in the Puerto

Princesa Open last October and the Pintaflores Festival Open last month.

Th at further underscored the 42-year-old tremendous form and staying power, who dropped his first two cracks at serve in the first set to fall 0-4 as Seno took the better of Arcilla in long baseline rallies. After trading serves in the next three, he finally broke Seno in the eighth but the latter broke back to clinch the set.

But Arcilla, who also needed an extra set to repulse Charles Kinaadman in the semis, quickly recovered and imposed his will in the next, shutting out Seno, who swept Eric Tangub in the Final Four, with his vast repertoire of shots. He then broke his rival in the first and fifth games of the deciding set to go 5-1 up before breaking him again in the seventh to wrap up the crown.

Unlike in Brookside and Zentro Open, however, Arcilla failed to complete a twinkill as Kinaadman and Eric Jed Olivarez carved out a thrilling 6-7 6-2, 10-7 victory

over him and Vicente Anasta in the doubles finals of the Group A event put up by Palawan Pawnshop president and CEO Bobby Castro.

S haring the spotlight in the tournament held as part of the Dagitab Festival celebrations were Legends winners, including Boy Longakit and Jonathan Largo, who beat Aldrin Geluz and Rocky Paglalunan, 8-5, in 40s class; Roy Tabotabo and Marlon Mariscal, who trounced Geluz and Enrico Abadia, 8-2; Rollie Anasta, who held off Chat Conta, 8-5, for the men’s singles 35 title; Geluz, who edged Tabotabo, 8-7(3), in singles 45 finals.

O ther doubles winners in the event supported by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, Unified Tennis Philippines and Universal Tennis Rating were Max Tallido and Biboy Narvasa (Classified C), Raffy Canares and Alvin Cinco (Classified C+), Manolet Cortes and Danny Sajonia (Classified B-), and Noel Salupado and Rollie Anasta (Classified B+).

FANS honor soccer legend Pelé during the World Cup. AP

‘been there, done that, doing this’ in best-of-7 Finals

AFTER days of high-profile activity, team captain Lionel Messi and most of the other members of the national soccer squad were largely staying out of sight and spending time with family and friends. AP

JOHNNY ARCILLA is on a three-tournament

winning streak.

BRIAN GOORJIAN is venturing into unchartered waters.

Basic

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic

153.

154.

Brief

Description: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills

NGUYEN TRAN TUAN ANH Vietnamese Customer Service

Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

NGUYEN TRONG NGHIA Vietnamese Customer Service

Brief Job Description: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills

Basic Qualification: Customer support and data base services

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Customer support and data base services

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

155.

156.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic

Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

NGUYEN VIET THUY Vietnamese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in Computer Application With Good Oral and Written Communication Skills

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 157.

Basic

172.

good oral and written communication skills

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 175.

Basic

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 176.

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in

206.

207.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

TONY KURNIAWAN Chinese Speaking Graphic Designer

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

XU, YING Chinese Speaking Graphic Designer

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

222.

KANO, NAOKI Japanese Manager

Brief Job Description: Ensure project to scope, schedule & budget; contribute their operational strategic or technical expertise to the projects, collaborates with clients to determine project parameters

Basic

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: Engineering Graduate With More Than 15 of Experience

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

VISA VALOR CONSULTANCY INCORPORATED Unit 922 9/f Cityland Herrera Tower, 98 V.a. Rufino Cor. Valero Sts., Bel-air, City Of Makati

YUAN, GUANGNING Chinese Speaking Marketing Consultant

208.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help

223.

224.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

GIANG MINH PHI Chinese Speaking Technical Consultant

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services.

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

VPC CORPORATE SOLUTIONS INCORPORATED 11/f 100 West, Sen Gil Puyat Ave. Cor., Washington St., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati

225.

YANG, JINHEE Bilingual Marketing Specialist

Brief Job Description: Conduct market research to find answers about consumer requirements, habits and trends.

Basic Qualification: Foreign language speaking.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

WANFANG TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT, INC. 6-9/f Tower 2 Double Dragon Plaza, Edsa Cor. Macapagal Ave., Barangay 76, Pasay City

RODPHAI, NATTAKAMOL Thai Marketing Specialist

226.

227.

Brief Job Description: Conduct market research to find answers about consumer requirements, habits and trends

SAE-JANG, THANPHITCHA Thai Marketing Specialist

Brief Job Description: Conduct market research to find answers about consumer requirements, habits and trends

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for, Fluent in Chinese Mandarin is an advantage.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for, Fluent in Chinese Mandarin is an advantage.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

228.

LE THI TUYET NGAN Vietnamese Marketing Specialist

Brief Job Description: Conduct market research to find answers about consumer requirements, habits and trends

WIKITECH SERVICES INC.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for, Fluent in Chinese Mandarin is an advantage.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Meralco partners with ARTA to support govt streamlining efforts

THE Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has partnered with the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) to help local government units (LGUs) automate their business permit and licensing systems in line with the government’s thrust to promote ease in doing business.

In a ceremonial signing held recently, ARTA Director General and Secretary Ernesto V. Perez, Meralco Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel Atty. William S. Pamintuan, and Meralco Assistant Vice President and Head of Biz Joy P. Mendoza signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the “PaspasPilipinasPaspas” project that involves the deployment of desktop computer units to LGUs as part of the Integrated Business Permits and Licensing System (iBPLS).

“It is our honor and privilege to work with ARTA in the distribution of desktop computers to local government units under the iBPLS program. Through all these collaborative efforts, Meralco affirms its commitment to ARTA in helping ensure efficient and streamlined processes and quality service for businesses all over the country,” Atty. Pamintuan said.

Meralco’s donation of computer units will help the LGUs in setting up their Electronic Business One-Stop Shops (eBOSS) to ensure red-tape free and more convenient business registration, from application to approval of permits.

Prior to the signing of the MOA, Perez took note of the agency’s latest collaboration with Meralco, which has long been a partner of ARTA in its efforts to improve government efficiency.

“We, at the ARTA, together with our partners commit to continue the battle against red tape, provide more seamless government transactions to the people, and make the Philippines more globally

competitive,” Perez said. He also thanked Meralco for the newest “PaspasPilipinasPaspas” project partnership and expressed hopes of future collaborations.

“We thank Meralco for its support to our initiatives for the collective benefit of the people,” he said. “We hope that this latest partnership is just one of many more collaborations between Meralco and ARTA.”

From one scholar to another: Passing on the gift of kindness

but I think this is my destiny since I started to join the ECE Department on October 24, 1999. My Ultimate goal now is to help other people achieve their dreams and to become professionals in the future like me. I never stopped helping other people. Inspired by SM Foundation, since 2000, I have been the Chairperson for the Committee on Outreach Program for the College of Engineering.

Mining employees find extra income post Odette

AGROUP of employees from Cagdianao Mining Corp. (CMC) harvested hundreds of kilos of bangus as the Province of Dinagat Islands marked the devastation wrought by typhoon Odette exactly a year ago.

A people’s organization – Valencia Regular-Seasonal Workers Association (VARSWA) – composed of employees of CMC, a subsidiary of Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC), collaborated with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to embark on a fish farming project for extra income for employees.

BFAR provided the trainings, DOLE provided the farm inputs and CMC provided other logistical and operational funds including the cover for the cost of the Norwegian cage, estimated at P800,000 including accessories, which was sourced through the mining company’s yearly Social Development and Management Program (SDMP) budget.

“This project was stalled, first because of the pandemic, and then when Odette destroyed the cage and the fish nets, so this is our first partial harvest since and interestingly on the anniversary of Odette,” shares Lorenzo “Jojo” Cuares, Jr., President of VARSWA.

VARSWA has about 50 members, all regular-seasonal employees of CMC. The mining company assisted in forming this people’s organization and provided seed capital.

For VARSWA members, bangus farming is a natural choice since the inland coastal waterway provides the best condition for cage culture and, according to BFAR, suitable for bangus farming as to water quality and that there are no strong waves because of the surrounding mountains.

Cuares says they are expecting to account at least 3,000 kilos of bangus in this particular harvest from just one cage. He explains that the members of VARSWA will get a 70 percent dividend share out of their

THE UP-CIFAL Philippines, together with UN Women Philippines, organized a “High-level Forum on a Genderresponsive and Sustainable Recruitment and Reintegration in Philippine Migration Governance” on December 14, 2022 at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, Pasay City.

JOJO

net income which they will divide equally. The bangus sell between P180 to P220 per kilo depending on size.

“We will each earn a little from this harvest after all the expenses are accounted for, this kind of income is not enough as a main source of livelihood but a very good and a welcome extra income,” he adds.

Sherrie Ann Cardoniga, Enterprise Development and Livelihood Coordinator, Community Relations Department, explains that the role of CMC is to guide the members of VARSWA in order that they efficiently manage the project until it becomes sustainable that they run it themselves without intervention from the mining company, which is the essence of the SDMP programs.

“There are factors and principles the members have to learn including efficient business management and, most importantly, protection of the environment for sustainability as they take advantage of the natural resources available to them,” Cardoniga says.

“We know that to earn bigger we need to expand our production like add the quantity of our fingerlings, but we are consulting the technical experts on how to do so without adversely impacting the environment and to ensure that this livelihood becomes truly sustainable,” Cuares ends.

IN a world with a population of seven billion, what are the chances of changing the life of a person leading the same life as you?

Engr. Francis Gubangco, an SM scholar alumnus, never thought that he’d one day become a mentor of a fellow scholar from SM.

Working as a professor at the University of the East (UE), he asked about the enrollment status of one of his students, Gabriel Ignacio, as he was not on the official class list. Gubangaco was pleasantly surprised when he learned that SM Foundation was processing Ignacio’s enrollment.

“I didn’t expect a professor, who like me, was also an SM Scholar,” Ignacio recalled his first encounter with his fellow scholar. “We both had a long talk and shared our common bond. While I was pleasantly surprised to meet another scholar. This made me put more effort into my subjects, particularly his. I felt that I needed to be more responsible and live up to the responsibility that came with being a scholar of Tatang Sy.”

This was the foundation of their meaningful mentorship. Aside from being SM scholars, they share the same vigor in life amidst challenges.

The mentor

HIS professor and thesis adviser Gubangco became an SM scholar in 1993, one of the first 100 pioneering scholars of the SM Foundation. He first matriculated at Adamson University and later transferred to New Era University, where he completed BS in Electronics and Communications Engineering.

But he once thought that he would never stand where he is today. Back then, his father had told him that he needed to stop schooling after high school to give way to his older siblings, who were both college

students at that time.

“But that didn’t stop me from pursuing my dreams. I took part-time jobs in the summer while waiting for the start of the school year. I needed to earn more money for my tuition fee,” he said.

Thankfully, his father saw an announcement in a tabloid about a scholarship offered by SM.

“We rushed to SM Carriedo and filled out the application form. After a few days, I received a letter from SM informing me that I would have an interview with the Project Director, Sister Nilda Bernaldes,” he recalled.

“My family used to live below the poverty line, I would say. We had no regular income to sustain the daily needs of our family. I grew up in the slum area along 10th avenue in Caloocan City, and this became my inspiration to study hard to uplift my family. SM Foundation helped me to achieve this aspiration in life through a better education,” he added.

After graduating in 1998, he worked at DVS Systems Corp. as a Design Engineer.

While working there, he underwent a training program for Science Research Specialists sponsored by DOST-Advance Science and Technology Institute at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. He also worked as a part-time professor at AMATel Caloocan and later applied at NAPOCOR Biñan Power Plant. Hoping to earn more for his family, he applied for another part-time teaching job at UE Caloocan.

“After a semester in UE, the program chair asked me if I wanted to work as a fulltime professor. I immediately accepted the position, and the rest is history.”

With a full-time job as a professor at the UE, he managed to help his other siblings obtain their college education.

“I never dreamt of becoming a professor,

The mentee MUCH like Gubangco, his student, Ignacio, was determined to obtain a diploma amidst poverty. At the age of 14, his mother died, giving his father the sole responsibility of providing for the family. Despite financial difficulties, he took to heart the lesson his mother had taught him: the importance of education.

Thus, he applied for the SM scholarship with his classmates. Only three of them made it, and he was the only one who chose to avail of the scholarship.

“The scholarship offered by SM Foundation is very important for me because I knew that my family was not capable of enrolling me at a private university, more so in an engineering course,” he said.

As a scholar, he availed himself of the opportunity to work during school break and recalled how he could make friends with co-scholars at SM Fairview Department Store. His scholarship also led to a lifetime of mentorship and friendship with Gubangco.

“At first, I was nervous because of his reputation as an experienced engineer not only in academe but also in the engineering field. After a series of consultations with our lessons and our thesis papers, I discovered even more of his kindness and dedication as a teacher. He was so hands-on with our thesis giving advice applicable not only at work but also in real life. He was very understanding of my numerous mistakes but very encouraging with my output,” he said when Gubangco became his thesis adviser.

“He is the best professor and thesis adviser I have ever encountered. And now, I wish to be more like him,” he added. Ignacio finished Electronics and Communications Engineering this year. Passing on the kindness shared by SM Foundation and his life mentor, he plans to become an educator with a great passion for knowledge to other.

The forum was part of the Bridging Recruitment to Reintegration in Migration Governance Programme, (BRIDGE) in commemoration of the International Migrants’ Day on December 18, 2022.

The forum brought in speakers with diverse migration experience and expertise such as diplomats, migration practitioners, migrant rights advocates, representatives of the recruitment industry, and migrants themselves. It opened with inspirational remarks from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo and UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzalez.

Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople, through Assistant Secretary Jerome Alcantara, laid out the 2022-2028 Recruitment Reforms in Philippine Migration Governance. Ausamah Alabsi, Founder and Principal Consultant of Mind Map Consultants and former CEO of the Labor Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) in Bahrain, shared his experiences with the Kafala Reform, the lessons from Bahrain, and its impact on women migrants.

Atty. Maria Corina Padilla-Buñag, Labor Attaché in the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in the Philippine Consulate in Milan, Italy, discussed ethical and sustainable recruitment and deployment in emerging markets in Europe.

Edwina Beech, Chairperson of Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc. (PASEI), explored the gender-responsiveness of the ethical recruitment business model. Atty. Sarah Lou Y. Arriola, Regional Director for Asia

and the Pacific of International Organization for Migration (IOM), expounded on genderresponsive return and reintegration amid the 21st century crises. Dodo Sudradjat, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, shared the Indonesian experience on the productive migrant village and migrant protection. Atty. Kristine Rosary E. Yuzon-Chaves, Executive Director of Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), shared how the government can ensure sustainable reintegration especially for women

Mikaela Luisa Carmen R. Teves, Executive Director of Samahan ng mga Pilipina para sa Reporma at Kaunalaran, Inc. (Filipinas for Reform and Development: SPARK), tacked the opportunities for returned women migrants in the local enterprise. Almira Diauna shared her stories of resilience as a former OFW and returned migrant who now works as a radio anchor and operates an edible fern farm in Aurora province.

UP-CIFAL Philippines Director Dr. Edna Estifania A. Co and UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) Deputy Director Sarah Knibbs delivered the message of gratitude and closing remark, respectively.

The forum was attended by 58 participants—32 attended in person while 26 attended virtually. The attendees included ambassadors and representatives from various foreign missions to the Philippines such as Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Bangladesh, Sweden, New Zealand, Norway, and Spain. There are also attendees from national government agencies, recruitment agencies, UN agencies, the civil society organizations (CSOs).

The BRIDGE Programme is jointly implemented by UN Women, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and ILO, with support from the Migration MultiPartner Trust Fund (MPTF).

Cuares shows off the newly harvested bangus from the Norwegian fish cage in the background provided by Cagdianao Mining Corp.

ENGR. Francis Gubangco, an SM scholar alumnus and an engineering professor at the University of the East Caloocan (left), and SM Scholar Gabriel Ignacio.

International Migrants’ Day marked with high-level forum on gender-responsive recruitment, reintegration

VARIOUS foreign missions, national government agencies, recruitment agencies, UN agencies, the civil society organizations (CSOs) gather during the High-level Forum on a Gender-responsive and Sustainable Recruitment and Reintegration in Philippine Migration Governance.

ANTI-RED Tape Authority (ARTA) Director General and Secretary Ernesto V. Perez (left); Manila Electric Company (Meralco) AVP and Head of Biz Joy P. Mendoza (center); and Meralco SVP and Chief Legal Counsel Atty. William S. Pamintuan sign the Memorandum of Agreement for the “PaspasPilipinasPaspas” project which aims to boost the efforts for the adoption of the Integrated Business Permits and Licensing System (iBPLS) by local government units.

Exec: PLDT to slash capital spending starting next year

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

a result of several factors including pressure from former President Duterte, the pandemic, and intense competition in the mobile and broadband space.

In a statement attached to a disclosure on Thursday, PLDT President Alfredo S. Panlilio said the company will make use of 2023 as a “year of consolidation.”

“[T]o the extent of the capex ordered, we plan to reduce fresh capex starting in 2023. Thereafter, we expect the capex to reduce steadily. 2023 will be a year of consolidation as we continue to strengthen and grow the business. We strive to be better,” said Panlilio.

The telco titan, whose stock has plummeted significantly since the announcement of the so-called budget overrun, also expects its earnings before interests, taxes, depreciation,

and amortization (Ebitda) to be “on track to hit P100 billion,” and to “remain unaffected by the capex overrun.”

Telco core net income is also expected to tread between P32.6 billion and P33 billion as guided.

Company officials were sought for more information on the effect of the budget overrun on the company’s profit and loss statement, its reported income, and their plans for the unbooked assets. BusinessMirror reached out to PLDT, but they declined to reply to BusinessMirror’s queries.

Manuel V. Pangilinan, who chairs the telco, said the capex overrun is

“The bulk of the P48-billion capex overspend involves the procurement of network equipment necessary to provide stronger connectivity to subscribers, specifically 5G cell sites for our mobile network and fiber rollout. There will be no write-off of these assets,” he said.

PLDT first announced on Friday last week that it unearthed a budget overrun of P48 billion, an amount that represents 12.7 percent of its total capex spend of P379 billion over the last four years.

Ongoing internal forensics have thus far “uncovered no fraud, no anomalies, no evidence of overpricing, and no unrecorded transactions in relation to the overrun.”

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), and the Capital Markets Integrity Corp. (CMIC) are separately conducting inquiries on the elevated capex spend and the

MPIC unit to expand dairy business

By VG Cabuag @villygc

CO n G LOME r A TE Metro

Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), through its whollyowned subsidiary, Metro Pacific Agro Ventures Inc. (MPAV), has teamed up with the L r Group of Israel to expand MPAV’s existing dairy business.

“Our investment in agriculture is synonymous to food security and substantial independence but will ultimately become a means of alleviating hunger in our country – a pressing issue that we have taken as a challenge to address,” MPIC Chairman, President and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said. “Our goal is and always will be to feed our people first.”

This partnership will break ground on the construction of a farm facility in Bay, Laguna, where it plans to annually produce at least

6 million liters of milk. The construction of the facility will start in 2023 and take approximately two years to finish. Operations are estimated to commence by late 2025 to early 2026.

“We share the same values with MPIC and MPAV in terms of maximizing what their country has to offer primarily in land, natural resources and skills, and in turn, helping their local communities thrive,” Lr Group Co-founder and CEO Ami Lustig said.

The conglomerate noted that the transaction presents a “significant growth opportunity for MPIC and the Philippines,” as the country currently imports 99 percent of its annual dairy requirements.

MPIC began its foray into the dairy industry by partnering with the Carmen’s Best Group to further develop and expand the operations of its dairy farm and dairy products manufacturing facilities. It entered

into an agreement to acquire a 51-percent interest in The Laguna Creamery Inc.

The conglomerate announced that it will ramp up investments in the agricultural sector and reduce the country’s dependence on food imports amid ongoing global supply chain disruptions and high inflation.

Founded in 1985, the Lr Group operates worldwide in financing, managing, developing, producing, and maintaining medium and large-scale national projects in highgrowth economies all over the world.

The company and its affiliates have completed hundreds of sustainable projects in Africa, Europe, Oceania and South America.

Through the support of Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss, the Lr Group became instrumental in the deal between MPIC and Carmen’s Best, serving as the technical advisors during the transaction.

Musk: Cost-cutting averted $3-B Twitter shortfall

ELOn Musk said Twitter Inc. was on course for $3 billion of negative cash flow before he stepped in to stem losses by dismissing more than half the company’s staff.

“That is why I spent the last five weeks cutting costs like crazy,” Musk said during a Twitter Spaces event late Tuesday. “This company is like, basically, you are in a plane that is headed toward the ground at high speed with the engines on fire and the controls don’t work.”

Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion in October, partly financing the deal with almost $13 billion of debt with interest repayments of around $1.5 billion a year. He has since embarked on a frenzied mission to revamp the social-media platform, which he has said is at risk of going bankrupt and was losing $4 million a day as of early november. The mercurial entrepreneur has overseen the firings or departures of roughly 5,000 of Twitter’s 7,500 employees and instituted a “hardcore” work environment for those remaining.

Over the weekend Musk con-

ducted a straw poll on Twitter asking people if they wanted him to resign as the company’s top executive.

About 58 percent of respondents said yes and Musk has since confirmed he’d step down once an appropriate replacement was found, for a job he’s said anyone would be “foolish” to take.

In the Twitter Spaces event, Musk painted a dire picture of the company’s finances but suggested that he has managed to avert a total meltdown.

Twitter’s costs in 2021 totaled almost $5.6 billion, according to the company’s last public annual report. Musk said the company was on track to spend about $5 billion next year. Taken with the debt payments required as a result of the acquisition, Twitter would be looking at about $6.5 billion in expenses in 2023, prompting Musk’s drastic moves to slash costs.

now, Musk said Twitter was on track to bring in revenue of about $3 billion in 2023, with around $1 billion in cash on its balance sheet. That’s about $2 billion less in reve-

nue than the $5.1 billion reported at the end of 2021. Analysts had been forecasting about the same for 2022, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg before to transaction’s close on Oct. 28.

“I now think that Twitter will, in fact, be okay next year,” Musk said, adding that he expects the company to “roughly” hit cash flow break-even. Still, he conceded that “this will be difficult.” Musk added that advertisers, which account for the bulk of revenue, have been asking “sane” but “tough” questions about their return on investment.

Musk has also been making changes to the platform to increase and diversify its revenue, including charging $8 a month for a premium subscription called Twitter Blue. As of mid-november, there were about 140,000 paying subscribers, according to the new York Times.

Twitter has always had a hard time converting conversation among its users into revenue, but with all his antics, Musk has managed to make the company as buzzy as it’s ever been. Bloomberg News

trading activities on PLDT shares before its disclosure on Friday last week.

On Wednesday, the PSE noted that initial investigation point that there are no signs of insider trading on PLDT stocks.

Pangilinan said he “welcome(s) this bit of good news from the PSE” and added that “this confirms that no insider trading occurred in respect of last Friday’s disclosure.”

Negotiations with vendors

ACCOr DInG to PLDT Chief Legal Counsel Marilyn A. Victorio-Aquino, negotiations with vendors are ongoing, while simultaneous reviews of network project monitoring and process flows are being undertaken with a view to improving them.

rest assured that we will provide additional disclosures in due course. What we want to avoid is premature disclosure that could harm the public shareholders,” she said.

PLDT shares ended Thursday’s trading at P1,249 apiece, a peso lower than its previous close of P1,250 per share on Wednesday.

AG&P inks third charter deal with ADNOC L&S

ATLA n T IC Gulf & Pacific International Holdings (AG&P) said on Thursday it has signed a third charter agreement with ADnOC Logistics & Services (ADnOC L&S) to utilize the latter’s carrier called Ghasha as a floating storage unit (FSU).

The downstream liquified natural gas (LnG) platform and infrastructure development company said Ghasha will be used at AG&P’s LnG I mport Terminal in India, which will be commissioned in the second half of 2024.

The agreement, valid for 11 years with the option of a four-year extension, strengthens the existing relationship between the two companies, which have previously entered two similar agreements for FSUs in India and the Philippines.

“This agreement with AG&P builds on a phenomenal period of global expansion for ADnO C L&S as we focus on growth, diversification and unlocking new revenue streams. AD n O C L&S is in the midst of a major renewal project of its L nG fleet and, as we do so, we are repurposing our older vessels to extend their life, generating incremental value and new revenue streams,” Abdulkareem Al Masabi, CEO of ADnO C L&S, said.

The operations and maintenance

of the FSU will be undertaken by ADnOC L&S, while the conversion of the LnG Carrier (LnGC) to an FSU will be completed by GAS Entec, an AG&P subsidiary.

The FSU will be moored alongside a regasification unit, manufactured by the subsidiary. The integrated terminal will have an initial capacity of 5 million tons per annum (mtpa). Built in Japan, Ghasha a mosstype containment vessel with a capacity of around 138,000 cubic meters. It is part of ADnOC L&S’ diverse operational fleet of more than 300 vessels.

In October, AG&P has also successfully completed the conversion of a 137,512 cubic meter L nG carrier called ISH into an FSU for the first L nG Import Terminal in the Philippines. The PHL nG is poised to deliver gas by the first quarter of 2023.

“AG&P is thrilled to work closely with ADnO C L&S to continue to bring energy to important markets. We are also proud of AG&P’s Gas Entec business, which has become a world leader in L nG technology. The ADnO C L&S FSU, plus the regasification unit, is a powerful combination for bringing gas to new markets,” said Joseph Sigelman, chairman and CEO of the AG&P Group. Lorenz S. Marasigan

PLDT Inc. is expected to start reducing fresh capital expenditures (capex) next year to clean its books of the effects of the P48-billion budget overrun it recently unearthed.

Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014

Biodiversity Sunday

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

15TH CONFERENCE OF PARTIES, CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

‘Preserve the environment, preserve life’

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

‘THE preservation of the environment is the preservation of life,” declared Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The declaration embodied the Philippine Country Statement delivered by Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, the head of the Philippine delegation to the recently concluded 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Montreal, Canada, sharing the country’s commitment and call to action during the high-level segment with the theme: Ecological Civilization—Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth” on December 17.

“The Philippines envisions a future where biodiversity is restored and maintained to sustain healthy, resilient Filipino communities while delivering benefits to all. The post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework [GBF] must ensure clear linkages to national policy mechanisms and implementation that recognize the intersections between climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development,” YuloLoyzaga said.

New deal, new hope

THIS was declared as COP15 ended on a high note, with “historic deal,” as described by the Associated Press, with nations promising to protect 30 percent of the planet and help prevent species extinction on Monday.

The new deal to protect 30 percent of the planet by the end of 2030, known as 30 by 30, is considered a ray of hope for plants and animals, as well as human species, that are threatened with extinction on account of the massive environmental degradation experienced globally over the past decades.

Canada’s environment minister Steven Guilbeault, who was hosting the conference, compared the deal to the UN’s landmark Paris agreement, in which countries committed to keep global temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius and ideally closer to 1.5C.

“It is truly a moment that will mark history as Paris did for climate,” Guilbeault said to reporters on Monday, Bloomberg News said.

Currently, 17 percent of terrestrial and 10 percent of marine areas are protected, the AP said.

Hits and misses

AT the same time, international environmental group Greenpeace welcomes what it describes as explicit recognition of Indigenous people’s

rights, roles, territories and knowledge as the most effective biodiversity protection that has come out of the UN biodiversity talks.

In a statement, An Lambrechts, head of the Greenpeace delegation at COP15, said: “Indigenous peoples are the most capable and knowledgeable guardians of nature. There is so much potential for biodiversity protection if Indigenous peoples are in leadership roles. Rights-based protections are the future of conservation. Direct finance for Indigenous peoples is a critical next step.”

However, she said taken altogether, COP15 failed to deliver the ambition, tools, or finance necessary to stop mass extinction.

“The 30 by 30 target, to protect at least 30 percent of land and of sea by 2030, has successfully made it in. But it is stripped-down, without essential qualifiers that exclude damaging activities from protected areas. As is, it is just an empty number, with protections on paper but nowhere else,” Lambrechts explained.

Biodiversity finance not enough

“$20 billion a year until 2025, and then $30 billion a year until 2030, is a start, but it’s not enough. With a $700 billion biodiversity funding gap, it’s unclear where the rest of the money will come from. Finance is not only a question of how much, but how fast. Setting up a fund in 2023 should get funding to developing countries faster,” she added.

“Corporate schemes like naturebased solutions and offsets leeched on to the UN biodiversity talks from start to finish. These are false solutions that may prove to be costly mistakes. The scandals and greenwashing you see in carbon offsetting today are what’s on the menu for biodiversity tomorrow,” she pointed out.

Action and commitment IN the Philippines, the country’s chief steward of the environment and natural resources is optimistic.

On conservation, Yulo-Loyzaga boasted that the Philippines planted and maintained over a million hectares of degraded forestlands while identifying more potential protected areas, bringing the country closer to its development goals and the 30 by 30 target. It calls for 30 percent of earth’s land and sea to be conserved through the establishment of protected areas and other area-based conservation measures.

“These areas include scientifically determined ecologically or biologically significant marine areas.

Leyte seaweed farmers bear brunt of climate-change impact

DAWAHON ISLAND, Bato, Leyte—The cuttings of the brownish seaweeds were piling up. But 31 years old Marifel Gabison is undaunted as she picks them one at a time to tie them to a fiber rope of about two-meter long while she chats with five other women, who are doing the same task.

Her hands are quick, the twigs are perfectly tied even without looking at them—a skill that she developed from over three years of doing the job. She receives P6 for every line of 100 cuttings which she gets in cash at the end of the day.

The cuttings are the seedlings that will be planted back to the sea in the vast expanse of the town’s seaweed farm.

“E arnings are not always the same. Today I will receive more than P200 for what I have completed,” she said as she took a peek into a room at her back where her four-month-old baby is peacefully sleeping.

Gabison said there is big demand for new seedlings to replenish those that were destroyed by Typhoon Paeng (international code Nalgae) from October 28 to 31, just three days before the interview.

Dawahon Island, which straddles between

Leyte and Bohol, is the biggest seaweed producer in Eastern Visayas and accounts for 90 percent of the region’s seaweed production.

Before Typhoon Odette destroyed their marine farms in December 2021, this expanse in Camotes Sea was one of the biggest sources of seaweeds in the country.

T he Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Regional Office-8 said Paeng damaged an estimated P16-million worth of crops and properties on the island, the second worst disaster since Odette, when total damages reached P200 million.

“ We haven’t even fully recovered from Typhoon Odette, then we have Paeng,” lamented Benjamin Tańo, the president of the 342-strong Dawahon Seaweeds Farmers Association.

Typhoons are getting more destructive now,” he said. “During Odette all our seaweed farms were washed out and houses were blown away. We were able to replant after five months by gathering those that were washed to the deeper part of the sea as our seedlings.”

Even then, Tańo said the seaweed seedlings that he gathered could cover a small portion of his 20-hectare seaweed farm.

We regard these efforts as a source of nature-based solutions to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change,” she said.

Meanwhile, the country’s Environment chief said that on sustainable use, ecotourism jobs have more than doubled in the last five years, promoting practices, products, and services that enhance biodiversity.

Mainstreaming biodiversity

ACCORDING to Yulo-Loyzaga, regulations for Mainstreaming BiodiversityFriendly Agricultural Practices and Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, have likewise been implemented.

“Our high endemism and rate of species discovery, drive our will to strengthen the Nagoya Protocol’s implementation to complement practical bilateral and multilateral benefit-sharing mechanisms for the utilization of genetic resources, associated traditional knowledge and Digital Sequence Information,” she said.

However, she admitted that despite these efforts, much remains to be done across all the land and seascapes to ensure the balance between advancing human development and protecting biodiversity.

Biodiversity financing gap

ON means and tools of implementation, Yulo-Loyzaga said the most recent estimates show a more threefold increase in public expenditure for biodiversity, with agrobiodiversity expenditures increasing 9-fold.

“However, these estimates likewise indicate at least a P14 billion annual

He also lost his boat that he used to access his seaweed farm, which was about half-kilometer away from the island.

For its response to Odette, BFAR-8 distributed 93 fiberglass boats with engines and complete accessories worth P4.6 million and P500,000 worth of propagules.

Vicenta Projimo, BFAR-8 regional civic coordinator, said one boat will be shared by three seaweed farmers, while each farmer is provided with 100 kilograms of seaweed propagules.

To date a total of 220 hectares out of the 1,300 hectares of potential area for farming have been planted and replanted with seaweed propagules by its 578 earnest fisherfolks, some of them have started selling their seaweeds to consolidators and buyers in Leyte and Cebu.

Ruel Inoc, a barangay councilor and spokesman of the association, said he believes that the increasing frequency of destructive typhoons, as well as the emergence of seaweed diseases, such as “ice-ice,” is due to global warming.

We had strong typhoons before but they were not as destructive and more often as they are now,” Inoc said. “We also didn’t have these seaweed diseases in the past.”

He added that the changing climate pattern has also reduced the number of times where they could experience a bountiful harvest. Elmer Recuerdo

biodiversity funding gap exists, particularly for protection and restoration,” she added.

“We expect this gap to remain deeply significant, if not larger than previously determined,” she added.

“We intend to achieve our highest goals while respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, women and youth, and the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Development is not sustainable if the vulnerable are left behind,” she added.

Call for support

YULO-LOYZAGA said: “Our president [Marcos Jr.] has said that ‘the preservation of the environment is the preservation of life.’”

“Mindful of our common but differentiated responsibilities, we join the call for the fulfillment of commitments, specifically for the establishment of a global biodiversity fund that will mobilize resources for biodiversity,” she said.

“We are grateful for the support of our Asean neighbors, including the Asean Center for Biodiversity [ACB], and other bilateral, regional, and global partners for capacity building, scientific cooperation and technology transfer,” she said.

The support from partners, she said, enable ecosystem risk assessment; creation of a geospatial database of biodiversity resources; establishment of the natural capital accounting system; quantifying loss and damage from climate change; and measures and safeguards to ensure equitable benefit-sharing from traditional

knowledge and genetic resources, Yulo-Loyzaga said.

Shaping post-2020 GBF

THE ACB, meanwhile, underscores the important role of sub-regional and regional organizations in shaping the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and in its implementation.

“Sub-regional organizations, especially those under very large and highly diverse regional groups, are in a unique position to contribute significantly in facilitating effective and concrete measures to meet global biodiversity targets,” ACB Executive Director Theresa Mundita S. Lim told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on December 19.

“This is by supporting the efforts of similarly situated member states in accordance with their national priorities, circumstances and capabilities, and maximizing available resources to do so,” Lim added.

Nurturing partnerships

MEANWHILE , Lim said nurturing partnerships has been enabling the ACB to enhance the region’s whole-ofcommunity approach to mainstreaming biodiversity through inclusive, cross-sectoral processes.

“These include building on the biodiversity and climate change nexus through the promotion of naturebased solutions and ecosystem-based approaches; addressing the interlinkages between health and biodiversity in line with the Asean Comprehensive Recovery Framework; and strengthening ecological connectivity, restoration, and resilience through the

Asean Green Initiative and the Asean Heritage Parks Programme,” Lim said. She announced that in pursuit of mainstreaming biodiversity in tourism, the ACB will be supporting the International Ecotourism Travel Mart from March to April 2023 in the Philippines, “as an effort to promote sustainable and nature positive tourism.”

“With the Asean’s call for a realistic yet ambitious and transformative post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, the ACB welcomes partnerships across sectors, as it continues to assist and support Asean member states in making considerable strides toward the 2050 vision of living in harmony with nature,” she said.

Catastrophic consequences

A WEEK before the final adoption of the new biodiversity deal, the environmental and legal rights groups in the Philippines were fretting.

The Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC) warned that any erasure of Indigenous people’s rights and roles from the CBD COP15’s Global Biodiversity Agreement will have catastrophic consequences for 75 percent of the Philippines’s remaining forest landscapes in their territories.

“In turn, adverse impacts will cascade across its interconnected natural systems, such as our watersheds, seas and climate. World leaders and corporate lobbyists at Montreal are refusing to heed to the urgent clamor for biodiversity protection and recognizing indigenous people’s role in safeguarding forests,” Joolia Demigillo, Community Services coordinator told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on December 13.

The CBD COP15 must not take two steps backward from these scientific pronouncements. As it is, Indigenous peoples are already experiencing the consequences of collapsing biodiversity corridors,” Demigillo said.

“In our 2022 State of Indigenous Peoples Address Report, we saw how at least 49 percent of ancestral domains are in conflict with mines, tree plantations, fossil fuels and other environmentally critical projects,” she said.

According to LRC, as the agreement returns to the home countries of the CBD COP15 parties, countries must have clear and concrete plans to protect and enhance biodiversity.

This is especially true for a country like the Philippines, which continues to have policies that enable biodiversity destruction by large-scale mines, plantations, dams and other environmentally destructive projects encroaching into indigenous territories, the center said.

Asean launches 3rd biodiversity report at COP15

MONTREAL, Canada—The Asean launched the third edition of its biodiversity report, the Asean Biodiversity Outlook (ABO3) at the margins of the UN 2022 Biodiversity Conference.

For two weeks, environment ministers, international organizations, and representatives from various sectors gather at the second part of the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD-COP15) to finalize the newest set of global biodiversity targets.

The ABO3 launch was part of the “Asean Strides Toward the Achievement of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework,” a CBD-COP15 side event organized by the Asean Secretariat, the Asean Centre for Biodiversity, the European Union, the Federal Government of Germany through GIZ and KfW, and Pew Charitable Trusts, said ACB in a news release.

In line with the COP15 theme, “Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth,” the report launching engaged key policymakers from Asean member states (AMS) to highlight the progress in achieving biodiversity goals in the Asean region, including the challenges and innovative solutions to contribute to

the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

“At least 50 percent of the AMS have indicated ‘on track’ progress in achieving the majority of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets,” said Lim. The Aichi targets for 2010-2021 were set in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, in 2010.

She presented how the Asean region has fared in the achievement of the previous set of global biodiversity goals.

She added that one AMS even exceeded meeting Aichi Target 1 for increasing awareness on biodiversity, and another AMS in increasing the coverage of protected areas, or Target 11, ACB said.

D eputy Secretary-General Ekkaphab Phanthavong, of the Asean for SocioCultural Community of the Asean Secretariat, lauded the AMS for its conservation efforts at the national and regional levels, as reflected in ABO3.

He likewise highlighted the need for a multi-stakeholder, participatory approach to achieve global biodiversity targets, and the need to implement nature-based solutions to environmental challenges such as biodiversity loss and climate change, ACB said.

In preparation for the impending post2020 GBF, key recommendations from major

regional biodiversity conferences were

The Philippines’ Environment Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo Jr. of the Philippines; Dr. Lena Chan of National Parks Board of Singapore; and Dr. Benchamaporn Wattanatongchai from the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, Thailand, shared their respective national priorities and strategies in promoting a more resilient and sustainable future.

Masha Kalinina of Pew Charitable Trusts shared about the Blue Nature Alliance and the 30x30 initiative, which aims to conserve 30 percent of terrestrial and marine habitat by 2030.

Clarissa Arida of the ACB provided a brief summary of the ABO3.

The detailed report of the Asean on how it contributed to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 is presented in the ABO3, which will be made available through www. aseanbiodiversity.org.

The publication’s highlights are presented in a video produced by the ACB.

presented by Dr. Khairul Naim bin Adham of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Malaysia, and Dr. Badiah Achmad Said of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia.

INDIGENOUS peoples’ leaders lead the march for Biodiversity and Human Rights during the COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Montrael, Canada, on December 10. At the forefront of the demands at COP15 was the protection of human rights, including that of Indigenous peoples and reversing biodiversity loss. GREENPEACE PHOTO

Banking&Finance

BSP issues rules on peso payments

By VG Cabuag @villygc

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has issued rules for participants in the peso “real time gross settlement payment system” (RTGS PS), an infrastructure that provides real-time settlement of payments, funds transfer instructions or other obligations individually on a transaction-by-transaction basis.

The BSP said in a draft of the circular said the RTGS PS is “critical for maintaining price and financial stability, as well as preserving public interest.”

“This payment system ensures the smooth flow of funds between financial institutions that maintain

demand deposit or settlement accounts with the BSP,” the draft circular read. “It also facilitates funds transfers in financial markets where these institutions trade securities and foreign currencies for business and risk management purposes.”

The BSP added the RTGS PS sup-

Associations and Social Enterprises: A Correlation

ASOCIAL enterprise is a business organization created to advance a social purpose in a financially sustainable way. If you take out the words “enterprise” and “business” from the first sentence, doesn’t it sound like a definition of an association?

Here’s more: it is believed that the organizational and legal principles in social enterprises came from nonprofit organizations. In this context, associations, which are non-profit organizations that usually relied on members’ financial support, have now diversified their revenue generation to promote their societal causes. In effect, an association, much like a social enterprise, uses business skills for social good, and not just rely on selling learning programs, publications, research studies, for example. The correlation doesn’t stop here.

Four more aspects that compare an association with a social enterprise are from an article, “The 5 P’s of Social Entrepreneurship,” written by Monika Mitchell, founder of Good Business New York.

1. Purpose. Both social enterprise and association are purposedriven organizations. In the case of a social enterprise, it incorporates “profits with purpose” into its core business model. In an association, purpose is defined by the mutual interest of its membership to advance a cause, a mission and a vision. Both aspire to make a difference to society by “doing good while doing well.”

2. Plan. To be able to survive and thrive, both need to figure out exactly what to do and hence a plan, both strategic and short-term, are essential tools to have. For a social enterprise, testing and experimentation of what sells or not in the market is crucial for its success which is

more or less a similar approach but to a lesser degree for an association whose main focus are its members.

3. Partner. The pandemic has re-emphasized the value of collaboration which has become a vital asset for growth for both the social enterprise and the association. Strategic partnerships among like-minded organizations can help both the social enterprise and an association leverage on their limited resources to maximize economies of scale.

4. Profit. In the end, it boils down to the bottom line. A social enterprise or an association may have a clear purpose, a robust plan, and dependable partners but if there is no revenue coming in, then both are not “in business.” A social enterprise depends on having a continuous viable and profitable operation to achieve its purpose of having an impact to society. Similarly, an association has to have an excess of revenue over expenses to be able to serve its members and society, in general.

In these aspects, an association and a social enterprise have similar characteristics and aspirations and it would be worthwhile for both to learn from each other.

Octavio Peralta is currently the executive director of the UN Global Compact Network Philippines and founder and volunteer CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives, the “association of associations.” E-mail: bobby@ pcaae.org.

ports the central bank’s mandate of ensuring price stability.

“Moreover, this system plays an indispensable role in upholding public welfare by enabling the efficient and low-risk settlement of retail payments in central bank money.”

It is in this regard that the central bank adopted the rules to govern the operation of the RTGS PS.

The rules comprise the first policy issuance of the BSP in its capacity as the RTGS PS operator under Republic Act 11127 (National Payment System Act).

Necessary safeguards

THE BSP said the newly-approved rules adhere to the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures (PFMI) jointly developed by the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures and the International Organization of Securities Commissions.

“By complying with the PFMI, the rules aim to ensure that the RTGS PS will have in place the necessary safe-

guards that are in accordance with global best practices,” BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla said.

The PFMI consists of 24 principles that apply to financial market infrastructures (FMIs), 18 of which pertain to systemically important payment systems, such as the RTGS PS.

The rules issued under BSP Memorandum M-2022-0049 dated November 22, 2022, require all RTGS PS participants to comply with all laws and regulations on payment systems and provide for penalties and sanctions.

RTGS PS participants include the BSP and financial institutions maintaining settlement accounts with the BSP, entities that are sponsored into settlement, as well as FMIs, clearing switch operators, and critical service providers within the RTGS ecosystem.

Promote inclusivity ASIDE from formally bringing the RTGS PS operations up to par with international best practices,

the new rules are expected to promote inclusivity among RTGS PS participants.

“The rules will broaden access to the RTGS PS by allowing more financial institutions to participate in this critical infrastructure for large-value payments,” Medalla said.

Toward this end, the BSP has streamlined the qualification requirements for prospective members of the real-time payment system.

Thus, non-bank e-money issuers and other entities may now settle their retail transactions through the RTGS PS without the need for sponsorship by existing participants.

Last year, the BSP designated the RTGS PS as a SIPS under the NPSA.

SIPS are payment systems that pose or have the potential to pose systemic risk to the stability of the national payment system.

SIPS are subject to periodic assessment and closer supervision by the BSP to better preserve public interest and promote confidence in the use of payment systems.

SSS says it adds 22 years in its fund life

STATE-owned pension fund Social Security System (SSS) said last Thursday it added an additional 22 years to its fund life due to the contribution rate increases since 2019.

SSS president and CEO Michael G. Regino said that after implementing the additional P1,000 (about $18.10 at current exchange rates) pension benefit in 2017, the SSS fund’s life would have lasted until 2032 only.

With the help of gradual contribution rate increases mandated by Republic Act 11199 (Social Security Act of 2018), the fund life was extended

by another 12 years or until 2044. Recently, the latest SSS actuarial valuation has shown that the fund life was boosted by another 10 years to which Regino credited to the pension fund’s efforts to boost its membership and coverage.

SSS now projects the fund life to be extended until 2054.

Starting January 1, SSS will implement the third step of its 4-tier contribution increase. The SSS contribution rate would become 14 percent, up by one percentage point from the current 13 percent.

Regino said the SSS is still work-

ing towards further extending the fund life in response to its mandate of providing social security protection to its stakeholders which should transcend within generations.

“It is important for us to implement the contribution rate increase together with other social reforms so we could achieve this goal and ensure that we have sufficient funds to provide the short-term and long-term benefits, including the immediate financial needs, of our members and pensioners especially in times of contingencies,” Regino said. VG Cabuag

BankCom named CIC accessing entity

THE Credit Information Corp. (CIC), the country’s public credit registry and repository of credit information, recently onboarded Bank of Commerce (BankCom) as an Accessing Entity (AEs).

According to the credit bureau, AEs are financial institutions authorized by the CIC to access borrowers’ credit reports from its database. Similar to other AEs, BankCom now has ready access to borrowers’ comprehensive credit reports, which helps in expediting the granting of loans to its consumers.

CIC President and CEO Ben Joshua A. Baltazar was quoted in the agency’s statement as expressing they “are pleased to welcome another universal bank as they join our ranks of financial institutions harnessing the CIC database for their risk management and creditdecisioning activities.”

Baltazar added that with this, BankCom can now tap into the country’s most comprehensive credit database. He noted that the latter has

more than 38.5 million unique data subjects and over a hundred thousand contracts in the credit information system.

An affiliate of San Miguel Corp. (SMC), BankCom is licensed to provide a wide range of financial products and services: deposits, cash management/solutions, payments, lending, asset management, bancassurance, investment banking, foreign exchange and securities trading. The Bank has a network of 140 branches and aims to deploy more automated teller machines (ATMs) in addition to its latest fleet of 259.

According to BankCom, access to the CIC database can be utilized as reference to gauge borrowers’ financial behavior as it contains a summary of financial transactions from financial institution(s) from which a borrower has an account.

Fast Track Programs for lenders and consumers In an effort to further drive CIC Credit Report utilization by lenders, the CIC recently released

its Fast Track Registration Program —allowing qualified financial institutions to proceed with AE registration even with only one month of basic credit data submission to the CIC—in contrast to the regular AE registration requiring six months’ worth of credit data.

Baltazar also asked borrowers to request for a copy of their CIC Credit Reports through its “Direct to Consumer (D2C) through AE” program, which enables them to get a copy of their own credit report through financial institutions where they have an active account.

“The end of the year is fast approaching and what better way to start the new one by becoming more informed of our credit standing. Access to our credit report empowers us to become mindful of our credit payment behavior,” Baltazar said.

“ The CIC is really the better way to borrow as it helps us access more and better financial products and services offered by various financial institutions.”

Four online lending firms sued by SEC

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has sued Suncash Lending Investors Corp., UCash Lending Investors Corp., Suncredit.ph Finance Corp. and ECredit Finance Inc. before the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution for operating unregistered online lending platforms (OLPs).

The SEC Enforcement and Investor Protection Department (EIPD) filed last December 20 a criminal complaint against SunCash Lending Investors Corp., UCash Lending Investors Corp., SunCredit.Ph Finance Corp. and ECredit Finance Inc. for failing to disclose its online lending applications, in violation of Republic Act 9474 (Lending Company Regulation Act) and the RA 8556 (Financing Company Act).

The SEC implicated Qi Lu, president of Ecredit, Suncash and Suncredit and beneficial owner of Suncash alongside Zhu Junfeng. Junfeng is also a director of the three other companies.

Also implicated in the complaint were other incorporators, directors and officials of the companies. They include: Chang Yuting; Joyclyn V. Pelayo; Chang Tao; Bryan Dordas Pelayo; Jasmin Tabjan Vianzon; Jayson Lee; Meng Jie; Xiaofang Song; Danilo Felicilda; Roger Publico; Yaping Liu; Xianming Tian; Shiling Xu; Xiaobo Pan; Sheila Pagkalinawan; and, Xiaojing Luo.

Arrests

THE EIPD, together with the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group, Eastern District Anti-Cybercrime Team, Manila Police District and the Special Weapons and Tactics Philippines, previously implemented a warrant to search, seize and examine computer against Suncash, as part of the SEC’s crackdown against errant lenders.

The Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 147 issued the search warrant against Suncash upon several complaints received by the PNP-ACG and the SEC against the company.

During the implementation of the search warrant, it was discovered that other lending companies, including Ucash, Suncredit and Ecredit, had been operating alongside Suncash in its headquarters in Sampaloc, Manila.

The joint operation resulted in the arrest of 83 individuals identified as operators, managers, employees and agents of Suncash.

Violations

THE SEC found that Suncash operated unregistered OLPs. The agency requires lending and financing companies to report all their existing OLPs to the Commission.

Records show that Suncash had been operating three unregistered OLPs, namely Suncash, Flashloan and Peso Pautang, contrary to what is stated in its affidavit of compliance that it operated no other OLP than Suncash.

The EIPD also said that Suncash operated the unregistered OLPs to circumvent and defy the moratorium imposed on the registration of new OLPs effective November 5, 2021.

US authorities have alleged that fallen crypto titan Sam Bankman-Fried defrauded investors in his FTX empire, stealing billions of dollars over years for his own benefit.

Now, top Bankman-Fried associates Caroline Ellison, former CEO of Alameda Research, and Gary Wang, co-founder of FTX, are accused of helping him. They’ve pleaded guilty to federal criminal fraud charges and are cooperating with prosecutors. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) also announced separate lawsuits last Wednesday.

The SEC wrote in a 38-page filing that Ellison and Wang worked alongside Bankman-Fried to defraud equity investors in FTX from at least May 2019 through November 2022.

The following is what the agency alleges happened.

Bankman-Fried and Wang improp-

erly diverted customer assets to Alameda Research LLC and its subsidiaries (Alameda), the crypto asset hedge fund that they had founded and co-owned and that Ellison ran. Wang created and participated in the creation of the software code that allowed Alameda to divert FTX customer funds. Ellison, in turn, used the misappropriated FTX customer funds for Alameda’s trading activity.

Working with Bankman-Fried, Defendants hid the scheme from FTX’s equity investors, including US investors, from whom FTX sought to raise billions of dollars in additional funds.

Line of credit

BEYOND its “line of credit” with FTX, Ellison, at Bankman-Fried’s direction, caused Alameda to borrow billions of dollars from third party lenders. Those loans were backed in significant part by Alameda’s holdings of FTT—an illiquid crypto asset security that was issued

by FTX and provided to Alameda at no cost. Ellison, acting at the direction of Bankman-Fried, engaged in automated purchases of FTT tokens on various platforms in order to increase the price of those tokens and inflate the value of Alameda’s collateral, which allowed Alameda to borrow even more money from external lenders at increased risk to the lenders and to FTX’s investors and customers, all in furtherance of the scheme.

The SEC says things really started getting bad in May, when prices of crypto assets plummeted and Alameda’s lenders demanded repayment of billions of dollars of loans. The agency alleges that Ellison and Wang helped Bankman-Fried “continually” divert FTX customer funds to Alameda. That money was then used to “make undisclosed private venture investments, political contributions, and real estate purchases.”

All the while, Bankman-Fried continued to make misleading statements

to investors about FTX’s financial condition and risk management. Defendants were aware that Bankman-Fried was making these statements, and knew or were reckless in not knowing that they were false and misleading.

The CFTC amended its December-13 complaint against FTX to include Ellison and Wang. The agency has charged Ellison with fraud and material misrepresentations in connection with the sale of digital asset commodities in interstate commerce. Wang faces charges of fraud in connection to the sale of digital asset commodities in interstate commerce, according to a release.

Amended complaint

THE following are snippets from the amended complaint. These are on Ellison (emphasis Bloomberg’s).

At the direction and/or under the control of Bankman-Fried and Ellison, Alameda used large amounts of capital,

including capital derived from FTX customer assets, to undertake significant illiquid investments and transactions, including long-term equity holdings in a variety of digital asset companies and large acquisitions of relatively illiquid digital assets.

In approximately May and/or June 2022, Alameda was subject to a large number of such margin calls and loan recalls. It did not have sufficient liquid assets to service its loans. Instead, at the direction and/or under the supervision of Bankman-Fried and Ellison, Alameda greatly increased its usage of FTX customer assets to meet its external debt obligations. Alameda was able to rely on its undisclosed ordinary-course access to FTX credit and customer assets to facilitate these large withdrawals, which were several billion dollars in notional value. Defendants were aware of and/ or responsible for this misappropriation of FTX customer assets. Bloomberg News

Meanwhile, Ucash filed an affidavit for the operation of its OLP on December 7, when the moratorium on new OLPs was still in effect.

Further, the EIPD charged Suncredit and Ecredit for violation of Sections 14(1)(a) and 14(2)(a) of the FCA, in relation to SEC MC 19. Suncredit and Ecredit were found to be the operators of Peso Pautang and Flashloan, respectively.

“We are therefore executing this Complaint-Affidavit to attest to the truth of the foregoing, to serve as basis for the finding of probable cause against Respondents for violations of Section 12 [2][a], [3][a] of the [LCRA] and Section 1[a] and 2[a] of the [FCA] and other crimes as the Honorable Prosecutor may determine on the basis of the above-cited facts,” according to the complaint.

Octavio Peralta

Association World

Vargas bats for year-end bonus for senior citizens

By Zaldy De Layola

QUEZON

House Bill 6693, or the “Paskong Maligaya para kay Lolo’t Lola Bill,” aims to provide an additional yearend bonus to indigent elderly who qualify under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act and the newly enacted Republic Act No. 11916 or the Expanded Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens Act.

Under the bill, elderly pensioners

shall receive an additional P1,000 apart from their monthly P1,000 allowance under the Social Pension for Indigent Seniors program, to be paid before the 25th of December every year.

“Our senior citizens have contributed so much to our country and most of them have remained capable of supporting their families and grand-

children. This holiday season, let us grant the wish of our lolos and lolas to be granted more benefits albeit through a year-end or Christmas bonus,” Vargas said.

Through HB 6693, Vargas said he is continuing the legacy and advocacy of his brother and predecessor, incumbent Quezon City Councilor Alfred Vargas, one of the principal authors of the Expanded Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens Act.

“Institutionalizing year-end bonuses for our indigent Filipino elderly is a way of providing better social safety nets and protection for our senior citizens and their families. In the spirit of giving, we must extend help especially to our lolos and lolas who need it now more than ever,” Vargas added. PNA

China’s care homes rush to protect elderly residents from Covid surge

AS Covid spreads rapidly across China, elderly care homes are barricading their doors in an attempt to save their vulnerable patients.

In cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing, local governments are enforcing on care homes the same closed-loop system that factories adopted during earlier outbreaks. No one comes, and no one goes. Staff are forced to live on site.

Time is running out. Evidence from around the world shows that facilities for seniors often see the biggest waves of deaths, which is why countries prioritized vaccinating care home occupants first.

That’s not been the case in China, where 38,000 homes provide beds for 8.2 million seniors according to 2020 data. Only 42 percent of those aged over 80 have had booster shots. That’s well below the levels seen in other countries that reopened after abandoning strict approaches toward the virus.

It’s just the start of a real tough time,” read a statement from Pudong Shinan Nursing Home in Shanghai explaining its new rules this week.

“When the experts say 80 percent-90 percent of the population will eventually get infected, we are scared!”

National Health Commission officials last week gave rudimentary advice to care homes facing potential outbreaks of Covid. Minimize the risk of infection by improving ventilation, practicing hand hygiene, wearing masks and avoiding gatherings. They also urged the elderly to get vaccinated, without making shots mandatory.

Persuading the elderly has proven to be a tough task. Many older Chinese are reluctant to get vaccinated, said Feng Wang, a sociology professor at the University of California, Irvine. Forcing them to get vaccinated risks creating a backlash in a society that traditionally has emphasized respecting seniors, he said.

It’s a tremendous gamble,” said Wang. “If an elderly person resists, I’m pretty sure there will be a lot of reluctance among the nurses, the local neighborhood committees and officials to force elderly people to take the vaccine.”

T he cost of such hesitation may be large. China could see some 5 million people hospitalized and up to 700,000 deaths after abandoning Covid Zero, according to Bloomberg Intelligence chief pharmaceutical analyst Sam Fazeli.

W hen Omicron overwhelmed Hong Kong early this year, undervaccinated residents at care facilities accounted for many of the thousands of deaths that followed.

A t Xiangfu Nursing Home in Shanghai, staff are settling in for the long haul.

“Faced with menacing outbreaks, we have to remain alert and respond anytime to what the government calls for, to ensure Covid control and safety of the elderly,” Xiangfu said in a statement.

‘Let it rip’ approach

MEANWHILE, China seems to be embracing a fast and explosive Covid reopening, a risky approach that’s worrying observers given the vast country’s vulnerabilities.

Since embarking on a landmark shift away from its zero-tolerance policy just a week ago, China has dismantled most of its internal restrictions, casting aside the stringent playbook used to eliminate the virus for the past three years.

T he rapid reversal is resulting in an eruption of cases, particularly in Beijing where the once expansive PCR testing apparatus appears to have been abandoned. The spread

The luxury of being non-employed

By Nick Tayag

MY SIXTY-ZEN’S WORTH

employed—without any contractual commitment. One, in his 80s, has just finished his term as a government official in charge of culture and the arts. The other is a lawyer who is now in retirement mode, surfing the net for a possible retirement house.

resource that we can draw on: many decades’ worth of collective expertise and experience, and our respective directories of friends, colleagues, and acquaintances in private and government sectors. They are people who owe us, so we are certain they will answer our calls.

T hat’s our starting capital, much more valuable than actual money.

So, even at this late stage, we felt like it’s a new start, as in “today is the beginning of the rest of your life,” proclaimed in an old inspirational poster pinned on the wall of one of our workplaces.

is so significant it’s rendered official Covid statistics all but meaningless, and seen hospitals in the capital already overwhelmed.

“Logic doesn’t seem to apply here,” Bloomberg Intelligence’s chief pharmaceutical analyst Sam Fazeli said in a TV interview. China’s mindset since pivoting away from Covid Zero is “there’s not so much we can do, we’ve done the best we can. We’ve got the blueprint for what the West did and what happened, so let’s just let it rip—which is what I think is going on,” Fazeli said.

T he unexpected about-turn— most economists, and Bloomberg Economics, were expecting a gradual, controlled exit from Covid Zero—is raising alarm given China is in the midst of a cold winter, its elderly vaccination rate is still well below other countries and the country’s healthcare system is under-resourced.

It’s unclear whether China has had time to stockpile anti-virals and other contingencies needed to handle what top Covid adviser, Zhang Wenhong, called a “massive” looming outbreak.

People’s frustration

THE rapid shift reflects people’s frus-

rassic,” you are categorized as “un-employable.” Your shackle or yoke has been taken from your neck, and you are free of all encumbrances. No company, no boss, no shareholder owns your time. You are on your own, for better or for worse.

T his is luxury, of a different kind, not the kind of luxury associated with cruises, travelling, going to posh and plushy places, the luscious lifestyle where you enjoy special and expensive things but costly.

tration at Covid Zero, said Steven Lynch, managing director of the British Chamber of Commerce in China.  Snap lockdowns, frequent mass testing and mandatory quarantine for all those exposed to Covid were hallmarks of the stringent approach, which worked during the initial wave in Wuhan, but became almost impossible to maintain as the virus became more contagious in 2022.

T he tough measures weighed on the world’s second-largest economy and disrupted people’s lives, culminating in a remarkable weekend of protests across China’s major cities.

“ I wasn’t expecting China’s exit strategy to be so rapid,” said Lynch. “I thought it would be a gradual process. But again, you know, this speaks to the outpouring of anger and anxiety that people have had around Zero Covid.”

Milder strain

WHILE it’s difficult to gain insight into Chinese government decisionmaking, President Xi Jinping may have calculated that the current Covid strain in circulation is mild enough to risk a rapid lifting of controls, said Drew Thompson, visiting senior research fellow at the Lee

to a day with no appointment or commitment. Relish the freedom from being measured and evaluated based on numbers. You no longer have to do what someone else tells you to do. Now you are free to do what you’d like to do, not for approval or promotion, not for prestige or status or money.

Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

T he pandemic has forced governments around the world to draw on different policymaking frameworks, and China is no exception, said Richard McGregor, senior fellow for East Asia at the Lowy Institute in Sydney.

“China doesn’t usually make such abrupt about turns—they usually stress test new policies in local experiments before rolling them out nationally,” he said. “The government now seems to have finally been convinced that the old approach was leading to disaster. The protests were important but I think the pivotal issue is the tanking economy.”

New Year risk

ECONOMISTS have had to quickly revise their forecasts for how China’s reopening may play out, as curbs fell away and cases surged.  China is now on track to be free of Covid restrictions by the end of March, Bloomberg Economics chief Asia economist Chang Shu wrote in a note Wednesday. That’s three months ahead of her earlier estimate, which presumed a more controlled exit.   With assistance from Charlie Zhu, Kevin Ding and Zibang Xiao/Bloomberg

T hen there is the luxury of getting more sleep. Shelve the thought that working longer hours with less sleep is a badge of honor that shows admirable work ethic. A long restful sleep is what your body needs to stay healthy, and it is also an effective creative stimulant!

DURING the worst period of the pandemic, our small advertising agency closed shop because no revenues were coming in. It was a no-brainer decision.

I thus joined the ranks of the “nonemployed,” preferring this term because I no longer have any iota of desire to work for pay. I value my remaining self-respect, and I now declare myself beyond employability.

T he other day, I was having coffee with two friends who are now “liberated,” who, like me, are non-

Sipping our coffee, having a dangling conversation with no set agenda, we realized that for the longest time, we are now free to think of working together on something, anything worthwhile, provided that we share a common passion for it and that it can be done.

A s one of us puts it: “Hey, this is legacy time!” Our sights are now beyond money or power, although having a “golden parachute” would be nice, just to keep us afloat, in addition to our meager monthly pensions.

We no longer hold the levers of power, yet there is no question of our confidence and respective abilities to still get things moving. None of us is wealthy in terms of money, but together we have built a non-monetary

T he canvas on which to paint our future endeavor during these bonus years allotted to us is still blank and empty. The question is what is going to be our lasting footprint? Or, as one of us puts it: which building or project will have our name on the bronze plate?

Do you feel the same way?

Most of your working life, you must have been working for some organization, or under someone.

You signed a contract and you were obliged to fulfill it. Your personal desires or interests and ability and talent were all harnessed to serve the interest of something or someone else.

Now, having been cast aside by society and predetermined as “finished,” “used up” and “ju -

T he kind of luxury I mean is enjoying stress-free living and down-to-earth happiness that does not necessarily cost money. Rather than busying yourself with travel itineraries and partying, on the contrary, you look forward to slowing down the pace to savor the remaining days and moments of your life.

T he focus or accent is in the “lux” of the word luxury. Lux meaning light, as in “not heavy” and light as in “brightness” or “illumination.” Not about material opulence but the richness of being, surrounding yourself with things that really matter.

With this kind of luxury in your unshackled hands, you just have to make sure you spend it wisely. Let us count a few of the ways.

First is the luxury of not having to wake up to the sound of a daily alarm that stimulates that dreadful acid rush in your tummy. Luxuriate in the joy of waking up

Now you can choose something thrilling to get up in the morning and gratifying to go to sleep at night pursuing things that offer deeper rewards. Bouncing from bed, tell the day to surprise you with something new or exciting or delightful to experience, discover, encounter and to learn. After years of living a life that you have been forced to take based on the expectations of the world around you, now ask what makes you come alive and do that. As American mythologist and author Joseph Campbell said, “Follow your bliss. Find where it is and don’t be afraid to follow it.”

Now that you are no longer rushed by deadlines, take your time in making decisions. Remember you now also have the luxury of changing your mind. To be able to think and discern better, build pockets of stillness into your daily life. Meditate. Go for walks. Ride a bike going nowhere in particular. Be more informed. Read books. Watch documentaries. Give your unconscious mind the time and space to work and process your jumbled thoughts and ideas until they click into new combinations.

Now in your liberated hands is the luxury of outgrowing yourself. Realize that you are much more than just the sum of the performance and evaluation reports within which you have been confined as an employed person.

B eing a non-employed old folk, it’s never too late to achieve your potential and fulfill your unlived life. At 60 or even 70, you are just about to reach your peak, the Everest of your intellectual ability. Strive to develop intellectually. Take a more avid interest in life, meet and communicate with friends. Live with the thought: all good things are still ahead of me!

A s for me, I plan to become the architect of my own nonemployed life, focusing on spirituality, meaningful work and retirement, and especially the emotional and character developments that make me a real individual, being an elder, and a meaningful ending of life.

It’s called soulful aging, which to me is the more authentic kind of luxury. I may not have much money as a non-employed. But the bottom line is I am rich.

City 5th District Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas has filed a bill seeking to grant an additional year-end bonus for indigent senior citizens.

SENIOR citizens wait for their P500 monthly pension, which is released every six months, amounting to P3,000 per payout. Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas has filed a bill seeking to grant an additional year-end bonus for indigent senior citizens. PNA PHOTO

Relationships

Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

Happy BIRTHDay: Relax. Simplify your life and put your mind at ease. Dedicate your time and expertise to the people, activities and projects that interest you, and you’ll make excellent and prosperous headway. Adjust whatever isn’t working in your life, and propose what you intend to do with the people you need and care about most. Your numbers are 2, 13, 16, 27, 36, 39, 46.

aaRIES (March 21-april 19): Refuse to let anyone suck you into something you don’t want to do. It’s important to contribute, but you also must feel comfortable and willing to do so to do a good job. Walk away from bullies and those asking for too much. HH

bTaURUS (april 20-May 20): Refuse to let what’s going on daunt you. A positive attitude will help you join in and offer what you can to the festivities. Live in the moment and enjoy long overdue conversations with loved ones, and something good will transpire. HHHHH

cGEMINI (May 21-June 20): Set a path that ensures you will complete whatever’s on your todo list. Discipline, high energy and your desire to please someone special will make someone you love grateful. Don’t let uncertainty and overspending stand between you and what you want. HHH

MERRY Christmas, folks! Hope everyone’s tummies are full, and your hearts overflowing with love and joy. The next task...preparing for the New Year’s Eve celebration. Let’s see if you can work in a DTI-approved P500-budget for your feast this time, if you failed at the challenge last Christmas Eve. Hahaha.

A recent holiday movie which has quickly turned into a favorite is The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, now playing on Disney+. It’s a hilarious story where our crazy super misfits Drax (David Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) kidnap the actor Kevin Bacon (playing himself) to try to cheer up Peter (Chris Pratt) for Christmas. If you recall, the child Peter looked up to Bacon as a hero who unites an entire community through dance. (Unfortunately, no Footloose dancing in this movie, although there is Bacon singing with an alien band played by the Old 97s.) It’s a short, ridiculous comedy that is good for a lot of 1980s-era laughs.

Meanwhile, more friends share their own favorite Christmas movies:

n Felipe Medalla, governor, Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas: I don’t really have a favorite Christmas movie, but one that I have fond memories of is Home Alone. It’s funny how a small, not-so-innocent boy can

emotionally to their sadness and happiness. I also liked how they changed some lyrics of “Love is All Around” to “Christmas is All Around,” making you feel the Christmas season as you watch the film. It’s about how every person goes through different life situations during the holidays.

n Fabio Berto, general manager, Conrad Manila: While it is not really a Christmas movie, something we watched as kids during the holidays is The Neverending Story. It was a heartwarming tale about a shy and timid young boy, Bastian Bux (Barret Oliver), who discovered a fantasy world through a book that he read while hiding from school bullies. As a child, it was such a thrill to follow the hero’s adventures as he traveled with a magical, giant yet friendly animal to help find a cure for the empress. I could relate with Bastian and his special bond with his giant furry friend Fallon—the love for animals— while the movie also helped me use my imagination, dream of bigger things out there, and believe in the magic that the festive season brings.

n Kelvin Ang, Ceo, AIA Philippines: Winnie the

clothes. Everything is understatedly stylized—good enough to even be in a magazine. It is a go-to movie for me, light and easy, yet captures that feel-good, all-ends-well mode that the holiday season brings. The Holiday is one movie that never fails to lift me up, having a soft and cozy ambient flow that makes you want to be one of its characters. I can’t even select whether I want to be the simple working gal Iris (Kate Winslet), or the self-made city girl Amanda (Cameron Diaz). I think I could be either. Mixing all the other characters, who bring out each other’s importance and value, really brings that holiday delight to anyone’s mood. But what really matters most is how the story ends, all the chaos or turmoil in the beginning, soon turns out to be in the tune of a holiday cheer. Love plus hope—and love, love again.

And even without the Hollywood level of drama, I think we all can relate to this movie—as we keep pushing to try to find ourselves. In the end, everyone has his or her own space and place under the sun.

Wishing everyone a safe New Year celebration. May 2023 be a prosperous year for all of us. n

d

CaNCER (June 21-July 22): Handle situations and people with kindness, compassion and suggestions. It’s a busy time of the year, making it essential to be accepting, forgiving and thankful for what you have. HHH

eLEO (July 23-aug. 22): Don’t let the changes others make upset you. Do what’s best for you, and you’ll feel good about yourself and what you achieve. Being receptive to new ideas will unlock information you can use to catapult yourself toward a desired direction. HHH

fVIRGO (aug. 23-Sept. 22): You can reach your destination. Don’t fret or show worry. A confident look and approach to what you want will win acceptance and the help required to reach your goal. HHHHH

g

LIBRa (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): If you try to make unnecessary changes at home, someone will challenge you. Shake it off and go with the flow throughout the festive season, but don’t lose sight of your dreams. HHHH

hSCORpIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Discuss matters that need your attention before the year ends. Go over your financial situation and make changes to ensure you are steady moving forward. Don’t get into a position that requires shared expenses unless you are the one who needs help. HHH

iSaGITTaRIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Put your energy where it counts and make someone happy. A kind gesture will go a long way. Showing your feelings isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of strength and courage that will enable you to make decisions and proceed. HHH

jCapRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Sit back and enjoy what you’ve created for yourself and your loved ones. Share your thoughts with those who hold a special place in your heart, and the feedback you get will encourage you to move forward with minor adjustments. HHH

kaQUaRIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Big ideas, small budget, innovative thoughts and, presto, you’ll find a way to make everyone feel right at home. Don’t worry about keeping up with the neighbors or what others think or do; be yourself and use your imagination, and good things will transpire. HHH

lpISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Refuse to let pressure build and anger rise. Be observant, and you’ll realize you’ve got backup and what it takes to please everyone you love with kind words, positive suggestions and a thoughtful token of affection. Romance is in the stars. HHHH

BIRTHDay BaBy (DECEMBER 23): You are earnest, courteous and helpful. You are dynamic and original.

H: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. HH: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. HHH: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. HHHH: Aim high; start new projects. HHHHH: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

THE RUMORS AND THE TRUTH

ACCORDING to unconfirmed reports, the amiable celebrity is in bad shape health-wise but he certainly is not dying as some people think he is. The celebrity is mobile but not as strong as he was before. He has many health issues and it’s one complication after another. The thing is that he feels he can’t quit yet because his family needs his financial support. None of his kids are stable. The celebrity feels that his kids will suffer greatly if he were to stop working. The celebrity is one of those who is loved by everyone in the industry because he is not only talented but also hardworking and kind. His kids didn’t need to struggle for anything they have now so it’s not easy for them to be independent. That’s what worries the celebrity the most.

HE’S IN LOVE

THE actor has kept a low profile for a number of years since his last relationship failed. However, he is in love now and wants to marry his girlfriend, who isn’t in showbiz. The girl does love the actor but she’s scared that marrying him could mean loss of privacy for her and her family members who are known to be very private. The actor’s friends are worried that he might just be in a phase during which he is in love with a girl who is simple and shares one of his strongest interests. These friends have seen the actor through phases where he thinks he is in love but is actually just infatuated. After he gets tired of his infatuation, the actor simply moves on.

THE LOVE IS STRONG

THE actor’s business isn’t doing well and that’s because of over-expansion. The actor’s partner has his fabulous plans for the business. The partner, to be fair, is genuinely passionate about what he does. He continually tries to learn new things to help the business. It’s just that they opened during the pandemic and they don’t really have a marketing department to help with promotions and related stuff. The actor’s partner also failed to choose good spots so the business is floundering and not reaching its target market. Sometimes, they hold promotional events but these have also been unsuccessful. The actor has faith that his partner will succeed in his plans. He is also confident that their relationship will survive even if the business does fail.

SLEAZY ENTREPRENEUR?

THERE are rumors that a young entrepreneur, who comes from a moneyed clan, has engaged in bad business practices. These practices include land grabbing, non-payment of debts, and deceiving his business partners and customers. He may be young but he is already known for being sleazy. If you listen to this young entrepreneur talk, you’d think he knows everything. He doesn’t! In fact, his business lives off high financing, which occurs when you take money from one creditor to pay off another. His business partners also have some issues with the young entrepreneur. They feel like he is doing things to undermine them and, at the same time, they are also afraid that if they expose him, he would get back at them.

KIM CHIU ENERGIZED

fOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

THE holiday season is one of Kim Chiu’s most favorite times of the year because it’s when she starts decorating her house, including her much beloved Christmas tree. Growing up not having a tree has made her want to go all out and personally put one up every year. Her theme previously was white Christmas and decked her 12-foot tree with white ornaments because for her, the color white symbolized hope and she missed traveling to wherever there was snow.

The holidays are also Kim’s busiest time because of work commitments and projects she has to attend to. “I am doing series of projects now and that’s what makes me busy these days plus I have just started my bag business and I am very happy with the result.”

To carry herself through all this, she makes it a point to drink the multivitamin supplement Berocca to help spark her energy. Available in drugstores and online retailers, Berocca boasts a unique combination of vitamins and essential minerals, like calcium, magnesium, and zinc, that work in synergy to improve your mental performance and physical energy throughout the day. “Even if I lack sleep or have an early call time, I make sure I always have some Berocca,” Kim shared enthusiastically. “I get all the vitamins and nutrients my body needs, and it tastes great, too.”

Soda Santa, Christmas childhood and the perfect snow

MY memories of Santa Claus never came from tales told at bedtime; they came from Coca-Cola ads. Or, so I would find out much, much later.

Our father fulfilled a requisite for all fathers that we now only see in films: someone who would tuck his children to bed by telling countless tales to them. The only difference is that the cinematic models would have the kids gently and cutely drowsing off even before the narrative is over, and the father would cover them in their own blankets, tiptoe to the doorway, cast a cloying glance once more at the heirs to his wealth and masculinity, and flick off the switch. Then darkness comes over.

In our case, especially our youngest then, Carlo (our only sister, Lilibeth, came much later), when we were still in the island of Ticao, could outlast all storytellers. He would be fully awake after one story (I presume now the story was so interesting it awakened him more) and would thus request for one more story, and then another. Older, my Manong Pempe and I had already lost our power to persuade our father to tell more tales. The whole Grimms’ Fairy Tales, the Arthurian legends, Daedalus and Icarus, Sohrab and Rustum, and the most fascinating of them all— Perceval and the Quest for the Holy Grail. There was no place for Santa Claus in bedtime stories.

But, one day, Santa Claus came to us in visual splendor.

My father, having relocated to a small island from the mainland Bikol, had no formal job then. It would take some years before he could become the municipal treasurer, a post he left for a bigger job back in the mainland. That, however, is another saga. But he could draw and he could paint. Marvelously. As in really painting on church walls, on canvases for a fee. He would draw what were called by teachers as devices, which were educational props. One day early December, he disassembled on the floor of our sala a cigarette carton box. It was quite a spread. Beige. He next lined up beside the carton five or six small cans of house paint. For several days, he was doing round, curving lines of red and white. The yellows were mixed with green and the black with white, then red. Soon, the rotund face of a bearded man was smiling at us, his eyes squinting with joy. He was Santa Claus, my father said. He had the most innocent face despite his age. He smiled at us all throughout as we entered the house, on the wall, before we descended to the dining hall, an area a bit lower than the rest of the house.

I do not remember us having an elaborate belen or crèche; what we had was always this set of figures called the Three Kings. Melchior, Gaspar, Balthazar. We knew their names. I know my father painted them using the same house paint on another carton box. Embedded in my memory though because of the questions I asked about them were my father’s interpretations of the Magi as shadows on the wall. For this, he would use black illustration boards, staple three of them lengthwise and from them carve three figures on a camel. We knew they were camels and not horses because of the hump on their backs. My father made sure that was clear.

On the floor, after a week, I noticed that the three figures were not of the same size. Did my father miscalculate? I could not tell him but I did not like what was being completed. One of the Magi was big, so big, even in black you could sense his features, the command in those arms tugging at the reins for his animal, while the third was a tiny figure. We woke up one morning with the Three Kings already on their journey—Gaspar was closer to where we were standing; Melchior in the middle was a full figure of a king astride his camel, and far in the distance was Balthazar. Only one was pointing to the Star, which was placed on the end of that wall, bracketed by two huge windows. It was what you may call “epic.” Was the one pointing to the Star the wisest of them all? Not really, my father responded. It would be boring to have all of them using the same gesture. He was so sure of what he was saying, I felt he must have heard this fact from another wise man. The fact is, my father continued, they were walking toward one

That made them Magi. It would take them more days to come together. And so each morning, I would look at the wall and imagine where they were already.

Now, what is Christmas without a Christmas tree? The task of building a tree fell on our aunts. With salt and soap and huge tubs, they whisked and whisked the ingredients until they came up with the whitest of snow to wrap around the tree. Every week or so, they would whip up more snow to maintain the wonderland of our Christmas tree. It was the perfect snow. That Christmas, we received not only toys from Santa Claus but also letters. Written in trembling cursive letters (Santa is an old man, Mama and Papa whispered to us), Santa Claus had a simple message for me: Always be a good boy, Tito.

We never saw that Santa Claus again until we moved to the big city. Up there, one chilly December day, on a huge advertising panel was Papa’s Santa Claus. The jolly, wise old man. This time he was holding a bottle of Coca Cola, with “Merry Christmas” emblazoned so

GMA Network’s top-rating and biggest reality game show of the year, Running Man Philippines officially bids goodbye to season one with its first-ever Ultimate Runner, Angel Guardian.

After their long, crazy and fun journey in South Korea, Angel outwits and beats her co-runners: Glaiza de Castro, Ruru Madrid, Kokoy de Santos, Lexi Gonzales, Buboy Villar and Mikael Daez.

During their ultimate battle last Sunday (December 18), the cast members competed against each other using their “Superpower Cards.” All of the runners targeted Boss G (Glaiza) because of her three lives or the power to rejoin the Name Tag Race thrice.

But despite being one of the most powerful runners, Glaiza got eliminated together with the boys: Mikael, Ruru and Buboy. Lexi then used her “death note power” to get rid of Kokoy, leaving her and Angel in the final race.

Both Lexi and Angel defied expectations of the runners and viewers. Lexi used to be defeated every game, but later on became more determined to win their battles.

Meanwhile, Angel had been tagged by the cast

Angel Guardian wins as the first-ever Ultimate Runner of ‘Running Man Philippines’

A vINTAGE poster art for the holiday season from softdrink giant CocaCola.

Motoring

ISUZU PHILIPPINES APPOINTS NEW PRESIDENT

Story by Randy S. Peregrino

ISUZU Philippines Corp. (IPC) recently announced its change in leadership beginning in 2023, with the appointment of Tetsuya Fujita as its new president. Arriving in January 2023, Fujita is a Senior Executive of Isuzu Motors Limited Japan (IML) with more than three decades of experience under IML handling different overseas markets like the United States and Latin America. The incoming president also has extensive knowledge of light commercial and truck markets. He is expected to continue Isuzu’s reign as the number one truck brand in the country, poised to record its 23 consecutive years of holding this position by the end of the year.

one position in the truck market (now at 48 percent) under his term. He also strongly led the company in its “Road to Progress” coming from the pandemic. Further, he ensured more sustainable plant operations for IPC by transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy a nd continuing to expand and modernize its dealer network to cater to a bi g ger market nationwide.

The second batch of Isuzu light trucks turned over to Shopee Philippines MEANWHILE , IPC, together with Isuzu Pasig under Isuzu Automotive Dealership, Inc. (IADI), turned over the second batch of Isuzu NMR85H Aluminum Vans to Shopee Xpress Philippines Inc. (SPX). SPX Philip -

pines Director Martin Yu, IPC outgoing president Murakami, IADI Chief Operating Officer Alex Paguio, and Isuzu Pasig Branch Manager Eric Wambangco attended the turnover ceremony. After the turnover ceremony, the brief yet productive meeting between IPC and Shopee enabled Murakami to express his gratitude towards Shopee for continuing to put their confidence in Isuzu products.

“As the number one truck brand in the country, we always make sure that the quality of products and services that we provide are top-notch. So, we assure you that we will continue to support Shopee on Aftersales to lessen downtime and to increase profit to your business”, he said.

Isuzu’s commitment to providing the best business and transport solutions to Filipinos complements Shopee’s goal to efficiently connect buyers and sellers in one platform through its online shopping platform. The Isuzu NMR85H is powered by a 4JJI-TCC turbodiesel engine making the truck highly capable of traversing various road conditions and terrains in the Philippines. Its 14-ft rear body length and 4,490kg gross vehicle weight capacity perfectly match the requirement of safely carrying a high cargo volume. Last, the equally outstanding aftersales support offered by IPC and its dealerships to fleet customers makes it the perfect business partner.

CHIPS CHIPPING AWAY AT SALES SURGE

three classes.

Camacho was overall champion in the Pick-up, Utility Vehicle and All-Wheel Drive categories, with Dimapilis likewise finishing first in three classes as well.

THE

Toyota Otis/Balintawak/North Edsa/ Marilao.

For the Elite Grandia, the waiting time is one year at the earliest, the Land Cruiser almost two years.

“We are proud of our accomplishments,” said Isuzu sales executive Robert Carlos. “With another feather on its cap, the Isuzu D-MAX showed strength in different aspects, making it the most popular pick-up in the market today.”

Visit www.isuzuphil.com and www. facebook.com/IsuzuPhilippines for more updates of the Isuzu brand.

I

“But it’s nice to know that we have a loyal brigade of customers at Toyota,” Dr. Go said. “They don’t just jump into the other side of the fence.”

“Distribution

The supply chain also becomes an automatic collateral damage.

As a result, sales surge is stunted as orders of prime variants continue to pile. Many car companies are reeling, including industry leader Toyota.

Dealers gripe non-stop over the continued non-arrival of choice luxury models.

“Since allocations are hard to come by, the queue for orders like the Land Cruiser and Elite Grandia is quite long now,” said Atty. Reginaldo Oben of

When you know a product is quality per se, you will wait for it even forever.

D-MAX dominance

ISUZU D-MAX has once again proven its dominance in the recent dirt time trial racing competition as it conquered three vehicle classes in the 2022 Philippine Rallycross Series (PHRX).

The two D-MAX 3.0 LS-E 4x4 AT rally vehicles, both sporting minimal modifications, were driven by Mon Dimapilis and Louie Camacho.

The last PHRX, a timed dirt track race that started in 2015, featured nine rounds in Cavite and Pampanga. The D-MAX Team finished No. 1 in

PEE STOP Campi and TMA said the industry sold 35,037 units last month, which is a whopping 32.4 percent higher to figures submitted in November 2021: 26,456. Overall, there are 315,337 units sold thus far for the year—a 31-percent growth compared to the 11-month period last year. Sales in 2019, which was a year before the pandemic struck, totaled 369,941. In 2020, sales expectedly fell to 223,793 but rose to 268,488 in a mini rebound in 2021. From January to November this year, Toyota was tops as usual with 156,874 units sold for a huge 48.27 percent market share. Mitsubishi was second with 46,692, Ford third 21,450, Nissan fourth 19,373 and Suzuki fifth 18,118… It’s Party time! I missed several already, the last one being BMW’s Spencer ASY Yu. Senior issues. ASY was kind enough to understand…Merry Christmas!

THE second batch of Isuzu NMR85H Aluminum Vans turned over to Shopee Xpress Philippines Inc. ISUZU PHILIPPINES

On the other hand, Noboru Murakami, who joined IPC in May, will be a ssigned to Isuzu North America Corp.

to oversee the Isuzu business in the region. According to IPC, Murakami was able to maintain IPC’s number

IPC Headquarters in Santa Rosa Laguna. ISUZU PHILIPPINES

Drinking this holiDay season? some meDicines Don’t mix well with alcohol

Ben&Ben’s homecoming concert was a every fan’s dream EXTRAORDINARILY SATISFYING

By Jill Tan Radovan

IT was every fan’s dream—the long overdue major concert of Ben&Ben.

The concert was originally slated as a send-off before the band went on their concert tour in the US and Canada, but that show was canceled due to unpleasant weather conditions. Upon returning from their North American tour, the nine-piece band helmed by identical twins Paolo and Miguel Guico focused on preparations for a long-awaited homecoming show.

Circumstances on the day of the show itself were less than ideal. Queuing was a major problem. The venue, SMDC Festival Grounds, is directly across Solaire, but the line extended as far as the SM Mall of Asia. On social media, patrons complained that they had been in

line for hours. Some eventually chose to opt out of the concert even if they already had tickets.

Ben&Ben has since apologized on social media for the “deeply stressful experience with the queuing, the entry into the venue, and the general gaps in the organization of the event.” Fans have acknowledged the apology, and assured the band of their unwavering patronage, saying the experience was worth the trouble.

It’s true. If you look beyond the pre-show and queuing issues, you’d say Ben&Ben’s Homecoming Concert was an extraordinarily satisfying musical experience. Although it was difficult to appreciate what was happening on stage due to physical distance and there was dead air on occasion in between performances, as well as technical glitches that muffled the sound system at some point, no one can deny the preparation the band and the production team went through just to pull off what is arguably their biggest show to date.

from

that

Publisher : Editor-In-Chief : Concept : Y2Z Editor : SoundStrip Editor : Group Creative Director : Graphic Designers : Contributing Writers : Columnists : Photographers :

T. Anthony C. Cabangon Lourdes M. Fernandez Aldwin M. Tolosa

Jt Nisay Edwin P. Sallan Eduardo A. Davad Niggel Figueroa Anabelle O. Flores Tony M. Maghirang, Rick Olivares, Leony Garcia, Patrick Miguel

Kaye VillagomezLosorata Annie S. Alejo Bernard P. Testa Nonie Reyes

Moreover, no one can deny how powerful and moving the performances were, especially to the fans.

Clara Benin, as the front act, did a great job at calming the nerves of the jittered audience. She sang “Parallel Universe,” one of her originals, and her soothing voice and fluid guitar playing helped set the mood for the rest of the evening.

A montage of Ben&Ben’s performances while on tour along with the names of the tour destinations, flashed on the LED screens as the audience held their breath for the main act. A seemingly handwritten inscription of the word “MANILA” flashed on screen right before the lights brightened and the band members set foot on stage, appearing as silhouettes one by one

Ben& Ben had earlier released an image showing a 25-song setlist that included the runaway hit “Maybe the Night,” the Christmas offering “Bibingka,” the recently released “Dear,” and the lyrically compelling “Kapangyarihan.” The band promptly delivered, each song performed with as much—or probably even more—gusto and passion than in previous shows. Key words from the songs’ lyrics flashed on the screens as the they performed.

The band also performed a previously unreleased single. “This next song is about love, and it’s called ‘Comets,’” said Miguel, before strumming the opening chords.

Ben&Ben collaborated with some of OPM’s rising stars during the concert. KZ Tandingan graced the stage for an emotional rendition of “Sabel ” while Juan Karlos Labajo and Zild Benitez lent their talents for a moving performance of “Lunod,” a song about mental health.

For a few minutes, the spotlight focused exclusively on percussionists Toni Muñoz and Andrew de Pano as they took the lead and sang “Pasalubong,” whose original, recorded version includes vocals by songstress Moira deal Torre.

Finally, Miguel said, “We have one last song for all of you. Para sa bawat sang naniniwala ng tunay na pagmamahal, at ganito and pagmamahal naming sa inyo— pipiliin namin kayo!”

It was amazing to hear a crowd of at least 50,000 harmoniously sing the opening lines to “ArawAraw” as thousands of people waved their arms and raised their mobile phones to cover the festival grounds in a sea of mini-lanterns, followed by fireworks. The moment was magical, or to borrow a repeatedly sung word from the song’s chorus, indeed mahiwaga.

Ben&Ben’s homecoming concert was initially a lesson in patience that transformed into a stellar live music experience. Had the band members not overcompensated with their performances, fans would have gone home with glum expressions on their faces, not the dreamy and satisfied look in their eyes as they walked out of the venue.

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And then, voices singing the first few lines of the opening song, a cappella, flooded the speakers: ‘Lang-hiyang pag-ibig ‘yan/ Ang dami mong isusugal/ Kung balak mo akong iwan/ Oh, ba’t mo pa ‘ko minahal?

This was followed by strings, percussion, and pandemonium

No major concert of Be&Ben would ever be complete without seeing the band play—and the audience sing in unison to— “Kathang Isip” and “Ride Home,” which were both reserved for the tail-end of the show. Inching closer to the encore, the band played “Dahilan” and “Fall.”

The show, despite its grandeur and obviously high production cost, was also a reminder of the little things you appreciate in gigs held at smaller venues: genuine emotions reflected on the artist’s faces, seeing a musician’s hand and finger movement producing raw sound, and the human connection that happens when eyes of the performers and someone from the audience meet. These rarely happen in large-scale concerts, so if you want to support artists, support them even while they still play in intimate venues that still let you experience the deeply personal little things. It’s the artist and the music you’re after, anyway.

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

BEN&BEN’S Homecoming Concert attracted a jampacked crowd at the SMDC Concert Grounds (Photo by Jill Tan Radovan)

the audience

lasted for hours into the show.

SoundSampler

by Tony M. Maghirang

IN THE HOUSE

Cheats, Mothercampers, Bruce Springsteen and Arctic Monkeys

CHEATS Houseplants

WITH a title that’s so blasé, Cheat’s latest release is rather as far removed from the commonplace like Gloc-9 unleashing a punk album. Let’s just say, even on first listen, “Houseplants”, has “a great leap forward” written all over its musical roadmap. Opening track “Machine” operates on part grunge, part power pop dynamics. “Snooze (Pinto)” starts alluding to Rupert Holmes’ “Terminal” then blows up brilliantly into something cool and wonderful from the IV of Spades soundscape. There’s neo-disco groove propping up “Kapit” to lyrics that frolic around insane wordplays such as “Huwag kang kakapit/Bibitiw ako.” “Houseplants,” the album, will instantly grow on you.

band goes beyond their major influence revisiting and rejuvenating Pinoy rock essentials. “Ewan” is thoroughbred rock and roll celebrating lyrics that go “Ewan kung bakit wala akong data/May wifi ka ba?/ Sa tuwing ikaw ay kasama, ako’y connected, maligaya…” The title track is another aggressive rocker which plays around the theme “Kung ayaw mong masaktan, mag-ingat ka” to “Kung ayaw mong mabaon, umangat ka” and “Kung ayaw mong mamatay, mabuhay ka,” On “GV,” they mess around with reverb while their glam rock tendencies shine through on the punkish “Wannabe.” These Mothers are merrily innovating their way to a bright future.

why bother with that lively sound Latin serving second fiddle to existential musings about personal troubles? Lyrics and music don’t seem to align in this expression of convoluted profundity.

MOTHERCAMPERS Hindiependencia

IN a recent write-up, rising indie band Mothercanpers said their latest single “S.W.A.B.” pays tribute to the E-Heads. On their debut album, the five-man

HYPER pop is often associated with newcomer Tome.’s sonic journey. You’d be surprised at the artists who are into the hyper pop headspace. However, Tome.’s debut album sounds as ephemeral as the hype term attached to its sonic territory. The words Tome. spews are a mouthful but the accompanying music either goes for Flying Lizard type minimalism or Latin dance flourishes which is apparently the go-to accompaniment for hyper pop superstars elsewhere. Then again, classic Latin music from Perez Prado to Santana are still around so

WITH the kick of the title track, “Bruce ‘The Boss’ Springsteen sends real homage to soul as he has always expressed throughout his long-standing career in rock. In Springsteen’s able hands, “Only The Strong Survive” feels penned for him to open his own soul album whose highlights include “Soul Days” which seem to hark back to the lyricism of “Thunder Road,” the crazy melodicism of “The Sun Don’t Shine Anymore,” and the Stax/Volt underpinnings of “Turn Back The Hands of Time.” Actually, The Boss covers songs recorded in the ‘80s and beyond by soulmen like Dobie Gray, the Four Tops, and solo Lionel Ritchie. Sure, there’s a whiff of nostalgia while each song plays but honestly, the wistfulness comes from remembering better songs from better times.

S

POILER alert. The Arctic Monkeys’ brand new vehicle to fame isn’t made for power and speed. Instead, Alex Turner and company want their listeners to slow it down and contemplate how it feels to be reaching middle age and enjoying the fruits of fortune and adulation earned at a young age. But that shouldn’t take the glee out of the fact that a superstar rocker has his private woes to deal with embellished by some of the most luscious orchestral pop in this day and age. “The Car” doesn’t rock. It even veers towards MOR. You love it or you hate it, as a matter of fact.

LORDS Comradely Objects

I F your ear buds lean towards adventurous music, the latest album from US experimental rockers Horse Lords serve them in spades. You want art rock? “Zero Degree Machine” offers a mix of Rage in the Gang of Four basement! Free jazz? “Mess Mend” takes you to the galactic house of Ornette Coleman. “Art rock” Umm, “Law of Movement” loosely mines Sonic Youth in fervent post-rock mode. Quite simply, these comrades find elegance in creative contortion and dissonance. Happy holidays, everyone.

TOME. First Edition God Complex

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Only The Strong Survive

ARCTIC MONKEYS The Car

HORSE

Drinking this holiday season? Some medicines don’t mix well with alcohol

by Nial Wheate and Jessica Pace University of Sydney

Agl Ass or two of champagne with christmas lunch. A cool crisp beer at the beach. some cheeky cocktails with friends to see in the New Year. There seem to be so many occasions to unwind with an alcoholic drink.

But if you’re taking certain medications while drinking alcohol, this can affect your body in a number of ways. Some medicines mixed with alcohol may not work so well. With others, you risk a life-threatening overdose.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re taking medication and plan to drink.

Why is this a big deal?

Some medicines are metabolized less. This means you get a much higher dose than intended, which could lead to an overdose. The effects of alcohol (such as sleepiness) can act in addition to similar effects of a medicine.

Whether or not you will have an interaction, and what interaction you have, depends on many factors. These include the medicine you are taking, the dose, how much alcohol you drink, your age, genes, sex and overall health. Women, older people and people with liver issues are more likely to have a drug interaction with alcohol.

Which medicines don’t mix well with alcohol?

Many medicines interact with alcohol

regardless of whether they are prescribed by your doctor or bought over the counter, such as herbal medicines.

1Medicines + alcohol = drowsiness, coma, death

Drinking alcohol and taking a medicine that depresses the central nervous system to reduce arousal and stimulation can have additive effects. Together, these can make you extra drowsy, slow your breathing and heart rate and, in extreme cases, lead to coma and death. These effects are more likely if you use more than one of this type of medicine.

Medicines to look out for include those for depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, pain (except paracetamol), sleep disturbances (such as insomnia), allergies, and colds and flu. It’s best not to drink alcohol with these medicines, or to keep your alcohol intake to a minimum.

2Medicines + alcohol = more effects

Mixing alcohol with some medicines increases the effect of those medicines.

One example is with the sleeping tablet zolpidem, which is not to be taken with alcohol. Rare, but serious, side effects are strange behavior while asleep, such as sleep-eating, sleep-driving or sleep-walking, which are more likely with alcohol.

3Medicines + craft beer or home brew = high blood pressure

Some types of medicines only interact with some types of alcohol. Examples include some medicines for depression, such as phenelzine, tranylcypromine and moclobemide, the antibiotic linezolid, the Parkinson’s drug selegiline, and the cancer drug procarbazine.

These so-called monoamine oxidase inhibitors only interact with some types of boutique and artisan beers, beers with visible sediment, Belgian, Korean, European and African beers, and home-made beers and wine.

These types of alcohol contain high levels of tyramine, a naturally occurring substance usually broken down by your body that doesn’t ordinarily cause any harm.

However, monoamine oxidase inhibitors prevent your body from breaking down tyramine. This increases levels in your body and can cause your blood pressure to rise to dangerous levels.

4Medicines + alcohol = effects even after you stop drinking

Other medicines interact because they affect the way your body breaks down alcohol.

If you drink alcohol while using such medicines you may feel nauseous, vomit, become flushed in the face and neck, feel breathless or dizzy, your heart may beat faster than usual, or your blood pressure may drop.

This can occur even after you stop treatment, then drink alcohol. For example, if you are taking metronidazole you should avoid alcohol both while using the medicine and for at least 24 hours after you stop taking it.

An example of where alcohol changes the amount of the medicine or related substances in the body is acitretin. This medication is used to treat skin conditions such as severe psoriasis and to prevent skin cancer in people who have had an organ transplant.

When you take acitretin, it changes into another substance—etretinate—before it is removed from your body. Alcohol increases the amount of etretinate in your body. This is especially important as etretinate can cause birth defects. To prevent this, if you are a woman of child-bearing age you should avoid alcohol while using the medicine and for two months after you stop taking it.

Where can I go for advice?

If you plan on drinking alcohol these holidays and are concerned about any interaction with your medicines, don’t just stop taking your medicines. Your pharmacist can advise you on whether it is safe for you to drink based on the medicines you are taking, and if not, provide advice on alternatives. The Conversation

Medical myth: You can’t take antibiotics with alcohol

STAYI ng off alcohol when taking antibiotics has been hallowed advice from gPs, pharmacists and well-meaning relatives for decades. It’s difficult to work out exactly where the advice originated, but Karl Kruszelnicki (Dr Karl) suggests it dates back as far back as the 1950s, when penicillin came into use as the first really effective treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as gonorrhoea and syphilis.

The advice that you shouldn’t drink alcohol while taking antibiotics does hold true for a small group of antiinfective drugs including metronidazole (Flagyl, Metronide or Metrogyl), tinidazole (Fasigyn or Simplotan) and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (Bactrim, Co-trimoxazole). These drugs block one of the major pathways that metabolize

alcohol and cause a rapid build-up of nasties called acetaldehydes, which are responsible for many of the unpleasant physical effects of hangovers. With these drugs on board, you can be red-faced, fainting and vomiting after as little as one glass of beer.

But these anti-infective drugs have fairly specialized uses—to treat infections with organisms such as giardia (from contaminated drinking water) or intestinal worms. It would be unusual to be prescribed these drugs without a long lecture from your doctor or pharmacist about the potential adverse reaction.

For nearly all other types of antibiotics there is no clear evidence of harm from modest alcohol intake. But this doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to drink

to excess when you’re in the grip of an infection, as the sedative and nauseating effects of the alcohol are likely to increase if you are unwell.

Alcohol-induced dilation of blood vessels in the limbs interferes with your body’s attempts to raise a fever to slow the spread of infection. Your kidneys will be forced by the alcohol to lose more fluid, thus increasing the risk of dehydration. And the deep, aching muscle pain produced by viral infections may be more likely to lead to serious muscle damage when combined with binge drinking.

Some antibiotics such as isoniazid and flucloxacillin (Flopen, Staphylex) may inflame the liver (causing mild hepatitis) in a small percentage of those treated. A boozy night out could

further irritate the liver, which is already working hard to get rid of the extra alcohol. A similar mild hepatitis may occur with some infections such as glandular fever, which would have the same outcome.

So if you’re unwell and thinking of having a big one at the office end-of-year party, it’s better to go easy on the alcohol whether you are on antibiotics or not. You’ll recover quicker and you’ll reduce your risk of secondary complications.

If you’re on one of the problematic drugs, it’s important to take the “no alcohol” warning seriously or you’ll quickly and deeply regret even a few mouthfuls of alcohol.

For most antibiotic users, though, a glass of bubbly or a cold beer at your office Christmas party should be fine. The Conversation

“WheTher or not you will have an interaction, and what interaction you have, depends on many factors.”

ET graduate at Paco Park ossuary is doing conservation work.

THE facade of La Loma Church undergoes restoration.

INSIDE Apalit Church, restoration work is in full swing.

ET graduates complete restoration work at Apalit Church.

FEMALE graduates do masonry work.

FEMALE masons gather after a day’s work in Malate Church.

IN ET Bohol, a female worker practices wood carpentry.

RESTORATION worker readies scaffolding inside Apalit Church.

Indivisibility and the Peopling of Intangible Culture

By Korinna A. Pia Saavedra Images courtesy of Escuela Taller

INTANGIBLE culture sounds like a mouthful. With it comes a plethora of images that give flesh to what is abstract as a slow Renaissance and appreciation for all aspects of our history seems to be the distant Polaris to our tiny blue dot.

In its entirety, UNESCO defines cultural heritage as a colorful mélange of what is tangible in maritime transportation, ornate carvings, puppetry, terra cotta, beadwork, paints, and stains from endemic flora, architecture, and pintados, along with the intangible through identities, weaving and patterns, rituals, events, knowledge, local cuisine, and social practices including dance and oral expressions that collectively define us as a people.

While it is true that aspects of our culture have been built into the bloodstream of our educational system, it is direct exposure to these from our tender years that have given our society a semblance of understanding it.

Naturally, it is not enough. And essentially, understanding it is not as simple as we think.

To start, we need to look at how cultural influences have diversified what is indigenous, and how these led to various manifestations of lifestyle changes.

For example,  with Austronesian building traditions and the materials used in the builds, this meant expanding and evolving the lowly nipa into a long house that turned into a  bahay na bato and then elaborate masonry, which is a morphology of sorts in architectural form.

With it changed, among others, the use of textile and finery, cuisine, and oral tradition, such that developing a firm grasp of intangible culture aids in the muchneeded intercultural discourse about the disparate lifestyles resulting therefrom. What is even more significant about intangible

cultural heritage is not the cultural manifestations themselves, but the abundance of information and skills that are passed on. Of course, this transmission requires multiple consistent and creative approaches over time.

In Europe, the 2003 Convention recognized the important role of education as a means to advocate the “appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.”

Much, much earlier than this was the birthing of the Escualas Taller (workshop schools) in Spain in the 1980s as an initiative of the Instituto Nacional de Empleo (INEM) whose goal it was to help the young get work by training them in skills that would be relevant to historical conservation and construction.

Their success led to the founding of the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation) or AECID, which opened the first school in Leon, Nicaragua (1991).

Almost 20 years and at least 40 workshop schools later, Escuela Taller (ET) de Intramuros was birthed in 2009 under the auspices of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Spanish government through AECID with the parallel support of the Department for Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Technical Education & Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to support our own multipronged approach to guiding assimilation.

Needless to say, its reason for

being a technical and vocational project is tied to the abundance of information and skills that are passed on that hold the most economic and social value.

In 2013, Escuela Taller came to be known as Escuela Taller de Filipinas Foundation (ETFFI), a foundation and a stronger and more vocal driving force situated in the walled Manila city.

What the running total of 700 graduates have since learned from the workshops has helped in the conservation of the Malate Church, Paco Park, San Pablo Cathedral (Laguna), the façade of La Loma Church, and Santa Cruz Parish Complex in Maribojoc, Bohol, to name a few.

All this work involving skilled conservations graduates of the ET alongside the professionals who hire them for intensive projects reinforces that it’s not rocket science, intangible culture.

Yes, there is a technique involved. Understanding the morphology of the sites in question apart from the availability of the materials to be used to approximate the traditional building of the same structures is a science,

after all. But then, it is knowing why we should conserve a specific site that holds more critical importance, especially as we seek to understand how they are relevant to society.

San Agustin Church, historically, is the only building left intact after the destruction of Intramuros in WWII. Imagine what Intramuros would have looked like without any effort to restore or conserve any of the structures there that we see to this day, say, Fort Santiago, which is the oldest Hispanic stone fortress in the country.

Unbeknownst to many, the first fort was named after St. James the Moor-slayer, known by the Spanish as Santiago Matamoros. It was a palisade of logs and earth destroyed in 1574 by Chinese pirate Limahong (Lin Feng) and was rebuilt by the Spanish army using volcanic tuff or adobe between 1589 and 1592.

As of 2014, it is considered a National Treasure.

The fort headquartered the armies of several foreign powers in our history, including the Spanish (1571–1898), the Brit -

ish (1762–1764, during the Seven Years War), the Americans (1898–1946), and the Japanese (1942–1945). By all oral and documented accounts, this means that not only did much blood water the fort’s grounds, the same blood fueled Manila, its people, and our evolution as a country.

This is why conservation work is rooted in a deep respect and appreciation for the spirit of the place, and that intangible culture is more than just a collection of stories, music, and art. It is the voice of a people, representing values, beliefs, and experiences, and a way to celebrate the beauty of their culture, while also unifying them.

In difficult times, intangible culture is a source of comfort and strength, a powerful form of expression that provided us with a way to remember the past while also looking forward to the future. In this, all effort to conserve our culture is a testament to the indivisibility of a people from their history.

In the end, it is this indivisibility that sets us apart.

ET graduates strike a pose after completing conservation work on the San Pablo Cathedral facade and belfry.

Christmas Lanterns of Bamboo and Shells Shine

TO bring back the Bethlehem starinspired traditional parols, the Advocates for Heritage Preservation started the AHP Parol Project in 2019. Headed by Johnson Bernardo of the AHP Organizing Committee, local artisans were sought and encouraged to create Christmas lanterns using indigenous and organic materials. The parols were then made available to members of the AHP for purchase and the proceeds were handed over to the artisans who needed an extra source of income.

Singkaban parols

ONE of the indigenous crafts utilized by the AHP Parol Project was the Singkaban which involves the shaving of the bamboo skin into blossom-like décor known as balukaykay. Traditionally, the Singkaban can be seen in commemorative arches that represent a feast of a saint, a landmark as an entry point of a certain district or barrio, or to mark special occasions. Found and popular in Hagonoy, Bulacan, Singkaban was first created by Francisco Eligio, and later carried on by his son, Emiliano Eligio.

These limited edition parols are made to order and used to be seen in institutions such as churches and local government halls. Since the start of the AHP Parol Project, these parols are now placed in households, adding

holiday cheer the traditional way.

Shells as Yuletide decors

HARVESTING talaba (oyster). tahong (mussels), and halaan (clam) had been one of the livelihoods of Bulakenyos, where they use small bancas to gather these mollusks and sell them in wet markets. Instead of disposing of the shells as waste, the AHP Parol Project team was able to tap the artistic talent of Carlos Torres, who organized and taught a small youth group craft skills to produce holiday decors. They collect the shells, sanitize and glue them to form and decorate Christmas lanterns and wreaths. They also add LED bulbs to glow up their creations. The AHP facilitates the sale of parols and wreaths and makes sure the group earns from the project.

Photos from AHP Parol Project on AHP Facebook page

JOHNSON BERNARDO of the AHP Organizing Committee shows off a Singkaban parol. ANSON YU

ARKONG Parol and Dyamanteng Parol, care of Mike Asinas.

SINGKABAN Parol at Eurobake Malolos, care of Richard Poblete-Ramos

SINGKABAN Parol of Chef Jayjay Sycip and Chef Rhea Sycip of Fatted Calf and Flour Pot

THE Singkaban Parol at Bahay Kabyawan in Pulilan, Bulacan with Andrew Alto de Guzman, AHP Pulilan Chapter Administrator

AHP Project Parol delivers the Singkaban Parol in one of the ancestral houses in San Pablo, Laguna.

HOLIDAY decors made from oyster, mussels, and clam shells, part of AHP Project Parol.

From campus writer to celebrity book author

By Kathleen A. Llemit Photos courtesy of featured author

AT 21, Gwynette Saludes is already a published author of two series with paperback copies and has amassed an online fanbase called Areums that catapulted her to celebrity status. Areum means “beauty” in Korean, and it sums up the young author’s journey from a mere reader and writer to a published author in her early 20s.

Her count of published works online and physical copies might tell one that she wanted to be an author, but that’s not simply the case.

“Writing is just a hobby of mine and I never had plans to take it as a job,” Saludes said to Tony&Nick.

She began writing when she was 12 and found a perfect site where she can upload her stories for free. Like many of her peers and even readers at the beginning of the popularity of the internet and online platforms, Saludes turned to Wattpad to read, write and publish her stories.

Her pseudonym in the popular online reading platform is @4reuminct, and she began writing away her preferred genre, romance.

The ongoing University Series is born, with stories that feature students and their romances unfolding in Manila universities, notably along the University Belt, as well as the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

Balancing act

IT should not come as a surprise since Saludes is a student herself, who is currently taking up Legal Management at the Ateneo. She previously took

up Journalism before finding out that she really wanted to take up law.

“I originally took Journalism at another university, but I decided to pursue Legal Management instead because I am interested more in law,” she shared.

Her affinity for both ADMU and the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) stems from having been a student on both campuses. She finds it easier for her to write stories set in familiar locales.

“I studied there for two years and there I also created memories that I wanted to share through my stories,” she said of her years spent in UST.

From book to live action

IT is also not a surprise that the first book in the series is titled  The Rain in España , published in December 2019, and has an obvious reference to UST that’s located along España, Manila.

The book is going to be adapted into a 10-episode show that will star some of the recognizable young actors today.

Marco Gallo and Heaven Peralejo have been cast as Kalix and Luna, the well-loved couple who hails from Ateneo and UST.

Saludes is mum about the project but she shared that she was given the decision on the adaptation’s “creative matters.”

She shared that her story was pitched by her management, O/C Records, and publishing company, Precious Pages Corporation, to entertainment companies in 2021. Viva TV picked it up for adaptation and is scheduled to be released in 2023.

KathNiel series

APART from publishing stories on Wattpad, Saludes also tried writing a social series.  Along España  is another young adult romance set in UST written and published as a thread on Twitter.

In this series, Saludes went full-on fangirl mode by writing the protagonists, Avery and Red, with her favorite love team, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, as her inspiration. Not long after, Bernardo herself commented that she

likes this series.

It is not the first and last social series inspired by KathNiel, the name of the fans of Bernardo and Padilla.

She followed it up with Mistake , another KathNiel Twitter fan fiction that features the protagonists Ivor and Lily.

“Just being on a university campus inspired me to write stories set in the same universities. I thought that people would love to read stories close to their hearts and they would be able to relate to or maybe look forward to reading,” the college student said.

Turning dark

APART from romance, Saludes has also written dark thrillers through her Assault series.

Two books in this series, namely,  Zedvage Assault and  Quertige

“It still feels so unreal, but I hope to be able to inspire people,” Saludes remarked about her journey as a published author at a young age.

These days, she is taking a break from writing to concentrate on her studies because she is in her final year in college.

With such a busy schedule, how does a college student like her manage her time between school and her writing?

“I manage time by always scheduling my days and only finishing the day by checking all the tasks on my list. I allot time for each activity every week,” she shared.

She teased, however, that she has an ongoing story that she might continue writing next year.

After finishing college, will she pursue studying law?

“Honestly, I am not sure anymore. I am putting more options in my life now rather than setting myself on one path,” Saludes revealed.

One thing is for sure for Saludes though. She wants her readers to feel different kinds of emotions and empathize with the leads of her stories.

Yes, no surprise there either.

Assault, are published by Precious Pages Corporation.

CELEBRITY author Gwynette Saludes began writing romance on Wattpad.

SALUDES (middle, in white) joins the cast of “The Rain in España,” her written work in soon-to-be released TV series.