BusinessMirror February 25, 2024

A WALK TO THE ‘GOLDEN SUNSET’

NBy Philip M. Lustre Jr. Special to the BusinessMirror

ESTLED at the foot of the verdant Mount Makiling in Laguna is a retirement facility offering a comprehensive package of home-care services for over two dozen elderly individuals.

It

return home and retire here.

W hat makes Golden Sunset different is that it is not a typical nursing home, which specializes in providing medical care for the aged and infirm. It is not a home for the aged or a traditional nursing facility that treats its residents as patients.

It veers away from the traditional concept of caring for the elderly by extending a more holistic or community-based approach, says CEO Fe Tolentino-Zosa. Golden Sunset is essentially community-oriented, which means the facility itself provides the community for quality and effective living for its residents.

Community-centered orientation

TOLENTINO-ZOSA said its community-centered orientation enables the facility to give its residents what she termed “assisted living,” revolving around personal care, including medication, social events, meals, housekeeping, laundry, and tracking their maintenance medication.

A lthough the Golden Sunset facility falls within the concept of residential care, it should not be mistaken for a nursing home that provides hospice care for the sick and terminally ill.

According to Tolentino-Zosa, the elderly care that the facility provides stresses the social and personal requirements of retirees

and senior citizens, who wish to age with dignity and grace, while requiring assistance for daily activities and healthcare. It emphasizes the twin virtues of empathy and compassion to its professional staff of caregivers and other hands, who attend to its residents. She said she envisioned setting up the facility mainly in response to the loving care of her mother Gregoria Tolentino, who died at 96. She said her mother became a widow at a young age but did not remarry to raise her brood of six children, of which Tolentino-Zosa was the second to the youngest. Tolentino-Zosa did not take a course related to social work or medical care for the elderly, but finished BS Accounting magna cum laude at the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas (UST). She held various positions related to finance, but established the facility as her way to pay tribute to her mother.

Changing times

FILIPINOS are known for their devotion to the family. Like other Asians, Filipinos generally take care of the elderly in the family. But times are changing. Some families are learning to institutionalize their elderly to the professional care of a nursing home or home for the aged, of which its package of home healthcare services provides “clinical” or “skilled” care by licensed nurses and therapists. On the other hand, home care provides “non-clinical” or “non-skilled” care by professional caregivers—so the distinction goes.

Sometime in early 2000s, Tolentino-Zosa came upon the idea of putting up a community-oriented facility for foreign-based Filipino retirees who have decided to return home and settle here for good. It is

‘This facility for the elderly will persist because there is a necessity for assisted living for our elderly. This is a new model for assisted living for our elders.”—Fe Tolentino-Zosa

not easy for them to relocate here even if they have the wherewithal to reestablish themselves here.

W hen possible, they prefer a community-oriented facility because they can live with their dignity and personal pride intact. Besides, they want to interact with other people.

Tolentino-Zosa cited the cases of their residents, whose children are based in other countries, but whose parents have chosen to return home for good. These parents do not want to live in the countries where their children stay mainly because they could not endure the cold weather, especially during winter. They have entered into accords with the facility management, where the kids pay for the upkeep of their parents as residents in the facility.

She cited the case of an American national, who has chosen to take residence in the facility, and a Filipino couple, who have never been in a foreign country. The facility started operations in 2022, even as it continues to undergo facelift and construction.

Golden Sunset occupies a halfhectare compound at the foot of Mount Makiling inside the UPLB campus. Its uniqueness lies in the extensive vegetation of the area, which enables the residents to enjoy its quiet and relaxing environment. It has three buildings; each building is subdivided into eight apartment units, where residents could dwell. It has a swimming pool to enable the residents to exercise. It has two gazebos where residents could gather.

One of the buildings features a rooftop designed for hosting larger social events, while the facility also offers guest units for visiting family members at affordable rates, as noted by Tolentino-Zosa. There are plans in place to further expand the range of services as the firm continues to develop and enhance its facilities.

The facility employs a team of highly trained caregivers adept at handling senior citizens, including those who may exhibit challenging behaviors, stated Tolentino-Zosa.

They are given competitive salaries, which could be a factor why they stay in the facility despite the changing dynamics of the caregiving business.

The retirement business, she said, will continue to grow as more retirees of Filipino descent and their partners return to the Philippines to enjoy their retirement here in solitude and warmth.

Moreover, the Filipino culture of hospitality, warmth and compassion is always present. More than any other consideration, this is obviously the most important one.

An online dump of Chinese hacking documents offers a rare window into pervasive state surveillance

By Frank Bajak & Dake Kang The Associated Press

CHINESE police are investigating an unauthorized and highly unusual online dump of documents from a private security contractor linked to the nation’s top policing agency and other parts of its government—a trove that catalogs apparent hacking activity and tools to spy on both Chinese and foreigners.

A mong the apparent targets of tools provided by the impacted company, I-Soon: ethnicities and dissidents in parts of China that have seen significant anti-government protests, such as Hong Kong or the heavily Muslim region of Xinjiang in China’s far west.

The dump of scores of documents late last week and subsequent investigation were confirmed by two employees of I-Soon, known as Anxun in Mandarin, which has ties to the powerful Ministry of Public Security. The dump, which analysts consider highly significant even if it does not reveal any especially novel or potent tools, includes hundreds of pages of contracts, marketing presentations, product manuals, and

client and employee lists. They reveal, in detail, methods used by Chinese authorities used to surveil dissidents overseas, hack other nations and promote proBeijing narratives on social media. The documents show apparent I-Soon hacking of networks across Central and Southeast Asia, as well as Hong Kong and the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory.

The hacking tools are used by Chinese state agents to unmask users of social media platforms outside China such as X, formerly known as Twitter, break into email and hide the online activity of overseas agents. Also described are devices disguised as power strips and batteries that can be used to

compromise Wi-Fi networks.

I-Soon and Chinese police are investigating how the files were leaked, the two I-Soon employees told The Associated Press. One of the employees said I-Soon held a meeting Wednesday about the leak and were told it wouldn’t affect business too much and to “continue working as normal.”

The AP is not naming the employees—who did provide their surnames, per common Chinese practice—out of concern about possible retribution.

The source of the leak is not known. The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A highly impactful leak

JON CONDRA, an analyst with Recorded Future, a cybersecurity company, called it the most significant leak ever linked to a company “suspected of providing cyber espionage and targeted intrusion services for the Chinese security services.” He said organizations targeted by I-Soon—according to the leaked material—include governments, telecommunications firms abroad and online gambling companies within China.

Until the 190-megabyte leak, I-Soon’s website included a page listing clients topped by the Ministry of Public Security and including 11 provincial-level security bureaus and some 40 municipal public security departments.

A nother page available until early Tuesday advertised advanced persistent threat “attack and defense” capabilities, using the acronym APT—one the cybersecurity industry employs to describe the world’s most sophisticated hacking groups.

Internal documents in the leak describe I-Soon databases of hacked data collected from foreign networks around the world that are advertised and sold to Chinese police.

The company’s website was fully offline later Tuesday. An I-Soon representative refused an interview request and said the company would issue an official statement at an unspecified future date.

I-Soon was founded in Shanghai in 2010, according to Chinese corporate records, and has subsidiaries in three other cities, including one in the southwestern city of Chengdu that is responsible for hacking, research and development, according to leaked internal slides.

I- Soon’s Chengdu subsidiary was open as usual on Wednesday. Red Lunar New Year lanterns swayed in the wind in a covered alleyway leading to the five-story building housing I-Soon’s Chengdu offices. Employees streamed in and out, smoking cigarettes and sipping takeout coffees outside.

Inside, posters with the Communist Party hammer and stickle emblem featured slogans that read: “Safeguarding the Party and the country’s secrets is every citizen’s required duty.”

I-Soon’s tools appear to be used by Chinese police to curb dissent on overseas social media and flood them with pro-Beijing content. A uthorities can surveil Chinese social media platforms directly and order them to take down anti-government posts. But they lack that ability on overseas sites like Facebook or X, where millions of Chinese users flock to in order to evade state surveillance and censorship.

There’s a huge interest in social media monitoring and commenting on the part of the Chinese government,” said Mareike Ohlberg, a senior fellow in the Asia Program of the German Marshall Fund. She reviewed some of the documents.

To control public opinion and forestall anti-government sentiment, Ohlberg said, control of critical posts domestically is pivotal. “Chinese authorities,” she said, “have a big interest in tracking down users who are based in China.”

The source of the leak could be “a rival intelligence service, a

dissatisfied insider, or even a rival contractor,” said chief threat analyst John Hultquist of Google’s Mandiant cybersecurity division. The data indicates I-Soon’s sponsors also include the Ministry of State Security and China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army, Hultquist said.

Lots of targets, lots of countries ONE leaked draft contract shows I-Soon was marketing “anti-terror” technical support to Xinjiang police to track the region’s native Uyghurs in Central and Southeast Asia, claiming it had access to hacked airline, cellular and government data from countries like Mongolia, Malaysia, Afghanistan and Thailand. It is unclear whether the contact was signed.

“ We see a lot of targeting of organizations that are related to ethnic minorities—Tibetans, Uyghurs. A lot of the targeting of foreign entities can be seen through the lens of domestic security priorities for the government,” said Dakota Cary, a China analyst with the cybersecurity firm SentinelOne.

He said the documents appear legitimate because they align with what would be expected from a contractor hacking on behalf of China’s security apparatus with domestic political priorities.

Cary found a spreadsheet with a list of data repositories collected from victims and counted 14 governments as targets, including India, Indonesia and Nigeria. The documents indicate that I-Soon mostly supports the Ministry of Public Security, he said.

Cary was also struck by the targeting of Taiwan’s Health Ministry to determine its Covid-19 caseload in early 2021—and impressed by the low cost of some of the hacks. The documents show that I-Soon charged $55,000 to hack Vietnam’s economy ministry, he said.

A lthough a few chat records refer to NATO, there is no indication of a successful hack of any NATO country, an initial review of the data by the AP found. That doesn’t mean state-backed Chinese hackers are not trying to hack the US and it’s allies, though.

If the leaker is inside China, which seems likely, Cary said that “leaking information about hacking NATO would be really, really inflammatory”—a risk apt to make Chinese authorities more determined to identify the hacker.

Mathieu Tartare, a malware researcher at the cybersecurity firm ESET, says it has linked I-Soon to a Chinese state hacking group it

calls Fishmonger that it actively tracks and which it wrote about in January 2020 after the group hacked Hong Kong universities during student protests. He said it has, since 2022, seen Fishmonger target governments, NGOs and think tanks across Asia, Europe, Central America and the United States.

French cybersecurity researcher Baptiste Robert also combed through the documents and said it seemed I-Soon had found a way to hack accounts on X, formerly known as Twitter, even if they have two-factor authentication, as well as another for analyzing email inboxes.

He said US cyber operators and their allies are among potential suspects in the I-Soon leak because it’s in their interests to expose Chinese state hacking.

A spokeswoman for US Cyber Command wouldn’t comment on whether the National Security Agency or Cybercom were involved in the leak. An email to the press office at X responded, “Busy now, please check back later.” Western governments, including the United States, have taken steps to block Chinese state surveillance and harassment of government critics overseas in recent years.

L aura Harth, campaign director at Safeguard Defenders, an advocacy group that focuses on human rights in China, said such tactics instill fear of the Chinese government in Chinese and foreign citizens abroad, stifling criticism and leading to self-censorship. “They are a looming threat that is just constantly there and very hard to shake off.”

L ast year, US officials charged 40 members of Chinese police units assigned to harass the family members of Chinese dissidents overseas as well as to spread proBeijing content online. The indictments described tactics similar to those detailed in the I-Soon documents, Harth said.

C hinese officials have accused the United States of similar activity. US officials, including FBI Director Chris Wray have recently complained about Chinese state hackers planting malware that could be used to damage civilian infrastructure.

On Monday, Mao Ning, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said the US government has long been working to compromise China’s critical infrastructure. She demanded the US “stop using cybersecurity issues to smear other countries.”

THE exterior of the I-Soon office building, also known as Anxun in Mandarin, is pictured in Chengdu in southwestern China’s Sichuan Province on Tuesday, February 20, 2024. Chinese police are investigating an unauthorized and highly unusual online dump of documents from a private security contractor linked to China’s top policing agency and other parts of its government. AP/DAKE KANG

The World

• Editor: Angel R. Calso

US moves to restore stockpiling ‘panic button’ in EV metals fight with China

By Mark Burton, Joe Deaux, Michael J. Kavanagh, Jennifer A. Dlouhy & Annie Lee

INSIDERS liken it to a “panic button.” And for more than 80 years, the primary job of the National Defense Stockpile has been to keep the US military supplied with essential raw materials and protect against supply shocks.

So when China surprised the markets by restricting exports of two niche industrial metals last year, toplevel officials in the Pentagoncontrolled agency—and the White House—faced an uncomfortable reality: Its panic button no longer worked. The realization triggered a different kind of alarm in Washington.

A senior official in the administration of President Joe Biden, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, admits that Beijing’s decision to limit exports of gallium and germanium sent a jolt through the White House, adding to already urgent calls for Washington to confront China’s dominance of the global metals supply chain. A lack of gallium and germanium—which are mined in tiny volumes alongside aluminum and zinc—would potentially affect production of everything from military satellites to missiles and night-vision goggles.

On this occasion the crisis was averted as Chinese exports resumed, but years of budget cuts have shrunk the agency’s strategic reserves to record lows. Former officials at the Pentagon’s Defense Logistics Agency, which manages the stockpile, say the US faces serious shortages of the raw materials needed to execute the energy transition at the scale envisioned by Biden and his team.

“This is literally the worst time to discover the ‘oh shit’ button doesn’t work,” says one former Defense Department stockpiling veteran, who asked to remain anonymous while discussing issues of national security.

In the first of a three-part series based on more than 40 interviews with industry executives, officials and politicians, Bloomberg has looked at Western efforts to create an alternative, China-free, global metals supply chain. The US in particular has been a hive of activity. Officials have rushed around the globe to negotiate deals with key allies, while behind the scenes US diplomats are cajoling Western miners to expand investment in the copper and cobalt-rich Democratic Republic of Congo, where China dominates production. The Biden administration also intends to team-up with the European Union to bolster efforts to gain some control over global supplies, while it funnels billions of dollars into projects to

Yet Beijing’s dominance remains unshaken. Tangible results from US efforts have so far been limited, and executives at some of the world’s biggest mining companies have reported frustration at what they view as a lack of a coherent strategy on critical minerals supply. Other industry executives have urged Washington to take a cue from Beijing and develop a more nimble stockpiling program to both protect manufacturers from scarcity and insulate producers against price falls.

Overhauling the DLA to speed up procurement, at a time when battery metal prices have been falling, could deliver an easy win, they argue. The price drops have led some Western miners to cut back production, a trend that’s raised concerns about long-term resource security even as demand for electric vehicles cools.

The US government appears to

have listened. In December, Congress passed a new National Defense Authorization Act, which gives the logistics agency greater freedom to make long-term purchases without the congressional approval it had previously needed. It also guarantees $1 billion a year in future funding.

“This is the next chapter in the discussion about how the US can create its own security of supply,” says Todd Malan, chief external affairs officer at Talon Metals Corp., which is developing a nickel, copper and cobalt mine in Minnesota with help from the US Energy and Defense departments. “In these markets you could see the US government making a really big impact if it emerges as a strategic buyer.”

A love-hate relationship with cobalt

A 60 percent slump in cobalt prices over the last two years has exposed the fragility in Washington’s efforts to bolster supplies of critical minerals. Beijing used the price drops to buy record volumes of the metal in two quick-fire deals executed in days last year. To have made a similar purchase, the DLA would have had to submit a buying request to Congress and wait, often for as long as a year, for approval. The NDAA reforms should streamline that process.

The act also allows the DLA to strike longterm supply deals with domestic refineries, without which the US will struggle to process raw materials coming from countries such as Congo. Several companies are working to build refining plants for critical minerals in North America, but extreme market volatility has made fundraising difficult.

“The obstacle right now is that there’s relatively little investment in this field,” US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, Jose Fernandez, told Bloomberg in November, referring to efforts to secure raw materials. “We have supply chains that are dominated by one or two countries. We need to be able to galvanize the private sector in our efforts.”

But domestic producers are still reeling from the price falls. The only major cobalt mine in the US has been mothballed for almost a year. Owned by Australian miner Jervois Global Ltd., the Idaho-based facility could begin production within weeks, but it would need cobalt prices to almost double to $25 per pound, or receive additional government support, to justify finishing construction, says Bryce Crocker, the company’s chief executive officer.

“If somebody wants to purchase the cobalt from us—if the government wants to support the price, or if a customer like an automaker wants to provide some kind of pricing floor—that could also work,” says Crocker, who adds that in Washington, stockpiling is “certainly being spoken about much more seriously than it has been in the past.”

A 2021 Heritage Foundation report calculated the value of NDS reserves at an inflation-

adjusted peak of more than $42 billion at the start of the Cold War in the 1950s. As of March 2023, however, the amount of stockpiled material was valued at just $912 million, according to the Congressional Research Service.  Cobalt—as critical to jet engines as EV batteries—has been a source of anxiety for the US defense industry for decades. In the mid-1990s, the DLA had more than 20,000 tons of the metal in stock, enough to meet the entire domestic needs of the US for three years, according to Defense Department records. But when its budget was cut, cobalt was one of the first metals the DLA sold to balance its books—to the bemusement of traders who bought its reserves and sold them to a booming aerospace sector. And despite a weakening in demand for EVs, even the most pessimistic forecasters predict that cobalt demand will outstrip supply by the end of the decade.

“Twenty years ago, I told the director of the DLA: ‘We’re buying all this cobalt from you; at some point we’ll be selling it back to you,’” says Mark Kristoff, CEO of specialist metals trading house Traxys SA. “Now governments are waking up.”

Sanctions, fines and doing business in Congo

THE DLA received a $1 billion cash injection from Congress in 2021 to help avert a major funding crisis, after the Department of Defense warned that without fresh investment, the entire stockpiling program would reach breaking point by 2025.

Officials from the DLA soon began turning up at niche mining conferences and making discreet enquiries about buying large volumes of cobalt. It sparked speculation among traders that the Pentagon was set to become a major strategic buyer once more. Simultaneously, State Department officials have traveled across South America, Africa and Southeast Asia trying to build diplomatic relations with nations rich in critical minerals, say industry executives familiar with the trips. They approached commodity traders and private mining companies, asking them what it would take for big Western miners to return to difficult—but mineral-rich countries—like Congo.

This flurry of activity was driven by a fear that inaction would leave the US defense industry exposed to periodic supply shocks and allow Beijing to further tighten its grip over key metals, say the people familiar with the process.

US efforts to boost cobalt supplies have so far been largely focused on high-wire statecraft in Congo, which accounts for about 70 percent of global output. The country supplied the DLA with huge volumes of cobalt throughout the Cold War and most of the uranium for the Manhattan Project’s nuclear weapons in 1945. But over the past two decades many Western companies have left the country after a slew of problems—from

asset seizures to billion-dollar corruption cases— cemented Congo’s reputation as one of the world’s most risky mining jurisdictions.

The US now wants Western companies to invest in projects in the country, but progress has been hindered by Washington’s sanctions on Dan Gertler, the mining magnate who until recently had sprawling interests in the African country. He receives royalties from the three biggest nonChinese cobalt producers in Congo.

Any agreement to buy or sell the projects or the materials they produce may require the US to allow some kind of workaround, so companies aren’t engaging with a sanctioned individual, according to people with knowledge of the talks. The possibility that Gertler, who’s denied any wrongdoing, might profit from the very deals that led to him being sanctioned has already been condemned by Congolese and international anti-corruption groups.

“We understand that mining has a checkered history,” the US State Department’s Fernandez says. “Our aim is to improve on that.”

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. sold its majority stake in the Tenke Fungurume cobalt and copper mine—one of the world’s richest—to a Chinese rival, CMOC Group, in 2016 after commodity prices began to fall in 2015. In 2020 it sold its last Congolese asset to CMOC, which has since developed it into the world’s largest cobalt mine. “It broke my heart,” says Richard Adkerson, Freeport’s CEO, of the Tenke Fungurume deal. “Now, there are people in the US government saying, ‘Why did you sell to the Chinese?’”

“We offered it to the market for sale, and only Chinese companies showed up,” Adkerson adds. “There was no possibility of the US government stepping up.”

US officials have been deployed to convince people that times have changed. Helaina Matza, who oversees Biden’s global infrastructure investment program, visited several mining projects in Congo in October 2023 and has been working with White House senior advisor for energy and investment Amos Hochstein to court mining companies and encourage financing for copper and cobalt assets in the region. Potential partners include sovereign wealth funds and TechMet Ltd., the critical minerals investment company whose shareholders include the US government’s International Development Finance Corp. Washington also agreed to help finance parts of the $2.3 billion project to rebuild and expand the Lobito railway corridor, which links the copper belt in Zambia and Congo to Angola’s

Atlantic coast.

Executives have welcomed the renewed US interest in countries like Congo, but some see Washington as being too cavalier, saying that the government’s approach has appeared confused and at times ad hoc.

Reworking global supply chains was always going to be a complex negotiation between companies, financiers and governments, says Hochstein. Yet “companies that told me 12, 18 months ago ‘Zero chance I will invest in Africa’ or ‘Zero chance I go to this specific country in Central, South America’ are now saying, ‘Wait a minute—let’s have a conversation. We’re interested,’” he says.

To stockpile, or not to stockpile

THE DLA’s Strategic Materials division employs about 80 people and manages three of the six nationwide Defense Department depots — which store some of the 66 materials—from aluminum to zirconium—the US deems critical to national security. Procurement is handled by a small team that travels across the US and Europe to attend minor metals conferences tucked away in the back rooms of hotels from Florida to Eastern Europe.  And while the NDAA reforms mean that it no longer needs congressional approval to buy and sell materials, legislative guardrails remain. The stockpile must receive annual approval for appropriations and the renewal of the DLA’s funding— which is not guaranteed in the ultra-divided politics of Congress and a possible second presidential term for Donald Trump. The Defense Department, which didn’t respond to requests for comment, still needs to implement the new measures.

Some in the industry believe the stockpiling model should echo China’s National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, more commonly known as the State Reserve Bureau.

“The SRB has always had the patience to step into the market when prices are low,” says Tony Southgate, a cobalt trader at Stratton Metal Resources Ltd. in London, “and they very rarely get their timing wrong.”

Its buying strategy is an official state secret. But before its most recent cobalt purchase, the SRB summoned producers to a meeting in Beijing, where the price and size of the deal were agreed in an afternoon, according to people familiar with the matter. The total cost of last year’s purchases—about $270 million based on spot prices—is little more than a rounding error in China’s $270 billion annual defense budget or that of the US, which stands at $850 billion. Bloomberg News

One business decision made the world’s losing battle with malaria even tougher

By Anna Edney & Michelle Fay Cortez

THE world is losing its fight against malaria, a disease that has a devastating toll in Asia and Africa and is showing up in developed countries like the US. A single business decision taken by one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of bed nets more than 10 years ago has exacerbated the situation.

Cheap, durable and easy to distribute, insecticide-coated bed nets have for more than two decades been a vital tool in managing malaria, which causes symptoms ranging from a racking cough to kidney failure, and can kill in less than 24 hours. Nets don’t just safeguard the people sleeping underneath—their chemical coatings can quell a contagion and reduce mosquito infestation by killing the insects.

They have been credited with preventing 68 percent of malaria cases between 2000 and 2015, according to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

But in the years since, something has gone badly wrong.

“The results were absolutely fantastic,” says Tim Freeman, program manager for Rotarians Against Malaria in Papua New Guinea, now the epicenter for malaria in the Western Pacific.

“By 2015, I was thinking we had a chance here. We may have been close to eliminating malaria from this country. Now I don’t see any elimination as possible.”

Papua New Guinea is an object lesson for other nations in how easily a disease management strategy can go off the rails. Achingly beautiful and desperately poor, the island nation sits off the northeastern coast of Australia and is home to more than 10 million people. Researchers first noticed a dramatic surge in malaria cases there in 2017. By 2022, PNG was grappling with an 88 percent spike in infections.

PNG isn’t the only place where cases have soared: The World Health Organization estimates there were about 249 million infections globally in 2022, including 608,000 deaths, far exceeding levels before the Covid-19 pandemic. Faltering funding, insecticide resistance and climate change have all been propelling a continued upward trend in global malaria cases, scientists say.

But researchers in PNG say they discovered an additional problem: in the PermaNet 2.0, made by the Swiss company Vestergaard.

The company had changed the chemical coating on the only bed nets used in the country, rendering PNG’s primary defense against mosquitoes vastly less effective, research showed. The change wasn’t disclosed to global health organizations overseeing malaria control, or to those purchasing or relying on the nets.

Interviews with more than three-dozen malaria and net experts, as well as business leaders and industry consultants from around the globe, including some who have worked for Vestergaard, show that a burgeoning public health movement against “forever chemicals” coincided with lax oversight of net manufacturing and quality. It took researchers years to figure out that the new coating, which slashed costs and may eventually reduce long-term cancer risks, damaged a key tool

in the fight against malaria.

Vestergaard told Bloomberg that it changed the coating primarily because a supplier discontinued production using the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS, or forever chemicals. The net maker could have used a more expensive replacement when making the switch and changed other production methods to maintain effectiveness, according to two consultants with knowledge of net technology, including one former Vestergaard employee who asked not to be named.

The company hasn’t acknowledged a decline in efficacy of its nets and said it complied with WHO guidelines, which didn’t require net manufacturers to inform the organization of manufacturing changes until 2017.

Other manufacturers have also run into quality woes, sparking concern that what could be tracked so clearly in PNG is an indication of more widespread challenges ahead as malaria cases continue to rise.

One billion

IN September, Vestergaard celebrated distribution of its one billionth insecticide-treated net. The company gathered corporate leaders, philanthropists and global health officials on the grounds of the United Nations to tout its work.

“We have the tools, we have the innovation,” said Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, the former chief executive of the family-owned firm. “Nobody needs to die of malaria anymore.”

Yet researchers in PNG say the tool is failing.

PNG’s mosquitoes largely aren’t insecticide-resistant and the country used PermaNet 2.0 exclusively for years to combat them. That made it a natural laboratory for net research that was hard to do elsewhere.

In 2019, scientists there conducted tests on unused and unopened Vestergaard nets from villages and provincial health clinics around the country, some of which had been produced as far back as 2007. They found that nets made before 2012—the oldest ones— were all effective, while only 17 percent of those made more recently passed the test that measures the number of mosquitoes that have died or been incapacitated after exposure to net pieces.

“Our team thought it was a mistake,” said Moses Laman, deputy director of science and research at the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research.

It wasn’t. The researchers, including Freeman and Stephan Karl, head of the entomology lab at

the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, published their findings in 2020 in the journal Nature, but initially struggled to explain why the nets had become so much less effective. It would take another year and a half to make the link to changes in the nets’ chemical coatings.

Carol Essex, a spokesperson for Vestergaard, criticized the researchers’ technique, known as cone tests, and told Bloomberg News that PermaNet 2.0 meets the WHO’s efficacy criteria.

“Cone tests are not designed to directly measure malaria transmission and the resurgence in malaria cases cannot be attributed to the performance of PermaNet 2.0 nets,” Essex said.

The WHO allows for nets to undergo two different tests: a cone test, and if they fail that one, a tunnel test. The tests differ in the time and proximity the mosquitoes are exposed to the insecticide, with a cone test lasting just a few minutes and a larger tunnel test lasting 12 to 14 hours. The researchers in PNG conducted cone tests because they said they are the more stringent of the two. They highlighted cone test results published in 2014 on nets distributed up until 2009 in PNG that were 92 percent effective. They followed up their work in Nature with an article in Malaria Journal in November 2022 showing the change in the coating on Vestergaard’s nets led to decreased efficacy. In January 2023, the company released a statement saying: “Any changes made to our products are in line with global regulations and are only implemented after validating that the product fulfills both WHO product specifications and WHO efficacy criteria.”

In August, PNG Health Minister Lino Tom wrote to WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, asking for the organization to form a task force to investigate “mounting evidence” that the nets aren’t as effective as they once were. The WHO, in a statement to Bloomberg, said it “is very concerned by the implications” and has asked for data from the researchers to look into the issue.

Severe chills

MALARIA is an arduous infection that hits children under the age of five and pregnant women the hardest.

In some African countries, the disease reduces GDP growth by about 1.3 percent a year, the World Bank estimates. While traditionally not thought of as a problem on American soil, nine homegrown malaria infections occurred in

the US in 2023, the first cases in 20 years.

About half the world’s population is now at risk of contracting malaria, the WHO reported in its 2023 global malaria report. The agency said that climate change is likely to lengthen malarial seasons in many parts of the world and that mosquitoes in several African countries are growing resistant to a number of different insecticides. Net quality is growing more crucial to fighting the disease because it’s one of the few factors fully under human control.

Nets are usually the primary tool against malaria in the poorest parts of the world. Hannypein, a 23-year-old mother of three in Siar Village in PNG’s Madang Province, values them all the more after a bout of malaria some years ago caused soaring fevers and left her unable to eat or walk for days.

“My first child was only two months old at that time and it really affected both me and my baby,” she said. “I never want any of my children to experience that as well and I ensure that they sleep under the mosquito nets.”

Other companies have also drawn criticism about the quality of their nets. In April, the WHO sent a letter of concern to Germany-based Mainpol GmbH because some of its nets contained too much or too little insecticide. In response to questions, Mainpol sent a link to a WHO inspection document at its manufacturing site in China from May that said “considering the corrective actions taken and planned,” the factory was in compliance with international standards.  In 2021, an investigation by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria found nets made by Tana Netting, a Dubai-based company that’s now defunct, weren’t durable enough.

In 2020, officials in Pakistan received a shipment of bed nets that had too little insecticide and were too small, says Muhammad Mukhtar, Director of Pakistan’s National Malaria Control program. He declined to name the manufacturer, but said they’re blacklisted in Pakistan now.

“It was a big lesson,” Mukhtar says. Researchers have also found that newer nets equipped with two insecticides instead of one also aren’t lasting as long as they should, according to a study published in February in the journal Insects.

Researchers fear these examples, coupled with steep price cuts, point to a deterioration in overall net quality.

“As it’s gotten more competitive, the quality has deteriorated,” Mark Rowland, professor of

medical entomology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said about nets generally. “It’s definitely true the nets have become substandard. You can’t blame them completely because they need to make a profit.”

Back story

FIGHTING malaria is a priority for prominent philanthropies like t he Gates Foundation, international groups and governments, including the President’s Malaria Initiative, an interagency effort in the US. Yet, the total funding—$4.1 billion in 2022—is well below the $7.8 billion annual target set by the WHO.

The Gates Foundation “has put concerted focus and action into maintaining the impact of effective bed nets,” Philip Welkhoff, malaria director at the organization, said in an email. He didn’t comment on the situation in PNG specifically.

Until the turn of the century, most bed nets didn’t have a builtin coating. Instead, the woven fabric had to be dipped in insecticide every year, said Melanie Renshaw, principal director of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance. Entire villages gathered to do it in communal buckets, a labor-intensive process that many disliked for its feeling of airing dirty laundry.

Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical Co. was the first to create a net that incorporated the chemical coating during manufacturing. It lasted for several years, even when washed, Rowland said. Time magazine listed the net among the best inventions of 2004. Infections and deaths plummeted once a sharp increase in funding allowed more nets to be distributed.

Surging investments in combating malaria brought in new competition for manufacturers. The industry, once dominated by Vestergaard and Sumitomo, swelled with more than a dozen new entrants. Prices plunged as companies cut their costs in order to win contracts. Nets like PermaNet 2.0 that once went for nearly $5 each were available for $1.85.

A chance encounter and an answer

A BREAKTHROUGH for the PNG researchers didn’t come until 2021. After not getting answers from Vestergaard, Karl, one of the researchers, says he had a chance encounter with someone wellversed in net production. Their discussion led him to look more closely at the insecticide that coated the nets. A lab in Australia confirmed the bonding was changed sometime in 2012 or 2013.

The original coating contained

PFAS, dubbed forever chemicals because they’re so slow to break down. While PFAS are still widely used to make shoes and backpacks water resistant and to produce firefighting foams, they’ve been linked to increased cancer risk, decreased fertility and developmental delays in children.

Their use has been restricted in many countries and industries have been seeking alternatives. Vestergaard’s coating supplier discontinued its PFAS product and the bed net maker chose a substitute, which happened to also be much cheaper, according to experts in net manufacturing. Company leaders went on to change the coating, but didn’t inform the WHO, which oversees bed net quality.

“While we are continually looking at ways to make our nets more affordable so that the investment by donors achieves maximal coverage while meeting the WHO standards, the primary reason for the switch in binder was the discontinuation of the ingredient by the supplier,” Essex, Vestergaard’s spokesperson, said.

“As with such parameters in all industries there are acceptable boundaries for performance, and PermaNet 2.0 remains within those boundaries,” Essex said.

PermaNet 2.0 has been used in more than 200 countries around the globe. The impact of less effective nets is unclear in countries that use other brands as well, or where other causes of rising malaria rates play a larger role.  But the researchers in PNG—who don’t see climate change or insecticide resistance having as much effect as in other parts of the world where malaria is on the rise—are worried.

“We don’t think this is a PNG problem,” says Freeman, the program manager for Rotarians Against Malaria in PNG. “We think this is a global problem.”

Papua plea WHEN the researchers in PNG identified the problems with the Vestergaard nets, they took their concerns to the WHO and other organizations. The Global Fund has sent different brands of nets to PNG, Freeman said, but otherwise they didn’t gain much traction. Those nets aren’t any better, he said.

Even if insecticides don’t kill mosquitoes as well as they did before, the nets are still a physical barrier to the disease-carrying insects. Without exception, every one of the people Bloomberg talked to for this story said it was crucial not to undermine support for their broad scale use.

Tin Muntinlupa City.

The program targets to harness the skills of eight Filipino innovators from various startups, institutions and universities, the DOST said.

Opening the ICE program, Science Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. said the Science department is proud to support the growth and scaling of local cohorts through the in-country event.

Since 2014, six batches of cohorts comprising 90 Filipino innovators have been supported under the LIF program. the DOST said.

Solidum said that it is truly gratifying to witness the success and impact of the pitched technologies, which have generated income, established spin-off companies, obtained licenses, and contributed to the public good.

The LIF Program aims to build the entrepreneurial capacity of researchers and innovators to commercialize innovations aimed at addressing social and economic challenges.

ICE is part of the LIF program wherein local innovators attend training and workshop sessions focusing on their respective context and on building understanding of the support available locally.

The week-long ICE in the Philippines included discussions on the local innovation ecosystem, sharing of personal experiences of other technopreneurs, as well as mentoring sessions and pitch showcase.

After the local program, the innovators will undergo UK residential training this June.

The activity will capacitate and harness the skill of eight Filipino innovators from various startups, institutions, and universities— such as the Mapua University, University of the Philippines Los Baños, University of Santo Tomas, and Technological Institute of the Philippines, and the Department of Education-Catanduanes.

The researchers have come up with technologies in the areas of systems and computing, energy and power, chemical and processes, biosciences, and materials, the DOST said.

Solidum also called on the innovators to seize the opportunities presented to them, and expand and diversify their networks within the academic and private sectors.

“By building new collaborations between firms and research institutions, we can strengthen our ecosystem’s ability to support entrepreneurship and innovation in the long term…. Together, let’s strive for excellence, bring our innovative ideas to life, provide solutions, and open opportunities,” the S&T chief emphasized.

RAEng Senior Manager Lisa Rose, for her part, conveyed and assured the innovators of their support throughout this journey.

Rose further highlighted that the work of the previous 90 LIF innovators generated hundreds of jobs, high-growth, high-impact, and sustainable results.

She expressed her hope that the current eight fellows will follow their footsteps.

Rose asked the innovators to work with the other colleagues/ fellows they will meet in London in creating a more climate-resilient planet.

Science Undersecretary for Research and Development Leah Buendia, Fabio Bianchi and Lisa Lines from Oxentia, and Karen Hipol from the British Embassy were also present at the event.

Researchers to gather at annual scientific meet on March 12

FILIPINO researchers, scientists, experts and artists who are members of the 6,000-strong members of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) will gather at the Annual Scientific Conference (ASC) and 91st General Membership Assembly on March 12 at Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

This year’s conference has the theme, “Artificial Intelligence for Responsive Transdisciplinary Research toward a Sustainable Scientific Future.”

It will tackle the following issues in four parallel sessions: aquatic, agriculture and biodiversity studies; education and creative industries; natural and applied sciences; and labor market, economics, and wealth creation.

Through ASC, the NRCP

PhilSA, DA forge pact on use of space tech for improved crop production

THE Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) and the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (DA-BAFE) entered into an agreement on February 21 to use satellite data and space technology applications to improve crop production and policy making, including during emergencies, for food security.

The two agencies will collaborate on the Farm-to-Market Road and Agricultural Commodity Geodatabase and Remote Sensing Application Phase 1 (or DigitalAgri Phase 1) project i in Nueva Ecija as pilot area, PhilSA said.

It aims to provide near real-time information to the agriculture sector, policy and decision-makers, and stakeholders.

PhilSA Director General Joel Joseph Marciano Jr., in his message, underscored the additional value of space-derived data for planning and monitoring of agriculture and its related infrastructure which will enhance the country’s food security and economic growth.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. in his keynote message delivered by Atty. Mary Anne Pasion of DA, highlighted the role of digital revolution in the country’s agri-fishery sector.

Laurel said it is offering new opportunities to enhance productivity, efficiency, and inclusivity.

By harnessing the powers of digital technologies, farmers can

access crucial information on road access status, among others, which will then empower them to make informed decisions and maximize their productivity, Laurel added.

DA-BAFE Director Ariodear Rico expressed how satellite imaging is necessary for road construction monitoring and assessment.

He said it will also help the bureau identify and locate where the roads are needed, especially in the part of the local government units.

The agreement also aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to establish the local FMR network plan, including its digitalization efforts.

DigitalAgri Phase 1 will facilitate joint research, development, and operationalization of activities between the two government agencies through the provision of data from Earth observation satellites.

They will also use space applications and technologies for data collection, analysis, and dissemination for improved

decision making and sustainable development.

The project will cover the monitoring of FMRs via remote sensing, including road type, accessibility mapping, and infrastructure planning.

The near real-time images and information on FMRs are crucial for oversight agencies, particularly during emergencies like disasters and calamities, to enhance data collection.

It will serve as a decisionmaking support tool for DA to assist in planning, policy formulation, project implementation, and assessment.

Both agencies will also conduct joint research, development, and operationalization activities related to the planning and monitoring of agricultural commodities, specifically corn and onion.

They will cover crop stage and health, yield estimation and prediction, pest and disease detection, and land use mapping.

recognizes the outstanding contributions of institutions, and of men and women of science, for their achievements, as awardees, member emeritus, and outstanding institutions.

The oath-taking of newly elected members of the Governing Board, associate, and regular members will also take place.

NRCP is a collegial body of highly-trained and productive scientists and researchers, who help in addressing the demand for knowledge, skills and innovations in the field of sciences, technology, arts, and humanities.

Republic Act 2067 created the National Science Development Board, Section 20 of which provided that the NRCP shall act as the official adviser on scientific matters to the Philippine government. Venus Abigail D. Gutierrez/S&T Media Service)

PhilSA will conduct a feasibility analysis on the appropriate opensource and commercial satellite images, conduct field surveys and validation activities in pilot areas in Nueva Ecija, and develop methodologies for near real-time image and monitoring.

These methodologies will be integrated into DA-BAFE’s existing monitoring and evaluation tools for the implementation of FMRs, namely: the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Management Information System, and the Geographic Information System for Agricultural and Fisheries Machinery and Infrastructure.

The ceremonial signing of the MOA was joined by DA Undersecretary for Operations Roger Navarro, Director for ICT Service Honorio Flameño, PhilSA Director Ariel Blanco for Space Information Infrastructure Bureau, and Director Sonia Cabangon of Finance and Administrative Service.

LAMP tech detects coffee plants with resistance to pest, disease

RESEARCH breakthroughs can help growers screen coffee plants that can withstand coffee’s major insect pest and disease, and can aid in rehabilitating devastated coffee farms.

The research has detected local varieties with resistance to coffee white stem borer (CWSB) and coffee leaf rust (CLR).

CWSB feeds on the plant, which causes yellowing and drying of branches and leaves; while CLR causes wilting and defoliation, which results in up to 50 percent loss in production.

The two-year project, “Development of a Detection System for Pest and Disease Resistance in Philippine Coffee Varieties” was led by Dr. Ernelea P. Cao of the University of the Philippines Diliman.

The project designed two detection systems that can differentiate local coffee varieties with resistance or susceptibility to CLR and CWSB using Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) technology.

Through LAMP-based assays (or investigative procedures for

qualitatively assessing or quantitatively measuring), segments of the DNA associated with CWSB and CLR resistance taken from leaf samples are amplified, leading to the detection of resistance or susceptibility to the insect pest and disease.

The project team collaborated with the Cavite State University to validate the detection systems through CavSU’s coffee gene bank and other facilities.

According to Cao, the researchers are actively working

with the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry to formulate quarantine protocols for distributing coffee planting materials.

The protocols are crucial in preventing the spread of pests in the coffee industry.

Further validation of the protocols will be explored for the development of detection kits.

The project team also conducted a workshop, “Molecular Detection Methods for Assessing Resistance/Susceptibility to

CLR and CWSB in Various Coffee Varieties.”

It was attended by various government agencies, academic institutions, and private agencies. The workshop aimed to educate the participants on DNA sample preparation and LAMP assay detection methods.

The project was funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOSTPCAARRD).

The development of the detection systems was highlighted during an annual project review conducted by the Crops Research Division (CRD) led by Director Leilani D. Pelegrina.

Also present in the activity were S&T Consultant Dr. Rita P. Laude of the University of the Los Baños and DOST-PCAARRD key representatives from CRD, Agricultural Resources Management Research Division., and the Office of the Executive Director for Research and Development.

Danica Louise C. Sembrano and Fredric

M. Odejar/S&T Media Services

MONALIZA B. MAGAT (left), project staff, as she demonstrates the application of the LAMP-based assay in the detection of resistant or susceptible coffee varieties to PCAARRD-CRD Director Leilani D. Pelegrina (right). CROPS RESEARCH DIVISION, DOST-PCAARRD PHOTO

A6 Sunday, February 25, 2024

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

Bishops join protest against Cha-cha

SOME Catholic bishops accompanied protesters in Manila against the current attempts to tweak the Constitution.

B ishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Caritas Philippines said they are not letting their guards down against what he called “underground works” for Charter change through the supposed “people’s initiative.”

We are still concerned because we are not sure of the strength of the underground works and they might give value to what is called ‘fake’ people’s initiative,” Bagaforo told reporters.

“ So we need to be critical, we need to stand up, and we need to raise the voice of the majority,” he said.

B agaforo was joined by Bishop Emeritus Deogracias Iñiguez of

Kalookan and former chairman of the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs.

S everal priests and nuns were

tions is located.

T he demonstration was organized by “Koalisyon Laban sa ChaCha,” composed of various religious groups and civil society organizations.

B agaforo, who is also the bishop of Kidapawan, called on the faithful not to allow lawmakers to revise the Constitution without proper consultation and full transparency.

There are many doubts because there is no transparency. What are their true intentions?” the prelate added.

also seen at the rally held at Plaza Roma, right in front of the Palacio del Gobernador where the main office of the Commission on Elec -

Despite reforms, victims say church’s handling of sex abuse cases retraumatizes

VATICAN CITY—Five years ago this week, Pope Francis convened an unprecedented summit of bishops from around the world to impress on them that clergy sexual abuse was a global problem and that they needed to do something about it.

Over four days, these bishops heard harrowing tales of trauma from victims, learned how to investigate and sanction pedophile priests, and were warned that they too would face punishment if they continued to cover for abusers.

Yet five years later, despite new church laws to hold bishops accountable and promises to do better, the Catholic Church’s in-house legal system and pastoral response to victims has proven incapable of dealing with the problem.

In fact, victims, outside investigators and even in-house canon lawyers increasingly say the church’s response, crafted and amended over two decades of unrelenting scandal around the world, is downright damaging to the very people already harmed—the victims.

The victims are often retraumatized when they summon the courage to report their abuse through the church’s silence, stonewalling and inaction.

“It’s a horrific experience. And it’s not something that I would advise anyone to do unless they are prepared to have not just their world, but their sense of being turned upside down,” said Brian Devlin, a former Scottish priest whose internal, and then public accusations of sexual misconduct against the late Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien marked the cardinal’s downfall.

“You become the troublemaker. You become the whistleblower.

And I can well understand that people who go through that process end up with bigger problems than they had before they started it,” Devlin said.

At the end of his 2019 summit, Francis vowed to confront abusive clergy with “the wrath of God.”

Within months, he passed a new law requiring all abuse to be reported in-house (but not to police) and mapped out procedures to investigate bishops who abuse or protect predator priests.

But five years later, the Vatican has offered no statistics on the number of bishops investigated or sanctioned.

Even the pope’s own child protection advisory commission says structural obstacles are harming victims and preventing basic justice.

“Recent publicly reported cases point to tragically harmful deficiencies in the norms intended to punish abusers and hold accountable those whose duty is to address wrongdoing,” the commission said after its last assembly.

“We are long overdue in fixing the flaws in procedures that leave victims wounded and in the dark both during and after cases have been decided,” it added.

At the 2019 summit, the norms enacted by the US Catholic Church for sanctioning priests and protecting minors were held up as the gold standard. The US bishops adopted a get tough policy after the US abuse scandal exploded with the 2002 Boston Globe “Spotlight” series.

But even in the US, victims and canon lawyers say the system isn’t working, and that’s not even taking into consideration the new frontier of abuse cases involving adult victims.

Some call it “charter fatigue,” or a desire to move beyond the scandal that spawned the 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

The Rev. Tom Doyle, a US canon lawyer who worked for the Vatican embassy in Washington but now provides legal consulting for victims, says he no longer even advises they pursue church justice and instead work through secular courts.

Why? Because “the church will screw them every which way from Sunday,” he said.

Nearly every investigation into abuse in Catholic Church that has been published in recent years— church-commissioned reports in France and Germany, government inquests in Australia, a parliamentary one in Spain and law enforcement investigations in the US—has identified the church’s in-house legal system as a big part of the problem.

While some reforms have been made—Pope Francis lifted the

official pontifical secret covering abuse cases in 2019—core issues remain.

Structural conflict of interest

ACCORDING to church procedures, a bishop or religious superior conducts an investigation into allegations that one of his priests raped a child and then renders judgement.

And yet the bishop or superior has a vested interest in his priest, since the priest is considered to be a spiritual son in whom the bishop has invested time, money and love.

It is difficult to think of any other legal system in the world where someone with a personal, paternal relationship with one party in a dispute could be expected to objectively and fairly render judgment in it.

The independent commission that investigated the abuse scandal in the French church said such a structural conflict of interest “appears, humanly speaking, untenable.”

Even the pope’s own Synod of Bishops came to a similar conclusion.

In its November synthesis document after a monthlong meeting, the world’s bishops identified the conflict between a bishop’s role as father and judge in abuse cases as a problem and called for the possibility of assigning the task of judgement to “other structures.”

Lack of fundamental rights for victims

IN canonical abuse investigations, victims are mere third-party witnesses to their cases. They cannot participate in any of the secret proceedings, have no access to case files and no right to even know if a canonical investigation has been started, much less its status.

Only as a result of a Francis reform in 2019 are victims allowed to know the ultimate outcome of their case, but nothing else.

The Spanish ombudsman, tasked by the country’s congress

We pray that our leaders will not be led into the temptation of changing the Constitution for power and riches but instead be steadfast in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities as servantleaders of the people,” he also said. CBCP News

of deputies to investigate abuse in the Spanish Catholic Church, said victims are often retraumatized by such a process, which it said falls far short of national or international standards.

The French experts went even further, arguing that the Holy See is essentially in breach of its obligations as a UN observer state and member of the Council of Europe, which requires it to uphold the basic human rights of victims.

No published case law

THE Vatican’s sex abuse office doesn’t publish any of its decisions about how clergy sexual abuse cases have been adjudicated, even in redacted form.

That means that a bishop investigating an accusation against one of his priests has no way of knowing how the law has been applied in a similar case.

It means canon law students have no case law to study or cite. It means academics, journalists and even victims have no way of knowing what types of behavior gets sanctioned and whether penalties are being imposed arbitrarily or not.

The legal experts who investigated abuse in the Munich, Germany church said the publication of canonical decisions would help eliminate uncertainties for victims in how church law was being applied.

Australia’s Royal Commission, the highest form of inquest in the country, similarly called for the redacted publication of its decisions and to provide written reasons for their decisions “in a timely manner.”

In-house, canon lawyers for years have complained that the lack of published cases was deepening doubts about the credibility and effectiveness of the churches’ response to the church scandal.

“All we can conclude is that this lack of systematic publication of the jurisprudence of the highest courts in the church is unworthy of a true legal system,” canon lawyer Kurt Martens told a conference in Rome late last year.

Monsignor John Kennedy, who heads the Vatican office that investigates abuse cases, said his staff was working diligently to process cases and had received praise from individual bishops, entire conferences who visit and religious superiors.

“We don’t talk about what we do in public but the feedback we receive and the comments from our members who recently met for the plenary are very encouraging. The pope also expressed his gratitude for the great work that is done in silence,” he said in a message to AP. Nicole Winfield/Associated Press

Bp. David elected veep of Asian bishops’ feds

THE head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has been elected the next vice president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC).

Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan was elected to the second-highest post of the FABC during the central committee meeting in Bangkok on Thursday.

David will work alongside Indian Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão of Goa, who was elected as the next FABC president.

Ferrão and David will succeed Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon and Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo as president and vice president, respectively.

Archbishop Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo, meanwhile, was

reelected as Secretary General for a second term. The term of office for the three FABC officials will begin in January 2025.

FABC brings together 19 bishops’ conferences of Asia as full members and eight associate members.

Approved by the Holy See, it unites Asian episcopal conferences to promote solidarity and co-responsibility for the welfare of the Church and society in Asia.

The Central Secretariat, based in Bangkok, is the principal service agency of the FABC and serves as an instrument of coordination both within the FABC and with outside offices and agencies.

CBCP News

MASKS of Hindu deity Lord Bhairabh dated from 16th century that was stolen from Dolakha district is brought back from Dallas museum of art and Rubin Museum of art is displayed during a press conference at the Department of Archaeology in Kathmandu, Nepal, on January 31. AP/NIRANJAN SHRESTHA

‘Our gods were locked in the basement.’ Nepal is pursuing smuggled sacred items

KATHMANDU, Nepal—Nepal’s gods and goddess are returning home.

An unknown number of sacred statues of Hindu deities were stolen and smuggled abroad in the past. Now dozens are being repatriated to the Himalayan nation, part of a growing global effort to return such items to countries in Asia, Africa and elsewhere.

Last month, four idols and masks of Hindu gods were returned to Nepal from the United States by museums and a private collector.

Among them was a 16th century statue of Uma-Maheswora, an avatar of the gods Shiva and Parvati, that was stolen four decades ago. It was not clear who took it or how it ended up at the Brooklyn Museum in New York, which handed it over to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Devotees celebrated its return in Patan, south of the capital, Kathmandu. The stone-paved alleys were crowded with devotees offering money and flowers. Men in traditional attire played drums and cymbals and chanted prayers.

“I cannot say how extremely happy I am right now,” said Ram Maya Benjankar, a 52-year-old who said she had cried as a child after learning the statue had been stolen and waited years for its return.

The statue had simply disappeared from their neighborhood, she said.

The majority of Nepal’s 29 million people

are Hindu, and every neighborhood has a temple that houses such items. They are rarely guarded, making it easy for thieves. For Nepalese, the idols have religious significance but no monetary value. For smugglers, however, they can bring huge value abroad. For years, there was little attention given to the thefts or any effort made at recovery.

That has changed in recent years as the government, art lovers and campaigners pursue stolen heritage items. They have been successful in many cases.

A group representing the ethnic Newar community from Nepal in the US heard about the reappearance of the Uma-Maheswora statue at the Brooklyn Museum and took the initiative to bring it home.

“We were very sad to see that our gods were locked in the basement. We were then determined that we need to take back the heritage,” said Bijaya Man Singh, a member of the group that carried the four idols and masks back to Nepal.

Now the temple in Patan is being prepared to reinstate the Uma-Maheswora statue.

Following the welcome ceremony, it was placed on a chariot carried by devotees and taken to a museum, where it will be kept under security until its final move.

Binaj Gurubacharya/Associated Press

MEMBERS of “Koalisyon Laban sa ChaCha” hold protest against Charter change at Plaza Roma in Manila’s Intramuros on February 22. CBCP NEWS

BISHOP Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. CBCP NEWS

POPE Francis prays at the beginning of the third day of a Vatican’s conference on dealing with sex abuse by priests, at the Vatican, February 23, 2019. AP/ALESSANDRA TARANTINO

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Selfies with wildlife harm animals

ONE of the biggest privileges of being a primatologist is spending time in remote locations with monkeys and apes, living near these animals in their habitats and experiencing their daily lives. As a 21stcentury human, I have an immediate impulse to take pictures of these encounters and share them on social media.

Social media can help scientists raise awareness of the species we study, promote their conservation and obtain jobs and research funding.

However, sharing images of wild animals online can also contribute to illegal animal trafficking and harmful human-wildlife interactions. For endangered or threatened species, this attention can put them at further risk.

My research seeks to find ways for scientists and conservationists to harness the power of social media while avoiding its pitfalls. My colleague, ecologist and science communicator Cathryn Freund, and I think we have some answers.

In our view, wildlife professionals should never include themselves in pictures with animals. We also believe that featuring infant animals and animals interacting with humans lead viewers to think about these creatures in ways that are counterproductive to conservation.

Show and tell?

MANY conservation biologists are thinking hard about what role social media can and should play in their work.

For example, the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Section on Human-Primate Interactions has issued guidelines for how to use images of wild primates and how to conduct primate watching tours.

These guidelines recommend that when scientists show photos of themselves with a wild primate,

the caption should state that the person in the image is a trained researcher or conservationist.

However, there isn’t much data assessing whether this approach is effective.

We wanted to test whether people actually read these captions and whether informative captions helped curb viewers’ desires to have similar experiences or to own the animal as a pet.

In a study published in 2023, my colleagues and I created two mock Instagram posts—one showing a human near a wild gorilla, the other focusing on a gloved human hand holding a slender loris—a small lemurlike primate native to Southeast Asia.

Half of these photos carried basic captions like “Me with a mountain gorilla” or “Me with my research subject”; the other half included more detailed captions that also stated, “All animals are observed” (gorilla) or “captured and handled [loris] safely and humanely for research with the proper permits and training.”

We showed over 3,000 adults one of these mock Instagram posts and asked them to complete a survey. The results shocked us.

Viewers who saw the Instagram posts with the more detailed caption recognized that the picture depicted research.

But regardless of the caption, more than half of the viewers agreed or strongly agreed that they would want to seek out a similar experience with the loris or gorilla.

Over half of the viewers agreed or strongly agreed that they would want these animals as pets and that the animals would make good pets.

Presumably, participants did not know anything about the animals’ life habits, behavior or survival needs, or that neither of these species is at all suited to be a pet.

Why media impact matters

WHILE these responses may sound merely sentimental or naive, research shows that media—particularly social media— contribute to harmful human encounters with wildlife and to

the exotic pet trade.

For example, the Harry Potter films and books, which featured owls as magical creatures used by wizards, led to a sharp increase in the illegal owl trade in Indonesia.

Owls once were collectively

UPMV K9 builds disaster resiliency through dog training

IN an effort to promote the better care, appreciation, and utilization of dogs in local communities, this hard-working multisectoral group of volunteers is offering the public basic and advanced K9 training courses.

The UPMV K9 Corps recently graduated over two dozen happy pet owners from its two-weekend Basic Obedience Workshop held last February 3 and 10.

Students and professionals from all walks of life with a common love for dogs came away amazed at how better behaved their pets could be and were also surprised at how much better they could bond with their furry companions.

“Contrary to popular belief, dog training is as much about the owner as it is about the pet,” explained UPMV K9 president Elah Tendero. “We don’t just teach dogs how to behave. We teach people

how to better understand and communicate with their dogs.”

The workshop was conducted for a minimal fee to help the UPMV K9 Corps raise funds for its main goal of providing free Search and Rescue training to help civilian volunteers and their beloved pets play active roles in disaster response efforts.

The free but comprehensive six-month training includes obedience as well as search-andrescue training for the dogs, and also imparts disaster response and outdoor survival skills to the volunteer handlers.

“Sadly, more often than not, pets get neglected or forgotten in the event of a disaster. They often get left behind as communities evacuate,” Tendero laments. “But more than just being our companions, our dogs can also be of invaluable assistance in disaster response and relief efforts.”

Training for volunteers opens

MEANWHILE , UPMV K9 Corps announced the opening of the intensive training of UPMV K9 11 volunteers aimed at imparting invaluable life skills.

For 20 Saturdays, handlers can expect to learn how to better communicate with their dogs, who in turn will learn to obey commands and gain improved awareness and stability in a variety of situations.

The pair will become closelybonded companions equipped with basic survival and searchand-rescue expertise.

The deadline for applications is March 1.

Interested applicants for UPMV K9 Batch 11 must be able to: Assure unwavering commitment to the Saturday training sessions, as both handler and dog will be subjected to rigorous exercises.

(Unfortunately, the nature of program is unsuitable for toy dogs.)

known in Indonesia as “Burung Hantu,” or “ghost bird,” but now in the country’s bird markets they are commonly called “Burung Harry Potter.”

Studies show that images of people holding lorises drive illegal captures and sales of lorises and other primates.

Owners then post further videos showing them handling the animals improperly—for example, tickling the loris, which makes it raise its arms.

Viewers see this behavior as cute, but in fact the animals do this to activate toxic glands in their upper arms and move venom to their mouths in preparation to defend themselves.

In earlier research, we found that when orangutan rescue and rehabilitation centers feature baby orangutans and humans interacting with orangutans in YouTube videos, these posts received more views than videos of adult orangutans or orangutans not interacting with people.

However, people who watched videos showing infant orangutans, or humans interacting with the animals, posted comments that were less supportive of orangutan conservation.

They also stated more frequently that they wanted to own orangutans as pets or interact with them.

Many people who seek out wildlife encounters are not aware of the harm that these experiences cause.

Animals can transmit diseases to humans, but it also works the other way: Humans can transmit potentially deadly diseases to wild animals, including measles, herpes viruses and flu viruses.

When humans move through an animal’s habitat—or worse, handle or chase the animal—they cause stress reactions and alter the animal’s behavior.

Animals may avoid feeding sites or spend time and energy

fleeing instead of foraging.

Owning wild animals as pets is even more problematic.

I have worked with several rescue and rehabilitation centers that shelter orangutans formerly kept as pets or tourist attractions.

These animals typically are in very poor health and have to be taught how to socialize, move through trees and find their own food, since they have been deprived of these natural behaviors.

The last thing that any responsible conservation biologist studying endangered species wants to do is encourage this kind of human-wildlife contact.

Comment instead of sharing MANY well-meaning researchers and conservationists, along with members of the public, have posted images of themselves near wild animals on social media. I did it too, before I understood the consequences.

Our findings indicate that caption information is not enough to keep people from seeking out animal encounters. As we see it, the answer is for researchers to stop taking and sharing these pictures with the general public.

When scientists create posts, we recommend selecting images that show only wildlife, in as natural a context as possible, or only people in the field—not both together.

Researchers, conservationists and the public can go back through their social media history and delete or crop images that show human-wildlife interaction.

Scientists can also reach out to people who post images of humans interacting with wild animals, explain why the images can be harmful and suggest taking them down.

Leading by example and sharing this information are simple actions that can save animals’ lives.

Andrea l. DiGiorgio, Princeton University/The Conversation (CC) via AP

Cambodia to install hundreds of wildlife cameras to help restore tiger population

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia— Cambodia will begin installing hundreds of monitoring cameras and import four tigers from India as part of a plan to restore its tiger population, officials said on Friday.

Tigers were declared “functionally extinct” in Cambodia in 2016 by the World Wide Fund for Nature.

The last tiger spotted in the country was seen in 2007 by a camera trap—a hidden camera that is triggered by the movement of animals—in the forests of eastern Mondulkiri province.

Prioritize your physical health and endurance, as the program involves strenuous activities designed for both human and canine participants.

Confirm your dog’s well-being with up-to-date vaccinations.

FAQs and application form are available at https://forms.gle/ J4v2nN9XgvnsEKuf7.

All applications will undergo a meticulous screening process, walk-ins will not be accommodated. Successful candidates from the initial screening will be notified via e-mail/SMS for the Orientation and Interview scheduled on March 9.

Established in 2017, the UPMV K9 Corps is a non-profit organization established in partnership between the UP, the MMDA, and the UP Vanguard Inc. To date, there are already close to a hundred volunteers and K9s in the program.

Cambodia’s Environment Ministry said it plans to install cameras at 1-kilometer intervals in the Cardamom Mountains for use over a three-month period covering both the dry and rainy seasons to monitor wildlife, particularly those preyed upon by tigers, such as deer and wild boar.

The conservation group Wildlife Alliance, which is working with the ministry on the project, said 410 cameras will be installed.

“This information will aid conservationists in devising plans to bolster big tiger populations, which may involve measures like breeding more wildlife or supplying domestic cattle or buffaloes,” the ministry said in a statement. “It will facilitate the study of the density and distribution of prey species crucial for the survival of big tigers.”

Ministry spokesman Khvay Atitya said the installation of the camera traps will begin this weekend. He said four tigers, three

female and one male, will be sent from India by the end of the year to be settled in a 90-hectare (222acre) protected zone inside the Tatai Wildlife Sanctuary, which is in the western provinces of Koh Kong and Pursat.

Under an agreement with India, if the pilot plan proceeds smoothly, 12 more tigers will be imported over the following five years, he said.

In 2022, Cambodia and India signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Biodiversity Conservation, Sustainable Wildlife Management, and Strategies to Restore Big Tigers and Their Habitats.

Cambodia’s once-significant undeveloped forest areas were abundant with wildlife. But after the communist Khmer Rouge’s brutal rule in the 1970s left society and the economy devastated, poor rural dwellers scoured the forests for wildlife.

Much of what was found was sold to traders, who sent it to China, where many wild animals, including tigers, are believed to possess medicinal and sex-enhancing properties.

Poaching is still rampant, and forest cover has been reduced by intense logging.

Worldwide, tigers have been classified as a nearly extinct species. There are about 3,200 tigers in only 13 countries globally, according to WWF, compared to approximately 100,000 in the early 20th century.

Sopheng Cheang/Associated Press

A SUMATRAN Sunda slow loris (Nycticebus coucang) hanging from a branch by its hind legs at the Duke Lemur Center in Durham, North Carolina. WIKIPEDIA CC BY SA3.0

Action in San Mateo: The thrill of the Trail

By Josef Ramos

JOSE VICTOR PATERNO’S passion in cycling climbed all the way to San Mateo in Rizal exactly a week ago during the 7-Eleven Trail—a cross-country racing of mountain bike that gathered more than a thousand of riders of all shapes, sizes, age and gender.

A lthough he doesn’t ride competitively anymore and has shifted to an e-bike—the 56-year-old president and CEO of Philippine Seven Corp., the company that runs 7-Eleven in the country, has metal in his hips—Paterno’s passion continues year in and year out on the sport he loves.

I love cycling because it’s fun and…I have metal hips so I can’t really run. But I can bike,” Paterno told a group of reporters who ascended the 400-meter hills of San Mateo to cover one of the most-anticipated MTB events in the country. Cycling, Paterno said, has become an ally in his life. “ I started biking [seriously] when I was in my 20s and I started on the saddle again in my 30s but I really started racing seriously in my 40s,” he said. “Now, I’m retired because when I turned 51, it takes a lot of time and you need to train 20 hours a day.”

I don’t really race anymore,” he added.

One strong reason Paterno won’t race anymore is Eusebio “Eboy” Quinoñes, MTB crosscountry gold medalist at the 2003 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, a noted former pro road racer and now coach of the national MTB team.

Q uinoñes turned 51 and is now racing in the Masters— in Paterno’s age group—and masterfully dominated his category to complete a father-daughter victory at the Trail.

I’m thankful to the organizer, Sir Vic [Paterno], for organizing this race. It helps us find talents to train and become members of national pool,” said Quiñones, who shared the spotlight with, Mark John Lexer Galedo, a many-time Tour champion and a former SEA Games gold medalist who retired recently and joined the national road team coaching staff.

Q uinoñes’s daughter Nicole also stood at the top of the podium following her sprint victory over fellow national MTB team member Shagne Yaoyao in the women’s elite competition.

Shagne and I went for the sprint in the last 300 meters. We rode closely together from the start,” Quinoñes said. “My tire also got struck by a nail and I had to race flat, luckily I held on.”

Q uinoñes has totally focused on cycling after completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Science and Tourism Management at STI College Fairview.

FIRST it was Jurgen Klopp making the bombshell announcement he is leaving Liverpool and then it was an exhausted Xavi Hernandez declaring his intention to quit his beloved Barcelona.

Th is week, Bayern Munich and Thomas Tuchel made it known they’ll be parting ways.

Th at’s three of Europe’s iconic soccer clubs needing a new coach at the end of the season.

A nd that’s three high-profile soccer strategists soon to be joining the ever-growing list of acclaimed, title-winning managers out of work.

Forget the upcoming summer transfer window, when Kylian Mbappe will likely be making his move to Real Madrid and Manchester United might be initiating a squad overhaul under its new soccer leadership

The biggest offseason intrigue might just center around

Now, my focus is mountain bike and I want to achieve goals while I’m still strong,” said Nicole, who turns 23 on March 5. “This is my first time to become champion, too, so I’m very happy.”

Yao, currently the country’s top-ranked women MTB rider, said she raced recovering from a slight flu and missed defending her title.

I expected that it would be hard to defend my title because I haven’t prepared long enough,” said Yaoyao, who’s working on her qualification for the MTB competition of the Paris Olympics. “I just recovered from illness but I’m okay now.”

Yaoyao crossed a mere three seconds behind Quinoñes, who won in two hours, 15 minutes and 14 seconds.

G aledo? He’s used to winning and he did just that in the men’s 35-39 category.

H is time of 1:49.58 time was also remarkable enough as the time trial gold medalist at the 2013 Myanmar SEA Games and Le Tour de Filipinas 2014 champion finished 11th overall, a message that he still got the legs to challenge younger athletes.

But his focused now shifts to the national team and the 7-Eleven UCI continental squad.

“ I think this will be my final race for this season because I want to help the Philippine team and 7-Eleven team,” said Galedo, 37. “I’m just familiar with the trail and the competitors.”

Emmanuel Dave Montemayor, a 22-year-old Meycauayan, also made a statement at the Timberland Mountain Bike Park which interconnected at least separate three trails to add more

the movements of a bunch of unemployed super-coaches in an unusually turbulent period at the top end of the European game.

I ndeed, it’s not just Klopp, Xavi and Tuchel who’ll be without a job. The past month also saw Jose Mourinho fired by Roma, which hired an interim coach in Daniele De Rossi on a six-month deal and is expected to appoint a more experienced leader in the summer.

Zinedine Zidane is waiting for the right job to tempt him back into the game, nearly three years after the end of his second spell at Madrid.

A ntonio Conte, a league title winner in England and his native Italy, is plotting a comeback in the summer after more than a year away from the dugout and former Bayern coach Hansi Flick has been out of work since getting fired by Germany in September.

Julian Nagelsmann, Flick’s replacement on the national team, only has a deal through this year’s European Championship so will also be on the market.

Just imagine the chaos if Pep Guardiola announces he is done after eight years at Manchester City. Who knows, if City successfully defends the Champions League and wins an unprecedented fourth straight English Premier League, Guardiola might think he has little more to achieve.

Meanwhile, spicing things up even further is the growing status and reputation of Xabi Alonso, widely regarded as the next big thing in soccer coaching.

A lonso’s Bayer Leverkusen team has been a revelation

“I really did my best to defend the crown. I prepared so hard…this is for my family and for those who believe and for those who support me,” Montemayor said.

It was a tough day though for Montemayor who crashed in a downhill section halfway through the route.

I crashed but I adjusted very well. It was just like last year when I had the same game plan,” said Montemayor as he acknowledged his coach Zeus Alfaro.

The Trail was staged ahead of the Philippine Seven Corporation’s 40th anniversary on February 29—the first 7-Eleven branch stood at the corner of Kamias Road and EDSA in Quezon City.

Anti-doping law nets first prison sentence for Texan therapist

Nthis season and appears ready to wrest the German title from Bayern, which has won the Bundesliga for 11 straight years. That’s made him a wanted man, with Liverpool, Barca and Bayern all reportedly interested in his services.

O ne thing’s for sure—it’s highly unlikely Leverkusen will be able to keep hold of him.

It appears to be just happenstance that three of Europe’s leading teams find themselves in the same predicament with their coaches, with three months still to play this season. The pressures of the job have taken their tolls on both Klopp and Xavi, but in different ways.

K lopp said he was worn out after such a long time (nine years) in the role—he compared himself to a sports car whose tank needle has gone down—while Xavi, who has been in charge at Barca for only a little over two years, cited mental fatigue and an “unpleasant” atmosphere at a club that has been weighed down by financial turmoil.

Tuchel is less than a year into his time at Bayern and his departure seems to be mostly down to bad results, which have raised the prospect of the club’s first season without a trophy in 12 years.

K lopp, the oldest of the trio at age 56, is the only one leaving fully on his own terms and says he won’t return to soccer management for at least a year. That would be the same length of sabbatical taken by Guardiola after leaving Barcelona in 2012.

Sometimes you feel you need to breathe,” Guardiola said. “You need to take a break, take a step back.” AP

EW YORK—The first person charged for violating a 2020 law that forbids conspiracies to taint international sports events through performanceenhancing drugs received a three-month prison sentence. Federal prosecutors used the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act to charge Eric Lira, a Texas-based therapist, with supplying human-growth hormone and other performance enhancers to a pair of Nigerian athletes who were regulars on NCAA, Olympic and world championship podiums.

Lira pleaded guilty in May.

US Attorney Damian Williams said the message the prison sentence sends “is especially important this year with the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Paris. It is imperative that those tempted to supply performanceenhancing drugs to Olympians understand the severity of their actions.”

R egulators at the World Anti-Doping Agency lobbied against key parts of the Rodchenkov Act, which passed without dissent through both houses of Congress before it was signed by then-President Donald Trump.

Two athletes Lira dealt with—Blessing Okagbare and Divine Oduduru—are serving multi-year bans. Meanwhile, prosecutors have expanded their probe to charge coaches who worked with Lira in the leadup to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) called the sentencing a breakthrough that has put teeth into antidoping rules.

This ongoing collaboration between anti-doping organizations, law enforcement, and other federal agencies will continue to impose meaningful consequences for those who conspire against clean athletes and fair sport,” USADA CEO Travis Tygart said. AP

KLOPP HERNANDEZ TUCHEL

A FAMILY that races together wins together—(from left) Febe Bejo, Eusebio “Eboy” and Nicole.

SHAGNE YAOYAO leaves a trail of dust in her wake.

SAN MATEO’S hills beckon and many come for the challenge.

REYES

Are feArs of sAying ‘no’ overblown?

FEBRUARY 25, 2024

FAB FOUR

Classic Rivermaya lineup still in vintage form

Theband’sreunionconcertshowsallfourmembersperformingjustlikeintheirheyday

Publisher :

Editor-In-Chief :

Concept :

Y2Z Editor :

SoundStrip Editor :

Group Creative Director : Graphic Designers :

T. Anthony C. Cabangon

Lourdes M. Fernandez

Aldwin M. Tolosa

Jt Nisay

Edwin P. Sallan

Eduardo A. Davad

Niggel Figueroa

Anabelle O. Flores

Contributing Writers :

Tony M. Maghirang

Rick Olivares

Jill Tan Radovan

Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

John Eiron R. Francisco

Pocholo Concepcion

Francine Y. Medina

Rory Visco

Bea Rollo

Photographers :

Bernard P. Testa

Nonie Reyes

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

The Philippine Business Mirror Publishing, Inc., with offices on the 3rd Floor of Dominga Building III 2113 Chino Roces Avenue corner Dela Rosa Street, Makati City, Philippines.

Tel. Nos. (Editorial) 817-9467; 813-0725.

Fax line: 813-7025

Advertising Sales: 893-2019; 817-1351,817-2807.

Circulation: 893-1662; 814-0134 to 36. www.businessmirror.com.ph

By Pocholo Concepcion

TWO hours before the Rivermaya reunion concert, DJ Par Satellite was playing Joan Jett’s version of Sly and the Family Stone’s 1968 peace anthem “Everyday People” to warm up the crowd.

Par (Edgar Sallan), a dyed-in-the-wool club rock jock—who also produced the cult favorite “Pirate Satellite” radio show on NU 107 — was said to have been personally contacted by Rivermaya’s Rico Blanco to do the DJ gig. A few songs later, Par played R.E.M.’s “Shiny Happy People.” At that point, it didn’t matter whether anyone in the crowd, which was slowly filling up the VIP seated section, knew what the tune was about. What’s certain was, the records put the people in a relaxed state before the mood turned to excitement with Nirvana’s “Lithium” and Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Cities in Dust.”

From Par, another DJ, Triggerman of WLS fame, was heard through a recorded spiel channeling his old popular radio show “The Top 20 at 12” to introduce Rivermaya. It took a long, atmospheric instrumental before the band finally opened with three successive tracks: “Monopoly,” “Kung Ayaw Mo ’Wag Mo,” and “Princess of Disguise.”

B amboo greeted the crowd with a terse, “Kumusta… Tagal na rin…” and then led the band in a groove-heavy rendition of “Hinahanap-Hanap Kita.”

T he arrangements have been slightly tweaked, but Rivermaya’s songs remained the same—accessible to a wide Pinoy pop audience. Recorded when the band’s members were in their 20s, these songs captured the exuberance of youth and a pure innocence which the volatile social and economic conditions of the 1990s couldn’t dampen.

Hyper rapper-meets-Muhammad Ali

SURPRISINGLY, Bamboo, Blanco, Nathan Azarcon, and Mark Escueta didn’t look and act like they were now middle-aged. Bamboo, for instance, was a resurrection of his original hyper rapper-meets-Muhammad Ali stage act: jerky hip hop movements with rope-a-dope ring dancing. Even his voice still sounded young—if a bit raspy.

Blanco, meanwhile, kept egging on the audience to let their hair down and soak up the music. That was typical of the guitarist and the band’s chief songwriter, who also produced most of their albums before he went solo in 2007, nine years after Bamboo quit in 1998.

The band’s rhythm section anchored the sound—Azarcon’s nimble bass lines and Escueta’s booming drum beats moving the songs with solid consistency.

The excitement escalated as the band walked closer to the front row on stage B. However, an unexpected audio system glitch totally cut off the sound in the house speakers—the lull extending to about 10 minutes before Blanco said, “We’ll do a take two” of “20 Miles” and “If.”

B ack to the big main stage, the band proceeded to play tracks from 1997’s Atomic Bomb (“Fever”) and 1996’s Trip (“Kundiman,” “Hilo,” “Flowers”)—inconsequential to the casual listener, but significant nonetheless to the most rabid fans who would erupt in screams in the show’s last stretch.

A nd what a stretch it was. Slowing down the tempo with Blanco’s keyboard intro, the band seemed to gather its collective second wind while drawing more cheers as Escueta sang the first lines in “Panahon Na Naman.”

Party central

FROM then on, the SMDC Festival Grounds became party central to a crowd no longer

teenagers but also not too old to shake their booty. “Elesi” whirled like the version of the band’s pre-concert promotional number on ASAP and Eat Bulaga—more vibrant than the studio cut, Blanco’s guitar lines calling to mind The Edge’s signature riffs, Azarcon’s bass rumbling like an avalanche, and Bamboo pausing a second or two before stressing the song’s title.

C ommotion broke out when Bamboo rushed to get near the crowd standing behind the VIP seated section. He sang “Awit n g Kabataan” with intensity: “Subukan niyo kami!”

L iterally, the band proved it has stood the test of time. It has not totally disbanded even as new members came and went. There was no need for the technically proficient Perf de Castro to complete the lineup as original guitarist, since the concert was not about replicating what was first heard on the records.

W hat simply happened, though in a grand manner, was a chance for fans to see their idols play together again after more than 20 years. Live Nation Philippines pulled off a coup by mounting not its usual foreign show but featuring a local act with top production values as well, said to be provided by Jeremy Lechterman, creative director of Usher and BTS concerts. The lights were spellbinding, though I had to wear sunglasses to lessen their glare. The multi-screen visuals were stunning in their raw, rock & roll approach. It also redefined what started as an idea to hold auditions for just another band, and which took shape in its heyday: If Azarcon and Escueta comprise Rivermaya’s heart, and Bamboo its soul, Blanco is its brains.

I f the Eraserheads became the country’s biggest band of all time in the post-Juan dela Cruz era, Rivermaya couldn’t possibly be far behind.

Photo courtesy of Live Nation

3

ISANG HIMALA

The Rivermaya reunion concert we thought would never happen

EAGER fans arrived at the SMDC Festival Grounds as early as 2 pm in anticipation of a much-awaited show that would only start six hours later. It was, after all, a once-in-a-lifetime event that die-hard, oldschool fans had been craving for decades. By 8 pm, blue-tinted laser-like rays of light had converged on stage, and as the lights danced frantically and fled in different directions, what seemed impossible only months ago finally began to materialize.

L ike the dead rising from the grave, they emerged on stage, one by one. First was former keyboardist and eventual guitarist and frontman Rico Blanco, seemingly bathed in moonlight. Then followed drummer Mark Escueta and bassist Nathan Azarcon, who would walk arm-in-arm in a brotherly gesture to the other end of the stage. Last, but not least to appear was the band’s firstever vocalist, Bamboo Manalac, still oozing with charismatic stage presence.

To no one’s surprise, these now iconic musicians put on a spectacular show, with a 24-song repertoire consisting of familiar hits and deep cuts mostly from their first three albums. Not to say that everything was the same, however; they came prepared, lugging around a truckload of surprises and backed by years of experience they’ve earned as songwriters, recording artists, performers, and music producers over the years.

T hey kicked off the evening with “Monopoly,” a track from the band’s sophomore album, Trip and a song that trueblue, longtime ‘Maya fans would know. Next was “Kung Ayaw Mo, Huwag Mo,” followed by “The Princess of DIsguise,” another deep cut, and “Hinahanap-hanap Kita,” which palpably roused the audience.

R ivermaya played quite a few songs from Atomic Bomb, the band’s third album and the last one with Bamboo. Apart from the radio-friendly “Hinahanap-hanap Kita,” the poignant, beautifully written “If” and the karaoke favorite “Elesi,” there was also “Ballroom Dancing,” which was preceded initiated by a sexy sax solo and made even sexier with Azarcon’s riveting bass lines. “Sunny Days,” followed, its cheerful melody punctuated by the music from brass instruments that starkly contrasted its somber lyrics.

“ Sometimes it’s all a blur, sometimes things just sort of mishmash,” Bamboo said, referring to his experience as a seasoned performer. But there are things, according to him, that you never forget.

“It’s your first, right? The first time you hear yourself on the radio when you’re standing on your kitchen counter, waiting for that song to play. This is this song: our first single.”

T he band rendered a re-imagined, chill version of “Ulan,” layered with sounds from the string and horn section of Mel Villena’s orchestra. This was followed by Rico singing “You’ll Be Safe Here,” while playing the piano, which was unexpected simply because it’s from a later Rivermaya incarnation long after Bamboo left.

R ico’s solo performance set the tone for the succeeding songs: “Luha,” “Bring Me Down,” “20 Million,” and “If.” The tempo slides up a couple of notches higher with the next round: “Fever,” “Kundiman,” “Hilo,” and “Flowers,” which was reportedly Bamboo’s favorite Rivermaya song back in the day.

A nother pleasant surprise: Mark chiming in on the mic to sing a verse from “Panahon Na Naman.” The Higantes figures dancing on stage while the band played “Mabuhay” were certainly unexpected. “Nerbyoso,” a track co-written by Blanco and Escueta for “ It’s

Not Easy Being Green,” the fourth album, is usually sung by Blanco but in this particular instance and on this momentous occasion, Mañalac assumed vocal duties.

I t was refreshing to hear deep cuts performed live in such a big venue and such an important show, after so many years. These are the songs that may not have necessarily made it to the charts or the mainstream consciousness when the band rose to fame. But like the band’s better-known singles, they are nonetheless essential to the Rivermaya canon.

S omething about Rivermaya’s music makes you wonder about the thought processes and emotions that went into crafting every song–on top of the technical aspects. There’s always been a certain depth to their songwriting that begs some form of introspection as the music fills your soul.

A band’s greatest legacy is its music, and this statement rings true especially when the songs morph into something timeless and anthemic—the soundtrack to the fans’ most crucial and memorable events. And while it took a promoter as big as Live Nation Philippines to convince the Banda ng Bayan’s “classic” lineup to reunite for a show, it’s the music that brought them together as one.

R ivermaya’s greatest of their greatest hits naturally capped off the evening’s performances. Those who found themselves at a very young age somewhere between 1994 to 2000 while the band played “Awit ng Kabataan” might have pranced around with so much youthful energy, much like Nathan who, aside from doing actual physical exercise running around with his bass guitar throughout the concert, amused the audience with a funky dance number.

B amboo was also in his element, and hearing him sing “214” with his former bandmates for the first time in so many years would have been reason enough for people

to pinch themselves just to believe it was truly happening. Rico, having evolved from keyboardist and chief songwriter alongside Nathan, to guitarist and eventually, the band’s frontman, has surpassed the expectations of anyone who has ever doubted him. Not only is he excellent at crafting songs and playing the piano; his guitar licks and complementary harmonies alongside Bamboo were equally impressive. Mark, who laid the foundation on which musical arrangements are built for the band for decades, made sure there’s a suitable tempo, beat, and structure for all.

A nd for the last song–no encore could have probably been more appropriate or bittersweet than a song that says, “Kanina’y nariyan lang o ba’t/ Bigla namang nawala/ Daig mo pa ang isang kisapmata.“

T hroughout its many iterations, Rivermaya has proven that it can withstand the test of time and that its music will live on. Deep respect for anyone who has had the privilege and honor of being part of the band. No bonafide–and honest–fan, however, would say that the thought of seeing the old members perform together again has never crossed their mind. Sometimes, you just want to go back and remember where it all started.

To those who had the privilege of seeing the Rivermaya’s “classic” lineup perform over two decades ago, the band’s so-called reunion concert–which brought together current members Nathan and Mark and former successive frontmen Bamboo and Rico–was probably a nostalgic and leisurely walk down memory lane. For younger fans who have never seen these four perform on one stage, watching them play together live for the very first time that evening was nothing short of a miracle, a dream come true. Isang himala.

Text and photos by Jill Tan Radovan

Are fears of saying ‘no’ overblown?

by Julian Givi, West Virginia University, & Colleen P. Kirk, New York Institute of Technology

everyone has been there.

you get invited to something you absolutely do not want to attend—a holiday party, a family cookout, an expensive trip. but doubts and anxieties creep into your head as you weigh whether

to decline.

You might wonder if you’ll upset the person who invited you. Maybe it’ll harm the friendship, or they won’t extend an invite to the next get-together. Should you just grit your teeth and go? Or are you worrying more than you should about saying “no”?

An imaginary faux pas

WE explored these questions in a recently published study. In a pilot study that we ran ahead of the main studies, we found that 77 percent of our 51 respondents had accepted an invitation to an event that they didn’t want to attend, fearing blowback if they were to decline. They worried that saying no might upset, anger or sadden the person who invited them. They also worried that they wouldn’t be invited to events down the road and that their own invitations would be rebuffed.

We then ran a series of studies in which we asked some people to imagine declining an invitation, and then report their assumptions about how the person extending the invite would feel. We asked other participants to imagine that someone had declined invitations they had extended themselves. Then we asked them how they felt about the rejection.

We ended up finding quite the mismatch. People tend to assume others will react poorly when an invitation isn’t accepted. But they’re relatively unaffected

when someone turns down an invite they’ve extended.

In fact, people extending invites were much more understanding—and less upset, angry or sad—than invitees anticipated. They also said they would be rather unlikely to let a single declined invitation keep them from offering or accepting invitations in the future.

We found that the asymmetry between people extending and receiving invites occurred regardless of whether it involved two friends, a new couple or two people who had been in a relationship for a long time.

Why does this happen?

OUr findings suggest that when someone declines an invitation, they think the person who invited them will focus on the cold, hard rejection. But in reality, the person extending the invite is more likely to focus on the thoughts and deliberations that ran through the head of the person who declined. They’ll tend to assume that the invitee gave due consideration to the prospect of accepting, and this generally leaves them

Why do we say ‘OK’?

Of all the words in the English language, the word “OK” is pretty new. It’s only been used for about 185 years.

Although it’s become the most spoken word on the planet, it’s kind of a strange word, spelled out differently. Sometimes it’s spelled out “okay,” and sometimes just two letters are used, “OK.” Other times, periods separate the two letters: “O.K.”

Words change over time, usually in

response to social changes or scientific discoveries. for example, the word “silly” used to mean “happy” and now means “foolish.” Sometimes new words develop, like “stan,” which means a person who’s obsessed with a celebrity, and “exomoon,” a moon outside our solar system.

“OK,” whose earliest usage is 1839, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, generally means things are good or alright. So why did people start to say it?

less bothered than might be expected.

Interestingly, while our research examined invitations to fun events—dinners out to restaurants with a visiting celebrity chef and trips to quirky museum exhibits—other studies have found that the same pattern emerges when someone is asked to do a favor and they decline. Even with these less enjoyable requests, people overestimate the negative implications of saying no.

Lay the groundwork for future invites

ThEr E are a few things you can do to make things easier on yourself as you grapple with whether to decline an invitation.

first, imagine that you were the one extending the invitation. Our research shows that people are less likely to overestimate the negative implications of declining an invitation after they envision how they would feel if someone turned down their invite.

Second, if money is a reason, you’re considering passing on a dinner or a trip, share that with the person who invited you—as long as you feel comfortable doing

so, of course. Other research has found that people are especially understanding when people cite finances as their reason for declining.

Third, consider the “no but” strategy that some therapists suggest. Decline the invitation, but offer to do something else with the person who invited you.

With this method, you’re making it clear to the person who invited you that you’re not rejecting them; rather, you’re declining the activity. A bonus with this strategy is that you have the opportunity to suggest doing something that you actually want to do.

Of course, there’s a caveat to all of this: If you decline every invitation sent your way, at some point they’ll probably stop coming.

But assuming you aren’t a habitual naysayer, don’t beat yourself up if you end up declining an invitation every now and then. Chances are that the person who invited you will be less bothered than you think. The Conversation

Some linguists point to how, in the early 19th century, humorous abbreviations were in vogue. Young people would write things like “KG,” which stood for “know go,” an intentional misspelling of “no go,” when they meant something was impossible. It was a way to play with language.

Likewise, experts think “OK” likely emerged as an abbreviation of “oll korrect”—which was a jokey way of saying “all correct.” Others say that it derives

from “Old Kinderhook,” a nickname for former U.S. President Martin Van Buren, or that it comes from Choctaw, a Native American language.

The nice thing about “OK” is that it’s so versatile. It can be used as a noun, a verb, an adjective, a conjunction or an interjection. It’s also competed, over time, with “alright” and “all right”— words and phrases that have identical meanings.

Now you know, OK? The Conversation

Cover photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

The authors’ study suggest that people tend to assume others will react poorly when an invitation isn’t accepted. “But they’re relatively unaffected when someone turns down an invite they’ve extended.” Photo by Burst on Pexels.com

Wine Dine&

www.businessmirror.com.ph C1

Editor: Anne Ruth Dela Cruz | Sunday, February 25, 2024

A Taste of Saga by Sofitel’s Chef Bettina Arguelles

By Brian K. Ong (@briankingong)

SOFITEL Philippine Plaza Manila’s Chef Bettina Arguelles masterfully created an eightcourse degustation menu, featuring one of Japan’s finest meats, the Saga Beef or Saga Gyu, during the recently concluded successful run of A Taste of Saga degustation dinner on January 25, 2024, at Le Bar. Saga Gyu, also known as Saga Beef, transcends the boundaries of Wagyu, elevating beef to an art form. Originating from Japan’s Saga Prefecture, this premium beef embodies a rich history and meticulous craftsmanship. Unlike its counterparts, Saga Gyu emerged relatively recently, in 1983, under the guidance of Dr. Toshimune Tateno—the visionary “Father of Saga-Gyu.”

“Saga Gyu is among the over

200 wagyu brands in Japan, and this year is the 40th anniversary milestone of the Sagagyu brand,” says Tanaka Osamu, Managing Director of Sagagyu, who flew in from Japan to attend the event.

But what truly distinguishes Saga Gyu? Imagine a symphony of flavors—a buttery, melt-in-yourmouth texture that lingers on the palate. This magic lies in the intricate marbling, aptly named “tsuyusashi” or “glossy marbling.” The delicate web of fat not only intensifies the taste but also guarantees unrivaled succulence.

W hile Kobe and Matsusaka beef bask in the Wagyu spotlight, Saga Gyu quietly and consistently garners international acclaim as a gastronomic treasure.

The Inspiration

“EACH course is a representation of people that I have crossed paths with, people that have made an impact in our lives living overseas, and I wanted to share that with you this evening,” Sofitel Manila’s Director of Culinary Operations, Chef Bettina Arguelles, beautifully summed up the essence of the Taste of Saga degustation dinner.

This menu is an ode to my eight years living in Japan and the people with whom I have crossed paths and who have made an indelible impact on a 24-year-old young mother.”

Before making a comeback and taking the helm as Sofitel Manila’s executive chef, the first-ever Filipina executive chef in a five-star international branded hotel, in 2020, Chef Bettina’s culinary journey took her from Japan to Singapore, where she jump-started and built her culinary career.

“Recipes and food experiences shared with fellow mothers, wives and friends that have strongly influenced and defined the way I cook and eat. The menu represents snippets of food memories and philosophies that have molded me as a cook,” she adds.

SOLAIRE Resort Entertainment City, the premier integrated destination resort in the country, has made history by bringing Michelin Star chefs to the Philippines. In honor of its anniversary month in March, Solaire is proud to announce the arrival of these iconic culinary masters for an unforgettable gastronomic experience. This significant occasion will feature the culinary artistry of three renowned Michelin Star chefs, each presenting their signature dishes at Solaire’s signature restaurants for dinner at Finestra, Yakumi, and Red Lantern on March 13 to 16, 2024, followed by a lavish buffet brunch on March 17. R enowned for her culinary passion, Chef Cristina Bowerman elevates her craft through a lens of creativity and innovation. With a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts and a specialization in flavor concentration, Bowerman relocated to Rome to become the Chef Patron at Glass Hostaria, a bastion of contemporary Italian cuisine, which she has led for seventeen years. In 2010, she earned a prestigious Michelin Star standing as Italy’s

The dinner

It took roughly two months of trial and error to perfect the eightcourse menu, which started from a culinary vision and was now translated into an opulent and decadent degustation.

From your first savory bite to the sweet finale, Saga beef takes center stage as we achieve the perfect harmony of flavors with our wine or sake pairings.” A Taste of Saga’s guests had the choice to have their dinner paired with either Sake or Wine, also expertly curated

sole female recipient that year. Experience Bowerman’s culinary finesse at Finestra, where a six-course dinner awaits, featuring her signature dishes starting with a modern twist on vitello tonnato, followed by a classic risotto à la meunière, and sumptuous Italian gyoza. Delight your palate with marbled beef wagyu ribeye alongside mulberry reduction, celery root terrine, hot garlic, and oxtail foam. Indulge in a perfect dessert pairing of popcorn and passion fruit dulce de leche, ensuring a perfect finale to your dining experience.

Hailing from Fukuoka, Chef Goh Fukuyama delved into the world of French cuisine right out of high school. In 2002, he unveiled La Maison de la Nature Goh, a discreet yet stylish establishment renowned for its imaginative French Japanese omakase. This culinary haven achieved notable acclaim, securing a spot in “Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants”. Boasting a Michelin Star, the restaurant solidified its standing in the culinary world. At Yakumi, indulge in an eight-course dinner featuring

by Sofitel’s partners Wano Trading Corporation and Philippine Wine Exchange, respectively.

A s I had a similar tasting menu before and had already tried pairing Saga Wagyu with Sake, I opted to specifically pair my courses with wine, something the French are well known for, given that we were at Sofitel.

The eight-course journey started with “SNACKS” – Spot Prawn with A5 Ribeye Yukke Tartare, A4 Striploin Katsu-sando, Aburi Mentai A5 Striploin Sushi, paired with Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve, Champagne, France NV, known for its balanced and elegant taste profile. The champagne’s refreshing citrus taste and crisp, clean finish paired well with the use of Saga Wagyu in three ways.

The “CABBAGE ROLL” – House Ground Wagyu, Jamon Tomato Emulsion, and Pancetta Powder, was paired with the Domaine Huet Le Haut Lieu Sec, Loire, France 2021. This wine was on the dry side, but was vibrant, crisp and refreshing, giving lingering citrus zest notes.

A fter those delicious starters came “SUKIYAKI” – Poached A4

Tenderloin, Egg Yolk, Mushroom, Baby Carrot, Black Truffle, paired with Monteraponi Chianti Classico DOCG, Tuscany, Italy 2021.

Chef Bettina’s main course, “LAND & SEA,” featured an A4 Tenderloin, Hokkaido Scallops, Wagyu Demi-glace, God’s Brown Butter, Yuzu Koshō, and Caviar. The dish was also paired with the Chianti Classico from Tuscany.

The Chianti Classico, paired with both dishes, is a medium-bodied blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, and other grapes, giving aromas of ripe cherry, plum, violets, and earthy notes like leather and tobacco, with flavors of red cherry, plum, and spice, leading to a balanced and harmonious finish.

The pièce de résistance, in my opinion, were the last two dishes.

The “OCHAZUKE” featuring A5 Kaburi Tender, Snow Crab, Ikura, Fresh Wasabi, on top of Multigrain Rice, is just a comfort food flavor bomb which you can eat all day long. This was paired with the Haldes de Luchey, Bordeaux, France, 2015, which gave aromas of plum, blackberry, and cedar and a full-bodied flavor of black fruit,

spice, and earth, with a long and structured finish.

To cap-off the evening, Chef Bettina served the “SAGA BEIGNET,” made from Wagyu Apple Compote, Miso Caramel Ice Cream. It was a perfect balance of sweet, salty, sour, oily, cold, and hot, a burst of flavor in one bite. The dessert was paired with the Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve, Champagne, France NV, a fitting end to an opulent meal.

I am lucky that we had a beautiful product that speaks for itself,” said Chef Bettina. “This menu is a journey of different textures and flavors the beef can be enjoyed in. The beef is fatty and heavy, but we took on the challenge to balance it out.”

The icing on top of it all, and to serve as a memory of the evening, was the surprise Bento Box, beautifully prepared and wrapped by Chef Bettina, which included treats like black sesame mochi, Ichigo praline, and red bean macaroon.”

Chef Bettina’s Favorite

WHEN I asked which among the dishes in the eight-course tasting menu was Chef Bettina’s favorite, she said, “My personal favorite is the Saga Beignet with Wagyu Apple Compote and Miso Caramel Ice Cream.”

She explains “for the simple reason that it was the most difficult course to conceptualize and execute. One would not normally think of beef for dessert and yet, all the flavors and textures married well together. It was a hot and cold dessert with savory characteristics.”

“I made a Wagyu bak kwa, or beef jerky from my Singapore life and incorporated that into the apple compote. The cinnamon and nutmeg notes was a flavor match made in heaven.”

I could not agree more.

What’s next?

IVY Quindoza, Sofitel Manila’s Marketing Communications Manager, shared that they went above and beyond their targeted covers for the degustation menu to cater to the strong demand from Sofitel’s clients and guests for the Saga Gyu dinner.

“ These calibers of events happen few and far between for two reasons: a lot of time, thought, and effort go into them, and we would like to keep them very exclusive and uniquely curated,” shared Chef Bettina.

Sofitel Manila’s next event is a collaboration with Chef Lily Min, highlighting Royal Korean Cuisine in Spiral and Le Bar. “It’s truly something to look forward to, and it will be running from February 16 to March 16, 2024.”

I truly cannot wait for more collaborations and dinners at Sofitel. Santé!

a tantalizing array of dishes such as Foie gras monaka, white asparagus cream Fukinotou Blancmange, as well as tuna and fermented tomato. Experience the exquisite flavors of sake steamed abalone and shiitake mushroom risotto, and white fish wrapped in cabbage with the scent of ARIAKE seaweed. Indulge in the rich flavors of Kyushu Kuroge Wagyu beef, a spicy crab curry, and a delightful “white and red” strawberry for dessert. M aestro of Sichuan cuisine, Chef Xu Fan, the visionary behind the Michelinstarred Xujia Cuisine in Chengdu, immersed himself in the art of Sichuan-style cooking back in 1991. Renowned for its excellence, his restaurant has been honored with numerous awards, including “The best50” of China’s top 50 restaurants for six consecutive years and the Black Pearl 1 Diamond restaurant for five successive years. Specializing in the bold and vibrant flavors of Szechuan Cuisine, Xu takes charge of the Red Lantern kitchen, curating an exquisite eight-course dinner. Savor on dishes such as deep-fried angus beef tenderloin with

a tantalizing sweet and sour, spicy sauce, and homemade chicken ball served in clear chicken soup. Indulge in the rich flavors of wok fried rock lobster with litchi and sweet chili sauce and relish the flavors of steamed star garoupa with sichuan green chili, green peppercorn, and premium soy sauce. Savor the succulent braised USDA beef short ribs with sichuan bean paste, truffles, vegetables, and crispy gillardeau oyster served with ginger sauce. Experience the mastery of freshly crafted dan dan noodles and homemade noodles with minced pork. For dessert, delight on sichuan ice jelly as well as mixed nuts with jelly and brown sugar.

Elevate your experiences with thoughtfully curated drinks by certified Sake Samurai and Sake Master Brewer Akihiro Igarashi and the esteemed Luis de Santos, the first and only Master Sommelier of Filipino descent. Beyond his role as a Master Sommelier, de Santos thrives as a prosperous entrepreneur, presently owning multiple bars and restaurants in Las Vegas. Joining them is Max Solano, one of the West Coast’s most respected and creative mixologists and spirits

educators for his innovative and versatile creations. His expertise lies in crafting cocktails using fresh, homemade ingredients and premium spirits sourced from around the globe. His talent has earned him acclaim in various media outlets, coupled with three Las Vegas Bartender of the Year awards.

As we celebrate our anniversary, we continue to deliver culinary sensations like no other, this rare opportunity to savor Michelin Star fare in the heart of the Philippines promises to elevate their dining experience to new heights. We would like them to experience a symphony of world-class flavors, by bringing in these three Michelin Star chefs who will artfully craft their own menus to spotlight the distinctiveness of their culinary artistry,” said Sebastian Kellerhoff, Vice President for Culinary. B ook your seats now for an excellent Michelin Star anniversary celebration at Solaire. For details and more information, you may email: restaurantevents@ solaireresort.com. You can also check out https://www.solaireresort.com or Solaire’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

The “SNACKS”– Spot Prawn with A5 Ribeye Yukke Tartare, A4 Striploin Katsu-sando and Aburi Mentai A5 Striploin Sushi.

“LAND & SEA” featured an A4 Tenderloin, Hokkaido Scallops, Wagyu Demi-glace, God’s Brown Butter, Yuzu Koshō, and Caviar.

“SAGA BEIGNET” made from Wagyu Apple Compote, Miso Caramel Ice Cream.

The “CABBAGE ROLL” – House Ground Wagyu, Jamon Tomato Emulsion, and Pancetta Powder.

The “OCHAZUKE” featured A5 Kaburi Tender, Snow Crab, Ikura, Fresh Wasabi, on top of Multigrain Rice. In the photo are, from left, Sagagyu Managing Director, Tanaka Osamu, Sofitel Manila’s Director of Culinary Operations, Chef Bettina Arguelles, and Father of Sagagyu, Tateno Toshihume.

Chef Cristina Bowerman Chef Goh Fukuyama Chief Xu Fan

Wine Dine&

By RORY VISCO Contributor

HOW do you create a different buffet restaurant in a hotel and make it stand out from the rest?

For Kristine Oro, Executive Chef of CYAN Restaurant that is located at the swanky Lanson Place Mall of Asia, Manila, the way to make a buffet restaurant stand out from its competition should be based on the brand standard that the place represents.

Sustainability is one, she said, and that means all the products they are getting should be local. “Most of the products should be locally sourced, like we are coordinating with SM to source some of our products to establish that synergy and we are assured of a steady source,” Oro explained.

The good thing about being part of SM, she said, is that they share the advocacy of sourcing products from the local market,

which is also what Lanson advocates. When the restaurant was opened, Oro said that in addition to being sustainable, it should also be able to cater to various dietary needs of guests like those who prefer less oil in their food, those who are vegan or vegetarian. “So the menu we created should have that. It was a challenge creating menus that cater to specific dietary needs so we just had to be more creative in coming up with ideas about creating food that will cater to them.”

Creative way of planning ORO said that it involves a creative way of planning, like the ingredients, especially for those who don’t want certain items like gluten in their breads so they have a regular supply of gluten-free flour in the kitchen. Also, for those who are lactose intolerant, they have soy milk or almond milk that is always readily available upon the guests’ requests.

Ippudo Launches Limited-Edition

Yakiniku Ramen, Yakiniku Bun

mastery, complemented with chef-driven innovative dishes and remarkable dining experiences. With a commitment to innovation and quality, Ippudo will introduce new limited-

edition ramen quarterly, and complementing side dishes throughout the year. The first of this limited edition fare is the Yakiniku Ramen (P540), featuring Ippudo’s signature creamy 15-hour pork bone broth and Hakata-style noodles. The noodles are topped with a generous serving of thinly sliced pork in an expertly blended mix of teriyaki and spicy miso sauce, accented with koyu oil for a bold savory flavor, fresh nori, and shio tamago. The new side dishes were created to pair

The restaurant’s setup, Oro pointed out, is not too much about decors and other stuff but really minimalistic yet very modern.

“We are also very flexible in accommodating certain requests from guests, like preparing seafood items with garlic butter or pasta. You can’t just put everything in a buffet because it will not fit the standards and advocacies we follow. Being sustainable is not just lip service but a total commitment. Also, as a chef, I cannot commit to what I cannot deliver,” Oro succinctly explained.

L anson Place Mall of Asia, Manila, Oro said, offers both a hotel and serviced residence and she sees it as an advantage for CYAN, especially for long-staying residents since they are able to find out their dietary preferences. They have guests, she stressed, who will dine at CYAN together with friends or family but sometimes order or inquire about a certain food that

COOKING FROM THE HEART IS WHAT SETS CYAN APART

is not yet part of the cycle in their menu. Oro said they are willing to adjust and they are open to accommodate guests’ requests. Oro emphasized that they are willing to take the extra mile in serving guests so they can enjoy their dining experience at CYAN, and that’s the reason why they opened the restaurant for guests

to enjoy not just great-tasting food but to have an even better dining experience. Like for example their grilled food items like cajun chicken or pork belly. They are grilled just like in any other food establishment, but CYAN’s is kind of different. Oro attests that the experience can be attributed to the level of cooking of,

perfectly with ramen, showcasing Ippudo’s equally exceptional non-ramen menu offerings. Complementing the Yakiniku Ramen is the Yakiniku Bun (P220), a soft steamed bun filled with sweet and savory tender beef slices, crisp lettuce, and kara mayo—a combination of Japanese mayonnaise and mustard to balance out the flavor of the Yakiniku meat.

For those who crave variety, the Trio Buns Set (P585) offers all three bun flavors in one set, featuring the signature Pork Bun, Fried Chicken Bun, and

TBY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor

HERE’S no stopping fastfood giant McDonald’s from titillating the local palate with new and improved offerings. The quick service restaurant has launched a sea-licious treat—the new and limited-time offer Crispy Fish Fillet Sandwich—which boasts of a crunchy and golden brown fish patty combined with melty cheese, tangy tartar sauce and soft, toasty buns for an unparalleled seafood delight. Surf to the deliciousness of this offering

paired with the peach and lychee flavors of the ice-cold Sprite X PeaChee Fruit Fizz and McDonald’s World Famous Fries that will surely make customers to crave for more.

Still have room for this hearty sandwich?

Try the extra layer of the crowd favorite fish patty and indulgence with the Double Crispy Fish Fillet Sandwich. It raises the fish-in-a-bun experience, as it allows for a more enjoyable sea-liciousness perfect for those who simply can’t get enough.

Hurry, whet your appetite with the new and limited-time offer Crispy Fish Fillet Sandwich

say, home cooking by one’s mother.

“There’s no magic in the way we cook here at CYAN, and we don’t have magical equipment

BY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor

GUIDED by its “Innovation with a purpose” mantra, Kenny Rogers Roasters not only brings delicious food to the local market, but also makes sure that every launch of its new marketing campaigns leaves a lasting impact among customers and stakeholders.

Th is holds true as the brand captured three highly-sought after recognitions at the recently concluded 59th Anvil Awards presented by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP), thanks to the team’s persistence to offer their customers innovative and memorable experiences.

The American chicken restaurant chain won two silver accolades

under the PR programs category, with The Kenny Rogers Roasters Mango Habanero Farmvocacy, which has proven the importance of supporting local farmers with the implementation of its “Farmvocacy” for two consecutive years; and the Truffle Collection Influencer Seeding Campaign, via an entry entitled “Influencing Palates: Kenny Rogers Roasters Introduces Truffle Exclusive Influencer Seeding Initiatives,” where the brand tied up with micro influencers for its Truffle Collection and Valentine’s Day campaigns that engaged and resonated with the consumers as well as boosted the firm’s sales. Under the PR Tools (Special Events) segment, on the other hand, the bistro chain won another Silver Anvil for the Kenny Rogers

3D Billboard Launch—the biggest and first ever 3D billboard in EDSA by any restaurant chain in the country. Such a marketing tool was an inventive way to highlight the brand’s deliciously healthy menu offerings by mounting a giant spectacle of its signature roaster chicken, tender ribs, and side dishes along the busiest highway in the metro.

“It’s truly an honor to win these awards as these are a testament of the hard work and dedication of the team that continuously ensures Kenny Rogers Roasters is an exciting and relevant brand among customers. We’re excited for what’s in store and we are committed to continuous growth and innovation,” said Lorent Adrias, marketing director of Kenny Rogers Roasters.

Wine Dine&

A TWIST OF BRAZIL AND JAPAN WITH A LOCAL TWIST

Text By Benjamin Layug Contributor Photos by Nicole Paler

ANOTHER dining wonder has made its debut in Manila, a city known for its diverse food scene, the BrazilianJapanese restaurant Uma Nota Manila which was established with the aim of bringing unique Nipo-Brasilerio (Japanese-Brazilian) cuisine to the global scene, with a mix of entertainment, art, music, and an overall classy experience. This is the restaurant’s third location, following its home city, Hong Kong, and its Paris branch.

From the Portuguese term meaning “one note,” Uma Nota, was founded in 2017 by the brother and sister duo of Alexis and Laura Offe, founders of the Meraki Hospitality Group, is anything but “one” as it masterfully and seamlessly blends the precision and ingredients of

Japanese culinary artistry and the bold and vibrant flair and flavors synonymous with Sao Paulo, Brazil. Both crafted in harmony with local influences, they offer a delicious, unique, uplifting, genuine and vibrant dining experience. Their 730 square meter loca-

tion, within Shangri-La at The Fort in Global City in Taguig City, can comfortably seat 174 patrons (500 to 550 people standing). It was designed by Asmaa Said, the award-winning interior designer and founder of Odd Duck Design Studio based in Dubai. The sensory journey unfolds through four distinct realms unveiling fresh design elements and unique experiences tailored to the dynamic spirit of the city.

There’s the relaxing, 68-pax Living Room, a vibrant, seductive evening space with its striking “Hanging Tree” installation. The 32-pax The Bar, a dedicated space, fosters an intimate and lively social atmosphere. The 44-pax (80pax for cocktails) Tropicalia, with its vibrant décor and playful vibes, pays tribute to the groovy 1970s Tropicalia Movement. The elegant, 12-pax (30-pax for cocktails) Meiji Room, with its Japanese mural, honors the rich heritage of the mass Japanese migration, during the Meiji era in the early 20th century, to Sao Paolo’s substantial Japanese community at the vibrant neighborhood of Liberdade.

Launch

THE restaurant’s launch was done in partnership with the team of

Michael Needham, President and Managing Partner, and Amir Borsok, Co-Founder and Partner of the Three & B Group. During its soft opening last February 18, Alex, Laura, Michael and Amir welcomed members of online and print media who were served a sampler of the eclectic menu developed by Colombian Executive Chef Gustavo Enrique Vargas Mora, in collaboration with Manila Head Chef Kyle Ureta. Together, they brought together the bold flavors of Nipo-Brasilerio cuisine, a testament to the rich cultural tapestry of both nations, while catering, specifically, to the local palate.

For starters, we were served the iconic and enticing Coxinhas de Frango (signature chicken and okra croquettes with homemade chili sauce), a classic boteco snack across Brazil, with a crispy crust on the outside and savory, tender and juicy chicken on the inside. This was followed by the Dadinhos de Tapioca (Brazilian tapioca and cheese dices with sweet chili sauce) and the Tataki de Carne de Sol (lightly cured beef tenderloin, smoked yuzu ponzu sauce, black garlic mayonnaise and crispy shallots).

The Japanese touch was provided by the Avocado Roll (grilled asparagus, shibuzake, cucumber,

vegan herb mayonnaise, crispy cassava) and the refreshing Salmon Roll (cucumber, wasabi cream cheese, avocado, sweet soy, ikura) with its creamy filling.

Elevating the entire experience was the rich, smoky A4 Kumooh Japanese Wagyu Striploin (180 grams, from Kyushu Island, Japan) which literally melted in my mouth just like butter. It was perfectly complemented with garlic rice while the Uma Nota Salad (mixed greens, mango, tomato, avocado and wasabi ponzu dressing) provided a welcome touch of lightness.

For dessert, we had the choice between the sweet and tangy Abacaxi Churrasco (roasted pineapple, coconut ice cream, almond coconut crumble and Japanese whiskey caramel sauce) or the stunningly presented and flavorful Matcha Layered Cake (Hokkaido milk ice cream with pink cotton candy cloud). Other must-try desserts include the indulgent Amor Por Chocolate and the signature Ube Cheesecake.

Some of their other must-tries are the elegant Wagyu no Brioche, Crab Udon, Unagi Roll, the sublime Hotate Tiradito, the Soba Noodles and the robust Robalo Assado. For vegans, there’s the Vegan Udon and the enticing and delightful Ber-

injela. Exclusive selections include the A5 Japanese Wagyu Striploin and the WX Tomahawk MS7.

Drinks menu COMPLIMENTING the exquisite culinary offerings is the thoughtfully-crafted Drinks Menu, a testament to creativity offering a harmonious balance to the culinary symphony of the plate. This ensured a perfect pairing for every palate as we dove into the vibrant world of Brazilian mixology. The list of bold and distinctive beverages included the iconic Caipirinhas, the funky and spicy Red Flag, the Kyoto Sour (a unique fusion of flavors), the signature Maracua, the Maluco Carioca (a signature Brazilian limeade masterpiece) and the Uma Nota Cup Noodle (a truly innovative libation).

Providing entertainment for that memorable evening was DJ Victor Mello and the Power Impact Dancers who performed a fun, upbeat, energetic and lively Brazilian samba dance number. Truly a party hub before, during and after dinner. For reservations, contact +63 917 307 2766 or +63 908 899 2766 or email them at manila@uma-nota.com. For more information, visit www.uma-nota.com.ph

FROM MED TECH TO FOOD TECH, TRUE BLENDS REMAINS TO BE AN EXCITING CULINARY JOURNEY

By Rory Visco Contributor

IJoyce Co Yu, a medical technologist by profession. They started the business by selling hot and iced coffee in Ateneo but her brother who went to China saw the potential of milk tea in the Philippines. “We

conducted R&D then we started with the Royal Milk Tea and Taro Milk Tea with pearls. In effect, we can say that we were the pioneers in selling milk tea in the country even before others started to join the trend and sold milk teas as well,” explains Yu. Her background may not really be in food but Yu managed to slowly make a name in the food industry, thanks to milk tea, boneless chicken, and a whole lot more, and of course, True Blends. From their first milk tea shop in a call center in Taguig City in 2011, soon they expanded to go into franchising due to incessant request from potential franchisees. So, Yu did their own research, tapped baristas and chefs for the food, and consulted with franchising consultants.

Beef Tapa Java Chip Frappuccino

use imported milk tea coming from real tea leaves and stressed that they do not use the powdered type.

and

Wide presence NOW, True Blends Café is present in Cotabato, in a hospital in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija, and of course, the one along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City, all run by franchisees. Yu swears that they

“Customers will know if powder is used because of the taste and texture. We don’t want that.”

cart, or offered at True Blends Café. And soon enough, just like their milk tea, Chops To Go became a massive hit because of the impressive taste and the quality of the products used. It’s not easy to operate a café that also offers food items and expand because it’s difficult to maintain quality. All we wanted for True Blends was to stick to offering

offer, what differentiates them is customer service, according to Yu. “Wherever we go, once they recognize the name True Blends, they will immediately recall our roots, which is essentially in Ateneo, and they are proud to note that fact, especially if they studied in Ateneo in Manila. That from our small and humble origins, we grew to become what we are now.”

Pearl Milk Tea Chicken Pops with Chips

The brother and sister team of Laura and Alex Offie

Coxinhas de Frango and Dandinhos de Tapioca

Tataki de Carne de Sol The Living Room Matcha Layered Cake

A4 Kumo-oh Japanese Wagyu Striploin

Wine Dine&

www.businessmirror.com.ph

A culinary extravaganza at Isabela’s Bambanti Festival

FBy Nicole Paler Contributor

OOD is one sure way to explore a place, and its culture.

By delving into and experimenting with the uses of ingredients readily available in one’s area, you see the history and colorful traditions of the place, as well as preserve and fortify this knowledge and culture for future generations.

Isabela province, under the able leadership of Governor Rodolfo “Rodito” Albano III, has a food culture that is focused mostly on heirloom recipes which utilize indigenous ingredients found usually in the province.

The recently concluded 2024 Bambanti Festival in Isabela, under the stewardship of Vice-Governor and festival Director-General Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, is rooted in the tradition of scarecrows as protectors of the field, safeguarding the food and livelihood of Ilagan City, the Corn and Agricultural capital of the nation. The event is an immersive experience celebrating the province’s charm and is a nod to its roots.

Local food scene

WITH this year’s theme Ettam ngana ta Isabela, Ibanag for “Come to Isabela,” this celebration is not limited to the giant scarecrows adorning the captivating Bambanti Village. Rather, it extends seamlessly into their local food scene via the 8th edition of the Makan Ken Mainum (translated as “food and

BINONDO BITES

drink”) Contest.

Th is competition was chaired by Chef Mary Ann Arcega-Dy, who was looking for a way to help the visitors of the festival get an insight into the local cuisine and, at the same time, discover new dishes and beverages using local ingredients. It aimed to introduce these innovative creations to local restaurants, hotels, and establishments.

For this year, young adults, aged 18 to 21, from three cities and 22 municipalities, demonstrated their cooking skills using a freestyle technique called biggang ken banga or the “charcoal and clay pot.”

Despite the pressure, participants used local ingredients such as meat, poultry, seafood, and produce to craft unique dishes. The competition was not just about showcasing skills and culinary innovations in the Makan Ti Isabela

and Mainum Ti Isabela categories, but also a chance for participants to enjoy their passion with friends.

Double wins

NOTABLE mentions include Dinapigue’s double championship win in both the Makan and Mainum categories. Their Makan entry, Deget Sakay Luta, bursting with oceanic flavors, takes inspiration from their Hilada Festival, centered around the blue marlin (locally called hilada) which is freshly harvested from their coast. The dish has four components, with both the lobsters and the blue marlin getting a treatment over live coal.

The charbroiled lobsters, mixed in with a bit of coconut meat, cilantro and onions, are partnered with their Palali Gastrique, a tangy, sweet but slightly thick sauce done with a bit of honey. Both utilize the native

katmon, a fruit similar

kamias which gives brightness to this dish.

The hilada is served kinilawstyle, with a bit of searing from the coals, and some heat from the chilis. Served with some seaweed salad and a beautiful presentation, the dish gives off a refreshingly balanced sweet and sour taste from both the sauce, and the fresh seafood that makes you want to reach for seconds. Their Sabangan Quencher, staying true to their theme of sweet and sour in harmony, also utilizes some katmon, depending on how sweet the fruit can be when dried. They strike a balance via cooking the coconut water over a palayok and steeping the katmon with it along with some pandan and honey after. The best thing about the dish is that you can serve it either hot or cold, perfect for refreshing oneself in Isabela in the

summer or when it is quite cold during the -ber months there.

Rice farmers

THE city of Santiago, proud of their heritage as rice farmers, gives people a bit of familiarity with their makan entry of Patumanok Inihaw with Gintong Unan or Grilled Chicken and Turmeric Rice in Patupat Pouch. Patupat is sticky sweet rice wrapped in buri bags or coconut leaves, woven into a small bag, usually served as a dessert. Things go savory with this dish, as you can see how they cooked the rice inside the pouch, in a clay pot filled with crushed turmeric. They also did a separate grilling of chicken filled with different ingredients like turmeric, ginger and patupat molasses. The end result, once you finish hanging the rice pouch to dry and the chicken pouch to have clear

Metrobank, media partners delight in a culinary journey through Manila’s historic Chinatown

By John Eiron R. Francisco

IX

SBinondo, the oldest Chinatown in the country.

The food crawl was organized by Old Manila Walks. Along with strolling down Ongpin Street, the program also included a historical tour.

When we think of Binondo, we tend to associate it with Ongpin Street, situated near the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of San Lorenzo Ruiz, also known as Binondo Church.

However, beyond Ongpin Street, the area boasts numerous Filipino-Chinese eateries certain to satisfy your cravings and entice your palate.

Half a century old businesses

SOME of these establishments have been around for more than half a century and have already established their food identity, which attracts not only the Chinese residents of Binondo and nearby areas, or Filipinos, but also some foreign tourists.

One of our initial stops was at Polland Hopia, renowned for their hopia and mooncakes. Since we planned to explore four FilipinoChinese food establishments and delve into their history, we opted to try their Fresh Chinese Lumpia here.

Unlike the typical Filipino-style Fresh Lumpia, or “ubod,” that we are accustomed to, this version is distinguished by its ingredients including a variety of vegetables, sometimes meat, along with crushed peanuts, brown sugar, seaweed, and crispy fried vermicelli noodles.  Crafting this Binondo-style fresh lumpia

involves a meticulous and detailed process, where each element is painstakingly prepared.

To enhance the flavors while enjoying this fresh lumpia, one can add some spicy ketchup and vinegar.

Distinct flavor

FOR our next stop, we headed to Sincerity Cafe and Restaurant, just a stone’s throw away from Polland. This place is famous for their fried chicken, kikiam, and fried oyster cake.

But there’s something about them that sticks with you after the first bite. They have got this distinct flavor that you won’t find elsewhere.

Even though their fried chicken might seem like your average dish, the secret lies in the special spice marinade and precise cooking method they employ consistently.  Their kikiam is not like the usual street

food version made mostly of flour. At Sincerity, they add pork meat, giving it a crispy outside and a juicy inside when you dig in. If you’re up for it, they suggest adding some spicy ketchup for an extra punch, but it’s entirely based on personal preference.

But before you go adding anything extra, make sure to taste it as is to really appreciate its original flavor.

While their fried oyster cake is a bit out of the ordinary for some, it’s definitely a new culinary experience for those looking to spice up their usual omelette routine. Adding some vinegar is suggested to enhance the flavor perfectly.

Indeed, incorporating spicy ketchup and vinegar enhances the Chinese culinary adventure, providing an extra layer of flavor and depth to the overall dining experience.

Meanwhile, I’ve noticed that there’s a

distinct difference when enjoying authentic Chinese cuisine compared to Filipino-Chinese dishes. Authentic Chinese food tends to be more focused on simplicity and freshness, while Filipino-Chinese cuisine often features saucy and flavorful localized dishes.

Home-style food

CONTINUING our Binondo food adventure, we stumbled upon Amah’s Kitchen serving up comforting “home-style” Chinese-Filipino dishes reminiscent of grandma’s cooking. Their standout dishes include flavorful stir-fried noodles (choose from Mi, Bihon, or Miki) and Misua Guisado, a thicker twist on traditional pancit.

D on’t miss out on their Kuchay Ah, a Chinese empanada bursting with pork, mushrooms, tofu, chives, and veggies that leaves a memorable aftertaste. For a de -

juices running, is this medley of a savory and hearty meal. Complementing that is their Patupatea which also won second place, using toasted and steeped Jasmine Rice as the base for their drink. This is also a very versatile drink, not too sweet, and can be served hot, as rice tea, or as a cool, refreshing milk tea. Luna takes a seafood turn with their Wrapped Seafood Meatballs Laing, a coconut dish presented upon a wooden bowl on a bed of rocks. This crowd favorite is like a warm comforting hug best paired with cushy, soft rice. You have the earthy taste of dried taro leaves encasing the savory goodness of the actual seafood meatball made with fresh shrimp, squid and fish fillet. This innovative approach to a traditional dish was cooked on a clay pot and bathed with a heaping scoop of creamy but spicy coconut sauce that plays on your tongue. The bed of rocks is a nod to their Bato Art Festival, showcasing their artistic and creative potential by coming up with a dish that is equally as rich and colorful as their town.

Tumauini’s entry for Mainum is a testament to showing visitors and fellow Isabelenos that healthy does not mean just green things. Their entry was a really delicious mocktail full of vitamins and antioxidants through the use of steeping different ingredients native to their place, alongside which are bouganvillea, roses, and butterfly pea. This is mixed into some gelatin to give a healthy dose of striped color. Top this off with a rub of sliced lemon on the glass rim for maximum tastiness.

A s Isabela progresses in redefining its traditions, the Bambanti Festival, coupled with Makan Ken Mainum, showcases the province’s lively culture, innovation, and agricultural excellence.

Witness this vibrant culture and tradition for yourself when you go up north, Ettam Ngana Ta Isabela!

lightful experience, it’s recommended to savor each bite of their signature dish by cutting the empanada in half to appreciate the tender meat and flaky crust.

Meanwhile, their marinated and fried tofu, served with a special soy sauce, fresh herbs, and chili sauce, pleasantly surprised even a non-tofu enthusiast like myself.

Definitely, Amah’s Kitchen is worth a visit for a taste of comforting, flavorful dishes that hit the spot.

After a day of exploring the cultural and historical attractions of Binondo, we headed straight to treat ourselves to a lavish lunch at the President Grand Palace.

This restaurant is famous for its authentic Chinese cuisine, especially its dim sum, seafood, and roasted meats.

We tried a variety of dishes, such as braised duck, salt and pepper squid, yang chow fried rice, and other best sellers from vegetables, fish, chicken, to pork.

The essence of authenticity shines through in every aspect, preserving its original flavor through generations, allowing one to savor its true essence even as time passes.

But we were not done yet. And for the last stop, the souvenir shop, Eng Bee Tin, sells the famous hopia and is known for its innovative flavors, such as custard, cheese, mocha, and even tikoy.

One day is not enough to fully enjoy and experience everything Binondo has to offer. There are numerous other places waiting to be explored and learned more about their signature Filipino-Chinese cuisines.

to

Isabela Governor Rodolfo Albano III (left) watching Isabela’s future chefs at work

Fresh Chinese Lumpia at Polland

One of the best sellers at Sincerity Café and Restaurant is their Fried Chicken.

Amah Kitchen’s Kuchay, a Chinese empanada bursting with pork, mushrooms, tofu, chives, and vegetables.

Sincerity Café and Restaurant’s Kikiam

The Flora Fruta Gelato Fizz of Tumauini

The Deget Sakay Luta of Dinapigue The Sabangan Quencher of Dinapigue The Patumanok Inihaw of Santiago City.

The Seafood Meatballs in Laing of Luna

IN PRAISE OF CULTURAL WORKERS

BY PABLO A. TARIMAN

Concert presenter Richard Sy-Facunda (wearing white shirt) with artists

Cultural Workers: The men and women behind the Performing Artists

By Pablo A. Tariman

SOME 33 years ago, in 1991, Presidential Proclamation 683 declared the month of February as the country’s National Arts Month “to celebrate the artistic excellence and pay tribute to the uniqueness and diversity of the Filipino heritage and culture.”

All over the art world, performing artists are the most talked about and the most glorified.

But where would they be without their parents who sacrificed for them and the special patrons who come to their rescue at certain points in their careers?

Where would they be without the cultural workers who make sure the performers have an audience and the venue?

Have you heard of artists starving during the pandemic when the theaters closed for more than 3 years?

Unsung heroes

CULTURAL workers are unsung heroes who make the impossible doable even if they themselves are in the same dire situation as the artists.

Always on hand to give their support for the arts, cultural workers have lent their time, effort, and resources

to provide a public platform for performing artists.

The Science City of Muñoz in Nueva Ecija has become synonymous with live cultural attractions not found in other big cities. Its Vice-Mayor Nestor L. Alvarez has spearheaded classical music concerts for more than 20 years.

More than 173 kilometers from Manila, the Science City of Muñoz has become the oasis of the performing arts, with frequent visits of Ballet Philippines, Philippine Ballet Theater, Ballet Manila, the Philippine Philharmonic and an array of distinguished soloists among them Romanian violinist Alexandru Tomescu, prizewinner of the Paganini competition and the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition.

It was Alvarez who spearheaded the city’s first live concert after the long COVID-19 lockdown, featuring prize-winning young violinist Jeanne

Marquez with pianist Dingdong Fiel.

He has likewise invited world-class pianist Cecile Licad more than four times. In one concert, there was no less than a compliment of a symphony orchestra who traveled to Muñoz all the way from Manila.

In almost all his concert productions, Alvarez is able to gather an audience consisting of not just town executives, teachers and civil servants but farmers and fisherfolks as well.

Some audiences came on foot and on tricycles or pickup trucks normally used to ferry loads of palay, the city’s main produce.

In the past, the good mayor even provided financial aid to cover vehicle rental and gas so that people from as far away as Barangay Curba—some 14 kilometers from the venue—could watch the concerts.

For this reason, Munoz Vice-Mayor Nestor Alvarez along with Mayor

SCIENCE City of Muñoz Vice Mayor Nestor Alvarez congratulating a ballerina of the Philippine Ballet Theater during an outreach concert

Baby Armi L. Alvarez are worthy of the cultural award from the country’s cultural institutions.

Tough times

BEFORE and after the pandemic, Richard Sy-Facunda was associated with intimate concerts at the Manila Pianos showroom in Makati City.

His series began in the last quarter of 2019 with several musicians among them pianist Dingdong Fiel and flutist Immanuel Nico Dioneda in an evening of French music for flute and piano.

In March 2020 with the theaters closed during the pandemic and live music making on hold, Facunda knew that performing artists were in for tough times.

“One of the goals we set for the creation of the artist series was to bridge the gap for performers and performance venues,” he said.

Facunda added: “For the musicians, I found a disparity between the established ones and the majority who, in spite of their innate talent, wouldn’t have enough resources to book a concert venue such as the CCP, Ayala Museum or the other commercial venues.  Much like a flour sifter, the holes are too big and these musicians are left playing in community brass bands or worse shifting to non-music related jobs just to make ends meet. The pandemic of course made it a lot worse. Musicians were left without gigs – weddings, birthdays, fiestas and the like. Some even resorted to selling their musical instruments.”

From concert series, he also endeavored to host masterclasses. “We started the masterclasses when Alexander Tchobanov came to visit Manila. Since the Covid cases were low, we were allowed by the building to have more people on the floor.  Normally, we

would record chamber music without an audience and that would be limited to about 3 to 4 pax.  The feedback from the music community was astounding. One teacher told me that since it has been two years since any masterclass was done face-to-face, students readily grab these opportunities.”

He is not just a one-man concert presentor. He records with his own equipment, mixes and produces the final master video and design the posters from his own photoshoot.”

With good results in the last three years, he derives fulfillment from the artists extremely happy to be able to make music and see live audiences after the pandemic.

For him, making money out of what he does is out of the question.  “I see this more as an apostolic mission rather than a business venture.  There are a lot of things that have to improve in the arena of classical music in the

Philippines. The way that classical music is recorded, the way musicians come up with their programs and even the quality of pianos being used for performance. A lot of things can stand improvement,” he said.

Strong cultural ally

LAST February 8, Zenaida “Nedy”

Tantoco passed away. She was 77.

She is CCP trustee for more than 19 years and is the head of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Society, Inc. On top, she was opera impresario for many years.

Newly installed CCP president Michelle Nikki Junia defined her fruitful 19 years as CCP trustee and unwavering love for arts and culture.

She recalled that Tantoco planned several fundraising efforts to help the CCP resident companies. She also raised funds for purchase of new musical instruments and repairs for aging ones.

Tantoco was instrumental in bringing the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) to the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York.

As opera impresario, she helped mount Rossini’s Barber of Seville, Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore (The Elixir of Love) in 2017, Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor in 2020, and Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot in 2022, among others.

Concluded the CCP president: “The CCP and the arts community grieve the loss of a strong ally of cultural endeavors and promoting artistic excellence. May her soul rest in peace and rise in glory.”

Tenor Arthur Espiritu remembered the opera producer thus: “After the opening night, she gave me a wonderful barong as a gift with a personal note. She told me, ‘I hope you will enjoy this little token of my appreciation for your great performance. It’s good quality barong and will last you for a while.’ It was great to see her in that motherly role.”

To Ms. Tantoco, the tenor said: “Thank you for being the mother to most of us musicians.”

Licad was in a state of shock when she heard of Tantoco’s demise. Her message: “Rest in peace to this great lady I fondly call Tita Nedy.  This action lady will be missed by so many who she had touched so deeply. Absolutely no words to describe her! I will think only of happy times with my very dear friend who inspired me in so many ways.”

For once, let’s remember the cultural workers like Tantoco who did a lot in improving Manila’s cultural landscape.

Muñoz City Vice Mayor Nestor Alvarez with Cecile Licad during an outreach concert in Nueva Ecija

Tenor Arthur Espiritu with the late Nedy Tantoco during a press conference for Lucia di Lammermoor

The late Nedy Tantoco with former Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) president Margie Moran Floirendo and the cast of a 2022 presentation of Turandot

IBy Pablo A. Tariman

FIRST met pianist Cecile Licad at the Cagsawa Church Ruins in Daraga, Albay one day in August of 1975 when she was only 14 and I was 26.

That was the year she performed at the St. Agnes Academy in Legazpi City.

On the night I first heard her Ravel’s Sonatine with a PNR train hooting in the nearby railroad track, I also got married to her music.

It’s been 48 years since I met her in Albay and here I am, a 75-year old music fan, suddenly reflecting on our first meeting forty-eight years ago.

I recall that I was carried away by the performance of a then 14-year-old Licad that I made a radio program out of that recorded performance on a cassette in one radio station.

My first Licad interview came out on the front page of the BicolChronicleand that recorded performance would always begin and end my day in Albay. (Now I am in frantic search of that Jurassic cassette which probably perished along with my first cellphone the size of a short bond paper.)

What were the highlights of those 48 years of life listening to her music?

FAMILY LIFE

I was able to monitor not just her music but her personal life as well.

I got to meet her (ex) husband, Brazilian cellist Antonio Meneses (gold medalist in the Tchaikovsky Competition) and I toured them not just in Manila but in Bacolod, Zambales, Tagaytay and Cebu, among others.

I have a ringside view of her as a mother and I remember attending a CCP rehearsal of a Tchaikovsky concerto with her carrying a stroller and

Scenes from 6 decades of Cecile Licad’s art & life

feeding bottles for her young Otavio.

When Otavio was ten, he was our pre- and post-concert entertainer. Relaxing with me with beer after her Mom’s engagement, he could regale us with his own brand of one-man shows. He would mimick another pianist play Variations on a Theme by Paganini, he could mimic a rich music patron’s delicate walk and all and yes, even his own Mom and the former first lady and even me!

In one outreach concert in Dumaguete City, her lola, Mrs. Rosario B. Licad, had stomach ache after our hearty lunch of seafood in Cebu. In the dead of night, I scoured Dumaguete’s streets looking for a drug store.

Next day in Dumaguete, another drama unfolded on the day of the concert in the level of dramatic exchanges in the films “Black Swan” and “Turning Point.”

Cecile didn’t like the huge Steinway grand that sounded like a harpsichord and I again went out looking for substitute piano in the houses of well-off music lovers. None exists but two would have sufficed but owners insisted not all my big music connections would make her say yes to the piano leaving their beautiful abodes.

When I returned to the theater, Cecile was doing some ironing of the inside part of the piano. “Pablo,” she insisted. “This piano won’t just work. My fingers are close to bleeding but no sound would come out. I guess you just have to cancel the concert.”

This led to a near bloody exchange between the music department head and the pianist.

Otavio’s grandma, Mrs. Rosario Licad, turned to the pianist and implored, “Cecile, “ Maawa ka namankay(Have pity on) Pablo. Think of the tickets Pablo will reimburse. Concert is almost sold out.”

The pianist gave me another look and she was probably alarmed. I looked like it was my last day

on earth. “Okay Pablo. So, there is nothing we can do. I will agree to perform only if you do this: Make a polite speech before the concert asking the school to buy a good piano after this concert. I don’t know how you will put this but tell them I am performing on a bad piano.”

I was composing a speech just a few hours before the concert and thanks to the Divine Providence, the concert went well, bad piano and all. It turned out the piano was kept in a bodega with leaking roof for many months.

MOST DRAMATIC OUTREACH CONCERT

I was witness to countless standing ovations in Cebu, Bacolod, Legazpi City, Davao City (courtesy of impresario Margie Moran Floirendo), Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Tagaytay, and Tuguegarao City among others.

One of my last outreach concerts with her was probably the most dramatic.

Held in this resort near the birthplace of Emilio Aguinaldo, the concert preparations went well with Cecile telling me, “Pablo, how did you find this excellent venue?”

She rehearsed while I rearranged the seats for patrons and regular ticket buyers.

With a good venue and a good piano courtesy of Ray Sison’s ROS Music Center, Cecile said she’d take a good rest and then asked me to knock at her room two hours before performance.

But as the pianist was resting, I heard the sound of fire trucks.

What I didn’t realize was that the venue that I prepared earlier was on fire.

My panic was not so much on the venue as on the thought of a Bosendorfer piano costing millions perishing in that fire.

The most relaxed face that day was the piano owner, the flutist-piano dealer who told me to relax as the piano was insured anyway.

Fire was temporarily contained but we could no longer use the venue.

With a concert happening in two hours, I inspected an alternative venue, found it good enough and we started moving and re-arranging chairs.

Presidential daughter (now presidential sister) Irene M. Araneta wondered how the concert could happen with fire trucks all over the place.

I breathed deeply and told myself: I can’t panic.

When I went to Cecile’s room, she knew something was wrong with my nearly ashen face. But I managed to tell, “’Cile, you are performing in another venue?”

“What? | she exploded. “What happened to the venue you prepared?”

“It was partially damaged by fire Cale,” I muttered.

“Pablo, I cannot just perform anywhere. Can I

be heard in that new venue?”

“I tested the acoustics Cale. It’s not bad. But Ray (Sison) said the was better than the damaged venue.”

Cecile let out a deep breath and said, “Okay, let’s go and let’s check the theater.”

Probably to sooth a tense and nervous concert organizer and an equally nervous audience, Cecile gave it everything she had. After Chopin’s Polonaise Fantasie in A Flat and Grand Polonaise Brilliante, the audiences were beside themselves with excitement. The new venue allowed them to be just a few feet away from the piano.

What we didn’t realize (again) was that something would happen in the middle of the fiery “Dante” sonata by Liszt. It was a piece that—in some sections—conjured images of inferno.

It was a hair-raising performance that elicited several standing ovations and endless encore pieces.

What we didn’t know was that the partially damaged venue was again on fire and threatening the adjacent alternative venue.

This was no way to end a standing ovation but after the autograph-signing, the audiences fled to safety.

Rustan’s Nedy Tantoco led Cecile to her car while I worry about paid tickets for music lovers who didn’t show up thinking the whole event didn’t take place because of the fire.

“That must be your most dramatic outreach concert,” Cecile told me as we settled on this business class plane accommodation on our way to another outreach concert in Cebu. I asked her to sign a picture with her and my granddaughter who witnessed her first fiery concert, literally speaking.

THREE CONCERTS

I last toured Licad in 2018 with three concerts in Iloilo City (at Nelly Garden, Molo Church and SM Iloilo Cinema), Science City of Munoz (Nueva Ecija), Baguio City and Roxas City.

Those 48 years observing the Licad life were first-rate music-making all the way.

I saw her human side as well, her vulnerability as a mother and how she transforms life’s pains into pieces of sounds in the realm of magnificence.

I remember her writing to my granddaughter on the cover of her book, “Tanya, I hope you take over your Lolo and present me in a concert at age 102.”

(In observance of Women’s Month, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in association with the Office of Sen. Loren Legarda will present Cecile Licad with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under Grzegorz Nowak in an invitational concert at the Manila Metropolitan Theater on Tuesday, Mar. 19. Program consists of Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2.)

Multi-awarded concert pianist Cecile Licad

ON THE WAY TO AN OUTREACH CONCERT. Cecile Licad with the late National Artist for Film Marilou Diaz Abaya and Pablo Tariman at the Loakan airport in Baguio City

Cecile Licad with the departed: columnist Conrad de Quiros and poet Kerima Tariman, daughter of Pablo Tariman

First encounter in Legazpi City, Albay in 1975: Cecile Licad with Pablo Tariman (front, center) with Rebustillo and Napay families at Cagsawa Church Ruins

Cecile Licad with granddaughter and writer Babeth Lolarga in Baguio City