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A broader look at today’s business n

Sunday, July 10, 2022 Vol. 17 No. 275

P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 12 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK

O, SCAM O

By VG Cabuag

ALL YE FAITHFUL

F all the mistakes a man or a woman can commit, falling victim to a scam is probably the most regrettable, especially when huge life savings are involved.

One big reason for the deep sense of regret—sometimes bordering on self-hate—is the “voluntary” nature of the act, because one was a direct participant in a transaction where the predator used trust to manipulate the victim into taking the tragic step to perfidy.

That trust that one gave is lost and promises shattered right in one’s face by the scammers.

It is this nature of giving trust to someone that could hurt the most, such as the R and L Investments Inc., which lost P700 million worth of client shares after a clerk who had access to codes on the stocks carted away the money.

There is also the Estrada-era Best World Resources Corp. scam, where regulators may have been involved in illegal trade transactions involving stocks of the then

listed firm.

Another is Kapa investment scam, a religious company accused by regulators of duping 5 million people who all gave in to the promise of a 30-percent monthly return on investment for life.

Too good to be true

IF something is too good to be true, then it’s not true, as the saying goes, but many, perhaps driven by the desire to earn more the easy way possible, are still being victimized.

There are many more like these types of schemes, hundreds even. But the main element of falling victim to a scam is that it preys on the instinctive folly that every human has. Greed!

“The promise of huge returns is intrinsic,” according to Zeb, who fell victim to a financing scam.

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 55.9090

He was gypped of some P30,000 in cash that he himself withdrew from an ATM to give to the scammers, who promised a return of P7,000 over a short period of time.

“It is incumbent for the regulator to provide a platform. Savings and time deposit does not attract anymore. And the monetary policy is too late. It is too behind the curb,” he said.

Regular deposits nowadays can only earn just 1 percent in interest a year, but the banks can earn double, and keeping it in bonds will just earn the money a low single-digit rate of return.

No government data is available on how many were duped one way or another by con artists that use so many types of tactics. It could be most of the population.

But the scammers’ scheme did not change or have not evolved too much over the years.

How it all started

EVEN Eve, of the Adam and Eve story in the Holy Bible’s Old Testament, had tricked Adam into eating the forbidden fruit that led them to be banished from the Garden of Eden.

Eve, when confronted by God, said she was tricked by the serpent.

Was the story of the first scam of humankind, using the pyramid scheme, created by the devil himself?

Even to this day, the most popular type of scam being used is the Ponzi scheme, named after Charles Ponzi, an Italian-born swindler, who operated in the 1920s in the US and Canada.

Ponzi promised investors a 50-percent return within a few months for what he claimed was an investment in international mail coupons. He paid them at first, and then in the succeeding payouts, he used funds from new investors to pay fake returns to earlier investors.

Ponzi scheme organizers often promise high returns with little or no risk. Instead, they use money from new investors to pay earlier investors and pocket the rest of the money.

The pyramid that they build will have to eventually collapse as it grows bigger since it has no sound foundation to begin with, and they were stashing away the money and spending it immediately.

His firm was named Securities and Exchange Co. or SEC. Ironically, the same acronym used by many corporate regulators these days tasked to guard and protect the public against fraudsters.

Today, the Philippine SEC, or the Securities and Exchange Commission, has been educating the public on how not to fall prey to these con artists.

Evolution to sophistication

“FRAUDSTERS have become more creative to confuse the public as to the nature of their activities. While investment scams have taken the form of primarily Ponzi schemes or those promising high returns with different variations, they have masked such schemes with either new or complex business models and concepts such as cryptocurrency trading, foreign exchange trading, and even franchising,” SEC said in response to the BusinessMirror’s queries “Other scams offer compensation plans with incentives for recruitment or referrals, commodity futures trading, contracts for difference, binary options trading, foreign exchange swaps, cryptocurrency trading, advance fee fraud and affinity fraud,” it said.

The SEC said they have seen an increase in the proliferation of investment scams during the pandemic.

Scam cases for prosecution

AS of the end of 2021, at least 375

individuals are being prosecuted before regional trial courts, charged in 56 cases with violation of the Securities Regulation Code and in three cases for violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

The SEC admits that anonymity on the Internet has made it easier than ever for an individual or company to operate a scheme, stop that scheme as soon as authorities flag it, and start another one under a different name.

Many scammers are getting away with their schemes and worse, they can return to the same fraudulent acts after some months of lying low from the authorities to even victimize more.

Cryptocurrency and bitcoin trading, which is still unregulated— and the prices of which can skyrocket but can immediately fall much faster—complicated matters.

Virtual currencies were recently legalized and cryptocurrency exchanges are now regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Bitcoin and other virtual currencies, however, are still not recognized by the BSP as a legal currency since it is neither issued nor guaranteed by a central bank.

Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4110 n UK 67.2250 n HK 7.1245 n CHINA 8.3427 n SINGAPORE 39.9208 n AUSTRALIA 38.2362 n EU 56.8315 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.8936

Source: BSP (July 8, 2022)

FEODORA CHIOSEA | DREAMSTIME.COM

SEC logs an uptick in fraud cases in the pandemic, aggravated by human greed, ignorance, and blind faith.

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A2 Sunday, July 10, 2022

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The next frontier for drones: Letting them fly out of sight

By Matt O’Brien & Nathan Ellgren

R

The Associated Press

EMINGTON, Virginia—For years, there’s been a cardinal rule for flying civilian drones: Keep them within your line of sight. Not just because it’s a good idea—it’s also the law.

But some drones have recently gotten permission to soar out of their pilots’ sight. They can now inspect high-voltage power lines across the forested Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia. They’re tracking endangered sea turtles off Florida’s coast and monitoring seaports in the Netherlands and railroads from New Jersey to the rural West.

Aviation authorities in the US and elsewhere are preparing to relax some of the safeguards they imposed to regulate a boom in offthe-shelf consumer drones over the past decade. Businesses want simpler rules that could open your neighborhood’s skies to new commercial applications of these lowflying machines, although privacy advocates and some airplane and balloon pilots remain wary.

Special permits to fly

FOR now, a small but growing group of power companies, railways and delivery services like Amazon are leading the way with special permission to fly drones “beyond visual line of sight.”

As of early July, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had approved 230 such waivers—

one of them to Virginia-based Dominion Energy for inspecting its network of power plants and transmission lines.

“This is the first step of what everybody’s expecting with drones,” said Adam Lee, Dominion’s chief security officer. “The first time in our nation’s history where we’ve now moved out into what I think everyone’s expecting is coming.”

That expectation—of small drones with little human oversight delivering packages, assessing home insurance claims or buzzing around on nighttime security patrols—has driven the FAA’s work this year to craft new safety guidelines meant to further integrate drones into the national airspace.

How useful could they be?

THE FAA said it is still reviewing how it will roll out routine operations enabling some drones to fly beyond visual line of sight, although it has signaled that the permissions will be reserved for commercial applications, not hobbyists.

“Our ultimate goal is you shouldn’t need a waiver for this process at all. It becomes an accept-

ed practice,” said Adam Bry, CEO of California drone-maker Skydio, which is supplying its drones to Dominion, railroad company BNSF and other customers with permission to fly beyond line of sight.

“The more autonomous the drones become, the more they can just be instantly available anywhere they could possibly be useful,” Bry said.

Part of that involves deciding how much to trust that drones won’t crash into people or other aircraft when their operators aren’t looking.

Other new rules will require drones to carry remote identification—like an electronic license plate—to track their whereabouts.

And in the aftermath of Russia’s war in Ukraine—where both sides have used small consumer drones to target attacks—the White House has been pushing a parallel effort to counter the potential malicious use of drones in the US. At a gas-fired plant in Remington, Virginia, which helps power some of Washington’s suburbs, a reporter with The Associated Press watched in June as Dominion Energy drone pilots briefly lost visual line of sight of their inspection drone as it flew around the backside of a large fuel tank and the top of a smoke stack.

That wouldn’t have been legally possible without Dominion’s recently approved FAA waiver.

And it wouldn’t have been technically possible without advancements in collision-avoidance technology that are enabling drones to fly closer to buildings.

Previously, “you would have to

IN this undated photo provided by Dominion Energy Services in Virginia, a drone takes off to inspect the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind installation. The US Federal Aviation Administration is working to relax some aviation rules to allow some drone operators to fly their machines out of their line of sight. COURTESY OF DOMINION ENERGY SERVICES VIA AP

DOMINION Energy drone operators prepare to fly a drone to inspect areas of a power plant in Remington, Virginia, on June 8, 2022. AP/NATHAN ELLGREN

erect scaffolding or have people go in with a bucket truck,” said Nate Robie, who directs the drone program at Dominion. “Now you can go in on a 20-minute flight.”

The freedom of flight

NOT everyone is enthused about the pending rules. Pilots of hot air balloons and other lightweight aircraft warn that crashes will follow

if the FAA allows largely autonomous delivery drones the right of way at low altitudes.

“These drones cannot see where they are flying and are blind to us,” said a June call to action from the Balloon Federation of America.

Broader concerns come from civil liberties groups that say protecting people’s privacy should be a

bigger priority.

“There is a greater chance that you’ll have drones flying over your house or your backyard as these beyond-visual-line-of-sight drone operations increase,” said Jeramie Scott, a senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center who sat on the FAA’s advisory group working to craft new drone rules. “It’ll be much harder to know who to complain to.”

EPIC and other groups dissented from the advisory group’s early recommendations and are calling for stronger privacy and transparency requirements—such as an app that could help people identify the drones above them and what data they are collecting.

“If you want to fly beyond visual line of sight, especially if you are commercial, the public has a right to know what you’re flying, what data you are collecting,” said Andrés Arrieta, director of consumer privacy engineering at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “It seems like such a low bar.”

O SCAM, ALL YE FAITHFUL Continued from A1

Don’t be duped

IT is in these gray areas that scammers thrive, manipulating people to invest in some shady instrument they are unfamiliar with.

There is no way to prevent fraudsters from doing what they do best—duping people. But the SEC laid out some of the red flags that people should watch out for when dealing with investment companies: One, the company is not registered with the SEC and has no license or permit to offer and sell securities, has unknown managers and has no physical office; Two, it promises high or ridiculously high rates of return or

there is guaranteed payment of returns at no risk; Three, they abuse one’s lack of knowledge on new concepts like blockchain technology, smart contracts and cryptocurrency; Four, initial payouts are not an assurance of the legitimacy of the scheme or payout is always late.

They let you reinvest or roll over your investment for a bigger payout later on; Five, the company makes you recruit agents or grants incentives for recruiting other members or offers cryptocurrency like a product in direct selling or multi-level marketing; Six, some companies claim they allegedly use autoboots, or the

boot or load is being performed automatically by a computer, to trade in the cryptocurrency market. But in many cases this is not the case; And seven, there are entities that promise huge payouts by creating or mining cryptocurrency using their allegedly advanced or sophisticated computer system or mining rigs. This is a false claim.

In conclusion, the SEC said: “The commission likewise advises the public to be vigilant and conduct their due diligence prior to transacting or dealing with any entity, and to avoid transacting with corporations or entities without any registration or license to do business in the Philippines in order to avoid losing their earnings.”

The World

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

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Sunday, July 10, 2022

A3

Natural gas soars 700%, becoming driving force in the new Cold War

A container ship after unloading wheat in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on June 29. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Bloomberg

Putin’s media blitz on Africa food crisis sparks alarm in Europe

By Antony Sguazzin, Alberto Nardelli & Megan Durisin

E

uropean governments have been alarmed by a Russian disinformation campaign that seeks to deflect criticism that President Vladimir Putin’s war with Ukraine risks leaving millions of people in Africa facing famine.

Russian diplomats have gone on a media offensive in recent months to push the narrative that sanctions, rather than Russian blockades, are causing shortages of grains and fertilizer in Africa. The public-relations onslaught shows how the months-long war in Ukraine is becoming a global propaganda battle as food, fuel and crop-nutrient prices surge. EU and UK officials who’ve recently met their African counterparts at meetings in New York and Rwanda expressed concern that the Russian message is gaining traction, said senior European diplomats who asked not to be identified. In response, European governments are increasing their engagement with leaders on the continent and boosting their own information campaigns to counter the Russian narrative, the diplomats said.

A senior European intelligence officer said the Kremlin had manufactured the debate as a means to get sanctions lifted and was intent on using the threat of global hunger as a bargaining tool in any future peace talks. Moscow has focused much of its influence operations on Africa and the Middle East, the official said.

No link

The US and EU haven’t sanctioned any Russian agricultural products and say there’s no link between penalties on Moscow and grain or fertilizer exports from Russia or Ukraine.

That’s not stopped Russian embassy officials across Africa from placing the blame for the crisis on the west. Recent examples include Russia’s ambassador to Djibouti posting a graphic on Twitter accusing the EU of lying about gas and food shortages, while a Russian diplomat in South Africa wrote an editorial in the Mail & Guardian newspaper entitled “The Russian embassy rejects accusation of ‘provoking global famine’ spread by Western propaganda.”

Social media campaigns have amplified their messages, with Facebook pages parroting Kremlin talking points in French, targeting West African nations including Mali and Ivory Coast, according to Moustafa Ayad, executive director for Africa, the Middle East and Asia at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a London-based think tank that analyzes online disinformation. Online conspiracy communities in South Africa have also been targeted, he said.

The head of the United Nations World Food Program, David Beasley, said Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports was a “declaration of war” on global food security, with 49 million people in 43 countries facing famine.

“Since the Ukraine war began, the price of food and fuel has risen dramatically in countries around the world,” he said June 24. “Now, millions may starve.”

Global food prices surged to a record after Russia’s February 24 invasion disrupted exports of grain and vegetable oil through Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, adding to cost pressures from logistics snarl-ups and a rebound in consumer demand after the coronavirus pandemic. That’s exacerbated a hunger crisis affecting countries including Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

While Ukraine and its US and European allies blame Russia for blocking exports and Moscow points the finger at Kyiv, UN-sponsored talks have so far failed to yield a compromise to resume deliveries.

Before the war, Russia and Ukraine accounted for three-quarters of global sunflower-oil exports, about 30 percent of wheat and 15 percent of corn, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Shortages of grains have driven up prices, with global benchmarks for wheat and corn rising 22 percent and 12 percent respectively this year.

“The crisis is caused by Russia. Without that invasion we wouldn’t be in the situation we are in,” said Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa. “The price shock is inescapable and that is directly related to the war.”

Food costs account for 40 percent of consumer spending in sub-Saharan Africa, compared with 17 percent in advanced economies.

In 2020, Africa imported $4 billion of agricultural products from Russia, with 90 percent of that being wheat, while $2.9 billion of wheat, corn, sunflower oil, barley and soy came from Ukraine, according to Sihlobo. FAO data shows that Eritrea and Somalia were almost entirely dependent on Russia and Ukraine for their wheat supplies last year, while Tanzania, Namibia and Madagascar relied on them for more than 60 percent of supplies.

Russian and Ukrainian harvests and exports have surged in the past decade and farmers in the region typically produce at lower costs than more traditional suppliers like Canada and the US, which has helped to keep wheat prices lower. Their proximity to North Africa also reduces shipping costs versus suppliers further afield.

Part of Russia’s propaganda effort has been to amplify statements by African officials that can be seen as supportive of Russia’s argument. After African Union President Macky Sall met Putin for talks June 3 in the resort town of Sochi, Sall said sanctions had exacerbated the food crisis.

“Anti-Russia sanctions have made this situation worse and now we do not have access to grain from Russia, primarily to wheat,” Sall said. “And, most importantly, we do not have access to fertilizer. The situation was bad and now it has become worse, creating a threat to food security in Africa.”

Colonial legacy

Russia can draw on its historical role of having supported liberation movements in parts of Africa during the wars and struggles against colonial and Whites-only rule—backing that helped the former Soviet Union undermine the US and Europe as part of its Cold War strategy to gain influence in Africa. By contrast the UK and France, as former colonial powers, still attract suspicion.

“What we have seen are narratives focused very precisely on how the US is orchestrating this conflict along with NATO in order to starve the globe,” Ayad said. “Colonialism has to be taken into account with African disinformation. That’s what the Kremlin is counting on: calling out Western states rather than the Kremlin as an imperial force.”

The danger is “very big” that Putin will attempt to establish a narrative that the West is responsible for the famine threatening Africa, German foreign ministry spokeswoman Andrea Strasse said June 3. “This is a narrative that we want to strongly resist,” she said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said last week at the Group of Seven leaders summit in the Bavarian Alps that he will announce measures in September to intensify the “fight against disinformation.” At a press conference, he referred to Russia’s efforts to link the food crisis to sanctions as “fake news.”

The Russian propaganda campaign is also getting under the skin of the Americans.

“The Russian government’s attempts to deflect responsibility for its actions by blaming others for the worsening crisis in the global food system are reprehensible,” the US State Department said in a June 22 statement entitled ‘Lying to the World About Global Food Security.’ “The Russian government should stop weaponizing food and allow Ukraine to safely ship out its grain so that millions of hungry people in the Middle East and Africa can be fed.”

With assistance from Matthew Hill, Olivia Solon, Daniel Zuidijk, Katarina Hoije, Fasika Tadesse, Henry Meyer, Amy Thomson, Helen Nyambura and Samy Adghirni/Bloomberg

O

By Gerson Freitas Jr, Stephen Stapczynski & Anna Shiryaevskaya

ne morning in early June, a fire broke out at an obscure facility in Texas that takes natural gas from US shale basins, chills it into a liquid and ships it overseas. It was extinguished in 40 minutes or so.

No one was injured.

It sounds like a story for the local press, at most—except that more than three weeks later, financial and political shockwaves are still reverberating across Europe, Asia and beyond.

That’s because natural gas is the hottest commodity in the world right now. It’s a key driver of global inflation, posting price jumps that are extreme even by the standards of today’s turbulent markets—some 700 percent in Europe since the start of last year, pushing the continent to the brink of recession. It’s at the heart of a dawning era of confrontation between the great powers, one so intense that in capitals across the West, plans to fight climate change are getting relegated to the back burner.

In short, natural gas now rivals oil as the fuel that shapes geopolitics. And there isn’t enough of it to go around.

It’s the war in Ukraine that catalyzed the gas crisis to a new level, by taking out a crucial chunk of supply. Russia is cutting back on pipeline deliveries to Europe— which says it wants to stop buying from Moscow anyway, if not quite yet. The scramble to fill that gap is turning into a worldwide stampede, as countries race to secure scarce cargoes of liquefied natural gas ahead of the northernhemisphere winter.

The new oil?

Germany says gas shortfalls could trigger a Lehman Brotherslike collapse, as Europe’s economic powerhouse faces the unprecedented prospect of businesses and consumers running out of power. The main Nord Stream pipeline that carries Russian gas to Germany is due to shut down on July 11 for ten days of maintenance, and there’s growing fear that Moscow may not reopen it. Group of Seven leaders are seeking ways to curb Russia’s gas earnings, which help finance the invasion of Ukraine—and backing new LNG investments.

And poorer countries that built energy systems around cheap gas are now struggling to afford it.

“This is the 1970s for natural gas,” says Kevin Book, managing director at ClearView Energy Partners LLC, a Washington-based research firm. “The world is now thinking about gas as it once thought about oil, and the essential role that gas plays in modern economies and the need for secure and diverse supply have become very visible.”

Nat u r a l g a s u se d to b e a sleepy commodity that changed hands in fragmented regional markets. Now, even though globalization appears to be in retreat across much of the world economy, the gas trade is headed in the opposite direction. It’s g loba l i zi ng fa st—but m aybe not fast enough.

Many countries have turned to natural gas as part of a transition

to cleaner energy, as they seek to phase out use of dirtier fossil fuels like coal and in some cases nuclear power too. Major producers—like the US, which has quickly risen up the ranks of LNG exporters to rival Qatar as the world’s biggest—are seeing surging demand for their output. Forty-four countries imported LNG last year, almost twice as many as a decade ago. But the fuel is much harder to shift around the planet than oil, because it has to be liquefied at places like the Freeport plant in Texas.

And that’s why a minor explosion at a facility seen as nothing special by industry insiders—it’s not the biggest or most sophisticated of the seven terminals that send LNG from American shores— had such an outsized impact.

‘The current crisis’

Gas prices in Europe and Asia surged more than 60 percent in the weeks since Freeport was forced to temporarily shut down, a period that’s also seen further supply cuts by Russia. In the US, by contrast, prices for the fuel plunged almost 40 percent—because the outage means more of the gas will remain available for domestic use.

There were already plenty of signs of extreme tightness in the market. War and Covid may be roiling every commodity from wheat to aluminum and zinc, but little compares to the stomachchurning volatility of global gas prices. In Asia, the fuel is now about three times as expensive as a year ago. In Europe, it’s one of the main reasons why inflation just hit a fresh record.

Natural gas remains cheaper in the US—but even there, futures had more than doubled this year before the Freeport shutdown.

With key political allies from Germany to Ukraine desperate to buy American gas, US manufacturers warn that more sales abroad will mean higher costs at home. The market reaction to the Freeport fire illustrates a “clear connection between LNG exports and the inflationary impacts to domestic prices for natural gas and electricity,” says Paul Cicio, president of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America. To meet all the new demand will require a massive wave of investment in supply. That’s already under way, and it got a boost at last week’s meeting of the Western world’s biggest economies, where G-7 leaders vowed to back public investments in gas projects—saying they’re “necessary in response to the current crisis.”

Among the urgent infrastructure needs: Export facilities: The rush for LNG is accelerating projects in North America and beyond.

Last month, Cheniere Energy Inc. greenlighted a terminal expansion in Texas. In April, a Canadian LNG

Forty-four countries imported LNG last year, almost twice as many as a decade ago. Asim Hafeez/Bloomberg

project backed by Indonesian tycoon Sukanto Tanoto got the go-ahead to begin construction. In Qatar, Exxon Mobil Corp. and Shell Plc are among energy giants with stakes in a $29 billion project to boost LNG exports. “You have global gas prices so high that they incentivize the signing of new long-term contracts,” says Samantha Dart, head of natural gas research at Goldman Sachs. “We are seeing those announcements coming left and right, with a lot of US proposed liquefaction facilities.”

Import terminals: In Europe, plans for about 20 terminals have been announced or sped up since the Ukraine war began. Germany, which has no LNG terminals, has allocated about $3 billion to charter four floating ones and connect them to the country’s network. The first one is supposed to go online around the end of this year.

Emphasizing the need for speed, Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck pointed out that Tesla Inc. managed to build a factory near Berlin in just two years, and said it’s time to cut through German red tape. “First, dig the trench where the pipe is to go in,” he said. “Then, the permit comes.”

China, the world’s top LNG buyer last year, is in the midst of one of the largest buildouts the industry has ever witnessed. Ten new import terminals are slated to come online in 2023 alone, and capacity will roughly double in the five years through 2025, according to BloombergNEF. Pipelines: Even with more capacity to receive shipments of LNG and turn it back into gas form— a process known as regasification—Europe lacks infrastructure to move it where it might be needed. Spain, for example, has Europe’s biggest regasification facilities—but it only has two pipeline connections to France via the Pyrenees, capable of carrying little more than one-tenth of those volumes, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

Tankers: Shipyards in South Korea, where most of the world’s LNG tankers are built, are seeing a surge in orders that’s leaving them short of skilled labor.

They’ve been forced to look outside the country to places like Thailand for welders, electricians and painters, raising their quotas for migrant workers.

In some cases, all of this means a U-turn away from policies aimed at combating climate change—especially in Europe. Governmentbacked lenders like the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction

and Development, which had been focused on financing renewable energy, have signaled a shift and said they’re now more willing to back gas projects. But Europe’s breakneck efforts won’t be enough, according to Bloomberg Intelligence, which calculates that LNG imports could meet 40 percent of the region’s gas needs by 2026— double last year’s figure, but still far short of the volumes that Russia has been supplying.

‘Never more evident’

That’s why warnings of a gasdriven slump in Europe’s economies are escalating.

Last week, Germany’s government said it’s in talks to bail out utility Uniper SE, which is losing some 30 million euros ($31 million) a day because it has to cover the missing Russian gas at soaring spot-market prices.

Companies like chemicals giant BASF SE say they may have to cut output. Deutsche Bank cited growing risks of an “imminent German recession on the back of energy rationing,” and pointed to soaring power prices in Italy and France too. Morgan Stanley predicted the whole euro area will be in a downturn by year-end.

For some emerging economies—which increasingly have to compete with rich countries like Germany in bidding for LNG cargoes, as gas goes global—the consequences have already been disastrous.

In Pakistan, which built its energ y system on cheap LNG, planned blackouts are plunging regions into darkness during the sweltering summer months.

Shopping malls and factories in major cities have been ordered to shut early, and government officials are working shorter hours.

Thailand is curbing LNG imports due to surging prices, potentially putting the country at risk of fuel shortages. Myanmar, which is grappling with political instability, stopped all LNG purchases late last year when prices started to rally. India and China have also cut back imports. “ W he re o nc e n at u r a l g a s markets were largely regionally siloed, we now have a globalized spot market that has connected the world’s exposure to the fuel that has become critical to many economies,” said James Whistler, Singapore-based managing director at Vanir Global Markets, an energy and environmental brokerage. “This has never been more evident than in the past few months.” Bloomberg News

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Sunday, July 10, 2022

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Yellowstone ruinous floods reveal forecasting flaws in warming world

By Matthew Brown & Amy Beth Hanson

B

The Associated Press

ILLINGS, Mont.—The Yellowstone National Park area’s weather forecast the morning of June 12 seemed fairly tame: warmer temperatures and rain showers would accelerate mountain snow melt and could produce “minor flooding.” A National Weather Service bulletin recommended moving livestock from low-lying areas but made no mention of danger to people.

By nightfall, after several inches of rain fell on a deep spring snowpack, there were record-shattering floods.

Torrents of water poured off the mountains. Swollen rivers carrying boulders and trees smashed through Montana towns over the next several days. The flooding swept away houses, wiped out bridges and forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 tourists, park employees and residents near the park.

As a cleanup expected to last months grinds on, climate experts and meteorologists say the gap between the destruction and what was forecast underscores a troublesome aspect of climate change: Models used to predict storm impacts do not always keep up with increasingly devastating rainstorms, hurricanes, heat waves and other events.

“Those rivers had never reached those levels. We literally were flying blind not even knowing what the impacts would be,” said Arin Peters, a senior hydrologist with the National Weather Service.

Hydrologic models used to predict flooding are based on longterm, historical records. But they do not reflect changes to the climate that emerged over the past decade, said meteorologist and Weather Underground founder Jeff Masters.

“Those models are going to be inadequate to deal with a new climate,” Masters said.

A not her e x t reme we at her event where the models came up short was Hurricane Ida, which slammed Louisiana last summer and then stalled over the Eastern Seaboard—deluging parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York with unprecedented ra infa l l t hat caused massive flooding.

The weather service had warned of a “serious situation” that could turn “catastrophic,” but the pre-

dicted of 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 centimeters) of rain for New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania was far short of the 9 to 10 inches (23 to 25 centimeters) that fell.

The deadly June 2021 heat wave that scorched the Pacific Northwest offered another example.

Warmer weather had been expected, but not temperatures of up to 116 degrees (47C degrees) that toppled previous records and killed an estimated 600 or more people in Oregon, Washington state and western Canada.

T he s u r pr i s e Ye l lo w stone f loods prompted a nighttime scramble to close off roads and bridges getting swept away by the water, plus rushed evacuations that missed some people. No one died, somewhat miraculously, as more than 400 homes were damaged or destroyed.

As rock slides caused by the rainfall started happening in Yellowstone, park rangers closed a heavily used road between the town of Gardiner and the park headquarters in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming. It later washed out in numerous places.

The rain and snowmelt was “too much too fast and you just try to stay out of the way,” Yellowstone Deputy Chief Ranger Tim Townsend said.

If the road hadn’t been closed, “we probably would have had fatalities, unquestionably,” park Superintendent Cam Sholly said.

“The road looks totally fine and then it’s like an 80-foot drop right into the river,” Sholly said.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland was scheduled to visit Yellowstone Friday to survey the damage and ongoing repairs.

Within a matter of hours on June 12, Rock Creek, which runs through the city of Red Lodge and normally is placid and sometimes just ankle deep, became a raging river. When the weather service

issued a flood warning for the creek, the water already had surged over its banks and begun to knock down bridges.

By the time the warning was sent, “we already knew it was too late,” said Scott Williams, a commissioner for Carbon County, Montana, which borders Yellowstone.

Red Lodge resident Pam Smith was alerted to the floods by something knocking around in her basement before dawn. It was her clothes dryer, floating in water pouring through the windows.

Smith says her partner keeps track of the weather on his computer and they were aware rain was coming and that the creek was running high. But they were not aware of flooding threat when they went to bed the night before, she said.

In a scramble to save belongings including her violins, the music teacher slipped on the wet kitchen floor and fell, shattering a bone in her arm. Smith recalls biting back tears and trudging through floodwaters with her partner and 15-year-old granddaughter to reach their pickup truck and drive to safety.

“I went blank,” Smith said. “I was angr y and like, ‘W hy didn’t a ny body w a r n u s? W hy w a s there no knock on the door? Why didn’t the police come around and say there’s f looding, you need to get out?’”

Local authorities say sheriff ’s deputies and others knocked on doors in Red Lodge and a second community that f looded. But they acknowledged not everyone was reached as numerous rivers and streams overflowed, swamping areas never known previously to flood.

While no single weather event can be conclusively tied to climate change, scientists said the Yellowstone flooding was consistent with changes already documented around the park as temperatures warm.

Those changes include less snowfall in mid-winter and more spring precipitation—setting the stage for flash floods when rains fall on the snow, said Montana State University climate scientist Cathy Whitlock.

Warming trends mean spring floods will increase in frequency—even as the region suffers from long-term drought that keeps much of the rest of the year dry, she said.

Masters and other experts noted that computer modeling of storms has become more sophisticated and is generally more accurate than ever. But extreme weather by its nature is hard to predict, and as such events happen more frequently there will be many more chances for forecasters

to get it wrong.

The rate of the most extreme rainstorms in some areas has increased up to a factor of five, Masters said. So an event with a 1 percent chance of happening in any given year—commonly referred to as a “one in 100-year” event—would have an approximately 5 percent chance of happening, he said.

“We are literally re-writing our weather history book,” said University of Oklahoma Meteorology Professor Jason Furtado.

That has widespread implications for local authorities and emergency officials who rely on weather bulletins to guide their disaster response approaches. If they’re not warned, they can’t act.

But the National Weather Service also strives to avoid undue alarm and maintain public trust.

So if the service’s models show a only a slim chance of disaster, that information can get left out of the forecast.

Weather service officials said the agency’s actions with the Yellowstone flooding will be analyzed to determine if changes are needed. They said early warnings that river levels were rising did help officials prepare and prevent loss of life, even if their advisories failed to predict the severity.

Computer-based forecasting models are regularly updated to account for new meteorological trends due to climate change, Peters said. Even with those refinements, events like the Yellowstone flooding still are considered lowprobability and so often won’t make it into forecasts based on what the models say is most likely to occur.

“It’s really difficult to balance that feeling that you’ve got that this could get really bad, but the likelihood of it getting really bad is so small,” Peters said. He added that the dramatic swing from drought to f lood was hard even for meteorologists to reconcile and called it “weather whiplash.”

To better communicate the potential for extreme weather, some experts say the weather service needs to change its forecasts to inform the public about low probability hazardous events. That could be accomplished through more detailed daily forecasts or some kind of color-coded system for alerts.

“We’ve been slow to provide that information,” North Carolina State University atmospheric scientist Gary Lackmann said. “You put it on people’s radars and they could think about that and it could save lives.”

Hanson reported from Helena, Montana.

Mega coal-fired plants undermine South Africa’s emissions pledge

By Paul Burkhardt

I

n the rolling hills of South Africa’s Mpumalanga province, hundreds of builders, welders and engineers are putting the final touches to a gigantic new power station that’s set to burn as much as 15 million tons of coal a year until it is eventually shuttered in 2073.

The 4,800-megawatt, dr y-cooled Kusile plant and the almost identical Medupi facility, which was completed last year, will be key to meeting demand for energy in a countr y that’s been plagued by rolling blackouts since 2008.

Environmentalists however caution that their continued operation will be a major impediment to South Africa meeting its commitment to eliminating greenhouse gas emissions on a net basis by 2050.

“It absolutely doesn’t make any sense to invest in mega coal-fired power stations in the face of a climate crisis when we should be focusing on a just transition to renewable energy,” said Melita Steele, interim program director for Greenpeace Africa, whose members chained themselves to Kusile’s entrance gates more than a decade ago to try and halt its construction.

Kusile and Medupi, owned by state power utility Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., have been plagued by labor unrest, mismanagement and equipment defects from the outset, resulting in a succession of delays that have exacerbated electricity shortages. Both plants were approved in 2007 and were scheduled to be completed within eight years at a total cost of 163 billion rand ($10 billion). The likely final price tag has since ballooned to about 464 billion rand,

including interest costs during construction.

Eskom has meanwhile accumulated 396 billion rand of debt, stemming mainly from its funding of the new generating capacity, and it depends on state bailouts to survive because it doesn’t generate enough income to cover its operating and interest costs.

Decommissioning its two newest plants early or pulling the plug on Kusile’s last units due to become commercially operational by 2024 would add to its financial woes, and it would in all likelihood fall to the government to make up for any forfeited revenue.

“Most of the work is done,” and Kusile’s limited output is already benefiting the country, Zandi Shange, Eskom’s general manager for projects, said on a tour of the plant near the town of Delmas, about 107 kilometers (66 miles) east of Johannesburg, as beeping trucks offloaded coal behind her.

Almost 20,000 workers were employed at the plant at the peak of the construction period, but that number has fallen by more than three-quarters as the last of its six units near completion, she said.

While Kusile, which means “the dawn has come” in the Ndebele and Siswati languages, is the country’s first plant to be fitted with a flue gas desulphurization unit that reduces its sulfur dioxide output, Greenpeace and other environmental rights groups have estimated it will still emit 36.8 million tons of carbon dioxide a year. It will also produce vast quantities of ash, mounds of which were seen piled up next to the plant. Eskom said its license only requires it to report on particle emissions, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide and it doesn’t have other accurate figures.

Bloomberg News

European lawmakers gather to vote at the European Parliament on Wednesday, July 6, 2022 in Strasbourg, eastern France. European Union lawmakers back plan to include natural gas, nuclear energy as sustainable activities AP/Jean-Francois Badias

EU lawmakers back natural gas, nuclear energy as sustainable

By Samuel Petrequin & Raf Casert The Associated Press

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RUSSELS—European Union lawmakers voted Wednesday to include natural gas and nuclear in the bloc’s list of sustainable activities, b a c k i n g a p r o p o s a l f r o m t h e E U ’s executive arm that has been drawing fierce criticism from environment groups and now looks set to trigger legal challenges.

As the EU wants to set the best global standards in the fight against climate change, the decision could tarnish the bloc’s image and question the region’s commitment to reaching climate neutrality by 2050.

The European Commission earlier this year made the proposal as part of its plans for building a climate-friendly future, dividing member countries and drawing outcry from environmentalists over what they criticize as “greenwashing.”

EU legislators from the environment and economy committees objected last month to the plan, setting up Wednesday’s decisive vote in Strasbourg, France. But MEPs rejected their resolution in a 328278 vote, with 33 lawmakers abstaining.

The result was announced to a salvo of applause.

An absolute majority of 353 was needed to veto the proposal. If the European Parliament and member countries don’t object to it by July 11, the so-called Taxonomy delegated act will enter into force and apply as of next year.

Greenpeace immediately said it will submit a formal request for internal review to the European Commission, and then take legal action at the European Court of Justice if the result isn’t conclusive. “ I t ’s d i r t y p o l i t i c s a n d i t ’s a n outrageous outcome to label gas and nuclear as green and keep more money flowing to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s war chest, but now we will fight this in the courts,” said Ariadna Rodrigo, Greenpeace’s EU sustainable finance campaigner.

European Parliament rapporteur Bas Eickhout rued “a dark day for the climate and the energy transition.”

The green labeling system from the European Commission defines what qualifies as an investment in sustainable energy. Under certain conditions, gas and nuclear energy will now be part of the mix, making it easier for private investors to inject money into both.

With the EU aiming to reach climate neutrality by 2050 and to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030, the commission says the classification system is crucial to direct investments into sustainable energy. It estimates that about 350 billion euros of investment per year will be needed to meet the 2030 targets.

The question of nuclear power has divided environmentalists, energy experts and governments for years, with some arguing it’s an important source of energy because it’s produced with no emissions and thus “clean,” while others say the risks of nuclear reactions are too great and infrastructure is slow and costly to build.

Liquid natural gas, clearly a fossil fuel, is roundly criticized in environmental circles.

Germany’s industrial lobby group BDI welcomed the vote, saying it cleared the way for financing the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.

“Gas is our bridge technology to the renewable age,” said its deputy head, Holger Loesch.

The BDI called for more investments

in gas infrastructure, including LNG terminals, to ensure sufficient supply amid the current energy crisis, but added that new gas power plants need to be capable of handling hydrogen eventually.

Introducing gas and nuclear into the equation has divided the 27 member countries amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, and even the parliament’s political groups.

L u x e m b o u r g ’s e n e r g y m i n i s t e r, Claude Turmes, said he deeply regretted the European Parliament’s failure to bloc the commission’s plan, adding that his country—together with Austria—would move ahead with legal efforts to block the labeling of nuclear and gas as sustainable.

Steffen Hebestreit, a spokesman for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said that “the German government stands by its position and considers nuclear energy as unsustainable.”

“Nevertheless, the German government believes that the taxonomy is an important instrument for achieving climate protection targets, because it is clear that natural gas is an important bridging technology for us on the way to CO2 neutrality and the inclusion of the use of natural gas in the delegated act takes this into account,” Hebestreit added.

Protests that had started on Tuesday continued Wednesday outside the EU legislature as lawmakers debated the issue.

Environmentalists warned the vote could set a precedent for lawmakers elsewhere to label polluting forms of energy as sustainable.

“We have now officially validated greenwashing by law,” said Tsvetelina Kuzmanova of the climate think tank E3G. “The process and the decision have been entirely political, not scientific, to only benefit a small number of member states,” she said. “This would not stand a chance in court and will only create more uncertainty for financial markets and jeopardize (the) EU’s climate ambition.”

The youth activist group Fridays for Future said billions of euros could be pumped into gas infrastructure and nuclear power plants as a result of the decision, diverting much-needed funds from renewable alternatives.

One argument for rejecting the proposal is that it will boost Russian gas sales at a time when it is invading neighboring Ukraine, but the European Commission said it had received a letter from the Ukrainian government backing its stance.

European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness quoted from the letter from Ukraine’s energy minister Tuesday: “I strongly believe that the inclusion of gas and nuclear in the taxonomy is an important element of the energy security in Europe, especially with a view to replacing Russian gas.”

“I don’t think we should second-guess this letter,” McGuinness said.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has prompted the 27-nation bloc to sever ties with some Russian fossil fuels. Member countries have agreed to ban 90 percent of Russian oil by year-end in addition to a ban on imports of Russian coal that will start in August.

But the EU hasn’t included gas—a fuel used to power factories and generate electricity—in its own sanctions for fear of seriously harming the European economy.

Before the war in Ukraine, it relied on Russia for 25 percent of its oil and 40 percent of its natural gas.

Frank Jordans and Kirsten Grieshaber contributed to this report from Berlin.

Science Sunday

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

BusinessMirror

Sunday, July 10, 2022

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Make-roscope: This keychain is a microscope

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By Lyn B. Resurreccion

HIS ‘tita’ wanted her young nephews and nieces to increase their interest in science. So she bought them toy microscopes as Christmas gifts to give them the experience of looking through the instrument to see small objects that they couldn’t with their naked eyes.

But the cost of a microscope, albeit a toy, that could magnify even just an ant or the details of a leaf, has left her purse empty.

Thus, one could just imagine that the purchase of one will surely cause a big dent on the budget of an ordinary Filipino household.

However, there is good news. Lowcost but powerful Make-roscope Keychains are now being made available to students.

Thanks to the invention of Jeremy de Leon, founder of JereMake, the home of Make-roscope Keychains, and a graduate of Manufacturing Engineering from Mapua Institute of Technology.

What’s more, the idea is now a reality through the support of Technology Application and Promotion Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-TAPI).

Scrutinize the smallest unit of life

Microscopes are instruments that allow the enlargement of small objects, like the smallest unit of life—the cell—through images that are very useful to scrutinize,

said Jund Rian A. Doringo in a DOST-TAPI news release.

Used in schools for students to learn biology, or in standard research laboratories, microscopes are a staple to better understand the existing minute life that is not seen by the naked eye.

As the whole world shifted to online learning since the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, certain tools, such as microscopy, were limited to videos, pictures and online simulations in schools.

Make-roscope Keychains is born

Inventor de Leon took this predicament to innovate a single-lens keychain microscope designed to be placed on top of the front facing camera of a smartphone or tablet, the DOST-TAPI news release said.

Called Make-roscope Keychains, the innovation became a brilliant, low-cost alternative to an expensive light compound microscope, Doringo said in the news release.

“Make-roscope Keychains can magnify samples from 265 to even 400 times,” de Leon was quoted in the DOST-TAPI news release.

Make-roscope was able to fulfill the need to develop this kind of technology in the market for the students, in particular, especially with the vision of JereMake to provide Make-roscope to every Filipino student.

Affordable tool for quality education Jeremy de Leon, the inventor of Make-roscope Keychains and founder of JereMake, shows the low-cost and powerful science tool that can magnify samples from 265 to 400 times. It is designed to be placed on top of the front facing camera of a smartphone or tablet. DOST-TAPI photos

DOST-TAPI support

Realizing Make-roscope’s technical and commercial viability, the DOST-TAPI funded its pilot production, including the acquisition of raw materials, assembly and packaging, distribution and testing from governing bodies.

The institute gave it a grant of P123,150 under its InventionBased Enterprise Development (IBED) Program, Mirielle Vacal of DOST-TAPI told the BusinessMirror in reply to an e-mail interview.

The project duration is seven months after it was approved by DOST-TAPI in December 2021, Vacal added.

Under the program, the DOSTTAPI has made the provision of Make-roscopes possible to target schools, organizations and institutions in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

De Leon said in the JereMake web site that they celebrated the Make-roscope Initiative 2022 last April 13 for being able to distribute 1,000 keychain microscopes all over the country.

The web site identified the student organizations in a high school and 10 universities from northern Luzon to Mindanao where Make-roscopes were dis-

tributed.

“We were amazed in the outputs of each group [of students]. They appreciated science even if they have no laboratory. Students will use it in their research or thesis, and will conduct events to show its [Make-roscope’s] effectiveness,” de Leon said in Filipino.

Available through online shopping

“ U n til t he projec t end s or while stocks last, Make-roscope is available on [online shopping vendor] through the JereMake page,” Vacal explained.

Checked by the BusinessMirror, the online shopping site sells it at P399 a piece.

JereMake web site also said the starter kit costs P199 but it is already out of stock.

Vacal ex plained that JereMake is “currently improving the product based on initial reviews from those who bought from the online shop or those who have taken part in the Make-roscope initiative.”

What’s more “the commercial model will soon be available to more online vendors and partner bookstores all over the Philippines,” Vacal added.

3 new partners will make DOST’s Starbooks improved, more accessible

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he 11th anniversary of Starbooks, or the Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly-Operated Kiosk Stations, of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) was highlighted with the signing of memoranda of agreement (MOA) with three new partners for its continued and improved services to more students all over the country.

Director Richard P. Burgos of DOSTScience and Technology Information Institute (DOST-STII), whose institute manages Starbooks, signed the MOA for DOST at the ceremony held at the Philippine International Convention Center on June 24.

The signatories for new partners were Dr. Franz de Leon, director of DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI); Albert Ramos, president of Indang Cavite Highlands 103 Lions Club; and Fahri Burak Aydogdu, country director of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (Tika).

Starbooks to other institutions.

Meanwhile, Tika will provide solarpowered computer units with kiosks to identified beneficiary schools and shoulder their delivery expenses.

It shall also co-organize activities with DOST-STII to promote STEM education, such as virtual training workshops or webinars; and promote the use and benefits of Starbooks to other institution.

Tika is installing Starbooks units in Palawan and Mindanao.

Aydogdu said in his keynote message that when he checked the National Economic and Development (Neda) Plan National Priority Plan, the listing of Starbooks stood out for him.

He said the pandemic saw the fundamental role of the digital world owing to the health protocols. But with low Internet (82 percent) and cell phone (76 percent) access of Filipino households as surveyed in 2019, “Starbooks is up for the challenge” for students’ education because it is designed not dependent on Internet connection and on electricity being solar powered.

Digitized S&T resources

Starbooks, the first Philippine Science Digital Librar y, is an interface that contains thousands of digitized science and technology resources. It aims to create interest in the field of science and technology to be able to increase the number of Filipinos enrolling in S&T courses.

Burgos said it has been installed in more than 5,800 sites nationwide. It provides access to DOST’s library collection to remote areas without Internet or electricity.

Burgos added that the Department of Education has adopted Starbooks, which will be preloaded on all computers and gadgets in the regions.

Deployment of LokaLTE, RuralCasting

Its MOA will have the DOST-ASTI make the Starbooks resources available through LokaLTE and RuralCasting to selected pilot grade schools and high schools.

It will also facilitate the deployment of both LokaLTE and RuralCasting in selected schools and RuralCasting in strategic

‘Brings science to the people’ The DOST signs MOA with three new partners for a more developed and wider-reached Starbooks. Signing the agreements are (from left) Director Franz de Leon for DOST-ASTI, Director Richard P. Burgos for DOST-STII, Country Director Fahri Burak Aydogdu for Tika and President Albert Ramos for Indang Cavite Highlands 103 Lions Club. Lyn B. Resurreccion households in relation to the selected schools; and train local IT personnel and staff, from DOST Regional Offices, who will manage the maintenance of the LokaLTE, RuralCasting, and the Starbooks resources.

De leon said in his message that both the DOST-STII and DOST-ASTI, through the projects Starbooks and Resilient Education Information Infrastructure for the New Normal (REIINN), demonstrate their continuous commitment to provide information and connectivity to geographically isolated schools and communities through technology-based interventions.

He said DOST-ASTI has already broke ground for two sites for REIINN LokaLTE base stations in Tanay, Rizal, and Castillejos, Zambales, and is hoping to add

two more sites within 2022 “By reinforcing this partnership, we are taking another significant step to achieving our shared goal of improving the state of infrastructure, education, resilience, and overall quality of life in the country,” de Leon added.

Sponsorships, solar-powered computers

The Indang Cavite Highlands 103 Lions Club, for its part, shall introduce Starbooks to Lion’s Club’s Regional sectors and club governors for possible sponsorships of Starbooks-enabled computers to chosen beneficiary communities or schools.

It shall also co-organize activities with DOST-STII to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and the use and benefits of

Then-Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña said during the event that Starbooks “brings science to the people.”

He said that with the geographically isolated areas in the country, Starbooks has become a feature and a good tool in schoolchildren’s learning on S&T, especially in the blended educational system during the pandemic since 2020 when they have to study from home.

It has also attracted support from private corporations for their corporate social responsibility, he pointed out.

He confirmed that “it is one of the projects of DOST that has been consistently included in the National Priority Plan of the Neda.”

Starbooks’ anniversary celebration was made more eventful with the announcement of Civil Service Commission Director Margarita Reyes last weekend that it won the Presidential Lingkod Bayan regional competition, Burgos said in his Facebook account.

Lyn B. Resurreccion

Market-driven innovation

“Make-roscope is not just a technical solution to a problem but a market-driven innovation, which we advocate in the institute,” said DOST-TAPI Director Atty. Marion Ivy D. Decena.

Decena pointed out that being technically and commercially viable alone may not be enough for a sure-hit commercialization, but finding the right market for the innovation is just as important.

“By simply taking a leap of faith by trusting DOST-TAPI, Makeroscope is on its way to entering a new journey toward commercialization,” Decena was quoted in the news release said.

Besides the financial assistance, DOST-TAPI has been instrumental in JereMake’s networking and building partnerships with other private companies.

“The institute’s comprehensive programs are vital to starting inventors and innovators because we don’t have much reputation in the industry. Yet DOST-TAPI puts a lot of trust in our innovations that, slowly, through that trust we gained credit in the field,” de Leon pointed out.

Together w ith DOST-TA PI,

It also anchors on the JereMake’s advocacy to provide an affordable tool for quality education, especially in public schools for free.

“Adopt this product, raise our quality of education, improve the knowledge of our children without shelling out a lot of money because Make-roscope works,” de Leon said in the news release.

Students need to experience things to be able to fully appreciate learning, particularly in the microscopic world as they might need to see a cell, for example, to understand how it actually works.

De Leon said in the JereMake web site that he was initially surprised with the intuitive response of the students with Make-roscope because when they first tried it, they needed a learning curve to get used to it.

However, when they had access to microscopic specimens or samples, they were able to get f irst-ha nd e x per ience of basic microscopy and have integrated the experience with their academics.

Make-roscope Keychains is not just a novelty device or a hobby tool but an educational tool that can be compared to the likes of school supplies, the news release said.

“As we expect Make-roscope to be placed and seen in the local market, we offer programs of assistance in materializing this vision and in making this happen,” Decena said.

Sequenced genome of 3 mango species for use to improve ‘carabao’ mango

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he genomes of three mango species—Indian mango (Mang ifera indica), “pahutan” (Mangifera altissima) and “kwini” or Saipan mango (Mangifera odorata)—were successfully sequenced in a project led by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB).

According to Project Leader Dr. Eureka Teresa M. Ocampo of UPLB the genome sequences will be used in developing molecular markers for the target traits of “carabao” mango, such as resistance to pests and diseases.

Funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD), the project also reported the assembly of two of the three targeted genomes.

A genome refers to the complete set of DNA in an organism.

The DOST-PCAARRD and UPLB have been partners in previous projects in developing mango hybrids, including the improvement of the competitiveness of carabao mango in the local and international markets.

It included the recent 6.5-year program, “Enhancing Competitiveness of Philippine ‘Carabao’ Mango through Varietal Improvement,” that was funded by the DOSTPCAARRD with a total budget of P33 million.

It aims to identify molecular markers associated with red blush, thick peel and resistance to fruit fly and anthracnose through genotyping by sequencing technology.

It also aims to develop hybrids that may have the target traits singly or in combination with the other intended traits.

The current project used nextgeneration sequencing and annotated the Single Nucleotide Polymor-

A researcher is sequencing the genomes of three mango species. DOST-PCAARRD photo

phisms produced from the genotype by sequencing data to assemble the whole genome sequences of the targeted mango species.

The project team partnered with the DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute to access the High Performance Computing facility of the Computing and Archiving Research Environment to store the data generated from the project.

The annotated genome sequences of the three mango species were already uploaded to the National Center for Biotechnology Information for data curation.

Through the project, four project staff and BS Agricultural Biotechnology students were trained on bioinformatics.

The project was recently reviewed in a virtual project review joined by project team members from UPLB; S&T Consultant Dr. Ma. Anita M. Bautista of UP Diliman; and DOST-PCAARRD Crops Research Division staff led by Renelle C. Yebron, section head of Program Management and Evaluation, Project-based Information System, and Ma. Cecilia S. Alaban manager for mango of Industry Strategic Science and Technology Program. Danica

Louise C. Sembrano, Ma. Cecilia S. Alaban/S&T Media Services

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Sunday, July 10, 2022

Faith

Sunday

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

1-M Muslims attend hajj pilgrimage

M the world.

ECCA, Saudi Arabia—It is a scene that stirs hope—and relief—for Muslims around

One million pilgrims from across the globe amassed on Thursday in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to perform the initial rites of the hajj, marking the largest Islamic pilgrimage since the coronavirus pandemic upended the annual event—a key pillar of Islam.

The hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime duty for all Muslims physically and financially able to make the journey, which takes the faithful along a path traversed by the Prophet Muhammad some 1,400 years ago.

Pilgrims spend five days carrying out a set of rituals intended to bring them closer to God. That includes praying around the cube-shaped Kaaba, the holiest shrine in Islam.

At the center of the Grand Mosque’s courtyard on Thursday, thousands of unmasked pilgrims circled the Kaaba.

The crowds, visibly thinner than usual, moved counter-clockwise around the granite building in a blur, their hearts tilting toward the structure meant to symbolize the oneness of God in Islam.

Wherever they are in the world, observant Muslims face the Kaaba to pray daily.

Pilgrims appeared to throw Covid-19 caution to the wind this year as they thronged the Grand Mosque—in sharp contrast to the

social distancing and mask requirements of the past two years.

But there were still signs of v igilance. Ty pically, worshippers would fight the crowds for a chance to touch and kiss the black stone on the Kaaba’s eastern corner, but the government banned this practice for the third year.

Saudi authorities also distributed bottles of water from the holy Zamzam well instead of allowing pilgrims to drink from cups at the mosque. Thousands of medical workers were on hand to assist those in need.

This year, the hajj is open to just 1 million foreign and domestic pilgrims who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, tested negative for Covid-19 and are between 18 and 65 years old.

Authorities estimate 85 percent have arrived from abroad.

While this year’s attendance is far below the pre-pandemic influx of 2.5 million pilgrims, it represents a significant step closer to normal after the kingdom restricted the event to a small number of Muslim residents for the past two years.

The ritual was almost scrapped in its entirety in 2020, when as few as 1,000 residents were permitted to take part. Some 60,000 residents attended last year.

The unprecedented restrictions

In this photo taken with low shutter speed, Muslim pilgrims circumambulate around the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on July 6. Muslim pilgrims are converging on Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca for the largest hajj since the coronavirus pandemic that started in early 2020 severely curtailed access to one of Islam’s five pillars. AP/Amr Nabil

sent shockwaves through the Muslim world and devastated many believers, who often save up and wait for years to make the pilgrimage.

A lthough no longer in the shadow of the pandemic, this hajj is taking place amid Russia’s war on Ukraine—a conflict that may be thousands of miles from the homes of many Muslims but has sent the prices of staple foods soaring and spread misery across the world.

This year’s hajj also showcases de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s latest efforts to loosen social restrictions and transform the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia officially began allowing women to perform the hajj without a male guardian, or “mahram,” last year.

The hajj in Islam is meant to be a great equalizer and unifier among Muslims. Pilgrims wear simple clothing: For men, it’s typical to wear a white draping garment, while women wear conservative dress and headscarves, forgoing makeup, nail polish and perfume to draw closer to God. But even Mecca cannot escape the world’s wealth gaps: The wellheeled may pay some $3,000 a night for five-star hotels overlooking the Kaaba.

For most people, however, the pilgrimage means sleeping in simple accommodations or on the ground around the mosque to perform daily prayers ahead of the hajj.

With many more people applying to perform the hajj each year than the kingdom can accommodate, the Saudi government controls the flow of visitors through annual quotas based on each nation’s Muslim population.

T he v isa reg u l at ions have grown stricter after deadly incidents in recent years. In 2015, several thousand pilgrims were crushed to death in a stampede.

This year, those quotas were sharply reduced. Indonesia sent just over 100,000 people, the world’s largest contingent. The US sent over 9,500 citizens.

Shiite powerhouse Iran, Saudi Arabia’s regional foe that in 2016 barred its citizens from making the pilgrimage amid an escalating sectarian rivalry, sent 39,000, less than half of its attendance in 2019.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s special envoy for the hajj did not receive a visa because he is over 65, Iranian media reported.

As tensions eased between the rivals amid regional negotiations and a ceasefire in Yemen, hajj officials from the countries met last month for the first time in years.

A lthough the pandemic is far from over, with hundreds new infections a day in the kingdom, the government is glad of the inf lux. The event is a critical source of prestige and tourism for Saudi Arabia. AMR NABIL and ISA-

BEL DEBRE/Associated Press

Ilocos prelate to Marcos: ‘Do not fail them’

Archbishop Marlo Peralta of Nueva Segovia. COURTESY OF PAUL PETER VALDEPEÑAS

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C atholic archbishop called on newly swornin President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. not to fail the people, especially those who supported him.

Archbishop Marlo Peralta of Nueva Segovia in Ilocos Sur, in a Radio Veritas interview, urged Marcos to prioritize public welfare above everything in his administration.

“Please, Mr. President, do not fail them,” Peralta said, “especially those who are struggling ever y day to meet the needs of their families.”

“I pray that you’re always aware that the majority of the Filipino people are poor and they look up to you to uplift their lives,” he said.

The archbishop also assured his prayers for the success of the Marcos administration.

“With sincerity and good will, I pray that you’ll succeed in your presidency,” Peralta added.

Marcos h a i l s f r o m I l o c o s Norte having previously ser ved as its governor, vice governor and congressman. CBCP NEWS

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast on July 16

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Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama greets Hollywood actor Richard Gere (left) as he leaves after inaugurating a museum containing the archives of the institution of the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala, India, on July 6. Exile Tibetans also celebrated their spiritual leader’s 87th birthday on the same day. AP/Ashwini Bhatia

Dalai Lama marks 87th birthday by opening library and museum

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HARAMSHALA, India— Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama marked his 87th birthday on July 6 by inaugurating a library and museum in his hillside Indian headquarters.

He was cheered by a large number of followers, including American actor Richard Gere, a longtime disciple.

Hundreds of schoolchildren, monks and local residents prayed for the Dalai Lama‘s health and life at Tsuglakhang Temple near his residence.

The Dalai Lama Library and Museum contain artifacts, his teachings and books on his life and struggle for Tibetan autonomy and protection of its native Buddhist culture.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Dalai Lama by phone and wished him well on his birthday.

“C o nv e y e d 8 7t h b i r t hd ay greetings to His Holiness the @ DalaiLama over phone earlier

today. We pray for his long life and good health,” Modi said in a tweet.

This is the second time Modi has publicly confirmed speaking with the Dalai Lama since becom i ng pr i me m i n ister i n 2014. The acknowledgment is significant amid deteriorating ties between India and China, wh ic h doesn’t recog n i ze t he self-proclaimed Tibetan government-in-exile and accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking to separate Tibet from China.

The Dalai Lama has made the hillside town of Dharamshala his headquarters since f leeing from Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

India considers Tibet to be part of China, though it hosts Tibetan exiles.

The Dalai Lama denies being a separatist and says he only advocates substantial autonomy and protection of Tibet’s native Buddhist culture ASHWINI BHATIA/Associated Press

he feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, celebrated on July 16, was first instituted in the late 14th century in commemoration of the approval of the rule of the Carmelite Order a hundred years earlier.

A religious community was established even before the time of Christ on Mount Carmel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea on which the prophet Elijah successfully challenged the priests of Baal and won the people to the true God. The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel entered the Calendar of the universal Church in the early 18th century.

Although there is no historical evidence for the pre-Christian Carmelite community, references in the 12th century record a community of monks on the holy mountain.

Despite continual difficulties, the community built a monastery and church dedicated to the Virgin Mary on Mount Carmel in 1263.

Saint Louis, King of France, had visited Mount Carmel in 1254, and brought back six French hermits for whom he built a convent near Paris.

Mount Carmel was taken by the Muslims in 1291, and the brothers were killed and the convent burned.

The spread of the Carmelites in Europe is largely attributable to the work of Saint Simon Stock (1247-1265). The Carmelite Order was formally approved in 1274 at the Council of Lyon.

Brown scapular

The brown scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, according to the Carmelite tradition, was presented by Our Lady to St. Simon Stock, the then Father General on

The enrollment is made only once by a priest or authorized person. The scapular can be replaced afterwards by a medal, which has on one side the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and on the other, the image of Mary.

What the scapular stands for?

The image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Quezon City. Lyn B. Resurreccion

July 16, 1251.

Our Lady gave St. Simon a scapular for the Carmelites with the following promise, saying: “Receive, My beloved son, this habit of thy order: this shall be to thee and to all Carmelites a privilege, that whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire....It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger, and a pledge of peace.”

Another important aspect of wearing the scapular is the Sabbatine Privilege. This concerns a promise made by Our Lady to Pope John XXII. In a papal letter he issued, he recounted a vision that he had had.

He stated that the Blessed Virgin had said to him in this vision, concerning those who wear the brown scapular: “I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on the Saturday after their death and whomsoever I shall find in Purgatory, I shall free, so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life everlasting.”

Many popes and saints have strongly recommended wearing the brown scapular to the

Catholic faithful.

Pope Pius XII said: “The scapular is a practice of piety, which by its very simplicity is suited to everyone, and has spread widely among the faithful of Christ to their spiritual profit.”

In our own times, Pope Paul VI said: “Let the faithful hold in high esteem the practices and devotions to the Blessed Virgin...the rosary and the scapular of Carmel” and in another place referred to the scapular as: “so highly recommended by our illustrious predecessors.”

According to Church tradition, there are three conditions necessary to participate in this privilege and share in the other spiritual benefits of the scapular—wear the brown scapular, observe chastity according to your state in life, and pray the rosary.

In add it ion to t he Sabbatine Pr iv ilege, enrol lment in the brown scapular also makes a person part of the Carmelite family throughout the world.

They, therefore, share in all of the prayers and good works of the Carmelite Orders.

n The scapular stands for a commitment to follow Jesus, like Mary, the perfect model of all the disciples of Christ. This commitment finds its origin in baptism. n It leads into the community of Carmel, a community of religious men and women, which has existed in the Church for over eight centuries. n It reminds of the example of the saints of Carmel, with whom it establishes a close bond as brothers and sisters. n It is an expression of the belief that the bearers of the scapular will meet God in eternal life, aided by the intercession and prayers of Mary.

Carmelites insist that the scapular is not: n A magical charm to protect someone; n An automatic guarantee of salvation; n An excuse for not living up to the demands of the Christian life.

It is a sign for

It is instead a sign which has been approved by the Church for over seven centuries and which stands for the decision to: n Follow Jesus like Mary; n Be open to God and to His will; n Be guided by faith, hope, and love; n To pray at all times; n To discover God present in all that happens around us.

Catholic News Agency.com

Biodiversity Sunday BusinessMirror

Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014

Sunday, July 10, 2022 A7

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Saving the world from plastics I

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

be used as materials for bags.

“The native bags and bayong can be environment-friendly alternatives to single-use plastics, which have already been proven damaging to our coastal and marine ecosystems and, subsequently, to our health,” Lim explained.

“Moreover, in my experience supporting community-based and biodiversity-based livelihoods, the production of these alternatives to single-use plastics have also provided income to communities that can protect the wild resources and harness the raw materials effectively,” she added.

Lim cited the materials pataga and sarakat in Baggao, Cagayan, the bakong in Sta. Teresita and the banig in Basey, Samar.

n celebration of the International Plastic Bag Free Day on July 3, the group BAN Toxics (BT) organized an event at Frisco Market in Quezon City to raise public awareness on the plastic crisis in the Philippines.

The event, which aims to promote the use of environment-friendly bags instead of single-use plastic bags or sando bags, saw volunteer mothers and “BT Patrollers” showcasing different reusable and eco-friendly bags made of natural materials, such as bamboo, rattan, pandan, coconut and palm leaves, and recycled ones like textiles and katsa, to encourage the public to switch to reusable alternatives.

Global concern Global plastic production surged from 2 million tons in the 1950s to more than 438 million tons in 2017, a trend that is expected to continue, according to BAN Toxics, Around 400 million tons of plastic waste produced per year has encouraged the creation of a new plastics treaty during the recent United Nations Environment Assembly to address the world’s problem with plastic overproduction and overconsumption, the group noted.

In the Philippines, plastic pollution is one of the biggest waste problems.

According to BAN Toxics in 2015, the country produced 2.7 million tons of plastic waste annually, ranking the country as the third-largest plastic waste producer in the world.

Tip of the iceberg The use of single-use plastic bags, or sando bags, is just the tip of the iceberg.

Thony Dizon, Toxics Campaigner at BAN Toxics said the focus of the campaign is on single-use plastic bags that are commonly used in public markets.

“Environment-friendly reusable

bags are available. Our campaign aims to convince the public to shift to bayong, basket, or recycled old clothing when they buy in the market to address plastic pollution,” Dizon told the BusinessMirror in a telephone interview on July 3.

However, he admitted that the practice of buying and selling in retail, or “tingi,” has proven to be equally problematic, especially in urban and rural communities, a reflection of the country’s “tingi” economy, which even manufacturers have sadly taken advantage of.

The solution in past practices When asked on the issue, Greenpeace Philippines Zero Waste Campaigner Marian Ledesma said besides giving rise to plastic pollution, the use of plastic bags, bottles and sachets have edged out sustainable practices that were used before.

“Now, we don’t often see things like bayong in use, consumers refilling reused jars and people drinking from glass soda bottles. With the worsening plastic crisis, we can find solutions in past practices anchored on reuse, less waste and minimal use of resources,” Ledesma told the BusinessMirror via e-mail on July 5.

According to Ledesma, Filipinos can live a life free from plastic if reuse models like refill and reusable materials were adopted by companies, and if public policies that regulate plastics are available and encourage sustainable alternatives.

Damaging to marine ecosystems The worst thing about plastics, Ledesma said, is that it damages

A woman uses an alternative reusable bag at the Frisco Market in Quezon City on July 3.

BAN Toxics photo

marine ecosystems and disrupts natural processes needed for the growth and development of plants and animals.

“Plastic pollution has harmed over 800 marine and coastal species due to entanglement, ingestion and habitat change,” she said.

“But even before waste reaches the ocean, plastics have already impacted marine environments. Every phase of plastics lifecycle has carbon emissions that contributes to climate change, threatens our oceans and creates toxic pollution which damages ecosystems and contaminates waterways,” she lamented.

Extremely urgent matter Oceana Philippines Vice President Gloria Estenzo-Ramos, for her part, said plastic has become part of the system since its inception in the 1950s. The action to address its detrimental effects on the ocean, wildlife, people’s health and natural world has become extremely urgent.

“Artisanal fisherfolk are saying that they are catching more plastics than fish in their nets and take time to remove them,” Estenzo-Ramos, an environmental lawyer said via e-mail on July 6.

“Likewise, not many are aware of the largely hidden cost of the plastic crisis: plastic’s contribution to global greenhouse-gas emissions

BAN Toxics campaigners show their alternative reusable bags during an event highlighting the International Plastic Bag Free Day at the Frisco Market in Quezon City on July 3. BAN Toxics photo

and climate change,” she added.

Being among the countries recognized as “most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change,” this is an issue that demands high prioritization, she pointed out.

World drowning in plastics “The plastic crisis is real with the global plastic production now at 400 million tons per year with its impacts highly underestimated. The world is drowning in plastics and not many people realize it,” she said.

On a positive note, she said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his inaugural address, put the spotlight on agriculture, which includes fisheries, livelihood and climate change, and committed to addressing the worsening plastic issue, all of which are interconnected.

“We do not need to craft more laws to address these compelling issues. We just need the much-needed political will to fully implement them,” she said.

Political will is needed According to Estenzo-Ramos, the Philippines has a very progressive law in Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which was crafted more than two decades ago to deal with the plastic pollution problem.

Ironically, she said the National Solid Waste Management Commission sat on its unequivocal mandate to release annually the list of nonenvironmentally acceptable products and packaging, including single-use plastics, that could have stopped plastics pollution at source—from the manufacture, production and distribution.

“It is our fervent hope that the Philippines under the Marcos administration will do what his predecessors utterly failed to do—to step up in the determined and genuine implementation of RA 9003 with the utmost sense of urgency. We already have a law and all we need to do is implement it properly, without fear or favor. Political will is needed now,” she said.

Go back to natural materials Asean Centre for Biodiversity Executive Director Theresa Mundita S. Lim said that as a country known to be rich in biological diversity, the Philippines is rich in raw materials that can serve as essential components for natural and compostable shopping bags.

Lim told the BusinessMirror on July 6 via Messenger that the Philippines has around 40 confirmed species of calamus, or myrtle grass, with 10 species known as being used in crafts, and around 100 species of pandan with five species, which can

Far-reaching impact Lim noted that President Marcos’s vowing to clean up plastic pollution is laudable and “rightly so,” noting that the impact of single-use plastics is more far-reaching than we have imagined.

“For us who study wildlife and biodiversity, its visible impacts had already manifested years ago, on iconic marine species, such as whales, sea turtles and sea birds, which died with plastics and other undigestible garbage in their stomachs,” she lamented.

Lim said plastics have cumulative effects, such that some so-called biodegradable plastics break down to microplastics that can be ingested by smaller fishes and accumulate in bigger fish that feeds on them, eventually ending up in the seafood on our table, affecting the public’s nutrition and health.

“Plastics contribute to marine pollution that not only affects health and food safety, but other important industries that rely on the aesthetics of our island ecosystems, such as beach tourism, swimming and diving,” she said.

“Plastics also clog our waterways which cause massive flooding during heavy rains. So all things considered, at the end of the day, when it comes to marketing, it might be worth it to consider the traditional practices of our lola [of using native bags and reusable materials],” Lim said.

PHL, Indonesia marine parks receive marine biodiversity award

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OS BAÑOS, Laguna—Two m a r i ne p a r k s f rom t he A se a n— t he Ph i l ip pi nes’ Apo Reef Natural Park and Indonesia’s Raja Ampat Islands Marine Conservation Area—received the Blue Park platinum and gold-level awards, respectively, from the Marine Conservation Institute at the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

Asean Centre for Biodiversity Executive Director Theresa Mundita Lim congratulated the parks for meeting the highest science-based standards for marine conservation, ACB said in a news release.

“We commend the Apo Reef Natural Park and the Raja Ampat Islands Marine Conservation Area for their designation as thriving emblems of the Asean region’s spectacular marine biodiversity,” Lim said in a statement.

The expanse of reefs and waters in both areas are interconnected by the changes of the tides and flows of currents, guiding highways for many migratory species, such as whales and whalesharks and pathways of the shared stocks like the small pelagics like sardines and round scads.

The Apo Reef Natural Park consists of several islands located 33 kilometers off the coast of Occidental Mindoro province in the

The Raja Ampat Islands Marine Conservation Area in West Papua, Indonesia, is among the richest coral reefs on the planet. I Made Adi Dharmawan/Wikimedia Commons

Philippines.

The biggest island in the park, Apo Reef, is the second largest contiguous coral reef in the world, containing high coral diversity and providing habitat to around 500 types of marine species, including shoals of fishes like jacks and trevallies.

Shark varieties—reef, white tip, black tip, hammerhead and grey— are also known to be abundant in its waters.

“This Blue Park Award is a testament to more than two decades of hard work of different sectors for the conservation and protection of

Apo Reef Natural Park,” said Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Celia Anna M. Feria in a statement delivered during the awarding ceremony, where she was joined by Apo Reef Natural Park Superintendent Krystal Villanada.

Meanwhile, Raja Ampat Islands Marine Conservation Area in West Papua, Indonesia, is known to be one of the richest coral reefs on the planet, encompassing more than 40,000 square kilometres of seas and about 1,500 islands.

The area is a primary source of nutrients for a diversity of life

The Apo Reef Natural Park off the coast of Occidental Mindoro province in the Philippines is the second largest contiguous coral reef in the world, containing high coral diversity and providing habitat to around 500 types of marine species. Photo by Alexis Duran/ACB.

forms, being a “gateway” between the Indian and the Pacific Oceans.

In recent studies, Raja Ampat has been confirmed to be a key sanctuary for species like manta rays (Mobula alfredi).

Syafri, S.Pi, head of the Raja Ampat Marine Protected Area Management Authority, shared their pride in being part of the global network, adding that in Raja Ampat, they “want to continue to strengthen management to promote ocean health and ensure food and natural resource sustainability for our

children and generations to come.”

“The conferment of these marine protected areas is an inspiring proof of the vital importance of these precious habitats to the region. It is only fitting that the favor is returned with concrete and concerted actions among countries and partners to ensure a bluer future not just for oceans, but for us all,” Lim said.

While only nine Asean memberstates have coastal areas, all 10 have vital river systems and waterways that drain into the sea with around

650 million people dependent on healthy coastal and marine ecosystems for food, livelihood, and culture.

However, despite this commonality, these ecosystems continue to face challenges and threats.

Lim added that the common contexts of challenges in conservation and the shared responsibility of ensuring sustainability propel regional platforms, such as the ACB. The rest of the Asean can learn from the experience of the awardees, and the ACB stands ready to upscale these learnings across the region.

The Blue Park Award recognizes outstanding efforts in marine biodiversity conservation. Since its launch in 2017, the annual award has been given by the Marine Conservation Institute, an international council of marine conservation experts, to recognize governments, civil society organizations, protected areas, and local communities for their efforts in effectively protecting marine ecosystems now and for the future.

The 2022 awardees, Apo Reef Natural Park and the Raja Ampat Islands Marine Conservation Area, together with Old Providence McBean Lagoon National in Colombia, join a growing network of 24 recognized waters in 20 countries.

Sports BusinessMirror

A8

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

Sunday, July 10, 2022

LETTING COACHES COACH W IMBLEDON, England—As in many sports, tennis has its share of well-known coaches.

Unlike in other sports, tennis does not always allow them to coach.

Indeed, at Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic can’t get any sort of instructions from Goran Ivanisevic at Centre Court during the men’s semifinals on Friday. No other players and coaches were supposed to be communicating while matches were happening, either, whether it was Simona Halep with Patrick Mouratoglou, Andy Murray with Ivan Lendl, Rafael Nadal with Carlos Moya or anyone else in the women’s or men’s singles brackets.

While the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tour tried various forms of in-match coaching over the past decade-plus— allowing, and broadcasting, face-to-face conversations during changeovers, for example—the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) men’s tour has stayed away from it at its main tournaments other than a brief tryout in the late 1990s (there have been test runs involving chats through headsets at a season-ending event for younger players).

And coaching during Grand Slam matches has been forbidden. Until now.

Once play at the All England Club wraps up Sunday, the ATP will follow the WTA’s lead and open a trial run over the rest of this year to permit limited interaction between the folks on the court and their employees in the stands. That means coaches will be able to offer help to women and men at the last major of 2022, the US Open, which starts August 29 in New York.

“It’s exciting for coaches because now, all of a sudden, the stuff and strategy you talk about before matches, you can talk about during matches. You can tweak things.

If things aren’t going well, you can get a chance to look at Plan B or C,” said Brad Gilbert, a former player who reached No. 4 in the rankings and a coach for Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and others.

“Any innovation is good,” added Gilbert, at Wimbledon for ESPN. “And before you say something isn’t good, you need to see

GORAN IVANISEVIC, a former tennis player and current coach of Novak Djokovic, watches his ward from the stands. AP it and see how it plays out.”

The ATP’s announcement that coaching is coming opened a debate in the sport.

There are those who lobby for change to increase fan interest and those who say this sort of thing goes against the basic one-on-one, all-alone element of tennis.

Djokovic is one player, and French Open runner-up Casper Ruud is another, who said they see merit in both of those stances.

“I admire (the ATP) for trying something new,” said Ruud, a 23-year-old from Norway who has been coached by his father, former pro Christian. “At the same time, it’s the beauty of our sport that we have to figure out the game and everything ourselves.”

A key moment in the conversation around coaching in tennis came during the 2018 US Open final between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, when Mouratoglou—then working with Williams—was seen by the chair umpire, and later acknowledged, giving hand signals from his seat.

Mouratoglou has been a strong voice in favor of allowing coaching during matches.

There are those, such as 32nd-ranked American Tommy Paul, who recognize just how much against-the-rules coaching is going on these days.

“It would only be a mistake if people weren’t already doing it,” said Paul, who reached the fourth round in his debut at the All England Club. “I don’t want there to be coaching, per se. I don’t think that’s the way the sport is supposed to be. But people do it so much that it’s kind of normal now.”

Or as three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka summed up the situation: “It’s not something completely new. It’s just something that’s going to be allowed.”

Others raise an issue of equity: What if a player doesn’t have a coach at all? Is this going to create a sort of unfair advantage?

Oil wrestlers seeking glory in Turkey’s centuries-old cultural heritage contest

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STANBUL—It took nearly an hour of grappling with his opponent under the blazing Turkish sun for Cengizhan Simsek to win the tournament and join a long list of previous victors.

A very long list—this was the 661st Kirkpinar oil wrestling championship, taking place in western Edirne province.

In the festival, which is on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, wrestlers cover themselves in olive oil, making it more difficult for opponents to grab each other. The winner is the wrestler who makes his opponent’s back touch the ground—or his “belly face the sky.”

With the cheers of thousands of spectators and the tunes of drums and zurna flutes ringing in his ears, t h e 2 6 - y e a r- o l d S i m s e k , f r o m t h e Mediterranean province of Antalya, was presented the golden belt by Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoglu.

“God granted me this. I thank God. I

put the belt around my neck and fulfilled my dream,” Simsek said.

This year, more than 2,475 pehlivans, or wrestlers, registered for the event, the highest number ever, according to official Anadolu news agency.

There were moments of joy, but also of tension. At one point, riot police were called in to secure the arena after wrestlers confronted judges under the scorching sun.

The festival reportedly started in the 1360s when legend says the second Ottoman sultan, Sultan Orhan, wanted to keep his soldiers fit and ready for battle.

But oil wrestling has been practiced across the region for thousands of years.

The wrestlers are chosen among men who demonstrate moral character and must be invited by the Kirkpinar master.

The invitation is delivered by sending a red-based candle to the nominated pehlivans at the beginning of March.

The wrestlers, wearing leather trousers called “kispet,” are covered in oil poured from a copper jug before the wrestling begins, and they engage in a highly ritualized procession to begin their bout. In the early stages of the tournament, dozens of wrestlers fight on a large grass arena.

The winner earns the title of “ B a s p e h l i v a n , ” o r h e a d w r e s t l e r.

Simsek was crowned for the first time after defeating a clutch of established favorites. AP

Young underprivileged football players receiving full support

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ONVERGE ICT Solutions Inc. has thrown its full support to the Malaya Football Club, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving lives through football.

“At Converge, it is our goal to empower people to be their best and we recognize sports as an important part of community and character-building, especially for underprivileged kids,” Converge CEO and Co-Founder Dennis Anthony Uy said.

“This sports club provides a chance for the children to develop their skills and talents and is also an avenue for them to seek a better future,” Uy said. “This is in line with our advocacy to extend opportunities to the youth, as we’ve done before through connectivity projects.”

Mayala FC provides opportunities for kids from marginalized communities to play football for free every weekend— providing them with uniforms, football shoes, equipment and other support for training and competition.

Since it was founded in 2012, Malaya FC has survived mostly on sponsorships

alone. But because of the pandemic, many of their individual sponsors and donors unfortunately started to back out, causing the club’s funds to slowly zero out.

As an organization with similar values and goals, they had found a friend in Converge.

According to Mark Duane Angos, Malaya FC secretary general and t e c h n i c a l d i r e c t o r o f t h e Ta l e n t Development Academy, the club would not have survived if it weren’t for the company’s help.

Thanks to the support of Converge, Malaya FC was able to reactivate their programs, reach out again to their children beneficiaries, and resume with training and competing once the Covid-19 situation improved early this year.

“The support of Converge is very critical to the club as without it, these kids wouldn’t be able to play the sport that they love,” Angos said. “These kids at a very young age face struggles that they shouldn’t be facing at all. Thanks to Converge, we were able to provide an

opportunity for them every weekend to get away from that ecosystem of hardship and poverty, play football, and just be a child again.”

Angos said that the Malaya FC was built to provide an avenue for underprivileged kids to play football solely as a source of fun. However, the organization realized that by providing yearround training with opportunities to compete, they started developing skilled players from Tondo, Taguig, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Bulacan and Pampanga.

It was then that the Malaya FC kids started to get the attention of various universities recruiting players for the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

Many players were being scouted by universities and given athletic scholarships, including 16-year-old F l o r e n c e L h e i Y c o n g , w h o ’s b e e n recruited to the women’s national team to the inaugural Asean Football Federation U18 championship in Indonesia this month.

FLORENCE LHEI YCONG, 16, is joining the women’s national team to the inaugural Asean Football Federation U18 championship in Indonesia this month.

Currently, Malaya FC has more than 450 active players under their program, aged six to 19 years old. Most recently, the football club was able to send various teams of different age groups to compete in the Youth Football League 2022, many of which were even crowned champions or finished as runners-up of the tournament.

“You can play guys—journeymen grinding for a lot of years—who can’t afford a coach. Maybe they’re traveling with their friend or brother,” said Frances Tiafoe, an American who is ranked 28th and made it to the fourth round this week.

“And then you have a guy who’s paying somebody $5,000 a week who knows everything about everything.”

Jessica Pegula, a two-time major quarterfinalist from the US who is ranked No. 9, has experienced legal coaching on the women’s tour and isn’t so sure it’s going to make a significant difference in the men’s game.

“Some people think it’s going to be a big, huge thing that changes matches. I don’t think so. You can’t exactly call a play in tennis. There aren’t set plays. It’s not like football or basketball,” she said. “And some players probably don’t want to hear it. They’re going to be like: ‘Stop talking to me! Shut up!’”

The Grand Slam Rule Book explicitly prohibits coaching: “Players shall not receive coaching during a match (including

the warm-up). Communications of any kind, audible or visible, between a player and a coach may be construed as coaching.”

As of Tuesday, three women have been fined at Wimbledon for coaching, including penalties of $3,500 for 2016 champion Garbiñe Muguruza and $4,500 for Lesia Tsurenko.

The ATP’s guidelines say coaches will sit in designated seats; they only can talk to their players when the two are on the same end of the court, but hand signals are always OK; they’ll be allowed to speak and use gestures “only if it does not interrupt play or create any hindrance to the opponent;” speaking must be limited to “a few words and/or short phrases.”

Gilbert was working with Agassi when the ATP decided to let coaches coach at a couple of tournaments more than 20 years ago—and he’s glad the tour is giving it another go.

“It’s a long time coming,” Gilbert said.

“And if there’s a match that’s one-sided, maybe this can let the fans see a better match sometimes.” AP

WINNING TOUR DE FRANCE AIN’T ‘BIKE IN THE PARK’

WINNING the Tour de France requires subtle physics, young muscles and an obscene amount of calories. AP

By Daniel Merino The Conversation/AP

T

HE 2022 Tour de France is here.

Starting in Copenhagen on July 1, the tour covers almost 2,100 miles (3,380 kilometers) over 24 days of riding through Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland and France.

The tour is a feat of human athleticism, but to really understand how incredible it is to complete the race—much less win it—requires thinking about a unique blend of physics, biology and physiology. Mix those up just right and you get a Tour de France champion.

Over the years, The Conversation has published a series of stories covering the science of the Tour de France and elite athletics. Below are excerpts from three of those stories to help you better appreciate this spectacular race.

biomechanics of riding a bike 1The

Riding a bike is an easy thing to do once you learn, but the physics of how bikes and riders work together is surprisingly complicated. As Stephen Cain, a mechanical engineer at West Virginia University, explains, “A big part of balancing a bicycle has to do with controlling the center of mass of the rider-bicycle system.” Basically, you have to keep the center of mass above the wheels—otherwise you tip over.

“Bicycle riders can use two main balancing strategies: steering and body movement relative to the bike,” says Cain. Steering keeps the bike underneath you while body movements subtly shift your center of gravity. Cain and his colleagues ran a study to understand the difference between how novice and professional cyclists balance a bike, and as he says in his article, they found that “both novice and expert riders exhibit similar balance performance at slow speeds. But at higher speeds, expert riders achieve superior balance performance by employing smaller but more effective body movements and less steering.”

This fine-scale control is why the racers in the Tour de France barely look like they are steering at all.

many calories do Tour riders burn?

2How

Think back to the last time you did some hard exercise and how hungry you were that evening. Now imagine how hungry you would be if you needed to ride your bike over 100 miles (165 km) and climb nearly 10,000 feet (about 3,050 meters) of elevation in less than five hours. This is what racers will have to do during Stage 12 of this year’s race as they traverse mountain passes through

the French Alps. As Eric Goff, a sports physicist at the University of Lynchburg explains, the cyclists are going to need a lot of fuel to pull this off.

“To make a bicycle move, a Tour de France rider transfers energy from his muscles, through the bicycle and to the wheels that push back on the ground,” says Goff. Professional cyclists are in another league when it comes to producing power with their legs, but they are still limited by basic human biology. “Muscles, like any machine, can’t convert 100 percent of food energy directly into energy output,” explains Goff. “Muscles can be anywhere between 2 percent efficient when used for activities like swimming and 40 percent efficient in the heart.”

With mountains to climb and glory to claim, riders need to fuel their muscles with food. In his story, Goff calculates that over the course of the Tour de France, racers will burn an astonishing 120,000 colories—the equivalent of about 210 Big Macs.

Biology explains why professional athletes 3 are young

When you watch the Tour de France, soccer’s World Cup or the Olympics, it’s common to see a young teenage phenom, but it’s rare for anyone over the age of 40 to be competing.

Roger Fielding, an aging and exercise researcher at Tufts University, writes that “old and young people build muscle in the same way.” But there is a biological reason no 50-year-old has ever won the Tour de France: “As you age, many of the biological processes that turn exercise into muscle become less effective.”

Muscles grow thanks to a number of complicated cellular pathways that are activated during exercise. When this network of receptors and signaling chemicals gets triggered, the body responds by increasing muscle size— and even makes some small tweaks to what genes are active. But as Fielding explains, in older people “the signal telling muscles to grow is much weaker for a given amount of exercise. These changes begin to occur when a person reaches around 50 years old and become more pronounced as time goes on.”

Many people can and do get into the best shape of their lives when they are in their 50s or 60s. But the fact that it is harder to get fit as you age is a major reason why it’s so important for older people to exercise—and why you won’t see any retirees leading the peloton in the Tour de France.

The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

BusinessMirror

July 10, 2022

What if you can’t ‘out-budget’ inflation?

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BusinessMirror JULY 10, 2022 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

YOUR MUSI

BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE Norwegian sensation Dagny on her music’s ethereal edge

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By Stephanie Joy Ching

NOWN for always looking at the bright side of life, Norwegian pop star Dagny releases “Brightsider” ahead of a summer of Norwegian festival appearances and a run of headline shows in London, Berlin and Amsterdam.

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: T. Anthony C. Cabangon

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: Niggel Figueroa Anabelle O. Flores : Tony M. Maghirang, Rick Olivares, Darwin Fernandez, Leony Garcia, Stephanie Joy Ching Pauline Joy M. Gutierrez : Kaye VillagomezLosorata Annie S. Alejo

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: Bernard P. Testa Nonie Reyes

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Coming from her hit debut album “Strangers/Lovers”, Dagny describes the song as “just meeting someone who makes you feel something.”

“It’s not really so much about the person, but rather the feeling itself,” she admitted, “Cause I think I was writing it at a time when I was emotionally numb, and I was holding on to anything that made me feel something,” A dreamy, energetic electro pop jam, Dagny’s vocals bring an ethereal edge to the song as she sings about all the feelings that came her way.

“It’s a song about what I wanted to feel like rather than what I was feeling at the moment and it was such a process to write this song because it felt like it was important to me in so many different ways,” she said.

Born to a musical family, Dagny’s relationship with music was love at first sight, having picked up the guitar as a child and became essentially inseparable from it.

“It just became my biggest passion and I guess I just never stopped. I haven’t found anything in my life yet that I’m as interested in as I am in music,” she stated.

With her “energetic” sound and upbeat tunes, Dagny describes her music as an avenue for her to “get out all my energy”. This results in a sound that blends summery vibes, electro pop with lyrics of longing and hope. Though she is more well known for her happy songs, Dagny expressed that she does not want to just limit herself to just that.

“It just has a way of sneaking in even when I don’t intentionally try to make happy songs. For me, my music has become a way for me to get my energy out. My

music is just an enhancement of that side of me, it doesn’t mean that I don’t have other sides.

There’s obviously a danger in becoming too known for doing only happy songs because you put limits on your creativity. There’s a time for everything, right now I’m writing and trying to experiment a lot with the way I’m writing.”

To date, Dagny’s music has been streamed over a billion times across all streaming services, she’s been nominated for 6 Norwegian Grammy’s (Spellemannprisen),

DAGNY

co-written songs for Katy Perry, Ashnikko, and Julie Bergan, and collaborated with acts including EDM duo Seeb, American superproducer Steve Aoki, Liverpool indie-rock heroes The Wombats and Spanish-English indie-pop outfit Crystal Fighters.

“Brightsider” is now available on all major streaming platforms nationwide. To promote the single, Dagny recently embarked on a sold-out Norwegian tour that lasted for over two months, selling over 16,000 tickets in the process.

She now returns to play a headline show in London on 17th September, along with dates in Berlin and Amsterdam, a busy summer of Norway festivals - perhaps most notably a prestigious slot on the main stage at Norway’s biggest summer festival Øyafestivalen alongside Gorillaz, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and Florence and the Machine.

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soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | JULY 10, 2022

BUSINESS

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SoundSampler

by Tony M. Maghirang

BRAND NEW HEAVIES A fresh round of weekend treats H

AS SILENT AS THE FOREST Tranquility

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OTHING really prepares you for a first encounter with the Pinay-fronted threepiece As Silent As The Forest (ASATF). That ASATF’s into math-rock may earn an instant snicker but the first track off their debut EP rather inauspiciously titled “Tranquility’ will quickly turn your sneer into stunned surprise. Opener “Unsaid” goes full throttle into mathrock’s layered and textural arrangements, palpable jazz improv counterpoints, and catchy, expansive melodies— wonderful noise that will blow you away. The next surprise comes from emotive vocals that feels like the right topping for all the creative unrest that’s going on. Variations on this theme beget the intriguing “The Scarlet Letter,” the RATM-goes-fuzak of the title track, and the progrock innovation in the album closer, “Dark Days.” Smart indie rock has a new trailblazer bearing wondrous gifts.

AURAL SWANKS TAHINI ST.

E’S battling his inner demons is how Olongapobased rapper Aural Swanks describes why he’s taking his musical journey. On his latest release, Swanks captures that personal conflict in detailed expositions on the dark nights of his troubled soul with only murmuring lounge music for company. So, on the centerpiece “Constantine Verse 1,” he raps languidly, “My fear goes off the charts/Offload some apps, weak heart, downy, not strong, give me a head start, like waves on the shore/ The floor distorts. firewalls can talk, clock, numbers scrawled, forbidden doors…” His magic touch with words remain undimmed from then on, as exciting as the twists and turns of a high mountain trail.

also the pretty girls to their sonic riot. Their main influence would be the chance meeting between Sonic Youth and Sleater-Kinney but that’s just me. Check out elastic splendor of “Anti-Glory,” the gorgeous fuzz of “Beautiful Song” and the art-rock volition of “Option 8” for proof of excellent execution.

YUJ Lifeboat

Y

HORSEGIRL Versions of Modern Performance

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MERICAN all-women three-piece Horsegirl describes their debut album to be ‘bare-bones” drawn from the collective knowledge that they knew what we’re trying to do. It’s an amusing remark because right at the starting tiff of “Versions of Modern Performance,” the band displays the hustle and dazzle of a mature rock group with a full grasp of the muscle and power of a trio. They’ve also got the smarts to boost their take on US-minted math-rock/indie rock with pop hooks to draw in not just the hardcore boys but

it the complete shove in the right direction. Racism, sexism, and post-pandemic problems are the themes behind a kaleidoscope of hard rockers that name-check Rage Against The Machine as much as Led Zeppelin. Singing-wise, the Nova Twins are just at home with punking Britney Spears as with mainstreaming Joey Ramones. Wit, grit and pop hooks come together in these topnotch cuts: “Antagonist,” “Cleopatra” “Choose Your Fighter” and “A Dark Place.”

UJ’S music used to be called “Middle of the Road” or MOR. There came a time it was referred to as new age music. Nowadays, Yuj is described as an electronic music producer and on his new EP, the assemblage of sounds include watery passages, woodwind serenades and shimmering strings that can rescue tired minds from some sense of desolation or emptiness. On their own, the tracks can be healing.

Meaning, just go with the flow, don’t overthink it.

NOVA TWINS Supernova

T

HE rap-rock resurrection goes off on the right foot with two millennial bitches giving

SPIRITUALIZED Everything Was Beautiful

A

S Spiritualized, Jason Pierce formerly of Spaceman 3 assembled 30 musicians and singers including his own daughter for the latest reinvention of “Ladies and gentlemen, We are floating in space.” Indeed, the opening song on “Everything Was Beautiful” occupies some conspicuous spaces only to be dislodged moving along to the Stonesy smear of “”Best Thing You Ever Had” and the dark, deep blues of “Let It Bleed (for Iggy) then on to the balance of rock aggression and pop pleasantness in the final track, “I’m Coming Home Again.”

Curiously, Pierce tapped into the strengths of his big assembly of musical partners to occupy the very spaces that used to be his major asset. Hello, Jason, truth be told, everything’s still be beautiful.

The albums reviewed here can be listened to on most digital music platforms, especially bandcamp.

Millennial Money:

What if you can’t ‘out-budget’ inflation?

point you toward free, nearby health resources, for example, or describe what’s helped them stretch their money.

By Laura McMullen

I

NerdWallet

nflation is a nightmare for the many Americans who already stretch their dollars to cover basic needs. What happens when those dollars lose value?

(Meanwhile, in these parts, Philippine inflation in June 2022 surged to the highest mark in nearly four years at 6.1 percent, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority—Ed.)

To adapt, people are probably not simply choosing between cutting their streaming services or opt for store-brand groceries.

Instead, they may have to pick between buying enough food and paying rent.

The families hit hardest by inflation typically have little in savings and other resources. And that lack of access to wealth can be rooted in a history of inequality, says Phuong Luong, a Massachusetts-based certified financial planner and founder of Just Wealth, a financial education and consulting firm.

For example, say generations of your family have been underpaid or limited in where they can live, due in part to racist policies. Then inflation causes everything to become more expensive. You may have

Profit from your skills

Money struggles are exhausting, so regularly “connect with yourself,” says Emlen Miles-Mattingly, co-founder of Onyx Advisor Network, a Sacramento, California-based support platform for underrepresented financial advisors. to scrape together cash to support not just yourself, but also family or community members. Perhaps you have to spend money and time traveling across town to the grocery store or doctor’s office.

“Your proximity to people with resources and people with wealth is going to be different depending on where you live and who you are,” Luong says. “There’s a larger context than just expenses and budgeting.”

Whatever context describes your situation, here’s how to combat inflation if money is already tight.

Prioritize essentials Aim to pay for expenses that enable you to live safely: housing (mortgage or rent), utilities and food. Also try to cover costs that help you work, such as transportation, cell phone and child care. Next-level priorities are those that trigger major consequences if you don’t pay: taxes, child support and insurance.

For credit cards, aim to pay your minimum at least, because you may need that credit access.

Connect with your community To overcome financial struggles, “community is going to be major,” says Dasha Kennedy, Atlanta-based financial activist and founder of The Broke Black Girl Facebook community.

Leaning on—or supporting—your family members, friends and neighbors can take many forms. For example, Kennedy points out how temporarily living with others can lower housing expenses.

Or you can pool resources by sharing a vehicle or splitting a large expense.

To connect with supportive locals you’ve yet to meet, look to libraries, religious organizations and recreation centers. Or use virtual platforms like Facebook and Nextdoor.

In these in-person and online spaces, you may find free or inexpensive goods and services. Maybe someone will give away secondhand clothes or walk your dog while you work.

Or seek guidance. Your neighbors may

Of course, making more money helps, too.

If you’re already working, Kennedy recommends first trying to increase earnings through your employer. Consider working overtime or negotiating raises and role changes, she says.

The most effective way to make money?

“Monetize skills you already have,” Kennedy says. These could include anything from cleaning and organizing to writing and designing.

Assuming you start without clients, she suggests tapping your community once again. “You may not have the time to build trust and reputation, so you’re going to have to rely on personal relationships,” she says. Ask friends, neighbors and family members to promote and vouch for you.

Mind your mental health Money struggles are exhausting. So regularly “connect with yourself,” says Emlen Miles-Mattingly, co-founder of Onyx Advisor Network, a Sacramento, Californiabased support platform for underrepresented financial advisors. Identify what makes you feel better, whether it’s walking outside, calling a friend, meditating or reading.

If time is tight, make your activity quick, and consider Miles-Mattingly’s point: “People, when stressed, don’t have the best decision-making abilities.” And hard times mean hard decisions. It pays to feel centered before negotiating a lower bill or agreeing to a side job.

To avoid feeling overwhelmed during times of financial stress, Kennedy tries not to overthink the unpredictable future.

Instead, she suggests “focusing on getting through the day.” AP

Healing the nation: Mental health tech company receives grant to create free national mental health hotline

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ental health tech company Mind You Mental Health Systems Inc. was awarded last year with a Covid-19 Recovery grant by the Australian Embassy via the Australian Government’s Business Partnerships Platform, which aims to increase availability of psychological services in the Philippines. This year, Mind You has received an additional grant worth P1 million from the Australian Embassy’s Direct Aid Program to support Mind You’s ongoing impact to improve mental health systems in the Philippines.

This grant will help Mind You to create an effective and sustainable National Mental Health Hotline, which will provide muchneeded psychological first aid to callers to alleviate the lack of mental health support in the country.

“When I was once suicidal, it was a mental health hotline that saved my life,” Mind You CEO Yuri Marshall said. “In one phone call, I was guided from a place of considering selfharm to taking the first step towards speaking to a psychologist. This mental health hotline will add a safety net for those who are in a dark

4 BusinessMirror

place. You only have to find one spark of light, to lead your life in a new direction. Mind You’s National Mental Health Hotline will be that spark. We are here to guide the way forward.”

The mental health first aid will be conducted by Mind You’s psychology interns that will undergo a rigorous training program, and an examination that will test their psychological resilience and ability to cope with the pressures of being hotline operators. The module-based training program will ensure the interns are knowledgeable in all areas of possible reported concerns of the caller, from mental health first

July 10, 2022

aid to de-escalation and psychoeducation.

Currently, there are only 1,400 psychologists (and 500 psychiatrists) in the country, which gives an approximate ratio of 1 psychologist to 80,000 Filipinos. It is therefore vital that future mental health professionals know that there are career opportunities for them in the space, and that Mind You provides the opportunity for them to learn and grow through worldclass training and guided clinical exposure.

More information is available at https:// thebpp.com.au/partnership/mind-you-mentalhealth/.