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Sunday, July 31, 2022 Vol. 17 No. 296
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MISSION UNSINKABLE
Subic drydock firm keeps PHL naval ships, global maritime vessels seaworthy and afloat
THE Philippine Navy’s YD-204 fits snugly into Subic Drydock Corp.’s bigger FD-2 as it began a major overhaul in this photo taken on August 24, 2021. HENRY EMPEÑO
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By Henry Empeño
drydocking, 21 days for emergency voyage repairs, and from 30 to 45 days for “afloat repairs,” which may involve the repair or reconditioning of the ship hull or the overhaul of machinery and equipment.
UBIC BAY FREEPORT—A company providing ship repair services in this Freeport is keeping vessels and other maritime assets of the country’s naval fleet secure and operational and, at the same time, puts Subic Bay on the map as a global maritime service center.
Latest navy job
THE Philippine Navy’s YD-204 leaves the womb of Subic Drydock Corp.’s FD-2 on July 23 after completing an 11-month major overhaul. SUBIC DRYDOCK CORP.
WORKERS cut out corroded steel on the deck of the Philippine Navy’s YD-204, as the floating drydock undergoes major overhaul in this photo taken on August 24, 2021. HENRY EMPEÑO
Subic Drydock Corp. (SDC), which bills itself as a full-service shipyard, has become a primary maintenance provider to the Philippine Navy, performing emergency repairs, extended voyage maintenance, and dry docking for the flotilla for more than 10 years now. Since drydocking a roll-onroll-out ferry in 2005, the firm had so far taken on some 65 repair and drydocking contracts for the Philippine Navy; 116 contracts with the Military Sealift Command (MSC) of the United States Navy (USN); 28 drydocking and repair works for maritime service provider Cabras and Seabridge; 179 jobs
for Malayan Towage and Salvage Corp.; as well as 142 repair and drydocking jobs for various commercial vessels. It has also expanded its customer base over the years to include big-ticket firms like Maersk, FOSS Maritime, Austal and HMS Global Maritime, even as it maintained business ties with local companies like Negros Navigation, Petrolift and Magsaysay Shipping.
Subic’s pride
WITH its mission to keep vessels afloat and seaworthy, the Subic drydocking firm has become one of the few local companies that make
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 55.7220
SUBIC Drydock Corp. workers undertake high-pressure hull washing of the Philippine Navy’s YD-204 prior to sandblasting in this photo taken on August 24, 2021. HENRY EMPEÑO
Subic a truly global player in the maritime service industry. Diana Ross Mazo, the firm’s human resource and administrative officer, said SDC is pleased to work with the Philippine Navy in
support of the fleet’s repair, maintenance and modernization program, as well as being a primary maintenance provider for both MSC and USN vessels. “It is a source of pride for SDC
to be able to deliver outstanding service not only to local clients, but to customers around the world,” she added. The firm, a wholly owned subsidiary of Guam-based maritime service provider Cabras Marine, operates a floating dock with a 4,400-ton lift capacity, as well as a floating crane with 60-ton lift capacity at its approach pier near Subic’s Rivera Wharf. Mazo said its main site for repair work has two berths: a 140-meter pier and a 60-meter pier hooked up with 480-volt shore power, potable water, shore steam, and fire main. Meanwhile, its laydown area includes a valve/pump shop, hydro testing facility, steel fabrication area, pipe shop, sandblasting booth, as well as machine and electrical shops. With these facilities, SDC can complete major ship overhauls that typically last from 14 to 30 days for
THE company’s latest big contract with the Philippine Navy called for the total repair and refurbishment of the floating drydock AFDL-20, a World War II relic built by the US Navy and transferred to the Philippines in 1961. Mazo said the AFDL-20, which became YD-204, was towed from the Philippine Navy shipyard in Cavite on August 12 last year and underwent a complex overhaul in several stages for 11 months. The work was accomplished by SDC’s highly skilled in-house work force and partnered local subcontracts. “Once the vessel was docked, we did high-pressure washing, then inspection prior to surface preparation, sandblasting and painting,” Mazo said. “Then we moved on to areas that were ready for steel work, welding and cut-outs, and then maintenance upgrade of machinery and equipment.” Mazo said some 240 metric tons of steel renewal was also implemented for the Navy’s floating drydock during the Subic overhaul. On July 23, YD-204 was completely repaired and finally emerged from the womb of SDC’s bigger drydock FD-2 for the first time after almost a year there. It was then towed from Subic and arrived safely at the Naval Shipyard at the Port of San Felipe in Cavite City on July 24. “When the vessel was delivered back to the Philippine Navy, it was a rejuvenated, good-as-new asset that will be ready to support the fleet,” Mazo said.
Warship modernization works
THE SDC is also currently working on BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PS-15), Continued on A2
n JAPAN 0.4149 n UK 67.8583 n HK 7.0985 n CHINA 8.2593 n SINGAPORE 40.3929 n AUSTRALIA 38.9330 n EU 56.8253 n KOREA 0.0430 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.8363
Source: BSP (July 29, 2022)
NewsSunday A2 Sunday, July 31, 2022
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ASSISTED by tugboats, the fully refurbished floating drydock (YD-204) of the Philippine Navy leaves the Subic Bay Freeport after 11 months of repair. SUBIC DRYDOCK CORP. Continued from A1
which is the Philippine Navy’s lead ship of offshore patrol vessels. “As the preferred maintenance provider for the Philippine Navy’s afloat repairs and modernization work, the SDC routinely services PS-15, PS-16 (BRP Ramon Alcaraz), PS-17 (BRP Andres Bonifacio) and other Navy assets,” Mazo said.
Gregorio del Pilar
SHE said the BRP Gregorio del Pilar will have a Sea Giraffe radar system upgrade, as well as come continuous maintenance repairs. The 120-day work is scheduled for completion on August 8. The first installation work of this type was completed for BRP Ramon Alcaraz in December 2021, Mazo added. Mazo said the SDC has been the Philippine Navy’s primary maintenance provider for more than 10 years now. “And we are honored to continue to support their current and future maintenance requirements in support of enhancing the overall readiness of the Philippine Navy fleet.” SDC first took on the Philippine Navy as a client in January 2009. Previous repair jobs included the research vessel BRP Gregorio Velasquez, which underwent maintenance, and the country’s newest guided missile frigates BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Antonio Luna, for afloat repair works.
Global client base
SUBIC Drydock’s customers are mostly military vessels, or about 60 to 70 percent of the total. The firm holds a Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) with the US Navy and the Military Sealift Command, affirming the firm’s compliance with rigorous industrial repair and quality assurance standards. SDC first snagged a repair project from the US Navy in April 2008 and had since completed 116 such jobs. Among the bigger ships repaired by SDC were the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Rappahannock, the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land, and the amphibious command ship USS Blue Ridge, which is the flagship of the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet. Just recently, SDC completed 60-day midterm availability (MTA) for the USNS Millinocket from April 18 to June 17, 2022, and USNS Puer-
UP for repairs: BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) and BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PS-15) dock side by side at the Subic Drydock Corp. pier. SUBIC DRYDOCK CORP.
THE USNS Henson, a Pathfinder oceanographic survey ship of the US Navy, undergoes voyage repair at the Subic Drydock Corp.’s approach pier. SUBIC DRYDOCK CORP.
to Rico from February 18 to April 17, 2022. Both are expeditionary fast transports operated by the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command. Mazo said maintenance works for the two vessels consisted of complex integrated repairs such as aluminum welding repairs, machinery and equipment maintenance, Marine Evacuation System Certification, and fire and safety certification. Additionally, SDC has just completed a Voyage Repair Availability (VRA) on the USNS Bowditch, the US Navy’s lead ship for oceanographic survey, from May 23 to June 20, 2022, and also worked back-to-back VRAs on the USNS Henson and the USNS Mary Sears from June 27 to July 25, 2022. The three vessels are Pathfinder-class survey ships. Voyage repairs are defined as necessary emergency work for damage sustained by a ship that would allow it to continue its mis-
sion without requiring a change in its operating schedule. Meanwhile, the commercial vessels repaired by SDC included cargo and container ships of local and international shipping companies; barges and motor tugboats operated by Malayan Towage and Salvage Corp. and Cabras and Seabridge; as well as pleasure boats by private owners. Mazo said the company expects to continue providing service—and generating much-needed local employment—even during the Covid-19 pandemic, with skilled workers coming mostly from Olongapo City and the neighboring provinces of Bataan and Zambales. “Our current projection for 2022 based on future bookings is approximately 1,500 jobs, and this growth would also provide opportunities for related businesses in the Freeport, as well as for domestic and foreign service providers catering to ship repair,” Mazo also said.
The World
www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Angel R. Calso
BusinessMirror
Advertisers are struggling with Instagram’s TikTok clone, Reels
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EELS—the short videos that Facebook and Instagram are pushing—are getting more popular, parent company Meta Platforms Inc. says. The hard part will be turning that attention into advertising revenue. Advertisers say that the format, which Facebook copied from ByteDance Ltd.’s hot app TikTok, is difficult to get right. Videos are more complicated than still images, the cultural trends are always changing, and users expect Reels to be entertaining, enjoyable and relevant to each individual person—including the ads—as they take up an entire phone screen. “You have to make more compelling content because the consumer, the viewer— their guard against bad content is up higher than ever,” says Barry Hott, an advertising consultant whose clients spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on digital ads per month. Meta executives Wednesday asked for patience, after reporting the company’s first-ever decline in quarterly revenue. Meta has been pushing Reels in order to keep up with shifting consumer tastes and ensure that users will remain engaged with its apps. If attention doesn’t grow, advertising revenue doesn’t either. The first step of the process has worked: Reels led people to spend more time on Facebook and Instagram, the company said Wednesday. Users are spending 30 percent more time on Reels than they did in the prior quarter. But until advertising spending follows, the shift is hurting Meta’s business in the short term, by cannibalizing attention from features where the company makes a more predictable stream of revenue, Meta explained. It’s a rough time to reinvent the business, as advertisers are cutting their budgets in general due to economic uncertainty. “We could mitigate the short term headwind by pushing less hard on growing Reels,” Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged on a call with analysts. “But that would be worse for our products and business longer term.” Reels, like TikTok videos, go viral when they capture the attention of people who don’t follow their creator. That raises the bar for what’s considered a good Reel. “The best way for clients to look at it is: Make something that’s entertaining first, and think of it as an ad definitely second,” said Gil David, founder of the advertising firm Run DMG, who said most marketers post the same ads to both Facebook and TikTok. Because Reels require an extra investment in creativity, adoption of the format is slow for many marketers. David said that his clients set aside money for ads that run in both Reels and Stories—a disappearing post format Meta launched in 2016. Reels only makes up 5 percent to 10 percent of that pot. Terry Whalen, who runs a boutique digital advertising firm focused on ecommerce companies called Sum Digital, has seen the same. The firm’s clients spend about 6 percent of their collective Stories and Reels budget on Reels ads right now, up from just 1 percent at the beginning of the year. It’s still a very small piece of advertisers’ overall strategy, with the format accounting for less than 1 percent of clients’ overall ad spending in the first half of the year, he said. Meta acknowledges the challenges. “The idea is to help businesses really easily create those Reels ads, really easily test them, so they
can iterate and keep improving as we do this,” Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said Wednesday. The company said so far, Reels are generating ad revenue at an implied rate of $1 billion a year and growing at a faster clip than it saw a few years ago with Stories. Officially, the company encourages advertisers to “test and learn,” by doing things like placing Reels ads into existing campaigns and letting its artificial intelligence ranking system put more money behind the videos that perform best. It’s also rolled out a program called Reels School, a workshop that trains businesses on how to use the product. On Wednesday’s call, Sandberg also said the company is investing in artificial intelligence that will help turn static images with music into something with motion that looks more like a video. Unofficially, some Meta employees have encouraged advertisers to test short-form video ads on TikTok first, and bring the bestperforming ones over to Reels, according to multiple ad buyers. While it may lead to more revenue for TikTok in the short term, the thinking inside Meta is that it will weed out the bad ads before they ever get to Meta’s products. The company cares about the quality of Reels in part because it’s making another simultaneous big bet: filling users’ feeds with content from accounts they don’t already follow. That way, the algorithm can start to suggest new content people haven’t asked for, in a bid to keep their attention for longer. Right now about 15 percent of the content in a Facebook users’ feed is from accounts they don’t follow; on Instagram, the percentage is higher. Meta said the proportion will more than double by the end of next year. The algorithmic change has spurred intense backlash from users, prompting Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, to pull back temporarily, according to a Platformer report Thursday. “We definitely need to take a big step back and regroup,” Mosseri told Platformer. “It’s super important for us to explain our reasoning, to set expectations, to talk about where we’re going before we go.” Still, Instagram is turning more videos into Reels. On the app, every video someone posts that’s less than 15 minutes long will be automatically branded a Reel. If it’s made by a public account and lasts fewer than 90 seconds, it will be eligible for distribution beyond the person’s followers, Instagram said this month. A top priority is improving artificial intelligence tools that can better identify users’ interests and the content they’d be interested in. Reels and AI made the short-list of places the business will continue investing in, even as it cuts back on spending writ large amid broader economic uncertainty. Even if an advertiser hits exactly the right notes with their Reel, the success isn’t necessarily repeatable. “The niche nature of audiences plus the speed at which the tone changes is kind of head spinning,” said Natalie Silverstein, chief innovation officer at influencer marketing firm Collectively Inc. “Something that was fine a month ago is now super cringe.” Marketers that don’t want to take the plunge into the new format risk losing some access to Meta’s 2.9 billion daily users. “I think we’re on track here,” Zuckerberg said, “we just need to push through this one.” Bloomberg News
AR-15 style guns sold as sign of manhood as shootings rise By Lindsay Whitehurst The Associated Press
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ASHINGTON—Gun makers have taken in more than $1 billion from selling AR-15-style guns over the past decade, at times marketing them as a way for young men to prove their masculinity, even as the number of mass shootings increases, according to a House investigation unveiled Wednesday. The weapons have been used in massacres that have horrified the nation, including one that left 10 people dead at a grocery store in Buffalo and another where 19 children and two teachers were shot to death in Uvalde, Texas. The Committee on Oversight and Reform
said some ads mimic popular first-person shooter video games or tout the weapons’ military pedigree while others claim the guns will put buyers “at the top of the testosterone food chain.” Those sales tactics are “deeply disturbing, exploitative and reckless,” said Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York. “In short, the gun industry is profiting off the blood of innocent Americans.” Gun makers, on the other hand, said AR-15-style rifles are responsible for a small portion of gun homicides and the blame must go to the shooters rather than their weapons. “What we saw in Uvalde, Buffalo and Highland Park was pure evil,” said Marty Daniels, the CEO of Daniel Defense, the
Sunday, July 31, 2022
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US economy shrinks for a 2nd quarter, raising recession fear By Paul Wiseman
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AP Economics Writer
ASHINGTON—The US economy shrank from April through June for a second straight quarter, contracting at a 0.9 percent annual pace and raising fears that the nation may be approaching a recession. The decline that the Commerce Department reported Thursday in the gross domestic product—the broadest gauge of the economy— followed a 1.6 percent annual drop from January through March. Consecutive quarters of falling GDP constitute one informal, though not definitive, indicator of a recession. The GDP report for last quarter pointed to weakness across the economy. Consumer spending slowed as Americans bought fewer goods. Business investment fell. Inventories tumbled as businesses slowed their restocking of shelves, shaving 2 percentage points from GDP. Higher borrowing rates, a consequence of the Federal Reserve’s series of rate hikes, clobbered home construction, which shrank at a 14 percent annual rate. Government spending dropped, too. The report comes at a critical time. Consumers and businesses have been struggling under the weight of punishing inflation and higher loan costs. On Wednesday, the Fed raised its benchmark rate by a sizable three quarters of a point for a second straight time in its push to conquer the worst inflation outbreak in four decades. The Fed is hoping to achieve a notoriously difficult “soft landing”: An economic slowdown that manages to rein in rocketing prices without triggering a recession. Apart from the United States, the global economy as a whole is also grappling with high inf lation and weakening growth, especially after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent energy and food prices soaring. Europe, highly dependent on Russian natural gas, appears especially vulnerable to a recession. In the United States, the inflation surge and fear of a recession have eroded consumer confidence and stirred anxiety about the economy, which is sending frustratingly mixed signals. And with the November midterm elections
nearing, Americans’ discontent has diminished President Joe Biden’s public approval ratings and could increase the likelihood that the Democrats will lose control of the House and Senate. Fed Chair Jerome Powell and many economists have said that while the economy is showing some weakening, they doubt it’s in recession. Many of them point, in particular, to a still-robust labor market, with 11 million job openings and an uncommonly low 3.6 percent unemployment rate, to suggest that a recession, if one does occur, isn’t here yet. “The back-to-back contraction of GDP will feed the debate about whether the US is in, or soon headed for, a recession,” said Sal Guatieri, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets. “The fact that the economy created 2.7 million payrolls in the first half of the year would seem to argue against an official recession call for now.” Still, Guatieri said, “the economy has quickly lost steam in the face of four-decade high inflation, rapidly rising borrowing costs and a general tightening in financial conditions.” In the meantime, Congress may be moving toward approving action to fight inflation under an agreement announced Wednesday by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat. Among other things, the measure would allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices with pharmaceutical companies, and the new revenue would be used to lower costs for seniors on medications. In the wake of Thursday’s government report, Biden dismissed any notion that the data depicted an economy in recession. The administration has stressed that solid job growth and low unemployment show that the US economy is still growing despite two consecutive quarterly declines in GDP. Speaking from the White House, Biden leaned on remarks
A MAN shops at a supermarket on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, in New York. The US economy shrank from April through June for a second straight quarter, contracting at a 0.9 percent annual pace and raising fears that the nation may be approaching a recession. AP/ANDRES KUDACKI
that Powell and other economic leaders have made. “Both Chairman Powell and many of the significant banking personnel and economists say we’re not in recession,” the president said. The government’s first of three estimates of GDP for the AprilJune quarter marked a drastic weakening from the 5.7 percent growth the economy achieved last year. That was the fastest calendar-year expansion since 1984, reflecting how vigorously the economy roared back from the brief but brutal pandemic recession of 2020. But since then, the combination of mounting prices and higher borrowing costs have taken a toll. The Labor Department’s consumer price index skyrocketed 9.1 percent in June from a year earlier, a pace not matched since 1981. And despite widespread pay raises, prices are surging faster than wages. In June, average hourly earnings, after adjusting for inflation, slid 3.6 percent from a year earlier, the 15th straight yearover-year drop. Americans are still spending, though more tepidly. Thursday’s report showed that consumer spending rose at a 1 percent annual pace from April through June, down from 1.8 percent in the first quarter and 2.5 percent in the final three months of 2021. Spending on goods like appliances and furniture, which had soared while Americans were sheltering at home early in the pandemic, dropped at a 4.4 percent annual rate last quarter. But spending on services, like airline trips and dinners out, rose at a 4.1 percent rate, indicating that millions of consumers are venturing out more. Before accounting for surging prices, the economy actually
The Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this report.
company that made the weapon used in Texas. “The cruelty of the murderers who committed these acts is unfathomable and deeply disturbs me, my family, my employees and millions of Americans across this country.” However, he added later in testimony before the committee, “I believe that these murders are local problems that have to be solved locally.” Gun violence overall spiked in 2020, but recent statistics indicate it is coming down this year in many cities. The House panel’s investigation focused on five major gunmakers, and found they took in a combined total of more than $1 billion in revenue over the past 10 years from the sale of AR-15-style firearms. The revenue numbers were released for the committee hearing focused on the marketing and sales of the firearms that have gained notoriety because of their use in the mass killings. Two of the companies approximately tripled their revenue from the weapons over
the past three years, the committee found. Daniel Defense, based near Savannah, Georgia, raised that revenue from $40 million in 2019 to more than $120 million last year. The company sells weapons like the one used in Uvalde on credit and advertises that financing can be approved “in seconds.” Salvador Ramos, accused in the Uvalde shootings, began purchasing firearms and ammunition when he turned 18, eventually spending more than $5,000 on two AR-style rifles, ammunition and other gear in the days before the massacre, authorities have said. Sturm, Ruger & Co.’s gross revenue, meanwhile, has nearly tripled from $39 million to $103 million since 2019, and Smith and Wesson reported that its revenues from all long guns doubled from 2019 to 2021. Gun manufacturers, the committee said, don’t gather or analyze safety data related to firearms. The increases are against a backdrop of a record-setting overall increase in gun sales that began around the start of the
coronavirus pandemic. About 8.5 million people bought guns for the first time in 2020, said Republican Rep. Jody Hice of Georgia. He added that, “American people have a right to own guns.” The hearing comes amid a push by House Democrats to get legislation passed that would ban certain semi-automatic weapons. It’s the lawmakers’ most far-reaching response yet to this summer’s mass shootings. While AR-15-style firearms aren’t necessarily the main drivers of US gun violence overall, their design allows shooters to harm more people from a greater distance, said Kelly Sampson, senior counsel and director of racial justice with Brady, a group pressing to end gun violence that generally supports restrictions. “If we renew the assault weapons ban, that would take away a key piece of what allows mass shooters to kill more people in less time without having to stop to reload,” she said. There have been 15 mass killings this
year, according to the Associated Press/ USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killing Database. According to that research, those incidents have left 86 dead and 63 injured. Guns were used in all of them, and in at least seven instances they were AR-15-style weapons. Mass killings are defined as incidents where at least four people are killed. But the AR-15 and similar weapons are also popular with people who buy guns for self defense, said Antonia Okafor, the national director of outreach for the group Gun Owners of America. Such rifles allow people, including women, to shoot a larger gun without having to absorb as much recoil. “The AR-15 makes it easier for those who have a physical disadvantage to the attacker to have an upper hand,” she said. Wednesday’s hearing marked the first time in 20 years that CEOs of leading gun manufacturers testified about their businesses, Maloney said.
grew at a 7.8 percent annual pace in the April-June quarter. But inflation wiped out that gain and then some and produced a negative GDP number. Against that backdrop, Americans are losing confidence. Their assessment of economic conditions six months from now has reached its lowest point since 2013, according to the Conference Board, a research group. The Fed’s hikes have already led to higher rates on credit cards and auto loans and to a doubling of the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage in the past year, to 5.5. Home sales, which are especially sensitive to interest rate changes, have tumbled. Even with the economy recording a second straight quarter of negative GDP, many economists do not regard it as constituting a recession. The definition of recession that is most widely accepted is the one determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research, a group of economists whose Business Cycle Dating Committee defines a recession as “a significant decline in economic activity that is spread across the economy and lasts more than a few months.” The committee assesses a range of factors before publicly declaring the death of an economic expansion and the birth of a recession—and it often does so well after the fact. “If we aren’t yet in a recession, we soon will be,’’ said Joshua Shapiro, chief US economist for the economic consulting firm Maria Fiorini Ramirez Inc. “An economy rapidly losing momentum combined with aggressive monetary tightening is not a recipe for a soft landing or any other type of happy ending.’’
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Sunday, July 31, 2022
Unexpected deal would boost Biden pledge on climate change By Matthew Daly
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The Associated Press
ASHINGTON—An unexpected deal reached by Senate Democrats would be the most ambitious action ever taken by the United States to address global warming and could help President Joe Biden come close to meeting his pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, experts said Thursday, as they sifted through a massive bill that revives action on climate change weeks after the legislation appeared dead.
T he de a l a n nou nce d l ate Wednesday would spend nearly $370 billion over 10 years to boost electric vehicles, jump-start renewable energy such as solar and wind power and develop alternative energy sources like hydrogen. The deal stunned lawmakers and activists who had given up hope that legislation could be enacted after West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin said he could not support the measure because of inflation concerns. Clean energy tax credits and other provisions in the 725-page bill could “put the US on track to reducing emissions by 31 percent-44 percent below 2005 levels in 2030,’’ according to an analysis released late Thursday by the Rhodium Group, an independent research firm. Additional action by the Biden administration and Democraticcontrolled states could “help close the rest of the gap to (Biden’s) target of a 50 percent-52 percent cut in emissions by 2030,’’ said Ben King, the group’s associate director. But approval of the bill is far from certain in a 50-50 Senate where support from every Democrat will be needed to overcome unanimous Republican opposition. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., who forced changes in earlier versions of the plan, declined to reveal her stance Thursday. In the narrowly divided House, Democrats can lose no more than four votes and prevail on a possible party-line vote. Still, Biden called the bill “historic” and urged quick passage. “We will improve our energy security and tackle the climate
crisis—by providing tax credits and investments for energy projects,’’ he said in a statement, adding that the bill “will create thousands of new jobs and help lower energy costs in the future.’’ Env ironmental groups and Democrats also hailed the legislation. “This is an 11th-hour reprieve for climate action and clean energy jobs, and America’s biggest legislative moment for climate and energy policy,’’ said Heather Zichal, CEO of America’s Clean Power, a clean energy group. “Passing this bill sends a message to the world that America is leading on climate and sends a message at home that we will create more great jobs for Americans in this industry,’’ added Zichal, a former energy adviser to President Barack Obama. Tiernan Sittenfeld, senior vice president of the League of Conservation Voters, summed up her reaction in a single word: “Wow!” Sen. Tina Smith, D -Minn., tweeted that she was “stunned, but in a good way.’’ Manchin, who chairs the Senate energy panel, insisted that he had not changed his mind after he told Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer two weeks ago that he could not support the bill because of inflation concerns. “There should be no surprises. I’ve never walked away from anything in my life,’’ he told reporters on a Zoom call from West Virginia, where he is recovering from Covid-19. Manchin called the bill an opportunity “to really give us an energy policy with security that we need for our nation” while also
driving down inflation and high gasoline prices. The bill, which Manchin dubbed the “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022,” includes $300 billion for deficit reduction, as well as measures to lower prescription drug prices and extend subsidies to help Americans who buy health insurance on their own. Besides investments in renewable energy like wind and solar power, the bill includes incentives for consumers to buy energy efficient appliances such as heat pumps and water heaters, electric vehicles and rooftop solar panels. The bill creates a $4,000 tax credit for purchases of used electric vehicles and up to $7,500 for new EVs. The tax credit includes income limits for buyers and caps on sticker prices of new EVs—$80,000 for pickups, SUVs and vans and $55,000 for smaller vehicles. A $25,000 limit would be set on used vehicles. Even with the restrictions, the credits should help stimulate already rising electric vehicle sales, said Jessica Caldwell, senior analyst for Edmunds.com. Electric vehicles accounted for about 5 percent of new vehicle sales in the US in the first half of the year and are projected to reach up to 37 percent by 2030. The bill also invests over $60 billion in environmental justice priorities, including block grants to address disproportionate environmental and public health harms related to pollution and climate change in poor and disadvantaged communities. Beverly Wright, executive director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, called the bill a step forward, but said she was concerned about tax credits for “polluting industries” such as coal, oil and gas. “We need bolder action to achieve environmental and climate justice for ourselves and future generations,’’ she said. The bill would set a fee on excess methane emissions by oil and gas producers, while offering up to $850 million in grants to industry to monitor and reduce methane. The bill’s mixture of tax incentives, grants and other investments in clean energy, transportation, energy storage, home electrification, agriculture and manufacturing “makes this a real climate bill,’’ said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii. “The planet is on fire. This is enormous progress. Let’s get it done.” But not a l l env ironmenta l groups were celebrating. The deal includes promises by Schumer and other Democratic
leaders to pursue permitting reforms that Manchin called “essential to unlocking domestic energy and transmission projects,’’ including a controversial natural gas pipeline planned in his home state and Virginia. More than 90 percent of the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline has been completed, but the project has been delayed by court battles and other issues. The pipeline should be “at the top of the heap” for federal approval, Manchin said, and is a good example of why permitting reform is needed to speed energy project approvals. Manchin, a longtime supporter of coal and other fossil fuels, said environmental reviews of such major projects should be concluded within two years, instead of lasting up to 10 years as under current practice. “Other countries around the world—developed nations—do it extremely well, and they do it in a very short period of time. We should be able to do the same,’’ he said. W h i le per m it t ing refor ms would be considered in separate legislation, the budget deal would require the Interior Department to offer at least 2 million acres of public lands and 60 million acres of offshore waters in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska for oil and gas leasing each year. If Interior fails to offer minimum amounts for leasing, the department would not be allowed to grant approvals to any utility-scale renewable energy project on public lands or waters. That requirement “is a climate suicide pact,” said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group. “It’s self-defeating to handcuff renewable energy development to massive new oil and gas extraction,’’ Hartl said, adding that new fossil fuel leasing required under the bill would “fan the flames of the climate disasters torching our country.’’ But an oil industry group blasted the bill as punitive and inflationary. “We are very concerned about this bill’s potential negative impact on energy prices and American competitiveness, especially in the midst of a global energy crisis and record high inflation,” said Anne Bradbury, CEO of the American Exploration and Production Council, which represents independent oil and natural gas companies. AP reporters Tom Krisher in Detroit and Drew Costley in Washington contributed to this story.
Invisible ink, coded papers add mystery to ID theft case By Jennifer Sinco Kelleher & Brian Melley The Associated Press
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ONOLULU—Bobby Edward Fort was 27 when he enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1994 and retired 22 years later with a secret security clearance that allowed him to land a job in Honolulu as a defense contractor. But in reality, Bobby Fort was long dead. He was just short of 3 months old when he choked and died in a Texas hospital in 1967. The Bobby Fort who enlisted in the Coast Guard had stolen the dead baby’s identity 35 years ago. A false birth certificate helped him get five passports, drivers’ licenses and Department of Defense credentials. The fraud was uncovered last week. On Thursday, the man authorities said had posed as Fort was before a judge, who asked him to state his name: “Walter Glenn Primrose,” the 66-year-old said.
Primrose was ordered held without bail by a US District Court judge after a prosecutor provided new details about how he and his wife had been fraudulently living for decades under the stolen identities of two dead Texas infants. While the hearing further deepened the mystery of why the couple shed their past, it provided little clarity about whether the case against them goes beyond stolen identity, though a prosecutor suggested it could have ties overseas. “We think the defendant is obviously quite adept at impersonating other people, obtaining government ID documents, fraud, avoiding detection,” Assistant US Attorney Wayne Myers said. “He may— we’re not saying for sure—but he may have some troubling foreign connections. And if he does, he might be able to use those to enlist help.” A search of the couple’s Hawaii home turned up faded Polaroids of the two wearing
jackets that appear to be authentic Russian KGB uniforms, Myers said. An expert determined the snapshots were taken in the 1980s. The search also yielded an invisible ink kit, documents with coded language and maps showing military bases, Myers said. When the couple was left in a room together, they were recorded saying “things consistent with espionage,” Myers said. Federal defender Craig Jerome said the government only provided “speculation and innuendo” that the couple was involved in something more nefarious than “purely white-collar nonviolent offenses.” “If it wasn’t for the speculation that the government’s injected into these proceedings without providing any real evidence...he would certainly be released,” Jerome said. Prosecutors feared Primrose would flee if freed. They noted in court papers that he was an avionics electrical technician in
the Coast Guard and was highly skilled to communicate secretly if released. US Magistrate Judge Rom Trader said he based his detention order on the alleged fraud “over multiple occasions spanning a long period of time.” Morrison faces a bail hearing Tuesday. Her lawyer said the couple— regardless of the names they used—had lived law-abiding lives. Attorney Megan Kau told The Associated Press the couple posed for photos in the purported KGB jacket for fun. “She wants everyone to know she’s not a spy,” Kau said. “This has all been blown way out of proportion. It’s government overreaching.” The couple’s story begins in Texas, where Primrose and Gwynn Darle Morrison went to high school and college together and married in 1980, according to court documents.
Melley reported from Los Angeles.
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A PHOTOGRAPH of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a makeshift memorial at the LDP headquarters. BLOOMBERG PHOTO
Killing of former PM Abe puts pressure on lawmakers’ Unification Church ties By Isabel Reynolds, Nao Sano & Yuki Furukawa
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HE assassination of Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has thrown a spotlight on the little-known relationship between the country’s ruling party and the Unification Church. The South Korea-based church is best known for its mass weddings and its followers are nicknamed “Moonies” after its founder and self-proclaimed messiah Reverend Sun Myung Moon. The man arrested for shooting Abe with a homemade gun has been quoted by local media as saying he was motivated by a perceived connection between Abe and the Unification Church, which he blamed for his family’s financial ruin. The church has confirmed that the alleged perpetrator’s mother is a member, and that Abe contributed a video message to an event staged by a related organization. It has hit back at suggestions that the church was to blame for the assassination, saying the motive behind the attack was still under investigation and that it was cooperating with police. “There’s going to be a lot of pressure,” said Koji Nakakita, a professor at Hitotsubashi University. “The Liberal Democratic Party will start to distance itself from the Unification Church.” The opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan on Monday held its first task force meeting to look into the Unification Church—officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification—including its ties with politicians. While several of the party’s own lawmakers reportedly had ties with church members, an overwhelming majority of politicians identified by media as having such links are members of the LDP. Tabloid Nikkan Gendai published a list of over 30 senior lawmakers it said had links with the church, from sending congratulatory messages to giving speeches and interviews for the group’s media outlets. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was not on the list, but other prominent LDP members, including Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, were mentioned. Until the attack on Abe, such relationships were hardly known outside political circles, unlike the LDP’s more established relationships with other religions including Soka Gakkai, the Buddhist group which backs the party’s coalition partner Komeito, as well as the ultra-conservative group Nippon Kaigi with Shinto roots. LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi on Monday said there was no official, organizational relationship between the party and the Unification Church, but that it was asking individual party members to exercise caution. While a church spokesman denied a direct relationship between the church and the LDP, he said its affiliate group had ties with some politicians. “Regular voters don’t know that this particular religious group provides support, and that’s a problem,” Shigeharu Aoyama, an upper house LDP lawmaker, said of the Unification Church last week in his blog. Aoyama said that he had heard the church provided electoral support for some LDP politicians during July’s upper house elections, and that he had questioned this arrangement. Since it was founded in 1954, the Unification Church has grown into a global religious movement and a vast business empire with interests including seafood and the Washington Times newspaper. It has also faced controversy in the US, where Moon was convicted of tax evasion in 1982 and served time in prison. He died in 2012. In Japan, where it was registered as a religion in 1964, it has been hit by lawsuits from families of followers who made large donations to the church. It has also faced criticism for selling books of scripture and other items at inflated prices in a practice known as “spiritual sales.” In one case listed on the website of the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales, church members induced an individual to buy 10 books at a cost of 300 million yen ($2.2 million), more than 50 times Japan’s average salary, saying that this was the only way to ensure the recovery of an elderly relative from heart surgery. Since 1987, there have been more than 35,000 complaints about such practices, amounting to a total 124 billion yen, according to the lawyers’ group. Their website lists 17 cases where courts ordered the church to pay damages and 34 criminal judgments against its members. The church said it has issued a compliance guide in 2009 aimed at addressing “excessive actions” by some of its members. Lawsuits against the group have since decreased, it said in a statement on its web site. Japanese Communist Party executive Akira Koike said lawmakers “shouldn’t have anything to do with groups like this that cause societal problems.” One regional LDP assembly member said he would now have to keep a distance with the Unification Church and their gatherings. Church members had helped during elections by writing campaign postcards, he said, adding that they had approached him and identified their affiliation with the church. Money was never involved, he added, asking not to be identified discussing internal party matters. He said he believed it was natural for church members with conservative views about gender and family to approach politicians, although the ones he met never made any demands regarding policy. He said he also attended their meetings and study groups. While it’s unclear whether such relationships have influenced LDP policy, some of the Unification Church’s priorities, such as opposition to same-sex marriage and banning married couples from having separate surnames, chime with those of the conservative wing of the party. By contrast, polls show the public at large favoring change on both fronts. Yoshihide Sakurai, a professor specializing in religion at Hokkaido University, said he didn’t think church members sought to directly affect policy. Rather, they likely sought to establish relationships with politicians to shield the organization from social backlash and criticism when needed, he said. Hiroshi Watanabe, a member of the Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales, said the church also “shows off its influence over top Japanese politicians, and that plays a major role in motivating the believers.” His group issued an open letter to Abe last year, urging him and other lawmakers to keep their distance from the Unification Church. He said the church traditionally treated Japan as a source of funding, with members often told that they must atone for their country’s misdeeds during the 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula. Tsuneo Watanabe, a senior fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, who has himself spoken at events organized by Unification Church-linked groups, said the LDP’s bonds with the group originated in efforts to support South Korea against the then-communist bloc decades ago. Moon was known to be vehemently anti-Communist, and earned the backing of Abe’s grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, who served as prime minister, according to media reports. The church’s influence declined along with the importance of the ideological divide, but many of Japan’s hereditary conservative politicians—including Abe—kept up ties initiated by their fathers and grandfathers, Watanabe said. “It’s a remnant of the Cold War,” he said. In general, “religious groups are not allies, but it can be difficult if they become your enemies. LDP lawmakers maintain a minimal relationship—not too close and not too distant.” The office of former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, one of the LDP lawmakers with reported links to the church, said he had given a speech at an event while unaware the hosts were associated with the church. Defense Minister Kishi, brother of the late Abe, acknowledged that he had a relationship with church members, telling a news conference on Tuesday that some had helped to make telephone calls during past elections. “With an election, you need to gather as many supporters as you can,” he said.
Bloomberg News
Science Sunday BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion
Sunday, July 31, 2022
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1st space science camp reveals students’ grasp in solving environment threats I
T’S not just the catchy mission names like “Sun: AOL’’ or “Oh my Venus” that impressed the scientists from the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) who evaluated the space mission proposals presented by participants during the last day of Lift Off: PhilSA Space Science Camp 2022 held virtually on July 21. Jamaica Pangasinan, senior science research specialist at the Space Mission Control and Operations Division of PhilSA, was struck by the incoming senior high-school students’ level of environmental and social awareness as reflected in their outputs, said PhilSA in a news release. She said: “The mission objectives showed the students’ eagerness on solving present challenges and threats confronting our environment. It was heartening to see that.” “I hope t hey st ay passionate about helping the people and the planet as they pursue their interest in space science and technology,” Pangasinan added. “Touch Down Earth: Space Mission Proposals” was one of the culminating activities of the three-day hybrid camp held from July 19 to 21. It was organized by PhilSA in partnership with the Department of Education, Department of Science and Technology Science Education Institute, Moon Village Association, and the University of the Philippines National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (UP Nismed). The activity was designed to see
whether the participants were able to learn the concepts from Day 1’s lectures on space missions and satellite payloads. On Day 1, Pangasinan conducted the lecture on space missions, while Dr. Paul Leonard Atchong Hilario, Space Science and Technology Applications Researcher II at PhilSA Spacecraft Payload and Communications Systems Development Division, facilitated the discussion on satellite payloads. “The ideas presented showed that the students researched their proposals well. They used not only what they learned in the camp, which is apparent in their presentations, but also, concepts and technologies they figured out themselves,” Hilario said. DepEd selected 14 science high schools from the 16 divisions of Metro Manila to join the camp presented their space missions. Each team was given five minutes to describe the mission of their satellite, its key technical features, and why it is important. PhilSA Earth Sciences Space Mission Studies Division Senior Science Research Specialist Mark Jayson Felix noted the variety of missions the students came up with, ranging from Earth observation to space debris monitoring to planetary probes. “I am surprised with the diversity and high level of the technical accuracy of space missions presented. This tells me that we won’t be short of space missions to pursue in the
FELIX of PhilSA ESSMSD (from left), third-placer Lee Ramses Ibannez of Makati Science High School; High Tide champion Benedict Pangilinan of Navotas National Science HIgh School; second-placer and elimination round highest scorer Lance Chrysler de Jesus of Caloocan National Science and Technology High School; Dr. Refran of the ESSMSD; and Tricia Zafra of PhilSA PRID. PHILSA PHOTO
future,” Felix said. Pangasinan, Hilario and Felix rated the mission presentations based on creativity, technical soundness and time management. Two missions bested the rest of the proposals. These are “MIMA,” or “Monitoring Illegal Mining Activities in Remote Areas” by Bianca Louise B. Cruz and Oscar A. Araja II of the City of Mandaluyong Science High School, and “V-SAMS,” or the “Venus Seismic Activity Monitoring Satellite” by Peter James Lyon and Ysabela Juliana Bernardo of Caloocan City Science High School. The students behind MIMA explained that their satellite mission aims to protect the environment and strengthen the implementation of
mining laws and regulations in the country. Based on their proposal, MIMA would be a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite that could see through the cloud cover to detect changes in areas where mining activities could be present. It would use optical imagers to capture images. The objective of V-SAMS, on the other hand, would be to learn more about the Earth’s twin planet, Venus, particularly, its seismic activities. To be able to achieve this, V-SAMS would use infrared imaging to monitor the surface temperature of Venus’s volcanoes, identify which ones will erupt, and discover other active volcanoes on the planet.
MIMA poster PHILSA PHOTO It would also have an interferometric SAR (InSAR) to detect deformations and signs of seismic activity on Venus’ surface. In addition, V-SAMS would be equipped with an optical payload to take high-resolution images.
Navotas National SHS dominates space quiz bee ON Day 2, held in person at the University Hotel, UP Diliman, Quezon City, on July 20, all student campers went head-to-head at the “High Tide: Space Science Contest,” PhilSA said The participants were given 30 minutes to answer a pen-and-paper elimination test consisting of 50 questions.
Lance Chrysler de Jesus of Caloocan National Science and Technology High School got the highest score. De Jesus also clinched the second spot in the quiz bee finals. Lee Ramses Ibannez from Makati Science High School won third place, while Benedict Pangilinan of Navotas National Science High School won the championship, PhilSA said. “ The space science camp team is truly grateful to our partners, resou rce person s, pa r t ic ipa nt s, facilitators and supporters. As we prepare for a bigger camp next year, we hope everyone will continue to support PhilSA in all its initiatives,” Lift Off co-lead Dr. James Cesar Refran said.
Science camp on Camiguin makes students learn about climate change
T THE Philippine team arrives in Oslo, Norway, for the 2022 International Mathematical Olympiad. PHOTO FROM GO FOR GOLD: PHILIPPINE IMO TEAM FACEBOOK PAGE
Filipino students shine in science, math Olympiads
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NTERNATIONAL competitions prove to be constant witnesses to Filipino youth prowess. This July, three Philippine teams took the world stage and netted a total of six bronze medals, two honorable mentions and a merit citation in the international biology, chemistry and physics Olympiads. Likewise, six Filipino students took home two bronze medals and four honorable mentions at the 63rd International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). Winning three bronze medals and a merit citation were the delegates to the 33rd International Biology Olympiad (IBO), which was held in Yerevan, Armenia from July 10 to 18. Chiara Bernadette Z. Tan-Gatue from Saint Jude Catholic School, Raven Glorianne H. Foronda from the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Main and Yosef Alexander O. Segotier from PSHS-Western Visayas all won bronze medals, while Liam Audrey A. Alleda from PSHSCalabarzon received a merit citation. This was the biggest medal haul for the country since joining the IBO in 2018. Adding to the tally were Aames Juriel B. Morales from the De La Salle University Senior High School and Ron Angelo A. Gelacio from PSHS-Main. They won bronze medals in the 54th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) held in Tianjin, China, from July 10 to 18. Their teammates, Anne Maricar T. Maralit from PSHS-Main and Lemuel A. Acosta from PSHS-Central Luzon secured honorable mentions from the event. Meanwhile, PSHS-Main’s Franco Mari Cabral and Harold Scott Chua brought home a bronze medal and an honorable mention from the 52nd International Physics Olympiad (IPhO),
which was held online from July 10 to 17. Gabriel Angelo Vila from PSHSCalabarzon completed the national team to the IPhO, which was originally planned to be held in-person in Belarus. More than 65 percent of the participating countries opted in favor of the virtual mode. At the IMO, which was held in Oslo, Norway, first-timer Mohammad Nur Casib of the PSHS-Central Mindanao and two-time IMO medalist Raphael Dylan Dalida of the PSHS-Main Campus led the Philippines by snatching two bronzes after scoring 24 and 23 points, respectively. Sarji Elijah Bona of the De La Salle University Senior High School, who won a bronze medal last year, received an honorable mention this time along with Rickson Caleb Tan of MGC New Life Christian Academy, Filbert Ephraim Wu of Victory Christian International School and Enrico Rolando Martinez of the PSHS-Main Campus. A total of 589 contestants from 104 countries participated in the 63rd IMO. The Philippines ranked 55th out of all the participating countries. Since joining the IMO in 1988, the country has won a total of four gold medals, 16 silver medals, 37 bronze medals and 30 honorable mentions. “It is indeed a beautiful sight to see our students wave the banner of Filipino excellence in the international scene,” said DOST-SEI Director Josette Biyo. “Our students are strong contenders in the academic arena and DOSTSEI will definitely continue to give full support to enable students to showcase their best in international Olympiads,” Biyo added. DOST-SEI, the country’s S&T human resource development agency, supports student participation in key competitions in the fields of mathematics and sciences. S&T Media Services
HE fight toward a greener and healthier environment continues. After going virtual in 2021, the Department of Science and Technology’s Science Education Institute’s (DOSTSEI) in-person Climate Science Youth Camp (CSYC) made its comeback in the province of Camiguin. It is bringing its trademark deep-dive into the world of marine scientists. The science camp, which was held from June 24 to 29, instilled key knowledge and skills that emphasized the youth’s role in addressing climate vulnerability in coastal areas, thus, the theme “Oceans in a Changing World: Building Resilience in Coastal Communities.” L e d b y D O S T- S E I ’s p a r t n e r, t h e University of the Philippines—Marine Science Institute (UP MSI), 48 studentand teacher-campers from 16 public high schools in the province were taught about various concepts about hydrological cycle, climate change, the importance of marine ecosystem and the services and benefits it provide to coastal communities. In the span of a week, the campers were able to experience the real-life work
YOUNG Camiguinons became young scientists for a day and were able to observe plankton under the microscope. DOST-SEI PHOTO of marine scientists through interactive learning activities and field exposures, such as water sampling, snorkeling, plankton observation, and coral reef, seagrass and mangrove identification. Long-time Camp Director, Dr. Aletta Yñiguez of UP MSI, said that this year’s CSYC reinforced the value of hands-on interaction between the campers and the scientists as it strengthens and enhances learning. “It gives a very different experience
AFTER a series of lectures and knowledge-building activities, campers experienced the field work of a marine scientist, led by camp director, Dr. Alette Yñiguez, as they snorkeled to identify coral reefs and fishes. DOST-SEI PHOTO
to the students and teachers and brings out the energy and enthusiasm of both the facilitators and the campers,” Yñiguez said. DOST-SEI Director Dr. Josette T. Biyo challenged the participants to apply their learning and ripple the camp’s impact in their own communities through pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. “Now more than ever, we should answer the call to strengthen our efforts and to
transform our ways to make the world we live in a better one. And we, at DOST-SEI believe that the youth is not just the hope of our future, but also our partner in taking action now,” Biyo said. The Science Camp, which has followed an evolving exposure platform since 2011, has been bridging the basics of climate science and the critical impacts experienced in coastal communities among high school students.
S&T Media Services
Net Zero IdeaNation: Youth embrace role to address climate change concerns By Rizal Raoul Reyes
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HE woke generation will have an important role to play in the fight against climate change. In a webinar held on July 15, Aneka Abarrientos, a member of Cris’s Angels, said she and her fellow youth will be active in promoting sustainability and combating climate change. “We play a very important role since the youth is the future of the next generation because the wokes are quite in touch with the different aspects of social realities,” Abarrientos pointed out. Cris’s Angels is one of the finalists in Net Zero IdeaNation competition, a partnership between Nestlé Philippines and the Department of Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship (DAME) of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB). It is a program where DAME students (Foundations of Entrepreneurship)
are challenged to ideate innovative business concepts and solutions centered on Nestlé Philippines’ three net zero focus areas. Woke is defined by Meriam and Webster as “ aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues especially of racial and social justice.” The ACENV team composed of Arianne De Goma, Neel Farson Angeles, Carmila Villaseran, Eljon Geroleo and Veronica Parreño recently emerged as the first champion in Net Zero IdeaNation. De Goma said they developed their project in response to the current challenge of increasing oil prices. She added that their concept takes off by combining solar power and electric vehicles that delivery riders can utilize as a more sustainable and economical alternative to motors. The Coffee Cubes concept of Cris’s Angels, composed of Abarrientos, Mahonri Alquisalas, Justine Faith Deverla, Angel Vi Manong, Ma. Jhoanna Zapico, clinched the
second runner-up award. Their product offers the beloved Filipino commodity, coffee, in a compact, travel-friendly form, which comes in 100 percent plastic-free packaging. This aims to uphold sustainable material packaging and reinforce coffee plantations in the Philippines. BayanBiogas, a community-based generation of sustainable and alternative liquified petroleum gas (LPG) from manure and food waste, bagged the first runner-up award. This concept by Crizza Rodolfo, John Jayme, Justine Zamora, Ashley Anyayahan and Roque Banzon aims to fuel the community through more affordable and eco-friendly resources while promoting solid waste management. Moreover, Nestlé Philippines has selected Hijo Hija Enerhiya! as the team with special citation for its concept about innovative playgrounds and parks that can generate electricity through tiles and
equipment with built-in Piezoelectric Transducers. The innovation is conceptualized by Abbey Jimenez, Mariellen Silab and Leara Varquez. From 90 teams, 18 were selected to advance to the Net Zero IdeaNation Grand Finals that was held virtually on July 15. Prior to competing in the finals, the finalists first underwent a mentoring session led by experts from Nestlé Philippines to help them further develop and polish their ideas for the pitching competition. In the end, three teams were named as the first set of IdeaNation Champions. “This partnership with UPLB was an avenue to help mold future entrepreneurs who prioritize social responsibility, critical thinking and innovation by providing them a platform to come up with solutions that help address climate change and first-hand industry knowledge through the mentoring sessions,” said Jose Uy III, SVP and Head of Corporate Affairs of Nestlé Philippines.
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Sunday, July 31, 2022
Faith
Sunday
Editor: Lyn Resurreccion • www.businessmirror.com.ph
Indigenous Canadian: Forgiveness the path to true healing
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THE façade of the Vigan Cathedral, a Unesco Heritage site, was damaged by the strong earthquake that jolted Northern Luzon on Wednesday morning. PHOTO FROM VIGAN LGU FACEBOOK PAGE
SAN Lorenzo Ruiz Shrine, among the oldest churches in Bangued, Abra, one of its two bell towers was heavily damaged. PHOTO FROM SAN LORENZO RUIZ SHRINE FACEBOOK PAGE
Centuries-old churches, bell towers among strong quake’s casualties
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HE powerful magnitude-7 earthquake that shook Abra province and other parts of northern Luzon on Wednesday left a trail of centuries-old churches and bell towers among the many heritage sites damaged or destroyed. Among the heritage sites and architectural treasures the “major earthquake” damaged was the 16thcentury popular Vigan Cathedral, canonically known as Metropolitan Cathedral of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle, in Ilocos Sur’s capital, Vigan. Viral Facebook v ideos and photos showed debr is fel l f rom its façade. T he Unesco World Her itage site cathedral was temporar y closed due to damage. “We will wait for the pronouncement from the structural engineers that it is safe to use for our Eucharistic celebrations. Please pray for all Bigueños,” said the cathedral ’s Rector/Parish Priest Msgr. Gary Noel S. Formoso on its Facebook page. The cathedral was declared a World Heritage Site, along with the Historic Town of Vigan in 1999. When the seat of the Nueva Segovia Diocese was transferred to Villa Fernandina de Vigan in 1758, the church was elevated to the status of a cathedral and became the center of Catholic faith in the north, the Vigan web site said. Its Baroque architectural design that has been modified to strengthen the structure against earthquakes is known as “earthquake Baroque.” In nearby Bantay town, the Bantay Bell Tower was also damaged. A v i ra l Facebook v ideo by Ed i-
son A dduc u l showed some br ic k s fa l l i ng , wh i le people were r u nn i ng aw ay f rom it. The bell tower of the St. Augustine Parish Church was built in 1591. It is called the Bantay Belfry being located in the Bantay district of Vigan. It was said to be the people’s watchtower as part of the defence against enemies during the Spanish colonial era, Vigan’s web site said. The belfry is popular among local tourists being the site of the shooting of the well-known Filipino film “Panday.” A lso in Ilocos Sur, photos from Saints of Today Facebook account showed t he 3 0 0 -yea r old Sa i nt Dominic de Guzman Parish Church in Sto. Domingo town with cracked walls and saints’ statues toppled inside the church. The Christ the King Church in Bantay also had cracked walls.
Abra province
IN Abra province, the epicenter of the powerful earthquake, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported that the Department of Tourism has recorded damages to at least two churches that had been declared “National Cultural Treasure” by the National Museum of the Philippines were affected by the tremor. The façade of Sta. Catalina de Alexandria Church, a 19th-century ba-
THE centuries-old St. Catherine of Alexandria Church in Abra, also known as Tayum Church, suffured big cracks. Completed in 1803, it is considered a national cultural treasure, being the oldest and largest in the Cordillera region. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/PNA roque church in Tayum town, suffered big cracks, PNA said, while concrete bricks fell off from its bell tower and main altar, the Abra Province Facebook page said. Completed in 1803, the church was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2001. It is the oldest and largest in the Cordillera region. The San Lorenzo Ruiz Shrine in Bangued town was also heavily damaged, PNA reported. Built during the turn of the 19th century, it’s heritage structure has red clay brick details on its façade, nave and twin belfries, said Abra Province’s Facebook page. The La Paz Aglipayan Church in Abra was also damaged. Its walls and belfry suffered cracks, PNA said in a separate report.
Ilocos Norte
IN nearby Ilocos Norte province, the home prov ince of President Marcos Jr., the earthquake caused rocks and bricks fall off from Laoag City’s famous Sinking Bell Tower. According to Laoag City’s web site, the tower, believed to have
been built after an earthquake in 1707, “sinks into the ground at a rate of an inch a year.” “ T here a ren’t a ny conc lu sive scientif ic ex planations for this, but one accepted theory is that the tower being built on sandy land and its heav y and massive structure is causing it to slowly bury itself into the ground,” the web site said. The bell tower has withstood several minor earthquakes since completion, earning membership to the “earthquake Baroque” style label by architecture scholars, along with several churches in the country. In Badoc town, the tremor caused debris fall from the old convent of St. John the Baptist Minor Basilica and were left scattered along Soriano Street, PNA reported. The minor basilica, also known as the Shrine of La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc, houses the Virgin Milagrosa statue of the Virgin Mary. Built in the 17th century, the Baroque style church was dedicated to John the Baptist and was given the title of a minor basilica since 2018. It is one of t he 11 c hu rc hes known as Baroque Fil-Hispanic in Ilocos Norte. The side walls of the single-nave church are reinforced with massive buttress walls that protected it against earthquakes. “We will request Tieza [Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority] to prioritize assessment of the cultural treasures affected by the recent earthquake recognizing the need to protect and sustain our heritage and cultural treasures for the benefit and welfare of our future generations,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said. T he Nationa l Museum of the Philippines said it was committed to helping local governments in the rehabilitation and restoration efforts for damaged heritage structures, the PNA reported .
Lyn B. Resurreccion
MONG the thousands of people attending Mass presided over by Pope Francis at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium on Tuesday was Phil Fontaine, an Indigenous Canadian leader, who completed his third and final term as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations in 2009. For the indigenous leader, who as a child was forced to attend a residential school operated by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate at Sagkeeng, this visit by the Pope has already been “momentous.” He heard for himself on Monday the Pope’s words of apology on Canadian soil when he addressed around 2,000 residential school survivors, chiefs, leaders, elders, knowledge keepers and youth from First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities in Maskwacis Park (“Bear hills,” in the Cree language) Pope Francis spoke of his deep sense of “pain and remorse” for the suffering endured by the Indigenous peoples of Canada, and for the violence of forced assimilation inflicted on those in the residential school system. Speaking to Vatican News’ Christopher Wells, Fontaine described hearing the Pope express his sorrow, pain and indignation to survivors as “special.”
Momentous occasion
“IT’S not every day we have one of the most powerful public figures in the world come before a community of former residential school survivors, and their families coming from communities far and wide in this country, and to have him [the pope] humble himself and seek forgiveness from the survivors,” Fontaine said. “I thought personally, it took a lot of courage, humility, and it was a special moment,” he added. Fontaine recalled the commitment Pope Francis made when he met with Canadian Indigenous Delegations between March 28 and April 1 in which he heard their stories about life in the residential schools. “He said, ‘I will speak further on this issue
when I come to visit you on your lands.’ And so to see him here today saying essentially what he told us in Rome, but in some more detail, I think was really quite special,” Fontaine pointed out.
Power of forgiveness
DURING Monday’s gathering, Pope Francis recognized that begging for pardon is not sufficient and is only a first step toward healing. He also underlined that more needs to be done “to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening.” Fontaine pointed out that it will be up to each individual affected by their experience in the residential school system to decide whether they accept the pope’s apology, but he also highlighted the power of forgiveness as the path to true healing. “I think it’s important to keep in mind that healing and reconciliation can be best achieved by forgiveness, and here we had the Holy Father before us seeking forgiveness,” he said. He added: “We have to also bring us to a place where we can forgive. So, for some, that’s a very difficult step to take; for others they’ve taken that step and probably took it years ago, and that made it possible for that person to carry on the process of healing and reconciliation.”
Concrete action
ON the matter of concrete action, he said, there were a number of issues that needed to be addressed. “We still have the issue of unmarked graves, there is still the issue of records,” as well as, the question of lands. However, the indigenous leader noted that there has been co-operation on the part of the Oblate order which allowed a researcher to spend time at the Vatican, where he found hundreds of photos of residential school students. He noted that this was an example of “some practical steps we can take together.”
Lydia O’Kane/Vatican News
POPE Francis puts on an indigenous headdress during a meeting with indigenous communities, including First Nations, Metis and Inuit, at Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Catholic Church in Maskwacis, near Edmonton, Canada, on July 25. Pope Francis begins a “penitential” visit to Canada to beg forgiveness from survivors of the country’s residential schools, where Catholic missionaries contributed to the “cultural genocide” of generations of Indigenous children by trying to stamp out their languages, cultures and traditions. AP/GREGORIO BORGIA
Pope declares Pangasinan, Pasig churches minor basilicas
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THE Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Anne in Taguig City. ARCHDIOCESAN SHRINE OF ST. ANNE FACEBOOK PAGE
THE St. Dominic Parish Church in San Carlos City, Pangasinan. ST. DOMINIC PARISH 1587 FACEBOOK PAGE
OPE Fra nc i s dec l a red t he 250-year-old St. Dominic Parish Church in the northern Luzon city of San Carlos in Pangasinan, and the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Anne in Taguig City as minor basilicas. Basilicas are assigned by the pope to certain Catholic churches because of their antiquity, historical significance as centers of worship, architectural beauty, liturgical renown, the presence of a special relic or work of art or for any combination of those qualities. The official title of the Pangasinan church will be changed to the Minor Basilica of St. Dominic at a liturgical rite to be scheduled in the coming weeks. The first Dominican church in Pangasinan province was a simple chapel of bamboo and nipa built in 1587 in Binalatongan, now the city , Pangasinanof San Carlos. The original site was moved to
higher locations three times in the 17th and 18th centuries due to seasonal flooding. In the 18th century, most churches were built of bricks and the largest bricks produced then were from San Carlos. After the Palaris Revolt in 1765, a new church in its current site was built and completed in 1773. The church is now 250 years old. “The parish has offered 34 sons to the Church to become priests in recent history,” the archdiocese said. Santo Domingo Ybanez de Erquicia, who received the crown of martyrdom in Japan’s Nagasaki, and San Francisco Gil de Federich, who died for the faith in Vietnam’s northern region of Tonkin, were both Dominican missionaries who ministered in the Parish of Saint Dominic.
First minor basilica in Pasig diocese BISHOP Mylo Hubert Vergara of Pasig
said the designation of Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Anne in Taguig City means that the 19-year-old diocese will now have its first minor basilica— a church to which special privileges are attached. “This is a great blessing to us. This is the first basilica of the Diocese of Pasig,” Vergara said during Mass on the Feast of Saints Anne and Joachim on July 26. The parish last year petitioned the Vatican to grant the old church with the title and dignity of minor basilica. The petition contained a 180-page document about the parish’s history, liturgical services, social services, culture and devotion. During the Mass, Vergara announced that the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments approved the petition, earning cheers and applause from the congregation. “As always, let me assure you of my sincere and heartfelt support and
prayers,” he said. The archdiocesan shrine already houses a bone relic of Saint Anne. A basilica also has special privileges with ties to the pope and one of them is the plenary indulgence, which the faithful who visit the house of worship and participate in sacred rites may receive. The three church symbols that distinguish a basilica are the umbraculum (little umbrella), the tintinnabulum (bells) and the symbol of tiara and keys that is on the Vatican flag. In preparation for the official proclamation of the church as minor basilica, the bishop asked the parish to “catechize the whole community” on the significance of the title. He also encouraged the involvement of everyone in the preparation and exercise synodality among organizations, ministries, and even the local government. “No one should be left behind,” Vergara said. Roy Lagarde/CBCP News
Biodiversity Sunday BusinessMirror
Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014
Sunday, July 31, 2022 A7
Editor: Lyn Resurreccion
Saving coastal, marine environment through Marine Protected Areas
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By Jonathan L. Mayuga
S part of the Plastic Free July, a global movement that amplifies the call for strengthened efforts to solve the global plastic crisis, ocean conservation advocate nongovernment organization, Oceana Philippines, called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to protect marine protected areas against plastic pollution. Environmental lawyer Gloria Estenzo-Ramos, vice president of Oceana Philippines, said the country’s marine ecosystems hold immense potential in the efforts to curb the impact of the global food crisis. But the threat of destruction and losses is becoming more pronounced as plastic waste make their way to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that are supposed to be set aside for conservation in different parts of the country.
Legal basis
MPAS in the Philippines are governed by two major laws, Criselda Castor, focal person for MPAs of the Biodiversity Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-BMB), told the BusinessMirror in a telephone interview on July 26. First is Republic Act 11038, or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act, which is the basis for the establishment of MPAs under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (Nipas) framework. Second is Republic Act 10654, the basis for the establishment of locally managed MPAs, which are governed by concerned local government units (LGUs). “Through this law, all LGUs are mandated to apportion 15 percent of their municipal water as a fish refuge or sanctuary, whenever possible,” Castor, also a senior ecosystems management specialist, said. She said MPAs under the Nipas are administrated or governed by the national government, the DENR-BMB in particular.
“They are relatively large MPAs, covering several hectares and encompassing ecologically rich and unique areas and biologically important public lands that are habitats of rare and threatened species, biogeographic zones a nd re l ated ecos y stem s,” Castor said.
Biodiversity-rich islands
A BIODIVERSITY-RICH archipelago, the Philippines has more reason to protect and conserve its rich marine ecosystem from destructive human activities. Currently, there are a total of 75 Nipas MPAs, wherein 35 are legislated, five are proclaimed and 35 are initial components. There are also more than 1,500 locally managed MPAs established around the country. The DENR-BMB is also pushing for the establishment of networks of MPAs to strengthen the protection and conservation of these biodiversity-rich areas. There are currently 60 established MPA networks in the Philippines. Besides plastic and microplastic pollution, MPAs are facing persistent threats like encroachment of commercial fishing vessels, destructive and unsustainable fishing practices, unsustainable tourism practices and climate change. “Sometimes, there is also resistance from the community on the establishment of MPAs and networks because of the initial belief that they will have a smaller area to fish. But this can be addressed by engaging them at the onset and continuous consultation and awareness activities, Castor said.
Dinagat residents boost recovery from ‘Odette’ using solar energy
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INAGAT ISLANDS—Residents of Barangay Coring, Basilisa, Dinagat Islands, with the support of environmental groups, installed solar panels on their barangay gymnasium as part of their recovery efforts from Supertyphoon Odette (international name Rai). This collaboration among Communities Organized for Resource Allocation (Cora) Philippines, Greenpeace Philippines and the local government of Barangay Coring aims to demonstrate that renewable energy (RE) is the most sensible energy source for climatevulnerable, as well as island communities. During and after the onslaught of Odette late last year, Barangay Coring’s dieselpowered electric generator failed to restore power in the area, disrupting efforts toward recovery and resumption of livelihood. Barangay officials believe the additional 4,800 watts of electricity from the solar panels will prove beneficial to a community struggling to get back on its feet. “Recovery efforts in our community are being hampered by the lack of reliable sources of electricity. Because we live on an island and it’s hard to access electric power, it becomes harder for aid to come in
and to ensure our well-being after storms,” resident Tessie Japay said in the vernacular. “Now that there are solar panels installed in our area, it’s easier for us to recover, especially as these panels are cheap and easy to use,” she added. Beyond off-grid installation, Greenpeace said the Philippines must invest massively in utility scale RE, particularly solar and wind, in order to usher in the just transition to clean and safe energy. In a 2020 report, the group said that investment in wind and solar impacts job creation and other baseline economic indicators were positive, as well as the transformation of energy systems. The group highlighted how renewable energy investment is an ideal and relatively immediate vehicle for economic development, an essential tool for fast recovery from economic crises, such as Covid-19, and a means to build better performing, more resilient economies. Greenpeace is calling on the Philippine government to increase its RE target to at least 50 percent by 2030, a figure that is highly achievable and can be delivered mostly by solar power.
SEA fans and colorful corals are found in the Tubbataha Reef Natural Park, a renowned diving spot and a Unesco World Heritage site. DANNY OCAMPO
MPA management tools ACCORDING to Castor, locally-managed MPAs use the MPA Management Effectiveness Assessment Tool. At the same time, the Nipas MPAs use the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT). “ There are a number of MPAs that are already doing good in terms of managing their MPAs. However, there are also other Nipas MPAs that need to improve in certain areas of management. Moreover, there is a need to re-evaluate/update the METT scores of our Nipas MPAs to be able to get a better understanding of how effective the management of their MPAs is,” she explained. The DENR-BMB implements a program called Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Program, which is fully funded by the government through the General Appropriations Act. “Through this program, we are able to strengthen MPAs through scaling up to networks, habitat assessment and monitoring, provision of biodiversity-friendly enterprises, capacity building and social mobilization, among others,” she said.
‘Not a silver bullet’ SOUGHT for comment, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), however, expressed doubt that MPAs could actually protect marine resources. “While we recognize the urgent need to preserve our marine and aquatic resources from various forms of destruction, there is no guarantee that
The people of Brangay Coring has joined the youth climate advocates’ call for the Philippine government to expedite the shift toward RE instead of having the country rely on dirty and dangerous energy sources, such as nuclear and fossil gas. Greenpeace cited the Commission on Human Rights’ final report on the National Inquiry on Climate Change (NICC) as an additional basis for why the government should prioritize the transition to RE. “Investments in clean energy will protect communities,” said Greenpeace Campaigner Virginia Benosa-Llorin. “The findings of the NICC report recognize that a just transition to RE and an end to fossil fuel dependence is necessary and urgent if we are to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and protect Filipinos’ lives and rights,” Benosa-Llorin explained. As climate impacts continue to affect the most vulnerable sectors—like the families in Barangay Coring—”it is imperative that our new government tap the country’s massive potential for RE development to provide safe, sustainable, reliable and affordable energy for Filipinos,” she added. The solar installation of the environmental and climate advocacy groups is the second in their ongoing efforts to promote a just transition away from fossil fuel dependence. Another solar installation was conducted in Mantatao Island, Municipality of Calape, Bohol.
A SCHOOL of bannerfish adds beauty to the underground world in Barangay Ermita Marine Protected Area in Sipaway Island, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental. DANNY OCAMPO [MPAs] will function as it is. Rather, it may threaten the livelihood of small fisherfolk, who will be deprived to fish within the established MPAs,” Ronnel Arambulo, Pamalakaya national spokesman told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on July 27. “Marine and aquatic resources deteriorate because of exploitation of large-scale commercial fishing fleets, as well as by government’s approval of destructive projects, such as reclamation and conversion,“ he said. He said big fishing firms continue to exploit and monopolize the country’s marine and aquatic resources, and no amount of government conservation program could stop this threat to our marine ecosystem. “What we have been pushing for genuine rehabilitation of aquatic and marine waters is through the massive restoration of mangrove areas and sea grasses, and ultimately end all destructive projects, such as reclamation and conversion. The government must also restrict commercial fishing vessels from entering the 15-kilometer municipal waters intended for small and subsistence fisherfolk,” he pointed out.
Reinforcing protection
OCEANA Philippines, however, insisted that MPAs are important because they reinforce the protection of the livelihoods of the country’s fisherfolk and coastal communities, and build the resiliency of the natural ecosystems and the people from the ravaging impacts of climate change. “We have national laws and local ordinances that establish marine reserves, protected seascapes and
fish sanctuaries but we need to have more of them. Thus, Oceana supports the government and stakeholders in having more ecologically and biologically significant marine areas in our country protected,” Ramos told the BusinesMirror via email on July 26. “The [DENR-BMB] admits that we only have roughly 1 percent of our waters, including exclusive economic zone, protected,” she lamented. According to Ramos, an effective MPA must be science-based, implements the Enipas Act, Fisheries Code, as amended, and other laws, without fear or favor, and require strong and continuing collaboration not just among Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) members but also with the stakeholders, including the 12 Fisheries Management Areas (FMAs), a legacy of the Duterte administration. The Management Plan has to be complied with, and for MPAs which are considered sub-groups of the FMAs, it has to be synchronized with the FMA Management Plans and national policies, she explained. “I hope also the state colleges and universities step up in being active actors in MPA management including monitoring. Fisherfolk also needs strong support from both national and local decision-makers,” Ramos said.
Scientifically recognized
THERESA MUNDITA S. LIM, executive director of the Asean Centre for Biodiversity said that MPAs are a scientifically recognized tool in protecting coastal and marine biodiversity.
She told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on July 27 said that years ago, Asean Biodiversity hero, Dr. Angel Alcala of the Philippines, has already proven through a study of the Apo Island Protected Landscape and Seascape, that a well-managed protected area can yield up to around 125 tons of fish biomass per year. She noted that Apo Island started as a locally managed no-take marine reserve before it was eventually established as a national protected area. “Locally managed MPAs definitely contribute to fishery production and complement the benefits derived from effectively managed national marine protected areas. But it is not enough to set aside just a percentage of local waters as MPAs,” she said. However, Lim, a former DENRBMB director, said it is more important to identify the appropriate areas to protect, to ensure that they are the rich breeding or foraging grounds for important fishery resources and keystone species. “Since our oceans and oceanic resources are interconnected, organisms can breed in one area and move across political boundaries to grow, mate, feed and thrive. For us to protect them across all these life stages, and eventually sustainably harness the benefits they can provide [food security, resilient ecosystems, livelihoods], networking of smaller MPAs may be relevant and necessary,” she said. “In Asean, we are already exploring the declaration of transboundary Asean Heritage Parks based on reliable scientific information on migratory patterns and life cycles of important marine biodiversity,” Lim said.
LOGGERS BECOME RIVER TOUR GUIDES IN SAMAR
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USED to help cut and transport logs illegally,” revealed Epifanio Obidos, a boat guide. “For generations, we used traditional torpedo shaped canoes called balugo to transport timber. We would get orders to cut down hardwood trees like banuyo, narra or kamagong. One balugo can transport over 100 board feet of wood.” Samar is among the poorest provinces in the country. In 2015, the Philippine Statistics Authority disclosed that 45 percent of all families in Samar lived below the poverty line. “The hardest part was that even when we’d risk run-ins with the law by transporting illegally-cut timber, we’d still have barely enough cash to survive. Often we’d borrow money from financiers to buy gas and other provisions to transport the logs they ordered. Even after getting paid, we’d still be in debt,” Obidos recalled in a UNDP Biofin news release. Things have steadily improved. Samar’s poverty incidence dropped to 30 percent by 2018, mostly because of small businesses, one of which is the Ulot River Torpedo Extreme Boat Adventure, where boats go bow-to-bow with raging rapids. “In 2008, to veer away from illegal activities, we started using our torpedo-shaped balugo for tourism to showcase the natural beauty of Samar. We mostly employed locals who formerly worked as illegal loggers or log haulers,” Obidos explained. “Back then we only had 12 people and
a few old boats. But traversing rivers was a way of life for us, since we’ve been using it for transportation long before Samar’s road network was developed,” he recounted. Each torpedo boat has a three-man crew, comprised of a boat operator, tour guide and a point man, who sits at the bow or front of a boat, deftly using a paddle or pole to keep rocks at bay. “Now our once-small operation has over 20 boats and employs 70 local people,” he beamed. In 2018, their group, Tour Guides and Boat Operators for River Protection and Environmental Development Organization (Torpedo), was recognized by the Department of Tourism for its responsible, communitybased operations. The Ulot River is part of the Samar Island Natural Park (SINP), the country’s largest land-based protected area. “The Philippines hosts 247 protected areas and practically all of them give locals employment,” explained Director Natividad Bernardino of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Biodiversity Management Bureau. The stories of many of these protected areas are similar to Obidos’s—of loggers turned into tour guides, hunters turned into rangers, blast fishers transformed into dive guides. “For all this to continue, there must be a steady stream of clients,” noteed SINP Superintendent Eires Mate.
“The Covid-19 lockdowns hit the world’s protected areas hard, generating all-time visitor revenue lows. Many people were laid off and operations were drastically scaled-down. With our parks again open for business, we invite adventurers to visit the Ulot River and our country’s other beautiful protected areas,” Mae explained Launched in May of 2022, the Year of the Protected Areas (Yopa) aims not just to educate people on the need to conserve protected areas, but to encourage them to visit the sites themselves. Yopa hopes to generate funds from tourists to ensure continued management for areas hard-hit by Covid-19 budget cuts. Declaring natural sites as PAs is among the best ways to protect natural capital. “The jobs generated by sustainable and ethical tourism activities act as economic and social safety nets for locals who might otherwise turn to illegal means to support their families,” said Selva Ramachandran, United Nations Development Programme resident representative. “You know, if not for ecotourism, I would most probably be dead,” Obidos said as we quietly glide back to shore. “The authorities would have definitely caught me, like they caught others. I might have starved to death, been shot by the cops or been hauled off to jail.” He looks up, just a bit teary-eyed. “In a very real way, ecotourism saved my life,” he said.
Sports BusinessMirror
A8 | S
unday, July 31, 2022 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao
ISSUE ON PRIDE IN BIRMINGHAM
BRITAIN’S Prince Charles delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games as Tom Daley hands the Games Baton to Alex Danson-Bennett MBE during the opening ceremony at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, England, on Thursday. AP
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IRMINGHAM, England— Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley protested intolerance toward the LGBTQ+ community at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games on Thursday. The British diver, who is married to Oscar-winning director Dustin Lance Black, played a key role as one of the last bearers in the Queen’s Baton Relay. The 28-year-old Daley entered Alexander Stadium surrounded by a group carrying Pride flags as part of a broader campaign regarding the toxic culture toward homosexuality held by more than half of the competing nations in the Games. The two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist did so with a broad smile, mindful the event is celebrating a theme of diversity and inclusion, though he also paid tribute to the six people who walked into the stadium carrying the Pride flags. “In over half of the Commonwealth countries, homosexuality is still a crime and in three of those countries the maximum penalty is the death sentence,” Daley wrote on his Instagram account. “These laws are a legacy of colonialism. This opening ceremony for us is about showing LGBTQ+ visibility to the billion people watching...”
The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport Olympic-style event made up of mostly former British colonies. Seventy-two countries and territories are represented. Denise Lewis, an Olympic gold medalist from Birmingham, was the final baton bearer and handed it to Commonwealth Games Foundation President Louise Martin. The opening ceremony was described as a love letter to Birmingham, its history and its vibrant, multi-cultural community, with 30,000 tickets sold for the occasion. Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, arrived at the stadium in an Aston Martin he bought in 1970. The vehicle was a nod to a tribute that featured in the opening ceremony to the West Midlands’ automotive industry featuring cars forming the Union Flag. Prince Charles read a message on behalf of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to open the competition,
which will run over the next 11 days. “My warmest thanks go to all those who have worked so hard to ensure the success of this particularly special sporting event and I wish each athlete and team every success,” he said on the Queen’s behalf.
Daley is not competing in Birmingham, and Commonwealth Games Federation Chief Executive Katie Sadleir said the organization was aware of his stand. “We have been working with Tom and we have been working with a wider group,” she said. “You will see Pride flags [in Birmingham]. This is a city that absolutely embraces Pride and Pride messaging and it’s definitely something that we’re working in close cooperation with Tom Daley on.” Daley will feature in a BBC documentary titled “Tom Daley: Illegal To Be Me,” scheduled to be released in August at the completion of the event in Birmingham. “I’ve experienced homophobia all my life, competing in countries where it’s illegal to be me and where I don’t feel safe to leave the venue I’m competing in,” he told the BBC. “If I feel like that as a privileged man, I can’t imagine what day-to-day life is like for LGBTQ+
people around the commonwealth. We wanted it to be something that actually makes a difference.” The LGBTQ+ community demonstrated in Birmingham on Thursday to greet the arrival of the Queen’s Baton at Aston Hall after a journey that began at Buckingham Palace in October 2021. A massive global audience was expected to watch the opening ceremony, which has been planned by Steven Knight, the creator of hit Birmingham-based series Peaky Blinders. More than 5,000 athletes have arrived in England for the competition and it has been reported that more than 1 million tickets have been sold. The Progress Pride flag is on display throughout the city and organizers are promoting the inclusivity of the sixth edition of the Commonwealth Games held in England. But Sadleir conceded there were limits to the action the Commonwealth Games Foundation is able to take when it comes to the intolerance towards the LGBTQ+ community of several participating nations. “We can’t go in to change the rules in countries, but what we can do is create opportunities for people to discuss issues in a safe environment,” she said. “Whenever we’re given the opportunity to talk about our values, we do that.” AP
Women’s final caps Olympic football in Paris 2024
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HE Olympic soccer competition at the 2024 Paris Games will conclude with the women’s final—instead of the men’s—for the first time. FIFA announced the Olympic soccer competition schedule on Wednesday. The governing body also said there will be no double-headers in France, making each match a standalone event. The women’s final will take place on August 10 at the Parc des Princes in Paris. The men’s gold-medal match will be played at the same stadium the day before. The combined tournament will start on July 24 and go to seven cities in France: Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice and Saint-Etienne. As host, France’s men’s team will play in the tournament opener in Marseille, while the women’s team will play on July 25 in Lyon, site of 2019 Women’s World Cup final. “That this should take place in France is particularly exciting,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a prepared statement. “A country with a distinguished
history of developing and excelling in both men’s and women’s football, which has hosted some of the most iconic FIFA tournaments in history, including the last FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019, and where FIFA has recently re-opened an office to better serve its 211 member associations.”
The US women secured a spot in the Olympics by winning the Concacaf W Championship, while Brazil and Colombia qualified at the Copa America. On the men’s side, the US team and the Dominican Republic earned spots at the Concacaf U-20 Championship.
FRANCE’S supporters wave flags during the Women Euro 2022 semifinal match between Germany and France at the Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, England, last week. AP
Three-quarters of the 32 teams at the World Cup in Qatar, meanwhile, will stay within a 10-kilometer (6.2 mile) radius in and around the capital city, FIFA said. Qatar will be the smallest country ever to host the World Cup, barely a quarter of the size of the next-smallest, 1954 host Switzerland. Of the 32 teams, 24 will have their bases within the capital city of Doha and its suburbs. England, Germany and Belgium are among eight teams who will be based further out. The layout is the opposite to that used in Russia four years ago, when teams were spread out across the European part of the country with some bases more than 1,300 miles (2,100 kilometers) apart and a heavy reliance on air travel to get to games. AP
SOUTH KOREA’S Nam Tae-hee tries to escape from Japan’s Wataru Endo during their friendly at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama in March 2021.
Korea-Japan: One of Asia’s fiercest soccer rivalries turns one-sided
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EOUL, South Korea—An Asian soccer rivalry unlike no other is starting to become one-sided. South Korea has defeated Japan 42 times and lost just 16 matches. But Japan has won its last two matches against its regional foes by 3-0 score lines in the past 18 months, including a match this week in Japan. When Japan made its first World Cup appearance in 1998, South Korea was playing in its fifth tournament. The South Koreans reached the semifinals in 2002 when the two countries co-hosted and remains the best performance by any Asian team at the World Cup. In 2018, however, Japan advanced to the knockout stages while South Korea failed to advance from group play. In March 2021, Japan defeated its rival 3-0 in Yokohama and it repeated that feat in Toyota on Wednesday in the East Asian Championships, clearly superior in both games. And it is not just the senior team—a June meeting at the Asian under-23 championships saw Japan win 3-0 once more. “These days, Japanese players do not have a complex about Korea or feel that they are psychologically inferior,” Japan Coach Hajime Moriyasu said when asked after Wednesday’s game if the country had overcome its stigma against South Korea. Japanese media were not overly excited with the victory that gave the host nation seven points and first place in the East Asian Championships which also featured China and Hong Kong. “It was not a satisfactory win as Korea was too weak,” said Soccer Digest. South Korea Coach Paulo Bento said the defeat resulted from defensive mistakes and preferred not to talk about the rivalry between the teams. “It is dangerous to compare only with Japan because the environment, situation, and training methods in each country are different,” he said. Comparisons are inevitable, however, between Asia’s two most successful soccer nations. With both teams missing European-based stars, Wednesday’s meeting was largely between players from the J-League and the K-League. Japan, fielding a less experienced team, won comfortably. Although South Korea boasts Asia’s biggest star in Son Heungmin, who won the English Premier League’s Golden Boot award as leading goal scorer with Tottenham Hotspur last season, Japan can name an entire roster filled with Europeanbased players. And domestically, the J-League is in the ascendancy with pre-pandemic attendances of 20,751 in 2019, more than double that of its South Korean counterpart. Regardless of recent results and the attendance drop, South Korean defender Kim Jin-su is confident that Asia’s most successful World Cup team will be able to turn things around before the start of November’s World Cup in Qatar. Japan is playing in Group E with Germany, Costa Rica and Spain. South Korea is in Group H with Uruguay, Ghana and Portugal. “Of course, we are worried [about the Japan loss] but there is still time to prepare for the World Cup,” Kim said. AP
Verstappen says drivers’ voices limited in taming fans B UDAPEST, Hungary—Max Verstappen supports banning abusive fans from races, but the reigning Formula One champion believes drivers have limited influence in curbing the boorish behavior seen at recent events. Verstappen called on F1 and race promoters to implement stronger deterrents to the unruliness in the grandstands. Abusive behavior from spectators overshadowed the Austrian Grand Prix two weeks ago and fans— particularly women—used social media to make F1 aware of rampant harassment, sexism, racism, and homophobia. Verstappen’s Red Bull
teammate Sergio Perez called for lifetime bans and team principal Christian Horner agreed that a zero tolerance policy is needed. Verstappen on Thursday told The Associated Press that increased security can help. But when asked if Verstappen could directly calm fans himself, he pushed responsibility onto F1 and called for heightened security. “I think that also needs to be up to the F1 organization, because they are the ones hosting and working together with the promoter to allow people in,” Verstappen told AP inside Red Bull’s motorhome at the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m not in control of what fans
are doing. It’s the same with any sport, you’re not in control of what the fans are going to do. But if you have a lot of security around, [they] might influence what people are doing in the grandstands. This is not only up to the drivers. It’s not only Austria, I think it’s happened all over the place.” Verstappen believes the poor behavior of late is a deeper societal problem. “You can put a lot of things in place, but at the end of the day it all comes down to education from a younger age: where you grew up, where you went to school,” Verstappen said. “That’s where it also already starts, because I don’t
think these people got motivated by what we’re doing [in F1] to do these kind of things. “This is something which has started from a younger age, and this is what they think is fine.” He said banning fans from attending future races is “a strong penalty and I fully agree with that. But will you fully change that person? Probably not.” Verstappen drew a parallel with bad behavior at F1 races to rowdy soccer fans, and said social media platforms should do “a lot more” to stem online abuse. “It’s the same in football where people get stadium bans, that doesn’t mean that someone in five years’ time
MAX VERSTAPPEN calls on F1 and race promoters to implement stronger deterrents to the unruliness in the grandstands. AP won’t do it again,” said Verstappen said. “They might risk a stadium ban, [because] some people just don’t think, or just do what they like.” There is a month-long summer break after the Hungarian Grand Prix before a doubleheader in Belgium and the Netherlands. Those two races, like Austria, will be packed with legions of orange-shirted Verstappen fans
dubbed “The Orange Army.” Verstappen was asked earlier Thursday if he was concerned it is his supporters misbehaving, but he doesn’t think the Orange Army was responsible for all the issues in Austria. “I think in general they all behave quite well, just a few individuals didn’t,” he said. AP
BusinessMirror
Millennials: ‘The job-hopping generation’
July 31, 2022
Can job-hopping help retirement savings?
2
BusinessMirror JULY 31, 2022 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com
YOUR MUSI
JAY Durias and his band at Pardon My French
SONGS HE GREW UP WITH
Jay Durias goes back in time with recent live gig
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S the pandemic fades, Pardon My French opened its doors with renewed optimism buoyed by the return of leisure pursuits. In its re-mergence, the restaurant promises to serve experiences for the senses sautéed in the mix of exquisite cuisines, exemplary service, and riveting entertainment.
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This July, part of the entertainment package is its Artist Series featuring South Border singer and songwriter Jay Durias. on three consecutive Saturdays Jay will be performing songs from his album “Songs I Grew Up With” at the same venue, then named Strumm’s pub and bar where he launched the album 12 years ago. So we were there on the final night of Jay Durias’ residency at Pardon My French and the overall ambience was of upper class metro chic and nouveau riche millennials. That’s the audience you’ll likely to rub elbows with when the dinner show sets you back a couple of thousand bucks per person for the evening. Honestly, I am not much fond of nostalgia especially the kind that treads the middle of the road or soft rock or whatever marketing term they go by these days. Then, just as I was seated to get an uppes-tier view of the artist in concert, some kind of thrill crept up on me. While I was expecting
a solo singer-songwriter offering an escape hatch from the present back to the exuberance of my youth, there’s Jay with a six piece back-up band (the girl drummer and lead guitarist are his children) and backing brass trio on stage. My sixth sense told me we may be on the rocking side of South Border right here. True enough, Jay and company was a trip down memory lane only because they unearthed jewels from my college years glued on the radio and the experiences they evoked. The band deftly up-rooted a select batch of songs from their 40-year old plus residency at the top of the pop charts and replanted them in today’s more exciting climes of loud guitars, groovy rhythms and solid backbeat. Jay’s unmistakable grip on classic piano rips – slow paced where it mattered, funky and fast on most occasion — was at the center of the quiet sonic storm. The whole party mood got going with an avalanche of Seals & Crofts classics tweaked to
get energy pumping on those happy feet. Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour” was served a hot Latin bossa number and so did America’s “You Can Do Magic” and Fra Lippo Lippi’s “Light and Shade.” The peak came with the re-styling of The Style Council’s “Shout To The Top” when the dancers sashayed out of the woodwork, er, from the dining tables, to show off their boogie shuffle, or in the case of fellow oldtimers, shake out the excess carbs! Speaking of dinner, the food was oh-la-la magnifique! I can’t remember its tongue-twisting French name but the shrimps were delectable and the sauce, while a bit skimpy for my sauce-loving Pinoy palate, was thick and tasty to go well with some sort of garlicenhanced fried rice. I had myself good French coffee to go with my meal instead of what a gourmet would advise French wine for my now French-enhanced gullet. To which I’d say, “Ces’t la vie!” It’s not a life-defining event. Still, Jay Durias’ performance at Pardon My French was my first live show since the pandemic started and curtailed everyone’s movement night and day. Something tells me it may yet redefine how I’d be spending my weekends from now on. Pardon, indeed, while I celebrate the good life! Pardon My French is providing space for artists like Jay Durias to let their art and ideas evolve and give audiences a “dopamine hit while at it.” The restaurant operates under PYC Foods Corporation, a member of the Tao Community of Companies.
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soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | JULY 31, 2022
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BUSINESS
Celebrated cartoonist. Scholarly writer. Pinoy rocker.
Dengcoy Miel and the ‘interconnectedness of it all’ By Tony M. Maghirang | PHOTOS by (c)WestGallery
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ILIPINO illustrator Dengcoy Miel is an internationally acclaimed editorial artist whose politically biting cartoons have appeared in various publications such as Singapore’s The Strait Times and The New York Times. I remember him first as a this kengkoy layout artist of the new defunct but highly influential Jingle Chordbook Magazine. He was also one of the first Jingle denizens back in the ‘80s to sport a pretty mohawk at work. I hook up with Dengcoy in time for the final week of his exhibition at West Gallery in Quezon City.
Dengsky, this is must be the nth exhibition so far in your career. How many have you done so far? Which is/ are the most memorable?
I HAVE been exhibiting my paintings since my college days in the 1980s but mostly in group shows. I have three two-man shows with Jose Tence Ruiz. We will have another next year at AltroMondo ArtSpace. It took me a while to gather momentum, for my ideas to ripen before I could really launch a solo show. My 8th solo show will be at the Eskinita Art Gallery Makati in November 2022. All are memorable in the sense that they have offered me unique
DENGCOY Miel
sets of visual ciphers to solve, which is axiomatic to all themed exhibitions, especially solo shows.
What inspires you to do your editorial cartoons? Your unique paintings? In the current exhibit, which is the most memorable and why?
MY cartooning phase, if we can call it that, is on the wane. The issues of the day, however cliched, feed that need to be inspired by rather bleakly — both in my cartoons and paintings. The whole gamut of suffering and inequality are primary sources, the human condition, ‘Ika nga, there’s a certain hunger in me that seeks to quantify things in visual terms, they may even turn out unintelligible when the visual vocabulary is too personal, primal and Freudian. Siguro I am trying too hard to reverse-engineer ‘yong roots ng mga social and other ills natin onto canvas ano? Trying out new things to portray the interconnectedness of it all, especially ang mga dystopian functions nito.
We were punks or at least we loved punk rock back in the day. You even wore a Mohawk. Tell us, which music remains influential to what you do? Or is it something else? YES, the posturings talaga was easier to accomplish—the mohawk haircut and all that—pero di ko kaya ang lifestyle ng mga masugid na punkista at ang sabi nga ni Nonoy Marcelo sa akin—ako lang daw ang pinakamatabang punk na nakita niya, mwahahaha! So, from listening to The Clash, Sex Pistols at di na nga ako nakisakay pa sa mga so-called two-tone bands then katulad ng Madness- bumalik na lang ulit ako sa pakikinig sa mga Kundiman katulad ng mga kanta ni Ric Manrique at ni Sylvia Latorre and I’ll balance that by listening to my all-time fave band, Steely Dan.
What music do you listen to when you’re working?
I LISTEN to anything pag ako’y nagpipinta— not intently sometimes, just to establish some kind of wall to the outside, akin to a white noise that I could wrap myself in. I discovered Radio Garden, It’s like Google Maps but for radio stations around the world. So I tune in to it every now and then. You can discover a lot of things there—may mga chanting monks somewhere in the US Midwest, rap in French being played by a radio station in Morocco and so on. There’s also Spotify. So, nostalgia galore ako doon, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s music—mga Prefab Sprout, mga Leonard Cohen, mga Todd Rundgren, mga Coltrane, Mildred Bailey, atbp. kasama na yong socalled “strangling cat music” ng Macau, HongKong and Shanghai.
Am currently listening to Malian singer Fatou Diawara when I work.
Even your press release titled Evolutionary Conceit is erudite, scholarly. Where did you get the chops to write such elegant learned words? What is the last book you read?
MY Father, Prudencio, Sr, was a writer, editor din ng high school paper nila, edited some provincial newspapers,too and contributed to the Free Press.His kababatas are Pete Daroy, the humorist Kitch Ortego, Jose Balein and I remember we would get The Examiner magazine edited by Leon O. Ty, another friend of my father. I always look forward to receiving them because of Gat’s cartoons, too. We always had the Current Events Digest at home— that got me introduced to cartoonist’s Ely Santiago’s word-play. I am halfway through finishing two books, Bataille’s “Eroticism” and a book I borrowed from Bogie (Jose Tence Ruiz) about the painter Philip Guston, written by his only daughter.
Successful artists would often tell the younger ones hard work, loving what you do, make sacrifices are keys to success. In your case, is there an X-Factor within you that you yourself credit to your success?
MAGBASA lang ng kahit ano. Keep a sketchbook to record seemingly “useless” ideas or concepts, hang onto them. Revisit them. Ang mga ideas na hilaw will find its own zeitgeist. Dengcoy Miel’s exhibition titled “Failed Taxonomies” at West Gallery along West Avenue, Q. C. runs till August 6.
Millennials: ‘The job-hopping generation’
Can job-hopping help retirement savings? want to leave free money on the table, as that could hurt your retirement savings, says Jerel Butler, a CFP and CEO of Millennial Financial Solutions based in New Orleans. Before throwing up the deuces sign, consider getting your full retirement plan match, restricted stock units or other company equity if your employer offers it. “Typically, companies have a dedicated vesting schedule for the employees as an incentive to continue working at that particular company,” Butler says. “Sometimes, with companies that match contributions for 401[k] plans, they may ask you to contribute up to two, three, even four years before the company match is fully vested.” Butler also suggests hanging around long enough to get any potential bonuses, which are often distributed during the first quarter of the year.
By Elizabeth Ayoola
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NerdWallet
illennials have been coined the “ job-hopping generation,” and I’ve contributed to that stereotype. I started my career at 22 and have job-hopped almost every year since. For many of those years, I was young and restless, and there was another part of me looking for more fulfilling work and pay that reflected what I was worth. In some ways, changing jobs set back my retirement savings. There are things I wish I’d learned earlier, like how to start retirement planning, the importance of developing high-demand skills, and the art of negotiating benefits. But it has also helped me improve my earnings. Once “lifestyle creep”—when your income increases and your spending habits do, too—stopped getting the best of me, earning more meant I could save more for retirement. Here are a few scenarios where job-hopping can help your retirement savings, and where it may hurt. YES—If you’re improving earning potential In one of my earliest writing jobs, I earned about $25,000 per year. As much as I enjoyed writing, I knew I was under-
“In some ways, changing jobs set back my retirement savings.” paid and overworked. My next move was looking for ways to earn more as a writer, and that’s when I realized I had to develop new skills, such as optimizing my writing so it would be visible in search engines like Google. Within a year, I started a new job that paid me $45,000 and offered more benefits. Since I was no longer living paycheck to paycheck and finally had a 401(k) plan, I could start saving for retirement. (The Philippine counterpart of the 401(k) plan, a retirement savings and investing plan that employers offer in the US, is the Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA). Instituted through Republic Act No. 9505 of 2008, PERA serves as a voluntary retirement savings program that augments retirement benefits from the Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System, as well as private employers. Anyone with a Tax Identification Number is qualified for the PERA.—Ed.)
Changing jobs for a significant increase in income could potentially help your retirement savings, but it requires you to actually put some of that increased income toward your retirement savings. What is the benchmark for a “significant” increase in income? Aim for a 10-percent increase, says Mary Beth Storjohann, a certified financial planner and co-CEO of Abacus Wealth Partners in Santa Monica, California. If a new job offer comes in below that, Storjohann recommends running the numbers to see how much your take-home pay actually improves when you factor in taxes and other living expenses. NO—If company matches and equity haven’t fully vested If you’re going to job-hop, you don’t
NO—If benefits don’t improve retirement savings The right benefits package could improve long-term retirement savings, so it’s something to consider when changing jobs. When I accepted the job I mentioned earlier, I didn’t think about this. Turns out health care premiums cost me around $500 a month, there were no flexible work arrangements, and the company offered no education stipends. These things indirectly affected my retirement savings, because I had less money to save and little growth potential. Storjohann says benefits to consider that could improve your retirement savings include your work location, access to retirement accounts, employer match amounts, health insurance, education stipends, stock options and annual raises. AP
Why it’s more important than ever for workplaces to have staff well-being plans
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recent survey of New Zealand workplaces revealed more than a third have no workplace well-being plan in place. Yet it is necessary, now more than ever, for organizations to understand what a healthy work environment looks like and to provide it for their employees. The 2015 Health and Safety at Work Act requires workplaces to look after the physical and mental health and well-being of their staff. This means looking at work through a health and safety lens and understanding the risks that affect people’s well-being at work. For many organizations, the legislation took them into new and unknown territory. Our experience working with organizations
was that, understandably, many efforts initially focused on managing stress and mental illness only after they occurred. However, evidence clearly points to the importance of having a proactive strategy to prevent psychological harm occurring in the first place—having the fence at the top of the cliff as well as the ambulance at the bottom.
Recommendations for a well-being plan A recent World Health Organization (WHO) report on mental health listed three key recommendations to prevent mental ill health at work: 1. Organizational interventions to iden-
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tify, remove or mitigate psychosocial risks 2. Mental health training for managers to identify and support healthy work practices and healthy workers 3. Interventions for employees to increase their personal coping capacity There are a few tips organizations should keep in mind when implementing these recommendations. Involving employees in the design of any well-being plan will likely increase buy-in and improve uptake of any interventions. Employers also need to consider both work and non-work factors. Some organizations may blanch at the thought of a workplace helping with aspects of employees’ private lives. But to do so may be a crucial component in contributing to-
July 31, 2022
wards their well-being. In addition to reducing risks, a good well-being plan promotes positive aspects of a workplace. These are the things that make employees want to be there, such as a great office environment, a culture of appreciation, and “fringe benefits” that come with the job. Psychological well-being in the workplace may still be relatively new territory for many organizations and it’s tempting to pluck the low-hanging fruit by simply providing some extra tools to workers. A comprehensive well-being plan that addresses psychosocial factors will help expand interventions and prove the old adage that prevention is better than cure. The Conversation
SUNDAY, JULY 31, 2022
COVER STORY
AFTER SUCCESSFUL DEBUT, DREAM WALKER DIGS DEEPER INTO PHILIPPINE FOLKLORE
Dream Walker gets bigger and darker in its second installment.
Kat battles creatures from Philippine folklore.
Fangirls and fanboy meet comic creator Noel Flores (second from right)
Philippine folklore goes gothic British-style, says writer Mikey Sutton
AT recent ToyCon, Noel Flores poses with a comic book fan.
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After successful debut, Dreamwalker digs deeper into Philippine folklore
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By Kathleen A. Llemit Photos by CD Ambion Images by Noel Flores
T might not be an answer that would surprise anyone who cares to ask but writer Mikey Sutton and visual artist Noel Layon Flores agree that story is still king when it comes to making a hit international graphic novel. The duo is behind Dreamwalker that made waves at the recently concluded Philippine Toys, Hobbies and Collectible Convention or more popularly known as ToyCon. Sutton penned the story of blogger Kat who possesses the ability to enter dreams and retrieve objects to fight monsters, ghosts, and way ward element a ls f rom Phi l ippine folklore. Flores is the hand that drew its “eye candy” visuals including its muse whose likeness is inspired by actress Filipina Kate Valdez. “People in the U.S. and Europe love reading about Filipino myths and folklore. It’s so fresh and exotic to them. They love the Wakwak in the first issue. Those kinds of beliefs don’t exist in America, for example,” Sutton said to Tony&Nick. It has been months since Tony&Nick got to catch up with the duo via email, the first time was a month before the first issue, published by Second Skin Comics, sold out well in the United States in February. Less than six months later, Dreamwalker debuted on a positive note in June in the Philippines and was among the features at this year’s ToyCon held at the Mega Trade Hall in Mandaluyong City with comic book collectors and fans lining up to score their copies. “I have no idea how many copies were sold up to now. But it was plenty,” shared Noel who obliged fans for book signing sessions. Noel, who is a lead visual artist for popular TV shows such as Encantadia and the anticipated
Voltes V: Legacy, was amazed at how Dream Walker even attracted younger fans because of the novel’s dark horror leanings.
Noel Flores signs copy of Dream Walker, the Philippine release.
‘Very Pinoy’ British horror MAKE no mistake, Sutton might sound foreign but Mikey was born in Angeles City, Pampanga. It is where his fascination with the aswangs, manananggals, tiyanaks and every other Philippine creature that Filipino children found fascinating and frightening at the same time began. Like Mikey, these conflicting emotions are shared sentiments of most Filipinos even into their adulthood. He is based in Atlanta for now as editor-in-chief of popular comics and pop culture website, GeekosityMag.com. He has yet to meet Kate in person, who dropped by at a comic booth in ToyCon. Mikey knows the fascination of most Americans and Europeans with non-Western myths because they are exotic and unfamiliar. He thought it might be a gradual process for Dreamwalker, building a fandom like his favorite, Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, which he began reading in 1989 and is now a cult favorite with a Netflix adaptation set to premiere in August. Mikey, however, did not expect Dreamwalker to surge into popularity barely a year after its
Dream Walker debuts in the US, UK, and Philippine markets. first release. “Someone told me, ‘Your book is so Pinoy.’ As someone who is half-Filipino, half-British, I see both sides inside and obviously outside of me. But it’s important that I show my Filipino side. I’m proud to be Pinoy. Para sa akin (For me), Dreamwalker is a Pinoy comic written in a British style (gothic). I love it when people see the Filipino spirit in there. It’s important to me that Dreamwalker, the character, embodies the heart of a Pinay—her refusal to give up no matter how hard her life is,” Mikey shared.
Pasatsat are coming NOEL said that it is the Filipinos’ global nomadic reputation that has helped bring consciousness in non-Filipinos to its stories, in-
cluding its myths and legends. And they, as creatives with experiences outside of the Philippines, continue to share these stories the way it would attract readers. Mikey shared that the upcoming issues will touch on the horrific Ozone Disco tragedy that trapped partygoers in a burning inferno in 1996. He will also be introducing the Pasatsat, which he said are ghosts of people who died during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II. Like his previous issues, Kat’s journey into meeting the Pasatsat is based on Mikey’s own experience when their family rented a home in Angeles City in 1985. Noel said that Dreamwalker has been already planned with Kat’s character development
progressing within six issues of horror, vengeance, fall from grace, redemption, and maturity. Their success with Dreamwalker was not made overnight. It took years for them to hone their creative skills starting by knowing the basics. “Read as many comics as you can so you absorb their qualities. Don’t copy the work of others or try to be like someone else,” Mikey advised. “For w r iters, w r ite what you’re familiar with and have a personal connection for. I’ve been reading comic books since 1978 so I’ve had decades of creative growth. Build a following on social media and never give up,” he added. World-building has been Noel’s domain for years working in some of Philippine TV’s most famous fantasy series. He shared that it is a good way to start. “When you build it, they will come.... or when you create it, one way or another, people will see it. And then it will be a matter of how you tell your story well, literally, visually, and intelligently,” he said. They concur that they might have published first outside of the Philippines, but the story— and talent—still draw the crowd. Dreamwalker issue no. 2 will be released this coming August.
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Regional student filmmakers stand out in climate advocacy film fest By Seymour B. Sanchez
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TUDENTS from Visayas State University in Leyte and Philippine National University South Luzon in Quezon province led the winners of the Klima Film Festival, a competition that aims to spotlight the effects of climate change using short films written and produced by young Filipinos nationwide. KFF, a joint initiative of the Climate Change Commission and the Oscar M. Lopez Center, with support from its official media partner iWantTFC and GIZ Philippines, aims “to mobilize the youth in amplifying the importance of local climate solutions to further increase their influence on local climate policy-making and generate local climate adaptation stories as viewed by young Filipino filmmakers by providing a venue for the production and promotion of climate sciencebased short films.” The second edition of the KFF with the theme, “Adapting for a Sustainable Future: Stepping Up Local Climate Action in a PostP a n d e mic Wo r ld ,” e m p h a si z e s “the importance of local climate action that will optimize our nation’s future—to plan, build, and support sustainable communities.” The KFF 2021 short films were judged by science, gender, and film experts Dr. Doracie Zoleta-Nantes, Dr. Rodel Lasco, Dr. Rolando Tolentino, Liza Diño, Honey Castro, and Sari Dalena for their cinematic attributes and technical execution, story, and content, impact, as well as gender considerations.
Sci-fi films from climate advocate
SCIENCE fiction film “Viridescent” b y Miko n e J o s h u a C a lu n g s o d bagged four trophies for Best Film, which comes with a cash prize of P70,000, and an additional P15,000 for e ach m ajor priz e — B e s t in Climate Advocacy, Best Production Design (Camille Flores), and Best Cinematography (Darwin Palermo). The sci-fi drama focuses on scientist Dr. Leila Montesclaros (Leila Amore Galvez) and software engineer Noah Bolfango (Calungsod). They must work together to retrieve crucial biological data to save humankind from the verge of extinction. As they experience a breakdown of
MIKONE Calungsod director of Viridiscent
ERWIN Adupe director of Sigalot
KAILA Ysavl Bergonio director of Tanaw
RAYSHELLE Lozada director of Modern Stray
communication. Dr. Montesclaros must draw upon her ingenuity to fulfill a dream of securing planet Earth for humanity. Calungsod, Palermo, and Galvez are also behind “Verdant” of Ang Maharlika Productions (now known as MCDP Films), which won first runnerup in the first KFF two years ago. Flores, who served as a production designer in “Viridiscent,” completes the grand prize-winning team this year. “We have successfully made two short films that enabled us to send a message to the world about our environment. This win is not just for the production team but for everyone,” Calungsod, a secondyear BS Environmental Science major at VSU, shared.
good things for the environment. As they clean their community together in preparation for a coming typhoon, they unexpectedly earn criticism and opposition from their neighbors and colleagues for their actions. Adupe also worked with assistant director Abegail Carullo, scriptwriters Dane Khr yssel Severa, Khaysel Oliveros, and Ma. Alea Cabiles, production designer Veranice Julia Valenciana , m a keup ar tist Re a Lyn Barrameda Forbes, lights and sound director Angelo Gulifardo, videographers and editors Vince Cloude Reyes, Miguel Balanon, and Daniel Deocales, production manager Lhea Mae Capistrano, talent manager Eishah Kaye Oliva Limbo, loc ation manager Lovely Marie Leogo, researcher John Carlo Flores, and background talents or extras Aderyne Diaz, Cyrene Lachica, Trixie Manalac, and Angelie San Juan.
P30,000 for winning second runner-up, P15,000 for Best Screenplay, P15,000 for Best Performance (Andrea Marie Bool), and P5,000 for bagging the Gender-Responsive Award. On the other hand, “Modern S tr ay ” by Rayshelle Loz ada of Trianggulo Productions won the Audience Choice trophy and P5,000 plus an additional P15,000 for being one of the four KFF finalists. In “Tanaw,” Aira Mendoza (Bool) is a teenage student raised by her mother, a retired barangay captain, and an environmental activist. A school requirement brings her onsite in a quarry for a research project.
recalling how her mother also used to say that her type of story is about time travel. “What inspires me to conceptualize the film ‘Modern Stray’ is about the idea of your past selves merging into this future self you wanted to portray. Like we’re basically our real selves as a child but as time progresses, we learn to fabricate our own truths.”
Against all odds for a clean environment
“SIGALOT: Sa Pagitan ng Tao at Kalikasan” by Quezon-based filmmaker Erwin Adupe received three trophies and P80,000 for winning first runnerup, Best Direction (Adupe), and Best Musical Scoring. In the film, three siblings, Luntian (Michael Japone), Benilda (Vhenalyn Balanon), and Bagwis (John Jenard Magaoay), make a difference in their community near the sea by doing
More student filmmakers for climate justice
STUDENT filmmakers from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde secured a total of five awards from KFF. “Tanaw” directed by Kaila Ysavl Bergonio of Playback Multimedia brought home four trophies along with
Content creator with concern for nature
MEANWHILE, in “Modern Stray,” Sunny De Vera (Fern Santos) has been called ill-mannered and materialistic. She devises a plan to showcase her roots in Batangas as she creates new content for her YouTube channel. In her province, she retraces her past with childhood friend Nanoy (Justine Jay Daanoy). Sunny’s realizations and reflections push her on a new path as an environmental advocate. Lozada remembers how often she obsessed with how time works,
Making a difference as young filmmakers
BERGONIO revealed that she and her co-writer, Fred Autor, “aim to tell through our film that a simple task can lead to a piece of greater knowledge and understanding that could cause a spark in future generations to stand up for themselves and their future.” She and her team intended “Tanaw” to show that they can still make a difference for the environment and society, no matter how little or small their efforts are. “To break the stigma of pointing fingers at those suffering and who cannot choose, we must remember to act and never remain silent, particularly when we have the power zand access to education and information. It is easy for our generation to look past important issues as such or to be easily swayed in our opinions,” the young filmmaker emphasized.