Critical bills to fight online piracy

Meanwhile, the FOB price of rice from Vietnam is about US$630 per metric ton. And we get about 85-90 percent of our rice imports from this country, which also mills the palay from neighboring Cambodia.

Both Thai and Viet rice are still on the rise by the day now that India, as it did in 2008, banned rice exports to protect domestic consumer requirements and contain inflation.

DA officials told the president not to worry much, because the private rice traders were given import permits amounting to 1.9 million metric tons this year, even if NFA, or government has less than two days inventory to answer the needs of DSWD and LGUs during the lean months.

But let’s be realistic.

The private sector may hold 1.9 million tons in permits, but have they actually imported 1.9 tons, and have these arrived?

Without NFA’s visitorial powers, how do we check permits versus actual arrivals?

The importers may have been caught unaware by the sudden price increase, and while they have license to import given by the Bureau of Plant Industry, they may have recoiled from the prices, or their sellers in Vietnam and Thailand have upped their export price beyond the Philippine importers reach.

This is one of the effects of the RTL which castrated the NFA.

The privates completely dominate the rice market, and they will not buy high and sell low, which government is forced to do to ensure availability of the staple at affordable prices.

In the last summer crop harvest, NFA could not compete with the private sector, with its buying price of 19 pesos per kilo of palay thwarted by traders who offered P23 up to P28 per kilo, depending on dryness and quality.

Now DA appeals to the private sector to “cooperate” and tame down their prices.

But P23 for palay translates to P46 per kilo of rice in the wet markets.

So that explains why prices have moved up by 10-15 percent minimum.

That has yet to be captured by our PSA July

That means P2,500 per sack, net of logistics, or P50 per kilo, while NFA was selling at highly subsidized rates of P23 per kilo, P16.50 even to PGMA’s favored bishops to sell in their dioceses at P18 per kilo.

The long and short of it is that DA is in charge of ensuring good production, while NFA used to be in charge of affordable distribution.

With the RTL passed by Congress in 2018 effective 2019, “affordable” distribution is left in the hands of the private sector.

NFA these days is nothing more than a public warehouse, “bodega ng bayan.” for use during emergencies such as typhoons, which are expected to be stronger in the coming months.

That is why our economic managers are hoping the private sector, which holds almost all of the nation’s rice stock, will “cooperate.” including the response was going beyond the fas-

But that is not in the nature of the beast, er, the private rice traders.

They are in the business of making profits, and when the opportunity presents itself, they act according to their best profit instincts.

As a side benefit, farmers are happy because farm-gate prices are higher, yet they keep praying the rain and wind with the floods they bring will not destroy their crop come September-October.

Logistics is also much higher these days, again no thanks to Saudi, the OPEC nations, and Russia.

So whether we talk of inbound shipping costs or domestic transport, moving rice, or flour, or corn, and everything else is up these days.

Soon, bakers will be forced to make their pan de sal as big as puto Calasiao and their “Pinoy tasty” or what the Bisaya call “American bread” sliced thinner than the present.

Even the farmer representatives are worried.

Where before they always cried out against importation, now they are saying we should have imported early enough.

Tomorrow meanwhile, the price of diesel, which went up last week by P3, will go up again by more than P3 per liter at the pumps.

Remember, headline inflation was going down the past three months. Now it is going up, and how!

So, thanks for the good news about inflation going down last month because of lower food and fuel prices.

THE creation of digital content is a rapidly growing industry that’s evolving with every new technology of digital innovators. Everything we view in our devices whether it be our smart phones, personal computers, or TV screens, was produced with various digital tools skillfully wielded by the talents and skills of content creators of the creatives industry.

The Philippine creatives industry has a rich and diverse talent pool. The artistic skills and innovative ideas skills of Filipinos are highly valued by international content producers and have received sporadic accolades largely because of the individual persistence the artists and their private sector patrons.

The Philippine creative talent has been globally recognized in film, music, animation, advertising, design, fashion, culinary arts, new media, and literature, to name a few.

Yes, there is actually a Philippine creative economy that has enormous potential.

According to the 2018 Creative Economy Outlook published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the country’s creative sectors produced an estimated US$915 million in service, US$3.23 million in exports, and contributed 7 percent to the gross domestic product.

The internet has made online streaming a dominant distribution channel. Platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, search platforms like Bing, Google have integrated artificial intelligence that makes it so easy for consumers to look for anything they need.

However, it’s these same technologies that are being exploited by online piracy or the unauthorized distribution of digital content, such as movies, music, books, and software, without the permission of the original creators or owners.

This has seriously impacted the Philippine creatives industry which consists of various sectors that produce and distribute cultural and artistic goods and services.

Online piracy greatly damaged the local film industry, which has been struggling to compete with foreign productions and streaming platforms. A 2018 report by the Motion Picture Association revealed that online piracy caused a 47 percent decline in box office sales and a 72

Honoring the dead

WE HAD a well-defined opportunity with a friend from old times, among the best speechwriters we have ever met, when we were seated beside each other during a necrological service for a well-loved local official in a northern municipality.

He was silent throughout the 30-minute ceremony at the town hall as the four orators paid their respective tribute to the man. His quiet demeanor was as marked during the response delivered by the widow.

We were able to pick up some pebbles during the obituaries that we thought captured and honored the spirit of the deceased. We thought each orator left sincere paragraphs those who attended, not the least the bereaved kin, would treasure as they remembered the person’s memory.

Somewhere in between the pauses – we thought the orations were coming from the heart even in the absence of a teleprompter or a character generator—we asked ourselves what would make a good eulogy indeed.

Something that would touch the attendees and to genuinely remember the person in his lifetime, the things he did, the dreams he had, and his service to his community, among kernels of his humanity. We were thinking whoever wrote the eulogies cination of the beginning of from ash to ash but from crafted letters of the alphabet and beyond— incredible detail with lots of personal insight.

This is where we thought there must be something in an oration during necrological services that can be so moving which properly captures and honors the spirit, the memory, of the deceased.

In some naughty corner of our cerebrum, we remembered how relatives of one arch rival of a local philanthropist/politician was asked to deliver a eulogy for his mortal enemy.

The man could decline, even in the most polite manner available to him, but accepted the invitation and delivered what was thought was a stirring oration in praising the deceased with words.

In his eulogy he said: “Our friend, who had just passed on, is peerless; he has done his best for our community with projects that have risen and will be there through scores for generations to appreciate; none can compare with his compassion, his capacity for consideration, among others.”

Then he paused, looked at the body beside him, and added, softly but clearly, “provided he is dead.”

That kind of obituary might not sit well with the near kin in other circumstances, but there are others who do not want “traditional” obituaries” and wan a different plate: followed on the rim with humor, flair, wit and character. And we asked the question while listening to the four orators. What makes a great obit?

Right off the hip, there are those who suggest that an obit must be wonderful in that it accomplishes what all other obits should by being, to quote some experts, “unafraid to let the person’s personality shine.” percent drop in legitimate online transactions in the Philippines from 2012 to 2016.

The online pirates made their biggest killing during the pandemic lockdowns with an estimated P1 billion in potential revenue losses to local video producers, distributors and aggregators (Media Partners Asia 2020).

According to a 2019 study by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry which represents the Global music industry, the Philippines ranked as the 10th most affected country by online music piracy in the world, with an estimated loss of $59.6 million in revenue.

Or perhaps violate the principle of presumption of innocence of those implicated in criminal cases, we don’t know.

The other recommendation is to make fraternities, sororities and similar organizations involved in the death or injury of neophytes in initiation rites liable to pay a hefty fine amounting to P20 million on top of the costs of litigation to the families of the victim. Deaths or injuries proven to be caused by such organizations’ initiation rites would then result in the automatic cancellation of its SEC certificate or registration, as well as the declaration of the group as an illegal organization which makes its founders, officers and members punishable under the law. Again, we do not know if this will violate any legal precept or jurisprudence.

Let the lawyers clarify whether this is a sound recommendation from the legal point of view.

But one thing is clear: It is time to put an end to killing in the name of brotherhood. If fraternities, sororities and similar organizations continue with deadly initiation rites despite the Anti-Hazing Law, then they should be ready to face a court of law and the prospect of long jail terms in our overcrowded and desolate-looking penitentiaries.

Apart, of course, from paying P20 million in compensation to the families of neophytes whose lives were brutally snuffed by those who they thought were their ‘brothers.’ that can be used get into bank accounts, or even lock out an individual or much worse, a whole enterprise from accessing its internal network, database, and email system.

In response, a multi-sectoral legislative initiative is being pushed by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines in alliance with the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA), the major internet service providers Globe Telecom, PLDT, Smart Communications, Converge, Sky Cable Corp, and DITO Telecommunity Corp. to institutionalize the blocking of websites with pirated content.

This fight against online piracy is now gaining ground with the approval last May of House Bill 7600 authored by Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda that would give authority to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to block websites that violate the Intellectual Property Code and expands its enforcement functions to investigate, gather intelligence, and develop countermeasures to piracy.

The bill will also establish the responsibilities and guidelines for internet service providers to block websites hosting pirated material.

Online piracy not only harms the economic viability of the creatives industry, but also undermines the cultural and social value of the people. By stealing the intellectual property of Filipino artists and creators, online pirates deprive them of their rightful recognition and reward for their work.

Online piracy also discourages innovation and creativity, as it reduces the incentives and opportunities for new and original content to be produced and distributed.

Consumers accessing piracy are also exposed to cybersecurity risks as pirated content have been known to be embedded with malicious software that infect devices and allow hackers to steal sensitive personal information

Even the most sensational obituaries should include key details about the person’s life and death. The recitation of these details can feel a bit cold and clinical, but it’s important to have the basics down.

In the newsroom, broadcast or print, obituaries of even the living are prepared to be used when they get promoted or die and to enable the laboratory of human character, the newsroom, to beat the monstrous deadline either for print or for online.

Some experts suggest answering some questions when writing what could be a well remembered obit:

How would you describe the person’s personality? What did people say most often about him/her?

What are some of your favorite memories of the person?

What were the person’s proudest accomplishments?

What were the person’s hobbies/favorite things?

What was the thing the person loved most as a person?

Any foibles/quirks or other personality traits that made the person different from the rest?

There are those who recommend that an obituary must give you all the staple information of a traditional obit, but functions more as a eulogy, with tons of anecdotes and character.

The counterpart legislation is also moving in the Senate with the filing of Senate Bill 2150 authored by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, and another version filed last week by Sen. Bong Revilla which proposes a definite timeline of five days for IPOPHL to process piracy complaints by content owners.

Hopefully there will be a strong push for the fast enactment into law from these legislators who themselves come from the Philippine entertainment industry which is most affected by online piracy.

Online piracy is a serious threat to the Philippine creative economy, and to all of us consumers who are now heavily dependent on all these cloud services accessed thru the internet.

The fast enactment of a strong anti-piracy law is a pre-requisite if we are to develop the Philippines as a driver of the global creative economy.

To write an obit like this, they say you must narrow in on your clearest memories.

Which means you must know the person well, even his silhouettes and shadows when nobody is watching – with stories that demonstrate the qualities of the person while still alive.

And the four orators at the town hall did not repeat each other’s phrasal verbs.

It was like they were looking at the deceased from four different points that made the dead live —even if only during the necrological service.

Some obit authorities say it is all right for the obit to be concise and to the point with just a few lines about the remarkable impressions the departed one has left on the world.

“Use your own judgment about what’s appropriate,” one authority has said, adding “If you knew the person well, chances are you’ll be able to assess the tone and style that would suit them.”

After the service, our friend from old times and us had coffee, as usual, at his manicured garden with blue grass for carpet.

Without him asking what we thought of the orations and the response, we volunteered that whoever wrote the obits of the four orators and the response of the family member must know the deceased from A to Z.

He looked at us, with rather discerning but quiet eyes. He did not have to exhale a word.

We knew at once he was asked to write the orations and the response.

Time for another cup.

Citing threatening Trump post, prosecutors seek safety order

WASHINGTON, DC—Prosecutors have asked a US judge to limit information Donald Trump can publicly discuss regarding the latest indictments against him, citing a threatening post by the ex-president that his campaign defended Saturday (Sunday in Mnila) as “political speech.”

Jack Smith, the special counsel overseeing the charges against Trump for seeking to overturn the 2020 election, filed a motion Friday urging a federal judge to impose a protective order to prevent the former president from revealing evidentiary details about the case.

The judge, Tanya Chutkan, then issued a weekend order to Trump’s legal team that they respond to the government’s motion by 5:00 pm (5 am Monday in Manila) on Monday.

The fast-moving developments

Saudi dives into Ukraine peace push with Jeddah talks

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—Saudi Arabia hosted talks on the Ukraine war Saturday in the latest flexing of its diplomatic muscle, a session that Kyiv had predicted would “not be easy” given the wide range of countries represented.

The meeting, which Ukrainian organizers said would include representatives from nearly 40 countries but not Russia, concluded on Saturday evening after several hours of statements from the various delegations and a lengthy closed discussion, participants said.

As expected, no final declaration was due to be released, though a European source said there had been agreement on key points, including that respect for Ukraine’s “territorial integrity and sovereignty” should be “at the heart of any peace settlement”.

Organizers succeeded in bringing together representatives of the four members of the influential BRICS bloc besides Russia: Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

“China participated actively and was positive” about meeting again, the European source said.

Yet the head of Brazil’s delegation, foreign policy adviser Celso Amorim, used his prepared remarks to stress that “any real negotiation must include all parties,” including Russia, according to a copy of his statement shared with AFP.

“Although Ukraine is the biggest victim, if we really want peace, we have to involve Moscow in this process in some form.”

A French diplomatic source said “efforts were converging to create the conditions for a valid negotiation”.

The source added: “Does today’s meeting create these conditions? Clearly not. It’s a long-term effort.” AFP

Manila Standard TODAY came in the wake of Trump appearing to defy a judge who had warned him not to discuss the case with any potential witnesses, and his posting of what is being seen as a threat on his social media platform.

“If you go after me, I’m coming after you!” Trump wrote in all caps Friday on Truth Social.

Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election, has pleaded not guilty to the four election conspiracy and obstruction charges -- the most serious in the multiple cases he faces.

His social media post was cited and displayed in Smith’s motion to US District Court Judge Chutkan, which referenced Trump’s history of attacking people who were connected to criminal cases against him. AFP