SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—With a growing number of repair and maintenance projects from the Philippine Navy and the United States Navy, the Subic Freeport-based ship repair company Subic Drydock Corp. (SDC) is establishing itself as a leading maintenance service provider for the military sector.
Since January last year, the SDC has listed 30 ship repair projects for the United States Navy that ranged from a duration of seven to 176 days. These include 22 repair works for ships with “United States Naval Ship” (USNS) markings, and eight for those with “United States Ship” (USS) prefixes.
The first category refers to civilian-manned vessels that are in active service, usually under the United States Navy’s Military Sealift Command (USN/MSC), while the second refers to ships commissioned for the US military. Both are owned by the US Navy.
On the other hand, the Subic ship repairer has recorded working on nine Philippine Navy vessels that underwent eight afloat repair works and one drydocking project here since August last year. These jobs ranged from seven to 169 days.
Diana Ross N. Mazo, SDC’s human resources chief and administrative manager, said the firm’s latest project is the recent overhaul of USNS Millinocket (T-EPF 3),
a Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport Ship based with MSC Far East, which delivers essential supplies, fuel, cargo, and equipment to combat personnel in the Indo-Pacific Region. SDC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Guam-based Cabras Marine Corp., began operating here in 2006. Mazo said it had since built a full-service shipyard employing some 250 experienced engineers and naval architects backed by a highly trained in-house and subcontractor workforce. As advances in technology, growing need for environment protection, maritime industry expansion, and ageing maritime fleets worldwide drive the market for ship repair and maintenance, Subic’s SDC finds itself in an enviable position of being able to further expand its customer base. Keeping naval assets afloat IN his recent visit to the Philippines, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III concluded his
several defense industrial sites in the former US naval base, among them the SDC repair facility at the Approach Pier where he received a briefing from company officials.
The defense chief also met with crewmembers of the Millinocket, along with the ship’s master, Navy civil service mariner Capt. Erwin F. Lao.
The US Department of Defense (DoD) in a report said Austin’s Subic visit was “a way to highlight opportunities there for defense industrial cooperation by the United States, the Philippines, and other regional allies and partners.”
“[W]e saw some of our industrial base companies out here working together to create additional capability, and that’s also very, very exciting,” the DoD further quoted Austin as saying.
For the SDC, Austin’s visit underscored the company’s significant role in keeping naval assets afloat for the US military. “We
intend to expand on this visit to highlight the key aspects of Subic Drydock and promote SDC’s capabilities to serve a diverse customer base,” Mazo pointed out. SDC also provides both military and commercial domestic and international shipping companies with services ranging from drydocking and general services to engineering, mechanical and electrical repair, to logistics management, as well as comprehensive ship repair, modernization and conversion.
To SC’s credit, overhauling the Millinocket is no mean feat. The 11-year-old vessel is a 338-footlong aluminum catamaran designed for rapid inter-theater troop transport and sea basing. According to the MSC, it can transport about 600 tons of military troops, supplies and equipment for 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots on jet propulsion.
For the Millinocket overhaul,
which was completed in a contract period of 183 days, or from January 29 to July 31, 2024, SDC poured in 76,234 man-hours with 25 foreign technical representatives and 45 domestic technical workers and sub-contractors, Mazo said.
“The whole project consisted of over 145 work items and 136 change orders covering underwater hull, habitability, machinery, piping, structural, preservation, electrical and electronic system repairs,” she explained. The Millinocket had previously availed itself of SDC services in previous years, MSC records show: a voyage repair from December 2 to 22, 2019; and two mid-term availability repairs: the first from April 15 to June 24, 2022, and the second from April 17 to June 17, 2023.
Body of repair works
MOST of the jobs SDC performed for the US Navy are voyage repairs, or emergency work needed to re -
pair damage sustained by a ship to enable it to continue with its mission. This was true in the case of the ocean surveillance vessel USNS Victorious (T-AGOS 19), which was completed on May 10 after 85 days, and the littoral combat ship USS Manchester (LCS-14), completed in seven days on February 15. On the other hand, mid-term availabilities are repair works required for vessels at approximately every 15 months. The regular overhauls are required for MSC ships every five years, according to the MSC in Japan.
Mazo said that the SDC has also made its mark by undertaking repairs for Philippine Navy ships, among them the frigate BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS-17), which recently went back to patrol duties at the West Philippine Sea following an upgrade of its communications equipment and combat management system.
News
At 90, Ka Bobby Tañada says ‘fight not over’
By Joel C. Paredes
“’DI pa tapos ang laban [The fight is not yet over],” said human-rights lawyer and retired lawmaker Wigberto Tañada on Thursday, two days after celebrating his 90th birthday during his conferment as Chair Emeritus of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM).
The celebrated anti-dictatorship activist also has some advice for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., Tañada had fought in the “parliament of the streets” alongside his late father, Sen. Lorenzo Tañada. The latter was called the “Grand Old Man of the Philippine Opposition” during the martial law years.
“Sana makitaan natin si Pangulong Marcos ng tapat na pag-ibig sa bayan [We hope that we can see in President Marcos an honest love for the country],” he told the BusinessMirror in an interview after the PRRM conferment rites.
The younger Tañada said he was saddened that those who committed “sins against the people and the country” have yet to be punished.
“Ang dami pa palang dapat gawing ’di nagagawa [There are still many things that have not been done],” he said. “Nakikita ko ’yung mga paglabag sa karapatang pantao, pagsasamantala sa interes ng mahihirap at pagyurak sa maraming
karapatan ay nagpapatuloy [I see the violations of our human rights, exploitation of the interests of the poor and the continuing destruction of our many rights],” said Ka Bobby, as he was popularly known in the anti-dictatorship mass movement which grew after the assassination of former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. on August 21, 1983.
President Corazon Aquino appointed him Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs after the late strongman and his family fled the country in 1986. Tañada later ran for senator under the Laban coalition and won.
In 1991, Tañada was among the senators known as the “Magnificent 12” who rejected the renewal of lease of the US military bases, which political scientist Roland Simbulan described as “the most visible vestiges of colonialism in the Philippines.”
China’s ‘bullying’ MEANWHILE , Tañada said there was no reason for Washington to
While denouncing China’s “bullying,” he draws the line at apparent attempts to use the Beijing threat as an excuse for reviving America’s heavy military presence in the country.
heavy military presence in the country. According to Tañada, the Philippine government should not even allow the return of the US military bases to avoid any “harm brought by nuclear weapons.”
“’Pag may foreign military bases tayo, sa atin makikita ang paglalagay ng mga nuclear weapons [if we have foreign bases, we can see the deployment of nuclear weapons here],” he said. “Nakita na natin na ’yan ang malaking peligro sa sambayanang Pilipino [We already saw how this can be a big risk to the Filipino people].”
The ‘unfinished’ task MEANWHILE , Tañada noted that recent developments like extrajudicial killings and torture of civilians were clear indications that the country’s fragile democracy and civilian authority over the military are again in danger.
set up new basing agreements with Manila, even as he denounced China’s continued “bullying” in Philippine territorial waters.
“Bullying ang ginagawa ng China. ’Di naman natin dapat payagan ang patuloy na pagbu-bully ng China. Kailangang sabihin na sa kanila na kung ipagpapatuloy nila ang mga kagagawang ’yan, ’di ito mauuwi sa kapayapaan at kaunlaran [Bullying is what China is doing. We should not allow the bullying by China to continue. We must tell them that if they continue doing this, it will not result in peace or progress],” he said.
Sana matauhan na ang mga namumuno sa China na ’yung kanilang pambu- bully na ginagawa, pagsasamantala at panlalamang na ginagawa nila ay maling-mali at dapat nang ihinto at panagutan [We just hope that the Chinese leaders realize that the bullying that they are doing is wrong and must stop and make them accountable].
”
While denouncing China’s “bullying,” he draws the line at apparent attempts to use the Beijing threat as an excuse for reviving America’s
“Nabalik nga ’yung democratic institutions and processes pero kulang pa rin May naabot tayo pero kulang pa rin [The democratic institutions and processes were restored, but it’s not enough. We achieved something, but it is not enough],” he said.
He also lamented the “elitist and very slow pace [of governance] resulting from too much politics.”
“Ang isinusulong ay ’yung interes ng sarili or ng partido [What is being pursued are personal interests of one or that of the party],” he said.
When PRRM celebrated its 55th anniversary in 1999, Tañada had already cited the challenge of uniting again as a people amid the growing “confusion” in the Philippine political life and economy. Tañada was then already at the helm of the organization after representing his home district in Quezon Province in the House of Representatives.
“We succeeded in a few projects. We also failed in a few. Regarding the latter, I told my co-workers in the PRRM what I have been telling my children and grandchildren, that ‘success is never final. Failure is never final. If you learn from it, it is
SAVING SHIPS
This as the SDC has become the primary maintenance provider for Philippine Navy vessel repairs under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
SDC made extensive repair works on Andres Bonifacio for 105 days last year, finishing on October 6, and again for 169 days, finishing on January 22 this year.
Aside from Andres Bonifacio, SDC has also made repairs this year on the coastal patrol boat BRP Alfredo Peckson (PB-372); the offshore patrol vessels BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) and BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PS-15); and the oceanographic research vessel BRP Gregorio Velasquez (AGR-702).
Favorable global trend
THE SDC’s hopes for expanding operations are buoyed by a robust ship repair and maintenance service market worldwide.
According to Future Market Insights Inc. (FMI), a market research and consulting firm based in India, the ship repair and main-
tenance service market is expected to be valued at US$28,169.45 million in 2024.
“The ship repair and maintenance services are predicted to rise at a moderate CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 6.6 percent from 2024 to 2034. The global market is anticipated to reach US$53,375.69 million by 2034,” it added.
In its report on “Ship Repair and Maintenance Service Market Outlook from 2024 to 2034,” FMI said the market is driven by: [1] advanced technologies such as robotics and IoT (Internet of Things) that improves efficiency and reduces downtime; [2] growing focus on environmental sustainability that necessitates eco-friendly repair solutions and upgrades; [3] maritime industry expansion in emerging markets that drives demand for repair and maintenance services; and [4] enhanced focus on predictive maintenance strategies that leverage data analytics to optimize operations and minimize costs.
For its part, SDC is building its capacity to strengthen its core competency in ship repair—by
courage that counts.’ Courage is one virtue that makes all other virtues possible, and I’m glad that courage is one virtue that PRRM has plenty of,” he said in his speech.
PRRM is one of the country’s oldest NGOs, organized in 1952 by a group led by then University of the Philippines Dean Conrado Benitez, also the founder of the Philippine Women’s University. Initially tasked to help the peasantry, the PRRM has expanded its mission to “enhance the capacity of rural area communities in the planning advocacy and implementation of sustainable agriculture, through an integrated program of education, livelihood, health, habitat, and self-governance.”
During Thursday’s PRRM rites, Edicio Dela Torre, a social activist and former director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, said in honoring Tañada, “we [also] honor our possibilities as a nation.” Dela Torre added: “There will be more leaders. Don’t give up on the nation. Don’t reduce our commitment just for family. We still need to build a nation more than ever.” Looking forward, Tañada said during the interview that he just hoped the people and current leaders would first seek to fulfill their given tasks “which are not really enough.”
Sana makapasok din sa ating isipan at damdamin ang pagtutulungan at pagkakaisa sa lahat ng magagawa para sa ating bayan [We hope that within our hearts and minds, we also realize the need for cooperation and unity],” he noted.
“Humina man ang aking isipan, marami man akong nakakalimutan pero matindi at maliwanag pa rin na tuloy ang laban dahil ’di pa natin nakakamit ’yung ating mga pinaglaban nung unang mga nakaraang taon [My mind may have weakened, I have forgotten many things, yet the need to continue with the fight until we have achieved what we fought for … are clear and intense],” he said.
accomplishing more jobs either through afloat work at its leased approach pier or at other berths controlled by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, or in its floating drydocks.
“We are the only business locator in the Subic Bay Freeport that owns and operates floating drydocks and provides a full range of ship repair services,” Mazo said.
SDC’s Floating Dock #1 has an 8,700-ton lift capacity, and a length overall (LOA) of 142.1 meters with an inner wall of 30.8 meters. Floating Drydock #2, on the other hand, has a 4,400-ton lift capacity, LOA of 48 meters with inner wall of 26 meters.
Meanwhile, SDC’s available shoreside services include shore power, portable water, and fire main hook-ups, Mazo said.
She added that the firm prides itself with outstanding safety and environmental compliance reputation; good performance in adverse situations like the Covid-19 pandemic; ISO 9001:2015 certification (quality management system); compliance with various industrial repair and quality assurance standards; good working relations with MSC/ USN leadership, and preferred subcontractors and vendors; and a track record of accomplishing complicated USN/MSC ship repair projects.
HUMAN-RIGHTS lawyer and retired lawmaker Wigberto Tañada. JOEL C. PAREDES
Editor: Angel R. Calso
Unpacking overtourism and finding solutions to the growing pains of a $16 trillion industry
By Lebawit Lily Girma
IF you recently visited Barcelona, Mallorca or Venice, you’re a bad tourist who should have stayed home. At least that’s what the anti-tourism protests this summer in certain parts of Europe would have you believe.
Already this year, 142 countries are projected to exceed their pre-pandemic tourism performance, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. (That’s out of a total of 185 countries that the organization tracks.)
In the next decade, tourism is predicted to grow into a $16 trillion industry that will generate 12.2 percent of global jobs. But the crowds and rising costs that come with it have locals in many cities feeling weary.
“It’s not that tourism used to be a force for good and now has become a force for evil,” explains Ondrej Mitas, a senior lecturer at Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. Mitas, who specializes in overtourism, says news coverage often describes the phenomenon as a single, unmanageable issue. If you tease it apart into smaller component parts, he argues, it’s easier to find solutions.
In his mind, overtourism is actually four separate problems. There’s the classic overcrowding of popular sites. Visitors disrespecting cultural norms—say, swinging selfie sticks or baring their shoulders
in an Orthodox church—is another. Then you have the partiers who get indecent or destroy public property. Last is the most insidious prong of overtourism: when locals do not sufficiently benefit from tourism in their communities, due to unequal distribution of profits. That’s what most often leads to resident-level resistance, as seen in Spain this summer. “That’s a political problem,” says Mitas. “It’s much more difficult to solve.”
There’s reason for Mitas—and the rest of us travelers—to be optimistic.
Solutions for each of these issues are being tested in different destinations around the world, from Copenhagen to Thailand to Hawaii. Here are three such trailblazing initiatives, some new, some years in the making. Though they’re still relatively small, each has the potential to scale around the world—and impact an ever-growing share of travelers.
Redefining a destination’s “must-sees”
IN a 2021 experiment run by Mitas and his team at Breda University, 155 visitors to the Dutch province of Overijssel were given one of two digital planning tools to inspire their trips. One group was given an app with the traditional sights marked out, and another was set up with an AI concierge called Travel With Zoey, which recommended the least
Kamala Harris’ immigration record: A nuanced approach under scrutiny
By Dan Merica, Nicholas Riccardi & Chris Megerian
WThe Associated Press
ASHINGTON—President Joe Biden, watching tens of thousands of migrants from Central America reach the US-Mexico border just a few months into his administration, tapped his secondin-command to help address the influx—a decision that has exposed Vice President Kamala Harris to one of her biggest political liabilities.
In grappling with migration, Harris proceeded cautiously. She focused her time and prestige on boosting private investment in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, the so-called Northern Triangle; her goal was to help create jobs to bolster economies and dissuade migrants from making the perilous journey to the United States.
It was a decidedly long-term—and limited—approach to a humanitarian crisis, and it has allowed Republicans to tie her to the broader fight over the border. While migration from the Northern Triangle ebbed, it surged from other nations, sparking an emergency at the US-Mexico border, one that Republicans have aggressively sought to exploit at Harris’ expense.
A review of Harris’ work on immigration reveals a record that is more nuanced than the one presented by her critics or allies. It also provides insights into how Harris—who took over as the Democratic standard-bearer when Biden dropped out of the presidential race last month—might tackle one of the nation’s most vexing concerns.
Harris was never the “border czar,” or put in charge of border security or halting illegal border crossings, as former President Donald Trump, Republicans and even the occasional media outlet have claimed. Instead, she was tasked in March 2021 with tackling the “root causes” of migration from the Northern Triangle and pushing its leaders—along with Mexico’s—to enforce immigration laws, administration officials said.
Harris’ backers say she demonstrated leadership by leveraging her stature to win investments that might curb migration years down the road.
“She felt—and I think she was right— that what she could do the most was help basically lead the effort to draw in investment, using the confidence that a relationship with the White House would give to investors,” said Ricardo Zúniga, a former State Department official who specialized
in the Northern Triangle and who traveled with Harris to the region.
Critics contend that she could have done far more but chose a less risky path, ensuring the problem only worsened.
“She was like, ‘nope, I’m just root causes,’’” said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for less immigration. “Even if it worked, it’s the sort of thing that takes generations, not one term.”
He also said there was no evidence that Harris pushed Mexico and the Northern Triangle nations to enforce immigration laws.
Harris has defended her work, and her campaign began running a television ad Friday that said Harris as president would “hire thousands more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking.” Democrats have also blasted Trump for helping tank a bipartisan immigration bill earlier this year that would have increased funding for border security, including the hiring of new Customs and Border Protection personnel.
Trump “has been talking a big game on securing the border, but he does not walk the walk,” the vice president said last month in Atlanta. Later, she added, “Donald Trump does not care about border security. He only cares about himself.”
Immigration becomes a big political issue
IMMIGRATION has long been an issue that motivates Trump and his base of supporters, and polls show it is among the most important issues on the minds of voters.
As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump said he would build a wall along the border between the United States and Mexico and get Mexico to pay for it. Trump was not able to complete the project, and Mexico did not fund the part of the barrier that was constructed. The former president also used explosive language to describe immigrants, launching his campaign by suggesting Mexico was sending its “rapists” and criminals to the United States.
While in office, Trump sought to tightly restrict asylum, which was challenged in the courts. This time around, Trump has promised to oversee a “mass deportation” of migrants who have committed crimes in the United States.
Migration numbers have spiked and dropped during both presidencies. Border Patrol arrests on the southern border fell in Trump’s first year in office, then shot back up his next two, rising to more than 850,000 in
visited tourist attractions as must-sees, verified by a behind-the-scenes employee.
Travelers from both groups took the recommendations to heart, going to the places they were shown or told about, rather than forging their own paths. In surveys afterward, they showed equal satisfaction with their vacations. “People had an equally good time whether they went to the hot spots or not, and that is pretty important,” says Mitas.
The reality is that most destinations have lesser-visited points of interest that are ready and worthy of receiving more tourists. But as long as most travelers use the same sources to find inspiration—say, Alphabet Inc.’s Google Maps or TripAdvisor—they will be steered toward the same spots.
Of course, nothing prevents travelers from Googling their trips. But the study may convince tourist boards and travel agents that there’s good reason to stray from mainstream recommendations. “Whatever source reaches people with the least friction and makes the experience sound the most fun wins,” Mitas says. Mitas and the Zoey team are now working with Amsterdam’s and Copenhagen’s tourism boards to re-create the experiment in overcrowded city centers. “We’re expecting that the outcomes will be relatively the same as in Overijssel,” says Rajneesh Badal,
2019. The numbers plunged in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic before rising even higher during Biden’s presidency, reaching a peak of more than 250,000 encounters in December 2023, before falling below 84,000 in June of 2024, federal statistics show.
When Biden took office, he reversed dozens of Trump’s moves on immigration even as apprehension numbers began to rise.
Harris was put in a ‘difficult spot’
Harris received the migration assignment when border crossings were rising, garnering considerable attention and leading to bipartisan calls for action.
Chris Newman, an immigration rights advocate in Los Angeles, said Harris was put in a difficult spot.
“She was tasked with developing a longterm policy framework rather than creating a short-term political performance project,” said Newman, the legal director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.
Biden and Harris had taken office only two months before, and Harris was under pressure to build her policy portfolio. When he was vice president, Biden had taken on a similar role on immigration. In 2021, though, Harris was dealing with an especially challenging situation given the lack of governing partners in the region. El Salvador’s new president, Nayib Bukele, had a fraught relationship with the administration due to human rights questions raised by his crackdown on crime in his nation. The man who was then President of Honduras has since been convicted of drug trafficking.
The headaches for Harris began almost immediately, validating the concerns of some on her team that it was a no-win assignment.
Harris traveled to Mexico and Guatemala in June 2021, where she defended the fact she had not been to the US-Mexico border during an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt by saying she hadn’t “been to Europe. And mean, I don’t...understand the point that you’re making.”
She also drew criticism on that trip for warning migrants bluntly: “Don’t come” to the US.
Harris decided to focus on bringing private investment to the region, tapping into a network of business and nonprofit executives and using the prestige of the White House to signal the Biden administration was backing this effort.
The work linked multinational companies—like Visa, Nestle and Meta—with smaller nonprofits and Latin American businesses, all of which pledged to increase their investments or bolster their work with at-risk communities.
Riccardi reported from Denver. Sonia Pérez D. in Guatemala City contributed to this story.
Zoey’s chief executive officer. If so, he says, “the next step for us will be to make this part of the toolkit for policymakers and destination management organizations.”
Spreading tourism revenue
FOR the past seven years, nonprofit organization Tourism Cares has been building a “meaningful tourism map,” filled with vetted providers of sustainable experiences around the world—think a weaving workshop with a women’s group in rural Jordan, birding with local conservationists in Colombia’s Otún Quimbaya Sanctuary or a woman-led history tour of Ponce, Puerto Rico.
So far, the map includes 321 impact partners in 22 countries around the world, though it’s primarily meant as a businessto-business tool for tour operators and travel agents who can create entire trips around the experiences and deliver a larger scale of bookings. To build its map, the organization is partnering directly with tourism boards, like those from Colombia and Thailand, which must each identify at least 10 responsible tourism enterprises that are ready to receive an influx of visitors.
The idea started in Jordan, which wanted to see tourism spread beyond Petra, its famed Unesco World Heritage Site; since then, companies such as Insight Vacations,
Intrepid Travel and G Adventures have bolstered their itineraries with ceramics, cooking and weaving workshops—all driving business to rural co-ops in small communities such as Bani Hamida, 90 minutes south of Amman.
Among the project’s challenges is the fact that tourism boards aren’t always savvy about identifying local impact partners.
But Tourism Cares CEO Greg Takehara says he’s seeing momentum, with a record number of destinations including Panama, Scotland, Ireland, Hawaii and San Luis Obispo adding some 200 impact partners in 2024.
Creating behavioral incentives WHAT does it take to get tourists to make sustainable choices? Copenhagen’s tourism board thinks fun freebies may do the trick. In July it started rewarding visitors for taking simple, climate-friendly actions through an innovative, month-long pilot program in partnership with 20 local sites. Choosing to bike or take public transportation to a particular point of interest, for example, would get you a free museum tour, kayak rental or locally sourced veggie lunch. Anyone who brings
Editor: Tet Andolong
Quaint Quintessence of Quirino
Story & photos by Bernard L. Supetran
RegulaR listeners to Spotify and other online music streaming apps have been taking notice of the newly-released “Quaint Quintessence of acidophilus,” an electronic single by famed Indonesian musician eva Rifanti. a serene 2:46 instrumental, it is a relaxing playlist entry to perk up long countryside drives in tropical countries.
Such theme of “Quaint Quintessence” is an apt reference to Quirino, a quiet and queer province in the Cagayan Valley which is regarded as a tourism frontier of the region. Since reopening its local tourism industry two years ago, it has slowly reclaimed its limelight in the tourism theater with its quirky Basket of Happiness, a circuit of visitor-ready attractions.
Two years hence, it is basking in its glow beyond the proverbial basket as it throws another party in the Panagdadapun Festival to celebrate the province’s 53rd birth date. Themed “Quirino: Mahusay, Matatag at Nagkakaisa sa Bagong Pilipinas,” the weeklong festivity is set on September 6-11 with a bevy of special events that will spice up its quaint and quintessential character.
The weeklong merry-making kicks off with the typical opening routine which will be topbilled by the Quirino Arts and Crafts Exhibit Fair and the One Town, One Product (OTOP) Agro-Industrial and Tourism Fair which will showcase the destinations, crafts, culture, cuisine, and souvenir items
of the six municipalities in creatively-designed booths.
Day 2 will have the Farm Family Day, the Laro ng Lahi which will revive indigenous Filipino games, the Rigodon ball for VIP guests, Job Fair, and the Binibing Quirino pageant which will select the new batch of ambassadresses of tourism and goodwill. The province will flex its sporty character with the Arnis Invitational Tournament, Bike Fun Ride for Humanity, Panagdadapun Zumba, and the 2nd Quirino Invitational Wakeboarding Competition, north Luzon’s biggest tournament which will see the country’s top wakeboarders battle for supremacy at the Quirino Watersports Complex, a full course world-class wakepark.
Celebration peaks on September 10 with the Anniversary Program, the launch of the Digital Infrastructure Project, culinary challenges, launch of new homegrown food products from the QLife Center, color fun run, Battle of the Bands, and a closing evening concert.
The day’s highlight is the Panagdadapun Street Dancing Com -
petition which will transform the Sports Tourism Complex into a huge cultural stage which will put the spotlight on the diversity and color of indigenous peoples through the individual festivals from the six towns.
The festival was coined from the Ilocano word which means “gathering of people.”
All events will unfold at the 110-hectare provincial capital complex in Cabarroguis town, which is one of the cleanest and greenest among its counterparts. The sprawling government enclave
is dotted by greeneries at the Orchidarium, Tree for Legacy Park, Bamboo Eco-Park, plant nurseries, resort-type hostels, museum and library, and a tree-lined lake for boating nirvana.
According to Quirino governor Dakila Carlo Cua, the weeklong festival will again put to the fore the province’s slow but sure ascent into contention within the league of heavyweights in the tourism ring. He also noted that they resumed last April the Quirino Motorismo, one of the Cagayan Valley’s pioneer and biggest motor -
cycle sports and tourism festival to put province back in the radar of the riding community with its scenic and meandering mountainscape roads.
He added that the event achieved its “zero casualty” since its inception in 2015, and bolstered their advocacy for road safety in the pursuit of sports, adventure and tourism.
This year’s edition featured the first-ever Ecotourism Circuit ride for an authentic motor tourism activity which gave riders the unhurried opportunity to appreciate
the natural wonders and interact with the communities.
Cua also said that the Festival is the best time to visit the province and explore its must-visit attractions such as the 100-foot Ganano Falls and its adjoining cascades in Diffun, the 101-hectare Aglipay Caves and Campsite in Aglipay, Governor’s Rapids in Maddela, and Landingan Viewpoint and Siitan River Park in Nagtipunan. With the confluence of culture, adventure and nature, and all things in between, Quirino may yet be your quaint and quintes -
By Benjamin Locsin Layug
ON July 21, 1989, the late Cebuano businessman, Arcadio C. Alegrado, and his wife Marle Montalban (who both hail from Butuan City in Mindanao), opened the 7-hectare, family-friendly, Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort & Spa, one of the first beach resorts to line the coasts of the beautiful island of Mactan in Cebu. Now, 35 years later, the resort celebrates their Emerald Anniversary with a dinner party showcasing an abundance of sumptuous Filipino food and beverages (prepared by Executive Chef Stephen Del-Amen), while serenaded by a live performance by the String Edition Orchestra.
A member of the Bluewater Resorts group, a 100 percent wholly Filipino-owned chain of resorts (which includes the Bluewater Panglao and Bluewater Sumilon brands), this Class “AAA” resort has managed to keep up with the times and the competition, remaining very elegant and sophisticated while still reflecting, with a few modern twists, the traditional Amuma hospitality, a Cebuano tradition that embodies care, nurture and provision, embracing it as a way of life.
This pioneer luxury resort has grown to be an icon in the vicinity, receiving multiple awards and accolades over the years. Just 2 years after it opened with 32 rooms, it expanded with the new 64-room Garden Wing. When spas became a huge trend in the wellness industry, it added, on January 2007, a third wing—the 50 Amuma Spa Suites. It has also sur -
vived super typhoons such as Ruping (November 13, 1990), Yolanda (November 8, 2013) and Odette (December 16, 2022); the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis; the October 15, 2013 earthquake and, just recently, the Covid-19 pandemic.
As the resort chain gears up to cater to a new generation of clients, Assistant General Manager Domiku Sebastien Alegrado Ugarte, the 36-year-old nephew of Bluewater Resorts Group President Julie Alegrado Vergara, will oversee the day-to-day operations. Together, they co-head the operations of the three Bluewater resorts. In his speech, Ugarte stated, “For 35 years, we’ve crafted experiences that honor our heritage while offering modern comforts. This celebration is our tribute to our guests and the community that has supported us.”
He also shared that even his wife had a picture at the resort when she was a baby, and that they also got married on the 1.1-hectare, man-made, white sand Bluewater Private Island, located 65 meters offshore from the 110 meter long white sand beach of the resort.
During the anniversary celebration, appreciation was shown to all the travel agencies and top corporate clients with the presentation of awards. In her speech, Ms. Margie Munsayac, Bluewater Resorts’ VicePresident for Marketing (and one of the 5 resort employees presented with loyalty awards for staying with the resort throughout those 35 years) stated, “We have seen the phenomenal growth of Bluewater Maribago. From 32 rooms when we opened 35 years ago to what we have now is a total of
255 rooms. But let’s be honest, you can have the best rooms and the best services. But all of these are nothing without our very supportive clients.”
Part of the celebration was the formal launching of the resort’s new 5-story, mid-rise building called Sidlakan, which adds 65 more rooms to the existing roster of 190 rooms (composed of royal bungalows, premiere de luxe, Amuma Spa Suites). According to Ugarte, “Ever since I started to be involved in the business, we only had around 190 rooms. This is actually what am excited about as Sidlakan is one of the first projects that I came onto from the start and have finished. It took longer to finish because of the pandemic.”
The resort’s well-appointed, spacious and clean airconditioned rooms, designed in the native Filipino concept, are furnished with a mini bar, a wall-mounted flat screen cable TV, NDD/IDD telephone, a large skylighted bathroom with free-standing bathtub, closet, bidet and separate shower with rain shower head, private veranda and coffee/tea making facility plus free wi-fi. Guests are transported to their
and
The resort also has three
and
Bugkalot tribal chat and war dance at Panagdadapun Festival
PhilSA, DHSUD ink pact on space data to enhance urban devtelopment
By John Eiron R. Francisco
THE Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) unveiled its Space Data Dashboard (SDD) last week and signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) to enhance data-driven decision-making in urban planning, to improve infrastructure and human settlements nationwide.
“This agreement is an indication of our commitment to leverage advanced technologies for the betterment of our urban environments and the welfare of our people,” said PhilSA Deputy Director General for Space Operations Infrastructure, and Industry Engineer Denis Villaronte.
lenges, particularly in land use management, such as the balancing of economic growth with environmental protection, the rising incidence of human-related issues and natural disasters underscore the need for innovative, data-driven solutions.
“Thus, effective land use planning, monitoring, and compliance assessments are essential elements in building resilient and sustainable communities,” he said.
Yap also highlighted that a key aspect of the partnership is the contribution of PhilSA’s expertise, data, and resources.
ing and demonstration of Space Data Dashboard, Engr. Dominic Farjas Jr., the developer of the SDD, explained that the platform aims to empower a diverse range of stakeholders—government agencies, local government units, academic researchers, the private sector, and the general public— by equipping them with the tools necessary to harness the potential of space data.
“We are not the owners of data, but sharers of data to its real holders, which are the people—the Filipinos,” he said.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Flori -
da—The first of four supermoons this year rises this coming week, providing tantalizing views of Earth’s constant companion.
Stargazers can catch the first act on Monday as the full moon inches a little closer than usual, making it appear slightly bigger and brighter in the night sky.
“I like to think of the supermoon as a good excuse to start looking at the moon more regularly,” said Noah Petro, project scientist for NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
August’s supermoon kicks off a string of lunar spectacles.
September’s supermoon will coincide with a partial lunar eclipse. October’s will be the year’s closest approach, and November’s will round out the year.
What makes a moon so super?
MORE a popular term than a scientific one, a supermoon occurs when a full lunar phase syncs up with an especially close swing around Earth.
This usually happens only three or four times a year and consecutively, given the moon’s constantly shifting, oval-shaped orbit.
A supermoon obviously isn’t bigger, but it can appear that way, although scientists say the difference can be barely perceptible.
“Unless you have looked at a lot of full moons or compare them in images, it is hard to notice the difference, but people should try,”
He added that by leveraging the combined strengths and resources of both parties, they are confident in their ability to support DHSUD’s initiatives by developing innovative solutions using satellite imagery. This includes land cover mapping, tracking changes, identifying informal settlements, and evaluating land suitability for housing and urban development.
August’s supermoon kicks off 4 months of lunar spectacles
Petro said in an email.
How do supermoons compare?
THERE’S a quartet of supermoons this year.
The first will be 224,917 miles (361,970 kilometers) away.
The next will be nearly 3,000 miles (4,484 kilometers) closer the night of September 17 into the following morning.
A partial lunar eclipse will also unfold that night, visible in much of the Americas, Africa and Europe as the Earth’s shadow falls on the moon, resembling a small bite.
October’s supermoon will be the year’s closest at 222,055 miles (357,364 kilometers) from Earth, followed by November’s supermoon at a distance of 224,853 miles (361,867 kilometers).
What’s in it for me?
SCIENTISTS point out that only the keenest observers can discern the subtle differences. It’s easier to detect the change in brightness— a supermoon can be 30 percent brighter than average. With the US and other countries ramping up lunar exploration with landers and eventually astronauts, the moon beckons brighter than ever.
As project scientist for the first team of moonwalkers coming up under Apollo’s follow-on program, Artemis, Petro is thrilled by the renewed lunar interest.
“It certainly makes it more fun to stare at,” Petro said. MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer
“I am confident that this will yield significant benefits for our country and our people,” Villaronte said.
DHSUD Undersecretary Henry Yap, for Planning, International Cooperation, and Institutional Partnerships, acknowledged that while the vision for sustainable communities is confronted by complex and interconnected chal -
He pointed out that the collaboration ensures that their assessment processes are integrated, allowing for the provision of accurate and timely data to support informed decision-making.
“By harnessing the power of satellite data and analytics, we can make important choices that optimize our land use, protect our environment, and the world with a whole new world,” Yap said in his speech.
Meanwhile, during the launch -
According to the SDD developer, the platform offers users an interactive experience that allows them to explore various data layers, metadata, and temporal data. It features advanced tools for analysis and visualization, democratizing access to space and geospatial data to support disaster resilience, urban planning, and environmental sustainability.
The developer emphasized the critical role of user feedback in the ongoing development of the SDD.
DOST bares 3 techs vs PHL plastic concerns
THREE startup companies unveiled each of their technologies that aim to solve plastic related concerns to reduce the problems resulting from the dependence on plastic in the Philippines.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) Startup Grant Fund Program, supported the research and development conducted of the three startup companies which generated the technologies
with a total funding of P13 million.
Science Secretary. Renato U. Solidum Jr. said that the support for the startups is the commitment of the department to helping the industry address concerns over single-use plastics.
“Startups are a powerful economic force. We at DOST continue to provide solutions and open opportunities for our industries as we move towards strengthening our circular economy. Through R&D, startups can bring transformative innovations and bring solutions to national concerns.” he said.
The Recycle On-Demand Bin
(Robin) of startup company
Robin Machine Manufacturing is a reverse vendo system that gathers recyclables, such as PET bottles and tin cans, in return for rewards. Cash, WIFI, access to a charging station, and points that can be redeemed for goods from partner retailers are just a few of the customizable rewards options available for the bin.
The Sachi Group Inc. developed cassava bioplastics and explored additives for cassava bioplastics that can improve its properties and cut manufacturing costs.
Natl research agenda for health on disaster, climate
THE Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOSTPCHRD) and the University of the Philippines Manila launched the National Research Agenda for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation (DRR-CCA) in health.
It was held during the Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week in Butuan on August 15.
It came following the launching of the updated National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA) in 2023.
Initiated in November 2023, the development of the agenda is supported by the DOST- PCHRD under the project titled “Development of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in Health Research Agenda 2023-2028,” led by Dr. Carlos Primero Gundran of the UP Manila.
The initiative aims to ensure the responsiveness and relevance of research and development projects on disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation in health in the country. Specifically, the agenda will support the DRR-CCAH program of the DOST-PCHRD to become a major contributor of science and technology (S&T) solutions that address emerging health challenges and to seamlessly integrate with the NUHRA 2023- 2028.
To craft the agenda, the project
team conducted four consultation meetings involving all the 17 regions in the country.
The consultations generated regional priorities in DRR and CCA in health that are relevant to the respective geographic, economic, and cultural situations of each region.
In total, 121 research topics emerged from all regions, which were synthesized into seven themes along with corresponding subthemes.
n Theme 1: Community Resilience, Engagement, and Participation in Health Emergencies and Disasters
It emphasizes the central role of communities and the importance of community-driven approaches, capacity-building initiatives, and understanding local perceptions to build resilience and adapt to changing environmental conditions.
n Theme 2: Climate Change Adaptation, Prevention, and Mitigation
It explores the relationship between climate change, ecosystem disruptions, and their profound impacts on human health across various dimensions, ranging from air quality and disease spread to the resilience of vulnerable populations and the necessity for innovative solutions in water management and sanitation.
n Theme 3: Surveillance, Data Management, and Technology
This encompasses the utilization of data management, cyber measures, emerging technologies, and space- based technology to address challenges in disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, post-disaster loss, and damages, prediction, and response, as well as monitoring health impacts and tackling issues like antimicrobial resistance.
n Theme 4: Food Security and Nutrition
It encompasses the critical aspects of ensuring adequate nutrition and food security in disasters and emergencies, including bridging the gender nutrition gap, implementing effective breastfeeding and therapeutic food programs, and enhancing the acceptability of food commodities among vulnerable populations.
n Theme 5: Governance and Policies in DRR and CCA in Health
It centers on the regulatory frameworks, institutional structures, and policy mechanisms governing DRR and CCA in Health.
It covers the examination of existing policies, their alignment with international frameworks and standards, and the identification of opportunities to improve the healthcare system.
n Theme 6: Health Service
Delivery
It covers the provision of essential healthcare services before, during, and after disasters and emergencies.
For its part, Lesstics Inc. developed roofing tiles from waste single-use plastics (SUP). DOST PCIEERD Executive Director Dr. Enrico C. Paringit expressed optimism on the technologies that the startups will be coming up as it will help in addressing the country’s plastic concerns.
“We are excited to see these technologies get into the hands of our citizens and being fully utilized. We hope to see more innovations in the future, and we are ready to support these game changers in the country,” he said.
change launched
n Theme 7: Mental Health and Psychosocial Services
This focuses on addressing the psychological and psychosocial impacts of disasters on individuals, responders, and communities.
“The DOST supports this initiative to guide health research efforts in the field of DRR-CCAH. It is consistent with the DOST’s commitment to promote the maximum benefit of the Filipino people, by making sure that our investments in R&D are directed towards serving the pressing needs of our communities,” Science Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. said.
“In 2017, we launched our health research program for DRR-CCA to mitigate the health effects of disasters and climate change in the Philippines. While it is relatively new, the program has been successful in supporting R&D projects that delve in the field, spanning a variety of topics such as assessing disasterpreparedness of institutions, analyzing health consequences related to high heat index, and even studies on the Marawi siege,” DOSTPCHRD Executive Director Dr. Jaime Montoya said
“The launch of this agenda will help us in guiding our efforts in the field, to build better our country’s capability against health risks brought by disasters and climate change,” he added. The project was completed last June, and was allocated with a total funding support amounting to P4,897,004 by the DOSTPCHRD.
DHUSD-ELUPDB Director Mylene Rivera; DHSUD Undersecretary Henry Yap; PhilSA Deputy Director General Denis Villaronte and Space Information Infrastructure Bureau Director Ariel Blanco at the at the signing of the
A6 Sunday, August 18, 2024 Editor: Lyn Resurreccion • www.businessmirror.com.ph
Survey: Most Filipinos still oppose divorce
ANEW study released last week revealed that more Filipinos are against making divorce legal in the country.
The survey by Oculum Research and Analytics, conducted from June 25 to 30, found that 49 percent of 1,200 respondents nationwide are against divorce, while only 30 percent support it.
When the survey explored more specific scenarios, such as divorce in cases of “irreconcilable differences,” the public’s stance remained divided but was
slightly more inclined toward opposition.
About 34 percent of respondents supported allowing divorce for couples facing irreconcilable differences, while 42 percent opposed it.
“The survey results indicate that there is substantial opposition to the general perception of divorce in the Philippines,” said Oculum Research head Dr. Racidon Bernarte in a news conference.
However, the survey showed a
Filipino archbishop takes helm of Guam’s Catholic Church
GUAM’S Catholics gathered in the capital city of Hagåtña to meet their new archbishop—a Filipino.
Archbishop Ryan Jimenez was installed Thursday as the new shepherd of the Archdiocese of Agaña, the old name of the island’s capital, in a ceremony steeped in customs and traditions.
Jimenez, 52, took canonical possession of the archdiocese during Mass held at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica.
In his homily, the archbishop assured to follow the path of synodality as he begins the new phase of his ministry.
“We’ll walk together in the spirit of synodality, a word that we are all familiar with,” Jimenez said.
“As individuals and as a church community, we are very much aware of the many challenges we have to face but we should be aware that the Lord is with us always,” he added.
“He will continue to do great things for us if only we let him… if only we open ourselves to him, to the Lord, like Mary, in all humility and docility,” he said.
Among those in the historic occasion were Portuguese Cardinal
Américo Aguiar of Setúbal and more than a dozen bishops from the Pacific, Oceania, US and the Philippines.
“Ryan is a blessing of God to Agaña…to your people,” Aguiar said at the and of the Mass, drawing applause from the congregation.
Also present was Mons. Giosuè Busti, the Chargé d’affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in New Zealand to represent the pope.
Jimenez was serving as bishop of Chalan Kanoa on Saipan since 2016 when Pope Francis appointed him to the Agaña archdiocese on July 6.
He is the fourth archbishop of Guam, where about 87 percent of its more than 168,000 population are Catholics.
Jimenez succeeded American Archbishop Michael Byrnes, who stepped down due to health reasons in March 2023.
During the vacancy, Fr. Romeo Convocar, also of Filipino descent, served as apostolic administrator of the archdiocese.
Born and raised in Dumaguete City, Jimenez was a migrant worker in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands starting in 1994 and taught at Eskuelan San Francisco de Borja, a Catholic school on the island of Rota.
In 1999, he was accepted to the seminary program of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 8, 2003.
In 2010, he was appointed apostolic administrator of Chalan Kanoa and, in 2016, was named as its second bishop.
Jimenez is currently the president of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC).
He is also the vice-president of the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania, which includes the bishops’ conferences of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and CEPAC.
Jimenez also serves as consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. CBCP News
Pope gives ‘message of hope’ to Chinese Catholics, to visit China
POPE Francis conveyed a “message of hope” to Chinese Catholics and expressed his desire to one day visit the Basilica of Holy Mary, the Help of Christians, in Shanghai, China, during an interview released on Friday.
In an interview at the Vatican with Fr. Pedro Chia, the director of the press office of the Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus, the pontiff said he would “really want to” conduct an apostolic visit to China to visit the shrine and meet with bishops and Catholics in the country.
“[The Chinese people] are indeed a faithful people who have gone through so much and remained faithful,” Francis said.
The pope added that the Chinese people are descendants of a “great people” and encouraged them not to “waste this heritage” but instead “pass it on with patience.”
He further expressed a “message of hope” to the faithful in China.
“It seems tautological to send a message of hope to people who are masters of waiting,” Francis said. “The Chinese are masters of patience, masters of waiting. … It’s a very beautiful thing.”
The pope, who is a Jesuit, also provided advice to Jesuit clergy in China.
“Show the way to God through the spiritual exercises and discernment,” Francis said in his message to Chinese Jesuits.
“Walk with the poor [and with] those whose dignity has been vio -
lated in a mission of reconciliation and justice and…accompany young people in the creation of a hopefilled future and…take care of our common home.”
At the end of the interview, Francis bestowed a blessing on the Chinese people and prayed for the intercession of Our Lady of Sheshan.
The interview was conducted on May 24, the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, but not released until August 9. No pope has ever visited China, but Francis was the first pope to visit Mongolia, which borders China, in September 2023. In 2018, the Vatican signed a confidential agreement with the CCP that would require the regime to consult with the Holy See about the appointment of bishops. That deal was renewed in 2020 and again in 2022.
According to a recent Pew study, the number of Christians in China has leveled after increasing in the 1980s and 1990s, which some observers attribute to a “crackdown”
by the communist regime.
Nina Shea, senior fellow and director of the Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute, told CNA that the declining numbers of China’s Christians are “no surprise.”
“They correlate with Xi’s [Jiping’s] crackdown on Christianity, his so-called ‘Sinicization’ campaign,” she said.
For the past five years, “the state has strictly banned all children from any exposure to religion, churches have been blanketed with facial-recognition surveillance and linked to social credit scores.”
During that time, Bibles have been restricted and censored, Beijing has detained Christian bishops and pastors, and their sermons have been censored to “be on Xi’s ‘thought,’” Shea said.
On critics. future of the Church
DURING the interview with Chia, Francis also commented on criticism he has faced during his papacy.
significant shift in public opinion when divorce is considered in the context of “abuses” within the marriage.
In this scenario, 51 percent of respondents supported divorce, while 31 percent opposed it.
“Public opinion is more favorable when divorce is framed within the context of abuse,” Bernarte added.
Oculum took the survey with APCoRE, a professional organization of academics and researchers, Areopagus Communications
Inc., and PressOne.PH. Around 1,200 Filipino adults participated in the Oculum second quarter non-commissioned poll through face-toface interviews. The respondents were distributed as follows: 300 from the National Capital Region, 300 from the rest of Luzon, 300 from the Visayas and 300 Mindanao.
The survey has a sampling margin of error of ± 3 percentage points and a confidence level of 95 percent.
“Critics are always helpful,” the pope said. “Even if they are not constructive, they are always helpful because they make one reflect on one’s actions.”
“Well, many times you know that you have to wait, to endure and often correct oneself because behind some resistances there can be good criticism,” Francis continued.
“And sometimes also with pain, because the resistances, as they happen at these moments, are not only against me personally, they are against the Church.”
The pontiff also referenced difficulties faced by St. Ignatius of Loyola, who founded the Jesuits.
“The difficulties and resistances that St. Ignatius faced at the beginning were conflicts with people who looked inward and lost their missionary spirit,” he said.
The pope also urged Catholics to avoid worldliness and clericalism when reflecting on the future of the Church.
He noted that 20th-century Jesuit theologian Father Henri de Lubac warned that worldliness was “the worst evil that can befall the Church” and “even worse than the time of the concubinary popes.”
“Some say it will be a smaller, more reduced Church,” the pontiff said. “I think the Church must be careful not to fall into the plague of clericalism and the plague of spiritual worldliness.”
When asked whether he had any words of advice for the person who succeeds him as pope, Francis gave a simple response: “Pray…because the Lord speaks in the prayer.” Tyler Arnold/Catholic News Agency via CBCP News
Maasin
By CBCP News
ARDINAL Jose Advin -
Ccula led the elevation of the Maasin Cathedral as a national shrine on Wednesday, urging the faithful to embrace its sanctity and live out faith, hope and charity.
Churchgoers packed the pews for the celebration on the eve of the feast of the cathedral and parish patroness, Our Lady of the Assumption.
During the early part of the Mass, Msgr. Bernardo Pantin, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, read to the congregation the CBCP decree declaring the cathedral as a national shrine.
The document encouraged the devotees to “continually deepen their Christian piety, mature in their Catholic faith, and faithfully fulfill the commandment of Christian charity.”
Advincula, in his homily, emphasized that the shrine’s holiness comes not just from its physical attributes but from the living faith of its community.
According to the cardinal, a shrine is a “sanctuarium” that is “an embodiment of holiness within space and time.” “This shrine is a sanctuarium
not only because it feels holy, looks holy, but because the people who come here are incarnating the call to holiness within their lives embodying the virtues of Christ in their whole being,” Advincula said.
The Manila archbishop also highlighted that the shrine serves not just a place for gathering and worship, but also a site for mission and outreach.
“This church is not just a receiving church but also a giving church. The community is not just a praying community but also a caring community,” Advincula added.
The CBCP approved the Maasin diocese’s petition to declare its cathedral as a national shrine during their plenary assembly on July 6. It is now one of only 30 national shrines in the country and the first in the Eastern Visayas region.
The elevation to national shrine status also took place exactly four years after Bishop Precioso Cantillas of Maasin declared the cathedral as a diocesan shrine. On August 13, 2022, the cathedral’s venerated image of Our Lady of the Assumption received pontifical coronation in a ceremony led by papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown.
ARCHBISHOP Ryan Jimenez delivers the homily during his installation Mass as the fourth archbishop of Agaña at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica on August 15. SCREENSHOT FROM HAGATNA CHURCH VIDEO
SAN JUAN MARKS CSMC DAY; HOSPITAL CELEBRATES 50TH YEAR
San Juan City marks August 15 as Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC) Day. San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora makes the announcement during the CSMC’s thanksgiving Mass in celebration of
50th anniversary. With Zamora in the photo are (from left) San Juan Rep. Ysabel Zamora, CSMC
and CEO Raul C. Pagdanganan, Archbishop of Manila Jose Cardinal Advincula, San Juan City Vice Mayor
BISHOP Precioso Cantillas of Maasin in Southern Leyte shows the CBCP decree declaring the Maasin Cathedral as a national shrine during Mass on August
POPE Francis is interviewed by Fr. Pedro Chia, the director of the press office of the Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus. SOCIETY OF JESUS, CHINESE PROVINCE
Editor: Lyn Resurreccion
Biodiversity Sunday
Saving Rafflesia from edge of extinction
By Jonathan L. Mayuga
KNOWN for producing the largest flowers in the world, the unique Rafflesia does not have stems, roots, or leaves, thus, it could not perform photosynthesis, which is common to plants.
Besides its large flowers of up to a meter in diameter, it is known to reek of rotting dead animal, hence, attracting carrion fly pollinators.
But Rafflesia is fast becoming a tourist magnet, with tourists dying to see and take a photo and selfie with it.
Critically endangered
THE rare Rafflesia is thought to be critically endangered because of its shrinking habitat due to massive deforestation.
In the Philippines, several species have been declared as critically endangered, a conservation status which means a species is already on the brink of extinction.
Several areas have also been declared as protected area, or critical habitat because of the presence of endangered plants and animal species.
In 2011, former Environment Secretary Ramon Paje signed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order 2011-02, which declared a piece of land in Sitio Kalanganan in Brgy. San Vicente in Baungon, Bukidnon, as “Rafflesia schadenbergiana Critical Habitat.”
Republic Act 9147, or the Philippine Wildlife Act, defines a critical habitat as a portion of land outside a protected area that is characterized by the presence of threatened species, considering its endemicity and richness in the area as well as the presence of threats to its survival.
Demystifying Rafflesia
A STUDY by a Filipina researcher to save the flower from extinction offers hope, at least for one species, through grafting.
Titled “Rescuing it from the edge of ex -
tinction: In situ propagation of the critically endangered Rafflesia schadenbergiana through grafting,” the study has made a remarkable breakthrough, finally breaking conservation barriers.
In her report, Jeanmaire Molina, PhD, associate professor at Pace University, New York, New York, and Long Island University, Brooklyn, New York, USA, explained that Rafflesia schadenbergiana has a unique life history, making it an evolutionary marvel.
How Rafflesia infects its host is not known to science, which makes it difficult to conserve and propagate, Molina said in the report she shared with B usiness M irror
This is also the reason why it has never been grown in any botanic garden outside Asia, which translates to lost educational opportunities in promoting awareness for the unique plants, she said.
Citing a 2009 study by a team led by Julie F. Barcelona of the University of Canterbury, Molina said the Philippines is considered the hotspot of Rafflesia diversity with at least 15 species, including Rafflesia schadenbergiana, on the brink of extinction, which was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 2006.
Ex-situ propagation
MOLINA has been collaborating with the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) since 2015 on the ex-situ, or offsite propagation of Philippine Rafflesia in the US.
The challenge is how to grow propagules of Rafflesia species and their Tetrastigma host in the US national garden, the US Botanic Garden (USBG), a nonprofit public garden committed to promoting plant conservation awareness.
Attempts made by the team were published in 2017, which included rooting and grafting Rafflesia-infected host cuttings, inoculation of Rafflesia seeds into mature Tetrastigma host vines at USBG, and in vitro germination of Rafflesia seeds in various
plant growth regulators.
Molina said that because of Rafflesia’s unique growth requirements, it has been very challenging to grow using traditional horticultural techniques.
Getting help from fellow experts RECENTLY, Molina’s team partnered with Indonesia’s Bogor Botanic Garden (BBG).
“Early this year, with two horticulturists from USBG, we visited BBG’s Sofi Mursidawati and her team,” she said.
Mursidawati’s team is the only one. to date, to have successfully propagated Rafflesia ex-situ, in a botanic garden, via grafting and seed inoculation. Her reports were also published and well publicized. In October 2022, Mursidawati’s team learned that the seed inoculation experiment they performed 16 years ago was also productive, resulting in a bloom of Rafflesia arnoldii at BBG.
According to Molina, learnings from Mursidawati’s team became fruitful and their team wanted to bring to the Philippines the knowledge they acquired from the partnership with BBG.
Technology transfer
TO save the country’s biggest flower, Molina and her colleagues, Adrian Tobias and Pat Malabrigo of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), as well as Chris Thorogood of Oxford Botanic Garden in United Kingdom, replicated the Indonesian experts’ grafting technique in UPLB, taking Rafflesia panchoana infected scions from Mt Makiling in March 2023.
Two weeks ago, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Molina also taught collaborators in Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) Mursidawati’s technique and grafted cuttings infected with Rhizanthes (Rafflesia’s close relative) to uninfected host plants growing in FRIM to help conserve the rare plant as well.
“We hope the community members that participated in this training will continue
the work of propagating Rafflesia in their community to help in the conservation of this local rare plant,” she said.
Mursidawati estimated the success rate to be about 50 percent based on their experience in BBG in the last 20 years.
Mursidawati’s technique, Molina said, can be replicated and used in saving the species in Mindanao and other areas.
In Bukidnon, Molina is confident of finally succeeding in propagating the Rafflesia species.
Responding to a B usiness M irror email, Molina said a workshop was held in Bukidnon with Rafflesia growers Mursidawati and her assistant Pakngatari, who were flown in last week from Indonesia, to demonstrate their grafting technique to representatives of the Bukidnon community.
The workshop involved taking Rafflesiainfected root cuttings or scions, and grafting them onto uninfected host root systems.
Mt. Kitanglad: A haven for Rafflesia
THE attempt to propagate the critically endangered Rafflesia species had just been held in Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park.
The team brought Rafflesia schadenbergiana-infected cuttings and grafted them onto three uninfected plants with the permission of the DENR and the park’s manager.
“To promote in situ [on-site] propagation, we do not plan to transplant or move these grafts out. With the help of local people, we will monitor the success of the grafts, and we will return next year to personally check on the grafts and perform more grafts if needed,” Molina said.
She said it may take at least two years for a Rafflesia bud to emerge, a sign of successful infection, and several months for the buds to develop and eventually bloom.
Why Mt. Kitanglad?
ACCORDING to Molina, Rafflesia schadenbergiana is unique to Mindanao, where fewer than six host plants exist.
Trees compete for space, light and resources that leave battle scars
WHEN you walk through a forest, it may feel like a static setting, where very little is happening. But trees are constantly interacting and reacting to each other as they grow. There’s intense competition for light and space. Every shift affects the overall makeup of the forest in some way.
Forest scientists like me spend a lot of time thinking about forest succession—a predictable process in which plant species colonize and dominate a piece of land. The basic sequence is for land to evolve from an open field to brush and shrubs, then to young trees and ultimately to large, mature trees.
Disturbances, such as a major storm or wildfire, can interrupt or set back forest succession.
I study ecological changes in species composition, tree arrangement and forest development that occur during succession and after disturbances.
My research team analyzes conditions in mixed-species deciduous, or leafy, forests.
Using tree rings, we reconstruct what previous forests looked like years ago. By applying observed patterns and processes, researchers can model forests’
future growth and development. Here are some insights into what may be happening among the trees around you on a forest walk.
Jockeying for space and light
FOREST communities contain trees of different species, shapes and sizes. Each species needs specific amounts of sunlight and space to thrive and grows at its own rate. Many trees distance themselves from other trees to minimize interaction with their neighbors—a pattern that researchers call crown shyness.
If you look upward, you may notice gaps between trees, and branches near the gaps with broken twigs and fewer leaves.
In contrast, branches and leaves that have ample space and sunlight to grow will be denser and healthier.
Mixed-species leafy forests often support more than 30 woody species, which means that they can evolve in many different ways.
Understanding how trees interact allows people who manage forests, whether the setting is rural or urban, to prescribe practices that will guide forest growth. When a forest is first becoming es -
tablished, it can have thousands of tree seedlings per acre.
But only 50 to 100 trees per acre may survive and grow to maturity.
Foresters work to understand which trees will outcompete others and which trees will surrender growing space.
One of the most important zones for understanding forest growth is the canopy— the forest’s ceiling, which includes all the leaves, branches and twigs in trees’ crowns.
A typical mixed-species forest will have multiple canopy layers, made up of species with varying growth rates.
As trees die, they relinquish growing space, which surviving trees capture by growing and expanding their crowns.
How windstorms shape forests
A MATURE tree will experience many weather events during its lifetime. Windstorms force trees to sway and bump their neighbors, which causes crown abrasion— damage to buds and branch tips.
These impacts may slow and reduce branch growth. Crown abrasion is a sign that tree stands are too dense and competition among trees is undermining healthy growth.
However, crown abrasion can actually help some species.
For example, oaks, a slower-growing species, have dense tissues and stout branches that can abrade and damage branches of faster-growing trees, such as poplar and gum, which have weaker, less dense wood.
This allows oaks to emerge above their initially faster-growing rivals.
Some forests are monocultures, dominated by one tree species.
For example, in large areas of the Western US, forests were burned or clearcut in the 1800s and later regenerated with lodgepole pine, which is native to Western mountain areas.
The trees all grew back at the same rate, unlike mixed forests where some species grow more quickly than others.
This produced tall, slender trees that sway more during windy events. Because of crown abrasion or shyness, the pines have small crowns that don’t expand as far out to the sides as they normally would.
These forests eventually become stagnant. Space between trees shrinks because the trees’ small crowns don’t
“Last year, I visited three of these hosts. Unfortunately, the host in Baungon, Bukidnon, which became iconic after a photo was taken of the flower [in 2006] in the aftermath of slash-and-burn, has since perished, “ she said.
Fortunately, she said two remaining infected hosts are still clinging on on Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park.
“This situation has motivated me to establish the site for in situ grafting training so that the local people could learn how to propagate this rare plant in their community, a project I have dreamed about for over two years. Now that we have finally made it happen, I am hopeful that our efforts will pay off and we can help revive Rafflesia schadenbergiana,” she said.
A plant like no other
ACCORDING to Molina, Rafflesia is a plant like no other. It produces the largest flowers in the world, yet it is parasite, completely dependent on its sole host plants in the genus Tetrastigma.
“To non-biologists, the idea of saving a parasite may seem counterintuitive. But Rafflesia plays crucial ecological roles, many of which are still unexplored,” she said. Molina explained that just as predators keep prey populations in check, parasitic plants like Rafflesia help regulate host populations, promoting competition and biodiversity.
She added that each species in an ecosystem acts as a node in a network, interconnected with others.
Removing a node, such as Rafflesia, could lead to the collapse of dependent species, like the carrion flies that pollinate it, the rodents that feed on its fruits, and the many organisms that are symbiotic with it.
“To lose Rafflesia or any other node in this ecological network could mean the loss of their symbiotic species as well, perturbing the delicate ecological tapestry that makes and sustains the forest, the forest
keep neighboring trees at “arm’s length.”
Tree growth diminishes, and the trees’ vitality declines.
Thinning these forests or carrying out prescribed burns can increase spacing between the trees and provide more space for crown growth.
Watching trees battle
TO study branch movement during wind events, my students and I use accelerometers—devices that measure how quickly the speed of a moving object changes.
Most modern smartphones contain built-in accelerometers that help apps such as Google Maps pinpoint the phone’s position.
We fasten the accelerometers near the ends of branches, where they measure branch movements in three dimensions.
By linking this data in real time to wind speed measurements, we can determine branch movements and acceleration in response to different wind speeds.
In one study, we analyzed how interactions among different tree species changed the forest canopy in bottomland hardwood forests along rivers and streams in central Mississippi.
These forests were composed mainly of cherrybark oak and sweetgum trees. Both species are common in mixed
that also makes and sustains us humans who are completely dependent on its products,” she pointed out.
Saving Rafflesia is a community effort, bringing together local community members, conservation advocates, scientists, and policy-makers across international borders—from the Philippines, Indonesia, and the United States.
Endangered Asean flower
THE status of many Rafflesia species is not unique to the Philippines.
According to the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), Southeast Asia has around 44 species of Rafflesia, 13 of which are found in the Philippines.
ACB Executive Director Theresa Mundita S. Lim told the B usiness M irror via Messenger on August 14 that habitat degradation and land conversion affected the Tetrastigma vine that contributed to the depletion of Rafflesia populations.
“Rafflesia use Tetrastigma as their host, without which they will not be able to survive,” LIm explained.
Studies on propagating Rafflesia in the laboratory setting have provided a better understanding of how the Tetrastigma vine and the Rafflesia interact to encourage successful implanting and growth of this unique flowering plant, added Lim, a former DENR-BMB director.
“Applying this technology in situ, or under natural conditions, will provide a good opportunity to engage the public and raise awareness about the Rafflesia. This will help ensure that the vine Tetrastigma will be protected to support the population growth of the Rafflesia and conserve the trees and the biodiversity that is associated with the species,” she explained.
“Thus, raising the chances for improving the conservation status of endangered species like the Rafflesia schandenbergiana, in the process, developing programs that will benefit the communities who are protecting it,” she said.
stands, but they have different crown forms and growth rates.
Initially, sweetgums were more numerous and prominent in young forests. But as time went on, thanks to trees bumping into each other, cherrybark oaks started to become stronger in spaces vacated by abraded sweetgum branches. Eventually, the oak outcompeted the declining sweetgum and came to dominate the forest canopy.
Managing from the top down FOREST environments are constantly changing and are affected by many factors, from insect invasions and plant diseases to climate change and natural disasters. Physical crown abrasion between species is not as well understood as some of these other stresses, but it clearly contributes to the development of diverse, mixed-species deciduous forests. Our research suggests that when crown abrasion reduces the crown size and growth of faster-growing species, slower-growing stouter species can emerge and become more prominent. This finding can help scientists and foresters develop and manage healthy, productive forests. Wayne K. Clatterbuck, University of Tennessee/The Conversation (CC) via AP
SIMONE BILES celebrates her victory in vault, Stephen Curry savors the US’s final victory over France and Snoop Dogg, center sits in the audience during the breaking competition. AP
PARIS—Simone Biles stole the show at the Paris Olympics with a captivating comeback that had everyone watching everything she did both in and out of the gymnasium.
All eyes were on Biles as she won four medals, but the spotlight was bright enough to highlight new names, new faces and some unlikely new stars.
The Paris Games will be remembered for breathtaking venues, unprecedented accessibility and Snoop Dogg taking a starring role in NBC’s recordsmashing coverage.
Paris introduced the world to “The Pommel Horse Guy” and “The Real John Wick” and a meme-making performance by an Australian professor in the Olympic debut of breaking.
French swimmer Léon
Marchand delivered in his home Olympics with a Michael Phelps-like performance, winning five medals, four of them gold. Ilona Maher angled for a shot on reality TV show “Love Island” after leading the United States to a heart-stopping late victory that gave the US its first ever a medal, a bronze, in rugby sevens.
Noah Lyles was crowned the fastest man in the world for winning the 100 meters, but after he finished third in the 200—his first loss in his favorite event since the Tokyo Olympics three years ago—he revealed he had tested positive for Covid-19.
Sha’Carri Richardson chased down two competitors in the rain to end her first Olympics with a relay gold after settling for silver in the 100.
The United States won the medal count—126 in total and the women’s basketball team closed the Games by winning gold to tie China with an Olympic-best 40. The Americans again prevailed in both men’s and women’s basketball, and women’s soccer, too.
Biles soared to gold
SIMONE BILES returned to the Olympics three years after she pulled out of multiple events at the Tokyo Games for mental health reasons and won four medals, three of them gold.
She was the most popular attraction in Paris and competed in front of celebrity-packed crowds. Those who couldn›t sit in the stands with Tom Cruise, Spike Lee, Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga tuned in from afar as NBC said 34.7 million viewers across its platforms watched Biles lead the United States to team gold.
Spotlight lands on many faces in Paris Games
Next up for the greatest gymnast in Olympic history is a 30-stop “Gold Over America Tour” for the GOAT.
Gswimming struggles NINE days of competition wrapped up with the Americans barely pulling off the lead in the gold-medal standings in swimming, needing a victory in the last race of the Olympics to do so.
The US finished with just eight golds, its fewest since the 1988 Seoul Games and one ahead of its biggest rival, Australia.
“It’s one of the worst performances in history as a US team,” said Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever.
The rest of the world totaled more victories (20) than the United States and Australia combined, the first time that’s happened since the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Track and field rroubles THE 34 medals and 14 golds for the Americans were their best showing in track and field in a non-boycotted Games since the early 20th century, when there were more events and fewer countries.
And that came despite the disappointment of Richardson not winning gold in the 100, Lyles losing the 200 after his Covid-19 diagnosis
Brightest, smartest bike computer
Foundever scores in BPO Olympics
F OUNDEVER booked a strong performance in the recent 2024 BPO Olympics at the Meralco Gym in Pasig City with its Table Tennis at Foundever teams placing second in both the mixed doubles and women’s singles categories.
“The most important goal for us is to nurture the passions of our associates, no matter what these may be,” said Rowell Villalobos, Foundever Director for Organizational Development. “Wellness, health, work-life balance—these are all important, non-negotiable assets of our workplace culture.” Table Tennis at Foundever team is composed of Ricardo Muli, Jr., Kerwin Chanco, Melanie Jumawan, Celestino Rodriguez, Arnold John Velasco,
Georlyn Atun, Paul Martin
same race in a much closer finish about 15 minutes earlier. The 14 golds by the US are the most in a non-boycotted Olympics since 1968.
USA sweeps hoops gold
STEPHEN CURRY added more hardware to his legacy as he finally won an Olympic gold medal.
Curry scored 24 points and led the US to a 98-87 win over France in the men’s basketball final on Saturday. It was the fifth consecutive gold medal for the US—and the 17th in 20 alltime appearances for the Americans at the Games.
Kevin Durant, the first four-time men’s gold medalist in Olympic basketball history, scored 15 for the Americans, as did Devin Booker. And LeBron James, wearing metallic gold sneakers, scored 14 for the US as he won his fourth Olympic medal and third gold. Victor Wembanyama, in his first Olympic final, scored 26 points for France and was in tears after the game.
The women’s team followed up Sunday by winning the last gold medal of the Games with a 67-66 victory over France.
SYDNEY—Australian breaker
Rachael Gunn said the backlash to her much-ridiculed Olympic performance has been “devastating,” adding that she took the competition seriously and gave her best effort.
The 36-year-old b-girl known as Raygun said in a video posted to social media that she wasn’t prepared for the level of negative attention she has received since judges awarded her zero points in her Olympic debut.
Meanwhile, the Australian Olympic Committee criticized an anonymous online petition attacking the Paris Games competitor, saying it was “vexatious, misleading and bullying.”
“I didn’t realize that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has, frankly, been pretty devastating,” Gunn said. “But I went out there and I had fun. I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all, truly.”
1050,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin Vice President of Global Consumer Sales. “Delivering an exceptional in-ride experience, superior navigation and community-focused features, our latest cycling computer is made to keep cyclists motivated—whether they’re planning a group ride with friends or a long, solo adventure.”
“I’ve seen a lot of Edge iterations over the years and none have ever had me as excited as the 1050,” said Timothy O’Donnell, professional triathlete and Garmin-sponsored athlete. “As an experienced rider, I really appreciate the ease of use of the new Edge 1050.”
The sport of breaking made its Olympic debut in Paris, and one of the lasting images was the performance of Gunn, a 36-year-old university professor from Sydney—who did a “kangaroo dance” among other questionable moves during her routine—and did not receive a single point from any of the nine judges in either round.
Gunn was subsequently mocked for her efforts, including a parody on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in the United States. In the video, she said she was subjected to abuse that went beyond criticism of her dance moves.
“I’d really like to ask the press to please stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breaking community and the broader street dance community,” she said. “Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this. So I ask you to please respect their privacy.”
“Born in the USA” played in the stadium.
Controversy in boxing WOMEN’S boxing was dragged into the culture wars over gender misconceptions involving two of the competitors.
Imane Khelif of Algeria and Li Yu-ting of Taiwan were heavily scrutinized because of a Russian-dominated International Boxing Association’s decision to disqualify them from last year’s world championships, claiming both failed an eligibility test for women’s competition that IBA officials have declined to answer basic questions about.
Khelif endured intense scrutiny in the ring and online abuse from around the world over misconceptions about her womanhood and still won gold in the women’s welterweight division. Lin won a gold medal in the women’s featherweight division one night later to cap her four-fight unbeaten run through Paris by winning Taiwan’s first Olympic boxing gold medal.
“I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born as a woman, I live as a woman and I am qualified,” Khelif said after her victory.
The International Olympic Committee took the unprecedented step last year of permanently banning the IBA from the Olympics following years of concerns about its governance, competitive fairness and financial transparency. The IOC has called the sex tests that the sport’s governing body imposed on the two boxers irretrievably flawed. AP
written to Change.org, which had published a petition criticizing Gunn and the AOC, demanding that it be withdrawn.
More than 40,000 people had signed the petition claiming Gunn had “manipulated” Olympic qualification processes. Change.org said in a statement Thursday that it removed the petition after flagging it for misinformation.
“Change.org maintains strict guidelines against content that constitutes harassment, bullying, or spreading false information,” the statement said. “We take such matters seriously and remove any content that violates these standards to protect our users and uphold the integrity of our community.”
Carroll said the petition “contained numerous falsehoods designed to engender hatred against an athlete who was selected in the Australian Olympic team through a transparent and independent qualification event and nomination process.”
“It is disgraceful that these falsehoods concocted by an anonymous person can be published in this way,” Carroll said. “It amounts to bullying and harassment and is defamatory. We are demanding that it be removed from the site immediately. No athlete who has represented their country at the Olympic Games should be treated in this way.” Breaking at the Olympics might have been one-and-done in Paris. The sport is not on the competition list for Los Angeles in 2028, and also is unlikely to appear in 2032 at Brisbane, Australia.
Online criticism of Gunn this past week has included suggestions that the Oceania qualifying event held in Sydney last October was set up to favor her, and questioned the judging that allowed Gunn to qualify
Gunn, who has not yet returned to Australia, received strong support from Australian Olympic team leader Anna Meares while in Paris.
“The Circles Program is all about developing effectiveness among our associates on the professional and personal levels,” said Villalobos, adding that it is the umbrella program that designs and creates the various teams based on sports and other activities that Foundever associates are passionate about.
“Table Tennis at Foundever is just one of these groups,” he said. “Circles complements Foundever’s overall Health and Wellness Program.” The team debuted in the 2019 BPO Olympics as overall champions but was shuttered during the pandemic.
Roarer Barnes, Bryzel Cris Bonggaitan, Lyndon Anthony Jr., J. Jose Ferry, Hannah Patricia, Terrence Kent Penales and Andrian Jetajobe. Villalobos said Foundever’s focus on employee health, wellness and worklife balance is facilitated through its Circles Program.
On Thursday, the AOC went a step further, taking aim at what it called erroneous material published online.
The AOC said Thursday the Oceania qualifying event was conducted under the Olympic qualification system determined by the international governing body, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), and approved by Interna
Yanks’
TABLE Tennis at Foundever members Ricardo Muli Jr., Kerwin Chanco, Melanie Jumawan, Celestino Rodriguez, Arnold John Velasco, Socorro Georlyn Atun, Paul Martin Panotes, Roarer Barnes, Bryzel Cris Bonggaitan, Lyndon Anthony Jr., J. Jose Ferry, Hannah Patricia, Terrence Kent Penales and Andrian Jetajobe strike a pose with Rowell Villalobos, Foundever Director for Organizational Development.
Traveling Millennials, Gen Zers are cruise industry’s best hope
AKIN KA NA LANG, CANADA
The Itchyworms announce 4-city tour of
The Great White North
FILIPINO alternative rock band
The Itchyworms are set to hold their highly anticipated and first-ever concert tour in Canada this November 2024!
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Dubbed “Akin Ka Na Lang Canada” tour, the country’s beloved hitmakers will be performing in four key cities across the Land of Maple Leaf: Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Toronto.
The Canadian tour serves as a special milestone for the Manila-based band as they’ll be joined by their original guitarist, Chino Singson, who is now based in Vancouver. Chino, who migrated to Canada in 2022, last toured with the Itchyworms in the US in March 2023. After a year away, he’s back on stage with the band he helped create, bringing with him the magic that fans have missed.
While this development proved to be great to news to North America fans, the tour also doubles as a heartfelt farewell to their newest member, Mikey Amistoso of Cuidad. Mikey, who joined the Itchyworms in recent years, has brought fresh energy and talent to the group.
This tour marks not only his last performances with the band but also his own migration to Toronto, making it an emotional and unforgettable experience for both the members and their fans.
The Canadian tour is part of the Itchyworms’ ongoing commitment to bringing their unique sound to audiences beyond the Philippines.
Titled “Akin Ka Na Lang Canada,” the tour follows series of successful international shows, including performances in Australia, Japan, and Qatar. This venture into Canada is another step in their journey to share Original Pilipino Music (OPM) with the world.
Tour Dates & Ticket Information
• November 1: Vancouver - The Centre in Vancouver For Performing Arts ( Tickets)
• November 3: Calgary - The Palace Theatre ( Tickets)
• November 8: Winnipeg - Club Regent Event Centre ( Tickets)
• November 10: Toronto - The Concert Hall - 888 Yonge ( Tickets)
Tickets are available now on Simpletix and Ticketmaster, so don’t miss your chance to witness this oncein-a-lifetime tour.
This historic tour is brought to you by Vibeant and WAM Records, who have joined forces to bring the Itchyworms’ unique blend of OPM and rock to Canadian shores.
Recently, the pop-rock icons celebrated the release of their own brand of craft beers with a music event that features some of their friends and favorites in the local music scene.
The Itchyworms: Beer o Pagibig? official launch that took place at the 123 Block on July 13, 2024 showcased their refreshing mix of brew variants to the general public for the first time, while enjoying the live performances of Ebe Dancel, Ciudad, Blaster, The Revisors, and The Itchyworms.
Inspired by their song “Beer,” which topped several music charts when it was released and has become a drinking anthem among Filipinos, The Itchyworms’ foray into the brewing scene dares to ask the familiar question: Bawat Patak. Anong Sarap. Ano ba talaga’ng mas gusto mo?
The two variants include BEER, a light and clean tasting blonde ale with a balance of tropical fruit flavor and the right amount of maltiness; and PAG-IBIG, a hazy, cloudy, and flowery beer that is sweet and bitter at the same time.
ITHE SINGER OR THE SONG?
N 1982, American country singer Kenny Rogers became a household name in Manila when his song “Through the Years” (cowritten by Steve Dorff and Marty Panzer, produced by Lionel Richie) entered the Billboard Hot 100 and went to no. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
The tune was not only played incessantly on Philippine radio—it also turned into a favorite choice of Filipinos carousing in videoke sessions.
Last week, a Filipino movie, Lolo and the Kid, debuted on Netflix and featured “Through the Years” in several scenes where the lead characters, street hustler Lolo (Joel Torre) and his sidekick Kid (Euwenn Mikaell) eat, drink and sing merrily in videoke clubs after stealing valuables from unsuspecting people.
In the movie, the song — which is about the ties that bind an intimate relationship — captures the bond between an elderly man and the boy he takes under his wing after finding him abandoned in the trash on a street corner.
They live a life of petty crimes, taking off with laptops and other household items after couples and single women take pity on them and offer to adopt Kid.
The time comes when Lolo decides to leave Kid for good, under the care of childless couple Joel (Alfred Vargas) and Irma (Shaina Magdayao). Kid is sent to school, something he desires, and grows up into a fine, young man (Juan Karlos).
Hours before Joel and Irma celebrate Kid’s finishing the school year as an honor student, they receive the news that Lolo is ill.
Kid visits Lolo in the hospital, they miss each other so much that they step out to relive fun times, including a videoke session. In this key scene, Karlos as Kid sings “Through the Years” in a particularly touching vein, adding depth and poignancy to each word in the lyrics right from the start:
“I can’t remember when you weren’t there When I didn’t care for anyone but you I swear, we’ve been through everything there is, Can’t imagine anything we’ve missed Can’t imagine anything the two of us can’t do…”
In Karlos’ version, the tune is transformed from the original maudlin
love song into a bittersweet theme of gratitude, and respect.
It makes me ponder, which really matters, is it the singer or the song?
You must see the movie to appreciate what I’m saying.
‘We Play Here’ returns RECEIVED an e-mail about an exciting event.
Warner Music Philippines’ We Play Here is back, featuring a mix of Filipino and international artists: the band Dilaw, SB19’s Stell, Arthur Miguel, Kahel, Letters from June, Sugarcane, Paul Pablo, and PLAYERTWO.
Dilaw is widely known for its 2023 single “Uhaw (Tayong Lahat),” which has gained over 167 million (!) listeners on Spotify.
Stell has released an EP, Room, whose tracks he’s expected to sing at the concert.
Miguel’s songs include “Lihim” and “Ang Wakas.”
Griff opened for Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour in 2023 in Portugal, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands, as well for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in London, and will be a supporting act for Sabrina Carpenter’s US tour later this year.
Also among the attractions at the event are special interactive booths, such as Miguel’s “What if?” and “AM Hugots” wall, Dilaw’s “Nilalang” Portraits, Sugarcane’s “Pagbigyan” Tarot Readings, Charli xcx’s BRAT photobooth, Griff’s Gachapon Machine, and the “Sikat Sa Pinas” Music & Lyrics booth.
The WishBus will also be parked in front of the venue, with its final schedule to be announced by Wish FM 107.5.
Presented by Warner Music Philippines in partnership with KDR Music House and UP Adcore, We Play Here will kick off on August 23 at the College of Science Amphitheater University of the Philippines Diliman.
Stay updated on the ‘We Play Here’ promos and announcements by following their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.
In the Netflix movie ‘Lolo and the Kid,’ a Kenny Rogers tune transforms from a love song into something deeper and more poignant
Traveling Millennials, Gen Zers are cruise industry’s best hope
By Redd Brown, Emily Forgash, & Peyton Forte Bloomberg
CRuisE vacations are as popular as they’ve ever been, and a surprising reason why is rising interest from a fickle group that’s historically shunned the geriatricfocused industry: young travelers.
Look at Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd., where half of the company’s passengers are Millennials or Generation Z, according to Chief Executive Officer Jason Liberty, and the fastest growing portion of its customer base. Other cruise lines are seeing similar youthful growth, with the average age of cruise passengers falling for two straight years after being largely stagnant since at least 2016, according to the Cruise Lines International Association.
“Even honeymooners have been asking about cruises,” said Eric Hrubant, head of CIRE Travel, a New York City-based travel agency whose cruise business has quadrupled in the last two years. “If you would’ve said that 10 years ago, I would’ve said you’re on crack.”
Making headway
THE biggest beneficiary has been Royal Caribbean, which emerged from the pandemic quicker than its peers and launched two of the largest cruise ships ever built. Its stock price has soared almost 600 percent since hitting a Covid low in March 2020, while Carnival Corp. is up 88 percent and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. has gained 142 percent over the same stretch, which is more in line with the S&P 500’s 129 percent rise. It’s also the best performer in the S&P Composite 1500 Hotels, Resorts and Cruise Lines index this year.
Those new Royal Caribbean ships, decked out with upscale dining options and adults-only areas, along with the cruise line’s private Caribbean islands, have helped the company appeal to a wider audience, Patrick Scholes, managing director at Truist Securities, said in an interview. Its 2024 earnings are projected to be 50 percent more than their 2019 pre-pandemic level, while its peers will see profits drop by about the same level, based on data compiled by Bloomberg
“
Still, cruise lines are getting back on track and catching up with the travel industry at large. Last year, ocean cruises set sail with 31.7 million people, 7 percent more than in 2019, according to CLIA. Meanwhile, international tourism fell 12 percent over that same pe-
“There’s no more cost-effective way to really see the world than cruising,” Melissa Newman, university professor and cruise blogger, said. Newman has managed to visit 30 countries aboard more than 20 cruises in the past nine years.
‘The main appeal of a cruise for 20- and 30-somethings is the all-inclusive expense that’s typically cheaper than other vacation options.’
riod. This year, 7.2 percent of US travel expenses have been allocated to cruises, up from 5.8 percent in 2019, Bank of America Institute senior economist David Tinsley wrote in a report in May.
“It may not be consumers literally swapping hotels for cruises,” he wrote in an email to Bloomberg News. “But it’s fair to say that the growth in the cruise sector is meaning demand for hotels/ resorts is not as strong as otherwise.”
The most cost-effective way to see the world?
THE main appeal of a cruise for 20and 30-somethings is the all-inclusive expense that’s typically cheaper than other vacation options.
The price of booking a cruise was 40 percent below a comparable land-based vacation in 2023, according to Norwegian Cruise Line. Industry analysts put that figure around 20 percent now, which is still above historical averages.
New-to-cruise passengers, whose number increased 12 percent in 2022 and 2023 compared with the prior twoyear period, are often learning about it through their social media feeds. According to Deloitte’s 2024 travel outlook, 42 percent of Gen Z and 26 percent of Millennial travelers use short video content to plan their trips, compared with just 12 percent of Gen Xers.
“Social media has put cruising more on people’s radar as something that’s
not just for old people,” Newman said.
Preston Sheshu started posting cruise videos to TikTok during the pandemic as a way to remind himself of vacations while locked down at home. His content quickly gained traction, and cruise companies began inviting him on board, along with as many as 15 other influencers, to show off their prized assets.
“All my followers are engaged in the cruising experience,” said Sheshu, 17, who hopes to become a ship captain. “They’re not looking for the resorts, they’re not looking for anything else.”
Perfect timing for the industry .V IRGIN Voyages, the Richard Branson brainchild and the newest entrant to the cruise market, relies heavily on content creators to market its adult-only cruises, Nirmal Saverimuttu, Virgin Voyages’ chief executive officer, said in an interview. The company, which started sailing in 2021, includes food and entertainment, as well as WiFi and basic beverages in its ticket price.
“Millennial is a word people have used a lot about us and we tend to dominate that part of the market,” Saverimuttu said. Virgin Voyages’ sales are up 45 percent this year and, based on current demand projections, should achieve profitability within 18 months, he said.
Adding to the appeal is the spiraling cost of travel. Since January 2023, vacation expenses are 13 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels on average, according to NerdWallet’s Travel Price Index.
The cost of dining out or renting a car is up more than 20 percent from 2019. And while airfares have been relatively stable, the tickets are less likely to include carry-on bags and other amenities that are excluded in “basic economy.”
The youthful interest couldn’t come at a better time for the three public cruise companies, which saw their debt double in 2020 as they coped with what turned into a two-year industry shut down. By the end of this year the their interest payments will likely total $18 billion since 2020, double what they paid to service their debt in the prior decade.
“I don’t think this is a fad or a trend. I think this is very much how this group of customers now, Millennials who are aging, this is how they want to consume experiences,” Virgin Voyages’ Saverimuttu said. “The trends that we’re on I believe are very much fundamental shifts in consumer behavior.”
n Cover photo by Diego F. Parra on Pexels.com
SoCial media has put cruising more on people’s radar as something that’s not just for old people,” says Melissa Newman, university professor and cruise blogger. Photo by Adrienn on Pexels.com
