BusinessMirror August 06, 2023

BOUNTY FROM THE SOUTH SEAS

One-third of the Philippines’s fish production comes from BARMM

By Manuel T. Cayon

B ARMM contributed 31.6 percent of the total fisheries production for the first quarter of this year, according to the Fisheries Situationer released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on June 29.

Th e BARMM was followed by Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula) with 11.6 percent, Region III (Central Luzon) with 10.8 percent, and Region IV (Calabarzon) with 8.6 percent.

Th e BARMM recorded the highest fishery production in the entire Philippines for two consecutive years in 2021 and 2022, with production volume of 4.25 million metric tons (MMT) and 4.34 MMT, respectively.

Th ese accounted for the two years’ 30.57 percent and 41.27 percent growth, respectively.

L ast year’s production for the country’s fisheries sector was an all-time-high growth of 2.16 percent in production volume since 2010.

Collaboration

PENDATUN PATARASA , director-general for fishery services of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishery and Agrarian Reform (Mafar), attributed the performance “to the strengthened collaboration between relevant government instrumentalities, the private sector, the fisherfolk, and other key stakeholders.”

Patarasa added, “The fac -

tors in sustaining the fisheries production increase are the continuing technical assistance and capacity building, provision of appropriate production support on capture, aquaculture, and post-harvest and marketing to the fisherfolk, and strengthened Fishery Regulatory, Quarantine, and Law Enforcement across the region.”

To sustain the gains in the fisheries sector, the ministry, he said, must double its efforts to ensure the implementation of plans and programs that

maximize its contribution toward improving the regional economy, increasing fisherfolk’s income, and achieving a foodsecure Bangsamoro region.

I n April this year, officials from DA’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) and Mafar met to discuss the recent directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to expand the country’s fisheries production by 10 percent.

BFAR Director and Assistant National Director Isidro Velayo, BFAR National Director Atty. Demosthenes Escoto, Regional Director Sammy Malvas, Fisheries Planning, and Evaluation Chief Maria Abegail Albaladejo, met Mafar’s Patarasa, Director II for Fisheries Operations Dr. Macmod Mamalangkap, and Director for Agrarian Reform Support Services Dr. Tong Pinguiaman.

Th e Mafar has eyed highimpact projects such as postharvest facilities, including seaweed warehouse, construction, and rehabilitation of existing fish ports/landings to reduce the high fisheries post-harvest losses.

“

Mafar is looking at aug -

menting the production of the regional production both in aquaculture and fisheries,” Patarasa said.

Support programs

THE Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the ad hoc Parliament of the region, chipped in to strengthen this huge contribution to the national fisheries production.

Member of Parliament Ali Sangki has proposed the establishment of the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE) in BARMM, not only to continue its production performance but also to modernize and “agro-industrialize” the agricultural and fisheries sector in the Bangsamoro region.

Th e BTA Bill No. 221, or Bureau of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Services Act of 2020, aims to strengthen and institutionalize agricultural and biosystems engineering services of the local government units to enhance regional food security and economic prosperity.

P SA data showed that the agri-fisheries sector accounted for the largest share of the region's total economic performance in 2018, contributing 55.6 percent of its 7.2-percent growth rate in the Gross Regional Domestic Product.

Th e proposed BAFE-BARMM will operate under Mafar, “taking charge of various crucial tasks, such as fisheries mechanization, farm-to-market roads, agri-fisheries infrastructure development, soil and water conservation, rural agro-industrialization, and food logistics infrastructures.”

Th e bureau will also be responsible for preparing, evaluating and recommending engineering plans, designs and technical specifications for agricultural, fisheries and biosystems mechanization, irrigation and infrastructure projects.

A s part of the proposal, the agricultural and biosystems engineering groups or units within the first- to third-class provincial, city and municipal local government units in BARMM will be strengthened, institutionalized and transformed into Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE) offices.

T he BAFE-BARMM and other agencies and professional organizations will formulate and implement an Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Human Resource Development Master Plan.

E arlier in June, the Bangsamoro Parliament introduced Bill No. 180, or the Bangsamoro Integrated Coastal Management Act of 2023, to establish a mechanism and adopt an integrated coastal management policy that will promote sustainable development while preserving the ecological integrity of the region.

Th e authors of the bill, MPs Amilbahar Mawallil, Rasol Mitmug Jr., Sittie Fahanie Uy-Oyod, Hashemi Dilangalen, and Hamid Malik, said the coastal areas serve as crucial transportation hubs, connecting communities within the region and across the country.

M awallil also noted that these environments face various threats, including overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction, and the impacts of climate change such as rising sea levels and increasing ocean temperatures.

R egulating fishing practices, reducing pollution, and conserving habitat areas through the establishment of marine protected areas are among the key measures highlighted in the bill to ensure the continued health and productivity of coastal environments.

By implementing measures to safeguard these valuable ecosystems, we can ensure that they continue to provide benefits to

current and future generations,” Mawallil said.

Th e Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy will provide guidelines for coastal zoning and management, including the delineation of coastal areas, identification of land uses, and regulation of activities in the coastal zone.

A n Integrated Coastal Management Council will be created to oversee the implementation of the integrated coastal management policy. This council will develop and implement a coastal management plan, take measures to protect and conserve coastal and marine ecosystems, coordinate with law enforcement agencies to enforce laws and regulations, collaborate with the Ministry of Trade, Investments and Tourism to develop sustainable economic activities, and work with the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government to ensure the active participation of local government units and stakeholders in the integrated coastal management process.

Improvements BARMM has steadily dusted off the ashes of its reputation of being the poorest among the regions, to set a record-after-record performance. It was recently recognized as posting the 10th fastest economic growth among all regions in the country, with its economy growing at 6.6 percent in 2022.

P SA-BARMM Regional Director Akan Tula reported that the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sector increased to 3.5 percent, industry increased to 6.1 percent, and services sector increased to 9.8 percent.

“ The economic performance of BARMM grew by 6.6 percent in 2022, though slower than the previous year’s growth rate at 7.5 percent, but still increased—

DAVAO CITY—A third of the country’s total fish production comes from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), maintaining its performance as the country’s top fish producer for the last three years.

Remembering the lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

By Tara Sonenshine | Tufts University

A n American B-29 bomber dropped the world’s first atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan—an important military center with a civilian population close to 300,000 people. The US wanted to end the war, and Japan was unwilling to surrender unconditionally.

The bomber plane was called the Enola Gay, named for Enola Gay Tibbets, the mother of the pilot.

Its passenger was “Little Boy”—an atomic bomb that quickly killed 80,000 people in Hiroshima. Tens of thousands more would later die of the excruciating effects of radiation exposure.

Th ree days later, US soldiers in a second B-29 bomber plane dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people.

It was the first—and so far, only—time atomic bombs were used against civilians. But US scientists were confident it would work, because they had tested one just like it in New Mexico a month before.

Th is was part of the Manhattan Project, a secret, federally funded science effort that produced the first nuclear weapons.

W hat might have been a single year of nuclear weapons development ushered in decades and decades of nuclear proliferation—a challenge across countries and professions.

Having worked on nuclear weapons both as a journalist covering the Pentagon and then as a White House special assistant on the National Security Council and undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, I understand how critical it is to educate and inform citizens about the dangers of nuclear war and how to control the development of nuclear weapons.

The man who started it all NOBEL Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein warned then-President Franklin Roosevelt in 1939 that the Nazis might be developing nuclear weapons.

Einstein urged the US to stockpile uranium and begin developing an atomic bomb—a warning he would later regret.

Einstein wrote a letter to Newsweek, published in 1947, headlined “The Man Who Started It All.” In it, he made a confession. “Had I known that the Germans would not succeed in producing an

But by then it was too late.

The Soviet Union began its own bomb development program in the late 1940s, partly in response to Hiroshima and Nagasaki but also as a response to the Nazi invasion of their country in the 1940s.

The Soviet Union secretly conducted its first atomic weapons test in 1949.

The US responded by testing more advanced nuclear weapons in November 1952. The result was a hydrogen bomb explosion with approximately 700 times the power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. A nuclear arms race had begun. Arms control THE US atomic bomb attacks on Japan remain the only military use of nuclear weapons.

But today there are nine countries that have nuclear weapons— the US, Russia, France, China, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel and North Korea.

The US and Russia jointly have about 90 percent of the nuclear warheads in the world.

There has been progress over the past few decades in reducing the global stockpile of nuclear weapons while preventing the development of new ones. But that momentum has been uneven and oftentimes rocky.

The US and the Soviet Union first agreed to limit their respective countries’ nuclear weapons stockpile and to prevent further development of new weapons in 1986.

A nd in 1991 the US and the Soviet Union signed on to another legally binding international treaty that required the countries to destroy 2,693 nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of about 300 to more than 3,400 miles (500-5,500 kilometers).

The two countries signed another well-known international agreement called START I in 1994, not long after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Th at treaty is considered by

experts one of the most successful arms control agreements. It resulted in the US and Russia’s dismantling 80 percent of all the world’s strategic nuclear weapons by 2001.

Russia and the US signed on to a new START treaty in 2011, restricting the countries to each keep 1,550 nuclear weapons.

START II, as it is known, will expire in February 2026. There are no current plans for the countries to renew the deal, and it is not clear what comes next.

Complicating factors

RUSSIA’S ongoing war in Ukraine—and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s repeated threats to strike Ukraine and Western countries with nuclear weapons— has complicated plans to renew the new START deal.

A lthough Putin has not formally ended Russian adherence to the START II agreement, Russia has stopped participating in the nuclear inspection checks that the deal requires. This lack of transparency makes diplomacy over the deal more difficult.

A nother complicating factor is that China has made it clear that it is not interested in an arms control agreement until it has the same number of nuclear weapons that the US and Russia have.

Indeed, since 2019, China has increased the size, readiness, accuracy and diversity of its nuclear arsenal.

The US Department of Defense reported in 2022 that China was on course to have 1,500 nuclear weapons within the next decade— roughly matching the stockpile that the US and Russia each have.

In 2015, China had an estimated 260 nuclear warheads, and by 2023 that number rose to more than 400.

At the same time, North Korea continues testing its ballistic nuclear missiles.

Iran is enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade levels. Some observers have voiced concern that Iran could soon reach 90 percent

enrichment levels, meaning it would then just be a few months before Iran develops a nuclear bomb. In a world of potential nuclear terrorism and conflicts that risk the unthinkable use of nuclear weapons, I think that the need to control proliferation and double down on arms control is a useful starting point.

So, what else can be done to contain the real threat of nuclear war?

Diplomacy is the way forward DIPLOMACY matters, as was clear in the early years of US-Soviet agreements.

In my view, a formal agreement between the US and Iran to slow down its nuclear development would be valuable.

Creating a better relationship between the US and China might reduce the chances of a confrontation over Taiwan with the potential for a nuclear conflagration.

The US can also use public diplomacy tools—everything from official speeches to international educational exchanges—to warn the world of the escalating dangers of unchecked nuclear weapons use.

Th is is one way to get ordinary citizens to put pressure on their governments to work on disarmament, similar to how young activists have moved public opinion on climate change.

The US could potentially use its global podium to underscore the horrific nature of threats that come with the use of nuclear weapons and make clear such use is inadmissible.

Remembering August 6, 1945, is painful. But the best way to honor history is not to repeat it.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/ hiroshima-attack-marks-its-78thanniversary-its-lessons-of-unnecessary-mass-destruction-couldhelp-guide-future-nuclear-armstalks-210115.

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which indicates good economic performance of the region,” Tula said.

“ This means that in 2022, BARMM’s per capita household final consumption expenditure was estimated at P56,970, higher by 4.5 percent than the previous year’s level, which was estimated at P54,528,” he added. By May this year, BARMM ranked sixth lowest among all re -

gions in the Philippines with a notable inflation rate of 6.1 percent. This figure marks a significant drop from April’s 6.7 percent.

B y June, BARMM’s inflation rate dropped to 6 percent.

I n his second State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said his administration was proud of the progress in the BARMM.

“ It will be self-governing, it will be progressive, and it will be effective,” the President said, cit -

ing the transition phase which saw local governments, royal families, Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) all engaged and represented, with the support of the international community. Through the BARMM, we have strengthened the nation’s prospects for finally achieving sustainable progress anchored on a true and lasting peace in Southern Philippines,” he said.

IT was 8:15 on a Monday morning, August 6, 1945. World War II was raging in Japan.

THE Hiroshima Peace Memorial, originally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, and now commonly called the Atomic Bomb Dome, in Hiroshima, Japan, was the only structure that remained standing in the area around the atomic bombing of Hiroshima at the end of World War II. PASSIONPHOTOGRAPHY2018 DREAMSTIME.COM atomic bomb, I would never have lifted a finger,” Einstein wrote. Einstein repeated his regret in 1954, writing that the letter to Roosevelt was his “one great mistake in life.”

China’s drug-price negotiations offer glimpse into future for US companies

By Michelle Fay Cortez & Jinshan Hong

Beijing back in 2016 started to negotiate prices for newly approved drugs in order to qualify for state medical insurance coverage, as the government sought to improve access to, and affordability of, life-saving medicines for its 1.4 billion people.

According to data compiled by Frost & Sullivan and released to Bloomberg this month, that worked to slash the costs of some of the world’s blockbuster drugs, creating vast discrepancies between China and other markets.

The fate of the world’s two best-selling medicines in China, one for rheumatoid arthritis and another for cancer, likely portends the worst-case scenario for them in the US, when price negotiations kick off in just a few years.

When AbbVie Inc.’s arthritis drug Humira first entered China in 2010, its unit price was 7,600 yuan ($1,060). In China, Humira’s patent expired in 2017, but AbbVie

managed to extend the protection until 2019, by which time other competitive drugs had been developed locally. When Humira was included in China’s insurance plan that same year, its price plunged to 1,290 yuan a unit, or just $180.

It’s not uncommon for Western pharma companies to make price cuts of about 60% to 70% to get on the government list of medicines that can be reimbursed by state medical insurance.

In the US, the current price per unit for Humira, available in a prefilled syringe or an auto-inject pen, is around $3,379, the Frost & Sullivan data show.

From 2026, Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act will allow officials to negotiate prescription drug prices with pharmaceutical companies.

Health policy experts expect about 40 medicines will be subject to such haggling between that year and 2028, including Merck &

Co.’s breakthrough cancer medicine, Keytruda, and its closest rival, Opdivo from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

Both Merck and Bristol-Myers, plus the US Chamber of Commerce, have filed suits over the law. The motion from Merck, known as MSD (Merck, Sharp & Dohme) in many parts of the world including in China, claims it’s “tantamount to extortion” and violates the Constitution.

Merck’s own experience in China, meanwhile, holds both good and bad news.

While Merck has negotiated with the Chinese government over the price of Keytruda several times in the past few years, it never managed to reach an agreement. As a result, Keytruda, the best-selling cancer drug in the world, remains uncovered by China’s state-owned medical insurance, selling there

for about 16 times more than the cheapest local options.

But even at $86,000, it’s still a far cry from the $200,000-ayear per patient it costs in the US, where big pharma has long argued that higher prices are necessary to incentivize future drug innovation.

Merck in response to questions from Bloomberg News said that it’s been working to get Keytruda covered by commercial insurance in China and also make it more affordable under patient assistance programs for low-income families.

The better news for Merck in China is that Keytruda still captures about one-fifth of the category known as PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, which work by preventing cancer cells from escaping detection by the immune system. That’s in large part be -

cause of global studies showing how effective it is at improving and prolonging life.

“For doctors, it’s convenient and risk-free to advise patients to use an internationally well-known brand as opposed to clinically decent but domestic PD-1 drugs,” Skyler Wang, a health care industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan, said. “Even though the disposable income is low in China, families are often willing to spend a relatively high percentage of their income to pay a premium for drugs with a better brand name.”

Merck is also working to develop a self-administered version of the drug that would make it easier for patients to use, while potentially extending its patent life. That ease of administration could also spur uptake.

Propping up prices

THE arcane structure of the American health care system currently works to prop up drug prices.

It’s difficult and expensive to bring new medicines to the market, so fresh entries are generally priced the same or more than existing therapies. Rebates demanded by insurers or companies that manage pharmacy benefits reduce drugmaker revenue, without cutting prices.

The Medicare system, which provides insurance to most of the nation’s elderly, doesn’t pay those rebates. But it also doesn’t negotiate prices, leaving it— and patients who often have to

cover part of the cost—on the hook for the higher bill. The Inflation Reduction Act would change that.

In China, most people rely on state medical insurance. Drugs for cancer and other conditions were pushed to ultra-low levels after Beijing started its annual price negotiations. Those talks have made potentially life-saving medicines more affordable and widely available, but at the expense of drugmaker profit margins.

“The patient pool is absolutely huge in China,” where 95% of its 1.4 billion people are covered by national basic medical insurance, Frost & Sullivan’s Wang said. “The national insurance fund is under a heavy burden, and controlling drug prices is a must.”

China also has been more receptive to less expensive follow-on copies at least in the PD-1 market, with more than a dozen surfacing over the past six years. Their comparative benefits are less clear, however, as few studies have compared them head-to-head. That has led doctors and patients who can afford treatment to continue to rely on high profile brands like Keytruda.

Some of these China-developed PD-1s are trying to break into the US market. Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co. and BeiGene Ltd. have partners to help them market the drugs in the US but these drugs are still under review by the US Food and Drug Administration. Bloomberg News

Eternal Gardens: A legacy of devotion and dedication to the Transfiguration of Jesus

IN 1979, Eternal Gardens’ inaugural memorial park in Baesa, Caloocan City embraced a significant milestone with the grand unveiling of an iconic masterpiece three years after the branch’s official opening on August 11, 1976: The statue of The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. This magnificent artwork not only captured the essence of that momentous occasion but also paved the way for a remarkable legacy that spans over four decades.

Today, The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ stands tall, gracing the 11 Eternal Gardens parks spreading from Luzon to Mindanao, serving as a symbol of Eternal Gardens’ unwavering dedication to its vision of maintaining leadership in memorial park development in the Philippines.

In a visionary move, founder Antonio L. Cabangon Chua sought to set the park apart by enlisting the creative genius of National Artist for Sculpture, Dean Napoleon V. Abueva, to meticulously craft this significant work of art. Distinguished as the youngest person to receive the title at 46 years old and considered the Father of Modern Filipino Sculpture, Abueva was selected not only for his exceptional talent but, more significantly,

for his profound religious faith that harmonized perfectly with the convictions of the founder.

In addition to the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ statue in Baesa, the esteemed National Artist also sculpted the statues adorning the Eternal Gardens branches in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija in 2004 and Santa Rosa, Laguna in 2008.

As a tribute to the original design by Dean Abueva, the image of the Transfigured Christ was skillfully shaped by esteemed Filipino artists across various branches of Eternal Gardens.

Amado Castrillo crafted the image for the second park located in Dagupan in 1983, as well as in the subsequent locations: Biñan, Laguna in 1984; Balagtas, Batangas City in 1986; Lipa City in 1992; and Naga City in 2000. While his son, Jonnel P. Castrillo, crafted the statue in Concepcion, Batangas City in 2013.

The Transfiguration adorning Eternal Gardens Cagayan de Oro, the company’s first park in Mindanao, is the creation of the accomplished sculptor Conrado F. Balubayan. During this period, the statue underwent a notable transformation, transitioning from its original bronze composition to white cement, Balubayan’s signature medium. Balubayan’s exceptional craftsmanship also

extended to the captivating statue in Cabuyao City, Laguna in 2018.

Another statue of The Transfiguration is soon to rise at Eternal Gardens’ newest branch in Opol, Misamis Oriental, entrusted to the capable hands of sculptor Napoleon Balubayan, son of Conrado F. Balubayan.

The statue stands 33 feet in height, which is symbolic of the number of years that Jesus lived on Earth, and rests atop a 12-foot pedestal, paying homage to the 12 apostles that Jesus had as a testament to their profound impact.

The Transfiguration

represents one of the most significant moments in Jesus’ life. It is one of the Luminous Mysteries in the Mysteries of the Rosary, which recounts the important episodes in the life and death of Jesus, made up of 20 mysteries in total.

The accounts of the Transfiguration can be found in Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:28, and Luke 9:28-36. These Gospels tell the story of how Peter, James, and John witnessed the transformation of Jesus’ appearance as a revelation of His divine glory. His face shone like the sun and His clothes became a

dazzling white light. This powerful manifestation not only strengthened the apostles’ faith in anticipation of Jesus’ impending sacrifice on the cross but also offered them a glimpse of Christ’s resurrection.

Eternal Gardens has committed itself to spreading the importance of the Transfiguration and what it means to the fellow Filipino. It embraces the belief that through unwavering faith and the transformative power of Jesus Christ, every individual has the potential to experience their own personal resurrection, just as He did. This message is aptly

expressed through the company’s slogan, “A Glimpse of Heaven on a Patch of Earth.” It encapsulates the guarantee that within the serene confines of Eternal Gardens, one can catch a glimpse of eternal life with Jesus, offering solace, hope, and a profound connection to the divine.

The commitment of Eternal Gardens to the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ extends far beyond the installation of the statues in its branches. The company pledges itself to lifelong advocacy of devotion to this miraculous event in the life of Jesus.

A significant part of this endeavor involves the annual celebration of the Feast of the Transfiguration on the 6th of August. On this cherished day, Holy Masses are conducted at the parks, while other branches sponsor masses in their respective parishes. Not only serving as a heartfelt tribute to the profound significance of the Transfiguration, these mass celebrations also act as expressions of gratitude for the company’s anniversary, which falls on August 11. This devoted commitment resonates through each Eternal Gardens branch, nurturing the spiritual bond with the community and perpetuating the timeless message of faith and transformation.

AS drugmakers in the US steel for price negotiations ushered in by President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, their experience in China, where such talks started almost a decade ago, could offer some insight into just how low costs may go.

ABBVIE Inc.’s arthritis drug Humira. BLOOMBERG

Arizona woman died after her power was cut over $51 debt. That forced utilities to change

By Anita Snow The Associated Press

PHOENIX—Stephanie Pullman died on a sweltering Arizona day after her electricity was cut off because of a $51 debt.

Five years later, the 72-yearold’s story remains at the heart of efforts to prevent others in Arizona from having their power cut off, leaving them without lifesaving air conditioning in temperatures that have topped 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) on every day this month.

“Stephanie Pullman was the face of the fight that helped put the disconnect rules in place for the big, regulated utilities in Arizona,” said Stacey Champion, an advocate who pushed for new regulations. “But we need more.”

Arizona Public Service, known as APS, disconnected Pullman’s power in September 2018 at a time when outside temperatures in her retirement community west of Phoenix reached 107 degrees Fahrenheit (41.6 Celsius). Just days before, a $125 payment was made toward Pullman’s past-due bill of $176. Her body was found inside her home during a subsequent wellness check.

The medical examiner’s office said Pullman died from “ environmental heat exposure “ combined with cardiovascular disease after the shutoff.

Like many older residents of Phoenix-area retirement communities, Pullman was a native Midwesterner, living alone after moving from Ohio, where her family remains.

Details about Pullman’s life are sketchy because her family cannot discuss the case under a private

legal settlement with APS.

“I can’t talk,” Pullman’s son, Tim Pullman, said when reached by telephone in Ohio.

Champion said the family also suddenly stopped talking to her after the 2019 settlement.

APS didn’t address the settlement when contacted last week, but said in a statement it “is here to help customers and we are making sure they stay connected during the summer months.”

Pullman’s death prompted Champion and others to demand new rules to prevent shutoffs. The case raised awareness about extreme heat dangers, and it did spark change.

“People are now more cognizant that low-income people can lose the power in their home at any time,” said Phoenix attorney Tom Ryan, a consumer advocate familiar with the Pullman case. “Couldn’t someone have spared her the $51?”

In 2019, the Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates most of the state’s utilities, issued a moratorium on summertime shutoffs by APS and other power companies it oversees.

Last year, the commission permanently banned electricity cutoffs during the hottest months.

Electric utilities can choose to pause disconnections from June 1 through October 15, or pause them on days forecasted to be above 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 Celsius) or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 Celsius). Tucson Electric

Power, which serves Arizona’s second largest city, and UniSource, which provides power in Mohave and Santa Cruz counties, chose the date-based option.

“There will be no disconnections for past due residential accounts through mid-October,” with late fees waived during that period, APS confirmed. “We urge customers who are struggling with overdue bills to contact us so we can work with them to get their account in good standing and try to keep balances from continuing to build.”

APS is the principal subsidiary of publicly traded Pinnacle West Capital Corp., and has about 1.2 million customers. It gives a discount of up to 25 percent on energy bills for people who qualify, like a family of three with a gross monthly income under $4,143, or a single person in a home with a gross monthly income of up to $2,430.

Arizona’s second largest provider of electricity, Salt River Project, or SRP, is known as a power and irrigation district rather than a utility and has around 1.1 million customers. It additionally supplies water in parts of metro Phoenix. As a community based, not-for-profit district, SRP is not overseen by the state commission but is governed by a publicly

elected Board and Council.

SRP says it halts shutoffs during excessive heat warnings issued by the National Weather Service. But Champion noted that people have died on hot days without such warnings.

Amid the current heat wave, SRP announced Friday it was halting all cutoffs for nonpayment for residential and commercial customers through July, and would not disconnect for failure to pay anyone on its economy price plan for customers with limited income through August.

“SRP’s priority is to maintain reliable and affordable power for our customers, and we understand the significance of keeping customers in service during Arizona’s hot summer days,” the utility said in a response to a query. “We value our customers’ safety and have programs in place to assist those in need.”

“We urge customers who are having difficulty paying their bill for any reason to contact us as quickly as possible so we can offer solutions to help them avoid a worsening financial situation,” the company said in a separate statement.

Gov. Katie Hobbs sent a letter to Arizona’s power companies on Friday, demanding that they spell

out in writing their plans during the current hot spell for disconnections of service, how they will handle possible grid outages, and how they will react in the event of an emergency outage.

Champion said she thinks state legislation would help ensure stricter rules against power company shutoffs, but nothing is before the state Legislature.

Within Phoenix city limits, an ordinance requires landlords to ensure that their air conditioning units will cool to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) or below and that evaporative coolers bring the temperature down to 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius). Both types of cooling units must be kept in good working order.

Maricopa County, home to Phoenix, reported Wednesday that as of July 15, there were 18 heat-associated deaths confirmed this year going back to April 11. Another 69 deaths remain under investigation.

Just four of the heat-associated deaths confirmed in 2023 occurred inside. Three involved non-functioning air conditioners and one that had access to electricity but wasn’t turned on.

Maricopa County confirmed 425 heat-associated deaths for 2022 during the region’s hottest summer on record, more than half of them occurring in July. Eighty percent of the deaths occurred outside.

Like Pullman, most of the 30 people who died indoors in the county last year were isolated and had mobility issues or medical problems. One was an 83-year-old woman with dementia who died in a home with an air conditioner that had not been switched on. She was living alone after her husband entered hospice care.

There have long been utility assistance programs for homeowners and renters across the state,

but advocates say efforts to protect people from shutoffs in America’s hottest big metro increased after Pullman died.

Local governments and nonprofit agencies often pay utility bills without a requirement for repayment and the Arizona Department of Economic Security also helps with bills.

Efforts to help repair and replace faulty cooling systems were also ramped up.

Maricopa County in April used federal funds to allocate another $10 million to its air conditioner replacement and repair program for people who qualify, bringing total funding to $13.7 million.

In greater Phoenix and several rural Arizona counties, older lowincome people can get free repair or replacement of air conditioners through the Healthy Homes Air Conditioning Program, run by the nonprofit Foundation for Senior Living. Last summer, it helped about 30 people get new air conditioners or repairs.

Demonstrating the dangers for older people, two sisters were rescued from their home in the Phoenix suburb of Surprise earlier this month after police found them sweltering in 114 degrees Fahrenheit (45.5 Celsius) with a faulty cooling system.

“I don’t like the heat over here,” Paula Martinez, 93, told Fox 10 news. The officers took her and her sister Linda, 87, to a senior center to cool off and bought a new air conditioner with the department’s community grant funds.

Surprise Police Sgt. Richard Hernandez said he and fellow officers still remember Pullman’s death in a community just 5 miles (8 kilometers) away.

“There certainly is more awareness now than there used to be,” said Hernandez. “We kept saying, ‘If we had only known, maybe we could have helped.’”

Howthe food system is changing and what it means for investors

By Vildana Hajric & Michael P. Regan

GLOBAL shifts in incomes

and populations, geopolitics and climate change are combining to drastically alter the outlook for the world’s food supply.

Taimur Hyat, the chief operating officer at PGIM, joined the What Goes Up podcast to talk about his research paper: “Food for Thought: Investment Opportunities Across a Changing Food System.”

Here are some highlights of the conversation, which have been condensed and edited for clarity.

What made you look into food as a topic to research?

T he reasons we as PGIM went into this were a couple. First of all, food is not just 10 percent of GDP, but also 40 percent of the labor force, so a lot of people work in this industry. And we are defining food as from farm to fork and everything in between—processing, packaging, preparing the seeds, all the way to end-retail. So it’s a big part of the labor force and there’s been a lot of focus on labor and inflation and so on. So that was one driver.

The second one is we think food is where the energy sector and this whole talk about the energy transition was about 10 years ago. We are like 10 years behind in the

thinking. And it’s going to catch up because the current food system is simply not fit for purpose. It is not going to work for our planet, it’s not going to work for our consumption needs for a variety of reasons. And that debate on how do we transition this—even if it takes 20, 30 years—to the new food system of the future has happened. There are carbon-transition funds, there’s renewable energy, there are opportunities, there’s the inflation reduction act and lots of money going there. It hasn’t happened to food yet, but we think it’s about to.

You talk about when a society becomes more affluent, when per-capita income goes up, people’s diets change. Can you talk to us about what changes in a diet as a society gains more income?

H istorically the main reason we needed more food for the planet was that there were just more people on it. But an important shift is happening. Now we have as perhaps an increasing influence the fact that, particularly Asia, is developing a new emerging middle class, and they have the same wants and needs and desires as people in developed markets do.

And that means not just more calories, but more protein and more calories that are increasingly converging with what we call

the western diet. So there’s more meat in it, there’s more chicken in it, there’s more pork in that diet. And those are calories that need to be exported. You can’t just all get them in Vietnam or in Thailand or in China.

Supply chains, ironically, where everybody’s trying to simplify them after Covid, are going to get more complicated because people want the same food in more and more countries of the world, rather than just the local food. And that food itself has a bigger climate footprint because

of all the methane and greenhouse-gas emissions that come from the farming system. And it means much more pressures on the governments in these countries to provide the resources, to provide the infrastructure so that people can get these new forms of western diets that are frankly maybe a little as healthy for them as well, definitely more costly, require much more importing of things from around the world than you did before.

And finally, it does mean the food system doesn’t just need to cope

with more population—it needs to provide many more calories even to each person on the planet.

Talk to us about where you see the cultivated-meat market going.

T here are lots of areas we are excited about investing in, but they’re definitely a bit like Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in the crypto space—there are definitely some bubbles in the food chain as well. And cultivated meat is maybe not a bubble—our main issue as an investor is it’s too early to invest. There are literally hundreds of companies around the world that are trying to do different kinds of cultivated meat, and it’s pretty much impossible at this stage to know which one’s going to win and which one’s going to lose. So we would say even as a venture capitalist, it’s too early to go in. There will be some winners over time. They’re the ones who are going to solve the scale problem. It is just so expensive to get that chicken nugget or that beefsteak cultivated at this point that it’s just not feasible for it to become a mainstream food item around the world.

What are the geopolitical implications of all these changing trends?

T he climate interlinkage is actually quite interesting and complex because it goes both

ways. First of all, the fact that climate is changing is changing our food supply chains. You have less fish in the ocean when oceans are warming up, you have new kinds of fungi, new kinds of insects that require new pesticides because of climate change. And with heat, it’s harder for labor to work in conditions in many parts of the world where you do have manual labor—80 percent of Indian farms, for example. And crop yields have declined.

So first of all, you’ve got this effect from a changing climate— a more extreme climate reduces crop yields, creates more variability, and adds new threats and risks. And then second, you’ve got the fact that the food system, as we have it today, changes the climate. Something like 30 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions, which cause global heating, come from the food system. Seventy percent of fresh water consumption is not all of us drinking water to have two-to-six liters a day. But it is because the food system needs it to grow crops.

So you’ve got a very complicated interrelationship and frankly, it’s one that’s unsustainable and needs some new ways to thinking about food to create a food system that can meet our needs for the future. With assistance from Stacey Wong/Bloomberg

THE sun rises over fishing boats in the Atlantic Ocean, September 8, 2022, off of Kennebunkport, Maine. A system of ocean currents that carries heat northward across the North Atlantic could collapse during this century, according to a new study, and scientists have said before such a collapse could cause catastrophic sea-level rise and extreme weather across the globe. You have less fish in the ocean when oceans are warming up. AP/ROBERT F. BUKATY

STACEY CHAMPION, center, holds up a sign with Stephanie Pullman’s picture during a protest outside of the Phoenix Art Museum where the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry awards ceremony was celebrating Don Brandt, CEO of Arizona Public Service in Phoenix, Ariz., June 20, 2019. Pullman died in her home after her electricity had been shut off.

PATRICK BREEN/THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC VIA AP

NABUA, Camarines Sur—The first artificial intelligence canter in the Bicol region was launched last month.

What’s more, the AI center will have as its project, the forecasting of river flooding in the area.

TheP5.9 million Artificial Intelligence Research Center for Community Development (AIRCODE) was launched on July 28 through the partnership of the government and higher education institution—the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology, Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) and the Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges (CSPC).

Project Leader Joseph Jessie Oñate pointed out the importance of the facility and how it will help the town of Nabua, a catch basin for floodwaters from Albay.

Oñate said: “The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office of Nabua’s official report states that in 2020, not only was the Nabua school site flooded, but 18 of the 34 villages in the town were also waterlogged, and approximately 520 families, or roughly 2,471 people, stayed at the evacuation camps.”

As part of the facility, the research titled “Project Apaw: Spatiotemporal Forecasting of River Flood using Deep Learning” was carried out.

By this August, sensors will be installed in the affected areas to be able to help them to fully utilize the center.

“This project will make a genuine difference by estimating flood levels and offering real-time notifications through websites, social media pages and SMS in order to better prepare our community for calamities,” Oñate explained.

In addition to addressing the urgent requirements of Rinconada communities, AIRCODE will also strengthen the research skills of AI enthusiasts, including faculty members and students, to identify answers to the ten-year flooding crisis in Nabua. This will be done by focusing on deep learning, computer vision and other AI approaches.

DOST Region V Director Rommel Serrano shared how the facility will be a game changer in the region.

“Bicol region is particularly vulnerable to typhoons due to its topographical features [the Mayon and the sea] and location [a typhoon corridor],” Serrano said.

“Nabua won’t benefit from the center alone, but this highly significant project has the potential to be adopted by other towns in the region in the future and set a precedent for how artificial intelligence might be used to our advantage,” he pointed out.

DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director Dr. Enrico C. Paringit lauded the state college for putting up the facility and expressed hopes that it will bring innovations for the regions.

“CSPC is gaining momentum in its pursuit in developing its research capabilities, and we have no doubt that AIRCODE will be another success story for them and for the Bicolanos,” he said.

Paringit also recognized the crucial contribution of AIRCODE to the 49 laboratories set up nationwide as part of the council’s Infrastructure Development Program.

“To date, we have poured P234.4 million on cutting-edge lab equipment, infrastructure, specialized software, and other crucial operational needs for our research and development firms,” he shared.

China proposes to limit kids’ smartphone time to 2 hours a day

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) on Wednesday published the draft guidelines on its site, stating that minors would not be allowed to use most Internet services on mobile devices from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and that children between the ages of 16 and 18 would only be able to use the Internet for two hours a day.

Children between the ages of 8 and 15 would be allowed only an hour a day, while those under 8 would only be allowed 40 minutes.

Only certain services, such as apps or platforms that are deemed suitable to the physical and mental development of minors, will be exempted.

The CAC did not specify which

Internet services would be allowed exemptions.

The restrictions are Beijing’s latest efforts to attempt to limit Internet addiction, a problem it views as widespread among its youth.

In 2019, Beijing limited children’s daily online game time to 90 minutes a day and tightened those restrictions in 2021, allowing children only an hour a day of online game play on Fridays, weekends and public holidays.

Short-video and online video platforms like Douyin, Bilibili and Kuaishou have offered youth modes that restrict the type of content shown to minors and the length of time they can use the service.

Children are also pushed educational content, such as

science experiments.

The latest restrictions would impact firms like Tencent, China’s largest online game company, and ByteDance, which runs popular short-video platform Douyin.

Firms in China are often responsible for enforcing regulations.

“To effectively strengthen the online protection of minors, the CAC has in recent years pushed for the establishment of a youth mode on Internet platforms, expanding

its coverage, optimizing its functions and enriching it with age-appropriate content,” the CAC said.

“Since the mode was launched, there has been a positive impact in reducing youth Internet addiction and the impact of undesirable information,” it added.

The CAC said draft guidelines were open to public feedback until September 2. It did not say when the new rules would be into effect. AP

Wood testing lab, the only one in PHL, can help reduce loss of lives, properties due to fire

EVERY year, hundreds of Filipinos die and billions of pesos worth of properties are lost because of fires.

To help reduce the agony and loss caused by fire incidents, the Forest Products Research and Development Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-FPRDI) recently re-opened its fire-testing laboratory, the only one of its kind in the country.

“Our newly re-opened lab is still in its infancy. Right now, it only has basic equipment for verifying the ignitability and combustibility of small wood samples, but I think it’s a good start,” said DOST-FPRDI director Romulo T. Aggangan.

THE Philippines will celebrate its first Philippine Space Week on August 8 to 14 as mandated by the recent declaration by President Marcos Jr.

The event aims to promote space awareness, highlight the contribution of Filipinos worldwide in the field of space science, and espouse the value, benefits, and impacts of space science and technology applications (SSTA) on the lives of Filipinos, said the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA).

PhilSA Director General Joel Joseph S. Marciano Jr. explained the significance of the celebration. “Space science, technology and its applications play a vital role in our daily lives. The new knowledge we get from space exploration, the satellites, and the resulting products and services have brought many benefits that we all expect and rely on,” Marciano said.

The space agency chief said the declaration of the space week “gives importance to the space capabilities we are building and strengthening in our country, along with the contributions of Filipinos in all areas of space science, technology, innovation, policy and cooperation.”

“The lab brings more affordable services to players in the construction industry who otherwise will have to send their samples for testing in accredited labs in Singapore and Malaysia,” Aggangan added. More accessible services will mean local building contractors and construction materials developers are more able to follow the National Fire and Building Codes, leading to better enforcement of fire safety laws.

DOST-FPRDI pioneered fire testing research in the Philippines in 1961, and for many years, it provided testing services to the construction industry. It had to stop in recent years, however, as its outdated machines could no

longer keep up with industry requirements.

According to DOST-FPRDI’s Shirley A. Pelayo, “With our newly acquired and designed equipment, we can now give more effective fire-testing services to our clients.”

She added: “We also look forward to an upgraded lab in the near future as we have just recently submitted to a funding partner a proposal to purchase more modern equipment. We are excited just thinking that as we improve our facility, we can help our clients follow basic fire-safety rules, leading to more protected lives and property.”

Media Service

8-14

supporting food security, infrastructure monitoring, digital governance and transformation, and promoting high-value space industrial capabilities and human resources.”

PhilSA observe the Philippine Space Week by identifying and conducting programs, projects, and activities.

Meanwhile, PhilSA will coincide the marking of its fourth anniversary during the space week with the theme, “#YamangKalawakan Tungo sa Maunlad na Kinabukasan.”

Marciano expressed appreciation for President Marcos’ support.

In December 2022, the Philippine Space Council, chaired by the president, recommended the declaration of the Philippine Space Week coinciding with the enactment of the Philippine Space Act on August 8, 2019.

Proclamation 302, s. 2023, that declared the Philippine Space Week, was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. “We are grateful to President

Marcos for being a strong advocate of science, technology and innovation, and for highlighting in his second State of the Nation Address the development of national space capabilities through satellites and their applications.”

He said PhilSA presented to the president the ongoing activities and plans that align with the president’s socio-economic agenda.

The PhilSA projects support value-added utilization of satellite images and space data for

According to Marciano, “Yamang Kalawakan refers to space capabilities, resources and infrastructure, and space as an environment that we can utilize for the benefit of the Filipino people.”

He added: “The theme stresses the significance of opportunities in the global space economy that the Philippines can seize and develop to enable lasting progress and prosperity.”

PhilSA will enter into agreements with various government agencies on August 8 to utilize SSTA and PhilSA’s expertise on satellite data acquisition.

BEIJING—China’s Internet watchdog has laid out regulations to curb the amount of time children spend on their smartphones, in the latest blow to firms, such as Tencent and ByteDance, which run social media platforms and online games.

Chatbot is the latest Jesus representation for AI age

people today.

The point is not that one of these representations is necessarily more accurate than the others, but instead that Jesus has been consistently reinterpreted to fit the norms and needs of each new context.

The AI Jesus who engages individuals online in the form of a chatbot is the latest in this ongoing pattern of reinterpretation, geared to making Jesus suited to the current times.

On AI Jesus’ Twitch channel, users consistently treat this chatbot Jesus as an authority in both personal and spiritual matters.

For example, one recent user asked AI Jesus for advice about how best to stay motivated while exercising, while another person wanted to know why God allows war.

AI Jesus at work

AI Jesus represents one of the newest examples in the growing field of AI spirituality.

Researchers in AI spirituality study how human spirituality is being shaped by the rising influence of artificial intelligence, as well as how AI can help people understand how humans form beliefs in the first place.

good intentions is considered a sin, and how to interpret difficult verses from the Bible.

This AI Jesus also adjusts his responses as the chatbot learns from user input over time.

For instance, as part of the running stream of questions from some weeks ago, AI Jesus referenced past interactions with users and nuanced his responses accordingly, saying: “I have received this question about the Bible’s meaning before.… But in light of the question you have just posed, I want to add that….”

AI spirituality beyond AI Jesus

THIS chatbot guru is facing increasing competition from other sources of AI spirituality.

For example, a recent ChatGPT church service in Germany included a sermon preached by a chatbot represented as a bearded Black man, while other avatars led prayers and worship songs.

Other faith traditions are also providing spiritual lessons through AI.

For example, in Thailand a Buddhist chatbot named Phra Maha AI has his own Facebook page on which he shares spiritual lessons, such as about the impermanence of life.

‘with most nationalities in history’

LISBON, Portugal—Organizers for World Youth Day in Portugal released the initial attendance tallies, claiming a record “with the most nationalities” in WYD history.

Jorge Messias, head of WYD logistics department, said all countries, except Maldives, are taking part in the week-long celebrations, from August 1 to 6.

“It is the WYD with the most nationalities in its history,” Messias said in a news conference on August 1.

At least 354,000 registered pilgrims showed up on the first day, with Spain as the country with the highest delegates of more than 77,000.

Spain was followed by Italy with 59,469 participants, the host nation Portugal with 43,742; France with 42,482; and the United States with 19,196.

But Messias said they expect the number of pilgrims to increase throughout the week, with around 750,000 people expected in Parque Eduardo and one million in Parque Tejo.

According to an international survey, 96 percent of young people over the age of 18 who are attending WYD in Lisbon think these gatherings contribute a lot or quite a bit “to spreading faith in Jesus Christ.”

To the same extent, the participants think that the different WYDs help “reinforce the commitment of young people” (96 percent) and “make the Church’s message resound throughout the world” (95 percent).

Among the motivations for attending the international meeting with the pope is “encountering Jesus Christ” (94 percent), followed by “living new experiences” (92 percent.

For 89 percent it’s a decisive factor to help “spread the message of Jesus Christ” and “to be at an event with Pope Francis.”

To a lesser extent, young people are coming to Lisbon to get to know different cultures, new people, be with like-minded people, or establish a dialogue with young people of different religions.

But no one has called Jesus an Internet guru—that is, until now.

In his latest role as an “AI Jesus,” Jesus stands, rather awkwardly, as a white man, dressed in a hooded brown-and-white robe, available 24/7 to answer any and all questions on his Twitch channel, “ask_jesus.”

Questions posed to this chatbot Jesus can range from the serious— such as asking him about life’s meaning—to requesting a good joke.

While many of these individual questions may be interesting in their own right, as a scholar of early Christianity and comparative religion, I argue that the very presentation of Jesus as “AI Jesus” reveals a fascinating refashioning of this spiritual figure for our AI era.

Reinterpreting Jesus

NUMEROUS scholars have described how Jesus has been reinterpreted over the centuries.

For example, religion scholar Stephen Prothero has shown

how, in 19th-century America, Jesus was depicted as brave and tough, reflecting white masculine expectations of the period.

Prothero argues that a primarily peaceful Jesus was perceived to conflict with these gender norms, and so Jesus’ physical prowess was emphasized.

By contrast, according to scholar R.S. Sugirtharajah, around the same time in India, Jesus was represented as a Hindu mystic or guru by Indian theologians like Ponnambalam Ramanathan in order to make Jesus more relatable for Indian Christians and to show how his spiritual teachings could be usefully adopted by faithful Hindus.

A third presentation of Jesus is reflected in theologian James Cone’s work. Cone depicts Jesus as Black to highlight the oppression he endured as a victim of political violence.

He also shows how the “Black Christ” offers hope for liberation, equality, and justice to oppressed

For example, in a 2021 article on AI and religious belief, scholars Andrea Vestrucci, Sara Lumbreras and Lluis Oviedo explain how AI systems can be designed to generate statements of religious belief, such as—hypothetically—“it is highly likely that the Catholic God does not support the death penalty.”

Over time, such systems can revise and recalibrate these statements based on new information.

For example, if the AI system is exposed to new data challenging its beliefs, it will automatically nuance future statements in light of that fresh information.

AI Jesus functions very similarly to this kind of artificial intelligence system and answers religious questions, among others.

For example, in addition to fielding questions referring to war and suffering, AI Jesus has responded to questions about why sensing God’s presence can be difficult, whether an action that causes harm yet was done with

Like AI Jesus, he is represented as a human being who freely shares his spiritual wisdom and can be messaged on Facebook anytime, anywhere—provided one has an Internet connection.

In Japan, another Buddhist chatbot, known as “Buddhabot,” is in the end stages of development.

Created by researchers at Kyoto University, Buddhabot has learned Buddhist sutras from which it will be able to quote when asked religious questions, once it is made publicly available.

In this increasing array of easily accessible online options for seeking spiritual guidance or general advice, it is hard to tell which religious chatbot will prove to be most spiritually satisfying.

In any case, the millennia-old trend of refashioning spiritual leaders to meet contemporary needs is likely to continue well after AI Jesus has become a religious presence of the distant past.

Joseph L. Kimmel, Boston College/The Conversation (CC) via AP

Overall, about 25,000 volunteers from across the world are involved in the WYD, who are distributed in various teams. More than 100 of them are Filipinos.

Organizers also said there are about 688 bishops who registered for the event—of which 30 are cardinals.

WYD Lisbon has counted about 5,000 media professionals accredited to cover the event, which will conclude on August 6.

Tuesday’s events include a Mass at the Parque Eduardo VII in Lisbon that was presided over by Cardinal Manuel Clemente of Lisbon.

In his homily, Clemente welcomed the pilgrims and wished them “a happy and inspiring World Youth Day”.

“Lisbon welcomes you wholeheartedly,” Clemente said. “You are welcomed by the families and institutions that have made their spaces and their service available.

Pope Francis arrived in Lisbon on Wednesday morning. The day revolved around institutional meetings with the Portuguese president, with the authorities and the diplomatic corps.

In the afternoon, the pope prayed with a group of bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, seminarians, and pastoral workers at Jerónimos Monastery.

The official welcoming ceremony for WYD with the pontiff will take place at Eduardo Park VII on Thursday, August 3.

For the most part, WYD pilgrims consider that their Christian faith is a positive factor for maturing and being a better person, building a better world, showing solidarity, understanding others and living a happy life.

According to the study, almost twothirds of attendees are women (62 percent) and 4 out of 10 are between 18 and 25 years old, while almost a third are over 35.

Eighty-two percent have higher education, 6 out of 10 have a job, and just over a third are students.

Regarding their religious practice, 83 percent go to Mass on Sundays, 65 percent pray daily, and 62 percent belong to a parish group.

In 36 percent of the cases, participants have been accompanied by a religious group or association, 29 percent by their parishes, and 27 percent are alone or with a group of friends.

For two-thirds of the attendees, it will be the first time they have participated in a WYD. Those who have gone to WYDs before consider their experiences at previous events to be very positive or positive (99 percent) and recognize that these experiences have had a great influence on their lives (92 percent percent).

The survey was prepared by the Spanish company GAD3 through online interviews conducted from July 12 to 20 with almost 12,600 young people from 100 countries. R oy Lagarde/CBCP News and Nicolás de Cárdenas/Catholic News Agency via CBCP News

Vatican, Vietnam agree to open resident Holy See office in Hanoi

VATICAN CITY— Vietnam agreed last week to let a Vatican representative live in the country and open an office, a notching up of relations that could have implications down the line for the Holy See’s delicate ties with China.

The Holy See announced the conclusion of the agreement during a visit to the Vatican by Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong, who met with Pope Francis and the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

The agreement still falls short of full diplomatic relations, which have been strained for decades. But the two sides have held regular talks since at least 1990 studying the

renewal of ties, with Parolin overseeing the process for years, first as foreign minister and now as secretary of state.

A Vatican statement said the appointment of a resident representative of the pope to the communist country would support the local Catholic community, contribute to the development of the country and help serve as a “bridge to advance relations between Vietnam and the Holy See.”

The Vatican’s delicate relationship with Vietnam has long been seen as something of a model for its relations with China, which severed diplomatic ties in 1951, following the Communists’ rise to power and the expulsion of foreign priests.

The Vatican and China

signed

acknowledged the violations of the accord and said in comments to Vatican Media that one hoped-for way to improve relations with Beijing would be via the opening of a “stable office” in China.

“Such a presence would favor not only dialogue with civil authorities, but would contribute also to the full reconciliation inside the Chinese church and its path toward a desired normality,”

Parolin told Vatican Media earlier this month.

Vatican officials have stressed that the opening of a Beijing office would have nothing to do with the status of diplomatic relations or suggest an imminent transfer of diplomatic ties from Taiwan

to Beijing.

Rather, they have said, a fixed presence of an office in Beijing would facilitate dialogue over the issue of bishop nominations and the life of the Catholic Church.

The Vatican’s agreement with Vietnam to establish a resident Vatican envoy in Hanoi comes just months after the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, traveled to Hanoi to boost US-Vietnamese relations.

Washington’s aim is to try to counter China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region and comes 50 years after the US troop withdrawal that marked the end of America’s direct military involvement in Vietnam. Nicole Winfield/The Associated Press

an agreement in 2018 on bishop nominations, which both sides claimed as their own prerogative. But Beijing

has repeatedly flouted it by appointing bishops without consulting the Holy See. Recently, Parolin

VIETNAM President Vo Van Thuong (second from left) arrives with his wife Pham Thi Thanh Tam (left) in the San Damaso Courtyard to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican on July 27. AP/GREGORIO BORGIA

JESUS has been portrayed in many different ways: from a prophet who alerts his audience to the world’s imminent end to a philosopher who reflects on the nature of life.

Asean Champions of Biodiversity

Media Category 2014

Biodiversity Sunday

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Amid El Niño, UP scientists highlight need for research in marine science

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

AMID the looming El Niño, scientists find themselves in a tight spot, compelling them to do more research to come up with science-based solutions to the problem brought about by climate change to the country’s rich marine biodiversity.

At the forefront of recent discussions on the future of the country’s marine ecosystem and the people who depend on the so-called blue economy, scientists from the University of the Philippines Diliman-College of Science’s Marine Science Institute (UPDCS MSI) presented over 100 papers at the recent 17th National Symposium on Marine Science in Batangas City from July 20 to 22.

With the theme, “Saving Our Seas: Restoring Marine Systems for People and Nature,” the national symposium was sponsored by the Philippine Association of Marine Science (PAMS).

It was held on the heels of the World Meteorological Organization’s warning that global sea surface temperatures hit all-time record highs in June.

Knowledge-sharing, best practices

DURING the event, Dr. Gil Jacinto, who recently retired from MSI, highlighted the importance of the country’s researchers in his speech.

Dr. Florence Onda, MSI deputy director for research, meanwhile, said that symposiums like that by PAMS give UPD MSI an opportunity to share results and best practices to other researchers.

“The discussions allow us to build on what we already know, help others progress in their own work and learn from feedback on how to improve further,” Onda said.

“Moreover, PAMS strengthens camaraderie, widens networks, and facilitates future collaborations,” he added.

Dr. Jayvee A. Saco, PAMS 17 president and organizer of the event that is held every two years, said it is an avenue for everyone in the Philippines, and even those from abroad, to gather in one venue and share scientific research on marine science.

Wealth of knowledge in marine science

THE Philippines has a wealth of knowledge in marine science, thanks to scientists and researchers who tirelessly work to learn about the effects of climate change to the country’s marine ecosystem.

During the event, at least 230 oral presentations and more than 130 poster presentations geared toward the restoration of marine research, said Saco, a 2020-2021 Balik Scientist of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). He is also the head of the Verde Island Passage Center for Oceanographic Research and Aquatic Life Sciences-Labo Campus.

“This is the best time for us to share our research and have information on best practices from different universities, NGOs [nongovernment organizations], academe and government,” said Saco, an expert from the Batangas State University who the BusinessMirror interviewed via Zoom on July 30.

Experts from various fields of marine science spoke during the plenary. Besides the plenary, a total of 230 parallel sessions were simultaneously held during the three-day symposium, wherein current trends in marine science, best practices and the latest technology, such as in aquaculture, were discussed, especially those being cultured, to boost production.

Younger scientists, researchers SCIENTISTS and researchers in marine science are now attracting younger generations of scientists and researchers as observed in the symposium.

“The trend is that many young scientists and researchers are now getting involved in marine science,” which is very encouraging for the future of marine science in the Philippines, Said pointed out.

He said that younger researchers are actively helping in the knowledgegeneration task of experts in various fields of marine science.

“We observed that a lot of participants are joining and doing more research and their studies are very much aligned to the theme of the symposium,” Saco said.

Resilience to climate change

THE symposium, he noted, covered challenges posed by the changing climate and changing environment, including El Niño, which is seriously posing a threat to the country’s marine ecosystem and rich biodiversity.

In the face of El Niño, the importance of research in marine science is highlighted, said Charina Lyn AmedoRepollo, program head, Professional Masters in Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management and Assistant Professor in Physical Oceanography at the UPD MSI.

Marine science is very important;

you learn a lot of disciplines. It is very important for an archipelagic country like the Philippines,” said Amedo-Repollo, underscoring the vast potential of harnessing resources in the socalled blue economy during a separate interview with the BusinessMirror via Zoom on July 30.

Filling the knowledge gap ACCORDING to Amedo-Repollo, while there are tons of researches in marine science, there is still a wide gap that compels more studies on the subject matter, particularly because of climate change.

For one, she said the Philippines has no economic valuation of the various ecosystem services. Studies on putting value to the country’s natural resources, like corals, mangroves, and other habitat-forming species, or the marine species themselves are still lacking.

She added that the country lacks a national database on marine resources, which is a must for the country to know on what needs to be protected, harnessed, or used to maximize the benefits from the so-called “blue economy.

“Other countries like Japan and the US have national database of their natural resources. We don’t,” AmedoRepollo lamented.

“We are recommending to our national government to have a centralized database. We have database from Namria [National Mapping and

Resource Information Authority], there is also database on biodiversity, but they are bits and pieces,” she explained.

Climate change-related research

ACCORDING to Amedo-Repollo, El Niño is very evident in the country’s weather pattern.

“We feel it. If there’s El Niño, we experience drought [while] there’s flooding in other parts. It impacts on agriculture, fisheries, flora and fauna, and there are organisms and animals that could not cope with the effect of El Niño,” she pointed out.

It’s adverse impact in terrestrial area also affects the marine environment.

“We have this so-called ridgeto-reef approach in environmental protection and conservation. What happens to our forest also affects our reefs and coastal and marine environment,” she added.

On the marine environment, El Niño has adverse impact, such as coral bleaching.

Amedo-Repollo said while there are indeed tons of researches, the challenge is how to translate them into policies.

“The government knows there is a need for scientific research. They even fund some researches. Even the DENR [Department of Environment and Natural Resources] recognizes the importance of research and they use

it in planning. This includes taking into account climate change,” she said.

Target-specific research

DR. Aletta T. Yñiguez, an expert in Marine Ecology, Biological Oceanogagraphy and Ecological Modeling, said there is still a wide gap in marine science research, to ensure sciencebased management of the country’s marine resources.

A professor at the UPD MSI and head of UP Cradle that is based in Puerto Galera, Yñiguez told the BusinessMirror via telephone interview on July 31 that impacts of climate change, such as on El Niño, affect behaviors of fish and other marine wildlife.

Yñiguez, whose most recent work on long term trends for the northern Zamboanga sardine fishery including climate/the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, said sardines are affected by change in temperature of the ocean.

She cited a recent study by a team of researchers focused on the effect of El Niño to sardines production, underscoring the economic importance of sardines as part of the dietary requirements of Filipinos, to canning industry, and of subsistence fishermen who depend on the bounty of the ocean.

“We need long-term planning for fisheries based on this research. We need to know why fisheries production is going down, besides overfishing, what is affecting our fish stock,” she said.

According to Yñiguez, other marine species and the marine environment are affected by climate change.

She agreed that there is a need to come up with science-based policies to effectively manage the country’s resources, with intense research focusing on marine science.

“We really need to do more collaborative research—a collaboration between the academe, the government and other funding institutions and other stakeholders—and translate these researches into meaningful policies and action to maximize the benefits of having a healthy and biodiversity-rich marine environment,” Yñiguez pointed out.

Horsehoe crab’s blood for medicine, or its eggs for food of threatened bird?

PORTLAND, Maine—The horseshoe crab has been scuttling in the ocean and tidal pools for more than 400 million years, playing a vital role in the East Coast ecosystem along with being a prized item for fishing bait and medical research.

Its blue blood is harvested for medical researchers and used by drug and medical device makers to test for dangerous impurities in vaccines, prosthetics, and intravenous drugs.

The crabs are used by fishing crews as bait to catch eels and sea snails. And their eggs are a critical food for a declining subspecies of bird called the red knot—a rust-colored, migratory shorebird listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

The competing interests have set up a clash among researchers, fishing crews, and environmentalists over new protections designed to keep more of the crabs in the environment.

The animals are drained of some of their blood and returned to the shore, but many die from the bleeding. And a drive to create synthetic alternatives has yet to succeed in phasing out the crabs from use.

Recent revisions to guidelines for handling the animals should keep more alive through the process, regulators said.

The animals—not really true crabs but rather more closely related to land-dwelling invertebrates, such as spiders and scorpions— are declining in some of their East Coast range.

“They were here before the dinosaurs,” said

Glenn Gauvry, president of Ecological Research and Development Group, a Delaware-based non-profit that advocates for horseshoe crab conservation.

“And they’re having problems because the new kids on the block, us, haven’t learned to appreciate the elders,” Gauvry said. The harvest of horseshoe crabs has emerged as a critical issue for conservationists in recent years because of the red knot.

The birds, which migrate some 30,577 kilometers roundtrip from South America to Canada and must stop to eat along the way, need stronger protection of horseshoe crabs to survive, said Bethany Kraft, senior director for coastal conservation with the Audubon Society.

Kraft and other wildlife advocates said the fact the guidelines for handling crabs are voluntary and not mandatory leaves the red knot at risk.

“Making sure there is enough to fuel these birds on this massive, insanely long flight is just critical,” Kraft said. “There’s very clear linkage between horseshoe crabs and the survival of the red knot in the coming decades.”

The horseshoe crabs are valuable because their blood can be manufactured into limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) that is used to detect pathogens in indispensable medicines, such as injectable antibiotics.

The crabs are collected by fishermen by hand or via trawlers for use by biomedical companies, then their blood is separated

and proteins within their white blood cells are processed.

It takes dozens of the crabs to produce enough blood to fill a single glass tube with its blood, which contains immune cells sensitive to bacteria.

There are only five federally licensed manufac turers on the East Coast that process horseshoe crab blood. The blood is often described by activist groups as worth $15,000 a liter, though some members of the industry say that figure is impossible to verify.

Regulators estimate about 15 percent of the crabs die in the bleeding process. In 2021, that meant about 112,000 crabs died, said Caitlin Starks, a senior fishery management plan coordinator with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

The bait fishery for horseshoe crabs, which are used as bait for eels and sea snails, killed more than six times that, she said.

Still, the fisheries commission in May approved new best management practices for the biomedical industry’s harvesting and handling of the crabs. Those include minimizing exposure to sunlight and keeping crabs cool and moist, Starks said.

“The goal is to give the crabs that are bled a better chance of surviving and contributing to the ecosystem after they are released,” she said.

That’s exactly what the new guidelines will do, said Nora Blair, quality operations manager with Charles River Laboratories, one of the companies that manufactures LAL from horseshoe crab blood.

Blair was a member of a working group that crafted the updated guidelines alongside other industry members, conservationists, fishery managers, fishermen and others.

Blair said the industry is working toward synthetic alternatives—an outcome conservationists have been pushing for years.

Lonza, a Switzerland-based company that is one of the LAL manufacturers, offers animal-free testing solution, and the company

has touted it as a way to test for toxins while protecting natural resources, said Victoria Morgan, a spokesperson for the company.

However, for now the wild harvest of horseshoe crabs remains critically important to drug safety, Blair said.

“The critical role of horseshoe crab in the biopharmaceutical supply chain and coastal ecosystem makes their conservation imperative,” he said.

The Atlantic horseshoe crab, the species harvested on the East Coast, ranges from the Gulf of Maine to Florida. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the species as being “vulnerable” based on a 2016 assessment.

One of the most important ecosystems for horseshoe crabs is the Delaware Bay, an estuary of the Delaware River between Delaware and New Jersey.

The bay is where the crabs breed and the red knots feed.

The density of horseshoe crab eggs in the bay is nowhere near what it was in the 1990s, said Lawrence Niles, an independent wildlife biologist, who once headed New Jersey’s state endangered species program.

Meanwhile, the population of the rufa red knot, the threatened subspecies, has declined by 75 percent since the 1980s, according to the National Park Service.

The birds need meaningful protection of horseshoe crab eggs to be able to recover, Niles said.

He tracks the health of red knots and horseshoe crabs and has organized a group called Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition to advocate for conservation measures. Niles and volunteers he organizes have been counting the horseshoe crab eggs since the 1980s and tagging birds since the 1990s.

In mid-June, as he was wrapping up this year’s tracking in southern New Jersey, he described the eggs as “good and consistent” through the month.

“What we want is the harvest to stop, the killing to stop, and let the stock rebuild to its carrying capacity,” Niles said. The horseshoe crabs have been harvested for use as bait and medicine from Florida to Maine over the years, though the largest harvests are in Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts and Virginia.

According to federal fishery statistics, the crabs were worth about $1.1 million in total at the docks in 2021.

That figure is dwarfed by seafood species, such as lobsters and scallops, which are routinely worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

However, horseshoe crab fishers are dedicated stewards of a fishery that supplies a vital product, said George Topping, a Maryland fisherman.

“Everything you do in life comes from horseshoe crab blood. Vaccines, antibiotics,” he said. “The horseshoe crab stocks are healthy.” Patrick Whittle/TheAssociated Press

SUSAN LINDER , a horseshoe crab egg density team leader with the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition, examines a crab at Reeds Beach in Cape May Court House, New Jersey, on June 13. The biomedical industry is adopting new standards to protect the sea animal that is a linchpin of the production of vital medicines, and as food of threatened red knot bird. AP/MATT ROURKE

PHOTOS show coral bleaching of up to 18-meter depth in Janao Bay in Mabini, Batangas. The temperature was 29 degrees Celsius when the photo was taken by conservation advocate and underwater photography expert Danny Ocampo on August 21, 2020. Scientists explain that elevated temperatures fueled by an El Niño climate pattern can harm corals, which experience coral bleaching, thereby also adversely affecting many species.

BREASTFEEDING OLYMPIANS: YUP, THEY’RE COMPETING

PARIS—When Clarisse Agbégnénou won her sixth world judo title, confirming the reigning Olympic champion as one of the athletes to watch at next year’s Paris Games, the French star’s smallest but greatest fan was less wild about her mother’s newest gold medal than she was about her breast milk.

A fter a peckish day of few feeds—because mum had been busy putting opponents through the wringer—10-month-old Athéna made amends that night.

She didn’t let my boobs out of her mouth,” Agbégnénou says. “I was like, ‘Wow, okay.’ I think it was really something for her.”

Breastfeeding and highperformance sports were long an almost impossible combination for top female athletes, torn for decades between careers or motherhood, because having both was so tough.

B ut that’s becoming less true ahead of the 2024 Olympics, where women will take another step forward in their long march for equality, competing in equal numbers with men for the first time, and with pioneering super-moms like Agbégnénou showing that it is possible to breastfeed and be competitive.

They don’t pretend that late-night feeds, broken sleep, pumping milk and having to eat for two people are easy. But some female athletes are also discovering that juggling their careers with the rigors of motherhood can pay off with powerful emotional well-being.

Speaking in an interview with The Associated Press, Agbégnénou said she stunned even herself by coming back so quickly from childbirth to win at the worlds in May, with Athéna in tow and expecting to be fed every few hours.

I n training, Agbégnénou would stop for quick feeds when Athéna needed milk, nestling her hungry baby in the folds of her kimono, while other athletes in the judo hall paid them no mind, carrying on with their bouts.

I was sweating on her, poor baby,” she says. “But she didn’t pay attention. She just wanted to eat.”

Women who have breastfed and carried on competing say that support

from coaches and sports administrators is essential. Agbégnénou credits the International Judo Federation for allowing her to take Athéna to competitions. International Judo Federation (IJF) officials sounded out other competitors and coaches about whether the baby was a nuisance for them and were told, “‘No, she was really perfect, we didn’t hear the baby,’” she says.

“It’s amazing,” she says of her peers’ acceptance and support. “They are part of my fight and I am really proud of them.”

A s well as Agbégnénou, three other women also asked and were allowed to nurse their babies at IJF World Tour competitions in the past six years, with arrangements made each time that enabled the moms “to care for the child and to not disturb other athletes’ preparation,” says the governing body’s secretary general, Lisa Allan.

She says the IJF is now drawing up specific policies for judokas who are pregnant or postpartum because “more and more athletes are continuing their careers whilst balancing having a family.”

T he Paris Olympics’ chief organizer, Tony Estanguet, says they’re also exploring the possibility of providing facilities for nursing athletes at the Games.

They should have access to their children—for the well-being of the mothers and the children,” he said in an AP interview. “The status of athletes who are young mothers needs to evolve a bit. We need to find solutions to perhaps make it easier for these athletes to bring babies” into the Olympic village where athletes are housed.

For some breastfeeding athletes, being a pioneer is part of the kick.

Two-time Olympic rowing champion Helen Glover, now aiming for her fourth Summer Games, gave birth to twins at the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, breastfed them and then came out of what she’d intended to be retirement to compete at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021. Glover was the first rower to compete for Britain at the Olympics as a mother.

G lover’s eldest, Logan, lost

British rowing federation bans transgenders from female events

LONDON—British Rowing has announced it will ban transgender women from competing in its women’s events.

The governing body said Thursday only individuals “who are assigned female at birth” will be eligible to compete in its women’s races and represent Britain internationally. The new rule takes effect next month.

Governing bodies in cycling, track and field and swimming have also addressed the issue of transgender athletes and fairness in women’s events.

A n open category will be available for transgender and non-binary competitors.

British Rowing is committed to promoting an environment in which rowing is accessible and inclusive and to ensuring that we provide opportunities and enjoyment for everyone,” the organization said in a statement.

In order to achieve this in a fair manner, we need to establish conditions for The new rule will be reviewed annually, British Rowing said. AP

two babies was “very draining. It was taking every calorie I had.”

But I could do it because it was my own time and my own choice,” she says.

“ Everyone should have the choice,” Glover adds. “Our bodies... are sometimes very changed through childbirth and pregnancy and breastfeeding. So the answers are never going to be one-size-fits-all. But

I think it’s really exciting that these conversations are even being had.”

For some athletes, Milk Stork has also been a help. The US-based transporter ships working moms’ milk when they’re separated from their babies. It says it shipped milk pumped by athletes who competed at the 2021 Paralympic Games in Tokyo and also transported 21 gallons (80 liters) of milk from coaches, trainers and other support staff at the Olympics that year.

The daughter of British archery athlete Naomi Folkard was just five-and-a-half-months old and breastfeeding exclusively when her mother traveled to Tokyo for her fifth and final Olympic Games.

Nursing mothers successfully pushed to be able to take babies to those Olympics, held with social distancing and without full crowds because of the coronavirus pandemic. Rather than put her daughter, Emily, through the ordeal of having to live apart from her, in a Tokyo hotel outside of the athletes’ village, Folkard reluctantly left her behind with a large stock of frozen milk. She built that up over months, pumping into the night so Emily wouldn’t go hungry while she was in Japan.

But that created another problem: Because Folkard’s breasts had become so good at making milk, she had to pump regularly at the Games to stop them from becoming painfully swollen. She threw that milk away.

I was having to get up in the night and pump just because my supply was so much,” she says. “It wasn’t great for performance preparation really. But I did what I had to do to be there.”

A nd with each drop, progress.

There’s still a long way to go, but

FOR years in gymnastics, the phrase “the twisties” was usually uttered in hushed tones, as if saying the slang term for an athlete’s sudden loss of air awareness during a routine would only deepen the problem.

“ It’s almost like a mythical kind of thing,” longtime Oklahoma men’s gymnastics coach Mark Williams said.

“When someone says ‘the twisties,’ everyone shudders because it’s bad.”

Then Simone Biles said it in front of the whole world two summers ago in Tokyo, after a sudden onset of the mental block early in the pandemicdelayed 2020 Olympics forced the sport’s biggest star

decorated female gymnast of all time added: “I’m fine. I’m twisting again. No worries. All is good.”

However this weekend or the next 12 months in the run-up to the Paris Olympics—if it gets that far—goes, simply making it back to this point is a victory in itself.

Not everyone does.

A month or so after Biles raised the conversation about “the twisties” and the mental health issues associated with them, Gage Dyer was training in Oklahoma and eyeing a spot at the 2021 world championships.

Solid performances at the 2021 Olympic trials—where he finished third on vault and fourth on floor exercise—had Dyer’s confidence soaring. Still, he knew he needed to ramp up the difficulty of his routines if he wanted to make it to worlds.

was the fine line he was trying to walk between adding more difficulty in a hurry while refining his “old” skills. Maybe it was something else.

To this day, Dyer still isn’t sure what happened. All he knows is that for years he could do a “full in”—a double backflip with a full twist mixed in—and then he couldn’t.

The full-in had always been “super basic” right up until the moment it became borderline impossible.

I’m like, ‘if I can’t do this, then I have a serious problem,’” Dyer said.

W hile there is no common cure for “the twisties,” many gymnasts benefit from taking a step back mentally in hopes of hitting some sort of internal reset button. Dyer, trying to prove to the selection committee he was ready to compete on the world stage, didn’t have that luxury.

to pull out of several competitions including the team and all-around final to protect herself.

Biles returned to win bronze on balance beam while doing a slightly altered routine that removed any twisting elements. It was her seventh Olympic medal, and she called the triumph sweet while also admitting the twisties hadn’t really disappeared. She and coach Cecile Landi had just found a way to work around them.

Th at won’t be an option on Saturday when Biles competes for the first time since Tokyo in the US Classic in the Chicago suburbs.

A s of Thursday, the 26-yearold Biles is scheduled to do all four events, including uneven bars, which she acknowledged on her Instagram stories feed this week has been the most difficult discipline to return to “both mentally and physically” because the routines are essentially 45 seconds of uninterrupted flipping, floating and twisting from bar to bar.

Biles could decide at any time what she’s comfortable doing and not doing at this point, though the most

More twisting. More flipping. Elements that had come easy to him since he became a gymnast at 13, a unusually advanced age for someone to take up the sport. Not that it stopped him. Within five years Dyer had worked his way into a spot at Oklahoma, one of the dominant men’s programs in the country.

By 2018, he was competing regularly at national meets. By the s pring of 2021, he was an NCAA champion in multiple events. Sure, he’d heard about “the twisties” but never experienced them. Everything came so easily for so long that he assumed he never would.

Then in the late summer or early fall of 2021, the basics he’d mastered so easily at a young age essentially vanished.

W illiams noticed. Not that Dyer wanted to talk about it.

He just didn’t tell me,” Williams said. “He just stopped doing some of the stuff he was doing. I would be like, ‘How come you’re not doing that?’ He’d say, ‘I just got lost, I’m not doing it today.’ Couple days later, ‘You figure that out?’ ‘No, not yet.’”

Maybe it was the stress of being 23—a time when a male gymnast typically enters his prime—and feeling like he was “on the clock.” Maybe it

A n ankle injury suffered in training ultimately took him out of the mix. He hoped the small break the injury provided would help him figure it out. It didn’t.

He’d find himself trying to throw the most routine skills—at least routine skills for someone with his resume—into a foam pit only for it to turn into “complete chaos.” He’d land on his back. He’d land on his side.

Everywhere, it seemed, but his feet.

D yer likened it to a dream— maybe nightmare is the better word—where you need to run in order to save your life, and you look down and your legs are moving and you’re simply not going anywhere.

I just got to a point where I knew if I continued to try and do this and push through, I’m going to land on my head and seriously hurt,” Dyer said.

W hile Dyer was able to maintain some of the tumbling elements that made him a floor exercise and vault specialist—things like triple-back pikes, skills that required only flipping, not twisting—by February 2022 he realized trying to make a run at the 2024 Olympic team was futile. The struggle of trying to compete and trying to maintain that top level of competitiveness while I was dealing with what I was dealing it, it wouldn’t have been beneficial for me,” he said. AP

BRITISH Rowing has joined governing bodies in cycling, athletics and swimming which have also addressed the issue of transgender athletes and fairness in women’s events. AP

judoka Clarisse Agbegnenou breast-feeds her baby Athena

Two years after Tokyo, Biles back in action from ‘twisties,’ but not every gymnast does

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HEAD OVER FEET

How Alanis Morissette’s music transcends generations

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

I, A 23-year-old Gen Z, found myself in the front row of Alanis Morissette’s concert celebrating the 28th anniversary of her phenomenal album Jagged Little Pill

gets more personal with her experiences growing up. In these songs, she explored the topics of parental pressures, Catholicism, and burnout. Morissette skillfully delivered her unique vocal styles, from belting and squealing to yodel breaks in these songs.

really is as an artist.

T. Anthony C. Cabangon

Lourdes M. Fernandez

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Reine Juvierre Alberto

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Y2Z & SOUNDSTRIP

I was not even born at the time when she took over the world with her breakout songs that became the anthems of the titos and titas who were present at the concert.

Donning their grunge outfits, plaid shirts, boots, and graphic t-shirts with Morissette as the design, nostalgia was in the air. I felt transported back to the 90s even though I never lived in that era. But, it felt familiar—like I belong.

I j ust discovered Alanis Morissette in college. It was a rough time trying to figure out what my life was supposed to be, and her songs resonated with and comforted me, as cliched as it might sound.

He aring her riveting vocals in “Mary Jane” and “Perfect” was surreal. I felt seen and heard by someone I used to just listen to but now, she’s right in front of me.

T he crowd rocked with Morissette to the songs “Not the Doctor,” the iconic “Ironic,” “Smiling,” and the angsty “You Oughta Know,” which solidified Morissette’s title as the “Queen of Alt-Rock Angst.”

During the encore, “Your House,” “Uninvited,” and “Thank U” were performed and the crowd was wanting for more. In the concert, they’re back to their young adult selves, but tomorrow, their day jobs, businesses, or other endeavors await.

T he style of her voice is difficult to describe and cannot be compared to others because hers is unique and distinct. People try to imitate her voice, and even celebrities and singers fail to do so because her voice is unlike no other. It’s hers alone and it didn’t change.

T he show lasted for two hours, and Morissette, looking like she barely aged despite capturing the imagination of music fans for nearly three decades, hardly talked. She just waved and thanked the fans for coming and introduced the five-piece band that accompanied her. It was a two-hour musical madness.

The crowd shouted, “I love you, Alanis!” and someone chimed in, “You saved my life!”

That is her impact on these people almost twice my age (no offense) because, at some point in their lives, her music was there with them when they needed it the most.

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From jamming to her songs late at night with my aunt and cousin (who are fans, too) to her songs accompanying me during my commutes to university, I finally heard and saw her perform live—and it was an experience of a lifetime.

Playing the harmonica to the tune of “All I Really Want,” Morissette entered the stage and greeted the crowd. Everyone stood from their seats and went wild just like the old times.

T he second song was her hit single “Hand in My Pocket,” which was my personal anthem during my senior year. The lines “ I’m sane, but I’m overwhelmed / I’m lost, but I’m hopeful, baby,” just speak to me at that time. It was followed by “Right Through You” and the titas screamed their hearts out through the song and smashed the patriarchy that night.

I n “You Learn,” “Forgiven,” “Head Over Feet,” “Mary Jane,” and “Perfect,” Morissette

Al l these songs she performed are relatable on so many levels. People go through heartbreaks, toxic relationships, and uncertainty in life, and they also fell in love and became sad, and angry as a result. All these experiences and feelings are perfectly packaged into Jagged Little Pill, an album that remains relevant and piercing 28 years later.

Seeing her sing accompanied by an acoustic guitar to switching to an electric and doing a guitar solo, banging and whipping her head, and spinning continuously as the lights hit her on the stage, showed her energy and strength that she could still do this in the many years to come.

A p erson cannot just listen to Alanis Morissette’s songs alone. You have to SEE her sing, play the guitar and harmonica, headbang, and spin until she drops on the floor. You have to see her perform live to witness who she

In my early twenties, I felt the same way when they first heard her classic songs in 1995.

T his just explains that her music will always be timeless, and will be savored by the generations to come.

I just wish that more people my age will unearth her music because it’s so easy to relate to it. Women my age, specifically, need to hear her songs about sexism, self-reflection, and love.

In a bold attempt, I would say that her song lyrics are a more mature and angstier version of Taylor Swift’s. On stage, Morissette has always been a rockstar and that did not change one bit.

Maybe someone’s aunt or uncle, mom or dad, will attempt to influence and introduce Alanis Morissette to the younger generation—I hope they do so we could all share her music.

L ast night’s concert felt nostalgic for them. For me, I felt understood.

PHOTO BY DENISE VINA PHOTO BY KRIS ROCHA

OWFUCK - Acidic

The first full-length album of hip-hop trio OWFUCK underscores the group’s hallmark sound — intoxicated and streetwise deliveries laced in trap beats. The sonics may be punchy (“Alak”) or ghostly (“Ligaw”) but each of the seven tracks packs nuggets of wisdom in the lyrics. Sample line: “Wag mong sabihing talunan dahil ang kalaban mo’y ikaw  lang ” highlights overall themes of struggle, making money, and illicit engagements behind Owfuck’s witty wordplay. In an interview, the trio intimated they’ve taken a gamble with “Acidic” and it’s one that’s paying handsome payoffs to those who love thought-provoking OPM.

AT THE CROSSHAIRS

Owfuck, Vicegrip, Squid, John Mellencamp, Dream Wife, and Pam Risourié

DREAM WIFE  - Social Lubrication

On their latest and third album, UK’s Dream Wife, composed of three female core members, finally captures the pioneering pop-punk of Blondie i.e. a mix of garage rockers and indie-pop showcases. The tracks are all about sex dynamics with titles like, “I Want You,” “Hot (Don’t Date A Musician)” and well, the titular track. And however the band executes each song–furious in trashy numbers or slow in some places, they never fail to get your full attention. “Social Lubrication” could occupy your waking hours beyond these stormy days.

PAM RISOURIÉ - Days of Distortion

Distributed by Cebu-based Melt Records, “Days of Distortion” is the latest release from Paris- based Pam Risourié whose inspirations include Slowdive, Sonic Youth, and My Bloody Valentine. Within such acknowledged DNA, the French trio turns really nice melodies inside and out in a vapor trail of immersive atmospherics. Their lyrics speak of longing and sadness and the ethereal singing lends each track the giddy feel of budding teen desire. Bubbly tunes like the country rocking “Spectre” are just brief breaks before the band slips back to the lovely wall of sound. Overall, it’s a trip music with no need for artificial enablers.

VICEGRIP - Uncertain Joy

This Pinoy band started as a Mod outfit then moved on to post-rock and post-punk realms in their one year-old musical journey. Their five-track album certainly bears witness to their competence riding their cross-cutting influences. Opener “Ride” is a moving collision of synths, guitars, and drums. “Sharp Lips Kiss” reminds of New Order topped by whispery vocals while “Uncertainly” is a body rocking ass shaker. There’s nothing ground-breaking in this rather short effort but Vicegrip’s knack for memorable riffs will keep you entertained and impressed throughout.

SQUID - O Monolith

UK Squid’s music is not made for every day. They make a kaleidoscope of sounds out of sparkling post-rock that quietly spirals skyward into either experimental noise or all-encompassing black metal doom-ism. Their juxtaposition of light and dark fits hand in glove to lyrics that are unadorned yet vivid. “Undergrowth” best captures those shifting moods within a song although the Gothtendencies of “Devil’s Den” are just as illuminating. Squid appears to be balancing ‘70s prog-rock with Radiohead’s heady melodicism, so listen to them and you be the better judge.

JOHN MELLENCAMP - Orpheus Descending

The new album from heartland rocker John Mellencamp lives up to his current status as a political activist who’s using his music to take stock of the political, social, and personal situations of those who have less in life in the land of the free. This time, Mellencamp taps into a Greek tragedy to snipe at institutions, including organized religion, for their failure to make a real difference. Our mainman isn’t actually pointing fingers because despite the self-righteousness in the country rocking “Hey God” or the slow balladry of “The Eyes of Portland,” the enlightened crusade of “The So-Called Free” should resonate well with freedom-loving Pinoys in these trying times. Mellencamp continues to strike at the core of the matters dearest to his heart.

Check out digital music platforms for the albums on this week’s crosshairs.

Hip-Hop and HealtH:

Why so many rap artists die young

By A.D. Carson University of Virginia

“They say you are what you eat, so I strive to eat healthy / My goal in life is not to be rich or wealthy / ‘Cause true wealth come from good health and wise ways / We got to start taking better care of ourselves”

In what’s widely recognized as hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, an unfortunate reality is that several of its pioneering artists aren’t here to celebrate. The number of rappers who never live to see much more than 50 years themselves is astounding.

Rappers and rap fans can’t help but take notice that their peers and favorite rappers are dying young. Trugoy the Dove of De La Soul, 53, passed away in February 2023 after a battle with congestive heart failure. Gangsta Boo, hailed as the “Queen of Memphis” and known for her work with Three 6 Mafia, died at the age of 43 of a drug overdose in January 2023. Takeoff, a member of the Atlanta trio Migos, was killed in November 2022. He was 28 years old.

Rapper Jim Jones has claimed that rap is the most dangerous profession due to rappers being violently killed so frequently. Similarly, rapper Fat Joe believes rappers are an endangered species. In the 2022 song “On Faux Nem,” Lupe Fiasco put it more succinctly: “Rappers die too much.”

As a rapper, a fan of hip-hop’s art and artists, and a professor of hip-hop, I agree with Lupe Fiasco: Rappers die too much. Whether it’s from gun violence, heart disease, cancer, self-harm or drugs, the number of rap-

pers whose lives have ended prematurely is alarming.

The (un)exceptional spectacle of American gun violence

STORIeS of rappers who die violently are well known. News media are quick to report on violence in hip-hop to support their view that the music and the people who make it are exceptionally violent. Violence, death and conflict attract attention. Pair any of those with racial stereotyping and scapegoating and it’s easy to see why the murders of hiphop stars such as Nipsey Hussle, the Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur and countless other artists garner so much attention.

Though they were all taken by the very American plague of gun violence, news and historical accounts often amplify the spectacle of violent Black death, even when they claim to honor those who are killed.

An awful byproduct of this culture of consuming carnage is that the kinds of violent gun tragedies people are experiencing all across the US are being spotlighted in hiphop and used as excuses to criminalize and pathologize certain people and the music they enjoy, the art they create, the neighbor-

hoods they live in or the places they grew up.

Another heartbreaking consequence is that some rappers only gain wide popularity and realize financial success after they’ve died. Deceased rappers are an unfortunately abundant commodity. Juice WRLD and Pop Smoke are prime examples: They both sold four to five times as much music after their deaths than when they were alive.

Along with being alarmed by these tragedies, it’s important to examine the conditions that affect mortality and attempt to get to the actual causes rather than scapegoating a musical form.

Deadly diseases

WHILe violence brings about headlines, guns are not the only cause for concern. Diseases—many of them preventable—are also a factor.

Heart disease, lung disease, cancer, diabetes, strokes and renal disease are among the top 10 causes of death among Black men and Hispanic men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It makes sense that these causes also prominently figure in the deaths of hiphop artists.

Gone before retirement

R APPeR and producer J-Dilla (32), rappers Big Moe (33), Black the Ripper (32) from the UK, Lord Infamous (40), KMG the Illustrator (43 from Above the Law, DMX (50), Big T (52), Tweedy Bird Loc (52), Black Rob (52) and Big Pun (28) all died from heart attacks. Heavy D (44) experienced a pulmonary embolism that led to his death. Prince Markie Dee (52) of the Fat Boys passed away from congestive heart failure. Craig Mack (47) died from heart failure. And Brax (21) died from cardiac arrhythmia.

e a zy- e died of AIDS at 30. Nate Dogg’s death at 41 was attributed to a stroke. Pimp C’s death at 33 was attributed to sleep apnea and an overdose of cough syrup. Lexii Alijai (21), Chynna (25), and Shock G (57) all reportedly died of accidental drug overdose.

Ms. Melodie passed away in her sleep at the age of 43. Big Pokey collapsed onstage and passed away at 48. ecstasy of Whodini died at 56.

A renewed focus on health

UNFORTUNATeLy, this list of tragic lives halted from ages 21 to 57 is not a comprehensive account of all the rappers who have passed away well before the age of retirement.

The occasion of celebrating 50 years of hip-hop provides a moment to reflect and honor some of the artists who contributed to the culture and are not here to celebrate this golden anniversary. It’s also, perhaps, an opportunity to consider some of the outcomes of systemic barriers to health and wellness, such as access to affordable health care, varied dietary options and mental wellness resources.

Given the number of rappers and other prominent hip-hop artists who have died young, ultimately it may come down to seriously taking heed to dead prez’s instructions from “Be Healthy”: “We got to start taking better care of ourselves.” The Conversation Cover photo by Riccardo Vespa/pexels.com

Does it matter what time of day you eat? Here’s what the science says

NUTRITIONAL interventions are increasingly focused not only on “what” we eat but also “when.” Intermittent fasting is one way to restrict the timing, rather than the content, of what we eat.

There are several types of intermittent fasting, one of which is time-restricted eating. This means eating all our calories in a consistent eight-12 hour, or even shorter, interval each day. But is it backed by evidence?

Most of what we know today about intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating is from mouse studies, which demonstrate remarkable weight loss and overall health benefits associated with these types of dietary interventions.

While health benefits of intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating have also been observed in humans, the findings in respect of weight loss are less clear. Current data suggest only modest, if any, weight loss in human participants who undergo these diet regimens when compared to calorierestricted diets.

Most studies describing the health benefits of time restricted eating or intermittent fasting also found these diets were accompanied by calorie restriction: reducing the time of food access implicitly leads people to eat less.

Studies that controlled calorie intake did not detect any more benefits of intermittent fasting than calorie restriction alone. The

weight loss and health benefits observed with intermittent fasting is likely attributed due to the resultant reduction in calorie intake. Similar findings have been reported for timerestricted eating.

Nevertheless, time-restricted eating offers additional health benefits in humans, such as improved glucose metabolism and blood pressure, even without differences in calorie intake, in particular when restricted to the earlier part of the day (that is, when having a six-hour eating window with dinner before 3 pm).

Restricting food intake to the daytime for shift-workers can alleviate metabolic differences caused by shift-work, whereas this effect is not observed when food intake is re-

stricted to nighttime.

One idea is that consuming food early helps synchronize our circadian clock, or our internal biological timekeeper, which regulates many aspects of our physiology and behavior. This restores the rhythm of our autonomous nervous system that regulates essential functions such as breathing and heart rate, to keep our physiology “tuned,” as it was shown in mice.

While there’s much still to learn from research in this field, the evidence suggests that to maintain a healthy weight and overall wellbeing, aim for regular, nutritious meals during the day, while avoiding late-night eating and frequent snacking. The Conversation

the song “Be healthy” from the 2000 album by hip-hop duo dead prez, “Let’s get Free,” is a rare rap anthem dedicated to diet, exercise and temperance:

RappeR Nipsey Hussle attends a basketball game in 2018. The 33-year-old Grammy-nominated artist was fatally shot in 2019 outside the clothing store he founded in the South Los angeles neighborhood.