BusinessMirror July 02, 2023

Filipinos in Milan illuminate the 125th Philippine Independence Day Parade

Text & photos by Troi Santos

AMIDST a resounding display of patriotism and national pride, the vibrant Filipino community in Milan, Italy, came together to celebrate what could be hailed as one of the most magnificent 125th Philippine Independence Day celebrations in Europe. With an awe-inspiring gathering of approximately 8,000 attendees at Parco Indroscalo, this momentous event served as a testament to the invaluable contributions of Filipino migrant workers in Milan and throughout Europe.

Th e grand celebration commenced with a captivating parade, featuring nearly 100 contingents from across Northern Italy, as well as participants from various regions of Italy, France and Switzerland. The parade showcased the rich cultural tapestry of

the Philippines while celebrating the vibrant diversity within the Filipino community.

Organized by the Philippine Consulate General in Milan, under the esteemed guidance of Consul General Elmer G. Cato, in close collaboration with Evelyn Revilla and the Filipino community, this event showcased a harmonious partnership that brought forth a memorable and meaningful experience for all attendees.

Following the solemn and poignant flag-raising ceremony, Consul General Cato delivered an impassioned speech, paying tribute not only to the heroic figures who fought for independence but also to the Filipino overseas workers. He underscored the pivotal role played by these dedicated individuals in the economic transformation of the Philippines. Consul General Cato praised the unwavering

Continued on

BUILD BETTER, SAFER WITH

Upbeat Asean construction sector vows to harness data for fast, efficient, cost-effective operations

By Roderick L. Abad | Contributor

CONSTRUCTION industry prospects here and across Southeast Asia remain bullish as challenges continue to confront the build sector amid the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, revealed a study of an international construction management software company.

Procore Technologies Inc.’s report, titled “How We Build Now: Technology Trends Shaping and Shifting Construction-Southeast Asia 2023,” showed that professionals in this field are generally optimistic when polled on their outlook for this year.

In fact, the commissioned research, which tapped YouGov to conduct the online survey from January 31 to February 22, bared that 88 percent of 876 executives from Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines interviewed expressed confidence in market conditions over

the next 12 months. This could be attributed to expectations for the increase in both the number (73 percent) and value of projects (71 percent) during the same period.

Such positivity is so high, for instance, in the Philippines, wherein 95 percent of those 303 top construction officers reasoned out the “fastmoving economy and continuation of the current administration’s modernization efforts” for their conjectures. With this, four-fifths or 80 percent of them see a hike in project volume and 83 percent expect higher value by end of 2023.

According to YouGov Associ-

ate Director for Research Fumin Rianto, the construction industry is strongly upbeat despite the headwinds being faced by this sector, and growth forecasts are higher this year.

“ There’s optimism across the Southeast Asian construction industry. Businesses face largely the same challenges this year as they did last year, particularly around costs, which continue to keep leaders up at night,” he told reporters during their media briefing held in Makati on June

20. “However, what we are seeing this year is that businesses are starting to adapt to these challenges and are placing a larger emphasis on risk management.”

In handling uncertainty to protect their bottom line, almost four in 10 respondents (39 percent) in the region are rethinking contracting models to protect margins or considering new payment methods, such as early payments at reduced margins (37 percent). Focusing on risk management has become more important,

TROI SANTOS

BUILD BETTER, SAFER WITH TECHNOLOGY

especially in light of persistent challenges such as the increased cost of raw materials and equipment (44 percent) and winning competitive bids and tenders at a sustainable margin (32 percent), as answered by the participants.

Gap in belief, capability to use data

PROCORE found out that businesses in the surveyed member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are well aware of the benefits of data management.

A s a matter of fact, almost all or 99 percent of construction professionals in the region who were engaged in the research unanimously agreed that better handling of information can bring benefits to their companies.

The top five of these think they can gain with more efficient data, improved decision making (40 percent), help achieve sustainability goals (40 percent), improved visibility of information (39 percent), increased productivity (39 percent); and safer working environment (38 percent). To wit, Fili-

pino respondents highly believe in almost all the benefits between 40 percent and 48 percent, except for improved visibility at 38 percent, slightly lower than Singapore (40 percent) and Malaysia (39 percent).

“[The overall response] is encouraging given the unfortunate reality that safety incidents and issues still occurring in the construction industry are even more than they should be,” Rianto pointed out.

The study also bared the potential savings that businesses expect to realize from managing data more efficiently as a proportion of time spent on projects. In this view, Asean participants estimated that on average, 22 percent of total project spending could be saved if they effectively handle their data: again, with the Philippines having the highest mean range of 25 percent, Singapore at 22 percent, and Malaysia at 18 percent.

W hile there’s a strong knowledge of how data can be used to their edge, only 6 percent of companies in Southeast Asia have laid the foundation for a data strategy. This, per the associate director of

research at YouGov, is indicative that “majority of businesses in the region are still in the very early days in their data journey.”

W hat’s concerning as well is that although 77 percent are planning to design and implement a data strategy this year, more than half or 52 percent of these builders are only somewhat confident in their ability to do so.

For him, this clearly suggests that there may be some issues on the way. He said: “These businesses don’t get the adequate support and guidance in developing and implementing a data strategy. And so, as a result, despite the good intentions, despite the strong appetite for the strategy, what we may see is…a gap between intention and implementation, [or] intention and reality in their past projects.”

Tom Karemacher, head of Asia Pacific at Procore, could not agree more with him. Even if construction professionals in Asean have a strong understanding that data and analytical insights can help drive better results and protect their businesses, many still struggle with developing clear data strategies.

“ While software vendors undoubtedly play a critical role in assisting construction businesses in this transformative journey, more can be done. Software vendors will need to clearly demonstrate the returns on investment, thereby justifying the indispensability of construction technology and data management. This will help drive the adoption of innovative solutions within construction that unlocks unparalleled value for the industry,” he said.

Constant technological adoption

NOTWITHSTANDING the problems in harnessing data in construction, industry professionals in Asean are still committed to embark on their digital transformation journey.

A sked about the benefits they could get from adopting technologies, construction decision makers elaborated the following gains: improved cost management (42 percent), reduced reliance on human labor (39 percent), resource efficiency through fewer errors or less rework (38 percent), improved build quality (38 percent), and improved ability to handle more projects (38 percent).

Given these advantages, Rianto shared their observation that many builders in the region are betting more on innovations that can have a high impact on their business and development projects.

“ What we can see clearly here [in this study] is that the appetite for investment in construction technology is very strong in Asia, with nearly four out of five, or 77 percent of businesses looking to increase their spend on construction technologies as a proportion of annual budget in the next financial year,” he noted.

Correspondingly, more than three-quarters of industry players interviewed (77 percent) dis-

closed their plan to accelerate their spending on construction technologies as a proportion of their yearly appropriation.

Looking across the country markets, we can see that appetite is stronger in the Philippines (84 percent) compared to Malaysia (75 percent) and Singapore (72 percent),” he cited.

Interestingly, businesses that have existed for less than 10 years were discovered to be more likely to embrace technology (81 percent), as compared to established businesses between 10 and 20 years old (71 percent) and those over 20 years (68 percent). Size-wise, 81 percent of large businesses with 100-plus employees are looking to increase their construction technology spend versus 69 percent of smaller businesses with fewer than 100 workers.

In the next three years, construction management platforms (55 percent) are seen to become the technologies that will be the biggest drivers of change, followed by payments technologies (38 percent), prefabrication (34 percent), big data (33 percent), and nextgeneration BIM (30 percent).

Digital shift challenges

THE road to digitalization is not so smooth as the digital transformation journey of the construction sector could continue to face challenges.

Given that there are bottomline, cash flow and solvency issues that may arise, justifying the cost and return on investment is one of the key challenges facing the builders and they need more guidance on how construction technology can actually bring them improved profitability, based on Procore’s study.

A nother concern is the “waitand-see” approach to technology adoption, as 40 percent of respon-

dents reported that they prefer to wait until technologies are more established and proven in the market before adopting them. So there is a tendency for a lot of businesses in the region to be on the “backfoot” and “follow the leader” mode, Rianto said.

Quality in the construction business, which he emphasized as critical for competitive advantage, is also a problem. The top executive cited that in their study, around half of engaged construction businesses believe that quality can improve confidence and trust among consumers, reduce waste and increase sustainability, improve retention as well as increase margins on projects.

“However, one in five project hours [on average] continue to be spent on rework. And this is a much bigger problem in larger businesses—those with 100-plus employees—compared to smaller businesses with fewer than 100 employees,” he said.

By and large, the construction industry in Southeast Asia constantly shows very strong interest in adopting technology including data strategy, particularly younger and larger businesses.

There are lots of opportunity out there. Right now public sentiment is strong. In fact, companies would need to take much more concrete steps to accelerate the adoption of technology. And this is not just to help them increase productivity and profitability in the midst of all their investments, but also to remain competitive and, eventually, rout their competition,” Procore Head of Sales for Asia Kin Weng Tan said.

“Construction companies need to do more to harness the power of data and intelligence to build smarter, better and safer as the build industry emerged from the pandemic.”

A triumph of unity and patriotism

Continued from A1

commitment, resilience and unwavering dedication of Filipino migrant workers, emphasizing their indomitable spirit and profound impact on their home country’s progress.

The day unfolded with a captivating seven-hour program, which featured a vibrant array of cultural performances, artistic displays, and engaging activities presented by Filipino community organizations. The Kalayaan 2023 events in Milan also witnessed the muchanticipated selection of the Mutya ng Kalayaan, a prestigious honor bestowed upon an exceptional in-

dividual who embodies the true essence of freedom and Filipino pride. The event further recognized outstanding performances, costumes and booths, showcasing the remarkable creativity and passion of the Filipino community.

The parade served as the grand culmination of the remarkable Grand Marshal journey of Dr. Dely Po Go, the first-ever Filipino nurse to be honored as the Grand Marshal of the 125th Philippine Independence Day Parade on two continents, New York City and Milan, Italy. Dr. Go’s historic achievement not only signifies the triumph of her cultural initiatives for the Filipino migrants in Milan, but also

represents the countless contributions made by Filipino healthcare professionals worldwide. Her trailblazing accomplishment encapsulates the unwavering dedication, compassion and excellence exhibited by Filipino nurses, who continue to make a significant impact on global healthcare.

The exceptional Independence Day parade reaffirms the resilience and unbreakable spirit of the Filipino community in Milan. This event exemplifies the enduring legacy of Filipino culture, the unwavering unity of the community, and the invaluable contributions made by Filipino migrant workers in Milan and across Europe.

Thousands of prisoners across the US will get free college paid for by the government

By Aaron Morrison AP National Writer

REPRESA, California—The gradu -

ates lined up, brushing off their gowns and adjusting classmates’ tassels and stoles. As the graduation march played, the 85 men appeared to hoots and cheers from their families. They marched to the stage—one surrounded by barbed wire fence and constructed by fellow prisoners.

For these were no ordinary graduates. Their black commencement garb almost hid their aqua and navy-blue prison uniforms as they received college degrees, high school diplomas and vocational certificates earned while they served time.

Thousands of prisoners throughout the United States get their college degrees behind bars, most of them paid for by the federal Pell Grant program, which offers the neediest undergraduates tuition aid that they don’t have to repay. That program is about to expand exponentially next month, giving about 30,000 more students behind bars some $130 million in financial aid per year.

The new rules, which overturn a 1994 ban on Pell Grants for prisoners, begin to address decades of policy during the “tough on crime” 1970s-2000 that brought about mass incarceration and stark racial disparities in the nation’s 1.9 million prison population.

For prisoners who get their college degrees, including those at Folsom State Prison who got grants during an experimental period that started in 2016, it can be the difference between walking free with a life ahead and ending up back behind bars. Finding a job is difficult with a criminal conviction, and a college degree is an advantage former prisoners desperately need.

Gerald Massey, one of 11 Folsom students graduating with a degree from the California State University at Sacramento, has served nine years of a 15-to-life sentence for a drunken driving incident that killed his close friend.

“The last day I talked to him, he was telling me, I should go back to college,” Massey said. “So when I came into prison and I saw an opportunity to go to college, I took it.”

Good return on investment

CONSIDER this: It costs roughly $106,000 per year to incarcerate one adult in California.

It costs about $20,000 to educate a prisoner with a bachelor’s degree program through the Transforming Outcomes Project at Sacramento State, or TOPSS.

If a prisoner paroles with a degree, never reoffends, gets a job earning a good salary and pays taxes, then the expansion of prison education shouldn’t be a hard sell, said David Zuckerman, the project’s interim director.

“I would say that return on investment is better than anything I’ve ever invested in,” Zuckerman said.

That doesn’t mean it’s always popular. Using taxpayer money to give college aid to people who’ve broken the law can be controversial. When the Obama administration offered a limited number of Pell Grants to prisoners through executive action in 2015, some prominent Republicans opposed it, arguing in favor of improving the existing federal job training and reentry programs instead.

The 1990s saw imprisonment rates for Black and Hispanic Americans triple between 1970 and 2000. The rate doubled for white Americans in the same time span.

The ban on Pell Grants for prisoners caused the hundreds of college-in-prison programs that existed in the 1970s and 1980s to go almost entirely extinct by the late nineties.

Congress voted to lift the ban in 2020, and since then about 200 Pell-eligible college programs in 48 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico have been running, like the one at Folsom. Now, the floodgates will open, allowing any college that wants to utilize Pell Grant funding to serve incarcerated students to apply and, if approved, launch their program.

President Joe Biden has strongly supported giving Pell Grants to prisoners in recent years. It’s a turnaround—the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforce -

ment Act of 1994, championed by the former Delaware senator, was what barred prisoners from getting Pell Grants in the first place. Biden has since said he didn’t agree with that part of the compromise legislation.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation had 200 students enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs this spring, and has partnered with eight universities across the state. The goal, says CDCR press secretary Terri Hardy: Transforming prisoners’ lives through education.

‘A big accomplishment’ ASIDE from students dressed in prisoner blues, classes inside Folsom Prison look and feel like any college class. Instructors give incarcerated students the same assignments as the pupils on campus.

The students in the Folsom Prison classes come from many different backgrounds. They are Black, white, Hispanic, young, middle aged and senior. Massey, who got his communications degree, is of South Asian heritage.

Born in San Francisco to parents who immigrated to the US from Pakistan, Massey recalls growing up feeling like an outsider. Although most people of his background are Muslim, his family members belonged to a small Christian community in Karachi.

In primary school, he was a target for bullies. As a teen, he remembered seeking acceptance from the wrong people. When he completed high school, Massey joined the Air Force.

“After 9/11, I went in and some people thought I was a terrorist trying to infiltrate,” he said. “It really bothered me. So when I got out of the military, I didn’t want anything to do with them.”

Massey enrolled in college after one year in the military, but dropped out. Later, he became a certified nursing assistant and held the job for 10 years. He married and had two children.

His addiction to alcohol and a marijuana habit knocked him off course.

“I was living like a little kid and I had my own little kids,” Massey said. “And I thought if I do the bare minimum, that’s OK.”

Prison forced him to take responsibility for his actions. He got focused, sought rehabilitation for alcoholism and restarted his pursuit of education. He also took up prison barbering to make money.

In between haircuts for correctional officers and other prison staff, Massey took advantage of his access to WiFi connection to study, take tests and work on assignments. Internet service doesn’t reach the prisoners’ housing units.

On commencement day, Massey was the last of his classmates to put on his cap and gown. He was a member of the ceremony’s honor guard—his prison uniform was decorated with a white aiguillette, the ornamental braided cord denoting his military service.

“It’s a big accomplishment,” Massey said. “I feel, honestly, that God opened the doors and I just walked through them.”

Massey found his mom, wife and daughter for a long-awaited celebratory embrace. He reserved the longest and tightest embrace for his 9-year-old daughter, Grace. Her small frame collapsed into his outstretched arms, as wife Jacq’lene Massey looked on.

“There’s so many different facets and things that can happen when you’re incarcerated, but this kept him focused on his goals,” Massey’s wife Jacq’lene said. “Having the resources and the ability to participate in programs like that really helped him, but it actually helps us, too.”

“There’s the domino effect—it’s good for our kids to see that. It’s good for me to see that,” she said.

In addition to his communications degree, Massey earned degrees in theology and biblical studies. His post-release options began to materialize ahead of graduation. State commissioners have deemed him fit for parole, and he expects to be released any day now. A nonprofit group that assists incarcerated military veterans met with him in May to set up transitional housing, food, clothing and healthcare insurance for his eventual re-entry.

“There’s a radio station I listen to, a

that I’ve been

thinking one day I would like to work for,” Massey said. “They are always talking about redemption stories. So I would like to share my redemption story, one day.”

Redemption and rehabilitation

COLLEGE-IN-PRISON programs aren’t perfect. Many prisons barely have enough room to accommodate the few educational and rehabilitation programs that already exist. Prisons will have to figure out how to make space and get the technology to help students succeed.

Racial imbalances in prison college enrollment and completion rates are also a growing concern for advocates. People of color make up a disproportionate segment of the US prison population. Yet white students were enrolled in college programs at a percentage higher than their portion of the overall prison population, according to a six-year Vera Institute of Justice study of Pell Grant experimental programs in prison.

Black and Hispanic students were enrolled by eight and 15 percentage points below their prison population, respectively.

Prisoners with a record of good behavior get preference for the

A second chance

rehabilitative and prison college programs. Black and Hispanic prisoners are more likely to face discipline.

“If you’re tying discipline to college access, then…those folks are not going to have as much access,” said Margaret diZerega, who directs the Vera Institute’s Unlocking Potential initiative, which is focused on expanding college in prison.

“Let’s get them into college and set them on a different trajectory.”

It’s not yet clear if the Pell Grant expansion will grow or narrow the racial disparities. The US Department of Education did not respond to the AP’s inquiry on this issue before publication.

“For America to be a country of second chances, we must uphold education’s promise of a better life for people who’ve been impacted by the criminal justice system,” US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a written statement to the AP.

Pell Grants will “provide meaningful opportunities for redemption and rehabilitation, reduce recidivism rates, and empower incarcerated people to build brighter futures for themselves, their families, and our communities,” Cardona said.

OF the 11 men getting Bachelor’s degrees in the jubilant ceremony at Folsom Prison last month, one was no longer a prisoner.

Michael Love, who had paroled from Folsom Prison five months earlier, came back to give the valedictory speech. He wore a suit and tie underneath his cap and gown.

To his classmates, Love is a tangible example of what is possible for their own redemption journeys.

After serving more than 35 years in prison, the 55-year-old is currently enrolled in a Master’s program at Sacramento State. He’s been hired as a teaching aide and will teach freshmen communications students in the fall, and is also working as a mentor with Project Rebound, an organization that assists formerly incarcerated people.

“You have just as much value as anyone in the community,” he told the other prisoners in his speech.

“You are loved. I love you, that’s why I’m here.”

For many of the prisoners, it was the graduation that their families never imagined they’d get to see. A 28-year-old man met his father in person for the first time, as his dad

received a GED.

As the ceremony wrapped, Robert Nelsen, the outgoing president of Sacramento State University, choked up with tears. He was retiring, so the graduation at Folsom Prison was the last ceremony he would preside over as a university president.

“There is one final tradition and that is to move the tassel—not yet, not yet, not yet—from the right to the left,” Nelsen instructed to laughter from the audience and graduates.

“The left side is where your heart is,” the university president said. “When you move that tassel, you are moving education and the love of education into your heart forever.”

The ceremony was done. Many graduates joined their loved ones inside a visitation hall for slices of white and chocolate sheet cake and cups of punch.

The graduates walked back to their housing units with more than just hope for what their futures might bring. One day, they’ll walk out of the prison gates with degrees that don’t bear an asterisk revealing they earned it while in prison. They’ll walk toward a second chance.

Thousands of unauthorized vapes are pouring into the US despite the FDA crackdown on fruity flavors

By Matthew Perrone AP Health Writer

The surge stands in stark contrast to regulators’ own figures, which tout the rejection of some 99 percent of company requests to sell new e-cigarettes while authorizing only a few meant for adult smokers.

The numbers demonstrate the Food and Drug Administration’s inability to control the tumultuous vaping market more than three years after declaring a crackdown on kid-friendly flavors. Most of the disposable e-cigarettes, which are thrown away after they’re used up, come in sweet and fruity flavors like pink lemonade, gummy bear and watermelon that have made them the favorite tobacco product among teenagers.

They are all technically illegal, but their influx has turned the FDA’s regulatory model on its head. Instead of carefully reviewing individual products that might help adult smokers, regulators must now somehow claw back thousands of illegal products sold by under-the-radar importers and distributors.

Most disposables mirror a few major brands, such as Elf Bar or Puff Bar, but hundreds of new varieties appear each month.

Companies copy each other’s designs, blurring the line between the real and counterfeit. Entrepreneurs can launch a new product by simply sending their logo and flavor requests to Chinese manufacturers, who promise to deliver tens of thousands of devices within weeks.

Once a niche market, cheaper disposables made up 40 percent of the roughly $7 billion retail market for e-cigarettes last year, according to data from analytics firm IRI obtained by the AP. The company’s proprietary data collects barcode scanner sales from convenience stores, gas stations and other retailers.

More than 5,800 unique disposable products are now being sold in numerous flavors and formulations, according to the data, up 1,500 percent from 365 in early 2020. That’s when the FDA effectively banned all flavors except menthol and tobacco from cartridge-based e-cigarettes like Juul, the rechargeable device blamed for sparking a nationwide surge in underage vaping.

But the FDA’s policy, formulated under President Donald Trump, excluded disposables, prompting many teens to simply switch from Juul to the newer flavored products.

“The FDA moves at a ponderous pace and the industry knows that and exploits it,” said Dr. Robert Jackler of Stanford University, who has studied the rise of disposables. “Time and again, the vaping industry has innovated around efforts to remove its youth-appealing products from the market.”

Adding to the challenge, foreign

manufacturers of the prefilled devices don’t have to register with the FDA, giving regulators little visibility into a sprawling industry centered in China’s Shenzhen manufacturing center.

Under pressure from politicians, parents and major vaping companies, the FDA recently sent warning letters to more than 200 stores selling popular disposables, including Elf Bar, Esco Bar and Breeze. The agency also issued orders blocking imports of those three brands. But IRI data shows those companies accounted for just 14 percent of disposable sales last year. Dozens of other brands, including Air Bar, Mr. Fog, Fume and Kangvape, have been left untouched.

The FDA’s tobacco director, Brian King, said the agency is “unwavering” in its commitment against illegal e-cigarettes.

“I don’t think there’s any panacea here,” King said. “We follow a comprehensive approach and that involves addressing all entities across the supply chain, from manufacturers to importers to distributors to retailers.”

The IRI data obtained by the AP provides key insights beyond figures released last week by government researchers, which showed the number of vaping brands in the US grew nearly 50 percent to 269 by late 2022.

IRI restricts access to its data, which it sells to companies, investment firms and researchers. A person not authorized to share it gave access to the AP on condition of anonymity. The company declined to comment on or confirm the data, saying IRI doesn’t offer such information to news organizations.

FDA’s mammoth task: To process 26 million product applications

TO be sure, the FDA has made progress in a mammoth task: processing nearly 26 million product applications submitted by manufacturers hoping to enter or stay on the market. And King said the agency hopes to get back to “true premarket review” once it finishes plowing through that mountain of applications.

But in the meantime disposable vape makers have exploited two loopholes in the FDA’s oversight, only one of which has been closed.

The FDA’s authority originally only referenced products using nicotine from tobacco plants. In 2021, Puff Bar and other disposable companies switched to using laboratory-made nicotine.

Congress closed that loophole last year, but the action gave rise to another backlog of FDA applications for synthetic nicotine products. Under the law, the FDA was supposed to promptly make decisions on those applications.

ers launch illegally.

An earlier loophole came from a decision by Trump’s White House, which was made without the FDA’s input, according to the previous director of the agency’s tobacco program.

“It was preventable,” said Mitch Zeller, who retired from the FDA last year. “But I was told there was no appeal.”

In September 2019, Trump announced at a news conference a plan to ban non-tobacco flavors from all e-cigarettes—both reloadable devices and disposables. But political advisers to the president worried that could alienate voters.

Zeller said he was subsequently informed by phone in December 2019 that the flavor restrictions wouldn’t apply to disposables.

“I told them: ‘It doesn’t take a crystal ball to predict that kids will migrate to the disposable products that are unaffected by this, and you ultimately won’t solve the problem,’” Zeller said.

Juul’s fall and the flood of disposables

IN retrospect, the government’s crackdown on Juul now seems relatively simple.

In September 2018, FDA officials declared teen vaping an “epidemic,” pointing to rising use of Juul, Reynolds American’s Vuse and other brands.

Within weeks, FDA investigators conducted an unannounced inspection of Juul’s headquarters. Congressional committees launched investigations, collecting hundreds of thousands of company documents.

By October 2019, Juul had dropped most of its flavors and discontinued all advertising.

“In a way, we had it good back then, but no one knew,” said Dorian Fuhrman, co-founder of Parents Against Vaping Ecigarettes.

Parents, health groups and major vaping companies essentially agree: The FDA must clear the market of flavored disposables.

But lobbying by tobacco giant Reynolds American, maker of the best-selling Vuse e-cigarette, has made some advocates hesitant about pushing the issue.

Reynolds and Juul have seen sales flatline amid the surge in disposables, according to the IRI data. Disposable e-cigarettes generated $2.74 billion last year.

The economic barriers to entry are low: Chinese manufacturers offer dozens of designs and flavors for as little as $2 per device when ordering 10,000 or more. The de -

vices sell in the US for $10 to $30.

“If you have $5 billion you probably can’t start a traditional cigarette company,” Jackler said. “But if you have $50,000 you can just send your artwork and logo to one of these companies and it will be on a pallet next week.”

Esco Bars come in flavors like Bubbleberry, Citrus Circus, Bahama Mama and Berry Snow.

The Austin, Texas company behind the brand, Pastel Cartel, racked up more than $240 million in disposable sales before the FDA blocked its Chinese imports last month.

CEO Darrell Suriff says his company has gone to great lengths to comply with the FDA, spending $8 million on an application that the agency refused to accept. He’s appealing that decision and considering challenges to the import ban.

“We’re a company that does very positive things for society and the community, and the government just attacked us,” said Suriff, who added that he recently purchased new cars for several longtime employees.

Import alerts are one of the FDA’s strongest tools to block illegal products, but industry experts say they’re easy to skirt.

“Chinese companies tend to just rename their products and change their shipping address so then the products can easily be marketed again,” said Marc Scheineson, a former FDA attorney who now consults for tobacco clients.

The FDA’s import ban against Chinese manufacturer Elf Bar, the best-selling disposable in the US, demonstrates the weaknesses of the whack-a-mole approach. The alert doesn’t mention several other brands made by the company, including Lost Mary and Funky Republic.

Made by iMiracle Shenzhen, Elf Bar alone has generated nearly $400 million in US sales since late 2021, the IRI data shows. The company recently rebranded its US products to EB Design, due to a trademark dispute.

IMiracle criticized the FDA’s recent actions in an e-mailed statement, saying the agency is “dead-set on eliminating all vaping products from the US marketplace.” The company said it would defend its adult customers by “fighting back” against the agency’s actions.

National retail chains tend to avoid disposables. But new distribution networks have sprung up, according to those in the industry. A wholesaler will import a shipping container of disposables and then sell the contents

used “discretion” to delay decisions on many applications, allowing products—including major brands like Vuse—to stay on the market for years.

The backlog now includes thousands more e-cigarettes using synthetic nicotine. To date the FDA has only authorized about two-dozen e-cigarettes from three manufacturers. None are disposables.

“Any product that doesn’t have authorization is on the market illegally,” King says.

Industry representatives say the FDA’s refusal to approve more options has forced it into an untenable position.

“When an agency declares that everything on the market is illegal, it puts itself in the position of being completely unable to enforce its own regulations,” said Tony Abboud, of the Vapor Technology Association.

to smaller distributors, who then sell the products to local independent stores out of vans or trucks.

Outdated and unfinished rules

THE 2009 law that gave the FDA authority over the tobacco industry was focused on cigarettes and other traditional products made by a handful of huge US companies.

The aim was to subject tobacco manufacturing and ingredients t o the same kind of scrutiny and inspections as foods and medical supplies. Today’s vaping manufacturers, based almost exclusively in China, weren’t part of the discussion.

Fourteen years later, the FDA hasn’t finalized manufacturing rules that would extend its authority to foreign vaping factories. In fact, regulators only released a draft regulation in March.

“FDA theoretically has the authority to inspect foreign manufacturing facilities,” said Patricia Kovacevic, an attorney specializing in tobacco regulation. “But practically speaking, the inspection program that the FDA has in place only happens in the US.”

Of more than 500 tobacco-related inspections conducted since the FDA gained authority over ecigarettes, only two were in China, according to the agency’s public database. Those two inspections took place at Shenzhen factories used by major US vaping firms, which have filed FDA applications for their products.

Currently, those applications are essentially the only way that FDA learns exactly where and how e-cigarettes are produced. Many disposables have simply skipped the process altogether.

The FDA itself recognizes the problem, stating in its proposed guidelines: “Covering foreign manufacturers is necessary to assure the protection of the public health,” and noting “numerous reports of battery fires and explosions,” with Chinese e-cigarettes.

The agency has been playing catch-up on the vaping issue for over a decade.

The FDA announced plans to start regulating the products in 2011, and it took regulators another five years to finalize rules.

Once implemented in August 2016, no new e-cigarettes were supposed to enter the US and companies on the market had to submit applications for review by September 2020. Only products that could help smokers—by reducing cigarette exposure—while not appealing to youngsters were supposed to win authorization.

With limited resources, the FDA

Split views on a solution EVEN with broad agreement that flavored disposables are a problem, there’s little consensus on the solution.

In February, Reynolds petitioned the FDA to begin subjecting disposables to the same flavor restrictions as Vuse and other older products. Three weeks later, legislation that would have the same effect appeared in the US House. (A Reynolds spokesman said the company did not lobby for the bill’s introduction.)

Anti-vaping groups note that the company’s Vuse, which is still available in menthol, was the second most popular e-cigarette among teens last year.

“They want groups like ours to call for a ban on all Chinese vapes so that they can take over the market,” said Fuhrman, of Parents Against Vaping E-cigarettes. “We’re not calling for that. We’re calling on the FDA to do its job.”

Indeed, the FDA’s King says the agency already has ample authority to regulate disposables.

“There’s no loophole to close,” King said, pointing out that FDA has recently shifted its focus to target disposable manufacturers.

But that assertion has stoked frustration about why the agency hasn’t been more aggressive in using the legal tools it has available, including fines and court orders. Former agency officials note that some legal actions require cooperation from other agencies, including the Justice Department.

If there’s less urgency around underage vaping than a few years ago that’s likely because government data suggests an improving picture.

Since 2019, the government’s annual survey has shown two big drops in vaping among middle and high school students, and FDA officials no longer describe the issue as an “epidemic.”

Educators say vaping is still a big problem.

At Mountain Range High School near Denver, art teacher Kyle Wimmer says about 20 percent of his students report regularly vaping when he polls them using the classroom’s anonymous computer system.

“Esco Bars and Elf Bars are absolutely taking over right now,” he said.

Last school year, Wimmer collected 150 e-cigarettes from students who handed them over hoping to quit. Most don’t make it more than a few weeks.

“The success rate is not very high,” Wimmer said. “They don’t want to do it anymore, but they can’t stop because the nicotine is too high.”

WASHINGTON—The number of different electronic cigarette devices sold in the US has nearly tripled to over 9,000 since 2020, driven almost entirely by a wave of unauthorized disposable vapes from China, according to tightly controlled sales data obtained by The Associated Press.

AN employee displays some of the varieties of disposable electronic cigarette devices manufactured by EB Design, formerly known as Elf Bar, at Vapes N Smoke in Pinecrest, Fla., Monday, June 26, 2023. Since 2020, the number of different e-cigarette devices for sale in the US has exploded to more than 9,000, a nearly three-fold increase driven almost entirely by a wave of disposable vapes from China. AP/REBECCA BLACKWELL

DOST expert: Reduce radius of fish ban to 5 km in Or. Mindoro after oil spill clearing

THE area of the fish ban in Oriental

Mindoro may be reduced from the current 15 kilometers (km) to 5 km after the oil cleaning operation in the spill site ended on June 16, a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) expert recommended.

At the same time, the total fish ban “can be lifted within the next two or three weeks” in all affected areas in Oriental Mindoro if there are “no more visible oil slicks near the spill site,” Dr. Hernando P. Bacosa, a National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) expert and DOST Balik Scientist, advised.

Fishing ban currently continues in the towns of Naujan, Pola, Pinamalayan.

Bacosa was tapped by the Philippine Coast Guard and the provincial government of Oriental Mindoro to provide scientific advice on the next steps to take after the cleaning operations in the area ended last June 16, said the DOST Office of the Undersecretary for Research and Development (OUR&D).

The final leg of oil spill removal in Oriental Mindoro also included the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Office of the Civil Defense, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

T he post clean-up efforts aim to determine the time frame of the fishing ban in several towns in Oriental Mindoro.

Oil removal operations

BACOSA provided his assessment on the activity aboard the Dynamic Support Vessel (DSV) Fire Opal Monrovia, a Liberianflagged vessel that led the oil removal operations, which started on May 29 and was completed on June 16.

The hatch cover of all oil tanks was opened to allow the release of the oil from the containers. More than 84,000 liters of oily mixture were recovered using the shuttle method from the oil containers from June 11 to June 15, the DOST OUR&D said.

T he final leg of siphoning showed very minimal visible oil discharge and the tanks already appeared to be empty.

However, Bacosa “noted that certain layers of oil could have adhered to the walls of the containers. Certain patches of oil layers formed in the upper corners of the tanks.”

The highly viscous nature of the bunker oil may have created a thicker oil layer inside the containers.

Modern humans present in SE Asia 80,000 years ago

Filipino archaeologist helps rewrite human history in Southeast Asia

H e explained that the remaining oil can only be removed by the natural weathering processes, which include but are not limited to dissolution, emulsion, agitation due to the action of swimming organisms, and biodegradation by naturally occurring bacteria, the DOST OUR&D said.

G iven the low temperature in the deep sea, and the viscosity and the heavy molecular weight nature of the oil, the degradation process is very slow and may take a long time to occur, Bacosa, also a Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology professor, added.

Reduction of fish ban radius

UPON completing the oil spill removal by DSV Fire Opal Monrovia, LGUs started considering the complete lifting of fish ban in the area.

“However, with the insights from the DOST expert, Dr. Bacosa, it was suggested that the 15 km fish ban radius be reduced to 5 km radius instead,” the DOST OUR&D said.

“Dr. Bacosa also advised that should there be no more visible oil slicks near the spill site, total fish ban in all areas in Oriental Mindoro initially affected by the spill can be lifted within the next two or three weeks,” the DOST OUR&D added.

Culture of resilience and innovation

BY tapping the vast knowledge of the DOST oil spill expert and incorporating his insights into oil spill response plans, the country is “fostering a culture of resilience and innovation in environmental conservation and guided decisions,” the DOST OUR&D pointed out.

Bacosa’s engagement in the government’s oil spill clean-up and recovery efforts was funded through the DOST-NRCP Expert Engagement Program. The program caters to the expert needs of clients and stakeholders for various forms of knowledge transfer, expert and advisory services.

Bacosa received his MS and PhD in Environmental Studies from Tohoku University in Japan. He has a strong interdisciplinary background in various aspects of environmental pollution.

His work focused primarily on developing microbial consortiums to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the main class of chemicals that occur naturally in coal, crude oil, and bunker oil.

AN international team of scientists, including a Filipino archaeologist, confirmed that Homo sapiens, or modern humans, had been in Southeast Asia more than 80,000 years ago, or 20,000 years older than earlier evidence had shown.

The analyses of fossils and sediments from Tam Pà Ling (“Cave of Monkeys” in Lao) has pushed back the time when our species, Homo sapiens, was present in Mainland Southeast Asia.

The newly-discovered fossils provide evidence of the presence of modern humans in northern Laos as far back as 86,000 years ago, said the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Science Science Communications (UPD-CSSC).

“This is almost 20,000 years older than most of the evidence from sites so far studied in Southeast Asia and adds further confirmation of a pre-60,000-year-old dispersal of modern humans into East Asia,” UPD-CSSC added.

“This discovery is helping us better understand the distribution of our direct ancestors at a time when we know other populations of humans, now extinct, existed,” said Vito Hernandez, the Filipino geoarchaeologist who is part of the team that published in the journal Nature the recent findings from Tam Pà Ling. Hernandez is formerly from UP and currently at the Flinders University Microarchaeology Laboratory in South Australia.

The research in northern Laos, including a previous discovery of now-extinct humans known as Denisovans present between 164,000 and 131,000 years ago in Tam Ngu Hao 2 (“Cobra Cave”), located in the same mountain as Tam Pà Ling, strongly suggests that this part of Southeast Asia is an early human dispersal route.

“This proves that our human

ancestors also traveled along forests and river valleys apart from following islands and coastlines as they moved eastward to Australia, where they are controversially thought to have migrated as early as 65,000 years ago,” Hernandez explained.

Asked why the research was made in Tam Pa Ling, Hernandez told the BusinessMirror “the site and the area has been researched on since 2009.”

“The modern human fossils have been excavated from there since, but initial dating of the first fossil finds were received with scepticism. This is the latest finds and so far the oldest,” he said.

“Analyses of the fossils in Tam Pà Ling suggest that these early modern humans were part of an immigrant population, but whether their genetic line successfully survives in current populations is yet to be determined,” he told UPD-CSSC.

Will there be a follow up research on the survival of Tam Pà Ling fossils’ genetic line? Hernandez said the research continues, including exploring the viability of extracting human DNA from sediments.

“This will be challenging as tropical conditions are not known to be good conditions for DNA to survive, but that’s what science is about—testing these possibilities,” he said.

Initially, fossils from Tam Pà Ling were hard to date, resulting in skepticism about previouslypresented evidence from the cave. Explaining the difficulty in dating Tam Pa Ling fossils, he

9,776 qualify as incoming college S&T scholars

THE number of the Philippines’ science and technology (S&T) scholars continues to grow. After the recent exam, 9,776 qualified as incoming college S&T freshmen scholars, a testament to the interest of Filipino students to take this track.

The Science Education Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-SEI) recently announced the results of the highly competitive S&T scholarship examination held last March.

Among the 79,585 examinees, 9,776 qualified to the 2023 DOSTSEI Undergraduate S&T Scholarship Program, said the DOST-SEI.

The list of scholarship qualifiers may be checked from the DOST-SEU web link: https://dlu8. science-scholarships.ph/

This year’s pen-and-paper qualifying examination was conducted in 241 testing centers nationwide. It marked the resumption of the face-to-face exam after three years of pause caused by the pandemic, when the institute identified the qualifiers through data analytics. Out of the total number

of passers, 5,561 qualified as scholars under the Republic Act 7687 Scholarship Program for academically talented students of economically disadvantaged families, DOST-SEI said.

Meanwhile, 4,215 qualified under the DOST-SEI Merit Scholarship Program.

In addition, 1,224 more potential qualifiers—whose names do not appear on the published list—are under consideration, pending revalidation of some requirements.

The qualifiers will receive the Notice of Award, while the potential qualifiers will receive advice on the requirements they must resubmit.

All the qualifiers, with their parents/legal guardians, will be invited to attend the orientation on S&T Scholarship Policies and Procedures.

“The announcement of the scholarship exam results marks the beginning of a transformative chapter in the lives of the qualifiers. We believe that they now have the freedom to pursue their dreams and aspirations of S&T careers without constraint,”

said Dr. Josette T. Biyo, DOSTSEI Director.

Scholars’ benefits include a monthly stipend of P7,000; tuition subsidy of up to P40,000 per academic year for those who will enrol in private universities and colleges; learning materials and/ or connectivity allowance; onetime MS/PE clothing allowance; one economy-class roundtrip fare per year for those studying outside of their home province; outright thesis allowance; graduation allowance; and group accident insurance, the DOST-SEI said.

The qualifiers must pursue a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree program in any of the priority fields of study at a state university or college, or any private higher education institution recognized by the Commission on Higher Education as a Center of Excellence, Center of Development, or with Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines Level III for the BS program that they intend to enrol in.

The list of priority S&T programs is posted on the SEI web site.

“As these qualifiers continue on their academic paths, their

success in the qualifying exams signifies their immense potential in the S&T field and thereon look forward to limitless opportunities it can unlock,” Biyo said.

“The support our program offers will enable them to explore their scientific interests and pursue higher education, setting them on a path to become the next generation of scientists, technologists, innovators, and problem solvers,” she added.

Upon completion of their degree programs, scholars under RA 7687 and Merit programs shall be working in their fields of specialization in the country, whether in the public or private sector, for a period equivalent to the length of years in which they enjoyed the scholarship.

The DOST-SEI is the service agency of the DOST mandated to accelerate the development of S&T human resources in the country by administering undergraduate and graduate scholarships and advanced specialized training, promoting S&T culture, and developing innovative science education innovative programs.

cited that the human fossils cannot be dated or extracted for DNA because this means drilling it to acquire samples, which is unethical because it is considered part of Laoatian cultural heritage.

Another is that there are technical difficulties in dating human bone in heavily leached sedimentary environments like what we have in the tropics, where Laos is.

This led the geochronology and geoarchaeology specialists of the team to strategically apply their techniques to ascertain how the dated sediments relate to the fossils, and determine a precise age for both.

“The dating and the quality of fossil preservation is important as we’ve seen from the research led by scientists like Prof. Armand Mijares at the UP School of Archaeology, but as we’ve also seen from our research and other human evolutionary research like in Denisova cave in Russia, a very close collaboration between the Earth and Human sciences is necessary if we are to achieve a more complete picture of how humans evolved and settled into different parts of the world,” Hernandez elaborated.

He was referring to the research led by Mijares that discovered a species of ancient human, named Homo luzonensis that lived in Luzon at least 50,000 to 67,000

years ago.

The hominin (species regarded as human, directly ancestral to humans, or very closely related to humans) was identified from teeth and small bones inside Callao Cave in Cagayan province. The discovery was announced in 2019.

Hernandez explained the importance of archaeological findings, saying that human evolutionary studies and all the fields collaborating to make it possible is basic research.

“Findings contribute to better understanding of our biological and cultural history as humans, including improving on medical understanding and fully understanding why modern humans [Homo sapiens] are only the surviving population of humans on earth today,” he said.

Hernandez was formerly part of the UP Archaeological Studies Program, now the UP School of Archaeology, where he obtained his Master of Science and taught undergraduate classes in Archaeology.

He was also part of the Science and Society Program of the UPDCS, where he managed classes in Science, Technology and Society.

“I hope to return after my research work in Australia and contribute to making our science serve Philippine society,” he said. Lyn Resurreccion

FILIPINO geoarchaeologist Vito Hernandez (second from right) with fellow researchers in Tam Pà Ling in northern Laos. PHOTO FROM MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY/KIRA WESTAWAY

Tagle: Vocations–and crisis–begin at home

VOCATIONS

Speaking on video from Rome for an international gathering of vocation promoters in Thailand, he pointed out that “vocation crisis is often rooted in the missionary crisis…beginning in the homes.”

“When the parents do not exercise their mission of transmitting

the faith of leading their children to Jesus, we will have a vocational crisis,” Tagle said.

The Filipino cardinal, who is the pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, urged parents to lead their children to Jesus and to model a life worth following.

Church official joins renewed calls for clemency for Mary Jane

ACATHOLIC bishop joined renewed calls for clemency and freedom for Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking.

Bishop Ruperto Santos said Veloso “has suffered long enough with her imprisonment.” Santos is the vice chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.

“Let us pray hard that, in the name of mercy, the Indonesian government would grant clemency to Mary Jane Veloso,” Santos said.

“May our almighty God touch the hearts of those people and decide what is beneficial and do what is best for MJ [Mary Jane],” he said.

Veloso was visited by her family last week, five years after the last time they were together. She was reunited with her parents and two children at a prison in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Veloso has been behind bars since 2010 after she was caught allegedly smuggling 2.6 kg of heroin into Indonesia.

The death-row convict maintained she was a victim of human

trafficking and duped into carrying a suitcase with the illegal drugs onto the plane with her.

The 37-year-old was granted a temporary reprieve in 2015 just moments she was due to be executed after a woman suspected of recruiting her was arrested in the Philippines.

In a recent news conference, her parents said Veloso underwent surgery six months ago to remove an ovarian cyst.

But doctors detected her ovarian cyst had recurred, prompting Veloso and Indonesian authorities to request another hospital check-up.

The bishop said Veloso’s medical condition gives Indonesia more reason to pardon Veloso.

“With her health problem, she should be much attended to, medical care and charitable measures given,” Santos said. “We pray for her recovery. We offer our prayers for her healing.”

The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. requested executive clemency for Veloso in September 2022.

In 2011, the administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III also sought clemency for the Filipina. CBCP News

MECCA, Saudi Arabia— For Zainab Abdu, the holiest sites in Islam were the backdrop for her weekends growing up.

Raised in Mecca, Abdu remembers roller-skating with friends near the Grand Mosque where the Kaaba is located.

The desert plains and valleys that throng with pilgrims every year are where, in the off season, she and family and friends had picnics, rode horses and played soccer.

“The Haram [Grand Mosque] is my home,” said the 29-year-old pharmacist. “It’s my childhood. But people can’t imagine how normal life is for us. We do things that everyone else does.”

Mecca is Islam’s holiest city and a focal point for followers of the faith. It’s the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad, where Muslims believe he first received God’s revelations of the Quran.

It’s the location of the Kaaba, the black, cube-shaped structure that Muslims around the world turn to five times a day when praying.

It’s also where around 2 million people live, work, and do ordinary activities like laundry, grocery shopping, homework, putting the trash out and paying the bills.

Away from the pilgrim-dominated areas, the city’s modern neighborhoods spread out among boulevards with strip malls, gyms, schools and a university.

The city has little of the glitz of Gulf cities like Dubai or Doha, or even Riyadh. The malls are modest, though bubble tea shops and well known chains like Sephora are moving in.

One mall’s food court had a sign proclaiming that the US fast-food chicken chain Popeyes was opening soon.

Daily life does make concessions to the city’s sacredness. Mecca has no cinemas, despite the government lifting a nationwide

Baclaran Church declared ‘important cultural property’

THE National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) has declared Baclaran Church among the country’s most valuable cultural treasures.

The declaration was highlighted last week with the unveiling of the marker designating the church as an “important cultural property [ICP].”

Among those present in the ceremony were NMP archeologist Dr. Mary Jane Louise Bolunia, and Brazilian Fr. Rogerio Gomes, superior general of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, or the Redemptorists.

Bolunia said the NSP is delight -

ed to bestow honor on the church edifice “that has become part of our culture as it evolved and developed through the years.”

“I hope the marker will serve as a reminder for us to cherish this gift of faith that we have embraced and the place where the faith has taken its root,” she said.

Also in attendance were Fr. Rico John Bilangel, Rector of Baclaran Church, and Fr. Raymond Urriza, superior of the Redemptorist ViceProvince of Manila.

The ceremony coincided with the feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help and the celebration of the 75 years of the Perpetual

Help Novena in Baclaran Church.

Gomes said that designating the Baclaran Church as an ICP is not only because of its importance as a physical heritage “but also as a spiritual one.”

“I can say that is also declaring the Filipino people as a patrimony of faith,” he said.

ICPs, which are defined as cultural properties possessing “exceptional cultural, artistic, and historical significance,” may receive government subsidies for their preservation and conservation.

It is the second level of protection

“Please, let us not forget Jesus as the most important destination so that our joy may be complete,” he said.

About 450 participants from across the world were gathered in Chiang Mai for the 80th Serra International Convention last week.

The Vatican official further pointed out that a vocation remains alive “when it goes out and searches other people to be led to Jesus.”

“A vocation that does not seek other people to be led to Jesus is a vocation that will dry up, will wither away,” Tagle said.

“If those people who say they have a vocation [but] do not seek out other people to lead to Jesus, we will have a vocational crisis,” he added. “It is always connected to mission.” Serra International is the only lay organization aggregated to the Pontifical Work for Vocations to the Priesthood within the Congregation for the Clergy.

Since 1935, when Serra began in the United States, more than 1,100 Serra clubs have been chartered in 46 countries. Today, Serra’s global lay vocation apostolate is strengthened by over 20,000 members. CBCP News

just join in freely are over; now they must apply for a spot like everyone else and pay fees starting at $1,060 per person.

Still, there is a special pride in living in the city. Abdu recalled how in elementary school “we were told to set a good example for people because of Mecca’s status.”

“I’m always told I’m lucky, I can go [to the Grand Mosque] every day. People are so excited that I live here. Sometimes I feel I don’t go enough, but I’m so grateful. It’s a gift,” she said.

ban on movie theatres in 2018.

For a cinema, residents go to the coastal city of Jeddah, about 70 kilometers away. Wedding halls are tucked away from sacred areas.

“It is a holy city and that needs to be respected,” Abdu said. “There is music at birthdays and other celebrations, but it won’t be loud.”

Once a year, the city’s population effectively doubles for up to a month as Hajj pilgrims from around the world flow in, has happened in the past week.

Security tightens in the streets to direct traffic as massive crowds move around the Grand Mosque and out to the holy sites in the nearby desert like Mina, Muzdalifa and Mount Arafat.

For Abdu, it means allowing extra time for traffic and avoiding certain routes because of road closures, even though she doesn’t live near the Grand Mosque.

She also braces for hours of overtime because of the influx of pilgrims suffering from colds, flu symptoms, upset stomachs or muscular pains—all typical Hajj ailments. Born in Jeddah, Abdu has lived in Mecca since she was six.

Meccans used to have more personal interaction with the Hajj pilgrims. But the measures authorities have put in to control

and organize the crowds have imposed a distance.

Huge investment pouring in has transformed Mecca.

Back in the day, “people had their homes open” to pilgrims, said Fajr Abdullah Abdul-Halim, a 57-year-old who was born and raised in Mecca.

“If someone was sick they used to treat them in their homes. Those were beautiful times,” he said.

Abdul-Halim’s family home was close to the Grand Mosque, so they could watch pilgrims circling the Kaaba from their roof. Meccan families would just hang out around the Grand Mosque, since there were few other public spaces.

Abdul-Halim recalled going there with her parents and siblings every afternoon for prayers and staying until the evening prayers.

Now a move to Jeddah after marriage and the passing of relatives in Mecca means she has fewer reasons to visit the city.

The neighborhoods around the mosque have been transformed and are unrecognizable after the construction of monumental hotels, skyscrapers, highways and other infrastructure in the past decade.

Both Abdul-Halim and Abdu said they used to do Hajj easily, with little to no advance planning.

But the days when locals could

“When it’s the Hajj, it’s like opening your home to guests. When those guests leave, you feel sad,” she added.

A few days before Hajj’s official start, Bangladeshi taxi driver Jahid Rojin sighed as his car crawled away from the Grand Mosque complex and headed to the city’s Aziziyah neighborhood.

“It’s always like this during the Hajj,” he said in Urdu, gesturing to streets teeming with sweaty pilgrims.

Born in Dhaka, Rojin has lived in Mecca for 16 years, part of a significant South Asian community permanently residing there.

During Hajj season, the rent he pays his taxi’s owner jumps to around $1,600 a month from $1,000. He had to move out of his apartment because his landlord wanted to rent it out to pilgrims and make some extra money. But, he said, he’ll go back to his home once pilgrims leave, and traffic, prices and everything else will return to normal.

And he says there is an upside.

“The blessings and rizq [sustenance] you get from being in Mecca cannot be matched anywhere else in the world, anywhere else in Saudi Arabia,” he said, as he charged a desperate woman more than triple the regular journey fare to share his cab with two other passengers. “I’m very lucky to live here. I know that.”

Riazat Butt/Associated Press

begin at home, and so does the crisis, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle said recently.

CARDINAL Luis Antonio Tagle presides over Mass at the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome, Italy, on June 21. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

A GENERAL view of the Grand Mosque is seen from the Clock Tower during the Hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on June 22. Mecca is Islam’s holiest city and a focal point for the faith’s followers. But

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Exposure to wildfire smoke affects voice, health of endangered Bornean orangutans

BORNEAN orangutans are one of three orangutan species, all critically endangered. They thrive in carbonrich peat swamp forests on the Indonesian island of Borneo. These habitats are also the sites of massive wildfires.

Indonesian wildfires in 2015 caused some of the worst firedriven air pollution ever recorded. The fires were driven by an El Niño climatic cycle, which caused especially dry weather in the region.

Compared to other wildfires, peatland fires smolder underground and produce exceptionally high levels of hazardous gases and particulate matter—a leading cause of global pollution-related deaths and illnesses.

Orangutans are well known as an “indicator species”—one that can serve as a proxy for the health of an ecosystem.

Changes in their environments often cause conspicuous changes in the apes’ health and behavior. Frequent and persistent exposure to toxic smoke could have severe consequences for orangutans and other wildlife.

Toxic air pollution also poses serious health and safety risks for researchers. However, remote sensing techniques, such as satellite images, GPS data and acoustic monitoring, are increasingly popular ways to track wildlife populations and see how creatures respond to changes in their environments.

I have studied the behavior, ecology and acoustic communication of wild primates in Indo -

nesia since 2005. In a new study, my co-authors and I investigated how wild orangutans in Borneo were affected by toxic emissions from Indonesia’s 2015 peatland wildfires–by studying their voices. Smoke exposure poses long-term risks AROUND the world, wildfires are on the rise. They often produce a thick blanket of haze that contains diverse hazardous gases and particulate matter (PM).

Most recently, smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed the US East Coast and Midwest in early June 2023, turning skies orange and triggering public health alerts.

Studies have shown that human health risks from wildfire smoke include respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, systemic inflammation and premature death.

Much less is known about how smoke affects wildlife, but in a pair of studies published in 2021and 2022, scientists at the California National Primate Research Center reported alarming findings.

After less than two weeks of exposure to high concentrations of PM—in particular, ultrafine particles measuring less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which are known as PM2.5—captive rhesus macaques  suffered a spike in pregnancy loss.

What’s more, surviving fetuses and infants suffered long-term effects on lung capacity, immune responses, inflammation, cortisol levels, behavior and memory.

During Indonesia’s 2015 fires,

Borneo’s air had PM concentrations nearly an order of magnitude higher than the levels in these studies. This made the potential implications for people and wildlife who gasped through Indonesia’s wildfire smoke for nearly two months extremely worrying.

Orangutans in the haze

I WAS studying wild orangutans in the forests of Indonesian Borneo when the 2015 fires started. My colleagues and I at the Tuanan Orangutan Research Station tracked local fires and patrolled nearby hot spots to assess the risk of fire spreading to our research area.

Wearing N-95 masks, we continued to monitor orangutans in hopes of learning how the animals were coping with encroaching fires and thick smoke.

A few weeks into the fire season, I noticed a difference in the sound of the males’ “long call,” which was

the focus of my research.

Long calls are booming vocalizations that can be heard over distances of more than 1 kilometer. Orangutans are semi-solitary and live in dispersed communities, so these calls serve an important social role.

Adult males make them to advertise their prowess to listening females in the area and to scare off any eavesdropping rival males.

A couple of weeks after the smoke had appeared, I thought these males sounded raggedy—a little like humans who smoke a lot.

We observed the orangutans for 44 days during the fires, until large blazes encroached on our study area. At that point, we stopped the study to help extinguish the blazes with local firefighting teams and other government and nonprofit groups. Fires burned in our study area for three weeks.

Using data that we collected before, during and after the fires,

Century Pacific launches ‘Saving Our Seas’ campaign for circular economy, biodiversity

CENTURY Pacific Food Inc. (CNPF), one of the leading branded food and beverage manufacturing companies in the Philippines, has taken another step toward achieving cleaner seas with the launch of its new Saving Our Seas Campaign.

Established in 1986, Century Tuna, the country’s leading canned tuna brand, aims to lead in promoting the circular economy and biodiversity in partnership with impact organization HOPE through its “Aling Tindera Waste-to-Cash” program.

Carlo Endaya, CNPF’s vice president and general manager for Century Tuna, said, “The Philippines is among the top contributors of plastic waste in the world, posing a threat to communities and marine life.”

Endaya added: “Conversely, this presents an opportunity to unlock value in plastic waste and prevent it from leaking into nature by incentivizing critical movers in the cycle and creating a circular economy—a win-win scenario for both people and the planet.”

In the campaign, Century Tuna’s initiative kicked off in Mabini, Batangas, globally renowned for its lush marine life and biodiversity and a haven for scuba drivers.

A total of 212 volunteers, including Century Tuna Ambassador Alden Richards and the Century Tuna Superbods, collected 805 kilograms of trash, among the largest volumes collected in the area.

To encourage the residents to get involved, multiple plastic waste col-

lection points were installed within the coastal areas, where community members can sell plastic trash in exchange for cash.

The drop off points are managed by community’s sari-sari (variety) store owners from HOPE’s Aling Tindera Program.

The women micro-entrepreneurs collect the plastic waste and have them properly recycled and upcycled back into the circular economy.

There are currently more than 100 Aling Tindera sites in the country.

Plastic waste accumulated from Aling Tindera sites is then sold to the Plastic Credit Exchange (PCX), generating income for the women.

PCX is a global plastic solutions platform and credit exchange with an ecosystem of partner companies, who can process, recycle and upcycle post-consumer plastic waste into useful materials or energy.

Furthermore, PCX converts recycled/upcycled plastic waste into plastic credit, creating an offsetting mechanism for companies who want to reduce their plastic waste footprint and commit to Net Zero Plastic Waste.

“The Saving Our Seas Campaign goes beyond beach cleanups,” Endaya explained.

It is a proactive approach to sustainability and in securing future food supply by creating systemic change through partnerships and community engagement, he said.

“We believe this is relevant and necessary, especially in light of the EPR [Extended Producer Responsibility] law,” he added.

The EPR Act of 2022 required companies to establish programs that would reduce their production, importation, supply, or use of plastic products, such as reduction initiatives, recycling, and offsetting platforms.

Century Tuna further aims to extend its reach nationwide, emphasizing the importance of plastic pollution prevention at home.

Endaya pointed out the need for every Filipino to participate in the campaign, regardless of their proximity to coastal areas, saying that “plastic pollution prevention starts within our homes.”

“We encourage responsible plastic waste management and promote the use of recovery facilities, such

I led an analysis of this Bornean orangutan population’s behavior and health. My co-authors and I found that in the weeks after the fires, the apes reduced their activities—resting more and traveling shorter distances—and consumed more calories than normal.

But although they were eating more and moving less, we found by collecting and testing the apes’ urine that they were still burning stored fat—a sign that they somehow were using up more energy.

We hypothesized that the cause might be inflammation— the swelling, fever, pain and fatigue that human and animal bodies experience in response to infection or injury.

Sentinel sounds

STUDIES have shown that when humans are exposed to particulate matter, they can experience inflammation, both in their respiratory tracts and throughout their bodies.

We wanted to know whether inhaling wildfire smoke would cause vocal changes in orangutans, just as inhaling cigarette smoke does in humans.

For this study, my co-authors and I carefully analyzed more than 100 sound recordings of four male orangutans that we followed before and during the fires to measure their vocal responses to wildfire smoke.

Research has shown that a suite of vocal features—including pitch, vocal harshness or hoarseness and shaky voice—reflects the underlying health and condition of both

human and nonhuman animals. We were looking for acoustic clues about how this toxic air might be affecting the orangutans. During the fires and for several weeks after the smoke cleared, these males called less frequently than usual.

Normally, orangutans call about six times a day. But during the fires, their call rate was cut in half. Their voices dropped in pitch, showing more vocal harshness and irregularities.

Collectively, these features of vocal quality have been linked to inflammation, stress and disease—including Covid-19—in human and nonhuman animals.

Listening to vocal species

INCREASINGLY frequent and prolonged exposure to toxic smoke could have severe consequences for orangutans and other animals.

Our research highlights the urgent need to understand the longterm and far-ranging effects of peatland fires in Indonesia, which is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world.

By uncovering the linkages between acoustic, behavioral and energetic shifts in orangutans, our study highlights a way for scientists and wildlife managers to safely monitor the health of orangutans and other animals.

Using passive acoustic monitoring to study vocally active indicator species, like orangutans, could unlock critical insights into wildfire smoke’s effects on wildlife populations worldwide. Wendy M. Erb ,Cornell University/The Conversation (CC) via AP

This ‘Street Vet’ cares for pets of

homeless in California

OAKLAND, California—An elevated train clangs along tracks above Dr. Kwane Stewart as the veterinarian makes his way through a chain link gate to ask a man standing near a parked RV whether he might know of any street pets in need.

Michael Evans immediately goes for his 11-month-old pit bull, Bear, his beloved companion living beneath the rumbling San Francisco Bay Area commuter trains.

“Focus. Sit. That’s my boy,” Evans instructs the high-energy puppy as he eagerly accepts Stewart’s offer.

according to federal data. About twothirds of California’s homeless population is unsheltered, meaning they live outside, often packed into encampments in major cities and along roadways.

Nationally, up to 10 percent of homeless people have pets, according to an estimate from the advocacy group Pets of the Homeless. Stewart believes that number is greater.

Homeless shelters often don’t allow pets, forcing people to make heart-wrenching decisions. Stewart sees it as his mission to help as many of them as he can.

as the Aling Tindera sites, which are conveniently located nationwide. This is a message we want to convey to the public.”

With these programs, CNPF affirms its commitment to reducing its plastic waste footprint.

The company has a 3P sustainability strategy—Protein Delivery, Planet Preservation and People Development.

Under the environmental pillar, the company made a commitment to achieve Net Zero Plastic footprint in 2019.

As of 2022, all its brands that utilize flexible plastic packaging have been certified as Net Zero Plastic Waste brands by PriceWaterhouseCoopers through a partnership with PCX.

“Embracing more responsible and sustainable business practices is front and center at Century. We strive to operate in a way where progress, growth and sustainability are inextricably linked. Doing so hopefully secures our longevity as a food company, enabling us to provide affordable nutrition to Filipino families for many more years and beyond,” Endaya said.

A quick check of the dog reveals a moderate ear infection that could have made Bear so sick in a matter of weeks he might have required sedation. Instead, right there, Dr. Stewart applies a triple treatment drop of antibiotic, anti-fungal and steroids that should start the healing process.

“This is my son right here, my son. He’s my right-hand man,” an emotional Evans says of Bear, who shares the small RV in Oakland. “It’s a blessing, really.”

“The Street Vet,” as Stewart is known, has been supporting California’s homeless population and their pets for almost a decade, ever since he spontaneously helped a man with a flea-infested dog outside of a convenience store.

Since then, Stewart regularly walks the heart of Los Angeles’s infamous Skid Row, giving him a glimpse into the state’s homelessness crisis—and also just how much these people cherish and depend on their pets.

After treating Bear, Stewart hands Evans, a Louisiana transplant, a list of the medicine he provided along with contact information in case the dog needs further treatment. Stewart always promises to cover all expenses.

“It was a good catch,” Stewart said before heading out on his way to the next stop, in West Oakland.

California is home to nearly a third of the nation’s homeless population,

A 52-year-old former college hurdler at New Mexico now living in San Diego, Stewart is a lifelong animal lover who grew up in Texas and New Mexico trying to save strays—or at least feed and care for them.

He founded Project Street Vet, a nonprofit charity dedicated to helping homeless pets. Stewart funded the group himself for years, saving a chunk of his paycheck before later gaining sponsors and donors.

There’s plenty of heartbreak in Stewart’s work, too. He once performed emergency surgery on a pregnant chihuahua and the two puppies didn’t make it.

But more often than not these pet owners are beyond grateful for Stewart’s kindness. He guesses that maybe 1 in 25 times does someone turn down his help.

Stewart hollers “Hello?” outside tents, makeshift structures or campers. He can usually tell there’s a pet if he sees a dog bowl or animal toy.

He purposely wears his navy scrub top with his name so nobody mistakes him for animal control or other authorities and feels threatened.

“People are reticent, they don’t always know why I’m coming up to them. If they’re going to you to beg or panhandle, it’s different but if you come up on them they don’t know if you’re law enforcement or you have an agenda,” he said, “so do take it very slow and I’ll announce myself from afar.”

A MALE Bornean orangutan in Taman Safari park in Bogor, Indonesia. WIKIPEDIA CC BY-SA 4.0

NZ includes 10 debuting players in Women’s World Cup

WELLINGTON, New

Hectic NBA offseason poised for free agents to make moves

CHRIS PAUL has already been traded twice this offseason, ending up with Golden State.

Bradley Beal is now with Phoenix, John Collins was sent to Utah, and Kristaps Porzingis is about to start anew with Boston in a deal that sent Marcus Smart to Memphis.

They have new places to call home. It’s time to see if Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, Khris Middleton and dozens more will be on the move in the next few days.

A s proven by the run of trades in recent weeks, and big news from James Harden on Thursday, NBA teams aren’t waiting for free agency to make moves. The window of offseason player movement begins Friday at 6 p.m. EDT, when teams are permitted to start talking to free agents—with the caveat that most deals cannot become official until July 6.

Obviously, money’s a thing. I mean, that’s just for anybody,” said Miami guard Max Strus, a free agent who’s in line for a big payday, going from $1.8 million last season to potentially $12 million a year or more. “These are moments that you work for, and these are opportunities that could be lifechanging—so you can’t ever take that out of it. But I love playing basketball and that’s always going to be the first thing for me.”

Money and fit. That’s what players like Strus will be seeking, and that’s what teams will be weighing over the next few days—especially with a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, and new rules designed to at least slightly curb spending by the deeperpocketed teams, set to go into effect on Saturday.

Th at’s part of the reason some trades have been made in recent days and more are almost certainly coming. The Warriors gave up Jordan Poole to get Paul from Washington in part because Paul’s contract expires in a year and Poole is on the books for four years (at more than $30 million annually on average), and Atlanta sent Collins to Utah for Rudy Gay for similar reasons.

Harden could be the next big name on the move. He decided not to enter free agency and exercised his $35.6 million option for the coming season Thursday, with Philadelphia now likely to trade the 10-time All-Star and three-time scoring champion, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

“ I think a lot can be made of all the challenges that are coming our way, whether it be aging roster, the new CBA with some of the limitations there, anything else you can bring up,” Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said. “We’re aware of all those things. But we also feel like we’re in a great, great place, because we’ve got a competitive owner willing to spend...so we feel confident we can navigate it.”

A nother potential trade: Plenty of eyes remain on Portland and whether Damian Lillard will ask to be dealt elsewhere—to Miami or Brooklyn, specifically—or remain with the Trail Blazers for a 12th season.

I n the interim, there will be some massive deals struck—some possibly reaching $200 million. AP

DJOKOVIC’S WIMBLEDON BID STARTS NEXT WEEK

WIMBLEDON, England—

Listen to Novak Djokovic’s opponents explain why he is as successful as he is—why he will begin his pursuit of a fifth consecutive and eighth overall Wimbledon championship on Monday; why he also will be attempting to claim an Open erarecord 24th Grand Slam trophy over the coming fortnight on the All England Club’s grass courts—and they’ll offer plenty of answers.

H is best-in-the-game return of serve. His dangerous two-handed backhand. His elasticity. His stamina. His defense. His ability to read someone else’s intentions, get to where a ball is headed and send it back with force, a combination Casper Ruud described this way after losing to Djokovic in the French Open final: “He sort of just goes into this mode where he just becomes, like, a wall.”

L isten to Novak Djokovic explain why he’s done what he’s done and why, at age 36, he’s still doing it, and he’ll offer a reason far less tangible and far less observable, something he mentioned during his victory speech at Roland Garros a few weeks ago.

I try to visualize every single thing in my life and not only believe it, but really feel it with every cell in my body. And I just want to send

a message out there to every young person: Be in the present moment; forget about what happened in the past; the future is something that is just going to happen,” Djokovic said. “But if you want a better future, you create it. Take the means in your hands. Believe it. Create it.”

Speaking that day about his own hopes and dreams as a 7-year-old kid, Djokovic noted two primary goals: getting to No. 1 and winning Wimbledon.

He’s already been No. 1 for more weeks than any man or woman in the half-century of computerized rankings. Now he will try to pull even with Roger Federer by earning title No. 8 at the oldest of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments. Djokovic is one ahead of the injured Rafael Nadal—and three ahead of the retired Federer—for the most singles majors won by a man, with 23.

Those two guys,” said Djokovic, who practiced at Center Court on Thursday, “were occupying my mind for the last 15 years quite a lot.”

H is 23 is the same number Serena Williams ended her career with last season; only Margaret Court, who won 24 across both the amateur and professional eras, has more.

“Grand Slams are the goal. I don’t know how many, but I think he has a lot more in his body,” said Djokovic’s coach, Goran Ivanisevic. “It’s

fascinating to see, because sometimes you think, ‘OK, now you have 23.’ But he’s going to find, again, some kind of motivation to win 24, maybe 25. Who knows where the end is?”

Entering the 2011 season, the so-called Big Three’s Slam standings looked like this: Federer with 16, Nadal with nine, Djokovic with one.

A fter winning his initial major title at the 2008 Australian Open, Djokovic went through an 11-major span, where four of the losses came against Federer or Nadal in a semifinal or final.

H is self-confidence waned a bit.

That’s where I was really doubting myself, whether I could do it or not, because you get far but then you fall on the last hurdle,” Djokovic said. “The more times you kind of fall, the more you question everything, you know what I mean?”

A nd yet, with the same tenacity he uses on a court—“The mental fortitude he has is unbelievable,” was how his first-round opponent in Paris, Aleksandar Kovacevic, put it—Djokovic dug in away from the court and found ways to improve. And still does that, which is part of why most consider him, and not No. 1 seed Carlos Alcaraz, the favorite as Djokovic continues to pursue the first calendar-year Grand Slam by a man since Rod Laver in 1969.

So where did this belief come from?

D jokovic points to several factors: his upbringing during a time of war and embargo in Serbia in the 1990s; his parents (“95-plus percent of people...were laughing at them, and were discouraging them to spend whatever is left over from the family budget into such an expensive sport,” he said); his first coach and “tennis mother,” Jelena Genčić; and a later coach and “tennis father,” Niki Pilić.

A ll helped him grow as an athlete and person.

W hen he was 7 or 8, Djokovic said, Genčić would show him video of the best male and female tennis players. She also taught him “the importance of relaxing and listening to classical music, reading poetry, singing, and reading, breathing consciously and so forth.”

H is mother, he said, “is a rock,” and his father “instilled in me such power of belief and positive thinking.”

Th at, as much as any particular shot or talent, is why, Djokovic says, “On a daily basis, I’m the best on the court.”

It’s why he has won 11 of the past 20 Grand Slam tournaments.

A nd it’s why he avoids wading into any debate about who the best player ever is. “ I don’t want to enter into these discussions,” Djokovic said. “I’m writing my own history.” AP

New pro women’s hockey league to launch in January

ANEW women’s pro hockey league will begin competing in North America as early as January, a development made possible Thursday when a co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers purchased the Premier Hockey Federation, two people with direct knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press.

The seven-team PHF will cease operations, one of the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal between Dodgers coowner Mark Walter and the PHF had not been announced. The new league will bring together North America’s most accomplished female players and would likely include the more talented players from Europe and Asia who are already competing in the PHF.

Mark Walter’s firm acquired what one of the people described as “certain assets” of the PHF. The league had been locked in a dispute with the rival Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association. The PWHPA— which includes a majority of US and Canadian national team players— had been working with the Mark Walter Group and Billie Jean King Enterprises over the past 14 months

in a bid to launch its own league. A t hird person familiar with the details also confirmed the purchase by the Mark Walter Group, also speaking on the condition of anonymity because details of the acquisition haven’t been made public. Players for both the PHF and the PWHPA were informed of the deal in two separate private meetings, the person said.

The PHF had been scheduled to begin its ninth season this fall. The new league will feature PWHPA chief Jayna Hefford and PHF Commissioner Reagan Carey in leadership roles, one of the people said.

The PWHPA certified as a union this spring and has completed negotiations on a collective bargaining agreement. A 62-page

CBA was presented to PWHPA members on Thursday night, and they will have until Sunday night to ratify it and the new league’s constitution, said one of the people, who has received the document.

If approved, the deal will run through 2031 and features a minimum salary of $35,000 for players on active rosters, the person said.

I n the meantime, PHF players’ existing contracts have been voided, though an agreement is in place to pay those under contract a portion of their salary through September, the person said. Some players are losing out on contracts they signed worth more than $150,000 over two seasons.

A mong the many issues that need to be sorted out include the number of teams and where they will play.

The PHF, which doubled each team’s salary cap to $1.5 million entering this season, has teams in Boston, Toronto and Montreal along with East Rutherford, New Jersey; Hartford, Connecticut; Buffalo, New York; and Richfield, Minnesota. AP

Baduria aims for memorable retirement bout in URCC 86

WIN or lose, Caloy “The Bad Boy” Baduria will definitely retire for good in their main event middleweight bout against unbeaten Mariano “The Hitman” Jones in Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) 86 on Tuesday at the Palace in Xylo in BGC.

But the 43-year-old fighter from Northern Samar has promised to make his last fight a memorable farewell retirement bout from the sport he loves since 2003, and hoping to give the Costa Rican warrior a great fight.

another challenge for me. But win or lose, I will be retiring for good,” Baduria said during the URCC 86 fight news conference recently in BGC.

My opponent is young and hungry, but I will give my best to give him a good fight.”

Baduria is holding an 11-6-1 winloss-draw record highlighted with nine knockout wins due to his great striking ability. But he’ll be facing a notorious undefeated opponent known for his wrestling and striking skills that retired Arvin Chan last April 25 via keylock submission.

I will treat my rival with full respect by training hard and giving

him the best fight. Whatever happens, I prepared myself, I worked on my wrestling, grappling and striking,” said Jones, who will be turning 27 on July 7.  Jones is undefeated in two fights with one knockout and one by submission.

U RCC founding President Alvin Aguilar and Vice President CoOwner/General Manager Aleks Sofronov announced that the addition of the first ever grappling bouts in URCC history will boost the action in the tournament majorly backed by online casino Atlantis. The fight card is also supported by

Zealand—Women’s World Cup co-host New Zealand has announced a squad including 10 players who will be playing at the global tournament for the first time.

The team was unveiled Friday after head coach Jitka Klimkova trimmed the squad from 33 to 23 following a seven-week training camp, the longest in the New Zealand team’s history. “I believe we have selected a good balance of youth and experience across the squad, from the 10 players making their debuts to other members of the group who have appeared at multiple FIFA Women’s World Cups,” Klimkova said.

With the extra motivation and excitement surrounding the event on home soil, we now need the country to get behind the team as we look to inspire our nation and deliver one of our best ever performances.”

The tournament is being cohosted by New Zealand and Australia. Ne w Zealand’s Football Ferns face a massive task as they have never won a match at a World Cup or progressed beyond the group stage.

T he formal roster announcement took place at Auckland’s Eden Park stadium, regarded as the home of New Zealand rugby, where the home team will play the opening match of the World Cup against Norway on July 20.

A mong those present was Ian Foster, the coach of the All Blacks rugby team whose daughter Michaela was selected in the team.

The ceremony was attended by members of the first New Zealand women’s team, which was formed in 1975 and won the Asian Women’s Cup. A member of the 1975 team, Barbara Cox, called the World Cup the “most momentous occasion in the history of football in New Zealand.”

Team captain Ali Riley missed the event because she currently is with her Angel City club in the United States. Ria Percival, who is the team’s co-captain, will be playing in her fifth World Cup.

It’s great to have all these former Ferns who have built this legacy here today and for us to acknowledge and recognize all of you,” Percival said. “Without you we wouldn’t be here today.

To the girls, I’m proud of you all. We’ve all worked hard, every one of us.”

S he said the World Cup on home soil was “something huge that we all dream of.”

We’re just proud, we’re ready to go and we want to inspire the next generation.”

The only major surprise in the squad was the omission of Glasgow City defender Meikayla Moore. The 27-year-old Moore has played 63 times for the Football Ferns and started in all 22 of New Zealand’s matches in 2021 and 2022. She was selected for the 2015 World Cup but didn’t play and missed out on the 2019 World Cup because of injury. Moore is one of three players on standby in case of injuries before the World Cup begins. AP

Angkas, and Lucas Lepri BJJ.

For Inquiries about future fight events, check the official URCC web site www.urcc.online or download the official URCC app  ht tps://apps.wix.com/placeinvites/join-lp/b4e05b90-55a0-40a88fac17ccf4a2c074?ref=pre_banner_top which is available for iOS and Google.

I n other scheduled bouts, Neil Larano and Joaquin Dy will clash in a welterweight grappling bout, while Gabriel Del Rosario and Gregorio Abalos face each other in an open weight grappling fight; both bouts being the first ever grappling bouts in URCC history, and Marwin

Quirante battles McCleary Ornido in flyweight MMA bout.

I n other MMA fight bouts, Bryl Osaraga meets Edemel Catalan in strawweight bout, Mark Gatmaitan squares off with Tristan De Mena in a light heavyweight match, and a bareknuckle strawweight bout between Juanito Mabanan and Rolando Plaza.

A ries Lasar clashes against Bonifacio Caangay in bantamweight bareknuckle bout, while Alex Bigander meets Guiller Lopez in an MMA 200 lbs catchweight bout. Roben Boy “Hangin”

off Roldan Maslog “Bhen

SERBIA’S Novak Djokovic practices at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, England ahead of the championships which start on Monday. AP

The digiTal fuTure may rely on ulTrafasT opTical elecTronics, compuTers

THIS IS HOW THEY ROLL

The Mellow Dees drop new single and announce upcoming album

By Edwin P. Sallan

very much reflect what she personally thought about that much-talked about issue.

What a Schemer

A narcissistic opportunist

Playing on a role of a victim

And running over everyone to reach your evil goals

Manipulator

Haven’t you had done it all Dictating and control

A twisted Scammer

I’m sickened and disgusted by your tainted soul

even as the song also showcases Robin Nievera’s virtuosity with his riveting guitar work while Wolf’s familiar rat-tattat drumming and timely fills make up for an unforgettable recording that will likely leave fans wanting for more.

And more is what The Mellow Dees will unleash when the new album that will include “Amber Alert” and “Sakim” will be released this August. Melody further revealed that the band have been recording new songs since January this year. She also shared what fans can expect from their subsequent release.

As explained by the band’s vocalistguitarist, Melody Del Mundo, the new “back-to-back singles,” “Amber Alert” and “Sakim,” both released by Lilystar Records, are two different songs that “share the same melody but are not direct translations” of each other.

“Amber Alert” in particular, was inspired by a recent Hollywood scandal.

“Both songs focus on someone who is greedy, narcissistic and one who is untruthful with his or her intentions. I wrote the lyrics for Amber Alert with Amber Heard in mind. I first wrote this song early last year as ‘Sakim,’ the Tagalog version. I originally had the song slower and more mellow but the lyrics didn’t call for that kind of beat so Wolf suggested that we play it more upbeat which turned out better,” she recalled.

“Wolf also suggested to write an English version close to its story but not necessarily a direct translation of it. That time, Johnny Depp and Amber’s court trial was ongoing so I thought her story would be close to what I can write for an English version of ‘Sakim’.”

As noted by Melody, “Sakim” is indeed not a line-by-line translation of “Amber Alert” but still pretty much talks about the same self-centered, duplicitous individual.

Sakim

Sinungaling

San nanggaling

Ang isang tulad mo Ika’y mahangin

Hindi mo aaminin tunay mong anyo

“The Tagalog lyrics are outright berating that it’s so shameful,” she added.

Publisher : Editor-In-Chief :

Concept :

Y2Z Editor :

SoundStrip Editor :

Group Creative Director :

Graphic Designers :

Contributing Writers :

Photographers :

Y2Z

Lourdes M. Fernandez

Aldwin M. Tolosa

Jt Nisay

Edwin P. Sallan

Eduardo A. Davad

Niggel Figueroa

Anabelle O. Flores

Tony M. Maghirang, Rick Olivares, Patrick Miguel

Jill Tan Radovan

Bernard P. Testa

Nonie Reyes

Now that Melody has shared the inspiration for the song, the lyrics

But whether one is listening to either “Amber Alert” or “Sakim,” both songs are anchored on the same propulsive, driving beat that has characterized the lounge punk sound of The Mellow Dees. Melody once again sings with her trademark sense of pain and anguish

“The songs in the new album have different themes and different emotions but they’re all connected to each other. The way the songs are lined up from beginning to end actually tells the listener a story. It’s sort of taking the listener to a life’s journey with one’s ups and downs.

Asked how the Mellow Dees have grown and evolved since all three of them seasoned musicians started getting together, Melody admits that they when they first started jamming, they have no idea how the sessions would turn out or if being in a new band is something they all would like to pursue.

“But if I can say it based from what I think it is, Wolf, Robin and I just enjoyed the music so much and how the songs are sounding as we kept playing them in our rehearsals. The songs have come alive and we can feel each other’s energy in every song when we play them. It’s a very cool way of connecting and you can hear it when we play. We’re still playing music together because of this. I’d also like to mention our session bassist, Phil Recto who’s just as dedicated and passionate on his playing like us,” she pointed out.

With a new single and an upcoming album, The Mellow Dees are all very excited about the near future as they intend to heavily promote their new music. Since it has also been awhile since they last visited and performed in their home country, Melody, Robin and Wolf are also hoping they can play here again.

“We will be playing more gigs for sure to promote it once it’s out and it’d be great if we could share our music live on stage there in Manila if we get invited by a producer or promoter from there to play. Hopefully we can also come out with a music video soon. But right now, we just want the album to be released as as planned.

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The Mellow Dees’ “Amber Alert” released last June 16 is now available on major streaming music platforms. “Sakim,” on the other hand is scheduled to drop on June 30.

T. Anthony C. Cabangon

LESS than a year after the release of their well-received debut single, “Laman,” the US-based Pinoy rock supergroup, The Mellow Dees are back with a new single and it comes in both English and Tagalog versions.

THE Mellow Dees

SoundSampler

by Tony M. Maghirang

Releases and events to look forward to

“Ebe Dancel’s first major concert in Cebu is long overdue, ” Artist Ko Multi-purpose Cooperative Vice Chairman Jude Gitamondoc shares in a press statement. “Ebe has a lot of solid fans in the Visayas, and we want them to experience Ebe’s artistry closer to home. Cebuanos love Ebe because he is authentic. His songs have grit, intellect, and integrity, the stuff we expect and value in our own artists.”

Aside from Ebe Dancel’s headlining set, the highly anticipated show will also mark the big-screen debut of the Sa Wakas documentary, which was shot and produced early this year to mark the 20th anniversary of the landmark album.

Cebu Aurora Music Festival : Get Ready to be Enchanted

SB19 “Pagtatag! EP”

AS SB19 approaches its fifth year anniversary, the iconic Filipino boy group drops its much-awaited EP Pagtatag! which stands as a musical testimony of their journey and transformation since their humble beginnings in 2018.  The six-track EP is the premier P-Pop group’s boldest release yet, offering audiences unexplored genres and musical style with an immersive experience Pagtatag! includes “Gento,” which completely sets the tone of the EP. “I Want You” is a soulful R&B piece while “Crimzone” presents the SB19’s signature hard-hitting beats, The EP also includes two reflective ballads, “Ilaw” and “Liham,”. Finally, “Freedom” is SB19’s celebration anthem for a new era and a new chapter as a group.

HEY MOONSHINE “Simulan Mo Na”

WITH their new single titled “Simulan Mon Na,” Southern rock advocates Hey Moonshine is taking their core audience to a more adventurous zone, with a thunderous lyrical payload. The band told Sound Sampler, “The new track is a reiteration of an old song that we kept under the blanket from back when we first started. It

is about the problems of corruption in government in the past and nowadays, the battle has expanded into the influence of social media and fake news. It is song is about how desperately we need change. Our message is simple. “Simulan na natin”...to correct the ugly past, the inefficient way of running our nation’s affairs and start becoming better people to one other.

LEIGH-ANNE

“Don’t Say Love”

AS the first glimpse into Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne’s rebirth on solo mode, ‘Don’t Say Love’ sees the singer show us a side of herself she is finally ready to share. Her latest track effortlessly combines her smooth vocals with a high-energy, garageinfused beat, touching upon black music references. Meanwhile, the accompanying music video follows Leigh-Anne’s captivating journey drawing us into her internal struggle where she flickers between reality and fantasy, exploring the complexities of love.

Speaking about the track Leigh-Anne explains ““Don’t Say Love” is about no longer seeking external validation and regaining my confidence and sense of self in a world where I often felt misunderstood and unheard. This video is a visual representation of

me finding my voice. I’m excited to continue to do so with my first love, music”

MK “No Boys Allowed"

KICKSTARTING a new era, FilipinoAmerican, singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor, MK xyz (pronounced: she/they) returns with a brand new single and music video titled “No Boys Allowed.” The layered airy guitar above hypnotic drums. oozes nothing but attitude on the verses and chantable chorus, alternating rapid flows with magnetic melodies, showcasing the artist’s signature style. With its empowering message, the track serves as the perfect soundtrack to PRIDE Month.

Directed by Madeline Kate Kann, the accompanying visuals shocks the song to life on-screen. MK and their party take over a power plant with slick choreography and enthralling shots of the rising star. “No Boys Allowed” comes on the heels of MK’s previous single “Baddie.”

Ebe Dancel’s first major concert in Cebu City

SINGER-songwriter Ebe Dancel will be staging his first major concert in Cebu on August 5, 2023 (Saturday), at the Pacific Grand Ballroom in the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

IF you think the fun ended last April at Clark, think again. Aurora Festival is coming back with a bang! This September 16, 2023, the #CebuAuroraFest2023 is locked and loaded to bring to Cebu an extraordinary live music experience and celebration of OPM icons. Ely Buendia  and  Bamboo lead a batch of celebrated OPM artists as well as some of the hottest bands in Cebu. So, Titos, Titas and GenZ peeps, come together to party hard at the Queen City of the South!

LEIGH Anne

SB19

The digital future may rely on ultrafast optical electronics, computers

By Mohammed Hassan University of Arizona

Over the past several decades, scientists and engineers like me have worked to develop faster transistors, the electronic components underlying modern electronic and digital communications technologies. These efforts have been based on a category of materials called semiconductors that have special electrical properties. Silicon is perhaps the best known example of this type of material.

But about a decade ago, scientific efforts hit the speed limit of semiconductor-based transistors. Researchers simply can’t make electrons move faster through these materials. One way engineers are trying to address the speed limits inherent in moving a current through silicon is to design shorter physical circuits—essentially giving electrons less distance to travel. Increasing the computing power of a chip comes down to increasing the number of transistors. However, even if researchers are able to get transistors to be very small, they won’t be fast enough for the faster processing and data transfer speeds people and businesses will need.

My research group’s work aims to develop faster ways to move data, using ul-

Worried

transparent to reflective, we can start and stop the transmission of the constant beam, switching the optical signal from on to off and back again very quickly.

With this method, we can switch the glass properties much more quickly than current systems can send electrons. So we can send many more on and off signals—zeros and ones—in less time.

How fast are we talking?

Ou R study took the first step to transmitting data 1 million times faster than if we had used the typical electronics. With electrons, the maximum speed for transmitting data is a nanosecond, onebillionth of a second, which is very fast. But the optical switch we constructed was able to transmit data a million times faster, which took just a few hundred attoseconds.

trafast laser pulses in free space and optical fiber. The laser light travels through optical fiber with almost no loss and with a very low level of noise.

In our most recent study, published in February 2023 in Science Advances, we took a step toward that, demonstrating that it’s possible to use laser-based systems equipped with optical transistors, which depend on photons rather than voltage to move electrons, and to transfer information much more quickly than current systems—and do so more effectively than previously reported optical switches.

Ultrafast optical transistors

At their most fundamental level, digital transmissions involve a signal switching on and off to represent ones and zeros. Electronic transistors use voltage to send this signal: When the voltage induces the electrons to flow through the system, they signal a 1; when there are no elec-

trons flowing, that signals a 0. This requires a source to emit the electrons and a receiver to detect them.

Our system of ultrafast optical data transmission is based on light rather than voltage. Our research group is one of many working with optical communication at the transistor level—the building blocks of modern processors—to get around the current limitations with silicon.

Our system controls reflected light to transmit information. When light shines on a piece of glass, most of it passes through, though a little bit might reflect. That is what you experience as glare when driving toward sunlight or looking through a window. We use two laser beams transmitted from two sources passing through the same piece of glass. One beam is constant, but its transmission through the glass is controlled by the second beam. By using the second beam to shift the properties of the glass from

We were also able to transmit those signals securely so that an attacker who tried to intercept or modify the messages would fail or be detected. us ing a laser beam to carry a signal, and adjusting its signal intensity with glass controlled by another laser beam, means the information can travel not only more quickly but also much greater distances.

For instance, the James Webb Space te lescope recently transmitted stunning images from far out in space. These pictures were transferred as data from the telescope to the base station on Earth at a rate of one “on” or “off” every 35 nanoseconds using optical communications.

A laser system like the one we’re developing could speed up the transfer rate a billionfold, allowing faster and clearer exploration of deep space, more quickly revealing the universe’s secrets. And, someday, computers themselves might run on light. The Conversation

about AI? Here’s how to cope with ‘AI-nxiety’

Ev En tech experts have been astonished by the recent, rapid growth of AI technology, able to hold humanlike conversations in multiple languages, create music and pass medical exams. While the potential benefits of AI in fields such as health care are indeed inspiring, the pace of change is rapid, and there is still lots of uncertainty about the future.

If you feel worried about how AI could affect your career, your privacy or your safety in the coming years, you might be experiencing “AI-nxiety.” This term, coined by a marketing agency and spreading on social media, describes the uneasy feeling about the effects of AI on human creativity and inventiveness.

It might help to remember that these

feelings aren’t necessarily new. Similar worries about technological advancements, such as “computerphobia,” “computer anxiety” and “technostress” emerged as early as the 1980s.

to be clear, AI-nxiety doesn’t have to rule your life. Excessive worry can affect daily activities, and even lead to other medical issues, and can stop you from seeing the positives of digital advancement. Here are a few tips to cope.

Realize AI is already here

L Ack of familiarity with AI technology could prompt feelings of fear and anxiety towards it. ta king a moment to think about how AI is already part of our lives might make the new tools that are employing

similar algorithms less intimidating.

For example, many people use Apple’s Siri to look for nearby restaurants or select a film based on net flix’s recommendations. AI is also part of learning new languages with Duolingo, or using Google Maps to navigate a new city.

Prepare for new career prospects

It’S almost certain that AI will affect the next generation’s work force. A 2020 report by the World Economic Forum predicted that 85 million jobs will be replaced by AI by 2025, while AI could potentially generate 97 million new roles across 26 countries.

But you can prepare by learning how to use AI tools to their full potential in your

current or future career. Several online courses are available to give you a better understanding of how AI will affect your field and help you prepare by developing your digital skills.

Read up on regulation

W HILE you shouldn’t spend all your time reading about AI, it could be helpful to stay informed about progress in AI regulation. With eco-anxiety, it can be frustrating to feel that governments are not taking swift action, but those with AI-nxiety might be reassured that some governments are taking the risks seriously.

For example, the Eu has just approved a draft law, the AI Act, to regulate the use of AI in society. The Conversation

If you’ve ever wished you had a faster phone, computer or internet connection, you’ve encountered the personal experience of hitting a limit of technology. But there might be help on the way.

Cover photo by Sam Moghadam Khamseh on Unsplash

“SoMeday, computers themselves might run on light,” writes the story’s author, Mohammed Hassan, an a ssociate Professor of Physics and optical Sciences, University of arizona. Photo by Darlene alDerson/Pe xels.com