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Experts suggest plan on how PHL can handle Beijing’s ‘aggression’ besides keeping its rusty sentinel ship at Ayungin Shoal

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By Rene Acosta

ence titled “Redefining Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in an Age of Uncertainty” organized by the Stratbase ADR Institute on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that junked China’s expansive claims.

Six years after the decision was issued by the Hague-based body in favor of the country, the award has not been pushed and moved by the government, thus emboldening China in the KIG and WPS by strengthening its presence in those maritime territories, swarming it with both military and paramilitary ships.

A year before he stepped down, Duterte, who kept invoking his friendship with Chinese officials and the country’s friendly relations with Beijing, even declared that China is already in physical control of the WPS and parts of the KIG because of its strong presence there.

HE BRP Sierra Madre could very well be the “best” visual representation of how the Philippines deals with China and how Manila responds to Beijing’s aggressive behavior in the occupied Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) and West Philippine Sea (WPS), a retired Philippine Navy official said.

The rusting and partly sunken vessel, which has seen better days but remained officially in the service of the Navy, is being used as an outpost for Filipino troops guarding the Ayungin Shoal, where Beijing’s attacks, harassments and intimidations of Filipinos, both soldiers and civilians alike, have taken place in the past.

“The BRP Sierra Madre is the best metaphor of the Philippines’ defense against China in the West Philippine Sea,” said retired Navy Rear Admiral Rommel Jude Ong, who is now with the local think tank Security Reform Initiative as its executive director.

While the ship symbolizes the country’s resistance against Beijing, it also reflects the utter “absence of political will” by the country’s past leaders in dealing with China’s encroachment and behavior under a supposed Philippine independent foreign policy in exchange of economic benefits.

“For six years, the country en-

Next to impossible?

“THE BRP Sierra Madre is the best metaphor of the Philippines’ defense against China in the West Philippine Sea.”—Retired Navy Rear Admiral Rommel Jude Ong FACEBOOK. COM/PHILIPPINENAVY

dured a popular President with a defeatist stance,” Ong said, referring to former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who was succeeded last month by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. The former Navy official asserted that security and economy are intertwined.

Ong was among the presenters during the international confer-

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 56.2420

THE BRP Sierra Madre during the last re-provisioning of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command for troops aboard the partly sunken Navy ship at the Ayungin Shoal.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE, NAVAL FORCES WEST

FROM the time of former President Fidel V. Ramos up to Duterte, dealing with China in those territories and booting them out has been a problem for the government, a situation exacerbated by the lack of a national security strategy for the KIG and WPS and their defense.

Kicking out the Chinese from the WPS is, however, already next to impossible as Beijing has already built fortified bases out of manmade islands in parts of the territory. Retired General Gregorio Pio Catapang, former chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, declared as early as nine years ago, that such has put the island of Palawan within China’s “striking distance.”

According to Dela Salle University Professor and Stratbase ADR Institute Trustee Renato de Castro, while the government came up with a paper on national security strategy in May 2018 and during the administration of Duterte, it was not concrete, “wellthought and comprehensive” and it did not even mention China.

He said the country should come up with a strategy that is based on the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling.

Building alliance, modernizing the military

DURING the term of the late former President Benigno Aquino III, the government drew up a strategy to deal with Beijing and its behavior in the WPS. The tack mainly involved the internationalization of the issue, building alliances with like-minded countries and strengthening the capability of the military to defend those clusters of islands.

Efforts to build partnerships and modernize the military in order for the country to defend its stake in the territories were supported, encouraged and are again being pushed for the young Marcos government by international experts, who are perhaps inspired by the initial pronouncements of the new President on the WPS issue.

Rebuild ‘symbiotic’ ties

LIZA CURTIS, director of the IndoPacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), a US-based think tank, said the United States views the Philippines, which sits within China’s so-called “first island chain” as a “critically” important ally.

Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4047 n UK 66.5287 n HK 7.1648 n CHINA 8.3222 n SINGAPORE 40.0813 n AUSTRALIA 37.9296 n EU 56.3545 n KOREA 0.0427 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.9827

Source: BSP (July 15, 2022)

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE, NAVAL FORCES WEST

‘LEGACY’

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THE CHINA ‘LEGACY’

THE BRP Sierra Madre during the last re-provisioning of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command for troops aboard the partly sunken Navy ship at the Ayungin Shoal. PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE, NAVAL FORCES WEST Continued from A1

Upon the assumption into office of Marcos Jr., CNAS made several recommendations to the US government as to how it could strengthen the US-Philippine security alliance and help the Philippines navigate the reality of Beijing’s increased maritime activity.

Among the recommendations was to “elevate, strengthen and reinforce” the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), the arrangement that supports the pivot of US forces in the Philippines and allows them to station their assets and equipment in the country.

Curtis said a strengthened

and reinforced EDCA should allow the Philippine military to acquire state-of-the art firepower from the US, while, on the other hand, it will boost Washington’s security posture in the region.

“The Philippines must push back as necessary to avoid conflict,” she said.

Murray Hiebert, senior associate at another US think tank, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and director for research at Bower Group Asia, said the administration of US President Joe Biden is firm in boosting and strengthening the alliance, as shown by the recent pronouncements of several packages of assistance to the region, which included the $150-million funds on maritime security cooperation.

“And the Philippines should benefit from that package,” Hiebert said as he encouraged the Philippines to work with its allies in the Asia-Pacific region and Europe to put up a united front against China.

The Philippines should leverage the European Union’s great interest and involvement in the Indo-Pacific region, which was exemplified by the EU’s adoption in April last year of a resolution that emphasized the need to uphold freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and for states to adhere to a rules-based order.

Early this year, the EU also moved to strengthen its strategic cooperation and involvement in the region through its so-called Pacific strategy, part of which deals with the area of defense and security.

Jana Sediva, the Czech Republic’s ambassador to the Philippines and whose country is the current president of EU’s council, said the EU would increase its naval presence in the Indo-Pacific region, which includes Southeast Asia, and will expand its defense and security dialogue.

“We have already conducted military exercises in the region and we are seeking to conduct more multilateral exercises,” she declared during the conference.

Alistair White, deputy head of mission of the British Embassy in the Philippines, said the United Kingdom is also boosting and building its engagement in the region through naval deployment, cooperation and by providing capacity training and dialogue.

He said the country should soon see military ships from the UK docking at its harbors.

The Philippines, according to some analysts, should follow Australia’s course in its diplomatic and economic spat with Beijing by talking less, but acting more against China on the issue of the KIG and WPS. Australia is a key military ally of the country where both observed a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement.

“Deterrence should be boosted,” John Blaxland, professor of international security and intelligence studies at the Australia National University, said. “We should speak softly but with a bigger stick.”

He said the Philippines should be “hard-nosed” in its interests, warning that “weakness invites adventurism.”

WPS will define Marcos presidency

WHETHER he could continue the legacy of his father, the late strongman former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., in making the KIG a part of the Philippine territory by keeping it free from the Chinese— or will be made to pay for the bold and daring move of his elder and namesake, the issue of Kalayaan and WPS will help define the presidency of Marcos Jr. When Marcos Sr. made the Kalayaan Island Group a part of Palawan, partly, by virtue of necessity, he declared then that any efforts by any other states to claim it will be considered as an attack against the Philippines.

Compared with Duterte’s term, the assumption into power of Marcos Jr. has left experts and allies brimming with optimism that the new Commander in Chief will veer away from what is deemed by some as the “sold out” policies of his predecessor with China.

Curtis said that CNAS, in its recommendations to the US government, viewed the election of Marcos as an opportunity for America to build a stronger and firmer alliance with the Philippines; as such, the Biden administration must elevate its diplomatic engagement with the country to a “ministerial” level, which would increase the level of strategic consultations and operational planning for both countries.

On the other hand, Hiebert said the assumption of Marcos Jr. to the presidency should accord the US the opportunity to “energize” its alliance with Manila that has “become wobbly under Duterte.”

“Unlike Duterte, he is not coming to office blasting the US and firmer in its stance with China,” Hiebert said.

The US optimism on Marcos could not be more pronounced with the invitation of Biden to his Philippine counterpart to visit Washington.

Referring to international laws and the UN Award, Blaxland also said: “It is interesting [to see] how Bongbong Marcos will move it.”

Filipinos pin hopes on Marcos Jr.

THE positive pronouncements and outlook of international allies of Marcos on the territorial issue are supported by strong local national sentiments, with Filipinos also believing that the Commander in Chief will rise from the ashes of the “flawed” China policy of his predecessor.

During the conference, Prof.

Victor Andres Manhit, president of Stratbase ADR Institute, shared

the results of a survey conducted in October 2021 by the Social Weather Stations, wherein 82 percent of Filipinos believed Marcos will best defend the KIG and WPS against China; and 85 percent wanting the country to build alliances with states in defending its territorial and economic rights in the WPS. At least 80 percent also wanted the military’s capability to be strengthened and modernized.

In another survey taken less than a week before the official assumption of Marcos Jr., the results were even higher, with 89 percent wanting the Commander in Chief to defend the country and its rights against Beijing; and 84 percent pushing for alliances with other states. Some 90 percent also wanted the government to invest in the capability of the military.

Questions arose whether Marcos Jr. can withstand China at the expense of economic considerations, which de Castro responded to in the affirmative.

De Castro said the Marcos Jr. administration could pursue economic relations with Beijing by not allowing it to dominate as a single economic partner and donor, stressing that the key is “diversification.”

Way forward

SINCE the government is bereft of measures on how it checks China in the KIG and WPS, Ong said it must restore and strengthen the EDCA and the Visiting Forces Agreement with the US and go into trilateral arrangements with other claimant countries in the South China Sea, using as template the existing trilateral patrols that it has with Malaysia and Indonesia.

It can also discuss developments in WPS and even in the Philippine [Benham] Rise with bigger countries like the US, France and Australia, and develop Coast Guard exercises in the South China Sea with partners and allies.

The immediate concerns now for the Marcos administration, according to Ong, is to make sure that Ayungin Shoal will not fall to Beijing and to return economic activities in the WPS through oil explorations and fishing by Filipinos.

The retired Navy official pushed for the modernization of the military in order that it can defend the maritime territories.

However, the local defense industry should also be developed in order to make the modernization sustainable.

On the other hand, De Castro said the country’s defense and security budget and spending should be raised to at least 2 percent of the gross domestic product, which is already the benchmark for other militaries. The modernization program should also be connected with the country’s allies.

The World

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Angel R. Calso

BusinessMirror

Sunday, July 17, 2022

A3

Widespread loss of confidence in real estate seen straining China’s economy

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By Richard Frost

ormer UBS Group AG economist Jonathan Anderson once called it “the most important sector in the universe.”

More than a decade on, Chinese property is again grabbing the attention of global investors—this time for all the wrong reasons.

Mounting signs of stress this week in an industry that accounts for about a quarter of the world ’s second-largest economy have roiled China’s cred it markets, drag ged down the nation’s bank stocks and pummeled commodities from iron ore to copper.

After a burst of optimism earlier this year that looser regulatory curbs might stem the industry’s debt crisis, investors are getting spooked by rolling Covid lockdowns and a rapidly escalating homebuyer boycott of mortgage payments on stalled projects. The bigger worry is that a widespread loss of confidence in real estate will put major strain on China’s economy and financial system, which is sitting on 46 trillion yuan ($6.8 trillion) of outstanding mortgages and still has 13 trillion yuan of loans to the country’s beleaguered developers.

“Proper t y has been getting steadily worse the whole time; prices, sales, starts, all terrible,” said Craig Botham, chief China economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics in London. “The chronic deterioration has

now taken another step. It was always going to hit the financial sector eventually, given the prevalence of collateral in loan books with large real estate portions.”

What started as trouble with China Evergrande Group is now snowballing into a crisis that risks engulfing the majority of the country’s developers, its biggest lenders and a middle class that has significant wealth tied to the property market.

China’s home prices have tumbled 10 months straight, according to data released on Friday.

“The whole pyramid is collapsing now,” said Anne Stevenson-Yang, cofounder of J Capital Research Ltd. “What’s different is that things are worse now because of the Evergrande crisis a year ago, which is spreading its tentacles throughout the Chinese economy.”

The turmoil this week has battered what was already one of the world ’s most stressed industries.

The average yield on Chinese junk dollar debt, which is dominated by developers, has surged to almost 26 percent. Selling has also spread to investment-grade builders, with a bond issued by China Vanke Co., the nation’s second-largest builder by sales, falling to a record-low of 81.6 cents on the dollar on Tuesday.

China’s Covid Zero policy is exacerbating the situation by damping demand for property and depressing economic activity. Lockdowns remain commonplace in China, which

continues to stick to a policy of keeping out the virus with stringent curbs. A recent f lareup in Shanghai has spurred concern the city could be heading for another lockdown.

Concern that mortgage boycotts will lead to a rise in souring loans sent a gauge of Chinese bank shares to its lowest level since March 2020.

Chinese authorities held emergency meetings with major banks this week to discuss the mortgage boycotts on concern that more buyers may follow suit, according to people familiar with the matter. Some lenders plan to tighten their mortgage lending requirements in highrisk cities, two of the people said.

The housing ministry in Xi’an became one of the first government agencies to address the issue publicly, saying it will penalize developers who cause social incidents due to failure of project delivery.

Homebuyers have stopped mortgage payments on at least 100 projects in more than 50 cities as of Wednesday, according to researcher China Real Estate Information Corp.

That’s up from 58 projects on Tuesday and only 28 on Monday, according to Jefferies Financial Group Inc. analysts including Shujin Chen.

“If more home buyers cease payment, the spreading trend will not only threaten the health of the financial system but also create social issues amid the current economic downturn,” Betty Wang, a senior economist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd., wrote in a note Thursday.

Banks are rushing to reassure investors that risks from loans to homebuyers were controllable, with at least 10 firms issuing statements.

State-owned Agricultural Bank of China Ltd. said it held 660 million

yuan of overdue loans on unfinished homes, while smaller rival Industrial Bank Co. said 1.6 billion yuan of mortgages were impacted, of which 384 million yuan have become delinquent.

Nomura Holdings Inc. said the refusal to pay mortgages stems from the widespread practice in China of selling homes before they’re built.

Confidence that projects will be completed has weakened as developers’ cash woes intensified.

Nomura economists led by Ting Lu estimate that Chinese developers have only delivered around 60 percent of homes they presold between 2013 and 2020, while in those years China’s mortgage loans rose by 26.3 trillion yuan. GF Securities Co. expects that as much as 2 trillion yuan of mortgages could be impacted by the boycott.

Housing in China has gone from being a sure bet over the past two decades to a growing risk. The government cracked down on leverage in the real estate industry, helping drive up debt refinancing costs for developers and triggering a record wave of defaults.

Home sales tumbled 41.7 percent in May from a year earlier, with investment dropping 7.8 percent.

The real estate industry has an oversized impact on the economy.

When related sectors like construction and property services are included, real estate accounts for more than a quarter of Chinese economic output, by some estimates. About 70 percent of household wealth is

stored in property, along with 30 percent- 40 percent of bank loan books, while land sa les account for 30 percent-40 percent of local government revenues, according to Pantheon Macroeconomics’ Botham.

The worsening crisis will test authorities’ ability to minimize the fallout. Earlier this year, China was setting up a stability fund to provide support to troubled financial firms as risks to the economy grow. Handling such issues will be also key for President Xi Jinping ahead of a leadership confab widely expected to cement his rule for life.

Data Friday will likely show the economy’s performance in the second quarter was the weakest since an historic contraction in the first three months of 2020 when the pandemic first hit. Economists predict GDP likely grew 1.2 percent in the second quarter from a year ago, down from 4.8 percent in the first three months of the year.

The slowdown in construction is also hurting demand for building materials. Iron ore slumped more than 8 percent on Thursday, falling below $100 a ton for the first time since December. A year ago, iron ore was trading comfortably above $200 a ton, with China’s wave of Covid-era stimulus feeding a boom for property and the steel market.

Futures for steel rebar in construction collapsed in Shanghai to their weakest since 2020. Copper dropped for a fifth day. Bloomberg News

Journey

»life on the go

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BusinessMirror

Sunday, July 17, 2022

Editor: Tet Andolong

Northern Vibrance Capisaan Caves Kasibu Tourism

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Sta. Fe Forest Park

The Green Oasis of Dupax in Dupax Del Sur

Story & photos by Bernard L. Supetran

ravelers en route to the Cagayan Valley will inevitably pass through this gateway province, which is a best-kept secret hiding under plain sight. Perhaps, in their haste to reach their destination further up north, people get to just breeze by the highway and miss the opportunity to savor the natural vibrance of Nueva Vizcaya.

Excitement begins right at the provincial boundary at the gateway town of Sta. Fe, perched at the peak of Balete Pass an altitude of 914 meters feet above sea level.

After ascending the zigzag from Nueva Ecija, you will be rewarded with a commanding view of the road below and the mighty Cordilleras, Sierra Madre and Caraballo mountain ranges.

The spot, which is still popularly known as Dalton Pass, named after US general James Dalton who was killed during the closing months World War II in 1945. It has a hilltop war memorial in remembrance of the thousands of Japanese, American, Filipino and Chinese troops were killed during the fierce battles.

Within the town’s interiors is the two-tiered waters Imugan Fall, which has shallow catch basin where you can, swim, fish or simply soak in the icy water.

A not he r mu s t - s e e i s t he 2,200-hectare Santa Fe Forest

Park, a reforestation project with Benguet pine and West Indian mahogany, which is now a municipal recreational area, training center, and transient lodging.

The rustic town of Dupax Del Sur is known for its postcardpretty 18th-century St. Vincent Ferrer Church, which is like a nostalgic scene from the movies.

Along with a nearby Spanish-era brick bridge, it was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum.

Along the provincial road leading to it is The Green Oasis of Dupax, a farm and plant garden, and a newly-opened restaurant which serves tasty and organic food and beverages.

The provincial capital town of Bayombong is getting known for its farm- and nature-themed tourist establishments situated on its remote barrios.

Courage Integrated Farm in the upland barangay of Bansing is the toast of the town with

Log Cabin at Paragliding Fly Site in Ambaguio

its location at the bosom of the mountain overlook ing several municipalities in the valley below. The 16-hectare farm is planted with hundreds of fruit and citrus trees, dragon fruit, and a host of other crops. Guests get to do a pick and pay activity which generates farm tours during fruiting season.

As its name suggests, it takes courage and skill, not to mention a trusty 4 x 4 vehicle, to drive up the rough and tough terrain leading to the farm.

The farm is also developing the vast property for a scenic restaurant to cater to day visitors and special events complement the Mediterranean-themed chapel, Instagrammable bric-a-brac items scattered on its slopes, a Lord of

Courage Integrated Farm in Bayombong

the Rings-themed hobbit house for overnight lodging, and a hobbit reading and playpen room.

Moreover, outdoor lovers can rough it out, pitch tent and sleep under the stars with the mesmerizing view of the nightlights.

On the way down, you can swing by Nueva VizKawa Wellness Farm and dip in their hot “kawa” aromatic baths and get a massage afterwards to soothe and rejuvenate your body and calm your senses.

Just a few minutes away from Bayombong town proper is the mountain-top Log Cabin of the Paragliding Flysite in Ambaguio.

While paragliding won’t resume until perhaps the fourth quarter, the area gives you the feel and thrill of flying above the rolling

hills and treetops.

The wooden cabin is also a superb place to sip locally-brewed coffee and snacks while gazing at the horizon.

Last but not least, the town of Kasibu is another must-visit for its vast 529-hectare plantation of citrus fruits, such as calamandarin oranges, mandarin (satsuma and ponkan), and pomelos, which is sold all over the country.

In late June, it was officially proclaimed as the “Citrus Capital of Luzon” by the Department of Agriculture, a moniker it has been known for decades.

The 47-km drive inland from the Cagayan Valley Road is worth the hassle, as you can pick and buy citrus from the planters themselves and scout derivatives and

pasalubong on the side.

Adrenaline junkies can go spelunking at the 4.2-km Capisaan Caves, the country’s fifth longest system, which has a network of chambers, the Lion and Alayan Caves, which take pride in their rare calcite formations and an underground river.

Under the Covid-19 pandemic protocols, only the 2-km halfway route is allowable for tourist activities. Beginners can try an abridged version, if only to get a feel of the subterranean world which has been luring cavers from all over the country and other parts of the world.

With adventure, nature and culture coming into play in a valley of fun, Nueva Vizcaya is undoubtedly naturally vibrant.

Vital Dome teams up with The Farm at San Benito to provide holistic care

The addition of the French-made wellness device to the resort’s roster of wellness solutions is seen as a welcome development by both staff and guests

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he Farm at San Benito is a resort that has established itself as a center for health and wellness within the Southern Tagalog region, and one whose reputation has made it known in other parts of the globe.

In the aftermath of Covid-19, the resort has experienced an uptick in the number of guests seeking more than just rest and relaxation, but also holistic ways by which their bodies can recover from prolonged illness, ennui from being cooped up at home, and the myriad stresses brought about by prolonged confinement and the way the workplace has shifted to the home.

In which case, the latest addition to The Farm’s growing roster of wellness solutions is something that certainly augments its current range of modalities: the

French device known as the Vital Dome.

“It’s an honor for us to partner with The Farm and to be a part of their longstanding commitment to help people with their health and wellness goals,” says Katherine Alejar, CEO and Chief Innovator for I3, the Vital Dome’s exclusive distributor in the country. “We feel that this partnership will certainly blossom as we share The Farm’s emphasis on seeking optimal wellness through better-considered, non-invasive, and absolutely safe technologies.”

French innovation for better health

Patented and manufactured in France, the Vital Dome uses Far Infrared Rays (FIRs) generated by carbon panels within the device to give users a sense of relaxation and

and encourage their recovery on reopening.

Perfect pairing

Vital Dome is that it is the perfect complementary modality to The Farm’s spa and clinical services.

renewed well-being.

Unlike traditional saunas or massage machines, the Vita l Dome’s FIRs penetrate deep into the skin, accelerating regeneration on a cellular level as it safely raises the body’s core temperature. This enables the body to

Katherine Alejar, Chief Innovator

sweat out toxins and other impurities as a way to stay healthy and keep infections at bay.

Likewise, the regenerative action of the FIRs reduces internal inf lammation which, in turn, helps in long-term pain management. It is also instrumental in

healthy weight management and body shaping.

The fact that the Vital Dome is also a hands-free experience will also help boost consumer confidence in hotels and resorts, enable them to comply with relevant health protocols and ordinances,

The thing about the Vital Dome is that it is the perfect complementary modality to The Farm’s spa and clinical services.

Together with the treatment and nutritional regimens recommended by The Farm’s team of health-care professionals and holistic wellness experts, the Vital Dome is now part of an exceptional experience that will leave guests rested, refreshed, and renewed in both mind and body.

For more information on the Vital Dome, visit the official Philippine web site at https://vitaldomeglobal.com. Like and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @vitaldomeph.

Science Sunday

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

BusinessMirror

Sunday, July 17, 2022

A5

How to be a Stephanie Tumampos?

By Lyn B. Resurreccion

W

hen she applied as a photojournalist in B usiness M irror in 2013, the editors asked what degree she took in college. She replied: BS in Applied Physics. Upon hearing this, the editors assigned her to also write for the newspaper’s Science page besides being a photographer.

Stephanie Tumampos, while working in B usiness M irror , was taking and later finished her Masters in Science in Environment Engineering.

Her articles in science did not go unnoticed by award-giving bodies. On top of which was her receiving the Bantog Outstanding S&T Journalist Award from the Department of Science and TechnologyScience and Technology Information Institute in 2018.

Tumampos has come a long way after that feat. As the cliché says, the rest is history.

She took further studies in Europe 2019 under the Erasmus Mundus scholarship.

Just last week, she had her in-person graduation from Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree (EMJMD) Copernicus Master in Digital Earth that she took in University of Salzburg in Austria and Université Bretagne Sud in France for the geodata science track.

On that same day, she was awarded the “Special Achievement in Digital Earth” for her various “contributions to the worldwide visibility of the Copernicus Master in Digital Earth program.”

There is more: She is currently taking her PhD at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Germany.

Wow! What is this girl eating to have all that brain power and energy?

Journey in S&T education

Tumampos, 31, was from humble beginnings in Bohol in Central Visayas.

She might not have imagined then that she could attain the educational status she has now.

Actually, when she graduated from Tagbilaran City Science High School, she was still undecided on what to take up in college.

“I just took [Bachelor of Science in] Applied Physics because it was pretty attractive for someone who is studying at a science high school,” she told the B usiness M irror in an e-mail interview on July 13.

“I just wanted to try to take the UPCAT [University of the Philippines College Admission Test] with that degree. The only thing I knew back then was I would just be studying in Bohol or Cebu, without expecting to pass the UPCAT,” she added.

She passed the UPCAT, and took BS in Applied Physics in UP Los Baños—that started her science education.

She later took MS in Environment Engineering in UP Diliman because “I wanted to study pollution and how it could be mitigated through engineering.”

Her thesis was about the removal of copper and lead ions from aqueous solutions by absorbents derived from groundwater treatment sludge.

Technology’s events, was her way of “giving back” to the country.

“It has been instilled in me, as an Iskolar ng Bayan [People’s Scholar], to serve my country. This is one way I am serving my country for now,” she pointed out.

She was invited to the webinars, she said, because besides establishing herself as a scholar, “a lot of people knew the struggles and challenges I had to overcome to be where I am today.”

“A lot of people draw inspiration from my journey. I came from an island and chances are slim [for me] to succeed, especially since I grew up in a family, whose earnings are below average,” she said.

“I remember I was even picked and called ‘probinsyana’ [province lass] for fun because I never knew how to dress up like every Manileño,” Tumampos shared.

Interest in space science

How did she have an interest in space science?

“The applications of space science and technology to Earth is very attractive. I grew up in Bohol where I have seen environmental changes,” she explained.

In her masteral degree from EMJMD Copernicus Master in Digital Earth, her thesis was “Spatio-Temporal Prediction of Urban Air Pollution (PM2.5) through Deep Learning.”

This double or joint master’s degree from two countries was designed “so that students can experience quality education in different universities and countries in Europe,” Tumampos said.

Her PhD project in TU Munich is titled “Modelling, Prediction and Anomaly Detection of Earth Surface Dynamics.” TUM is tagged the “University of Excellence” for three times in succession.

Tumampos explained that the project involves improving the current models of land, sea and air dynamics, using remote sensing data from satellites and other related sensors, and machine learning, with a hint of ambit stochastics, a mathematical field which deals with probabilities.

“I took a PhD because I want to teach in a university. My target job is in the academe. However, there are many opportunities in many institutions and private companies as well, such as in research and specialist,” she said.

She added that a person with a doctoral degree is “regarded highly,” in Europe.

“There are many opportunities that await them.“

Poverty is not a hindrance to success

Stephanie Tumampos (center) during her in-person graduation last week for her EMJMD Copernicus Master in Digital Earth held at the University of Salzburg’s Bibliotheksaula that houses 17th and 18th century books. She also received the Special Achievement in Digital Earth Award for her "contributions to the worldwide visibility of the Copernicus Master in Digital Earth program." With her are Associate Professor Stefan Lang (left), professor of Geoinformatics and joint program coordinator at the Department of Geoinformatics Z-GIS, Paris-Lodron University, Salzburg, and Peter Zeil of CopHub.AC. Photo from Facebook

Lessons learned while in Europe

Medium of instruction

With English as the medium of instruction, language was never a problem to her.

Although she took German and French language lessons, practicing them “is the challenge.”

However, it is good to learn a few words, such as greetings, in talking to locals.

“Whenever you greet locals, their faces light up. Even with a language barrier, they try to communicate through hand signals or use a translator,” she said.

Living in Europe

People think that Europe living is expensive.

“That is if you are a traveler,” she said, but if you are a student, you live how the locals live.

When she arrived as a student in

Stephanie Tumampos beside a globe from the 1700s at the University of Salzburg’s Bibliotheksaula and with books from the 17th and 18th century at the background.

Salzburg in 2019, Tumampos stayed in a dormitory.

“I cook my own food. I buy from groceries which is much cheaper, and bring [the food] to the university during lunch,” she said.

In France, if one is an international student and has a residency of more than six months, one is eligible to apply for a housing assistance “which helped me with my finances.” she said.

One can also get student discounts.

And the best way to save money? Ride a bike or walk to school.

“This is the European way of life.

I have learned over time to budget my money according to my scholarship fund,” Tumampos said.

During her current PhD studies in Germany, she has to budget her monthly stipend for housing rent, food and other expenses.

Universities in Europe, such as TU Munich, are publicly funded, thus, there is no tuition, only an administrative fee for the enrollment and semester transportation ticket.

Moreover, every doctoral student in the university has an allocated budget for conference travels and for books.

Banana fruit stalks good for composite boards W

hat can be done with banana processing wastes? A researcher from the Department of Science a n d Te c h n o l o g y - F o r e s t P r o d u c t s Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI) said that if these wastes are banana fruit stalks, also called peduncles, they can be used to make thermal insulation boards.

“Our study shows that fibers from the fruit stalk of the saba banana [Musa paradisiaca] are promising material for composite insulation boards,"

according to Engr. Gilberto N. Sapin of DOST-FPRDI. "Such boards can be used in tropical countries to keep heat outside of homes and buildings. The sample panels we produced are not yet perfect. We still need to make a few adjustments on them, but our initial findings are very encouraging,” Sapin said.

The Philippines is one of the world’s top producers of banana, therefore, one of the top generators of banana fruit stalk wastes. In Mindanao alone, some 1.35 billion kilograms of the stalks

are produced every year and left in the fields to rot.

Sapin reported: “Mixed with the right amount of fibers and binders, the banana peduncle fibers we studied gave us boards suitable for thermal insulation.

For tropical countries like the Philippines which are getting hotter temperatures due to the climate crisis, insulation panels will be very useful as they keep heat outside of homes and buildings.”

The findings formed part of Sapin’s thesis for his MS in Material Science

at the University of the Philippines Diliman under the supervision of Dr. Leslie Joy L. Diaz.

At DOST-FPRDI, Sapin also learned through an initial study that the peduncle fibers of lagkitan banana (Musa acuminata) are also promising material for composite boards.

At present, natural fiber composites are commonly used worldwide for walls, ceilings, floors and cabinets, crates and car parts. Rizalina K. Araral/S&T Media

With the “you do you,” meaning be yourself or do what you want, attitude prevailing among the millennials, Tumampos said she has an open mind and just tried to adjust.

“I came here in Europe with a strong sense of independence so it was not really a problem. But speaking out my mind was a struggle. In Asia, we are mostly taught to just agree on everything, especially to our supervisors. Here, I am taught to speak out my mind,” she said.

Having been bullied a few times, she stood up for herself.

What’s positive is that she feels “lucky to be surrounded by people who encourage me and create a healthy environment for me. This is one of the reasons why I feel convenient living in Europe.”

Busy as speaker

On top of her studies, Tumampos is quite busy with other activities, such as speaker in webinars for Filipino audience, or as speaker, representative of an organization in space-related conferences in Europe, and also hosts an IEEE podcast called Down to Earth.

Some of these activities were among the basis that won her the award when she graduated.

“They actually consume my free time,” she said. “Being alone in Europe, I have to find ways to keep busy.”

Speaking in webinars for Filipinos, like with the Department of Science and

The eldest of five children, Tumampos’s two brothers and two sisters have also graduated from college.

“I draw my inspiration from them. I have to be better because I want them to look up to me and say that our family status is not a hindrance to the success and realization of our dreams,” she explained. “I have to work hard. I want to break the generational chain of poverty.”

The doting sister, who supports some of her siblings’ school needs, would also treat them “for leisure like travels or concerts.”

“I just want them [siblings] to experience life,” she said.

Travelled to 30 countries

Tumampos herself has traveled to many countries—at least 30 as she has stopped counting—mostly for conferences and workshops.

She has been to all continents, except Africa, which she plans to travel soon.

Message to the young students

Her advice to young students is “to do what your heart wants.”

“It may not have a sense to others but if it makes sense to you to take that degree [in college], take it,” she said.

A lot of people are worried about future jobs and the opportunities right after graduation “but all I can say is there is no guarantee for the future,” she said.

She explained that “four years of college studies means four years of changing landscapes and opportunities. And once you love what you do, you will always know how to find ways to earn.”

Her plan after graduating from PhD in 2025?

Tumampos said: “I would like to cross the bridge when I get there. 2025 is still too far and opportunities and circumstances change over time.”

NAST recognizes de la Peña

Services

Engineers in Asia, Pacific to hold 30th assembly on July 27-29

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he Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP) will hold its 30th General Assembly and 6th International Convention on July 27 to 29 at a hotel in Cebu City.

It will be hosted by the Philippine Technological Council, a pioneering member of FEIAP, and the Professional Accreditation body for engineering education programs in the country that was established under the FEIAP guidelines and the Washington Accord.

This year’s assembly will have the theme ”Engineering education, accreditation and mobility geared toward industry 5.0.”

Former Department of Science and

Technology secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña, an engineer, will be among the assembly’s keynote speakers.

The FEIAP General Assembly is a yearly activity that serves as a venue for lively discussions among professional engineers regarding technological advances and issues relevant to the practices and advancement of the engineering professions in and around Asia and the Pacific regions in ways that are mutually beneficial in support of the member countries’ sustainable socioeconomic development objectives.

The international nonprofit professional organization was founded as the Federation

of Engineering Institutions of Southeast Asia and the Pacific (FEISEAP) on July 6, 1978.

It was convened and organized by The Engineering Institute of Thailand under The King’s Patronage on July 3, 1978, in Chiang Mai, with the support of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

FEISAP was turned into FEIAP during its 14th General Assembly in Cebu City on November 26, 2007.

The federation is a member of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations that pursues objectives similar to those of FEIAP on a global scale.

Being an independent umbrella organization for the engineering institutions in the Asia and the Pacific, FEIAP broadened its scope to bring the member-countries closer together.

It encourages the application of technical progress to economic and social advancement throughout the world; advance engineering as a profession in the interest of all people; and foster peace throughout the world.

FEIAP promotes the concept and application of sustainable socioeconomic development in engineering practices, making it a premier professional organization for Asia and the Pacific.

The National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) gives former Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña a recognition for his outstanding leadership of the Department of Science and Technology since 2016. With de la Peña are NAST President Rhodora V. Azanza (right) and NAST Vice President Fabian Dayrit. The event was held at the opening of the two-day NAST 44th Annual Scientific Meeting on July 7. In the recognition, de la Peña was cited for his “dedicated, tireless service and commitment“ to the Filipino people as Secretary of DOST from 2016 to 2022.

It added that under the banner of Science for the People the DOST addressed the multiple challenges of both big industries, and micro, small and medium entrepreneurs, and prepared the country to respond to various natural disasters.

It said that de la Peña's personal involvement with the youth “inspires the next generation of Filipino scientists and engineers.” His close partnership with NAST produced “Pagtanaw 2050“ which will be the “legacy for the future of the country.“ Photo from Henry de Leon, DOST-STII

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Sunday, July 17, 2022

Faith

Sunday

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion • www.businessmirror.com.ph

Pope appoints Cardinal Advincula to Vatican office that selects bishops

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ope Francis has appointed Cardinal Jose Advincula of Manila as among the new members of the Vatican department that helps him choose future bishops globally.

T he Dicaster y for Bishops is the second Vatican office of which Advincula is a member since becoming a cardinal two years ago.

In December 2020, the pope appointed Advincula as a member of the Congregation for the Clerg y.

The new appointments announced on Wednesday also include two religious sisters and one consecrated virgin, the first time women have been appointed to the dicastery.

Here is the list of the pope’s appointments as Dicastery members: n Cardinal Anders Arborelius, OCD, bishop of Stockholm (Sweden) n Cardinal Jose F. Advincula, archbishop of Manila (Philippines) n Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, archivist and librarian of the Holy Roman Church n Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops

Cardinal Jose Advincula celebrates Mass during the National Synodal Consultation at the Carmelite Missionaries Center of Spirituality in Tagaytay City on July 4. CBCP NEWS n Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments n Cardinal-elect Lazzaro You Heung-sik, prefect of the

Dicastery for the Clergy n Cardinal-elect Jean-Marc Aveline, archbishop of Marseille (France) n Cardinal-elect Oscar Cantoni, bishop of Como (Italy)

Ukraine Muslims pray for victory, end of Russia’s occupation

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OSTIANTYNIVK A, Ukraine—By the time the Russians invaded, 43-year-old Mufti Said Ismahilov—one of the Muslim spiritual leaders of Ukraine—had already resolved that he would step aside from his religious duties to fight for his country.

At the end of last year, as warnings of an imminent attack grew louder, Ismahilov began training with a local territorial defense battalion. By then he had served as a mufti for thirteen years.

Born and raised in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, Ismahilov had already fled Russia once before, in 2014, when Moscow-backed separatists captured his city.

He eventually moved to a quiet suburb outside Kyiv called Bucha—only to find himself, eight years later, at the heart of Moscow’s assault on Kyiv, and the site of atrocities that shocked the world. It felt as if the threat of Russian occupation would never end.

“This time I made the decision that I would not run away, I would not flee but I would fight,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press in Kostiantynivka, a town close to the front lines in eastern Ukraine where a battle for control of the region is intensifying.

Ismahilov began working as a military driver for paramedics evacuating the wounded from front lines or besieged towns.

Tasked with driving in highly dangerous conditions, but also emotionally supporting the critically injured, Ismahilov says he sees his new job as “a continuation of my spiritual duty before God.” “If you are not scared and you can do this, then it is very important. The Prophet was himself a warrior,” Ismahilov says. “So I follow his example and I also will not run, or hide. I will not turn my back on others.”

Ismahilov was one of dozens of Ukrainian Muslims who gathered at the mosque in Kostiantynivka last Saturday to mark Eid al-Adha—an important re-

Former Mufti Sheikh Said Ismahilov, leads Muslim soldiers during prayers on the first day of Eid al-Adha, in Medina Mosque, Konstantinovka, eastern Ukraine, on July 9.

AP/Nariman El-Mofty

ligious holiday in Islam.

The mosque is now the last remaining operational mosque in Ukrainian-controlled territory in Donbas. Ismahilov told the AP that there are around 30 mosques in the region in total but that most are now in the hands of the Russians.

Last week, Russia captured the city of Lysychansk, the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in the eastern province of Luhansk.

The governor of the Luhansk region said on Saturday that Russian forces are now pressing toward the border with the neighbouring Donetsk region.

Muslims make up almost 1 percent of the population in Ukraine, which is predominantly Orthodox Christian. There is a large Muslim population in Crimea—home to the Crimean Tatars and illegally annexed by Russian in 2014. Numbers there jump to 12 percent.

T here is a l so a si zeable Muslim community in eastern Ukraine, the result of waves of economic migration as the region industrialised and many Muslims immigrated to the Donbas region to work in the mines and factories.

The conflict in 2014 forced many Muslims from Crimea and Donbas to relocate to other parts of the country where they joined long-established Tatar communities or built new Islamic cen-

ters alongside Turks, Arabs and Ukrainian converts.

But the invasion has forced many to flee once again. The mosque in Kostiantynivka used to cater for a local Muslim population of several hundred people.

On Saturday, few local residents were present, having journeyed west with their families.

Instead the congregation was made up of soldiers or combat medics from different units: Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian converts from Kharkiv, Kyiv and western Ukraine.

In his sermon following the traditional Eid prayers, Ismahilov told the congregation that this year’s Eid had a symbolic significance in the midst of the war, and asked them to remember Muslims living in occupied territories, where many have lost their homes and several mosques have been destroyed by shelling.

Referencing a series of arrests of Crimean Tartars in the wake of the 2014 annexation, Ismahilov said Muslims in occupied territories do not feel safe.

“There is a lot of fear.… The war continues and we have no idea what is happening in the occupied territories and what situation Muslims are in there” he said.

Ismahilov told the AP that he considers Russian Muslims invading Ukraine, including Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov’s infamous Chechen

battalions, as “criminals.”

“They are committing sins and…they have come as murderers and occupiers, on a territory that is the home of Ukrainians and Ukrainian Muslims, without any justification. Allah did not give them that right,” Ismahilov said. “They will answer for all this before God.” Olha Bashei, 45, a lawyer turned paramedic from Kyiv who converted to Islam in 2015, says Russia is trying “to erase Ukraine from the face of the earth.”

Bashei began working as a frontline paramedic in Donbas in 2014. She considers this war her ‘jihad,’ a term to denote a holy war or personal struggle in Islam.

“This war is my war, and I defend my jihad because I have nephews, I have a mother and I defend my home. I do not want my nephews to ever see what I, unfortunately, saw in this war,” she said.

“Islam even helps me because in Islam, in prayer, you somehow d i st rac t you rse l f from the war because you read the prayer and you have a connection with the Almighty. For me, Islam is a force that supports me even in war.”

As the soldiers prepared the customary sacrificial sheep for the Eid feast, a residential area in Kostiantynivka several kilometers away came under violent shelling. The incoming artillery shook the ground. Some soldiers ran to the mosque’s bunker. Others shrugged it off and continued to drink their tea and eat dates.

The shelling caused several fires, injuring several inhabitants and burning roofs to cinders.

Ismahilov said they would pray for victory and the liberation of the occupied territories.

“We pray that our Muslim compatriots will be safe, that our families will be reunited, that the slain Muslims will go to heaven, and that all the Muslim soldiers who are defending their country will be accepted as shahids [martyrs] by Allah.”

Francesca Ebel/Associated Press

n Archbishop Dražen Kutleša, archbishop of Split-Makarska (Croatia) n Bishop Paul Desmond Tighe, secretary of the former Pontifical Council for Culture n Father Dom Donato Ogliari, OSB, abbot of the Abbey of San Paolo fuori le Mura and Apostolic Administrator of the Territorial Abbey of Montecassino (Italy) n Sister Raffaella Petrini, FSE, secretary general of the Governorate of the Vatican City State n Sister Yvonne Reungoat, FMA, former Superior General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians n Dr. Maria Lia Zervino, president of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations

According to Vatican News, the nomination of Zervino also marks the first appointment ever of a laywoman to the Vatican dicastery.

The members of the dicastery assist in choosing bishops for the dioceses. They analyze position papers, called ponenze, providing an opinion on candidates.

The ultimate decision in appointing bishops rests with the pope, and he is free to select anyone he chooses.

Usually, the pope’s representative in a country, the apostolic nuncio, passes on recommendations and documentation to the Vatican.

The Dicastery of Bishops then discusses the appointment in a further process and takes a vote.

On being presented with the recommendations, the pope makes the final decision.

The Congregation of Bishops, a department of the Roman Curia, recently changed its name to the Dicastery for Bishops, in line with the new constitution that underpins the reform of the Vatican by Pope Francis. Catholic News Agency via CBCP News

Bishops agree to create public affairs ministry in dioceses

The CBCP opens its 124th plenary assembly with a Mass at the chapel of the Carmelite Missionaries Center of Spirituality in Tagaytay City on July 9. CBCP NEWS

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he country’s Catholic bishops have agreed to establish a public affairs ministry in all dioceses.

The move was made during their plenary assembly at the Carmelite Missionaries Center of Spirituality in Tagaytay City from July 9 to 11.

Alongside the decision is the approval of the bishops’ conference to elevate its Permanent Committee on Public Affairs into an episcopal commission.

Established in 1982, it is currently chaired by Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista of Imus.

Its executive secretary Fr. Jerome

Secillano welcomed the move, saying that “we can serve more and we can have different partners also coming from different archdioceses and dioceses.”

“We really have to make our social engagement very strong especially now that the church is also needed,” Secillano said.

Among the functions of the public affairs commission include the liaisoning between the CBCP and government.

It is also tasked to represent the CBCP in public hearings called by the government in matters affecting church-state relations.

CBCP News

500-year-old icon looted from divided Cyprus repatriated

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ICOSIA, Cyprus—A 500-year-old Orthodox icon that was looted from a church in the breakaway north of ethnically divided Cyprus has been returned to the island.

The icon of the Enthroned Christ, which Cyprus’s Antiquities Department dates to around the end of the 15th century to the early 16th century, was presented at a ceremony in the past week to the head of the island’s Orthodox Church, Archbishop Chrysostomos.

The icon belongs to the 12th-century Christ Antiphonitis Church, which is near the northern coastal town of Kyrenia.

It was one of countless icons, frescoes, mosaics and religious artifacts stolen from churches that were abandoned when a 1974 Turkish invasion split the island between primarily Orthodox Greek Cypriots in the south and Muslim Turkish Cypriots in the north.

Turkey’s invasion had followed a coup mounted by supporters of union with Greece.

“Efforts to repatriate stolen artifacts are continuing,” said Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos, who presented the icon to the church.

The Cyprus Church traced the icon to an auction in Switzerland, and Swiss police seized it in 2014. Following a long legal process, Swiss authorities handed the icon over last week and it was flown to Cyprus.

The Cyprus Church has for decades been trying to track down numerous religious artifacts stolen from hundreds of abandoned churches and monasteries in the north and sold abroad.

The church said the returned icon would be held by the archbishopric “until it returns to its rightful place” in the Antiphonitis Church. AP

Biodiversity Sunday BusinessMirror

Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014

Sunday, July 17, 2022 A7

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Mutualism: Nature’s essential relationship

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By Jonathan L. Mayuga

n rice farms, domestic carabaos are often observed having one or two egrets near them. Scientists explain that like other large mammals and bird species in the wild, the carabao and egret have developed a special relationship wherein they mutually benefit from such interaction.

The egret feeds on the ticks and other pesky insects or parasites that suck the blood or cause irritation to the skin of the carabao.

Besides having a buffet of insects, egrets get some degree of protection provided by the carabao—especially from predators like snakes or large lizards and even domestic animals like cats or dogs. Who would want to go near a carabao with those deadly horns, anyway?

Mutualism

In the wild, this symbiotic rel at ionsh ip is a lso common ly observed among other plant or animal species.

Parrot fish feed on algae, taking them off from corals and allowing the latter to breathe better. Without the parrot fish to remove the algae, the corals can eventually “choke” to death.

Besides serving as a feeding ground, corals provide fish the protection they need against bigger fish that can snatch and make delicious meals out of the poor little creature.

The discovery of a specific species of insect bats using a specific tropical pitcher plant species to sleep in Borneo in 2019 has inspired scientists to take a closer look at this unique relationship between the Harwicke’s wooly bats and pitcher plants.

What a bat!

The Hardwicke’s wooly bats are known to exist in Asia, including the Philippines. The International Union for Conser vation of Nature (IUCN) listed the Hardwicke’s wooly bats as a “ least concern.”

This bat is highly adaptable.

While it is generally known to inhabit in almost all types of forests, it is also found foraging in

residential areas and roosting on rooftops.

It was also seen roosting on rattan vine leaves and even in bamboo thicket, on hollow trees or dead clusters of leaves.

Hotel for bats

Scientists say the pitcher plant, on the other hand, has evolved as a specialized roost for the Hardwicke’s wooly bats.

The plant has developed a lower level of digestive fluid which is tolerable for their visiting special friend to roost.

Scientists say that the plant, which is supposed to be carnivorous, seems to invite wooly bats through an ultrasonic ref lector. This allows the bats to easily find them in the forest.

In roost ing inside pitc her plants, the bats leave feces and urines that fertilize the plant, allowing it to grow healthy, even when it is eventually deprived of insects to digest.

Inspiring relationship

Jayson Iba nez, director of Research and Conservation at the Philippine Eagle Foundation, described this mutualism between bats and pitcher plants as “a very inspiring nature-based relationship.”

Closer to home, Ibanez said there are other mutualism examples for bats in the Philippines with the animal working as pollinators of durian and jade vine, wherein the nectar-feeding bats benefit greatly from the plants as a food source.

I banez told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on July 12 that bats are a misunderstood species and t hey have been put into bad light by the Covid-19 which became a global pandemic.

50,000 wild species meet needs of billions worldwide

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ONN, Germany—Billions of people, in developed and developing nations, benefit daily from the use of wild species for food, energy, materials, medicine, recreation, inspiration and many other vital contributions to human well-being, a new international report said.

However, the accelerating global biodiversity crisis, with a million species of plants and animals facing extinction, threatens these contributions to people.

A new report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services offers insights, analysis and tools to establish more sustainable use of wild species of plants, animals, fungi and algae around the world, IPBES said in a news release.

Sustainable use is when biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are maintained while contributing to human well-being.

The IPBES Assessment Report on the Sustainable Use of Wild Species

was the result of four years of work by 85 leading experts from the natural and social sciences, and holders of indigenous and local knowledge, as well as 200 contributing authors, drawing on more than 6,200 sources.

The summary of the report was approved last week by representatives of the 139 member-states of IPBES in Bonn, Germany.

“With about 50,000 wild species used through different practices, including more than 10,000 wild species harvested directly for human food, rural people in developing countries are most at risk from unsustainable use, with lack of complementary alternatives often forcing them to further exploit wild species already at risk,” said Dr. Jean-Marc Fromentin (France), who co-chaired the assessment with Dr. Marla R. Emery (USA/Norway) and Prof. John Donaldson (South Africa).

“Seventy percent of the world’s

A golden crown flying fox, one of many species of bats, is a keystone species that helps fertilize the forest with its droppings. Keystone species helps define an entire ecosystem Without keystone species, the ecosystem would be different or cease to exist altogether. Gregg Yan

Natural pollinators

Bats, especially fruit bats, are keystone species and are known as nature’s tree farmers. As they feed on fruits, they drop the seeds that eventually grow to add vegetation to forests.

Insect bats, on the other hand, are known to be the silent pollinators in the wild. The bees and butterflies of the forests, whose ecosystem function can never be emphasized.

T hese hardwork ing, f ly ing mammals, fly miles and miles away, go from forest to forest, tree to tree, transferring pollen allowing plants to bear fruit, said bat expert Philip Ariola.

been documented.

“When the news came up in 2011 or 2012, we were very excited, so whenever we see a pitcher plant, we try to look but we haven’t seen it,” he said.

What makes such a symbiotic relationship unique is that the benefits to both species outweigh the costs.

Intimate relationship

A riol a , an associate professor at t he Universit y of t he Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), told the BusinessMirror in an inter view via Zoom on July 13 that what was discovered in by scientists about Hardwicke’s wooly bats and pitcher plants in Borneo more than 10 years ago may be happening in the Philippines, as well.

However, he admitted that there’s still no record of such a symbiotic relationship having

According to Ariola, it is amazing how the bat is able to sneak into the pitcher plant to roost and leave it unscathed and alive.

Another unique characteristic in such a relationship between the Hardwiche’s wooly bat and pitcher plant, he said, is the fact that the bats are more beneficial to the plant.

“Usually, plants provide the food. But in this case, the bats provided the food,” Ariola, who has a Master’s degree in wildlife studies at UPLB, added.

There are other bats that rely on plants, like dried leaves, although this is very temporary, he noted.

Ariola said that in the Philippines, pitcher plants are also known to allow other species like frogs to breed inside the pitcher.

In 2005, he recalled a personal

poor are directly dependent on wild species. One in five people rely on wild plants, algae and fungi for their food and income; 2.4 billion rely on fuel wood for cooking and about 90 percent of the 120 million people working in capture fisheries are supported by small-scale fishing,” Emery said.

“But the regular use of wild species is extremely important not only in the Global South. From the fish that we eat, to medicines, cosmetics, decoration and recreation, wild species’ use is much more prevalent than most people realize,” she added.

The use of wild species is an important source of income for millions of people worldwide.

Wild tree species account for two-thirds of global industrial roundwood; trade in wild plants, algae and fungi is a billiondollar industry; and even non-extractive uses of wild species are big business.

Tourism, based on observing wild species, is one of the main reasons that, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, protected areas globally received 8 billion visitors and generated $600 billion every year.

The report identified five broad categories of “practices” in the use of

wild species: fishing; gathering; logging; terrestrial animal harvesting (including hunting); and non-extractive practices, such as observing.

For each practice, it then examined specific “uses,” such as for food and feed; materials; medicine, energy; recreation; ceremony; learning and decoration—providing a detailed analysis of the trends in each, over the past 20 years.

In most cases, use of wild species has increased, but sustainability of use has varied, such as in gathering for medicine and logging for materials and energy.

Speaking about fishing as an example, Fromentin said: “Recent global estimates confirm that about 34 percent of marine wild fish stocks are overfished and 66 percent are fished within biologically sustainable levels—but within this global picture there are significant local and contextual variations.”

He said countries with robust fisheries management have seen stocks increasing in abundance.

Fromentin pointed out: “Many smallscale fisheries are unsustainable or only partially sustainable, especially in Africa for both inland and marine fisheries, and

Benefits outweighing costs

Wildlife conservation advocate Gregg Yan shows a wild pitcher plant that thrives in dense forest. Dondi Mesa

experience when he was doing research in the mountains in Camarines Norte and discovered a frog inside a pitcher plant.

Ariola noted that such amazing relationships between plants and animals should be a subject for more research.

Interconnectedness

W hen asked for a comment, Asean Centre for Biodiversity Executive Director Theresa Mundita S. Lim shared that mutualism is just one of the symbiotic relationships in the natural world that contributes to the health of an ecosystem.

“Other relationships may not be equally beneficial to the species interacting with each other, such as ‘parasitism’ or ‘commensalism,’ but these demonstrate the interconnectedness of the diversity of species in an ecosystem,” Lim told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on July 10.

cause the bat provides it nutrients to survive and thrive, while the wooly bat depends on the pitcher to protect itself from the heat and shelter during day time.

“Both have developed distinct c h a rac ter i st ics t h at suppor t their relationship. Another species of bats, for example, will not have the same adaptation that will allow it to fit perfectly into the body of this N. hemsleyana, without damaging the plant or hurting itself. So if the Hardwicke’s wooly bat goes extinct, the pitcher plant will lose a major source of its nutrients, and eventually disappear, as well,” she said.

Interdependency

Essential relationships

“In a larger context, these relationships are essential to the continued existence of the species involved,” she said.

She explained that the pitcher plant benefits from the bat be-

Lim said the characteristics that support these symbiotic relationships between species may take millions of years to evolve, enough reason not to expect an immediate replacement of one that will allow the other to survive for long after its “partner” goes extinct.

“Hence, so it is across species. There is always a level of interdependency that will continue to keep the planet habitable for ever yone, including humans,” she ended.

in Asia, Latin America and Europe for coastal fisheries.”

“Overexploitation is one of the main threats to the survival of many landbased and aquatic species in the wild,” Donaldson said. “Addressing the causes of unsustainable use and, wherever possible reversing these trends, will result in better outcomes for wild species and the people who depend on them.”

The report said the survival of an estimated 12 percent of wild tree species is threatened by unsustainable logging.

At the same time, unsustainable gathering is one of the main threats for several plant groups, notably cacti, cycads and orchids, and unsustainable hunting has been identified as a threat for 1,341 wild mammal species—with declines in large-bodied species that have low natural rates of increase also linked to hunting pressure.

The report identified drivers—such as land- and seascape changes; climate change; pollution and invasive alien species—that impact the abundance and distribution of wild species, and can increase stress and challenges among the human communities that use them.

Global trade in wild species has

expanded substantially in volume, value and trade networks over the past four decades.

While trade in wild species provides important income for exporting countries, offers higher incomes for harvesters, and can diversify sources of supply to allow pressure to be redirected from species being unsustainably used, it also decouples the consumption of wild species from their places of origin.

The report found that without effective regulation across supply chains—from local to global—global trade of wild species generally increases pressures on wild species, leading to unsustainable use and sometimes to wild population collapses (e.g., shark fin trade).

Illegal use and illegal trade in wild species are also addressed in the report—as this occurs across all of the practices and often leads to unsustainable use.

The authors find that illegal trade in wild species represents the third largest class of all illegal trade—with estimated annual values of up to $199 billion.

Timber and fish make up the largest volumes and value of illegal trade in wild species, the IPBES news release said.

Sports BusinessMirror

A8 | S

unday, July 17, 2022 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

COE ON RUSSIANS AT EUGENE WORLDS: INCONCEIVABLE E

SUGAR RAY LEONARD holds the middleweight championship belt above his head after defeating Marvin Hagler in a split decision to win the title in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 6, 1987. AP

Leonard’s WBC belt stolen at Nelson Mandela Museum

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OHANNESBURG—A World Boxing Council championship belt belonging to former South African President Nelson Mandela has been stolen from a museum in Soweto, according to police.

The belt was given to Mandela by American boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard during one of his visits to South Africa.

It was one of many artifacts inside the Nelson Mandela National Museum, a major tourist attraction for local and international travelers.

Mandela, a former amateur boxer, revered the belt and it was prominently displayed in the museum in a house where he once lived in Soweto township, west of Johannesburg.

The museum is one of the top attractions on Vilakazi Street, the only street in the world to claim two Nobel laureates as former residents.

Mandela and the late anti-apartheid

stalwart Archbishop Desmond Tutu both lived on the street.

According to police, the belt was stolen when thieves broke into the museum, popularly referred to as Mandela House, and the theft was reported to police on July 1.

No suspects have been arrested and police have appealed for any information related to the theft, police spokeswoman Dimakatso Sello said.

Mandela became South Africa’s first democratically elected leader in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison for his battle against apartheid, the brutal system of white minority rule in effect in the country from 1948 to 1994. AP

WORLD Athletics President Sebastian Coe says there was no budging from the position the federation took shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February. AP

HOUSTON’S Tari Eason dunks against the Oklahoma City Thunder during their summer league game recently in Las Vegas. AP

5 players stand out in NBA summer league in Las Vegas

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AS VEGAS—As the National Basketball Association (NBA) summer league winds down in Las Vegas and teams begin making plans to finish up and leave this coming weekend, some players might have done better than most in showing their potential.

This list doesn’t include the biggest names. Paolo Banchero was stellar for Orlando. Chet Holmgren was exceptional for Oklahoma City.

That shouldn’t be a surprise, given that Banchero was the No. 1 pick and Holmgren the No. 2 pick in last month’s draft.

But for some, these couple weeks in Vegas might have been a bit of a coming-out party—or at least a reminder that there is no shortage of talented players still waiting for a real chance to make it in the NBA. Here’s five that might have been overlooked during games in Las Vegas: TARI EASON, HOUSTON NOT a total surprise, given that he was the No. 17 pick last month. But

Tari Eason was clearly one of the top performers in Las Vegas, averaging 16.7 points and 11.7 rebounds entering Thursday. He shot the threepointer well, defended very well at times and showed that he’ll be ready to help the Rockets right away. The Rockets came to Las Vegas with all eyes on No. 3 pick Jabari Smith Jr., and rightly so, but Eason reminded some people that Houston had a very good draft.

QUENTIN GRIMES, NEW YORK QUENTIN GRIMES averaged six points per game last year for the Knicks and certainly had some good moments, but summer league could be a serious springboard for the shooting guard going into his second NBA season.

Grimes was getting three-pointers airborne by the truckload in Las Vegas, but wasn’t exactly forcing many of them. He played with the savvy of a guy who has already been in the NBA—he got to the line efficiently, wasn’t getting called for fouls on every possession like some seemed to be—the 10-foul rule in

Summer League isn’t great for creating good habits—and was a leader.

MOSES MOODY, GOLDEN STATE MOSES MOODY played in 65 games—52 regular season, 13 playoff—for the Warriors on their way to the NBA championship this past season. He might have taken another step forward in Las Vegas.

He didn’t shoot it great at times, but there were also times where he just couldn’t be guarded. James Wiseman’s return after 15 months was maybe the biggest development for Golden State out of summer league, but Moody might have also shown that he’s ready for more responsibility when the Warriors try to win a fifth title in nine years this coming season.

TACKO FALL, UTAH THE 7-foot-5 Tacko Fall has always been a project. He still is. But a 12-point, 15-rebound, three-block game in 17 minutes was a loud-andclear reminder of the potential that

Rodriguez: NBA welcomed me with open arms

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AS VEGAS—Alex Rodriguez was standing near his courtside seat, oblivious to a few fans who were snapping a quick photo of the baseball great as they walked by.

He was watching the Minnesota Timberwolves warm up instead.

Rodriguez—currently part of the Timberwolves’ ownership group, with plans in place for he and business partner Marc Lore to assume control from Glen Taylor and become primary owners next year—said that he’s enjoying his transitions from baseball to basketball and from player to executive, and noted that he’s still learning.

“I mean, I come at it from a different perspective, being in baseball for about a quarter of a century, and now it’s interesting to take my experience from Major League Baseball, from broadcasting and now being here as an owner,” Rodriguez said in an interview with The Associated Press before watching Minnesota’s Summer League game in Las Vegas against Milwaukee.

“It’s been great. The NBA [National Basketball Association] has welcomed me with open arms.”

And the Wolves haven’t exactly been sitting around idly since Rodriguez and Lore started their

ownership process.

Minnesota has been one of the biggest stories in the league this offseason, first by luring executive Tim Connelly away from the Denver Nuggets to take over as president of the Timberwolves. Then came the trade—acquiring Rudy Gobert from Utah for a slew of players and draft picks, a move that created perhaps the top frontline in the NBA with Gobert playing alongside KarlAnthony Towns.

“It’s all about the fans in Minnesota. I think they deserve a winner,” Rodriguez said. “They deserve consistency, they deserve

the former UCF center has. He turns 27 later this year and has appeared in 37 games over parts of three seasons with Boston and Cleveland. It might be make-or-break time for Fall, but considering Utah—which had him for summer league—needs some bigs after trading Rudy Gobert to Minnesota, there might be another chance awaiting him. Plus, Utah boss Danny Ainge had Fall in Boston, so he knows firsthand how much Fall has improved.

SANDRO MAMUKELASHVILI, MILWAUKEE SANDRO MAMUKELASHVILI on a two-way with the Bucks, which looks like an absolute steal. In his first three games of summer league, he averaged 21 points, shot 9-for16 from three-point range, put the ball on the floor better than most 6-foot-9 guys in Las Vegas could, and moved very well. The native of the Republic of Georgia, who played his college ball at Seton Hall, keeps getting better. AP continuity. And I think across the board, we’ve seen that.... If you’re a fan, there’s a lot to cheer for. There’s a lot to be excited about. And I think when you can forecast predictability, it’s good for the energy of the town.”

Taylor agreed to sell the Timberwolves for $1.5 billion last year to Lore and Rodriguez. Lore became Walmart’s e-commerce chief in 2016, when the retail giant bought his Jet.com start-up in an attempt to boost online business.

Rodriguez hit 696 home runs over 22 major league seasons, with the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. His last season on the field was 2016, marking the end of a career that was tainted by performance-enhancing drug use he later admitted to. He has invested

UGENE, Oregon—The leader of global track and field said it would have been “inconceivable” to have allowed Russians into this week’s world championships given the country’s war against Ukraine.

At his news conference late last week, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said there was no budging from the position the federation took shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

“It was made from a very clear standpoint, and that was about the integrity of competition,” Coe said.

“It would have been inconceivable to have a world championships here with athletes from Belarus and Russia, two aggressive nations who have walked into an independent state.”

Belarus, an ally of Russia in the war, is also banned from the worlds, which ran from Friday and ends on July 24.

One Russian athlete, three-time world-champion high jumper Maria Lasitskene, has publicly criticized Coe and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach for their stance on her country.

The IOC recommended that sports exclude Russia from their events, and many sports followed that lead.

Coe noted that World Athletics was one of the first federations to reach a position, one that won’t change “for the foreseeable future,” in large part because of the challenges involved in getting the 22 Ukrainian athletes who qualified for worlds safely to the championships.

The position on Russia is separate from that country’s athletics federation’s ongoing suspension, which dates to 2015. That stems from the long-running doping scandal that spread through Russia starting two years previous to that.

The suspension triggered a sanction that limited the number of Russian athletes who can compete at major events as neutrals. At the last worlds, in 2019, 29 competed.

But that program isn’t in play here because of the war. Coe said that in this week’s council meeting, members received an update about the doping issues from the task force in charge with monitoring Russia’s compliance to the road map for reinstatement.

“I sort of feel like it’s Season 17, Box Set 126” on the issue, Coe said, before ticking off the latest updates from the task force.

Most important is an independent audit of the Russian federation, results of which will be presented at a council meeting in November.

That’s also when the council will consider changes in rules governing participation by transgender athletes and intersex athletes. Earlier this summer, Coe signaled that changes to

ALEX RODRIGUEZ aims a shot at the basket before the game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Miami Heat last March in Miami. AP in an array of businesses outside of basketball, serves as a trustee at the University of Miami—the baseball stadium there bears his name, even though he never played for the Hurricanes—and now finds himself learning a new game.

But he already speaks of it like a seasoned pro, talking about what Wolves guard D’Angelo Russell can do in pickand-roll situations, how he thinks Gobert—a three-time defensive player of the year—is underrated offensively and why it was important to extend Coach Chris Finch’s contract this past spring. AP

those rules could be coming, but he said it was not an agenda item in this week’s meetings.

“Though inclusivity has really been a watch word, the balance between inclusivity and fairness will always, in my view, fall now on the side of fairness,” he said in repeating comments he’d made earlier this summer that indicate there could be tighter restrictions on allowing transgender and intersex athletes to compete.

TOKYO HOSTS 2025 WORLDS TRACK and field officials awarded the 2025 world championships to Tokyo on Thursday, bringing runners, jumpers and throwers back to the home of last year’s Olympics, where they competed in front of mostly empty stands.

The World Athletics Council awarded the championships in a bidding contest that also included Nairobi, Kenya; Silesia, Poland; and Singapore.

Sebastian Coe said it was a close vote, but Japan won on the strength of, among other things, “human resource” available in Tokyo to put on the event and strong commercial partnerships.

He did not rule out the possibility of track’s marquee event someday making it to Kenya or another country in Africa—a continent that has never held the event.

“It is really important that we work together with Africans to make sure that their time comes, and their time comes when it’s right,” Coe said.

Japan spent more than $1.4 billion to build the stadium for the Olympics, which were postponed by one year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, then held last summer under restrictions that prevented fans from attending.

The state-of-the-art track in Tokyo helped Sydney McLaughlin and Karsten Warholm each break world records in their 400-meter hurdle finals. Warholm ran in 45.94 seconds and McLaughlin finished in 51.46 but broke that record earlier this year (51.41) in Eugene.

Elaine Thompson-Herah finished the 100 in 10.61 seconds to break Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 33-yearold Olympic record.

This year’s world championships, which begin Friday at Hayward Stadium in Eugene, were also pushed back one year because of the pandemic. Next year’s games will be held in Budapest, Hungary.

Coe said the losing cities expressed interest in the next round of bidding, for the 2027 and 2029 championships.

World Athletics also awarded its cross country championships to Medulin, Croatia in 2024 and Tallahassee, Florida in 2026. AP

BusinessMirror

July 17, 2022

Recruiters are burned out, and Gen Z job demands aren’t helping

2

BusinessMirror JULY 17, 2022 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

YOUR MUSI

IAN Donaldson, then and now

JUST OUTSIDE OF HEAVEN Ian Donaldson, founder of Scottish 80s band, H20 founder is back

Publisher

: T. Anthony C. Cabangon

Editor-In-Chief

: Lourdes M. Fernandez

Concept

: Aldwin M. Tolosa

Y2Z Editor

: Jt Nisay

SoundStrip Editor

: Edwin P. Sallan

Group Creative Director : Eduardo A. Davad Graphic Designers Contributing Writers

Columnists

: Niggel Figueroa Anabelle O. Flores : Tony M. Maghirang, Rick Olivares, Darwin Fernandez, Leony Garcia, Stephanie Joy Ching

EMEMBER the hit songs “I Dream to Sleep to Sleep” and “Just Outside of Heaven” under RCA Records in the early 80s? I Dream peaked at No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart in June 1983 while the follow-up single “Just Outside of Heaven” reached No. 38 later the same year. These were among the most memorable songs of the H2O, formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1978 by lead singer Ian Donaldson together with Alan McGhee (who later went on to discover OASIS and launch Creation Records).

Pauline Joy M. Gutierrez : Kaye VillagomezLosorata Annie S. Alejo

Photographers

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By Leony R. Garcia

: Bernard P. Testa Nonie Reyes

Y2Z & SOUNDSTRIP are published and distributed free every Sunday by the Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing Inc. as a project of the

The Philippine Business Mirror Publishing, Inc., with offices on the 3rd Floor of Dominga Building III 2113 Chino Roces Avenue corner Dela Rosa Street, Makati City, Philippines.

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Since then, Top of The Pops appearances and chart success in Europe, The Far East, and Australia established the H2O around much of the world. However, the band broke up in 1985.

Despite the break-up, Ian and keyboardist Ross Alcock continued to write and demo new material, in an attempt to obtain a new record deal which eventually resulted in ‘Blue Diamond’, another hit record in early 1986, and Ian’s first solo record a version of The Walker Brothers’ “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore.”

The following years turned up productive for Ian, resulting in touring, club DJing, writing for and producing other artists, and a weekly show as a Radio DJ. Ian Donaldson’s Essential 80’s on Your Radio.

The songwriter is a novelist, too

MORE recently, in 2017, Ian had his first novel A Rainbow in the Basement published by Strident Publishing. Launched at Glasgow’s Aye Write annual Book Festival, it was nominated for the prestigious Saltire First Book Prize. Described as Magic Realism, Donn Albright, who worked with legendry US fantasy writer Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451, The Illustrated Man, and many others) for over 50 years, wrote the afterward for the book: “This is fine writing that rivals Ray Bradbury at his very best”. Since being published, A Rainbow in the Basement has been added by a number of UK High Schools to their English Curriculums as part of students’ course work. I have two more books currently in the works.

The following year. Ian released a solo album of new music: ‘From Stars We Came’. The Q Magazine reviewed it this way: “From Stars We Came is a bold and imaginative collection of songs reflecting upon a life well lived. Full of otherworldly prose, and razor-sharp observations.

Beautiful. Staggering at times.

Invest. Your soul will thank you.”

New collaborations

MOST recently Ian teamed up again with Alan McGhee and Craig Walker, a Dublin musician living in Berlin. They collaborated on a new material resulting in ‘All I Have is Forever’ which Alan released earlier this year on his new label, It’s Creation, Baby.

“The reaction to the song has been amazing. Radio play, new followers, sold-out shows ... wonderful forward motion.

Craig and I have finished our next record, due to be released in August of this year, once again on It’s Creation, Baby,” Ian told Soundstrip via an email interview.

“The immediate future is equally exciting ... I will be in the Philippines in late July to headline a New Wave Concert. A new album release of brand-new remixes of H20, ‘Diamonds Never Rust’ will be released there, too,” he added.

H2O followers and music lovers would surely rejoice with this new development on Ian Donaldson.

IC

soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | JULY 17, 2022

BUSINESS

3

SoundSampler

by Tony M. Maghirang

Cascade of new singles in July

RUUU – “Happy” Based in Cagayan De

O

RO City, Ruuu is a singer/ songwriter and producer whose latest release titled “Happy” is an example of wry songwriting, Its opening lyrics go… “She had a tough time today/Unstable emotions, she says/Lost and confused/ Shunned by a few/Still, she stands today/With a smile on her face.”

Dubbed the “Ed Sheeran” of indie label Northern Root Records, Ruuu sings with a Brit accent and employs a songwriting and performance style similar to Sheeran’s. He was still a sophomore when he started competing in his Uni’s songwriting competition and he bagged the grand championship this year. He’s also a finalist of WishBus wishcovery 2021.

Sezairi’s third album titled ‘Violets Aren’t Blue’, which also features his previous singles, ‘Raindrops’, ‘Blue’, ‘Fool’, and ‘Restless Love’, On the new album, Sezairi turns the famous 18th-century poem on its head, challenging cliché expectations and idealism of great love while being swept off your feet by someone who sees you better than you see yourself. Sezairi said, “On a personal level, my latest album is really the result of a long depressive episode amidst the pandemic and re-contextualizing my past experiences so I can live alongside them in peace.

Working on the songs in isolation was very difficult but having my dream team of creatives made it incredibly worth it.”

MIDNASTY “Nissan”

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SEZAIRI “Dead”

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he slinky R&B jam “Dead” finds Singaporean musician and singersongwriter Sezairi teaming up with rising Filipino rapper Young Cocoa. The catchy bop serves as the focus track off

ITH their second single of 2022 titled “Nissan”. Midnasty offers a colorful fast-paced track about love, car chases, and togetherness.

Melodic flows and cinematic storytelling make it a ride you won’t forget. The new track also sets the tone for Midnasty’s fervent dream of putting Dumaguete City on the map that has now evolved into a mission of elevating Visayan culture to the world.

Midnasty, with current members Mark Villamil Ausejo, Earl Neil B. Kho and Jose Ramon Kho, have many achievements under their belt. Today, they not only have set their sights on new career heights but have taken also

the time to give back and cultivate opportunities for local artists throughout the Visayas through a movement called Paraisla.

SUGARCANE & JC HERRERO “Paruparo” The song “Paruparo” mainly revolves around the concept of destiny as it gives a more profound meaning to the famous saying: “If it’s meant to be, it will be.” In the track, Sugarcane in collaboration with an up-and-coming artist, JC Herrero, has once more utilized their strength in partnering a captivating melody with relatable lyrics for all ages.

Sugarcane is a 6-piece band which started doing covers of well-known artists but eventually created their own identity with their fresh approach to storytelling. JC Herrero is a rising singer/songwriter and Youtuber who serenades people in omegle and ometv.

ACE BANZUELO “Walang Himala”

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PM hitmaker Ace Banzuelo returns with another potential hit titled “Walang Himala,” which carries the weight of dealing with betrayal channeled through ’80s synth-pop and modern R&B

textures. The melancholic synth-pop track serves as an antithesis to Banzuelo’s earlier “Himala”, a sad little tune that can reduce listeners to tears.

The new song’s emphasis on treachery cuts in multiple ways. The Laguna-based singer-songwriter and producer shares, “It’s not afraid to embrace a darker, more lamenting turn. This particular track reeks of angst and frustration in the most human way possible. Some people have experienced it at some point in their lives and it’s my way of comforting them as a songwriter/musician.”

NIKI “Oceans & Engines” Jakarta-born, LA-based singer-songwriter, and producer Niki has a new single with accompanying video in “Oceans & Engines”. Written by then 17 year old Niki it’s a heart-wrenching ballad about surrendering to a broken relationship in an impassioned moment of clarity.

About the track, Niki says “I wrote this song in 2016 when I was 17 experiencing the earthshattering heartbreak of a first love moving away for good. It is massively dramatic and long in naïveté and innocence when I look back at it fondly now at 23. Like, ‘she’ had no idea about what was going to happen. Life can be quite cyclical at times and I can’t wait for you all to hear each one of them nestled in the plush pillowy company of sisterhood.”

‘I’ve aged a solid 10 years in the past three years’

Recruiters are burned out, and Gen Z job demands aren’t helping

By Arianne Cohen

Age has long been a primary determinant of job tenure, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, meaning recruiters tend to have more interactions with young applicants. And their demands can create acute strain, especially at a time when job seekers of all ages are often weighing four to six job offers, up from one or two before the pandemic—a dynamic that makes recruiters busier.

Bloomberg

A

fter a frustrating year of trying to find and place job candidates amid the turbulence of the Great Resignation, recruiters and hiring managers say they are burned out. Some of them point to the overthe-top demands and fickleness of young applicants as a key source of tension.

These job seekers are contributing to a heavy burden: Nearly a third of recruiters said they experience extreme stress on a weekly basis because of their work, according to a December survey by humanresources analytics firm Veris Insights. The research found that 77 percent of highranking recruiters are open to changing jobs, along with 65 percent of HR professionals—a figure that rose 17 percentage points from September to November last year.

“Our job has never been harder,” says Angie Bergner, Vice President at Veris.

“We’re seeing so much turnover in recruiting, and recruiters leaving the industry.

I’ve aged a solid 10 years in the past three years.”

A bad rap

“Young candidates get a bad rap,” says Laurie Chamberlin, head of recruitment solutions for North America at recruiting firm LHH. “Some of these workers are the most committed employees, who will work until the ends of the earth—if you tap into what motivates them.” Photo by CJ Dayrit on Unsplash

Bold requirements Hirers across industries describe a recurring scenario: A candidate in their 20s or early 30s applies for a position and requests compensation and benefits incommensurate with experience.

“It’s a recent college graduate asking for $90,000 to start, who doesn’t want to go into an office and is asking for unlimited paid time off,” Bergner said.

It’s not just that their requirements are bold. Recruiters are finding younger millennials and Generation Z candidates to be prone to backpedaling.

“All of a sudden they’re like, ‘I didn’t realize the amount of stress this job might bring, so I actually need more days off, or an additional amount of money,’” says Ariel Schur, chief executive officer of ABS Staffing Solutions, which places applicants in industries including finance,

media and technology. “And I say, ‘You told us a number, and we exceeded that number.’”

That indecisiveness can turn into sudden departures, with the candidates accepting an offer for a day or a week and then disappearing. Such moves have consequences for recruiters, who are typically not paid if someone they placed does not begin a job. (Many recruiters will find a replacement if a new hire quits early on.)

Young applicants can also add to hiring professionals’ workload by requesting large amounts of information for jobs that are ultimately declined.

“They want to know exact inclusion and pay transparency policies, and companies are a little bit shell shocked, because those questions weren’t asked five years ago,” Bergner said.

Not everyone agrees the problem is generational.

“Young candidates get a bad rap,” says Laurie Chamberlin, head of recruitment solutions for North America at recruiting firm LHH. “Some of these workers are the most committed employees, who will work until the ends of the earth—if you tap into what motivates them.”

Rather, she sees a disconnect between employers’ offerings and what young candidates want.

“A lot of folks coming out of school already have great ideas that they want to capitalize on, but they want business experience first,” Chamberlin said. “And some employers want them to work there for a decade after a seven-step hiring process and a drug screen. That’s a bit out of touch, frankly.”

Recruiters might find some relief, Bergner said, if workplaces offer the most flexible office and vacation arrangements that are reasonable for the field.

“If an organization doesn’t have the internal infrastructure to retain them, then they’re going to leave in six months,” Bergner said. “And then the recruiter has to do it all over again.”

How much money do people want to achieve their ideal life?

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conomists often treat people as having unlimited economic wants but limited resources to satisfy them. It’s a foundational economic concept known as scarcity, often presented as a basic fact about human nature. Our recently published research found that only a minority of people actually have unlimited wants, and that most would be happy with a limited, if still significant, sum of money.

To assess economic wants, we asked people in 33 countries to consider how much money they wanted in their “absolutely ideal life.”

But money rarely comes for free, and we thought their responses could be influenced by what they imagine it would take to obtain large amounts of

money—working long hours, high-risk investments, or even criminality. So we made it about chance, by asking them to choose a prize in a hypothetical lottery.

The lottery prizes started at $10,000 with options increasing by a multiple of 10. At the time we ran the study, the top prize of $100 billion would have made them the richest person in the world.

Who wants to be a billionaire?

Our prediction was straightforward: if people truly have unlimited wants, they should always choose the maximum $100 billion. But in all 33 countries, only a minority chose the top prize (8 percent to 39 percent in each country). In most countries, the major-

4 BusinessMirror

ity of people chose a lottery equivalent to $10 million or less, and in some countries (India, Russia) the majority even chose $1 million or less.

We also wanted to understand differences between people with limited and unlimited wants. Our analyses ruled out many personal factors—responses didn’t vary meaningfully by gender, education, or socioeconomic status. However, more younger people reported unlimited wants than older people, although this varied across countries. In less economically developed countries, the influence of age was weaker.

We asked people as well about the most important change they would make if they won the prize. Here there was some inconsistency. People with

July 17, 2022

unlimited wants were more likely to tell us they would use the money to help others, but in terms of values they were no more concerned with helping others than those with limited wants.

The consequences of (un) limited wants The results of this research give us hope that human nature is not fundamentally at odds with sustainable living. Many are paying more attention to how to improve and even reorient society to live fulfilling lives without exhausting our planet’s resources. Understanding the lives and motivations of people with limited economic wants may teach us something about how to achieve this. The Conversation