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Sunday, June 19, 2022 Vol. 17 No. 254

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NONOY LACZA

FUEL-PRICE QUANDARY

As the Russia-Ukraine war drags on, the PHL scrambles to find options to cope with the rising cost of oil imports.

By Lenie Lectura

ETROL prices have risen 18 times since the start of the year, and the upward price adjustments aren’t ending soon.

Based on industry figures, pump prices in the National Capital Region (NCR) are nearing the P90-per-liter level and are already at the P100-per-liter level in some provinces. The recent oil price increase resulted in the year-to-date adjustments to stand at a net increase of P28.70 per liter for gasoline, P41.15 per liter for diesel and P37.95 per liter for kerosene. Department of Energy-Oil Industry Management Bureau (DOE-OIMB) Director Rino Abad said last week that similar price adjustments in the weeks to come are likely, due to prevailing events that continue to push up fuel prices. He cited the increasing demand for northern hemisphere countries due to summer peak period from June to September; the Russian oil ban by the European Union; and the easing of lockdowns in China, which is projected to increase the oil demand. Abad said these movements in the world oil market affect local pump prices because the Philippines imports more than 90 percent of its fuel requirements.

What must be done?

SENATE Energy Committee Chairman Sherwin Gatchalian said the government must do more if these events will be prolonged.

would include extending a total of P33 billion in unconditional cash transfers (UCT) to the bottom 50 percent of all households, or about 74.7 million Filipinos. “We realize that this is not enough. But this is what we can afford as of this time, and to make sure that our finances going forward and especially for the next administration are still going to be healthy,” Dominguez had said.

OPSF option

GATCHALIAN: “I think the bottom line here is we have to expect the worst in a prolonged scenario.”

The senator proposed to double the subsidies to the most affected sector and distribute it immediately. “I am in favor of increasing the subsidies, maybe 50 percent more to about 100 percent more, so that we will cover the increase in fuel prices in the last few days. We have to make sure that it is dispensed, given in a timely manner and use technology such as E-wallets to give it to them,” said Gatchalian. A popular proposal from various groups is to suspend excise taxes and VAT on petroleum products. However, this does not sit well with the government because it will result in foregone revenues of P106 billion, or roughly 0.5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product this year. Instead, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III proposed to continue providing targeted relief to vulnerable sectors, which

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 53.3720

PRESIDENT-ELECT Ferdinand R. “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier said the possible revival of the Oil Price Stabilization Fund (OPSF) is being considered to mitigate the effects of spiraling oil prices on the economy instead of suspending fuel excise taxes on imports. The fund was established under the administration of his father, the late strongman former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. But the semi-government think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said reviving the OPSF would be “antipoor”. At a recent webinar, PIDS senior research fellow and former undersecretary of the National Economic and Development Authority Dr. Adoracion Navarro said that reviving the OPSF would only benefit the rich since they consume more fuel. “Those who can very well afford fuel price increases will stand to benefit more,” said Navarro. Instead, several options that have been floated to blunt the impact of steadily rising fuel prices should be seriously reviewed and those feasible should be pursued, she said. Among the proposed legislative amendments are the

proposals on minimum inventory requirement (MIR), unbundling all fuel cost components, and the establishment of strategic petroleum reserve (SPR). The DOE requires a 30-day MIR for refiners, 15-day MIR for direct importers, and a seven-day supply for LPG importers. Gatchalian earlier suggested increasing the MIR by 15 days to guarantee undisrupted fuel supply. However, Philippine Institute of Petroleum (PIP) Executive Director Raphael Capinpin opposed this, saying this will only result in “massive capital infusion” because increasing the MIR will involve additional land, storage tanks, infrastructure, among others. Capinpin said the existing MIR is sufficient. In fact, he added, many oil players already exceed it.

‘Unbundling’ fuel prices

MEANWHILE, the DOE has moved to press on with its advocacy to unbundle fuel prices to reflect their true and passed-on charges. However, local courts prevented the agency from implementing the unbundling circular. “This is separating the benchmark price from the additional cost of oil sold in the retail market. In these additional costs, we might be able to see items where we can lower the price,” DOE Undersecretary Gerardo Erguiza lamented. The DOE now hopes that Congress will amend the Oil Deregulation Act of 1998 to provide a framework for the government to intervene and address sudden prolonged oil price spikes.

Beef up reserves

THE Philippine National Oil Co.

(PNOC), meanwhile, is eyeing an interim strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) via a co-storage, codistribution program with oil companies. Under the proposal, oil firms can co-store and distribute discounted fuel. This was raised last March and was targeted for implementation before the next administration takes over. The interim measure is different from the Philippine Strategic Petroleum Reserve Program (PSRP) of the DOE and PNOC. The PSRP consists of large stockpiles of crude oil as well as petroleum products, to be stored in facilities and released during periods of local or international oil supply disruptions. However, this plan has yet to take off.

Call for fuel conservation

WHILE these proposals are still under study, the DOE could only appeal to the public to practice efficient use and conservation of fuel. The DOE meets with representatives of the oil firms every month to discuss oil supply, but not prices. The agency estimated that the country consumes 425,000 barrels per day, which is equivalent to around 0.4 percent of global supply. “There is no supply problem. They inform us during the meetings about the status of their supply inventory. On prices, they remain silent since it is a deregulated environment. We can appeal but it is really up to them,” said Abad. DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi said his office is working to exhaust all measures to help uphold consumer welfare during this challenging period. “The DOE is closely

monitoring global oil supply and price movements, in coordination with our downstream oil industry players,” Cusi said. Aside from these proposals, there was a provisional fare increase amounting to P1 that was recently granted by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, bringing the minimum jeepney fare to P10 starting June 9. However, most of the jeepney drivers and operators are not contented because they would only be able to take home around P300— for plying their routes for 12-16 hours—and the amount could further go down as diesel prices surge. Gatchalian said the increase in fares was necessary. However, this and the fuel subsidies only help public utility drivers. “The middle class is also being squeezed out because the middle class, they have their vehicles, they also have businesses that require fuel. So the middle class is also being squeezed out,” the senator said. An increase in transport fares will have spillover effects. “When you raise fares, minimum wage will increase. When we raise the minimum wage, prices of products will also increase. I sympathize with the drivers if they see the need to increase fares, but we have to balance in order not to push inflation higher. “I think the bottom line here is we have to expect for the worst in a prolonged scenario,” the senator warned. Hopefully, the mixed bag of solutions will balance all concerns raised by the different sectors because the factors that affect local pump prices are not going away any time soon.

n JAPAN 0.4034 n UK 65.9411 n HK 6.7993 n CHINA 7.9612 n SINGAPORE 38.5859 n AUSTRALIA 37.6112 n EU 56.3288 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.2250

Source: BSP (June 17, 2022)

NewsSunday BusinessMirror

A2 Sunday, June 19, 2022

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Japan PM’s cautious course sets up potential long-term rule

By Mari Yamaguchi | The Associated Press

OKYO—Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida did not look like he’d last long when he took office eight months ago.

JAPANESE Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends a news conference following the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) leaders meeting at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Tokyo on May 24, 2022. Kishida, despite an underwhelming start eight months ago, is enjoying surprising popularity by playing it safe as the public’s worries about the coronavirus and global conflicts ease. AP

He was seen as nice, but indecisive and subservient to party heavyweights. Many believed that, like his short-lived predecessor, he was not up to the task of winning over a public battered by months of pandemic restrictions and economic worries. A recent surge in popularity, however, likely portends a victory in July elections that could set up

a long stretch of uninterrupted power. That’s saying something in a country where many past prime ministers had only relatively brief periods in office. The secret to his surprising success? By mostly playing it safe, and for the time being holding back on contentious policy goals, he has avoided the mistakes that doomed his predecessors, such as appearing

PEOPLE walk across the famed Shibuya scramble crossing as the sun sets behind the skyscraper, October 11, 2021, in Tokyo.

autocratic and not paying attention to public opinion. He has also been helped by an easing of public worries about the pandemic as well as growing concerns about global conflicts. The confluence of good fortune, experts say, created a public image of a steady, sensible leader with a shot at lifting Japan from decades of economic and security woes.

Rising political star

WITH his support ratings now over 60 percent, well above the 40 percent when he first took over, a strong victory for his Liberal Democratic Party in elections next month seems certain, helped by the continuing weakness of Japan’s opposition. That, in turn, likely means up to three years without another election that could drive him from power. “Because there weren’t high expectations for Mr. Kishida when he launched his administration, he can be seen as stable just by doing things normally at a safe cruising speed,” said Yu Uchiyama, a politics professor at the University of Tokyo. “But he cannot stay popular just by looking stable, and his success depends on whether Mr. Kishida responds flexibly to changing situations.” Several years in power would allow Kishida to focus on longterm issues such as Japan’s fastaging, fast-shrinking population, the economy, and a contentious revision of the constitution, a longcherished goal of his conservative party that is opposed by those worried that its war-renouncing Article 9 will be watered down.

Expectations

KISHIDA’S continued success depends on delivering concrete accomplishments, analysts say. Until now, his actions have mostly been responses to the pandemic and global conflicts, and he has remained vague about his policy goals. When Kishida came to power, public support for the governing coalition had been badly hurt by his predecessor, Yoshihide Suga, who struggled with a worsening pandemic and insisted on pushing through with hosting the Tokyo Olympics despite a worried public, and was out of power after only about a year. Kishida’s current high support ratings are partly a result of his tough response to Russia’s inva-

‘B

AP/KIICHIRO SATO

ecause there weren’t high expectations for Mr. Kishida when he launched his administration, he can be seen as stable just by doing things normally at a safe cruising speed. But he cannot stay popular just by looking stable, and his success depends on whether Mr. Kishida responds flexibly to changing situations.”—Yu Uchiyama

sion of Ukraine and his careful Covid-19 measures, including strict border controls that foreign critics have described as xenophobia. A decline in new cases has further boosted his support, as has his announcement of a gradual reopening to foreign tourists.

Making the ‘right’ moves

AS the Japanese worry about growing Chinese and North Korean assertiveness in the region, he has called for a stronger alliance with Washington and for the repair of ties with South Korea, long marred by bitter tensions over historical issues such as Japan’s past colonization of the Korean Peninsula. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has increased Japanese fears that a Chinese attack on Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own, could embroil Japan in a war. That has prompted a surge in support for Kishida’s plan to bolster Japan’s military spending and defense power. “Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow,” Kishida said at the recent Shangri-La Dialogue, an Asian security forum in Singapore. Last week, Japan’s Cabinet approved an annual policy plan calling for a drastic strengthening of defense capabilities and spending. Officials cited growing tensions over Taiwan and a commitment by Nato members to spend 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense, twice as much as Japan’s current military spending of just over 1 percent of GDP. It calls for preemptive strike capabilities as well as the development and strengthening of space, cyber and electromagnetic defense and of unmanned weapons. That’s

a major shift that critics say goes beyond Japan’s self-defense-only policy under its war-renouncing constitution. Kishida’s government has also approved legislation to guard Japanese technology and reinforce critical supply chains, while imposing tighter oversight of Japanese companies in sensitive sectors, to enhance security against China. In a recent commentary, the liberal-leaning Asahi newspaper warned the Kishida government against “capitalizing on the Ukraine crisis” to bolster Japan’s military. Japan, with a huge national debt, can’t compete militarily against China and must instead “focus on deterrence by diplomacy,” it said. Kishida, who describes himself as a good listener, has avoided party infighting over divisive issues. In parliament and in news conferences, he patiently listens to tough questions, often avoiding confrontations and clear policy pronouncements. That helps his inclusive image but blurs his own principles and policy goals. Kishida initially called for better wealth distribution as part of his centerpiece economic policy, which he calls a “new form of capitalism,” but has since shifted to a growth strategy based on greater fiscal spending, a policy backed by party heavyweights who can influence his future grip on power. “The Kishida administration needs a powerful growth strategy and whether he can present concrete measures after the July elections will be key” to his success, said Yasuhide Yajima, chief economist at NLI Research Institute.

The World

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China claims on Taiwan Strait could raise tensions with US

By Isabel Reynolds & Krystal Chia

hina’s assertions that the Taiwan Strait doesn’t qualify as international waters raises tensions over the nautical flash point, through which US warships transit in a symbolic challenge to Beijing’s territorial claims over the democratically governed island.

While it’s unclear what Beijing means by “international waters,” the language may be intended to deter the US from sailing through the strait, a practice which China has said harms stability and sends the wrong signal to “Taiwan inde-

pendence forces.” Chinese officials have made such remarks repeatedly in meetings with US counterparts in recent months, according to a person familiar with the situation, in what seems to be a change of position. The US, however, is unlikely to

be stopped by the more assertive language from China, whose claims over Taiwan have taken on a new focus after Russia invaded Ukraine in February. It will probably keep conducting what it calls “freedom of navigation” operations in the strait, seeing if Beijing will back its words with actions. “The US will just ignore it, as they have in many other instances,” said Donald Rothwell, a professor at the Australian National University College of Law. “It’s how China responds that will be critical. If you go back and look at tensions during the Cold War, there were physical clashes between warships.” While this jostling between the US and the Soviet Union never led to an exchange of fire, it did fuel concerns about potential miscalculation, Rothwell added. Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin reiterated at a reg-

ular news briefing Monday that China claimed “sovereignty” over the Taiwan Strait. “There is no such thing as international waters in international maritime law,” Wang said at a regular briefing in Beijing. “Relevant countries claim that the Taiwan Strait is in international waters with the aim to manipulate the Taiwan question and threaten China’s sovereignty.” In 2017, another Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said, “The Taiwan Strait is an international waterway shared by the mainland and Taiwan.” The strait is international waters, Taiwanese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said at briefing Tuesday, adding that the ministry condemns China’s “distorted” claims on the area. Taiwan supported the benefits the US brings to the region with its freedom of navigation opera-

tions, she said. A mer ican warships transit the Taiwan Strait several times a year while en route between the East and South China Seas, averaging one such trip a month in 2021. The US Navy has conducted at least three transits so far this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. A lack of clarity in China’s language makes it hard to judge how far officials are seeking to redefine the status of the strait, according to Bec Strating, associate professor of politics and international relations at La Trobe University in Melbourne, who has researched and written on the issue. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which China has ratified, but the US has not, nations are entitled to territorial waters stretching 12 nautical miles from their coast. They may also claim an exclusive

economic zone stretching another 200 nm. Beyond that, are the high seas. “It’s not clear what international waters means,” Strating said. “Navigating states have different rights depending on whether it’s internal waters, territorial sea or an EEZ.” Even if the Chinese were to use the same legal terms as other countries, there were other potential pitfalls in that it doesn’t interpret the associated rights in the same way as the US and its allies. China seeks to restrict what militaries can do in the area they claim as their EEZ, while the US and its allies have a much freer interpretation. All this is further complicated by the fact that the US isn’t a member of UNCLOS, because of the difficulty of getting such See “Tension,” A4

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EPA: ‘Forever chemicals’ pose risk even at very low levels By Matthew Daly

The Associated Press

ASHINGTON—The Environmental Protection Agency is warning that two nonstick and stain-resistant compounds found in drinking water pose health risks even at levels so low they cannot currently be detected. The two compounds, known as PFOA and PFOS, have been voluntarily phased out by US manufacturers, but there are a limited number of ongoing uses and the chemicals remain in the environment because they do not degrade over time. The compounds are part of a larger cluster of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS that have been used in consumer products and industry since the 1940s. The EPA on Wednesday issued nonbinding health advisories that set health risk thresholds for PFOA and PFOS to near zero, replacing

2016 guidelines that had set them at 70 parts per trillion. The chemicals are found in products including cardboard packaging, carpets and firefighting foam. At the same time, the agency is inviting states and territories to apply for $1 billion under the new bipartisan infrastructure law to address PFAS and other contaminants in drinking water. Money can be used for technical assistance, water quality testing, contractor training and installation of centralized treatment, officials said.

Several states have set their own drinking water limits to address PFAS contamination that are far tougher than the federal guidance. The toxic industrial compounds are associated with serious health conditions, including cancer and reduced birth weight. “People on the frontlines of PFAS contamination have suffered for far too long,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. “That’s why EPA is taking aggressive action as part of a whole-of-government approach to prevent these chemicals from entering the environment and to help protect concerned families from this pervasive challenge.” PFAS is short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are used in nonstick frying pans, water-repellent sports gear, stain-resistant rugs, cosmetics and countless other consumer products. The chemical bonds are so strong that they don’t degrade or do so only slowly in the environment and remain in a person’s bloodstream indefinitely. The revised health guidelines are based on new science and consider lifetime exposure to the

chemicals, the EPA said. Officials are no longer confident that PFAS levels allowed under the 2016 guidelines “do not have adverse health impacts,’’ an EPA spokesman said. While the new guidelines set acceptable risk below levels that can currently be measured, as a practical matter EPA recommends that utilities take action against the chemicals when they reach levels that can be measured—currently about four parts per trillion, a senior administration official told reporters Tuesday night. The EPA said it expects to propose national drinking water regulations for PFOA and PFOS later this year, with a final rule expected in 2023. In a related development, the EPA said that for the first time it is issuing final health advisories for two chemicals that are considered replacements for PFOA and PFOS. One group is known as GenX chemicals, while the other is known as PFBS. Health advisories for GenX chemicals were set at 10 parts per trillion, while PFBS was set at 2,000 parts per trillion. The agency said the new advisories provide technical information that federal, state and local agencies can use to inform actions to address PFAS in drinking water, including water quality monitoring, use of filters and other technologies that reduce PFAS and strategies to reduce exposure to the substances. Env ironment a l a nd publ ic health groups hailed the action as a good first step. Advocates have long urged action on PFAS after thousands of communities detected PFAS chemicals in their water. PFAS chemicals have been confirmed at nearly 400 military installations, according to the Environmental Working Group, a research and advocacy organization. “EPA had the courage to follow the science. This is a step in the right direction,’’ said Stel Bailey, co-facilitator of National PFAS Contamination Coalition. “The science is clear: These chemicals are shockingly toxic at extremely low doses,’’ added Erik Olson, senior strategic director for health and food at the Natural Resources Defense Council. He called on the EPA to regulate all PFAS chemicals “with enforceable standards as a single class of chemicals.” Melanie Benesh, legislative attorney for the Environmental Working Group, said the EPA’s announcement “should set off alarm bells for consumers and regulators” alike. She urged the EPA to “move much faster to dramatically reduce exposures to these toxic chemicals.” The EWG estimates that more than 200 million Americans are drinking water contaminated with PFAS. The American Chemistry Council, which represents major chemical companies, could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday. The group has said it supports “strong, science-based regulation of chemicals, including PFAS substances.” In a statement last year, the group said that “all PFAS are not the same, and they should not all be regulated the same way. We hope and expect any federal actions will be consistent with sound science.” L eg isl at ion pa ssed by t he House would set a national drinking water standard for PFAS and direct the EPA to develop discharge limits for a range of industries suspected of releasing PFAS into the water. The bill has stalled in the Senate.

The World Health Organization headquarters. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the organization is working with partners and experts from around the world on changing the name of the monkeypox virus. Bloomberg photo

WHO seen renaming monkeypox virus to minimize stigma, racism

By Madison Muller

he World Health Organization will officially rename monkeypox, in light of concerns about stigma and racism surrounding the virus that has infected over 1,600 people in more than two-dozen countries. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director general, announced Tuesday morwning that the organization is “working with partners and experts from around the world on changing the name of monkeypox virus, its clades and the disease it causes.” He said the WHO will make announcements about the new names as soon as possible. More than 30 international scientists said last week that the monkeypox label is discriminatory and stigmatizing, and there’s an “urgent” need to rename it. The current name doesn’t fit with WHO guidelines that recommend avoiding geographic regions and animal names, a spokesperson said. The proposal echoes a similar controversy that erupted when the WHO moved quickly to rename SARS-CoV-2 after people around the world referred to it as the China or Wuhan virus in the absence of an official designation. The actual animal source of monkeypox, which has been found in a wide variety of mammals, remains unknown. “In the context of the current global outbreak, continued reference to, and nomenclature of this virus being African is not only inaccurate but is also discriminatory and stigmatizing,” the scientists’ group said in a letter online. The WHO is consulting experts in orthopoxviruses—the family to which monkeypox belongs—on more appropriate names, a spokesperson said. Other disease names that run counter to the guidelines include swine flu, according to joint recommendations from the WHO, the World Organization for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Naming diseases “should be done with the aim to minimize the negative impact,” the spokesperson said in an e-mail, “and avoid causing offense to any cultural, social, national, regional, professional or ethnic groups.” Monkeypox has been endemic in west and central Africa for decades, but cases have primarily been associated with spillover from animals, rather than human-to-human transmission. In past outbreaks outside African countries, such as in the US in 2003, cases were linked to contact with animals carrying the virus or travel to regions where it is endemic. While it’s still unclear how monkeypox entered humans in the current outbreak, the virus has been spreading through close, intimate contact—a change from earlier episodes. Other groups have warned of stigma in communication about monkeypox. In late May, the Foreign Press Association of Africa asked western media to stop using photos of Black people to highlight what the condition looks like in stories about the US or UK. In the weeks since, scientists have also raised the point that the lesions patients are presenting with in this current outbreak have, in many cases, been distinct from what’s been historically documented in Africa. “As any other disease, it can occur in any region in the world and afflict anyone, regardless of race or ethnicity,” the group wrote. “As such, we believe that no race or skin complexion should be the face of this disease.” Scientists at the WHO and other institutions have pointed out that there’s been little international attention to the virus until it spread to countries outside Africa. Every monkeypox case “should be treated with the same attention and sense of urgency as the ones now in European countries and North America,” the group of 30 scientists said in their letter last week. Bloomberg News

Tension. . . Continued from A3

treaties passed by Congress. The US position is that the convention is “reflective of customary international law,” which is another basis for claiming such rights, according to Rothwell. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, concerns have heightened in Asia about the possibility of China making a similar grab for control over Taiwan, an island of 23 million people, whose worldbeating semiconductor industry makes it a cornerstone of global industry.

Wen-Ti Sung, a lecturer at the Australian National University’s Taiwan studies program, said China’s messaging was more likely a response to the growing tendency for other countries to refer publicly to the importance of security in the strait at international meetings, most recently one between the defense ministers of Japan, South Korea and the US. “China is unlikely to forcefully confront naval vessels entering the Taiwan Strait because the risk of escalation is exceedingly high,” Sung said. “China’s objective is to deter what it sees as a growing internationalization of the Taiwan issue.” Bloomberg News

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Raging floods leave Yellowstone landscape ‘dramatically changed’ By Matthew Brown & Lindsay Whitehurst

The Associated Press

ED LODGE, Mont.—The forces of fire and ice shaped Yellowstone National Park over thousands of years. It took decades longer for humans to tame it enough for tourists to visit, often from the comfort of their cars. In just days, heavy rain and rapid snowmelt caused a dramatic flood that may forever alter the human footprint on the park’s terrain and the communities that have grown around it. The historic floodwaters that raged through Yellowstone this week, tearing out bridges and pou r i ng i nto nea rby homes, pushed a popular fishing river off course—possibly permanently— and may force roadways nearly torn away by torrents of water to be rebuilt in new places. “The landscape literally and figuratively has changed dramatically in the last 36 hours,” said Bill Berg, a commissioner in nearby Park County. “A little bit ironic that this spectacular landscape was created by violent geologic and hydrologic events, and it’s just not very handy when it happens while we’re all here settled on it.” The unprecedented flooding drove more than 10,000 visitors out of the nation’s oldest national park and damaged hundreds of homes in nearby communities, though remarkably no one was reported hurt or killed. The only

visitors left in the massive park straddling three states were a dozen campers still making their way out of the backcountry. The park could remain closed as long as a week, and northern entrances may not reopen this summer, Superintendent Cam Sholly said. “I’ve heard this is a 1,000-year event, whatever that means these days. They seem to be happening more and more frequently,” he said. Sholly noted some weather forecasts include the possibility of additional flooding this weekend. Days of rain and rapid snowmelt wrought havoc across parts of southern Montana and northern Wyoming, where it washed away cabins, swamped small towns and knocked out power. It hit the park as a summer tourist season that draws millions of visitors was ramping up during its 150th anniversary year. Businesses in hard-hit Gardiner had just started really recovering from the tourism contraction brought by the coronavirus pandemic, and were hoping for a good year, Berg said. “It’s a Yellowstone town, and it lives and dies by tourism, and this is going to be a pretty big hit,” he said. “They’re looking to try to figure out how to hold things together.” Some of the worst damage happened in the northern part of the park and Yellowstone’s gateway See “Yellowstone,” A6

Sunday, June 19, 2022

World’s worst dropout rate adds to headaches for UK work force

By Philip Aldrick

ritain is leading much of the world when it comes to people dropping out of the work force, not filling jobs despite a historic squeeze on living standards. That shortage of staff is now causing chronic problems, from travel chaos at airports to coffee chains that have to close shops temporarily. It’s creating headaches for both Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government and the Bank of England as workers strike for better pay, which officials fear will only drive inflation to fresh 40-year highs. “I’ve not seen anything like this in my experience,” Olivier Blanchard, the 73-year-old former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, told Bloomberg at Amundi’s World Investment Forum last week. The issue came into sharp relief on Tuesday with official statistics showing real wages dropping at their fastest pace in 21 years and little progress on employment. There are 360,000 fewer people in work than before Covid in February 2020, due in part to a 450,000

jump in inactivity, those under 65 who neither have nor want a job. Against pre-crisis trends, the UK is short a million workers and for the first time ever employers are advertising more job vacancies than there are people looking. Tony Wilson, director of the Institute for Employment Studies, said it was “the tightest labor market on record.” According to Office for National Statistics analysis of data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, of the Group of Seven industrialized nations only Britain and the US have a participation problem, with more work force drop-outs than before the pandemic. The rise in inactivity is most severe in the UK, which faces further economic setbacks if it is not resolved. The OECD this month warned the government that “a prolonged period of acute supply and labor shortages could force firms into

a more permanent reduction in their operating capacity,” effectively shutting down parts of the economy because Britain can no longer find the staff. Despite Britain’s exit from the European Union, the problem is not migration. The number of foreign nationals working in the UK is 265,000 higher than at the end of 2019. There are 640,000 fewer Britons in employment. That fall is due to two trends: Britons choosing to drop out of work altogether and long-term sickness. How can people afford not to work when life is getting more expensive? Blanchard puts the shortage of workers in the US down to direct cash handouts during the pandemic, which are providing a financial cushion as they have yet to be spent. The UK’s equivalent are the 290,000 aged between 50 and 64 who left work early, many of whom are graduates with a career in professional and technical activities, ONS data shows. They didn’t get direct cash handouts as in the US, Canada and Japan but they did accumulate much of the £200 billion of “accidental savings” built up in lockdowns as they could not spend their wages. “We’ve had a shock which allowed people to assess how nice it was to work from home,” Blanchard said. “This has led people to think

differently. It’s like the integration of women in the labor force during World War 2. They had to work and then they continued to work. These are events that change the way people think. I think they are permanent.” Blanchard suggested burnout may have been behind the change in mindset, citing a woman who quit her stressful job running a restaurant for a less demanding role. However, the ONS data indicates many—particularly women—don’t have that luxury. Total employment is 1.1 percent below pre-pandemic levels but hours worked are down just 0.8 percent. The picture is stark for working women, who number 0.7 percent fewer but are working 2.3 percent more hours. Stress, as well as the lingering affects of Covid, may explain the 90,000 increase in inactivity since the pandemic among those in the prime of their working lives, aged 25-50. Half of the increase in activity, 225,000, is among those aged 16 to 64 who are “long-term sick.” Many have declared mental health issues and the ONS estimates 376,000 people have had Covid symptoms for at least two years. According to Matthew Whittaker, chief executive at Pro Bono See “Work force,” A6

Sunday, June 19, 2022

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US spy agencies’ focus on China could snare Chinese Americans By Nomaan Merchant & Eric Tucker The Associated Press

ASHINGTON—As US intelligence agencies ramp up their efforts against China, top officials acknowledge they may also end up collecting more phone calls and emails from Chinese Americans, raising new concerns about spying affecting civil liberties. A new report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence makes several recommendations, including expanding unconscious bias training and reiterating internally that federal law bans targeting someone solely due to their ethnicity. US intelligence agencies are under constant pressure to better understand China’s decision-making on issues including nuclear weapons, geopolitics and the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic—and have responded with new centers and programs focusing on Beijing. While there’s bipartisan support for a tougher US approach to China, civil rights groups and advocates are concerned about the disparate effect of enhanced surveillance on people of Chinese descent. As one example, people who speak to relatives or contacts in China could be more likely to have their communications swept up, though intelligence agencies can’t quantify how often due in part to civil liberties concerns. There’s a long history of US government discrimination against groups of citizens in the name of national security. Japanese Americans were forced into internment camps during World War II, Black leaders were spied upon during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, and mosques were surveilled after the Sept. 11 attacks. Chinese Americans have faced discrimination going back to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the first law to explicitly ban immigration from a specific ethnic community. Aryani Ong, co-founder of the advocacy

group Asian American Federal Employees for Non-Discrimination, noted that people of Asian descent are sometimes “not fully trusted as loyal Americans.” She said the report, published May 31, would be useful to conversations about what she described as the conflation of civil rights and national defense. Ong and other advocates pointed to the Justice Department’s “China Initiative,” created to target economic espionage and hacking operations by Beijing. The department dropped the name of the program after it had come to be associated with faltering prosecutions of Asian American professors at US college campuses. “Often we hear responses that we cannot weaken our national security, as if protecting constitutional rights of Asian Americans (is) contrary to our defense,” said Ong, who is Indonesian and Chinese American. But in trying to produce demographic data on the impact of surveillance, the intelligence agencies say there’s a paradox: Examining the backgrounds of US citizens whose data is collected requires more intrusion into those people’s lives. “To try to find out that type of information would require additional collection that would absolutely not be authorized because it isn’t for the foreign intelligence purpose for which the intelligence community gets its authorities,” Ben Huebner, the chief civil liberties officer for Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, said in an interview. But, Huebner added, “I think the fact that we can’t analytically get to those types of metrics doesn’t mean that we get to sort of drop the ball on this.” One potential disparity highlighted by the report is what’s known as “incidental collection.” In surveilling a foreign target, intelligence agencies can obtain the target’s communications with a US citizen who isn’t under investigation. The agencies also collect phone calls or e-mails of US citizens

as they sweep for foreign communications. The National Security Agency has vast powers to surveil domestic and foreign communications, as revealed in part by documents leaked by Edward Snowden. Under NSA rules, two people have to sign off on putting any new foreign target under surveillance. The NSA masks the identities of US citizens under federal law and intelligence guidelines and turns over potential domestic leads to the FBI. The FBI can access some of the NSA’s collection without a warrant. Civil rights advocates have long argued that searches under what’s known as Section 702 disproportionately target minority communities. The ODNI report notes that Chinese Americans “may be an increased risk of such incidental collection,” as are Americans not of Chinese ancestry who have business or personal ties to China. The report recommends a review of artificial intelligence programs to ensure they “avoid perpetuating historical biases and discrimination.” It also suggests agencies across the intelligence community expand unconscious bias training for people who handle information from incidental collection. ODNI is also studying delays in granting security clearances and whether people of Chinese or Asian descent face longer or more invasive background investigations. While there is no publicly available data on clearances, some applicants from minority communities have questioned whether they undergo extra scrutiny due to their race or ethnicity. According to the report, US intelligence assesses that “neither race nor ethnicity is the primary criterion utilized by the PRC’s intelligence services in their recruitment of intelligence assets.” Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that he welcomed the recommendations “to increase awareness of existing non-discrimination prohibitions and improve transparency

around the security clearance process.” But Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who is the committee’s vice chairman, said requiring new training on unconscious bias and cultural competency was a distraction. “The Chinese Communist Party likes nothing more than when we are distracted by divisive, internal politics,” Rubio said in a statement. The ODNI report highlights FBI training on race and ethnicity as a “best practice” in the intelligence community. In a statement, the FBI said that there was “no place for bias and prejudice in our communities” and that law enforcement “must work to eliminate these flawed beliefs in our agencies to best serve those we are sworn to protect. The FBI said its agents are trained in “obedience to the Constitution” and in “treating everyone with dignity, empathy and respect.” A senior NSA official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters, said the agency currently requires unconscious bias training for managers and hiring officials, but not all employees. The NSA does train intelligence analysts on rules that prohibit the collection of intelligence for suppressing dissent or disadvantaging people based on their race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, and is reviewing ODNI’s recommendations. The CIA late last year issued new instructions to officers discouraging the use of the word “Chinese” to describe China’s government. The guidance suggests referring to the leadership as “China,” “the People’s Republic of China” or “PRC,” or “Beijing,” while using “Chinese” to refer to the people, language or culture. “It’s important to be clear that our concern is about the threat posed by the People’s Republic of China, the PRC—not about the people of China, let alone fellow Americans of Chinese or Asian descent,” CIA Director William Burns said in a recent speech at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “It is a profound mistake to conflate the two.”

Workforce. . . Continued from A5

Economics, young women account for the majority with mental health problems. Tony Wilson, director of the Institute for Employment Studies, has crunched the welfare data and found “a staggering increase in those aged 25-49 and assessed as too ill to work.” Those dynamics raise tricky questions for the government about work incentives. UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak initially tried to sharpen those incentives, providing little support for poor households while cutting payroll taxes for those on low pay and telling them the best way to deal with the cost of living crisis was to get a job. Last month, he reversed tack and increased support for the 8 million most vulnerable households to £1,200 to top up benefit payments to help with soaring energy bills. He also committed to lifting benefits next year by a forecast 9.5 percent, the biggest annual increase since 1991. Whittaker said it was plausible that the combination of existing welfare, one-off cost of living support and the promise of an inflation-busting benefit rise next year may deter some people from rejoining the labor force, particularly as statutory sick pay is not as generous. “If you are living with long Covid or have other health issues, you may ask yourself ‘Do I go back to work with a skeptical employer?’” Whittaker said. “If the mental health problem is self-declared, there is the question of whether the employer will accept that. People may be doing these sums in their heads.”

This photo provided by Katherine Schoolitz shows flooding in Red Lodge, Mont., on Monday, June 13, 2022. Raging floodwaters that pulled houses into rivers and forced rescues by air and boat began to slowly recede Tuesday across the Yellowstone region, leaving tourists and others stranded after roads and bridges were knocked out by torrential rains that swelled waterways to record levels. Katherine Schoolitz via AP

Yellowstone. . . Continued from A5

communities in southern Montana. National Park Service photos of northern Yellowstone showed a mudslide, washed out bridges and roads undercut by churning floodwaters of the Gardner and Lamar rivers. In Red Lodge, a town of 2,100 that’s a popular jumping-off point for a scenic route into the Yellowstone high country, a creek running through town jumped its banks and swamped the main thoroughfare, leaving trout swimming in the street a day later under sunny skies. Residents described a harrowing scene where the water went from a trickle to a torrent over just a few hours. The water toppled telephone poles, knocked over fences and carved deep fissures in the ground through a neighborhood of hundreds of houses. Electricity was restored by Tuesday, but there was still no running water in the affected neighborhood. Heidi Hoffman left early Monday to buy a sump pump in Billings, but by the time she returned her basement was full of water. “We lost all our belongings in the basement,” Hoffman said as the pump removed a steady stream of water into her muddy backyard. “Yearbooks, pictures, clothes, furniture. Were going to be cleaning up for a long time.” At least 200 homes were flooded in Red Lodge and the town of Fromberg. The flooding came as the Midwest and East Coast sizzle from a heat wave and other parts of the West burn from an early wildfire season amid a persistent drought that has increased the frequency and intensity of fires. Smoke from a fire in the mountains of Flagstaff, Arizona, could be seen in Colorado. While the flooding hasn’t been directly attributed to climate change, Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, said a warming environment makes extreme weather events more likely than they would have been “without the warming that human activity has caused.” “Will Yellowstone have a repeat of this in five or even 50 years? Maybe not, but somewhere will have something equivalent or even more extreme,” he said. Heavy rain on top of melting mountain snow pushed the Yellowstone, Stillwater and Clarks Fork rivers to record levels Monday and triggered rock and mudslides, according to the National Weather Service. The Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs topped a record set in 1918. Yellowstone’s northern roads may remain impassable for a substantial length of time. The flooding affected the rest of the park, too, with park officials warning of yet higher flooding and potential problems with water supplies and wastewater systems at developed areas. The rains hit just as area hotels filled up in recent weeks with summer tourists. More than 4 million visitors were tallied by the park last year. The wave of tourists doesn’t abate until fall, and June is typically one of Yellowstone’s busiest months. Mark Taylor, owner and chief pilot of Rocky Mountain Rotors, said his company had airlifted about 40 paying customers over the past two days from Gardiner, including two women who were “very pregnant.” Taylor spoke as he ferried a family of four adults from Texas, who wanted to do some more sightseeing before heading home. “I imagine they’re going to rent a car and they’re going to go check out some other parts of Montana—somewhere drier,” he said. At a cabin in Gardiner, Parker Manning of Terre Haute, Indiana, got an up-close view of the roiling Yellowstone River floodwaters just outside his door. Entire trees and even a lone kayaker streamed by. In early evening, he shot video as the waters ate away at the opposite bank where a large brown house that had been home to park employees before they were evacuated was precariously perched. In a large cracking sound heard over the river’s roar, the house tipped into the waters and was pulled into the current. Sholly said it floated 5 miles (8 kilometers) before sinking. The towns of Cooke City and Silvergate, just east of the park, were also isolated by floodwaters, which also made drinking water unsafe. People left a hospital and low-lying areas in Livingston. In south-central Montana, 68 people at a campground were rescued by raft after flooding on the Stillwater River. Some roads in the area were closed and residents were evacuated. In the hamlet of Nye, at least four cabins washed into the Stillwater River, said Shelley Blazina, including one she owned. “It was my sanctuary,” she said Tuesday. “Yesterday I was in shock. Today I’m just in intense sadness.” Whitehurst reported from Salt Lake City. Associated Press writers Amy Beth Hanson in Helena, Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, R.J. Rico in Atlanta, and Brian Melley in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

World Features

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BusinessMirror

Sunday, June 19, 2022

Spiraling food crisis hits Sri Lanka as rice farmers abandon fields By Asantha Sirimanne, Sudhi Ranjan Sen & Jasmine Ng

Bloomberg News

or R. Daranagama, a 70-yearold rice farmer, the past year ranks among the most difficult of his life. As Sri Lanka battles its worst economic crisis in decades, Daranagama has barely touched his four-acre field this season. Without access to fertilizer, he and other farmers expect crop yields to slump, threatening food supplies across a nation already pushed to the brink.

“I do not know what the harvest will be,” said Daranagama, who grows rice in the coastal district of Gampaha. “I have never seen a situation like this.” Fears of a hunger crisis are rising in Sri Lanka, a teardrop-shaped island south of India. Shortages of items like flour and milk powder are widespread. Food inflation hovers around 60 percent. Faced with exorbitant costs, many farmers like Daranagama have skipped rice cultivation entirely this season. It’s a scary turnaround for a middleincome country that once faced no problems feeding a population of 22 million people. Sri Lanka’s economic meltdown, the most dire since the nation achieved independence from the British in 1948, has taken a severe toll on the agriculture sector. Rice production in the last harvest season had already plunged 40 percent

to 50 percent. Now, seed and fertilizer scarcities could shrink crop yields by as much as 50 percent this year, according to Mahinda Amaraweera, the agriculture minister. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has warned that curbing hunger is one of Sri Lanka’s biggest challenges over the next few months, prompting people with means to start stockpiling supplies. The United Nations estimates that almost a quarter of the population already require food assistance. Jayavardhana Pridarshani, a mother of four who lives in Hambantota, a stronghold of the ruling Rajapaksa dynasty, said her family used to eat fish or eggs daily. These days, they can only afford to have those items once a month. She said schools have stopped serving meals to students and fishermen rarely go out to sea because of fuel shortages,

A farmer rests during the seedling planting in a paddy field in Bandaragama, Sri Lanka, on June 5, 2022. As inflation neared 40 percent last week, the government urged farmers to start planting rice. Bloomberg

even though there’s an abundance of fish. “Children here, including mine, are suffering from fatigue and weakness,” she said, adding that a doctor had warned that those were symptoms of protein deficiency. The problem echoes across Sri Lanka. Sajith Premadasa, leader of the political opposition, said an estimated 15 percent of children in the country are “wasting.” That term refers to underweight children whose immune systems are weak, leaving them vulnerable to developmental delays, disease and even death. At the Lady Ridgeway hospital in Colombo, the country’s largest for children, about 20 percent of patients suffer from malnutrition due to the ongoing crisis, local media reported. Poor nutrition carries a significant economic burden in terms of higher health care costs and reduced productivity. Sri Lanka’s woes trace to depleted foreign currency reserves, ill-timed tax cuts, loss of tourism dollars and

disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic. In the agriculture sector, policy missteps have also played a role. In April 2021, the government, led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, banned synthetic fertilizer imports to push the country toward organic farming. But without adequate preparation, the plan backfired. Sri Lanka’s entire agricultural chain—around a third of the labor force and 8 percent of gross domestic product—faced disruptions. Export earnings from tea, a key revenue source, dried up. As backlash grew, the government began to reverse the ban in November. President Rajapaksa said the synthetic fertilizer ban was intended to increase the income of farmers by providing them with sustainable and cheaper alternatives. In a recent interview with Bloomberg News, he acknowledged problems with execution. “Our organic fertilizer manufacturers didn’t have the capacity,

but I was not informed,” he said. “I didn’t get the support from people who were responsible.” Without a bailout from the International Monetary Fund, many worry that Sri Lanka could now go the way of Venezuela, with an essentially worthless currency causing hardship for years to come. For weeks, demonstrators have shut down parts of Colombo, the capital. Much of the public’s anger is directed at the Rajapaksa family, who have led the country for most of the past two decades. Shock waves from the fertilizer ban continue to reverberate. Due to the increased costs of production—as high as double for paddy crops—a smaller fraction of farmers have prepared for this year’s Yala harvest, which coincides with the monsoon season running from May to August. The situation has turned desperate for poorer Sri Lankans. Amaraweera, the agriculture minister, has urged people to grow crops at

home, saying it’s the only solution to the crisis. For the next three months, the government has given state employees Fridays off from work to tend to their gardens. To meet shortages, Sri Lanka will need to spend over $200 million to import fertilizers this year. So far, the government expects a combined $150 million in assistance from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, according to a senior official familiar with the matter. The Export-Import Bank of India has already extended a $55 million loan to Sri Lanka to buy urea, a form of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. And China has sent rice shipments to fill supply gaps. But with dwindling food reserves and record global prices for grain and fertilizer due to the war in Ukraine, Sri Lanka is running out of options. The World Food Programme has started distributing food vouchers to some pregnant women as part of its emergency response, aiming to provide assistance to 3 million of the most vulnerable people. Even with humanitarian aid and a recent uptick in cultivation, widespread hunger is possible if more farmers can’t grow or harvest their crops because of runaway prices. K. Sugath, a 52-year-old farmer, said the challenges keep piling up. Without access to urea, he planted only an acre of rice paddy this season. Many farmers in his area have opted against cultivation entirely, arguing that available organic fertilizers yield limited crops. High fuel prices also mean running a tractor costs twice as much now. Sugath isn’t optimistic about his harvest, but he worries there’s no choice if he wants to keep his family fed. “Paddy prices have gone up but no one is selling,” he said.

Child soldiering continues in Yemen despite Houthi’s promise to UN to stop the practice By Samy Magdy

The Associated Press

AIRO—In the video, a man stands in front of a blackboard in a full classroom, teaching the parts of an AK-47 rifle. He then hands it over to a boy, showing him how to cock it. Other children crowd around, many who appear to be no older than 10, asking for their turn. The video, leaked online this month, provides a rare window into child soldier indoctrination by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Local residents confirmed to The Associated Press that it was filmed in recent weeks in Yemen’s rebel-held province of Amran, northwest of the capital, Sanaa. Despite an agreement with the UN in April to halt the practice, the Houthis continue to recruit children into the military ranks to fight in the country’s grinding civil war, Houthi officials, aid workers and residents told the AP. Two Houthi officials said the rebels recruited several hundred children including as young as 10 over the past two months. Those children have been deployed to front lines, as part of a buildup of forces taking place during a UNbrokered truce, which has held for more than two months, one official said. The officials, both hardliners within the Houthi movement, said they see nothing wrong with the practice, arguing that boys from 10 or 12 are considered men.

“Those are not children. They are true men, who should defend their nation against the Saudi, American aggression, and defend the Islamic nation,” one of them said. The two spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid frictions with others among the Houthis. The Houthis have used what they call “summer camps” to disseminate their religious ideology and to recruit boys to fight. Such camps take place in schools and mosques around the Houthi-held part of Yemen, which encompasses the north and center of the country and Sanaa. Yemen’s conf lict erupted in 2014 when the Houthis descended from their northern enclave and took over Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government to flee to the south. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in early 2015 to try to restore the government to power, waging a destructive air campaign and arming anti-Houthi forces. The war has killed more than 150,000 people, including more than 14,500 civilians and has plunged the country into near famine, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Child soldiers have been involved for years. Nearly 2,000 Houthi-recruited children were killed on the battlefield between January 2020 and May 2021, according to UN experts. Pro-government forces have also used child fighters but to a much lesser degree and have taken greater

Kahlan, a 12-year-old former child soldier, demonstrates how to use a weapon, at a camp for displaced persons where he took shelter with his family, in Marib, Yemen, July 27, 2018. Yemen’s Houthi rebels continue to recruit children into their military ranks to fight in the country’s civil war, despite an agreement with the UN in April 2022 to halt the practice. Two Houthi officials acknowledged to The Associated Press that the rebels have recruited several hundred children, some as young as 10, in the past two months. AP/Nariman El-Mofty

measures to halt the practice, according to UN and aid officials. Overa l l, the UN says over 10,200 children have been killed or maimed in the war, though it is unclear how many may have been combatants. In April, the rebels signed what the UN children’s agency described as an “action plan” to end and prevent the practice. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the rebels committed to identifying children in their ranks and releasing them within six months. UNICEF and the Houthis did not respond to requests for comment on the continued recruitment since. Four aid workers with three

international organizations operating in rebel-held areas said they observed intensified Houthi efforts to recruit children in recent weeks. The Houthis’ ranks have been thinned because of battlefield losses, especially during a nearly two-year battle for the crucial city of Marib. The aid workers spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of their safety and that their groups could be barred from working in Houthiheld territory. They said the rebels have pressured families to send their children to camps where they learn how to handle weapons and plant mines, in return for services including food rations from inter-

national organizations. One aid worker who operates in remote northern areas described watching children as young as 10 manning checkpoints along the road, with AK-47s hanging on their shoulders. Others are sent to the front line. He said children have returned wounded from fighting at Marib. Thousands of fighters were killed in the battle for government-held Marib. The Houthis’ long attempt to capture it was finally stopped in late 2021 when gover nment forces were bolstered by better-equipped fighters backed by the United Arab Emirates. Abdel-Bari Taher, a Yemeni commentator and former head of the country’s Journalists’ Union, said that the Houthis are exploiting local customs to the children’s and society’s detriment. Having or carrying a weapon is a tradition deeply rooted in Yemen, especially in rural and mountainous communities, he said. “It is a source of pride and kind of manhood for the boys,” he said. The Houthis also condition cr ucia l food a id on chi ld ren attending the training camps, some say. Two residents in Amran province said Houthi representatives came to their homes in May and told them to prepare their children for camps at the end of the school year. The residents, who are farmers, spoke on condition

of anonymity for fear of reprisals. They said their five children, aged between 11 and 16, were taken in late May to the school where the video was taken. One father said he was told that if he didn’t send his children, his family would no longer receive food rations. The UN panel of experts said earlier this year that the Houthis, a Zaidi-Shiite religious movement turned-rebel militia with ties with Iran, have a system to indoctrinate child soldiers, including using humanitarian aid to pressure families. Children are taken first to centers for a month or more of religious courses. There, they are told they are joining a holy war against Jews and Christians and Arab countries that have succumbed to Western influence. Seven-yearolds are taught weapons cleaning and how to dodge rockets, the experts found. The Houthis have in the past officially denied enlisting children to fight. But they have also provided evidence to the contrary. A highranking Houthi, Mohammed alBukhaiti, posted a video in early June from a visit he paid to one of the camps in Dhamar province. It shows dozens of children in uniforms standing in a militarylike formation and declaring allegiance to rebel movement’s top leader, Abdul-Malek al-Houthi. “Soldiers of God,” they shout. “We are coming.”

Journey

»life on the go

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Sunday, June 19, 2022

Editor: Tet Andolong

Celebrating Cordillera’s culture and cuisine

University of Baguio’s Kafagway Culinary Team

Ibaloi tribal dance

Tourism VIPs at Mangan Taku

By Bernard L. Supetran

he Cordillera highland region is arguably the most exotic in the archipelago with its majestic mountain ranges, rugged nature-based adventures, centuries-old indigenous cultures, and the iconic Rice Terraces, one of Unesco’s World Heritage Sites. But one rich aspect of the Cordilleran way of life which has been largely unappreciated is its equally-exotic and distinct cuisine which has been handed down across generations. To showcase the region’s rich but understated rich culinary heritage, the Department of Tourism and the City Government of Baguio recently held the Mangan Taku Cordillera Food Fair. Now on its third staging since 2019, the event which literally means “let’s eat” is a regional version of the DOT’s national food tourism program which seeks to highlight the diversity and uniqueness of heirloom dishes in the grassroots. This year’s food fest is dubbed the “Watwat” Edition which focused on a traditional way of cooking meat which is an integral part of the Cordilleran custom in food preparation. Watwat is the popular chunks of pork boiled in a large pot minus the spices which are served to guests and shared

within the community during any occasion. Baguio once again played host to the four-day event which saw 20 food exhibitors from the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province showcasing local food products and indigenous cuisines. Apart from being the country’s Summer Capital, Baguio is also haven for food trip dining with its wide array of traditional, fusion, gourmet and international offerings which also reflects its being a Unesco Creative City. In keeping with time-honored tribal tradition, Mangan Taku opened with a mad-mad, an indigenous prayer for a successful event, afterwhich the watwat was served by the hosts to formally welcome the guests. On top of the ubiquitous watwat, exhibitors offered diverse cuisine ranging from v iands, snacks, desserts, beverages, and appetizers, incorporating the dis-

The signature Cordillera watwat meat

tinct flavor of the region. Seven chefs from all over the region converged in the City of Pines to take part in the Chefs Competition as they interpret and give the watwat a fresh and contemporary rendition. Each participating chef crafted their own entry using local ingredients and executing their specialties by combining traditional and modern cooking techniques. After the smoke of the battle of the chefs has literally settled down, the Slow Food Community in Pasil topped the contest with their “Inanchila,” a famous local delicacy in Kalinga province. Chefs Rowena Gonnay and Rizalyn Dangiw explained that they chose to highlight the globallyrecognized indigenous dish for its unique manner of preservation. Another winning group is the Kafagway Culinary Team of the

DOT Regional Director Jovi Ganongan with Pasil Slow Food Community

University of Baguio’s School of International Hospitality and Tourism Management composed of Chefs Benz Dasalla, Alexander Molintas, and Aileen Carillo. The group rendered a modern take of the watwat mixing the traditional taste that the meat brings with modern techniques, recipes, and styles. Their winning menu inc ludes Smoked Cord i l leran Sausage for appetizer, Beetroot Carpaccio with Mountain Greens, Sagada Orange, Fresh Homemade Cheese, and Dayap Vinaigrette for salad, and Modern “Watwat” with Crispy Pork Skin Served with Pinakpakan Medley in Pegion Pea Sauce for entrée. According to DOT regional director Jovi Ganongan, Mangan Taku is a culinary journey that highlights the vast culinary tradition of the Cordilleras that must be appreciated, preserved,

and promoted. She said the that the event is in line World Food Travel Association’s thrust of promoting “Food tourism is the act of traveling for a taste of place in order to get a sense of place.” Meanwhile, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong cited importance of the food tourism program in helping the tourism sector bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic. He pointed out that the food festival was institutionalized in 2019 based on City Ordinance No. 81 declaring every Second day of April wherein the Cordilleran cuisine will be highlighted. He noted that the said proclamation seeks to promote the appreciation, preservation and promotion of Philippine culinary traditions and treasures, ensuring the transfer of knowledge to future

generations, and support various industries, entrepreneurs, and agricultural communities. Ganongan added to build on the gains of Mangan Taku, the DOT will also launch the “Mountain Cook Out Tour” as a new experience for adventurous travelers, and would involve chefs and cooks from the region. Tour operators will be tapped to formulate package tours which will showcase the culinary and natural attractions of the different localities where heirloom dishes originated. Among to be showcased a re fa r m-to -t able dishes and “slow food” delicacies cooked from locally grown crops which refrain from using commercial ingredients. With its exotic culture and mouthwatering cuisine, the Cordillera region has just come to the more exciting part.

Social Commerce Start-up SariSuki: Enriching The Lives Of Filipinos, One Community At A Time

ariSuki is the largest social commerce start-up in the Philippines. It provides income opportunities for community leaders, gives consumers access to fresh groceries and everyday needs at rates lower than supermarket prices, and also supports local farmers and producers. Through SariSuki’s platform, KaSari Community Leaders serve as grocery dealers, who consolidate and fulfill the orders of their customers, known as Ka-Suki. The idea for SariSuki came after the pandemic broke out in 2020, when the wife of its CEO and cofounder, Brian Cu, began selling fresh fruits and vegetables to members of her community. She would order the produce in bulk, and was then able to sell these products to her buyers at discounted prices. SariSuki’s founders later discovered that many other sellers around the country were engaging in this behavior of community group buying, and when they dug deeper, they learned that this was an actual business model in countries like China and Indonesia.

Bel iev i ng t h at tec h nolog y should be used for the good, Brian and the team developed the SariSuki app, which would eventually enable countless Ka-Sari Community Leaders to earn extra income through online selling, and allow Ka-Suki customers to safely and conveniently purchase their daily needs at affordable prices, without having to leave home. SariSuki Cofounder and CEO Brian Cu said, “SariSuki is a game changer in the Philippine social commerce industry as it uplifts and empowers Filipino communities to recover from the global pandemic by supporting each other. Thousands of our Ka-Sari Community Leaders are microentrepreneurs that are now able to support their families while they offer safe, convenient, and extremely affordable fresh produce and grocery products to their next-door neighbors. We also consistently and directly source the fresh produce from local farmers to support our domestic agricultural industry.”

Ka-Sari Community Leader Anj Sy of Yahoo Mart dispatching grocery orders of her “Suki” customers

Social commerce start-up SariSuki cofounder and CEO Brian Cu at an e-commerce grocery warehouse in Metro Manila, May 2022.

Join SariSuki as a Ka-Sari Community Leader

To become a Ka-Sari Community Leader, you simply need to download the SariSuki app from Google Play or the Apple App Store, then register for your own virtual store. Successful Community Leaders have the potential to earn anywhere from P30,000 to P50,000

every month. Starting your own online grocery on SariSuki requires no capital, and no joining fee, and you can easily set up shop in an instant. SariSuki will take care of delivering products to your area in bulk, so you can focus on catering to the needs of your local community. Selling on SariSuki is easy

because the products listed on the platform comprises daily necessities like fruits and vegetables, rice, eggs, meat, and other standard supermaket products. SariSuki’s offerings are both high-quality and extremely affordable, too.

Shop on SariSuki today

Visit SariSuki.com to find a KaSuki near you, and begin purchasing supermarket-quality goods at wet market prices. Order anytime, and from anywhere, with no mini-

mum spend required. SariSuki sources fresh produce from local farmers, and with every purchase made, shoppers are able to support and help these farmers with their livelihood. Along with fresh produce, SariSuki carries a wide variety products from top local brands, too, so you can do all your grocery shopping in just one place. To learn more about SariSuki, go to SariSuki.com or visit and follow SariSuki on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Science Sunday

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

BusinessMirror

Sunday, June 19, 2022

DOST@64 SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE AWARDS

Recognition, thanksgiving for DOST partners By Lyn B. Resurreccion

2. Field Implementation of a Locally Developed Diagnostic Kit for the Detection of Covid-19: Manila Health Tek Inc.—Dr. Raul Destura and his Manila HealthTek team that was supported by the DOST, developed the first Philippinesdeveloped GenAmplify Covid-19 RT-PCR Detection Kit. 3. Technology and Market Validation of Universal Structural Health Evaluation and Recording System: Usher—Supported by DOST-PCIEERD, the movement from Mapua University R&D project to commercialization became vital to the realization of Dr. Francis Aldrin Uy’s purpose for Usher.

‘P

arangal at pasasalamat [recognition and thanksgiving]” with “Science for the People [SFTP] Awards” was the highlight of the 64th anniversary celebration of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as it acknowledged its partners in delivering science, technology and innovation (STI) to the people. At the same time, the event served as the appreciation night of Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña for DOST’s partners during his helm as he winds up his term at the department that ends on June 30. The DOST gave SFTP Awards to its outstanding partners from different sectors to express its gratitude in advancing STI. The Business Mirror was among the recipients of two SFTP Awards for the Media. The Institution category was received by its Editor in Chief Lourdes M. Fernandez, while the Individual category was given to Science Editor Lyn B. Resurreccion. The Vaccine Expert Panel, that was led by Dr. Nina Gloriani, was among the top SFTP awardees for its invaluable contribution in the review of vaccines for Covid-19 and development of criteria for the procurement of vaccines for emergency use in the country. Also awarded were the DOST outstanding partners from the higher education institutions, industry, local government units, science and technology foundations, national government agencies, bilateral diplomatic partners, policy-makers, nongovernment organizations. SFTP Awards were likewise bestowed to the S&T sector in research and development projects, technology commercialization, start-ups, enterprise productivity, community development, DOST governance innovations. Gender and Development Awards were also given. At the same time, former DOST assistant secretary Dr. Lydia Tansinsin, launched her book on the history of the DOST titled, “An Institutional Journey: From the NSDB to the DOST, 1958-1998.”

Best in performance; practice meritocracy

In his keynote address, National Scientist Dr. Emil Q. Javier said, being a former secretary of DOST, he takes pride in the department’s having been consistently rated “among the best in terms of quantity, quality and timeliness in its performance.” At the same time, he said DOST has always have the impression of “meritocracy bereft of corruption” among all agencies in government. Javier highlighted three remarkable achievements of the DOST under the helm of de la Peña. One is the mitigation of the loss of lives and properties from the calamities due to the projects on early warning provided by Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and Project Noah, through the installation of doppler radar, radar equipment and stations, and earthquake warning systems. He also acknowledged the full regionalization of the R&D and STI activities of DOST, especially through the Science for Change Program. He said historically the DOST’s S&T efforts were confined in Metro Manila. But the last three administrations of DOST, including that of de la Peña, went all out to make S&T “felt all over the country.” He noted the Niche Centers in the Regions Program (Nicer) has 49 universities in 17 regions which implement R&D. He added that the success of DOST in commercialization of R&D in the countryside is being carried out by Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage Philippine Economy (Cradle) has 39 universities in the regions that collaborate with 87 companies. “Nicer and Cradle epitomize the [performance of the] administration of de la Pena,” he said. Javier also pointed out the jump of the country’s Global Innovation Index from 83 in 2015 to 51 in 2021 out of 132 countries. “It was a great achievement which we can attribute to the fine work of DOST and its agencies in partnership with other sectors,” he said. Javier noted that with its achievements, he sees that the performance of DOST under de la Peña “will be treated kindly by history.” “Your [DOST’s and partners’] competence, dedication, hard work and passion make what DOST is today,” he said.

BusinessMirror Editor in Chief Lourdes M. Fernandez receives the Science for the People (SFTP) Outstanding Media Partner (Institution category) award from Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña, Undersecretary Rene Solidum and National Scientist Dr. Emil Q. Javier. Bernard Testa

BusinessMirror Science Editor Lyn B. Resurreccion receives the SFTP Outstanding Media Partner (Individual category) award. Bernard Testa

Startup of the Year:

Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation signed last March 13, 1997. 3. Japan: It has been a consistent bilateral partner of the DOST resulting in meaningful and fruitful collaborations with various Japanese scientific and academic institutions, notably the Japan Space Agency, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and many others.

National Scientist Dr. Emil Q. Javier delivers his keynote address. Lyn B. Resurreccion

Science Secretary Fortunato de la Peña gives his thanksgiving message. Bernard Testa

Thanksgiving

3. Herbanext Laboratories Inc.: With funding support from the DOST’s Business Innovation through Science and Technology Program, the ARIL of Herbanext was founded in 2020, and became the first ever dedicated facility in the country for scaling up the production of standardized herbal extracts and its development into herbal drugs,

De la Peña acknowledged the DOST leaders, scientists, researchers and employees in working hard that made the DOST R&Ds in STI, in collaboration with their partners, become productive and serve the needs of the public. He congratulated the awardees and thanked them for their support to the DOST in its R&D to bring science for the people. He noted the significance of the Vaccine Expert Panel work in vaccine concerns to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. He also urged the awardees to continue their partnership with the DOST in order to make their researches and projects flourish and help in the their sector’s development, and of the country as well. De la Peña also reminisced his early days with the DOST under the leadership of Javier and rose from the ranks until he became its undersecretary, and returned from retirement as its secretary in 2016.

Integrity and passion

DOST Assistant Secretary Leah Buendia, who headed the organizing committee for the event, said the DOST’s service and good relationship with stakeholders and partners is a reflection of their professionalism and expertise. “We do and implement our programs with integrity and passion to serve the Filipinos. I commend everyone here for their contributions toward sustained commitment in the STI enculturation in both local and international platforms,” Buendia said.

Outstanding SFTP awardees Academe:

1. Central Luzon State University: Through its collaborations with the DOST-PCAARRD, CLSU was able to cater to 6,828 clients, 44 of whom are start-up incubatees, who have already generated P24.3-million income and 141 jobs from October 2017- April 2022. 2. University of the Philippines: UP’s Philippine Genomics Center’s expansion was funded by the DOST in 2018 for the expansion to Mindanao and Visayas and the upgrading of the center’s R&D capacity through the establishment of the Protein, Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility. 3. De La Salle University: Its partnership with DOST has contributed to DLSU’s standing as the sole private higher education institution in the country to be listed in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and also led to the unprecedented 600-percent growth in its research output in the previous decade

Industry:

1. Ephrathah Farms Inc.: As an agritourism business in Iloilo, it is engaged in the production of high value fruits and vegetables, and operates as a tourist facility showcasing the different agricultural concerns. 2. Orthopaedic International Inc.: Since its inception, OII has grown into an ISO 13485-certified facility that designs, develops and manufactures orthopaedic products like the Axis Knee Replacement System.

Local Government Units:

1. Cauayan City, Isabela: The city has been recognized as the First Smarter City in the Philippines (2015) and later took the lead in localizing the United Nations’ 17-Point Sustainable Development Goals. It was also recognized as the first city in the Philippines to be ISO Certified on ISO 37122 Certification for Sustainable Cities and Communities. 2. Davao de Oro provincial government: With their framework anchored to the Bayanihan 4Ps+, the DOST and Davao de Oro continue to promote and apply Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation at the grassroots level. 3. Malaybalay City, Bukidnon: Its adoption of DOST-10’s technologies and interventions empowered the LGU to strengthen its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management response, waste management, livelihood creation, and production of high value products.

S&T Foundation:

1. Philippine Foundation for Science and Technology: For 38 years, the PFST continues to promote S&T to the public through its various educational programs. Its flagship program, the Philippine Science Centrum, Traveling exhibits, Teacher’s Training, interactive exhibit development and fabrication and science events have served over 20 million people nationwide. 2. Foundation for the Advancement of Clinical Epidemiology Inc.: FACE serves as the primary support arm of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology of the College of Medicine and the Institute of Clinical Epidemiology of the National Institutes of Health, both based at UP Manila. 3. DLSU Science Foundation Inc.: It assisted DLSU and other De La Salle Philippines’ member district schools through scholarships, professorial chairs, and pure and applied research, and have helped increase DLSU’s annual research publication to about 600 to 700 Scopus listed papers annually.

Media Partners (Institution)

1. BusinessMirror: B usiness M irror has been a partner of the DOST in providing the Filipino people the relevant STI news and information. True to this commitment, the newspaper has its Science Sunday section that is dedicated to stories about breakthroughs in the local science community. It won the Institutional Media Award for Print at the 2018 Bantog Awards. 2. Eagle Broadcasting Network: EBC has been a partner of the DOST in delivering STI news and information to the Filipino people. EBC is the home of NET25 and DZEC Radyo Agila. In 2018, DZEC Radyo Agila won the Institutional Media Award for Radio at the

Dr. Lydia Tansinsin, former assistant secretary of DOST, shares the history of the DOST during the launching of her book, “An Institutional Journey: From the NSDB to the DOST, 1958-1998,” was launched during the event. Lyn B. Resurreccion 2018 Bantog Awards. 3. Cable News Network Philippines: CNN Philippines has been among the leading media partners of DOST in disseminating up-to-date science information and news broadcasts. It is the home of Siyensikat, a 30-minute show by the DOST that connects Filipinos to science experts who provide science-based solutions and innovations to uplift their lives.

Media Partners (Individual):

1. Angelina (Lyn) B. Resurreccion: A multi-awarded science journalist since 1995 and as Science Editor of BusinessMirror, she has special interest in the DOST programs and projects on MSMEs, such as SETUP, FilipInnovation and Science for Change Program in order to inform the public about the benefits of STI, and on how the DOST has been providing the technologies and possible cures against Covid-19. 2. Hermelina C. Tenorio: An unrelenting S&T journalist since 1992, she has won several awards, including the Gawad Jose L. Guerrero DOST Media Awards, DOST Hall of Fame Awards and the Ulat Sipag Award. 3. Ma. Cristina C. Arayata: Covering the DOST since 2015 for the Philippine News Agency, she remains a reliable S&T media partner who constantly writes articles and pursues exclusive S&T stories that are of interest to the public, especially during the pandemic.

National Government Agencies:

1. Department of Agriculture, Region 6: To achieve its vision of a food-secured and resilient Philippines with empowered and prosperous farmers and fishers, it collaborates with agencies like the DOST to implement S&T programs and projects. 2. Department of Trade and Industry, Region 8: Some of its collaborations with the DOST are the Technology Business Incubator on Shared Service Facility for Food Processing and activities of the Villaconsuelo Tree Planters Association in Biliran. 3. Office of Civil Defense, Calabarzon: The OCD IV-A is an active partner in promoting and disseminating DOST’s programs, such as on the monitoring of critical governmentowned buildings along the Valley Fault System; implementing the Safe, Swift, And Smart Passage Travel Management System; infrastructure audit; and information dissemination and promotion of interventions brought by natural hazards.

Bilateral Partner:

1. United Kingdom: Many achievements were made under the DOST partnership with UK, such as the Synthetic Aperture Radar and Automatic Identification System; the various initiatives under the Newton Agham Program; the Leaders in Innovation Fellowships; the 12 joint health research initiatives; four joint hydrometeorological hazards research; Weather and Climate Science Service Partnership; four Researcher/Institutional Links; and side events in co-hosting COP26. 2. Taiwan: The DOST-Taiwan partnership continuously promotes mutually beneficial collaborative activities in STI under the

Legislator for S&T:

1. Paolo Benigno “Bam” A. Aquino: The former senator, who was the chairman of the Senate Committee on S&T, strongly defended the increase of DOST budget and pushed for the passage of all DOST STI priority bills. This resulted in the enactment of the Republic Act (RA) 11035, Balik Scientist Act; RA 11312, or Strengthening the Magna Carta for Scientists, Engineers, Researchers and Other S&T Personnel; RA 11337, or Innovative Startup Act; RA 11363, or the Philippine Space Act. 2. Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado: As chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Science and Technology in the 17th and 18th Congress, he filed and pushed for the passage of almost all the DOST STI priority bills, including the Balik Scientist Act and the Philippine Space Act.

Nongovernment Organization:

1. Philippine Metrology Standards, Testing and Quality Inc.: It is association advocating for the establishment of a strong national quality infrastructure in the country to support the production of globally competitive products and services. 2. Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Inc.: It is committed to promote and safeguard the business interest of its members and help raise the level of competitiveness through linkages and capacity building initiatives. 3. Davao City Hydrology for Environment, Life and Policy Philippines Network Inc.: As a multi-sectoral network, the role of Davao City HELP is to provide guidance through technical voices and science-based knowledge in water use and management.

R&D Projects:

1. Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources: Synergize Academe-Industry Research Undertaking to Improve Production through Banana Surveillance System—It provides a mobile application that allows early detection of diseases. This project develops a system that minimizes cost disease control. 2. Health: Feasibility Analysis of Syndrome Surveillance Using Spatiotemporal Epidemiological Modeler for LGU Epidemiology Surveillance Unit—FASSSTER is a cloud-based disease surveillance and scenario-based disease modeling tool that was developed and operationalized for use by the national and local government agencies during the Covid-19 pandemic. 3. Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology: Geospatial Information Management and Analysis Project for Hazards and Risk Assessment in the Philippines (GeoRiskPH)—Through a Cabinet Directive issued in July 2019, the GeoRiskPH Integrated System and the HazardHunterPH were approved to be the national platform for hazards and risk assessment. 4. Basic Research: Marine-sediment Derived Actinobacteria: New Vista for Natural Products Discovery in the Philippines

Technology Commercialization:

1. Juan Algal Paste: Algacon Aquafeeds Manufacturing—AAM is recognized as the first R&D Spin-Off company in Region 6. It was one of the pioneer incubatees of the DOST-PCAARRD-UP Visayas Fisheries Technology Business Incubation Project.

1. Blitzkrieg Animal Diagnostic Center: It is an incubatee of the Agri-Aqua Technology Business Incubator of CLSU and a startup beneficiary of the PCAARRD Startup Grant Fund program. 2. Pivotal Peak Digital Health Solutions Inc.: It is one of the pioneer startups that was granted funding support under PCHRD’s Startup Research Grant Program. PPDHSI is the exclusive licensee of the UP-developed Community Health Information Tracking System, the longest running electronic medical record in the country. 3. Futuristic Aviation and Maritime Enterprise: It provides reliable, secure, easily deployable and affordable solutions to connect devices for real-time intelligent monitoring and management of resources in maritime, aviation, land transportation, enterprise applications.

Enterprise Productivity:

1. Theo and Philo Chocolate Factory Inc.: It introduced chocolate products with unique traditional Filipino flavors to the world. 2. C and H Cosmetics Industries: Producing all natural and innovation-based cosmetics and home-care products, it continuously paves the way toward becoming industry 4.0-ready and the one of the leading Filipino companies with international and local recognitions and accreditations. 3. Trophy Farm Supplies: The DOST’s S&T interventions to the poultry farm increased its capacity and productivity by at least 100 percent.

Community Development:

1. Nagkakaisang Mamamayan ng Legarda Inc. and Jesse V. Robredo Homeowners Association, 3Ws of Barangay 412, Zone 42, Manila: The group welcomed various S&T related interventions provided by DOST-NCR through the DOST’s CEST Program to improve the community’s livelihood and solid waste program, resulting in improved overall living conditions in the community. 2. Municipality of Jabonga, Agusan del Norte: With the introduction of available technologies useful for the communities from the DOST since 2014, Jabonga actively engages in the different technology and skills training and other related activities, empowering specific sectors, particularly the women/housewives and the youth. 3. Municipality of Lantapan, Bukidnon: The Indigenous Peoples from seven tribes of Bukidnon, with agriculture as their major source of livelihood, DOST 10, through PSTC Bukidnon, provided technologies to add more value to their local produce. They also actively engage with the provincial innovation stakeholders to build a more resilient and smarter community while preserving their rich culture and tribal practices.

DOST Governance Innovations:

1. DOST Region IV-B: Innovative Technologies as Solution to Water Security in Mimaropa—The STI interventions have benefitted 1,835 households or at least 9,000 individuals, especially from geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas serving various sectors, including women and Indigenous people. 2. DOST Region VI: S-PASS (Safe, Swift and Smart Passage) Travel Management System—As of April 6, it has reached over 7,457,664 registered users nationwide with 121 or 93.4 percent of LGUs using the system in the issuance of permits of incoming travellers. 3. DOST Region X: Regional Research, Development and Innovation Committee— This innovation-driven network of agencies and institutions composed of eight NGAs, 12 HEIs, seven LGUs, four R&D consortia and four private sector/industry representatives expedited the realization of various innovation initiatives.

A10 Sunday, June 19, 2022

Faith

Sunday

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

Papal nuncio asks Filipinos There is no one ‘religious view’ on abortion to pray for pope’s health T T A scholar of religion, gender and sexuality explains

he Catholic Church’s official line on abortion, and even on any artificial birth control, is well known: Don’t do it. Surveys of how American Catholics live their lives, though, tell a different story. The vast majority of Catholic women have used contraceptives, despite the church’s ban. Fifty-six percent of US Catholics believe abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances, whether or not they believe they would ever seek one. One in four Americans who have had abortions are Catholic, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which advocates for reproductive health. It’s a clear reminder of the complex relationship between any religious tradition’s teachings and how people actually live out their beliefs. With the US Supreme Court poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that protects abortion rights nationwide, religious attitudes toward a woman’s right to end a pregnancy are in the spotlight. But even within one faith, there is no one religious position toward reproductive rights—let alone among different faiths.

Christianity and conscience As a scholar of gender and religion, I research how religious traditions shape people’s understandings of contraception and abortion. When it comes to official stances on abortion, religions’ positions are tied to different approaches to some key theological concepts. For instance, for several religions, a key issue in abortion rights is “ensoulment,” the moment at which the soul is believed to enter the body—that is, when a fetus becomes human. The catch is that traditions place ensoulment at different moments and give it various degrees of importance. Catholic theologians place ensoulment at the moment of conception, which is why the official position of the Catholic Church is that abortion is never permitted. From the moment the sperm meets the egg, in Catholic theology, a human exists, and you cannot kill a human, regardless of how it came to exist. Nor can you choose between two human lives, which is why the church opposes aborting a fetus to save the life of the pregnant person.

Catholics don’t feel compelled to follow teachings As in any faith, not all Catholics feel compelled to follow the church teachings in all cases. And regardless of whether someone thinks they would ever seek an abortion, they may believe it should be a legal right. Fifty-seven percent of US Catholics say abortion is morally wrong, but 68 percent still support Roe v. Wade, while only 14 percent believe that abortion should never be legal. Some Catholics advocate for abor-

Drawing from a 13th-century manuscript of Pseudo-Apuleius‘s “Herbarium,” depicting a pregnant woman in repose, while another holds some pennyroyal in one hand and prepares a concoction using a mortar and pestle with the other. Pennyroyal was historically used as an herbal abortifacient. The drawing was scanned from the book “Contraception and Abortion from the Ancient World to the Renaissance” by John M. Riddle. Wikimedia CC BY-SA-3.0 tion access not despite but because of their dedication to Catholic teachings. The organization Catholics for Choice describes its work as rooted in Catholicism’s emphasis on “social justice, human dignity, and the primacy of conscience”—people making their own decisions out of deep moral conviction.

Pro-choice clergy Other Christians also say faith shapes their support for reproductive rights. Protestant clergy, along with their Jewish colleagues, were instrumental in helping women to secure abortions before Roe, through a network called the Clergy Consultation Service. T hese pro -choice c lerg y were motivated by a range of concerns, including desperation that they saw among women in their congregations, and theological commitments to social justice. Today, the organization still exists as the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. There are myriad Protestant opinions on abortion. The most conservative equate it with murder, and therefore oppose any exemptions. The most liberal Protestant voices advocate for a broad platform of reproductive justice, calling on believers to “Trust Women.”

Who is a ‘person’? Muslims scholars and clerics, too, have a range of positions on abortion. Some believe abortion is never permitted, and many allow it until ensoulment, which is often placed at 120 days’ gestation, just shy of 18 weeks. In general, many Muslim leaders permit abortion to save the life of the mother, since classical Islamic law sees legal personhood as beginning at birth—though while many Muslims may seek out their religious leaders for guidance about or assistance with abortion, many do not. Jewish tradition has a great deal

of debate about when ensoulment occurs: Various rabbinic texts place it at or even before conception, and many place it at birth, but ensoulment is not as key as the legal status of the fetus under Jewish law. Generally, it is not considered to be a person. For instance, the Talmud—the main source of Jewish law—refers to the fetus as part of the mother’s body. The biblical Book of Exodus notes that if a pregnant woman is attacked and then miscarries, the attacker owes a fine but is not guilty of murder. In other words, Jewish law protects a fetus as a “potential person,” but does not view it as holding the same full personhood as its mother. Jew ish clerg y generally agree that abortion is not only permitted, but mandated, to save the life of the mother, because potential life must be sacrificed to save existing life—even during labor, as long as the head has not emerged from the birth canal. Where Jewish law on abortion gets complicated is when the mother’s life is not at risk. For example, contemporary Jewish leaders debate whether abortion is permitted if the mother’s mental health will be damaged, if genetic testing shows evidence of a nonfatal disability or if there are other compelling concerns, such as that the family’s resources would be strained too much to care for their existing children. American Jews have generally supported legal abortion with very few restrictions, seeing it as a religious freedom issue—and a question of life versus potential life. Eighty-three percent support a woman’s right to an abortion, and while many might turn to their clergy for support in seeking an abortion, many would not see a need to.

A different view of life As much diversity as exists in Christianity, Islam and Judaism, there is likely even more in Hinduism,

which has a range of texts, deities and world views. Many scholars argue that the fact so many different traditions are all lumped together under the umbrella term “Hindusim” has more to do with British colonialism than anything else. Most Hindus believe in reincarnation, which means that while one may enter bodies with birth and leave with death, life itself does not, precisely, begin or end. Rather, any given moment in a human body is seen as part of an unending cycle of life—making the question of when life begins quite different than in Abrahamic religions. Some bioethicists see Hinduism as essentially pro-life, permitting abortion only to save the life of the mother. L o ok i n g at w h at p e o ple do, though, rather than what a tradition’s sacred texts say, abortion is common in Hindu-majority India, especially of female fetuses. In the United States, there are immigrant Hindu communities, Asian American Hindu communities, and people who have converted to Hinduism who bring this diversity to their approaches to abortion. Overall, however 68 percent say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

Compassionate choices Buddhists also have varied views on abortion. The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice notes: “Buddhism, like the other religions of the world, faces the fact that abortion may sometimes be the best decision and a truly moral choice. That does not mean there is nothing troubling about abortion, but it means that Buddhists may understand that reproductive decisions are part of the moral complexity of life.” Japanese Buddhism in particular can be seen as offering a “middle way” between pro-choice and pro-life positions. While many Buddhists see life as beginning at conception, abortion is common and addressed through rituals involving Jizo, one of the enlightened figures Buddhists call bodhisattvas, who is believed to take care of aborted and miscarried fetuses. In the end, the Buddhist approach to abortion emphasizes that abortion is a complex moral decision that should be made with an eye toward compassion. We tend to think of the religious response to abortion as one of opposition, but the reality is much more complicated. Formal religious teachings on abortion are complex and divided— and official positions aside, data shows that over and over, the majority of Americans, religious or not, support abortion. Samira Mehta, University of

Colorado Boulder/The Conversation CC via AP

Church creates movement for good governance

ENERAL SANTOS CITY—Caritas Philippines, the social action and advocacy arm of the Catholic Church, is leading a movement that seeks to help ensure good governance. Its head Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo announced their advocacy at the 40th National Social Action General Assembly (Nasaga) in the southern Philippine city of General Santos on June 14. He said the movement, dubbed as “Simbayanihan,” would advocate active participation and engagement of people in local governance process. “Now that the election is over, our focus on good governance is accountability and monitoring programs,” Bagaforo saiid. “We are doing this to ensure that our elected officials are really faithful to what they have said during the campaign,” he said. More than 200 social action directors

Caritas Philippines National Director Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo speaks at the 40th National Social Action General Assembly in General Santos City on June 14. ROY LAGARDE and workers from different dioceses across the country participated in the ongoing assembly that was held for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Former national Caritas head Archbishop Rolando Tirona of Caceres, Archbishop Angelito Lampon of Cotabato, Bishop Jose Allan Casicas of Marbel, Bishop Cosme Damian Almedilla of Butuan also joined the

event, which ended on June 17. In a pastoral letter released last March, the bishops’ conference called on the people to be concerned for the welfare of the country. The church leaders particularly encouraged the faithful to demand accountability and transparency from the nation’s political leaders. “Let us contribute by fulfilling our

responsibilities. We cannot build the future without being involved. Let us not leave this task to others,” they said. “Let us gradually transform our political culture,” the bishop added. “Let us not gamble on our future.” Fr. Antonio Labiao, executive secretary of Caritas Philippines, said among the plans for “Simbayanihan” include organizing good governance advocates in the dioceses and parishes. He said the program also seeks to institutionalize good governance processes starting from the barangays and Basic Ecclesial Communities. “ T h e r e ’s a n e e d f o r c o n t i n u i n g participation of the Church people for the renewal of society, which is the heart of the new evangelization,” Labiao said. “This is also a way to concretize the advocacies of the Church for justice and peace,” he said. Roy Lagarde

he Vatican’s ambassador to the Philippines exhorted Filipinos to join in praying for the health of Pope Francis. “Let us pray for Pope Francis, especially during this time,” Archbishop Charles Brown said over Catholic-run Radio Veritas the other day. “Because of his knee causing a lot of pain and difficulty, he postponed his activities,” he said. The pope, who had been using a wheelchair since early May, cancelled

several engagements since having a minor operation to treat knee pain. He was planning to visit the Congolese cities of Kinshasa and Gome from July 2 to 5, and the South Sudanese capital of Juba from July 5 to 7. The Vatican, however, announced June 10 that the trip had to be put off due to treatment for his knee pain. Pope Francis also has a six-day trip to Canada from July 24, and another to Kazakhstan in September. CBCP News

Corpus Christi: The Lord is with us By Fr. Roberto Francis Tiquia, STD

f all the things that our Lord gave to us it is the Eucharist that is the greatest. The Eucharist is the very gift of Himself to us, fulfilling His promise in Matthew 28:20 when He said “I shall be with you till the end of time.” Our Lord did not want to be separated from us that is why on the night before He suffered and died (Holy Thursday), He instituted or established the Eucharist as the greatest manifestation of His love for us (cf. Mt. 26:26-29; Mk. 14:22-17, Luke 22:1720, 1Cor. 11:23-35) and as a permanent Presence of His very self here on earth under the appearance of bread and wine. Our belief and doctrine tells us that we only perceive with our senses, especially with our eyes, the appearance of the species of bread and wine. But in truth and in reality, it is already Jesus truly present in body, blood, soul and divinity. The bread and wine only retains its appearance but it has become our Lord’s body and blood. This is indeed a miracle effected by God Himself. This is the mystery of our faith, Mysterium Fidei. St.Thomas Aquinas calls the Eucharist the wonder of wonders, the greatest of miracles, maximum miraculorum. Incidentally, in the Jewish context and in the language of the Bible, when you say “body” you are referring to the person himself. So during the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, when our Lord says to the bread, “This is My Body,” He is actually saying “This is My whole Person, or This is Me.” In a word the Eucharist is the total Christ, or totus Christus. Though He went up to heaven during His Ascension to rule heaven with the Father, yet He still stays with us in His Real and true Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. This He can do because Christ is God and man at the same time. He has the power to be with us here below and up there in heaven above. This is the greatest legacy of Christ to us, His very self in the bread and wine consecrated by the priest in the Holy Mass. It is the law of friendship that friends must live together. St. Thomas Aquinas affirms that Christ joins us in our journey here on earth in the Eucharist because He loves us with the maximum love. He stays with us to manifest His love, mercy wisdom and power.

Why our Lord did institute the Eucharist for us?

Love cannot bear separation. Christ loves us so much that it is very painful on His part to be separated with us. He wants to be with the children of men. He wants to be with us so that He can still be our help, support, guide, strength and joy in this valley of trials and tears. He knew that left to our own, we would find life difficult and troublesome. His invitation is still true today “Come to me all you who labour and overburden and I shall give rest” (Mt. 11:29). We can now literally come to Him, as in going to Christ in Person. We don’t need a GPS to track or locate our Lord Jesus Christ. When He was on earth more than 2000 years ago, Christ is located only in Israel where He spent His 33 years of existence on earth. But now in the Eucharist, our Lord is in each Tabernacle throughout the Catholic churches in the whole world. That white Bread or White Host consecrated in the Holy Mass is Jesus. The Consecrated Bread is not something but someone. It is the Lord Jesus truly and really present in Person. This is our faith, the One Identical is the Word, born of the Virgin, who suffered and died and who now rules heaven is the same Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.

Eucharist takes away many of life’s bitterness

Life has many twists and turns. We normally experience here on earth a lot of worries and anxieties. One cannot escape it. But with the Lord in the Eucharist in our midst, many of life’s bitterness are taken away, according to St. Peter Julian

Eymard. We have Jesus present with us. He is the Emmanuel; the God Who is with us (Mt. 1:23). That is why it is best that we spend ample time with Jesus in the Eucharist. He requests at least an hour each day (Mt. 26:40). Being with Him will make us recover and recapture our own selves, which becomes shredded and torn apart because of problems, brokenness and trials we encounter in our life. As Christians we have to contend with the three enemies of our souls—the devil, worldliness and our very selves. With the Lord present in the Eucharist we become formidable and strong against all our spiritual enemies. We have Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, if God is with us and for us, who can be against us? (Rom.8:31).

Audience with the King of kings

Unlike with presidents, kings and other dignitaries or royalties, we can have readily access with our Lord Jesus Christ. You need not any protocol; you don’t even have to schedule your audience with Him. There is no go between. You can go to Christ anytime in the Adoration Chapel or in the church where there is a Tabernacle and meet Him and have a heart to heart communication with our Saviour. Jesus in the Eucharist, according to St. John Paul II, is the very heart of the Church. Indeed without Him in the Tabernacles our churches simply become meeting places. In His presence we can tell Him all our worries and He is willing to give us blessings and graces. St. Alphonsus de Ligouri said that our Lord’s hands are open to distribute graces and blessings to anyone who would visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament. Unfortunately, very few are willing to visit our Lord in the Sacrament of Love, the Eucharist.

Saints on adoration

St. Teresa of Calcutta once said: “In every holy hour of adoration we do, we please the Heart of Jesus that it is recorded in Heaven and be retold for all eternity.” That is how the Lord will be grateful to us according to the foundress of Missionaries of Charity. Blessed Dina Belanger, a Canadian mystic and nun said that a holy hour of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament is so important to Jesus that a multitude of souls go to heaven, who otherwise, would have gone to Hell. And that is why Our Lord lovingly appeals to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque: “I have a burning desire to be visited by men in the Blessed Sacrament.” Jesus thirsts for Eucharistic lovers. He wants us to come and visit Him daily. St. Faustina Kowalska of the Divine Mercy likewise said that by holy hour of adoration we procure not only mercy for our souls but for others as well. Blessed Alexandrian da Costa, considered as the fourth seer of Fatima because of her strong adherents to Our Lady’s message, affirms the power of Eucharistic love and devotion. Jesus told her: “It is the lovers of the Holy Eucharist who will hold back the arms of Divine Justice, that the world may not be destroyed, that greater punishment may not befall.” As we commemorate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, historically known by its Latin name, Corpus Christi, we call to mind the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist—body, blood, soul and divinity. He is in our midst in the Eucharist. This celebration makes us ponder on the great love of God in giving us His own body and blood which we receive each time we assist or attend the Eucharistic Sacrifice of the Mass. Likewise this solemnity makes us see the importance of not just attending the Eucharistic celebration but it encourages us to visit the Lord in what is called as “holy hour of adoration,” wherein we give time to visit Jesus our Lord truly present in the Eucharist exposed in the Monstrance in the Adoration chapel. May the Solemnity of Corpus Christi help us to love our Lord in the Eucharist more fervently.

Biodiversity Sunday BusinessMirror

Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014

Sunday, June 19, 2022

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

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Monkeypox: Another wake-up call?

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

he World Health Organization (WHO) has convened the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee over the spread of the monkeypox virus to 32 non-endemic countries. The experts’ meeting scheduled on June 23 aims to assess whether the continuing outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern, the highest level of global alert. This is the alert level was used for the Covid-19 pandemic, which continues to grip communities in the Philippines. According to the WHO, this year more than 1,600 confirmed cases and almost 1,500 suspected cases of monkeypox have been reported to WHO across 39 countries, including seven countries where monkeypox has been detected for years, and 32 newly affected nations. A total of 72 deaths have been reported from previously affected countries so far.

Monkeypox alert The Philippines remains monkeypox free but health officials are on heightened alert and are monitoring the country’s borders to prevent a possible outbreak from happening in the country. The Department of Health (DOH) has issued public statements that Philippine hospitals are ready for monkeypox cases, and is working on the allocation of isolation facilities amid the threat of the virus. DOH Field Implementation and Coordination Team and the One Hospital Command Center are working on the specific designation of isolation facilities as part of a contingency plan in case monkeypox is detected in people entering the country’s borders.

What is monkeypox? A zoonotic disease, or an infectious disease that is transmitted between species from animals to humans and vice versa, monkeypox is a

viral disease that was first detected in monkeys. It occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of central and west Africa and is occasionally exported to other regions. “The symptoms of monkeypox are similar to those in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe,” according to the WHO. Monkeypox is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with material contaminated with the virus, the WHO added. It can also be transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials, such as beddings, towels, clothing or other objects.

Symptoms According to the WHO, symptoms of the disease include rash with blisters on the face, hands, feet, body, eyes, mouth or genitals. Those infected will also have fever, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, muscle and back aches, and suffer from low energy. But the WHO also said most people recover fully without treatment. However, in some cases, people can get seriously ill.

Vulnerability to zoonotic diseases The Philippines is known to be highly vulnerable to zoonosis because of the illegal wildlife trade. Hunting wild animals for food remains a practice in rural areas, particularly in the upland. Monkeys are also being traded illegally in the Philippines. The country is both a source and end-consumer of native and exotic animals for various

Photos of African monkeys, courtesy of wildlife photographer and explorer Gregg Yan, who recently visited the region tagged as the “mother of mankind.” purposes, including the belief in the animals’ medicinal effects to boost health or to promote longevity. The illicit pet trade in the Philippines likewise remains rampant. Monkeys and other native or even exotic or non-native wild animals are the targets. Worse, with the advent of high-tech gadgetry and Internet technology, illegal wildlife trade is done online via a click of a mouse on the computer or keypad of a smartphone.

Monkey farms The Philippines is known to host privately owned and managed monkey farms to breed native long-tailed macaque. At least two monkey farms legally operate in the country and abide by international treaties of which the Philippines is a party. The farms export the monkeys for scientific research but which animal rights activists strongly condemn as unethical treatment of animals. Besides claims that it would allegedly add to the factors that contribute to species extinction in the wild, the operation of these wildlife farms is deemed a potential source of zoonotic diseases Sought for comment about the safety of monkey farm operations in the country, an official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) told the BusinessMirror in an interview that, first and foremost, monkeypox can be transmitted from other animals other than monkeys to humans. “It sometimes comes from rodents,

rats, mice, squirrels. It doesn’t always come from monkeys,” Theresa Tenazas, chief of the Wildlife Resource Division of the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) said. According to Tenazas, the DENRBMB had already issued an advisory about monkeypox to the various DENR satellite offices to help detect and prevent the spread of monkeypox.

Safety measures “Even employees are fully equipped with safety gears. I know because I’ve been to a monkey farm. You can’t enter a monkey farm without gloves, a laboratory gown and even face mask,” Tenazas told the BusinessMirror via telephone on June 8. She added that the concerned DENRBMB and DENR regional or provincial offices strictly monitor the operation of monkey farms to ensure compliance with the law and prevent the threat or potential threat of zoonosis. “Wildlife permittees and wildlife farm permittees are required to report quarterly to concerned DENR offices which are submitted to us [DENR-BMB office]. And we validate the reports,” said Tenazas. The official maintained that the DENR is strict when it comes to allowing the importation of wild animals, the same way it is strict in allowing the export of wildlife animals and parts of their derivatives that are allowed under international treaties, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

#Buhayilog: How to revive Asia’s rivers

‘W

e work all day to clean this river. Do you know that tomorrow, new trash will flow down from the uplands to again cover this riverbank with garbage?” said Junjun Brinola, a River Ranger from Imus in Cavite. “Our job never ends, but it’s okay with us. At least we’ll always have work.” Like his fellow rangers, Brinola spent years as a “basurero,” or wastepicker, before finally landing a job as a government ranger. Now his 14-man team scours the Imus River and other waterways for garbage. But where does all the trash come from? Project Aseano, an international initiative to combat river waste, commissioned several studies to trace the sources of plastic pollution in the Imus River in Cavite, a rapidly-growing province south of Manila in the Philippines, a news release said. Among the contributors of plastic waste are Food Service Enterprises like restaurants, plus households, which generate enormous amounts of garbage, especially from disposable sando-bags and sachets.

Understanding sachet culture “Sachets have always been vilified, but they are socio-economic equalizers, allowing less-privileged people to

taste and experience what wealthier people regularly consume,” explained Marvi Aguilar, a researcher from De La Salle University Dasmariñas. A 1.8-gram coffee sachet, for instance, costs as little as P6, compared to PP600 for a 300-gram jar of the same coffee. The cost difference makes it an obvious choice for minimumwage earners. Sachets are most commonly sold in sari-sari (variety) stores, the ubiquitous Filipino neighborhood stores which sell repacked goods ranging from rice to cigarettes. “Sari-sari stores sell what regular people can easily afford from a day’s wage,” shared Amy Demetillo, a sarisari store owner from Dasmariñas. “Families can easily budget the available finances of their households because they buy only what they need, even if it’s just enough to cook a single meal,” Demetillo added. Though they generate significant amounts of waste, sari-sari stores help improve the lives of common people, even becoming a lifeline for those who make next to nothing. “Sachet culture is ingrained not just in the Philippines, but in many impoverished communities around the world, particularly in developing countries. We can’t just ban them,

River Rangers from Imus haul sacks of newly-collected garbage in chest-deep waters. Though the work is ceaseless, regular river cleanups can help prevent garbage from flowing out to sea. Gregg Yan, Pemsea

so a better solution might be to shift to biodegradable sachet packaging,” recommended Dr. Edwin Lineses of DLSU-Dasmariñas. For used sachets, upcycling can be a solution. “Here in Imus, we have a facility which turns used sachets into handy items like grocery bags, which are durable and waterproof,” said Nerea Defensor, Imus City Environment and Natural Resources Office eco-aid. Another waste contributor is the Food Service Industry (FSI), whose kiosks and restaurants generate enormous amounts of garbage, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, where take-out deliveries became the norm. Many establishments are doing their part to minimize in-store waste. “We only give straws to our drivethrough customers,” shares Lodde Na-

varro, who works for an international fast-food chain. “Dine-in customers are given metal utensils, plus durable plastic plates and cups. We also ask those who order take-out meals if they really need disposable utensils. These small steps help reduce our contribution of plastic waste,” Navarro explained.

How plastic waste flows to sea The journey of plastic waste—from factories to groceries, from households to dumpsites, and from rivers to coastlines—is complicated. The Partnerships in Environmental Management of the Seas of East Asia (Pemsea), which is implementing Project Aseano in the Philippines and Indonesia, is tackling plastic pollution through an integrated plastic-waste management approach, which com-

Serious threat

“It’s time we accepted that snatching a n im a ls f rom t heir nat u ra l homes, confining them to filthy cages in close proximity to each other, and killing and eating them

will lead to more zoonotic diseases like monkeypox and Covid-19,” he said. “These diseases will also have unpredictable mutations and potentially deadly outcomes.” He added: “Scientists were able to develop a vaccine to help protect against Covid-19, but next time they may not be able to.” Baker said to prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases, the best thing we can do is go vegan, or eat vegetables. The government can take action to prevent the spread of monkeypox by cracking down on the keeping of exotic pets, banning experimentation on primates and encouraging the public to make kinder plant-based food choices. Sought to weigh in on the issue, Asean Centre for Biodiversity Executive Director Theresa Mundita S. Lim said that while monkeypox is not as fatal and as transmissible as Covid, it can still be debilitating and could become fatal without proper and timely medical intervention. “Appropriate quarantine measures should still be in place to keep out monkeypox from being introduced into the country, coming from both humans and animals known to be able to transmit the disease to humans, such as monkeys and rodents,” she told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on June 15. Lim added: “We also should have in mind that there may be other pox viruses that can still come from nature so we need to keep those contained by keeping our wild species safe in their natural habitats.”

bines the use of science to adjust policies, adopt suitable technologies and build local capacity to monitor and manage waste. The Philippine component of the project centers on the Imus River Watershed, one of six river systems in Cavite, Pemsea said in the news release. The Imus River begins in the uplands of Tagaytay and Silang, and passes through some of Cavite’s most densely populated hubs, including Dasmariñas, Imus, Kawit and Bacoor, before discharging its contents into Manila Bay. Once productive, the river is dying a slow death from pollution and sedimentation. “When we were young, we’d catch so many fish in this river,” recalled Noriel Gonzaga, a local official from the coastal municipality of Kawit. “It’s sad that today’s kids can no longer dive and swim in a clean and clear river, the way we used to. The riverbanks are no longer made of sand, but mud. Most fish are gone, with plastic and rubber tires everywhere. I’m calling out to my fellow Caviteños. Please look at what’s become of our beloved river. I hope we can bring it back to life,” Gonzaga lamented. To communicate river and waste management solutions in an educational but engaging manner, Project Aseano launched #BuhayiLog (Filipino for Life Beside a River), an interactive map of the Imus River, which shows the various natural elements, challenges and solutions needed by both the public and governments to better understand how

to manage Asia’s rivers, Pemsea said. The map creatively explains realworld challenges like sedimentation and pollution, highlights solutions like deploying trash booms and conducting regular river cleanups, and points readers to an array of downloadable studies from social scientists, economists and environmental analysts. “There are so many practical solutions to address the global challenge of plastic waste,” said Pemsea Executive Director Aimee Gonzales. “Solutions can range from empowering often-ignored players like ‘basureros’ and junkshops, to educating the next generation to be mindful of the waste they generate. Project Aseano is a repository for integrated plastic waste solutions, particularly for riverside communities.” Project Aseano has been working closely with public- and private-sector allies to unlock the keys to reviving Asia’s rivers. “Project Aseano can be a guide for other parts of the country to improve existing policies and ordinances on how to combat growing plastic pollution in our rivers,” noted Anabelle Cayabyab, Cavite Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources officer. “The project’s studies can help various sectors enhance their sense of social responsibility and be partners in addressing plastic pollution in other major rivers and tributaries,” Cayabyab pointed out.

Jason Baker, senior vice president of Campaigns at the People’s Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), however, said monkeypox has happened with three-quarters of infectious diseases that have recently emerged in humans. “Monkeypox virus—which also affects animals like squirrels, rats, and mice—can be contracted directly from infected animals, but can also be caught by eating or preparing the flesh of sick animals,” Baker said when the BusinessMirror asked him for a comment via email on June 8. He adding that monkeypox, like severe acute respiratory syndrome, swine flu and Covid-19, jumped to humans from other species, According to Baker, any where groups of animals are closely confined—as they are in primate laboratories, at animal markets, and on factory farms—monkeypox or other diseases can spread to humans. As such, he said primate breeding and experimentation in the Philippines continue to pose infectious disease threats. “Crowded conditions at labs and breeding facilities, as opposed to how monkeys live in the wild, enables disease transmission to occur much quicker,” he said.

Prevention better than cure

Sports

Nordic combined faces potential exclusion from Winter Olympics

BusinessMirror

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| Sunday, June 19, 2022 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

JASPER GOOD (2), Jared Schumate (3) and Taylor Fletcher (4) compete during the cross-country stage of the Nordic combined 10 kilometers at the US Olympic team trials at the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex in December 2021 in Lake Placid, New York. AP

ORDIC combined, which uniquely tests skiers on jaw-dropping jumps and heart-pounding trails, has been a part of the Winter Olympics since 1924. Its time might be up. It is the only Olympic sport without women and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is due to make a decision later this month about whether to allow women to compete in Nordic combined at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Games. There is the possibility, however, that Nordic combined is dropped entirely from the Olympics, according to athletes and advocates. “What I heard loud and clear in back channels is that the solution to take care of the gender equity dirty secret is to take men out of the program for 2026,” said Billy Demong, a five-time Olympian in Nordic combined and member of USA Nordic’s board of directors. “To take

away one of the original sports from the first Winter Olympics would be tragic, short-sighted and misguided.” The IOC said final decisions on the 2026 Olympics program of medal events are scheduled to be decided at a June 24 meeting of its executive board, chaired by President Thomas Bach. “We’re seeing sports such as ski mountaineering added and I’m hearing the IOC does not want to increase the number of athletes and the solution is take men out of Nordic combined,” Demong said Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press. Men in the Nordic combined have been publicly pushing on social media and elsewhere for women to be included, adding a mixed team format as another Olympic medal event, and are now bracing for their future as athletes on the world’s stage. Jasper Good, who competed for the US earlier this year at the Beijing Olympics, said he was “blindsided” by the possibility. “Information is trickling to us from athlete groups from around the

FIFA SUSPENSE THRILLER

HEERS and sighs met Fifa’s announcement of the host cities for the 2026 World Cup. There were a number of no-brainers among the 16 World Cup sites, like the Los Angeles area, Mexico City and Toronto. But for some of the cities that were on the bubble, the announcement Thursday was a dud. At a watch party in Washington DC, the crowd was sullen when the last of the cities was announced. It was just the third time that a nation’s capital has not been included as a World Cup host city. A similar scene played out in Denver. Six cities that vied for games were disappointed in the end: In addition to Denver and the Washington DC area, there was Edmonton, Alberta; Cincinnati; Nashville, Tennessee; and Orlando, Florida. “We’re disappointed. Anybody that knows me, I’m a pretty competitive SOB. I don’t like losing,” said Butch Spyridon, CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. Nashville’s bid was centered around Nissan Stadium, home of the Titans, but it was complicated earlier this year when the NFL team publicly pushed for a new stadium because of rising renovation costs for Nissan, opened in 1999. “Not the news we wanted but on to the next thing,” Nashville Mayor John Cooper said. “And it was quite an elite group of cities that they were picking from.” Kansas City was one of those cities that wasn’t a sure thing but prevailed in the end. Despite sweltering temperatures, hundreds of people gathered at Kansas City’s Power & Light entertainment district erupted in cheers when Kansas City was announced as a host. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, whose family has been strong soccer supporters since the beginning

CHILDREN from the Massapequa youth soccer team wait for an announcement of host cities at a 2026 Fifa World Cup host city selection watch party at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Thursday. AP of Major League Soccer, said the announcement was the culmination of years of work by many people. “Now we have an opportunity to showcase Kansas City on the international stage,” Hunt said. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is part owner of Sporting KC and his wife, Brittany, is one of three founders of the Kansas City

Cycling sets stricter rules for transgender athletes

IGLE, Switzerland— Cycling’s governing body updated its eligibility rules for transgender athletes on Thursday with stricter limits that will force riders to wait longer before they can compete. The International Cycling Union (UCI) increased the transition period on low testosterone to two years, and lowered the maximum accepted level of testosterone. The previous transition period was 12 months but the UCI said recent scientific studies show that “the awaited adaptations in muscle mass and muscle strength/power” among athletes who have made a transition from male to female takes at least two years. “Given the important role played by muscle strength and power in cycling performance, the UCI has decided to increase the transition period on low testosterone from 12 to 24 months,” the governing body said after a management board meeting. The UCI also cut the maximum testosterone level allowed in transgender athletes to 2.5

nanomoles (nmol) per liter instead of the current five. “This value corresponds to the maximum testosterone level found in 99.99 percent of the female population,” the governing body said. It added that the adjustment “is intended to promote the integration of transgender athletes into competitive sport, while maintaining fairness, equal opportunities and the safety of competitions.” The rule will come into effect on July 1. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) updated its own guidance on transgender eligibility last November but left it to individual sports bodies to set their own rules. The IOC said then that “athletes should be allowed to compete but unfair advantage needs to be regulated.” Critics of transgender athlete policy have argued that some physical benefits are retained by women who have gone through male puberty. Swimming’s world body FINA is due Sunday to publish its policy on transgender athletes. AP

Current in the National Women’s Soccer League. “I want to be at every one of those games. I know Kansas City and how much they love soccer, and now with the Current and Sporting—the city loves that sport,” Mahomes said a few hours before the official announcement was made. Hunt’s brother, Dan, chairman of the committee to bring the World Cup to Dallas, had loftier ambitions than just hosting games. He wants the final. A delegation from the city will travel to New York City on Sunday to meet with Fifa representatives. Soccer’s governing body won’t announce the stadiums for knockout round matches until after the World Cup in Qatar later this year.

“This is a great opportunity to have this World Cup and have it on center stage right here in Dallas. You guys know how enthused I am about the Dallas Cowboys but this is unbelievably special for Dallas,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said at a joyous rally in that city. Atlanta’s celebration was marked with a bit of confusion when the city was announced on television in the Central region, rather than the East. “It was Dallas and then Atlanta and it was like what? Then we all went crazy,” Atlanta Sports Council President Dan Corso said. Atlanta and Seattle were among the cities that currently have artificial turf at their stadiums and will

have to install real grass—likely temporarily—for the World Cup. Brian Bilello, president of Boston Soccer 2026 and the New England Revolution, was already looking ahead to preparations for the big event. “For the next four years. It’s really about making sure we’re ready to host the world. I mean, this is an event like no other. It’s not a stadium event. It’s not a city event. It’s a statewide event. Making Massachusetts, making Boston ready to host the world is going to be a big focus and obviously we have a lot of work to do,” Bilello said. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tied to find a silver lining amid the disappointment. “It was an honor to be in the

world and national governing bodies, and most of us didn’t realize the sport is in jeopardy,” he said. International Ski Federation Nordic combined race director Lasse Ottesen said he has not heard officially from the IOC about men potentially being eliminated from the Olympic program. “We do hear speculation from different sides,” Ottesen said Wednesday. “If the IOC, for some reason, would make a decision not to include women for the ‘26 events, what would happen with the men’s? Would that be sort of a signal to say you’re on for the ‘26 events, but for ‘30, we are thinking gender equality and then the men are out.” Nordic combined skiers must have finesse and fearlessness for ski jumping while training to have the strength and stamina necessary for a 10-kilometer cross-country course. The athlete who wins the ski jumping stage starts the crosscountry race in the front of the pack, followed by the rest of the competition in their order of finish and then they race to the line for gold. While Nordic combined is a fringe sport in the United States, it is very popular in parts of Europe and Japan. “It’s really big in countries like Norway, Germany and Austria,” US Olympic Nordic combined skier Jared Shumate said. “Those three countries usually dominate the world cup podiums, and Olympic podiums. And obviously, we don’t have quite the same fame.” Annika Malacinski is one of dozens of women around the world who have sacrificed a lot of time and money to go for Olympic gold. The 21-year-old Malacinski, who has American-Finnish dual citizenship and competes for the US, had high hopes of competing in China dashed in 2018. The IOC executive board considered denied an application then that would have allowed her and other women to compete in Nordic combined at the Beijing Games. IOC sports director Kit McConnell said then that development in terms of the universality, competitiveness,and following was needed. During the 2022 season, nearly 40 women competed at the highest level of the sport in a successful follow to the debut World Cup season for women a year ago. “There’s no reason that we shouldn’t be in the Olympics,” said Norway’s Ida Marie Hagen, who finished No. 2 in the World Cup standings. “The level is getting higher. There’s also a lot of athletes from different continents.” The IOC is proud to point to improvements made toward gender equality, saying the Beijing Games set new marks for female competitors by increasing participation to 45 percent from 41 percent in 2018. The 2024 Paris Games are expected to be the first Olympics with as many women as men competing. AP running for the Fifa World Cup 2026, and the spotlight on Cincinnati as a potential host city provided a platform to show all that Cincinnati has to offer to an international audience,” DeWine said. While Seattle’s chances to host seemed fairly safe, Sounders owner and Seattle bid head Adrian Hanauer was still nervous up until the moment his city was announced. “I was shockingly nervous, sitting here with my stomach turning inside out. I honestly was more nervous than for our Champions League final. It surprised me actually,” Hanauer said. “It’s just years and years of anticipation. Born and raised here. Grew up as a soccer brat. Just a lot of emotion.” AP

USA Basketball picks roster for July World Cup qualifiers

IAMI—USA Basketball is taking some veterans into the next window of World Cup qualifying. A roster of 12 players was unveiled Thursday for the next two games, set for July 1 at Puerto Rico and July 4 at Cuba. The Americans are 3-1 so far in qualifying and have already clinched a berth in the second round. But these next two games remain important since the records from the 16-team first round of qualifying will carry into the second round. There will be 12 teams from the Americas region going to the second round; of those, seven will end up qualifying for the 2023 Basketball World Cup. Jim Boylen will again coach the Americans in qualifying, starting with a training camp that begins in Miami later this month. His roster for these two games: Jordan Bell, Quinn

Cook, Cody Demps, Michael Frazier, Langston Galloway, Justin Jackson, DaQuan Jeffries, John Jenkins, George King, Eric Mika, David Stockton and Noah Vonleh. Bell, Galloway, King and Stockton were part of the US team that went 2-0 in the most recent qualifying window back in February. Most of the second-round qualifying spots have already been secured from the Americas. Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Canada, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the US are assured of advancing. The final three spots come down to six teams—Panama or Paraguay, Chile or Colombia, and Bahamas or the Virgin Islands. Cuba has been eliminated. Second-round qualifying games begin in August and run through

February. The next World Cup—to be hosted by the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia—takes place from August 25 through September 10, 2023. The USA has won the World Cup five times, most recently in 2014. AP JIM BOYLEN will again coach the Americans in qualifying, starting with a training camp that begins in Miami later this month. AP

BusinessMirror

June 19, 2022

From ‘dada’ to Darth Vader

Why the way we name fathers reminds us we spring from the same well

BusinessMirror JUNE 19, 2022 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

YOUR MUSI

CELEBRATING BROKENNESS Chad Price on why songwriting gives him the most joy

By Stephanie Ching

ITH careful, deliberate lyrics and earnest, folksy tunes, Chad Price has accumulated multiple national/international TV sync deals and millions of streams on Spotify. Known for his ability to turn vulnerability into hits that really hit in the feels, Chad’s newest song, “Broken Open”, celebrates “brokenness.”

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According to the Ontariobased singer-songwriter, “Broken Open” took its inspiration from his decision to “go inward and acknowledge the pain.”

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CHAD Price

“There might be parts of me that are not where they need to be, and there are parts of me that might be broken, but that’s okay because we kind of need to be broken in order to

breakthrough and discover who we are, and discover who we are meant to be,” he explained. “It’s about celebrating the brokenness with everyone and acknowledging that everyone has their own pain and empowering each other from that.” Like most of Chad’s tunes, “Broken Open” combines sensibilities of pop, folk and R&B with a more intimate, almost campfire-y feel with a choir echoing his vocal to give a big, hopeful atmospheric vibe.. Drawing style choices that evoke artists like Leon Bridges, Cautious Clay, and Bill Withers, Chad’s music captures the spirit of an ‘old-soul’ with its maturity and wisdom-laced lyrics that strike a chord for young and old alike. With the release of hits such as “Weight”, “Somehow, Someway” and “I Live Alone”, Chad was able to grab people’s attentions with his strong lyrics and earn his spot on the “artists to watch” discussions. With the success he’s currently enjoying, it’s now hard to believe that he actually never planned to pursue music professionally. “It was always just a hobby to me,” Chad confessed. “I never had any professional aspirations until I was in university and I discovered the music of one John Mayer who really inspired me to create music for myself for the first time.” After this bolt of inspiration, Chad wasted no time and began writing and writing, slowly but surely coming up with a sound that worked best for him. This led to his signature style of sparse lyrics that pack a punch and leading critics to call him a “modern day poet.” “I consider myself a songwriter, first and foremost rather than as a performer or as a recording artist, songwriting is what gives me the most joy, so I put a lot of value and intentionality in my words. I love being precise with my words in my music, I think words are a science and a fine art,” he explained. Chad Price’s “Broken Open” is now available on all major streaming platforms.

soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | JUNE 19, 2022

BUSINESS

SoundSampler by Tony M. Maghirang

Another catch of fine, fine OPM singles the lyrics and melodies to life. “Mamayapa” is sure to make you feel the hurt, frustration, and anger in not being given enough, despite giving it all.

KZ TANDINGAN “Somebody Like You”

ILIPINO pop/R&B artist KZ Tandingan teams up with international producers Gattüso and Frogmonster on the clubby electronic anthem “Somebody Like You.” The trio has created a progressive banger full of high emotions, with the lyrics highlighting that special moment when you realize that it’s possible to end up with your partner forever. “Somebody Like You” has something for everybody, and arrives with a lyric video in tow that showcases a fake dating app where anybody can find the love they are looking for. Tagged as ‘Asia’s Soul Supreme,’ KZ Tandingan delivers yet another indelibly catchy music that spans pop, jazz, folk, and R&B, and now adds the dance genre and plus new language to her growing music catalog.

ICA Caldito’s push single, “A Collection of Skies,” off the same titled album, seeks meaning in pain and beauty as we go through life. Under every sky, we search for a reason to breathe while we find desolation in love and even in hope. The arrangement of guitars and other instruments plays a big part in shaping Mica’s unique vision. Recording, production, mixing, and mastering were all done by Mica Caldito in his home studio.

EJ DE PERIO “Panandalian”

ILIPINO singer-songwriter EJ De Perio asserts the inevitability of endings on his heartfelt debut single titled “Panandalian.” Brimming with laid-back, acoustic guitars and minimal instrumentation, the heart-warming ballad argues the future may be uncertain, but there will always be that one person who will stick out with you through thick and thin. The newcomer says, “I wrote Panandalian out of the realization that nothing’s gonna last forever, and everything must come to an end. You should prepare for the inevitable change, and protect that one person who is willing to keep things the same way—even if everything around you is constantly evolving.” The release of “Panandalian” comes with a poignant music video helmed by young filmmaker Ivan Pasia.

CHANTAL SALONGA “Mamayapa”

MICA CALDITO “A Collection of Skies”

ILIPINO-Norwegian singersongwriter Clinton Kane reminisces on his past with new song, “14.” Clinton’s latest song lifted from his forthcoming debut album due this summer transports listeners to the singer’s 14-year-old self and follows his inner monologue as he grows into adulthood. Speaking about his new song, Clinton says: “I’ve teased this song for a year and I can’t believe ‘14’ is finally out! This song took a year to write, with 30 different choruses and verses being written to this track. I hope when you listen to this song, you’ll find peace and know that you are not alone in this world.”

PAUL PABLO “Di Inakala”

F you believe in love and destiny, “Di Inakala” is a song made just for you. Paul Pablo, the man behind the lyrics, vocals, and concept of this soul-catching love song, said he wanted to dedicate the song to people who finally found the love of their lives. That intent comes shining through in the superb production by Filipino-Dutch producer Xerxes Bakker and local producer protégé Jhay Ehidio of The Sound House. Jorel Corpus did the mix while The Bakery Los Angeles’ Jett Galindo mastered the track. This innovative approach to OPM sound should pique the interest of demanding listeners and musicians alike.

HE song “Mamayapa”” talks about standing up for yourself and demanding what you deserve, even if in situations, it is the toughest call. Coupled with ambient guitars and synths, a smooth bassline, and punchy drums Chantal channels a soulful and aggressive voice to bring

CLINTON KANE “14”

raven “Hara”

ITH new song “Hara,” Filipino singer-songwriter/ producer raven puts a modern spin on Pinoy-style courtship. He reimagines traditional ‘harana’ with a modern twist bringing local courtship custom to an entirely new audience. With its delicate fusion of lo-fi elements, hip-hop beats, and intricate guitar melodies, “Hara” blurs genre boundaries to convey romantic earnestness from a better, brighter time. The young musician shares,“I want to maintain the ‘harana’ feel by putting laid-back guitar sounds to the forefront, while subtly incorporating drums, percussions, trumpets, and modern rap lines into the mix,” says raven. “Like in my last album, the song was just recorded in my bedroom. As always, I have to wait for the household and neighbors to quiet down before I can start working.”

From ‘dada’ to Darth Vader

Why the way we name fathers reminds us we spring from the same well By Valerie M. Fridland University of Nevada, Reno

ovie legend has it that the identity of Luke Skywalker’s father was always hiding in plain sight–well, at least through a subtle naming clue. “Darth Vader” does, after all, have a distinct paternal ring to it linguistically. Indeed, had the big reveal been “I am your fader” it would have made a nice play on the heavy-breathing villain’s name with a nod to an old Dutch term for “father.” The true origin story of Vader’s moniker is not as cool as the myth. But as someone who studies the origins of words, I see the story providing an example of something that is real: the universality of the names used for fathers across all languages. Considering that dads played a key part in populating the dawn of civilization, it is perhaps not that surprising that a label for the dude we call “dad” would emerge early in the development of languages. But, whether it’s “papa,” “dada” or “vater,” what is striking is the cross-cultural bias in the words used to describe him—and how the same names have stuck around over millennia.

Why ‘pater’ is familiar Tracking the linguistic evolution of modern “father,” we find it as far back as written English goes—with references to “feadur” or “fadur” or “fædor” in Old English texts from the seventh to 11th centuries. In Old Dutch there was “fader”; in Old Icelandic we find “faðir”; in Old High German, a precursor to modern German, it was “fater”—now “vater”; and, finally, in Old Danish, “fathær.” This uniformity strongly suggests this word was found in the languages’ early Germanic parent—that is, the source language from which all these Germanic languages descended. But the similarity in terms used for “father” doesn’t stop with this Germanic forefather. Related words are found across the entire Indo-European language tree— a large group of distantly related languages that stretches over most of Europe and a good bit of Asia. For instance, we find closely matching terms in Latin with “pater,” Sanskrit’s “pitar” and in Greek with “patér”—all older languages that developed separately from the Germanic line. This means that the word “father” likely came from a long-dead source language,

Google Ngram showing percentage of sample books (y-axis) that contain selected English words for “father” since 1800.

“Children use the more intimate ‘papa,’ ‘dad’ or sometimes ‘daddy’ as an alternative to the more formal ‘father,’ especially when in trouble or getting bailed out of jail.” estimated to date back some 6,000 years. This single parent language, known as Proto Indo-European, spawned all these later languages and their shared word for paters. But how did the “p” in “pater” morph into the “f” found in all the Germanic “father” words? Historical linguists have reconstructed the most likely sounds that were used in this hypothesized parent language. Since Ancient Greek, Latin and Sanskrit all have “p,” “t” and “k” sounds, their IndoEuropean source also probably had these, or closely related, sounds. But as Germanic languages formed their own branch of the family tree, this “p” turned into an “f.” This explains why there is a “p” in Latin-based words like “Pisces,” “podiatry” and “patriarchy,” but “f” in the Germanic descended equivalents like “fish,” “foot” and father.“ This sound change was not random but followed what came to be called Grimm’s law, named for the very same brother Grimm who brought us “Hansel and Gretel.” Grimm noted a pattern of sound correspondences across Indo-European languages that suggested a series of regular

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changes must have occurred as Indo-European split into daughter languages. These changes likely started out as dialect variants that became more distinct as groups of speakers were separated and new languages evolved—with the shifted sounds.

The ‘babas’ and the ‘papas’ One might expect closely related languages to share words for fathers, but even across languages in which there is no known evidence of a common ancestry the words for “dad” sound strikingly familiar. Languages as distinct as Sino-Tibetan Chinese and Native American Washo use “baba.” In Nilo-Saharan Maasai, spoken in Kenya and Tanzania, it’s “papa,” and, in the Semitic language Hebrew, “abba.” A similar bent is found in English, where children use the more intimate “papa,” “dad” or sometimes “daddy” as an alternative to the more formal “father,” especially when in trouble or getting bailed out of jail.

Stop consonants This tendency toward similar vocabulary words suggests that something pretty universal must be driving it. And though

JunE 19, 2022

at first “d” and “p” and “b” might not seem to be all that similar sounding, they are all part of a class of what are called “stop consonants” in linguistics. These are sounds made with a short but complete obstruction of air flow through the mouth during their articulation. Why does this matter to pops everywhere? Because stop sounds, along with vowels, are the earliest and most frequent sounds babies tend to babble—which means “pa,” “ta,” “ba” and “da” are all early infant vocalizations. Also, repetition is a feature of both baby babble and what parents babble back. As a result, this specific babbling bent makes “dadas,” “babas” and “papas”— along with “apas” and “abas”—very popular things for little Carlos or Keisha to say while hanging out in the crib. So, when dad happens by and hears what he interprets as his call sign, a celebratory first word commemoration commences, regardless of whether Junior actually intended it that way or not.

A universal papa And this circles back to the origin story for the word “father.” Linguists theorize that, at some early point in the development of the IndoEuropean language, the sound sequence “pa”—babbled in early speech and wishfully interpreted as referring to good ol’ dad—was combined with a suffix such as “ter,” possibly denoting a kinship relationship. Looking at the evolution of language more generally, linguists can’t say with certainty whether modern languages inherited the word from an undiscovered original early human language—likely African—or if this process occurred several times over the course of language history. But what it does suggest is that dads have clearly been important enough throughout the history of humankind to merit special designation. And, unlike so many other words that have been shifted and reshaped or replaced over time by inherent linguistic pressures and language contact, the fondness for “dadas,” “dads,” “fathers” and “papas” seems to be unusually resistant to change. So, whether you call him your papa, your baba or your abba, just be sure to call him, and let him know how well he, and his title, have stood the test of time. The Conversation