BusinessMirror June 20, 2021

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Sunday, June 20, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 249

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HACKERS ON CONSTANT PROWL The evolution of the hybrid workplace amid the pandemic brings new cybersecurity challenges

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Monetization or just for the thrill

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

ITH the hybrid workplace becoming the new norm amid the Covid-19 pandemic, company executives are reminded to protect customer data, especially those stored in a device used for remote work.

According to the IBM Institute for Business Value’s 2021 CEO Study, majority, or 51 percent, of the Filipino company officials noted that establishing an “anywhere workplace” is a challenge they must overcome to allow continuous business operations.

IBM Philippines President and Country General Manager Aileen Judan-Jiao, in an interview with the BusinessMirror, stressed that cyberhackers have been taking advantage of the accelerated shift to digital. Phishing activities, she noted, have even targeted employees’ laptops and other devices used outside of the workplace.

“We need to be mindful of how we preserve customer privacy.

Because many are working from home, there are people who are taking advantage of this social engineering, like phishing attacks,” said Judan-Jiao.

JUDAN-JIAO: “We need to be mindful of how we preserve customer privacy. Because many are working from home, there are people who are taking advantage of this social engineering, like phishing attacks.”

Phishing is a type of social engineering attack that tricks the public into providing sensitive and personal information. This is usually in the form of suspicious mobile messages, emails and links sent to potential victims.

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 48.3680

IN general, the IBM official said hackers usually focus on illegally obtaining private data and credentials that they can sell, like credit card numbers.

“What is marked as private? In recent cases, it is about healthcare data. Some try to monetize that,” she said.

While money is the usual motivation for these hackers, JudanJiao said some launch phishing attacks “just for the thrill of it.”

As such, she said companies should extend the same cybersecurity protection to the devices used by their employees outside of the office to block the threats.

“Because if you do not deliberately look at what to protect, you can be attacked by things like ransomware. If the home device that you use is not your work device or at least it is not similar protection that you have in the office, you are going to have a challenge, you can be a target,” Judan-Jiao said.

“If you think about those who tried to do it [phishing], they are shifting from the office to the end users.”

Judan-Jiao said being victimized by phishing activities could be avoided by simply having awareness on the matter.

“If all of us can just raise the level of awareness that we check before we click, we validate, and we authen-

ticate, it will already help all of us.”

According to technology experts, cyberhackers have been keeping up with the times and technology. Fraudsters are even creating localized and holidaythemed phishing emails to entice the customers with false rewards.

Helpful technologies

THE IBM survey revealed that the internet of things or IoT (88 percent), cloud (74 percent) and artificial intelligence or AI (65 percent) are the top technologies the local CEOs expect to deliver benefits for their operations.

“A lot of what you hear about digital transformation, they are enabled by technologies like cloud, artificial intelligence, and IoT,” Judan-Jiao said.

Among the benefits of using such technology is data analysis, the IBM official said. She said AI can help the human workforce in crunching numerous data in a short period.

The IBM official said these technologies would also require protection.

“In cloud technologies, you don’t exactly physically see where the resources are. They are somewhere out there but you are trusting that it is managed well,” said Judan-Jiao.

“You need to be mindful of cloud security and even go tech-

nical as applications go containerized, meaning they can go onpremise, off-premise, anywhere workplace.”

Follow the regulations

WHILE companies see the necessity of integrating technology, the majority, or 60 percent, of the Filipino firms also noted that regulations would have “significant impact” on their business.

Judan-Jiao said that an example of such regulations is the lockdown protocols imposed by the Covid-19 Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

“When we had a lockdown, we faced new regulations that were new to us as defined by the IATF,” she explained. “If you look at that, they are government regulations that impact the way we work.”

Since last year, the IATF has been prescribing lockdown measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the country. As such, it limits the activities for many sectors based on their relevance and impact on the economy.

Judan-Jiao said that the IATF also imposed a minimum health standard amid the pandemic—something that companies were not seriously concerned about before—affecting their operations as well.

The IBM official said that firms

also constantly watch out for announcements from government agencies, such as the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Trade and Industry, so they can adjust accordingly.

Apart from this, Judan-Jiao said that industry-related policies and regulations may also have a substantial impact on their businesses.

She cited Republic Act 11534 or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) law, which covers many industries, including the businessprocess outsourcing sector.

Under CREATE, the corporate income-tax rate is reduced to 20 percent from 30 percent for domestic corporations with net taxable income of P5 million and below and have total assets of P100 million and below effective July 1, 2020. All other local firms and resident foreign companies are imposed a 25-percent income tax.

Indeed, it need not be stressed how the pandemic has changed the world upside down, unleashing adverse impacts, but also allowing for everyone to institute little-heeded reforms before, or seizing opportunities to innovate to save lives and businesses. The planet is on “reset” mode, as some experts have put it, and humans must adapt as quickly or stagnate at their peril.

n JAPAN 0.4387 n UK 67.3670 n HK 6.2292 n CHINA 7.5001 n SINGAPORE 36.0363 n AUSTRALIA 36.5227 n EU 57.6015 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.8978

Source: BSP (June 18, 2021)

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Even 30% pay raises can’t stop junior banker exodus in Asia

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By Cathy Chan & John Cheng | Bloomberg News

Recruiters and executives say the exodus is in some ways more difficult to stem than in New York and London, where analysts and associates have rebelled against the industry’s work-till-you-drop culture.

In Asia’s biggest hubs, young employees are more likely to leave because they think they can earn more—and climb the corporate ladder faster—at one of the many fintech and investment firms that have sprouted up to tap the region’s buoyant economies and swelling piles of wealth. The challenge is particularly acute in China and Hong Kong as foreign firms ramp up hiring to take advantage of a financial opening in Asia’s largest economy, competing with each other as well as the local startup scene.

“The whole industry is running into a pretty big supply and demand issue, and I don’t think this is going to be alleviated any time soon,” Mark Leung, JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s chief executive officer for China, said in a Bloomberg Television interview. The US lender is among banks, including

Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Credit Suisse Group AG and HSBC Holdings Plc., hiring hundreds of staff for their push into China.

While it’s hard to quantify turnover with any certainty, an informal Bloomberg News poll of executives at four global securities firms found that anywhere between 13 percent and 15 percent of investment banking analysts and associates left their roles this year, roughly double the average in previous years. That’s in line with estimates for the US and higher than the UK, according to executives at recruiting firms.

Exits have picked up despite annual pay raises of 25 percent to 30 percent since 2019 for Hong Kong-based bankers covering indemand sectors like technology and health care, said executives who oversee groups or the region, asking not to be named discussing private information. The increments have been more subdued for Southeast Asia where attrition is also rising, one of them said.

Jonathan Lam left HSBC Holdings Plc.’s investment bank in Hong

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HEY’VE raised salaries and promised quicker promotions.

But the world’s biggest securities firms and banks are still struggling to retain junior investment bankers in Asia, challenging their expansion plans for a region that’s growing faster than almost anywhere else.

Kong in the middle of last year to join Butler, a home concierge company he helped start that offers personalized services ranging from housekeeping to fixing washing machines and hosting dinner parties. It was the feeling of making an impact and “owning something” that drove Lam to quit his debt capital markets job right after a promotion, he said. The prospect of a financial windfall also helped.

“With banking you can make good money in the short term, but with startups, if you grind it through, it will lead to big fortunes,” said Lam, 30, who founded Butler with alumni of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. The startup completed a funding round last year and has 30 employees.

Asia’s economic rise has made it one of the world’s most attractive regions for entrepreneurs.

Its share of global startup investments rose to about 40 percent in 2015-2017, up from 10 percent a decade earlier, according to McKinsey. It’s home to more than a third of the world’s unicorns, the nickname for startups valued at $1 billion or more.

The attrition is made more acute by the fact that finance is still a growth industry in Asia and is smaller relative to the overall economy than in the US and Europe. More than half of finance firms in mainland China surveyed by recruitment firm Michael Page expect to increase their headcount by about 11 percent this year, on average.

Financial services will likely be the most-active recruiter in Hong Kong and the second most-active in Singapore, the poll showed.

Some smaller hedge funds and money managers in Hong Kong are offering double the salary to lure talent, two quantitative trading analysts at a Wall Street bank said based on approaches from headhunters.

Private equity firms, where employees get a share of profits, have also been active recruiters of junior talent in the past year, including Bain Capital, PAG and Hillhouse Capital, one of the people said.

In Singapore, opportunities are sprouting at hedge funds and private equity firms as well as a new breed of fintech and digital banking firms, according to Lim Chai Leng, a senior director at recruiting firm Randstad Singapore.

A former banking associate at HSBC in Hong Kong, who asked not to be named, jumped to a fund manager last year, accepting a 20-percent cut in base

salary. He’d seen his total remuneration rise 70 percent over four years with the bank, he said, but wanted to get on the path to managing his own capital.

Startups and smaller boutique firms can offer flexible working and other benefits that established players have struggled to keep up with, said James Carss, managing director at executive search firm NRG in the UK. The churn rate in the UK is three to four months behind Asia, but is likely to catch up, he said.

Big tech

BIG technology firms are also drawing from the banks. Morgan Stanley Vice President Shiyi Lin last month left to join the strategic investment group at Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., according to her LinkedIn page. In Singapore, Jack Ma’s Ant Group Co., Southeast Asia’s most-valuable startup Grab Holdings Inc. and its most valuable company Sea Ltd. are setting up digital banks.

Daniel Yuan, a Yale-educated former analyst at Goldman Sachs, left in 2019 to become chief of staff at online finance company Futu Holdings Ltd. While he credits Goldman for teaching him everything he knows about finance, he found his ability to move up the ladder too rigid.

“I knew exactly what I needed to do and how long I needed to keep doing this in order to advance my career at Goldman,” Yuan said. “At a leaner and more entrepreneurial corporate like Futu, there’s a lot of flexibility around what I can do, especially in my capacity as the chief of staff.”

Banks are starting to notice. One example is Lam’s old firm, HSBC, which counts Hong Kong as its largest market.

The lender, which is in a midst of a major pivot to Asia, last month promised a shorter career path for new associates, offering promotions after three years instead of four. It also pledged to boost pay. JPMorgan is also hiring more junior bankers and staff globally.

Lenders are raising pay for junior employees, enforcing curfews and adding staff to prevent defections and ease discontent as a jump in deals during the pandemic intensified the focus on worklife issues. Wall Street was set abuzz earlier this year by a leaked presentation from junior analysts at Goldman Sachs that detailed their grueling workload and punishing hours.

Spokespeople for Goldman, HSBC and JPMorgan declined to comment for this story.

“In Asia, junior bankers are more likely to leave for career opportunities that they see as more financially attractive,” said John Mullally, regional director at Robert Walters in Hong Kong. “The long hours and stress of banking careers are a factor, but just not as much as it is for their counterparts in Europe and the US.” For some beleaguered bankers, the exodus of their colleagues at the same time as dealmaking is thriving, is taking its toll. Over the past 12 months, mergers and acquisitions have jumped 30 percent in Asia Pacific, while initial public offerings have risen 44 percent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

An associate at JPMorgan, who asked not to be named, said his workload doubled after a colleague quit for a financial technology firm in December, leaving him to work 18 hours a day, on average, without a break for almost two months.

He’s now actively hunting for a job at a buy-side firm, he said, looking for a place with less hierarchy and more opportunities for career advancement.

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

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Sunday, June 20, 2021

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China’s worse-than-Suez ship delays set to widen trade chaos T

he global shipping industry, already exhausted by pandemic shocks that are adding to inflation pressures and delivery delays, faces the biggest test of its stamina yet.

When one of China’s busiest ports announced it wouldn’t accept new export containers in late-May because of a Covid-19 outbreak, it was supposed to be up and running again in a few days. But as the partial shutdown drags on, it’s further snarling trade routes and lifting record freight prices even higher.

Yantian Port now says it will be back to normal by the end of June, but just as it took several weeks for ship schedules and supply chains to recover from the vessel blocking the Suez Canal in March, it may take months for the cargo backlog in southern China to clear while the fallout ripples to ports worldwide.

“The trend is worrying, and unceasing congestion is becoming a global problem,” A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, the world’s No. 1 container carrier, said in a statement Thursday.

The situation in South China is another “in a string of disasters we’ve

seen plague the global supply chain,” according to Nerijus Poskus, vice president of ocean strategy and carrier development for Flexport Inc., which makes software that helps companies manage their supply chains.

He estimated the congestion in Yantian will take six to eight weeks to clear.

That timetable is a problem because it extends the disruptions into the late-summer period of peak demand from the US and Europe, where retailers and other importers restock warehouses ahead of the year-end holiday shopping rush.

Usually cheap and invisible to companies and consumers, ocean freight that’s now more expensive than ever has become a double-edged threat to the world economy: by acting as both a drag on commerce and a potential accelerant for inflation. In the US on Wednesday, Federal Reserve policy makers raised their inflation forecasts partly because bottlenecks have formed as supply fails to keep pace with demand.

Drewry Shipping data released Thursday showed no let-up as container rates on several routes kept

climbing, including an increase to $11,196 for a 40-foot box to Rotterdam from Shanghai. That’s a nearly seven-fold increase from a year ago.

Ships diverted

While the situation at the Chinese port is improving, on Wednesday there was still an average waiting time of 16 days, according to a separate statement from Copenhagen-based Maersk, which is diverting most of its ships elsewhere in June.

But the rerouting by Maersk and other companies will likely only add to the congestion and delays at nearby ports, the statement said.

Some retailers in the US have started informing customers looking to buy new furniture made in China that delivery could take as long as 10 months even if they place an order now, according to Steve Kranig, director of logistics at IM-EX Global Inc. The port congestion in Guangzhou and Shenzhen has also affected assemblers in Southeast Asia, who import raw materials to make armchairs and tables for export to the US, he said.

“I would expect more delays to come because soon they will compete

with cargo that is for the upcoming Christmas season. Since inventories are so low, I expect big retailers to try and ramp up so they can have products to sell in time for the holidays,” Kranig said.

Maxed-out capacity

Even without the Suez blockage or port backlogs, the global transportation system would probably still be struggling with maxed-out capacity. Exports from China and other Asian nations are at record highs, as US and European economies reopen and other markets such as India buy medical goods to help with their ongoing outbreaks.

China’s trade boom shows no sign of letting up, with exports the third largest on record in May and the third and fourth quarters usually the biggest periods for trade in any given year.

“There are still a number of problem spots that will pose challenges to global trade and logistics activities in the second half of 2021,” according to Nick Marro, lead analyst for global trade at the Economist Intelligence Unit in Hong Kong. “The biggest risk will be recurring Covid-19 outbreaks,

which we can probably see as inevitable owing to the new variants, but this will also include mismatched supply and demand for container space and existing logistical bottlenecks in major Western ports.”

Some of the goods that couldn’t leave China through Yantian were diverted to other nearby terminals, such as the one run by Guangzhou Port Co. That’s caused periodic delays there, although the congestion has eased a lot, a worker who only gave a family name of Lin said Thursday.

Even so, that’s not been enough to make up for the disruptions at Yantian, which may have affected the equivalent of about 1 million 20-foot containers so far, according to Peter Sand, chief shipping analyst at Bimco. Yantian handles about 13 million a year.

“Adding another disruption on top of the current state of emergency is obviously making a stretched supply chain even more fragile,” he said.

Anchor line

There are currently 139 container vessels anchored off the coast of China, about 50 percent more than the average from mid-April to early

May, according to Bloomberg analysis of vessel data.

Some goods have stopped shipping altogether. Chong Junxiong owns a clothing firm called Genesis Group Pte. Ltd. in Singapore, and contracts production to a manufacturer in Dongguan, near Shenzhen. Not only has his supplier been shuttered due to Covid, but he can’t get any deliveries as shipments have also halted.

“There are bottlenecks in ports all over the world because of Covid outbreaks—people are not going to work in the same numbers and aren’t working at the same speed as they did before the pandemic,” says Bjorn Hojgaard, CEO of Anglo-Eastern Univan Group, a company that manages operations for a fleet of 700 ships globally, including everything from tankers to bulk to container ships.

“It’s taking longer for shipping to recover than what was expected a few months ago, but I’m hopeful that going into the fourth quarter in 2021 and the first quarter in 2022 we will see the resumption of activity in many parts of the global economy and certainly a normalization of some of the challenges we face in shipping.” Bloomberg News

Journey

»life on the go

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Sunday, June 20, 2021

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

Here Comes the Sun in Bohol

Amorita facade, Amorita Resort

Alona view, Amorita Resort

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Story & photos by Bernard L. Supetran

or most parts of the year, the sun is up in the province of Bohol, one the country’s hottest tourist destinations, literally and figuratively. A favorite of both Filipino and foreign travelers, it takes pride in its white beaches, mesmerizing dive sites, rich cultural heritage, mouthwatering dishes, and lush marine and terrestrial biodiversity.

However, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit this island paradise, the ensuing quarantine measures were like the proverbial long, cold lonely winter for its vibrant tourism industry.

With its low infection rate, Bohol slowly started to cautiously reopen late last year to resuscitate its local economy and lure back the wanderlusts itching to set foot on its soil. With stringent but systematic health protocols, the sunrays of tourism revival seem to be shining again.

Travel requirements include a negative RT PCR result, confirmed hotel booking, and letter of acceptance from municipal destination. A very notable feature is the innovative Behold Bohol App and individual QR code for contact tracing of visitors, the first of its kind among local governments.

One of the stakeholders taking the lead establishments in bringing back the sun to this hideaway is Amorita Resort, a charming boutique hotel in Panglao which prides itself as the province’s Little Darling, which has been doing the task even before the pandemic struck.

Perched at an enviable location atop a limestone cliff overlooking the powdery Alona Beach and the azure Bohol Sea, it recently brought back the much-anticipated BEATS or Bohol Eats which showcases the

province’s unique gastronomic offerings, alongside its destinations.

The five-year-old food feast is an innovative pop-up series crafted by Amorita to support community suppliers and highlight the diversity of the local culinary scene.

Partnering in this year’s edition is low cost carrier Cebu Pacific, which is also the forefront in restoring confidence in travel with its health procedures and good-old low fare promos.

This year’s menu featured a fusion of South American well-loved flavors curated

by Amorita’s group executive chef Greg Villalon which included ceviche and pastel de choclo as appetizers, mojito popsicle as palate cleanser, parillada de carne as entrée, and chocotorta as dessert.

All these in a cozy sunset cocktails, acoustic music and bonding moments among family members and friends who braved the health protocol gauntlet just to be present in this some enchanted evening.

But even without the food feast, Amorita is a preferred accommodation by those who wish to be physically distanced from the worries of the world and bask in its bespoke leisure recreational amenities, spacious suites and villas, and landscaped greeneries. Visitors can savor great-tasting array of dishes, and served with the trademark

Amorita’s specialty dishes

warm Boholano hospitality.

Guests can cool off in the two infinity pools with a stunning seaview, stay in tiptop at the fitness gym, plunge into Panglao’s famed underwater world via the Sea Explorers dive shop, and pamper themselves at the Sea Tree Spa. There isn’t a dull and boring moment as

Delta extends expiring travel credits until end of next year

By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

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OR the second time around, Delta Air Lines is giving again its customers more time to plan and rebook a trip with a travel credit extension that allows for unmatched flexibility.

The American aviation company is extending the validity of all tickets due in 2021 to expire until December 31, 2022.

What’s more, it is prolonging the effectivity of its existing change fee waiver for all basic economy tickets bought through April 30, 2021, as well as all tickets that originate outside of North America.

“Delta has consistently delivered new ways of simplifying travel and giving customers more control over

managing their plans, and we’re keeping that promise,” said Sandeep Dube, senior vice president for pricing and revenue management at Delta.

“We’ve already removed change fees for most tickets for good, and now we’re taking it one step further by giving customers even more time to use their travel credits,” he added.

This is helpful for customers, especially from the Philippines who are mostly restricted again to travel abroad due to the reimposition of lockdowns to curb the alarming increase of Covid-19 cases nationwide.

Since the airline is working anew to make the travel journey easier, Filipino passengers, as soon as they are ready to rebook, can easily make a change on delta.com or the Fly Delta app.

ARCHERY yard

Infinity pool sun beds, Amorita Resort, Panglao Bohol.

Awaiting them onboard are the more than 100 science-backed health and safety measures, making sure that they will reach their respective destinations Covid-free.

“Our Delta CareStandard commitment provides layers of protection not just for safer travel, but for more flexible travel, too—and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Dube said.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Delta flies as many as 200 million passengers annually across 300 destinations in more than 50 countries.

Early this year, it resumed its service between the Philippines and the United States through flights from Manila to Seattle and Atlanta operated via Seoul-Incheon, the American airline’s trans-Pacific hub with its joint venture partner Korean Air.

guests can frolic in the crystal-clear water and admire Alona’s sandy shores on board a kayak, explore the resort and its vicinity on bicycle to keep themselves fit and get up close on Panglao’s evolving countryside.

Another exciting and fun new sport to learn while on vacation is archery, with the resort’s amiable personnel as instructors

who can perhaps mold you into being the next Hawkeye or William Tell.

For a consummate ex per ience of Bohol’s culture, adventure and nature iconic attractions, Amorita can help put together a seamless journey which is compliant to government-prescribed health standards.

As a testament to its passion for worldclass service, the resort recently received the Safe Travel seal from the World Travel Tourism Council which is given to lodgings which have measured up to strict safety standards. It is also an awardee of the Asean Green Hotel, a TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Hall of Fame, and a two-time Best Service winner in the Condè Nast Johansens Excellence Awards.

To adapt to the new normal regime, the resort has embarked on a 4-point program called CARE (Cleaning & Safety Protocols, Actions for Health & Well-being, Responsible & Mindful service, and Education & Advocacy) for the safety of guests and employees, while enjoying the island’s natural charm.

With Bohol’s pragmatic but careful tack in reopening itself to the outside world, and the tender loving care of its Little Darling, it won’t be long when guests can return to this piece of paradise, much like the sun which feels like years since it’s been here.

Foodpanda celebrates 7th birthday with nationwide blowout

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ou are cordially invited to enjoy exciting perks and promos as foodpanda celebrates its 7th Anniversary with a month-long celebration through a nationwide birthday handaan that also gives back to the community.

For the whole month of June, the #foodpandaBdayBlowout offers the chance to win prizes galore such as Vespas, Iphone Pro Max, Apple watches and P1000 foodpanda Vouchers. Each order worth P299 and up from food delivery, pick-up, shops, and pandamart can enter the raffle as long as you use the voucher code 7BDAYBLOWOUT. Winners will be announced on July 3. foodpanda also takes this opportunity to celebrate and give back for all the love and support from the community, this is why it is also launching feel-good initiatives for its anniversary, such as partnering with KFC to provide free meals to foodpanda riders,

donating P7 for each 7BDAYBLOWOUT entry to the Philippine Red Cross, and having community pantry activations in select cities nationwide. Customers can also join in the fun on the app with exclusive vouchers and discounts throughout the month and on social media with foodpanda’s Instagram Story filter and TikTok hashtag challenges.

“We want to thank all our customers, our partner establishments, and our riders for another successful year. As the 7th birthday is traditionally a very important occasion for Filipinos, we are making sure that our anniversary event is a memorable celebration with treats for everyone,” says foodpanda Managing Director, Daniel Marogy.

Order the best of foodpanda and party in pink this month, tap mo na ‘yan and visit Facebook and Instagram for updates and mechanics on foodpanda’s 7th birthday blowout raffle and other promos.

Faith

Sunday

Editor: Lyn ResurreccionSunday, •www.businessmirror.com.ph June 20, 2021 A5

June 20,•www.businessmirror.com.ph 2021 A6 Sunday, Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Tagle chokes up as he recalls grandfather’s migration story

Installation of Cardinal Advincula set; only 400 guests allowed inside cathedral V

T

he Manila Archdiocese is limiting to 400 the number of guests allowed at the installation ceremony of Jose Cardinal Advincula as the 33rd Archbishop of Manila in Intramuros, Manila on June 24.

Meanwhile, Advincula is now fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as he prepares to take the helm of the Manila archdiocese. The outgoing Capiz archbishop reportedly received the second dose of the vaccine last month.

In a social media post, the Manila archdiocese said the 69-year-old cardinal also encouraged the public to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

Ahead of the ceremony at the Manila Cathedral, the archdiocese will launch a nine-day spiritual preparation beginning June 15.

In his pastoral instruction, Bishop Broderick Pabillo, the archdiocese’s administrator, asked that the novena be marked with prayer, catechesis and charity.

“On the evening of June 23, we encourage all parishes and communities to spend an hour of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and pray together for Cardinal Advincula,” he said.

The prelate said the days should also be spent listening to the teachings of the Church.

“Let us study and reflect on the mystery of the Church, the role of the bishop, and the realities of the Archdiocese of Manila,” Pabillo said.

The archdiocese’s Commission on Catechesis and Education, he added, has prepared short catechetical video presentations on the topics.

The bishop encouraged parishes to organize charitable activities like feeding programs and distribution of food bags or gift checks.

He said that Caritas Manila will distribute P50 million worth of gift certificates for 50,000 families in different parishes.

“Let this be a gift of Cardinal Advincula to our needy brethren in the Archdiocese,” he said.

After his installation, Advincula will celebrate Mass at the cathedral with representatives of the laity in the archdiocese on June 25.

On June 26, he will preside at a Solemn Vespers at the cathedral with the consecrated men and women in the archdiocese.

The cardinal will then visit the community of Maricaban in Pasay City and lead a Mass at the Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted Parish Church on June 27.

Fr. Reginald Malicdem, chancellor of the Manila Archdiocese, said limiting the number of people inside the Manila Cathedral, where the installation rite is set, is for health and security reasons of those attending the celebration.

He also advised those who will not be able to go inside the cathedral may watch the celebration outside, where they will be providing liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors.

“Because of the limited capacity of the Manila Cathedral, it's an event by invitation only. Those who are not part of the invitees could stay outside where there will be LCDs and would be able to witness what is happening inside,” he said in a press briefing Tuesday.

Jose Cardinal advinCula CBCP Photo

The celebration would be "very simple" with no fanfare, he added.

“We will just be balancing between the celebration and being conscious of the situation because of the pandemic.

This is for the logistics and the appeal for everyone to cooperate with protocols in place for the installation of cardinal,” Malicdem said.

Intramuros will be closed in the morning while the ceremony is ongoing. The only entrance and exit will be the gate near the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, he said.

“We beg the understanding of everyone to ensure the safety of all and to follow the health protocols. There will be strict implementation of traffic. Social distancing and use of face mask and face shield inside and outside of the Manila Cathedral. The logistics for traffic and security are in place,” Malicdem said.

The Manila Cathedral, also known as Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, can accommodate a crowd of 2,500.

The last time the archdiocese held

Diving into the names of Joseph and Mary

By Robert Z. Cortes

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HAT’S in a name?” Juliet asks in Shakespeare’s tragedy, “that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Often misinterpreted to suggest that words are empty of content, Shakespeare’s line does the exact opposite: it affirms that a reality exists behind words and, indeed, gives rise to them.

In fact, even personal names may reveal surprisingly important things about their owners. Much has been written about the greatest example of this claim, the name of Jesus, which means “God saves.”

There are more examples. Among these, two are quite relevant for discussion this year, declared by Pope Francis as the Year of St. Joseph and the Year of the Family. Also, being the 500th anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines, it’s worthwhile recalling that the Virgin Mary is the Patroness of the Philippine Church, as St. Joseph the Patron of the Universal Church.

The name of Joseph

LIkE the name of the Son he raised, the etymology of Joseph’s name is rather straightforward. I confirmed this recently while reading the Old Testament in its original Hebrew. Upon reaching the Genesis account of the flood as it was already subsiding, I met the verb ‫( ף ֶס ּ ֹי ַו‬pronounced from right to left, “vayosef”). Already one hears Joseph’s name.

The general meaning of the verb is “he added/augmented,” the meaning usually associated with Joseph’s name and reflects his position in the Christian life. It suggests that if we “lack” some grace in our lives, we just have to “go to Joseph,” and being Jesus’s earthly father, he will “augment” our prayers before his Son by interceding for us.

In the Genesis verses I referred to (Gen. 8:10-12), however, ‫ ף ֶס ּ ֹי ַו‬was used with ‫( ח ּ ַל ַׁש‬from right to left, “shallakh”), translated as “to send away/ release.” The literal rendition of the phrase would then go: “(Noah) added to release (the dove).” This wouldn’t make

sense until one realizes that Noah had already sent a dove previously. One then sees that what the phrase is really saying is, “Noah did (it) again, (that is) to release the dove.”

The specific use “vayosef” here (i.e., “do again”) extends the meaning of Joseph’s name and introduces us to a deeper understanding of St. Joseph’s role in our lives. It is that he just doesn’t “add” to what we already have; he would do it again and again, if we have but the faith and patience to go to his intercession each time we need anything.

The name of Mary

IN contrast to Joseph’s, the etymology of Mary’s name is shrouded in mystery. Far from being a settled issue, after centuries of scholarship, what’s considered as the best interpretation of Mary’s name is still preceded with a disclaimer like “probably it is safer to adhere to…” Strange but true, considering that the name in question is that of arguably the most famous woman who has ever lived.

Many of those who are familiar with the Bible may have learned that Mary’s name has a similar derivation as that of Moses’s sister, “Miryam.” It is tempting to think so because the Hebrew form of “Mary” is ‫ם ָיְרִמ‬‎ (pronounced from right to left, “Miryam”). Moreover, in the same way as Moses, as “lawgiver,” is seen as a figure of Christ, Miryam could be seen as a figure of Mary.

It is worth noting that scholars believe Moses’s sister name to be of Egyptian derivation. This is partly because of her brothers’ names: “Aaron” has no Hebrew explanation and “Moses” was christened by an Egyptian princess. That all three were born in Egypt strengthens this possibility. In this case, “Miryam” would have come from the Egyptian word, “meri/meryt” that means “cherished, beloved.” Admittedly, the attribute is appropriate for an only daughter, which both Moses’s sister and Mary were.

Yet it is precisely the name’s Egyptian origin that raises a difficult question in the case of the Virgin Mary’s name. Would Mary’s parents, Anna

and Joachim, faithful Jews, have given their only daughter a name that was only meaningful to Egyptians? Perhaps not. The conclusion, thus, is that in all probability the Blessed Virgin’s name is not an Egyptian derivative but a Hebrew one.

Scholars believe that this particular “Miryam” came possibly from two Hebrew verbs: ‫( ה ַרַמ‬pronounced from right to left, “marah”) and ‫( א ַרַמ‬pronounced from right to left, “mara”).

The first means “to be rebellious,” while the other one means “to be wellfed.” Scholars agree that it was unlikely for a daughter’s name to have any reference to rebelliousness, and more likely to being well-nourished or healthy which, in ancient culture was equated to beauty and perfection. Following this interpretation, Mary’s name means “the beautiful / perfect one.”

A last comment, referring to one of Mary’s famous titles, “Stella Maris.” It’s Latin for “Star of the Sea,” the name of many schools around the world, and the title of a favorite Filipino Marian hymn by Manoling Francisco, S.J. Ironically, it’s the result of an error in explaining Mary’s name. This title is traceable to St. Jerome.

He translated into Latin one of the eventually rejected Hebrew derivations of Mary’s name ‫( ם ָירַמ‬pronounced from right to left “mar yam”), meaning “drop of the sea,” and wrote “stilla maris.”

But eventually “stilla” became “stella” because less-educated Latin speakers switched their “-i’s” to “-e’s.” Thus, an interpretation discarded due to its hint of Mary’s insignificance (“drop of the sea”) gave rise instead to an enduring favorite title, “Star of the Sea,” by sheer mispronunciation.

Robert Z. Cortes is assistant professor of Communication Ethics in the University of Asia and the Pacific. He has a PhD in Social Communications from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, Italy, and is completing a Certificate in Ancient Philology in The Polis Institute of Ancient Languages and the Humanities in Jerusalem, Israel.

such ceremony was on December 12, 2012, when Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle was installed as the new head of the Manila Archdiocese. He was then the bishop of Cavite diocese.

The former Manila archbishop is now the head of the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Vatican. Pope Francis appointed him to the post in November 2019.

In October 2020, Pope Francis announced the 13 new additions to the College of Cardinals, including Advincula.

After five months, the Capiz archbishop was appointed to head the Manila archdiocese, which is home to some 3 million Catholics.

The 69-year-old archbishop is the country’s ninth cardinal, following cardinals Tagle, Orlando Quevedo, Gaudencio Rosales, Jose Sanchez, Ricardo Vidal, Jaime Sin, Julio Rosales and Rufino Santos.

The archdiocese covers the cities of Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasay and San Juan. PNA and CBCP News

ATICAN—Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle choked up Tuesday while sharing the story of his grandfather’s migration journey from China to the Philippines as a child.

Speaking during a Vatican press conference June 15 that was streamed on YouTube, the prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples said that visiting refugee camps in Greece, Lebanon, Jordan, and Bangladesh reminded him of his migrant roots.

“In them, I saw my grandfather who was born in China, but was forced to leave his homeland as a young boy with his uncle for the Philippines in search of a better future,” Tagle said, pausing for a short time as he became visibly emotional.

The Filipino cardinal explained in a letter for Easter 2017 that his maternal grandfather was born in China, but his mother sent him to live in the Philippines because of her poverty.

Tagle also spoke about his Chinese roots in a 2017 book.

“I think some Chinese characteristics have passed onto me, even though my grandfather spent most of his life in the Philippines,” he said.

“I remember certain practices he observed, such as honoring his mother by offering her food, putting it in front of her photograph, with a few sticks of incense, or setting off fireworks to welcome the New Year, or offering a lot of food during family meals.”

At his grandfather’s request, Tagle studied the Chinese language for a time in his boyhood, though he said in the book he regretted that he did not stick with it.

The cardinal’s mother, Milagros Gokim, is Chinese Filipino and his father, Manuel Topacio Tagle, is ethnic Tagalog. They are both in their early 90s and still live in the Philippines.

They raised Tagle and his younger brother Manuel Gokim Tagle Jr. in a devoutly Catholic home. Both worked at a bank.

Tagle, who also goes by his nickname of “Chito,” spoke about his personal experience with immigration during a press conference ahead of

the June 20 conclusion of “Share the Journey,” a four-year global campaign

by Caritas Internationalis.

Through “Share the Journey,” national Caritas agencies organized events and initiatives with the goal of promoting a culture of encounter with migrants and refugees.

Tagle has been president of Caritas Internationalis since 2015.

Before being appointed prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in December 2019, the 63-year-old cardinal was archbishop of Manila for nine years.

During the June 15 presser, Tagle described his emotional meetings with refugees over the last six years.

In reference to his visits to the Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camps in Bangladesh in 2018 and 2019, he said: “I remember that I had mixed feelings. A part of me rejoiced that they were being given the attention they deserved as human beings. But at the same time, a part of me continued to be sad because I wondered if this was a permanent state of life for them or temporary.”

He said he could not imagine how parents in that situation respond if their children ask them what the future holds.

“The Share the Journey campaign has been a great moment of encounter, solidarity, and for us, memory, and above all an expression of love. An expression of the love of the Church for people on the move. Christians, Muslims, Hindus, followers of other religions, and those with no religion were received as human persons,” Tagle said.

“At a time when Covid-19 should lead to global solidarity, and at the same time when the States are more concerned with protecting their own citizens, with the risk of intensifying selfishness and the fear of strangers, the end of Caritas Internationalis’ global campaign is a call to continue to share the journey with migrants, especially at this most difficult moment,” he said.

“The campaign formally ends, but the mission continues.” Hannah Brockhaus/Catholic News Agency via CBCP News

Faith still shapes morals, values even after people are ‘done’ with religion

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ELIGION forms a moral foundation for billions of people throughout the world.

In a 2019 survey, 44 percent of Americans—along with 45 percent of people across 34 nations—said that belief in God is necessary “to be moral and have good values.” So what happens to a person’s morality and values when they lose faith?

Religion influences morals and values through multiple pathways.

It shapes the way people think about and respond to the world, fosters habits such as church attendance and prayer, and provides a web of social connections.

As researchers who study the psychology and sociology of religion, we expected that these psychological effects can linger even after observant people leave religion, a group we refer to as “religious dones.”

So, together with our co-authors, Daryl R. Van Tongeren and C. Nathan DeWall, we sought to test this “religion residue effect” among Americans. Our research addressed the question: Do religious dones maintain some of the morals and values of religious Americans?

In other words, just because some people leave religion, does religion fully leave them?

Measuring the religious residue effect

RECENT research demonstrates that religious dones around the world fall between the never religious and the currently religious in terms of thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

Many maintain some of the attributes of religious people, such as volunteering and charitable giving, even after they leave regular faith practices behind. So in our first project, we examined the association between leaving religion and the five moral foundations commonly examined by psychologists: care/harm, fairness/ cheating, ingroup loyalty/betrayal, authority/subversion and purity/ degradation.

We found that religious respondents were the most likely to support

each of the five moral foundations.

These involve intuitive judgments focusing on feeling the pain of others, and tapping into virtues such as kindness and compassion.

For instance, religious Americans are relatively likely to oppose acts they deem “disgusting,” which is a component of the purity/degradation scale.

This aligns with previous research on religion and moral foundations.

Most importantly, and in line with the religion residue hypothesis, we have found what we call a “stairstep pattern” of beliefs. The consistently religious are more likely than the dones to endorse each moral foundation, and the religious dones are more likely to endorse them than the consistently nonreligious. The one exception was the moral foundation of fairness/ cheating, which the dones and the consistently religious supported at similar rates.

Put another way, after leaving religion, religious dones maintain some emphasis on each of the five moral foundations, though less so than the consistently religious, which is why we refer to this as a stairstep pattern.

Our second project built on research showing that religion is inextricably linked with values, particularly Schwartz’s Circle of Values, the predominant model of universal values used by Western psychologists. Values are the core organizing principles in people’s lives, and religion is positively associated with the values of security, conformity, tradition and benevolence.

These are “social focus values”: beliefs that address a generally understood need for coordinated social action.

For this project, we asked a single group of study participants the same questions as they grew older over a period of 10 to 11 years. The participants were adolescents in the first wave of the survey, and in their mid-to-late 20s in the final wave.

Our findings revealed another stairstep pattern: The consistently religious among these young adults were significantly more likely than religious dones to support the social focus values of security, conformity

and tradition; and religious dones were significantly more likely to support them than the consistently nonreligious. While a similar pattern emerged with the benevolence value, the difference between the religious dones and the consistently nonreligious was not statistically significant.

Together, these projects show that the religion residue effect is real. The morals and values of religious dones are more similar to those of religious Americans than they are to the morals and values of other nonreligious Americans.

Our follow-up analyses add some nuance to that key finding. For instance, the enduring impact of religious observance on values appears to be strongest among former evangelical Protestants.

Among dones who left mainline Protestantism, Catholicism and other religious traditions, the religion residue effect is smaller and less consistent.

Our research also suggests that the religious residue effect can decay. The more time that passes after people leave religion, the more their morals and values come to resemble those of people who have never been religious.

This is an important finding, because a large and growing number of Americans are leaving organized religion, and there is still much to be learned about the psychological and social consequences of this decline in religion.

Growing numbers of nonreligious

AS recently as 1990, only 7 percent of Americans reported having no religion. Thirty years later, in 2020, the percentage claiming to be nonreligious had quadrupled, with almost 3 in 10 Americans having no religion.

There are now more nonreligious Americans than affiliates of any one single religious tradition, including the two largest: Catholicism and evangelical Protestantism.

Philip Schwadel, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Sam Hardy, Brigham Young University/The Conversation

Science

A6 Sunday, June 20, 2021• Editor: Lyn Resurreccion www.businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror

Sunday

PNRI partners with private sector for commercial irradiation facility

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eaching another milestone in radiation technologies for Filipino industries, the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine nuclear Research institute will provide its expertise to private firm Via Verde in its bid to establish a fully commercial irradiation facility in the Philippines, DOST-PnRi said in a news release.

Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña (center), PnRi Director Dr. carlo Arcilla (2nd from left), Via Verde President Dave Ranile (second from right), PnRi career Scientist Dr. Lucille Abad (extreme left) and Mr. Steven Hung of Via Verde during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Project Development Assistance for irradiation Services between DOST-PnRi and Via Verde, who plans to establish a commercial irradiation facility in the near future. DOST-PNRI PhOTO

PnRI Director Dr. Carlo Arcilla and via verde President Dave Ranile signed the memorandum of understanding for PnRI to provide technical assistance in irradiation services on June 16, with no less than Science Secretary Fortunato de la Peña as ceremonial witness. via verde’s projected commercial facility will use gamma radiation to process agricultural products and improve their quality and competitiveness in the market, while eventually looking to expand their services to the sterilization of medical equip-

industrial sectors.

Once completed, the upgrading of the MIF into a fully automated facility will increase the volume of products processed, while also allowing for more flexibility in irradiating products as well as a safer environment for the facility operators.

PnRI also operates the electron Beam Irradiation Facility as well as smaller facilities such as the Gammacell-220 and the Ob-servo Sanguis irradiators, which are being used for several applications in industry, medicine and advanced research studies.

Radiation processing is being used

ment, among others.

The company is also looking forward to PnRI’s upgrading of its Cobalt-60 Multipurpose Irradiation Facility (MIF) as it intends to enter into a block-time agreement with PnRI for operating the facility.

The first and only facility of its kind in the country established in 1989, PnRI’s own has been regularly used for radiation processing of thousands of tons of food, spices, medical equipment and other raw materials on a semi-commercial scale for various clients from the commercial and

worldwide to decontaminate and sterilize various products, extending their shelf life and generally improving the quality of consumer goods both for local consumption and for exports. These goods do not become radioactive but can penetrate through the packaging, allowing it to clear the microbes without degrading the products.

DOST continues to push for the private sector to invest in the growth of the irradiation service industry in the Philippines, ensuring that science and technology-based industries will keep up with those of neighboring countries.

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Sunday, JuneLyn 20,Resurreccion 2021 A5

PHL, Argentina discuss nuclear cooperation in bilateral meeting

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He Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and representatives from the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship and InvAP discussed the applications of nuclear energy in medicine, agriculture, and energy production, among other topics, in a virtual bilateral meeting recently, the DOST said in a news release posted on its Facebook page.

Ph i l ippi ne A mba ssador Linglingay Lacanlale and Argentina's Chargé d'Affaires to the Philippines Augusto Cesar Granada led their respective delegations during the bilateral meeting.

Dr. Carlo A. Arcilla, director of the Philippine nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PnRI), acknowledged the importance of Argentina as a nuclear leader with its numerous contributions worldwide.

He gave an overview of the

Philippines’s nuclear program and discussed DOST-PnRI’s initiatives and interests in nuclear power's peaceful applications.

Meanwhile, Dir. Gabriela Martinic stressed Argentina’s willingness to offer its expertise and support to the Philippines and DOST. Lacanlale said the meeting was a significant move to advance science and technology cooperation between the two countries.

They also explored other areas of cooperation, including design and construction of small modular reactor (SMR); regulator y aspect of SMR; nuclear medicine; third-party assessor/evaluator for the Bataan nuclear Power Plant rehabilitation; possible supply of Molybdenum 99 and Cobalt 60 to the Philippines; and capacity building or certification of nuclear engineering and physics. S&T News Service

‘Strong seed systems PhilSA, JAXA set space alliance at higher gear in new agreement key to food security’

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He Philippines and Japan are setting their relationship on space cooperation to a higher level as they signed an agreement during an online ceremony on June 11.

Director General Dr. Joel Joseph S. Marciano Jr. of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) signed on behalf of the Philippines, while President Dr. Yamakawa Hiroshi of Japan Aerospace exploration Agency (JAXA) signed for Japan, a news release from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

The signing ceremony was held simultaneously in Quezon City and Tokyo.

The memorandum of cooperation (MOC) aims to provide a framework of cooperation in a number of areas, including space applications, satellite development, space environment utilization; capacity building for space related technology development, space policy and legislation; space science and exploration; and promotion of space industry, PhilSA said on its web page With the support of the DFA, the agreement also defines procedures of collaboration based on peaceful and mutually beneficial uses of outer space.

It should be noted that through the assistance of JAXA and Japanese universities, Filipino experts were able to develop the microsatellites Diwata-1 and Diwata-2, and cube satellites (cubesats) Maya-1 and Maya-2 that were launched in space separately a few years ago.

“As we sign this agreement, we look back to what our country has been able to achieve in space over a relatively short period of time, and how Japan has contributed substantially to those efforts," Marciano said.

"Today, with JAXA, we look to further that cooperation as we continue to build forward, inspire and open more opportunities for Filipinos to access and benefit from space,” he added.

In his remarks, JAXA's Yamakawa said: “I’m very pleased to say JAXA is the first foreign space agency to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation with PhilSA. We understand that PhilSA is actively recruiting talented individuals and steadily building its organisation.

As PhilSA begins its full-scale activities, we will be happy to work with you if our experience can be of any help.”

Yamakawa added that through the cooperation, "JAXA hopes to jointly lead space activities in the Asia Pacific Region with PhilSA and contribute together with our space technology for socio economic development of the region.”

Marciano pointed out that with the cooperation, “We bring to this cooperation our people and their experience from the Diwata and Maya satellites, along with our investments in ground infrastructure and capabilities for processing and analyzing spaceborne data.

Together, we will create even more value from these activities and cascade them further to society.”

Philippine Ambassador to Japan Jose C. Laurel v commended both parties for this achievement, noting that this year also marks the 65th anniversary of Philippines-Japan relations, and the 10th year of both countries’ Strategic Partnership.

“I congratulate PhilSA and JAXA in laying this groundwork, and I, along with my colleagues in the embassy, am proud to be part of this effort, because our small investments today will mobilize generations who come after us

in their bid to conquer new frontiers.

Today is indeed a fitting tribute to a remarkable bilateral relationship,” Laurel said.

This year, the Philippines’s Maya-2 cubesat was transported to the International Space Station through JAXA, and released into space to conduct scientific demonstration of imaging and store-and-forward communications.

Maya-2 was completed by Filipino engineers in cooperation with the Kyushu Institute of Technology, with funding from the Philippine government through the Department of Science and Technology.

JAXA has been a valuable partner of the Philippines in space science, technology and applications programs.

The Philippines also continues to engage in various activities spearheaded by JAXA, such as the annual Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF), the national Space Legislation Initiative and Sentinel Asia.

Through APRSAF and Sentinel Asia, JAXA has helped bring the benefits of space closer to Southeast Asia.

The Philippines, which hosted the APRSAF in 2016, has been regularly participating in its various working groups as a venue for exchanging experiences and best practices in space development and utilization.

Founded in 2003, JAXA was designed to support Japan’s aerospace research and development and utilization. It envisions the use of space to achieve a safe and affluent society.

Through the efforts of the PhilSA and the DFA the country also contributed to the drafting of the nSLI report, which was submitted to the 60th session of the Legal Subcommittee of

the United nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

PhilSA pointed out that this is the second international agreement that the barely two-year space agency has signed in two weeks.

On June 4, it inked a cooperation deal with the United nations Office for Outer Space Affairs for stronger collaboration on the use of space-based information for socioeconomic development and attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The other witnesses to the online ceremony were Japan's Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko, JAXA's vice President Ishii Yasuo and Director for International Relations and Research Department Shoji Yoshikazu.

Also present were members of the Philippine Space Council, led by its vice Chairman Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña of the Department of Science and Technology.

PhilSA was created by virtue of Republic Act 11363, “The Philippine Space Act,” which was enacted into law in 2019.

As the central government agency addressing all national issues and activities related to space science and technology applications, it is mandated to be the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, and administrative entity of the executive Branch of the government that will plan, develop, and promote the national space program.

PhilSA is directly attached to the Office of the President. It is headed by a Director General with the rank of a Cabinet Secretary, who also serves as the Presidential Adviser on Space Matters. Recto Mercene

Will a big income make you happier?

and capital of the province of South Cotabato.

“The research shows that people in Koronadal, a low-income, semi-urban city in Mindanao, are generally happy even with low incomes, which is consistent with the happy poor image of the Filipino poor. As they are already happy and content with their lives, to begin with, the increase in happiness due to income is marginal and yet somewhat negligible in the practical sense,” according to Rosalina Palanca-Tan of the Department of economics, Ateneo de Manila University, who conducted the study.

The survey found that on a scale of 0–10, the average reported happiness is 6.75, which is quite above the neutral score of 5. even the lowest income group, those with a monthly household income of less than P10,000, which is actually below the subsistence income level, has surprisingly a mean happiness score of 6.31.

Participants to the study are household heads, or the member traditionally making expenditure decisions in

the family from the 27 barangays of Koronadal.

They had an average monthly household income of P19,444, which is reasonably close to the regional average household income of PHP 20,229, but is substantially lower than the Philippine Statistics Authority’s national average of PHP 26,112.

Other factors that significantly contribute to happiness such as the number of bedrooms, ownership of mobile phones, savings, loans, and membership in cooperatives were also looked into.

Results suggest that more than the level of income, financial security and stability, such as having savings and not having outstanding loans to worry about, and being a member of a credit cooperative to which people can run to in case of financial need, also contribute to people’s well-being, relatively.

Interestingly, the study on the effect of the conditional transfer program of the national government, a direct income transfer, was found to have no significant influence on happiness in Koronadal.

Overall, the results suggest that other programs, for instance, increasing accessibility and affordability of goods and services that make daily life convenient and comfortable, as well as free of financial uncertainties and worries, may be more effective in raising people’s life-satisfaction or wellbeing than direct income-augmenting programs.

These findings shed light on some socially favorable economic and institutional conditions that can help provide directions to government officials and policymakers in terms of formulating and implementing more effective social programs that can eventually improve the lives of many Filipinos.

The complete discussion and results of this study will be available soon and can eventually be downloaded for free from the Philippine Journal of Science (PJS).

The PJS is the Philippines’ oldest peer-reviewed scientific journal, published by the Department of Science and Technology- Science and Technology Information Institute. Geraldine BulaonDucusin/S&T Media Service,

e

ven those with less than P10,000 monthly income can afford to be happy.

Study results generally indicate that the impact of income on happiness is rather minute. The latest research supports the previous claim that an increase in income increases happiness marginally—but there exists a certain threshold level; a monthly income of about P20,000. Beyond that, income ceases to increase happiness.

This is based on the research on "Income and Happiness: A Philippine Context," which investigated the relationship between income and happiness in Koronadal, South Cotabato.

While household income is used to measure economic welfare, self-reported or subjective happiness was used as measure of happiness. Koronadal City, formerly Marbel, is a component city

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He baseline of farming is seeds,” Dr. Siang Hee Tan, executive director of Singaporebased CropLife Asia, said at an online forum organized by the Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture via its Searca Online Learning and virtual engagement (SOLve) platform.

Dr. Tan’s statement sums up why Searca conducted the webinar for farmers and seed producers in the Philippines and other parts of Southeast A si a. Sea rc a D i rec tor Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio himself is a believer that good farming business starts with the right seeds. national Seed Quality Control Services Chief Ruel Gesmundo of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BAI) said seeds are vital inputs in agricultural efficiency and that assuring seed quality will help boost farmer productivity.

G es mu ndo e mph a s i z e d the value of seed quality assurance. He explained that seed quality control plays a vital role in the seed system to ensure the availability of high-quality seeds and its accessibility to farmers.

Through seed certification as quality control mechanism, it is ensured that high quality seeds and planting materials are available to the farming communities, Gesmundo said. As the seed certifying agency in the Philippines, the DA-Bureau of Plant Industrynational Seed Quality Control Services implements quality control procedures in certifying both seed stock production of government seed farms and institutions, as well as private seed growers. It is also responsible for seed testing and issuance of results of laboratory analysis and tags.

Gesmundo pointed out that the goal of any seed program is for farmers to have access to high-quality seeds.

To support the crops sector, he said the government provides high-quality seeds and planting materials. When using accredited and registered varieties in the Philippines, farmers are assured of quality seeds and the identity and

source of their crop varieties of choice.

This was affirmed by Dr. Mary Ann Sayoc, Public Affairs Lead of east-West Seed International, who pointed out during the forum that seed is the starting point of any food production, and to push for a healthy seed sector is to have an enabling environment that promotes science-based regulations and multi-stakeholder engagements.

However, Tan noted that seed issues impacting the growth of the industry include outdated seed policies and regulations, lack of harmonized and transparent seed movement across borders, and use of illegal seed practices.

He emphasized the importance of collective work between associations to help build a resilient seed industry, as well as good leadership of governments to enable farmers to secure certified seeds and improve their livelihoods.

According to Tan, the establishment of networks, for example across Asean+3, helps in strengthening the seed sector. With the rapidly changing environment, it is important to work with regulators to help bring seeds to farmers so they can cope with the demand on the ground.

He sa id CropLife A sia works with different associations in the region to help upgrade seed systems to expedite moving the correct seed traits and technology into the hands of farmers.

Gregorio said Searca is keen to help strengthen seed systems, which can directly benefit farmers because seeds are the carriers and drivers of technology and industry.

He said this is in keeping with Searca’s current development agenda focused on elevating the quality of life of agricultural families through sustainable livelihoods and access to modern networks and innovative markets.

As a first step, Gregorio said Searca has signed an agreement with CropLife Asia for the joint conduct of the United nations Food Systems Summit Independent Dialogue on “Transforming Pathways: Working with Farmers in Agri-Food Systems” held on June 14.

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Sunday, June 20, 2021

Invasive squirrels: Cute and cuddly but serious threat to biodiversity

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By Jonathan L. Mayuga

@jonlmayuga

hey may appear to be cute and cuddly. But the Finlayson’s squirrel (Callosciurus finlaysonii), a nonnative species in the Philippines, is now considered an invasive alien species that threatens Luzon.

The proliferation of the Finlayson squirrel species was first reported in Metro Manila as early as 2000. Now, sightings of the species in Batangas and Nueva Ecija raised concern about the proliferation of the species in other parts of Luzon.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region IV-A, or Calabarzon area, has confirmed threat posed by the Finlayson’s squirrel in the province of Batangas.

On the other hand, the DENR Region 3 (Central Luzon) has yet to validate the reported sightings of the invasive squirrel in the area.

Nuisance wildlife

Whether they are naturally occurring or was just introduced in an area, squirrels are often referred to as nuisance wildlife and they present their own unique set of dangers when it comes to their interaction with humans, according to PestWorld.org.

“They can become aggressive when they feel frightened or threatened,” it says in an article about squirrels posted in its official website.

Squirrels generally look alike and for the untrained eye, it’s hard to distinguish one species from another.

Squirrels are generally small rodents with slender bodies, bushy tails and large eyes, it says in its website.

Their fur is short, soft and silky, and ranges in thickness from species to species and the color of their fur is highly variable. They can be whitish, gray, yellow, red, brown, or even black.

Finlayson’s squirrel

Also known as Variable squirrel because of its variable color and pattern, the upper side of the Finlayson’s squirrel is of a darker color than the underside, according to the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB).

They thrive naturally in lowland forests, open woods, plantations, and even in dense forests.

The species is highly tolerant of degraded and fragmented habitats. Like other squirrel species, Finlayson's squirrel is a canopydweller and feeds mainly on fruit and crops.

Survivor

While it is native to Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, the Finlayson’s squirrel has been introduced to other countries such as Italy, Japan, and Philippines where it is now considered an invasive alien species.

According to the DENR-BMB, there’s no record of the lifespan of the species in the wild, but in captivity, they are known to survive a maximum of 12 years.

These squirrels are ultimate survivors and threaten other species in the Philippines, including its very own native species.

Native squirrel species

The DENR-BMB said there are nine recorded native species of squirrels in the Philippines. But they are mostly found in Palawan and Mindanao. Luzon has no na-

tive species on record.

T hese are the Phi lippine pygmy squirrel (Exilisciurus concinnus), Northern Palawan tree squirrel (Sundasciurus juvencus), Southern Palawan tree squirrel (Sundasciurus steeri), Palawan flying squirrel (Hylopetes nigripe), Palawan montane tree squirrel (Sundasciurus rabori), Philippine tree squirrel/ Mindanao tree squirrel (Sundasciurus philippinensis), Mindanao flying squirrel (Petinomys crinitus), Culion tree squirrel (Sundasciurus moellendorffi) and the Busuanga tree squirrel (Sundasciurus hoogstraali).

All these species are endemic to the Philippines, particularly in some islands of Palawan and in Mindanao faunal region.

Establishing populations

The Finlayson’s squirrels have successfully established breeding populations in Metro Manila, specifically in the areas with sprawling tree vegetation, like in Dasmariñas Village, Makati City; Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center, Quezon City; and Alabang Hills Village, Muntinlupa City.

The invasive squirrels had been documented to feed on fruits, vegetables, and young shoots of coconut trees. However, they can also attack smaller animals, including birds and their eggs.

Since there are no known native squirrels in Luzon, it was widely believed that the invasive species was introduced in the Philippines through the illegal pet trade.

DENR Calabarzon Regional Executive Director Nilo Tamoria through a Zoom meeting on June 9, confirmed to the BusinessMirror that the Finlayson’s squirrels have also established breeding populations in Batangas.

Attacking farms

“There was a turn-over last November 9, 2020. There were six heads of squirrels. Out of six, upon turnover, one is already weak. The squirrels were turned over by CENRO Calaca to the Regional Wildlife Rescue Center of DENR Region IV-A," Tamoria said.

“The caretaker of the farm captured the squirrels using trap for rodents,” he said.

In Central Luzon, the DENR Regional Information Officer, Don Guevarra told the BusinessMirror in an interview over Messenger on June 9 that there is no confirmed or verified report of a breeding population existing in the region.

“We still need to verify with the PENROs (Provincial Environment and Natural Resource Office) if there are indeed squirrels in their area,” he said.

Creeping population; threat to farms, wildlife

DENR Undersecretary for Special Concerns Edilberto Leonardo, also the concurrent DENR-BMB director, in a telephone interview confirmed that the invasive squirrel are now creeping and establishing breeding populations

A Finlayson's squirrel roams freely, jumping from one tree to the next, at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Rescue Center in Quezon City. John Berhel Doria, DENR-BMB

in Luzon.

Interviewed over the phone on June 15, Leonardo said the squirrels must be recovered but it will require the help of the communities. He appealed to communities to help capture the squirrels and turn them over to the DENR for proper handling and disposal, if necessary.

“We cannot just extinguish them in the wild because we don’t want other species to be affected, like rodents,” he said.

Leonardo said the potential economic damage to farms and agricultural areas of invasive squirrels will be enormous, including damage to the country’s biodiversity.

“It will affect our biodiversity,” he said.

In case of population outbreak, the DENR may take appropriate actions, but in a humane way,” he said.

He said communities can help by trapping the squirrels and turning them over to the DENR. “If the countries where they naturally occur accept them back, we will turn them over. If not, we may accept them and keep them in our rescue center for proper disposal,” he said.

'Don’t shoot them'

Leonardo advises those who wish to hunt them like the pest they are to do it at their own risks. He reminded them that Republic Act 9147, otherwise known as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, prohibits such cruelty to animals.

“It is illegal to hunt them in the wild,” he said.

He said the best way is to trap them, as doing so will help prevent those captured from further breeding.

“We need to prevent the spread of their population because they might reach and start to invade our Protected Areas,” he said.

According to the official, the invasive squirrels affecting Metro Manila and other areas in Luzon was a result of their release into the wild.

He warned pet lovers not to release their pets into the wild as they may become a pest in the future, citing the case of the invasive squirrels that have established breeding populations in the wild.

Pet trade

Emerson Sy, a wildlife trafficking specialist, said the proliferation of squirrels in Metro Manila is now spreading fast.

“There are also squirrels now in Rizal Province,” he told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on June 16.

A squirrel pair, he said, was recently monitored being sold online. A pair of the Finlayson’s squirrel can fetch P2,500 to P6,000 in the domestic market.

He said some of those being sold may have been captured from the wild.

According to Sy, there’s a need to tighten watch on the illegal pet trade as he confirmed that unscrupulous traders are trading the Finlayson’s squirrels, physically, and online.

He warned that these pet lovers may eventually get tired and release the squirrels into the wild, thereby establishing a viable squirrel population in the area.

"It would be great if the BMB can come up with a policy on invasive species. For instance, there is a special order on the collection of the invasive Chinese softshell turtle. We are now exporting the species for a few years now," he said.

Prolific breeders

According to the DENR-BMB, like other rodents, Finlayson's squirrels are prolific breeders.

They have a high reproductive rate because sexual maturity is reached early. Females reach sexual maturity in 2 years and that they have a short gestational period.

Female squirrels are likely to have multiple litters per year. Females have only 1 to 2 offspring during reproduction periods but the species has a polygynous mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.

The DENR-BMB said they feed on agricultural crop s, hence it may cause potential loss of income to farmers.

They had been documented to feed on fruits (e.g. lanzones, durian, banana, santol, duhat, mango), vegetables (e.g. patola, patani) and young shoots of coconut trees.

Besides being a potential pest to agriculture, Finlayson’s squirrel also poses a potential threat to the Philippine environment, including: loss of native biodiversity (e.g., birds, lizards, and insects) due to predation and competition; spread of nonnative diseases; and invasion of protected areas resulting in disruption of ecosystem services.

Protected areas and watersheds nearest to Metro Manila are exposed to the highest risk of exotic squirrel invasion.

As early as 2014, the BMB has been trying to fight the proliferation of the invasive squirrels in Metro Manila, but to no avail.

T he BusinessMirror learned from sources at the DENR that a Department Administrative Order along with a Technical Bulletin would soon be released to eliminate the invasive squirrels.

Until then, however, these cute and cuddly but pesky rodents will continue to breed under the protection of the Wildlife Act.

A7

Keeping giant clams to sustain PHL marine ecosystem By roderick l. Abad

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Contributor

he Philippines is rich in flora and fauna, with some species considered endemic or can be found only in the country. These include the locally known taklobo (Tridacna gigas)—the largest bivalve mollusk in the world that can weigh over 250 kilograms and grow up to five feet.

Despite its gigantic size and longevity (it can live up to a hundred years), however, this giant clam has become scarce.

Declared extinct in the 1980s due to poaching, destructive fishing practices, and water pollution, the late National Scientist Dr. Edgardo Gomez, who is also a former Malampaya Foundation Inc. (MFI) trustee, took broodstock of the taklobo from the Pacific Islands to breed at the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) to sustain the species in the country.

For more than three decades, the UP MSI, of which Gomez was founding director, successfully cultured nonnative taklobos from these tropical islands.

After a lead from a Palaweño marine scientist in 2017, the MFI team and Gomez went to Puerto Princesa, Palawan, to survey and confirm the presence of five closely-guarded, remaining potential spawners of the Philippines’s true native Taklobo in Honda Bay. The discovery sparked a light of hope that amplified initiatives to restore the healthy population of the locally-extinct Philippines’ true native clam together with other shell species through the String of Pearls project, backed up by the recently launched community fundraiser Adopt-a-Shell project.

Historic milestone

Despite the pandemic, MFI reported the milestone of having spawned 132 million of the native taklobo at the end of 2020. Once mature, they will be deployed to effectively managed marine protected areas (MPAs) and marine management zones in select coastal reefs in north Palawan, Oriental Mindoro, and Batangas.

Clams are indicators of a healthy and sustainable marine ecosystem. Like others, the taklobo prevents algal blooms that lead to depletion of oxygen in the water, which marine life needs to survive.

The large population of clams also helps in creating fish habitats—on a

larger scale given their size—because they give off calcium carbonate that is incorporated into coral reefs.

Despite their pivotal role, however, taklobos are not spared from local and foreign poachers, who sell giant clam meat and shells for a hefty price in the black market. In 2020 and early this year, several incidents of clamshell poaching reached the media and were made public.

Last March alone, 324 shells of taklobos weighing 80 tons were confiscated from poachers. This was followed by the seizure of P1.2 billion worth of illegally harvested giant clams with a total weight of 200 tons.

Return of colonies

A group of clams is known as “bed.” Giant clams are rare because they are hard to propagate naturally. Even if they release millions of sperm and eggs in the water, survival rate ranges from 0.01 percent to 3 percent only. This is where restocking comes in to repopulate the “locally extinct” giant clam species.

With the limited number of taklobos, dedicated members of MFI and partner Western Philippines University, whose marine station in Palawan was upgraded

by MFI, needed to collect eggs and sperm from the source.

In June 2019, they conducted the first in-site spawning of an estimated 9.5 million eggs in Honda Bay with UP MSI. Once the larvae or baby clams were mature enough under careful cultivation, these were deployed or restocked to other MPAs under effective management by a partnership with communities and local government units.

Restocking includes other species like abalone (sobra-sobra) and topshell (samong)—the first to be restocked by MFI and WPU since 2014. By end-2020, a total of 1,655 giant clam juveniles and 1,100 abalone juveniles have been restocked.

To help in the propagation efforts, the Adopt-a-Shell project needs community support. Concerned citizens and institutions are encouraged to care for the shells and help restock Philippine reefs in well-managed MPAs for as low as P500 monthly contribution, covering care for one settlement plate of 40 to 50 taklobo larvae. We need to help propagate our near-extinct taklobos because they also help make a healthy and sustainable Philippine marine ecosystem.

British Council holds global campaign on climate emergency ahead of COP26

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head of the coming United Kingdom's hosting of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in November, the British Council launched "The Climate Connection" campaign.

Running until COP26 summit, the campaign kicked off with The Climate Connection: Conversation for Change, a free online event on June 3 featuring COP26 president Alok Sharma; and author and activist Neil Gaiman, among others.

Through "The Climate Connection," the British Council brings together people from around the world to share their ideas and perspectives on climate change, and to look for solutions through global conversations, art and science showcases, university scholarships, funding, research, and training opportunities.

“We will draw on our expertise in education, the arts, and cultural exchange to support people everywhere to find innovative solutions to the biggest global emergency we face,” said Kate Ewart-Biggs, British Council interim chief executive.

Aside from the campaign and regular programs, the British Council contributes to environmental protection and climate-change solutions by exploring how they can deliver their everyday work sustainably.

“We recognize that our activities impact the environment. We are committed to managing and minimizing that impact,” shared Director Pilar Aramayo-Prudencio of British Council in the Philippines.

“In the Philippines, we work from home as much as we can, especially during this

time and we travel only when it is absolutely necessary. Our examiners now facilitate IELTS speaking tests for test takers across the Philippines via video conferencing, while we also encourage taking IELTS on computer rather than IELTS on paper.

At the office, we reduce our energy, water consumption and waste. When procuring, we take into account environmental and sustainability factors,” she said.

The Climate Connection campaign includes other initiatives such as: n 17 Creative Commissions from the UK and 28 countries. These projects explore solutions to climate migration, plastic pollution, coastal erosion, deforestation, biodiversity loss, air pollution, wildfire and melting glaciers through art, science and digital technology. The Philippines’s Komiket together with UK’s Lakes Arts Festivals and Creative Concern was chosen for their digital comic anthology “10 years to save the world” to inspire climate change action in young people. n Green Careers support young people to build successful careers that help the planet through advice on education opportunities and routes to green jobs. A webinar was held earlier this year featuring our very own Newton PhD alumnus Jhud Mikhail Aberilla from the University of the Philippines Diliman. He is working on sustainable production and consumption, with a focus on developing communities. n FameLab Climate Change Communicators is an exciting competition and training program for early career researchers, scientists and advocates for climate change. This will be launched in June.

Sports BusinessMirror

A8 | S

unday, June 20, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

Chances fade for banned runner to race at Tokyo Olympic trials

TOUR de France winners Italian Maria Canins and American Greg Lemond hold their trophies as they celebrate their victories on July 27, 1986. AP

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UGENE, Oregon—The odds of banned runner Shelby Houlihan running at US Olympic trials diminished sharply late Thursday when the country’s Olympic committee said it would follow all antidoping rules and USA Track and Field (USATF) received long-awaited official notice of her suspension.

The developments capped a whirlwind day that began with USATF saying it would not bar the American record-holder at 1,500 and 5,000 meters from running in Friday’s preliminary heats until she had exhausted every appeal.

USATF stood by that premise at the end of the day, as well, but said it was comfortable taking Houlihan off the start lists since it had received official word from the Athletics Integrity Unit, which conducted the test that led to the suspension, that Houlihan had been banned for four years.

“Process is important, particularly when individuals’ careers and lives are at stake,” USATF CEO Max Siegel said. “The letter from the AIU, received tonight, formally notifying us of the consequences of the decision is welcomed and, in line with our processes, we will act accordingly.”

Earlier this week, the Swissbased Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Houlihan’s four-year ban for testing positive for trace amounts of the performance enhancer nandrolone.

She blamed her positive test on a pork burrito she ate 10 hours before a test in December. Contaminated meats have led to positive tests in other cases, many of which have been dismissed. But Houlihan did not receive any leniency, and her ban would keep her out of the upcoming Olympics and the 2024 Games.

There remains a sliver of hope for Houlihan, but it is very slim. The 28-year-old would have to appeal to and receive fast-track relief from Switzerland’s highest federal court to conceivably be put back in the races.

Her representatives remained quiet about their plans.

But victories in sports cases at the Swiss tribunal are extremely rare, and barring that sort of last-minute reprieve, Houlihan is considered suspended and ineligible to race under international antidoping rules.

“The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, together with USATF, can confirm that we will adhere to the [international antidoping] code and any CAS decisions that govern athlete participation in sanctioned events,” USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said late Thursday.

Though USATF runs the Olympic trials, the USOPC has ultimate say on its rules and who it places on the Olympic team.

Houlihan began the day on the start list for both races, which led to phones ringing off the hook at USATF, USOPC, World Athletics and the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). The main question: Why was the runner, who shared news of her suspension earlier in the week on social media, still on the start list?

“Despite how frustrated people might be with the CAS decision, she is serving a sanction,” USADA CEO Travis Tygart said. “Under the rules, she’s not allowed to compete. It would be illegal for her to do so, unless a court orders differently.”

And so, with only hours to go until the races begin, Houlihan’s slim chances of staying eligible rested on her filing an appeal to the Swiss federal court, and the court issuing an injunction that would allow her to compete while it decides whether to take the case. AP THE US’s Shelby Houlihan (right) reacts after finishing a women’s 5,000 meters heat during the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London. Banned runner Shelby Houlihan is in the lineup and will be allowed to run at US Olympic track trials while any appeals she files are pending. AP

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ARIS—A women’s version of the Tour de France will be held in 2022 with a start on Paris’s iconic Champs-Elysees boulevard after the conclusion of the men’s race, organizers announced Thursday.

The “Tour de France Femmes” aims to become a permanent fixture on the women’s world tour cycling calendar after various failed attempts in the past.

The route and length of the race were not immediately disclosed but a video accompanying the launch said riders will “tackle the most challenging route” and “defy the most iconic climbs.”

It is scheduled to start on July 24, 2022.

“This is a huge moment for professional women’s cycling,” Anna van der Breggen, a rider for UCI Women’s WorldTeam SD Worx, said in a statement.

“The Tour de France is the most famous race in cycling,” she continued, “and it’s long been a dream for many of us to compete in a women’s Tour de France. I’m hopeful that the race will help us grow our sport even more by providing us with a media platform to take the excitement of women’s cycling to new audiences.”

WOMEN’S TOUR DE FRANCE IN ‘22

Tour de France organizer Christian Prudhomme earlier this year had revealed the likelihood of the race for 2022.

A women’s Tour stage race took place from 1984 to 1989, running parallel with the men’s race before later being shortened. Various other versions have been tried but they usually were underfunded.

Online fitness platform Zwift has signed on in a fouryear sponsorship. Tour de France owner Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) and Zwift worked together last year to hold a virtual edition of the race.

“I really believe the women’s peloton puts on some of the most exciting bike racing to watch and it deserves a much bigger platform to exhibit these talents and skills,” Zwift Chief Executive Eric Min said.

Female cyclists have spent years calling for a women’s version

of the race. They’ve put together petitions, and some even rode every stage of the men’s race just to raise awareness.

ASO currently organizes La Course, an elite women’s race— typically one day—held in Paris coinciding with the Tour.

The Tour de France begins June 26 in Brest.

Chloe Dygert, meanwhile, won the women’s time trial at the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships before the weekend in a tune-up for the Tokyo Olympics in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Dygert, from Brownsburg, Indiana, will be going for three gold medals in Tokyo after a crash in Italy last September as she was trying to defend her 2019 world championship in the time trial at the road cycling world championships. She needed surgery to repair her left leg.

On Thursday, she won with a time of 30 minutes and 11:22. Amber Neben of Irvine, California, finished second after two laps on the course with a time of 30:38.74, and Leah Thomas of Santa Clara, California, took third. All three will be racing in Tokyo.

“My coaches, my team, and I will now go right back to work and focus on preparations towards Tokyo and the road season ahead,” Dygert said. “I’m so honored to have raced here in Knoxville and so proud to wear this national championship jersey.”

Lawson Craddock of Houston won the men’s time trial with a time of 41:33.90 in a field of 45.

Chad Haga of McKinney, Texas, was second. Craddock’s teammate Tejay van Garden of Basalt, Colorado, who will be retiring soon as a professional racer, was third. AP

What are those bottles doing on top of media conference platforms?

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ENEVA—Reacting to a bottle-snatching trend at the European Championship started by Cristiano Ronaldo, players on the 24 teams have been asked to stop removing strategically placed sponsor drinks from the news conference platforms, UEFA said Thursday.

Ronaldo, Paul Pogba and Manuel Locatelli all removed sponsor bottles away from the view of cameras when taking their seats at official media sessions this week.

Euro 2020 tournament director Martin Kallen said UEFA has “communicated with the teams regarding this matter.”

“It is important because the revenues

of the sponsors are important for the tournament and for European football,” Kallen said in a briefing.

Pogba, who is Muslim and does not drink alcohol, objected to the distinctive green bottle of official Euro 2020 beer sponsor Heineken.

The beer is marketed as 0.0 percent alcohol.

Kallen said tournament rules require compliance with UEFA’s promises to sponsors, though players with religious objections “don’t need to have a bottle there.”

Media managers at each of the 11 stadiums across Europe should also help with removing beer bottles ahead of the arrival of a player of Muslim faith.

Pogba had to take questions in the interview room after being named best player in France’s 1-0 win over Germany on Tuesday.

The player awards are sponsored by the brewer.

Ronaldo started the trend on Monday at a mandatory pre-game news conference by hiding two CocaCola bottles and replacing them with a water bottle, which was also one of the drink maker’s brands.

A drop in Coca-Cola’s share price this week was attributed by some to Ronaldo’s snub, but without any evidence that the two things were connected.

Locatelli copied the Portugal great on Wednesday after helping Italy beat Switzerland.

It prompted UEFA to remind officials with the teams that players should respect the sponsors and the

contributions they make to European soccer.

While UEFA will not impose fines on individual players, Kallen said it was “always a possibility” that national federations get a financial penalty for further incidents.

The issue is a source of comedy for other teams.

Scotland midfielder John McGinn quipped “No Coke?” because there were no bottles in the squad’s training base interview room, and Belgium Coach Roberto Martinez said after a 2-1 victory over Denmark on Thursday that his team loves the drink.

Coca-Cola is an official sponsor of the Belgian soccer federation.

All 24 teams will get some of the money paid by Coca-Cola, Heineken and 10 other top-tier sponsors that contribute to UEFA’s total tournament revenue of almost 2 billion euros ($2.4 billion).

The values of individual sponsor deals are not published, but UEFA

Romanian lifters banned

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AUSANNE, Switzerland— Romania has been banned from competing in weightlifting at the Tokyo Olympics over past doping cases, the International Weightlifting Federation ruled in a decision published on Thursday.

The Romanian Weightlifting Federation was issued a one-year ban from competition over five doping cases. Those included disqualifications for all four of Romania’s weightlifters from the 2012 Olympics after various banned substances were found in later retesting of their samples.

One of those athletes, Gabriel Sincraian, also lost a medal from the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro for another failed drug test.

Romania becomes the fourth country barred from the Tokyo weightlifting competition after Egypt, Malaysia and Thailand, which were also excluded over doping-related issues. Another 15 countries can send only a limited number of athletes to Tokyo over past doping, including major powers Russia, Iran and Turkey.

The IWF ruling allows for Romania’s suspension to be lifted four months early on February 15 if the Romanian federation pays a fine of $50,000 and no more of its athletes or staff break anti-doping rules before then.

European weightlifting champion Dmytro Chumak, meanwhile, has been provisionally suspended over allegations he tried to bribe his way out of a doping test in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics, the International Testing Agency said Saturday.

The Ukrainian weightlifter was considered a medal contender for the Tokyo games after he won the European title in the 109-kilogram category in April. That was his third career continental gold medal.

The ITA, which handles drug testing for the International Weightlifting Federation, alleged that Chumak was asked for a drug testing sample on May 6 and “refused to provide a sample, attempted to evade and bribe the Doping Control Officers that were conducting the testing mission.”

Chumak has been suspended until he faces a hearing on charges of using or attempting to use a banned substance, tampering with the anti-doping process and refusing to give a sample. His coach Mykhailo Matsokha is also suspended over the incident.

Weightlifting has battled widespread steroid use for decades and has seen dozens of leading athletes suspended for doping offenses at the Olympics and other major events. AP got €483 million ($576 million) in sponsor deals from 10 partners at Euro 2016 in France.

Players also indirectly get money from Euro 2020 commercial income via their national federations and clubs.

The 24 national federations will share €371 million ($442 million) in UEFA prize money, which typically helps pay player bonuses.

The champions can get a maximum of €34 million ($40.6 million) from UEFA by also winning all three of their group games.

Hundreds of clubs worldwide also get shares from at least €200 million ($239 million) allocated by UEFA from Euro 2020 revenue as a reward for releasing their players to European national teams. Of that money, €130 million ($155 million) is allocated on a daily rate for about 630 players taking part in the final tournament.

Euro 2020 revenue will also fund €775 million ($925 million) UEFA has promised to its 55 member federations in annual grants and development project funds for the period of 2020-2024. AP

CRISTIANO RONALDO starts a trend at a mandatory pre-game news conference by hiding two Coca-Cola bottles and replacing them with a water bottle, which was also one of the drink maker’s brands. AP

BusinessMirror

Caught between a rock and a hard place

June 20, 2021

Fed-up young workers fear they need offices to save their careers

2

BusinessMirror JUNE 20, 2021 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

YOUR MUSI

CHASING DREAMS Darren Espanto on encouraging fellow dreamers on ‘TNT Pop Show’

D Darren Espanto

Publisher

: T. Anthony C. Cabangon

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: Lourdes M. Fernandez

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: Aldwin M. Tolosa

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: Edwin P. Sallan

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

Columnists

: Niggel Figueroa

By Edwin P. Sallan

ARREN Espanto knows what it’s like to chase a dream.

The Calgary-born Filipino sensation who was recently tapped as host of TNT Pop Show, a new online series that showcases the journey of the Kabataang Pinoy in pursuit of their dreams, is in fact, a seasoned contestant of several talent search series even as an aspiring young singer.

Back when he was still based in Canada, Darren has been joining one talent show after another starting with the Pinoy Singing Sensation contest in Edmonton where he won the Masters Finals at the tender age of 10. That same year, Darren made his first television appearance in the reality competition, The Next Star for Canadian network YTV. Darren

Anabelle O. Flores : Tony M. Maghirang, Rick Olivares, Darwin Fernandez, Leony Garcia, Stephanie Joy Ching Pauline Joy M. Gutierrez : Kaye VillagomezLosorata Annie S. Alejo

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

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Darren and TNT Pop co-host Adrianna So

made history of sorts when he became the youngest finalist in the history of the show to be included in its Top 6.

But it wasn’t until his sensational stint in a nationally televised talent show here in the Philippines in 2014 when Darren started to reach greater heights.

In what has so far been a very distinguished career, Darren, now 20, has scored a string of charttopping hits that include wellloved ballads and bouncy dance tunes like “In Love Ako Sa Yo,” “Makin’ Moves,” “Alam,” “Poison” and “Sana Tayo Na,” his hit duet with Jayda Avanzado.

Darren’s career trajectory, however, is not just limited to his

music. Yes, he is now a sought after performer not only in television variety shows but also in several live concerts that he headlined before the pandemic.

But he has also been expanding his horizons as of late. Having been bitten by the acting bug as well, Darren made his big screen debut 2018 and has since been looking forward to further build on his wellreceived performance.

And now with TNT Pop Show, Darren is also trying his hand on hosting. No surprise then that he is now dubbed the Total Performer.

Very much “honored” to be hosting TNT Pop Show, Darren said he’s glad to be part of a show that provides him with a bird’s eye view of fellow Kabataang Pinoys trying their best to realize their dreams.

“I am happy and excited to be hosting the TNT Pop Show. Gaya din ng ilan, I pursued my dream to become a performer by joining different talent contests. I believe that more Kabataang Pinoy like me have what it takes to thrive in show business by sharing their talent and uplifting stories,” Darren quipped.

At TNT Pop Show, Darren and co-host Adrianna So, who herself is an alumna of a popular talent search series, will take charge of the show’s most crucial segments namely. One is the Pop Idol of the Week which showcases aspiring/ up-and-coming influencers and how they use their influence to spread saya to others. The other is PopTrips which consist of activities and games with Popstars of the week.

Of course, there will also be other exciting content designed to give the saya vibes audiences will look forward to every week.

Following its primer last June 9, fans can watch Darren Espanto on the TNT Pop Show that will be livestreamed every Saturday at 5PM on the TNT microsite, TNT Facebook account, and the TNT YouTube channel.

To know more about TNT Pop Show, follow TNT’s official accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

IC

soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | JUNE 20, 2021

BUSINESS

SoundSampler

by Tony M. Maghirang

DOST Project Katunog

Connecting the new digital generation with indigenous Filipino music

SOUNDS from these ethnic instruments from Mt. Province are among the 100 plus recordings in the Project Katunog archive. L-R: Faglung, Labil and Kolitong

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HE Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through its Advanced Science and Technology Institute has developed an online database of Philippine indigenous music known as the Philippine Indigenous Instrument Sounds Database Project approximated in Filipino as Kalipunan ng Katutubong Tunog ng Pilipinas, or Project Katunog. DOST – ASTI implemented Project Katunog in cooperation with the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute (UP-EEEI) of the University of the Philippines and the UP Center for Ethnomusicology.

Project Katunog paved the way for the creation of a digital portal of recordings and sound files of local indigenous musical instruments and artists’ performances, together with their historical contexts. It also encourages other Filipinos to upload their own musical creations that can expand the content of the portal.

The Project inherently pays tribute to the fact that the Philippines has a rich musical culture arising from the diverse local ethnic tribes and indigenous people scattered in its 7,700 islands. It also recognizes the contribution of the local music industry to the national economy, pursuant to the current administration’s 10-Point Socioeconomic Agenda of enhancing the innovation and creative capacity of the local arts industry In an exchange of email messages, Dr. Franz de Leon, DOST-ASTI Director and Project Leader of Project Katunog discussed with Soundstrip the

details and inner workings of the worthy undertaking.

What is the status of Project Katunog now? Has it completed its original mission or is it an evolving project?

THE project has been completed.

It was implemented from September 2018 to September 2020. The online database currently contains recordings from 100 indigenous instruments from around the Philippines.

The hosting of the database is maintained at ASTI’s facilities and the management of the website and its contents has been turned over the University of the Philippines Center for Ethnomusicology (UPCE).

We believe the database has the potential to grow, either by UPCE’s contributions, or by crowd sourcing where contributions need to be vetted for authenticity. Aside for the sounds database, the website contains related metadata for each instrument. The website’s desktop and mobile friendly, with simple and advanced search options.

Please describe the process of archiving indigenous music. How do you find the source?

TO clarify, project Katunog is about archiving individual sounds of indigenous instruments, i.e. each instrument is played at different pitches or technique then recorded. The reason is that indigenous music requires tremendous amount of ethnographic work to document each song. There are also songs which are reserved for special occasions, or cannot readily be played in public. One of the objectives of Katunog is to

THE Project Katunog team promote the usage of the sounds by creative use. The public is free to download the sounds, and create/ enhance their own compositions.

For in-site recordings, we had to coordinate with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). With NCIP’s assistance, the project secure the indigenous peoples’ free and prior informed consent for data gathering. The project has limited resources, but it was able to gather data from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Do you archive samples or the entire ‘song’ as it were? Do you enhance the original material or you archive them as found?

THE database contains studio recordings and in-situ recordings from indigenous communities. The studio recordings are clean since they were recorded in a controlled environment. For in-situ recordings, post-processing was done to minimize the ambient noise.

How was the project funded – regular DOST programming or grant? Is it purely for research and educational purposes or is there/ will there be a commercial aspect to its dissemination?

THE project was wholly funded

by DOST Grant-in-Aid. The funds are purely for R&D. In terms of research, the recorded sounds were analyzed at the UP Digital Signal Processing Laboratory to study the different pitches and sounds texture. Furthermore, the database is open-source where the end-user is allowed to download and reuse the sounds for non-commercial purposes.

Is the music on the database freely available to musicians? What are terms of access and use of the sounds on the database?

YES, users need only agree with the terms for non-commercial use and proper attribution.

How is DOST- ASTI promoting the music on the database?

WE encourage creative reuse of the database by the public.

For instance, the sounds in the database were featured in CCP’s Kanto Canta online band competition. https://www. facebook.com/kantokultura.

Some videos that incorporate Katunog samples are in https:// www.youtube.com/channel/ UCIyH5CA2x5XUlcUTrYRFLbQ/ videos.

3

Caught between a rock and a hard place

Fed-up young workers fear they need offices to save their careers

By Marc Daniel Davies

their jobs without that option, Bloomberg reported recently.

“I think the office is critical. They key question is why and what for?” said Michael Smets, Professor of Management at Oxford’s Saïd Business School. “If we think that coming to the office is about learning, we need not everyone but people who want to learn and those they want to learn from in the office at the same time.”

Bloomberg

M

anagers hoping to lure employees into offices may find their youngest and newest staff are their strongest allies.

Young white-collar staff feel caught between a rock and a hard place—they value quality of life over old-fashioned 9-5 commuting, but are even more worried about seeing their careers stall unless they head back into an office. That’s encouraging many to be among the first to return to their desks.

While experienced employees often have established professional networks and dedicated home offices, younger staff say the pandemic has left them under-informed and cut off from their teams. There are now growing concerns that they are missing out on career opportunities older colleagues took for granted.

Well over half of staff aged 21-30 stressed the importance of being able to meet and work with colleagues in person again, according to a 6,000-person survey carried out for Sharp Europe, a part of Sharp Corp., results of which were shared with Bloomberg. Nearly 60 percent said working in a modern, collegiate office environment has become more important to them over the past year.

Despite a majority under 30 saying remote work made them more productive,

Collaboration days?

Workers enter the Goldman Sachs offices in London. The Wall Street bank is pushing ahead with plans to bring staff back. Bloomberg over half of the survey’s respondents across Europe—ranging in age from 18 to 45— say they feel anxious about a lack of training and career opportunities when thinking long term about the future of work.

Sophia McCully, a 28-year-old working in public policy research, has worked from home ever since starting her current role.

She believes the enforced isolation has had a significant impact on her professional development.

“I think the ability to make those connections and network has been more difficult,” McCully said. Starting a new job in a virtual setting also made it “harder to get yourself across,” at least at first.

Most prefer hybrid arrangement Still, while young workers may crave inperson connections and relief from pressures on their health and well-being, they remain

skeptical of returning to the status quo before Covid-19. Instead they are looking for value and purpose in office-based activities while retaining the right to work remotely. McCully said working from home allowed her to spend time with her young child while remaining professionally productive, and wants that to remain an option.

In fact, more than 60 percent of employees aged 18-40, who have spent all their adult lives in a tech-centric environment, favor some kind of hybrid arrangement, according to a global survey of 2,000 people by workplace technology provider Citrix.

Offices of the future are seen as “hubs for collaboration, innovation and connection” while staff believe the option of working remotely—not just at home—remains crucial to well-being, the Citrix survey shows. Separately, almost half of millennial and Gen Z staff say they may even quit

Helen Jamieson, managing director of human resources consultancy Jaluch, who has focused on hybrid solutions for over a decade, says young workers who may still wish to work mostly at home “don’t understand what they may be missing” in terms of long-term career development.

Jamieson advocates dedicated “collaboration days,” and suggests that new hires and young staff could work mostly from offices during their first six months, before opening up work-from-home options. The calculus, he says, is to set aside personal preferences and focus on balancing business needs with a strategy for staff engagement and retention. “Because quite frankly if companies don’t look after young people, they’ll lose them.”

Organizational psychologist Viola Kraus, who worked on Sharp’s European survey, says firms should engage with staff on how they fared over the last year and identify critical needs.

“I’d advise them to really take a step back, review the learning, then have a cross-generational talk within your organization,” she said. “Companies don’t have to satisfy every employee’s wish, but they need to retain that talent, so they need to open that line of dialogue.”

#FeteFromMyIsland: It’s more fun at Fête de la Musique Philippines 2021

D

ifferent countries all over the world will come together as one tomorrow, June 21, to commemorate Fête de la Musique, an annual global French tradition that has become an international phenomenon through the years.

In the Philippines, this year’s edition of Fête de la Musique has been taking its audience on a nationwide musical journey since Friday until tomorrow. #FeteFromMyIsland celebrates not only the artists and music from various parts of the Philippines but also the natural beauty and rich culture of some of the country’s most popular destinations including Boracay, El Nido, La Union and Metro Manila.

“With the health crisis affecting the Philippines for more than a year now, Fête de la Musique still endeavors to stay connected with our audience who has been celebrating music with us every year,” says Jean-Pierre Dumont, executive director of Alliance Francaise de Manille.

Before the big virtual show tomorrow, Fête de la Musique is showcasing OPM legends and up-and-coming artists from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The online musical journey began on June 18 with a Luzon pocket stage, which featured performances by Pedicab and Radha, among others. On June 19, talents from the Visayas took center stage with exciting performances headlined by Kate Torralba. On June 20, the spotlight panned to Mindanao with music from homegrown talents such as KRNA, Moro Beats and Conscious & The Goodness.

Tomorrow, the Philippines will join the rest of the world in celebrating music with four main stages in Metro Manila, Boracay, El Nido and La Union.

Featured artists include Barbie Almalbis, Joey Ayala, I-Dren Artstrong, Jako Mandala and Manskee.

As part of the Fête de la Musique tradition in the Philippines, two foreign acts will play alongside Filipino musicians. This year, multi-awarded

4 BusinessMirror

and chart-topping singer, composer, and actor Raphaël will be one of the highlights of the June 21 Main Stage. Also performing is Swiss Jazz band B Connected.

The free-for-all online event is streamed on the Facebook pages of Fête de la Musique PH, Alliance Francaise de Manille, and B-Side Productions, and on the account of Fete de la Musique in Kumu.

The event is co-organized by the Department of Tourism, a longtime partner of Fete PH in promoting and supporting OPM and Filipino artists.

To know more about this year’s celebration and the lineup of activities and musical performances, follow www. facebook.com/FetePH and @fetedelamusiqueph on Instagram. And to discover why it’s more fun in the Philippines, visit www. philippines.travel.

June 20, 2021

Curtismith