BusinessMirror May 5, 2024

By Rex Anthony Naval

FUTURE wars are won not on the battlefield but at the table of the planners and strategists working hard to ensure that their Armed Forces have the necessary tactical doctrines in meeting, containing and, if necessary, eliminating hostile military formations that would dare invade or attack their country.

For this reason, battle plans need to be complex to ensure that would-be opponents would have a difficult task in deciphering their tactical moves in whatever frontline scenarios that may arise should a full-blooded shooting war ever erupt.

And despite its benign name, “Balikatan” (which literally means shoulder-to-shoulder), the annual exercise between composite Filipino and American military units, is still focused on operating seamlessly with each other and efficiently neutralizing threats from the land, air and sea.

Aside from this, “Balikatan” is now also geared to handle and contain threats coming in from cyberspace, which is now considered to be the new battleground in modern warfare.

As the drills are still ongoing, there are still no concrete details on the particular exercises conducted by the participants, except for those that were completed earlier.

Around 11,000 American troops and their support personnel, and 5,000 Filipino soldiers have been tapped to participate in the “Balikatan” exercise, which will run from April 22 to May 10.

A total of 14 nations have deployed military observers to watch the exercises unfold in the land, sea, air and even in cyberspace.

‘Balikatan’ an evolving military maneuver ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said “Balikatan” is constantly evolving to ensure that the Philippines, the United States and other participants maintain their edge in meeting present and future security threats.

“[The] ‘Balikatan’ exercise is distinctive due to its scale and evolving nature, adapting to contemporary security challenges. Every ‘Balikatan’ is [more] complex than the last,” she stressed. And through the years, “Balikatan” has evolved into being just a mere “tactical exercise” to being comparable to large-scale maneuvers or what are called “operational levels of war.”

“We aim to enhance interoperability, strengthen alliances and deepen regional security cooperation.

‘Balikatan’ is a demonstration of combat readiness and interoperability with our treaty allies. Our focus remains on bolstering external defense capabilities and fostering peace and stability in the IndoPacific Region,” Padilla stressed.

Regardless of what some groups believe, the AFP spokesperson clarified that “Balikatan” is not a reaction to the country’s ongoing tensions with China regarding the West Philippine Sea.

“This ‘Balikatan’ exercise is an annual event aimed at strengthening defense capabilities and alliances. While we remain vigilant in the face of regional challenges, the exercise is not explicitly tied to any particular country’s actions. Its primary objective is to enhance collective security and readiness among participating nations,” Padilla stressed.

Inaugural IWX held HIGHLIGHTING Balikatan’s evolving thrust, the AFP and its US counterparts held the first Information Warfighter Exercise (IWX) from April 1 to 5 at AFP headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Considered as a Balikatan pre-event, the weeklong exercise strengthened interoperability between AFP and US information operations (IO) planners, and empowered the Filipino military personnel with enhanced IO capabilities.

This also set the standard for future local IO training programs.

Key law-enforcement agencies such as the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard actively engaged in the exercise, emphasizing its comprehensive scope and significance in strengthening national defense strategies.

The brainchild of the US Marine Corps Information Operations Center in Quantico, Virginia, the IWX stands at the forefront of innovative IO training methodologies.

“Employing a matrix-style wargame framework, the exercise equipped participants with the requisite skills to strategize and execute operations within the

complexities of the contemporary information environment,” explained AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad.

This marked the first instance where the IWX has been hosted outside the United States.

“Its integration into the ‘Balikatan Exercise’ 39-2024 not only underscored the unwavering commitment of both nations to collaborative defense efforts, but also served as a significant milestone in the enduring partnership between the Philippines and the US,” Trinidad said.

‘Balikatan’ to highlight AFP shift to defend EEZ AS this developed, the ongoing Balikatan will highlight the AFP’s ongoing shift towards the so-called Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC) that aims to defend the country’s territories intensively, including its exclusive

economic zone (EEZ).

Col. Michale Logico, Balikatan 2024 executive agent, said this means that the country’s defense concepts need to go beyond the 12-nautical-mile limit for this to be achieved.

Logico added that the objective of the Balikatan exercise is to ensure that both Filipino and American troops understand each other’s doctrines and capabilities.

“In plain language, we are developing our capability to protect and secure our entire territory and EEZ in order to ensure that our people and all the generations of Filipinos to come shall freely reap and enjoy the bounties of the natural resources that are rightfully ours within our domain,” Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. said of the CADC.

First-ever MME THIS shift was highlighted by the

just concluded multilateral maritime exercise (MME), which is also a first for Balikatan.

This event took place from April 25 to 29 in Palawan waters.

This was done successfully and safely despite the presence of four People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships snooping in the training area.

“The first iteration of the MME between the AFP, the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USIndopacom), and the French Navy concluded on April 29, 2024, in Palawan, marking a historic milestone in regional cooperation and security,” Combined Informations Bureau chief Lt. Col. John Paul Salgado said.

He added that the week-long exercise saw active participation from the Philippine Navy’s offshore patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) and landing dock BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602), the US Na-

vy’s landing ship dock USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49), and the French Navy’s FS Vendémiaire (FFH-734), a Floreal-class frigate. The five-day exercise culminated in a series of impressive demonstrations, including a photo exercise showcasing their professionalism and coordination in a simulated formation sailing scenario, and documenting operations through proper photographic techniques for military purposes.

Participating naval vessels also performed surface gun exercises which tested the participating navies’ live-fire capabilities and communication skills under challenging environments.

“The first-ever MME provided the participating countries the knowledge and expertise which will be used to propel their naval forces to even greater capabilities. As the newest and one of the key

PHILIPPINE Marines and their counterparts from the United States Marine Corps conducted an air assault exercise on Balabac Island, Palawan, on April 26, 2024, as part of the Balikatan exercise.

Flush with energy: Vancouver’s False Creek community is heating homes with sewage

By William Ralston Bloomberg

IN False Creek, a waterfront community in Vancouver, Canada, the energy being used to heat homes comes from an unlikely source.

Instead of a boiler, each building’s hot water arrives in underground pipes from a city-owned plant—a system called district heating. A growing number of municipalities are incorporating this strategy into their plans to cut fossil fuel consumption, using renewable energy sources such as geothermal or solar instead of oil or natural gas.

But in the case of False Creek, they’re using sewage.

It turns out that the water flowing out of your kitchen sink, washing machine, shower, dishwasher—and yes, toilet—is warmer than when it first shows up at your house. Wastewater flowing through municipal sewer pipes can maintain a temperature of between 10°C and 20°C even in the coldest months.

So rather than waste that heat, False Creek uses it. In 2022, the local utility said it generated 23,441 megawatt hours of ther-

mal energy from sewage water— enough to heat 3,000 residential apartments for a year. “What we’re doing is converting wastewater into a resource,” says Derek Pope, manager of neighborhood energy for Vancouver. “In doing so, we’re able to heat up an entire neighborhood.”

With the energy transition falling behind as global warming continues to accelerate, cities are scrambling to find ways to help bridge the gap. Wastewater is one of a number of alternative energy options being exploited. Across the globe, 380 billion cubic meters of municipal sewage is generated annually, according to a 2022 report by the European Investment Bank. As cities grow, that’s expected to increase 51% by 2050. According to the US Department of Energy, a year’s worth of American wastewater contains an estimated 350 terawatt-hours of energy, which could heat 30 mil-

lion homes. In other words, that’s a lot of unused heat. The energy used to heat homes and workplaces is among the highest contributors to individual carbon footprints. Gas boilers and wood stoves release

vast amounts of carbon dioxide, while electric heaters are only as green as their power source—often gas or coal. Globally, heating accounts for 40 percent of all energy-related emissions. It may then come as no surprise that, according to a 2023 report by global engineering firm Danfoss, excess heat is the world’s largest untapped energy source. Around 2,860 terawatt-hours of waste heat is generated annually in the European Union alone, almost the same as the area’s total energy demand for heat and hot water in residential and service sector buildings.

A global push to capture this heat could help avoid the burning of almost 30 million barrels of oil per day, or 650 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year, the report says. That’s around four times what the EU imported from Russia in 2021.

“This is not only about reducing greenhouse-gas emissions; it’s also about rethinking how we view waste heat resources like sewage,” says Pope. “Around any given city, there are various waste heat resources that systems like ours could make use of, and we need to begin thinking about them seriously.”

Aaron Gillich, a professor of building decarbonization at London South Bank University, says initiatives like False Creek’s make it easier to implement stricter building limits on greenhouse gases as well as more sustainable urban

planning. In Vancouver, a big part of that is reducing dependence on natural gas. “We use so much that no single thing can replace it on its own,” Gillich says. Wastewater “is potentially a really significant ingredient in squaring that circle.”

Wastewater is an appealing source of energy because its supply is stable—as is its temperature. That means the pumps that transfer its heat to clean water can operate in winter, when demand for heating is highest. But how exactly does this all work?

To start, a liquid refrigerant is passed through an evaporator, turning it into a gas that’s funneled into pipes surrounded by wastewater. The gas absorbs the water’s heat and is then run through a compressor to make it even hotter—as high as 176°F (80°C). The hot gas is then circulated around pipes containing clean water. While that water flows through insulated distribution pipes to individual buildings, the gas reverts to its liquid form. Though heat pumps like these use some electricity, they are four times more efficient than boilers or electric heaters. And in False Creek, the pumps get their power from hydroelectric dams.

The practice of wastewater heat extraction has been adopted in many European countries.

Switzerland began taking heat from sewage back in the 1980s, and German company Uhrig says it has constructed more than 100 wastewater heat projects, both in

Germany and abroad. In the UK, the method has become an “emerging sector,” says Antoine Reguis, a renewable energy expert at Edinburgh Napier University. Gillich estimates the energy contained within the UK’s 4.2 billion gallons of daily wastewater could provide space heating and hot water to 1.6 million homes.

In Vancouver, a city of 680,000 on Canada’s west coast, buildings account for 57 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions. False Creek’s system, which Pope says was the first North American application of raw sewage heat recovery, began operation before the 2010 Winter Olympic Games to supply heat to the athletes’ residential complex.

Back then, the system heated nine buildings; today it serves 46, including 6,000 residential apartments. In 2022, 71 percent of the neighborhood’s heating energy came from renewables, with sewer heat being the primary source.

But the False Creek project was purpose built. Installing the necessary infrastructure in existing developments can be cost prohibitive. Moreover, maximum energy recovery from wastewater is at or near water treatment plants, where the flow is greatest. Such facilities tend to be on the outskirts of cities, which means heated water has farther to travel.

“Even well-insulated pipes will have some amount of heat loss per meter, so you want the pipes carrying the heated water to run as short as possible,” says Gillich. But according to Nick Meeten, director of New Zealand-based consultancy Applied Energy, beneath every city there are places where flow rates are high enough to supply heat to large buildings, or even whole city blocks.

In Oslo, renewable energy company Hafslund Oslo Celsio is tapping into a main sewage pipe where it says more than a million gallons of wastewater passes per hour. The project provides heat and hot water for 13,000 apartments a year, the company says.

Specific points with large demand can be chosen for a localized transfer of wastewater heat—a hospital, a train station, a swimming pool or a university campus. In Rockhammar, Sweden, residual heat from a paper mill’s wastewater is used to heat an industrialscale greenhouse, for example.

“You map the flows of wastewater heat, and you look for where the big heat energy users are, and you look for some matches,” Meeten says. “Almost invariably, with every city you’ll find a half a dozen without looking too hard.”

‘Balikatan’: Training for future, complex conflicts

Continued from A1

activities in this year’s Balikatan, it enhanced preparedness and interoperability to address evolving challenges in the maritime do -

main,” Salgado stressed.

‘Counter-landing live-fire’ drills

MEANWHILE, Filipino and American troops will be demonstrating their capability to repel hostile

forces attempting to land on the country’s shores by conducting a “counter-landing live-fire exercise” on May 6 at the La Paz Sand Dunes, Laoag, Ilocos Norte.

“This event will feature joint counter-landing fires,” the AFP said in an advisory.

The event is considered one of Balikatan’s highlights. This exercise is a demonstration of a military tactic aimed at foiling hostile enemy forces attempting to land and establish their presence.

Military assets that will be used by participating troops include 105mm and 155mm howitzers from the Philippine Army and Marines, four tanks from the Armor Division, a fast-attack craft from the Philippine Navy, 50-caliber platforms from the US Marine Corps, along with their Javelin anti-tank missiles, and multi-role anti-armor anti-personnel weapons systems, and the US Air Force MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle and a B-52 heavy bomber.

THE False Creek development in Vancouver. SEONGJOON CHO/BLOOMBERG

Editor: Angel R. Calso

Sunday, May 5, 2024 A3

Trucks with no one aboard? The future is near for driverless trucks on US roads

By Tom Krisher Ap Auto Writer

ITTSBURGH—On a three-lane

Ptest track along the Monongahela River, an 18-wheel tractor-trailer rounded a curve. No one was on board.

A quarter-mile ahead, the truck’s sensors spotted a trashcan blocking one lane and a tire in another. In less than a second, it signaled, moved into the unobstructed lane and rumbled past the obstacles.

The self-driving semi, outfitted with 25 laser, radar and camera sensors, is owned by Pittsburgh-based Aurora Innovation. Late this year, Aurora plans to start hauling freight on Interstate 45 between the Dallas and Houston areas with 20 driverless trucks.

Within three or four years, Aurora and its competitors expect to put thousands such self-driving trucks on America’s public freeways. The goal is for the trucks, which can run nearly around the clock without any breaks, to speed the flow of goods, accelerating delivery times and perhaps lowering costs. They’ll travel short distances on secondary roads, too.

The companies say the autonomous trucks will save on fuel, too, because they don’t have to stop and will drive at more consistent speeds. Also, Aurora says its testing has shown that if a maintenance issue arises while one of its trucks is traveling on a freeway, the vehicle will automatically pull to the side of the road and remotely call for assistance.

The image of a fully loaded, 80,000-pound driverless truck weaving around cars on a super-highway at 65 mph or more may strike a note of terror. A poll conducted in January by AAA found that a decisive majority of American drivers—66 percent—said they would fear riding in an autonomous vehicle.

But in less than nine months, a sevenyear science experiment by Aurora will end, and driverless trucks will start carrying loads between terminals for FedEx, Uber Freight, Werner and other partners. Aurora and most of its rivals plan to start running freight routes in Texas, where snow and ice are generally rare.

For years, it seemed as though the

initial venture for autonomous vehicles would be ride hailing in large cities. But General Motors’ Cruise robotaxi unit is struggling in the aftermath of a serious crash. And Alphabet’s Waymo faces opposition to expanding its autonomous ride service in California. The result is that self-driving trucks are poised to become the first computer-controlled vehicles deployed in widespread numbers on public roads.

The vehicles have drawn skepticism from safety advocates, who warn that with almost no federal regulation, it will be mainly up to the companies themselves to determine when the semis are safe enough to operate without humans on board. The critics complain that federal agencies, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, take a generally passive approach to safety, typically acting only after crashes occur. And most states provide scant regulation.

But Aurora and other companies that are developing the systems argue that years of testing show that their trucks will actually be safer than human-driven ones. They note that the vehicles’ laser and radar sensors can “see” farther than human eyes can. The trucks never tire, as human drivers do. They never become distracted or impaired by alcohol or drugs.

“We want to be out there with thousands or tens of thousands of trucks on the road,” said Chris Urmson, Aurora’s CEO and formerly head of Google’s autonomous vehicle operations. “And to do that, we have to be safe. It’s the only way that the public will accept it. Frankly, it’s the only way our customers will accept it.”

Phil Koopman, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University who studies vehicle automation safety, said he agreed that self-driving trucks can theoretically be safer than humandriven ones—for the very reason that they lack drivers who might become distracted or impaired. But he cautioned that the vehicles’ computers inevitably will make errors. And just how the trucks will fare in real-world situations, he said, will depend on the quality of their safety engineering.

With billions of dollars in investments at stake, Koopman said, he wonders how the companies will balance

safety decisions against cost concerns.

“Everything I see indicates they’re trying to do the right thing,” he said. “But the devil is in the details.”

On the test track, reporters saw Aurora’s semis avoid simulations of road obstacles, including pedestrians, a blown tire, even a horse. But the trucks were running at only 35 mph (56 kilometers per hour) in a controlled environment with nothing unexpected happening. (The trucks are being tested with human safety drivers on Texas freeways at speeds of 65 mph (105 kph) or higher.)

On the track, the trucks spotted obstacles more than a quarter-mile away and acted immediately to avoid them. Urmson said the trucks’ laser sensors can detect people walking on a highway at night, far beyond the distance of headlights.

Since 2021, Aurora trucks have autonomously hauled freight over 1 million miles on public highways—but with human safety drivers in the cabs. There have been only three crashes, Urmson said, all of them caused by mistakes by human drivers in other vehicles.

The crashes turned out to be minor, with no injuries. And in each case, the company said, the Aurora truck was able to safely pull to the side of the road.

A federal database that started in June 2021 shows at least 13 crashes with other vehicles involving autonomous semis, including three involving Aurora. In all the cases, the crashes were caused by other vehicles changing lanes or rear-ending the trucks. Sometimes, human safety drivers took over just before the crash.

Aurora won’t compromise safety, Urmson said, even if ensuring it might delay the timetable for achieving a profit.

“If we put a vehicle on the road that isn’t sufficiently safe—that we aren’t confident in the safety of—then it kills everything else,” he said.

Last month, when Urmson displayed the trucks to Wall Street analysts in Pittsburgh, he said the publicly held company expects to turn a profit by late 2027 or early 2028. To meet that goal, Aurora must succeed in putting thousands of the trucks on the roads, hauling freight from terminal to terminal and collecting a per-mile charge from customers.

The company’s competitors—Plus. ai, Gatik, Kodiak Robotics and others—also plan soon to put driverless trucks on the roads hauling freight for customers. Gatik expects it to happen this year or next; the others haven’t set timetables.

Don Burnette, CEO of Kodiak, said freeways are a better environment for autonomous vehicles than congested cities where ride-hailing robotaxis have been running. There are fewer pedestrians, and fewer unexpected things happen. Still, there are higher speeds and longer braking distances.

In testing on highways with human backup drivers, Burnette said, Kodiak has never experienced a crash in which its trucks were at fault.

“At the end of the day,” Burnette said, “these trucks should be much safer than human drivers.”

Almost every year in the United States, a tractor-trailer plows into traffic that is stopped because of road construction, often causing deaths and injuries. By contrast, Burnette said, autonomous trucks pay attention all the time and are always watching 360 degrees.

Perhaps so. But at a Buc-ee’s mega convenience store and gas station along Interstate 45 about 35 miles south of Dallas, the prospect of driverless semis struck a note of fear.

“It sounds like a disaster waiting to happen,” said Kent Franz, a high school basketball coach in Chandler, Oklahoma, who was traveling to Houston for a wedding. “I’ve heard of the driverless

cars—Tesla, what have you—and the accidents they’ve been having. Eighteen-wheelers? Something that heavy, relying on technology that has proven it can be faulty? Doesn’t sound very comfortable to me.”

Patti Pierce, a retired accountant from Plano, Texas, said she would be OK with the technology—in about a decade.

“I don’t want to be on the road with them right now,” she said. “I like the gadgets in my car, but I’m not sure the technology is good enough right now to have a truck that drives itself.”

No federal regulations specifically cover autonomous vehicles, Koopman of Carnegie Mellon noted. Most states have no such regulations, either. Koopman said the automated-vehicle industry has persuaded many states to bar local governments from enacting such regulations. The result, he said, is that the public must trust the companies that are deploying autonomous semis.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, both part of the federal Department of Transportation, lack authority to stop autonomous vehicles from going on the roads. If something goes wrong, though, they can require recalls or order trucks out of service.

“You can’t expect the government to protect you here,” Koopman said. “The company’s going to decide when they think they’re safe, and the only thing the regulator is going to do is judge them after the fact.”

For the past five years, the motor

carrier administration has been preparing safety standards for trucks with automated driving systems. The standards will govern inspections, maintenance and the remote monitoring of the trucks. But it’s unclear when the rules will emerge from the regulatory process.

In the meantime, the autonomous semi companies say they can help address a truck driver shortage, estimated by the industry to amount to 64,000 drivers. Yet there also are worries that autonomous trucks eventually will supplant human drivers and cost them their livelihoods.

The Teamsters union, which represents about 600,000 drivers, most of them truckers, is pushing state legislatures to require human drivers to monitor the self-driving systems, contending that they are unsafe. A 2021 Transportation Department study concluded that the nationwide use of fully automated semis was years away, giving drivers time to transition to other transportation and logistics jobs that will be created.

Aurora’s Urmson said he thinks driverless semis will complement the work already done by human drivers, because many more goods will have to be moved for a growing population.

“If you’re driving a truck today,” he said, “my expectation is you’re going to be able to retire driving a truck.”

AP Business Writer David Koenig contributed to this report from Dallas and AP Data Journalist Aaron Kessler from Washington.

More scientists sign NAST PHL position vs CA’s ruling on Bt Talong, Golden Rice

MORE scientists signed the National Academy of Science and Technlogy, Philippines (NAST PHL) Agricultural Sciences Division’s position on the recent decision of Court of Appeals (CA), which effectively gave another moratorium on the use of genetically modified (GM) Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) eggplant and Golden Rice.

As of April 30, five National Scientists, 42 Academicians, and three Corresponding members from various NAST PHL divisions signed and effectively strengthened the Academy’s position, said Angelito Navarro of NAST PHL.

“NAST reiterates its support for the use of modern biotechnology in plant breeding and expresses its concern that the court decision unnecessarily delays its overdue innovations,” NAST PHL Agricultural Sciences Division said in its position.

“We are finally concerned that the continuing delay in the use of Bt Talong and Golden Rice is causing more harm than good. As we try to placate the minority which is ideologically against these modern technologies, who will be satisfied

only if these technologies are kept away permanently from farmers and consumers, millions die and more suffer from the harmful effects of technologies they seek to replace,” NAST PHL added.

The Academy said Bt Talong is a product of a technology whose proof of concept dates back to the 1980s and was first used commercially in 1996 in the USA.

Meanwhile, Golden Rice’s development dates back to the late 1990s through the work of European scientists.

Both genetically modified crops were developed locally by the University of the Philippines Los Baños and PhilRice, respectively, which are public institutions with a proven track record of service to the Filipino people.

97,000 students take 2024 science scholarship exams

TAKING that one great leap toward their dreams, around 97,000 Grade 12 students from all over the Philippines took the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute’s (DOST-SEI) 2024 Undergraduate Scholarships Qualifying Examination held last April 6 and 7 in 205 testing centers nationwide. This year’s total number of examinees increased by more than 20percent compared to last year’s 79,585 exam takers, the DOSTSEI said. According to the DOST-SEI OIC Engr. Albert G. Mariño, 10,000 slots are waiting to be filled by new scholars for 2024.

The passers in the qualifying examination will join the current roster of about 40,000 scholars being supported by DOST-SEI and shall be entitled to benefits, including a monthly stipend of P8,000, tuition subsidy of up to P40,000 per academic year for those who will enrol in private universities and colleges, P10,000 learning materials and/ or connectivity allowance, P10,000 thesis allowance, one economy-class roundtrip fare per year for those studying outside of their home province, for the duration of their chosen science and technology degree progra, the DOST-SEI noted.

The scholarship qualifiers must pursue a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree program in any of the priority science and technology fields of study at a state university or college

NAST PHL pointed out that the scientific evidence of Bt Talong were generated over at least 20 years of experimentation in the Philippines. It said that it can substantially improve farmer income by reducing losses due to insect damage;it can substantially promote farmer health by reducing his reliance on harmful chemical pesticide; and both of these are attained without harming the consumer or the environment.

On Golden Rice, the Academicians said “it can effectively

reduce human suffering due to Vitamin A deficiency, without any negative impact on the farmer and the environment.”

NAST PHL pointed out: “The court decision amounts to weaponization of the law to favor an extreme ideology about nature; that a pristine environment must be preserved, and modern biological technology is working against this goal. This is contrary to our knowledge that nature is characterized by constant change—some of them man-made, but most of the

apocalyptic changes were through natural forces. Among these are climate change, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.”

Among the National Scientists who signed the NAST PHL position paper are Dr. Dolores A. Ramirez, Dr. Emil Q. Javier, Dr. Lourdes J. Cruz, Dr. Raul V. Fabella, Ernesto O. Domingo. Among the Academicians who signed are Dr, Eufemio T. Rasco Jr., Dr. Victor O. Cruz, Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, Dr. Evelyn Mae T. Mendoza, Dr. William G. Padolina,

Number of overweight, obese teens in PHL increasing–DOST-FNRI:

OVERWEIGHT and obesity prevalence among Filipino adolescents significantly increased from 11.6 percent in 2018 to 13 percent in 2021.

This is equivalent to increasing from 11.6 persons to 13 from 100 persons.

This is according to a policy statement on “FAT [Fad and Trending]!: Adolescent Obesity,” and data from the latest 2021 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) of the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI).

or any private higher education institution that is recognized by the Commission on Higher Education as a Center of Excellence or Center of Development, or with Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines Level III for the degree program that a qualifier intends to enrol in. The list of priority S&T programs can be found on the DOST-SEI website: www.sei. dost.gov.ph.

The DOST-SEI continues to invest in its scholars and works to keep the scholarship a competitive and prestigious offering.

At the beginning of 2024, the Institute implemented an increase in the scholars’ monthly stipends, from P7,000 to P8,000 for the undergraduate scholars; from P25,000 to P30,000, and from P33,000 to P38,000 for the master’s and the PhD scholars, respectively.

Mariño encouraged the students to seize the opportunity of being a scholar, which can be life changing.

“This scholarship opportunity can transform the lives of our youth. And as we develop more fresh talents to become part of the S&T workforce, we will help our country gear towards development that is equitable and inclusive,” he said.

The 2024 DOST-SEI Undergraduate Scholarships list of qualifiers shall be announced in June or July this year on the DOST-SEI’s official website and social media page, as well as on selected newspapers.

The same survey revealed that males are more likely to be obese (14.8 percent) than females (11.3 percent), while urban areas have a higher percentage of obese people (16.2 percent) than rural ones (10.7 percent).

According to a 2016 study led by Banna, when a person reaches adolescence, a number of nutrition-related problems arise due to the consumption of low-nutrient energy-dense foods, excess intake of added sugar and fats, and an inadequate intake of micronutrients.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and DOST-FNRI reported

that the development of obesity among adolescents can be due to decreased physical activities, sedentary lifestyle, altered eating patterns, increased fat content of the diet, and obesity-associated genes. Moreover, according to the WHO, overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age.

The Department of Health’s National Nutrition Council (DOH-NNC) believes that the increasing obesity stigma needs

Texas vet helps crack mystery of bird flu in cows

THE first calls that Dr. Barbara Petersen received in early March were from dairy owners worried about crows, pigeons and other birds dying on their Texas farms. Then came word that barn cats—half of them on one farm—had died suddenly.

Within days, the Amarillo veterinarian was hearing about sick cows with unusual symptoms: high fevers, reluctance to eat and much less milk. Tests for typical illnesses came back negative.

Petersen, who monitors more than 40,000 cattle on a dozen farms in the Texas Panhandle, collected samples from cats and cows and sent them to Dr. Drew Magstadt, a friend from college who now works at the veterinary diagnostic laboratory at Iowa State University.

The samples tested positive for a bird flu virus never before seen in cattle.

It was the first proof that the bird flu, known as Type A H5N1, could infect cows.

As of Wednesday, 36 US herds had confirmed infections, according to the US Agriculture Department.

“It was just a surprise,” recalled Petersen. “It was just a little bit of disbelief.”

At the same time, on almost every farm with sick animals, Petersen said she saw sick people, too.

“We were actively checking on humans,”

Petersen said. “I had people who never missed work, miss work.”

So far, two people in the US have been confirmed to be infected with H5N1, most recently a Texas dairy worker linked to the cattle outbreak, according to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention.

About two dozen people have been tested and about 100 people have been monitored since the virus appeared in cows, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, a CDC respiratory diseases official, told reporters Wednesday.

Daskalakis said CDC has seen no unusual flu trends in areas with infected cows, but some experts wonder if anecdotal reports of sick workers mean more than one person caught the virus from the animals.

Petersen said some workers had symptoms consistent with flu: fever and body aches, stuffy nose or congestion.

Some had conjunctivitis, the eye inflammation detected in the Texas dairy worker diagnosed with bird flu.

Dr. Gregory Gray, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, has been taking samples from livestock and people on two Texas farms.

On farms with confirmed cattle infections, there have also been reports of mild illnesses among the workers, he said.

His research has been difficult. Many workers are reluctant to be tested. That may be because they have limited access to health care or fear divulging private health information.

Without confirmation, no one knows if the sick workers were infected with the bird flu virus or something unrelated, Gray said.

“They seem to be linked in time and space, so one would say it’s biologically plausible,” Gray said.

Some of the workers who fell ill sought treatment and were offered oseltamivir, an antiviral drug sold under the brand name Tamiflu, Petersen said.

Some farm workers who were exposed to infected animals or people were offered the medication, CDC Spokesman Jason McDonald said.

State health officials are responsible for evaluating and providing treatment, according to federal guidelines.

Health officials in Texas provided Tamiflu to the person known to be infected with H5N1 and household members, plus two people on a second dairy farm who tested negative but were exposed to infected animals, said Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services. He said he wasn’t sure if others had been offered the antiviral.

and Dr. Alvin B. Culaba. NAST PHL has six divisions: Agricultural Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering Sciences and Technology, Health Sciences, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences, composed of National Scientists, Academicians, and Corresponding members, the top scientists in the country, Navarro said. An attached agency of DOST, it is the government’s highest advisry and recognition body in science and technology. L. Resurreccion

multidisciplinary actions involving various stakeholders in encouraging communities to live a healthy lifestyle and make the country’s counter-measures and interventions more effective in protecting the health of future generations.

The DOST-FNRI recommends that national government agencies must develop standard protocols for physical activity programs and routine; provide parents and caregivers with the latest health information and other resource materials.

They must also fund and regularly organize seminars or courses on nutrition and physical activity; increase surveillance, and support and fund research studies focusing on symptoms, prevention, and cure of genetic factors of obesity, such as metabolic syndrome.

Farmers have been hesitant to allow health officials onto their land, said Dr. Kay Russo, a Colorado veterinarian who consulted about the outbreak with Petersen.

“This particular disease is looked at as a scarlet letter,” Russo said. “It has this stigma associated with it right now.” Russo called for wider testing of cattle, people and milk.

“We do not know what we do not measure,” she said. “Unfortunately, the horse left the barn and took off a lot faster than we were able to mobilize.” Gray worries that a recent federal order requiring testing of all lactating dairy cows moving between states could hinder cooperation even further. All labs that conduct tests must report positive results to the Agriculture Department. But many farmers may simply decide against testing, hoping to outlast the outbreak, he said. The reluctance of workers and farmers to allow testing is “greatly hampering” understanding of how the virus spreads, how large the outbreak is now and how quickly it may grow, Gray said.

“It’s a negative, very negative, effect,” he said. Petersen said she understands workers’ and farmers’ fears. She praised the farmers who had been willing to let her gather the first samples that confirmed the outbreak and reflected on what the results could mean. Jonel Aleccia, Ap Health Writer

BT TALONG harvest by UP Institute of Plant Breeding

GOLDEN Rice ISAAA PHOTO

ROOM examiner Ina Pia Bandian read the examination instructions to exam takers in Sta. Monica High School, Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

A6 Sunday, May 5, 2024

Damaged in war, a Ukraine church rises as symbol of the country’s faith, culture

LYPIVKA, Ukraine—

This Orthodox Easter season, an extraordinary new church is bringing spiritual comfort to warweary residents of the Ukrainian village of Lypivka. Two years ago, it also provided physical refuge from the horrors outside.

Almost 100 residents sheltered in a basement chapel at the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary while Russian troops occupied the village in March 2022 as they closed in on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, 60 kilometers to the east.

“The fighting was right here,” the Rev. Hennadii Kharkivskyi said. He pointed to the churchyard, where a memorial stone commemorates six Ukrainian soldiers killed in the battle for Lypivka.

“They were injured and then the Russians came and shot each one, finished them off,” he said.

The two-week Russian occupation left the village shattered and the church itself—a modern replacement for an older structure—damaged while still under construction.

It’s one of 129 war-damaged Ukrainian religious sites recorded by Unesco, the United Nations’ cultural organization.

“It’s solid concrete,” the priest said. “But it was pierced easily” by Russian shells, which blasted holes

in the church and left a wall inside pockmarked with shrapnel scars.

At the bottom of the basement staircase, a black scorch mark shows where a grenade was lobbed down.

But within weeks, workers were starting to repair the damage and work to finish the solid building topped by red domes that towers over the village, with its scarred and damaged buildings, blooming fruit trees and fields that the Russians left littered with land mines.

For many of those involved— including a tenacious priest, a wealthy philanthropist, a famous artist and a team of craftspeople— rebuilding this church plays a part in Ukraine’s struggle for culture, identity and its very existence.

The building, a striking fusion of the ancient and the modern, reflects a country determined to express its soul even in wartime.

The building’s austere exterior masks a blaze of color inside. The vibrant red, blue, orange and gold

panels decorating walls and ceiling are the work of Anatoliy Kryvolap, an artist whose bold, modernist images of saints and angels make the church unique in Ukraine.

The 77-year-old Kryvolap, whose abstract paintings sell for tens of thousands of dollars at auction, said that he wanted to eschew the severe-looking icons he’d seen in many Orthodox churches.

“It seems to me that going to church to meet God should be a celebration,” he said.

There has been a church on this site for more than 300 years. An earlier building was destroyed by shelling during World War II. The small wooden church that replaced it was put to more workaday uses in Soviet times, when religion was suppressed.

Kharkivskyi reopened the par -

ish in 1992 following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and set about rebuilding the church, spiritually and physically, with funding from Bohdan Batrukh, a Ukrainian film producer and distributor.

Work stopped when Russian troops launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Moscow’s forces reached the fringes of Kyiv before being driven back. Lypivka was liberated by the start of April.

Since then, fighting has been concentrated in the east and south of Ukraine, though aerial attacks with rockets, missiles and drones are a constant threat across the country.

By May 2022, workers had resumed work on the church. It has been slow going. Millions of Ukrainians fled the country when war

Memorial site for drug war victims inaugurated in La Loma cemetery

ASHRINE was inaugurated on Wednesday at a Catholic cemetery in Metro Manila for the victims of extrajudicial killings (EJK) during the drug war waged by former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Priests blessed the “Dambana ng Paghilom” (Shrine of Healing) and held its first inurnment for EJK victims inside the La Loma Cemetery in Caloocan City. The 36-square meter memorial site was initiated by the Arnold Janssen Kalinga Foundation Inc., with the support of, among others, the Diocese of Kalookan, which donated the land for the project.

Society of Divine Word (SVD) priest Fr. Flavie Villanueva said the shrine and columbarium symbolize more than just a final resting place for those killed.

“It is also a statement of hope,” Villanueva said.

“Evil will never persist if men, women, senators, ambassadors,

people of good conscience, human rights advocates, seminarians, sisters, religious, people at the margins will continue to stand firm for life, truth, and peace,” he said.

In 2017, the priest founded Program Paghilom, a Church-based initiative that initially offered legal and psychosocial support to the widows, orphans and bereaved families of the drug war. In recent months, he expanded the program to include exhumation, autopsy and cremation of the victims..

Villanueva lamented the plight of EJK victims’ families who are unable to prioritize securing their loved ones’ remains due to poverty.

Dambana ng Paghilom is now a concrete answer to their needs.

“This was once a hope, and it is now real,” he added. Aurora Blas, a widow of an EJK victim, said the memorial site would help expose the truth about

Duterte’s violent and bloody drug war.

“…When this project came about, I was so happy because this would be the way for the truth to come out, that my husband did not die from natural causes but from gunshot wounds,” she shared.

Blas, who joined Program Paghilom after her husband’s killing, talked about how her husband’s death certificate indicated “pneumonia” as the cause of death despite sustaining gunshot wounds, specifically on the right side of the head.

“Even if the truth was as clear to me and to my children as daylight, because I could no longer think properly and because of my desire that his body be released and prepared as soon as possible, I turned a blind eye and signed,” she added in Filipino, detailing how she was also made to sign a waiver that said she would not press charges or pursue a case against her husband’s killers.

After the ribbon-cutting, family members of EJK victims witnessed the inurnment of 11 urns containing the remains of their loved ones lost to the drug war.

More than 250 people witnessed the inauguration, including former senator Leila De Lima, European Union Ambassador Luc Veron, German Ambassador Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke, Dutch Ambassador Marielle Geraedts, British Ambassador Laure Beaufils, and Senator Risa Hontiveros.

Pfaffernoschke said being at the event was quite personal because it reminded him of what happened to his own country during the Holocaust.

“This memorial helps us not to forget and reminds us of our obligation to the future,” he said.

Geraedts, who has encountered the EJK families of Program Paghilom several times already, said their stories touch her deeply.

“I share pain, sorrow …this journey of healing,” she said.

Sharing her message in Filipino, Beaufils expressed the British government’s support for the families, saying: “Hindi sila nakakalimutan” (They are not forgotten). CBCP News

erupted, including builders and craftspeople. Hundreds of thousands of others have joined the military.

Inside the church, a tower of wooden scaffolding climbs up to the dome, where a red and gold image of Christ raises a hand in blessing

For now, services take place in the smaller basement, where the priest, in white and gold robes, recently conducted a service for a couple of dozen parishioners as the smell of incense wafted through the candlelit room.

He is expecting a large crowd for Easter, which falls on Sunday.

Eastern Orthodox Christians usually celebrate Easter later than Catholic and Protestant churches, because they use a different method of calculating the date for the holy day that marks Christ’s resurrection.

A majority of Ukrainians identify as Orthodox Christians, though the church is divided. Many belong to the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine, with which the Lypivka church is affiliated.

The rival Ukrainian Orthodox Church was loyal to the patriarch in Moscow until splitting from Russia after the 2022 invasion and is viewed with suspicion by many Ukrainians.

Kharkivskyi says the size of his congregation has remained stable even though the population of the village has shrunk dramatically since the war began. In tough times, he says, people turn to religion.

“Like people say: ‘Air raid alert—go see God,’” the priest said wryly.

Liudmyla Havryliuk, who has a summer home in Lypivka, found herself drawn back to the village and its church even before the fighting stopped. When Russia invaded, she drove to Poland with her daughters, then 16 and 18 years old. But within weeks she came back to the village she loves, still besieged by the Russians.

The family hunkered down in their home, cooking on firewood, drawing water from a well, sometimes under Russian fire. Havryliuk said that when they saw Russian helicopters, they held hands and prayed.

“Not prayer in strict order, like in the book,” she said. “It was from my heart, from my soul, about what should we do? How can I save myself and especially my daughters?” She goes to Lypivka’s church regularly, saying it’s a “place you can shelter mentally, within yourself.”

As Ukraine marks its third Easter at war, the church is nearing completion. Only a few of Kryvolap’s interior panels remain to be installed. He said that the shell holes will be left unrepaired as a reminder to future generations.

“[It’s] so that they will know what kind of ‘brothers’ we have, that these are just fascists,” he said, referring to the Russians.

“We are Orthodox, just like them, but destroying churches is something inhumane.”

Jill Lawless/Associated Press

United Methodists repeal ban on LGBTQ clergy

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina—United Methodist delegates repealed their church’s longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy with no debate on May 1, removing a rule forbidding “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from being ordained or appointed as ministers.

Delegates voted 692-51 at their General Conference—the first such legislative gathering in five years.

That overwhelming margin contrasts sharply with the decades of controversy around the issue.

Past General Conferences of the United Methodist Church had steadily reinforced the ban and related penalties amid debate and protests, but many of the conservatives who had previously upheld the ban have left the denomination in recent years, and this General Conference has moved in a solidly progressive direction.

Applause broke out in parts of the convention hall after the vote. A group of observers from LGBTQ advocacy groups embraced, some in tears.

“Thanks be to God,” said one.

The change doesn’t mandate or even explicitly affirm LGBTQ clergy, but it means the church no longer forbids them.

It’s possible that the change will mainly apply to US churches, since United Methodist bodies in other countries, such as in Africa, have the right to impose the rules for their own regions.

The measure takes effect immediately upon the conclusion of General Conference last May 3.

The consensus was so overwhelming that it was rolled into a “consent calendar,” a package of normally non-controversial measures.

“It seemed like such a simple vote, but it carried so much weight and power, as 50 years of restricting the Holy Spirit’s call on people’s lives has been lifted,” said Bishop Karen Oliveto, the first openly lesbian bishop in the United Methodist Church.

“People can live fully into their call without fear,” said Oliveto, of the Mountain Sky Episcopal Area, which includes Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming. “The church

we’ve loved has found a home for us.” Also approved was a measure that forbids district superintendents—or regional administrators—from penalizing clergy for either performing a same-sex wedding or for refraining from performing one.

It also prohibits superintendents from forbidding a church from hosting a same-sex wedding or requiring it to.

That measure further removes scaffolding around the various LGBTQ bans that have been embedded in official church law and policy. On April 31, delegates began taking such steps.

Delegates are also expected to vote soon on whether to replace the denomination’s official Social Principles with a new document that no longer calls the “practice of homosexuality... incompatible with Christian teaching” and that now defines marriage as between “two people of faith” rather than between a man and a woman.

The changes are historic in a denomination that has debated LGBTQ issues for more than half a century at its General Conferences, which typically meet every four years. About 100 LGBTQ people and allies gathered outside the Charlotte Convention Center after the vote—many with rainbow-colored scarves and umbrellas—to celebrate, pray and sing praise songs accompanied by a drum.

Angie Cox, an observer from Ohio, said she has gone before her conference’s board of ordained ministry six times but was “told no just because of the prohibition on LGBTQ clergy.”

She said May 1’s vote “means I might be able finally to live fully into my calling.” The vote follows the departure of more than 7,600 American congregations— one-quarter of all UMC congregations in the US—reflecting conservative dismay over the denomination not enforcing its LGBTQ bans.

The departures took place between 2019 and 2023 under a temporary window enabling congregations to keep their properties under relatively favorable terms. Peter Smith/Associated Press

CHRISTIAN Orthodox worshippers leave the chapel basement after attending a service at the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in, Lypivka, near Lviv, Ukraine, on April 28. AP/FRANCISCO SECO

THE Philippines’ first memorial site for victims of extrajudicial killings attributed to the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte was inaugurated at the La Loma Catholic Cemetery in Caloocan City on May 1. Fr. Flavie Villanuea (top photo) holds one of the urns of the victims, as relatives of the victims attend the event. CBCP NEWS

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Jollibee, DENR join hands for mangrove reforestation

By Roderick L. Abad

HOMEGROWN fast-food chain giant Jollibee is bringing joy to Mother Earth as it collaborated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the restoration of previously damaged mangrove areas and pushing for sustainability in communities where it is located.

Tony Tan Caktiong-led Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) and Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) Inc. recently signed with the DENR a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the initiatives, which details the commitment of both parties to environmental improvement, community well-being, and greenhouse gas emission mitigation in the country.

“The partnership will strengthen collaborations for a decarbonized and regenerative future, promote science-based risk assessment, sustain climate-smart leadership and governance, and scale up community initiatives on mangrove protection and management,” Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga said in a news release.

Ther MOU was a key initiative under the agency’s Project Transdisciplinary Approach for Resilience and Environmental Sustainability (Transform).

“Our shared goal in implementing this agreement is to produce empowered community members whose lives will be made better by

lessons learned under this MOU and later enable them to sustain all these activities themselves,” she added.

Under the pact, JFC and JGF will mobilize volunteer employees to work with DENR’s Regional Offices in enforcing community-based mangrove protection and reforestation activities and work with DENR on additional sustainable efforts.

According to JFC President and CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong, the project is aligned with the company’s sustainability agenda called Joy for Tomorrow.

“This is meaningful to us at JFC because we understand our bigger role beyond doing business. We’ve always believed in the power of making a positive impact not just for our company and people, but also for the world we live in,” he said.

Jollibee has a network of over 1,500 stores in 17 countries. Being the largest fast-food brand in the Philippines, it enjoys a lion’s share of the local market that is more than all the other global fast food brands nationwide combined.

The fast-food chain has embarked on an aggressive international expansion plan, with more than 270 international branches in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Macau, Brunei, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Italy, Spain and in the United Kingdom.

Water is life and for peace

MPASUG-ONG, Bukidnon—

IIf one searches the internet for Sitio Gabunan, one of the seven subdivisions in Barangay Dumalaguing, news about insurgencies and conflict will appear. After all, a top rebel commander met his demise on this site in a clash with the military in 2021.

Three years later, the government declared the area insurgentfree, but its remote location and years of fighting have caused isolation and limited access to essential social services.

One of the problems is the need for more access to water. While a level III water system, or individual house connections, operates, only 50 percent of the 29 Higaonon tribal households can tap from the source.

Dry seasons mean reduced supply, while intense rains cause murky and dirty water.

“We have to walk 1 kilometer to collect water that we could have otherwise used to tend our crops,” said Mario Dante, sitio leader and head of Gabunan Farmers Association.

Dante and Barangay Chairman Francis Pasco sought assistance

from the local government unit of Impasug-ong. With the LGU’s help, they connected with the Kauyagan Savers Multipurpose Cooperative (KSMPC).

Subsequently, Sitio Gabunan received KSMPC’s Water Access for Transformation, Empowerment, and Resilience (Water). Under this project, with support from the Peace and Equity Foundation and Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, KSMPC will facilitate the construction of a new level III water system this year to provide uninterrupted access for all 29 households of Sitio Gabunan.

The initiative, along with the Impasug-ong Crops Development Project, a crop consolidation project by KSMPC, is expected to improve the lives of the Higaonons in Sitio Gabunan.

Last March 20, tribal leaders performed the “Pamuhat” ritual, offering food and wine to “Magbabaya” (Higaonon’s supreme creator) as part of the inauguration of the water system. Free from war, residents envision a brighter future with hope and optimism.

Corals bred in a zoo now in Europe’s largest reef, offering scientists hope

ARNHEM, Netherlands—Just

like the animals on Noah’s Ark, the corals arrived in a pair.

On April 22, divers with gloved hands gently nestled the self-bred corals from the World Coral Conservatory project among their cousins in Europe’s largest coral reef at the Burgers’ Zoo in the Netherlands.

“This is the first project where we started to keep these corals with a known origin. As we know exactly where they’re coming from, they have the potential to be placed back into the wild.… So it is very important to keep these corals, as it’s going not very well in the wild,” Nienke Klerks, a biologist at the Royal Burgers’ Zoo in Arnhem, told The Associated Press.

It’s among several projects worldwide seeking to address the decline of coral reef populations, which are suffering from bleaching caused by rising sea temperatures. Corals are central to marine ecosystems, and while these projects won’t stem the tide of damage from human-caused climate change, they are seen as part of broader solutions.

The World Coral Conservatory hopes to create a bank of corals in aquariums across Europe that could be used to repopulate wild coral reefs if they succumb to the stress of climate change or pollution.

Along with two zoos in France and the originator of the project— the Monaco Scientific Center—the zoo in the east of the Netherlands

took in more than a dozen coral fragments from off the coast of Seychelles in east Africa.

The Dutch zoo has been propagating the corals since 2022, allowing them to grow in a highly regulated environment before they were large enough to join the rest of the reef.

“We test it behind the scenes… what works for these corals. In that way, we know where to place them and how to keep them,” zookeeper Pascal Kik said.

Each diver held up a coral— one that resembled a large mushroom, the other a decorative cookie—to be photographed by reporters before placing them on a ledge near the center of the 8-million-liter tank.

Few of the other corals at the zoo come from the wild. They are either shared by other zoos or turned over by Dutch customs officers after being confiscated.

Coral poaching is a major threat to coral reefs in parts of Asia.

That would make it difficult to return the corals to the wild. But the team knows exactly where their 14 corals came from, making it more likely they could be successfully reintroduced if needed.

Corals area keystone marine species, according to Mark Eakin, executive secretary for the International Coral Reef Society. Eakin, retired coral monitoring chief at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, says

that around 25 percent of marine animals spend some part of their lives dependent on coral reefs.

That makes projects such as the one in Arnhem all the more important to pursue, he said.

“We are in a situation where we really need to be taking any possible action we can,” Eakin told AP.

Earlier in April, scientists from the NOAA and International Coral Reef Initiative said that coral reefs around the world are experiencing global bleaching for the fourth time.

Bleaching occurs when coral under stress expels the algae that gives them their vibrant colors.

The algae is also a coral’s food source, and if the bleaching lasts for too long or is too severe, the coral could die.

In the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, bleaching affected 90 percent of the coral assessed in 2022.

The Florida Coral Reef, the third-largest, experienced significant bleaching last year.

Terry Hughes of Australia’s James Cook University, an expert on the Great Barrier Reef, argues that the world needs faster, bolder efforts to stop the damage from climate change, instead of small-scale restoration projects like this one.

“You can’t replace a magnificent ecosystem with an aquarium,” he said.

Others say every little bit helps.

“Coral reefs would be one of the first systems to totally collapse due to climate change,’’ said Ronald Osinga, a marine biologist who specializes in corals at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

“It’s sad that it has to be like this,” said Osinga, who is not involved in the Dutch zoo initiative. But projects like this are a “good backup plan.” Molly Quell/Associated Press

SMC’s river cleanup drive removes 6MMT of waste

SAN Miguel Corp. (SMC) removed a total of 6 million metric tons (MMT) of silt and solid waste from various river systems in and around Metro Manila.

The total includes more than 3 MMT recently extracted from over 50 kilometers (km) of rivers across the flood-prone Bulacan province, as part of a major expansion of the conglomerate’s cleanup initiative.

The rivers traverse the cities and towns of Meycauayan, Obando, Bulakan, Bocaue, Marilao, Balagtas and Guiguinto in Bulacan.

This was the largest and most extensive river cleanup initiative undertaken by SMC under a longterm, comprehensive effort.

This started in 2020 to clean up heavily-polluted river systems, including the Pasig, Tullahan and San Juan.

It has successfully removed nearly 1.2 MMT of waste from 26 km of the Pasig River; 1.1 MMT from 11 km of the Tullahan River, and almost 320,000 tons from the San Juan river, from 2020 to date.

In October 2023, SMC announced that it was expanding its river cleanup initiative in Bulacan and to other provinces and cities, including Pampanga, Navotas, Laguna and Cavite, in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and local government units.

Its efforts to desilt the San Isidro River in San Pedro, Laguna, has since yielded 343,836 tons of silt and waste, to date.

SMC is also gearing up to clean

26 km of the heavily silted Pampanga River, which flows down to Bulacan, and has been identified as a major cause of flooding in both provinces and other nearby areas.

“After four years of continuous effort, we are as determined and committed as ever to continue this advocacy, that has had a positive impact on people, local economies, and our environment. We are very grateful for the support of the DENR, DPWH and our partner LGUs [local government units], without whom we would not have achieved so much in such a short time,” Ang said.

“We are also very proud of the hard work and dedication of our river cleanup teams. Their commitment to our advocacy and to the communities, has resulted in the removal of over 6 MMT of wastes and silt to date and covered close to 100 kms. of river channel from the Pasig River, Tullahan River, San Juan River, Bulacan

rivers, and San Pedro river—with more to come,” Ang added.

In Bulacan, where SMC has major investments, such as the MRT7 project, the Bulacan Bulk Water Supply project, and the new Manila International Airport project, SMC had committed to help address the province’s long-standing problem with flooding.

Historically, Bulacan has always been flood-prone, due to several factors.

These include its low-lying location, land subsidence due to groundwater extraction and depletion, heavily silted rivers and polluted rivers, and the proliferation in past decades of commercial fishponds along its coastal areas, which impeded the natural flow of floodwaters out to Manila Bay.

“True to our commitment to Bulacan province, our river cleanup efforts are now in full gear. Work is now spread out in nine major river areas. Some of these rivers

have become very shallow that their depths were initially measured at only 0.5 to one to two meters. Our target is to deepen them to 3 meters to 5 meters, to be able to more efficiently carry out floodwaters, and in some key areas, even enhance biodiversity and ecosystems” Ang explained. Bulacan rivers that were already cleared of silt and waste include: the Taliptip-MaycapizBambang rivers, with a length of 10 km; Meycauayan river from Manila Bay up to NLEX, 12 km.; Mailad to Bocaue/Sta. Maria River, 8.5 km.; Guiguinto River up to NLEX, 9.6 km.; Marilao River, also upstream to NLEX, 4.8 km; and, Balagtas River, 2.5 km. Clean-up is ongoing in Pamarawan River in Malolos, which is also the site of SMC’s 40-hectare

DIVERS with gloved hands gently nestled the first self-bred corals from the World Coral Conservatory project among their cousins in Europe’s largest coral reef at the Burgers’ Zoo in Arnhem, eastern Netherlands, on April 22. AP/PETER DEJONG

DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga (center) shows the signed MOU together with JFC President and CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong (left) and JGF President Ma. Gisela H. Tiongson.

river cleanup in Bulacan.

King’s campaign for women sports goes a long, long way

Sports

A8 SundAy, MAy 5, 2024

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

attended a celebration with WSF president Scout Bassett and WSF CEO Danette Leighton ahead of the iconic landmark being lit in the foundation colors of blue, red, pink and yellow. King said the foundation’s “bold action has contributed to many transformative moments…to help girls and women achieve their athletic dreams, while eliminating barriers that stand in the way. And our work is not done yet.”

Through research, advocacy and community programming, the WSF

and

King started the foundation a year after the passage of Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in any school or education program that receives federal funds.

Vice President Kamala Harris recently hosted an event to honor women in sports in celebration of Women’s History Month.

“Leaders throughout the country are recognizing what the Women’s Sports Foundation has known since 1974: when girls and women play, they lead, and we all win,” Leighton said. The organization also works to grow the coaching pipeline through the Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching. The Stanford basketball coach recently retired as the winningest coach in NCAA history.

Breakfast of Champions

treatment

BILLIE JEAN KING is a 39-time Grand Slam champion and an equal rights champion—and now she›s getting the Breakfast of Champions treatment.

The twice-inducted tennis Hall of Famer will appear on a limited-edition box of Wheaties.

The cereal maker announced recently that the orange packages with King on the cover will be available at stores around the US later this month.

“I’ve dedicated my life to equality for all, uplifting those around me and inspiring girls and women, in particular, to dream big,” King said. “This box feels like a full circle moment as we celebrate the next generation of champions.”

King was a driving force beh ind the creation of the women’s professional tennis tour, equal prize

The WSF will hold its annual

money for women and men, and the passage of Title IX

The 80-year-old American won a total of 39 titles across singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles at Grand Slam tournaments during her playing career.

National footballers wear Puma

LOBAL sports company

GPuma forged a four-year collaboration with the men’s national tootball Team (as the brand aims to support Filipino football in all levels of competition including the youth teams.

With Puma as their official outfitter, Filipino fans can look forward to the official kits of the national team during the season.

“We at Puma are thrilled to partner with the Philippine men’s national tootball Team,” Puma Philippines Country Manager Paolo Misa said. “With our history of supplying uniforms for world-class football clubs and national teams, we

are excited to add the Philippines to our roster.”

As a sign of support for the team, Puma put up a special Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Fan Zone during the home game against Iraq last March 26.

Visitors of the Fan Zone got to try on Puma cleats and test them on a mini turf and enjoyed a special performance from legendary football freestyler Philip Warren Gertsson.

“We want to not only be the best in our region, we also want to be a force in Asia, and eventually a player on the world stage,” said PFF director of national teams and team

She was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987 for her on-court success and then was inducted again in 2021 as part of the Original 9, the group of women who laid the groundwork for the Women’s Tennis Association Tour. AP

manager Freddy Gonzalez. It’s vital that we have partners that share our long-term vision and our deep passion for football.”

“Puma is a premier global brand that not only reflects our lofty ambitions, but personifies the culture we are building across our national teams,” Gonzalez said. “To reach our goals, we must embody a tradition of continuous improvement in everything that we do. We need to be Forever Faster.”

“Representing the country at any level is the highest honor for a player, and the experience of doing so must carry the corresponding prestige,” PFF President John Gutierrez said. “With Puma, we’re grateful to have a World Class partner that shares our

A life of leisure, Old Friends at retirement farm for ex-Derby champ Silver Charm

“Hey, handsome,” Blowen called out as

sidled up to his longtime friend that now has only four remaining teeth and spends much of his day napping. Silver Charm moved toward Blowen, who fed him a handful of Mrs. Pastures horse cookie crumbs before pouring the rest into a feed bucket. The oldest living Derby winner then wandered to his water

BILLIE JEAN KING’S Women’s Sports Foundation she founded in 1974 has invested more than $100 million—and

MACCA IN MANILA SOON?

Celebrated ex-Beatle is still a top concert draw anywhere in the world

The

buzz is that Paul McCartney’s ‘Got Back’ tour will have an Asian leg—which might include the Philippines

First of two parts

By Pocholo Concepcion

AT age 81, Paul McCartney can put his feet up or do anything he wants without worrying about money—while royalties from songs he recorded with The Beatles, Wings, and from his solo albums are wired to his bank account.

Yet the superstar musician has not stopped working since 1957, the year he joined John Lennon’s early group, The Quarrymen, before it evolved into The Beatles in 1960.

McCartney’s most recent tour,  Got Back,  did 35 shows in the United States, England, Australia, Mexico, and Brazil, from April 28, 2022 to December 16, 2023. There’s talk of an Asian leg, which might include, hold your breath, the Philippines.

The scant details that sources have told

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Contributing Writers :

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Pocholo Concepcion

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BusinessMirror is that Macca in Manila might consist of two nights at the Philippine Arena. Nothing is confirmed as we went to press, but in the meantime…

‘Let It Be’ to stream on Disney+ BEATLEMANIACS can look forward to watching  Let It Be, director Michael LindsayHogg’s original 1970 film about the world’s biggest band, which will launch on May 8 exclusively on video streaming service Disney+.

This is the first time the film will be seen in over 50 years.

From the press material published on McCartney’s official web site paulmccartney.com:

“First released in May 1970 amidst the swirl of The Beatles’ breakup,  Let It Be now takes its rightful place in the band’s history. Once viewed through a darker lens, the film is now brought to light through its restoration and in the context of revelations brought forth in Peter Jackson’s multiple Emmy Award-winning docuseries, The Beatles: Get Back. Released on Disney+ in 2021, the docuseries showcases the iconic foursome’s warmth and camaraderie, capturing a pivotal moment in music history.

“Let It Be contains footage not featured in the Get Back docuseries, bringing viewers into the studio and onto Apple Corps’ London rooftop in January 1969 as The Beatles, joined by Billy Preston, write and record their Grammy Award-winning album Let It Be, with its Academy Award-winning title song, and perform live for the final time as a group.”

Apple Corps—the multimedia company run by McCartney, Ringo Starr, George

Harrison’s widow Olivia Harrison, and John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono—asked Jackson’s Park Road Post Production to restore  Let It Be from the original 16mm negatives, which included remastering the sound using the same technology applied to the Get Back docuseries.

Let It Be  director Lindsay-Hogg said: “I was knocked out by what Peter was able to do with  Get Back,  using all the footage I’d shot 50 years previously.”

“I’m absolutely thrilled that Michael’s movie, Let It Be, has been restored and is finally being re-released after being unavailable for decades,” said Jackson. “I was so lucky to have access to Michael’s outtakes for Get Back, and I’ve always thought that Let It Be is needed to complete the Get Back story. Over three parts, we showed Michael and The Beatles filming a groundbreaking new documentary, and Let It Be is that documentary—the movie they released in 1970. I now think of it all as one epic story, finally completed after five decades. The two projects support and enhance each other:  Let It Be is the climax of  Get Back, while  Get Back provides a vital missing context for  Let It Be. Michael Lindsay-Hogg was unfailingly helpful and gracious while I made  Get Back, and it’s only right that his original movie has the last word...looking and sounding far better than it did in 1970.”

Let It Be  stars Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr, with a special appearance by Preston. The film was produced by Neil Aspinall with The Beatles acting as executive producers. Director of photography was Anthony B. Richmond.

PROMOTIONAL poster of the film ‘Let It Be,’ streaming on Disney+ starting May 8.

MCCARTNEY presiding over a recording session, captured in the film ‘Let It Be.’

PAUL MCCARTNEY at the New Jersey leg of his “Got Back” tour in 2022. PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER SMITH/INVISION/AP FILE)

A SENSE OF HOME

Freen and Becky find connection with Manila fans

FEELING the sense of ‘kilig’ is one thing but what about doubling it and doing it five more times? Well, bringing in the heat to a different level are Thai GL Superstars Sarocha Chankimha (Freen) and Rebecca Patricia Armstrong (Becky) now on their 5th time in the Philippines.

Following yet another night full of love and excitement, capturing PH GIRLFREENs and Angels (FreenBecky fans) hearts with their FREENBECKY 2024 FAN MEETING IN MANILA

The show kicked off with a sweet and charming performance from the duo with songs “Marry Me” and “Because of You.” Everyone just felt the warmest welcome of the crowd and the undeniable chemistry between Freen and Becky.

Followed by the opening of the fan meet is an intimate conversation segment called Talk Back with Freen and Beck where they were asked about their personal pinoy favorites—foods, experiences, and places.

The two recalled how every time they land here in the Philippines from the airport all along the way they will be met by the fans. Eagerly wanting to freeze time they want to capture those kinds of moments but they miss it out for some reason. Moreover, they promised to do it for their next visit.

FreenBecky has naturally acquired a lot of Filipino expressions like ‘mahal ko kayo,’ ‘cute,’ and ‘kilig’ —which shows to be their favorite as they made everyone kilig over their tandem.

Fun games and activities were also

prepared for Freen and Becky plus their fans such as decorating a toy jeepney and parlor games such as pass the message.

Love is Love FURTHER , Freen and Becky performed more of their hits such as “No More Blues’’ and “Pink Theory’’. Yet another surprise is their rendition of “At My Worst” by Pink Sweat$.

Another in-between talk with the

two was sharing their love for the community that mostly makes up their fanbase—the LGBTQ+ community. They wanted everyone to feel loved the way they were supposed to be loved, reminding them that their feelings were more valid than they could ever imagine.

“Since everyone only has one life and it’s not too long you can do whatever you want and you can be whatever you want to be,” Freen.

The love they receive is also what they give back to their fans. Freen and Becky wanted to cherish the present and shared that these were the moments she wanted to treasure forever. Working alongside each other is a huge accomplishment for them. They are happy they were able to represent the community proudly.

“Be proud of who you are, you have the right to love anyone you want to love and slowly I believe the world will also see that,” Becky.

“We always get a warm welcome, it’s always sweet like no matter where we go. I know you guys spend so much time planning projects and everything from banners to billboards to little gifts or just literally your loud cheers—it’s so fulfilling to our hearts,” Becky added.

FreenBecky in the Future

BUILDING the foundation of their strong connection is the series and movies they’ve been together. FreenBecky have shared their bond and their dreams. They wanted to do more movies and series for their fans the best they could.

Fans prepared a video project for the duo which made the duo emotional. Freen started crying with so much love and admiration for the support they got.

“The reason why I call you guys family is [that] we are like home so no matter on a good day or an amazing or you have something exciting or especially when you have a bad day—you can always come back to us, we’ll be your sunshine always and whenever we fall we’ll get up slowly as a family,” Becky says.

Closing the show with not just a core memory to take home but also a place where they can call home and people they can consider family.

Text and photos by Bea Rollo

What junior doctors’ unpaid overtime tells us about the toxic side of medicine

By Claire Hooker, alex Broom, Karen Scott, and Louise Nash University of Sydney

WHat’S been described as the largest underpayment class action in australian legal history has just been settled.

Thousands of junior doctors, subject to court approval, are set to share back-pay of more than a quarter of a million dollars.

Amireh Fakhouri, who brought the claim on behalf of junior doctors in New South Wales, alleged that when they worked in the state’s public health system from December 2014 to December 2020, NSW Health had failed to pay the overtime and weekend meal break entitlements she and her colleagues were owed. More than 20,000 claimants are now set to be eligible for a share in the nearly A$230 million settlement.

But repayment was never the main goal of the class action. Fakhouri, who is now training as a GP in Victoria, said she hoped instead it would change the work culture in medicine.

A rite of passage?

T H e health-care system has routinely relied on the labor of junior doctors. These include interns (those who have completed their university medical training and are in their first year of being practicing doctors), residents (who have completed their internship and hold a general registration) and registrars (specialists in training).

Junior doctors often provide much of the staffing for night and weekend shifts and complete burdensome administrative tasks for consultants (senior doctors).

Overworking junior doctors has been normalized for decades. We see this depicted in books, such as The House of God and This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, as well

ReSe A rCH shows doctors are prone to burnout, depression, anxiety, substance abuse problems, and dysfunctional personal relationships. One explanation is that, in medicine, being in the job longer actually increases risks. The long hours, work-life imbalances, workplace pressure and even recent changes in employment opportunities fundamentally bring into question the assumed privilege of doctors.

One junior cancer specialist shared

as TV shows, from House to Scrubs

This is a safety issue. Doctor fatigue has considerable effects on patient safety through potential medical errors, poor quality patient care, longer patient recovery, reduced physician empathy and impacts on the doctor-patient relationship.

A 2020 study found that when doctors reported even moderate tiredness their chance of making a medical error rose by 53 percent. Put simply, stretched, demoralized and tired doctors will do harm. eventually, that will affect you.

It’s not just long hours

T He expectation of working long hours is only part of the culture of medicine.

Our research and global evidence shows “teaching by humiliation” and other forms of verbal mistreatment have also been normalized.

A 2018 study of NSW interns and residents found more than 50 percent experienced bullying. Some 16-19 percent (mostly female) experienced sexual harassment. Some of the junior doctors who are victims of mistreatment later become the perpetrators, perpetuating this harmful culture.

Junior doctors are suffering

T He impact of long hours on junior doctors and of the abuse they are subjected to is

the pressures cascading through medical school to training, saying, “You just think, ‘Oh my god, it doesn’t end.’”

Another said, “If you’re skating on the edge of burnout, then it is very difficult to have patience with patients and their families. You’re not going to have that reserve and resilience.”

A classic opt-out in this debate is that doctors are type-A personalities, which means they are competitive, self-critical, high achievers and so on.

vividly evident through research, including ours. Junior doctors have significantly high levels of depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide.

As we’ve been saying for almost a decade, there is a desperate need for better work-life balance for junior doctors and deep culture change in the health-care system.

But there is often little sympathy for junior doctors. In 2022, one hospital threatened to remove comfortable lounges to prevent juniors napping on quiet night shifts. Just last week, we heard of a similar case involving junior doctors at another hospital, who were told “sleeping is not part of your job description.”

A culture of silence

T HIS class action was needed because on a day-to-day basis, junior doctors mostly do not complain. They internalize distress as failure (not being tough enough) and fear that a diagnosis of depression or anxiety will result in patients and colleagues avoiding them. They don’t report mistreatment or reject overwork as, often, their senior doctors control their career progression.

This is important, because contrary to perceptions of doctors as wealthy elites, our research shows junior doctors often find it hard to progress, get a job in their

While this may be true for some, viewing the problem through this lens places the responsibility on doctors themselves rather than focusing on systemic cultural and organizational issues in medicine. It also contributes to the cultural tendency to individualize mental health issues, rather than see them as deeply embedded in broader professional and health service problems.

Medical care is rarely straightforward. It involves listening to patients’

city of choice, or find full-time roles. The pressure on junior doctors to “make it” in an increasingly competitive environment grows stronger. Such professional problems reinforce the culture of not complaining for fear of blow-back.

Most of those who do take action, report ineffective or personally harmful outcomes when reporting to senior colleagues. This fulfils a vicious cycle of silence as junior doctors become ill but do not seek help.

What needs to be done?

I T often takes brave public legal action such as this lawsuit to catalyze culture change–to nudge hospitals to prevent junior doctors from working back-to-back shifts, to protect time off for a personal life, ensure meal breaks, and provide means to hold powerful senior doctors to account.

Culture change is hard, slow and requires multi-pronged strategies. We need a safe way for junior doctors to report their concerns, and training so they know their options for responding to mistreatment. We need senior doctors and hospital managers to be trained in how to encourage and respond constructively to complaints. When this happens, culture change is possible. The Conversation

stories, putting together complex histories and, in many cases, managing the difficult emotions of patients and families.

If we want doctors to listen, be empathetic, solve complex problems and maybe even save the health system money, we need to invest seriously in clinician well-being. Healthy doctors understand us better, make good decisions and offer us the best chance of good health. The Conversation

Cover photo by Thirdman on Pexels.com

“ There is a desperate need for better work-life balance for junior doctors and deep culture change in the health-care system,” write the authors, who are academicians at the University of Sydney in Australia. Photo by CedriC Fauntleroy on Pexels.Com