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A broader look at today’s business n

Sunday, November 26, 2023 Vol. 19 No. 46

P25.00 nationwide | 4 sections 28 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK

T

By Jeremaiah M. Opiniano

Earn today, how about tomorrow?

OFW Journalism Consortium | Special to The BusinessMirror

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who save, 2009-2022

HE number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who save amounts from their foreign remittance incomes has been plummeting for the last 14 years, says data from an annual government survey.

This trend came from the annual Survey on Overseas Filipinos (SOF) of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which had been publicly releasing data on the number of OFWs who save since 2009.

A year before Covid-19, the number of OFW savers went to its historic lowest at 32.7 percent. The last three pandemic years only saw marginal increases in the number of savers, reaching to 34.6 percent in 2022.

That four-year plateau all but sealed the downward trend on the number of OFW savers as per SOF data. OFW savers reached a high 53.1 percent in 2009, or after the 2007-2008 global economic crisis.

It was also in the last two decades that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), financial institutions and nongovernment organizations for OFWs have rolled out numerous financial literacy campaigns and savings, insurance and investment products and services tailored for

OFWs and their families.

The Philippine Development Plans (PDPs) of former Presidents Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte, and of current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., have all mandated the launch of financial education and savings and investment products for the OFW market.

Even two rounds of the BSP’s National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NFSI), a masterplan to make Filipinos open at least a savings account in order to save and invest, carried OFWs as target beneficiaries.

The diminishing number of total OFW savers “is definitely a concern,” says Ateneo de Manila University economist Dr. Maire Carroline Magante. This concern is given the Philippines’ reliance on foreign remittances and how “the influx of these remittances stimulates consumption locally, which has multiplier effects,” Magante adds.

to the adverse effects of the pandemic on domestic and global labor market conditions as reflected through higher unemployment rates and low inflows of overseas Filipinos’ personal remittances.”

Reintegrating, ‘redeploying’ OFWs

Source: PSA Survey on Overseas Filipinos

The pandemic and OFW money

THE Covid-19 pandemic saw the return of over 2.2 million OFWs up until year two of the Philippines’ mandating of the first lockdown on March 16, 2020. Many of these returnees brought whatever savings they had accumulated from abroad, but were stuck at home given border closures and travel restrictions.

Surprisingly, cash remittances from overseas Filipinos in 2020 only had a 0.76-percent reduction year-on-year (US$29.9 billion versus US$30.1 billion). Then Filipinos abroad sent more money in 2021 (US$31.4 billion) and 2022 (US$32.5 billion), both historic highs according to BSP data.

But the Covid-19 pandem-

Packaged by the OFW Journalism Consortium

ic stymied the savings habit of OFWs, including returnees. A 2021 survey of 8,332 returnee OFWs by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) showed that their return migration led to “lost remittances,” with nearly half of surveyed returnees claiming to have lost more than 60 percent of their household income.

A newly released BSP report on the country’s flow of funds (year 2020) confirmed the overall decline of savings and real investments during the first year of Covid-19. Filipino households recorded a lower gross savings amounting to P983.2 billion in 2020, compared to P1.1 trillion in 2019.

“The decline in the [household] sector’s saving,” says BSP, “was due

SINCE 2022, many host countries of foreign workers have reopened their labor markets. The situation has led to some 1.2 million newhire and rehired OFWs deployed last year, says data from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

The 2022 OFW deployment figure is a nearly 100-percent rise from the over-675,000 number in 2021. But both numbers still fall below the 2.2 million OFW returnees tabbed by government authorities during the first two years of the pandemic.

The droves of return migration prompted the Philippine government to pivot its policy efforts to migrant workers’ reintegration through cash grants, livelihood loans and psychosocial support services.

On its first fully funded year as a government agency, DMW launched this year a six-pronged program for migrant reintegration.

This “sustainable reintegration” framework of DMW, said Assistant Secretary Venecio Legaspi, covers a skills inventory for returnees; databanking and monitoring reintegration programs; skills and

business development services; a savings fund and a menu of investment options; an e-commerce platform for OFW entrepreneurs; and partnerships with the private sector and NGOs. But since some of these few OFW savers will retire at home and will confront current-day price increases for commodities, Magante thinks the post-pandemic return of OFWs “could possibly generate a massive welfare provision problem.”

The 14-year SOF dataset shows that at least half of OFW savers save less than a fourth of their remittances. Meanwhile, those who save at least half of their foreign remittance incomes hovered to around 11-to-17 percent in the last 14 years.

The SOF covers April to September annually, and is a rider to the October round of the nowmonthly Labor Force Survey (LFS).

BSP just celebrated a national economic and financial literacy week from November 6 to 10.

Meanwhile, third quarter of 2020 to Q3 2023 data from the quarterly Consumer Expectations Survey (CES) of the BSP showed similar results to the PSA’s SOF: OFW savers run just above a third but not reaching half of those surveyed.

OFW households that allocate foreign remittances to savings range from a low of 31.6 percent (Q3 2020) to a high of 43 percent (Q1 2023), CES survey data show.

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 55.4840 n JAPAN 0.3710 n UK 69.5603 n HK 7.1146 n CHINA 7.7616 n SINGAPORE 41.3936 n AUSTRALIA 36.3809 n EU 60.5164 n KOREA 0.0427 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.7938 Source: BSP (November 24, 2023)

SERGEY NOVIKOV | DREAMSTIME.COM

While the latest BSP report showed continuing mild growth in remittance flows, government data showed the number of OFW savers has been declining the last 14 years.

NewsSunday BusinessMirror

A2 Sunday, November 26, 2023

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UAE tightens scrutiny on Russian companies amid pressure from US R

By Bloomberg News

USSIAN firms based in the United Arab Emirates are coming under greater scrutiny from local banks as the Gulf state faces increased US pressure to tackle sanctions evasion and ramps up efforts to get off a global organization’s watch list.

The UAE attracted a flood of Russian money in the first year after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine, with firms finding banking quick and easy to navigate. That process has gradually grown more arduous, with rejections increasingly common, because the UAE is showing less appetite for sanctions-related risk and pushing to get off the socalled gray list, according to more than half a dozen business owners and consultants interviewed

by Bloomberg, who asked not to be identified as such information isn’t public.

Money transfers—whether for companies repatriating funds to Russia or moving cash to a third country—have also been subject to greater oversight and now take

more time, the people said. Some banks are demanding more documentation, and at times blocking funds, while seeking justification for the transfer or questioning the origin of the money, they said.

In the initial aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, UAE officials hewed to policies that attracted a surge of inflows from high net worth individuals. In recent months, officials have looked to close perceived gaps in sanctions compliance, the people said, as the UAE seeks to be removed from a list of jurisdictions subject to more oversight maintained by the Financial Action Task Force, a group that aims to combat global money laundering.

In the meantime, the US, the UK and European Union have ramped

RUSSIA pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai, UAE. RITU JETHANI | DREAMSTIME.COM

RUSSIAN Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Mobility District in UAE. KINGMAPHOTOS | DREAMSTIME.COM

up pressure on Emirati officials to tackle illicit flows and close channels used by Moscow to skirt trade sanctions and finance the Kremlin’s war machine. This month, the Biden administration targeted several UAEbased shipping firms, part of a crackdown on non-compliance with its oil price cap.

“In terms of financial compliance, it has become much more difficult to be Russian in the UAE, and the situation is getting tougher,” said Daria Nevskaya, a Dubai-based lawyer who consults with clients on cross-border deals and bank accounts. “Some banks that previously had been accepting payments from Russia have put a stop to such transactions now.”

In response to questions from Bloomberg, a UAE official said the country takes its role in protecting the integrity of the global financial system extremely seriously. “The increased resources and expertise we have put in place underpin the UAE’s continued commitment to combating economic crime and disrupting illicit networks, both at home and abroad,” the official said.

As part of the FATF proceedings, UAE banks are requesting more information from current and prospective clients, including specific checks related to sanctions lists, Thani Al Zeyoudi, the country’s minister of state for foreign trade, told Bloomberg on Tuesday.

While that’s true for clients of every nationality, the situation can be particularly acute for Russians because of the volume of countryspecific sanctions, according to

people familiar with the matter.

“The UAE has been very good at usually doing just about enough to escape serious censure while also being as open to business from all sides as they can,” said Steffen Hertog, an associate professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science. “More due diligence and cutting links with clear sanctions evaders will be enough to avoid any escalation with the US.” The policy shift has hit smaller businesses particularly hard because of lenders’ risk-reward calculations, according to Michael Malinovskiy, a partner at Lecap law firm.

Some larger businesses are now weighing alternatives.

The UAE’s crackdown on illicit activities in its bullion market and US measures against Russia’s top gold miners led to a shift in trading from Dubai to Hong Kong since April, two people involved in the industry said. More rigorous oversight of bank transfers and a mandatory government database for monitoring cash payments have increased hurdles for Russian exporters in the UAE, people familiar with the matter said.

Another of Russia’s biggest mining companies, which has sanctioned shareholders, has been struggling to open a bank account for months, two people familiar with the situation said.

Gazprombank, which has escaped the strictest restrictions due to its role in commodities trading, had one of its correspondent accounts closed by Dubai-based bank Mashreq, a person with direct knowl-

edge of the situation said, declining to be identified as the information isn’t public. The lender has accounts at two other UAE banks for now, the person said, adding that he thinks Dubai banks are closing for Russian money.

Gazprombank’s media relations staff and Mashreq didn’t reply to requests for comment.

To be sure, the UAE is still a favored hub for many of Russia’s biggest unsanctioned companies.

United Co. Rusal International PJSC is shifting its global aluminum trading headquarters to Dubai from Switzerland, while EuroChem Group AG, one of the country’s biggest fertilizer producers, has run its trading operations through Dubai for more than a year. The Uralchem-Uralkali fertilizer group has had its international trading unit based in Dubai’s DMCC free-trade zone since 2021.

Still, closer scrutiny from UAE authorities is pushing some mid-size businesses to move to neighboring Gulf countries, such as Oman or Bahrain, which aren’t under the US government’s spotlight, the people said.

“The UAE still is a very useful hub to have for Russia, notably the rich elites around Putin,” Hertog said. “Russia probably needs the UAE more than the other way around at this point, but there is still need for Russian cooperation vis-a-vis Iran, Syria, Libya and other regional hot spots.”

With assistance from Abeer Abu Omar/Bloomberg

TheWorld

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

Sunday, November 26, 2023

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What will happen in Gaza after Israel stops its war on Hamas?

By Ethan Bronner, Simon Marks & Sam Dagher

A

S Israel has waged its war in the Gaza Strip, officials across the world are united in trying to figure out how to restore order when all the fighting stops.

There’s little agreement, however, and even less optimism.

Israel’s goal is to eradicate Hamas and secure the enclave. But like so much about the events of the Palestinian militant group’s October 7 attack on the Jewish state and its aftermath, what advocates seek for the future of Gaza ref lects how they interpret the past—and on that, they can’t agree.

That raises questions over whether Israel can ever achieve its stated aims: to deradicalize and demilitarize the Palestinian territory of 2.2 million people on its southwestern border.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a hostage deal announced early Wednesday and a pause in fighting, but it’s uncertain whether any sustainable peace will endure.

US President Joe Biden wants to bring the more moderate Palestinian Authority from the West Bank, led by Mahmoud Abbas, back into Gaza more than 16 years after it was ejected and restart the building of a Palestinian state, as he laid out in a recent essay and public statements.

Interviews with two dozen officials, diplomats and analysts in Israel, the Arab world, Europe and the US—most of which were granted on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations—show the range of options along with the mistrust and confusion dominating the discussions.

Unlike the US, the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes a Palestinian state and wants to keep the West Bank and Gaza separate. It seeks to foster a young technocratic leadership inside Gaza with Arab money, US guidance and Israeli security that will build something like Dubai on the Mediterranean, according to senior Israeli officials and others with whom they’ve spoken. It’s an approach most outsiders consider pie in the sky.

The Palestinian Authority says it won’t discuss the future without a ceasefire, but privately officials say they’re ready to return, just not on the back of Israeli tanks. The European Union supports its return, one senior official said, and could beef up its border control mission in Gaza that was withdrawn after October 7. Top officials from the EU have been holding discussions with officials from the authority and key Arab states.

Some other European and US officials say the only way forward is a multinational or United Nations force, with an emphasis on Arab troops.

Governments in Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia say they won’t put boots on the ground and that the US is too supportive of Israel’s war.

“Let me be very clear: I know I am speaking on behalf of Jordan but I have discussed this issue with almost all of our Arab brethren,” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told the Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain on November 18. “There will be no Arab troops going to Gaza.”

That leaves an option of a force like the one in Haiti or Lebanon, but these are considered to be highly ineffective, and Israel either won’t accept it or will mostly ignore it once in place.

Many Arabs see the Hamas attack last month as evidence that Israel has

been ignoring the Palestinian question to its detriment, pursuing peace with countries further afield such as the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. The assault was significant less for its savagery than for the underlying factors that, they argue, drove desperate people to do desperate things.

This is an opportunity, they say, to restart stalled Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and return to the twostate model that has animated policy and analysis for some three decades.

Some also argue that Hamas can’t be eliminated because the group, designated a terrorist organization by the US, UK and EU, is inherent to Palestinian society and now must be incorporated into peace talks.

Israelis mostly draw a different conclusion. They say they pulled their forces and settlers out of Gaza in 2005.

Palestinians could have constructed factories, farms and hotels. Instead, Hamas—which won legislative elections a year later and then took control by force—mostly built rockets and underground tunnels, training thousands of militants to kill and maim, while leaving the population impoverished, the Israelis say.

The lesson is that Israel must never again leave neighboring territory in the hands of Palestinian security forces because militants will take over and try another October 7 attack. For them, the model is Japan and Germany after World War II—destroy fully the existing authority and create a new entity backed by an aid package.

“The only way to uproot Hamas entails a massive devastation to homes and infrastructure, leaving parts of Gaza today looking like the European cities in rubble at the end of the Second World War,” said Uri Dromi, an Israeli government spokesman in the 1990s. “The situation calls for a similar remedy: A new Marshall Plan for Gaza.”

A scenario of total devastation in Gaza risks radicalizing an entire generation of youth against the Jewish state, Arab leaders like Jordan’s King Abdullah have warned. Plus, it would involve billions, if not tens of billions, of dollars. The question is from whom and who would decide how to spend it. Qatar, for one, has financed Gaza for years, with money going toward infrastructure.

Some Arab leaders, though, say they’ve paid to rebuild Gaza three times already due to conflicts with Israel and aren’t much interested in a fourth without rock-solid guarantees.

In Israel, many say it’s time to abandon the—clearly failed—twostate formula and find a new approach. “It’s as if nothing happened and people are coming up with the old stuff,” said Uzi Rabi, director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies. “I would vie for something which is out-of-thebox thinking. There is an opportunity to do something different.”

Biden says that ground rules for what should happen next include no forcible displacement of Palestinians, no siege or blockade of Gaza and no reduction in its territory.

But Israel has been pressing to move Gazans temporarily into Egypt or other Arab countries to complete its military operation and limit civilian casualties. Egypt refuses—as do the others—on the grounds that, in the past, Israel drove Palestinians from their homes and may not let them back. Israel denies that, but says it plans to create a buffer zone inside Gaza so that militants are kept far from its communities. That, too,

contradicts Biden.

In trying to plan what’s next, many look at recent history. The Palestinian Authority was in charge of Gaza from 1994 until 2007. In 2006 legislative elections, Hamas squeaked past Fatah, the main party of the Palestinian Authority. It then began pressuring Fatah officials, leading to a violent civil war. Hundreds were killed and the Palestinian Authority was exiled from the strip.

Walid Ibrahim al-Walid, a general in the Palestinian Authority’s preventive security service, counts himself lucky to be alive. He says Hamas made two attempts on his life in Gaza. “They came to my house, where I was with my family, and began shooting and throwing grenades,” he recounted.

Now living in the West Bank, A lWalid would like to go back to Gaza, where he’s from, as part of a new leadership. T here are some 25,000 Pa le s t i n i a n A ut hor it y of f ic i a l s still in Gaza, some of whom work within Hamas ministries, and others who’ve collected salaries for 16 years while staying home. Such civil ser vants could, in theor y, form a new governing structure.

Two names come up as possibilities to run Gaza, at least in the short term.

One is Mohammed Dahlan, the top Palestinian Authority figure in Gaza before Hamas took over. Dahlan challenged President Abbas and has been living in exile in Abu Dhabi since 2011.

The other is Marwan Barghouti. He’s been in Israeli prison for two decades, is highly influential in the West Bank and considered a possible successor to Abbas. Israel would have to be willing to release him.

T h e P a l e s t i n i a n A u t h o r i t y, though, is widely considered to have grown sclerotic after almost two decades under Abbas, with corruption and inefficiency endemic. Israeli officials say the authority’s return would be a recipe for disaster and they won’t permit it. US officials don’t deny that there are significant problems with that possibility, but say they’re less severe than Israel contends.

In truth, there are so many variables—when the war will end, how much will be left standing, how many civilians are killed, whether the fighting spreads more deeply into Lebanon—that detailed planning seems almost fantasy-like. It isn’t even clear who the decision makers in key places will be.

Many expect that when the war ends, Netanyahu will be forced to resign for having overseen the security lapse that permitted the October 7 attack. Since his government is especially nationalist, a change could mean a new approach.

It’s far from clear, however, whether a new administration would be more moderate on Gaza’s future or a Palestinian state because the events of recent weeks have driven many Israelis further to the right. In a poll by Channel 12 last week, only 10 percent of Israelis said they favored bringing the Palestinian Authority into Gaza, with 30 percent favoring an international force.

It’s also not clear how much longer Abbas, 88, will be in office or who might replace him. The same could be said of Biden at 81, facing a tight reelection race in one year, possibly against Donald Trump, who’s campaigning partly on a platform of isolationism, suggesting that US military engagement abroad would decrease markedly.

Biden has taken a central role in supporting Israel, sending two carrier-led combat fleets to the Eastern

Mediterranean to warn Hezbollah and Iran not to jump into the war with Israel.

Among many other issues is what will be left of Gaza. Much of Gaza City is in ruins. Gaza’s inhabitants are mostly the descendants of refugees and many have lived without productive work, although thanks to UN agencies, their core needs—health and education—have been met.

The reputation of the strip is more dire than the reality. According to the World Bank, Gaza has near universal literacy, much higher than in neighboring Egypt, let alone poorer countries like Sudan and Chad. Rates of infant mortality and life expectancy were also better.

But the impact of the war will be devastating. The UN Development Program has already forecast that with some 390,000 jobs lost so far, the economy could shrink by up to 12 percent in 2023, poverty could rise by a third and the area could be set back by some 15 years. More than two thirds of Gazans have been displaced. Gaza could look like Syria with huge internal refugee tent camps amid rubble.

“It’s extremely difficult to think of the endgame,” said Khaled AlHroub, professor in residence of the faculty of liberal arts at North-

western University in Qatar. “Much depends on the final outcome of the war and the degree to which Hamas is weakened.”

He said Hamas can’t be eliminated and must be included in negotiations on a future Palestinian state, or as former Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa put it: “Hamas will most certainly have a role in what emerges after the guns are silenced.”

Meanwhile, said Al-Hroub, Israel is turning Gaza into a “reconstruction site that will consume whoever is in power for years to come in healing it.” And, for now, it’s hard to see who would wield that power beyond Israel.

The country says it trusts no one else to make sure Hamas isn’t rebuilding its forces. It plans on having its troops moving freely in and out, which will protect the border communities it plans to rebuild, but create friction in Gaza.

If a local governing body does emerge, the situation might most resemble parts of the West Bank where Palestinian officials handle civil mat ters and Israeli troops are responsible for security. It’s an arrangement that Palestinians have complained about for years, saying Israeli troops humiliate their officials who are dismissed by the population as toadies and agents of occupation.

Meanwhile, the most striking gap

remains over the meaning of October 7. Israelis focus on the killing, maiming and kidnapping of women, children and elderly, by militants.

To them, it’s evidence of a deeply violent streak and proof that Hamas needs to be uprooted the way the Islamic State was from Iraq and Syria in 2016-2017.

Palestinians view it differently.

They tend to see the attack as a triumph over Israel, according to a recent poll by Ramallah-based Arab World for Research and Development.

Support for a two-state solution has plummeted, it showed, while belief has soared in the installation of a Palestinian state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. To the question of whether the events since October 7 have made them more or less in favor of coexistence, nine in 10 Palestinians said less.

That’s the kind of sentiment Israelis cite as a reason to focus purely on their own security calculations, without expecting cooperation from anyone else. “As long as there is no stability in Gaza, Israel can rely on nobody,” said Rabi, the Dayan Center director. “Whatever the solution, it has to have something to do with the security needs of Israel.” With

assistance from Antony Sguazzin and Fadwa Hodali/Bloomberg

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Sunday, November 26, 2023

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Precious water: As the world thirsts, luxury water becomes fashionable among the elite

By Martha Irvine & Dar Yasin The Associated Press

S

A MTSE , Bhut a n—Monsoon rains have finally passed and floods blocking the lone dirt road have retreated enough for a small truck to climb these Himalayan foothills to a gurgling spring. It spews water so fresh that people here call it nectar.

Workers inside a small plant ferry sleek glass bottles along a conveyer.

The bottles, filled with a whoosh of this natural mineral water, are labeled, packed into cases and placed inside a truck for a long ride.

Ganesh Iyer, who heads the operation, watches like a nervous dad, later pulling out his phone, as any proud parent might, to show the underground cavern the waters have formed in this pristine kingdom, the world’s last Shangri-La. This is no ordinary water. It will travel hundreds of miles to some of India’s luxury hotels, restaurants and richest families, who pay about $6 per bottle, roughly a day’s wage for an Indian laborer. Millions of people worldwide don’t have clean water to drink, even though the United Nations deemed water a basic human right more than a decade ago.

Yet, even as extreme heat dries up more aquifers and wells and leaves more people thirsty, luxury water has become fashionable among the world’s privileged, who uncap and taste it like fine wine.

This “fine water” is drawn from volcanic rock in Hawaii, from icebergs that have fallen from melting glaciers in Norway, or from droplets of morning mist in Tasmania.

Connoisseurs, some who study to become water sommeliers, insist this trend isn’t about snobbishness. They appreciate the purest of the pure.

“Water is not just water,” says Michael Mascha, a founder of the Fine Water Society, a consortium of small bottlers and distributors worldwide.

He likens consumers of high-end water to foodies who’d drive miles to find heirloom tomatoes or a rare salt. Some drink fine water instead of alcohol.

“Having the right stemware, drinking at the right temperature, pairing it with food, celebrating with water—all those kinds of things are important.”

Mineral spring AS a truck rolls out of the Bhutanese bottling plant, operated by Veen Waters India, the 40-some line workers take a tea break along a short row of employee housing. They check their mobile phones and chat, while birds chirp in the background. Laundry hung out to dry flaps in a subtle breeze. It’s a steamy day, even at this

higher elevation.

Up a hillside behind them is a mineral spring, once a source of fresh water for nearby villagers, who used bamboo rods as pipes to help funnel some of the steadily flowing clear current into buckets they carried home. Now that source, which Veen purchased from the previous owner more than a decade ago, is kept behind a locked gate for safekeeping.

Veen’s business slowed to a trickle during the pandemic, says Iyer, Veen’s managing partner. But now the company is exporting about 20,000 cases—or 240,000 bottles—of the water into India each month, minus the occasional few that break on their bumpy multiple-day trek. He figures they’ve tapped only about 10 percent of the potential market so far.

After crossing into India, the trucks carrying the bottled water run through lush green Darjeeling tea plantations, past road signs marking elephant crossings and the occasional cluster of teenage boys cooling off in a rain catchment next to rural villages dotted with banana trees.

Eventually, the cases are delivered to luxury hotels and restaurants many hundreds of miles away in cities like New Delhi, Pune and Mumbai, where Veen is headquartered.

A few wealthy families get weekly shipments. Iyer jokes that the richest of the rich buy so much that they “probably bathe in it.”

Market reports predict even greater demand for premium water worldwide in years to come. In India—now the most populous country in the world, with a rising standard of living and growing concerns about water quality—Veen is poised to help satisfy that demand.

Indians’ story of water FOR many Indians, however, the story of water is very different, including in Mumbai’s Dharavi neighborhood, one of Asia’s largest slums, jammed with working families.

There, water arrives in municipal pipelines just once a day, from about 6 to 9 a.m., setting off a flurry of activity as the day’s crushing heat arrives in spring and summer.

The three-hour window for water shapes the neighborhood’s rituals.

Men in shorts or underwear lather up in a bath area. Their upbeat banter is constant as they prepare for the day.

Residents of this labyrinth of narrow alleyways and small homes brush their teeth while standing on front porches, spitting toothpaste into water that runs along the uneven blocks of concrete on the ground. They fill up buckets and reclaimed bottles to keep water at home. A few women wash aluminum pots and pans or briskly scrub

A VILLAGER pours water into a canister as others gather around a well to draw water in Telamwadi, northeast of Mumbai, India on May 6, 2023. Tankers bring water from the Bhatsa River after it has been treated with chlorine. There have been protests in the region since so much of the river water is diverted to urban areas, including Mumbai. AP/DAR YASIN T-shirts, scarves and other clothing.

Still others are more desperate, such as Rekha Nagesh Pawar, who lives with her four children in a tent made out of blue plastic tarps along a busy Mumbai roadway. The water she gets from a neighbor, when he’s feeling charitable, has been siphoned illegally from a public system with a garden hose. She says her husband, a mason, died from a heart attack in 2021, leaving her to beg for money for food.

She frets that there’s often not enough water to bathe her children or wash their clothes. “We have to live in filth,” the weary-eyed woman says.

It’s hard for her to fathom that someone would pay a day’s wages for a bottle of fancy water.

Fine water VEEN is far from the most expensive in the fine water category. The rarest of all, often bottled in collectable glass, sell for hundreds of dollars apiece.

This scene was on full display when members of the Fine Water Society gathered in April at a swanky hotel in Athens, Greece, for their annual international tasting competition and symposium.

With bottles and glasses lined up before them, judges from several countries sampled various brands, swishing gulps of water and sometimes spitting mouthfuls into canisters, as wine tasters do. Spectators seated before them watched intently. Many were bottlers who’d come to compete.

The judges flipped cards to indicate their scores for each entrant: 92, 98, and so on.

“Who wins here? It’s really sometimes very hard to predict,” says Mascha, who served as a judge. “There’s always a sleeper.”

Twenty years ago, people mocked his fascination with water, which grew from his doctor’s insistence that he

quit drinking alcohol. He searched for alternatives that might enrapture him the same way a complex bottle of cabernet once had.

As he tried more waters from small batch bottlers, he discovered likeminded water devotees. That group has only grown.

They discuss “virginality,” or purity. They learn about “terroir,” the environment in which water originates. They compare the total dissolved solids, or TDS. Waters with low TDS are more like rainwater that hasn’t touched the earth. Those with high TDS—such as Vichy mineral water from thermal springs in France and Catalan—have robust mineral content that may include calcium, magnesium, potassium or sodium, among others.

A few restaurants in countries such as Spain and the United States now have menus that pair food with particular types of fine water. A bolder mineral water, for instance, might be suggested as a companion for a charbroiled steak. More subtle rainwater might be paired with fish.

This year’s champions in each category, from still water to sparkling and super-low minerality to high, came from Austria, New Zealand, Panama, Scandinavia and other parts of the world.

Awards, however, do not guarantee success in what can be a very competitive business, especially for the momand-pop bottlers.

“Every brand has to find its unique selling point,” says Jamal Qureshi, founder of the now-defunct Svalbardi Polar Iceberg Water, based on the farnorth Norwegian island of Svalbard.

“If it’s just like, ‘Oh, you know, we’re a special water from wherever,’ it’s hard to stand out.”

His company, once a rising star in the fine water scene and winner of awards, sold melted Arctic icebergs,

bottled in fancy glass containers, online.

The idea was to harvest small floating remnants of glaciers to tell the story of climate change, the proliferation of greenhouse gases and its direct impact on the disappearing Arctic landscape.

People paid $100 (US) for a bottle of Svalbardi. Often, the company sold out.

Then in late 2020, a shipment of 15,000 empty bottles from a supplier arrived broken and scratched, forcing the fledgling company to close down.

Without its opulent packaging, the average consumer might fail to taste the difference in these waters. Even sommeliers say it can take months of practice to determine the subtleties.

“Please smell my water and tell me how good or bad it is,” people sometimes tease Iyer, of Veen, when they learn he’s a certified water sommelier—India’s first, he says. He takes no offense.

But Mascha, of the Fine Water Society, is quick to differentiate fine water from “mega-corporations that exploit water.”

Water sold in clear plastic bottles that are ubiquitous the world over is often simply filtered municipal water that’s distilled and bottled from any number of sources. In many instances, Mascha says, a water filter on your tap would produce the same result, with far less impact on the environment.

When it comes to fine water, he says natural spring water, for instance, must come from a single source and be bottled near that source. He calls the bottlers in his society small “water farmers.”

Water problems

SOLUTIONS to the world’s water problems won’t come easily.

That is the reality of life in waterstressed countries like India, a country that has 18 percent of the world’s population, but only 4 percent of its water, according to the World Bank.

Water shortages have sparked protests and conflict. Last year, a man was stabbed and killed in a fight over water in the town of Aurangabad, north of Mumbai.

The Indian government has promised that every household will soon have plumbing and running water— a goal set for this year that has yet to be reached.

“But just because we spend money and put the pipes in, doesn’t mean that people will actually have water in their taps,” says Veena Srinivasan, executive director of WELL Labs, a research institution in Bengaluru, India, that studies water sustainability.

Climate change has only worsened droughts and heatwaves and put more

pressure on India’s underground aquifers, as well as rivers that also are polluted by industry, farming and sewage.

India is among many countries that have built huge plants to desalinate seawater. Others, including Singapore, are collecting and cleaning up storm and wastewater to try to solve their water woes.

But solutions like those are in their infancy in many countries, if they exist at all.

That means the commodification of water, and those who profit from it are likely to become more contentious.

Fine water is certainly a commodity too, though its connoisseurs and those who bottle often speak of the importance of respecting and conserving an increasingly precious resource.

Even for them, luxury water is often just that—a luxury.

Iyer only drinks Veen when out at a restaurant. At home, he and his wife consume tap water after boiling it. As many do, he likes to store it in a matka, an Indian red clay pot that is a water cooler. He also still bathes with a bucket, while sitting on a stool, a common Indian custom that also saves water.

“On one hand, we consider water to be holy and divine,” Iyer says. “But we take it for granted. We believe water will always be there.”

Sacred offering IN Bhutan, Buddhist prayer flags are a common sight—squares of five colors, strung along bridges and at meditation stops next to scenic mountain roadways. Blue represents space. Red is for fire; yellow is earth; white is air.

Green symbolizes water, a revered resource in a country known for its environmental stewardship.

It is a common custom to place the purest spring water in bowls as a sacred offering in a home or a temple.

Water also has economic benefits for the kingdom, where an abundance of rivers and a small population of about 700,000 mean there is a surplus of hydroelectricity to export, much of it to neighboring India.

Here, water is both pure, and powerful.

Tshering Bumpa, the longtime manager of the Veen bottling facility, understands the significance.

“We are so proud of our water,” says Bumpa, who has dressed in colorful Bhutanese traditional garments to welcome rare visitors to this remote spot in the jungle.

There is enough water to share. At least for now.

AP’s Theodora Tongas in Athens, Greece; Rajanish Kakade in Mumbai, India; and Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi contributed to this report.

Climate change hits women’s health harder. Activists want leaders to address it at COP28

By Uzmi Athar

Press Trust of India/AP

N

EW DELHI—Manju Devi suffered in pain for two months last year as she worked on a farm near Delhi, unable to break away from duties that sometimes had her standing for hours in the waist-deep water of a rice paddy, lifting heavy loads in intense

heat and spraying pesticides and insecticides.

When that pain finally became too much to bear, she was rushed to a hospital.

The doctors’ verdict: Devi had suffered a prolapsed uterus and would need a hysterectomy. She hadn’t said a word to her family about her discomfort because of societal taboo over discussing a “women’s illness,” and with two grown children and three grandchildren looking to the 56-year-old widow to help put food on the table, Devi had relied on painkillers to stay in the fields.

“I endured excruciating pain for months, scared to speak about it publicly. It shouldn’t take a surgical procedure to make us realize the cost of increasing heat,” she said, surrounded by women who told of undergoing a similar ordeal.

As the annual UN-led climate summit known as COP is set to convene later this month in Dubai, activists are urging policymakers to respond to climate change’s

disproportionate impact on women and girls, especially where poverty makes them more vulnerable.

Their recommendations include securing land rights for women, promoting women’s cooperatives and encouraging women to lead on developing climate policy. They also suggest that countries—especially developing countries like India—commit more money in their budgets to ensure gender equity in climate policies.

Group of 20 leaders who met in New Delhi in September also recognized the problem, calling for accelerating climate action with gender equality at its core by increasing women’s participation and leadership in mitigation and adaptation.

Devi is a farm worker in Syaraul, a village of about 7,000 a couple of hours southeast of Delhi in Uttar Pradesh, India’s biggest and most populous state. Several other middle-aged and older women from the

village described similar injuries leading to hysterectomies.

The link between phenomena like uterine prolapse and climate change is indirect but significant, said Seema Bhaskaran, who tracks gender issues for the nonprofit Transform Rural India Foundation.

“Women in rural, climate-affected communities often bear the brunt of physically demanding agricultural work, made more strenuous by climate changerelated challenges like erratic weather and increased labor needs,” Bhaskaran said.

“While climate change doesn’t directly cause uterine prolapse, it magnifies the underlying health challenges and conditions that make women more susceptible to such health issues.”

About 150 kilometers (93 miles) away, in Nanu village, 62-year-old farm worker Savita Singh blames climate change for a chemical infection that cost her a finger

in August 2022.

When her husband moved to Delhi to work as a plumber, she was left alone to tend the couple’s fields. As rice and wheat yields fell due to shifting climate patterns and a surge in pest attacks, Singh’s husband, who retained decision-making power, decided to increase the use of pesticides and insecticides. It was up to Singh, who had opposed the increases, to apply the chemicals.

“With the rise in pest attacks in farms, we have started using more than three times pesticides and fertilizers in our farms and without any safety gears my hand got burned by the chemicals and one of my fingers had to be amputated,” she said.

In Pilakhana, another Uttar Pradesh village, 22-year-old wage laborer Babita Kumari suffered stillbirths in 2021 and this year that she attributes to the heavy lifting she endured daily in working a brick kiln for long hours in intense heat. Climate change at least doubled

the chances of the heat wave that hit the state this year, according to an analysis by Climate Central, an independent US-based group of scientists that developed a tool to quantify climate change’s contribution to changing daily temperatures.

“My mother and her mother all have worked in brick kilns all their lives but the heat was not this bad even though they worked for more than eight hours like me.

But for the past six-seven years the situation has worsened and heat has become unbearable to withstand but what option do we have than to endure it,” said Kumari, who lives in a makeshift camp with her husband.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is part of a series produced under the India Climate Journalism Program, a collaboration between The Associated Press, the Stanley Center for Peace and Security and the Press Trust of India.

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Sunday, November 26, 2023

TheWorld BusinessMirror

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Maui residents wonder if their burned town can be made safe. The answer? No one knows

By Rebecca Boone

W

The Associated Press

HEN Daniel Skousen scrubs at the ash and soot covering his Maui home, he worries about the smell.

What chemicals created the burning-trash-barrel scent that has lingered since a deadly wildfire tore through Lahaina in August?

Should he believe government agencies’ assessment of when the air, land and water will be safe enough for his family to return?

Or will political and economic pressures to rebuild and restore Maui’s robust tourism industry— where visitors normally spend $14 million per day— lead officials to look at any testing results through rose-colored glasses?

“It appears ver y important to them to get that tourism tax revenue back,” said Skousen. “It makes you wonder if the testing will be biased.”

The fire blew out Skousen’s windows and filled his home with ash, but the building is still standing, and he hopes someday to move back in. The home next door burned to the ground.

Skousen wants a second opinion on any government environmental assessments, preferably from an expert with a stake in the community. But the raw data isn’t easy to find, and experts say the long-term health effects from fires like the one that incinerated Lahaina are mostly unknown.

There are no national standards that detail how clean is clean enough for a residential home damaged by a nearby fire.

At least 100 people died in the Aug. 8 wildfire, and thousands were displaced. Nearly 7,000 were still in short-term lodging two months later.

The rubble left behind includes

electrical cables, plastic pipes and vehicle tires that emit dangerous dioxins when burned; lead from melted vehicles or old house paint; and arsenic-laden ash from termite-resistant building materials.

After a major wildfire burned 1,000 homes in Boulder County, Colorado, in 2021, health officials learned that even professionally remediated homes were often still polluted with ash, char and other toxic substances long after the fire, said Bill Hayes, the county’s air quality program coordinator.

The reason? High winds— like those that plagued Maui during the wildfire this summer— forced fine particulate matter into every crevice, Hayes said. Those particulates would sit inside window panes, behind light switches, between shingles and elsewhere until the winds started up again, re-contaminating the home.

“Char is a carcinogen, so we don’t ever say any level of those particulates are safe,” Hayes said.

“That became a challenge in the cleanup – determining the level of when is it clean enough?”

State and federal agencies have released regular updates on Lahaina’s relative safety. The water in much of the town is still unsafe to drink, and visitors have been advised to use protective gear in impacted areas. Officials say pregnant people and kids should stay out of the burn zone, though the Hawaii Department of Education says the schools, which are above the burned part of town, are safe.

Crews have installed air quality monitors throughout town and are

AN air quality monitoring sensor is seen at Lahaina Comprehensive Health Center on Friday, November 3, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Hawaii Department of Health and Environmental Protection Agency installed dozens of PM2.5 sensors in Lahaina and Upcountry Maui following the wildfire. AP/MENGSHIN LIN

spraying a soil sealant to prevent toxic ash from being washed into the ocean or blowing around.

An attorney representing Skousen and about two-dozen other Lahaina residents sent a public records request to the Environmental Protection Agency last month asking for all records regarding residential testing of contaminants in Lahaina and their impact to human health.

The EPA’s reply, sent earlier this month, wasn’t reassuring: “No records could be located that are responsive to your request.”

EPA spokesman Kellen Ashford told The Associated Press his agency did some environmental hazard testing in the burn zone, but only to determine the immediate risk for workers involved in the initial cleanup.

He referred further questions about such testing to the Hawaii Department of Health, which he said was responsible for determining longer-term safety for residents.

The Hawaii Department of Health’s Environmental Health

Services Division also told Skousen’s attorney it had no records about residential testing of contaminants to release.

The Health Department declined interview requests. Spokesman Shawn Hamamoto said in an email the department will pursue additional air quality and ash testing when the US Army Corps of Engineers begins removing debris from Lahaina.

“I think that they’re playing ‘hide the ball,’” said Skousen’s attorney, Edward Neiger. “The question is, why do they feel the need to hide anything?”

Ashford acknowledged some residents are skeptical of the cleanup efforts. He said the EPA has people stationed at the Lahaina Civic Center and at work sites to talk to community members about their concerns.

Andrew Shoemaker, a fine art photographer who operated a gallery on Lahaina’s famous Front Street, believes it’s an important part of healing to go back to the burned areas to see what is left, but he has recently had a lung in-

fection and doesn’t want to risk his health.

“I don’t even want to take the chance of going over there,” he said.

Dioxins, toxic compounds that can be released when plastic pipes, tires and other household materials are burned, are a particular concern for Shoemaker. Dioxins can last for decades inside the human body, and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and cause cancer, according to the World Health Organization.

The EPA has found that forest fires and household trash burning in backyard burn barrels— how Skousen now describes the scent of Lahaina— are both major sources of dioxin emissions.

Irva Hertz-Picciotto, a professor and environmental epidemiologist with University of California-Davis, said the air monitors are effective and can measure particles that are about 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

Still, there is a lot that scientists don’t yet know about the long-term health risks posed by fires, Hertz-Picciotto said.

That post-fire smell noticed

by Skousen can be a result of off gassing, she said, which occurs when volatile organic compounds are absorbed into surfaces and released later.

Even with careful air quality monitoring, off-gassing can expose residents and cleanup workers to toxic fire emissions for months, and research shows only some volatile organic compounds can be trapped by high-quality air particle filters, according to the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

“If it smells like burned plastic or burned electrical cables, then probably those chemicals are in the air and not healthy,” Hertz-Picciotto said. “The other side of that, though, is even if you can’t smell it that doesn’t mean it’s safe.”

Skousen is a teacher and runs a cleaning business on the side.

He’s spent his off hours in Lahaina working on cleaning his and his neighbors’ homes. Skousen and his wife decided to homeschool their kids at their temporary residence outside of Lahaina for now rather than risk exposing them to possible health problems.

Most of the guidelines for human exposure to pollutants are based on industrial settings, where people might work 40 hours a week— not their homes, where they might spend 90% of their time, said Hayes, the Boulder County air quality coordinator.

Whether a home can be made safe enough for residency comes down in part to the resident’s risk tolerance, Hayes said.

“There is no black-and-white, clear-cut answer,” he said. “If they have young children in the home, or anyone has respiratory conditions, they might want to do significantly more cleaning that what the guidance documents are recognizing.”

Gaza has become a moonscape in war. When gunbattles stop, will it remain uninhabitable?

By Isabel Debre

The Associated Press

J

ERUSALEM—Israel’s military offensive has turned much of northern Gaza into an uninhabitable moonscape. Whole neighborhoods have been erased.

Homes, schools and hospitals have been blasted by airstrikes and scorched by tank fire. Some buildings are still standing, but most are battered shells.

Nearly 1 million Palestinians have fled the north, including its urban center, Gaza City, as ground combat intensified. When the war ends, any relief will quickly be overshadowed by dread as displaced families come to terms with the scale of the calamity and what it means for their future.

Where would they live? Who would eventually run Gaza and pick up the pieces?

“I want to go home even if I have to sleep on the rubble of my house,” said Yousef Hammash, an aid worker with the Norwegian Refugee Council who f led the ruins of the urban refugee camp of Jabaliya for southern Gaza. “But I don’t see a future for my children here.”

The Israeli army’s use of powerful explosives in tightly packed residential areas—which Israel descr ibes as the unavoidable

outcome of Hamas using civilian sites as cover for its operations—has killed over 13,000 Palestinians and led to staggering destruction. Hamas denies the claim and accuses Israel of recklessly bombing civilians.

“When I left, I couldn’t tell which street or intersection I was passing,” said Mahmoud Jamal, a 31-year-old taxi driver who fled his northern hometown of Beit Hanoun this month. He described apartment buildings resembling open-air parking garages.

Israel’s bombardment has become one of the most intense air campaigns since World War II, said Emily Tripp, director of Airwars, a London-based conflict monitor. In the seven weeks since Hamas’ unprecedented Oct. 7 attack, Israel unleashed more munitions than the United States did in any given year of its bombing campaign against the Islamic State group—a barrage the U.N describes as the deadliest urban campaign since World War II. In Israel’s grainy thermal footage of airstrikes targeting Hamas tunnels, fireballs obliterate everything in sight. Videos by Hamas’ military wing feature fighters with rocked-propelled grenades trekking through smoke-filled streets. Fortified bulldozers have cleared land for Israeli tanks.

“The north of Gaza has been turned into one big ghost town,” said Mkhaimer Abusada, a political scientist at Al-Azhar University in Gaza City who fled to Egypt last week. “People have nothing to return to.”

About half of all buildings across northern Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, according to an analysis of Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite data by Corey Scher of the CUNY Graduate Center and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University. With the U.N. estimating 1.7 million people are newly homeless, many wonder if Gaza will ever recover. “ You’ ll end up hav ing displaced people living in tents for a long time,” said Raphael Cohen, a senior political scientist at the R AND Corporation, a research group.

The war has knocked 27 of 35 hospitals across Gaza out of operation, according to the World Health Organization. The destruction of other critical infrastructure has consequences for years to come.

“Bakeries and grain mills have been destroyed, agriculture, water and sanitation facilities,” said Scott Paul, a senior humanitarian policy adviser for Oxfam America.

“You need more than four walls and a ceiling for a place to be hab-

itable, and in many cases people don’t even have that.”

Across the entire enclave, over 41,000 homes—45 percent of Gaza’s total housing stock—are too destroyed to be lived in, according to the UN. “All I left at home was dead bodies and rubble,” said Mohammed al-Hadad, a 28-year-old party planner who fled Shati refugee camp along Gaza City’s shoreline.

Shati sustained nearly 14,000 incidents of war damage—varying from an airstrike crater to a collapsed building—over just 0.5 square kilometers (0.2 square miles), the satellite data analysis shows.

Southern Gaza—where scarce food, water and fuel have spawned a humanitarian crisis—has been spared the heaviest firepower, according to the analysis.

But that’s changing. In the past two weeks, satellite data shows a spike in damage across the southern town of Khan Younis. Residents say the military has showered eastern parts of town with evacuation warnings.

Israel has urged those in southern Gaza to move again, toward a slice of territory called Muwasi along the coast. As of Thursday, Israel and Hamas were still working out the details of a four-day truce that would allow more hu-

manitarian aid to enter Gaza and facilitate an exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages.

Displaced Palestinians said four days won’t be enough. “ T h i s i s ou r n a k ba ,” sa id 32-year-old journalist Tareq Hajjaj, referring to the mass displacement of an estimated 700,000 Palestinians during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation—an exodus Palestinians call the “nakba,” or “catastrophe.”

Although publicly Palestinians reject the idea of being transferred outside Gaza, some privately admit they cannot stay, even after the war ends.

“We will never return home,” said Hajjaj, who fled his home in Shijaiyah in eastern Gaza City.

“Those who stay here will face the most horrific situation they could imagine.”

The 2014 Israel-Hamas war leveled Shijaiyah, turning the neighborhood into fields of inert gray rubble. The $5 billion reconstruction effort there and across Gaza remains unfinished to this day.

“This time the scale of destruction is exponentially higher,” said Giulia Marini, international advocacy officer at Palestinian rights group Al Mezan. “It will take decades for Gaza to go back to where it was before.”

It remains unclear who will

take responsibility for that task.

At the recent security summit in Bahrain, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi vowed Arab states would not “come and clean the mess after Israel.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants the army to restore security, and American officials have pushed the seemingly unlikely scenario of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority taking over the strip.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, regarded by many Palestinians as weak, has dismissed that idea in the absence of Israeli efforts toward a two-state solution.

Despite the war’s horrors, Yasser Elsheshtawy, a professor of architecture at Columbia University, hopes reconstruction could offer an opportunity to turn Gaza’s ramshackle refugee camps and long deteriorating infrastructure into “something more habitable and equitable and humane,” including public parks and a revitalized seafront.

But Palestinians say it’s not only shattered infrastructure that requires rebuilding but a traumatized society.

“Gaza has become a very scary place,” Abusada said. “It will always be full of memories of death and destruction.”

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Sunday, November 26, 2023

A7

Ukraine’s struggle for military support gives Putin an opening

By Natalia Drozdiak, Daryna Krasnolutska & Alberto Nardelli

I

N late September, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg discussed visiting the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels to meet with the group of countries providing him with military support. The goal was to keep weapons flowing after a summer counteroffensive that hadn’t yielded a major breakthrough.

By the time Zelenskyy arrived at NATO’s campus on Oct. 11 for his first visit since Russia’s invasion, that mission had become even more urgent. Four days earlier, Hamas militants had attacked Israel from Gaza, and Israel was responding.

The focus was now firmly on a conflict in the Middle East.

The defense ministers of the 50 or so nations in the so-called Ramstein group met again virtually this week. While they reiterated their support, privately the mood among officials is darker as they admit that arms shipments have slowed and financial aid has been stalled by domestic politics. In the weeks since Zelenskyy was in Brussels, the pressure has ratcheted up on Ukraine to somehow plot a path to victory.

On the battlefield, that’s getting more challenging going into the depths of another winter with a shortage of ammunition. Another concern is manpower, as Russia continues to hurl waves of troops forward despite its losses while Kyiv is reluctant to send many more soldiers to the front.

Off the battlefield, some in the US and Europe are starting to ask questions about whether they can continue throwing already stretched resources at what Ukraine’s top general admits is a stalemate.

With an election a year away in the US, Kyiv is aware that the clock is ticking and that military progress would make it easier for partners to step up their help, according to people familiar with the Ukrainian government’s thinking.

But even before Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza, Ukrainian officials had registered a decline in interest, the people said.

Zelenskyy spent last week assuring allies that his military is preparing to fight through the winter, while a delegation from Kyiv visited Washington. “Now I am focused on getting aid from the West,” he said in his office on Nov. 16. Their “focus is shifting because of the Middle East — and other reasons. Without the support, we will move backward.”

The reality for Ukraine is that the front line in the war has barely shifted in a meaningful way for a year. Europeans are faltering in their effort to ship badly needed artillery ammunition, while there are increasing signs of political fatigue, particularly in the US, Ukraine’s most important backer.

The concern is that waning or insufficient aid could prematurely force Zelenskyy to enter peace talks from a position of weakness — or worse, enable Russia to break through Ukrainian lines and give Putin no incentive to negotiate.

That’s a prospect that terrifies some leaders in Eastern Europe, who have amplified their warnings of Vladimir Putin’s intentions going back years. They say that Russia will not stop at Ukraine’s borders and that some in the West still don’t fully grasp what’s at stake.

The risk is that Ukraine’s allies are giving the signal that they aren’t taking defense seriously enough, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, whose country borders Russia and used to be part of the

Soviet Union, said before an EU summit last month. Gabrielius Landsbergis, foreign minister of Baltic neighbor Lithuania, said the lack of urgency might force Ukraine into negotiations with Russia it doesn’t want.

“I have concerns about our collective ability to contribute to victory when I see that new tanks, new missile systems and even ammunition are not being supplied, that solutions are not being found, how the European Union’s decisions are taking months,” Landsbergis told broadcaster LRT on Wednesday. When compared with Russia getting help from North Korea, “it looks comical.”

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was in Kyiv this week to again reaffirm America’s backing.

An existing funding package runs out at the end of the year and with the conservative wing of the Republicans in charge of the House of Representatives, President Joe Biden is running into difficulties in continuing the funding.

The Pentagon said earlier this month it already had to curtail the flow of weapons to Ukraine due to a deadlock in Congress. Next year’s presidential election campaign is going to make it even harder for Biden, especially if he faces Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticized lawmakers for providing aid to Kyiv.

One senior European official said it would be difficult politically for Biden to sell a stalemate to voters while his opponents promise to end the war in a day. A Gallup poll in early November showed that 41% of Americans think their government is doing too much for Ukraine, up from just 29% in June.

There was still hope about a month ago that the US could manage to eventually push Ukraine funding through Congress, but there is little optimism now, according to an EU diplomat. Congress last week agreed to a stopgap bill to extend government funding into early 2024, but didn’t include assistance for Ukraine or Israel.

The legislature will resume efforts to pass the Biden administration’s $61 billion aid package for Ukraine next week, and backers are hoping that it may win approval before the end of the year. But if partisan haggling and growing Republican skepticism conspire to delay that into 2024, the pressures of the election could raise further doubts over its passage.

With the exception of a relatively small amount of artillery ammunition, Israel ’s requests from the US for military aid have little overlap with the weapons systems Ukraine wants.

But that could change, especially if the war expands, potentially endangering supplies, another senior European official said. Zelenskyy complained last week the supply of 155-millimeter shells has decreased after Israel asked for some.

The worry is that a lack of continued weapons assistance would give leverage to Putin, the EU diplomat said. And doing a deal with Russia isn’t an alternative, according to Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, another Baltic state that has been among the most vocal in rallying support for Ukraine. Any ceasefire would risk Russia coming back stronger, he said.

“We simply must keep on and we have to work on a more longterm or structural support system for Ukraine, understanding that Russia at the same time is also mobilizing its economy, its forces and it is prepared for some long effort,” he said in an interview in Brussels on Nov. 16.

The political machinations in the US are putting more of the onus on the EU. European diplomats

say they’ve been preparing for a scenario where American support may decrease. While the EU can offer Ukraine financial support, it can meet only a fraction of what the US offers in terms of weapons aid, according to Liana Fix, a fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Both sides are using more ammunition than they can supply.

But unlike in Europe or the US, Moscow’s economy is on a war footing, allowing industry to pump out shells, drones and other weapons more consistently.

“Replacing even a major part of the military support of the Americans will be just impossible because Europeans just don’t have the stocks to draw,” Fix said.

“That’s why it’s so important that the US gets funding for Ukraine going again.”

Russia is set to produce an estimated 2 million rounds next year and that comes in addition to outside help from North Korea, which amounts to more than 1 million shells, according to a South Korean lawmaker.

Meanwhile, the EU has admitted it won’t reach a target of supplying Ukraine with 1 million artillery rounds by the end of March, despite efforts to ramp up its defense industry, while members Hungary and now Slovakia are vocal dissenters over continuing support for Kyiv.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the EU leader closest to Putin, demanded the bloc has an “urgent discussion” about Ukraine because the situation on the battlefield was “largely unchanged,” casting doubt over a victory, according to a letter to European Council President Charles Michel obtained

by Bloomberg this week. Orban, who also criticized sanctions against Russia, said no decisions on aid or security guarantees should come without a consensus, something he’s been willing to break.

The election victory on Wednesday for Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders also adds to the mix.

His manifesto stated that money and defense equipment should be kept for his country’s own armed forces.

Before the Israel-Hamas conflict, weeks of tumult had raised some doubts about some European commitment to Ukraine.

First, there was an ugly dispute with Poland, Ukraine’s most important European ally, over grain exports that led to what appeared to be a threat by Warsaw to stop weapons deliveries. Poland said it was misunderstood, and with the opposition winning elections on Oct. 15, it will likely fall more into line with Western Europe. But a new government in neighboring Slovakia has promised to halt some of its military aid.

The EU is also struggling to agree to different pots of funding, and plans for a 12th Russian sanctions package are ongoing. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, has formally recommended opening membership talks with Ukraine. That, though, needs all member states to agree and Hungary is opposed.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni summed up the deterioration in unity when she was pranked

by Russian comedians in early November. Meloni said she saw a “lot of fatigue” from “all the sides” and that “we’re near the moment in which everybody understands that we need a way out.”

It all spells the start of what cou ld be a hard few mont hs for Ukraine. Expectations for Ukraine’s counteroffensive are low heading into winter, given the weather is likely to further hamper mobility.

The worry in Kyiv is that the next big strike will be on its energy

infrastructure again just as the mercury plunges. Russian forces are stockpiling missiles and are waiting until the cold sets in to attack power and energy grids, people familiar with the matter said, raising concerns the attacks could overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses despite its additional systems.

Faced with a long war, Russia sees momentum shifting in its favor, according to people in Moscow familiar with the matter. In their view, Putin has two options: keep grinding away to wear down his opponent and its allies or try to mount a major new push in the spring. The latter would likely require unpopular mass mobilization.

Zelenskyy may not be thinking about his negotiating strategy for peace talks just yet. However, polls show a small, but growing minority of Ukrainians is coming around to the idea that territorial concessions to Russia might be an inevitable price for peace.

Ukraine is frustrated that some allies did not fully realize the scale of the battlefield and underestimated the strength of Russian defense lines that bogged down the counteroffensive. Expectations were too high, according to one of Zelenskyy’s closest aides.

To illustrate the challenge, Ukrainian authorities prepared a presentation for allies where they compared the length of the contact line between their forces and Russian troops with that of

the US-Mexico border.

Ukrainian forces have made some gains. They have struck strategic assets deep behind Russianoccupied lines, including with the help of new US long-range ATACMS missiles. Recent success in crossing the Dnipro River has potential for troops to drive deeper into the south and increase attacks on Russian forces in Crimea.

But even that is not enough to break the impasse, according to Ukrainian commander-in-chief General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi. “Just like in the First World War, we have reached the level of technology that puts us into a stalemate,” he wrote in The Economist earlier this month.

It would require a technological advance to end the deadlock, he said.

Russi a itsel f doesn’t have enough munitions to mount a significant offensive this year, and despite mobilizing its defense industry, it’s still failing to meet the huge demand, a senior NATO official said. Instead, it’s concentrating on seizing locations in the eastern Donetsk region and retaking parts it lost last year around Kharkiv, according to people familiar with the matter.

And while key sectors of Russia’s economy are adapting to international sanctions, Putin’s government is draining its resources to maintain state spending, something he can’t do indefinitely after an exodus of foreign investors and skilled labor.

Even for some inside Russia, the situation on the ground looks bleak for Moscow. The Russian government’s belief that it can “wait out” the West is a dangerous self-delusion, according to Mikhail Barabanov, a defense expert at the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies in Moscow.

“A long war could cement the role of Ukraine as a critical ally for the United States, similar to that of Israel and such a development would be a severe geopolitical defeat for Moscow,” he said.

On his visit to Kyiv this week, Defense Secretar y Austin announced a weapons package worth $100 million using some of the remaining funds in Biden’s previously agreed package. Germany followed with €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion) in military aid the next day.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet that the war to eliminate Hamas wouldn’t let up after a cease-fire, even after a deal to free hostages in Gaza in return for a temporary pause in fighting.

In posts on social media platform X, Austin sought to reinforce the US’s commitment to Ukraine, not just to Zelenskyy and Putin, but to European allies and the American public, too. “Ukraine’s fight against Putin’s aggression is a marathon,” he said, “not a sprint.” With assistance from Peter Martin, Danielle Bochove, Demetrios Pogkas and Milda Seputyte/Bloomberg

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Sunday, November 26, 2023

World Features BusinessMirror

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

Semiconductor packaging: A new front in US-China contest for tech supremacy

By Jane Lanhee Lee, Ian King, Mackenzie Hawkins & Jillian Deutsch

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RESIDENT Joe Biden has adopted a two-pronged approach to constrain China’s high-tech progress, curbing Beijing’s access to leading edge chips while bolstering semiconductor production in the US. He’s about to ratchet up the pressure further, shifting focus to an emerging arena of the contest for technological supremacy: the process of packaging semiconductors that’s increasingly seen as a path to achieving higher performance.

Only the US isn’t alone is recognizing the potential of so-called advanced packaging: China, too, is capitalizing on an area that isn’t subject to sanctions, capturing global market share and achieving progress denied it in manufacturing high-end chips.

“Packaging is the new pillar of innovation in the semiconductor industry—it will change the industry drastically,” said Jim McGregor, founder of technology analysts Tirias Research. For China, which doesn’t yet have state-ofthe-art capabilities, “it’s definitely easier for them to ramp up” here, since it isn’t restricted by the US government. “Packaging could help them bridge the gap,” he said.

Up until very recently, the business of packaging semiconductors—encasing chips in materials that both protect them and connect them to the electronic device they’re part of—was, at best, an afterthought for the industry. So it was outsourced, mainly to Asia, with China a prime beneficiary: today, the US accounts for just 3 percent of the world’s packaging capacity, according to Intel Corp.

Yet suddenly, advanced packaging is everywhere: Intel is banking on it as a core part of the US chip giant’s strategy to return to competitiveness; China sees it as a means of building out domestic semiconductor capacity; and now Washington is turning to it as part of its own plans for selfsufficiency.

More than a year after the CHIPS and Science Act came into being, the Biden administration has outlined plans for a $3 billion National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program, after recently tapping a director for the center. The goal is to create multiple high-volume packaging facilities by the end of the decade, said Under Secretary of State of

Commerce Laurie Locascio — and reduce reliance on Asian supply lines that pose a security risk the US “just can’t accept.”

With advanced packaging rapidly becoming a new front in the global conflict over chips, some argue it’s long overdue.

The administration has until now focused on subsidies to bring back chipmaking to the US, but “we can’t ignore packaging because you can’t do one without the other,” said Representative Jay Obernolte, a California Republican who is one of two vice-chairs of the Congressional Artificial Intelligence Caucus. “It wouldn’t matter if we did 100 percent of our chip manufacturing onshore if the packaging is still offshore,” he added. The White House didn’t respond in time for publication when asked for comment on advanced packaging.

Assembly, testing and packaging—usually considered together as “back-end” manufacturing - was always the least glamorous end of the semiconductor industry, with less innovation and lower added value than the “front end” business of making chips with features measured in the billionths of a meter. Yet the level of sophistication is rising fast as new technologies enable chips to be combined, stacked and their performance enhanced in what industry executives are calling an inflection point.

Advanced packaging can’t help China compete w ith leadingedge semiconductor developments from the US, but it allows Beijing to build faster, cheaper systems for computing by stitching together different chips closely together.

In that case China could save its latest chip technology, which is expensive and likely available in limited volume, for the most important part of the chip and use older, cheaper technologies to make chips that carry out other functions like battery management and sensor controls, combining the whole in a powerful package.

It’s a “pivotal solution,” said Bloomberg Intelligence technology analyst Charles Shum. “It

A KIRIN 9000s chip fabricated in China by SMIC, taken from a Huawei Mate 60 Pro smartphone. JAMES PARK/BLOOMBERG

TSMC’s new factory in Kikuyo, Japan, on May 8. TORU HANAI/BLOOMBERG

Up until very recently, the business of packaging semiconductors—encasing chips in materials that both protect them and connect them to the electronic device they’re part of—was, at best, an afterthought for the industry. So it was outsourced, mainly to Asia, with China a prime beneficiary: today, the US accounts for just 3 percent of the world’s packaging capacity, according to Intel Corp. doesn’t merely enhance chip-processing speed but crucially enables seamless integration of varied chip types.” As a result, he said, it’s “set to reshape the semiconductormanufacturing landscape.”

Beijing has long made a strategic priority of semiconductor packaging technologies, including in President Xi Jinping’s Made in China program announced in 2015. China has 38 percent of the world’s assembly, testing and packaging market, the most of any nation, according to the USbased Semiconductor Industry Association. While it lags behind Taiwan and the US in advanced technology, analysts agree that unlike in wafer processing, it’s in a much better position to be able to catch up.

China already boasts the most back-end facilities by number, including the world’s third-largest assembly and testing company, JCET Group, which trails only Taiwan’s ASE Group and Amkor Technology of the US in revenue.

What’s more, Chinese companies are building market share, including through JCET’s acquisition of an advanced facility in Singapore and construction of an advanced packaging plant in its hometown of Jiangyin.

“For China, one way around technology transfer restrictions is advanced packaging, because so far it’s a safe space that everyone invests in,” said Mathieu Duchatel of the Institut Montaigne think tank, a Taiwan-based China expert who studies the geopolitics of technology.

It’s a realization now touching Washington as it seeks to deny Bei-

jing access to the kind of advanced computing technologies that could be put to military use—with questionable success.

When Huawei Technologies Inc. quietly released its Mate 60 Pro smartphone in September, China hawks in Washington raised questions as to why US export controls had failed to prevent a development supposedly beyond Beijing’s capabilities.

In testimony to the House Sept.

19, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo defended the Biden administration’s focus on denying China access to leading-edge chips and the equipment to make them. But she was primed on advanced packaging. The US needs to ramp up its own advanced packaging capacities, she said, since “chips can only get so small, which means all the special sauce is in the packaging.”

One reason for the sudden focus on that special sauce is its necessity to the kind of high-power semiconductors needed for artificial intelligence applications. Indeed, a shortage of a particular type of packaging known as Chip on Wafer on Substrate, or CoWoS, is a key bottleneck in the production of Nvidia Corp’s AI chips.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the main chipmaker for Nvidia, this summer committed $3 billion to a packaging plant to help alleviate the blockage. CEO C.C. Wei told investors on the company’s third-quarter earnings call that the company planned to double CoWoS capacity by the end of next year.

While TSMC has been working on the technology for 12 years, it was a niche application that only

took off this year, Jun He, Vice President of Advanced Packaging Technology, told a conference in Taipei in October. “We’re building capacity like crazy,” said Jun He, adding that “everybody, probably even in Starbucks,” is talking about CoWoS. It’s not just TSMC. Micron Inc. is setting up a $2.75 billion back-end facility in India, while Intel agreed to build a $4.6 billion assembly and test plant in Poland and is putting some $7 billion into advanced packaging in Malaysia. South Korea’s SK Hynix said last year that it plans to invest $15 billion in a packaging facility in the US. Intel has “some very unique technology now in the packaging area,” Chief Executive Officer Pat Gelsinger said in an interview. “Everybody who’s doing AI chip work today is looking to say, wow, this is the way that I can advance my AI chip capabilities.”

That has some analysts predicting a bonanza for companies in the sphere. According to McKinsey, high-performance chips for data centers, AI accelerators, and consumer electronics will create the greatest demand for advanced packaging technologies.

The number of chips shipped that use advanced packaging is forecast to increase tenfold in the next 18 months—but that could soar to 100 times if it becomes standard in smartphones, Jeffries analysts Mark Lipacis and Vedvati Shrotre wrote in a Sept. 14 report that classed the technology as part of a “tectonic shift” in the industry.

The reason, alluded to by Raimondo, is that chipmaking is running up against the limits of physics.

Chips have been getting better over the last 50 years in large part through advances in production technology. The components now contain up to tens of billions of the tiny transistors that give them the ability to store or process information. But now that path of advancement, called Moore’s Law after Intel’s founder, is coming up against fundamental barriers that are making improvements more difficult and vastly expensive to achieve.

Moore’s Law—more of an observation—states that the number of transistors on a chip doubles about every two years. As that pace of progress slows, and companies “are not able to deliver twice the transistors, at half the cost, at twice the clock speed, and at lower

power levels every two years, the industry has begun to rely more on advanced packaging techniques to pick up the slack,” Lipacis and Shrotre wrote.

Instead of cramming ever more tiny components on to one piece of silicon, many designers and companies are touting the benefits of a modular approach, of building products out of several “chiplets” tightly packed together in the same package.

That explains why Dutch specialist BE Semiconductor Industries NV, which makes the tools used for chip packages, has doubled its value to some $9.8 billion in the past 12 months, outpacing the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index two-fold despite a slump in the chip industry in the second half of this year. That’s still dwarfed by the kind of sums involved in front-end manufacturing—fellow Dutch firm ASML NV, which has a near monopoly on the machines needed to produce leading-edge semiconductors, has a market cap approaching $250 billion. Intel’s cutting-edge chip fabrication plant in the eastern German city of Magdeburg has a price tag of $30 billion, or more than four times its Malaysia commitment.

Yet between Magdeburg, a new site in Ireland, and its Polish plant with capacity for advanced packaging, “Poland could actually be the most important,” Gelsinger said.

Chinese companies are piling into the space, too. They include Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp.—China’s largest chipmaker, which made the 7 nanometer chip powering the Mate 60 Pro—along with IP leader VeriSilicon and Huawei, according to Berlin-based researchers JanPeter Kleinhans and John Lee. These companies “see potential in utilizing advanced packaging processes to achieve performance gains without relying on foreign cutting-edge front-end processes,” Kleinhans and Lee, of the Stiftung Neue Verantwortung think tank and East West Futures consultancy respectively, wrote in a December report.

The US Commerce Department justifies its decision to focus on front-end manufacturing on the grounds that sanctioning assembly, test and packaging (APT) services would disrupt supply chains without reducing national security risks. China’s APT services “now play a critical and indispensable role in the global supply chain,” and “cannot easily be substituted,” Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology said in September.

The irony is that luring the likes of TSMC and Samsung Electronics Co. to construct cutting-edge chip plants in Arizona and Texas doesn’t ensure self-reliance, since the current lack of capacity means the advanced wafers those plants produce will need to be shipped to Asia to be packaged—most likely in Taiwan.

For Jack Hergenrother, vice president of IBM Global Enterprise Systems Development, advanced packaging is relatively “overlooked” in funding terms.

He wants double the allocation to help spur a rise in US packaging capacity to 10-15 percent of the global total, and ideally to take 25 percent in a decade, to ensure a secure supply chain. “Having a hub in North America for advanced packaging is super important,” he said. With assistance from Debby Wu and

Jordan Fabian/Bloomberg

Science Sunday BusinessMirror

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

Sunday, November 26, 2023

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DOST highlights blue economy in NSTW Story & photo

by Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

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HE Philippines, the world’s second-largest archipelagic nation, is at an advantage to be surrounded by about 7,600 islands and abundant with marine resources.

With this, Filipinos depend on fisheries and tourism for their livelihood, marine transportation for travel and shipping, shipbuilding, and even maritime manpower by exporting seafarers.

With this situation, Science Secretary Dr. Renato Solidum Jr. highlighted during the opening ceremony of the National Science, Technology and Innovation Week (NSTW) 2023 on November 22, that the country’s marine resources “contribute to employment generation, enhancing the business economy, nurturing the diverse cultural heritage and traditions and promoting inclusive growth in the regions.”

To put emphasis on this, the annual NSTW, with this year’s theme, “Siyensya, Teknolohiya at Inobasyon: Kabalikat sa Matatag, Maginhawa, at Panatag na Kinabukasan,” focused on “creating and protecting wealth for a sustainable blue economy.”

Blue economy is the sustainable use of marine resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystems, according to the World Bank.

Solidum said that the blue economy is one of the 12 key operational areas included in the Pagtanaw 2050, a science, technology, and innovation (STI)

“LAWUD,” (a Visayan word for sea), a marine science and technology exhibit, is displayed at the M/V Capt. John B. Lacson training ship docked in Iloilo City. Leading the event are officials, led

by Science Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr. foresight and strategic plan developed by the National Academy of Science and Technology in 2021.

Under this framework, the Science chief said, “The DOST takes an active role in developing programs that will ensure the protection, conservation, and sustainable utilization of our marine resources and related endeavors.”

Iloilo hosts NSTW THIS year’s NSTW was held at the Iloilo Convention Center (ICON) in Iloilo City from November 22 to 26 hosted by the DOST Region VI. Regional Director Engr. Rowen Gelonga told the BusinessMirror in an answer to its question during the news conference that NSTW was brought to Iloilo in order “to emphasize the importance of the blue economy for the Visayas region.”

The Visayas is one of the three main island groups of the Philippines consisting of seven large islands and several hundred smaller islands.

Gelonga said that the Visayas region is one of the biggest producers of fisheries products in the country.

He also highlighted the importance of the tourism sector to their economy.

Marine transportation, he said, was their only way to travel within Visayas.

Through NSTW, they urge everybody “to take a look at the critical importance of the blue economy not only for the Visayas regions but for the entire country,” he said.

Gelonga reminded everyone: “For every square meter of land that we have, we have 7-square meters of marine waters. That’s how important the blue economy is to the Philippines.”

OFFICIALS from the DOST, led by Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr. and DOST-PTRI Director Dr. Julius L. Leaño Jr., at the ribbon cutting at the Hinabul: Natural Fiber and Textile Exhibits at the National Museum Western Visayas in Iloilo City.

Sol idum added t hat br ing ing NSTW to Iloilo this year indicates how the agency “values and prioritizes a whole-of-society approach” by aligning their products and services to foster inclusive development, creating more livelihood and career opportunities for Filipinos, especially in the rural areas, and promoting blue economy.

Forums, exhibits and more THE five-day NSTW included a lineup of forums about fish farming, tech potential and S&T initiatives on the blue economy, forest technologies, career opportunities in science, health research and development breakthroughs, creation of green jobs, and enhancing business and industry competitiveness through S&T. Various S&T innovations from

Iloilo, Region VI, and other regions were also exhibited at ICON. The Hinabul: Natural Fiber and Textile Exhibit that was held at the National Museum Western Visayas in Iloilo City featured technologies in textiles, such as indigo dyeing, table loom and handloom weaving, turning fibers into yarn and textile products, nonwoven textiles, and weavers from the Philippines, and sold handloomwoven products such as clothing, scarves, earrings, and bags.

Lawud, meanwhile, was an exhibit of marine S&Ts from the region, such as food products with their main ingredient from the marine resources and machinery developed for fisheries and waste disposal management.

It was displayed at the Capt. John B. Lacson Training Ship and Museum of Philippine Maritime History.

Local products from the different DOST-assisted micro, small, and medium enterprises were also sold at TekTienda Product Bazaarr held at Festive Walk Iloilo, and staged “Food Talks” highlighting the well-known Ilonggo dishes, such as batchoy, pancit Molo, piaya and more.

Other activities that were also held included a fashion show of modern garments using natural fibers, a 3D printing demonstration, a showcasing of artificial intelligence-enabled software for various mobile applications, awarding ceremonies, a film festival, and more.

This year’s NSTW was held outside of Metro Manila for the first time since 1993. Solidum announced that the succeeding NSTWs will be celebrated in the provinces where different regions will host and with various themes that reflect their thrust in promoting STI in their areas.

“This way, the spotlight will be on our homegrown scientists and researchers from various local state universities and colleges, who are truly our reliable partners in the regions, who have been contributing immensely in R&D-based initiatives that address pressing concerns in different socioeconomic sectors,” he said.

The NSTW was institutionalized in 1982 through Proclamation 2214 signed by former president Ferdinand E. Marcos. By virtue of Proclamation 780, signed by former president Rodrigo Duterte in August 2019, the NSTW was moved to be held every fourth week of November to “ensure maximum participation” of schools, students, stakeholders, and the public.

Searca photo tilt deadline on Nov. 30

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THE overview of steps in the optimized protocol for DNA extraction of milkfish fry gut. DOST-PCAARRD PHOTO

Milkfish fry research to aid in boosting supply, quality

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HE milkfish fry in the Philippines is currently suffering from insufficient supply caused by high importation rate and low sur vival of hatcher yproduced fr y.

B ut m i l k f i s h , or “ b a n g u s ,” farmers no longer have to worr y.

Researches from the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV ) are targeting to address t hese concerns.

Milkfish is one of the most important food commodities in the country. Recognized as the Philippines’ national fish, bangus has been providing communities with sources of food, livelihood and income.

The project, “Improvement of Milkfish Larval Rearing and Nursery Culture through Gut Metagenome, Transcr iptome A na lysis, and Gut Microbia l Communit y Manipulations,” primarily aims to explain the microbiotic factors and their roles in the physiology of

milkfish larvae and juveniles using metagenomic and transcriptome techniques, the researchers said.

It s o b j e c t i v e i s t o e m p l o y this k nowledge in desig ning i mproved rea r i ng protocol s to sig nif ica nt ly boost m i l k f ish h atc her y produc t iv it y.

The project is made possible through the funding of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCA ARRD).

The project highlighted that the country’s requirement for milkfish fry is close to 4 billion yearly, but hatcheries can produce only 800 million fries per year at most because of insufficient broodstock to produce the fr y, the DOSTPCA ARRD said.

As such, the Philippines is importing a substantial 75 percent of the country required milkfish fry from Indonesia.

UPV has been obser v ing indu st r y c h a l lenges i n m i l k f i sh product ion, pa r t ic u l a rly deform it ies a nd low su r v iva l rates of hatc her y- produced m i l k f ish f r y i n nu rser y pond s, i n cont ra st to t he better su r v iva l a nd y ield of w i ld- caught m i l k f ish f r y, t he resea rc hers sa id.

This difference is attributed to the potential lack of maintenance in genetic quality and genetic degradation of hatchery-reared milkfish fry.

Recognizing the importance of gut microbiota in fish, the project seeks to study this further to potentially aid in selecting probiotics, prebiotics, and chemical compounds to enhance gut health and overall physical functionality of fish.

Seen as significant alternatives, these can possibly reduce the reliance on antibiotics and can be a useful tool in developing rearing protocols for efficient hatcher y

production of milkfish larvae.

This will be facilitated through a metagenomics approach.

Metagenomics is a study of the genetic material of a species to understand the connection of microorganisms to the environment and their health.

By examining the gut metagenomic composition of milkfish fry and juveniles, along with evaluating the inf luence of the gut microbiome on overall larval physiology through transcriptome analysis, the project aims to uncover the mechanisms behind the physiological fitness of milkfish larvae, the UPV researchers said.

The information gathered by the project will be useful to the management of hatcheries and nurseries to boost the quality and supply of milkfish fry. Such improvements are expected to benefit farmers, leading to increased yields in milkfish production.

Rizza B. Ramoran/S&T Media Services

S&T experts lead in ‘greening’ projects in Iloilo

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LOILO CITY—The Department o f S c i e n c e a n d Te c h no l o g y (DOST) introduces initiatives in support of the environment.

Led by Balik Scientists and Science and Technology (S&T) Fellows, a forum titled “Talk and Tech: Science Careers in Demand,” during the DOST National Science, Technology and Innovation Week (NSTW) held in this city, focused on expertise in environment in the Visayas, the DOST said.

One initiative was a project to

promote environmental and sustainable development on Suyac Island in Negros Occidental.

Dr. Francis Baleta, a DOST S&T Fellow, is leading the groundbreaking project, “Promotion and Enhancement of Suyac Island as a Green Destination for Aqua-Ecotourism through Sustainable Management and Development.”

The study’s focus on marine litter on Suyac Island demonstrates a meticulous approach to understanding and managing the island’s resources

and socio-economic landscape.

The DOST’s goal is to establish the foundation for sustainable management and development, ensuring a positive impact on both the local community and the environment.

Another green initiative is led by DOST Balik Scientist Dr. Noel Peter Tan, director of the Center for Advanced New Materials, Engineering, and Emerging Technologies of the University of San Agustin in Iloilo CIty, the DOST said.

This R&D project will address the

perennial problem of the country in plastic waste by developing biodegradable plastics or bioplastic packaging materials through nanotechnology.

Through the Balik Scientist Program and S&T Fellows Program, experts engaged play a crucial role in leading R&D projects, fostering innovation that addresses the country’s evolving needs.

“The DOST places confidence in the capabilities of our S&T professionals to address socioeconomic needs of the country. The engagement

HE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) calls on photographers in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, to participate in the 17th Searca photo contest, which closes on November 30.

Themed “Regenerating Agri-Ecosystems, Lowering Global Boiling,” the competition drew inspiration from the impactful words of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who declared in July the advent of “global boiling,” emphasizing the urgency of the climate crisis.

Searca Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio said “global boiling” serves as a metaphorical depiction of the escalating climate crisis, which resonates with Searca’s priority focus on climate change and its impacts on agriculture.

The photo contest seeks submissions that showcase agricultural technologies and practices combating climate change while alleviating the strain on natural resources.

Gregorio specified that the images may feature farming methods supporting recycling, waste reduction, and a minimal carbon footprint.

Moreover, they could highlight sustainable approaches promoting water conservation, soil enhancement, reduced post-harvest losses, or the use of renewable energy.

“We invite photographers to capture farmers, farming families, researchers, inventors, students, and youth actively engaged with these technologies and practices in the field, encompassing various agricultural activities like crop cultivation, livestock management, and fisheries,” Gregorio said.

Open to both professional and amateur photographers, the contest allows participants to submit an unlimited number of entries as long as they adhere to the specified contest guidelines. All photo submissions must be original, unaltered, unpublished in any prior competition and free from digital enhancements.

“We invite passionate photographers to seize this chance to demonstrate the potency of visual storytelling in tackling the worldwide issue of climate change,” urged Gregorio.

Cash rewards await the champions, with $1,000 for the first prize, $800 for the second prize, and $500 for the third prize.

Special prizes include the Searca Director’s Choice and the Philippine Department of Education Secretary’s Choice, each recipient receiving $500.

The People’s Choice Award winner, determined through Facebook voting, will receive $400.

Photographers are urged to upload their entries to the contest via the Ssearca website before the November 30 deadline.

of the Balik Scientist and S&T Fellows are pivotal in driving R&D projects forward,” said DOST-Undersecretary for Research and Development, Dr. Leah J. Buendia.

“The wealth of knowledge and expertise brought by these experts contributes significantly to the success of regional initiatives, fostering a collaborative environment for scientific and technological advancement,” Buendia added.

The DOST explained that through the involvement of these experts, the DOST boosts regional development, wherein they conduct research, contributing, not only to job creation within the scientific community

associated with the project, but also significantly benefiting the local communities where the research is either underway or has taken place.

The DOST Balik Scientist Program encourages S&T experts residing abroad, who are Filipino citizens or of Filipino descent, to return to the country and share their muchneeded expertise to a local host institution anywhere across the country.

T he DOS T S &T Fe l lows P ro gram, meanwhile, engages Filipino researchers, scientists, and engineers with the aim of capacitating the R&D needs of various DOSTattached agencies, particularly the R&D Institutes and Councils.

Faith

Sunday

A10 Sunday, November 26, 2023

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

Pope’s message of inclusivity, a welcome change for trans women

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ORVAI ANIC A, Italy—Pope Francis’ recent gesture of welcome for transgender Catholics has resonated strongly in this working class, seaside town south of Rome, where a community of trans women has found help and hope through a remarkable relationship with the pontiff forged during the darkest times of the pandemic.

Thanks to the local parish priest, the women now make monthly visits to Francis’ Wednesday general audiences, where they are given VIP seats.

On any given day, they receive handouts of medicine, cash and shampoo. When Covid-19 struck, the Vatican bussed them into its health facility so they could be vaccinated ahead of most Italians.

Menu is evidence of treatment with dignity ON Sunday, the women—many of whom are Latin American migrants and work as prostitutes—joined over 1,000 other poor and homeless people in the Vatican auditorium as Francis’ guests for lunch to mark the Catholic Church’s World Day of the Poor.

The menu was evidence of Francis’ belief that those most on the margins must be treated with utmost dignity: cannelloni pasta filled with spinach and ricotta to start; meatballs in a tomato-basil sauce and cauliflower puree, and tiramisu with petit fours for dessert.

For the marginalized trans community of Torvaianica, it was just the latest gesture of inclusion from a pope who has made reaching out to the LGBTQ+ community a hallmark of his papacy, in word and deed.

“Before, the church was closed to us. They didn’t see us as normal

people, they saw us as the devil,” said Andrea Paola Torres Lopez, a Colombian transgender woman known as Consuelo, whose kitchen is decorated with pictures of Jesus.

“Then Pope Francis arrived and the doors of the church opened for us,” she said.

Francis’ latest initiative was a document from the Vatican’s doctrine office asserting that, under some circumstances, transgender people can be baptized and can serve as godparents and witnesses in weddings.

It followed another recent statement from the pope himself that suggested same-sex couples could receive church blessings.

In both cases, the new pronouncements reversed the absolute bans on transgender people serving as godparents issued by the Vatican doctrine office in 2015, and on same-sex blessings announced in 2021.

P rom i nent LGBTQ+ orga n izat ions have welcomed Fra nc is’ message of inclusiv ity, given gay and transgender people have long felt ostracized and discriminated against by a church that officially teaches that homosexual acts are “ intrinsically disordered.”

Starting from his famous “Who am I to judge” comment in 2013 about a purportedly gay priest, to his assertion in January that “being homosexual is not a crime,” Francis has evolved his position to increasingly make clear that everyone—“todos, todos, todos”—is a child of God, is loved

by God and welcome in the church.

Questions to pope’s approach THAT judgment-free position is not necessarily shared by the rest of the Catholic Church. The recent Vatican

Claudia Vittoria Salas, a 55-yearold transgender tailor and house cleaner, said she had already served as a godparent to three of her nieces and nephews back home in Jujuy, in northern Argentina.

She choked up as she recalled that her earnings from her former work as a prostitute put her godchildren through school.

“Being a godparent is a big responsibility, it’s taking the place of the mother or father, it’s not a game,” she said as her voice broke. “ You have to choose the right people who w ill be responsible and capable, when the parents aren’t around, to send the kids to school and prov ide them w ith food and clothes.”

Unusual friendship with the pope PRIEST Andrea Conocchia, (standing), speaks with transgender women (from left) Andrea Paola Torres Lopez from Colombia, also known as Consuelo, Claudia Vittoria Salas from Argentina and Carla Segovia from Argentina as they sit in the Beata Vergine Immacolata parish church in Torvaianica, Italy, November 16. AP/ANDREW MEDICHINI gathering of bishops and laypeople, known as a synod, backed off language explicitly calling for welcoming LGBTQ+ Catholics.

Conservative Catholics, including cardinals, have strongly questioned his approach.

After his latest statement about trans participation in church sacraments, GLAAD and DignityUSA said Francis’ tone of inclusion would send a message to political and cultural leaders to end their persecution, exclusion and discrimination against transgender people.

Part of the church FOR the trans community in Torvaianica, it was a more personal message,

a concrete sign that the pope knew them, had heard their stories and wanted to let them know that they were part of his church.

Carla Segovia, a 46-year-old Argentine sex worker, said for transgender women like herself, being a godparent is the closest thing she will ever get to having a child of her own.

She said that the new norms made her feel more comfortable about maybe one day returning fully to the faith that she was baptized in but fell away from after coming out as trans.

“This norm from Pope Francis brings me closer to finding that absolute serenity,” she said, which she feels is necessary to be fully reconciled with the faith.

FR ANCIS’ unusual friendship with the Torvaianica trans community began during Italy’s strict Covid-19 lockdown, when one, then two, and then more sex workers showed up at the Rev. Andrea Conocchia’s church on the main piazza of town asking for food, because they had lost all sources of income.

Over time, Conocchia got to know the women and as the pandemic and economic hardships continued, he encouraged them to write to Francis to ask for what they needed. One night they sat around a table and composed their letters.

“The pages of the letters of the first four were bathed in tears,” he recalled.

“Why? Because they told me ‘Father, I’m ashamed, I can’t tell the pope what I have done, how I have lived.’”

But they did, and the first assistance arrived from the pope’s chief almsgiver, who then accompanied the

women for their Covid-19 vaccines a year later. At the time of the pandemic, many of the women weren’t legally allowed to live in Italy and had no access to the vaccine.

Eventually, Francis asked to meet them.

Salas was among those who received the jab at the Vatican and then joined a group from Torvaianica to thank Francis at his general audience on April 27, 2022.

She brought the Argentine pope a platter of homemade chicken empanadas, a traditional comfort food from their shared homeland.

Showing the photo of the exchange on her phone, Salas remembered what Francis did next: “He told the gentleman who receives the gifts to leave them with him, saying ‘I’m taking them with me for lunch,’” she said. “At that point, I started to cry.”

Value of listening to his flock ON Sunday, Salas was seated at Francis’ table in the Vatican auditorium.

She said she had woken up at 3 a.m. to make him more chicken empanadas for his dinner. “They’re still hot,” she said.

For Canocchia, Francis’ response to Salas and the others has changed him profoundly as a priest, teaching him the value of listening and being attentive to the lives and hardships of his flock, especially those most on the margins.

For the women, it is simply an acknowledgement that they matter.

“At least they remember us, that we’re on Earth and we haven’t been abandoned and left to the mercy of the wind,” said Torres Lopez. Nicole Winfield

and Trisha Thomas/Associated Press

Filipino chaplains in Italy meet ‘to better serve OFWs’

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POPE Francis meets with pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Ozamis on November 17. VATICAN MEDIA

Pope to Ozamis pilgrims: ‘Be models in works of mercy’

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ATICAN—Pope Francis met recently with pilgrims from t he sout her n Ph i l ippi ne archdiocese of Ozamis, encouraging them to spend their lives in the service of others.

Led by Archbishop Martin Jomuad, the pilgrims composed of priests and laypeople are on a Marian pilgrimage in Europe as part of Ozamis’s golden jubilee celebration as a diocese.

The pope expressed hope that other planned activities marking the occasion will help Catholics “deepen their awareness of their baptismal call to always live as faithful disciples of the Lord.”

In this way, according to him, the archdiocese “will be able to contribute to the advancement of God’s kingdom of justice, unity and peace.”

“In this regard, it is my hope that your parishes and communities will be models in practicing the works of mercy and in being neighbors to all, especially families, young people, the sick, the elderly and the poor, with the charity that Jesus asks of us,” the pope said.

“This includes, as well, being responsible stewards of creation, in the

realization that our care for one another and for our common home are intimately bound together,” he said.

The 86-year-old pontiff also encouraged the pilgrims “to journey together in fraternal solidarity, listening to one another and above all to the Holy Spirit, who guides the entire Church in discerning new and creative paths for the proclamation of the Gospel”.

In 1951, the Prelature of Ozamis was established out of Misamis Occidental, with Columban Fr. Patrick Cronin as its first apostolic administrator. In 1955, he was appointed its first prelate.

Ozamis attained the status of a diocese on February 17, 1971, with Bishop Jesus Varela serving as its first local ordinary. During this period, Cronin had already become the archbishop of Cagayan de Oro. On January 24, 1983, Ozamis was further elevated to an archdiocese, with the dioceses of Dipolog, Iligan, Pagadian and the Prelature of Marawi assigned as its suffragans.

Despite plans for various activities lined up for the jubilee celebration in 2021, the archdioces was hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic. CBCP News

By Patrick V. Miguel

ILIPINO chaplains in Italy gathered to talk about providing better service to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The annual convention was held from November 13 to 15 in the city of Florence, and was hosted by Fr. Reynold Corcino, chaplain in Florence, according to a Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) News report.

“The chaplains discussed how to better serve our OFWs, who have become our overseas Filipino missionaries,” said Fr. Gregory Gaston, national coordinator for Filipino chaplains in Italy and rector of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino.

They discussed ways on how to minister to religious and civic organizations, and bringing them closer to the chaplaincies were also tackled, he added.

Fr. Gianni Guida, who first started the community 35 years ago, was present during the convention.

CBCP Secretary General Msgr. Bernardo Pantin had an online conversation with the convention participants,

THE Filipino chaplains in Italy gather for their annual convention in Florence, Italy, from November 13 to 15. CBCP NEWS where he talked about the proposed Personal Prelature for Filipinos.

According to Pantin, the personal prelature will support the Filipino chaptains’ mission and needs.

“Rather than keeping our migrants away from the parishes abroad, the

personal prelature will do everything it can to incorporate them into the parishes in the countries where they settle,” he said.

The personal prelature concerns academic, pastoral, and canonical studies on Filipino migrants for the

past 30 years. Conceived by the Vatican Council II, it was further developed in Church documents and papal teachings.

Moreover, it has been repeatedly discussed in various Permanent Council and plenary meetings of the CBCP.

November 29 is Red Wednesday in remembrance for the persecuted

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HE papa l c h a r it y, A id to the Church in Need (ACN), will commemorate “Red Wednesday” on November 29, an event of solidarity that serves as a reminder that Christian persecution is an ongoing phenomenon.

ACN Philippines is once again inv iting parishes to join the annual obser vance “to commemorate the day of remembrance for ou r persec uted brot hers a nd sisters in Christ.”

This year’s Red Wednesday, themed “Embracing Persecuted, Oppressed, and Needy Chr istians,” highlights “the pastoral work of the Church in supporting

Christians from various walks of life.”

A Eucharistic celebration will be held at the Manila Cathedral at 6 p.m. presided by Msgr. Bernardo R. Pantin, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

“L et us unite ourselves in prayer for our persecuted and needy brothers and sisters suffering at this present moment,” the CBCP said.

“If possible, the building façade of the churches, schools, hospitals, houses, and other institutions is to be illuminated and/or decorated in red,” said Fr. Jaime Marquez, administrator of

ACN Philippines.

“The local church may also encourage the faithful to wear red on that day as remembrance for the shed blood of Christ on the Cross as persecuted and martyred and for the blood of our persecuted brethrens,” he said.

Red Wednesday is an initiative launched in 2015 by ACN, a C at hol ic c h a r it y t h at sup ports suffering and persecuted Christians.

ACN notes that approximately 250 million Christians worldwide live in environments where they face violent persecution, discrimination, or restrictions on practicing their faith freely. CBCP News

THE Aid to the Church in Need is inviting the faithful to celebrate Red Wednesday on November 29 in a Eucharistic celebration at the Manila Cathedral to be presided by Msgr. Bernardo R. Pantin, secretary general of the CBCP. CBCP NEWS

Biodiversity Sunday BusinessMirror

Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014

Sunday, November 26, 2023 A11

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Online illegal wildlife trade threatens endangered freshwater turtles, tortoise

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

W

HO hasn’t heard of Leonardo, Donnatelo, Raphael and Michaelangelo?

This is not about the famous artists. It is about the main characters in the famous “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” flick.

The American media franchise made superheroes out of amazing ninja-trained turtles, fighting off villains, and winning the hearts of comics fanatics and cartoon televiewers.

A 2023 cartoon remake of this franchise is bringing back the characters into the people’s consciousness.

But is it helping save the turtles from extinction?

In reality, the turtles and tortoises are heroes in their own rights in the wild, but many of their species are losing against the bad guys and are now in the brink of extinction because of illegal wildlife trade.

Thriving online trade A REPORT published online on ResearchGate titled “Online Trade of Live Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises in the Philippines,” revealed that freshwater turtles and tortoises are highly threatened by illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade.

The report, authored by Emerson Sy and Antonio Nuñez Lorenzo II of Traffic International Southeast Asia, said the trade has been thriving online, particularly on social media platforms, in recent decades. Traffic is a global non-government wildlife trade monitoring network.

The authors conducted a two-year online survey on 20 Facebook groups in 2019 and 2020 and reviewed trade data from Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora from 1990-2019 covering 30 years to explain turtle trade dynamics in the Philippines.

A total of 5,801 individuals representing 77 taxa were documented for sale on Facebook in 2019-2020.

“The 10 most commonly traded species represented 79 percent of the total quantity, and Centrochelys sulcata [African spurred tortoise] was the most offered for sale,” the research said.

ASIAN box turtle (left) and Chinese softshell turtles. Although they play important ecological functions, freshwater turtles are hunted to their extinction and they usually end up as pets, or worse, in the market for exotic meat. PHOTOS BY GREGG YAN

Philippines, a turtle importer MEANWHILE, an analysis of 307 CITES trade records showed that the Philippines imported between 3,365 and 4,279 live turtles and tortoises of 39 species from 21 countries and territories during the 30-year period.

According to the authors, there were 23 CITES Appendix-listed species, including six species listed on Appendix I, documented for sale on Facebook but without import records from the CITES Trade Database.

They are the radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata), ploughshare or angonoka tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora), Burmese star tortoise (Geochelone platynota), black pond turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii), Indian roofed turtle (Pangshura tecta) and spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides).

Poached, smuggled from the wild SY told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on November 8 that some of the animals may be poached from the wild, may have been recently smuggled and illegally offered in the country.

“Some are with documents but some don’t, therefore they must have been caught in the wild,” Sy said.

But what is clear, according to the authors, is that the results of the research show that wildlife trade continues to thrive on Facebook.

“Our results show that the wildlife trade continues to thrive on Fa c e b o ok . G re at e r c o o p e r at io n among conservation groups, wildlife authorities and social media platforms, and appropriate actions

People’s Museum of Climate Justice opens in Manila

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OLLOWING a successful run in Tacloban City during the 10th-anniversary commemoration of Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) on November 8, the People’s Museum of Climate Justice opened its doors in Manila City as part of the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior ship’s visit to the capital region.

The People’s Museum of Climate Justice pays homage to the stories of climate survivors through a poignant collection of objects of memory and art pieces that encapsulate their enduring memories of the climate crisis.

Organized by environmental non-profit organization Greenpeace Philippines, the exhibit is co-created and co-curated with climate-impacted communities from Tacloban, Bohol, Metro Manila and other vulnerable regions in the Philippines.

The exhibit features everyday tools, mementos, and significant items contributed by community members, each item a vessel of stories recounting their encounters with extreme weather events and the profound impact of climate change on their lives.

“A museum is a bastion of memory—a collection of tangible and intangible ar tefac ts that carr y narratives and experiences of people, put forward to be immortalized,” said Mark Simbajon, a

Yolanda survivor who contributed to the exhibit.

“For us coming from communities at the receiving end of the impacts of the climate crisis, this is our physical concretisation of strength—strength that defines our truth, truth that refuses to be just sidelines of history,” Simajon added.

Raise for Habitat’s John Emmanuel Tayo, a climate survivor from Catanduanes who experienced the wrath of Super Typhoon Rolly in 2020, was among the community members who contributed a memento to the exhibit.

He shared: “Catanduanes is far from economically advancing and achieving livelihood security as year after year, we are devastated by strong typhoons exacerbated by climate change. We are always prepared for typhoons, but if the scenario stays the same and super typhoons become the norm, we will not progress.”

Through its exhibit in Manila, the People’s Museum of Climate Justice aims to bring abstract statistics into human focus.

The museum’s goal is to serve as a reminder of the environmental and social injustices that climate-vulnerable populations must navigate daily.

“The People’s Museum of Climate Justice is more than just an exhibit; it’s a platform

are urgently needed to curtail illegal online wildlife trade proliferation,” the authors said.

Turtles and tortoise TURTLES are reptiles and can be classified as amphibians as they can survive or live in both land and water. They are generally opportunistic omnivores because they feed on plants and animals with limited movements.

There are sea or marine turtles, and there are freshwater turtles.

On the other hand, tortoises are reptiles that have a large shell on their back for protection.

Unlike other turtles, tortoises live a lmost exclusively on land, whilst most turtles are aquatic, or live primarily in water. Most tortoises are herbivores, or feed mostly on plants, and they live in diverse habitats across the world.

Diverse species ACCORDING to the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), in Southeast Asia, there are diverse species of turtles and tortoises, and they come in different shapes, sizes, and unique colors and markings.

A total of 69 species of freshwater turtles and tortoises are presently know n from different Asean member states.

It comprises of six species of tortoises and 36 species of turtles, 27 species of softshell turtles and a number of species that have yet to be identified.

“Most freshwater turtles and tor-

that brings the realities of climate change experienced by the most marginalized communities around the country to the fore,” said Greenpeace Philippines Campaigner Eunille Santos. “Each object of memory on display is not just a remnant of climate disasters. Behind them are stories that show the strength of the Filipinos.”

S antos explained, “People never forget, but people are also tired of always remembering. There needs to be something after remembering. This museum aims to show how remembering is not only recalling, it is doing something with that memory. In this case, it is collective climate action.”

Inspired by other collective memory initiatives, such as the Museum of Memory Against Impunity in Nicaragua and the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Chile, the People’s Museum of Climate Justice will run from November 21to 30, from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. at the Remedios Jubilee Mission Center, Malate Catholic Church compound.

Admission is free. Walk-ins are welcome but guests are encouraged to register online at act.gp/shiptour2023manila .

The People’s Museum of Climate Justice is part of Greenpeace Philippines’ 2023 Ship Tour. This year’s Ship Tour honors the courage and determination of Filipino communities that are standing up for justice in the face of devastating climate impacts.

The Rainbow Warrior will carry their stories of hope beyond the Philippines to foster international solidarity for climate justice, demanding to make climate polluters pay.

toises eat snails, slugs, bugs, and other insects, but they could also feed on fruits, leaves and stalks of plants.

Thus, they are considered to be omnivorous,” said ACB Executive Director Theresa Mundita S. Lim.

Ecological functions TURTLES and tortoises play very crucial and important roles in the wild, said Lim, a licensed veterinarian and biodiversity expert.

They all play important ecosystem functions despite their seemingly boring and slow-paced way of life.

“They help control vector-borne illnesses and zoonotic diseases by feeding on insects and other small animals, including disease carriers, such as mosquitoes [larvae and adults], and snails and slugs,” she said.

Lim added that malaria, dengue and chikungunya are just some of the known diseases that are carried by mosquitoes, which can pose serious health problems without the turtles and tortoise doing their jobs.

“Snails, on the other hand, are intermediate hosts of schistosomiasis, which is transmitted from animals, such as cattle, monkeys, and dogs to humans,” she said.

Thus, removing turtles and tortoises from their natural habitats can contribute to public health concerns because of their ecological function in controlling populations of disease vectors.

Meanwhile, as plant feeders, “they also help in seed dispersal and in the natural restoration of wetland and

forest ecosystems,” Lim said.

Not pets, food, or medicine TURTLES and tortoises, like their bigger cousins, the sea or marine turtles, are hunted to the brink of extinction for their meat, shell and body parts, believing that consumption of these reptiles could boost longevity or cure illnesses that Western medicine could not.

These mostly harmless and charismatic creatures are traded as aquarium pets. Some even create a special pond to mimic their habitats.

However, turtles and tortoises do not belong in an aquarium or pond because they live in the wild—the only place where they can thrive.

Asked about the issue, environmentalist Gregg Yan said turtles and tortoises have been kept or consumed for ages.

“During the Age of Sail, the giant land tortoises of the Galapagos Islands were nearly wiped out by sailors, who stored them in the [cargo] holds of their ships—without food or water— for up to a year before being eaten,” Yan told the BusinessMirror via email on November 13.

Bad media effect ACCORDING to Yan, media can also boost demand. “In the same way that the movie ‘Finding Nemo’ emptied many coral reefs of clownfish, the introduction of the ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ in the 1980s made pet turtles popular,” he said.

According to Yan, for a long time,

the most common was the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) in massive numbers from North America. and the Chinese softshell turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis) were imported as pets or eaten in Chinese restaurants.

He added that customers can still order them in Binondo.

“Most damagingly for conservation, traders also target local turtles, including the Asian box turtle (Cuora amboinensis) and the rare Philippine forest turtle (Siebenrockiella leytensis), both of which are endangered,” he said.

Yan noted that most sting operations to net wildlife traders can be mounted and severe punishments for illegal traders trafficking tortoises and turtles, both freshwater and marine, should be issued to deter would-be-traders.

Crackdown on illegal wildlife trade “THE administration can show that it means business by cracking down on illegal wildlife trade, a leading cause of extinction of many plant and animal species,” he said.

“Since turtles and tortoises are reptiles that lay clutches of eggs, captive breeding is also a possible solution, though there are numerous loopholes that may allow traders to market wild-caught turtles or tortoises as captive-bred ones,” he opined.

“If [Filipinos] really want to keep turtles, then their best alternatives to buy ing and keeping Philippine turtles would be to shift to other, more prolific species like red-eared sliders. W hile not native to the countr y, they are at least not in any danger of extinction,” he said.

However, he said that great care must be taken to never release these nonnative animals in the wild, where they can become invasive species. “ T he best and most affordable source for pet turtles might just be your local DENR [Department of Env ironment and Natural Resources] office, which might have seized or sur rendered red-eared sliders for you to adopt and take care of,” he said.

US-funded solar-powered boat launched in Palawan

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ROMOTING energ y-efficient means of transportation in a tourism area, the United States government through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) recently launched the solar-powered boat Adlao Azul.

This solar-powered boat will help improve mobility and delivery of basic services across remote island communities in Palawan.

Adlao Azul made its maiden voyage in the waters of Coron, Palawan last November 8. The event was led by USAID Philippines Environmental Officer Dr. Paul Brown, who joined Coron municipality and Sangat Island Resort representatives aboard the boat.

Pa lawan is considered t he country’s last ecological frontier. It is host to a good number of tourist sites and attractions, including El Nido and Coron, which main tourism activities are beaching and island hopping.

A known host to unique flora and fauna, Palawan is struggling to keep its ecosystems intact while advocating for sustainable tourism.

Developed by Oceantera Energy Corp. through a P25-million

grant under USAID’s Energy Secure Philippines project, Adlao Azul is equipped with a US-made battery system and high-efficiency bifacial solar panels, allowing it to cruise for over six hours on clean energy.

It comes with a cooler and freezer storage for transporting food, vaccines, medical supplies and other essential goods for residents on the islands of Coron, Culion and Busuanga.

The boat also allows the timely delivery of emergency supplies during power outages and natural disasters. “ USA ID has been work ing closely with the national and local governments, as well as with the private sector to expand the use of renewable energy across different sectors, such as transportation, agriculture, island electrification and disaster response,” Brown said in a statement.

“We look forward to our continued partnership with the private sector, particularly with investors, resort owners and boat operators to support a low-carbon ecosystem,” he added.

“These [solar-powered boats] are very transformative technologies that address not only

climate change mitigation but also support the livelihood and economy of communities. I am hoping that this be replicated in other islands,” Climate Change Commission’s former assistant secretary Joy Goco said.

Following the launch of Adlao Azul, USAID and Oceantera will work to expand the commercial ava i l abi l it y of c lea n energ ypowered boats in Palawan by documenting supplier networks and reg u l at ions, establ ishing franchise agreements, and linking potential funders with clients, such as boat operators and builders.

Through this initiative, USAID seeks to pioneer the use of renewable energ y in modernizing transportation and enhancing the logistical chain in delivering essential goods and services.

Energy Secure Philippines is USAID’s five-year $34-million activity that aims to mobilize investments, deploy modern energy technology, and support policy reforms for a more competitive energy sector that can drive future economic growth and social development in the Philippines.

Jonathan L. Mayuga

Eager fans Fans of Montreal Alouettes CFL

watch the team’s Grey Cup parade in Montreal recently. The Alouettes defeated the Blue Bombers, 28-24, in the final of the 110th Grey Cup of the Canadian Football League at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton in Ontario. AP

Love paving way not to push this time but to drive

Sports BusinessMirror

A12 | S

unday, November 26, 2023 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

K

AYSHA LOVE is trying to pull off perhaps the most difficult transition in bobsledding, the one where a push athlete tries to become a driver.

Last year, the results weren’t great.

This year, so far, they are.

Hard as this may be to believe, the four-year cycle between one Winter Games and the next is almost half over already—and Love’s recent run of success suggests that she’s a serious hopeful to be part of the US team at the 2026 Olympics. (Italy will host those games, though the sliding will take place elsewhere since plans to rebuild a track fell through.)

“My goal is to return to the Olympics,” said Love, who was at the 2022 Beijing Games as the push athlete for three-time Olympic champion Kaillie Humphries. “And I understand that it just takes more time to develop as a pilot than it does as a brakeman. Ultimately, the goal is just to return to the games, whether that’s a pilot or as a brakeman. But I would love to see it, God willing, be in the pilot direction.”

That quest might have seemed farfetched at times last season. Love drove in six races last season on the North American Cup tour, a mostly developmental circuit where hopefuls tend to learn if they can drive or not.

The results: she was last or next-tolast among the finishers of every race, finishing an average of 2.51 seconds behind the winning sled. In real time, 2.51 seconds isn’t much. In bobsled, it’s a lifetime.

“At this time a year ago, I was getting my [butt] handed to me by, like, everybody,” Love said.

Not anymore. Love drove in four NAC races last week and something had most definitely changed—she finished second in her first race, won the next three, and had the fastest time in seven of her eight race heats.

And that got her a spot on the World Cup team as a driver for the first time. She leaves this weekend for Europe, with her first race as a driver on the sport’s top circuit coming in two weeks at La Plagne, France.

“The athletes have waited a long time to get back on the ice and begin competing,” USA Bobsled director of sport performance Curt Tomasevicz said after that North American Cup week in Lake Placid, New York. “So, it was very rewarding to see so many great results. It is the reward of a lot of hard work in the offseason.”

That has been Love’s calling card.

She comes from an athletic family: her parents played basketball and volleyball, her sisters are volleyball players and there was no shortage of competition. Love remembers watching gymnastics on TV as a young kid and turning the family’s couch into vault apparatus; her mother quickly got her into a gymnastics class and that school moved her into the competitive group after just one day.

The Olympic dream was hatched there. Love was a very accomplished gymnast, but realized she wasn’t good enough to make the Olympics in that sport. So, she became a sprinter— even though she hates running—and excelled again, piling up a slew of state records in her native Utah and then racing in college at UNLV. AP

Las Vegas GP sets betting record

Massive security operation drawn for Paris Olympics P ARIS—France’s military is planning to contribute 15,000 soldiers to the massive security operation for next year’s Paris Olympics, an army general involved in the preparations said Thursday.

The bulk of the military force—nearly 10,000 troops—will be deployed in the Paris region,

where most Olympic events will be concentrated, said General Christophe Abad, the military governor of Paris who serves as military adviser to the French capital’s police chief.

Military forces will also be employed for the games as far as 15,000 kilometers (nearly 10,000 miles) away in Tahiti, where navy

vessels will safeguard the venue there for Olympic surfing.

In Paris, a temporary military camp for 5,000 troops will be set up in a park in the southeast of the capital, putting the force close to the city’s Olympic sites, Abad said.

The security operation for the July 26 to August 11 Olympics, and Paralympic Games that follow, is

unprecedented in scale for France.

Tens of thousands of police officers and private security staff are also being deployed. New legislation has also allowed the temporary use next year of cameras combined with artificial intelligence software to scan for security problems. Critics fear the Olympic security will erode privacy and civil liberties permanently.

In the skies, the French military is also planning to deploy Reaper surveillance drones and AWACS airspace-monitoring planes, fighter jets, airborne refueling planes and helicopters that can carry sharpshooters and equipment to disable drones.

The military force of 15,000 nationwide will incorporate 7,000 troops already deployed on antiterrorism patrols at transport hubs and other busy or sensitive sites, including places of worship, Abad said. The military could also be called upon to contribute additional troops if Paris Games organizers fall short in their efforts to recruit more private security staff.

The military’s Olympic preparations include training exercises to hone its readiness for potential crises during the games.

Abad said that during war games this month, he and other officials tested their capabilities for dealing with a terrorist threat, a plane crash, an attack using drones, a severe heat wave and a chemical spill.

The Stockholm city council, meanwhile, publicly supported Sweden’s latest bid to host the 2030 Olympics ahead of key meetings

Tuesday for potential Winter Games hosts.

An International Olympic Committee (IOC) panel is taking online presentations from wouldbe hosts to prepare for decisions scheduled for next week.

The IOC executive board aims to pick preferred candidates for staging the Winter Games in 2030 and 2034 when it meets in Paris over three days through December 1.

“All national Olympic committees with a current interest in hosting the Olympic Winter Games have been offered the opportunity for their project leaders to give a virtual update,” the IOC said Tuesday.

While Salt Lake City is widely favored for 2034—32 years after hosting the 2002 Olympics—the options for 2030 are Sweden, France and Switzerland. The Swiss bid needs to win a vote Friday of national sports bodies to advance.

Preferred candidates can then enter exclusive negotiations, known in Olympic jargon as “targeted dialogue.”

The IOC last month set a target of July for its members—meeting in Paris on the eve of the 2024 Summer Games—to rubber stamp back-toback winter hosts recommended by the Olympic body’s board.

Sweden is in the race again after eight failed Winter Games bids. It was a surprise entry this year after long-time 2030 favorite Sapporo faded amid investigations of bribery linked to preparing for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. AP

Professional Fighters League makes move to dent UFC’s control of MMA

T THE Olympic rings are seen in front of the Paris City Hall. AP

L

AS VEGAS—The Las Vegas Grand Prix, which Max Verstappen won a week ago, blew past BetMGM betting handles for previous Formula One races.

Trading manager Seamus Magee said BetMGM took three times the number of bets than any other previous F1 race.

Westgate Las Vegas and Red Rock Resort reported on Saturday this race was the most-bet Formula One event at those sportsbooks.

Formula One’s most expensive and hyped race that included the lure of drivers competing on the famed Las Vegas Strip drove the betting action.

Verstappen, who has won three series championships in a row, took

the lead with 13 laps left to win for an 18th time this season.

One BetMGM bettor wagered $200,000 at minus-200 to win $100,000 when Verstappen cruised past the start/finish line.

He opened at minus-350 at that sportsbook, and the number moved down throughout the week before finally reaching minus-185.

Rather than try to find value, many bettors went for the near sure payoff with 28.7 percent of money going to Verstappen, the most in the 20-driver field.

However, he was third in ticket percentage at 10.5 behind Charles Leclerc (12.0) and Lewis Hamilton (11.9).

Leclerc finished second and Hamilton seventh. AP

RED Bull’s Max Verstappen (left) and Sergio Perez douse each other with champagne. AP

HE Professional Fighters League (PFL) has purchased rival MMA company Bellator from Paramount Global in its boldest attempt yet to make a dent in the industry leader, the UFC. PFL did not disclose financial terms in Monday’s announcement.

“This really makes PFL now a global powerhouse and poised to become a co-leader,” in MMA, PFL Chairman Donn Davis told The Associated Press. “The first five years of the company, our mission was to be the No. 2 company in MMA and we achieved that. We now set a new goal.

How do we become the co-leader?”

The deal was aided in part

by Saudi Arabia’s recent purchase into PFL. The purchase was relatively modest—$100 million according to the Financial Times—but even in a minority role, Saudi-backed SRJ Sports Investments ensured mixedmartial arts events will take place in that country.

“Their vision is the same as our vision, to become a co-leader in MMA,” Davis said. “Their economic and financial support is helpful for us to be able to achieve this. The Bellator

fighter roster is fantastic. But we have to reinvigorate the Bellator business and, with our capital, we’ll be able to do that.”

While the PFL has a unique MMA competition format that includes a regular season, a postseason and a championship event, the Bellator brand will continue in a series of oneoff cards in 2024. PFL will launch the “Bellator International Champions Series” next year.

The Champions Series was expected to consist of eight fight events.

PFL absorbed a Bellator roster that included name fighters such as Cris “Cyborg” Justino, Sergio Pettis and Patricio “Pitbull” Freire.

Davis said the company first approached Paramount about a deal in January. Bellator now becomes one of five live fight franchises of the Professional Fighters League: PFL League Season, PFL PPV Super Fights, PFL Challenger Series, PFL International Leagues, and Bellator.

PFL also planned to stage a PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions card in 2024 that would include champions in all seven weight classes. AP

BusinessMirror

November 26, 2023

Why a social media detox may not be as good as you think

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BusinessMirror NOVEMBER 26, 2023

YOUR MUSI

VIRAL-WORTHY The ‘ascension story’ of Stephen Sanchez

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By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

EOPLE have found a new artist to listen to after a video of Stephen Sanchez singing “Cigarette Daydreams” by Cage the Elephant blew up on TikTok. “It was the first time that something that I had sang got a nice reaction,” Stephen told SoundStrip during his Southeast Asia press conference.

Since he posted that cover, the American singer-songwriter said it motivated him to post some more. He shared that it was an “interesting experience to have” strangers on the internet praise his singing, his playing of the guitar, or just the song itself.

Riding on that wave, his second post was his first song, “Lady By the Sea” in 2020. “It was even cooler to have written a song, and have people be excited about that,” he added.

From there, he kept on releasing songs until his RIAA 3x Platinum Certified hit “Until I Found You” from his second EP became a viral hit on TikTok and peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.

His breakout single is a brilliant foreshadowing of his full-length debut album Angel Face, which tells the story of the fictional Stephen Sanchez as The Troubadour Sanchez who finds fame based on his 1958 hit song “Until I Found You.”

A different universe

IN this fictional world, Troubadour Stephen met a girl named Evangeline, also his track from his debut album, and had a tumultuous romance with her. Troubadour Sanchez was murdered in 1964, and almost 60 years

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Stephen shared that Ben brought up a very important point: “A love song that’s only about how great it is all the time is not a real love song, it’s not the truth.”

He added: “We want to write it then as a duet that highlights both sides of the relationship and kind of say awful things that both of these people are doing to one another.” And so, Stephen reached out to Laufey, an artist he’s a fan of, and told her about the song and to sing this duet.

“She came to the studio with a cello in hand and we recorded the song live. Exactly what you hear on the record is what we did, looking across from each other, recording the song,” he said.

An old soul

later, his supposed first album Angel Face was unearthed.

Along with the album, Stephen has released cinematic music videos for “Death Of The Troubadour” and “High,” directed by Charlie Rees, giving a closer look at The Troubadour’s story by narrating the love triangle between him, Evangeline, and her former lover Hunter.

In the real world, Angel Face is a 13-track album released in September 2023. Heavily inspired by ‘50s and ‘60s love songs, the storytelling through lyrics coupled with crooner Stephen’s smooth and magnetic vocals along with dreamy jazz, blues and rock melodies, dominated the whole album.

He shared that his motivation to create the role of Troubadour Sanchez was his curiosity about what he would be like if he grew up in the 50s and 60s. If he was lined up against the icons at that time, how would he look like, he asked himself.

Stephen has also collaborated with Ben Schneider, the lead singer of the band Lord Huron, who he said working with was a “dream come true” since the band was his musical inspiration while growing up.

They wrote together the songs “No One Knows,” “Caught in a Blue,” and “Death of the Troubadour.”

When they were writing “No One Knows” together in the studio,

THE 21-year-old Stephen is an old soul, a lover of all things vintage like cars, style, hair, makeup, revolutionizing the future, music, and art, reflected in his music and fashion styles.

Oftentimes, he was compared to “King of Rock and Roll” Elvis Presley for his jet black slicked-back hair and 1950s crooner The Troubadour Sanchez persona.

He remarked: “Getting compared to anybody like that is a very wonderful compliment,” citing Elvis along with Sam Cooke and Frank Sinatra as his favorites.

“I think it’s really amazing that anyone would compare me to someone with magnitude and talent,” he said.

He also cited Harry Styles as his inspiration, but he shared: “More than their moves, it’s their confidence that inspires me to explore my own moves, the way I want to dance on stage and express myself.”

“They have definitely inspired me, but it always turns into your own thing,” he quipped.

Much like his fictional character as the troubadour, Stephen also rose to fame after the success of “Until I Found You,” amassing 1.6 billion streams on all versions on Spotify.

He was also invited by Sir Elton John to perform the track during his last-ever headlining show at Glastonbury and performed the song during Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge’s wedding in France as well.

Stephen is currently touring the United States with Angel Face and revealed that as far as a sequel goes for his debut album, he said he has some things in mind for making an ascension story. For his sophomore album, he shared that he has some ideas but he’s not sure yet what it will look like.

Fictional or not, fans will likely watch out for both versions of Stephen Sanchez in Angel Face.

IC

soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | NOVEMBER 26, 2023

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BUSINESS

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL Why audiences are back and filling up these 5 live-music venues

MY BRO’S MUSTACHE

Text and photos

by Pocholo Concepcion

G

OOD times.

That’s the prevailing mood in the live-music nightspots I’ve been visiting after the easing of pandemic restrictions in 2022. Though many bars and clubs have closed shop, unable to survive the bad business climate as Covid-19 raged in 2020 and 2021, new ones opened their doors with an upbeat attitude this year.

FIN & CLAW

AT the corner of Scout Torillo and Timog Avenue in Quezon City is Fin & Claw—a new seafood restaurant with a nightly lineup of performing artists.

The place has been packed with overflow crowds from recent onenight-only shows of Spongecola, Nina, and Ebe Dancel, among others.

But two of its regular acts are also worth checking out. The Asosasyon ng Musikang Pilipino (AMP) Band— which used to play only at 19 East—has brought its swinging orchestral jive to Fin & Claw once a month. Seafood and jazz are a great combination, swears AMP conductor Mel Villena, as he proceeds to annotate the 18-piece ensemble’s next number, which can be anything from the Great American Songbook to OPM classics.

Another current attraction at Fin & Claw is Milan—the diminutive but explosive ball-of-energy singer who never fails to win any kind of audience over to his theatrical stage act and brilliant best of ’80s repertoire every Tuesday. Backed by a four-member band that has played with him in a long musical journey from Manila’s bars and five-star hotels to Brazil’s vibrant club scene, Milan is such a joy to watch, many people turn into instant fans.

FIN & CLAW. A current attraction at Fin & Claw is Milan—the diminutive but explosive ball-of-energy singer who never fails to win any kind of audience over to his theatrical stage act and brilliant best of ‘80s repertoire every Tuesday.

’70S BISTRO

RED RHINO—located at The Hub on Mayflower Street, Greenfield District off Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong—is a cozy dining place where boomers also get their fix of classic pop, rock and disco music performed live by the likes of Route 70, the Family Birth Control Band, and a group called Rockitwell.

MY BRO’S MUSTACHE is where the likes of Noel Cabangon (with Abby Clutario), Gary Granada, Chickoy Pura, Bayang Barrios, and Cooky Chua feel at home with a repertoire that can change to accommodate requests from the audience.

19 EAST. The Black Cows at 19 East.

‘70s BISTRO. Joey Ayala at ‘70s Bistro with Tapati Itapat, one of the current members of Ang Bagong Lumad.

ANOTHER long-running live-music venue is the ’70s Bistro—one of the hotspots of the local alternative scene in the ’90s. At least three generations of artists and their respective followers continue to congregate at 46 Anonas Street in Project 2, Quezon City.

Watching a recent performance

by Joey Ayala with the current lineup of Ang Bagong Lumad is like rebooting my memory cells to the years when the Philippines was transitioning from a dictatorship back to democracy.

Ayala’s well-thought-out songs about social realities, set to enthralling, haunting music, may be sad, but they poke the mind and can inspire you into action in a positive manner—an exhilarating experience while drinking beer and munching on pulutan.

19 EAST

RED RHINO

MILAN himself tells me that, on his first night to perform at Fin & Claw, he met two guys in the audience who invited him to play at Red Rhino, where he’s now booked every Friday.

Red Rhino—located at The Hub on Mayflower Street, Greenfield District off Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong—is a cozy dining place where boomers also get their fix of classic pop, rock and disco music performed live by the likes of Route 70, the Family Birth Control Band, and a group called Rockitwell.

I first caught Rockitwell playing in 2019 in Greenhills—a short walk from La Salle (LSGH) where some of its band members graduated from high school. The band was actually

NOT far from Fin & Claw in the Timog area is My Bro’s Mustache, which has been around for many years—thanks to owner Boy Vinzon’s passion for music and concern for Filipino musicians.

I like My Bro’s Mustache’s intimate setting, much like the “folkhouse” of the ’70s. This is where the likes of Noel Cabangon (with Abby Clutario), Gary Granada, Chickoy Pura, Bayang Barrios, and Cooky Chua feel at home with a repertoire that can change to accommodate requests from the audience.

At Chua’s recent gig, her funny anecdotes about paying extra money out of pity for the guy who fixed the pozo negro at home elicited the crowd to send her P1,000 bills for a song or two.

formed to perform at the LSGH homecoming in 2020, which didn’t happen due to the pandemic. The good news is, Rockitwell decided to keep playing, even after the death of one of its lead singers, Tony Atayde.

The band, fronted by Galerie Joaquin Group owner and president Jack Teotico, does a good job covering U2 (“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”) and The Police (“Every Breath You Take”), and then jumping into Lou Rawls (“You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine”)—prompting the audience to start dancing.

WHAT we’re seeing is revenge spending, says Wowee Posadas, owner of 19 East in Muntinlupa. “Because of the recent pandemic, people realized that online music videos can never replace the glorious feeling of watching artists live. [A good] lineup of acts—OPM stars, who perform regularly, help achieve a good turnout,” Posadas told me in a recent Q&A. 19 East—regarded as the best live-music venue in the metro with its top-of-the-line sound system—is always full on most nights, Mondays to Sundays, which is why many major Filipino performing artists love to play there.

Posadas’ own band, the Black Cows, has a loyal following that turns up at its monthly shows also at 19 East, which incidentally is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a free show featuring the Neocolours on November 26.

Why a social media detox may not be as good as you think dia seems to remove both positive and negative emotions—for some people, the net effect on wellbeing may be zero.

By Niklas Ihssen & Michael Wadsley PhD student Durham University

W

hether you’re an influencer, an occasional poster, or just a lurker, you likely spend more time than you’d like on social media. Globally, working-age people with internet access now spend more than 2.5 hours per day on social platforms like Instagram, Facebook or X (Twitter).

Social media use can become excessive and problematic when it interferes with school or work, causes conflict in your relationships or harms your mental health.

While not formally recognized as mental health disorder, some scientists even argue that problematic social media use is an “addiction.”

When you find yourself checking and scrolling your accounts excessively, you may decide it’s time to go on a digital “diet” or “detox”—cutting your use dramatically or even avoiding social media completely for a few days. But, as our new research shows, this approach can reduce the positive effects of social media just as much as the negative ones. And in fact, we were surprised at how

Can you be addicted to social media?

Our new research shows that digital “diet” or “detox” can reduce the positive effects of social media just as much as the negative ones. Photo by Thought Catalog on Pexels.com little participants in our study missed social media when we asked them to cut back.

In a recent study, we asked participants to do just that. As 51 people tried to abstain from social media for one week, we tracked their behavior and experiences through surveys sent to their phones throughout the day, and computer tasks in a controlled environment.

We found that only a minority of participants abstained completely. However, most were able to curb their use substantially, from three to four hours a day on average before the study, to just half an hour. Even after the abstinence period, participants’ daily social media use stayed well below the level seen before the study.

Impact of curbing social media use However, in contrast to some previous digital detox studies we did not observe an improvement in our participants’ well-being. On the contrary, they reported a reduction in positive emotions over the course of the abstinence period.

Social media provides powerful and

quantifiable social rewards through likes, shares and gaining followers. While it also offers quick bouts of entertainment and fun, research shows that it is often these social rewards that drive compulsive checking of social media.

Humans are social animals—feeling part of a group, being accepted and receiving praise are universal needs. Social media is a convenient and accessible tool to satisfy these needs anytime and anywhere we want, and provides connection that may be lacking in a world of remote working.

But these social rewards can quickly turn into unpleasant experiences. Receiving likes can turn into chasing likes, and a feeling of disappointment if your post performs worse than expected. Seeing others’ lives can lead to “fomo” (fear of missing out) or envy, and in the worst cases, users may be victims of unpleasant or hateful comments.

To that end, we also observed a reduction in negative emotions when participants cut down on social media use. They felt slightly less miserable, sad and mad during the study.

On the whole, abstaining from social me-

Perhaps the most enlightening finding was how little our participants missed social media. They did not report increased desires, urges or cravings to check their accounts during the study period, despite dramatically reducing their screen time.

It seems that curbing social media use does not elicit “withdrawal” symptoms as sometimes seen when stopping drug use.

With that in mind, we urge you to be cautious in using terms like “addiction” to talk about social media use.

Framing social media use in addiction terms risks demonizing technology and pathologizing normal behavior. Labelling users as “addicted” can lead to stigma and to ignoring other psychological problems that may underlie excessive use behaviors. In our view, the term addiction should be reserved to describe a disease, which involves lasting changes in the brain’s reward system.

Ultimately, social media has both positive and negative aspects, and it may just be the negative parts that people feel they need to detox from.

Perhaps a better way to think about improving your relationship to social media is similar to how you think about improving your diet. Both food and social media satisfy natural desires—energy for the former and social contact for the latter.

In both cases, you need to know your limits and prioritize healthy rewards. This may mean changing your view of how connected or liked you really need to be, and unfollowing accounts or deleting apps that make you feel bad. The Conversation Cover photo by fauxels on Pexels.com

Three steps to get over social media envy

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nvy is pain at another’s good fortune, according to the ancient philosopher Aristotle. Thanks to social media, this definition written over 2,000 years ago seems more relevant than ever.

Research has shown what you’ve probably long suspected, that social media users post socially desirable information to present a better image of themselves to others. And social media allows users to carefully select the information they share. This can lead to social comparison, which is where we think about information about other people in relation to ourselves. Our own lives are for the most part mundane, but social media can make it appear that everyone else’s are not. This can make us feel different emotional responses.

These emotions can be positive or negative. For example, sometimes envy can lead to self-improvement. Researchers have found that students studied for

longer, and their academic performance improved, when they were envious of their successful peers. This is referred to as “benign envy.”

But some envy can lead to negative emotions. You might feel low and have negative thoughts towards the envied person who you perceive to be in a better position than you. This is referred to as “malicious envy.”

As envy is a natural response, it is important to allow yourself to feel the emotion. The real trick is making sure you stop malicious envy and harness benign envy. But how can you do this?

Acknowledge your feelings By accepting that you are envious of someone when you have viewed a post on social media, you have made the first step to adopting a healthier response. You can then make the decision to use this feeling to fuel self-improvement.

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This shift in perspective can help as you may obtain the lifestyle or object that you were envious of in the first place.

Follow and unfollow Next, try to identify role models as well as people to avoid or unfollow.

Role models can be anyone that encourages a sense of benign envy and promotes wanting to improve. This could be friends, family or a celebrity.

Identifying those that you feel malicious envy towards is equally as important. Unfollowing these people may be beneficial.

Think of it this way: you may drink certain alcoholic drinks because they make you feel happy, relaxed, or excited. On the other hand, you may find that some lead you to be argumentative, so you avoid these drinks. The same should go for your social media use. If there is something promoting a negative response from you, try to take

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November 26, 2023

steps to mitigate it, such as unfollowing or turning off post notifications.

Practice moderation As in many areas of life, using social media in moderation is key.

While sometimes we will take inspiration from social media posts, we can also find ourselves wishing for the demise of the person on the other side of the phone.

Therefore, it is essential to be aware of these two types of envy and channel your energy into self-improvement rather than negative or malicious feelings.

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Yochi Cohen-Charash, a researcher of emotions at Baruch College in New York states that “the target of envy will always be somebody who is comparable to us.” Remember, if you are envious of anyone, then they are probably in a similar situation to you— whether that is presented on their social media or not. The Conversation

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Editor: Anne Ruth Dela Cruz | Sunday, November 26, 2023 C1

Bigger, Better, Bolder—Burnt Bean in BGC

Potato Pave

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By Brian Ong (@briankingong)

OR nearly six enjoyable years, Holy Smokes BBQ, the cozy eatery famous for its smoked and grilled meats, was a crowd favorite in Poblacion, Makati. During my time living around the Rockwell area, I frequently visited Holy Smokes to enjoy its tender barbecued meats, something I usually just see on cooking shows.

However, shortly after Holy Smokes closed in August 2022, a new concept emerged – Burnt Bean. It was brought to life by the same team, Juano and Maisa Gutierrez alongside Chef Joseph Galvez, behind the previous restaurant. Located in the Upper Ground Floor of the C2 Building, Bonifacio High Street Central, Taguig City, Burnt Bean introduced a fresh dining experience in December 2022 that leaned toward fine dining while preserving the spirit of Holy Smokes.

From ‘Holy Smokes’ to ‘Burnt Bean’

THE name “Burnt Bean” is an intriguing choice, inspired by the transformation that led to the creation of this new culinary destination. “Burnt” draws from Holy Smokes’ influence, known for serving Texas-style smoked meats with the distinctive smoky and burnt ends. On the other hand, “Bean” symbolizes their commitment to serving excellent coffee.

At Burnt Bean, the menu can best be described as being “touched by fire.” Many of their dishes are prepared in a wood-fire oven or wood-fire grill, incorporating various elements such as grilling, roasting, toasting, burning, charring, and caramelizing.

According to Burnt Bean, what sets them apart is their dedication to bold flavors, the creative use of food waste, and the meticulous preparation of dishes that require slow cooking over extended periods.

Orange and Goat Cheese Salad

Must-Try Dishes on the Menu

BURNT Bean offers a diverse array of options, extending beyond meats, ranging from appetizers like Wood-Fired Mussels and the crowd-pleasing Potato Pavé, to flatbread pizzas, pastas, fish, and chicken entrées.

Nevertheless, the star of the show, as attested by many diners, is undoubtedly their meat.

The 48-Hour Beef Ribs, featuring USDA Angus beef, cauliflower purée, fried enoki, and beef bone jus, is a standout. However, my anticipation that their beef would match or surpass the standard set

by Holy Smokes led me to explore other menu offerings, which were equally impressive.

We tried the following food when we dined in recently:

Potato Pavé (P440)

THE Potato Pavé is a limited offering, with only 30 servings available per day. It’s a delightful creation that combines the humble potato with exquisite ingredients. Layers of perfectly cooked potatoes are adorned with a velvety bacon foam and crowned with Grana Padano.

This dish showcases Burnt Bean’s commitment to elevating simple ingredients into gourmet delights.

Orange and Goat Cheese Salad (P560)

FOR a refreshing and vibrant start to your meal, the Orange and Goat Cheese Salad is a must-try. This salad is a medley of flavors and textures, featuring prosciutto, arugula, butter lettuce, candied walnuts, and a balsamic vinaigrette. The sharpness of the goat cheese, the sweetness of the candied walnuts, and the zing of the vinaigrette come together to create a harmonious blend of tastes.

Butter Crab Pasta (P760)

Lovers of seafood will find the Butter Crab Pasta an irresistible choice.

This dish is a perfect representa-

Iberico

tion of Burnt Bean’s innovative approach to traditional flavors. It features linguine bathed in a luxurious crabfat butter sauce, topped with lump crab meat, and brightened by the zesty notes of preserved lemon.

Each bite is an explosion of oceanic flavors, balanced with a touch of decadence. This would have been perfect if it had a touch of spice that would really elevate the taste of the dish, but this is just me and my preference for spicy food.

Iberico Pork (P1,500)

FOR a truly indulgent experience, the Iberico Pork takes center stage.

The grilled Iberico pork is served with a velvety sweet potato purée and a cranberry gastrique.

The Iberico pork, renowned for its exceptional marbling, imparts an exquisite tenderness and rich flavor that marries beautifully with the sweetness of the purée and the tangy gastrique. This dish is a testament to Burnt Bean’s commitment to offering only the finest ingredients and culinary expertise.

Crabfat Pasta

After nearly a year of operation, the team at Burnt Bean recognizes that the dining public may not be fully aware of the rising ingredient prices post-pandemic. As they continue to operate, they remain focused and committed to their goals, treating distractions as mere noise.

Intriguingly, Burnt Bean has plans for the future. “A second branch is in the works, set to open in the first quarter of the next

Tres Leches

year,” they said. Additionally, they are venturing into “a pastry line and catering business.”

For those who fondly remember Holy Smokes, there’s good news. The restaurant is making a comeback this holiday season, offering treats such as the smoked turkey set, smoked beef ribs set, and smoked prime rib set, all available for pick-up orders.

In conclusion, Burnt Bean is not merely a restaurant; it’s a tes-

tament to culinary innovation and unwavering commitment to excellence. With an inviting ambiance, a menu that reflects creativity and craftsmanship, and a dedication to using the finest ingredients, Burnt Bean has solidified its place as a standout in BGC’s dynamic dining scene.

It’s a destination where innovation meets tradition, offering an extraordinary culinary journey worth experiencing.

SAVORING FOUR YEARS OF ECCENTRIC FLAVORS

Lechoneria Lechon Belly & Filipino Favorites celebrates 4th anniversary

Dessert of the Week: Tres Leches (P480)

NOT on their regular menu: the perfect sweet ending to your meal, Burnt Bean’s Tres Leches is a delectable treat. This classic Latin American dessert is given the Burnt Bean twist, with a moist sponge cake soaked in three different types of milk, resulting in a lusciously creamy and flavorful dessert that’s both comforting and satisfying.

Expectations from Burnt Bean

THE ambiance at Burnt Bean exudes an inviting warmth and sophistication that instantly sets the stage for a memorable dining experience. Whether you’re looking for a place to impress a client, celebrate a special occasion, or simply savor delectable dishes, Burnt Bean’s upscale yet comfortable setting is the ideal backdrop.

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Burnt Bean Façade

AKING pride in serving eccentric Filipino classic dishes, Lechoneria Lechon Belly & Filipino Favorites celebrated its 4th anniversary by launching awesome LECH freebies and games for diners and guests in all branches on November 15, 2023.

To kick off the festivities, a program was held at Lechoneria’s SM North EDSA branch. The company’s VIPs led the cutting of the signature and bestseller dish, Crispy Lechon Belly, and staff also prepared an ecstatic dance performance in front of the branch.

The LECH anniversary celebration treats included LECH Eat, a free lechon serving for guests who have LE or CH

on their names; LECH Party, giveaway loot bags with coupons and stickers; LECH Taste, a free taste of lechon for mall-goers, and LECH Play, a dice game for diners with a mini box of lechon as prize.

In 2019, Lechoneria opened its pioneer branch at SM North EDSA, followed by a series of store launches at SM Mall of Asia, SM Baguio, SM Seaside City Cebu, and SM Fairview.

The restaurant is constantly growing as it expands its menu and opens more stores in the service of bringing all-time Filipino flavors to our community Lechoneria offers a wide range of delectable Filipino favorites such as Sinigang, Paksiw, Pakbet, Kare-Kare,

Bicol Express, Monggo, and Sisig, perfect for grand to everyday celebrations.

Lechoneria is committed to offer customers with quality comfort Filipino food and a Happy Belly Dining experience.

Lechoneria accepts cash and credit cards as mode of payment, and also available on delivery and takeout through GrabFood, Pickaroo, and Foodpanda.

Visit Lechoneria Lechon Belly & Filipino Favorites at these store locations: nSM North EDSA, City Center, Level 2 (0927 066 2872, (02) 8352 5841) nSM Mall of Asia, Level 2, South Entertainment Mall (0968 851 7020, (02) 8535 45 44) nSM City Baguio, Level 2 Sunset Terraces (0960 389 3496, (074) 422 9864) nSM Seaside Cebu, Lower Ground Level Mountain Wing (0956 458 9139, (032) 266 7112) nSM City Fairview, Lower Ground Parkway (0908 220 5100)

Wine&Dine BusinessMirror

C2 Sunday, November 26, 2023

A GASTRONOMIC JOURNEY

AT TAAL VISTA HOTEL

By Benjamin Locsin Layug

T

HERE are a number of reasons why people keep flocking to the iconic, English Tudor Mansion-style Taal Vista Hotel (TVH), the second oldest hotel in the country (after the Manila Hotel) and a long-time Tagaytay institution.

One is its amazing and picturesque, 180-degree view of Taal Volcano, the second lowest volcano in the world and one of the most active in the country. Second, is the luxurious accommodations and amenities, with its 260 exquisitely designed and well-appointed guest rooms and, third, but not the least, is its exquisite and healthy dining experience.

Added to that is the crisp, cool (average temperature is 22.7º Celsius) mountain air of Tagaytay which is just an hour or so away from Metro Manila and a favorite quick fix for weary city dwellers. All these we experienced during our three-day stay at this idyllic hilltop destination.

Certified

TAAL Vista Hotel’s spacious and lovely Veranda and Taza Fresh Table, two of its four food and beverage outlets (the others are the Lobby Lounge and Alta Ridge Bar) have recently been certified by @GreenChoicePh for its efforts in sustainability. Green Choice Philippines (NELP-GCP) is one of the country’s initiatives to exercise the fundamentals of sustainable development.

It aims to change the behavioral patterns in consumption and production that tend to misuse, abuse and degrade our environment.

Veranda and Taza Fresh Table both having a live cooking station and remain committed to strengthen sustainability initiatives for a better green dining experience.

The Taza Fresh Table Restaurant (its name, influenced by Egyptian former TVH General Manager Walid Wafik, was taken from the Arabic word taaza, which means “fresh“),

the almost autonomous farm-to-table inspired specialty restaurant at the edge of TVH that looks out to the picturesque view, was conceptualized by notable chef Jayme Natividad. For four straight years, it was also awarded as one of the food destinations included in the prestigious Best Restaurant Guide by Philippine Tatler.

Vast experience

WITH a culinary degree from Pittsburgh’s International Culinary Academy, Jayme has a vast experience working in revered Manhattan kitchens such as Balthazar and Gramercy Tavern and was the chef consultant of Green Pastures in 2013 when it opened and before he was hired as the Executive Chef of the SM Hotels and Conventions.

His dishes are not too flamboyant. The menu is a mix of Mediterranean, Spanish and Continental dishes, with emphasis on sustainable, natural and organic ingredients that showcases the local produce like Laguna Cheese, Tagaytay mushrooms, vegetables, Mt. Kanlaon black rice; meats like probiotic-fed chicken and pork; and seafood from select partner farms, within 15 km. radius, as well as from TVH’s Organic Herb and Vegetable Garden itself.

Our a la carte, fine dining experience featured Chef Jayme’s skills and the fine quality of the produce available in the province. Our meals always started with fresh salads such as their Kale Salad and their signature Taza Salad.

The Kale Salad, consisting of organic chewy kale, romaine, arugula, cucumbers, peppers, local ricotta salata, all tossed in roasted vegetable vinaigrette while the signature Taza Salad consists of quinoa, cherry tomatoes, wild arugula, farm-fresh romaine, microgreens, Cebu dried mangoes, radish, beets; and a la minute tarragon-white wine vinaigrette. The vegetables were fresh and crisp. This was followed by soup such as Roasted and Vegetable Barley Soup.

The almost autonomous farm-to-table inspired Taza Fresh Table Restaurant.

Taza Salad PHOTO BY NICOLE PALER

Homey, hearty Bulalo

THE signature, Bulalo, one of Tagaytay’s famous dishes, is a homey and hearty rich broth of braised beef shank, corn, pechay and other vegetables that was so good

Tomahawk Pork Chop PHOTO BY NICOLE PALER

Molten Chocolate Cake PHOTO BY NICOLE PALER

to sip on with Tagaytay’s cool breeze. The perfectly cooked Tomahawk Pork Chop, one of Taza’s bestsellers and one of our favorites, was a very tender and substantially big bone-in fried pork chop paired with sweet,

caramelized onions, cauliflower and bananas. With a smoky flavor, eating the tender meat, which was bursting with rich flavors, off the bones was the best part.

The Mushroom and Spinach Mal-

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tagliati, featuring a trio of Tagaytay mushrooms (oyster, shiitake and button), crème fraiche and truffle oil, was rich and earthy. The Seared Local Seabass with Nicoise Leeks and Potato, featuring pan-seared alapahap (local sea bass with smoked sofrito tomatoes, clams, mussels, leeks and marble potatoes,tasted as good as it sounded. The Grilled Turmeric Chicken, marinated in yogurt, fresh turmeric ginger, cilantro, tzatziki and served with coconut rice, was juicy, tender and very tasty. The juicy Braised Ribs with Pumpkin Puree and Haricot Verts was simply amazing right to thebone.

For sinful desserts, try the Molten Chocolate Cake (served with Alfonso tablea and Pato queso de bola ice cream on top); Turon (fried bananas, ube, langka and macapuno rolled in lumpia wrapper and vanilla sauce), Sapin-Sapin (traditional layered rice cake, ube coconut cream and fried coconut curds - latik), Fresh Fruit Platter and the Buko Paradise and Tropical Halo-Halo, both served in a buko shell.

For a lazy after-dinner conversation, evening interludes and winding down moments, drop by the comfortable, grand and iconic Lobby Lounge. With its natural motifs and warmed by the cozy fireplace, it is an ideal rendezvous for sinful desserts, brewed coffee and hot chocolate, while listening to nightly piano music, and its well-stocked bar offers light meals, coffee or cocktails.

Its weekend lunch buffet, featuring the hotel’s heritage cuisine, offers a collection of Filipino favorites with a twist with a cultural dance group providing entertainment. Don’t forget to try out the guided “A Walk Through Time” tour (availed through room bookings) featuring the history of TVH, Taal Volcano and Tagaytay City. Before leaving, take home some tasteful desserts such as their famous pan de coco, ensaymadas, empanadas, pan de sal as well as Spanish-style Bangus in Corn Oil at The Cake Shop, TVH’s pastry shop.

Taal Vista Hotel is located along Kilometer 60, Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City 4120 Philippines. For inquiries and reservations, please call +63 (2) 917 8225, +63 (46) 413 1000 or +63 0917 809 1254 or visit the hotel’s website at www.taalvistahotel.com.

ENJOY THE FESTIVE SEASON WITH SPECIAL CHRISTMAS MENU AT SALVATORE CUOMO & BAR

Amberjack Carpaccio and spumante vinaigrette, caviar and pistachio/basil cream

By Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

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T’S the season for reunions and gatherings among family and friends. If you don’t have the luxury of time to prepare a special meal, why not make reservations and enjoy the specially prepared Christmas menu at Salvatore Cuomo & Bar. Chef Salvatore Cuomo had a special gathering of a handful of members of the media and influencers to sample the menu he painstakingly

Ravioline with lobster and lombok sea urchin salt

prepared for the most wonderful time of the year.

When asked what inspired him to come up with this special menu, Cuomo said he wanted give the Filipinos a feel of how an Italian family would celebrate Christmas in Italy. That would mean everything would be made from scratch, from the pasta to the sauces and to the dessert.

“During Christmas, we are not supposed to go out. We are supposed to stay home and enjoy a great meal with the family. So we usually prepare

McDonald’s offers not bad, but ‘nice vice’ with new Chicken McDo

UNKABOGABLE star Vice Ganda answers questions from the media during the launch of the new Chiken McDo.

Wagyu Roast beef in salt with porcini and truffle sauce

everything from scratch and then enjoy the food together,” Cuomo related.

Antipasto

FOR starters, guests were served with Amberjack Carpaccio and spumante vinaigrette, caviar and pistachio/basil cream (Hamachi Carpaccio, Yuzu Dressing, pistachio with basil cream and caviar). These dainty pieces of appetizers went well with the various dressings that came

Zuccotto Fiorentino Tradizionale

with it. It was indeed a good start to what came next on the menu.

Next on the menu was the Ravioline with lobster and lombok sea urchin salt (Lobster Ravioli topped with Lobster meat in sauce, Lombok sea urchin sauce). The lobster, Cuomo related, was locally sourced and the ravioli was handmade from scratch.

“The sea urchin was sourced from Lombok, Indonesia and it is important that you know how

BY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor

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RAVING for an unforgettable and tasty day ahead of you? McDonald’s introduces an “unkabogable” experience of a new gold standard for its Chicken McDo that will surely satisfy your hunger.

“We take our passion for fried chicken seriously and introduce the all-new Chicken McDo— now bigger and better in every bite. And with the Much Malaki, Much Juicier, and Much Crispier, Chicken McDo offers better cuts, a more generous serving, and even a crispier skin as well,” McDonald’s Philippines Brand Manager Symon Siman said during their launch event held at the McDonald’s branch along Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard Service Road in Sta. Mesa, Manila last November 11.

Because the fast food giant never fails to always study what its customers really want and look for when it comes to fried chicken, this new offering perfectly befits not only their palate, but all of their five senses as they perform the mindful sensory technique while munching on it.

To do so, McDonald’s Philippines Quality Assurance Senior Manager Alvin Marcelo hinted that upon receipt of the new Chicken McDo, hold its packaging to feel how hot its temperature.

VICE Ganda bites into the bigger, crispier and juicier Chicken McDo.

Then open it, look at the product, and check for the appearance like the color, size and surface texture. Take note that it is fully covered, no evident exposed bones, and not soggy or oily. Next, smell it. Upon biting the meat, feel its warmth. Notice the texture and mouthfeel when chewing it. Hear the sound of its coating. Finally, taste the flavor in between every bite and swallow.

“So the new Chicken McDo boasts of a

to prepare this properly so that you do not get hold of the poisonous part,” he said.

Seafood aficionados will love this creation as the pasta was really creamy and the pasta was al dente, perfect ingredients for a great pasta dish.

Meat lovers

NOTING that Filipinos love their meat, the main dish is the Wagyu Roast beef in salt with por-

bone-in-chicken cut-up, marinated, breaded and deep fried to a golden color with crispy and crunchy texture, moderately flaky and evenly coated appearance,” he said. “Product is characterized by a wellbalanced blend of mild chicken and savory flavor with a tender and juicy meat.”

McDonald’s has pooled in all its chicken experts to take time and effort to really put their expertise around it so as to satisfy everybody’s guilty pleasure. It’s internal team also works well with partner-suppliers to make sure that from the sourcing of chicken all the way to preparing and cooking it, the best quality is always served to customers.

What’s more to love about Chicken McDo is it’s wholeheartedly endorsed by no less than the much beloved and admired Unkabogable star Vice Ganda. A true avid customer even prior to this endorsement, the country’s multi-awarded actor and box-office hit-maker has given his seal of approval to these exciting improvements on the new Chicken McDo. “McDonald’s Philippines is very, very happy and excited to have partnered with such an icon like Vice, who is also a fan of our gold standard Chicken McDo. And we’re really just excited and happy for him to be part of the McFamily now,” McDonald’s Philippines National

cini and truffle sauce (Salt crusted Wagyu tenderloin, Porcini and truffle Sauce, mashed Potato). What’s special about this dish is that the Wagyu used here is Australian Wagyu, not Japanese Wagyu.

“Australian Wagyu packs a lot more flavor compared to Japanese Wagyu. Since Filipinos love meat that is really flavorful, the Australian Wagyu will meet this,” Cuomo said.

The Wagyu was really flavorful and it was so soft that it melted in the mouth, a must try for everyone who loves Wagyu.

A meal will not be complete without dessert, and this came in the form of the Zuccotto Fiorentino Tradizionale (Dome-shaped filled cake with layers of Sicilian Gelato and Chocolate Gelato). You can never go wrong with ice cream and cake, especially when it is prepared the Salvatore Cuomo way.

SALVATORE CUOMO & BAR is located at G/F Uptown Parade 9th Avenue corner 38th St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Call or Viber: +639176233141 or (02) 7946-3072.

Marketing Director Katrina Chua said.

Overwhelmed by such a deal, Vice Ganda expressed his gratitude to the global brand for trusting no only him but the entire LGBTQIA+ community that he represents.

“It’s a big thing that a big brand is entrusting to associate its name to mine. It’s flattering.

It’s a big win for me,” he said, while applauding the quick service restaurant for its initiative to upgrade one of its flagship products while others have resorted to a downgrade due to pandemic and inflationary pressures. “[With it], I just want to share to everyone the wonderful experience that I get from McDonald’s.”

Mindful of the customers’ love for “sulit meal,” this latest offering comes in One Piece Chicken McDo with Double Rice and Drink for a truly satisfying taste of a hearty meal; and One Piece Chicken McDo with Rice and McFloat that’s really perfect to have that sweet or cool sip in between every bite of chicken.

To enjoy that “dinosaur chicken experience,” McDonald’s NICE, GANDA! NICE, SARAP! Chicken McDo is available via dine-in, take-out, drive-thru and McDelivery at all McDonald’s stores nationwide. Download the McDonald’s app for more fantastic deals and keep updated through McDonald’s Instagram and Facebook pages.

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Sunday, November 26, 2023 C3

It’s beginning to taste a lot SERENITEA CONTINUES BUILDING ON THEIR 15-YEAR LEGACY like Christmas with Shakey’s all-new Christmas Collection!

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ERENITEA recently celebrated their 15th year anniversary by launching their 2023 Maligayang Festivi-teas Holiday Drinks, in partnership with Pan De Manila, as well as announcing their eagerly-awaited Jumbo Cup promo dates and mechanics.

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Paskong Pinoy

THIS year, Serenitea, a proudly home-grown Filipino tea-shop brand, honors its roots with a nationalistic and nostalgic take on its limitededition holiday flavors, created in partnership with another all-Filipino brand, Pan De Manila.

During the successful event held last November 9th at Lola Café in Ortigas, Serenitea invited guests, comprising of media and influencers, to indulge in Pinoy holiday cheer.

Within the venue, aptly bedecked in red, green and gold, guests mingled, took photos, enjoyed games and contests, won raffle prizes, and most notably, were privileged to be the first to taste the Serenitea and Pan De Manila holiday collaborations.

Serenitea x Pan de Manila

TAKING Filipino ingredients and flavors used in the Pan De Manila bakery and reimagining them into holiday tea drinks, Serenitea created the Maligayang Festivi-teas holiday drinks with two well-loved Filipino flavors in mind: Yema and Ube.

Yema Mais Con Yelo (P180, large)

Not your typical mais con yelo nor your typical tea drink, as this Christmas drink mixes green tea with sweet corn, syrup, and ice. The Pan De Manila touch is the topping of yema and the cheese shavings. A sweet-umami refreshing treat!

Ube Pandan Green Tea (P188, large)

WHAT do you get when you blend Filipino favorite ube-halaya with green tea, pandan and

Serenitea General Manager Juliet Chen welcomes the guests

coconut strips? It’s a healthier buko pandan in drink form, thanks to healthy green tea, but without compromising rich and creamy flavors thanks to the addition of ube halaya. Ube-rrific!

Starting November 15, the limited-edition drink series will be available in all Serenitea branches nationwide and through the thirdparty delivery apps (Grab, Food Panda).

Jumbo Cup Promo

Another key part of the event was the announcement of the dates and the mechanics of the most awaited and viral Serenitea promotion—the Jumbo Cup Promo.

Just in case, you’ve never joined in on the fun, here’s how it goes. During certain days in the middle of December, which is Serenitea’s anniversary month, any purchase of a large drink from a participating drink list is automatically upsized to a Jumbo size (1 liter) drink for FREE. The participating drinks for this year are: Pearl Milk Tea, Okinawa Milk Tea, Hokkaido

Celebrate the Holidays with The Good Meat Celebration Ham

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HE Good Meat Fresh Hub, the leading provider of premium meat and other fresh food finds, is excited to announce the launch of its latest offering: Celebration Ham. This delicious and savory ham is perfect for the holiday season, providing families with a mouthwatering centerpiece for their festivities.

The Celebration Ham is a succulent, tender, and fully cooked ham expertly smoked to perfection. It is crafted with the highest quality ingredients, ensuring the ham's flavor and juiciness.

Whether you're planning a Christmas dinner or a New Year's Eve party, The Good Meat's celebration ham makes a perfect addition to your dining table.

The launch of the Celebration Ham coincides with the holiday season, making it the ideal choice for festive gatherings and family occasions. The ham is versatile and can be served in various ways, such as the centerpiece of a banquet table, part of a charcuterie board, or as a sandwich filling.

"We are delighted to offer our customers our finest Celebration Ham and other ham variants in time for the holiday season," said Rafael Hocson, VP for Marketing of The Good Meat. "Our ham is expertly smoked, fully cooked, and packed with savory flavor.

It is the perfect centerpiece for your joyous celebrations with your loved ones."

As part of The Good

Meat Fresh Hub's ongoing commitment to providing customers with value and convenience, there is currently a promotional offer for its Celebration Ham. Customers who purchase five hams can get one for free, making it easier for families to provide guests with a delicious and high-quality meal without breaking the bank.

The promotional offer for the Celebration Ham is available in all The Good Meat Fresh Hub stores,selected Robinsons Supermarket, Puregold, The Landmark Supermarket and website: www.thegoodmeat.ph until December 31, 2023..

Customers are encouraged to act fast and take advantage of this fantastic deal before stocks run out.

"At The Good Meat Fresh Hub, we aim to provide our customers with the best value for their money without compromising the quality of our products. This holiday season, our Celebration Ham is the star of the show, perfect for special occasions and family gatherings," added Rafael Hocson, VP for Marketing.

For more information about the Celebration Ham and other product offerings ( Sisig Fiesta, Smoked Bacon, Tapa, and Gourmet Porkchops) visit the nearest The Good Meat Fresh Hub store,selected Robinsons Supermarket, Puregold, The Landmark Supermarket , and www. thegoodmeat.ph.

Guests with Serenitea General Manager Juliet Chen (middle in white)

Milk Tea, Wintermelon Milk Tea, Summer Breeze, Winter Frost. Fruitea Green Apple, Fruitea Lychee, Fruitea Cranberry. Brown Sugar Regular Fresh Milk, Taro Lover and Crème Brulee Milk Tea The Jumbo Cup Promo will be on December 14, 15, and 16, 2023. This promo will be available nationwide in all Serenitea branches, as well as on the teashop’s third-party delivery app partners like Grab and Food Panda, and cannot be used in conjunction with other promos and discounts (i.e. senior citizen).

15 years strong in the business

HOW has Serenitea continued to be a dominant and well-loved brand in the fast paced, ultracompetitive milk tea / teashop market of the Philippines for 15 years?

It all comes down to knowing their market very well and aligning the very DNA of their company to their market. From starting with one branch in San Juan to quickly growing to

more than 60 branches nationwide, Serenitea built on its legacy by continuing their unwavering pursuit to give their customers indulgence and rejuvenation in every cup that they serve, while staying true to their Filipino identity and spirit, as well as by leading the way in creating promotions and brand partnerships that are designed to spark delight in their customers.

When asked about the future plans for Serenitea, Juliet Chen, General Manager passionately affirms: “We will stay true to our commitment to delight and rejuvenate our customers in every cup that we serve, not only by serving delicious tea drinks, but also by forging pioneering and exciting partnerships with local brands like Pan De Manila and coming up with much-awaited promos like the Jumbo Cup. As Serenitea marks its remarkable 15-year journey we eagerly embrace the future and look forward to expanding our reach in the years to come!”

AVOR the joy of the season with sprinkles. This is priced at Php199. tempting treats from Shakey’s Shakey’s Merry Pepperoni Holiday Christmas Collection to make your Pizza, Truffle Chicken Holiday Pasta, and holiday spread more exciting! Whether Santa’s Strawberry Cheesecake Pizza are you’re having an office party or a reunion at available in Shakey’s stores for a limited home, these Shakey’s treats will definitely time only for Dine-in, Carryout and Delivery; make your holiday spread more festive. while guests can try the Frosty Peppermint Start off with the Merry Pepperoni Milkshake for Dine-in and Carryout only.

Holiday Pizza, a perfect blend of savory, To know more, follow @shakeysph on cheesy, and sweet in every bite with Instagram and Shakey’s Philippines on Facebook. creamy white sauce topped with pepperoni, cheddar, mozzarella, feta, and parmesan with a hint of sweet honey and fresh chopped basil. Price starts at P379.

Enjoy your pizza with the festive and exquisite flavor of Truffle Chicken Holiday Pasta made with creamy white sauce with truffle oil and flavorful chicken breast fillet. This is available in Solo size (P334) and Family size (P869).

For a “berry” special twist, Santa’s Strawberry Cheesecake Pizza is the perfect fusion of cheesecake bliss and strawberry sweetness, topped with a luscious cherry. This is available for P199.

Every sip will feel like Christmas with Shakey’s Shakey’s Merry Pepperoni Holiday Pizza, Truffle Chicken Holiday Frosty Peppermint Milkshake.

Pasta, and Santa’s Strawberry Cheesecake Pizza are available in This is made with creamy vanilla ice cream with a burst of Shakey’s stores for a limited time only for Dine-in, Carryout and Delivery; while guests can try the Frosty Peppermint Milkshake peppermint flavor, topped with for Dine-in and Carryout only.

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Beyond the Fast Lane: Slow Food’s Invitation to Healthy, Conscious Eating

Freshly-made Muscovado Piaya, a famous delicacy of Negros (PHOTO BY SLOW FOOD VISAYAS)

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Ark of Taste ingredient Batuan PHOTO COURTESY OF VIRNA TAN. SLOW FOOD NEGROS MEMBER

By Candy P. Dalizon Contributor

OTHING brings Negrenses together like good food.Food is more than just a means of survival, a source of fuel, or a provider of nutrients. It brings people together, bridges cultural divides, introducing people to diverse flavors and culinary traditions.

In the Philippines, a haven for culinary enthusiasts Negros Occidental offers an unforgettable food experience where every bite is an ode to tradition, innovation, and passion. This is probably one of the reasons why the first Terra Madre Visayas event was recently held in this province. The event coincided with the 16th edition of the Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival held from November 15 to 19, 2023 in Bacolod City.

The Terra Madre event gathers Slow Food communities (SFC), academe, youth delegates, and stakeholders to promote small-scale, traditional, and sustainable food production. Terra Madre Visayas is the Filipino iteration of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto in Turin, Italy, which is Slow Food’s flagship event.

“Negros Occidental is indeed a rightful place for the first Terra Madre Visayas. This is because food is a Negrense version of love and hospitality,” said Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson.

“When we talk about Negrense hospitality, what comes to mind are the gracious people and our cuisine.

And when we speak of grace, we leave out hastiness and hurry. Here in Negros Occidental, food is more than just fuel for the body, it is an experience,” added Lacson.

Slow Food and the Ark of Taste SLOW Food, a global, grassroots organization, was established in 1989 “to prevent the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions, counteract the rise of fast life and combat people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from and how our food choices affect the world around us.” Slow Food works to ensure everyone has access to good, clean, and fair food.

That means good for us to eat, clean for the environment, and affordable for consumers, and ethically produced with fair compensation for farmers and producers.

The Slow Food network in

Negros Occidental and the rest of Western Visayas involves food activists organized into Slow Food Communities. The activities of the network are aimed at protecting local food biodiversity, promoting local food biodiversity and sustainable agriculture, and raising awareness among consumers about the importance of healthy, local food.

Active members are small-scale producers, cooks, teachers, students, agronomists, journalists, academics and many others, each enriching the network with their own experience.

One of the projects of the Slow Food Communities is to identify and safeguard the local biodiversity in Western Visayas. In coordination with government agencies and Slow Food International, the communities identified locally specific products for inclusion in the Ark of Taste, Slow Food’s catalog for food products at risk of extinction from around the world.

The Ark of Taste was conceived to raise awareness about these endangered foods and inspire everyone to take action in safeguarding them. This includes actively seeking out these products, supporting their producers through purchases and consumption, and in the case of wild species facing extinction, protecting them to encourage their reproduction.

Among the products from Western Visayas that have been included in the Ark of Taste are batuan, kadyos, pinindang (dried fish), giant mottled eel, muscovado sugar, tultul salt, and criollo cacao.

These Ark of Taste products can be savored on their own or incorporated into a variety of Negros’ most celebrated dishes.

Batuan is used as a souring agent in soups such as Sinigang and in KBL, the favorite dish of most Ilonggos. KBL stands for kadyos (pigeon peas), baboy (pork), and langka (green jackfruit). Another common dish is paksiw, cooked with boiled

Lanai by FreshStart’s Tsokolate Negrense (PHOTO BY SLOW FOOD VISAYAS)

Chris Fadriga’s Criollo Milk Chocolate (PHOTO BY SLOW FOOD VISAYAS)

batuan. The batuan fruits can also be preserved with salt and used as an appetizer. Kadyos is another Ark of Taste food that is grown in the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental, and Antique.

Pinindang, a culinary gem from Antique, is made from humoy-humoy (anchovy) fish. After harvesting, the fish are meticulously washed and shaped into circular forms, and then sun-dried to achieve their distinctive texture and flavor. Pinindang which is usually cooked by frying or grilling it over low heat is a favorite breakfast dish. Since it is unsalted, pinindang can also be eaten as an appetizer or snack.

Locally known as Sili or Sili Sili, the giant mottled eel thrives in Bago River. It can be enjoyed grilled or cooked as adobo, inasal, paksiw, and other traditional recipes. Sili can also be marinated with salt, garlic, vinegar or sun-dried and fried.

Muscovado, a specialty sugar, stands out for its unrefined nature, deep brown color, soft sticky texture, and rich molasses flavor.

Unlike refined sugar, muscovado’s minimal processing preserves the vitamins and minerals present in molasses, resulting in a higher nutritional value.

The artisanal process of making muscovado adheres to a natural approach, carefully filtering the heirloom sugarcane juice to remove any impurities. The juice of the heirloom sugarcane has to evaporate until crystallization occurs. The result is a slightly coarse sweetener, imbued with a rich, toffee-like flavor.

Sea bass from 7 Hectares

Pinindang (dried fish) from Antique (PHOTO BY SLOW FOOD VISAYAS)

Muscovado sugar is added to coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and is also an excellent ingredient for making local sweets and specialty delicacies such as kalamay, suman, and piaya, a popular delicacy in Negros Occidental.

Tultul artisanal seasalt from Hoskyn, Guimaras is made from filtering seawater through ashes of driftwood and coconut husks, giving it a smoky flavor. It can be grated or shaved as a finishing salt to pastas or desserts or used for general cooking. Tultul locally known also as dukduk can also be used as a seasoning to steaming rice or vegetable soup. It does not melt easily and has a longer shelf life.

Criollo cacao, a highly-regarded cacao variety, is used in the Philippines to make chocolate bars and tablea, the traditional ingredient for a rich flavorful hot chocolate drink (tsokolate). It can also be processed into cocoa nibs or powder, offering a range of culinary possibilities. The criollo variety is a pure cacao variety, unlike the higher yielding trinitario cacao. It is much rarer and more in demand among premium chocolate manufacturers. Criollo cacao has a fruity, aromatic flavor.

A taste of slow food Western Visayas’ Ark of Taste products are available in Slow Food’s Earth Markets as well as other products of Slow Food Communities. Reena Gamboa, president of Slow Food Community of Negros Island, said Earth Market products are locally grown, fresh, and

aligned with the season, reflecting the market’s commitment to environmental responsibility and fair labor practices. They are being sold at fair prices, for those who buy and for those who sell.

The Negros Island Slow Food Earth Market takes place every last Saturday of the month at Casa A. Gamboa, Silay City. Robusta and liberica coffee beans from the Minoyan Murcia Coffee Network community, a member of Slow Food Coffee Coalition, are also available at the Earth Market. Minoyan coffee grower’s robusta coffee beans earned a “fine” coffee grade in the 2021 Philippine Coffee Quality Competition.

Lanai by FreshStart, a restaurant in Bacolod owned by Ramon “Chin-chin” Uy and his wife Francine, serves organic, farm-to-table food and drinks, without any artificial ingredients. The Uys are known pioneers of the Slow Food movement in Negros, and Lanai by FreshStart is one of their venues to highlight good, clean, and fair food.

Some of the Ark of Taste ingredients used in the restaurant are batuan, kadyos, criollo cacao, and adlai.

Lanai’s signature hot chocolate drink Tsokolate Negrense is a symphony of flavors, featuring a rich Criollo cacao sauce blended with carabao’s milk, toasted peanut syrup, dulce de leche, topped with pandan whipped cream, criollo sprinkle, and a dash of Asin Tibuok (which is also an Ark of Taste ingredient).

The cacao being used by Lanai came from the heirloom criollo

grown in Bago City by Negrense farmer Chris Fadriga won the gold award in the 2021 International Cocoa Awards (ICA) in Paris. The recognition meant Fadriga’s criollo is one of the 50 cacao bean varieties that made it to the “2021 Cocoa of Excellence” roster out of the 235 cacao samples evaluated from over 50 countries. Aside from tablea for hot chocolate beverages, Fadriga also produces chocolate bars in two variants, milk chocolate and dark chocolate with tultul artisanal sea salt.

When it comes to fresh seafoods, there is a sustainable aquaculture farm in EB Magalona (formerly Saravia) in Negros Occidental. 7 Hectares is a grower of premium seafood using sustainable methodologies that respect the environment, the animals they grow, and the farmers they work with.

Kiko Torno, the founder and CEO of 7 Hectares, emphasized their commitment to sustainable farming practices by avoiding the use of artificial feeds, growth hormones, and intensive farming methods that can harm the environment and neighboring ecosystems. 7 Hectares also participates in Slow Food Negros’ Earth Market.

As the governor of Negros Occidental aptly stated, “the advocacy of Slow Food is not something foreign to us Negrenses, rather it is a way of life that we should revisit and relearn.”

“Let us alter that popular saying, “Nothing brings people together like good, clean, and fair slow food,” said Lacson.

Sunday, November 26, 2023 | Edited by Jose F. Lacaba

COVER STORY

A Film festival in December!

By Pablo A. Tariman

Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Selection Committee (L-R) Jesse Ejercito, chairman; Atty.

Romando Artes, overall MMFF 2023 executive committee chairman; Rochelle Ona, MMFF executive director; and MMFF spokesperson Noel Ferrer during the announcement of the final official entries, 49th MMFF

Broken Hearts Trip

Gomburza

Becky and Badette

Mallari

Firefly

K(Ampon)

Penduko

When I Met You in Tokyo

Rewind

Family of Two

BusinessMirror

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Metro Manila Film Festival 2023: The art and the gross

By Pablo A. Tariman

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HE 49th edition of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is all set to unfold December 25 of this year, with 10 films vying for assorted festival prizes and awards.

It used to be limited to eight entries but the flood of submissions was such that the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), which manages the festival, decided to add two more entries.

MMDA acting chair and MMFF concurrent chair Don Artes announced there were a total of 26 total entries. “It’s a record number for script submissions.”

Lawyer Artes is elated that the chosen films featured the country’s top actors.

LUCKY 10

THIS year’s selection committee is headed by veteran industry practitioner Jesse Ejercito and director Roy Iglesias.

Ejercito replaced veteran actress Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo who begged off as she was in the cast of one of the entries.

The lucky 10 chosen are said to represent the best of films produced for the year. They include: Becky and Badette (The Ideafirst Company), written and directed by Jun Robles and starring Eugene Domingo and Pokwang; Broken Hearts Trip (Smart Films Productions), directed by Lemuel Lorca and starring, Jaclyn Jose and Christian Bables; Firef ly (GMA Pictures), directed by Zig Madamba and starring Alessandra de Rossi, Euwenn Mikaell, Yayo Aguila, Cherry Pie Picache, Miguel Tanfelix, Ysabel Ortega, and Dingdong Dantes; Gomburza (Jesuit Communications Foundation, Inc.), directed by Pepe Diokno and starring Dante Rivero, Cedric Juan, Enchong Dee, and Piolo Pascual; Mallari (Mentorque Productions), directed by Derick Cabrido and starring Janella Salvador and again, Piolo Pascual; When I Met You in Tokyo, directed by Conrado Peru, Rommel Penesa and Christopher de Leon (JG Productions). It stars Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon; Family of Two (Cineko Productions, Inc.), directed by Nuel Naval and starring Sharon Cuneta and Alden Richards;

K(Ampon) (Quantum Films), directed by King Palisoc and starring Beauty Gonzalez and Derek Ramsay; Penduko (Sari Sari Network & Viva Films), directed by Jason Paul Laxamana and starring Matteo Guidicelli and Cristine Reyes; and Rewind (ABS-CBN Film Productions, APT Entertainment and Agostodos Pictures), directed by Mae Cruz-Alviar and starring the husband-and-wife team of Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes

BEGINNINGS

THE idea for a Metro Manila film festival actually started in 1966 when then Manila Mayor Antonio Villegas inaugurated the Manila Film Festival in the summer, just in time for the celebration of the city’s foundation day in June.

Its main objective was to get Filipino films screened in firstrun theaters which at that time only catered to American films.

Beginning 1966, the Manila Film Festival became the harbinger of modest, yet exceptional films—Daigdig ng Mga Api (1966), Dahil sa Isang Bulaklak (1967), Manila, Open City (1968), Patria Adorada (1969), Dimasalang (1970), Cadena de Amor (1971), Elias, Basilio at Sisa (1972), Nueva Vizcaya (1973) and Alaala mo Daigdig Ko (1974).

The movie festival was so successful that by 1975, it expanded its reach to include other Metro Manila cities. From that year onwards, it became known as the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), officially opening on Christmas Day (Dec. 25) and ran until the first week of the New Year.

The first few years of the festival yielded cinema gems, with film watchers calling the festival output as the “second golden age of Filipino cinema.”

The most awarded films would survive the years and lived up to the standards of seasoned cineastes, with such entries as Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag (1975), Insiang (1976), Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon? (1976), Burlesk Queen (1977), Rubia Servios (1978), Atsay (1978), Ina Ka ng Anak Mo (1979), Langis at Tubig (1980), Ang Panday (1980), Kisapmata (1980), Bona (1980), Himala (1982), and Karma (1986), among others.

The MMFF also brought out

the best films of directors Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal, Mike De Leon, Eddie Romero, Celso Ad. Castillo, and the now National Artist for Film Marilou DiazAbaya (Jose Rizal, Muro-ami and Bagong Buwan).

Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon? won the top prizes in 1976—Eddie Romero (Best Film), Christopher de Leon (Best Actor), and Lutgardo Labad (Best Music).

GROSS VS. ART

AS quality films remained top newsmakers of the festival, the need for commercial income slowly began to outshine artistic consideration.

A keen observer of the festival goings-on put it bluntly: “But like all endeavors, where politicians and their numerous cohorts are involved, the MMFF’s reason for being was too good to last. Through the years, the event gradually evolved into a purely moneymaking venture. Quality became an afterthought—starting in the mid ’80s—as the festival’s screening committee put more emphasis on a film’s potential to make money.”

In 2013, the MMFF top grosser was a movie titled, My Little Bossings. Film critic Philbert Dy called the film, “an insult” that “shows pure contempt for its audience.”

Other critics also panned the film, saying My Little Bossings was barely a movie; more like an extended advertisement for the roster of products endorsed by its producers (Kris Aquino and Vic Sotto) and stars (Bimby Aquino and Ryzza Mae Dizon).

“It doesn’t even attempt to hide the product placement within the context of a plot-driven scene,” said Dy. Journalist and poet Lourd de Veyra wrote in a hilariously pained open letter to “Bossing” Vic Sotto on Spot.ph: “Hanggang ganito na lang ba?… Hindi kami nagbayad ng P220 para bentahan ng pancit canton, tinapay, sabong panlaba, cough syrup, at kung ano-ano pang produkto ang ineendorse ninyong dalawa ni Kris Aquino. Ganoon na ba kayo kadesperado? Hindi naman siguro.”

PRESENT DAY

THIS year, the summer edition of the MMFF lured far superior entries than its Christmas edition namely: About Us but Not About

Us, directed by Jun Lana; Apag megged by Brilliante Mendoza, with fairly entertaining movies— Here Comes the Groom, Pagputi Na Ang Buhok Ko, among others.

The most talked about and most widely reviewed entry was Lana’s About Us but Not About Us. By a stroke of excellent writing and direction, Lana produced a masterpiece exploring the characters’ past and present without flashbacks thrown in.

There is no doubt About Us but Not About Us was the best entry in the 2023 Summer Metro Manila Film Festival.

Best director and best screenplay awardee Jun Lana reflected on how the film came about: “In the past, I always try to think of my audience every time I make a film. Not with this one. My only goal was simply to save myself. I was going through a lot and was severely depressed to the brink of suicide. Ashamed to ask for help from anyone, I turned to the one thing that has always given me comfort: writing. For three straight days, I wrote without a break, remembering and acknowledging many traumas that stifled me much of my life, including being molested repeatedly as a child.

Part fiction, and part confessional, the film allowed me to expunge my demons, come to terms with my dark past, and take full control of my narrative.”

Last year’s 48th MMFF started with a bang, with the eight lucky entries making a pretty strong showing at the box office. It meant live audiences were back with a vengeance.

The lucky eight entries were: Deleter (Viva Communications), Family Matters (Cineko Productions), Mamasapano, Now It Can Be Told (Borracho Film), My Father, Myself (3:16 Media Network), Labyu with An Accent (ABS CBN), Nananahimik Ang Gabi (Rein Entertainment Productions), Partners in Crime (ABS CBN Film) and The Teacher (Ten17 Film).

But on the fifth day before the New Year, the box-office gross of the festival pointed to the more commercial films lording it over those with obvious artistic merit.

The initial, unofficial box office results were in favor of the Vice Ganda and Coco Martin starrers, Partners in Crime and Labyu with an Accent, respectively. The

two films were closely followed

by Mikhail Red’s Deleter and Nuel Naval’s Family Matters.

Last year’s most widely viewed by both seasoned and layman critics was no doubt Family Matters.

It added 140 more theaters due to its strong box office clout.

Critics said the film possessed a taut and well-fleshed out screenplay by Mel del Rosario, with sensitive direction by Nuel Naval. And what a cohesive acting ensemble!

Why the film was not even nominated for best film and its acting ensemble totally ignored was a big question mark.

This is a perfect example of the film fest jurors totally isolated from the viewing public’s choice and with critics in perfect agreement with audiences.

But as they say, each according to the juror’s taste. In the end, audiences will have the final say.

How will this year’s MMFF edition turn out?

Will it amass the income it lost during the pandemic?

Will it yield another cinematic gem?

In 2011, the MMFF yielded P5 billion in revenue, when it ended its two-week run.

Despite the bigger earnings, the number of quality entries nosedived with comedians lording it over the awards night for films that gave comedy a tired, old, if embarrassing, image.

Whatever happened to the past editions of MMFF that turned out cinematic gems like Marilou DiazAbaya’s Jose Rizal and Muro-Ami, which made the Filipino filmmaker at par with the world’s best?

Abaya caught the tail-end of the era of Filipino auteurs (film directors w ith a distinctive style), represented by Brocka, Bernal, Romero, Gerry de Leon, among others.

Of that period of Filipino filmmakers, Abaya had this to say: “They had creative autonomy from their producers for as long as they could collaborate on one thing that was of common interest which was casting. Then the director was pretty much left to execute a film according to their creative judgment and those directors were very well respected.”

BusinessMirror

6 Sunday, November 26, 2023

Soprano Amanda Majeski and mezzo-soprano Serena Malfi in a new version of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte.

Così fan tutte ends MET-CCP Opera Season on Dec. 5

T

HE Met-CCP season of high definition opening nights ends with another Mozart favorite, Così fan tutte, on Dec. 5.

With a cast of breakout young ar t ists—soprano A manda Majeski, mezzosoprano Serena Malfi, tenor Ben Bliss, and bass-baritone Adam Plachetka—the production features baritone C hr istopher Ma lt ma n as the scheming Don Alfonso and Tony Award–winning actress Kelli O’Hara, who triumphed in her 2014 Met debut in Lehár’s The Merry Widow.

Dav id R ober t son condu c t s Mo z a r t ’s c olor f u l score.

Sa id Majesk i on si ng-

ing various roles: “Opera is so exhilarating because i t ’s a l i v i n g , b r e a t h i n g ar t for m—constant ly refreshed and renewed as the artists who share it evolve, change and grow. As performers, we can never sit back and say ‘well, this is how I do this role.’ As we live, grow, and develop in our lives and artistr y we get the privilege of re-exa m i n i ng , rei nv igorat i ng , and rethinking. The companies who foster and celebrate this growth by providing their artists space,

Tenor Arthur Espiritu as Ferrando in a La Scala production of Cosi fan tutte in 2007.

trust, and encouragement, I think, get the most passionate and exciting performances for their audiences.”

Director Phelim McDermott and his team of designers have updated the opera’s setting to a boardwalk amusement park inspired by

Coney Island in the 1950s.

One Filipino singer who sang Ferrando in Così fan tutte was tenor Arthur Espiritu who sang it in his debut in La Scala in 2007.

Now on its 8th season, the CCP’s The Met: Live in HD series is a special program of the CCP Film, Broadcast,

and New Media Div ision (CCP FBNMD), under the Production and Exhibition Department in partnership with The Metropolitan Opera of New York, the Filipinas Opera Society Foundation, Inc., and Ayala Malls Cinemas.

The series showcases operatic productions through the High-Definition (HD) digital video technology and Dolby Sound thus recreating the experience of watching live an opera production at the Met. All screenings are scheduled at 5:30 p.m. at Cinema 1 Greenbelt 3 in Ma k ati City. Tickets are priced at PHP450.00. Students and young professiona ls may e njo y t he s c re e n i n g s at PHP100.00 upon presentation of valid ID. Tickets are available at Greenbelt ticket booths and the website www. sureseats.com. Pablo Tariman