BusinessMirror September 10, 2023

Teenage pregnancy in PHL seen rising post-pandemic, signaling new trend for ‘younger childbearing’

WHEN CHILDREN BEAR CHILDREN

By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte—Early childbearing is seen to become more prevalent anew in the Philippines, as it breeds an alarming new trend post-pandemic, when restrictive health protocols on social or physical distancing is no longer in effect, following the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Philippine government’s declaration of the end of Covid-19 being a health emergency here and abroad.

Teenage pregnancy is a health and social economic issue in the Philippines and around the world, not only because pregnancy rates among teenagers remain significantly high, but also and most importantly, because of its implication on the growth, development and well-being of both a pregnant teenage mom and her child during the pregnancy and after childbirth,” said Vanessa G. Retuerma, director of Strategy Management, Impact and Learning Department of World Vision, during the Policy Forum on Teenage Pregnancy in Eastern Visayas held by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and World Vision on September 6 in Tacloban City, Leyte.

According to Retuerma, the lifecycle of a child’s development

lasts until the teenage years—a very crucial stage where children’s bodies grow and develop physically, discover their interests and talents, begin to dream and aspire, and learn how to navigate life through their education, experiences and relationship.

So there are many factors that we need to consider for us to ensure that all children meet their needs to help them grow healthy, well nourished, be educated, be protected and, most importantly, be empowered,” she said.

By the numbers

ADOLESCENT birth rate, while a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator in itself, is also closely related with other SDGs, the closest of which are SDG 3

(Health), SDG 4 (Education), and SDG 5 (Gender Equality). All these seek a healthy life, well-being, inclusive and equitable education and environment for all, including children and women for a brighter future.

In June, the WHO reported that an estimated 21 million girls aged 15 to 19 years in developing regions, including the Philippines, become pregnant, and approximately 12 million of them give birth. Globally, adolescent birth rate (ABR) has gone down from 64.5 births per 1,000 women of the same age group in 2000 to 41.3 births for 1,000 women in 2023.

“ Pregnancy among teenagers is more common among people with less education, or lower in socioeconomic level. Additionally, among these and other vulnerable populations, there is a lower success in adolescent first birth, which results in growing inequality,” noted United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)-Philippines Project Coordinator Hanzel Luke P. Devera.

Such trend also holds true in Southeast Asia and the Pacific region, wherein 23 million adolescents aged 15 to 19 years old are currently married or in union, of which over 80 percent are girls. Majority or 15 million of them live in Southeast Asia. Across the region, 1 in 8 adolescent girls of the same age, and 1 in 50 boys are currently married or in union.

In Southeast Asia, 9 percent to 32 percent of adolescent pregnancies under 18 were conceived prior to marriage or cohabitation. This case is rather high in the Philip -

pines at 32.4 percent, followed by Vietnam, 32 percent; Indonesia, 26 percent; Laos, 24.4 percent; Timor Leste, 19.5 percent; and Cambodia, 9 percent.

Premarital pregnancies often lead to circumstantial child marriage to avoid social sanctions associated with [it] and or sexual activity in a conservative setting,” Devera underscored.

Based on the 2022 Philippines National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), the adolescent birth rate seems to have been declining from 56 in 2020 to 25 per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19. This trend follows even in regional levels like for Eastern Visayas, wherein it’s also the case for 245 respondents of the same age group of the female populace in the region, dropping to 4.7 percent last year from 6.9 percent recorded in 2017.

Such statistics had quite gone down a little bit as we take into consideration the existence of the pandemic [during the time] that actually limited the interaction of our adolescents aged 15 to 19 with their respective peers. But based on the study, it is expected to rise again starting 2022 when the pandemic slackened and seems that we’re now in to face-to-face,” Commission on Population and Development (CPD) Region 8 Director Elnora R. Pulma told reporters in a briefing during the forum.

Impacts of early child bearing DATA show that adult men older than 20 years old father a significant proportion, or 59.5 percent, of adolescent pregnancies. These could be attributed to various so -

cial determinants.

Devera cited them as lower educational attainment and economic status, poor access to contraception, challenges in the implementation of comprehensive sexuality education, and limited service delivery points providing adolescent and youth-friendly SRH services.

“So over the years, the evidence and progress of the adolescent pregnancy have expanded with this new trend, bringing in a richer set of policy and heightened a sense of urgency in tackling the issue. Today, we know that adolescent pregnancy takes a great toll on girls, their families and, of course, their future,” he said.

On education, the impact would be measured on the predicted high-school completion rate of 72 percent for those without early childbearing before the age of 18 as compared to 65 percent for those who get pregnant before reaching such legal age.

Economic-wise, the lifetime wage earnings foregone by a cohort of women 18 to 19 years old resulting from early childbearing is estimated to be around P33 billion. We are taking from young adult opportunities to earn this wage because of adolescent pregnancy,” Devera said, while citing birth by women below 19 years old have two times the risk of dying

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WHEN CHILDREN BEAR CHILDREN

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as compared to women not in the same risk category.

‘Baby face’ of the problem

WHILE the number of adolescent birth is declining, the number of births by mothers aged 10 to 14 years old has shown a slight increase over the years, with 1,903 in 2016 and 2,113 in 2020.

We need to look at the new faces of teenage pregnancy, which have not yet been unveiled. Who are they? The 10 to 14 years old that are [usually] victims of gender-based violence. And those data are essential that we need to get from DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) and DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) so that we can address the problem,” said Dr. Miel Filomeno S. Nora, technical advisor for adolescent health at the Department of Health (DOH) Central Office.

There are existing laws meant to address the problem of childbearing among teeners: Republic Act (RA) 11596 or An Act Prohibiting the Practice of Child Marriage; RA 11648, or an act providing for stronger protection against rape and sexual exploitation and abuse by raising the age of sexual consent from 12 to 16 years; and the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act in 2012.

Despite these, there are certain gaps in terms of their implementation, per Retuerma. She said: “That’s also the jumping board of the recommendations moving forward for different policies. To fill in that gap in terms of implementing that law, specifically from the national and most importantly down to the local level, because that’s where usually the challenge is how to implement a national law. We’re trying to thresh out through the study what are the factors that really contribute to the prevalence of teenage pregnancy, especially in Region 8.”

Moving forward, she added that their organization is advocating passage of the Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Act, which was approved on final reading at the lower house on Tuesday, and will be submitted to the Senate in the next few weeks.

“ This bill is actually in a way intended to address some of the existing gaps in the policies and programs of the national government to address this emergency issue around teenage pregnancy,” she said.

Government efforts

AT the local level, the DILG is promoting the Child-Friendly Local

‘Teenage pregnancy is a health and social economic issue in the Philippines and around the world, not only because pregnancy rates among teenagers remain significantly high, but also and most importantly, because of its implication on the growth, development and well-being of both a pregnant teenage mom and her child during the pregnancy and after childbirth.”

—Vanessa G. Retuerma

Governance Audit (CFLGA), where it assesses the compliance of local government units (LGUs) with health service mandates not just for children but also their parents.

“ We are happy to say that more than 50 percent of the local government units—36 municipalities and the other cities—were able to pass well from 2021 to 2022. Currently, we are also finalizing the results of the CFLGA,” cited Geselle P. Endriano, local government operating officer/assistant division chief at DILG-Region 8.

“[As regards] the Seal of Good Local Governance, we are soon to have the national validation and there are certain indicators there where we can say or we can mention specific LGUs who passed the social protection governance area,” she added.

To a certain extent, most LGUs have somehow made some interventions as far as adolescent health is concerned, or teenage pregnancy for that matter, such as the cities of Tacloban and Ormoc in Leyte, as well as Borongan in Eastern Samar and other municipalities in Eastern Visayas region.

According to Pulma, the former is “very adamant as far as implementing interventions in addressing teenage pregnancy in the city being an urban area [is concerned],” and even came up with a mechanism to provide services, particularly the information service delivery network that serves as a referral pathway to certain services that were made available for adolescents, like counseling and other productive health services.

Majority or six of the provinces in Region 8 are already implementing The KADA Network, a strategy of the DOH that focuses on establishing adolescent-friendly health facilities and hospitals, as well as learning institutions. Currently, the regional office of the health agency conducts a province-wide implementation of this initiative in Biliran.

Then maybe this year, once the funding is already transferred to local government units, the rest will follow, which include Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar,

Tacloban City and Ormoc City,” said Hermart C. Severino, Nurse V, DOH-Eastern Visayas Center for Health Development.

Samar has a lot of strategies, including the establishment of Sirak Kabataan, a provincial youth development program under the National Youth Commission that focuses on mental health and adolescent pregnancy, he added.

Shared responsibilities

FOR their part, World Vision and KOICA are now implementing Phase 1 of the KOICA Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Project in the Eastern Visayas Region, covering 16 municipalities in the provinces of Leyte, Eastern Samar, Samar, and Northern Samar.

Th is Mid-Term Strategy for Health 2021-2025 of KOICA involves various activities, such as capacity-building for the barangay health workers who are doing home visitation.

In a way, this holistic approach is not only addressing pregnancy or maternal health, but it’s general. So if we will look at it, there are lots of interventions, but still problems exist. One of them is from behavioral change,” shared Romil Jeffrey R. Juson, KOICA MNCH Project and World Vision Philippines project manager.

To equip them well, KOICA and World Vision provide medical tools, medicines or consumables to increase the readiness and availability for the health service in the community. Both parties, likewise, work with other partners to improve and upgrade policies related to maternal health.

For the next year, we are looking to get also a partner to upgrade our referral system. This is because during our discussion with the communities and municipal workers, we found out there are still many pregnant women who are struggling to be referred to the highest level hospital,” revealed Jihwan Jeon, project director of KOICA MNCH Project and World Vision Korea.

“Once we finish this first phase of the program, we can invest in another research for another five years. So that is our plan.”

REPRESENTATIVES of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), World Vision and government agencies in Region 8 pose for posterity after the media briefing held during the Policy Forum on Teenage Pregnancy in Eastern Visayas held in Tacloban City, Leyte, on September 6.

A Trump-Biden rematch may be on the horizon in 2024, whether American voters like it or not

By Steve Peoples

AP National Political Writer

NEW YORK—The end of La -

bor Day weekend would typically mark the start of a furious sprint to the Iowa caucuses as candidates battle for their party’s presidential nomination. But as the 2024 campaign comes into greater focus, the usual frenzy is yielding to a sense of inevitability.

Among Republicans, Donald Trump is dominating the primary field, outpacing rivals with resumes as governors, diplomats and entrepreneurs that would normally prove compelling. The former president’s strength comes despite—or perhaps because of—multiple criminal indictments that threaten to overshadow any serious debate about the future of the country. And for now, the tens of millions of dollars that Republican rivals are pouring into the race are doing little to diminish Trump’s stature, fueling concerns among his GOP critics who fear the primary is essentially over before it begins.

As one troubled front-runner tightens his grip on the Republican nomination, President Joe Biden is on a glide path to victory on the Democratic side. The 80-year-old incumbent is facing only token opposition for the Democratic nomination despite concerns about his age and performance from many within his own party.

Whether voters like it or not, a Trump-Biden rematch may be on the horizon, raising the prospect of a deeply uncertain election season that only intensifies the nation’s political divide. Already, Trump is skipping his party’s presidential debates and his court appearances are sometimes drawing more attention than his campaign stops. And Biden has barely begun to campaign as he grapples with questions about his age and his son’s legal challenges.

“I just can’t imagine things markedly changing. So, it appears that past is prologue,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said in an interview, praising Biden’s record of achievement while warning his party against underestimating

Trump’s political strength. Newsom said concerns about Biden’s age “are fair game and the White House knows it.”

“But if age equals results,” he went on, “I’m looking forward to his 85th birthday.”

On the Republican side, dread is building among some donors and party leaders who hoped conservative voters would move past Trump given the January 6 attack on the Capitol he inspired and his serious legal challenges.

“A Trump-Biden rematch would be a disaster for the country. I’m very depressed about it,” said Bobbie Kilberg, a prominent Republican donor who is supporting former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. She said it’s “scary” that so many voters in her party continue to support the former president. “I refuse to believe that Trump is our inevitable nominee.”

There is time for the 2024 landscape to shift.

Four months remain before the first votes are cast in the Iowa caucuses and the general election is more than a year away. And recent history has plenty of examples of overlooked and seemingly overmatched candidates who proved the conventional wisdom wrong. Both Trump and Biden are among them.

There are also significant variables.

Abortion continues to scramble elections—even in GOP strongholds like Kansas, Kentucky and Ohio—as voters reject Republican efforts to restrict access to the procedure. A greater backlash is possible as the courts review access to a commonly used abortion pill.

And Trump is facing 91 felony charges in criminal proceedings unfolding in Washington, New York, South Florida and Atlanta. They involve everything from his handling of classified information to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election to orchestrating hush money payments to a porn actor.

The former president could be a convicted felon before the general election is decided next November. Still, party leaders—including most of his Republican primary opponents—have vowed to support him

even if he’s convicted. And nothing in the Constitution bars felons from assuming the presidency.

At the same time, Democratic officials are deeply concerned about the prospect of a third-party bid under the banner of No Labels, a centrist group backed by a $70 million budget actively working to secure a place on the presidential ballot in at least 20 states this year.

Group leaders insist they would nominate a candidate next spring only as “an insurance policy” should Trump and Biden win their respective primaries, which appears increasingly likely. And then, No Labels would move forward only if it’s certain that its presidential nominee wouldn’t unintentionally help Trump win reelection.

Democratic leaders aren’t convinced.

Several current and former elected officials have been in close contact with the organization, including Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.

Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican who says he supports No Labels’ mission, did not rule out running as a No Labels presidential contender himself when asked during a recent interview.

“I don’t want No Labels to run a candidate. I want the two parties to respond responsibly to the challenges before us,” Cassidy said, indicating he wouldn’t support Trump or Biden. He described a presidential bid of his own under the No Labels banner as a hypothetical he didn’t want to comment on.

In ruling out Trump, the Louisiana Republican cited the criminal charges against the Republican former president, questions about his viability in the general election, and the former president’s refusal to “be honest with the American people” about looming budget shortfalls in Social Security and Medicare.

Cassidy, a medical doctor, also raised concerns about Biden’s physical and mental health. “He’s just so obviously declining,” he said.

Indeed, both Trump and Biden have glaring liabilities, according to

a new poll by The Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Biden is “old” and “confused,” and Trump is “corrupt” and “dishonest.” Those were among the top terms Americans use when asked to describe each party’s leading presidential candidates.

But leaders in both parties are willing to overlook such problems.

Young Democrats of America President Quentin Wathum-Ocama concedes that young voters aren’t necessarily enthusiastic about a Trump-Biden rematch, but he hopes that Trump’s polarizing candidacy will give Wathum-Ocama’s party the energy Biden cannot.

“Yes, people want a younger generation of politicians. We’ve always talked about Joe Biden as—even he’s said—as a transitional figure in our political life,” he said. “As much as we’re seeing folks, for whatever reason, may not be excited or whatever, to me, it comes back to democracy is on the line.”

With virtually no exceptions, Democratic officials in Congress and in key states are publicly rallying behind Biden’s reelection.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Biden’s strongest challenger in the 2020 Democratic primary, endorsed Biden’s reelection bid hours after it was announced this spring. Biden enlisted other would-be rivals for his national advisory board. The group includes Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Newsom.

Republicans have delighted in suggesting that Newsom plans to launch a primary challenge against Biden, something the California governor has repeatedly ruled out. That’s even as Newsom teases the possibility of a high-profile debate against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is among Trump’s top Republican challengers.

Newsom said there would be a debate with the Florida governor, perhaps in November, although the camps are still working out the details.

“I get to do the one thing I look forward to doing more than anything

Mideast power brokers who control $2.7 trillion in assets

By Adveith Nair

THE Middle East is home to some of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds. Overseeing close to $3 trillion of assets, these investing giants have become key players in global dealmaking.

Flush with cash from last year’s commodity boom, entities from Abu Dhabi Investment Authority to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund have splashed out billions of dollars on everything from technology and finance to sport, in countries spanning Australia to Canada.

That’s attracted top names in global finance, from Ray Dalio to Rajeev Misra, who’re working closely with the influential heads of these funds.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan

THE Abu Dhabi royal, born in the late 1960s, helms a $1.5 trillion empire encompassing two wealth funds, the region’s most important private investment firm, the country’s largest lender and its biggest listed corporate. He’s also one of two deputy rulers in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates’ national security advisor and brother to its president, giving him more clout than most others in the region.

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, helmed by Sheikh Tahnoon since March, has been the second-biggest spender among the main Middle East wealth funds since the start of 2022, according

to data from Global SWF. As chairman of ADQ, Sheikh Tahnoon also oversees a fund that’s snapped up assets worth billions in Egypt and pledged investments to help shore up Turkey’s economy. It’s also been at the forefront of deals orchestrated with an eye on food security, including an agreement to buy a stake in Louis Dreyfus Co.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al

Nahyan

A BROTHER to Sheikh Tahnoon and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, Sheikh Mansour is perhaps best known globally as the owner of Manchester City Football Club. He’s one of the emirate’s most influential businessmen.

The royal, also UAE vice president and deputy prime minister, was named chairman of the $276 billion Mubadala Investment Co. in March.

Khaldoon Al Mubarak, a prominent Emirati executive, has been CEO of the fund for close to two decades.

The duo oversee an array of investments including in Abu Dhabi’s largest lender, First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC. Other holdings include Carlyle Group Inc. and GlobalFoundries Inc., which is America’s largest supplier of madeto-order semiconductors.

The fund is also backing Misra’s new $6.8 billion entity, and took opportunistic punts on technology firms amid last year’s rout in valuations. From investments in health care to finance, Mubadala has been at the

forefront of attempts to diversify Abu Dhabi away from oil.

Sheikh Mansour, who is in his fifties, is also chairman of the $90 billion Emirates Investment Authority. The EIA owns 60 percent of the $60 billion Emirates Telecom—Vodafone Group Plc’s biggest shareholder—which is pushing ahead with an ambitious global expansion strategy.

Yasir Al Rumayyan

GOVERNOR of Saudi Arabia’s powerful Public Investment Fund, Yasir Al Rumayyan is one of the main people charged with delivering on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 strategy aimed at overhauling the kingdom’s economy.

From the $500 billion futuristic city of Neom and deals upending the economics of global sport, to investments in mining, gaming and technology, the fund is leading the way on Saudi Arabia’s diversification efforts. Boosted by last year’s oil-price rally, the $760 billion PIF has outspent every regional wealth fund since the start of 2022.

The crown prince is chairman of the PIF and has helped shaped its strategy, including a move into sectors like gaming. Meanwhile, Al Rumayyan, who’s in his fifties and a keen golfer himself, was instrumental in orchestrating this year’s surprise PGA-LIV merger.

The fund owns a stake in state oil giant Aramco, of which Al Rumayyan

else, and that’s make the case for Joe Biden and what he’s accomplished— and to do that one on one,” he said of a DeSantis debate. “That’s an opportunity, a platform I don’t want to walk away from.”

Meanwhile, in a show of confidence, the Trump campaign has already begun to pivot toward a general election matchup against Biden. His team says he currently plans to skip all Republican presidential debates, sensing few consequences for skipping the first one last month. DeSantis, once thought to be a potent threat, has struggled to live up to expectations.

Trump’s relationships across the party and his expansive political machine have made it extremely difficult for others to break through.

“The president benefits from having led the party for the last eight years,” said Brian Jack, Trump’s political director.

Trump is leading the fight for endorsements, winning the public backing of more members of Congress and statewide elected officials than the rest of the field combined.

The other candidates are also struggling to keep up with Trump’s quiet campaign to control the delegate selection rules for individual state primaries. For example, Trump officials successfully pushed California Republicans to award all of the state’s 169 delegates to the winner of their March 5 primary, instead of dolling out delegates to multiple candidates based on the proportion of their vote.

The payoff for that work became clear late last week when a pro-DeSantis super PAC scaled back its operations in Nevada and other states that host Republican primary contests in March, including California, North Carolina and Texas.

Given Trump’s overwhelming advantages, some of Trump’s powerful allies have begun to call for other Republican presidential candidates to

give up. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez ended his short-lived White House bid last week after failing to qualify for the opening debate. But at least eight high-profile opponents remain.

“It has been clear for months that President Trump will be the Republican nominee,” said Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 3 House Republican. “This election is the most important election in our lifetime, and I will continue to call on Republicans to coalesce our entire party apparatus behind President Trump’s campaign.”

While Trump remains the clear front-runner, he holds a wider margin nationally than he does in some of the early voting states. And influential Republicans there aren’t ready to concede the nomination to Trump yet.

Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, which hosts the second Republican primary contest after Iowa, is working to boost Trump’s GOP rivals, warning that Trump is too flawed to win the general election.

Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, who served as Trump’s ambassador to China, also has doubts about the former president’s chances in the general election given the legal challenges that will play out for much of next year.

“The focus of the election ought to be on Biden and his record,” Branstad said. “That’s the thing that bothers me. It plays into the hands of the Democrats.”

He added, “I think this thing is going to tighten up.”

Even Trump isn’t quite willing to say that he’s already locked up the Republican presidential nomination.

“I don’t want to say anything’s over cause I don’t say that,” Trump said Friday on WABC. “I’m not a bel iever until it’s over, right? As Yogi would say, ‘Ain’t over ‘til it’s over.”

The Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in New York and Sara Burnett in Chicago contributed to this report.

is chairman. Outside Riyadh, the PIF is a major backer of Lucid Group Inc. and has holdings in Electronic Arts Inc. and Nintendo Co. Ltd.

Mansoor Al Mahmoud

AS CEO of the $450 billion Qatar Investment Authority, Mansoor Ebrahim Al Mahmoud oversees one of the biggest sovereign investors in Europe. The QIA has stakes in companies ranging from commodities miner Glencore Plc to supermarket chain J Sainsbury Plc and automaker Volkswagen AG—where Al Mahmoud, who was born in the 1970s, is a board member.

Qatar’s coffers have been bolstered by soaring prices for LNG, of which Doha is one of the biggest exporters. Al Mahmoud, appointed CEO in 2018, earlier this year indicated the fund would ramp up spending in Asia and the US, where it plans to invest across climate change, infrastructure and digitization.

The fund is also eyeing a more prominent position in the economic growth story of Qatar itself, now that years of heavy spending on hosting the football World Cup are over.

Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saud Al-Thani, who’s also governor of Qatar’s Central Bank was named the QIA’s chairman this year. That move is unlikely to result in tweaks to the fund’s strategy or its investment appetite. Bloomberg News

‘A perfect venue where science, art merge’

By Lyn Resurreccion Photos

from DOST-FPRDI

THIS was how Dr. Rico J. Cabangon, deputy director of Department of Science and Technology’s Forest Products Research and Development Institute, described the recent exhibit of DOST-FPRDI’s Artist and Industrial Designer Chris Rana of avant-garde art pieces made from underutilized and waste forest materials.

The exhibit, dubbed “Forsee, ForSea: When Forest Meets Sea Life Exhibit!,” was held recently at DOST-FPRDI’s Forest Products Innovation and Training Center in Los Baños, Laguna.

The art pieces, named after sea creatures in Masbate, included “Rululupad” chandeliers, “Sararayaw” pendant lights, “Ralalanguy” wall lights, “Oras Pakas” wall clocks, “Bulad Palad” laptop risers and “Ilawod” resin lamps, and furnitures made of substitute materials.

“The exhibit is our first step to new developments for the creative

industries. This is where I think forest products research, science and innovation are going to play a huge part. It is an exciting new era that will benefit our forestbased clients and stakeholders,” Cabangon said during the opening of the exhibit.

Source of additional income

IN his message during the event, DOST-FPRDI Director Dr. Romulo T. Aggangan said: “Recycling and utilizing waste, existing materials and products can go a long way to gain additional income. We, at the DOST-FPRDI, have proven this possibility by creating, innovating and transforming underutilized materials from the forest into valuable and sustainable products.”

Aggangan explained that Rana’s new concepts and designs transformed bamboo sawdust, corn husk, laminating epoxy resin, leftover wood, wood chips and handmade paper into a wide array of designs.

Rana, however, said that his creations are not for commerciali -

Beyond Einstein: Filipina physicist investigates exotic subatomic particles

BUILDING on Albert Einstein’s work, a Filipina physicist and an international team of researchers recently discovered that a special class of subatomic particles can be described using concepts from the famous scientist’s Theory of Relativity.

University of the Philippines Diliman College of Science National Institute of Physics (UPD-CS NIP) Associate Professor Dr. Gennevieve Macam and her colleagues were investigating Weyl fermions, exotic subatomic particles that are similar to electrons but have no mass. They found that the behavior of these particles can be understood by adapting Einstein’s ideas on causality, said the UPD-CS Science Communications.

Causality refers to how one event can directly lead to another event in a causeand-effect relationship. Einstein took this idea further when he realized that nothing can travel faster than light.

IMPACT assessment has a critical role in the field of science and technology (S&T) as a key element in the innovation ecosystem. This was recognized by local and international research and development communities during the first Science and Technology Impact Assessment Conference in Pasay City.

Participants agreed that it allows S&T interventions to be more effective in stimulating national socioeconomic growth and development.

Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora, executive director of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD), said in his message that as one of the pioneers of impact assessment in the government, DOST-PCAARRD attributes it in creating lasting changes in agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources (AANR) sectors.

According to Ebora, impact assessment allows institutions to make the most out of

This led to the concept of “light cones,” which represent all the possible paths that light—or any signal moving at the speed of light—can take from a given event in space and time.

Anything inside the light cone of an event could potentially be influenced by that event, while anything outside the light cone cannot be affected by it due to the limitation imposed by the speed of light.

The outer boundary of this cone is called the “event horizon.”

Macam collaborated with Prof. Guoqing Chang of Nanyang Technological University and his team. They found that these concepts, which normally apply to space and time, could also be used to describe the behavior of Weyl fermions in terms of energy and momentum.

“Our work shows how Einstein’s equations can be adapted to describe quantum materials,” Macam said. “This paves the way to a better understanding of how the strange

limited resources through smarter decision making.

He shared that information from impact assessments help in prioritizing public funds for programs and projects that generate optimum benefits for Filipinos.

For his part, Science Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr., in his keynote speech, highlighted the role of impact assessment in ensuring that government investments in R&D initiatives contribute to progress and innovation.

With increasingly scarce resources, Solidum expressed the significance of impact assessments in ensuring the returns on investment on R&D to the government.

“It is our duty to ensure that results from scientific and technological efforts are geared and utilized in areas of maximum economic and social benefits for the people,”

Solidum pointed out.

Going beyond institutional R&D DR. Ernesto O. Brown, DOST-PCAARRD’s Socio

sation yet. A research on costing and product acceptability still have to be done.

Meanwhile, it should be noted that Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (Citem) Executive Director Dr. Edward L. Fereira showed interest in the artistic creations.

Fereira, who graced the exhibit, told the BusinessMirror that he will invite DOST-FPRDI to exhibit the items at the next Citem event.

Named after movements of fish, products RANA , who hails from Masbate, explained to the BusinessMirror at the sidelines of the event that his creations were named after fishes. With their town being surrounded by sea, and fishing being the major source of livelihood in the area, he had witnessed different kinds of fish and their beautiful movements.

Liking himself and his team to fishermen, he pointed out: “We explore the sea for our research, and [we consider] the fishes as the knowledge, services and technologies that we gather.”

He added: “When the fishermen catch fishes, they bring them home to eat. So we also return the knowledge, services and technologies we got [from the sea] to the people [through our creations].”

Rana explained how he named the pieces on exhibit.

n “Rululupad” chandelier: It was inspired by the behavior of flying fish. “Rululupad” means flying together. Fish-shaped

materials attached on a ring were suspended from the ceiling, evoking the movement of the flying fish from the water and back.

n “Sararayaw” light pendant: It was based on the symmetrical dancing behavior of fishes. Arranged on a bamboo pole, it lends movement to the design that mimics the synchronized swimming of the sea creatures.

n “Ralalanguy” wall light: It exhibits the movement of fishes swimming together and about to jump out from the water.

n “Ilawod” resin lamp: It was named from “Ilawod,” the deep part of the sea, where fishermen catch fish.

n The “Bulad Palad” laptop riser: It resembles the arrangement of dried fish being sold in the market. The product’s expandable and collapsible middle section reveal the intricate pattern of the packaging. Combining functionality and art, the riser provide ergonomic laptop elevatio

n “Oras Pakas” wall clock: It imitates the geometry of the “pakas,” a kind of local dried fish.

n Chairs and tables were made of substitute materials, such as processed bamboo, metal braces, nuts and bolts with their various functional designs.

Thinking out of the box IN as much as we are ready to assist our forest-based clients and the public in any way possible, we truly cannot wait to see where we go together next in our pursuit to promote science in the creative sector,” Cabangon pointed out.

“I believe that breaking away from the daily grind or thinking out of the box is integral to the Institute’s continued success,” he added.

Cabangon acknowledged that Rana and his team “created remarkable, original and painstakingly thought-out” art pieces. “Inspired by sea creatures, you [Rana] covered a lot of underutilized and waste forest materials to come up with avantgarde products” that were made with “dedication, hard work and creativity,” he said.

SciCommPh, Searca forge partnership to promote S&T research, innovations

By Edwin P. Galvez

THE Science Communicators Philippines Inc. (SciCommPh) and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) teamed up to promote the outputs of science and technology (S&T) research, development and innovations in agriculture.

President Atty. Melvin G. Calimag signed as witness for their respective organization.

Gregorio emphasized the role of Searca and the media in translating intricate research findings into easily digestible forms, allowing for an effective transmission of evidencebased knowledge to a wider audience.

is “the key to solving most of the pressing problems of the country.

UPD-CS NIP Associate Professor Dr. Gennevieve Macam and her colleagues are working to understand the behavior of a relatively new subatomic particle called a Weyl fermion. DR. GENNEVIEVE MACAM

quantum world and our everyday reality are intertwined.”

Weyl fermions were first theorized by German physicist Hermann Weyl in 1929 but their existence was only proven almost a century later, in 2015.

Due to their charged but massless nature, Weyl fermions may have future applications in electronics and computers, UPD-CS Science Communications said.

Economic Research Division (SERD) director, discussed the Council’s impact assessment initiative. Brown said, “PCAARRD’s impact assessment efforts for R&D and technology transfer in AANR were established to determine and quantify the socioeconomic contribution of the funded programs and projects to the growth and development of the sector.”

Impact assessment has been an integral part of DOST-PCAARRD’s banner programs. Upon recognizing the need for an intensive monitoring and evaluation system, SERD reinvented the Council’s approach to conducting impact assessment to cater to different perspectives of development.

Since the 1980s, it has been the Council’s practice to enact impact assessment studies in forecasting and evaluating major S&T initiatives of DOST-PCAARRD on R&D, technology transfer, capacity building, and policy making. The outcomes of such initiatives then

SciCommPh Chairman Angelo B. Palmones and Searca Director Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) to communicate and even “laymanize” S&T innovations to the public.

Under the MOU, Searca and SciCommPh will undertake programs, projects and activities to promote S&T as a game-changer in social and economic development by highlighting their relevance and practical use in the lives of Filipinos.

SciCommPh officers and members and Searca officers and staff attended the virtual signing ceremony on September 4.

Searca Deputy Director, Associate Professor Joselito G. Florendo and SciCommPh

“This concerted effort would significantly enhance understanding among the general public,” Gregorio said as Searca signed its first MOU with a media organization.

He pointed out the importance of collaboration in communicating S&T, citing its significance in the current program of the National Academy of Science and Technology, Pagtanaw 2050, in which Searca is involved in National Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization and Industrialization Plan.

Palmones, for his part, said the collaboration will “immensely contribute to the development and adoption of innovative products and processes in agriculture that are not only viable but also sustainable.”

He said SciComm—an organization of scientists, science journalists and science communicators—recognizes that science

“SciCommPh is committed to communicate the value of R&D and its products to the public, and ultimately pave the way toward evidencebased mindset, decision-making, technology adoption, and the development of a science culture,” he explained.

Palmones acknowledged, however, the “daunting task to mainstream [these] game changing innovations” and “develop enabling policies to support R&D, S&T human resources development and retention, and science education.”

“With Searca and SciCommPh working together, we hope to find better ways of reaching out to the stakeholders of the various processes and outputs of agricultural research,” he said.

In doing so, their beneficiaries will understand that “the products of the works of our scientists in biotechnology, genomics, plant breeding and horticulture, animal science, and other disciplines contribute to attaining food security in the country and the whole of the Southeast Asian region.”

DR . Ernesto O. Brown, director of DOSTPCAARRD’s SERD, talks about the Council’s history and various initiatives on impact assessment for the agriculture, aquatic and natural resources sector. DOST-PCAARRD

played a crucial role in accounting for S&T investments, program conceptualization and development, resource allocation, and direction setting. With the goal of socioeconomic development, DOST-PCAARRD’s initiative has brought a deeper understanding of the role of R&D in nation-building. As such, the Council ensures that generated knowledge

DOST-PCAARRD Executive Director Reynaldo

V. Ebora points out in his message at the first Science and Technology Impact Assessment Conference the importance of doing impact assessment in research and development in order to optimize the benefits of R&D to stakeholders. DOST-PCAARRD

is shared with the public.

Currently, the Council has released multiple publications on the impact assessment of various DOST-PCAARRDfunded projects through the Impact “Assessment Bulletin.” All of which are available at the DOST-PCAARRD eLibrary.

Science Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr. recognizes the role of impact assessment in governance and accountability. DOST-PCAARRD

Moving forward, DOST-PCAARRD aims to widen the reach of its impact assessment initiatives.

The Council is also open to providing assistance to other institutions in setting their own impact assessment activities. It is within the Council’s vision to institutionalize the initiative in order to help create longlasting change for the country. Karl Vincent S. Mendez/S&T Media Service

RULULUPAD chandelier SARARAYAW pendant light

CHRIS RANA , DOST-FPRDI artist and industrial designer

RALALANGUY wall light BULAD Palad laptop riser ORAS Pakas wall clock Ilawod lamp

‘Impact assessment crucial in sustainable development’

Food Tripping in Mindanao

WHETHER it be for business or for leisure, one of things that people love to do while travelling locally or abroad is to eat. It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to try local dishes or dishes that restaurants have made their own. When you find yourself either in Cagayan de Oro City or in Davao City, here’s a list of restaurants that

Cagayan de Oro

FAT CHEF RESTAURANT

Ground Floor, North Wing, SM City CDO Uptown

A classic Filipino restaurant located at the SM City CDO Uptown North Wing imbued with the owners’ favorite personal recipes served during traditional family gatherings and get-togethers with friends. These dishes include diverse comfort food and heritage cuisines with a twist; you will enjoy an authentic Filipino taste prepared with passion and the dedication to serve good food. One of their best offers is their version of Sizzling Sinigang on a hot plate garnished with vegetables. A modern take on a classic Filipino dish with an intense yet well-balanced flavor.

HUGO

Ground Floor, North Wing, SM City CDO Uptown

Hugo Restaurant & Lounge is designed to make great dining experience through its upscale cocktails, reimagined dishes, and classy interiors. It is also recommended to try the best pasta renditions in of the restaurant, they promise a premium epicurean fusion of European and Asian Cuisines. One of their specialties is the Baby Back Platter slathered in the most delicious sticky barbecue sauce with a kick of garlic, tender, and juicy melt-in-your-mouth ribs!  Finish up with luxurious menu of the best concoctions and mixes for those who wish to unwind.

BUGSAY SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

3rd Level, SM CDO Downtown

The restaurant was founded through passion and hard of owners. The menu is a collection of delicious seafood recipes that charmed their patrons with their delectable flavors and cuisines. It gained fame and eventually expanded in Cagayan de Oro City. One of their best dishes is their many version of Kinilaw (ceviche) made with fish or sea urchin (tuyom). Customers are sure to enjoy the freshest catch from the sea. Some of their unique offerings are Adobong Saang (Spider Shell) and Adobong Pusit with Ata (Squid Ink). It is an incredible gourmet experience in Bugsay, something you will remember when in SM CDO Downtown.

Davao The Burp Co.

2nd Level, Main Mall, SM City Davao

BELEAN BAKEHOUSE

2nd Level, North Wing, SM City CDO Uptown

The house of the best croissant in uptown Cagayan de Oro, Belean Bakehouse, serves delicious pastries best for coffee or breakfast. They make new trends by releasing notable innovations like their bestselling bicolored red velvet croissant and our bicolored mocha croissant !  Their version of Pain Au Chocolaty, known as Chocolate Croissant, has been a frontrunner among all the variants. It is also heartwarming to try their Tuna Melt Croissant, a favorite of the majority - that draws the crowd of parents and seniors to their store.

RIBS AND BIBS

5th Level, SM CDO Downtown

VAMOOSE A COMER

Ground Floor, North Wing, SM City CDO Uptown

Vamoose A Comer, or “Let’s Eat” in Spanish, is a Western European-Filipino fusion restaurant with Spanish recipe highlights coalesced with ingredients that suit the local palette. When in Vamoose, try their Paella Negra or also known as Arroz Negro or black paella. A dish cooked in a large, shallow pan called a paellera. It’s a popular Spanish dish made with seafood, rice, and squid ink - which gives a black color and perfect taste to the rice and has been used as a natural food coloring in Spain for centuries.

L

North Wing, SM City CDO Uptown

Dining at ‘L Buono by Resto Freeno is always a good idea - Good food, sharing great food with friends to make great memories. The restaurant is a fusion restaurant that offers 60% Italian food and Asian cuisines, bringing these delectable cuisines for the Kagayanons to experience. They specialize in Italian food, highlighting their Spinach and Scallop Pizza and Porcini Aglio. Nevertheless, their Pad Thai seems to have a “bang” for our Asian options. At L’Bouno, it is always Good Food, Great Company, Perfect Moment.

Cagayan de Oro’s sumptuous barbecue and grill charm is Ribs and Bibs. The resto is conveniently located at the fifth level of SM CDO Downtown Premier. The highlight of the menu are the house specialties: Daddy Back Ribs, Mommy Back Ribs, and Baby Back Ribs. One can order either to satisfy your own appetite or for sharing. The usual side dishes with the ribs are buttered veggies, plain rice, grilled corn on the cob, coleslaw salad, sweet potato mash, tropical salsa, chili con carne, and java rice. They also serve excellent Pork steak, Beef burger steak, Mumsie’s Angus Roast Beef, and Angus Rib-Eye.

The perfect way to end a hearty meal is with dessert…and a burp! You can only find The Burp Co. in Davao, so visiting this quaint café is important during your visit. Choose from their bestsellers like Buko Pie, Durian Pie, Cheesecake Pie, and Choco Moist Cake which use premium ingredients and are baked fresh daily. Another must-try at The Burp Co. is their Knickerbocker—think of it as our local halo-halo but made better with fresh fruits instead of preserves! Aside from their luscious pastries, you’ll love the owner’s humble beginnings that started in her garage at home: Catherine Maxey used to be an I.T. professional in Singapore before she decided to bake pies and sell them within their neighborhood. This passion project earned her a lot of loyal customers and soon enough, she set up a physical store that continues to grow.

Purple Yam Homemade Cakes and Pastries

2nd Level, Main Mall, SM City Davao

Purple Yam Homemade Cakes and Pastries serves freshly baked sweets. You won’t be able to find this in Metro Manila so make sure to stop by their takeout counter located at the 2nd level of SM City Davao’s Main Mall too. This dessert brand is also known for its soft and creamy cakes made with real ube. The Round Ube cake costs only P430! For barkada celebrations, we would love for you to try their medium square-sized ube cake (P550). If you plan to stroll around the mall while enjoying their ube goodness in a cup, you may purchase the 12oz Cup priced at P67 only.

FAT MONK

5th Level, SM CDO Downtown

If you are craving authentic Southeast Asian cuisine, Fat Monk Restaurant is the right place for you. Try their Tom Yam Kung Soup, a thai hot and sour soup, is one of their best sellers since they serve more of Thailand’s best flavors. But you should take advantage of their Fried Lapu Mango Sauce version, fried lapu-lapu layered with their sweet mango sauce. Also on their favorites list is Chicken Satay, Thai seasoned skewers, grilled chicken served with peanut sauce, and Butter Garlic Prawn, a Singaporean deep–fried prawn sautéed with garlic and butter. The Asian cuisine menu is really at its best at Fat Monk.

VANDA

Park Inn by Radisson Davao, in front of SM Lanang

For those who are staying at Park Inn by Radisson Davao, you’ll be glad to know that they have an all-day dining restaurant that is only a stone’s throw away from SM Lanang. Although the grub may seem familiar to you, VANDA—which is derived from the orchid specie Waling-waling—puts a twist on their local and international cuisines that are both a feast for your eyes and mouth. And just in time for the festival of festivals, VANDA’s Kadayawan Boodle Fight is now back on its menu! Enjoy a slew of starters, main courses, sides, rice, drinks, and desserts for only P3,950 which is already good for 5 to 6 persons. Other Chef’s Recos are Grilled Tanigue Steak, VANDA Salad, and Malagos Ricotta Cheesecake.

you must try on your next food adventure.

BUONO BY RESTO FREENO

Manila archdiocese divests from ‘coal, other destructive businesses’

The bishop called on the faithful to “stand together” and protest environmental abuses and “become genuine stewards of the earth.”

“May our actions not be driven by short-term benefits only, but by concern for an environment where every person—now and in the future—can joyfully live and flourish,” he said.

In his message for the ongoing “Season of Creation,” Cardinal Jose Advincula said the move was made “years ago” in response to the calls of Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si.’”

“This is to inform everyone that the Archdiocese of Manila has divested all our investments from coal and other destructive businesses since years ago,” Advincula said.

The decision, according to him, was also “in consonance with our faith and the earlier social teachings of the Church.”

“We commit to relentlessly support all initiatives that will protect, preserve, nurture, and respect God’s creation,” he said.

In 2019, the country’s Catholic bishops agreed to divest from “dirty energy” sources, such as coal-fired power plants.

While only a few dioceses used

to have investments in coal, the bishops emphasized the need for collective action to address the climate crisis.

In its February 2022 pastoral letter, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) called for unity among churches to urgently respond to the problem.

The Season of Creation is a global and ecumenical celebration that runs from September 1 to October 4, coinciding with the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi.

In the Philippines, the dioceses extend the observance to the second Sunday of October, known as Indigenous Peoples’ Sunday.

The cardinal added that the archdiocese is committed to responding to the goals of Laudato Si’ “by mobilizing various institutions to become part of the Laudato Si Action Platform to achieve integral ecology.”

Albay bishop laments environmental challenges

MEANWHILE , a Catholic bishop has used his message for the annual “Season of Creation” to criticize environmental issues besetting the province of Albay.

Bishop Joel Baylon of Legazpi condemned, among others, irresponsible quarrying, deforestation, ever-expanding fish pens and potential mining-related pollution.

“Here in our province, we have strayed from the path of stewardship,” Baylon said in a pastoral letter, “An Agrangay kan Kapalibotan asin an Agrangay kan mga Dukha,” released on September 1, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.

He also urged the government authorities not to let greed rule their actions, decisions and policies.

“Let not greed, power, or personal gain blind us. Instead, consider what legacy we leave behind for our descendants,” Baylon said.

The pastoral letter discusses the interconnected issues of environmental degradation and the plight of the poor.

Albay province is grappling with environmental challenges like irresponsible quarrying, deforestation, ever-expanding fish pens, and potential mining-related pollution.

The “throwaway culture” is also criticized, and the community is called to embrace “ecological conversion” through sustainable practices.

Both the general public and those in authority are encouraged to be responsible stewards of creation. CBCP News

Celebrating the birthday of Hindu god Krishna

MANY Hindus around the world celebrated Krishna Janmashtami, the birthday of the Hindu god Krishna, on September 6.

The birth celebrations occur on the eighth day after the full moon in the month of Bhadrapada, or during August-September; in some parts of southern India the celebrations are held during the fifth lunar month of Shravana, which is in July-August.

In Sanskrit, Krishna means “dark” or “black,” and like the deity Vishnu with whom he is associated, Krishna is often depicted as dark-skinned.

He is identified as the eighth avatar, or incarnation, of the deity Vishnu in many texts, while other sources identify Krishna as the highest divine being. He is especially loved for his divine attributes of compassion, protection and friendship.

The observance of Krishna Janmashtami has moved far beyond its place of origin in Krishna’s homeland of Vrindaban, in northcentral India, where Krishna is said to have been raised.

Today, in the global community of about 1.2 billion Hindus, Krishna Janmashtami is considered an important holiday among all lineages and traditions.

Krishna’s birth

THE story of Krishna’s divine birth is told in households across South Asia on Krishna Janmashtami.

According to lore, Krishna’s uncle, Kamsa, the king of Mathura, a town in northern India, heard a celestial voice prophesying in his court that his downfall would come at the hands of the eighth child born to his cousin Devaki.

In an effort to preserve his reign, Kamsa imprisoned Devaki and her spouse, Vasudeva, and killed each child born to them.

According to a sacred Hindu text called the “Bhagavata Purana,” when the eighth child, Krishna, was born, the gates of the prison opened miraculously

Pope: Synod should not be like TV talk show

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE—In his in-flight news conference returning from Mongolia on Monday, Pope Francis outlined his vision for the upcoming synodal assembly in October, which he said should be a prayerful exercise in dialogue free from ideology, not full of “political chatter” like a television talk show.

Pope Francis was peppered with multiple questions about the Synod on Synodality from journalists traveling with him on the 10-hour flight from Ulaanbaatar to Rome on September 4.

“In the synod, there is no place for ideology,” Pope Francis told journalists on the chartered ITA Airways plane.

“There is no place for ideology, but there is room for dialogue, for an exchange between brothers and sisters,” he added.

Pope Francis emphasized the unique spiritual dimension of the first global Synod on Synodality assembly taking place at the Vatican from October 4 to 28. He said he wants it to be “a religious moment.”

He highlighted how the synodal assembly should have three to four minutes of silent prayer between discussions, noting that this prayerful atmosphere should be what distinguishes a synodal assembly from “parliamentarianism.”

“Without this spirit of prayer, there is no synodality,” the pope said.

“There is one thing that we have to keep—the synodal atmosphere,” Francis added. The synod should not be like a television talk show where everything is discussed, the pope explained, but a “dialogue between the baptized.”

“The synod is the dialogue between the baptized, who in the name of the Church, [discuss] the life of the Church, [and] dialogue with the world on the problems that affect humanity today,” he said.

Pope Francis pointed to the tradition of synods in Eastern Churches as an example.

“The Eastern Church knows how to live out synodality. It is living it as Christians … without falling into ideologies,” he said.

and a divine voice instructed Vasudeva to ferry Krishna across the Yamuna River.

A torrential rain caused the Yamuna to flood, but the river rose only to Krishna’s feet; Vasudeva delivered the divine infant unharmed to his cousin Nanda and his wife Yashoda in the region in northern India known as Braj.

To quell Kamsa’s suspicions, the gods replaced Krishna with Yashoda’s daughter in the prison. When Kamsa’s guards attempted to kill her, she transformed into the goddess Yogamaya and reminded Kamsa of his inescapable fate and vanished from the prison cell.

The exploits of Krishna as a child are especially celebrated during the holiday. Devotees commemorate the love of Yashoda for Krishna and recall his playful pranks in songs and dances.

Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita

WHILE many around the world may not know much about Hinduism, or about Krishna, they might still recognize him from his role in the “Bhagavad Gita,” or “The Song of the Lord,” a section in the world’s lengthiest epic poem, the “Mahabharata.”

popularity, the Bhagavad Gita is chanted in homes and temples in the days leading up to Krishna Janmashtami.

In the Gita, Krishna, disguised as a charioteer, advises the warrior Arjuna, who is heartbroken that he has to fight his own cousins, about his duty on the battlefield.

In its 18 chapters, Krishna counsels Arjuna about three paths, or “margas,” to realize salvation, or “moksha,” from the eternal cycle of suffering and rebirth.

Festivities on the day

ON the first day of the celebration of Krishna Janmashtami, activities culminate in a “Krishna puja,” a devotional form of worship using a form or an image, such as an idol of Krishna.

After midnight, statues of Krishna are bathed in milk and water, dressed in new clothes and venerated in homes and temples. Devotees enjoy a celebratory meal after breaking the daylong fast.

In addition to fasting during the holiday, Krishna’s devotees sing songs called “bhajans,” or “kirtans,” dedicated to Krishna, reenact episodes from mythology about his life, known as “Krishna Lilas,” and perform folk dances, or “garbhas.”

In northern India, Krishna Janmashtami is followed the next day by a raucous and spirited event called “Dahi Handi,” loosely translated as “curds in an earthen pot.”

Young men and boys imitate the childish pranks of “Makhan Chor,” an epithet given to Krishna in his beloved form during his childhood as a “butter thief.”

Folklore is full of stories about Krishna and his childhood friends stealing sweetened butter from the village gopis, or cow herdesses.

To engage in the reenactment, a pot of sweetened butter and curds is suspended in midair, while teenage boys dressed as cowherds form human pyramids, climbing on each other’s backs to reach and break the pot, sharing the sweet yogurt within.

A 2012 group from Mumbai holds the world’s record for forming a 13-meter tall Dahi Handi pyramid.

Beyond South Asia

KRISHNA devotion spread in the United States with the founding of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCon), in New York City in 1965. Since then it has become a global movement, with the devotees being referred to as “Hare Krishnas” due to their devotional chants to Krishna.

On Krishna Janmashtami, the devotees observe the birthday of the founder, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, as his “Appearance Day,” believing him to be another incarnation of Krishna.

Krishna is believed to be eternally present. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna reminds Arjuna that “he is not far from the soul—in fact he is closer than the closest.”

For many, the commemoration of Krishna’s birth is a time to remember God’s abiding love and closeness, as well as to express gratitude for the freely given gift of grace.

Pope Francis was asked about a recently published book with a preface by US Cardinal Raymond Burke that compared the Synod on Synodality to opening “Pandora’s box.”

In response, Francis recalled how some religious sisters had also expressed to him their fears about the synod, telling him that they feared changes to Church doctrine.

Pope Francis said that at the root of these types of ideas about synodality, one always finds “ideologies,” adding that it is ideologies that are responsible for dividing the faithful.

He explained that “a ‘doctrine’ in quotation marks” is a doctrine that is like “distilled water,” without any taste and is not true Catholic doctrine.

“Many times true Catholic doctrine scandalizes—how scandalous is the idea that God became flesh, that God became man, that Our Lady preserved her virginity. This scandalizes,” the pope said.

“Catholic doctrine sometimes scandalizes. Ideologies are all ‘distilled’ and never scandalize.”

How the synodal assembly will work

WHEN asked why synod discussions will be taking place behind closed doors without access for journalists and how the synod can maintain transparency with this format, Pope Francis responded that the synod will be “very open.”

Pope Francis explained that there is a Commission for Information under the leadership of layman Paolo Ruffini, the prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Communications, that “will make press releases on how the proceedings of the synod are going” and “provide information on the progress of the synod.”

“In the synod, the religiosity and the loyalty of the people who speak must be guarded, and this is why there is the commission led by Ruffini,” he said.

“The commission does not have an easy task,” he added, noting that the synod’s commission will need to be respectful of each delegate’s interventions and provide updates on the synod proceedings that are “constructive for the Church,” and “not gossip.”

The pope told journalists that the news about the synod should not read like “political chatter,” adding that the information commission is tasked with transmitting “the Christian spirit, not the political spirit.”

“Do not forget that the protagonist of the synod is the Holy Spirit,” Pope Francis underlined.

The Commission for Information is not a novelty to the Synod on Synodality, but has been a regular feature of Synod of Bishops assemblies in past years.

What is unique about the upcoming synod is that for the first time, the assembly will include voting delegates who are not bishops, including laypeople, priests, consecrated women, and deacons selected by the leadership of this year’s continental synod meetings or, in some cases, directly by the pope.

The Synod on Synodality, initiated by Pope Francis in October 2021, has been a multiyear, worldwide undertaking during which Catholics were asked to submit feedback to their local dioceses on the question, “What steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow in our ‘journeying together?’”

The Catholic Church’s massive synodal process has already undergone diocesan, national, and continental stages. It will culminate in two global assemblies at the Vatican. The Instrumentum Laboris, or working document, guiding the assembly discussions suggests discernment of questions regarding some hot-button topics, including women deacons, priestly celibacy, and LGBTQ outreach.

The first October assembly will be held in the Paul VI Hall, instead of the Vatican’s New Synod Hall, with delegates sitting at round tables of about 10 people each to discuss how to advise the pope on the topic: “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission.”

The second assembly is set for October 2024.

Pope Francis has a busy month ahead leading up to the first October synod assembly. The 86-year-old has another international trip planned not long after returning from his four-day trip in Mongolia.

The pope will travel to Marseilles, France, publish an update to “Laudato Si’”, preside over an ecumenical prayer vigil, and create 21 new cardinals at a consistory at the end of the month.

During the 40-minute in-flight press conference, Pope Francis spoke about Vatican-China relations, the possibility of a papal trip to Vietnam, and further clarified his recent comments on Russian imperialism. Courtney Mares/Catholic News Agency via CBCP News

THE Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila announced it has divested from fossil fuels, the largest contributor to climate change, and what it called “other destructive businesses.”

Robert J. Stephens, Clemson University/The Conversation (CC) via AP

CARDINAL Jose Advincula, archbishop of Manila RCAM-AOC

Asean Champions of Biodiversity

Media Category 2014

Biodiversity Sunday

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

ASEAN-BUSINESS ADVISORY COUNCIL AND ASEAN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY SIGN PACT TO MAINSTREAM BIODIVERSITY

Integrating business, biodiversity in Asean

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

THE Asean-Business Advisory Council (Asean-BAC)

and the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) have forged a partnership to boost business and biodiversity integration initiatives in the region.

They signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) in Jakarta on September 2 at the Asean Climate Forum 2023, during the AseanBAC Business and Investment Summit Week.

Asean-BAC Chairman and Executive Director M. Arsjad Rasjid P. Mangkuningrat and ACB Executive Director Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim signed the agreement.

According to ACB, the pioneering partnership aims to further boost biodiversity and sustainability mainstreaming in business operations across Southeast Asia, particularly in the carbon trading market and adoption of naturebased solutions to climate change. The collaboration also aims to provide a platform for the Asean business sectors or groups to actively promote and exchange knowledge and practices on their emerging sustainability efforts in order to create a strong network of nature-positive business alliances among the Asean member states.

Sustainable development:

A priority agenda

AS  Asean-BAC chairman for 2023, Indonesia decided to promote sustainable development as a priority agenda of the regional group.

“This is not because of Indonesia’s interests; this is a global concern that has become of regional

importance,” M. Arsjad Rasjid P. M said in his opening speech. He said Asean countries have tremendous potential to mitigate climate change and achieve net zero.

He added that it is inspiring to see progress on how Asean countries may inclusively collaborate and collectively push the climate action agenda for the greater benefit of society.

Climate strategies

RECOGNISING the challenges of climate change and sustainability on communities and societies in the region, under the chairmanship of Indonesia, the Asean-BAC has committed to launching significant legacy programs which are the Asean Net Zero Hub and the Asean Carbon Center of Excellence,” he said.

M. Arsjad Rasjid explained that the projects were developed based on two observations.

First, Asean countries are committed to net zero that requires a strong understanding of the regional pathway, and synchronizing the efforts together is key.

Second, companies in Asean are increasingly looking to develop climate strategies and solutions to improve their performance across their value chains and share longterm access to finance.

Step forward

FOR her part, Lim expressed excitement to have the opportunity to engage with the Asean business community through the Asean Business Advisory Council.

She added that it would help to ensure that the road to net zero in

the Asean incorporates the contribution of nature-based solutions, including biodiversity conservation and benefits for climate change mitigation and resilience.

Lim pointed out: “The ACB as the centre of excellence for regional cooperation in addressing biodiversity loss, is very much committed to mainstreaming biodiversity in the development agenda. This partnership is a step forward in promoting biodiversity conservation as a viable investment.”

Asean Business and Biodiversity Initiative

THE ACB and Asean-BAC collaboration is expected to lead to the establishment of an Asean Business and Biodiversity Initiative (ABBI) as the regional platform for the joint implementation of activities through the Asean-BAC Working Group on Sustainable Development.

ACB explained that the ABBI is designed to actively contribute to the transitioning to a greener and sustainable future for Asean through the mainstreaming of biodiversity and nature-based solutions in the strategic priorities of the business sector in the region.

The Asean-BAC will be taking the lead to ensure continuity and maximize the reach of business networks and implementing nature-positive systems and processes in the business strategies of its members.

At the same time, the ACB will facilitate in proposing collaborative actions and activities, or joint programs among relevant stakeholders in the region on cutting-edge technologies and policy frameworks relevant to mainstreaming biodiversity in business and finance.

The partnership will ensure regional representation of each Asean member state (AMS).

ABBI objectives INTERVIEWED by BusinessMirror via Messenger on August 21, Lim outlined the objectives of the ABBI.

“[ABBI’s objective] is to facilitate cooperation to enhance the role of the business sector in advancing Asean’s climate goals and green and blue economy through nature-based solutions and mainstreaming biodiversity,” Lim said.

Lim, who advocates the mainstreaming of biodiversity in the region, said the Asean-BAC-ACB initiative also aims to contribute toward building sustainable supply and value chains by supporting capacity-development programs for micro-, small-, medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the region. Thus, this will encourage the adoption of biodiversity-friendly and climate-smart practices and operations.

She added that it also aims to

encourage more investments in biodiversity mainstreaming and nature-based solutions through targeted communication, education, and public awareness-raising campaigns, sharing best practices and demonstrating the benefits of incorporating biodiversity in business plans and processes, using natural capital accounting, risk analysis, impact assessment, ecosystem valuation, and other science-based methodologies.

Nature-based solutions, sustainability tool kit ACB said the initial possible joint programs or activities being explored include the following: the conduct of studies on nature-based solutions; creation of sustainability tool kit for MSMEs to help them move toward net zero carbon targets; stocktaking of lessons and good practices on business and biodiversity engagements; biodiversity mapping of Asean Heritage Parks.

The activities also include support to AMS in producing communication, education and public awareness materials and knowledge products on improving the policy environment and programs that support business and biodiversity efforts, among others.

The ACB serves as the chairman in the Global Partnership for Business and Biodiversity from 2022 to 2024. Mainstreaming biodiversity is one of the priority programs of the ACB in key sectors, such as business and investments, in recognition of their significant role in biodiversity conservation and in ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources in the region.

Invasive species’ damage to economies, food supply, health cost $423B yearly

MORE than 3,500 harmful invasive alien species are seriously threatening nature’s contributions to people, becoming a significant challenge in all regions and in every country, that mainly caused the extinction of 60 percent of plants and animals globally.

According to a new report by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) that was released a few days ago, the global economic cost of invasive alien species exceeded $423 billion annually in 2019, with costs having at least quadrupled every decade since 1970.

The IPBES report, “Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control,” finds that alongside dramatic changes to biodiversity and ecosystems, invasive alien species are one of the five most important direct drivers of biodiversity loss—alongside changes in land- and sea-use, direct exploitation of species, climate change and pollution.

The report, a copy of which was obtained by the BusinessMirror was produced by 86 experts from 49 countries, working for more than four and a half years. It was based on more than 13,000 references, including contributions from Indigenous peoples and local communities.

“Invasive alien species are a major threat to biodiversity and can cause irreversible damage to nature, including local and global species extinctions, and also threaten human wellbeing,” said Professor Helen Roy (United Kingdom), co-chair of the assessment with Prof. Anibal Pauchard (Chile)

and Prof. Peter Stoett (Canada).

The authors of the report emphasized that not all alien species become invasive. Invasive alien species are the subset of alien species that become established and spread, which cause negative impacts on nature and often also on people.

The 3,500 invasive alien species are among the more than 37,000 alien species that have been introduced by many human activities to regions and biomes around the world.

“About 6 percent of alien plants; 22 percent of alien invertebrates; 14 percent of alien vertebrates; and 11 percent of alien microbes are known to be invasive, posing major risks to nature and to people,” the report said.

Indigenous peoples and local communities, or the people with the greatest direct dependence on nature, are found to be at even greater risk.

More than 2,300 invasive alien species are found on lands under the stewardship of Indigenous peoples, threatening their quality of life and even cultural identities, IPBES said.

Negative surpass positive impacts

While many alien species were “historically introduced... for their perceived benefits to people,” the report finds that the negative impacts of those that do become invasive are enormous for nature and people.

“Invasive alien species have been a major factor in 60 percent and the only driver in 16 percent of global animal and plant extinctions that we have recorded,” Pachard said.

At least 218 invasive alien species have been responsible for more than 1,200 local extinctions. In fact, 85 percent of the impacts of biological invasions on native species are negative, he added.

IPBES added that nearly 80 percent of the documented impacts of invasive alien species on nature’s contributions to people—especially through damage to food supplies.

Similarly, 85 percent of impacts on people’s health, including diseases, such as malaria, Zika and West Nile fever, were spread by invasive alien mosquito species like Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegyptii.

Livelihoods were damaged, such as in Lake Victoria where fisheries, due to the depletion of tilapia as a result of the spread of water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes), which is the world’s most widespread terrestrial invasive alien species.

The report shows that 34 percent of the impacts of biological invasions were reported from the Americas, 31 percent from Europe and Central Asia, 25 percent from Asia and the Pacific, and about 7 percent from Africa.

Most negative impacts were reported on land (about 75 percent)—especially in forests, woodlands and cultivated areas—with considerably fewer reported in freshwater (14 percent) and marine (10 percent) habitats.

Meanwhile, invasive alien species are most damaging on islands, with numbers of alien plants now exceeding the number of native plants on more than 25 percent of all islands.

Business-as-usual is unlikely

“37 percent of the 37,000 alien species known today have been reported since 1970—largely caused by rising levels of global trade and human travel. Under ‘business-asusual’ conditions, we project that total numbers of alien species will continue to increase in this way.”

“But business-as-usual is actually unlikely,” Roy continued.

She explained that with many major drivers of change predicted to worsen, it is expected that the increase of invasive alien species and their negative impacts, are likely to be significantly greater.

She noted the accelerating global economy, intensified and expanded land- and sea-use change, as well as demographic changes are likely to lead to increases in invasive alien species worldwide.

Climate change

ROY explained: “Even without the introduction of new alien species, already established alien species will continue to expand their ranges and spread to new countries and regions. Climate change will make the situation even worse.”

The report underscored that interactions between invasive alien species and other drivers of change will be likely to amplify their impacts.

It pointed out that invasive alien plants can interact with climate change, often resulting in more intense and frequent fires, such as some of the devastating wildfires experienced recently around the world, releasing even more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The IPBES experts point to the generally insufficient measures

in place to tackle the challenges.

While 80 percent of countries have targets related to managing invasive alien species in their national biodiversity plans, only 17 percent have national laws or regulations specifically addressing these issues, and 45 percent of all countries do not invest in the management of biological invasions.

Prevention

ON a positive note, the report highlighted that in future biological invasions, invasive alien species and their impacts can be prevented through effective management and more integrated approaches.

“The good news is that, for almost every context and situation, there are management tools, governance options and targeted actions that really work,” Pauchard said.

“Prevention is absolutely the best, most cost-effective option— but eradication, containment and control are also effective in specific contexts,” he said.

Prevention measures—such as border biosecurity and strictly enforced import controls—were identified as having worked in many instances.

Also mentioned was that preparedness, early detection and rapid response were shown to be effective at reducing rates of alien species establishment, and to be especially critical for marine and connected water systems.

Eradication has been successful and cost-effective for some invasive alien species, especially when their populations are small and slow-spreading, in isolated ecosystems such as islands.

When eradication is not possible for different reasons, invasive alien species can often be contained and controlled—especially in land-based and closed water systems, as well as in aquaculture. Successful containment can be physical, chemical or biological— although the appropriateness and effectiveness of each option is dependent on local context.

“One of the most important messages from the report is that ambitious progress in tackling invasive alien species is achievable,” Stoett said.

“What is needed is a contextspecific integrated approach, across and within countries and the various sectors involved in providing biosecurity, including trade and transportation; human and plant health; economic development and more. This will have far-reaching benefits for nature and people,” she added.

The options explored in the report, include considering coherent policies and codes of conduct across sectors and scales; commitment and resourcing; public awareness and engagement, such as citizen science campaigns like those promoting “check, clean and dry;” open and interoperable information systems; filling knowledge gaps; as well as inclusive and fair governance.

IPBES Executive Secretary Dr. Anne Larigauderie pointed out that world governments agreed in December last year, as part of the new Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, to reduce the introduction and establishment of priority invasive alien species by at least 50 percent by 2030. Lyn Resurreccion

ASEAN-BAC and ACB forged their partnership for a greener, sustainable Asean. (From left): Oliver Agoncillo, Biodiversity Mainstreaming director, Programmes Department, ACB; ACB Executive Director Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim; Asean-BAC Chairman and Executive Director M. Arsjad Rasjid P. Mangkuningrat; and Dharsono Hartono, Legacy Lead, Asean Net Zero Hub and Carbon Center of Excellence of Asean-BAC. ACB PHOTO

NEW YORK—Novak Djokovic considers his mental state just as important as his physical condition when it comes to being prepared to play his best at age 36.

Mentally there is probably a lot more that I’m dealing with in my private life than was the case 10 years ago. But that’s the beauty of life. Things are evolving, moving on,” said Djokovic, who will try to take another step toward what would be a 24th Grand Slam title when he faces Ben Shelton in the US Open semifinals Friday.

I just feel that there is always, I guess, an extra gear that you have inside of you and you can find when you dig deep to handle and manage energy levels, on and off the court,” Djokovic said, “if you’re really devoted to that and if you care about it, if you pay attention to that mental aspect as much as physical, of course.”

By the time players arrive at Flushing Meadows for the last major tournament of a long season— one that began in late December and will carry on into November —the ailments and injuries that are part of any professional athlete’s existence can make things tough.

S ome competing at the US Open, which concludes this weekend, say the wear and tear on the mind can be just as hard to deal with as whatever might be wrong with one’s body.

We’re already smashed.

Completely,” said Daria Kasatkina, a 26-year-old from Russia who reached the fourth round in New York. Stress comes from a variety of sources. The desire to win each match, of course. The importance of earning, and defending, rankings points. The fact that there is no annual salary in a sport where every competitor is an independent contractor who needs to pay for travel expenses and, in most cases, a personal coach, physiotherapist and other members of their “team.”

At a Slam, tension is always there. A few days before it’s starting, you’re already feeling it.... You have to accept it and, maybe even round by round, it’s getting worse and worse,” said Kasatkina, a 2022 French Open semifinalist. “It’s part of the game. It’s part of this show. And we’re all in the same situation, all the players.”

PLAYERS IN U.S. OPEN DEAL WITH MENTAL, BODY WOES

titles with his twin, Mike, recalls how that would set in for some in Flushing Meadows.

A nd he recalls how it could alter on-court performance.

There’re times where you just get out there and mentally you just can’t push because you’re so exhausted. And you don’t deal with the adversity well. Your thoughts turn negative and you’re not opportunistic and optimistic on the court. And that will definitely affect your game,” Bryan said. “There’s a lot of players that never figured that out during their career. A lot of great champions and a lot of Hall of Famers ran out of gas here in New York.”

Not everyone deals with mental fatigue—or, if they do, acknowledges it.

“ Physically, mentally, I feel ready,” Aryna Sabalenka , who was scheduled to play Madison Keys in the semifinals Thursday night, said before the start of the US Open. “I feel motivated. I feel strong.”

Professional athletes offering frank thoughts on mental health is still a relatively recent development. A tennis player, Naomi Osaka, was one of the first stars to come forward and discuss feelings of anxiety and depression, doing so after withdrawing from the 2021 French Open. She didn’t set out to change perceptions on the topic or encourage others to seek help.

It was a little selfish,” Osaka said Wednesday at the US Open, where she participated with retired Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps in a panel discussion about mental

health  in sports. “I wasn’t thinking about everyone else, to be 100 percent honest.”

B ut she did help spur the discourse.

For quite a few years, actually, mental training was not really talked about much, generally, in the tennis world. And mental health is a subject that is quite talked about in the last, I would say, three, four years, which I’m glad. It needs to be out there,” Djokovic said.

It needs to be addressed in a proper way, so that the players have proper understanding of what they are going through and then have help and guidance, necessary guidance, for them to overcome certain obstacles,” he said. “Because in the end of the day, we are also people that have to deal with the

private issues that everyone has.”

The ways players try to cope differs.

Some travel with a sports psychologist, for example.

Some make sure to manage their schedule to figure out when it’s possible to get a bit of a breather.

Some just accept that there aren’t many opportunities to recharge.

“ The season is so long that there are so many ups and downs,” said  2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, who faces defending champion Carlos Alcaraz on Friday.

“You just keep going, keep playing. I don’t think I have been on vacation in the offseason for three years.... You just try to manage this physical and mental fatigue the best you can with experience, and usually I feel like I’m doing this not too bad.” AP

Ricky Palou: From basketball to volleyball as organizer, and soon (?), fan

By Lito Cinco Special to BusinessMirror

IN the hippie culture of the 1970s— long hair, beard and all—Ricky Palou was all of the above while he played ball in the pre-Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) era. He was perhaps one of the most recognizable players first at Ateneo de Manila in the National Collegiate Athletic Association and then at MICAA, or the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association, the forerunner of the PBA. He was an off-the-bench go-to guy in the star-studded Blue Eagles squad that won the 1969 NCAA crown, playing alongside Chito Afable, Marte Samson, Joy Cleofas, and Baby Boy Morales. After college, he joined the San Miguel Beer team in the MICAA and was in the company of Manny Paner, Estoy Estrada, Rolando Marcelo and Alejandrito Miego.

W ith his Jesus Christ look, Palou was a fan favorite at that time-—especially the girls. Fast forward to the present and people still identify him with his iconic image, sans the long hair and with a shorter beard this time.

I started growing a beard on my last year in the UAAP, then I found out it was difficult to trim or shave everyday so  I just let it grow,” he said, with a smile. “ Tinamad lang ako [I just got lazy].”

B ut because professional basketball at that time wasn’t lucrative a career like it is today, Palou opted for regular employment at San Miguel Corp. as a brand manager. Playing for the Beermen didn’t come with perks, Palou said.

“ Basketball took its toll on my corporate job so I had to choose, and I chose my day job,” said Palou, who said practising with the team was tedious because of his 8-hour job.

W hile working at SMC, he completed his Masters degree and joined the banking industry with the Far East Bank. He worked there for 20 years.

A lthough he started his career in sports in basketball, ironically, he ended up getting involved in volleyball and has been involved with the sport since 2004 when, in the company of the late PBA Commissioner Jun Bernardino and

Cricket, breaking,

sports await word on status in LA28

LAUSANNE, Switzerland— Cricket, breakdancing and flag football are still waiting to find out if they will be added to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

T he process to add sports that organizers in Los Angeles want at the 2028 Games was unexpectedly delayed Wednesday by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

IT’s so easy to spot Ricky Palou—yes, he’s that guy with the beard—during his basketball days at San Miguel Beer, and even today as he strikes a pose with Japanese star Ran Takahashi during the Volleyball Nations League last July.

The IOC cited “ongoing discussions” with LA officials as the issue—a clear rift between the two sides—despite the timetable being known for years and only two days before a key meeting to let nine candidate sports know which is set to get Olympic status.

A s a result, the IOC-appointed panel studying sports program changes “has not yet had the opportunity to hold its meeting to prepare its final recommendation.”

O n Friday, the Olympic body’s executive board was scheduled to recommend which of the nine sports would join the core events. The candidates are cricket, baseballsoftball, flag football, lacrosse, breaking, karate, kickboxing, squash and motorsports.

The IOC board also was scheduled to give clarity on the uncertain Olympic futures for boxing, modern pentathlon and weightlifting beyond their appearances at the 2024 Paris Games.

Moying Martelino, among others, they founded Sports Vision, an events management company that shifted focus from basketball to promoting women’s volleyball.

I was involved with the interbank league when I was with Far East Bank and I saw the beauty of women’s volleyball, I suggested it to our group in Sports Vision but we were not sure if it would take off but fans started  watching the games,” he said Sports Vision runs the Premiere Volleyball League (PVL).

We even risked putting it on TV and we were lucky that in 2007, it was a La Salle- Ateneo finals for the Shakeys V-League, lipad talaga [it flew] from that time on” he recounted again with a smile.

There was no stopping the game’s popularity from thereon,  propelled by the volleyball superstars that emerged from both De La Salle and Ateneo, led by Alyssa Valdez, Aby Marano, Jia Morada-de Guzman, and soon, other schools produced their own like siblings

Jaja and Dindin Santiago, Michelle Gumabao, Rachel Ann Daquis, and to current superstars Jema Galanza, the hugely popular Deanna Wong, Mylene Paat and collegiate superstars to be Bella Belen, Angel Canino and Alyssa Solomon.

“The game developed with rules changes, it became faster and more exciting with no side outs, we had  star players, pretty ones too, and eventually, we started bringing in imports to spice up the tournament,” he explained, staying at the helm of the group since Bernardino passed away. It was so popular that another group, the Pilipinas Super Liga (PSL), entered the scene, and even as Palou felt the sport would be better off with just one league, he did not expect the PSL to fold up in a few years’ time.

We were all affected by the pandemic and in our case, we did our own bubble tournament in Ilocos, and eventually we decided to turn into a professional league,” said Palou, who’s the treasurer and board member of the national association for the sport, the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF).

Palou, 75, admits he’s been thinking of stepping aside already as Sports Vision president.

We have very competent people in our group who can take over and on my side, my wish is to retire and become a simple volleyball fan who can simply watch and enjoy the games,” said Palou, who also admits that there still are  challenges for him.

For one, by next year the Premiere Volleyball League will be introducing drafting and salary capping.

We need to have parity among the teams and address the escalating salaries of players,” he said.

A lso, he said there’s a need to promote men’s volleyball.

“ We need at least six men’s teams which will be there on long term and not on a per conference basis,” he said. “We really lack exposure on the men’s side even as we have very good male players.”

But the biggest challenge is to translate the popularity of the sport

into an integrated development program for the national team.

Stakeholders need to work tog ether—PNVF, PVL, UAAP [University Athletic Association of the Philippines] and the NCAA,” he said. “Schedules have to be aligned with the international calendar. Our players still lack regular international exposure even as we have seen their skill levels going up.”

T he biggest question then is can he really walk away from the sport until all these challenges are met and overcome?

The answer is probably no.

Although the final decision rests with the IOC members, who will meet from October 15 to 17 in Mumbai, India, that would typically be a formality to rubber stamp the board’s position.

India has long seemed the ideal setting to bring cricket—in its shortened T20 format—back to the Olympics for the first time since its only appearance at the 1900 Paris Games.

A n India-Pakistan cricket match at the Olympics could deliver the biggest global television audience of any event.

Breaking, the official name of breakdancing, is likely to be retained in 2028 ahead of its widely anticipated debut in Paris next year.

The IOC gave no new timetable Wednesday for decisions, saying that “the sports program for the Olympic Games LA28 will be discussed during a later IOC [board] meeting, to take place at a date to be decided.”

RUSSIA REACTS TO WORLD AQUATICS RULING

RUSSIAN officials criticized a plan to offer some of its swimmers the chance to return to international competitions ahead of the Paris Olympics, arguing it doesn’t go far enough. It could be another five months before any Russian swimmers compete at a major event.

Governing body World Aquatics has excluded swimmers from Russia and its ally Belarus since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, but on Monday launched a scheme to grant “Neutral Individual Athlete” status to athletes who pass a vetting procedure. AP

US Davis Cup captain Bob Bryan, who won 16 Grand Slam doubles

DJOKOVIC

SABALENKA MEDVEDEV KASATKINA

7 other

INDIA’S Shubman Gill plays a shot during his team’s Asia Cup match against Nepal in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, on Monday. AP

StudentS tranSform their drab dorm roomS into comfy living SpaceS

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TULOY PA RIN

Mon Espia on hearing signature OPM classic in the bus

By Pocholo Concepcion

RT and RJ. What was the band’s reaction? WE realized we had to improve our act since we were getting decent radio airplay and getting recognized on campus. I would ride the baby bus to school and hear our song. It was a happy and scary feeling.

Why did Labuyo break up?

WE did not formally break up, but just attended to our respective priorities. Janu went to the United States. But in 2001, our 20th anniversary, we recorded a full-length CD, “Hot And Spicy,” on BMG Records, with Egay, Koko Marbella, Cesar Aguas, and myself.

But you went on to pursue your own music career. How did you join Powerplay?

I WAS in a number of bands after Labuyo, such as Whiteflight which released a single, “Old Café” with “Eye of the Storm,” also on Blackgold. I also did some stints abroad. One day, Tek Faustino came to one of our gigs and made an offer for me to play guitar for Powerplay and I accepted. The rest is history.

You were also writing songs that other artists recorded. Which among the songs mean a lot to you, and why?

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Never mind if he was too young when the first golden age of contemporary Filipino music was taking off.

An accomplished singer-songwriter, Espia first broke into the scene in the early ’80s as a member of the folk-blues trio Labuyo, whom avid Pinoy music fans knew as the group which recorded the original version of “ Tuloy Pa Rin Ako .”

The song — a bittersweet story of teenage heartbreak which was actually on side B of Labuyo’s debut single “ Batugan ” — was officially released in 1981, and gained wider fame when Side A re-recorded it in 1994.

Labuyo faded from the scene, but Espia, like the group’s signature hit, carried on, joined other bands and wrote songs for other artists. He spent many years as guitarist of Powerplay — Gary V’s concert band.

In this Q&A, Espia looks back on the formation of Labuyo, the “happy and scary” feeling of hearing “T uloy Pa Rin Ako ” blaring in the bus, and rediscovering ’70s music with his co-performers in “ Tugtugan Sitenta 2 .”

Tell us when and how Labuyo was formed. Did it really start in high school at Marist Quezon City with three original members?

LABUYO was formed in 1981 with Bert de Leon, our record producer, as the one who thought of

the name. The group started in UST, although Janu Villanueva was a high school batch mate at Marist. The third member, Egay Imperio, joined us in college at UST.

Did you get to perform outside the campus, aside from the usual parties? WE played mostly campus shows. We used to open for VST & Co. in some of their campus shows. We also did some shows with other Blackgold Artists.

When did things get serious, and how did Labuyo end up recording the single “Batugan” with “Tuloy Pa Rin Ako” on side B?

IN 1981, we submitted a demo of our songs to Blackgold Records, which chose “Batugan” and “ Tuloy Pa Rin Ako ” as the first release. We had some of the top session musicians playing with us. We recorded the songs at Cinema Audio and Sampaguita Studios.

How long has the band’s members been writing songs prior to the recording of the single?

JANU and I wrote songs when we were still in high school. I wrote my first song when I was 12 years old. We would just jam and play together.  Although the public heard “Batugan” first, “ Tuloy Pa Rin Ako ” became a cult hit on FM radio stations

I WROTE songs tailor-made for other artists. Most memorable are “Everyday” for Agot Isidro, “Chances Are” for Side A, “ Paikot-ikot ” for Randy Santiago, “You Were Meant for Me” for Regine Velasquez, “Dead Serious” for Zsa Zsa Padilla, “Loving You,” co-written with Francis M, and “Get My Drift” for Louie Reyes which won Best Jazz Vocal Song at the Awit Awards. It tested my capabilities as a songwriter.

What does the 1970s mean to you?

I REALLY did not experience the whole ’70s trip. I was only 10 years old in 1970, too young to experience the music scene then. But I was hooked on the DZRJ program “Pinoy Rock and Rhythm,” which introduced me to the bands and some of my guitar heroes. When Labuyo started, it was already the ’80s.

What new insights have you gained while performing in concerts like “Tugtugan Sitenta”?

I GOT to know the other artists and their music. This time I’m sharing the stage with them and playing guitar for their songs. It’s like getting reintroduced to the music they were playing when they were at their peak. “

Tugtugan Sitenta 2” — which also features Leah Navarro, Marco Sison, Nonoy Tan and Rey Magtoto of Wadab, Boyfriends lead vocalist Joey Abando, Male Rigor and Monet Gaskell of VST & Co., Sampaguita, Mike Hanopol, and Pete Gatela, Carlos Parsons and Yujin Baydal of Hagibis — goes onstage on Sept. 15, 8 p.m. at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Newport World Resorts, Pasay City.

https://premier.ticketworld.com.ph/shows/ show.aspx?sh=TUGTUGAN23

MON Espia is glad to be part of “Tugtugan Sitenta 2,” a repeat of the successful concert tribute to ’70s OPM featuring an all-star lineup, to be held on Sept. 15 at Newport Performing Arts Theater.

MON Espia (Photo by Wyg Tysmans)

NO MORE GATEKEEPING

SOS on taking new directions starting with new single

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

FILIPINO alternative band SOS navigates through new directions with their recently released single titled “Roses,” breaking the chains of music “gatekeeping.”

“Roses” is their second single, following “Seryoso”, both from their upcoming EP titled “It Was a Moment.” This will be their first release under the local record label Careless and with Ram Alonzo, the band’s new keyboardist.

Vocalist Roberto Se ñ a shared with SoundStrip during an interview that he wrote the song in 2021 when he had Covid-19 and was inspired by his “love life.”

“It’s about being accepted by your loved one for all your mistakes,” he beamed.

In a move to explore a different approach to songwriting and music production, “Roses” is melodious and romantic, more lyrically optimistic than their earlier songs, and incorporates synths and guitar work inspired by the 1980s.

Seña explained that “Roses” is a tad bit intimate than most of their songs and has a “feeling of lushness” to it that he always aims for when producing songs lately.

Veering a little from the “angst and jadedness” the band is known for, Señ a opened up that it’s rare for them to write a love song like they did in “Roses.”

“My friends they think I’m up to no good It sucks to be so misunderstood

But when I’m with you, I feel like I’m overdosing

And when I show you the truth, you choose to see them as roses”

With this new offering from this quintet band and more to expect from their music, SOS demands not to be gatekept anymore.

Same but different

THE four boys: Se ñ a , vocals and guitar; Andrew Panopio, guitar; Anjo Silvoza, bass; and, King Puentespina on drums, met in an all-boys school where Se ñ a quipped, “ kung hindi ka nagba -basketball o hindi ka sumasayaw o hindi ka nag-aaral, malaking chance nagbabanda ka .”

During their time, that was the thing, Silvoza added. “Everybody wanted to be in a band.”

And so they formed one out of their friendship and eventually “liked” it, shared Señ a. Fifteen years later, they’re still here and with a new addition: Ram Alonzo (keys and synths), who they met back in college and been SOS’s session player, and considered as their “unofficial member.”

“I’ve been playing with SOS since 2014, and joining the band felt right,” Alonzo said.

In July 2022, the quintet band changed their name from She’s Only Sixteen, inspired by the Red Hot Chili Peppers’s song, “She’s Only Eighteen,” to just SOS (pronounced as “sauce”).

Also, signing with the record label Careless last November 2022, Seña spoke candidly about the reason behind it: “We wanted them out of the other people we talked to, at this point in our career and lives, I wanted to try a label na kami lang yung banda.”

“We just want to really keep the engine going and try to find new opportunities to put ourselves out there more and get more opportunities outside our

reach, and I think careless has that,” mused Silvoza.

Despite these changes, SOS assured they’re still the same favorite boys with a familiar sound and new music coming along the way.

“Expect bangers,” Se ñ a said.

With the first part of their EP to be released on September 29, 2023, Panopio said they intensively worked on these tracks this year but collectively over the years.

“It’s definitely newer than ‘Whatever that Was’ in sound, but I think it’s still close to home,” he reflected.

Admitting that as they get older, the themes of their music go along with their different experiences as “titos (uncles),” and listeners can empathize and just feel the way their songs hit them.

“We’re taking the good things we’ve learned from our listeners and fans and building off of that,” Silvoza said.

New directions

HEADING to new directions, SOS said they want to reach the small markets in other countries and it’s always been their goal and where their efforts as a band go to—to play music internationally.

“We really want to play outside the country more...a good chunk of people around Asia like the music that we make, and we’re not a big local pop band,” Se ñ a declared.

He shared that the crowd in Taiwan sang along to their song “Magic,” which surprised him because they are all Taiwanese, and described it as a “reversed feeling,” referring if he was a K-pop idol and Filipinos are singing his songs.

For Silvoza, the ASEAN music fest in Singapore was memorable because even if they were the last performers and it rained, it was still filled with a lot of people.

For now, Panopio revealed: “We also have shows that we’re filling up throughout the year that’s yet to be announced,” and SOS is planning to go around the Philippines.

Next month, SOS will be releasing a new song, which Puentespina said is one of his personal favorites. “It’s the most honest song we’ve made, in real-time namin ginawa yung song and g inawa namin siya in less than a day,” he said.

Yes, no more gatekeeping

AS titos, SOS just recently joined the hype on TikTok. They would share their music on the platform with captions containing the hashtag #dontgatekeeppls.

Seña said that people were commenting: “ Hala, hindi na namin sila pwede i -gatekeep (Oh no, we can’t gatekeep them),” “Gatekeep lang nang gatekeep (keep on gatekeeping),” and “Sorry but I’ll still gatekeep you,” to which SOS religiously replies to: “’Wag kasi magugutom kami (Dont, we’ll starve)” and “stream SOS, don’t gatekeep us.”

Silvosa pleaded, “please wag nating ginagawa yung mga ganong bagay (please don’t do those kinds of things),” while Seña said he has two cats to sustain.

This quirky banter of music fans to their favorite artists shows that those they support are talented and play good and unique-sounding music as people do with SOS. But as the titos said, don’t gatekeep them and let people discover and enjoy music.

Students transform their drab dorm rooms into comfy living spaces

by Anne D’innocenzio

The Associated Press

Some are even going so far as to hire interior designers to beautify their 12 feet by 20 feet of space.

Lesley Lachman, 18, planned her furnishings for her dorm room with her roommate immediately after deciding to attend the University of Mississippi back in May. The Rye, New York resident scoured websites like Pinterest and designed her room herself—with hues of pink, purple and green culled from a mix of pricey brands like Essentials with Eden as well as less expensive items from Ikea and Facebook Marketplace. Total cost for the design? About $3,000, covered by her parents.

“There’s so much work that had to be done because it felt lackluster. It didn’t feel homey,” said Lachman, who posted a “before” and “after” video of her room on TikTok.

The “before” video shows stark yellow cinderblock walls, a mustard-colored builtin desk and an open closet. The “after” video shows a complete makeover, with lacey curtains to cover the closet, embroidered pillows and a cushy white headboard to dress up her bed, and customized framed art of hearts.

“I’m so in love with the room,” Lachman said after her redesign. “I want to leave the door open and want everyone to stop by and admire it.”

Imposter syndrome

OvERALL, the back-to-college season is big business, with families expected to spend an average of about $1,367 per person, up 14 percent from a year ago, according to an annual survey conducted this summer by the National Retail Federation and market researcher Prosper Insights & Analytics. Spending on big-ticket items such as electronics and dorm furnishings as well as necessities like food accounted for more than half of the increase, NRF said.

Meanwhile, the total cost of college—including tuition, fees, room and board—almost doubled between 1992 and 2022, rising from an inflationadjusted average of $14,441 per year to $26,903 across all types of universities, according to National Center for Education Statistics, the statistical branch of the Education Department. Dorm costs saw a similar spike over the same time span, rising from $3,824 to $7,097.

Sara Hunt, 19, a sophomore at New York University from Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, wanted her dorm room to look cozy but her budget was $100. That’s because she’s footing 30 percent—or nearly $30,000 a year—of NYU’s annual college bill. Financial aid picks up the rest.

“I definitely try to work on being positive and not comparing myself to other people because I’m so lucky for what I have. But it is really stressful,” said Hunt, who worked more than 60 hours per week last school year and took a job as a pastry chef this summer to help pay for her college expenses.

For her dorm décor, Hunt scoured Goodwill stores, Dollar Tree, T.J. Maxx and Five Below for deals on neon lights, wall paper decals and beddings. She also rummaged through bins of returned items from major retailers at a discount bazaar in her hometown.

Jamel Donnor, a professor at William & Mary College in Williamsburg, virginia, and a leading expert on inequity in education, said the big divide in dorm furnishings marks an “unspoken reality of the have and have nots.” He noted that the stark differences in dorm decorating between those who have money and those who don’t can make some students wonder if they should even be at their college.

“There’s this imposter syndrome,” he said. Orders are up DORM supplies e-tailer Dormify is playing to both ends of the budget. For the first time this fall, it’s offering various bundles of essentials including a pack of 19 items for $159 that includes bath towels and a comforter for those who are more price conscious. For the big spenders, Dormify unveiled an interior designer service for $450 with interior decorator Jen Abrams; it plans to roll out the offering with other designers next year.

Amanda Zuckerman, co-founder and president of Dormify, noted TikTok has raised the bar in dorm furnishings, creating “the ability to become TikTok famous or go viral because of how well decorated your room is.” Average orders are up 15 percent this fall, she said.

Dawn Thomas launched an interior de-

sign service—After Five Designs—in Jackson, Mississippi 20 years ago for college students after designing dorm rooms for her own children who were going away to school. She said in the past few years, she has seen plenty of other designers now working with students.

Thomas noted parents spend as much as $10,000. One of the more popular items is a custom-made $1,900 cabinet that covers the refrigerator in the dorm.

But she’s also noticing parents are starting to hold back on certain items.

“The economy hasn’t been that great this year,” she said. “And I’ve noticed the sky is not the limit.”

Emma Kirk, who is from Grenada, Mississippi and a freshman at University of Mississippi, tapped into Thomas’s services and bought a gold studded headboard, custommade pillows and bedspread among other items. She didn’t know what the total bill was since her parents paid for it. But she said her parents reined her in whenever she picked out something too expensive.

“[Thomas] would work out something where we could get something similar,” she said.

Even on her tight budget, Hunt—the NYU student—says she is happy with her dorm room décor.

“At NYU, so many parents pay for everything. But I’m not here to judge,” she said. “The truth is, even if I had all the money in the world, I probably would still decorate my room the way that I have it now.”

NeW YOrK—From $300 studded headboards and $100 coffee table books to custom-made cabinets to disguise your mini-fridge, students are spending big bucks to decorate their dorm rooms, adding yet another layer to the soaring costs of college.

Cover photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

The decorated dorm room of freshmen Sydney Allbritton and emma Kirk features pink, green, and light blue colors at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi, Wednesday, August 30, 2023. Kirk bought a gold studded headboard, custom-made pillows and bedspread among other items for the room. AP

SAr A hUnT, 19, a sophomore at new York University from Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is shown reflected in a mirror on her desk in her dorm room, Wednesday, August 30, 2023, in new York. hunt wanted her room to look cozy but her budget was $100. She decorated with plants, mementos, and pillows covered with images of her pets. AP