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A broader look at today’s business

n

Sunday, September 26, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 347

P25.00 nationwide | 3 sections 20 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK

NEW ROADS DOWN SOUTH

More highways, byways pave way to interiors of Mindanao, but more funds needed to sustain infra buildup momentum

A DESIGNATED bike lane in Davao City. MANUEL T. CAYON

M

By Manuel T. Cayon

ORE roads are cutting through the interiors of Mindanao to increase accessibility and movement of people and transport of crops. This is especially crucial for the rural poor to improve their lot and for the urban areas to keep food supply coming during lockdowns forced by the Covid-19 pandemic.

For at least the two regions of Davao and the Cotabato areas, or the Soccsksargen, billions worth of new interprovincial roads are cutting through erstwhile impenetrable terrain and pathways used only as trails for horses and motorcycle transport called habal-habal.

They are now a few kilometers or a lengthwise of pavement more to completion, in time for the end of the administration of President Duterte, or to be inaugurated in the first year of the replacing administration.

These are only the major road projects that the regional offices of the Department of Public Works and Highways described as “high impact” infrastructure in Region 11, covering the five Davao provinces and their six cities; and Region 12, covering South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City, referred collectively as the Soccsksargen. The latter is a region that has the textbook reference as the country’s rice bowl, second only to

MINDA Deputy Executive Director Romeo Montenegro: “We hope to see a better share for Mindanao, where many of the areas really need critical support in internal allocation, so that we can realize our growth projections and contribute to national growth and development.”

the main rice-producing region of Central Luzon.

There are still multifold more secondary and tertiary roads providing access and connecting roads to these major road projects.

In their report to a webinar with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and a major cement manufacturer, govern-

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 50.3720

COASTAL Road in Davao City. MANUEL T. CAYON

ment leaders and infrastructure planners expressed hope that the budget for infrastructure, but especially for Mindanao as a whole, would not be slashed to the barest minimum but would be kept to bring the desired growth target of agricultural Mindanao.

Rice bowl

FOUR “high impact” road projects started in 2015 and 2016 in the Soccsksargen region are currently hovering at 80-percent

completion, promising a boon to people mobility and agriculture marketing.

The Banga-Tupi-Malungon Road, the Isulan-BagumbayanSen. Ninoy Aquino-Lebak-Kalamansig Road, the Puntian-Arakan Road and the Surallah-T’boli-San Jose Road are all making a deep lineal mark in the aerial topography of this interior south-central region of Mindanao. They run several hundred kilometers parallel to, or making their own way away

from, the main arterial highways to connect production areas in the mountains and deep valleys to the markets in the provincial capitals or the cities of General Santos and Koronadal of South Cotabato, and Kidapawan in North Cotabato.

One of these roads, the IsulanBagumbayan-Sen. Ninoy AquinoLebak-Kalamansig Road, now directly connects the interior riceproducing municipalities of Cotabato and the erstwhile seldom-traversed fringes of Sultan Kudarat

to General Santos City, where the Makar Wharf and the airport are located.

Before, farmers and motorists had to pass by Cotabato City located in Maguindanao province to get to General Santos City, the central area for trade and commerce in the region.

This road project covers 135.146 kilometers and current construction, 80.83 percent under way, had already cost P3.719 billion. Total project cost to end by June 2023 was pegged at P4.726 billion.

Another project, the PuntianArakan Road, would connect the northern areas of Soccsksargen to Bukidnon and en route to the main northern Mindanao center of Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental. This road is only 23.6 kilometers to extend the road in mountainous Arakan Valley of North Cotabato to the Bukidnon town of Kibawe, and two bridges have to be built to bypass deep gorges. This is 86.71 percent under way as of last month and is to cost a total of P830 million.

The four major road projects in this region would open 312.354 kilometers of new paved path to their nearest markets. Government would spend P12.37 billion for these four projects. These exclude yet the secondary and tertiary roads being simultaneously constructed as access to these major infrastructure, or separately pursued to link the municipalities to the cities in the region.

Bypass roads

IN the Davao Region, secondary road projects covered 869

n JAPAN 0.4567 n UK 69.1205 n HK 6.4701 n CHINA 7.7975 n SINGAPORE 37.3569 n AUSTRALIA 36.7413 n EU 59.1418 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.4307

Continued on A2

Source: BSP (September 24, 2021)

NewsSunday BusinessMirror

A2 Sunday, September 26, 2021

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How fast will the Earth heat? New tool provides granular estimates

By Eric Roston

A

in the ways that neighbors cope with the same heat. Adjacent countries that experience similar changes but live under different governments may face different levels of risk. The annual number of nights in Israel no cooler than 20°C will also engulf Palestine, Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

Higher elevations safeguard Lebanon for a while. The Middle East, northern Africa, and southern and Western Asia will experience warming much more dangerous than cooler and richer Europe.

Millions of people are just beginning to grasp climate change, said Alison Smart, the group’s executive director. “We envision Probable Futures as being kind of the first stop, to set that foundation, and help them understand the scope, the scale, the urgency, and, really, the terms that the Earth sets for how we can live.”

Bloomberg News

N initiative called Probable Futures hopes its interactive maps showing how fast the Earth could heat will lead citizens and countries to ask questions about how climate change is transforming their world—a first step in grappling with adaptation and the prevention of ever-worsening conditions.

Spencer Glendon, the 52-yearold founder of Probable Futures and a senior fellow at the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Massachusetts, was investment manager Wellington Management’s research director. He’s always been drawn to issues that could transform financial markets if only people paid attention.

The modern economy is built on a simple and, until recently, correct assumption, that the global climate is stable. The smartest way to treat the Earth’s climate in any risk assessment—dating back to the origin of risk assessments—was to ignore it. But a changing climate can no longer be ignored, and professionals of every stripe are missing tools to help them think through the implications, Glendon said.

When the past was a more useful indicator of the future, tools like spreadsheets were all most people need to extrapolate, Glendon said.

Climate change requires an understanding of natural systems

knocked off their rails by greenhouse gas pollution. The Earth has heated up about 1.1° Celsius since industrialization—hotter than it’s been in 125,000 years.

“The stable climate was an assumption that we just took for granted,” he said. “Everything else was built on top of that assumption. For 12,000 years, the climate was essentially stable, so we could look backward at actuarial data and forecast the future,” Glendon said.

What everyone needs a lot more of, he emphasized, are maps.

Scenarios

WORKING with experts at the Woodwell Center, Probable Futures built a global mapping tool that shows rising risks across several levels of temperature change.

Two levels—warming of 0.5°C and 1°C above pre-industrial temperatures—already lie in the past. The Probable Futures scenarios step up in half-degree increments to 3°C, a catastrophic amount that’s also a

Beneficiaries

SMOKE rises above farm and environmentally protected land while on fire near São Jose do Rio Pardo, São Paulo state, Brazil, on August 24, 2021.

Extreme weather is slamming crops across the globe, bringing with it the threat of further food inflation at a time costs are already hovering near the highest in a decade and hunger is on the rise. JONNE RORIZ/BLOOMBERG

‘T

he stable climate was an assumption that we just took for granted. Everything else was built on top of that assumption. For 12,000 years, the climate was essentially stable, so we could look backward at actuarial data and forecast the future.”—Spencer Glendon, founder of Probable Futures common estimate for the expected warming by 2100 if emissions don’t cease.

Scalable maps for precipitation and drought are in the works. The interactive maps were published with a thorough introduction to climate science and Earth system modeling, to explain how the tools work.

Their approach allows users, who might range from financiers to educators, to better understand what happens when natural sys-

tems undergo strain. For instance, the maps show that if temperatures rise 2.5°C, much of California’s Sierra Nevada mountain region may go from having no days above 32°C (90°F) to as long as a month.

Higher temperatures respect no boundaries, but policies to protect people do. That creates the potential for vast disparities

BUSINESSES and investors increasingly require such data. A California climate risk advisory group issued a report Monday that recommends the state ensure everyone has access to climate data and technical help using it. The Probable Futures tool might help, said co-author Alicia Seiger, managing director of Stanford University’s Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance.

As governments and companies build infrastructure for hotter times, everyone must know what conditions may be like, and mapping tools may increasingly be seen as necessary public infrastructure.

Probable Futures expects to make parts of its tool publicly accessible so that people and organizations can customize maps.

“The need for technical assistance is huge,” Seiger said. “This level of information can be plenty for the kind of decision-making that’s required.”

New roads down south Continued from A1

kilometers and tertiary roads opened 369.49 kilometers, many of which provide access to the big-ticket projects being undertaken in the region.

Primary road projects, including the big highway projects, covered 469.75 kilometers.

The flyover in Tagum City, stretching 1.625 kilometers along its main highway, is one of the bigticket projects and a major gamechanger for transport in the area of Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro (formerly Compostela Valley) and Davao Oriental. This flyover will be opened next month to clear traffic for the highway that is the converging point for the Daang Maharlika Highway, or the DavaoAgusan Highway, and the DavaoSurigao Highway.

A third major highway that also converges to this Tagum highway is the Davao-Mati Road.

Davao del Sur has its own project also, the Matanao-Padala-Kiblawan, stretching for 58.55 kilometers, and a bridge spanning 150 meters. “This would further ease transport of palay and corn and access to the production of export Cavendish banana, copra and custard beans,” the Davao DPWH said.

An access road is being constructed in the province to reach the Lao Integrated Farms, Mount Apo trails and the Balutakay waterfalls. It starts from Sitio Marber at the intersection of the Davao-Cotabato Road and ends in Sitio Balutakay, Managa, which connects to the Bansalan National Park Road.

A sight to see, however, is the Davao Coastal Bypass Road, the early photographs of which show a sports oval-like pavement for joggers and a bicycle lane alongside a four-lane road. It covers 17.35 kilometers weaving its way through the coast and skipping through the communities of informal settlers and former beaches, with 17 bridg-

es, including an almost kilometerlong span across the Davao River delta and on to Agdao area ending on R. Castillo Street.

There is also the Samal Circumferential Road in the Island Garden City of Samal, providing access to its white-sand beaches, a marine sanctuary and bat caves; the extension of the Carlos P. Garcia Diversion Road; the abutment and riprapping of the Tagum-Liboganon River to reduce the perennial flooding of low-lying communities and the widening of the highway in Barangay Matti and Aurora in Digos City, Davao del Sur. Many of these are to be finished between the end of the year and the first semester of next year.

During the last five years, the Davao DPWH office undertook 6,399 projects with a combined cost of P245.7 billion, many of them widening the highways from two and four lanes to the current six lanes, including the mountain passes in Mawab, Davao del Norte, the Davao City and Bukidnon border and in Malungon, South Cotabato.

Covid-19 effect on budget

ASSISTANT Secretary Romeo Montenegro, the deputy executive director of MinDA, however, said a dark cloud hangs over the allocation for Mindanao’s infrastructure budget share, which, for one, has been slashed sharply, alongside all the budgets across sectors and items.

This year, Mindanao was allocated P225 billion, which is 32.4 percent of the DPWH budget. But in the proposed budget for 2022, it would get only P44 billion, a plunge in share to 6.4 percent, as the department also sees a reduced budget, from P695.7 billion this year to P686.1 billion in the proposed budget.

Other sectors are looking at reduced shares for Mindanao next

year, with health having a proposed budget share of P14.2 billion, slightly down from P15.1 billion this year, and agriculture, at P7.1 billion next year, down from P9.4 billion this year. Education fares better, with P136.2 billion share next year, up from P124.1 this year, and social welfare, at P44.1 billion, up from P41 billion this year.

In the comparative general appropriations, Mindanao was still getting 11.6 percent and 11.7 percent share in the pre-pandemic year of 2019 and in 2020 when the appropriation was done before the onset of the pandemic. In 2021 it shot up to a 17-percent share, but in the proposed budget next year, it would be cut by 13.1 percent.

Montenegro said Mindanao leaders will still revisit the disaggregation of the data to see if there are programs and projects for Mindanao that are embedded in national programs but which were not reflected as Mindanao allocations. If there are items like these, this would add up to the figures.

“We are striving for the desired level of at least 34 percent that was arrived at in a session of Mindanao leaders and lawmakers several years ago, although we understand…the difficulty we are facing with the pandemic,” he told a webinar on Wednesday.

He said Mindanao was making a strong point even during the pandemic as it continues to churn out growth in crop production, and in the pre-pandemic years showing growth patterns as high as 7.3 percent in the gross domestic regional product higher than the national average.

“We hope to see a better share for Mindanao, where many of the areas really need critical support in internal allocation, so that we can realize our growth projections and contribute to national growth and development,” he added.

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

TheWorld BusinessMirror

EPA completes rule to phase out gases used as refrigerants

By Matthew Daly The Associated Press

W

ASHINGTON—In what of f i c i a l s c a l l a k e y step to combat climate change, the Environmental Protection Agency is sharply limiting domestic production and use of hydrof luorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators and air-conditioners.

The new rule, which follows through on a law Congress passed last year, is intended to decrease US production and use of HFCs by 85 percent over the next 15 years, part of a global phase out designed to slow global warming.

HFCs are greenhouse gases t hat are t housands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide. They often leak through pipes or appliances that use compressed ref r igera nts a nd are considered a major driver of global warming. President Joe Biden has pledged to embrace a 2016 global agreement to greatly reduce HFCs by 2036.

White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy, a former EPA administrator, said the new rule was “a win on climate and a win on jobs and American competitiveness.’’

The rule is expected to reduce harmful emissions by the equivalent of 4.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2050, McCarthy said, a total similar to three years of emissions from the US power sector.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the phasedown is backed by a coalition of industry groups that see it as an opportunity to “supercharge” American leadership on domestic manufacturing and production of alternative refrigerants. The industry has long been shifting to the use of alternative refrigerants and pushed for a federal standard to avoid a patchwork of state laws and regulations.

“This action reaffirms what President Biden always says—that when he thinks about climate, he thinks about jobs,’’ Regan said,

echoing a Biden refrain about climate change. Transitioning to safer alternatives and more energy-efficient cooling technologies is expected to generate more than $270 billion in cost savings and public health benefits over the next 30 years, Regan said.

A pandemic relief and spending bill passed by Congress last December directs the EPA to sharply reduce production and use of HFCs. The measure won wide support and was hailed as the most significant climate change law in at least a decade.

Besides targeting HFCs, the American Innovation and Manufacturing, or A IM, Act also promotes technologies to capture and store carbon dioxide produced by power and manufacturing plants and calls for reductions in diesel emissions by buses and other vehicles.

Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., who is chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, was an influential backer of the law, along with Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. Both represent states that are home to chemical companies that produce alternative refrigerants and sought regulatory certainty through federal action.

The HFC provision was supported by an unusual coalition that included major env ironmenta l and business g roups, including the National Association of Manufacturers, American Chemistry Council and the Air-Conditioning, Heating and R ef r igerat ion I n st it ute. T he chemistr y council represents major companies including Dow, DuPont, Honeywell, Chemours and Arkema.

The administration said it also is taking other steps to ensure reductions in HFCs, including creation of an interagency task force to prevent illegal trade, production, use or sale of the climate-damag ing gases. T he task force will be led by the Department of Homeland Security, and EPA’s offices of A ir and Radiation and Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. AP

Taiwan’s trade deal application sets up showdown with China

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aiwan’s request to join the Asia-Pacific’s biggest working trade deal, coming just days after China submitted its own bid, presents the membernations with a difficult choice— admit one, both or neither?

Both Beijing and Taipei have asked to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership in the past week. That creates the possibility of a long and politicized application process, with the members divided between democracies such as Japan, Australia and Canada pushing for Taiwan’s accession, and Southeast Asian nations keen to remain in China’s good graces, making them vulnerable to pressure from Beijing to thwart Taipei’s bid.

Officials in Taipei are aware of the challenge they face.

“China always obstructs Taiwan’s room to maneuver on the international stage. This is something everyone’s aware of,” Taiwan’s chief trade negotiator John Deng said at a briefing Thursday.

“So if China is able to join first, it’s clear that Taiwan’s application will be at risk.”

T he or ig ina l goa l of the $13.5-trillion trade agreement was to create a western-led alliance to counterbalance China’s economic might in the Pacific region. W hile it was initially spearheaded by the US, Japan assumed a key role in reviving the plan after former President Donald Trump withdrew in 2017.

CPTPP member-countries account for over 24 percent of Taiwan’s international trade, according to a cabinet statement Thursday.

It will be a challenge for Taiwan to reach the required consensus among all 11 nations for its application to succeed, according to Drew Thompson, a former US defense official who is now a visiting senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. “ They will need to develop a smart strategy that ref lects both their own domestic politics as well as the interests of key CPTPP members,” he said in an e-mail Thursday. “Taiwan will have to satisfy many constituencies, but it might make sense to start with one big player, such as Japan, and work bi l atera l ly to ac h ie ve Tok yo’s over t sup por t, le verag i ng t h at suppor t to conv i nce ot her members to constr uctively engage Ta ipei.”

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen urged Japan to support her government’s efforts to join the deal in a tweet in Japanese Thursday, adding that her government has been preparing to join for the past five years and is prepared to accept all the rules.

Japan welcomed Taiwan’s bid and would respond “ based on a strategic point of v iew and w ith the public’s understanding,” Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu said T hursday in New York, according to a Kyodo News repor t. T hat contrasts w it h h is st atements about China’s application last week, when he said that Japan would have to look properly at whether China was “ready to reach the high level of TPP.” Bloomberg News

Sunday, September 26, 2021

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European businesses urge China to open up and avoid inward turn

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uropean businesses in China urged the country to steer away from what they see as an “inward” turn of the economy to achieve self-sufficiency, which has impeded their operations and prospects.

China has stepped up control over foreign firms’ supply of technology and components to Chinese clients over national security concerns, according to a report by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. That’s driving European businesses to localize development and supply chains and creating an increasingly difficult business environment, the paper said.

Beijing’s focus on building core technologies such as semiconductors domestically as part of its dual-circulation strategy could result in massive misallocation of resources, according to the European Chamber, which represents over 1,700 companies operating in China. A lack of further opening and structural reform of the economy could also lead to slower innovation and growth, according to the paper released Thursday.

“It’s a bit more challenging to operate in China than it was two or three years ago,” Joerg Wuttke, president of the chamber, said at a recent press conference. “We have

this problem of contradiction between the self-reliance that China is aiming for and the openness that it’s always talking about.”

China released a five-year plan for its economy in March, which placed a top priority on increasing spending on research and development to turn the nation into a tech superpower. The blueprint raises concerns that economic policy making increasingly could be driven by national security concerns, according to the European Chamber, which laid out some 930 recommendations for the government in the report.

Green goals

Foreign companies in different industries receive drastically different treatment, according to the report. For example, the government’s policies are favorable for companies in the machinery, chemicals, semiconductors and green energy sectors that have technology needed to upgrade China’s industrial sectors or support its green goals, according to the report.

For consumer goods, authorities see it as necessary to keep a foreign presence to maintain competition and supply. But foreign companies in network equipment, telecommunications and most things digital increasingly are unwelcome, the European Chamber said.

The Cyberspace Administration’s critical information infrastructure regulation, released in August on the basis of the cybersecurity law, is “having a considerable, negative impact” on European companies, it said.

The regulation requires European telecom equipment and service providers, as well as producers of certain software, to undergo a national security review involving as many as 12 government departments before they can supply new equipment or services. Many companies are localizing their production and research to cope with the review, while some see the inevitable result being their exit from the market, according to the paper.

Increasing pressure

European companies also are facing increasing pressure from government guidelines encouraging Chinese companies to adopt “autonomous and controllable” technologies and avoid relying on foreign suppliers, it said.

Wuttke raised the example of Swedish telecom giant Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, which won only 2-percent market share in the latest bid to supply 700MHz radios for China Mobile Ltd.’s 5G network development. That was

down from 11 percent in a previous round and came after Sweden blocked Chinese vendors Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. from its own 5G rollout.

Some Eu ropea n- m ade f i re brigade equipment and healthca re equ ipment a lso were banned from being sold to Chinese clients in some provinces, according to Wuttke.

“We hope this national security self-reliance will not impact innovation, but we see receding diversity,” Wuttke said, adding that “diversity matters” in driving innovation.

Fewer foreigners

In another sign of China’s rising insulation from the world, the number of foreigners living in Beijing and Shanghai plunged 28 percent to about 227,000 people in 2020 from a decade earlier, according to census data cited in the report.

Part of that decline may be due to the many foreign residents of China who have been unable to return due to restrictions enacted during the pandemic.

US businesses operating in China said they’re constrained by the nation’s Covid-zero policy, according to a separate report released Thursday by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

Pandemic restrictions on entry into China will hurt the country’s competitiveness if the government doesn’t make adjustments, the report said, asking that the government allow locally based foreign workers to have family members join them in China. Bloomberg News

China’s casino crackdown part of quest to transform Macau

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o many investors, Macau’s push to extend oversight over the world’s largest gambling hub came as a shock, triggering a record selloff in casino shares. To longterm observers, however, it was just the latest move in China’s grand plan to transform the $24-billion economy.

For years, Beijing has been focused on trying to control an industry that’s enriched the only Chinese territory where casinos are legal but also provided an avenue for capital outflows for the country’s rising elite. Authorities have been steadily tightening their grip, with facial-recognition software installed in Macau’s ATMs, cash withdrawals limited, and a digital currency under consideration to better track transactions.

At the same time, the government has been laying the groundwork for the dilution of Macau’s reliance on gambling. Unveiled in 2019, China’s blueprint for the Greater Bay Area—a region that includes Hong Kong and parts of southern China—sees the former Portuguese colony departing from its decadeslong identity as a casino Mecca to become a global leisure and tourism hub. Think sports stadiums, convention centers and traditional Chinese medicine parks instead of more baccarat tables.

“What the government wants, and what Beijing wants, is to have a lot more nongaming facilities,” said Allan Zeman, chairman and an independent director of Wynn Macau Ltd.,

one of the six casino operators with licenses to operate in the enclave. “The border will kind of disappear. Macau will become a much bigger place, so gaming is just one part of a city that will have a lot more.”

Last week’s announcement of revisions to the law governing casinos was one of the most definitive signs yet that there’s no turning back for Beijing.

The proposed changes, which are now up for consultation with the public and industry, came just a week after the Chinese government released a plan to further integrate Macau with the Chinese mainland. The city is being encouraged to develop nongaming industries in a special zone on the neighboring island of Hengqin—currently divided between Guangdong province and Macau—with a focus on high-tech manufacturing, cultural tourism, Chinese medicine, conventions and sports, according to a master plan released by Beijing earlier this month. Gambling won’t be allowed.

The Bloomberg Intelligence index of Macau’s six casino operators has fallen 23 percent since last Tuesday’s proposal.

The market recovered slightly this week, with the index gaining about 6 percent.

Gambling in Macau goes back more than three centuries, with the practice legalized there in 1847 as a way to fill the colonial authority’s coffers. By the late 19th century, gaming taxes had become the government’s main income. For decades the industry was monopolized by a company co-founded by late billionaire Stanley Ho before opening up in 2002 to the current players.

Macau eventually surpassed Las Vegas, and today bettors can pose before a fake Eiffel Tower or stroll along replica Venetian canals on its main strip.

But a shift is firmly under way. While still employing one-fifth of the city’s work force, the gambling industry’s contribution to Macau’s gross domestic product had dropped to 51 percent before the pandemic hit, from 63 percent in 2013, according to the latest government data.

The license renewal process for the city’s six casino operators is shaping up to be a key test of Beijing’s pivot. With the permits set to expire in less than 10 months, the government is

expected to pressure the firms— who have seen gaming revenue contribute 85 percent of overall revenue on average the past three years, according to Bloomberg calculations from company reports—to boost investment in non-gaming sectors.

Macau’s government will likely nudge casino operators to invest in projects in Hengqin, even if their profit outlook is questionable, given the limitations on expanding further in Macau, said Ben Lee, a managing partner at gambling consultancy IGamiX. While the casinos have recently been doubling down on luring more so-called mass market bettors, who may spend more time dining out and shopping than at the tables, entire projects separate to the casino business could be more challenging. Convention activities, the ferry service and income from retail accounted for less than 3 percent of net revenue in 2019 for Sands China Ltd., the largest operator in Macau by gaming revenue. Bloomberg News

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Sunday, September 26, 2021

TheWorld BusinessMirror

‘Vaccine apartheid’: Africans tell UN they need vaccines

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s wealthy countries begin to consider whether to offer their populations a third Covid-19 shot, African nations still waiting for their first gave this stark reminder to world leaders at the UN General Assembly on Thursday: “No one is safe unless we are all safe.”

That message was repeated throughout the day as the inequity of vaccine distribution came into sharp focus. As of mid-September, fewer than 4 percent of Africans have been fully immunized and most of the 5.7 billion vaccine doses administered around the world have been given in just 10 rich countries.

Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno warned of the dangers of leaving countries behind.

“The virus doesn’t know continents, borders, even less nationalities or social statuses,” Itno told the General Assembly. “The countries and regions that aren’t vaccinated will be a source of propagating and developing new variants of the virus. In this regard, we welcome the repeated appeals of the United Nations secretary general and the director general of the [World Health Organization] in favor of access to the vaccine for all. The salvation of humanity depends on it.”

The struggle to contain the coronavirus pandemic has featured prominently in leaders’ s p e e c he s o ve r t he p a s t fe w days—many of them delivered remotely exactly because of the virus. Country after country acknowledged the wide disparity in accessing the vaccine, painting a picture so bleak that a solution has at times seemed impossibly out of reach.

South Africa’s President Cyril

Ramaphosa pointed to vaccines as “the greatest defense that humanity has against the ravages of this pandemic.”

“It is therefore a great concern that the global community has not sustained the principles of solidarity and cooperation in securing equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines,” he said. “It is an indictment on humanity that more than 82 percent of the world’s vaccine doses have been acquired by wealthy countries, while less than 1 percent has gone to low-income countries.”

He and others urged UN member-states to support a proposal to temporarily waive certain intellectual property rights established by the World Trade Organization to allow more countries, particularly low- and middle-income countries, to produce Covid-19 vaccines.

Earlier this year, US President Joe Biden broke with European allies to embrace the waivers, but there has been no movement toward the necessary global consensus on the issue required under WTO rules.

While some nongovernmental organizations have called the waivers vital to boosting global production of the shots, US officials concede it is not the most constricting factor in the inequitable vaccine distribution—and some privately doubt the waivers for the highly complex shots would lead to enhanced production.

Angola President João Lourenço said it was “shocking to see the disparity between some nations and others with respect to availability of vaccines.”

“These disparities allow for third doses to be given, in some cases, while, in other cases, as in Africa, the vast majority of the population has not even received the first dose,” Lourenço said.

The US, Britain, France, Germany and Israel are among the countries that have begun administering boosters or announced plans to do so.

Namibia President Hage Geingob called it “vaccine apartheid,” a notable reference given the country’s own experience with apartheid when neighboring South Africa’s white minority government controlled South West Africa, the name for Namibia before its independence in 1990.

“There is a virus far more terrible, far more harrowing than Covid-19. It is the virus of inequality,” said the president of the Indian Ocean island nation of the Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan.

T he g r im consequences of Covid-19 hit Tanzania especially hard when the East African country’s then-president John Magufuli, who had insisted the coronavirus could be defeated with prayer, died in March. The presidency went to his deputy, Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has since changed Tanzania’s course on the pandemic but still sees great challenges ahead.

“We tend to forget that no one is safe until everyone is safe,” she said during her speech Thursday, stressing the importance of countries with surplus Covid-19 vaccine doses sharing them with other countries.

Benido Impouma, a program director with the WHO’s Africa program, noted during a weekly video news conference that the surge in new Covid-19 cases is starting to ease in Africa “but with 108,000

new cases, more than 3,000 lives lost in the past week and 16 countries still in resurgence, this fight is far from over.” “ Fresh i nc rea ses i n c a ses should be expected in the coming months,” Impouma said. “Without widespread vaccination and other public and social measures, the continent’s fourth wave is likely to be the worst, the most brutal yet.”

On Wednesday, during a global vaccination summit convened virtually on the sidelines of the General Assembly, Biden announced that the United States would double its purchase of Pfizer’s Covid-19 shots to share with the world to 1 billion doses, with the goal of vaccinating 70 percent of the global population within the next year.

Lack of access to vaccines is not just Africa’s concern. Leaders of developing nations in different regions echoed the frustration.

President Luis Arce of Bolivia, one of Latin America’s poorest nations, told assembled diplomats that biopharmaceutical companies should make their patents available and share knowledge and technology for vaccine production.

“Access to the vaccine should be considered a human right. We cannot be indifferent, much less profit from health in pandemic times,” Arce said.

Earlier on Thursday, Cuba’s President Mig uel Día z- Canel stressed that “hundreds of millions of people in low-income nations still await their first dose, and can’t even guess whether they will ever receive it.”

The WHO says only 15 percent of promised donations of vaccines—from rich countries that have access to large quantities of them—have been delivered. The UN health agency has said it wants countries to fulfill their dosesharing pledges “immediately” and make shots available for programs that benefit poor countries and Africa in particular. AP

Book: Top US officer feared Trump could order China strike

By Jonathan Lemire The Associated Press

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ASHINGTON—Fearful of Donald Trump’s actions in his final weeks as president, the United States’ top military officer twice called his Chinese counterpart to assure him that the two nations would not suddenly go to war, a senior defense official said Tuesday after the conversations were described in excerpts from a forthcoming book.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley told Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People’s Liberation Army that the United States would not strike. One call took place on October 30, 2020, four days before the election that defeated Trump. The second call was on January 8, 2021, just two days after the insurrection at the US Capitol by supporters of the outgoing chief executive.

Trump said Milley should be tried for treason if the report was true.

Milley went so far as to promise Li that he would warn his counterpart in the event of a US attack, according to the book “Peril,” written

by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the book. Details from the book, which is set to be released next week, were first reported by The Washington Post on Tuesday.

“General Li, I want to assure you that the American government is stable and everything is going to be okay,” Milley told him in the first

call, according to the book. “We are not going to attack or conduct any kinetic operations against you.”

“If we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise,” Milley reportedly said.

According to the defense official, Milley’s message to Li on both occasions was one of reassurance. The official questioned suggestions that Milley told Li he would call him first, and instead said the chairman made the point that the United States was not going to suddenly attack China without any warning—whether it be through diplomatic, administrative or military channels.

Milley also spoke with a number of other chiefs of defense around the world in the days after the January 6 riot, including military leaders from the United Kingdom, Russia and Pakistan. A readout of those calls in January referred to “several” other counterparts that he spoke to with similar messages of reassurance that the US government was strong and in control.

The second call was meant to placate Chinese fears about the events of January 6. But the book reports that Li wasn’t as easily assuaged, even after Milley promised him: “We are 100 percent steady. Everything’s fine. But democracy can be sloppy sometimes.”

Trump responded Tuesday with a sharply worded statement dismissing Milley as a “Dumbass,” and insisting he never considered attacking China.

Still, he said that if the report was true, “I assume he would be tried for TREASON in that he would have been dealing with his Chinese counterpart behind the President’s back and telling China that he would be giving them notification ‘of an attack.’ Can’t do that!”

“Actions should be taken immediately against Milley,” Trump said.

Milley believed the president suffered a mental decline after the election, agreeing with a view shared by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a phone call they had January 8, according to officials.

Pelosi had previously said she spoke to Milley that day about “available precautions” to prevent Trump from initiating military action or ordering a nuclear launch, and she told colleagues she was given unspecified assurances that there were longstanding safeguards in place.

Milley, according to the book, called the admiral overseeing the US Indo-Pacific Command, the military unit responsible for Asia and the Pacific region, and recommended postponing upcoming military exercises. He also asked senior officers to swear an “oath” that Milley had to be involved if Trump gave an order to launch nuclear weapons, according to the book.

Officials in January and on Tuesday confirmed that Milley spoke with Pelosi, which was made public by the House speaker at the time.

The officials said the two talked about the existing, long-held safeguards in the process for a nuclear

strike. One official said Tuesday that Milley’s intent in speaking with his staff and commanders about the process was not a move to subvert the president or his power, but to reaffirm the procedures and ensure they were understood by everyone.

It’s not clear what, if any, military exercises were actually postponed. But defense officials said it is more likely that the military postponed a planned operation, such as a freedom of navigation transit by a US Navy ship in the Pacific region. The defense officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Milley was appointed by Trump in 2018 and later drew the president’s wrath when he expressed regret for participating in a June 2020 photo op with Trump after federal law enforcement cleared a park near the White House of peaceful protesters so Trump could stand at a nearby damaged church.

In response to the book, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., sent President Joe Biden a letter Tuesday urging him to fire Milley, saying the general worked to “actively undermine the sitting Commander in Chief.”

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called the report “deeply concerning,” telling reporters at the Capitol, “I think the first step is for General Milley to answer the question as to what exactly he said.”

Associated Press writers Hillel Italie in New York and Lisa Mascaro and Lolita Baldor contributed reporting.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

New York City Council passes sweeping protections for food delivery industry

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ew York City lawmakers passed a set of bills aimed at improving working conditions and pay for app-based workers, becoming one of the first cities in the US to significantly regulate the food delivery industry dominated by DoorDash Inc., Grubhub and Uber Technologies Inc. The sweeping measures would require restaurants to grant couriers access to bathrooms, set a minimum per-trip payment and a guarantee that couriers receive full tips, and allow the workers to set limits on their routes. The apps will also be required to pay couriers at least once a week, offer payment options that don’t require a bank account and will be prohibited from charging fees to workers to receive earnings.

The slate of legislation is one of the most comprehensive efforts in the US to regulate the industry after the pandemic-induced boom in food-delivery exposed vulnerabilities for the restaurants and workers that keep the apps running. The dichotomy came into stark focus last month after Hurricane Ida’s torrential storms triggered historic, deadly flooding across New York. Images of delivery workers carrying on through the downpour, and not always receiving better pay, prompted outrage.

“Delivery workers have worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic risking their lives, their livelihoods,” said Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, a prime sponsor of the bills. “They have almost singlehandedly sustained our restaurant industry. We all saw those photos of waistdeep water that they were wading through to bring people their food and medication.”

In New York City, an estimated 65,000 food delivery drivers were deemed essential workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. These workers, classified as independent contractors, don’t have access to benefits such as minimum wage or overtime, which prompted a push from worker advocates to bolster protections over the last year.

But scrutiny of online platforms has also intensified nationwide.

In August, Chicago sued Grubhub, which is owned by Amsterdambased Just Eat Takeaway.com NV, and DoorDash over “deceptive” fees and listing restaurants on apps without their permission. California lawmakers passed a bill requiring meal delivery companies to disclose to customers third-party fees and commissions and how much restaurants make on their order.

Delivery companies have started to fight back, to defend their business models that rely on contractors. The app-based companies have endorsed offering basic benefits in exchange for the flexibility of remaining contractors, but not the full rights of an employee.

This dynamic played out in California with a $220-million voter initiative, Proposition 22, that gave drivers access to certain benefits such as a health care stipend and a minimum wage floor. The gig companies are backing a similar effort in Massachusetts.

“Many of them, not all, do not treat them with the respect these workers deserve,” Rivera said of the companies, adding that median hourly pay is often less than minimum wage. “This victory goes to all the workers out there.”

Common sense

DoorDash and Grubhub sued San Francisco, and UberEats joined the other two in a lawsuit against New York after the cities imposed a permanent cap on the commission fees the platforms can charged to restaurants, calling the legislation “unconstitutional, harmful and unnecessary.”

Thursday’s new bills have a measure of support from at least some of the delivery companies, however, including from Grubhub and DoorDash. Uber didn’t respond to a request for comment.

“These bills are common-sense steps to support the delivery workers who work hard every day for New York’s restaurants and residents,” according to a statement from Grant Klinzman, a Grubhub spokesperson. “Ensuring they receive a living wage and have access to restrooms isn’t just a good idea—it’s the right thing to do.”

Workers said they planned to rally outside of City Hall on Thursday in support of the bills, similar to other protests held this year led by a grassroots advocacy group Los Deliveristas, which have advocated for better working conditions for app-based delivery drivers.

“We recognize the unique challenges facing delivery workers in New York City and share the goal of identifying policies that will help Dashers and workers like them,” said DoorDash spokesperson Campbell Millum. “We will continue to work with all stakeholders, including the City Council, to identify ways to support all delivery workers in New York City without unintended consequences.”

The Covid-19 pandemic pushed many unemployed New Yorkers to turn to app-based delivery services, which surged in popularity as restaurants closed throughout the city. A study from Cornell University said that 75 percent of delivery workers joined the industry because they lost work during the pandemic.

After accounting for expenses, the median hourly wage for delivery workers in New York City is $7.94, excluding tips, according to the report conducted by the Worker’s Justice Project in partnership with Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. The minimum wage in New York is $15 an hour for employees. Data from the study also show that 65 percent of the delivery workers surveyed were denied access to a restaurant bathroom.

“We feel we’re on solid legal ground,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson. “It wouldn’t surprise me if some of the large, multi-billion dollar corporations that were making a lot of money in New York City tried to stop this, but in the face of that my hope is that other cities will take action and join New York City in enacting protections for delivery workers.”

The grassroots efforts to fight for basic protections for gig workers could be replicated in other locales, said Erin Hatton, a sociology professor at the University of Buffalo, who studies labor movements. She said New York City was further along than others, and the push for basic rights that practically helped workers was a good thing to replicate, but the fight exposes broader issues with misclassification.

“Localities have to fight for very modest protections,” Hatton said. “But this type of effort is responding to the gig sector and their particular needs, which basic employment doesn’t cover. Labor and employment law needs to be updated to respond to the 21st century.

I have misgivings about workers having to organize again and again to get the most basic needs met, like going to the bathroom on the job.” Bloomberg New

Science

BusinessMirror

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

DOST’s research council to conduct a study to improve PHL music industry

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ow many Fi lipino musical artists and songs do you know? Do you know the Original Pilipino Music (OPM)?

How much can we contribute to the economy if we patronize the Filipino music, promote local artists and buy their goods?

In the South Korean craze, the Hallyu wave—or the the global popularity of South Korea's cultural economy that exports pop culture, entertainment, music, TV dramas and movies—is massively contributing to their economy.

There is hope that a proposed law and a study on Philippine music industry will develop the industry and help its stakeholders and the economy.

The National Research Council of the Philippines of the Department of Science and Technology (DOSTNRCP) is set to conduct a policy research on the Philippine music industry in support to House Bill 8101, or the proposed Philippine Creative Industries Act. Pangasinan Fourth District Rep. Christopher “Toff ” de Venecia filed the bill that pushes for the promotion, protection and improvement of the creative economy, where music and the performing arts are important sectors, a DOST-NRCP news release said.

“It is high time for us to finally g ive the music industr y, among many other sectors of our creative economy, the support and attention it deserves,” said de Venecia in one of his privilege speeches at the House of Representatives.

Dubbed, “MusikaPilipinas: Research and Mapping Toward Understanding Scoping and Defining the Philippine Music Industry,” the DOST-NRCP policy study aims to provide a comprehensive baseline of the economic performance of the music industry in the country, and the specific structure of its players, transactions and creative and production dynamics.

It also intends to identify the prospects and challenges so that an effective reference on cultural policy could be utilized in the process of building a more vibrant and dynamic Philippine music industry.

Led by Dr. Ma. Alexandra I. Chua, a member of the DOST-NRCP Division of Humanities, the study will produce a comprehensive mapping, scoping and defining of the Philippine music industry to provide an analysis of the country’s music market and its current state, particularly providing information and assessment of its baseline socio-cultural and economic data.

The project is expected to reveal the opportunities and vulnerabilities in the country’s music ecosystem in order to help suggest key areas for its development, including the kind of government intervention possible in support of the growth of the Filipino music industry.

Its target beneficiaries are the young talented artists, music agents, promoters, managers, and producers; ailing music ecosystems that need to be revived; professional artists, managers and producers from more mature music industry ecosystems; cultural policy-makers and executives; and allied personnel of the music industries.

T he research 's potentia l outcomes include the data analysis and understanding of the economic value contributed by each part of the value chain and be able to utilize this for the strategic direction of the industry’s growth.

The creation of the database of key players and institutions in the industry, and the setting up of a web site that will make the results of the study easily accessible to scholars, experts and practitioners are also among the outcomes.

A better social well-being of Filipino music artists and other stakeholders of the music industry is among the potential impacts of the research.

It is also expected to cultivate a sense of pride for Filipino composed music; create stable jobs for musicians, producers and music managers; provide better support for artists in sustaining their livelihood in music; and economic growth for the country.

The baseline setting that will be presented will serve as the jump off point for the road-mapping that will be the subject of a more holistic and comprehensive three-year MusikaPilipinas Research Program.

Pact inked to spark growth of aquaculture in Mindanao

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ore oysters and crabs may soon be spawning and growing in Mindanao aquafarms once a recently inked partnership between the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and an international aquaculture research center gains traction.

Aiming to establish hatcheries to produce seeds and accelerate aquaculture development in the southern island, MinDA inked a three-year partnership with the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center/Aquaculture Department (Seafdec/AQD) early this month.

“Let us build a facility that will just keep producing fingerlings, and for the next five years, why don’t we support our fisherfolk with fingerlings for free,” said MinDA Chairman Emmanuel Piñol in English and Hiligaynon as he shared his dream to build a truly modern hatchery in Mindanao.

Piñol toured the aquaculture facilities of Seafdec/AQD at its headquarters in Tigbauan, Iloilo.

He later signed a memorandum of agreement with its chief, Dan Baliao, to collaborate through techno-transfer programs, including verification and training in broodstock, hatchery, nursery and grow-out operations of commercially viable finfishes, crustaceans, mollusks and seaweeds.

“Let us start with the simple oyster breeding facility, and then from there we move on to crabs, we move on to high-value fish, and hopefully as we move forward, we will be able to find enough funding support to build that envisioned

hatchery that I have for Mindanao,” Piñol said.

Zamboanga Sibugay to host first hatchery Visiting the research center with Piñol was Roberto Ballon, a recipient of the 2021 Ramon Magsaysay award and a fisherfolk leader in Zamboanga Sibugay where the first hatchery for oysters is intended to be established.

In July, Ballon sought Piñol’s help to establish a hatchery in their town of Kabasalan to supply oyster spat, crablets and fingerlings so the fisherfolk will not need to collect stocks from the wild and disturb the ecological balance.

The fisherfolk association that Ballon leads currently has fish cages, crab farms and oyster gardens at the mouth of Kabasalan River.

Baliao supported Piñol’s vision and agreed to provide technical assistance to the local government units and fisherfolk associations identified by MinDA. He also assured Piñol that Seafdec/AQD would grant his requests for the success of this project.

Despite the Covid-19 restrictions, Baliao said the research center will immediately meet its commodity leaders and find means to conduct trainings in Mindanao beginning at Kabasalan.

Dr. Leobert de la Peña, head of the Research Division of Seafdec/ AQD, expressed support for the project and said that the center is willing to share its expertise and technical capabilities to make the collaboration successful.

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6 new R&D niche centers receive ₧209M to boost regional devt S

ix new centers for research and development (R&D) have been allocated a total budget of P208,861,783.92 in order to boost regional development in the country on a par with international standards.

The projects are initiated under the Niche Centers in the Regions (Nicer) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

At the recent online news conference themed, “Regional Resiliency: Equipping Agriculture for the Future,” the new Nicers that were presented focused on agriculture, aquatic and natural resources, a sector to which the country is heavily dependent on health, nutrition, food security, and food safety.

“We have abundant natural resources scattered across the 17 regions. These resources have generated employment and have become the source of living for many of our kababayans,” Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña told the online event hosted by the DOST-Office of the Undersecretary for R&D. “But for these resources to continually sustain us, we need to take actions to sustain them as well. Through the Nicer centers, our local products and commodities will be nurtured and developed, and in turn, boost the regional economy,” de la Peña added.

The Nicer Program capacitates Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the regions to make significant

improvement in regional research by integrating its development needs with the existing R&D capabilities and resources.

It provides institutional grants to regional HEIs for R&D capacity building to improve their S&T infrastructure.

Nicer is a component of the Science for Change Program of the DOST. The first three centers presented at the online event were related to the Crops R&D. The Mariano Marcos State University in Ilocos Norte will build a Garlic and Other Agri-Food Condiments R&D Center.

This Nicer will provide S&T-based interventions to revitalize the dwindling garlic industry. It has continuously perform activities in improving the garlic genetic resources and productivity through the development of an integrated crop management system, enhancing the curing and storage of garlic practices in the Philippines.

The local plant variety Queen Pineapple will have a center dedicated to its enhancement through the Camarines Norte State College.

The center will undertake comprehensive research on the advancement of Queen Pineapple to enhance its productivity and marketability. The center will develop software for pest detection, classification, and crop protection management systems.

The third Nicer is the Center for

Cacao R&D from the University of Southern Mindanao. The center will provide interventions in increasing cacao production through multiplication and utilization of Quality Planting Materials.

The process will upgrade the local cacao gene bank and optimize postharvesting processes to generate improved cacao beans to improve the income of farmers by 30 to 40 percent.

For Nicers related to Livestock, Forestry and Environment R&D, the Native Chicken R&D Center from the Western Mindanao State University is built.

This aims to accelerate the production of quality breeder stocks through enhanced breeding, feeding, and production management strategies suitable for native chickens.

The Central Mindanao University focused on a Bamboo R&D Center to provide intervention on quality standards and processing protocols of locally manufactured bamboo.

This Nicer seeks to establish the bamboo economic value chain and geo-databases of bamboo resources and enterprise; explore other potential uses of bamboo for sustainable development, climate change resilience, and adaptation; and evaluate the growth and survival performance of cloned economically important bamboo species planted in disturbed sites.

Meanwhile, a Nicer on Cave Ecosystems Research is set in the University

of the Philippines Los Baños.

It aims to study the biodiversity of terrestrial vertebrates and invertebrates (birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and land snails) of selected caves and karst areas using various field techniques to generate baseline data important for cave biodiversity management.

“Through the Nicer R&D Centers, we hope to promote regional resiliency by providing small-scale farmers with S&T-based aquaculture systems, livestock systems, c rop produc t ion, and integ rated far ming systems,” s a i d D O S T Und e r s e c re t a r y f o r R &D Rowena Cr istina L . Guevara.

“R & D enables us to suppor t more farmers and encourage young agripreneurs to take advantage of opportunities for innovation and contribute to the continued economic growth of the country,” Guevara added.

The establishment of theNicer] is just one of the many initiatives of the DOST through the DOST Regional Offices that are intended to help accelerate the development in the regions, said DOST Undersecretary for Regional Operations Sancho A. Mabborang.

“Having an approved Nicer is a prestige for institutions, an acknowledgement of the R&D strength, competence and track record of the engaged institutions along the identified R&D,” Mabborang said.

S&T Media Services

DOST to build 3 labs, fund 5 new R&D projects in regions

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hree new laboratories will be built and five research projects will be funded in various regions in the country through the Institution Development Program (IDP) of the Philippine Council for Industr y, Energ y, and Emerg ing Technology Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCIEERD).

Among the three new research l aborator ies is t he A I Resea rc h Laboratory in Camarines Sur State Polytechnic Colleges.

The setting up of the laboratory aims to strengthen the research capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) enthusiasts, faculty and students, such as deep learning, computer vision, among others.

The establishment of the AI Research Laboratory will be a basic step in the country's continuous development to be on a par with the current trends of AI in other countries.

On the other hand, the microbiology testing laboratory in Camarines Sur aims to complement and help in the existing research activities of Partido State University-Goa Campus.

The acquisition of the requested equipment will increase the integrity of the university research outputs, improve the research skills of the faculty and students, and will increase scientific publications.

The third laboratory, the Mindanao Natural Language Processing Laboratory at the University of the Immaculate Conception in Davao City, aims to collect language resources needed in the development of the

The Regional Research Institution grantees during the online meeting. DOST-PCIEERD Multilingual Machine Translation System and Conversational Agent and develop a web-based Multilingual MT System and CA among others.

The projects that will be funded under the Regional Research Institution (RRI) program include the following: Development of Halal Compliant Restructured Goat Meat Products: To be implemented by the Sultan Kudarat State University, the project aims to transform goat meat and milk into value-added and halal compliant products with an increased market value to suit customer needs.

Design, Development, Testing and Implementation of Fuzzy-Proportional Plus Integral Power Factor Correction Controller for 10 kW Load: This project of the Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT-U), seeks to design, develop, test and implement

the Fuzzy-PI PFCC for 10 kW Load to help lower power loss and increase productivity.

Application of Blockchain Technology to the Guimaras Mango Supply Chain: Also to be implemented by ISAT-U, the project aims to ensure the authenticity of the mango products exported. The proposed study will use the blockchain technology to trace the product origin until it reaches the consumers.

Development of Optimized Pineapple Fiber Scraping Machine: This research study by Capiz State University aims to develop an optimized capacity of the mechanical pineapple fiber extractor.

Utilization of Banana Peel, Canistel Fruit and Brown Rice in the Development of Composite Flour: Also to be implemented by ISAT-U, the project seeks to utilize banana

peel, canistel fruit and brown rice in developing composite flour. This flour is targeted to be an ingredient in functional food.

DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director Enrico Paringit commended the project leaders in their zeal to uplift the R&D capabilities in these priority sectors in their respective regions in pursuit of improving S&T research through their projects.

"These capacity building programs under the Human Resource Development Program [HRDP] continues to advance and strengthen Filipino R&D in keeping up with the times," Paringit said.

Under the HR DP, the IDP prov ides support for upgrading of research laboratories and facilities of academic and research institutions where there is an inadequacy of research expertise and/or facilities. It prioritizes new institutions in the regions which have limited capacities to conduct R&D. The support includes the upgrading and/or setting up of research laboratories, purchases laboratory equipment (including highly specialized software)/facilities and small research grants aimed at developing research capabilities.

On the other hand, the RRI is designed for new researchers and new institutions in doing R&D in the regions.

Its goal is to develop research capabilities and increase the available researchers, scientists, and engineers in the DOST-PCIEERD priority sectors through the regional consortia program. S&T Media Services

Leaders to UN: A warmer world is a more violent one, too

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NI T ED NAT IONS — Usi ng apocaly ptic images, three presidents and seven foreign ministers warned on Thursday that a warmer world is also a more violent one.

At a ministerial meeting of the Security Council, the officials urged the UN’s most powerful body to do more to address the security implications of climate change and make global warming a key part of all UN peacekeeping operations.

The leaders and ministers pushing for more UN action said warming is making the world less safe, pointing to Africa's conflict-plagued Sahel region and Syria and Iraq as examples.

Micheal Martin, Ireland’s president, who chaired the meeting, said climate change “is already contributing to conflict in many parts of the world."

Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc said climate change “is a war without gunfire so to speak that causes economic damage and losses in lives no less dire than actual wars.”

“The effects of climate change are particularly profound when they overlap with fragility and past or current conflicts,” said UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres.

He added: "And when natural resources like water become scarce because of climate change, grievances and tensions can explode, complicating efforts to prevent conflict and sustain peace.”

“Our lives and daily realities are at the nexus of climate change insecurity,” said Ilwad Elman, a SomaliCanadian peace activist. “The impact of climate change and environmental degradation are also changing what it takes to build peace ... because we are

experiencing climate-related shocks and stresses.”

The Security Council first discussed the impact of climate on peace and security in 2007 and has held a number of meetings about it since, most recently in February.

But it remains off the council’s agenda because of divisions among members. That means there can be no legally binding resolutions or official requests for action.

Ireland’s Martin said he recognized the different views bit if the council is to meet its responsibility to maintain international peace and security, “it must have the information and tools to analyze and address climate-related security risks.”

For years, academics who study conflict and climate change have been highlighting how events like a oncein-a-millennium Syrian drought have

exacerbated conflicts without being the sole causes. It's a more nuanced approach to understanding conflict—and to developing tools that reduce its impact on societies.

“Look at almost every place where you see threats to international peace and security today, and you’ll find that climate change is making things less peaceful, less secure, and rendering our response even more challenging,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

He cited a list of nations including Syria, Mali, Yemen, South Sudan and Ethiopia.

“We have to stop debating whether the climate crisis belongs in the Security Council,” Blinken said, “and instead ask how the council can leverage its unique powers to tackle the negative impacts of climate on peace and security.” AP

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Caritas PHL outraged by killing of HR lawyer

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he Catholic Church’s social action arm has deplored the killing of human-rights lawyer Juan Macababbad in South Cotabato on September 15.

Caritas Philippines said “outrage is not enough” to describe how they feel with the “gruesome” killing of Macababbad, who is a “champion of social justice.”

“For many of us in Mindanao, his brutal killing puts us in deep sorrow for Atty. Macababbad is no ordinary lawyer,” it said in a statement.

The national Caritas office said

that Macababbad is someone they can turn to when no lawyer will take the case of a farmer against landlords and big corporations.

It also said that his free legal services for the vulnerable “are the pillars of hope for most of the indigenous peoples fighting against the tyranny even of state forces.”

“The rural poor of the South takes courage in his presence,”

Atty. Juan Macababbad.

PHOTO FROM ATTY. MACABABBAD’S FACEBOOOK

according to Caritas Philippines.

“His savage death meant an indefinite delay for the poor’s access

to justice, peace and freedom,” it added.

The lawyer was shot by two assailants outside his residence in Surallah town.

He served as the vice-chairman of the Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM).

The UPLM said that Macababbad is the 58th lawyer killed under the administration of President Duterte.

The Caritas said it will work with everyone to seek justice for the lawyer and those who died defending the people and nature.

“We will push even harder for accountability, especially of those in power,” it said. “We pray for every rights defender. We pray for justice and peace to reign.”

Aimee Yeo/CBCP News

Pope: Some wanted me dead R

OME—Pope Francis has acknowledged his increasingly vocal conservative critics, saying their “nasty comments” were the work of the devil and adding that “some wanted me dead” after his recent intestinal surgery.

Francis made the comments during a recent private meeting with Slovakian Jesuits soon after he arrived in the Slovak capital of Bratislava during his just-finished visit.

A transcript of the encounter was published by the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica, which often provides after-the-fact accounts of Francis’s closed-door meetings with his fellow Jesuits when he’s on the road.

Francis showed his dark sense of humor throughout the encounter, particularly when a priest asked him how he was feeling.

The September 12 to 15 Hungary-Slovakia trip was Francis’s first international outing since undergoing surgery in July to remove a 33-centimeter chunk of his large intestine.

“Still alive,” Francis quipped.

“Even though some wanted me dead. I know there were even meetings among priests who thought the pope was in worse shape than what was being said. They were

Pope Francis attends a meeting with priests, religious men and women, seminarians and catechists, at the Cathedral of Saint Martin, in Bratislava, Slovakia, in this September 13 photo.

AP/Gregorio Borgia

preparing the conclave.”

“Patience! Thank God I’m well,” he added.

The comment was a reflection of the intense interest in the pope’s health, and the speculation about what would happen if he were to fail, that always accompanies a pontiff but is perhaps more acute with a pope who has attracted vocal opposition from part of the church.

After his 10-day hospital stay, Italian media began speculating that Francis might resign and pointed out the need for norms

What is the Moon Festival?

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ith the arrival of September and hints of cooler temperatures also comes one of most important traditional festivals in the Chinese calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival, or Zhongqiu jie, also known as the Moon Festival.

At this time of the year, the Chinese store down the road from our home in Gainesville, Florida, is stocked with mooncakes, known in Chinese as yuebing (月餅).

The same is true of Chinese stores around the world. There is even the option these days of buying these desserts from online retailers such as Amazon.

These traditional delicacies are readied in anticipation of the festival, observed on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. This is a time for family and friends to gather, watch the full moon and eat mooncakes and other delicacies.

Other festivity highlights include public lantern displays, dance parties, traditional performances and worship of the moon goddess and other deities.

Because of the central theme of family reunion, sometimes the festival evokes comparison to Thanksgiving in the US.

Mooncakes: Tradition and innovation

The gifting and eating of mooncakes is arguably the most emblematic feature of the festival.

The round shape of the mooncake is meant to evoke an image of the full moon. The roundness of the full moon, in turn, symbolizes wholeness; by extension, it conveys a sense of spiritual contentment, coming together and reunion.

Usu a l ly, moonc a kes come with traditional fillings, such as

to regulate a second retired pope.

Francis has previously said resigning “didn’t even cross my mind.”

Francis was also asked about how he deals with divisions and with people who view him with suspicion. It was a reference to Catholic conservatives who have long criticized Francis’s critiques of capitalism and his focus on the environment and migrants.

Their criticism turned to outrage after Francis in July cracked down on the celebration of the old Latin Mass. red bean or white lotus seed paste.

There are many regional variations, some of which contain a preserved egg yolk in the middle. The yellow egg yolk adds another layer of symbolism, as it resembles the round moon in the sky.

Additionally, there are contemporary flavors such as chocolate, coffee or green tea. It is even possible to find ice cream mooncakes. These are created by commercial ice cream companies in order to tap into the lucrative mooncake market and cater to contemporary tastes.

The legends behind the festival

As a scholar of Chinese religions, I am especially fascinated by the legends associated with the origins of the festival. These are notable elements of popular lore, rooted in China’s long history and rich cultural traditions.

Customarily, the Mid-Autumn Festival is associated with the popular legend about Chang’e (嫦

Francis reversed Emer it us Benedict XVI and re-imposed restrictions on celebrating the old rite, saying the move was necessary because the Latin Mass had become a source of division in the church and been exploited on ideological grounds.

In his response, Francis referred to the Latin Mass outcry and noted that there was a “big Catholic television station that continually speaks poorly about the pope.”

He didn’t name it but it could have been a reference to the EWTN media conglomerate, which has been critical of the papacy and in particular Francis’s new restrictions on the old Latin Mass.

“I personally might merit attacks and insults because I’m a sinner, but the church doesn’t deserve this; it’s the work of the devil,” he said.

“Yes there are priests even who make nasty comments about me.

Sometimes I lose my patience, especially when they make judgments without entering into a real dialogue. You can’t do anything with that,” he added But Francis said his reaction is to just preach. “ I just go forward without entering into their world of ideas and fantasies,” he said. AP

娥), the goddess of the moon.

The earliest versions of the story can be traced back to the Warring States, a significant historical period between 475 and 221 B.C., marked by recurrent warfare, bureaucratic reforms and political consolidation.

Chang’e is said to have stolen the elixir of immortality from her husband, Yi, the great archer and hero of Chinese mythology.

She then escaped to the moon, where she was condemned to a lonely existence.

Later versions of the story, still told today, present a more flattering image of the goddess.

She is described as a model of feminine beauty and elegance. She digests the elixir only in order to prevent it from falling in the hands of an evil person. She then chooses the moon as her immortal abode, to be close to her beloved husband.

On his part, Yi makes sacrifices to his departed wife that feature cakes and fruits. The local people

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

Redemptorist Father Amado Picardal CBCP News

Priest hails ICC probe into Duterte’s drug war

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Redemptorist priest recently welcomed the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open a probe into the drug war killings under President Duterte’s administration.

Fr. A m a d o P i c a rd a l , w ho helped document the killings in Davao City when Duterte was mayor, said he is hopeful that justice will be served “no matter how long it takes.”

“Our efforts to hold those responsible for this mass murder accountable have not been in vain,” Picardal said.

The ICC recently authorized an official investigation into Duterte’s bloody war on drugs, in which thousands of suspected drug peddlers have died.

The Hague-based tribunal will also examine the killings in Davao City between 2011 and 2016,

when Duterte was its local chief executive.

Picardal said the ICC decision is a “welcome news especially for the families of victims of extrajudicial killings in Davao and the rest of the country.”

In April 2016, the priest wrote a detailed report on Davao Death Squad killings from 1998 to 2015, which he said became part of the information submitted to the ICC. “This nearly cost my life as I became a target of assassination and forced me to leave my hermitage and go into exile,” said Picardal, who is now based in Rome.

The Duterte government, however, maintained it will not cooperate with the ICC probe since the country already withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019.

The ICC said its probe will include cases committed until 2019. CBCP News

Jews redeem firstborn son in ancient ceremony

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EIT SHEMESH, Israel— Shortly after sundown, Yaakov Tabersky presented his firstborn son on a silver platter to a Jewish priest in a ceremony harking back to the biblical exodus from Egypt.

T he ce re mony, k now n a s “pidyon ha-ben,” or redemption of the firstborn, was held in an ultra-Orthodox community in Beit Shemesh, near Jerusalem.

Thursday night’s ceremony had added significance because the baby is the great-grandchild of Aharon Biderman, the chief rabbi of the Lelov Hassidic dynasty.

Firstborn sons originally made up the priesthood of the ancient Israelites.

As described in the Book of Exodus, they were spared from the final plague brought upon the pharaoh, in which God was said to have wiped out the firstborn sons of Egypt, an event commemorated every spring at Passover.

However, the Jewish firstborn later lost that privilege when the

Israelites joined in the worship of a golden calf, after being delivered from Egypt, in defiance of the prohibition against idolatry.

The priesthood was then transferred to the descendants of the prophet Aaron, who did not participate. Tradition holds that Jews should redeem their firstborn sons to a kohen, a member of the priestly class descended from Aaron.

The ceremony is held 30 days after the birth of the mother’s first son and accompanied by a festive meal attended by family and friends. Participants dress in their finest attire and adorn the baby with jewelry to celebrate the blessing. The rite is mainly observed by the ultra-Orthodox.

The father presents the baby on a silver platter to the kohen, symbolically returning his firstborn son to God. The kohen then offers to accept five silver coins instead of the child, and once the payment is made the son is redeemed. The kohen then raises a glass of wine and recites a prayer. AP

sympathize with him and also start making the same offerings.

To this day, Chinese people continue this tradition, making offerings of mooncakes in commemoration of the goddess as they make wishes or pray for familial unity and harmony.

the later imperial period.

Historical background

In the agricultural society of premodern China, the Mid-Autumn Festival was linked with harvesting season celebrations.

The term “mid-autumn,” which became the name of the festival, appears in “Zhou li” (周禮), or the Rites of Zhou.

This is one of the early Confucian classics, the core texts that constitute the main canon of classical Confucianism.

The earliest history of the festival is uncertain, but scholars have shown that its celebration already took place during the Tang era that lasted from 618 to 907 A.D., and increased in popularity during

Celebrations in other Asian nations

The Mid-Autumn Festival is also celebrated in Asian countries beyond China, as well as among the Chinese diaspora in other parts of the world. This is especially the case with Southeast Asian countries with large ethnically Chinese populations, such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

It is also an important festival in Vietnam. Called Tết Trung Thu, it is primarily celebrated as the children’s festival and is associated with unique Vietnamese legends.

Besides moon watching and the ubiquitous mooncakes, among its unique features are the performances of traditional dances and the lanterns carried by children, as they walk under the glow of the full moon with their light illuminating the path. Mario Poceski University of Florida/The Conversation (CC)

Biodiversity Sunday BusinessMirror

Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014

Sunday, September 26, 2021

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Filipino among top 10 climate science communicators

By Rizal Raoul Reyes

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Filipino has been named as one of the top 10 international finalists to compete at the FameLab Climate Change Communicators Online Final this September 2021.

The British Council announced in a news release that John Leo Algo, a climate and environment advocate and citizen journalist who has represented the Philippines and the youth sector in regional and global UN conferences since 2017, made it to the elite group.

“Communication is key to addressing our problems, big or small. The world needs more people that are passionate about conveying the urgency of addressing the climate crisis,” shared Algo, also the deputy executive director for Programs and Campaigns at Living Laudato Si’ Philippines.

The finalists bested other video entrants from around the world, impressing the judges with their threeminute video talks on the theme “Trust in Climate Science.”

The FameLab Climate Change Communicators received entries from aspiring science communicators from A lbania, A zerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Serbia, Turkey, Uganda, Vietnam.

Besides Algo, the other finalists are: Aditi Chandra, engineer and entrepreneur at Kay Bouvet Engineering, India; Arka Chakraborty, a student at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh; Danny Joseph Daniels, CVO at Lombris, Mexico.

Emiliane Daher Pereira, researcher at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Larissa Cunha Pinheiro, PhD student in Nuclear Engineering at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Mayur Bonkile, a PhD student at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India.

Minh Anh Le, research assistant at Institute of Health, Economics, and Technolog y, Vietnam; Nav jeet K aur, a PhD student at University of Mumbai, India; and Pallav i Pokharel, a recent graduate of K athmandu University, Nepal.

Their video entries covered a range of climate science topics from clean energy to coral reef preservation, breaking down some of the latest international developments in science and technology to help tackle the climate crisis.

The finalists will undergo online training and networking, including a two-day online masterclass with the leading science communicator Wendy Sadler to hone their skills before the final selection. “ We had a g reat response to FameLab Climate Change Communicators, and we thank everyone who took the time to create and send us their video entries,” Adrian Fenton, senior consultant in Public Engagement at the British Council explained in a news statement.

“It’s been so inspiring to have received such high quality, personal entries from around the world from individuals who share our passion for building trust in climate science,” Fenton added.

Dr. Ahmed Alboksmaty, research associate in the Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London and member of the judging panel for the FameLab Climate Change Communicators video entry round, said: “It was an honor and a pleasure to watch the video entries tackling a range of climate sciencerelated topics. We had some tough decisions to make but the 10 finalists stood out with their content, clarity and charisma—and really made us want to hear more!”

Global audiences will have the chance to hear the finalists at the FameLab Climate Change Communicators International Online Final, which will be streamed on the British Council YouTube channel on September 28.

Moreover, the top FameLab Climate Change Communicator will progress through to the FameLab International Online Final in November 2021, one of the world’s leading science communication competitions.

FameLab Climate Change Communicators is one of many activities the British Council is delivering as part of The Climate Connection programme: the British Council’s global platforms for dialogue, cooperation, and action against climate change.

Study: Wildlife protection drive reduce biodiversity threats

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he Protect Wildlife Activity (PWA), a wildlife conservation initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was found to have contributed greatly to reduce the threats to wildlife and biodiversity.

This was observed by the evaluation team under the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca)led Final Performance Evaluation of PWA commissioned by USAID. Covering several biodiversity hotspots in the Philippines, the PWA was evaluated so that the results can help inform similar natural resourceconservation activities at present or in the future, said Searca Director Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio.

He added that the findings can contribute to the growing body of evidence on good practices and a better understanding of the enabling and hindering factors in biodiversity conservation and anti-wildlife trafficking.

To disseminate the key findings of the evaluation and highlight the lessons learned from the PWA, Searca’s Emerging Innovation for Growth Department organized a virtual learning event that featured speakers who gave an overview of the PWA and discussed the overall results and synthesis of the evaluation.

Also presented were videos showcasing the efforts and contributions of the PWA to the various stakeholders in the six sites covered by the evaluation: Pasonanca Natural Park, Mt. Mantalingahan Protected Landscape, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Cleopatra’s Needle Critical Habitat, Mt. Matutum Protected Landscape, and Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape.

“USAID is a strong partner of the

Philippine government in conserving the countries’ rich biodiversity resources and believes that conservation is an essential component to building prosperous, stable and equitable societies,” said Dr. John Edgar, USAID Environment Office chief.

He explained that the project evaluation is important to measure its effectiveness, relevance and efficiency, and to enable those who design and implement projects to refine the designs and introduce improvements for future efforts.

Edgar affirmed that the findings and results as presented in the learning event will be helpful to the stakeholders and also expressed hope that there will be more opportunities for future collaborations.

Rebecca Paz, PWA Chief of Party, presenting a brief background and accomplishments of the PWA, emphasized that “there is a connection between biodiversity conservation, the flow of ecosystems goods and services and the improvement of human well-being.”

She added: “ The preser vation of biodiversity in protected areas and in coastal and marine areas supports livelihoods and the growth of the local economy, thus, PWA is not about protecting nature from people but protecting nature for the people.”

During the open forum, the evaluation team and stakeholders discussed the best practices of the PWA, which contributed greatly to the increase in income of the beneficiaries and reduced the threats to wildlife and biodiversity.

The documentary videos were complemented by key local implementing partners who shared their plans after the PWA.

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Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park:

A bastion of PHL’s unique biodiversity, natural heritage

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

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ne of the few remaining rainforests in the Philippines can be found in Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park (MKRNP).

This protected area in Bukidnon province in northern Mindanao is home to some of rarest plant and animal wildlife, including the critically endangered Philippine Eagle, the country’s national bird.

Declared as a Protected A rea through Republic Act 8978 in 2000, MKRNP was also declared as an Asean Heritage Park (AHP) in 2009, the 28th area set aside for conservation to earn the title.

With a total land area of 47,270 hectares, the MKRNP is shared by eight municipalities in Bukidnon.

‘Cream of the crop’

Being an AHP, MKRNP is considered the cream of the crop among protected areas not only in the Philippines but also in Southeast Asia.

Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) Executive Director Theresa Mundita S. Lim describes MKRNP as “one of the last bastions of the Philippines’s unique biodiversity and natural heritage.”

“It hosts rare and endemic wildlife, including the Philippine Eagle.

It is home to 168 bird species, 131 butterf lies, and 63 mammals, 17 of which are endemic,” Lim, a former Department of Environment And Nat u r a l R e sou rce s - Bio d ive r s it y Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) director told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on September 22.

Essential to communities

According to Lim, MKRNP is also essential to the lives of the communities. It serves as a watershed that provides water for irrigation, power generation and domestic use for Bukidnon, as well as the province of Misamis Oriental. It is the catchment area of the Cagayan, Tagoloan and Pulangi river system.

“Before the pandemic, the park has vibrant tourism activities with its evergreen and montane forests, grasslands, wetlands and caves, drawing in hikers, campers and bird watchers,” she said.

One can find wealth in indigenous knowledge in Mt. Kitanglad as it is the ancestral domain of the Talaandig, Higaonon and Bukidnon ethnolinguistic groups, Lim added.

The biodiversity expert said being part of the roster of AHPs, Mt. Kitanglad has been receiving various kinds of support from ACB through its AHP Programme.

The AHPs have access to regional assistance for capacity development, equipment, management planning and law enforcement.

T he AC B h a s been suppor t i ng Mt . K it a ng l ad , a long w it h t wo ot her A HPs i n R eg ion 10 — Mt. Ma l i nd a ng R a nge Nat u ra l Pa rk , a nd Mt s. Ti mpoong Hibok-h ibok Nat u r a l Monu me nt — t h rou g h a projec t t h at he lps de ve lop a nd i mprove t he pa rk s’ web sites a nd on l i ne book i ng s ystems.

Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park and Rafflesia Photo courtesy of Growth Publishing/DENR “This project is part of the ACB’s bid to boost ecotourism in the AHPs and raise public awareness. And ensure that as we recover from the pandemic, we have this natural richness that we can turn to for healing and resilience,” she said.

Ecosystem services

The MKRNP provides various ecosystem services that range from water for domestic, agricultural, industrial and commercial use. Water flowing from the MKRNP is also used for power generation.

The benefits of these ecosystem services are being enjoyed by around 100,000 households living around the MKRNP, including those in neighboring towns and cities of Bukidnon like Cagayan de Oro City.

More prominently, the bounty of MKRNP are shared by the major indigenous tribes of the Talaandig, Higaonon and Bukidnon.

Endemic species

According to the DENR, Mount Kitanglad hosts over 600 rare and endemic species.

Besides the Philippine Eagle, the Philippine Tarsier is known to inhabit the AHP. MKRNP is also home to Rafflesia, the second largest flower in the world.

Threats

Like other protected areas, MKRNP is threatened by various destructive human activities. Slash-and-burn farming, unsustainable charcoal production, illegal tree cutting and forest fires are among the serious threats affecting the natural park.

According to the DENR, about 1,100 hectares of Mt. Kitanglad’s forest have been degrading annually based on 2003 to 2010 data.

The degradation is particularly ev ident in the headwaters of Mt. K itanglad watersheds that drain into the Cagayan de Oro R iver basin, which drains into the Macajalar Bay in Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental.

The intrusion of migrants and timber poachers are some of the biggest or more serious threats that are being observed within the MKRNP As such, MKRNP Protected Area Superintendent (PASu) Daniel F. Somera said education campaigns in the community and monitoring are being conducted to eradicate illegal activ ities.

“If the situation warrants, the filing of formal complaints in court is

also religiously undertaken against those who are caught doing such [illegal] activities, thereby, sending a strong signal to the public not to indulge in illegal activities,” he said.

Public-private partnership

To help protect and conserve MKRNP, the government has forged ties with the K itanglad Guard Volunteers (KGV), the Forest Foundation Philippines and Holcim Philippines Inc. The partnership aims to plant more than 300 hectares of coffee, abaca and bamboo as a sustainable agroforestry system to protect the AHP. Somera said that with the limited manpower, the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) has successfully tapped the cooperation of the upland communities to spearhead the community-based park protection in the area.

“The strong partnership of the DENR with our local volunteers, the KGVs, is very essential in executing our protection work,” he pointed out.

Greening program

More than 400 volunteers from KGV now serve as contractors of the DENR’s National Greening Program.

Somera said KGV started its humble beginnings with only more than a dozen members in 1995.

“The number rose to more than 400 volunteers who proved their worth in the significant decline of man-made disturbances within the park. Their park protection is also being reciprocated as they are given top priority in the provision of livelihood assistance,” Somera said.

Through the National Greening Program, the DENR hopes to develop an area of 50 hectares to plant bamboo for creek/riverbank rehabilitation and buffer zone-line enhancement to make it more visible to the public, while maintaining other NGP sites planted in the previous years.

Protecting Kitanglad

Besides being the DENR’s partner in greening Mt. Kitanglad Range, the KGV are also helping protect the entire MKRNP. Emiliano Lumiston, a KGV, said as part of their duty, they are on call, especially when there’s a report of illegal activities in the area.

“We protect the forest. As part of our duties and responsibilities, we also apprehend those involved in illegal activities,” Lumiston, who has been a KGV since 2000, told the BusinessMirror in Filipino.

“Since our number increased, illegal activities have stopped,” he boasted.

Ecotourism

As part of the park’s income-generating programs, the MKRNP PAMB, through his office, has continuously facilitated the entry of visitors to the park following the strict Covid-19 protocols, Somera said told the BusinessMirror via e-mail on September 16.

“Given this pandemic, the visitors allowed entry to the park are exclusively the residents in the province of Bukidnon to prevent the possible spread of this dreaded disease,” he said.

With the aim of further promoting the park as a potential ecotourism destination, various eco-tourism amenities and infrastructures have been constructed and maintained to ensure better services to the visiting public, he said.

According to Somera, the dormitory-type building within Cinchona Forest Reserve in Kaatuan, Lantapan, Bukidnon, is among the infrastructures that is more than halfway of completion.

“Among other existing infrastructures [others in progress of construction], these amenities are expected to give additional rapport and recognition of the park that promotes regulated ecotourism activities in tandem with partner local government units,” he said.

Wellspring of living tradition

Given its unique and outstanding features, the PAMB, through the PASu, has also applied for the park’s inscription to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) World Heritage site under the Landscape and Culture category.

However, considering the current public-health crisis, other activities, including the site validation by the Unesco team is still held in abeyance.

According to Somera, MKRNP is not only a biodiversity important area with a unique landscape and processes. It is also a wellspring of living tradition by the IP communities.

“The range has more than a dozen peaks with Mts. Dulangdulang and Kitanglad as the second and fourth highest peaks in the country. Besides its undulating landscape, the range has several precipices, especially in areas where creeks and rivers originate, making it the headwater of three major river systems in Mindanao,” he said.

Milo reaches 1-year of plastic neutrality milestone

By Roderick L. Abad

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Contributor

ILO has achieved one year of plastic neutrality. Together with Nestlé Philippines and its other nutritious brands, it has collected and processed 27,000 of plastic waste since August 2020—the equivalent amount of plastics it had generated and diverted away from landfills and oceans.

As part of the Kasambuhay For T he Env ironment initiative, the country’s favorite powdered chocomalt milk drink committed that for every pack of Milo that consumers consume, it will gather and process an equivalent amount of plastic packaging.

Proud of this project, the brand has helped pilot Nestlé-w ide efforts that champion plastic reduction, such as using paper bands to hold its packages together, shifting from plastics to paper bands, and shifting to paper straws for its ready-to-drink products.

Plastic, that has been part of the peoples’ lives, was built-to-last, which means that it is equally hard to recycle and, when left unchecked, can leave a negative impact on the environment.

Milo believes that a healthy and greener planet begins with promoting the right behavior toward waste management via education and is calling upon consumers to contribute to its cause of keeping plastics away from dumpsites and oceans.

“As we continue nourishing kids with nutritious energy and the inspiration to grow with sports, we also recognize our responsibility to the world they live in. We believe in being champions on and off the court and, together with our Nestlé family, are committed to achieving a waste-free future,” said Veronica Cruz, Milo business executive officer and Nestlé Philippines Inc. senior vice president.

“Celebrating one year of plastic neutrality is an important milestone for us but we still believe that we can all do more together for the env ironment,” she added.

By 2025, the company is committed to make its packaging recyclable or reusable, as well as reduce the use

of virgin plastics by one-third.

To help accomplish this, Milo recommends three simple ways for consumers to enjoy its powdered chocomalt milk drink.

First, after enjoying a cup of Milo, collect and clean the plastic waste, such as sachets, wrappers, plastic bags and cling wraps.

Second, bring the plastic waste to collection points nearby, including junk shops, malls, condominiums, and nongovernment organization.

Third, spread awareness to friends, family and fellow champions on how they, too, can contribute to a wastefree future. Help the members of community by sharing information on plastic collection points around the vicinity.

Sports BusinessMirror

A8 | S

unday, September 26, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

KRISTIE ELLIOTT is the first Canadian woman to play in—and score in—an NCAA football game. AP

SHE MAKES MEN’S FOOTBALL HISTORY

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ANCOUVER, British Columbia—Kristie Elliott is used to walking into the locker room backwards.

As the only woman on Simon Fraser University’s football team, Elliott knows her teammates could be in various state of undress and the placekicker has found the unique entrance acts as a bit of a warning.

“I don’t want to see anything,” she said with a laugh.

The 21-year-old Elliott booted a pair of successful conversions against Oregon’s Linfield University on September 11, becoming the first Canadian woman to play in—and score in—an NCAA football game.

The milestone was “kind of overwhelming,” said the fourthyear Psychology major.

“I’m just going out there, playing football, doing something that I love to do,” she told The Canadian Press. “I just love the game of football and I’m just proud of myself that I got to go out there and play my first game.”

Her story has similarities to that of American Sarah Fuller, who became the first woman to score in a Power Five conference NCAA football game last December when

the soccer goalkeeper cleanly kicked a pair of extra points for Vanderbilt.

Elliott’s love of the game is relatively recent.

It started in 2019 when she bet an SFU football player $40 that she could kick a 40-yard field goal. Elliott was athletic, a 5-foot-8 hurdler on the university’s track and field team and a longtime soccer player, but she’d never kicked a football before. She made the kick and sent the football player video evidence.

Soon, she was getting messages from other guys from the team encouraging her to try out.

Eventually she got in touch with the head coach, who told her she had potential.

“I said ‘Coach, I don’t know anything about football. I’ve never even seen a full game, I can’t tell you any rules. I know what a touchdown is, that’s pretty much it,’” Elliott said.

After some reassurance, Elliott hired a kicking coach and started studying the game. Then she headed to training camp. The first team meeting was a “very intimidating experience.”

“I walk in there and heads turn and everyone was looking at me,” she said. “I remember some of the guys saying they thought I was the

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Assault victims protest outside U-Michigan board meeting

NN ARBOR, Michigan— Protesters, including some of the hundreds of people who survived sexual abuse by a University of Michigan sports doctor, gathered outside a meeting of the school’s governing board Thursday and called for more accountability by campus leaders.

Former football player Chuck Christian handed out t-shirts that read, “Hail to the Victims,” a reference to “Hail to the victors,” a famous lyric in the Michigan fight song.

“This man was a monster,” Christian told fellow protesters and reporters, referring to late Dr. Robert Anderson.

“It’s therapeutic just being here,” he said, tearfully. “There are so many victims.”

Christian, who said he was assaulted by Anderson in the late 1970s, and others want the administration to further acknowledge what happened to them.

“You’re not taking any responsibility for what obviously had to be an institutional-enabled and complicit culture for one man to sexually abuse and rape people for four decades,” said Jon Vaughn, a former football player and

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ONDON—Marathon runner Mary Keitany retired from the sport on Wednesday because of a back injury, ending a career in which she won multiple races in London and New York and set the world record for a womenonly race.

The 39-year-old Kenyan said pandemic-related travel restrictions have stopped her from coming to Europe to get treatment on an injury sustained in 2019.

“Every time I thought I had got over the injury and started training hard, it became a problem again,” Keitany said. “So now is the time to say goodbye—if only as an elite runner—to the sport I love so much.”

Keitany won the London Marathon three times, in 2011, 2012 and 2017. In her victory in 2017, she finished in two hours, 17 minutes and one second. Only two women—Brigid Kosgei and Paula Radcliffe—have run a marathon quicker and they were in races also containing male pacesetters.

World Athletics makes a distinction between the record times set by Keitany and Kosgei,

Anderson victim.

Both Vaughn and Christian criticized their coach, the late Bo Schembechler, a legend at the school and in college football.

“Either he didn’t know and was incompetent on the off-the-field side of his team. Or he did know and he was complicit,” Vaughn said.

Christian said Schembechler “kept sweeping it under the rug.”

Schembechler’s son, Matt, has said he told his father that Anderson had assaulted him as a child. Another son, Glenn, does not think his father was aware that Anderson was doing anything unacceptable during exams.

Some Anderson victims spoke during the public comment portion of the Board of Regents meeting, the first time that the board had met in-person since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Christian put a comforting hand on the shoulder of a man who got emotional as he addressed the group.

“To the survivors—we hear you,

team trainer. I got asked if I was a teammate’s girlfriend.”

Elliott made the team in 2019 but struggled mentally and didn’t play in a game that season.

“I felt like I had a lot of pressure on myself and like I had to prove something to myself because I was on the team,” she said.

SFU, which plays football in the NCAA’s Division II Great Northwest Conference, didn’t play in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so Elliott’s debut was postponed until earlier this month.

“She’s worked her butt off.

Everything she’s gotten she deserves,” said Jerome Erdman, the team’s defensive coordinator.

“There’s a lot of pressure on her and she’s handled it very well.”

Elliott faces obstacles as the only woman on the team, Erdman said, from speculation over whether she’s a “publicity stunt” to not being able to physically be with her teammates in the locker room at times.

She’s overcome each challenge, he said, and is beloved by the 100 or so teammates who act like her older brothers.

“She’s part of the team,” he said. “And everybody knows what she’s had to do to be amongst us.

And they take that to heart

and really respect her.”

The trust among Elliott and her teammates has been built over time and she said there is now an “absolutely incredible” bond.

“Even on my lows, they’re always there to support me,” Elliott said.

Her teammates were quick to encourage her when she missed her first in-game field goal attempt, and they’re the ones cheering her on in the weight room as she strives for new personal bests.

There are times, though, when Elliott needs to get away. So she was excited this week to receive keys to her very own locker room—a former storage room that has been outfitted with a locker identical to the ones her male teammates use.

The new space means Elliott no longer needs to dash from the main locker room to a women’s change room to put on her gear. She doesn’t have to enter backwards or avert her eyes. She’s even decked out the space with a mirror and has plans to add a carpet.

“I’m going to make it a nice little women-only locker room,” she said.

“It’s cool to have a space where I can be by myself, with my own music—not like heavy rap—and have some time to myself.” AP

Women’s Euro soccer prize money doubles but only 4% of men’s pay

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ONDON—Prize money will double for the Women’s European Championship but will be less than 4 percent of the riches paid out for the most-recent men’s tournament.

European governing body UEFA announced Thursday that the 16 women’s teams at Euro 2022 in England will share 16 million euros ($19 million), while €4.5 million ($5 million) will go to clubs who release their players.

The 24 teams at the men’s European Championship shared 371 million euros ($435 million) in UEFA prize money this year, but clubs were also guaranteed at least €200 million ($235 million) for the release of players.

That means while at least €571 million ($670 million) is allocated in the financial package for the men’s tournament, only €20.5

we value you,” board chairman Jordan Acker said. “And we thank you for sharing your stories.”

The university has acknowledged that assaults occurred. A report by a law firm hired by U-M found that officials failed to stop Anderson, especially in the 1970s, despite hearing about assaults.

The university is in mediation with lawyers who are seeking a financial settlement for 800-plus people, mostly men.

Some who attended the protest Thursday were current Michigan students.

“This is our moment to show the University of Michigan and the world that we are powerful, we are strong, we have a voice and that voice will no longer be silent,” junior Porter Hughes said. AP

GERMANY’S Lena Sophie Oberdorf (left) challenges for the ball with Serbia’s Nina Matejic during their women World Cup qualification match in Chemnitz, Germany, recently. AP

Marathon record holder retires after injury

MARY KEITANY says pandemic-related travel restrictions have stopped her from coming to Europe to get treatment on an injury sustained in 2019. AP

who ran the Chicago Marathon in 2:14:04.

Keitany was a four-time winner of the New York City Marathon (2014-16 and 2018), and also won the world half marathon title in 2009.

She said she has no specific plans for the future and is looking forward to spending more time with her family.

Yuriy Sedykh, a two-time Olympic champion in the hammer throw whose world record from 1986 still stands, has died. He was 66.

The Russian track and field federation said Sedykh died early Tuesday following a heart attack.

“Deeply mourn the loss of Yuriy Sedykh,” World Athletics senior vice president and pole vault great Sergei Bubka wrote on Twitter. “For me, Yuriy was a friend, a wise mentor.”

Sedykh won gold at the 1976 and 1980 Olympics, but missed the 1984 Los Angeles Games because of a Soviet boycott. He returned to win a silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and won a world title in 1991. AP

million ($24 million) has been set aside for the women’s showpiece.

After the decision of its executive committee, UEFA said it was “ensuring that more money than ever before is distributed across the women’s game.” The committee features only one woman—French Football Federation General Manager Florence Hardouin—alongside 19 men.

The prize money is a reflection of the disparities in the revenue generated by the men’s game compared to women’s competitions.

The Women’s European Championship is being hosted by England next July after being delayed by a year due to the pandemic.

Fifa has faced long-standing criticism for the inequity in funding between the men’s and women’s game.

The global governing body awarded $400 million in prize money for the 32 teams at the 2018 men’s World Cup, including $38 million to champion France. It awarded $30 million for the 24 teams at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, including $4 million to the Americans after their second straight title.

Fifa has increased the total to $440 million for the 2022 men’s World Cup and is looking to double the women’s prize money to $60 million for the expanded 32-team

2023 Women’s World Cup. Mexico’s anti-monopoly commission, meanwhile, announced Thursday it has fined 17 soccer teams for conspiring to impose a cap on the salaries of women soccer players.

The commission said the teams will be fined about $9 million for illegal practices.

The clubs acted somewhat openly through the Mexican Soccer Federation, and the commission said the effect was “to deepen even further the salary gap between male and female soccer players.”

Those named by the commission included Mexico’s top soccer teams.

The salary cap appears to have been in place since Mexico’s women’s soccer league was formed in 2016. The wage cap was apparently increased in 2018, and continued through 2019.

Another agreement between teams included limits on players’ ability to switch teams and get higher salaries.

The US Soccer Federation, on the other hand, has urged the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a lower court’s decision to throw out the wage discrimination portion of a lawsuit filed by members of the women’s national team, arguing the law doesn’t require the federation to pay the players “tens of millions of dollars in phantom revenue it never received.”

In a 59-page brief filed Wednesday with the appellate court in San Francisco, the USSF said US District Judge R. Gary Klausner in Los Angeles correctly granted a summary judgment to the federation on the pay claim in May 2020. The judge ruled the women rejected a pay-to-play structure similar to the one in the men’s agreement with US Soccer and accepted greater base salaries and benefits than the men. He allowed their allegation of discriminatory working conditions to go to trial, and the sides reached a settlement on that portion.

The women asked the 9th Circuit to overrule the trial court’s ruling and put their wage claim back on track. A three-judge panel is likely to hear oral arguments late this year or in early 2022.

The women’s team players “deliberately negotiated for a CBA that prioritized guaranteed salaries and substantial benefits over higher contingent bonuses,” the federation’s lawyers wrote. “Plaintiffs cannot now, with the benefit of hindsight, pursue ‘equal pay’ claims based on a different pay structure they explicitly rejected. The District Court agreed.

This is not a factual dispute. It is not a battle of the experts. It is a fundamental disagreement about what equal pay means under the law.”

The USSF recently said it has offered identical contracts to both unions, which are separate and have no obligation under federal labor law to agree to similar terms.

The federation said the two unions had declined to negotiate a single agreement.

Items currently in the women’s contract, such as pay for players in the National Women’s Soccer League, maternity and pregnancy leave and pay, and medical and health insurance, would not necessarily be dropped from USSF proposals, the federation said.

The governing body also said it would refuse to agree to a deal in which World Cup prize money is not equalized. AP

BusinessMirror

September 26, 2021

Therapy dogs help students cope with the stress of college life

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BusinessMirror SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

YOUR MUSI

MARRYING THE OLD AND THE NEW Yung Bae on how far new his new single has ‘travelled’

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By Stephanie Joy Ching

RAWING inspiration from classic works of art has been around for a very long time. Whether it is making use of classic tropes for stories or referencing classical paintings, artists always manage to take these classic works and put them into a new modern perspective. And for future punk musician Yung Bae, this philosophy is largely the reason why he got into music producing.

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

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

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No, contrary to his stage name, Yung Bae is not at all Asian. Born as Dallas Cotton and based in Portland, Oregon, he first fell in love with producing when he stumbled onto the vaporwave genre on YouTube.

“It was what got me into producing,” said the twenty seven year old producer, “and it was also around the time people were discovering city pop. It was one of those things accidentally recommended to me in the sidebar, and it turned out to be one of my favorite music genres,” Inspired by City Pop’s “classic disco but more jazzy” sound, he quickly got to work in sampling his favorite tunes and putting his own unique spin on them. This produced works such as “Take My Love”, “Satisfy”, and eventually, his debut album “Bae.” “I love taking elements of that, it’s so interesting and fun. It’s truly one of those things that brings me a lot of happiness, fun and joy,” he said of the process, “cause you really have to work to find the perfect one,” However, for his latest release, “Silver and Gold”, Yung Bae decided to challenge himself by making his own samples completely from scratch. He describes the project as a way to “combine my old self and new self” that is bolstered by an

“elevated sound.”

“The end goal now is: ‘how do I create these samples from scratch?’ and really make it me,” he said.

YUNG Bae

Featuring a sunny sounding instrumental with a catchy, anthemic chorus, “Silver and Gold” is an Olympics-inspired track that features Australian singersongwriter Sam Fischer and R&B artist Pink Sweat$. With its carefree, happy beat and inspiring lyrics, the song is does sound like a labor of love between the three artists that made the most of the one and a half year they spent working on it. Moreover, the city pop influences add to its charm, lending it a warm, nostalgic vibe that makes it a track that is both comforting, powerful and fun at the same time.

“It feels like it’s travelled through different times, pens and cities to end up as the glorious moment it is now. I’ve been a fan of Yung Bae and Pink Sweat$ for a while so I’m stoked to be able to come together on a song about celebrating and going hard at life,” said Sam Fischer.

“Silver and Gold” is now available on all major streaming platforms.

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soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

BUSINESS

SoundSampler

by Tony M. Maghirang

NEW RECORDINGS | and the stories behind them

ABBA – “I Still Have Faith In You/“Don’t Shut Me Down”

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FTER a four-decade interval, the Swedish group ABBA has released two new songs in anticipation of a brandnew album titled “Voyager” out in November this year. Both songs echo with the sound that made Abba a global phenomenon in pop music.

It’s “I Still Have Faith,” the first to be released, that will bring radio listeners and older music fans back in time. In heartfelt almost emotive fashion, Lyngstad sings, “I still have faith in you, I see it now / through all these years, that faith lives on, somehow/There was a union, of heart and mind / the likes of which are rare and oh so hard to find.”

One distinct aspect that separates Abba from today’s giddily strident new music is that their song sounds unforced, truly coming from the heart. It makes its case about love, trust, and romance between two people in catchy music that should warm hearts even in a time of distancing and lockdown.

ELISE HUANG – “Lonely” Filipina singer-songwriter

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LISE Huang has come a long way from helming stripped-down confessionals that grapple with one’s personal history to coming out of the shell

with songs that defy conventions.

Huang’s remarkable transition has given her the opportunity to explore the outer fringes of pop music without completely losing the emotional vulnerability that defined her earlier releases.

Now ready to map uncharted territory while maintaining accessibility, Elise finds a middle ground between introspective, acoustic pop, and producer-driven R&B on “Lonely”—her latest single.

The song takes a swipe at men who only remember they’re in a relationship when loneliness strikes.

It’s a kiss-off that navigates onesided relationships with wisdom developed through years of observation and familiarity.

OVER OCTOBER – “Sandali Lang”

and you’re killing the game, then you ain’t ugly. In fact, I’d much rather be ugly with a Prada bag than be pretty with a lotta debt – perioooood!

SHAWN MENDES – “Summer of Love”

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RAMMY-nominated singer/ songwriter Shawn Mendes has a new single titled “Summer Of Love”, produced by award-winning producer/artist Tainy and NEON16.

“I hope this song makes people feel free, free from the weight of life, even if just for a moment,” says Mendes. “The inspiration was getting a few months off to have a real summer with the people I love. My favorite part about creating it was getting the opportunity and connecting with Tainy since he’s such an incredible artist and amazing producer.”

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ITH new single “Sandali Lang,” acclaimed Filipino quartet Over October breaks the mold with a heartfelt tune in the local language that tackles the feelings of falling in and out of love. While Over October’s previous batch of songs talked openly about being rejected and embracing optimism, their latest release mines the pain of breaking up with someone, to eventually emerge a better person after weathering the storm.

In the words of the band, “the act of letting go is also an act of love in itself.”

Guitarist Josh Buizon further pointed out, “The song speaks about two people — one who thought that everything was okay and going well, and the other, who was slowly falling out of love throughout their relationship. ‘Sandali Lang’ focuses on how the person who was left behind has so many questions trying to figure out what went wrong.”

RAMENGVRL – “I’m Ugly” This audacious new single comes from one of South East Asia’s most dominant hip-hop figures. In classic RAMENGVRL fashion, “I’m Ugly” hears the acclaimed Indonesian rap star shut down criticisms on her appearance via self-assured proclamations of her greatness, to prove that nobody can bring her down: “Yes I be ugly and yes you be pretty / but I be evolving and you haters stuck.”

Speaking about “I’m Ugly”, RAMENGVRL shared: “This song is about shutting down people who like to bring us down by telling us we’re ugly or we’re not up to societies standards, but lemme tell you something: if you’re in your bag

BEN&BEN – Pebble House, Vol. 1: Kuwaderno

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HE 13-track new album from Ben&Ben captures the songs, stories, messages, experiences, learnings, and insights that accompanied them through their selfreflecting but fulfilling journey.

In a statement, the ninepiece collective said, “Each song, much like an entry in one’s personal journal, encapsulates something uniquely special to represent something in a certain point in time,” On their second album, the group also teamed up with the biggest names in the Philippine music industry on six of the songs, including “Swimming Pool” (feat. Chito Miranda of Parokya Ni Edgar), “Pasalubong” (Feat. Moira Dela Torre), and “Lunod” (feat. Zild and Juan Karlos).

“We’ve always wanted to collaborate with these artists, but we were also always a bit too shy to ask,” shared lead vocalist and guitarist Paolo Benjamin. “While working on the second album, however, our songs and the arrangements gave us the confidence to reach out in hopes that these collaborators would likewise believe in our music enough to work with us. Thankfully, they did, and we are immensely grateful for their generosity.”

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Therapy dogs help students cope with the stress of college life

By Christine Kivlen Wayne State University

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t a private college in the Northeast, a first-year student said it was the highlight of her day whenever she would lie on the floor of her adviser’s office and cuddle with a therapy dog, a Leonberger named Stella.

At a large public university in the Midwest, a graduate student spoke of how a therapy dog there provided some muchneeded relief.

“What stands out for me is how comforting it felt to pet the therapy dog, especially when I started to miss my family and my own dog at home,” the student, who is in a demanding health professional program, told me for my study of therapy dog programs for graduate students. The student spent about 35 minutes a week with three other students who all got to spend time with the therapy dog, petting her and giving her treats.

Another student in the same program said spending time with a therapy dog helped her prepare for high-stakes tests.

“It was always really nice to spend time with the therapy dog before big exams,” the student said. “I felt like it gave me time to relax before the stressful test.”

Such scenes are becoming more and more common at college campuses throughout the US as college students increasingly turn to therapy dogs for comfort and to cope with the challenges of student life—such as increasing workloads.

And as the demand for mental health counseling on campuses continues to soar, colleges are using therapy animals as a way to improve student mental health. Therapy dog programs are provided to colleges and their students largely free of charge.

As an expert on therapy dog programs—more formally known as canineassisted interventions—I’ve studied how the programs can improve student wellbeing. Among other benefits, therapy dogs can help students achieve a stronger sense of belonging and better deal with being homesick and lonely, while also lessening their anxiety and stress.

Some of this can be explained by how human bodies respond to pleasant interactions with therapy animals. A 2019 study found that college students who spent even just 10 minutes petting a dog or cat saw significantly decreased cortisol levels, which are known to indicate stress.

Animals on campus In 2017, a survey of over 150 institutions found that 62 percent of schools had an animal-assisted intervention program.

Dog therapy programs tend to look different at each institution. Some programs may involve a few therapy dogs and their handlers casually visiting the library a few times throughout the semester.

cupational therapy, psychology or counseling, or by an activities coordinator in student services. The dogs are typically pets with a good temperament and training. The handler pays any fees required for the dog-and-handler team to be registered through a company that provides therapy dog registration. The handlers pay the fees because they enjoy providing animal-assisted intervention.

Through the company Pet Partners, a widely used animal-assisted intervention company, it costs the handler $15 to $30 for a dog/handler team to be evaluated, $95 to register the therapy dog team and $70 to renew each subsequent year.

Calming effects

College students interact with therapy dogs as a way to relieve stress. Christine Kivlen, CC BY-ND In this setting, students may approach the therapy dogs one on one or in small groups. The time students spend with the therapy dog can vary from a few minutes to 45 minutes. Other programs are more structured and involve scheduled times with a certain number of students being paired with an assigned therapy dog and handler.

Inexpensive for dog owners The cost of having a dog registered as a therapy dog is relatively low for the owner.

The programs are typically coordinated by college personnel or faculty members in various departments, such as oc-

In my dissertation on animal-assisted interventions, I asked a series of openended questions of graduate students who were participating in therapy dog programs.

Several students related how pleasant it was to have a scheduled break from schoolwork. “The experience forced me to take time out of my day and dedicate it to not studying,” one student wrote.

“The therapy dog is so calm,” another student wrote. “Her energy/mellowness helped me to calm down each session.”

Not only did the students enjoy their time with the therapy dogs, the therapy dogs seemed to enjoy spending time with the students as well. Many handlers told me about their dogs being much more excited on the morning of their designated day to go to the college. They also reported that their dogs were even more excited when they arrived on campus. The Conversation

Student fundraiser helps thousands of learners in World Vision’s 5K Campaign Challenge

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tudents across the Philippines once again showed their support for fellow learners whose education were affected by the pandemic by joining World Vision’s 2020 5K Campaign Challenge, a fundraising initiative for the benefit of the child-focused organization’s Covid-19 emergency response.

Going above and beyond their goals, World Vision’s student ambassadors were able to raise more than P300,000.

The total amount of donations will be used to help over 3,000 learners all over the country.

“It’s so inspiring to see students helping and supporting fellow students, especially the ones who need our help,” said Jun Godornes, World Vision resource development director.

The 5K Campaign Challenge’s objective is to encourage the participating students to fundraise among their

Students across the Philippines once again showed their support for fellow learners whose education was affected by the pandemic by joining World Vision’s 2020 5K Campaign Challenge, a fundraising initiative for the benefit of the child-focused organization’s Covid-19 emergency response. peers and relatives to help children receive modules and gadgets to continue their education.

During this time of a pandemic, the common challenge among children have been their education, which was why Abutin Nat10 was selected as the

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focus of the 2020 5K Campaign Challenge. Funds raised for Abutin Na10, a program created by World Vision in partnership with DepEd, will contribute to DepEd’s Learning Continuity Plan and its multimodal approaches, so that children can continue to learn and SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

develop their life skills even in these difficult times.

The students who participated in the 5K Campaign Challenge came from schools across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in a Virtual Congratulatory Event hosted by World Vision. The Top Advocates, or students who encouraged others to join the campaign, are Arisha of Brent International School, who invited friends to participate in the fundraising and even partnered with a local business to reach her goals; Carina of Homeschool Global, who also invited 3 other friends to fundraise with her; and Bernice of Homeschool Global, who advocated for the cause through a livestream performance.

To know more about World Vision’s 5K Campaign Challenge and its initiative against Covid-19, visit https:// www.worldvision.org.ph and follow / worldvisionph on Facebook and @worldvisionphl on Instagram for updates.