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Saturday-Sunday, December 30-31, 2023 Vol. 19 No. 78

“I am calling [on] all LGUs to come up with ordinances [banning fireworks display in communities].

Anyway, the New Year can be celebrated joyfully [even without firecrackers],” he said.

Abalos’s appeal to LGU executives was made at the “Lab 4 All” Christmas for All Gift-Giving activity at the Jose Fabella Center in Mandaluyong City earlier this month.

The DILG chief instead pushed for supervised fireworks displays in common spaces like municipal town halls and other designated areas.

Abalos said this proposed measure could help reduce fireworksrelated accidents and untoward incidents during the holiday season.

In 2017, then-President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order 28, banning fireworks in households or places of residence nationwide, stressing only community fireworks displays supervised by licensed individuals are allowed.

Abalos urged LGUs to replicate the same measure, which is still being implemented by other local governments, such as Davao City and Quezon City.

This ban aims to minimize firecracker-related injuries in the coming New Year’s Eve celebration.

Implement law to the fullest

THE DILG chief also urged all LGUs to strictly enforce their ordinances

concerning the use of harmful firecrackers in their respective communities.

This, Abalos explained, is to ensure the safety of their communities, and lessen, if not totally eliminate, pyrotechnics-related injuries prior to and during New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Based on DILG data, at least 1,210 LGUs already have ordinances banning the use of harmful firecrackers in their respective localities.

“Let us see to it that these ordinances [regarding harmful firecrackers] can be implemented properly.

Let us put teeth into these ordinances,” Abalos said in Filipino.

This, as he commended the 35 LGUs that have complied with his recent call to pass ordinances on the same, saying that this will ensure safe and injury-free celebrations for their constituents.

Abalos said to attain their target of safe and injury-free festivities, LGUs must see to it that the provisions of the said ordinances are implemented down to the grassroots level.

Of the 1,210 LGUs that already have firecracker ordinances, Region 1 has 94; Region 2 with 84; Cordillera Administrative Region with 56; and Region 3 with 108.

Also, National Capital Region has 17; Calabarzon with 126; Mimaropa with 67; Region 5 with 63;

DTI Assistant Secretary Amanda Marie F. Nograles spearheaded the enforcement operations, actively urging the public to prioritize product safety.

She emphasized the importance of verifying product labels, specifically checking for the PS mark accompanied by a valid license number.

This verification, she explained, is crucial for ensuring the quality and safety of the product.

Additionally, Nograles reminded consumers to exercise vigilance by checking the official list of licensed manufacturers and models.

She cautioned that not all PS marks might be legitimate.

DTI reminds the consumers to check and be guided by the list of PS-licensed fireworks issued by the DTI-Bureau of Product Standards.

As of December 13, there are 15 local brand names and their corresponding manufacturers listed with PS-license, including 4Sure Fireworks, A. Santiago Fireworks, Andy’s Fireworks, Double L, Dragon Fireworks, Diamond, LF Fireworks, LLF, Maribel Sta. Ana Fireworks, Nation, Pegasus, Phoenix, Star Light, Yangco Fireworks, and JPL Fireworks.

The enforcement of the uncertified fireworks is pursuant to Republic Act 7183 or the Law on Pyrotechnic Devices, which prohibits the importation of finished

Region 6 with 102; Region 7 with 91; Region 8 with 127; Region 9 with 66; Region 10 with 86; Region 11 with 23; Region 12 with 37; and Region 13 with 63.

According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), the list of prohibited firecrackers includes, among others, Five Star, Pla-pla, Piccolo, Goodbye Philippines, Goodbye Bading, Giant Bawang, Watusi, Atomic Triangle, Judas’ Belt, Super Yolanda, Super Lolo, and Coke-in-Can.

Tracking illegal firecracker sellers online

MEANWHILE, the PNP Firearms and Explosives Division is now coordinating with the Anti-Cybercrime Group and other stakeholders in tracking down sellers of illegal firecrackers online.

Online sellers of illegal firecrackers could face charges for violation of Republic Act 7183 and Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Meanwhile, Col. Jay Guillermo, of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group’s Cyber Response unit, warned the public against buying firecrackers online as firecrackers being sold in this medium could be the unregulated type and have more explosive content than the licensed ones.

This could be dangerous as it could cause injuries to the unwary public lighting it up during the holidays.

DTI heightens enforcement

THE DTI, for its part, announced that it had successfully carried out its heightened enforcement of technical regulations, resulting in the confiscation of uncertified fireworks in Bocaue, Bulacan, on December 21.

During the enforcement operations, four out of the 33 inspected retail firms were issued with notices of violation (NOV) for selling fireworks not covered by the Philippine Standard (PS) license and for using an improper PS mark, resulting in the seizure of a total of 1,543 products.

Retail stores were given 48 hours to provide an explanation related to the findings of non-compliance as part of the due process.

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firecrackers and fireworks.

The DTI’s nationwide initiative against unlicensed fireworks highlights the enforcement of technical regulations, mandating compliance with Philippine Standard Certification Mark Schemes, particularly Department Administrative Order 02, Series of 2007. The said enforcement focuses on compliance under General Categories 1, 2 and 3, as specified in Department Administrative Order 22-08 Series of 2022.

Going ‘underground’

INSTEAD of pushing for a total firecracker ban, the Philippine Fireworks Association urged the DILG to crack down on illegal manufacturers and individuals smuggling substandard pyrotechnics.

The group also clarified that the legitimate fireworks manufacturers comply with standards set by the DTI-BPS before being sold in the marketplace.

The group said that the ban would also not prevent illegal manufacturers and sellers from going “underground” to sell their wares, adding that only legitimate businesses will be affected.

The Philippine Pyrotechnics Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc., for its part, urged lawmakers to create a national pyrotechnic regulatory board to come up with proper rules and policies for the industry.

JIANGHONGYAN | DREAMSTIME.COM

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HE Filipinos’ love-hate relationship with the explosive, flashy and sometimes deadly and injurycausing firecrackers during the New Year’s Eve revelry appears to be at an end point after Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos urged all local government units (LGUs) to come up with ordinances that will ban firecracker use and individual fireworks displays in their respective localities.

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Pinoys’ penchant for firecrackers to herald the start of the New Year coming to an end?

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PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 55.5670 n JAPAN 0.3930 n UK 70.7590 n HK 7.1121 n CHINA 7.8127 n SINGAPORE 42.0898 n AUSTRALIA 37.9467 n EU 61.4738 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.8187 Source: BSP (December 29, 2023)

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Feel alone? Check out these quotes on what it’s been like to be human in 2023 O feel 2023 is to listen closely and think on the words of awe, dread, anger, disconnect, loss— and yes, love—that flowed from people directly involved in the world’s most recent turns of history.

To help tell the story, The Associated Press presents quotes from people around the world who shared their experiences, thoughts and insights. Some are universal and insightful, others intimate and specific and a few cases—looking at you, Elon Musk—may require a double take. In many instances, the sharing itself was an act of courage at a time when people are increasingly isolated.

Perhaps, they’ll make you feel less alone as this year of war, chaos and beauty comes to a close.

LONELINESS

“It’s like hunger or thirst. It’s a feeling the body sends us when something we need for survival is missing.”

—US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in an interview with The Associated Press in May after his office reported that loneliness is an epidemic in the US that was dra-

matically worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization says anxiety and depression increased by 25% globally since the outbreak the COVID-19 global crisis.

FATIGUE

“Ten years of war and struggle. And it seems like the blood has only just begun to flow, truly. I regret nothing.

But, God, it’s just so tiresome.”

—Dmytro Riznychenko, a 41-year-old psychologist, walking through Kyiv’s Independence Square in November as he considered an uprising that unleashed a decade of momentous change for Ukraine, eventually leading to the current war with Russia.

WONDER

“I’m feeling the goosebumps, and it’s a very happy moment … You can see the energy. It’s beyond words.”

—Shrini Singh as she watched the live broadcast of Indian spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 landing on the lunar surface, making India only the fourth country to achieve this milestone. The successful landing showcasing India’s rising standing as a technology and space powerhouse sparked celebrations across India. Singh was speaking in New Delhi on August 23.

my breast with my hand, I was even scolded and yelled at...I was totally confused, nervous and humiliated, especially when I was told to lift my left leg on the chair.”

—Priskila Ribka Jelita, a 23-year-old model and a 2023 Miss Universe Indonesia contestant, describing her “body check” in an interview with The Associated Press on August 15 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

NUVOLANEVICATA | DREAMSTIME.COM

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By Laurie Kellman | The Associated Press

GRIEF

“We are the best actors in the world.

We act like people. When really, we are other beings frozen in our acutely agonizing desolation.”

—Rachel Goldberg, mother of Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, speaking to the UN in Geneva December 12. She was describing the experience of walking around in the world in a sort of limbo, with family members kidnapped during Hamas’ October 7 attack still in captivity as Israel bombards Gaza.

Hersh was last seen in a Hamas video climbing into a pickup truck that day with his arm blown off.

LIMBO

“She comes into my dreams. She comes into every conversation we’re having here. Everyone keeps asking about her, how her night was, if there is anyone holding her. Because she is all alone.”

—Tal Idan, speaking of her niece, Abigail, 3, whose parents

were killed in the October 7 Hamas raid in Israel. Abigail was taken hostage and later released during a prisoner exchange.

HUMILIATION

“We were treated like cattle, they even wrote numbers on our hands. We could feel their hatred.”

—Ibrahim Lubbad, a 30-yearold computer engineer arrested in Beit Lahiya in the Gaza Strip on December 7 with a dozen other family members and held overnight. Israeli wartime roundups, in which people have been taken to a camp at an undisclosed location, nearly naked and with little water. The roundups revealed an emerging tactic in Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza, experts say, as the military sought to solidify control in evacuated areas in the north and collect intelligence about Hamas operations.

EXASPERATION

“We are here all together, all the world together, to combat climate change and really, we’re negotiating for what? We’re negotiating for what in the middle of a genocide?”

—Hadeel Ikhmais, a climate change expert with the Palestinian Authority, on December 1 during the COP28 talks in Dubai. The Israeli offensive has killed more than 18,700 Palestinians as of the weekend of December 16-17, the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory says.

MEANING

“There will come a point where no job is needed. You can have a job if you wanted to have a job for personal satisfaction. But the AI would be able to do everything … One of the challenges in the future will be how do we find meaning in life.”

—Tesla CEO Elon Musk on AI, in conversation November 20 with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

DISAPPOINTMENT

—Osama Abdel Hamid, weeping at a hospital in Idlib, Syria, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake, the deadliest in decades, devastated his war-ravaged country and parts of Turkey February 6. He said most of his neighbors died when their shared four-story building collapsed. As he fled with his wife and three children, a wooden door fell on them, shielding them from falling debris.

ANGER

“We did not die from hunger or the earthquake, but we will die freezing from the cold. It shouldn’t be this way.

No one is sending help.”

—Aysan Kurt, 27, speaking to the AP near the quake’s epicenter in Turkey.

FOCUS

“When we dig, we look for someone alive. From there, we don’t ask ourselves questions. If they’re alive, great. If they’re dead, it’s a shame.”

—Patrick Villadry of the French rescue crew ULIS, describing the technique necessary given the quake’s devastation. Recovering the dead, he noted, was important for Moroccan families.

QUESTIONING

“I don’t understand. Now it’s harder and colder.”

—A commander of the 11th National Guard Brigade’s antidrone unit who is known on the battlefield as Boxer, voicing discontent among Ukrainian soldiers— once extremely rare and expressed only in private. He was speaking about Ukraine’s attacks against well-armed Russian troops on the other side of the Dnieper River in the southern city of Kherson. Soldiers are asking why these difficult amphibious operations were not launched months ago in warmer weather.

"They told me that this country was different. But for me, it’s been hell.”

—Karina Obando, 38, a mother from Ecuador who has been given until January 5 to leave the former hotel in New York City where she has been staying with her two young children. She is one of thousands of migrant families in an emergency shelter system who has been ordered by the city to clear out, with winter setting in. Mayor Eric Adams says the order is necessary to relieve a shelter system overwhelmed by asylum-seekers crossing the southern US border.

DISILLUSIONMENT

PAIN

AWE

“What is most painful is that years after the brutalities and the stealing of our land, British companies are still in possession of our ancestral homes, earning millions from their comfortable headquarters in the UK, while our people remain squatters.”

—Joel Kimutai Kimetto, 74, speaking to the AP in a phone interview during King Charles III’s visit to Kenya in October. Kimetto said his grandfather and father were kicked out of their ancestral home by the British.

HOPE

“God gave me a new lease on life.”

“This is probably the most uniquely horrible choice I’ve had in my life.”

—Andrew Collins, 35, an independent from Windham, Maine, on the likely showdown in next year’s election between political foes men who each have served one term as president, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. Collins participated a poll this month from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. in which American voters made clear how less than jazzed they are about such a rematch in 2024.

“It is amazing to see this huge berg in person—it stretches as far as the eye can see.”

—Andrew Meijers, chief scientist aboard the research ship RRS Sir David Attenborough, which crossed paths with the mega iceberg known as the A23a near Antarctica in early December. The iceberg is three times the size of New York City, or more than twice the size of Greater London.

SHOCK

“When they asked me to open my bra ... I was shocked! But I couldn’t speak or refuse. When I tried to cover

APPRECIATION

“There was silence and like a mist, as if it was dusk, but only a few minutes later the birds were singing again.”

—Carmen Jardines, 56, watching the “ring of fire” eclipse in October from Cancun, Mexico on the dance of the moon and the sun cheered by millions across the Americas.

ALIENATION

“My name is used to raise money. But Jean-Pierre doesn’t give me much.”

—Amazon Kayapo tribal Chief Raoni Metuktire, on Belgian filmmaker Jean-Pierre Dutilleux after the souring of their five-decade partnership, considered to be among the world’s most productive partnerships between an Indigenous chief and a Westerner.

WARINESS

“Maybe it looks the same on the surface. But when you look with a magnifying glass, you’ll see the essence isn’t the same.”

—Hong Kong artist Wong Kaying, 32, who said she sees cultural life is recovering from a stretch of stifling protests and pandemic restrictions. But, she said, even at a glamorous art fair, she felt the chill of a legal clampdown. The art felt tamer than in past years and overtly political art was rare. She was one of 20 people interviewed who said that business indicators and everyday life point to a recovery. But when it comes to anything political, the openness and freedoms that were once hallmarks of the Chinese-ruled former British colony seem permanently gone.

CELEBRATION

“A three-part summer of feminine extravaganza.”

—Taylor Swift, Time’s Person of the Year, describing the summer of 2023 being dominated culturally by her Eras tour, the Barbie movie and Beyoncé’s blockbuster Renaissance Tour.

PROTECTIVENESS

“Let’s not have the bleeding of these works, all this intellectual property leaving the continent. Let’s keep it here.’”

—Ugandan attorney Linda Mutesi, an art collector who helped launch the Contemporary Art Society of Uganda. Collecting for her and others has become a principled effort aimed at retaining Africa’s most unique cultural resources.

INTENTION

“I’m trying not to do anything that alienates anyone. But I can’t just not do the right thing because I’m scared.”

—Cydney Wallace, a Black Jewish community activist in Chicago, part of a growing number of Black Americans who see the Palestinian struggle in the West Bank and Gaza reflected in their own fight for racial equality and civil rights. The recent rise of protest movements against police brutality in the US, where structural racism plagues nearly every facet of life, has connected Black and Palestinian activists under a common cause.

PRAYER

“May God save us.”

—Phrase that neighbors used to greet each other in a remote village in Morocco’s Ouargane Valley after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake devastated the region September 8. It was the most intense tremor to hit North Africa in 120 years.

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Saturday-Sunday, December 30-31, 2023

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LTFRB allows unconsolidated jeepney operators to operate until Jan. 31, 2024

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

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HE government assured on Friday that there will be no transport crisis come 2024, as it provides a month-long grace period for unconsolidated public utility vehicles (PUV) to continue their operations. The caveat, however, is that they will no longer be allowed to consolidate after the temporary reprieve.

In a news conference, officials of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced the issuance of a new memorandum, allowing the extension of unconsolidated PUV franchises until January 31.

“Looking at the whole universe of the available modes, the LTFRB is not expecting a transportation crisis by January 2024,” LTFRB Board Member Mercy Paras Leynes said. “ There are other available transportation modes or road transport service or mode of transportation, such as jeepneys or PUVS. Even the buses can still provide the needed mass transport mode.”

The memorandum specifically targets areas where less than 60 percent of author ized transpor t ser vice entities (TSE) have been consolidated.

Despite extending their operations for a month, operators and drivers that fail to consolidate their franchises into cooperatives or corporations on or before the December 31 deadline will have their franchises revoked.

“A ll unconsolidated individual operators who failed to file appli-

cation for consolidation prior to 31 December 2023 shall no longer be allowed to organize into a juridical entity or join existing consolidated TSEs,” Memorandum Circular 2023052 read.

The agency estimates that in the National Capital Region (NCR), about 30 percent have already complied with the consolidation order. Under the new circular, the LTFRB has placed a “60 percent” minimum as for number of authorized units (NAU) in routes to ensure that PUVs can accommodate passengers.

“I would like to emphasize that i n t he m aj or t horou g h f a re s i n Metro Manila, they have consolidated. Majority of those who have not consolidated, consist of short routes where there are other modes of transport for the short distance that can still cater to the commuters,” LTFRB NCR Regional Director Zona Tamayo ex plained.

Despite the “leniency” extended to unconsolidated operators and drivers, the LTFRB will still issue show-cause orders to all unconsolidated PUVs, as part of the “due process.”

Industry consolidation is part of the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP). President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. himself announced that the deadline for consolidation is firmly set for December 31.

Bad message THE Passenger Forum (TPF) Convener Primo Morillo questioned the difference between the January 31 franchise extension and the December 31 deadline for consolidation.

“Why do they need to have a different deadline for consolidation and a deadline for franchise revocation?” he said in a phone interview. “They know that there will be a transport crisis that’s why they extended the franchises to January 31.”

Morillo said that the extension of the operations of unconsolidated units is simply a move from the government to “give itself a month to address the fact that there will be a shortage in supply after the deadline.”

He also cautioned the government that it is sending a “bad message” to industry players by giving them two different timelines.

“With that they are saying that these operators and drivers will no longer be part of the industry,” he said. “If they are saying that the consolidation is not a phase out, then why this decision? They are saying that they are advocates of consolidation and are against phase out, so why are they now prohibiting them from consolidating?”

It is “odd,” Morillo said, that there are two different timelines for the industry to follow, advising that the “extension should not just be the operations, but the consolidation itself.”

Shou ld t he gover nment push through with the deadline for consolidation and the franchise-only extension, then it is just “aggravating the crisis,” he said.

“Commuters already find it hard to get a ride due to a shortage in supply, and yet they are still trimming the crop because of an ill-advised plan. What will be their solution from January 1 to 31?

Are they going to create new franchises?

How will they address the problem by February?” Morillo said.

restraining order (TRO) and/or writ of preliminary injunction.

Bad measure

Bad design

THE Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (PISTON) noted that the extension is a band-aid solution that only forces operators to consolidate.

“This is not an extension, but a stop-gap measure to further coerce operators to apply for franchise consolidation. The LTFRB and DOTr [Department of Transportation] keep twisting their numbers to serve huge corporations’ purpose of monopolizing public transport,” PISTON President Mody Floranda said.

He said that in NCR alone, over 31,000 PUVs are yet to apply for consolidation.

“That is almost equivalent to 86,000 transport workers displaced in the NCR and around 6.2 million commuters stranded in the densest metropolis in the country,” he said. “The PUVMP is clearly a failure. This is not just a crisis, this is a transport disaster.”

PISTON earlier filed for a temporary restraining order before the Supreme Court against the PUVMP. However, the High Court only ordered the DOTr and the LTFRB an opportunity to justify the constitutionality of their various administrative issuances that would pave the way for the eventual phase out of jeepneys from the roads.

The Court ordered the respondents to comment within a non-extendible period of 10 days from notice on the petition for certiorari and prohibition with urgent application for a temporary

TOIX CERNA, a representative of commuter advocacy group Komyut, noted that the PUVMP in itself has a “design problem.”

“They are forcing consolidation as a key component. Basically, it’s really designed so that consolidated entities can access capital to the bank so they can modernize—that’s just the main point. But what commuters want is adequate service. It doesn’t matter if they are modern. If the supply is not enough, then it’s just face value. The program has to be updated to provide commuters adequate service,” Cerna said in a phone interview.

She recommended the government to review and evaluate its priorities.

“The demand for public transport is high,” Cerna said. “They have to change the approach to make it more commuter-focused.”

The PUVMP, initiated by the government in 2017, aims to overhaul the nation’s public transportation system, particularly focusing on jeepneys, the backbone of public transit in the Philippines.

The PUVMP aims to modernize and unify the fragmented public utility vehicle industry, emphasizing the replacement of older vehicles with those meeting Euro 4 emissions standards.

The program’s objectives include changing the franchising system, introducing new routes, and providing education to drivers.

The program will be fully implemented by January 1.

No holiday declaration for January 2–Palace

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OLLOWING a series of long weekends this month, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has opted not to declare January 2, 2024 as another holiday.

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy V. Garafil said the Chief Executive has not suspended work and classes during the said date.

“Wala po (none),” the PCO official told reporters last Friday when asked if there is already a presidential issuance declaring Tuesday as a holiday.

Marcos had been advocating for long weekends to help boost the country’s tourism and encourage people to spend time with their families.

He issued Proclamation No. 90 declaring December 25 (Christmas Day) as a regular holiday and Proclamation No. 26 as a special non-working holiday.

Filipinos will be enjoying another long weekend this week after the President came out with proclamations declaring December 30 (Rizal Day) a regular holiday and December 31 a special non-working holiday.

Marcos also made January 1, 2024 (New Year’s Day) the first regular holiday of the year through Proclamation No. 368. Samuel P. Medenilla

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BSP: December inflation may settle at 3.6% to 4.4%

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

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HE country’s inflation in December could settle between 3.6 percent to 4.4 percent driven by higher prices of rice and meat, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

“The BSP projects December 2023 inflation to settle within the range of 3.6 to 4.4 percent. Higher prices of rice and meat are seen as the primary sources of upward price pressures in December,” the BSP said in a statement on Friday.

Nonetheless, the BSP noted that lower prices for other commodities, such as vegetables, fruits, and fish would contribute to “downward” price pressures.

Fur t her more, lower electr icit y rates a nd pet roleu m pr ices a re

e x pected to prov ide suppor t for t he slow ing dow n of t he countr y’s inf l at ion, t he BSP added.

“Going forward, the BSP will continue to monitor developments affecting the outlook for inflation and growth in line with its data-dependent approach to monetary policy decisionmaking,” it said.

Local economists earlier told the BusinessMirror that certain risks persist against the country’s inflation print in December, which includes higher rice prices as well as the Christmas spending.

The country’s inflation in December of last year stood at 8.1 percent, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The state’s inflation, which measures the rate of the increase in the prices of goods and services, in No-

vember slowed to 4.1 percent. It was slower than the 4.9 percent recorded in October and 8 percent registered in November 2022.

However, PSA data showed despite the slower headline inflation, certain commodities such as rice posted an inflation rate of 15.8 percent in November, higher than the 13.2 percent posted in October 2023 and the 3.1 percent posted in November 2022. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2023/12/06/november-inf lation-slows-to-4-1-but-risks-cited/) The Marcos administration extended the lower tariff rates on imported pork, rice and corn until the end of 2024 as part of its efforts to keep domestic food supplies sufficient and prices stable amid volatile market conditions that include the threat of El Niño.

Drivers affected by jeepney modernization may avail of assistance, DSWD official says

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HE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced Friday that jeepney drivers who may be impacted by the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program’s (PUVMP) could avail of the services and programs offered under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS).

This developed as lawmakers warned that the modernization program would adversely affect commuters if thousands of non-consolidated jeepneys would be forced to cease operations by the New Year.

Miramel Laxa, director of the DSWD Program Management Bureau (PMB), said drivers facing potential challenges due to the PUVMP could access the various programs and services offered by the department.

“It is possible that they can avail of AICS since they can be categorized as in crisis,” Laxa said.

Some P23 billion has been appropriated for AICS next year.

The AICS is part of the DSWD’s initiatives, serving as a prompt measure by providing immediate and temporary aid to individuals and families undergoing crises, as assessed by social workers.

“Availing of AICS can help them meet their basic needs through different forms of assistance such as food and cash aid, among others,” Laxa added.

However, Laxa emphasized AICS provides essential assistance on a one-time basis.

She underscored the importance of supplementing this aid with livelihood support or grants, considering the potential loss of their primary source of income.

“It would be better to also consider them for livelihood programs and grants offered by different government agencies,” Laxa said.

The PUVMP seeks to replace old PUVs, including jeepneys, with modern ones beginning January 2024.

Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan

Rep. Raoul Manuel said that the program, as it stands, is unsustainable, anti-poor, and primarily serves corporate interests.

Brosas criticized the program for allowing the influx of multi-million imported minibuses to be shouldered by small operators over several years.

Brosas has also raised concerns about the economic burden on small operators and the potential negative impact on individual ownership.

For his part, Manuel said transport operators and drivers are calling on the Marcos administration to remove the franchise consolidation deadline or altogether discard the PUVMP. He debunked the government’s claim that there would be no phase out of traditional jeepneys.

According to a study by the Institute for Nationalist Studies, Manuel said the registration fee for cooperatives undergoing consolidation is around

Defense chief: Sovereignty responsibility of all Pinoys

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S the country observes the 127th death anniversary of patriot and hero Dr. Jose Rizal Saturday, December 31, Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” C. Teodoro Jr. reminded all Filipinos that it is their collective responsibility to take care of the country’s sovereignty.

“Today [Saturday] may every Filipino be reminded of our shared duty and

responsibility to uphold our sovereignty and sovereign rights as citizens of this nation,” the defense chief stressed.

Teodoro also called Rizal a “visionary and patriot who chose to fight for our nation’s freedom through words and ideals.”

He also emphasized that Rizal’s courage and sacrifice inspired others to join the fight for our independence.

“Let us embody our national hero’s un-

Sen. Go extends aid to Manila fire victims

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ENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go assisted fire victims in Manila City on Friday, December 22, as part of the senator’s efforts to support more vulnerable sectors, especially those facing challenges this Holiday Season.

Go’s Malasakit Team provided grocery packs, water containers, snacks, shirts, and balls for basketball and volleyball to 210 affected households. They also distributed a

bicycle, a watch, a mobile phone, and pairs of shoes to select recipients.

Meanwhile, the National Housing Authority then assessed the beneficiaries who may qualify for necessary housing assistance to help them rebuild their homes.

The relief activity was held at Barangay 95 gymnasium in coordination with Barangay Captain Ronnie Lee. Through a video message, Go high-

wavering love for the Philippines and remain united in protecting our hard-earned peace and independence,” Teodoro added.

He likewise reminded all Filipinos to continue loving their country and show their honor and bravery.

Considered the country’s national hero, Rizal was only 35 years old when he was executed by the Spanish colonial government at the old Bagumbayan (now Rizal Park). lighted that the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is currently engaged in a 10-year modernization program, a move following the implementation of the BFP Modernization Act of 2021. This program was designed to enhance the BFP’s readiness and capabilities in dealing with firerelated emergencies.

The modernization plan, as outlined in Republic Act 11589, which was primarily authored and co-sponsored by Go, includes several key aspects. These include procuring

The lowering of the tariff rates on key commodities has been one of the measures being implemented by the national government to combat upward price pressures.

“The slower inflation for the month of November is a testament to the Marcos administration’s whole-ofgovernment effort to moderate rising commodity prices while protecting the most vulnerable sectors from its effects,” Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno earlier said.

In May, the state created the Interagency Committee on Inflation and Market Outlook (IAC-IMO) through Marcos’ Executive Order (EO) No. 28 “as a proactive measure to fight inflation.”

“As we enter the New Year, you can count on the government to mobilize all efforts toward addressing inflationary pressures. The IAC-IMO recognizes the pertinent upside risks that need to be addressed in the near term,” Diokno said.

“Keeping the inflation rate within manageable levels to protect the Filipino people’s purchasing power and maintaining macroeconomic stability shall remain our top priority,” Diokno added.

P300,000, with an additional P20,000 per unit.

For a minimum requirement of 15 units, the lawmaker said operators need to contribute at least P600,000, potentially forcing small operators to surrender their franchises to larger businesses capable of covering such costs.

Manuel also disputed the notion that consolidated franchises would lead to an improved livelihood for drivers and enhanced public transportation.

Citing reports of faulty engines and parts in electronic jeeps, he highlighted the adverse effects on drivers.

Manuel also urged the public to heed warnings from driver associations and emphasized the need to listen to the experiences of those who have already suffered from the program.

In response to the issues, Kabataan Partylist filed a resolution junking the PUVMP. The resolution calls for the rejection of Department Order 2017-011, which outlines the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines (OFG), including the contentious franchise consolidation deadline.

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Rice stocks as of Nov. 1 down to 2MMT–PSA

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HE country’s total rice stocks as of November 1 declined year-on-year by a quarter to nearly 2 million metric tons (MMT) as stocks across households and commercial entities fell, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Latest PSA report showed that the country’s rice inventory at the start of November stood at 1.978 MMT, about 25.33 percent lower than the 2.649 MMT recorded in the same period of last year.

PSA data showed that the overall drop in rice inventory was caused by lower stocks held by households, commercial entities and even by the National Food Authority (NFA).

Despite the 671,000 MT drop in overall inventory, historical PSA data showed that November’s stock level was the highest for the year.

“Month-on-month, the volume of rice stocks inventory recorded an increase of 6.4 percent from the previous month’s inventory level of 1.86 million metric tons,” the PSA said recently.

PSA data showed that bulk of the country’s rice inventory were with the commercial sector at 1.017 MMT, while households stored about 901,110 MT. Rice stocks in NFA warehouses were estimated at 60,230 MT, according to the PSA. “This month’s rice stocks inventories in all sectors registered annual declines of 50.0 percent in NFA depositories, 31.8 percent in the household sector, and 13.2 percent in the commercial sector relative to their corresponding levels in the same period

of 2022,” the state statistical agency said.

“In comparison to the October 2023 rice stocks levels, month-on-month increases were noted in rice stocks inventories in the NFA depositories by 36.1 percent, household sector by 10.8 percent, and in the commercial sector by 0.5 percent,” it added.

Meanwhile, the PSA reported that total corn inventory nationwide rose by 29.1 percent year-on-year to 779,460 MT from 603,670 MT in November 2022.

“Month-on-month, corn stocks inventory exhibited a decrement of 8.7 percent relative to its previous month’s inventory level of 853.66 thousand metric tons,” the PSA said.

“About 88.2 percent of this month’s total corn stocks inventory were from the commercial sector, while the remaining 11.8 percent were from the households,” the PSA added.

The PSA said the corn stocks of the commercial sector stood at 687,410 MT, while 92,050 MT were stored by the household sector.

“From the same month of the previous year’s level, corn stocks inventory in the commercial sector recorded an annual increase of 38.6 percent, while an annual decline of 14.4 percent was observed in the household sector,” it said.

“Relative to the inventory level in October 2023, the volume of corn stocks in the household sector registered a month-on-month decrease of 26.7 percent. Likewise, corn stocks in the commercial sector dropped by 5.6 percent,” it added.

Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

Meralco reminds public to observe safety rules during New Year’s Day celebrations

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Rex Anthony Naval

HE Manila Electric Company (Meralco) reminded the public Friday to observe electrical safety as preparations for the New Year go on full swing to ensure a bright and accident-free celebration.

While Meralco Business Centers will be closed from December 30 to January 1, the distribution utility’s crews will remain on standby 24/7 to keep the lights on for its 7.8 million customers as they welcome and celebrate a safe and festive New Year.

“We are reminding our customers to avoid lighting fireworks and firecrackers near our electrical facilities to avoid any possible untoward incident. Rest assured that our crews are on standby to provide any needed electrical service assistance as we welcome the New Year,” Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga said in a news statement.

To ensure a bright, merry, and accidentfree holiday celebration with family and friends, Meralco reminded customers to: n Light fireworks away from electrical facilities and decorations. Lighting fireworks and pyrotechnics near poles, power lines, and transformers can cause power outage and accidents;

n Stay clear from electrical facilities when using party items. Refrain from using party poppers and balloons near power lines since this can cause power outages; n Have a fire extinguisher on standby.

When using firecrackers to ring in the New Year, make sure that there is a fire extinguisher nearby in case the firecrackers accidentally come into contact with flammable materials; n Avoid “octopus connections” and overloading. Do not plug extension cords into one another or octopus connection.

Overloaded electrical outlets or extension cords are one of the most common causes of fire incidents; and n Unplug Christmas lights and other appliances when not in use. Remember to unplug Christmas lights and other appliances when not in use or before leaving the house.

Customers can report power outages and other concerns to Meralco through its official social media accounts on Facebook (w w w.facebook.com/meralco) and X formerly Twitter (@meralco). They may also text their concerns to 0920-9716211 or 0917-5516211 or contact the Meralco Hotline at 16211 and 8631-1111.

new firefighting equipment, expanding the firefighter workforce, and offering specialized training, among other measures.

“Sana po’y walang nasaktan, importante sa akin na walang nasaktan. Tandaan natin, ang gamit po’y nabibili naman. Ang pera po’y kikitain natin subalit ‘yung perang kikitain ay hindi po nabibili ang buhay. A lost life is a lost life forever. Kaya pangalagaan natin ang buhay na binigay sa atin ng Panginoon,” Go emphasized.

Go, chairperson of the Senate Commit-

tee on Health and Demography, extended further support to beneficiaries facing health challenges. He urged them to seek assistance from the Malasakit Centers in the city located at Tondo Medical Hospital, Philippine General Hospital, Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Hospital, and San Lazaro Hospital.

The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop where concerned agencies, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health (DOH),

Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, are brought under one roof to assist indigent patients with their medical expenses.

Go is the principal author and sponsor of RA 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program. Currently, 159 Malasakit Centers are operational across the country.

The DOH reported that the Malasakit Center program has already assisted more or less 10 million patients.

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

Rizal was executed at 7 a.m. on December 30, 1896 by a firing squad for the crime of rebellion after the Philippine Revolution broke out mainly inspired by his writings.

On December 20, 1898, then-president Emilio Aguinaldo issued a decree declaring December 30 a day of national mourning for Rizal and other patriots who died during Spanish rule.

In 1902, the Philippine Commission enacted a law declaring December 30 as Rizal Day, making it an official holiday.

News BusinessMirror

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DILG chief welcomes 294 former MILF and MNLF members to PNP

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EPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. on Thursday formally welcomed to the Philippine National Police (PNP) some 294 recruits under the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) recruitment program.

Abalos led the historic oath taking and turnover ceremonies of the new 255 men and 39 women joining the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) at Camp Pendatun, Parang, Maguindanao Del Norte.

The DILG chief congratulated the new members of the PNP and urged them to live by the service’s mantra to serve and protect the Filipino people.

“The uniform you are wearing now does not symbolize authority. It’s not all about prestige,” he said.

“More importantly, it represents a commitment to uphold the rule of law as well as a promise to serve the community with honor and integrity,” Abalos stressed.

The new 294 recruits will fill the 400 slots given under the MILF and

MNLF Recruitment Program for CY 2023.

They will undergo a six-month field training program.

Abalos challenged the new recruits to finish the training program to also serve as inspiration for their former comrades to join the government and the entire Filipino citizenry in attaining peace and sustainable development.

The recruits hurdled the PNP’s rigid recruitment process, including passing the special qualifying eligibility examination and physical agility test.

They also passed comprehensive medical assessments comprising psychological and psychiatric examinations, and drug tests.

The entry of former MILF and MNLF members into the PNP is covered by R A No. 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which was enacted after the signing of a peace agreement between the government and the MILF. The first batch of 102 MILF and MNLF recruits took their oath as members of the PNP last August 10.

Rex Anthony Naval

DA seeks ₧112-M addl fund for cloud seeding amid El Niño threat in 2024

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

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HE Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking an additional budget of P112 million next year to bankroll its cloud seeding operations as part of its mitigating measures against El Niño.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA’s Bureau of Soil and Water Management has already requested the additional fund for its cloud-seeding operations “to supplement the water requirement of standing crops during periods of low rainfall.”

“Cloud-seeding operations will be undertaken in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology, and the Department of National Defense, which will provide information for optimum cloud-seeding operations, including provision of aircraft, respectively,” Laurel said in a statement on Friday.

The DA said the inter-agency Task

Force on El Niño has started implementing various mitigating measures to cushion the anticipated effect of the prolonged dry spell on domestic food production.

Laurel also disclosed that the DA is fast-tracking the repair and rehabilitation of various irrigation canals nationwide.

At the end of November, Laurel said that about 740 kilometers out of the 843 kilometers target irrigation canals have been repaired and rehabilitated.

On top of these, the DA has fixed 40 units of small-scale irrigation systems that cover about 1,477.5 hectares of farms, Laurel said.

The DA said it would distribute 56,169 animals to 297 farmer groups and 470 individual farmers under its Philippine Native Animal Development Program. The distribution of the livestock would serve as alternative livelihood to farmers in Bicol, Central Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula.

NSC chief Año lauds latest OCTA polls on WPS

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ATIONAL Security Adviser Eduardo M. Año is pleased to find out that the majority of Filipinos see the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue as a major concern considering its impact on the livelihood

of the country’s fishermen.

Año’s reaction came Thursday following the latest OCTA survey, which found the majority of adult Filipinos agree with the Marcos administration’s approach in handling

Saturday-Sunday, December 30-31, 2023

the territorial dispute with China.

The survey also showed a significant 15 percent increase in public support.

“The survey results show that the Filipino people consider the WPS as

a major concern and that the lives and livelihood of our people, especially the fisherfolk who depend on the seas, are primordial concerns which cannot be taken for granted,” Año, who is also National Security

Furthermore, Laurel urged rice farmers to adapt the use of alternative wetting and drying technology to save water, a critical resource during prolonged dry spell. “[About] 17,660 hectares of rice fields have been targeted for the implementation of the quick-turnaround strategy, wherein all rice farmers will immediately replant rice without waiting for months to take advantage of the remaining moisture in the soil,” he said.

Laurel also said the state-owned Philippine Crop Insurance Cor p.

(PCIC) has a P1.8 billion budget to insure 916,759 farmers and fishermen in the first half of next year.

The DA chief added that the Agriculture Credit Policy Council has P500-million credit support under its Survival and Recovery Loan Program for some 20,000 borrowers who may be affected by calamities, including the El Niño phenomenon.

“We are leaving no stones unturned in our effort to ease the impact of El

Council head, said.

He added that the latest OCTA survey shows that the country’s foreign and security policies, including strengthening ties with partners, allies and friends, are on the “right track.”

With this latest development, Año said the government will pursue

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Niño on our farmers and fishermen as well as consumers by ensuring food production is sufficient and supply is secure during the expected dry spell that could affect a majority of provinces and millions who depend on agriculture and fisheries,” Laurel said.

The DA earlier disclosed that it is anticipating the entry of about 571,000 metric tons (MT) of imported rice until February 2024 as the country braces for the adverse effects of El Niño. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2023/12/28/ phl-expects-571mt-rice-to-comein-till-february/) The BusinessMirror earlier reported that the Philippines’s milled rice output in the first half of next year could decline by as much as almost 190 million kilograms because of the projected impact of the El Niño on local farms, based on DA’s latest projections.

Based on the National Irrigation Administration estimates, the DA noted that there are about 280,000 hectares of rice farms that would be vulnerable to El Niño. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2023/12/15/da-sees-domesticmilled-rice-output-decline-in-h12024-amid-el-nino-threat/)

the “national interest with greater resolve in the coming year.”

“We appreciate the support of the Filipino people and the public can be assured that the NSC will always advance the national interest and protect our sovereignty and territorial integrity at all times,” he added.

Rex Anthony Naval

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OurTime BusinessMirror

Saturday-Sunday, December 30-31, 2023 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

‘Dallot’ Queen: Preserving Ilocandia’s oral traditions

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By Leilanie Adriano

AOAG CITY—“Dallot,” a native chant delivered during special occasions by the Ilokano community in the olden times, remains alive to this day, thanks to natives who have kept the tradition.

Adelita Romualdo Bagcal, 77, has clung on to it like a lullaby since she was a child.

In recognition of her extraordinary skill and dedication to preserve and promote this oral tradition to the younger generation, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. through Proclamation No. 427 has named her a “Manlilikha ng Bayan” or national living treasure.

The National Living Treasures Award is the highest state honor conferred to a Filipino in recognition of exemplary work in any form of traditional art.

Bagcal, a widow from Sitio Calao, Barangay 4 Marcos in Banna, Ilocos Norte, is a dallot master.

She is also an expert in “duayya” (Ilokano lullaby) and “dung-aw” (mourning ritual).

In an interview, Bagcal recalled accompanying her grandmother,

Veronica Suguitan Urbano, when the latter would occasionally join a community of elders during a traditional wedding proposal.

Part of the Ilokano ritual is for an elder to perform dallot, an improvised, versified, and impromptu long poem delivered in a chant in front of a man and woman who plan to marry, with the blessing of their parents and nearest kins.

Dallot is likewise performed during special celebrations like birthdays or feasts. Her exposure to the oral tradition has earned her the title “dumadallot” or Dallot Queen of the North. On several occasions, Bagcal would receive invitation from officials, including former First Lady and Congresswoman Imelda Marcos, to perform dallot.

She said dallot comes out naturally every time she chants in public.

“This is a golden treasure I in-

Adelita Romualdo Bagcal chants dallot during the 99th birthday celebration of weaver Magdalena Gamayo, a national living treasure from Pinili, Ilocos Norte, in this undated photo. Bagcal now shares the spotlight with Gamayo after she was also named a National Living Treasure through Proclamation No. 427 released on December 15, 2023.

Photo courtesy of Edwin Antonio

herited from my forefathers. I am proud of it,” she said, adding she would gladly welcome any invitation to perform dallot in the community or even in schools in Banna for the sake of preserving the oral tradition.

Modern-day wedding preparations may no longer carry dallot as part of the ritual, but Bagcal believes it will continue to thrive across generations for as long as people value their cultural identity.

She said she is also happy that in her town, she has trained several stu-

Lolo Rufo at 101, and counting

By Nick Tayag

my sixty-zen’S WORTH

still drive at his age? Her retort: he can’t be stopped; besides his eyesight is still very sharp and his reflexes are still good.

Tatay Rufo spent his working years being a driver: a driver for a religious congregation, a driver for a wealthy family, and a driver of a mobile van for a top TV network.

Self-driven and hardworking, he raised a good family of four children, who all grew up to be responsible parents themselves.

Widowed in his mid-70s, he never tied the knot again with another woman, although Tess disclosed that he had at least two girl friends after his wife’s demise. But that’s an interesting story for another day.

His lifestyle?

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here are regions around the world called “Blue Zones” where people tend to live beyond 100 years, and researchers have identified common lifestyle and dietary factors that contribute to their longevity.

Well, in Marikina, there lives a true blue zoner, Pinoy version, who goes by the name of Rufo Miñon.

So, on January 1, 2024 he will mark his first new year...after 100.

He celebrated his 101st birthday anniversary on December 17 in a simple merry gathering where my wife Aurit and I were invited.

There he was sitting at a lone table in front of the room, beaming affably, enjoying it all, as family members, relatives, neighbors and friends extolled him with accolade after accolade.

As I watched him, I thought I detected a sly grin and a naughty twinkle in his bespectacled eyes, as if to say: You ain’t seen nothing yet!

No living former classmates or workmates were present to greet him. He has outlived them all.

Nelia, sitting at our table, wisecracked: “I would never want to

live to 100. Because when I die, there would be no more living friends and colleagues to come to my wake.”

Lolo Rufo to his 20 or so grand kids; he’s Tatay Rufo to those of us outside his family circle.

It seems a lifetime ago when my wife and I met him for the first time. It was the day when his daughter Tess arrived on an SUV at an agreed meeting place so we could follow her in our car to her place in Marikina. Guess who was at the driver’s seat of the SUV? Tatay Rufo!

We couldn’t believe it when she told us he was 90-plus years old, because he looked very sprite and brisk in the way he moved and comported himself. Most of all, being a nonagenarian then, he could still drive like a 30-year-old.

For 10 years or so, whenever our paths crossed, we would always ask Tess: how is Tatay Rufo? Her responsorial refrain: “Oh, he’s still driving, taking me to functions or meet-ups, bringing the grand kids to school and picking them up. Hatid-sundo.” We would then chide her: how could you let him

Early to bed and early to rise is a habit he probably developed in his line of work as a driver. He used to play pelota and tennis regularly into his 90s. He is carnivorous, a meat eater, defying our assumptions. But he eats just enough, and he doesn’t smoke, nor drink.

He is orderly in his ways, very scrupulous about his repair tools, which he never lends to others.

This is not being stingy but being always ready. The Japanese calls this “seiton”—that admirable work practice of sorting tools so they can be retrieved quickly when needed.

Tess says that Tatay Rufo is a stickler for punctuality. He would always arrive before the appointed time. That’s a reflection of his respect and consideration for others.

Totally in character.

Yet for all his fastidiousness and scrupulousness, Tatay Rufo is far from being a cold, distant person.

On the contrary, he is very warm and sociable. His winsome smile and unassuming manner enable him to make friends easily.

What is the secret of Tatay Rufo’s longevity? Probably his genes. At age 101, Tatay Rufo doesn’t have diabetes and no major ailments. His father lived robustly up to a ripe old age of 100. A balikbayan brother of his who now lives in the province is 99 years old. Can someone extract

dents of Banna National High School (BNHS), including her grandson who is now a public school teacher, Jessie Bagcal, towards the preservation of cultural heritage including dallot.

“With tears in my eyes and joy in my heart, I salute the Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan from my hometown, Banna,” Joel Manuel, former BNHS principal and an advocate for Ilokano Literature, said during a special program for the preservation of cultural heritage among students in the province.

Through his documentation and with the help of fellow officials and members of the Gunglo Dagiti Mannurat nga Ilokano or the Association of Ilokano Writers in the PhilippinesIlocos Norte who submitted the nomination to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in 2021, Bagcal earned the prestigious award.

Manuel said the Ilokano oral traditions have waned over the years but with the President’s latest proclamation, it will survive the test of time.

The other eight awardees were Abina Tawide Coguit (embroiderer from La Paz, Agusan del Sur), Sakinur-ain Mugong Delasas (Sama master of traditional dance from Bongao, Tawi-Tawi) and Bundos Bansil Fara (T’boli brasscaster from Lake Sebu, South Cotabato); and artists Marife Ravidas Ganahon, Amparo Balansi Mabanag, Samporonia Pagsac Madanlo, Barbara Kibed Ofong and Rosie Godwino Sula. PNA

the DNA of his family and find a way to replicate it?

Then as Tess and I were talking, I got to realize an essential quality that may be another factor why he has managed to live longer than the average person. He lives a low-maintenance life. A life less extraordinary perhaps, imperfect undoubtedly, but a happy, contented and blessing-filled life nevertheless.

To self-indulgent people, it may be considered a boring life. Many times I hear it said that life is short so enjoy it extravagantly to the max, at least even if you die young, you can say you’ve tasted the best that life can give.

But to me Tatay Rufo’s unvarnished, unfanciful life is what I would call the art of graceful aging.

Life is really simple, says the sage.

It’s people who make it complicated.

Remember the Beatle song, “will you still need me, will you still feed me when I’m sixty four?” Those lyrics may no longer reflect the times.

Nowadays, at 64, an individual is statistically considered middleaged. “May asim pa” or “kering keri pa” as we say in the native lingo.

This is why when someone’s life is cut down at age 60 or 70, people would be heard saying: “Bata pa, sayang siya.” (Still young, what a waste.)

Centenarians like Tatay Rufo, rare as they are, should really be treasured. Sure, they are given a cash incentive of P100,000, as well as a letter of felicitation, congratulating them on their longevity. However, to me their value goes beyond the singular feat of staying alive up to 100.

What is much more priceless is what’s in their minds. Every centenarian is a walking oral history book. Their minds are a gold mine, filled with gems of personal memories.

Our National Historical Commission should deploy professional historical researchers to extract as much memories as they can from their minds while still lucid. For instance, Tatay Rufo can probably revisit his childhood memories of the pre-war American colonial times. Did he ride the tranvia?

What did Escolta look like during

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440K Bicolano elderly get over ₧1.3-B social pension for 2023

Senior citizens receiving their social benefits PNA file photo

By Connie Calipay

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EGAZPI CITY—More than 440,000 indigent senior citizens in the six provinces of the Bicol Region received government assistance this year through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPIC) program.

In a report on Friday, Irah Jeanne Ego, Social Welfare Officer II and SPIC focal person, said DSWD-Bicol released a total fund of P1.32 billion for this year.

“In 2023, during the first semester, 283,101 beneficiaries were served with a total amount of P849,303,000. For the second semester, 158,852 social pensioners were able to receive their monthly stipends with P476,556,000 fund surpassing the total target of 288,155 all over the region,” she said.

Implemented under Republic Act

so-called “Peace Time”? Was he able to watch Jose Corazon de Jesus the “King of Balagtasan” perform in the late 1920s? What was it like to live during the years of the Japanese occupation?

We need dedicated people like Studs Terkel, an American writer and historian, who was acclaimed for his collection of oral histories of ordinary Americans, such as Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression, American Dreams: Lost and Found, The Good War, and other books.

We should look for young scholars with passion for history in our universities who would be trained to listen, to chronicle, and to make sure the stories of Filipino centenarians are remembered and documented. These would serve as a window into our nation’s past, which should be placed in a national repository or archive, digitally accessible to historians, writers, documentary filmmakers, period film production designers and so on.

One of my regrets is not finding more time to talk to my father and mother about their times before they passed away. I enjoyed the moments when my Tatang regaled me with his recollections, which transported me into his past but they were brief and sporadic. I now wish I mined his memory more intently and deeply.

Going back to the topic of longevity, one naughty friend once said, it’s not how long, but how well you use it. As a 70-plus years old couple, our wish is not really about adding years to our lives, but adding life into our years.

That wish is not in the stars, nor in our genes. It’s a personal choice that comes from within. Why not reinvigorate or re-purpose your life, for you still have many more years to go or to maintain. No age is too late or too early to start doing it. Someone dubbed it “Conscious Aging.” Why not include conscious aging in your New Year’s resolution for 2024?

I bet Tatay Rufo would give you a wink and a hundred and one thumb-ups!

9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act, the SPIC program provides a monthly stipend of P500 to qualified individuals.

In a statement, DSWD-Bicol Director Norman Laurio said the stipend supplements the beneficiaries’ daily expenses and medical needs.

“Elderly citizens who are entitled to the social pension program of DSWD are those who are indigent, sick, disabled, frail, have no regular or permanent source of income, receive no financial assistance from family members or relatives, and do not receive any other pensions from the Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System, or other institutions,” he said.

Laurio said DSWD-Bicol field workers ensure prioritization of the qualified indigent senior citizens.

“Due to a limited target, the number of beneficiaries served by the program really depends on the slots per municipality,” he added. PNA

PSA rolls out PhilSys on Wheels in Laoag City

Residents of Barangay 1 San Lorenzo in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte register for the national identification card. At least 50 individuals were registered during the activity on December 20, 2023. Photo courtesy of Barangay Uno San Lorenzo

By Leilanie Adriano

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AOAG CITY—Fifty senior citizens and children from Barangay 1 San Lorenzo in this city benefited from the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) on Wheels program, eyed to service national ID applications of less fortunate individuals from farflung villages.

Philippine Statistics Authority-Ilocos Norte provincial head Marilyn Vergara, in an interview on Wednesday, said the mobile registration for the national ID aims to register at least 50 individuals a day.

“The mobile registration process takes less than five minutes.

It aims to allow those unregistered citizens to register and be immediately issued with ePhilIDs for them to enjoy the benefits of being PhilSys registered,” she said.

PSA has simplified the requirements with just the birth and barangay certificates attesting that they are residents of the barangay where they currently reside.

So far, PSA-Ilocos Norte has registered over 100,000 individuals since it started to roll out off-site registration hubs in October. PNA

Education BusinessMirror

Editor: Mike Policarpio

Australia provides prestigious scholarships to 50+ Filipinos

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FRESH batch of highachieving Filipinos will be starting their postgraduate studies under the Australia Awards Scholarships come January 2024.

The contingent includes 54 scholars who will be undertaking Master’s programs in Australia’s world-class universities, and five individuals who will be pursuing Doctoral degrees as fellows of the John Allwright FellowshipPhilippines—a pilot graduate fellowship jointly funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research with the Department of Science and Technology, and administered by Australia Awards.

During their pre-departure briefing, Ambassador HK Yu PSM, FCPA cited the important role of

By Roderick L. Abad

F AMBASSADOR HK Yu (second row, sixth from left) formally sends off the 59 Filipino scholars who will pursue postgraduate studies in Australia. FB: AUSTRALIA IN THE PHILIPPINES

the scholars in strengthening relations between Australia and the Philippines, and their contribution to the latter’s development.

“Australia Awards has been an essential component of [our mutual partnership]. As scholars, you are visible representations of the strong and deep peopleto-people links between our two countries,” said the ambassador.

“Your Australian education and training will prepare and equip you with the knowledge and skills to help you make a difference [in your homeland.]”

Upon their return to the Philippines, Filipino scholars are expected to implement their re-

entry action plan or REAP. It will enable scholars to apply their learning in the “Land Down Under” to meaningful projects that will contribute to the development of their respective organizations or communities.

Among the areas of study that will be pursued by this batch of scholars are in agriculture, aquatic and natural resources management; digital economy and cybersecurity; education; governance and public policy; infrastructure and smart cities; law and justice; maritime studies; and trade and economics.

In September this year, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia and forged a strategic partnership that includes boosting educational links, such as through Australia Awards, to foster invaluable connections between their nations.

Since 2005, more than 1,500 exemplary Filipinos have studied in Australia by way of its government’s funding. The new batch of scholars will join the 92 who are currently on scholarship in the Oceanic country.

At the conclusion of their studies, Australia Awards scholars will join the dynamic Australia Global Alumni community in the Philippines.

nology or DOST-PCAARRD. They also interacted with farmers from the Tabon San Jose Farmers’ Association and Harbest Agribusiness Corp’s. executives.

Alarming survey

CLAIRE HUANG (second from right) and other Taiwan Young Agricultural Ambassadors at the Harbest Agribusiness Corp. in Pasig City. TECO/PNA she narrated. “Everyone’s producing the same fruits, so they don’t need to buy products from each other. It was incredibly sad, because I see them every day and I know they’re trying to make a living.”

T he company where she once served as an intern bought a batch of local mangoes, and used them to make jams.

“The mango jams, compared to fresh mangoes, have a longer shelf life…We also gave it a really nice packaging, and we made 900 jars and sold 500 within one month,” she said.

“That was the time I knew I could do something.”

Huang continued: “The local farmers were pleased with the product, and I really thought: ‘Wow, I can make an impact in this area, and this is very meaningful.’ That was the time I knew choosing to study agribusiness is the

right thing for me.”

Sharing best practices HUANG came with 23 other “agricultural youth envoys” to the Philippines last month. They shared best farming and agribusiness insights with local stakeholders.

The delegates included students and experts on fruit and vegetable cultivation, organic farming, agricultural economics, and aquaculture.

The TYA A program, which ran last month, allowed the 24 to engage with officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA), International Rice Research Institute or IRRI, Southeast Asia Regional Center for Graduates Study and Research in Agriculture or SEARCA, and Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Tech-

IN the Philippines, a 2020 research study by retired University of the Philippines anthropology professor Florencia Palis said there is a growing preference among Filipino youth to work abroad than to farm.

The survey also found that the majority of the farmers themselves encourage their children to “stay away” from farming.

At least 597, or 64.7 percent, of the 923 surveyed for the study said they “do not want” their children to become rice farmers like them—majority of whom think they would not have a future in the fields, while a portion said their kids are not interested in farming.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who once led the Agriculture Department, had been encouraging the youth to help increase the sector’s productivity.

T h e g o v e r n m e nt p r e v i o u s l y launched the “Young Farmers Challenge,” which offers financial grants for youths who would engage in new agri-fishery enterprises.

The DA also continues to offer scholarships for agriculture-related courses. Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA

UST Singers’ founder serves as guest lecturer, jury member in Spain, Taiwan

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NIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (UST) Singers founder and Conservatory of Music academic staff member Asst. Prof.

Fidel Gener Calalang Jr. delivered lectures and participated as an international jury member in choral fests in Spain and Taiwan.

Most recently, Calalang facilitated a special lecture on “Banal: Philippine Sacred Choral Music in the Concert Repertoire,” which was part of a series hosted by the 2023 Taipei International Choir Festival and Competition in collaboration

Gokongwei Brothers Foundation changes lives of 44 new scholars

BATCHES 15B and 16 of “Iskolar ni Juan” program

Taiwanese ‘agri envoy’ to Pinoy youth: There is future in farming ITH food security wholly dependent on agriculture, farming indeed is the world’s present and future. However, with an aging farmer population and a growing lack of interest in rural communities pursuing this line of work, numerous countries in the Philippines are faced with the huge task of encouraging a new generation of farmers— especially coming from the youth—to engage in agriculture.

Claire Huang, a young Taiwanese agribusiness student who recently visited Philippine farms under the 2023 Taiwan Youth Agricultural Ambassadors (TYAA) program, believes young Filipinos will play a significant role in sustaining the sector’s local front in the coming years.

Huang said that, coupled with innovation and the use of technology, the potential for farmers to increase their yields and boost revenue is high.

“I think there’s a future in farming,” the Taiwanese student said, as she recalled a time witnessing how product innovation helped an aging farming town in Taiwan sell its mangoes and bananas.

She shared that the average age of people in the town was about 65 years old.

“Every day, I would see the farmers bring their [mango and banana produce] and try to sell them, but there’s no main road crossing in that town so no one is actually passing by often,”

Saturday-Sunday, December 30-31, 2023 A7

CALALANG

with the National Taipei University of Education in Taipei’s Da’an District. In attendance were local conductors, choristers, music students, and scholars.

He was also invited as guest speaker on “Conducting Experiences and Conducting the UST Singers” at the 5th Annual Conducting Workshop of the Unió Musical D’Alaquàs held at the Alaquàs Conservatory of Music in Valencia, Spain.

At the 32nd Certamen Habaneras y Polifonía Totana, Calalang served as jury member at the Auditorio Munici-

pal Marcos Ortiz in Murcia, Spain.

The national tilt, which specializes in the singing of the traditional song form habaneras, featured various choral groups from the different regions of Spain.

Calalang has led the UST Singers through its 36th International Goodwill Concert Tour “30th Encore: Harmony through Time” as part of the choir’s 30th year. Its latest international sojourn saw them traveling in Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Taiwan. The tour lasted six weeks with 22 standing ovation concerts.

ORTY-FOUR beneficiaries have completed the “Iskolar ni Juan (INJ)” Tech-Voc Scholarship Program by the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF), which will also give them the chance to work in one of the esteemed conglomerates in the country.

Through GBF and Universal Robina Corp. (URC), the initiative’s industry-standard curriculum guarantees scholars are academically competent and ready for today’s evolving industries. Its holistic approach provides education-to-employment opportunities to students.

The INJ Tech-Voc Scholarship Program was incepted in 2014, and since then has been helping high-school graduates and out-of-school youth. To date, 508 scholars have finished the program, while 58 are now in training at the GBF Technical Training Center in Calamba City, Laguna.

Engr. Raymund Ganotice, director of GBF Technical Training Center School, led the graduation ceremony and welcomed the graduates from INJ batches 15B and 16 who completed GBF’s Mechatronics Servicing-National Certificate (NC) II course and obtained 100-percent batch passing rate based on the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (Tesda) assessment.

“Each of you has faced unique challenges and [overcame] obstacles to arrive at this moment: the culmination of countless hours of study, lab and practical exercises, on-the-jobtraining [OJT], and self-discovery,” Ganotice said. “We celebrate not only the knowledge you have acquired, but also the resilience and determination that have become an integral part of your character.”

Success stories ON behalf of her colleagues in Batch 15B, Jesha Eve Gregorio expressed her gratitude to her benefactors. A degree holder in electrical engineer-

ing, she opted to join the program to improve her technical skills and gain stable employment.

Gregorio thanked GBF and URC for the support, especially during board exam preparations that coincided with her OJT. Now a licensed electrical engineer, she works as an instrumentation technician at URC-Cebu.

Another success story is Harold Ferraren Mutia’s, who lauded the foundation as he said that INJ helped stoke his dreams which were put on hold, and now are becoming a reality.

Originally from Mindanao, Mutia surpassed various challenges and worked in Luzon to support his family. The difficulties did not hinder his commitment to finish his studies and rose as a natural leader in school. Now a graduate, he is grateful to pursue learning, undergo training, and work at URC-El Salvador in Misamis Oriental.

Director Arnel Nunez of URC’s Corporate Maintenance urged the graduates to embody the spirit of the Gokongwei legacy: “As technical scholars, you are equipped not only to navigate the complexities of your chosen field but to lead, innovate, and contribute meaningfully to society.

Remember that success is not just an individual accomplishment, but the result of a community coming together to support and inspire one another.”

Program ongoing LOOKING forward, GBF plans to expand partnerships for INJ next year, as it seeks sponsors to extend subsidies and additional job opportunities. Part of these linkages is the foundation’s Technical Training Center crafting a curriculum that is in-sync with industry needs, technology, and Tesda’s standards.

Application for the new batch of scholars will open in January 2024. Senior-high school graduates are encouraged to apply. INJ scholars enjoy fully subsidized technical training that includes allowances aside from free tuition fees, dormitory stay, school supplies, and NCII assessment fees.

Former BSP governor receives honorary doctorate from AIM

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HE Asian Institute of Management (AIM) announced at a recent graduation ceremony the conferment of an Honorary Doctorate in Management upon Amando M. Tetangco Jr. in recognition of his remarkable contributions to the world of monetary policy, banking and finance.

Tetangco made incredible strides in the country’s financial sector as the former governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)—a position he held for two terms. He delivered sweeping changes that stabilized the nation’s banking system, managed inflation, and facilitated financial inclusion among Filipinos.

Starting as a statistician for the Philippine central bank, Tetangco rose through the ranks and acquired other notable positions such as the International Monetary Fund’s alternate executive director, as well as the chairperson of the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the Financial Stability Coordination Council, and the Philippine International Convention Center in his four decades-long career.

Currently, he holds the prominent position as chair of the Board of SM Investments Corp. and vice chair of the Board of SM Prime Holdings Inc. Of particular note among Tetangco’s expansive list of achievements is

TETANGCO his skillful leadership of the BSP during the global financial crisis, which led to the development of monetary and banking policies that insulated and cushioned the Philippine economy from the possible catastrophic effects of the “Black Swan” event. As a result, the local financial system withstood all challenges brought forth by the crisis, as well as remained a model of stability and strength.

An immense experience in finance and leadership allowed him to help steer giant conglomerates onto the paths of success. This resonates with AIM’s mission of imparting management excellence across the region.

By conferring an Honorary Doctorate in Management upon Tetangco, the institute continues its goal of promoting leaders who inspire and transform the business landscape throughout Asia and beyond.

A8

Saturday-Sunday, December 30-31, 2023 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Kroma CEO sees more growth in digital content consumption Appdome unveils anti-malware solutions

KROMA Entertainment CEO Ian Monsod believes that entertainment companies, traditional or not, are all about delighting audiences by creating and delivering great content. PHOTO FROM KROMA ENTERTAINMENT

BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES

K

ROMA Entertainment considers itself a game-changer in the rapidly changing entertainment industry. Its focus on “tradigital” entertainment is aimed at connecting with a diverse audience, not just digital natives.

“At its core, entertainment companies, whether ‘traditional’ or not, are all about delighting audiences by creating and delivering great content. Kroma introduces relevant innovation to all parts of this process, whether it’s in the stories we choose to tell, or the touchpoints we use to tell it,” said Kroma Entertainment CEO Ian Monsod.

While Kroma churns out a variety of content and is into different businesses related to the industry, including talent management (NYMA [Now You Must Aspire]) and event management (LiveMNL), at the heart of the company is quality content.

As the head of Kroma, Monsod recognizes the unique power of the cinema experience despite the growing strength of streaming platforms.

“The cinema setup provides an immersive video and audio experience with a communal atmosphere that can’t be replicated by home viewing—laughing, crying and screaming with other people is an event experience that fosters human connection, which is valued now more than ever. It may just be a matter of cinemas embracing that fact and providing that proposition, with the content it chooses to present, and the total experience it gives to its audience.”

Monsod, however, acknowledges that content consumption is now less focused on traditional pillars like cinema and broadcast.

“The public values entertainment, no doubt, but what they look for—and what they connect to— evolves. Events and concerts, for example, are getting more frequent and more expensive,” said Monsod.

He added, “Keeping in tune with that audience and offering culturally relevant content becomes essential.”

Thus, Kroma Entertainment keeps relatively lean teams that sit in proximity to a tech ecosystem, so it is able to utilize technology to aid in relevant innovation. “That gives us the flexibility that other companies with legacy systems may not have, and helps us pivot quickly when needed,” said Monsod.

For example, Kroma’s interactive broadcast channel PIE recently shifted exclusively online, to focus on its interactive proposition without the heavy cost structure of a broadcast system. Pinoy Interactive

APPLE suspended sales of the Series 9 (in photo) and Ultra 2 versions of its popular watch amid a patent dispute. AP

Entertainment, or PIE Channel, is Kroma’s watchand-win network.

The company is also into publishing as Kroma PubCo also launched Co:Lab, a creative agency and community aggregator that takes brand stories and explores innovative ways to tell them using the lens of media specialists and communication solutions by digital publishing experts. By the way, this business unit, with titles like Wonder Mag, Complex Philippines, and FreebieMNL, is headed by my friend Sarah Santiago, who is a veteran in the field of publishing.

Kroma’s business interests are diverse but unified.

LiveMNL creates on-ground, on-time, online, onbudget, or hybrid world-class and breakthrough events and also handles Paradise Rising, the Filipino sister label of Asian-American music company, 88Rising.

Anima is, of course, Kroma’s production studio that is committed to quality storytelling headed by Bianca Balbuena. Anima Studio’s content has gained critical acclaim. Meanwhile, Secret Menu is a fullservice creative and production house that offers

brand content solutions, commercials, live videos, event coverage, and music videos.

“We’re quite a young company and we’re playing in multiple content areas, but expect two things: that we will continuously provide cutting edge, innovative content that truly engages our audiences; and that our audience will progressively be more global so we can shine a brighter spotlight on Filipino creativity and talent,” said Monsod.

At Kroma Entertainment, Monsod leads the company in its mission to showcase the best of Filipino creativity to the world through innovative means and bring Filipino talent to the global stage.

Before Kroma, Monsod served as the managing director of Warner Music Philippines and also held key positions at Mediaquest and TV5. He also worked for various media and tech companies in the US, including Sesame Workshop and Digicorp.

For 2024, Monsod said he expects “more of the same growth in digital content consumption in the midst of audience fragmentation, continued growth of live events, and hopefully cinemas recovering, focusing on total experience.”

APPLE SEEKS A PATH TO GETTING 2 OF ITS BEST WATCHES BACK ON SHELVES DURING A BITTER PATENT DISPUTE APPLE filed an emergency motion seeking court permission to begin selling two of its most popular watches again until a final decision on its broader appeal in a bitter patent dispute is decided.

The company cut off sales right before the Christmas holiday and in a motion filed on Tuesday, Apple said it would suffer “irreparable harm” if previous court orders remain for the two weeks that it said the US International Trade Commission will take to respond to its appeal.

The disruption will likely cost Apple about $300 million to 400 million in holiday-season sales, estimated Wedbush Securities

analyst Dan Ives. That’s a relative drop in the bucket for Apple, given that industry analysts are expecting the company to generate nearly $120 billion in sales this quarter, which includes the holiday shopping season. On October 26, the ITC determined that Apple infringed on two patents owned

by Masimo Corp. and Cercacor Laboratories, both US companies.

After a 60-day review, the ITC’s decision became final Tuesday, but the company had already pulled the watches from store shelves and removed them from its online sales lineup.

On Tuesday, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai let the ITC decision stand.

“After careful consultations, Ambassador Tai decided not to reverse the ITC’s determination,” the office of the US Trade representative said, meaning

that the ITC decision officially went into effect on Tuesday.

The Cupertino, California tech giant stopped online sales of its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 Internet-connected watch on Thursday in the US after ITC rejected Apple’s bid to get around a late October order blocking the company from using some of technology underlying the blood oxygen measurement feature on the watches. Previously purchased Apple Watches equipped with blood oxygen measurement aren’t affected by the ITC order. Apple contends that the ITC’s decision is based on multiple factual errors and that Masimo does not sell a competing product in the US in “meaningful quantities” and would not suffer harm if the order is stayed.

Shares of Apple Inc. are down slightly on a day when the tech sector is one of the strongest in Tuesday trading. AP

APPDOME, the one-stop shop for mobile app defense recently introduced its new mobile anti-malware protections that can detect Android Accessibility Service Malware such as Xenomorph, Brasdex, Octo, Sharkbot, Flubit, TeaBot, PixPirate, Sova, Spynote, Joker and more. These malware are used to carry out large scale, distributed attacks on mobile banking apps, crypto wallets, and other financial services apps.

Tom Tovar, cocreator and CEO of Appdome Accessibility Service said the Android framework is designed to allow mobile applications for individuals with disabilities to interact with all applications on an Android device.

Unfortunately, fraudsters who are using malware target Accessibility Service to connect through Accessibility Service into banking and other mCommerce applications. Once the Accessibility Malware is on a user’s device, Tovar said it can listen, collect, intercept and manipulate Android Accessibility Service events to perform harmful actions on behalf of users without their knowledge, often mimicking human actions within the mobile app, such as harvesting login credentials and completing transactions. Two of the most advanced variants focus on Android banking apps, BrasDex in Latin America and Xenomorph in the US and Europe, use Automated Transfer Systems (ATS) malware. ATS malware can complete end-to-end transactions— without a user being involved.

“This is a difficult problem to solve,” said Tovar.

“To support the community, we created a defense that allows legitimate use of Accessibility Service, while at the same time prevents ATS malware from using Accessibility Service for nefarious purposes.”

Appdome’s new Prevent Accessibility Malware feature includes: ■ Detection of ATS Malware using dozens of methods.

■ Detection of ATS Malware methods, such as Overlay and Keylogging in the context of Accessibility Service.

■ Set Trusted Accessibility Services, so brands can identify the Accessibility Service applications recommended to their users.

■ To supplement Trusted Accessibility Services, Appdome has included an Accessibility Service Consent that allows mobile end users to accept specific Accessibility Services applications to be used with their applications.

“In this age of digitization, we have to provide safe and secure mobile application experiences for all mobile end users,” said Richard Stiennon, chief research analyst of IT-Harvest. “The Android Accessibility Malware attack vector is one such case that demands an extra layer of defense.”

Appdome’s Cyber Defense Automation platform for mobile apps empowers developers and cyber teams to seamlessly build protections against Accessibility Service Malware directly into any mobile app, all from within the DevOps CI/CD pipeline with no code or coding required.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • Saturday-Sunday, December 30-31, 2023

A9

Dashing through the roads with 70mai Omni and other post-holiday finds

O

F all the gadgets I reviewed during the holidays, I never thought that a dashcam would be one of my favorites.

Maybe it’s because my old dashcam now has “dementia” (rebooting constantly and getting the date and time wrong) and is begging to be replaced, or maybe because I actually found a backseat driver that indulges my inner “Marites.”

I’ve been on the hunt for a good dashcam for quite some time, so when I saw the post of my friend Lucky of Discover MNL about the 70mai Omni Dash Cam 360°, I had a feeling I found the right one.

Dash cams have evolved from mere recording devices to sophisticated travel companions, and the 70mai Omni Dash Cam 360°stands out as a prime example of this evolution. It’s more than just a gadget; it’s a reliable witness and a creative tool, packaged in a design that’s as clever as it is unique.

The Omni’s design itself is a conversation starter.

Shaped like a sleek, large pill, it’s both eye-catching and functional. The lower third of this design houses the robust 1080p, 60fps camera. The motorized control, adjustable through an app, adds a layer of sophistication, negating the need for manual adjustments and potential damage to the camera.

“Cute” might not be the most convincing adjective to describe a dashcam but it’s certainly the first one that came to mind as it reminded me of EVE (from WALL-E)—complete with its own personality. Yep, this dashcam just doesn’t record clips, but it can also interact with you via MaiX. MaiX the bear is 70mai’s mascot, and it lives inside the Omni. So, when you interact with Omni, it reacts back via MaiX emojis, just like a companion robot. It listens to you, takes photos for you, and it can even sing you a happy birthday song!

As much as we hate to admit it, we all have that inner “Marites” that’s always curious, especially when we see something or someone interesting on the road that makes you want to reach for your phone to take a photo.

Now this could be very dangerous, especially if traffic is moving, but with the 70mai Omni Dash Cam 360°, you can simply shout “shoot left,” or “shoot right” and the Omni will take a short video which you can just watch later once it’s safe. How’s that for being discreet? You can even tell MaiX to “shoot vlog” and it will take a 15-second a 360 rotating video which is great for showing off your location during a road trip.

But while MaiX can keep you company, the real crown jewel of the 70mai Omni is undoubtedly having the first 360-degree rotating camera. Whether you’re cruising down a highway or parked in a bustling street, the Omni captures high-definition, detailed video from every angle. Day or night, its 1080p resolution ensures that no important detail is missed, making it an indispensable tool for any driver.

Despite its compact size, the Omni’s 1.2-inch display is surprisingly effective. It’s perfect for glancing at large text and basic information. The Omni’s integration with the 70mai app via Wi-Fi is seamless and intuitive. It provides a live view, access to recorded footage, and easy setting adjustments. You do need to install the app and register the dashcam first, which can be a bit of a hassle for some, but it only takes a few minutes and it unlocks a world of features and customization options, elevating the dashcam from a mere recording device to a smart travel tool.

It also features an Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) function which alerts you to the presence of pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles on the

road, increasing situational awareness and helping to prevent accidents. The ADAS function also assists in maintaining lane discipline by alerting the driver if the vehicle starts to drift out of its lane without a turn signal, promoting safer driving habits.

The Omni has internal storage capacity of 32GB up to 128GB which means you can record hours of footage without worrying about external SD cards.

Most importantly, the 70mai Omni shoots clear 1080p video that rivals even higher resolution cameras in terms of color and detail. Whether it’s a cloudy day or a night drive, the Omni captures it all with impressive clarity.

So, if you are looking for a different kind of dash cam, you need to check out the 70mai Omni Dash Cam 360°. It’s perfect for those who appreciate a gadget that combines style, functionality, and a bit of personality. Whether you’re a road trip enthusiast, aspiring moto vlogger, or someone who likes to keep a vigilant eye on their vehicle or what’s happening around them, the Omni is a compelling choice.

It’s more than a tool; it’s a travel companion that promises peace of mind and a touch of fun.

■ XIAOMI PAD 6. During the usual two-week holiday break, I hate taking out my laptop, because it would mean serious all-day work. So, instead I’ve been using the Xiaomi Pad 6 when I really need to answer my emails and update my blogs. The Xiaomi Pad 6 is tailored for the modern professional who juggles work and leisure, offering a robust set of features making it an ideal travel companion especially for those days when you need a bigger screen than your phone.

The Xiaomi Pad 6 has a sleek design with its aluminum-alloy unibody, chamfered sides, and a matte finish on the back panel and resembles the Xiaomi 13 series phones. It is available in three color variants (Gravity Gray, Gold and Misty Blue) as well as three configurations 6GB+128GB, 8GB+128GB, 8GB+256GB. It’s remarkably portable, weighing just 490g and featuring a slim 6.51mm bezel. The tablet boasts an 11-inch WQHD+ (2880 x 1800) display at 309 ppi, ensuring sharp, clear images. This highresolution screen, combined with a high pixel density, makes reading and viewing a pleasure, with less need for scrolling. For entertainment, the Xiaomi Pad 6 does not disappoint. It supports Dolby Vision and features a display with a 99% DCI-P3 color gamut, offering vivid and bright images. The 144Hz refresh rate enhances the gaming experience, making it fluid and enjoyable. TÜV Rheinland certification for Low Blue Light is a bonus, reducing eye strain during extended use. The audio experience is elevated by the tablet’s quad-speaker setup, supporting Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res Audio. Whether it’s for music, movies, or games, the sound quality is immersive and rich.

Under the hood, the Xiaomi Pad 6 is powered by the Snapdragon 870 Mobile Platform. This chipset delivers powerful and efficient performance, suitable for heavy multitasking and demanding applications.

Complementing this is the large 8840mAh battery, which supports 33W fast charging.

Xiaomi Pad 6 runs on the MIUI for Pad software, optimized for tablet use although there is still much room for improvement. The integration of the Xiaomi Smart Pen (2nd generation) and the Xiaomi Pad 6 Keyboard further enhances productivity. The Smart Pen facilitates easy note-taking and creative tasks, while the keyboard offers customizable shortcuts for efficient operation.

The best thing about getting the Xiaomi Pad 6 now is that its price has dropped significantly and you can also find great offers on the keyboard and pen since you have to buy them separately.

■ PHANTOM V FLIP. Priced at P29,999, the Phantom V Flip 5G might be the most affordable 2023 Flip phone in the market. I did have the chance to try it out for a few days and I was quite impressed with it. The Phantom V Flip 5G has a sophisticated hinge that’s made from aircraft-grade materials that ensures durability and resilience, essential for the longevity of

foldable devices.

This advanced hinge design supports stable positioning at various angles, which is especially beneficial for the phone’s FreeCam System, allowing for creative photography and videography from unique perspectives. Its camera system includes a 64MP RGBW Ultra Sensitive Sensor Main Camera, a 13MP Ultra-Wide Angle Camera, and a 32MP Dual-flash Autofocus Front Camera.

Aesthetically, it stands out with its premium lychee-pattern classic leather in Mystic Dawn and Iconic Black colors. It’s meticulously crafted for a perfect pocket-sized form, offering comfortable one-handed use and a sophisticated appearance.

The device also boasts a unique circular cover screen it calls “The Planet” Personalized Versatile Cover Screen, providing convenience and style with its 1.32-inch AMOLED display. This screen enhances

user interaction, allowing for quick access to various functions and customizable displays. In terms of performance, the Phantom V Flip 5G is equipped with a 4000mAh Super Battery supported by 45W Flash Charging, ensuring long-lasting usage and quick recharging times. The phone runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 8050 5G chip, coupled with 8GB RAM and 256GB ROM, delivering smooth operation and ample storage. It’s the first device to feature the HiOS 13.5 operating system, based on Android 13, which enhances the flip smartphone experience with intelligent features and improved security.

■ ARCHER AIR. Lastly, we were also able to upgrade our Home WiFi with the ultra-thin Archer Air R5 router and the Archer Air E5 extender from TP-Link.

Their sleek and minimalist design allows them to blend effortlessly into any modern environment, providing both exceptional performance and an aesthetically pleasing addition to any space. The Archer Air Series houses cutting-edge Wi-Fi 6 technology.

This promises its owners higher data rates, better work efficiency with OFDMA and MU-MIMO that can seamlessly connect multiple devices, wider coverage anywhere, and higher WPA3 security that protects users from cyber threats. The Archer Air R5 features built-in smart antennas to ensure users receive all-around stable Wi-Fi signals to your devices. Three antenna modes are offered to meet multiple needs, including an auto mode, horizontal mode, and vertical mode. Both models are EasyMeshcompatible, expanding the range of your Wi-Fi and beating dead zones in your home or office space. ■

THREE OF THE BIGGEST PORN SITES MUST VERIFY AGES TO PROTECT KIDS UNDER EUROPE’S NEW DIGITAL LAW LONDON—Three of the world’s biggest porn websites face new requirements in the European Union that include verifying the ages of users, the 27-nation bloc said Wednesday, expanding the reach of its digital law designed to keep people safe on the internet.

Pornhub, XVideos and Stripchat have now been classed as “very large online platforms” subject to more stringent controls under the Digital Services Act because they each have 45 million average monthly users, according to the European Commission. They are the first porn sites to be targeted by the sweeping Digital Services Act, which imposes tough

obligations to keep users safe from illegal content and dodgy products.

Violations are punishable by fines of up to 6 percent of global revenue or even a ban on operating in the EU. Some 19 online platforms and search engines have already been identified for stricter scrutiny under the DSA, including TikTok, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, Google and more.

Pornhub disputed its status as a very large online platform under the DSA, referring to a statement on its website saying it has 33 million average monthly users.

XVideos and Stripchat did not respond to

requests for comment.

The law includes provisions to protect children by preventing them “from accessing pornographic content online, including with age verification tools,” the commission said in a press release.

France, Germany and Britain and US states including Utah and Texas have drafted laws requiring porn sites to verify a user is 18 or older. Methods could include checking credit cards or government-issued ID or scanning faces to estimate ages, but all those systems have raised concerns about privacy and discrimination. AP

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

A10 Saturday-Sunday, December 30-31, 2023

Tourism Editor: Edwin P. Sallan

A SECLUDED POCKET OF PARADISE

Manami Resort is Negros Occidental’s not-so-hidden gem

LINONG Spa

DELUXE Villa

Poolside

F

or a budding traveler like myself who until this year didn’t pack my suitcase a lot, discovering exciting new destinations is something that I constantly looked forward to.

In 2023, there were quite a few of these new or at least “new to me” places that I’ve had the good fortune of visiting. Easily the most pleasant surprise for me is a luxury resort located in the “outskirts” of Negros Occidental. I’ve visited the island dubbed as the “Sugarbowl of the Philippines” twice this year, the second time for this year’s Masskara Festival celebration in Bacolod City that I already wrote about.

My first visit to Negros Occidental last June, however, was even more memorable as it took me to the remote city of Sipalay, a five-hour drive from Bacolod-Silay International Airport.

While Sipalay itself is a typically laid-

back town, what is largely making it an increasingly intriguing tourist destination is Manami Resort, a new luxury resort from the Discovery Hospitality group’s Signature Collection that pretty much serves as the gateway to its natural wonders.

Even before Manami was built, Sipalay already has several tourist spots such as Tinagong Dagat, Campomanes Bay, Punta Ballo, Hinoba-an Cave, Mangrove Forest, Sugar Beach, M/V Guimaras (Julien’s Wreck) and Anajauan (Turtle) Island. Manami makes them even more accessible through daily boat tours that are part and parcel of the resort’s island lifestyle.

Aptly named after a Hiligaynon word that means “ beautiful,” everything about Manami is, indeed, for the lack of a better term, simply beautiful. A secluded resort with a very premium and exclusive feel, everything we imagined in a dream haven is here in this five-hectare wonder: lush foliage, breathtaking hillside and coastline views, stunning landscape architecture using indigenous materials, and of course, nature-driven sustainability.

Upon entering the main reception building, guests are greeted by the sight of the elegant and spacious Lingaw Restaurant. Lingaw is another Hiligaynon word that means to entertain. The restaurant specializes in Negrense cuisine with a slight Spanish twist.

During my brief stay, I was able to sample some of Lingaw’s specialties that include popular favorites like the Kinilaw de Negros and Chicharon Bulaklak which are served as appetizers. For entrees, there’s Manami’s Boneless Chicken Inasal as well as their Paella Mixta. There are also

Boat Tour Spanish tapas and pintxos to snack on, among many other food choices.

There are options to have food delivered via room service but as I observed, most guests opt to personally dine at Lingaw since golf carts are available to pick them up from their rooms. Lingaw is also just near Manami’s main pool which in turn provides a picturesque view of the beachfront.

Adjacent to the restaurant is the Hunas Sunset Deck and Bar where an extensive selection of beverages are available. Hunas which in Hiligaynon means “low tide” is the perfect spot to unwind and hang out alone or with friends as the sun begins to set.

Manami’s beachfront or coastline also serves as the starting point for the daily island hopping tours at Tinagong Dagat and Campomanes Bay for either those who want to snorkel, engage in kayaking, or those who simply want to marvel at the sight of coral reefs, schools of fishes and if you’re lucky, sea turtles. Not surprisingly, Sipalay’s white beaches and marine biodiversity have made it a popular refuge for scuba divers.

PAELLA Land tours were also available but I didn’t have the chance or enough time to book one and missed out on some pretty interesting spots like the Maricalum Mines and the Campo Quinto viewdeck that takes around 300 steps to get to. Maybe next time.

There are 16 villas in Manami, thoughtfully spaced out to underscore the privacy and the serenity that guests would expect in a tropical getaway. I stayed at one of the eight Oceanview Suites with a private terrace that provides a panoramic view of the ocean as well as a lavishly arranged bedroom with an equally luxurious en-suite bathroom.

Another in-resort attraction is a bat cave, perfect for those who are looking for some spelunking action.

Unfortunately, it was often raining during our visit so the wet, slippery slopes of the bat cave are deemed by resort management as not safe for even the most adventurous guests.

But for most guests, myself included, perhaps the main attraction of every visit to Manami Resort is the much-talked-about Linong Spa.

Linong is Hiligaynon for “tranquil” and the spa experience in this relaxation sanctuary is nothing short of that. With wellness huts for singles and couples, Linong’s menu of massage services is enhanced by signature oils, and refreshing local tea and is set amidst the backdrop of the resort’s most spectacular view.

It's no surprise that only in its first year of operations, Manami Resort is already receiving its share of accolades. With eco-friendly tourism initiatives like the use of solar energy and wastewater treatment facilities, Manami’s commitment to combat climate change has not gone unnoticed. Just recently, the resort was feted with the 2023 Sustainable Tourism Excellence and 2023 Tatak Excelente awards, presented during the 17th Sipalay City Tourism Month Celebration.

As one of my most memorable travel experiences in 2023, Manami’s unique blend of luxury and sustainability is something I would personally like to revisit and further explore in the very near future.

Travel resolutions for 2024

Walking inside the interior courtyards of Wat Pho

Walking outside the Hawa Mahal, Jaipur, India

T

he new year offers many of us new possibilities—a chance to reflect and think about how we might make the most of our lives. For an increasing number of people—travel is one way to make the most of personal time, rejuvenate or clear one’s head. So here are some thoughts on mindful travel goals in 2024.

Explore more of the neighborhood—on foot

Much of the Philippines’ urban areas, especially Metro Manila, are not really walkable. But there are areas like the Bonifacio Global City, and enclaves along Makati and Manila that are walkable, as with many others around the country. Exploring a neighborhood on foot is a great way to whet one’s wanderlust. While I was living in Hong Kong, the daily commute and errands meant walking at least 12,000 steps a day. It

was an added treat to discover little nooks and crannies as well as snippets of history along the way. Upon returning home to the country, I walked from my doorstep to the nearest mall. What would have taken me about 20 minutes by driving (without traffic) took just 4,785 steps and 40 minutes by walking, plus a chance to see the small food shops and stores, making mental notes for future reference.

Walking is a nice way to change a sedentary lifestyle and boost endorphins. It might also make sense to do so—rather than being stuck in heavy traffic.

Explore more of the Philippines

There have been so many changes in slogans and campaigns of the Department of Tourism. But one that sticks out is not to be a “dayuhan sa sariling bayan,” or a foreigner in

one’s own country. Living in the Philippines with over 7,100 islands means so many places to go. In one of my previous articles, I wrote about some of my trips within the country.

There are places I have never to in the north such as Batanes, Sagada and Cagayan Valley; and the eastern seaboard such as Aurora and Quirino—the ease of getting to these places, however, is another story.

Travel alone

I tried it and I ended up loving it. There is something to be said about learning to live (and live) your own company, being alone and not having to rely on other people to enjoy and create memorable experiences.

Solo travel gives greater possibility to meet new people, try new things and learn more—about where you are, what you’re doing and most of all—about yourself.

There’s something special and empowering

about exploring a place on your own terms, doing exactly what you want and not having to think about the needs and wants of anyone else.

And I’m not alone. Travel industry source Skift has been reporting an increase in solo travel all across the globe, and interestingly, a surge in older, married women embarking on solo trips. I’ve been lucky to have travelled solo across India, Bali and Thailand in the past several months, but one need not go so far to travel alone. The key here is to go on a journey on your own and stray away from your comfort zone, even if it’s just for a day.

Stop and slow down

There’s something to be said about immersing yourself in a place and embracing local culture and even getting down with the locals, rather doing frenetic tours

where one spends a few minutes just to get a photo then rush off to the next place.

Rather than basing an itinerary on attractions or places to see, think about what experiences you want to try or do. Explore the place and know its history, imagine what great kingdoms use to be like and marvel at man-made structures, appreciating the painstaking work that went into each one.

Use up vacation days

There’s a reason why vacation days or paid time-off is on the table—they are meant to be used. Employees are by no means more productive or efficient if they don’t use their vacation days. In fact, taking time off is good for mental and physical well-being.

Perhaps just as well as many companies are now forfeiting a portion of unused leave days in a given calendar year.

Forest-bathing with long-tailed macaques at the Sacred Monkey Sanctuary, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

Get more out of business trips

If work takes you to a desirable destination, take advantage of the free flight and spend some time as a tourist. “Bleisure travel,” or a blend of business and leisure, is gaining ground and reshaping the travel industry.

Some companies are even embracing the trend—recognizing how it helps boost employee satisfaction and work-life balance.

It doesn’t need to be an extra day—even a few hours for a little sightseeing will do.

Post-script

Travel has opened my eyes to new mindsets and perspectives. More importantly, it’s also renewed a sense of hope that despite and in spite the troubles, the toxicity and negativity we have to deal with, it’s still a wonderful world.

Have a great 2024!

Science Sunday

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

BusinessMirror

Saturday-Sunday, December 30-31, 2023 A11

More SUCs upgrade capabilities, labs through RDLead program ‘M

Y ultimate goal is to make a research proposal that will attract funding institutions because the small proposals that I submitted in the past did not qualify,” Dr. Marife R. Hilapad, a professor of Capiz State University (CapSU) said partly in Filipino.

Hilapad is among the 800-plus researchers, scientists and engineers who have been empowered in the first four years of the Research and Development Leadership (RDLead) initiative of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)’s Science for Change Program (S4CP).

RDLead was a recipient of the 2022 United Nations Public Service Award.

Back in 2016, a large majority, or 80 percent, of the research and development (R&D) funding from the government was concentrated in Metro Manila and its adjacent regions.

The disparity for allocation was apparent, leaving the rest of the regions with only 20 percent to fund their R&D. RDLead aims to response to this gap by enhancing the research capabilities of higher education institutions (HEIs), R&D institutes and national government agencies by providing them with adept research champions dubbed as RD Leaders.

Before RDLead was introduced

to CapSU, Hilapad doubted her ability to secure external research funding. However, despite her reservations, she clung to the hope that she would eventually achieve her lifelong goal.

“It became a challenge to me.

Maybe the person who would help me is not available yet, or I still do not have the capacity to do it. I want to fulfill my ultimate dream to have an externally funded research,” Hilapad explained.

Fortuitously, Dr. Ricardo P. Babaran, an NRCP associate member with expertise in aquatic biology and a professor of fisheries at the University of the Philippines Visayas, became CapSU’s RD Leader.

Given the f inancia l constraints faced by CapSU—with a budget of only P3.78 million in 2018 for research programs, including Personal Services, Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses, and no capital outlay as stated in the 2017 Official Gazette—external funding through well-crafted research proposals became imperative.

Addressing CapSU’s need for capacity-building and inadequate

DR. Marife R. Hilapad (left), a professor at Capiz State University, and Dr. Satra A. Sabaani of Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College NRCP PHOTO

facilities and equipment, Babaran guided the university in crafting an infrastructure plan.

Under RDLead, Babaran conducted comprehensive training at CapSU on fish taxonomy, fish biology, otoliths and in applications in fisheries management, sample techniques for fisheries research, as well as in research proposal development, scientific writing, review and publication.

“Through critiquing our work, she [Babaran] saw whatever needed improvement, from which I learned that I still do not know in many aspects,” Hilapad shared her experience being mentored

by Babaran.

RD Leader Babaran, through an institutional research readiness assessment, collaborated with mentees, including Hilapad, to develop a comprehensive proposal.

With focus on long-term sustainability, RDLead helped in charting the R&D roadmap of host institutions.

Babaran assisted CapSU in addressing its facility and equipment

issues through strategic planning.

The program provides an opportunity for research leaders to advise aspiring researchers of state universities and colleges (SUCS) to actively take leading roles in local area development.

Babaran also mentored faculty members and researchers in accomplishing intellectual property applications and manuscripts.

“My stint as the RD Leader, hosted by [CapSU], gave me this opportunity to mention about the critical role of its faculty members, who are also tasked to conduct research, to carry the banner for the university to be a reliable partner for progressive development in the province,” Babaran said.

Hilapad shared one of Babaran’s remarkable pieces of advice: “Strike while the iron is hot.”

She explained that once one gains the momentum in writing research, the person should continue to maintain focus.

In a similar situation was TawiTawi Regional Agricultural College (TRAC), whose Dr. Satra A. Sabaani

expressed her reservations about their research competitiveness.

“Our research is for college level. We have institutional research and that by students who we give guidance. It’s not that we have no idea in research, but our level is limited,” Sabaani explained partly in Filipino.

Saba a n i wa s t h a n k f u l for RDLead for bringing to TR AC Dr. Eureka Teresa Ocampo, who helped them look for a funding agency and guided them in the entire process in their research journey.

Ocampo, a regular member of NRCP Agriculture and Forestry Division, was recently conferred University of the Philippines Scientist 2 and a Professor 1 in UP Los Baños.

“I was happy to help the faculty members realize their potential as researchers and the research problems that are unique to the province,” Ocampo said.

During her RDLead mentorship, they were able to develop TR AC’s R&D roadmap. In the

process, two research proposa l s were produced , a nd t wo memora ndu m of ag reements were forged.

It should be noted that in 2018, TRAC did not have funding for research programs and projects as could be gleaned from the 2017 Official Gazette.

Moreover, Ocampo conducted a series of training on research-proposal writing, ethics in research, and writing for academic journals or research publications.

Sabaani cited that Ocampo as an RD Leader was very encouraging and cheerful, who always reminded her that momentary slips do not mean failure. She pursued creating a research proposal while carrying Ocampo’s message to keep on going.

“I am thankful to RDLead because if it did not send Sir Ric [Babaran] to us, we would not have QualiSafe Lab. We would not have any equipment,” Hilapad expressed her gratitude to the project.

To date, RDLead has engaged 77 RD leaders to 74 host institutions composed of HEIs, R&D institutes (RDIs) and national government agencies.

Cumulatively, RDLead institutions have already secured more than P500 million worth of grants from various funding agencies in the country to support R&D, and contribute to solving regional and national issues.

RDLead is now on its second iteration under the project Enhanced Research and Development Leadership to Foster an Inclusive Research Ecosystem. It continues to engage RD Leaders with new host institutions nationwide.

Regine C. Pustadan/S&T Media Services

2023 in clean energy: Wind, solar, batteries grow amid econ challenges

L

ED by new solar power, the world added renewable energy at breakneck speed in 2023, a trend that if amplified will help Earth turn away from fossil fuels and prevent severe warming and its effects.

Clean energy is often now the least expensive, explaining some of the growth. Nations also adopted policies that support renewables, some citing energy security concerns, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

These factors countered high interest rates and persistent challenges in getting materials and components in many places.

The IEA projected that more than 440 gigawatts of renewable energy would be added in 2023, more than the entire installed power capacity of Germany and Spain together.

Here’s a look at the year in solar, wind and batteries.

Another banner year for solar

CHINA, Europe and the US each set solar installation records for a single year, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).

China’s additions dwarfed those of all other countries, at somewhere between 180 and 230 gigawatts, depending on how endof-the-year projects turn out. Europe added 58 gigawatts.

Solar is now the cheapest form of electricity in a majority of countries. Solar panel prices fell a whopping 40 percent to 53 percent in Europe between December

2022 and November 2023 and are now at record lows.

“Particularly in Europe, it’s been really at breakneck speed of scaling up the deployment,” said Michael Taylor, senior analyst at Irena.

When the final numbers for 2023 are in, solar energy is expected to surpass hydropower in total capacity globally, but for actual electricity produced, hydropower will still make more clean power for some time because it can produce around the clock.

In the United States, California continues to have the most solar energy, followed by Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona.

Both state and federal incentives had a large influence on US solar growth, said Daniel Bresette, president of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, a non-profit education and policy organization.

Despite solar’s success in 2023, there are hurdles.

There has been a shortage of transformers, Bresette said, while interest rates have risen.

In the US, solar manufacturing grew as well.

“We have seen the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act in terms of fueling investments ... more than 60 solar manufacturing facilities were announced over the past year,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Challenges for wind energy

BY the end of 2023, the world will

have added enough wind energy to power nearly 80 million homes, making it a record year.

As with solar, most of the growth, or more than 58 gigawatts, was added in China, according to research from Wood Mackenzie.

China is on track to surpass its ambitious 2030 target of 1,200 gigawatts of utility-scale solar and wind power capacity five years ahead of schedule if planned projects are all built, the Global Energy Monitor said.

China was one of the few growing markets this year for wind, the Global Wind Energy Council said.

Faster permitting and other improvements in key markets, such as Germany and India, also helped add more wind energy.

But installations were down in Europe by 6 percent year-overyear, Wood Mackenzie said.

Short-term challenges—such as high inflation, rising interest rates and increased costs of building materials—forced some ocean wind developers to renegotiate or even cancel project contracts, and some land-based wind developers to delay projects to 2024 or 2025.

T he econom ic headw i nd s came at a difficult time for the nascent US offshore wind industry as it tries to launch the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farms.

Construction began on two this year. Both aim to open early in 2024 and one of the sites is already sending electricity to the US grid.

Large offshore wind farms have been making electricity for three decades in Europe, and more recently in Asia.

After years of record growth, the industry group American Clean Power (ACP) expects less land-based wind to be added in the United States by year’s end, about enough to power 2.7 million to 3 million homes.

The group says developers are taking advantage of new tax credits passed last year in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), but it takes years to bring the projects online.

There has been $383 billion in announced clean energy investments since passage of the IRA, it said.

“We’re talking about 2023 essentially as a lower performance year, but in the grand scheme of things, 8 gigawatts to 9 gigawatts is still a number to get excited about. It’s a lot of new clean energy that’s being added to the grid,” said John Hensley, ACP’s vice president for research and analytics.

Globally the wind buildout was slower this year as well. The top three markets this year are still China, the United States and Germany for wind energy produced on land, and China, the United Kingdom and Germany for offshore.

The analysts are predicting that the global industry will rebound next year and make nearly 12 percent more wind energy available worldwide.

In June, the industry celebrated

passing 1 terawatt of installed wind energy worldwide. It took more than 40 years to reach that milestone, but it could take less than seven years for the second terawatt, at the pace the industry is on now.

Massive year for batteries

AMID an ongoing push to make transportation less damaging to the climate, the electric vehicle trend accelerated globally in 2023, with one in five cars sold this year expected to be electric, according to the IEA. That meant it also turned out to be another banner year for batteries.

More than $43.4 billion has been spent on battery manufacturing and battery recycling just in the US this year, thanks largely to the IRA, according to Atlas Public Policy.

This puts the US on a more level playing field with Europe, but still behind battery powerhouse China.

As for large battery factories, called gigafactories, the US and Europe each had 38 in the works by late November, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. But China had 295 in the works.

The industry continued to explore different ways of making batteries without depending so much on harmful materials, as well as ways of making components more sustainable, and the battery recycling industry made headway, experts said.

The cost of key battery raw materials, including lithium, also

dropped significantly, Benchmark senior analyst Evan Hartley said.

“The battery cost is now on that trajectory that most Americans will be able to afford an EV,” said Paul Braun, a University of Illinois professor of materials science and engineering.

2023 wasn’t an easy journey.

The US industry, in particular navigated several headwinds.

A massive Panasonic battery facility in Kansas had energy challenges. Toyota needs to shore up a talent pool for its site in North Carolina.

Health and safety violations were found at a joint venture plant between General Motors Co. and LG Energy Solution in Ohio.

The list goes on.

Regard less of t he reg ion, roadblocks remain in minerals, responsible supply chains, and the buildout of charging infrastructure.

“That’s going to be the next agenda item,” John Eichberger, executive director of the Transportation Energy Institute.

But experts are optimistic that battery growth across the globe will continue.

“The story of batteries in the US is the story of batteries globally in 2023 at large,” said Daan Walter, principal in the strategy team at the Rocky Mountain Institute, a sustainability research group, “and how momentous this shift in 2023 has been.” Isabella O’malley, Jennifer Mcdermott And Alexa St. John/Associated Press

Faith

Sunday

A12 Saturday-Sunday, December 30-31, 2023

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

A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE YEAR ENDS, POPE FRANCIS RENEWS APPEAL FOR PEACE

‘Pray for Holy Land and Ukraine’

S

PEAKING at the end of his General Audience on Wednesday, just a few days before the New Year, Pope Francis renewed his appeal for peace in the Holy Land and Ukraine.

“Please, do not forget to pray for those suffering the terrible consequences of violence and war,” the pope said.

“Let us pray especially for martyred Ukraine and for the populations of Palestine and Israel. War is an evil. Let us pray for an end to war.”

Gaza ceasefire

POPE Francis has been calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza since October 29.

In his traditional Urbi et Orbi

(for the city and for the world) message on Christmas Day, the pope pleaded for “an end to the military operations with their appalling harvest of innocent civilian victims” and called for “an opening to the provision of humanitarian aid” in Gaza.

He also said that his “heart grieves for the victims of the abominable attack of [October 7],” and he repeated his “urgent appeal for the liberation of those still being held hostage.”

Pope Francis expressed his hope

PALESTINIANS evacuate a refugee camp as Israeli military operations in Gaza continue. ANSA

that sincere dialogue with strong political will and international support might lead to a resolution of the “Palestinian question.”

Peace in Ukraine

IN his Urbi et Orbi address, Pope Francis also prayed for an end to

the war in Ukraine.

“Contemplating the Baby Jesus,” the pope said, “I implore peace for Ukraine.”

“Let us renew our spiritual and human closeness to its embattled people,” he urged, “so that through the support of each of us, they

may feel the concrete reality of God’s love.”

us strive for peace.”

‘End to religious persecution’

POPE Francis went on to invite the faithful to visit the Nativity Scene set up in St. Peter’s Square.

“As you look at the statues,” he said, “you will see in their faces and attitudes a common trait: wonder.

You will see a wonder that becomes worship.”

“Hold on to this,” the pope said: “Wonder that becomes worship.”

MEANWHILE, after his recitation of the Angelus prayer last on December 26 for the Feast of St. Stephen, the first ever Christian martyr, the pope addressed a sizeable crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

He said that on the Feast of St. Stephen he is “close to the C h r i st i a n com mu n it ies t h at suffer discrimination.”

“I urge them,” Pope Francis said, “to persevere in charity toward all, striving peacefully for justice and religious freedom.”

The pope added that he also entrusted to St. Stephen “the invocation of peace by war-torn peoples.” “ T he med ia show us what war produces,” he said. “We witnessed Syria; now we see Gaza.

We think of martyred Ukraine.

A desert of death.”

“People desire peace,” he pointed out. “Let us pray for peace. Let

Wonder and worship

Christmas messages

POPE Francis also took a moment to thank Christians around the world for the Christmas messages they had sent him.

“I take this opportunity to thank all those who have sent me messages of good wishes from Rome, and from so many parts of the world,” he said.

“Thank you, especially for your prayers! And keep praying for the pope! It’s needed!” he said.

Joseph Tulloch/Vatican News

Vatican to publish never-before-seen homilies of Pope Benedict XVI

R

OME—The Vatican next year will publish a collection of never-before-seen homilies delivered by the late Pope Benedict XVI during his private Sunday Masses, most of them penned during his 10-year retirement, Vatican officials said recently.

The consecrated women who tended to Benedict during his pontificate and retirement recorded

the homilies as he delivered them, and have now transcribed them for publication by the Vatican’s publishing house.

Thirty of the homilies date from Benedict’s pontificate, while around 100 more are from his retirement, said a statement from the publisher, the Joseph Ratzinger Foundation and the Vatican’s communications office.

All are in Italian, the German-

b o r n t h e o l o g i a n ’s a d o p t e d l a ng u a ge.

T h e Va t i c a n n e w s p a p e r L’Osservatore Romano, in conjunction with Germany’s Welt am Sonntag Sunday newspaper, published the first of the homilies last Saturday. It is a meditation on the figure of Joseph that Benedict delivered on December 22, 2013, just a few months after he became the first pope in 600

years to resign.

Benedict died on December 31, 2022, at the age of 95.

His longtime spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, who heads the Ratzinger Foundation, is curating the collection.

Organizers of the project said the homilies don’t contain any news or theological novelties, but rather are of “substantial spiritual nutrition.” The Associated Press

POPE Emeritus Benedict XVI sits in St. Peter’s Basilica as he attends the ceremony marking the start of the Holy Year, at the Vatican on December 8, 2015. AP/GREGORIO BORGIA

Controversial Hindu temple opens more ‘floodgates’ in India

A

CARDINAL Thomas Aquinas Manyo Maeda of Osaka (left) and Cardinal Jose Advincula of Manila flank an image of Blessed Takayama Ukon after a Mass at the Manila Cathedral on December 21, commemorating the 409th anniversary of the Japanese Catholic Samurai and martyr’s arrival in the Philippines. PHOTO COURTESY OF PATRICK DOMINICK ROMERO

Vatican probing into ‘miracles’ for Blessed Ukon’s sainthood

A

JAPANESE cardinal disclosed on Thursday in Manila that the Vatican has been investigating the miracles that could lead to the canonization of a 17th-century Catholic samurai and martyr.

Cardinal Thomas Aquinas Manyo Maeda of Osaka did not provide further details but expressed hope that the investigation regarding the cause of Blessed Takayama Ukon will be completed soon.

“We pray that the investigation of Ukon’s miracles will be completed and approved at least within the next year or two,” Maeda said.

“We hope that we can pray and work together with the people of the Archdiocese of Manila, especially with the archbishop of Manila,” he said.

The 74-year-old spoke after a Mass presided over by Cardinal Jose Advincula at the Manila Cathedral, commemorating the 409th anniversary of Ukon’s arrival in the country.

Maeda was on a pilgrimage with 30 Japanese pilgrims, retracing the footsteps of the martyr in Manila.

In 1614, Ukon and 350 Catholics were exiled to Manila due to the Edo Shogunate’s ban on Christianity. He died in Intramuros after only 44 days, reportedly due to “a tropical ailment”.

He was initially proposed for sainthood

by the Manila archdiocese in 1634, becoming the Philippine Church’s first “Servant of God.” Ernesto de Pedro, an alumnus of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Graduate School, was commissioned to study the cause after the petition for Takayama’s beatification was revived in 1986.

To ensure that the movement had firm foundations, he established the Lord Justus Takayama Professional Chair in PhilippineJapanese Studies at UST on February 4, 1989.

In 2013, Japan’s Catholic bishops submitted a lengthy 400-page application to the Vatican for Ukon’s beatification as a martyr, emphasizing his abandonment of warlord status and sacrifice for his faith.

Ukon’s journey to canonization advanced when Pope Francis approved the decree of his martyrdom on January 22, 2016. He was beatified during a Mass in Osaka on February 7, 2017.

In 2018, the Manila City Council passed a resolution declaring December 21, every year, as “Blessed Takayama Ukon Day” in the nation’s capital.

The sainthood cause of Blessed Takayama Ukon is being promoted by several Catholic movements in various countries, among them the Manila-based “Prayer Warriors of Blessed Takayama.” Roy Lagarde

S India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to open a controversial Hindu temple, where a centuries-old mosque once stood, Hindu groups have won important court rulings in the past week on other disputed religious sites.

Ind ia is ma k ing e x tensive preparations for Modi to inaugurate the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, fulfilling an election promise made by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to its Hindu voters.

The religious site had been the source of a bitter dispute between Hindus and Muslims for decades, and sparked deadly riots in the 1990s after the 16th-century Babri mosque was demolished there.

The Supreme Court in 2019 eventually awarded the land to Hindus, some of whom believe the site is the birthplace of the god Ram. The Ayodhya case has set a precedent, with Hindu groups laying claim through the courts to two other locations where Mughal-era mosques currently stand.

In the past week the groups have won important court rulings in their favor, developments that help to bolster Modi’s support among Hindu voters just months before a national election, but also potentially heightening religious tensions in the country.

“The Supreme Court’s ruling in the Ayodhya case in 2019 has definitely opened the floodgates for other claims to be made and validated,” said Apoorvanand, a professor at the University of Delhi, who writes about Indian politics and goes by one name.

Hindu groups have petitioned the courts for the removal of the Gyanvapi mosque that stands adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and the Shahi Idgah mosque, which neighbors the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura.

Like the Ayodhya case, the litigants claim that the ancient mosques were built on land where Hindu temples once stood.

The three temples are in Uttar Pradesh, the province governed

by Yogi Adityanath, a firebrand Hindu monk who has spoken out against Muslims.

Modi’s party has invested tens of millions of dollars into building infrastructure near pilgrimage sites, sometimes at a high cost to some residents whose homes and stores are partially razed to make way for projects.

In the Varanasi case, which has been pending for 32 years, the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday ruled against the Muslim side seeking protection of the mosque under existing legislation.

The court said the case was of “vital national importance” and cleared the way for hearings to take place.

Last week, the same court allowed for a scientific survey to be carried out at the site of Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura to determine if it was built over a Hindu temple.

The latest court developments

“privilege the idea of majoritarian will over principles of justice,” Apoorvanand said.

A law from 1991 protects all religious sites in the way they existed on the day India became an independent country in 1947.

The legislation had helped to keep the two court cases suspended and simmering for decades, but the high court’s ruling means the statute is no longer an impediment in the land title dispute.

With the Ayodhya case, the Supreme Court acknowledged evidence of the remains of non-Islamic structures beneath the mosque, but also said that demolishing the mosque was a criminal act.

After that ruling, several rightwing Hindu groups sprung into action to “free the temples” in Mathura and Varanasi, which they believed were destroyed to make way for mosques during the Mughal era.

This sentiment was reminiscent of the slogans chanted by Hindu groups—including BJP workers and members of the ruling party’s ideological parent, the nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — after the demolition

of the Babri mosque in 1992.

The messages stoke feelings of histor ica l dispossession among the majority Hindu population, which can cause divisiveness and religious tension, Apoor vanand said.

“All these things are elements of a strategy to create a Hindutva consciousness,” he said, referring to the ideology of Hindu nationalism.

Local media reports suggest there are several Muslim monuments that are under similar disputes in various states: Qutb Minar, New Delhi: A lawsuit had been filed in a Delhi court claiming that the monument was built after demolishing a number of Hindu and Jain temples.

Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Rajasthan: A local Hindu right-wing group claims it was temple for the Hindu deity Lord Shiva.

Jamia Masjid, Karnataka: Several Hindu fringe groups claim the mosque in Mandya district was built on the ruins of a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman. Protests led to restrictions on gatherings Jumma Masjid, Maharashtra: The mosque in a small district of Jalgaon went without Friday prayers briefly when a local executive order temporarily barred entry to Muslim devotees after a Hindu-group claimed the location originally housed a Hindu temple.

Jama Masjid, Uttar Pradesh: Believed to be one of the oldest and largest mosques in the country, Hindu groups claim it was a fort built by a Hindu king and that a temple for Lord Shiva existed there.

Taj Mahal, Agra: While not a mosque-temple dispute, India’s most well-known monument is often claimed to have Hindu roots, with some groups petitioning the authorities to issue a “correction” in relation to the monument’s history. Shruti Mahajan/Bloomberg

Biodiversity Sunday BusinessMirror

Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014

Saturday-Sunday, December 30-31, 2023 A13

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

SAVING SHARKS AND RAYS

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

habitats for many invertebrates.

Sharks also serve as crowd-controllers, preventing overgrazing of marine creatures in the seagrass meadows.

T

HE award-winning short film about sharks, “Older Than Trees,” was launched recently.

It is a story of hope for the future of sharks and rays.

The Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) led the launching on December 19 of the video-documentary by shark scientist Dr. James Lea. A field biologist, Lea has been studying sharks and rays since he joined the SOFSF in 2013, and as part of his advocacy to save these fascinating deep-sea creatures.

Award-winning film THE film has been playing in festivals around the globe, acquiring numerous award nominations and was proclaimed “Best Documentary Short Film” at the Braga Science Film Festival. It is available to stream since December 18 on YouTube and Vimeo.

It showcases the beauty of sharks and rays and their natural habitat in the Red Sea, where Lea interacted with them and learned their personalities.

Using both new and never-beforeseen archival footage, the film highlights Lea’s expedition around the world that showcases the critical role science plays in safeguarding vulnerable species like sharks and rays.

SOSF, a philanthropic organization FOUNDED in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2003, the SOSF is a philanthropic organization, whose ultimate goal is to create a legacy of securing the health and sustainability of the oceans and the communities that depend on them for future generations.

It also supports research, conservation and education projects worldwide that focus on endangered sharks, rays and skates.

Three permanent SOSF research and education centers reinforce its actions in Seychelles, South A frica and the United States.

Ocean is important food source ‘WE rely on our oceans for food, livelihoods, climate regulation, and

Protect their habitats

CONSERVATION advocate and underwater photography expert Danny Ocampo spotted these two manta rays during a dive in June 2022 at the TuWhite tip reef shark. Photo by Danny Ocampo at the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Palawan. The area is a known territory of sharks and rays. COURTESY OF DANNY OCAMPO our well-being. Sharks play many crucial roles in the stability of ocean systems,” Lea said.

“Increasingly, we risk losing this stability through intense overfishing; global shark populations have declined by more than 70 percent.

Sharks really, really need our help,” he added in a statement announcing the release of the film.

“This is where the science comes in. Filling knowledge gaps about sharks and their behav ior helps us to target conservation efforts, making sure they are as effective as possible,” he said.

Lea said that before he was unaware of the plight of sharks and rays; that they need saving or help due to numerous threats.

“Older Than Trees” is a compelling reminder of the value of impactdriven science in the urgent mission to protect and restore populations of threatened animals like sharks, Lea pointed out.

Sharks and rays territory THE Philippines, as well as its neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, are known to host a variety of sharks and rays species.

Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) Executive Director Theresa Mundita S. Lim said that the seas of Southeast Asia is a home range to a number of species of sharks and rays.

“It is estimated that around 300

species of sharks and rays are found in our region’s oceans. Among these are great whites, thresher sharks, tiger sharks and whale sharks,” Lim told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on December 27.

Ecosystem indicator BEING apex predators, sharks are important ecosystem indicators.

“These cartilaginous fish move across our boundaries to breed, grow and feed. Their presence indicates that certain marine ecosystems in the Asean are kept healthy,” she said.

“Indeed, they ensure that there is no overpopulation of marine organisms that can upset ecosystem balance and affect fisheries,” she added..

According to Lim—a licensed veterinarian who started her career helping protect and conserve marine turtles—sharks, as well as rays—are also charismatic species that can boost scuba diving and adventure tourism.

“Poaching, shark finning, overfishing and marine pollution are common concerns that contribute to the decline in shark populations within Asean. Thus, protecting and conserving them requires transboundary cooperation among the Asean member states,” she explained.

Shark fisheries in the Philippines GLOR I A ESTENZO-R A MOS, v ice president of Oceana Philippines, said

WHITETIP reef shark PHOTO BY DANNY OCAMPO shark fisheries in the Philippines, similar to many countries, are “largely unmonitored, unmanaged and unregulated resources.”

This is why the group, which advocates the protection and conservation of the ocean, is pushing for the National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks in the Philippines.

According to Oceana, citing a position paper, that it supports the protection and conservation of sharks and rays in the Philippines.

It said that sharks are generally treated as by-catch and not given the importance of a commercially valuable fish, such as tuna, and there is no management plan for it.

“The bill to conserve and protect sharks and rays is still pending in Congress. But it should not be a barrier to protecting them as there are many national laws and regulations to protect our fisheries, including sharks, and our biodiversity,” Estenzo-Ramos told the BusinessMirror via e-mail on December 26.

Threats ACCOR DING to Estenzo-R amos, the threats sharks and rays face are similar to the pressures our fisheries, in general, are subjected to, such as overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution and weak enforcement of our laws.

“There is still a pervasive lack of appreciation of the benefits of having sharks alive, rather than dead, she said.

Keystone species THESE gravely misunderstood species maintain the stability of the marine food chain: They control their prey’s population by eliminating the weak and sick animals which ensure species diversity.

Sharks also play an important role in coral reef protection, where they help facilitate the raising of awareness and financial support for conservation.

A long w it h rays, sha rk s a lso help in nutrient cycling, when they feed in deeper parts of the oceans and defecate as they return to the surface. In the process, they bring back crucial nutrients of marine creatures such as plankton.

Tourist attraction SHARKS and rays are also important tourist attractions.

According to Oceana, research shows that many tourists are attracted to large-bodied fishes, such as sharks and rays.

Shark-diving tourism is a growing industry that provides opportunities for local coastal communities.

However, Oceana said that due consideration should be given to their welfare as well as in interactions with humans.

Habitat engineers AT the same time, rays, which are feared for their mere looks, act as “habitat engineers” because of their unique way of feeding.

They excavate the sand in search for food which then creates micro-

OCEANA Philippines believes that protecting sharks and rays starts with protecting their habitat.

As such, coastal local governments units (LGUs) which are given primary jurisdiction over the 15-kilometer coastal zone that are reserved for artisanal fisherfolk.

However, coastal LGUs need capacity building and technical assistance from national agencies, like the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the academe, and nongovernment groups in the conservation, protection and management of sharks.

Likewise, Oceana believes that the establishment of the Fisheries Management Areas system is pivotal because each of the 12 FMA Management Body with their respective scientistic advisory groups can provide the platform to discuss issues related to the management and conservation of sharks.

Accord ing to Estenzo -R amos, there are several reasons why reef sharks are doing very well.

This means that an area is incredibly well managed and laws are enforced, an attribute to the staff of the Tubbataha Management Office and the Rangers of Tubbataha Reefs.

According to Estenzo-Ramos, the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park has been protected since the 1980s, enabling multiple generations of sharks to mature and reproduce without fishing pressure, as reef sharks become sexually mature around 10 years of age.

Finally, the size of the park (1000 square km) and its isolation from human-populated areas has allowed the marine habitat to thrive in a natural state.

“There are lessons to be learned from the success of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park that can be applied to the development of future marine protected areas,” she said.

Why the COP28 climate summit mattered; what to watch for in 2024

R

EADING down the lengthy final agreement of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) United Nations climate conference held in December 2023, you’ll go a long way before finding a strong, active verb.

The lengthy recitation of climate impacts “notes with concern” and occasionally with “significant concern” glaring gaps in countries’ current policies.

But while countries volunteered pledges to act, they were less keen to have those pledges framed as binding agreements in the final text.

Reactions to COP28’s conclusion have been understandably mixed.

Going into the talks, the world was more on track to avert catastrophic warming than it would have been without the 2015 Paris Agreement, but a long way from where it needs to be.

Even if all the pledges made at COP28 are implemented, the world will still exceed the Paris goal of keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) compared to preindustrial temperatures.

Politically, the agreement may have been the best that nations could reach at this time of rising geopolitical tensions and under the leadership of the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE is a country of contradictions—a petrostate with renewable energy ambitions, keen to emerge onto the global stage as a green champion, but also accused of colonization tactics in Africa.

Most headlines have focused on the COP28 agreement’s mention of fossil fuels for the first time.

The convoluted language called for countries to “contribute” to “transitioning away from fossil fuels,” not the phaseout supported by a majority of countries.

With an unprecedented number of energy industry lobbyists on hand, the consensus was described by the most vulnerable countries as a litany of loopholes.

The final agreement was, in large parts, written in a way to secure the future of the natural gas industry.

It portrayed natural gas as a necessary bridge fuel while renewable energy expands, an argument that was disproved by the International Energy Agency before COP28.

The agreement also furthered the expectation of continued heavy subsidies for carbon capture and storage, which many energy analysts and economists have dismissed as unscalable at a reasonable cost.

Nevertheless, the UAE blasted through some of the old shibboleths of climate negotiation. It broke the polarity of climate finance—the Global South waiting for the Global North to fulfill its promises of public finance— by focusing on private investment and putting tens of billions of dollars of its sovereign wealth into play.

It was not able to persuade others to match its generosity, but there will be more pressure in 2024.

What should we look for in the coming months?

1

Turning new energy pledges into action COP28 included significant commitments toward an energy transition away from fossil fuels, including pledges to triple renewable energy capacity, increase energy efficiency and cut methane emissions.

Now it’s up to countries and companies to show progress. That will depend on investments and overcoming supply bottlenecks, as well as new policies and, in the case of methane, standards for imports and exports.

The new Global Cooling Pledge to reduce emissions from cooling by 68 percent while increasing access to cooling technology is increasingly critical.

Demand for cooling is driving up energy demand across the globe, particularly in populous countries hard hit by extreme heat, such as India.

Developing technologies that help the billions of people most at risk and improve cold supply chains for food and medicine will require more investment and greater priority from governments.

Watch for more cities to appoint heat czars to spearhead efforts to protect populations from extreme heat, adoption of tree equity plans to increase shade and cooling, and more investment in cooling technologies.

2

Deploying innovations in finance COP28 saw significant innovation

in finance, including the UAE’s announcement of the Alterra Fund— a $30-billion commitment to mobilize private investment in developing countries.

The International Organization of Securities Commissions sent a strong statement in support of corporate sustainability disclosure standards and welcomed corporate integrity standards in the voluntary carbon markets.

Look for more countries to add rules around “net-zero emissions” pledges.

3

Putting trade to work for the climate Linked to finance and investment is trade, which COP28 welcomed to the main stage for the first time.

There are two things to look for in 2024. First, look for the World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to align their advice to governments on effective carbon pricing.

Second, while trade and climate negotiators traditionally move in different circles, they will need to work together to ensure the trade system supports climate action.

For example, making sure green products and services are not made more expensive than their polluting alternatives.

4

Fixing the carbon markets 2023 was a year of pushback on the voluntary carbon markets,

as investigations questioned their effectiveness. COP28’s failure to advance agreements on carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement means they will be a focus in 2024.

In this case, no deal was better than a bad deal, but the delay means countries that plan to use carbon markets to meet their net-zero targets are left with uncertainty.

5

Getting more adaptation funding where it’s needed An agreement on a global goal on adaptation, a collective commitment to build resilience and adaptive capacity across the world, was finally reached, but negotiators left the details to be filled in over the next two years.

To get adaptation funding flowing to where it is most needed, top-down discussions will need to start, including locally led efforts.

Look for adaptation to become a much bigger part of countries’ second-generation climate plans to be submitted to the UN before COP30.

6

Turning new food and agriculture pledges into action A majority of the world’s countries, 159, signed the UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action.

They agreed to include food systems, which contribute a significant percentage of global emissions and

which are fundamental to adaptation and resilience, in the next generation of climate plans to be submitted to the UN. T he pledge was thin on details, however, so how each country turns words into actions w ill be crucial in 2024.

The next big climate milestones IN late 2024, COP29 will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan—another oilproducing nation. The focus will be on finance.

But the next big milestone is in 2025, when governments must submit their future pledges and plans for reducing emissions.

COP30 is to be held in Belen in the Brazilian state of Para—the frontline of Amazon protection.

This will bring a focus on naturebased solutions, but from the perspective of the Global South. President Lula da Silva, who is also the host of the G20 in 2024, wants to see change in the international trade and finance system to reflect shifts in the global economy.

COP28 set forth important initiatives but balked at binding commitments.

As countries work on their next generation of plans to try to get the world on track to limit global warming, they will have to consider the whole of their economies and cover all greenhouse gases.

The world can’t afford to balk twice.

Rachel Kyte, University of Oxford/The Conversation (CC) via AP

Sports BusinessMirror

A14 Saturday-Sunday, December 30-31, 2023

Each and every fiber in EJ’s muscles counts C

Philippine golf flourishes, evolves into dynamic multi-circuit event

L

OCAL golf—in contemplation of what could have been in the absence of the pandemic—has not only weathered the storm but has also flourished and evolved into a dynamic multi-circuit with the addition of the Philippine Golf Tour Asia (PGTA).

But the three section-tour— the PGT, Ladies PGT and the foreign-laced PGTA, faced an abrupt halt during the global health crisis. However, the post-pandemic era witnessed a remarkable resurgence, marked by 10 flourishing tournaments, both in the PGT and LPGT, held across the country’s various championship courses.

The 2023 season’s climax saw a strategic shift from stroke play competitions to the thrilling match play format, echoing the success of the previous year and providing a fitting conclusion to an intense and fiercely competitive season.

A diverse array of winners, with eight different victors in the PGT and seven in the LPGT, showcased the harmonious blend of seasoned campaigners and emerging talents.

Even top amateurs left an indelible mark on the competitive landscape of the LPGT. The season also saw a pro-active focus on junior-level development as the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. introduced innovative programs through the Junior PGT. A brainchild of Razon, this yearlong initiative featured a unique drive, chip and putt competition alongside the regular 18-hole stroke play tournament, thus giving the youngsters exposure to the other formats aimed at further enhancing both their long and short games.

In fact, Mindanao held its own qualifier to accommodate the influx of aspiring young golfers from the talent-rich region.

In the realm of the seasoned pros, Jhonnel Ababa and Daniella Uy claimed their maiden Order of Merit (OOM) titles, embodying the enduring values of hard work, discipline and a positive mindset.

Ababa, a multi-titled campaigner, secured his first OOM trophy after a stellar campaign, spiked by a gripping victory at the Philippine Masters-Villamor and a commanding performance in the season-ending Mimosa Plus Championship.

With winnings of P1,499,825, the former national team standout solidified his position atop the rankings, surpassing former OOM winners Tony Lascuna and Clyde Mondilla.

“This [year] is most special because I got my goal, to be No. 1 in the country,” said Ababa, crediting his success to exceptional play and overcoming challenges throughout the season.

The Davaoeño shotmaker also acknowledged the impact of his achievement on his confidence for the upcoming 2024 season.

In the LPGT, Uy, a former Junior World titlist, bucked early tests to nail the coveted OOM tiara. Her one-stroke triumph at Forest Hills, a two-shot win at Del Monte, and an imposing showing in Mimosa Plus propelled her to the top sport in the OOM derby

By Josef Ramos

with earnings of P808,145.

Both players underscored the importance of hard work and focus in their successes, serving as a compelling testament to the qualities that lead to golfing triumphs.

PGTI executive director Narlene Soriano also lauded the players’ unwavering commitment to excellence through rigorous training and preparation, acknowledging the public’s role in creating an energetic and exciting atmosphere in each competition.

The year concluded with a compelling match play championship at The Country Club where Luisita leg winner Miguel Tabuena and the dominant Mikha Fortuna emerged victorious in the men’s and women’s finals, respectively.

With multiple winners and exciting developments, local pro golf stood tall as the true victor of the season.

The ICTSI and PGTI, committed to fostering growth, promised another exciting season in the coming year with focus on enhancing the junior golf development program under the Junior PGT banner, generating anticipation not just from the burgeoning crop of young talents but also from the country’s leading and upcoming pros, both in the men’s and ladies’ categories.

“We are committed to grow both pro tours. In fact, we are continuously working on putting up more cosanctioned tournaments, particularly with the LPGT,” said PGTI general manager Colo Ventosa.

The future does look brighter than ever for Philippine golf with the PGTI poised to introduce innovations for a bigger, better circuit in 2024 and beyond.

JHONNEL ABABA and Daniella Uy claimed their maiden Order of Merit titles.

HRISTMAS and New Year are no days off for Paris Olympics-bound Ernest John “EJ” Obiena who’s currently in Dubai for an important pre-season training under the watchful eyes of long-time coach and confidante Jim Lafferty.

“I know first-hand that the only way to improve is to reach for new challenges,” the 28-year-old Obiena told BusinessMirror vie internet message on Friday. “It’s not easy leaving home and moving to Italy, but I embraced my discomfort…I grew, I matured, I improved.”

Obiena and his team left their base in Formia for Ciudad Deportiva Camilo Cano La Nucia in Alcante, Spain, before flying to Dubai on Christmas Day for strength and conditioning training.

He met up with the now Dubaibased Lafferty to set up a specialized training camp at Fitness First in the United Arab Emirates capital.

The goal? To focus on stabilizing his smaller muscles—every fiber—to prevent injuries and set his body up for active recovery.

Obiena, the world No. 2 and Asia’s top male pole vaulter, is already qualified for his second consecutive Olympics in Paris which are seven months away from July 26 to August 11.

Obiena does squat exercises with the Fluilift water weights or the bar with two cases on both sides—the

L

Season Tournament nearly three weeks ago. Los Angeles pulled away from the struggling Hornets with a blazing 41-point third quarter led by Hachimura and James, who scored 12 points apiece.

Los Angeles surged to a 28-point lead early in the fourth, and coach Darvin Ham rested James and Davis for the full final quarter of a rare blowout victory for these Lakers, who have only eight doubledigit victories all year.

“Guys were playing for each other, playing the right way,” said Davis, who

“Once it adapts, continuing the same program yields no further gains. It’s key for injury prevention.”

Lafferty added: “So when he goes back to Italy, he’s stronger but in a different way, and yet he also had a break from the tough training. It’s a smart way to actively recover.”

On tap in Obiena’s calendar before Paris are the Glasgow world indoor championships from March 1 to 3 in Scotland and about a dozen the outdoor season competitions.

water in the cases shifts around the container allowing his muscles more stability.

“When I find myself getting comfortable, I will get out of my comfort zone, heading to new challenges,” he said. “Coming to Dubai and training with the Laffertys, I always do new things whilst getting a change of pace, and as a result I go back to training camp better physically and mentally.”

“It’s Christmas Day and EJ’s sitting there thinking ‘what is my competition doing now?’” Lafferty told BusinessMirror sharing a video of Obiena’s gym training.

“We decided to take no chances.”

“Nobody is working harder than EJ, nobody,” he said.

“He’s leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of Paris.”

Lafferty said Obiena’s going through the “Overload Principle” in training where he mixes his regimen.

“The key principle of physiology is the ‘Overload Principle’ which states that for the body to improve it must be exposed to stress levels that are new,” he said.

ERNEST JOHN “EJ” OBIENA’S into training overload—a program that enhances all the systems in his body.

Healthy Scottie back as Ginebra gets stronger in Comms Cup

PhilCycling national road championships up

T

HE PhilCycling National Championships for Road 2024 are set at an earlier schedule from February 5 to 9 with Tagaytay City as the main hub anew.

This was announced on Friday

by PhilCycling president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, also president of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

The top 30 riders in the Men Elite, Under 23, Juniors and Youth categories in the 2023 nationals held last June will be seeded to next year’s races, while the women races will be open to all interested riders.

Also seeded in the five-day

competitions again presented by Standard Insurance and the MVP Sports Foundation are the top 30 finishers in the recent Batang Pinoy-Philippine National Games which were staged earlier this month also in Tagaytay City and neighboring First and Third District of Batangas.

The PhilCycling has set a maximum participation of 90 riders in the individual road race (massed start) and 60 cyclists each in criterium and individual time trial in Men’s Elite, Under-23 and Juniors.

Taduran prevails F in IBF eliminator

LeBron James closes in on 39th birthday with a bang OS ANGELES—LeBron James had 17 points and 11 assists two days before his 39th birthday, Anthony Davis had 26 points and eight rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers sent the Charlotte Hornets to their ninth straight loss with a 133-112 victory Thursday night.

Rui Hachimura scored 17 points and Austin Reaves had 16 for the Lakers, who won for just the third time in nine games since winning the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) inaugural In-

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph | Editor: Jun Lomibao

also blocked four shots. “Anytime I’m able to bank some minutes, especially going into a tough back-to-back in Minnesota and New Orleans, it helps us as a team.”

James may be the NBA’s oldest player, but he shows zero sign of slowing down in his 21st season. He hit two 3-pointers while quarterbacking the offense for long stretches, and he led the decisive third-quarter rally. Los Angeles finished with a season-high 41 assists. AP

ORMER world champion Pedro Taduran beat Jake Amparo via unanimous decision on Thursday night in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) title eliminator at the Bohol Wisdom School Gymnasium in Tagbilaran City.

Taduran thus became a mandatory challenger for the minimum weight championship.

Proving himself as a world championship-caliber boxer, Taduran, fighting out of Libon in Albay and a former IBF minimum weight titleholder, earned the nod of all the foreign judges—119-109, 118-110 and 112.

“I really needed to win this one and I’m so thankful for the opportunity given by the Mr. Sean Gibbons [MP Promotions president] and Madam Cucuy Elorde,” the 27-year-old southpaw told

LEBRON JAMES may be the league’s oldest player, but he shows zero sign of slowing down. AP

The entry list will be announced through PhilCycling’s Facebook page and social media platforms.

The women’s races in the event also supported by Tagaytay City, Chooks to Go and Excellent Noodles will be in individual road race, ITT and criterium for Elite, Under-23 and Juniors categories.

The Youth races will only cover criterium and ITT. The nationals will be raced over the routes used during the Batang Pinoy-PNG. The nationals is a major criterion for the selection of the national road cycling team.

BusinessMirror through a phone interview a few hours after the fight. “If not for them, this won’t be possible.”

Taduran (16-4-1 win-loss-draw record with 12 knockouts) expressed also thanked Jerwin Ancajas’s coach, Joven Jimenez, for helping him improve his short punches and uppercuts during his two months training in Las Vegas last September.

“Jake [Amparo] was a great fighter, he didn’t give up, but my two-month training in Las Vegas [Knucklehead’s Gym] was very important with coach Joven [Jimenez],” he said. “I learned a lot and my conditioning looked so better than the previous years.”

Taduran unleashed a volume of punches in the last round, hitting a durable Amparo in head as he tried to engage in a close fight.

When he went for the distance, Tanduran still caught him with left and right jabs forcing him to backdown until the final bell.

The 26-year-old Amparo, a native of Tagbilaran City, dropped to 14-5-1 with three knockouts.

He failed to take advantage of his two-inch reach advantage (66) against Taduran, now the mandatory challenger to reigning minimum weight champion Ginjiro Shigeoka (10-0 record with eight knockouts) of Japan. Josef Ramos

B

ARANGAY Ginebra is back in the thick of things for a top four finish in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup. And the comebacking Scottie Thompson has something to do with that.

Since returning from active duty after recovering from a swollen knee injury, the former MVP helped the team arrest a two-game skid with back-to-back victories over Meralco and TNT. In the two games he played, Thompson averaged all-around numbers of 16.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists and emerged as Best Player of the Game each time.

The impact which he brought upon his Ginebra return made the 30-yearold Thompson as the last PBA Press Corps-Pilipinas Live Player of the Week for the year 2023.

Terrence Romeo on account of his explosive Christmas Day performance for San Miguel, and Christian Standhardinger, who led the Ginebra locals in scoring and rebounding, crowded out Thompson for the weekly honor for the period December 20 to 25.

Thompson immediately made his presence felt in his comeback game after a three-week absence, chipping 21 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists In a 110-96 against Meralco.

Then on Christmas Day, he delivered 12 points but bombed away two crucial three pointers down the stretch for an 86-78 come-frombehind win against the Tropang Giga.

For good measure, he also had seven rebounds and seven assists.

The win clinched a quarterfinals berth for Ginebra, which caught up with San Miguel at fourth place with a 6-3 record, still good enough to have a shot at a twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs.

“When Scottie came in, he changes everything,” admitted Meralco coach Luigi Trillo.

“In the two games that they lost, he wasn’t there. So you can see the disparity in movement.”

SCOTTIE THOMPSON is again doing what he does best.

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

ALTERA KARNA BUSINESS CORP. 5th, 6th, 7th Flrs. Eighty-one Newport Blvd., Newport City St., Barangay 183, Pasay City

1.

CHEN, JUNTAI Customer Service Representative (Chinese Speaking) Brief Job Description: Provide customer service to clients.

Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently. Detail-oriented and has the ability to multitask. Preferably 6 months to 1-year customer service experience.

No.

CUENIN, JEAN-LUC MICHEL BRUNO Project Consultant 12.

2.

HUANG, TIANHE Customer Service Representative (Chinese Speaking) Brief Job Description: Provide customer service to clients.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

3.

LAI KOK WAH Customer Service Representative (Chinese Speaking) Brief Job Description: Provide customer service to clients.

Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently. Detail-oriented and has the ability to multitask. Preferably 6 months to 1-year customer service experience.

13.

4.

Brief Job Description: Provide customer service to clients.

5.

WONG YI TING Customer Service Representative (Chinese Speaking) Brief Job Description: Provide customer service to clients.

6.

Brief Job Description: Provide customer service to clients.

15.

17.

FAST RETAILING PHILIPPINES, INC. Sm Retail Headquarters, J. W. Diokno Blvd St. Sm Mall Of Asia Complex, Barangay 76, Pasay City

7.

Brief Job Description: Develop store layout based on gathered project information and contribute to safeguard the company’s store design concept. Responsible for managing all aspects of the contractual and financial side of construction projects.

Basic Qualification: College graduate. With previous work experience in a related field. Fluent in Japanese.

8.

Brief Job Description: Maintaining an overall management style that follows company best practices.

LI, XUEFEN Manager-Chinese Speaking 9.

Brief Job Description: Maintaining an overall management style that follows company best practices.

10.

Brief Job Description: Studying company profile and operations to understand its marketing need and implementing a marketing strategy according to objectives and budge.

LI, ZHOU Marketing Consultant (mandarin Speaking Clients) 11.

Brief Job Description: Studying company profile and operations to understand its marketing needs. Implementing a marketing strategy according to objectives and budget.

Brief Job Description: The project manager will be a strategist and a leader able to steer the company to the most profitable direction while also implementing its vision, mission and long term goals.

SU, HANLIN Call Center Agent Brief Job Description: Customer Service.

WEN, SHENGYUAN Call Center Agent Brief Job Description: Customer Service.

YU, JIAN Call Center Agent 18.

Brief Job Description: The project manager will be a strategist and a leader able to steer the company to the most profitable direction while also implementing its vision, mission and long term goals.

Basic Qualification: Must know how to speak and read Chinese Mandarin.

URBANOVICH, ANTON Creatio Developer

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 19.

Basic Qualification: Must know how to speak and read Chinese Mandarin.

Brief Job Description: Building and programming customizations and components in Creation. Create widgets for Creation with data mapping.

VOSKRESENSKII, BORIS Head of Artificial Intelligence 20.

Brief Job Description: Provide expertise in statistics and probability and the evaluation of data use, algorithms and models by external organizations.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Work with the business and gather requirements and specifications. Brainstorm new ideas, improve UX/UI and fix bugs.

ZAKIEV, RAMIZ Risk Technology Head 23.

Brief Job Description: Work closely with our product owner, development and design teams, improving ux and the customer journey (a/b testing, troubleshooting). Built mobile and web analytics.

25.

26.

27.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Proven experience as project manager, excellent communication, interpersonal and presentation skills.

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

Brief Job Description: Conduct research and analysis to identify and evaluate emerging issues.

CHOI, SULGI Executive Host - Premium Marketing Business Development Brief Job Description: Acquire potential players to visit and play at the casino and ensure that players are well taken care of.

Basic Qualification: Must have an MBA from an international institution.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Must have lived, studied and worked in Taiwan for at least 10 years.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Must have lived, studied and worked in Japan for at least 10 years.

Brief Job Description: Provide seamless customer service and ensure satisfaction of international guests at all times.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: Candidate should have a minimum 1 + yr experience in the same field; proficient in speaking, writing & reading.

SHIN, JAEWOO Hair Stylist 28.

Brief Job Description: Provide an excellent service to customer within the salon environment.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

YUANEFFULGENCE CORP. 14/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

LIU, JIEMIN Mandarin Speaking Admin Officer 29.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Previous developer certifications (basic or advanced) in Creation.

Custom data integrations with external systems.

Proven experience in building customizations in Creation.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

TONY & JACKEY BEAUTY SALON CORP. 2/f Zen Bldg., 647 Nakpil St., Barangay 697, Malate, City Of Manila

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and fluent in Mandarin/Basic English.

Brief Job Description: Handle inquiries and reservations from casino guests through various mediums.

LEE, HENG-HSUN Host - International Marketing

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and fluent in Mandarin/Basic English.

Basic Qualification: Must be experienced in using: Firebase, Splunk, Amplitude, Swagger UML/BPMN. Understand REST/GRPC. Knows SQL, understands the principles of DBMS operation.

Basic Qualification: Must have lived, studied and worked in Malaysia for 10 years.

SOMEKAWA, HIROKI Director - Strategic Planning

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: Proven experience as project manager, excellent communication, interpersonal and presentation skills.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

TIGER RESORT, LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT, INC. Okada Manila, New Seaside Drive, Entertainment City, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

24.

Basic Qualification: College graduate. With previous work experience in plant and workshop management. With strong technical and mechanical knowledge.

Basic Qualification: 3+ years of software development experience with the JVM environment. (good knowledge of Kotlin is advantageous). Experience using spring boot in a micro service environment.

Brief Job Description: Prepare regular reports on expenses and office budget.

Manage Office supplies and stocks. Manage employees and customer accommodation. Responsible for purchasing furniture, fixtures and equipment.

LIU, YUCHEN Mandarin Speaking Admin Officer 30.

Brief Job Description: Prepare regular reports on expenses and office budget.

Manage Office supplies and stocks. Manage employees and customer accommodation. Responsible for purchasing furniture, fixtures and equipment.

Basic Qualification: College graduate. Fluent in Chinese-Mandarin and English language. Excellent in handling simultaneous task.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College graduate. Fluent in Chinese-Mandarin and English language. Excellent in handling simultaneous task.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ZIRCONIA, INC. 116, Jupiter St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: 5+ years of hands-on experience designing and implementing machine learning models, high level experience in ai/ml fundamentals, commercial experience building architecture on AWS.

RANDIMAS DWINUGROHO General Manager - Finance and Administration

31.

Brief Job Description: Support the management in setting the company’s strategic plan for growth and business objectives and preparation of the company’s annual long term financial strategies. Ensuring availability of funds required for the company’s operation, managing relationships with Financial Institutions and sourcing of funds at optimum prices and lowest risks.

Basic Qualification: College graduate. With at least 10 years of relevant work experience in a similar industry.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 *Date Generated: Dec 29, 2023

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Preferably 6 months’ experience with the above position. Can multi-task and keen to details. Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

Basic Qualification: preferably 6 months’ experience with the above position. Can multi-task and keen to details. And any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently.

22.

SALMON SERVICES INC. (SALMON SERVICES, SALMON SOLUTIONS AND SALMON SUPPORT) 12th Floor Four/neo, 4th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

FLY ASIAN INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION Eighty One Bldg. Newport City, Vab St. Newport Blvd., Barangay 183, Pasay City

CHEN, PO-AN Marketing Consultant (mandarin Speaking Clients)

Brief Job Description: Set goals and create the strategy for the organization.

Set goals categorize by Maintenance, Plant and Workshop set up and procurement, financial, HR Management/training of Business Unit. Ensure continuous and smooth operation of the company.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

FINEST ALUMINUM AND GLASS, INC. 1331 Soler Street, Tan Chu Building, Barangay 299, Santa Cruz, City Of Manila

HUANG, GONGHONG Assistant Manager-Chinese Speaking

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

CHEN, YONGQIANG Call Center Agent

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

TOSHIMA, YUKARI Senior Store Design Manager

Brief Job Description: Provide outstanding and exceptional customer service.

NOCMAKATI, INC. 8,9,10,11,12,14,15,16,17,18 & 19 Floors, Century Diamond Center, Poblacion, City Of Makati

16.

ZENG, LINGWEI Customer Service Representative (Chinese Speaking)

CU NAM LIEN Customer Service Representative

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

VERGEYCHIK, GLEB Kotlin Developer

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese / Fluent in Mandarin.

HERMAN, MARK THOMAS Plant and Workshop Manager

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently. Detail-oriented and has the ability to multitask. Preferably 6 months to 1-year customer service experience.

Basic Qualification: College graduate.

With at least 25 years of professional work experience in a similar project/industry. Excellent communications, organizational, negotiating and time management skills.

MEGAWIDE CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION #20 N., Domingo St., Valencia, Quezon City

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently. Detail-oriented and has the ability to multitask. Preferably 6 months to 1-year customer service experience.

No.

ZHU, KEQIANG Coordinator - Premium Marketing & Vip Services

14.

NANG MO NOUM KHAM Customer Service Representative (Chinese Speaking)

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

MARKETROLE ASIA PACIFIC SERVICES, INC. 27/f & 28/f The Enterprise Center Tower 1, 6766 Ayala Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently. Detail-oriented and has the ability to multitask. Preferably 6 months to 1-year customer service experience.

Brief Job Description: Plan and draw the overall site installation. Provide guidance in defining the methods and sequence to be used on site to meet the project program. Analyze and define the equipment required to achieve the program in safe conditions.

A15

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

MAKATI DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION 2nd Floor Mdc Corporate Center, Radian Street Arca South, Western Bicutan, City Of Taguig

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently. Detail-oriented and has the ability to multitask. Preferably 6 months to 1-year customer service experience.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Saturday-Sunday, December 30-31, 2023

SHURAVIN, ALEKSEI Head of Social Media 21.

Brief Job Description: Attending to all customer queries, concerns and comments posted to the company’s social media platforms.

Basic Qualification: Ability to effectively use a variety of social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, And Google+.

Working knowledge of social media tools, such as Hoot suite, Buffer, And Google Analytics.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE National Capital Region located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication.

Please inform DOLE National Capital Region if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

A16 Saturday-Sunday, December 30-31, 2023

The World BusinessMirror

Editor: Angel R. Calso

population As war in Gaza grinds on, tensions soar along World up 75 million this standing at 8 Israel’s volatile northern border with Lebanon year, billion on Jan. 1

By Tia Goldenberg & Abby Sewell

T

The Associated Press

EL AVIV, Israel—Israeli officials are stepping up threats against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, warning that Israel is running out of patience as the two sides continue to trade fire along Israel's volatile northern border.

Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's War Cabinet, said Wednesday that if the international community and the Lebanese government don't restrain Hezbollah, Israel will. Israel's army chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said the military is in a state of high readiness and has approved plans in case it decides to open a second front in the north.

The fighting along Israel's northern border broke out when Hezbollah began firing rockets shortly after the Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas triggered the war in Gaza.

While at a lower intensity than the battle in Gaza, the simultaneous fighting has caused de-

struction, displacement and death on both sides and raised fears of a wider regional war.

Here is a look at the battle between Israel and Hezbollah:

What does the fighting involve?

Hezbollah fighters have been attacking Israeli posts and villages along the border, and the group has launched rockets and drones toward Israeli targets. Israeli tanks, artillery and aircraft have been striking areas on the Lebanese side of the border. The fighting has been mostly brief, but almost daily.

The Israeli military says more than 1,700 rockets have been fired from Lebanon toward Israel, killing 15 Israelis, including nine soldiers, and injuring more than 150 people.

Israel has evacuated about 60,000 people from more than 40 northern communities, including the main city of Kiryat Shemona, which has 22,000 residents. Israeli media outlets have aired footage of battered homes and barren communities, with Israeli soldiers guarding empty streets.

On the Lebanese side, around 74,500 people have been displaced by the fighting, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Nearly 160 people have been killed by Israeli airstrikes and shelling in Lebanon, according to an Associated Press tally. Most of those were fighters with Hezbollah and allied groups, but at least 19 civilians have also been killed, including journalists and children.

Human rights groups and local officials have also accused Israel of hitting Lebanese border areas with shells containing white phosphorus, a controversial incendiary munition. The strikes have burned hundreds of hectares (acres) of farm and woodland and injured civilians. Israel says all its actions conform with international law.

Why are they fighting?

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah are longtime bitter enemies, dating back to Israel's occupation of parts of south Lebanon from 1982 to 2000.

After Hezbollah fighters ambushed an Israeli patrol in 2006 and took two Israeli soldiers hos-

tage, the sides fought a vicious monthlong war that ended in a draw — but not before Israeli bombardment wreaked widespread destruction in southern Lebanon and parts of Beirut.

The border area had largely been quiet since that war, aside from sparse skirmishes and sporadic tensions. Israel estimates that Hezbollah has some 150,000 rockets and missiles in its arsenal, many of which can strike virtually anywhere in Israel, including the economic capital, Tel Aviv.

Hezbollah says its attacks aim to ease pressure on the Gaza Strip, where Israel is fighting an unprecedented ground, air and sea offensive meant to topple Hamas and return some 129 people held captive in the territory.

The Iran connection Although there has been no proof that Iran, Israel's archenemy, ordered the Oct. 7 attack, its fingerprints have been visible throughout the ensuing conflict.

In addition to Iran's support for Hamas and Hezbollah, Iran-backed groups in Yemen, Syria and Iraq have launched attacks on Israel and its allies in support of Hamas.

In the Red Sea, attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen against ships they believe to be connected to Israel have disrupted trade and prompted the launch of a US-led multinational naval operation to protect shipping routes.

Iran-backed militias in Iraq have also launched dozens of attacks on bases housing US troops in Iraq and Syria, which they have said are in retaliation for Washington's support of Israel.

And on Monday, Iranian state media blamed Israel for a strike on a Damascus neighborhood that killed a high-ranking Iranian general.

Amos Harel, a military commentator for the daily Haaretz newspaper, wrote Wednesday that the general's killing was a message to Iran that it can no longer enjoy immunity while its proxies attack Israel. Sewell reported from Beirut. Associated Press Writer Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

By Mike Schneider The Associated Press

T

he world population grew by 75 million people over the past year and on New Year's Day it will stand at more than 8 billion people, according to figures released by the US Census Bureau on Thursday.

The worldwide growth rate in the past year was just under 1 percent. At the start of 2024, 4.3 births and two deaths are expected worldwide every second, according to the Census Bureau figures.

The growth rate for the United States in the past year was 0.53 percent, about half the worldwide figure. The US added 1.7 million people and will have a population on New Year's Day of 335.8 million people.

If the current pace continues through the end of the decade, the 2020s could be the slowest-growing decade in US history, yielding a growth rate of less than 4 percent over the 10-year-period from 2020 to 2030, said William Frey, a demographer at The Brookings Institution.

The slowest-growing decade currently was in the aftermath of the Great Depression in the 1930s, when the growth rate was 7.3 percent.

“Of course growth may tick up a bit as we leave the pandemic years. But it would still be difficult to get to 7.3 percent,” Frey said.

At the start of 2024, the United States is expected to experience one birth every nine seconds and one death every 9.5 seconds.

However, immigration will keep the population from dropping. Net international migration is expected to add one person to the US population every 28.3 seconds. This combination of births, deaths and net international migration will increase the US population by one person every 24.2 seconds.

BusinessMirror

December 30-31, 2023

How to make your life greener in 2024

2

BusinessMirror DECEMBER 30-31, 2023

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

T

HERE’S music that they can relate to in a way that someone understands the things they go through.”

This is how South African singer-songwriter Matthew Mole described how he wants his new music to affect those who listen to him.

The award-winning musician is known for his track “Take Yours, I’ll Take Mine” and his sophomore album Run which have been nominated in the South African Music Awards for Best Pop Album, Best Produced Album, and the most sought-after award, Record of the Year.

After four years, Mole is back with his fourth full-length studio album, Wake Up It’s Morning released in October 2023.

YOUR MUSI

WITH LOVE from SOUTH AFRICA Matthew Mole on latest album and ‘big plans’ for 2024

Wake Up It’s Morning album cover

Comforting, uplifting

“TO create that album, it took about two and half years. It was because I took some time, [as much time] as I could during the writing process and just to make sure that I was happy with the songs being written and there’s a story that was forming,” Mole told SoundStrip in an online interview.

Elaborating on his writing process, Mole shared it was a long period of

Publisher : T. Anthony C. Cabangon Editor-In-Chief : Lourdes M. Fernandez Concept : Aldwin M. Tolosa Y2Z Editor : Jt Nisay SoundStrip Editor : Edwin P. Sallan Group Creative Director : Eduardo A. Davad Graphic Designers : Niggel Figueroa Anabelle O. Flores Contributing Writers

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Photographers

: Bernard P. Testa Nonie Reyes

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

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Tel. Nos. (Editorial) 817-9467; 813-0725.

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Matthew Mole talks about his new music with SoundStrip in a Zoom interview

Matthew Mole plays a show in Luzern, Switzerland. PHOTO COURTESY OF MATTHEW MOLE

writing, recording, and producing music with different people in studios in South Africa and London, and he hopes that people would be “comforted and uplifted” upon hearing the songs from his feel-good album.

“I’ve always written music that I wanted to be like a feel-good. I want someone to hear those songs and kind of feel more uplifted and feel good about it rather than help them dive into a sad hole,” he added.

In his current album’s lead single, “Always By My Side,” Matthew shared that the song is about the battle inside one’s mind and “trying to process and work through thoughts that are kind of discouraging and [pull you down], trying to find [the] grace that comes with trying again, starting again.”

The track is Mole’s first international songwriting and production collaboration with Ross Hamilton who worked with artists such as Ella Eyre, Saint Phnx, and Nathan Evans.

From SA to the world

MOLE’S musical style is a unique blend of folk with an electronica influence. But coming from South Africa, his culture is “part of the

music” he produces. Some of his songs have sone drum grooves, percussion or guitar sounds to them, but not the pure traditional South African music elements, he clarified.

“You might be able to pick up on flavors like that kind of South Africaninspired,” he said.

South African artists have been making waves in the music industry and Mole expressed that these acts and artists have done “amazing things to represent South Africa by touring in parts of the world and by playing their music because South African artists have struggled with that for a long time.”

“They struggled to get out of South Africa and show their music to the rest of the world,” he further lamented.

Mole, however, said he is grateful to technology for the way that it spreads music quickly because now, there are ways that people can hear his songs in the Philippines even though he’s in South Africa.

He emerged as one of South Africa’s biggest names in pop music. With three full-length original albums with thoughtful and articulate lyrics, Mole spoke through music, writing honest songs to send strong messages of

positivity and genuineness.

Because of that, Mole emerged as one of South Africa’s biggest names in pop sweeping the Record of the Year Award for ‘Keep It Together’ and the Best Pop Album award for ‘Ghost’ at the South African Music Awards in 2021.

“I just started writing songs by myself, in my room, I didn’t think it would get to anyone else’s ears. When someone honors you and there’s an award given to you, that blows my mind. I’m very grateful for that,” he said.

On the road

AS the year ends, Matthew shared that his 2023 has been amazing. At the time of the interview, he was in the Netherlands for a tour—far from his home.

In October and December, he went on tour around Europe and played shows in Switzerland, Germany, and London. He’s currently back in his roots, in South Africa, playing sold-out shows almost every day for the whole month of December.

“This year, there has been some really awesome touring, I’ve gotten to release this album that we’re speaking about,” Mole spoke about how his 2023 went.

“All of these things, these huge milestones in a musician’s career, I’m just so grateful. I’m trying to take it all in, just enjoying it all and being grateful. I’m just so thankful to everyone who listens to it and cares about it. It means so much,” he added.

Mole shared they have some “big plans” for next year such as upcoming songs and going on tours.

On when will he visit the Philippines for the first time, he said, “Hopefully, I could get to the Philippines as soon as possible. We have some fun things up ahead.”

IC

soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | DECEMBER 30-31, 2023

3

BUSINESS

SNOWBALL EFFECT

‘The Voice’ alum Ryan Gallagher grateful for warm reception in PHL A special spot for the Philippines

By Rory Visco

R

Contributor

YAN GALLAGHER, American singersongwriter and alumnus of the popular reality singing competition “The Voice” has always considered himself to be a part of the service business.

The Michigan native said that since music is part of the service industry, entertainers like him are here to serve people, to bring smiles to their faces amid difficult times in a harsh world.

Now 31, Ryan also said that art and music have always been used to uplift people but lately, in today’s world of entertainment, a lot of artists want a platform just to shock people. “I don’t think art is meant for that. I think art is meant to bring people up to a higher place where they can meet the divine or meet some part of their lives they haven’t encountered before. So, for me, I want to do this for the rest of my life, to bring smile to people’s faces.”

He pointed this out succinctly during a press conference to personally promote his new Christmas single, “The Feeling of Christmas,” the main single of his 16-track Christmas album of the same title, composed of eight originals and eight covers.

The feeling of Christmas for Ryan THE Feeling of Christmas album written by Ryan and his composerfriend Harlan Hodges who helped provide the melody, holds a deep significance for the artist as it captures the nostalgic and joyous spirit of the holiday season.

“We wrote this a couple of years ago and turned out to be a completely different version than what was originally envisioned. It started out as a love song/Christmas song of a couple falling in love and treating every day as if it feels like Christmas in the chorus but changed it to be upbeat just to uplift people’s spirits and be more fun in light of Covid-19 pandemic,” Ryan noted.

For him, the feeling of Christmas is more like going back to being a

child and how it felt like when he was with his family, parents, relatives.

“When I wrote this, I remembered the day when we wake up to play in the snow, the presents under the tree like hockey sticks or a new sled, and we would test it all out in the snow.”

More importantly, Ryan stresses that the Christmas story is all about Jesus, and how God gave Jesus to the world as a gift to save mankind, and he believes that’s what Christmas brings to people, where it has a way of bringing people together, where people get to be kinder, more fun and festive so the song shows a picture of nostalgia.

“We all have gifts, and most of us probably don’t know we have it.

I’ve been lucky enough to find out the gift that God gave me, which is singing and entertaining people, and I’ve always tried to make my gift to be a door to walk through in life,” he added, while saying that he recorded the album together with a full choir and orchestra in an iconic studio in Los Angeles where several established artists have recorded their masterpieces, and also in Nashville and Texas. “It was a humbling experience, having recorded the album together with exceptionally talented musicians.”

A frequent flyer to the Philippines whenever he gets the opportunity, particularly during the Christmas season where the atmosphere is extraordinarily festive, Ryan said the country has always been a big part of his career. “I’ve always been taken care of by people who don’t even know me. Filipinos have that innate ability to determine whether one is a good or kind person and they are sure to welcome you in their family or life.”

That is why the classically trained baritone-tenor, who grew up listening to the music of David Gates (of the group “Bread), Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond, and John Denver, said he’d love to stay in the country and do more collaborative work with other artists. Aside from Ice Seguerra, he would like to work with Filipino-American musical director Troy Laureta and Lea Salonga. He is, however, very keen to do a duet with Popstar Royalty Sarah Geronimo, whom he said he has never worked before.

Ryan says he will always be grateful for the opportunities afforded to him in his numerous visits to the Philippines including taking part in a singing competition for foreigners in the country back in 2016 (“I Love OPM” in ABSCBN) where he sang “Kahit Isang Saglit,” and being cast in Atlantis Productions’ local adaptation of The Addams Family back in 2014 where he played Lucas Beineke along with Arnell Ignacio as Gomez Addams and Eula Valdez as Morticia Addams.

“I’m very thankful for the support of the Filipino people throughout my career. They’ve been helpful and encouraging, and I owe so much to them. Whenever I’m here, it’s like a snowball effect, one gig after another,” expressed Gallagher.

For booking inquiries or more information about Ryan Gallagher and his new Christmas single, “The Feeling of Christmas,” contact booking@fireandice.ph or 09175420303.

How to make your life greener in 2024

By Ian Williams and Alice Brock University of Southampton

P

eople all around the world traditionally use their new year to embark on a change in lifestyle.

The People’s Climate Vote, a UN survey of public opinion on climate change, highlights that citizens around the world recognize climate change as a global emergency and agree that we should do everything necessary in response.

People are gradually adopting more sustainable lifestyles, but many find it hard to change habits and often don’t know where to start their sustainability journey. So if you’re looking to make your life greener in 2024, here are some manageable and affordable changes you can make.

1

Eating We throw away a billion tons of food each year. Food waste often generates methane, a greenhouse gas that is more potent than carbon dioxide.

But there are simple changes you can make to eat more sustainably (and often at less expense, too). Going meat-free on one day each week would be a good start. Eating processed “mock meats” can be a stepping stone towards a more plant-based lifestyle, although they are relatively expensive.

Planning your meals in advance and making sure you eat your leftovers will help you reduce unnecessary waste. And use a microwave for cooking where possible since it is more energy efficient than cooking over a stove.

2

Traveling We all need to travel, whether to work, school, university or to the shop. Sus-

Living a greener life encompasses your clothing choices, as there are lots of ways to be both fashionable and sustainable. Photo by Sam Lion on Pexels.com tainable travel is a balancing act.

Choosing active travel—walking, wheeling and cycling—is the greenest option, keeping us and our children fitter and healthier while producing no carbon emissions. Try replacing one or two car journeys a week with active travel options if you can.

In urban areas, where you’re traveling shorter distances, active transport is often faster and cheaper than car travel. It also reduces congestion, which is a significant cause of urban air pollution. For longer journeys, traveling by train or bus is more environmentally friendly than by car and plane. But you often must plan ahead to get the cheapest tickets.

3

Energy use The energy we use at home is becoming increasingly expensive and is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Making small changes to our daily energy use can make a big difference, both to our bills and household emissions.

Most of these changes are easy and convenient. Turn off lights when leaving a room. Wash clothes and crockery at colder temperatures. Take shorter showers. Unplug devices such as microwaves when not in use and chargers when devices are fully charged. Replace broken halogen light bulbs with more efficient LED versions.

4

Clothing People love buying new clothes. But “fast fashion” has an astonishingly high environmental and social cost. The fashion industry generates over 92 million tons of waste every year, most of which is incinerated, sent to landfill or exported to developing countries.

There are lots of ways to be both fashionable and sustainable. For one, buying second-hand will save you money, and the social and environmental benefits of charity retail are widely recognized. You could also swap clothing you no longer want with friends and family or at swap shops.

Alternatively, you could buy less, but higher quality clothing. These items are usually more durable and last longer.

5

Waste management We generate more than 2 billion metric tons of solid municipal waste worldwide each year. This figure is expected to increase by 70 percent by 2050. There are many small changes we can make to reduce the amount we put in our bins.

Writing a shopping list can reduce overbuying and impulse buying. Take reusable bags with you when you shop. And shop packaging free. There are lots of places to buy food without excess packaging like zero-waste shops where customers are encouraged to use containers from home to fill and refill with bulk wholefoods.

By making small changes to our lifestyles, we can collectively move towards a more sustainable future. The Conversation Cover photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.com

The key to a successful New Year’s Resolution? Keeping a streak alive

D

ick Coffee attended 781 consecutive University of Alabama football games. Meg Roh surfed through illness, storms and nightfall to maintain a seven-year daily surfing streak. Jon Sutherland ran at least 1 mile every day for over 52 years. Needless to say, an activity streak has the power to compel behavior.

People often engage in behavior patterns, or a recurring way of acting in a

given situation. A streak is a form of patterned behavior, which often requires the actor to have a strategy for completing the activity in various situations or contexts.

By tapping into various psychological drivers of behavior, streaks can motivate people in several ways. In general, a streak adds a higher-level goal (keeping the streak alive) to a lower-level goal (completing an individual activity).

Streaks also add structure to an activity,

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and structure can simplify thinking and decision making. The extent to which goal achievement or structure is important to you would influence your commitment to a streak.

As the calendar turns to a new year, many people resolve to engage in selfimproving behaviors that facilitate better mental or physical health. People often begin streaks on January 1 or other important dates, such as holidays, birth-

December 30-31, 2023

days or anniversaries of noteworthy events. Such temporal landmarks add meaning and structure to the streak and create a “fresh start effect.”

While many people make New Year’s resolutions, only a small percentage of people complete them. Structuring a resolution as a streak may be the nudge that some people need to stick with it further into the new year—and maybe far beyond. The Conversation

Saturday-Sunday, December 30-31, 2023 | Edited by Jose F. Lacaba

CURTAIN call for new Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) music director and conductor Grzegorz Nowak at Samsung Theater in Circuit Makati

COVER STORY

By Pablo A. Tariman

Clarinetist Jason Marquez with violinist Jeanne Marquez and author. Clarinet and violin sensations of the year

Takumi Miyake in flight. Danseur of the year. PHOTO: CONRAD DY-LIACCO

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Arthur Espiritu. tenor of the year. PHOTO BY RICHARD SY-FACUNDA

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Diomedes Saraza, Jr. Ravishing Sibelius violin concerto in February

Cecile Licad with Takumi Miyake in Davao City. Excellent collaboration

BEST OF THE BEST: 2023 ART SCENE

I

By Pablo A. Tariman

T was the year the performing arts came back with a vengeance after the uncertain years of 2020, 2021, and 2022.

T he year a lso saw the changing of the guard at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). Music educator Michelle Nikki Junia replaced interim president Margie Moran Floirendo in a CCP Board of Trustees elections held on August 16, 2023.

The year saw the revival of chamber opera by small opera groups, notably by the Viva Voce group of Camille Lopez Molina and Pablo Molina.

Their La Boheme made wellreceived comebacks twice—at their Kalayaan venue and in a move-over engagement at the CCP’s Black Box Theater.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro was translated into Tagalog

by Dennis Marasigan and at year-end made its debut at the new Intramuros venue of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

T he major d isappointment of the year was the twin bill of the operas Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci . The innovative ideas of good directors didn’t succeed in saving a production weighed down by singers who had seen better years.

NATIONAL ARTISTS FOR DANCE It was the year of the National Artists for Dance—Alice Reyes and Agnes Locsin, whose Rama Hari and Encantada made dramatic comebacks at the Metropolitan Theater and at the Samsung Theater for Performing Arts.

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) observed its 50th year at the Metropolitan Theater and reprised its 1973 opening concert with alternating conductors Rodel Colmenar and

Herminigildo Ranera.

As expected, tenor Arthur Espiritu shook the theater with selected arias from Faust and La Boheme, and Aidan Ezra Baracol, the young graduate from the Philippine High School for the Arts, shone in Lucrecia Roces Kasilag’s Divertissement for Piano and Orchestra. Raul Sunico, however, didn’t live up to his campus followers in the Gershwin concerto.

PIANIST OF THE YEAR For his consistently superb pianistic output in recitals and as orchestra soloist, my pianist of the year is Aidan Ezra Baracol.

Sunico re-appeared in the PPO season concert as soloist in Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Maestro Nowak proved second to none, and the orchestra had such memorable resonance with contrasting colors and dynamics. It was a big letdown seeing the soloist not keeping up with the excellent orchestra ensemble.

T he yea r saw a not her CCP anniversar y concer t called “Anywhere We Sing Is Home,” with father and son Ryan and Toma Cayabyab alternating as conductors.

Joanna Ampil was a fairly good PPO opener with

Broadway favor ites f rom Sunset Boulevard (“As If We Never Said Goodbye”) and Funny Girl (“Don’t R ain on My Parade”).

There was more belting than singing and v irtual copying of the Barbra Streisand magic.

SINGING ACTOR OF THE YEAR You knew Sheila Francisco was going to be special when she joined a duet with Ampil (“Happy Talk” from the musical South Pacific) and later in a Broadway favorite, “Bali Hai.” This is a solo piece, but the arrangement of Orlando de la Cruz reduced the South Pacific favorite into a duet towards the end. Still, the presence of Francisco in this Broadway number was simply mesmerizing.

Her solo number (“Some People” from the Julie Styne musical, Gypsy) received a deafening roar of approval from the audience. No doubt about it, Francisco is my singing actor of the year.

NEW MUSIC DIRECTOR FOR the first time in many years, both audiences and reviewers agree that the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) has finally gotten

itself a star conductor in the person of its new music director, Grzegorz Nowak, who is from Poland.

Maestro Nowak’s initial appearances in four PPO season concerts left no doubt that he is the conductor of the year.

Last Dec. 8, he led the PPO in the stirring performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (“Ode to Joy”) with excellent soloists Rachelle Gerod ias, A r t hur Espir itu, Krissan Manikan-Tan, and Byeong In Park with a 120-voice choir led by Jonathan Velasco.

CELLIST OF THE YEAR LAST Nov. 17, Swiss cellist Wen-Sinn Yang was the exciting soloist in A ntonin Dvora k ’s Cel lo Concer to, Op. 104. The audience was in a trance. The cellist rendered an equally stirring e ncore nu m b e r, C ap r ic e on a Theme from Pacini ’s Niobe, Op. 22, by A lfredo P i at t i. Sa msu ng T heater shook with a rain of bravos and deafening applause.

No doubt about it, WenSinn Yang is the cellist of the year.

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6 Saturday-Sunday, December 30-31, 2023

Swiss cellist Wen-Sinn Yang with PPO under Maestro Nowac. Cellist of the year

BEST OF THE BEST: 2023 ART SCENE Continued from 3

In February, the superb violin treat was Diomedes Saraza, Jr., as soloist of the PPO playing the Sibelius violin concerto under conductor Haoran Li. In August 2023, there were two violinists playing Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor. One was Japanese violinist Hina Maeda (winner of Wieniawski competition) with the Manila Symphony under Marlon Chen and Jeanne Marquez with pianist GJ Frias at the Manila Pianos Concert Series.

Maeda with the Manila Symphony Orchestra under Marlon Chen sizzled.

Marquez with Frias was equally r iveting, ear ning t h ree st a nd i ng ov at ion s and yielding three encore numbers.

Writer Jose Dalisay wrote of the concert thus: “Beng and I were very honored and happy to have been invited by the country’s foremost music fan and impresario, Pablo Tariman, to attend last night’s concert at Manila Pianos, featuring the brilliant violinist Jeanne

Marquez and her accompanist GJ Frias. It was a stirring performance with many encores that brought everyone to their feet. Most moving for Beng and me was knowing that the concert was Pablo’s offering to his late daughter Kerima, who— with her husband Ericson Acosta, another gifted writer—died fighting for justice and freedom two years ago.

As a father myself, I cannot imagine how Pablo bore the pain of his daughter’s loss, and yet he was graciously smiling that night with his grandchildren Keya and Emmanuel. Truly, music hath charms to soothe the savage breast, turning grief and anger into a celebration of a life lived with purpose and honor.”

TENOR OF THE YEAR Tenor Arthur Espiritu was an instant sensation in singing the title role of Don Carlo in Vienna and Rodolfo (Boheme) in Theater Lubeck in Germany.

In between his European engagements, Espiritu won more Fi l ipi no fa n s w it h Ph i l i p p i ne e n g a ge me nt s

in Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija, Baguio Cit y and Manila Pianos. He was also the sensational tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Choral Symphony with the PPO last December 8.

Last Dec. 9, he got three standing ovations at the Manila Pianos Concert Series, along with soprano Stefanie Quintin and pianist Mariel Ilusorio.

Hands down, Arthur Espiritu is the tenor of the year.

DANCE SENSATION OF THE YEAR Japanese danseur Takumi Miy a ke —who per for med with the American Ballet Theater Studio Company on Apr. 20, 22, and 23 in Makati City, Cebu, and Davao—is no doubt the dance sensation of the year.

While other choreographic numbers dazzled, Vainonen’s Flames of Paris (restaged by Sascha Radetsky) drew the best of Takumi Miyake and Madison Brown.

Brown’s solo variations were smooth and well-executed, but Miyake’s startling elevation and dazzling turns provided the night’s pure magic.

COLLABORATING ARTIST OF THE YEAR Another reason for celebration was pianist Cecile Licad, who performed three ravishing Chopin Etudes and provided the live accompaniment to a few dance pieces.

It took a while before Cecile Licad fans could see her solo numbers, which was why they came in droves in the first place. (To these hardcore Licad fans, the dancing was just an added attraction.)

Three Chopin etudes from the Op. 25 treasure trove produced Licad’s dazzling moment. Number 10 in B Minor (“Octave”) was a showcase of control and virtuosity; No. 11 in A Minor (“Winter Wind”) unleashed a torrent of emotion; and No. 12 in C Minor (“Ocean”) was simply Debussy’s La Mer distilled in a piano etude. One felt how Licad was in perfect harmony with the dancers leaping and floating onstage with grace and precision.

Licad is my collaborating artist of the year.

CLARINETIST OF THE YEAR IN June, clarinetist Jason Ma rquez su r pr i sed loc a l

music aficionados with a rarely played program for clarinet so varied and wideranging it left an audience asking for more.

A highly revealing opener was Bela Kovacs’ Sholem-Alekhem, rov Feidman, a Philippine premiere of Kenji Bunch’s Cookbook (2004), and with cellist Job Polvoriza doing a sensitive part in Robert Muczynski’s Fantasy Trio, Op. 26.

By t he t i me M a rq ue z reached Copland’s “Concerto” and George Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm”), the audience was by then convinced that he is the new exciting clarinetist to watch.

Jason Marquez is my clarinetist of the year.

PLAY OF THE YEAR

The Reconciliation Dinner by Floy Quintos is my Play of the Year.

It is well-written, and the acting ensemble is superb, and the direction by Dexter Santos left nothing to be desired. It was a timely theater treat for those who won and lost in the last presidential elections.

Here’s hoping we get an equally fruitful year in the arts in 2024.