From recycled plastic to sustainable wood

August 19, 2024 | 12:03 am

Flying Tiger Copenhagen works hard for the planet

FLYING Tiger Copenhagen, Danish purveyor of what we can call kitsch (here meaning quirky items for fits of whimsy; but they also sell kitchenware and office supplies), is taking a closer look at the stuff they put out in the world, and how they can reduce their impact.

“Since 2019, Flying Tiger Copenhagen’s entire value chain has undergone an ambitious green transition to become a lot more sustainable. We will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by around 30% by 2026 and cut the consumption of plastic in our products in half by 2025. We also want to drive the shift away from single use products by removing half of all single use products in our assortment by 2025,” said Flying Tiger Copenhagen Chief Executive Officer Martin Jermiin in a statement.

Flying Tiger is in the Philippines through Stores Specialists, Inc., and has shops in Glorietta 4, Alabang Town Center, Trinoma, Robinson’s Galleria, and Eastwood City Mall, with other branches forthcoming.

In an e-mail interview with BusinessWorld, Trine Pondal, Flying Tiger Copenhagen Director of Sustainability and Social Responsibility gave an update. “Most of our sustainability goals are set for 2025 or 2026, but we plan to meet most of them on time or ahead of time,” she said. “We are proudest of having already achieved a 47% reduction of plastic in packaging and a 19% reduction of plastic.” They have also struck an eco-fuel deal with shipping company Maersk, “which will probably result in a 5% reduction of emissions this year.”

“Goals where we are keeping a bit behind is on further reduction of plastic in products and using a lot more recycled plastic. Here we must do more,” she said. “Plastic is a very, very good material,” said Mr. Jermiin in a statement. “It’s just not very good for the planet.”

The brand has been ditching plastic where it can: personal care products can be made from wood, metal, or ceramic instead. And where it can’t be substituted, the company will opt for recycled plastic instead of virgin material. In a previous interview with BusinessWorld during their store’s opening in Manila in 2023, he said, “We spend a lot of time designing them ourselves. We are very diligent in the materials, we know the material composition of every single product, so that we know that it’s sustainable.”

Ms. Pondal, meanwhile, talks about the process by which they have begun eliminating plastic: “We have looked at each piece of packaging to see if we could overall minimize it and remove as much plastic as possible. This has been a great success and has resulted in almost halving our use of plastic in packaging. For packaging, most plastic is now used for food products, which are very difficult to find replacements for. For our products, the focus has been the same. We have looked at each product to see if the plastic could be removed — if the product could be made from something else. This has among other things resulted in many more toys made from wood. Our wooden toys have furthermore been a great success with our customers.”

She adds, “We use the original definition of ‘sustainable’ in our company: ‘having done absolutely no harm throughout the entire value chain.’ That in effect means that we never use the word ‘sustainable’ about anything that we do or any product that we sell.” This means that instead, they call their more responsible products “eco-conscious.”

And even then, they have to earn their name: they have to be made with a minimum of 95% renewable material, including FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood or paper material, or made from a minimum of 80% recycled material, or made from easily recyclable materials such as glass, aluminum, or steel (or a mix of the above). “Our material guideline is based on a mix of considerations, both focusing on circular economy as a way forward and CO₂ reductions as a must.”

However, eliminating plastic isn’t the green promise it usually claims to be. Some non-plastic materials are sometimes more harmful for the environment (when we think about the water, energy, and land use, for example, to grow cotton, or trees for paper). Ms. Pondal says, “There are many grey zones when it comes to sustainability. Our primary reason for preferring renewable materials is that the biological cycle is a proven concept. It has worked on the planet for 4 billion years — so if we use renewable materials thoughtfully, the materials will be looped in a natural cycle. The material which we buy most of is wood and paper — and here we only use FSC certified products, which means that the forestry it comes from has been well handled. So also within the use of renewable materials, we try to be environmentally smart.”

Being friendly to the planet could be costly: in a statement, the brand said that recycled plastic on the Chinese market, where they outsource much of their production, is currently around 25% more expensive than virgin plastic, while other plastic substitutes, notably wood, may also cost more. Mr. Jermiin said, “Flying Tiger Copenhagen has raised some prices, but has focused mainly on controlling costs at the design phase as materials of all kinds grow more expensive,” said Mr. Jermiin. “The rising cost of ceramics, for example, led to updated versions of products that were slightly smaller but priced the same.”

Ms. Pondal elaborates, “We always want to offer good value for money — in all our products. Buying more sustainable products is not always more costly. We have, for example, changed most of our dice in various games from plastic to wood. This means a big reduction in the use of plastic, but at no extra cost. If a change to something more sustainable is indeed more cost(ly), we consider if our consumers want to pay the additional price and still see the product as good value. Products made out of recycled plastic usually come with a premium — sometimes the customer is willing to pay more for this, other times we cover the extra cost internally.”

Mr. Jermiin reiterates, “We’re not sacrificing a lot. Sustainability shouldn’t be an excuse to price higher.”

One of the best ways to live sustainably is to reduce the consumption of stuff; the onus of which is on the consumer. However, Flying Tiger does have to sell and survive, so how do they balance the message of living sustainably, itself as a producer of the stuff that we’re supposed to be weaned away from?

“Our focus will always be to give our customers great, affordable products. And the beauty of being a variety retail store is that you can offer many different types of products — given us many choices in selecting products. We believe that if we offer still more sustainable products, our customers will love them as well. And so far, it seems to be working,” she said.

Sustainability has become more than a fashionable buzzword, it is an imperative, seeing as how the environment is going (not very well). But it has become the norm for companies to tack on the word to their products, even if they don’t really mean it (or do it). Why then does Flying Tiger go through all these hoops of inspecting their product at every level, to ensure that they’ve earned the tag?

“We are going all-in on sustainability. We want to be the frontrunners in the green transition of the retail industry and do our part to pass on a better globe to the future generations,” said Mr. Jermiin in a statement. Ms. Pondal adds, “We work with the sustainability agenda first and foremost because it is the right thing to do. We believe that climate change is real, that an environmental crisis is here — and that we all need to do something about it, for the sake of our own welfare and future generations. When that is said, we also believe it to be a business opportunity. Companies that do what they should in terms of sustainability are the companies that will thrive in the future.” — Joseph L. Garcia

Stop the second tranche of PhilHealth fund transfers

August 19, 2024 | 12:03 am

(This column contains Dr. Antonio Dans’ statement during the July 30 hearing conducted by the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, an inquiry in aid of legislation on the implementation of the Universal Healthcare Act, including the utilization of PhilHealth funds for program benefits.)

This Wednesday, Aug. 21, the second tranche of “unused funds” from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) worth P10 billion is scheduled to be transferred to the national treasury.

According to the schedule presented by the Department of Finance (DoF) in a Senate hearing, P20 billion was already transferred in May, P30 billion will be transferred in October, and the last tranche of P29.9 billion will be transferred in November. These tranches make up the P89.9 billion that the DoF ordered PhilHealth to return to the national treasury to fund projects like infrastructure and rural development.

Healthcare workers are urgently calling on the government to stop any further transfer of funds and to return the funds that have already been transferred. The Supreme Court has ordered the DoF, Congress, Senate, PhilHealth, and the Executive Secretary to comment on the petition questioning the constitutionality of the transfer.

Last July, our alliance of 90 healthcare professional organizations together with six former Health Secretaries signed a letter of appeal to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. that the P89.9 billion worth of reserve funds not be taken from PhilHealth. We argue that PhilHealth is a social health insurance fund, not a bank, and the people’s premiums cannot be withdrawn. “Savings” should be used, as defined by the Universal Healthcare Law, for benefits such as consultations, admissions, medicines, and laboratory tests — whether they are for the direct or indirect contributors.

In addition, we argue that PhilHealth should not call this unused fund “savings,” when Filipinos suffer daily from the inefficiency of our social health insurance system.

We would not feel so strongly about the PhilHealth fund diversion if we did not feel so much suffering from the patients we care for and stand with every single day. The suffering is difficult to quantify, but there are five indicators I will be discussing.

The first indicator is the percentage of out-of-pocket expenses. In the Philippines, 45.9% of health expenditures come from out-of-pocket expenses. We have the third-highest out-of-pocket health spending in Southeast Asia, only lower than Cambodia and Myanmar. When we spend out of pocket for health expenses, it displaces resources available for other necessities.

The high proportion of out-of-pocket expenses has profound consequences, including the second indicator: catastrophic health expenses, defined by the World Health Organization as spending more than 10% of household expenditures on health. The 2018 Family Income and Expenditure Survey shows that about 1.5 million households or about nine million Filipinos face catastrophic expenses every year because of out-of-pocket spending.

The third indicator is impoverishment, or the number of households whose health expenses were so enormous that they were pushed below the poverty line — a whopping 268,000 households or about 1.5 million Filipinos a year (Ulep, V., Analysis of Family Income and Expenditure Survey, 2018).

The fourth indicator is based on a 2022 study by Dr. Gideon Lasco, which highlighted the four domains of health financing in the Philippines that Filipinos face when personal funds are not enough, what he refers to as the “4Ps”: PhilHealth; pangungutang or incurring debt; pagmamakaawa or approaching politicians, government agencies, or other organizations for medical assistance. The 4^th P is pagtitiis, or enduring their illness and not seeking treatment due to fear of huge costs.

An indirect measure of pagtitiis or “unmet need” can be done by comparing the utilization of inpatient hospital benefits among different income quintiles. PhilHealth and Universal Healthcare were formed so that all Filipinos have access to health services regardless of ability to pay. But based on the National Demographic and Health Survey 2022, 554,880 Filipinos from the richest quintile utilized inpatient benefits, compared to only 346,800 in the poorest quintile. Why is there such inequity? Surely, it’s not that the rich are more likely to get sick. But rather, this suggests that more than 200,000 Filipinos in that quintile may have decided to just ignore their illness. Nagtiis na lang sila, kaysa magpa-confine (They put up with their illness rather than be confined in a hospital). The only clear explanation for this is that they weren’t able to go to a hospital because of lack of funds to even seek treatment.

The unused P400 billion of PhilHealth funds is the fifth measure of unmet need. Our actuaries are tasked to estimate the number of Filipinos with heart illnesses and lung diseases, how often they occur, and how much they spend. They estimated these expenses, and yet the people were not able to use these benefits. This means the P400 billion of PhilHealth’s “reserve chest” is not savings — it’s a measure of suffering.

To put a face to the suffering, I’d like to pay tribute to Javier Idulza Ras, a 76-year-old former PLDT linesman. He suffered a stroke last May and was confined for two months. His daughter, a call center employee, had to help. The bill was mounting at a rate of P12,000 per day. The family could not afford it, so they resorted to the 4Ps.

The first P was PhilHealth, which gave a “whopping” benefit of P20,000. This was barely good enough for three days.

The second P was pangungutang. His daughter wrote to us and other friends and even organized biking events to raise money to pay for blood and medications that were not covered on a daily basis.

The third P was pagmamakaawa. After two months of confinement, their total bill was P700,000. After repeated visits to social services to beg for help, they got it. The bill was covered by a private entity, the PGH Foundation. They continued to spend P3,000 a month out of the daughter’s salary of P13,000. So every month, they face catastrophic expenses and impoverishment. Sadly, Mr. Idulza Ras passed away a few weeks ago, despite all the efforts of the family.

The Filipino population’s unmet healthcare need is immense. The government must not take money from PhilHealth because hundreds of thousands of patients experience pagtitiis and pagmamakaawa every day.

We are the ones they come to for help and we are with them in their suffering. It is clear that the help PhilHealth provides is not enough. Let us not call the unused PhilHealth funds “savings” — this is actually money that we owe to the Filipino people.

Dr. Antonio Dans is an internist, epidemiologist, president of the Asia Pacific Center for Evidence-based Healthcare, and an academician at the National Academy of Science and Technology. He is a health advocate who campaigned for tobacco tax reforms and convenes the Healthcare Professionals Alliance against COVID-19.

Peso may stay at P57-a-dollar level before Jackson Hole meet

August 19, 2024 | 12:03 am

THE PESO may stay at the P57-a-dollar level this week as the market awaits US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium, which could provide hints on the US central bank’s next policy move.

The local unit closed at P57.245 per dollar on Friday, weakening by 34.5 centavos from its P56.90 finish on Thursday, Bankers Association of the Philippines data showed.

Still, week on week, the peso rose by 3.5 centavos from its P57.28 finish on Aug. 9.

The peso slid back to the P57 level on Friday amid stronger-than-expected US retail sales and jobless claims data, which reduced fears of a recession in the world’s largest economy, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.

The dollar fell against the yen on Friday, and was softer against other peers as traders took profits and investors sifted through economic data to gauge the Fed’s appetite for interest rate cuts, Reuters reported.

Disappointing US housing numbers also kept pressure on the greenback, helping it shed some of the lift it got a day earlier from data showing inflation trending down and consumer resilience.

Data on Thursday showed the number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits dropped to a one month-low, while US retail sales increased by the most in 1-1/2 years in July, dashing expectations that the Fed could cut interest rates by 50 basis points (bps) next month.

Odds for such a move are now 25.5%, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch Tool.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six other major currencies, fell 0.48% to 102.54.

For this week, the main catalyst for the foreign exchange market would be Mr. Powell’s speech at the 2024 Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium in Wyoming on Friday (Aug. 23), Security Bank Corp. Chief Economist Robert Dan J. Roces said in a Viber message.

Global central bank officials will speak at the symposium in Jackson Hole, with Mr. Powell’s keynote speech on Friday potentially setting expectations for a US rate cut trajectory, Reuters reported.

Chicago Fed chief Austan Goolsbee said in an interview with National Public Radio that central bank officials should be wary of maintaining restrictive policy longer than necessary.

Financial markets are betting on a 74.5% likelihood that the Fed will cut its key policy rate by 25 basis points (bps) as it ends its September policy meeting, with a diminishing 25.5% chance of a super-sized 50-bp cut, CME’s FedWatch tool showed.

Mr. Ricafort added that the release of minutes of the Fed’s July 30-31 policy meeting on Wednesday (Aug. 21) could also affect peso-dollar trading this week.

The Fed last month kept its benchmark overnight interest rate at the current 5.25%-5.5% range for the eight straight meeting, but signaled that a rate cut could come as soon as September if inflation continued to cool.

Mr. Ricafort sees the peso moving between P57 and P57.50 versus the dollar this week. — AMCS with Reuters

GAC Motor Bacolod now open

August 19, 2024 | 12:03 am

VELO_PAGE1_image8 — GAC Motor Bacolod is a 3S (sales, service, and spare parts) facility which includes a six-car showroom. — PHOTO FROM GAC MOTOR PHILIPPINES

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GAC MOTOR PHILIPPINES, under global mobility brand Astara, recently opened GAC Motor Bacolod, owned and managed by the Ponce Automobile Corp.

Located along Araneta Street in Barangay Singcang, Bacolod City, GAC Motor Bacolod adheres to GAC’s international showroom standards and is a fully equipped 3S (sales, service, and spare parts) facility “ready to provide an exceptional experience for all its customers,” said GAC Motor Philippines in a release.

It features a six-car showroom, with “ample space for sales and marketing staff to welcome and entertain customers.” Four dedicated service bays and “a well-stocked inventory of genuine parts” will enable the dealership to handle everything from routine maintenance to complex repairs.

“GAC Motor Philippines rides high on the momentum of our consecutive dealer openings this 2024, and together with our new partnership with Ponce Automobile Corp., we enthusiastically reach out and deliver the leading-edge mobility of GAC Motor to the Bacolod community,” said GAC Motor Philippines Brand Head Franz Decloedt.

Joined Ponce Automobile Corp. CEO and President Geoffrey Garland L. Ponce, “We are excited to bring GAC Motor to Bacolod. With our passion to provide first-rate service combined with the exceptional GAC Motor vehicles, we are confident that customers will find the GAC cars for their driving and transport needs.”

GAC Motor Philippines has consecutively opened new dealerships in key locations this year. These include dealerships in Santa Rosa, Laguna; General Santos City in Mindanao; Iloilo City in Western Visayas; Marilao in Bulacan; San Fernando in Pampanga; and Sumulong Highway in Cainta. More establishments are set to open this year in Bacolod, BGC, Congressional Avenue, Fairview, Kawit, Mindanao Avenue, Sucat, Tacloban, Valenzuela City, and Zamboanga. GAC Motor Bacolod is one of the 27 dealer outlets currently in operation, and brings the brand closer to its goal of 38 dealerships by the end of 2024.

All GAC Motor vehicles purchased come with an after-sales warranty for the first five years or 150,000 kilometers, whichever comes first. For more information, visit www.gacmotorph.com.

Holcim taps First Gen to power manufacturing plant with RE

August 19, 2024 | 12:03 am

LOPEZ-LED First Gen Corp. has partnered with cement producer Holcim Philippines, Inc. to supply the latter’s manufacturing plants with electricity from geothermal energy sources.

First Gen will provide renewable energy (RE) to meet 22% of the power needs of Holcim’s manufacturing facilities in Bunawan, Davao City, and Lugait, Misamis Oriental, the energy company said in a statement over the weekend.

“We are pleased to partner with Holcim Philippines to grow viably while decarbonizing. It’s not an easy journey to decarbonize and provide for a regenerative future,” First Gen President and Chief Operating Officer Francis Giles B. Puno said.

“This requires collaboration not just through supplying power, but also through solutions that maximize and optimize electricity requirements and working to find a pathway towards net zero,” he added.

The power supply for Holcim will come from the geothermal plant in North Cotabato, owned by First Gen’s subsidiary Energy Development Corp.

The partnership between First Gen and Holcim resulted from the introduction of the government’s Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) in Mindanao.

Under RCOA, eligible power consumers whose monthly average peak demand reaches at least 500 kilowatts can choose their own electricity supplier.

“This partnership is a significant step towards meeting our goal to source 65% of our power needs from renewable energy by 2030 to decarbonize our business,” Holcim Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Nicolas George said.

“We are excited and confident to work with First Gen, a company that shares our strong commitment to sustainability and is a leading provider of renewable energy in the country,” he added.

Holcim Philippines operates cement manufacturing facilities in La Union, Bulacan, Misamis Oriental, and Davao, as well as aggregates and dry mix business and technical support facilities for building solutions.

Meanwhile, First Gen records a combined capacity of 3,668 megawatts (MW) from its 30 power plants. It has 26 facilities that use solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal energy. Its four other power plants, with over 2,000 MW of capacity, run on natural gas. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

US undercounts bird flu in cattle as farmers shun testing

August 19, 2024 | 12:03 am

WASHINGTON/CHICAGO — The US bird-flu outbreak in dairy cattle is much larger than official figures suggest due to farmers’ reluctance to test their animals and risk the economic consequences of a positive result, according to Reuters interviews with dairy experts, veterinarians, and farmers in six states with known cases.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has counted bird flu in about 190 dairy herds in 13 states since March. The virus’s jump from birds to cows heightened concerns that it could adapt to spread among humans.

Scientists have warned that limited surveillance could weaken the US ability to respond to further human spread.

Thirteen dairy and poultry farm workers have been infected with bird flu this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Reuters spoke with more than a dozen researchers, veterinarians, farmers, and livestock industry groups to understand whether the bird-flu spread in dairy cattle is being accurately tracked.

State animal and human health experts in three states who work closely with veterinarians and farmers said the government tally is likely an undercount because farmers are fearful of the economic hardship brought by a positive test, including being restricted from selling their milk or cattle for weeks.

The virus reduces milk production in cattle. The US, the world’s second-largest cheese producer after the European Union, is the only country with known infections in cows.

“While we have nine official positives, there are many, many, many more farms that are impacted or infected that are just not testing,” said Joe Armstrong, a veterinarian and cattle expert at the University of Minnesota, who has spoken with farmers across the state.

A more accurate cattle case count for Minnesota would be three to five times higher, Mr. Armstrong said.

A USDA spokesperson said the agency has encouraged testing by requiring negative tests for cows being shipped over state lines since April and offering a voluntary program for testing farmers’ milk supplies weekly.

Twenty-four dairy herds are participating in that program, of roughly 24,000 farms nationally that sell milk, according to agency data.

Six farmers, veterinarians, and other experts said farmers were reluctant to test because they did not believe the virus is a serious concern, or because government incentives to test did not offset their expected losses.

Colorado farmer Terry Dye, 78, said his two dairies were infected this summer and he did not notify the state because he wanted to handle it privately. State agriculture officials eventually heard about the infections and quarantined his animals, he said.

“Sometimes it’s more convenient to not know,” said Mr. Dye. USDA offers to compensate farmers with infected animals for veterinary care and 90% of lost milk production. Forty-seven herds have signed up for agency financial assistance, though that total includes farms without infections that are seeking support for biosecurity costs.

USDA tests raw milk from cows to identify the virus in herds. The Food and Drug Administration has separately tested commercial milk supplies and says pasteurization kills the virus, so milk is safe to drink.

Experts said ways to better track the spread include more states mandating raw-milk testing or higher compensation to farmers. Michigan and Colorado have taken aggressive approaches to containing bird flu in cattle, though experts there still think cases are being missed.

Phil Durst, an educator with Michigan State University who has spoken with farmers whose herds contracted the virus, said Michigan’s 27 positive herds are likely an undercount by at least a third.

Jenna Guthmiller, an assistant professor of immunology at the University of Colorado who has studied the virus, said Colorado’s 63 positive herds are also likely an undercount.

After a series of outbreaks, Colorado on July 22 became the only state to require dairy farms to test bulk supplies of milk each week. The tests have uncovered 10 infected herds that have been quarantined.

“Once we better understand the scope and scale of the outbreak, we can put measures in place to mitigate further spread,” said Maggie Baldwin, Colorado’s state veterinarian.

Some farmers do not test because they distrust government officials or information about the risks of bird flu to cattle and humans, four sources said.

“There’s plenty of dairy farms that I’ve heard about that just don’t believe it,” said Jason Schmidt, a dairy farmer in eastern Kansas.

In Oklahoma, a dairy that suspected it was infected in April did not submit stored milk samples to USDA for testing until July, according to the state. The herd had recovered by the time testing confirmed an outbreak, and Oklahoma has not had other reported cases, the state said.

In states with few or no infected cows, farmers and veterinarians are concerned that when the virus arrives or resurges, they won’t be able to track it.

“The longstanding adage is that the cure for fever is don’t take a temperature. So, if we don’t test, then we’re not positive,” said Mark Hardesty, a dairy cattle veterinarian in Ohio, which reported one dairy herd infection in April.

Wisconsin, the No. 2 milk-producing and top cheese-producing state, has not reported any bird-flu cases in cattle.

Dairy farmers likely would not test even if they suspected symptoms in their herds, said Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. “It’s still cheaper to just go through a herd outbreak, recover, and move on down the road,” Mr. Poulsen said. — Reuters

Style (08/19/24)

August 19, 2024 | 12:02 am

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Rustan’s rewards going green

THIS August, Rustan’s is rewarding green shoppers not just with products, but good deals. Rustan’s Eco Living Elevated is offering a selection of eco-friendly brands and actively supporting labels that advocate environmental stewardship and innovation. These include Grown Alchemist which uses cutting-edge science for skincare that’s both effective and kind to the environment; La Bruket which has luxurious botanical-based formulations; Neal’s Yard Remedies with its herbal remedies and natural formulations; L’Occitane’s range of soaps, lotions, and fragrances crafted with a respect for the environment; MALIN+GOETZ which offers clean, vegan skincare and body care; from the Philippines, For Keeps whose bar soaps, hand sanitizers, and body washes are formulated with clean ingredients; and Jane Iredale which offers mineral cosmetics that guarantee high-performance results while nurturing skin. When it comes to houseware, local company Calfurn offers world-class furniture crafted from indigenous and sustainable materials, while Spanish brand Vidrios Reciclados San Miguel has glassware made from 100% recycled glass. For the kitchen, Natural Elements by KitchenCraft presents an eco-friendly range designed to reduce plastic use. French brand Pebbly provides naturally made items for cooking and entertaining. There are also eco-friendly apparel — Freedom Moses’ genderless slides are made from eco-friendly PCU plastic, while Bohonomad has traditional rope sandals, and swimwear brand Sorbet Island champions inclusivity with a one-size-fits-all range. For jewelry, Anna Zuckermann offers high-quality gems derived through an ethical, violence-free, and ecologically responsible process. In an effort to reduce waste and promote a circular economy, Rustan’s For Keeps is inviting customers to drop off their empty For Keeps bottles at any Rustan’s branch for recycling. Rustan’s Beauty Addict and FSP Members can take advantage of special green offers. Patrons can earn 1,000 bonus FSP points by using their FSP Tote Bag or any tote bag for transactions throughout August. New FSP members who sign up during the weekends of August will receive a free FSP Tote Bag. Learn more at www.rustans.com and @rustansph on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Uniforms made from recycled plastic bottles

UNIVERSAL Robina Corp.’s (URC) Thailand office has stepped up its sustainability efforts with the URGreen Upcycling Uniform Campaign. The regional subsidiary’s campaign promotes the recycling of PET plastic bottles into uniforms. The URGreen Upcycling Uniform Campaign aims to reduce CO₂ emissions by 1.714 kg per shirt. Each uniform shirt is made from 14 recycled 600-ml PET water bottles, which were collected from January to April. URC Thailand collected a total of 21,000 plastic bottles to be turned into polo shirts. By June this year, a total of 1,500 shirts were produced and distributed to employees. The reduced CO2 emissions for all shirts amounted to 2,571kg CO2e, which is equivalent to planting 215 trees. The design of Vichida Pengnum, URC Thailand’s Senior Employee Relations Supervisor, was chosen for the company polo. URC Thailand aims to produce an additional 4,800 shirts in the future, which require 67,000 recycled plastic bottles. Last year, URC Flour had its own upcycling initiative where it partnered with local brands AraPilak and Aecovas Apparel to produce eco-friendly clothing using recycled cotton sacks. In the Philippines, URC produces brands such as Great Taste, C2 Cool & Clean, Piattos, Maxx candy and Cream-O cookies. Its leading regional brands include Lexus, Tivoli, and Fun-O.

Nuxe introduces new Boost collection

THE NUXE Prodigieuse Boost collection aims to boost skin’s radiance with its subtle scented textures. Infused with antioxidant extracts like jasmine, citrus, and Vitamin C, these formulations strengthen and protect skin from external factors, such as wind, pollution, and UV rays. The new Nuxe Prodigieuse Boost Glow-Boosting Serum with Vitamin C (P2,350) is a certified organic serum with a formula that melts into the skin, releasing stabilized Vitamin C and natural-origin hyaluronic acid. The Multi-Correction Glow-Boosting Cream-Gel (P2,450) and Multi-Correction Glow-Boosting Cream (P2,450) brighten, smooth, and relax skin, and fade the first signs of aging. The cream is meant for normal to dry skin, while the gel is for normal to combination skin. The Multi-Correction Eye Balm-Gel (P2,150) rejuvenates tired eyes, illuminates the eye area, and fades puffiness and dark circles. The Night Recovery Oil Balm (P2,750) renews and relaxes the skin. The Multi-Perfection Smoothing Primer (P2,250) fills in imperfections, mattifies shiny areas, and provides a “bare skin effect,” making it ideal as a make-up base or for touch-up application throughout the day. Nuxe is exclusively available in-store at Rustan’s and Look; and online on Rustans.com, Lazada, and Shopee.

Hoka Launches Speedgoat 6 in the PHL

HOKA debuts the latest iteration of the Speedgoat shoe, the Speedgoat 6. This updated shoe introduces ultralight CMEVA cushioning to the midsole, combined with aggressive traction for the lightest and most responsive Speedgoat to date. These updates ensure an agile and grippy ride for use on challenging terrain. The Speedgoat 6’s Vibram Megagrip outsole, equipped with Traction Lug, delivers aggressive traction across both wet and dry surfaces. Drawing inspiration from the resilience of a goat’s hoof, the 5mm lugs feature a revised orientation, increasing grip and adaptability. The shoe features a new lightweight woven upper designed to enhance breathability while remaining durable. A Hoka patent pending dynamic vamp and internal support chassis offer an accommodating fit to keep the foot stable and secure at a variety of paces. The dual-gusseted tongue and reinforced toe bumper allow for enhanced support and protection. It weighs in at 8.2 oz for a women’s size 8 and 9.8 oz for a men’s size 10, with a 40mm stack height and 5mm drop. The Speedgoat 6 is available for trial and testing at Hoka stores in One Ayala Mall, GH Mall, SM Aura, and Ayala Malls Manila Bay. It is also available at Planet Sports Trinoma, Planet Sports Galleria Cebu, Planet Sports Clark City Front Mall, Runnr, and online at Hoka.com.

Old Navy’s Straight Jean collection

OLD NAVY’s new Straight Jean collection for women features straight cut jeans, in a relaxed slouchy fit or fitted to show off curves. The women’s jeans use clever Secret-Smooth front pockets for a smoothing effect and Never-Quit Shape Retention, the latest stretch fabric. For men, they feature 360° super stretch tech for maximum comfort. In the Philippines, Old Navy is exclusively distributed by Specialty Lifestyle Concepts, Inc. (formerly Casual Clothing Retailers, Inc.), a member of SSI Group, Inc. Old Navy is available at Bonifacio High Street, Shangri-La Plaza, and oldnavy.com.ph.

AI phones from Google and Apple will erode trust in everything

August 19, 2024 | 12:02 am

ALPHABET, INC.’s Google is racing to stuff its products with the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) features, including some that will make you question everything you see and hear online. Its new Pixel phones make it easy to manipulate photos, adding people who weren’t in the original shot or moving their positions. You’ll be able to record phone calls, albeit with a disclosure to the person on the other line, and get a detailed summary of the conversation. These cool, if creepy, features point to a disconcerting direction that AI tools are taking us in as they get built into more phones. The easier it is to manipulate the content we capture on our devices, the harder it’ll be to trust what we see on them too.

For the new Pixel 9 phones, which go on sale on Aug. 22, Google has concentrated most of its AI prowess — abetted by the powerful G4 chip inside the phone — on the camera. The Add Me feature is billed as an alternative to the awkward angles and poses of the selfie. You take a photo of a friend, then get them to take a photo of you. Google’s AI stitches the two so it looks like you were standing together.

In the age of social media, where the statistical probability of looking at an untouched photo has diminished considerably, isn’t that going to make it even harder to determine what’s real? Not at all, according to Google’s Rick Osterloh, who took charge of Google’s Android platform earlier this year. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, he said Google was simply allowing people to edit their real-life moments, and “store the memory how they want” — no different than Photoshop, he added.

It is in fact, very different. The vast majority of people who take photos with their phones don’t pay $23 a month to use Adobe Photoshop. But millions of people who are likely to buy new AI-enabled phones from Apple, Inc., Samsung Electronics Co., and Google will be able to manipulate photos with a few taps. Apple’s forthcoming iPhones will have a Clean Up tool to remove objects and people from photos. Samsung will let you move someone in a photo so it looks like they’re facing someone else.

These features are marketed as conveniences, but they’ll also make us more likely to question the accuracy and reality of photos far more than we do now. In his interview, Osterloh also defended a TV ad promoting Google’s AI tool Gemini during the Olympics, in which a father encourages his young daughter to use AI to write a letter to an athlete to tell her “how inspiring she is.” Google was criticized for being tone deaf to the real reason parents help their kids write fan mail: the process of expressing gratitude. But according to Osterloh, this is just like the transition people made from sending hand-written thank you notes to e-mails. “This is a way to touch more people,” he said.

Of course, the flip side of connecting with more people is that those people won’t know if they’re being “touched” by a human being at all.

Until now, the price of tech’s latest conveniences has been money, personal data, and attention. Use Google’s services and you’ll be subject to an online auction for your eyeballs that shares your personal data — location, browsing history, videos you’ve watched, and more — with an array of different advertising networks for targeting. There’s less of that on an Apple device, but you’re still likely spending hours scrolling on one of the most addictive tools in human history if you have an iPhone.

The price we pay for tech’s whizzy features seems subtle and abstract at first, but over time becomes clearer as they go mainstream. People around the world now spend about six hours a day on smartphones, often at the expense of sleep, kids, or more fulfilling activities. More than 70% of companies in the US now collect personal data, according to Statista, and two-thirds of consumers around the world feel tech companies have too much control over those details, according to YouGov research.

What will the price be for a broader rollout of generative AI tools? Trust seems high up there, and not just of technology companies but increasingly of what we see online, including things that are real. When Donald Trump claimed that official photos of crowds at Kamala Harris rallies were AI generated, the rumor — which was false — spread to millions on X and other social platforms because of its plausibility. Like it or not, the growing ubiquity of AI phones will force us to become more wary of what we see and hear — unless we want manipulated versions of reality to be the new normal.

BLOOMBERG OPINION

BSP pushes for digitalization of firms’ wage payments

August 19, 2024 | 12:02 am

THE BANGKO SENTRAL ng Pilipinas (BSP) is pushing for the digitalization of wage payments to help boost financial inclusion.

“Digitalizing wage payments is one of the most effective tools in driving financial inclusion. A study indicated that more than half of adults in developing countries opened their first bank accounts to receive digital wage payments,” the BSP said in a statement.

“For employees, therefore, wage digitalization can unlock access to financial products and services -— such as savings and insurance —which enhance resilience and financial health.”

The central bank, along with the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), are pushing employers to utilize digital options for their payrolls.

The BSP’s 2021 Financial Inclusion Survey showed that the majority or 70% of salaries in the private sector are still paid in cash.

“For employers, digital wage payments bring significant gains such as productivity improvement, accuracy, safety, access to finance and markets, and enterprise formalization.”

BSP Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the business sector must continue sustaining the shift to digital payments from cash.

“Let us continue working together to make the goal of a more financially inclusive and resilient Philippines a reality,” she said.

Digital payments made up 52.8% of the volume of retail transactions in 2023, latest BSP data showed, up from the 42.1% share in 2022.

In terms of value, 55.3% of retail transactions last year were done online, also rising from 40.1% the year prior.

The BSP wanted at least 50% of the volume and value of retail transactions done online by end-2023 under its Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap.

The increase in digital payments was driven by wider use of online transaction channels among individuals and businesses, the central bank said, with the coronavirus pandemic accelerating this shift.

The central bank wants online payments to make up 60-70% of the country’s total retail transaction volume by 2028, in line with the Philippine Development Plan. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Mober establishes EV delivery, warehousing services in Cebu

August 19, 2024 | 12:02 am

PHILIPPINE GREEN logistics service pioneer Mober has made “sustainable delivery services” in Cebu available to support the regional expansion of Swedish home furnishing retail giant Ikea Philippines. Mober will use its 100% EV fleet to support home deliveries in Cebu and other Visayas provinces, “ensuring zero-emission deliveries.”

In addition to the sustainable delivery services, Mober will assist the furniture brand’s warehousing solutions via a collection hub located in Cebu City, speeding up delivery times and increasing product accessibility for Filipino households in the Visayas. The collection hub serves as the last-mile delivery point for Ikea Philippines, while housing Mober’s EV charging stations. The Cebu City facility includes Mober’s latest 15-kW OCPP chargers, compatible with Type 2 and GB/T standards, ensuring efficient support for Mober’s EV fleet serving Ikea.

“We are thrilled to embark on this groundbreaking journey, expanding our green delivery solutions to the Visayas. This represents a leap forward for the Philippines in embracing sustainable practices across the logistics industry. As EV ownership gains momentum, Mober is well-positioned to further its commitment to providing sustainable business solutions toward a net-zero carbon emission future by leveraging our all-electric fleet,” said Mober Founder and CEO Dennis Ng.

Mober supports the end-to-end supply chain sustainability of major FMCG and retail brands. Besides Ikea Philippines, Mober partners with SM Appliance Center, Unilever Philippines, Nestlé Philippines, and Nespresso, as well as renowned logistics companies Maersk and Kuehne+Nagel.

ePLDT’s Victor Genuino sees bright future for PHL data centers

August 19, 2024 | 12:02 am

By Ashley Erika O. Jose, Reporter

VICTOR S. GENUINO, president and chief executive officer of ePLDT, Inc., aspires to position the Philippines as a leading hub in the data center market.

“I would love for the Philippines to be known as the hyperscaler hub of Asia Pacific,” Mr. Genuino said in an interview with BusinessWorld.

“I think the Philippines is in a very unique geographical position to be able to be one,” he added.

Before his stint as the president and CEO of ePLDT, the information and communications technology arm of listed PLDT Inc., Mr. Genuino served as the head of customer retail services and corporate communications at Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) for 10 years.

During his time at Meralco, Mr. Genuino was also tasked with overseeing the power company’s two subsidiaries: Meralco Energy, Inc. (MSERV) and MSpectrum, Inc., the solar unit.

“Obviously, a lot of discussions and developments around energy and how we could help customers be more efficient in the way they manage and utilize energy. It was also very critical at that time for my role to ensure that the power requirements of our customers were prepared beforehand,” he said.

His previous roles in the energy sector have proven beneficial considering that power is the lifeblood of the data center business, Mr. Genuino said.

“Our Vitro Sta. Rosa is a 50-megawatt site. So, if you look at power consumption, that is the equivalent of maybe five Mall of Asia combined, in terms of power consumption,” he added.

The biggest cost component of the data center business is power costs, Mr. Genuino said, adding that it is important for companies focusing on the data center business to adopt sustainable measures due to data centers’ high power consumption.

“We have to ensure that the data center has adequate power. We have to make sure that the data center has reliable and affordable power… and energy moving forward has to be sustainable,” Mr. Genuino said.

With this, ePLDT is sourcing its power requirements from renewable and sustainable sources of energy to meet its energy needs while also offsetting high power costs, he said.

For instance, all of its running data centers are operating at about 20% sustainable power, while its largest data center, Vitro Sta. Rosa, is powered by a 35% sustainable source of energy.

In July, the company completed the structure of its 50-MW hyperscale Vitro Sta. Rosa, its 11^th and largest data center to date.

The structural completion of Vitro Sta. Rosa will pave the way for power integration and energization, ePLDT said.

“We have been running the data centers throughout this time. Since then, we have managed to build a portfolio of 10 data centers. We have an extensive footprint of data centers,” he said.

He also said that there has been a growing interest in establishing data centers among companies, especially with the rise of technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud service providers.

“I think we have a very good market share position, a dominant share position with regard to data centers and colocation space. With the recent trend of establishing data centers due to the advent of cloud technology, many are interested. The industry is actually turning into a very interesting and competitive landscape,” Mr. Genuino said.

The country can also benefit from the growing interest in the data center space, he said, adding that it would also boost the country’s digital economy.

“I think the key is to be able to attract what we call hyperscalers, cloud service providers. If we are able to attract them to relocate, establish, and build a presence in the Philippines, it will boost the digital economy,” he added.

The country is considered an ideal hub for data centers because of its location in Southeast Asia; however, the country’s high power costs may deter investors, considering that the Philippines’ neighboring countries subsidize power costs, he said.

“Still, I am very bullish on the data center space. I think hyperscalers are really looking at the Philippines to be able to come in and invest,” Mr. Genuino said.

Earlier, the company said that its planned 12^th data center may double the capacity of Vitro Sta. Rosa while it is still in the site selection process for its 13^th and 14^th data centers.

For its 12^th data center, the company said it will be located somewhere in South Luzon due to the availability of connectivity and energy redundancy; while it is on a constant lookout for its 13^th and 14^th data centers.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.

China central bank pledges billions worth of funding to speed along recovery in disaster-hit farm regions

August 19, 2024 | 12:02 am

BEIJING/HONG KONG — China’s central bank said it will provide an additional 100 billion yuan ($14 billion) to banks to support rebuilding areas devastated by floods, after recent extreme weather damaged around 6 million acres of crops.

The world’s largest agricultural importer has in recent weeks been plagued by Typhoon Gaemi lashing its eastern seaboard, record rains in its southern rice fields, and intense heat waves across its northern corn and wheat yielding regions.

After state media reported Vice Premier Liu Guozhong called for China’s vast agricultural sector to push for a bumper harvest this autumn, the central bank announced it will issue a further 100 billion yuan of a re-lending facility to support 12 areas with flood prevention and reconstruction initiatives.

The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) will direct the funding towards Fujian, Guangdong, Henan, Heilongjiang, Hunan, Jilin, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces, along with the megacity of Chongqing and the Guangxi region, and to farmers, small and micro-sized firms and households, a statement said.

The PBoC had issued a total of 2.61 trillion yuan in re-lending quotas to support agriculturalists and small firms.

“The PBoC will urge its branches in relevant provinces to make good use of the newly added re-lending quotas… ensure the funding needs of disaster-stricken enterprises and help them resume production,” it added.

China suffered 76.9 billion yuan in economic losses from natural disasters last month, with 88% of those losses caused by heavy rains and floods, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

It was the biggest amount of losses for the month of July since 2021, ministry data showed.

Mr. Liu, during his visit to Liaoning and Jilin provinces over the weekend and Monday, urged officials to improve the agriculture sector’s capacity for disaster prevention and mitigation, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

He also “urged measures to drain accumulated water, promote the restoration of affected crops and guide farmers in replanting areas where crops were destroyed,” the report added.

Producers from the US to Brazil and Indonesia will be watching to see whether China will increase its food imports to meet the demands of its 1.4 billion people.

A cut in domestic farm output could bolster the Asian giant’s demand for overseas supplies, which would impact global food supply and prices.

Beijing envisions 92% self-sufficiency in staple grains and beans by 2033, up from 84% during 2021-2023. But an increase in the number of extreme weather events calls that into question.

Natural disasters in July affected almost 26.4 million people across China, with 328 either dead or missing. More than one million people were relocated, 12,000 houses collapsed and 157,000 more were damaged. Some 2.42 million hectares (5.98 million acres) of crop area were also affected. — Reuters