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Novelist Salman Rushdie’s memoir on 2022 stabbing to be published next year

KNIFE —PENGUINRANDOMHOUSE.CA

WASHINGTON — Salman Rushdie, the Indian-born novelist who spent years in hiding after Iran urged Muslims to kill him because of his writing, will publish a memoir on his 2022 stabbing in New York, book publisher Penguin Random House said on Wednesday.

Mr. Rushdie’s new memoir, Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder, will be published on April 16, 2024.

“This was a necessary book for me to write: a way to take charge of what happened, and to answer violence with art,”

Mr. Rushdie, whose public appearances have been limited since last year’s attack, said in a statement released by the publisher.

Mr. Rushdie, 76, was awarded the “Freedom to Publish” award by the British Book Awards in May.

An attack onstage in August 2022, during a lecture in New York state left the British author blind in one eye and affected the use of one of his hands. His attacker, a Shi’ite Muslim American from New Jersey, has pleaded “not guilty” to charges of second-degree attempted murder and assault.

Mr. Rushdie released a new novel, Victory City, nearly six months after his stabbing attack.

Mr. Rushdie has long faced death threats linked to his fourth novel, The Satanic Verses, which was banned in many countries with large Muslim populations upon its 1988 publication over passages deemed to be blasphemous by some.

Mr. Rushdie spent years in hiding after Iran’s supreme leader at the time, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, pronounced a fatwa, or religious edict, calling upon Muslims to kill him.

While Iran’s pro-reform government of President Mohammad Khatami distanced itself from the fatwa in the late 1990s, the multimillion-dollar bounty hanging over Rushdie’s head kept growing and the fatwa was never lifted.

Mr. Khomeini’s successor, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, once said the fatwa against Rushdie was “irrevocable.” — Reuters

Assault in Gaza Strip: A new wild card

MOHAMMED IBRAHIM-UNSPLASH

As the International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meetings in Morocco unfold, it warned against stubborn inflation and weak global growth in 2024. But it chose to be more circumspect with its assessment of the latest hostilities in the Gaza Strip. Gita Gopinath, the Fund’s First Deputy Managing Director, estimated that “If it turns into a wider conflict, and that causes oil prices to go up, that does have an effect on the economies.”

Such a scenario is likely to yield this correlation: a 10% increase in oil prices could lead to inflation rising by 0.4 percentage point one year after. As a consequence, global output might fall by 0.15 percentage point. Both challenges are additional headaches for central bankers everywhere, just after they expressed confidence that they were succeeding in containing the price surges following the invasion of Ukraine and the pandemic.

A not-too-different sentiment was expressed by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) through its general manager, Agustin Carstens. While too early to be definitive, Carstens was rather quick in saying that the oil and equity markets might be in for harder days ahead. An unpredictable set of forces could worsen the global scenario that is already complicated by lower economic growth and possibly prolonged high interest rates in the United States.

All up, the cards seem stacked against a quick resolution of this long and winding search for peace in the Middle East.

As the New York Times reported, about 300,000 soldiers are assembling near the Gaza Strip for what could be a massive ground invasion of the territory. Israel announced that their mission was to ensure that Hamas “at the end of this war won’t have any military capabilities by which they can threaten or kill Israeli civilians.” That promises a long, protracted bloody war that could bring in many nations into the fold.

This must be the mission order corresponding to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s threat that his country would inflict an “unprecedented price” and fight a war. The other day, he formed a unity government as hostilities escalated. He brought in two opposition lawmakers — both former army chiefs — to his cabinet. Israel needs to decide quickly whether to invade Gaza or even south Lebanon.

Both the IMF and the BIS fears of a wider conflict could therefore be a likelier scenario. Israel is smarting from the failure of security and intelligence, for no red flag was promptly raised when Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and sent hundreds of gunmen into Israeli towns at 22 different locations near the Gaza Strip during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The assault reached as far as 24 kilometers away from the Gaza border, shooting at civilians and soldiers for hours. Saturday’s attack is considered the worst civilian massacre in Israeli history.

The leader of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, clarified that this recent attack on Israel “was in response to the 16-year blockade of Gaza, Israeli raids inside West Bank cities over the past year, violence at Al Aqsa — the disputed Jerusalem holy site sacred to Jews as the Temple of Mount — increasing attacks by settlers on Palestinian and growth of settlements.”

This is not the first time we are seeing Israeli-Palestinian hostilities. They date back to biblical times. As Simon Sebag Montefiore, in his classic Jerusalem: The Biography, published in 2011, documented, even after the United Nations ruled to divide Palestine into Israel and Palestine in 1947, there were outbreaks of serious conflict, even with calls to “butcher the Jews.” In 1967, Israel occupied the Gaza Strip and the West Bank including East Jerusalem, establishing a two-tiered legal and political system that provides comprehensive rights for Jewish Israeli settlers while imposing military rule for the rest of the population. What we see today is an extension of these territorial differences.

Subsequent attempts to establish peace in Israel and West Bank and Gaza (WBG) peaked during the Oslo Accords signed between the Israelis and the Palestinians in 1993-95. As an IMF Program Note wrote, the Accords created the Palestinian Authority to build new institutions and develop both policy and a legal framework for the WBG as basis for a future Palestinian state. The outbreak of the second Intifada in 2000 disrupted whatever progress had been made. In fact, the IMF was mandated to provide some technical assistance to WBG focusing on tax administration, public expenditure management, banking supervision and regulation, and macroeconomic statistics. Financial support cannot be extended to WBG because it is not a member state.

But what is most concerning to the global economy must be the recorded message of Deif that the Saturday morning attack was only the start of “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm,” calling on Palestinians from East Jerusalem to Northern Israel to join the fight. This is consistent with its earlier assurance that Hamas is prepared for all options including all-out war.

It is quite challenging to be optimistic over the prospects for the global economy. The risks cannot be ignored. Both sides of the Gaza-Israel conflict are more than battle-ready, with sustained outbreaks of rocket launching and automatic fire in different parts of the disputed territory. Most iterations of what could happen appear to be pointing to an upset of medium- and long-term equilibria.

Today’s deep state of flux due to the economic scarring of the pandemic and trade tensions is bound to worsen due to the war’s potential hit on global inflation. The broader area is home to major oil producers such as Iran and Saudi Arabia. As Reuters recently wrote, it is also a major shipping lane through the Gulf of Suez, and therefore supply chains are most vulnerable. With the war, unless we see a defense deal between Washington and Riyadh, it is difficult to expect Saudi Arabia to raise its oil output and mitigate the potential disruption in oil supply. In the first place, Saudi Arabia has an outstanding agreement for a voluntary reduction in oil production of a total 1.3 million barrels a day. Some analysts are predicting a potential slowdown in oil exports this time from Iran.

Should inflation resurge, central banks may have little option but to tighten the monetary screws again. Otherwise, economic growth might be restrained, if not reversed.

Both the US Fed and the European Central Bank have already raised the risk of renewed hikes in energy prices to their inflation fight. The signs are beginning to show in Europe. Shares in European oil and defense companies a few days ago started soaring while the rest of the equities market exhibited significant weaknesses. A similar trend is also happening in the US. On top of that, while interest in the US dollar and assets seems to grow, the risks to inflation are gathering more momentum. That could all put the US Fed at a crossroad of deciding the next direction of monetary policy.

In the Philippines, as far as we could extract from the macroeconomic assumptions of the Development Budget Coordination Committee, the crude oil assumption for this year and the next is between $70-90. Recent oil prices are uncomfortably inching towards the high end. On top of that, based on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) statement after the Monetary Board meeting on monetary policy last month, many of the upside risks are vulnerable to significant oil price adjustments. Minimum wages have been adjusted in many parts of the Philippines. Transport costs for jeepney-riding public are bound to climb with the provisional increases granted by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) effective last Sunday. Power rates, while lowered in earlier months, could renew their increase if oil prices sustain their uptrend. Food prices continue to suffer from low farm productivity and huge adjustments in the cost of fertilizers and pesticides which are oil related. Food prices also react significantly to higher transport costs.

All of these are at the back of the market’s mind, so it’s not impossible that inflation expectations are also de-anchored.

We therefore expect to see the BSP upgrading its forecasts for the next three years given the second upsurge of inflation in September. If October inflation disappoints again, we can expect more tightening for the last two meetings of the Monetary Board in 2023. To what extent, it is difficult to say. While the Israel-Hamas conflict is likely to affect our economic calculus, it is also a wild card, for which we need to prepare.

A wild card is, after all, an unpredictable factor.

 

Diwa C. Guinigundo is the former deputy governor for the Monetary and Economics Sector, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). He served the BSP for 41 years. In 2001-2003, he was alternate executive director at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC. He is the senior pastor of the Fullness of Christ International Ministries in Mandaluyong.

Cebu Pacific stays on course as it transitions to fuel-efficient fleet

SILVER RINGVEE–UNSPLASH

BUDGET CARRIER Cebu Pacific has maintained its commitment to transition its fleet to the all-new engine option or NEO aircraft by 2028 as part of its decarbonization program.

“Acquiring and maintaining next-generation aircraft is vital to meeting our climate goals and maintaining high-quality services. We have implemented a capital expenditure program to replace our older aircraft with fuel-efficient NEO aircraft by 2028,” Alex B. Reyes, Cebu Pacific’s chief strategy officer, said in a media release on Thursday.

The company’s decarbonization program includes modernizing its fleets, which will allow it to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per passenger by up to 29%.

A NEO aircraft is the latest generation of Airbus planes that have been designed to have better fuel efficiency.

Cebu Pacific said its fuel efficiency practices have improved after it managed to reduce its fuel consumption by about 7.9 million kilograms in 2022, which is equivalent to avoiding CO2 emissions.

The company is also targeting to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) across its commercial network by 2030 as part of its commitment to help the aviation sector achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

SAF can help reduce emissions from air transportation and is made from nonpetroleum feedstock like agricultural waste and used vegetable oil.

Cebu Pacific started to integrate SAF blend into its operations with a series of new Airbus aircraft delivery flights, it said.

“Our effort to partner with SAF suppliers is one of the many initiatives positioning us to meet the demands of our customers for responsible and convenient air travel,” Alexander G. Lao, president and chief commercial officer of Cebu Pacific, said.

Mr. Lao said SAF usage would allow the company to achieve its net zero target by 2050, as it also aims to increase its sustainability efforts in 2023.

“The airline also plans to address its ground operations emissions and transition to an all-electric, zero-emission ground support equipment (GSE) fleet,” Cebu Pacific said.

The International Air Transport Association has estimated that SAF will contribute 65% of carbon emissions reduction.

For this year, Cebu Pacific aims to assess market acceptance and engage with stakeholders to develop future SAF supply ahead of its planned integration into regular commercial flights by 2030. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Paul Giamatti and Alexander Payne pair up again for The Holdovers

The Holdovers —IMDB.COM

LONDON — Actor Paul Giamatti and filmmaker Alexander Payne reunite after almost 20 years for The Holdovers, a Christmas-time tale of a trio of unlikely companions that premiered at the London Film Festival on Wednesday.

Mr. Giamatti, who appeared in Payne’s 2004 Oscar-winning movie Sideways, plays Paul Hunham, a teacher of ancient history at a high-status New England boarding school for boys. Much to his dismay, the cranky, unpopular academic is tasked with looking after “the holdovers,” a handful of students with nowhere to go, over the 1970 winter break.

The only other adult on the empty, closed-off campus is the academy’s head cook, Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), who has recently lost her son in Vietnam.

After getting off to a disastrous start, the two-week break turns into an invigorating experience for Hunham, Mary, and troubled student Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa).

The role of Hunham in the comedy-drama was created specifically for Mr. Giamatti.

“I’ve been saying this for 20 years since Sideways, he can make even bad dialogue work, so give him good dialogue and it’s even better,” Mr. Payne, 62, said of Mr. Giamatti, who did not attend the London premiere due to the actors’ strike.

The Holdovers was written by David Hemingson, who thought he was being prank-called when Mr. Payne contacted him “out of the blue” after reading a pilot script about his time at a prep school.

“This is my childhood, kind of pushed through the sieve of slightly different circumstances. It’s the most personal thing I’ve ever done,” said Mr. Hemingson.

Mr. Payne, whose previous films include Downsizing, The Descendants, and Election, said he wanted to tell an entertaining story that looks and feels like a movie made in 1970.

“I like making comedies, but comedies that hopefully make you think a little bit, too.”

The Holdovers will be out in US cinemas this November and will be released globally in early 2024. — Reuters

Hamas has already lost the war of images

MOHAMMED IBRAHIM-UNSPLASH

TWO VIDEOS capture how Hamas lost the war of images last Saturday.

In the first, a young woman, stripped nearly naked, lies in the back of a pick-up truck. Her face is turned away from the camera. Two men sit behind the woman; one is holding a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and has a leg casually draped over her, the other seems to be clutching a fistful of her braided hair. Two other men are standing farther back, one of them waving an assault rifle in the air. All four men are cheering, “Allahu akbar!” as are those gathered around the vehicle. As the truck pulls away, one man leans in to spit on the supine woman.

In the second video, an elderly woman in a tan-colored T-shirt and wrapped in what appears to be a pink, patterned tablecloth sits in a golf cart, looking alternatively defiant and bemused. Behind her is a man in black, holding aloft an assault rifle. On a motorcycle ahead of the buggy, the pillion rider is also brandishing a weapon. As this small convoy moves slowly forward, celebratory ululations are heard off camera.

When these scenes were being videotaped, presumably in Gaza, the celebrants were exulting what they may have regarded as Hamas’ greatest victory: a brazen assault in which its fighters killed more than 1,000 Israelis, the largest single-day death toll in the country’s history, injured thousands more and took at least 150 hostage. Within hours of the attack, Hamas was posting videos to show off its stunning “success.” As with the kinetic operations, it was keen to draw first blood in the war of images, to inspire its supporters and demoralize its enemy.

But the videos of the two female victims had the opposite effect. The women were quickly identified as civilians: German tourist Shani Louk, in the pickup truck, and Israeli Yaffa Adar, a resident of the Nir Oz kibbutz near the border with Gaza. At the time of this writing, we don’t know whether either of them is alive.

Their treatment at the hands of their captors drew widespread revulsion and reprobation, and if anything, strengthened Israeli resolve to exact retribution. Because of the videos, Hamas lost any right to claim the attack was a manifestation of “legitimate resistance.” Instead, the group was exposed before the horrified world as the terrorist organization it has always been.

In making a spectacle of these two women, Hamas lost the war of images before its day of triumph was out. And worse was to come. News photographs and video emerging from Israel since the weekend show a pattern of attacks against civilians in the villages and kibbutzim near Gaza. Especially heinous was the attack on the Nova Festival, a music concert being held outside Kibbutz Re’im, where Louk had been enjoying herself. Hamas slaughtered at least 260 people there.

Rather than demonstrate patriotic resistance by brave Palestinian fighters, the images invited comparisons with the brutal terrorists of the Islamic State. It was hard not to draw parallels between the Nova Festival and the Bataclan in Paris, where an IS attack in November 2015 killed nearly 90 people attending a rock concert. Nor could anyone looking at the video of Louk on that truck not be reminded of the Yezidi women captured by IS in Sinjar, in 2014.

As the identities of the scores of hostages — many of them thought to be women and children — emerge in the days ahead, Hamas will look more and more like IS. The group’s threat to kill hostages, on camera, if Israel strikes civilian homes in Gaza carries echoes of Islamic State executions.

Hamas’ defeat in the war of images will have consequences for the real war Israel has declared against the group and for the Palestinian civilians who, as ever, are bearing the brunt of Israel’s vengeance. In previous instances of Israeli offensives on Gaza, Hamas could count on images of piteous noncombatant victims to draw international sympathy and pressure on Israel to end its attacks.

With the balance of sympathy now on the Israeli side, the world will likely take longer to intervene. Many more Palestinians will die as a result of those two videos.

BLOOMBERG OPINION

PAL says Cebu-Laoag route to start on Dec. 15

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES (PAL) is launching flights from Cebu to Laoag in December as part of its efforts to bring connectivity between Luzon and Visayas, the flag carrier said on Thursday.

“This brand-new service will help us open up a new market for tourist and business travelers by connecting the Ilocos Region via nonstop flights to Cebu, and beyond to other cities in the Visayas and Mindanao,” Stanley K. Ng, PAL president and chief operating officer, said in a media release.

PAL said on Dec. 15, it will start to operate its Cebu and Laoag flights twice a week.

The airline added that it is also anticipating more Mactan-Cebu flights in the future to accommodate the growing market demand.

“You can expect more convenient connections that boost tourism and help spur economic development in different areas of the Philippines, as we progressively expand our domestic network. We expect to mount more flights in and out of our Mactan-Cebu hub in the coming months,” Mr. Ng said.

Earlier this week, PAL said it would reopen more routes from Cebu to Bicol and Mindanao as it is expecting more passengers during the holiday season.

In May, PAL launched two special flights between Cebu and Laoag. Currently, it operates four times weekly Cebu-Baguio and Baguio-Cebu flights.

Data from the Manila International Airport Authority showed that domestic and international passenger volume at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport climbed 33.76 million as of September this year, exceeding 2022’s full-year tally.

The passenger tally at the end of the period surpassed the 30.94 million full-year total in 2022. It was up 59% against the year-earlier period. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Financial sector ‘highly vulnerable’ to climate risks

DMITRY BERDNYK-UNSPLASH

THE PHILIPPINE financial sector is “highly vulnerable” to climate risks, the World Bank said.

“Financial institutions operating in the Philippines face high operational risks from natural disasters,” the World Bank said in a background paper for its Country Climate and Development Report.

“The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reports that in the aftermath of storms and natural disasters, banks are faced with severe disruptions of operations resulting from damage to infrastructure and branches,” it added.

Natural disasters also affect the “soundness of financial institutions and stability of the overall financial system,” the World Bank said.

Citing data from AIR Worldwide, the World Bank said typhoons alone cause losses in public and private assets equivalent to 0.71% of gross domestic product annually.

“Typhoons could increase market risks in the Philippines’ financial sector, where banks hold sizeable investment portfolios, totaling 20% of total assets as of end-December 2018,” it added.

The occurrence and size of a typhoon “significantly” impacted nonperforming loan (NPL) ratios in the Philippines, it added.

World Bank data showed that for a 1% rise in the typhoon damage ratio, the NPL ratio would rise by 0.66% in the same year on average.

“During interviews with BSP and banks, it was reported that rural and agricultural exposure, and therewith rural and cooperative banks, are most significantly affected by the impacts of typhoons. In contrast to universal banks, these banks predominantly operate in the regions and hold sizeable exposures in loans for the agricultural sector (17.5%).”

The insurance sector also faces “increasing underwriting risks” due to climate issues, the World Bank added.

“Large scale disasters can affect an insurer’s ability to pay out claims. During interviews, industry stakeholders reported difficulties following large typhoons,” it said.

“The aftermath of Yolanda showed that the sector was significantly affected by claims as a result of typhoon damages, even though catastrophe insurance penetration is low. Yolanda also affected the micro insurance sector, which paid out over P500 million in claims,” it added.

The financial sector is vulnerable to both physical risks and transition risks due to climate change, the World Bank said.

“Physical risks are already highly material for the Philippine financial sector. Typhoons, floods, droughts, as well as geological events like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, can affect — and in fact are already affecting — credit, market, operational and underwriter risks, therewith threatening the profitability and solvency of banks and insurers,” the World Bank said.

To mitigate these risks, the government should strengthen post-disaster mechanisms and scaling up financial risk management of public assets., it said.

The government should also prepare for the increasing cost of climate disasters, it added. — LMJCJ

Seasonal temp jobs seen behind decline in Aug. unemployment

PHILIPPINE STAR/ EDD GUMBAN

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

EMPLOYERS hired more temporary workers in August, causing unemployment to fall that month, a labor group said.

“The latest drop in the unemployment rate may be attributed to the increase in the hiring of temporary workers in anticipation of the increase in demand of goods and services for the coming Christmas season, as such, temporary,” Partidong Manggagawa Chairman Renato B. Magtubo said in a Viber message.

The unemployment rate in August hit a three-month low of 4.4% from 4.8% a month earlier, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Oct. 6. The year-earlier reading had been 5.3%.

Job quality improved that month as the underemployment rate — a measure of workers seeking additional hours or an additional job — decreased to 11.7% from 15.89% in July. This was also lower than the 14.7% from a year earlier.

“If the country wants to generate more sustainable and quality jobs, our economic managers should provide more support for homegrown industries and fast-track their development,” he said.

Mr. Magtubo added the government must continue to keep the manufacturing and agriculture sectors competitive to generate more jobs.

Manufacturing output rose to a seven-month high in August, posting growth of 8.5%, against the year-earlier 4.6%, the PSA said in a separate report on Oct. 6.

Agriculture and forestry drove the month-on-month improvement in employment that month, with the sector posting an increase of 1.97 million employees.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan on Friday told reporters that he expects the Philippine Development Plan to foster “the creation of high-quality jobs offering everyone decent pay.”

“We need nothing less than a massive investment to create high-quality jobs,” Mr. Balisacan said. 

“That’s why our economic team, and our President, have been marketing the country not only to entrepreneurs here but also to foreign investors… That’s what will create high-quality jobs.”

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in January signed an executive order that adopted the plan, which he said will help the Philippines achieve its goal of becoming an upper middle-income economy by 2025.

Last month, the President signed into law a bill authorizing the creation of a national employment roadmap and an inter-agency body to draft a national strategy for job generation.

The council, which will be headed by the NEDA as well as the Trade and Labor secretaries, will be tasked with assisting local government units in implementing job recovery programs.

Asia-Pacific women lagging in workforce participation

THE Asia-Pacific region must improve female workforce participation rates and address inequality, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and International Labour Organization (ILO) said.

“Going forward, a comprehensive approach is required that begins with the recognition and implementation of measures designed to foster gender equality within the broader labor market and economic framework,” the ADB and ILO said in its ‘Where women work in Asia and the Pacific’ report.

“There is an urgent need to change gender norms regarding unpaid work and to work towards a more equal distribution of domestic responsibilities between men and women,” it added.

The report cited policies that address structural constraints to working women in the Philippines.

“Overall, the maternity leave policy in the Philippines is designed to provide support and protection to women during the crucial time of childbirth and recovery, while also promoting gender equality and work-life balance in the workplace.”

In 2019, the Philippines extended paid maternity leave to 15 weeks from 8.5 weeks, with an option for an additional unpaid 30 days.

“The law also provides for an optional allocation of seven days of the 15-week maternity leave benefits to the child’s father or an alternate caregiver (as identified by the mother) to encourage shared responsibility and promote gender equality in the workplace and in the home,” it said.

However, the report noted that while these benefits are positive, coverage is still limited to paid workers, which poses a “significant barrier to women’s productive capacity in the country.”

The ADB and ILO said gender gaps persist in the region despite improvements in recent years.

“Women in Asia and the Pacific face numerous structural obstacles that impede their full engagement in the labor market. A significant issue, not unique to the region, is the unequal distribution of unpaid care or domestic responsibilities placed on women regardless of their employment status or sector of employment,” the report said.

They said women in Asia and the Pacific region worked the longest hours when both paid and unpaid work is considered, compared to other regions.

“The absence of support for women’s caregiving duties not only leads to fewer paid work hours and less income but also deters women from entering or rejoining the workforce,” it said.

“The gap in participation rates between men and women, at close to 25 percentage points, remains elevated and 5 percentage points higher than the gap present in Latin America and the Caribbean or at the global level,” it added.

The ADB and ILO recommended measures such as gender-responsive fiscal policy that can address gender biases; gender-inclusive government spending that will prioritize investments in high-quality childcare; and gender-sensitive social protection measures.

“Policies of this nature can improve gender equality by identifying and rectifying gender biases in public spending and revenue collection,” it said.

The ADB and ILO said that governments must make the effort to remove barriers preventing women from pursuing non-traditional, high-paying jobs.

“A life course approach that addresses how girls can pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and technical vocational education and training programs can support subject segregation that leads to occupational segregation,” it said.

“Policies to tackle gender discrimination within the workplace (recruitment, retention, promotion) and which recognize and support women’s ability to balance their care responsibilities are key to making labor markets more equitable,” it added.

The report also noted that working conditions must also be improved. These include strengthening wage legislation; equal pay policies; and improved access to credit and financial services, especially for women working in agriculture. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Nitin Sawhney unites different voices in new album celebrating identity

Nitin Sawhney —NORMANRECORDS.COM

LONDON — Nitin Sawhney celebrates identity in his new album, bringing together different voices from singers Joss Stone and Guy Garvey to Asian women asylum seekers and television host Gary Lineker.

The award-winning British Indian musician, composer and producer, who has worked with the likes of Paul McCartney and Sting and scored numerous films and television series, releases his latest studio album Identity on Friday, where identity theft, judgment and fears are among themes addressed.

“Identity as a subject of discourse or debate on social media and mainstream media has become increasingly distorted so that it’s very much about a kind of pejorative judgment … of people’s identity … quite often on the basis of prejudice rather than understanding,” Mr. Sawhney told Reuters.

“So I thought it would be great to actually make an album that’s a celebration of identity effectively and it’s really … inviting a lot of people that I respect and admire as artists to participate in a collective, kind of, speaking out about how they feel about their own identities.”

The album features surprise collaborator Mr. Lineker, whom Mr. Sawhney approached after Britain’s BBC suspended the presenter for criticizing state immigration policy.

The suspension brought a public backlash and near mutiny at the public broadcaster and the BBC later reinstated Mr. Lineker as host of flagship Premier League highlights show Match Of The Day.

“I thought … here’s a safe space that you could actually express whatever you want to and he did,” Mr. Sawhney said.

The result is track “Illegal,” which also features the voices of Asian women asylum seekers and concludes with Mr. Lineker saying “No one is illegal.”

Another song, “This Is Our Home,” featuring composer and singer Ayanna Witter-Johnson, celebrates the “Windrush generation” of post-war migrants to Britain from the Caribbean.

Mr. Sawhney, whose previous album was called Immigrants, is known for playing different instruments and working in various genres.

“What I wanted to do by choosing titles with every album I’ve made is to work around a theme or an idea so that … all the different influences I have musically aren’t necessarily silenced by trying to make just one work in one genre, but … that I’m serving an idea,” he said. — Reuters

Unlocking the Philippines: Celebrating blockchain pioneers

FREEPIK

In the heart of the Philippines’ dynamic blockchain landscape, the second Philippine Block Awards recently lit up the scene. As the president of the Blockchain Council of the Philippines, I am happy to share insights from this fantastic event that acknowledges the trailblazers of blockchain technology and innovation.

Held on Sept. 20 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay, this remarkable event coincided with Philippine Blockchain Week, an initiative that continues to illuminate the path to a technologically empowered future.

The Philippine Block Awards is a grand showcase of appreciation for individuals and entities that have made an indelible mark on our blockchain ecosystem. It is the first of its kind, and there are very few awards (if ever there are) in the world that recognize leaders that push the movement of blockchain forward. These Blockchain Champions are at the forefront of innovation, driving change in various sectors, from government to the private industry.

This year, we recognized two outstanding individuals who have been instrumental in pushing our blockchain ecosystem forward. They are:

• John Ivan Uy, Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT): Under his leadership, the DICT has been a strong supporter of Philippine Blockchain Week and various other blockchain initiatives, including being the driving force of various educational programs conducted by the DICT for government officials and students.

• Renz Carlo Chong, CEO of BreederDAO: A true industry visionary, young as he is, Renz Carlo Chong has made significant waves not only in the Philippines but across Asia. His leadership has brought blockchain to the forefront, fostering growth and making a profound impact on our society.

The Philippine Block Awards serve as a reminder that our nation stands at the forefront of blockchain technology and innovation. This annual event is supported by the DICT and is an integral part of Philippine Blockchain Week.

We also acknowledge the outstanding contributions and pioneering efforts of the Blockchain Champions who are shaping the blockchain industry.

• Maria Frances Del Rosario, Undersecretary of Department of Budget and Management (DBM): She has been instrumental in developing and implementing blockchain-based solutions for government agencies. Her work is focused on improving transparency and efficiency in the use of public funds. The DBM’s Project Marissa, a blockchain-based initiative to enhance the security of budget data, is a testament to their commitment to innovation.

• Emmanuel Diwa Pineda, Undersecretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD): He has been at the forefront of using blockchain for urban development, making cities smarter and more efficient. His efforts are transforming the urban landscape and creating more sustainable and inclusive communities.

• Christopher Verceles, CEO of XC Labs: As an entrepreneur with a vision, his work in blockchain technology is forging new paths and shaping our digital future. Under his leadership, XC Labs is pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the blockchain space.

• Michael Vincent Mislos, Editor-in-Chief of BitPinas: A media thought leader, his insights have played a key role in educating the public and fostering a blockchain-savvy community. BitPinas is a leading source of blockchain and cryptocurrency news in the Philippines, and Mislos’ contributions have been instrumental in its growth.

• Paul Soliman, CEO of Bayanichain: A leader who is empowering communities with blockchain, bridging gaps, and creating opportunities for all. Bayanichain is making blockchain accessible to the masses, driving social change, and fostering economic growth.

• Jay Ricky Villarante, CEO of Moneybees: A pioneer in the crypto world since 2012, he continues to drive innovation and foster growth in the industry. Under his guidance, Moneybees has become a key player in the blockchain and crypto space.

• Alvin Wong, Head of Growth and Product Strategy/Head of Invest of Maya: His work is revolutionizing the financial industry, making it more inclusive and accessible to everyone. Maya is helping Filipinos take control of their financial future and navigate the complexities of the modern financial landscape.

• Jiro Reyes, CEO of Bitskwela: An inspirational figure who started a passion project that has grown into something truly remarkable. Bitskwela’s dedication to blockchain education is empowering individuals and creating a more informed and skilled blockchain community.

• Galeria Paloma, represented by Kimberly Rocha-Delgado, Mia Rocha-Launchengco, and Georgia Rocha: A team dedicated to fostering creativity and innovation, leveraging blockchain for the betterment of the art world. Their work is redefining how art is created, shared, and valued.

These individuals and entities have made significant contributions in their respective fields, further propelling the Philippines as a vanguard of blockchain innovation. They are our inspiration, and also our light as we position our country to become a blockchain capital of Asia.

This is an exciting time for blockchain in the Philippines as we harness the potential of this transformative technology for the benefit of our nation and the world. The blockchain ecosystem in the Philippines is flourishing, and I am excited to see how these people will drive our country’s tech forward.

 

Dr. Donald Patrick Lim is the founding president of the Blockchain Council of the Philippines and the lead convenor of the Philippine Blockchain Week. He is also the Asian anchor of FintechTV.

PLDT unit launches first sovereign cloud in PHL 

BW FILE PHOTO

PLDT Inc. through its information and communications technology subsidiary ePLDT, Inc. has launched its “sovereign cloud,” which will hold highly sensitive government data and applications.

“We are proud to take the lead in launching ePLDT Pilipinas Cloud, the Philippines’ first sovereign cloud infrastructure. This affirms our support for the government’s digitalization push and our commitment to continuously power the digital future,” Alfredo S. Panlilio, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of PLDT said in a statement.

On Thursday, the PLDT unit said ePLDT Pilipinas Cloud  infrastructure will serve as the host of “highly sensitive government data and applications” by storing it in a secured cloud environment.

A sovereign cloud is a cloud-based infrastructure that ensures data is stored in a safe and secure environment.

“This infrastructure provides a secure, flexible, and cost-effective platform to store and process data strictly within the host country’s borders and is subject to local data protection laws and regulations,” PLDT said.

Sovereign cloud also ensures that data must remain under one jurisdiction by utilizing emerging technology solutions.

“With ePLDT’s technical expertise and experience in delivering multi-cloud and data center solutions, backed up by our unique understanding of the Philippine government’s requirements, we are confident we can ensure the seamless deployment and management of the country’s first sovereign cloud aligned with global standards,” Victor S. Genuino, president and CEO of ePLDT said.

At the local bourse on Thursday, shares in the company fell by P5 or 0.4% to end at P1,230 apiece.

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

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