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P&G recalls Sangobion Kids due to toxic substance 

P&G PHILIPPINES is recalling Sangobion Kids (Iron + Vitamin B-Complex) in the Philippines due to the potential presence of ethylene glycol, a toxic organic compound used to make polyester and antifreeze, above the allowable limits.

According to P&G, early signs of ethylene glycol ingestion include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, and an altered mental state; symptoms of acute kidney injury like inability to pass or reduced urine, lower back pain; or additional symptoms of irritability, lethargy, pale appearance, decreased muscle tone, and loss of appetite in younger kids.

“We decided to take precautionary measures including the voluntary recall of all batches of Sangobion Kids 100 ml. Though the issue only impacted some batches, we are recalling all batches out of an abundance of caution,” P&G Philippines said in a Dec. 13 statement.

The recall, issued in consultation with the Philippine Food and Drug Administration, is limited to Sangobion Kids 100 ml, indicated for the treatment and prevention of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in children, sold in the Philippines.

“P&G is working closely with regulators to determine the source of the issue. Raw material purchased by P&G’s contract manufacturer was found to have unintended presence of ethylene glycol. The raw material may have been adulterated before it reached the contract manufacturer. A full investigation of the supply chain is ongoing,” P&G added.

 Those who have purchased the said product are advised to stop using it. Retailers, pharmacies, and healthcare professionals are also requested to stop its distribution.

For more information, contact sangobion.com.ph/contactus, 8894-3955 (Metro Manila), or 1800-1888-8008 (outside Metro Manila). Parents can contact the National Poison Management and Control Center at 8524-1078 if their child has consumed the product and is experiencing adverse reactions.

Arts & Culture (12/14/22)

NELUMBRO Nucifera by Vic Puruganan

Victor Puruganan holds 1st solo show in ARTablado

OVER the years, Ilocos Norte-born Victor Puruganan has created a body of work that can fill up his house and makeshift studio several times over and yet it took him this long to stage his very first official solo art exhibition. He is an artist who can do portraits with ease, abstracts that excite visually, and is unafraid to shift from one medium to another may it be oil, acrylic, ceramics or glass. The seventh of nine children of Victorina Sales Puruganan and the late Ricarte Puruganan, one of the 13 Moderns of Philippine Art, Victor Puruganan has had to scratch and claw his way through life and carve a path all his own. Puruganan took an Associate Fine Arts degree at the City College of San Francisco in the early 1980s and worked in a hotel creating artworks that would impress not just his superiors and colleagues but guests as well, would continue creating artworks — mostly commissioned — after that, but he would often be flying back and forth from the US and the Philippines, limiting his time and ability to fully establish his artistic base. In his ongoing exhibit titled “Alter Ego” at ARTablado in Robinsons Galleria, Mr. Puruganan finally shows what he is all about. Although the works on display are mostly recent, they show the current evolution of his art. “Alter Ego” is on exhibition until Dec. 15 at the Level 3 of Robinsons Galleria.

Christmas concert at the museum

THE YUCHENGCO Museum celebrates the season with Kundiman & Carols: A Night with Krissan Manikan-Tan, on Dec. 16, 7 p.m. The show also features pianist Belinda Salazar. For ticket reservations, contact 8889-1234 or e-mail yspace@yuchengcomuseum.org. The Yuchengco Musuem is located at RCBC Plaza, corner Ayala Ave. and Senator Gil J. Puyat Ave., Makati City.

Celeste Lecaroz holds solo show

“SEASONS OF GRACE,” presented by Arte Bettina, is a solo exhibition of works by Celeste Lecaroz. It is currently on view until Dec. 16 at the ArtistSpace, at the Ground Level, Ayala Museum Annex, Makati Ave. corner De La Rosa St., Greenbelt Park, Makati City. For this exhibit, she took inspiration from the lessons we can learn from nature and how we mirror its cycles unconsciously. The exhibition showcases paintings and furniture with images inspired by bird watching — a hobby Ms. Lecaroz started at the height of the COVID-19  lockdown in 2020. For queries on the exhibition, call Camille Camara at 0917-115-0504 or e-mail atinfo@artebettina.com.

Handel’s Messiah at CCP

THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines (CCP) celebrates the Christmas season with a performance of Handel’s Messiah, featuring the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philippine Madrigal Singers, on Dec. 16, 8 p.m., at the Main Theater. For tickets call the CCP Box Office at 8832-3704, 8832-1125 local 1409; TicketWorld at 0917-550-6997 (Globe), 0999-954-5922 (Smart), or visit https://bit.ly/PPOMetamorphosisConcert4.

Romeo Gutierrez holds 40th solo show at ARTablado Antipolo

HAVING 40 one-man shows is no small feat. To continuously create works that excite both the artist and the audience requires a lot of patience, determination, and imagination. Romeo Gutierrez has all of that and probably more. An Outstanding University of Santo Tomas Atelier Alumni (2016), Bakusi Foundation Outstanding Art Educator (2016), and one of the NCCA’s Ten Outstanding Visual Artist of the Philippines (1994), he is also a former professor at the Fine Arts Department of the College of Holy Spirit and former board director and vice-president of Art Association of the Philippines and is currently the vice-president of the UST Alumni Association. His 40th solo exhibition, “Themes and Variations,” at ARTablado at the Upper Ground Floor, North Wing of Robinsons Antipolo, features his more recent works that continue to explore themes of mother and child, family, and landscapes in his signature “figurative abstraction” style. Here, he melds together cubism, abstraction, and representation in seamless fashion. “Themes and Variations” will be on display until Jan. 2, 2023.

Two shows at Silverlens

SILVERLENS Manila is holding two exhibits, Gregory Halili’s “Heavenly Bodies” and Catalina Africa’s “Shrine in the Shape of a Shadow,” both on which are currently on view until Jan. 7, 2023. In his new works, Mr. Halili’s inspiration is recognizable to comprehend at once: Comets, those celestial bodies with a nucleus consisting of ice, gas and dust. Each of the works in “Heavenly Bodies” is a universe that is constantly in shapeshifting mode, inviting the viewer to come up close and discover for themselves the objects Mr. Halili has assembled. Classical images are mixed with Filipino objects: tourist art woodcarvings, fragments from old santos, metal work from carrozas, glass lamps — all evoking a sense of nostalgia for the religious processions Mr. Halili witnessed as a boy growing up. Catalina Africa’s new solo exhibition is a spatial visualization of an environment expressed in painting. Silverlens is open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at 2263 Don Chino Roces Ave. Extension, Makati City.

CCP’s Binurda show welcomes the holidays

THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines (CCP) celebrates the Yuletide season with Binurda, façade décors that explore the embroidery heritage in the Philippines, highlighting the warp of cultural traditions interwoven with the weft of the Filipino people’s stories. It will be launched on Dec. 15, 5:30 p.m., with a holiday concert, featuring performances by Bayanihan, The National Dance Company of the Philippines, the Nightingales, the Male Ensemble of the Philippines (MEP), and surprise performers. Conceptualized by CCP Production Design and Technical Division chief Ricardo Eric Cruz and his team, the Christmas façade décor features callado, the intricate embroidery and needlework detailing on piña jusi textile. Through creative metalwork characterizing the pulling and tying of the warp and weft, the CCP’s travertine façade turns into a fabric embroidered with a distinct Sampaguita motif, complemented with other Philippine flora and fauna patterns and indigenous geometry designs. The tone-on-tone design of the CCP holiday decoration provides an understated elegance to the façade during the day, and seamlessly transitions to a dazzling light spectacle at night. The launching concert, directed by Dexter Santos, is divided into different suites — the Tanglaw Ng Hiraya, Pagmamapa sa Padron at Pinagmulan, Pagtatahi ng Ugnayan, Pagbubuhol at Pagbibigkis, and Paglaladlad at Pagdiriwang. Each suite features varying music genres that encompass different periods and milieu. The Binurda concert and lighting event is open to the public. The façade decorations will be on view until January 2023.

World Vision PHL marks 65th year with a book

IN any given year, World Vision Philippine helps 1.5 million of the most vulnerable children. Through the years since its founding in 1957, many former sponsor children have turned to help their communities and nation, becoming policemen, teachers, nurses, business owners, professionals, amazing parents and grandparents. To mark its 65th anniversary, World Vision compiled a book entitled The Day My Life Changed with inspiring stories of sponsor children and how their sponsors helped them transform their lives. Award-winning broadcast journalist and World Vision sponsor, Karen Davila, writes in the foreword on how her life changed ever since becoming a sponsor and how she actively helped in transforming the organization to help more of the most vulnerable to get their opportunity. “Thanks to our supporters so many of our children have been able to write their own life story. I am passionate to see many more stories of transformation being written by our sponsors and their sponsor children,” said Rommel Fuerte, World Vision Philippines’ National Director, who has himself sponsored a child with World Vision for over 25 years. “We hope that through this book, we find reflected in these pages God’s wonderful plan for our lives, enclosed with a prayer for our hearts the will to make it so,” he added. To purchase the book, visit www.worldvision.org.ph or follow World Vision’s official social media pages /worldvisionph on Facebook, @worldvisionphl on Instagram, and @worldvisionph on Twitter.

55th National Students Art Competition winners

PILIPINAS Shell Petroleum Corp.’s 55th National Students Art Competition (NSAC) culminated in a showcase of the young artists’ vision for the future and how their creativity brings diverse people together. Out of the more than 1,000 students who joined nationwide, three young artists won in each of the artistic categories: Digital Fine Arts, Sculpture, Watercolor, and Oil and Acrylic. The first-place winners in all categories were awarded P60,000 each, while the second-place winners and third-place winners individually received P40,000 and P30,000 respectively. The NSAC Awardees for Digital Fine Arts are: 1st place, Akong Makita. Akong Masulti. Akong Mabuhat by Earl Marie Pabinguit from Cebu Technological University; 2nd place, The Avenue by Louise Gabrielle Abing from Mindanao State University – General Santos; 3rd place, Perception by Xymon Cadric Calayag from Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology. The NSAC Awardees for Sculpture are: 1st place, Generational String by Mherlo Mahinay from the University of the Philippines – Diliman; 2nd place, Ang Paglayag Ni Juan by Luke Eidref Agapito Berja from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines; 3rd place, Hangang Pampang by John Romer Pavilando from Tarlac State University. The NSAC Awardees for Watercolor are: 1st place, Pag-asa, Dalangin at Pangarap by John Michael Flores Ramos from Tarlac State University; 2nd place, Mulat at Nagmamasid by Shara Mae Chan from De La Salle University – Manila; 3rd place, Keep The Fire Burning by Khaila Mae Faustor from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. The NSAC Awardees for Oil and Acrylic are: 1st place, Upturned Façade by Densen James Almeda from the University of the Philippines – Cebu; 2nd place, Bahay-Bahayan by Marko Sarmiento from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines; 3rd place, A Glimpse of Hope and Life by Clark Myer Arquio from University of the Philippines – Cebu. To learn more about future Shell NSAC and related events, visit: https://shell.com.ph/juanartnation.

NCCA’s Heneral Tuna fan art tilt winners

THE NATIONAL Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) marked Filipino Values Month by holding the Heneral Tuna Fan Art Contest, featuring artworks done through traditional (such as painting or drawing) and digital methods. Each piece portrayed the seven Filipino values that were featured in the Heneral Tuna animated series. The contest was open to young artists aged 13 to 21; were given a free hand to interpret the values in their own style. Topping the Traditional category was Glenn Gonzales, 20, from Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija, with his entry titled Ang Unang Hapunan. The watercolor painting depicts the injured Heneral Tuna enjoying a meal on Earth with the family and neighbors who took him in. Second place is Jacky Ratio, a senior high school student from Naga City, who highlighted the value of pakikipagkapwa in her painting made with colored pens and markers. Third place winner was Emmanuel Genesis Bano, another high school student from Quezon, Isabela province, whose creation made of colored pencils and markers show Heneral Tuna looking in at the values the Earthlings have taught him. Navotas City’s Zaldy Salas, Jr. won first place in the Digital Art category with his digital painting of the general on his back, looking in awe at the caring and selfless Filipinos he encountered in Barangay Hiraya. In second place was Jonuel Corazon Villante, also senior high school student from Naga City, for her animé-inspired interpretation of love for the family. Third place went to Marvin Enila from Santo Tomas, Davao del Norte. The first-place winners in each category received P10,000, while the second and third place winners each received P7,500 and P5,000 respectively. The fan art contest was conducted from Oct. 10 to Nov. 18, and received more than 250 entries.

Victoria Milling drops acquisition of Tanduay Distillers’ ethanol unit

VICTORIAS Milling Co., Inc. and LT Group, Inc. announced on Tuesday that both parties agreed not to proceed with the sale of Asian Alcohol Corp., a rectified and denatured alcohol firm.

“In view of recent global as well as local economic and political events affecting the relevant industries, both parties have mutually agreed not to proceed with the transaction,” the firms said on Tuesday.

Asian Alcohol is a subsidiary of LT Group’s Tanduay Distillers, Inc., which is said to have recognized the present difficult environment surrounding the sugar industry.

“[Tanduay Distillers will] continue to find other beneficial avenues for deriving best value from its investment in Asian Alcohol,” it said.

In September, both companies announced in separate disclosures the signing of a sale and purchase agreement for the 100% outstanding capital stock in Asian Alcohol Corp.

The agreement was signed with two other shareholders — Prior Holding, Inc. and Castelbridge Investment Corp. — and covered 738.33 million common shares of Asian Alcohol.

The purchase price was P2.21 billion with the transaction expected to lower Victorias Milling’s operating costs and improve its margins.

Victorias Milling previously said that it will be focusing to become a fully integrated sugar business by diversifying into ethanol and power generation.

On the stock exchange on Tuesday, shares in LT Group closed unchanged at P8.91 apiece, while shares in Victorias Milling also closed unchanged at P2.80 each. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

Too soon to call end to COVID-19 emergency, GAVI chief says 

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

GENEVA — The head of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) suggested on Monday it was too early to call an end to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency, saying the pandemic could still get worse.  

A World Health Organization (WHO) body meets every few months to decide whether the new coronavirus, which emerged three years ago in China’s Wuhan, still represents a “public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).” The designation is intended to trigger a coordinated international response and could unlock funding to collaborate on sharing vaccines and treatments.  

Asked whether the WHO should end the COVID-19 emergency phase at its Emergency Committee meeting in January, GAVI’s Seth Berkley said the situation “could conceivably get worse.”  

“So I would guess you know that Dr. Tedros (WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus) is thinking about this global situation, which could conceivably get worse. It could get better. We don’t know where it’s going. It seems like a tough time to stop that emergency,” he told reporters.  

“We’re done with the virus but the virus is not done with us,” he added.  

At the same news briefing, Dr. Berkley said he expected demand for COVID-19 vaccines to remain strong in 2023.  

“We expect hundreds and hundreds of millions of doses to be requested. That’s what countries are saying they want,” he said.  

A GAVI official said his comments were based on an ongoing dialogue with recipient countries about their needs for next year, of which about half have so far responded.  

GAVI is part of the COVAX facility which has provided around 1.9 billion doses to 146 countries.  

A collapse in demand for COVID-19 vaccines has meant some countries have resorted to destroying once-prized shots. However, Dr. Berkley said COVAX wastage has only been 3% and GAVI was able to renegotiate contracts with manufacturers to match reduced demand earlier this year. — Reuters

Taylor Swift, songwriters agree to end ‘Shake It Off’ copyright case

THE SONG in contention, “Shake it Off,” came out in Taylor Swift’s 2014 album, 1989.
THE SONG in contention, “Shake it Off,” came out in Taylor Swift’s 2014 album, 1989.

TWO songwriters have dropped their lawsuit claiming Grammy-winning musician Taylor Swift copied their lyrics in her 2014 number-one hit “Shake It Off,” according to court documents filed on Monday.

Sean Hall and Nathan Butler told a Los Angeles federal judge they will dismiss their 2017 case with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled.

A trial in the case had been scheduled to begin Jan. 17.

Monday’s court papers, filed jointly by attorneys for both Swift and the songwriters, did not say if there was a settlement. Representatives for the parties did not immediately respond to requests for more information.

In “Shake It Off,” Swift sings: “the players gonna play, play, play, play, play, and the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.”

“Playas Gon’ Play,” written by Hall and Butler, included the phrases “playas, they gonna play, and haters, they gonna hate.” The song, performed by R&B group 3LW, was released in 2001 and appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 and MTV’s Total Request Live.

A judge dismissed the case in 2018, but a US appeals court revived it in 2019.

Swift told the court in August that she had never heard 3LW’s song before writing “Shake It Off.” She said she had heard the phrases “players gonna play” and “haters gonna hate” used commonly to “express the idea that one can or should shrug off negativity.”

Hall and Butler said that the lyrics were too close for their similarity to be a coincidence. They had asked for an unspecified amount of money damages. — Reuters

Prince Harry implies royals lied to protect his brother in latest Netflix trailer

LONDON — Prince Harry appeared to say Britain’s royal household was prepared to lie to protect his elder brother Prince William, in a new trailer released on Monday for the remaining episodes of a Netflix documentary series about him and his wife Meghan. The main focus of the first three episodes of the much-anticipated documentary, which aired last week, was on the couple’s treatment from the British tabloid press and how it had impacted their relationship.

The royal family had been braced for renewed criticism since the couple delivered scathing attacks on some members, including his father King Charles and heir William, most notably in an interview last year with TV show host Oprah Winfrey.

While the initial episodes contained no new bombshells for the royal family, in the latest trailer, shared on Twitter by Netflix ahead of the release of the remaining three episodes on Thursday, Harry refers to “institutional gaslighting.”

“They were happy to lie to protect my brother, they were never willing to tell the truth to protect us,” Harry later says.

At one point, Meghan also says: “I wasn’t being thrown to the wolves, I was being fed to the wolves.”

Buckingham Palace has said it would not be commenting on the series. Netflix said that members of the royal family had declined to comment within the series, but a royal source said neither the palace nor representatives of Prince William or other royals had been approached. — Reuters

Gov’t agencies to counter use of ICT in cybercrimes, data breaches 

REUTERS

THE National Privacy Commission (NPC) and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) partnered to prevent data breaches and cybercrimes through the use of information and communication technology (ICT).

The NPC said in a statement that it signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the CICC on Dec. 9 to “counter the use of ICTs for criminal and unauthorized purposes; and to foster interagency cooperation and resource sharing towards prevention, suppression, and prosecution of cybercrimes and data privacy breaches.”

According to the NPC, the agreement allows “effective joint action” in data protection and the enforcement of cybercrime and data privacy laws. It also grants NPC access to resources, technical expertise, and institutional and international linkages of the National Cybercrime Hub (NCH).

Privacy Commissioner John Henry D. Naga said the MoA “is the culmination of our agencies’ mutual ambition to further protect the integrity of the Philippines’ digital transformation journey.”

“The NPC is committed to work with CICC to ensure the safe and secure integration of digital services and processes into all areas of organizations and businesses,” he added.

Meanwhile, the NPC said that it would participate in NCH activities as part of the MoA’s compliance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act.

Established by the CICC, the NCH aims to build a network that gathers law enforcement and government agencies, academe, industry experts, and international law enforcement and government partners for more effective inter-agency and stakeholder coordination, and resource sharing to prevent cybercrimes.

“Data privacy lawyers from the NPC will be assigned in the NCH to provide inputs to ensure compliance with the Data Privacy Act,” the NPC said, adding that it will allow resource sharing to accomplish the objectives and scope of the MoA. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Online pharma platform to launch delivery service, BNPL option 

PIXABAY

UNAPHARMA, a digital medicine reservation platform, will launch its delivery service and a buy now, pay later (BNPL) option in January 2023.  

“The BNPL option will allow customers to purchase medicine with less worry, allowing them to focus on getting better instead of the cost of the medicines themselves,” said Alexander Goriainov, chief executive officer of Una Marketplace, Inc., in a Dec. 9 e-mail.  

A hotline with registered pharmacists and a prescription refill service are also in the pipeline for the first quarter of next year.  

UnaPharma, which allows customers to compare drug prices, has 400 pharmacies on its platform. It requires its members to have a license to operate from the Food and Drug Administration.   

“Some of them, for now, are just exploring its digital services; we conduct training sessions for them so they could start adding their medicines and processing orders,” said Mr. Goriainov, who founded UnaPharma after he had to visit more than five pharmacies to find the eye drops that were prescribed to him for an eye infection. 

Statista values the Philippine digital health market at $684 million, with 12.7% growth potential for 2022–2027.  

Robocash Group, a Singapore-headquartered fintech holding company, is UnaPharma’s only investor. — Patricia B. Mirasol 

SLIMTC expects PSEi to reach 7,800 level in 2023

SUN LIFE Investment Management and Trust Corp. (SLIMTC) expects the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) to reach the 7,800 level next year on the back of expectations of continued recovery in companies’ earnings.

“We expect the market to have a 7,850 target next year, assuming that 17% earnings growth from where it is right now, to be driven by banking and consumer sectors,” SLIMTC President Michael Gerard D. Enriquez said at a virtual media briefing on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the 30-member PSEi closed at 6,582.38, inching down by 0.04% or 2.82 points from the previous day.

SLIMTC’s forecast would be a 10.2% increase from the PSEi’s end-2021 level.

The benchmark index closed at 7,122.63 on Dec. 31, 2021, which was the last trading day of that year.

Mr. Enriquez said the consumer sector has performed well despite rising inflation.

He said these companies will continue to post strong results as they expect prices to start easing by next year.

“Maybe it’s related to revenge-spending or pent-up demand, but hopefully, next year as inflation continues to weigh down on food and non-food items, then we can expect this consumption spending trend to continue,” he said.

The banking sector has also benefited from improved loan take-ups and higher interest rates, Mr. Enriquez said, as the Philippine central bank continues to tighten its pandemic-driven easy policy to rein in rising prices.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has hiked benchmark interest rates by 300 basis points since May from record lows in its fight against inflation.

Headline inflation accelerated by 8% in November, the fastest since the 9.1% print during the Global Financial Crisis in November 2008.

For the first 11 months, inflation averaged 5.6%, faster than the 4% in the same period a year ago and well above the BSP’s 2-4% target for 2022. Still, it was below the central bank’s full-year forecast of 5.8%.

Mr. Enriquez said the PSEi’s rebound in the past month will make the market attractive to foreign investors.

“There is a lot of room for foreign funds to start coming in again. I think the only driver for this is once they see the currency stabilizing, rather than what they’ve seen this year, with a significant decline in the peso,” Mr. Enriquez said.

“As the peso starts to appreciate, it (the stock market) is seeing more inflows for foreign funds. This is quite significant for the domestic market because daily market activity is really driven by foreign funds,” he said.

After hitting a new record low of P59 per dollar this year, the peso has rebounded, returning to the P55 level this month.

On Tuesday, the peso closed at P55.90 against the dollar, dropping by 25 centavos from its previous finish of P55.65. — AMCS

David Letterman interviews Ukraine’s Zelensky in underground subway

NETFLIX posted this photo on Twitter announcing David Letterman’s interview with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, for his show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. — TWITTER.COM/NETFLIX

US talkshow host David Letterman has done many interviews in his life — but never one quite like this.

In October, the late-night host traveled to Kyiv to interview Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the safest part of the city — a subway platform 300 feet below ground.

A small audience watched in the semi-dark as subway trains rumbled past. At one point a siren went off. Mr. Letterman looked alarmed, but no one else reacted. What did that indicate, he asked?

“Unfortunately it means that war has become a habit,” said Mr. Zelensky. “Many Ukrainians have gotten used to it… To me sirens are an indicator that war is not over… this is a reminder that somewhere, someone is giving up their life for yours.”

In February, Russia sent troops into Ukraine in what it called a “special operation” to degrade its southern neighbor’s military capabilities and root out people it calls dangerous nationalists. Ukraine and the West say the war is an unprovoked act of aggression.

Mr. Letterman also spoke with the head of Ukraine’s railways — vital to the war effort — and visited a comedy club. He discussed with Zelensky, a former comedian, the importance of humor in dark times, and chatted with him about his family.

It was only in speaking to his wife and children that he could breathe, said the Ukrainian leader.

“Children know much more about the war than we do. My son is nine years old. He knows the names of all the weapons… Each of us makes sacrifices for our country. Our children sacrificed their childhood,” he said.

Mr. Letterman’s Netflix show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction has in previous episodes featured talks with former President Barack Obama, rapper Jay-Z and singer Billie Eilish.

Netflix has been spending heavily to produce and acquire content as it races to dominate streaming television and beat competition from traditional media.

My Next Guest… with David Letterman and Volodymyr Zelensky airs on Netflix from Monday. — Reuters

Spectrum switches on North Bound’s solar rooftop

MSpectrum, Inc. has energized the 98.28 kilowatt-peak (kWp) solar rooftop facility of North Bound Infinity Real Estate Development, Inc. in Bulacan province.

In a statement on Tuesday, the renewable energy firm also known as Spectrum, a wholly owned subsidiary of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), said the project is expected to generate around 125,600 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy annually.

“As we move towards a greener future, the One Meralco Group goes beyond its mandate of delivering stable and reliable electric service to its customers,” Spectrum President and Chief Executive Officer Ferdinand O. Geluz said in the media release.

One Meralco Group houses the utility’s related entities in the energy sector.

North Bound, a storage facility provider, assists deliveries of goods and services between Metro Manila and nearby north Luzon provinces.

The solar rooftop project is expected to save up to P840,000 in energy costs annually while also reducing North Bound’s carbon footprint by an estimated 89 metric tons. The company expects to achieve operational efficiency by strengthening its sustainability commitments.

Spectrum provides tailor-fit solutions for industrial, commercial, and residential customers through an in-depth understanding of energy consumption behavior. It is backed by Meralco’s energy expertise and proven safety track record.

Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Rationality best response to online abuse — mental health guide 

UNSPLASH

The healthy response to online violence is to avoid responding out of emotion and instead understanding the reason behind the feelings that surface, according to a mental health guide created by the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF). 

“Tackling the situation this way will help us to better understand the emotion we’re experiencing and take a different approach to the problem. It will allow us to find a more rational solution and we’ll avoid entering into a back and forth exchange with our abuser. A healthy response to online abuse is to focus on staying safe,” said the guide released this November. 

While the guide was made for journalists, the mental health exercises for dealing with online violence are also useful for non-journalists. Among these techniques are diaphragmatic breathing, managing negative thoughts, meditating on particular imagery, grieving rituals, self-comfort, and establishing a routine. 

FUELED BY ENVY
IWMF, a Washington, DC-based organization that supports women journalists, noted that online abusers resort to such forms of violence because they either don’t live close enough to the victim or because they’re afraid.  

Like other abusers, they are fueled by inferiority and envy, which is the reason why online violence occurs in two forms: threatening a person’s life and safety and/or threatening their reputation, said the report.  

“Digital abuse leads to dire consequences, including an inability to work, a loss of livelihood,” said Elisa Lees Muñoz, IWMF executive director, in a Dec. 5 statement. “We hope our growing resources put abusers on notice and encourage news media at-large to address the culture of silence surrounding this issue.”  

According to a 2021 report on online gender-based violence in the Philippines, women aged 18 to 30 years (48.65%) are the most vulnerable to OGBV followed by girls under 18 (18.92%) and women aged 31 to 45 (10.81%).  

Published by the Foundation for Media Alternatives, a Philippine non-profit, the report also found that almost half (48.65%) of the OGBV violations committed between Jan. 1 and June 23, 2021 were due to the unauthorized sharing of private information. The most common threats were of violence and/or blackmail (45.95%) and taking of photos and/or videos without consent (43.24%). — Patricia B. Mirasol

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