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Filipina athletes, professionals star in PSC Women’s Month celebration

PSC Women in Sports oversight commissioner Olivia ‘Bong’ Coo.

FUN and exciting month-long activities await Filipina athletes and professionals this March, as the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) joins the nation in celebrating National Women’s Month.

First on the list is the PSC Women’s Fun Games scheduled on Wednesday, March 8, in conjunction with International Women’s Day. This will feature the agency’s women employees and staff.

Next is the Women in Uniform-Obstacle Course training and competition slated March 16-30 at the Bridgetowne Obstacle Park in Pasig City. In cooperation with the Pilipinas Obstacle Sports Federation (POSF) and Philippine Commission on Women, the 15-day event is open to all female government workers and professionals, including teachers, soldiers, nurses, and members of the police force. “We are ecstatic about our upcoming activities. This is a perfect celebration highlighting women’s abilities and strength, and inspiring our women athletes and professionals,” said PSC Women in Sports oversight commissioner Olivia “Bong” Coo.

Media Relations Training for National Athletes is also set on March 22 and 23 at the Orchid Garden Suites in Manila. The workshop aims to help prepare Filipina athletes to confidently articulate their responses to interview questions by the media.

To cap off the celebration, the search for the new Philippine billiards idol is on in the forthcoming PSC Women in Sports 9-ball Cup, which will be spearheaded by World champion and SEA Games perennial gold medalist Rubilen Amit on March 25 and 26 at the 2nd Floor of the MSAS Building in Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Manila.

“It is our way to encourage more Filipinas to be in sports. We shall do every possible way to get them empowered and heard,” said Ms. Coo.

The world’s biggest basketball tourney is coming to the Philippines

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO

FIBA global partner Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is all set to bring the world’s biggest basketball tournament and the brightest stars of the sport to the Philippines as the country plays host to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 (FIBAWC 2023).

With Smart as a global partner, the Philippines will have a full homecourt advantage when it comes to epic basketball fan experiences lined up for the rest of the year, leading to the competition’s final phase in August 2023.

Representing one of the host countries, Gilas Pilipinas has already booked a slot at the FIBAWC 2023. Coming on the heels of their Feb. 24, 27 games at Philippine Arena, the Philippine team holds a 6-4 win-loss record entering the final phase, ranking third in Group E of the Asian Qualifiers after New Zealand (8-2) at No. 1 and Lebanon (7-3) at No. 2.

For the first time in its history, basketball’s most prestigious international sporting competition will be hosted by multiple nations in Asia: the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia. As the country prepares to welcome the best players from all over the world, every Filipino basketball aficionado can easily participate, show support, and enjoy a 360-degree, epic basketball fan experience powered by Smart.

“After nearly five decades since the country first hosted the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 1978, the world basketball stage finally returns to the Philippines. The biggest basketball event in Philippine history comes home and is within reach of every Filipino basketball fan. This is really for the supporters of the game. At Smart, we are thrilled to be part of the team that brings everyone closer to where it all happens,” said Alfredo S. Panlilio, president and CEO of PLDT and Smart, head of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 local organizing committee, and second vice president of the FIBA Asia Central Board.

“For Filipino basketball fans, this is the best time to be a Smart subscriber. As a global partner of FIBAWC 2023, Smart will be raffling off game tickets, streaming FIBAWC games live on the Smart LiveStream App, and providing an experience of a lifetime with perks and privileges leading up to the final World Cup games,” said Francis E. Flores, SVP and head of consumer business group – individual at Smart.

Fans who want to witness Gilas Pilipinas up close and personal, experience the eagerly awaited matchups, and see some of the world’s best basketball players in action may join ticket raffle contests to be announced with and through Smart’s official social media accounts.

Smart subscribers can also stream all the upcoming FIBA games, as well as watch replays of the previous games, via the Smart LiveStream App, the go-to app for exclusive live sports and music events as well as on-demand video content.

Now downloadable on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, the Smart LiveStream App is designed for optimized streaming wherever you are, transforming your smartphone into an electrifying sports arena, allowing fans to be virtually part of the large and live FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 crowd cheering at the Philippine Arena, Mall of Asia Arena, and Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Smart LiveStream App is available to all Smart Prepaid, Smart Postpaid, Infinity, TNT, and Smart Bro subscribers, who only need mobile data to access high-quality videos, anytime and anywhere. Non-Smart users may also stream the games live via their PLDT Home Wifi accounts.

PSG’s Neymar to undergo ankle surgery, out for rest of season

PARIS St Germain (PSG) forward Neymar is to undergo surgery to repair ankle ligaments, which will keep the Brazil international out for the rest of the season, the Ligue 1 club said on Monday.

Neymar, who has 13 goals and 11 assists in Ligue 1 this season, has not played since a 4-3 win over Lille last month, missing PSG’s last two games.

“Neymar Jr has had several episodes of instability in his right ankle in recent years,” PSG said in a statement.

“Following his last sprain contracted on Feb. 20, the medical staff… recommended a ligament repair operation to avoid a major risk of recurrence. All the experts consulted have confirmed this necessity.

“A delay of three to four months is expected before his return to training.”

PSG said he would undergo the surgery in Doha.

The club’s coach, Christophe Galtier, said Neymar’s absence would be a big loss.

“He is one of the top scorers and assist providers in Ligue 1, so he is a big loss,” Mr. Galtier told reporters.

“Without Neymar, we may have two midfielders and three attackers or three midfielders and two attackers. There are players who can get in behind from all sorts of different positions.”

PSG are top of the league with an eight-point lead over second-placed Olympique de Marseille. They face Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the Champions League last-16 second leg where they trail 1-0. — Reuters

Lakers’ fate

Considering that four-fifths of the National Basketball Association’s 2022-23 regular season is already in the rear-view mirror, it’s a wonder that all save for the worst two teams in each conference remain in contention for an outright playoff spot. Typically, the chaff would have been separated from the grain by and around the All-Star break. Not this year, and it’s a reflection of both the parity in the league and the pace-and-space regime in which competitors find themselves. Modified rules and their application thereof have placed a premium on scoring, with close matches becoming the norm rather than the exception as a result.

Needless to say, the fact that would-be postseason protagonists continue to be jockeying for position has worked in the favor of those from the outside looking in. This is especially evident in the West, where only three games separate the 11th-ranked Lakers and the fifth-place Warriors. Little wonder, then, that the purple and gold have managed to stay upbeat despite the prolonged absence of acknowledged leader LeBron James. Which is why fans keep engaging and Could Have Beens and Would Have Beens;  a handful of matches in January featured crunchtime non-calls that robbed them of all-important victories.

Speaking of What Ifs, those same followers of the sport believe the Lakers did themselves no favors by acting on an obvious handicap late in the season. They waited until the trade deadline early last month before making moves to shore up their roster even though it was clear to all and sundry that the Russell Westbrook experiment was not working. If anything, it had been an abject failure in the last one and a half seasons, and the need for them to capitalize on James’ few remaining productive years should have spurred them to take action pronto. Instead, their overly prudent stand has placed them on the bubble, having to gasp for air with James in the sidelines for an indefinite period.

There is, of course, no point in belaboring the past. Wallowing in regret will not get the Lakers closer to their immediate objective of prolonging their season. And, to their credit, they have focused on the task at hand. With Anthony Davis again wreaking havoc on the court and backstopped by able teammates that complement his skills, they’ve done well to hold the fort without James. The question is if they can escape mediocrity over the next two weeks, when the fitness of their anchor to burn rubber anew is slated to be evaluated. Certainly, the answer will determine their fate.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications,  and business development.

The power of alliances in the preservation of a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific

PHILIPPINE STAR/ WALTER BOLLOZOS

The current geopolitical situation in our part of the world is complex and precarious. Every day, there are developments that make us a little bit more uneasy. In February, a Chinese vessel pointed a military-grade laser at the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). And then, just this weekend, PCG personnel stationed in Pag-asa Island — the largest in the Kalayaan Group of Islands — reported more than 40 Chinese vessels anchored within 4.5 miles to eight miles from the island shores, clearly within Pag-asa’s 12-nautical mile territorial sea.

“Their continuing unauthorized presence is clearly inconsistent with the right of innocent passage and a blatant violation of the Philippines’ territorial integrity,” a statement from the Philippine Coast Guard read.

How will we react to these incursions and how do we put these incidents in the larger context of threats and risks to the territorial integrity of our country and to the Indo-Pacific region?

The Stratbase ADR Institute organized an onsite-online discussion on how a free and open Indo-Pacific region would be best achieved given the existing and evolving threats confronting us, both traditional and non-traditional. Experts from the diplomatic and academic/think-tank community joined us in the event titled “Strengthening Partnerships Toward a Free and Open Indo-Pacific” held Friday, March 3.

Opening the discussion was Kenichi Matsuda, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines. He reiterated that the Philippines is a crucial partner of Japan and that we share common values: Freedom, democracy, respect for basic human rights, and the rule of law.

A foreign and national security expert, Miyake Kunihiko, who is the Research Director of The Canon Institute for Global Studies, delved into the past to illustrate why, although history does not necessarily repeat itself, it almost always rhymes. He said China is acting the way it does because it recognizes that the threat to a valuable, prosperous China comes from the sea.

Mr. Miyake highlighted that there could be no defense without a good armed forces and without military alliances, and no victory without winning the information war. Allies will help, he said, only if a country itself and its leaders themselves fight for their territory.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ronald Mendoza, Committee Member of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) and Senior Economist at the Ateneo Policy Center, acknowledged that the partnership between the Philippines and Japan is being forged during uncertain times.

Given this, he said, “economic partnership is even more important in the face of presently elevated geo-political risks notably due to rising tensions involving China and the US.”

Gregory Poling, Senior Fellow and Director at the Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said they are calling for continued and increasing support from both the US and Japan on maritime domain awareness capabilities for the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PCG.

****

It is reassuring to be in the company of like-minded friends like Japan and the United States, with whom we share common values. It is also not surprising that, according to a Pulse Asia survey, our people trust these two countries the most. They have, after all, staunchly supported us in asserting our 2016 victory before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

Specifically, both countries have reiterated their commitment to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Part of this is protecting the maritime domain of states against the expansionist and bullying tactics of other bigger states — improving our defense capabilities through joint maritime patrols, strategic reciprocal port calls and aircraft visits, transfer of defense equipment and technology, continuous cooperation on previously transferred defense equipment, and capacity building.

The conversation continues. Today, March 8, we will have another hybrid town hall discussion, this time focusing on countering gray zone operations in the maritime Indo-Pacific region. In the context of what’s happening in the West Philippine Sea, it’s how the Philippines and allies should address the intimidating actions being instigated by Beijing to achieve economic, security, and foreign policy objectives that combines pressure tactics like militarization, cyber misinformation, Chinese Maritime Militia and Chinese Coast Guard maneuvers, short of using military force.

For this event, we are partnering with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Philippines. We will bring together government officials, the diplomatic community, scholars, and policy experts to engage in dialogue on the threats posed by gray zone operations to our national security.

Geopolitics is a high-stakes arena that does not only involve heads of state, defense officials, or diplomats. At its very core, it affects the lives of ordinary citizens and the right to live in peace and security.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has avowed that only the national interest will govern his foreign policy. We must be one in asserting our sovereignty and territorial rights amid pervasive attempts to undermine it and continue to uphold a rules-based international order. We look forward to greater cooperation with our freedom loving allies towards fortifying a peaceful and secure Indo-Pacific region.

 

Victor Andres “Dindo” C. Manhit is the president of the Stratbase ADR Institute.

How to survive the Age of Fragmentation

RAZVAN CHISU-UNSPLASH

HISTORIANS love sweeping four-word titles such as “The Age of Capital” or “The Age of Reagan.” For our own era, “The Age of Fragmentation” will surely prove irresistible. The liberal world order that was forged after the Berlin Wall fell has smashed apart on the triple rocks of Chinese power, financial turmoil, and domestic populism. Global organizations are seizing up, starting with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). “’Tis all in pieces, all coherence gone,” as the poet John Donne put it of another great coming-apart.

The most pressing problem today is how to survive in this new world disorder. What does “fragmentation” mean in practice and in detail? How do we design international institutions for a world in which the liberal dream of growing harmony is no more? And what does all this mean for businesspeople?

In his new book, Global Discord: Values and Power in a Fractured World, Sir Paul Tucker, a Harvard academic and a former deputy governor of the Bank of England, sketches “four scenarios for the next quarter to half century”: 1.) lingering status quo — a continuing but constrained US-led system; 2.) superpower struggle — prolonged strategic, ideological, and commercial competition; 3.) a new Cold War — semi-autarkic blocs; 4.) a (truly) reshaped world order — a multipolar top table in a world of checks and balances and reformed international organizations.

Reasonable but hardly pathbreaking. But then Tucker makes a clever intellectual maneuver in a book full of clever intellectual maneuvers: He suggests that bits of all four orders (or certainly of the first three) might coexist at the same time. Sometimes we flit between one order and another — it increasingly feels as if we live in a no-man’s land between superpower struggle (2) and a new Cold War (3). Sometimes — and in some policy areas — one particular order prevails.

When it comes to Tucker’s bailiwick of monetary policy, we live in a world of a lingering superpower. The dollar’s dominance is so entrenched that it is likely to survive for some time, though it will be challenged by new digital currencies or by grumpy oil powers threatening to shift invoicing out of dollars. The Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF) will continue to play a central role in the global economy. Both the dollar and the IMF provide far more benefits than problems — the dollar because it provides a defense against chaos and the IMF because it provides all sorts of public goods ranging from sound data to crisis management.

The United States is likely to remain dominant in both military affairs and culture (though China’s power is increasing rapidly in the first and Hollywood has performed dismally of late). But the picture is very different in other areas. China is rapidly eroding America’s dominance in the multilateral world through a dual strategy of increasing its say in the United Nations — boosting its funding and heading up UN specialized agencies in areas such as Civil Aviation, Food and Agriculture and Telecoms and tabling motions at the UN General Assembly — while at the same time establishing China-led organizations in the emerging world (the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s formal mission is to promote a “new international political and economic order”). America’s lackluster fight to retain control of institutions that it itself established in the wake of the Second World War is nothing short of scandalous.

The superpower struggle (2) is reshaping trade policy much more rapidly than most of us (and certainly than most European policymakers) expected. The United States is refashioning its economy to guarantee the supply of semiconductors and other “strategic” goods. But China is already the world’s largest goods-trading nation and operates a worldwide program of state-sponsored and state-directed investment. Meanwhile, rising powers such as India and Turkey are pressing for their place at the top table in a reshaped global order (3), and are willing to exploit the tensions between the superpowers to secure it.

The coexistence of four different worlds inevitably makes the design of governance regimes much more difficult. How can the West and other constitutional democracies maintain their liberal traditions in the face of interdependencies with rising non-liberal states? Can global peace be maintained without any fundamental agreements on values and culture? The liberal world needs to avoid two yawning traps: sticking so firmly to its principles that it inflames tensions with China without achieving anything practical, on the one hand, and taking a purely pragmatic approach and thereby betraying its own soul, on the other.

Tucker suggests a series of concentric circles. Cooperate most with countries with which we share common values and intertwined histories. But also work hard to nurture cooperative relations with non-likeminded powers so that you can continue to negotiate over matters of mutual interest such as trade or climate change. The days of liberal triumphalism, when global bureaucrats (particularly economists) tried to impose a common set of values and even a common way of doing business (shareholder capitalism) on the rest of the world are best forgotten for the time being. Better to turn a blind eye and agree to disagree than to risk splitting the world asunder.

This approach still leaves many practical questions. How far can we go in abandoning moral universalism without betraying our own deepest values? What do you do if an agree-to-disagree power tries to spread lies through a supposedly neutral global organization, as China did with the WHO during COVID? Where does trade end and military power begin? The US is already telling companies that they can’t trade with China in goods that might have military applications. But doesn’t trade in general make China stronger and therefore more capable of supporting a mighty military machine? These questions will provide the meat and drink of international politics for years to come.

The coexistence of four different worlds is arguably the worst possible news for mainstream businesses that crave order and simplicity (more exotic businesses such as insurance and hedge funds that thrive on instability are a different story). It might be easier from the planning point of view if the world simply chose one default position and stuck to it rather than oscillating confusingly between several.

To add to their miseries, mainstream businesspeople must contend with two other sources of confusion. The first is the blurring of the distinction between political policy and economic policy to create a new entity called “geoeconomics.” Businesspeople like to think in neat categories. Geoeconomic policy depends on the use of economic tools to achieve political ends: for example, sanctions (embargoes, asset freezes, travel bans, ejection from critical infrastructure such as SWIFT); tariffs and trade barriers; expanding regional trade pacts; regulatory diplomacy; currency manipulation; strategic use of foreign aid; rationing the export of rare earths; and cyber-politics.

The second is the cacophony of experts. The study of “geoeconomics” brings into play several tribes of experts lodged in the universities and various professional organizations: economists, particularly trade theorists; lawyers, particularly human rights lawyers; political scientists, particularly international relations specialists; war-study types and, increasingly, philosophers. These various tribes all have their own esoteric methodologies and languages (status in academia seems to be measured by the extent to which you adopt the latest rococo phraseology). They barely talk to each other let alone to the ordinary people who live outside their scholastic caves. Tucker has mastered numerous rival disciplines, hopping from Grotius’s thinking about the law of the sea to Bernard Williams’s opinions on human dignity. He recognizes that we can’t make sense of a fragmented world with a fragmented academia. But he’s been less good at translating these esoteric ideas into a language that people outside Harvard Yard or the halls of the IMF can understand. The world of “global discord” desperately needs a John Maynard Keynes or a Milton Friedman who can range over a variety of disciplines like a master but also translate them into gripping English.

Future historians will at least be able to bring the benefit of hindsight to all this and thereby impose some order on the chaos. But for now, the overall impression is one of extraordinary flux and confusion: Europeans are trying to come to terms with America’s growing nationalism; companies are flexing their supply chains for an unstable world; emerging powers are shifting their alliances; economic globalization and national and regional politics are pulling in different directions at once; global organizations are losing their legitimacy; and the academics who are supposed to make sense of these things are so immersed in their sub-disciplines that they either can’t see the bigger picture or, if they can see it, they can’t explain it to lesser mortals. The World of Disorder remains a World of Confusion as well.

BLOOMBERG OPINION

Mainstreaming conscious consumerism

MATHIAS REDING-UNSPLASH

Are we seeing the rise of conscious consumerism in the Philippines?

A recent poll conducted by Pulse Asia points to that direction. Based on the results, eight in every 10 Filipinos prefer brands that have environment-friendly products and operations.

Conducted from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1 last year, the survey commissioned by Stratbase ADR Institute — released during a forum on sustainable and strategic waste management co-organized with the Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST) — revealed interesting insights.

The poll showed that 83% of the respondents said they prefer to patronize products and services “of brands or enterprises that (they) believe have environment-friendly operations and products.” Only 5% said no, while the remaining 12% were evenly divided among those who do not care how the product is made and those who are not aware if the products or services they use are good or bad for the environment.

Preference for brands with environment-friendly products and operations was highest among those in the Visayas at 89%, followed by those in Mindanao at 88%, Metro Manila at 85%, and the rest of Luzon at 77%. Among socio-economic classes, it was highest among those in class E at 85%, followed by those in class D at 83%, and class ABC at 81%.

Interestingly, lack of awareness on how the products they use are made was recorded highest among class ABC at 13%, followed by those in class E at 9%, and class D at 5%.

This appears in the same track with the global adaption of conscious consumerism based on a report published by Fair Trade USA which recently released its new 2022 Consumer Insights Report: An Investment in Trust: Conscious Consumerism Goes Mainstream Despite Economic Headwinds. The report examines the continuing drive of today’s consumers in their ethical quest to purchase fair trade products.

Key findings from the report show conscious consumerism moving into the mainstream, with a wider range of consumers intentionally seeking Fair Trade Certified products and seeing this as one of the ways to most impact lives, communities, and the environment by purchasing with purpose.

“This new research shows a positive trend on the rise, as consumer awareness of fair-trade products increases,” said Paul Rice, Founder & CEO of Fair Trade USA. “Younger generations continue to lead the charge as they look toward their future, while bringing other generations along with them. They understand the difference that every purchase makes in the lives of workers, farmers, and fishers worldwide.”

Based on the report, younger generations continue to pay closer attention to the state of the planet and the practices behind the products they buy.

• 45% – Millennials pay 20% more for a Fair Trade Certified product

• 48% – Gen Zs say they would pay 20% more for a Fair Trade Certified product

• 20% – Millennials and Gen Zs bought Fair Trade Certified products in the past three months, double that of just three years ago

Over the past many years, further amplified during the lockdown era of the global pandemic that significantly forced humanity to examine values and beliefs, the concept of conscious consumption is gaining significant traction in mainstream culture. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the conscious consumer market, with consumers becoming more focused on sustainability and ethical business practices. A report by Accenture found that 60% of consumers are making more sustainable and ethical purchasing decisions since the pandemic began.

The term “conscious consumer” refers to individuals who make purchasing decisions based on their values and beliefs, such as environmental sustainability, social justice, and ethical labor practices.

The benefits of being a conscious consumer include reducing your individual impact on the environment and curbing your contribution to waste; putting pressure on brands that use unsavory business practices, so they change their ways; supporting communities or groups that have historically faced economic disadvantages due to structural inequities.

For brands, the benefit of appealing to conscious consumers is twofold: it typically means you are a socially responsible company and positively impact the environment or society, whether in the form of reducing your organization’s carbon footprint or donating profits to charitable causes, for example, and it often adds esteem to your brand, bolstering brand equity and differentiating your brand in the marketplace over time.

According to a report by Nielsen, the global market for sustainable products is projected to reach more than $200 billion in the 2020s. This growth is being driven by consumer demand for eco-friendly and socially responsible products. Nielsen also projects that the sustainable products market in the Philippines is expected to grow by 15% annually. This growth is being driven by consumer demand for eco-friendly and socially responsible products.

Sustainability has also become an important consideration for many Filipino consumers. In a survey by Kantar Philippines, 77% of Filipinos said they would pay more for products that are environmentally friendly, while 61% said they would pay more for products that are socially responsible. A global survey by Cone Communications found that 87% of consumers would purchase a product because a company advocated for an issue they cared about, while 76% would refuse to buy a product if they found out the company supported an issue contrary to their beliefs.

Social media is driving the global adoption of this phenomenon as it is playing a significant role in driving awareness about conscious consumerism. Platforms like Instagram and Twitter have become popular channels for brands and influencers to share information about sustainable products and ethical business practices. Transparency has also become an important factor for conscious consumers when making purchasing decisions. A study by Label Insight found that 94% of consumers are likely to be loyal to a brand that offers complete transparency, while 73% are willing to pay more for products that are transparent about their ingredients and sourcing.

One of the key benefits of conscious consumption is that it can lead to positive social and environmental outcomes. By choosing to purchase products that are ethically produced, sustainably sourced, or support social justice causes, consumers can have a direct impact on the world around them. For example, buying products made with sustainable materials can help to reduce carbon emissions and minimize environmental damage. Supporting brands that prioritize fair labor practices can help to promote workers’ rights and prevent exploitation.

Moreover, conscious consumption can promote a sense of personal responsibility and agency among consumers. It allows individuals to align their values and beliefs with their purchasing decisions, empowering them to make a positive impact on the world. Conscious consumers often feel a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment knowing that they are making a difference, however small, through their consumer choices.

As evident from the Pulse Asia poll, conscious consumerism is also a growing trend in the Philippines, with more and more Filipinos becoming aware of the impact of their purchasing decisions on the environment and society.

Because the country faces a range of environmental challenges, including deforestation, air pollution, and plastic waste, environmental sustainability is of primary importance to Filipinos. As a result, many conscious consumers appear to focus on reducing their carbon footprint, supporting sustainable agriculture, and reducing waste. Another issue that conscious consumers in the Philippines are concerned with is social justice. The country is characterized by deep income inequality, with many Filipinos living in poverty and experiencing social injustice. Conscious consumers are working towards promoting fair labor practices, supporting local communities, and advocating for the rights of marginalized groups.

There are many organizations in the Philippines that are working towards promoting conscious consumerism. These include non-profit organizations, advocacy groups, and social enterprises.

One example is the Philippine Social Enterprise Network (PhilSEN), which is a network of social enterprises that are working towards creating social and environmental impact. PhilSEN is focused on promoting ethical and sustainable business practices and has played a key role in raising awareness about conscious consumerism in the Philippines.

Another example is the Zero Waste Philippines movement, which is a community-led movement that is focused on reducing waste and promoting sustainable living. The movement is composed of individuals, organizations, and communities that are working towards reducing plastic waste, promoting composting, and advocating for policies that support waste reduction.

In addition to advocacy and community-led initiatives, the government of the Philippines has also taken steps to promote conscious consumerism. In 2019, the government passed the Republic Act No. 11367, or the “National Integrated Waste Management Act,” which aims to reduce waste generation and promote the sustainable management of waste. The law includes provisions for waste reduction, recycling, and composting, and requires businesses and households to comply with waste management regulations.

Despite the progress that has been made, there are still many challenges facing conscious consumerism in the Philippines. Indeed, conscious consumption is not without its limitations.

One of the primary criticisms of conscious consumerism is that it places the burden of responsibility on individuals rather than on corporations and governments. While individual consumers can make a difference through their purchasing decisions, the real power lies with corporations and governments which can create systemic change. By focusing solely on individual behavior, conscious consumerism can divert attention away from the need for structural change.

Additionally, conscious consumption can be financially inaccessible to many individuals. Products that are ethically produced, sustainably sourced, or support social justice causes are often more expensive than their non-conscious counterparts. This can create a barrier to entry for lower-income consumers, who may not have the financial resources to consistently make conscious purchasing decisions.

Another challenge is the lack of availability of sustainable, ethical, and socially responsible products in the market. Many Filipinos may want to make conscious purchasing decisions but may not have access to products that meet their values and beliefs. There is a need for more businesses to adopt sustainable and ethical practices, and for more products to be made available in the market.

Another limitation of conscious consumerism is that it can lead to “greenwashing” and “woke-washing.” These are marketing tactics used by companies to make their products appear more sustainable, ethical, or socially responsible than they are. Companies may use misleading or vague language to suggest that their products are environmentally friendly or support social justice causes when they do not. Conscious consumers must be wary of these tactics and take the time to research the products they purchase to ensure they align with their values.

Despite challenges, the adoption of conscious consumerism in the Philippines is a positive way forward that should be embraced by all — both the consumers and the brands. The dream of having a sustainable future can only be achieved through conscious efforts to work together.

 

Ron F. Jabal, APR, is the chairman and CEO of PAGEONE Group (www.pageonegroup.ph) and founder of Advocacy Partners Asia (www.advocacy.ph).

ron.jabal@pageone.ph

rfjabal@gmail.com

The impact of subsequent BoI registrations on PEZA visas

IMG LY-UNSPLASH
IMG LY-UNSPLASH

The COVID-19 pandemic impelled local companies, such as those in the Information Technology-Business Process Management (IT-BPM) sector, to transition from onsite work to work-from-home (WFH) arrangements. The concept of “remote work” allowed these companies to continue providing their services during the height of the pandemic without compromising the health and safety of their employees. Now that more people have returned to working onsite, albeit with corresponding health precautions, it cannot be denied that WFH arrangements remain to be a viable long-term solution to curb the health and safety risks associated with the COVID-19 virus.

With respect to IT-registered business enterprises (RBE) of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), the permanent adoption of up to 100% WFH set-up posed an issue on the fiscal incentives that these companies should supposedly enjoy. Under Section 309 of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, any project or activity that is performed outside the geographical boundaries of the economic zone shall not be entitled to the incentives provided by the said law. The concerned companies and their employees are thus constrained to revert to 100% onsite work or they will otherwise be excluded from availing of their fiscal incentives.

To address the issue, the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB), an inter-agency body chaired by the Department of Finance, issued Resolution No. 026-22 on Sept. 14, 2022, allowing concerned RBEs in the IT-BPM sector to “transfer” their registration from the PEZA to the Board of Investments (BoI). This will allow affected companies to adopt up to 100% WFH arrangements without adverse effects on their tax incentives.

The FIRB’s Resolution unfortunately created apparent confusion on whether foreign personnel of PEZA-registered companies shall continue to hold PEZA visas despite the company’s subsequent registration with the BoI. To recall, the PEZA has the authority to issue PEZA visas to qualified foreign personnel of PEZA-registered entities, specifically those who hold executive positions or those whose employment is supervisory, technical, or advisory in nature. On the other hand, a Special Non-Immigrant 47(a)(2)(BoI) visa is issued to foreign employees holding executive, supervisory, technical, or advisory positions in BoI-registered companies that are engaged in preferred areas of investment as enumerated in the national government’s Investment Priorities Plan.

The PEZA thereafter issued Memorandum Circular No. 2022-067 on Oct. 21, 2022 to ultimately clarify that they shall continue to provide non-fiscal incentives, including the PEZA visa, to PEZA-registered entities that shall subsequently register with the BoI. This means that as long as the concerned company retains its registration with the PEZA and is merely registered with the BoI for purposes of adopting the 100% WFH arrangement, then its new foreign personnel may continue to apply for PEZA visas.

Further, since the PEZA continues to administer these non-fiscal incentives, foreign personnel who currently hold PEZA visas are also not required to downgrade their visas and will be allowed to keep and renew them in due course like usual. Affected companies do not lose their PEZA registration even with the additional (not transfer) of registration at the BoI.

On the part of the BoI, it appears that foreign personnel of PEZA-registered companies with subsequent or additional BoI registrations are not qualified to apply for 47(a)(2)(BoI) visas. The BoI acknowledges PEZA’s sole authority to continue providing non-fiscal incentives, such as work visas, to these companies, in accordance with FIRB Resolution No. 026-22.

The clarifications of PEZA and BoI on the PEZA visa and other non-fiscal incentives are indeed a welcome development. Foreign nationals are assured that there are no impediments on the enjoyment of their PEZA visas and that they will not be issued with corresponding Orders to Leave had their visas been downgraded because of their company’s registration with the BoI. Above all, these policies must always be in line with the ease of doing business and should prioritize the workers’ safety and well-being amidst the pandemic.

This article is only for general informational and educational purposes and is not offered as and does not constitute legal advice or opinion.

 

Kristine Bernadette F. Soriano is an associate of the Immigration department of the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW).

kfsoriano@accralaw.com

(632) 8830-8000

Sultan’s heirs target Malaysian properties in Paris

REUTERS

KUALA LUMPUR — French bailiffs attempted to enforce a seizure order on three Paris properties owned by the Malaysian government in a case linked to a $15-billion court award to descendants of a former sultan, according to the heirs’ lawyers and court documents seen by Reuters.

The bailiffs tried to assess the properties on Monday following a court-issued seizure order in December, but Malaysian officials at the Paris embassy turned them away, the lawyers and the Malaysian government said.

The Filipino heirs of the last Sultan of Sulu are seeking to enforce a $14.9-billion award granted to them by a French arbitration court last year to settle a dispute with the Malaysian government over a colonial-era land deal.

Malaysia, which did not participate in the arbitration, maintains the process was illegal and has obtained a stay on the ruling in France.

The Paris properties are only the third set of Malaysian assets that the heirs have publicly acknowledged going after. They have secured a seizure order for Luxembourg units of state oil firm Petronas and have sought permission from a Dutch court to seize assets in the Netherlands.

The award is enforceable globally against most Malaysian assets, aside from diplomatic premises, under a U.N. convention on arbitration.

Despite the stay, a French judge in December last year granted the heirs’ request to seize three Malaysian government properties in Paris to settle a debt of 2.3 million euros ($2.46 million) that they said was owed to them, according to court documents shared by the heirs’ lawyers.

The seizure attempt in Paris has not been reported previously.

Malaysia had been ordered to pay the heirs the sum under a preliminary arbitration award granted to them in Spain, which was not bound by the stay in France, the lawyers said.

The Malaysian law ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the preliminary award.

The French judge also found that the properties, located in the 16th arrondissement near the Malaysian embassy in Paris, did not qualify as diplomatic premises, according to the court documents.

Unlike the embassy, they bore no official signage and were not subject to French tax exemptions, the judge said.

On Monday, French bailiffs attempted to evaluate the three properties in preparation of a sale, the lawyers said. The proceeds of the sale would go to the heirs.

A Malaysian law ministry spokesperson said the bailiffs appeared at the Malaysian embassy in Paris but were turned away. They declined to comment further. Malaysia’s foreign ministry and its embassy in Paris declined to comment.

Reuters could not establish if the bailiffs attempted to enter all three properties subject to the seizure order.

Paul Cohen, a lawyer for the heirs, said the court order was “unambiguous” in its directive to seize the properties and that it would be up to the court to decide the next steps.

“To the extent that Malaysians blocked entry to the bailiffs, they are in open defiance of a French court order,” Mr. Cohen said.

The Malaysian government and the French court, the Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Last month, Luxembourg court bailiffs issued fresh seizure orders for two units of Petronas PETR.UL in a similar effort. The company has said the heirs’ actions were baseless and that it will continue to defend its legal position.

Malaysia has previously vowed to take all legal measures to protect its assets worldwide.

The dispute stems from a deal signed in 1878 between two European colonists and the Sultan of Sulu for use of his territory in present-day Malaysia in an agreement that independent Malaysia honored until 2013, paying the monarch’s descendants a token sum annually.

Kuala Lumpur stopped the payments after a bloody incursion in 2013 by supporters of the former sultanate who wanted to reclaim land from Malaysia. The heirs of the sultan, who once controlled a territory spanning rainforest-covered islands in the southern Philippines and parts of Borneo island, say they were not involved in the incursion and sought arbitration over the suspension of payments. — Reuters

Japan’s new rocket fails after engine issue, in blow to space ambitions

AN AERIAL VIEW shows an H3 rocket carrying a land observation satellite lift off from the launching pad at Tanegashima Space Center on the southwestern island of Tanegashima, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, March 7, in this photo taken by Kyodo. — KYODO VIA REUTERS

TOKYO — Japan’s new medium-lift rocket failed on its debut flight in space on Tuesday after the launcher’s second-stage engine did not ignite as planned, in a blow to its efforts to cut the cost of accessing space and compete against Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

The 57-meter (187 ft) tall H3 rocket lifted off without a hitch from the Tanegashima space port, a live-streamed broadcast by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) showed.

But upon reaching space, the rocket’s second-stage engine failed to ignite, forcing mission officials to manually destroy the vehicle.

“It was decided the rocket could not complete its mission, so the destruct command was sent,” a launch broadcast commentator from JAXA said. “So, what happened? It’s something we will have to investigate looking at all the data.”

The failed attempt followed an aborted launch last month.

“Unlike the previous cancellation and postponement, this time it was a complete failure,” said Hirotaka Watanabe, a professor at Osaka University with expertise in space policy.

“This will have a serious impact on Japan’s future space policy, space business and technological competitiveness,” he added.

Japan’s first new rocket in three decades was carrying the ALOS-3, a disaster management land observation satellite, which was also equipped with an experimental infrared sensor designed to detect North Korean ballistic missile launches.

H3 builder Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) said it was confirming the situation surrounding the rocket with JAXA and did not have an immediate comment.

MHI has estimated that the H3’s cost per launch will be half that of its predecessor, the H-II, helping it win business in a global launch market increasingly dominated by SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 rocket.

A company spokesperson said earlier that it was also relying on the reliability of Japan’s previous rockets to gain business.

In a report published in September, the Center for Strategic and International Studies put the cost of a Falcon 9 launch to low Earth orbit at $2,600 per kilogram. The equivalent price tag for the H-II is $10,500.

A successful launch on Tuesday would have put the Japanese rocket into space ahead of the planned launch later this year of the European Space Agency’s new lower-cost Ariane 6 vehicle.

Powered by a new simpler, lower-cost engine that includes 3D-printed parts, the H3 is designed to lift government and commercial satellites into Earth orbit and will ferry supplies to the International Space Station.

As part of Japan’s deepening cooperation with the United States in space, it will also eventually carry cargo to the Gateway lunar space station that US space agency NASA plans to build as part of its program to return people to the moon, including Japanese astronauts. — Reuters

Women leaders sidelined at multilateral institutions — study

PCH.VECTOR-FREEPIK

WASHINGTON — Women have held just 12% of the top jobs at 33 of the biggest multilateral institutions since 1945, and more than a third of those bodies, including all four large development banks, have never been led by a woman, a new study released on Monday shows.

Five of the bodies have only had a woman president once in their history, and that includes the current head of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, according to the report prepared by GWL Voices for Change and Inclusion, an advocacy group made up of 62 current and former senior women leaders.

The study, to be released during this week’s meeting of the United Nations (U.N.) Commission on the Status of Women, called for proportional representation of women at every level of multilateral organizations, from field offices to headquarters, as well as in secretariats and governing bodies.

“The truth is that numbers matter,” said Maria Fernanda Espinosa, a former Ecuadorian foreign minister who served as president of the U.N. General Assembly from 2018-2019.

“We are 50% of the world’s population so it’s a demographic justice thing, to start with,” she told Reuters in an interview on Friday. “But I also believe that women bring this combination of leadership, wisdom and empathy, and sometimes, an even greater understanding of what is happening in the world.”

Since 1945, the 33 institutions studied have had 382 leaders, but only 47 were women, the report showed. And despite recent progress, only one-third of the institutions are currently headed by women.

GWL Voices said it would release a more extensive version of the report in September that would also look at the senior management teams and governing bodies of the 33 institutions. It said it was pushing for governance reforms that could “accelerate the transition to gender-balanced leadership.”

The report listed 13 institutions that have never been headed by a woman since the end of World War II, when most of these bodies were created, including the World Bank, the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Ms. Espinosa said it was disappointing that the United States, which is the largest shareholder in the World Bank and has historically picked its president, last month nominated a man, former Mastercard Chief Executive Ajay Banga, for the job, despite urgent calls from her group and other World Bank member states to chose a female leader.

Ms. Espinosa said she supported having someone like Banga, who was born and educated in India and spent much of his early career there, at the helm of the World Bank, but there were hundreds of women with similar background and qualifications. — Reuters

Iran’s Khamenei calls girls’ poisoning ‘unforgivable’ after public anger

DUBAI — Iran’s supreme leader said on Monday that the poisoning schoolgirls is an “unforgivable” crime that should be punished by death if deliberate, state TV reported, amid public anger over a wave of suspected attacks in schools.

Over 1,000 girls have fallen ill after being poisoned since November, according to state media and officials, with some politicians blaming religious groups opposed to girls’ education.

The poisonings have come at a critical time for Iran’s clerical rulers after months of protests since the death of a young woman held by police for flouting hijab rules.

“Authorities should seriously pursue the issue of students’ poisoning,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted as saying by state TV. “If it is proven deliberate, those perpetrators of this unforgivable crime should be sentenced to capital punishment.”

The poisonings began in November in the holy Shi’ite Muslim city of Qom and spread to 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces, prompting some parents to take children out of school and protest.

Authorities have accused the Islamic Republic’s “enemies” of using the attacks to undermine the clerical establishment. But suspicions have fallen on hardline groups operating as self-declared guardians of their interpretation of Islam.

In Washington, President Joseph R. Biden’s press secretary called the poisonings shameful on Monday.

“The possibility that girls in Iran are being possibly poisoned simply for trying to get an education is shameful, it’s unacceptable,” Karine Jean-Pierre said at a news briefing.

The White House called for an independent investigation to determine if the poisonings were related to protests, which would make it well within the mandate of the United Nations fact-finding mission on Iran.

‘GIRLS PAYING THE PRICE’
In 2014, people took to the streets of the city of Isfahan after a wave of acid attacks, which appeared to be aimed at terrorizing women who violated the strict Islamic dress code.

For the first time since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, schoolgirls have been joining the protests that spiraled after Mahsa Amini’s death in morality police custody.

Some activists have accused the establishment of orchestrating the poisonings in revenge.

“Now the girls of Iran are paying the price for fighting against the compulsory hijab (veil) and have been poisoned by the clerical establishment,” tweeted New York-based leading Iranian activist Masih Alinejad.

Fearing fresh impetus for protests, authorities have downplayed the poisonings. A judicial probe is under way, though no details of findings have yet been released.

At least one boys’ school has also been targeted in the city of Boroujerd, state media reported. — Reuters

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