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BW Insights: Ensuring Resiliency of our Food Systems

An existing and even worsening issue the world faces during this pandemic is food insecurity. In the country, the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Research Nutrition Institute found out in its rapid nutrition assessment survey last year that more than half of all Filipino families had experienced moderate to severe food insecurity during the crisis. This just stresses the need to ramp up our food systems to make food more accessible across communities and families, and it makes more sense to complement sustainable practices in food to address this important issue.

Join the first part of BusinessWorld Insights’ “Cultivating Sustainability from Farm to Plate” series as experts discuss the topic “Ensuring Resiliency of our Food Systems.”

This session of #BUSINESSWORLDINSIGHTS is made possible by SM Foundation and supported by British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Management Association of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and The Philippine STAR.

Ensuring application availability and performance

Delivering applications to end-users is the reason why most IT services and infrastructure exists. When people use business IT systems, they will most likely be using an application for some job-related task. In the modern IT landscape, these applications frequently get delivered over the Internet, either as pure web applications or as applications wrapped in a web-based client.

Making sure applications are always available and usable is vital. Application downtime and slowness have real costs in lost sales, poor customer satisfaction, and diminished staff productivity.

Keeping Applications Online and Performant

All servers (whether physical, virtual, or container-based) have occasional issues and periodically need to be taken offline for scheduled maintenance. Deploying multiple servers that can run applications provides redundancy to cope with planned and unplanned outages.

But the reality of application delivery is that you often have multiple applications spread across multiple clouds made up of multiple back-end servers providing services to multiple devices across multiple geographies. The complexity and fluidity of modern SaaS is beyond any scope of manual manageability.

Load balancers, or application delivery controllers (ADC), are designed to automate application delivery in modern infrastructure deployments. They sit between the application servers and the clients, managing access requests and sessions. Load balancers use intelligent algorithms to share the incoming client requests across the available servers – by monitoring the health of each server in the application pool, they ensure that incoming access requests are sent to the server currently best placed to respond.

When a server is overloaded, has an issue, or is taken offline by system admins for maintenance, the load balancer discovers this and stops sending access requests to that server. When the server is available again, the load balancing software learns this and adds it back into the available server pool. Spikes in demand for applications can also be handled automatically by provisioning new virtual machines when loads are high, and then shutting them off when demand drops.

Kemp is a company with a reputable line of LoadMaster load balancers that provide advanced application delivery tailored to the needs of modern businesses. In keeping with the trends of decentralization and telework, they deploy global load balancing algorithms to ensure uninterrupted application delivery no matter where on the planet users may be.

Kemp load balancing works across multiple locations in the cloud and private data centers. LoadMaster Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB) enables service delivery for applications from sites that are closest to users while at the same time providing global geographic resilience. If a cloud service provider or local data center is offline, GSLB will route requests to another global site that hosts the application. This ensures availability and disaster recovery provision even following significant regional issues.

Keeping a Watch on The Network

Server availability is an essential part of the application experience equation, but so is the state of the network that applications are using.

Because applications rely on the network delivery, keeping a watch on the network for any bottlenecks or anomalies that impact access and performance is vital. Many infrastructure monitoring tools are excellent for alerting IT teams when something breaks. But they are less helpful in pinpointing problems that result in end-users complaining that “the system is slow!” In such cases, the situation calls for more in-depth analytics that go beyond simple red/green status.

Kemp Flowmon network performance monitoring & diagnostics (NPMD) suite addresses this problem. It delivers deep, contextual analysis and utilization statistics about the state of the network. Via extensive visualization tools, any issues causing degradation in application performance can be quickly identified, analyzed, and fixed. All without the typical “it’s not our problem” back and forth that can occur between IT teams.

This network monitoring also spots the behaviors associated with cybercriminal activity and alerts when attackers operate on the network. Using the MITRE ATT&CK framework, Kemp’s monitoring tools alert and report on issues in easily understood ways.

Find Out More

Kemp Technologies focuses on delivering the best application experience in the industry. Our solutions ensure that applications are always available, perform optimally, and are secure. Contact us at (+632) 8706 5592, email sales@acw-group.com.ph or visit https://kemptechnologies.com to find out more.

 

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BSP to continue to support recovery

PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

THE CENTRAL BANK will continue to maintain support for the economy’s weak recovery, as inflation is expected to slow down in the last months of the year, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said.

“The BSP will remain vigilant over the current inflation dynamics to ensure that the monetary policy stance continues to support economic recovery to the extent that the inflation outlook will allow,” Mr. Diokno said at a virtual forum of The Asset late Tuesday.

“It will carefully scan the operating environment with a forward-looking perspective to move in a preemptive fashion that will address any risk for our price stability mandate,” he added.

Inflation eased to 4.8% in September from the 32-month high 4.9% in August, amid slower rise in prices of food and transport. Inflation has mostly exceeded the 2-4% target by the central bank, except in July when it settled at 4%.

“We look at the items in the consumer price index. There are more items below the 2% rather than at 4%,” Mr. Diokno said, noting that supply issues will gradually be resolved in the next few months.

“The government is already allowing the importation of pork and it is now coming in. We’re confident that even when inflation is slightly above our target range of 2-4%, inflation will slowly go down where we want it to be maybe before the end of the year,” he said in a separate Bloomberg TV interview on Wednesday.

The Monetary Board last month kept the interest rates unchanged at a record low, even as it raised its full-year inflation forecast to 4.4%.

Average inflation for 2022 and 2023 is expected to settle at 3.3% and 3.2%, higher than the previous 3.1% forecast for both years but already within their target.

There are worries that elevated consumer prices may hurt the Philippine economy’s recovery at a time when mobility restrictions are being loosened to spur business activity.

However, Mr. Diokno said the recent price spikes are “transitory,” noting higher transport fare and wage hikes are unlikely given the current unemployment figures.

“In fact, as a result of the normalization, I expect transport costs to decline… (And) the pressure usually on the demand side will be wages. That’s not going to happen because of the unemployment and because there’s excess capacity in the economy,” he said.

The country’s unemployment rate stood at 8.1% in August, a four-month high.

Mr. Diokno said the BSP is “already talking” about the appropriate timing of unwinding policy support.

“A decision on the timing and circumstances under which BSP will scale back its pandemic-induced support measures would depend primarily on the evolution of various domestic factors, as well as global developments and spillovers. BSP policies are data-driven and will avoid the premature withdrawal of policy stimulus while also safe hedging against emerging risk to our price and financial stability objectives,” he said.

At the same time, Mr. Diokno said he does not think the US Federal Reserve’s upcoming tapering of asset purchases “will have a significant impact” on the local economy.

“The Philippines is better prepared for this. You have hefty gross international reserves. And in the past, whenever there is a crisis, we run out of dollars to service our debts. That’s not going to happen this time. Because we have hefty gross international reserves. And we continue to have inflows from overseas Filipino remittances,” he said.

Security Bank Corp. Chief Economist Robert Dan J. Roces said the BSP may keep its monetary policy steady this year even amid the threat from higher prices.

“The BSP will likely want to support recovery first by remaining accommodative until the end of the year, probably giving businesses some leeway to recover in the fourth quarter,” Mr. Roces said in a Viber message.

Mr. Roces said the BSP’s first rate hike may likely happen in the second half of 2022, “when most of the population has been fully vaccinated and assuming no further risks of variant outbreaks.”

“Policy normalization is seen to be more apt for next year once recovery exhibits stability, and price growth starts showing demand-driven pulls to manifest a consumption-led rebound,” he added.

The central bank will have two more policy reviews this year scheduled on Nov. 18 and Dec. 16. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

GIR falls as of end-Sept. on gov’t debt payments

REUTERS

GROSS INTERNATIONAL reserves (GIR) — which shield the country from liquidity shocks — dipped as of end-September as the government paid its foreign debt obligations and lower valuation of the central bank’s gold reserves.

Data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Wednesday showed the GIR stood at $107.156 billion as of end-September, slipping by 0.74% from its $107.964-billion level as of end-August.

The end-September level, however, was up by 6.68% from the $100.443 billion logged a year earlier.

“The month-on-month decrease in the GIR level was attributed mainly to the debt service payment of the National Government’s foreign currency debt obligations and downward adjustment in the value of the BSP’s gold holdings due to the decrease in the price of gold in the international market,” the BSP said in a statement.

At its end-September level, the GIR could cover 10.8 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income. It is also enough to service about 7.6 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 5.2 times based on residual maturity.

An ample level of foreign exchange buffers safeguards an economy from market volatility and is an assurance of the country’s capability to pay debts in the event of an economic downturn.

Broken down, buffers in the form of foreign investments slipped by 0.3% to $90.242 billion last month from $90.549 billion in August, although it increased by 7% from the $84.298 billion a year earlier.

Foreign currency deposits also dropped by 5.3% to $3.271 billion from $3.454 billion a month earlier and by 26% from the $2.597 billion in September 2020.

The BSP’s gold holdings were valued at $8.848 billion as of end-September, down by 3.35% from the $9.155 billion in the previous month and by 23% from the $11.594 billion a year earlier.

The country’s reserve position in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) likewise declined by 1.37% to $786.3 million from $797.2 million in the previous month. However, it was up by 5% from the $747.7 million in September last year.

Meanwhile, the country’s reserves in the form of special drawing rights (SDRs) — or the amount the country can tap from the IMF — stood at $4.008 billion for the second straight month. It increased more than three times from the $1.204 billion a year ago.

In August, the Philippines gained SDRs equivalent to $2.777 billion, as part of the IMF’s distribution of around $650 billion in SDRs to its members as part of its efforts to help countries recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said the lower GIR was seen amid the decline in foreign investments due to cautious sentiment arising from the Evergrande Group’s debt crisis and the US Federal Reserve’s hawkish tone.

In a Viber message, Mr. Ricafort said the seasonal increase in cash remittances could be key to lifting the GIR in the last months of 2021.

The GIR reached a record level of $110.117 billion as of end-December 2020. 

Last month, the central bank trimmed its GIR projection by end-2021 to $114 billion from $115 billion previously. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Electoral risks heightened as more politicians deploy technology for campaigns

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS
People line up to register as voters at the Commission on Elections office in Quezon City. — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Senior Reporter

THE NATIONAL Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on Wednesday admitted it is “very difficult” to stop groups or individuals from using equipment such as text blast machines for political campaigns ahead of the May national elections.

“This is alarming. This came to light after the alert message that was sent last week,” NTC Deputy Commissioner Edgardo V. Cabarios told BusinessWorld in a phone interview on Wednesday, referring to the recent emergency alert that announced the presidential candidacy of Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.

Mr. Cabarios said they suspect the text blast machines sold on e-commerce platforms such as Lazada and Shopee and even on social media platform Facebook were “among the possible sources of the emergency alert.”

The regulator ordered Facebook, Inc., Alibaba’s Lazada Group, and Sea Ltd.’s Shopee to stop selling the equipment, as well as required them to explain why they should not be held liable for violating Act 3846, or the Radio Control Law.

Mr. Cabarios acknowledged the difficulty in going after those who have already purchased the equipment.

“It’s very difficult because they are just sending the message in a few seconds, and then they turn off the equipment, so how do you pursue them? They move from one place to another. Very, very difficult,” he said.

He said the NTC is now considering conducting an information drive to warn the public about these unsolicited text messages, and coordinating with the Customs bureau on imports of these equipment.

The NTC did not anticipate that these text blasters would be sold online, Mr. Cabarios added.

On Lazada, an SMS location blasting system was being sold for P230,000 with free delivery.

“At Lazada, customer safety is our top priority. We have removed the products highlighted in the NTC report on Oct. 7. Our team does a daily manual sweep for product listings that violate existing policies and these are removed once identified. Strong action is also taken against sellers found breaching our platform’s terms and conditions,” Lazada Philippines said in an e-mailed statement.

For its part, Facebook said it will work with the “relevant authorities to receive take down requests on any listings that are locally unlawful in the Philippines.”

“When we receive a report from the appropriate legal authority about unlawful content, we will review and take appropriate action,” it added.

The Customs bureau and Shopee have yet to respond to a request for comment as of press time.

Text blasters, according to Mr. Cabarios, use the frequencies allocated for the mobile networks. He also noted that the device can be used to spread “fake news” or fake emergency alerts during elections.

“That is why this is prohibited; in 2013, we prohibited the use of this already,” he said.

In general, election laws of the Philippines have yet to catch up with the rapid technological developments, according to the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel).

“The technologies used like the text blaster, if you look at the election laws, are not illegal but there are restrictions to commercial application by the NTC,” Namfrel Secretary-General Eric Jude O. Alvia said in a phone interview.

The use of new technologies by politicians before the campaign period is also not illegal, Ateneo de Manila University election law professor Alberto C. Agra said in a separate phone interview.

According to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the official campaign period for national positions runs from Feb. 8, 2022 to May 7, 2022. Election day is May 9, 2022.

“Can the Comelec, without a law, regulate social media? For TV, radio and print, there are maximum number of hours and size (of ads), but for social media, there’s no law,” he said.

Namfrel’s Mr. Alvia said putting restrictions on the expenditures of candidates may not be the ideal solution to curtail the misuse of technology as well.

“If you would put a cap on resources, it would not level the playing field for those candidates who may abide by restrictions but don’t have access to [the platforms],” he noted.

“Social media should be regulated by the application of fair election laws. You also have to monitor the use of that media for its content. What is being purveyed in that media? Is it the truth or not? Who will do it? Does the Comelec have the manpower or capacity or the resources to do it? This is where the citizens come in. This is where the owners of the platforms exercise their responsibilities.”

On the possibility of cyberattacks during the elections, Mr. Alvia said there are other laws that are contained in the country’s electoral laws which would protect the election system.

“The Data Privacy Act and the E-Commerce Law would protect us from the misuse of technology aimed at undermining the count or election results. [But] if you look at our election laws, these are very broad and very vague at times that I could say that [we] still lack transparency,” he said.

Internet security firm Kaspersky said in an e-mailed reply to questions that “new technologies have the potential to be hacked.”

“But voting systems can and should be fixed by using technology that can secure and ensure transparency. To increase the public’s faith and trust in election systems, it will require collaboration between public and private organizations,” it added.

Customs generates P1-B additional revenue from audits

BUREAU OF CUSTOMS
The Customs bureau last month destroyed illegal shipments of counterfeit goods. — BUREAU OF CUSTOMS

THE BUREAU of Customs (BoC) generated an additional P1.04 billion in revenue in the first nine months of the year after conducting post-clearance audits on importers.

The bureau, in its third-quarter accomplishment report released on Wednesday, said it collected P738.66 million from importers voluntarily reporting tax declaration and payment errors.

BoC collected another P299.96 million after it issued audit notification letters.

Public auction collections in the same period also generated additional revenue of P414.16 million.

These helped boost the bureau’s total revenue collection to P472 billion in the first nine months, which is 3.7% higher than its target for the period. 

Collection from January to September also jumped by 18.6% from the P398 billion collected in the same period last year. This already accounted for 76.6% of the target collection of P616.749 billion for 2021.

September revenue collection reached a record P59.91 billion, surpassing the target for that month by 5.3%.

The bureau also reported P29.2 billion in seized smuggled goods from 750 shipments.

“BoC remained vigilant against unscrupulous importers through intensified intelligence and enforcement operations and consistent examination and inspection of containers at various ports of entry nationwide,” the bureau said.

A total of 122 seizures consisted of agricultural products, followed by 98 cigarette or tobacco seizures, 90 general merchandise seizures, and 88 illegal drugs seizures.

In terms of value, counterfeit goods topped the list with P17.5 billion, followed by illegal drugs worth P7.42 billion.

Customs also issued 86 letters of authority that resulted in 73 warrants for the seizure of imported goods with a total estimated value of P19.56 billion.

The bulk of these seizures included counterfeit goods, general merchandise, and used clothing. The counterfeit goods represented an estimated value of P17.4 billion, while general merchandise accounted for P1.74 billion.

Customs filed criminal and administrative cases against 242 unscrupulous importers before the Department of Justice and the Professional Regulation Commission. The bureau revoked the accreditation of 534 importers and 177 customs brokers.

The BoC has a P671.7-billion collection target for 2022, or 9% higher than this year’s goal. — Jenina P. Ibañez

AllDay prices IPO shares at 60 centavos apiece

By Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte, Reporter

ALLDAY Marts, Inc. has set the final offer price of its initial public offering (IPO) at 60 centavos per share or 25% lower than the 80-centavo high-end price in its prospectus, the Villar-led company told the exchange on Wednesday.

The company is offering 6.857 billion shares for 60 centavos each, with an overallotment option of 685.71 million shares. The company may raise nearly P4.53 billion should the overallotment option be exercised.

Timson Securities, Inc. Trader Darren Blaine T. Pangan said in a Viber message that the lowered price may “encourage more investors to participate in the offering given the potential capital appreciation in the open market upon listing day.”

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a separate Viber message that the final price “could also reflect business or economic challenges since the pandemic started last year amid restrictions on minors and senior citizens from going out, thereby reducing foot traffic or sales for some retailers.”

Proceeds from the offer will be used to repay debt as well as for capital expenditures and initial working capital for its store network expansion.

AllDay is planning to expand its 33-store network to 45 by the end of next year, and up to 100 stores by end-2026.

According to its preliminary prospectus dated Sept. 28, the company is looking to conduct its offer period from Oct. 18 to 25.

Meanwhile, its listing at the main board of the Philippine Stock Exchange is tentatively slated for Nov. 3. Shares of AllDay will be listed under the ticker symbol “ALLDY.”

The company engaged PNB Capital and Investment Corp. as the sole issue manager of the offer and it will be joined by BDO Capital & Investment Corp. and China Bank Capital Corp. as joint lead underwriters and bookrunners.

Incorporated in December 2016, AllDay has since grown to record a net income of P220 million in 2020, surging from P17 million in 2017.

In August, AllDay reported a first-half profit growth of 58.8% to P179.6 million year on year, driven by a 19.7% sales improvement to P4.49 billion.

AllDay is part of the Villar group of companies, along with other listed firms AllHome Corp., Golden MV Holdings, Inc., and Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc.

In a separate disclosure to the exchange on Wednesday, home improvement firm AllHome said it is close to vaccinating 100% of its work force across 55 branches nationwide as part of the Villar group’s VHealthy initiative.

Three Filipino culinary greats remembered

NORA DAZA — SAMMY ESQUILLON/ POSITIVELYFILIPINO.COM

A reluctant writer, an inventor, and a cookbook author 

THREE Filipino culinary greats were honored during “2021 Asian Culinary Exchange: Homecoming,” a talk on Sept. 30 by Asia Society Philippines. While all of them are long gone, they all left indelible marks on the Philippine food scene.  

They were all women: food writer Doreen Gamboa Fernandez, food inventor/developer Maria Orosa, and restaurateur and cookbook author Nora Daza. They were honored with tributes during the talk: Doreen Alicia Gamboa spoke of her aunt and namesake; Ige Ramos spoke on the subject of his new book, Maria Orosa; and Nina Daza Puyat spoke about her mother, Nora.  

THE RELUCTANT WRITER
Ms. Gamboa gave a detailed account of her aunt’s life: the eldest of three children, homeschooled with the Calvert Education system during the war, the great food critic and author still quoted today.  

Yet Ms. Gamboa remembers: “I know that she wasn’t really looking into being a writer, as far as I know.” Publisher Eugenia “Eggie” Apostol (of Philippine Daily Inquirer fame) had approached her uncle, architect Willy Fernandez, Ms. Gamboa Fernandez’s husband, to write about food for Ms. Apostol’s Mr. and Ms. Magazine. “He said, ‘I will eat, and Doreen will write.’ That’s how it started.”  

She ended up writing food columns not just for Mr. and Ms., through the years she had regular columns with the Manila Chronicle, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and Food Magazine. She also wrote a slew of books on Philippine food, often with collaborator Edilberto Alegre. Among these are Sarap: Essays on Philippine Food (with Alegre), Lasa: A Guide to 100 Restaurants (with Alegre), Kinilaw: A Philippine Cuisine of Freshness (with Alegre), Tikim: Essays on Philippine Food and Culture, and Palayok: Philippine Food Through Time, on Site, in the Pot

“She wanted to be remembered as a good teacher — not really as a good writer. That’s what she really enjoyed,” said the younger Doreen about her aunt, a professor at the Ateneo de Manila University who chaired the Communication, English, and Interdisciplinary Studies departments of the university.  

One of her treasured memories, thus, is when she asked her aunt to teach her children to write about food — right before her death in 2002. She gave simple tips to her great-nephews. She told them to write what they liked or didn’t like about a restaurant, and to explain why, or write down what they liked or didn’t like about what they ordered. “Write two good things about the restaurant, and two not-so-good things,” remembers Ms. Gamboa. “Tita Doreen was always pleasant. She never liked to say, ‘write a bad thing.’ Even in her books… she never said anything bad.”  

“That’s what I loved about her.”  

Today, the reluctant writer is honored with a yearly essay-writing contest about food that was named in her honor. 

BANANA KETCHUP INVENTOR
Ige Ramos, scholar, author, and designer, gave tribute to Maria Orosa, known to most people as the namesake of a Manila street. Some people know her as the inventor of banana ketchup, and a few people know her as a martyr of the Second World War.   

Mr. Ramos pointed out that the first book about Maria Orosa had come out in 1970, 25 years after Ms. Orosa’s demise. The book was titled The Recipes of Maria Y. Orosa, with Essays on Her Life and Work, and was published through the efforts of her niece, Helen Orosa del Rosario. Apparently, Ms. Orosa del Rosario had been the last person to see her aunt alive. Ms. Orosa died of shrapnel wounds during the month-long Battle for Manila in 1945.  

Mr. Ramos, with the estate of Maria Orosa, published and designed an updated version of the book, now called Appetite for Freedom: The Recipes of Maria Y. Orosa and Essays on Her Life and Work. The anecdotes and recipes were compiled by Ms. Orosa del Rosario, but Evelyn Orosa del Rosario Garcia (Helen’s daughter) edited the work for its 50th anniversary revival. It has a preface from food historian Felice Prudente Sta. Maria, and a foreword from food columnist Michaela “Micky” Fenix.  

More than just banana ketchup, Ms. Orosa’s work helped revitalize rural areas through food technology, thanks to her own experience as a chemist.   

“Orosa introduced improvements for widespread well-being, using food education and science applied to everyday cooking,” said Mr. Ramos. Serving as a captain in the underground movement during the war under Marking’s Guerillas, Maria Orosa, according to Mr. Ramos, smuggled vitamin-rich protein nutritional powder to prisoners of war and into internment camps. “The story about a heroine-scientist inspires similar civic action today,” he said.  

Over her lifetime she invented over 700 recipes, including Soyalac and Darak (rice bran). She invented a palayok (clay pot) oven for use in areas without access to electricity, developed recipes using local ingredients, and developed preservation methods for native dishes.   

TV CELEBRITY CHEF
Meanwhile, Nina Daza Puyat spoke about her mother, cookbook author, restaurateur, and early TV celebrity chef Nora Daza.   

“When my mom, Nora Daza, passed way in 2013, at the age of 84, a family friend texted me: ‘Thank you very much for sharing your mother with the Philippines’,” said Ms. Daza Puyat. “That message struck me because I never thought of it that way. Now that I am piecing her life together, I realized how true that sentiment was. Perhaps indirectly, Nora Daza did devote most of her culinary life to the Filipinos, for the Filipinos, here and abroad.”  

Ms. Daza was known for opening one of the first French restaurants in the country (Au Bon Vivant), as well as opening the first Filipino Restaurant in Paris, Aux Iles Philippines.  

She reached a wider audience through her popular cooking shows, At Home with Nora and Cooking It Up with Nora. She was also, for four years, the director of the Manila Gas Cooking School during which time she kitchen tested over 500 recipes.  

But perhaps more than these, she is best known for her cookbook, Let’s Cook with Nora, which inspired many Filipino home cooks to serve gracefully at their own tables. It was first published in 1965, then again in 1969, that edition being the most popular. Ms. Daza Puyat published an updated edition in 2019, revising some recipes and changing ingredients to those more accessible today. “  

“That’s over 50 years of two or three generations of Filipinos relying on Nora Daza’s recipes.” — JL Garcia 

Manila Water unit inks P393-M loan to fund projects

A UNIT of Manila Water Co., Inc. serving Samar province has signed a P393-million term loan facility with Bank of the Philippine Islands to partly fund its capital expenditure (capex) requirements.

Calbayog Water Co., Inc. executed the agreement with the local bank through its wholly owned unit Manila Water Philippine Ventures, Inc. and its partner Tubig Pilipinas Group, Inc.

“The loan will be used to partially finance Calbayog Water’s capital expenditure projects,” Manila Water said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday.

The company gave no further details on the specifics of the deal.

Calbayog Water is in charge of developing, operating, improving and maintaining water supply and wastewater facilities within its service area in the Calbayog City Water District in Samar.

Earlier this month, Manila Water said it was investing P8 billion to supply water in bulk to the provincial government of Pangasinan.

The project, which will be undertaken by Manila Water and Manila Water Philippine Ventures, expects to deliver 200 million liters daily by the last year of its contract period.

Manila Water is the exclusive provider of water and used water services to the east zone of Metro Manila and Rizal province.

Shares of Manila Water improved 3.91% or P1 to finish at P26.60 apiece on Wednesday. — Angelica Y. Yang

Japanese scientists work up an appetite for lab-grown Wagyu beef

JAPANESE scientists are working to create a lab-grown replica of the country’s famed Wagyu beef. — AIRAM DATO-ON/PEXELS

TOKYO – Japan’s famed Wagyu beef, a delicacy that can cost more than $200 a pound at some top restaurants, could become much more affordable in the form of a lab-grown replica.

Japanese scientists say they have succeeded in recreating Wagyu, renowned for its fat marbling, in a laboratory to produce something that could eventually look and taste like the real steak.

Wagyu beef comes from a breed of black cattle, most famously those from the Kobe area of Western Japan.

Osaka University researchers led by Michiya Matsusaki used 3-D bioprinters and bovine stem cells to replicate Wagyu’s distinctive marbling in a solid steak-like piece, rather than a minced form that has typified other attempts at cultured meat.

It currently takes about three to four weeks to generate a cubic centimeter of cultured meat, so it’s not ready for the grocer’s aisle just yet. But as the techniques and efficiency improve, the method could produce something that mimics the real thing, Mr. Matsusaki said.

“If we are able to quickly produce a lot of meat from a few cells, there’s a chance we can better respond to food and protein shortage issues in the future,” Mr. Matsusaki told Reuters.

Environmental and ethical concerns around the meat industry have driven interest in vegetable alternatives and the potential for lab-grown products. That has spurred strong growth in developers of real meat alternatives, including plant-based burger maker Impossible Foods, Inc. which is preparing for a public listing that could exceed $10 billion, sources say.

Mr. Matsusaki said the bioprinting and culture techniques developed in his lab could also have applications in human medicine, such as growing replacements for damaged muscles.

It now takes about 10,000 yen ($89.40) to produce a single gram of lab-grown Wagyu, but with more automation, the price could drop such that it would be marketable for the general public within five years, Mr. Matsusaki said. — Reuters

Why pinakbet should be a staple in every meal plan

Pinakbet, a dish originating from the northern regions of the country, is packed with nutritious ingredients. While there are many variations of the dish – from cooking it with fish sauce or shrimp paste to using tomato sauce – it is the number of vegetables used in it is the secret of its goodness.

At least seven types of vegetables can be found in every serving of pinakbet. These are usually ampalaya (bitter melon), talong (eggplant), okra, green beans, chili peppers, tomatoes, sweet potato, and squash – all of which are good sources of different vitamins and minerals.

Ampalaya contains many antioxidants and studies found that it has medicinal properties that help reduce blood sugar. Eggplant supports the reduction of causes of heart disease. Green beans help to keep the digestive system healthy and running smoothly. Squash is high in beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A that can strengthen the immune system and promote healthy eyesight. Thes are just some of the benefits from its various ingredients.

Eating pinakbet on a regular basis would mean that Filipino families can take advantage of all the nutritional benefits from its vegetables.

One important point is that the key ingredients in pinakbet are all easily accessible. Another plus is that cooking pinakbet is easy — once all the chopping and preparation of the vegetables is done, it takes just 10 to 15 minutes to cook.

First, sauté onion, garlic, and ginger in a pot with hot cooking oil. Then add pork or shrimp for flavor depending on preference. Add a touch of fish sauce or shrimp paste and continue to stir, then add some water, and add in the vegetables. Cook until all ingredients are tender but make sure to not overcook the vegetables to retain their nutrients.

There are other ways of cooking pinakbet — or pakbet as some call it. As the late food writer Doreen G. Fernandez wrote in her book Tikim: Essays on Philippine Food and Culture, “Even pinakbet, the traditional Ilokano vegetables stew with bagoong, has known changes in its time. The original has tiny native ampalaya, talong and okra tossed in a pot with fish bagoong [fermented fish paste] and tomatoes. No oil, no frying. The Tagalogs have sauteed it in oil. Some Ilokanos add bagnet (the Ilokano lechon kawali [skillet or oven-roasted pork]) to it. Others add chicharron. Gene Gonzales cooks it in olive oil.” But the essence is the vegetables and the simplicity of the dish.

With vegetables as main ingredients, pinakbet is a dish that supports Filipino farmers. When consumers purchase vegetables, they are not only providing their households with a healthy meal but are also helping and supporting the livelihood of Filipino farmers working hard to produce good quality vegetable crops. this is why global vegetable seed company East-West Seed Philippines (EWS) is promoting pinakbet as a dish that should be a staple in the meal plan of every Filipino family.

Backed by research and innovation experiences for close to four decades, EWS has been developing improved vegetable seed varieties that help farmers improve their yields, reduce pesticide and water usage, and earn more from their work. The vegetable seeds they offer were developed and bred here in the Philippines to ensure that they will thrive in local growing conditions. Their seeds can also be grown in anyone’s backyard or home garden.

To learn more about the programs and initiatives of EWS visit https://ph.eastwestseed.com and the Oh My Gulay! Campaign of the East-West Seed Foundation at https://www.facebook.com/OhMyGulay.OMG.

Ethical hackers expected to help address Philippine cybersecurity gaps

WHITE hats or ethical hackers can help create a digitally secure Philippines as their skills can address the country’s cybersecurity gaps, according to the convenors of ROOTCON, an annual hacking conference.

In an Oct. 7 press launch for this year’s ROOTCON, Digital Pilipinas convenor Amor L. Maclang shared an anecdote of a company that called its lawyer to sue a white hat who informed them of their system’s vulnerabilities.

“If a doctor tells you that you’re sick, are you going to sue that doctor?” she asked.

The term “hacker” may bring negative connotations, but “not all are bad. Some are bound by an ethical code,” added Dhonel P. Martinicio, universal content creator of GeiserMaclang Marketing Communications, Inc.

White hats, for instance, find flaws in a system so an organization can fix them and prevent others from exploiting these vulnerabilities for personal gain.

The country has to stay ahead of cybersecurity threats, with the local fintech scene growing steadily due to the central bank’s initiatives to boost online payments, the convenors said.

The Financial Action Task Force, a Paris-based ‘dirty money’ watchdog, said the Philippines is among those jurisdictions “with serious anti-money laundering/counter-financing of terrorism deficiencies [that] may expose the local financial system to significant risks.”

A full disclosure policy needs to be prioritized for the country to survive cybersecurity threats, said Dax “semprix” L. Labrador, ROOTCON founder. This involves the immediate publication of a vulnerability without any delay.

The tendency is for cybersecurity professionals to keep the vulnerabilities they find to themselves due to the fear of being sanctioned, Mr. Labrador noted.

“If full disclosure is available in our country, everything should follow,” he said. “Companies will secure their systems, and researchers will start reporting vulnerabilities.”

Apart from policy, culture is also an important part of the equation.

“The government should have qualitative measures [for measuring] its security posture ratings (or overall cybersecurity readiness),” said Jallain S. Manrique, KPMG Philippines head of technology consulting and cybersecurity. “How do you create a culture across all the agencies where everyone is conscious about security?”

Eman0n, a white hat hacker who has helped the likes of telecommunication firms like Comcast and Globe Telecom, Inc., encouraged leaders to connect with the 4,000-strong white hat community in the Philippines.

“Due to the move of traditional businesses to a more digital space… white hackers are now essential to have in your business or institution,” he said.

ROOTCON is supported by Digital Pilipinas – World FinTech Festival, a movement aimed at influencing change through technology and innovation.

ROOTCON 15 runs from Oct. 12-15, 2021. More details on the hybrid conference can be found at www.rootcon.org. The code RCXDIGIPINAS can be used for discounts. — Patricia B. Mirasol

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