MIAMI Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) puts up a shot around Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins (20) during the second half in game five of the first round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at FTX Arena. — REUTERS
VICTOR Oladipo scored 23 points and Bam Adebayo posted 20 points and made a key defensive play as the Miami Heat held off the visiting Atlanta Hawks for a series-clinching 97-94 victory in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference’s first round on Tuesday night.
The Hawks had a couple of chances to pull even in the final 30 seconds, but a missed shot came before a game-ending steal by Adebayo.
Miami will be off until opening the conference semifinals on Monday night against Philadelphia or Toronto.
Max Strus scored 10 points during Miami’s 17-0 run late in the second quarter that allowed the Heat to build a 54-42 half time lead.
Tyler Herro poured in 16 points off the Miami bench and Strus finished with 15 points. The Heat played without All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler (knee injury) and, for the second game in a row, point guard Kyle Lowry (hamstring).
Atlanta’s De’Andre Hunter scored 35 points, including 11 in the last five minutes. Kevin Huerter and Danilo Gallinari both had 12 points for the Hawks, who were unable to repeat last year’s postseason success when they reached the conference finals.
Atlanta star guard Trae Young was held to 11 points, scoring just three points — all on free throws — in the fourth quarter. He was 2-for-12 from the field, including 0-for-5 on 3-pointers, and was charged with six turnovers.
Miami’s big burst came in the final minutes of the first half after the Hawks led for the first eight minutes of the second quarter. But Atlanta didn’t have a field goal in the last 4-1/2 minutes of the half, with Hunter’s two free throws with 3.2 seconds before half time halting Miami’s scoring run.
The Hawks recovered enough to close within 79-76 with 8:14 remaining on Onyeka Okongwu’s three-point play. Oladipo posted seven of Miami’s next 13 points as the spread reached 92-82 before Atlanta’s final push.
Adebayo and Hunter each led their teams with 11 rebounds.
This was the closest outcome of Miami’s four wins in the series; the three others came by at least 10 points.
GRIZZLIES 111, TIMBERWOLVES 109 Ja Morant scored 18 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter, including a tie-breaking layup in the final second, and host Memphis took a 3-2 lead in its first-round Western Conference playoff series against Minnesota.
Morant’s driving basket under duress as time expired capped a whirlwind final 2:01 in which the 2021-22 National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Improved Player scored the Grizzlies’ final 11 points. Morant also contributed 13 rebounds, nine assists and three steals while teammate Desmond Bane scored 25 points and blocked three shots.
Karl-Anthony Towns finished with team highs of 28 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota, which will try to stave off elimination on Friday in Minneapolis.
SUNS 112, PELICANS 97 Mikal Bridges scored 31 points and Chris Paul added 22 points and 11 assists as the host Phoenix defeated New Orleans to take a 3-2 lead in a Western Conference first-round playoff series.
Deandre Ayton scored 19 points for the top-seeded Suns, who can end the series with a victory in New Orleans on Thursday. Phoenix hit 10 of 27 from beyond the arc compared to 5 of 25 for the Pelicans.
Brandon Ingram scored 22 points, CJ McCollum had 21, Jonas Valančiūnas had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and Jose Alvarado scored 12 to lead New Orleans. — Reuters
MANCHESTER, England — After one of the greatest of Champions League semifinal clashes, Manchester City will take a 4-3 lead into the second leg of their tie against Real Madrid following an extraordinary encounter at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
A breathtaking and relentlessly fast game, packed with chances, moments of individual brilliance and a smattering of defensive lapses, was a treat for the spectators but leaves City, who had the better of the game, with the slenderest of leads to defend at the Santiago Bernabeu next Wednesday.
Liverpool and Villarreal will certainly struggle to match the quality of this game when they meet in the other semi-final at Anfield on Wednesday.
City took the lead after 94 seconds, the fastest goal scored in a Champions League semifinal, with Kevin De Bruyne’s superb diving header after Riyad Mahrez made a piercing run at the Real defense, switched inside and then delivered a killer cross.
Guardiola’s side doubled their lead in the 11th minute through the in-form Gabriel Jesus, who scored four goals in the Premier League at the weekend, collecting a pass from De Bruyne and spinning away from David Alaba before drilling home.
It was the first time that 13-times European champion Real had conceded two goals so quickly in the Champions League and another looked on the cards.
Reigning Premier League champion City was on fire, running Spanish league leader Real ragged, but Mahrez and Phil Foden were both unable to convert promising chances.
It was a spell of the game that City may yet look back on as a missed opportunity and as so often Real found a way to get themselves back in a contest that risked running away from them.
The goal came via a familiar source, the Champions League’s escape artist Karim Benzema scoring a goal out of nothing as he guided a Ferland Mendy cross into the far, bottom corner with the most delicate of steers after 33 minutes.
Guardiola could be forgiven for wondering how his team’s high-energy, high-quality football had only produced a 2-1 lead at the break but there was a similar pattern in the second half.
FODEN STRIKES City restored a two-goal advantage eight minutes after the restart with veteran Fernandinho, on as a substitute for the injured John Stones, picking out Foden with a perfectly weighted cross which the England international nodded home.
Two minutes later though, Fernandinho was caught out as he allowed Brazilian compatriot Vinicius, Jr. to break away past him on the touchline.
The winger sprinted from the halfway line deep into the area before poking the ball past Ederson to make it 3-2 with an outstanding individual effort.
Yet again City found a way through. Real’s defense hesitated after Oleksandr Zinchenko went down on the edge of the box but Bernardo Silva pounced and beat Thibaut Courtois with a superb drive into the top corner in the 74th minute.
There was more drama to come as City’s Aymeric Laporte was penalized when the ball struck his arm in the area, after glancing off his head, and Benzema converted the penalty with a cheeky “Panenka” chip down the middle eight minutes from time. — Reuters
For micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), breaking out and scaling up is an obstacle that can only be hurdled by embracing the multiple online channels where consumers can now be reached, according to speakers at a webinar on Wednesday.
Constantin Robertz, chief executive officer of logistics platform Locad, said that “product, price, promotion” are the three fundamental things in growing an e-commerce business. The hidden fourth would be the back-end work of seeing to all three.
“Online storefronts and channels like TikTok and Instagram help with reaching consumers across channels, but integrating these [to your business] is the challenge,” he explained. “Seamless logistics integration is key.”
MSMEs in the Philippines make up 99.5% of business establishments, employ 63% of the country’s workforce, and 40% of the country’s GDP in the past few years, according to 2021 data from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
However, many are unprepared to embark on digital transformation, something the DTI aims to address with the recent issuance of a self-assessment tool to guide MSMEs.
“If you’re doing this on your own as an entrepreneur, it’s all-consuming and the risk for MSMEs is that you get so deep in the operational rabbit hole that you don’t have time to take a step back and develop the business,” added Mr. Robertz.
For Aencille Santos, founder and chief executive officer of exercise equipment store Manila Athletica, consistency was almost the downfall of her online business.
“It’s easier for bigger brands because they have a budget, but as a small business owner, you don’t have the resources to manage all of that,” she said.
When the brand grew such that it started receiving 20 to 50 orders a day, the usefulness of logistics integration provided by Locad was a huge help, especially since there were other essentials to see to like admin work and marketing.
Alexander Friedhoff, co-founder and chief executive officer of e-commerce enabler Etaily, suggested looking into multi-warehousing, which is a smart way to fulfill needs for those scaling up.
Online-to-offline (O2O) strategy, which is about integrating online and offline channels, is a perfect fit for Philippine-based MSMEs as well.
“The Philippine landscape just by itself is so wonderfully positioned,” he said, citing the 2021 e-Conomy SEA report by Bain & Company, Google, and Temasek, which found that 95% of consumers will continue to use at least one digital service post-pandemic.
“The median age of the Philippines is 25 years. There’s high internet penetration. We see developments regarding the average hours spent on social media,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ms. Santos’ biggest tips to MSME owners were to be authentic in terms of online presence, to attract consumers who now prefer relatability rather than perfection, and to be meticulous about the end-to-end consumer experience.
The same 2021 study found that seven out of 10 consumers in the region rate delivery as the most important factor in online shopping.
“Every touch point in the entire shopping experience must be a priority,” she said. — Bronte H. Lacsamana
WARSAW/SOFIA/KYIV — Russian energy firm Gazprom said on Wednesday it had halted gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland for failing to pay for gas in roubles, the Kremlin’s toughest retaliation yet to international sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
Poland confirmed that supplies had been cut, while Bulgaria said it would find out soon. Both accused Gazprom of breaching longstanding supply contracts.
“Because all trade and legal obligations are being observed, it is clear that at the moment the natural gas is being used more as a political and economic weapon in the current war,” Bulgarian Energy Minister Alexander Nikolov said.
Gazprom said in a statement it had “completely suspended gas supplies to Bulgargaz and PGNiGdue to absence of payments in roubles,” referring to the Polish and Bulgarian gas companies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that buyers from “unfriendly” countries pay for gas in roubles or be cut off, starting from the date payments are due for April. The European Union has rejected this demand as rewriting contracts that called for payment in euros.
Poland receives its Russian gas through the Yamal-Europe pipeline from Russia’s huge gas fields in the Arctic far north, which continues west to supply Germany and other European countries. Bulgaria is supplied through pipes over Turkey.
Polish state-owned PGNiG confirmed its supplies from Gazprom had been cut but said it was still supplying its own clients as needed.
“Cutting gas supplies is a breach of contract and PGNiG reserves the right to seek compensation and will use all available contractual and legal means to do so,” the company said.
Supplies from Gazprom GAZP.MM cover about 50% of Poland’s consumption and about 90% of Bulgaria’s. Poland said it did not need to draw on reserves and its gas storage was 76% full. Bulgaria has said it is in talks to try to import liquefied natural gas through Turkey and Greece.
Russia’s energy exports had until now continued largely unhindered since the war began, the biggest loophole in sanctions that have otherwise cut off Moscow from much of its trade with the West.
Kyiv has called on Europe to stop funding Moscow’s war effort by cutting off energy imports that bring Russia hundreds of millions of dollars a day.
Germany, the biggest buyer of Russian energy, said this week it is hoping to stop importing Russian oil within days. But weaning Europe off cheap and abundant Russian natural gas, which heats its houses, fuels its factories and drives its electric power plants, would be a far more disruptive prospect.
Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Russia was “beginning the gas blackmail of Europe”.
“Russia is trying to shatter the unity of our allies,” Mr. Yermak said.
RUSSIA MAKES GAINS IN EAST Since the Russian invasion force was driven back at the outskirts of Kyiv last month, Moscow has refocused its operation on eastern Ukraine, starting a new offensive from several directions to fully capture two provinces known as the Donbas.
Ukraine’s general staff acknowledged that Russia had made gains at a number of areas in the east, capturing outskirts of the towns of Velyka Komyshuvakha and Zavody on one front, and the Zarichne and Novoshtokivske settlements in Donetsk region.
Russia’s defense ministry said its missiles had struck an arms depot in Zaporizhzhia region housing weapons from the United States and European countries.
An aide to the mayor of the port city of Mariupol said Russian forces had renewed their attacks on the Azovstal steel plant, where fighters and some civilians are holed up. No agreements had been reached on trying to evacuate civilians from Mariupol on Wednesday, aide Petro Andryushchenko also said.
Ukraine said it had attacked Snake Island, a Black Sea outpost seized by Russia early in the war when defenders became heroes to Ukrainians for rejecting a Russian demand to surrender with an obscenity.
There has been increasing concern over the prospect of the conflict widening to neighboring Moldova, where pro-Russian separatists in a small region occupied since the 1990s by Russian troops have reported several explosions in recent days. — Reuters
A COURT in military-ruled Myanmar sentenced deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi to five years in jail on Wednesday after finding her guilty in the first of 11 corruption cases against her, according to a source with knowledge of proceedings.
The Nobel laureate, who led Myanmar for five years before being forced from power in a coup in early 2021, has been charged with at least 18 offenses, which carry combined maximum jail terms of nearly 190 years if convicted in all.
The judge in the capital, Naypyitaw, handed down the verdict within moments of the court convening, said the source, who declined to be identified because the trial is being held behind closed doors, with information restricted.
It was not immediately clear if Ms. Suu Kyi, 76, the figurehead of Myanmar’s struggle against military dictatorship, would be transferred to a prison to serve the sentence.
Since her arrest she has been held in an undisclosed location, where junta chief Min Aung Hlaing previously said she could remain after earlier convictions in December and January for comparatively minor offenses, for which she has been sentenced to six years altogether.
A spokesman for the military government was not immediately available for comment.
The latest case centered on allegations that Ms. Suu Kyi, accepted 11.4 kg (402 oz) of gold and cash payments totalling $600,000 from her protege-turned-accuser, former chief minister of the city of Yangon, Phyo Min Thein.
Ms. Suu Kyi had called the allegations “absurd.”
‘THIS WON’T LAST’ Nay Phone Latt, a former official in Ms. Suu Kyi’s ousted ruling party, said any court decisions were temporary, because military rule would not last long.
“We do not recognize the terrorist junta’s rulings, legislation, or the judiciary … the people do not acknowledge them either,” said Nay Phone Latt, who is with a shadow National Unity Government (NUG) that has declared a people’s revolt against military rule.
“I don’t care how long they want to sentence, whether it’s one year, two years, or whatever they want. This won’t last.”
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the coup and the international community has dismissed the trials as farcical and demanded Ms. Suu Kyi’s release.
The junta has refused to allow her visits, including by a special Southeast Asian envoy trying to end the crisis.
The military has said Ms. Suu Kyi is on trial because she committed crimes and is being given due process by an independent judiciary. It has rejected international criticism as interference in a sovereign nation’s affairs.
The embassies in Myanmar of the United States and Britain did not immediately respond to requests for comments on Wednesday’s the verdict.
Since her arrest on the morning of the Feb. 1 coup last year, Ms. Suu Kyi has been charged with multiple crimes from violations of electoral and state secrets laws to incitement and corruption, accusations her supporters say are trumped up to kill off any chance of a political comeback. — Reuters
FOR THE WAVE of executives turning into digital nomads since the pandemic, there’s nowhere more accommodating than Lisbon.
That’s according to research by real estate broker Savills Plc, which ranked 15 prime residential markets by their appeal to long-term remote workers. The Portuguese capital’s sunny climate and low cost of living has led to an influx of residents who are now able to log into work from anywhere.
“The pandemic has been a catalyst for executives to make the jump from office life,” Paul Tostevin, director of world research at Savills, said in a phone interview. “Lisbon offers the advantages of city living, and the benefits of being in the European Union.”
Savills said speedy broadband is also among the reasons why remote workers are attracted to the city, which has become a magnet for international property investors. Foreigners are willing to pay more than double for a Lisbon home than domestic buyers, according to Portugal’s National Statistics Institute.
Overseas buyers paid a median price of 4,283 euros ($4,576) per square meter of Lisbon property in the three months through December, compared with 1,858 euros for locals, the institute said in a report released last week. Surging demand lifted real estate prices in the city by 11.4% in the same period, meaning some domestic buyers are being forced to look elsewhere for a home.
Digital nomads are flocking to Portugal’s southern Algarve region too. Already popular with holidaymakers, the area’s climate, beaches, and easy connections to the rest of Europe are spurring overseas buyers to purchase homes to use all year round.
“People are making their holiday homes more permanent,” said James Robinson, director of sales at QP Savills, the broker’s agency in the Algarve. “Clients are looking for office space, which wasn’t even on the agenda before, and high-speed internet, which we have here.”
Hot on Lisbon’s heels is Miami, which sits second in Savills’ index. A mixture of tax incentives, low interest rates and remote working policies makes the Florida city a popular destination for buyers relocating from northeastern US states. Dubai, which is a well-established expat hub, also scored highly alongside Barbados, Barcelona and Dubrovnik. There were no Asian cities included in the rankings.
In Lisbon, Ricardo Garcia, director of residential at Savills in the city, says he expects the influx to continue as the city grows its status as a tech hub.
“Companies are moving their headquarters to Portugal,” Mr. Garcia said. “The area is becoming more and more international and I don’t see Lisbon or Portugal slowing down anytime soon.” — Bloomberg
THE Empire State Building rises above Manhattan in front of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges as seen from an apartment in the Central Park Tower building in New York, U.S. Sept. 17, 2019. — REUTERS/LUCAS JACKSON
REUTERS
FOLLOWING the record surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases during the Omicron-driven wave, some 58% of the US population overall and more than 75% of younger children have been infected with the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, according to a US nationwide blood survey released on Tuesday.
The study issued by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention marks the first time in which more than half of the US population has been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus at least once, and offers a detailed view of the impact of the Omicron surge in the United States.
Before Omicron arrived in Dec. of 2021, a third of the US population had evidence of a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Omicron drove up infections in every age group, according to the new data, but children and adolescents, many of whom remain unvaccinated, had the highest rates of infection, while people 65 and older — a heavily vaccinated population — had the lowest.
During the December to February period — when Omicron cases were raging in the United States — 75.2% of children aged 11 and younger had infection-related antibodies in their blood, up from 44.2% in the prior three-month period. Among those 12-17, 74.2% carried antibodies, up from 45.6% from September to December.
Scientists looked for specific antibodies produced in response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that are only present after an infection and are not generated by COVID-19 vaccines. Trace amounts of these antibodies can remain in the blood for as long as two years.
“Having infection-induced antibodies does not necessarily mean you are protected against future infection,” said the CDC’s Kristie Clarke, co-author of the study, during a media briefing. “We did not look at whether people had a level of antibodies that provides protection against reinfection or severe disease.”
US COVID-19 infections are on the upswing, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters during the briefing, rising 22.7% in the past week to 44,000 per day. Hospitalizations rose for the second week in a row, up 6.6%, largely driven by subvariants of Omicron.
While deaths fell 13.2%, week-over-week, the United States is fast approaching the grim milestone of 1 million total COVID-related deaths.
Ms. Walensky said the BA.1 variant, which caused the Omicron wave, now only accounts for 3% of US transmission. Increasingly, she said a subvariant first discovered in upstate New York called BA.2.121 makes up nearly 30% of US cases, and appears to be 25% more transmissible that even the highly contagious BA.2 subvariant of Omicron.
In certain counties with high COVID-19 community spread, the CDC now recommends people wear a mask in public indoor settings. It cited upstate New York and the Northeast region as areas where hospitalizations have been rising.
Ms. Walensky said the CDC continues to recommend masking in all indoor public transportation settings, and stressed that vaccination remains the safest strategy for preventing complications from COVID-19.
More than 66% of the US population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and nearly 46% of had a booster, according to federal data. — Reuters
Expect oily issues to remain on top of the agenda in this Chinese year of the Water Tiger. After all, oil always floats on top of water. It is bad enough that oil and fuel prices have almost doubled since the start of the year, pushing inflation to 4% in March on the back of higher food prices, among other things. Now, edible oil is about to take a major hit as well.
Indonesia, the world’s largest exporter of palm oil, announced recently a calibrated ban on exports to address a domestic shortage. This led to a sudden rise in world prices for edible oils such as palm, soybean, and olive oil. Reuters though reports that the ban may not last more than a few months for lack of storage facilities in Indonesia to store surplus oil.
Moreover, Reuters quoted industry officials as saying that Indonesia was facing mounting pressure from global buyers to resume shipments. The ban, it was later clarified, will apply only to “exports of refined, bleached, and deodorized (RBD) palm olein… and would not affect flows of crude palm oil or other forms of derivative products,” Reuters reported.
The export ban is intended to address a domestic shortage in cooking oil. But in trying to appease consumers by diverting supply, in the hope of lowering local cooking oil prices, Indonesia may also end up hurting its farmers, millers, and refiners. Reuters noted that palm oil producers and processors typically export over twice as much palm oil as is consumed locally.
The implication of the Indonesia ban, especially if prolonged, can be far-reaching. Palm oil is said to be the most used vegetable oil worldwide, while RBD palm oil is the main raw ingredient in the production of cooking oil. Other than food products, palm oil also goes into cosmetics, detergents, and soap, and is an ingredient in the production of biodiesel.
Many staples like bread and pasta also make extensive use of edible palm oil in their production. With wheat prices already having gone up because of the Russia-Ukraine issue, both of which export more than a quarter of the world’s wheat, globally bread and noodle and packaged food manufacturers and consumers have taken a hit.
While the transportation sector is now struggling with high fuel prices, they appear to be coping. So are many motorists. Moreover, with the recent enactment of Republic Act 11697 or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act, the stage is set for the development of electric vehicles particularly for public transportation.
The issue with food-grade or edible oil, however, requires a more comprehensive approach to food security. Simply put, the average annual agricultural sector growth should always be significantly higher than average population growth. Otherwise, agriculture will always have to play catch up just to meet the food needs of a growing population.
In recent years, we have had to deal with numerous periodic food shortages. First it was rice, which was saddled with controversies on importation and rice tariffication, and then it was pork, which was affected by the spread of African Swine Fever. In the last six years, we have also had to deal with issues affecting chicken and vegetable production.
In the May 2022 election, I truly believe that food security should be the priority. Above anything else. Not just public health and the economy, but also more focus on food. Food supply has always been problematic because of bottlenecks that drive up prices. Add to this the matters beyond our control like rising world prices for fuel oil and edible oil.
We do not produce enough of our own food and thus rely heavily on foreign suppliers. Most of our imports are raw materials and intermediate goods, as well as capital goods used as inputs for production. Main imported commodity groups include cereals and cereal preparations; mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials; and, other food and live animals.
The Philippines does not produce its own wheat for bread and noodles, and thus regularly imports a big amount of wheat and cereals for food production. And with instant noodles, in particular, having become a cheap source of daily sustenance for the poor, the country’s import bill for bread and noodles production have also been going up.
In addition to cereals, to address seasonal shortages in food supply caused by poor harvests or the closure of fishing areas to allow for breeding, we have also had to import rice as well as frozen fish; chicken, pork, and beef; vegetables and fruits; dairy products and cheese products; processed food, and other food items.
We are obviously unprepared to locally produce sufficient food for our people. But it is not always that we can import what we need, like when the government’s attempts to buy rice from abroad had all been rejected in numerous biddings because of low price offers. Importing food requires that there is food to import; and, there is money to pay for imported food.
But there are instances when other countries need to prioritize their own domestic market, like in Indonesia’s case with palm oil, especially when harvest or food supply is affected by weather disturbances or other factors. The Philippines might have money to buy imported food, but if nobody would sell to it, then we would be in trouble.
Shortages result in price surges and, ultimately, hunger. Above anything else, we need to focus on policies and programs that improve food production. Almost everybody around the world is now either grappling with food supply issues or is working to mitigate supply problems by initiating projects and programs that can boost food production and supply. We should do the same here, if not more extensively, considering our over 100 million-strong population.
We need long-term solutions to feeding problems. We need more farm- and food-related programs that actually work. Programs, projects, and policies that will actually boost food supply and keep food prices down. After all, what would be the point in improving the supply of expensive rather than affordable food items? We need cheap but filling bread, not fancy and expensive cake.
Marvin Tort is a former managing editor of BusinessWorld, and a former chairman of the Philippine Press Council
SCREENSHOT of an interview of the Philippine Media Delegation with Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago ‘Chito’ Sta. Romana at the Grand Hyatt Beijing in Beijing, China on Aug. 29, 2019. — RTVMALACAÑANG
“Agentleman with a calm and soothing demeanor combined with acuity, competence, and courage” could be one of the best ways to describe and honor our departed friend and former ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Jose Santiago Lucero Sta. Romana or simply “Chito.”
To be sure, there are many more profound and more comprehensive ways of honoring and describing Chito but any way will always capture one of Chito’s endearing qualities: decency.
Although many reports have described the circumstances of Chito’s death and relatives have added more information in the novena masses held for Chito, it would help just to go over the basic information.
Chito died alone on Monday, April 18, in his quarantine hotel at Huangshan City. Chito was complying with the required 21-day quarantine before returning to Beijing after traveling from the Philippines with Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. who visited China for talks with Foreign Affairs Minister, Wang Yi.
STUDENT DAYS Many things have been written and said about Chito’s accomplishments as a journalist and diplomat. In contrast, my account will be about our student governance days. Chito completed grade school (1961), high school (1965) and college (1970) with Liberal Arts (Economics) and Commerce (Accounting) degrees at the then De La Salle College, a product of a Christian Brothers education. Finishing college at that time, when student activism and student power was at its height and with the first quarter storm (FQS) occurring in January 1970 or a few months before graduation, was by itself a big challenge.
Ferdinand Marcos had just won reelection in November 1969 and was at the peak of his popularity being the first president in the country’s history to win a second term. There was now talk of continuing Marcos’ rule through Imelda and/or some form of amendment to the 1935 Constitution. Marcos had gone to Congress — then located at Burgos Ave., across the Muni golf links — to address a pliant Congress totally under the control of his victorious Nactionalista Party. As Marcos and his entourage were leaving Congress, a crowd made up mostly of students surged forward and within seconds a cardboard coffin flew towards Marcos’s direction and bedlam ensued. The coffin was meant to symbolize the death of democracy as talk of constitutional change to accommodate the Marcoses’ extended rule filled the air and became the hot topic in coffee shops and talk shows.
Chito was there and so were we with several other La Salle boys who cut class to join the mass action. Other mass actions preceded what came to be known as the FQS, which originated from the Jan. 26, 1970 mass action that started after Marcos delivered his State of the Nation before the joint session of Congress. Protests extended up to late evening, with the dispersal operations conducted by the Manila Police Department and the then Philippine Constabulary marked by brutality which later set the tone for future dispersal operations. Chito was in most of these demonstrations even as the so-called moderates of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), led by Edgar Jopson, had fragile relations with the more radical groups like the Kabataang Makabayan and the Samahang Demokratikong Kabataan or SDK.
As Student Council President of De La Salle, Chito and the Council veered towards the left or what some would describe as left of center. The rest of the student body, for example, supported commerce junior students who led a sit-down protest in the middle of the then football field over the repatriation to the US of an American Christian Brother who openly encouraged and supported activism and student power. The sit-down strike led to a general strike that lasted several days, with a big majority of the students boycotting classes. Chito and a number of other council officers and students holed up at the Liwayway Hotel in Echague where we produced protest materials and paraphernalia, met with a curious media that wondered at the activism of boys from so-called conservative exclusive schools. We also met with sympathetic student leaders from the UP, Lyceum, and the Philippine College of Criminology, to name a few.
Despite his deep involvement in student activism which attracted the attention of Marcos’s security and intelligence forces, Chito was able to finish college in regular time. On graduation day, Chito delivered, as student council president, the leadership award speech imploring La Salle graduates to remain courageous and steadfast in the fight to protect one’s rights. In an inspiring speech before school administrators, faculty, and parents of graduates, Chito echoed the familiar chant in the streets, “Huwag Matakot, Makibaka (Don’t be afraid, struggle/fight).” One of Chito’s guests at the commencement ceremonies was UP Student Council president Jerry Barican.
CHINA DAYS While his classmates went on to pursue professional careers or emigrated right after graduation, Chito never wavered in his fight for true freedom. As part of his continuing education and to get a fuller perspective of China, he led a delegation of students that went there in 1971. Among his companions were fellow activists Jaime Florcruz and Ericson Baculinao. The three would opt to remain in Chins rather than face arrest by Marcos after the Plaza Miranda grenade attack on Aug. 21, 1971 and the subsequent suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.
Chito would later become the award-winning bureau chief of the American TV network, ABC, while Jimmy would be appointed CNN Beijing Bureau Chief, and Ericson, NBC Beijing Bureau chief.
Chito, Jimmy, Eric and I would later have dinner and coffee in Beijing when I visited China as a member of President Fidel Ramos’ delegation to the BOAO Forum in Hainan sometime in 2004-2005. After Chito was appointed Ambassador to China, I would call him up from time to time to get insights on Philippine-China relations in the light of the West Philippine Sea dispute. As he would always say, “The thing to remember is to just do what is best for the country.” And that’s exactly what Chito, the patriot, did.
SURVEYS As we approach the May 9 elections, one can’t help but be exposed to all the political talk and maneuverings and, of course, surveys.
As they say, one truthful survey deserves another! Pulse Asia came up with a survey that had VP Leni Robredo at 24% compared to Marcos’s 56%, down from 60%.
A new group, Truth Watch, with its partner, Mobilis, reported its first survey findings from its March 22-April 2 survey initiative. Reports indicate that VP Robredo had a 30% share of the voting population while Marcos’s share was 52%.
Truth Watch, headed by its president, Dr. Dante Velasco, stated that Mobilis had a sample size of 2,500 respondents using simple random sampling. Truth Watch says that it will release the results of its latest survey this coming weekend.
Students of polling and campaign strategists should find all these results of different survey groups interesting and worth comparing and relating to the actual movements on the ground.
Philip Ella Juico’s areas of interest include the protection and promotion of democracy, free markets, sustainable development, social responsibility and sports as a tool for social development. He obtained his doctorate in business at De La Salle University. Dr. Juico served as secretary of Agrarian Reform during the Corazon C. Aquino administration.
RIGHT AFTER the elections, there will be celebrities who will no longer turn heads when they walk through the mall, even without face masks on. Those who are about to be obscure need to get ready for their rude awakening.
Are there behavioral experts who specialize in counseling “has-beens”? Erstwhile celebrities who no longer make movies, host noontime TV shows, manage fortunes, run large corporations, or address rallies with video-enhanced crowds enriched with photos from other countries or enlarged by inanimate objects like red onions made to look like people, need to deal with their new normal… of being ignored. No more invitations for debates to worry about.
Is there a profitable consultancy in counseling the newly undistinguished? Here are some insights from those joining “Anonymous Anonymous” (AA), an NGO promoting the acceptance of a status of anonymity.
We ask the head of AA if he has a good following. The recent elections seem to have revived his pandemic-stricken consultancy for fallen idols. He says most of his clients have been referred to him by psychiatrists dealing with depression and loss of appetite. It seems the adoration of crowds feeds the hungry ego, now starved for affection.
The world of the famous is a distinct culture, worthy of anthropological interest, like growing up in Samoa. It’s a tribe, even if a temporary one. Being simply rich is not the same as being rich and famous.
Celebrities are fussed over in restaurants and parties and given special treatment just because they’re famous. Their birthdays are remembered not just with greetings from their Viber group, but with extravagant presents delivered by anonymous messengers. They don’t even need to remind others who they are — Do you know who I am? (Sorry Sir, but I can’t help you. Why not just check your own ID?)
One of his immersion programs at AA involves being totally ignored. A roomful of people are chatting away in merry abandon. The new client enters the room and the conversation does not stop even when he joins the group. The buzz continues with no appreciable pause or even lowering of volume. (Do you know who I am?)
This simple simulation exercise prepares the subject for the continually rising occasions when he is totally invisible. (Can I have a cup of coffee, please?) The new experience of no one greeting him at the door and fussing over him can cause dizziness to the newly obscure. But it’s an important exercise for the nobody.
Another simulation exercise involves interruption techniques. While a celebrity must only clear his throat or even unceremoniously jump into an ongoing discussion to be given the floor even with a nonsensical comment, the once-powerful one is now just ignored. Impudent challengers just talk over him for all the throat-clearing he is trying to interrupt with. When allowed to finally talk, the others just have their side-conversation or catch up with their Viber groups.
The trainee is advised to keep quiet and just listen passively to the noisy exchange. Maybe when they run out of things to say, the animated debaters will ask for his opinion as a neutral bystander. If they don’t, he should not be upset. It’s what non-entities are routinely used to.
It’s not the expected loss of friends (or acquaintances) that the newly anonymous must guard against. It’s not about becoming invisible and getting fewer Christmas presents. What must be avoided is the gnawing envy at the rise of previous unknowns (sometimes previous subordinates) that used to kowtow to the former celebrity. This is given special prominence in the coping course.
The fall from grace must simply be accepted as part of the cycle of life. Maybe the wheel will turn again, and maybe not.
The worst thought to be entertained involves revenge or some comeback scenario to punish the disrespectful. Much energy can be wasted in this unproductive use of the imagination.
Fame has sped away like a missed bus. The most difficult task is to dispense with the adoration of strangers and move on. Anonymity can be a blessing too to be embraced, like freedom to just be oneself and not worry about the high opinion of others. This is not as easy as it sounds. It just takes some getting used to… like working from home.
The 2022 Asia Pacific Science and Technology Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction was held on 7-8 April 2022 to accelerate the application of science and technology towards evidence-based responses to the growing complexity of disaster risk in the region. From L-R, National Resilience Council President and Asia Pacific Science and Technology Advisory Group (APSTAG) Member Ms. Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, Department of Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) Chief and APSTAG Co-Chair Mr. Marco Toscano-Rivalta, Keio University Professor and APSTAG Co-Chair Dr. Rajib Shaw, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines Mr. Gustavo Gonzalez, and SM Supermalls Vice President for Corporate Compliance and ARISE Global Board Member Ms. Liza Silerio.
The Asia Pacific is the most disaster-prone region in the world. According to the United Nations, nearly 45 percent of the world’s natural disasters occur in the region and more than 75 percent of those affected by natural disasters globally are its residents. Given our connectedness, cascading natural, man-made, and natural-technological hazards have combined to result in systemic risks that have national, regional, and even global impacts.
In the Philippines, the combination of extreme weather events, geological hazards, and COVID-19 has pushed more people into poverty and reversed development gains. Most disasters in the country have been climate or weather-related and the country is consistently cited as having one of the highest populations affected by disasters. It has impacted livelihoods across all sectors of the economy and resulted in adding millions of people to the nation’s poor. “Today, we are facing incredible and mounting human, environmental, social, and economic losses due to disasters. The SDGs are threatened. Current projections say for the Asia Pacific Region, we will be reaching the Sustainable Development Goals in 2065 which is 35 years beyond the expected and agreed timeframe,” Marco Toscano-Rivalta, Head of UNDRR-ROAP shared. This complex combination of factors demands a continuous commitment to understand disaster and climate risk, catalyze trans-disciplinary and international cooperation, and inspire the movement of knowledge to action.
Opening remarks on Day 1 of the 2022 Asia Pacific Science and Technology Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction were delivered by SM Supermalls Vice President for Corporate Compliance and ARISE Global Board Member Ms. Liza Silerio on behalf of NRC Co-Chair, ARISE Philippines Co-Chair, and SM Prime Chairman of the Executive Committee, Mr. Hans T. Sy. Seated from L-R, National Resilience Council President and APSTAG Member Ms. Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, Department of Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña, UNDRR Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Chief and ASPSTAG Co-Chair Mr. Marco Toscano-Rivalta, Keio University Professor and APSTAG Co-Chair Dr. Rajib Shaw, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines Mr. Gustavo Gonzalez, and SM Supermalls Vice President for Corporate Compliance and ARISE Global Board Member Ms. Liza Silerio.
The 2022 Asia Pacific Science and Technology Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction was held on 7-8 April 2022 to accelerate the application of science and technology towards evidence-based responses to the growing complexity of disaster risk in the region. It was co-organized by the Philippine Government, represented by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) – Office of Civil Defense (OCD), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the National Resilience Council (Chair of the Organizing Committee), and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (UNDRR-ROAP) and UNDRR-led Asia Pacific Science and Technology Advisory Group (APSTAG) and Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies (ARISE). This multi-stakeholder conference was made possible by the generous support of Global ARISE Board Member, SM Prime Holdings, Inc., and the participation of the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR), U-INSPIRE Alliance, DOST-National Academy of Science and Technology, University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, and the Manila Observatory.
Attendees of the press conference included, from L-R, ARISE Philippines Co-Chair VADM Alexander Pama, NEDA former Director-General and Secretary of Socioeconomic Planning Dr. Ernesto Pernia, Department of Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña, UNDRR Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Chief and ASPSTAG Co-Chair Mr. Marco Toscano-Rivalta, Keio University Professor and APSTAG Co-Chair Dr. Rajib Shaw, NDRRMC Executive Director and Office of Civil Defense Administrator Usec. Ricardo Jalad, SM Supermalls Vice President for Corporate Compliance and ARISE Global Board Member Ms. Liza Silerio, and National Resilience Council President and APSTAG Member Ms. Antonia Yulo Loyzaga.
Led by APSTAG and held every two years, the first blended international conference was inspired by the need to accelerate disaster resilient development and provide a platform to continue the science-policy dialogue. Experts in the fields of climate and disaster science and technology, and risk governance gathered to take stock of advancements towards the goals of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate Agreement, and the New Urban Agenda highlighting compound, cascading, and systemic risk.
Mr. Hans T. Sy personally toured UNDRR-Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (UNDRR-ROAP) representatives around the SM Prime booth, which showcased the various projects and initiatives of the company in regard to disaster risk reduction and resilience. From L-R, UNDRR-ROAP Disaster Risk Reduction Officer Mr. Tejas Tamobhid Patnaik, UNDRR-ROAP Chief Mr. Marco Toscano-Rivalta, and National Resilience Council Co-Chair, ARISE Philippines Co-Chair and SM Prime Chairman of the Executive Committee, Mr. Hans T. Sy.
A global virtual audience of over 1000 participants joined the 150 industry leaders from national and local government, the private sector, academia, and international and Philippine non-government organizations attending the event in person. Some notable attendees include Mr. Ernesto Garilao, Chairman and President of the Zuellig Family Foundation; Dr. Ernesto Pernia, former Director-General of NEDA and Secretary of Socioeconomic Planning; Ret. MGen. Restituto Padilla, Spokesperson of NTF COVID-19; Hon. Proserfina Coro, Mayor of Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte; Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin, Executive Director of the Manila Observatory and Vice Chair of NRC; Mr. Jocot De Dios, President and CEO of Manila Water; Mr. Dito Borromeo, CEO of Philippine Transmarine Carriers (PTC) Group of Companies; Mr. Owen Cammayo, Executive Director of BPI Foundation; Ms. Mardi Mapa-Suplido, CEO for Habitat for Humanity Philippines, and diplomats representing the Embassies of India and Australia, to name a few.
Presenting the Kuala Lumpur Multi-hazard Platform on Day 2 of the 2022 Asia Pacific Science and Technology Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction was SEADPRI-Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Professor and Asian Network on Climate Science and Technology Director Dr. Joy Jacqueline Pereira. The panel was co-moderated by SEADPRI-Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Professor and Asian Network on Climate Science and Technology Director Dr. Joy Jacqueline Pereira, Manila Observatory Senior Research Fellow Dr. Rosa Perez and Manila Observatory Regional Climate Systems Laboratory Head Dr. Faye Abigail Cruz.
The conference featured experts who discussed the localization of science for more inclusive policies, the need for more evidence-based decision making for infrastructure and resource utilization amidst increasing urbanization, how entrepreneurship drives innovation for DRR, and the emerging field of Natech (Natural Hazards Triggering Technological Accidents). This conference fostered regional exchanges on how to better understand, mitigate, and prevent complex, transboundary, cascading, compound, and systemic disaster risks.
Technical Session 5 on Day 2 included speakers, from L-R, First Philippine Holdings Corporation Chief Sustainability Officer Ms. Agnes De Jesus, ARISE Philippines Co-Chair VADM Alexander Pama, and Youth Innovation Lab Nepal Executive Director Mr. Pradip Khatiwada.
Common to the discussions was the recognition that the COVID-19 pandemic has added a new challenge as it revealed how lives, livelihoods, and the environment are exposed and deepened the many difference ways our communities, sectors, and systems, are vulnerable. It has introduced new complexity and uncertainty to the pathways towards resilient development and has imbued the role of local governments with even greater nuance and importance. Long-standing issues on equity and governance are reflected in the differentiated impacts of disasters on communities. “The local level is really key and localizing science for disaster risk reduction is vital in terms of saving lives and also livelihoods in order then to build resilience. This of course includes also leveraging on the synergies between science, local, traditional, and indigenous knowledge,” said Marco Toscano-Rivalta. In these rapidly changing times, more adaptive and transformative leadership is required. Traditional local leadership must broaden its reach in order to address the challenges of disaster prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery in development planning, rather than just in preparedness for emergency response. “I think it is now time for science and technology to provide more risk-informed decision making to local governments to address adaptive governance mechanisms,” said Dr. Rajib Shaw, Professor at Keio University and Co-Chair of APSTAG.
The 2022 APSTCDRR’s guests included members of the Philippine Bureau of Fire Protection, who demonstrated an innovative way of educating the public about fire prevention, awareness, and safety through games.
Gustavo Gonzalez, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines, echoed this by saying, “At the end of the day, all of these discussions on preparedness, on prevention, and resilience building is a governance issue. It relates to policies, strategic decisions, and financial allocation that put prevention and disaster risk management at the heart of the political agenda.” He added, “We know that allocation for emergency response – I’m the humanitarian coordinator of the UN in this country – is approximately 20 times higher than for prevention and preparedness, in some way countering sustainability principles. We also know that investing in resiliency infrastructure is an investment in the future. Every $1 invested in making infrastructure disaster-resilient saves $4 in reconstruction.”
DOST Undersecretary Dr. Renato Solidum Jr. meanwhile underscored the importance of merging science and technology with other sectors to create a synergy in addressing disasters. “When we recognize the power of science, technology and innovation, we will realize that we are not powerless against the consequences of disasters. It is important that science needs to work with interconnected systems, sectors, and disciplines. Science works, and it works effectively if we use it in our decision making,” Solidum said. Sec. Fortunato De La Peña stated, “As science and technology changes the world, innovation shapes the future”.
To end the two-day conference, Ms. Antonia Yulo Loyzaga presented The Manila Declaration on Science and Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction, written by the conference’s principals, which reiterates a shared commitment to accelerate the implementation of the Sendai Framework to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Agreement, and the New Urban Agenda for climate and disaster resilient development. It outlines a commitment to develop and disseminate science, engineering, technology, and innovation (SETI) for disaster risk reduction and a focus on five accelerators for action to achieve synergies between science, policy, and action: actions for science-based adaptive governance; understanding, analyzing, and localizing of SETI solutions; trans-disciplinary education and research and youth leadership and participation; capacity enhancement and investment; and science and technology progress monitoring.
The APSTCDRR is a biennial conference that has been hosted by Bangkok, Thailand in 2016; Beijing, China in 2018; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2020. The outcomes and policy recommendations from the conference will serve as a contribution to the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction on 19-22 September 2022 in Brisbane and the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework which will conclude in 2023 at a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly.
Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by enabling them to publish their stories directly on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.
Lista, a free bookkeeping app for small and mid-sized businesses, has launched itsIpon Challenge, which encourages Filipinos to set savings goals through the app’s new Savings and Sales Target features. The former allows users to track their savings, whereas the latter allows them to set business profit targets.
“Lista wants to encourage every Filipino to set a savings goal for the things they dream of – whether they start with a small amount or go big with a car down payment,” shared Khriz T. Lim, co-founder of Lista, in a press statement. “Through the help of our partners, we look forward to seeing everyone complete theiripon [savings] challenge and help them move towards the goal of understanding their finances and empowering them to make better purchase decisions.”
An emergency fund, tuition fees, and a home are the top three dream items of Lista’s current 10,000-strong user base, Ms. Lim told BusinessWorld.
“The average target savings is about P90,000 for non-business owners,” she added in an e-mail. Meanwhile, “the average sales target for business owners is P60,000.”
Individuals interested in joining the challenge will need to install the Lista app, register using their mobile number, and then create a savings challenge through the Savings icon. Savings must be recorded in the app at least twice a week, following their daily or weekly savings amount.
There is no minimum savings goal. The deadline to reach one is before May 30.
Participants that join the challenge also get a chance to win prizes from Lista’s partners, including a P10,000 Kabuhayan (Livelihood) Package from SariSuki, a community-selling platform that deliveries fresh deliveries, and Life Armor Insurance coverage for one year from Sun Life Philippines, a financial services organization.
To be eligible for the various prizes, participants will need to share a screenshot of their savings badge on Facebook with the hashtag #IponChallenge and tag Lista.
A June 2021 survey conducted by Hong Kong-based AIA Group Limited found that uncertainties driven by COVID-19 have led people to retain as much cash as they can. As many as 77% of Filipinos 25 years and above agree that they now plan to put more money aside for savings. – Patricia Mirasol
