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Sounds made visible

PHOTO BY ANDREA D’ALTOE

The Philippine Pavilion at the Venice Biennale combines the modern with the traditional

VISUAL artist Gerardo Tan visited a weaving house in Miag-ao, Iloilo in 2016. While there, he was captivated by the sounds of the pedal looms as the weavers were working. To him, the activity sounded like music. This experience made him wonder how it would be like if the looms’ sounds were read. So over the next six years, he worked on the project that has now become the Philippine Pavilion’s installation for the 59th International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale.

Established in 1895, the Venice Art Biennale is the oldest and arguably most prestigious international art exhibition. It is held every two years in the Castelo District of Venice in Italy.

The Philippines first participated in the Venice art fair in 1964 with an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by National Artists for Visual Arts José Joya and Napoleón Abueva.

It took another 50 years before the Philippines returned to Venice.

This year’s Philippine Pavilion at the Arsenale features the collaborative project titled Andi taku e sana, Amung taku di sana (All of us present, This is our gathering) by Mr. Tan, ethnomusicologist Felicidad A. Prudente, and Ifugao weaver Sammy N. Buhle. It is curated by Yael Buencamino Borromeo and Arvin Flores.

The exhibition is a convergence of traditional and contemporary art forms: textile weaving, painting, video and sound installation.

“…The exhibit aims to represent the translation of cultural data into visual communication, collectively promoting Philippine traditions and ensuring its endurance through universal exchange,” co-curators Buencamino Borromeo and Flores wrote in their curatorial statement.

CHANTS MEET VIDEO
Andi taku e sana, Amung taku di sana are the opening lines of a sogna, a chant performed extemporaneously in gatherings of the Madukayan people (a Kalinga ethnolinguistic community of the Philippines located in the northern Cordillera region). The chant is performed prior to a peaceful dialogue among the members of the community.

Performed by chanter Jose Pangsiw, the sogna was transcribed by Ms. Prudente and subsequently used by Mr. Tan for the work, Speaking in Tongues — a two-channel video installation featuring the translation of a traditional chant into a performative painting using squid ink as a medium.

The exhibit’s main installation, Renderings, shows the transmission of the sounds made by traditional weaving practices remediated in video and textile.

SOUNDS MAKE FABRIC
For the textiles in Renderings, Mr. Tan reached out to Ms. Prudente of the UP College of Music to assist with the notations of audio recordings taken in different weaving houses around the Philippines. For these to be translated into woven fabric, Mr. Tan and Ms. Prudente went to Ifugao and sought out Mr. Buhle upon the advice of Dr. Analyn Salvador-Amores, director of Museo Kordilyera in UP Baguio. Ms. Prudente’s notation provided a visual representation which was sketched by Mr. Tan, before Ifugao weaver Mr. Buhle, transformed these into woven fabric.

The resulting textiles do not use traditional weaving patterns, but are “woven sound transcriptions,” exhibition co-curator Ms. Buencamino Borromeo said in her speech at the Philippine Pavilion launch on April 21 which was streamed on Facebook.

Ms. Borromeo added that transcribing the rhythms of the looms into notations “required disciple and extensive experience in music transcription to accurately capture the timing of the looms’ movements.”

“The exhibition encourages one to be open to collaborative work because when you create new knowledge, you are able to produce something unique,” Ms. Prudente said.

Mr. Buhle, who comes from a family of traditional weavers said that he “needed to transform my way of technique” for the project.

“They collaborate with me on the patterns that I need to weave. They give me the final print of the layout,” Mr. Buhle said. “I will ask them to video the weaving process that I do until the fabric is finished.”

“A lot of my work has this self-referential aspect to them. It feeds back on itself. There’s a loop that’s being created. As a viewer, when you approach the work, you present it with different realities at the same time. There’s a dialogue between materials and processes,” Mr. Tan said.

VIRTUAL TOUR
The Philippine Pavilion in Venice is open for public viewing until Nov. 27. The Philippine Pavilion is also accessible to a global public through its digital programs and virtual tours.

The Philippine’s participation at the Venice Biennale is a collaborative effort of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Office of Deputy Speaker and Congresswoman Loren Legarda.

The artists and curators are hopeful that an exhibit of the installations can be put up in the Philippines after the Venice Biennale.

For more details, visit philartsvenicebiennale.org, or Facebook and Instagram via @philartsvenice.  — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

COVID worsens asthma in children

THE following is a summary of some recent studies on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review.

ASTHMA IN CHILDREN
Asthma in children may worsen after an infection with the coronavirus, doctors warn.

They studied nearly 62,000 US children with asthma who had PCR tests for the virus in the first year of the pandemic, including more than 7,700 who tested positive. Infected children had significantly more asthma visits, hospitalizations, emergency inhaler use, and steroid treatments during the six months after their illness compared to children who tested negative and to their own prior history, researchers reported in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. Children who tested negative for the virus “had improved asthma control for the next six months, meaning fewer emergency department visits and hospitalizations for asthma, and less asthma treatment,” said Dr. Christine Chou of Children’s Health of Orange County, in California.

Results of earlier studies showing improvement in asthma control in the early part of the pandemic were likely due to public health measures like staying home and masking, which curbed exposure to asthma triggers, she said. Despite the overall impression that children with asthma did well during the first year of the pandemic, Chou added, the new study shows “longer lasting harm of COVID on children’s asthma control.”

BOOSTER AFTER INFECTION
Among people who were previously infected with the coronavirus, a third dose of an mRNA vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna may not boost their protection against the Omicron variant of the virus, according to new data.

Researchers studied nearly 130,000 people tested for COVID in Connecticut from November 2021 through January 2022, including 10,676 with Omicron infections. Roughly 6% to 8% had been infected with previous versions of the coronavirus, according to a report posted on medRxiv ahead of peer review.

Two doses of an mRNA vaccine did help protect against Omicron among people with prior infections, but “we did not detect an additional benefit of receiving a third booster dose among this population,” said Margaret Lind of Yale University.

A separate study from Canada, also posted on medRxiv ahead of peer review, similarly found that more than two vaccine doses “may be of marginal incremental value” for protecting previously-infected individuals against Omicron.

The message, Ms. Lind said, “should be that (1) people should get two doses of mRNA vaccine regardless of if they have had a prior infection or not, that (2) people without prior infections should get a booster dose and that (3) people with prior infections should consider a booster dose, especially if they are in a high risk group for life threatening complications, but recognize that it may not provide significant additional protection against infection above two doses.” — Reuters

Manila Mining plans P519-million stock rights offer  

MANILA Mining Corp. said it is eyeing a stock rights offering amounting to P519.2 million to fund its exploration program, administrative costs, and settle trade payables and accruals.

It plans to offer 51,917,357,740 common shares of the company, with a par value of P0.01 per share, consisting of 31,159,217,274 class A shares and 20,758,140,466 class B shares.

“The net proceeds from the offer, after costs and fees of about P11.75 million, will be used by the company to fund its exploration program, administration costs, and settle trade payables and accruals,” it said in its prospectus.

The offer period will run from May 16 to 20, with a listing date of June 20.

The company tapped Penta Capital & Investment Corp. as the underwriter.

“The offer shares shall be considered issued upon approval of Manila Mining’s application for increase of authorized capital stock with the Securities and Exchange Commission,” the company added.

According to its prospectus, the company is currently not in operation.

“It stopped its mining and milling operations on July 25, 2001 due to the expiration of the Temporary Authority to construct and operate Tailings Pond issued by the Environmental Management Bureau. Thereafter, activities have been limited to exploration and to securing the company’s assets,” it read.

Manila Mining was incorporated in 1949 to primarily engage in the mining and exploration of metals.

The firm had two mining lease contracts with the government located in Surigao del Norte and currently has three other mineral production sharing agreement applications covering locations in Surigao del Norte and Agusan del Norte.

It is an affiliate of Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co. and has one subsidiary, the Kalaya-an Copper-Gold Resources, Inc., which it owns 95% with Philex Mining Corp. owning the rest.

At the stock exchange on Monday, Manila Mining shares ended lower by 3% at P0.0097 apiece. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Lenders oppose BSP’s proposed credit quota for innovation dev’t

BW FILE PHOTO
THE CENTRAL BANK wants to require lenders to allocate credit for the development of new technologies and innovations for various services. — BW FILE PHOTO

THE CENTRAL BANK’S proposal to impose a lending quota for the development of new technologies and innovations for various services will affect smaller lenders negatively as these do not match their market, according to the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP).

RBAP President Albert T. Concha, Jr. said they have filed a joint petition for declaratory relief with the Bankers Association of the Philippines and the Chamber of Thrift Banks regarding the proposed credit allocation.

“We highly contest this mandatory credit allocation for innovation and technology as there is hardly any, possibly none at all, borrower who would qualify for this category in the areas where RBs (rural banks) operate in,” Mr. Concha said in a Viber message.

“We find this [proposal] oppressive as stiff penalties will be imposed on RBs when in fact non-compliance is already beyond the rural banks’ control,” Mr. Concha said.

“While we recognize the need to support technology and innovation in our country, it should not be done at the expense of rural banks,” he added.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in March released a draft circular proposing that banks must allocate 4% of their loanable funds for innovation development credit.

Eligible loans that can be included as direct compliance under the proposal are those granted to qualified borrowers after Aug. 6, 2019. These borrowings should have been used to develop new technologies and innovations for products, processes, organization, and marketing.

Credit that can be counted as alternative compliance for innovative development will include loans to micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises that have businesses related to e-commerce and supply chain financing.

Banks’ investments in bonds for innovation and those related to food security, blue economy, education, health, clean and renewable energy, climate change, infrastructure, human capital development, digital economy and transportation will also count as alternative compliance.

Lastly, investments in equities of startups may also be counted as compliance, subject to limits set by the central bank.

The proposal showed the BSP is also looking to make innovative development lending serve as an alternative mode of compliance to the mandatory credit allocation for agriculture and agrarian reform.

Based on the proposal, banks will face penalties equivalent to 0.5% of the minimum compliance requirement if they fail to meet the credit quota.

The industry-wide net profit of rural banks reached P4.241 billion in 2021, rising by 64% from the P2.593 billion in 2020, based on BSP data.

Their cumulative assets increased by 10.6% to P287.03 billion from P259.521 billion a year earlier. — L.W.T. Noble

Russia’s Bolshoi drops shows by two directors who spoke out against war

A SCENE from the cancelled production of Nureyev. — PHOTO FROM BOLSHOIRUSSIA.COM

LONDON — Russia’s Bolshoi Theater has upset opera and ballet fans by abruptly cancelling a series of shows this week by directors who have spoken out against the war in Ukraine.

The theater gave no reason for dropping Timofey Kuliabin’s production of the opera Don Pasquale and Kirill Serebrennikov’s ballet Nureyev.

Mr. Kuliabin has used his Instagram account to express solidarity with Ukraine and ridicule Russia’s description of its actions there. In one post, he showed a mocked-up version of the cover of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, replacing the first word of the title with “Special Operation” —  the term used by the Kremlin to describe the invasion.

Mr. Serebrennikov told France 24 in an interview last month that “it’s quite obvious that Russia started the war,” and that it was breaking his heart.

“It’s war, it’s killing people, it’s the worst thing (that) ever might happen with civilization, with mankind… It’s a humanitarian catastrophe, it’s rivers of blood,” he said.

Both directors are currently outside Russia.

The replacement of the two shows with The Barber of Seville and Spartacus, two longstanding staples of the Bolshoi’s repertoire, drew hundreds of mostly critical online comments from ticketholders. Many demanded in vain to know the reason.

“What disrespect to the spectators and artists!” one woman, Valeria, wrote on the Bolshoi’s Telegram channel.

There was particular outrage at the cancellation of Serebrennikov’s Nureyev, a controversial production that premiered at the Bolshoi in 2017. The story of dancer Rudolf Nureyev, who defected to the West in 1961, included a tender scene with his gay lover that tested the Kremlin’s tolerance for what it calls “homosexual propaganda.” —  Reuters

Rampant UP, wounded Ateneo headline unexpected Final Four 

UP Maroons’ Zavier Lucero — THE UAAP

TOP-SEEDED rivals Ateneo and University of the Philippines (UP) shoot for a quick finals date when they tackle lower-ranked Far Eastern University (FEU) and La Salle, respectively, in the Final Four of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 84 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Armed with the twice-to-beat advantage, the No. 1 and three-time reigning champion Blue Eagles (13-1) want to make quick work of the fourth-running Tamaraws (7-7) in the main game at 6 p.m., while the second-seeded Fighting Maroons (12-2) aim to do the same against the No. 3 Green Archers (9-5) at 2 p.m.

A win by the Katipunan rivals would push them straight to the finals to dispute a first-ever UAAP final under bubble conditions.

If they were to meet for the championship, it would be a rematch of the same teams that met for the UAAP crown in 2018.

But for both teams coming off different paths on to the Final Four, the job is easier said than done.

“You know coach Olsen (Racela) does a great job and they’re gonna be ready. But we will regroup and we have to make sure that our loss (against UP) is useful for us. There will be lessons taken and lessons learned,” coach Tab Baldwin said after Ateneo’s outright finals dream was spoiled over the weekend.

Needing one last triumph to book a direct flight to the championship, the Blue Eagles, then on a 13-0 season start, fumbled and landed hard at the expense of the Fighting Maroons with a gut-wrenching 84-83 loss.

The loss sent the Blue Eagles into the semifinal against the Tamaraws, instead of awaiting the survivor of a stepladder playoff among the other teams.

The costly defeat also snapped Ateneo’s 39-game win streak dating back to 2018, adding fuel to an already spirited UP side on the other end.

“I hope we can carry (the momentum) over to the semis. It’s all about the bigger picture,” Maroons mentor Goldwin Monteverde said as UP seeks to end a 36-year UAAP title drought.

UP as of press time is hoping for the availability of gunner CJ Cansino, who went in for MRI tests on Tuesday following a knee injury against Ateneo.

Both Ateneo and UP swept their semis counterparts in the elimination round. The Blue Eagles clipped the Tamaraws, 79-70 and 70-53, while the Fighting Maroons bested the Green Archers, 61-59 and 72-69. — John Bryan Ulanday

Old frames, new sight

PIXABAY

Old eyeglasses that are donated to the Asian Eye Institute can be cleaned and fitted with prescription lenses, giving beneficiaries the gift of sight.

MultiplEye: The Recycled Frames Project, launched in 2020, is a partnership between the institute and the Ophthalmological Foundation of the Philippines (OFPHIL), a non-governmental organization dedicated to preventing blindness in economically disadvantaged communities in the country.

Different kinds of eyewear — be they reading glasses or sunglasses — are assessed to see if they can be used to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia, which are among the leading causes of preventable blindness in the Philippines.

Frames can be dropped off at Asian Eye Institute clinics in Rockwell Center, Makati City; Ayala Malls Trinoma, Quezon City; SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City; and Commercenter Alabang, Muntinlupa City. They can also be dropped off at EyeSite branches in St. Frances Cabrini Medical Center, Batangas City; SM City Fairview, Quezon City; and Williams Center Building, Mandaluyong City; as well as EyeSite Vision Studio in SM City Rosario, Cavite.

More investments against fraud sought amid vetoed SIM card registration bill

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

AS the proposed measure mandating the registration of subscriber identity module or SIM cards was vetoed, financial institutions may have to invest more to prevent rising fraud risks for consumers, analysts said.

“This legislative setback would mean that the financial services industry would have to step up investments in modern fraud detection methods that leverage advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence in order to prevent or detect fraudulent behavior,” Swarup Gupta, industry manager at The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), said in an e-mail.

Across the world, 160 countries have already implemented measures that require the registration of SIM cards, said Kaspersky General Manager for Southeast Asia Yeo Siang Tiong.

He said the Philippines is the lone country in Southeast Asia — and joins the likes of Canada, US and UK — that do not have such laws.

“Based on existing legislations around the world, SIM-card registration as proposed is a measure that can help deter cybercriminals from committing fraudulent activities but it’s not a ‘be-all-end-all’ solution,” Mr. Yeo said in an e-mail.

Financial technology firms and digital industries are fully supporting the vetoed SIM card registration bill.

“This [measure] will have a significant impact in reducing fraud. Consumer protection is key in keeping trust in digital financial transactions,” FinTech Alliance.ph Chairman Angelito M. Villanueva said in a Viber message.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte last month vetoed the measure that would require the mandatory registration of SIM cards, saying the matter needs a more thorough study. He did not agree with the measure’s provision to require social media networks to secure real names and phone numbers of account users.

The bill was supposedly meant to help fight fraud as well as terrorism and criminal activities.

Since the start of the pandemic, text scams have risen to target Filipinos facing unemployment through fake job offers. Some consumers have been victims of fraud scams that resulted in compromised transaction accounts and fund losses.

The Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) has said that unauthorized withdrawals and transfers reached more than P1 billion in 2021. This came amid the increase in cybercrime incidents along with the rise in digital transactions during the pandemic.

During the campaign season, text messages vouching for certain candidates have also been circulating.

In the absence of a state-mandated SIM card registration, financial institutions will have to compensate to ensure checks are in place in preventing fraud, EIU’s Mr. Gupta said.

“They [financial institutions] would also have to prepare to deal with customer dissatisfaction and allocate significant funds towards educating current and prospective customers about methods to protect their data,” he said.

“These are steps that they would have had to take in any case, but the effort and expenditure go up substantially if authorities fail to enact and implement such legislation,” Mr. Gupta added.

Beyond the legislation and infrastructure, educating the people is also important in guarding against cybersecurity risks in the financial system, Kaspersky’s Mr. Yeo said. He said this is crucial as culprits continue to level up attacks amid continued developments in technology.

“Policy makers and the financial industry should look into strategies that help in securing technology by design, enforce cybersecurity law on an international level, and offer a high level of cybersecurity education both to employees and the public,” Mr. Yeo said.

Industry players have been partnering to fight against scammers that target financial consumers. In March, UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. and Globe Telecom, Inc. partnered to allow disclosure of personal information when needed in order to aid fraud investigation.

The BAP also partnered with the Department of Justice in February for cybersecurity information sharing and training. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Apple hit with EU antitrust charge over mobile payments technology

BRUSSELS — Apple faces a possible hefty fine and may have to open its mobile payment system to competitors after European Union (EU) antitrust regulators charged the iPhone maker with restricting rivals’ access to its technology used for mobile wallets.

This marks the second EU charge against Apple after EU regulators last year accused the company of distorting competition in the music streaming market following a complaint from Spotify.

The European Commission said on Monday it had sent a charge sheet known as a statement of objections to Apple, detailing how the company had abused its dominant position in markets for mobile wallets on iOS devices.

The Commission said Apple’s anti-competitive practices dated back to 2015 when Apple Pay was launched.

“We have indications that Apple restricted third-party access to key technology necessary to develop rival mobile wallet solutions on Apple’s devices,” EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.

“In our statement of objections, we preliminarily found that Apple may have restricted competition, to the benefit of its own solution Apple Pay,” she said.

Apple, which could face a fine up to 10% of its global turnover or $36.6 billion based on its revenue last year, though EU penalties rarely reach the cap, said it would continue to engage with the Commission.

“Apple Pay is only one of many options available to European consumers for making payments, and has ensured equal access to NFC (near-field communication) while setting industry-leading standards for privacy and security,” the company said in a statement.

Apple’s Frankfurt-listed shares fell on the news and were down 0.7% at 1216 GMT.

Apple Pay is used by more than 2,500 banks in Europe and over 250 fintechs and challenger banks. The NFC chip enables tap-and-go payments on iPhones and iPads.

Vestager rejected the company’s security argument.

“Our investigation to date did not reveal any evidence that would point to such a higher security risk. On the contrary, evidence on our file indicates that Apple’s conduct cannot be justified by security concerns,” she told a news conference.

Apple can ask for a closed-door hearing to defend its case and also send a written response before the Commission issues a decision, which could take a year or more.

The EU is set to implement new tech rules next year called the Digital Markets Act which will force Apple to open up its closed eco-system or face fines as much as 10% of its global turnover.

The Commission’s decision to send its statement of objections to Apple confirmed a Reuters story in October last year. — Reuters

World’s first NFT museum in Seattle aims to ‘pull back the curtain’ on blockchain art

PHOTO FROM SEATTLENFTMUSEUM.COM

SEATTLE — The world’s first permanent NFT art museum has opened in Seattle, aiming to “pull back the curtain” on blockchain-based digital art.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are a type of digital asset that has exploded in popularity recently, with NFT artworks selling for millions of dollars. NFTs exist on a blockchain, a record of transactions kept on networked computers.

The museum opened its doors on Jan. 14, and has been providing an outlet for artists, creators, and collectors to display their NFTs in a physical setting, while aiming to educate the public about this fairly new market for digital art.

“We really realized the impact of being able to look at this type of art in a way where you actually slow down, you see all the details,” said Jennifer Wong, a co-founder and curator at Seattle NFT Museum.

Local digital artist Maksim Surguy attended the opening of the museum’s Climate Conversation exhibition on April 16, which features his designs that are sold as NFTs online, but can also be printed in physical form.

“Previously, if you make a digital artwork or physical artwork, there were a lot of limitations about who can see the artwork or how they can own it,” said Mr. Surguy, who works in Seattle’s tech industry and ventured into crypto-based art a year and a half ago.

According to a March report from Ireland-based Research and Markets firm, the global NFT market is expected to grow to over $21 billion in 2022.

“An NFT is really just a contract that signifies the ownership of an asset of some kind,” said Peter Hamilton, who co-founded the museum. “These tokens…  are basically a contract that says this serial number belongs to this piece of art, and if you own this token, you are the rightful owner.”

The museum has programming planned throughout the year.

“I can’t emphasize enough how important the educational part of this museum is,” said Mr. Hamilton. “We’re trying to onboard folks and help them see what the value of NFTs are and help people pull back the curtain a little bit on what blockchain is and what its utility is.” — Reuters

Sparkling odes to New York as Met Gala celebrates Gilded Age

NEW YORK —  Reality TV star Kim Kardashian evoked American history at the annual Met Gala on Monday, donning the sparkling gold gown that Marilyn Monroe wore six decades ago when she serenaded President John F. Kennedy with “Happy birthday, Mr. President.”

Kardashian, her blonde hair in a tight bun, walked gingerly in the close-fitting dress as boyfriend and comedian Pete Davidson held her hand on the red carpet. Mr. Davidson chose a black suit and sunglasses.

The star of The Kardashians said she lost 16 pounds in three weeks so she could wear the iconic dress that Monroe sported in 1962. “It was such a challenge,” Ms. Kardashian said. “It was like a role. I was determined to fit this.”

Known for celebrities in over-the-top outfits, the Met Gala returned to its traditional date of the first Monday in May, just eight months after 2021’s pandemic-delayed event in September.

The event, a fundraiser for New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, has been dubbed the Oscars of the East Coast. This year’s A-list guests were told to dress in “gilded glamour.”

Blake Lively, a Met Gala co-chair along with her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, arrived in a glittering bronze-colored Versace dress influenced by New York’s Grand Central Terminal, the Statue of Liberty, and the Empire State Building.

Attendants removed a large bow and rearranged the gown’s long train to reveal a turquoise and copper look, a switch that Ms. Lively said was an ode to the greenish patina that bronze buildings develop over time.

“Empire State of Mind” singer Alicia Keys also celebrated New York, wearing a Ralph Lauren dress with 200,000 crystals arranged to look like the city’s skyline.

Jared Leto, who starred in last year’s movie House of Gucci, attended with Gucci designer Alessandro Michele. The pair wore identical tan suits and red bow ties. Mr. Leto described the look as “double Victorian gilded trouble.”

Musician Lizzo wore a black dress with a gold-embroidered jacket and carried a gold flute that she played briefly on the red carpet. Billie Eilish appeared in a light green Gucci gown that she said was made with existing materials to be eco-friendly.

As usual, many celebrities seemed to ignore the night’s theme. Model Gigi Hadid wore a red corseted jumpsuit with a large puffy coat. Singer Gwen Stefani stood out in a full-skirted neon-yellow gown.

The invitation-only Met Gala marks the opening of the annual fashion exhibition at the museum’s Costume Institute. This year’s exhibit, In America: An Anthology of Fashion, caps a two-part exhibition and focuses on the history of American dress.

Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said she was attending for the first time in 20 years to celebrate the American spirit. Her burgundy gown featured subtle embroidery of the names of 60 famous American women including abolitionist Harriet Tubman and Madeleine Albright, the late secretary of state.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams wore a tuxedo jacket with symbols of New York’s subway system and “End Gun Violence” written on the back. He noted the economic struggles that many people experienced during the opulent Gilded Age of the late 1800s and early 1900s.

“Although we had some great inventions and some great architecture … it was also a dark period,” he said.

Gabrielle Union wore a silver Versace gown inspired by Diahann Carroll. A red rose on the front symbolized blood spilled by people of color who helped build America, she said.

Actor and musician Janelle Monae donned a black Ralph Lauren gown with a silver- and black-striped hood that she described as “the gilded age of the future.” —  Reuters

SEA Games boxers, starring Nesthy Petecio, Eumir Marcial, confident of Vietnam prospects

NESTHY PETECIO — PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) is “cautiously optimistic” as its 10-strong contingent defends its overall crown in the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) against perennial rival Thailand and vastly-improved host Vietnam.

“We are proceeding with a lot of enthusiasm and focus hoping that we can maintain the same kind of excellence that we showed in Manila three years ago,” ABAP president Ed Picson said during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum.

The ABAP has assembled a crack team bannered by Tokyo Olympics medalists Nesthy A. Petecio and Eumir Felix D. Marcial in this mission to retain supremacy in the SEAG after snaring seven golds, three silvers and two bronzes on home soil.

Rio Olympian Rogen Ladon (52kgs), Ian Clark Bautista (57kgs), and Marjon Pianar (69 kgs) join Mr. Marcial (75kgs) in the men’s hostilities while Ms. Petecio (60kgs) is with Josie Gabuco (48kgs), Irish Magno (51kgs), Risa Pasuit (57kgs), and Hergie Bacyadan (75kgs) in the distaff side.

The boxing team is hoping it has prepared well enough for the May 12 to 23 Games amid the less-than-ideal buildup to the pandemic. The boxers went to Thailand for training camp and tournament to get themselves ready.

“We’re cautiously optimistic. We would have wanted a more stringent preparation, but we have to work with what we have. The quality of preparation that we’re getting in Thailand is excellent and we hope that will make up for whatever shortcomings we’ve experienced in the prior months,” said Mr. Picson.

Thailand, which collected five golds, two silvers and two bronzes in the Manila SEAG, and Vietnam, which netted one gold, five silvers and two bronzes last time, loom as the toughest rivals.

“We’re always looking at Thailand but we’re casting a wary eye as well on Vietnam, which has improved tremendously and they’re also the host,” Mr. Picson said in the forum where he was joined by secretary-general Marcus Manalo.

“And countries like Cambodia and Indonesia, even Malaysia, we can’t discount them. They’ve also been preparing and like I said, our overall preparations have not been optimal so we’re also working on that handicap, hindi katulad before na talagang todo-todo ang preparations.” — Olmin Leyba

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