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Game 7

To argue that the Celtics went all in yesterday would be an understatement. They most definitely wanted to put the game away. Up three to two in their semifinal round series, they understood the importance of taking advantage of the opportunity they had to advance to the conference finals on their first try. Even as they had a cushion, they knew all bets were going to be off with a loss. Being forced to prevail in a Game Seven against the gritty Raptors was a risk they did not want to take. And so they put everything on the line — so much that they went the final 22 minutes and 23 and a half seconds of the set-to without a substitution.

Indeed, the Celtics stayed with the five players — who, not coincidentally, comprised their starting lineup — they figured would best take the measure of the Raptors in the latter part of the third period and for all of the fourth quarter and both extra sessions. Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart would end up playing at least 50 minutes, with Daniel Theis not far behind at 47. They went full bore on both ends of the court throughout, taking rests only during timeouts and dead ball situations. Perhaps not surprisingly, the quality of their collective effort fluctuated; for instance, the first overtime was replete with misses and fouls, while the second featured clutch play after clutch play.

To be sure, the Raptors likewise rode their stalwarts, with Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, and OG Anunoby breaching the 50-minute mark. That said, their usage was typical, and, if nothing else, reflective of head coach Nick Nurse’s short-rotation predilections. The Celtics, meanwhile, were hitherto more inclined to employ more players, even if only to provide brief spells. Which is not to say the outcome definitively emanated from the frequency of substitutions, or lack thereof, employed by Brad Stevens. After all, correlation is not causation.

However, the way the Celtics labored to generate any sort of momentum when the going got tough yesterday does provide food for thought. They held leads in the fourth canto and in each of the extra periods, only to find themselves actually needing to play catch-up ball with time winding down. Needless to say, their post-mortems were filled with lamentations on botched chances, a now-familiar refrain dating back to the dramatic manner in which they snatched defeat from the throes of victory in Game Three.

And so the Celtics head to Game Seven tomorrow. No doubt, their starters will once again burn rubber for long stretches. And, no doubt, they will need to contain the unshakable resolve of the Raptors. They’re better — make that much better — on paper, but consistency in execution is another matter altogether. If they’re truly bent on upending the defending champions, they have to stay focused from the get-on and until the final buzzer. Not half a second earlier, and not until their job is done.

 

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

Building a better business, one LEGO brick at a time

By Patricia B. Mirasol

Rulebooks are being tossed out the window as experts from different fields say there is no manual for the COVID-19 pandemic. Even the dictionary hasn’t been spared from upheavals. In these complex times, when the unpredictable is bound to happen, it pays to embrace non-linear thinking.

“If we want to improve, we want to move from A to B. In the old days, in a stable and linear world, A to B was foreseeable. It’s not anymore. We need to find something so we can have continuous forward movement,” said Per Kristiansen, a partner at the Danish consultancy Trivium and a master trainer of the LEGO Serious Play (LSP) method. His talk on creativity was one of the featured sessions of Knowledge of Design Week 2020.

Mr. Kristiansen developed LSP with fellow master trainer Robert Rasmussen. It was born from an idea in the late 1990s, when LEGO’s then-CEO sought to explore how he could make his employees manage complexities and make decisions when faced with the unforeseeable and the unpredictable. 

LSP is a method that helps individuals and organizations explore and cope with real-world challenges by building models using LEGO bricks. The metaphors in the models serve as the basis for group discussion, knowledge sharing, and problem-solving. 

UNTAPPED POTENTIAL
At the heart of LSP is the belief that there is always room for improvement and everyone has untapped potential. Sessions can start off with prompts such as, “Name one challenge that is preventing growth in your company and build your answer with LEGOs. You have four minutes. Go.” Trained facilitators support the process by asking the right questions and helping participants draw out the meaning from their answers.

Key characteristics of LSP are:

• It moves from the 20/80 to the 100/100  — Instead of the usual office dynamic where a small fraction of the staff hogs most of the conversation, LSP encourages everyone to lean in and contribute. Success is dependent on hearing all voices in the room.

• It unlocks creativity — Individuals know more than they know they know. Play helps one unlock creativity and master complexity by uncovering things individuals didn’t know they knew.

• It helps break habitual thinking — Humans think in patterns and apply solutions that helped them the last time. “This worked well when we lived in the savannah and met the same kind of competitors,” said Mr. Kristiansen. “In complexity, we need to break out of habitual patterns and see that thing differently, because we might be competing with someone who is out of sight.”

‘FERTILIZER FOR THE BRAIN’
With lockdown restrictions in place, LSP sessions can be conducted virtually. Hybrid sessions are also offered, with short remote sessions laying the groundwork for a subsequent in-person workshop.

Serious play is about exploring, experimenting, and intentionally gathering as a group to apply the imagination in solving problems; it is about giving one’s brain a hand since building externally builds one’s internal world, according to Mr. Kristiansen. “Play is not frivolous or done to entertain. Play is like a fertilizer for the brain, and as a species we are biologically one of the only ones who evolved to play our entire lives,” he said.

How to attend a wedding (or not) during a pandemic

Although the COVID-19 coronavirus caused many to postpone their ceremonies earlier in the year, clarity on how the virus spreads and less rigid social distancing mandates are leading to a return of weddings this fall—albeit with mask-wearing and smaller numbers.

That poses previously unimaginable dilemmas for a wedding guest: Will proper cleaning protocols be followed? Will there be close contact among attendees?

The good news is that most nuptials are proceeding with caution. Of those with weddings in 2020, 71% are incorporating health and safety measures into their celebrations, with 63% adjusting seating arrangements for more distance, according to data from wedding website The Knot.

However, a slate of headlines detailing how ceremonies have spread the virus—from a hidden indoor gathering in San Francisco to a super-spreader event in Maine that led to more than 100 cases—are enough to give anyone pause. Whether you attend is “a balance of protecting yourself and figuring out the characteristics of the event and your own family dynamic,” says Rachael Piltch-Loeb, preparedness fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Read on to obtain tips on how to take safety into account, as well as how to politely decline if you find that it’s not for you.

BEING NOSY
When considering attending a celebration, experts recommend something previously considered taboo: asking for lots of details.

Many couples are providing descriptions of the ceremony’s logistics on the invitations, or through updated communication and websites. If this information isn’t readily available, there’s no shame in inquiring further, as long as the query is done with respect and politeness.

“You definitely are going to want to do this via phone call. You don’t want to send a text,” says Jacquelyn Youst, etiquette expert and owner of the Pennsylvania Academy of Protocol. “Explain your situation. It’s all in the words—and mostly, your tone.”

If the couple seems especially busy or overwhelmed with the planning—as was typical, even before a global pandemic—reaching out to another member of the wedding party is an option.

The gold standard for a safe ceremony is “outdoors, with a mask and with respect for social distancing and hand washing,” says Jessica Justman, an associate professor of medicine in epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

The outdoor component is especially crucial, given that studies show the coronavirus spreads more in indoor environments with low humidity.

Other questions to ask include: Will there be sanitizing stations; will masks be provided or should I bring my own; and if it’s indoor, what is the venue ventilation like?

“You just need to be an informed guest,” says JoAnn Gregoli, owner of Elegant Occasions, a wedding planner in the New York area. “The more information you have, the better you are.”

In general, the more people who attend, the more dangerous it is, Ms. Piltch-Loeb explains, although there’s no exact cutoff number. She says that her first questions when attending a wedding are: first, whether it will be indoor or outdoor, and then the amount of guests.

KEEP YOUR DISTANCE
If any of the event characteristics sound risky or go beyond your comfort levels, there’s always the option to politely modify your approach, based on your risk tolerance.

“If you get somewhere, and you’re uncomfortable, you can always stand in the back and watch from a distance,” Ms. Gregoli says.

Or ask the couple if there is a virtual option. Many couples are including a broadcast via Zoom, or another streaming platform, alongside an in-person ceremony, designed for those who are high-risk or otherwise uncomfortable.

Some weddings also now include different-colored wristbands for guests, to easily show social distancing comfort levels, says Marlie Kelleher, owner of Marlie Renee Designs, a wedding stationery service.

For instance, red could mean no touching and staying six feet away from others, while yellow might mean keep masks on at all times, and green completely open to hugs and handshakes.

One of the riskier parts of the ceremony is often the reception, Ms. Piltch-Loeb notes, when alcohol flows and boundaries blur, and masks come off during dancing.

If that is worrisome, consider dancing or mingling in a separate area, sitting separately with family members or in a quarantine pod, or even making an early exit, before craziness ensues.

POLITELY DECLINE
There’s no shame in telling a couple you cannot attend the ceremony. As Ms. Youst puts it: “Health comes before etiquette.”

Most couples moving forward with nuptials in 2020 realize that not everyone will be able to attend.

“The guests who are invited to a wedding, it means you have a very special relationship with the couple,” says Esther Lee, senior editor at The Knot. “The couple cares about you.”

They should respect your decision to refrain from a choice that could endanger your health, she notes. Just be sure to thank them for the invite and convey wishes of celebrating the milestone sometime in the future, when the risk of infection is lower.

Even if you decline to attend, Ms. Youst recommends sending a gift; the amount of money spent can vary in proportion to your finances and relationship with the couple. 

“Your gift represents your good wishes toward the newlyweds,” she says. “You still want to be part of the celebration. You still want to send your well wishes. You want to cheer them on.”

Many couples are now offering virtual gift options, too, including honeymoon funds, to minimize the need for physical objects to change hands. 

For ceremonies that have been moved to a later date, Ms. Youst says to send a gift as soon as possible, especially since many retailers face shipping delays. It’s acceptable to hold off if the nuptials are being postponed indefinitely. Much can change between now and then. 

Although not required, Ms. Kelleher suggests sending a small gift, such as a bottle of wine or flowers, on a couple’s original wedding date, if it’s been postponed. 

“Even something small, just as a reminder to them that you are there and thinking of them,” she says. “It’s a very small gesture that will go a long way. People remember things like that.” — Bloomberg

Airlines seek gate checks for virus to revive foreign travel

Several airports and airlines are already working on establishing special procedures that would establish a so-called “airbridge” between specific points.

A coalition of international airline and aviation groups is calling on US government leaders to help set COVID-19 testing protocols to assuage passenger concerns and boost severely depressed international travel.

In a letter to three cabinet secretaries signed by 18 groups, they call on the government to set up “a globally accepted framework for testing protocols for international travel.” The plea comes as the US and UK are discussing virus protections aimed at reopening travel between the two countries.

Traffic on most international routes has fallen dramatically since the pandemic emerged across the world in March.

“Coordinated and deliberate action must be taken to safely reopen the international travel market,” the letter said. “A collaborative approach between governments and industry will help to ensure the development of standardized measures that promote needed consistency across the aviation system.”

The industry groups, which include the trade association for major US carriers, Airlines for America, acknowledged that the issue of COVID-19 testing is complex and, at times, controversial. But the groups said that is all the more reason for the government to become involved to help evaluate the protocols and their potential value.

Several airports and airlines are already working on establishing special procedures that would establish a so-called “airbridge” between specific points.

US and UK officials are talking about setting coronavirus protocols that would allow limited travel to resume between the two countries, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration said.

US agencies that oversee health, aviation, transportation and security are involved in the talks, the TSA said.

Four airline and airport groups from the two nations wrote to US and UK officials on Aug. 28 urging the governments to work together.

The US government in July published guidelines for safe travel during the pandemic called Runway to Recovery, but has so far declined to establish rules for virus-related safety on airline flights. It has also spurned repeated requests by the industry for actions such as using airport security agents to conduct temperature screening of passengers.

President Donald J. Trump has in recent months said he generally doesn’t favor additional testing.

The letter from the industry groups was sent to Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf and Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao.

Other groups signing the letter include the US Chamber of Commerce, the Aerospace Industries Association, and the International Air Transport Association. — Bloomberg

Apple design teams develop special face masks for employees

Apple Inc. has developed masks that the company is beginning to distribute to corporate and retail employees to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The Apple Face Mask is the first created in-house by the Cupertino, California-technology giant for its staff. The other, called ClearMask, was sourced elsewhere. Apple previously made a different face shield for medical workers and distributed millions of other masks across the health-care sector.

Apple told staff that the Face Mask was developed by the Engineering and Industrial Design teams, the same groups that work on devices such as the iPhone and iPad. It is made up of three layers to filter incoming and outgoing particles. It can be washed and reused as many as five times, the company told employees.

In typical Apple style, the mask looks unique with large coverings on the top and bottom for the wearer’s nose and chin. It also has adjustable strings to fit around a person’s ears.

The company, which confirmed the news, said it conducted careful research and testing to find the right materials to filter the air properly while not disrupting the supply of medical personal protective equipment. Apple will start sending the Apple Face Mask to staff over the next two weeks.

The other model, the ClearMask, is the first FDA-cleared surgical mask that is completely transparent, Apple told employees. It shows the full face so people who are deaf or hard of hearing can better understand what the wearer is saying.

Apple worked with Washington-based Gallaudet University, which specializes in educating deaf and hard-of-hearing students, to choose which clear mask to use. The company also tested it with employees in three Apple stores. Apple is also exploring its own transparent mask options.

Before designing its own masks, Apple provided employees with standard cloth masks. It also offers basic surgical masks to customers visiting its retail stores. — Bloomberg

Severe COVID-19 riskier than heart attack for young adults; antibiotic shows no benefit

The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

More young adults survive heart attacks than severe COVID-19

Among COVID-19 patients treated at 419 US hospitals from April through June, only about 5% were ages 18 to 34. But that group had “substantial rates of adverse outcomes,” according to a report on Wednesday in JAMA Internal Medicine. Roughly one in five needed intensive care, one in 10 needed mechanical ventilation, and nearly 3% died. While the mortality rate is lower than in older adults, it is roughly double the death rate of young adults from heart attacks, the authors say. Obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes were tied to higher risk for adverse events. For young adults with more than one of these conditions, the risk of a bad outcome was similar to middle-aged adults without the risk factors. More than half of hospitalized young adults were Black or Hispanic, “consistent with prior findings of disproportionate illness severity in these demographic groups,” the authors said. “Given the sharply rising rates of COVID-19 infection in young adults, these findings underscore the importance of infection prevention measures in this age group,” the concluded. 

Antibiotic fails to help hospitalized COVID-19 patients

The antibiotic azithromycin did not appear to provide any benefit to hospitalized COVID-19 patients who were having trouble breathing, according to a study in Brazil. At 57 hospitals, 243 COVID-19 patients who needed oxygen or mechanical ventilation were randomly assigned to receive azithromycin, while 183 similar patients did not get the antibiotic. All received other standard treatment, which in Brazil included hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that other studies have shown provides little or no benefit. While azithromycin did not appear to do any harm, after 15 days it was not associated with any patient improvement nor did it reduce their risk of death. In an April survey of more than 6,000 physicians in 30 countries, azithromycin was the second most commonly prescribed treatment for COVID-19, the study investigators wrote in The Lancet medical journal. The absence of any benefit in this new study “suggests that the routine use of this strategy should be avoided,” they said. 

Risk of catching COVID-19 while hospitalized can be low

Among nearly 8,500 patients admitted to a large Boston hospital between early March and the end of May, only two became sick with coronavirus infections that may have been acquired while they were hospitalized, doctors report. One likely was infected by a spouse who initially appeared well during daily visits but who developed symptoms while the patient was still hospitalized. That was before visitor restrictions and universal masking rules had been implemented. The other patient developed symptoms four days after leaving the hospital. The source of the infection is not known. According to a paper published on Wednesday in JAMA Network Open, infection control efforts at the hospital included dedicated COVID-19 units with airborne infection isolation rooms, personal protective equipment for staff and monitoring to make sure those were used correctly, universal masking, visitor restriction, and liberal COVID-19 testing of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. These “robust and rigorous infection control practices may be associated with minimized risk” of COVID-19 spreading through hospitals, the authors conclude. Their findings, if replicated at other US hospitals, “should provide reassurance to patients,” they said. 

Longer-term COVID-19 lung damage can improve over time

COVID-19 lung damage persists long term but tends to improve, researchers reported on Monday at the European Respiratory Society International Virtual Congress. Researchers studied 86 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 48% of whom had a smoking history and 21% of whom required intensive care. At six weeks after discharge, 47% of patients still reported feeling short of breath. By 12 weeks, that dropped to 39%. CT scans still showed lung damage in 88% of patients at six weeks, dropping to 56% at 12 weeks. “Overall, this study shows that COVID-19 survivors have persisting pulmonary impairment weeks after recovery. Yet, overtime, a moderate improvement is detectable,” lead researcher Dr. Sabina Sahanic, from University Clinic of Internal Medicine in Innsbruck, Austria, said during a press briefing. A related study featured at the meeting stressed the importance of early pulmonary rehabilitation after COVID-19 patients come off a ventilator. This should include balance and walking, muscle strengthening, respiratory exercises and endurance training. “The sooner rehabilitation started and the longer it lasted, the faster and better was the improvement in patients’ walking and breathing capacities and muscle gain,” coauthor Yara Al Chikhanie, from Grenoble Alps University in France, said in a statement. — Reuters

Traditional ‘Bunraku’ puppets for children help Japanese master endure coronavirus shutdown

OSAKA, Japan — Stuck at home for weeks while Japan was under a state of emergency due to the coronavirus, renowned Japanese Bunraku puppet master Kanjuro Kiritake, all his performances canceled for months, was stricken with deep anxiety.

His art, a traditional, male-only Japanese puppet theater, was born in Osaka in the late 1600s, but in 2020 felt existentially threatened, he said.

“Many things crossed my mind: when would the pandemic end, when would performances resume, if my 87-year-old master could ever perform again,” Kanjuro, 67, said in his home, which has a room dedicated to puppetry.

The solution was to spend his time at home making puppets for children. It is a rare pursuit for a Bunraku puppeteer. To him, it tied into decades of efforts he’s made to keep the centuries-old art of Bunraku alive. He has been teaching Bunraku at Kozu elementary school in Osaka for 17 years.

Nearly 30 sixth graders took part in recent classes, with children practicing their puppetry in a gymnasium amid scorching heat, as a T-shirt-clad Kanjuro instructed them.

In Bunraku, each puppet is operated by three people—the head puppeteer, and two others dressed in black, their faces covered. The head puppeteer manipulates the head and right hand, while one person manipulates the left hand and another both feet. Performances are accompanied by narrators, or tayu, and traditional instruments.

The five puppets Kanjuro made had comical faces framed by yarn hair. They also wore socks in neon-bright colours he had purchased online.

FROM THE FEET UP
Following his father’s path, Kanjuro started his career as a puppeteer at 14, becoming a disciple of Minosuke Yoshida, who at age 87 is now the oldest living puppeteer.

Like everyone else, he started with the puppets’ feet, then moved on to the left hand. It can take more than 30 years until a puppeteer is allowed to manipulate the head.

“It is an invisible and tough role. Audiences do not know who you are and the applause goes to the main puppeteer,” he said, referring to operating the limbs.

Understanding how to manipulate the feet is crucial; the performer doing that touches the waist of the lead puppeteer, feeling how he moves. It was a lesson Kanjuro learned from his late father, who even after illness left him thin used his whole body to animate the puppet as head puppeteer.

“I learned from him that you would have to use your entire body—from your toes to fingertips—to make the puppet come to life,” Kanjuro recalls. “And how a small and thin puppeteer could manipulate a big puppet by doing that.”

Kanjuro is one of Japan’s best-known Bunraku performers, but he still worries about securing young talent.

The National Bunraku Theatre in Osaka provides a free, two-year training course that more than half the 83 current performers have graduated from. But the art’s popularity was waning even before the pandemic, and only two students are in training as of September.

Perhaps, Kanjuro muses, people hired to open curtains or handout stage properties might fall in love with Bunraku and want to study it. Performances in Tokyo resumed on Sept. 5.

“Like Sumo and Rakugo where foreigners are active, one day we may have foreign performers,” Kanjuro said. “And it could only be a matter of time before women take part as well.” — Reuters

Myanmar’s upcycling monk leads push to cut plastic waste

YANGON — When a prominent Buddhist monk in Myanmar noticed a surge in plastic waste generated by residents in his Yangon neighborhood during the pandemic, he decided to do something about it.

But Abbot Ottamasara, who runs the Thabarwa meditation center, was taken aback by the response to his request for plastic containers as a substitute for bowls used by his monastery to feed thousands of people in need.

Helped by dozens of volunteers, his team now receives several thousand used plastic bottles a day from the community, with some recycled as food containers and others incorporated into building materials used at the meditation center.

“More plastic waste was being dumped on the street during the pandemic,” said Ottamasara, 51, who launched the recycling drive three months ago after seeing waste piling up on the streets during daily walks to collect food donations.

Authorities do not routinely organize recycling in Myanmar, while around 2,500 tonnes of trash are thrown out every day in Yangon, often dumped on roads and in waterways, or burned.

“If we (the meditation center) ask for donations, people will keep them clean,” said Ottamasara, who uses one name. “Then we can use these plastic bottles as food containers and it not only saves money, but also tackles the plastic waste issue.”

He estimates two tonnes of plastic waste, or around 200,000 plastic bottles, have been recycled so far, saving around $10,000.

The nine-acre (3.6 hectare) meditation center hosts workshops to process the plastic waste.

Volunteers use hanging plastic bottles to make sunshades and have even constructed a shelter using car tires packed with plastic waste and cement to form the walls. — Reuters

Battery-powered face mask seeks to fight COVID and foggy glasses

SEOUL — A South Korean company has invented a battery-powered filtered face mask designed to reduce annoying problems associated with conventional designs, such as breathing difficulties and fogged-up glasses.

LG Electronics’ PuriCare Wearable, which comes in one size and weighs as much as a pair of ski goggles, features two fans and high-efficiency particle air filters that clean air coming in and exhaled breath going out.

As authorities increasingly urge the public use of face masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, manufacturers have turned their attention to making such gear more comfortable without compromising safety.

Among problems mask wearers face are breathing difficulties and fogged-up glasses as the warm breath escapes from the top of the mask toward the eyes.

“Breathing is the biggest concern when it comes to wearing a face mask and disposable masks come with a huge environment cost,” Choi Yoon-hee, a senior official at LG Electronics’ air solution product team, told Reuters.

The mask comes with a case that charges the battery and disinfects the mask with UV light.

The device will be available in the fourth quarter in select markets. LG is yet to set a price.

LG said the mask has a battery life of about eight hours on low-power settings and two hours on its highest setting. — Reuters

Why natural gas is a great energy choice for companies

Properly functioning facilities cannot be underestimated in business. Facilities adequately supplied with power can significantly contribute to the productivity of employees and, in the long run, the profitability of an establishment. In addition, we must also be careful about the potential emissions and pollutants from energy sources, aside from ensuring their reliability.

Cleaner energy sources, however, could provide the same amount of power supply at a lower cost and without polluting the environment, depending on where it’s sourced. Among these sources is natural gas. It has been part of the country’s energy mix since the Malampaya Gas Field, the biggest commercial gas discovery in the Philippines to date, started operating. First Gen Corporation — the largest off-taker of natural gas and generator of natural gas-fired power electricity in the country — currently sources its natural gas from this indigenous field, off the coast of Palawan.

Considered the cleanest source of fossil-based energy, natural gas can provide businesses with a cleaner, affordable, and more reliable energy supply with minimal impact to our environment.

Powering establishments better

Natural gas is a cleaner choice for businesses to consider. According to the International Gas Union (IGU), natural gas releases about 50% less carbon dioxide (CO2) than coal, and natural gas-powered electricity generation produces less than half of greenhouse gas emissions than coal and up to a third less than oil. In 2019, the use of natural gas plants, instead of coal, helped the country avoid 8.6 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions equivalent (tCO2e). That is similar to removing the emissions of 1.9 million passenger vehicles on the road annually.

The use of natural gas can help reduce global CO2 emissions almost immediately, especially in developing nations like the Philippines. Moreover, it significantly helps reduce the emissions of harmful air pollutants such as Particulate Matter (PM), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and sulfur oxide (SOx).

Natural gas also has been found to have lower generation costs. Data from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry shows that spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices have decreased from an average arrival-based price of 6.7 USD/MMBTu in December 2019 to 2.6 USD/MMBTu last May.”

Furthermore, a 2018 report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis stated that excessive reliance on imported coal is one of the main reasons the Philippines has the highest electricity prices in the ASEAN region. It concluded that natural gas, together with other energy sources “can be combined to create a cheaper, more diverse, and secure energy system”.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG), the liquid form of the source that could be shipped over long distances, is also found to be cheaper. According to IGU, switching to LNG from oil does not only deliver big emissions reductions but can also provide significant savings. Compared to oil, natural gas is much cleaner, more affordable, and more reliable — crucial for areas that need dependable electricity. 

Moreover, natural gas is reliable, since its plants typically operate with fewer outages compared to coal plants. Natural gas plants are also very efficient — requiring less fuel to generate the same amount of electricity. Finally, natural gas is recognized for its flexibility, or its ability to provide electricity or change its output rapidly. This is crucial to providing sufficient electricity since it helps support solar and wind power when there is no sun and wind. First Gen also has clean and renewable sources in its portfolio that include geothermal, hydro, wind, and solar.

Cleaner, more energized environment

Aside from helping businesses run more efficiently, natural gas also enables them to do their part in mitigating the impact of climate change.

Aside from releasing fewer Greenhouse Gases, natural gas plants help avoid additional hazards to their immediate surroundings. Unlike coal, natural gas does not leave behind ash or other pollutants that are harmful to both humans and the environment when combusted. 

As a result, using natural gas does not degrade the quality of the air we breathe, and can help greatly reduce incidents of respiratory diseases such as emphysema and asthma.

Natural gas can meet growing global energy demand as well. A recent outlook from the EIA projected the world energy consumption to grow by nearly 50% between 2018 and 2050. Most of the growth is driven by regions with strong economies, particularly in Asia.

This growing demand requires additional power sources, and natural gas is a viable option, with enough abundance and accessibility, aside from its reliability and minimal impact on the environment. Moreover, the flexibility of natural gas makes it compatible with variable wind and solar energy, allowing it to provide power when they are unavailable. Because of this, natural gas also supports the introduction of cleaner sources of energy, without compromising energy security. 

Given all its advantages, natural gas is a truly valuable source of energy. First Gen maximizes this source through its natural gas-fired power plants, which have a combined installed capacity of 2,017 MW. Bundle that with its diversified and flexible portfolio, it is clear to see how First Gen is positioned to address growing energy demands — including that of businesses — while keeping our environment clean.

First Gen’s portfolio of clean and renewable sources that include geothermal, hydro, wind, and solar, make First Gen one of the country’s leaders in clean and renewable energy.  As such, it continues to work towards helping the Philippines transition into a more sustainable and decarbonized future.

Peso set to stumble with drop in foreign bond sales

Philippine borrowers are looking to raise fewer bonds overseas in the coming months, taking away a pillar of strength for the peso.

The peso led the advance among Asian currencies this year with 4.1% gains as the nation’s borrowers raised a record $11.4 billion dollars via international bond sales in 2020. However, the tide is turning as cheaper funding costs in the domestic market keep borrowers from venturing abroad.

Overseas borrowings are one of the factors that have made the peso Asia’s best performing currency this year, said Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist at BDO Unibank Inc. “We’re not seeing that next year, and if imports rise as the domestic economy recovers, the peso could go back to 50 per dollar next year.”

San Miguel Corp., is prioritizing the local market for fund-raising. “The peso’s strength all the more makes it more prudent to borrow from the domestic market,” Eduardo Edeza, treasury head at the Philippines’ largest company, said in a mobile-phone message. The peso is hovering around a four-year high of 48.48 per dollar recorded on Sept. 1.

The government also pared its foreign-currency funding plan for 2021 to 15% of its borrowing needs from 25% this year.

That’s bad news for the peso as some of the funds repatriated from offshore bond sales contribute to foreign inflows into the country. “It’s a factor but not the main one,” Jun Trinidad, a consultant for market strategy at Union Bank of the Philippines said, referring to foreign bond sales. The currency may remain supported if demand-driven consumption stays weak, he said.

In a sign of comfort with the currency’s gains, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said late last month that the peso’s performance has helped keep import costs low and that the currency could benefit as coronavirus curbs are eased and the economy further reopens. — Bloomberg

39% of companies have experienced videoconferencing attacks

By Mariel Alison L. Aguinaldo

Thirty-nine percent of companies all over the world encounter video conferencing attacks, according to the Cyber Readiness Report 2020 by data protection firm Acronis.

Video conferencing attacks occur when perpetrators hijack a video call. Singapore had to stop its teachers from using Zoom when obscene images and strange men making lewd comments appeared on their classes’ screens. In the Philippines, an online forum by business advocacy group Go Negosyo was disrupted by the appearance of photos from an animated pornography scene.

“Before the pandemic, there were just a few vulnerabilities reported, and when the pandemic started, the attention of the security researchers obviously moved to those kinds of software. As a result, vulnerabilities in software like Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams hit the news every few weeks. I believe there is a strong correlation between the vulnerabilities published and attacks occurred. After all, the former enables the latter,” said Kevin Reed, chief information security officer at Acronis, through an online text message.

Fifty-four percent of companies have also experienced phishing attempts, wherein perpetrators pose as legitimate institutions in e-mail messages to collect sensitive data like credit card details. Close to 45% have experienced Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, where perpetrators overload a machine or network resource with requests to disrupt the services of a host connected to the Internet.

The COVID-19 pandemic normalized remote work among many companies, along with it the use of digital technology to enable long-distance collaboration. According to the same survey, 69% of remote workers have started using workplace collaboration tools like Zoom and Webex.

However, 6% of this number did not report this action, which suggests that remote workers may have installed and managed these tools themselves. This creates security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by perpetrators.

Companies should choose a cybersecurity solution that is the best fit for them, according to Acronis. This may be done by examining how they run their business and identifying their use cases for the solution.

“A product can do thirty things, but quite frankly, some [consumers] don’t care that it does thirty things. There are four or five things that are really important to them because it’s based on their business case,” said Steve Brining, partner technology evangelist for Cyber Protect at Acronis, during a virtual presser on September 9.

“When that’s identified… you have to turn around and say, ‘Do I have the personnel for this thing?… Do I have to change my processes to fit the technology, or does the technology have to be modified to fit my processes?” he said.

Companies also have to assess the solution’s usability for their employees. “The more simplistic it is, the better it is… Is it easy for me to use, or do I really have to be the cyber dude… to be able to do this?” said Mr. Brining.

The Acronis Cyber Readiness Report 2020 surveyed 1,700 IT managers and 1,700 remote workers from industries such as healthcare, hospitality, and sports and entertainment. The respondents came from Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States.

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