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Renewing renewables

Since the start of the Community Quarantine about six months ago, I have been hearing a lot about how a number of Metro Manila residents are waiting out the COVID-19 pandemic in their “home” provinces. Some have quit their jobs and moved back for good, while others have opted to temporarily do Work-From-Home or Online School from the comfort of their provincial abodes.

I also know of some people now looking for farm or beach lots in Central or Southern Luzon. They are in search of affordable properties, small but secured and easy to maintain, not too far from Metro Manila, and with easy access to basic goods and services. They want to build “tiny” homes, where they can also have home gardens to grow their own food.

And with the tiny home concept comes the possibility of building small but efficient environment-friendly houses with water-containment systems to catch rain, and solar panels to help generate electricity, and with focus on waste segregation, composting, vegetable gardening, and maybe organically growing some livestock. The aim is to also minimize one’s carbon “footprint.”

Moving forward, however, I think people start also looking at “renewing” or recycling “renewables.” For the fact of the matter is, anything and everything still has some form of environmental impact, and nothing is completely carbon-free. So, for anyone contemplating renewable energy systems, they should also be mindful of disposal implications.

Take the case of solar energy. Home-based solar energy systems are environment-friendly; make use of “free” energy from the sun; can be easy to set up; and can be cost-effective in the long run. More important, it can be a reliable source of energy particularly in off-grid areas, or far-flung places that lack electric service like remote mountain- or beach-communities.

However, such systems still require manufactured solar panels, and even high-capacity batteries to store energy that can be used in the evenings or during cloudy or stormy days. These batteries are recharged when the sun is out. The thing is, solar panels and solar batteries all have a specific life. In short, they will eventually reach a point of replacement — and disposal.

And this is where the unforeseen and unintended problems lie. My concern, at this point, is that the shift to renewables, whether at the home or industry level, is a potential solid waste management problem down the line. Unless, we start manufacturing and installing equipment and renewable energy systems that can actually be recycled or “renewed” later on.

According to the UK Solar Trade Association, solar farms in the UK range from anywhere between one and 100 acres (or roughly from 4,000 square meters to 40 hectares). About 25 acres or roughly 10 hectares of solar panels are required to generate five megawatts of electricity, that can power an estimated 1,500 homes annually, based on an average annual household consumption of 3,300 kWh of electricity or about 275 kWh per month.

I don’t have any estimates as to how many solar panels are required to generate five megawatts of electricity. But, one can imagine the number to run in the thousands if talking about a 10-hectare solar farm. And the average life of each panel varies, depending on care and maintenance. The good news is that panel life estimates range from anywhere between 25 and 40 years.

The bad news: Solar panels are “also complex pieces of technology that become big, bulky sheets of electronic waste at the end of their lives — and right now, most of the world doesn’t have a plan for dealing with that,” according to sustainability advocacy publication Grist, which describes itself as “and independent, irreverent news outlet and network of innovators working toward a planet that doesn’t burn and a future that doesn’t suck.”

“The solar e-waste glut is coming,” reports Grist’s Maddie Stone on Aug. 13. “By 2050, the International Renewable Energy Agency projects that up to 78 million metric tons of solar panels will have reached the end of their life, and that the world will be generating about six million metric tons of new solar e-waste annually.”

She also wrote that “while the latter number is a small fraction of the total e-waste humanity produces each year, standard electronics recycling methods don’t cut it for solar panels. Recovering the most valuable materials from one, including silver and silicon, requires bespoke recycling solutions.”

And here lies the problem. If companies do not develop proper solutions for solar panel disposal, along with government policies that support their widespread adoption, then those discarded solar panels will mostly end up in landfills. And since the panels can also contain toxic materials like lead that can leach out as they break down, dumping them in landfills is a potential environmental hazard, says Grist.

As early as 2018, Forbes contributor Michael Shellenberger, who writes on energy and the environment, already warned that “the problem of solar panel disposal ‘will explode with full force in two or three decades and wreck the environment’ because it ‘is a huge amount of waste and they are not easy to recycle’,” as he quoted a senior Chinese solar official who was a 40-year veteran of the US solar industry.

He also wrote that “researchers with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) undertook a study for US  solar-owning utilities to plan for end-of-life and concluded that solar panel ‘disposal’ in ‘regular landfills was not recommended in case modules break and toxic materials leach into the soil’ and so ‘disposal is potentially a major issue’.”

Currently in operation in the Philippines is a 160-hectare solar power farm in Calatagan, Batangas generating about 64 megawatts (MW) of electricity. Also, in operation are 45-MW and 80-MW solar farms in Negros Occidental, and an 18-MW solar plant in Negros Oriental. Then there is a 10-kilowatt floating solar farm in Laguna Lake within Baras, Rizal. In the works are a 60-MW solar farm in Zambales and a 120-MW solar farm project in Alaminos, Laguna. And then, there are countless homes all over the country now making use of solar panels installed in their residences.

I am all for going renewable, and I believe solar is a good option. However, when companies and investors planned on these solar projects, and for consumers with “solar” homes, did they already consider how to dispose or recycle damaged or end-of-life solar panels in the future? Do we actually have government regulations in place regarding proper disposal? Do we have science- and data-based standards being applied as to how to dispose of old solar panels?

 

Marvin Tort is a former managing editor of BusinessWorld, and a former chairman of the Philippines Press Council

matort@yahoo.com

Corporate culture in the new normal

EVERY ORGANIZATION has a corporate culture. And it is not always an intended set of values driven by a mission statement and a sense of purpose, like customer primacy, honesty, respect for subordinates and peers, and teamwork. Even when these values are enshrined in posters around the office or inculcated in off-site sessions (not possible at this time) where games and songs (“Wind Beneath My Wings”) with lots of hugging (again, a no-no), the expected corporate culture can be informally enshrined by actual practice.

What is the impact of the lockdown, or semi-lockdown, environment on the corporate culture? Has the “new normal” characterized by facial cover (Do you know how your new doctor really looks?), work from home, curfews, and the social stigma of a positive testing, affected how we now work and relate to our co-workers?

Here are some behavioral and cultural changes that now define the work environment.

The climate of uncertainty is not limited to the lockdown status that can shift in three days and made to have a short-term effectivity like two weeks — wait for the next midnight announcement. The climate of uncertainty extends to customer demand, closure of businesses, and an idle labor force during a scale-back. This set of unpredictable developments makes a planning culture unrealistic. Organizations and individuals are on a survival mode with a wait-and-see mindset. Everyone is waiting for the vaccine.

The “office culture” of physical presence and the ability to get instant feedback on an idea or a request has been limited. The default mode is working from home. This is a project-based culture ideal for preparing pitches for new business, setting up a webinar, or conducting a prescribed meeting of the board. The team-building, brainstorming, and ties to the organization are frayed. Informal grapevine updates at the office pantry disappear. Now, everything becomes task-based with roles and inputs clearly defined. All activities feel like work with lessened camaraderie — please put yourself on mute.

The home-office boundary has disappeared. Working hours are not dictated by the usual 9 a.m.-5 p.m. template. Sure, it is possible to take a short nap at home during the designated lunch hour. But what about rush requests from clients? (Hope I didn’t wake you.) The internet corporate culture of being “always on” has replaced the appointment culture of regular office hours.

Client intimacy (of the appropriate kind) has also been replaced by a more business-based relationship anchored on deliverables and commitments (Have you finished the TV commercial yet?). The more socially oriented atmosphere with no-agenda lunches that makes the client servicing more collegial and pleasant is no longer available.

There are businesses that require on-site presence like bank branches, restaurants with dine-in or pick-ups, and barbershops. Even these are reduced to a skeletal force, sometimes with rotating closure of outlets. This uncertainty of regular employment can ironically be an incentive to improve customer-facing service with the fear factor. But there is still the overhang of a discontinuity of the business that has falling revenues from the restrictions on distancing and less customers per square meter of space.

There is a rise in demand for practicing psychiatrists to address anxiety, depression, and stress in the workplace. It is not just about fear of losing a job. There is the possibility in spite of precautions taken and strict adherence to health protocols that one can test positive in some random check in the community. Even those who need medical help with some unrelated illness, like a pregnancy or a fracture from slipping in the bathroom, are fearful of going to the hospital to be attended to, if there are even available slots.

Corporate culture defines the work environment. Good cultures attract and retain high-performing talents. The survey of good companies to work for is determined by existing employees as well as those aspiring to join them. This ranking is determined by a combination of good compensation and benefits programs as well as a nurturing corporate culture.

Still, in these times of high unemployment, closing businesses, and economic recession, the corporate culture of survival has become dominant…. maybe even after a working vaccine is administered to the first volunteer.

 

Tony Samson is Chairman and CEO, TOUCH xda

ar.samson@yahoo.com

Should freedom of assembly be an absolute right?

By Andreas Kluth

THE “right of the people peaceably to assemble,” as the US constitution’s first amendment calls it, is one of the pillars of liberty. That’s why all liberal democracies guarantee and protect it in some form. But is this right absolute? Could there be, in well-defined cases, a liberal case for abridging it?

This timeless question has just become newly urgent. As I warned might happen, the COVID-19 pandemic has, directly or indirectly, increased social turmoil in many countries, leading more people to assert their right to protest. But as the very different circumstances in Belarus, the US, and Germany showed again this past weekend, what counts as a primal scream for freedom in one gathering easily turns nefarious and anti-democratic in another.

In Belarus, the protesters are indeed heroes deserving the sympathies of freedom lovers all over the world. Since a fraudulent election on Aug. 9, they’ve been bravely marching as their benighted dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, stomps around carrying an automatic rifle and keeps his thugs ready to bludgeon his critics. Types like him disdain freedom of thought, speech or assembly. That’s why philosophers since John Stuart Mill have considered these rights essential.

Elsewhere the picture is more complex, even in the “sweet land of liberty.” As COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter have blown off America’s veneer of social cohesion, some US cities have of late resembled battlegrounds. Over the weekend, supporters of President Donald Trump gathered in Portland, Oregon, and drove downtown in a caravan of hundreds of banner-draped trucks. There they clashed with mobs of “anti-fascist” counter-protesters. Paintball guns were shot and fists thrown, until actual gunfire erupted and a man lay dead.

Clearly, neither side in this particular exercise of the right to assemble emphasized the first amendment’s stipulation to do so “peaceably.” The intention was to antagonize and intimidate opponents, not to air arguments for the betterment of democratic discourse. The ubiquity of guns in America makes any such confrontation potentially lethal.

And then there’s the peculiar case of Germany, a country that has been sensitized by its own Nazi history to the dangers that extremists pose. Protest movements against the various coronavirus lockdowns have swept across much of Europe, but they’ve grown particularly strong in Germany. This is surprising, given that Germany has controlled the outbreak relatively well and imposed only mild restrictions.

Nonetheless, the crowds of protesters are growing. Many are spouting outlandish conspiracy theories inspired by the QAnon movement in the US and striking anti-Semitic overtones. Increasingly, far-right extremists and even full-blown neo-Nazis are mixing into the crowds.

This Saturday, almost 40,000 demonstrators showed up in Berlin. In the evening, the protest turned violent, as several hundred rioters stormed the barriers protecting one entrance of the Reichstag, Germany’s parliament building. Many carried the black-white-red flags of Imperial Germany, a symbol that nowadays stands for the far right, since the Nazi swastika is banned. Three defiant policemen barely managed to keep them out.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s president, called the violence “an intolerable attack on the heart of our democracy.” The government and mainstream political parties all lined up to condemn the transgressions. As hooligans, politicians, and ordinary Germans alike are well aware, the Reichstag is where Germany’s democracy was literally and metaphorically set afire in 1933.

All of this points to an ambiguity about the freedom of assembly. In places from Belarus to Hong Kong, this right either doesn’t exist or has been trampled upon. In the US and Germany the right does exist but is in frequent tension with those who cynically abuse it.

Even in the liberal tradition, freedom of assembly was never meant as an absolute right. Mill famously argued that it can and should be abridged “to prevent harm to others.”

Berlin’s interior minister, Andreas Geisel, had tried to invoke this “harm principle” to stop Saturday’s demonstration. He argued that the protesters were likely to scorn rules about social distancing and mask use just as they had done at another event on Aug. 1. This would accelerate contagion and put at risk people not even participating. But a court overruled him, arguing that the mere possibility that rules would be broken doesn’t suffice.

This reasoning was surprising, given that the harm principle must of necessity apply in advance of injury. What probably moved the court was Geisel’s tactical mistake of also citing the likely presence of neo-Nazis at the event. As soon as politics was involved, the judges felt they had to err on the side of freedom of assembly.

As well they should. But even the distinction between political opinion and harm isn’t always clear, and different nations will draw different lines. In the US, free speech protects even Holocaust denial. In Germany and 15 other European countries, as well as Israel, it doesn’t, on the reasonable premise that it’s unbearable — and thus harmful — to the Nazis’ victims and their descendants.

Amid the worldwide rise of extremism, liberal democracies are in a bind. If they curtail their hallowed freedoms, they allow half-wits of all stripes to turn their “martyrdom” into propaganda. But if they provide the loonies a stage, they let cynics avail themselves of democratic rights to undermine the democracies that guarantee them.

Ultimately, the conundrum of liberty is not a legal question but a cultural one. As soon as there’s a threat of harm, the state must intervene. But as long as protesters merely mouth off in ways that are disgraceful, the state must stand back. In these cases, it’s up to the rest of us to speak up and reclaim our democracies from the crackpots and demagogues. Even in 1933, the ensuing disaster could only happen because ordinary Germans allowed it.

BLOOMBERG OPINION

Nuggets edge Jazz in Game 7

THE DENVER NUGGETS survived a frantic finish to complete a rally from a 3-1 postseason deficit Tuesday night, getting a go-ahead hoop from Nikola Jokic with 27.8 seconds remaining for an 80-78 victory over the Utah Jazz in Game 7 of their Western Conference first-round series in the NBA bubble near Orlando.

The 4-3 win vaults the third-seeded Nuggets, who had never previously rallied to win a series from down 3-1, into a second-round matchup with the second-seeded Los Angeles Clippers, beginning Thursday night.

After sixth-seeded Utah forged a 78-all tie on a Rudy Gobert dunk with 47.5 seconds left, the Nuggets went to Jokic inside against the Jazz’s ace defender, and the Denver big man came through with a short hook shot in the lane for the game’s final points.

The Jazz had two subsequent possessions.

First, the Nuggets stripped the ball from Donovan Mitchell with 8.4 seconds to go. But rather than try to run out the clock, Denver rushed the ball up the floor and watched Torrey Craig miss a contested layup with 4.4 seconds remaining.

Gobert rebounded and got the ball to Mike Conley, who had a good look at a potential game-winning 3-pointer just before the final horn, but had the shot rim out.

In winning for the third straight time after falling behind 3-1 in the series, the Nuggets prevailed despite getting just 17 points on seven-for-21 shooting from Jamal Murray, who suffered a bruised thigh in a collision with Utah’s Joe Ingles in the second quarter and was never the same.

Jokic paced the Nuggets with a game-high 30 points, completing a double-double with 14 rebounds.

Michael Porter Jr. chipped in with 10 points off the bench for Denver, which won despite shooting just 37.3% and scoring only 30 points in the second half.

After a slow start, Mitchell led the Jazz with 22 points, shooting nine-for-22, while Gobert had 19 to complement a game-high 18 rebounds.

Mitchell connected on a pair of 3-pointers (on eight attempts), giving him 33 treys in the seven games and allowing him to break Stephen Curry’s single-series postseason record of 32, set in 2016. Murray wound up with 32 3-pointers in the series, though he was just one-for-six from long distance on Tuesday.

Jordan Clarkson added 10 points for Utah, which had never previously lost a playoff series in which it led 3-1.

After Mitchell’s 13 third-quarter points had rallied the Jazz into contention after they had trailed by as many as 19, Conley and Gobert combined for all the points in an 8-0 run to begin the fourth period and give Utah its first lead since the first quarter at 68-65.

Denver subsequently regained a four-point lead on two consecutive hoops by Murray, the latter making it 78-74 with 1:43 to go.

But Utah made one last charge, rallying into a 78-all tie with 47.5 seconds to go on hoops by Royce O’Neal and Gobert, both assisted by Conley, setting up the wild finish.

Mitchell was held to two points in the first 22 minutes, during which the Jazz fell behind by as many as 10 in the first quarter and 19 in the second. — Reuters

Maharlika FC now part of PFL; Global FC license suspended

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

NEWLY FORMED TEAM Maharlika Football Club is the latest addition to the Philippines Football League (PFL) after its license to operate was approved by the local governing body for the sport.

Following a meeting on Tuesday, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) announced it had granted a provisional license to Maharlika FC, which would allow the latter to participate in the 2020 season of the PFL.

Also announced was the 90-day suspension of the license of Global Football Club (FC) for its failure to settle its overdue payables to its players and staff.

Founded by former Philippine Azkals member Anton Del Rosario, Maharlika FC will be the sixth team set to see action in the fourth season of the PFL, targeted to begin by the second week of October.

It joins Kaya FC-Iloilo, Mendiola FC 1991, Stallion Laguna FC, United City FC and the Azkals Development Team as the official squads for PFL Season 4.

Maharlika FC said it is very excited to compete in the PFL, banking on its roster of “former Azkals players, ex-pros and a few youth guys.”

Among its latest signings is many-time, national player Misagh Bahadoran.

“They are a very enthusiastic group and I see great potential with them because they have a vision which is aligned with ours. The way they plan to market their club will also help bring awareness and following to the league aside from their competitive attitude,” said PFL Commissioner Coco Torre of the league’s new member.

The PFL started its return to activities on Wednesday after months of waiting because of the coronavirus pandemic, with modified team workout and training at the PFF Training Center in Carmona, Cavite.

Maharlika FC is set to begin its training after undergoing RT-PCR/Swab Test scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 2, as part of the guidelines put up for a successful return to football activities.

The on-field training is to be conducted under strict health and safety guidelines in accordance with the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) issued by pertinent government agencies.

GLOBAL FC
Meanwhile, the PFF said it has suspended Global FC’s license for 90 days to give it time to settle all outstanding payables to its players and staff.

The local football governing body also issued a warning that failure to comply by Global FC would result in the revocation of the club’s PFF license for PFL Season 2020 and ineligibility to compete in the league or apply for a renewal of club license.

Global FC is in hot water for being remiss on its financial obligations since the coronavirus pandemic started in the country and even prior.

Messi unlikely to change mind on Barca exit, says presidential candidate

LIONEL Messi is unlikely to change his mind about leaving Barcelona, the club’s presidential candidate Victor Font has said.

Messi rocked Barcelona last month when his lawyers told the club he wanted to activate a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave for free before the 2020-21 season.

The club disputed the claim saying the clause expired on June 10 — with La Liga also releasing a statement saying his contract was still valid — but Font is not optimistic about convincing Messi to stay another year.

“I really hope the decision can be changed,” Font told Sky Sports. “It doesn’t seem likely, though… if that’s the case, the focus should be on making the transition as smooth as possible.

“Messi loves the club and he wants to win, he wants to compete. He has been saying this for many, many years, it’s not just been for a few weeks.

“Unfortunately the club has not been able to deliver on the promise of building a competitive team.”

Messi, 33, last won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015 and an 8-2 humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals last month was the final straw for the six-times world player of the year.

Messi, who failed to turn up for pre-season training on Monday, had previously labelled his side “weak” and “inconsistent” after surrendering the league title to rivals Real Madrid.

The club has spent millions on players in the transfer market who have not come good in recent years and transfer strategy is something Font hopes to change if he is elected president.

“Currently you have the president, the chairman of the board and even some directors making decisions about signings, about selling players and that needs to be changed,” Font, who hopes to succeed president Josep Maria Bartomeu in the election next March, added.

“That’s why we’ve been working on a project and we need people to lead that who come from the world of football.”

Lionel Messi’s father and agent headed to Barcelona on Tuesday for what Argentine media said was a meeting with club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

TV pictures showed Jorge Messi boarding a private plane in Rosario.

The plane was destined for the United States, from where he would proceed to Spain, local newspapers Ole and Capital de Rosario reported. — Reuters

With no fans at US Open, Serena cheers herself to victory

WITH no fans to cheer her on, Serena Williams was left to push herself to a record-breaking straight-sets victory in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday.

The six-time champion did not need the help of a fan-filled Arthur Ashe Stadium to provide a lift during her 7-5 6-4 win over the 96th ranked Kristie Ahn.

But at some point during the next two weeks at Flushing Meadows, Williams, as she has instinctively done many times over the last two decades, will look to the stands for a turbo-boost and there will be none.

“I think the hardest is making sure you stay pumped,” said Williams, when asked about the lack of fans and big-crowd atmosphere. “For me it was clearly easy because I’m always overly passionate.

“I love being passionate. It’s what I’m best at.”

Running on empty will take on a whole new meaning at the COVID-19 impacted U.S. Open, where the boisterous energy provided by capacity crowds that pack tennis’s biggest stadium have in the past refilled fatigued players’ tanks.

While Williams was certainly not firing on all cylinders on Tuesday she began her US Open as she started 19 others — with a win — and improved her first round match record to 20-0.

And even after 20 years there were still records to be broken, Williams collecting her 102nd U.S. Open win to surpass the mark she shared with Chris Evert.

The record Williams covets, however, is equalling Margaret Court’s 24 Grand Slam titles.

Down an early break in each set against Ahn on Tuesday, Williams constantly leaned on her biggest weapon, her serve, to get her out of trouble, hammering down 13 aces and winning 32 of 38 first-serve points.

But while her serve inflicted damage, her other weapons were not so sharp. And despite saying she was “super fit” Williams appeared fatigued.

Although her court coverage was lacking, her power and experience were more than enough to see off the 28-year-old Ahn, who is still chasing a first career title.

Williams’s straight sets win was her first since the WTA Tour’s restart in August, as all five of her previous matches had gone the distance.

While Williams counted the positives to come from the win she acknowledged there is still plenty to work on.

“I felt like I wanted to be focused from the first point to the last,” said Williams, who lifted herself with screams and fist pumps throughout the match.

“I feel like I have been focused but I’ve been losing matches on literally one point that could swing a match a different way.

“I just wanted to be Serena, focused from the first point to the last point no matter what happens.” — Reuters

Celtics storm back to beat Raptors in Game 2

Jayson Tatum scored a playoff-career-high 34 points, Marcus Smart sunk five 3-pointers during a furious fourth-quarter comeback and the Boston Celtics rallied past the Toronto Raptors 102-99 in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Tuesday night near Orlando.

Smart had 19 points, Kemba Walker added 17 and Jaylen Brown 16 as the Celtics took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 3 will take place Thursday.

OG Anunoby had 20 points and Fred VanVleet 19 for the Raptors, who dropped to 0-3 against Boston in the NBA bubble. Toronto shot 11 of 40 (27.5%) from deep.

Down by as many as 12 late in the third quarter, the Celtics entered the fourth trailing 78-70. Smart, who had three points through the first three quarters, then took over.

Smart nailed a trio of threes as the Celtics got within 80-79. He knotted the score at 82 with another trey to complete a 16-4 Boston spurt.

Anunoby completed a three-point play for the Raptors, and Smart responded with another three and the foul for an 86-85 edge with 7:55 remaining. Tatum nailed a three, and Boston went up 93-87 with 5:41 to go.

A VanVleet trey got Toronto within 95-92. After Tatum and Kyle Lowry each hit two free throws, Walker drilled a three for a 100-94 lead with 2:24 left.

Lowry hit a technical free throw and two more at the line to get the Raptors within 100-99, but Walker hit another bucket for a three-point Celtics lead with 41.6 ticks left. VanVleet’s chance to tie at the buzzer bounced off the board.

Toronto used a 14-2 run to grab the game’s largest lead, 78-66, with 2:46 remaining in the third.

The Raptors, who trailed from start to finish in Game 1, got ahead 17-9 in the first quarter, but the Celtics battled back to knot the score at 28 after one.

Boston went up 50-45 on a Grant Williams dunk with 45.5 seconds left in the half, but Pascal Siakam beat the buzzer with a three to cut the margin to 50-48 at the break.

Toronto had no free throws in the half. — Reuters

UAAP Board of Managing Directors to meet over bubble-related issues

THE Board of Managing Directors of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines is set to meet today to discuss further the alleged “training bubble” conducted by member-schools which, if proven to be true, is in violation of existing health and safety protocols put up by the government.

Following a meeting on Tuesday among officials of the UAAP and members of a government-created panel as well representatives of in hot water member schools University of Santo Tomas and National University, the collegiate sports association said it would sit down and study further the matter before making any decision.

The UST men’s basketball team and NU women’s volleyball squad are currently at the center of an investigation for allegedly violating government health and safety protocols when they held training when it is still prohibited at this point of the coronavirus pandemic as per regulations put out.

It has been reported that the Growling Tigers were holed up in Capuy, Sorsogon, hometown of coach Aldin Ayo, beginning in June as part of their preparation for UAAP Season 83, targeted to begin early next year, and other tournaments.

The Lady Bulldogs, meanwhile, allegedly did the same when they gathered to train in a sports facility in Laguna.

The investigating panel has been conducting a series of meetings and reiterated the seriousness of the issue at hand and the need for it to be addressed accordingly.

Both UST and NU had conducted their own investigations and presented their findings to the panel at Tuesday’s meeting.

“The meeting was an important step towards the resolution of these issues that concern student-athletes of UAAP member-schools,” said the UAAP in a statement.

“The UAAP Board of Managing Directors will convene on Thursday (September 3) to review these reports and tackle other related cases before taking pertinent actions,” it added.

UAAP executive director Atty. Rebo Saguisag and Season 83 president Nonong Calanog represented the league during Tuesday’s meeting.

Philippine Sports Commission National Training Director Marc Velasco, Department of Health rep representative Rodley Carza, Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Chairman Prospero de Vera III, and CHEd Executive Director Atty. Cindy Jaro, meanwhile, were also present for their respective agencies tapped to handle the matter.

Also part of the government-created panel is the Games and Amusements Board. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

PeSO gets approval of POC as an associate member

The local esports community has enhanced its structure when the Philippine Esports Organization (PeSO) recently got the nod to operate as the official national sports association for the sport.

In an announcement released on Tuesday, PeSO said its application for Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) accreditation had been approved and that it is excited and determined to perform its tasks geared towards advancing the gains of esports in the Philippines.

Among its tasks would include organizing events, promulgation of rules of the sport, promotion and growth of the sport via grassroots programs and other activities, and the recruitment of national players and coaches.

“I entrust PeSO on their endeavors of uplifting the Philippines through esports globally. And I congratulate them on being an associate member of the Philippine Olympic Committee!” said POC Chairman Stephen Hontiveros.

PeSO, which is composed of the largest and most credible esports companies and personalities in the country, including those from the Esports National Association of the Philippines, seeks to build on the long-standing experience in esports of its members, channelling it to a collective push.

The organization is backed by Smart Communications and features the likes of Bren Esports, Gariath Concepts, Mineski Philippines, The Nationals, PlayBook Esports, Tier One Entertainment, TV5, and TNC Holdings in its fold.

PeSO has aWorld Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-approved protocols as mandated by the International Esports Federation (IESF). PeSO has been a member in good standing under the IESF since 2012.

The IESF is the only esports organization in the world that fulfills all criteria set by the Global Association of International Sports Federations.

“We thank the POC for recognizing PeSO as an Associate Member. Our goal is to continue leading the way to bring glory to Philippine esports,” said Jane Jimenez Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart.

PESO’s first major event for 2020 will be the Philippine Qualifiers for the IESF World Championships to be held in Israel this December.

The search for the newest members of Team Sibol, the Philippine national team, starts this month, the details of which will be announced through the PeSO Facebook Page. TV5 and Cignal will air the Philippines Qualifiers on One Sports and One Sports Plus. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Global consortium pieces together the COVID-19 data jigsaw

The COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium will develop strategies to guide the international ICU (internsive care unit) community on how to best treat patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms through the collation and analysis of data from its partner hospitals. Image via NIAID / CC BY 2.0

National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) is the consortium’s lone Philippine partner 

By Patricia B. Mirasol

“It’s like driving a car blindfold—at breakneck speed—with your parents at the back. We don’t have a manual for this,” said Professor John Fraser, Director of University of Queensland’s Critical Care Research Group, as he explained that there is no textbook answer for treating patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms.

The COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium is a global alliance of doctors and scientists who are piecing together the different parts of the novel coronavirus’ data jigsaw. More than 360 hospitals and affiliated research centers from 52 countries have joined the Consortium to build a COVID-19 global database for critically ill patients. The Consortium has a dashboard created by IBM that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and data modeling to generate clinical insights.

The National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) is the consortium’s lone Philippine partner. 

LISTENING TO THE DATA
The data gathering started in mid-January—before the virus was even named and before anyone knew that it would spread outside Asia. Mr. Fraser, who is also president of the Asia Pacific ELSO (Extracorporeal Life Support Organization), recalled that people in his network began asking him what they should do with the information they had gathered on the novel coronavirus. “We knew we had to do something,” he said. “We decided to create a database.”

Initially called the ECMOCARD ( ExtraCorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for 2019 novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease) study, its goal is to characterize clinical features about COVID-19, specifically: the epidemiology, clinical course of infection, the severity of respiratory failure, type of respiratory support, ECMO—a form of life support for those who can’t provide oxygen for their own blood—details, and intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital survival. 

The Consortium will develop strategies to guide the international ICU community on how to best treat those with severe COVID-19 symptoms through the collation and analysis of data from its partner hospitals.

The global alliance standardized the type of data gathered; doctors can glean patterns from the amassed database, and can better understand which demographic groups are most at risk or what treatments work better for which population segment. It gives them decision support and creates change and outcomes at the bedside. The more data is fed into the machine, the more efficient it becomes. 

“Our job is to listen to the data. You need to have enough data to help, but not too much to overwhelm. We trimmed it to key points… We did a best size fits all,” said Mr. Fraser.

The data is managed through a custom-made dashboard for clinicians created by IBM. IBM and another multinational technology company contacted Mr. Fraser right off the bat to offer their assistance at the start of the study. IBM, with its expertise in AI and machine learning, consulted clinicians to answer the question, “What’s the best way for a dashboard to work?” The multinational technology company, meanwhile, is being eyed to help the Consortium consume data in various formats (whether image, audio, or video files).

THE WAY FORWARD
A number of sub-studies and subgroups are coming out of the main study. At least one of these will tackle the long-term consequences of the disease: Can survivors still work after 6 months? Can COVID-19 cause neurological damage?

“COVID-19 hasn’t been here one year,” Mr. Fraser said. “If you lose a part of your workforce that can’t earn taxes and would eventually need nursing care, that’s a huge course of study with massive implications.”

The Consortium is a collaboration among professionals and institutions that have banded together gratis to discuss, listen, and learn. It is seeking grants so it can employ data collectors to enter data and relieve overworked healthcare staff of this task. 

Pentagon worried about China’s nuclear ambitions

WASHINGTON — China is expected to, at least, double the number of its nuclear warheads over the next decade from the low 200s now and is nearing the ability to launch nuclear strikes by land, air and sea, a capacity known as a triad, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

The revelations came as tensions rise between China and the United States and as Washington seeks to have Beijing join a flagship nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia.

In its annual report to Congress on China’s military, the Pentagon said that China has nuclear warheads in the low 200s, the first time the US military has disclosed this number. The Federation of American Scientists has estimated that China has about 320 nuclear warheads.

The Pentagon said the growth projection was based on factors, including Beijing having enough material to double its nuclear weapons stockpile without new, fissile material production.

The Pentagon’s estimate is in line with an analysis by the Defense Intelligence Agency.

“We’re certainly concerned about the numbers… but also, just the trajectory of China’s nuclear developments writ large,” Chad Sbragia, deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, told reporters.

Earlier this year, China’s Communist Party-backed newspaper Global Times said Beijing needs to expand the number of its nuclear warheads to 1,000 in a relatively short time.

Sbragia said China was also nearing completion of its nuclear triad capacity, suggesting China is further along than previously, publicly known. China has only two of the three legs of triad operations, but is developing a nuclear-capable, air-launched ballistic missile.

The report said that in October 2019, China publicly revealed the H-6N bomber as its first nuclear-capable, air-to-air refueling bomber.

Washington has repeatedly called for China to join in trilateral negotiations to extend New START, a US-Russian nuclear arms treaty that is due to expire in February.

China has said it has no interest in joining the negotiation, given that the US nuclear arsenal is about 20 times the size of China’s.

In July, a senior Chinese diplomat said Beijing would “be happy to” participate in trilateral arms control negotiations, but only if the United States were willing to reduce its nuclear arsenal to China’s level.

China’s growing nuclear arsenal should not be used as an excuse for the United States and Russia not to extend New START, Kingston Reif, director for disarmament and threat reduction policy at the Arms Control Association advocacy group, said.

It “further reinforces the importance of extending New START and the folly of conditioning extension on China and China’s participation in arms control,” Mr. Reif added.

China’s nuclear arsenal is a fraction of the United States’, which has 3,800 nuclear warheads stockpiled, and Russia’s, which has roughly 4,300, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

Tensions have been simmering between China and the United States for months. Washington has taken issue with China’s handling of the novel coronavirus outbreak and moves to curb freedoms in Hong Kong. The increasingly aggressive posture comes as President Donald Trump bids for re-election in November.

Another source of tension has been Taiwan. China has stepped up its military activity around the democratic island Beijing claims as sovereign Chinese territory, sending fighter jets and warships on exercises close to Taiwan.

The Pentagon report, based on 2019 information, said China’s military continued to “enhance its readiness” to prevent Taiwan’s independence and carry out an invasion if needed. — Reuters

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