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pcinews_twt MAY 19, 2023 www.canadianinquirer.net VOL. 8 NO. 540

FLORES DE MARIA EXHIBIT

A special exhibit dedicated to our beloved mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, opens Tuesday (May 16, 2023) at the Araneta City in Ali Mall, Quezon City. The exhibit is part of the Flores de Maria
celebration, which features various images of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
ROBERT OSWALD P. ALFILER / PNA

20
Marcos vows to prioritize
local sugar production
BY RUTH ABBEY GITA-CARLOS boost the industry and make it interna- Why so many South Korean
Philippine News Agency tionally competitive. women are refusing to
But in the meantime, he added, there date, marry or have kids
was still a need for the country to import
MANILA – President Ferdinand R.
Marcos Jr. on Wednesday assured the
sugar to augment the supply and stabi-
lize the price. 30
sugar industry’s stakeholders of putting “Unfortunately, magi-import pa
a premium on local production amid rin tayo (we still have to import) up to `
scheduled plans to import 150,000 met- 150,000 metric tons. But kung maganda
Taxing the wealthy to the
ric tons (MT) of sugar. ang production natin, baka hindi kailan- hilt would make us all
At a consultative meeting in Mala- gan lahat yun (But if we have a good local much better off
cañan with local farmers, planters, mill- production, we might not need to import An expert’s guide to drink-
ers, and traders, Marcos mentioned his PAGE 25
ing beer for people who
administration’s several initiatives to ❱❱ PAGE 6 Marcos vows to don’t do well with gluten

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2 MAY 19, 2023 FRIDAY
FRIDAY MAY 19, 2023
PBBM tells local execs to promote
good governance
BY RUTH ABBEY GITA-
CARLOS
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – President Ferdi-
nand R. Marcos Jr. On Tuesday
told local executives to continue
promoting good governance to
attain the shared goal of advanc-
ing the Filipinos’ welfare by seek-
ing a strengthened partnership
with the national government.
Marcos made the remark during
the oath-taking ceremony for the
newly elected officers of the Pro-
vincial Board Members League of
the Philippines (PBMLP) at Mala-
cañan Palace in Manila.
For the past 35 years, the PB-
MLP remains a staunch partner
of the national government in
the conduct of good governance
and achieving excellence in
public service, anchored in the
core ideas of capacity-building,
effective legislation and ad-
vancement of general welfare
of provinces.
A former local chief executive,
Marcos stressed the importance
DA eyes ‘regulated’
importation amid rising
onion prices
BY STEPHANIE
SEVILLANO
Philippine News Agency
MANILA— The Department
of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday
said it might consider “regulat-
ed” importation amid renewed
spike in the prices of onions.
In a media interview, DA
Deputy Spokesperson Rex Es-
toperez said the import vol-
ume might be at 22,000 metric
tons for red and white onions
or equivalent to a month-long
consumption volume.
“Other alternatives that we
have considered also is that, will
we import? Kung ganoon pat-
uloy ‘yung presyo (If the price
of cooperation between the na-
tional government and the local
government units (LGUs) to en-
sure the country’s development.
He said the national govern-
ment needs the LGUs’ assis-
tance to know “important” is-
sues at the local level, including
political rivalries.
“We need your help in the na-
tional government. We have to
work together. We have to know
what the local conditions are,” he
said in a speech delivered before
the newly elected PBMLP officials.
“Let’s continue this. Let’s
strengthen this partnership that
we have, the local and national
government. Because that is the
only way that we can maximize
the resources, the time and the
energy that we are spending for
the development of the Philip-
pines,” Marcos added.
Marcos said the national and
local governments should work
together in carrying out various
programs aimed at uplifting
Filipino people’s lives.
He ensured that his administra-
tion would preserve local govern-
continues to be this [high]), we
might import… but on a regulat-
ed or calculated basis,” he said.
Based on the DA’s latest price
monitoring, the prevailing
price of local red onion in Met-
ro Manila ranges from PHP160
to PHP200 per kilogram, while
local white onion is pegged
from PHP150 to PHP200 a kilo.
Estoperez noted that the
farmgate price of onions is now
at PHP120 per kilo as the coun-
try approached the off-season.
He, however, insisted that
the DA wanted to intensify its
coordination with the local gov-
ernment units (LGUs) amid re-
ports of price manipulation by
unscrupulous traders.
The Samahang Industriya
ment autonomy, while LGUs work
with the national government.
“Para maging maayos naman
ang patakbo natin para in sync ang
local government at saka sa na-
tional government (It would help
us provide good service and make
sure that the local and national
governments are in sync),” he said.
Marcos also pledged to pro-
vide assistance to local govern-
ments, particularly municipali-
ties, to improve their capability
as the national government de-
volves its function to the LGUs
as a result of the Mandanas rul-
ing of the Supreme Court (SC).
In March, Marcos directed
the review of Executive Order
(EO) 138 for possible amend-
ments and determine what na-
tional government functions
should be devolved to the LGU
following the SC ruling.
EO 138 was signed in 2021
to support the efficient imple-
mentation of the SC ruling on
the Mandanas-Garcia case and
strengthen the autonomy and
empowerment of LGUs.
When the Marcos adminis-
ng Agrikultura (SINAG) earlier
called on traders for the “over-
priced” onions, noting that they
originally got it at only around
PHP60 per kilo farmgate price
during the harvest season.
Estoperez also said the de-
partment continues to discuss
with legislators to explore both
short- and long-term solutions.
“We’re asking also, because
[some] congressmen in the house
have addressed this, to strength-
en [the ways] on how to do the
anti-smuggling through maybe
the Price Act or [through] our an-
ti-price manipulation,” he said.
The DA said the country still
has 117,000 metric tons of onion
inventory in cold storage which
may last for months. ■
www.canadianinquirer.net
Philippine News
tration assumed office last year,
many LGUs raised concern over
their inability and lack of prepa-
ration for the adoption of full
devolution, particularly on big
ticket and high-impact projects.
The Department of Budget
and Management (DBM) not-
ed in March that around 450
LGUs, particularly fourth and
fifth class municipalities, are
not ready to assume their de-
volved functions by next year.
In 2018, the SC ruled that
the just share of LGUs from the
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (PCO)
Don’t lie about
trip details, BI
reminds travelers
BY FERDINAND PATINIO
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Bureau of
Immigration (BI) on Monday
advised travelers to be honest
with their identities and avoid
lies as these are red flags or
doubtful signs that may affect
their international trips.
In a statement Monday, BI
Commissioner Norman Tans-
ingco said passengers who
make up details about their
travels are often flagged for
misrepresentation.
“If you lie about your identi-
ty, your background, or the de-
tails of your travel, then it could
be a reason for our immigration
3
national taxes is not limited to
“national internal revenue tax-
es” collected by the Bureau of
Internal Revenue and other tax
collecting agencies.
Under the Mandanas ruling,
the national government is
mandated to expand the share
of LGUs in tax collection.
On the other hand, LGUs are
required to handle the respon-
sibility of operating social ser-
vices like agriculture, connec-
tivity and health within their
jurisdictions. ■
officers to doubt the legitimacy
of your trip,” he added,
Tansingco issued the state-
ment following a social media
post about a passenger who
was prevented from boarding
her flight four times in April for
misrepresentation.
“Initial investigation re-
vealed that during an attempt
in April, she claimed that she
was employed by a large real
estate company in the Philip-
pines, even showing documents
purportedly issued by said com-
pany,” he said.
But upon checking with the
female passenger’s alleged firm,
it was learned that her purport-
❱❱ PAGE 7 Don’t lie about
4 Philippine News
Villar: Senate to deliver a ‘well-crafted,
impactful’ MIF law
BY WILNARD BACELONIA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The ongoing se-
ries of interpellations at the
Senate plenary discussing the
Maharlika Investment Fund
(MIF) bill shows the commit-
ment of the Senate to ensure
the measure will serve the best
interest of the Filipino people,
Senator Mark Villar assured on
Wednesday.
Villar, who authored and
DICT warns public vs. text House OKs TESDA
scammers’ re-programmed training for reha-
approach bilitated drug users
BY FILANE MIKEE
CERVANTES
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Department
of Information and Commu-
nications Technology (DICT)
on Tuesday warned the public
against text scammers who have
“re-programmed” their approach
to sending messages to collect
personal information online.
In a press briefing in Mala-
cañang, DICT Secretary Ivan
John Uy said these scams have
proliferated after the extension
of the deadline for the registra-
tion of subscriber identity mod-
ule (SIM) cards, explaining that
text scammers would be able to
capture subscribers’ data if they
key in their information on the
provided fake link.
“Dumami na naman iyong
mga text scams (the number of
text scams has increased) but
most of them now have redi-
rected … or re-program(med)
their approach, panloloko nila
(in scamming), asking people,
‘Nag-register na ba kayo ng SIM
card ninyo? Kung hindi pa (if
they have already registered
their SIM cards and if not, they
should) click this link and you
sponsored Senate Bill No.
(SBN) 2020 seeking to create
the MIF, also assured that he
stands firmly committed to the
ideals and objectives of the MIF
Bill that shall ensure it empow-
ers the people, creates a fair and
equitable society, and builds a
prosperous future for all.
“Maganda po na ma-discuss
natin ang mga concerns ng
ating mga kapwa senador (It
is good that we can discuss the
concerns of our fellow sena-
tors). From the start, we always
go to their site,’ which is a fake
site,” Uy said.
He also warned the public
about e-wallet scams, explain-
ing that once a SIM card is reg-
istered, there is no need for the
user to have it registered for their
e-wallet or similar accounts.
“They also have exploited
that in respect to e-wallets, na
for purportedly you will receive
a text coming from e-wallet pro-
vider na ‘o kung nagre-register
na kayo ng SIM card kailangang
mag re-register kayo sa e-wallet
ninyo (that if you have already
registered your SIM card, then
you still need to register your
wanted to scrutinize this bill.
No better way to accomplish
that than by entertaining ques-
tions from our colleagues,” Vil-
lar said in a statement.
“The ongoing process of in-
terpellation highlights the Sen-
ate’s commitment to deliver a
well-crafted and impactful law.
By engaging in open discus-
sions and collaboration, we are
emphasizing the importance of
a thorough examination of the
Maharlika Bill,” he added.
Emphasizing the significance
e-wallet) in order to be able to
activate it,” he added.
He urged Filipino subscrib-
ers to immediately register
their SIM cards under the SIM
Card Registration Law to put an
end to the avenue of defrauding
people through text messages.
Uy stood firm that there will be
no extension to the July 26 dead-
line for the SIM card registration.
DICT’s records showed that
more than 5 million subscribers
have already registered their
SIM cards as of May 10, 2023.
Uy said they expect to hit
❱❱ PAGE 7 DICT warns public
www.canadianinquirer.net
of scrutinizing the bill thor-
oughly, Villar said he believes
that engaging in discussions
and addressing concerns raised
by fellow senators is a vital part
of the legislative process.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker
allayed the fears of some crit-
ics (of ) what happened to the
Norway Wealth Fund could also
happen to MIF.
The Norway Wealth Fund
experienced an unforeseen sit-
uation in the first half of 2022
incurring high paper losses.
BY JOSE CIELITO
REGANIT
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The House of Rep-
resentatives on Monday approved
on final reading a bill that man-
dates the Technical Education
and Skills Development Author-
ity (TESDA) to institutionalize
technical-vocational education
and training (TVET) and liveli-
hood programs designed specif-
ically for drug dependents who
have undergone rehabilitation.
House Bill (HB) 7721, which
was passed with an overwhelming
260 votes, seeks to help former
drug dependents become self-re-
liant, productive, and employable
through TVET and livelihood pro-
grams that are focused on compet-
itive and employable skills.
The proposed measure like-
wise aims to rebuild the con-
fidence of former drug depen-
dents and equip them with skills
that they can use to rejoin soci-
ety and lead meaningful lives.
“Many of our citizens who have
fallen victim to illegal drugs and
have successfully undergone re-
habilitation find it very difficult
to reintegrate into society as pro-
ductive citizens not only because
MAY 19, 2023 FRIDAY
“But then again, when you
analyze it over an extended pe-
riod, let’s say over 10 years, the
overall return for government
surpasses that period of losses.“
Villar explained.
He also reiterated the Ma-
harlika has enough safeguards to
ensure that the government will
achieve a good rate of return.
So far, among those who al-
ready interpellated with Vil-
lar were Senators Ronald Dela
Rosa, Grace Poe, Raffy Tulfo,
and Loren Legarda. ■
of the stigma but also due to the
lack of skills needed to land a job,”
Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Ro-
mualdez said in a statement.
“This measure aims to help
them become our partners in
nation-building by contribut-
ing to the betterment of our
country through self-reliance,
productivity, and being em-
ployed in our industries.”
Under the measure, the TES-
DA Director General is mandat-
ed to immediately include in the
agency’s program and budget the
design and implementation of
TVET and livelihood programs
that would cater specifically to
former drug dependents who
have undergone rehabilitation.
It also directs the TESDA, in
coordination with the Depart-
ment of Labor and Employment
(DOLE), to provide rehabilitat-
ed drug dependents with com-
petitive and employable skills
that shall enhance their ability
to find gainful employment and
livelihood opportunities.
Furthermore, HB 7721 man-
dates the DOLE to provide incen-
tives to companies that employ
rehabilitated drug dependents
who have undergone the TVET
and livelihood training programs
under the measure. ■
FRIDAY MAY 19, 2023 5

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 6 Philippine News
House OKs extension of tax
amnesty deadline to June 2025
BY FILANE MIKEE
CERVANTES
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – A measure ex-
tending the deadline of the es-
tate tax amnesty for another
two years until 2025 hurdled
final reading approval at the
House of Representatives.
During a plenary session on
Monday, a total of 259 lawmak-
ers voted to approve House Bill
7909, extending the coverage
and period of availing the Es-
tate Tax Amnesty from June 14,
2023 to June 14, 2025.
No lawmaker voted against the
measure or abstained from voting.
The measure seeks to amend
Republic Act 11213, as amend-
ed, also known as the “Tax Am-
nesty Act.”
Speaker Martin Romualdez,
the principal author of the mea-
sure, said the proposed exten-
sion would give those covered
by the law enough time to avail
themselves of the amnesty and
lower tax rates so they could
use the properties and other
assets they have inherited from
their dead loved ones.
Marcos vows to..
❰❰ 1 all of those [150 MTof
sugar]),” Marcos said.
“In the end, we will
continue to favor [the stake-
holders] in terms of buying
local production over importa-
tion. So, ‘yun ang talagang kail-
angan (So, that’s what we really
need),” he added.
On Monday, Marcos approved
the additional importation of up
to 150,000 MT of sugar.
During the consultative meet-
ing, Marcos took note of the
stakeholders’ concerns and sug-
gestions, including the identifi-
cation of sugar lands to increase
acreage and local production.
He said there was also a pro-
posal to revive the Philippine
Sugar Corporation (PhilSu-
Cor), a government-owned and
-controlled corporation assist-
ing the sugarcane industry.
In 2018, PhilSuCor was abol-
ished over the supposed overlap-
ping functions with the Sugar Reg-
He said the proposal would
also alleviate the burden of
those who would want to avail
of the amnesty but are still tran-
sitioning from financial difficul-
ties to post-pandemic recovery.
“They have barely recovered
from the Covid-19 (coronavirus
disease 2019) pandemic, and
the amnesty deadline, which
had been extended once, is just
a month away. It’s on June 14.
Thus, the need for another ex-
tension,” he said.
House Ways and Means Com-
mittee chair Joey Salceda said
about 920,000 Filipino families
could benefit from the measure.
“Based on our simulations, al-
most a million Filipino families
have estates to settle. That is de-
spite the first Estate Tax Amnes-
ty and its subsequent extension
by two years,” Salceda said.
Romualdez appealed to the
intended amnesty beneficiaries
to take advantage of the pro-
jected new extension.
He also urged the Bureau of
Internal Revenue to simplify
the amnesty application proce-
dure and allow online filing, es-
pecially for heirs who are over-
seas Filipino workers.
ulatory Administration (SRA).
“One of the suggestions that
came up during the meeting
was to revitalize PhilSuCor. It
provides financing for farmers,
especially for cooperatives and
farmers’ associations, ‘yung
mga tinatawag na (those that
are called) block…kaya’t bubu-
hayin natin, at babaguhin natin
(We will revive this and we will
make some changes),” he said.
“Let’s see what changes need
to be done so we could adjust
to our current situation and
continue their work in provid-
ing assistance to our farmer
groups,” he added.
‘Future’ plans
Also at the meeting, SRA acting
administrator Pablo Luis Azcona
presented the benefits of mov-
ing the milling and harvesting to
September as this would lead to
lesser milling of young canes, bet-
ter sugar recovery, longer milling
period, higher production vol-
Romualdez said the payment
of estate taxes would not only
result in additional tax revenue
for the government but also
faster distribution and use of
inherited properties.
“It would unlock the potential
for the development and econom-
ic utilization of those assets to the
benefit not only of the heirs but of
communities where those prop-
erties are located,” he said.
Under the Tax Amnesty Act,
delinquent heirs, executors,
and administrators had up to
June 15, 2021 to avail them-
selves of amnesty.
The law covered the estates
of decedents who died on or be-
fore Dec. 31, 2017, with or with-
out duly issued assessments,
and whose estate taxes have re-
mained unpaid or have accrued
as of the same date.
The law offers those taking
advantage of amnesty immu-
nity from civil, criminal, and
administrative cases and pen-
alties under the 1997 Tax Code.
The pandemic prompted Con-
gress to amend the law in June
2021 to provide for a two-year ex-
tension up to June 14, 2023.
Pass measure “before win-
ume, better factory preparation,
and fair opportunity to both the
millers and farmers.
Marcos vowed to “balance”
the situation, as his administra-
tion intends to boost the coun-
try’s sugar production.
“’Yun ang kailangan, ‘yung
balanse diyan. Kailangan naman
kumpleto ang ating suplay ng
asukal ngunit dapat naman lahat
ng production galing sa Pilipinas,
iyan ang unang binibili (We need
to balance it. We need to have
sufficient supply of sugar and
ensure that we will first procure
those that are being produced in
the Philippines). So, that’s what
we agreed upon,” he said.
Hinigaran town, Negros Oc-
cidental Mayor Jose Nadie Ar-
ceo, one of the stakeholders who
attended the meeting, thanked
Marcos for the opportunity to
hear the sentiments of the ben-
eficiaries of the Comprehen-
sive Agrarian Reform Program
www.canadianinquirer.net
(HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PHILIPPINES/FACEBOOK)
dow closes”
Salceda, meanwhile, urged
his Senate counterparts to
“pass the Estate Tax Amnesty
extension over the next few ses-
sion days, before the window
closes,” as the legislation ex-
pires June 14 this year.
He made the call before Con-
gress goes on sine die adjourn-
ment on June 2.
“I urge the Senate, for this
and in general, try to match the
speed with which the House
disposes of urgent measures.
For estate tax amnesty exten-
sion, it’s a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question.
Not much need for debate here.
It’s simply to extend or not to
extend,” Salceda said.
(CARP) and for being the “first”
president to listen to them.
“Thank you very much for
giving me the opportunity to
convey the real problems of
the CARP beneficiaries to the
President. Previous presidents
didn’t give me this opportunity,
only this one,” Arceo said.
Arceo ensured that small
farmers would be given the nec-
essary assistance, considering
that around 85 to 90 percent of
the sugar industry is composed
of small farmers.
Those who attended the
meeting with Marcos were rep-
resentatives from the small
sugar farmers and block farm-
ers, beneficiaries from the in-
digenous people (IP), United
Sugar Producers Federation
(UNIFED), Luzon Federation of
Sugar Producers, Inc. (LUZON-
FED), Kabankalan-Ilog Plant-
ers Association (KABILOG PA),
millers and domestic traders.
MAY 19, 2023 FRIDAY
“If the Senate doesn’t do this
over the next few days, the am-
nesty will expire while we are not
in session. There will be a win-
dow of time, meanwhile, when
people are uncertain about what
to do next with their estates.”
He also recommended that
President Ferdinand R. Marcos
Jr. “issue a certification of urgen-
cy” to give Senate the signal to do
floor deliberations in one day.
“The majority, on both hous-
es, exists for a reason. We ex-
ist because the people want us
to get things done fast. This is
a ‘yes-or-no’ question with a
clear deadline, and with clear
consequences if we miss the
deadline,” Salceda said. ■
Key sugar industry stake-
holders who attended the
meeting included Arceo and
Kabankalan City, Negros Occi-
dental Mayor Benjie Miranda.
Other attendees were Manu-
el Lamata from UNIFED; Cor-
nelio Toreja of LUZONFED;
Petie Sumagaysay of KABILOG
PA; Lance Gokongwei of Uni-
versal Robina Corp.; and Gareth
McGeown, representing the do-
mestic traders of Coca-cola.
Cabinet secretaries present
during the meeting were Ex-
ecutive Secretary Lucas Ber-
samin, Chief Presidential Legal
Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile Sr.,
Special Assistant to the Presi-
dent Secretary Antonio Ernesto
Lagdameo Jr., and Communica-
tions Secretary Cheloy Garafil.
Also present were Agriculture
Senior Undersecretary Domin-
go Panganiban and Presidential
Management Staff Senior Un-
dersecretary Elaine Masukat. ■
FRIDAY MAY 19, 2023
PBBM okays Nat’l Tourism LTO to expand
Dev’t Plan 2023-2028 PUV registration
BY RUTH ABBEY GITA-
CARLOS
Philippine News Agency
renewal onlinePresident for articulating very
MANILA – President Fer-
dinand R. Marcos Jr. has ap-
proved the National Tourism
Development Plan (NTDP)
2023-2028 which will serve as
his administration’s blueprint
and development framework
for the tourism industry.
Marcos gave his approval
during a sectoral meeting held
at Malacañan Palace in Manila,
Tourism Secretary Christina Fra-
sco said in a Palace press briefing.
“This NTDP is the result of
consultation among tourism
coordinating council as well as
our various tourism stakehold-
ers from our regions all over the
PH,” Frasco said.
“As a whole, the NTDP shall
provide a guide for our regions
as well [as] in the effort of Pres-
ident to spread countrywide
development through tourism,”
she added.
The NTDP 2023-2028, Fra-
sco said, lays down the Depart-
ment of Tourism’s (DOT) seven
objectives which focus on the
essential pillars of development
that would give the Philippines
a “fighting chance at becoming
a tourism powerhouse.”
Frasco said the NTDP aims to
promote the Philippines domes-
tically and internationally, as
well as address several issues on
tourism development, including
challenges on infrastructure,
connectivity, and digitalization.
She added that the national
development plan seeks tour-
ism equalization, enhancement
of overall tourism experience,
and strengthening of tourism
governance.
“We are very grateful to our
early in his administration his
priority for tourism develop-
ment. And this has resulted in
a convergence among govern-
ment agencies as far as giving
full support to the development
of the industry, recognizing the
losses that have ensued as a re-
sult of the pandemic and vari-
ous calamities,” Frasco said.
Frasco said the NTDP would give
Filipinos an opportunity to enjoy
gainful employment and livelihood
and the Philippines a better posi-
tion in its primary role in the South-
east Asia and the world.
“This is just one of the many pro-
grams under the Marcos admin-
istration that aims to maximize
domestic tourism, recognizing its
strength to support our economy
as well as to usher in more interna-
tional tourists,” she said.
Marcos had already been in-
formed of the overall proposed fi-
nancial consideration for the NTDP
2023-2028, according to Frasco.
‘Enhanced’ tourism slogan
Quizzed about the change in
the DOT’s marketing strategy,
Frasco said the Marcos adminis-
tration’s focus is to “highlight the
heart and soul of the Filipinos.”
She said there would be con-
sultations with tourism stake-
holders before the government
launches its new enhanced
tourism slogan promoting the
Philippine experience in the
coming weeks.
“The main change first of
all is that the focus of the DOT
will be to highlight the heart
and soul of the Filipino that is
evident in our culture, our fes-
tivals, our food, the local prod-
ucts of our small and medium
enterprises are living cultural
heritage, everything that makes
us diverse and unique and a
proud Filipino people that gives
us pride of place” she said.
“We are putting forth the best
of the best of the Philippines
to the world because it cannot
be denied that we do give the
world our best and while the
DOT has not yet come out with
an enhanced tourism slogan as
a country brand, I assure you
you’ll love it,” Frasco added. ■
www.canadianinquirer.net
Philippine News
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Land Trans-
portation Office (LTO) is seek-
ing to expand the implemen-
tation of online plain renewal
registration for public utility
vehicles (PUVs) to stop the ille-
gal practice of fixers.
LTO chief Jay Art Tugade
said Wednesday the agency is
coordinating with the Land
Transportation Franchising
and Regulatory Board about
the online renewal registration
through the Land Transpor-
tation Management System
(LTMS) portal.
“May initial meetings na po
tayo sa LTFRB para magkaroon
ng interconnectivity at ma-ac-
cess ang mga certificate of pub-
lic convenience o CPC nang sa
gayon ay iyong mga may-ari
Don’t lie about..
❰❰ 3 ed certification, as well
as other documents,
were fraudulent.
Tansingco noted it is a common
modus of illegal recruiters and
human traffickers to provide fake
DICT warns public..
❰❰ 4 their target in the next
few months left before
the deadline.
Republic Act 11934 or the SIM
Registration Act, which was the
first measure signed into law by
President Ferdinand R. Marcos
Jr. on Oct. 10, 2022, aims to fight
scams being made through text
and online messages.
7
ng mga PUV ay puwede na rin
makapag-renew online (We had
initial meetings with LTFRB so
that there is interconnectivity
and we can access the certifi-
cate of public convenience or
CPC. This way, the owners of
the PUVs could also renew on-
line),” he said.
The move follows the online
renewal registration for pri-
vate vehicles, also through the
LTMS portal, in February.
Apart from convenience on
the part of operators, the on-
line renewal of registration for
PUVs will also limit and stop
the services offered by fixers.
“The LTO and LTFRB must
assure that the PUVs plying our
roads are roadworthy units. We
want to ease the burden of PUV
operators when it comes to the
renewal of the registration of
their units,” Tugade said. ■
documents to victims to make
their travel seem legitimate.
“If you are traveling for legit-
imate purposes, then there is no
reason to lie,” Tansignco said. ■
On Dec. 27, 2022, the 180-day
SIM card registration began
and was supposed to end on
April 26 but was extended for
another 90 days.
SIM cards already in use but
not registered during the reg-
istration period will be deacti-
vated while new cards must be
registered upon purchase. ■
8 Philippine News
Correspondent/Hosts
Arianne Grace Lacanilao
Matte Laurel
Violeta Arevalo
Babes Newland
Graphic Design
Shanice Garcia
Ginno Alcantara
Arlnie Colleene Talain Singca
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Director/Producer
Boom Dayupay
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Management
Alan Yong
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Member
School-based mental health
program bill reaches Senate plenary
BY WILNARD BACELONIA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The measure seeking to pro-
mote mental health and well-being in basic
education by institutionalizing a school-
based mental health program was ushered
in Wednesday to the Senate plenary by its
sponsor, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.
In his sponsorship speech, Gatchalian ex-
plained that Senate Bill 2200 will establish a
mental health program which will define the
role of every stakeholder in the school com-
munity to appropriately respond to mental
health concerns through prevention, inter-
vention, postvention (services offered for
bereaved survivors) and recovery.
“It will be developed in consultation
with learners, their parents and par-
ent-substitutes, and implemented by
the DepEd [Department of Education],”
Gatchalian assured.
He said the program will also provide
essential school-based mental health
services, including screening, evalua-
tion, assessment, and monitoring, men-
PH, Japan, US security partnership
still in the works: DFA
BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Philippine govern-
ment said on Tuesday that talks on the
possible trilateral security partnership
with Japan and the United States are in
the works but still in “very early stages.”
On the sidelines of a policy talk in To-
kyo, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique
Manalo said Manila has already con-
ducted “some trilateral activities” with
Japan and the US in the Sulu Sea but the
detailed scope of the partnership itself is
still yet to be established.
“[T]here was an understanding that we
should explore the possibility of trilateral
arrangements, but at this stage, we still
have to discuss the Terms of Reference,
what kind of activities, so it’s really very
much in the early stages,” he said.
“The important thing is there is an
understanding of the principle that it
would be useful to have such types of tri-
lateral cooperation activities,” he added.
In a bilateral meeting with Japanese
Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa,
the two officials agreed to steadily imple-
www.canadianinquirer.net
tal health first aid, crisis response and
referral system, mental health aware-
ness and literacy, emotional, develop-
mental and preventive programs, and
other support services such as strength-
ening the learners’ family bonds.
Under Senate Bill 2200, DepEd will
implement complementary measures
that will enable other associated healthy
behaviors among learners and eliminate
the stigma on mental health counseling
while providing mental health aware-
ness programs and literacy and appro-
priate mental health-related referrals to
teaching and non-teaching personnel.
Apart from this, a Care Center in every
public and private basic education school
in the country will be established that will
be equipped with functional physical fa-
cilities, located within an adequate space
where confidentiality is maintained and
accessible to the learners, teachers, and
non-teaching personnel as well.
“Specifically, the Center will serve as an
instrument to deliver school-based men-
tal health services, including the develop-
ment of a localized multi-year roadmap
ment all Philippine-Japan cooperation
projects, be it bilaterally, multilaterally
or trilaterally with the United States.
The two ministers also affirmed to
work closely on regional issues, includ-
ing the South China Sea, economic coer-
cion, the situation in Ukraine, and deal-
ing with North Korea, including nuclear
and missile, and abduction issues.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo during a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Japanese Foreign Min-
ister Hayashi Yoshimasa in Tokyo on Tuesday (May 16, 2023). (MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN/FACEBOOK)
MAY 19, 2023 FRIDAY
on the School-based Mental Health Pro-
gram, improvement of the mental health
awareness and literacy of the teaching
and non-teaching personnel, and es-
tablishment of linkages with the school
community, including parents, par-
ent-substitutes, LGUs [local government
units], and other stakeholders. Moreover,
the establishment of the Center will also
be a key to equip the learners with skills
and information for prevention, identifi-
cation, and proper response and referral
for their own and others’ mental health
needs,” Gatchalian explained.
If passed into law, Senate Bill 2200
will pave the way to hiring and capac-
itating competent personnel who will
promote and ensure the mental health
and well-being of all learners.
Gatchalian said these personnel will
promote their professional growth and
career progression by prescribing the
creation of new plantilla positions of
Mental Health Specialists and Mental
Health Associates in the DepEd.
❱❱ PAGE 15 School-based mental
Aside from security, the Japanese Min-
istry of Foreign Affairs said both diplo-
mats discussed economic cooperation,
with Hayashi reiterating Japan’s inten-
tion to actively support the Philippines
to reach the upper middle-income status.
“In response, Secretary Manalo ex-
❱❱ PAGE 13 PH, Japan, US
FRIDAY MAY 19, 2023
Backbenchers are the first victims
of the party line
BY ÉMILIE FOSTER
Policy Options
Between the control of the
message and the centralization of
power in the cabinet, the private
member has less and less room.
Political parties have be-
come machines for
centralizing power and
controlling the mes-
sage. Imbued with a
marketing logic, they
sell themselves like a
product and are on a
permanent campaign.
This phenomenon is
not new, but it has a
downside. The private
member, crushed by
the control of commu-
nications and the party
line, is losing more and
more power in our democracy.
This should concern us.
MPs are the heart of Canadi-
an democracy, in Ottawa and in
the provincial legislatures. As
legislators, they pass the laws
that govern our society.
While all MPs must toe the
party line, backbenchers are the
first victims. In the British par-
liamentary system, as in ours, a
backbencher is an elected mem-
ber of the House of Commons
or a provincial legislature – in
Quebec, the National Assembly
– who is not a minister, a house
leader, or a whip, nor is he or she
responsible for an issue for the
opposition. In essence, these are
usually members of the party in
power who are neither ministers
nor officers.
In a reflexive effort to protect
and control the media agen-
da, the centralization of power
around the party leader and
the strict control of communi-
cations for the sake of a cohe-
sive message have become the
norm. This is even more true
for the parties in power, which
can be attacked from all sides.
This centralization and con-
trol come through the par-
Canada News
ty line, which permeates all
spheres of government. It also
affects backbenchers in the
four places where they do their
work: in the House, in parlia-
mentary committees, in caucus
and in the constituency office.
Statements in the House and
in parliamentary committee
MPs are the heart of
Canadian democracy,
in Ottawa and in the
provincial legislatures.
are generally filtered through
the key messages of ministers’
offices and the Prime Minister’s
Office. The whip’s research of-
fices assist MPs in preparing
their interventions in Parlia-
ment, for example, when a bill
is passed or when questions are
asked during public consulta-
tions. Cabinet research staff
must perform their work with
exceptional skill, manoeuvring
between the freedom of MPs to
express themselves as legisla-
tors and the desire for central-
ized messaging by departments
and the leader’s office.
Theory and reality
In theory, parliamentarians
can freely express their opin-
ions in caucus, develop policy
positions and, in the case of the
governing party, legislative pro-
posals for the government. In
reality, that ideal is hampered
by obstacles that vary from
government to government, de-
pending on the leadership style
of the party leader and his or
her inner circle.
In Ottawa and the provinces,
caucuses with the leader and
elected officials present and no
non-elected political staff are
still the exception. This can
inhibit the free expression of
MPs, who may fear – not with-
out justification – that they will
be judged and pigeonholed if
they express views contrary to
the key messages put forward
publicly by the government.
Another issue is the man-
agement of caucus
content. Some parties
present the leader-
ship’s position as a fait
accompli, a done deal;
others require inter-
nal consultations be-
fore an issue is put to
a vote. For example, a
party leader may allow
members to express
themselves in caucus,
but may also choose to
direct the content of
the caucus by narrow-
ing it down to a few predefined
themes and outlining the key
messages for the week. In the
latter case, members may not
dare to raise sensitive or sub-
stantive issues.
The role of MPs in their rid-
ings is to advocate for their con-
stituents. The challenge is even
greater for government MPs
because they must also defend
decisions that are not always in
line with the will of the people
in their constituency. How MPs
deal with these situations varies
according to their personality
House of Commons of Canada (HUTIMA/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, CC BY-SA 4.0)
www.canadianinquirer.net
and experience, but government
decisions always have an impact
on the relationship between
MPs and their constituents.
The party line affects all fac-
ets of an MP’s work. It is true
that the public votes for a po-
litical party more often than for
the person who represents it
in a given riding. But party sol-
idarity often means complete
silence from the backbenchers.
Parties need to remember
that they are in the business of
politics, not marketing. Debate
is healthy, necessary and should
be encouraged, even if it means
losing a few votes in the next
election. It is also important to
put into perspective the media
environment in which political
parties operate.
When the media encourag-
es silence
The media has its share of
responsibility for this culture
of unanimity. While dissent by
MPs is tolerated and even cel-
ebrated in other democracies,
even a hint of rebellion by back-
bench MPs is covered negative-
ly in the Canadian media. In a
media environment marked by
immediacy, social networks and
crumbling partisan loyalty, it
should come as no surprise that
the political class is obsessed
with maintaining its image and
is fearful of scandal.
The media should stop treat-
9
ing an MP’s dissenting view as
a betrayal, get to know back-
benchers better and give them
positive coverage. Fear of me-
dia in the political class is a fac-
tor that has not been studied
much to date. The public does
not generally like bickering. But
it certainly appreciates an MP
who is more than just a mouth-
piece for the party line.
There are several ways to
strengthen the power of MPs in
their caucus, such as parliamen-
tary reforms or the adoption of
innovative management of the
relationship between the exec-
utive and the government cau-
cus, such as the Cabinet Group
Advisory Committees under the
Harper government, which re-
quired ministers to consult with
MPs before introducing policy
or legislative proposals.
The media visibility of MPs
and the relationship between
the media, political staff and
elected officials must also be
addressed. At a time when the
institutions and mechanisms
of representative democracy –
including the media – are being
criticized from all sides, improv-
ing our democracies requires
addressing these issues. ■
This article first appeared
on Policy Options and is repub-
lished here under a Creative
Commons license.
10
Racial disparities are barriers to
progress that can’t be ignored
BY ABDUL NAKUA
Policy Options
As the population gets more
diverse, Canada’s racial gap will
worsen, with social and eco-
nomic consequences, unless
the status quo is challenged.
The federal government
introduced its 2023 budget
at an important crossroads.
The recovery phase from the
COVID-19 global pandemic was
concluding, as persistent and
growing uncertainty about the
global economy loomed.
Budgets are defined not just
by what they include, but of-
ten by what they ignore. This
budget is no exception. Absent
is a credible articulation of eq-
uitable post-COVID rebuilding
of the economy to address the
cleavages and disparities ex-
posed during the pandemic.
One important revelation
stemming from the COVID-19
pandemic was the exposure of the
often-ignored racial gap in Can-
ada. Recent studies and reports
shed light on disparities faced
by racialized populations across
the country. Area-based studies
concluded that the COVID-19
mortality rates are significantly
higher in low-income neighbour-
hoods as well as in those with high
ethno-cultural composition com-
pared with neighbourhoods of
high income or lower ethno-cul-
tural composition.
One report co-authored by the
Wellesley Institute and Ontario
Health revealed the impact of
the pandemic was highly racial-
ized. By examining race-based
data collected between June 26,
2020 to April 21, 2021, it found
that racialized populations faced
COVID-19 infection rates up to
seven times higher than white
Ontarians. Similarly, mortali-
ty rates for Latino, South-East
Asian, and Middle Eastern On-
tarians were reported 7.7, 6.6, and
5.3 times higher than those for
white Ontarians. Such disparities
cannot be explained based on bi-
ological determinants alone.
These gross disparities ex-
isted long before COVID-19.
They are the manifestation of
cumulative deficiencies and
persistent inequalities in many
Canada News
outcomes in income, health
care, housing, education, and
justice between racialized and
white Canadians. Significant
barriers remain entrenched
along racial and gender lines, an
Institute of Policy Alternatives
study, Canada’s Colour-Coded
Income Inequality, conclud-
ed. More significantly, it found
the income gap is persistent
with little change occurring
between 2006 and 2016. This
inequality is demonstrated by
wealth indicators as well, not
just strictly by income. One in
five racialized families lives in
poverty compared with one in
20 non-racialized families.
Similarly, there is huge dis-
parity along racial lines in
housing accessibility. A 2019
report by the Canadian Mort-
gage and Housing Corporation
(CMHC) showed a fifth of visi-
ble-minority households either
did not have access to afford-
able housing or had inadequate
housing, double that of white
households. Unaffordable
housing rates were especial-
ly high among those of Middle
Eastern, North African, East
Asian and South Asian ancestry.
Black Canadians and Indig-
enous Peoples continue to face
significant disparities in almost
every socioeconomic indicator.
The pervasiveness of anti-Black
racism appears in education, em-
ployment, healthcare, and po-
licing. The picture is even more
troubling for Indigenous Peo-
ples. First Nations communities
face a $30-billion infrastructure
deficit for housing, roads, water
treatment, internet access, health
centres and schools, according to
estimates in a recent report.
These statistics provide vital
context and depth. At the core of
this narrative is the fact that rac-
ism, once normalized, becomes
self-perpetuating through ra-
cial profiling that permeates all
forms of interactions. Once em-
bedded in institutions, discrim-
ination becomes systemic and
perpetuates a position of disad-
vantage for racialized persons
and communities.
This racial gap, if ignored,
will become even more pro-
nounced with far-reaching
consequences for the social and
economic health of the country.
In the past 50 years, Canadian
society has undergone the most
drastic demographic shift since
Confederation. For example, in
1961, more than 96 per cent of
Canadians traced their ancestry
to Europe. In 2021, one in four,
or 26 per cent of Canadians, are
part of racialized groups.
This ratio is projected to in-
crease to more than 40 per cent by
2041. The Indigenous population
is projected to increase by 50 per
cent and reach close to three mil-
lion. Therefore, this increase in
the Canadian population among
non-white groups means dispari-
ties will become even more acute
if the root causes of these dispari-
ties are not addressed.
The second factor is a failure
to adapt to these demographic
changes. As the country has be-
come more diverse, it has out-
grown its policy frameworks
without adapting to the new re-
ality. Persistent racial inequal-
ities exist because programs
were never designed to offset
racial disparities. This is a cen-
tral point made by Keith Ban-
ting, a Queens University fellow
in the school of policy studies
and research chair emeritus
in the department of political
studies, and Debra Thompson,
associate professor of political
science and research chair in
racial inequality in democratic
societies at McGill University.
The analysis of Daniel R.
Meister in his book The Racial
www.canadianinquirer.net
Mosaic, which was a finalist for
the 2022 John W. Dafoe Book
Prize and the 2022 Wilson
Book Prize, provides context
and historical evolution of this
point. In it, he exposes how sys-
temic discrimination has been
excluded from Canadian nar-
ratives around pluralism and
multiculturalism.
This may explain why dispari-
ties that coincide with race have
yet to become a national priority
despite their prevalence. Recent-
ly, the federal government issued
a three-year anti-racism strategic
plan and established an Anti-Rac-
ism Secretariat to lead a pan-gov-
ernmental effort. A 13-member
task force was also convened to
review the Employment Equity
Act. And the Government of Can-
ada has very publicly committed
to reconciliation with Indigenous
Peoples. While these are positive
steps, their impact is yet to be
seen, and alone they are unlike-
ly to be adequate solutions for a
deeply entrenched social and eco-
nomic problem.
In the meantime, what re-
mains missing is a national
conversation and bold politi-
cal leadership to challenge the
status quo. There is a need to
chart a new course toward an
inclusive economic and social
model that is more responsive
to demographic shifts and glob-
al economic forces.
Such an undertaking will be
neither easy nor quick. As a first
step, we can draw from our rich
MAY 19, 2023 FRIDAY
history of nation-building over
the past century for inspiration.
The Rowell-Sirois Commission
of 1937 is one example. It was
established by the federal gov-
ernment in the context of the
Great Depression. It is signifi-
cant because of its remarkably
original approach to analyzing
the state of the federation, as
highlighted by historians Robert
Wardhaugh and Barry Ferguson
in a book published in 2021. No-
tably, the commission addressed
fiscal imbalances in federal and
provincial program delivery.
Employment Insurance and the
equalization transfers are two
key legacies that play crucial
roles in the functioning of the
country to this day.
A similar commission with
a broad mandate could be as
instrumental in constructing a
transformative new vision. By
exploring innovative ways to
level current economic dispar-
ities and address social deficits
all while increasing econom-
ic productivity and competi-
tiveness. Such an examination
could seek a new role for the
government as an active market
shaper that delivers sustainable
and inclusive growth. Imagine
a model whereby community
wealth creation and social in-
novation become drivers for
economic growth and output?
At the same time, Canadian
multiculturalism should be re-
❱❱ PAGE 21 Racial disparities are
FRIDAY MAY 19, 2023
Canada’s Modern Slavery Act is the start —
not the end — of efforts to address the issue
in supply chains
BY KAM PHUNG,
Simon Fraser University,
GENEVIEVE LEBARON,
Simon Fraser University
The Conversation
On May 3, Canada passed
legislation aimed at addressing
modern slavery — a term that
typically encompasses forced
labour, bonded labour and child
labour — in supply chains.
By doing so, Canada has
joined a growing list of nations
that have introduced this type
of legislation. Bill S-211, the
Fighting Against Forced La-
bour and Child Labour in Sup-
ply Chains Act, received royal
assent on May 11 and is slated to
become law on Jan. 1, 2024.
As business and policy re-
searchers interested in human
rights and exploitation, we have
studied modern slavery around
the world, including the devel-
opment of supply chain legis-
lation, corporate efforts and
other initiatives intended to ad-
dress modern slavery.
We have been closely follow-
ing this issue in Canada.
The enactment of what many
are calling Canada’s Modern
Slavery Act is without a doubt
an important milestone. Yet we
need to remain diligent and view
it as the start — not the end — of
efforts to address modern slav-
ery in supply chains. Otherwise,
we risk exacerbating the issue.
Landmark legislation in
Canada
Forced labour and “situations
of exploitation that a person
cannot refuse or cannot leave
because of threats, violence, de-
ception, abuse of power or other
forms of coercion” are not relics
of the past. They are ever-pres-
ent issues linked to our lives
through supply chains.
Once Bill S-211 comes into
effect, government institutions
and Canadian-linked companies
that meet the act’s thresholds will
be required to submit an annual
report that details their efforts to
address forced labour and child
labour in their supply chains.
Bill S-211 also amends the
Canadian Customs Tariff to
“exclude goods that are mined,
manufactured or produced
wholly or in part by forced la-
bour or child labour.”
For years, Canada has been
viewed as a laggard when it
comes to supply chain legis-
lation, trailing behind other
jurisdictions (e.g., Australia,
Netherlands, United Kingdom
and United States). This legis-
lation is a step toward bringing
Canada into sync with global
regulatory trends.
Experts have advocated for
more stringent legislation if
Canada wants to “get serious
about modern slavery.”
Reporting on modern slavery
in supply chains will not be new
for many companies, as many are
already required to do so under
legislation elsewhere. But for
some, this will be new territory.
Businesses that did not pay
attention to modern slavery
before this point now have no
choice but to confront it.
A study of businesses in Can-
ada found some professionals
have struggled to get buy-in
from key stakeholders. These
stakeholders are often dismis-
sive of modern slavery because
they either believe it’s irrelevant
or that directing attention to it
risks damaging their reputation.
Codifying forced labour and
child labour in supply chains
into legislation will help le-
gitimize the issue in the eyes
of otherwise reluctant deci-
sion-makers.
Superficial reporting
Years after the early pieces
of transparency in supply chain
legislation such as the Califor-
nia Transparency in Supply
Chains Act, U.K. Modern Slav-
ery Act and Australian Mod-
ern Slavery Act have come into
effect, there is little cause for
optimism around their effec-
tiveness.
Scholars have argued that
transparency laws tend to lead to
“superficial reporting, focused on
processes rather than outcomes”
and that this type of legislation
“has failed to root out forced la-
bour and exploitation from pre-
www.canadianinquirer.net
Canada News
vailing business models.”
A lack of government enforce-
ment, vague reporting require-
ments that don’t encompass key
metrics most relevant to forced
labour, and rampant non-com-
pliance among businesses have
fuelled ineffectiveness.
Broken tools
Transparency legislation has
expanded companies’ reliance
on tools to prevent and address
forced labour in supply chains.
The problem with this, howev-
er, is that many of these tools
are broken.
In their rush to demonstrate
they are taking action on forced
labour by reporting on their ef-
forts to address it, companies
have been leaning heavily on
social auditing and ethical cer-
tification programs.
Evidence suggests these
programs mask forced labour,
rather than finding and fixing
11
it. These programs give the
impression there are effective
monitoring systems in place,
when there are not.
A review of studies on audit-
ing and certification highlights
the failures and flaws hard-
wired into these systems when
it comes to detecting, prevent-
ing and remediating forced la-
bour. These programs simply
don’t work to improve labour
conditions over time.
Enabling business conditions
Transparency legislation does
nothing to tackle the organiza-
tional and commercial dynamics
that lead to businesses’ demand
for forced labour in supply chains,
as our research has shown.
Supply chain complexity and
informality have been repeat-
edly identified as key drivers of
forced labour in supply chains.
However, businesses contin-
ue to be structured to reap the
benefits of such conditions.
A decade into government ef-
forts, there is alarmingly little
evidence demonstrating that
companies have made any mean-
ingful changes to their commer-
cial designs or practices.
What it takes
If we have learned anything
from the fight against modern
slavery, it is that addressing the is-
sue — even in a select few suppliers
— takes extensive time, resources
and long-term commitments.
Counter-intuitively, com-
bating the issue doesn’t simply
mean cutting ties with entities
guilty of modern slavery. In fact,
working with perpetrators long-
term has been demonstrated to
be an effective remedy.
❱❱ PAGE 21 Canada’s Modern Slavery
12
After a brutal presidential election
campaign, Turkey is headed to a
run-off contest. Here’s why
BY MEHMET OZALP,
Charles Sturt University
The Conversation
Last weekend, Turkey held a
historic election that will be cru-
cial in deciding in the way the
country is heading. Although al-
most all pre-election polls were
predicting a narrow win for the
main opposition candidate, the
results are inconclusive, and the
country will go to a runoff elec-
tion in two weeks’ time.
The new constitution voted in
2017 stipulates the parliament
and presidential elections must
be held at the same time. To win
the presidential component of
the election, a candidate must
garner more than 50% of the
votes. If none of the candidates
receives greater than 50% of the
votes, the election goes to a run-
off election between the two can-
didates with the highest votes.
This is precisely the situation
Turkey faces now. Incumbent
President Recep Tayyib Erdo-
gan and his closest rival, Kemal
Kilicdaroglu, will face each oth-
er in a runoff election on May 28.
Who is Erdogan’s opposi-
tion and what were their ar-
guments?
There are two main blocks
that fought to win in a bitter
and ruthless campaign.
The broad opposition Na-
tional Alliance is made up of six
political parties, spearheaded
by the Kilicdaroglu-led Re-
publican People’s Party (CHP)
party. CHP is known for its
pro-secularist policies, and for
this reason have been fiercely
opposed by the religious seg-
ment of Turkish voters.
To turn this image around,
Kilicdaroglu promised a broad
reconciliation policy to unite the
country and heal the wounds of
the past. He also followed an ap-
World News
peasement strategy by drawing
under the National Alliance the
national and conservative lean-
ing Good Party (IP) and three
minor religious parties, the con-
servative Happiness Party (SP),
Future Party (GP) and Solution
Party (DEVA).
The last two parties’ inclusion
in the alliance are significant, as
they are respectively led by Ahmet
Davudoglu, a former prime minis-
ter and Erdogan’s former foreign
minister, and Ali Babacan, who
served as the minister of economy
until 2019 under successive Erdo-
gan governments.
Holding the alliance together
was important, as a key criti-
cism against the opposition was
its fragmented nature, which
some argued would make it
impossible to form a concert-
ed front against Erdogan. The
National Alliance successfully
overcame this hurdle.
The next problem was who
would be the collective candidate
of the National Alliance. The
polls consistently showed may-
ors of Ankara and Istanbul ahead
of Kilicdaroglu as candidates.
Turkish voters tend to prefer pol-
iticians with proven public office
track record – two of the mayors
had this but Kilicdaroglu did not.
In a decision some argue was
politically motivated, Imamo-
glu was charged and sentenced
to three years for insulting the
Electoral Council (YSK). This
took him out of contention.
Another spanner in the
works for the National Alliance
was the self-nomination of Mu-
harrem Ince for the presiden-
tial election. Ince was CHP’s
nominee in the 2018 election
where he lost to Erdogan.
The National Alliance was
fearful Ince’s candidacy would
split opposition votes, which
would in turn take the election
to a second round that would
advantage Erdogan. Ince an-
nounced his withdrawal from
the race two days before the
election, after several images
were circulated on internet al-
leging him having an affair.
Battered and bruised, Kilic-
daroglu remained as the main
opposition candidate in the last
stretch. He had three main ar-
guments in his campaign.
The first was the failure of
the ruling Justice and Develop-
ment Party (AKP)’s 2023 goals
and objectives. Turkey was sup-
posed to enter the top 10 econo-
mies in the world. Turkey barely
stays within the top 20, at 19th.
What is worse, the economy
has been on a downturn for the
past three years. The Turkish lira
has plummeted in value and infla-
tion has reached as high as 85.5%.
Kilicdaroglu has pointed to
the high price of onion and po-
tatoes as a symbol of economic
crisis and worsening cost of liv-
ing for many Turks.
The second is the increasing
reputation of nepotism, corrup-
tion and wasteful government
spending, which has been long
criticised by many segments of
Turkish society. Mismanage-
ment of the government were
widely criticised immediately
after the February 2023 earth-
quake, delivering further a blow
to Erdogan and his government.
Finally, Kilictaroglu tried
to present a new vision for the
electorate. He announced a
four-step reform program that
would make Turkey
• more democratic
• more productive, with invest-
ment in agriculture and industry
• a social state with services
• able to sustain these reforms.
What was Erdogan’s elec-
tion strategy?
Unfortunately for Kilicdaroglu,
his message could not be heard
by all voters, especially those in
www.canadianinquirer.net
small towns and rural areas who
primarily rely on conventional
media of TV and newspapers.
As a result, he won the major-
ity vote in major cities such as
Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, but
Erdogan was in front in inland
areas and smaller cities.
A key strategy for Erdogan is
controlling the Turkish media.
Turkey has one of the highest
rates of detained and jailed jour-
nalists in the world – in fact, it
is second only to China. During
April, Erdogan received more
than 33 hours of airtime on the
state-run TRT channel. Kilic-
daroglu had just 32 minutes.
The incumbent government’s
job was relatively easier. Erdo-
gan was the natural candidate
for the Justice and Develop-
ment Party (AKP)-led People’s
Alliance. Ultra nationalist MHP
(Nationalist Movement Party)
has been supporting the AKP
government since 2015. The alli-
ance also included several minor
religious and nationalist parties.
The ruling block had three
main arguments against the op-
position. First was the secular
history of CHP, established by
Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal
MAY 19, 2023 FRIDAY
Ataturk and now led by Kilic-
daroglu. In the 1990’s, CHP was
the leading defender of the head-
scarf (hijab) ban for women.
Erdogan argued if Kilicdaro-
glu became president, religious
Muslims in Turkey would lose
their freedoms gained in the
past two decades under his rule.
Second was Kilicdaroglu’s
Alevi religious identity. Alevism
is a branch of Shi’a Islam followed
by about 5-10% of Turks within a
largely Sunni nation. The Erdo-
gan camp was hoping the Sun-
ni majority would not relate to
Kilicdaroglu’s Alevi orientation.
Third was the accusation that
Kilicdaroglu would collude with
the Kurdistan Workers’ Party or
PKK, the Kurdish separatist or-
ganisation that was responsible
for many terrorist activities in
Turkey. The extreme implication
was that Kilicdaroglu would di-
vide the country along Turkish
and Kurdish lines, a charge vehe-
mently denied by Kilicdaroglu.
It seems the fear mongering
strategy against Kilicdaroglu
worked, and Erdogan will go to the
runoff election ahead of his rival.
❱❱ PAGE 14 After a brutal
FRIDAY MAY 19, 2023
International Criminal Court is using digital
evidence to investigate Putin – but how can
it tell if a video or photo is real or fake?
BY RONALD NIEZEN,
University of San Diego
The Conversation
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
in February 2022 was reminis-
cent of wars long past, where a
country invades another with
little provocation.
But there are many parts of this
conflict that are uniquely modern
– including how ordinary Ukrai-
nians are capturing and sharing
videos and photos document-
ing the mass murder of civilians,
which is considered a war crime
under international law.
The International Criminal
Court – an international tribu-
nal in the Hague, Netherlands,
designed to investigate and
prosecute war crimes – is trying
to keep pace with this trend.
The ICC, a common acro-
nym for the court, issued arrest
warrants for Russian President
Vladimir Putin and Russia’s
children’s rights commissioner,
Maria Lvova-Belova in March
2023. They are charged with al-
legedly abducting and deporting
Ukrainian children to Russia.
It isn’t clear what specif-
ic evidence ICC prosecutors
have gathered to support these
charges, but ICC prosecutor
Karim Khan has spoken about
the “advanced technological
tools” the court is using in its
ongoing investigation. This
could include, for example, sat-
ellite imagery or cellphone vid-
eo filmed by witnesses.
I am a scholar of internation-
al human rights who has stud-
ied the ICC’s investigations into
war crimes in Mali, West Africa,
and how the court’s use of such
digital evidence has advanced
over the last decade.
The ICC’s current investigation
PH, Japan, US..
❰❰ 8 pressed deep appre-
ciation for the assis-
tance from Japan for
the Philippine economic devel-
opment, and the two ministers
in Ukraine could further cement
this shift toward using digital ev-
idence to investigate war crimes
– and raises new challenges about
verifying the authenticity of these
photos and videos.
A rise in digital forensics
War crimes investigations
have traditionally relied almost
exclusively on witness testimo-
ny and mud and bones forensics
from crime scenes.
This began to change in
2013, when the ICC investi-
gated Malian jihadist Ahmad
Al Faqi Al Mahdi, who ordered
the destruction of shrines and
mosques in Timbuktu during an
occupation of this city in Mali.
Video evidence documented
the destruction of these holy
sites, which are UNESCO heri-
tage sites. Al Mahdi’s group took
some of these videos, and inter-
national media filmed others.
Prosecutors ultimately had
such a large trove of video evi-
dence that they organized them
into a digital visual platform.
For the first time, the ICC re-
lied heavily on visual digital ev-
idence in a prosecution.
The court sentenced Al Mahdi
to nine years in prison in 2016 for
destroying Timbuktu’s history.
Since then, other internation-
al tribunals have accepted digital
videos and images as legitimate
evidence. Satellite imagery,
mobile phone videos and other
sources of digital data can offer
powerful supplements to eyewit-
ness accounts of war crimes.
Is it real or fake?
With the rise of advanced video
editing and artificial intelligence
tools, it can be challenging to tell
real videos or images from fake
ones. If investigators are unable to
guarantee that the evidence they
download is real, they are unable
to proceed with their work.
concurred on continued coop-
eration,” the MOFA said.
The meeting followed the
official visit of President Ferdi-
nand R. Marcos Jr. in Tokyo last
The University of California
Berkeley School of Law’s Human
Rights Center raised this point in
2022, when it released a guide on
digital evidence intended for in-
ternational court investigators,
lawyers, and judges.
This guide, known as the
Berkeley Protocol, sets stan-
dards for legal relevance, secu-
rity and the handling of digital
evidence. This includes guid-
ance for investigators, such
as protecting the identity of
witnesses who provide digital
evidence and awareness of the
psychological effects of viewing
disturbing content.
There are several stages to
a digital investigation, as the
guide explains.
The first involves getting the
evidence. Investigators some-
times find themselves in a race
to download and preserve digital
content before a content moder-
ator – a person or an AI-enabled
tool – deletes it and it disappears.
Once a video is safely in their
possession, analysts have to au-
thenticate it. This complicated
process involves establishing
where the evidence came from
and where else it has been, from
the time and place the video
was shot to the point when in-
vestigators acquired it.
In their analysis, investiga-
tors look for things like distinc-
tive buildings or trees that can
be easy to spot in other images.
Satellite imagery can also help
determine exactly where a vid-
eo was filmed and what direc-
tion the camera was pointed.
Investigators may also use tools
like facial recognition software.
Video images often contain
other clues about the time and
location of an incident. Things
like street signs or sticker graffiti
on lampposts can help narrow
February where he and Prime
Minister Fumio Kishida agreed
to strengthen the overall secu-
rity cooperation between the
two states through strategic re-
www.canadianinquirer.net
World News
Russian President Vladimir Putin (KREMLIN.RU/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, CC BY 4.0)
down where and when an image
was filmed and what it shows.
The ICC is now using the
Berkeley Protocol in its investi-
gation of Ukraine. If and when
the time comes for prosecutors
to present digital evidence of
Russian war crimes in court,
there will be little need for law-
yers to argue over its validity.
The digital evidence so far
for Ukraine
It isn’t likely that Putin or Lvo-
va-Belova will be arrested – at
least, not any time soon. For now,
they are safe by staying within
Russia’s borders, since Russia
does not abide by the ICC’s arrest
warrants or prosecutions.
But the court’s investigation
of Russian war crimes is ongo-
ing, and it will rely on the thick
trail of digital evidence that
journalists, regular citizens and
even perpetrators themselves
have documented over the
course of the Ukraine war.
The Associated Press pub-
lished images and video in March
2023 of Ukrainian children –
who may or may not be orphans
– being loaded onto buses in the
ciprocal port calls and aircraft
visits, transfer of more defense
equipment and technology,
and continuous cooperation on
previously-transferred defense
13
Donetsk region of Ukraine, and
others of Ukrainian children
eating together in Russia.
Two research agencies that
previously consulted for the ICC
have also released their own vi-
sual investigations of war crimes
in Ukraine, showing digital ev-
idence that Russian artillery
attacked a theater in Mariupol
where civilians took shelter in
March 2022, for example.
Perpetrators, too, are post-
ing evidence of their alleged
crimes. Russian state media has
reportedly shown Russian sol-
diers taking Ukrainian children
from a group home into Rus-
sian-held territory.
International tribunals are
adapting to the new landscape of
digital documentation. There are
scenes in Ukraine that look eerily
like the conflicts of the 20th cen-
tury, but the current war crimes
investigation is unlike anything
we have seen before. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
equipment, among others.
According to Manalo, there
has been “steady progress” on
the two states’ defense equip-
ment transfer project. ■
 14
Joe Biden has said the US wasn’t trying
to ‘contain’ China, but the evidence
suggests otherwise
BY TESSA MORRIS-
SUZUKI, Australian National
University
The Conversation
During an official visit to Aus-
tralia in 2016, US President Joe
Biden assured America’s Pacific
allies that “We’re not trying to
contain China”. That assurance
is looking very shaky now.
The Biden administration’s
energetic promotion of the
Quad grouping and the AUKUS
alliance convey a message that
few observers have difficulty
interpreting. Defence Secretary
Lloyd Austin has been particu-
larly clear, speaking of mobilis-
ing “all tools of national power”
to create “guardrails” to block
China from displacing America
from its global leadership role.
As Financial Times editor Ed-
ward Luce observes, containing
China is now Biden’s explicit goal.
The Cold War mantra
What exactly is meant by
“containing”? We seldom talk
about “containing” France,
Britain or the United States,
for instance. In the imagery of
containment, “they” are always
unruly and liable to overstep
their boundaries. Meanwhile,
“we” are always the sedentary
targets of that expansionism.
If the US is to contain China,
it must lead a global alliance
committed to the same goal.
This is evidently what the US
hopes to do. This aspiration is
making many of its allies in-
creasingly uncomfortable.
“Containment” was the great
Cold War mantra. Its origins
can be traced to American dip-
lomat George F. Kennan, whose
After a brutal..
❰❰ 12 What is likely to
happen next?
Erdogan, never-
theless, has been wounded. If
50+% gives political legitimacy,
and Erdogan is the incumbent
president, he lost some legit-
imacy by receiving less than
World News
US President Joe Biden (THE WHITE HOUSE/FACEBOOK)
1946 “long telegram” to the
State Department called on
the US government to develop
a strategy for preventing the
spread of the “malignant para-
site” of Soviet communism.
In an anonymous 1947 article
in the journal Foreign Affairs, he
labelled this strategy as “contain-
ment”, and stressed that Soviet
expansionism had deep roots in
the “Russian-Asiatic” psyche.
This did not deter US policy-
makers from applying his con-
tainment strategy – with even
greater enthusiasm – to China fol-
lowing the 1949 establishment of
the People’s Republic in Beijing.
As geographer Charles Fish-
er pointed out in the early 1970s,
the idea of “containing China”
echoed much older European and
US images of the world. Fisher
highlighted the influence of 19th
and early 20th century civilisa-
tion theorist Halford Mackinder,
whose thesis on “the geographical
50% of the votes last weekend.
The Turkish media will play a
key role in the next two weeks.
They are in a conundrum. They
cannot be too critical of Erdo-
gan and support Kilicdaroglu
for fear of a post-election crack-
down if Erdogan wins. But they
pivot of history” played “a semi-
nal part in the development of the
containment doctrine”.
European civilisation was
seen as “the outcome of the
secular struggle against Asiatic
invasion” embodied in the in-
vasions of the “Mongol hordes
which fell upon Europe in
the 14th century”. The rise of
steam power and the railways
had created the prospect of the
emergence of a new landlocked
Eurasian power that would
challenge western civilisation.
Widespread public accep-
tance of Cold War containment
policy towards China, Fisher
argued, stemmed partly from
its resonance with older, west-
ern images of the world.
[…] in the 1950s, it seemed that
a single vast Eurasian Commu-
nist bloc now stretched like the old
Mongol empire from the plains of
eastern Europe to the shores of
the China Sea, there to confront
would also not want to be seen
as too supportive of the Erdo-
gan government in case Kilic-
daroglu wins the election.
Erdogan will have no qualms
about putting excessive pres-
sure on the media, and that may
be sufficient to tip the election
www.canadianinquirer.net
the United States across a rapidly
shrinking Pacific Ocean.
With the rise of powerful
revolutionary movements in
Southeast Asia, American for-
eign policy became haunted by
the vision of the “virus of com-
munism” spreading from China
across Asia. China became the
chief object of US containment.
In the words of journalist Don
Oberdorfer, Vietnam became
“‘the place to draw the line’
against the communist tide and
especially against the Chinese
hordes seen as the most viru-
lent and threatening manifesta-
tion of international Marxism”.
The Trump era rhetoric
The widespread revival of
Cold War containment rhetoric
began under US President Don-
ald Trump. His trade advisor,
Peter Navarro, wrote a series of
books partly based on fabricat-
ed sources with lurid titles such
as “Death By China: Confront-
ing the Dragon”, resurrecting
early 20th century stereotypes
of the Chinese “hordes”.
The Biden administration has
tried to refashion Trump’s crude
China-bashing into a more re-
fined containment policy. But
the polite language of the strat-
egy carries familiar undertones.
China’s growing power is con-
densed into a simple image of a
global bully “exporting the tools
of autocracy abroad.”
The new buzzword of Biden’s
China policy defines China as
the United States’ “pacing chal-
lenge”. This term is rarely de-
fined. It paints world politics as
a two-horse power race in which
China must never be allowed to
get its nose in front of the US.
All of this is accompanied by
in his favour.
Kilicdaroglu will have a
chance to face Erdogan, with
no other opposition candidate,
in an electoral duel. If he is able
to appeal to people who did not
vote for Erdogan, he may pull off
a narrow win. His strategy will
MAY 19, 2023 FRIDAY
repeated assurances from se-
nior US officials that they are
“not looking for conflict”. But
these assurances are not the
same thing as a concerted dip-
lomatic effort to find creative
approaches to the current crisis
in relations. A key problem with
the Biden administration’s con-
tainment strategy is that it con-
flates urgently needed interna-
tional cooperation to protect
security and freedom with the
“pacing challenge” of keeping
the US one step ahead of China.
This strategy therefore risks
becoming, like the Cold War
version of containment, a per-
petual struggle for the preserva-
tion of the status quo. As Henry
Kissinger once observed, that
allows “no role for diplomacy”.
Within the Biden administra-
tion, there are clearly divided
views about the way this new
version of containment is taking
shape. Among close allies of the
US, there seems no desire for it.
As Indonesian Foreign Min-
ister Retno Marsudi said:
Rather than being a pawn in
this new Cold War, we must pro-
mote principles and values en-
shrined in ASEAN’s outlook on
the Indo-Pacific region to guide
other countries in their engage-
ment with our region.
There could be nothing more
urgent than searching for al-
ternatives to a retreat into the
mindset of Cold War contain-
ment policy, with all its haunting
traces of past fears and violence,
and all its potential to spiral into
disastrous future conflicts. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
be to call for all voters to turn up
and vote if they do not want an-
other five year’s of Erdogan rule
and economic hardship. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
FRIDAY MAY 19, 2023 World News 15

N. Korean leader inspects School-based mental..

8 “The new plantilla nization and Staffing Standards.

military spy satellite facility

Yonhap
Philippine News Agency
SEOUL – North Korean leader
Kim Jong-un inspected the coun-
try’s first military reconnaissance
satellite and gave the green light
for its next action plan, Pyong-
yang’s state media said Wednes-
day, adding that the satellite is
“ready for loading” on a rocket.
Kim made the on-site inspection
to the Non-permanent Satellite
Launch Preparatory Committee a
day earlier to check the overall sta-
tus of the spy satellite and approved
its “future action plan,” the Korean
Central News Agency (KCNA) said,
noting that the move signals that
the launch could be imminent.
“After acquainting himself in
detail with the work of the com-
mittee, he inspected the mil-
itary reconnaissance satellite
No. 1, which is ready for loading
after undergoing the final gen-
eral assembly check and space
environment test,” it said in an
English-language dispatch.
Kim said the successful launch
of the satellite is an “urgent re-
quirement” under the prevailing
security environment and a pro-
cess of “bolstering up the defense
capabilities on a top priority basis.”
The KCNA did not provide
further details on the “future
action plan,” including the ex-
act date of the launch.
Experts said the North is
likely to calibrate the ideal tim-
ing of the satellite launch, con-
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (KREMLIN.RU/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, CC BY 4.0)
sidering climate conditions and
major political events.
The latest inspection marks
Kim’s first public activity since
his on-site visit to the North’s
space development agency on
April 18, when he announced that
the North has completed build-
ing its first military spy satellite.
The development of spy sat-
ellites was one of the key weap-
ons projects announced by Kim
during a ruling party meeting in
January 2021. ■
❰❰
positions of Mental
Health Specialists I to
V and Mental Health Associates I
to V will be created in the DepEd.
All existing plantilla positions of
Guidance Counselors and Psy-
chologists in the DepEd shall
be converted to Mental Health
Specialists plantilla positions,
and their corresponding salary
grades will be adjusted in accor-
dance with the salary schedule
prescribed in this Act,” he said.
“Specifically, the compen-
sation of the existing plantilla
positions of Guidance Coun-
selors I to III and Psycholo-
gists I to III will be adjusted to
Salary Grades 16, 18 and 20, as
their positions are converted to
Mental Health Specialists I to
III. To ensure their career pro-
gression, they can be promoted
to Mental Health Specialists
IV and V with Salary Grades 22
and 24, respectively,” he added.
According to Department Or-
der Number 77, series of 2010,
there should be one guidance
counselor for every 500 learn-
ers at the secondary level based
on DepEd-DBM [Department of
Budget and Management] Orga-
However, Gatchalian said the
country is facing a significant
shortage with 23.98 million
basic education learners for
School Year 2022-23.
“As of February 2023, there
are only 1,180 guidance coun-
selors in DepEd. This means
that for learners in Junior High
School and Senior High School
on average, DepEd has one guid-
ance counselor for every 8,431
learners. If we include elemen-
tary level learners, this ratio
increases to one guidance coun-
selor available for every 20,319
learners on average,” he said.
During School Year 2021 to
2022, the DepEd reported that
the number of learners who at-
tempted suicide reached 2,147
learners while 404 took their
own lives.
The World Health Organiza-
tion recognizes the critical role
of schools as primary mental
health support systems for stu-
dents, by enabling the planning
and implementation of a broad
spectrum of mental health ac-
tions that encompass promo-
tion, prevention, intervention,
and rehabilitation. ■

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16
Entertainment
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’
urges us to defend real animals
BY KENDRA COULTER,
Western University
The Conversation
As Guardians of the Galaxy
Vol. 3 lights up the box office, its
glow is reaching animals who are
rarely seen: those in laboratories.
Through the powerful stories
of the central character Rock-
et Raccoon, alongside Floor the
rabbit, Teefs the walrus and Lylla
the otter, we are urged to empa-
thize with real animals.
The animal characters are,
of course, digital fictional cre-
ations — no real animals were
harmed. Yet, understandably,
many viewers are having in-
tense emotional responses to
seeing the animals be held in
cages and mechanized contrap-
tions where they are subjected
to bodily mutilation and psy-
chological terror.
Major animal advocates
are heralding the film as rev-
olutionary. In PETA’s view,
the film’s truth bombs give “a
name, and a personality [to] the
millions of vulnerable animals
being cycled through laborato-
ries” everyday.
From fiction to facts
Animal suffering is heart-
breaking wherever it occurs.
Many people simply don’t know
what takes place every day inside
labsand on factory farms. Legal
exemptions to animal protection
laws mean animals in labs are
subjected to things that would be
illegal if done in a home.
Inspiring people to not only
see, but also care about these
animals, is a significant chal-
lenge. Advocates like Jo-Anne
McArthur from We Animals, a
media agency, use animal pho-
tojournalism to “expose the
experiences of animals who
live amongst us, but who we fail
to see” — or, more specifically,
who are purposefully concealed.
Public ignorance is by design.
So there is something partic-
ularly righteous about a mas-
sive cinematic franchise with
guaranteed reach highlighting
the plight of hidden animal vic-
tims. The next step is to expand
our understanding of animal
abuse beyond fiction to facts.
There’s a good chance view-
ers moved to tears by the an-
guish of Rocket, Lylla, Floor
and Teefs use mascara or other
cosmeticstested on real ani-
mals who suffered just as much
as the animals in the film do.
Many popular coats, shoes,
handbags and meals are made
from animals who were never
given names and saw no hap-
py ending. Dogs are also used
as test subjects for various re-
search purposes.
This is the very deliberate
vanishing trick used by com-
panies and industries whose
business models perpetuate
legal animal cruelty. Whether
ordinary or luxurious, the end
products are what people see —
not the animals and their pain
behind the scenes.
A more humane future is
possible
The film urges not only em-
pathy, but also compassion and
solidarity within and across
species. Thankfully, a more
humane future is within our
reach. There are meaningful
actions we can take right now to
help real animals.
Daily purchasing decisions
MAY 19, 2023 FRIDAY
are an opportunity to put ethi-
cal priorities into action. Con-
sumers can support the thou-
sands of cruelty-free brands
that have proven it is not only
possible, but also preferable, to
deliver quality products with-
out animal testing.
With a little research and at-
tentiveness, people can demon-
strate their commitment to an-
imals and urge companies that
are lagging behind to change
their ways. We can also promote
changes in our workplaces. As
major purchasers, organiza-
tions and large employers car-
ry even more economic weight
when they switch to more ethi-
cal products.
Ideally, people should be able
to walk down any drugstore While we can’t change history, species’ status in mainstream
aisle or into every cosmetics a growing number of scientists North American culture.
store and know that not a single and thought leaders argue that While many people share my
product was tested on gentle animal-based testing models admiration for these smart, loy-
rabbits or mice. should be replaced. al and resilient animals — or at
Alternatives to animal testing For example, the Canadian least accept the principles of tol-
Governments around the Centre for Alternatives to Ani- erance and coexistence — others
world — including Norway, In- mal Methods at the University have more mixed feelings.
dia and Brazil — are restricting of Windsor notes that a stagger- If Rocket’s voice and story
or completely eliminating cos- ing 95 per cent of drugs deemed can also help people respect
metics and toxicity testing on to be effective and safe after real raccoons who are simply
animals. The European Union’s being tested on animals fail hu- trying to survive and raise their
ban came into effect more than man clinical trials. own babies in an increasingly
a decade ago. In North America, Executive director and founder hazardous world, or being held
only Mexico has banned animal Charu Chandrasekera is among in cagesand killed for their fur,
testing for cosmetics, but there those arguing that a new para- all the better.
are U.S. stateswith limitations digm is needed — one where hu- Animals’ suffering is real and
or prohibitions. man biology is the gold standard it’s up to our species to flip the
The Canadian government for tests. In other words, whether script. As Guardians of the Gal-
introduced legislation that, if motivated by an ethical commit- axy Vol. 3’s writer and director
passed, will finally put an end ment to animals or an interest James Gunn said, “compassion
to the testing of cosmetics on in better science, animal testing is the answer.” Because the truth
animals. should become a thing of the past. is this: our choices are both the
The question of animal test- Compassionate communities problem and the solution.■
ing for medical products is an It is a form of poetic justice
important one. We have all ben- that a talking raccoon is help- This article is republished
efited from medicine and drugs ing audiences empathize with from The Conversation under a
created with animal suffering. vulnerable animals, given the Creative Commons license.
www.canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY MAY 19, 2023
Malaysia’s remake of ABS-CBN’s primetime
series ‘The Legal Wife’ records high viewership
ABS-CBN
‘Isteri Halal’ airs week-
nights on Malaysian cable
channel Astro Ria
Malaysian TV channel Astro
Ria’s remake of ABS-CBN’s hit
primetime show “The Legal Wife”
is making waves and topping the
TV ratings chart in Malaysia since
its premiere last February.
The adaptation “Isteri Ha-
lal,” which currently airs week-
nights on Astro’s cable channel,
Astro Ria, has been enjoying
high TV viewership from Ma-
laysian viewers as it leads the
TV ratings race in the 6 PM
timeslot, based on DTAM’s
report dated April 29, 2023.
Meanwhile, netizens have been
talking about “Isteri Halal” on
social media, garnering mil-
lions of views across Facebook,
YouTube, and TikTok.
Produced by Radius One, the
show stays true to the original
series while highlighting Ma-
laysian culture that appeals to
its local audience—starring Ma-
laysia’s award-winning actors
Action-Packed ‘Black Knight’ and ‘Bloodhounds’
Head Up 5 New Must-Watch Korean Series
NETFLIX
As the valiant deliverymen in
Black Knight take to the screens
today, here are five new Korean
titles that are sure to cater to every
mood. From sci-fi, action, drama to
rom-com, these new series prom-
ise to provide a fresh adventure for
fans of Korean entertainment.
Black Knight
Buckle up for Black Knight, a
dystopian sci-fi series set in the
future where the entire world
has desertified due to pollu-
tion, and deliverymen called the
‘Black Knights’ navigate and fight
through the dangerous streets of
the sand-covered Seoul to bring
people necessities for survival.
Everyone aspires to be a deliv-
eryman but the bars are high.
Isyariana Che Azmi, Aidit Noh,
and Uqasha Senrose.
First shown locally in the
Philippines in 2014, “The Legal
Wife” stars Angel Locsin, Maja
Salvador, and Asia’s Prince of
Drama Jericho Rosales, which
revolves around two childhood
friends—both yearning for a fa-
ther’s love and eventually the
same man, entangling them in
an affair filled with lust, deceit,
and betrayal.
Astro Ria’s head Norzeha Mohd
Produced by Radius One, the show stays true to the original series while highlighting Malaysian culture that appeals to its local audience (ABS-CBN)
With a powerful cast of Kim
Woo-bin, Song Seung-heon,
Kang You-seok, and Esom, this
series is packed with eye-catch-
ing outfits, hardcore-looking
trucks, and cutting-edge visual
effects. If you are curious about a
survivalist genre with a nuanced
and fashionable twist, then be
sure to check out Black Knight.
Bloodhounds
For even more high-octane fight
scenes, tune in to Bloodhounds
on June 9. This exhilarating series
thrusts a compassionate rookie
boxer into the perilous world of
loan sharks, where he and a fellow
newcomer confront ruthless loan
sharks who lurk around every cor-
ner, waiting to strike.
A departure from the norm,
Bloodhounds offers a sense
of purpose and camaraderie
Salleh expressed delight with the
show’s overall quality and its re-
ception from local audiences.
“The combination of its great
cast and a great director makes
‘Isteri Halal’ a must-watch
nightly, certainly living up to
the standards set by the original
ABS-CBN series. We are also de-
lighted with the viewership feats
it has amassed since its pre-
miere, and we are overwhelmed
with the support from our avid
audiences,” Norzeha addressed.
among the determined youths
and good-hearted individuals,
while still packing a punch with
adrenaline-fueled action and
intense, bloody battles.
Siren: Survive the Island
If you enjoyed Physical: 100
and are a fan of recent titles head-
lined by strong female characters
such as The Glory, Kill Boksoon,
Queenmaker, don’t miss this
gripping Korean reality combat
survival show where 24 strong,
skilled women are plunged into
the wild unknown of a remote
island for a week-long challenge.
These fearless competitors
come from diverse professional
backgrounds, including police
officers, firefighters, bodyguards,
stuntwomen, military person-
nel, and athletes. They will form
teams, strategize and battle it out
www.canadianinquirer.net
Entertainment
Before the continued suc-
cess of “Isteri Halal,” Astro first
adapted ABS-CBN’s 2009 drama
series “Tayong Dalawa” entitled
“Angkara Cinta,” which end-
ed its run as the most-watched
show on Astro Prima in 2020.
Apart from “Isteri Halal” and
“Angkara Cinta,” other ABS-CBN
shows were adapted internation-
ally, particularly in Turkey with
the Turkish remakes of “Hang-
gang Saan” and “The Good Son.”
Selling over 50,000 hours of
to be the last group standing.
Even the most basic decisions
will have dire consequences,
making every move a calculat-
ed risk. How will these experts,
each a master in her own field,
navigate this unfamiliar terrain?
Which traits will prove most
essential for survival: strength,
endurance, or cunning? Uncov-
er the answers with the show’s
premiere on May 30.
King The Land
For your next K-Love, check
out King the Land, a highly an-
ticipated must-watch rom-com
starring global K-pop idols Lee
Jun-ho from 2PM and Im Yoon-
ah from SNSD.
Airing on June 17, the series fol-
lows Won, the heir of a large con-
glomerate group with a troubled
past, and Sa-rang, the ‘smile queen’
17
content to over 50 countries in
Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin
America, ABS-CBN continues
its pursuit in producing and
distributing world class Filipi-
no shows all over the world.
Visit its website http://inter-
nationalsales.abs-cbn.com for
more details on ABS-CBN In-
ternational Distribution.
For updates, follow @abscbn-
pr on Facebook, Twitter, Insta-
gram, and TikTok, or visit www.
abs-cbn.com/newsroom. ■
employee who works at one of
Won’s many branches. Both start
off on the wrong foot with each
other, yet continue to cross paths
frequently. Add to it the mystery
of a strange note that leads Won
to places, this series promises to
deliver all the sweet rom-com ele-
ments in one package.
The Good Bad Mother
Lee Do-hyun, last seen in
global hit The Glory, plays a fa-
therless son in this rollercoast-
er of a drama. Since launching
on April 26, the first few epi-
sodes of The Good Bad Mother
have already won fans for its
intriguing storyline, where a
strong-willed mother had to
become a ‘bad mother’ for her
fatherless son who, seeming-
❱❱ PAGE 25 Action-Packed ‘Black
18
You shed DNA everywhere you go –
trace samples in the water, sand and
air are enough to identify who you are,
raising ethical questions about privacy
BY JENNY WHILDE,
University of Florida,
JESSICA ALICE FARRELL,
University of Florida
The Conversation
Human DNA can be se-
quenced from small amounts
of water, sand and air in the
environment to potentially ex-
tract identifiable information
like genetic lineage, gender, and
health risks, according to our
new research.
Every cell of the body contains
DNA. Because each person has a
unique genetic code, DNA can
be used to identify individual
people. Typically, medical prac-
titioners and researchers ob-
tain human DNA through direct
sampling, such as blood tests,
swabs or biopsies. However, all
living things, including animals,
plants and microbes, constantly
shed DNA. The water, soil and
even the air contain microscopic
particles of biological material
from living organisms.
DNA that an organism has
shed into the environment is
known as environmental DNA,
or eDNA. For the last couple of
decades, scientists have been
able to collect and sequence
eDNA from soil or water sam-
ples to monitor biodiversity,
wildlife populations and dis-
ease-causing pathogens. Track-
ing rare or elusive endangered
species through their eDNA
has been a boon to researchers,
since traditional monitoring
methods such as observation or
trapping can be difficult, often
unsuccessful and intrusive to
the species of interest.
Researchers using eDNA
tools usually focus only on the
species they’re studying and dis-
Lifestyle
regard DNA from other species.
However, humans also shed,
cough and flush DNA into their
surrounding environment. And
as our team of geneticists, ecol-
ogists and marine biologists in
the Duffy Lab at the University
of Florida found, signs of human
life can be found everywhere but
in the most isolated locations.
Animals, humans and vi-
ruses in eDNA
Our team uses environmen-
tal DNA to study endangered
sea turtles and the viral tumors
to which they are susceptible.
Tiny hatchling sea turtles shed
DNA as they crawl along the
beach on their way to the ocean
shortly after they are born. Sand
scooped from their tracks con-
tains enough DNA to provide
valuable insights into the turtles
and the chelonid herpesviruses
and fibropapillomatosis tumors
that afflict them. Scooping a li-
ter of water from the tank of a
recovering sea turtle under vet-
erinary care equally provides a
wealth of genetic information
for research. Unlike blood or
skin sampling, collecting eDNA
causes no stress to the animal.
Genetic sequencing technol-
ogy used to decode DNA has im-
proved rapidly in recent years,
and it is now possible to easily
sequence the DNA of every or-
ganism in a sample from the en-
vironment. Our team suspected
that the sand and water sam-
ples we were using to study sea
turtles would also contain DNA
from a number of other species
– including, of course, humans.
What we didn’t know was just
how informative the human
DNA we could extract would be.
To figure this out, we took
samples from a variety of loca-
tions in Florida, including the
ocean and rivers in urban and
rural areas, sand from isolated
beaches and a remote island
never usually visited by people.
We found human DNA in all of
those locations except the re-
mote island, and these samples
were high quality enough for
analysis and sequencing.
We also tested the technique
in Ireland, tracing along a river
that winds from a remote moun-
taintop, through small rural vil-
lages and into the sea at a larger
town of 13,000 inhabitants. We
found human DNA everywhere
but in the remote mountain
tributary where the river starts,
far from human habitation.
We also collected air sam-
ples from a room in our wildlife
veterinary hospital in Florida.
People who were present in
the room gave us permission to
take samples from the air. We
recovered DNA matching the
people, the animal patient and
common animal viruses pres-
ent at the time of collection.
www.canadianinquirer.net
Surprisingly, the human
eDNA found in the local envi-
ronment was intact enough for
us to identify mutations asso-
ciated with disease and to de-
termine the genetic ancestry of
people who live in the area. Se-
quencing DNA that volunteers
left in their footprints in the
sand even yielded part of their
sex chromosomes.
Ethical implications of
collecting human eDNA
Our team dubs inadvertent
retrieval of human DNA from
environmental samples “hu-
man genetic bycatch.” We’re
calling for deeper discussion
about how to ethically handle
human environmental DNA.
Human eDNA could pres-
ent significant advances to re-
search in fields as diverse as
conservation, epidemiology, fo-
rensics and farming. If handled
correctly, human eDNA could
help archaeologists track down
undiscovered ancient human
settlements, allow biologists to
MAY 19, 2023 FRIDAY
monitor cancer mutations in a
given population or provide law
enforcement agencies useful
forensic information.
However, there are also myr-
iad ethical implications relating
to the inadvertent or deliberate
collection and analysis of human
genetic bycatch. Identifiable in-
formation can be extracted from
eDNA, and accessing this level
of detail about individuals or
populations comes with respon-
sibilities relating to consent and
confidentiality.
While we conducted our study
with the approval of our insti-
tutional review board, which
ensures that studies on peo-
ple adhere to ethical research
guidelines, there is no guarantee
that everyone will treat this type
of information ethically.
Many questions arise regard-
ing human environmental DNA.
For instance, who should have
access to human eDNA sequenc-
es? Should this information be
made publicly available? Should
consent be required before tak-
ing human eDNA samples, and
from whom? Should researchers
remove human genetic informa-
tion from samples originally col-
lected to identify other species?
We believe it is vital to imple-
ment regulations that ensure
collection, analysis and data
storage are carried out ethical-
ly and appropriately. Policy-
makers, scientific communities
and other stakeholders need to
take human eDNA collection
seriously and balance consent
and privacy against the possi-
ble benefits of studying eDNA.
Raising these questions now
can help ensure everyone is
aware of the capabilities of
❱❱ PAGE 28 You shed DNA
FRIDAY MAY 19, 2023
Theory of everything: how progress in
physics depends on asking the right questions
BY PETER MILLINGTON,
University of Manchester
The Conversation
When I began my undergrad-
uate physics degree (around 20
years ago), “What is the theory
of everything?” was a question
that I heard often. It was used
as a label for how theoretical
physicists were trying to devel-
op a deeper understanding of
the elementary building blocks
of our universe and the forces
that govern their dynamics.
But is it a good question? Is it
helpful in guiding scientists to-
wards the discoveries that will
advance our understanding to
the next level? After all, good
science relies on asking good
questions. Or is it just “wishful
thinking”?
Arguably, the question “What
is the theory of everything?”
reminds us that good science
doesn’t have to start with the
best questions. Let me explain
what I mean.
Suppose we play a game. I
have a deck of cards, and each
card is printed with the name
and a photograph of a different
animal. I choose a card, and your
job is to ask questions to find
out which animal I have chosen.
Of course, to ask a discerning
question, you first need to know
something about animals.
The first time you play, you
may not be familiar with which
animals are in the deck, and your
first question is “Does it live in
the sea?”. My answer is “No,”
and the game continues. Then
it is your turn to pick a card. You
look carefully through the deck
to make your choice, and you
realise that it only contains land
animals. “Does it live in the sea?”
seemed like a good question to
start with, but it was not.
We take turns, and the more
we play, the quicker we seem to
figure out which card has been
chosen. Why? We have become
better at asking good questions.
The role that questions play
in scientific research is similar.
We start from some level of un-
derstanding, and we ask ques-
tions based on that level of un-
derstanding to try to improve
it. As our understanding builds,
we refine our questions and get
more insightful answers.
This is how progress is made.
The same is true of asking
“What is the theory of every-
thing?”: the goodness of a scien-
tific question is not immutable.
Why a ‘theory of every-
thing’?
The Standard Model of Par-
ticle Physics, one of the pillars
of modern science, is a suc-
cess of reductionism - the idea
that things can be explained
by breaking them down into
smaller parts.
The model, which is written
in a mathematical language
called quantum field theory,
describes how elementary par-
ticles move around and interact
with one another. It explains
the nature of three out of four
of the known fundamental forc-
es: electromagnetism, and the
weak and strong forces that
govern processes on subatomic
scales. It does not include gravi-
ty, the fourth force.
The model accounts for quan-
tum mechanics, which describes
the probabilistic nature of the
dynamics of subatomic parti-
cles, and Einstein’s special the-
ory of relativity, which describes
what happens when relative
speeds are close to the speed of
light – no small achievement.
The assumption in asking
“What is the theory of every-
thing?” is that the Standard
Model will one day be found to
be embedded within a larger
structure (with more elemen-
tal ingredients) that provides
us with a unified explanation of
the fundamental forces includ-
ing gravity. Gravity, in fact, is
this question’s ultimate focus.
But the question “What is
the theory of everything?” gives
very little guidance as to what
such a theory of everything
might look like. We need some
better questions.
Now, there are good reasons
to expect that such a unified ex-
planation of the fundamental
forces might exist: the Standard
Model includes the celebrated
Higgs mechanism, from which
the Higgs boson arises. It ex-
plains why fundamental parti-
cles known as the W and Z bo-
sons, which transmit the weak
force, acquire a mass. It also
explains why the photon, which
transmits the electromagnetic
force, does not.
As a result, electromag-
netism and the weak force,
which is involved in the nuclear
fusion that powers stars, behave
differently at low energies: the
electromagnetic force acts over
very large distances, whereas
the weak force acts only over
very short distances. The Higgs
mechanism also explains why,
at higher energies, these two
forces start to behave as a sin-
gle “electroweak” force. This is
called electroweak unification.
Now, if electromagnetism
and the weak force combine in
this way, why not all the forces
in the Standard Model? Unify-
ing these two with the strong
force, the force that holds the
ingredients of atomic nuclei to-
gether, is the aim of grand uni-
fied theories. Theoretical ideas
such as supersymmetry, which
postulates a symmetry between
force carriers and matter parti-
cles, suggest that the strength of
these three forces could get tan-
talisingly close at high enough
energies.
And if the electromagnetic,
weak and strong forces turn out
to be unified, why not gravity, too?
Gravity is described by Ein-
stein’s General Theory of Rel-
ativity, which applies on large
scales or at low energies. But if
we want a consistent quantum
theory of gravity that applies
on the smallest scales, quan-
www.canadianinquirer.net
Lifestyle
tum field theory isn’t enough.
We need mathematical frame-
works that can consistently in-
corporate both general relativi-
ty and quantum mechanics.
The “everything” in a “theory
of everything” refers to all the
known forces of nature: elec-
tromagnetism, the weak force,
the strong force, and gravity
(and new, hypothetical forces,
too) and the particles that they
act between. The “theory” re-
fers to the existence of some
common mathematical frame-
work that describes all of the
“everything”.
One such common mathemat-
ical framework is string theory,
which supposes that the most
fundamental building blocks of
the universe are tiny strings that
vibrate in extra spatial dimen-
sions beyond the three of our ev-
eryday experience.
Better questions
Questions are the guide to
scientific inquiry. The question
“What is the theory of every-
thing?” only speculates at a des-
tination, but it gives very little
direction.
Frameworks such as super-
symmetry and string theory
were not developed to answer
the question “What is the the-
ory of everything?” directly.
They were motivated by better
questions about what a theory
of all the fundamental forces
needs to explain and what it
might look like, questions like:
Why is there a huge discrepan-
cy between the energy scales of
19
the Standard Model and quan-
tum gravity? Why do quantum
mechanics and general relativi-
ty seem to be incompatible?
But the “whys” that theoret-
ical physicists ask develop as
our understanding develops,
and the questions that we are
now posing are getting us even
closer than ever to an under-
standing of all the known forces
of nature.
These new “whys” hint at re-
markable connections between
very different areas of physics
and mathematics: Why does the
physics of holograms seem to
help us to understand gravity?
Why does this seem to be con-
nected to the properties of large
collections of random numbers?
Why do the rules of quantum in-
formation seem to explain the
physics of black holes?
But this is not a case of
“out with the old and in with
the new”. Instead, these new
questions have been reached
by building on what has been
learnt from developing and
studying possible “Theories of
Everything”, like string theory.
And these new questions are
good questions. The exciting
thing is that they still may not be
the best questions, and having
them to guide us doesn’t neces-
sarily mean that we know where
we will end up. That is what sci-
entific discovery is all about. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
20
Why so many South Korean women
are refusing to date, marry or have kids
BY MIN JOO LEE, Indiana
University
The Conversation
South Korea finds itself em-
broiled in an all-out gender war
– and it keeps getting worse.
The animosity between
Korean men and women has
reached a point where some
women are outright refusing to
date, marry and have kids with
men – a phenomenon known as
the 4B movement.
As a Korean feminist scholar
living in the U.S., I’ve followed
this gender war from afar as I
conducted research on contem-
porary Korean gender politics.
However, I also became em-
broiled in it myself after my re-
search on Korean masculinity
was published by CNN.
The article described foreign
women who traveled to Korea
after becoming enamored of
the idea of dating Korean men
from watching Korean televi-
sion dramas. I pointed out that
since the tourists’ fantasies
were based on fictional char-
acters, some of them ended up
disappointed with the Korean
men they dated in real life.
The article was about racial
politics and the masculine ideals.
But some Korean readers thought
that I was simply criticizing Ko-
rean men for not being romantic
and handsome enough. One en-
raged Korean man commented
that I was an “ugly feminist.”
But this was tame in compar-
ison to what women living in
South Korea have endured in
recent years.
Extreme misogyny and a
feminist backlash
Over the past couple of de-
cades, there have been flash
points in this gender war.
In 2010, Ilbe, a right-wing
website that traffics in misogy-
ny, started attracting users who
peppered the forums with vul-
gar posts about women.
Then in 2015, an online ex-
tremist feminist group named
Megalia arose. Its goal was to
fight back by demeaning Kore-
an men in ways that mirrored
the rhetoric on sites like Ilbe.
A year later, a man who had
professed his hatred of women
murdered a random woman in
Lifestyle
a public bathroom near a Seoul
subway station. He was even-
tually sentenced to decades in
prison, but the lines were quick-
ly drawn. On one side were
feminists, who saw misogyny
as the underlying motive. On
the other side were men who
claimed that it was merely the
isolated actions of a mentally ill
man. The two groups violently
clashed during competing pro-
tests at the site of the murder.
A backdrop of digital sex
crimes
However, none of these
events have elicited as much
public controversy as the steep
rise in digital sex crimes. These
are newer forms of sexual vi-
olence facilitated by technol-
ogy: revenge porn; upskirting,
which refers to surreptitiously
snapping photos under wom-
en’s skirts in public; and the use
of hidden cameras to film wom-
en having sex or undressing.
In 2018, there were 2,289
reported cases of digital sex
crimes; in 2021, the number
snowballed to 10,353.
In 2019, there were two ma-
jor incidents that involved dig-
ital sex crimes.
In one, a number of male
K-pop stars were indicted for
filming and circulating videos
of women in group chatrooms
without their consent.
A few months later, Koreans
were shocked to learn about
what became known as the
“Nth Room Incident,” during
which hundreds of perpetra-
tors – mostly men – committed
digital sex crimes on dozens of
women and minors.
They tended to target poorer
women – sex workers, or wom-
en who wanted to make a few
bucks by sharing anonymous
nude photos of themselves. The
perpetrators either hacked into
their social media accounts or
approached these women and
offered them money, but asked
for their personal information
so they could transmit the funds.
Once they obtained this infor-
mation, they blackmailed the
women by threatening to reveal
their sex work and their nudes
to their friends and family.
Since sex work and posting
nude images of yourself online
are illegal in Korea, the wom-
en, fearing arrest or being os-
tracized by friends and family,
complied with the perpetrators’
demands to send even more
compromising images of them-
selves. The men would then
swap these images in chatrooms.
And yet a 2019 survey con-
ducted by the Korean govern-
ment found that large swaths of
the population blamed women
for these sex crimes: 52% said
that they believed sexual vio-
lence occurs because women
wear revealing clothes, while
37% thought if women expe-
rienced sexual assault while
drunk, they are partly to blame
for their victimization.
In other words, a significant
percentage of the Korean popu-
lation believes that female sex-
www.canadianinquirer.net
uality is the problem – not the
sexual violence.
Government policy lays
the groundwork
Digital sex crimes are too
widespread to lay the blame at
the feet of a handful of bad actors.
To me, part of the problem
stems from the long history of
“gendered citizenship.”
Korean feminist scholar Seung-
sook Moon has written about the
ways in which the government
created one track for men and an-
other for women as the country
sought to modernize in the sec-
ond half of the 20th century:
“Men were mobilized for man-
datory military service and then,
as conscripts, utilized as workers
and researchers in the industrial-
izing economy. Women were con-
signed to lesser factory jobs, and
their roles as members of the mod-
ern nation were defined largely in
terms of biological reproduction
and household management.”
Although these policies are no
longer officially carried out, the
underlying attitudes about gen-
der roles remain embedded in
Korean life and culture. Women
who veer from being mothers and
housewives expose themselves to
public and private backlash.
The government has created
gender quotas in certain indus-
tries to try to unravel this sys-
tem of gendered citizenship.
For instance, some government
jobs have minimum gender quo-
tas for new hires, and the govern-
ment encourages the private sec-
tor to implement similar policies.
In historically male-dominant
industries, such as construction,
there are quotas for female hires,
while in historically female-dom-
inant industries, such as educa-
tion, there are male quotas.
In some ways, this has only
made things worse. Each gen-
der feels as if the other is re-
ceiving special treatment due
to these affirmative action pol-
icies. Resentment festers.
‘The generation that has
given up’
Today, the sense of compe-
tition between young men and
women is exacerbated by the
soaring cost of living and ram-
pant unemployment.
Called the “N-Po Genera-
tion,” which roughly translates
as “the generation that has
MAY 19, 2023 FRIDAY
given up,” many young South
Koreans don’t think they can
achieve certain milestones that
previous generations took for
granted: marriage, having kids,
finding a job, owning a home
and even friendships.
Although all genders find them-
selves discouraged, the act of “giv-
ing up” has caused more problems
for women. Men see women who
forgo marriage and having kids as
selfish. And when they then try
to compete against men for jobs,
some men become incensed.
Many of the men who have
become radicalized commit dig-
ital sex crimes to take revenge
on women who, in their view,
have abandoned their duties.
Ultimately, the competitive dy-
namic created by the Korean gov-
ernment’s embrace of gendered
citizenship has stoked the viru-
lent gender war between Korean
men and women, with digital sex
crimes used as ammunition.
The 4B movement, whereby
Korean women forego hetero-
sexual dating, marriage, and
childbirth, represents a radical
escalation of the gender war by
seeking to create an online and
offline world devoid of men.
Rather than engaging in alterca-
tions, these women are refusing
to interact with men, period.
Digital sex crimes are a
global problem
To be sure, digital sex crimes
are not unique to Korea.
When I teach my college class
on digital sex crimes in the U.S.,
I’m surprised by how many of my
students admit that they’ve been
victims of digital sex crimes, or
knew of it happening at their
high schools. And at the National
Women’s Studies Association’s
annual conference in 2022, I
watched feminist activists and
scholars from all over the world
present their findings about dig-
ital sex crimes back home.
Since each country has its
own cultural context for the
rise in digital sex crimes, there
isn’t a single solution to solve
the problems. But in South Ko-
rea, continuing to unravel the
system of gendered citizenship
could be part of the solution. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
FRIDAY MAY 19, 2023
Saturn: we may finally know when
the magnificent rings were formed
BY GARETH DORRIAN,
University of Birmingham
The Conversation
Saturn’s rings are one of the
jewels of the solar system, but
it seems that their time is short
and their existence fleeting.
A new study suggests the
rings are between 400 million
and 100 million years old – a
fraction of the age of the solar
system. This means we are just
lucky to be living in an age when
the giant planet has its magnif-
icent rings. Research also re-
veals that they could be gone in
another 100 million years.
The rings were first observed
in 1610 by the astronomer Galil-
eo Galilei who, owing to the res-
olution limits of his telescope,
initially described them as two
smaller planets on each side of
Saturn’s main orb, apparently
in physical contact with it.
In 1659, the Dutch astronomer
Christiaan Huygens published
Systema Saturnium, in which he
became the first to describe them
as a thin, flat ring system that was
not touching the planet.
He also showed how their ap-
pearance, as viewed from Earth,
changes as the two planets orbit
the Sun and why they seemingly
disappear at certain times. This
is due to their viewing geometry
being such that we on Earth pe-
riodically see them edge-on.
The rings are visible to any-
one with a decent pair of binoc-
ulars or a modest back garden
telescope. Cast white against
the pale yellow orb of Saturn,
the rings are composed almost
entirely of billions of particles
Racial disparities are..
❰❰ 10 invented into a lever
that helps reverse dis-
parities and inequities
by removing discriminatory
barriers and institutional bias-
es. Inclusion becomes the focus
by mediating tensions between
anxieties of the majority and
the aspirations of racialized mi-
norities. Canadian citizenship
needs to be about belonging
rather than mere tolerance and
accommodation. This inclusion
of water ice, which shine by
scattering sunlight.
Amid this icy material are de-
posits of darker, dusty stuff. In
space science, “dust” usually re-
fers to tiny grains of rocky, metal-
lic, or carbon-rich material that
is noticeably darker than ice. It
is also collectively referred to as
micrometeoroids. These grains
permeate the solar system.
Occasionally, you can see
them entering the Earth’s at-
mosphere at night as shooting
stars. The gravitational fields
of the planets have the effect
of magnifying or focusing this
dusty, planetary “in-fall”.
Over time, this in-fall adds
mass to a planet and alters its
chemical composition. Saturn
is a massive gas giant planet
with a radius of some 60,000km,
about 9.5 times that of Earth,
and a mass of about 95 times
that of Earth. This means it has
a very large “gravity well” (the
gravitational field surrounding
a body in space) that is very ef-
fective at funnelling the dusty
grains towards Saturn.
Collision course
The rings extend from some
2,000km above Saturn’s cloud
tops to about 80,000km away,
occupying a large area of space.
When in-falling dust passes
through, it can collide with icy
particles in the rings. Over time,
the dust gradually darkens the
rings and adds to their mass.
Cassini-Huygens was a robot-
ic spacecraft launched in 1997.
It reached Saturn in 2004 and
entered orbit around the plan-
et, where it stayed until the end
of the mission in 2017. One of
the instruments aboard was the
and belonging should be bench-
marked by robust economic and
social mobility indicators.
Societies are not shaped by
accident. As Canada continues
changing, it is important that new
imagining is done to reflect a new
mosaic. Equally, strong political
leadership is required to articu-
late a vision for a fairer and more
equitable society. In the words
of the former chief justice of the
Supreme Court, Beverley Mc-
Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA).
Using data from the CDA, the
authors in the new paper com-
pared the current dust counts
in space around Saturn with the
estimated mass of dark dusty
material in the rings. They
found that the rings are no older
than 400 million years and may
be as young as 100 million years.
These may seem like lengthy
time scales, but they are less
than one-tenth of the 4.5 bil-
lion-year age of the solar system.
This also means that the rings
did not form at the same time
as Saturn or the other plan-
ets. They are, cosmologically
speaking, a recent addition to
the solar system. For over 90%
of Saturn’s existence, they were
not present.
Death Star
This leads to another mys-
tery: how did the rings first
form, given that all of the so-
lar system’s major planets and
Lachlin, this can be achieved by
“expanding our sense of ourselves
by including a commitment to re-
spect for all kinds of differences
in an unknowable future.” That
future will be both more prosper-
ous and more just in the absence
of racial disparity. ■
This article first appeared
on Policy Options and is repub-
lished here under a Creative
Commons license.
www.canadianinquirer.net
Lifestyle
moons formed much earlier?
The total mass of the rings is
estimated to be about half as
much as one of Saturn’s smaller
icy moons, many of which ex-
hibit enormous impact features
on their surfaces.
One in particular, the little
moon Mimas, which is nick-
named the Death Star, has a
130km-wide impact crater
called Herschel on its surface.
This is by no means the larg-
est crater in the solar system.
However, Mimas is only about
400km across, so this impact
would not have needed much
more energy to obliterate the
moon. Mimas is made of wa-
ter-ice, just like the rings, so
it’s possible that the rings were
formed from just such a cata-
clysmic impact.
Ring rain
However they formed, the fu-
ture of Saturn’s rings is in little
doubt. The impact of the dust
Canada’s Modern Slavery..
❰❰ 11 For example, after
Patagonia detected la-
bour violations among
a few of its suppliers in Taiwan,
it documented and publicly re-
ported on its multi-year effort
to update its supplier code of
conduct and work with the vi-
olators to ensure the issue was
addressed.
Their extensive work resulted
in the creation of their Migrant
Worker Employment Standards
21
grains against the icy particles
happens at very high velocities,
leading to tiny fragments of ice
and dust getting chipped away
from their parent particles.
Ultra-violet light from the
Sun causes these fragments to
become electrically charged via
the photo-electric effect. Like
the Earth, Saturn has a magnet-
ic field, and once charged, these
tiny icy fragments are released
from the ring system and trapped
by the planet’s magnetic field.
In concert with the gravity of
the giant planet, they are then
funnelled down into Saturn’s
atmosphere. This “ring rain”
was first observed from afar
by the Voyager 1 and Voyager
2 spacecraft during their brief
Saturn flybys in the early 1980s.
In a more recent paper
from 2018 scientists used dust
counts, again from the CDA,
as Cassini flew between the
rings and Saturn’s cloud tops,
to work out how much ice and
dust is lost from the rings over
time. This study demonstrated
that about one Olympic-sized
swimming pool of mass from
the rings is lost into Saturn’s at-
mosphere every half-hour.
This flow rate was used to es-
timate that, given their current
mass, the rings will probably be
gone in as little as 100 million
years. These beautiful rings
have a turbulent history, and
unless they are somehow re-
plenished, they will be gobbled
up by Saturn. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
handbook, which has been ap-
plied to suppliers beyond Tai-
wan and shared with other com-
panies in the industry.
While some legislation is bet-
ter than none, we need to be
aware of the pitfalls associated
with current legislation and re-
main diligent moving forward. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
22
PH team surpasses Hanoi SEA Games
medal haul
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – Philippine Sports
Commission (PSC) chair Rich-
ard Bachmann on Tuesday
commended Filipino athletes
in the ongoing 32nd Southeast
Asian Games in Cambodia for
winning 57 gold medals so far
that surpassed the country’s
output in the previous edition
in Vietnam.
“I am proud of our athletes.
I saw how they worked hard—
with my own eyes—while pre-
paring for the Games and when
they did battle in Cambodia,”
Bachmann said in a statement.
“Each moment our flag was
raised in honor of a win was a
PH wheelchair basketball team
qualifies for Asian Para Games
BY JEAN MALANUM
Philippine News Agency
MANILA - The nation-
al men’s team has earned a
trip to the Hangzhou Asian
Para Games after winning the
bronze medal at the Interna-
tional Wheelchair Basketball
Federation (IWBF) Asia-Ocea-
nia Championships in Suphan-
buri, Thailand last Saturday.
The Philippines defeated
Chinese Taipei, 62-57, in the
battle for third place in the tour-
nament held at the Suphanburi
Stadium.
Also qualified were Kuwait
and Afghanistan, which battled
for the gold medal in the final
match won by the latter, 58-56.
“It was a very close match
from start to finish,” said na-
tional team head coach Vernon
Perea about the bronze medal
Sports
proud moment for every Filipino.”
On Tuesday, Gilas Pilipinas
put an exclamation point on the
country’s campaign, thumping a
suddenly listless Cambodian side
80-69 to regain the gold medal
that matters most to Filipinos
at Morodok Techo Stadium Ele-
phant Hall 2 in Phnom Penh.
The Gilas’ victory came after
arnis and freestyle wrestling
delivered a pair of golden wins
that raised the country’s total
to 56 before 7 p.m., four more
than the country’s harvest in
the 2022 Hanoi Games last year
for a fourth-place finish.
Another gold, courtesy of
Gretel de Paz in the 56kg of
kickboxing low kick event,
made it 57 an hour later.
match on Monday.
“We dominated them with
our inside game during the
elimination match. What they
did was to put two defenders on
our center Alfie Cabañog which
we anticipated and focused on
during our pre-game prepara-
tion. As expected, they pres-
sured us full court from start
to finish. We invited the double
team on Alfie and ran the floor
well. Our game plan worked
and did damage on transition,”
added the former member of
the Ato Badolato-mentored San
Beda College Red Cubs. He was
a varsity chess player.
The Philippines beat Hong
Kong (71-39), United Arab
Emirates (68-58) and Chinese
Taipei (60-42), but lost to Af-
ghanistan (65-58) and Kuwait
(57-50) in the elimination
round.
The team, which arrived in
Alvin Lobrequito took the
honor of delivering the coun-
try’s 52nd gold by humbling
his Thai opponent, Nattawut
Kaewkhuanchum, 6-2 in the
men’s freestyle wrestling event,
while arnis proponent Trixie
Marie Lofranco delivered the
53rd gold by ruling the women’s
individual anyo non-traditional
open weapon category.
Another arnis entry, Cris-
amuel Delfin, topped the men’s
anyo non-traditional event for
the 54th gold and another wres-
tler, Ronil Tubog, made it 55
by beating Indonesian Zainal
Abidin in the men’s freestyle
61kg event.
The wrestling team has four
gold medals.
Manila last Sunday, is expected
to resume training this week
as the Cambodia ASEAN Para
Games is just two weeks away.
“The preparation of both
men’s and women’s teams for
the ASEAN Para Games is okay.
The women’s team attended a
development camp conducted
by the IWBF in Thailand last
March,” shared the 52-year-old
Perea, who grew up in Makati
but is now residing in Marikina.
“Prior to that, both teams
started training December of
last year. We’re practicing in
three venues, namely Sta. Lucia
basketball gym along Marcos
Highway, San Roque covered
court, and Strip 70 basketball
court in Marikina,” she added.
The Philippines is hoping to
improve its silver medal per-
formance in last year’s ASEAN
Para Games in Indonesia.
“For the men’s team, we
www.canadianinquirer.net
“A lot of people doubted this
team the first time we lost. But
the first words I told them when
we lost was this was the one we
could afford. And I thought that
was the loss that we needed,” said
Gilas coach Chot Reyes, whose
wards delivered the 56th gold.
“Win or lose, this was go-
ing to be my last SEA Games, I
promised I’ll never coach in the
SEA Games anymore. At least, I
will go out with a gold medal.”
A day after ending the reign
of Indonesia, its conqueror last
year, Gilas hurdled the final ob-
stacle in its bid to reclaim the
gold with a pesky defense that
stopped the Cambodians’ usu-
ally high-octane offense.
The team’s solid defensive ef-
would like to go for the gold.
But we are expecting a much
stronger opposition from all
the teams that are participat-
ing, especially Malaysia which
we expect to come back strong,
Thailand of course [which has]
been lording it over for sever-
al years already, and the host
country Cambodia [which] will
be full of surprises,” Perea said.
“With the women’s team, not
much to expect for now except
for a better showing than the
MAY 19, 2023 FRIDAY
fort was in full display in the sec-
ond quarter, where they scored
23 while limiting the hosts to just
11 to grab a 44-33 halftime lead.
“We kept this team of what,
five, six American imports to
below 70 points, that is great
defense, man,” said Reyes, who
earned the ire of Filipino fans
when the team lost in Hanoi af-
ter 13 straight golds.
Bachmann vouched for the
PSC’s full support to Team Phil-
ippines’ campaign in future in-
ternational competitions.
“We reaffirm our support to
our national athletes,” he said.
“The PSC will continue to work as
hard as you train. Salamat sa lahat
ng inyong sakripisyo (Thank you
for your sacrifices!).” ■
last staging. We just started our
program for the women’s team
and usually it takes years of
training due to the wheelchair
skills requirement of the sport,”
she added.
The women’s team placed
fourth behind Thailand, Cam-
bodia and Laos in 2022.
Representing the Philippines
in Cambodia are Mark Vincent
Aguilar, John Rey Escalante,
❱❱ PAGE 28 PH wheelchair basketball
FRIDAY MAY 19, 2023
What a viral meme about Evander Kane can
tell us about white supremacy in hockey
BY TERESA ANNE
FOWLER, Concordia
University of Edmonton,
SHANNON D. M. MOORE,
University of Manitoba
The Conversation
An image of a white woman
flipping Edmonton Oilers play-
er Evander Kane the bird from
behind the protective glass of a
hockey rink went viral on May
7. It sparked the creation of a
meme dubbed “Kane vs. Karen”
by a social media user on Reddit.
“Karen” has become a popular
term used to identify white wom-
en who weaponize their white-
ness to either shift attention
away from their racist behaviour
or insight racial violence.
While the incident that result-
ed in the meme may not have
been racially motivated, it is still
about race and white supremacy.
The meme challenges view-
ers to consider the role of white
women’s fandom in upholding
and normalizing white suprem-
acy in hockey culture.
Defining white supremacy
Scholars have defined white
supremacy as the “institutional-
ization of Whiteness and White
privilege.” Institutionalization
occurs when rules, standards
or practices are nomalized to
the extent that it has become so
common we do not question it.
White privilege describes the
unearned advantages white peo-
ple receive based on the colour of
their skin. Whiteness acts as an
invisible backpack of privilege.
Russia files $76-M lawsuit vs. Int’l Volleyball
Federation
ANADOLU
Philippine News Agency
MOSCOW – The Russian
Volleyball Federation (RVF)
said Friday it had filed a law-
suit with the Court of Arbitra-
tion for Sport (CAS), seeking
American scholar, writer and
educator bell hooks described how
white supremacy legitimizes and
advances patriarchy, settler-colo-
nial capitalism and racism — fac-
tors that are woven deeply into the
culture of men’s ice hockey.
White supremacy is invisibi-
lized and normalized in hockey
culture. When white suprem-
acy is challenged, hockey cul-
ture pushes back. For example,
a coach from Surrey, B.C., was
suspended after pulling his U-11
players off the ice to protect
them from anti-Black racism.
White supremacy culture
As white settler Canadian wom-
en, we recognize that “the burdens
of dismantling white suprema-
cy and decolonizing the sport of
hockey are more justly shouldered
by white settler Canadians and the
hockey establishment.”
Men’s ice hockey upholds
white supremacy through era-
sure, exclusion and mandated
conformity.
The erasure of the history of
the Colored Hockey League, as
highlighted by sport research-
ers Alex Mackenzie and Janelle
Joesph, is an example of how
white supremacy erases those
who aren’t considered white.
The important contributions
made by the league, including the
butterfly technique, slap-shot and
entertainment during intermis-
sions, were omitted as a result.
White supremacy is also
achieved through exclusion. Ice
hockey has historically been — and
continues to be — a white space.
Even though one in four Ca-
compensation from the Inter-
national Volleyball Federation
(FIVB) following the cancella-
tion of the World Cup in Russia.
In an interview with the Rus-
sian state-run news agency RIA
Novosti, the RVF said it is seek-
ing compensation of at least
USD76.3 million from the FIVB.
nadians identifies as racialized,
and the United States is also ra-
cially diverse, the sport remains
a bastion of whiteness.
A total of 83.6 per cent of the
NHL’s workforce is white and over
90 per cent of players and nearly all
coaches and officials are white.
Despite the NHL’s “hockey is
for everyone” branding, white-
ness remains privileged. Ra-
cialized hockey players are ex-
pected to conform to the sport’s
culture and values.
Whiteness and surveillance
It’s important to understand
the Kane vs. Karen meme with-
in the broader historical and
cultural context of white wom-
en patrolling, policing and sur-
veilling Black bodies based on
white supremacist notions of
law and order.
Racialized hockey players
are often held to a higher mor-
The sum includes a refund
of the fee for the right to host
the World Cup (USD40 mil-
lion), a fine for unilateral ter-
mination of the agreement for
the organization of the tour-
nament (USD12 million), the
reimbursement of expenses
of the RVF and the organizing
www.canadianinquirer.net
Sports
al standard than their white
counterparts. Former NHL
player P.K. Subban, for exam-
ple, is currently under fire for
a fat-shaming comment about
pop singer Lizzo. But the rac-
ism Subban endured as a Black
athlete in a white sport has not
received the same attention.
White supremacy ensures
we are constantly surveilling
Black players and holding them
to higher moral standards than
white players. This stands in
sharp contrast to how racial-
ized players are expected to be-
have when faced with racism.
Comments against racialized
players are silenced, down-
played or ignored. Racialized
players are expected to defend
the sport and themselves, like
Vegas Golden Knights play-
er Zach Whitecloud, who had
to defend his Dakota heritage
committee for the preparation
of the tournament (at least
USD23 million).
The World Cup was to be held
on Aug. 26 to Sept. 11 in 2022 in
10 Russian cities.
On March 1, 2022, the FIVB
announced that it was cancel-
ing the tournament in Russia
23
against an ESPN commentator
who said his last name was bet-
ter suited for toilet paper.
Racialized players are also
expected to take the high road
when confronted with violence,
as Kane did when he blew a kiss
to the fan who flipped him off.
Hockey fan culture
Fans also play a key role in
upholding white supremacy
in hockey — particularly white
women because ice hockey has
a predominantly white fan base
in North America.
The exclusionary practic-
es that keep men’s ice hockey
elite, heterosexual and white
are reflected in its fandom. If
professional athletes are not
free to be Black or Indigenous
in ice hockey, we can expect the
same for fans.
Legal scholar Martine Dennie
has written about what it means
to be a hockey fan in Calgary. To
belong, all a fan needs to do is
wear a Flames jersey. But even
this approach to fandom doesn’t
stop racial hierarchies from
forming. It still “preserves the
whiteness of hockey fandom.”
Combating white supremacy
As white women, researchers
and fans, we are calling on oth-
er white women to be aware of
how we engage with racialized
players and fans. Combating
white supremacy involves ex-
posing the way it operates as an
undercurrent.
True interrogations of white
supremacy don’t focus on in-
❱❱ PAGE 25 What a viral
because of the ongoing situa-
tion in Ukraine.
The lawsuit against the inter-
national federation was filed on
April 28, 2023.
On May 3, the CAS informed
the FIVB of the case and was
asked to submit a brief response
within 20 days. ■
24 MAY 19, 2023 FRIDAY

Global oil industry requires $12.1-T
in investments up to 2045
WAM
Philippine News Agency
ABU DHABI – Haitham Al
Ghais, Secretary General of
Organization of the Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC),
said there may be no one-size-
fits-all solution to a sustainable
energy future, but collabora-
tion and inclusive action will
be “essential in achieving a just
and permanent transition.”
In press statements on the
sustainability-centric efforts
made by the international or-
ganization, Al Ghaith said, “The
challenges for energy, climate
and sustainable development
are enormous and this means
the parameters of the discourse
need to be inclusive.”
“Imagine a world without oil
and the multitude of essential
daily products that are derived
from it: gasoline, heating oil,
jet fuel, kerosene, toothpaste,
deodorant, soap, cameras, com-
puters, car tyres, upholstery,
contact lenses, artificial limbs
and hearts, many types of med-
icine and much more,” he said.
“Essential services that peo-
ple depend on would vanish,
transportation would grind to
a halt, many homes would be
without heat, people’s health
Business
would suffer, global food supply
chains would be disrupted and
energy poverty would rise fur-
ther. It is a world that does not
bear thinking about.”
But, he added, such an image
“underscores the importance
of a just and sustainable energy
transition in which no people,
no industry and no country are
left behind. The challenges for
energy, climate and sustainable
development are enormous and
this means the parameters of the
discourse need to be inclusive.
We need every voice at the table,
with the G7 playing a vital role.”
Rising demand for energy
With population and econ-
omies growing, the world will
need more energy in the com-
ing decades. “In our World Oil
Outlook 2022, we forecast that
global energy demand will ex-
pand by 23% to 2045. Meeting
this growth, ensuring energy
security and affordable access,
and lowering global emissions
in line with the Paris Agree-
ment require all energies, and
unprecedented investment and
collaboration,” said Al Ghaith,
elaborating on the rising de-
mand for energy.
“For the oil industry alone,
which will make up almost 29%
of the world’s energy needs by
2045, global investment re-
quirements total $12.1 trillion pacity, carbon capture utili- occur if we do not take on board
between now and then. This zation and storage, and other the interwoven complexities of
equates to more than $500 bil- technologies, as well as promot- energy. It is clear that no one
lion each year,” he added. ing the circular carbon econo- has all the answers. In fact, we
Recent annual levels have my to improve overall environ- may not know all the questions
been significantly below this mental performance.” –but that does not mean we
amount due to industry down- History, Al Ghais said, has cannot take action now.”
turns, the pandemic, and the in- “shown us that energy transi- The overall focus needs to be
creasing focus on environmen- tions evolve slowly and have on emissions reduction and the
tal, social and governance issues. many paths. We also need to use of all fuels across the world.
“In fact, we believe that not remember the sad reality that In this regard, there is no one-
enough investment is going more than 700 million people size-fits-all solution to a sus-
into all energies. To put it sim- still have no access to electrici- tainable energy future. What is
ply, the sustainability of the ty and 2.4 billion use inefficient the right path for one may not
global energy system is at stake. and polluting systems.” be the right path for another.
We are playing catch-up on “What can be viewed in en- The OPEC chief concluded by
investments. We need a long- ergy market turmoil over the
term, investment-friendly cli- past 18 months or so is what can ❱❱ PAGE 30 Global oil industry
mate that works for producers
and consumers.”
The OPEC chief said the
“chronic underinvestment
needs to be rectified. It is not
about waiting for tomorrow; it is
about making it happen today.”
OPEC member countries are
ready, willing and able to play a
key role in helping provide en-
ergy to the world and in reduc-
ing emissions, he added.
“We are investing in up-
stream and downstream capac-
ity. We are mobilizing cleaner
technologies and our vast pool
of human expertise to help de-
carbonise the industry. We are
making major investments in
renewables and hydrogen ca-

Tesla recalls 1.1M units in China

over braking issues
ANADOLU
Philippine News Agency
ISTANBUL – American elec-
tric carmaker Tesla is recalling
more than 1.1 million vehicles
in China due to braking issues,
the country’s top regulator said
in a statement Friday.
The recall includes Tesla’s im-
ported Model S, Model X, Model
3, and domestically produced
Model 3 and Model Y vehicles
with a production date between
Jan. 12, 2019, and April 24, 2023.
China’s State Administration
for Market Regulation (SAMR)
said the recalled vehicles have the
issues of not allowing the driver to
choose the energy recovery brak-
ing system, while the vehicles do
not provide enough reminders for
the driver to depress the accelera-
tor pedal for a long time.
SAMR added that such factors
could increase the probability for
www.canadianinquirer.net
the driver to step on the acceler-
ator pedal mistakenly for a long
time, which increases the risk of
collision and pose a safety hazard.
Tesla will contact the relevant
car owners to arrange the recall
and repairs, the statement said.
The carmaker in March re-
called more than 2,600 import-
ed Model S cars in China since
their hoods would open unex-
pectedly while driving, risking
the safety of people on board.
Tesla’s factory in Shanghai is
the company’s biggest export
hub outside of North Ameri-
ca, while China is an important
sales market for the company. ■
FRIDAY MAY 19, 2023
Taxing the wealthy to the hilt would
make us all much better off
BY TOM MALLESON,
Western University
The Conversation
In Canada today, one person
— media magnate David Thom-
son — possesses roughly CA$73
billion while more than 235,000
people are homeless. In Toron-
to alone, 187 homeless people
died on the streets in 2022.
What can be done to address
these kinds of disparities?
Though most people natu-
rally dislike inequality, it’s of-
ten argued that raising taxes on
the rich will do more harm than
good by damaging incentives
and investment, thereby slow-
ing economic growth and ulti-
mately hurting us all.
“Given five fat sheep and
ninety-five thin, how [to] in-
duce the ninety-five to resign to
the five the richest pasture and
shadiest corners?” the famous
British philosopher R.H. Taw-
ney once asked. He continued:
“By convincing them, obvious-
ly, that, if they do not, they will die
of rot, be eaten by wolves, and be
deprived in the meantime of such
pasture as they have. Nor, indeed,
hitherto has it been difficult to
convince them, for there is noth-
ing which frightens thin sheep
like the fear of being thinner.”
But is it really true that high
taxes — even very high ones
— are detrimental to societal
well-being?
The last few years have witnessed
an explosion of new evidence from
economists, sociologists, political
scientists and ecologists that sug-
gests they’re not.
Exaggerated concerns
It’s accurate that high taxes
on the wealthy bring real risks.
But in general, the downsides
are highly overblown.
For instance, a common
What a viral..
❰❰ 23 dividual acts of overt
racism — instead, they
reveal how normal-
ized and systemic it is.
Organizations like the Black Girl
Hockey Club are working to make
hockey more inclusive for players
worry is that rich people will
respond to high taxes by work-
ing less. But there’s essentially
zero empirical support for this
claim. In fact, there is now close
to consensus among research-
ers that while the rich do fre-
quently try to avoid taxes, they
don’t do so by working less.
The most serious potential
cost of high taxes is the reduc-
tion of private investment. This
is definitely possible.
But the key point to keep in
mind is that such a reduction is
only half the picture. It’s wrong
to think of taxes as simply re-
ducing investment, because
states do not simply collect tax-
es — they also spend them.
Therefore it’s more accurate
to regard taxes not as reducing
investment but as rearranging
it — from the private sector to
the public.
Whether this is a good or bad
thing depends entirely on the
details. In many cases, levying
high taxes on the rich will mean
money is no longer invested in
foreign stock markets or spent
on unproductive things like pri-
and fans of all backgrounds. They
are doing this by challenging the
perception of hockey being a pre-
dominantly white sport.
The Kane vs. Karen meme
challenges white women to con-
sider our role in perpetuating
vate jets and multiple mansions,
but is rather spent on produc-
tivity-enhancing entities like
schools, hospitals, roads, public
research grants and so on.
Indeed, critical research
shows that, all things consid-
ered, high inequality actually
tends to reduce an economy’s
overall growth rate.
The most sensible and cau-
tious conclusion is that high
taxes — very high taxes, in
particular — could somewhat
reduce economic growth, but
these costs are likely to be only
mild or moderate.
What about the other side of
the ledger? What are the social
and economic benefits from high
taxes and reduced inequality? In
my book Against Inequality: The
Practical and Ethical Case for
Abolishing the Superrich, I note
that five stand out:
1. The environment
It’s well-known that the rich
emit far more carbon than the
rest of us. The wealthiest 20 peo-
ple in the world emit 8,000 times
more carbon than the poorest bil-
lion people on Earth combined.
white supremacy. Addressing and
deconstructing the whiteness of
ice hockey is long overdue. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
www.canadianinquirer.net
Business
So imposing high taxes on the
rich would be doubly effective
from an environmental perspec-
tive. It would directly reduce the
copious emissions of the rich.
And it would provide the neces-
sary resources to build the new
low-carbon infrastructure —
including public transit, green
energy grids, etc. — that we des-
perately need. That would indi-
rectly help the rest of us reduce
our emissions too.
2. Our democracy
The evidence is overwhelm-
ing that inequality erodes de-
mocracy. For instance, Ameri-
can scholars Martin Gilens and
Benjamin Page examined 1,779
public policy debates between
1981 and 2002 to see whose
voices actually mattered in de-
ciding important issues.
They found that:
“The majority does not rule —
at least not in the causal sense
of actually determining policy
outcomes. When a majority of
citizens disagrees with econom-
ic elites or with organized inter-
ests, they generally lose.”
Such evidence demonstrates
that significant inequality can
actually break a democracy,
transforming it into oligarchy,
as has arguably already trans-
pired in the United States.
3. Opportunity for all
Inequality makes a mockery
of the cherished aspiration of
equal opportunity. To take one
particularly egregious example,
the poorest residents of Chicago
today face a life expectancy 30
years shorter than their richer
neighbours down the street.
High redistributive taxes
could reverse this most brutal
of disparities.
We also know that countries
with more equality tend to have
greater social mobility too.
Richard Wilkinson, the fa-
Action-Packed ‘Black..
❰❰ 17 ly not knowing what
caused his father’s
tragic death, wanted
to climb the social ladder by
asking the notorious figure re-
sponsible for crippling his fam-
ily to adopt him.
25
mous British epidemiologist
and inequalities scholar, likes
to quip that if Americans want
to live the American dream and
not just dream it, they should
move to high-tax Denmark.
4. Reduced xenophobia
and racism
Though right-wing populism
has many complex causes, re-
search clearly demonstrates
that one of its main drivers is
economic insecurity. That’s
likely because insecurity in-
creases fear that one’s already
precarious position will be
worsened by competition from
“immigrants” and “others.”
The evidence shows that
right-wing populism can be ef-
fectively reduced by enhancing
economic security — for in-
stance by taxing the rich to fund
free public services — a stron-
ger safety net and perhaps even
a guaranteed basic income.
As neo-Nazis once again
march in the streets, hate
crimes rise, far-right political
parties receive more public
support than any time since the
1930s, the benefits of reducing
such terrifying threats are hard
to overstate.
5. Reduced social friction
Reducing inequality also
builds community health and
cohesion.
It encourages greater levels
of agreeableness and tolerance,
better mental health and reduc-
es crime.
All in all, the costs of high tax-
es and low inequality are likely
to be only moderate. But the
benefits are truly enormous —
a different order of magnitude
entirely. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
Whether it’s hope for a grand
revenge, a heartwarming re-
newal of the mother-son rela-
tionship, or the satisfying jour-
ney of the underdog fulfilling
his dreams, this series has all
the elements everyone loves. ■
26
UK economy: why the Bank of England
is now more upbeat than the IMF
BY LUCIANO RISPOLI,
University of Surrey
The Conversation
The Bank of England has
changed its mind about the
prospects for the UK economy.
Having been predicting a re-
cession in 2023 as recently as
February, its latest May report
is expecting a soft landing from
the bout of high inflation and a
year of interest rate hikes.
One reason is that global de-
mand for goods and services is
expected to be higher. The cen-
tral bank now expects weak GDP
growth of 0.25% in 2023 com-
pared to a predicted 0.5% con-
traction in the previous report,
and thinks growth will be 0.75%
in both 2024 and 2025. It said:
Growth over much of the fore-
cast period will be materially
stronger than in the February re-
port. This reflects stronger global
growth, lower energy prices, the
fiscal support in the spring budget,
and the possibility of lower precau-
tionary saving by households than
previously assumed in turn related
to a lower risk of job loss …
This is quite a different pic-
ture to the one depicted by the
IMF (International Monetary
Fund) in April. The IMF said UK
GDP would fall 0.3% in 2023 but
then rebound to 1% in 2024.
Its reasons for being more
pessimistic are that the UK was
Renewed Malampaya contract seen to add
$600-M investments
BY KRIS CRISMUNDO
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The extension of
the Malampaya natural gas field
service contract will add at least
USD600 million worth of invest-
ments for drilling two wells and
subsea facilities, the Department
of Energy (DOE) said Tuesday.
In a virtual press briefing,
DOE Undersecretary Alessan-
dro Sales said the SC 38 Con-
Business
heavily exposed to the recent
global shock in energy prices, its
banks are vulnerable to the crisis
engulfing the US, interest rates
are high and the public finances
are somewhat precarious.
Even the recent efforts by
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to re-
vitalise the economy, such as
encouraging business invest-
ment and simplifying inter-
national trade, were not met
with enthusiasm by IMF econ-
omists. The chancellor was left
vowing that the UK economy
will “prove the IMF wrong”.
The difference between these
two sets of forecasts is striking.
The question then becomes,
is the Bank of England too op-
timistic about the future UK
economic outlook or is the IMF
painting too gloomy a picture?
Understanding the difference
The IMF has been one of the
most pessimistic forecasters
about the UK economy of late.
As the chancellor said during
his spring budget, “our IMF
growth forecasts have been up-
graded by more than any other
G7 country”. Indeed, even the
IMF’s April forecast is a revi-
sion upwards from the 0.6%
contraction for 2023 that it
was fearing back in January,
bringing it closer in line with
the 0.2% contraction that the
government’s Office for Budget
Responsibility (OBR) predicted
at the time of the budget.
sortium is looking at between
USD80 million and USD90 mil-
lion investment to drill one well.
Under the work program
commitment for the first phase,
the Consortium is required to
drill at least two wells.
“In fact, in their submissions
to us, they are indicating that
they are prepared to drill for
three wells... because it works
out cheaper when they drill
more wells,” Sales said.
Aside from well drilling, he
This apparent lag in the IMF
forecasts may be linked to how
often it updates its economic
models. The Bank of England
and OBR do this routinely as
new data becomes available,
ensuring that the projections
adapt more quickly to changes
in the underlying economic sig-
nals. In forecasting, data revi-
sions play an important role in
updates. For instance, the OBR
updated its assessment of the
public finances in late April on
the back of new data about the
spending deficit.
In contrast, global institu-
tions like the IMF and OECD
(Organisation for Economic
Co-Operation and Develop-
Bank of England in London, United Kingdom (IT’S NO GAME/FLICKR, CC BY 2.0)
said the Consortium would need
to spend another USD330 mil-
lion to USD360 million for the
tieback and subsea facilities.
These infrastructures would
deliver the natural gas for pro-
duction in the Malampaya facil-
ity, Sales explained.
He estimated the additional
natural gas that would be pro-
duced by the Malampaya gas-to-
power project given the extension
of its contract would be about 200
billion cubic feet of gas.
www.canadianinquirer.net
ment) conduct their reassess-
ments much less frequently
(usually twice a year). This
means that institutional fore-
casters have less chance to up-
date their projections and that
when they do so, they’re usually
a few months behind the curve.
What next
Be that as it may, is the Bank
of England is likely to be right?
On the prospect of increased
household spending, the bank
is seeing consumers dipping
into their COVID savings be-
cause they’re feeling more se-
cure in their jobs at a time when
the redundancy rate has dipped
sharply from pandemic levels.
I would certainly agree that
Meanwhile, DOE Secretary
Raphael Lotilla said his office
would push for early explora-
tion in Malampaya to keep the
gas flowing and meet the coun-
try’s rising energy requirement.
“We really want to start as
soon as possible. We cannot wait
for 2024 because it takes two
to three years (or) three to four
years to drill successfully and
get the gas flowing. When we
start only in 2024, what is going
to happen? We would have lost a
MAY 19, 2023 FRIDAY
this will give a decent boost to
the UK economy if the trend
continues. The risk is that un-
employment may start rising
again and consumer confidence
will tank. This would probably
cause people to hold on to their
savings and essentially shut
down this growth channel.
As for interest rates, the latest
Bank of England report sees the
base rate peaking at 4.75% in the
final quarter of 2023 and then
coming down to around 3.5% by
2026. With the base rate already
now at 4.5%, this means the
bank is signalling that the hiking
cycle is almost over.
We know that households
and firms base their spending
decisions not only on current
interest rates but also on this
“forward guidance”. So an ex-
pectation of lower rates might
indeed increase spending and
investment, as well as having a
positive effect on the housing
market, which currently seems
to be stabilising after a few
months in decline. However,
the latest bank forecast is also
that interest rates will come
down more slowly than before,
so this might actually weaken
spending and investment.
Then there is inflation. The
bank expects inflation to fall
sharply this year and get back
below the 2% target in 2024,
❱❱ PAGE 28 UK economy: why
lot of time,” Lotilla said.
On Monday, President Ferdinand
R. Marcos Jr. signed the Renewal
Agreement for the Malampaya Ser-
vice Contact No. 38 (SC 38) for a final
15 years, or until Feb. 22, 2039.
The gas-to-power project is
energizing 20 percent of Lu-
zon’s electricity requirement.
Since it began its operation,
Malampaya has turned over
PHP374 billion in royalties to the
national government, with shares
of PHP26 billion in 2022. ■
FRIDAY MAY 19, 2023
AI: evolution is making us treat it like
a human, and we need to kick the habit
BY NEIL SAUNDERS,
University of Greenwich
The Conversation
The artificial intelligence
(AI) pioneer Geoffrey Hinton
recently resigned from Google,
warning of the dangers of the
technology “becoming more
intelligent than us”. His fear
is that AI will one day succeed
in “manipulating people to do
what it wants”.
There are reasons we should
be concerned about AI. But we
frequently treat or talk about
AIs as if they are human. Stop-
ping this, and realising what
they actually are, could help us
maintain a fruitful relationship
with the technology.
In a recent essay, the US psy-
chologist Gary Marcus advised
us to stop treating AI models like
people. By AI models, he means
large language models (LLMs)
like ChatGPT and Bard, which
are now being used by millions
of people on a daily basis.
He cites egregious examples
of people “over-attributing”
human-like cognitive capa-
bilities to AI that have had a
range of consequences. The
most amusing was the US sena-
tor who claimed that ChatGPT
“taught itself chemistry”. The
most harrowing was the report
of a young Belgian man who was
said to have taken his own life
after prolonged conversations
with an AI chatbot.
Marcus is correct to say we
should stop treating AI like
people - conscious moral agents
with interests, hopes and de-
sires. However, many will find
this difficult to near-impossi-
ble. This is because LLMs are
designed – by people – to inter-
act with us as though they are
human, and we’re designed – by
biological evolution – to inter-
act with them likewise.
Good mimics
The reason LLMs can mimic
human conversation so con-
Technology
vincingly stems from a pro-
found insight by computing
pioneer Alan Turing, who real-
ised that it is not necessary for
a computer to understand an al-
gorithm in order to run it. This
means that while ChatGPT can
produce paragraphs filled with
emotive language, it doesn’t un-
derstand any word in any sen-
tence it generates.
The LLM designers success-
fully turned the problem of
semantics – the arrangement
of words to create meaning –
into statistics, matching words
based on their frequency of pri-
or use. Turing’s insight echos
Darwin’s theory of evolution,
which explains how species
adapt to their surroundings,
becoming ever-more complex,
without needing to understand
a thing about their environ-
ment or themselves.
The cognitive scientist and
philosopher Daniel Dennett
coined the phrase “compe-
tence without comprehension”,
which perfectly captures the in-
sights of Darwin and Turing.
Another important contribu-
tion of Dennett’s is his “inten-
tional stance”. This essentially
states that in order to fully ex-
plain the behaviour of an ob-
ject (human or non-human),
we must treat it like a rational
agent. This most often mani-
fests in our tendency to anthro-
pomorphise non-human species
and other non-living entities.
But it is useful. For example,
if we want to beat a computer at
chess, the best strategy is to treat
it as a rational agent that “wants”
to beat us. We can explain that
the reason why the computer
castled, for instance, was because
“it wanted to protect its king
from our attack”, without any
contradiction in terms.
We may speak of a tree in
a forest as “wanting to grow”
towards the light. But neither
the tree, nor the chess com-
puter represents those “wants”
or reasons to themselves; only
that the best way to explain
their behaviour is by treating
them as though they did.
Intentions and agency
Our evolutionary history has
furnished us with mechanisms
that predispose us to find inten-
tions and agency everywhere. In
prehistory, these mechanisms
helped our ancestors avoid
predators and develop altru-
ism towards their nearest kin.
These mechanisms are the same
ones that cause us to see faces in
clouds and anthropomorphise
inanimate objects. No harm
comes to us when we mistake a
tree for a bear, but plenty does
the other way around.
Evolutionary psychology
shows us how we are always try-
ing to interpret any object that
might be human as a human.
We unconsciously adopt the in-
tentional stance and attribute
all our cognitive capacities and
emotions to this object.
With the potential disrup-
tion that LLMs can cause, we
must realise they are simply
probabilistic machines with
no intentions, or concerns
for humans. We must be ex-
tra-vigilant around our use of
language when describing the
www.canadianinquirer.net
human-like feats of LLMs and
AI more generally. Here are two
examples.
The first was a recent study
that found ChatGPT is more
empathetic and gave “higher
quality” responses to questions
from patients compared with
those of doctors. Using emotive
words like “empathy” for an AI
predisposes us to grant it the
capabilities of thinking, reflect-
ing and of genuine concern for
others – which it doesn’t have.
The second was when GPT-4
(the latest version of ChatGPT
technology) was launched last
month, capabilities of greater
skills in creativity and reason-
ing were ascribed to it. Howev-
er, we are simply seeing a scal-
ing up of “competence”, but still
no “comprehension” (in the
sense of Dennett) and definite-
ly no intentions – just pattern
matching.
Safe and secure
In his recent comments, Hin-
ton raised a near-term threat of
“bad actors” using AI for sub-
version. We could easily envis-
age an unscrupulous regime or
multinational deploying an AI,
trained on fake news and false-
hoods, to flood public discourse
27
with misinformation and deep
fakes. Fraudsters could also use
an AI to prey on vulnerable peo-
ple in financial scams.
Last month, Gary Marcus
and others, including Elon
Musk, signed an open letter
calling for an immediate pause
on the further development of
LLMs. Marcus has also called
for a an international agency to
promote safe, secure and peace-
ful AI technologies” - dubbing it
a “Cern for AI”.
Furthermore, many have sug-
gested that anything generated by
an AI should carry a watermark so
that there can be no doubt about
whether we are interacting with a
human or a chatbot.
Regulation in AI trails inno-
vation, as it so often does in oth-
er fields of life. There are more
problems than solutions, and
the gap is likely to widen before
it narrows. But in the meantime,
repeating Dennett’s phrase
“competence without compre-
hension” might be the best anti-
dote to our innate compulsion to
treat AI like humans. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
 28
‘Please do not assume the worst of us’:
students know AI is here to stay and
want unis to teach them how to use it
BY DANNY LIU, University of
Sydney, ADAM BRIDGEMAN,
University of Sydney,
CECILIA KA YUK CHAN,
University of Hong Kong
The Conversation
In just a few months, higher
education has moved from being
afraid of how generative AI like
ChatGPT could help students
cheat, to cautiously embracing
it by allowing students to use it
under certain circumstances.
In getting to grips with how
AI will change education and
society, we’ve heard main-
ly from educators, university
management and other experts.
But what about students, whose
studies, careers, relationships
and futures will be most im-
pacted by AI?
We are academics from uni-
versities in Sydney and Hong
Kong, specialising in higher ed-
ucation practice and research.
Over the last two months,
we have asked students their
thoughts about how AI should be
used in their education through
questionnaires and focus groups.
This includes a survey of more
than 450 students in Hong Kong
and pilot focus group panels with
13 Australian students.
Here are some the key
themes to emerge so far from
this ongoing research.
AI makes knowledge easi-
er to access
Students recognised that
ChatGPT was helpful for sum-
marising, brainstorming, ex-
plaining and suggesting. They
UK economy: why..
❰❰ 26 which is good news.
Nonetheless, the risks
of higher inflation
remains in the form of firms
passing on past energy hikes to
their customers via higher pric-
es. There could well be more of
this to come, so it could be that
the bank is too optimistic here.
If so, interest rates will prob-
ably have to stay higher and the
Technology
mentioned how it made it eas-
ier to learn difficult topics in a
conversational way.
As one told us:
I’ve had a mostly positive ex-
perience […] Explanations of new
concepts are always really well
done and you [can] ask it to explain
something a little more clearly.
Others mentioned it helps
them learn during classes:
to grab quick definitions, ex-
plain concepts to me, and assist in
discussions when the conversation
goes quiet or people are confused.
Students are aware of the
risks
The more experience stu-
dents had with ChatGPT, the
more nuanced their views were.
One student noted ChatGPT
“will miss out on important
points or misunderstand”.
That’s why I am not relying on it
for assignments, instead it is very
helpful for my daily learning.
Another went further to say
that using AI improved their
critical thinking:
I simply put the whole assign-
ment in to see what it would gener-
ate. The answer was quite abysmal
[…] This was really valuable infor-
mation because I developed critical
thinking while critiquing its work.
Another student added, “I
think students really need to
understand that AI is not al-
ways correct”.
In the survey of more than
450 students across Hong Kong
universities, 80% said they un-
derstood its limitations and po-
tential inaccuracies.
AI is key to their future ca-
reers
economy will have a harder time
than the bank currently thinks.
So while the bank is very likely a
better judge of the UK economy
than the IMF, there are still nu-
merous reasons why it could be
wrong on this occasion. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
Students talked about how
AI could remove less desirable
parts of work, to focus on more
important thinking.
busywork can be done for us,
and will be done for us in our fu-
ture careers.
As one student put it:
for learning, it’s [like] an up-
graded version of Google. Let’s
say if you are new to a topic, you
can ask ChatGPT questions and
treat it as interactive Wikipedia.
Students said they wanted
their teachers to teach them “how
to best use AI tools and make AI
tools a common part of education,
just like PowerPoint and Excel”.
This includes educating
them about risks, biases and
limitations so they can under-
stand the technology they will
inevitably be using.
PH wheelchair basketball..
❰❰ 22 Kenneth Christopher
Tapia, Freddie Mag-
dayo, Alfie Cabañog,
Rene Macabenguil, Janelle
Cañete, Clifford Trocino, Mar-
lon Nacita, Jefferson Legacion,
Kyle Carlo Carandang and Moi-
ses Escobar in the men’s team.
Meanwhile, the members of
the women’s team are Patricia
Camille Castro, Lois Jean Delos
www.canadianinquirer.net
Students agreed guidelines
about “what happens if AI is
used” are needed going for-
ward. As one noted:
Please do not assume the
worst of us. Rather, teach us how
to use this technology in the right
way and learn alongside it.
Concerns about equity and
ethics
Students were concerned
about the disadvantages that
lack of access to ChatGPT
would mean for some people.
all students should have the
same resources as one another,
being of a lower income should
not be a reason why other stu-
dents can do their assessments
more efficiently.
Others noted AI was not nec-
essarily free, as there were costs
of accessing premium tools.
Reyes, Jocelyn Follero, Janet
Briñas, Cathreen Gem Tanyag,
Rhebilyn Aniban, Mary Joy
Hernandez, Mylene Margaha,
Ihoricel Panquico, Lorna Lilag-
an and Cecille Wells.
Perea’s coaching staff is com-
posed of Harry Joseph Solanoy,
Yolanda Hernandez and Juani-
to Mingarine. ■
MAY 19, 2023 FRIDAY
Schools are also taking differ-
ent approaches globally and
locally, with some banning and
some embracing AI. This could
widen existing inequities.
Where to from here?
The Australian Universities
Accord discussion paper high-
lights AI as a significant oppor-
tunity, and challenge.
This is something we cannot
ignore. And students want uni-
versities to actively engage with
AI for their benefit.
They do so knowing this is a
“difficult time” for their teachers.
The traditional ways of learn-
ing […] are changing. But this
technology is now our present
and the future, we need our
teachers to prepare us for it.
But they are worried about
their futures and they want
their education to prepare
them for life after study, in a
world that is changing rapidly.
if university wants to prepare
people for later in life, why not
encourage usage of a tool that
would be available to us outside
a strict academic setting?
We need to work with stu-
dents, industries, communities,
and governments to figure out
how we can help our students
engage productively and re-
sponsibly with AI. This is ur-
gent work as the pace of AI de-
velopment accelerates and has
wide-ranging impacts across
society perhaps beyond its de-
velopers’ understanding. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
You shed DNA..
❰❰ 18 eDNA and provide
more time to develop
protocols and regula-
tions to ensure appropriate use
of eDNA techniques and the
ethical handling of human ge-
netic bycatch. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
FRIDAY MAY 19, 2023
Biliran province to host
international race event
BY ROEL AMAZONA
Philippine News Agency
TACLOBAN CITY – Biliran
province will host the La Routa
2023 adventure race to be par-
ticipated by 160 local and for-
eign competitors, the organiz-
ers announced on Monday.
The event, in partnership
with the Department of Tour-
ism (DOT) Eastern Visayas re-
gional office, Biliran provincial
government and Bukid Out-
door Shop, will be held on Nov.
20 to 24, 2023.
Jason Garido, La Routa orga-
nizer, said choosing Biliran as
the venue for the international
adventure race is a consensus
between the organizers and the
DOT-Eastern Visayas.
Biliran is the smallest prov-
ince in the country with only
eight towns and a land area of
only 536.01 square kilometers.
“The safety feature of Bili-
ran is very high because it is an
island. We don’t have an insur-
Guv says mangoes to propel
Guimaras tourism into new heights
BY PERLA LENA
Philippine News Agency
ILOILO CITY – Guimaras
will use its mangoes, dubbed
as the sweetest in the world,
as an anchor to promote other
attractions in the province as it
celebrates its 2023 Manggahan
Festival with the theme, “Man-
goes and More.”
Governor JC Rahman Nava, in
a press conference Monday, ac-
knowledged that the mango is the
main commodity of the province.
“We will capitalize on that
Travel
gency problem here. Even if the
team got lost, they will only be
within the boundaries of Biliran.
When they go down, they will
immediately find the highway
because there is a circumfer-
ential road. The safety feature
is one of the very nice things in
hosting events like this,” Garido
said in an interview.
The island province’s ter-
rain--from rugged mountains
to rolling hills, beautiful beach-
es, and numerous waterfalls-- is
ideal for an adventure race, the
organizer said.
Biliran’s hosting will also
support the province in its
branding as an adventure tour-
ism destination in Eastern Vi-
sayas, Garido added.
The province was also one of
the venues of Elf Authentic Ad-
venture Race in 1999 that was
participated by teams from dif-
ferent parts of the world.
Garido said hosting the event
will greatly benefit the prov-
ince because it will attract not
only competitors, but including
and eventually expand and
showcase some other products.
That’s what we are doing right
now,” he said.
Since mangoes are a show-
case of their agricultural pro-
duce, they created a festival,
adding value to the product.
“Tourism transcends all
sectors. It involves everybody.
Tourism is the best value add-
ing to the economy of Guim-
aras,” the governor said.
The Manggahan Festival
kicked off on April 29 with the
opening of the Agri-Fishery and
Eco-Tourism Expo at the provin-
their supporters and specta-
tors, which will result in finan-
cial gains for local businesses.
Participating foreign rac-
ing enthusiasts are winners
of qualifying rounds in India,
Thailand, Malaysia, and Ne-
pal while local competitors are
winners in previous adventure
races held in different parts of
the country.
Two teams from Australia and
New Zealand have also signified
to join the adventure race.
The international event is
the Asian qualifying round for
the 11-day Adventure Racing
World Championship Series to
be held in El Salvador in 2024.
The race is divided into three
categories - beginner, advanced,
and elite. Only the winners in
the elite category will advance
to the world championship.
The competition involves dis-
cipline in trekking, swimming,
paddling, biking, rappelling,
navigation, and special sections.
Lasting for about 74 to 96
hours, the four members of
cial capital grounds, followed by
a series of events leading to the
four-day highlights on May 19-22.
Starting May 19, there will be
the Mango-Eat-All-You-Can
where for a fee of PHP150, one
can feast on the product for 30
minutes and enjoy entertain-
ment from nightly live bands, the
coronation of Miss Guimaras,
street dance and cultural compe-
tition and a program commem-
orating the 31st provincehood of
Guimaras on May 22.
This year, the Provincial Eco-
nomic Development Office has
introduced a fast lane for those
www.canadianinquirer.net
Sambawan Island, Maripipi Biliran (RODEL BONTES/FLICKR, CC BY-SA 2.0)
each team will need to walk,
run, and swim even at night or
a total length of 300 to 350 kilo-
meters to reach the finish line.
Each team is provided with a
GPS tracker to monitor their lo-
cation throughout the race.
Teams have the option to
sleep at night during the entire
four-day race.
Teams composed of four mem-
who wanted a hassle-free com-
fortable and seamless Mang-
gahan experience through its
“VIP” packages.
Perks and privileges like a
free ride between Iloilo and
Guimaras, express lane at the
Mango-Eat-All-You-Can and
refreshing freebies come with
the purchase of Manggahan
Gold, Manggahan Premium,
and Manggahan Group tickets.
Meanwhile, the governor
said the Iloilo Commercial
Port Complex will cater to
four-wheel private and pub-
lic no-cargo vehicles that will
29
bers are mix-gender depending on
how many male or female mem-
bers are included in the team.
To signal readiness of host-
ing the adventure race, Biliran
Governor Roger Gerard Espina,
DOT Eastern Visayas Regional
Director Karina Rosa Tiopes, and
Garido signed on May 12 a com-
mitment for the official launch of
La Routa adventure race. ■
board the FF Cruz Shipping
Corporation roll on, roll off ves-
sels due to the projected large
influx of travelers and visitors
to Guimaras during the dura-
tion of the festival.
Fiber boats have been allowed
to ply the Jordan to Iloilo City
and vice versa routes until 2
a.m. while roll on, roll off vessels
will have special trips to cater to
guests even during nighttime.
Guimaras Vice Governor
John Edward Gando said Re-
public Act 11118 declared May
22 as a special non-working
holiday in the province. ■
 30 MAY 19, 2023 FRIDAY

An expert’s guide to drinking beer
for people who don’t do well with gluten
BY DAVID BEAN, Federation
University Australia,
ANDREW GREENHILL,
Federation University
Australia
The Conversation
It’s estimated coeliac disease
affects 1.4% of the world’s popu-
lation – a staggering 112,000,000
people or so in total.
People with this condition
develop an abnormal immune
reaction when they consume
gluten – a protein found in
grains including barley, wheat
and rye. It can damage the lin-
ing of their small intestine and
lead to a range of (often debili-
tating) symptoms.
Coeliacs are forced to forgo glu-
tenous food and drinks, including
bread, pasta, cakes, biscuits, pas-
tries and, of course, beer – which
has malted barley as its main in-
gredient. Other alcoholic bever-
ages are considered gluten-free
(although diligence is still re-
quired since drinks can have fla-
vours added after distillation).
Brewers around the world
work on producing beers that can
be enjoyed by people with coeliac
disease, or general gluten sensi-
tivity. They achieve this through
two common approaches:
1. making beer with grains
that don’t contain gluten
2. breaking down the gluten
into smaller compounds during
the manufacturing process.
The former approach is wide-
ly used in Australia and New
Zealand.
How they make gluten-free
beer
Consider your breakfast. Did
Food
you eat rice bubbles, corn flakes
or puffed wheat? Each one of
these cereals will give you ener-
gy to start your day, but only the
last one contains gluten.
Similarly, brewers can use
gluten-free grain such as sor-
ghum, buckwheat or rice to try
to replicate the flavour of beer,
but without the gluten. Beers
produced in this way are tru-
ly “gluten-free”. They contain
none at all.
But brewing with these alter-
native grains isn’t as common
or straightforward as brewing
with barley.
Think back to your breakfast:
all three cereals are suitable
enough, but they don’t taste the
same. While there is plenty of di-
versity in beer flavours, all com-
monly consumed beer has the
underlying flavour of malted bar-
ley. This is the taste beer drinkers
have come to know and love.
Brewing processes for glu-
ten-free beer must be modified
to accommodate the unusual
characteristics of alternative
grains. For example, barley has a
husk, which is used for filtration
while making beer. Gluten-free
grains tend to not have husks, so
rice husks might be added in.
Also, if a particular brewery
produces both gluten-free and
gluten-containing beer, then glu-
ten contamination is possible.
That’s why most Australian brew-
eries that produce gluten-free
beer do so in a dedicated facility.
How they make gluten-re-
duced beer
The natural role of gluten in
the barley plant is to provide
nutrients to the seedling for
germination. Given gluten’s im-
portance to the life cycle of the
plant, it’s inevitable some gluten
will end up in beer that’s made
using barley. In which case, the
gluten must then be removed.
To do this, brewers treat the
beer with an enzyme called a
prolyl endopeptidase (PEP),
which is traditionally used to
clarify beer by removing hazes
formed by proteins.
The PEP enzyme can “rec-
ognise” specific parts of the
gluten protein and break them
down into smaller compounds
that don’t cause an immune re-
sponse in coeliacs.
These beers can be considered
“gluten-reduced”. They aren’t
completely gluten-free. Wheth-
er they are safe to be consumed
by coeliacs is a matter of debate
among health professionals. can be used to describe products tralia and New Zealand are pro-
Some coelics can tolerate one or containing up to 100 ppm. duced here, so country-specific
two gluten-reduced beers, while Australia and New Zealand, by labelling might be a bigger issue
others can’t tolerate any. contrast, have some of the strictest for the jet-setting beer drinker.
Research has found glu- legislation concerning gluten-free Not just for coeliacs
ten-reduced beers would in- labelling. By Food Standards Aus- People who aren’t coeliacs
duce an immune response that tralia New Zealand’s (FSANZ) can still have allergies and aver-
could be detected through a criteria, products containing 20 sions to gluten – and this may be
blood test in two out of 31 coe- ppm or less can be labelled “low more common than you think.
liac patients. gluten”, but not gluten-free. To A 2020 study in Australia found
People who are very sensi- be labelled gluten-free, the beer almost one-quarter of people in-
tive to gluten should exercise must not contain any detectable terviewed chose to avoid gluten
caution when considering glu- gluten whatsoever. in their diet, even though only
ten-reduced beers. In other words take note of 1% of respondents were coeliacs.
Different countries, differ- where your beer was brewed, Just like the boom in alco-
ent standards because it makes a difference. hol-free beers, the range of
The US Food and Drug Ad- Products sold in Australia and gluten-free beers is expanding.
ministration states that foods, New Zealand adhere to stricter Brewers are producing exciting
including beer, with less than labelling regulations than other new beers not just for coeliacs
20 parts per million (ppm) glu- countries. Low levels of gluten but also for other people who
ten can be labelled gluten-free. have been detected in foods pro- may be conscious about their
The rule in Europe is the duced overseas and sold as “glu- gluten intake. ■
same; products containing no ten-free” in Australia. The same
more than 20 ppm are consid- could be true for imported beers. This article is republished
ered “gluten-free”. An addition- Fortunately, most glu- from The Conversation under a
al category of “very low gluten” ten-free beers available in Aus- Creative Commons license.

Global oil industry..

❰❰ 24 emphasizing on the im-
portance of ensuring a
multilateral approach:
“We fully support a global, multi-
lateral approach, with collabora-
tion at the fore. We need to work
with one another, and not against
one another.
“We look forward to this
year’s 28th Conference of the
Parties to the United Nations
Framework Convention on
Climate Change in the Unit-
ed Arab Emirates – an OPEC
member – and its championing
www.canadianinquirer.net
of an inclusive agenda, with the
event undertaking a first global
stocktake since the Paris Agree-
ment. As I have noted on many
occasions, we hope the future
sees investments and finance in
the energy transition focusing
on an ‘all peoples, all fuels and
all technologies’ approach.” ■
 MAY 17,
JULY 19, 2020
2023 cx328
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