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FIBA

Teen residents of the Tenement Taguig play half-court basketball game on Wednesday (Aug. 23, 2023). The court has joined the FIBA World Cup fever by painting it with the logo, slogan, and
mascot of the event. It was voted the best in the world in a FIBA-sanctioned survey in December 2022. NBA superstars LeBron James and Filipino-American Jordan Clarkson have visited the
court. YANCY LIM / PNA

24
DFA: PH activities in
WPS not subject to any
country’s approval
How gender inequality is
hindering Japan’s economic
growth

BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA

Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Department of For-
eign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday reit-
erated that Ayungin Shoal is within the
Philippines’ maritime zones and that
Filipino activities in the area are not
subject to any state’s approval.
The statement came after Chinese Am- 28
bassador Huang Xilian on Tuesday made
a comment that there had been a “special `
As Canadian wildfires rage,
arrangement” for the delivery of human-
itarian supplies to BRP Sierra Madre and Facebook’s news ban reveals
that the “problem arose when the Phil- the importance of radio
Champagne is deeply
❱❱ PAGE 4 DFA: PH activities French – but the English
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2 AUGUST 25, 2023 FRIDAY

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FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2023
House OKs job creation bill to speed
up economic growth
BY JOSE CIELITO
REGANIT
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The House of
Representatives on Tuesday
approved on the third and fi-
nal reading a bill seeking to in-
stitutionalize and expand the
National Employment Recov-
ery Strategy (NERS) to a jobs
creation plan to accelerate eco-
nomic growth and development.
House Bill No. 8400, or the
Trabaho para sa Pilipino Act,
was approved with 235 affirma-
tive votes.
The proposed measure es-
tablishes a Jobs Creation Plan
(JCP), which shall align national
investments and incentives to
the solutions aimed at easing the
challenges in the labor market.
The JCP shall serve as a na-
tional master plan on employ-
ment generation and recovery
and shall promote programs
PBBM orders consolidation of amendments
to procurement law
BY RUTH ABBEY GITA-
CARLOS
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – President Fer-
dinand R. Marcos Jr. has or-
dered the consolidation of the
proposed amendments to the
decades-old Republic Act (RA)
9184 or the Government Pro-
curement Reform Act (GPRA),
Budget Secretary Amenah Pan-
gandaman said Tuesday.
Marcos gave the directive in a
sectoral meeting at Malacañan
Palace with Cabinet officials,
including Pangandaman.
“During our meeting with
the President, we were directed
to have a consolidated amend-
ments to the existing GPRA
that we will present to House
and the Senate,” Pangandaman
said in a Palace briefing.
“Isusulat lang po namin
ng maayos ito in a form of an
amendment doon sa mga pro-
on skills development and the
enhancement to create decent
employment and promote em-
ployability, competitiveness,
wellness, and productivity.
HB 8400 also creates an in-
ter-agency council (IAC) for
jobs and investments, which will
be co-chaired by the secretaries
of the Department of Trade and
Industry and the Department of
Labor and Employment.
Also, the secretaries of the
Department of Finance, Depart-
ment of Budget and Manage-
ment, and Department of Mi-
grant Workers (DMW), as well
as the director general of the
National Economic and Devel-
opment Authority, head of the
Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TES-
DA), a representative from em-
ployers’ organizations, and a rep-
resentative from labor groups,
will sit as council members.
The inter-agency body is
mandated to formulate a me-
vision, sa mga (We will just
write it properly in a form of an
amendment to the provisions,
to those) existing provisions
and then we will sit down with
the House and Senate counter-
parts,” she added.
Pangandaman said the spe-
cific amendments to the GPRA’s
existing provisions would likely
be released within two weeks.
Stressing that “a lot of
amendments” will be made,
Pangandaman said the pro-
posed revisions are divided into
six items -- innovative procure-
ment methods; efficiency in
the procurement process; pro-
curement planning and budget-
ing; digitalization and innova-
tion; green procurement; and
amendments to miscellaneous
provisions.
Pangandaman said the pro-
posed amendments aim to ad-
dress issues that hurt public
service delivery and address the
underspending of some govern-
dium-term and long-term JCP
that shall include objectives
and targets, action compo-
nents, success measures, and
performance indicators.
The IAC shall harmonize the
employment, livelihood and
training projects and programs
of the national government to-
ward the preservation and cre-
ation of more jobs; collaborate
with local government units
(LGUs) in planning, devising,
and implementing employment
recovery and job generation
programs within their localities;
ensure that these programs are
aligned with the JCP; and craft
and provide guidelines for the
institutionalization of the JCP
in each government agency.
The bill requires the active
participation of LGUs in formu-
lating plans, programs or proj-
ects geared toward recovering
jobs and generating more em-
ployment opportunities within
their communities.
ment agencies.
“We have also been hounded
by controversies linked to the
Philippine procurement sys-
tem. That’s why our President
is correct that we need to make
government procurement
more attuned to our changing
(BONGBONG MARCOS/FACEBOOK)
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Philippine News
In a statement, Speaker Fer-
dinand Martin G. Romualdez
said the expansion of NERS,
which was created under Ex-
ecutive Order No. 140, into a
comprehensive national jobs
creation blueprint is the House
of Representatives’ answer to
the problems of unemployment
and underemployment.
“Through this plan, and with
the cooperation of the con-
House of Representatives (JOAN BONDOC/PNA)
times. Procurement affects us
everyday, not just us in the gov-
ernment but the Filipino peo-
ple,” Pangandaman said.
“Of our total national budget,
up to 25 percent po diyan (of
those) is done to procurement.
So, for this year, our total bud-
❱❱ PAGE 13 PBBM orders consolidation
3
cerned agencies and especially
of LGUs throughout the coun-
try, we hope to address these
twin issues related to employ-
ment,” he said.
The Trabaho para sa Pilipino
Act is among the priority measures
of the Marcos administration.
A counterpart measure, Sen-
ate Bill No. 2035 or the Trabaho
Para sa Bayan Act, was passed
by the Senate last May 24. ■
get is PHP5.268 trillion so it’s
roughly PHP1.3 trillion. So, it’s
quite a huge amount. These are
the reasons that these reforms
have become necessary albeit
tedious,” she added.
Procurement Service-DBM
executive director Dennis San-
tiago said the proposed amend-
ments to GPRA will make the
procurement “more efficient,”
noting that a government agen-
cy that complies with legal,
technical and financial require-
ments may carry out a direct ac-
quisition with supplier, subject
to limitations.
Santiago said some of the
government agencies are also
complaining about the tedious
process in the delivery of goods
and services.
Pangandaman said rapid
technology transformation
over the past two decades and
the pandemic “propelled the
4 Philippine News
Ople’s death ‘great loss’ to
PH, migrant workers
BY RUTH ABBEY GITA-
CARLOS, JOYCE ANN L.
ROCAMORA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – President Ferdi-
nand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday
said the death of Department of
Migrant Workers (DMW) Sec-
retary Susan “Toots” Ople is a
“great loss to the Philippines.”
“It’s a very, very sad news. I
have lost a friend. The Philip-
pines has lost a friend,” Marcos
said, reacting to Ople’s passing
on the sidelines of his visit to the
Toyota Special Economic Zone
in the City of Santa Rosa, Laguna.
“All of us who called her a friend,
it is a great loss to the Philippines,
to the service that we know she
could still have rendered.”
He described Ople as a “spe-
cial person with a deep compas-
sion really for the people that
she had cared for, mainly the
migrant workers.”
“It’s a big loss. Ang galing-gal-
ing ni Secretary Toots (Secre-
tary Toots is very good). She very
much followed in the tradition of
Blas Ople tradition of excellence,
of compassion. It is a great loss
for all of us,” Marcos said, refer-
ring to the elder Ople who served
under his father as Labor chief.
In a statement, the DMW
announced that Ople died at
around 1 p.m., “surrounded by
her family and loved ones.”
The DMW also asked for
prayers for the eternal repose of
Ople’s soul, as well as for her family.
“She dedicated her life, in ev-
ery waking moment, to the wel-
fare of labourers in general and
migrant workers in particular.
She was tireless in her pursuit
to always support and find pro-
tection for our workers. There
cannot be a better example of
the perfect mix of compassion
and hard-nosed pragmatism
than in Toots. She got many
things done in her years of pub-
lic service, and all for others,
never for herself. I grieve to-
gether with her family and all
those who called Toots a friend.
Our prayers are with you,” Mar-
cos posted on social media.
Ople was appointed as DMW
secretary in June 2022.
She also headed the Blas F.
Ople Policy and Training Insti-
tute, a non-profit organization
that is actively involved in labor
and migration issues.
Migrant workers’ chief
supporter
Ople was a staunch supporter
of labor rights and was the “best
thing” that happened to migrant
workers, according to Philip-
pine Ambassador to the United
Kingdom Teodoro Locsin Jr.
Locsin recalled how Ople “tire-
lessly” worked on behalf of over-
seas Filipino workers with or with-
out office or means in the past.
“Perfect and irreplaceable fit to
head migrants’ own department;
she worked on their behalf with-
out office or means but her own
before then; confused what to
do DFA (Department of Foreign
Affairs) turned to her in her pri-
vate commitment to the national
good,” read Locsin’s statement.
He said Ople came from a
“short dynasty of the best” and
hailed her for continuing the
work of her father, one of the
framers of the 1987 Philippine
Constitution, left.
“His daughter continued
his example on her own until
the only one who’d think of ap-
pointing the obvious best choice
to head migrant workers’ own
department did just that,” said
Locsin, also recently appointed
as Special Envoy of the Presi-
dent to the People’s Republic of
China for Special Concerns.
“It was the fitting place from
which to say goodbye to a life’s work.
Goodbye, my friend,” he added.
Ople underwent surgery for
Stage 2 breast cancer in Febru-
ary 2020 but her cause of death
was not revealed.
DMW Secretary Susan Ople (JOEY RAZON/PNA)
Her elder brothers Toti and
Blas Jr. passed away in July at
the age of 65 and 71, respective-
ly, both due to lung cancer.
Sympathies
The chanceries of Canada
and the European Union (EU)
in the Philippines also extend-
ed their sympathies to late
DMW secretary’s family.
Under Ople’s leadership at
DMW, the Canadian Embassy in
Manila said Ottawa and Manila
were able to actively discuss ways
to collaborate closely in protect-
ing overseas Filipino workers.
“Secretary Ople was a valu-
able partner in advancing our
two countries’ common goals in
promoting responsible and eth-
ical recruitment, and protect-
ing migrant workers’ rights and
welfare,” it said in a statement.
“Aside from being the cham-
pion of OFW rights, Sec. Ople
was a staunch advocate against
trafficking-in-persons, a the-
matic priority shared by Cana-
da and the Philippines.
While we mourn her passing,
we join her family & colleagues
in celebrating her commitment
to the protection of migrant
workers’ rights,” it added.
EU Ambassador to the Phil-
ippines Luc Veron also recog-
nized Ople’s work and sent his
condolences to her bereaved
family over Twitter.
“I am deeply saddened to
learn about the passing of Sec-
retary Susan Ople, who worked
tirelessly to ensure the safety
and security of Overseas Filipi-
no Workers worldwide,” he said.
“My heartfelt thoughts go out
to her loved ones during this in-
credibly difficult time.” ■
www.canadianinquirer.net
DFA confirms
death of another
Filipino in
Hawaii wildfire
BY JOYCE ANN L.
ROCAMORA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed
Tuesday the death of a Filipino
citizen from the deadly wildfires
that razed the coastal town of La-
haina in Maui, Hawaii.
The victim was one of the five
fatalities recently identified
by local authorities, the rest of
whom are all US citizens.
The DFA earlier confirmed
that 79-year-old Alfredo Galinato,
a US citizen of Filipino descent,
also perished from the blaze.
DFA Assistant Secretary Paul
Raymund Cortes said official
data showed the death toll has
reached 114, majority of whom
are yet to be identified.
“So, the chances na may mga
kababayan tayo na naapektuhan
ng Maui wildfire is very, very
high dahil mataas iyong popula-
tion ng ating Filipino communi-
ty sa Maui but the probability na
Philippine passport holder sila
ay medyo mababa, nonetheless,
kababayan pa po natin ang mga
DFA: PH activities..
❰❰ 1 ippines transported
large-scale building
materials”.
DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresi-
ta Daza did not confirm Huang’s
claims but said “the rotation and
resupply missions to the BRP
Sierra Madre are legitimate and
routine activities in our EEZ (ex-
clusive economic zone)”.
“The Philippines’ exercise of
its sovereignty, sovereign rights
and jurisdiction within our
maritime zones is not subject
to any other country’s approval.
This is the norm,” she said in a
statement.
The Philippine Coast Guard
on Wednesday, meanwhile, de-
nied that there was a special
agreement over what kind of
AUGUST 25, 2023 FRIDAY
iyan, so nakikiramay po tayo
(So, the chances that our fellow
citizens are among the affected
is very, very high because the
population of the Filipino com-
munity there is also high but
the probability that there are
Philippine passport holders is
low, nonetheless, they are still
our fellow Filipino),” he said in a
public briefing.
“We continue our prayers
para sa mga kababayan natin na
nasalanta ng tinatawag nilang
fire hurricane (for our fellow
citizens who were hit by what
they describe as the fire hurri-
cane),” he added.
Cortes said search and rescue
operations are ongoing in La-
haina while the affected com-
munities get temporary shelter,
food, clothing and some finan-
cial assistance from the Ha-
waii Emergency Management
Agency and Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
The Philippine Consulate
General in Honolulu, he said, is
also assisting Philippine pass-
port holders rebuild their doc-
umentation, specifically birth
certificates and passports. ■
supplies the country can bring
to Ayungin.
PCG spokesperson for West
Philippine Sea Jay Tarriela
echoed that Manila does not
need permission from Beijing
as the country has sovereign
rights over the feature.
The rotation and resupply
mission was able to safely de-
liver fresh provision supplies
to the contingent manning the
beached BRP Sierra Madre at
Ayungin Shoal on Aug. 22.
The National Task Force for
the West Philippine Sea said
the routine missions to the
Philippine outposts on vari-
ous features in the West Phil-
ippine Sea will continue “on a
regular basis”. ■
FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2023 5

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6 Philippine News
House OKs PBBM hails Toyota’s
bill promoting contribution to PH
inclusive adult economic dev’t
education in 4Ps
BY JOSE CIELITO
REGANIT
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The House of
Representatives on Tuesday
approved on the third and final
reading House Bill (HB) 8497,
which seeks to achieve sustain-
able development by promot-
ing inclusive education among
adult Pantawid Pamilyang Pil-
ipino Program (4Ps) benefi-
ciaries through the alternative
learning system, entrepreneur-
ship and employment training.
The measure, which got 236
affirmative votes, zero nega-
tive votes and zero abstentions,
amends for the purpose Republic
Act (RA) 11310, or the Pantawid
Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act.
It provides for Community
Mobilization Grants (CMG) of
not less than PHP500 per in-
stance, per adult beneficiary of
the adult education program.
The CMG is a conditional
cash transfer grant that shall
be used to finance meals and
transportation related to the
availment of adult education by
4Ps beneficiaries.
This will be on top of the cur-
rent conditional cash transfers
granted per child enrolled in
basic education as provided in
RA 11310.
HB 8497 encourages at least
one adult beneficiary from every
4Ps household to join and com-
plete any of the following tracks
of adult education: non-formal
education through the Alterna-
tive Learning System (ALS) of
the Department of Education
(DepEd); entrepreneurship track
of the Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI) and Department
of Social Welfare and Develop-
ment (DSWD); or employment
track of the Technical Education
and Skills Development Author-
ity (TESDA), or their accredited
private sector and civil society
organizations.
The ALS track refers to a
parallel learning system that
provides a viable alternative to
the existing formal education
instruction and encompasses
both non-formal and informal
sources of knowledge and skills.
Meanwhile, the entrepre-
neurship track refers to in-
terventions that focus on the
establishment of micro-enter-
prise through the enhancement
of skills, provision of financial
capital and building or re-build-
ing physical and natural assets,
and which covers product de-
velopment, marketing, and ba-
sic business finance.
On the other hand, the em-
ployment track refers to pro-
grams through which learners
and workers are provided with
learning opportunities to ac-
quire, upgrade, or both, their
ability, knowledge, and behav-
ior pattern required as qualifi-
cations for a job or range of jobs
in a given occupational area.
The proposed measure pro-
vides that the availment of adult
education shall commence in
the second year of enrollment
in the 4Ps.
HB 8497 further prioritizes
adult beneficiaries who suc-
ceeded in their selected track
of education in the availment
of government modalities and
interventions.
Those who completed the
entrepreneurship track shall be
given assistance by the DTI to
ensure ease of establishing a mi-
cro or small business enterprise
and the link to the target clien-
tele of the 4Ps entrepreneur.
Meanwhile, beneficiaries
who completed the employ-
ment track shall be given job
facilitation assistance by the
Department of Labor and Em-
ployment (DOLE).
Those who completed
non-formal education using the
ALS track by the DepEd until
they finish senior high school
shall be given assistance to
ensure their pursuit of higher
learning or employment. ■
BY RUTH ABBEY GITA-
CARLOS
Philippine News Agency
STA. ROSA, Laguna – Presi-
dent Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on
Tuesday received 35 vehicle units
donated by Toyota Motor Phil-
ippines (TMP) in a ceremonial
turnover at the Toyota Special
Economic Zone (TSEZ) at the
City of Santa Rosa, this province.
The donation, in line with the
commemoration of TMP’s 35th
anniversary, included 10 ambu-
lance units and two Coasters
(minibus) customized for the
“Lab For All” medical program
of the Office of the First Lady.
During the ceremonial
turnover, Toyota Motor Corp.
(TMC) chairperson Akio Toyo-
da handed the keys of the do-
nated vehicles to Marcos.
In his speech, Marcos hailed
TMP’s contributions to the Phil-
ippines’ economic development,
saying the country is “very lucky”
to have the carmaker as its partner.
Marcos said he looks forward
to strengthened partnership
with Toyota as his administra-
tion aims to transform the Phil-
ippine economy.
“We have always seen Toyota
as being an important partner
in everything, in our develop-
ment in the Philippines, and
now especially in these difficult
times. These partnerships…, I
PBBM visits the automotive manufacturing plant of Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation (TMP) and the manual trans-
mission plant of Toyota Aisin Philippines (TAP) (PCO)
www.canadianinquirer.net
am certain will benefit not only
the Philippines but also our
partners in Japan,” he said.
TMP chairperson Alfred Ty
acknowledged the local car-
maker’s collaboration with the
Philippine government in re-
vitalizing the local automotive
manufacturing.
“Today’s symbolic donation
of 35 Toyota units represents
the many memorable chapters
in our history and reaffirms
that our partnership with the
government is, and will always
be, a strong and vital part of our
sustainable growth,” Ty said.
“We request your continued
support to the auto industry, not
only for vehicle manufacturing
but to the entire supply chain,
especially our domestic parts
suppliers. With more conducive
government policies, Toyota Ai-
sin Philippines and other local
part-makers can expand and do
so much more in our country to
help generate more jobs for Fili-
pinos,” he added.
Marcos also toured the world-
class facilities of the country’s
leading mobility company.
He checked the technologies
and highly-skilled workforce that
currently produce TMP’s best-sell-
ing Vios and Innova models.
TMP was incorporated on
Aug. 3, 1988 as a joint venture of
TMC, GT Capital Holdings, Inc.
and Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
One of the largest automotive
AUGUST 25, 2023 FRIDAY
companies in the country, TMP
has the widest vehicle line-up of 24
Toyota models. It has over 70 deal-
ers nationwide, including high-
end Lexus Manila, Inc., for its sales
distribution and service centers.
TMP’s head office and man-
ufacturing plant are located
inside the 82-hectare TSEZ,
which serves as home to a num-
ber of investors performing
strategic roles in the manufac-
ture and export of automotive
products to the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations, Japan
and other parts of the world.
The marketing office of TMP is
located in Makati City, while the
newly inaugurated 32-hectare
Batangas Vehicle Center stream-
lines vehicle handling prior to in-
ter-island transport and ensures
promised delivery time and qual-
ity for dealers and customers.
To date, TMP and the Toyota
Group have cumulatively invest-
ed PHP73.7 billion since 2000,
paid duties and taxes of PHP448
billion and exported USD18.76
billion worth of auto parts and
components since 1997.
Toyota will also invest
around PHP4.4 billion for the
production of the Next Gener-
ation Tamaraw, a utility trans-
port vehicle first introduced in
the Philippines in 1976.
As of December 2022, TMP
has a total of 3,742 personnel,
with 1,846 of them on perma-
nent status. ■
FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2023
PBBM cites need to create
‘power centers’ across PH
BY RUTH ABBEY GITA-
CARLOS
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – President Ferdi-
nand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday
emphasized the importance of
establishing “power centers”
not just in Metro Manila but
across the Philippines to en-
sure political stability.
“That is very simple. That de-
rives a very simple idea that the
stability of a political structure
is much more reliable when we
have many power centers. If the
power centers only belong here
in Manila, then pabagsakin
mo ‘yung Manila, bagsak ang
buong Pilipinas (if Manila falls,
the entire Philippines would
fall),” Marcos said during the
oath-taking of new members of
the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas
BuCor announces Senate panel discusses
release of 880 push to establish
PDLs nationwide rainwater facilities
BY BENJAMIN PULTA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA - The Bureau of
Corrections on Thursday said
it has released 880 persons de-
prived of liberty (PDLs) from
its facilities nationwide from
June 28 to August 24.
According to prison officials,
those released have either served
their prison sentences, benefit-
ted from the Good Conduct Time
Allowance (CGTA), were acquit-
ted or granted parole.
BuCor data showed that the
most of the PDLs were from
the New Bilibid Prison (NBP)
in Muntinlupa City where 185
PDLs were released from the
Maximum Security Camp; 151
from the Medium Security
Camp; 25 from the Minimum
Security Camp; and 13 from the
NBP’s Reception and Diagnostic
(PFP) in a ceremony at Mala-
cañan Palace in Manila.
The President said he would
leave to local governments the
discretion to decide for their
respective constituents, noting
that it is “the first step of a fed-
eral government for the Philip-
pines in all but name.”
The move, he said, would
make the country’s politi-
cal structure and political life
“more stable.”
“There has to be a central
tenet and central principle to
what we are doing. And we are
talking here about federal-
ism. What we have started to
do, in all but name, ang ating
ginagawa ay talagang ibinibigay
ang discretion, ang power,
ang function, hangga’t maaari
sa pinakamababang level na
maaari nating gawin (is really
give the discretion, the power,
Center (RDC) were also released.
Meanwhile, 196 PDLs were
from the Davao Prison and
Penal Farm (DPPF); 101 from
Leyte Regional Prison (LRP);
and 92 female PDLs from the
Correctional Institute for
Women (CIW).
Some 58 PDLs were from the
San Ramon Prison and Penal
Farm (SRPPF) in Zamboanga;
25 from the Sablayan Prison
and Penal Farm (SPPF) in Min-
doro Occidental; and 29 from
the Iwahig Prison and Penal
Farm (IPPF) in Puerto Prince-
sa, Palawan.
Five DPLs were also released
from the detention facility at
the Philippines Military Acade-
my (PMA), the BuCor said.
BuCor Director General Gre-
gorio Catapang Jr. earlier said
they are expediting the release
❱❱ PAGE 13 BuCor announces release
the function, as much as possi-
ble, to the lowest level as much
as we can),” Marcos said.
“Dahil kung may mangyari
sa isang lugar, kahit bumagsak
iyan, basta’t nasira, hindi na
talaga puwede, nagka-giyera,
whatever, tuloy pa rin ‘yung
mga iba (Because if something
happens in one place, even if it
falls, suffers irreparable dam-
age, engages in a war or whatev-
er, the other areas [in the coun-
try] will remain unaffected).”
He said the seemingly fed-
eral set-up would continue by
bringing more power centers to
other parts of the country.
The Philippines is currently
under a unitary form of govern-
ment with power and authority
vested in “imperial” Manila.
Under a federal government,
power is divided between the
central government and local
BY WILNARD BACELONIA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Senate Com-
mittee on Public Works on
Wednesday opened discussions
on various bills seeking to man-
date the establishment, man-
agement, maintenance, and
regulation of a rainwater har-
vesting facility in all new insti-
tutional, commercial, industri-
al, and residential development
projects.
Senator Ramon Revilla Jr.,
who chairs the panel, stressed
the importance of rainwater
harvesting as one of the effec-
tive solutions to address the
perennial problem of flooding
in different parts of the country.
Revilla explained that rain-
water harvesting facilities in-
stalled in new development
projects will augment the wa-
www.canadianinquirer.net
Philippine News
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (PCO)
state governments.
A federal system of govern-
ment also empowers each state
to handle its own laws, financ-
es, development plans, health,
education and infrastructure,
among others.
“With the power centers
being given to the local gov-
ernments, to the local districts
and to those who are operating
at the local level, and thereby
bringing those power centers
to many, many places, it makes
for a more stable political struc-
ter supply in many areas while
also serving as temporary
catchments so runoff will be
decreased and flooding will be
prevented.
“Naniniwala ako na malaki
ang maitutulong ng rainwater
harvesting facilities para mag-
karoon ng ipunan ng tubig sa
mga lugar na may kakulangan
sa tubig (I believe that rain-
water harvesting facilities will
help a lot in saving water for ar-
eas that need it),” Revilla said.
One of the bills discussed was
Senate Bill 990 filed by Revilla
which will require project de-
velopers, whose project area is
more than 100 square meters, to
reserve, develop, and maintain
the said facility with a minimum
storage tank size calculated by
dividing the building footprint
area by 75 cubic meters.
Meanwhile, project devel-
opers of proposed commercial,
7
ture and makes for more stable
political life,” Marcos said.
“And that’s why the idea of
federalism became very im-
portant because, again, it is my
firm belief that we really have
to give. Ang aking laging sinasa-
bi (what I always say), which is
very, very much in parallel with
the thinking of federalism is
that with all the systems that we
are trying to put together, what
we are trying to do is to make
the decision process be made in
as low level as possible.” ■
industrial, and residential de-
velopment or any residential
multi-dwelling units with land
area of more than 1,000 square
meters must submit a Rainwa-
ter Management Plan as part of
the site development applica-
tion and approval process.
When asked about their cur-
rent projects about rainwater
harvesting, they cited the Rain-
water Collection System (RWCS)
Project which currently targets
public schools as locations.
In a statement last year, Pres-
ident Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
revealed his administration’s
plan to construct large water
impounding facilities outside
Metro Manila to address both
flooding and water shortage.
Marcos said that through
these water-impounding facil-
ities, flooding in Metro Manila
❱❱ PAGE 15 Senate panel discusses
8 Philippine News
Correspondent/Hosts
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Matte Laurel
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Babes Newland
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Management
Alan Yong
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Member
PH to host International Rice
Congress 2023
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Philippines will be
hosting for the first time the Interna-
tional Rice Congress (IRC), a platform
for rice-based food systems innovators
to work towards shaping a food and nu-
trition secure future, in October this year.
Convened by the International Rice Re-
search Institute (IRRI) every four years,
previous congresses were held in Beijing
(2002), New Delhi (2006), Hanoi (2010),
Bangkok (2014) and Singapore (2018).
The 6th IRC, which expects 2,000 del-
egates throughout the rice value chain,
is organized by IRRI, the Consortium
of International Agriculture Research
Centers (CGIAR) and the Department
of Agriculture (DA).
Over a thousand abstracts covering
the eight different themes of the confer-
ence had been received by IRRI Internal
Communications Specialist Xenina Iba-
bao. These themes– which are the same
guideposts and strategies adopted by the
DA’s Rice Program– are: fast-tracking ge-
netic solutions and varieties; one health
and nutritious rice value chains; digital
solutions across scales; nature-based
farming solutions; transforming rice
landscapes for climate resilience; part-
nerships for scaling and impact; sustain-
able global rice economy; and, societal
equity, equality and prosperity.
Keynote speakers are Michael Gra-
ham, head of Crop Science Research
Gov’t opens bidding for
NAIA rehab project
BY MA. CRISTINA ARAYATA
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – Bidding is now open for the
contract to rehabilitate, operate, opti-
mize, and maintain the Ninoy Aquino In-
ternational Airport (NAIA), government
agencies announced on Wednesday.
The PHP170.6 billion public-private
partnership project will cover all facili-
ties of the airport, including its runways,
four terminals, and associated facili-
ties, according to the Facebook posts of
both the Department of Transportation
(DOTr) and the Manila International
Airport Authority (MIAA).
Interested parties may participate
in a single-stage competitive bidding
process for a Rehabilitate-Operate-Ex-
www.canadianinquirer.net
and Development Breeding of Bayer;
Prof. Sally Mackenzie of Biology and
Plant Science of the Pennsylvania State
University; Yvonne Pinto, Director of
Bioeconomy-AgBio of Eagle Genomics;
William Salas, Chief Strategy Officer of
Regrow; Baboucarr Manneh, Director
General of AfricaRice Center; Prof. Kei-
jiro Otsuka of Development Economics
of Kobe University of Japan; Secretary
Himanshu Pathak of the Department of
Agricultural Research and Education of
New Delhi and Monetary Board member
V. Bruce Tolentino, PhD of Bangko Sen-
tral ng Pilipinas.
Private sector groups from global cor-
porations to agripreneurial startups will
find a platform to showcase their inno-
vations, build their networks and secure
partnerships and investments. Non-gov-
ernment organizations and farmer
groups can have an opportunity to be
heard and their challenges addressed.
The Philippines, IRRI’s home coun-
try, is hosting the IRC at the Philip-
pine International Convention Center,
where the development of hybrid rice in
the country and other new technologies
will take centerstage. The IRC will be
co-hosted by IRRI and the DA.
IRC brings together scientists, ex-
perts and decision makers from the
government, public and private sectors
to formulate evidence-based solutions
to some of the biggest challenges of the
global rice sector.
The main event is the gathering by the
pand-Transfer modality, under the
Build-Operate-and-Transfer (BOT)
Law and its Revised 2022 Implementing
Rules and Regulations (IRR).
Passengers are seen at the check-in counter of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal
3 on Wednesday (April 13, 2022). (AVITO DALAN/PNA)
AUGUST 25, 2023 FRIDAY
International Rice Research Conference
of key experts and thought leaders from
around the world to discuss emerging,
current and future challenges of rice-
based food systems and present exciting
and innovative solutions.
An exhibition will provide the venue
for stakeholders to showcase their inno-
vations and technologies. It offers unique
opportunities for creating awareness,
collaboration and investment.
An international hybrid rice sympo-
sium brings together the world’s leading
hybrid rice stakeholders from the public
and private sectors to share their knowl-
edge and forge partnerships in advancing
hybrid rice technologies for food security.
The sustainable rice platform (SRP)
symposium gathers global members and
stakeholders to showcase SRP’s achieve-
ments from across the rice value chain
and discuss new opportunities and plans
for making the rice sector more sustain-
able and equitable for farmers.
A farmer’s forum offers scientists and
high-level stakeholders a unique per-
spective from the farmers on the ground
who will be given a platform to discuss
their situations and connect with inno-
vators and their solutions.
The rice market and traders sym-
posium will intersect rice value chain
actors like producers, millers, traders
and retailers helping them better under-
stand each other’s challenges and find
opportunities for convergence and col-
laboration. ■
Instructions to bidders can be found on
the websites of DOTr, the MIAA, and the
❱❱ PAGE 15 Gov’t opens bidding
FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2023
As Canadian wildfires rage, Facebook’s news
ban reveals the importance of radio
BY GORDON A. GOW,
University of Alberta
The Conversation
Amid the wildfire crisis in
the Northwest Territories and
the Aug. 16 order to evacuate
its capital city, Yellowknife, the
outcry over Meta’s Canadian
news block has reached new
heights. The issue has become
even more pressing as evacuees
face challenges getting essen-
tial updates.
I was visiting Paulatuk, a re-
mote part of N.W.T, almost 900
kilometres northwest of Yel-
lowknife when the evacuation
order was issued.
I was aware of the news ban on
Facebook but I was also able to
turn to CBC North’s radio broad-
cast for updates. CBC North
moved its broadcast base from
Yellowknife to Calgary to provide
continued coverage throughout
the unfolding situation.
Based on my recent personal
experience in the region, I was
reminded that although social
media has been vital for dis-
seminating crisis information,
AM and FM radio still play an
essential role. As well, there is a
necessity for a diversity of me-
dia sources, especially in mo-
ments of crisis.
‘Reckless’ news-blocking
in a crisis
Following the order to evac-
uate Yellowknife, many ex-
pressed their frustration with
the news ban and called on Meta
(formerly Facebook) to revoke
its embargo of news in Canada
so evacuees could access and
share real-time updates in a
rapidly evolving emergency.
News organizations reflected
on the urgency and published a
flurry of articles with headlines
like “Canada demands Meta
lift ‘reckless’ ban on news to al-
low fires info to be shared” and
“Government calls on Meta to
reverse ‘reckless’ news-block-
ing as wildfires force evacua-
Canada News
tions.”
Meta’s Canadian news em-
bargo is the corporation’s re-
sponse to Canada’s Online News
Act, which passed in June. The
federal government legislation
may require large social media
platforms to enter into reve-
nue-sharing agreements with
Canadian news publishers.
This new law has been di-
visive, with some lauding it
as vital for preserving quality
journalism and others arguing
it’s a misguided approach, ad-
vocating alternative methods to
achieve similar goals.
Social media plays a vital role
Meta’s news block is signif-
icant because it affects both
Facebook and Instagram.
Although Meta has claimed
“users don’t come to us for
news,” there is little doubt that
social media is an indispensable
tool for many to stay connected
on current events and to share
information among friends
and family — especially during
emergencies.
Studies have shown that so-
cial media is vital for dissemi-
nating crucial information to
the public during crisis situ-
ations. The ongoing block on
news in Canada has made this
sharing difficult.
Even with declared states of
emergency in both the North-
west Territories and British
Columbia, Meta has made no
changes to its policy.
News and critical updates are
still accessible by going directly
to news publishers’ websites.
For example, the Cabin Radio
website, based in the Northwest
Territories, remains a depend-
able and frequently updated
information source for citizens,
even though it is blocked on
Facebook and Instagram.
‘Free-to-air’ broadcast radio
Other citizens have resorted
to taking screenshots of news
stories and then sharing these
with their social networks on
Meta’s platforms.
In more extreme scenarios,
such as when fires disrupt crit-
ical infrastructure, including
telecommunications, internet
accessibility is compromised
in many communities (ex-
cept perhaps for those with
satellite-based services). This
underscores the fragility of
internet-dependent communi-
cations during emergencies.
In the realms of engineering
and emergency planning, the
term “single point of failure”
describes situations in which
an entire system stops working
when a lone component fails.
Relying exclusively on social
media or the internet exposes
us to a kind of single-point of
failure in our emergency com-
munications system.
In fact, reading about the
Meta news block may lead peo-
ple to mistakenly assume that
social media is the only source
of information on the current
wildfire situation in N.W.T. and
Kelowna.
It’s not. We should not over-
look the significance of “free-
to-air” broadcast radio in deliv-
ering reliable and trustworthy
information to citizens.
Variety of media sources
Broadcast radio has perse-
vered, ensuring critical updates
www.canadianinquirer.net
reach citizens.
During emergencies espe-
cially, “free-to-air” radio is a
dependable and easily accessi-
ble source of timely informa-
tion, particularly when internet
and phone networks falter and
when people are on the move,
travelling between urban cen-
tres where there may be no in-
ternet service.
It’s not a matter of choosing
between one or the other, but
rather ensuring we don’t under-
estimate the lasting relevance
of free-to-air radio as a form of
“complementary redundancy.”
This concept underscores the
importance of relying on a blend
of highly reliable systems like
broadcast radio combined with
the internet and social media.
The two systems can work
hand-in-hand. The internet
and social media may be some-
what less reliable during a cri-
sis, but can nonetheless be ex-
ceptionally effective at sharing
a rich variety of media content,
including maps and interactive
exchanges of information. This
includes user-generated up-
dates when there are no report-
ers or local media on the scene.
Highly reliable news source
As we look forward, we
should not let our reliance
9
on social media overshadow
the continuing significance of
free-to-air broadcast radio as
a cost-effective, highly reliable
information source.
AM radio, in particular, con-
tinues to play an important
role for farmers and others in
remote areas for market and
weather reports, as well as
emergency updates.
Recent decisions by several
automobile manufacturers to
phase out AM radio from cars
has some lawmakers in the
United States concerned. And
as a result, a new bipartisan bill
to ensure AM radio remains a
standard feature in all new cars
has been proposed.
We’ve come to rely on social
media as a vital source of in-
formation during emergency
events.
But Meta’s continued ban
on news in Canada during the
wildfire events in the North-
west Territories and British
Columbia serves as a reminder
of the enduring value of free-to-
air broadcast radio, even in the
digital age. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
10
Foreign-owned oil companies in
Canada hold key to climate change
BY TRUZAAR DORDI,
KATYA RHODES,
MADELEINE MCPHERSON
Policy Options
A new study reveals share-
holder resistance to companies
embracing climate targets, pre-
ferring instead to protect the
bottom line.
Canada’s oil and gas industry
is at a crossroads. With global
targets to rapidly reduce car-
bon emissions, Canada’s con-
tinued expansion of fossil fuel
production appears misaligned
and threatens climate stabili-
ty worldwide. Yet supply-side
policies that directly limit oil
and gas production, like the
promised oil sands emissions
cap, remain politically elusive
in Canada.
But a hidden lever could be
pulled to halt this disaster. Our
new study reveals how foreign
investors may hold the key to
limiting the production and
emissions of Canada’s oil sands
giants. While prominent share-
holders publicly favour climate
action, they may be reluctant
to disrupt the status quo and
expose themselves to financial
risk in exchange for climate sta-
bility. Government interven-
tion is required.
The hidden owners of Can-
ada’s oil sands
Our research examines an al-
ternative, powerful mechanism
to potentially curb fossil fuel
production in Canada – cap-
ital markets. Specifically, the
research analyzes who owns
the major shares in Canada’s
largest oil companies and their
power to influence climate
change targets in the country.
Ownership of Canada’s larg-
est oil sands companies is high-
Canada News
ly concentrated, with just 14
prominent shareholders col-
lectively controlling significant
portions of Imperial Oil, Ceno-
vus Energy, Canadian Natural
Resources and Suncor. More
striking is that over 70 per cent
of these major shareholders are
foreign entities.
Exxon Mobil retains ma-
jority ownership (70 per cent)
in Imperial Oil, while China’s
Hutchison Whampoa owns
40 per cent of Husky Ener-
gy. Together, financial giants
like Capital Group, Fidelity
and BlackRock hold over 25
per cent of Canada’s largest oil
sands producers.
This foreign and concentrat-
ed ownership has grown sub-
stantially over the past decade.
Consequently, Canada has lost
not only domestic ownership,
but also potential leverage to
align production with national
climate targets.
While the study focuses spe-
cifically on Canadian oil com-
panies, these types of foreign
holdings are common in the oil
and gas industry and other car-
bon-intensive sectors. As climate
impacts escalate, transparency
and prudence requirements on
institutional investors will play
an important role in curtailing
unsustainable production.
The analysis also shows these
oil companies rely heavily on
external financing, with debt
loads around 60 per cent — far
higher than the 30 per cent
global average for oil and gas
firms. These bloated debt loads
are largely due to the fixed costs
of oil sands production.
Extracting viscous bitumen
requires complex mining in-
frastructure and intensive pro-
cessing. Given the investments
in fixed assets, shareholders will
wish to see full returns on these
projects and will resist actions
that lead to financial losses.
While shareholders acknowl-
edge climate risks, many are
unlikely to intervene in corpo-
rate strategy that curbs emis-
sions or production. Massive
debt burdens not only lock
companies into dependence
on existing fossil fuel assets,
but also exposes shareholders
to escalating financial risks as
climate regulations like carbon
pricing proliferate worldwide.
Imperial Oil, majority owned
by ExxonMobil, carries the
highest debt load at 70 per cent.
Any asset stranding in Canada’s
oil sands would have a direct
effect on Exxon and its share-
holders’ returns.
Misaligned priorities
Despite acknowledging cli-
mate risks, prominent share-
holders like BlackRock and
Capital Group opposed more
than half of the climate-related
shareholder resolutions in re-
www.canadianinquirer.net
cent years, while maintaining a
public stance for climate action.
This reveals a fundamental mis-
alignment between shareholder
priorities and climate stability.
This example demonstrates
that shareholders are moti-
vated to maintain status quo
returns, not slash production
capacity. The oil and gas indus-
try also lobbies policymakers to
stave off regulations that could
jeopardize their profitability.
Consequently, while climate
risks are recognized, sharehold-
ers are unlikely to intervene in
corporate strategy in ways that
curb emissions or production.
Without government interven-
tion, investors will continue
financing carbon-intensive op-
erations that endanger a stable
climate.
Policy interventions are
required
Concentrated foreign owner-
ship indicates a clear entry point
for policymakers. Canada can
look to interventions like finan-
AUGUST 25, 2023 FRIDAY
cial regulations which have been
used to restrict unsustainable
economic activities abroad.
Mandatory climate risk dis-
closures by European banks
under the EU’s Sustainable Fi-
nance Disclosure Regulation
(SFDR), for example, now re-
quire reporting on exposures to
fossil fuel assets.
If mandated by Canadian fi-
nancial regulators, enhanced
disclosures of physical asset
risks (such as the potential for
financial losses under different
global warming scenarios or as-
sessments of losses from policy
and technology shifts) could curb
continued capital inflows to car-
bon-intensive oil sands projects.
Implementing financing
regulations that discourage
debt-enabled expansion of tra-
ditional oil sands infrastructure
could also help break the cycle
of rising emissions and strand-
ed asset risk.
Financial policy for cli-
mate stability
This new research highlights
the need for bold financial pol-
icies that redirect capital away
from fossil fuel expansion. Mar-
ket forces alone will not achieve
the managed, orderly wind-down
of oil and gas required to meet
science-based climate targets.
Government intervention
is needed to resolve the mis-
aligned incentives of financial
institutions and align markets
with the global low-carbon
transition.
Constraining fossil fuel pro-
duction requires cutting with
both arms of the scissors. Sup-
ply-side financial regulations
must accompany demand-side
solutions like carbon pricing
and clean energy supports.
❱❱ PAGE 25 Foreign-owned oil
FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2023
Learn and relearn French outside of Quebec
BY STEVE LAFLEUR
Policy Options
The story of a Franco-Ontar-
ian who rediscovered French,
and the lessons for our decision
makers.
(Version française disponible ici)
As a wayward Franco-Ontari-
an, I am perhaps a perfect exam-
ple of the successes and failures
of French-language education in
Canada outside of Quebec.
After two decades of allowing
my French-language skills to
wither, I decided a few years ago
to reconnect with the French
language. French is my father’s
first language. To this day, my
grandmother still lives in a
small French-speaking town. I
spent most of my childhood in
bilingual communities. When I
was a young teenager, half of my
friends spoke French at home.
I went to French-immersion
school until Grade 10, when I
moved to Alberta.
Moving to Alberta represent-
ed a break in my French-lan-
guage education. But it didn’t
have to. There are francophone
communities all around Ed-
monton, and my school offered
a French-immersion class. The
problem wasn’t that French
education wasn’t available, but
that there were only one or two
students at my level. And, quite
honestly, I was not that interest-
ed in sitting in a corner with the
two bilingual kids while the oth-
er students learned the basics.
It was boring and a little embar-
rassing. So I dropped the class.
In addition to having access to
only a handful of peers at my lev-
el, I had no encouragement out-
side of home to continue learning
French. After all, there weren’t
many opportunities for me to
use my French skills, and out-
side of Quebec, French seemed
outdated. In short, it seemed like
more of a hobby than a useful
skill. People were moving west in
waves. Why bother with the an-
cestral language?
Back to my roots
Over the next two decades,
I lived and travelled all over
North America. Even though
I lived in cities like Winnipeg
(where there is a strong fran-
cophone community), I didn’t
make the effort to maintain
my language skills. I took it for
granted that I could just decide
to catch up one day. Besides,
French is easy, right?
Needless to say, I was wrong.
As an adult, I entered the world
of public affairs. In an official-
ly bilingual country, it is a great
disadvantage not to be perfectly
bilingual. I also fell in love with
Quebec. One day, I would like
to live in Quebec City or (more
likely) Montreal. So I decided to
correct the mistakes of my youth.
At the beginning of the pan-
demic, I decided to dive back
into the French language. I
had a good base of knowledge.
But there is a big difference be-
tween being able to read The
Little Prince and being able to
write about technical subjects
in French. I had a lot of catching
up to do. One of the few silver
linings of the social distancing
necessitated by COVID-19 is
that a lot of educational resourc-
es were made available online. I
could take French classes with
other people at my level no
matter where they lived. Most
of the students at the Alliance
Française were also very moti-
vated. It wasn’t like sitting in the
corner waiting for the other stu-
dents to catch up.
Another educational resource
that helped me a lot was the
French programs on ICI TOU.
TV, an app from Radio-Canada. I
found that watching shows with
French subtitles helped me fol-
low the dialogue when the char-
acters were speaking very fast or
not so clearly. Reading in French
is very important – and especial-
ly helpful when it’s authors like
Albert Camus who wrote very
clearly – but television (or ra-
dio) is especially helpful because
it shows how people express
themselves in the real world.
The tone of voice, the rhythm,
the abbreviations, the slang. Af-
ter all, you want to sound like a
human when you speak!
Last April, I decided that I
would enjoy a more immersive
experience. I returned to Que-
bec City, not as a tourist but as a
student. I took intensive French
courses at a language school.
This gave me the confidence to
progress to the point where I
can now write in French (with a
little help!). Unfortunately, not
everyone has the time or money
to do something like this. Still,
it was extremely helpful for me.
Eventually, I started at-
tending a French pub night in
Toronto. Studying a language
doesn’t have to be boring!
Having a good reason to speak
French regularly helps me a lot.
Or maybe it’s just fun.
Policies must change…
My goal was first to use my
personal experiences to re-
inforce the points I made in a
previous Policy Options article
about the economic, social, and
geopolitical benefits of learning
French. After all, the solutions
are political.
Having the opportunity to en-
roll children in French immer-
sion is crucial. Despite the chal-
lenges posed by access
rules about who can – or
must, in the case of Que-
bec – enroll their children
in French school, it is pos-
sible in much of Ontario.
But in many parts of the
West, it is more difficult.
Increasing access should
be a priority.
We also need to en-
sure there are enough
places where people can
speak French regularly.
This presents opportunities
for many francophone commu-
nities across the country. Peo-
ple travel to Quebec City from
all over Canada and the world
to learn and practice French.
There is no reason why cities
like Moncton or Winnipeg,
where there are not only fran-
cophone communities but fran-
cophone institutions, cannot
benefit from this kind of tour-
ism (on a smaller scale). Devel-
oping a strategy to capitalize
on these French foundations
would not require a revolution-
www.canadianinquirer.net
Canada News
ary approach. In fact, it may be
mostly a marketing issue.
Ottawa could also ensure that
resources like ICI TOU.TV are
free rather than keeping much
of the content for subscribers,
as is currently the case. Mak-
ing all content available for ev-
eryone wouldn’t be expensive
(and would be the least a public
broadcaster like Radio-Canada
could do).
In 2021/22, total subscrib-
er revenue for all CBC/Ra-
dio-Canada French-language
services was just over $60 mil-
lion (which also includes ICI
... and outside of
Quebec, French
seemed outdated.
RDI and ICI ARTV). That may
sound like a big number, but it’s
similar to the budget of the To-
ronto Zoo ($59 million in 2023)
or the City of Ottawa library
system ($60 million in 2023).
It’s an amount of money the
federal government could forgo
without consequence.
Finally, governments could
consult with francophone ed-
ucational institutions such
as universities and Allianc-
es Françaises to determine
whether there are opportuni-
ties to increase their online re-
11
sources and offer incentives to
do so. From the perspective of
these organizations, the return
to face-to-face learning after
the disruption of the pandem-
ic certainly makes sense. But
not everyone is lucky enough
to live near a French-speaking
community or has the luxury of
being able to travel.
… And attitudes, too!
Of course, governments can’t
be the only answer. We need to
value bilingualism in order for
the French language to thrive in
all of Canada. You’ll note from
my account that I had most of
the opportunities I need-
ed to enter adulthood
fully bilingual and fell
short. More education-
al, social, and entertain-
ment options would have
helped but might not
have been sufficient. We
need an attitude shift. If
we view French as an ex-
travagance, governments
will treat it as such. If we
don’t encourage learning
and practicing French,
people won’t do it. If we’re go-
ing to remain a bilingual coun-
try, we need to value bilingual-
ism.
Much of the conversation
about the place of the French
language in Canada is defeat-
ist. But I believe that with small
changes in policy and attitude,
we can strengthen French
across the country. ■
This article first appeared
on Policy Options and is repub-
lished here under a Creative
Commons license.
12
US election 2024: beware polling predictions
as they can be wrong – but here’s an
approach which has often been on the money
BY PAUL WHITELEY,
University of Essex
The Conversation
Despite the avalanche of legal
indictments, Donald Trump re-
mains favourite to win the Repub-
lican nomination for the 2024 US
presidential election. According
to a poll reported by the website
Real Clear Politics on August 19,
he has a 41% lead over his main ri-
val Ron DeSantis, the governor of
Florida, in the Republican nomi-
nation race. His lead over the oth-
er Republican hopefuls such as
former vice president Mike Pence
is even larger.
If he does win the Republican
nomination the question is: can
he win the presidential election
in November next year? Real
Clear Politics also reported a
poll showing that he is running
neck-and-neck with Joe Biden,
each having 44% in voting in-
tentions. If the election took
place tomorrow, he would have
a real chance of regaining the
presidency.
Forecasting presidential
elections
There is a lively community
of political scientists using a
variety of different methods to
forecast elections, with many
focusing on the US. Most fore-
casting models use polling data,
but since we are 15 months
away from the presidential
election, current polling should
be treated with caution. This is
because it reflects public opin-
ion before the full-scale cam-
paign has even begun.
It should be noted that US
pollsters have had a mixed record
in forecasting elections. This was
particularly true in 2016, when
pretty much everyone predicted
a Hillary Clinton victory.
But there have been success-
es as well as failures. For exam-
World News
ple in the 2008 election, statis-
tician and pollster Nate Silver,
accurately predicted the win-
ner in 49 of 50 states. Equally in
the 2020 election, statistician
Andrew Gelman working with
the Economist magazine suc-
cessfully called it for Joe Biden.
But it is instructive that neither
of these forecasts relied solely
on polling data.
Electoral college
In the past, most US forecast-
ing models have tried to pre-
dict vote shares in presidential
elections – but this produces an
additional source of error. The
election is determined by who
wins the electoral college, not the
popular vote. In the 2016 election
Clinton won a larger vote share
than Donald Trump but lost the
contest in the electoral college.
The electoral college was cre-
ated by the US founding fathers,
with delegates chosen to reflect
voting support for the candidates
in each state. There are 538 dele-
gates altogether, made up of 435
from the constituencies in the
House of Representatives plus
two from each of the 50 states
and three from Washington DC.
A candidate must get the support
of at least 270 to win.
The idea behind the elector-
al college was to create a fire-
wall between the voters and
the presidency and fill it with
representatives elected by each
state who then cast their votes
according to the popular vote
in their state. The concern was
to prevent demagogues from
becoming president resulting
from a wave of voter enthusi-
asm for a particularly extreme
candidate. Ironically, in the
2016 election it worked in re-
verse, delivering victory to
Donald Trump who had lost the
popular vote.
A forecasting model
There is an approach which
AUGUST 25, 2023 FRIDAY
does not rely on polls. Instead, late the policy proposals made in the chart. The prediction is
it looks at voting in previous by party candidates in their that the Republicans will win
presidential elections to see election manifestos into scores 47% of the representatives in
what this tells us about the on a left-right ideological scale. the Electoral College (253),
2024 contest. The analysis uses The model takes into account and the Democrats 53% or 285.
a century of elections from 1920 unusual events occurring over Needless to say this is uncertain
to 2020, and a relatively simple the period that can distort the since the model is not a perfect
model has a good track record results if they are ignored. One fit to the data and so subject to
in predicting elections over this is Franklin Roosevelt’s “New errors. In addition there are
period. It uses two variables to Deal”, which shattered sup- still 15 months to go until the
predict the Republican share port for the Republicans in the election and, judging by the
of the delegates in the Elector- 1936 election when the latter febrile state of US politics at
al College, using a technique party won only eight electoral present and the trials (if not the
called multiple regression. The college delegates. Another un- tribulations) of Donald Trump
forecasts and the outcomes ap- usual event was the Watergate between now and next Novem-
pear in the chart below. scandal, which led to the res- ber, there’s a high level of un-
The first and most import- ignation of Republican presi- predictability involved. But for
ant predictor in the model is the dent Richard Nixon prior to the now it looks like Joe Biden will
state of the economy, with an 1976 election. Finally, Donald be a two-term president. ■
incumbent being rewarded for a Trump was badly damaged by
good record on economic growth the COVID crisis in 2020. This article is republished
and punished for a poor one. The The forecast for the 2024 from The Conversation under a
logic of this is simple: the voters presidential election appears Creative Commons license.
will throw out an incumbent who
fails to deliver prosperity and
choose their rival instead.
The second predictor is the
ideological position of the
Democrat candidate in the
election. If they are very left
wing, that will boost support for
the Republicans, but if they are
centre-left, this will reduce Re-
publican support. Interestingly
enough, the Republican candi-
date’s ideological position does
not affect the party’s share of
the Electoral College vote.
To give an example, the Dem-
ocrat candidate in 1952, Adlai
Stevenson, was very left-wing
and he lost to Republican can-
didate, Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Some 40 years later in 1992,
centre-left Democrat Bill Clin-
ton beat the incumbent Repub-
lican president George Bush
senior.
The data for measuring ide-
ology comes from the Mani-
festo Project, an internation-
al research programme. Its
researchers use a technique
called content analysis to trans-
www.canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2023
In one chaotic day, Thailand sees one
PM elected, one ex-PM sent to jail.
Where does the country go from here?
BY ADAM SIMPSON,
University of South Australia
The Conversation
More than three months
after Thailand’s national elec-
tions – and many anti-demo-
cratic manoeuvres in parlia-
ment – the country finally has
a new prime minister, Srettha
Thavisin. But, given the chaotic
nature of Thai politics, this was
perhaps not even the biggest
news of the week.
Hours before the partially
military-appointed Thai par-
liament elected Srettha to the
post, one of the country’s most
prominent political figures, for-
mer Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra, returned from his
self-imposed exile of more than
15 years and surrendered to au-
thorities over longstanding cor-
ruption charges.
There are now many ques-
tions about what this blockbust-
er day for Thai politics means
for the country’s future – and
what it means for democracy.
Who is Thaksin and why is
he important?
Thaksin became prime min-
ister in 2001 after a thumping
election win and remained the
country’s most popular poli-
tician, even through his long
years of exile.
Pheu Thai is the latest in-
carnation of various Thak-
sin-aligned parties, which have
won the most seats in parlia-
ment in every competitive
national election since 2001 –
until this year when it finished
second to the reformist Move
Forward party.
Thaksin’s extraordinary pop-
ularity as prime minister chal-
lenged the primacy of the mon-
archy and the military in the
country. This led to a decade of
PBBM orders consolidation..
❰❰ 3 urgency for digital
transactions in the
country.”
During his second State of
the Nation Address on July
protests and conflict between,
essentially, the so-called “red
shirts” in Thai society who sup-
ported Thaksin and the “yellow
shirts” who supported the mon-
archy and military elites.
The conflict resulted in two
military coups, in 2006 and
2014. The first removed Thaksin
from power, prompting him to
go into exile to avoid prosecu-
tion. The second, led by Gener-
al Prayuth Chan-ocha, deposed
Thaksin’s sister, Yingluck Shi-
nawatra, as prime minister. (She
was later convicted of criminal
negligence in Thailand’s pliant
courts and sentenced in absen-
tia to five years in prison. She
remains in exile.)
Prayuth was then elected
prime minister by the par-
liament in 2019 under the
country’s anti-democratic,
military-authored constitu-
tion following a compromised
national poll. He remained in
power until this week.
After Thaksin touched down
at Bangkok’s airport this week,
he was taken to the Supreme
Court for a hearing and trans-
ferred to prison. The Supreme
Court announced he would
serve eight years.
How did Srettha become PM?
Having consistently opposed
the military, Pheu Thai made a
commitment before this year’s
election not to form a coalition
with the military-aligned parties.
Following the election, Pheu
Thai initially supported Move
Forward in its attempt to form
a government, but after its
leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, was
blocked by the military-ap-
pointed Senate from becom-
ing prime minister, Pheu Thai
changed its tune.
The party nominated its own
prime ministerial candidate,
Srettha, a wealthy property
24, Marcos said enacting a
new government procure-
ment law and government au-
diting code would strengthen
the whole-of-government and
developer and political new-
comer, and formed a new coa-
lition with two military-aligned
parties, the Palang Pracharath
Party and Ruam Thai Sang
Chart Party, and a range of oth-
ers. This gave Srettha the sup-
port he needed from the mili-
tary-appointed senators to win
the prime ministership.
Both Move Forward and
Pheu Thai had been vocal crit-
ics of the former military-led
government.
However, the two parties
had different stances on one
main issue: Thailand’s strict
lèse-majesté law, which pun-
ishes anyone who criticises the
king or other senior royals with
up to 15 years in prison. Move
Forward pledged to reform it,
while Pheu Thai committed not
to change it.
This difference was likely a
key determinant in Move For-
ward’s electoral victory, but
also the reason why military
and conservative parties have
now been willing to support
Pheu Thai.
(เศรษฐา ทวีสิน - SRETTHA THAVISIN/FACEBOOK)
whole-of-society approach,
which is deemed as a “trans-
formative” solution amid the
changing times. ■
www.canadianinquirer.net
World News
The only significant party to
vote against Srettha in the par-
liament election was Move For-
ward and its 149 MPs.
The secretary-general of
Move Forward said the party
opposed the new coalition be-
cause it refused to be complicit
in returning military-aligned
parties to government, even
one led by Pheu Thai. He ar-
gued this would perpetuate the
notion that Thailand’s “ulti-
mate power” belonged in the
unelected Senate rather than in
the hands of the people.
What happens now?
It is no coincidence that
Thaksin arrived on the day his
party returned to power, and
the foundations are already be-
ing set for his early release.
After a medical check-up, the
Department of Corrections said
Thaksin had five medical con-
ditions, including an ischemic
heart muscle, chronic pulmo-
nary inflammation, high blood
pressure, degenerated spine
and abnormal posture.
There are numerous routes
BuCor announces release..
❰❰ 7 of qualified PDLs to
continue the agency’s
program of decon-
gesting its penal facilities na-
tionwide.
13
for Thaksin to be released from
prison, but the most obvious
one, due to his age of 74 and
these reported health condi-
tions, is on medical grounds.
Despite Thaksin’s protesta-
tions over almost two decades
that he didn’t want to return to
politics, there is little doubt he
will be the key figure operating
behind the scenes in the Pheu
Thai party, and therefore the
government.
As such, we may see a tussle
between Srettha and Thaksin for
influence in the party. Srettha
may very well attempt to project
the image that he is his own man
and not beholden to anyone.
Despite being years away,
the next election could also be
fraught for Pheu Thai. The par-
ty has not only betrayed Move
Forward voters with its actions
this week, it has also betrayed
its own supporters who be-
lieved its commitment to keep
the military-aligned parties out
of power.
If Pheu Thai can hold the
unwieldy 11-party coalition to-
gether for the next four years,
however, it has plenty of time to
convince voters to stick with it
at the next election. It may also
deliver enough sweeteners to
remain in power.
Nevertheless, Move For-
ward’s supporters are angry.
In a potentially ominous sign
for Pheu Thai, within hours of
Srettha’s election to prime min-
ister, #NotMyPM was trending
on Thailand’s social media.
Once again, the anti-democrat-
ic forces within Thailand’s elites
have stifled the will of the people
and we may be entering another
volatile era in Thai politics. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
Before the latest announce-
ment, BuCor announced on
June 27 the release of 423 in-
mates from seven of its deten-
tion facilities. ■
14
Africa is being courted by China, Russia and
the US. Why the continent shouldn’t pick sides
BY BHASO NDZENDZE,
University of Johannesburg
The Conversation
Some three decades since the
end of the Cold War, the world
order is undergoing a structural
transformation. At the heart of
it is the challenge posed to the
hegemony of the US. This is pri-
marily being led by Russia and
China which are discontent-
ed with Washington’s excess-
es across the global stage. The
most recent example of this
rebellion was the Russian inva-
sion of Ukraine in 2022. Fiona
Hill, a British-American foreign
affairs specialist, observed that
the war was a “proxy for a re-
bellion by Russia and the ‘Rest’
against the United States”.
The African continent is an
obvious contender for major
power courting as this realign-
ment takes place. This is for at
least four reasons.
Firstly, it is the largest region-
al bloc in the United Nations,
representing some 28% of all the
votes in the General Assembly.
Secondly, it possesses some cru-
cial raw minerals that are found
only in the continent. Thirdly, it
possesses some important sea
trade routes, particularly in east
Africa. Finally, the continent
is home to the fastest-growing
youth demographic, and will
account for about 42% of the
world’s youth by 2030.
I am a scholar of geopolitics
and have conducted research on
the continent’s trade ties to the
major powers. My findings have
led me to the conclusion that Af-
rica can gain more by being neu-
tral than by picking sides.
The drivers
Africa’s size in the UN Gen-
eral Assembly can’t be overstat-
ed. The continent sometimes
struggles to respond in a co-or-
dinated way. Nevertheless, it
has, in the past, been able to
vote in sync in a way that has
proved influential. The most
notable example of this was the
1971 vote for the resolution that
brought mainland China into
the UN and replaced Taiwan.
In total, there were 76 votes in
favour, of which 27 came from
African member states.
In today’s UN, having this
World News
large grouping on one’s side
helps countries the most when
it comes to passing – or defeat-
ing – resolutions. With the UN
Security Council in gridlock
because the five permanent
members (China, France, Rus-
sia, the UK and the US) have
veto power, there has been a
shift towards the UN Gener-
al Assembly, which works on
one-member-one-vote. Gener-
al Assembly votes are mainly
symbolic. But they are a useful
indicator of where the interna-
tional community stands, and
are a powerful moral weapon
for any major power.
Africa’s other major attrac-
tion is, of course, its resource
wealth. This has become even
more pronounced and taken on
extraordinary importance in the
push towards alternative sourc-
es of energy, both renewable
and non-renewable. And in the
production of products driven
by the rise in technological in-
novation, such as the Democrat-
ic Republic of Congo’s cobalt,
which is needed to make device
screens among other things. The
DRC is the world’s leading pro-
ducer of this crucial mineral.
At the same time the oil re-
serves of Algeria, Angola and
Nigeria will become increasing-
ly important as countries look
to diversify away from Russia
for natural gas, and from fossil
fuels more broadly.
Then there are the trade
routes. The Red Sea route,
which straddles northeast Af-
rica and links it to the Indian
Ocean, constitutes 10% of an-
nual global trade .
The Red Sea route passes
countries such as Eritrea and
Somalia. Both have been active-
ly courted by Russia.
For its part, China has ear-
marked the route through its
Maritime Silk Road initiative.
Its aim is to boost port infra-
structure among countries with
Indian Ocean coastlines.
Lastly, Africa is home to the
fastest-growing youth popula-
tion. This will be important in
the search for future markets,
particularly in sectors such as
technology and education.
The US and Europe are also
keen to tap this human capaci-
ty as their own populations age
China’s President Xi Jinping (FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH & DEVELOPMENT OFFICE/FLICKR, CC BY 2.0)
above the global average. Many
are looking to Africa as a source
of inward migratory flows.
Africa’s ties with the ma-
jor powers
In 2022, the continent as a
whole exported US$43.1 billion
worth of goods to the US and
imported goods worth US$30.6
billion.
By comparison, China ex-
ported US$164.1 billion to Af-
rica and imported US$117.5
billion worth of African goods,
in the same year. With African
exports totalling US$661.4 bil-
lion, the US accounts for 6.5%
and China 17.7%.
China, the notable growth
story of the past half-century,
has thus become the African
continent’s single biggest trad-
ing partner, though the com-
bined power of the European
Union’s trading bloc of 27 coun-
tries still leads.
China’s ties with the conti-
nent are the result of decades
of diplomatic and commercial
efforts to woo the continent
through the Forum on China–
Africa Cooperation. Part of this
has been driven by its desire to
counter the US. The other driv-
ing force has been to sustain
its economy, given Africa’s un-
tapped potential.
Russia has pursued a differ-
ent strategy. Given that its trade
with the continent is at a min-
imum – exports and imports
were around US$18 billion in
2021 – it has rather sought to
become a security partner,
drawing on sentimentalised So-
viet history.
www.canadianinquirer.net
Washington’s principal in-
strument for growing trade, and
encouraging good behaviour,
in Africa is the African Growth
and Opportunity Act, set to ex-
pire in 2025. The framework is
a lever. But, as the data show,
trade is in evident decline.
The general picture can ob-
scure some nuances. Some Af-
rican states are more deeply
intertwined with the US than
others. For example, Djibouti
has an American military base
(along with other states, though
not Russia at this point). And
Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa
are also among the top recipi-
ents of US direct investment.
On the other hand, Eritrea,
which was the only African
state to brazenly vote against
the UN General Assembly to
condemn Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine in 2022, seems to have
no aspirations to be in Ameri-
ca’s good graces. This notorious
outlier aside, the world is deep-
ly intertwined, with high inter-
dependence even among the
competing major powers.
The US and China, despite
their trade war, have struggled
to decouple from one another,
with their bilateral trade reach-
ing new heights as recently as
last year.
In light of the comparative-
ly diminished US-Africa trade,
the US may be looking to make
use of third parties. It could
potentially influence the EU
to influence Africa. The Hua-
wei issue demonstrates this.
The US has successfully pres-
sured quite a few of its allies
AUGUST 25, 2023 FRIDAY
to halt doing business with the
Chinese technology giant. Ac-
cording to Unctad data, France
(US$60 billion) and the UK
(US$65 billion) are the princi-
pal holders of African assets.
As these and other Europe-
an states seek to “de-risk” from
China, there may be third-party
consequences for Africa. This
might include undue pressure
on the continent to behave in
certain ways towards China and
towards Russia.
Picking sides isn’t the best
option
Recent research, including my
own on US-China trade “com-
petition” over Africa, shows that
the prevailing notion that small-
er countries need to “pick sides”
in polarised global contexts is
false. Africa is best served when
it conducts trade with as many
partners as possible.
Indeed, as shown, the major
contenders are themselves con-
ducting record-breaking trade
with one another.
All the while, Europe contin-
ues to conduct trade with Rus-
sia following the war against
Ukraine (indeed, it is growing
in some respects).
The continent can, therefore,
afford to be neutral. What it can-
not afford to do is pick sides and
preclude any partnerships. In
the oncoming multipolar order,
there are no self-evident, Afri-
can-specific needs to pick sides.
All options can be on the table. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2023 World News 15

More than 20 countries Gov’t opens bidding..

❰❰ 8 Public-Private Partner- NAIA has been the subject of

want to join BRICS

ANADOLU
Philippine News Agency
JOHANNESBURG – More
than 20 countries have formal-
ly applied to join BRICS, a bloc
of emerging economies that
includes Brazil, Russia, India,
China and South Africa.
“An expanded BRICS will rep-
resent a diverse group of nations
with different political systems
that share a common desire to
have a more balanced global or-
der,” South African President
Cyril Ramaphosa said Sunday
night in a televised address.
South Africa will host the 15th
BRICS Summit in Johannes-
burg, which will be attended by
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio
Lula da Silva, Chinese President
Xi Jinping and Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
Russian President Vladimir
Putin will be represented by
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
In March, the International
Criminal Court (ICC) issued an
arrest warrant for Putin, which
hindered him from traveling
to attend the summit, which is
scheduled to be held from Aug.
22-24. South Africa is a signa-
tory to the Rome Statute, which
established the court.
President Xi will arrive in
South Africa on Monday, a day be-
fore the start of the summit, on his
fourth state visit to the country.
South Africa enjoys a stra-
tegic relationship with China
and is expected to sign several
agreements during Xi’s visit.
Ramaphosa said more than
30 heads of state and govern-
ment from across Africa will be
attending the summit.
He said they want to build
a partnership between BRICS
and Africa so that the continent
can unlock opportunities for in-
creased trade, investment and
infrastructure development.
Ramaphosa said that besides
hosting other African leaders,
they will also be welcoming
leaders from several countries
of the Global South.
These include leaders from
the Caribbean, South Ameri-
ca, the Middle East, West Asia,
South Asia and Southeast Asia.
He said UN Secretary-Gener-
al Antonio Guterres will also at-
tend the summit following the
bloc’s invitation.
‘‘Our support for the United Na-
tions exists alongside our firm be-
lief that this premier multilateral
institution needs genuine reform
to make it more democratic, repre-
sentative and efficient,” the South
African leader said in his address.
He said the United Nations
Security Council must be trans-
formed into a more inclusive,
more effective body that is able
to ensure peace and security.
Ramaphosa said his country
supports the expansion of the
membership of BRICS, whose
value extends beyond the inter-
ests of its current members.
BRICS currently makes up a
quarter of the global economy, ac-
counting for a fifth of global trade,
and is home to more than 40 per-
cent of the world’s population. ■
ship Center (PPPC).
The government is
seen to award the contract to the
winning bidder within the year.
NAIA’s current annual passen-
ger capacity is 32 million, and the
project is expected to increase
this to 62 million.
Earlier, a consortium com-
posed of six conglomerates and
Global Infrastructure Partners
(GIP) submitted an unsolicited
proposal valued at PHP267 bil-
lion to rehabilitate and develop
the country’s main gateway.
The group, known as the Manila
International Airport Consor-
tium, wanted to introduce tech-
nology, improve passenger experi-
ence and expand both the runway
and airport’s capacity under a 25-
year concession agreement.
However, the National Eco-
nomic and Development Au-
thority-approved project covers
a 15-year concession plan and a
possible 10-year extension.
Senate panel discusses..
❰❰ 7 will be addressed; at
the same time, the
rainwater collected
controversies this year -- from
the system glitch fiasco that
stalled hundreds of flights in
January, to the dismissal of two
of its top officials in August.
Several times, power outage
hit the NAIA, and its personnel
got involved in alleged theft and
security breach. Long queues,
delay in baggage release, and
recurrent flight delays are also
some of the things that passen-
gers have been lamenting on so-
cial media.
The MIAA gradually
scrapped the initial screening
process across the four termi-
nals last December to mitigate
the long queues.
Further, it has made Termi-
nal 2 an all-domestic facility
since July, to increase its ca-
pacity by at least 20 percent, ac-
commodating up to 10 million
passengers annually from the
former capacity of 7.5 million
passengers a year. ■
may be used for agriculture,
particularly irrigation, when
the need arises. ■

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www.canadianinquirer.net
16
Entertainment
The Band’s Robbie Robertson leaves
behind a legacy of rich, worldly music
BY ALEXANDER
CARPENTER, University of
Alberta
The Conversation
When Robbie Robertson
died on Aug. 9, his death was
well-covered by the media,
from mainstream news outlets
to a wide variety of music mag-
azines, and across the blogo-
sphere. Robertson died at age
80 after a long illness.
In most cases, Robertson’s
legacy was afforded a very ap-
preciative but overall sober
analysis. This is not always the
case, of course, when a “legend”
passes away: in the aftermath of
Gordon Lightfoot’s death, for
example, critics and commen-
tators piled the praise high and
deep, with little care for objec-
tive evaluation.
Canadian musician, Amer-
ican music
Robertson was, like Lightfoot, a
Canadian-born musician of con-
siderable renown, but it seems to
me that his death has provoked a
very different response.
While one can readily find
references to Robertson as a
“Canadian music legend” — and
even a tweet from Prime Min-
ister Justin Trudeau lauding
Robertson as “a big part of Can-
ada’s outsized contributions to
the arts” — most eulogies do not
dwell or try to force the issue
of music and national identity
into the foreground.
Even Trudeau’s comments
seem rather generic and
half-hearted compared to his
effusive praise for Lightfoot as
one of Canada’s “greatest per-
formers” who “captured the
Canadian spirit.”
To do the same for Robertson
— who made his name in the
American music scene — would
be ridiculous.
Robertson and Lightfoot
were of the same vintage. They
were born within five years of
each other, in southern Ontar-
io, and had a similar musical
pedigree. Both started writing
songs and performing quite
young. Both were in the orbit
of Toronto-based rock’n’roll
legend Ronnie Hawkins (who
fronted The Hawks, the pre-
fame incarnation of The Band).
And both enjoyed long careers
that included recognition from
the Canadian Songwriters Hall
of Fame.
Indeed, both men have been
celebrated as great songwriters,
but the essential difference, it
seems to me, is that Robert-
son was a more cosmopolitan,
eclectic and versatile perform-
er and composer. And unlike
Lightfoot, Robertson couldn’t
read or write music.
Touring with Dylan
Robertson’s stint as part of Bob
Dylan’s band through the mid-
1960s, as Dylan toured the world
with a new, electrified sound, was
surely part of this cosmopoli-
tanism. After leaving Dylan, this
supporting band would become
The Band, with Robertson as its
chief songwriter.
The Band would go on to make
an indelible mark on the history
of rock. The group’s loose, raw
sound and seamless blending of
styles, from rock, soul, rhythm
and blues to gospel country and
roots, would influence other su-
perstar performers — notably
Eric Clapton — to strip down
their own musical approach, and
develop a new, more authentic
aesthetic (Robertson and Clap-
ton would go on to collaborate a
number of times).
The Band’s most successful
songs — “The Weight,” “Life is a
Carnival,” “The Shape I’m In” —
were all written by Robertson,
and are the songs most often
covered by other artists.
The Band would become fa-
mous for its first two albums,
1968’s Music from Big Pink and
The Band, released the follow-
ing year. They would go on to re-
cord a total of 10 studio albums.
The Band performed at Wood-
stock and other major festivals
in the U.S. However, Robertson
AUGUST 25, 2023 FRIDAY
would effectively leave the group having been born on a reserve to engaging out of a patchwork of
in 1976: he was tired of touring a Mohawk and Cayuga mother. possibilities.
and was reluctant to work with Robertson’s love of music was In its obituary for Robertson,
the other members due in part to catalyzed by the musical culture the New York Times went so
their heroin addictions. on the reserve, and his music far as to highlight the paradox
By the time Robertson continued to reflect these deep of Robertson and his music by
stopped touring and recording roots well into his later years. crediting him as the “Canadian
with The Band, he had been This happened most notably as songwriter” who created the
producing albums for other part of his collaboration with In- “Americana” genre.
musicians — including Neil Di- digenous musicians for the 1994 Lightfoot, to my ear, was a
amond — and was on his way documentary soundtrack Music songwriter who wrote coun-
to becoming a successful film for the Native Americans. try-folk tunes that were very
producer as well. The Band Robertson’s birthplace and much of their time, and that
would continue recording and ethnic background — Cana- fans and critics sometimes
performing live well into the dian-born, half-Mohawk/Ca- shoe-horned into “Canadiana.”
late 1990s — without Robertson yuga, half-Jewish — lent itself Robertson, by contrast, was a
— finally breaking up for good from the start to what would fellow Canadian, and wrote mu-
when bass player Rick Danko become Robertson’s signature sic that was worldly, richly tex-
died in 1999. approach to song composition. tured and without borders. ■
Robertson undertook his Robertson favoured cultural
own solo career in the late blending and border-crossing, This article is republished
1980s, recording and releasing ignoring genre boundaries and from The Conversation under a
six solo albums between 1987 creating something new and Creative Commons license.
and 2019.
Composing for film
Of course, Robertson also dif-
fered significantly from Light-
foot in that he had a long and
successful career as a composer
for films.
Robertson collaborated with
director Martin Scorsese for
nearly half a century, serving as
Scorsese’s music consultant and
composer for many of Scors-
ese’s movies. Robertson was
credited in almost 20 Scorsese
films, if you include Robertson’s
performance in The Last Waltz,
the 1976 film Scorsese made of
The Band’s final concert with
its original line-up.
A paradoxical figure
Robertson, ultimately, was
something of a paradoxical fig-
ure. He was Canadian-born and
cut his teeth in the Toronto mu-
sic scene. But he ended up first
backing up the quintessential-
ly American folk music legend
Dylan, and then becoming the
primary creative force in a group
— The Band — whose sound was
rooted in American music, and
especially the musical traditions
of the American south.
Robertson also had a differ-
ent connection to place than
his fellow Canadian Lightfoot, Robbie Robertson (JOHN BAULD/FLICKR, CC BY 2.0)
www.canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2023
Watch “100 Days Miracle”
- the Remarkable Journey of HORI7ON
ABS-CBN
SAN FRANCISCO, AUGUST
17, 2023 – “100 Days Miracle” is a
riveting reality show that chron-
icles the transformative journey
of seven aspiring artists ts ahey
strive for their ultimate goal – to
dominate the global music scene
with a dazzling showcase of their
extraordinary talents.
The 10-episode series fea-
tures the sensational HORI-
7ON, a P-Pop group comprised
of seven extraordinary male
talents, each selected from
the ranks of “Dream Maker,”
the survival reality show pro-
duced through the partnership
of ABS-CBN, MLD Entertain-
ment, and Kamp Global. The
competition’s winners, now
known as HORI7ON, have risen
Maymay radiates
love in new single
“Tsada Mahigugma”
ABS-CBN
P-pop soloist Maymay Entra-
ta glows with inspiration in her
newest song “Tsada Mahigugma”
released under Star Pop.
The upbeat love song speaks of
being patient for the right person
to come along. Its title “Tsada
Mahigugma” refers to a Bisaya
phrase that means ‘It feels great
to be in love.’
“Ang sarap po magmahal, di ba
po? ‘Tsada’ could be wonderful,
maganda, masarap, gwapa, gwa-
po, tapos ‘mahigugma’ is love.
Ibig sabihin po nito, it’s good
to feel love and feel loved,” ex-
plained Maymay when she ren-
dered a surprise performance of
the song in 1MX London Music
Festival last July.
Maymay produced the single
together with Star Pop label head
Rox Santos. It was composed by
CJ Kaamiño, arranged by Justin
Catalan, and mixed and mas-
tered by Theo Martel.
to the forefront of the industry,
embodying the essence of tal-
ent, timing, and hard work.
The Promising Members
of HORI7ON
This idol group is comprised of
seven members, each possessing
an incredible knack for singing
and dancing. The group’s syner-
gy is undeniable, as they deliver
a captivating presence on stage
that is bound to dazzle audienc-
es around the globe. With each
member bringing a unique flavor
to the group dynamics, HORI-
7ON is set to redefine the bound-
aries of global pop music.
• Vinci Malizon - The char-
ismatic leader known for his
powerful vocals and command-
ing stage presence.
• Kim Ng - A multifaceted tal-
ent with a flair for dance and an
enchanting voice.
“Tsada Mahigugma” follows
the P-pop artist’s recent hit “Au-
todeadma” which features Kore-
an singer Wooseok of Pentagon.
Maymay’s “Tsada Mahigug-
ma” is out now on digital stream-
ing platforms. For more details,
(ABS-CBN)
• Kyler Chua - The group’s
rap virtuoso and their visu-
al, whose lyrical prowess adds
depth to their music.
• Reyster Yton - A dance prod-
igy who effortlessly merges fluid
moves with captivating vocals.
• Winston Pineda - A true
entertainer who shines both on
and off stage with his dynamic
rap and vocal style.
• Jeromy Batac - The embod-
iment of charm as the center
with winning dance moves.
• Marcus Cabais - The youngest,
who is also one of the lead dancers,
and is the face of the group.
A Journey of Triumph and
Resilience
Launched in Korea in July,
“100 Days Miracle” is a weekly
spectacle that airs every Friday
at 6 PM KST, inviting viewers to
become part of the remarkable
follow Star Music on sa Face-
book, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok,
and YouTube.
For updates, follow @abscbn-
pr on Facebook, Twitter, Insta-
gram, and Tiktok or visit www.
abs-cbn.com/newsroom. ■
www.canadianinquirer.net
Entertainment
journey of HORI7ON. This dy-
namic P-Pop group, who is now
based in South Korea, encapsu-
lates the very essence of Filipi-
no talent, effortlessly blending
music, dance, and influence
as they strive to make their
mark on the global stage. The
show artfully captures their
moments of triumph and resil-
ience, showcasing how dreams
can be realized through dedica-
tion and unwavering effort.
Paving the Way for P-Pop
Domination
The ist P-Pop boy band en-
deavoring to conquer the
South Korean music indus-
try sets a precedent for others
to followmpact of “100 Days
Miracle” reaches far beyond
entertainment. HORI7ON’s
groundbreaking journey as the
fir. With their sights set on glob-
Ben&Ben, Seori, Adie,
MeloMance join the
star-studded lineup of
“ON Music Festival”
ABS-CBN
Tickets will be available
this Saturday (August 26)
Filipino folk-pop band Ben&-
Ben, Korean singer-songwriter
Seori, Philippines’ rising artist Adie,
and South Korea’s duo MeloMance
team up to deliver an unforgettable
one-night experience in “ON Music
Festival” happening this November
3 (Friday) at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The exciting lineup of artists
will join SUHO of EXO, Moira
Dela Torre, Darren Espanto, and
wave to earth in dominating the
MOA stage with their stellar hits.
“ON Music Festival” celebrates
the diversity of love and music from
well-loved Korean and Filipino acts
which is made possible through the
partnership of ABS-CBN Global
and South Korean immersive en-
tertainment brand KAMP.
The anticipation for “ON Music
Festival” continues to rise with the
17
al recognition, HORI7ON is
paving the way for a new era of
P-Pop bands to enter and dom-
inate the South Korean music
scene, redefining the landscape
of the industry and proving that
talent knows no boundaries.
The thrilling journey of HORI-
7ON can be seen across multiple
platforms. Watch the series on
MYX, Wednesdays at 7:00 P.M.
You can also catch them on TFC
cable and satellite and on IPTV
Video on Demand every Sunday
at 10:00 P.M. (Pacific); 10:30 P.M.
(Saudi and London); 10:30 P.M.
(Asia); and 12:30 A.M. (Guam).
For a sneak peek into the se-
ries, you can watch the first epi-
sode of “100 Days Miracle” here.
The documentary series
promises to be an unforgettable
exploration of music, friendship,
and the pursuit of dreams. ■
early bird tickets swiftly sold out,
while the general sale of tickets will
be this Saturday, 12nn (August 26)
with prices ranging from P14,500
(floor standing A), P13,500 (floor
standing B), P12,500 (lower box
A), P11,500 (lower box B), P4,500
(upper box), and P1,000 (general
admission).
Tickets can be purchased at
SM Tickets outlets and selected
SM Cinema, SM Store (customer
service), SM Bowling, SM Skating,
Eastwood Mall, Lucky Chinatown
Mall concierge, SM Mall of Asia
Arena Coral ticket booth, and via
online through smtickets.com.
Join the celebration of diversi-
ty in music and love in “ON Mu-
sic Festival” produced by ABS-
CBN Events and KAMP.
For more information, follow
“ON Music Festival” on Insta-
gram (onfestival_official), Face-
book (onfestival.official), and
X/Twitter (onfestival_) or visit
www.on-festival.com. ■
18
‘Dirty red’: how periods have been stigmatised
through history to the modern day
BY ALEXANDER
CARPENTER, University of
Alberta
The Conversation
About a year ago, at a friend’s
wedding, a fellow guest asked
whether I knew that modern
sanitary towels owe their origins
to resourceful World War I field
nurses who discovered the effi-
cacy of repurposing military ban-
dages as period pads. I did not.
As a historian interested
in the relationship between
technology and the body – and
someone who menstruates –
the conversation had me won-
dering why I’d never consid-
ered the evolution of menstrual
products. The answer, I believe,
lies in the pervasive culture of
shame that has long surround-
Lifestyle
ed menstruation, stifling open
dialogue around the subject.
That, I thought, must change.
So, I embarked on a research
project with a team of col-
leagues at the University of
Leeds into the history of men-
strual stigma.
What we’ve discovered so
far are examples of stigma and
shame surrounding periods
from many thousands of years
ago through to the modern day.
Not a new problem
A frequently cited example of
menstrual stigma is the Bible’s
Leviticus chapter 15, verses 19-
33. This passage asserts that
women (along with anything
they lie or sit on) become “un-
clean” during menstruation.
If a non-menstruating person
touches either the menstrual
blood, or anything the woman
has touched, they too will be-
come unclean.
This association between
menstruation and corruption
(not just of the menstruating
person, but also of people and
objects around them) has been
persistent among male scholars
through history.
For example, writing around
AD70, Pliny the Elder says
menstruation “is productive of
the most monstrous effects”.
He writes that crops “will with-
er and die”, and bees “will for-
sake their hives if touched by a
menstruous woman”.
In the seventh century AD,
Isidore of Seville expanded on
Pliny’s accusations, claiming:
If they are touched by the
blood of the menses, crops cease
to sprout, unfermented wine
turns sour, plants wither, [and]
trees lose their fruit.
Even as late as 1694, we find
books on midwifery that liken
menstruating women to the
cockatrice (a mythical beast
with venomous breath) on ac-
count of their allegedly shared
ability to disperse poison
through the air.
From history to today
Unfortunately, discussions of
menstruation have continued
to reinforce shame around the
issue through the 20th and 21st
centuries, portraying periods as
something to be embarrassed
about and to be kept hidden.
In 1950, Good Housekeeping,
the popular women’s magazine,
published an advert for Modess’
newly packaged sanitary tow-
els, which read: “So skilfully
shaped not to look like a nap-
kin box, that the sharpest eyes
couldn’t guess what’s inside the
wrapping.”
Although the tone of this ad-
vertisement is upbeat and chatty,
it reinforces the idea that men-
strual products should be kept
hidden. Some 70 years later, in
2020, Tampax was criticised for
advertising tampons that “open
silently for full discretion”.
www.canadianinquirer.net
Another example of the stig-
matisation of menstruation can
be seen in the long history of eu-
phemisms. A study published in
1948 identified a range of harmful
menstrual euphemisms including
“the curse”, “dirty red” and de-
scribing a woman as “in season”.
A similar study from 1975
discussed 128 menstrual eu-
phemisms, many of which are
still used today (such as “Aunt
Flo” and “on the rag”). While
some of these euphemisms
might provoke a giggle (my per-
sonal favourite being “riding
the cotton pony”), they’re de-
signed to obscure discussions of
menstruation and, in doing so,
they reinforce the shame that
surrounds it.
The harms of stigma
This long history of menstru-
al stigma continues to inform
contemporary culture, having
a negative effect on people who
menstruate today. In 2021, a
group of researchers conclud-
ed that feelings of stigma and
shame perpetuate the expec-
tation that people should hide
their menstruation.
This may take the form of
hiding sanitary supplies at
school and at work, or conceal-
ing symptoms of menstruation,
for example.
We know this secrecy pre-
vents people from identifying
when their experiences of men-
struation are unusual and from
subsequently seeking health-
care. For example, a 2018 sur-
vey found that 79% of girls and
young women had faced symp-
toms linked to their period
that concerned them, but they
hadn’t seen a doctor or health
professional.
Similarly, statistics from
charity Endometriosis UK re-
veal that 62% of women aged
16-54 would put off going to a
doctor with symptoms of en-
dometriosis because they don’t
think it’s serious enough to
bother a doctor with, or they’d
be embarrassed, or don’t think
AUGUST 25, 2023 FRIDAY
they’d be taken seriously, or
think symptoms including
painful periods are normal.
What can we do?
Stigma around menstruation
is deeply entrenched in society.
But there are numerous small
actions each of us can take,
which collectively can make a
significant difference. First of
all, we can all (irrespective of
age, gender or sexuality) em-
brace open conversations about
menstruation.
We can discard the use of
menstrual euphemisms, as con-
tinually relying on these per-
petuates the notion that this
natural bodily function should
remain concealed and shroud-
ed in shame.
We can also use our collective
voices, for example by engaging
with companies on social me-
dia, to demand a more truthful
portrayal of menstruation in
the media (such as, as Kotex has
done, banishing the absurdity
of using blue liquid to demon-
strate their products).
Of course, we also need to do
work on a larger scale. We need
to tackle period poverty, en-
sure access to clean water and
private toilets, and encourage
employers to develop positive
menstrual policies.
But we can start by talking. If
we can end the secrecy and si-
lence that has long surrounded
menstruation, we can begin to
create a future that empowers
all who menstruate. ■
This article is part of Wom-
en’s Health Matters, a series
about the health and wellbeing
of women and girls around the
world. From menopause to mis-
carriage, pleasure to pain the
articles in this series will delve
into the full spectrum of women’s
health issues to provide valuable
information, insights and re-
sources for women of all ages.
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2023
Weight loss: drinking a gallon of water
a day probably won’t help you lose weight
BY DUANE MELLOR, Aston
University
The Conversation
It’s often claimed that if you’re
trying to lose weight, one of the
things you should do each day is
drink plenty of water – with some
internet advice even suggesting
this should be as much as a gal-
lon (about 4.5 litres). The claim
is that water helps burn calories
and reduce appetite, which in
turn leads to weight loss.
But while we all might wish
it was this easy to lose weight,
unfortunately there’s little ev-
idence to back up these claims.
Myth 1: water helps burn
calories
One small study, of 14 young
adults, found drinking 500ml of
water increased resting ener-
gy expenditure (the amount of
calories our body burns before
exercise) by about 24%.
While this may sound great,
this effect only lasted an hour.
And this wouldn’t translate to a
big difference at all. For an aver-
age 70kg adult, they would only
use an additional 20 calories – a
quarter of a biscuit – for every
500ml of water they drank.
Another study of eight young
adults only saw an increase in
energy expenditure when the
water was fridge cold – report-
ing a very modest 4% increase
in calories burned. This may be
because the body needs to use
more energy in order to bring
the water up to body tempera-
ture, or because it requires
more energy for the body to
filter the increased volume of
fluid through the kidneys. And
again, this effect was only seen
for about an hour.
So although scientifically it
might be possible, the actual
net increase in calories burned
is tiny. For example, even if you
drank an extra 1.5l of water per
day, it would save fewer calories
than you’d get in a slice of bread.
It’s also worth noting that
all this research was in young
healthy adults. More research is
needed to see whether this effect
is also seen in other groups (such
as middle-aged and older adults).
Myth 2: water with meals
reduces appetite
This claim again seems sensi-
ble, in that if your stomach is at
least partly full of water there’s
less room for food – so you end
up eating less.
A number of studies actually
support this, particularly those
conducted in middle-aged and
older adults. It’s also a reason
people who are unwell or have
a poor appetite are advised not
to drink before eating as it may
lead to under-eating.
But for people looking to lose
weight, the science is a little less
straightforward.
One study showed mid-
dle-aged and older adults lost
2kg over a 12-week period when
they drank water before meals
compared with people who
didn’t drink any water with their
meal. Younger participants
(aged 21-35) on the other hand
did not lose any weight, regard-
less of whether they drank water
before their meal or not.
But since the study didn’t
use blinding (where informa-
tion which may influence par-
ticipants is withheld until after
the experiment is finished), it
means that participants may
have become aware of why they
were drinking water before
their meal. This may have led
some participants to purpose-
fully change how much they ate
in the hopes it might increase
their changes of losing weight.
However, this doesn’t explain
why the effect wasn’t seen in
young adults, so it will be im-
portant for future studies to in-
vestigate why this is.
The other challenge with a
lot of this kind of research is
that it only focuses on whether
participants eat less during just
one of their day’s meals after
drinking water. Although this
might suggest the potential to
lose weight, there’s very little
good-quality evidence showing
that reducing appetite in gener-
al leads to weight loss over time.
Perhaps this is due to our
www.canadianinquirer.net
Lifestyle
body’s biological drive to main-
tain its size. It’s for this reason
that no claims can be legally
made in Europe about foods
which help make you feel full-
er for longer with reference to
weight loss.
So, although there might be
some appetite-dulling effects
of water, it seems that it might
not result in long-term weight
change – and may possibly be
due to making conscious chang-
es to your diet.
Just water isn’t enough
There’s a pretty good reason
why water on its own is not ter-
ribly effective at regulating ap-
19
petite. If it did, prehistoric hu-
mans might have starved.
But while appetite and satia-
tion – feeling full and not want-
ing to eat again – aren’t perfect-
ly aligned with being able to
lose weight, it might be a help-
ful starting point.
Part of what helps us to feel
full is our stomach. When food
enters the stomach, it triggers
stretch receptors that in turn
lead to the release of hormones
which tell us we’re full.
But since water is a liquid, it’s
rapidly emptied from our stom-
ach – meaning it doesn’t actu-
ally fill us up. Even more inter-
estingly, due to the stomach’s
shape, fluids can bypass any
semi-solid food content that’s
being digested in the lower part
of the stomach. This means that
water can still be quickly emp-
tied from the stomach. So even
if it’s consumed at the end of a
meal it might not necessarily
extend your feelings of fullness.
If you’re trying to eat less and
lose weight, drinking excessive
amounts of water may not be a
great solution. But there is ev-
idence showing when water is
mixed with other substances
(such as fibre, soups or vegetable
sauces) this can delay how fast
the stomach empties its contents
– meaning you feel fuller longer.
But while water may not help
you lose weight directly, it may
still aid in weight loss given
it’s the healthiest drink we can
choose. Swapping high-calorie
drinks such as soda and alcohol
for water may be an easy way
of reducing the calories you
consume daily, which may help
with weight loss. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
20
Geoengineering sounds like a quick climate fix,
but without more research and guardrails, it’s a
costly gamble − with potentially harmful results
BY DAVID KITCHEN,
University of Richmond
The Conversation
When soaring temperatures,
extreme weather and catastroph-
ic wildfires hit the headlines,
people start asking for quick
fixes to climate change. The U.S.
government just announced the
first awards from a US$3.5 billion
fund for projects that promise to
pull carbon dioxide out of the air.
Policymakers are also exploring
more invasive types of geoengi-
neering − the deliberate, large-
scale manipulation of Earth’s
natural systems.
The underlying problem
has been known for decades:
Fossil-fuel vehicles and power
plants, deforestation and un-
sustainable agricultural prac-
tices have been putting more
carbon dioxide into the atmo-
sphere than the Earth’s systems
can naturally remove, and that’s
heating up the planet.
Geoengineering, theoreti-
cally, aims to restore that bal-
ance, either by removing excess
carbon dioxide from the atmo-
sphere or reflecting solar ener-
gy away from Earth.
But changing Earth’s com-
plex and interconnected cli-
mate system may have unin-
tended consequences. Changes
that help one region could harm
another, and the effects may not
be clear until it’s too late.
As a geologist and climate
scientist, I believe these conse-
quences are not yet sufficiently
understood. Beyond the poten-
tial physical repercussions, coun-
tries don’t have the legal or social
structures in place to manage
both its use and the fallout when
things go wrong. Similar con-
cerns have been highlighted by
the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change, the United Na-
tions Environment Programme,
the National Academy of Scienc-
es and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration,
among others.
The White House Office of
Science and Technology Policy
also discussed these concerns
in its July 2023 research plan
Lifestyle
for investigating potential cli-
mate interventions.
Risks of solar radiation
management
When people hear the word
“geoengineering,” they proba-
bly picture solar radiation man-
agement. These technologies,
many of them still theoretical,
aim to reflect solar energy away
from Earth’s surface.
The idea of stratospheric
aerosol injection, for example,
is to seed the upper atmosphere
with billions of tiny particles
that reflect sunlight directly
out to space. Cirrus cloud thin-
ning aims to reduce the impact
of high-altitude, wispy clouds
that trap energy within the at-
mosphere by making their ice
crystals larger, heavier and more
likely to precipitate. Another,
cloud brightening, aims to in-
crease the prevalence of bright-
er, lower-level clouds that reflect
sunlight, possibly by spraying
seawater into the air to increase
water vapor concentration.
Some scientists have sug-
gested going further and in-
stalling arrays of space mirrors
that could reduce global tem-
perature by reflecting solar en-
ergy away before it reaches the
atmosphere.
While theoretically capable
of cooling the planet, solar radi-
ation management could have
drastic side effects by shifting
patterns of global atmospheric
circulation that can lead to more
extreme weather events. It also
does nothing to reduce harms of
excess greenhouse gases, includ-
ing ocean acidification. A 2022
study published in the scientific
journal Nature predicted that
stratospheric aerosol injection
could alter global precipitation
patterns and reduce agricultural
productivity.
Cloud brightening, while ef-
fective in theory, also needs more
research to make sure that efforts
to expand lower-level reflective
clouds that can help cool Earth’s
surface do not also increase the
prevalence of the high-altitude
clouds that warm the planet.
Space mirrors placed between
the Sun and Earth could theoret-
ically block 2% of incoming so-
lar radiation and stabilize global
temperature. But the technolo-
gy is at least 20 years away from
implementation and would cost
trillions of dollars. More impor-
tantly, the overall global impact
of shading Earth’s surface is
largely unknown. It will decrease
regional ocean and air tempera-
tures in ways that may affect
changes in the jet stream, rain-
fall, snow cover, storm patterns
and possibly even monsoons.
Much more research is needed to
clarify these uncertainties.
Removing carbon dioxide
from the air
Carbon dioxide removal
technologies generally carry
lower risks than manipulating
solar energy.
Carbon capture and storage
removes carbon dioxide from
power plants and factories and
stores it underground in deep
geological reservoirs. This has
proven potential, but it raises
concerns that leaks might con-
taminate aquifers, harm public
health and ultimately fail to keep
carbon out of the atmosphere.
The technology is also expen-
sive and depends on the prox-
imity of suitable reservoirs for
storage.
Direct air capture, designed
to pull carbon out of the air, is
still in its early stages but offers
the advantage of being able to
reduce existing levels of car-
bon dioxide in the atmosphere.
This, too, is costly, at upward of
$600 per metric ton of carbon
dioxide captured today, but in-
novators are getting funding
from the U.S. government.
www.canadianinquirer.net
There are also natural ways to
remove carbon. Planting trees,
for example, can remove carbon
directly from the atmosphere,
but this is not enough. If all the
land available for reforestation
were replanted, it would still not
be enough to reverse current
global warming trends.
Ocean fertilization is another
geoengineering hack intended
to boost carbon sequestration,
but research is at an early stage.
The technique provides nutri-
ents such as iron to increase the
growth of phytoplankton, which
use dissolved carbon from the
atmosphere to grow their shells
and tissue. But it may also have
unintended effects for the food
chain that could harm ocean life.
The legal void
Beyond safety, another im-
portant question involves ac-
countability.
There’s a good chance that
geoengineering meant to help
one region would harm oth-
ers. That’s because ocean and
weather systems are globally
interconnected.
So, who gets to decide which
projects can go ahead? Right
now, that’s a legal void.
There is no regulatory frame-
work that can determine who is
liable if something goes wrong.
Multinational alliances, indi-
vidual states, corporations and
even rich individuals can act
independently without con-
sulting anyone. In the event
of harm that crosses national
boundaries, there is currently
no clear path for recourse.
Striking the right balance
AUGUST 25, 2023 FRIDAY
None of this is to say that the
world should dismiss geoengi-
neering.
Carbon dioxide removal
techniques, such as planting
trees and increasing soil car-
bon sequestration – retaining
more organic carbon in fertile
soils – may provide additional
benefits to ecosystem services
by increasing species diversity
and boosting agricultural pro-
ductivity. These are all positive
outcomes and should be part of
a global climate response.
Some forms of stratospheric
aerosol injection might avoid
the destruction of ozone and
have short life spans in the at-
mosphere. However, more rig-
orous research, transparent
global governance and robust
legal and ethical frameworks to
manage risks and ensure equity
are needed first.
I believe all the technologies
must be complemented by deep
and sustained efforts to re-
duce emissions and transform
the energy system to avoid the
global impacts of sea-level rise,
soaring temperature, droughts,
storms, floods, fires, famine,
species extinction and increas-
ing human conflict.
As Riley Duren, a systems
engineer from NASA, said in an
interview with the space agen-
cy: “Geoengineering is not a
cure. At best, it’s a Band-Aid or
tourniquet; at worst, it could be
a self-inflicted wound.” ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2023
Just the beginning: 7 ways the Women’s World
Cup can move the dial on women’s sport forever
BY FIONA CRAWFORD,
Queensland University of
Technology
The Conversation
So, that’s it then. The 2023
FIFA Women’s World Cup,
hosted on Australian and New
Zealand soil for the first time,
came to an end on Sunday night
as Spain beat England 1-0 in the
final, after the Matildas lost 2-0
to Sweden on Saturday to finish
fourth, their best ever result.
On top of the historic re-
sult, the Matildas captured the
hearts of a nation. They broke
television streaming records,
with the semi-final match
against England becoming the
most-watched program since
the current rating method was
established in 2001.
Jubilant scenes erupted at
live sites, pubs and homes across
the nation. One viral video even
captured a flight full of interna-
tional travelers tuning in mid-
air to watch the Matildas’ penal-
ty shootout against France.
The Women’s World Cup
has also delivered an estimated
A$7.6 billion boost to the Aus-
tralian economy.
Through countless instances
such as these, we’re experiencing
not just a great sporting moment,
but a great cultural one too.
But, as anyone in and around
women’s football knows, the
Women’s World Cup needs to
be more than a four-week foot-
ball festival.
It needs to move the dial on
the treatment of, and investment
in, women’s sport, including with
the following big-ticket items.
1. Celebrate and extend the
cultural shift
The “Olympic Games effect”
often sees coverage of wom-
en’s sports increase during the
Olympics, where people are
cheering on not their usual
men’s or women’s teams, but
their country.
But the Women’s World Cup
Sports
has generated something in-
credible: women inspiring girls,
women, boys, and men with
feats that simultaneously po-
sition gender front and centre
and inspire changing attitudes
around the skills, capability,
and value of girls and women.
Encouraging and continuing
this cultural shift will be equal-
ly, if not more, game-changing.
For starters, it will ensure
young girls have idols to look
up to – which women’s football
greats such as Brazil’s Marta
missed out on.
We must cement such a shift
with good policy and investment
to promote further inclusion.
This should have implications
beyond sport, including extend-
ing to improving women’s repre-
sentation in boardrooms.
2. Acknowledge no single
event can fix everything
In speaking about AFLW, but
in a sentiment equally applica-
ble to football, sports journal-
ist Neroli Meadows noted that
one day the concept of women
not being able to play football,
or their playing being seen as
a novelty, will be as foreign a
concept as women not being al-
lowed to vote.
The 2023 Women’s World
Cup has gone at least partway to
achieving that normalisation.
But it’s imperative not to
overplay what the team and
the tournament have brought.
No single sport event can neat-
ly address all gender equality
issues (we’ve heard such opti-
mism and hype around wom-
en’s sport and its gender-equal-
ity-advancing ability before).
So while it’s important to cel-
ebrate the wins, it’s equally im-
portant to recognise the tour-
nament isn’t the endgame but
an important next step.
3. Use the data to align val-
ue with investment
Until recently, the absence
of investment in women’s foot-
ball and the failure to broadcast
matches meant the resulting
data have only ever shown us
what women’s football is not.
That lack of data is also why
broadcasters were able to low-
ball FIFA when it was trying to
sell the 2023 Women’s World
Cup broadcast rights. It’s also
why Channel 7 was able to se-
cure the rights to screen 15
matches for just A$4–5 million
(since described as “the deal of
the century”).
It’s likewise why women’s foot-
ball hasn’t been considered im-
portant enough to warrant inclu-
sion under anti-siphoning laws,
which facilitate events of national
significance being broadcast on
free-to-air television to ensure
maximum accessibility.
That cannot be allowed to
happen again. The astonishing
viewership data and record ticket
sales must be leveraged into real
commercial and gender-equality
change possibilities.
4. Invest in gender-specif-
ic research and gear
A spate of anterior cruci-
ate ligament (ACL) injuries
extinguished the tournament
dreams of some of the world’s
top women’s footballers.
Oft-cited research confirms
women are up to eight times
more likely to suffer ACL inju-
ries than men. But there remains
www.canadianinquirer.net
little women-specific research
into ACL injury causes, much
less prevention. Addressing this
glaring absence is urgent.
This is symptomatic of wider
issues around research over-
looking women. For example,
it was only last week that the
world’s first study into period
product absorption that used
actual blood, not saline or wa-
ter, was released.
The need to address other
barriers is similarly important.
For example, poorly fitting kits
contribute to a high attrition
rate for girls and women from
sport. A Victoria University
study confirmed what most
girls and women already knew:
done well, uniforms imbue
comfort and confidence. But
done poorly, they cause dis-
comfort and self-consciousness
and can put girls off wanting to
continue sport.
Girls and women want flexi-
bility and self-determination in
uniform selection, and shorts
and T-shirt options rather than
skirts or dresses. Also, breath-
able dark material that masks
sweat – so we should get rid of
white shorts.
There’s also a glaring need to
consider kits beyond outfield
players: women referees re-
21
main overlooked.
Likewise, women’s goalkeep-
er kits have been unavailable for
purchase this Women’s World
Cup, despite many ‘keepers na-
tion-inspiring defensive efforts.
If ever there were something
that summed up how women’s
football simultaneously excels
while being thwarted, this is it.
5. Appoint women to se-
nior positions, but avoid the
‘glass cliff ’
England coach Sarina Weig-
man was the only woman coach
in the final four, and women re-
main a long way from holding
apex positions such as the pres-
ident of FIFA.
This tournament needs to open
the door for women to be making
decisions for women’s sport.
At the same time, we need to
be measured and sustainable in
the approach we take. We need
to steer clear of the “glass cliff”
phenomenon – where women
are awarded senior positions
only during tumult and the men
who usually hold those roles are
abandoning ship.
Establishing solid, steady
training and mentoring pro-
grams and networks is a must.
6. Pay them properly
Providing a public holiday if
the Matildas were to have won
the final is all well and good. But
there remains one key missing
element for them, as it is for all
women’s sports: pay and prize
money commensurate with
their contributions and talent.
Having achieved pay parity
in 2019 and now earning base
payments and bonuses for pro-
gressing to the knockout stages,
the Matildas are in a slightly bet-
ter position than their netball
peers the Diamonds. The latter
won the netball World Cup last
week but received no pay and no
bonuses for their efforts.
However, FIFA Women’s
World Cup prize money, still
a fraction of the men’s prize
❱❱ PAGE 30 Just the beginning:
22
Ajido banners swimming team in SEA Age
Group Championships
BY JEAN MALANUM
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – Double-gold
medalist Jamesray Michael
Ajido will lead the country’s
campaign in the 45th Southeast
Asia (SEA) Age Group Swim-
ming Championships slated
from August 31 to September 2,
2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The Philippine delegation, com-
posed of 19 swimmers, four divers,
six coaches and three officials, is
scheduled to leave this Tuesday.
Gender inequality will still be an issue
at the Paris 2024 Olympics — despite
the Games being gender-balanced
BY MICHELE K.
DONNELLY, Brock University
The Conversation
With one year to go until
the Paris 2024 Summer Olym-
pic Games, fans around the
world have been following their
teams’ performances at the
FIFA Women’s World Cup.
For fans whose national teams
didn’t advance as much as they
had hoped, they can look for-
ward to seeing those same teams
play at the Paris Olympics.
But the same is not true for
the men’s national teams that
competed at the 2022 FIFA
World Cup in Qatar. At the
Olympic Games, men’s national
teams are limited to 23-year-old
and younger players, with three
exceptions for overage players.
There are no age restrictions
for the women players.
This is only one of the many
gender-based differences in
how men and women athletes
compete at the Olympic Games.
Olympic Games sport pro-
gramme
My research examines how the
International Olympic Commit-
tee (IOC) has promoted gender
equality at the Games. My book
Sports
Ajido will compete in the
boys 14-15 category.
Last year, he won the
13-and-under 50m butterfly
and 100m backstroke events at
the National Aquatic Center in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Also joining the Jakarta trip
are Peter Cyrus Dean, Ivo Niko-
lai Enot, Joshua Ramos, Lance
Rafael Cruz, Joshua Pak, Jalil
Sephraim Taguinod and Jennu-
el Booh (boys 16-18); Shairinne
Floriano, Mishka Sy, Jie Angela
Mikaela Talosig, Bea Mabalay,
Amina Isabelle Bungubung and
Gender Equality and the Olympic
Programme focuses on the sport
programme — all the sports and
events included at the Games —
because it is the most visible as-
pect of the Olympic Games.
According to the IOC:
“the Olympic programme is the
fundamental core of the Olympic
Games as decisions regarding the
programme have an impact on vir-
tually all other areas of the Olympic
Games and Olympic Movement.”
The inclusion of specific
sports and events, as well as how
women and men athletes play
those sports (and what they wear
to play them), sends important
messages about how the IOC and
other international sport fed-
erations define and attempt to
achieve gender equality.
In addition, the sport pro-
gramme is highly contested. In-
ternational sport federations,
athletes, Games Organizing
Committees, broadcasters and
the IOC all have interests in its
composition. And, sometimes,
those interests conflict.
IOC’s quest for gender
equality
Most of the IOC’s claims
about gender equality achieve-
ments at the Games are focused
on the sport programme. The
Ava Bautista (girls 16-18); Clark
Kent Apuada (boys 14-15); Pa-
tricia Mae Santor, FJ Catherine
Cruz and Arabella Nadeen Tagu-
inota (girls 14-15); and Aishel
Evangelista (boys 13 and under).
The national contingent
includes divers Xian Igi Joel,
Joseph Reynado, Michael Jay
Tresinio and Mark Dave Tresin-
io; coaches Ramil Ilustre, Cyrus
Alcantara, Manuel De Leon,
Mark Pido and Wilfredo Cruz
(swimming), and Niño Carog
(diving); and team managers
Anthony Reyes (swimming)
IOC has announced that at the
2024 Games, for the first time,
there will be an equal number
of men and women athletes,
and the same number of events
(opportunities to win a medal)
for men and women.
In 2014, the IOC released a
strategic plan for the future of the
Olympic Games. Among the 40
recommendations is one about
fostering gender equality. Includ-
ing an equal number of men and
women athletes at the Games is
one strategy the IOC identified to
“foster gender equality.”
Claims about achieving “gen-
der balance” have been an integral
part of all the IOC’s statements
about Paris 2024. It is crucial to
critically examine what these
claims mean and how they relate
to achieving gender equality.
Ensuring gender parity — the
same number of men and women
athletes and men’s and women’s
events — is important for gender
equality at the Games, but it does
not address the conditions of
men’s and women’s participation.
Gender differences in
sporting events
The IOC’s aim to achieve gen-
der balance reveals an incom-
plete, numbers-focused com-
mitment to gender equality.
www.canadianinquirer.net
and Marie Antoinette Diman-
che (diving).
“We are sending a lean team
but with a high chance of win-
ning medals for our country.
This is the first SEA Age Group
team under the new adminis-
tration of Philippine Aquatics.
On behalf of our President Mi-
chael Vargas, we are proud of
our team, and we are very hap-
py that swimming is very active
nationwide given the diversity
of hometowns of our team,”
Batangas First District Rep.
Eric Buhain, who was elected
When men and women com-
pete in the same sports, inter-
national federations continue
to enforce differences between
men’s and women’s events.
These differences include: the
length of races; weight catego-
ries; the height, weight, size and
spacing of equipment; the size
of venues; and differences in
judging, rules and uniforms.
For example, in artistic gym-
nastics, the differences between
the men’s and women’s competi-
tions include age requirements
(18 years old for men and 16 for
women); different apparatus
(e.g., parallel bars for men and
uneven parallel bars for wom-
AUGUST 25, 2023 FRIDAY
Philippine Aquatics secretary
general, said in a statement re-
leased to the media on Monday.
Philippine Aquatics Execu-
tive Director Chito Rivera, who
was designated head of dele-
gation, added: “It’s a lean but
quality team. It’s a smaller team
compared to last year, but all the
swimmers are competitive, hav-
ing passed the qualifying time
standard set during the national
tryouts. We are hoping for the
best, expectations are high for
the new leadership, so please
pray for the whole team.” ■
en); the number of apparatus
(six for men and four for wom-
en); and uniform requirements
(long or short pants for men,
leotards or unitards for women).
On the floor and vault — ap-
paratus on which both men and
women compete — women’s floor
routines are set to music and in-
clude dance elements, while the
men’s do not. When performing
the same skills, men’s eligible
scores are lower than women’s.
What the audience sees is
women’s gymnastics performed
in ways that emphasize stereo-
typical femininity and minimize
❱❱ PAGE 30 Gender inequality will
FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2023
PH calls for updating of ASEAN free trade deal
BY KRIS CRISMUNDO
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The country’s
trade chief has called on fellow
ministers in Southeast Asia
to upgrade the ASEAN Trade
in Goods Agreement (ATIGA)
during the 37th Meeting of
ASEAN Free Trade Area Coun-
cil in Semarang, Indonesia.
​​
Higher prices have hit most people but
homeowners have felt it harder than renters
BY BEN PHILLIPS,
Australian National University
The Conversation
Cost of living pressures are
acute for some, but in differ-
ent ways for different types of
household.
The Australian Bureau of
Statistics consumer price index
has climbed by 6% per year for
each of the past two years.
In the decade before that, it
only climbed by an average of
1.8% per year.
So, on the figures, cost of liv-
ing pressures suddenly became
acute, but if you had been pay-
ing attention to the media for
those previous ten years you
would have thought Australia
had been in a cost of living crisis
the entire time.
Some people have been un-
der financial pressure the en-
tire time, but it’s instructive to
look at whose living costs have
increased the most.
The best guide is a different
set of indexes to the consumer
price index, also produced by
the bureau.
Called selected living cost in-
dexes, they are better because
they include mortgage costs,
which the consumer price index
does not, measuring the cost of
home ownership by the cost of
Business
Secretary Alfredo Pascual
highlighted that the upgrade
of the ATIGA is an opportune
time to address trade issues
within the ASEAN, the Depart-
ment of Trade and Industry
(DTI) said in a statement over
the weekend.
During the meeting, Pascual
mentioned that the updating
the ATIGA should address the
long-standing issues in availing
purchasing a home instead of
the upfront cost of building a
new home.
The bureau presents liv-
ing cost indexes based on the
spending patterns of:
• employees
• beneficiaries on pen-
sion-like payments
• beneficiaries on other pay-
ments including JobSeeker
• age pensioners
• self-funded retirees.
But it turns out the main fac-
tor that differentiates the new
price pressures facing house-
holds is whether or not they
have a mortgage, and in partic-
ular how recently they bought
their first home.
At the Australian National
of preferential market access
within the region.
“He recommended the es-
tablishment of a mechanism to
address the timely resolution of
these trade issues in order to fully
realize the benefits of ATIGA and
encourage stakeholders to utilize
the agreement,” the DTI added.
Pascual also updated his fel-
low ASEAN trade ministers
that the Philippine govern-
University, my team has used
the Bureau of Statistics’ meth-
odology and data to calcu-
late cost indexes based on the
spending patterns of different
types of households including
those headed by:
• first homebuyers and re-
cent buyers who’ve bought in
the past three years
• all homeowners with a
mortgage
• outright owners
• renters.
Homeowners with a mort-
gage turn out to have experi-
enced a very large cost increase
over the past two years of 17.5%
– much more than renters who
have had an average increase of
“just” 10.8%, and outright own-
www.canadianinquirer.net
ment remains committed to
digitalize trade through the
implementation of the Nation-
al Single Window or TradeNet,
a platform for automated and
integrated licensing, permit-
ting, clearance, and certifica-
tion system of trade regulatory
government agencies relative
to the import and export trade
of regulated goods.
The DTI chief also said the
ers who’ve had 11.7%.
First homebuyers who bought
within the past three years faced
the biggest living cost increase,
of 20.5%. Those who bought
within the past three years but
were “changeover” buyers had
an increase of 18.4%.
Younger Australians (under
35) are more likely to rent than
have a mortgage. As a result,
their costs increased by “only”
13.1% over the past two years,
whereas the living costs of old-
er Australians (aged 50–64) in-
creased by 15.1%.
Perhaps for the same reason,
the living costs of group house-
holds increased by “only” 13.1%,
while the living costs of couples
with children increased 15.2%.
Those on benefits are best
protected
We found very little differ-
ence in the percentage cost of
living increase based on income
level alone, and also very little
difference based on gender. But
the source of income mattered.
Households whose main in-
come was wages suffered cost
increases of 14.6%, whereas
households whose main in-
come was government benefits
had a lesser increase of 12.7%.
Each of these increases was
far more than the average in-
crease in incomes of 4.7%, but
Australians on benefits got
23
Philippines is on track to ful-
ly issue and accept electronic
Certificate of Origin Form D -- a
document certifying that goods
in a particular shipment were
wholly obtained, produced, or
processed in a particular coun-
try -- within the year.
“The DTI works closely with
the Bureau of Customs and the
Department of Finance on this
endeavor,” DTI added. ■
much bigger increases in in-
comes because their payments
were linked to the consumer
price index, meaning their in-
comes increased roughly in line
with their costs.
Longer term, renters,
homeowners treated the same
Although in the past two years
costs have turned against mort-
gage holders more than renters
and outright owners, this isn’t
the case in the longer term.
The first years of COVID, 2020
and 2021, were especially good
for mortgage holders (and rent-
ers), with mortgage rates (and
rents) cut to long-term lows after
years of very little growth.
The chart below shows that
over the longer term, the living
costs associated with all three
types of housing have climbed
more or less together, and have
climbed by less than household
income.
This isn’t to say those house-
holds whose living costs have
climbed sharply over the past
two years (mortgaged house-
holds) are suffering. Many have
built up significant financial
buffers in the years when in-
terest rates were ultra-low, and
many have high incomes and
substantial wealth.
Nor is it to say that those
❱❱ PAGE 27 Higher prices have
24
How gender inequality is hindering
Japan’s economic growth
BY SARAH PARSONS,
University of London
The Conversation
Japan’s economy is under
pressure from rising energy
prices and defence costs and
the impact of the pandemic.
Plummeting birth rates and
an ageing population further
threaten the sustainability of
its labour market. A 2023 study
by independent thinktank the
Recruit Works Institute points
to a labour supply shortage of
3.41 million people by 2030, and
over 11 million by 2040.
Gender inequality is another
significant pressure point. Re-
search shows that a gender-in-
clusive society and workforce
leads to innovation and eco-
nomic growth. However, Japan
has one of the lowest levels
of gender equality among G7
countries. It has slipped to its
lowest ranking yet in the World
Economic Health Forum’s lat-
est Global Gender Report, par-
ticularly in terms of women in
leadership positions.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishi-
da recently declared that Japan
needs to urgently raise its birth
rate. He also vowed to increase
the percentage of women ex-
ecutives in Tokyo stock ex-
change-listed companies, from
11.4% to 30% or more, by 2030. A
policy draft released in June in-
dicates that this will be achieved
through leadership quotas legal-
ly imposed on listed companies.
Japan has tried this count-
Unemployment rate likely down in July –
economist
BY ANNA LEAH GONZALES
Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The country’s un-
employment rate likely settled
at 4.3 to 4.4 percent in July after
a slight uptick in June, an econ-
omist said Monday.
“Unemployment rate could
improve in July due to the start
Business
less times, however, and largely
failed. As my research shows,
this is because gender norms
are deeply embedded in Japa-
nese society.
Socialisation of gender
norms
Gender norms in Japanese
society are tightly connected
to patriarchal hierarchies that
have evolved historically from
the influence of Confucianism.
The role of a man is linked to
being the breadwinner and
head of the family. Women, by
contrast, are seen as wives and
caregivers, ultimately subservi-
ent to the head of the family.
Children are taught these
norms from an early age. Re-
search shows that Japanese
preschool teachers position
children in various gender
roles by encouraging gendered
speech and behavioural pat-
terns. Girls speak softly and act
in a cute, non-threatening way.
Boys, by contrast, use more
dominant language and be-
haviour. Children’s books and
TV programmes often perpetu-
ate these hierarchical linguistic
patterns and behaviour.
These beliefs and values in-
fluence hiring practices and or-
ganisational behaviour within
the Japanese workplace, which
is still based on the male-based
breadwinner/female-depen-
dent model.
From 1945 to 1991, a period
which economists refer to as
the economic miracle years,
most Japanese women were
isolated from the leadership ca-
of the rainy season, when plant-
ing activities in the agriculture
sector picks up, since agri-
culture accounts for about 25
percent of the country’s work-
force,” Rizal Commercial Bank-
ing Corporation chief econo-
mist Michael Ricafort told the
Philippine News Agency (PNA)
in an interview.
Latest data from the Philip-
reer path. This resulted in low
levels of Japanese women in
key decision-making positions.
Today, leadership is still seen
as a male-dominated environ-
ment – even when the topic is
about female empowerment. Ja-
pan was the only country to send
a male delegate to the recent G7
delegation on gender equality
and female empowerment.
Gaining promotions to high-
er-paid positions relies on long
hours and commitment to the
company, regardless of gender.
Gendered norms therefore re-
sult in a significant double bur-
den on Japanese women.
Despite having one of the
most generous paternity-leave
provisions in the world, only
14% of Japanese men took pa-
ternity leave in 2021, compared
with Sweden’s 90% rate of up-
pine Statistics Authority (PSA)
showed the unemployment rate
in June was at 4.5 percent, down
from the 6.0 percent estimate in
the same month last year.
It was, however, higher than
4.3 percent in May this year.
Ricafort said offsetting risk
factors include some storm
damage in the latter part of July,
especially in hard-hit agricultur-
www.canadianinquirer.net
take. Japanese men also spend
the lowest amount of time doing
unpaid housework (41 minutes a
day) among OECD countries.
Both the highly gendered
workplace and unequal division
of household labour mean that
women are more likely than
men to miss out on promotions,
take on lower-paid irregular
jobs, and/or only consider hav-
ing one child.
Work-life expectations are
unrealistic. And in the work-
place, women face discrimina-
tion and harassment, as well
as restrictive expectations of
gendered behaviour and ap-
pearance. Yoshiro Mori stepped
down as head of the Tokyo
Olympics organising commit-
tee in 2021, after sexist remarks
he had reportedly made in a
Japanese Olympic committee
al areas in Northern and Central
Luzon as well as new graduates
that could have partly added to
the unemployment rate.
“Economic activities tend
to pick up in the third quarter
(of the year) in view of the sea-
sonal increase in importation
activities in preparation for the
seasonal increase in demand in
the fourth quarter Christmas
AUGUST 25, 2023 FRIDAY
meeting caused an internation-
al furore. Mori was quoted as
saying women talk too much,
and that when “allowed into”
high-level meetings, they take
up too much time.
Failed solutions
Previous Japanese govern-
ment initiatives to raise the
birth rate and improve gender
equality have focused on intro-
ducing quotas for female leader-
ship and executive boards, more
childcare places, and enhanced
parental leave. However, these
have either failed to reach their
target or have become tokenis-
tic. In fact, recent initiatives are
reported to have exacerbated
gender inequality and driven
some women into poverty.
Singapore recently embarked
on a similar mission as part of a
national gender equality review.
Its government has gathered
ideas and feedback from wom-
en’s and youth groups, private
organisations, academics, pol-
icymakers and the wider pub-
lic. This has resulted in a policy
wishlist and report, the findings
of which will be implemented
into both policy and education.
My research shows that this
approach would work for Ja-
pan, too. It could allow people to
voice their opinions and wish-
es in an open debate – which
chimes with Japan’s cultural
preference for decision-making
achieved through consensus –
rather than making direct crit-
icisms of the patriarchal order.
❱❱ PAGE 30 How gender inequality
holiday season,” he said.
“So employment could also
pick up alongside the increased
production, manufacturing,
and other economic and busi-
ness activities in the third quar-
ter in preparation for stock-
piling for the local and export
market ahead of the expected
increase in sales,” he added. ■
FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2023
A new approach to environmental,
social and governance policies is
needed before it’s too late
BY DANIEL TSAI,
University of Toronto, PEER
ZUMBANSEN, McGill
University
The Conversation
This summer has proven how
destructive climate change can
be. We have been plagued by
harrowing images of Maui, Ha-
waii in ashes, news about wild-
fires spreading smoke across
Canada and the United States
and record-breaking heat waves
worldwide.
It’s clear we are facing a crisis
on a planetary scale, requiring
immediate political, social and
economic action.
Corporations and govern-
ments have rushed to declare
their commitment to environ-
mental, social and governance
(ESG) principles in response to
the climate crisis. One of the is-
sues with ESG is how difficult it
is for investors, consumers and
the public to assess how effec-
tively companies have imple-
mented it.
In addition, the lack of gov-
ernment leadership and the frag-
mentation of the ESG landscape
has created uncertainty about its
future. Many firms don’t know if
they should lead by example or
wait to follow the pack.
Several large investors and
corporations in the U.S. — most
notably BlackRock — have re-
cently become targets of the
“anti-woke” movement, adding
further uncertainty and hesi-
tancy to committing to ESG.
The public debate around ESG,
stakeholder governance, sustain-
ability and responsible invest-
ment continues to gain momen-
tum in the midst of all this.
In response, McGill Universi-
ty’s CIBC Office of Sustainable
Finance hosted academics and
Foreign-owned oil..
❰❰ 10 Policy provides con-
fidence for investors
to transform business
models, but supply-side poli-
experts from 11 countries to con-
front the issues of ESG, climate
change governance and dem-
ocratic politics. The resulting
impact paper proposes several
policy recommendations for
governments and corporations
to work together to transform
ESG standards into practice.
Increased transparency
and accountability
Despite recurring financial
crises and staggering socio-eco-
nomic inequality, corporations
find themselves conflicted by
the need to maximize profits
with ESG. But profit can still
coexist alongside a significant
business and investment shift
towards sustainability.
A fully transparent and pub-
licly available ESG and sus-
tainability index for financial
institutions and corporations
would improve transparency,
accountability and address the
demand for ESG.
If large public corporations
were required to report univer-
sal ESG metrics, it would lead
to healthy competition among
corporations to go above and
beyond the minimum index re-
quirements. This would allow
investors and consumers to see
how companies are actually im-
plementing ESG policies, lead-
ing to increased transparency.
Meaningful disclosure will
ultimately lead to a transfor-
mation of a company’s buying,
production, selling and invest-
ing practices.
Corporations and influen-
tial asset managers — such as
BlackRock, State Street or Van-
guard — must address stake-
holder interests in ESG by
changing their governance and
investment practices in rela-
tion to their position of global
power and influence.
A public index would provide
cies are also essential to avoid
further carbon lock-in.
As the effects of climate
change escalate, governments
a reference point for public and
private behaviour to effectively
address the causes of disastrous
climate change. It would go be-
yond empty social media posts
and corporate website state-
ments by exposing companies’
shortcomings in across-the-
board implementation of ESG
policies.
Increased transparency
would also help prevent com-
panies from greenwashing by
boosting their ESG ratings be-
fore quarterly or semiannual
public disclosures.
In addition, a shared pub-
lic commitment would not kill
profits, as some have argued.
Instead, it can mobilize people
to think differently about gains,
growth and what it means to
run a successful business.
This forward momentum can
lead to the integration of sus-
and investors must choose to
either positively embrace de-
carbonization or be held ac-
countable for perpetuating
www.canadianinquirer.net
Business
tainability officers, who play a
key role in ensuring effective
ESG implementation, into
businesses and organizations.
Incentivizing green investment
Another recommendation is
for governments worldwide to
offer incentives for green and
purpose-driven investments,
as Canada has done with green
tax credits that were unveiled
in the 2023 budget.
But these tax credits need
to go further. For example, the
government could provide tax
credits to the oil, gas and mining
sectors for investing in renew-
able energies. The government
could also allow investors to
deduct related corporate losses
against their personal income.
That will help spur economic
growth, investment and devel-
opment in beneficial industries
and technologies, as we have
climate instability. The hidden
owners of Canada’s oil giants
need to pick a side. ■
25
seen with the rise of the electric
vehicle industry.
The goal should be to en-
courage corporations to better
integrate sustainable practices
within their business models
and create targeted investment
that favours socially respon-
sible investment. That way,
governments can use their tax
systems to support technolo-
gies and business models that
address climate change.
The bigger picture
Governments need to take a
longer view on the development
of sustainability policies and
push back against short-term
criticism. One way world gov-
ernments can do this is by pub-
licly endorsing ESG initiatives.
Government officials should
also do more to promote ESG.
Governments can also help
make the financial sector sus-
tainable by providing favour-
able loans and financing for
greener investment portfolios.
Governments, central banks
and banking regulators can
create regulations that require
financial institutions to imple-
ment sustainability into their
underwriting policies. This
would involve placing higher in-
terest costs on loans with poor
ESG outcomes to encourage in-
dustries to invest in better ESG.
By setting transparent stan-
dards for ESG accountability,
requiring corporations to par-
ticipate in sustainability index-
es and standards and offering
economic incentives through
tax reform, governments can
have a transformative effect on
businesses through ESG. But it
requires effective leadership. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
This article first appeared
on Policy Options and is repub-
lished here under a Creative
Commons license.
26
ChatGPT and other language AIs are nothing
without humans – a sociologist explains how
countless hidden people make the magic
BY JOHN P. NELSON,
Georgia Institute of
Technology
The Conversation
The media frenzy surround-
ing ChatGPT and other large
language model artificial intel-
ligence systems spans a range of
themes, from the prosaic – large
language models could replace
conventional web search – to
the concerning – AI will elimi-
nate many jobs – and the over-
wrought – AI poses an extinc-
tion-level threat to humanity.
All of these themes have a com-
mon denominator: large lan-
guage models herald artificial
intelligence that will supersede
humanity.
But large language models, for
all their complexity, are actually
really dumb. And despite the
name “artificial intelligence,”
they’re completely dependent
on human knowledge and labor.
They can’t reliably generate new
knowledge, of course, but there’s
more to it than that.
ChatGPT can’t learn, im-
prove or even stay up to date
without humans giving it new
content and telling it how to
interpret that content, not to
mention programming the
model and building, main-
taining and powering its hard-
ware. To understand why, you
first have to understand how
ChatGPT and similar models
work, and the role humans play
in making them work.
How ChatGPT works
Large language models like
ChatGPT work, broadly, by pre-
dicting what characters, words
and sentences should follow
one another in sequence based
on training data sets. In the case
of ChatGPT, the training data
set contains immense quanti-
ties of public text scraped from
Technology
the internet.
Imagine I trained a language
model on the following set of
sentences:
Bears are large, furry ani-
mals. Bears have claws. Bears
are secretly robots. Bears have
noses. Bears are secretly robots.
Bears sometimes eat fish. Bears
are secretly robots.
The model would be more in-
clined to tell me that bears are
secretly robots than anything
else, because that sequence of
words appears most frequently
in its training data set. This is
obviously a problem for models
trained on fallible and inconsis-
tent data sets – which is all of
them, even academic literature.
People write lots of different
things about quantum physics,
Joe Biden, healthy eating or the
Jan. 6 insurrection, some more
valid than others. How is the
model supposed to know what to
say about something, when peo-
ple say lots of different things?
The need for feedback
This is where feedback
comes in. If you use ChatGPT,
you’ll notice that you have the
option to rate responses as
good or bad. If you rate them as
bad, you’ll be asked to provide
an example of what a good an-
swer would contain. ChatGPT
and other large language mod-
els learn what answers, what
predicted sequences of text, are
good and bad through feedback
from users, the development
team and contractors hired to
label the output.
ChatGPT cannot compare,
analyze or evaluate arguments
or information on its own. It can
only generate sequences of text
similar to those that other people
have used when comparing, an-
alyzing or evaluating, preferring
ones similar to those it has been
told are good answers in the past.
Thus, when the model gives
you a good answer, it’s drawing
on a large amount of human
labor that’s already gone into
telling it what is and isn’t a good
answer. There are many, many
human workers hidden behind
the screen, and they will always
be needed if the model is to con-
tinue improving or to expand
its content coverage.
A recent investigation pub-
lished by journalists in Time
www.canadianinquirer.net
magazine revealed that hun-
dreds of Kenyan workers spent
thousands of hours reading
and labeling racist, sexist and
disturbing writing, including
graphic descriptions of sexu-
al violence, from the darkest
depths of the internet to teach
ChatGPT not to copy such con-
tent. They were paid no more
than US$2 an hour, and many
understandably reported expe-
riencing psychological distress
due to this work.
What ChatGPT can’t do
The importance of feedback
can be seen directly in ChatGPT’s
tendency to “hallucinate”; that
is, confidently provide inaccu-
rate answers. ChatGPT can’t
give good answers on a topic
without training, even if good
information about that topic is
widely available on the internet.
You can try this out yourself by
asking ChatGPT about more
and less obscure things. I’ve
found it particularly effective to
ask ChatGPT to summarize the
plots of different fictional works
because, it seems, the model has
been more rigorously trained on
nonfiction than fiction.
In my own testing, ChatGPT
summarized the plot of J.R.R.
Tolkien’s “The Lord of the
Rings,” a very famous novel,
with only a few mistakes. But its
summaries of Gilbert and Sulli-
van’s “The Pirates of Penzance”
and of Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The
Left Hand of Darkness” – both
slightly more niche but far from
obscure – come close to play-
ing Mad Libs with the charac-
ter and place names. It doesn’t
matter how good these works’
respective Wikipedia pages are.
The model needs feedback, not
just content.
Because large language mod-
els don’t actually understand
or evaluate information, they
depend on humans to do it for
AUGUST 25, 2023 FRIDAY
them. They are parasitic on
human knowledge and labor.
When new sources are added
into their training data sets,
they need new training on
whether and how to build sen-
tences based on those sources.
They can’t evaluate wheth-
er news reports are accurate
or not. They can’t assess argu-
ments or weigh trade-offs. They
can’t even read an encyclopedia
page and only make statements
consistent with it, or accurately
summarize the plot of a movie.
They rely on human beings to
do all these things for them.
Then they paraphrase and
remix what humans have said,
and rely on yet more human
beings to tell them whether
they’ve paraphrased and re-
mixed well. If the common
wisdom on some topic changes
– for example, whether salt is
bad for your heart or whether
early breast cancer screenings
are useful – they will need to be
extensively retrained to incor-
porate the new consensus.
Many people behind the
curtain
In short, far from being the
harbingers of totally indepen-
dent AI, large language models
illustrate the total dependence
of many AI systems, not only on
their designers and maintainers
but on their users. So if ChatGPT
gives you a good or useful an-
swer about something, remem-
ber to thank the thousands or
millions of hidden people who
wrote the words it crunched and
who taught it what were good
and bad answers.
Far from being an auton-
omous superintelligence,
ChatGPT is, like all technolo-
gies, nothing without us. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2023
Snapchat’s ‘creepy’ AI blunder reminds
us that chatbots aren’t people. But as
the lines blur, the risks grow
BY DASWIN DE SILVA, La
Trobe University
The Conversation
Artificial intelligence-pow-
ered (AI) chatbots are becom-
ing increasingly human-like by
design, to the point that some
among us may struggle to dis-
tinguish between human and
machine.
This week, Snapchat’s My AI
chatbot glitched and posted a
story of what looked like a wall
and ceiling, before it stopped
responding to users. Naturally,
the internet began to question
whether the ChatGPT-powered
chatbot had gained sentience.
A crash course in AI literacy
could have quelled this confu-
sion. But, beyond that, the inci-
dent reminds us that as AI chat-
bots grow closer to resembling
humans, managing their uptake
will only get more challenging –
and more important.
From rules-based to adap-
tive chatbots
Since ChatGPT burst onto
our screens late last year, many
digital platforms have integrat-
ed AI into their services. Even as
I draft this article on Microsoft
Word, the software’s predictive
AI capability is suggesting pos-
sible sentence completions.
Known as generative AI, this
relatively new type of AI is dis-
tinguished from its predecessors
by its ability to generate new con-
tent that is precise, human-like
and seemingly meaningful.
Generative AI tools, includ-
ing AI image generators and
chatbots, are built on large lan-
guage models (LLMs). These
computational models analyse
the associations between bil-
lions of words, sentences and
paragraphs to predict what
ought to come next in a given
text. As OpenAI co-founder Ilya
Sutskever puts it, an LLM is
Higher prices have..
❰❰ 23 households whose
living costs have in-
creased less sharply
[…] just a really, really good
next-word predictor.
Advanced LLMs are also fine-
tuned with human feedback.
This training, often delivered
through countless hours of cheap
human labour, is the reason AI
chatbots can now have seemingly
human-like conversations.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT is still the
flagship generative AI model.
Its release marked a major leap
from simpler “rules-based”
chatbots, such as those used in
online customer service.
Human-like chatbots that
talk to a user rather than at
them have been linked with
higher levels of engagement.
One study found the person-
ification of chatbots leads to
increased engagement which,
over time, may turn into psy-
chological dependence. Anoth-
er study involving stressed par-
ticipants found a human-like
chatbot was more likely to be
perceived as competent, and
therefore more likely to help
reduce participants’ stress.
These chatbots have also
been effective in fulfilling or-
ganisational objectives in var-
ious settings, including retail,
education, workplace and
healthcare settings.
Google is using generative AI
to build a “personal life coach”
that will supposedly help peo-
ple with various personal and
professional tasks, including
providing life advice and an-
swering intimate questions.
This is despite Google’s own
AI safety experts warning that
users could grow too depen-
dant on AI and may experience
“diminished health and well-
being” and a “loss of agency” if
they take life advice from it.
Friend or foe – or just a bot?
In the recent Snapchat in-
cident, the company put the
whole thing down to a “tem-
porary outage”. We may never
(renters) are not suffering.
Lower-income households,
single parents and welfare re-
Technology 27
know what actually happened; explain how they work. Yet in in it – and the bill has yet to be
it could be yet another exam- some ways (and as far as com- enforced at the time of writing
ple of AI “hallucinatng”, or the mercial entities are concerned) this article.
result of a cyberattack, or even the benefits outweigh the risks. Moreover, ChatGPT and
just an operational error. Generative AI has demon- similar chatbots are made pub-
Either way, the speed with strated its usefulness in lic as “research previews”. This
which some users assumed the big-ticket items such as pro- means they often come with
chatbot had achieved sentience ductivity, healthcare, education multiple disclosures on their
suggests we are seeing an un- and even social equity. It’s un- prototypical nature, and the
precedented anthropomor- likely to go away. So how do we onus for responsible use falls
phism of AI. It’s compounded by make it work for us? on the user.
a lack of transparency from de- Since 2018, there has been The European Union’s AI
velopers, and a lack of basic un- a significant push for govern- Act, the world’s first compre-
derstanding among the public. ments and organisations to hensive regulation on AI, has
We shouldn’t underestimate address the risks of AI. But ap- identified moderate regulation
how individuals may be misled plying responsible standards and education as the path for-
by the apparent authenticity of and regulations to a technology ward – since excess regulation
human-like chatbots. that’s more “human-like” than could stunt innovation. Similar
Earlier this year, a Belgian any other comes with a host of to digital literacy, AI literacy
man’s suicide was attributed challenges. should be mandated in schools,
to conversations he’d had with Currently, there is no legal universities and organisations,
a chatbot about climate inac- requirement for Australian and should also be made free
tion and the planet’s future. businesses to disclose the use and accessible for the public. ■
In another example, a chatbot of chatbots. In the US, Califor-
named Tessa was found to be nia has introduced a “bot bill” This article is republished
offering harmful advice to peo- that would require this, but le- from The Conversation under a
ple through an eating disorder gal experts have poked holes Creative Commons license.
helpline.
Chatbots may be particularly
harmful to the more vulnerable
among us, and especially to those
with psychological conditions.
A new uncanny valley?
You may have heard of the
“uncanny valley” effect. It refers
to that uneasy feeling you get
when you see a humanoid robot
that almost looks human, but its
slight imperfections give it away,
and it ends up being creepy.
It seems a similar experience
is emerging in our interactions
with human-like chatbots. A
slight blip can raise the hairs on
the back of the neck.
One solution might be to lose
the human edge and revert to
chatbots that are straightfor-
ward, objective and factual. But
this would come at the expense
of engagement and innovation.
Education and transpar-
ency are key
Even the developers of ad-
vanced AI chatbots often can’t
cipients’ households were in years ago, and remain in the This article is republished
the greatest financial stress five greatest financial stress today. ■ from The Conversation under a
years ago, 10 years ago and 20 Creative Commons license.
www.canadianinquirer.net
28 AUGUST 25, 2023 FRIDAY

Champagne is deeply French –
but the English invented the bubbles
BY GARRITT C VAN DYK,
University of Newcastle
The Conversation
In 1889, the Syndicat du Com-
merce des Vins de Champagne
produced a pamphlet promoting
champagne at the Exposition
Universelle in Paris, claiming
that Dom Pérignon, procura-
tor of the Benedictine Abbey of
Hautvillers from 1668, was the
“inventor”, “creator” or discov-
erer” of sparkling champagne.
“Come, Brothers! I drink
stars!” is the famous quote of-
ten attributed to him.
The story of a blind monk
having an epiphany, accidental-
ly happening upon the secret to
effervescence, was seductive. It
combined divine revelation and
French winemaking expertise
to produce a national symbol
deeply rooted in the French
landscape.
However, the truth is slight-
ly different. Dom Pérignon did
contribute to improving the
still wines of the Champagne
region, but he did not discover
effervescence – he was trying to
get rid of the bubbles.
The champagne myth
The expo where the cham-
pagne myth was propagated
marked the 100-year anniversary
of Bastille Day and is best known
for the debut of another icon of
French culture, the Eiffel Tower.
Food
The Pérignon story gained trac-
tion at the same moment these
other symbols of nation-build-
ing reinforced the uniqueness of
French culture and history.
The basis for the myth can
be traced to a letter from Dom
Grossard of Hautvillers Abbey
to the mayor of Aÿ, in the heart
of the Champagne region. Gros-
sard claimed that Pérignon had
perfected the method for mak-
ing perfectly white wine from pi-
not noir grapes (blanc de noirs),
pioneered the technique for
effervescence, and championed
the use of bottles and corks.
Only the first of these claims
is true. At the abbey, wooden
stoppers and canvas soaked in
grease were used to seal bottles,
and French glass was too weak
to contain the pressure from ef-
fervescence. A bigger problem
was that French winemakers
– and consumers – considered
bubbles a fault, a trick to dis-
tract the drinker from bad wine.
Prominent French wine
merchant Bertin de Rocheret
advised a client who inquired
about sparkling wine:
effervescence obscures the
best characteristics of good
wines, in the same way that it
improves wines of lesser quality.
Bubbles, bottles and corks
The method for efferves-
cence, strong glass bottles and
the use of corks all came from
England in the 17th century. En-
glish consumers imported wine served for building ships for “The English Paradox”. How
in barrels from France because the merchant fleet. Using sea could a country with no wine-
bottles were taxed at a higher coal, English glass furnaces making tradition pioneer the
rate than wine imported in bulk. reached higher temperatures technique for effervescence?
The wines often deteriorated and produced stronger glass. The “paradox” label, however,
during the journey across the These bottles could withstand only makes sense if the tradi-
channel and once opened, they pressure (as much as a car tyre) tions and standards of French
oxidised quickly, developing an without bursting. winemaking are presumed to
unpleasant flavour. To improve The paradox? be superior.
the taste, consumers added The only ingredient the En- Bound by tradition, French
honey, syrup made from raisins glish lacked was wine, prompt- winemakers were unwilling to
or sugar. The additional sugar ing French wine historians to
content caused a secondary fer- refer to their contribution as ❱❱ PAGE 30 Champagne is deeply
mentation – and effervescence.
In 1662, Christopher Mer-
rett, a founder of the Royal So-
ciety, published a paper titled
“Some Observations Concern-
ing the Ordering of Wines”, in
which he described the method
for effervescence:
Our winecoopers of latter times
use vast quantities of sugar and
molasses to all sorts of wines, to
make them drink brisk and spar-
kling, and to give them spirits, as
also to mend their bad tastes.
To produce sparkling wine and
retain the effervescence, three
things are necessary: bubbles,
strong glass bottles and corks.
Merrett’s method provided
the fizz, and corks were already
used in England for bottling ci-
der and perry. Strong glass in
England was a by-product of a
prohibition on using wood in
industrial furnaces, decreed by
King James I in 1615.
Timber was too valuable to
be burned for glassmaking, re-

The sniff test is not reliable for food safety – here’s why
BY MATTHEW GILMOUR,
Quadram Institute
The Conversation
I should know better, but I
admit that I do it too. I’ve just
pulled some sliced chicken out
of the fridge, as I set out to make
up some sandwiches. I notice
the chicken is within its use-by
date, but I’m still suspicious.
Another member of the fami-
ly has unlovingly ripped open
the packaging and the slices
have been sitting exposed in the
fridge for several days. Wonder-
ing if the chicken is still usable,
I give it a good sniff, hoping for
some evidence that it is still
good or has gone off.
I should know better be-
cause I’m a microbiologist, and
I know that the microbes that
I might be worried about mak-
ing me sick have no smell. Yet,
there I am, trying and failing to
give myself confidence with the
old sniff test.
It’s certainly true that some
microbes create odours when
they are growing. Favourites in-
clude the lovely smell of yeast
in freshly risen or baked bread,
which is in stark contrast to - and
please excuse the toilet humour
– the aversion we all have to the
gaseous concoctions created by
our microbes that come in the
form of flatulence or bad breath.
These gases arise when mi-
crobial populations are growing
and becoming abundant – when
the metabolism of each micro-
bial resident converts carbon
and other elements into sourc-
es of energy or building blocks
for their own cellular structure.
However, the microbes that are
most commonly associated with
foodborne illness, such as Liste-
ria and Salmonella, are going to
be near impossible to pick up
❱❱ PAGE 30 The sniff test

www.canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2023
Niyogyugan Festival back in
Quezon after 3-year halt
BY JOYCE ANN L.
ROCAMORA
Philippine News Agency
LUCENA CITY – The Niyog-
yugan Festival, Quezon province’s
annual event to celebrate its co-
conut farmers, resumed after a
three-year halt, bringing in an av-
erage of 20,000 tourists daily.
The 11-day long festival that
ended Saturday is part of the
province’s commemoration of
the birth anniversary of Presi-
dent Manuel L. Quezon.
It was the first to be held
since its last staging in 2019,
after which the Covid-19 pan-
demic canceled all events.
Data from the Quezon pro-
vincial government showed
that between 18,000 and 24,000
tourists participated in the dai-
ly activities
Quezon, which targets to
reach at least PHP7 million in
sales, had generated almost
PHP4 million by the eighth day
of the festival.
“Quezon is still the top pro-
ducing province of coconut in
the entire Philippines so we
celebrate niyog (coconut). Yu-
gyogmeans a celebration, to
dance, and make it a lively cel-
P7-M rest area in Samal Island opens for tourists
BY CHE PALICTE
Philippine News Agency
ISLAND GARDEN CITY
OF SAMAL, Davao del Norte –
Tourists coming here will now
have a comfortable place to stay
as the Department of Tourism
(DOT) turned over a completed
PHP7-million tourist rest area
(TRA) to the city government
on Friday.
The facility in Barangay
Peñaplata intends to provide an
Travel
ebration,” Quezon Provincial
Tourism Officer Nesler Louies
Almagro said in an interview.
While not as grand in scale as
compared to 2019, the festival is
nothing short of impressive and
still showcased the rich culture
Quezon has as one of the coun-
try’s top coconut producers.
Like the 2019 edition, this
year’s festival took visitors to
observe the vanishing “tagayan”
ritual, giving them a taste of the
Philippine lambanog (coconut
vodka) offered by a “tanggera/
tanggero” (server of drinks).
It featured a multitude of
local products unique to Que-
zon’s cities and municipalities,
such as Lucban’s pancit habhab
(noodles with pork and vegeta-
bles, eaten from a banana leaf
sans utensils), Infanta’s suman
sa gata (rice cake with coconut
milk, wrapped in banana leaf ),
among others.
At the grand parade on Sat-
urday, 27 towns participated
and displayed Quezon prov-
ince’s storied past and tradition
through floats and street dance.
Gumaca made it known that
the Philippines’ first registered
architect ,Tomás Mapúa, was
from the town and incorporated
his design, the so-called Gumaca
enhanced tourism experience for
tourists coming to the island with
an available information kiosk,
a pasalubong center, restrooms,
and a resting area for visitors.
In her speech during the
turnover ceremony, DOT Sec-
retary Christina Frasco said she
led the turnover of the facility
as a way to fulfill the promise of
President Ferdinand R. Marcos
Jr. to spread countrywide de-
velopment through tourism.
“It aims to fulfill the vision
of the President to enhance
Type Presidencia, in its float.
Atimonan gave a glimpse of
its devotion to Nuestra Señora
de los Angeles (Blessed Mother
of Angels) and brought visitors
to its very own Tagultol Fish-
ing Festival, delighting street
with dancers reenacting the
town’s popular fishing method
“tagultol” (a rectangular stone
tied at the end of abaca or hemp
strings dipped in honey).
General Luna’s three-meter
float, meanwhile, captured the
town’s distinct Catholic tradi-
tion, the Centurion Festival,
characterized by colorful Roman
costumes, painted masks and
helmets, that can only be experi-
enced during the Holy Week.
Still, the theme is common.
Be it coco lumber or coconut
husks as props and float materi-
al, the locals made sure to cele-
brate the revered “niyog.”
‘Reintroducing Quezon’
Quezon Governor Angelina
Tan said the province will stage
another Niyogyugan in 2024.
Coconuts aside, the festival
also served as an avenue to rein-
troduce Quezon to tourists and
promote the province’s numer-
ous destinations.
“When you’re in Quezon,
there are a lot of options and
the entire tourism experience
by investing in infrastructure,
connectivity, digitalization, in-
novation and by strengthening
tourism governance among
our national, local, and private
partners,” she added.
The TRA here is the second in
Mindanao, with the first inaugu-
rated earlier this month in Mano-
lo Fortich, Bukidnon province.
“We want the Philippines to
bounce back through tourism.
We have seen that tourism has
given various opportunities to
www.canadianinquirer.net
OPEN PARTY. Street dancers from Quezon province delight visitors with a teaser of
their performance for the street dance competition of the 2023 Niyogyugan Festival
in Lucena City on Saturday (Aug. 19, 2023). The event that celebrates coconut, the
province’s top product, is back after a three-year pandemic halt. (JOEY RAZON/PNA)
choices that tourists can visit.
Nearby Lucena City, we have Ta-
yabas, we have Lucban, we have
Sariaya where the beaches are
nice, we also have Mount Bana-
haw so they have others to visit
aside from Niyogyugan,” she told
reporters in a press conference.
Tan said the number of des-
tinations that are more acces-
sible to tourists is also growing
due to efforts to enhance tour-
ism infrastructure.
“Maraming magaganda na po
ang daan, like when you go to
Alibijaban in San Andres, Que-
zon, maganda po ang daan pap-
unta roon, ma-i-expereince nila
‘yung difference from before na
ayaw mong pumunta na kahit
kotse mahirap idaan (We have
a lot of places with improved
our fellowmen to improve their
lives,” Frasco said.
She said the DOT has built
10 TRAs all over the country
to give micro, small and medi-
um enterprises a chance to sell
their products.
“Currently, we are plotting
where we can strategically put the
additional 15 TRAs. I can assure
you that we can add much more in
the two that we inaugurated here
in Mindanao,” Frasco said.
Last year, Frasco said around
5.3 million Filipinos have been
29
roads already like Alibijaban in
San Andres, Quezon, it’s a nice
destination. It’s no longer like
before where you’d rather not
go because it’s hard to drive
there even by car),” Tan said.
Tan assured tourists that
Quezon is safe for travel.
“Quezon’s insurgency-free
declaration is a good compo-
nent of tourism right now be-
cause in the past they are afraid
of visiting Quezon. Our police
can attest that it is safe to go to
Quezon,” she said.
Earlier, the Department of
Tourism launched the REINA
Tourism Circuit of Quezon,
targeting adventurous tourists
with Real, Infanta, and General
Nakar’s attractions, including
alternative surfing spots. ■
employed in the tourism sector.
In an interview, Island Gar-
den City of Samal (IGACOS)
Mayor Al David Uy acknowl-
edged the DOT for the facility
given to their city.
“It is a big help because we now
have an additional area where
the tourist can rest, [inquire] if
they need information, and go to
a clean comfort room,” he said.
Uy assured the local govern-
ment will provide the manpow-
er and local products to make
the facility sustainable. ■
 30
Gender inequality will..
❰❰ 22 strength and power.
In contrast, men’s
gymnastics events are
organized to emphasize the ath-
letes’ strength and power.
These gender-based differ-
ences are examples of gender
inequality.
Complete gender equality
In cases where sports are
gender-differentiated, wom-
en’s sports are designed to be a
lesser version than the men’s.
Women’s races are shorter,
The sniff test..
❰❰ 28 with the sniff test.
Even if present –
and the risk is thank-
fully relatively low – these bac-
teria would probably be at such
a small amount in the food that
any metabolic action (and then
odour production) would be
entirely imperceptible to our
noses.
Also, any eau de Listeria
would be indistinguishable
from the minor odours that
would be made by the more
abundant microbial species
that are common and expected
to be on our foods, and which
cause us no health concerns.
Yes, there’s a very small chance
that Listeria may be present in
the smoked salmon that I picked
up at the coastal smokehouse last
week. But absolutely no chance
that my olfactory senses can de-
tect any hints of Listeria over the
delicious smells of the dill and
salts and smoke that make up the
product.
Back to my sandwich con-
struction. There’s even less of
a chance of smelling any Sal-
monella on the tomato that I
dug out from the fruit and veg
drawer in the fridge – even if I
had super Salmonella-smell-
ing powers, which I don’t. If
this pathogen was ever present
on the tomato, it was probably
introduced by contaminated
water on the farm while the to-
mato was growing, so it is not
on the surface of the tomato but
within the tomato and doubly
impossible to smell.
Spoiled food can smell,
though
But it is possible to detect
when food is spoiled – anoth-
er action of microbes, as they
eat away at food that has been
left for too long or has been in
the wrong storage conditions.
This is one of the reasons why
a more appropriate use of the
there are fewer weight catego-
ries, equipment and venues are
lighter and smaller and women
wear more revealing uniforms.
Differences in men’s and
women’s conditions of par-
ticipation are the result of
decisions made by those who
control Olympic sports — deci-
sion-makers who continue to
be predominantly men. The dif-
ferences are not naturally oc-
curring, nor are they universal.
In fact, there are several
sniff test is to suss out spoiled
milk and help limit food waste,
rather than throw out milk that
might otherwise be safe. And
for some foods – think of the
microbial contribution to the
finest cheeses – it is a culinary
attribute to be malodorous.
While my wife disagrees with
the aromatic attributes of some
fermented foods, such as kim-
chi, and has banned them from
the house, these are definitely
not spoiled and should not be
destined for the bin. Instead,
for other foods, such as fresh
fruits or vegetables or milk,
I still pay heed to any odours
suggestive of spoilage and take
these as a warning to do a bet-
ter job of storing that particular
food type in the future – or to
make less or buy less of it if I’m
not eating it in time.
I also reflect that some of the
causes of foodborne illness are
still unknown to us. While many
cases of illness are known to be
caused by bacterial contami-
nants such as Campylobacter
or the other microbes I’ve men-
tioned, there are just as many
cases where we don’t yet know
the source. But we’re getting
better at this too, with scientists
creating tools much more accu-
rate than our nose at detecting
food-borne pathogens.
So, if I’m ever worried about
becoming sick from my food,
my energies are best spent on
storing them at the right tem-
perature and cooking them for
the right amount of time, rather
than trusting my nose to sniff
out a pathogen. I wouldn’t even
trust my nose to tell the differ-
ence between a cabernet and
shiraz, let alone a Campylo-
bacter and Salmonella. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
sports and events on the Olym-
pic programme that are not
gender-differentiated. For ex-
ample, men and women ath-
letes competing in archery and
badminton use the same venue,
equipment and rules.
This is evidence of internal
contradictions in the Olympic
programme; some events are
constructed to be different for
men and women athletes, while
others are not. This reinforces
the need to identify and explain
Just the beginning:..
❰❰ 21 money, remains the
elephant in the room.
Total prize money for
this year’s women’s tournament
was US$110 million (A$165
million), while the total for the
2022 men’s edition was US$440
million (A$688 million).
FIFA has paid lip service to
achieving prize money parity in
coming years, but there’s little
to stop it getting there now —
especially off the back of record
ticket sales.
7. ‘Correct the internet’
Women’s contributions have
How gender inequality..
❰❰ 24 Such a review would
need to look at all stag-
es of life and aspects of
society that are involved in the
socialisation of gender roles,
and the impact these have, from
both a human rights and an
economic perspective. There
is already evidence that gender
inequality is leading to mental
health issues in Japan, espe-
cially for divorcees and single
mothers.
This review would also offer
Champagne is deeply..
❰❰ 28 contemplate a fault as
a desirable innovation.
Driven by necessity,
and without any winemaking
rules, English consumers were
free to experiment.
But necessity was only part of
the equation – English culture
did play a part in the success
of effervesce. Reserving tim-
ber for the English fleet made
for stronger glass, and cider
and perry production provided
corks to seal the bottles.
www.canadianinquirer.net
the remaining examples of gen-
der-based differences.
These internal contradictions
also require further attention
from the IOC and the adoption
of a more complete definition
of gender equality — one that
includes opportunity and status.
The IOC needs to look beyond
the numbers and work with in-
ternational federations to ad-
dress athletes’ conditions of
participation in the same sports.
Crucially, embracing and en-
traditionally been devalued or
overlooked (a phenomenon
known in science as the “Matil-
da effect”). This has happened
across many domains, includ-
ing women’s football.
For example, often the histor-
ical record has seen football re-
cords such as the world’s leading
international goalscorer misat-
tributed to men. This is actual-
ly Canadian forward Christine
Sinclair, having scored 190 in-
ternational goals, not Cristiano
Ronaldo, who’s scored 123.
Former New Zealand inter-
an opportunity for feedback
from the younger generation.
Research shows that many
younger Japanese are becoming
disenchanted with traditional
gender roles. They are looking at
new ways of living by choosing
careers outside the echelons of
power within Japanese society.
They are also rejecting the insti-
tution of marriage.
Japan has the opportunity to
rewrite its gender equality tra-
jectory. Doing so would hopeful-
The French champagne in-
dustry now claims effervescence
was not invented, but is a natu-
ral product of the soil and cli-
mate in a strictly defined region.
Natural fermentation does
produce some fizz, but rarely
enough to pop a cork without
the intervention of a winemak-
er. The emphasis on nature
reinforces the exclusivity and
unique geographic attributes to
distinguish champagne from all
other sparkling wines.
AUGUST 25, 2023 FRIDAY
forcing gender equality should
not mean using men’s sports
as the standard (e.g., increas-
ing the length of women’s rac-
es to be the same as the men’s
distance). Rather, this is an
opportunity for international
federations to determine the
best possible conditions for all
athletes in their sports. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
national footballer Rebecca
Sowden has launched a cam-
paign to “correct the internet”,
aided by a gender-bias-cor-
recting approach Google an-
nounced in July.
Efforts such as this aim to
accurately place the women at
the centre of this cultural and
sporting revolution, appropri-
ately affording them their place
in history. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
ly include other representations
of gender and diversity that have
so far not been widely accepted
within Japanese society, or pro-
tected within the law. Same-sex
marriage is still unconstitution-
al in some prefectures. Societal
change at this level will take a
generation. The conversation
needs to start now. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
A more complex history of
the origin of effervescence chal-
lenges preconceptions about na-
tional identity, even in matters
of taste. This does not diminish
champagne’s luxury status, but
it does reveal the influence of
cultural traditions on innova-
tion, and the many influences
that pave the way to novelty. ■
This article is republished
from The Conversation under a
Creative Commons license.
 AUGUST 25, 2020
JULY 17, 2023 cx328
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