ENVIRONMENT

On climate change and air conditioners

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By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

AS TEMPERATURES rise and the city begins to feel like one of Dante’s nine circles of hell, air conditioner temperature settings are sure to be adjusted to the coldest option. But in attempt to save ourselves from sweat, Mother Earth breaks into tears; climate change is her protest.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2015 was the hottest year the world has experienced yet. Meanwhile, summer has truly settled in the Philippines — the Accuweather Web site forecasts this weekend’s temperature high in Metro Manila and Davao City at a sweltering 35 degrees Celcius (°C). Cebu will be a bit cooler at 33° to 34°C.

“Extremely hot days are the new normal. We are now reaching extremes that should set off alarm bells,” said climate change advocate and former US vice-president Al Gore, Jr. when he visited the country on March 14 to 16 for a climate mitigation program.

It was 34°C in Manila, a Monday afternoon, when Mr. Gore came to the Philippines, but the air conditioning units at the hotel Sofitel, where he gave his talk, saved the audience of 700 people from the stifling weather.

Majority of business buildings in the country have air condition systems, while only 10% of households in the country do according to Concepcion-Carrier Air Conditioning Co. (CCAC), a leading provider of air conditioners in the country.

These air conditioners can be a major source of greenhouse gasses and ozone harming chemicals. The Montreal Protocol aims to stop the thinning of the ozone layer through commitments by countries, including the Philippines, to phase out R-22 refrigerants by 2030. The goal is to introduce to the market friendlier alternative cooling agents like R-32 and R-290.

The successful mitigation of climate change is the sum total of efforts of private and government sectors. “It is never easy to be green, but we can do it because we have no choice,” said Raul Joseph Concepcion, CCAC president at a press conference on March 10.

CCAC is behind the Green Footprints Movement, which aims to increase public awareness of climate change and environment-friendly consumer choices. According to Mr. Concepcion, simply cleaning an air conditioner unit regularly and setting the thermostat one degree higher saves as much as 6% of a household’s energy consumption.

One of easiest ways for private citizens to do their part for Mother Earth is to switch off aircons from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closing one unit on weekends. It is also advisable to set the aircon to 25°C, which is easier said than done considering the humidity in the country.

“As a nation, we can help reduce carbon emission by as much as 165,946 tons of CO2 per year,” said Mr. Concepcion. This is equivalent to the carbon footprint of 45,341 medium-sized cars that traveled 12,000 kilometers in one year.

In its own efforts to meet the country’s Montreal Protocol target, CCAC now carries environment-friendly air condition units.

“Ninety-six percent of our air conditioning products have already been converted to using environmentally responsive refrigerants and we expect to make 100% product conversion within the year,” said Harold Pernikar, Jr., CCAC director and head of the consumer solutions group.

Condura and Carrier are some of its brands. The appliances come with a green seal to signify that they are environment friendly.

ENVIRONMENT

Fast Facts on Climate Change

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EXTREMELY hot days are the new normal thanks to climate change, said former US vice-president and climate change advocate Al Gore, Jr., before an audience of 700 from the Philippines and 80 other countries. Mr. Gore was in the country on March 14 to 16 for a climate mitigation program.

In a two-hour presentation, Mr. Gore, a 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner, said 93% of the heat trapped by man-made pollution is absorbed by the oceans, which can cause huge and powerful typhoons like super-typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) that devastated the central Philippines in 2013.

Here are some climate change-related facts and figures from Mr. Gore’s presentation.

• February 2016 was the 372nd consecutive month with global temperatures above the 20th century average.

• Over 1,200 people died in Iran, Iraq and Pakistan’s heat wave last year. The heat index (a quantity expressing the discomfort felt as a result of the combined effects of the temperature and humidity of the air) in Bandar Mahshahr, Iran reached 74° Celsius on July 31 2015.

• The Philippines is the most vulnerable county when it comes to the effects of climate change, having experienced 328 weather-related major events from 1994 to 2013. It is followed by Bangladesh, Vietnam, Pakistan and Guatemala.

• From 2006 to 2010, drought turned 60% of Syria’s fertile land into desert and drove 1.5 million people into Syria’s already crowded cities.

• By 2050, the warmer waters in the southern Philippines could decrease the maximum fish catch potential by 50%.

• Enough solar energy reaches the Earth every hour to power the world’s energy needs for a full year.

“A will to act is in itself a renewable resource,” said Mr. Gore, who’s pushing for alternative and more environment-friendly energy resources like solar, wind, and geothermal power.

GOING OUT

10 years of Art in the Park

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By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

Art Fair
Art in the Park
April 3, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Jaime Velasquez Park, Salcedo Village, Makati City

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  Dancing in the Park by Charlie Co, oil on canvas, 36in x 36in, 2012

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IMAGINED as a chill stroll in a park for artists and enthusiasts, Art in the Park, which marks its 10th year on April 3, is now anything but. Dubbed as the country’s “most significant affordable art fair,” it has, over the years, welcomed throngs of excited art lovers and artists of all stripes. It has expanded to take over the parking are next to the park, has sold thousands of cut-price yet world-class artworks, and baptized incoming artists as the next superstars.

“Art should not be intimidating and… one can appreciate it in a relaxed, informal setting,” Art in the Park (AIP) co-chair Trickie Lopa toldBusinessWorld in 2013. Three years later, as AIP turns 10, this goal remains the same: the park is an inviting gallery and that art is available for everyone.

Without entrance fee, anybody can appreciate the art at the Jaime Velasquez park in the middle of Makati’s Salcedo Village, this coming Sunday.

THE EVOLUTION
“Our participants really prepare for Art in the Park. We expect them to offer gems, as always Because of the request for larger pieces, we’ve agreed to raise the price ceiling to P50,000,” said Ms. Lopa in an e-mail interview on March 29. The original ceiling price was P30,000.

From the 12 art galleries that participated that first year, this year’s art fair features almost 60 art galleries, collectives, and student groups. Some of the participating galleries are 1335 Mabini, Silverlens, Art Lab, Altro Mondo, Ysobel, and Vinyl on Vinyl. Be ready to get dizzy with all manner of art, from paintings to photographs, sculpture to pottery, jewelry and installations, all selling for under P50,000.

Art in the Park benefits the operations of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines in its mission to create awareness for the National Museum and its network.

LIMITED EDITION PRINTS AND SPECIAL SHOWS
To mark its 10th anniversary, AIP is reproducing signed limited edition prints from 10 artists whose artworks have adorned the fair’s postcard invitations. The artists are Jomike Tejido, Joy Mallari, Jose Santos III, Dex Fernandez, Pete Jimenez, Rodel Tapaya, Geraldine Javier, Charlie Co, Pamela Yan-Santos, and Marina Cruz.

“Every year, for the past eight years, we’ve asked an artist for an image that we can use for our post cards. Eight of the artists in the set have given us images in the past. Two of them (Charlie Co and Pete Jimenez) are mainstays of the fair: they always have works at the fair, either for sale or as a special exhibit. So in a sense, all 10 artists embody what Art in the Park is all about,” said Ms. Lopa.

Amid the busy art market, there will also be a special exhibit of wax sculptures by celebrated sculptor Daniel dela Cruz, who won the gold medal at the Festival of Nativities in Rome, Italy in 2008, besting 131 entries from 71 countries. His featured work at the AIP showcase this year will be wax sculptures of four-foot tall standing male figures, some holding metal umbrellas. According to the AIP organizers, the sculptures are meant to gradually melt away like candles throughout the day until the fair draws to a close at 10 p.m. The installation will be by the park entrance at Velasquez St.

Aside from Mr. Dela Cruz’s work, other highlights of the 10thanniversary are, according to Ms. Lopa, an interactive activity by Globe Platinum involving Instagram and selfies, which will be anchored around a sculpture by Pete Jimenez at the Tordesillas St. entrance. “There will also be a charging station for cell phones and gadgets,” she noted.

AIP has grown over the years and has thought of marrying art and technology, which resonates most especially with its young audience. But, Ms. Lopa said, “the beauty of Art in the Park is that we appeal to a broad range of visitors: seasoned collectors, young professionals, students, kids. You’ll find them all at the fair.”

Arts & Leisure

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Posted on March 30, 2016 05:31:00 PM

Who’s up for some barbecue tonight?

  

IF YOU missed devouring bacon, steak, ham, and all the meats that you chose to forgo because of the Holy Week, tonight is the best time for a sweet indulgence.

ITALIAN pork kebabs from the Straight Up grill buffet at Seda BGC’s rooftop bar.

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Alone or with friends, go straight to Seda BGC, where, at the roof deck bar, is an unlimited food offering called Straight Up. Choose from the dinner buffet that includes meat choices like sausages, grilled chicken, banana wrapped with grilled bacon strips, and all sorts of barbecue, plus seafood like grilled prawns, salmon, and blue marlin. There are pastas and desserts, too.

Available on Thursdays to Saturdays, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., the buffet costs P900++. Besides the unlimited food servings, another bonus is the view of the metro skyline at night, cooled by a steady breeze.

Included in many lists as one of the best bars in the metro, Straight Up complements its good food with good music. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, bossa nova, jazz, and soul float through the al fresco venue. On Fridays, dance music from the 1970s to the ’90s play courtesy of guest DJs. A combination of lounge and retro music meanwhile fills the air on Saturday nights.

But if a late night out is not in the cards, there’s a pre-dinner pica-pica (bar chow) offering from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. called “aperi-grill,” from apericena, an Italian prelude to dinner. It follows the same idea of the unlimited grill nights, where one can choose from the grill buffet with an order of a mocktail or alcoholic drink. So who’s up for an unlimited barbecue night? -- Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

FOCUS

Herstory

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By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman, Reporter

International Women’s Month may be over, but the fight for gender equality never ends. Because, yes, “the struggle is real.”

According to the Philippine Commission on Women’s (PCW) “State of the Filipino Women Report 2015,” while more women than men may have higher educational attainments, it is estimated that men are still earning more.

While the literacy rate among women is 97%, just one percent higher than men, and the enrollment rate of both males and females in primary education is 90%, when it comes to enrollment in tertiary and secondary education, 38% and 70% of women respectively are enrolled in school, compared with men at 30% and 60%.

Despite the difference in educational attainment — although there is no absolute correlation between wages and education — more men are employed and receive better compensation than women.

The report said that 81% of men are part of the labor force compared with 53% of women.

In local politics, the men got the lion’s share of the seats in the legislature, 73%, while women make up only 27% of legislators. There is also a big gap when it comes to ministerial positions: 80% versus 20%.

According to PCW deputy executive director for management services Cecile B. Gutierrez, who spoke with BusinessWorld at the sidelines of a press conference about International Women’s Month on March 16, the unequal distribution of political empowerment and economic participation and opportunities between genders is one of the reasons why men have a higher estimated income than women: $8,184 (P380, 355.49) compared with $5,643 (P262,261.25).

GIVING ADVICE
The PCW is the primary policy-making and coordinating body on women and gender equality in the country. It doesn’t offer services, but gives advice to other government agencies.

“We don’t have direct services, but we point out services to other agencies like the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE),” said Ms. Gutierrez.

The PCW is mandated to: “review, evaluate, and recommend measures, including priorities to ensure the full integration of women for economic, social and cultural development at national, regional and international levels, and to ensure further equality between women and men.”

“The gender equality advocacy is not to overpower the men but to create equal and unlimited opportunities without barriers for women to achieve their full potential,” said PCW information resource management division officer-in-charge Honey M. Castro.

An example of their recommendations, according to Ms. Castro, is that women empowerment and equality should start at the education level.

“We advise DepEd through our board in making textbooks stop [using] stereotypes. We try to change the mind-set and to break the stereotypes,” she said. These include the use of stereotypical job roles (illustrations of men as engineers while women are often portrayed as homemakers) and gender insensitive words like using “he” to mean all of humanity.

“Women can be engineers, too,” she said.

“When we segregate jobs, [the] majority still have this mind-set… it starts with education [at the basic level]. The recent development is when parents themselves call the attention of teachers [about this].

“It takes decades, and even more, of mind changing,” said Ms. Gutierrez.

PRIVATE SECTOR
Empowerment of women may still have a long way to go, but there are initiatives, both private and governmental, toward getting to the goal.

In celebration of Women’s Month, one of Procter & Gamble’s detergent brands, Ariel, supported the PCW with its “Ahon Pinay” advocacy program, which targets the gender’s professional capabilities.

Mimi Lopez Malvar, P&G country government relations manager, said the program started in Vietnam in October 2015. “It can be said that the struggles of women resonate with us. They resonate with developing countries.”

Among other activities, “Ahon Pinay” provides grants and facilities to female students at the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) Women’s Center to help them with their training courses, especially those women training for “manly” jobs like plumbing and welding. Apparently, more and more women are getting these kinds of jobs because they work with caution, precision, and attention to details.

In 2013, P&G’s hair care brand Pantene had television commercials called “Labels Against Women,” which illustrated some societal double standards: for instance, a man is labeled “neat” when he takes care of himself but women are called “vain” and “show-offs.”

“We’ve reached far,” said Ms. Gutierrez, “but we still have a long journey toward achieving gender equality.”

New treatment for lung and skin cancers ‘better’ than chemo

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By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

A NEW DRUG is now available in the Philippines that can treat advanced skin and lung cancers, better than chemotherapy.

“But of course I don’t want to keep everyone’s hopes high. It’s not a wonder drug,” said St. Luke’s Medical Center Global City Cancer Institute head Dr. Gerardo Cornelio in a press conference on March 17 at Diamond Hotel.

Pembrolizumab has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of advanced or metastatic lung cancer and skin cancer (melanoma) for which the first-line treatment, chemotherapy, has failed.

“It has the potential to become an integral part of cancer treatment. It has and will be treated across a broad spectrum of cancers,” said Dr. Cornelio.

The drug is given intravenously every three weeks with dosage at 2mg/kg. The price starts at P100,000 and varies based on the dosage level and condition of the patient.

Used by people whose cancers are not responsive to chemotherapy, Pembrolizumab is currently available at the Philippine General Hospital, Asian Hospital, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, and two other centers in Cebu.

“The patients are outpatients, but they should stay inside the room for 30 minutes before they leave,” said Mr. Cornelio. He added: “I give them pre-medication for my peace of mind.”

Pre-medication includes preparing the patient for liver and thyroid tests, because one of the side effects of the treatment is hypothyroidism. Unlike chemotherapy, Pembrolizumab doesn’t cause hair loss.

“Chemotherapy has improved over the years. It still works, but the side effects include the targetting of normal cells,” said Dr. Cornelio. “The limitations of chemotherapy responses are partial, brief, and with unpredictable side effects.”

IMMUNOTHERAPY
The world is in continuous search for other cancer treatments besides classical chemotherapy. A recent breakthrough innovation in the United States, immunotherapy was recently approved by the FDA and is now available in the Philippines with pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD), which is involved in oncology research and development, as the pioneer provider. MSD Philippines is a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck and Co. Inc.

Immunotherapy uses a patient’s own immune system to fight diseases such as cancer. One type of immunotherapy is immune checkpoint inhibitors, which is a form of cancer treatment that prevents the interaction between a tumor and the immune system’s T-cells, which recognize and destroy cancer cells. When the two interact, a protein in the tumor called programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) deactivates T-cells. Pembrolizumab is an anti PD-LI immunotherapy drug, which prevents the tumor from deactivating T-cells.

Dr. Cornelio highlighted said in his presentation that PD-L1 is “not an absolutely predictive biomarker.” Biomarkers are proteins found in tissue, blood, or other fluids that can determine the outcome of a patient’s disease or response to medication.

STATISTICS
According to the World Health Organization, there were 8.2 million cancer-related deaths in 2012, and lung cancer is the significant contributor to that number. The number of cases is expected to rise to 22 million in the next 20 years. In the Philippines, oncologist Ena R. Ang said lung cancer is the second most common in incidence and mortality in both men and women. The most common type of lung cancer is non-small cell lung cancer, which is the focus of the immunotherapy.

Meanwhile, melanoma accounts for less than 5% of all skin cancer cases in the Philippines, “but it is the most difficult to treat,” said Dr. Ang.

Among Asian patients with melanoma, the affected parts are most often the mouth, eyes, soles of the feet, and palms. “We don’t actively look for it so the treatment [for melanoma] is late,” she said.

Since neither chemotherapy nor immunotherapy assure a patient’s survival, especially if the cancers are advanced, the doctors could not overemphasize the importance of early diagnosis and treatment, both for lung and skin cancers. Prevention and detection, after all, are better than cure.

“Majority [of the skin and lung cancers] are diagnosed at the late stage,” said Ms. Ang. “The survival rate [in these cases] is low: 7%… The higher the stage the lower the survival rate.”

Arts & Leisure

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Posted on March 22, 2016 05:07:00 PM

By Nickky F. P. de Guzman, Reporter

Saving grace: Why San Sebastian should be part of your Visita Iglesia

A SIGHT of towering beauty in the midst of a busy street in Quiapo, the San Sebastian Church -- also known as Basilica Menor de San Sebastian -- has witnessed the cries for help and of worship of churchgoers ever since it opened in 1891. But for this Holy Week -- and the coming days and years -- the centuries-old church itself is appealing to its visitors to help its current restoration crusade.

  

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SAN SEBASTIAN’s columns and dome, the altar and the church’s facade. There is a restoration project ongoing to repair the damage caused by rust in the country’s only all-metal church. -- ESTAN CABIGAS

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On March 24, Maundy Thursday, the country’s oldest basilica and the first National Shrine for Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, is inviting visitors to take a 10-minute free tour between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to get to know the history and importance of the church and to witness its beauty, and, unfortunately, the deterioration of the country’s first and only all-metal building.

“Just as Visita Iglesia is an expression of our devotion, our penitence, and our faith, so, too, is the Minor Basilica of St. Sebastian,” Fr. Antonio Zabala, Jr., OSA, San Sebastian’s parish priest and the rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is quoted saying in a statement.

The San Sebastian Conservation and Development Foundation, Inc. (SSBCDFI) is the foundation at the helm of the church’s restoration. It offers year-round paid tours for at least P80 for students, but the tour is free for all visitors and pilgrims tomorrow.

“We rally the faithful to help us in its restoration project so that we can truly affirm the strength of our faith,” said Fr. Zabala.

The SSBCDFI is a Security and Exchanged Commission-approved organization composed of Recollect friars and professionals with one target in mind: to finish the restoration process by 2022.

“The problem is not that the building is in a tropics environment, but that it has over 300 leaks. For steel to not rust, the paint on it must be intact. This way, it can survive easily in the tropics. So the problem is not steel in the Philippines, but that deferred maintenance, some poor repairs, and some flaws in design or construction in the past have encouraged these leaks, which causes rust,” said SSBCDI executive director Tina Paterno in an e-mail interview.

The basilica has had previous repair campaigns. “I don’t know if they were full-fledged restorations,” said Ms. Paterno, but according to their historic research, there were about 11 (and “probably more unrecorded”) restoration campaigns.

To prevent the recurrence of the same problem after the ongoing restoration campaign ends in 2022, Ms. Paterno said: “We currently run tours and have a merchandise program that will help make our work sustainable during the restoration, and can carry over when the project is done. That money will be used for [the church’s] proper maintenance so that we do not find ourselves in the same situation in the future.”

As for how much the project will cost and how are they going to cover it, Ms. Paterno begged off from stating a specific amount until the foundation’s final study. “The funding for the diagnostic phase was through the Recollects and the US Department of State through the Ambassador’s fund for Cultural Preservation, administered through the Embassy Manila,” she said. They also received grants from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Bakas Pilipinas, a Philippine historic preservation society in New York.

Designed by Genaro Palacios, the structural metal of the church was manufactured in Belgium and erected by Belgian engineers. It took a decade to finish the church from concept to execution. According to Ms. Paterno, seven countries came together to produce the church, “and now nationals from different countries are again coming together to save it.”

They have sought help from consultants who have worked on similar structures including San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge and New York’s Statue of Liberty. But contrary to popular belief, the church is not related to Paris’ Eiffel Tower, although both are made of steel.

“Do not believe what you read online!” said Ms. Paterno. “We’ve been researching [about] this (the relationship between Eiffel and San Sebastian) for a while, and it does not look likely.”

This is just one of the educational tidbits the church tours share with pilgrims and visitors.

Oftentimes, people who are used to seeing and passing by a historical edifice tend to take for granted its meaning and importance, and will only remember it once it is already deteriorating. So when asked why people should visit San Sebastian, Ms Paterno said: “[The churchgoers] should walk out recognizing what a unique building this is. That this is one of the last remaining churches with authentic interiors...”

Author and philosopher Alain de Botton in his book The Art of Travel emphasized this when he said, “Try, before taking off for distant hemispheres to notice what we have already seen.”

TOUR ITINERARY SUGGESTION: 
If you plan to do your Visita Iglesia in the Manila area, here is a route suggested by the folks of San Sebastian:

Start with the twin churches of Our Lady of Loreto and Saint Anthony on J. Figueras St. (old Bustillos); then move on to the Our Lady of Montserrat chapel at San Beda on Mendiola St., followed by Saint Jude Church and San Miguel Church along J.P. Laurel Sr. St., in Malacanang. Continue the pilgrimage at the Quiapo Church, and then end at San Sebastian church on Plaza del Carmen, R. Hidalgo St., Quiapo, Manila.

For more information, contact the foundation through e-mail (savesansebastian.org@gmail.com) and landline (708-5122).