BASCAP and Philippines IP Office to bolster cooperation to stop counterfeiting and piracy

SINGAPORE: ICC’s Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that sets the foundation for cooperation on intellectual property protection and enforcement initiatives. The goal of the MOU is to foster increased collaboration on intellectual property rights (IPR) that will benefit Philippines consumers as well as international and local brand owners.

Representing BASCAP, Meena Sayal, Unilever's Director of Global Brand Protection, presented the agreement to Allan Gepty, Director General of IPOPHL, last week at the 5th annual Global IP Forum in Singapore. She said: "The IPOPHL has developed a strong enforcement program. BASCAP's members appreciate these efforts and are keen to support IPOPHL's efforts as demonstrated through the signature of this MOU."

"BASCAP and IPOPHL share a common commitment to step up efforts to protect intellectual property and to guard Philippine consumers from the harms caused by product counterfeiting and copyright piracy. We look forward to working together to find ways to stop the trade in fakes in the Philippines and in the region," said BASCAP Director Jeff Hardy, who signed the agreement. "The Philippines IPO has been a leader in the region and in ASEAN on IP protection and enforcement and we welcome the opportunity to collaborate on future initiatives that will help both our organizations achieve the goal of wiping out the serious problems created by criminals selling and distributing fakes."

BASCAP and IPOPHL share a common commitment to step up efforts to protect intellectual property and to guard Philippine consumers from the harms caused by product counterfeiting and copyright piracy

Mr Gepty said: "The accession of the Philippines to the Madrid Protocol provides brand owners, particularly foreign brands, with one cost-effective way of protecting their intellectual property rights, particularly trademarks. This MOU with BASCAP demonstrates the commitment of the Philippine government to work with stakeholders and ensure enforcement of these rights."

Under the MOU, the organizations agree to share data, materials and best practices and to cooperate on joint programs and projects. BASCAP and IPOPHL are already collaborating on a public awareness campaign in the Philippines using BASCAP's global "Fakes Cost More, I Buy Real" campaign materials. Both organizations expect to identify additional specific projects to be completed over the next 12 months. - ICC

About BASCAP

The drain on businesses and the global economy from counterfeit goods and piracy of intellectual property is of great concern to ICC member companies worldwide. Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) is an ICC initiative that unites the global business community across all product sectors to address issues associated with intellectual property theft and to petition for greater commitments by local, national and international officials in the enforcement and protection of intellectual property rights. Visit: www.iccwbo.org/bascap

About IPOPHL

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is the primary government agency tasked to administer and implement state policies, laws, rules and regulations in the promotion, protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights. IPOPHL works towards economic, technological, and socio-cultural development by communicating, enabling, and ensuring the effective use of the Intellectual Property System in all levels of society for the creation, protection, utilization, and enforcement of Intellectual Property. Visit: http://www.ipophil.gov.ph/

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Tourist blatantly breaks Davao city's anti-smoking ordinance, swallows cigarette butt

Duterte forces smoking tourist to swallow cigarette butt

* A local tourist openly defied Davao City’s anti-smoking ordinance

* He also mocked the restaurant owner who confronted him about the violation

* Duterte poked gun at the man’s crotch and gave the smoker three choices

* The man ended up eating his own cigarette

'Papiliin kita: barilin ko ang bayag mo, i-preso kita, o kainin mo ang upos ng sigarilyo mo,' asks the feisty Davao City mayor of a tourist caught smoking

 

MANILA, Philippines – A tourist literally got a taste of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s non-conventional style of law enforcement.

A Filipino tourist was forced by the mayor to swallow the butt of the cigarette he was smoking after refusing to follow Davao City’s famed smoking ban, according to a Facebook post in a page calling for Duterte’s presidential bid.

The post was written by former North Cotabato governor and former journalist Manny Piñol, who openly supports a presidential candidacy for Duterte.

The tourist was in the city for the Kadayawan Festival when he dared to smoke in a restaurant one night, read the post, crediting “sources close to” Duterte for the information.

The restaurant owner informed the tourist of the anti-smoking ordinance in the city which prohibits smoking in public places.

The smoker allegedly asked, “On whose orders? Bakit pera ba ni Duterte and binibili ko ng sigarilyo? (Why, am I using Duterte’s money to buy a cigarette?)”

Unfortunately for the tourist, the restaurant owner turned out to be a friend of Duterte. The owner asked the police to inform Duterte of the tourist’s transgression.

A few minutes later, the mayor himself walked into the restaurant, prompting the shocked tourist to drop his cigarette and step on it.

Duterte then sat beside the tourist, “pulled out a snub-nosed .38 revolver and poked it at the man’s crotch,” Piñol wrote.

The mayor then allegedly told the smoker: “Papiliin kita: barilin ko ang bayag mo, i-preso kita, o kainin mo ang upos ng sigarilyo mo (I’ll give you these choices: I’ll shoot your balls, send you to jail, or you eat your cigarette butt).”

To these the smoker could only muster a measly “Sorry Mayor” before picking up the cigarette butt and swallowing it, wrote Piñol.

Davao City is 9th safest City in the World. Image source: Davao Eagle

Dare to challenge the law?

Before leaving the restaurant, witnesses heard Duterte tell the smoker, “Never ever challenge the law.”

Duterte has earned adulation for his hands-on leadership style that many say helped turn Davao City into one of the safest in the country.

But his “vigilante style” of justice and open support for killing criminals has also sparked outrage among human rights advocates and even Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

Surveys tag him as a popular choice for president in the lead-up to the 2016 national elections. In a May 8-18, 2015 survey done by Laylo Research Strategies, Duterte and former president Joseph Estrada were tied at 3rd place with their national rating of 10%.

Though Duterte is yet to declare his presidential bid and although he has been sending mixed signals about his real intentions for 2016, he has been going around the country explaining his would-be platform and all-out support for federalism in the Philippines. – Pia Ranada/Rappler.com / Kickerdaily

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The Philippines and KR big winners from China's slowdown but Fearing Investors for MARCOS Jr bid for 2016 Presidency

The Philippines and South Korea are the big winners from China's slowdown

How panicked were investors last week about China's stock market plunge? Enough to treat the Korean peninsula, a place that was teetering on the brink of war, as a safe haven.

Even as policy makers braced for renewed military confrontation between North and South Korea, the won staged a rally.

It may be time to start counting Korea as a developed nation, rather than an emerging market. 

That's made South Korean assets one of the few bright spots in a dark time for emerging markets. On August 24 alone, investors yanked $2.7 trillion out of developing nations, with Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand especially hard hit. It matched the violent September 2008 selloff after Lehman Brothers collapsed.

Back then, Korea was battered so hard that pundits were calling it the "next Iceland" and the "Bear Stearns economy". Now, together with the Philippines, it's one of Asia's only refuges from chaos.

It's not hard to explain why many Asian economies are suffering from China's slowdown. Exporters of commodities, who depended on a humming Chinese market, have especially suffered. But why are there such big outliers among battered emerging markets?

Less like lemmings

The answer is that investors are finally basing their decisions less on herd mentality than nuanced, case-by-case analyses.

"Emerging market investors have become a lot savvier," says economist Frederic Neumann of HSBC in Hong Kong.

"Gone are the days where emerging markets were all lumped into one bucket. Today, countries with stronger fundamentals are able to resist the spread of contagion washing over global financial markets."

Along with South Korea and the Philippines, Neumann notes that even some frontier economies, like Vietnam, "have weathered global financial turmoil with apparent ease".

The common link among the success stories is they've got the basics right since Asia's 1997 financial meltdown. They have healthier financial systems, greater transparency, stronger banks, sober national balance sheets, and reasonable current-account deficits.

Malaysia's reckoning, by contrast, is long overdue.

The ringgit is trading near 17-year lows because scandal-plagued Prime Minister Najib Razak cares more about staying in power than modernising the country's unproductive economy.

Meanwhile, Thailand's military junta is undoing much of the progress Bangkok made since the late 1990s in strengthening the rule of law. And for all its gripes that Indonesia is being unfairly lumped in with Asia's laggards, President Joko Widodo's administration is rapidly losing the trust of investors.

While there's still time to win it back, Widodo's first 315 days in office have been a case study in timidity, drift and lost opportunities.

Korea credible

Korea, by contrast, is on the "more credible side of the spectrum," says economist Marc Chandler of Brown Brothers Harriman.

Even though China's downshift and US interest rate hikes will eventually make a dent, the won was Asia's top performer last week. Its 2.7 percent gain almost matched the drop in the Chinese yuan since August 11.

Meanwhile, Korean bond yields are falling. It turns out that the world's central banks had it right last year when they boosted their Korean debt holdings. In 2014, they made up 45.4 percent of the foreign-held portion of Korea Treasury bonds, up from 41.8 percent a year earlier.

It may be time to start counting Korea as a developed nation, rather than an emerging market. Korea still faces many challenges, not least of which are its rogue family-run conglomerates. But its macroeconomic performance deserves the recognition it's receiving from investors.

The same goes for the Philippines. Since 2010, President Benigno Aquino has steadily improved his nation's debt position (winning investment-grade ratings in the process), attacked graft and drawn in waves of foreign-direct investment.

Last month, reporters asked Philippine central bank governor Amando Tetangco if he's worried about the spectre of economic crisis haunting Asia at the moment.

"There's a herd mentality," he said, "but there'll be differentiation."

So far, he's been proven right. The country formerly derided as the "sick man of Asia" has been standing its ground amid market chaos.

Still risks

Risks abound, of course. While South Korea's economic fundamentals are stable – it's growing at a rate of 2.2 percent with a 3.7 percent jobless rate – its high household debt of $458 billion is a concern.

Manila, for its part, faces an uncertain 2016 election, in which Ferdinand Marcos Jr, son of the dictator who ravaged the nation in the 1970s and 1980s, may make a bid for the presidency. History has shown that emerging markets are often just one bad leader away from relapsing into chaos.

For now, the relative stability washing over Korea and the Philippines underscores that steady leadership and long-term thinking matter. It also shows that global investors are getting better at identifying those factors in Asia. - Bloomberg / The Sydney Morning Herald

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Texas Instruments invests $10 million to expand Philippines facility

Texas Instruments is a world leading manufacturer of Integrated Circuits (IC) used for mobiles phones and other electronic gadgets. Image: dallasnews.com

Texas Instruments Inc. has confirmed that it’s investing $10 million to expand its product distribution center in Clark Freeport, the Philippines.

A groundbreaking ceremony took place there last week, according to news reports from the Philippines.

It’s part of an overall $1 billion TI said in 2007 that it would invest in its Clark Freeport facilities through 2017, but it has been increased to $1.3 billion, according to a company spokeswoman.

“Our current product distribution center is overflowing; we do not have enough space do an efficient job on distributing,” Mohammad Yunus, president of TI Philippines, told the Pampanga Sun Times in the Philippines. Last quarter, TI shipped 1.5 billion semiconductor units from the Clark Freeport facility and plans to ship 1.9 billion units this quarter, he said.

“We are currently looking on the 2 billion units which could be a new record for any Texas Instrument site anywhere in the world,” Yunus said in the Sun Times.

TI built its first assembly and test site in the Philippines in Baguio City in 1979. In 2009, it opened a second facility in the Clark Freeport Zone,  doubling the company’s capacity in the Philippines. - The Dallas Morning News

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Philippine natural and organic products to be featured in Maryland, USA trade show September

Nine Philippine companies will be joining the Natural Products Expo East, the largest natural, organic, and healthy products event in the US East Coast, from September 17 to 19 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland. STAR/File photo

MANILA, Philippines — Nine Philippine companies will be joining the Natural Products Expo East, the largest natural, organic, and healthy products event in the US East Coast, from September 17 to 19 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland.

The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) through the DA-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS) organized the following natural product exporters to participate in this event—Brandexports Philippines, Inc., Elemie Naturals Inc., GreenLife Coconut Products Philippines Inc., Nutramedica, Inc., Orich International Traders, Inc., Prime Fruits International, Incorporated, Sweet Pacific Foodfarms Product, Team Asia Corporation, and Tropicana Food Products Inc.

A variety of coconut products will be available to the American public such as coconut water, milk, milk powder, flour, cider vinegar, coconut nutraceutical products, desiccated coconut, coconut sugar, organic extra virgin coconut oil and virgin coconut oil beauty pearls. The coconut is known as the tree of life in the Philippines because of the seemingly endless list of products and by-products derived from all its parts.

Other Philippine products to be featured in the trade show are body products made from pili, handcrafted bath soaps, topical scalp products, vinegar, dried mangoes, noodles, juices and fruit juice drinks, camote (sweet potato) and banana chips, condiments and sauces.

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. expressed optimism in the growing share of the Philippines in the natural products market and encouraged US buyers to take advantage of the growing demand for such products.

“The Philippines has long been producing natural, organic, and healthy agricultural products as well as nutritionally-dense foods considered ‘superfoods’ abroad. The Natural Products Expo East is the perfect venue for sellers to bring their products to the attention of the US buyers. I am glad Philippine companies, with the help of the Department of Agriculture and our Agricultural Attaché, have penetrated this market. I hope more Philippine businesses will follow soon,” said Ambassador Cuisia.

The 2014 Market Overview of Natural Foods Merchandiser, a leading media source and information provider for the healthy products industry, showed that US nationwide sales of all natural and organic products jumped 9 percent to nearly $99 billion last year.

According to Philippine Agriculture Attaché to the US Dr. Josyline C. Javelosa, this has also led to a growth in the Natural Products Expo.

“More retail buyers are walking the show floor at Expo East than ever before, looking for the newest quality products to bring back to their stores,” Dr. Javelosa said.

The trade show will reportedly bring over 22,000 attendees and more than 1,800 exhibitors, with approximately 30 percent of those exhibiting for the first time and new to the marketplace, according to Natural Product Expo East.

This year, the expo will include for the first time a Farm-to-Market Tour where attendees will have the opportunity to visit some of Baltimore’s nearby farms and retail stores that source from them. - philSTAR

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New Malware Breaks 'Impenetrable' Corporate Defenses, Strikes First In Philippines

Quick Heal Technologies has discovered a new form of malware that can bypass sandbox-based gateway appliances. Image: IB Times / Reuters

An antivirus firm has uncovered a new strain of malware that can break through highly secure enterprise networks. This malware is capable of getting past sandbox-based gateway appliances, sold by companies like Fireeye and Fortinet, to land in unsuspecting email inboxes. Its discovery by security firm Quick Heal Technologies is set to kickstart a cat-and-mouse game between appliance vendors and malware makers.

That's bad news for companies depending solely on these appliances to keep their network secure. These solutions can run up to $500,000, and have so far been impenetrable. Farokh Karani, a director at Quick Heal, explained that these appliances are a new trend in a world looking to find the one solution to all security problems. "The latest magic bullet being touted is these sandboxing appliances," he said.

These appliances run virtual machines (VMs) with a variety of different browsers, operating systems, and configurations. VMs are sometimes used by consumers with apps like Parallels to run Mac on Windows. In this situation, VMs are used when an email arrives at the company. The appliance executes the code in these VMs to make sure there's nothing nasty hiding inside.

This new malware, known as APT-QH-4AG15, was able to find its way around the appliance, and analysis reveals that it contained several schemes to get around virtual machines and sandboxes. The malware was first picked up in the Philippines, targeting local financial institutions, but Karani warns that all sandbox-based gateway appliances are effected.

"Our initial findings have taught us that even the most advanced sandbox-based appliance protection can be breached," said Sanjay Katkar, CTO at Quick Heal. "As a result, enterprises need to consider and implement multiple layers of protection to safeguard their networks."

Karani explained that antivirus software inside the network was able to detect the malware, but this spells trouble for companies depending on the appliances for their complete security solution. "It's the flaw in approach of sandboxed appliances, if you're taking it to be the magic bullet to stop all malware from coming in," said Karani.

The reason why these appliances have been secure until now, Karani said, is because malware makers weren't targeting them. Instead, developers focused on attacking traditional servers and PCs, bypassing regular antivirus software.

"The best defense is layers of robust protection – from the network to the endpoints and across all mobile devices, with continuous updates made to ensure that all levels of protection are current," said Karani.

The company's report reveals that the file creation date is just over 10 days old. That means the starting pistol has been fired, appliance developers will need to keep up to date, and the myth that these appliances are a "magic bullet" solution is now suspect. - International Business Times

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Silverpack investing ₱500 Million for Philippine plant

In an interview, a Silverpack official said the company plans to conquer Southeast Asia over the next decade through aggressive expansion of its manufacturing facilities and sales office across the region. image: philSTAR

MANILA, Philippines - Multinational packaging firm Silverpack Sdn Bhd is looking to invest ₱500 million to put up its first manufacturing plant in the country in the next two to three years.

In an interview, a Silverpack official said the company plans to conquer Southeast Asia over the next decade through aggressive expansion of its manufacturing facilities and sales office across the region.

"Our plan is to set up manufacturing plants in Asean in 10 years' time. We already have a factory in Malaysia and China. We have sales offices in Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand. We also need to set up sales offices in the entire Southeast Asia," Silverpack regional sales director Jeffrey Ng said.

In the Philippines, Ng said the company intends to gather a sizable market share initially before putting up a manufacturing plant in two to three years.

Ng said Silverpack is currently in talks with large food manufacturing companies in the Philippines for the export of its products.

"We are expanding because companies are also expanding. When they do well, we will do well as well," he said.

Silverpack's clients in Philippines are still mostly small and medium enterprises which import about ₱3 million to ₱4 million worth of products a month.

The company is looking to tap large Filipino conglomerates which invest in their own packaging plants for their businesses.

Ng said a candy manufacturer, for instance, spends 10 percent of its total cost for packaging alone while a high value goods manufacturer spends five to seven percent.

Silverpack's packaging materials are used by a wide range of food industries such as coffee, tea, confectionery, milk products, snacks, biscuits, instant food items, oil, seafood, pet food, sweets, jelly top seal, fruit drinks, personal care series, and moon cakes.

The Embassy of Malaysia Trade Office (Matrade) Manila said Silverpack is among the top five packaging companies in Malaysia at present.

Matrade commissioner Nyaee Ayup said Silverpack's expertise in packaging would help support a wide range of food industries in the Philippines.

"Instead of setting up their own packaging division, the food manufacturers in the Philippines can focus on their main line of business, if they will tap Silverpack for their packaging needs," Ayup said. - With Pia Lee Brago @philSTAR

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#AkoSiDaniel Campaign Aims to Empower Children in the Philippines Through Education

#AkoSiDaniel Campaign Aims to Empower Children in the Philippines Through Education

As another academic year gets into full swing in many countries in the Northern Hemisphere and some parts of the Southern Hemisphere, so too does an education campaign called #AkoSiDaniel in the Philippines. With the aim of getting 1.2 million primary-age out-of-school children in the country into schools and learning, the cause is making headlines with the support of local and international youth leaders, nonprofit organizations, and celebrities united to bring hope to young Filipinos living in poverty.

Inspired by nine-year old Daniel Cabrera of Cebu and the global Up For School movement, #AkoSiDaniel, meaning "I am Daniel," was launched in July 2015 by The Philippines Foundation in partnership with international initiative A World at School and American crowdfunding company Crowdrise.

A few weeks before, the photo of Daniel studying on a makeshift desk by a McDonald's underneath a lamp post went viral, drawing the attention of online and on-the-ground communities who mobilized to support him and his mother. As a result of their collaboration, they raised over 230,000 Philippine pesos, equivalent to approximately 5,300 U.S. dollars, as well as scholarships that will be financial assistance for his living expenses and schooling.

In the spirit of their crowdfunding project, #AkoSiDaniel is anchored to a digital platform, AkoSiDaniel.org. Through this microsite, people across the world can sign the Up For School Philippines petition and donate to The Philippines Foundation, which will support programs devoted to increasing access to quality education for children in the Philippines.

At a forum this past May 2015, Min Jeong Kim, Head of the Global Education First Initiative Secretariat, stressed the importance of innovative funding to education. Therefore, partnerships such as AkoSiDaniel.org are imperative for making a positive difference in the lives of youth like Daniel, because, unfortunately, Daniel's plight is only one among many. In the Philippines, poverty, natural disasters, conflict, and shortages in education resources hinder children and their family from pursuing and persisting in school.

These challenges have placed the Philippines on a list of nations yet to achieve United Nations Millennium Development Goal 2, which, in 2000, set a global mission to achieve universal primary education by the end of 2015. Today, there are around 59 million primary-age children who are unable to realize their potential through education. As a result, governments have been mobilizing talent and treasure to set an agenda that will afford their young populations an education.

To this end, the Philippine government released its own framework for action to accelerate and sustain its efforts in expanding access to primary schooling, in time for approval of the Sustainable Development Goals at the upcoming United Nations Summit in late September 2015, which will call for inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.

With only a month left until the historic conference, #AkoSiDaniel joins the global Up For School coalition bringing hope to children living in difficult conditions, deprived of pencils, books, teachers, and schools. Supporters and strangers alike can join in solidarity by going to AkoSiDaniel.org, signing the petition, donating, and raising awareness among family and friends on social media and in-person. Now is the time to empower current and future generations through education.

Benedict Joson is A World at School Global Youth Ambassador for education supporting The Philippines Foundation and #AkoSiDaniel campaign. - Huffing post

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Gilas Pilipinas Philippines' National Basketball team pool announced

Jayson Castro, Ranidel de Ocampo, Terrence Romeo, and Calvin Abueva are four of the 16 PBA players part of the Gilas Pilipinas pool.

Gilas Pilipinas pool announced

Jayson Castro, Ranidel de Ocampo, Terrence Romeo, and Calvin Abueva are four of the 16 PBA players part of the Gilas Pilipinas pool.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The national team pool was finally announced.

A list of 16 players from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) were named part of the Gilas Pilipinas pool that will compete in the FIBA Asia Championship in China from September 23 to October 3, according to a post on the PBA's official Twitter account Monday (August 3).

The players Baldwin requested from the PBA are:

Earlier reports said that Tenorio (health concerns), Fajardo (injury), and Pingris (personal matters) won't likely be part of the Gilas pool but the three remained on Baldwin's PBA wishlist.

Baldwin had expressed that the pool is a "working list."

Naturalized Filipino Andray Blatche, who suited up for Gilas in the FIBA World Cup last year, was not part of the list but is expected to be included in the final lineup.

Also missing is Troy Rosario, a Gilas Cadet and one of the top prospects in the upcoming PBA draft.

The journey before FIBA Asia

Baldwin, whose only goal is “to win the gold,” earlier stated that the pool will embark possibly to Turkey or Lithuania for a three-week training camp.

The national team is also slated to compete in a four-nation tournament in Manila in September as part of their preparation for the biennial tournament.

The other participating teams, aside from the Philippines, are New Zealand, Lebanon, and Chinese Taipei.

The competition

The winner of the FIBA Asia Championship will qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The silver and bronze medalists, meanwhile, will have to go through the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

The Philippines is bracketed in Group B with Palestine, Kuwait, and East Asian champion (Hong Kong or Mongolia).

Defending champion Iran was put in Group A with Japan, Malaysia, and the South Asia qualifier, while Group C will make up of Korea, Jordan, Singapore, and China.

Chinese Taipei, Lebanon, Qatar, and Kazakhstan are in Group D. - CNN Philippines

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World-renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs: Philippines has much to teach world

LAUNCHING. Jeffrey Sachs, who serves as the director of both SDSN and the Earth Institute, launches SDSN's local chapter alongside NEDA Director General Arsenio Balisacan. Photos by Chris Schnabel / Rappler

Jeffrey Sachs: Philippines has much to teach world

The country should be a world leader in sustainable development, says the renowned US economist

MANILA, Philippines – World-renowned economist and bestselling author Dr Jeffrey Sachs wants the Philippines to be one of the world's leaders for sustainable development.

"The country has much to offer, so much to teach the world, and so much to benefit from,” said Sachs, who is in the country to formally launch the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Philippines (SDSN Philippines), alongside National and Economic Development Authority (NEDA) chief Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan on Monday, August 3.

In his public lecture Monday titled "The Age of Sustainable Development,” which is also the title of his newest book, he gave a context of the SDSN Philippines and the challenge it faces.

The local chapter will have the responsibility of pulling the country’s leading thinkers to work side by side with NEDA, universities, political and business leaders, and communities to find paths to sustainable development in this country, he explained.

It also comes at a time of optimism in the country and that will be helpful, he added.

Sustainable Development Goals

SDSN Philippines is the local chapter of the United Nations SDSN Network established by UN Secretary Ban Ki-Moon in 2012.

Directed by Sachs, the SDSN’s aim is to help find concrete solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental, social, and economic problems to achieve sustainable development.

To achieve this, the SDSN network has set another series of goals called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These new goals will formally succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in September of this year.

LECTURING. Jeffrey Sachs details the Social Development Goals and the challenges that the global community faces in achieving them to an audience of Philippine stakeholders.

Like MDGs, SDGs are a set of goals covering social, economic, and environmental issues spread by the UN for states and international bodies to use in planning and implementing development policy.

Their exact wording was finalized by the UN general assembly Monday.

This time the goal is to end all poverty, not just cut it in half, by 2030, Sachs said.

Unlike MDGs, Sachs explained, SDGs are universal and will need to be adopted by rich and poor countries alike.

They call on all countries to stop the dominant pattern of focusing only on the economic bottom line but to take development in a holistic manner.

Change direction

“It can’t be business as usual. It’s no longer enough to just achieve economic development. We need a change of direction,” Sachs said.

The focus is on pursuing economic development that is also socially inclusive and environmental friendly, he added.

The SDGs also put forward a shared vision of how international leaders want to see the world to be in 2030.

Education is also a huge agenda, one that will be spread over 15 years with a global knowledge base as its core, Sachs said.

Universities, research laboratories, and think tanks are the core of the SDSN, although it partners with business, government, and civil society, he said.

The idea is to think of how the world is going to do this because the scale of the challenge requires new ways of thinking, technology, and training, Sachs explained.

Universities' role

This, he shared, is why universities should play a leadership role in the project.

Educational institutions are incubators of innovation and have the ability to create solutions of a global scale – which is what's needed to solve big problems such as poverty and climate change, according to Sachs.

Sachs cited as examples the economic emergence of South Korea, which focused on a knowledge-based economy, and the creation of the Silicon Valley ecosystem in the US – both of which scaled using innovation.

Transforming the local economy into a knowledge-based one is a key step for the Philippines and other developing nations toward sustainable development, Sachs said.

FEEDBACK. Sachs, alongside Balisacan and former NEDA Director General professor Solita Monsod listen to reactions from stakeholder groups on Sustainable Development Goals.

Lessons from MDGs

With the SDGs, the Philippines needs to learn lessons from implementation of the previous MDGs, Balisacan said.

The Philippines has seen mixed results with the MDGs, with the country fulfilling targets related to universal primary education; lowering infant mortality; reducing malaria incidence; and enhancing clean water access for households, among others.

The country is not on track to meet goals for maternal mortality, AIDS/HIV prevention, reproductive health access, and completion rates for elementary schools.

"Putting timelines in place as we move to 2030, and being more conscious about assigning responsibility especially in government and the academe are some of the things we need to improve on," he explained.

Political will must also be mustered to push through institutional changes needed.

Above all, more financing for sustainable development should be planned and organized, especially in innovation through more funding for universities and research & development centers, Balisacan added.

The tasks are enormous and so are the challenges, he explained.

“The good thing is now that the economy is in good shape, we no longer have an excuse to not invest in sustainable development," Balisacan said. – Rappler.com

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Philippines is the world's "most social nation" - software Opera Mini

This file photo shows the Facebook app icon on an iPhone. Facebook remains the most used social media site among American teens ages 13 to 17, according to a 2014 study from Pew Research Center. And, surprisingly, boys visit the site more often than girls. Aided hugely by smartphones and other mobile devices, 71 percent of teens surveyed said they use Facebook, with the same percentage saying they use more than one social network of seven options they were asked about. AP

PH ‘most social nation’–report

The Philippines is the world’s “most social nation” based on social media activity of Internet users, a report by software Opera Mini said on Thursday.

In its State of the Mobile Web Report, the browser software said Internet users in the Philippines have the highest social media activity worldwide.

“The Philippines used to be known as the text messaging capital of the world. Now, with easier Internet access and higher smartphone adoption, our findings indicate that the country has transformed into the most social nation,” the report said.

Opera Mini said social networking sites accounted for 86 percent of page views from its mobile browser users in the Philippines—the highest percentage among 50 countries.

The report attributed the growing social media activity in the country to the popularity of smartphones, saying half of Filipino mobile Web users use smartphones in surfing the Internet.

“With the unstoppable adoption of smartphones, people are spending more time accessing the Web on their mobile devices,” the report said. “The smartphone adoption rate in this country has grown from 41 percent to 55 percent over the past year.”

The browser software ranked Facebook, Google and YouTube as the top three most visited sites in the Philippines. Wikipedia, Yahoo, Twitter, Tumblr and WordPress also cracked the top 10.

The report also noted that local smartphone brands have been catching up with international brands in terms of consumer usage, increasing their share in the mobile phone market in the Philippines.

“A breakdown of the top 100 mobile devices preferred by Opera Mini users shows that Cherry Mobile has overtaken Samsung, with a 27 percent market share. Another local brand, MyPhone, has 8 percent,” it said. “The total market share of these two local smartphone brands is 35 percent, higher than Nokia’s 31 percent.” - INQUIRER

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Philippine karate team brings home 4 golds from Thailand Open

MEDALLISTS. Members of the Philippine team proudly show their medals. Photo courtesy of Reymund Lee Reyes

PH team reaps medals at Thailand Karate Open

The Philippine karatekas, who competed against 600 athletes from 30 other countries, win a total of 4 gold, 8 silver, and 12 bronze medals

PH TEAM. The 50-member delegations pulls off a good performance at the Thailand Karate Open held in Bangkok from July 26-30, 2015. Photo courtesy of Reymund Lee Reyes

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine karatekas reaped medals at the Thailand Karate Open Championship held from July 26 to 30 at the Huamark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Philippine karatekas, who competed against 600 athletes from 30 other countries, won a total of 4 gold, 8 silver, and 12 bronze medals.

David Lay of the Karate Development Art and Sports (KDA) said that the competition provided a good exposure for the young atheletes.

It was only the Philippines' second participation in the competition after 2007."Going to play abroad is always educational for these kids. They get a lot of benefits, learning experiences and at the same time, at a tender age, they are given the opportunity to play for the country, one way to teach patriotism to them," Lay said.

The delegation was led by Alejandro Enrico Vasquez, with team manager Raymund Lee Reyes. The head coaches are Ali Parvinfar and David Lay, and the delegation's referees, Rommel Raymund, Jonnie Ocular and Ramon Franco.

The 50-member delegation was composed of karatekas from the Philippine Karate-do Team (Typhoons), KDA, Wado-ryu Club, Japan Shotokan Karate Association, Ryo Shotokan Karate Club, Philippine Karatedo Traditional and Sports Association, Maharlika Karate-do Kai of the Philippines International, and the Advocacy for the Strengthening of Karatedo.

PH TEAM. The 50-member delegations pulls off a good performance at the Thailand Karate Open held in Bangkok from July 26-30, 2015. Photo courtesy of Reymund Lee Reyes

The medalists are the following:

Gold

·         Chole Bernadette Limson

·         Lance Gabriel Villafane

·         Jaspher Fontillas

·         Mae Soriano

Silver

·         Chole Bernadette Limson

·         Marvin Pinpin

·         Jaime Villegas

·         Czarina Napa

·         Mark Andrei Barrientos

·         Randy Padua

·         Narayana Mesina

·         OJ delos Santos

Bronze

·         John Enrico Vasquez

·         Ivanna Cablao

·         Timothy Yu

·         Lopez River

·         Gian Valencia

·         Chris Kawaen

·         Joco Vasquez

·         Gilbert Arellano

·         Angeligue Aguilar

·         Alexis Nunez

·         Rita Cuadra

·         Joanna Ylanan

source :Rappler.com

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Philippines confirmed buying SKR/ Japan made diesel powered Submarine- For the first time

Philippines is interested in acquiring Diesel submarines based on technology from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's Soryu-class vessel. image:asia.nikkei.com

Philippines to buy submarines and advanced missile systems for the first time

This will ensure strength in the South China Sea

Manila: For the first time, the Philippines will buy electric and diesel-run submarines, including advanced missile systems, as listed in its $22.11 billion (998 billion pesos or Dh83.166 billion) modernization plan that was approved in July, to ensure its strength against China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia which have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, sources said.

“The Philippine Navy will buy several submarines and missile systems in the next five years from private manufacturing firms either from South Korea or Japan,” a military source who requested anonymity told Gulf News.

“The ambitious purchase was scheduled after the Philippine economy grew, received good ratings from rating agencies, and allowed borrowing for expensive war materials, but the Philippines could not yet match China’s 26 submarines,” said the same source.

In 2013, the Philippine Navy bought two 1.400 tons Incheon-class frigates (also called Future Frigate experimental or FFX), manufactured by South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries and STX Offshore and Shipbuilding for $400 million (18 billion pesos or Dh1.5 billion); two strategic sealift vessels or floating command centers which can transport three helicopters per vessel, soldiers, and supplies at sea, from Indonesia’s PT PAL (Persero) for $85.7 million (3.86 billion pesos or Dh321.6 million). The new frigates and sealift vessels will arrive in the Philippines at the end of 2015 or early 2016, President Benigno Aquino announced recently.

It is widely reported that the Philippine Navy is manned by three US-made refurbished frigates: BRP Tagbanua; BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz, but Japan’s defense ministry said the Philippine Navy has 80 warships; China, 892; Malaysia, 208; and Vietnam, 94.

The Philippine Coast Guard also bought 10 40-metre-long multi-purpose response vessels (MRRV) from Japan in late 2013 for $184 million (8.09 billion pesos or Dh674.6 million), in a loan forged with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2014. They will augment the Coast Guard’s 19 rescue vessels, when they arrive in the Philippines at the end of 2015, sources said.

The Coast Guard secured a $20 million (900 million pesos or Dh75 million) loan from the United States’ Defense Threat Reduction Agency (it has a maritime security project with the US’ Weapons for Mass Destruction Proliferation Prevention Program) for three aerial surveillance radars, two surface sensors and three surveillance planes for the Philippine Coast Guard National Coast Watch Centre in northern Luzon and southwest Philippines.

Recently, the Philippine Air Force bought 12 new FA-50 fighter-trainers made by Korea Aerospace Industries. six Close Air Support Aircraft; seven of 13 AW-109 helicopters; and six of eight Bell-412 combat utility helicopters made by Korea Aerospace Industries. The two fighters will arrive in December 2015 or early 2016, and the rest in 2017.

Japan’s defense ministry said the Philippines has a total of 26 combat aircraft, compared with China’s 2,582 combat aircraft.

The Philippine government also allotted $22 million (1 billion pesos or Dh83.33 million) for the development of three new naval bases that will protect its 36,000 kilometer coastline facing the South China Sea.

In 1995, Congress approved an $8.08 billion (364 billion pesos or Dh30.3 billion) military modernization plan for 15 years. But only 10 per cent of the approved budget was secured by a loan 15 years later, in 2010, the budget department said.

China, Taiwan, and Vietnam claim the whole of the South China Sea and several parts of the oil-rich Spratly Archipelago. Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines claim their respective exclusive economic zones in the South China Sea and parts of the Spratly Archipelago. - Gulf News

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